Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Presque Isle State Park- A local treasure
Background Info. of the Peninsula...
March 22, 2009
Tom Ridge Environmental Center- "Gateway into the Park"
Before you enter into Presque Isle, you pass the Tom Ridge Environmental Center which is the gateway into the Park that acts as an informational, educational, and research center of the Peninsula.
History of Presque Isle
Presque Isle is a Migrating Peninsula and a recurving sand spit. Geologists believe it formed more than 11,000 years ago. Over time the coastline "floated" as the forces of wind and water carried sand from the neck of the peninsula eastward, depositing it at Gull Point, causing that area to grow. This growth and migration of the peninsula occurred rapidly, at least in geologic time. Scientists believe that the peninsula has moved eastward one-half mile per century, although they see smaller changes every year. These changes created an extremely diverse and fragile environment. Because of its diversity, Presque Isle is a natural laboratory for viewing the geologic past and watching geologic forces in motion.Although the French name Presque Isle means "almost an island," the area has actually been a real island several times.
Nature of Presque Isle
There are six distinct ecological zones on Presque Isle, each with a different plant and animal community. The record of geological succession can be traced through each of these zones. The zones include: Lake Erie, the bay and shoreline; sand plain and new ponds; dunes and ridges; old ponds and marshes; thicket and sub-climax forest; and climax forest. Because of the diversity of ecological zones at Presque Isle State Park, many different species of plants and wildlife inhabit the park, but of all the plants and animals on the peninsula, birds are the most studied and understood. The peninsula's location along the Atlantic flyway and the diversity of natural habitats make Presque Isle State Park a haven for bird life. Migrating birds rest, feed and nest here. Some of those birds are especially rare and in danger — while over 320 species of birds have been recorded on Presque Isle; at least 45 of those species are listed as species of special concern.
Presque Isle is a unique Park, full of animal and plant life, along with a variety of activities to do. There you can sunbathe, picnic, run, bike, walk, rollerblade, boat, kayak, scuba dive...Overall, my experience at Presque Isle was very enjoyable due to the nice, sunny weather. I walked around several beaches, stopping at the Perry monument and other stops along the way. Many people were out and about fishing, boating, walking, biking, etc. It was nice to see the people in the community use the Park and enjoy it since it is such a prescious landmark. Hope you enjoy my pics!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
http://delicious.com/network/Maggs0922
After using delicious, i found that it was interesting to see what sites other people visit on a daily basis, along with having all of my favorites on one social bookmark list for other people to see as well. However, I wish it was a little more organized and you could categorize your different bookmarks to make them easier to access. It is better than traditional bookmarking in my opinion because you can have all of your bookmarks at any time even if you are not on your own personal computer, along with being able to see what other sites people are into.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
WEB 2.0
Web 2.0 Definition:
Web 2.0 is a new generation technology & platform devoted to expansion of the online community through blogs, wikis, social networks, indexing, etc. It's main components and elements are web development & design, simplicity, user friendly, collaboration of different media, convergence of different audio and video sites, and being online vs. going online. There is also a significant shift in economic value of the web, software as a service, and interpersonal computing.
Benefits & pros...ways it can help business and society
Web 2.0 proves to be very beneficial to today's society due to our world being generated and centered around technology and all of the up-to-date "gizmo's & gadgets." Whether it's the latest itunes or updating one's profile on facebook, we rely heavily on having our lives put up on display for all to see. We need to have our life as a complete package in the palms of our hands. For instance, having a blackberry or iphone means having your e-mail, instant messaging, phone, contacts...all you need in your day-to-day life is at immediate access in an all-in-one technology. Through blogging and wiki's, it is easier to have business meetings from across the country, while seeing everyone's personal opinion or suggestion on a various topic. With Web 2.0 products, users can quickly find exactly what they're looking for, they can interact with like-minded individuals and access their data at anytime.The new Web 2.0 proves to be benficial when it comes to bettering and helping today's contemporary society.
Cons...?
The main negative factor I see in Web 2.0 is a somewhat lack of privacy concerning searching the internet, and the social networking or blogging websites. Also, what if the site where you store your personal data is sold to another company? Will that company then have your best interest at heart? What if the servers crash and you lose your valuable information, say your schedule, or your team collaboration project, even if it's only temporarily? What if you lose your Internet connection and therefore cannot access your to-do list?...http://www.tucows.com/article/846
Urban Decay
The locations of Urban Decay I focused on in Erie were primarily centered around the Pine Ave. & Parade St. areas. The images I took range from boarded up houses/old factories to alleys filled with garbage. They were located on E. 18th, 13th, 14th, 17th, 23rd & Parade, German St...When taking pictures at these places, it was sad to see a part of the Erie City in such a state of decay, knowing that these areas were the backyards of some people's homes. I felt a little out of place, and somewhat uneasy when shooting due to the kids outside, and random people walking about. Overall the experience was not what I had imagined. However, I now have a better understanding as to what state some people live in & how some things definitely need to change in this city in order to provide for a better & safer environment for people to reside and grow up in.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Wedding Bliss
Also, my sister got married this past weekend!!
To the left is a picture of their wedding cake! and also of me and the other bridesmaids waiting for the happy couple to make their entrance into the reception. Of course, my family being devoted Sabres fans, we held up hockey sticks for them to walk under :)
Welcome!
Hello everyone! I just created this blog for the new media class I am taking this Spring term. There is not too much going on in my life right now, other than getting back to reality and school. After being in Clearwater Florida for my Spring break with a bunch of my friends, it is kind of sad coming back to dreary Erie. But it was fun while it lasted :)
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