Stolen Lap-tops at York University

The article, “Laptop thieves strike Student Center…again” in the month of November Excalibur is something that is not new to York University. Ever year it seems more and more students are losing their personal belongings with an expensive price tag. As lap tops are becoming more slick and portable, more of it is susceptible to be stolen in the eyes of the thieves. In a space where more student are more concerned than ever about their safety and stolen electronics, little action has been taken to prevent that. According to the article, many students feel that York University administration is not doing enough to stop the problem and therefore a sense of fear in a university space. If, however, the number of thieves increases within York University the presence of security and surveillance should also increase in relation. As the days are getting shorter, my concerned is the number of laptops and purses being snatch in the dark which is often too many in the campus. As I was walking home one night last week around 6:00 after class, just outside York Lanes in a very dim light, I felt somewhat isolated and susceptible to being mugged by the thug guys lurking around the corner. As a guy, I would fight back, but statics show, women are much more vulnerable as target to being mugged or even worse, assaulted. I think York University needs to take a drastic measure for its safety in campus by boosting up more security presence during the late evening and through out the night in 24 hour Scott Library. In a situation where thieves are stealing personal belongings, surveillance camera is not enough to make students safe especially when they are outdated or broken. Crime occurs quickly and by relying too much of the camera which the university seems to be doing, the damage has been done already. I don’t think the crime rate will go down unless the university takes another approach. By then, I will have graduated with thousands of students who probably had their lap tops, Ipod and cell phones stolen. I think York University is trying to find ways to save that extra million a year to compensate for the post strike that happened last year. So, I am pessimistic about student’s safety at York University because security measure means investing thousands if not millions to beef up the security. So, for now, students are responsible for their own safety and hope things don’t go missing while you’re studying.

The Living Tree House - A Futuristic Home

The concept of a tree house has been well discovered before humans ever build modern homes suited to their lifestyle. A home is a form of place one can identify and interact socially, economically, politically and environmentally. It adequately forms a space that determines their everyday lifestyle and how nature is formed, reproduced and consumed into political space driven with economics. Marxist contextualizes how division of labour is the fundamental concept that creates capitalism, whereby places are formed differently through spatial and temporal scale.

In science of futuristic homes, the idea of, "The Living Tree House" is a different approach that combines science and ecology within the parameter of place and space. It aims to look at alternative living for those who are interested in science integrated with the environment, whereby it can reduce over consumption significantly and promote sustainability. The science of the "The Living Tree House" eliminates, if not, significantly reduce production and consumption being marketed into condos, apartment and houses. This concept of a scientific tree house uses technology to form the main structure of a house by bending the branches and main trunk of a young tree. Over time, the main structure matures and strengthens the main frame of a home. Much like the nomadic people, this idea of a tree house is seen as part of their life style which combines nature and knowledge as means of survival. By using the environment to adapt into a new place, tribes are well equipped to produce in the environmental space. This scientific home illustrate what might become a possibility that will allow us to live much like tribal people who use ecology as a means of sufficiency yet meeting our western lifestyle needs in the near future.

Although, the tree has been long thought of and many designs use for children's play ground, this particular idea derived from that and it is still relatively new concept that one day will become a possibility for people to dwell in.

Check out the following cool videos available:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yLCmIeGovs

http://www.inhabitat.com/2005/09/18/fab-tree-hab/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLMN1W2LZYs&feature=related



Blog completed by: Joseph Howland