Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Sometimes we take for granted how lucky we are Sandy didn't obliterate us given its effects in the Caribbean, especially Cuba. It destroyed houses, flooded the streets and the storm was so potent that it will take two years to recover from the damages. Electricity was ostensibly cut off, the water turned filthy and people were scrambling to look for food because they had none.
Now Sandy is in the East Coast, destroying anything in its path. There were four men killed yesterday and reporters stated that in New York a man got killed by a tree that fell on him. The facade of an appartment complex got completely ripped off and there was a huge crane near a newly built skyscraper that looked like a snapped twig, dangling and bending with the wind. Billions of dollars have been spent in that building and each apartment costs millions.
Lights have been flickering on and off. News reporters stated that people are not supposed to be driving: to get off the roads, and to not call 911 unless there's an emergency. Sandy is such a disastrous storm that not only is it affecting the people directly, but it's also affecting the economy. It will cost us 20 billion in damages.
Obama stated that he needs not worry about the election because the lives of those inflicted by the storm are more important. People are worrying about voter turnout instead of what the catastrophe's effects would be. There was also a report that a woman who was shipwrecked in the Atlantic Ocean and saved by the Coast Guard, later died because of the storm. There have been flooding in the NYC tunnels and there have been 50 houses set ablaze by Sandy.
It is quite scary to know that in the blink of an eye the laws of nature can stack against you. It is also quite unnerving that in those situations pure luck is what can save you. You have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time to get hit by a tree, and if one is an unlucky person, there's not going to be a favorable outcome.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Reading:
The reading feels like a report since it's very descriptive and informative, given the fact that the writer is a reporter for the Miami Herald. It felt like she was describing a forensics show or even Dexter.She gave insight into the pecularities and arduours of being a female cop- from being isolated from boys due to the fact that they carry guns, to inspecting her purse given the cops tendency to reveal all your secrets: lipsticks, her eye drops, etc.
One of the most interesting aspects of being a cop is the intuition some have, like Buck Griscom, who happened to be at the crime scene without realizing it. He stopped a car in Collins Ave just due to a hunch that told him to follow him. He also killed a few people, but it seems that's one normal aspect of the police. There's going to be unintended shots in order to save lives.
There's also the fact that some people wear items that are extremely ironic, like the girl wearing Rihanna's T-shirt: "sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me." She wore that before her boyfriend killed her. The author also mentions that it's very important to obtain every single detail, from the Tv-shows witnesses were watching in order to remember the time of the crime, to the clothing they were wearing, given that if she doesn't ask then nobody will answer. Such questions, although petty can reveal important info. Discovering a piece of paper in the victim's wallet can be the difference between winning a case, and losing it.
There's also a good point about the reporter's ways of describing the scenes. They use euphemisms, like "involuntary sexual buttery" instead of using the word "rape". These are quite annoying because everyone has their guards up, in order to not offend anybody. But this correctness, hinders the clearness of the investigation and sugar coats reality.
There's also a theme of cause/effect relationships. One woman called the Miami Herald stating that someone wanted to kill her. Nobody answered until days later when she was actually dead. Then, there was another instance of a veteran that wanted to return to Key West, giving an appeal but nobody helped him out. Days later he was killed while he was on his way. Also, there was a man who owned a shop and decided to stay later than usual. But, like the author states, " one man's act of kindness can cost him his life."
Overall, the nonfiction story felt it was overloaded with so many action-packed details that oftentimes one forgot one was reading a nonfiction story. It felt like a totally made up story bt simultaneously, some of the cases were familiar like the guy who was found in the asylum because he didn't know how to speak or communicate. Generally, it was extremely interesting because it gave information like a report, but wasn't boring or tedious like them.
The reading feels like a report since it's very descriptive and informative, given the fact that the writer is a reporter for the Miami Herald. It felt like she was describing a forensics show or even Dexter.She gave insight into the pecularities and arduours of being a female cop- from being isolated from boys due to the fact that they carry guns, to inspecting her purse given the cops tendency to reveal all your secrets: lipsticks, her eye drops, etc.
One of the most interesting aspects of being a cop is the intuition some have, like Buck Griscom, who happened to be at the crime scene without realizing it. He stopped a car in Collins Ave just due to a hunch that told him to follow him. He also killed a few people, but it seems that's one normal aspect of the police. There's going to be unintended shots in order to save lives.
There's also the fact that some people wear items that are extremely ironic, like the girl wearing Rihanna's T-shirt: "sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me." She wore that before her boyfriend killed her. The author also mentions that it's very important to obtain every single detail, from the Tv-shows witnesses were watching in order to remember the time of the crime, to the clothing they were wearing, given that if she doesn't ask then nobody will answer. Such questions, although petty can reveal important info. Discovering a piece of paper in the victim's wallet can be the difference between winning a case, and losing it.
There's also a good point about the reporter's ways of describing the scenes. They use euphemisms, like "involuntary sexual buttery" instead of using the word "rape". These are quite annoying because everyone has their guards up, in order to not offend anybody. But this correctness, hinders the clearness of the investigation and sugar coats reality.
There's also a theme of cause/effect relationships. One woman called the Miami Herald stating that someone wanted to kill her. Nobody answered until days later when she was actually dead. Then, there was another instance of a veteran that wanted to return to Key West, giving an appeal but nobody helped him out. Days later he was killed while he was on his way. Also, there was a man who owned a shop and decided to stay later than usual. But, like the author states, " one man's act of kindness can cost him his life."
Overall, the nonfiction story felt it was overloaded with so many action-packed details that oftentimes one forgot one was reading a nonfiction story. It felt like a totally made up story bt simultaneously, some of the cases were familiar like the guy who was found in the asylum because he didn't know how to speak or communicate. Generally, it was extremely interesting because it gave information like a report, but wasn't boring or tedious like them.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Presidential Debate
Presidential debates are so hyped up to be so miraculously incredible, jaw dropping, the determining factor amongst undecided voters, when in actually, it is a simple act of "play the likable figure" and remain"civil" disposition. This is a bag of bolony because there's nothing more irritating than saying lies. The truth is what should come out of these candidates mouths instead of the half-truths which turn out to be more seriously conspicious than the whole truth. It is unbelievable how the whole "likability" question is more serious than substance. It's like saying a cnadidates mannerism when talking, the way they move their hands or the times they look at the audience, is what voters look for. What kind of dumb voter would that be?
People who vote for a candidate because he simply "didn't laugh the whole time" during vicepresidential debates, which was part of Biden's "un-likable behavior" and because he doesn't "speak right under the other guy's nose" is such a bogus answer. Why would anyone vote on a president solely based on how they behave instead of what they have to say?If it comes down to what they have to say you'd be surprised at how much time they spend talking rhetoric, hypotheticals and statistics that are so distracting. Talk ideology! That's the difference between Romney and Obama anyways. People don't want to listen to endless numbers and figures that make them confounded. They need to hear about the record, and about what the actual path America is heading towards is. There is no denying that the Democrats and Republicans have completely different ideologies. But it seemed as if one uses the other to tame themselves into acting like "moderates" in order to collect all of the undecided voters out there. This is a lie. They are not "moderates". Why would you even try to act moderate in the first place?
It is also so ridiculous how they are afraid of fully attacking each other. this is a debate. t's what makes debates exciting: to know you are not shaking the other's guys hand because you are forced to. They should behave like their honest selves- scream if they have to make their point across or do something besides fake smiles and fake responses. But one can lie as much as they want to. But, in the end, the truth is always conqueror.
Topic: La Carreta
I am thinking of writing about La Carreta, which is a Cuban restaurant near 8th street where the Marlin's shop used to be. La Carreta is very important to Cubans given that it's been there for 40 years, and it's one of the few restaurants in Miami with a Cuban stamp or flair. There's so many interesting people there, Cubans smoking cigars, talking about politics, baseball and snitching about their friends that the whole place becomes a spectacle. These interactions or lack of interactions ( human-object superficial behavior) is quite important in the Cuban community.
I could further elaborate on their dialogues, since they are quite funny and have hilarious things to say at times. They talk with their hands. They drink coffee all day and they always carry around their kids to public places, alongside the biggest family in the whole world. Then they stay in the restaurant to talk. They also wear "balsero" clothing with loose shirts and pants bought from el Pulgera, wich is a Flee Market and from Balsan, the most stereotypical Cuban "ghetto" store.
Overall, I think the analysis could be quite interesting because even the employees have things to say and to divulge in regards to their boss and the poeple that go there. My father also knows someone who works there, so we could talk to him and try to figure more things out.
I am thinking of writing about La Carreta, which is a Cuban restaurant near 8th street where the Marlin's shop used to be. La Carreta is very important to Cubans given that it's been there for 40 years, and it's one of the few restaurants in Miami with a Cuban stamp or flair. There's so many interesting people there, Cubans smoking cigars, talking about politics, baseball and snitching about their friends that the whole place becomes a spectacle. These interactions or lack of interactions ( human-object superficial behavior) is quite important in the Cuban community.
I could further elaborate on their dialogues, since they are quite funny and have hilarious things to say at times. They talk with their hands. They drink coffee all day and they always carry around their kids to public places, alongside the biggest family in the whole world. Then they stay in the restaurant to talk. They also wear "balsero" clothing with loose shirts and pants bought from el Pulgera, wich is a Flee Market and from Balsan, the most stereotypical Cuban "ghetto" store.
Overall, I think the analysis could be quite interesting because even the employees have things to say and to divulge in regards to their boss and the poeple that go there. My father also knows someone who works there, so we could talk to him and try to figure more things out.
Accident
Yesterday I got stopped by a cop because I accidentally hit the bumper of the car when making a left turn in a crazy highway. I got so nervous I thought I was gone for a second. But, luckily they didn't give me a ticket because it was a minor scratch. Being female probably did play its role given that cops tend to fine males more due to stereotyping.
Then, at 11:00 AM there were 10 police cars parked outside the building where I had hit the cop's car. I was mortified after coming from UM. I thought it had to do with me so I thought I was dead again. But, the incident turned out to be more serious than that. There was a car crash off the express way between a truck and a green Nissan Sentra ( I happen to have a green Nissan Sentra to add to the coincidence). The accident caused us to lose electricity for a whole day- so no Tv, no computer, needless to say, it was quite mortifying. Then, a driver made a turn, and since the car crash had blocked the lane, he tried to turn and ran over a pedestrian. He was around 30 years old, perhaps Cuban, and I believe he was on his way to pick up his daughter or family member.
On my way home I had noticed scraps of clothing and a car that was completely blown apart- just sraps of metals. Then, there was blood in the road. My heart sank. I think I was traumatized for a week after that. The poor man was crossing the street where I had once bumped into the police car, and was killed instantaneously. There were lots of people outside their windows trying to get hold of information. The cops were talking to my neighbors and that's when I figured out the guy was killed. But, it all happened so fast, and so hectic that it was so scary.
Coincidentally again, the parking lot in Miami Dade happened to collapse trapping a few people in the rubbles, and sending others to the hospital. This was such a brutal week that it reminded me to drive calmly ( ironically) and to never ever do what I did with that cop's car ever again.
Lesson learned.
Then, at 11:00 AM there were 10 police cars parked outside the building where I had hit the cop's car. I was mortified after coming from UM. I thought it had to do with me so I thought I was dead again. But, the incident turned out to be more serious than that. There was a car crash off the express way between a truck and a green Nissan Sentra ( I happen to have a green Nissan Sentra to add to the coincidence). The accident caused us to lose electricity for a whole day- so no Tv, no computer, needless to say, it was quite mortifying. Then, a driver made a turn, and since the car crash had blocked the lane, he tried to turn and ran over a pedestrian. He was around 30 years old, perhaps Cuban, and I believe he was on his way to pick up his daughter or family member.
On my way home I had noticed scraps of clothing and a car that was completely blown apart- just sraps of metals. Then, there was blood in the road. My heart sank. I think I was traumatized for a week after that. The poor man was crossing the street where I had once bumped into the police car, and was killed instantaneously. There were lots of people outside their windows trying to get hold of information. The cops were talking to my neighbors and that's when I figured out the guy was killed. But, it all happened so fast, and so hectic that it was so scary.
Coincidentally again, the parking lot in Miami Dade happened to collapse trapping a few people in the rubbles, and sending others to the hospital. This was such a brutal week that it reminded me to drive calmly ( ironically) and to never ever do what I did with that cop's car ever again.
Lesson learned.
Response to the Reading
Response to the book
The book is very descriptive, so much so that it talks about everything from basketball to tailgaiting to frat parties and even talks about the superfluous facade of working out. It covered so many topics reflecting the campus experience, giving one a sense of being part of the action. The use of sensory details: auditory, visual imagery, as well as dialogue provides a realistic feel. The writing style is formal, yet contains its own authentic style. It also has great comic relief and good analysis throughout each observation. So, every observation is backed up by either an opinion, analysis or argument and serves as a good reference point for the observation essay.
The most interesting event depicted was when Charlotte talks about her family. Their quaint, southern dispositions set a stark contrast to Charlotte's lofty, intellectual behavior. There is a sense of comedy given the introverted dad who wears a mermaid tattoo that blushes during arduous labor. There's also a hint of criticism when her uncle or family member states that Charlotte's intelligence does not come from her dad's side of the family. These interactions are quite discordant and produce a sense of mockery that is impregnated in the authors observations.
The main point or theme seems to be the insecurities teenagers share and how ridiculous they can be. Every event, from the frat parties to the "cliques" ,entail how superficial and stereotypical students' behavior is. They put of facades and fake fronts to delineate a "tough" attitude in order to dissipate the fear of not belonging. Hence, the observations become cohesive in the theme of inferiority complexes, proving the universal theme of insecurities.
The book is very descriptive, so much so that it talks about everything from basketball to tailgaiting to frat parties and even talks about the superfluous facade of working out. It covered so many topics reflecting the campus experience, giving one a sense of being part of the action. The use of sensory details: auditory, visual imagery, as well as dialogue provides a realistic feel. The writing style is formal, yet contains its own authentic style. It also has great comic relief and good analysis throughout each observation. So, every observation is backed up by either an opinion, analysis or argument and serves as a good reference point for the observation essay.
The most interesting event depicted was when Charlotte talks about her family. Their quaint, southern dispositions set a stark contrast to Charlotte's lofty, intellectual behavior. There is a sense of comedy given the introverted dad who wears a mermaid tattoo that blushes during arduous labor. There's also a hint of criticism when her uncle or family member states that Charlotte's intelligence does not come from her dad's side of the family. These interactions are quite discordant and produce a sense of mockery that is impregnated in the authors observations.
The main point or theme seems to be the insecurities teenagers share and how ridiculous they can be. Every event, from the frat parties to the "cliques" ,entail how superficial and stereotypical students' behavior is. They put of facades and fake fronts to delineate a "tough" attitude in order to dissipate the fear of not belonging. Hence, the observations become cohesive in the theme of inferiority complexes, proving the universal theme of insecurities.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)