Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Yay!! Did you notice our blog has just crossed it's century mark? I mean it has 100 posts now! (Firecrackers going off. Flower-pots fountaining everywhere. Sparklers lighting up the night sky.)
Media and all that sort of thing.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Technically, this is in response to Anindita's post.
(I've always been terrible at group discussions. Things always get too heated for me to deal with, and more often than not I just shut up out of sheer embarrassment and an unwillingness to, well, shout.
That's just a musing, nothing to do with the discussion - the very lively discussion! - we had in class that day.)
The point I was trying to make during class that day - clearly and not surprisingly, I didn't make it well - is not that "extra details" are uncalled for, but that I don't think they're to be used to make judgments. Hell, I think nothing should be used to make a judgment - at least in newspapers, and I realise I'm being too starry-eyed idealistic here - but that's just me.
I also realise that in my bit of the presentation I did harp a bit too much on the Daily Mail article - but that's because I was downright appalled. By reporting like this:
Revealed: The shoddy caravan site where mother of murdered Goa teenager Scarlett brings up her unorthodox family
Yeah, that's what I was essentially objecting to. And:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/columnists/article-531289/Sorry-I-blame-Scarlett-Keelings-mother.html
Just a column, but still.
Also:
"The truth about 'Good Life' of murdered teenager Scarlett Keeling
An empty milk bottle, tie-dye sheets pinned over the window instead of curtains, discarded black bin liners and a sleeping bag on the floor, and the contents spewing carelessly from a chest of drawers.
On top of them the remnants of a lost childhood - a plastic duck and young girl's jewellery box.
As these pictures show, this is the squalor in which Scarlett Keeling was being raised.
It is a million miles from the fantasy world of a wholesome family upbringing painted by her mother Fiona MacKeown in the past two weeks. "Oh, please.
Yeah, my objections are, shall we say, aesthetic. And whimsical.
I don't like the drama used in reporting. Can we stop "touching things up" all the time, please, and stop slipping in connotation and judgment all the time? I like a newspaper that respects its readers enough to let them make a judgment.
Again, I'd like to repeat that I don't mind the slipping in of the details of Fiona's marital life and so on : it's just the "oh, look, what a terrible mother Fiona is" bit that I object to. What the authorities suspect, the background of the incident - sure! bring them all on! - just don't say, "This is what we think, so you go ahead, think the same thing".
And yes, I do share Anindita's ambiguity about the whole "both sides" business...all I have to say is, don't pick a side at all.
I still stand by the notion that "saleability" isn't a criterion for "spicing" up details and news. I just don't want to even consider the whole "who's going to read it if I say it so boringly?" thing.
Because I still believe that news and reporting isn't something that's done commercially by definition. As in, I don't think someone should wake up one fine morning and say, "Hey, I'd like to make some money today, ooh, why don't I start a trashy newspaper!" . I think, and I like to believe, that reporting is something you do for its own sake. Because you're passionate about events and people and so on. Like teaching. I like to believe that you do it for kicks. Not for money, power, bla bla bla, but because of the simple reason that you like it.
Sneer at it if you will, but I'm going to hold on to the idealism.
=)
tra la la. byee!
(just had to say that, felt the earlier last line was too Solemn an ending.)
Life as it is…
Saturday, July 26, 2008
I’m sure all of us are aware of the current situation in India. I guess it is too early to point fingers or even figure out why this is happening.. But what one needs to understand is that this is Reality. The world is no more a bed of roses and the question of survival of the fittest(rather luckiest) seems to be the theme of the present life
In the words of Pascal “When we consider the short duration of life, swallowed up in the eternity before and after, the little space which we fill, and even can see, engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces of which we are ignorant about, number of thoughts cross my mind what are we doing here? Does life end here or is it just temporary? Do I really exist?” Though this may seem very philosophical to some of you, do give it a thought….
If you think about it, why is there such a huge panic about these serial blasts? Some of you might wonder if I have completely lost my mind, But is anything that is happening new to us? Have we even given a second thought more than “Oh my God, how sad” when something similar happens in Iraq, Israel or the 9/11 incident? These kind of incidents do happen in today’s world and the sooner we learn to accept and stand up for it the better for us.Now just because reality has become visible to us we begin to panic. Shortly after the blasts when I happened to ask a friend what he was doing, he replied “ nothing I’m just hugging my family and watching the news,Im really scared the world might end soon”. Though this sounded sweet, to me it sounded a little strange.Din't these thoughts ever occur to him before the serial blasts?what happens to our courage when things go wrong? Do we see the better, and approve, But follow the worst?
Life is between these pendulums - the positive, the one that gives happiness and meaning, and the negative - that our lives are lived. And when we meditate about all that, we arrive at a diverse and disagreeing set of thoughts about the meaning and purpose of life.
To everything there are two sides of the coin. While some of us choose to be perturbed by the situations others will continue with the present with a sigh “hmmm,Life goes on”. Live each day as it comes and try not live tomorrow ,for tomorrow will take care of itself. I know this is easier said than done, but why not at least try?
There may be trouble ahead, But while there’s moonlight and music and love and romance, Let’s face the music and dance.
Irving Berlin, 1888-1989, American songwriter, Follow the Fleet
Book Review - Twilight
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Here's a really nice review of the book Twilight that I found.
I’ve never been in love with a vampire before, so why do I feel like I have? It seems I am yet another victim of American author Stephenie Meyer. Her weapon of choice? Her debut novel, Twilight, a sensual, inspired, young adult romance, has been widely described as “a vampire story for people who don’t like vampire stories.” Twilight is the rare type of novel which, despite the many labels thrust upon it, can be enjoyed by basically anybody, regardless of their preferences.
Bella Swan is an awkward seventeen year old girl, who “makes the cowardly lion look like the terminator.” In the beginning of the novel, Bella lives with her flighty mother Renee, in sunny Phoenix, avoiding any contact with the small, gloomy town of Forks where her father resides and where, “everything that is supposed to be brown is all covered up with squashy green stuff”. It’s not until Renee decides to travel around with her footballer fiancée, that, filled with low expectations and a heavy heart, Bella chooses to move to Forks.
Not everything is as dull as she first anticipated. To her irritation, she becomes fascinated by the inhumanly beautiful Cullen family, especially the youngest, Edward. It doesn’t take long for questions to arise about Edward and his family and it soon becomes apparent that they are particularly good natured vampires. Both of them are aware that the very act of them being in love with one another puts them both in danger, both physically and emotionally, but what they forget is that Edward and his family aren’t always the most dangerous things around.
Upon discovering that author, Stephenie Meyer had not so much as picked up a pen for six years prior to writing this novel, I was amazed. Her style of writing is relaxed while channeling all the appropriate emotions, sucking her audience into this beautiful story of true love. It took a particularly vivid dream to pull her away from her household obligations: two young lovers standing in a meadow, the boy, a vampire, the girl, a human, discussing the dangers of their being in love.
At even the briefest of visits to her official website, it becomes blatantly obvious that Stephenie Meyer holds an enormous amount of passion for the story she has been chosen to tell, even going as far as to compose a play list of songs which she hears In her head at reading her book. She has also created a list of actors she thinks could play her characters in the movie (though she doesn’t have any input in the film, which is still being considered for production by Warner Bros.)
After witnessing the intensity of Meyers dedication, it is no surprise that the atmosphere is so powerful; you don’t realize how involved you have become in the world of Twilight until you have finished reading. You begin to have what my friends (and fellow Twilight fans) and I, are beginning to refer to as ’withdrawals’. Withdrawals from the world of the self-conscious Bella and the charming Edward. Like it claims on the back cover blurb, “Twilight is an extraordinary love story which will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.”
I'll give you 100 bucks if you don't fall in love with Edward by the end of this book. - Mona :D
LOVING ODE
Darling of my heart
Over all emotions
Governs your voice.
Gentle at all times,
Only the sweet tone
Never to be forgotten,
Everlasting.
Like an angel
Occured in need;
Vibrant, but steadfast.
Evincing my course.
P.S.: I'm the eternal romantic. But, what am I saying?
Can you crack it?
Newspapers......
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Hmm..... so, the general consensus on crime reporting in newspapers seems to be that:
1) Newspapers should report 'facts' without any further embellishment.
2) Present 'both sides' of the story.
Though there were various other points raised as well, I was unable to grasp them in the melee. So, I'll concentrate on these two points, which seemed to be generally agreed upon.
I'd have agreed with them even a few months back. But, I have my doubts now. What exactly are these 'facts'? Suppose, you are the reporter in charge of the Scarlett Keeling case. What 'facts' do you have on your hand?
1) You have seen the dead body. Facts:
- It was submerged in the water for quite some time.
- Obviously, it's swollen up and the bruise marks (if any), are distorted/hard to find.
- It'd be impossible to discern anything without an autopsy (suicide/murder/rape), beyond a suspicion due to it's nakedness.
2) As far as I know, you cannot get the autopsy report before quite some time. So, you are forced to report what you've seen. What do you say? "Naked body of 15 year old British girl found on a beach in Goa"? Would you look twice at such a piece in the paper? So, as the reporter, just to make the piece 'readable', you are forced to add what the 'authorities' suspect. Or, the background of the incident.
3) The moment 'authorities' and their take on the case come in, you have stepped into the realm of conjectures or even, powerplay. How do you know if the police officer says it's a suicide, simply because he just got a call? (Ok, this is a bit soap-operaish, but, true in some cases nevertheless.) Or even just that he's inexperienced/formed an impressionistic opinion. In either scenario, the moment you say it's 'suspected to be a case of suicide', you've to follow it up with some 'background' support, just to make your article 'read' somewhat plausible.
4) The background information in any criminal case is a patchwork of conjectures, tied together with 'evidence'. These evidences are basically people whose version of events couldn't be proved false (hence, taken to be true) and inanimate objects (say, a logbook). Like everything else, these can be easily manipulated for personal goals.
Even without manipulation, if an Indian reporter chooses to say, "Scarlett's mother had left her under the care of her boyfriend to go for a trip with her other children"....... The very use of the word 'left' forms an impression in the mind of the reader. Why 'left'? If Scarlett was independant enough to have a relationship, why can't she have 'stayed back' herself? (The reporter might have used 'left' simply because Scarlett was a minor and the parent is supposed to be the authoritative figure in the Indian context, at that age.) After all, the story is just another version of events, mediated through the reporter's interpretation of events.
5) Finally, what exactly is 'both sides' to the case? The plot (facts) and the rest of the story (guesswork, gossip etc.)? How can you differentiate the two? Every person involved in the case will have their own version of events. How can you gauge their comparative validity as an outsider?
I'm not a supporter of unethical journalism or something. I'm just saying that it's too simplistic to expect newspapers to report 'facts' and show 'both sides' of the scenario. There are simply too many complications beyond the reporter's control, to reach the 'truth'. I've rambled for too long. Bye-bye!
Blather
Saturday, July 19, 2008
- Write!!
- Err....... about what?
For the proud proprietor of 5 expendable short stories (till date), this seems to be the most disproportionately huge, twisted, ugly word balloon sticking out from the surface of the globe. What on Earth to write about? Every single idea that 'strikes', has already been explored a zillion times over. And by people whom you can only hope to idolise! Like Persig says, "Your common sense is nothing more than the voices of thousands and thousands of ghosts from the past." Can you then really claim something (an idea, in this case), to be absolutely your own? It may seem novel to me in my ignorance, but, rest assured that it has already been worked upon and improvised to a level of perfection. Looks like we are all plagiarising, like it or no! And the catch is only about the wrapper you present your idea in. I'm talking about plot, structure, characters etc. Perhaps that is why, I prefer 'reading' films or books to writing. Why write? There is just too much of writing everywhere nowadays, even without understanding. Maybe, like I'm doing now. Maybe, we write more for ourselves than anybody else. Do we simply write to make ourselves understand the subject better? But, why write fiction or poetry then? I know many people who simply 'love' writing, will be scandalised by this object-oriented approach towards it. But, the ghost of these doubts plague me everytime (to quote Neha), I face a blank screen/paper. Isn't there any way to exorcise them?
Random
Thursday, July 17, 2008
"The world has no existence whatsoever outside the human imagination. It's all a ghost, and in antiquity was so recognised as a ghost, the whole blessed world we live in. It's run by ghosts. We see what we see because these ghosts show it to us, ghosts of Moses and Christ and the Buddha, and Plato, and Descartes, and Rousseau and Jefferson and Lincoln, on and on and on. Isaac Newton is a very good ghost. One of the best. Your common sense is nothing more than the voices of thousands and thousands of these ghosts from the past. Ghosts and more ghosts. Ghosts trying to find their place among the living."
Random quote.
Kafka.....
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
To lift yourself out of a miserable mood, even if you have to do it by strength of will, should be easy. I force myself out of my chair, stride around the table, exercise my head and neck, make my eyes sparkle, tighten the muscles around them. Defy my own feelings, welcome A., enthusiastically supposing he comes to see me, amiably tolerate B. in my room, swallow all that is said at C.'s, whatever pain and trouble it may cost me, in long draughts. Yet even if I manage that, one single slip, and a slip cannot be avoided, will stop the whole process, easy and painful alike, and I will have to shrink back into my own circle again. So perhaps the best resource is to meet everything passively, to make yourself an inert mass, and, if you feel that you are being carried away, not to let yourself be lured into taking a single unnecessary step, to stare at others with the eyes of an animal, to feel no compunction, in short, with your own hand to throttle down whatever ghostly life remains in you, that is, to enlarge the final peace of the graveyard and let nothing survive save that. A characteristic movement in such a condition is to run your little finger along your eyebrows.
A long time later.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
H'm. Just to, eh, break the awkward silence that seems to have broken.
This semester seems to be so much more Grown-Up in a boring kind of way, so far! We're doing very grown-up stuff, particularly in CommE. Particularly compared to last year, when we could do practically anything we wanted in the writing sections, and be bizarre and all. :P
NOT that I'm saying we're going to be stiff-necked this year on, or something. (For example, I had a ball in the "Cover Letter" today, throwing in random pomposities). Its just that I miss the fun of first year, where everyone smiled indulgently at us and accepted with a laugh several eccentricities and more.
Anyway, as is obvious, I clearly have nothing much to say here. Except that I see that I've rambled on for quite a while. (Which, I have to say, I wouldn't find it in me to do in person).
Which brings me to something I've been noticing for a while. At least since I've started writing regularly, that is: the existence of the NehaOnPaper. As distinct from the NehaInPerson. Which is to say that I'm very different when I'm at a blank screen with a keyboard at hand (or a blank paper with pencil at hand) from what I'm like in person. I don't know what precisely, but I'm hazarding a guess it has something to do with a certain connotation of space blank screens and paper give me.
So tell me about you. Are you different at all on paper from what you're like in person? How? Which do you like better?