Aliens Everywhere

Being an amid Men in Black fan when I was younger, I was a little apprehensive to watch Men in Black III. What if they'd ruined it? We all know sequels are risky, but a threequel? I wasn't sold to say the least. But, like the good girlfriend I am, I reluctantly sat down ready to watch the third installment for my boyfriend's pick on movie night. And boy, am I glad!

It definitely didn't disappoint. Obviously, watching Will Smith for two hours was always going to be easy... It makes me wonder though - how would our world react to an alien invasion? Are there already aliens living on planet earth, trying to lead a normal human life?

For my last group assessment, we are performing  a presentation about sci-fi, and more specifically, aliens on Earth. Maybe we'll think of a way that we could all live together in peace - unless we already are...

I've just begun a new board on my Pinterest account about all things sci-fi. Take a look here :)

Fun Facts

Today I've decided to relay some facts found in the 2011 Census Data. It's really interesting to compare and contrast statistics from the 2006 survey, and see how our world is ever-evolving. I'm going to be covering same sex couples in Australia, and although I'm all for it, I'll try to keep my opinion out of it as much as possible. Don't want to step on too many toes!

33,714 same sex couples were counted in the 2011 Census. 

That's 67,428 people.  

What I found most interesting though, is that only 96% of these couples ticked the 'de facto' box on the form. The other 4% ticked married. Now, there is obviously no known reason for this - it could simply be because they have been married in a country where same sex marriage is legal. My guess is, though, they feel like they are life partners, and if the government won't grant them an official title, they just will themselves.

The number of same sex couples is 32% higher than that of 2006. It makes me wonder if there were more same sex couples in 2006, but they felt they weren't socially accepted. Whatever the reason, it will be interesting to see the figures in another 5 years time.

Oh, and just one more thing. I've only had Pinterest for a few weeks now, and am still finding my way around it, but check mine out :) http://pinterest.com/lissforsyth/ 

Easy on the Eye

This week, we held our fourth and final media conference. Peter Milne is an experienced photo-media practitioner, and taught us all the ins and outs of visual communication.

We were shown what makes a photo iconic, and how to send a message through a picture. Photos such as the Mona Lisa illustrated how important a picture can be, and how other people send messages through that picture. 

I was mostly interested in Banksy and they way his street art has become globally renowned. Banksy knows exactly the message he wants to convey, and how to capture the public's attention. Some might say he illustrates what many others wouldn't dare to say aloud.

I had received a similar speech from Mr Milne in another course, so I was familiar with some of the captures he was showing. However, I will leave you with this - Banksy's illustration of war within America. It's enough to make anyone stop and think.

Ready...Set...GO!

Unfortunately, this week I was away with a stomach bug :( Without being graphic, let's just say there was no way I could have sat through the lecture without running to the bathroom. Sigh.

So, I emailed my tutor, Nat, and asked her to slot me into a group. You see, this week we were forming groups and beginning the last assignment leg on COMU1152. I can't believe we will be finished so soon and there still feels like there is so much to go! 

I guess I'm just feeling a little behind because I missed the explanations today. But, my group organised themselves and created a Facebook group which I am now part of. Some out of the box ideas are being thrown around and it's pretty exciting having such a creative task. For the assignment we are becoming communication syndicates and have to perform atmosphere tasks. There's a lot of stuff I haven't done before, but hopefully our group can play to strengths and weaknesses.

Oh, also, I presented my speech a few weeks ago. I will admit I was a little nervous! But all went well and at least it's over now :)

The Golden Rule

In our most recent media conference, we had the pleasure of meeting Luke Royes, an online journalist for the ABC. It was interesting hearing the technological side of journalism, as I'll be the first to admit I still struggle with understanding the new social media platforms overtaking text.

Mr Royes explained to us the importance of social media, and the fine line between work and play. With Facebook's constant privacy changes, most of us don't realise how much of our information is public. I was a little taken back when Luke mentioned he was monitored on Facebook and Twitter for months from a potential employer. Like most teenagers, my Facebook is filled with not so flattering tagged photos and silly messages - something that doesn't scream, "EMPLOY ME!" It would be a good idea to take a page out of Luke's book and create a professional Twitter page, while still enjoying a personal Facebook account.

"The golden rule is: don't be a dickhead!" It seems so simple, but it makes sense. Social media leaves so many windows open for interpretation and this can leave us with a few displeased followers.

After Mr Royes' stories about his own pear-shaped incidents, I will definitely be more aware of how I am portraying myself online. 

Check out Luke Royes Twitter account here. The way he describes himself sure made me giggle!