ChickOnTheRoad

Undercover Blonde - A Critique

2007-01-19T22:45:00.000+11:00

According to Neimen Reports, (2005,p59), a blog can be described as a hybrid form of online communications with users 'wanting to share information and opinions, commentary and news'. And in essence, that is what a blog or "web log" is - a frequently updated online journal for anyone interested in the topic, to read. In this critique, I shall look at the blog, "Undercover Blonde" and provide an in-depth analysis discussing why this particular blog is so successful and what are its strengths and weaknesses.

Appearances seem to be everything in society today. We are fascinated by celebrities usually not because of their successes and achievements but due to their antics and superficial appearances. This leads me on to the old saying,

"Do Blonde's really have more fun?"

Well, finally one female has taken it upon herself to find out the truth. Known only as Kitty, 27, from Massachusetts, this blogger has really put new meaning to "suffering for ones art" using the ever-increasing popularity of blogging to document her experiment for people to read world wide.

"A year and a half ago, I dreamed up a hairbrained scheme. I decided to go blond, to see how the other half lives. Is life DIFFERENT as a blond? I bet it would be, and went UNDERCOVER to find out. But the experiment can't end there. I need also to lived as a brunette, to compare my notes. So on December 29th, 2006 I dyed my hair dark brown. And now we shall see how the darker half lives..."

Her blog posts are detailed and insightful and once you start reading one, you soon have read them all. She describes her daily exploits in great detail, all the while relating it back to her experiment regarding hair colour.

I have a great deal of respect for this women who has continued with her lifestyle and not faltered or changed and yet she has still managed to document this experiment into something that greatly intrigues a large majority of the population. Even more so for posting it on a blog site that can be accessed for all to see and with almost 11 000 site visitors, that is a fair few. Yet, it is because of this women's commitment to her experiment, that her blog has become so successful. The blog is voted by Blog Top Sites in the academic blog category at 87th place out of 310 positions.

In conclusion, this blog is, in my opinion, a pristine example that follows the definition of what a blog should be. It is often updated with new posts and documents the daily life of the user and her project. The subject matter of the experiment is something that a lot of people are interested by. I, myself, have often wondered what it would be like to live life with a different hair colour. Would it change who I or how I act? Am I that superficial!? Who knows, but after reading this blog, it certainly made me think about some of those questions. I throughly recommend any one to log on and give it a read. You'll be surprised at how hooked you become.

Have a free hug. Go On....

2007-01-18T17:20:00.000+11:00

So for this week's podcast, the topic is money. As you know, I went to the Jazz In the Domain and asked people for money just to see if they actually would... and they did. lol. One guy actually gave me $10 just for asking "so nicely" which was random and wierd... but ok that works. Then Sar and I decided to go for a walk down to Pitt Street the other day to talk to some of the street performers and discuss money. hehe. A couple of them were a little hesitant or didn't want to talk to us because they were busy. But we did get to talk to Andre who is a pavement artist and has been working there for the last two years. However, quite possibly the highlight of my day was when I got a "Free Hug" from Juan.

You might have heard of Juan Mann, (yes his name is pronounced "One Man").He's even been on Oprah! Every thursday, he goes to Pitt Street with a sign in one hand and gives out "Free Hugs" to anyone who wants one. He has become an internet phenomenon due to a video created by his friend and lead singer of Sick Puppies, Shimon Moore, that was posted on Youtube. Juan has sparked off an international phenomenon of people giving out free hugs to complete strangers with the only intension of passing on the love to others and making them smile.

Above: Juan posing for me, he couldn't keep a straight face. It made my day. hehe.

So I decided to go over and get a hug and honestly, he gives THE BEST HUGS! much to the disappointment of my boyfriend who said,

"What my hugs aren't good enough... you have to go else where?! (laughs)"

When asked why he started hugging people, Juan simply replies,

"It's a way to make people smile. I've been doing it for two and a half years now and it hasn't gotten boring. I enjoy it so much. I got up one day and pretty much went hey I'm going to give out free hugs today!"

However, things have not always run smoothly for the serial hugger. Last year, Sydney officials tried to ban the hugging and ordered that the "Free Hug Campaign" be banned. Yet, this did not deter the young 22 year old.

Undeterred, Mann collected more than 10,000 signatures on a petition he presented to the City of Sydney council. Demands for a halt to the hugs petered out shortly after, and the end of the clip shows Mann hugging an official.

Taken from SMH.com

So even though not everything in life maybe bright and shiny, just think of Juan and his campaign to spread the love. And if you have time, pop down to Pitt St and get a hug!

MyFRENCHspace

2007-01-15T16:16:00.000+11:00

The definition of MySpace taken from Wikipedia.

MySpace is a social networking website offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos. MySpace also features an internal search engine and an internal e-mail system. It is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, USA, while its parent company is headquartered in New York City. According to Alexa Internet, it is currently the world's fourth most popular English-language website, the sixth most popular website in any language, and the third most popular website in the United States, though it has topped the chart on various weeks (note it is possible that other websites have a greater number of unique visitors). The service has gradually gained more popularity than similar websites to achieve nearly 80 percent of visits to online social networking websites. It has become an increasingly influential part of contemporary popular culture, especially in English speaking countries. The company employs 300 staff, is owned by News Corporation, and does not disclose revenues or profits separately from News Corporation. With the 100 millionth account being created on August 9, 2006 and a news story claiming 106 million accounts on September 8, 2006, the site reportedly attracts new registrations at a rate of 230,000 per day.

Above: MySpace creator, Tom Anderson's profile page

With such a phenomenal fan base, the company which was started by Chris deWolfe and Tom Anderson, has done the typical and launched their versions of their site in UK, Australia and now France (as of 12/01/06). It was because of this launch of the french site that I began thinking of all the publicity etc that the site recieves and hense decided to blog about it. Firstly, I must say that I my self have a myspace page and still don't know why I was so attached to it. Possibly because it allows me to use the site to keep in almost constant communication with my friends despite location. However, I can't begin to describe how annoying it is to receive those stupid messages from people who think the site was established as a dating service. Messages like - "Hey sexy, I love your profile picture, you look like you fell from heaven, IM me and we'll chat... and maybe more ;)" - I mean seriously, those lines don't work in bars where there is alcohol to inhibit your perception of how absolutely dog-faced ugly these fools are and yet the lines continued to be used. And in the hopes of what? Getting some cyber sex?! What the hell is cyber sex any way? According to the first site that I came across when i googled "cyber sex", it came up with this:

Online computer users often engage in what is affectionately known as "cyber sex." Often the fantasies typed into keyboards and shared through Internet phone lines get pretty raunchy.

And just for your amusement, here is an extract of "cyber sex"... if you want to read the full (very wierd) dialogue, click here.

Wellhung:
Hello, Sweetheart. What do you look like?
Sweetheart:
I am wearing a red silk blouse, a miniskirt and high heels. I work out every day, I'm toned and perfect. My measurements are 36-24-36. What do you look like?
Wellhung:
I'm 6'3" and about 12 stone pounds. I wear glasses and I have on a pair of blue sweat pants I just bought from C & A. I'm also wearing a T-shirt with a few spots of barbecue sauce on it from dinner...it smells funny.
Sweetheart:
I want you. Would you like to screw me?
Wellhung:
OK
Sweetheart:
We're in my bedroom. There's soft music playing on the stereo and candles on my dresser and night table. I'm looking up into your eyes, smiling. My hand works its way down to your crotch and begins to fondle your huge, swelling bulge.
Wellhung:
I'm gulping, I'm beginning to sweat.
Sweetheart:
I'm pulling up your shirt and kissing your chest.
Wellhung:
Now I'm unbuttoning your blouse. My hands are trembling.
Sweetheart:
I'm moaning softly.

Why anyone would engage in "cyber sex" is beyond me. And yet that is not what this blog post is about so moving on...

However, how useful is myspace? The site has been constantly critisised for its ability to endanger children who have profiles on the site. The minimum age a "myspacer" can be is 14, however, it should be noted that 14 - 15 yr old profiles are automatically set to private so only "friends" can view their page. However, all a child has to do is lie about their age, and they can bypass this restriction.

In 2006, a 16yr old actually flew to the Middle East to be with a 20 year old man she had met on the site. The girl had tricked her parents into getting her a passport. However, I don't think this should be a critisism taken by MySpace. What the hell were her parents doing getting her a passport with out knowing full details of where she was going and what she was doing!?!? The site has also recieved critisism because many believe that children are posting up lewd pictures of themselves for the whole world to see. Once again... where the hell are the parents!? Why are they allowing their children to TAKE THE PICTURES IN THE FIRST PLACE?!

According to MSNBC.com, Myspace is attracting sexual predators. Here are some of the stories extracted from the article,

A month ago, police in Connecticut arrested a 21-year-old man, accusing him of raping a 14-year-old girl he found on MySpace. On Long Island, investigators say another man found the work address of a 16-year-old girl on one of the Web sites last fall, lured her to a parking lot, and sexually assaulted her.

However, before we blast MySpace, there are many evils in the world that will use well intentioned devises of communications to continue their depraved activities. This is no different. Although it is an awful thing to happen to a 14 yr old. You can not blame a website for its uses. Can you? It's like saying that you watched a movie that depicted a horrific murder. Thats the reason why you killed mom when you got home! It's just a flaky excuse, that proves your insanity at best.

A 20 year old friend of mine who lives in the states has a page but is afraid to post pictures of all his partying etc because he says that his uni goes through known myspace pages and reprimands the students if they are caught on film drinking alcohol (as it is illegal for all those minors under the age of 21 yrs in the US). Is it really fair to use a social networking site to catch people out!? And I'm assuming that the pictures were not taken live, but rather a few days or weeks prior and then posted. So can you really punish someone for something if they did it and already got away with it? In my view, not really fair.

Myspace is used by many conglomerates as a tool for spreading the word about their products etc more efficiently. Recently in the Fosters Cougar liqueur campaign, they established several myspace sites for its many character of their adverts, Barry Dawson and his karate buddies. According to Reuters, BBC is also planning on using sites such as Myspace.

The BBC plans to develop its online presence by providing social networking sites based on its most popular brands, such as Top Gear, a BBC representative said on Thursday.

The broadcaster is looking to tap into the popularity of such sites as MySpace, in which users contribute comments and video footage to share with other users.

To read more on this, click here.

So whilst I don't think sites like MySpace should be used by younger adolescents, simply because they can not be trusted to use the sites responsibily, I do think that having social networking sites like MySpace and Friendster are a good step in the evolution of all things communication. And this new set that MySpace have taken with opening a french site is a step in the right direction.

No money, no fun? Day One

2007-01-14T22:26:00.000+11:00

So, day one is now over and I have accomplished what I thought was not so easy. As I was a little uneasy just randomly walking up to people and asking them for money, I decided to ease into it by bringing a long a wingman - Karina Wright. Haha. So, I went for a walk to the opera house with a friend and then asked we managed to get a few dollars from some kindly tourists so we could bag ourselves some lunch. Then that evening I went to the Jazz In The Domain music festival and joined a group of people and was given dinner there... some yummy quiche and chicken and cheese on crackers and things. Anyway, so far, it's been reasonably successful. Tomorrow I shall continue my little quest. Also think I want to go and talk to a homeless person regarding some of their difficulties and lifestyle because I can't help but think it has been easier on me simply because of the way that we look and act etc. Anyways, will keep you guys out there in blog land posted!! :)

Above: My friend Karina outside the Opera House.

Above: Jazz In The Domain - so many people were there. Quite insane.

Good to be a girl...

2007-01-12T13:30:00.000+11:00

This morning I woke up feeling extremely rested (almost post-spa like). How my head feels right now:

"active, alert, blooming, bouncing, bright, bright eyed, bushy tailed, chipper*, clear, dewy, fair, florid, freshened, glowing, good, hardy, healthy, invigorated, keen, like new, lively, refreshed, rehabilitated, relaxed, relieved, rested, restored, revived, rosy, ruddy, sprightly, spry, stimulated, undimmed, unfaded, unused, unwearied, unwithered, verdant, vigorous, vital, wholesome, young"

Taken from Thesaurus.com

I'm just generally in an "super-dee-duper" mood. Haha. Someone shoot me. This is not me. I'm subdued and quiet. Ok so moving on, anyways.... I got up and had the most soothing cup of tea and some toast (WITH VEGEMITE - OF COURSE). Sat and watched the Roddick match for a while then got up to shower, change and head off to uni. Because I felt like I was in such a good mood, I decided to dress a little nicer today. Instead of turning up to uni looking like a bum, I wore a white satin blouse tucked into a chic black pencil skirt and Gucci sunglasses with black oriental style slip on shoes. So I turned up at uni and I got several comments from my fellow peers and my teacher. Which of course, made me feel just a little bit better about myself (always a nice feeling).

Then I had a chat with a friend of mine from the UK. A close friend, who I care about alot. We used to go to high school together and ended up dating after we graduated. But have remained good friends. Anyway, recently we had a falling out over several really stupid arguments and both of us are very stubborn people and refused to say sorry first despite the fact that we missed each other. Anyway, he called and we talked and we're better than ever now because of our little chat. So once again, another happy moment. :)

Then this weekend, tonight I'm going for dinner with my boyfriend and some of his oldest friends which I'm looking forward to. Then tomorrow we're either going to Hunter's for the day then definately the Jazz in the Domain music festival tomorrow night. So I'm pretty excited for this weekend.

Best part of the day was dressing up and being told I looked "fetching" and according to *Maggie* "very sexy". That definately put a bounce in my step. Kinda makes me think that I usually dress like a hobo for them to notice the significant change haha. But whatever, I'll take whatever compliments I can get. :)

So what indeed was the purpose of this blabbering?

Answer: No purpose - just felt like it because I'm in a nice mood and I feel like telling everyone.

Moral of the story?

It's good to be a girl

xx~*

iWorld - the takeover by Apple

2007-01-11T09:16:00.000+11:00

Above: The new and eagerly awaited, iPhone was announced in San Francisco on 10/01

So opening MX yesterday and reading the Sydney Morning Herald today, it seems that one can not turn around with out some one discussing Apples latest venture, iPhone. Following in the suit of all things Apple - the name of course includes the "i" making subtle reference to its sibling products and software, the iPod and iTunes.

Above: The iPod advertising posters that are known virtually everywhere

Speaking at the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco, Apple's chief executive, Steve Jobs announced,

"We are going to make history today... Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone... Isn't that cool?"

Quote taken from SMH, 11/01/07

Now I have to first establish that I am an Apple whore. I love everything Apple and worship my Apple 15" powerbook and iPod as my daily idols. Sad, yes... but hey I don't think I'm the only one, I just think no one else will openly admit to the disorder... haha, what should we name it? Appleitis? Actually at uni yesterday, a friend said something very true,

"Once you go Mac, you don't go back!"

She was of course making reference to recently purchasing an Apple iBook and already loves it. So of course, you understand when Jobs finally confirmed after months of speculation that Apple was indeed producing the iPhone, that I was a little excited.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald (11/01),

"A user can skim through contacts, emails or songs on the touch sensitive screen... when text input is required for SMS, a virtual keyboard pops up and the camera on the back takes two megapixel-sized photos. A web browser and Google's online maps are built in... the unit automatically synchronises with the iTunes software on a computer, backing up music, podcasts, movies, contacts, calendars, photos, noes, web bookmarks and email accounts."

With the phone launching in the US for a price tag of $US499 (according to Cantonrep.com, its no more expensive than any other 'smart phone' that one would purchase currently on the market.

However some critics aren't so sure.

"Still, Neff and others including Sanford Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi cautioned iPhone could face a hiccup or two from regulators and from an already crowded field of other "smartphones," most of which cost less than iPhone. Sacconaghi cited what he called the "spectacularly" high price of $499/$599 for a mobile device.

Even so, analysts noted similar objections to the iPod's original price when it was introduced in 2001: $399 for a five-gigabyte model and $499 for a 10-gigabyte model. Since then, the iPod has become the market-leading digital music player, and Jobs said on Tuesday that Apple would sell its 100 millionth iPod this year."

Quote taken from Yahoo! News.com

In terms of the stock market, Global investors reportedly dumped large numbers of stocks in several mobile phone developers including BlackBerry maker, Research In Motion LTD (RIM), following Jobs' announcement regarding iPhones yesterday. According to Yahoo! News and Infoworld,

"RIM shares dropped 7.7 percent on the Toronto Stock Exchange over fears the iPhone may cause users to turn off their BlackBerries and switch to the new Apple smartphone. Shares in Treo-maker Palm Inc. tumbled 5.7 percent on the Nasdaq."

However, Jack Gold of ComputerWorld Software isn't so keen on Apple's new charge on the telecommunications frontier.

"Frankly, and contrary to the reactions of Apple fans and the stock market, I am pretty skeptical. I don’t think this device will meet the fantastic predictions I have been reading. For starters, while Apple basically established the market for portable music players, the phone market is already established, with a number of major brands. Can Apple remake the phone market in its image? Success is far from guaranteed."

In the article, Gold highlights three main arguments to support his opinion that iPhones might not be successful and describes this in detail. His arguments include:

1. The majority of entertainment phones (combining music, video etc with a mobile phone) has often had several previous flop prototypes.

2. Price is too steep.

3. Who is the target market for this product with such an expensive price tag?

4. Will there be a problem with the iPhone running through the Mac OS system? What about PC's?

5. Will it be constrained to one network? (i.e.: like in the US, rumoured to be singled out with Cingular network)

Gold does raise a few good points, but as the phone has only just been confirmed, I do think its a little quick to jump the gun and insinuate that Apple has not already thought all of this through. I suppose only time will tell how great this new piece of technology really is. But at the moment that may be a while with the slated release for the phones outside of the US and Europe for 2008. Guess some of us might be waiting a little while longer.

FREEdom

2007-01-10T12:07:00.000+11:00

Last years Jazz In The Domain festival, Sydney

Nothing that much to report so I shall keep this one brief however, this weekend as part of a podcasting experiment I shall be attempting to enjoy the weekend with out spending any money... THATS RIGHT NOT A SINGLE CENT!! Some things to do on my list include going to the Jazz In the Domain festival, Open air cinema, walking by the Botanical gardens and Opera House, art galleries... As well as recording it, I'll try and document my travels for the weekend and post them up here!

Enjoy!

Thai New Year comes in with a "bang"

2007-01-05T14:39:00.000+11:00

Above: Sydney ushers in the New Year with a fantasmagorical display of fireworks.

Despite not being in Sydney on NYE, I just had to put up a picture because as much as I loved being in Thailand for NYE, I knew that I would be missing out on an awesome display to celebrate the coming of the new year. Since I've settled more in to city life with a comfortable home life, chilled out flat mates, crazy "monkey brain" best friend and lovable boyfriend, I've started to see Sydney as home now. Yet, I'll never forget my roots, where I've come from and yet it's nice that I finally feel comfortable in my skin, here in Sydney.

Yet whilst scores of my friends were partying it up back in Sydney, a quiet had fallen over my current location in Phuket, Thailand because at around 8 o'clock whilst I was eating dinner with my sister, Sydney, and her friends, we got a call warning us away from the disco-party area of Patong in Phuket due to bomb alerts. Upon further investigations via phone calls and sms's, we gained the picture that 6 small bombs went off in the countries capital. It was because of this that revelers were now unsure what their NYE plans would be because of fears of further bombings.

Now having grown up on this island, we're used to the constant bomb alerts especially around holiday times and due to the conflicts in the South of Thailand, so to an extent, we've come to take bomb alerts with a pinch of salt. As my mom says,

"When the Tuk-Tuk [taxi] drivers disappear, thats when you know you have a problem"

Yet, this time felt different and so when my mom then called and asked us to stay away from Patong, we were slightly distressed about missing the festivities and at the same time, concerned about ourselves and the large numbers of friends that we knew we wouldn't be able to stop from going to Patong that night.

Upon arriving home, we checked CNN and learned that the bombs had been detonated in downtown Bangkok away from where "ferang" (white people) would be, but rather the bombs were detonated in areas frequented by locals. If the bombs did have anything to do with the international terrorism that we are knowingly terrified of, these locations were strange places to hit. We came to the conclusion, and I'm still unsure as to whether its naive or stupid, that I didn't want to let whoever was setting off these bombs to win, I wasn't about to let them ruin my NYE with friends that I haven't seen for years. Which in retrospect is stupid, because if a bomb had exploded in Patong, then Me vs the Bomb = Bomb wins every time. But I digress, we ended up deciding to go to Patong after the countdown which we would watch from a local hotel near my house. We figured that if more bombs were to go off, they'd explode at midnight. So at around 1.30 am we headed into Patong, a little late, true, but we got to spend time with our friends, and remain a tiny bit safer.

The next day, we learn't that 2 more bombs had been detonated at midnight, one in Bangkok and one in Chang Mai. It just goes to show that despite most of the world celebrating the coming of a new year, with new hopes, dreams and aspirations, the world can still be a dangerous place. Luckily no one was hurt in the bombings, and I thank God for that. Thailand doesn't need any more bad publicity. The country is built around its tourism industry and it just seems horrible and often unavoidable things keep getting in its way.

Below: A picture of some of my friends in Patong on NYE 06 xx

Fears amid sheding tears

2006-12-30T20:08:00.001+11:00

So I'm back in Thailand for a while, as if you have read my previous post, then you'd have already cottoned on! :) However, all locals in the countries surrounding the Indian ocean almost dread the coming of December 26th. Of course, because it is a reminder of the fateful Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake that caused vast devastation in coastal communities in South and South East Asia.

Above: Beach Road, Patong Beach, Phuket, Thailand

My family lives in Thailand so I was there that day two years ago when the tsunami hit. Looking back at the pictures still sends shivers down my spine. Walking along the road today, you would have no idea that just two years ago, three deadly waves had ripped across these shores and taken the lives of so many. According to the National Geographic website,

The earthquake that generated the great Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 is estimated to have released the energy of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

When the tsunami hit, I volunteered, everyone did. It didn't matter who you were, or where you were from. It was one of those times where the human race just came together to help in any way they could. The tsunami had caught everyone off guard and it was a natural disaster that rocked the world. It wasn't man-made and the culprit couldn't be fought, it was just us uniting as one.

So then, a few days ago, when the 2 year anniversary came, mourners and those who just want to remember came to the island, as well as other previously devastated areas, to pay their respects. However, at the same time in Taiwan, an earthquake had just occurred disrupting telephone lines, internet and underwater cables over most of Asia. Once again, man kind was powerless to stop the spontaneous effects of the environment, however the worst part was how reminiscent it was of the two years prior. The helplessness, dread and fear that creeps in to your heart is almost too much to take. According to a Yahoo News site , the earthquake

"set off a tsunami alert on the second anniversary of the Dec. 26, 2004, waves and quake that killed 230,000 in nine countries from the Indonesian islands to east Africa."

Every person shuddered at the alert. The idea that at least this time we would have been warned did little to appease the scare. Because really there isn't a lot that can be done to protect your homes or livelihood. The world we live in can be a beautiful place and yet on the opposite parallel, it can be a dark, dangerous and uncertain. Amid the falling tears for all those lives that were lost, we were being reminded it could happen again.

A relationship that will last forever...

2006-12-29T21:31:00.000+11:00

According to Mersky Leder Sibling rivalry often remains past childhood and adolescence and into adulthood. She comments that

"While few adult siblings have severed their ties completely, approximately one-third of them describe their relationship as rivalrous or distant. They don't get along with their sibling or have little in common, spend limited time together, and use words like "competitive," "humiliating," and "hurtful" to depict their childhoods. The speed with which old conflicts reduce these adults to children again prevents them from seeing one another in a new or different light. They push each other's buttons without knowing why or how and recast themselves in childhood roles that never worked in the first place."

I was sitting at lunch today with my sister and my father and I commented that I didn't know what I was going to write for a blog and my sister immediately jumped in and said

"Me!! Write about me!"

Now of course, she meant it as a joke and began to laugh but it did get me thinking about the state of a relationship with your siblings. I am currently in Thailand visiting my family and I've got to say that when I was living here, I took it for granted. The beautiful beaches, friendly people, loving environment... it really is paradise. So now when I get the oppertunity to travel back to Thailand, I jump... HIGH! Since moving out and starting my independant life, I've noticed how I've become a lot closer to my family and specifically my sister. So when I read the article that the has been extracted above, it made me think.

Above: My sister, Sydney (Far Left), Myself and my best friend Karina on a night out in Patong, Thailand.

My sister is honestly my best friend in the whole world. I don't quite know what I do with out her around. We talk incessantly on the phone, usually about the most mundane and trivial matters and yet we can't stop. We'll talk about the people we know, or the the problems we're having and usually it helps and makes us feel better. It was Alfred Adlerwho once commented that he viewed siblings as

"striving for significance" within the family and felt that birth order was an important aspect of personality development.

But that isn't true of all cases, it certainly isn't in regards to my own relationship with my sister. When we were younger, sure, there was a certain tension that laid mostly dormant between us, a rivalry that we fought for the same treatment and love from our parents (even though we were already getting that). And yes, true, we'd fight and bicker, but then again who doesn't? But since we've both become more mature and honest with each other, there is a new bond between of us of trust and loyalty and when I talk with several of my other friends who have siblings with around the same age difference as we do (three years), they too, tend to say the same thing.

Returning home, if only for a short while, has once again opened my eyes to how lucky I am to have such a wonderful relationship with my sister and my parents. Granted it hasn't always been as easy as it is now but hey we got there right? I feel truly blessed that I've realised at a young age how important family is to an individual and I cherish each moment that I spend with any of them, especially my sister. There is no rivalry that lies between us. Only an unbreakable bond that will last always and forever.

(*Sappy I know!!;)

*~A Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Guys!!~*

Dr Phil says "Don't do anything rash..."

2006-12-01T14:32:00.000+11:00

When I was a kid, my mother always taught me not to do anything when you're mad. However, I can't help but think that writing a blog when you're mad is a good way of getting your frustration out in a calming method.

So today I got pretty pissed off... Now let's start off by saying that I don't mind constructive critisism (i'm an aspiring singer... lol its part of my daily life) yet today just made me feel like we were being picked on. You know in those old police interrogations where you see the criminal being held in the interrogation room and two cops are swinging a light above his head whilst bombarding questions at him?? Thats how I felt. lol.

Let's discuss why I was so mad, first of all, it was our FIRST attempt at a podcast. Secondly, to be told that it was a "failed experiment" in front of a whole class is extremely off putting and to a point... slightly humiliating. Yes it was an experiment, and yes i guess to an extent, it did fail. But shouldn't we get points for trying something original and new. Something that isn't like everyone else. In society today, everyone seems to follow the crowd... there is no unique qualities anymore. We just wanted to add something a little different.

I write my blog (although not religiously, more so than others have), I'll get up and give an impromptu presentation because no one else in the class wants to do it. I do the readings and any other homework that is asked of me. I turn up to classes unless I have a valid reason (i.e.: illness). I'm generally a good student. So today was not my happiest of moments. Now I'm not writing this to insult my teacher because I have a lot of respect for him. I think he is good at juggling all his students, engaging them in learning about relatively new technology and actually getting them to learn the practical elements that can often be ignored by other proffessionals. However, my blog is where I write about things that concern or affect me. I am a truly terrible person when it comes to voicing my opinions yet I am better at writing them. It stems from calming me down and allows me to think about whether I am being completely selfish etc or actually making sense.

N.B The above was written before talking to my teacher.

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However a note to anyone reading this, writing up commentary on an emotion by itself is good and old yet the best thing to do is talk to whoever has upset or you've upset. Sometimes you might not have even realised that you've angered them. So do be aware of other peoples feelings. Talk to them. I did and I now understand the critisism and my teacher understands me. :) Lol I totally feel like Dr Phil.

What are the purpose of political cartoons??

2006-11-29T10:56:00.001+11:00

Political cartoons are categorised as satirical and often ironic depictions of current events and people. These are usually in the form of either allusions [where an specific individual is mocked in their surroundings] or caricature [which is an embellished picture of a person]. The concept was first used in the Mediterranean around the 15th century and was designed to emphasise a specific aspect of a political situation such as a scandal. These designs often depicted the verbal opinions of the cartoonist.

Above: By Larry Wright, The Detroit News

Society understands that political cartoons are a devise to illustrate or emphasise a specific point. In the contemporary era, this medium is mainly newspapers and occasionally magazines. Examples of occurrences throughout history would include during the 15th century when Martin Luthor recognised that civilians who were illiterate would benefit from printed cartoons as opposed to text. Backer (n.d) states that as there was a high illiteracy rate, literature was futile as it was incomprehensible for the general public.

Above: Moir, The Sydney Morning Herald

Today the purpose remains the same. The cult television show, The Simpsons has often conveyed political ideas through the use of animated political cartoons. Goldberg (2000) argues that “The Simpsons… is never predictable; and its satire spares nothing and no one… this even-handedness is noteworthy.” Political cartoons are still used to illustrate complex points to the public in a simple format. Therefore, political cartoons can be defined universally by their purpose.

Marshall McLuhan stated that

“the world is a global village”

in terms of technology allowing people in all areas of the globe to interact. However are the meanings of political cartoons interpreted in the same way?

The meaning of caricatures of politicians can be interpreted in several ways – depending on political opinions (i.e.: Republican, conservative or democratic). Similarly for political cartoons seen globally, negative views can be made about other countries politicians and parties. This results in highlighting the problems of another nation whilst also disguising the problems of locals.

According to Tju (2001), in Singapore, the government feels that cartoons and the press must be “expected to play it is consensus-shaping role in the nation-building/national education process”. They do not attack their own politicians and reflect the ideas of the parliament in place. Whilst in western countries like USA, a political cartoon is less “censored” and is seen as a social commentary to current affairs.

The concept that depending on the country that you inhabit reflects on how political cartoons are controlled means that political cartoons cannot be defined universally.

End of lecture. Blah.

God... I mean Podfather Part 1,2 & 3

2006-11-28T08:32:00.000+11:00

Ricky Gervais has taken the world by storm. First with his egotistical, self-loving character of David Brent from The Office, which proved to the world first and foremost that the British really do have a funny bone.

Above: Gervais as "David Brent"

Then teaming up again with his comedy writing partner, Steven Merchant again (the worked on the Office together) came Gervais' next risk taker - the show, Extras. This was a comedy revolving around the extra actors that work on a show whilst highlighting some of the farcical elements of "hollywood" and of "celebrity". Some of the stars to appear in the show so far have included David Bowie, Ben Stiller, Orlando Bloom, Robert deNiro and Chris Martin... to name a few.

Above: Some of the stars from the first season of "Extras"

The man is so successful that he is the first guest star on "The Simpsons" to co-write an episode. But the latest venture that has seen Gervais take off into the stratosphere, has been his podcasts. Along with Steven Merchant as always, and their mate, Karl Pilkington, a former radio producer for british radio station XFM, the trio have set new Guiness world records for podcasting with a recorded 8 million downloads so far...

Now I say latest venture, but the trio are up to season three already where they discuss bascially what ever comes into their heads whilst recording. But as well as the usual seasons (the last two you've had to pay for), the gang have decided to pay back fans of the show with 3 free holiday related episodes, Halloween, Thanksgiving and to be released soon, Christmas. In these episodes they talk ghosts, philosophy and the idea of having a calendar free year. Possibly the most entertaining part of the show are the comments made my Karl Pilkington.

Above: Karl Pilkington

Karl's anecdotes about his family are often a source of much amusement to Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais. His father once crashed a train into Manchester Central Station, his mother shaved one of their cats after it kept being sick, and his brother was thrown out of the Army for driving to the shops in a tank to buy a packet of cigarettes.

Karl has a number of possible causes of his baldness. It may have been caused by the fact that he once worked a 24-hour-shift overseeing the production of audio cassettes, or perhaps due to the negligence of a Manchester barber who cut the young Pilkington's hair in a shack near the local train station. His lack of a fulsome barnet never really bothers him, except when he was on Jury Duty and felt some form of hairpiece might be in order to diguise him from any proximate ne'er-do-wells.

Taken from Wikipedia.org/karlpilkington

I've been listening now since the show first started in November last year and I've tried to get as many people as I can listening but in my opinion, its freaking helarious. The only problem is that because they're downloadable... you often find yourself laughing whilst listening to it walking down the street and you look absolutely mental.

If you want to download the podcasts and have a listen, click here.

The changing faces of James Bond...

2006-11-27T00:16:00.000+11:00

With the new Bond movie, Casino Royale, slated for release here in Australia next week, I thought I'd have a ramble about everyone's favourite spy, 007.

Above: The 007 Pistol logo

So what caused me to decide to dedicate a WHOLE post... lol... to the screen icon. Well I was sitting eating dinner earlier tonight with my roommates and the trailer for "Casino Royale" came on screen. Instantly all our eyes were drawn to the ad because it was the first time any of had really seen the new trailer, and for once weirdly, I'm actually excited about a new James Bond movie hitting my screen.

So it made me wonder why this was? In recent years, I've kind of shied away from watching the Bond series as they've seemed less than thrilling and highly predictable. It might just have been Pierce Brosnan or it something else entirely. But for whatever reason, I just wasn't enthralled with the films. In fact, I did everything in my power to avoid watching them.

Anyway, as soon as the trailer finished, one of my roommates shot up from the couch and made a comment about how bad the film was. Well my first reaction was

"Well you haven't even see it yet?!"

to which he immediately replied something along the lines of

well it doesn't matter, he doesn't look like a good James Bond, I mean LOOK AT HIM!!

Now we all know that everyone has their favourite James Bond's but to judge a film simply on the premise that they didn't like the new actor,Daniel Craig, seemed a little absurd and dare I say it, slightly immature. But to an extent I get what he means.

When you think of James Bond, you instantly are drawn to images of a gorgeous, sophisticated spy who is charming yet subtly dangerous. And well Daniel Craig doesn't instantly spring into mind when you think of those characteristics eh? Lets look at some of the other actors to don the James Bond mask...

Sean Connery

George Lazenby

Roger Moore

Timothy Dalton

Pierce Brosnan

Daniel Craig

Now that the evidence is present for reference, let us continue our discussion. Now personally if we're going to judge a James Bond movie simply on the aesthetics of each actor, I must say that Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby were not what I would have envisioned as James Bond material. They don't highlight all the characteristics that legitimize all that is Bond. And yet they were cast.

In comparison, my favourite James Bond has and always will be Sean Connery. LOVED HIM!! haha. Now that is a man that really made James Bond a screen legend! But now look at Daniel Craig's shot from Casino Royale. Personally, I notice the same cool, reserved look of danger and action as well as cool and seductive. Ok yeah not your typical Bond but hey maybe its just what the series needed to entice audience members who were previously sitting on the fence.

Ok thats my super shallow ramblings on the changing faces of Bond over. In reality, the reviews the movie has got so far in the countries where it has already been released seem to have silenced the ever gabby critics and those who (haha now some people are sad) threatened to boycott the movie due to the casting of our latest James Bond. Guess I shall have to wait one more to week to make a comment on the movie itself and I'm really looking forward to it! :)

For more on James Bond commentary, you should read this.

Oh and one thing that always makes me smile... when you here those immortal words that exemplify everything Bond,

"Martini, Shaken... Not Stirred"

Consider this. Ordering a martini that is shaken and not stirred is a pussy way of ordering a watered down martini. He's being a light weight drinker and being snooty about it. Haha.

(N.B - when I mentioned this during my dinner conversation, one of my roommates said

"Well he needs to be ready to fight after wards"

which to an extent is very true! Lol.

Is Fox News 'fair and balanced'?

2006-11-25T17:26:00.000+11:00

Since the television channels establishment back in 1996, The FNC -Fox News Channel has prided itself on the slogan that it is 'fair and balanced' and "We Report. You Decide." However, there are many critics who would disagree. Walter Cronkite (the former CBS Evening News Anchor) has described how the

“Fox network was intended to be a conservative organisation for the far right-wing”

(Taken from movie, Outfoxed)

Owned by American - Australian media tycoon Rupert Murdoch and his conglomerate, News Corporation. Broadcasting out of studios in New York City, the cable channel has an estimated total audience of 4.7 billion people. In the United States alone, it is available to 85 million households. Established in October 1996, President and Chairman of the FNC, Roger Ailes (former political aide to Presidents Reagan and George W. Bush) described the networks intentions as

“restoring objectivity where we find it lacking”

and to present viewers with

“fine, balanced journalism”

.

Yet before I highlight some of the techniques that make the FNC bias, look at the ownership of the company and we already see so political alligences and how they influence the media and news....

Above: Rupert Murdoch

The FNC is owned by media conglomerate, News Corporation and media mogul, Rupert Murdoch. Media is a powerful medium which reaches the vast majority of the world’s population and therefore the remaining estates of power (particularly the executive first estate) are to a degree fearful to be in opposition to the media. Murdoch himself is known for successfully creating political alliances so as to gain his own endgame. When Gough Whitlam was the Labor nominee for Australian Prime Minister, Murdoch and his newspapers in Australia supported the campaign. In 1974, Murdoch was quoted as saying,

“My Journalists were foot soldiers for Whitlam’s campaign”

. However, once Whitlam was in power, Murdoch decided that he no longer liked this alliance and turned against him. The following year in 1975, Whitlam was defeated in the PM elections by Malcolm Fraser. As compensation for Murdoch’s favourable media coverage, Fraser changed laws in Australia to suit Murdoch’s business plans. Murdoch wanted US citizenship so that he could begin his media empire in the United States. However, this caused problems for the ownership of the media that he had already ascertained in Australia. Conveniently, Fraser changed the existing media laws in Australia and Murdoch was permitted to continue owning and purchasing media outlets in the country. In 1992, tax concessions were given when News Corps established Fox Studios including low rental and payroll tax concessions. Murdoch also backed Paul Keating in the New Zealand elections. Once Keating became PM, he repaid Murdoch by keeping Air New Zealand out of the Australian domestic aviation market in 1994. Therefore, Murdoch became 50% owner of small airline, Ansett. Keating also refused to allow Optus to lay fibre optic cables in New Zealand which consequentially profited Telstra (which was partly owned by Murdoch at the time).

So what do we learn from this? Murdoch likes to align himself with powerful politicians in order to accomplish his business needs from the top. So the notion that he may also be using the FNC for the same purposes is not out of the question.

In the United States, Murdoch has aligned himself with the Republican party and current President George W. Bush and there are clear examples of how Fox News has been substantially more favourable to the conservative political party. It will be interesting to see what happens with the Bush administration ends, will he switch sides so as not to alienate his viewers or will he remain a republican supporter and suffer the consequences?

In a report by conducted by FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting), it was found that during the years 2000 through to 2004, the number of republicans tuning into Fox news when from 18% to 39%. This by itself is blatant evident that Fox News obviously is reporting the news with a right-wing perspective.

Probably the most notable technique which Fox News employs which shows their one sided nature is the simple premise of “cutting the person they are interviewing off”. On the FNC program, The O’Reilly Factor, host Bill O’Reilly has used this technique countless times. Whilst interviewing consultants and experts, if what they are saying does not represent conservative opinion, he beings to cut them off, has told several of his guests to “shut up” and in extreme cases, has been known to end interviews in abrupt and rude fashions. When asked at a press conference about telling his viewers to “shut up”, O’Reilly stated that “it happened once in six years”.

Above: Jeremy Glick on the O'Reilly Factor

However, Greenwald found footage of at least seven instances from O’ Reilly’s Talking Points commentary and various interviews where he told the person he was interviewing to “shut up”. Jeremy Glick was a teenager who lost his father in the Twin Towers in New York on September 11th. Bill O’Reilly found out that despite the loss of his father that day, Glick opposed sending troops to fight the war in Afghanistan and had even signed a petition stating his opinion. Glick was invited on to “The O’Reilly Factor” where O’Reilly shouted at him and threw a tirade of accusations at him and spun his words to create negative views after Glick refused to alter his opinion and was seen saying to O’Reilly, “You evoke sympathy with the 9/11 families to rationalise your narrow right-wing views!”. Below is a transcript excerpt from the interview with Glick and O'Reilly. For the full transcript and more on O'Reilly and Glick

O'REILLY: All right. You didn't support the action against Afghanistan to remove the Taliban. You were against it, OK.

GLICK: Why would I want to brutalize and further punish the people in Afghanistan...

O'REILLY: Who killed your father!

GLICK: The people in Afghanistan...

O'REILLY: Who killed your father.

GLICK: ... didn't kill my father.

O'REILLY: Sure they did. The al Qaeda people were trained there.

GLICK: The al Qaeda people? What about the Afghan people?

O'REILLY: See, I'm more angry about it than you are!

GLICK: So what about George Bush?

O'REILLY: What about George Bush? He had nothing to do with it.

GLICK: The director -- senior as director of the CIA.

O'REILLY: He had nothing to do with it.

GLICK: So the people that trained a hundred thousand Mujahadeen who were...

O'REILLY: Man, I hope your mom isn't watching this.

GLICK: Well, I hope she is.

O'REILLY: I hope your mother is not watching this because you -- that's it. I'm not going to say anymore.

GLICK: OK.

O'REILLY: In respect for your father...

GLICK: On September 14, do you want to know what I'm doing?

O'REILLY: Shut up. Shut up.

GLICK: Oh, please don't tell me to shut up.

O'REILLY: As respect -- as respect -- in respect for your father, who was a Port Authority worker, a fine American, who got killed unnecessarily by barbarians...

GLICK: By radical extremists who were trained by this government...

O'REILLY: Out of respect for him...

GLICK: ... not the people of America.

O'REILLY: ... I'm not going to...

GLICK: ... The people of the ruling class, the small minority.

O'REILLY: Cut his mic. I'm not going to dress you down anymore, out of respect for your father. We will be back in a moment with more of THE FACTOR.

Shortly after this, the Glick interview was abruptly ended by O’Reilly despite being live on air and Glick was asked to leave the studio immediately. The following day, O’Reilly accused Glick of “spewing hatred for country vile propaganda”. O’Reilly didn’t finish there though because 6 months on, he referenced Glick during one of his Talking Points segments accusing Glick of saying that the “Bushs were responsible for 9/11” and was referenced again 11 months later from the initial interview as well (Greenwald, 2004). This is a clear and blatant example of how Fox News is in reality not as “fair and balanced” as they would like to appear.

Another technique used by the FNC to manipulate the viewers political opinions is Fox News’ use of experts and consultants for their discussion programs. Fox News uses experts of high stature when representing republicans and their opinions. They ask well-known conservatives to come on air and discuss political topics in a supposedly bipartisan forum. However, Clara Frank who was a producer at Fox News and has a background in political journalism stated “There are all these prominent conservatives but when I looked at the liberal consultants, I couldn’t see a single name I knew,” (Greenwald, 2004). Alterman, 2003 argues that

“the conservative orientation of Fox is invaluable to the right, not merely because Fox offers the spin on reality conservatives prefer to have people see and hear, but also because it helps pull the rest of the not-terribly liberal media in its direction”

One consultant working for Fox News was Larry Johnson. In a television interview on Fox News, he was asked whether the US had the ability to fight two simultaneous wars. Johnson suggested that this was “not possible” and that the forces should “focus on Al Queda”. However, despite being under contract for another 8 weeks, Johnson was not used as a consultant on the network again (Greenwald, 2004).

The FNC is also seen to be bias in their news coverage with one former employee arguing that the network has “basic cultural underpinnings – race issues, aids and a hatred of the Kennedys”. A former employee, Frank O’Donnell highlights this by saying that he was once ordered to run a long un-cut piece from “A Current Affair” relating to Edward Moore “Ted” Kennedy and the Chapaquitic incident where whilst driving under the influence of alcohol, Kennedy was involved in a car accident and his young female passenger was killed, however, he only got a 2 month suspension. Bias news coverage is relayed to the specific stations on a daily basis and according to O’Donnell (a former Fox News Producer in Washington, D.C), he says

“it was made clear to us that our activities were being monitored”

. Fox News executives exercise some censorship control over their news coverage and often comes in the form of an internal memo sent by the FNC’s Vice President of News, John Moody.

“Let’s spend a good deal of time on the battle over judicial nominations, which the President will address this morning. Nominations who both sides admit are qualified are being held up because of their POSSIBLE not demonstrated, views on issue – abortion. This should be a trademark issue for FNC today and in days to come”

Leaked internal memos to the news producers at the FNC have also found Moody to comment on the 9/11 commissions,

“Do not turn this into Watergate”

For the full leaked memos, click here.

These memos (Greenwald, 2004; Media Matters, 2004) clearly illustrate how the coverage that we view on Fox News has already be censored or spun by executives. In another example of how the media is bias at Fox News in terms of coverage is that on the birthday or former President Ronald Reagan, then Fox News anchor, Jon du Pre was asked to cover the celebrations at the Reagan Library. However, once arriving there, du Pre found no festivities so he was ordered to find some and they filmed a short film clip of a school group singing “Happy Birthday” outside the library and that was then aired nationwide. Even the coverage of the Iraqi war has been deemed bias by critics. Footage was aired of everyday activities such as swimming and playing football after the take over of Iraq by American troopers. Banner lines with statements like “ Iraqis are better off than they were one year ago” filled the screens when viewers turned on Fox News. In 2003, reports conducted by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) found that there when asked if the US found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, 33% of Fox viewers said “yes” in comparison to the 11% of PBS (Public Broadcasting viewers). According to the Seattle Times (10.6.03), the “survey shows Fox led in misleading the public”.

The last example of extreme bias that I'll ramble about before I leave you with which contradicts the networks “Fair and Balanced” slogan is the blatant similarities that the news coverage has with the discussion topics that are voiced from the White House and the Bush administration. During the 2000 Presidential campaign for Bush’s election, one of the key political correspondents covering the election was Carl Cameron. Cameron is known to have favourable views of Bush and his wife was even campaigning for Bush at the time, yet he was still permitted to cover the election. In comparison, a producer at CNN who was widely known as a supporter of democratic nominee Al Gore was told by executives that he was not allowed to cover the presidential elections due to his possible conflict of interest or perception of interest (Anon, 2006; Greenwald, 2004)

In this post, I've looked at the various techniques that the Fox News Channel employs to manipulate their viewers and their bias coverage of the news. I have looked in detail at the internal memos, censored and focused coverage of news stories, similarities between the current Bush administration and what is being reported on the network and the ownership of the company to illustrate how the network is infact not “fair and balanced” like its company slogan but in fact right wing political and narrow minded in its representation of current affairs.

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References

Ackerman, S. 2001, “The Most Biased Name in News”, Extra, pp.1-13

Alger, D. 1998, Megamedia, Rowman and Littlefireld, England

Anon, 2004, “33 internal FOX editorial memos reviewed by MMFA reveal FOX News Channel's inner workings”, http://mediamatters.org/items/200407140002, date accessed 19.11.06

Anon, 2006, “Fox News Channel Controversies”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_News_Channel_controversies, date accessed 19.11.06

Anon, 2006, “Fox News Channel”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_News#Controversies_and_allegations_of_bias, date
accessed 19.11.06

Alterman, E. 2003, “What Liberal Media?”, Basic Books, United States

Barry, P. 2002, “Rich Kids”, pp.127-130, Bantam Books, Sydney,

Chenoweth, N. 2001, “Chapter Ten: The Poker Player”, Virtual Murdoch : reality wars on the information highway, Secker and Warburg, London

Greenwald, R. 2004, “Outfoxed” [videorecording] : Rupert Murdoch's war on journalism, Imprint, Disinformation Co., New York

PIPA, 2003, “Misconception, Media and the Iraq War”, Programs on international policy attitudes, http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/international_security_bt/102.php?nid=&id=&pnt=102&lb=brusc, date accessed 19.11.06

Minehan, M. 2006, “Rupert Murdoch” Presentation, Insearch, date accessed 19.11.06

Phillips, P. 2004, Censored 2005: The Top 25 Censored Stories, Seven Stories Press, London

Walker, A. 2002, “Rupert Murdoch: Bigger than Kane”, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2162658.stm, date accessed 19.11.06

What are you thankful for ?

2006-11-23T12:33:00.000+11:00

Sooo long time since i've written a post to i thought i'd just put up a few ramblings as per usual.... recently i moved into a new apartment right in the city and so its been a little hectic... moving from place to place you see?! But last night we had thanksgiving a day early to celebrate finally moving in as well as the holiday. Now of course australia doesn't do Thanksgiving but one of my room mates is from the States and when I was living in the US we celebrated with the rest of the country... so it was nice to kinda do it again... few things had to be subsituted as we couldn't spend all day in the kitchen as we had uni in the afternoon but we improved and got to a gigantic feast at around 8ish. In all traditions that would make feminists around the world freak... the women slaved in the kitchen whilst the men sat in front of the tv for several hours lol. But in all fairness they did clean up at the end of the meal... My dad asked me whether we said grace and gave thanks and I did!! lol. So my question is... this year... what are you thankful for? Take a minute... its wierd that it takes a while to decide what it is ur thankful for... :)

Comeback Queen too "exhausted" to perform with Bono

2006-11-16T12:04:00.000+11:00

Comeback Queen and Australian sweetheart, Kylie Minogue was too exhausted to perform with Bono and U2 on Monday night. Bono had joined the pop princess on stage for her return to Sydney the previous Friday night for her "Showgirls" tour. However, after performing the three nights at the weekend, she was forced to ring Bono and apologise for not being able to make it to his show on the Monday.
A source close to Minogue says,

"Kylie called Bono to explain that she had worn herself out. She is really feeling the physical effects of her return to the stage. He told her to spend Monday resting, get her energy levels fully restored and relax.

With a head dress that size on my head... I'd be exhausted too...

ARE YOU DATING A PSYCHO?!?!

2006-11-16T12:10:00.000+11:00

Whats the phrase?... something like never cross a woman scorned?! well in today's society that really isn't an understatment! With advanced technology like the Internet... capitalists have been keen to cut into the cake and take revenge to the next level.... ONLINE! There are numerous websites you can now log on to and leave a profile of an ex boyfriend that future prospective girlfriends are free to log on to and read.

On one level, it's a good concept... kind of like you can find out the hard details before you fall to deep. Yet at the same time what ever happened to that old saying

"Don't judge a book by its cover..."

In recent days, acclaimed author, Peter Carey has been subject to negative scathing remarks from his ex-wife on a dating arning website. See the profile Carey's ex-wife posted. Carey has been described as a psycho and his estranged wife has described at length how

"He planted stories that I was crazy, money hungry, ruthless and unfaithful...He planted stories that I was crazy, money hungry, ruthless and unfaithful

This story was recently covered on australian network television show, A Current Affair.

Above: Screenshot of dontdatehimgirl.com

Sites like Don't date him, Girl. com and Dating Psychos are becoming more and more common on the Internet. But what kind of affect does it have on the person you are posting on?!

Let us look at this objectively here people?! Ok numero uno...

At one point, you were in love or infatuated with the person that you are now insulting.

Secondly, they trusted you, with their inner most fears and habits... they allowed you into their world and believed in you. And then just because the relationship didn't work out, you added them on a insulting and disrespectful international forum?!

GET A FREAKING LIFE...

The question you should be asking yourselves is how do i get on with my life?! Not wallowing in self pity and heart break. Yeah.. it hurts but there's no use crying over spilt milk (damn, another saying... lol i need to stop). The trick is to get back out there and live life. That's just my two cents... :)

u2 live in Sydney - a political farce?

2006-11-13T15:47:00.000+11:00

Last Saturday, my friend and I went to Telstra stadium to see U2 live. And I have to say that the show itself was amazing. The stage looked amazing highlighting the typical red and black colouring that the band are known for.

The music was a mixed arrangement of their best tracks and included:

Main Set: City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, I Will Follow, New Year's Day, Beautiful Day, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Angel of Harlem, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet The Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where The Streets Have No Name, One

Encore(s): Until the End of the World, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, The Saints Are Coming, Party Girl, Kite

However, my only critisism of the show was the blatant political commentary that Bono was making throughout the entire gig. I don't mind that he uses his celebrity status to highlight global issues because personally, I think that is putting his fame to good use. However, I couldn't help but feel like he was exploiting his stature ever so slightly and almost trying to "brainwash" the crowd into his own beliefs. At one point during the transition between two songs, Bono called for the audience to take out their phones and hold them up. It actually was the most amazing site to see because as he described it, the stadium

"lit up like a Christmas tree"

. It was so beautiful and mesmerising and such a unique idea. Yet at the same time, he was saying calling on Australian citizens to stand up and voice their struggles saying,

"You can make the difference. Governments have to listen to the people"

. Later in the transition before the song, "One", he again called for the crowd to fight for their rights. It just seemed to me that he isn't using his music and band as a microphone for voicing his opinion but he's exploiting it a little.

Bono has also appeared at several other events in Sydney over the past few days including the premiere of Tim Robbin's new movie "Catch a Fire" and singing a duet at Kylie's show, which was also on at the Sydney Entertainment Centre last weekend.

Is he exploiting his image and status? On Network 10's late news with Sandra Sully the other night, Bono was dubbed a "gate crasher". What do you guys think?! Let me know...

Are women the dominant gender?!

2006-11-10T14:04:00.000+11:00

No No, its not going to be a whole blog on the fact that Britney Spears finally got some common sense and dumped her sleeze bag husband.... lol so please give me a chance to read on with my ramblings.... :)

Above: Reese Witherspoon and former husband, Ryan Philippe.

The conventional idea was that the man is the breadwinner. Man brings home the food and money and women are the family makers who stay home to look after the house, care for the children and prepare the dinner for when the man gets home. However, women haven't simply accepted this concept and in recent centuries have found to change this view. And for the most point have been successful. However, this has never really changed so much in Hollywood. Althought the biggest stars of the screen are of both sexes with icons including (from past and present) Audrey Hepburn, Clark Gable, Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts to name a few, the highest paid celbrities have always been men.

According to Oh no they didn't LIVE JOURNAL, the highest paid movie star is Mel Gibson with actors like Will Ferrell and Johnny Depp close behind. However, something to note is that the women are on their way up. Reese Witherspoon in now noted to be the highest paid actress and has the talent and ability to commendeer up to $30 million per movie (as she recieved for her film 'The Reckoning'). Previously, Julia Roberts was the highest paid female actress.

Women are doing better for themselves in Tinseltown not just in their business whether it be in movies, music or fashion. It seems that America is all about change right now, and I'm not just talking about the Dem's taking back the house! The women are taking back "the house" as it were and are dropping their good-for-nothing husbands like hot potatos. Prime examples include Reese and Ryan, Britney and "K-Fed", Whitney and Bobby and Hillary and Chad.

Above: Britney Spears announced this week her imminent divorce with partner of 2 years, Kevin Federline. They have 2 children together.

All i have to say is GOOD ON THEM... :)

To read more about this story:

Lady Stars leaving Lesser Husbands behind

Forbes Lists - who's powerful this year??!

Proof of stupidity in the world

2006-11-02T13:10:00.000+11:00

Picture of Bill Maher on Halloween

If ever proof was required to illustrate how stupid some people of the world can be and how completely inconsiderate to other peoples feelings, here it is...

Gay, Homosexuals, Fags... what the hell is wrong with them?

2006-11-01T23:30:00.000+11:00

1. Gay
2. Homosexual
3. Fag

Three words that mean the exact same thing and yet have completely separate and different connotations. To be Gay or Homosexual refers to your gender preferences yet to be called a "Fag" has negative connotations and refers to a sterotype that is not only outdated but completely inappropriate and inaccurate. Gay men are envisioned as flamboyant, colourful, addicted to broadway soundtracks and overtly sexual which is terribly wrong. These people who hold negative views of homosexuality seem to get their images of gay men from television show characters like Sean Hayes' "Jack McPharlen" from NBC's Will and Grace.

Living right in the city in Sydney, I tend to go out once a week or so and therefore I meet a few people, people from all over the country and all of the world. However, one thing that I've noticed about these out-of-towners is their blatant use of the notion that Sydney is the Gay capital of Australia. According to exploregayaustralia, Sydney is

Home of the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

held every year due to its sister partnership with San Francisco. Is that one event the reason for the stereotype on all sydneysiders?

Now I have absolutely no quarrel with a person who chooses to be straight, bi-sexual or gay however, of the people I've met, they seem to have very negative references to Gay people. What seems to be the problem with people who don't choose to like the "traditional" and the "correct" gender?!!? Shouldn't we be caring to all human beings? Regardless of ethnicity, gender or interests?

Taken from Christina Aguilera's music video for "Beautiful" which featured two men kissing

One of my best friends is gay. His name is Dom and he's been there for me through thick and thin. I met him back in high school and despite the fact that for 2 years we lived in countries on opposite sides of the world, he's never faultered to provide me with guidance, love and an ear to listen to all my rants. Never once has my being straight or his being gay ever caused an issue between us. It simply never has come up. Yet the issue of homosexuality comes up in papers everyday,in TV shows multiple times a week and in topics of conversation numerous minutes of the day.

This post was never designed to answer the question but rather start a debate... please if you are reading this and have a view point... share it with me and anyone else who takes the time to read it. It would be interesting to know what people think.

Some starting questions:

* Am I right that people seem to percieve Sydney as the gay capital of Australia?

* Should children be taught about homosexuality in schools?

* Scores of years ago, we were fighting for equal rights for women (i.e.:power to vote), equal rights for all ethnicities and race, shouldn't we have just started by fighting for equal rights for all?

Is it too soon to mock Steve Irwin's death? Hardly!

2006-10-29T13:17:00.000+11:00

Acclaimed animated American show, South Park, has come under fire for including the death of late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, in one of their recent shows.

The show was started in 1992, by two film media students - Trey Parker and Matt Stone and over the years it has been known to cause great controversy over its often shocking subject matter and lewd language used by the shows main animated characters, Kyle, Kenny, Cartman and Stan, all children.

Other controversial issues and vulgar antics that have cropped up in the show include satirical commentary on Homosexuality, Global Warming, Religion and Scientology

Above: Tom Cruise depicted in South Park following the increased publicity surrounding his religion, Scientology.

But is it fair to already be making light humour of the death of Steve Irwin,44, who was accidentally killed only two months ago when a sting ray's barb punctured his heart off the australian coast whilst filming one of his shows!?

Having viewed the 47 second clip of the show, it's actually not as bad as the creators of South Park could have made it. It doesn't insult or bad mouth the death of Irwin and infact the scene depicts Satan asking whether it is right to comment so early after the Crocodile Hunter's death. Now, I know that simply because I live in Australia, I should be outraged that a national hero is being depicted in South Park so early on after his passing, but IT'S REALLY NOT THAT BAD. They aren't mocking his death, they are just using their amendment of Free Speech to make a social comment on an issue that the whole world will take notice of. They did it so the viewer ratings would go up when the show was aired in the respective countries and they would recieve unprecidented publicity on the concept because its so "CONTROVERSIAL" and it worked!! Didn't it!? The Network 10 news bulletins made it seem much more controversial and unacceptable with their running dialogue (courtesy of the lovely Sandra Sully... ha) every hour which, in my opinion, basically brainwashed the country into believing that the show had done such an unspeakable thing. When after watching the clip, its really not as bad as it was made out to be. However...

...Wanna know what is sick regarding Steve Irwin's passing!? People are dressing up like him with sting ray barbs and all for Halloween?!! Yes people thats right... blood and a sting ray barb attached to Khaki's is the new "IT" costume for Halloween 2006... you heard it here first... don't be surprised if people come knocking on your door dressed like that this year?!!? Now that is sick and twisted and is the most disrespectful way to remember Irwin's legacy. Enough Said.

If you want to watch the "hideous" clip of South Park featuring Steve Irwin to understand all the drama, click on the link as for some bizarre reason, my blog isn't letting me embed videos.

Is Sydney Still "Down Under"?

2006-10-29T12:30:00.000+11:00

DEADLY DANGERS OF PARTY DRUGS SWEEP THROUGH AUSTRALIAN YOUTHS AND CLUB SCENE WHILST GOVERNMENT FAILS TO NOTICE...

Thomas*, 21, "pops" around seven pills every weekend, usually Ecstasy. His best friend died from an overdose last year at the age of 18, and yet he still continues with his possibly fatal recreational habits. And the most shocking turh is - he's not alone.

Above: A poster for the government program - "No more. It's the Law!"

In previous years, binge drinking was seen as the problem faced for the younger generations and so the government introducced their campaign - "No More, It's the Law!" where it is the responsibility of bars and clubs to stop serving alcohol to an intoxicated person. However now, it seems generation Y (those born in 1976 - 91) has found a new way to "take the edge off the week" - "party drugs".

Above: Numbers of use of stimulant drugs such as Ecatasy are increasing dramatically

Recreational drugs such as Ecstasy, Crystal Meth (also known as Ice) and Speed are amongst some of the drugs being taken as stimulants at the weekend, often associated with trance and rock music, and those numbers are continuing to rise. The National Drug & Alcohol Research centre recently revealed a 58% increase in hospital admissions for stimulant drug-related psychosis and St Vincent's Hospital has had to install two padded rooms to house psychotic methamphetamine users admitted to the hospital.

A recent survey taken at a university housing area showed taht of 20 students questioned 16 of them had "dabbled" before and 14 of these people regularly "dropped" several pills and went to the city's clubs.

I probably started in grade 6... it was all about experimenting for me... I was unhappy at home and wanted to be rebellious but now its about experiencing everything life offers to you

, says Jade*, 17.

However, ecstasy, which seems to be the favourite amonst these teenagers, does have negative aspects which they simply seem to ignore.

Bruce*, 19, reflects, "It makes me feel amazing while I'm high, I'm not gonna deny that.. but it has caused a lot of problems when it starts to affect my routine... my family and of course myself.... but it takes a while to notice."

This is something which is fairly common describes Jeanette, a Ddrugs and Alcohol councillor at St Vincent's Hospital. She has been working there for three years and over the course of that period has aided addicts as well as their concerned friends and families in the Drugs Rehabilitation Centre.

"To say that Sydney youth has a drugs problem is a loaded question... Drugs can be a problem in the city... there is definately a concern..."

The problem is getting youth generations to listen to some of the important facts. Jeanette describes how the drugs being taken are stimulants so they are the drugs that would cause wild hallucinations and the feeling of being "uplifted".

The lines between clubs and drugs are being blurred even more

However, there are the negative aspects to consider such as blood pressure increases and heart rate rising. Users often find that they become dehydrated rapidly especially when they are in a club atmosphere and are dancing constantly. Also she describes how brain activity is affected as well.

With long term consequences being depression, anxiety and mental health, Jeanette worries that young people won't see the warning signs and urges anyone that thinks they or a friend might have a problem to go to the clinic. She adds, "Sydney's hospitals aim to minimise harm to society and the specific individual. We focus on harm intnervention... we know drugs exist and so we aim to help put things in place to create a safer environment for the public as a while with clinics like our Rehabilitation centre."

This is not the first time the government have aided supervising hard druge use, however no solutions have yet been established for party drugs.

Five years ago, there was great controversy when the Sydney Medically Supervised Inject Centre (MSIC) was established in Kings Cross. A centre designed for people to come and inject themselves recieving supervised aid was seen by some as a solution to the growing drugs problem.

Tracey Brown, who is the press spokesperson for the MSIC says, "We don't ask for any formal identification... as long as you are over 18 and have used drugs before... must talk to a councillor prior to supervision..." However, her tone conveys the idea that this is the company line thrown to anyone who asks for information on the centre. And wen pressed for more information, she becomes busy at a remarkable pace.

One man that is combating the war on stimulant drug abuse is Tony Trimingham. Following the death of his son to an overdose in 1997, he formed a group called Family Drug Support. The organisation has helped thousands of uses' families who are affected by a loved one's drug addiction. However at the moment, no solution has been found for decreasing the numbers of party drug users.

"I'll stop in the future but for now its what keeps me happy and feeling energised and I'm gonna keep that around for a while," concludes Thomas.

With young adults like Thomas regularly taking a sufficient amount of drugs that it could be fatal, there seems to be nothing we can do but sit back and watch their demise. Unwilling to help themselves and with the government not acknowledgeing that there is a problem with stimulant drugs, the future seems bleak for the youth generation of Sydney.

(For Further information contact Family Drug Support on 1300 368 186 or you can visit their website at www.fds.org.au)

*I wrote this article several months ago and names have been changed to protect the participants anonomously.

Flashbacks of an almost fateful night...

2006-10-27T02:12:00.000+10:00

G's car at the police station after the accident

Last sunday, a fatal car accident en route to Goonellabah, on the Far North Coast, killed four teenage boys dead with only the driver surviving. Reading about this story and watching it on the news really tugged at my heart because two years ago, it almost happened to me.

I remember it as if it were yesterday, the details stay with you forever, they are that vivid. At the time, I was living and studying in Thailand and there was a group of about seven of us that would hang out together, 5 guys (Will, G, Bryce, James, Charlie) and two girls (Tj and I). One friday night there was a big party at a German friends house, H. H usually held weekend gatherings as he lived in a villa with his sister whilst the rest of his family were back in Germany.

Anyway, this particular night was a big bash as we'd just got back to school after a holiday so it was the first time we'd all properly hang out with the rest of our year. The party started early around 7ish as people went straight from the college to the location but my group didn't as we decided to go out for dinner and chill out at home first. We decided that my friend G would be the designated driver for the evening. All of us were either 17 or 18. The plan was that we'd gather at our friend's, Will and Bryce's house and then go drop G's dad at the airport and from there go to the party. However, on the night, my parents decided that they wanted to have dinner with me so i ended up being an hour late. Because I had called and said I didn't know how late I'd be, the gang decided to wait at the house and let G go take his dad first and then pick us up on the way back. However, it turned out that i arrived only 5 minutes after he'd left so we took motorbikes and went to the party instead telling G we'd meet him there. **I should probably point out at this part of the story that i was dating Will at the time and we'd had an argument before leaving and he'd decided not to go but instead wait for G first**

Moving on, we got to the party and had been there an hour when Tj and I noticed that G still hadn't arrived. By now it was getting quite late and we thought it was rather strange. Then randomly, the remaining 4 guys in our group said they needed to check something and left. Stunned and confused Tj and I sat on the porch trying to call Will to see what the problem was. At first he wouldn't pick up his phone. Finally we got through and asked him if he'd seen G as G's gf was looking for him... he said no. He lied. (He later told us that when we called, he was standing right in front of the G's pick up)

After another 1/2 hour, we called back now worried and Will told us that he'd walked to the shops to buy some snacks and on the way back had seen an accident with a pick up truck that looked identical to the one G was driving that night. It had been wrapped around a telephone pole. He informed us that the guys had left to help him find out and that he didn't have any news yet. We were told not to alert the party goers as it would only cause panic. Ten minutes later we got the news, it was G's car and there was blood everywhere. The engine was still hot and his bag was in the back.

Now remember that I was living on a small island in Thailand, and at the time hospital and medicare wasn't that fantastic. There are three hospitals on the island and the one that G had been taken to was known to be the worst and smallest. We ran into the emergency entrance to hear the screams of our friend as he was being superficially treated and were immediately pulled back out and into the arms of our friends. There are absolutely now words to describe the fear and torment that goes on inside a person when something like this happens. The echos of his screams of pure fear and pain still haunt each of us and for weeks afterwards, none of us could sleep or relax from the trauma and anguish we felt during those moments. The worst feeling was the simultaneous guilt that we all shared and was conveyed by the looks on our faces of knowing that all 7 of us should have been in that car with him. He shouldn't have been suffering this alone. We did everything together. We'd do anything for each other. But this time, there was nothing that could be done.

Later that night, when he was in a stable condition to move him, G was transferred to the best hospital on the island and put straight into the operating room where immediately, he underwent several operations to various parts of his body before being moved into the ICU that same morning at around 5 am. By then, we weren't the only ones waiting for news in the hospital, about 20 others and G's family had joined us and were standing in silence outside, staring at the blank yellowed walls waiting to hear any news. Hours later, we learned that he'd fractured his pelvis, punctured a lung and kidney, broken his jaw and was bleeding internally. But he was alive.

The driver's seat. It is a miracle that G is still alive.

There is no way on earth that I could begin to understand the torment and guilt that the survivor of the accident last Sunday must be feeling. But it isn't his fault. He didn't do anything wrong and even family members of the boys who were not as fortunate as him have said that it is not his fault that they are no longer alive. But I do have some miniscule notion of what he is feeling because 2 years ago, each of us felt it too. Guilt that we could have stopped it, or been there to prevent it or done something... anything. It wasn't G's fault that he crashed, it turned out that a driver had pulled out of a residential area on to a main road at high speeds without looking and nicked the back of his pick up truck causing him to spin into a cement telephone pole. The driver of that car had sped off and left G to die.

But that doesn't stop the guilt from seeping into you and taking hold. If we didn't feel guilt or remorse or pain then we wouldn't be human but it is the way that we deal with it that we learn to move on and learn from what happened. Now the police and parents involved are asking the Government to look at the laws here in Australia and help to prevent further lives from being lost. To explore better options for p-plate drivers in hopes that they will stop future deaths of the next generation. Tyler Green was not at fault, it is not his fault for what happened. G was not at fault, it is not his fault for what happened. But they are alive. It is how they continue to live their lives, what decisions they make that ensure that the lives that were lost were not lost in vain and that the lives that were spared were spared for a reason. Carpe Diem.

To conclude this blog post, the tribute song that was written for the lives lost last sunday night. The streets of heaven are lined with too many angels. May they Rest In Peace.

"The Lad's Song -
This song's for everyone/This song's for those special ones/Who passed on that awful night/Whose life flashed before their eyes/They were Corey. And Paul. Mitchell too/ And Bryce, that's all/ Remember they touched us all/ They are gone and we can't change that/ I know it's hard but it is a fact/ There is something we can all do/ Remember them, tell their stories too/ Now take a breath and breathe carefully/ Say a prayer for their families/ We can't imagine what they're going through/ All we can say is we're here for you/ There were Corey. And Paul. Mitchell too/ And Bryce, that's all/ Remember we loved them all."