Andy Aydın-Aitchison
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andy8chi.bsky.social
Andy Aydın-Aitchison
@andy8chi.bsky.social
1.7K followers 2.8K following 550 posts
Criminologist. Former Lada driver. Atrocity crimes | democracy | police | Bosnia & Herzegovina | ex-Yu | family history | other people's cats... (he/him)

Idle hands draw social theorists poorly on a digital egg.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7463-1302
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andy8chi.bsky.social
Nearly 4 in 10 in Scotland unsure of the date of St Andrew's Day. Fair enough. But I do worry about the 8% who settled on 31 November.

Via The National, www.thenational.scot/news/2565650...
Text Some mistakenly believe it happens on November 25 (11%) or November 29 (8%), with an additional 8% also believing it falls on November 31 – a date that doesn’t exist. Shared via <a href=http://www.pressreader.com>PressReader.com</a> – Connecting People Through News <p><strong>PressReader &ndash; Connecting People Through News</strong>.</p><p>NewspaperDirect Inc. dba PressReader, 200-13111 Vanier Place, Richmond BC V6V 2J1, Canada<br /></p><p>&copy;2003-2025 PressReader, All rights reserved. <a href=http://www.pressreader.com/help/TermsOfUse>Terms of Use</a> &nbsp;|&nbsp; <a href=http://www.pressreader.com/help/PrivacyPolicy>Privacy Policy</a>
November 28, 2025 at 8:59 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Having started last week on the picket line, I was happy to end it focusing on celebrating students, learning and knowledge creation with graduands from MSc, LLM and PhD programmes at @uoelawschool.bsky.social

#Graduation #Celebrate #Law #Criminology
Robed academics and graduands in rows on steps before stone arches Two men in academic robes, one carrying a certificate of graduation A doctoral graduand, being doffed on the head with a soft bonnet, with audience to rear Three people in academic robes in selfie style picture
November 24, 2025 at 9:11 AM
andy8chi.bsky.social
A soggy morning challenging damaging cuts with my @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social colleagues at Old College.

Read about the dispute here:
www.ucuedinburgh.org.uk/industrial-d...

#ucu #StopTheCuts
Picketers with placards before a stone archway Me in bobble hat holding sign saying stop thd cuts. Picket line seen to rear.
November 18, 2025 at 1:00 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Great to see The National giving a refugee perspective on the Labour govt proposals on asylum.

@motazamer.bsky.social on unjust and punitive attacks on those fleeing danger and seeking safety.

www.thenational.scot/news/2562870...

Clipping via @pressreader.bsky.social and Edinburgh Libraries
Headline, Glasgow Refugee: Reforms will do nothing but harm Sub: Home Secretary punishing people coming here in search of safety
November 18, 2025 at 8:24 AM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Back on the @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social picket line, standing with colleagues against senseless cu ts.

Cover in The National by Lucy Garcia with quotation from @drjogrady.bsky.social pictured, and in The Herald, www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562598...

#UCU #StopTheCuts
UCU Edinburgh picket line outside a university building. Picketers are dressed for the cold weather, holding signs against cuts. Headline, Three-day strike begins against £140m cuts at university, byline Lucy Garcia, image of Union rally Quotation from Jo Grady of UCU. If Peter Mathieson, on £400,000 plus a year, can't set out a way forward thar doesn't involve decimating the university and its staff, and if senior managerd aren't willing to engage with the uniom to resolve this dispute, tgen we need government and politicisnd to intervene.
November 17, 2025 at 1:11 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
‘War is a banal platform for sociopaths and
people blinded by power… As a feminist, I despise these structures’ Jasmila Žbanić

A day to reflect on the lives ended and scarred through war and the violent pursuit of power.

My grandfather seated to right, in a sombre, posed picture during WWI.
A black and white image of six uniformed WWI soldiers, posed inside. Four men stand at the rear, only one (left) smiles. Two are seated at the front. The man at the centre holds the hand of an especially young soldier seated at the front, and rests his other hand on the shoulder of the other seated man. The picture has a sombre air to it, seen in the expressions of most men - men look uncertain or hesitant in some cases and generally serious.
November 11, 2025 at 10:33 AM
andy8chi.bsky.social
All kinds of uses, in fact
Mamdani campaign branding, yellow writing, red shadow, blue/purple background. Reads,anyone for another pint?
November 10, 2025 at 6:39 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
This could work for lower league Scottish football.
Mamdani branding text stating East Fife 4 For far 5
November 8, 2025 at 10:20 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Hijinks and frighteners
Two illuminated carved lanterns, one from a Swede looking a bit angry, the other from a pumpkin in a kind of loopy jolly look. Two little pumpkins stand by with faces drawn on in marker pen.
October 31, 2025 at 7:35 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Happy halloween from the Scottish Lowlands!

Oidhche Shamhna shona dhut!
Black and white photo of Scotrail sign at Gorebridge, edited in photoshop to make the Gore text red and running, as if written in blood
October 31, 2025 at 2:55 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Started my day in India (virtaully), with a talk to Law and Criminology students at Saveetha School of Law on the topic of policing after Communism in Europe.

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

#Criminology #Politics #Policing
Slide - heading Freedom ratings, score from 100 Three colums of states and two info boxes Column 1: Not free (4); *Kazakhstan – 23; *Russia – 12; *Azerbaijan – 7; *Belarus – 7. Column 2: Partly Free (11); *Montenegro – 69; Albania – 68; *N Macedonia – 67; Hungary – 65; *Kosovo – 60; *Moldova – 60; *Serbia – 56; *Georgia – 55; *Armenia – 54; *Bosnia & Herzegovina – 52; *Ukraine – 51 Column 3: Free (10); *Estonia – 96; *Slovenia – 96; *Czechia – 95; *Latvia – 89; *Lithuania – 89; *Slovakia – 89; *Croatia – 82; Poland – 82; Romania – 82; Bulgaria – 77. Box 1: * ‘New’ states formed from Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, or USSR Box 2: German Democratic Republic (DDR) reintegrated into Federal Republic of Germany (BRD). Not included in study. Free, 95/100. Slide - table listing themes and number of abstracts featuring those themes Topic (N); Democracy and democratisation (56); Legitimacy and Trust (51); Reform (33); Identity (33); Corruption & Misconduct (32); International Assistance (31); Protest (26); Oversight and Accountability (23); Policing styles (21); Force and violence (20); EU (18); Human Rights (18); Patrimonialism and authoritarianism (17); Private Policing (15); Intelligence (9); Technology (9); Culture (7); Reporting and cooperation [public] (8); Transnational Cooperation (6); Domestic Violence; Military; Sex Work (4 each); Denunciation; Discourse; Extremism; Hate Crime; International Conflict (2 each); Financing; Misinformation; Nat. Security; Police Stops; Terrorism; Voluntarism (1 each). Slide, headed At the Edge of all possibilities: partly free Text: 11 states heading in different directions - dynamic, uncertain False dawns Transformation or deformation High v petty corruption State capture Impact of EU To right of slide national falgs are grouped Albania and Hungary (states that were independent under Communism). Hungary as a star under it as a reference to EU membership. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegre, North Macedonia and Serbia are grouped as Ex Yugoslav states Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine are grouped as ex-Soviet states Title slide, with text Policing after Communism Central and Eastern Europe since 1991 Andy AYDIN-AITCHISON University of Edinburgh @andy8chi.bsky.social Background image, colour, outdoor photo in front of Presidency Building in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Building flies Bosnian flag (Blue and Yellow with white stars), a street sign is seen pointing to cities of Zenica, Mostar and Tuzla. A large number of police (marked Policija) stand around in protective gear including shields and helmets. A very small number of protestors are visible.
October 30, 2025 at 10:01 AM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Reading week walk 6, Queensferry to Cramond, rail bridge, Firth of Forth. Not pictured, sense of calm before returning to the semester's tasks.
Forth Bridge with large colums in foreground and red-painted iron structure in distance Sheep in a field with autumn trees at rear and water of Firth of Forth to rear. Water flowing over weir among trees and rocks.
October 25, 2025 at 7:45 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Reading week walk 5, Deer Abbey ruins and Pitfour Lake.
Ruined walls in shadow and light View within remaining wall outline of crucifotm abbey towards trees. Small fishing boat and angler on calm lake reflecting blue sky and white clouds. View of contemporary house with sign reading Lakehouse. A large skeleton is emerging from the ground.
October 25, 2025 at 7:39 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Reading week walk 4, Balmoral Castle estate. Royal leaf, royal residence, royal coo. Not pictured, royals.
Bright red leaf with raindrops catching sunlight. Castle with turrets viewed over landscaped grounds. Seated highland cow in grassy field, autumnul trees to rear.
October 25, 2025 at 7:33 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Reading week walk 3, Braemar Lion's Face and Cromlins. Mushrooms, creepy trees, castle and squirrel. Not pictured, anything looking remotely like a Lion's face.
Moist brown mushrooms growing among moss View up through branches of fir tree. At the rear, straight vertical trunks of pine. Braemar castlr, towers and turrets within a curtain wall, seen against hill and low cloud. Red squirrel sitting at junction of branch and trunk.
October 25, 2025 at 7:24 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Reading week walk 2, Linn of Dee. Thundering waters. Not pictured, the fush struggling and jumping upstream.
Single arch bridge among rocks and trees. Down the middle white water cuts through the rock. Under a grey sky, heather, firs and birches. A waterfall is seen in the distance.
October 25, 2025 at 7:17 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Mid-semester reading week walk 1, Loch Kinord and a Pictish Cross. Not pictured, a super-strong smell of (wild?) cat wee.
Colour. View over still, reflective loch to autumn trees and hills. Sky is blue with some grey clouds. Irregular elongated upright octagonal slab engraved with cross, filled with pictish/celtic knot pattern.
October 25, 2025 at 7:12 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Cows!

#Cows
Half a dozen highland cattle lolling around in a field. Closest to the viewer is a red brown cow with long horns resting its heads towards the camera. A youngish Highland cow, seated and facing the camera. It's fringe covers its eyes. It has short straight horns. In a field of tufty grass a young Highland calf sits. To its right an adult stands looking towards the camera. At the rear are autumn trees and a grey cloudy sky. In a field in front of golden birch trees under a Highland sky a Highland calf stands facing a sitting adult.
October 21, 2025 at 7:20 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Visiting MacCormick fellow Faith Gordon, talking at @uoelawschool.bsky.social this week on looking at children's safety online from a rights_based perspective.
Seated speakers in front of screen Seated speakers in front of screen
October 17, 2025 at 4:52 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
A visit from @benbradford.bsky.social to @uoelawschool.bsky.social, talking on policing, procedural (in)justice, and impacts on mental health.

#criminology #police
Man at presenter's desk gesturing at slide in front of audience in banked lecture theatre.
October 14, 2025 at 3:35 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Okay, I don't know what was going on here, but after watching The Tourist Trap,I was not sticking around to find out.

13/13 for creepiness.

Bravo, Gorebridge!

#Halloween #Gorebridge
View of transit van. Over the headrest of the passenger seat is a smiling face mask.
October 12, 2025 at 12:29 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Ghost horse! 👻

10/10 for early adoption of Halloween costume

#Halloween
Horse in protective cover that makes it look like it has dressed up as a ghost
October 12, 2025 at 12:26 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Sinister goat!

Okay, friendly goat, but sinister after application of photoshop.

7/10

#Haloween
Horned goat looking at camera. Eyes are artificially red.
October 12, 2025 at 12:20 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
Mild spookiness at the Borthwick kirkyard, where I am reminded of my own mortality.

5/10, would benefit from zombies

#Halloween
Tombstone, with crossed bones, skull and hourglass, angel and book
October 12, 2025 at 12:18 PM
andy8chi.bsky.social
As we head towards Halloween, I got to thinking that Gorebridge is well named to be Scotland's horror capital. I went to check it out...

#Halloween #VisitScotland
Black and white Scotrail sign for Gorebridge, edited so that Gore shows in red, dripping with blood
October 12, 2025 at 12:15 PM