I've been working the past 8 days, long shifts, so I haven't felt much like blogging once I got home. Tonight will be a night of posts.
patrick
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Response to Latinos (Cubans) Run the Show in Miami
DusinSBranham asked:
Does this go for getting good jobs, as well, or is it just relevant if you are running for public office? I've always wondered if a white guy like myself could get ahead in the MIA.
Hi Dustin,
I have no direct experience in answering your question, since I've yet to enter the business community in Miami, but I'll answer it based on what I've seen.
When I'm downtown in the financial/business districts, you hear a lot of Spanish being spoken by old Hispanic men dressed in very nice business suits. Formal lunch meetings being held in Spanish. In my experience as a Northerner, I'd never seen this before. Spanish is the language of the manual labor community of the North.
That said, I believe it's safe to conclude that many important business positions in Miami are held by Latinos. Will they give a White guy a shot to make it to the top? Yes, maybe; if that white guy is a great worker. Will they give a young, up and coming Cuban that shot? Yes, for sure. Your interviewer might empathize for that young Latino, because she/he remembers how hard it was when she/he first arrived in the States, and wants to give this potential new employee a chance to succeed.
On the contrary to the above thought processes, I've only been warmly welcomed by the locals, but I believe this is mostly due to the fact that a very white, English-looking guy, is speaking Spanish with them, of the Argentine variety. At first they can't seem to figure out just who I am and where I can from, but are all impressed that I learned their language. Do you speak Spanish?
However, I still think you can get ahead down here. I've seen lots of non-Latinos driving expensive cars, wearing nice clothes, and eating at fancy restaurants. Just let it be known that the Cuban Community watches out for its own.
Addendum: My roommate, who is half Cuban, concurs. She said the Cubans are very tightly knit and family oriented. She also said that in some cases, the less smart Cuban employee will get the job over their more intelligent, non-Latino peer. I'll ask my friend who works in Corporate America Miami, and see what she says.
Any other questions?
Does this go for getting good jobs, as well, or is it just relevant if you are running for public office? I've always wondered if a white guy like myself could get ahead in the MIA.
Hi Dustin,
I have no direct experience in answering your question, since I've yet to enter the business community in Miami, but I'll answer it based on what I've seen.
When I'm downtown in the financial/business districts, you hear a lot of Spanish being spoken by old Hispanic men dressed in very nice business suits. Formal lunch meetings being held in Spanish. In my experience as a Northerner, I'd never seen this before. Spanish is the language of the manual labor community of the North.
That said, I believe it's safe to conclude that many important business positions in Miami are held by Latinos. Will they give a White guy a shot to make it to the top? Yes, maybe; if that white guy is a great worker. Will they give a young, up and coming Cuban that shot? Yes, for sure. Your interviewer might empathize for that young Latino, because she/he remembers how hard it was when she/he first arrived in the States, and wants to give this potential new employee a chance to succeed.
On the contrary to the above thought processes, I've only been warmly welcomed by the locals, but I believe this is mostly due to the fact that a very white, English-looking guy, is speaking Spanish with them, of the Argentine variety. At first they can't seem to figure out just who I am and where I can from, but are all impressed that I learned their language. Do you speak Spanish?
However, I still think you can get ahead down here. I've seen lots of non-Latinos driving expensive cars, wearing nice clothes, and eating at fancy restaurants. Just let it be known that the Cuban Community watches out for its own.
Addendum: My roommate, who is half Cuban, concurs. She said the Cubans are very tightly knit and family oriented. She also said that in some cases, the less smart Cuban employee will get the job over their more intelligent, non-Latino peer. I'll ask my friend who works in Corporate America Miami, and see what she says.
Any other questions?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Looking for a Job No More
Remember how I said I was going to get a job to make friends?
Done!
Look up SugarCane Miami. It was rated in the Top 10 new restaurants in the USA.
It's 4 blocks from my house, and I've been training for 5 days now.
This is just a teaser post. I'll write more about the difficult, but rewarding training process, and the pages of material I need to memorize before I'm allowed to serve on my own.
Either way, I'm pumped. Super cool kitchen staff. Fun, and mostly youngish servers. Really close to my house. All positives.
Done!
Look up SugarCane Miami. It was rated in the Top 10 new restaurants in the USA.
It's 4 blocks from my house, and I've been training for 5 days now.
This is just a teaser post. I'll write more about the difficult, but rewarding training process, and the pages of material I need to memorize before I'm allowed to serve on my own.
Either way, I'm pumped. Super cool kitchen staff. Fun, and mostly youngish servers. Really close to my house. All positives.
Latinos (Cubans) Run the Show in Miami
Someone from the north recently asked me about how Latinos are represented in the city. This, coming from a Northerner, is a very normal question. In Minneapolis, the majority of Latinos have low paying, manual labor or restaurant jobs. It's a known fact that the majority of Minneapolis restaurant kitchens, excluding the super fancy ones, are staffed by Latinos. Everyone who's ever worked in a restaurant or sports bar knows that you learn all the street *read dirty/vulgar* Spanish words from "the cooks." Tell me, what casual family restaurant, be it run by Greeks, Albanians, Americans, Chinese, isn't primary staffed by Latinos?
Miami, my friends, is MUCH different.
Latinos, or should I be saying Hispanics*, run the city, and by city, I mean every aspect of the city.
*- I'm actually serious with this question. I'm unsure which is better to use, Latino or Hispanic. I hear both being used by all different kinds of people, so I'm kind of torn. I'm more curious than anything, since I despise being politically-correct for the sake of it.
Back on topic.
If you want to ascend to a position of power in Miami, you MUST speak Spanish and have Cuban blood running in your veins. Why, you ask? Because of the vote. I don't have numbers, and I'm too tired to look for numbers, but I can assure you that the majority of the population that actually votes in Miami is of Cuban descent.
Now I'm not saying that people vote primarily for their own nationality/ethnic group/race, wait, actually, I am. Cubans vote for Cubans, plain and simple. Cubans therefore have the most power in the city. The same reason why 4 of the past 5 Baltimore mayors have been Black. Constituents vote for their own. You need to be Cuban in Miami to be in power.
The past five mayors of Miami:
Willy Gort
Xavier Suarez
Joe Carollo
Manny Diaz
Tomás Regalado
Guess what they all have in common?
(long pause)
You're right...they were all born in Cuba.
Please don't read this post in the wrong way and think I'm a racist and I hate Miami for being "run by Latinos." I am in no way upset about this. I actually think it's very cool. Furthermore, I have absolutely no aspirations of running for public office. If I did, however, Miami would not be a wise location for me.
All in all, I find the whole Latino Power side of Miami very interesting. Coming from my hometown of 4,000 people, where maybe 25 people were immigrants, it's cool to be on the other side for once; I immigrated to Miami, which is, for all intents and purposes, its own separate country.
I, Patrick Jones, a White, 4th Generation, English-speaking American, the majority in the Continental US, am the minority in Miami, and I love it.
Miami, my friends, is MUCH different.
Latinos, or should I be saying Hispanics*, run the city, and by city, I mean every aspect of the city.
*- I'm actually serious with this question. I'm unsure which is better to use, Latino or Hispanic. I hear both being used by all different kinds of people, so I'm kind of torn. I'm more curious than anything, since I despise being politically-correct for the sake of it.
Back on topic.
If you want to ascend to a position of power in Miami, you MUST speak Spanish and have Cuban blood running in your veins. Why, you ask? Because of the vote. I don't have numbers, and I'm too tired to look for numbers, but I can assure you that the majority of the population that actually votes in Miami is of Cuban descent.
Now I'm not saying that people vote primarily for their own nationality/ethnic group/race, wait, actually, I am. Cubans vote for Cubans, plain and simple. Cubans therefore have the most power in the city. The same reason why 4 of the past 5 Baltimore mayors have been Black. Constituents vote for their own. You need to be Cuban in Miami to be in power.
The past five mayors of Miami:
Willy Gort
Xavier Suarez
Joe Carollo
Manny Diaz
Tomás Regalado
Guess what they all have in common?
(long pause)
You're right...they were all born in Cuba.
Please don't read this post in the wrong way and think I'm a racist and I hate Miami for being "run by Latinos." I am in no way upset about this. I actually think it's very cool. Furthermore, I have absolutely no aspirations of running for public office. If I did, however, Miami would not be a wise location for me.
All in all, I find the whole Latino Power side of Miami very interesting. Coming from my hometown of 4,000 people, where maybe 25 people were immigrants, it's cool to be on the other side for once; I immigrated to Miami, which is, for all intents and purposes, its own separate country.
I, Patrick Jones, a White, 4th Generation, English-speaking American, the majority in the Continental US, am the minority in Miami, and I love it.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Bringing the Blog Back to Life
I recently received two messages from people I don't know telling me that they've been reading my blog, and they hope that I haven't abandoned it. Who knew people besides my family had already found the blog and were enjoying it?!? Add onto that having my uncle tell me he's a reader, and I've come to the conclusion that I won't let the blog die.
To me, I was having a hard time thinking of interesting things to say, because things were were becoming normal to me. I was always trying to think of an interesting story about something, but I wasn't really having any success. I didn't want this to become my personal journal, because I really dislike that type of blog. However, things that I started to consider as normal, like the 20,000 sharks that migrated past South Beach last month, are quite unusual for people who don't live here.
So, long story short, I'm going to try very hard to keep writing interesting and relevant articles about the city, and about what I'm doing down here that might interest someone moving here, living here, etc.
Best,
Patrick
To me, I was having a hard time thinking of interesting things to say, because things were were becoming normal to me. I was always trying to think of an interesting story about something, but I wasn't really having any success. I didn't want this to become my personal journal, because I really dislike that type of blog. However, things that I started to consider as normal, like the 20,000 sharks that migrated past South Beach last month, are quite unusual for people who don't live here.
So, long story short, I'm going to try very hard to keep writing interesting and relevant articles about the city, and about what I'm doing down here that might interest someone moving here, living here, etc.
Best,
Patrick
Sunday, April 3, 2011
5 Secrets for Spring Crappie Fishing
You will fish different locations than you would during other months and you will have to watch the water conditions and the temperatures. You have to watch the spawning season closely to make sure that you get the male crappie if you do not want the females before they lay the eggs.
You will use a different technique in the spring than what you would use in other months. These are the 5 secrets for spring crappie fishing.
Bait
Make sure that you are offering bait that the crappie eats during the spring months. Because this is the time when spawning occurs, you have to offer bait that the fish will want. You can offer insects or very small minnows. The crappie is not interested in a fight so they will feed better on insects during the spring. If you have artificial bait, use something smaller than you would use in the summer and fall months.
In some cases, you can cut the minnow's head off and use the body and tail as bait. This appears smaller and is more the size that the crappie is after during spring.
Location
During the spring months, you have to look for where the fish are spawning. The males will stay with the eggs until they hatch. The females with lay the eggs and start their journey back to deeper waters. The males however, will stay and guard the eggs until they hatch. After the eggs hatch, you can expect to see the males start heading back to the deeper waters. Look in shallow waters near muddy bottoms and by fallen timber.
Water Condition and Temperature
You must no the water temperatures to know where the crappie are going to be. If the temperature of the water does not warm quickly enough during spring, the fish may be a little late to the spawn and their return to deeper waters.
The water condition as well is another concern. Crappies prefer clear waters but the white crappie can tolerate some strained water. If the water conditions are terribly strained, you might not be able to fish that day. Sometimes the wind and rain can stir up the water and make murky conditions.
Before and After the Spawn
Before the spawn, anglers can look around the areas where the crappie head to the spawning grounds. Shallow waters are idea for spawning crappies. After the spawn, you will see the females returning the deeper water while the males return a few days later.
If you want to catch crappie during the spring months, you can fish crappie during the and after the spawn. There are some ways that you can tell if you are getting a female or a male crappie during the spring months. Some anglers are not very happy when they catch the females when they are filleting the fish.
Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best crappie fishing information possible. Go to http://www.askcrappiefishing.com/editorials/5-secrets-for-spring-crappie-fishing.html for more information on crappie fishing.
Flounder Bait - What And When To Use
The flounder is a flatfish that can put up a really good fight once hooked. They also taste delicious and this is the two main reasons so many anglers go out searching for them. They are considered a predator because they do ambush their prey from the bottom of the ocean where they are very hard to see. They mostly feed off of smaller fish, crustaceans and polychaetes.
If you want to catch and reel in flounder you need to get their attention first. This requires using baits they are attracted to. So what types of bait do you need to use and when should you use them? It really depends on where and when you're fishing but there are a few basic rules that you can follow that will yield some pretty good results.
Which Flounder Bait to Use and When
The first thing that you need to know is that the flounder will usually respond best to fresh live bait. This is true in most all situations so you really can't go wrong when using live bait. Some of the best options will include worms, clams, squid, minnows, mullet and shrimp. When it comes to size you need to choose something just big enough to stay on the hook. If you choose anything bigger than this it will probably be too big to fit in the mouth of this species.
Use live bait anytime and anywhere that you can for the best results. However, there are times when you can't use live bait or if you simply prefer not to, then you can fish with artificial bait as long as you choose something that will attract their attention. The soft plastic lures usually work the best because these resemble live bait so closely. Stick with the ones that look like the bait fish they are attracted to naturally.
When using artificial baits it's important to make sure you use them correctly. They should move through the water in the same way that live bait would. If you're having trouble with your presentation it would be wise to practice before heading out on your flounder fishing trip. If you don't present the lures correctly, you won't get any bites from this species.
Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best salt water fishing information possible. Go to http://www.asksaltwaterfishing.com/editorials/flounder-bait.html for more information on salt water fishing.
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