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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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/

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.

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

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.

Google Maps

View I want to travel to.... in a larger map

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.