İstanbul via London, Cambridge, Bristol & Göreme. Author: Following Miss Bell: Travels Around Turkey in the Footsteps of Gertrude Bell & assorted guidebooks. Cat lover. Painted trafo fan. https://bsky.app/profile/patyale.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/patyale.bsky.social/post/3lim4oyqylk2dAssume most academic history depts will be dusting off the long out-of-favour "Great Men" approach to the topic and relabelling it "Bad Men" or some such. What is happening now is surely epochal enough to inspire a rethink.20 Feb 2025 10:52 +0000at://did:plc:hczgqjoobyuuynxf3c2z2aej/app.bsky.feed.post/3lim4oyqylk2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/patyale.bsky.social/post/3lhw2geeumk2tIn a piece of personal news, I'm thrilled to have signed a contract with @hurstpublishers.bsky.social to write a book about the #Bosphorus, the magnificent strait that divides European İstanbul from its Asian side. Coming up, a month of ferry rides & interesting encounters. Very exciting.11 Feb 2025 16:12 +0000at://did:plc:hczgqjoobyuuynxf3c2z2aej/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhw2geeumk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/patyale.bsky.social/post/3lhvrlcf5sk2xUK govt seems intent on letting AI owners steal work of creatives of all kinds without pay or acknowledgement. AI is not non-profit so owners shld pay to use work of others. Can't go into shop & empty shelves cos shopkeeper didn't opt out. What's the difference? https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/11/uk-copyright-law-consultation-fixed-favour-ai-firms-peer-says11 Feb 2025 13:34 +0000at://did:plc:hczgqjoobyuuynxf3c2z2aej/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhvrlcf5sk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/patyale.bsky.social/post/3letjui3w7k2wForget the blasted Commonwealth Games. Surely the money that will cost would be better spent on turning Glasgow back into a vibrant city for the ppl who live there all the time. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/02/glasgow-crumbling-heritage-empty-shops-850th-anniversary03 Jan 2025 11:55 +0000at://did:plc:hczgqjoobyuuynxf3c2z2aej/app.bsky.feed.post/3letjui3w7k2whttps://bsky.app/profile/patyale.bsky.social/post/3lelyvwyv2k2lImperative that every effort is made to persuade Israel to release Dr Hussam Abu Safiya so that he can receive urgent and appropriate treatment for his injuries. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/dec/30/gaza-hospital-director-israeli-prison31 Dec 2024 12:03 +0000at://did:plc:hczgqjoobyuuynxf3c2z2aej/app.bsky.feed.post/3lelyvwyv2k2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/patyale.bsky.social/post/3leh7vi65ps2cSadly, have to confess to having returned to the other place. Once again able to read tips on places in Türkiye I'm yet to visit, find out which is the latest illegal cafe to be torn down, even that Ankara appears - finally - to have a public transport map. Don't want to be associated w/anything to29 Dec 2024 14:25 +0000at://did:plc:hczgqjoobyuuynxf3c2z2aej/app.bsky.feed.post/3leh7vi65ps2chttps://bsky.app/profile/patyale.bsky.social/post/3leh26epxfs2cDestroying the "environment" for the sake of protecting the "environment"! Only those who've never seen solar farms could possibly think them anything other than hideous. Put them on roofs where they belong, not on ground where they cover even grass. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/29/solar-farms-v-people-power-the-locals-fighting-for-their-county29 Dec 2024 12:42 +0000at://did:plc:hczgqjoobyuuynxf3c2z2aej/app.bsky.feed.post/3leh26epxfs2chttps://bsky.app/profile/patyale.bsky.social/post/3leegnto7tk2sExtraordinary watching country that once used to claim moral high ground abandon all pretence at morality to the extent that it openly attacks hospitals in contravention of international law. Hard now even to remember what started all this. Can never be forgiven. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/dec/27/israeli-forces-raid-gaza-hospital-after-staff-reported-killed-in-strike28 Dec 2024 11:48 +0000at://did:plc:hczgqjoobyuuynxf3c2z2aej/app.bsky.feed.post/3leegnto7tk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/patyale.bsky.social/post/3lechsys2r22sOn a finger-chillingly cold winter's evening in #İstanbul the mournful sound of the boza-seller calling his wares in Çukurcuma is all the more poignant. How on earth does he make his living?27 Dec 2024 17:03 +0000at://did:plc:hczgqjoobyuuynxf3c2z2aej/app.bsky.feed.post/3lechsys2r22shttps://bsky.app/profile/patyale.bsky.social/post/3lec3rqecb22sJust popped my head into the other place to check on Ernesto's Cat Sanctuary which is unlikely to move to bluesky. Immediately read great post by Josh Cahill, who is also not on here, about fate of group of female Afghan air crew. Just don't know what to do. Bluesky is good in some ways but way too27 Dec 2024 13:28 +0000at://did:plc:hczgqjoobyuuynxf3c2z2aej/app.bsky.feed.post/3lec3rqecb22shttps://bsky.app/profile/patyale.bsky.social/post/3lebudnvvc22sOne of most poignant clips I ever saw was of two elderly men, one Turkish, the other Australian, who had fought at #Gallipoli. Neither knew anything about the other's country against which they had been fighting. Same now, surely, for these Koreans sent to fight https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/27/i-thought-it-was-fake-news-secrecy-around-north-koreans-fighting-in-kursk27 Dec 2024 11:15 +0000at://did:plc:hczgqjoobyuuynxf3c2z2aej/app.bsky.feed.post/3lebudnvvc22s