Worst ever.Not even Daria could to provide a quote to shed humour on this monumental embarrassment of my Photoshop attempt.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Photoshop meets Mediocre
Worst ever.Not even Daria could to provide a quote to shed humour on this monumental embarrassment of my Photoshop attempt.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Oh JOY a Scavenger Hunt
Daria: I can’t believe we’re doing this. And aren’t teacher’s addresses confidential?
Jane: Not when you’ve got the web. Actually I just looked it up in the phone book, but ‘the web’ sounds so cool.
STEP ONE: "Scavenger Hunt: Answer these questions without using Google, and then write your answers in an entry in your blog. Make sure to reference the source where you found your answer." So that is exactly what I have done...
1. What is the weight of the world's biggest pumpkin?
"OCTOBER 2001: Leetonia pumpkin grower became the first man ever to win back-to-back world championship giant pumpkin growing first place awards and beating his old record. Dave Stelts of Leetonia named his great pumpkin "Fred" and took top honors at the championship giant pumpkin weight off at Parks Garden Center near Canfield. "Fred" weighed-in at 1,140 pounds and beat the old record by 87 pounds. The record weight was set last year and held by Stelts." - http://www.steeleoriginals.com/ls/lee/pumpkin.htm
2. What is the best way (quickest, most reliable) to contact Grant Hackett?
These are the people who manage Grant Hackett
"BRISBANE OFFICE Suite 24 Newstead Commercial Village 76 Doggett StreetNewstead Queensland 4006 Telephone: 07 3252 2311Facsimile: 07 3252 3411SYDNEY OFFICELevel 27, Tower 2201 Sussex StreetSydneyNSW 2000Telephone: 02 9268 1657Facsimile: 02 9268 1563Email: info@iqsport.com.au" - http://www.iqsport.com.au/default.aspx?s=contactus
3. What is the length of a giraffe's tongue?
"An adult giraffe's tongue is 27" long" -http://www.qeok.com/other/2843-qeok.html
4. How would you define the word 'ontology'? In your own words, what does it really mean ?
5. What was David Cronenberg's first feature film?
"Cronenberg's first effort was a 1966 short film called "Transfer," about a psychiatrist being stalked by a patient." - http://www.salon.com/people/bc/1999/11/30/cronenberg/
6. When was the original 'Hacker's Manifesto' written?
"The Conscience of a Hacker (also known as The Hacker Manifesto) is a small essay written January 8, 1986 by a hacker who went by the handle (or pseudonym) of The Mentor (born Loyd Blankenship)." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_Manifesto
7. Why do all phone numbers in Hollywood films start with '555'?
"Telephone numbers are another possible issue. If one of your characters tells his phone number to another character or writes it out in a visible way AND that is the phone number of some actual human being it is considered invasion of privacy. S/he might sue so you will never get E & O insurance.
Either don't have your characters speak or write the entire number in a way that is not decypherable, or use 555 as the beginning of the number. There are no seven digit phone numbers that start with 555 so you can use a number like 555-9283 and be safe."
- http://www.freefilmschool.org/ffs/06more/6-2-100.shtml
8. What is the cheapest form of travel from Crete to Rhodes?
I couldn't find an answer so ...I'll steal Johns: WALKING! - http://deltoidbros.blogspot.com/
9. What song was top of the Australian Pop Charts this week in 1965?
"1965: Back In My Arms Again by THE SUPREMES" - http://quickstopentertainment.com/popchart/97.html
10. Which Brisbane band includes Stephen Stockwell on keyboards and vocals?
"In the creative sphere, Stephen played keyboard for Brisbane punk band, the Black Assassins" -http://www.griffith.edu.au/school/art/staff/stockwell.htm
<-- ^_^
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STEP TWO: "Answer the questions about search engines..."
A. What is a search engine?
"A search engine is an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system, such as on the World Wide Web" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engines
It allows people to search different words or phrases and retrieves a list of items (usually web pages) that match these words and help the person find what they are looking for.
B. How do search engines rank the stuff they find on the internet?
The list that appears after the search has been made is usually ranked in respect to 'relevance of results'. The more relevance a certain web page has to the particular word or phrase being searched, the higher it will appear on the list.
C. Who, or what, makes one page (that you might get in your search results) more useful than another one, so that it is put at the top of your search results?
I have no idea, but in my eyes there are two possible answers to this question:
1. the person making the search, by the types of words they choose to search a particular topic by.
2. the person who creates the website, by perhaps listing somewhere on their site a selection of different words that could be associated with the site.
D. What are some of your favourite search engines? Why do you like one more than others?
Google is my favourite search engine. I like it more than "Yahoo" and "Ask Jeeves" (both serach engines i have tried in the past) because of its simple presentation. Yahoo home page is filled with far too many distractions, where-as Google is just the search engine bar. It also lists it's results in a way that is easier to read (or perhaps its just because I have used it as my search engine for so long). I don't use any other search engines unless required to by perhaps a New Communication Technology assignment...
E. Can you find some current news stories about search engines? (for example, Google has been in the technology news a bit lately).
"Google Goes Shopping for YouTube" - http://www.abc.net.au/dig/stories/s1758414.htm
"China Vows to Target Blogs, Search Engines" - http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2006/1630857.htm
"Web Man strikes again - Arthur Hissey explains the new podcast search engine" - http://www.abc.net.au/centralwest/stories/s1569545.htm
Jane: Not when you’ve got the web. Actually I just looked it up in the phone book, but ‘the web’ sounds so cool.
STEP ONE: "Scavenger Hunt: Answer these questions without using Google, and then write your answers in an entry in your blog. Make sure to reference the source where you found your answer." So that is exactly what I have done...
1. What is the weight of the world's biggest pumpkin?
"OCTOBER 2001: Leetonia pumpkin grower became the first man ever to win back-to-back world championship giant pumpkin growing first place awards and beating his old record. Dave Stelts of Leetonia named his great pumpkin "Fred" and took top honors at the championship giant pumpkin weight off at Parks Garden Center near Canfield. "Fred" weighed-in at 1,140 pounds and beat the old record by 87 pounds. The record weight was set last year and held by Stelts." - http://www.steeleoriginals.com/ls/lee/pumpkin.htm
2. What is the best way (quickest, most reliable) to contact Grant Hackett?
These are the people who manage Grant Hackett
"BRISBANE OFFICE Suite 24 Newstead Commercial Village 76 Doggett StreetNewstead Queensland 4006 Telephone: 07 3252 2311Facsimile: 07 3252 3411SYDNEY OFFICELevel 27, Tower 2201 Sussex StreetSydneyNSW 2000Telephone: 02 9268 1657Facsimile: 02 9268 1563Email: info@iqsport.com.au" - http://www.iqsport.com.au/default.aspx?s=contactus
3. What is the length of a giraffe's tongue?
"An adult giraffe's tongue is 27" long" -http://www.qeok.com/other/2843-qeok.html
4. How would you define the word 'ontology'? In your own words, what does it really mean ?
Wikipedia tells me it is basically the study of REALITY. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology
5. What was David Cronenberg's first feature film?
"Cronenberg's first effort was a 1966 short film called "Transfer," about a psychiatrist being stalked by a patient." - http://www.salon.com/people/bc/1999/11/30/cronenberg/
6. When was the original 'Hacker's Manifesto' written?
"The Conscience of a Hacker (also known as The Hacker Manifesto) is a small essay written January 8, 1986 by a hacker who went by the handle (or pseudonym) of The Mentor (born Loyd Blankenship)." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_Manifesto
7. Why do all phone numbers in Hollywood films start with '555'?
"Telephone numbers are another possible issue. If one of your characters tells his phone number to another character or writes it out in a visible way AND that is the phone number of some actual human being it is considered invasion of privacy. S/he might sue so you will never get E & O insurance.
Either don't have your characters speak or write the entire number in a way that is not decypherable, or use 555 as the beginning of the number. There are no seven digit phone numbers that start with 555 so you can use a number like 555-9283 and be safe."
- http://www.freefilmschool.org/ffs/06more/6-2-100.shtml
8. What is the cheapest form of travel from Crete to Rhodes?
I couldn't find an answer so ...I'll steal Johns: WALKING! - http://deltoidbros.blogspot.com/
9. What song was top of the Australian Pop Charts this week in 1965?
"1965: Back In My Arms Again by THE SUPREMES" - http://quickstopentertainment.com/popchart/97.html
10. Which Brisbane band includes Stephen Stockwell on keyboards and vocals?
"In the creative sphere, Stephen played keyboard for Brisbane punk band, the Black Assassins" -http://www.griffith.edu.au/school/art/staff/stockwell.htm
<-- ^_^-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STEP TWO: "Answer the questions about search engines..."
A. What is a search engine?
"A search engine is an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system, such as on the World Wide Web" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engines
It allows people to search different words or phrases and retrieves a list of items (usually web pages) that match these words and help the person find what they are looking for.
B. How do search engines rank the stuff they find on the internet?
The list that appears after the search has been made is usually ranked in respect to 'relevance of results'. The more relevance a certain web page has to the particular word or phrase being searched, the higher it will appear on the list.
C. Who, or what, makes one page (that you might get in your search results) more useful than another one, so that it is put at the top of your search results?
I have no idea, but in my eyes there are two possible answers to this question:
1. the person making the search, by the types of words they choose to search a particular topic by.
2. the person who creates the website, by perhaps listing somewhere on their site a selection of different words that could be associated with the site.
D. What are some of your favourite search engines? Why do you like one more than others?
Google is my favourite search engine. I like it more than "Yahoo" and "Ask Jeeves" (both serach engines i have tried in the past) because of its simple presentation. Yahoo home page is filled with far too many distractions, where-as Google is just the search engine bar. It also lists it's results in a way that is easier to read (or perhaps its just because I have used it as my search engine for so long). I don't use any other search engines unless required to by perhaps a New Communication Technology assignment...
E. Can you find some current news stories about search engines? (for example, Google has been in the technology news a bit lately).
"Google Goes Shopping for YouTube" - http://www.abc.net.au/dig/stories/s1758414.htm
"China Vows to Target Blogs, Search Engines" - http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2006/1630857.htm
"Web Man strikes again - Arthur Hissey explains the new podcast search engine" - http://www.abc.net.au/centralwest/stories/s1569545.htm
Neat-o gang!
Trent: Do you ever feel like you’re wasting your life, Daria?
Daria: Only when I’m not sleeping.
Sleep is essential to everybody. Some people need less than others. It turns out I'm one of the people who need more. More, more, more! I sleep through movies, I sleep during lectures, I sleep in the car (not when i am driving of course..), I sleep on the bus, and sometimes, at work, I wonder if I could make a comfy cardboard-box bed on top of the refrigerator.
I think my body is trying to tell me something.
When I'm not sleeping I like to rush to Griffith Library, grab my Oxford dictionary (found at PE 1625), quickly find a study desk and joyfully begin deciphering the COMMUNICATION AND NEW MEDIA text book by Martin Hirst and John Harrison (bless them) so that I can come back to my computer and post my notes for all to share...
Not!
My previous posts have attempted to address the tutorial guidelines in my own sort-of way (trying to be interesting, that is) but I have come to the conclusion that I am doing it wrong, as most of the other blogs I have read are utterly boring. So, seeing as I would love to get all my 30 points for this particular assignment, I am going to try my best to talk about the lectures and follow the tutorial tasks as closely as possible. But I won’t, repeat: will not, post my text book notes for other people to copy and paste!!! (Haha, have you ever watched that Seinfeld episode where Elaine puts all the exclamation marks on her story.....no? Well it's hilarious...)
Not trying to be a party-pooper or anything, it’s just that, like I explained, it takes me a LONG time to take and understand those notes. So I hope it's okay if i just choose certain things that interest me and discuss them. Well, NEAT-O gang!
NewCom&Tech is such a bombardment of information that it is hard to remember everything that goes on and everything we need to know. The one thing I was instantly intrigued by was the title "Digital Future: How the mobile phone has replaced the television" in the text book on page 4 (and I'm not that slow of a reader - I'm actually up to page 7). Could someone please explain to me HOW exactly the mobile phone has replaced the Television? Seems like a very sweeping statement to me. Correct me if I'm wrong but it is my understanding that if the television had been replaced, then no one would own them anymore and we would all be watching our favourite Kath and Kim episodes on our mobiles. This is clearly not the case. But like I said, correct me if I'm wrong.
Now I really have gabbed on, and I'm afraid I have more gabbing... but to spice it up a little I will create a new post. Then there will be two posts, and bringing yourself to read it will hopefully be far easier than if it were one giant post.
Daria: Only when I’m not sleeping.
Sleep is essential to everybody. Some people need less than others. It turns out I'm one of the people who need more. More, more, more! I sleep through movies, I sleep during lectures, I sleep in the car (not when i am driving of course..), I sleep on the bus, and sometimes, at work, I wonder if I could make a comfy cardboard-box bed on top of the refrigerator.
I think my body is trying to tell me something.
When I'm not sleeping I like to rush to Griffith Library, grab my Oxford dictionary (found at PE 1625), quickly find a study desk and joyfully begin deciphering the COMMUNICATION AND NEW MEDIA text book by Martin Hirst and John Harrison (bless them) so that I can come back to my computer and post my notes for all to share...
Not!
My previous posts have attempted to address the tutorial guidelines in my own sort-of way (trying to be interesting, that is) but I have come to the conclusion that I am doing it wrong, as most of the other blogs I have read are utterly boring. So, seeing as I would love to get all my 30 points for this particular assignment, I am going to try my best to talk about the lectures and follow the tutorial tasks as closely as possible. But I won’t, repeat: will not, post my text book notes for other people to copy and paste!!! (Haha, have you ever watched that Seinfeld episode where Elaine puts all the exclamation marks on her story.....no? Well it's hilarious...)
Not trying to be a party-pooper or anything, it’s just that, like I explained, it takes me a LONG time to take and understand those notes. So I hope it's okay if i just choose certain things that interest me and discuss them. Well, NEAT-O gang!
NewCom&Tech is such a bombardment of information that it is hard to remember everything that goes on and everything we need to know. The one thing I was instantly intrigued by was the title "Digital Future: How the mobile phone has replaced the television" in the text book on page 4 (and I'm not that slow of a reader - I'm actually up to page 7). Could someone please explain to me HOW exactly the mobile phone has replaced the Television? Seems like a very sweeping statement to me. Correct me if I'm wrong but it is my understanding that if the television had been replaced, then no one would own them anymore and we would all be watching our favourite Kath and Kim episodes on our mobiles. This is clearly not the case. But like I said, correct me if I'm wrong.
Now I really have gabbed on, and I'm afraid I have more gabbing... but to spice it up a little I will create a new post. Then there will be two posts, and bringing yourself to read it will hopefully be far easier than if it were one giant post.
Monday, March 12, 2007
The Bus Trip
It takes a lot of effort to stay sane in this world we live in.
Mr. O'Neil - "let's pledge to make Daria's dream a reality."
Daria - "You mean the one where people walking down the street burst into flames?"
Especially when surrounded by half-wits who don't understand the concept of "manners" or "socially acceptable behaviour". You would sound cranky too if you spent a good half an hour of your life listening to two adolescent girls scream/giggle/sing at the top if their voices behind you on the agonising bus trip home. Their fascination with being able to say "chicken shit" in sign language was excruciating. I believe everyone on that same Tweed Heads bound bus felt the need to wrap these girls' ipod cord around their necks. Which brings me to ipods and back to socially acceptable behaviour.
I personally, don't feel the need to have pop-music blasted into my ears 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But obviously, this personal view of mine is shared by so little of my surrounding community. Everyone and anyone has an ipod. Is this so they don't have to think? Or talk to people? Technology such as myspace, utube, blogger and instant messenger all aim to keep people in contact; ipods simply isolate you from the rest of the world (which is fine if that’s what you wish to achieve). Just excuse me if i don't wish to be deaf and brain dead at the age of 34.
Mr. O'Neil - "let's pledge to make Daria's dream a reality."
Daria - "You mean the one where people walking down the street burst into flames?"
Especially when surrounded by half-wits who don't understand the concept of "manners" or "socially acceptable behaviour". You would sound cranky too if you spent a good half an hour of your life listening to two adolescent girls scream/giggle/sing at the top if their voices behind you on the agonising bus trip home. Their fascination with being able to say "chicken shit" in sign language was excruciating. I believe everyone on that same Tweed Heads bound bus felt the need to wrap these girls' ipod cord around their necks. Which brings me to ipods and back to socially acceptable behaviour.
I personally, don't feel the need to have pop-music blasted into my ears 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But obviously, this personal view of mine is shared by so little of my surrounding community. Everyone and anyone has an ipod. Is this so they don't have to think? Or talk to people? Technology such as myspace, utube, blogger and instant messenger all aim to keep people in contact; ipods simply isolate you from the rest of the world (which is fine if that’s what you wish to achieve). Just excuse me if i don't wish to be deaf and brain dead at the age of 34.
This blog is actually supposed to be addressing the following questions (which I’m sorry, but defeats the purpose of a "personal" and original blog if we are all asked to talk about the same thing):
- Do you have friends whom you only know from the internet and have never met in person?
- Is this different to people that you know in person? Describe the difference.
- How long have you been using these communication technologies?
- What influenced you to start using these technologies?
So let me answer. No, must be, 2-3 years and society.
Excellent.
I really do think the net is great. Being able to communicate with people and keep in touch with others half way around the world (instantly) is something I’m very glad to have access too. For example, my year 10 and 11 music teacher, not to mention beautiful friend, has her blog Katiekatie.com (see link on Blog Roll) so everyone can see what she has been up to. It is the only blog I check regularly, it's fantastic. But there are also people who instead of being enlightened by this technology (such as myself), are being stupefied by it. Communicating through the web too much could cause serious social behavioural problems in some people (the kind who say "lol" instead of actually laughing) and the girls who forget there are 20 other people on the same bus who do not appreciate their humour. Maybe they were bought up by hotmail instead of a mother.
In any case, we all clapped as they left the bus.. and it felt good.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Introductions
"My goal is not to wake up at forty with a bitter realization that I wasted my life at a job I hate because I was forced to decide on a career in my teens." - Daria Morgandorffer
Meet Daria. She is an old childhood friend of mine. We met back in the days when I had time to watch television after school because there was no such thing as "stress" or "deadlines". Now days, I find myself no longer watching her but seeing certain events and people through her eyes. And I must tell you, it's quite a humorous experience.
Although, compared to Daria, most things in my world are not so doom and gloom. I'm Erin. I'm 18 this year (which sounds far better than ‘17, 18 in November') and I enjoy the usual teenage adventures (or "set backs" as I will probably call them later in life) such as a job, a boyfriend, friends and the occasional party. Just to fill in time between these things, I decided to become a full-time journalism student at Griffith University. This blog is in fact for one of my core journalism subjects, New Communication and technology (Hi Jules!) and so far, I’m pleased. Unlike certain other lectures I have attended, the lectures for NewCom&Tech seem based on fact and intellect, rather than "what could this wall of teabags represent?" or "what kind of tree can you be down there on the ground?"... I’M A FUCKING SHRUB OKAY! Haha ("Girl, interrupted" reference… good movie).
Anyway, as a future journalist, this blog mustn’t seem too impressive - but it's only my second week of study! Give me a couple more days at least. Like Daria, I'm also worried I was herded into the wrong uni course too early and am going to realise half way through that this isn’t the place for me, but we will give it a go. Who knows, this blog might become world famous and you will be seeing me read you the nightly news in ten years time.
Or maybe not.
Meet Daria. She is an old childhood friend of mine. We met back in the days when I had time to watch television after school because there was no such thing as "stress" or "deadlines". Now days, I find myself no longer watching her but seeing certain events and people through her eyes. And I must tell you, it's quite a humorous experience.
Although, compared to Daria, most things in my world are not so doom and gloom. I'm Erin. I'm 18 this year (which sounds far better than ‘17, 18 in November') and I enjoy the usual teenage adventures (or "set backs" as I will probably call them later in life) such as a job, a boyfriend, friends and the occasional party. Just to fill in time between these things, I decided to become a full-time journalism student at Griffith University. This blog is in fact for one of my core journalism subjects, New Communication and technology (Hi Jules!) and so far, I’m pleased. Unlike certain other lectures I have attended, the lectures for NewCom&Tech seem based on fact and intellect, rather than "what could this wall of teabags represent?" or "what kind of tree can you be down there on the ground?"... I’M A FUCKING SHRUB OKAY! Haha ("Girl, interrupted" reference… good movie).
Anyway, as a future journalist, this blog mustn’t seem too impressive - but it's only my second week of study! Give me a couple more days at least. Like Daria, I'm also worried I was herded into the wrong uni course too early and am going to realise half way through that this isn’t the place for me, but we will give it a go. Who knows, this blog might become world famous and you will be seeing me read you the nightly news in ten years time.
Or maybe not.
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