Earth Hour 2008

See your world in a whole new light


What
Earth Hour is the time to show that
it is possible to take action on global warming

How
Turn off all lights

When
8 - 9pm, Saturday, March 29, 2008

Where
Everywhere on earth

Who
All people on earth

Why
To send a powerful message that the people
of the world care about the future of the planet

The Family of Four with a Pet

One father, one mother, two children and one pet

These members could make the ideal composition of a family. However, if some family doesn't have these members, the family is NOT the ideal?

Although this is one picture, it would make some sensitive issue. This picture seems to be drawn by the hand in order to contact with children's eyes, but some children who don't have this composition would think there is something strange about their family - what missing or adding.

The term 'ideal' is probably derived from the common sense recognising as perfection, but should consider that the common sense isn't always the best before using it.

The First Step for the Good Presentation

"They hear and they forget.
They see and they remember.
They do and they learn."

It may be difficult to define what the good presentation is. But almost people who have experienced could remember which presentation was good or bad.

Well, let's go back to the first presentation! Even though each one has each problem, the same thing everyone agrees is what we have always forgotten is what we have already known.

Now, it is time to move on your good presentation with the first step, audience involvement.

The Introduction of iPod nano in 2005

This presentation has still impressed me when Steve took iPod nano out of his pocket. It could compare with the scene, someone kept off the skull, in the beginning of the Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Good Job, Steve Jobs!

Semiotics and LG Air Conditioner Advertisement

Ferdinand de Saussure (1857 – 1913), the father of modern linguistics, stated "language is made up of signs (like words) which communicate meanings and that all kinds of other things which communicate meanings could potentially be studied in the same way as linguistic signs" (Bignell 1997, p. 5). In his view, the linguistic sign is arbitrary. That means the linguistic sign has no connection and is related to other arbitrary signs. Bignell (1997, p. 8) explains this arbitrariness as each linguistic sign has a particular position in the structure of language (langue) and the elements of real expression - speech or writing (parole) - work in the structure. From these ideas, the 'chess', for example, is composed of two elements. One is "the system of rules and conventions called chess" and the other one is "the particular moves made in an actual game of chess" (Bignell 1997, p. 8).

Through his best-known book, Course in General Linguistics (1915), he also demonstrated that language could be analysed as a formal system of elements, including the notion of the linguistic sign, the signifier, the signified, and the referent. According to Bignell (1997, pp. 11-12), the 'signifier' is the vehicle which expresses the sign, the 'signified' is the concept which the signifier represents, and the 'referent' is the actual things which signs refer to. For example, the word 'open' (sign) on a shop door is expressed by the letters (signifier) 'o', 'p', 'e', and 'n'. These letters call up the concept (signified) that the shop is open for business, and then the real markets (referent) can be imaged (Chandler 2006, para. 5).

However, these elements could not be always recognised the same consequence between writer and reader. According to Fiske (1990, p. 85), there is "meaning as being a process of negotiation" in the signs. Thus, "the fact that the same sentence" may not convey the same meaning to every reader in different situations or experiences. This idea was analysed by Roland Barthes. In Barthes's theory, "the idea of two orders of signification", denotation and connotation; Denotation is description of obvious meaning of the sigh from referring to the common-sense. Connotation is the interaction that occurs when the sign meets the feelings or emotions of the users and the values of their culture (Fiske 1990, pp. 85-86). Barthes (1977, pp, 15-31, 32-51) argued that "in photography connotation can be (analytically) distinguished from denotation". As Fiske (1990, p. 86) puts it "denotation is what is photographed, connotation is how it is photographed".

One of the LG air conditioner advertisements is here as an example of these two orders of signification.

In the left of the image is a man, standing outside, wearing an overcoat with a hood and holding what appears to be a bar. In the right of the image, behind the man, there is a small round house built from blocks of hard snow. The man is surrounded by what appears to be cold area.

The man is depicted in the materials of the circumstance of the area with snow, which suggests a strong connection between them. The man is wearing an overcoat with a hood, which protects him from the cold, and covered with snow, as he is in the very cold area. He is holding a bar, which from the length of his forehead, it is recognised his instrument as weapon. The way that he holds the bar, with in an upright position, suggesting he defends his possession against something. This idea is supported by his strong and steady face in the hood, suggesting he has nothing to change his mind to protect it. The small round house on the area covered with snow, reinforces this reading, with the house built from blocks of hard snow and the cobalt-blue sky conveying the idea that the area is very cold – could be the world's coldest area, and the house is realised as his possession.

The text at the top of the advertisement seems to bring not relative words; LG has an air conditioner for everyone, with the man and house, but the next text under the text at top, Well, almost, brings the conclusion of this idea, additionally text, No. 1 with stars at the bottom of the advertisement. The strong faced man, the house, and the connoted meanings all together to convey the message that LG’s market areas of air conditioner are world widely spread - well, almost - and LG may also has an air conditioner for the man who lives in the world's coldest area. However, by his pride, as he does not need an air conditioner, LG has air conditioners for 'almost' people. Moreover, these elements are associated with the circumstance to operate the air conditioner; the hot climate needs the air conditioner and makes people want something cool and desire to live where the man live in.

References
Barthes, R. 1977, Image-Music-Text, Fontana, London.


Bignell, J. 1997, Media Semiotics: An Introduction, Manchester University Press, Manchester.


Chandler, D. 2006, 'Signs', Semiotics for Beginners, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, viewed 17 March 2008, <http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/
>.

Fiske, J. 1990, Introduction to Communication Studies, 2nd edn, Routledge, London.

Knockin' on Toilet Door

In this film, Knockin' on Toilet Door, a young man has been waiting for a long time - 2 years - to use his toilet, because his girlfriend has been using it. During the waiting time, he has to use other toilets, neighbours' or friends' one. He, who can't always expect when he needs to go to the toilet, has knocked at the toilet door and asked her everyday to come out of the toilet. However, he can get only her reply, "Maybe tomorrow".

This story doesn't make any sense?
Oh, should add "Inspired by a True Story: Woman Sat on Toilet for 2 Years".

He is not legend now.

The conclusion of movies is the most important scene. It is something their audience remember as long as they can do it. Some of movies which attracted so much before showing made the audience disappointed because of nonsense ending rather than its whole story.

Here, there is an evidence why ending of a movie is the most important. One of the movies in 2007, I am legend, had attracted many audience since before showing. Because its original story has come from the famous novel of the same name in 1954, but many audience disappointed. Even though they expected better story work rather than the novel's one, visual expectations also affected to them.

However, the filmmakers made a decision to alternate their ending. This alternative ending is close to the original novel. Moreover, people, who want to keep this movie as a DVD at their own shelf, will be able to do from 18 March, 2008.

All right, just watch the alternative ending, if it is no problem to know it.

Now, we are not alone, he is also not legend anymore.

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Questions about bats in the tree

Hey, you guys! What are you doing?

Have you heard that you guys like at night and take a rest in the cave?

What is the knowledge about bats?
What do you think who you are, fruits on the tree?

Royal Botanic Gardens, NSW, Australia

Secret Sunshine

Although a film poster is normally composed of one shot, it could tell us what happening in their film.

Secret Sunshine is a South Korean film in 2007 directed by Lee Chang-dong. The story is focused on a woman suffering from the death of her husband and child. Through the story, the director talks about forgiveness and crime in terms of the essence of religion.

In the film, a woman, Sin-ae (Jeon Do-yeon, won the best actress at 2007 Cannes Film Festival) moves with her child to a small town called Milyang (the original sound of Secret Sunshine), where her husband was born, after the death of her husband. She tries to live at the town as a place of new life with her child, but she is fallen in the depths of despair by the death of her child after kidnapping. She starts to go to the church to overcome her sorrow and have the faith in God. However, she is angered at the privilege of forgiveness and falls into the religious dilemma, and then struggles with God.

One of the posters of this film shows the story that seems to be a love. A woman who cries is sitting on the ground. A man who clasps an umbrella is also sitting behind the woman. And sunshine is lighting the street they are sitting.

These elements could convey the relation between God and humans. A woman who exclaims with anger is averting from sunshine at the bounds of human being. A man who takes the shield helping to avoid sunshine is waiting for her to get her love as human nature. And God looks after them through the subtle light of sunshine.