Article Summary: "Telecommuting and Urban Sprawl"

The article "Telecommuting and Urban Sprawl" analyzes in depth the effect that telecommuting has on city size. It describes how telecommuting allows people to work from "electronic cottages" (their homes) or anywhere they are connected to the internet. The author, Hyok-Joo Rhee, mentions that commuting daily to a central workplace is "a phenomenon of the pre-information age." "Telecommuting and Urban Sprawl" concludes that with increased prevalence of telecommuting in the economy, the more expansive urban sprawl becomes. However, the effect that telecommuting will have on overall city size is still unclear as telecommuting remains a fledgling activity.

-Oliver

Using the Library Resources

I used the library site to search for an article related to suburbs. The article that caught my eye was by USA Today-‘Crowded Houses Gaining Attention in Suburbs’. This article is a bit old, it was written in 2006. But it is still relevant in today’s world. The article talks about the overcrowding in the various suburbs of New York and Washington D.C. In the year 2006 police conducted raids many raids and basically kicked 200 Latinos from their homes in a New York Suburb. The immigration of the people has crowded up places like the New York Suburb and the suburbs of Washington D.C. This is one of the most pressing situations in America, a place for immigrants to stay as the influx of immigrants has not reduced in the past few years. This is also a very bad situation for the people coming from outside as now they do not have definite housing or security from getting kicked out. Furthermore the people have to also stay in more crowded places than they would like to live.

All I can say about this article is that it gave me a whole new perspective about the lives of immigrants in America (Basically the Latino population). And I can say, proudly, that Georgia Tech has one of the biggest and best library databases in the world.

Trying out technology...

Instead of borrowing a USB camera from the library, I tried out my webcam.

It didn't turn out so good...



shotty quality, I apologize

Atlantic Station

Hi Shaurya here again. Right now I am doing an English project on a neighborhood in Atlanta and I have chosen Atlantic Station. So i would like to tell all of you people something about my project.
It is one of the newest developments in Atlanta and it has been a huge success with the people of Atlanta. It is a mixture of traditional neighborhood and the suburban sprawl. Plus it is also a very pedestrian friendly neighborhood. It is one of the only five places in Atlanta where a person can survive without having a car. This is also aided by having most of the basic amenities at a walking distance. The people in this neighborhood are also quite friendly. They will help a person with anything and everything. These reasons plus the colonial architecture made me chose Atlantic Station as my neighborhood.
But the basic reason I chose Atlantic Station is because of its close proximity to the GATech Campus.

Little Five Points

Hi, this is Oliver again. I recently visited a neighborhood in Atlanta called Little Five Points because I needed observations of the area to tie into the essay I am writing about it. Similar to Decatur, Little Five Points is a very colorful and distinct place that has much to offer. The atmosphere is sort of like a small town's main street, yet with more flair. There are many sidewalks--it is very pedestrian friendly. The people I saw walking around were very diverse and multicultural. The stores in the center of "Little Five" are varied but mainly consist of vintage boutiques, bookstores, record stores, and novelty shops. Two of the most popular shops are A Cappella Books and Junkman's Daughter (novelties). Most of the storefronts are very creative in their design. However, most essentials can be bought at the nearby Publix or Target, which are both within walking distance. Original restaurants such as The Vortex Bar and Grill (repeatedly voted as having the best hamburgers in Atlanta) and Little Five Corner Tavern saturate the area with quality food. Unique events are held often at places such as the Variety Playhouse--a popular music venue--or at one of the three theaters in the neighborhood. The surrounding houses are not those of a modern cookie cutter subdivision. The majority are historical Craftsman bungalows that each have their own individual style. In addition to all of the characteristics I have already mentioned, there is an abundance of green space nearby. This space takes the form of two parks: Inman and Candler. Overall, I found Little Five Points to be a livable and rather charming area and I would suggest that you visit if you haven't been already.

-Oliver

Decatur

Hi, I am Priyank Shah from India. Unfortunately, I am unacquainted of the places in Atlanta. So, I thought that I would explore some of the well-known places in Atlanta and in addition, to write of one of the neighborhood in Atlanta was a part of my project. However, the one that dazzled me was Decatur, GA. The reason it astonished me was it gave me the view that was apposite for my project. I think the place is somewhere in middle of Decatur.




When I entered that spot, I marked it out why do the people love to stay in Georgia. This is because when the first time I landed to Atlanta, I didn’t mark out any difference between my cities (Mumbai) and Atlanta. However, when I saw Decatur, it made me feel that I am at home. It was a totally different experience for me that I didn’t expect in Decatur. There was a something analogous to porch in that area and it was surrounded by green space. It had a clear view with two students doing their homework, children playing Frisbee, girls gossiping, and a couple eating an ice-cream. It looked phenomenal in Decatur. Children were playing Frisbee and they were making a lot of noise. It is implicit that people make noise when they play. It looked a contrast between the students studying at one side and children making noise on the other side. On the other hand, the girls were having tittle-tattle. Although that looked amazing, the couple was the one that amazed me. They were aged. But, they looked like “a pair made in heaven”. I was looking at them. They were having a talk after eating the ice-cream. Soon, the old woman was making faces and trying to avoid the old man and the old man was expressing regret to the old woman. There were no actions from the old woman. But, she ultimately listens to the old man. It may be because of some misunderstanding. However, the thing that I noticed for them was true love that is rarely seen these days. This made me to put pen to paper about this city.
-PrIyAnK sHaH

Swine flu '09

Swine flu ‘09

Decatur Metro, a blog that posts about each and every event that is happening in Georgia, decided to write a blog on the recent Swine flu epidemic. The blog post tilted “Quarantined Emory Students in Today’s NY Times,” states that students across the U.S. are being quarantined to prevent the spread of the swine flu. The New York Times article states that there are currently over 2,000 students on campus that has been infected by the swine flu. The article further states that the Emory has special dorms called the “Swine Flu Dorm,” where students will be quarantined to prevent the spread of the flu. Even though the idea of being quarantined might sound dreadful to some kids, but actually they enjoy the “guilt-free” laziness. However, it also shows a contrast by interviewing other students that claims that being quarantined is like being in a retirement home. The blog also says that the professors are aiding the students who are suffering from the swine flu by giving homework such as “go to sleep.”
Since it has given suitable evidence about the people suffering from the swine flu and this will rally round the people to acquire the information of recent circumstances (statistics of people suffering from swine flu), people are constrained to read the blog.
Ultimately, the blog informs the campus students of Georgia Tech about the current situation of the swine flu because it is spreading effortlessly and so, students should be aware of the flu. Even though Georgia Tech is not quarantining students, the Georgia Tech health center is constantly sending e-mails to inform the students of the epidemic. Not only those students with the swine flu are getting proper treatments to the flu but also they are aided by the professors. The a
For more info, vist : http://www.decaturmetro.com/
By Priyank Shah

Overheard in the Atl

Peihsun (Ben) Yeh

"Overheard in the Atl" is a collection of quotes and conversations overheard in and around Atlanta, GA, and the surrounding areas. The blog's layout is simple and straightforward. There is no pictures, music, movies, etc. The blog doesn't have one single author, instead, the entries are submitted by readers themselves who have heard something that is blog-worthy, much like the popular "fmylife.com". And also like fmylife, the blog entries are usually humorous, and sometimes downright hysterical.

Here's a quote apparently heard at Georgia Tech:
* (Two researchers are outside their building taking a smoke break)
* Researcher 1: You know, I hear Splenda's bad for you.

So why does the blog exist? Why does the author, or rather, why do the authors, feel compelled to write? On the left side, a little bit further down, there is a list of similar affiliates, such as "Overheard in Athens" and "Overheard in Auburn." These collections are important in their own right. Before pictures, video, and music, how was information relayed? By word of mouth. These collections are a display of culture presented in the most direct way: from the people themselves. If anything else, they might exist just for the sake of hilarity, something to read to pass the time and have a laugh.

# Bum: (outside MARTA station) Spare change? Spare change?
# (He breaks into a perfect David Bowie imitation)
# Bum: Ch-ch-ch-changes! Turn and face the train! Changes!

- Homeless Guy: Excuse me, can you spare some change for some psychedelic research?