Khan Academy: An Online Education

During my first semester of university I've been participating in a Chem1090 course so I can enter into a dual degree of Science/Arts next semester. Cramming two years of high school chemistry into one semester of uni has meant a lot of information is thrown at us and we must take the initiative to go home and do more in-depth learning of what is being taught.

In one of my PASS sessions a website called Khan Academy was mentioned to me. It is run by a man called Salman Khan who basically teaches a variety of subjects like maths, science and finance through online videos. I went on to the website, wondering how useful it would really be. After watching a few lessons on parts of my chemistry course that I was having trouble with I couldn't believe what a gold mine I had found! He takes viewers through different processes step by step and explains things in such simple terms compared to in lectures. I really can't thank Sal, as he calls himself, enough for helping me both learn and enjoy chemistry as much as I have.

I turned on the TV the other morning and was amazed to see him being interviewed on Sunrise. Through the interview I discovered his online website aims to educate those who live in remote areas who do not have access to a teacher or school. His website has been viewed over 50 million times and is now being used all around the world. So who is this guy? How does he know so much STUFF and how to teach it so well? I watched an interview he did with Charlie Rose to find out. Here it is below.

So for anyone having trouble with any sort of mathematics, science or finance stuff try out this website and it will no doubt help you out! http://www.khanacademy.org/ 

Week 13 - Guest Speaker: Steve Molk

So we had our very last JOUR1111 lecture this week. Its hard to believe my introductory journalism course is winding up, I can still remember my first lecture! Being told, 'you are the journalist!'

For our last lecture Bruce introduced us to a guest lecturer: Steve Molk. An IT professional who confesses he 'likes talking about TV' and wanted to be a media writer. He runs his own blog, writes articles often published by Fairfax and appears on several radio shows.

Today he talked to us about online and social media and his experiences. Being an avid Twitter man he reminded us of the power such a website has. Just last week it was through Twitter that the world learned of Michael Clarke's wedding. Some positive aspects of Twitter he highlighted: Engaging, not just one-way, interactive, opinionated, noisy, boils down to the facts, spreads news instantly.

As has been emphasised in previous lectures, Steve talked about the growing importance of online media for journalists. A degree in journalism will aid us with employment but we should be getting out there on the internet even as undergraduates and setting ourselves up. The internet and social media makes us much more employable if was can demonstrate our knowledge as a journalist. We can gain international exposure and without editors we can pitch our story in whatever way we choose. Getting news online gives us many different views, connects us straight with the source and allows us to interact with people who have similar interests. These are no doubt some of the reasons it has taken off.

I found Steve's story of Mia Freedman interesting. Once the editor of Dolly, Cleo and Cosmo she left her job and started a blog called Mamamia. Now five years later it has turned into a 'mini empire' with about twenty employees and nearly 900 000 viewers each month! After the lecture I went on to her website and found out a little more. Here it is:http://www.mamamia.com.au/

Steve also talked about his experiences as a blogger. He likes to talk about television that is topical and interesting to him. He takes whatever opportunities he can to interview people on television or who make television. One of his rules when watching any show is to give it at least three episodes before forming an opinion. He told us of his interview with Will Anderson last year and I was amazed to hear he asked for the interview over Twitter! I know I sometimes wonder how I will ever get in contact with anyone I want to interview so maybe I will try out this method! Steve's blog is still in its early stages but is growing steadily with some of his work now being published by Fairfax.

Something Steve said that I thought was worth writing down was, "The way we understand how information is given to us is going to impact the writers and journalists we become."

Thanks for the lecture Steve Molk!

Investigative Journalist : John Pilger

In our last lecture Bruce Redman mentioned the name of a man called John Pilger. Both an investigative journalist and film-maker I decided to find out more....

John Pilger is a Sydney-born man whose career spans decades and various continents. He appears a man interested in exposing crimes against humanity and global injustices, issues that I believe should be in our news more often.

Here is a brief  biography from the website: http://www.johnpilger.com/biography

Like many of his Australian generation, Pilger and two colleagues left for Europe in the early 1960s. They set up an ill-fated freelance 'agency' in Italy (with the grand title of 'Interep') and quickly went broke. Arriving in London, Pilger freelanced, then joined Reuters, moving to the Londo
n Daily Mirror, Britain's biggest selling newspaper, which was then changing to a serious tabloid.

He became chief foreign correspondent and reported from all over the world, covering numerous wars, notably Vietnam. Still in his twenties, he became the youngest journalist to receive Britain's highest award for journalism, Journalist of the Year and was the first to win it twice. Moving to the United States, he reported the upheavals there in the late 1960s and 1970s. He marched with America's poor from Alabama to Washington, following the assassination of Martin Luther King. He was in the same room when Robert Kennedy, the presidential candidate, was assassinated in June 1968.

His work in South East Asia produced a iconic issue of the London Mirror, devoted almost entirely to his world exclusive dispatches from Cambodia in the aftermath of Pol Pot's reign. The combined impact of his Mirror reports and his subsequent documentary, Year Zero: the Silent Death of Cambodia, raised almost $50 million for the people of that stricken country. Similarly, his 1994 documentary and dispatches report from East Timor, where he travelled under cover, helped galvanise support for the East Timorese, then occupied by Indonesia.

In Britain, his four-year investigation on behalf of a group of children damaged at birth by the drug Thalidomide, and left out of the settlement with the drugs company, resulted in a special settlement.

His numerous documentaries on Australia, notably The Secret Country (1983), the bicentary trilogy The Last Dream (1988) and Welcome to Australia (1999) all celebrated and revealed much of his own country's 'forgotten past', especially its indigenous past and present.

He has won an Emmy and a BAFTA for his documentaries, which have also won numerous US and European awards, such as as the Royal Television Society's Best Documentary.


What an amazing guy!! He is certainly a great example of what an exciting and rewarding career a journalist can have. If you would like to watch any of the videos he's made here's a link to them: http://www.johnpilger.com/filmography

A closer look at cliches

Ever wondered how a phrase or cliché was first made? A leopard cannot change its spots, All's well that ends well, Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. During my writing course I've come across a few of these and it got me thinking and wondering who thought of them and why have they stuck? So I thought I'd find out the origins and meanings of some my favourite and most popular phrases and cliches.

Straight from the horses mouth
Meaning - From the highest authority
Origin -In horse racing circles tips on which horse is a likely winner circulate amongst punters. The most trusted authorities are considered to be those in closest touch with the recent form of the horse, i.e. stable lads, trainers etc. The notional 'from the horse's mouth' is supposed to indicate one step better than even that inner circle, i.e. the horse itself.

Wild goose chase
Meaning - A hopeless quest
Origin - The earlier meaning related to horse racing. A 'wild goose chase' was a chase in which horses followed a lead horse at a set distance, mimicking wild geese flying in formation.

Jump the gun
Meaning - Beginning something before before preparations for it are complete
Origin - Derives from track and field races and was preceded in the USA by the phrase 'beat the gun' (or pistol). This has been known from the early 20th century.

Loose cannon
Meaning - An unpredictable person or thing
Origin -  From the 17th century to the 19th century, wooden warships carried cannon as their primary offensive weapons. In order to avoid damage from their enormous recoil when fired they were mounted on rollers and secured with rope. A loose cannon was just what it sounds like, that is, a cannon that had become free of its restraints and was rolling dangerously about the deck.

On Cloud Nine
Meaning - In a state of blissful happiness
Origin - A commonly heard explanation is that the expression originated as one of the classifications of cloud which were defined by the US Weather Bureau in the 1950s, in which 'Cloud Nine' denotes the fluffy cumulonimbus type that are considered so attractive. Another explanation is that the phrase derives from Buddhism and that Cloud Nine is one of the stages of the progress to enlightenment of a Bodhisattva (one destined to become a Buddha).

A square meal
Meaning - a substantial meal
Origin -  It is frequently repeated, by tour guides and the like, that the expression 'a square meal' originated from the Royal Navy practice of serving meals on square wooden plates. Such plates did exist so that is a plausible story, but there's no other evidence to support it. The word square has many meanings, including 'proper, honest, straightforward', and that's the meaning in 'square meal'. This isn't a rectilinear meal on right-angled crockery, but a good and satisfying meal.

Spill the beans
Meaning - To divulge a secret
Origin - The derivation of this expression is said to be a voting system used in ancient Greece. The story goes that white beans indicated positive votes and black beans negative. Votes had to be unanimous, so if the collector 'spilled the beans' before the vote was complete and a black bean was seen, the vote was halted

Take the cake
Meaning - Carry off the honours
Origin - It is widely supposed that this phrase originated with cake-walk strutting competitions, which were commonplace in the black community of the southern USA in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In those, couples would be judged on their style in the 'cake-walk'. The winners were said to have 'taken the cake', which was often the prize.

On the wagon
Meaning - Abstaining from alcohol
Origin - Suggested explanations of the origin of 'on the wagon' focus on actual wagons that were used to transport people; for example, condemned prisoners who had taken their last drink in this life and were transported to the gallows by wagon.

The bees knees
Meaning - Excellent
Origin -  Bees carry pollen back to the hive in sacs on their legs. Hence the phrases alludes to the concentration of goodness about the bees knees.


All meanings and origins of the phrases above were taken from
 http://www.phrases.org.uk

Week 12 - Investigative Journalism

Just the title of the topic for this week's lecture had me excited. Who wouldn't want to be an investigative journalist, uncovering buried stories and exposing them to the world? We began the lecture with looking at the in's of investigative journalism:
- Intelligence - money sex and power often comes up in investigative journalism
- Informed - research and get the facts
- Intuitive - use your gut feeling
- Inside - get on the inside
- Invest - invest a lot of yourself

I found it interesting that there were four different definitions given for investigative journalism, all of which I agreed with. I have written them below.

Definition 1: Critical and thorough journalism

• Critical - The journalist is an active participant
• Thorough - the journalist makes substantial effort
•  Active intervention - the key idea

Definition 2: Custodians of conscience

• Exposure - the key idea
• Takes societies morals and norms and holds breaches up to public scrutiny
  

Definition 3: Provide a voice for those without one and hold the powerful to account

• Social justice - giving power to the powerless, voice to the voiceless
• Public interest - the key idea

 Defintion 4: Government watchdog/ Fourth branch of government/ 'fourth estate'

•  Balancing the power of the government with the powerless of society
• Interrogating judiciary, executive and legislature to ensure free flow of information in our democracy
• Hold public figures accountable for functions that impact on society
• Watchdog - key idea

 They key ideas of each are different but I don't think any of them are 'wrong' definitions. It is more they are different variations and purposes of investigative journalism.

Bruce Redman showed us some investigative journalist trailblazers who changed the world through the stories they uncovered and exposed. This was both inspiring and a little intimidating as there is so much work involved. I definitely feel that the story a journalist uncovers must have special meaning for them to be able to toil over it so long and meticulously. Some examples of local investigative journalism  were: The Global Mail, Crikey and Australian Story

I think Bruce gave us three very important things to consider when undertaking an investigation:

1. Always check your facts
2.  Assume nothing
3.  Expect whistle blowers to go crazy

You are really putting your reputation, your job and possibly your safety on the line when doing investigative journalism and the three points mentioned above must always be remembered to help stay out of trouble. Checking facts I think is the most important as getting them wrong will give misleading information and possible legal repercussions.

Some types of investigative interaction:
-Interviews (both with on record and anonymous sources)
-Observations
-Documents (laws suits, legal docs, tax records)
-Briefings
-Leaks
-Trespass
-Theft

Possible threats to investigative journalism include:

• Online news - Less money, less journalists and less time

• Growth in PR - Shrinkage in journalism

I think of investigative journalism sort of like the 'extreme' of the journalist stream of work. Its both exciting, hard-work, often takes months or even years, and is hopefully rewarding at the end. What more could you ask for from a job?

Annotated Bibliography

Cline, A. (2009). Putting Journalism's Unwritten Theory of Democracy onto Paper. Journal of Mass Media Ethics: Exploring Questions of Media Morality, 24 (2-3), 194-196

Andrew Cline from the Department of Media, Journalism and Film at Missouri State University reviews the published works of Jeffrey Scheuer, The Big Picture: Why Democracies Need Journalistic Excellence. The author first discusses the unwritten theory of democracy using information from Democracy and the News by Herbert J. Gans (2003) to clarify his ideas. Cline is unimpressed with Scheuer's approach to putting journalism's unwritten theory of democracy into writing and uses direct quotes from Scheuer's book and example scenarios to strengthen his argument. With citations once again from Scheuer's book he points out that the author makes claims without evidence, often fails to elaborate and uses unoriginal ideas found in other published works. Throughout the review Cline also contrasts and challenges Scheuer's book with citations from two other published works on similar topics. In an effort to find positive aspects of the book Cline asserts the book's value in creating discussion in journalism ethics and suggests it as a prequel to Kovach and Rosenstiel's (2001) Elements of Journalism. The review given by Cline has evidence backing its opinions, and aims to give an experienced perspective on an ethical issue of journalism.

Sunday Night. Channel 7. 1 April 2012. Retrieved from

http://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/features/article/-/13305677/surf-life-saving-in-crisis/

Sunday Night's award-winning investigative journalist (Knox, 2008), Ross Coulthart, examines why Matthew Barclay and two boys before him died at the Australian Life Saving Championship. Coulthart interviews a variety of sources to add credibility to his investigation including Phil and Dana Bird - parents of deceased Saxon Bird, professional lifeguard - Terry McDermott, CEO of Surf Life Saving - Brett Williamson and Super Intendant - Jim Keogh. After various interviews, Coulthart confronts Surf Life Saving Queensland President - Ralph Devlin, as to why the event was allowed to run. One of the key arguments put forth by Coulthart is documentary evidence of the competition's sponsorship contracts. As these documents are never shown on the program viewers must trust Coulthart to be telling the truth. Because Sunday Night relies on audience numbers for its survival, it makes the investigation emotionally and visually engaging. It emphasises injustice and points fingers to create drama that captivates its audience. Visual stimulation shows grieving people, funeral footage, dangerous surf and unflattering close-ups of the accused Life Saving President. These techniques are used to sway audience opinion to suit Coulthart's agenda and keep them from flicking the remote.

Calligeros, M. (2012 March 29). Heartbreak and Inquiries after death of 'great kid'. Retrieved from

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/

Marissa Calligeros is a University of Queensland graduate and finalist for Queensland's Student Journalist of the Year 2008 who currently works for the Brisbane Times (Marissa Calligeros, 2009). In this online article she reports on the death of Matthew Barclay, the effect of this tragedy on the community and the investigations that will take place in the future. As Brisbane Times is a local news source, whose audience resides in Brisbane city and its surrounds, the report focuses strongly on the community effect of Matthew's death. Interviews of his friends and classmates along with descriptions of those grieving are peppered throughout the article. This is very different to the less personal, more interrogative approach of Calthart. Calligeros interviews several people to add credibility, but her opinion and conclusion as to how Matthew died are not stated like in Calthart investigation. When assessing the credibility of this online article it must be remembered that the Brisbane Times, like Sunday Night, is a commercial media driven by profit-making. The article's target audience is more localised and the approach taken by the reporter is not about 'finding who is to blame' like Sunday Night's Calthart, but in exposing a local tragedy to the community.

Forbes, T. & Eastley, T. (Presenters) (2012 March 29). Teenage Life Savers body found. AM, ABC Radio

According to ABC News (2012) AM has been setting the day's agenda with concise reports and analysis from journalists for over forty years. The ABC corporation is a citizen-funded public media whose values are centred around informing the public and producing quality material (Redman, 2012). As it has no allegiance to investors and is not driven by profit-making it is a highly regarded news source in Australia. Radio presenter Tony Eastley has been working at the ABC as a journalist, foreign correspondent and television and radio presenter for over thirty years (ABC News, 2012). On his radio show he discusses with reporter Tom Forbes the aftermath of Matthew Barclay's death. Tom Forbes reports directly from Kurrawa beach where the tragedy took place. Throughout the discussion talk is focused mainly on the conditions of the beach and the body found earlier that day. Forbes' report of the incident has none of the drama of Calthart's investigation and less personalisation compared to Calligeros's report. True to ABC style, it brings a lot of facts and no personal opinions, but these facts are hard to verify when listening because of the lack of visual aid. We have to trust that Forbes has done his research and interviewed people before talking on AM with Tony Eastley as there are no direct quotes or interviews to back him.

Interestingly, both the ABC Radio report and The Brisbane Times report leave the question as to how Matthew died unanswered whereas Sunday Night's investigation tries to convince its audience that Matthew died because of dangerous surf conditions. While the other two sources blame no one Sunday Night, after interviewing different people, directly accuses Surf Life Saving Queensland for the fifteen-year-old's death. As no formal investigation has yet taken place and no evidence of how Matthew died has been released these assumptions are questionable. This highlights once again Sunday Night's commercial media outlook, pulling audience numbers rather than keeping to the facts.

APA Reference List

ABC News. (2012). AM with Tony Eastley. Retrieved from

http://www.abc.net.au/am/about.html

Calligeros, M. (2012 March 29). Heartbreak and Inquiries after death of 'great kid'. Retrieved from

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/

Cline, A. (2009). Putting Journalism's Unwritten Theory of Democracy onto Paper. Journal of Mass Media Ethics: Exploring Questions of Media Morality, 24 (2-3), 194-196

Forbes, T. & Eastley, T. (Presenters) (2012 March 29). Teenage Life Savers body found. ABC Local Radio

Knox, D. (2008, October 17). Ross Coulthart Joins Seven. Retrieved from:

http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/10/ross-coulthard-joins-seven.html

Marissa Calligeros. (2009). Brisbane Times. Retrieved from

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/about-us/marissa-calligeros/index.html

Redman, B. (2012) Week 7 – Public Media. [PowerPoint slides]. Unpublished manuscript. JOUR1111. University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia

Sir David Attenborough: A Man to be Admired

Of all the people in the world, Sir David Attenborough would have to be one that I admire and look up to most. Not only is he an example of someone who has crossed zoology and journalism to form one of the best jobs in the world, but he is a man of great integrity and honesty. For over five decades he has appeared on our tv, introducing us to some astonishing features of the natural world and giving audiences an appreciation for the world around us. Some of his most significant works include:

• Life on Earth (1979)
• The Living Planet (1984)
• The Trials of Life (1990)
• The Private Life of Plants (1995)
• The Life of Birds (1998)
• The Life of Mammals (2002)
• Life in the Undergrowth (2005)

His list of published books is even more extensive. Instead of waffling on about Attenborough's career I will simply post a link to his website below for those who might be interested in reading more about his amazing life. http://www.davidattenborough.co.uk/biography/


I'd also like to put up Sir David Attenborough's interview with Andrew Denton, who I believe is one of the best interviewers around.

Week 11 - Agenda Setting

When we flick on the TV and watch the news how many people stop and think, why this story? Why this point of view? In today's lecture Bruce talked about Agenda Setting, or how the media constructs reality. There are four main types of agenda:
1. Public Agenda
2. Policy Agenda
3. Corporate Agenda
4. Media Agenda

Who sets the agenda? Is what we see in the media reality or propaganda? It is usually somewhere in between. The mass media gives us a perception of reality, a filter and reshaping of it to set whatever agenda suits them. And why do they do this? Because they can! The mass media has the power to create pictures in our heads. When setting an agenda twp principle rules are followed:
1. What the public should focus on through coverage
2. How people should think about the issue

When hearing about the media's manipulation of reality to suit their own agendas we start to question what, if anything, we can trust to be true. Is anything we read just the plain and simple truth? A man name Lippmann said that people rely on the images in their minds in formulating judgements rather than by critically thinking. I think this is very good advice. We also learned about the Agenda Setting Family, summarized below:

The Agenda Setting Family
Media Gate-keeping - What the media chooses to show the public, the exposure of an issue
Media Advocacy - The purposeful promotion of a message
Agenda cutting - Most of the realities going on the in the world aren't represented,
Agenda surfing - The media follows the crowd and trends, the media surfs on the wave of topics originally mentioned in the leading media
Diffusion of News - The process through which and important event is communicated to the public
Portrayal of an Issue - How an issue is portrayed will often influence how it is perceived by the public
Media Dependence - The more dependent a person is on the media the more susceptible they are to media agenda setting

Some of the obvious weaknesses of agenda setting are: people are not well informed, are often ignorant of the details, news cannot create and conceal problems it can only alter awareness and priority

Finally, are there any strengths in agenda setting? The answer, yes: agenda setting explains why people prioritize certain issues, it gives some predictive power, organizes existing knowledge of media effects, it lays groundwork for further research and can potentially be proven false.

I think there are both good and bad aspects to agenda setting but whether we like it or not it is there, and probably always will be. People will always influence others where they can, the key is to be aware of it!

Its Mother's Day

Just wanted to say a big HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the mum's out there! Today is the day to show your mum how much she is appreciated and loved. Its also a time of year I reflect on how lucky I am to still have my mum. Around this time five years ago my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and I didn't know if she would live to see another mother's day. Luckily for me she overcame the cancer but today on the news I discovered  every year 13,000 women in Australia do not. Breast cancer is the now the most common women's cancer out there.

Today the annual Mother's Day Classic was held around Australia, a fun run to raise money for breast cancer. I was amazed to discover that $4 million has been raised for research and thousands gave up their mother's day to complete the run. Congratulations to all those who participated and helped make such a staggering figure of money. If you'd like to visit the website here is the link: http://mothersdayclassic.com.au/news/celebrate-15-years-15-million

How bad are artificial sweeteners?

Growing up as a child there were always two things my mum never let me have: chewing gum and coke. I used to get so excited when I went to a friend's party and we could drink coke. Or when my dad would secretly offer me some gum in the car and say not to tell mum. The reason my mum gave me when I asked why I wasn't allowed them was, 'they are bad foods because they are so full of sugar. You already get enough sugar without eating them.'

As I became a teenager I was able to make my own choices about what to eat and of course I indulged in soft drink, often coke, when out with friends. When I got my driving license I made a habit of buying gum to keep in the car and chew when I drove. My compromise for going against my mum's teachings and staying healthy? I always bought coke zero and sugar-free gum.

Over the years I have heard various stories about the 'crap' put in diet coke and coke zero. 'Diet coke gives you cancer' is a common one. Now as a young adult I don't drink much coke, maybe a 450ml bottle once a month, and I don't chew gum at all. But today just so happened to be one of the rare days I splashed out and bought a coke zero for myself while traveling home from uni. While drinking it I took a look at the label and the ingredients, here they are:

The main sweeteners are Aspartame and Acesulphame-K. I decided to do a little more research to discover if these two sweeteners really deserve their bad reputation, and whether I want drink this stuff.

The first website I visited was:  http://www.thezeromovement.org and they gave an interesting description of the ingredients:

The ingredients (as written in bold) are listed on Australian cans of Coke Zero. Water anyone?

Carbonated water
Colour (150d) - aka "Sulphite Ammonia Caramel"
Food acid 338 - aka "Phosphoric Acid" (Also used for rust removal!)
Food acid 331 - aka "Sodium Citrates" (Also used in photography and as an anticoagulant of blood stored for transfusion!)
Flavour
Sweetener 951 - aka "Asapartame" (According to the US FDA, "the [National Cancer Institute] currently is studying aspartame and other dietary factors as part of a larger study of adult brain cancer." You might want to wait for the results before you drink it. Also, avoid this one if you're moody!)
Sweetener 950 - aka "Acesulfame Potassium" (Looking for reasons to avoid this sweetener? Look no further...)
Preservative 211 - aka "Sodium Benzoate" (Undiluted this stuff isn't too bad... Just don't let it touch your skin!)
Caffeine

This website certainly damns just about everything in a bottle of coke. After googling sweeteners 950 and 951 I found this website http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/DLiT/2006/food%20additives/theyare/avoid.htm which I deemed to be a little more reliable as it an education website. The website claims the following side effects from sweeteners 950 and 951:

Cancer, asthma, MS-like symptoms, headache, hyperactivity, fatigue, anxiety, dizziness, migraine, memory loss, depression, insomnia, irritability, impotence, epilepsy, blindness, diabetes, neuralgia, seizures, brain damage, gastrointestinal upsets

These two websites certainly make a strong case for the dangers involved in consuming the sweeteners in diet coke and coke zero. Though I would have to look at a wider range of sources before finally deciding whether or not to give up sugar-free coke, what I have seen so far worries me. It has certainly spurred me on to become more aware of what's in food and drinks.

My Top Ten Books

Today I thought I would post my favourite ten books. I have been devouring books ever since I could read and I still have a fantasy of one day writing a bestselling novel. For now I am writing short stories and learning about different styles of writing in my Arts degree. Without further ado here are my top ten recommendations, not in any particular order as was hard enough narrowing it down to ten.

1. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

This book came highly recommended to me by a friend who loved classics. The story is a historic romance set during the American Civil War. It follows the life of the young and beautiful Scarlett O'Hara and the scandalous but irresistible Rett Butler. What I loved so much was the way Mitchell combined an epic romance with the hardships and reality of the American Civil War. It's not the soppy romance we see so often today but a love-hate relationship between two people struggling to survive in a changed world.

2. Earth's Children by Jean M. Auel

This series had to be in my top ten because it combines one of the most detailed pieces of historical research with a fascinating fictional storyline. The series follows the life of Ayla, a young woman living 30,000 years ago in the Upper Paleolithic era. An orphan raised by Neanderthals, Ayla eventually embarks on a journey of self-discovery and survival that leads her back to her own people. Auel takes us back to our roots and creates a possible reality of how our ancestors might have lived and evolved.

3. Millennium Trilogy By Stieg Larsson

The Millennium Trilogy has to be the best crime/thriller series out there. Based in Sweden the trilogy's protagonists are the unique punk chick Lisbeth Sander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist. The series has strong underlying theme of abuse and violence against women and with such an original character found in Lisbeth Salander I could not put it down. Even if you don't usually read crime novels I urge you to try reading this series.

4. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Anyone who hasn't heard of the Harry Potter series by now must lead the life of the caveman. I think almost everyone knows of Harry Potter, the boy who lived, and his struggle against the most powerful dark wizard to have ever existed, Lord Voldemort. The first book in the series was given to me as a ninth birthday present and I have been hooked ever since. Yes, I was one of the people who went and got the book the first day it was released and then stayed up all day and all night reading it. Perhaps the most famous series of our time, even if you've seen the movies, its definitely a must to read.

5. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien

Without a doubt the best epic-fantasy book I have read and probably will ever read, The Lord Of The Rings is a masterpiece of writing. English philologist J.R.R Tolkien thrusts his readers into the world of Middle Earth where the Dark Lord Sauron is seeking his Ring of Power. The fate of the land coincidentally comes into the hands of a young hobbit named Frodo Baggins who must destroy the ring. The characters in Lord Of The Rings stayed with me long after I had turned the last page and though it is not the sort of book one can 'devour' in a few sittings it's so rich in detail, ideas and symbolism its impossible to leave.

6. Dry Water by Tammie Matson

Tammie Matson is the sort of zoologist I aspire to be and so her biography of her experiences in Africa were an unforgettable and moving read for me. Tammie took her first trip to Africa with her father at the age of fifteen and immediately fell head-over-heels in love with the continent. Her biography is funny, moving, fascinating and insightful and because of my love for Africa and its wildlife I couldn't stop reading it. If you're not an aspiring zoologist or wildlife lover it may not be your cup of tea but it made quite an impact on my life.

7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 

I actually saw the movie Pride and Prejudice, starring Kiera Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen, before I read the book. Being a fan of historical costume dramas I loved the movie so much I decided to give the book a try. I had heard from some people that it was a difficult read because it was written at the beginning of the 18th century. I did not find this the case. Perhaps because I already knew much of plot I found it, not a quick read, but not hard. I love this classic romance and particularly the strong-headed character of Elizabeth Bennett.

8. On Writing by Steven King

Whether you're an aspiring writer or just someone who likes biographies this is a fantastic read. Stephen King is one of the best known American novelists around, having spouted out dozens of bestselling novels. In his memoir On Writing, King deals out writing advice as well as some highly amusing and also personal memories. It certainly helped inspire me with my writing.

9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I read this book in Year 11 English and at first I was not particularly impressed by it. It was not until we discussed it in class and I got some background to the story that I began to appreciate what a phenomenal piece of writing it is. To Kill a Mockingbird is seen through the eyes of Scout, a young girl growing up during the Great Depression. Its main theme is centralized around racial injustice and it shocked me as a sixteen year old to read of how American Negroes were treated. It is a work that reveals America's dark past, its class divisions, racial divisions and struggle through a time of great hardship.

10. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

Bryce Courtenay is an African born white man and his novel The Power of One is based on many of his experiences growing up during the Apartheid. Though not a biography many of the scenes written in the book are inspired by Courtney's own life experiences. I found the Power of One an uplifting read and an insight into the African Apartheid which I had known very little of.

The Dictator Tackles Today

As you may or may not know Sacha Baron Cohen arrived in Australia a few days ago. This time he has come in the guise of Admiral General Aladeen to promote his upcoming movie, The Dictator. Already he has created a stir with comments involving Julia Gillard and a sex change, 'Slippery slipper." and even calling the female presenter on the Today show 'sugar tits'. I watched his interview on the Today show and once again he does enough crude jokes to make me both offended and in stitches at the same time. He is certainly an entertainer. The interview is below for those who wish to watch it.

Now I am happy to admit that I have seen two of Sacha Baron Cohen's previous movies, both Borat and Bruno, and perhaps a little guiltily I will admit I found them both highly entertaining. Though the humour is often crude and the scenes can sometimes leave you going, "what the?!" he is undoubtedly one funny guy. For those who don't like him, all I can advise is that he is a comedian. Its his job to pay out anyone and everyone so go with it rather than get offended.

His latest movie The Dictator will be in cinemas on May 15 and tells 'the story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed' (Wikipedia 2012)