1st JUNE 1968

There are certain people in the world who are just so inspirational, so dedicated to what they do, whether it be trying to make a difference or merely just being themselves, that it really makes me think there is hope for our world to one day produce such people again.

On this day in 1968, Helen Keller, who, despite being both deaf and blind, was one of the leading speakers, political activist and author of her time, died at her home in Arcan Ridge, Easton, Conneticut.

Ms. Keller was not born with impairments to her ears and eyes, instead contracting an illness when she was 19 months old, which may have been either scarlet fever or meningitis, that left her with no hearing and no sight. Whilst at first communication with her family was hard, by the time she was seven Ms. Keller had over 60 home signs to communicate effectively with.

Determined to allow her communicate with others as best as she possibly could, Ms. Keller's family employed the help of Anne Sullivan, a 20-year-old visually impaired student herself, a former pupil at the Perkins Institute for the Blind in South Boston. A 49 year partnership between the two only ended with Ms. Sullivan's death in 1936.

After learning what words to use and indeed how to have a language of her own, Ms. Keller began to learn how to speak, doing this so well that she spent much of her life giving speeches and lectures. She learned to listen to other peoples speech by reading their lips with her hands, her sense of touch being heightened as compensation for her lack of other senses.

Ms. Keller became a fluent user of Braille and reading sign language with her hands. Indeed her hands became her eyes, her ears, basically her everything.

She went on to become a world-famous speaker and author and is remembered as an  advocate for people with disabilities, a suffragist, a pacifist, a radical socialist and a birth control supporter. Many of these opinions and her understandings of the world were further explained in her 12 published books and several other articles.

In September of 1964, three years after having suffered a series of strokes and being confined to her home, President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded Ms. Keller the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

After her death on this day, a service was held in her honour at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. Her ashes were placed there next to her companions Anne Sullivan and Polly Thompson.

Her life has been depicted in various films, television movies, a Bollywood movie and a Broadway show.

She truly was incredible.

If you want any more information on how to support those with visual or hearing impairments visit the Helen Keller website.




Image available: http://notesforpakistan.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/helen-keller-summary.html 

31st MAY 1998

Be prepared for some hard hitting journalism right here, right now people, because today's event will shock you to your very core!

On this day in 1998, Geri Halliwell, also known as Ginger Spice, announced that she was leaving the Spice Girls over rumoured differences between other band members.

Formed in 1994, the British "Girl Power" pop group consisted of Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham, Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown, Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton and Melanie "Sporty Spice" Chisholm. They released their debut single 'Wannanbe' under Virgin Records in 1996 which rose to be a number one hit in more than 30 countries, establishing the group as a somewhat 'global phenomenon', whilst their debut a,bum 'Spice' sold more than 28 million copies worldwide.

As the biggest  pop. culture figures of the 1990's, the Spice Girls earned an estimated $500-800 million between 1996 and 1998, earning up to $75 million per year.

And today Ginger Spice thought she would just leave all that, release three solo albums and publish a book series titled 'Ugenia Lavender'.

It was all fixed in 2007 though, when the group reformed for their Reunion Tour in December, as well as for the release of their Greatest Hits album.

Spice Girls. Crazy.

What more is there to say really?





Image available: http://spicegirls.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page 


Video available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJLIiF15wjQ 

30th MAY 1997 - FINAL LECTURE

I didn't actually go to the last lecture. I know! Such a bad student! In my defence, I was in Gympie and it's a little hard to attend a lecture in Brisbane when you're three hours by train away.

I knew that writing this post was going to be a bit hard then, having not attended a lecture I was suppose to discuss. But, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I kind of felt that listening to the lecture recording gave me a good sense of what the lecture was like.

So the lecture was all about this Steve Molk guy. A blogger apparently, although that is apparently a cringeworthy title. So, a TV commentator first who blogs about TV. But blogger nonetheless.

I don't understand why he was so upset by that. Or indeed why being a blogger has this sort of 'cringeworthy' feeling tied to it. I mean, as Steve mentioned, blogging helped people in Egypt get their opinions across, that's what a blog is for. To help people and to give people a voice.

When I write my blog, I try to link it back to something that happened every single day throughout history. Everyday something does happen. News is constantly being made, the world is constantly turning, people constantly moving and we never know all of it. I don't aspire to know and understand the whole world but I feel like through my blog I can learn something I maybe never would have learned otherwise. I mean, I didn't know about that woman who had a baby with her student. Another thing, I knew there was war, but I didn't realise how much war and rioting and death is happening constantly.

What I found that Steve Molk's blog and Twitter posts do is something similar. He posts reviews, recaps and his basic understanding of certain TV shows. He gives his opinion. He wants to help other people understand these shows better by giving them another perspective, another point of view that maybe they'll be able to align with.

I think that what Steve Molk's is doing can kind of relate back to what I'm doing. In a sense, I'm presenting another point of view, another perspective, by re-presenting news that might otherwise have been lost. In turn, people who see the news might be able to further understand other things. For example, in the hit TV show friends, Ross and Rachel are on a flight to Las Vegas and they are playing practical jokes on another. Ross tells one of the other passengers sitting nearby that Rachel was the teacher that had a baby with one of her students. Although I found the joke slightly funny, I didn't know who the woman was and didn't even know if it had happened in real life. BUT when finding stories for my blog I came across it and now I can understand the joke better. That's what I want other people to experience. Reading something to better understand something else.

So, I'm going to keep going with this blog even after this assessment is finished. I might tweak it a little. The kind of journalist that I want to be is a video journalist and to work in foreign countries. I want to work for the ABC or SBS and make documentaries and travel the world and let other people know what else is out there happening in the big old world. So, with my blog, no more lecture posts. I like writing posts about events across the world, things that happened in different countries. So, my understanding.  To make sure that "Brand Me", as Steve suggested, is strong so that people can clearly see what I am doing, how I want to be perceived as a potential video journalist. Bring on the videos! Whoo!

And finally, on this day in 1997, in Trenton, New Jersey, child molester Jess K Timmendequas was convicted of raping and strangling seven-year-old Megan Kanka.

It was because of this incident that the inspired "Megan's Law" was created, which determines that communities must be notified if a sex offender moves into the area.

There you are. You are now wiser!






Image 1 available: http://www.nj.com/shore/blogs/updates/index.ssf/2011/06/index_7.html 
Image 2 available: http://blogs.abc.net.au/.a/6a00e0097e4e688833016763756ee2970b-popup 

29th MAY 1985

On this day in 1985, a wall at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, collapsed, one hour before the start of the European Cup Final between Liverpool (England) and Juventus (Italy). As a result, 39 football fans were killed and somewhere between 400 and 600 other fans were injured.

The incident occurred when a large group of Liverpool fans, who were either really excited or maybe a little bit intoxicated, breached a fence bordering "neutral area" that separated them from their Juventus counterparts. The Italian football fans scattered, many running backwards into a concrete retaining wall. Fans seated near the wall were crushed by the oncoming onslaught of people, pushing further into the wall to escape. Whilst many people climbed the wall to safety, the added weight and pressure on the wall caused it to collapse.

Despite the incident, the game was still played in the hopes of preventing further violence.

The incident resulted in all English football clubs being banned indefinitely by the UEFA from all further European competitions. This was however, lifted in 1990, with Liverpool being excluded for an additional year. Fourteen Liverpool fans were found guilt of involuntary manslaughter, each receiving three years imprisonment.

The event was later claimed to be the darkest hour in the history of the UEFA competitions.



Image available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/768380.stm 

28th MAY 1977

On this day in 1977, the third deadliest fire in the U.S history took place, destroying the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Kentucky.

Opening in 1971, the club, situated less than three kilometres outside of Cincinnati, was extremely popular, drawing its talent from Las Vegas, Nashville, Hollywood and New York. In 1976 upgrades occurred to the club, creating a complex of intertwining function rooms, corridors, and service areas connected by narrow corridors.

On the night of the fire it is believed that almost 3000 patrons and 182 employees were inside the club. Whilst there is speculation that the fire was started intentionally (with new evidence brought to light in 2008), it is still unknown as to how the fire first started in the Zebra Room.

A combination of a lack of sprinkler systems and audible automatic fire alarms, as well as overcrowding and poor oversight by staff members, resulted in the death of 165 people and the injury of 200 more.  There are those who raise the death toll to 167, to include two unborn children of two pregnant women who died.

The last victim of the fire, a woman, died on March 1 1978, nearly ten months after the fire.

As of 2012, the case still remains unopened and unanswered.





Image available: http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2002/05/26/loc_beverly_hills_blaze.html 

27th MAY 2011

On this day in 2011, American actor Jeff Conaway, aged sixty, died after his family made the decision to take him off life support.

Mr. Conaway had been placed into an induced coma as a result of pneumonia related complications and the degenerative brain condition known as encephalopthy.

Mr. Conaway was famous for starring as Kenickie in Grease, Bobby Wheeler in the television show Taxi as well as starring in Babylon 5 and The Bold and The Beautiful.

Throughout his career however, Mr. Conaway battled with drug and alcohol addiction, which he claimed began after incurring a back injury during the filming of Grease.

It's actually extremely sad how many talented actors/actresses die from substance abuse related problems. Scratch that, it's sad how many people in any profession, in any place across the world, die each day from substance abuse.

And as hard as you try to tell somebody that it's not good for them, or try to convince them that it will kill them, humans always like to think in the, "it won't happen to me" mentality.

And then they die.

Like I said, it's sad really.






Image available: http://www.chronillogicaldisorder.com/2011/05/jeff-conaway-he-gone/ 

26th MAY 2012

Yes. That's right. The date does say 2012. That means I'm going to talk about something that happened today, right now, in the present and we all know what that means.

RANT TIME!!!

On this day in 2012, Florence and the Machine came to Brisbane to perform at the Brisbane Riverstage and I REALLY WANTED TO GO!! But of course, tickets sold out in like a second and no matter how many times you go back and refresh the page, the tickets just won't reappear as if by magic. If only.

Florence and the Machine are a British indie pop band, lead by singer Florence Welch, who released their first album 'Lungs' in July 2009 and their second album 'Ceremonials' in October 2010. Both achieved great popularity and success in the UK and US charts and, for that matter, in many other countries (including Australia). Their sound has been described as a combination of various different genres, including rock and soul.

So I didn't get tickets. And then that made me wonder whether or not I was a good enough fan. I mean, I didn't buy tickets and I didn't try that hard to buy tickets (I could have been much more manic about it). And then that made me think about all the people out there who would have bought tickets just because their friends were going, or because they remotely liked Florence and the Machine, or because they just wanted to be cool and go to a concert. You know who I'm talking about: the Hipsters.

I think that in some ways we are all a little bit Hipster. I mean, when we like something and then it becomes popular, we  have to try very hard not to be all "I liked it first! I'm a trendsetter! Yay for me, I'm cool!" Or maybe that's just me. But if it is just me then I apologies for categorising all Hipsters in this way. For stereotyping Hipsters in this way. For using a stereotype within a stereotype.

Anyway, furthering my Hipster-ness I find that in some cases it can get to the point where we begin to dislike the thing that we loved so much in the first place, just because it's getting so popular. Now I'm being a little bit self-centred in classifying myself as a Hipster. I think I'm cool like that (not really, but for the point of my argument we are going to assume as such that I am that Hipster). It can also get to the point where a Hipster will refuse to like something just because everybody else likes it. Or am I getting confused now with some other 'cool' people group?

Anyway, the point of all this ranting, of calling myself a Hipster, basically has just one goal.

To justify WHY I DIDN'T GET TICKETS!!!

Guess I'll just have to watch all her music videos instead.

This song, 'Cosmic Love' was the first I ever listened to by Florence and the Machine after a friend gave me a mixed CD with all sort of soul/ballad/indie songs on it. It is my favourite song.





Image available: http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/general/photos/0,,20475181_20475183_20925822,00.html 
Video available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EIeUlvHAiM 

25th MAY 2010

It's always funny to just stop and think of all the things in the world that I don't know about technology and machines and other various gadgets; like how do they all work, what is their purpose, who uses them and why?

The other day I was thinking about my phone. It's the iPhone 4S and I was just looking at it thinking, "how do you know that my touch, my finger on the screen, means to open up this app and then how do you run that app? How can you just know how to open that app? How can that app even work? I mean all I've done is touch the screen!"

As a result of technology becoming more and more important and inventive and helpful in our daily lives, I never really associate people with the production of gadgets. In the news you just hear about the gadgets that are someday going to take over the jobs that humans do and rule the world. But, I have been corrected in my thinking; there are people still working in factories to make all our shiny new gadgets.

Indeed, on this day in 2010, a nineteen-year-old worker at the Foxconn factory in China died after 'falling' off the building. The large company, which produces mainly mobile phones, including the Apple iPhone, and other electronics for computer companies, admitted to stopping several suicide attempts earlier in the year.

In fact, the deceased man became the tenth person to die in this way since the beginning of 2010. It all stems from a rumour that workers at this company are pushed to their absolute limit and are under a great deal of pressure to produce the goods.

The image raises a valid point. If there's so little pressure on us as consumers when using the product, why does there need to be so much pressure on the producers when creating the product? Not coming up with the design or the schematics or anything, although that opens up a whole other can of worms, but the actual construction of the thing itself.

Maybe we as consumers need to work a little harder.

Just to save some lives.




Image available: http://sacom.hk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ 

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Berrington, E., & Jemphrey, A. (2003). Pressures on the press: Reflections on reporting tragedy. Journalism: theory, practice, criticism, 4(2), 225-248. doi: 10.1177/146488490342005

   The authors, Eileen Berrington and Ann Jemphrey, a lecturer and a research coordinator respectively of critical criminology at Edge Hill College of Higher Education in the United Kingdom, despite not being involved professionally in the journalism field, effectively evaluate the role of journalists in sourcing and collecting information during disaster or other traumatic events, citing many other academic sources to ensure the credibility of the article as a whole. The authors argue the point of ‘primary definers’, that is official sources, usually the police and other authoritative organisations, playing highly constrictive roles in the collection of information for journalists during tragic incidents. Referring to the 1977 Dunblane, Scotland school shooting, the authors cite interviews from journalists and other individuals involved, to qualitatively support the hypotheses that journalists are more likely to turn to unofficial sources, such as rumours and individual opinions, as ‘primary definers’ for information during tragic events, as a result of ethical and moral limitations on authorities. In conclusion, Berrington & Jemphrey link the ethical, moral and situational understandings of the Dunblane incident to the conduct of other journalists when reporting on tragedy in the future as a series of recommendations. Although published in 2003, the authors’ use of substantial academic citations and data assist in supporting the relevance of the claims and stance made towards the shift of ‘primary definers’ during tragic events.


ABC. (Producer), Eastley, T. (Presenter) & Caldwell, A. (Presenter). (2006, May 9). Miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb have been freed. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-05-09/miners-todd-russell-and-brant-webb-have-been-freed/1749306  

   Tony Eastley, the longest serving ABC AM Radio presenter, also regarded as one of the ABC’s most experienced journalists, collaborates with Alison Caldwell, an award-winning journalist now reporting for ABC Radio Current Affairs, beginning the audio piece by discussing the surprisingly good health of the miners when brought to the surface. Caldwell, who is at the scene at the time, refers to rescue worker Glenn Burns, who first saw the two miners during the rescue mission, elaborating on the exact process, procedures and events surrounded the miner’s release. Burns, expressing his personal inferences regarding the mental and physical strength of the miners, reconfirms the stance taken by Caldwell & Eastley throughout the piece, that of reporting in awe of the two men’s courage and determination. Caldwell & Eastley conclude the piece with a statement evaluating the strength of the two miners, proposing their return to full health to be an eminent occurrence. Similar to that of O’Brien, the reliability associated with the ABC as an accurate news provider ensures that, despite not being able to see the individuals or prove that what is said is not falsified, the story’s credibility is unaffected. As an audio medium, the presence of background noise and the conversation of others heard during the interview also assists in enhancing the credibility of the piece.

 ABC News. (Producer), & O’Brien, J. (Presenter). (2006, May 9). Trapped miners rescued after 2 weeks underground. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnCxyAMwa6o

   Although perhaps not the author of the report itself, Joe O’Brien, an employee of the ABC, nonetheless effectively presents the breaking news bulletin for the ABC News television channel regarding the rescue of the Beaconsfield Miners. O’Brien, a presenter and reporter with the ABC since 1995, begins the piece by assuming the stance that the news of Brant Webb and Todd Russell’s rescue will be met with relief and positivity by the Australian people. Footage of the two miners being released from the mine is then shown, whilst O’Brien further discusses the events of the rescue, including how the miners were released and a brief timeline of the rescue, in voiceover. As an element of citation, the ‘at-the-scene’ footage used enhances the credibility of the piece as a breaking news bulletin, reassuring viewing audiences of the reliability of the ABC as a source for up-to-date news. In concluding the piece, O’Brien refers to the relief felt by the entire town of Beaconsfield towards the rescue of the miners, once again reiterating the positive stance taken throughout the piece. In comparison, the article presented by Tippet et. al. refers to both the positivity of the rescue as well as the saddening elements relating to the mine disaster, demonstrating a more quantitative and accurate stance towards the event overall.  

Tippet, G., Darby, A., Doherty, B., & Cubby, B. (2006, May 9).  Free at last. The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 1. Retrieved from Factiva database. 

   The authors, reporters from The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Fairfax Media in general, demonstrate a varied yet experienced understanding of journalism when reporting on the rescue of the Beaconsfield miners, continually referring to both the positive and negative aspects of the event. The authors begin by using descriptive language to effectively paint an emotional picture of the rescue scene and of the individuals present, alternating between the Beaconsfield community’s positive reaction to the rescue and their sympathy and sadness in regards to the death of third miner Larry Knight, information unmentioned in the piece by O’Brien. The events leading up to and following the rescue of the miners are then described in great detail, the authors citing several official ‘primary definers’ as understood from Berrington & Jemphrey to accurately achieve this. The authors conclude the article on a positive note, highlighting the overwhelming relief felt by the nation in regards to the rescue, reaffirming the emotional angle taken throughout the article. Comparatively, the article by Tippet et. al., as a print medium, elaborated and evaluated certain aspects of the rescue not included in the short audio article presented by Caldwell & Eastley. The array of qualitative information presented, as well as the assumed accuracy associated with the collaboration of multiple reliable authors, enhanced the relevance and credibility of the article as a useful citation.

23rd MAY 1934

I somehow managed to get my days mixed up, so here is the event from yesterday.

On this day in 1934, notorious bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were gunned down by police with over 100 rounds of ammunition in Black Lake, Louisiana.

The pair were famous during the Great Depression for leading the "Barrow Gang", whose exploits included robbing several banks, gas stations and small stores. The gang were also believed to have killed at least nine police officers and murdered several civilians.

Although there were many during this time who thought of Bonnie and Clyde as modern day Robin Hoods, in actuality the pair just killed for their own gains, not really 'giving to the poor' as it was.

Following the shooting, their bodies were transported to Dallas, Texas, where the families of both Bonnie and Clyde lived. In fact, Dallas was where the pair first met in 1930

However, despite the individual wishes of Bonnie and Clyde to be buried together, Bonnie's mother insisted that Clyde had stolen her daughter in life so she would steal her back in death.

In 1967, it was insured that their reputation would never die out with the release of Arthur Penn's film 'Bonnie and Clyde'.

Image available: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/bonnie-and-clyde 


Video available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ACCpXaA-MU 

24th MAY 1977 - LECTURE 11

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

22nd MAY 2010

Children are some of the most inspiring people. Think about it; we ask them what they think about the big bad man who takes children and puts them in his child army and it's heart-warming and so innocent and suddenly everyone is thinking they should help because the kid (not to mention his cuteness) inspired them to.

In this case however, it was actual achievement that was inspiring.

On this day in 2010, Jordan Romero, at the age of 13, became the youngest person to climb Mount Everest.

The boy from Big Bear, California, his father and three guides from Kathmandu traveled to the Chinese side of the mountain, where there are no age restrictions for climbers.

Mount Everest is the world's highest summit reaching 8848 metres into the sky.

Jordan's other mountain-climbing achievements are just as impressive. In fact, Jordan is the youngest person to climb all seven summits, the highest peaks on on all seven continents, as well as Australia's Mt. Kosciuszko.

Following Mt. Everest Jordan climbed Vinson Massif in Antarctica in 2011, completing the seven summit climb at the age of 15 years, beating the previous record held by British 16-year-old George Atkinson.

The seven summits include Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (Africa), Mount Elbrus in Russia (Europe), Mount Aconcagua in Argentina (South America), Mount McKinley in the USA (North America), Mount Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia (Australia/Oceania), Mount Everest in Nepal, China (Asia) and Vinson Massif in Antarctica.





Image available: http://iwritealot.com/2010/05/22/jordan-romero-youngest-to-climb-mt-everest/ 

21st MAY 1932

On this day in 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to ever fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

At 34 years of age, Ms. Earhart took off from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, in her Lockheed Vega 5B with the latest copy of a local newspaper to confirm the date of her flight. The original destination as set by Ms. Earhart was Paris,France, to emulate Charles Lindbergh's solo flight. However, after 14 hours, 56 minutes of strong northerly winds, icy conditions and mechanical problems, Ms. Earhart landed in a field at Culmore, north of Derry in Northern Ireland, witnessed by two local men.

A small museum, the Amelia Earhart Centre, is now built on this site.

As a result of this transatlantic flight, Ms. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S Distinguished Flying Cross.

Not only did Ms. Earhart break and set multiple flying records, she was also visiting faculty member at the Purdue University aviation department in 1935, to counsel women on careers and help inspire other with her love of aviation. She wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences and played a critical role in the establishment of The Ninety-Nines, an organistaion for female pilots.

During an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937, Ms. Earhart disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean.

To this day, fascination with her disappearence is at the heart of many conspiricy theories and speculations.








Image available: http://news.discovery.com/adventure/amelia-earhart-island-artifacts.html

20th MAY 2005

Some things that happen in the big old world out there just shouldn't. Just seriously shouldn't. I mean I read about these events or these issue and I just think, "What?! Why?"

On this day in 2005, Mary Kay Letourneau, 43, married Vili Fualaau, 22. At this point the only weird, sort of abnormal thing is the age difference between the pair, a total of 21 years.

Before I dive deeper into the weirdness, let me first tell you a little bit more about our good friend Mary Kay.

Mary Kay Schmitz met her first husband, Steve Letourneau whilst a student at Arizona State University. They had four children together, Steven Jr., Mary Claire, Nicholas and Jacqueline, despite Mary claiming that she was not in love with Steve, marrying him only because her parents urged her to. Unsurprisingly, their marriage was an unhappy one. Whilst living in Seattle, Mary attended night classes at Seattle University, graduating with a teaching degree in 1989. Shortly afterwards she began teaching second grade at Shorewood Elementary School in the suburb of Burien.

It was here, in 1996, that she met Vili Fualaau, her future husband.

Mary Kay first met Fualaau when he was in her second grade class and then taught him again in the sixth-grade class. It was whilst she was teaching him in grade six that the pair began to have an intimate, sexual relationship.

He was 12. She was 35.

In 1997, Mary Kay was arrested when her ex-husband informed police that she had been having sexual intercourse with the sixth-grade Fualaau. She served a seven and a half year sentence for child rape, giving birth to two children, both girls, fathered by Faulaau whilst in prison.

Initially, a no-contact order was issued between the two, but at the request of Fualaau, then 21, this was reversed.

The pair were married on this day in an exclusive ceremony. Exclusive in the sense that Entertainment Tonight was allowed to come in and take photos, which were then given to other media outlets, promoting Mary Kay and Vili's celebrity status even more.

Now I'm all for love having no boundaries and love conquers all, but still! I think that maybe love should have some sort of restrictions, especially in the case that a twelve-year-old can get a thirty-five-year-old pregnant.

Again, I'd like to reiterate, "What?! Why?"

Seriously!






Image available: http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-05-24/gossip/17923643_1_mary-kay-letourneau-teacher-night-seattle-suburb 

19th MAY 1997

Disease is always a topic that concerns a lot of people. One, because they want to know who is at risk and two, because they want to know how they can prevent it from happening to them and their families.

On this day in 1997, in Hong Kong, a three-year-old boy dies as the first victim of Avian Influenza, or A(H5N1). At the end of the year there was a total 18 recorded cases of those suffering from Avian Flu, with six of those victims dying.

In the hopes of preventing the disease from spreading to other countries, authorities in Hong Kong slaughter 1.6 million chickens and other domestic fowl.

The World Health Organisation and other organisations such as UNICEF, still concerned that the disease may mutate and cause a pandemic similar to the 1918/19 Spanish Flu pandemic, sponsor the release of several videos and campaigns instructing the public to maintain their distance from sick or injured birds, specifically chickens. The Spanish Influenza killed roughly between 20 and 100 million people worldwide. That's approximately 2.5 to 5% of the human population.

My favourite of these videos features Jackie Chan telling a group of children to stay away from chickens. This video has the ability to be both entertaining and informative. And it has Jackie Chan in it, martial arts king!

Avian flu and kung-fu! Hi-yah!







Video available:http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NdOkV1l4pO0 

18th MAY 2007

It's just one of those stories that you never think will happen.

On this day in 2007, an eleven-year-old gorilla named Bokito escaped from his enclosure at the Rotterdam Zoo in the Netherlands, injured several people and one woman in particular.

The four hundred pound Bokito grabbed the female visitor and dragged her for several hundred metres, inflicting bone fractures. The woman had been a regular to the gorilla enclosure, pressing her hand against the glass and smiling at Bokito, a practice which primatologists discourage with apes likely to interpret this as a form of aggression. The woman had been warned against doing this several times by zoo employees, but she believed that Bokito and herself had a special bond.

Bokito then entered a nearby zoo restaurant, causing panic and consequent injury to three more people. Bokito was eventually sedated by a tranquilliser gun and placed back in to his enclosure.

Following Bokito's escape the word "Bokitoproof" meaning 'durable enough to resist the actions of an enraged gorilla' and by and large ' durable enough to resist the actions of a non-specific extreme situation' was voted as the Dutch language Word of the Year for 2007.

Image available: http://www.flickriver.com/photos/pg-photography/1576247444/ 

17th MAY 1954

Now I'm not usually a fan of politics. I don't like it and how it structures itself as a profession. And don't even get me started on the politicians, the actual people themselves!

In this instance, what interested me, despite the political aspects, was the concept of race being the defining and overruling factor in deciding both a court case and somebodies right to education.

On this day in 1954, the Unites States Supreme Court, with an overwhelmingly unanimous vote, declared that racial segregation in public educational facilities was unconstitutional. The 'Brown vs. Board of Education' case centred around Linda Brown, an African American girl who had been denied admission to her local elementary school in Topeka, Kansas, just because of the colour of her skin.

It's so interesting to read instances like this, where we get to see humanities jaded past, for me especially in cases where it has been about racial discrimination. I don't know why but I just like reading about these instances and finding out more about why people decided that skin colour was going to be something that determined whether a person was a person or not. I mean who was the first person to clearly say that skin colour matter?

And although we try to say that we live in a modern error where no racism occurs, I still think there does a little bit. We don't mean to but it's still there. It's just something that happens, perhaps not as badly or intensely as did in previous years, but still.

Being racist is not a good thing. But why do we put so much weight into it? Why do we make such a big deal about it?

Hopefully, if I keep reading, I'll fine out tell you.








Image available: https://rcclibrary.wikispaces.com/Brown_v._Board_of_Education 

16th MAY 1969 - LECTURE 10

In this weeks lecture the topic of agenda setting and the role that the media plays in formulating public opinion was discussed.

Agenda setting was defined as "the process of the mass media presenting certain issues frequently and prominently with the result that large segments of the public one to perceive those issues as more important than others. Simply put, the more coverage an issue receives, the more important it is to people." (Coleman, McCombs, Shaw, Weaver, 2008).

The media alters the perception of an issue by the public by filtering certain things out and shaping the way in which the public can view that issue. As a result of the media focusing on only one or more issues, the public begin to see that that is the important issue, the one on which they too should focus and see as important.

So in some ways, this filtering and shaping is a form of censorship, in that the media is determining what we, the public, can view, connect too and deem as important.

Walter Lippman saw that agenda setting in the media was very influential in the form of propaganda. Mr. Lippman defined propaganda as "a tool to help shape images in the minds of human beings in support of an enterprise, idea or group".

Although being both important and influential in many situations, the ability for the media to use propaganda to shape how the public understand, connect and relate to issue has more effect for certain issues than it does for others.

Take war for example.

During both World Wars, media institutes used propaganda and agenda setting to portray the idea that war was the most important thing at that time. Everybody, even those who did not know anyone involved in the war, those who did not want to be involved in the war, those who just wanted to forget the war was even happening, needed to know about it.

In newspapers during that time, more often than not the front page was dedicated to the war and the war effort. Media institutes have the power to put whatever they want on the the front page. It was the war that was the most important.

However, in the case of the Vietnam War, the US governments use of propaganda to portray their involvement in the war as being a good thing, was not received by the public in perhaps the way it was planned for.

On this day in 1969, rioting and protests against the war in Vietnam were held on college campuses across California to the extent that National Guardsmen were called in to patrol the Berkley campus of the University of California with fixed bayonets, in order to keep the peace.

Agenda setting in the media can be used to shape the ideologies of certain people and create cultural groups as a result. Although the media would have wanted everyone to be in favour of the war effort, through the use of propaganda to shape the publics perception of it.

In saying that, the publics initial reaction to an issue can weigh quite heavily on whether or not an issue should be portrayed positively or negatively.

Agenda setting influences the public, the public influence agenda setting.




Image available: http://www.english-online.at/history/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-background.htm 

15th MAY 1993

When comic books and reality align, it usually results in either comedy or tragedy. Unfortunately, in this incident, it was tragedy.

On this day in 1993, a two-day hostage crisis at a nursery school in Paris, France, was ended when masked French police commandoes freed six girls and their 30-year-old teacher Ms. Laurence Dreyfus from an unidentified man who, with 16 sticks of dynamite strapped to his body, calling himself The Human Bomb (the same name as a 1940's DC superhero), threatened to blow up the nursery if he was not given $18.5 million dollars.

The police team burst into the room at 7.25am while the man was dozing, covered the children with mattresses so they would not see and shot the man in the head three times with guns fitted with silencers.

It was later determined that the man was 42-year-old Eric Schmitt,  an Algerian-born French citizen whose computer company had become bankrupt two years before and who had been made redundant in his last job at an electrical firm.

Originally, there were 21 three and four-year-olds in the classroom but after negotiating with Schmitt, 15 children were released in small groups as chosen by Ms. Dreyfus, who, in keeping the children calm and safe was hailed as a national heroine and awarded France's highest civilian award for bravery - the Legion of Honour.

The title of the newspaper article roughly translated reads: "They have saved the children".

Image available: http://www.lejdd.fr/Medias/Images/Le-Journal-du-Dimanche-a-60-ans/16-mai-1993-Human-Bomb-8901/

14th MAY 1973

On this day in 1973, the first U.S space station was launched into orbit around the Earth. The unmanned station, named Skylab, was 35.96 metres tall and weighed 77 tonnes and was launched by a modified Saturn V rocket. It orbited the Earth between 1973 and 1979 with a total of three manned mission visiting the station in that time. Each mission was completed by three crew members.

Some of the systems and equipment within Skylab included an Apollo Telescope Mount (a multi-spectral solar observatory), two docking ports, an Airlock Module with EVA hatches and the Orbital Workshop (the main habitable volume of the station).

It was powered by solar arrays and fuel cells. The rear of the station included a large waste tank, propellant tanks for maneuvering jets and a heat radiator.

The station was damaged at launch with the micrometeroid shield tearing away from the station, consequently depriving the station of most of it spower and removing protection from intense solar heating, threatening to make the station unusable. The first mission crew were able to complete the first ever in-space repair attatching a replacement heat shade and freeing the remaining jammed solar array.

Using Skylab, crews were able to confirm the existence of coronal holes in the sun, take thousands of photographs of the Earth and scan the Earth using sensors that recorded data in the visible, infrared and microwave spectral regions. 
Initial plans were made to refurbish the Skylab so it could continue to be used. However the delay of the launch of the Space Shuttle which was to boost Skylab's orbit and repair it, resulted in Skylab re-entering Earth's atmosphere and disintegrating in 1979.

Debris from the re-entry crashed into parts of Western Australia including the coastal town of Esperance. In fact, the Esperance City Council fined the United States $400 for littering as a result of the falling debris. It was not until April 2009 that the fine was paid when Highway Radio host Scott Barley raised the funds from his morning show listeners and paid the fine on the behalf of NASA.

In another surreal event, The San Fransisco Examiner offered a $10 000 prize for the first piece of Skylab to be delivered to their offices. 17-year-old Stan Thornton collected a few pieces of Skylab off the roof of his home in Esperance, caught the first flight to San Fransisco and collected his prize.

Some of which he probably used to pay for his flight back home.




Imageavailable: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylab

13th MAY 2012

Last night I watched Mission Impossible IV: Ghost Protocol starring Tom Cruise. I haven't actually seen any of the other three MI movies but because Simon Pegg is in this one and I think that he is hilarious, I wanted to watch this one.

It's always funny how when I'm looking for something to write about, something that I've noticed or discussed in the days beforehand always seems to relate to whatever it is that I find.

On that note, today is TOP GUN Day.

Well, at least according to blogger IceMan at www.topgunday.com, who not only has an entire site dedicated to Top Gun, but who, it would appear, loves the show so much that he's decided to try and have 13th May be forever labelled as Top Gun Day.

Top Gun is an American action/drama film that follows Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a young Naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. He and his Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw (played by Anthony Edwards) are given the chance to train at the Navy's Fighter Weapons School. The film follows Maverick's progress through the training, his romance with a female instructor (Kelly McGillis) and his journey to overcome a crisis of confidence following a fatal training accident.

The film was first released in 1968. However, a 3D re-release has been nominated for 2012.

So 'call the ball' and participate in Top Gun Day because, as IceMan says, "it's like talk like a pirate day, only way cooler."

Sure thing IceMan. Sure thing.

Image available: http://popcritics.com/movies/top-gun

12th MAY 1937

On this day in 1937,  the coronation of King George VI took place at Westminster Abbey. It sparked the 16 year reign over the United Kingdom of a man who was not initially meant to be King. George was the second in line to the throne after his elder brother Edward. However, Edward abdicated in order to marry divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson.

Albert Frederick Arthur George was the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth. He was married to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who became better known as 'The Queen Mother" and who was much beloved by the British people right up until her death in March 2002 at the ripe old age of 102.

Their oldest daughter is the current Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth the II.

George died on the 6 February 1952 at Sandringham House, Norfolk. He was buried 9 days later at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Image available: http://willswift.com/king_george_vi.htm 

11th MAY 1931

Journalistically speaking today's birthday is very important. Why? Because today's birthday boy is none other than:

RUPERT MURDOCH!!!

Good old Mr. Murdoch was born in Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital on this day in history in 1931. His father was Sir Keith Murdoch, a renowned war correspondent and later a regional newspaper magnate, so it's no wonder why Rupert, as the only son, would follow in his father's footsteps. 

In 1952, after his father's death, Mr. Murdoch took over as managing director of News Limited at the age of 21. Furthering this Mr. M acquired various newspapers in Australia and New Zealand throughout the 1950's and 1960's. In 1969, Mr. M took over the UK's 'News of the World' and 'The Sun'. 

Rupert moved to the USA in 1974, specifically to New York, to expand into the US market. Following the creation of his News Corporation in 1979, Mr. M purchased his first British broadsheet, "The Times" in 1981. 

In 1985 Mr. M. became a naturalised US citizen and acquired Twentieth Century Fox and in 1989 Harper Collins. 

By the year 2000, Mr. M's News Corporation owned over more than 800 companies in more than 50 countries with a net worth of over $5 billion. 

In 2007, Mr. M took over 'The Wall Street Journal'. 

Such it is that Mr. M is the founder, chairman and CEO of the world's second largest media conglomerate.

However, the phone hacking scandals and the multiple (and sometimes crazy) wives and the fact that he is quite a powerful figurehead in the media means that we are of course constantly judging good old Mr. M and everything that he does.

Serves him right for being worth over $5 billion and not sharing any with me.

What?! I can dream of being a billionaire can't I?

Image available: http://www.mamamia.com.au/news/news-rupert-murdochs-twitter-trouble/ 

Information available: www.spiritus-temporis.com/rupert-murdoch/ 

10th MAY 1994

On this day in 1994, Nelson Mandela was officially inaugurated as South Africa's first black president. The event was held at the Union Building's amphitheatre in Pretoira. Politicians and dignitaries from more than 140 countries around the world attended the ceremony.

During his role as president from 1994 until 1999, Nelson Mandela strove to combat poverty and inequality in South Africa, introducing several policies and social reforms to achieve this. Many of these policies were related to the benefitting of children, such as free health care for all children under the age of six, child support grants in the hope of reducing child poverty, bringing 1.5 million children into the education system, and furthering that making school compulsory for children between the age of six and fourteen as well as providing free meals for 3.5 - 5 million school children.

Other reforms included connecting 3 million South Africans to telephone lines, upgrading or constructing 500 health clinics across South Africa, connecting 2 million people to the electricity grid, constructing 750 000 houses and as such providing shelter for approximately 3 million people, as well as ensuring easy water access for more than 3 million people.

There's always been talk and controversy surrounding Mr. Mandela, both in positive and negative lights. As a world public figure, someone who is in the public eye of millions if not billions of people, it's expected that a little gossip will circulate. Despite all this, Nelson Mandela was clearly dedicated, as both president and still today, as an activist for equality and fairness in a human rights.

If I had a list of celebrities who I would wish to meet in life, I think that Nelson Mandela would be up there somewhere, quite high, maybe even making the top 5.

If I did meet him, I'd ask him, "Mr. Mandela, sir, what is your opinion of ice-cream?"

Then I would relate it back to politics somehow.



It's a good thing this will probably never happen, hey?



Image available: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nelson_mandela/ 

9th MAY 1944

On this day in 1944, it was proven that anyone could be a politician if they wanted to, when Jimmie Davis, famous for recording secular and religious songs, was elected as the Governor of Louisiana. Indeed, Mr Davis, who you will be interested to know, wrote the song "You Are My Sunshine" served two non-consecutive terms as the Governor.

And the interesting facts continue! Jimmie Davis lived to be 101 years of age before his death in November 2000. As a result of this he has the distinction of being the longest living United States governor.

He is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

Needless to say, I'm pretty impressed with Jimmie Davis and the life that he lived. He would have been one of those extraordinary people to meet.

And I bet that he had some amazing stories to tell.






Image available: http://thehoundblog.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/gov-jimmie-davis.html 

8th MAY 2010

Here's one for all you world news/economics/financial nuts!

On this day in 2010, the Eurozone leaders approves a $145 billion loan to aid Greece in preventing the worsening of its finacial situation. The aid was given on the condition that Greece cut its public spending before it could receive the three year loan. The move was made as a preventive measure, in the hope that it would prevent Greece from becoming bankrupt. Consequently, it was feared that without loan, the collapse of Greece would result in a similar fate for other European Union countries.

Clearly, we can see that this went well, what with the Euro sovereign crisis only just appearing to stabilise. What I can't quite comprehend is how a nation lets itself get into a financial crisis such as this. I mean, I know that a lot of it just happens, but don't they have some sort of plan institutionalised that can help them prevent this further than just, "hey here's some more money!" Isn't it just like giving a drug addict more drugs and then saying, "but don't do drugs anymore okay?" I guess that I'll just agree to not undestand the financial world.

Oy vey...



Image available: http://blogs.ft.com/the-world/2011/11/eurozone-crisis-live-blog-9/#axzz1uHMOmAds 

7th MAY 1956

If you've seen any of my previous posts, particularly that of the 23rd of April, you will know that I immensly dislike smokers. The concept of smoking disugsts me. Seeing people walk around with toxic fumes surrounding their heads is not an attractive image for me. For that reason, today's event highly amused me.

On this day in 1956, the British Health Minister Robert (Robin) Hugh Turton rejected the notion for a  government campaign agaisnts smoking. It was Mr. Turton's understanding that no ill-effects had acutally been proven to eventuate from smoking. Indeed, Mr. Turton further believed that there was no link between smoking and lung cancer and that even if there was, this had not been clincally proven.

It is therefore my opinion that, not only was it highly likely that Mr. Turton himself was a smoker, he was also probably an idiot. And yet he remained the Minister for Health for two years.

Two years!

My, my what was the world like back then?!

Hazy probably...





Image available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/7/newsid_2518000/2518245.stm 

6th MAY 1937

Yes, I know I've gotten behind on my days. I was doing so well too. A post a day keeps the doctor way, huh! Well, besides the fact that I've missed a copule of days I'm going to get caught up. Starting with the 6th May 1937.

On this day in 1937, the German Airship Hindenburg, the largest dirigible (like a blimp or zepplin) ever built was destroyed whilst attempting to moor at Lakehurst, New Jersey. The airship burst into flames and fell 70 metres to the ground. When it hit the ground the hull was reduced to rubble within seconds as a result of the hydrogen core igniting.

Only a year previously, on the exact same day, had the Airship Hindenburg completed its first flight from Europe to New York.

The Hindenburg was described as being like an ocean liner with an elegant interior.


Not to say that ocean liners aren't elegant.


Well...




Image available:http://depletedcranium.com/what-killed-the-hindenburg-hydrogen-or-fabric/

5th MAY 1921

The fashion world was impeccable changed in 1919 when Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel was officially registered as a fashion designer, both clothing and millinery, with the opening of her first 'maison de couture'. However it was not until the 5th May 1921 that the influence and magic that was Coco Chanel hit the perfume world.

On this day in 1921, Chanel introduced Chanel No. 5 to the public at her boutique.

Whilst the perfume had already been presented to clients of Chanel's whom she liked more than others, as well as some of her friends, it was by introducing it to the public that ensured the celebrity of the brand and indeed the perfume. Created by renowned perfumer Ernest Beaux, the perfume was one of the most expensive in the world at the time. Jasmine was the most expensive perfume oil and in its heavy reliance on Jasmine, the price tag attached to Chanel No. 5 was for the very elite. When deciding on a name for the perfume, after being presented with several different samples of scents created by Beaux, Chanel said,

"I present my dress collections on the fifth of May, the fifth month of the year and so we will let this sample number five keep the name it already has, it will bring good luck."

Nowadays, every girl and perhaps every guy knows about Chanel No. 5. In fact it is often considered the world's most famous perfume, with an bottle estimated to be sold every thirty seconds.

The first famous celebrity face to be associated with the perfume was that of Marilyn Monroe in the 1950's. Following Monroe other famous Chanel No. 5 ladies include Catherine Deneuve, Estella Warren, Ali McGraw and Nicole Kidman.








Image available: www.bellasugar.com.au/Franois-Ternons-Chanel-5-biography-released-Europe-5758944 


Quote available: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanel_No._5 

4th MAY 1970

On this day in 1970, members of the American National Guard fired a number of shots at student protestors at the Kent State University, Ohio. An estimated 2000 students were protesting against the American invasion of Cambodia. The guardsmen fired a total of 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds. As a result four were killed and another 10 injured, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis. The guards started shooting when the protest group would not disperse from the campus grounds. Several attempts before the shootings were made to move the students away including using tear gas.

Following this event there was a significant national response. Hundreds of universities, colleges and high schools closed across the United States due to a student strike of approximately four million students. The event further affected the public opinion in regards to the role of the United States in the Vietnam War, at a time when society was already contentious.

Student protests are always interesting to read about, not because they're good stories but because the influence they simultaneously have on the public is quite extensive. I mean almost four million students didn't show up! The influence that students have on civil rights movements is amazing. In fact the influence that students have on any sort of movement is incredible! This is how the world is changed. An event happens and some people (students, members of the public, anybody really) talk about it and they don't like it and suddenly it's a world issue.

It's amazing the influence that students, as a medium of opinions, have on the world.


Go us.










Image available: http://mediagallery.usatoday.com/Kent+State+University