What does the future hold?

Well, over the last couple of months we have looked at various forms of media and how it has been used so far. Now as this is my last post I will look at what the future may hold for us. I will focus on mobile phones with a laptop/computer twist.

Apple seemed to have the market cornered in the not too distant past with their media players and brightly coloured Macs. Everyone had to have the Apple thingy-mejig as soon as it was announced by the company. Many people slept in the streets for days to get one. Not so long ago this was done for sports tickets and concerts because there was a limited number. But with Apple products they are available to the whole public and does it really matter if you got it a few days later? I think not. But for those who are waiting with baited breathe for Apple’s NEWEST, BESTEST, GREATEST new toy here it is…..

                                                                                            

Think I will stick with my old out-dated slow desktop. At least I don’t need to remember the alphabet!  Mmm that could be a problem for the Gen Tech’ers , apparently they didn’t learn the alphabet because they were too busy learning TXT talk instead of English. Here’s an easy song that you can learn while waiting outside in the dark for the Apple shop to open.

So that’s what Apple wants to produce – something smaller than everyone else. I personally think that our Mobile phones are going to be the PC of the past.  How much easier would life be if we could use Office on our phones to type up documents, print said documents and save heaps of rubbish that we find interesting? We can already do some very PC stuff now. I just wonder how much of a problem size is. Most people want something that is portable, and can do everything in their phone now. The fact that we are able to get the internet on fridges and TV’s is interesting too. One day will we be able to use any surface as a computer? Or just for the internet? Things to consider, which I am sure the technology people are brainstorming now as we think about them. Here is an interesting thought....

Well, obviously it wasn’t only my idea. How about returning to the ‘good ole days’. When life was easier, and there were no everyday acronyms to describe common everyday items eg. MP4, WMV.

Wow, that was impressive. Though wouldn’t like to carry that around in my pocket. Pretty cool though!

In signing off I would like to thank my followers, now you need to leave your homes and turn off your computers. Maybe I will see you in the queue for Apples new phone that starts off small and then opens out to be a …..PC or a car – now that would be awesome.

Bye for now

Second Life or GET A LIFE!

Welcome my followers,

This is my second last blog, and today we are looking at ‘Second Life’. Now this phenomenon is very new to me. If you are unsure of what it is I hope to enlighten you to a ‘whole new world’.

  Firstly I assume you are sitting at a desk/table probably at work thinking ‘I really need a holiday’.

Now imagine instead of going on Facebook and feeling sad that EVERYONE is going on holiday instead of you, you clicked your mouse and HEY PRESTO you were on holiday??

My ideal holiday

Anyway, back to you at your desk taking a holiday. In Second Life you can, it’s just a click away. First you get to sign up, and then you make yourself an avatar. Your avatar can look however you wish it to look – your dream body shape, your dream partner, whatever you wish it to be. The next big decision is where to go? Like the real world you have a choice these include beaches, Sydney, mountains and everywhere in-between. Let’s see someone on holiday

So you now see what I am talking about, no queues, driving to the airport and eating airline food – because you FLY. Cool huh?

My non- Second Life Avatar

So these avatars that I spoke about, I am sure that now you are thinking how do I sign up? Well as I said you have an avatar that you design. You get to dress it up and sometimes you can also buy the clothes in the real world that your avatar wears. Is that great? Or does anyone else think it’s kind of creepy and weird? Oh you must buy genitals for your avatar too. Don’t want to forget them or you can’t have sex with the great lifeguard on the beach that you were dancing with. Yes, you can have sex on the beach once you have them if you so wish ( I think). If you want to keep it real you can even go to a birthing clinic and have a baby. I am going to show you how ‘real’ it is just because I was fascinated by it. Don’t click if you don’t want to watch, but the movies on TV are more realistic.

Now that you have seen that a few more things you may need to know. You can buy real estate, go to university, shop at the Apple shop, and don’t forget you will still probably need to go to work there.

Also Charities feature

This community has many things going for it. They have beauty pageants (see zombie link below), forums, blogs and many video clips. People have set up businesses in Second Life and are able to make real money in the real world from this other life.

Zombie Beauty Pageant And More

In other words, Second Life is exactly that, another life away from your ‘normal or regular’ one. So how real is it? I think that for the people in this other life its very real for them. For people like me who lead very full lives now it’s a crock of nonsense. Seriously is the real world that bad? Come on we had Big Brother that gave us the bum dance, Master chief that is encouraging us to eat more high fat/calorie food and let’s not forget Survivor who taught us all how to be nasty back stabbing liars… Who wouldn’t want to be part of this real world?

That was very real to those people who were locked in the house together, but to those people outside in the real world it was either great or just plain stupid. These groups didn’t have to work but they did have to partake in ‘challenges’ for food and privileges. Their Big Brother world was separate from the outside world and they produced whatever persona they wished the public to see. So the differences between Big Brother and Second Life are similar in many ways. Would I sign up to either? NO, I prefer to feel the sun on my face and the sand between my toes. I would love to change my body, skin colour and hair colour regularly but it that’s not real. The only consolation is that I can go to the gym and lose weight, and go to the hairdresser and change my hair colour. Well until next time…..

Mobile Phone - LOVE IT or HATE IT?

Most of the population have at least one mobile phone – some extra important people have more so we can see they are important. This now small device has transformed greatly since its inception in size, use and styles. There is apparently even Mobile phone etiquette, though most people don’t know its rules. Now more than ever people are contactable 24/7, even in the toilet!

These devices are wonderful because you can always be contacted, and they also allow you to watch T.V, surf the web, take photos and movies, listen to music, add many apps – including Fatbooth (supersizes your body) and of course make telephone calls and send TXT messages. Opps almost forgot – make great weapons!

http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/31/naomi-campbell-in-court-for-chucking-another-phone-at-maid/

Who would have thought that we would one day be able to fit a telephone into our jeans pocket? Poor Maxwell Smart had been happy with a shoe phone; today it would have been ridiculous. As it is important to keep up with technology which is constantly changing, we MUST upgrade our phones regularly, because if we don’t ……….mmmmm…… not really sure…maybe we won’t be able to take photos or surf the web or…make our bodies fat??Or I really don’t know though I think in the old days it was called ‘keeping up with the Jones’ – whoever they are.

Well at least we know our old phones have a sense of humour. But back to this new technology, apparently soon we will be watching micromovies on them. This is rather confusing for me, because our phones are shrinking but their capabilities are increasing. So when I watch a movie I would like to be able to see expression on the actor’s faces not just guess what’s happening. Maybe we are all going to recycle the old car phones so that we can use the backpacks as screens?? Don’t laugh, anything is possible. Speaking of movies, has anyone noticed that mobile phones aren’t very dominant in movies? I have and I often wondered why. I think I may have found the answer:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH2B9F-GPm0

I found it funny! (sorry could only add through this link) Now let’s discuss the serious side of mobile phone technology. I am one of apparently a rare breed of mobile phone user. I need to confess:

 I TURN OFF MY PHONE WHEN I GO TO BED, MOVIES AND OUT FOR DINNER!

Now I feel so much better. :)

 I don’t understand people who constantly complain about being available 24/7 by mobile yet have never learned where the OFF switch is. For any of those unfortunates reading this, it’s normally at the top of your phone. If you can’t find it then I am really sorry but all that stuff about radiation and brain cancer due to mobile phone use must be true – sorry. But if you don’t believe me, check this out:

Wow that looked fun...wonder what its doing to our brains? Oh thats right mobile phones aren't dangerous......mmmmm

Until next time.

Politics and Social Media - who would of thought?

Who would have thought that politicians would understand let alone use Social Media? Politicians and 'Cool' don't really normally go hand in hand. Well, if like me you don't like all the ads at election time and the endless 'debates' on traditional media, the politicians are coming to get YOU!!

In recent elections, politicians have used TXT, twitter, Blogging, My Space, Facebook and their favourite platform You Tube to spruik their messages to those of us who really don’t want to listen. There have been some very interesting clips during these election campaigns as politician’s try to understand how to capture this audience’s attention. Initially the tried and tested boring ad campaigns were used to little effect, but things are changing. Here is an unusual You Tube clip that I had to share it.

Personally when I saw this my first thoughts were the links between Hitler and concentration camps.  Surely, an educated woman like Hilary Clinton did too, yet she put her name and face to this clip. Whereas the successfully elected Barrack Obama had his own series of You Tube clips featuring ‘Obama Girl’. The publicity that these caused for Obama during the election certainly didn’t harm his reputation. Here is one of the first released:

As the old saying goes ‘Sex sells’ and this young lady is definitely using her feminine wiles to ‘sell Obama’. But I must state that apparently she wasn’t an official member of his election campaign. Another common thing in politics is parody. We have all seen comedians and cartoonist impressions of politician’s over the years but You Tube means that these parodies can carry across the world so we can all have a giggle at politician’s anywhere. I could not discuss politics without including at least one parody and Sarah Palin is an easy target:

So that’s how the American politicians have used social media. I will now look at Australia. Bob Hawke and Paul Keating were Prime Minister’s before the advent of You Tube but I am sure there isn’t an Australian around who had never heard some of their one liners. Lucky for us someone has put a few to music:

I am sure if You Tube had been around in their election days they both would have had innovative campaigns. But would they compare to Kevin 07? Kevin Rudd was a pioneer in Australian politics as he used all media throughout his campaign and as Prime Minister also. He wasn’t afraid to go on ROVE and joked openly about the PM skit that was shown on their regularly. I know I enjoy laughing at silly things politician’s say and do (see previous blog with George Bush’s sayings) and Kevin Rudd is one of the funniest especially when he selling to us his ‘fair dinkum aussieness’.

 I could show you so many more political clips but think I have said more than enough about politician’s so until next time….

Produsers, Wikipedia and YouTube

I am happy to report that I have learnt that I am a 'PRODUSER' and no, it isn't necessarily a bad thing. I always thought I was a little different - but wait! There are alot of us out there.....

So what is a 'produser'? you ask.

Well it is anyone who changes or manipulates media to produce a new product..like me if I were to add to youtube or say wikipedia. Now onto the fun stuff:

Back in 1988 people did this in their bedrooms for fun

If you have NEVER danced around your bedroom with a hair brush you are so missing out!

Maybe watch this again so you can learn how to do it, oh that thing in red was a tape player - you can swap it for an iPod if you can't find one.

 Here is one man who definately has never danced around his bedroom with a hairbrush - how can I tell....I just know

These days alot of what we read on Wikipedia is done from the privicy of the bedroom with no one watching.
 At least its quieter than what people did in the 1980s before we all had computers in our rooms.So for those people who have been dancing in their bedrooms since the 1980s here is an explanation of what Wikipedia is

Is that clearer?

Proabably not - it is time for you to STOP DANCING WITH YOUR HAIRBRUSH and surf the net so you can contribute to the world (wide net of course)

So who is writing on this thing called Wikipedia - ANYONE CAN

Why?

Not really sure, maybe they are too embarassed to dance in their bedroom because they are terrified their dancing may appear on that scary YouTube.

. It is preferable to see your name on the net as an intellectual not as a crap dancer.

 Someone has looked into this phenomena called Wikipedia, his name is Mike Millard and here is his article about these strange creatures

http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/article-5129-feature-wikipediots-who-are-these-devoted-even-obsessive-contributors-to-wikipedia.html

 

He took the words right out of my mouth - no I think maybe I wanted to take the words out of his mouth.

 So does it all make sense to you now? 

 I hope so, but just in case you still are scratching your head...

Do you remember this guy?

His name is Matt Harding from the USA. He apparently set off on a journey around the world where he 'danced' with different people in notable parts of their countries and filed it all on YouTube - making him a 'produser' and a YouTube celebrity. I relate him to Wikipedia because - let him tell you

So, today we have learnt that dancing in your bedroom is awesome as long as their are no cameras around to put it on YouTube, Matt Harding didn't travel the world and if we feel knowledgable we can contribute to an encylopedia.

Man, if my mum had known that part when I was at school she wouldn't of paid all that money for encylopedias when I was a kid. Hahaha just thinking of those salesmen trying to spruike Wikipedia door to door:

Salesman: 'Hello madam, I am here today to introduce you to the wonderful world of knowledge. It comes straight to your home and takes up very little space. There are some wonderful minds who contribute to it and a few who call themselves "Big Boy" who love cats and guns. But, I can guarantee that your children will gain invaulable knoweldge that they may or may not ever need and definately probably don't care about. How would you like to pay for that, actually you don't even have to pay if you really don't want to'.

My mums reaction

Well, enjoy your week. Time for me to go dance in my room with my hairbrush while editing Matt Hardyings Wikipedia page.

BYE

Wikileaks

This was a phrase coined in the late 80s by the cult Hero’s Mulder and Scully of X File fame. Who knows maybe they were looking for Julian Assage.  I think they were originally Agents for the American government investigating strange phenomenon, until something happened and they could only trust each other. I was never a big fan, but for those that were:

Ok I did get a little distracted there. After watching the above clip does it remind you of Julian Assage?  Now, if the American government is to be believed he is a massive threat to them… I am sure the same was said on Osama Bin Laden not too long ago. So let’s look at them side by side and find how they can both be threats to the American Government.

       

So can you see the similarities?

I can. First they are both male – wow I am sure that all the men in the world are shifting uncomfortably in their chairs hoping that the American government won’t find them threats also.

So secondly neither of them are Americans – that rules out a few thousand men.  Also they both come from dusty hot places that no one really wants to go to for a summer holiday and well, they are both great at playing hide and seek! 

 Bin Laden apparently is/was hiding in a cave – seriously the Americans could have at least tried to find him. He’s probably still sitting in there counting and waiting for them to find him. Meanwhile, Assage hid in Europe and the Americans knew that too but couldn’t find him either, lucky for them he grew bored of this and turned himself in to the Britain’s hoping that the Americans could find him.  

I have attached rules on how to play this great game – just in case the American government is reading this:

So who is Julian Assage and is he another conspiracy produced by the American government? Think about it this way, could a nation as great as the Americans truly give access to highly confidential files to a private who managed to download them onto a CD that previously held Lady GaGa? This is a country that at this time had a great president the one and only George Bush.

Well, I really don’t need to say anything else after that do I? However I put this to you…..

So can YOU handle the truth?

 Julian Assage thinks we can, and the American government wants us to believe he knows the truth and we don’t have the right to know it.  I personally prefer video to assist me to gain knowledge and I have found the footage Wikileaks has provided quite offensive.  So I will leave it up to you to decide who is right here while I go and watch some Forest Gump so I can feel more love the American Government.......

Extremists

Is an extremist an extremist becasue of their beliefs or because they are at the narrow end of society and have to 'hate' those who are different and easy to bully?

First we must look at what an extremist is, I believe John Cleese explains this so well ....

So are we all clear by what an extremist is? I know I like to feel good about myself, but is it really necessary to choose someone to put down to make me feel that way? Ok maybe Mr Cleese was too broad about the groups and he is British so we will forgive him his ignorance of the rest of the world. As we all know the British really only care about themselves and their tiny part of the world, oh yeah that’s until they want to visit one of their colonies.

OH MY!!! I sound like an extremist! I better turn the attention onto someone else that the masses will dislike……

NEO NAZI’s have many groups around the world with various names some of these include:
KKK , Hammerhead Skin Nation, National Alliance and Stormfront. With reputations like they have who wouldn't dislike them

These groups have similar ideals in that they believe in Racial Purity, are Anti – Semantic and are very active on the internet. But as the YouTube clip below shows its not easy being a Nazi, so maybe we should cut them a break and just feel sorry for them.

While we are feeling sorry for them we can’t forget Australia’s own extremists groups. These groups think of themselves as saying what all Australians are thinking and can prove their legitimacy as they are a registered political party.

I am speaking of the one and only Australia First Party. According to their website - http://ausfirst.alphalink.com.au/  this group has 8 core policies that they are extremely serious about. I will just discuss one as I am certain if you are interested in this group you would of joined them on their secret Facebook page ( quick go and look at it now).

I am going to look at Core Policy number 7, which is:

 ‘Strengthen the family - Promote policies that strengthen and protect the traditional family.’

Firstly what is a traditional family? Not so long ago it was meant to be mum, dad and 2.5 kids. This always worried me as what happens to the other half of the kid? Does ‘it’ go live next door? Or just the other half never existed? Well, if that is what this group believe in then maybe they can tell me where the other 0.5 of the kid went. Personally I don’t know any 0.5 kids or many mum and dad families with even 2 kids. Looking down my street we have mum and a few kids, dad and a flatmate, mum, dad, grown adults (kids) and their partners with their kids. Apparently there are even families of mum, mum and kids plus dad and dad with no kids somewhere in this wonderful country called Australia. Wonder what kind of traditional families they have elsewhere? If TV is to be believed the great USA has similar families – what ever happened to “The Cosbys?” Though the US also has ‘The Simpsons’ , "The Sopranos" and families like those in ‘Modern family’ probably why this group are called Australia First. It would be extremely hard if they were called ‘The World First’ or even ’Australia and America First’ but that’s right I forgot, the US has its own extremists, they don’t need to import them from Australia.



Oh almost forgot the protecten part of the policy. 'protect the traditional family'. How are they going to 'protect' families? Are there enough members for every family who the group deems traditional to have one(member) standing at their front door and following their every move to protect them from the boogeyman??
I think not. I will not start on who this group deems to be the boogeyman but I will enlighten you slightly. Those of you who remeber the Cronulla Riots in Sydney 2005 will no doubt be shocked to find that the Australia First Party didn't think that it was wrong..... I will not even go there in this blog as I will never finish it. I will however leave you with disturbing footage of the day and ask two questions; Since when do Australians travel in large crowds while waving fists in the air and chanting? Does this remind you of an earlier clip in this blog?

That was rather serious, and I do apolgise but it needed to be shown.


So I am now off to begin my own extremist group and you are more than welcome to join it. It is called Choccers! We stand for eating lots of chocolate, the creamier, the better. We are against all those diet industry people who constantly tell us its not good for us and we need to lose weight or we will die. We will get our own fashion label, facebook page and of course produce our own propaganda explaining how great we are....

Until next time my Choccer family