For many, computer code is like Latin and complex physics all in one—but technology boffins and futurists in Silicon Valley see things differently. With new technology comes a need for skilled workers able to drive and operate the emerging high-tech hardware. It’s a need that will draw today’s blue-collar workers to roles in tomorrow’s high-tech industries. Social media as trend forecaster The popularity of social media platforms—most recently brought to a head during Snapchat’s recent IPO—offers an inkling into a …
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Tweet All pics © Aaron Flanagan. An AES+F devil baby art installation loomed large over Occupy Melbourne’s rain-slicked black plastic covered camp as Lord Mayor Robert Doyle’s order for the protesters to clear out by 9am expired. About 100 protesters were sectioned off inside walls of temporary fencing. About 30 media were inside with them. One protester outside ran the gauntlet and commando rappelled over two sets of fences in the blink of an eye to the cheers of all. …
Tweet Some of Australia’s best swimmers plough through one of ten weekly sessions – this one 7.5km long – under the watchful eye of Glenn Baker at the Southport pool on the Gold Coast. All pics ©Aaron Flanagan …
(Originally published on ABC news site, The Drum 10/08/11) Tweet By Aaron Flanagan Demand to deregulate financial institutions and ease the burden on wealthy individuals and companies is astonishingly widespread less than 24 months after deregulated banking practises nearly bankrupted the world. Matt Taibbi, editor at large for Rolling Stone, described the deregulated culture financial behemoth Goldman Sachs operated in during the original global financial crisis as “a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel …
(Originally published on the ABC news site, The Drum 08/07/11) MySpace’s diminished return. By Aaron Flanagan This week, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation sold the original social media phenomenon, MySpace, for less than 7 per cent of what they bought it for in 2005. It represents not only a spectacular failure by News Corp to manage new media business, but also is an indication of establishment media’s unwillingness to engage with anything outside their pre-internet comfort zone. Under News Corp, MySpace’s subscribers fell from a peak …
(Originally published on the ABC news site, The Drum 26/05/11) By Aaron Flanagan. Sports bet companies are crying loud today about having to potentially pay out on ‘betting irregularities’ identified during recent football match punting. “I think there’s definitely a leak of information coming out and people are profiteering from it,” Alan Eskander of Betstar said. In severe bad timing for the announcement of the ‘irregularities,’ ex Labour party head kicker, Karl Bitar chose the same time to announce his new …
Sensor foibles have rendered a swathe of speed cameras stationed along a stretch of Victoria’s north-bound interstate highway obsolete via a realisation they have been incorrectly gauging speeding fines. ‘If there is a problem and the problem is through defective cameras over a period of time, they (the fines) should be refunded,’ said prominent silk, David Galbally, QC. Victoria Premier John Brumby is opposing the potential ten million dollar fine refund and used his Police Minister, James Merlino, as a flak …
By Aaron Flanagan Phoolan Devi was born into an abysmal, pre-ordained fate on the wrong side of India’s caste system. Indians having their slum homes razed to make way for Commonwealth games infra-structure share Devi’s misfortune in being born unlucky. The caste system, like Hinduism, is largely peculiar to India. The Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, organises Indians into four categories: Brahmin (priests), Kshatriyas/Rathaestar (warrior-kings), Vaishya (traders-craftmen), shudra (workers-labours), and then outside this, the Harijan (untouchables). The Harijans are typically slum dwellers. …
Andrew Demetriou’s AFL has been on a double-barreled mission to recruit more female fans and make gargantuan amounts of coin since he took over as commissioner in 2003. The marginalisation of women as fans cut out half the potential audience and with the benefit of modern day enlightenment, is remarkable to have occurred in the first place. Women are more welcome, have been encouraged to learn about the game and have had their tastes catered for via a concerted push by the …