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Showing posts with the label news

Chronicles of a journalist wannabe #1

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I've just spent ten days waking up at 5.30 or 6 am sometimes but rarely later (6.30 or 7) to go on the set of the new film "At the Heart of the Battle" that will be showcased for years to come at the new Napoleonic museum of Belgium. The film, directed by the acclaimed Belgian director Gérard Corbiau, recreates the battle of Waterloo and aims to place, as its title might give away, at the heart of the action, using groundbreaking technology. I had the luck and joy of witnessing the shoot as a member of the press. Other press organisations visited the set during an organised session (I have a couple of hilarious stories about the most ignorant BBC presenter ever, if you're nice I'll tell you a little later). Ten days interviewing interesting people, taking some amazing shots of horse charges, troops marching in the sunset light, a cavalier falling off his horse repeatedly. I must say it was very impressive. Ten days of writing features of different aspects of ...

This world cup makes me sick.

Unless you've been living in a cave or have just woken up from a long coma like Schumacher, you know the football world cup has started in Brazil. Tonight Belgium is playing Algeria, and even if I had no intention of knowing this fact I do because this "info" has been forced down our throats all day long on the national "news." All day long the national radio and TV "news" report opened with amazingly long featured about the football match. This so appalling to me as this is not newsworthy and as far as I know the world has stopped so everyone can focus on the football. Where are all the journalists? Probably in front of their TV. Thousands of people have been forced out of their homes at gun point in Rio in the name of football and entertainment, thousands have been massacred because they didn't want to leave. But that, the "news" don't talk about. The world is silent. And the "news" don't mention how not a ...

My first rocket alert.

10.05am. I just woke up a couple of minutes ago, I'm still half asleep, laying in my bed when suddenly the sirenss go off, I've never heard the rocket attacks alarm but after 20 seconds of listening to the loud thing I'm pretty sure it can only be that. What do I do? What do I do? My brain is panicking to find a solution. I look out the window and people seem very calm about it, no one is running, two guys are on the rooftop of the opposite building, overlooking the streets. I admire these people who can stay very calm with this amazingly loud sirens. Is this really an alert? Should I go find a shelter? Where and how do I find a shelter? Why doesn't anyone tell newbies where the next shelter is? Let's stay very calm in my bed. After 5 minutes the sirens stop, the loudness of busy Jerusalem slowly starts again. I reach for my laptop and google sirens and Jerusalem. Nothing. I alter my search a few times, still nothing. Should this be alarming? I calm down, sta...

Government censorship and "fuck you facebook".

All these years of pioneering, hiding earphones in my sleeves during taxiing, take-off and landing to be able to listen to my music, reading my kindle away from the flight attendants' gaze, illegally playing on my phone (while on flight mode), have finally paid off. I am probably the cause for this: European aviation regulators have approved the use of certain personal electronic devices during taxiing, take-off and landing. They saw me and finally saw it isn't dangerous! Joy to the world! It will probably be allowed before Christmas to play Angry Birds and read your latest cheesy novel while they tell you how you have to put on your own oxygen mask prior to helping your child. No more hiding! The US is embarrassing itself by  blocking the publication of Chilcot's inquiry . The report is on how Britain went to war with Iraq and includes the Blair-Bush correspondence. David Cameron will probably end up following the US decision. Yet another lie to the people. What about ...

BATMAN IS IN PRISON!

Today I didn't buy the newspaper, shame on me. But I still read the Indyand the Guardian online so I can tell you that: Hawaii has legalised gay marriage last night, making it the 15th state in the USA to allow gay couples to say YES to one another. YAY!! That's cool. Meanwhile in North Dakota this guy, Craig Cobb is trying to found this all white town in Leith. The guy is a self proclaimed white supremacist, he was told yesterday on live TV that his heritage is 14% Sub-Saharan African (He had previously agreed to taking a DNA test on the same show). That made me chuckle, I have to say. I wonder how the guy feels about himself now, will he attempt to amputate 14% of his body? Will he die from self loathing and shame hidden in a corner of his house? More seriously though, the confirmed dead numbers are increasing in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan pretty much destroyed the country . A lot of country are supplying help and donating emergency funds. Both the UN and ...