Voice Post
From the reading and research I have done trying to profile various bloggers, most seem to blog as a fun hobby that they enjoy doing. The anonymous and amateur writer of the blog “On the Public Record” — who I will refer to as OtPR in order to keep this simple — is the exception.
OtPR is angry when he/she writes and you can hear it in his voice. Mainly through the use of hyperbole and heavy sarcasm, OtPR tries his best to send home the message that enough is not being done to combat the drought. These effects are best seen in the blog post titled “Unconnected Drought Musings”. His random-topic, stream of conscious post starts by talking about the usage of warm-up water, or the water that is wasted when people warm up their shower and wait for the hot water heater to kick in. He sarcastically states that if California Environmental Protection Agency Board Member Felicia Marcus had actually “carried every salmon to the sea in her arms people would believe she really handled the drought” when she addressed warm-up water.
This creates a hyperbolic situation but there is a lot of truth behind it. People struggle to see the effects of the drought because the state has had some wetter years recently than in the past. But as OtPR puts it, it may take the CEPA some drastic measures to show that there is a lot more work to be done.
Again in this post, OtPR worries that the drought may become a cyclical occurrence because of the random wet years that wipe the drought from public memory. In an aside, he/she comments that although there are many “creatures and people who are really hurting in this drought” but we should “spare a thought for [OtPT’s] pain, friends”. I found this hysterical. He/she knows that he isn’t the one hurting the most in this drought but just wants some recognition his writings and anger towards the drought and how it’s being handled.
In another post entitled “A Close Look at Water Markets in Practice”, OtPR’s sarcastic yet knowledgeable voice shines through yet again. The post explains the water markets of farmers and how they are being forced to sell their water shares in order to continue to survive — even to the point where the irrigation ditches have done dry. OtPR seems quite angry in this post as he profiles many farmers that have lost their water and their farms saying that if the state should foresee “decreased water supplies from climate change and publicly decides what it values could prevent shit like [that]”.
I enjoy how pissed off OtPR is when he/she writes. He/she wants the drought to end and wants more to be done about it. OtPR is over it and takes to the internet to let off some steam. There are even posts on the page reflecting on how upset they were they were writing. Some people say that you should take a seat have a few deep breaths before the act on their feelings, but I can’t say I want the same for this writer. Their anger brings a certain message about a topic that needs it.
Keep it up OtPR and go check out On the Public Record if you haven’t yet.
