For this week's blog, like Kinza, I also chose to utilize the library by checking out one of the Flip Video cameras. I brought the camera with me as I walked to classes on Thursday and took videos that highlighted the walk-ability and community oriented aspects of campus. Tech campus is very pedestrian friendly and the authors of Suburban Nation would most certainly be proud of its use of public transportation and other alternatives to cars.
The USB camera itself was easy enough to use. Just plug it right into the USB port of your computer and the videos can be easily imported. The only issue I have with the camera is that it records videos in .AVI format. In order to edit files in Windows Movie Maker I first had to convert all the videos to .WMV. Other than this small issue, capturing video was as easy as pressing the red button.
I had a lot of fun doing this blog post and it was a great change of pace from writing the week after doing an essay!
Guess what? This is my first time I record something and upload it onto YouTube. Despite how easy this sounds, it took me at least one hour just to figure out how to create a video. Trust me. It's NOT easy if you have never done this before, but I will show you how to do it at the end of the blog.
Let me tell you my experience on Saturday. I started off with a voice recorder and it could not transfer files to my computer, so I had to rush to the library and see if the library's computer would work. Apparently, I had to install a drive for the voice recorder and I did not have Administrator privileged. So, I had to check out a laptop and download the files. Next, I had to upload it to YouTube and I had trouble with file compatibility. My audio file is saved as wav and YouTube couldn't recognize it, so I changed it to mp3 and same thing happened. Apparently YouTube's compatible file formats are .WMV, AVI, FLV, etc. Therefore, I decided to use Windows Movie Maker (if it's not on your computer, you can get it here), which I have never ever used before. However, it is not hard to figure out. After some click and drag, it worked out very well.
Here is what you should do after you recorded your sound. (0. If you checked out voice recorder from GT library, use a XP computer! Insert the CD and install a program required for file transfer. After installation, open the program and let the file to be transfered.)
1. Open Windows Movie Maker and click on Import Media at the top left corner. 2. Select the desired image, audio, or video and click on import. 3. You will see the file appear on the main window. 4. Drag the files into the timeline on the bottom. 5. Move the images, audio, and video to desired location. 6. You may preview the movie on the right. 7. Save it as .WMV file. 8. Upload it onto your YouTube account by clicking Upload on top right corner of YouTube page. 9. Load your video/audio, and add titles and descriptions. Then click Save Changes.
Another interesting place other than Buckhead is Decatur. Over the labor day weekend, two friends of mine and I took the Marta from North Avenue station straight to Decatur station, the center of Decatur. Downtown Decatur is a great representation of traditional neighborhood. It is a very lively community. It has restaurants and shops on both sides of the street, so there are many people shopping around and dining. And the entire city can be access on foot. There is absolute no need to have a car. In fact, there are plenty of places you cannot access when you have a car, like a street of restaurants.
Old DeKalb County Courthouse in Decatur
These characteristics fit into my initial criteria very well. Most of my criteria are not affected. For example, there needs to be lots of public areas and green spaces, and Decatur definitely did a good job providing these places. There are plenty of benches on the side of the streets and in front of major buildings, like the courthouse. The space in front of the courthouse is a like a mini-plaza where people can gather around and communicate with each other. The only thing I changed is that a great neighborhood needs to have people with different socioeconomic background because that is what going to stimulate communication within a community. Rich people would be sharing their side of opinion and poor people would share their own, so any decision will not be too one-sided. This way the bond of community could also be a lot stronger.
"Where old money lives, new money parties." – Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is the first statement that Buckhead chooses to place on its website which should say a lot about the general attitude of Buckhead and its residents.The first thing that stands out is the wealth of Buckhead. It is known as an expensive place that is out of reach for all but the most elite of Atlanta's residents.In this way Buckhead does not side with the authors of Suburban Nation, who feel that mixed income neighborhoods provide a better sense of community.However, Buckhead has a lot more in common with Duany, Plater-Zyberk, and Speck's criteria than one might think. Thus I chose Buckhead because my criteria consisted of a mix between the book's criteria and my own.
The first of my criteria was the presence of some form of mixed use areas in the neighborhood. The more urban part of Buckhead accomplishes this quite well with apartments near stores, albeit very expensive apartments. In addition to these mixed areas, there are also strictly residential areas. I like this because it provides an option for those who seek different styles of living.
I also stated that narrow streets that form a web were an important aspect of a neighborhood. Buckhead contains a mix of narrow and wide streets and I was too unfamiliar with the streets to know if they form a web. I will reserve judgment on this aspect of my criteria for a later visit.
Another thing I thought was good for a neighborhood was a distinct center and civic buildings. On my visit I did not see any civic buildings or town centers, however another visit will help in assessing this issue. Though if there were to be a distinct center, it would have to be well... distinct. Since I could not tell where the general center of Buckhead was, I doubt that Buckhead contains this part of my criteria.
The next element was lively and unique areas. Buckhead definitely contains a lively and unique atmosphere. With places like the ESPN zone and smaller restaurants like Felini's, Buckhead does not necessarily have a homogeneous big box retail feeling to it.
Finally I also stated that the houses in a neighborhood should be proportionate to their lots. To observe this I went into the surrounding suburbs of Buckhead. The neighborhood was very calming and pleasant and in the part that I went to, the houses seemed to be more traditional than sprawl-like.
In general, Buckhead seems to be a good fit for my criteria. Since I am doing Buckhead in general and not a specific area like Lennox, I will need to explore more of the area to get a better feel for it. However, Buckhead seems like a great place to live and have fun - that is if you can pay.
For this week's post I have chosen to review the blog The Blissful Glutton. Like Kinza I chose a blog about food in Atlanta. It only makes sense to review this blog seeing how important food is to college students (which explains unlimited meal plans at the dining halls).
The Blissful Glutton unofficially dubs itself "your guide to eating in Atlanta" and is interesting for a number of reasons. The about page for Blissful Glutton states that the blog is a "labor of love" for the author Jennifer Zyman. She emphasizes a love for food over profit by running the site out of her own pocket and keeping the site ad-free. She even visits the restaurants on her own dime. This style of food reviewing leads to better reviews that are more applicable to experiences that all of us would have at restaurants.
The main problem in creating a food blog is that the internet is not a medium well suited for transmitting the two main aspects of food: taste and smell. Zyman manages to get around this limitation with the heavy use of pictures and video. Though smell and taste cannot be felt by the reader, smell and taste are two senses that are well associated with memory. The pictures allow for the reader to relate to the food using their past experiences as a reference.
This high-detail image of a brownie will invoke the memory of a smell or taste in most people
The blog is very diverse in the range of foods it covers, ranging from Cuban flan to Japanese traditional foods, so there is no one specific focus on type of food. However this is very telling and speaks to the concentrated diversity here in Atlanta. Food and culture are often closely intertwined and food reflects values that a society holds close. Whether it be food as a cheap way for people to get together or food as the main event, these cultural differences make up a larger culture of Atlanta. The blog also covers food-related events like the Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival.
Whether or not you are of the "foodie" niche that Blissful Glutton seeks to entertain, food is such a central aspect of our lives that one cannot help but be entertained by the wide varied of foods to choose.
After enjoying a delicious meal at either the Korean Barbeque or the Cuban Tacos that Kinza has reviewed or any fantastic restaurant in Atlanta, you may want to walk around Atlanta and enjoy the great view of Atlanta. If you have never walked around Atlanta, you should definitely check out Urban Hiking Atlanta and participates the FREE urban hikes organized by Angel Poventub and his passionate group. The author of Urban Hiking Atlanta is very dedicated to promote hiking around Atlanta. Even though he has not explicitly explained his purpose, it is obvious that he tries to inform people who live in Atlanta that Atlanta is a beautiful city. He wants everyone to appreciate the wonderful environment they live in and to take action to preserve the natural habitat around them. In addition, the detailed travel plans that the author created can bring the community closer by gathering everyone who loves the Atlanta neighborhood.
In this blog, there are not many descriptive words; however, there are tons of pictures the author took during the hiking trips. Instead of relying on readers' imagination on what he tries to describe, the author choose to upload pictures to eliminate any confusion or clarity. One picture is worth a thousand words. Readers will be able to visualize exactly what can be seen on the hiking trips. These pictures also show the natural beauty of Atlanta and can easily convince many people to join the hiking immediately. These pictures are more effective and straightforward than descriptive words. When the author has to describe something, he keeps it very short and clear.
"What? September Urban Hike- exploring on foot from Reynoldstown to Oakland Cemetery, on to 5 Points to (hopefully) see some of DragonCon! When? Meet at 9am this Saturday, September 5th Where? Park Grounds Coffee Shop- 142 Flat Shoals Ave SE, atlanta, ga 30316 Who? Everyone is invited- no age limits/restrictions! Dogs too! Why? Why not? It's a Saturday and starting to feel like fall, so let's go explore on foot around the city!"
This blog creates the awareness that there are many events going on around Atlanta and that this is a very active community. Just like many bloggers linked on Dr. Hoefer's blog, this author strongly encourages people to participate in social activities and make their own share of contribution to this community.
