Shame on Us

I’m silent no more regarding what is happening at the University of Puerto Rico.  I feel the need to express my view point, not on the issues that are causing this strike or on which side is right or wrong, but on the way everyone’s rights are being violated along the way.

I was taught that our Constitution is there to protect our rights and that we are all equal under the law.  I believed the students that wanted to keep studying were protected by the same rights that protect the students that are protesting. Well, the latest incidents at the Rio Piedras Campus have proved me wrong.  To see how the “Colegio de Abogados” observers have said nothing  about the right violations that took place the day a group of protesters attacked the students that were rightfully in their classrooms, willing to take their classes, is very depressing.  What a shame, to see how biased this group of lawyers are, a group that is supposed to seek justice for all by protecting the rights every one of us have, is only favoring the right of those protesting and are ignoring the rights of those who want to keep studying.

It’s sad to admit how this series of incidents have brought out the worst of all of us as a society.  We have become a very intolerant, unfair and biased group of people, and worst of all we have lost our sense of true rights and true freedom.  Shame on us!

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Haven’t you noticed the radical change of the weather this year?  Thank God that the Hurricane season ended with no major disasters at all.  Even though there were some storms headed our way, none of them directly affected the Island.  Now we are facing a very cold and windy winter, with lots of rain.  I don’t remember seeing a winter like this.

This drastic weather is not only impacting us, but is affecting the United States and Europe as well.  Falling snow has been setting records all over the place and has impacted several activities, affecting all kind of traveling schedules, by air or by road.  Airports are being reporting a lot of flight cancellations and airplanes are being treated with special chemicals that melts and prevents ice, which could bring down the plane.  Cold temperatures are taking by surprise a lot of residents that were not used to such low temperatures.

What impressed me the most was to see the video that shows how the Minneapolis Metrodome teflon roof collapsed and came with crackling and a muted roar, due to the excessive snow weight.  Fox news recorded the event, while they were getting ready for the transmission of the Vikings NFL game that night.  Here is the video for all of you to see.

Andy Irons death and the 2010 Rip Curl Pro Search in P.R.

On November 2010, Puerto Rico became the host of one of the greatest events in the surfing world, the 2010 Rip Curl Pro Search.   The event captured the attention of the international media, although it was fairly commented in our local news.  That was until one of it’s participants was found dead in a hotel in Dallas, on his way home to Hawaii.

Why this death capture everyones attention? First, because it was Andy Irons, an icon in the surfing world, who claimed the world championship in 2002, ’03 and ’04.  Second, because he was returning from Puerto Rico, where he was to have competed in the 2010 Rip Curl Pro Search.  And third, because everyone started spreading the news that he died due to “el dengue” and Puerto Rico started to panic about this rumor, and how this it could affect the island tourism among surfers fans all over the world.

Eventually, it was clarified that Andy was already sick when he came to Puerto Rico, with an illness he contracted during an event in Portugal.  It’s sad to say that as a result of this death, everyone’s attention was focused on the event.

Andy Irons, was 32 when he died.  RIP.

Well, one can’t put a price on stupidity, can we?

The iPhone 4 Diamond Rose was revealed last week.  An 8 million dollar phone, are you kidding me?

Well, this one is no joke.  An undisclosed Australian mega-rich businessman has commissioned British jeweler designer, Stuart Hughes, to remake the iPhone in diamonds.  The sides and the back have been plated in rose gold. The sides and the front have more than 500 individual flawless cut diamonds totaling 100 carats, while the back’s Apple logo glitters with 53 diamonds and the main navigation button is made from platinum, which holds a single cut 7.4 carat pink diamond.

Honestly, I don’t understand why so many people are upset with this guy spending his money this way.  Who said it is his responsibility to save the world, investing these millions in fighting hunger, cancer or any other worthy cause?    To me, it makes no sense to “bling” a device that will become obsolete in the not-too-distant-future, as newer iPhone models hit the market.   But hey, I don’t see anything wrong if a billionaire wants to spend his money like this.  After all, it is his money, for crying out loud, let him do whatever he wants with it.

What really caught my attention is the fact that has ordered not one, but two of these devices.  People, we are talking about 16 million dollars here!  And why does he need to have two of them? I don’t know, maybe he is buying one for him and one for his significant other, or maybe he wants to have a replacement on hand,  in case one of them gets lost, or stolen.

Can you imagine how he will feel if one of those iPhones get stolen?  I truly can because just recently my $300 HTC Tilt2 phone got stolen from me, in the English classroom, and I’m still very, very upset.   So I know for sure that he will have $7,999,700 more reasons than me to be ultra-mega upset if one of these babies get stolen.

And I wonder, will the diamonds encrusted around the phone will help with the antenna reception problem, or will it still drop the calls if you hold it wrong?

Something amazing just happened in Chile

The story of the 33 Chilean miners, that survived for 69 days trapped in the Earth’s belly, until they were all successfully lifted to freedom capture the attention of the entire world.  This story has been followed and commented from all possible angles.  While some claimed that this was a true miracle and that God have saved them, others say that science and technology were the real miracle makers.

Regardless of everyone’s point of view, I believe that the way these miners handled their critical situation is a powerful lesson in courage, faith, resilience and teamwork.  I’m sure their work experience have helped them in dealing with being beneath the Earth and I imagine that, in order to work as a miner, they must have taken at least some sort of survival skills training.   But it takes much more than training and experience to endure an extraordinary situation, such as this one.

They could have opted to felt sorry for themselves, marking their time on the cave walls and waiting for the worst to happen.  They could have gone insane and could have turned against each other, fighting for what little food there was.  But instead they opted to use their good judgment in determining what needed to be done.  They choose to support each other by doing simple things such as singing and telling jokes and they keep themselves busy by doing different chores.   But most importantly, they never gave up hope, even in the days when it was unclear whether they would ever see the light of day again.

Is Angelina Jolie Turning Shiloh Into a Boy?

What can one say about a total stranger?   Who am I to judge if what she is doing as a parent is right or wrong?

I strongly believe that one should not be deceived by the appearances and by what the media says about famous couples and their families. Specially, when no one really has the truth about how they live as private citizens.  I’m not an expert on parenting matters, but I do believe that even the so called experts don’t have enough reliable information to make an informed judgment.

What really upsets me is the way that the media think they can trash a person’s life, simple because he or she is a public figure.  Both Angelina and Brad are public figures with the right to have their privacy, as we all do.  They need to build their family based on their best interest as a family and not based on the public opinion.  I’m upset with this insane obsession of wanting to interfere with the way they handle their lives and raise their families.

My honest answer to the question: What do I think if Jolie lets her child continue in this manner?  This is none of my business.

A little bit about myself

Im Jose Morales, i am from Trujillo Alto. I like almost every type of music and I love sports, especially football. i played football for 8 years and won 6 championships 5 of them undefeated. almost all saturdays and sundays i watch collage and NFL football with some friends. I also like to watch movies, especially the classics like The Godfather II, The Shawshank Redemption and The Graduate just to mention a few of them. My friends always call me to tell then a good movie and to borrow it, because i have a collection.

My mayor is in civil engineering but i want to transfer to mechanical engineering, i have always like cars and anything that have an engine but i was always more interested in how it was made and whats inside of the engine and how to repair and modify it, i think it runs in the family. i have 18 uncles so i have a lot of cousins and many of them are in engineering and some are from the Mayagüez campus. Im very easy going and I work very hard for what I want, i have been told i have a very good english but i always have problems in the grammar part, i hope this course will help me get better, i also want to get to know all my classmates because i always want to make new friends. I always say friends and family are very important to keep moving forward in life because future it’s just one step away and you need them when your in your best and worst. I hope this information help my classmates to get to know me.

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