After copying my notes from word, I found that the web page doesn’t recognise superscript font formatting. This means my footnoting has been effected, the numbers within the essay are my footnoting but aren’t sitting correctly.
Olivia.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The Internet Censorship proposal: Clean Feed.
The Internet has become an important part of everyday life throughout the world. Nevertheless, it has also created a breeding place for numerous threats including identity theft, unauthorised publishing of photos and videos, computer and Internet addiction, personal information being accessed by strangers, cyber bullying, harmful viruses such as ‘trojan’ (it hides within software programs disguising itself as an important application and has the capability to steal important personal information) and ‘phishing attacks’ (the copying of existing websites which are used to steal peoples personal and financial information as well as passwords)1 2 3. It is due to these threats that the Australian Government, specifically Kevin Rudd’s labor party, has put forward a proposal for Clean Feed. Clean Feed will be implemented to eliminate selected sites from the Internet that do not adhere to Australian Media Casting Authority (ACMA) standards in an attempt to make the Internet safer to use4.
Clean Feed as it has unofficially been named will directly affect “all households… schools and other public Internet points” due to Internet Service Provider(s) (ISP) and Internet Content Host(s) (ICH) mandatory compliance with Internet blocking systems5. As aforementioned, the blocking of sites will be in accordance with ACMA standards which has created a ‘blacklist’ of prohibited content6. Prohibited content is classified under R18 (information harmful or disturbing to under 18s which only applies in Australia), X18 (material that is non violent, but sexually explicit) and RC (Refused Classification). Material found on the Internet cannot be prohibited unless it is placed within one of these categories7. Although classifications seem sufficient, the government’s failure to provide the public with a complete list of goals for the clean feed leaves society unable to calculate whether the overall proposal is feasible8. It is also further questioned to what extent societies’ values, attitudes and beliefs will be taken into consideration in this Clean Feed. Australia hosts a wide range of cultural backgrounds and therefore values and beliefs which may create further friction in this already delicate proposal9.
Clean Feed as a system, will operate on two filtering levels known as ‘black list filtering’ and ‘content filtering’. Black list filtering will require all ISP(s) to provide content filtering to all homes, schools, libraries and public internet points which can be used by children10 11. This filtering will be in conjunction with the AMCA black list, in addition it will be made illegal to work around these restrictions12. This filtering will only operate on Uniform Resource Locator(s) (URL), and cannot block content from peer to peer systems, encrypted channels, chatrooms, MSN instant messaging and mobiles13 14. Whilst this system will ensure that a certain amount of materials will be made prohibited throughout the web, this will not entirely eliminate the passing of inappropriate, explicit, dangerous or threatening information. Therefore the circulation of such content will continue, together with a rise in attempts to ‘bypass Internet censorship devices’ through tools such as GPass, GTunnel and Freegate which are specifically created to infiltrate systems such as Clean Feed15.
With this in mind, ‘content filtering’ will create an opportunity for further censorship of the Internet for R rated materials. However, this is not a mandatory form of filtering as the materials which are not illegal, rather more suitable for adults than children can be avoided legally. This provides an advantage for families as they can control the extent to which their entire family is censored on the Internet16.
Despite valid concerns regarding safe Internet use, there are a number of problems that will come with the implementation of Clean Feed. Problems include further slowing down the Internet by approximately 80%17. This alone will cause significant difficulties for businesses and workplaces relying on the Internet to carry out daily work demands. Furthermore it will place greater strain on teachers, students in schools and universities who already work with slow Internet connections18. In addition it is estimated 10,000 legal sites will be blocked to every million and the government has not yet put forward proposals to remedy this19. This could ultimately damage the quality of information found on the Internet, as wading through irrelevant and unreliable sources occurs every time you run searches, without legal sources being blocked. Maintaining the ‘black list’ is a problem in itself, both adding to and rectifying incorrect black listings is a task that will take a great degree of organization and thoroughness which cannot be promised or ensured20.
Although Clean Feed would be enforced to primarily protect children, it will undoubtedly affect all Internet users. With this in mind, it seems necessary to outline programs which are readily available for families around Australia to filter the Internet and therefore create a safer Internet environment for Australia’s younger generation. Content Filters include but are not restricted to Optenet PC Filter, Net Nanny, Content Keeper Web, Safe Eyes, My Child My Values, Surf Control Web, iShield Plus, K9 Web Protection and URL Filtering Module, all of which protect different age groups ranging from under ten year olds to fifteen year olds and over21.
It is clear that despite the aforementioned programs being implemented and available this has not entirely disrupted the threats encountered when using the Internet. However, it has also been put forward in the Clean Feed proposal that children should be educated about cyber safety upon first contact with computers22. If the Government was to concentrate on this aspect specifically, instead of implementing internet censorship that will further slow down Internet access and not sufficiently block all illegal material, they would be able to better protect the children of Australia (which they have indicated as a major concern). Education is the best tool in creating awareness and prevention so this would be a key step in creating greater Internet safety. In providing this education not only could youths learn how to safely use the Internet, but adults would become more aware of the importance of safety programs. This awareness alone would undoubtedly trigger the use of more Internet safety programs, which would reduce threats to Internet users and more specifically children.
Once again it is clear that this would not entirely eliminate threats which are prominent on the Internet, however this is a commonality that is shared with the filtering system in the Clean Feed proposal itself. Realistically and as research has shown the complete elimination of illegal materials will not occur. Therefore, the Australian Government should reconsider spending an estimated 24.3 million dollars on a system, which will only slow down and create further faults to the Internet23. A better approach to the Internet censorship issue, would be to concentrate on properly educating the Australian public on cybersafety. This means cybersafety programs, information and initiatives should be marketed widely to the Australian public in order to promote and ensure an ongoing practice of Internet safety and control, whilst minimising damage to the internet.
References:
1. Conroy Stephen 2007, Labor’s Plan for Cybersafety, pg 1-8.
2. Webopedia n.d, phishing, http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/phishing.html
3. Tech-faq n.d, What is a Trojan Horse Virus, http://www.tech-faq.com/trojan-
4. Electronic Frontiers Australia n.d, Labors Mandatory Internet Blocking System, http://www.efa.org.au/censorship/mandatory-isp-blocking/#SS_1
5. Electronic Frontiers Australia n.d, Labors Mandatory Internet Blocking System, http://www.efa.org.au/censorship/mandatory-isp-blocking/#SS_1
6. Electronic Frontiers Australia n.d, Labors Mandatory Internet Blocking System, http://www.efa.org.au/censorship/mandatory-isp-blocking/#SS_1
7. Watt Renee, Vaile David 2009, Inspecting the Despicable, Assessing the Unacceptable: Prohibited Packets and the Great Firewall of Canberra, paper 35.
8. Larme Anthony 2001, How to IMPROVE Australia’s Internet Content Regulation System: A Joint ACS/ ALIA Policy Proposal to the Federal Government, ITN330: Information Issues and Values.
9. Conroy Stephen 2007, Labor’s Plan for Cybersafety, pg 1-8.
10. Maurushat Alana, Watt Renee 2009, Clean Feed: Australia’s Internet Proposal, paper 7.
11. Maurushat Alana, Watt Renee 2009, Clean Feed: Australia’s Internet Proposal, Paper 7.
12. Maurushat Alana, Watt Renee 2009, Clean Feed: Australia’s Internet Proposal, paper 7.
13. Henninger Maureen 2003, The Hidden Web: Finding quality information on the net, University of New South Wales Press Ltd, Sydney.
14. Smart Jason, Tedeschi Kyle, Meakins Daniel, Hannay Peter, Bolan Christopher 2008, Subverting National Internet Censorship - An Investigation into existing Tools and Techniques.
15. Maurushat Alana, Watt Renee 2009, Clean Feed: Australia’s Internet Proposal, paper 7.
16. Electronic Frontiers Australia, No Clean Feed, Stop Internet Censorship In Australia, http://nocleanfeed.com/learn.html
17. Grayson Ian 2008, The Dangers of Web Filtering, http://www.hydrapinion.com/index.php/work/2008/01/07/the_dangers_of_web_filtering
18. Electronic Frontiers Australia, No Clean Feed, Stop Internet Censorship In Australia, http://nocleanfeed.com/learn.html
19. Internet Industry Association 2008, Guide For Internet Users, 1.
20. Conroy Stephen 2007, Labor’s Plan for Cybersafety, pg 1-8.
21. News.com.au 2008, Internet ‘clean feed’ useless – group, http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,23703848-421,00.html
Bibliography for Clean Feed Essay.
Australian Government 2009, Cybersmart Parents, http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Parents.aspx
Australian Government 2009, Cybersmart Schools, http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Schools.aspx
Conroy Stephen 2007, Labor’s Plan for Cybersafety, pg 1-8.
Electronic Frontiers Australia n.d, Internet Censorship Laws in Australia, http://www.efa.org.au/Issues/Censor/cens1.html#prohib
Electronic Frontiers Australia n.d, Labors Mandatory Internet Blocking System, http://www.efa.org.au/censorship/mandatory-isp-blocking/#SS_1
Grayson Ian 2008, The Dangers of Web Filtering, http://www.hydrapinion.com/index.php/work/2008/01/07/the_dangers_of_web_filtering
Henninger Maureen 2003, The Hidden Web: Finding quality information on the net, University of New South Wales Press Ltd, Sydney.
Internet Industry Association 2008, Guide For Internet Users,
http://www.iia.net.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=416&Itemid=9#list_of_filters
Larme Anthony 2001, How to Improve Australia’s Internet Content Regulation System: A Joint ACS/ ALIA Policy Proposal to the Federal Government, ITN330: Information Issues and Values.
Maurushat Alana, Watt Renee 2009, Clean Feed: Australia’s Internet Proposal, Paper 7.
News.com.au 2008, Internet ‘clean feed’ useless – group, http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,23703848-421,00.html
Smart Jason, Tedeschi Kyle, Meakins Daniel, Hannay Peter, Bolan Christopher 2008, Subverting National Internet Censorship - An Investigation into existing Tools and Techniques, Unacceptable: Prohibited Packets and the Great Firewall of Canberra, Paper 35.
Tech-faq n.d, What is a Trojan Horse Virus, http://www.tech-faq.com/trojan-horse-virus.shtml
Watt Renee, Vaile David 2009, Inspecting the Despicable, Assessing the Unacceptable: Prohibited Packets and the Great Firewall of Canberra, Paper 35.
Australian Government 2009, Cybersmart Schools, http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Schools.aspx
Conroy Stephen 2007, Labor’s Plan for Cybersafety, pg 1-8.
Electronic Frontiers Australia n.d, Internet Censorship Laws in Australia, http://www.efa.org.au/Issues/Censor/cens1.html#prohib
Electronic Frontiers Australia n.d, Labors Mandatory Internet Blocking System, http://www.efa.org.au/censorship/mandatory-isp-blocking/#SS_1
Grayson Ian 2008, The Dangers of Web Filtering, http://www.hydrapinion.com/index.php/work/2008/01/07/the_dangers_of_web_filtering
Henninger Maureen 2003, The Hidden Web: Finding quality information on the net, University of New South Wales Press Ltd, Sydney.
Internet Industry Association 2008, Guide For Internet Users,
http://www.iia.net.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=416&Itemid=9#list_of_filters
Larme Anthony 2001, How to Improve Australia’s Internet Content Regulation System: A Joint ACS/ ALIA Policy Proposal to the Federal Government, ITN330: Information Issues and Values.
Maurushat Alana, Watt Renee 2009, Clean Feed: Australia’s Internet Proposal, Paper 7.
News.com.au 2008, Internet ‘clean feed’ useless – group, http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,23703848-421,00.html
Smart Jason, Tedeschi Kyle, Meakins Daniel, Hannay Peter, Bolan Christopher 2008, Subverting National Internet Censorship - An Investigation into existing Tools and Techniques, Unacceptable: Prohibited Packets and the Great Firewall of Canberra, Paper 35.
Tech-faq n.d, What is a Trojan Horse Virus, http://www.tech-faq.com/trojan-horse-virus.shtml
Watt Renee, Vaile David 2009, Inspecting the Despicable, Assessing the Unacceptable: Prohibited Packets and the Great Firewall of Canberra, Paper 35.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
My essay.
Research, research, research....those have been my movements for the essay so far and with these movements comes a new plane of attack. So I have now chosen to outline the importance of the internet throughout the world and how it has become something that is used daily.
Outline although it is useful it carries the following threats.....i.e cyber bullying, identity theft.
The above will lead into why the government has put forward the proposal for Clean Feed and define what it will do.
Elaborate on how the system will operate....looking at ratings etc and outlining positive/negative that can be seen in these.
Outline the overall concerns about Clean Feed....the slowing of the internet by up to 80%, the incorrect blocking of sites etc.
Outline what is already available (programs and educational websites) and how these could be improved and worked with instead of implementing clean feed.
Outline what benefits would come of using the above alternatives.
Reiterate why Clean Feed should not be implemented.
So there is my new plan of attack after doing research.
Outline although it is useful it carries the following threats.....i.e cyber bullying, identity theft.
The above will lead into why the government has put forward the proposal for Clean Feed and define what it will do.
Elaborate on how the system will operate....looking at ratings etc and outlining positive/negative that can be seen in these.
Outline the overall concerns about Clean Feed....the slowing of the internet by up to 80%, the incorrect blocking of sites etc.
Outline what is already available (programs and educational websites) and how these could be improved and worked with instead of implementing clean feed.
Outline what benefits would come of using the above alternatives.
Reiterate why Clean Feed should not be implemented.
So there is my new plan of attack after doing research.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
More Essay Info....
InternetCensorhipLaws
The link above holds information on Commonwealth Law and State and Territory Criminal Laws in regards to the censorhip of the internet. I think this will be a valuable source in my essay.
I will be able to see some of the legislation that is currently in force and how the classification process works. There is also a link to look to the definition of prohibited content. Will be very helpful.
Report
This site hosts a report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority on developments in internet filtering technologies and other measures for promoting online safety.
Cybersafety
This is a fact sheet from the election in 07 looking at issues such as online identity theft, cyber-bullying and computer addiction, although there are more covered. Another source which will help with my essay.
Censorship
This site looks at other applications that can be used to make the internet safer and how internet censorship by the government is chipping away at free speech via the internet.
Also Borrowing out of library-
Exploring the Internet: A Technical Travelogue
Protect Your Privacy on the Internet
The Hidden Web
Internet Ethics
The link above holds information on Commonwealth Law and State and Territory Criminal Laws in regards to the censorhip of the internet. I think this will be a valuable source in my essay.
I will be able to see some of the legislation that is currently in force and how the classification process works. There is also a link to look to the definition of prohibited content. Will be very helpful.
Report
This site hosts a report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority on developments in internet filtering technologies and other measures for promoting online safety.
Cybersafety
This is a fact sheet from the election in 07 looking at issues such as online identity theft, cyber-bullying and computer addiction, although there are more covered. Another source which will help with my essay.
Censorship
This site looks at other applications that can be used to make the internet safer and how internet censorship by the government is chipping away at free speech via the internet.
Also Borrowing out of library-
Exploring the Internet: A Technical Travelogue
Protect Your Privacy on the Internet
The Hidden Web
Internet Ethics
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
My Moon My Man-Feist
I really like this song and thought I would check out the film clip. It is not exactly what I expected from listening to the song, but I still liked it. It's quirky in a way.
(H-Ref 1).
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uSJsJ5Fl5s
Accessed: Thursday October 8, 2009.
(H-Ref 1).
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uSJsJ5Fl5s
Accessed: Thursday October 8, 2009.
Clean Feed Info
http://nocleanfeed.com/learn.html
This site is a great starting point which has helped me to wrap my head around what clean feed is and what I should be researching.
From this site I know I need to research how clean feed will work as in how will the government decide what is appropriate to be seen on the internet, how accurately will clean feed block sites-what will the government do when they block the wrong sites.
These are just starting points for research. I may not answer all of these questions, but a starting point is important.
This site is a great starting point which has helped me to wrap my head around what clean feed is and what I should be researching.
From this site I know I need to research how clean feed will work as in how will the government decide what is appropriate to be seen on the internet, how accurately will clean feed block sites-what will the government do when they block the wrong sites.
These are just starting points for research. I may not answer all of these questions, but a starting point is important.
Essay Topic
My topic- Clean Feed
Rough plan of attack-(keeping in mind this is bound to change a little once I start research).
Define what clean feed is and why the Government wants to implement it.
Outline how it will be implemented and who by-be more precise than just the Australian Government.
Outline what the positives of implementing Clean Feed will be (to give the essay balance).
Outline the negatives about implementing clean feed....brief reading tells me that the internet wasn't made to handle something like this.
Outline what effects clean feed will have on the internet for the future.
Restate why clean feed should not be implemented.
Rough plan of attack-(keeping in mind this is bound to change a little once I start research).
Define what clean feed is and why the Government wants to implement it.
Outline how it will be implemented and who by-be more precise than just the Australian Government.
Outline what the positives of implementing Clean Feed will be (to give the essay balance).
Outline the negatives about implementing clean feed....brief reading tells me that the internet wasn't made to handle something like this.
Outline what effects clean feed will have on the internet for the future.
Restate why clean feed should not be implemented.
Eddie Murphy's Delirious
This is a stand up comedy from Eddie Murphy. There are two that I know of Raw and Delirious, but I think Delirious is the funniest. I have put embedded my favourite part of it. Eddie is talking about family bbq's and how his Dad gets drunk and has a go at his Uncle Gus about his wife Aunt Bunny....that should be enough info so you know what's going on...SO FUNNY!
(H-Ref 1).
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awrfIReVQtA
Accessed Thursday October 8, 2009.
(H-Ref 1).
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awrfIReVQtA
Accessed Thursday October 8, 2009.
Today's Lecture (Week 10) Video Games Studies
(H-Ref 1).Studies prior to 2005 on video games showed that games were played by 80% of 18-25 year old males. It also showed that there was a boom in the use of games between 25 year olds to 40 years olds. 59% of these gamers were male and 41% were female (which seemed to amaze Josh). It was also said that mostly girls play games on their mobiles. However, games via the internet are mainly played by males.
Why was their a rise for males playing games?
Because all the males that were 18-25 years old prior to 2005 are now in the 25-40 year old bracket.
Genre plays a major factor in the choice that women and men make between the internet, playstation and mobile. Mobiles have games that have puzzles and appeal more to women than they do to men who would prefer to play grand theft auto on playstaion or Tony Hawke.
(H-Ref 2).It seemed that Josh would rather play the play station than puzzles on his phone because he can play Tony Hawke and grand theft auto.... making him closer to the dream of being pro skater and or a gangster.
We also found that Josh doesn't like dealing with reality in his entertainment/leisure time. Working, earning and learning is something he can do in real life and he finds it interesting that people would choose to do that in their leisure time when they could be running around with guns and shooting people which you clearly couldn't or maybe shouldn't do in real life.
Approaches to Video Games:
Social Science- Effects of games on people. People who are inherently violent may not be effected by violent games as a person who is not inherently violent may.
Humanities: Video games usually involve a narrative element if we take out puzzle and fitness games. Humanties is also interested in Games as artifacts or mediums of art in the given time. So you would compare violent games of the 80's and now in 2005 and it would signify the difference in they way people are at these different times.
Industry and Enterprise Problems:
Development of games to make them faster, better graphics etc is a major driver in New Technology.
(H-Ref 3).References:
H-Ref 1: Wikinomics
http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/tag/mp3/
Accessed: Thursday October 8, 2009.
H-Ref 2: Indie Youth Fest
http://indieyouthfest.wordpress.com/activities/e-sport/official-games/
Accessed: Thursday October 8, 2009.
H-Ref 3: Shopping.com
http://uk.shopping.com/xPO-Tony-Hawk-s-Proving-Ground-44133099
Accessed: Thursday October 8, 2009.
My Art
Computers and art- two things that I am pretty bad with, so I was happy (for me anyway) with what I made. I did this in paint shop pro, playing around with different effects, colours etc. Above is what I came up with...not too bad I think.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Other Blogs I like.
woonyoungstudio
I like this first blog because as you may have guessed I love art, considering can't even draw a stick figure. There are some great pencil sketches on this site which really caught my eye.
I LOVED this next blog...I found it really interesting not that I plan on getting married any time soon this blog has a lot of stuff on weddings, organisation, dresses, other peoples weddings. It has some nice pics and some random stuff too check it out on: Eastbride
Here are some of the pics I liked from it-
I LOVE HORSES so that's why I liked this next blog. I had a pony, a foal and another horse when I was little and miss them so much. The horses are pretty cute and remind me how much I loved having them as a child although I had a few stacks and the pony was a bit crazy and the foal would bite and kick. http://nztbs.blogspot.com/
I like this first blog because as you may have guessed I love art, considering can't even draw a stick figure. There are some great pencil sketches on this site which really caught my eye.
I LOVED this next blog...I found it really interesting not that I plan on getting married any time soon this blog has a lot of stuff on weddings, organisation, dresses, other peoples weddings. It has some nice pics and some random stuff too check it out on: Eastbride
Here are some of the pics I liked from it-
I LOVE HORSES so that's why I liked this next blog. I had a pony, a foal and another horse when I was little and miss them so much. The horses are pretty cute and remind me how much I loved having them as a child although I had a few stacks and the pony was a bit crazy and the foal would bite and kick. http://nztbs.blogspot.com/
The Reader
The Reader is a book created by Bernard Schlink and has been made into a movie. I had to read this book in grade 12 and I loved it. It is about a 15 year old boy who has an affair with an older woman and where there separate lives take them (not to give away the story). It is set in World War Two and is quiet sad, but a great story. The movie itself follows the book quiet closely and the images and places where made as I imagined them to be in the book. I would recommend you read the book and then watch the movie as I remember being left with questions in the book that were answered in the movie. The trailer for the movie is below...
(H-Ref 1).
This is the cover of the book if you are interested in reading it...
(H-Ref 2).
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgqVyWcfXqI
Accessed: Wednesday October 7, 2009.
H-Ref 2: Illiterarty
http://www.illiterarty.com/reviews/book-review-reader-bernhard-schlink
Accessed: Wednesday October 7, 2009.
(H-Ref 1).
This is the cover of the book if you are interested in reading it...
(H-Ref 2).Reference:
H-Ref 1: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgqVyWcfXqI
Accessed: Wednesday October 7, 2009.
H-Ref 2: Illiterarty
http://www.illiterarty.com/reviews/book-review-reader-bernhard-schlink
Accessed: Wednesday October 7, 2009.
Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs
(H-Ref 1).
I saw the preview for this when I went to see Up and as much as I loved Up, I think this would be great to see in 3D because everything really jumped out to you in the preview. Not sure that the story line will be as good as Up, but I definitely want to see this. I really like the idea of 3D now more than ever....any you get cool glasses if you go to Robina instead of those dodgey paper ones with green and red lenses!
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pox3xsmWqQg
Accessed Wednesday October 7, 2009.
I saw the preview for this when I went to see Up and as much as I loved Up, I think this would be great to see in 3D because everything really jumped out to you in the preview. Not sure that the story line will be as good as Up, but I definitely want to see this. I really like the idea of 3D now more than ever....any you get cool glasses if you go to Robina instead of those dodgey paper ones with green and red lenses!
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pox3xsmWqQg
Accessed Wednesday October 7, 2009.
Monday, October 5, 2009
20 MOST AMAZING AND UNBELIEVABLE SHOTS
Some of these made me cringe, some made me wonder how the pictures were even taken, one was just plain wrong and you have to feel sorry for some of the animals.
Reference: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aCic2cmC8I
Accessed Tuesday October 6, 2009.
Reference: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aCic2cmC8I
Accessed Tuesday October 6, 2009.
More Art ....
I am ridiculously bad at art so I think it is amasing how well people can draw, even more amasing that they can use a flat surface and make a picture jump out at you or make it into a realistic setting. I found another video with some more 3D Steet Art.If you go to youtube there are HEAPS of these!
(H-Ref 1)
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6oNm13rtfw&feature=related
Accessed Tuesday October 6, 2009.
(H-Ref 1)
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6oNm13rtfw&feature=related
Accessed Tuesday October 6, 2009.
I love these kinds of art work.
These are some art works I have found by Edgar Mueller, as you can see he does it in publis spaces on concrete ground and makes it look so realistic.
(H-Ref 1).
(H-Ref 2).
This video shows how he does it.
(H-Ref 3).
References:
H-Ref 1: VERUM SERUM
http://www.verumserum.com/?p=3938
Accessed Tuesday October 6, 2009.
H-Ref 2: Wordpress
seaneyb.wordpress.com/2009/04/
Accessed Tuesday October 6, 2009.
H-Ref 3: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SNYtd0Ayt0
Accessed Tuesday Octover 6, 2009.
(H-Ref 1).
(H-Ref 2).This video shows how he does it.
(H-Ref 3).
References:
H-Ref 1: VERUM SERUM
http://www.verumserum.com/?p=3938
Accessed Tuesday October 6, 2009.
H-Ref 2: Wordpress
seaneyb.wordpress.com/2009/04/
Accessed Tuesday October 6, 2009.
H-Ref 3: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SNYtd0Ayt0
Accessed Tuesday Octover 6, 2009.
What place does censorship have in democracy?
Censorship and democracy....yet another thing I didn't think of. But wow. Censorship could (to a certain extent put holes in democracy). In my previous blog I was saying how the internet in particular plays an important part in democracy as it provides so many ways for 'citizen to citizen' communication.
Censorship in regards to the internet would greatly damage this ease of communication and therefore have a significant role in damaging democracy. Especially if 10000 in every 1 million sites are going to be wrongfully shut down. I'm not saying that censorhip will destroy democracy but it definitely has a significant role in its being. If the clean feed was to go ahead I think that 'citizen to citizen' communication will greatly decrease, leaving a wide hole in democracy as their will be a world of silence where there once were voices, ideas and opinions.
On the whole censorship and democracy don't really go well together, one can't really exist with the other when it comes to the internet.
Censorship in regards to the internet would greatly damage this ease of communication and therefore have a significant role in damaging democracy. Especially if 10000 in every 1 million sites are going to be wrongfully shut down. I'm not saying that censorhip will destroy democracy but it definitely has a significant role in its being. If the clean feed was to go ahead I think that 'citizen to citizen' communication will greatly decrease, leaving a wide hole in democracy as their will be a world of silence where there once were voices, ideas and opinions.
On the whole censorship and democracy don't really go well together, one can't really exist with the other when it comes to the internet.
Clean Feed In Australia
(H-Ref 1).Well I can see both the positives and negatives in implementing Clean Feed. The internet when put into perspective is quiet a dangerous place, with numerous chat rooms that leave young men and women open to sexual predators. The availability of material such as how to commit suicide, not to mention the circulation of inappropriate photos of the young and the adult. I can see the need for Clean Feed and it would be great to see everything illegal wiped off of the internet, but at the same time wiping that which is legal off as well is not necessary.
With this in mind an important point has been made.....what age will we make the internet appropriate for? (H-Ref 2). How can you possibly make the internet suitable for everyone?
Another big issue is that $44 million dollars has been budgeted for this initiative (H-Ref 3). Like I said the internet is a dangerous place, but so is the world and you can't clean feed that. I read in S. Stockwells lecture that once something has been created on the internet (although it can be deleted) it still has some form of existence, so that in itself makes me question how accurate this clean feed could be.
Yet another issues is that 10 000 sites in every million will be incorrectly blocked, if it can't been done accurately then why do it at all? (H-Ref 4). These sites could be vital to businesses or even education.
With these points in mind the idea of an accurate clean feed seems impracticle. In theory it seems like a great idea, but what are the chances of the Government pulling this off? I suppose that is the ultimate question. If it could be carried out so that it would cut out all sites that are purely illegal than I would support it.
However, the chances of this happening in my opinion are slim. It has also been stated that the internet may not be able to manage this sort of system (H-Ref 5). So, it seems that whilst this is a good idea in theory practicality needs to come first. Therefore I think that Clean Feed should not go ahead unless in some case of a miracle it could be carried out without complications and world wide anger....I don't think that will happen.
References:
H-Ref 1: acidlabs
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3028/3023435191_1f32d77c75.jpg
H-Ref 2, 3, 4, 5: Andrew Harrison
http://nocleanfeed.com/learn.html
Accessed Monday October 5, 2009.
Participatory Democracy......WHAT THE?
Call me stupid, but I have never actually heard of this hence why I thought I would look into a bit further.
Participatory democracy is something that is aided by the ease of communication in the 21st Century. This can be said as participatory democracy relies on the 'capability for expression' which can take place via the phone, blogs, txts, emails, tweets, facebook comments, myspace comments, online forums and numerous others. By having so many ways in which 'citizen to citizen' communication can take place we are given a bigger handle over our governance like never before (H-Ref 1).
In regards to technology I think that it is a key factor in participatory democracy. If the aim is to get as much support as possible what better way to do it. As said above technology and more so the Internet has provided so many different ways in which to keep in contact and communicate. It seems that time and space doesn't create limits anymore, with the Internet correspondence is pretty much painless.
In regards to participatory democracy I think that we do need to have more of a say rather than just voting and letting the rest get left to whoever is elected. Through participatory democracy it would be ensured that all who have a voice and more to say than a straight forward vote and agreeance with candidates would aid society in its refinement. For me I understood Participatory Democracy as just that-You participate, you have a say beyond the voting booth which is something that needs to be brought into play more often. I don't think anyone would be 100% happy with the politicians in their state or of their nation. More particpatory democracy would benefit Australia as a nation as we could work with our politicians instead of gritting our teeth and bearing it.
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Georgetown.edu
http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/bassr/gaynor/partic.htm
Accessed Monday October 5, 2009.
Participatory democracy is something that is aided by the ease of communication in the 21st Century. This can be said as participatory democracy relies on the 'capability for expression' which can take place via the phone, blogs, txts, emails, tweets, facebook comments, myspace comments, online forums and numerous others. By having so many ways in which 'citizen to citizen' communication can take place we are given a bigger handle over our governance like never before (H-Ref 1).
In regards to technology I think that it is a key factor in participatory democracy. If the aim is to get as much support as possible what better way to do it. As said above technology and more so the Internet has provided so many different ways in which to keep in contact and communicate. It seems that time and space doesn't create limits anymore, with the Internet correspondence is pretty much painless.
In regards to participatory democracy I think that we do need to have more of a say rather than just voting and letting the rest get left to whoever is elected. Through participatory democracy it would be ensured that all who have a voice and more to say than a straight forward vote and agreeance with candidates would aid society in its refinement. For me I understood Participatory Democracy as just that-You participate, you have a say beyond the voting booth which is something that needs to be brought into play more often. I don't think anyone would be 100% happy with the politicians in their state or of their nation. More particpatory democracy would benefit Australia as a nation as we could work with our politicians instead of gritting our teeth and bearing it.
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Georgetown.edu
http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/bassr/gaynor/partic.htm
Accessed Monday October 5, 2009.
FreeRice
FreeRice is a game that has been created to help with world hunger. To play you can pick from a number of categories including art, english and math. It is multiple choice and for every answer you give correct 10 grains of rice are donated and distributed to third world countries by the UN World Food Programme. I think this is a great idea as I'm sure all of us who do any work on the internet are guilty of waisting hours stuffing around on games. At least this way you can help other people.
Go to http://www.freerice.com/subjects.php?t=13745362061....you even get a little rice bowl on your screen next to your game and you can watch it fill up.
Go to http://www.freerice.com/subjects.php?t=13745362061....you even get a little rice bowl on your screen next to your game and you can watch it fill up.
An Idea from S.Stockwell's Lecture
THE PUBLIC SPHERE
For me this was an interesting concept addressed in lecture which I thought I would do some further research on. I find it hard to grasp things if I don't look for myself so here is my understanding of the public sphere from my research-
The 'Public Sphere'(to my understanding) consists of people from society who gather together to voice their opinions on the needs of the state (thi can be done both physically and verbally through gatherings and other forms of communication....it donesn't necessarily have to be a physical gathering as such). Through these gatherings it was hoped that some form of guidance would be given to the state. Ultimately the 'Public Sphere' was a way in which to ensure that the main authority operated appropriately in a democracy.
This Pulic Sphere became prevalent in the 18th Century within coffee houses and knowledgable societies (for example literary societies) and also through the press. While the Public Sphere aimed to gain minor control of the State, the State found it necessary to keep on top of the Public Sphere.
The key for the Public Sphere to succeed was for its members to have rational, logical and equal participation. Communication was of great importance.
It seems that as society developed this took a toll on the publis sphere, especially in regards to the media. As this grew the want for money became greater and manipulation more prevalent. So there was no longer a level ground where information and knowledge was unbiased and available to all. Instead it was more readily available to the privileged (H-Ref 1).
For me the Public Sphere seemed to promote the idea of general society coming together to ensure that their rights and needs were met. This particular Sphere also seemed pure to a certain extent, where educated opinions could be voiced and acted upon. However, I think that the rise of the media tarnished this as it allowed for bias and manipulation. Propaganda conned people into believing certain things or thinking a certain way. The Public Sphere may still exist today, but I don't think it would be in a pure form, it would be open to bias, manipulation and propoganda as the media feeds to us what we should believe.
For me the Public Sphere kind of demonstrates how we are told what to think. Its beginning shows to a certain degree how we would all like to be, educated with out bias. We want to know the facts, we don't want to be fed propaganda, but in our day and age we don't really form our own opinions and if we do they are formed off of what other people have told us and not what we personally know or think ourselves.
I think I've made my point. Not entirely sure how to put it in words, but I hope you can understand that.
References:
H-Ref 1:Marshall Soules
http://records.viu.ca/~soules/media301/habermas.htm
Accessed Monday October 5, 2009.
For me this was an interesting concept addressed in lecture which I thought I would do some further research on. I find it hard to grasp things if I don't look for myself so here is my understanding of the public sphere from my research-
The 'Public Sphere'(to my understanding) consists of people from society who gather together to voice their opinions on the needs of the state (thi can be done both physically and verbally through gatherings and other forms of communication....it donesn't necessarily have to be a physical gathering as such). Through these gatherings it was hoped that some form of guidance would be given to the state. Ultimately the 'Public Sphere' was a way in which to ensure that the main authority operated appropriately in a democracy.
This Pulic Sphere became prevalent in the 18th Century within coffee houses and knowledgable societies (for example literary societies) and also through the press. While the Public Sphere aimed to gain minor control of the State, the State found it necessary to keep on top of the Public Sphere.
The key for the Public Sphere to succeed was for its members to have rational, logical and equal participation. Communication was of great importance.
It seems that as society developed this took a toll on the publis sphere, especially in regards to the media. As this grew the want for money became greater and manipulation more prevalent. So there was no longer a level ground where information and knowledge was unbiased and available to all. Instead it was more readily available to the privileged (H-Ref 1).
For me the Public Sphere seemed to promote the idea of general society coming together to ensure that their rights and needs were met. This particular Sphere also seemed pure to a certain extent, where educated opinions could be voiced and acted upon. However, I think that the rise of the media tarnished this as it allowed for bias and manipulation. Propaganda conned people into believing certain things or thinking a certain way. The Public Sphere may still exist today, but I don't think it would be in a pure form, it would be open to bias, manipulation and propoganda as the media feeds to us what we should believe.
For me the Public Sphere kind of demonstrates how we are told what to think. Its beginning shows to a certain degree how we would all like to be, educated with out bias. We want to know the facts, we don't want to be fed propaganda, but in our day and age we don't really form our own opinions and if we do they are formed off of what other people have told us and not what we personally know or think ourselves.
I think I've made my point. Not entirely sure how to put it in words, but I hope you can understand that.
References:
H-Ref 1:Marshall Soules
http://records.viu.ca/~soules/media301/habermas.htm
Accessed Monday October 5, 2009.
News Websites
Like you may have read previously I am doing a bachelor of journalism and I found two news websites Upstart and Newsfix. Both of these sites encourage not only uni students but the general community to submit there works whether it be a news story, information about a current event or photos these sites want to publish your work. All they ask is that it be something that the public would be interested in. I really like this site as I have been told in my course that whilst in Uni it is pretty much mandatory to make a portfolio and this is a great starting base. Creating a portfolio is pretty daunting, but I have spoken to the editor of Newsfix personally and he is so flexible that he is prepared to make a category if your news story doesn't fit in one already previously made. Upstart is a Melbourne based site, but one that hopes to grow....Newsfix is a little closer to home in Brisbane.
So this was just a site that I really liked and thought I would share on my blog.
You can have a look at Newsfix at http://www.newsfix.net.au/
and
Upstart at http://www.upstart.net.au/
So this was just a site that I really liked and thought I would share on my blog.
You can have a look at Newsfix at http://www.newsfix.net.au/
and
Upstart at http://www.upstart.net.au/
Application-Winamp
The Application which I have downloaded and now use is Winamp which is a primarily a music based application which you can do a number of things with.
With Winamp you can:
> organise your music collection
> create playlists
> tag mp3 files
> you can download skins to enhance visuals that will be seen whilst playing your music
> download plug ins to make it i-Pod friendly
> watch movies
> listen to the radio
For me this showed me just how versatile technology is and how we are becoming more and more dependent on it. I'm not saying it is taking over the world, but for those who seek easier options, there is more and more technology coming out that lets you do multiple things through the one unit.
I think it's great that applications like Winamp can be accessed on your personal computer at home or your lap top and allow you to not only listen to your own music, but allow you to listen to the radio and watch movies. I like how you can customise it to suite your needs, even though it's not a necessity it's good to be able to put pictures of what you like to make it yours.
This application really shows where technology is taking us and brings me back to the i-phone as an example. If we can access the Internet, take photos, listen to music, make phone calls, text people, read books all from a palm sized machine what will come next? Is everything going to become converged? I think that we will be coming across many more inventions which will let us carry out numerous actions in all the one place. Personally I find this exciting.
This is the link to Winamp:
http://www.winamp.com/
....if you love you music this is great!
With Winamp you can:
> organise your music collection
> create playlists
> tag mp3 files
> you can download skins to enhance visuals that will be seen whilst playing your music
> download plug ins to make it i-Pod friendly
> watch movies
> listen to the radio
For me this showed me just how versatile technology is and how we are becoming more and more dependent on it. I'm not saying it is taking over the world, but for those who seek easier options, there is more and more technology coming out that lets you do multiple things through the one unit.
I think it's great that applications like Winamp can be accessed on your personal computer at home or your lap top and allow you to not only listen to your own music, but allow you to listen to the radio and watch movies. I like how you can customise it to suite your needs, even though it's not a necessity it's good to be able to put pictures of what you like to make it yours.
This application really shows where technology is taking us and brings me back to the i-phone as an example. If we can access the Internet, take photos, listen to music, make phone calls, text people, read books all from a palm sized machine what will come next? Is everything going to become converged? I think that we will be coming across many more inventions which will let us carry out numerous actions in all the one place. Personally I find this exciting.
This is the link to Winamp:
http://www.winamp.com/
....if you love you music this is great!
UP
I saw this movie in the holidays and I have to say it is a must see. I love movies like Toy story, Finding Nemo and Shrek, but this is definitely the best I have seen so far....well ever actually. You can see this movie in 3D, I'm not sure that 2D is an option at the Cinemas. It has a mixture of comedy, seriousness and also sadness and tells a really good story. The animation itself is incredible and although it doesn't feature the same bright and wonderous colours that won us all over in Finding Nemo, there is just something about it.
This movie was amazing and it being 3D just added to the affect, it was very realistic for animation and definitely something you could relate to. I give it a 10 out of 10, not that I am in any position to be giving ratings.
Below are the two main character Kevin from the Wilderness Explorers and the Old Man (can't quiet remember his name). They were my favourite including Kevin (a bird) and a dog that could talk.
(H-Ref 1).
(H-Ref 2).
(H-Ref 3).
References:
H-Ref 1: About.com
http://kidstvmovies.about.com/od/up/ig/Up---Movie-Photos/Yee-Haw-.htm
Accessed Monday October 5, 2009.
H-Ref 2: The Sydney Morning Herald
http://blogs.smh.com.au/entertainment/getflickd/2009/09/melbourne_is_on.html
Accessed Monday October 5th, 2009.
H-Ref 3: The Sydney Morning Herald
http://search.hp.my.aol.com.au/aol/redir?src=image&clickedItemURN=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.smh.com.au%2Fentertainment%2Fgetflickd%2F&moduleId=image_details.jsp.M&clickedItemDescription=Image Host URL
Accessed Monday October 5th, 2009.
This movie was amazing and it being 3D just added to the affect, it was very realistic for animation and definitely something you could relate to. I give it a 10 out of 10, not that I am in any position to be giving ratings.
Below are the two main character Kevin from the Wilderness Explorers and the Old Man (can't quiet remember his name). They were my favourite including Kevin (a bird) and a dog that could talk.
(H-Ref 1).
(H-Ref 2).
(H-Ref 3).References:
H-Ref 1: About.com
http://kidstvmovies.about.com/od/up/ig/Up---Movie-Photos/Yee-Haw-.htm
Accessed Monday October 5, 2009.
H-Ref 2: The Sydney Morning Herald
http://blogs.smh.com.au/entertainment/getflickd/2009/09/melbourne_is_on.html
Accessed Monday October 5th, 2009.
H-Ref 3: The Sydney Morning Herald
http://search.hp.my.aol.com.au/aol/redir?src=image&clickedItemURN=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.smh.com.au%2Fentertainment%2Fgetflickd%2F&moduleId=image_details.jsp.M&clickedItemDescription=Image Host URL
Accessed Monday October 5th, 2009.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Jason's Week 9 Lecture
My first observation in this lecture was that he likes to use the word DAMNIT and FREAKIN a fair bit....good emphasis I suppose.
Apparently in this lecture we were supposed to be learning about Cybertopia, but Jason decided he wanted to teach us about software.
The main points I took from his lecture were to not expect to learn everything about software in a matter of days. He said that it is virtually impossible. Although software is built to be simple, it is also built to be deep...layered I suppose (like an onion or a cake if you have watched Shrek).
He also said that the best thing to do when it comes to software is to teach yourself. He emphasised that there is no point paying for classes on using software as you can get pretty much get everything you need off of the internet.
The help section on software seemed to be a bit of an issue.....I think the words 'it sucks' was used. However, Jason recommended joinig forums where you can ask questions and find help and information. He also recommended joining a number of forums. It was mentioned that although googling it is an option, you are basically guessing what to put into a search engine, based on what other people have entered in as their site... This probably seems pretty straight forward, but I found this interesting because I've never looked at it like that.
The biggest and most important point to me was SAVE SAVE SAVE! He said to save your work along the way. Even though he used the example 'Arsewink 1...Arsewink 2, Arsewink3...etc.' he said to save it as something you can identify easily. To me it is fairly straight forward to save your work, but I haven't ever really thought to save it along the way. By doing this if you lost the 10th copy and step of an assignment at least you could go back to 9th copy and step and you haven't lost absolutely everything. That was probably the biggest thing I learnt in this lecture.
Apparently in this lecture we were supposed to be learning about Cybertopia, but Jason decided he wanted to teach us about software.
The main points I took from his lecture were to not expect to learn everything about software in a matter of days. He said that it is virtually impossible. Although software is built to be simple, it is also built to be deep...layered I suppose (like an onion or a cake if you have watched Shrek).
He also said that the best thing to do when it comes to software is to teach yourself. He emphasised that there is no point paying for classes on using software as you can get pretty much get everything you need off of the internet.
The help section on software seemed to be a bit of an issue.....I think the words 'it sucks' was used. However, Jason recommended joinig forums where you can ask questions and find help and information. He also recommended joining a number of forums. It was mentioned that although googling it is an option, you are basically guessing what to put into a search engine, based on what other people have entered in as their site... This probably seems pretty straight forward, but I found this interesting because I've never looked at it like that.
The biggest and most important point to me was SAVE SAVE SAVE! He said to save your work along the way. Even though he used the example 'Arsewink 1...Arsewink 2, Arsewink3...etc.' he said to save it as something you can identify easily. To me it is fairly straight forward to save your work, but I haven't ever really thought to save it along the way. By doing this if you lost the 10th copy and step of an assignment at least you could go back to 9th copy and step and you haven't lost absolutely everything. That was probably the biggest thing I learnt in this lecture.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
My email to Anna Bligh
This was my response to Anna Bligh's speech about LNG (I have included a screen shot version, but just in case you can't read that i have pasted it in below as well).
I was just reading your speech on LNG for Queensland and feel that it is a great opportunity as you said to strengthen Queensland. As lucky as I am to have grown up in this state, I can still identify that our schools and hospitals are in desperate need of help.
Queensland definitely needs more funding. We have under paid teachers and over worked doctors who are vital throughout Queensland. If LNG can provide us with much needed money to rectify these problems than I believe it is a valid option and would hope that Queensland would stand behind you and your push to grasp this opportunity.
Anna Bligh's speech in parliament-Liquefied Gas
I chose to look at one of Anna Bligh's speeches as I was unable to find one for Peter Matic, despite the fact there are official sites which prove that he is the representative of Toowong. I looked through the Queensland parliament site and there was no sign of Toowong or Peter Matic...so Anna Bligh it is.
Her speech was in regards to LNG, obviously as she is addressing an educated audience there is not much explanation in regards to what LNG is besides liquefied gas. Nevertheless, these are the advantages of LNG for Queensland according to Anna Bligh:
> First rate job-creating and regional development opportunities.
> 18 000 direct and indirect jobs.
> Potential to export excess 50 million tonnes of LNG per annum.
> Add 3 billion dollars to gross state product.
> MOST IMPORTANTLY it can offer 850 million dollars in royalties, this can be used for schools, roads and hospitals...MORE OF WHAT QUEENSLAND NEEDS (H-Ref 1).
(There are more, but these are the key advantages outlined in her speech).
Referencing:
(H-Ref 1) Queensland Parliament
http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/isysquery/45090df0-d533-420f-bae6-d16996725265/166/doc/
Acessed: Wednesday 23rd September, 2009.
Her speech was in regards to LNG, obviously as she is addressing an educated audience there is not much explanation in regards to what LNG is besides liquefied gas. Nevertheless, these are the advantages of LNG for Queensland according to Anna Bligh:
> First rate job-creating and regional development opportunities.
> 18 000 direct and indirect jobs.
> Potential to export excess 50 million tonnes of LNG per annum.
> Add 3 billion dollars to gross state product.
> MOST IMPORTANTLY it can offer 850 million dollars in royalties, this can be used for schools, roads and hospitals...MORE OF WHAT QUEENSLAND NEEDS (H-Ref 1).
(There are more, but these are the key advantages outlined in her speech).
Referencing:
(H-Ref 1) Queensland Parliament
http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/isysquery/45090df0-d533-420f-bae6-d16996725265/166/doc/
Acessed: Wednesday 23rd September, 2009.
My State Representative
The state representative for Queensland is Anna Bligh who has been in this position since 13 September 2007.
She has been involved in the following parties-
Member State Administrative Committee; Member Labor Women's Organisation; State Conference Delegate; Branch President, Kurilpa; Branch Secretary, Fairfield; Convenor Social Justice Policy Committee; State Council Delegate.
Bligh studied a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Queensland. Worked in community organisations including women's refuges, neighbourhood centres, childcare services, and trade unions. HerhHobbies include reading and cooking (H-Ref 1).
Referencing:
H-Reference 1: Queensland Parliament
http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/legislativeAssembly/documents/memberBio/BlighAnna.htm
Accessed: Wednesday 23 September, 2009.
She has been involved in the following parties-
Member State Administrative Committee; Member Labor Women's Organisation; State Conference Delegate; Branch President, Kurilpa; Branch Secretary, Fairfield; Convenor Social Justice Policy Committee; State Council Delegate.
Bligh studied a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Queensland. Worked in community organisations including women's refuges, neighbourhood centres, childcare services, and trade unions. HerhHobbies include reading and cooking (H-Ref 1).
Referencing:
H-Reference 1: Queensland Parliament
http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/legislativeAssembly/documents/memberBio/BlighAnna.htm
Accessed: Wednesday 23 September, 2009.
Confirmation of signing the e-petition.
E-PETITIONS CONFIRMATION
Thank you Ms. Moore
Your name has been added to the Abortion decriminalisation in Queensland E-Petition as specified below.
Please print this page if you require confirmation.
Thank you Ms. Moore
Your name has been added to the Abortion decriminalisation in Queensland E-Petition as specified below.
Please print this page if you require confirmation.
E-Petition to decriminalise abortion.
TO: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland
Queensland citizens draws to the attention of the House the fact that termination of pregnancy remains a criminal offence in Queensland.
Under the current legislation, women are at risk of criminal prosecution for accessing a safe medical procedure. Health professionals also remain at risk of prosecution for providing safe abortion services to women.
Queensland law on this matter is increasingly out of step with other Australian states and territories. The majority of public opinion in Queensland has consistently supported the decriminalisation of abortion.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to repeal sections 224, 225 and 226 of the Criminal Code to ensure that termination is no longer subject to criminal law (H-Ref 1).
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Queensland Parliament Petitions
http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/EPetitions_QLD/CurrentEPetition.aspx?PetNum=1302&lIndex=-1
Accessed: Wednesday 23 September, 2009.
Queensland citizens draws to the attention of the House the fact that termination of pregnancy remains a criminal offence in Queensland.
Under the current legislation, women are at risk of criminal prosecution for accessing a safe medical procedure. Health professionals also remain at risk of prosecution for providing safe abortion services to women.
Queensland law on this matter is increasingly out of step with other Australian states and territories. The majority of public opinion in Queensland has consistently supported the decriminalisation of abortion.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to repeal sections 224, 225 and 226 of the Criminal Code to ensure that termination is no longer subject to criminal law (H-Ref 1).
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Queensland Parliament Petitions
http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/EPetitions_QLD/CurrentEPetition.aspx?PetNum=1302&lIndex=-1
Accessed: Wednesday 23 September, 2009.
Who is my local representative?
Before I let you in on who my local representative is here is some information I found along the way:
Toowong belongs to Toowong Ward which is the council for this area and also suburbs around it. The previous representative for this suburb was Judy Magub who represented Toowong from 1992 until 2007. Toowong as a suburb is split between State Government Electoral Divisions- Mt Cootha and Indooroopilly and belongs to the federal government electoral division of Ryan.
Finally, Toowong's current representative who has held this position since 2007 is Peter Matic who is part of the Liberal National Party and has a background in law (H-Ref 1).
References:
H-Ref 1: Absolute Astronomy
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Toowong,_Queensland
Accessed Wednesday 23 September, 2009.
Toowong belongs to Toowong Ward which is the council for this area and also suburbs around it. The previous representative for this suburb was Judy Magub who represented Toowong from 1992 until 2007. Toowong as a suburb is split between State Government Electoral Divisions- Mt Cootha and Indooroopilly and belongs to the federal government electoral division of Ryan.
Finally, Toowong's current representative who has held this position since 2007 is Peter Matic who is part of the Liberal National Party and has a background in law (H-Ref 1).
References:
H-Ref 1: Absolute Astronomy
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Toowong,_Queensland
Accessed Wednesday 23 September, 2009.
Monday, September 21, 2009
What is Barack Obama doing today?
Picture: (H-Ref 1)
It's crazy to think that we have so much more accessibility to the President of the United States besides by the direct media itself- television and radio.
Going onto twitter I found that Obama is getting fired up today about the health insurance reform and wants to get it done.
I do question whether Obama would write the Tweets himself, despite that this is a perfect demonstration of how the internet has helped to break the barriers (if only a little bit) between the president and the public. Sites such as twitter (I believe) would provide a less manipulated source of information in regards to the president.
We all know that the media serves to provide us the news, but we also know they basically portray it in regards to their news values and beliefs.
This site allows Obama to express his views on his own terms without the worry of manipulation and ommission.
I think twitter may become an increasingly vital form of communication between Obama and members of the globe.
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/nationalaffairs/index.php/category/open-source-politics/
Accessed September 22, 2009.
This is my response to the professional blog.
Technology today has provided both its advantages and disadvantages. Although there are hundreds upon hundreds of websites that nourish the mind, I agree that children and teenagers today have lost a certain degree of imagination and do spend too much time on the internet. Admittedly it is a matter of balance between nourishing the mind and dumbing it down (through hours of pointless internet surfing across various unproductive sites). However, with the lure of video games,myspace, facebook, youtube and twitter which are bound to become bigger and better I think it will become harder and harder to pull younger generations away from quick stimulation. I think it will become harder for imaginative minds to thrive, but as long as sites dedicated to informing the public and providing some sort of education to those who seek it there is a little bit of hope that society won't completely lose their mind.
This is the professional blog I found.
Society may end up losing its mind
Janet Albrechtsen Blog | September 16, 2009 | 24 Comments
TYPING away on my laptop one night, I was startled by a bubble of words that appeared at the bottom right hand corner of my screen. “Hey, Janet, is that you?” Next bubble: “Wow, this is weird, I’ve never done this before,” my 50-something friend said.
“Me neither,” I replied, less than enthused about losing my social networking virginity. “Why wouldn’t we just pick up the phone and talk?” he asked. “Precisely. Too weird for me,” I answered curtly.
And there ended my cyber life.
You sure feel old when you try to figure out why young kids spend hours each day on social networking sites, not to mention playing computer games. No doubt, the fast developing world of information technology is a sign of progress. Information at our fingertips. Instant communication. Friendships forged online. Interactive games, full of noise and colour, that test our responses and build vivid imaginations.
And yet intuitively, parents wonder how healthy it is for their children to spend hours enthralled by a two-dimensional world of computer games and cyber relationships.
Enter Susan Greenfield, a baroness. Toss out twin-set and pearl visions of a crusty old toff who only reads Country Life. The baroness is a widely published neuroscientist, professor of synaptic pharmacology at Lincoln College, Oxford, researching Alzheimer’s disease.
Now forget visions of a scruffy, absent-minded professor babbling about some esoteric science.
The 57-year-old baroness (she was appointed to the House of Lords under Tony Blair’s reforms in 1998 for her eminence in science) is a thin, attractive blonde who has a knack for making connections between the highfalutin world of brain cells and the home, the classroom and youth culture. Not content with heading up the Royal Institution of Great Britain, whose mandate is to “diffuse science for the common purposes of life”, Greenfield is one of the driving forces behind the new Royal Institution Australia, which will officially open its doors in Adelaide’s grand old stock exchange building on October 8.
With the same mission in mind - of making science more central to Australian society - Greenfield was in Australia last week with plenty to say. Her fear is that our children’s brains are being rewired in a way that has never happened before.
Over lunch at the Centre for Independent Studies last Thursday, she said that the capacity for the human brain to adapt to new environments has previously given us an edge over other species.
We are not particularly strong, we don’t see particularly well, or run particularly fast, she said, but what we do brilliantly is adapt.
Given the plasticity of the human brain, Greenfield - whose latest book, ID - The Quest for Meaning in the 21st Century is a must-read for parents - says we should be asking questions about the effects of hours in front of a computer screen playing games and engaging in two-dimensional relationships.
First some science from the baroness, who was Honorary Australian of the Year in 2006 and Thinker In Residence at Adelaide University in 2004 and 2005.
Dopamine is a naturally occurring chemical in the brain linked to obesity, gambling and drug addiction. Excessive hits of the pleasurable dopamine can curb the brain cell activity in the prefrontal cortex related to our ability to balance risks and consider consequences. Now, step back from the molecules and cells. Computer games are full of Crash! Boom! Bang! sensations, a series of never-ending actions, reactions, actions and reactions. The games - often violent and without consequences - are full of sensory stimuli that deliver kids increased doses of dopamine. You kill someone, you play again. You get killed, you play again.
Greenfield says as a society we would be remiss not to ask whether a child’s brain is being altered by spending hours immersed in that kind of sensory stimuli.
She refers to research from Harvard Medical School where three groups of adults were taken into three rooms each with a piano. None played the piano. The first group were given piano lessons for five days. The second group went into an identical room but did nothing. The third group, again in an identical room, were asked to imagine they were having piano lessons. Brain scans of the first group showed structural changes in their brain associated with finger movement. No surprise. The second group showed no changes. No surprise there either. But the third group, who had not touched the piano - only imagined they had - showed changes similar to those in the first group.
Writing in the British press, Greenfield said: “What worries me is that if something as innocuous as imagining a piano lesson can bring about a visible physical change in brain structure ... what changes might long stints playing violent computer games bring about?”
She asks us to consider the dangerous decoupling of thrills and risk.
For the first time in human history, many children spend about six hours a day seeking short-term rewards from a computer screen, getting thrills and excitement without danger and consequences. There is nothing wrong with hedonistic sensual experiences, she hastens to add. People have always enjoyed this, whether from sex, food, parachuting or downhill skiing. But most of those activities had consequences weighed up by the human brain.
Her fear, as she told the House of Lords in February, is that the “mid-21st century mind might almost be infantilised, characterised by short-term attention spans, sensationalism, inability to emphasise and a shaky sense of identity.”
Social networking is giving rise to a “look at me” generation who spend hours using Facebook (250 active million users) and Twitter (already six million people have signed on) seeking “constant reassurance; that you are listened to, recognised and important”. With only 24 hours in the day, the more time spent in the two-dimensional cyber-world means less time in face-to-face conversations in real time which “require a sensitivity to voice tone, body language and perhaps even to pheromones, those sneaky molecules that we release and which others smell subconsciously”.
“It is hard to see how living this way on a daily basis will not result inbrains, or rather minds, different from those of previous generations. We know the human brain is exquisitely sensitive to the outside world,” she says.
Greenfield, who as a teenager cut out the brain of a rabbit because she wanted to see what the brain looked like, has a curiosity that is infectious. She says we should also think about a possible link between how small minds are changing and the increased rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. She doesn’t pretend to have the answers, but hopes these questions will prompt more research and see educators, government and the science community working together to create technologies that enhance, rather than diminish the mind (H-Ref 1).
References:
H-Ref 1: The Australian
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/janetalbrechtsen/index.php/theaustralian/comments/society_may_end_up_losing_its_mind/
Accessed: September 22, 2009.
Janet Albrechtsen Blog | September 16, 2009 | 24 Comments
TYPING away on my laptop one night, I was startled by a bubble of words that appeared at the bottom right hand corner of my screen. “Hey, Janet, is that you?” Next bubble: “Wow, this is weird, I’ve never done this before,” my 50-something friend said.
“Me neither,” I replied, less than enthused about losing my social networking virginity. “Why wouldn’t we just pick up the phone and talk?” he asked. “Precisely. Too weird for me,” I answered curtly.
And there ended my cyber life.
You sure feel old when you try to figure out why young kids spend hours each day on social networking sites, not to mention playing computer games. No doubt, the fast developing world of information technology is a sign of progress. Information at our fingertips. Instant communication. Friendships forged online. Interactive games, full of noise and colour, that test our responses and build vivid imaginations.
And yet intuitively, parents wonder how healthy it is for their children to spend hours enthralled by a two-dimensional world of computer games and cyber relationships.
Enter Susan Greenfield, a baroness. Toss out twin-set and pearl visions of a crusty old toff who only reads Country Life. The baroness is a widely published neuroscientist, professor of synaptic pharmacology at Lincoln College, Oxford, researching Alzheimer’s disease.
Now forget visions of a scruffy, absent-minded professor babbling about some esoteric science.
The 57-year-old baroness (she was appointed to the House of Lords under Tony Blair’s reforms in 1998 for her eminence in science) is a thin, attractive blonde who has a knack for making connections between the highfalutin world of brain cells and the home, the classroom and youth culture. Not content with heading up the Royal Institution of Great Britain, whose mandate is to “diffuse science for the common purposes of life”, Greenfield is one of the driving forces behind the new Royal Institution Australia, which will officially open its doors in Adelaide’s grand old stock exchange building on October 8.
With the same mission in mind - of making science more central to Australian society - Greenfield was in Australia last week with plenty to say. Her fear is that our children’s brains are being rewired in a way that has never happened before.
Over lunch at the Centre for Independent Studies last Thursday, she said that the capacity for the human brain to adapt to new environments has previously given us an edge over other species.
We are not particularly strong, we don’t see particularly well, or run particularly fast, she said, but what we do brilliantly is adapt.
Given the plasticity of the human brain, Greenfield - whose latest book, ID - The Quest for Meaning in the 21st Century is a must-read for parents - says we should be asking questions about the effects of hours in front of a computer screen playing games and engaging in two-dimensional relationships.
First some science from the baroness, who was Honorary Australian of the Year in 2006 and Thinker In Residence at Adelaide University in 2004 and 2005.
Dopamine is a naturally occurring chemical in the brain linked to obesity, gambling and drug addiction. Excessive hits of the pleasurable dopamine can curb the brain cell activity in the prefrontal cortex related to our ability to balance risks and consider consequences. Now, step back from the molecules and cells. Computer games are full of Crash! Boom! Bang! sensations, a series of never-ending actions, reactions, actions and reactions. The games - often violent and without consequences - are full of sensory stimuli that deliver kids increased doses of dopamine. You kill someone, you play again. You get killed, you play again.
Greenfield says as a society we would be remiss not to ask whether a child’s brain is being altered by spending hours immersed in that kind of sensory stimuli.
She refers to research from Harvard Medical School where three groups of adults were taken into three rooms each with a piano. None played the piano. The first group were given piano lessons for five days. The second group went into an identical room but did nothing. The third group, again in an identical room, were asked to imagine they were having piano lessons. Brain scans of the first group showed structural changes in their brain associated with finger movement. No surprise. The second group showed no changes. No surprise there either. But the third group, who had not touched the piano - only imagined they had - showed changes similar to those in the first group.
Writing in the British press, Greenfield said: “What worries me is that if something as innocuous as imagining a piano lesson can bring about a visible physical change in brain structure ... what changes might long stints playing violent computer games bring about?”
She asks us to consider the dangerous decoupling of thrills and risk.
For the first time in human history, many children spend about six hours a day seeking short-term rewards from a computer screen, getting thrills and excitement without danger and consequences. There is nothing wrong with hedonistic sensual experiences, she hastens to add. People have always enjoyed this, whether from sex, food, parachuting or downhill skiing. But most of those activities had consequences weighed up by the human brain.
Her fear, as she told the House of Lords in February, is that the “mid-21st century mind might almost be infantilised, characterised by short-term attention spans, sensationalism, inability to emphasise and a shaky sense of identity.”
Social networking is giving rise to a “look at me” generation who spend hours using Facebook (250 active million users) and Twitter (already six million people have signed on) seeking “constant reassurance; that you are listened to, recognised and important”. With only 24 hours in the day, the more time spent in the two-dimensional cyber-world means less time in face-to-face conversations in real time which “require a sensitivity to voice tone, body language and perhaps even to pheromones, those sneaky molecules that we release and which others smell subconsciously”.
“It is hard to see how living this way on a daily basis will not result inbrains, or rather minds, different from those of previous generations. We know the human brain is exquisitely sensitive to the outside world,” she says.
Greenfield, who as a teenager cut out the brain of a rabbit because she wanted to see what the brain looked like, has a curiosity that is infectious. She says we should also think about a possible link between how small minds are changing and the increased rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. She doesn’t pretend to have the answers, but hopes these questions will prompt more research and see educators, government and the science community working together to create technologies that enhance, rather than diminish the mind (H-Ref 1).
References:
H-Ref 1: The Australian
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/janetalbrechtsen/index.php/theaustralian/comments/society_may_end_up_losing_its_mind/
Accessed: September 22, 2009.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Opportunities to Participate in Politics Via the Internet- MY THOUGHTS
As you can see from the previous three blogs there are a number of ways that you can become more involved in politics via the internet.
Many parties have created sites so as to reach a wider audience and have their point of view heard. If you are like me and have not really found your feet in regards to politics these sites are perfect for looking at different parties and what they have to offer.
Not only do these sites give you easily accessible information in regards to parties, but it is also quite easy to become involved through online sign ups to receive news letters, become part of a particular party and volunteer.
I think that the internet is a key point for politics as it provides easily accessible information and many ways to get involved.
Many parties have created sites so as to reach a wider audience and have their point of view heard. If you are like me and have not really found your feet in regards to politics these sites are perfect for looking at different parties and what they have to offer.
Not only do these sites give you easily accessible information in regards to parties, but it is also quite easy to become involved through online sign ups to receive news letters, become part of a particular party and volunteer.
I think that the internet is a key point for politics as it provides easily accessible information and many ways to get involved.
Political Participation Via the internet- Queensland Government
The Queensland Government has provided a youth initiative site which helps get 12 to 25 year olds more involved in their community.
There are opportunities such as becoming part of the Queensland Youth Council which provides advice to the Minister in regards to development of policies, programs and services.
Indigenous Youth Parliament also exists which allows the indegenous to speak out about decisions that affect their community.
Another way to participate is by looking at Get on Board- This outlines how you can become a part of Government Boards and Commmitees.
Finally, 'Get Involved' also shows how you can have a say about issues being considered by the Government and also how to participate in your community.
The website for this youth initiatives is http://www.communityservices.qld.gov.au/youth/
There are opportunities such as becoming part of the Queensland Youth Council which provides advice to the Minister in regards to development of policies, programs and services.
Indigenous Youth Parliament also exists which allows the indegenous to speak out about decisions that affect their community.
Another way to participate is by looking at Get on Board- This outlines how you can become a part of Government Boards and Commmitees.
Finally, 'Get Involved' also shows how you can have a say about issues being considered by the Government and also how to participate in your community.
The website for this youth initiatives is http://www.communityservices.qld.gov.au/youth/
Opportunities to Particpate in Politics Via the Web- Australian Democrats Queensland Division
http://qld.democrats.org.au/ this site for the Australian Democrats Queensland Division (A.D.Q.D) which again provides ways in which you can particpate in this party and allows you to see what they stand for.
The A.D.Q.D stand for environmental sustainability, social justice and human rights,
respect for individual enterprise.
This site also shows how you can support and help build this specific party by doing the following:
Join the update list for free.
Join us as a full member and have a direct role in steering our future. (Just $25/yr for standard membership, $10/yr for students and pensioners.)
Tell anyone you know that might be interested in a different option for our future that the Australian Democrats are rebuilding..
Tell us how you'd like to help. If you're a professional artist, illustrator, designer, campaigner, lawyer, accountant, some kind of celebrity, or simply have a lot of time and want to contribute to Australia's future, let us know.
Donate to help fund party activities like holding events, processing all the new memberships, and keeping the lights on.
You can also be informed on events that are coming up for the Democrats via the What's On section.
There are also opportunities advertsied to be a volunteer as a local contact person who promoteS the A.D.Q.D along with being able to sign up as a member of the democrats party and take on a hands on role.
The A.D.Q.D stand for environmental sustainability, social justice and human rights,
respect for individual enterprise.
This site also shows how you can support and help build this specific party by doing the following:
Join the update list for free.
Join us as a full member and have a direct role in steering our future. (Just $25/yr for standard membership, $10/yr for students and pensioners.)
Tell anyone you know that might be interested in a different option for our future that the Australian Democrats are rebuilding..
Tell us how you'd like to help. If you're a professional artist, illustrator, designer, campaigner, lawyer, accountant, some kind of celebrity, or simply have a lot of time and want to contribute to Australia's future, let us know.
Donate to help fund party activities like holding events, processing all the new memberships, and keeping the lights on.
You can also be informed on events that are coming up for the Democrats via the What's On section.
There are also opportunities advertsied to be a volunteer as a local contact person who promoteS the A.D.Q.D along with being able to sign up as a member of the democrats party and take on a hands on role.
Political Participation Via the internet- The Greens Party.
Picture- H-Ref 1
I shamefully admit I don't really know much about politics so it is probably good that I have to do this.
Here is an opportunity I found to participate in The Australian Greens Party. They have created a website that provides loads of information and shows how you can get involved.
Here I found the Senators of the Greens Party- Bob Brown, Christine Milne Rachel Siewert, Sarah Hanson-Young, Scott Ladlam and their aims-
Peace and Non Violence, Grassroots Democracy,
Social and Economic Justice, Ecological Sustainability
There are a number of ways to find information in regards to the Greens party including some of the issues they deal with such as Environment, Family and Community Economy which we should all care about and be interested in, but there are many more.
Take Action is a specific area of their site which enables you to participate in the Greens Party through 'Speak Out' where you can write a letter to the editor, or the Minister responsible for a particular area and also view listings for talk back radio stations. Not only that but you can become a member on this site and receive a free newsletter via email which will keep you updated.
I also found that the Greens also had Facebook, Youtube, Myspace and Twitter accounts which again demonstrates another way to get involved with this party. It seems they are very accessible, which is obviously deliberate. Accessibility seems vital in rounding up support.
The Greens Website is:
http://greens.org.au/
Referencing:
H-Ref 1: Greenembrace
http://greenembrace.org/wordpress/?m=200708
Accessed 22.09.09
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
NOT-Pixar - Fifty Percent Grey
(H-Ref 1)
This animation was actually quite disturbing, I don't think it would have been created for the movies due to this. Can't say I actually like this short film, but see for yourself.
Reference:
H-Ref 1: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCP9f0VicBE&feature=PlayList&p=0B4FC6828D5E4376&index=16
Accessed Thursday, September 3rd, 2009.
REACH
I'm finding it pretty hard to get short films that aren't animated. This one is pretty cool though, it has a cute little robot that is held back by the cord that charges him. Again I think this is a good example of a short film that wasn't intended to go to movie theatres, because it has a certain air of sadness to it. You can't help but to feel bad for the robot.
Sketchcast
I've tried sketchcast a few times now and every time I go to publish it says there's an error. Pretty cool site though, I'm not much of an artist, but it's fun to play around with. Hopefully soon I can publish a picture to this post....probably won't be very pretty.
The Generator Blog
(H-Ref 1)
I'm assuming that this blog is created by the lecturer of week 5. It's actually quite interesting, especially the mini movie where he turns himself into 'The Terminator.' The most interesting part of this blog was the featured picture of an airport, which had been manipulated from a life size picture to make it look like a miniature scale model.
Reference:
H-Ref 1:
http://generatorblog.blogspot.com/
Accessed September 3rd, 2009.
http://www.speedtest.net/about.php
This nifty little site helps calculate the speed of an internet connection. Although it's actually quite interesting it can also be helpful to see if your internet connection is up to scratch. The results you find can be comapared to others in your region of the globe, which could be quite handy if you end up needing to change your internet provider.
http://mashable.com/2007/07/11/google-maps-mashups-2/
This site is called mashup for a reason. It mashes google maps with another function. For example one map can help you plot your trip in a taxi in New York and also help you calculate the cost. Another map also shows you places available for rent in major cities. These mashes can save time and money if you go ahead and prepare yourself for a night out or house hunting. There are more mashes though!
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php
This is quite an interesting site considering it can show disasters that can happen all over the world. I chose to concentrate on Australia and found that NSW is in a bit of trouble with locusts.
http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/app
Polyvore.com is a fun sight to play around with if you love fashion and have an eye for composition. On this site you can create a composition of clothes and accessories making them into something that would appear in a magazine. You can select certain brands such as Chloe, look through categories of clothing such as shirts, shorts etc and design your own little masterpiece. I recommend it if this kind of thing interests you.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Olivia Moore as seen on http://personas.media.mit.edu/personasWeb.html
I find this website very interesting for what it is. In the grand scheme of things it has no great relevance, but I find it amasing that it can generate so much information by entering a first and last name and bring it to anyone in a matter of seconds. Quiet smart actually.
Tir Nan Og - animated short film directed by Fursy Teyssier
I chose this film as it seemed to me that it was created specifically for the internet. Although you can get short animated films which appear at the movies, this doesn't seem to be one that would as it seems far too open to interpretation. Short animated films that I have seen in the movies (usually appearing before the actual movie) have been far more light hearted and fairly straight forward, another reason why I think this is a good example of a short film specifically for the internet.
If you watch it you will see the comparison I am making between light hearted short films seen at the movies and this more interprative one.
REFERENCE: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNF6zH3pjDU&feature=PlayList&p=A5603B6838027189&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=12
Accessed: Wednesday 2nd September, 2009.
If you watch it you will see the comparison I am making between light hearted short films seen at the movies and this more interprative one.
REFERENCE: Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNF6zH3pjDU&feature=PlayList&p=A5603B6838027189&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=12
Accessed: Wednesday 2nd September, 2009.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Microsoft NEW technology Microsoft Surface
This weird technology can let you do everything at a touch of a screen. You can order food by selecting it on a screen, hold your credit card to it and pay. You can sit a camera on top of it and it will automatically download your pictures.....just watch, it's pretty amasing.
(H-Ref 1)
Reference:
H-Ref 1:youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtKQNwqNLLk
Accessed Wednesday August 26, 2009.
(H-Ref 1)
Reference:
H-Ref 1:youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtKQNwqNLLk
Accessed Wednesday August 26, 2009.
The Samsung BeatDJ M7600
This is a new phone created by Samsung and another form of convergent technology to add to the list. This phone allows you to create your own music and remixes of tracks already on your phone, you can create scratches and listen to these on a built in surround sound system. This phone, like the i-Phone can also be used via the touch of a screen. You can also take pictures with this phone which has a 3 megapixel camera (H-Ref 1).
Reference:
H-Ref 1: gaj-it
www.gajit.com
Accessed Wednesday August 26, 2009.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sex and the City
(H-Ref 1).
I chose to watch Sex and the City for the task where we had to see the different shots that show who, what, where, when, why.
WHO: I found that the introduction to the show, before the show even starts a close up of Carrie Bradshaw tells us the who.
WHAT: A mid shot in this specific episode is of a shrinks office, symbolising that the WHAT is Carrie Bradshaws problems.
WHERE: There are numerous wide shots of New York streets throughout all of the Sex and the City episodes, making it clear it is set in New York.
WHEN: There are various times within singular episodes shown, I didn't really think that any specific shot symbolised this as there were no specific times shown. Instead you could just tell by the shades of light etc.
WHY: Why is symbolised by close ups of Carrie where she is venting about men who cause most of her problems.
HOW: Close ups of Carrie being on her own again, in her apartment show how she has ended up at the shrink and how things haven't worked out.
Reference
H-Ref 1: Scene Stealers
http://www.scene-stealers.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/2008_sex_and_the_city_002.jpg
Accessed August 24, 2009.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Scavenger Hunt
1. What is the weight of the world's biggest pumpkin? How long did it take to grow?
The weight of the world's biggest pumpkin is 693.08903kg and it grew within four and half months (H-Ref 1).
2. What is the best way (quickest, most reliable) to contact Lilly Allen?
If I wanted to contact Lilly Allen I would create an account with Twitter and add her on there. Twitter seems to be overtaking Myspace and Facebook to a certain extent and it's something stars use regularly. You could also create Myspace and Facebook accounts, but I think Twitter would be the best.
3. What is the length of a giraffe's tongue?
A giraffes tongue is 46 centimetres (H-Ref 2).
4. How would you define the word 'glycomics'? In your own words, what does it really mean ? What does the term 'seagull manager' refer to?
Glycomics is a term ascribed to the study of carbohydrates and more specifically sugar (H-ref 3)
To my understanding the seagull manager is someone who comes into a workplace and rather than helping as they should creates more havoc and causes a stir within the work environment (H-Ref 4).
5. What was David Cronenberg's first feature film? Which of his films Had 'Blondie' in it?
His first feature film was Shivers and was made with the intent to create the first horror film in Canada (H-Ref 5).
Cronenberg's film Videodrome had Blondie in it (H-Ref 6).
6. When was the original 'Hacker's Manifesto' written?
It was written in January 1986 (H-Ref 7).
7. Why do phone numbers in Hollywood films start with '555'?
The use of 555 is used to replace numbers that may be used to call real people. You are able to call numbers with 555 in front of them, however, it is likely to be a directory and therefore you wouldn't be calling a real person (H-Ref 8).
8. What is the cheapest form of travel from the Gold Coast to Sydney?
I find this one a hard one to answer because there are so many variants. To drive it would depend on what car you have and how much fuel it uses to determine a cost. To walk it would depend whether you set yourself a budget and got free help on your way and what happens on your way. To determine whether flying is cheapest then you would need to know about the above first.
With this in mind the cheapest way would be to book a ticket on webjet for the 28th of August 2009 and you could get there for $99.00 (H-Ref 9).
9. What song was top of the Australian Pop Charts this week in 1965?
Single on Decca which was created by a Dutch Band (H-Ref 10).
10. Which Brisbane band includes Stephen Stockwell on keyboards and vocals?
Black Assasins. I found this answer via Yahoo which led me to another new comm tech blog, this person found the info from:http://steveylee.wordpress.com/ (H-Ref 11).
References:
H-Ref 1: World Records 2008 2009
http://www.worldamazingrecords.com/2008/10/worlds-biggest-and-heaviest-pumpkin.html
Accessed Tuesday August 26, 2009.
H-Ref 2: SAN DIEGO Zoo
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-giraffe.html#Photos
Access Thursday August 27, 2009.
H-Ref 3:Griffith University
http://www.griffith.edu.au/science/institute-glycomics
Accessed Thursday August 27, 2009.
H-Ref 4:BNET
http://dictionary.bnet.com/definition/seagull+manager.html
Accessed Thursday August 27, 2009.
H-Ref 5: New York Underground Film Festival
http://www.nyuff.com/2002/realarchive/8th/shivers.html
Accessed Thursday August 27, 2009.
H-Ref 6: http://www.hypercubism.com/pages/blondie2.html
Accessed Thursday August 27, 2009.
H-Ref 7: http://www.mithral.com/~beberg/manifesto.html
Accessed Thurdsay August 27, 2009.
H-Ref 8:Mark Cuccia
http://www.omegarobot.com/article/555.html
Accessed Thursday August 27, 2009.
H-Ref 9: Webjet
http://travel.webjet.com.au/webjettsa/home.aspx?flight_search_action=http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.webjet.com.au%2Fwebjettsa%2Fhome.aspx&TripType=Return&CityFrom=OOL&DateOut=2009%2F8%2F27&CityTo=Sydney&DateBack=2009%2F9%2F4&TravelClass=ECONOMY&NumAdult=1&NumChild=0&NumInfant=0&EntryPoint=Flight&RequestFrom=Outside&x=45&y=18
Accessed Thursday August 27, 2009.
H-Ref 10: Kelu McDonald
http://fever-sea.blogspot.com/
Accessed Thursday August 27, 2009.
H-Ref 11: Erin
http://2716085.blogspot.com/
Accessed Thursday August 27, 2009.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Cine-Speak: Lecture 3.
In the third lecture I learnt about different shots- the slang (BCU-Big close up, CU- Close up) and how these shots can be used to help create meaning.
This is an example of a close up, which helps the audience answer the who question. Who the character is. (Image H-Ref 1).
This medium shot helps to define what......the what here being dancing. (Image H-Ref 2).
The long shot can be used to show where, here it is show that she is at a party/club. (H-Ref 3).
Wide shots AND close ups are both used to show when as seen within these two pictures, the clock shows you the exact time, and the wide shot shows a certain period of the day. (Images H-Ref 4, H-Ref 5).
Medium close ups or a series of close ups can demonstrate the HOW. If the above picture were to be shown next to that of a pregnant person we would be able to see how that ocurred. (Image H-Ref 6).
This is an example of a close up, which helps the audience answer the who question. Who the character is. (Image H-Ref 1).
This medium shot helps to define what......the what here being dancing. (Image H-Ref 2).
The long shot can be used to show where, here it is show that she is at a party/club. (H-Ref 3).
Wide shots AND close ups are both used to show when as seen within these two pictures, the clock shows you the exact time, and the wide shot shows a certain period of the day. (Images H-Ref 4, H-Ref 5).
WHY- It was said in the lecture that the BIG CLOSE UP can answer the WHY question, when it comes to a still picture I find this concept hard to grasp, however within a movie a big close up may help to clarify the WHY question.
Medium close ups or a series of close ups can demonstrate the HOW. If the above picture were to be shown next to that of a pregnant person we would be able to see how that ocurred. (Image H-Ref 6).
The lecture also looked at head space and talking space which basically is about where a person is positioned in a shot. The rule of thirds was also looked at, however, the different shots was the most interesting part of the lecture for me, which is why I have concentrated on it for this blog.
Referencing:
Referencing:
H-Ref 1- Yahoo
Accessed Thursday 20th August 2009.
H-Ref 2- Ashleigh E Smith
http://cndls.georgetown.edu/applications/posterTool/data/users/save.jpg
Accessed Thursday 20th August 2009.
Accessed Thursday 20th August 2009.
H-Ref 3- The Internet Movie Database
Accessed Thursday 20th August 2009.
Accessed Thursday 20th August 2009.
H-Ref 5- Weddingbee
http://www.weddingbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/10/8.jpg
http://www.weddingbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/10/8.jpg
Accessed Thursday 20th August 2009.
H-Ref 6-
http://minimousemaybe.xanga.com/
Accessed Thursday 20th August 2009.
Accessed Thursday 20th August 2009.
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About Me
- Olivia
- Hi all, this is my blog for new communication technology. Technology and I don't really mix well so this should be interesting.....