Journalist @ MindSay

In recent times, I have been plagued with a seemingly unanswerable question: who or what do I want to be as an adult? Which career will I choose?

 

I think, however, I finally know the answer.

 

I want to be Eric Rohmer.

 

Eric Rohmer, for those who are not familiar with international cinema, is a French filmmaker who has been making unusual, excellent and intelligent movies for almost 50 years. My concern, however (and this is unrelated to the fact that he is one of my favourite film directors), is more to do with his career prior to filmmaking - that of an intelligent, intellectual film critic for the influential French magazine Cahiers du Cinema (other names who shared this pursuit were Chabrol, Truffaut, Rivette, and one of the most famous names in cinematic history, Jean-Luc Godard).

 

Of course, I fully realise that I may never have the necessary talent that Rohmer possessed to move into the world of filmmaking. However, I believe I do share his passion for analysing films, and perhaps some of his critical writing ability - could this alone be sufficient for me to become a film critic, even a great one like Rohmer was?

 

However, one does not become an esteemed film critic overnight, and I am puzzled as to how exactly I would achieve my goal. Some have suggested looking into a journalism degree, but, to be honest, I am held back from exploring this field by the sheer immoral populism of the mainstream media. One of the last things I want to become is some writer for a major newspaper, with exaggeration, fear, and looseness with the truth being my main weapons, in a desperate search for irrelevant, barely existing news. That is the opposite of my dream, yet I fear that that is where a degree in journalism would leave me.

 

And, more than anything, I see such a degree as unnecessary - surely, possessing a basic writing ability as I do, a degree in journalism seems useless, especially in relation to being a film critic. Surely film studies would be a far more relevant field of study for the work I want to find.

 

At least I'm thinking about it, I suppose. I hope that counts for something.

Here's to Oriana Fallaci! A woman beyond compare, a writer par excellence, who minced no words, called a spade a spade and did not believe in bowing down to the pseudo-intellectuals of today! A freethinker, whose interviewing techniques were  bizarre, yet brought out little known insights about well known people. A historian more than a journalist, a judge more than a chronicler.

Through her books, Fallaci says she hopes "to die a little less when I die. To leave the children I did not have... . To make people think a little more, outside the dogmas that this society has nourished us with through centuries. To give stories and ideas that help people to see better, to think better, to know a little more. Then what? Writing is my way of expression. Therefore, a need."

Live on dear lady, live on!

This is a report by maverick journalist Greg Palast and its quite an eye-opener:


Its gentrification time, folks!
In other words, if your poor and black you ain't welcome to come home.

By Gerry G. Gilmore

 

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2006 – U.S. forces in Iraq have arrested several Iraqis suspected of involvement in the Jan. 7 abduction of an American journalist, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters in Baghdad today.  "Coalition forces have detained four Iraqi men that we believe to have been involved in the kidnapping of Jill Carroll, the 'Christian Science Monitor' journalist held hostage in Iraq for 82 days earlier this year," Army Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell VI said during a Baghdad press briefing. The general did not say when the suspects were arrested.

 

Carroll was kidnapped in western Baghdad. She was released unharmed March 30. Analysis of intelligence information led forces on patrol to a group of residences believed to have been used to house Carroll during her ordeal. "Troops on the ground, young Marines and sailors, paid attention to what may have been considered minor details at the time," Caldwell said.

 

Specifically, a Marine lieutenant from 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, noticed a unique structure on a green door that he had read about in intelligence reports. On further investigation, other details about the house convinced the Marine that Carroll had been held there.  Information from the owner of that house, who the patrol detained, led troops to several others that officials believe were used during Carroll's kidnapping and others. At the third such location that troops investigated, a house north of Abu Ghraib, U.S. soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division rescued two kidnapping victims and detained three other individuals.

 

"The hunt continues for anybody and anyone else that was involved not only in these kidnappings but in those who scorn law and order, who disrupt democracy and who spread terror in the lives of the everyday Iraqi citizens," Caldwell said.

We have a Minister of Justice (I believe that's the word or else secretary of Justice). His name is Piet-Hein Donner. But well he should be in a mad house not in the administration here. He has all kinda strange idea'

s. The example I use the most is this one: When you meet a robber and you get robbed, do you know what Donner wants you to do? To shout: Boo!! Well is that crazy or so? Does he actually think robbers will run away from that?? Beside that he has more from those strange idea's. But no-one actually got the idea to send him away. And he made more mistakes. Thanks to his ideas already three dangerous criminals escaped. If I was him I would do everything different.

If I was minister of Justice, first of all, I would make the penalty's different. Higher and heavier. Also the so-called TBS should change. TBS is when they 'prepare' dangerous criminals for their return in the community. I always learned their are three things why there are penalties and TBS:

1. To protect the sociecty

2. To prepare the bad guys to return to the community

3. To protect the bad guys.

Yes, indeed to protect the bad guys from the society. So that the society doesn't take revenge on them. Strange but well, it is not an idea from Donner. But next year their are elections here in Holland. Already a poll showed that the group of Donner (CDA) is second in the polls. They were first with the last elections. PvdA is second and the VVD is 3rd. Well, you are probarly not very intrested in that, but well I am. If I finish my study in journalism, there are three choices for me. Sporting-journalist, journalist for a Dutch paper in the USA or politic journalist here in Holland. The last one would perfectly fit my last study. In that study I already studied a lot about the politics. How the entire system is worked and stuff like that. I liked it pretty much. It was good to listen too. And I was intrested more by the elections in 2002, when the first Balkenende-adminstration felt because of a struggle between two ministers. Well, I will save you that story. But well, like I always say people are intrested in different things. If some of you would be a journalist, you would be a sporting-journalist (still my first choices), pop-journalist (also very populair), gossip-journalist (populair with girls, it's really that way) or royalty journalist (strange thing but still a bit populair). And well one of my dreams is so politic journalist. But back to Donner and the elections. If next time the elections are, I just hope Donner doesn't get his seat back. He's in my eyes really to stupid to get his seat back. We have a new group, the one from Peter R. De Vries. I think he's a good minister of Justice. De Vries to the Tweede Kamer (where the parlement is seated) and we will have a better Holland. And Donner is away. Yes!! Well, the dream can last on, I just hope it comes true.