Category Archives: Media

Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone?

Posted on March 27, 2013 by macca

As we expect more from technology, do we expect less from each other? Sherry Turkle studies how our devices and online personas are redefining human connection and communication – and asks us to think deeply about the new kinds of … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Computing, Data, Education, Family and Friends, Media, People, Resilience, Social Media, Sustainability, Telecommunications, The web | Comments Off

Climate change misinformation drowns out the facts on the ABC’s The Drum Unleashed forum

Posted on January 28, 2013 by macca

I can’t tell you how sick I am of seeing comments from misinformed amateurs, like “there has been no statistical global warming for the last 16 years”, in the ABC’s The Drum Unleashed forum (see garyM, a denialist troll of … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Data, Emissions, Energy, Environment, Government, Investment, Limits to Growth, Media, Politics, Pollution, Renewables, Science, Sustainability | Comments Off

We wish you a trashy Christmas…

Posted on December 12, 2012 by macca

George Monbiot, writing in the UK Guardian, reminds us that “of the materials flowing through the consumer economy, only 1% remain in use six months after sale.” So, before you commit to that electronic drum machine T-shirt, spare a thought … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Climate Change, Debt, Emissions, Environment, Government, Investment, Limits to Growth, Media, Politics, Pollution, Resources, Sustainability | Comments Off

1960s Batmobile up for sale – get your money ready!

Posted on December 5, 2012 by macca

Holy Bargain Batman! The original Batmobile from the 1960s TV series Batman is up for sale. The man who’s selling it is the same man who created it – 87-year-old George Barris. Here’s George, interviewed by Waleed Ali on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Fiction, Graphic Design, Media, Transport, USA | Comments Off

Oliver Stone on “The Untold History of the United States”

Posted on November 27, 2012 by macca

Part One Part Two From DemocracyNow! via YouTube: Academy Award-winning Oliver Stone has teamed up with historian Peter Kuznick to produce a 10-part Showtime series called, “Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States.” Drawing on archival findings and recently … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, Inequality, Media, Politics, USA, War | Comments Off

Gen X & Y: Suffering a Narcissism Epidemic?

Posted on November 4, 2012 by macca

Poor attention span. Lack of concentration. Poor writing skills and dysfunctional spelling. You’ll find these problems – and many more – amongst the kids of Gen X & Y, and that curious planet populated by the “digital natives”. Digital technology … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Comprehension, Computing, Data, Education, Media, Politics, Science, Social Media, Telecommunications, The web | Comments Off

The Julian Assange Show: Noam Chomsky and Tariq Ali

Posted on October 23, 2012 by macca

Julian Assange interviews both Noam Chomsky and Tariq Ali on his short-lived TV Show on Russia Today. Mac laptop journalism from our embassy-bound wayward son; faked fairly badly in sections of the video. My favourite quotes are from Chomsky, commenting … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Data, Inequality, Media, Politics, Social Media, USA | Comments Off

Alan Jones: The Closet Recordings

Posted on October 5, 2012 by macca

There’s been much ado about Alan Jones lately, insulting the Prime Minister and such. But we tend to forget the essential nature of the man; his monumental ego, his hard-right abrasive politics and his abusive temperament. Lest we forget, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Communication, Government, Media, Politics | Comments Off

Spammers flaunt their criminality on ABC TV

Posted on September 21, 2012 by macca

This is a very strange piece from Ticky Fullerton on the ABC’s The Business program. It’s been illegal in Australia to send unsolicited commercial electronic messages to consumers since 2004, yet here are a bunch of people admitting to it, … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Computing, Data, Government, Humour, Media, Politics, Social Media, SPAM, The web | Comments Off

Web 3.0 – Good or Evil

Posted on August 19, 2012 by macca

Authors Andrew Keen (#digitalvertigo – how today’s online social revolution is dividing, diminishing, and disorienting us) and Nick Harkaway (The Blind Giant: Being Human in a Digital World) debate whether the Internet and social media are positive or negative forces … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Computing, Data, Education, Media, Politics, Social Media, USA | Comments Off

Education: More computers = less literacy

Posted on August 6, 2012 by macca

Michael Callanan, a high school teacher from Brisbane, discusses whether computers in schools have a beneficial effect on academic achievement. He finds that as computer saturation levels in the Australian Education system have risen, literacy and numeracy scores amongst students … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Computing, Data, Education, Media, Science, Social Media, The web | Comments Off

Larry Lessig: How creativity is being strangled by the law

Posted on June 5, 2012 by macca

Larry Lessig, the Web’s most celebrated lawyer, cites John Philip Sousa, celestial copyrights and the “ASCAP cartel” to argue for a creative cultural revival.

Posted in Advertising, Communication, Copyright, Data, Investment, Law, Media, Politics | Comments Off