Love Interest #1

D'yer Maker. 

This song nearly brings me to tears.....absolute favourite at the moment! <3

Love Interest #2

Primus; the only band I've heard that can make untuned instruments sound awesome! Dirty, sleazy grunge, oh how you make me feel! <3

JOUR1111 Week 6

I ask for forgiveness this week, as I am feeling incredibly under the weather. This week's recount of the lecture will most likely be a painful and boring churn out of what was infact, a very interesting lecture.... 

While Dr Bruce spoke this week on commercial media, the only sound that was running through my mind was 'Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching'! Newspapers, telelvision and radio were all mentioned in the lecture and all acted as examples of commercial media acting as key players in the world of advertising and profit.

Media outlets such as Foxtel, Austar, Austereo, Fairfax Media and Channel 10 all fall into the commercial media category. There are a few defining characteristics of such media, as Bruce detailed in the lecture, such as it not being government funded and it's survival based on success rates of businesses. An interesting point (I thought) was that commercial media seeks to 'create audiences to generate profit through selling advertising to them'.

Another interesting part of the lecture was the questionability of commercial media in regards to the deliverance of both social and commercial functions. The Hutchins Commision (1947) outlines the social responsibilities of media in democracy:

• a truthful, comprehensive, and intelligent account of the day's events in a context that gives them meaning
• a forum for the exchange of comment and criticism
• the projection of a representative picture of the constituent groups on society
• the presentation and clarification of the goals and values of the society
• full access to the day's intelligence

....What a mouthful! These points have been well established, with organistions in place to help enforce regulations, however commercial media somewhat overlooks these responsibilites. Corruption of the news being delivered on through this outlet is evident, with profit coming before quality. In order for such sources to remain in production, they must sell their soul to the capitalist conglomerate with selective thoughts on what is important in order to make money, thus limiting their readiness to provide a full, comprehensive and unbias account of the daily national and international news.  

'Tis a scary state of existence when the news in which we trust is being fondled by money hungry giants who seek to make big bucks at the expense of an informed society.  

Political Who-de-whaty?

As a student of International Relations who is currently learning about the ideological and theoretical viewpoints of society's basic structure, I feel it necessary to empty my mind of all the fun facts and important political concepts it has been fed over the last few weeks.... 

ajdshdkghskjhWARlkjdkfhPEACEjkrsngkwjngrkjhgnWARksgjhsghWARsjrgksjhgPEACEnkejghejnhWARRRRRklsjrgiwkghrg!!!!!!!!!

.....ahhh, that feels much better. Now with that out of the way, perhaps I can begin my pondering on where I sit in regards to these social views through the ever-cleansing vice of blogging.

Liberalism, Realism, Marxism, Socialism, Feminism, and Anarchy have been tearing pieces from the tissue of my brain, all eager to act as the dominant engine fuelling all my thoughts, values and perspectives on the world. I left a 'Liberalism' lecture feeling as though the people I passed were wonderful beings driven by success, seeking to better their existence and improve their well-being while I so emphatically sought to do the same. One week later, I left a lecture on 'Realism' feeling as though everyone I passed were planning to steal my shoes and use against me the missiles which had been cleverly hidden in their bags. 'Marxism' had me planning a rally against sweat-shops while 'Feminism' encouraged me to beat man onto Mars. I won't even begin to describe the corner in which 'Anarchy' drove me to, but my phychologist assures me the visions will fade in time. All of these overwhelming and powerful foundations have left me questioning my thoughts on the world and it's people, and I am coming to realise that I do not need to utilise only one. 

I am a firm believer in equal rights for all people, and that the pursuit of happiness is a driving force of human nature. I understand that there are people in this world who seek money and power in their pursuit of happiness, and will stop at nothing in order to reach their goals with complete disregard for those that may be hurt along the way. I also believe that there are people in this world who seek wealth and stature in order to help those that have been down-trodden and disadvantaged by circumstance or consequence. 

I believe that a strong government for the people is necessary in maintaining order and achieving progress, acknowledging the needs of all who exist within its reach of power, and not denying the rights of some to accomodate for others. I am pro-individual and also pro-state, as I feel the two can work together in providing a safe, secure and properous existence for all. 

I trust easily, but have been lied to. I work hard to gain trust, but have told a lie or two in my time. I know that I am flawed and although I seek to better myself each day, I know that there are people who don't. I don't go out of my way to make life difficult for others, but I acknowledge that greed and  spite and jealousy are all players in the game. In saying that, so to are compassion, empathy, and sincerity. Consciousness and awareness lay within each person, however not everyone seeks to discover it.  

HOW CONFUSING!

I'm not sure how much this little debrief has helped in organising my mind, but I don't believe anyone expects me to understand how I look at the world with absolute certainty at a fresh young age of 20. I guess the only thing I can really do is sit back and take it all in, and hopefully find wisdom through my acknowledgement of knowing nothing (Socrates you magnificently eloquent man, you!). 

JOUR1111 Week 5

Let me begin this week my saying HOORAY for Visual Media!! This weeks lecture has been my favourite thus far, which can most likely be attributed to the fact that it was interactive and fun for my eyes!

Factual story-telling in the visual has certainly come a long way since the early 1900's (as one would expect) however it is quite a triumph for human-kind in regards to how much it has advanced in the last twenty years. Even now I am blown away by the fact that the first picture on the internet appeared in 1992. This really puts it in perspective for me, as 1992 is the year I was BORN! 

Everyday we are exposed to visual media in so many ways; the news flashing photos as you eat your breakfast, the countless billboards that you pass as you get from A and B, even that funny little meme your friend sends to you - it's all right in front of our eyes creating our entertainment and beginning our converstations. I can't even begin to imagine a world without this media (which is ironic, as if it didn't exist I'd only be left with my imagination!) and to think this has all come about in my lifetime just blows me away. 

I don't think I know anyone my age that hasn't had their parents tell them those gui inspiring phrases highlighting the evolution of technology and often beginning with the words ' When I was your age we didn't have...', which makes me wonder what I will be telling MY children one day!?

"When I was your age we didn't have 3D TV/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Mobile Phones/Mobile Phones with in-built Cameras/Mobile Phones with Facebook/Twitter/Instagram....." - the list is almost endless!

As something of an artist (obviously self-proclaimed), I have always been excited by expressing stories and meaning through visual media - dabbling in painting, drawing and photography quite extensively in my highschool years - however up until this weeks lecture I was almost adimant that I am here to command the written world. Now I am not so sure!  

I've always associated journalism with facts, figures and the humble biro, and have never thought of the visual side as being quite so versatile. I feel as if a new world of possibility has been put at my feet, as if I am Charlie entering the Chocolate Factory, eager to explore!! Also, as I'm sure Charlie would have felt in his predicament, I am hungry. Very hungry.... 

....so, until next week!!   

JOUR1111 Week 4

This weeks lecture was a little out of the ordinary, but I must say, it was one that I quite enjoyed. Listening to a radio interview conducted between a journalist and a radio host in order to explore the vice of sound in media is a great way (in my opinion) to help us understand the intricacies of this medium. 

In the sound lecture, Richard Fidler is being interviewed about his career as a radio host and explains to the interviewer and the listeners how radio compares to television. He states that "anyone who thinks you can get TV and stick on the radio, or vice versa, put a camera in a radio studio and make that compelling TV is wrong. You're going to end up with bad radio and dull TV if you do that. They're very different mediums". He describes the nature of radio and really makes clear the need to create a feel of intimacy and comfort between host and guest during an interview, while also keeping the listener feeling included. 

I found it interesting that before his career in radio, Richard began as a busker which then escallated into a stint on television. I think that maybe I've been approaching journalism from a strange angle, seeing it as having many paths but only one that I can choose to base my career on. Ultimately I would LOVE to be a print journalist, however radio is something that has sparked interest within me, as well as television (if I ever have a good hair day!). Perhaps my horizons are slowly being broadened...and on that note, I conclude my summary of this week lecture. 

Good-day!

JOUR1111 Media Use Journal

As society makes its transition into the future, so to do does technology and the way in which we utilise it. What was once innovative and hi-tech is now overshadowed by modern advancements, and the interactive and dynamic nature of new-age technology has transformed the way in which we communicate globally. In terms of the individual, media consumption has reached new heights with portable mediums becoming more commonly used than ever before.

Through evaluation of my own personal media use, it is evident that the use of my iPad is predominant.

 

If we take a further look into the different ways that I use my iPad, the access to social-networking site Facebook dominates.

This is coherent with results stemming from a survey conducted with 167 students in a Journalism and Communication course at UQ. The results showed that Facebook is commonly accessed through both the students' phones and the internet, with 73% of the demographic answering that this is how they spend most of their internet time. When comparing the frequency of use between the internet, television and the radio (second and third most common sources of media used, respectively), it is clear that the internet is most popular. 

It can be seen from the graph that the majority of people watch 1-2 hours of television daily and spend less than 1 hour a day listening to the radio, while a quarter of the demographic's daily use of the internet is between 3-4 hours. This is no doubt attributed to the ease and accessibility of connecting to Wi-Fi (illustrated by question 20 in the survey) via portable devices such as PC's, Mac's and Smartphones. 

While radio is also available on portable devices such as phones and iPods, people more commonly use this media to listen to music rather than the radio. Television can also be accessed through smartphones, e-readers and tablets, however it is not as convenient as access to the internet and it's range of entertainment and diversity. YouTube, for example, is quite popular with web users, having the same appeal as television with the added benefit of being able to select what you want to see exactly when you want to see it (exploiting Web 2.0's functioning and capabilities). 

Looking at the data with specific attention to the use of the radio as a news source, it does not even compete with Facebook. 

This can be attributed to the interactive nature of Facebook, as well as television, which makes receiving the news a far more engaging and dynamic. These sources offer visual prompts and imagery such as photographs, which act as mental stimulation, encouraging one's imagination and intensifying the impact of the news story. When compared to single-sense stimulation of radio, television and the internet (on whole) are far more exciting and appealing.    

Love Interest #3

Cake!!

Let's Talk About Sex!

SEX IS NATURAL!!!

Phew! I'm so glad to have put that extraordinary and revolutionary statement out there! Oh, it's not?...bugger! I thought I'd just uncovered a radical concept that could help bring society into a modern state of existence. Gee, my bad. Well if this idea isn't so revolutionary, then why is there still so much controversy and inequality? Hmm....

I find it rather difficult to comprehend that we, as citizens of the 21st century, are still living in a world where it is unacceptable to love who we are genetically designed to love. I know, I know, the majority of you have just rolled your eyes and thought 'here we go, another advocate for alternative lifestyles', but this is a matter that hits very close to home for me and, quite frankly, disgusts and infuriates me more than my vocabulary will allow me to describe.

I cannot fathom that there are still people in our society believing that homosexual, bisexual, and transsexual orientation is a matter of choice! I have encountered people who firmly believe this, and to them there are no two ways about it. How can a person honestly convince themself that it is a choice to love (or even simply find attractive) the people we do? What is their opinion on arranged marriage, I wonder? Would they suggest that it is wrong to force a woman/man to marry each other under law or faith because they don't LOVE each other? If so, I would have to try harder than ever to contain my seething rage at their hypocrisy and contradictory statement, and suggest to them that perhaps the couple in question could simply CHOOSE to love their arranged partner!

There are still parents in today's society that disown their children for being same-sex orientated and this honestly brings tears to my eyes. There's often talk of same-sex parenting putting children at a great disadvantage, depriving them of 'proper' nurture and exposure to the social norm of marriage between a man and a woman. How can this be said when it is heterosexual parents who are denying their children love and acceptance? It makes no sense!

I read in an article today that the Australian Christian Lobby's (ACL) Tasmanian director, Mark Brown, has likened adoption or surrogacy of a child to the stolen generation, claiming that apologies will have to be made in years to come for denying them the right to a mother or father.

"Are we not learning from the past - situations like the forced adoptions and the stolen generation - where children are taken from their biological parent and raised by someone else?"

Hold the phone! Just quickly, who allowed this narrow-minded, insulant sod of a man to be appointed the director of ANYTHING? I wonder if he thinks about what he is saying before he speaks, or perhaps he has been gifted with the ever provocative foot-in-mouth disease. Regardless, someone needs to learn to keep him away from any source of social media outlet. 

I could go on and on about this matter, and I am quite happy to do so for anyone that wishes to voice their opinion (for or against). It is time now, however, to retire my over-worked and RSI affected apendages for evening, but not before offering one final salute to my backward thinking colleagues in this modern society - all in favour, raise your finger!   

Love Interest #4

Everyone needs a little Fun in their lives! ;)

JOUR1111 Week 3

Another lecture, another post! I found this lecture's content to be far more riveting than the content of previous lectures, as I am very much driven by my desire to work in print media. Listening to Skye discuss her accomplished career and her work as a free-lance journalist in Europe has fanned my little flame of hope to do much the same thing.

Writing has always had such a powerful effect on me, and from a young age I have marvelled at various writers' and authors' ability to sculpt and manouver words in such a way that the reader is left with a sense of enlightenment, inspiration, or even pure and simple satisfaction. 

I did get a little lost with talk about hypertext and metadata, although I'm sure this is due to my lack of understanding to do with anything technological (as stated in previous posts) - a problem which I aim to tackle head on in the near future. 

I was quite intrigued when a question was asked about the standard of writing that we are exposed to through Facebook and other such social networking sites, with the notion that anyone who updates a status might consider themselves the writer of something credible and worth the read. It brought to mind an image that I viewed recently on Facebook (no, the irony is not lost on me), which I thought I might share in this post...

...dedicated to all the novice writers out there in the land of social networking; without you, there would be no comparison for quality. 

Until next week... xx

JOUR1111 Week 2

Week 2 into my university adventures and already, I'm overwhelmed by the amount of information being thrust upon me. I am now adimant that Edvard Munch mastered seeing into the future and based his 'Scream' on the expression permanently plastered on my face this week.

I found this lecture was informative, however I find talk about the web and it's various stages rather monotone. It doesn't quite ring my 'excitement' bell. I understand that it is imperitive for us (not only as budding young journalists, but also citizens of the modern world) to achnowledge the new and exciting era that we are approaching, with the fascinating world of Web 3.0 right on our doorstep! The word 'daunting' does, however, spring to mind.

Growing up, I often marvelled at my older brother's ability to search the web and apply (with great ease, might I add) his advanced skills to web page design and construction, and when he wasn't completing my computer tech homework in return for me doing his english assignments, he tried to explain to me all the wonders and fun little facts about the world wide web. I, of course, was far more interested in anything else that I could distract myself with. In saying all of this, I am one of the most impatient individuals I know, so the thought of stepping out of Web 2.0 and into a web that will literally tell me exactly what I can do, where I can do it, how long it will take and how much it will cost could be an exciting concept!

I'm not sure, however, that it will aid society's increasing lack of effort. In my opinion, this new age will create an even greater problem by encouraging a generation of people with already high expectations to have exactly 'what we want, when we want it' on a far more advanced scale. This also brings to mind what was mention in the lecture about entitlement - getting what we want for nothing because we deserve it. Who is going to be left to wear the cost? It scares me that ultimately, it will be us (and our children, and our children's children...you get the point) who wears the brunt of this mind-set, as we are the future of this 'take-take' society.     

I might leave it there for this week as I feel that my words have left my mind fighting an internal battle, struggling to weigh up the pro's and con's of Web 3.0 and where it may lead us. Until next week.....

JOUR1111 Week 1

Well, this week's lecture was exciting!! Perhaps it was the thought of starting my university conquest, the energy resonating from the rest of the first year flock, or simply the sense of triumph aroused by my ability to find the class! Whatever the cause may be, I enjoyed my first lecture for this course and am eager to sink my teeth into what it has to offer.

Blogging is a new practice for me, however it is an activity that I've often thought of adopting. I've always been put off by my self-proclaimed lack of ability to express what I'm thinking. The fact that this is an assessment piece has helped encourage me a little, as it has given me substance and material to ponder and write about, rather than just leaving it to my imagination - scary!

I began studying a degree in Social Science in Cairns, majoring in Social and Criminal Justice, but the confronting ideas that course materials produced just weren't for me. I've come in to this program with the dream of being able to express myself through the written word. In saying that, all of the talk in this lecture about stepping into a web-based future is quite overwhelming for me - a member of Technology Illiterates 'R' Us. Perhaps it's the Nanna within me that begs for a hard copy of the world and its information, but with life comes change and I shall endeavour to embrace it with my old-school arms. If my Mother can keep up with technology, surely there's hope for me too.

Bring it on I say!

My Apologies.

I feel that I should use this first post as a warning to all those who begin to read, and (dare I say) follow what I have to say. In all honesty, I do not expect anyone to follow or even try to comprehend the babble which lay in the depths of my mind. However, for those of you who do enjoy what you are reading, let me extend to you a warm welcome into my little world. I sincerely hope that you enjoy yourself as you skim through my honest mind and it's sheer ramblings.  

Just quickly, if you're wondering about the fantastic name for my blog please refer to the image below for proof of logic and reason...

...and so it shall be.