Out+in+the+Sort+SB

Shannon Billings


 * "Out in the Sort"**

As I read, "Out in the Sort," I could immediately picture the hundreds of lobsters that were being contained in the compartments until they were shipped. Until reading the article, I did not know that lobsters were stored in "apartments" that are "//in very tall stacks, thirty-four levels high, divided by canyon-like streets. The size of the individual dwellings varies according to the size of the inhabitants//." I learned that lobsters will chew on the other lobsters’ antennas, and twist off the claws of other lobsters. McPhee writes about lobster fishing that occurs in Cape Breton. A company named Clearwater Seafoods are responsible for storing, and shipping the lobsters once they are trapped. McPhee gives the readers a sense that lobster fishing can be pretty chaotic at times. The lobster harvest in Cape Breton only lasts a few months so the employees are really busy during this time. McPhee informs the readers that Professor Cameron slips a needle into the belly of a live lobster to draw blood, and then squeezes the blood into a refractometer to test for blood protein levels. I thought that this image was really gross, and it also proves that McPhee has done his homework. He is an informative man that seems to have all of the answers. He reminds me of Curious George. He talks to many people, and observes many things to learn about a new subject, such as lobsters. McPhee seems like a go-getter in the sense that he is not afraid to ask questions, and search for answers. McPhee finds the answers to the questions that we’ve all been dying to ask. His overload of facts, and knowledge add to his stories. The facts make the stories educational, and his humour, and wit add to the entertainment factor. McPhee explains that thirty thousand lobsters can be transported together in one truck at a time. He is so descriptive in this article that it sounds like he is a lobster fisherman. He knows the exact routes that lobsters travel until they reach their destination, and he seems know everything about lobsters. I learned that lobsters are transported a great distance before they ever land on our plate. Lobsters are shipped from Arichat to Louisville in twenty-seven, and a half hours. McPhee describes the physical appearances of the truck drivers, and the drivers sound like average Joes to me. I am entertained by the fact that he thinks it is important for his readers to know that the driver; Steve, has a brush cut, beard, and three children, and the other driver; Dennis, eats junk food while driving truck. McPhee throws in every little detail to spark the imagination of the reader, and to let us know that characters are just normal people like us. He shifts his attention to the packaging of the lobsters. Once McPhee has the readers’ attention, he will focus on a new topic so that the readers will not get bored with the facts. He describes a woman named Susan Badger that is a driver for UPS. Badger picks up the lobster at Clearwater. She delivers the lobsters to several restaurants in the USA. He keeps reminding the readers of the distance that the lobsters have travelled because they are high in demand. The employees that work at the hub have been deskilled, and the workers "out in the sort" are usually only trained to perform a monotonous task, such as making sure the label side is up on the box. There is a lot of technology involved in the packing, and shipping of the boxes. Technology has a big influence on the way we live, and McPhee reminds us that times have changed due to technology. UPS plays an important role in our society. The UPS planes carry money for Brink’s, Fort Knox gold, and coins from casinos. The deskilled employees take care of the money once the plane has landed. FedEx, and UPS are competitors for overnight deliveries, but the competition helps the business. UPS is efficient in parcel pick-up, and drop-off, and they are reliable. McPhee believes in revealing the truth to the readers, and consumers. For instance, a broken Toshiba laptop is actually repaired by UPS instead of Toshiba. UPS is a multi-purpose company, and it does more then ship packages. It also is responsible for providing car parts, and the business is known as UPS Supply Chain Solutions. Technology has changed our way of living. It is especially important at post offices, airports, and the border of countries to check packages, and vehicles for dangerous or illegitimate items. UPS used to stand for United Parcel Service, and now the name UPS does not stand for anything anymore. UPS has trademarked the colour brown, and its drivers are called "teamsters." UPS has made changes to the company to sound more professional, and unique. I learned that McPhee wants us to be aware of the fact that some things do not operate in the same way they used to or should. In other words, we must embrace technology, and get used to the changes that it has caused.

-- Shannon Billings