Thursday, May 5, 2011
The Next New Thing
I would suggest a new media that is a cross between Facebook, a travel booking website, as well as a travel review website. This site should also have an application to use with phones and tablets. The site should allow users to view destinations, hotels, resorts, cruises, train and bus schedules, and flights from all over the world. It should be the only site a user needs to visit to book their trip. People should be able to post photos and videos of the tourist attractions, hotels, ships, and destinations they have been to. They should also be able to leave reviews and ratings to help others plan their trips. This site should be the go to site for the cheapest prices. It should also include valuable tips such as trip destinations or local customs. It could include average weather conditions for the intended time for travel. A vehicle or bicycle rental section could also be useful in helping travelers to get around. Such a site should be advertised internationally so that the more people that use it, the more useful the site would be. It must also be translated into many languages so that it is user friendly. A site like this with so much information could also be overwhelming, confusing, and full of irrelevant data or spam. Therefore, there must be many people, working around the clock to manage and edit the site.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Our Class Wiki - So Far
So far, I have not added any content to our Class Wiki. However, I am working on an update for the category that I created, "New Media and the Environment." At first I found it hard to find sources for this category. Through all my searching, I only found one link related to new media and the environment. But then I realized that I wasn't thinking outside of the box. I had planned on writing striclty of how new media has affected our Earth and wasn't thinking about other related topics. But I see that there are already two posts under this topic covering a related issues. Therefore, my content will focus on the impact that new media has had on the environment and the role it has played in helping to support different causes.
Edit:
Just added some content to the Environment page. More to follow later.
Edit:
Just added some content to the Environment page. More to follow later.
P2P File Sharing
If asked to describe what file sharing is, I would say that file sharing is the distribution and harboring of information through the internet. This digital information can be uploaded by one person and downloaded by another.
P2P file sharing is an advanced and streamlined method of file sharing. In P2P file sharing, one can download a program such as BitTorrent and use this network to download files. A program like this allows many users to distribute files to each other, hence, "Peer-to-Peer" file sharing. This is more convenient and faster than the former practice in which thousands of users downloaded a file from one server. BitTorrent "breaks up a large file into pieces and spreads these around users [on the network] who download them and upload them to others at the same time." File Sharing Joins the Mainstream, Nuttall
Another example of a once popular P2P file sharing site is Kazaa. in 2006, Jammie Thomas was the subject of the first file sharing copyright infringement lawsuit by downloading 24 songs from Kazaa. Her case continued for years through appeals and in November, 2010, damages were determined by jury to be $1.5 million against Thomas. Seems a bit unfair since millions of people illegally download data. $1.5 Million Fine for Downloading 24 Songs
P2P file sharing is an advanced and streamlined method of file sharing. In P2P file sharing, one can download a program such as BitTorrent and use this network to download files. A program like this allows many users to distribute files to each other, hence, "Peer-to-Peer" file sharing. This is more convenient and faster than the former practice in which thousands of users downloaded a file from one server. BitTorrent "breaks up a large file into pieces and spreads these around users [on the network] who download them and upload them to others at the same time." File Sharing Joins the Mainstream, Nuttall
Another example of a once popular P2P file sharing site is Kazaa. in 2006, Jammie Thomas was the subject of the first file sharing copyright infringement lawsuit by downloading 24 songs from Kazaa. Her case continued for years through appeals and in November, 2010, damages were determined by jury to be $1.5 million against Thomas. Seems a bit unfair since millions of people illegally download data. $1.5 Million Fine for Downloading 24 Songs
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Privacy & Confidentiality
Privacy and Confidentiality have always been a big issue in regards to new media. There have been both positive and negative outcomes that stem from this problem. One popular argument is that social media platforms such as Myspace and especially Facebook infringe upon one's privacy. If privacy settings are not strictly controlled, people that you may not be friends with can view your profiles, pictures, and comments. Instances have happened where people have been fired from their workplace, students have been rejected from school admissions or arrested for things they said online. Even teachers have been fired for their comments about students on Facebook, comments that they thought were private.
Though most people are now aware of these privacy issues, some still neglect to block their social media sites to people they do not know. Even after blocking on Facebook, the new privacy settings now either let all your friends see what you write on other people's walls, or block them completely and makes your own wall unavailable to others to write on. For those who know what I mean, that can be a very annoying setting as you can no longer adjust the privacy settings to your personal liking as you once were able to.
However, at times, there is a benefit to these privacy shortcomings. When teens run away, their Facebooks or Myspaces can give clues as to where they are. They might be communicating with their friends and police or parents may try and go onto these sites to ask the child's friends for help. Parents can also go onto their kid's sites to try and monitor their activities. Police have also been using social media platforms to catch crooks by similarly monitoring suspects pages and that of their friends. Although these people may have privacy settings enabled on their pages, I'm sure there is a way that law enforcement officials/task forces may get access to restricted areas from the providers of these social media sites. In closing, privacy and confidentiality are very closely related to social media in both good and bad ways.
Though most people are now aware of these privacy issues, some still neglect to block their social media sites to people they do not know. Even after blocking on Facebook, the new privacy settings now either let all your friends see what you write on other people's walls, or block them completely and makes your own wall unavailable to others to write on. For those who know what I mean, that can be a very annoying setting as you can no longer adjust the privacy settings to your personal liking as you once were able to.
However, at times, there is a benefit to these privacy shortcomings. When teens run away, their Facebooks or Myspaces can give clues as to where they are. They might be communicating with their friends and police or parents may try and go onto these sites to ask the child's friends for help. Parents can also go onto their kid's sites to try and monitor their activities. Police have also been using social media platforms to catch crooks by similarly monitoring suspects pages and that of their friends. Although these people may have privacy settings enabled on their pages, I'm sure there is a way that law enforcement officials/task forces may get access to restricted areas from the providers of these social media sites. In closing, privacy and confidentiality are very closely related to social media in both good and bad ways.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Advice to Baruch College
If hired by Baruch to improve the college using new media, I would suggest a wiki addition to each class, in addition to Blackboard. I think a class Wiki would be useful. Professors could use it as a tool to teach as well as a tool to disseminate information. A wiki can be a teaching tool by having students research and incorporate class content to the site. Students can cross check each other while the Professor can review and point out any corrections. Deadlines can be kept for certain assignments while others can be left to students to complete at will, as long as it is before the end of the semester. This may encourage learning if students can complete assignments at their own pace due to varying schedules. Professors could also use this wiki to post up certain information. For example, a Professor could start an assignment by first posting some information on the topic. The class could then sign on to read this information and complete the remainder of the assignment on their own. I don't think a class wiki should replace Blackboard though. For example, the "My Grades" tool in Blackboard is important and cannot be replaced by posting grades on a wiki.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
About My Term Research Paper
My term paper is titled: "The Impact of Social Media. How and Why We Use It." When I was doing my bibliography for my paper a few weeks ago, I really wished that I had chose another topic. It seemed harder to find information because what I was looking for could not be searched for directly. I kept thinking that if I had picked a topic that had been widely written about, I wouldn't have as much difficulty researching. Rather, I kept brainstorming possible different examples and searched for all of these. I had to read many articles, some very long, until I finally found 10 good ones to use. Once I got my bibliography down, writing the paper became much easier as I already knew which sources I would be using and what I wanted to cover. In the end, I'm glad I had to do the bibliography and outline beforehand because it really made it a lot easier when it came to writing the paper. I picked my topic choice due to a class that I had taken previously. That professor was really into the topic of Cuba and blogging and now whenever I think of blogs, I think of the Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez. I couldn't get her out of my head when I read the assignment so I decided to incorporate her into the paper.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Creativity & New Media
For this assignment I decided to try out a site mention in one of our assigned readings. I used Lego's Design By Me program to create the Lego chessboard. The 1st screen shot is of my White chessmen and the 2nd is of my Black chess men. I decided to give the white men more feminine colors. I also wanted to make the chessboard green rather than the traditional black and white. I thought this was interesting because you don't normally find chessboards in other colors. This program was fun since I always enjoyed playing with Legos and blocks when I was younger.
Creativity
I think New Media has definitely come to embrace the creativity of its users as well as fostering it. Twitter not only designs and engineers new uses for it's site, they have also learned to monitor and use the feedback from is users. Many of Twitter's features such as hashtags, retweets, and the "@" symbol, were not thought up by professional programmers. Instead, these were introduced by Twitter users, which Twitter than adapted and modified. They monitored their site to see what was going on. When something interesting began to take shape, they took note of it and then decided on whether they would implement it as a feature. To improve these user's idea's they would take the original, and see what they could add to it in order to be more user friendly (ex: hyperlinks with hashtags and @ symbols) or more secure (ex: direct retweets so that the original content may not be modified). Twitter is not the first or only company to take advantage of its users. However, in doing so, users get a chance to come up with new ideas. Not only does this allow us to be creative, but it encourages us to think outside the box, as it seems that we have a say in what we want from the technology we are using. Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Modeling Reality With Virtual Worlds
Though virtual worlds have been around for years, they have not been as popular with general internet users as Facebook or Twitter has. However, these worlds have been utilized by a smaller sector of users which have put it to great use. For example, hospitals have begun using virtual worlds to train staff. Using a virtual world platform such as Second Life is much more inexpensive then hiring actors to play patients. It is also much more interactive and immersive. Nurses can control an avatar and walk through corridors, check patients and set up triage centers, rather than sitting around a table staring at dioramas with figurines. Doctors controlling the patients and monitoring the nurses can throw in unexpected scenarios such as a catastrophe that would test the nurses skills. This can all be done on Second Life where a hospital can rent virtual land, build their virtual hospital (price depends on specifications), and maintain control of their virtual facilities for a few hundred dollars a month in "rent". Some programmers have even made a business out of this by creating generic buildings for one-time or short-term use available for daily "rent". (Avatar II: The Hospital)
A man from England developed a new use for Second Life 3 years ago. He created Naughty Auties, an online community that allows individuals living with autism spectrum disorders to communicate/socialize with others. This virtual world allows people who would otherwise have trouble going out in public and socializing in person, to meet others and carry conversations through the privacy of their home. (iReport: 'Naughty Auties' Tackle Autism With Virtual Interaction)
The use of virtual worlds however, comes with both pros and cons. Although using virtual worlds to train employees or students can be much cheaper, some employees or students may live in suburban areas where the internet connection may be slower. Others may not be very familiar with computers and may have difficulty learning to use one. Naughty Auties is a great benefit because it not only allows individuals living with autism to socialize, but allows their friends, family, doctors, coworkers, and many others to do so as well. However, I'm always afraid that individuals with negative intentions can use virtual worlds such as Second Life to prey on others. Because your identity can be hidden, you can become anyone you want and talk to others. For example, a child predator can go onto Webkinz World (although the site says their chat rooms are controlled) pretending to be a child and interact with other young children. (Toy With a Second Life)
Virtual Worlds do however foster and encourage creativity. One example is the Hotel Chelsea which has changed over the years. One creative visitor from out of town took pictures during his stay and went home and created the hotel in Second Life. He created the hotel to reflect it's roots and times of the past, including the former hotel manager, rather than what it has become today. (In Room 100, It's Sid and Nancy All Over Again)
Though I think virtual worlds have become more popular over the years, I do not think it will be as big of a hit as Facebook has become in terms of online social media. I cannot imagine creating an avatar and walking it through streets and buildings to talk to people and read status updates or look at pictures. I do however, see RPG games gaining in popularity, especially with new technological advancements.
A man from England developed a new use for Second Life 3 years ago. He created Naughty Auties, an online community that allows individuals living with autism spectrum disorders to communicate/socialize with others. This virtual world allows people who would otherwise have trouble going out in public and socializing in person, to meet others and carry conversations through the privacy of their home. (iReport: 'Naughty Auties' Tackle Autism With Virtual Interaction)
The use of virtual worlds however, comes with both pros and cons. Although using virtual worlds to train employees or students can be much cheaper, some employees or students may live in suburban areas where the internet connection may be slower. Others may not be very familiar with computers and may have difficulty learning to use one. Naughty Auties is a great benefit because it not only allows individuals living with autism to socialize, but allows their friends, family, doctors, coworkers, and many others to do so as well. However, I'm always afraid that individuals with negative intentions can use virtual worlds such as Second Life to prey on others. Because your identity can be hidden, you can become anyone you want and talk to others. For example, a child predator can go onto Webkinz World (although the site says their chat rooms are controlled) pretending to be a child and interact with other young children. (Toy With a Second Life)
Virtual Worlds do however foster and encourage creativity. One example is the Hotel Chelsea which has changed over the years. One creative visitor from out of town took pictures during his stay and went home and created the hotel in Second Life. He created the hotel to reflect it's roots and times of the past, including the former hotel manager, rather than what it has become today. (In Room 100, It's Sid and Nancy All Over Again)
Though I think virtual worlds have become more popular over the years, I do not think it will be as big of a hit as Facebook has become in terms of online social media. I cannot imagine creating an avatar and walking it through streets and buildings to talk to people and read status updates or look at pictures. I do however, see RPG games gaining in popularity, especially with new technological advancements.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Blog about Twitter
I think Twitter discussions are much more complicated than Blackboard or in-class discussions. On Twitter, if you don't respond fairly quickly, it might be very confusing for others when they read what you write. It can be hard for them to figure out what you are talking about if you just type in a response. Therefore, you should retweet someone else's tweet so that others may then follow your train of thought. Of course, the level of difficulty also coincides with how many people are in your network and the amount of traffic that the network of people gets. For example, Kanye West will have a bigger network than our CIS class.
When having a discussion in class, you can immediately respond to your professor or classmates. Or if you would like to talk about a previous topic, you just say so and refer to which subject. It is much easier to follow as everything is verbal and you are interacting in person.
Blackboard discussions are both easier and more complicated than Twitter discussions. On blackboard, when you respond, you can respond directly under someones thread. You don't have to search for anything because it all shows up there. However, it is sometimes hard to read the discussions themselves because they are shown as links, sort of like emails, that you must open in order to read. They also vary in length.
When you are on Twitter, you can search for certain keywords and all tweets with those keywords will appear. Since the tweets are short and limited to 140 characters, you can also read the main point in a few short sentences.
When having a discussion in class, you can immediately respond to your professor or classmates. Or if you would like to talk about a previous topic, you just say so and refer to which subject. It is much easier to follow as everything is verbal and you are interacting in person.
Blackboard discussions are both easier and more complicated than Twitter discussions. On blackboard, when you respond, you can respond directly under someones thread. You don't have to search for anything because it all shows up there. However, it is sometimes hard to read the discussions themselves because they are shown as links, sort of like emails, that you must open in order to read. They also vary in length.
When you are on Twitter, you can search for certain keywords and all tweets with those keywords will appear. Since the tweets are short and limited to 140 characters, you can also read the main point in a few short sentences.
Social Networking Sites
Facebook is the most popular social networking site for now. This site allows you to search/connect with friends, post on each others walls, put up statuses, upload/share pictures, videos, or links, sell items/look for a job, and so much more. You can communicate with immediate friends or with a larger network. Recently, FB even created a "chat" feature which allows users to communicate instantaneously through the site without having to comment on each others walls. You can create events and invite others to join as well, collaboratively planning these events.
When I deleted my Myspace a few years ago, I remember it becoming less popular and more of a site for high school and junior high students. Maybe that was just my impression, but it seemed like everyone was leaning away from Myspace. Myspace was a simpler version of Facebook. Where you could be friends with people, post on their walls, comment on/post pictures, and send each other messages. I grew out of Myspace after using Facebook. I liked the FB platform much more, the website design, as well as the features. However, it seems like Myspace has now turned itself around and revamped. The site has improved and has a ton of new features that I've never seen before, like Games, Threads, and Events. The site even has "Badges" that you can earn now. For example, a badge for "Old School - joining Myspace before it was cool." I guess the website has said what I was hesitant to say. It seems that Myspace has now become somewhat "cool."
Twitter is a site that allows users to "tweet" or basically write whatever they want, in 140 characters or less. It's pretty much a FB status, but on a site with a concentration on just tweets and nothing else. You cannot post jobs or sell items (in the traditional sense as with FB) or play games. You can however, follow other Twitterers (your friends/classmates, newspapers, companies, celebrities, politicians, musicians, and much more). I really did not like Twitter when it was first introduced. I thought it was silly, I mean who cares what someone is doing right this minute? But I didn't realize the potential for the site at the time. Now, I see that Twitter can be very useful, such as to break news, to bring people together, or help raise donations (currently for Japan.)
Xanga was also a big hit in high school. We used to have "friends" or followers on Xanga. My friends and I all used to write on it. Not necessarily about ourselves, but about anything, school gossip, feelings. We would also comment on each other's Xanga's and it would turn into a massive chat. The site also allowed you to edit the colors, font, and design. I remember at one point, that the thing to do was to insert tags into your blog so that you could track how many times and who was viewing your Xanga. I guess we didn't use it for the traditional purposes of blogging. Again, it seemed like a much more ancient version of Myspace and Facebook even though it was only a few years ago. When I think about sites like these, I realize how much media and technology have advanced and can only wonder what the future will be like in 10 - 30 years from now. What kind of technology will the next generation be growing up with.
When I deleted my Myspace a few years ago, I remember it becoming less popular and more of a site for high school and junior high students. Maybe that was just my impression, but it seemed like everyone was leaning away from Myspace. Myspace was a simpler version of Facebook. Where you could be friends with people, post on their walls, comment on/post pictures, and send each other messages. I grew out of Myspace after using Facebook. I liked the FB platform much more, the website design, as well as the features. However, it seems like Myspace has now turned itself around and revamped. The site has improved and has a ton of new features that I've never seen before, like Games, Threads, and Events. The site even has "Badges" that you can earn now. For example, a badge for "Old School - joining Myspace before it was cool." I guess the website has said what I was hesitant to say. It seems that Myspace has now become somewhat "cool."
Twitter is a site that allows users to "tweet" or basically write whatever they want, in 140 characters or less. It's pretty much a FB status, but on a site with a concentration on just tweets and nothing else. You cannot post jobs or sell items (in the traditional sense as with FB) or play games. You can however, follow other Twitterers (your friends/classmates, newspapers, companies, celebrities, politicians, musicians, and much more). I really did not like Twitter when it was first introduced. I thought it was silly, I mean who cares what someone is doing right this minute? But I didn't realize the potential for the site at the time. Now, I see that Twitter can be very useful, such as to break news, to bring people together, or help raise donations (currently for Japan.)
Xanga was also a big hit in high school. We used to have "friends" or followers on Xanga. My friends and I all used to write on it. Not necessarily about ourselves, but about anything, school gossip, feelings. We would also comment on each other's Xanga's and it would turn into a massive chat. The site also allowed you to edit the colors, font, and design. I remember at one point, that the thing to do was to insert tags into your blog so that you could track how many times and who was viewing your Xanga. I guess we didn't use it for the traditional purposes of blogging. Again, it seemed like a much more ancient version of Myspace and Facebook even though it was only a few years ago. When I think about sites like these, I realize how much media and technology have advanced and can only wonder what the future will be like in 10 - 30 years from now. What kind of technology will the next generation be growing up with.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Social Networking
Technology has developed tremendously within the past decade and many new uses for these developments have come about. Recently, during the most recent presidential election, President-Elect Obama (at the time) used Facebook and other online websites to reach out to his supporters. He overcame fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton and opponent John McCain with his use and understanding of what technology could do for his campaign. He was able to reach thousands of his fans with just a few clicks through emails. His supporters were notified of rally and campaign updates on Facebook and he raised a record breaking $600 million online. ("How Obama Tapped Into Social Networks’ Power," by David Carr, The New York Times. November 10, 2008)
Corporations have also turned to developments in social media technology when it comes to hiring employees. Sites like Linkedin, where professionals can set up profiles, network with each other, and list their job skills, allows users to advertise themselves as well as giving recruiters the opportunity to browse through candidate profiles. This could lead to potential job offers and company additions that are particular to the position in question as the site allows recruiters to filter their searches to find individuals with specific desired skills. (Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting by Frank Langfitt, NPR, March 16, 2008)
Internationally, countries like India have also used new technology developments to help them in law enforcement. New Delhi's traffic police created a Facebook page initially for supporters to join and post comments or suggestions. People began posting videos and images of traffic disobeyers which led to the issuance of violations. Without the help of these photos/videos, many of these violations would've gone unnoticed with a force of just 5,000 and a population of 12 million. ("In India, Using Facebook to Catch Scofflaw Drivers" By Heather Timmons, NY Times, August 1, 2010)
However, though these advances in technological uses are productive and positive, certain consequences may also arise. For example, photos of traffic violators may have been tampered with to falsely incriminate individuals or for entertainment purposes. Sites like Facebook, where users can post pictures, may deter businesses from hiring an individual if they find inappropriate photos. Presidential campaigns though over, may use their email list for future campaigns or projects. The individuals on these email lists may feel pestered if they receive too many emails concerning subjects they do not wish to be a part of.
In the future, technology may become even more interactive. Perhaps, a site similar to Linkedin, Myspace, or Facebook will be developed specifically for colleges to use. Potential students can create profiles and submit applications over this interconnected network. This network should encompass the majority of colleges worldwide so that everything can be done on one site, rather than applying to each school separately. The site should retain a professional atmosphere rather than a casual one such as Facebook or Myspace.
Corporations have also turned to developments in social media technology when it comes to hiring employees. Sites like Linkedin, where professionals can set up profiles, network with each other, and list their job skills, allows users to advertise themselves as well as giving recruiters the opportunity to browse through candidate profiles. This could lead to potential job offers and company additions that are particular to the position in question as the site allows recruiters to filter their searches to find individuals with specific desired skills. (Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting by Frank Langfitt, NPR, March 16, 2008)
Internationally, countries like India have also used new technology developments to help them in law enforcement. New Delhi's traffic police created a Facebook page initially for supporters to join and post comments or suggestions. People began posting videos and images of traffic disobeyers which led to the issuance of violations. Without the help of these photos/videos, many of these violations would've gone unnoticed with a force of just 5,000 and a population of 12 million. ("In India, Using Facebook to Catch Scofflaw Drivers" By Heather Timmons, NY Times, August 1, 2010)
However, though these advances in technological uses are productive and positive, certain consequences may also arise. For example, photos of traffic violators may have been tampered with to falsely incriminate individuals or for entertainment purposes. Sites like Facebook, where users can post pictures, may deter businesses from hiring an individual if they find inappropriate photos. Presidential campaigns though over, may use their email list for future campaigns or projects. The individuals on these email lists may feel pestered if they receive too many emails concerning subjects they do not wish to be a part of.
In the future, technology may become even more interactive. Perhaps, a site similar to Linkedin, Myspace, or Facebook will be developed specifically for colleges to use. Potential students can create profiles and submit applications over this interconnected network. This network should encompass the majority of colleges worldwide so that everything can be done on one site, rather than applying to each school separately. The site should retain a professional atmosphere rather than a casual one such as Facebook or Myspace.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Blog vs. Wiki
Now that we have all created our blogs and have been using our class wiki, we should have all noticed a difference between the two platforms. In general, wikis are websites with interconnected web pages that are created and edited by its users. These pages can cover one topic or a broad range of topics. Wiki edits are usually done through a simplified markup language. Some sites allow anyone to make changes while others may have security blocks that limit who can view, edit, or add new links to the wiki. Wikis are often edited in real time. When someone makes a revision on a wiki from New York, the next person to view it in California will see this change. Wikis are interactive, involving the wiki user if they choose. (Wikipedia on Wikis)
Blogs on the other hand are more passive in a sense. Normally, one person or a group of people will be allowed to post articles on a particular blog. Other bloggers or visitors can leave comments in response to these posts. However, they cannot edit the actual content of these blogs unless they have access. Basically, an author(s) writes the blogs and readers read them and comment if they choose.
Both wikis and blogs have now grown in popularity. The most famous wiki is www.Wikipedia.com, an online encyclopedia known for both its information and inaccuracy. Some popular blogs are www.perezhilton.com, which covers celebrity tales or www.engadget.com, a source for technology enthusiasts. Blogs and wikis have also been the topic of controversy. Wikipedia has enacted stricter editing policies in the past few years to deter vandalists and to check sources ("Wikipedia to Limit Changes to Articles on People" by Noam Cohen, The New York Times, August 24, 2009). The US military has had trouble with soldier's blogs which may leak sensitive information or be used as an entrance for viruses or hackers into their systems. ("Pentagon Keeps Wary Watch as Troops Blog" By James Dao, The NY Times, September 8, 2009.) Societies and individuals also worry that blogs may become a new source for online bullying and defamation without the appropriate consequences ("Stung by the Perfect Sting," By Maureen Dowd, The NY Times, Aug 25, 2009).
Although issues with wikis and blogs may arise at times, our world today is shaped by the convergence of new media with our lives. Take Wikipedia for example, although some of their information may be inaccurate, for the most part, it gives us a great amount of information needed for class research. Even if we are not to use or cite from Wikipedia, it is a great starting point for further research into a topic. Though we personally may not keep a blog, some of us do visit them for our daily scoop of celebrity gossip, entertainment, or research when it comes to buying new technology. For example, I read many camera reviews a few months ago when shopping for one, and many of the reviews came from electronics bloggers. Stores like Walmart have even utilized blogs to facilitate consumer correspondence regarding products that it sells. Although correspondence in this way is very different from traditional communication between Walmart and a single consumer directly, it is efficient as consumers relate to each other which products are worth their money or which products they should buy to improve their lifestyles. This way, consumers are free to talk amongst themselves and Walmart is free to read their posts in order to serve them better (Wal-Mart Tastemakers Write a Blunt and Unfiltered Blog, NY Times, march 3, 2008.).
As mentioned above, Walmart has found a way to allow consumers to utilize blogs in a collaborative way. Another example of blogs used in collaboration is with a drug bust case in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Residents of 93rd Street in Bay Ridge blogged about their neighborhood crack house and its unruly tenants. A core group of bloggers which met on this neighborhood blog got together and brought the case to the community board and authorities. Through their collaborative efforts on the blog over the course of a year, arrests were finally made (Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid By MICHAEL WILSON The New York Times June 26, 2008).
There are as many uses for blogs as there are for wikis. Wikis can be used by the public (wikipedia), by businesses, and even by schools. We are using a wiki in our class. However, I think Baruch students can benefit even more if wikis were introduced into every classroom. I once had a Sociology professor that wanted to develop a class wiki for terms, definitions, and notes but decided against it as she thought it was too troublesome. I too thought so at the time. But now having had some exposure in this class, I feel that it is manageable if it were introduced to all students and professors on a larger scale. If each class was given one or two lessons, they could easily learn the rest as they go along. I think using wikis in class would be a great resource for all. Students can collaboratively put up notes on class readings and assignments. Doing so may give students a greater incentive to complete their work as they must also contribute to the class wiki. This can also be a one stop source for study notes. Students can also help each other if they have difficulty under-sanding the class material.
Blogs on the other hand are more passive in a sense. Normally, one person or a group of people will be allowed to post articles on a particular blog. Other bloggers or visitors can leave comments in response to these posts. However, they cannot edit the actual content of these blogs unless they have access. Basically, an author(s) writes the blogs and readers read them and comment if they choose.
Both wikis and blogs have now grown in popularity. The most famous wiki is www.Wikipedia.com, an online encyclopedia known for both its information and inaccuracy. Some popular blogs are www.perezhilton.com, which covers celebrity tales or www.engadget.com, a source for technology enthusiasts. Blogs and wikis have also been the topic of controversy. Wikipedia has enacted stricter editing policies in the past few years to deter vandalists and to check sources ("Wikipedia to Limit Changes to Articles on People" by Noam Cohen, The New York Times, August 24, 2009). The US military has had trouble with soldier's blogs which may leak sensitive information or be used as an entrance for viruses or hackers into their systems. ("Pentagon Keeps Wary Watch as Troops Blog" By James Dao, The NY Times, September 8, 2009.) Societies and individuals also worry that blogs may become a new source for online bullying and defamation without the appropriate consequences ("Stung by the Perfect Sting," By Maureen Dowd, The NY Times, Aug 25, 2009).
Although issues with wikis and blogs may arise at times, our world today is shaped by the convergence of new media with our lives. Take Wikipedia for example, although some of their information may be inaccurate, for the most part, it gives us a great amount of information needed for class research. Even if we are not to use or cite from Wikipedia, it is a great starting point for further research into a topic. Though we personally may not keep a blog, some of us do visit them for our daily scoop of celebrity gossip, entertainment, or research when it comes to buying new technology. For example, I read many camera reviews a few months ago when shopping for one, and many of the reviews came from electronics bloggers. Stores like Walmart have even utilized blogs to facilitate consumer correspondence regarding products that it sells. Although correspondence in this way is very different from traditional communication between Walmart and a single consumer directly, it is efficient as consumers relate to each other which products are worth their money or which products they should buy to improve their lifestyles. This way, consumers are free to talk amongst themselves and Walmart is free to read their posts in order to serve them better (Wal-Mart Tastemakers Write a Blunt and Unfiltered Blog, NY Times, march 3, 2008.).
As mentioned above, Walmart has found a way to allow consumers to utilize blogs in a collaborative way. Another example of blogs used in collaboration is with a drug bust case in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Residents of 93rd Street in Bay Ridge blogged about their neighborhood crack house and its unruly tenants. A core group of bloggers which met on this neighborhood blog got together and brought the case to the community board and authorities. Through their collaborative efforts on the blog over the course of a year, arrests were finally made (Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid By MICHAEL WILSON The New York Times June 26, 2008).
There are as many uses for blogs as there are for wikis. Wikis can be used by the public (wikipedia), by businesses, and even by schools. We are using a wiki in our class. However, I think Baruch students can benefit even more if wikis were introduced into every classroom. I once had a Sociology professor that wanted to develop a class wiki for terms, definitions, and notes but decided against it as she thought it was too troublesome. I too thought so at the time. But now having had some exposure in this class, I feel that it is manageable if it were introduced to all students and professors on a larger scale. If each class was given one or two lessons, they could easily learn the rest as they go along. I think using wikis in class would be a great resource for all. Students can collaboratively put up notes on class readings and assignments. Doing so may give students a greater incentive to complete their work as they must also contribute to the class wiki. This can also be a one stop source for study notes. Students can also help each other if they have difficulty under-sanding the class material.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
My Project Description
Hi Everyone,
For my project, I have chosen to write about how social media has been used by individuals, celebrities, organizations, etc to broadcast various agendas capable of reaching a larger audience than older media allowed. For example, Celebrities vowing to stay off Twitter until certain non-profits raise a specified amount of money to reach their goals. As well as an incident when a music artist promoted a certain stock on Twitter and gained a profit because his followers bought this stock that he advertised. I plan on covering Twitter and will be creating a Twitter account so that I can follow certain groups or people. I may also be writing about blogs and bloggers.
For my project, I have chosen to write about how social media has been used by individuals, celebrities, organizations, etc to broadcast various agendas capable of reaching a larger audience than older media allowed. For example, Celebrities vowing to stay off Twitter until certain non-profits raise a specified amount of money to reach their goals. As well as an incident when a music artist promoted a certain stock on Twitter and gained a profit because his followers bought this stock that he advertised. I plan on covering Twitter and will be creating a Twitter account so that I can follow certain groups or people. I may also be writing about blogs and bloggers.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Friendship Bracelets
Hey guys, so I stayed home because it was snowing and decided to make a friendship bracelet for a friend's daughter. She is about 6. I went on Youtube to look for some easy and fun patterns and found this really cute pattern for a Heart friendship bracelet. I found a few videos that showed a tutorial but not all of them were very good. In the end, I learned to make it from this video which was very detailed and showed all the steps. She even used yarn to make the bracelet in her video so it was much easier to see. It's a fun project for those of you who have younger siblings or want to make them yourself. You can use yarn or sewing thread if you don't have embroidery floss (most commonly used for friendship bracelets). It took be maybe about 1.5 hours. That is a picture of my finished result.
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Environment DOES Matter.
What went wrong with New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina? Well let’s see, where should I begin? First of all, “Katrina [is] arguably the best-predicted accident in American history” (Gerstein, 5). Why? Well for starters, as emphasized in PBS’ Frontline: The Storm, everyone knows that N.O. itself is a city situated below sea level and also a city smack dab in the center of Hurricane Central (just as California is in earthquake territory). Therefore, an event like Katrina is bound to occur and wreak havoc, especially since no one was prepared (federal, state, and local governments). In agreement with Marc Gerstein and his book Flirting with Disaster: Why Accidents are Rarely Accidental, we cannot label Katrina under the conventional term: “accident” (3). Yes, the storm itself was unpreventable, the wind, rain, and its course could not have been stopped. However, the aftermath that came with Katrina was preventable with foreseeable ramifications.
As mentioned above, N.O. is situated in a very susceptible area. If this isn’t a major problem already, precautions should’ve been taken to prevent further disaster from striking. But of course, this wasn’t the case, it never is. Rather than trying to avoid an aftermath as seen with Katrina, it seemed like everyone – the government, state, and private lucrative businesses (such as big oil companies) only further quickened and increased the danger that N.O. inevitably faced.
N.O.’ problem began with the environment and “the bottom line here is, when people decided to live in this fragile area, they disrupted the natural system…. What’s going to happen is the ocean’s going to take it over again,” (Roy Dokka, Louisiana State University geologist, Hiles – City Adrift, 7) and that is exactly what occurred. “The entire Mississippi River Delta, including the city of N.O. is slowly disappearing into the Gulf of Mexico.” This “slow-motion environmental catastrophe” makes the N.O. area more vulnerable to hurricanes every year. Although this process is natural, “human actions have made it far worse.” “Levees, oil and gas extraction, and shipping canals – all products of man’s attempt to control nature – are partly to blame” (7/8). These human actions have caused N.O.’ marshland to disappear. About 1,900 square miles of coastal land has been lost since the 1930’s. Although much of this was done fairly innocently in the 1950’s (not many individuals were concerned with coastal land loss then), N.O.’ citizens have now paid dearly as a result. At the time, wetlands were thought of as wastelands, stagnant water, a breeding ground for mosquitoes (9). They didn’t know (until the 1960’s, though the facts were still ignored) that wetlands reduced hurricane storm surges by 1 foot for each 2.7miles of wetland the storm crossed (18). “Wetlands would have made all the difference; about 80 miles of restored coastal marsh below N.O. would have prevented most of the flooding” (18). In a cruel and unforgiving cycle, Katrina’s waves which were magnified by the loss of coastal land, destroyed an estimated additional 100 square miles of N.O.’ already fragile coast (17).
Not only did Katrina kill more than 1,000 people, flood nearly 200,000 homes, and increase erosion, it also created a whole new set of problems in its aftermath with issues of contamination, trash disposal, and oil spills. With the hurricane flooding up 80% of N.O., its swirling water swept up dirt, pesticides, bacteria, chemical waste, and other debris. This “toxic gumbo” was then distributed throughout the city in a “layer of brown muck,” rendering the area a potential “hazardous waste dump” (13). In addition, 22 million tons of debris was left in the wake of Katrina. Two old landfills which were formerly used for construction and demolition debris, were then opened up and became the dumping ground for all sorts of waste, (household cleaning products/chemicals, food, feces, cars, metals, downed trees, moldy carpeting, etc.) left in the midst of this disaster (16). This became a big problem because construction and demolition landfills are not properly lined to “collect liquid that percolates through the garbage.” As a result, “The more you put things in that decompose… the bigger risk you’re creating that you’ll have landfill problems with gas, groundwater contamination, et cetera” (16). As for the oil spills caused by the storm, the U.S. Coast Guard estimates that more than 7 million gallons of oil leaked into the waterways of southeast Louisiana. That is only 4 million gallons shy of the “largest oil spill in U.S. history – the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 in Alaska’s Prince William Sound which released 11 million gallons” (15).
Katrina illustrates how environmental mistakes can compound themselves, leading to more disastrous effects (14). On top of all the many environmental issues that went wrong, environmental laws were also being overlooked in the aftermath of Katrina (17). The director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Mark Davis, is “convinced that Katrina would have been less deadly if the state, the federal government, and Louisiana residents had heeded the long-ago warnings of environmental ruin” (18). “There had been plenty of warning, and no small amount of data to support the view that things were going downhill in a hurry” (Gerstein, 3). In the first five months after the hurricane, the federal government spent $85 billion. In comparison, only $14 billion was needed to restore Louisiana’s coast and “not one nickel of that went to preventing this from happening again” (Hiles, 19). It is terribly sad in retrospect, to know that N.O. and its citizens could have been saved with just a little less then 1/6th of the reluctant money that the government ultimately needed to spend.
As mentioned above, N.O. is situated in a very susceptible area. If this isn’t a major problem already, precautions should’ve been taken to prevent further disaster from striking. But of course, this wasn’t the case, it never is. Rather than trying to avoid an aftermath as seen with Katrina, it seemed like everyone – the government, state, and private lucrative businesses (such as big oil companies) only further quickened and increased the danger that N.O. inevitably faced.
N.O.’ problem began with the environment and “the bottom line here is, when people decided to live in this fragile area, they disrupted the natural system…. What’s going to happen is the ocean’s going to take it over again,” (Roy Dokka, Louisiana State University geologist, Hiles – City Adrift, 7) and that is exactly what occurred. “The entire Mississippi River Delta, including the city of N.O. is slowly disappearing into the Gulf of Mexico.” This “slow-motion environmental catastrophe” makes the N.O. area more vulnerable to hurricanes every year. Although this process is natural, “human actions have made it far worse.” “Levees, oil and gas extraction, and shipping canals – all products of man’s attempt to control nature – are partly to blame” (7/8). These human actions have caused N.O.’ marshland to disappear. About 1,900 square miles of coastal land has been lost since the 1930’s. Although much of this was done fairly innocently in the 1950’s (not many individuals were concerned with coastal land loss then), N.O.’ citizens have now paid dearly as a result. At the time, wetlands were thought of as wastelands, stagnant water, a breeding ground for mosquitoes (9). They didn’t know (until the 1960’s, though the facts were still ignored) that wetlands reduced hurricane storm surges by 1 foot for each 2.7miles of wetland the storm crossed (18). “Wetlands would have made all the difference; about 80 miles of restored coastal marsh below N.O. would have prevented most of the flooding” (18). In a cruel and unforgiving cycle, Katrina’s waves which were magnified by the loss of coastal land, destroyed an estimated additional 100 square miles of N.O.’ already fragile coast (17).
Not only did Katrina kill more than 1,000 people, flood nearly 200,000 homes, and increase erosion, it also created a whole new set of problems in its aftermath with issues of contamination, trash disposal, and oil spills. With the hurricane flooding up 80% of N.O., its swirling water swept up dirt, pesticides, bacteria, chemical waste, and other debris. This “toxic gumbo” was then distributed throughout the city in a “layer of brown muck,” rendering the area a potential “hazardous waste dump” (13). In addition, 22 million tons of debris was left in the wake of Katrina. Two old landfills which were formerly used for construction and demolition debris, were then opened up and became the dumping ground for all sorts of waste, (household cleaning products/chemicals, food, feces, cars, metals, downed trees, moldy carpeting, etc.) left in the midst of this disaster (16). This became a big problem because construction and demolition landfills are not properly lined to “collect liquid that percolates through the garbage.” As a result, “The more you put things in that decompose… the bigger risk you’re creating that you’ll have landfill problems with gas, groundwater contamination, et cetera” (16). As for the oil spills caused by the storm, the U.S. Coast Guard estimates that more than 7 million gallons of oil leaked into the waterways of southeast Louisiana. That is only 4 million gallons shy of the “largest oil spill in U.S. history – the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 in Alaska’s Prince William Sound which released 11 million gallons” (15).
Katrina illustrates how environmental mistakes can compound themselves, leading to more disastrous effects (14). On top of all the many environmental issues that went wrong, environmental laws were also being overlooked in the aftermath of Katrina (17). The director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Mark Davis, is “convinced that Katrina would have been less deadly if the state, the federal government, and Louisiana residents had heeded the long-ago warnings of environmental ruin” (18). “There had been plenty of warning, and no small amount of data to support the view that things were going downhill in a hurry” (Gerstein, 3). In the first five months after the hurricane, the federal government spent $85 billion. In comparison, only $14 billion was needed to restore Louisiana’s coast and “not one nickel of that went to preventing this from happening again” (Hiles, 19). It is terribly sad in retrospect, to know that N.O. and its citizens could have been saved with just a little less then 1/6th of the reluctant money that the government ultimately needed to spend.
Monday, December 14, 2009
What to do with all those bags?
For those of you interested in repurposing all those plastics bags you get when you go grocery shopping rather than just throwing them away and harming the environment and sea life, take a look: (Sorry, it seems I don't know how to upload videos either, but I learned how to include hyperlinks!)
Sewing with plastic - (you can fast forward to 1:40 - 4:44 min. if you don't want to watch the full video.) It basically explains how to cut, iron, and then sew the sheets of plastic into items such as reusable shopping bags. I tried this once but I couldn't get the heat at the right level to properly fuse the plastic together.
Making plarn - (very quick, 52 sec. only) A quick slideshow of pictures that shows you how plastic bags can be turned into plarn (plastic yarn). Plarn can then be used in place of regular yarn and since it is much more durable, you can make nice reusable bags out of them as well as various other items. The user in this video has turned the plastic into a very durable twine like material. There are also other methods for making plarn, some may be easier than others.
Example of Bags made from Plarn - Skip to around 2:50 min for a very beautifully crocheted example of bags that can be made out of plarn.
Just wanted to share a few ideas for all those plastics bags. Another simple way is to recycle them at locations that accept bags with the recyclable logo on them. Or use them as trash bags rather than buying them.
Sad Fact: "Over 1 million plastic bags are consumed per minute globally."
Gut Wrenching Fact: "Marine wildlife mistakes plastic bags for food and dies."
Frustrating Fact: "Supermarkets and politicians will take years to sort it out."
- Taken from morsbags.com, a site whose message is to: "make your own cotton morsbags and distribute - each one has the potential to eliminate 100's of plastic bags over its' lifetime." They encourage volunteers to make bags in pods, sort of like a tupperware party with sewing machines and fabric.
Sewing with plastic - (you can fast forward to 1:40 - 4:44 min. if you don't want to watch the full video.) It basically explains how to cut, iron, and then sew the sheets of plastic into items such as reusable shopping bags. I tried this once but I couldn't get the heat at the right level to properly fuse the plastic together.
Making plarn - (very quick, 52 sec. only) A quick slideshow of pictures that shows you how plastic bags can be turned into plarn (plastic yarn). Plarn can then be used in place of regular yarn and since it is much more durable, you can make nice reusable bags out of them as well as various other items. The user in this video has turned the plastic into a very durable twine like material. There are also other methods for making plarn, some may be easier than others.
Example of Bags made from Plarn - Skip to around 2:50 min for a very beautifully crocheted example of bags that can be made out of plarn.
Just wanted to share a few ideas for all those plastics bags. Another simple way is to recycle them at locations that accept bags with the recyclable logo on them. Or use them as trash bags rather than buying them.
Sad Fact: "Over 1 million plastic bags are consumed per minute globally."
Gut Wrenching Fact: "Marine wildlife mistakes plastic bags for food and dies."
Frustrating Fact: "Supermarkets and politicians will take years to sort it out."
- Taken from morsbags.com, a site whose message is to: "make your own cotton morsbags and distribute - each one has the potential to eliminate 100's of plastic bags over its' lifetime." They encourage volunteers to make bags in pods, sort of like a tupperware party with sewing machines and fabric.
Friday, December 11, 2009
totes umbrellas
I think Tuesday was the day it was pouring. So with so much rain, I decided to use a bigger umbrella. I walked out of the house and to the bus stop. It was a good thing I had my big umbrella because the rain was coming down hard and sideways with the strong wind. I got on the bus and closed the umbrella. I then opened it up when I got off the bus to walk to the train. Once I got down the stairs, I tried to close the umbrella but only the top part closed, the part where the fabric was. The metal rod part would not collapse in towards the handle no matter what I tried. So I took a very crowded train ride with a halfway closed umbrella, it was about 3ft long and others probably thought I didn't know how to close it properly. Then halfway through the ride, I realized it was pouring out and I wouldn't be able to use my umbrella when I got off the train. Since I couldn't close it properly, it wouldn't open up because of the spring loaded thing or whatever. I ended up walking from the 6 train manually holding the umbrella top open with my hand. Not only did I look like an idiot, but my arm was so tired because the umbrella was very heavy due to its huge size and I had to hold it against the wind.
So I was very upset since this was a tote umbrella and they are supposed to be great and work well all the time and are expensive. I think it cost 35$ for the size I was using and that's alot for an umbrella. I think I have 10 various different Totes at home and 4/10 have broken which is ridiculous. And all the defects are due to the umbrella itself and not poor care etc.
Totes do however boast a lifetime warranty and I just looked it up. I think I can get it replaced, I need to send it back, pay for the shipping, and then give them another 5$ for s&h in order to fix the problem :( Why can't they just make umbrellas that live up to their promised superiority?
Wow I can't believe I am posting on my blog though my phone.
So I was very upset since this was a tote umbrella and they are supposed to be great and work well all the time and are expensive. I think it cost 35$ for the size I was using and that's alot for an umbrella. I think I have 10 various different Totes at home and 4/10 have broken which is ridiculous. And all the defects are due to the umbrella itself and not poor care etc.
Totes do however boast a lifetime warranty and I just looked it up. I think I can get it replaced, I need to send it back, pay for the shipping, and then give them another 5$ for s&h in order to fix the problem :( Why can't they just make umbrellas that live up to their promised superiority?
Wow I can't believe I am posting on my blog though my phone.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
New Orleans - "The City That Care Forgot"
New Orleans, Louisiana is an especially unique city, maybe one of its kind in the United States. Take for example, the fact that soil from 31 states flow from the Mississippi River and empties onto New Orleans. What other state can boast this fact? The area is a river delta and is the prime reason for its establishment. This port city was once essential to the shipping industry, but has fallen short in recent years (though still is a major contributor to NO’s economic base – aprox. 13 billion annually)(Brinkley, 31). The city has also become a site for oil extraction as well as commercial and game fishing. NO was unique from the beginning. Sieur de Bienville searched for years for a site for a great port and settled on the land where NO now resides. He chose the site because “he calculated that it was about ten feet above sea level; it was probably not quite that high, but the site was distinctly above the surrounding waters in those early days”(6). Since the beginning, this land has been in danger of flooding and damage from storms.
New Orleans is also very culturally and historically distinct. The city has a great mix of European, African, Caribbean, American, and Southern roots. This is reflected in NO’s language, zoning, architecture, hierarchy, surnames, food, and music. In Brinkley’s words, the city’s architecture became a “favorite location for Hollywood movies.” “Filmmakers could find practically any sort of backdrop in [NO], from Spanish colonial mansions and Creole cottages to American Greek revival, art deco European, and postmodern ranches” (30). As for music, Jazz was cultivated and born in the NO neighborhood of Storyville (30). The city is also widely known for its Cajun and Creole food and some still speak the languages. Its Mardi Gras season and parades are also world renowned.
During the times of slavery, NO also set itself apart as their slaves, as opposed to the British, were given the chance to work and make money to buy their freedom. NO was also the first city in the south to integrate schools as well as being home to the first black newspaper, The Tribune. Its’ citizens were holding train car “sittings” before Rosa Park became famous. The city also led politically as it was one of the first to have a legislation of which more than half of its legislators were comprised of Blacks.
While the “city was unique in many ways, it was not immune to the various ills that America’s urban flesh is heir to.” As A. J. Liebling once remarked: “I realized that New Orleans might be exotic in some respects but that in others it was exactly like everyplace else.” A city which once experienced a more kindly type of segregation (if you could call it that), suddenly saw itself as a spitting image of others, if not worse. The “alienation of black and white populations, and the decay of inner-city neighborhoods and public services” wrecked the city socially, economically, and physically (Lewis, 71). Its education system was in shambles and with the integration of schools, able whites fled the city into the nearby suburbs where there children would be protected. Crime and murder rates rose along with drug and gun violence. The tourism industry was limited to more well off white areas rather than the slums where tourists were in danger. The case of Plessy vs. Ferguson turned segregation into legalized discrimination. Urban planning also cut parishes in half, Treme for example, with the I-10 highway in the 1960’s.
As much as the city of New Orleans became a paradigmatic urban area, it was still at greater risk than others. As mentioned above, the city itself was settled on land that was barely above sea level, and this was in the early 1700’s. NO was prone to flooding/storms and have experienced a few major deadly ones within its history (1893, 1909, 1927). As the many years passed, “subsidence” described as the “sinking effect that had taken hold of coastal Louisiana through a number of contributing factors both natural (invasive flora eating insect species, shifting subsurface faults), and man-made (dredging, canal digging, polluting) (Brinkley, 12). As a result, NO has “sunk to an average of 6ft below the waterline” (13). Man-made factors especially contributed to the disastrous results of storms such as Hurrican Katrina. These factors had reduced the city’s wetlands at an alarming rate of one tennis court every thirteen seconds in 2005 (9). The city without its natural marshes/wetlands would see an increase of one foot of storm surge for every 2.7 miles of disappearing land (13). Not only were these facts ignored by the government in favor of oil/shipping, seafood, tourism, education, crime, and other economic and social issues, but they were a clear indicator of what would be expected (not if but) when faced with a category 5 hurricane. Another indicator is the fact that the the Red Cross “refused to operate a facility in [NO] because none of the commonly used emergency sites was much above sea level (17). They also didn't have a Hurricane Command Center or a network of communications established in advance.
In addition, the Mayor at the time, Nagin, can also be blamed for the aftermath of Katrina. Rather than issuing a mandatory evacuation order, he was busy shooting his first film debut and meeting with lawyers regarding legal action from hotels and the tourism industry if he were to order an evacuation. He was too concerned with economic issues and tourism and overlooked the thousands of disabled, elderly, or individuals without vehicles to evacuate. The city itself also did not posses a realistic hurricane plan though it did have a evacuation plan. Though there were clear cut guidelines in the NO Emergency Management Plan booklet and federal guidelines, they were ignored by Mayor Nagin.
Though New Orleans was once a striking and unique city, it fell under the weight of societal norms, pressuring it into the same situations faced by other cities. With the city’s special location, it was bound to one day suffer the disastrous affects of a storm like Katrina. Though indicators in its history had forewarned of such an event, they were ignored time and time again. As a result, it will take years before NO will become the splendor it once was.
New Orleans is also very culturally and historically distinct. The city has a great mix of European, African, Caribbean, American, and Southern roots. This is reflected in NO’s language, zoning, architecture, hierarchy, surnames, food, and music. In Brinkley’s words, the city’s architecture became a “favorite location for Hollywood movies.” “Filmmakers could find practically any sort of backdrop in [NO], from Spanish colonial mansions and Creole cottages to American Greek revival, art deco European, and postmodern ranches” (30). As for music, Jazz was cultivated and born in the NO neighborhood of Storyville (30). The city is also widely known for its Cajun and Creole food and some still speak the languages. Its Mardi Gras season and parades are also world renowned.
During the times of slavery, NO also set itself apart as their slaves, as opposed to the British, were given the chance to work and make money to buy their freedom. NO was also the first city in the south to integrate schools as well as being home to the first black newspaper, The Tribune. Its’ citizens were holding train car “sittings” before Rosa Park became famous. The city also led politically as it was one of the first to have a legislation of which more than half of its legislators were comprised of Blacks.
While the “city was unique in many ways, it was not immune to the various ills that America’s urban flesh is heir to.” As A. J. Liebling once remarked: “I realized that New Orleans might be exotic in some respects but that in others it was exactly like everyplace else.” A city which once experienced a more kindly type of segregation (if you could call it that), suddenly saw itself as a spitting image of others, if not worse. The “alienation of black and white populations, and the decay of inner-city neighborhoods and public services” wrecked the city socially, economically, and physically (Lewis, 71). Its education system was in shambles and with the integration of schools, able whites fled the city into the nearby suburbs where there children would be protected. Crime and murder rates rose along with drug and gun violence. The tourism industry was limited to more well off white areas rather than the slums where tourists were in danger. The case of Plessy vs. Ferguson turned segregation into legalized discrimination. Urban planning also cut parishes in half, Treme for example, with the I-10 highway in the 1960’s.
As much as the city of New Orleans became a paradigmatic urban area, it was still at greater risk than others. As mentioned above, the city itself was settled on land that was barely above sea level, and this was in the early 1700’s. NO was prone to flooding/storms and have experienced a few major deadly ones within its history (1893, 1909, 1927). As the many years passed, “subsidence” described as the “sinking effect that had taken hold of coastal Louisiana through a number of contributing factors both natural (invasive flora eating insect species, shifting subsurface faults), and man-made (dredging, canal digging, polluting) (Brinkley, 12). As a result, NO has “sunk to an average of 6ft below the waterline” (13). Man-made factors especially contributed to the disastrous results of storms such as Hurrican Katrina. These factors had reduced the city’s wetlands at an alarming rate of one tennis court every thirteen seconds in 2005 (9). The city without its natural marshes/wetlands would see an increase of one foot of storm surge for every 2.7 miles of disappearing land (13). Not only were these facts ignored by the government in favor of oil/shipping, seafood, tourism, education, crime, and other economic and social issues, but they were a clear indicator of what would be expected (not if but) when faced with a category 5 hurricane. Another indicator is the fact that the the Red Cross “refused to operate a facility in [NO] because none of the commonly used emergency sites was much above sea level (17). They also didn't have a Hurricane Command Center or a network of communications established in advance.
In addition, the Mayor at the time, Nagin, can also be blamed for the aftermath of Katrina. Rather than issuing a mandatory evacuation order, he was busy shooting his first film debut and meeting with lawyers regarding legal action from hotels and the tourism industry if he were to order an evacuation. He was too concerned with economic issues and tourism and overlooked the thousands of disabled, elderly, or individuals without vehicles to evacuate. The city itself also did not posses a realistic hurricane plan though it did have a evacuation plan. Though there were clear cut guidelines in the NO Emergency Management Plan booklet and federal guidelines, they were ignored by Mayor Nagin.
Though New Orleans was once a striking and unique city, it fell under the weight of societal norms, pressuring it into the same situations faced by other cities. With the city’s special location, it was bound to one day suffer the disastrous affects of a storm like Katrina. Though indicators in its history had forewarned of such an event, they were ignored time and time again. As a result, it will take years before NO will become the splendor it once was.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Boots
I ordered these boots online and I just got them in the mail and I think I love them. I haven't worn them out yet so I'm not too sure but from the looks of them and trying them on at home, they seem great. They are eco friendly. The soles are made from old car tires and the suede is from an eco certified tannery (though I would've preferred to not have had to kill an animal for the shoes =\). The knit part of the shoe is made of hemp and organic cotton. You can also roll the knit part up to knee length or fold them down and wear as booties. (I just hope they don't stretch out too badly.)
The best part of all? They were originally priced at $85. I saw them when they first came out but i wasn't sure I wanted to pay that amount for them, especially since I couldn't try them on and I didn't have the shoe itself in front of me to look at. The picture online wasn't very helpful. But now they are on sale for $40. I also got free shipping and I goodsearched a discount code for the website which I was able to use. (TIP: When you shop online, you can often find extra discounts via google etc. You will have to check if the codes are valid, mostly through the shopping cart of that particular site. Ex: search: "GAP online discount codes") So now, I have new, eco friendly shoes for the winter which will also hopefully keep my feet warm. They look a bit different and not everyone may like the style. But if you do, you can find them at www.simpleshoes.com
The site also sells mens and childrens shoes and some bags. They are all eco friendly and even carry some vegan items.
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