Rafael Martins

E-Revolution

2011-01-24T21:05:00.000-08:00

E-Revolution
As we all know and have noticed, the modern world that we all live now has been changing faster than us. The fact that this fast change has been dragging us to a future of open information world wide, worries not only regular citizens that have been doing something wrong, but also big politicians and important celebrities and figures, that find themselves fooled by the magic of the internet. The most recent news were that Tunisia has been running into this transitory government that comes from a corrupt leadership, that has been revealed all over the world now through the internet.
In Tunisia, what is funny to hear is that, a major event like that, has been discussed only via Facebook or Twitter, since any of the Television channels are really relying on commenting, because of the interests that have always been failing throughout these years. The social networks are helping the country to keep its revolution alive, and helping its citizens to understand that, when it comes to technology and the fact that human beings can easily see the real facts just by posting on the internet, makes hard for a corrupt government to keep control of its population, and help to put some corrupt movements out of its power.
According to the article found in the website movements.org called: “ Technology and Revolutions: Did Tunisia End the Debates?” The reason of an explosion on this revolution was the act on the government of confiscating a 26 year old unemployed grad fruit and vegetable cart, making him to kill himself, and generating a major reaction from the population that had been fighting to take the authoritarian president, Zine El Abdine Ben Ali, out of power.
After using the social media networks, countries all over the world started directing their attention to this major problem, that has been kept alive because of the internet. When people have the power of sharing and spreading the news as it goes, it gets harder to lie or get rid of things without being punished. This revolution would be kept silent if this modern world that we all live now was not full of freedom on the internet. Let's now all wait to see what is going to be the next movement to a bigger change for Tunisia on the next days or so. Stay connected to your social media networks, there's always more to come.

The "Sensual Nature" of New York City

2010-04-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

WINTER PARK, Fla. – The Gallery of Interlachen welcomed the Panamanian Photographer Javier Gomez in the artfully delicious evening of April 3.

Gomez exposed his collection named: “Sensual Nature” and talked with the audience about his difficulties of leaving his country trying to find better opportunities on Art.

“It was a lot of work to put all of my paints together and bring them from New York,” said Gomez. “But it was worth it to see my work done and celebrate that with friends.”

Gomez was born in Panama and is currently residing in NYC. After living in Costa Rica and Miami he studied photography at NYU. It is in this collection that he shows New York throughout his paints.

“You don’t have to be a New Yorker to understand that Javier truly connects people with the nature of the big city,” said Aymee Vasquez, an Art director in Miami. “Through his paints, you can see a New York that you can only feel if you are from there.”

The crowd got together to listen to Gomez’s expectations for his future carrier and also to understand how practical it was for him to start his collection just by printing the pictures through his MAC computer.

“He taught us a lesson, just by showing that you can go as far as you deeply want in your carrier,” said Angelo Cleber from Orlando. “His passion for the city and the nature reflects what every New Yorker wants the world to understand.”

Gomez finished his speech, let everybody look at his paints and had a quick dinner for a few individuals invited for business talk.

A Tuscan Experience

2010-03-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

WINTER PARK, Fla. – In the afternoon of March 13th, the Italian food artisan and author of dozen of culinary books Pamela Sheldon Johns gave a brief speech about her carrier and also autographed some books for the hundreds of fans that got together at The Gallery at Interlachen.

“It’s not only about the benefits of the Tuscan oil.” said Johns. “It’s also about the art and pleasure of cooking for the benefits of a healthy body.”

The food artisan as she is known all over the United States, was born in Tuscany, Italy and after getting her Master’s Degree in Education/Administration, Johns taught cooking and food service to students with special needs for 10 years.

Now, living in Santa Barbara, California, Johns goes in different cities around the United States to teach cooking and different techniques by preparing healthy food.

“It was informative, and too short.” said Patrick Nicolas. The 37 years old man is a huge fan of the chef. “I got the chance of learning the benefits of using the Tuscan Olive Oil almost in everything that I can cook.”

As the time was clocking and the teaching was about to finish, Johns thanked the audience for giving her such a pleasure by cooking for them.

“It does help to know how to control your health by cooking well.” said Valerie Dickson, a 24 years old member from the audience. “She is awesome and gave us all a good lesson of how to start having good habits with our eating.”

An hour after the culinary workshop, The Gallery at Interlachen had still half of its members from the audience enjoying the delicious food, drinks and the very warm Italian reception that Pamela Sheldon Johns could offer for her fans.

RCI Appreciation Weekend

2010-02-16T20:41:00.000-08:00

By Rafael Martins

KISSIMEE, Fla. – It was a cold afternoon in the Sunshine State, when managers and directors from RCI, which is a Wyndham Company, offered an Appreciation Party for its members and public that could eventually become members, after enjoying the cocktail party with food, drinks and music. The event was hold this Tuesday, Feb.16 in one of Wyndham Vacation Resort’s units called Cypress Palms located inside of Disney’s property.

Little by little the improvised room for the event became crowded and lively to those ones that were anxious to hear about the new destinations that they could be taken to. The hotel Company has been taking everyone’s attentions especially in Florida for its exquisite and unexpected events, such as: ridding Nascar’s cars in Daytona Beach, private rooms inside of the Amway Arena for the Orlando Magic games, etc.

“It is just so grateful to have the opportunity of sharing moments with these people that come from all over the United States to have a good time on their vacations, and they have the chance to meet others and the possibly of expanding their business through these meetings.” said Mark M. Novell, a Director Member Services of Wyndham Vacation Resorts.

After speaking to his audience, Mr. Novell explained the importance of investing in Time-Share properties, for those that doesn’t want to invest in the Real State business, since it’s been something unsure for the moment. The Director Member of Wyndham Resorts also said that the crowd would be able to visit tomorrow Feb. 17 , the number one Time-Share property in America called Bonnet Creek Resort.

Suddenly the musician stops singing and the employees inform the audience that they would have a giveaway game, where they’d have to find out the writer of some of the songs and movies where they were played. Danielle Savo, 7 years old from New York City, got one of the songs played in Shrek. “I thought it would be only about going to Disney, but I guess we are going to have some very good moments here in Florida.” The little girl said after taking her Play-Doh from the big table that had the gifts located up front.

Doug Smith is a British who lives in Cape Town, South Africa with his wife Rosie Smith and came down to Florida on vacation and gave his opinion on Wyndham’s time-share experiences. “ I can tell you guys that, we all become a big family and we get to know each other, so we can go visit our new friend Bruce right there from Alaska, where we can see Russia from his house.” Said Mr. Smith, making the crowd laugh.

The event seemed to be fun and serious, putting together different cultures and expectations. In one room the audience was filled with people from the UK, South Africa, and several other cities from the United States of America. One thing is for sure: they were having the time of their lives.

Left or Right?

2010-01-18T20:00:00.000-08:00

There are always two sides for everything. Good and Bad. Up and Down. Left and Right. This is the point where I want to get to it. I am a Left-Handed student, and for all my life, I’ve being experiencing the good and bad side of it. I am not trying to say that I’m different from the others, even though my Mom used to say that we (left-handed people) are more intelligent than the right handed ones.
Years go by and I’ve passed through kinder garden, high school, and now I’m here in college. Believe it or not, I still find myself confronting with the fact that I would go to the classroom and sit in this chair that is not even made for me. So, it is incredible how many times (and I can count this in only one digit) I would get there ready to rock in Math and my chair is not adequate to myself.
Trying to understand the others and myself as well I decided to find different opinions to concern the differences between a left-handed student and a right-handed one. I interviewed Three different students, with Three different cultures, so I could understand their problems, barriers and relate all of that with my real issues.
Arleen V. Franco is a freshman in Valencia Community College. She is 18 years old and majoring in Journalism. When asked about the problems of being a left-handed student, she said: “I have never faced any problems by the fact that I’m left-handed, but back in time when I was going to school in Porto Rico, I have never had the luxury of finding any sit adequate to my needs. Another problem would be eating right next to right-handed people: It’s a nightmare!”
Allison Dickens is a sophomore in Valencia as well. She is 19 years old and is majoring in advertising. When I ask her the same question asked to Arleen, she seemed to have being trough way more difficulties than her classmate: “I found out that when it comes to sports, it’s a real problem. Specifically in my case with Lacrosse, Golf and Basketball. It was really hard for me to learn, since you have to find somebody that teaches you dedicating to the needs of a left-handed person. And just a little tip, if you want to play golf you have to buy special clubs just for being left-handed, and that will cost you more.”
Last but not least. Fernando Pratesi is a sophomore in Valencia too. He is 20 years old and is majoring in PreMed. His case is a little bit more difficult, by the fact that he is considered a “perfect left-handed”, which means he doesn’t curve his hands while writing so it is harder to not erase everything that he just wrote seconds ago because his hands keep going across the paper while writing. Talking with his Mom, I’ve learned something new when she stated: “ I was reading this article back in Brazil about left-handed children and they said something about the position that the mother puts the baby to sleep, influences the fact that he can’t move the hand that it’s located underneath his body, so he/she starts using the left hand to move and be more comfortable while sleeping.”
It’s funny to see all this differences and opinions about being a left-handed student. Most of the time I find myself passing through the same problems that these students have passed through. My other friend from Valencia, Lilian Vieira is 29 years old. As a left-handed student that is majoring in Tourism and Hospitality she tries to find solutions for people like us to feel more comfortable while enjoying vacations, either inside of the hotel facilities or somewhere else. After this trip to the “left” side of campus I found students with the same needs that I have. Some taboos, myths, and truths… But what really counts is to believe that we are MORE intelligent for the evolution of the left side of our brains. Even if just counts for our ego.

Where Do People Get Their News From?

2010-01-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

In this busy fast-paced world that we are living right now, people tend to get their news from lots of different areas. Newspaper use to be number one when somebody needed to be informed. But now, things have changed and human beings have to deal with: blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, etc.
Trying to answer the question made on the title of this paper, I’ve interviewed three different people, from three different areas so I could get an idea of what is really hot lately when it comes to news.
Jacob Thompson, 33 years old, from Orlando Florida is a student from Valencia Community College. When I asked what kind of stories does he usually read in print and online media, he answered back: “ I usually like everything that is related to political topics, specially the President’s speeches.” So I asked him again what kind of stories he wouldn’t read, and he said: “I don’t like when the media starts with polemic gossips. That Tiger Woods kind of things makes me tired of turning my TV on.” To close the interview I asked where does he usually get his news from, and he said: “I usually get my information through television or magazines.”
Simone Negri, 36 years old, from Orlando Florida is now Lancome’s Counter Business Manager at Belk, Kissimee. When I reached her and asked the same questions I’ve asked of Jacob about news, she answered back: “ I’m usually interested in articles related to vitamins, beauty, health and fashion. I like to be inside of everything that relates to my job now. I would definitely not lose any of my precious time to watch any kind of reality show. In my opinion it is something really stupid. Every piece of information that I usually get is from magazines. I like going on websites just to get definitions and any other stuff that I can’t find in magazines as well.”
Juliano V. De Oliveira, 26 years old, from Orlando Florida is a Supervisor at Cuisiniers, a catering company in Winter Park. He works and deals daily with food and different events such as : weddings, graduations, etc. When asked about news and details about things that he likes and the other ones that he doesn’t, he said: “ To get more and more knowledge in my area of work, I like articles about food, wine, sports and gym. Something that I wouldn’t spend my time watching or reading about it would be soap operas and celebrities. All the information that I search for, I usually get from magazines and newspapers.”
Everyone has different sources of news, and different taste for whatever it is important to each person. By doing this little survey I’ve found out that people search for news where they think they are. It doesn’t matter if it is the Internet , newspaper or magazines… What really matters is to get informed, in the best way possible.

The Wall Street Journal

2009-12-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

It took my attention when I registered for my classes and was trying to get the list of the text books necessary for the semester and suddenly I realize that my Mass Of Communication Class with professor Ken Carpenter didn't require any text book. It was weird, but a few weeks later, classes started and our Professor explained what would be the substitute material for the text book: The Wall Street Journal. We subscribed the Newspaper and every day, besides Sundays, we would have delivered at our doors one copy of the largest-circulation newspaper of the United States.

The Wall Street Journal is an American newspaper with Asian and European editions. It's an international daily newspaper published by Down Jones and Company, a division of News Corporation, in New York City. It has a very good and understandable content separated through different areas that talk about specifics topics. You can find: Money and Investment, Market Place, Personal Journal, etc. The Newspaper started its circulation back in july 8, 1889 when it was founded by Charles Dow Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser.

I have to confess that at the beginning I wasn't very excited about it because we were going to start having quizes about some specif articles that our professor would pick from the newspaper. I thought I would have problems because of the technical terms used on the paper since English is not my first language. But, to be very honest with you I didn't. The Newspaper have this interesting ton of exposing the news either beneficial to the point criticized or not. It was smooth, inteligent and perfect for the class.

The benefits of using the Wall Street Journal instead of a text book are very broad. Specially because it makes you to get into the reading-daily exercise that makes you learn more about the country and the world. Learning about Google, broadcast TV, Iphones, E-books, Sarah Pallin's new book, The Road, etc. I've learned about movies, books, economy, history, culture... Everything that includes primordially the American culture and then world.

Just by waking up, openning your door and getting the newspaper. This is how I started my day since I have started the semester. Having my breakfest and openning the Wallstreet journal. Being informed about what just happened. Not mentioning my vocabulary that enriched with the pleasure of reading something that was happening right now. As we see the world changing, we use in our class as topics to be studied, while with a text book you study concepts and old editions of news around the world that can be already gone, or old by the time that a newspaper publishes the new fact that just happened.

I loved subscribing the paper, even though I have never received my saturday ones. I didn't get mad, I went online to try to find the articles and they were mostly there, ready for you to read. I am really thinking about renewing my subscription of the Wall Street Journal. It just depends on my financial situation for the next semester. But it is definetly one of my goals.

I'd like to thank my Professor for putting me into this experience that would definetly help me to improve my reading and writing. And as the semester goes by and we are now getting into the final exams week. We no longer have quizes about the articles that Ken Carpenter use to pick and send us via e-mail. But every morning, I wake up, open the door trying to find my newspaper wraped with this plastic bag, so then I can unwrap it and read it while drinking my coffe, preparing myself for the day. A long and better day, after knowing more about what happens in the country that I'm living now, and what happens around the world as well.

THE ROAD

2009-12-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

The Road is a novel by the American writer Cormac McCarthy. It is a post-apocalyptic tale taken by a father and its son. Around this two survivors, a devastated world. Gray, dead and silent. It is a beautiful story of love, in the midle of this hopeless scenary where father and son have to battle towards their inner fears and hunger. It is a very detailed written book. Words are not the easiest to understand, specially for me, that don't have English as my first language. I, myself was reading the book and discussing in class together with my classmates of Mass of Communication with Ken Carpenter, our professor that introduced us the story. The more we were reading, we felt inside of the drama and the issues that they were passing through. The little boy and his exposure to all of this crazy and scary facts including a not very attractive landscape, rain, the fact that they had to find food in order to be alive. Not mentioning the cannibalism, gun, bad people and not having the mother close to him. It's a brave and beautiful book that everybody should read.

On November 25, 2009 the film adaptation of the novel was openned in theaters. Directed by John Hilcoat, and written by Joe Penhall the movie brought me spectations that made me feel anxious about its own success. The Actor Viggo Mortensen amazed me by the fact that he could bring the exactly figure of the Man from the book that I was picturing in my mind. On the other hand, the actor Kodi Smit-McPhee as the little boy didn't really bring the boy that I pictured in my mind. He was a good actor in the movie, specially for the fact that it was a challenge for the directors to find a boy on his age, that would be able to read the story and be inside of the little boy's life. But still didn't make me feel like... wow! What a perfect litlle boy for the movie!

The little shopping cart, the scenary, clothes... Everything was really well done in the movie. I liked how they've showed the part when he sees a little boy. Charlize Theron did a great job as the wife and before seeing the movie, when I watched the traillers I thought they would make her a big thing in the movie, thing that she is not in the book. But in the end I liked how they explained her presence through the story and their lives. And her feminine touch always present on the Father's memory. It was memorable those mini flash backs that the Man had, when they were happy and the world was colorfull and their love was innocent. It contrasted with the moment that he was inserted now, without her... Missing the woman of his life.

I couldn't believe that they would really show the part that the Father asks the man that steals their cart and everything that was inside to take his clothes off. I though they would change that part and appadt more for the kind of public that would be watching the movie. The scene that the Man jumps into the sea to try to find something in the ship, in my oppinion was poor and to fast.

I've noticed in the beginning that they were walking trying to find food, and there is money on the floor and they don't even think about getting it from the floor. I think that was a message through the moment where we are living now. The moment that we are facing money's authority and its own importance in human lives.

By the end, my comments would be 80% positive on the results of the film. I have to admit that I cried when the Man dies and the son has to start his own life. Who wouldn't cry? It made me think about when I decided to study here in the United States and I had to leave my family, friends, everybody that used to support me and start a new beginning. It is a moment that McCarthy states in his book, that was brought very well done in the movie too that intrigues every little man's life: the moment we become MAN.

Broadcast Networks Versus Cable/Satallite Channels.

2009-11-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

How often do you turn your TV on expecting to spend some of your time watching some kind of program on a Broadcast TV or Cable channels?

Coming from a country(Brazil) where Cable TV is just too expensive to have it at home, I particularly love how often you can turn on your TV and not even need to have cable because you have lots of opportunities and different channels that you can get along with, that cable TV is more of a not necessity kind of thing. But on the other way, is just so cheap compared with where I'm from that sometimes I just find myself seeing movies, or cartoons on TNT or Cartoon Network for example.
I, myself, love to go home and at nights, watch ''Family Guy" on Fox TV. I love it because it's funny, it has a huge sense of humor and you find so many different kind of topics that sometimes you just wonder who the hell created that show.

I like watching FOX as well for the news. I love how polemic became the fact that the White House is having some kind of '' not agreement'' with everything that they show on Fox News and I just think it's beatiful that you can see different points of view, not only being limited to watch whatever ''they'' want you to see it and learn from it.

I would say that I spend half of my precious time on Broadcast TV and the other half with something on CABLE. I don't really spend that much time with TV because now I'm studying a lot, but back in my country I use to spend at least 5 to 6 hours of my day in front of TV watching soap operas, movies, tv shows and all of that, because in Brazil we have this big TV company called: GLOBO, that has a big influence on the brazilian population. It dictates what is fashion or not, what kind of food you should like, places you should go, football games on TV, etc.

Here in America I fell like there's so many different things to offer to you that you don't really concentrate in what is good or not, and you just watch whatever.

I have some sort of passion for some American shows... FRIENDS for example got my attention back in highschool in Brazil on Warner Bros, and made me feel attached to the TV show that even if they are playing old episodes( since the show is over, unfortunately ), I would stop my life to go and see it, because it's fun, and it shows six adults living in New York City and having their own problems but all kind of relating to how we all have a child inside of us, it doesn't matter how old you are.

ABC, CBS and NBC NEWS, are those kind of channels that I would only watch for school purpose, or maybe to get some more information about an important event that I couldn't understand from either FOX NEWS or CNN.

Talking about Cable or Satellite Channels, everything changes. Since I was little I use to love watching those shows on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, back in Brazil. Now, living here in the United States I don't really watch that often. First, because I'm not a child anymore... Second, because I don't have time for that. The only time that I have left, I have to pay attention on the NEWS channels, because I'm studying Journalism, so I have to read a lot, and I have to be brought up to the actual facts around the world.

There's so many different things taking our attention on this world full of news tools that we kind of get a little bit lost on what to focus on. TV for sure takes some sort of time of my life dayly. I guess we have to know how to deal with that right?

What Gets Your Attention daily?

2009-10-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

Every day, we have a routine that brings us to this crazy and fast world were each of us draw a line wich must be followed almost like every single day. We always wake up, drink our coffe, eat something, grab wherever we need and leave, either to work or school.

I have to assume that is not very often that I read some kind of magazine, because I read more newspaper, but everytime I stop to take a look at a magazine, there is something that brings my attention to it. Magazines that brings topics about travelling like: "Viagem e Turismo" from Brazil, are the reason why I stop my day to read every single article.The fact that I'll be reading a magazine that takes me everywhere without really getting out of my house it's brilliant.

If you open "Viagem e Turismo" you'll see not only pictures about travelling, but also will read experiences of regular people, like you and me, travelling around the world, talking about best spots that we shouldn't miss while visiting such and such country. You'll also see top 10 lists of hotel, restaurants, languages that they speak, best events, etc. No, I don't subscribe this magazine, but only because I'm here in the USA now, because when I was in Brazil, it was obviously the type of magazine that would be in my house, every single room that you'd be passing by, if you were there visiting me.

Talking about experiences inside or outside of your house, I also have the passion for movies. And yes, I love to go see it at the cinema( like the british say), not at home. Of course, when I don't have time, or when I need something more relaxing, I'd rather stay at home, then leave the house to go to the movies. But, to go there, sit in front of this huge screen, perfect sound and image. Specially if it is a movie like: " Harry Potter" that you just get amazed by the special effects.

Recently one movie got my attention: " Law Abiding Citizen". I got this free ticket to go see it and to be sincere with you, It's violent. And I just don't like films that have violent topics, or people start kiling for no reason, and they acctually show you the way they kill everybody, but this movie is FANTASTIC! The story intrigues differents points of view of the law sistem in the US and brings the fact that sometimes people don't care about doing justice with their own hands.

To go there, and be part of this huge screen experience is one of the best shots for me in life. I like unpacking the story, getting nervous, excited, crying, laughing. It's this mix of emotions that you are afraid of showig inside of this room full of people. But, you feel like: '' It's dark, nobody is seeing or listening to me, so why not to cry when Harry Potter is challenged by Voldermort, and you think he is going to die" .

I know, there's tons of sensations and feelings that we bring either travelling around the world trough a Magazine, or a Movie. And we all know our habits of reading or seeing a movie that everytime that these two events happen we all react on a different way. Maybe we are on the bathroom sitting there, concentrated reading some interesting topic about the Rain Forest on the "Viagem a Turismo" Magazine. Or, we are on the movies, eating popcorn, drinking soda or tea, and trying to understand what happened with the robots and human beings on: " The Surrogates". Magazines and Films are not only part of our routine, but also part of our lives.