So interesting to read about your on-going adventures, off-grid. Hope the health kick is baring fruit. Hopefully, if some diplomacy works, you won't even have to consider giving up your ordinary life🙏Enjoy Ana's birthday celebrations!🥂
Alastair - so right that you've written about the turmoil in the breast that not being in on the big story can engender. Reading you talk about being "weaned off" war reporting in Los Angeles strongly reminds me of conversations I've had on the topic with Martin Bell, a self-confessed adrenaline junkie. Having spent most of my career as a sort of professional empathiser with reporters at the sharp end, the mere fact of supporting our (ex-I suppose we have to say, although we don't think it) colleagues whose little legs are going very fast in Lviv and Kiev right now is not insignificant. Keep digging and working that good earth. Rhod
Thank you for reminding us, Alastair, of the debt we all owe(wherever we are) to courageous journalists and camera crews who face an ever increasing danger to their own lives. The sanctity of life will feel desperately distant to so many Ukrainians right now. It is with commendable speed and selflessness that the people of Portugal and their (our!) government has stepped up to aid the refugee crisis. Would that we could have seen the same from the U.K. government. For what it’s worth, I cannot but feel that your instinct to remain in your new way of life was both understandable and correct. P
Poignant portrayal of those who bravely unveil the wars’ evil. Perhaps your soul has been hard at work behind the scene preparing you for this threshold in your life. It is wise to honor that work.
Superb! We would love to seek your permission to reprint this thought-provoking and evocative piece in Portugal Living Magazine, but we're just about ready to publish our summer issue. Our next one is due out for the fall (15 August). So, if -- God forbid! -- these horrors are still the news fodder of the day then, I might repeat my request. Hopefully, you'll be sharing other scintillating essays and articles that will be more timely and topical when that time comes ... Thanks for this! /Bruce, Publisher & Creative Director, Portugal Living Magazine
Hi Bruce - good to hear from you and thanks for your kind words. Please feel free to reprint this piece and link to the blog - I have higher res images if you’d like. How can I contact you?
I did wonder if I'd see you in a flak jacket. But I'm glad you're an eco-warrior now. As they say "The first casualty of war is the truth", so it's good to hear the perspective of one who has been there and got away with it. I'm still filled with admiration for the journalists and crews who try to make sure we hear the real story. Channel 4 are doing a terrific job.
Having spent better part of six years staying away from digital forensics/verifying material from conflict/disaster zones, I’ve allowed myself to be drawn back in. Even at a great distance from the safety of London, my god the adrenaline of urgent, important news is addictive and persuasive. And horribly complicated.
This one doesn’t feel like many of the ones I’ve watched you cover. It’s like Syria or Libya, but worse because we already know how those were conducted. Stay safe & well. Watching Quentin in Kharkiv, I think your decision is understandable.
Thanks Alex - I'm glad you're back doing the vital digital forensics work...it's a game changer and great to see the tools Putin has been using and now being used against him. Please send through some links to what you're working on. Q& cameraman DC are doing some amazing pieces.
So interesting to read about your on-going adventures, off-grid. Hope the health kick is baring fruit. Hopefully, if some diplomacy works, you won't even have to consider giving up your ordinary life🙏Enjoy Ana's birthday celebrations!🥂
Thanks a lot Sian...a couple of kilos down and still having lots of soup! And we finally are getting some decent rain which is a relief!
Alastair - so right that you've written about the turmoil in the breast that not being in on the big story can engender. Reading you talk about being "weaned off" war reporting in Los Angeles strongly reminds me of conversations I've had on the topic with Martin Bell, a self-confessed adrenaline junkie. Having spent most of my career as a sort of professional empathiser with reporters at the sharp end, the mere fact of supporting our (ex-I suppose we have to say, although we don't think it) colleagues whose little legs are going very fast in Lviv and Kiev right now is not insignificant. Keep digging and working that good earth. Rhod
Great to hear from you Rhod - I hope Martin's doing well (I've not seen him in ages). There is some amazing reporting and some amazing reporters and crew out there at the moment. I read this piece today on the AP guys in Mariupol - powerful stuff. https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-edf7240a9d990e7e3e32f82ca351dede?utm_campaign=wp_todays_worldview&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_todayworld
on another lighter note......Good Lord! What happened to the pooches! I thought I was brutal with my dogs but you beat me on this! Coitadinhos!!
Thank you for reminding us, Alastair, of the debt we all owe(wherever we are) to courageous journalists and camera crews who face an ever increasing danger to their own lives. The sanctity of life will feel desperately distant to so many Ukrainians right now. It is with commendable speed and selflessness that the people of Portugal and their (our!) government has stepped up to aid the refugee crisis. Would that we could have seen the same from the U.K. government. For what it’s worth, I cannot but feel that your instinct to remain in your new way of life was both understandable and correct. P
It's astonishing isn't it? Madness. And a lot of journalists are doing some incredible work. I posted this on another comment, but it's worth a read I think: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-edf7240a9d990e7e3e32f82ca351dede?utm_campaign=wp_todays_worldview&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_todayworld
Poignant portrayal of those who bravely unveil the wars’ evil. Perhaps your soul has been hard at work behind the scene preparing you for this threshold in your life. It is wise to honor that work.
Thanks a lot Marrin...perhaps, but I'm still keen to keep my hand in after all the years of journalism...be it war or wine...or something else!
Superb! We would love to seek your permission to reprint this thought-provoking and evocative piece in Portugal Living Magazine, but we're just about ready to publish our summer issue. Our next one is due out for the fall (15 August). So, if -- God forbid! -- these horrors are still the news fodder of the day then, I might repeat my request. Hopefully, you'll be sharing other scintillating essays and articles that will be more timely and topical when that time comes ... Thanks for this! /Bruce, Publisher & Creative Director, Portugal Living Magazine
https://portugallivingmagazine.com
Hi Bruce - good to hear from you and thanks for your kind words. Please feel free to reprint this piece and link to the blog - I have higher res images if you’d like. How can I contact you?
publisher-editor@portugallivingmagazine.com
Thank you.
I detest editing a professional's writing ... so, if we schedule this story for our next (fall) issue, would you be willing to update it as needed?
/Bruce
I did wonder if I'd see you in a flak jacket. But I'm glad you're an eco-warrior now. As they say "The first casualty of war is the truth", so it's good to hear the perspective of one who has been there and got away with it. I'm still filled with admiration for the journalists and crews who try to make sure we hear the real story. Channel 4 are doing a terrific job.
I truly have little that is of use to say, Alastair, but thank you for posting the AP piece. Humbling beyond belief.
Having spent better part of six years staying away from digital forensics/verifying material from conflict/disaster zones, I’ve allowed myself to be drawn back in. Even at a great distance from the safety of London, my god the adrenaline of urgent, important news is addictive and persuasive. And horribly complicated.
This one doesn’t feel like many of the ones I’ve watched you cover. It’s like Syria or Libya, but worse because we already know how those were conducted. Stay safe & well. Watching Quentin in Kharkiv, I think your decision is understandable.
Thanks Alex - I'm glad you're back doing the vital digital forensics work...it's a game changer and great to see the tools Putin has been using and now being used against him. Please send through some links to what you're working on. Q& cameraman DC are doing some amazing pieces.