Impressions of Istanbul Part 1

Back from Istanbul and I was so busy I decided to hold off on long posts until I could sit and gather my thoughts properly. So here’s how it begins:

I’ve never stood at the edge of Europe and looked at Asia. I’ve never arrived in Asia and looked back towards Europe. Actually if I start to list all the I’ve nevers for my time in Turkey, this post will fill up instantly.? Istanbul and its 12 million people was a place filled with things that I loved and things I think no one loves, even Istanbulu’s themselves.

As the 5 euro bus pulls out of the airport area and rides along the sea, I’m fixated atContinue reading “Impressions of Istanbul Part 1”

bm295 An Alternative Media Network in Turkey

BazarBianet is an alternative media network in Turkey. The network’s goal is to cover the topics which the mainstream will not or does not, with a special emphasis on human rights, labor, women’s rights, the environment, and much more.  How are they funded? Is their structure alternative? What does it mean to be alternative in Turkey’s media landscape? My guest, an editor at Bianet, sat down with me at their office in Istanbul to explain.

Bianet in English

 

PRocessing

Turkey content coming up. 4 podcasts relating to alternative radio, a radical magazine, an alternative media network, an LGBT magazine.. and perhaps more.? It’s all processing and today is my last full day in this lovely city. So for now.. I leave you with the fishermen.

No Photo But a Hello

Greetings from Istanbul.? I’m enjoying myself so much, no post tonight. However look forward to podcasts an various topics relating to Turkey as well as other musings on this very special place.

Until then.. check out Chris on Radio Open source, talking with Jonah Lehrer.. some interesting discussions that I enjoyed on the plane from Amsterdam to Istanbul, admittedly a little jittery after the day before’s accident.

Just a Plane Note

In case anyone out there doesn’t notice my dopplr, facebook, twitter or skype status. I don’t leave for Turkey until tomorrow. Sad news today, though, with the Turkish Air plane crash on the return from Turkey to Netherlands.

Enough said about that, there’s plenty of coverage all over the internet.

Hi Speed Stimulus

Not quite finished looking at the US Stimulus package since it encompasses so many programs and so much money.? The latest aspect I’ve been looking at and indeed Emmanuel brought up on Off the Wall last week is rail.

The stimulus package designated 8 billion US dollars to high speed rail development on a national level.? Which made me want to see where they hope to have high speed rail service within the country… NY times Map to the rescue:

Of course many of us have heard about the California line and the significant amount of money they’ve approved there to develop? a TGV from Sacramento to San Diego. But some of the corredors I never heard about include the San Antonio to Tulsa line, or the New Orleans to Atlanta corredor. Even St. Louis to Chicago sounds far fetched at this point.

According to the media analysis and the so-called expert analysis, none of this money is actually going to make it to any actual high speed rail projects, except for maybe in the case of California.? The rest of the money will help get existing rail functioning at a normal level, doing the most basic things like making sure switches work and regular trains can pass going a reasonably fast speed. (reasonable for a 30 year old train)

One other thing I never knew about mentioned in the NYTimes article reads as follows:

Voters in Florida passed a constitutional amendment requiring the state to build a high-speed rail system, only to repeal it a few years later after several prominent businesses, along with Jeb Bush, who was then the governor, complained of its expense.