Lecture 12 - A Farewell

I didn't get any jelly beans. I don't know how that happened! But it was still well worth going to the last, rather impromptu, lecture of Dr. Redmans. Internships and work experience were sort of in the back of my mind, but after hearing Ali speak about not only how important it is, but how simple it can be to get an internship I'm really looking forward to getting some real experience.

I think that journalism is one of those polarising subject - you really do love it or hate it. I absolutely loved this semester, and am so glad it reinforced my aspirations of being a journalist. This semester has given me faith in the industry and a lot of confidence that, yeah, I can do it. As Bruce said, don't think about the other 300 people in the room - concentrate on yourself.

Thank you everyone for a truly fantastic semester - both the lectures and tutes were fantastic. I think I'll finish up by reposting my dream job. And maybe I'm a little step closer ever!

Dream big, right!

No really, A MAN IN LIPSTICK!

I just came across these awesome photos and had to post them. The original blog post is here.

After seeing, on the Milan catwalks, the Vivienne Westwood's man with red lipstick, now the magazine Tush N. 23, with its Lip Service shooting, comes to clear the "Lipstick Man".

For this editorial of female beauty, photographer Armin Morbach chose the male model with the red beard, Johnny Harrington. Six photos and six lipsticks: Rouge Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Lancome, Tom Ford and Estée Lauder.

a MAN in LIPSTICK?

It is absolutely tragic that while women are still severely oppressed in some parts of the world, and still disadvantaged in others, that our supposed idols, our leaders in feminism, are so bitterly caught up in the technicalities of feminism. Equality and freedom is about choice. Equality, in my eyes, does not truly exist without freedom. Hell, and that includes the right to choose to wear lipstick - bright red, orange purple or black. Not for one sex to feel pressured to wear a full face of makeup from society and the media, or to not wear any from so called feminists. It is for both sexes to feel able to decide, for themselves, what, if any, makeup to wear. And if that means seeing men in bright red lipstick, then so be it! All in the name of equality.   

Did you know that lipsticks were thought to be the "incarnation of the devil" and banned by the church in medieval Europe? Prostitutes were the only women to sport a bold lip during the time. Fast forward a few hundred years cosmetics became popular among

actresses, but were still not acceptable for everyday day women. There was even a proposed law that a woman's marriage could be annulled if she wore cosmetics before her wedding day.
I remember a story of women in taliban controlled Afghanistan who would meet in secret to have makeup parties, after it was forbidden for them to wear cosmetics or paint their nails. The risks were real - there were instances of women having their fingers cut off for having coloured nails. The strong desire by certain segments of society to control women's sexuality never fails to amaze me, and sadly it continues in pockets all over the world even today.

The right to ROCK a bold lip!

However, as females have slowly gained more and more equality, our rights to wear makeup have increased experientially. In fact, women are now presented, in some aspects, with the opposite problem faced by past women. These days perfected images saturate our everyday. Ads with women plastered with makeup sell us everything from a new perfume to a promise of happiness. There is increasing pressure for women to project a million conflicting qualities. Beauty, but not vanity. Grace, but not high maintenance  Intelligence, but not too much. Confidence, but not arrogance. Independence, but once again not too much. Competency  but not un-needing. Loving, but not overbearing - and the list goes on.

And unfortunately, this ideal image created by society dictates that women not only act the part, but that they look it too - at all times. I used to work as a receptionist at a real estate office. It was open to the public, so was not entirely casual. I was one of two women working there, greatly outnumbered by men. While it was never directly stated by the boss, it became increasingly obvious that I was required to wear a full face of makeup at work. It is sad that as women advance in relation to being able to control their appearance, society is pushing us backward through dictating, in a less obvious and direct manner than the taliban, how we should look and present ourselves.

However, just to make and incredibly complex situation even more complicated, many modern radical feminists reject makeup, and expect all women to follow suit. They believe altering ones appearance to 'please' the opposite gender and society is wrong and degrading to all women. Now I happen to LOVE mascara. I wear it daily, in fact if I could somehow sleep in it and never have to take it off, I would! But that is for me - no one sees me on a lazy day studying at home. So it upsets and angers me that some feminists are, in the name of equality and freedom, not only telling me that wearing makeup is wrong, but wanting me to stop.

I just had to include this - a DIOR ad. We definitely need more like this!

Lecture 11 - Investigative Journalism

Rachael Southern, investigative journalist.

I never considered investigative journalism, but after creating an investigative news article for JOUR1710 Investigative Journalism, I think I'm sort of hooked.

According to Hugo do Burgh, a British media theorist, the role of "an investigative journalist is … to discover the truth and to identify lapses from it in whatever media may be available." Which seems like an incredibly noble job, but talking to ex- and current investigative journalists, it sounds like you really just get hooked. Obsessed with finding answers.

Investigative journalism is a cornerstone of our society. Critical and thorough journalism mean nothing gets left out, no leaf is unturned. Additionally  the journalist is an active participant, meaning they have the ability to shape history - think of Watergate. Investigative journalists are custodians of conscience. They expose breaches of societies morals and and norms, allowing for the public to respond. Providing a voice to those who would otherwise go unheard is just as important for social justice as is exposing wrong doers. Finally, the media is a watchdog, it is the Fourth Estate. Without a truly free and independent media, the government and corporation would, to a large extent, be free to do as they please.

Lastly, an investigative journalist is independent and is therefore less prone to agenda setting. While person opinions can lead to journalists pursuing the wrong lead, there is less potential for the story to be altered - they are on the hunt for the truth!

It is sad to think that people are no longer willing to pay for good quality investigative journalism, and that it could potentially give way to more sensational reporting. The benefits of investigative journalism are far greater than a good article - they are after all an integral part of society  the Fourth Estate.

I DON'T want to be a princess, but he can be..

Right?

With Halloween approach in the U.S, little kids, and their over-enthusiastic parents, are preparing their costumes. There are in the U.S, like most countries around the world, set gender roles and rules when choosing a 'socially acceptable' costume. In short, boys can't be princesses.

This is a very interesting video circulating YouTube at the moment, which shows parents' reactions to a young boy wanting to be a princess for Halloween. Sadly, most parents attempted to dissuade the boy from from his costume choice, explaining that he would get bullied for such a costume. The same experiment is shown with a girl wanting to be spider-man, and receives mostly the same reactions.

I never dressed up for Halloween, it's not really celebrated in Australia, but I know that if I had of chosen a costume, it would not have been a princess. And that is OK. Gender roles are social constructions, serving only to restrict and victimise those who differ from the narrow definition of 'male' and 'female'.

What these parents sadly fail to realise is that the bullying they are trying to protect their children from, is caused solely by this projected attitude towards gender, amplified within society. Basically, if no one worried about gender stereotypes, it would not be an issue; stereotypes are not natural, or innate, the issue is created and sustained through these exact actions of reinforcing strict roles and expectations.

While it is easy to dismiss any transgression of the parents in this particular video as being simply protective and worry for their children , this this restrictive attitude is not only present in this situation. Gay rights, feminist concerns and racial issues are simply 'attitude problems'.

It is tragic how easily these momentousness issues facing our society could be changed with a fresh perspective, through people thinking about and questioning the standing stereotypes and marginalisation of certain members of our communities. It really is that easy.

For the record, I would have been a transformer for Halloween. And that, is OK.

Lecture 10 - Agenda Setting

This weeks lecture really interested me. I have written quite a lot about gender roles and issues, and how they are socially constructed. It pains me, but they are, of  course, constructed by the media.

Reality is reality, but the way we view the world and others is limited and mediated through social life. The media plays such a significant role in shaping individuals and societies conception of reality. There is such power held by journalists in shaping public opinion.

Everyone has seen those stories that pp up everywhere, constantly for a period of time. Sometimes they are justified by their importance, other times it just seems odd.

Luckily, (or unluckily, depending on your opinion) news organisations are being presented with more and more accountability for their stories, with ratings being readily available for analysis. However, the public perceive issues with higher media coverage as being more important than those with less coverage. For the most part, this is relatively true - the federal election is generally more important than a lost puppy. However the waters become murky when corporate agenda starts influencing the media through the use of clever PR stunts. In my eyes, the integrity of the media and of journalists is compromised when PR stories are run to the ground over other, more news worthy pieces.

This week just reinforced how important journalism is, and how important it is to get it right.

ooohhh Technology...!!

As easy as technology makes all of our lives, I just can't help but hate it.

I can keep in touch with so many people overseas that would have been forever lost to me in the good ole days. T.V shows, music, movies and entertainment is available at the click of a button. Google maps! The amount of times I have been saved by Google maps is far too great to count, not to mention the enjoyment from moving the little yellow guy around all parts of the world. Wikipedia has solved more arguments than any mediator could. Being able to listen to music on the bus make life all that bit better.

Still, nothing gets me more frustrated, upset, heated, furious, IRATE... than technology. More specifically, when technology fails.

Curse you TECHNOLOGY

Even more specifically, when 'technology' (i.e my brand-new-rather-expensive-state-of-the-art-laptop) decides to lose an entire Uni assignment a few hours before it's due. For perhaps the first time at uni I complete my assessment way before it was due; my annotated bibliography was completely finished nearly a week before its due date. All I had to do was copy and paste it into this blog. Until it disappeared.

A few hours before it was due, (trust me there is no taking the procrastinator out of this student) I opened it up annnnnnnnnd... GONE. Completely non-existent. Fallen off the face of the earth, or the entire hard-drive.

So what did I do? Calmly, after a small but severe freak out, I riffled through my room, looking through literally hundreds of loose sheets of paper until I freaked out again, this time in a good way. There it was, under my pillow, a collection of paper with large, scrawled writing covering both the front and back.

And from there I was able to re-type my assignment, edit and reference it with two hours.

The moral of this slightly long winded story is that you can NEVER trust technology. EVER. I've written before here about my love of writing, in a physical sense, and how I write out every assignment in note form before typing it. It does waste a bit of time, but the stress it saves when technology fails me is priceless!

Lecture 9 - News Values

Who decides the news?

Big question, and I've discussed it before, but I think more importantly is who should decide the news.


This weeks lecture was on, you guessed it, news values.


Galtung and Ruge (1965) somewhat answered this question. in saying "the more an event satisfied particular conditions the more likely it would be selected as news". However, I see is as a sort of compromise between what the public want to see, and what the media has a responsibility to release. It goes both ways - people wont watch what they don't want to, but journalists are actually creating and deciding content. This democratic process allows for our Australian media scene, where many different views and stories are covered. 

There are, however, some general rules determining what makes something newsworthy. The aspects of 'news worthy' story are "eight  general factors of frequency,  threshold including absolute intensity and  intensity increase, unambiguity, meaningfulness including cultural proximity and  relevance,  consonance involving both predictability and demand, unexpectedness including  unpredictability and scarcity, continuity and composition". However, there will always be those cases that 'captures a nation', such as Shapelle Corby or climate change issues.

No matter the public's interest in Justin Beiber's new haircut, journalists still produce the news the public consumes, and according to John Sergeant, journalists "rely on instinct rather than logic." 

Annotated Bibliography

The Sydney Muslim riot of September 15 was an incredibly polarizing event within the Australian media. Muslim people have been subjected to increasing racism and discrimination since 9/11 and this event has served to further promote the attitude of 'us vs them' within the media. These four sources are Australian and cover Muslim issues. Three of which are news pieces covering the riot, the remaining an academic paper on the representation of the Muslim community within Australian media. Through analysing the bias and credibility of production and sources, I have presented the validity of each source. 

Brown, A. (2012, Sept 17). Violent Riot. Channel 10 News. Accessed at: http://video.heraldsun.com.au/2279954830

This short, live coverage of the aftermath of the Sydney Muslim riots aired September 17, two days after the event. Despite the adequate amount of time to produce a balanced and extensive piece, the coverage was incomplete, light and far from credible. Although the reporter, Ashlea Brown, is referred to as a crime reporter, Channel 10 is not known primarily for balanced and in-depth coverage of complex issues. At only 2.2 minutes long, the segment is rushed and lacks detail. The program has taken a sensationalist approach to the story, using phrases such as ‘get a grilling’ and ‘ratted out’. As the coverage was live, this source is far more likely to have inconsistencies than a longer-form post event source such as the abc radio piece. Additionally, because of the rushed nature of the coverage, the channel’s sources were weak. Two individuals were shown talking about the event, including a Muslim woman, however no names or information was shown, lessoning the credibility of both the sources and program. The segment did not cover the actual riot, instead relying on a single photo (inserted below) of a boy holding a poster bearing the phrase ‘behead all those who insult the prophet’. This lack of substance provides a limited and sensationalist source for analysing the Sydney Muslim riots.

Box, D., Edwards, H. (2012 Sept 17). Extremists seen among Muslim rioters at Sydney protest. The Australian. Accessed at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/extremists-seen-among-muslim-rioters-at-sydney-protest/story-fn59niix-1226475406735

The Australian newspaper is generally considered a reliable source, and the authors of this in-depth article, Dan Box and Harry Edwards, have both written extensively within Australia. Both Box and Edwards provide an all encompassing and detailed article on extremists present at the Sydney Muslim riots, covering multiple angles. The article included first-hand accounts of the riot and those involved, as well as background information and subsequent arrests and released police information.  Although this article and Channel 10’s news segment were both released on September 17, the Australian’s treatment of the event is a far more extensive and credible source in relation to the rioters involved. Credibility is established by Box and Edwards through the use of witness and reporter Jarred Owens, and numerous identified and reliable sources such as Samier Dandan (president of the Lebanese Muslin Association), NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipone, and Keysar Trad (founder of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia).  Together, the authors and sources provide a thorough account of the event through detailed imagery. The article covered the riots, the six men arrested, the reaction from police, future ramifications of the protest and the voice of the Muslim community, resulting in a fair and balanced article and a credible source.

Foster, N., Cook, K., Barter-Godfrey, S., Furneaux, S. (2011). Fractured multiculturalism: Conflicting representations of Arab and Muslin Australians in Australian print media. Media, Culture & Society, 33(4), 619-629.

This academic paper covers prejudice against Australia’s Muslim population and their representation with Australian media. Given that the other three articles cover a Muslim issue, the Sydney Muslim riots, the subject matter of this article is key in interpreting and understanding the media reports surrounding the issue. The authors, Nena Foster, Kay Cook, Sarah Barter-Godfrey and Samantha Furneaux are all academics from Deakin University, Mebourne. The article combines an original study with reliable information and statistics from other sources such as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. With thirty-four eternal sources and correct referencing, this paper is well researched and credible.  The article examined daily and weekend editions of Australia’s national broadsheet and tabloid newspapers from all capital cities, concluding that the most common attitude within the Australian media towards the Muslim community was “Arabs and Muslims are different [from us]”. This conclusion, and article, is reliable as it has been reached through extensive data analysis using text analysis software. Therefore, through applying this article’s findings to the three other news sources, the bias of such sources can be fully interpreted and understood.

Green, J. (2012 Sept 16). Mariam Veiszadeh on Muslim riots in Sydney. RadioNational, ABC. Accessed at: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/sundayextra/opinionista/4116954

While radio interviews often have the potential to be incredibly one-sided, the guest of this long-form radio piece, Mariam Veiszadeh, provides a unique, insightful an useful perspective. As a Muslim woman, as well as a lawyer, human rights activist and opinion writer, Veiszadeh is well placed to comment on the Sydney Muslim riot and presents as a reliable and credible source. The interview covered the outrage of the Muslim community in response to the riots, an angle not fully explored by other media outlets (as the study above would suggest).Veiszadeh also addressed the issue of the picture of the young boy, however treated the issue with much more clarity and less sensationalism. Despite being released on September 16, a full day before the other two sources, this radio interview, while not detailing the full extent of the aftermath, explores the event further, examining the broader issue of Muslim discrimination and the probability of that being a contributing factor in the riot. Veiszadeh also discusses the actual cause of the initial protest, the production of anti-prophet film ‘Innocence of Muslims’. Although this interview, at ten minutes long, has only one source, it remains credible and composed and is therefore a valuable source. 

Photo of young boy at Sydney Muslim riot

So much for fair and balanced journalism.

Somehow I've ended up watching terrible news programs on a Sunday morning.. 

Introducing, The Bolt Report:

 

I'll admit, I cannot watch more than two minutes of Today Tonight before screaming with rage and throwing whatever's in reach square at the T.V. However, I never expected to feel the same fury while viewing programs of a Saturday morning. Sunday T.V mornings are sacred! They are cocoa-pops and cartoons, early mornings and sleepy eyes. At least they used to be. I'm sure these types of biased, ignorant propaganda based programs existed long before my idealogical childhood, however it still is infuriating witnessing such disgraceful 'journalism'.

This week's informative episode tackled the issue of marriage equality. Marriage equality and LGBT rights will be, I believe, one of the defining issues of our generation. It compares so analogously to inter-racial marriage and discrimination towards women and other minorities. Safe to say, it is a massive and complex issue that deserves its own post.

However this quick post is about this programs use of sensationalist ideas to influence its' viewers. The guests on the panel this week dismissed equality, rights and respect for homosexual people on the basis that it would lead to bestiality. Seriously! Apparently, if a man is allowed to marry another man, or a woman another woman, then there is nothing stopping an individual from marrying and having intercourse with an animal. Seem legit. EXCEPT... there are laws stopping people marrying and having intercourse with animals aren't there?

Oh yeah, there actually are laws that prevent that.. whoops. What these people fail to realise is that there is a huge difference between a person having intercourse with another person of the same sex, and a person having intercourse with an animal. It is called sex positivity. Basically, if both people are coooooooool with it, anything goes, and because an animal cannot be coooooooooool with it (or at least it cannot verbally express consent) intercourse can never be considered sex positive. Therefore, if the government allowed legal and ceremonial recognition of a sex positive relationship, regardless of the sex of the couple, in no way would that need to lead to the creation/ abolition of laws allowing non-sex positive acts. Makes sense, right?

Good, end of story!

A photo series

My grandmother is quite the star! She's featured in two of my assignments this term, including this photo series for visual communication.

She is such an incredible woman, and is insanely strong in her own way. She suffers from dementia, and I wanted to portray a sense of inner chaos through her mind-numbing use of routine.

Ordered Chaos.

Lecture 8 - Ethics

This week was a lovely surprise! I have a terrible habit of not checking emails, opting to let them build up and clog my internet (I believe that's how it works?!) until I'm forced to sort through hundreds of, now irrelevant, emails - most of them spam.. Which is why I had no idea this weeks lecture was presented by guest lecturer Donna Meiklejohn. Brilliant! Donna discussed ethics, specifically the ethics of journalism. She has spent many years in the print industry, and had plenty of relevant stories to share.

So what is ethics? Most people know right from wrong. Most people have a conscience, a little voice that guides them. And, one would hope, that the majority of people side with good rather than evil. However in a profession where one's job is to report news that is in the public interest, ethics can get.. a little grey.

How far do you go to cover a story? How important does said story have to be? Who may be harmed in the process? Who might benefit from the story? What are your personal boundaries? How close should you get to a story? How should you present found knowledge? Where is that line - the one that should never be crossed?

Now that is a LOT of questions, but as said, journalists are faced with ethical dilemmas daily. It pays, therefore, to not only consider these types of questions, but to understand the reasoning behind the three ethical codes:

• Deontology: following the pertaining rules or codes to a tee. 
• Consequentialism: if the ends justify the means
• Virtue: does this align with my personal beliefs? 

Ethical codes? That does sound a little convenient, surely not every situation has a rule and code. True, but these codes help decide, justify and explain actions. There is a very fine line between behaving ethically, and staying employed. Donna described a situation she was put in as a young journalist that would make most people incredibly uncomfortable - doing a 'death-knock'. A young couple's three boys were killed in a tragic accident when they rafted too far down a river and were electrocuted by overhanging wires. This is clearly a horrific thing to happen to the parents, however being an unexpected accident, the story could potentially save others being injured by the same thing. Donna was asked to get in interview from the grieving parents - for the sake of the public.

This sort of situation is a prime example of the codes of ethics - there are several outcomes you could reach according to the different codes. Deontology dictates that it is legal, and moral as it is in the public interest. Consequentialism argues much the same, in that the means (upsetting the parents) are justified by the end results (informing the public). However, virtue ethics is more difficult. It is you gut, that little voice in your head which always knows what you believe is right and wrong. Donna ended up choosing deontology - it was her job, and she needed to do it.

While these codes are interesting, as Donna said, in the heat of an ethical dilemma  you do not have time to consider all these rational reasonings. In that case, you really have to listen to that little guy in your head and hope he knows what he's talking about!

Scaredy Cat

I don't get scared easily. I like to think of myself as a strong person. I hate horror movies, but that's another story. But walking home alone at night scares the bajeebas out of me. Any noise, rustle or movement and I jump. Which I hate! I can't figure out if I am just a giant scaredy cat or if I am legitimately worried about being a victim of an all too often crime.

 I have read quite a few articles lately about this very thing - women's safety late at night - and feel as though women do have reason to feel uncomfortable walking alone in the dark. Women are more at risk when it comes to violent crimes. However, this attitude and violence towards women doesn't have to exist. Education really can solve so many problems, but it has to be the right kind. A discourse needs to be created and discussed within the education framework. A place of no judgement, assumptions or blame.

Until issues of inequality and differences are addressed in the open, inequality will continue unnecessarily.



Oh, and I looked up horror movie posters to put into this post and, OH MY GOODNESS. Not sleeping tonight.

Lecture 7 - Public Media

This week it was public media's turn in the limelight. After last week's sobering statistics about the concentrated state of Australia's media, I was looking forward to learning about the other side of news - the one which is not susceptible to bias, commercialism and, quite frankly, rubbish sensationalist stories.

ABC NEWS to the rescue!

I must admit that I don't consume much public media. On the rare occurrence when I do turn on the T.V, the flashy lights and sweet sounds of commercial stations suck me in all too quickly. However, despite not consuming it directly, I strongly support the idea of a media 'owned by the people, for the people'. I think this is important to note, that the government does not directly hold any power or control over these public channels, that they are held in common with the people. I was always curious as to the extent of input of any current government. As Bruce succinctly mentioned, public media is at it's best and most balanced when the government is unhappy with the content. While it does not solve the debate surrounding what is in the public interest, it certainty eliminates many external influences on the news we receive from commercial partners of media outlets.

However, while having a station held in common with the people is incredibly worthwhile, is this simply an ideal - how much can the government control our news stations? Through funding and legislation, one could argue that the government has too great of an ability to influence our media. Despite this, in reality, public media in Australia is far from propaganda.

Public media functions to promote national identity, heritage and nation building and serves as a platform for national conversations. As commercial media becomes more and more sensationalist, long-form investigative journalism is kept alive nearly solely through public media. Investigative journalism is so incredibly important to a functional society that the many cases solved by journalists are by now jumping around your head!

The news style of public media is often what repels people who, instead, flock to other commercial channels for their news and entertainment. Public media is, generally:

• 'serious’
• ‘broadsheet’ style
• importance over interest
• considered, not quick and unchecked.

Which is often interpreted by the public as being:

• ‘boring’ 
• élitist
• of limited interest 
• poorly presented 
• out of touch.

With these less-than-flattering opinions, what's on the horrizon for Australia's public media? There are challenges facing both public and commercial media, with increasing pressure to stay relevant, informative and of a high quality, however, being publicly funded, perhaps expectations to stay independent and non-bias are higher for public media - it is scrutinised far more than it's commercial sibling. The future of public media will, in some part, be decided by funding. Not only the limited amount given by tight-arse politician, but whether the ABC will follow the BBC and SBS funding scheme, making the broadcaster a 'hybrid' between public and commercial funding.

Either way, I desperately hope the public media stands the test of time, and continues to uphold its strong ethics for the future. It will be interesting to follow! 

Travel plans.. sort of

So here it is, the big reveal - the travel plans! Only, they aren't exactly plans. More like a rough outline - a guide. Actually, to be honest more like a idea.. But I've chosen the continent at least! 

Iiiiiitttttttt'ssssss Asia!

Instead of boring everyone to death with a long and arduous explanation of my trip, here is a cool google map neatly summing everything up. It is a sort of connect-a-dot: just follow the path of giant blue pins. Satisfies the nerd in everyone!

Annnd here are some photos for inspiration, enjoy:

Sorry that was a tad excessive! It's like travel porn..

Where in the world?

Where in the world do I want to go?

This is FAR too broad of a question, and my answer will always be: EVERYWHERE! Narrowing down a realistic travel destination for the Christmas break was always going to be difficult, and it is proving to be just that. The Trans-Siberian express through China, Mongolia and Russia? Or travel from Eastern Europe from Turkey to Czech Republic? How about a road trip through America!? The world has to many options to fit into a uni break!

I've narrowed it down, sort of, to Asia, which leaves a lot of options and far too many decisions. Once you decide on a destination, I feel as though it becomes even harder to agree on an actual travel plan. Australia is so removed and far away from the world that leaving it seems like a huge task. However comparatively, so many other countries are within weekend-trip-distance. This makes narrowing down destinations impossible! A quick train ride to the left, or a jet to the right, and you're in another country - which is surely a novelty to any Australian.

Time travels far too quickly, and I need to make a decision! I've given myself just one week - my travel plans will be up in detail in one week! Can't wait to find out where I'm going..

Flights: Booked! Plans: not made..

I booked my flight!

I knew I was going to travel somewhere these Christmas holidays, but no travel plans really seem set until the flight is booked. It's such a rush! Concreting plans, making dreams a reality. The feeling of accomplishing something, of knowing your plans will happen and of anticipation is incredible. But then, and perhaps this is just me, I always feel a bit anti-climatic. Flights have been booked, destinations chosen, rough travel plans nutted out....and then there is nothing more to do than wait..

As a child my mother always told me, "waiting is the best part, the anticipation makes everything more exciting." Somehow, I never believed her. I wanted everything now - why wait in anticipation when you could have it right now! Surely the joy of having something was far more than the waiting for it? Except, it turns out she was right, waiting makes finally getting something far more exciting. 

So now all I have to do is wait... At least my flights are booked! 

Will you be... my... travel partner??

Travel partners are a lot like gold - hard to come by, but once you find one they are priceless. Right? Maybe it's just me, but my travel plans get completely out of control the second I start planning. I mentioned this a few posts ago, but I can't seem to stick to just one place; I have a need to see EVERYTHING.

This makes finding someone to travel with extra difficult...

Will you be my Travel Partner..?

There's no denying it, travelling is expensive. I've talked about how much it takes to travel - the sacrifices and not-so-nice moments encountered on every trip, but it also takes a lot of savings. My style of travelling is probably the final deterrence for most potential partners - I do not plan. It is funny that, in day to day life, I join the majority of people in planning (although not necessarily following through) life quite meticulously: I plan my degree, work, appointments, study, events and social life. Going overseas is a brilliant excuse to forget about all that, to go on an adventure!

Sadly, to most that seems like a recipe for disaster. They're only right 20% of the time though! The rest of the time make for the most incredible moments that no amount of money could buy. Comfort, ease and lack of stress never makes up for missed opportunities to really experience a foreign culture. The smells, sights and vibes are simply better the further from that drunk Australian tourist you venture. Whether that be taking an unknown turn into a remote village or heading out for a hike, travel is best experienced spontaneously with limited planning.

Don't get me wrong - some things need to be planned. Visa's for one. A flight. A general itinerary and knowledge about the area. When I flew from New Zealand to Denpasar, I had only bought a one way flight, figuring I would stay as long as I could afford to. After far too many connecting flights, a less than impressed Jetstar official informed me that I would not be allowed to board my flight without a return ticket. After nearly an hour of begging and pleading my case, one last smile somehow convinced the defeated official to wave me on - I was now Bali's problem. A similar situation occurred on arrival at Bali, and I was let into country under the agreement that I would book a return flight within 30 days.

I should have learned the valuable lesson of careful planning from that potentially disastrous happening. Instead I realised the worth of a smile. And so my attitude continues, my lack of planning, my sense of adventure, and appreciation of the experience. Which leads me to the worth of a travel partner - they are GOLD!

Lecture 8 - Excuses

This is my first semester at uni, so I'm still getting used to everything. Up until now I hadn't missed a single lecture or class. Up until now..


Getting to Uni seems to be a much bigger ordeal than it should be. A shot walk to the bus stop, a bus into town and another straight to uni. Only for some reason it NEVER works out that way, it always takes twice the time I imagine and is five times more stressful than it should be. Which is why, after my only other Monday class was cancelled, I just couldn't face the arduous journey into uni for a single hour of (enlightening albeit!) learning.

This was a baaaaaad idea. One lecture missed and I feel as though I've forgotten about my degree. For this entire week I have thought up so many excuses to avoid studying. My house has never looked so clean! My latest 'avoidance tactic' was to peruse the job classifieds. 'Research,' I mumbled to myself. 'Future planning.'

I don't need a job. I have one I love, and I am no were near completing my degree, but somehow I was comfortable simply wasting time not doing assignments, rather than taking a break or a day off. I am never so motivated to go for a run, vacuum the house or cook some Masterchef inspired meal as when studying.

This continued one for three days. A game of excuses, guilt and failed attempts of making any progress on my growing pile of assignments and exams. On the fourth day I'd had it and took a field trip to the countryside to clear my head. It worked and on returning to study I had the brilliant idea of simply listening to the sound recording. I think it's safe to say that sometimes, a break is desperately needed and deserved!

And in keeping with this theme of deserved breaks, the lecture post will be up in a few days - I'll get right onto it.. after my third cup of coffee!

Factual Story Telling Exercise

Late night ads

Watching nightly T.V used to be a relaxing ritual for my family growing up. Whatever we watched incited discussion, provided entertainment and seemed to bring us together after our very separate days. As I grew a little older, all I wanted as a teenager was my own T.V. When I was given a tiny yet bulky box for Christmas on year, i still retained my nightly family ritual, however it meant I could stay up till the wee hours watching shoddy programs and old re-runs - I loved it!

Oh how times have changed - and in such a short time! I do not watch much T.V these days, so it is rare to find me lying on the couch channel surfing late at night, except for tonight. For some reason I felt exceptionally lazy, and flicked on the T.V to see what was on. All of a sudden I simply cannot stand the ads! They never seemed to be a problem, but these days I pick up my computer, check my phone, leave the room or even turn the box off at the mere sight of an ad. We have been discussing the future of commercial media in the past lectures, and it has been said a few times that the future of tradition advertising in unstable - that people are no longer willing to listen to ads. Not until now did I realize how true that is! In fact, rather than sit through countless irrelevant ads I chose to do uni work in the form of blogging. Fancy that!

Not being able to fast forward through ads on nappies, overpriced clothing and ridiculous new programs was infuriating! The future of advertising clearly need to become far more specific in its targeting. Just like the jellybeans way back in the second lecture, there is no way I am going back to a platform for old advertising when identical centent is available far more conveniently online. I suspect the majority of the public feels the exact same way.

It will be very interesting to see the ideas advertising agencies come up with for the future of advertising, with product placement, integrated advertisement and plugging being just the beginning. People will always have a desire and need for entertainment, and thus entertainment will always need to be financially supported, however who will end up paying for, essentially, our dislike of ads: viewers or business?

LEGITIMATE rape??

Todd Akin

With the amount of hatred directed towards this man, it is incredible he has not simply burst into flames,   disintegrated or been hit by a car. Alas, the universe does not work that way, no matter how LEGITIMATE it may be. 

Todd Akin, a Republican Senate nominee from Missouri, recently expressed not only a purely offensive belief and repulsive view, but utter ignorance. The politician stated that in cases of "legitimate" rape, women's reproductive organs shut down. Therefore, he believes, there is no need for abortion. Irrelevant of one's religious, political or personal stand on the issue of abortion, such ignorance towards an integral part of a women is unacceptable. Explaining himself on his belief that women do not get pregnant from rape, he said  “It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare." 

Firstly, before the question of what sort of doctors this disturbing man has been talking to arises, I think the statement 'legitimate rape' should be deliberated. It is clear, in Akin's defence, that he is not inferring that rape is legitimate, however in his wording he has uncovered a serious topic. What makes a sexual assault worthy or unworthy of being called a legitimate rape?   

In Australia, over half of all females have experienced "at least one incident of physical or sexual violence." The statistics for such crimes differ country to country, however worldwide they are far too high. Rape is, quite simply, an issue of consent - there is no legitimate or illegitimate way to 'bypass' consent. Such derogatory, and frankly sexist claims only force more shame onto those who have suffered from sexual assault. A blogger addressing both her own rape and this outrageous statement summed up the anger and hurt such a proclamation can cause: "the reason the Internet is exploding over #legitimaterape right now is because every woman knows deep in her heart this feeling of shame I am writing about."

This level of ignorance is certainly not the first or last displayed in politicians, however one would think that, in the advancements of women's rights over the past century, people would think twice before trying to blame to victim. Unfortunately, this case is just the tip of the iceberg, and there still exists a derogatory attitude towards victims of rape. This sentiment echo's that of the 'provocatively dressed women' attracting rape theory passed around Australia not too long ago. It has now surfaced in Canada, with a Muslim cleric campaigning for politicians to ban women from dressing for rape. In response to a string of sexual assaults at York University, Al-Haashim Kamena Atangana wrote this to the Torronto Sun:

I wanted to mention that the reason why these sex attacks are continuously happening is because the Canadian laws, which gives too much freedom to women, are the cause of these sex attacks. It has been revealed that every 5 seconds a woman is being sexually assaulted in North America. Women in North America are falling victims of the Democratic Freedom that you they passionly believe in. The reason why a woman gets raped is because of the way she dress. Women dress so provocatively so much that they receive too much attention for themselves and that attention at times leads to death.  

It is tragic that victims of sexual assault have to endure the taunting remarks of such ignorant people, in addition to the trauma associated with an attack. While Akin has revealed to American politics, and the world, his chauvinistic and uninformed disposition, it is uplifting to see the public backlash around such a sensitive and controversial topic.