Lucian Mîndru]\ – „Cred în social media cu buletin!”/ “I believe in social media with ID!”

LucianMîndru]\

„Cred în social media cu buletin!”

Pot s\ nu fiu de acord cu Lucian Mîndru]\, dar trebuie s\ recunosc c\ dialogul cu el mi-a f\cut mare placere. Are argumente, are verv\ [i muz\. Totu[i, nu în]eleg cum am putea asculta manele în surdin\, când Tzanc\ Uraganu’ are „valoare”, iar percu]ia trage tare! Cu o sinceritate [i o siguran]\ dezarmant\, Lucian Mîndru]\ ne-a vorbit despre re]ele sociale, post\ri [i postaci, despre poetica manelelor [i biciclete.

Reu[e[ti s\ fii popular în cel mai nepopular mod posibil, e[ti critic, vehement, categoric. Cum e[ti cu prietenii, cu cei apropia]i?

P\i nici cu ei nu sunt b\iat de treab\, de aceea, poate, nu mai am atât de mul]i prieteni, ca s\-]i spun drept. {i cu familia sunt la fel de critic. Ai dreptate în privin]a asta.

Î]i sus]ii punctul de vedere cu înver[unare, a[ spune. De ce? Pentru c\ e[ti sigur c\ pozi]ia ta e cea corect\ sau din sportivitate, pentru c\ î]i place competi]ia?

Pentru c\ e corect, de aceea îl sus]in cu vehemen]\. Nu-mi formez puncte de vedere superficial. Atunci când ajung la un punct de vedere, m\ bazez pe metodele jurnalistice clasice:verific trei surse, un pic de gândit, un pic de cercetare [i apelez la oamenii care au studiat problema. Nu „arunc” cu ceva de dragul punctului meu de vedere. Când descop\r c\ m\ în[el, destul de rar, la fel de vehement povestesc [i c\ m-am în[elat. Am puterea s\ recunosc! Eu nu mai sunt de mult numai jurnalist. Cea mai mare parte a post\rilor mele din social media sunt, mai degrab\, „p\rerisme”, dar mi se pare foarte important ca punctul meu de vedere s\ fie corect. Întotdeauna m\ întorc la opiniile care nu sunt corecte, pentru c\ îmi place s\ las în spate lucrurile cu[er. Jurnalistul are datoria s\ recunoasc\ atunci când se în[eal\. Dar eu m\ în[el foarte rar! (n.r. râde)

Probabil c\ cea mai nimerit\ statur\ care ]i se potrive[te este aceea de influencer. Nu crezi în for]a noastr\ de redresare, ca popor. Dar mesajele pe care le lansezi ar putea convinge destui nehot\râ]i s\ renun]e la lupt\, nu crezi?

Nu cred c\ scuzele adaug\ sau scad în vreo cauz\. Nehot\râ]ii care g\sesc în ce scriu eu vreun motiv de scuz\ sunt cei care caut\ scuze pentru a-[i motiva inten]iile. {i, da, nu prea cred în for]a noastr\, pentru c\ m\ uit la popoarele care au for]\ [i constat c\ de foarte pu]ine ori sem\n\m cu ele. Dar cred în norocul nostru! Acolo unde poporul român nu a avut for]\ s\ mearg\ mai departe, s\ se înfig\ în contemporaneitate, a avut noroc! {i a avut noroc cu caru’! Noi nu am avut constructori care s\ ne fac\ trenuri, dar a venit Carol I [i a f\cut o linie ferat\ de la Bucure[ti la Giurgiu. Am avut noroc! Cred c\ asta mi se întîmpl\ [i mie, pentru c\ eu, cu adev\rat, m\ simt norocos. Fac aceste judec\]i de valoare pentru c\, în primul rând, mi se aplic\ mie. Când spun c\ nu avem for]\, în primul rând m\ refer la mine! Eu nu am for]\. Nu am for]\ s\ m\ redresez, nu am for]\ s\ nu fiu sup\rat pe primar...dar am noroc.

Nu cred în mesajul de tip AUR, cred doar în mesajul care are fundament ra]ional. Când drumul începe cu Dumnezeu ne duce pe aici..., acela nu e un drum, e un cult religios. Nu cred c\ popoarele trebuie s\ se organizeze dup\ cultele religioase! Trebuie s\ se organizeze în func]ie de ra]iune. Baza guvern\rii, de la Platon încoace, e, mai degrab\, ra]iunea. Cred mai mult în cel care cose[te brazd\ cu brazd\ decât în cel care zice c\ are el o coas\ magic\ [i rezolv\ problema dintr-o dat\.

„Gangnam style”, melodia lui Psy, am putea-o numi „u[uric\”, dar a adunat un record de vizualiz\ri. Crezi c\ publicul larg poate face diferen]a dintre aceasta [i una cu „greutate”?

Eu nu împart publicul dup\ preferin]ele lui, îl las în pace, treaba lui. Nu am o problem\ dac\ ascult\ Psy sau Tzanc\ Uraganu’.

De altfel nici nu mai [tiu unde pot g\si „realitatea”. Am abandonat drumul spre calitate sau aspira]ia de a descoperi muzic\ sau literatur\ de calitate. {tii ce caut eu? Veridicitate!

I may not always agree with Lucian Mîndru]\ but I must admit it was a pleasure to converse with him. He is an inspired and energetic interlocutor who discusses by arguments. However, I do not understand how someone could listen to “manele” at low volume, when it is precisely at high volumes that one can fully appreciate the thunderous power of the percussion instruments. Overflowing with confidence and sincerity, Lucian Mîndru]\ shares with us his opinions about social networks, internet trolls, the poetics of “manele” music and cycling.

“I believe in social media with ID!”

S\ [tii c\ eu citesc textele de manele. Unele dintre ele au mai mult\ for]\ decât o melodie popular\ brut\. Maneli[tii provin dintr-o zon\ a societ\]ii care nu mai are acel simt exagerat al ridicolului [i au curajul s\ spun\ lucrurilor pe nume. Desigur, acele lucruri nu sunt frumoase, dar de la Arghezi încoace [tim c\ se poate face frumos [i din urât (n.r. Tudor Arghezi, estetica uråtului).

În materie de gusturi sunt, mai degrab\, agnostic. Las pe toat\ lumea s\ fac\ [i s\ iubeasc\ ce vrea. Am [i scris pe aceast\ tem\. Am descoperit [i texte de manele geniale: „{i când mor am valoare; La sicriu fac buzunare”. Exist\ un vers de manea absolut metafizic pe care pu]ini poe]i români ar fi putut s\-l scrie: „Te iubesc, dar nu pe tine!”

E superb, dac\ stai s\-l descifrezi în adâncime. Fire[te, omul care l-a scris nu a b\nuit c\ poate fi citit cu atâta profunzime. Dar asta

Lucian Mîndru]\ [i so]ia sa, Ioana Mîndru]\, la Floren]a foto: © arhiva personal\ Lucian Mîndru]\

You argue for your views with fervor, so to speak. Why? Is it because you are convinced that your position is the correct one, or as an exercise?

Because my view is the right one, this is why I am so confident about it. I don’t form my opinions in a superficial manner. In reaching a conclusion, I adhere to the traditional practices in journalism: I consult three separate sources, I do a bit of thinking, a bit of research, I talk to people who have studied the topic in question. I don’t just let my opinions fly away into the public space. If I find that I was wrong, which happens very rarely, I let this be known this with the same confidence as when I presented my initial opinion. I have the power to admit when I’m wrong. I haven’t been a journalist in a long time. Most of my posts on social media are opinions, but it is very important for me that my position is the correct one. I always revise my mistaken viewpoints because I like to leave things “kosher”. A journalist has to admit when he is mistaken. But I am very rarely mistaken. (e.n., laughs.) Perhaps the posture that best describes you is that of being an influencer. You don’t believe in our power, as a nation, to get back on track. But don’t you think the message you’re sending could convince a lot of people to give up the fight?

I don’t believe excuses would help with anything. The undecided people who find in my posts an excuse to give up the fight are those who were looking for excuses anyway. But it’s true, I do not believe in our power, because I look at powerful nations and I see we are nothing like them in most respects. However, I believe in our luck! When the Romanian nation lacked to force to progress into contemporaneity, luck came to save the day. And we had loads of luck! We didn’t have engineers to build us trains, but Carol the 1st came and built a railway linking Bucharest and Giurgiu. We got lucky! I think that’s what’s happening in my case as well, because I feel truly lucky. And my judgments about Romania apply, most of all, to myself. When I say we lack the power, I am referring to myself most of all. I lack the power. I lack the power to get back on track, to not be upset with the mayor… But I’m lucky.

I don’t believe in the messages of the AUR party. I only believe in messages that are based on arguments. When the road begins with “that’s the will of God”, that’s not a road, that’s a religious cult. I don’t think nations should be built around religious cults. They should be built around the power of reason. The basis of governance, since Plato, has been reason. I am more convinced by the one who cuts furrows one by one than by the one who says he has a magic tool to cut everything at once.

e de fapt via]a, cultura, fiecare se codeaz\ într-un anumit fel. E vorba [i de teoria limbajului, pân\ la urm\, “every decoding is another encoding”... am f\cut la facultate [i nu vreau s\ sperii lumea cu cuvinte grele.

M\ uit mai degrab\ relaxat la ce se întâmpl\ în jurul meu. Singurul loc în care nu m\ potrivesc cu cultura popular\ este la volumul decibelilor. Cred c\ ascult\torii de muzic\ popular\, de orice fel ar fi ea, ar merita un implant de c\[ti audio!

Dar ce te faci cu pionierii „bum]i, bum]i”, cum ai numit tu decibelii, cu nebunia de la Woodstock unde au fost „Trei zile de pace [i muzic\", a[a cum au spus organizatorii, cu Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker sau Jimi Hendrix? Avem [i noi Vama Veche, este tot un fel de Woodstock.

Woodstock nu s-a desf\[urat în ora[. La noi se întâmpl\ în ora[e [i în cartiere de locuit. Se pune un cort între blocuri [i se face o nunt\. La noi sunt cluburi care se deschid în cartierele reziden]iale, iar vecinii nu pot s\ spun\ nimic. Nu e acceptabil a[a ceva.

Ai perfect\ dreptate, cu toate c\ [i Vama poate fi considerat\ „pe câmp”, dar [i exager\rile în cealalt\ direc]ie sunt cel pu]in amuzante. În Fran]a, ni[te or\[eni cu a doua cas\ la sat au dat în judecat\ pe coco[ul Maurice, care cânta la 5 diminea]a. Cu coco[ii ce facem? Îi t\iem pe to]i în numele democra]iei?

Nu cred, pare o legend\, trebuie verificat\ [tirea (n.r., afirm c\ [tirea este veridic\ *). Nu cred în genul acesta de [tire, nu comentez!

Online-ul e un creuzet cu de toate, se posteaz\ mesaje de orice fel. Acolo e[ti [i tu. Crezi c\ fanii t\i [tiu s\ te decupeze din „peisaj”? La modul general, avem capacitatea s\ ne select\m informa]ia?

Nu, bineîn]eles c\ nu avem capacitatea s\ select\m informa]ia. Noi, în social media, nu suntem acolo pentru informa]ie, noi suntem acolo pentru gratifica]ii, pentru entertainment, suntem acolo ca s\ ne sim]im bine. {i ne bucur\m dac\ p\rerile noastre sunt populare [i sunt îmbr\]i[ate de cât mai mul]i oameni, de unde [i fenomenul de „bul\”. Nu trebuie s\ ne a[tept\m ca social media s\ fie o surs\ de “News” [i cred c\ deja oamenii s-au l\murit în aceast\ privin]\. Ei nu sunt acolo ca s\ ob]in\ informa]ii despre lume, sunt acolo ca s\ se distreze, pân\ la urm\! Eu m\ înc\p\]ânez s\ livrez News verificat, dar asta nu înseamn\ c\ nu încerc s\ distrez [i eu, cu comentariile mele, cu opiniile mele, cu umorile mele, dar [tiu c\, în momentul în care m\ transform într-o surs\ 100% de “News”, plictisitoare, trist\ [i rece, f\r\ opinie... eu dispar! Din fericire, instinctul meu e altul [i pl\cerea mea nu e s\ dau [tiri chioare, pentru c\ am dat destul de mult\ vreme în via]a mea. Înc\ o dat\, ca s\ deosebim adev\rul de minciun\ în social media nu mai e posibil. Trebuie s\ ne obi[nuim cu aceast\ realitate. Trebuie s\ limit\m pe cât posibil – [i asta nu [tiu prin ce mecanisme –accesul în social media al celor care sunt acolo doar ca s\ livreze minciuni, ca s\ distribuie manipulare [i minciun\. Cred c\ resPsy’s “Gangnam style” could be called “light” from the perspective of its musical value, but it set a record for the number of views. Do you think people can tell the difference between a quality piece and works such as Psy’s?

I don’t group people by their musical preferences. To each his own. I don’t mind if they listen to Psy or Tzanca Uraganu’.

As a matter of fact, I’m not sure anymore where reality is to be found. I have abandoned the road towards quality or the ambition to listen to quality music or read quality literature. Do you know what I’m looking for? Authenticity.

I read the lyrics of “manele” songs. Some of them are more powerful than folk songs. “Manele” singers come from a part of society that doesn’t have a highly developed sense of the ridiculous, and so they have the guts to tell things as they see them.

Of course, those things are not necessar-

*{tirea a fost difuzat\ de BBC, The Guardian, CNN, PROTV, EuropaFM etc. Mai mult, coco[ul Maurice a devenit un simbol al luptei s\tenilor din Fran]a împotriva ora[enilor „grei de urechi”, care cred c\ satul tradi]ional le datoreaz\ o lini[te artificial\. Solu]ia dat\ de judec\tor a fost ca or\[enii s\ pl\teasc\ proprietarei lui Maurice, Corinne Fesseau, daune morale de 1000 euro.

Cu toate c\ pare incredibil, astfel de cazuri nu sunt izolate în Fran]\. Au existat pl\ngeri [i pentru broa[tele din gr\din\, turi[tii au sugerat c\ greierii ar trebui anihila]i tot din cauza g\l\giei, in 1995 a fost pusa o scrisoare de amenintare cu moartea pe un pui etc.

În acest context, mai mul]i primari au cerut ajutorul guvernului francez pentru a declara „decibelii agasan]i” parte din tezaurul na]ional.

ponsabilitatea revine, în acest caz, proprietarilor de re]ele sociale. Dup\ IP, dup\ comportamentul în online... adic\, mai precis, eu sunt pentru „social media cu buletin”! Profiluri reale, nu profiluri false, oameni adev\ra]i... Nu m\ deranjeaz\ opiniile oamenilor reali! M\ deranjeaz\ campaniile construite cu conturi false, din ce în ce mai bine f\cute. Dar, aten]ie, oamenii care gestioneaz\ aceste re]ele sociale [tiu care sunt conturile false, pentru c\ vin de pe acelea[i IP-uri, pentru c\ vin din acelea[i calculatoare, pentru c\ vin din acelea[i ]\ri, de foarte multe ori. Sunt câteva ]\ri care au „weaponizat” social media, adic\ au transformat social media într-o arm\ cu care destructureaz\ societ\]ile inamice. {i m\ refer la ]\rile din est care “targheteaz\” vestul.

Proprietarii de social media trebuie s\-[i ia treaba în serios. Noi, de aici, nu putem s\ facem mare lucru. Dar dac\ vom avea social media în care toate profilurile vor fi reale, cred c\ va fi o poveste mult mai curat\. {i cred c\ va veni [i acest moment în care societ\]ile vor în]elege cât de mare este pericolul de a avea, pur [i simplu, la urechea lor, oameni care le toarn\ otrav\.

E[ti un online addict. Care a fost postarea cu cele mai multe like-uri [i care a fost postarea cu cele mai pu]ine like-uri?

Trebuia s\-mi pui aceast\ întrebare pe la 45 de ani. Acum, la 53, nu mai ]in minte. Abia dac\ mai ]in minte ni[te post\ri de s\pt\mâna trecut\. De 13 ani postez de câteva ori pe zi. Probabil c\ cel mai bine a mers, s\pt\mâna trecut\, o postare în care povestesc despre experien]a mea cu o doamn\ hotelier din Grecia. Am luat acum un an un bilet de la ea, i-am cerut banii înapoi, apoi nu i-am mai cerut... a fost o poveste emo]ionant\ pentru c\ mi s-a p\rut c\ femeia chiar merit\ s\ fie ajutat\. {i anul acesta m-am dus s\-mi cheltuiesc cei 750 de euro – si nu î]i imagina c\ m\ duc la 5 stele, m\ duc la cazare de 30 euro pe noapte – [i nu am reu[it s\ consum tot creditul, iar femeia era preg\tit\ s\-mi dea diferen]a de bani înapoi. {i i-am spus, Constantina, ]ine-i acolo c\ mai vin câteva zile dup\ 15 septembrie. {i a fost atât de fericit\ c\ la plecare mia dat o sticl\ cu ulei... Am pus postarea asta [i am luat 12-13 mii de like-uri! Asta e postarea care a mers cel mai bine. Cele mai pu]ine like-uri iau post\rile în care, din p\cate, spun lucruri mai de substan]\! Merg prost post\rile din zona educa]iei [tiin]ifice, post\rile care se refer\ la evolu]ia natural\. Românii sunt poporul care crede cel mai pu]in în evolu]ia natural\.

Online-ul a n\scut o infla]ie de pseudo-jurnali[ti, oricine poate scrie [i posta orice. Crezi c\ mai avem jurnali[ti? Ai mentori? Idoli?

Nu sunt pseudo jurnali[ti, sunt chiar jurnali[ti! Tu crezi c\ noi acum 30 de ani, când am trecut prin fa]a televiziunii [i am b\gat capul s\ vedem ce se întâmpl\ [i am r\mas acolo eram mai jurnali[ti decåt oamenii care scriu acum în online?Nu! Nu exist\ nic\ieri în aceast\ meserie oameni gata preg\ti]i. Ei nu sunt impostori, dar înva]\ din mers una [i alta [i se adapteaz\. Asta [i din cauz\ c\ acum în online intr\ mult mai pu]in\ educa]ie [tiin]ific\ decât a intrat în acele vremuri.

Idoli. Am oameni pe care-i invidiez. Invidiez to]i oamenii care au talk show-uri de prin America, care au tot felul de talk showuri smart, amuzante, Saturday Night Live... John Oliver, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert... ace[tia sunt idolii mei! Sunt oamenii la care nu am cum s\ ajung pentru c\ nu am talentul necesar, sunt oameni la care aspir.

Din România consum Horia Sârghi, Zaiafet, îmi place foarte tare, mai consum, câte odat\, Barbu, vloggerul auto, mai consum Buhnici, când [i când, m\ mai uit la P\traru ily beautiful, but we have learned from Arghezi that ugliness can itself be aesthetic.

In matters of taste, I’m agnostic. Live and let live. I even wrote about this matter. I found “manele” lyrics that are absolutely brilliant, like: “Even when I’m dead, I’m rich. My coffin has pockets”. There is also a lyric that is absolutely metaphysical and few Romanian poets could have written it: “I’m in love but not with you”.

It is a wonderful lyric if you take the time to decode it. Of course, the author was not aware of the plethora of possible meanings. But this is, after all, what life is, what culture is… Everything is encoded in a specific way. Language theory is also relevant here: “every decoding is another encoding”. I studied this at university, but I don’t want to scare people off with technical language.

I’m rather relaxed when I look around. The only time there is an incompatibility between myself and popular culture is in matters of decibels. I think those who listen to popular music deserve a headphone implant!

But what should we do with the pioneers of the decibels, with the likes of Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker or Jimi Hendrix? What should we do with the Woodstock craze, with those “three days of peace and music”,like the organizers described it. Our Vama Veche is a kind of Woodstock.

Woodstock did not happen in an urban setting. The decibels that bother me are heard in urban settings and residential areas. They set up a tent between apartment buildings and they do a wedding there. We have clubs that open in residential areas and the residents have no say.

This is not acceptable.

You are perfectly right, although it is more plausible to regard Vama Veche as a “field” rather than a residential, urban area. At any rate, the exaggerations going the other way are, at the very least, funny. In France, an urban couple bought a house in a village and then sued Maurice the cock for singing at 5 AM. What do we do with the cocks? Do we kill them in the name of democracy?

I don’t believe this story. It seems to be a

câteodat\, sau mai degrab\ citesc intro-urile lui, îi citesc pe Tolontan, pe Negru]iu [i Pândaru, îl mai ascult pe Prelipceanu, ]in minte ce mai zice CTP-ul... sunt oameni pe care-i citesc [i ale c\ror mesaje ajung la mine.

Sunt [i eu un „p\rerist”, cred ca ai ales bicicleta ca manifest, ca mod de exprimare [i din nevoia de libertate. De ce ai ales bicicleta? De ce nu ai ales rolele, mountain climbing, alergarea sau altceva?

Nu-mi place s\ alerg. Mi se pare c\ nu e spornic s\ alergi. Am ales bicicleta pentru c\, într-un fel, e povestea vie]ii mele. Întotdeauna am fost fascinat de ea, am primit o biciclet\ cadou când aveam, cred, opt sau nou\ ani [i am înv\]at singur s\ merg, julindu-mi genunchii la ]ar\. Eu am început s\ muncesc de pe la 14 ani, f\ceam poze în cartier. Chiar eram fotograf. {i mi-am cump\rat biciclet\ din banii mei, la 14 ani. Foloseam bicicleta pe post de transport în Bucure[ti. Nu aveam întotdeauna bani de tramvai [i îmi pl\cea mai mult s\ merg cu bicicleta. Mergeam la bunica mea, dintr-o parte în alta a ora[ului, f\ceam ture destul de lungi, dup\ care am început s\ ies din ora[ [i mergeam pân\ la Moara Vl\siei, la lacurile din jurul Bucure[tiului, mergeam destul de departe în jurul Bucure[tiului. Întotdeauna am avut biciclet\. Când au ap\rut “MTB”-urile (n.r. Mountain Bike), mi-am luat un MTB. Am f\cut MTB [i în str\in\tate când am fost la o burs\, prin anii ‘90 [i am descoperit ce frumos e la “downhill”... dar atunci eram mai tân\r [i m\ ]inea coloana. Dup\ aceea, am trecut exclusiv la cursier\ pentru c\ sunt mai pu]ine vibra]ii [i m\ doare mai pu]in spatele, am ni[te probleme cu spatele. Iar “long distance” am început s\ fac acum 15 ani, cu o tur\ la mare. Dar nu eram complet „virgin”. Mergeam la serviciu cu bicicleta în acea vreme. De multe ori, când eram la PRO TV prezentator, eram pân\ la brâu îmbr\cat în cravat\-costum-c\ma[\ [i, în jos, pentru c\ erau mai confortabili pe biciclet\, aveam pantaloni scur]i. Dac\ a[ fi fost nevoit s\ m\ ridic în picioare, cred c\ ar fi murit lumea de râs! Cumva, bicicleta face parte din via]a mea, dintotdeauna.

E mult mai “engaging”, fizic, te consum\ [i te modeleaz\ mult mai bine decât multe alte sporturi. Dar, e adev\rat, nu faci bicep[i! legend. (e.n., I affirm that the story is authentic *). I don’t believe in this kind of stories. I will not comment.

The internet is a melting pot with all kinds of messages to be found there. Do you think your followers can tell the difference between you and others? Generally speaking, do we have the capacity to discriminate?

No, we lack the capacity to discriminate between various kinds of information. We don’t consume social media for the information but rather for the gratification, for the entertainment. We are there in order to feel good. And we are satisfied when our opinions are popular and embraced by as many people as possible, which is what generates the phenomenon of social media “bubbles”. We should not expect social media to be a reputable news outlet and I think people have become aware of that. They are not there in order to gain information, but in order to have fun, after all! I’m trying to provide verified news, but this doesn’t mean I’m not also trying to be funny myself, with my comments, my opinions, my jokes...

I am aware that the moment I turn into a full-fledged news outlet, cold, boring and sad, without a hint of opinion, I disappear! Thankfully, my instinct is not to do this. I don’t take pleasure in delivering plain news (something I’ve actually done for quite a long time). Again, it is not anymore possible to discriminate between truth and falsity in social media.

We have to get accustomed to this reality. We have to restrict the access on social media of those that are there solely to spread disinformation, to manipulate and spread lies (and I’m not sure how). I think the onus is on the owners of social networks to do this. The mechanism should be based on IP address, behaviour…

More specifically, I am for a type of identity card based social media. Real profiles, not fake ones, real people… I am bothered by the campaigns built on fake profiles, campaigns which are getting better and better. But those in charge of social networks know which profiles are fake, because they use the same IP, the same computers, they come from the same countries a lot of times.

There are a couple of countries which have weaponized social media, they created a weapon with which to destroy enemy nations. I am referring to the Eastern countries that are targeting the Western countries.

Those in charge of social networks should take their job seriously. We can’t do much from here. But if we get to a point where all the profiles are authentic, it’s going to be a much cleaner environment.

And I think we will also reach the point where societies will understand how dangerous it is to have someone just next to them, filling their ears with poison.

You’re an online addict. Which one of your posts received the most likes and which one received the least?

You should have asked me this question when I was 45. Now, at 53, I don’t remember. I just barely remember what I posted last week. For 13 years I have been posting multiple times a day.

Perhaps my most liked post last week was the one where I told people about my experience with a hotel owner in Greece. I booked a stay at her hotel a year ago, I asked for a refund at first, but then reconsidered.

It was an emotional story because I truly felt the woman deserved to be helped. And

*The story has indeed been covered by the BBC, The Guardian, CNN etc. Moreover, Maurice the cock has become a symbol of the French villagers’ fight against noise-sensitive townsmen, who think the countryside owes them an artificial silence. The judge sentenced the townsmen to pay 1000 in damages to Maurice’s owner, Corinne Fessau.

Although it seems incredible, these are not really isolated cases. There have been noise complaints also for frogs, other townsmen wanted crickets to be exterminated because of the noise they make. In 1995, a death threat was taped to a chicken etc.

In this context, a couple of mayors have asked the French government for help in order to protect these decibels as part of the national heritage.

so this year I came back to make use of the 750 euros I had spent – and don’t think I stay at 5 star hotels; I spend 30 euros per night –and I didn’t manage to use the full credit. She was prepared to give me back my balance.

And I told her – Keep it, Constantina. I’m going to come again for a few days after the 15th of September. And she was so happy that she gifted me a bottle of oil on departure. I posted this story and it had 12-13k likes. This is the post that went the best so far. The least likes I get, unfortunately, for the posts where I say things of greater substance. The posts related to scientific education, to natural evolution, don’t work well. Romanians are the most skeptical about natural evolution.

The internet has generated an inflation of pseudo-journalists – anyone can write anything. Do you think there remain any true journalists? Do you have mentors? Idols?

They are not pseudo-journalists, they are really journalists! Do you think that 30 years ago when we walked past the television building and peeked inside to see what was happening there, we were any braver than them? No! No one is born ready in this business. They are not impostors. They are learning as they go along and they adapt. This is also because there is less scientific education happening on the internet now than there was then.

Idols. There are people whom I envy. I envy all the people that have talk shows in the US, all kinds of funny, smart talk shows such as Saturday Night Live… John Oliver, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert… Those are my idols! I cannot get to their level because I lack the talent. They are aspirational figures.

Local productions that I consume are Horia Sarghi, Zaiafet, sometimes I really like the content produced by Barbu, the automotive vlogger, Buhnici, sometimes Patraru (or rather his intros which I read), I read Tolontan, Negrutiu and Pandaru, I listen to Prelipceanu, I remember CTP’s interventions… I listen to what these people have to say and I resonate with them.

My opinion is that you chose cycling as a manifesto, as a way of expressing yourself, and from your need of liberty. And now I ask you: why did you choose cycling? Why not roller skating, mountain climbing, running or something else?

I don’t like running. It doesn’t seem productive to me. I chose cycling because, in a way, this is the story of my life. I have always been fascinated by cycling, I received a bicycle as a gift when I was eight or nine years old, and I learned to cycle by myself, bruising my knees. I started working when I was 14 years old by taking photos in the neighbourhood. I really was a photographer. And I bought a bicycle with my own money when I was 14. I was using it as a means of transportation in Bucharest. I didn’t always have money for the tram and I liked riding the bike more. I would go to my grandmother, from one side of the town to the other, they were pretty long trips, and then I started to go beyond the city limits, to Moara Vlasiei, to the lakes around Bucharest, I would go pretty far around the outskirts of Bucharest. When mountain bikes came out, I got one. I also rode my mountain bike abroad for a studentship and I discovered the beauty of downhill riding. But I was younger then and my spine could take it. I then started cruising exclusively because there are less vibrations and less back pain, and I have some issues with my back.

And I started doing long distance cycling 15 years ago, beginning with a trip to the seaside. But I wasn’t a complete virgin. I was riding my bike to work in those times. A lot of times, when I was presenting the news at PRO TV, I was wearing a suit and tie on the upper half of my body, but on the lower half I was wearing just shorts, because it was more comfortable riding like that.

If I had had to stand up, people would have laughed. Somehow, the bicycle has always been a part of my life.

Cycling is a lot more engaging, physically, it consumes you and it disciplines you better than other sports. But it’s true, you’re not going to get big biceps!

The Robelos is a tourism and HoReCa publication, and our readers are curious to know the routes Lucian Mîndru]\ takes when he goes for a ride.

This Spring I discovered two very beautiful routes which I recommend. They are Spring routes and I recommend them only for the April-May period, when it is warm and Dobrogea is not yet brown (Dobrogea is draughty, it gets dry very fast) and all the flowers are in a hurry to blossom, and there is also a route from Cernavoda to Harsova, near the Capidava stronghold, and you can also visit the Cernavoda stronghold.

There is also a Turkish stronghold there, on the shores of the Danube. And there is yet another route, from Cernavod\ towards Ion Corvin, through Chirnogeni and Rasova, and through Adamclisi and Medgidia on the way back. Both trails have the same length. They are not for amateurs. A trip takes 6 hours of continuous effort, but it’s worth it. I pack my bike and go as far away from Bucharest as I can, because Bucharest is very polluted and

The Robelos este o publica]ie de turism [i HoReCa, iar cititorii no[tri ar fi curio[i s\ afle pe ce trasee se avânt\ Lucian Mândru]\.

În prim\vara asta am descoperit dou\ trasee foarte frumoase pe care le recomand. Sunt trasee de prim\var\ în Dobrogea [i le recomand doar în perioada aprilie-mai, când e cald [i Dobrogea nu este înc\ maronie – Dobrogea fiind secetoas\, se usuc\ foarte repede – când toate florile „se gr\besc” s\ ias\ [i un traseu de la Cernavod\ la Hâr[ova, pe lâng\ cetatea Capidava, cu vizitarea cet\]ii Cernavod\. Acolo, pe malul Dun\rii, este [i o cetate turceasc\. {i înc\ un traseu, tot din Cernavod\, spre Ion Corvin, prin Chirnogeni [i Rasova, cu întoarcere pe la Adamclisi [i Medgidia. Ambele trasee au cam aceea[i distan]\. Nu sunt trasee chiar pentru amatori, o tur\ dureaz\ cam 6 ore de pedalat încontinuu, depui ceva efort, dar merit\. Peisajele sunt super-wow. A[a, trasee mai scurte în jurul Bucure[tiului, nu mai fac. Pun bicicleta în ma[in\ [i merg cât mai departe de Bucure[ti, pentru c\ Bucure[tiul este foarte poluat [i cu mizerie pe marginea drumului. Sunt por]iuni în care sunt gropi de gunoi de-a lungul drumului pe zeci de kilometri [i m-am s\turat de mizeria asta... Ajungi s\-]i dispre]uie[ti profund compatrio]ii când vezi cum arunc\ gunoiul [i eu vreau s\ continui s\-i iubesc. {i atunci, m\ duc departe de Bucure[ti [i de sudul ]\rii, în general, prin Transilvania, prin Dobrogea... Pe-aici prin sud, nu m\ mai dau. Mai fac câte o tur\ iconic\ pe la mare, dar, în rest, m\ dau prin Moldova, prin Bucovina, pe ruta Vatra Dornei-Boc[a. Alt\ tur\ foarte frumoas\ este de la Cluj spre TgMure[-Sighi[oara, dar nu pe DN1, ci pe variant\. Alt\ tur\ frumoas\ este în zona B\ilor Herculane, pe Valea Cernei, spre Masivul Godeanu, pe lâng\ m\n\stirea Tismana, iar din Herculane, o tur\ foarte frumoas\ este spre Or[ova, Cazanele Mici [i Mari. În Apuseni, un traseu foarte frumos este între Oradea [i P\durea Neagr\ (n.r. localitatea cu acest nume). {i în zona Bra[ovului sunt trasee frumoase, pe la Râ[nov [i pe la Sinaia, spre cota 2000, spre Piatra Ars\, când nu se duc „paltonarii”. {i în zona Sibiului sunt locuri [i trasee foarte frumoase, spre Sibiel [i P\ltini[.

D\-ne câteva sfaturi practice. Cum te echipezi, la ce trebuie s\ fii atent când te pui pe [oselele din România?

În primul rând trebuie s\ nu crezi c\ drumul î]i apar]ine! Exist\ [i biciclistul arogant care crede c\ salveaz\ planeta [i, ca atare, merge pe mijlocul drumului! Nu, nu poate salva planeta [i încurc\ [i circula]ia. Trebuie s\ mergi mai în dreapta [i s\ încerci s\ te în]elegi cu [oferii, mai degrab\.

Eu sunt rutierist, nu m\ pricep la MTB, recomand cursierele pentru long distance. MTBul e pentru coclauri, eu nu fac coclauri pentru c\ e prea mult\ zgâl]âial\. Recomand o biciclet\ cu ro]i sub]iri, cât mai u[oar\, echipament specializat, neap\rat pantalon cu bure]el [i ceva sub]ire pe tine. Recomand echipamentul specializat pentru biciclet\, acela cu buzunar la spate. Eu sunt în echipa Giant, [i întotdeauna am s\ recomand magazinuldebiciclete.ro, de la ei îmi iau echipament. Nu am un contract de sponsorizare cu ei, pur [i simplu Giant e furnizorul meu [i de biciclete [i de echipament. Am acas\ cinci Giant-uri. Am un pliant, pe care îl mai pun, din când în când, în port bagaj, trei cursiere – una dintre ele e pe un simulator – [i mai am o biciclet\ city cu care merg prin ora[, pentru c\ nu vreau s\ expun cursiera deoarece se fur\. În ultimii cinci ani am investit în biciclete cam cât într-o ma[in\. {i nu într-una ieftin\!

D\-ne, cu titlu de recomandare, câteva locuri în care s\ ne petrecem vacan]a de var\!

Vacan]\, în aceast\ var\, în România, zici. Mi-a[ lua o camer\ la pensiunea Septembrie, la Cazane [i de acolo a[ face o tur\ cu bicicleta pân\ unde ajung, pân\ la Moldova Nou\ sau pân\ la cap\tul Golfului Dubova. A[ mai merge la Tg.-Mure[, nu pe DN-1, aten]ie. În jurul Tg.-Mure[ului sunt o gr\mad\ de trasee frumoase. Unul splendid este spre Miercurea Nirajului. A[ mai merge la Sf. Gheorghe, la Miercurea-Ciuc... Transilvania a avut acest noroc, a fost mult mai bine dotat\ cu drumuri înc\ de pe vremea Austro-Ungariei. Multe dintre ele au trafic sc\zut [i sunt ideale pentru ture de biciclet\, dar, evident, Transilvania fiind deluroas\, trebuie s\ fii preg\tit de deal. Zona Oradei este foarte frumoas\ pentru ciclismul urban, printre cl\dirile Art Nouveau. Ora[ul e traversat de un traseu pe malul râului Cri[ul Repede, iar de aici ai un traseu de biciclet\ pân\ în Ungaria. Alt ora[ prietenos cu bicicletele este Sibiul. Are multe piste, de unde po]i face o tur\ pân\ la R\[inari, de exemplu. Recomand [i Ia[iul pentru antrenament, traseul Ia[i-Vaslui. Ia[iul e frumos, urcarea pe Bucium e epic\ [i grea. E frumoas\ [i zona de la Piatra Neam] c\tre baraj (n.r. Bicaz), e superb\. {i Dur\ul e spectaculos de f\cut cu bicicleta, îl recomand cu mare drag.

Iar în sud, poate zona Comana s\ fie mai interesant\, dar mai bine nu! Sudul nu e foarte îmbietor pentru ciclism, are [osele destul de circulate [i asfalt prost. Din p\cate, noi în sud nu avem drum pe lâng\ Dun\re, ar putea fi cel mai spectaculos traseu din România. Chiar [i o pist\ mai îngust\ pe lâng\ Dun\re ar fi impulsionat turismul de tip Euro Velo pe care unii oameni îl fac, un coridor întreg, de la Atlantic [i pân\ la marea noastr\. Dac\ vrei o versiune de tur\ la mare, î]i recomand Bucure[ti-C\l\ra[i, prin Fundulea, M\n\stirea. De la C\l\ra[i, treci cu bacul la Ostrov... e un drum superb pân\ la Adamclisi... e aproape pustiu. Dup\ care po]i s\ te duci spre Vam\, dac\ vrei, prin B\neasa. E un traseu lung, de la Ostrov sunt vreo 160 de kilometri. Mai exist\ [i în Delt\ un drum. Te cazezi la Tulcea [i mergi pe biciclet\ pân\ la Nuf\rul. Acolo e un mic bac [i mergi spre Partizanu’, dar nu merge cu cursier\, î]i trebuie un „city” sau un MTB, pentru c\ drumul e, mai degrab\, nisip înt\rit.

La capitolul educa]ie nu st\m foarte bine. Vezi un viitor, în ]ar\, pentru copiii t\i?

Da! Dar ce e mai important [i e o veste bun\ e c\ ei î[i v\d viitorul în România!

Ce te deranjeaz\ mai mult? Diesel-ul sau volanul pe dreapta?

there’s litter on the side of the road.

On certain stretches of road, there are landfills for tens of kilometers and I’ve had enough of this garbage. You start to despise your compatriots when you see how they litter and I want to keep loving them, so I go far away from Bucharest and the South of the country. I go to Transylvania, to Dobrogea… I don’t ride in the South anymore. I sometimes do iconic trips by the seaside, but otherwise I stick to Moldova, through Bucovina, on the Vatra Dornei-Bocsa route.

Another beautiful trip is from Cluj towards Targu Mures-Sighisoara, but not on National Road 1, on the alternative route. Yet another beautiful ride can be done in the Baile Herculane region, on Valea Cernei, towards the Godeanu massif, near the Tismana monastery, and from Herculane, you can have a very beautiful ride towards Orsova, Cazanele Mici si Mari. In the Apuseni mountains there is a very beautiful path between Oradea and Padurea Neagra. There as some beautiful routes in Brasov as well, in Rasnov, in Sinaia, towards Cota 2000, towards Piatra Arsa, when there’s no posers, in the Sibiu region, towards Sibiel and Paltinis.

Give us a few bits of practical advice. What equipment do you need and what do you need to look out for on Romanian roads?

First of all, you should not think that the road belongs to you! There is a species of arrogant cyclists who think they’re saving the world and are thus allowed to ride in the middle of the lane. But no, they’re not saving the world, they’re only hindering traffic. You should keep to the right of the lane and be considerate towards the drivers.

I’m a road cyclist, I don’t know too much about mountain biking and I recommend road racing bicycles. Mountain bikes are for bumpy terrain, which I don’t do, because there’s too much shock for my back.

I recommend a bike with narrow tires, as light as possible, specialized equipment, padded cycling pants, and light clothing. I recommend specialized cycling equipment, with back pockets. I’m part of the Giant team and I will always recommend magazinuldebiciclete.ro, this is where I buy my equipment from. I don’t have a sponsorship contract with them, it’s just that Giant is my provider of bicycles and cycling equipment. I have 5 Giant bikes at home.

I have a pliable bicycle which I sometimes put in the trunk, three road racing bicycles, one of them is used for a cycling simulator, and I have a city bike which I use when I ride in the city because I don’t want to expose the racing bicycle, since thefts are not uncommon. In the past 5 years I have invested about the price of a car in cycling – and I don’t mean the price of a cheap car!

Please give us some recommendations, some places to spend the Summer holiday in Romania.

Holiday in Romania, you say. I would book a room at the September pension at Cazanele Dunarii, and from there I would go cycling to where I can get to, to Moldova Noua or the end of Golful Dubova.

I would also go to Târgu Mure[, but, again, not on National Road 1. Around Targu Mures there are lots of beautiful routes.

A splendid cycling route is towards Miercurea Nirajului. I would also go to Sf. Gheorghe, Miercurea-Ciuc… Transylvania has this luck to have had roads since the times of the Austro-Hungarian empire. A lot of them have low levels of traffic and are ideal for cycling, but, obviously, Transylvania is a hilly region, so you have to be prepared to cycle uphill. The Oradea region is very beautiful for urban cycling, between the Art Nouveau buildings. The city is traversed by the river Crisul Repede, and from there you have a path that goes all the way to Hungary.

Another cycling-friendly town is Sibiu. It has lots of cycling routes, and you can go on a trip to Rasinari, for instance. I also recommend Iasi for traing, the Iasi-Vaslui route. Iasi is beautiful, the uphill ride on Bucium is hard and epic.

The region from Piatra Neamt towards the Bicaz dam is also beautiful. Durau is also beautiful for cycling, I recommend it with all my heart.And in the South, Comana might be more interesting, but it’s better to just avoid the South. The South is not suitable for cycling. There is a lot of traffic and the roads are bad. It’s a pity that we don’t have a cycling route by the Danube, it could be the most spectacular route in Romania. It would attract EuroVelo type tourism, which a lot of people do, from the Atlantic all to way towards the Black Sea.

If you’re interested in a cycling route to the seaside, I recommend Bucuresti-Calarasi, through Fundulea, Manastirea. From Calarasi, you take the bac and cross to Ostrov, it’s a beautiful road towards Adamclisi, virtually deserted. And then you can go towards Vama Veche, if you want, through Baneasa. It’s a long route, there are 160 kilometers from Ostrov.

There’s a route in the Danube Delta as well. You can check in and you cycle to Nuf\rul. There is a little bac there which you take to Partizanu’. But you can’t do it with the road racing bike. You need a city bike or a mountain bike, because the road is mostly hardened sand.

Romania is not doing very well from an educational standpoint. Do you see a future for your kids here?

Yes! And, most importantly, they do too!

Am [i eu diesel, a[ fi ipocrit s\ spun c\ m\ deranjeaz\ diesel-ul. Nu am ma[in\ electric\, am în plan s\-mi iau, dar nu am bani. {i nu m\ deranjeaz\ volanul pe dreapta, atâta timp cât „omul” conduce civilizat!

M\ deranjeaz\, mai degrab\, geamul deschis cu mâna atârnând\, cu ]igara, ca [i cum strada ar fi scrumier\. Nu e scrumier\, dragilor, ave]i scrumier\ în ma[in\, pentru c\ oamenii au constatat acum 60 de ani c\ e o nesim]ire s\ scrumezi afar\.

Ce fel de cultur\ consumi: art\ plastic\, muzic\, film, carte?

Dac\ ne referim la carte, citesc mult\ literatur\ [tiin]ific\. Îmi place foarte mult pentru c\ genetica a ajuns foarte departe în ce prive[te originile popoarelor [i migra]iile. Citesc mult\ antropologie genetic\. În ultima vreme m-am apucat iar\[i de fotografie, dup\ 30 de ani [i am început, din nou, s\ citesc c\r]i de compozi]ie [i de art\ fotografic\. În rest, citesc istorie.

Pe partea de filme, sunt fan comedii inteligente. Aici vorbim de Monty Python - Life of Brian este filmul pe care-l iubesc cel mai mult dintre toate, ever.

Muzic\? Încerc s\ nu ascult muzic\ din anii ‘80, din adolescen]a mea, pentru c\ mi se pare c\ e b\trânicios obiceiul, a[a c\ las “Apple music” ori “Spotify” s\-mi fac\ recomand\ri de muzic\ contemporan\ [i încerc s\ ascult muzic\ actual\. Asta înseamn\ c\ ascult [i muzic\ rave [i disco-dance [i muzic\ elecronic\ [i rock [i metal... deci, sunt destul de agnostic. Ascult foarte rar muzic\ româneasc\, nu îmi place muzica în care b\rba]i în toat\ firea, plin de bani, se vait\ de necazurile lor. {tii, acum sunt la mod\ b\rba]ii tri[ti. Nu prea ascult muzic\ popular\ [i nu ascult niciodat\ muzic\ tradi]ional\. Nu am crescut cu ea, nu face parte din universul meu [i nu o s\ mint niciodat\ c\ ascult cu pl\cere muzic\ popular\ la nun]i. Îmi este str\in\, pur [i simplu. Eu am crescut cu ABBA si cu Boney M. Pentru mine aceasta e muzica popular\. Pentru genera]ia mea muzica popular\ este muzica pop a anilor ‘80. Nu am ascultat niciodat\ Irina Loghin [i nu am vreo tr\ire s\ ascult a[a ceva. {tiu c\ e muzica poporului meu, dar nu e [i a mea! What bothers you more? Diesel cars or right-hand drive cars in Romania? (e.n., in Romania, people are prejudiced against right-hand drive cars).

I have a diesel car, so I would be a hypocrite to say that diesel bothers me. I don’t have an electric vehicle, I’m planning on buying one, but I don’t have the money. And I’m not bothered by right-hand drive cars, as long as the driver is civilized.

Rather, I’m bothered by open windows and arms hanging over the door, with a cigarette in hand, as if the road was one’s personal ashtray. The road is not your ashtray! You have an ashtray in your car, because people have learned 60 years ago that it is not alright to leave cigarette ashes on the road.

What kind of culture do you consume: fine arts, music, film, literature?

If we’re talking about literature, I read a lot of scientific literature. I enjoy reading it because genetics has gotten very far in terms of the origins of peoples and migrations. I read a lot of genetic anthropology. Lately I have taken up photography again, after 30 years, and I have started to read again books about image composition and photographic art. Otherwise, I read history.

In terms of films, I’m a fan of smart comedies. I mean Monty Python. Life of Brian is my favorite movie of all time.

As regards music, I try not to listen to the music from my adolescence, 80s music, because it seems like a thing old people do, and so I let “Apple Music” or “Spotify” make me contemporary music recommendations, which I try to listen to.

This means I listen to rave, disco-dance, electro, rock metal… I am pretty much agnostic. I very rarely listen to Romanian music, I don’t like it when fully grown man, with pockets full of money, are lamenting their sorrows. I know, sad men are trendy now. I don’t really listen to pop music and I never listen to Romanian folk music. I didn’t grow up with it, it’s not part of my universe and listening to Romanian folk music at weddings is never a pleasant experience for me.

This kind of music is simply a stranger to me. Popular music as my generation understands it is the pop music of the ‘80s. I never listened to Irina Loghin and such music arouses no feelings in me. I know it’s the music of my people, but it’s not my music!

Marcel {tef