Tampa's Economy Falls To Last Place

Continued job losses helped propel the Tampa Bay area's economy to last place in a ranking of six Southern cities, according to a new report by the Tampa Bay Partnership........here

The South Florida Trifecta

Will Democratic challengers in the three "Cuban" congressional districts of South Florida loosen the stranglehold that old-line anti-Castroism has had on presidential politics and Cuba policy? That's a question that can be answered only in the byzantine maze of Little Havana politics.......here

Joe Garcia: Welcome To S. Florida, Sen. McCain

One of eve of John McCain's major speech on Latin American policy and trade in Miami, Joe Garcia, the former executive director of the Cuban American National Foundation and a candidate for Congress, held a conference call to deride the Republican hard-line stance on Cuba, and to warn that South Florida's robust Cuban-American community isn't the GOP bastion it once was........here

Two Local Women Have Opened Up Their Hearts

Today approximately 700,000 Russian orphans are living in government run facilities. If the children aren’t adopted as infants, their chances of finding a new family lessen as they grow older. Jan Temkiewicz of Marco Island and Liz Mossman of Naples are volunteers with the Hosts of Hope program that bring older Russian orphans to this country for an enriching travel experience........here

Florida Going Solar

The “Sunshine State” is going to put some of that sunshine to use for something besides orange juice, tourism and melanoma. How about a little electricity? Or in the case of Florida Gulf Coast University, for a lot of electricity........here

Sting Operation Busts 78 Year Old Florida Man

A man who said he thought he was just helping a woman in need is accused of running an illegal taxi service. Miami-Dade County's Consumer Services Department has slapped Rosco O'Neil with $2,000 worth of fines. After O'Neil dropped off the woman,
Police Surrounded Him,
issued him two citations and impounded his minivan........here

Tennessee's Republican Party: "Lay off my wife"

The GOP, should I be the nominee, can say whatever they want to say about me, my track record," Obama said. "If they think that they're going to try to make Michelle an issue in this campaign, they should be careful because that I find unacceptable.........here

McCain's YouTube Problem Just Became a Nightmare

Sun-Sentinel Washington Bureau Chief William E. Gibson

A South Florida Sun-Sentinel article quoted Sid Dinerstein, chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Party, saying, "This is a terrible thing," and adding, "I wish Obama would not pretend to care about the Jewish community." At no point did the article quote the Obama campaign or anyone besides Dinerstein on the issue of Obama's commitment to the Jewish community........here

WMNF’s 27th Annual Tropical Heatwave

The community radio station’s signature fundraiser, it featured six stages in and around the Cuban Club in Ybor City. About 30 mostly national and local bands, ranging from polka to post-rock acts, entertained the thousands of attendees.........here
more
Photo By Wade Tatangelo

Solidarity for Dr Lemur

75,000 Gather For Obama In Oregon

"Wow! Wow! Wow!"
Were his first words as he surveyed the multitude, which included people in kayaks and small pleasure craft on the river on an unseasonably hot day in Oregon.........here
In Tampa At The St. Pete Times Forum Wednesday, May 21st, Doors Open: 10:30 a.m.
Tix

Miami's Famous 'Coppertone' Sign

The Coppertone sign in downtown Miami is being removed after nearly 50 years. The landmark neon sign will get a face lift and will be put back near its original location.......here

Wackenhut Gets The Finger In Miami

On July 4th, 2007, a Wackenhut executive dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase filled with taxpayers’ dollars, sprinted through the streets of South Beach while being chased by a giant finger and several sets of eyes.......here

Lunch At The Columbia In Ybor City

The original Columbia is located in Tampa in the historic Ybor City district, and since we just happened to jump off the plane during lunch hour, we thought we would take the kids for a visit......here

'Brokeback Mountain' Airs On Cuban State Television

here

Breakthrough City Church In Ybor City

Along the sin-soaked streets of Ybor City, Scientologists compete against bull-horn-toting evangelical Christians and Jesus Christ look-a-likes for their latest converts. The church is led in part by the Revs. David and Esther Crownborn, a husband-and-wife team who sermonize in a theater at Muvico Centro Ybor.........here

If I Were A Terrorist

Michael Burks At Skipper’s In Tampa

Arkansas-based bluesman Michael Burks will celebrate the release of his new CD, Iron Man, with a live performance in Tampa on Friday, May 23, 8 p.m., at Skipper’s Smokehouse..........here

Bike to Work: New Tampa To Downtown

The Times let me write a column on the 13 mile trek from New Tampa to downtown I took last Friday in recognition of Bike to Work Week. It was the first time I had ever ridden to downtown. I thoroughly enjoyed most of the ride but as a whole it was sub-par.........here

Florida Again Is Campaign Central

Signs are everywhere that Florida will return to center stage in presidential politics next week.
Howard Dean will be in Tampa on Monday evening where the Democratic National Committee chairman will combine fundraising with a sit-down dinner with Florida Democrats to try to soothe hard feelings left after the national party refused to recognize the state's primary results.........here

Joe Garcia - Best Miami Politician

In South Florida, the notion that there's such a thing as a first-rate politician is hard to swallow. But Garcia is simply good at what he does........here

Where To Get Tix For Obama In Tampa

here

Ellen DeGeneres Getting Married

Amtrak: The Leroy Selmon Express

Brandon To Downtown Tampa Every Morning And Back In The Afternoon. The Tracks Are Already There. How Much Does A Train Cost? We Can Turn The Ugly Addition To The Crosstown Expressway Into A Bike Path.

Robert Wexler And Debbie Wasserman Schultz

“I strongly reject President Bush’s politically calculated attack on Barack Obama in the Israeli Knesset today. It is clear that President Bush was directly attacking Senator Obama while at the same time unconscionably using the horrors of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust for political partisan gain.........here

"It is unprecedented that a sitting American President would stoop to this level and launch a deliberate attack on Barack Obama who is a staunch supporter of Israel.”......Robert Wexler, D-Delray Beach

For The Love Of Woman

A circle of Sisters on the web and a few blessed men. A safe place. A helpful place. For the glory of Woman, the uplift of Woman and the health of Woman in body, mind and spirit.......here

Florida Republicans Against Our Troops

Bilirakis (FL-09), Brown-Waite, G. (FL-05), Buchanan (FL-13), Diaz-Balart, L. (FL-21), Diaz-Balart, M. (FL-25), Feeney (FL-24), Keller (FL-08), Mahoney (FL-16), Mica (FL-07), Miller, J. (FL-01), Putnam (FL-12), Stearns (FL-06), Weldon (FL-15), Young, C.W. (FL-10)

Source

Creative Loafing 2008 Summer Guide

TECO's Connection To Mountaintop Removal

You are connected to mountaintop removal. Your electricity provider, Tampa Electric Co, buys coal from companies engaged in mountaintop removal. Big Bend , operated by Tampa Electric Co -- located in Hillsborough County, FL.......here
ILoveMountains.org

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Meat Balls, Moro And Yuca

$5.75 At..........Deli Dreams, 6901 W. Hillsborough Ave, Tampa

Tampa Locavore

West Tampa Elementary

Students from Susan Beran's second-grade English for Speakers of Other Languages class at West Tampa Elementary had perfect attendance during April. As a reward, the 13 youngsters boarded a van at the school this morning and headed to International Plaza, where they stuffed cuddly animals at Build-A-Bear.......here

Obama Rally In Downtown Tampa

Wednesday, May 21, 12PM, St. Pete Times Forum

GOP Love Fest

Prescott Bush Appeasement Of Nazi Germany

Hitler's Angel

George Bush's grandfather, the late US senator Prescott Bush, was a director and shareholder of companies that profited from their involvement with the financial backers of Nazi Germany..........here

Gov. Howard Dean - Florida Progressive Coalition

Traffic Changes Coming - For Better Or Worse

This Thursday, commissioners will consider several changes to our Land Development Code including two proposals affecting traffic: one good change, proposed by our county transportation planners, and one bad change, proposed by developers (well, by their lawyers)..........here

Tampa Theatre Trailer

Racism At Mulligan's Food & Spirits

The publishing company that owns the Curious George image says it is considering legal action to stop the sale of a T-shirt depicting Barack Obama as the monkey from children's books. The T-shirts are being peddled by Marietta bar owner Mike Norman at his Mulligan's Bar and Grill in Cobb County. They show a picture of Curious Georgie peeling a banana, with the words "Obama '08" underneath.......here

Florida Fires From Space

here

The Florida Theater - Jacksonville, Florida

The Florida Theatre originally opened to the public on April 8, 1927, as downtown Jacksonville's 15th—and largest—movie theatre. With lavish interior decor unmatched in Jacksonville, the Florida Theatre is the city's last remaining example of 1920's fantasy architecture and is one of only four remaining high-style movie palaces built in Florida during this period........here

Speeders In Florida Beware

As of October 1st, anyone caught doing 30mph over the speed limit in Florida faces vehicle confiscation, five to ten years in prison and a ten-year license suspension. Bill HB 137, which was signed into law earlier today, was originally targeted at motorcyclists, but was amended at the last minute to include all vehicles.........here

Dean Congratulates Rep-Elect Childers

"On behalf of the Democratic Party I congratulate Representative-Elect Travis Childers on his win. The other winners last night were the people of Mississippi's First Congressional District. We thank them for reaffirming that when Democrats stand up for the values we share, we can win in Mississippi and across America.".........Howard Dean

Meat Is Murder

Tampa, Florida

Joe Garcia's Summer Leadership Program

More Homeless In Tampa Bay As Economy Worsens

Tampa Bay's largest agency for helping homeless and "working poor" families is reporting a huge increase in requests for service in recent months. Metropolitan Ministries says the number of families needing help is up 20% over the same period last year...........here

WMNF 27th Annual Tropical Heatwave

Saturday May 17 5:00PM - Cuban Club, Ybor City
info

Florida Prisons Are Booming

Crime might not pay, but we keep paying for criminals.

Especially for offenders in the never-ending War on Drugs.

In a lean budget year that will put the crimp on public schools, universities and health care, the state's prison system keeps pumping iron. The upcoming budget includes $309 million to build three prisons..........here

Denise Layne For Hillsborough County Commission

here

Tampa's Neglected Landmarks

Hillsborough County just committed $17-million in tax money toward the new history center. It will be a fine addition to the downtown Tampa waterfront. But the history already here is starved for money........here

Speedo Bob Ticketed on Florida Beach

A hairy-chested 61 year old man is "frightened and embarrassed" that he was ticketed for wearing a Speedo at a Florida beach. Apparently, nobody ever complained until some "bully deputy" came along and ticketed the old man.........here

Giant Worm Filmed Off Florida Coast

Posing As A Drug Buyer For The Tallahassee Police Department

Rachel Hoffman, a graduate of Clearwater's Countryside High School who was killed last week. Details of how the 23-year-old with a degree in psychology from Florida State University agreed to become an undercover informer, only to be killed in a rural area near Tallahassee, remained elusive..........here

National Train Day at Tampa Union Station

Here are some pictures taken during Saturday's National Train Day at Tampa Union Station. I spent about an hour and a half mulling around, taking pictures, and talking with event organizers and other insiders who were excited about the prospects of a re-emerging rail network between Florida cities.........here

Let's Talk SCHIP With Annette Taddeo

Let South Florida Secede

What a great idea. If this had been done earlier, the good people of North Florida wouldn't have had to suffer through eight years of Gov. Jeb Bush, a Miami resident. We also wouldn't have had to put up with the damage done to North Florida by House Speaker Marco Rubio, another Miami resident. And think about it. Where do hurricanes strike most often? That's right. South Florida........here
Where Does Tampa Bay Fit In?

Open Season On Bloggers

Recently a number of sports writers have expressed their disdain for bloggers culminating with Buzz Bissinger's expletive filled tirade on Bob Costas' HBO show.......here

John Graziano

Nick Hogan threw himself at the mercy of the judge today in Clearwater, FL in his felony reckless driving case -- and he got just a lil' bit. Hogan was sentenced to eight months in jail, five years' probation and 500 hours community service, and the judge yanked his license for three years............here

Joe Garcia: Doble-Moral

The Captive Blogger

When Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez was awarded the Spanish journalism prize Ortega y Gasset, she had to celebrate it from her home in Havana. She could not travel to receive it in Madrid last month because she did not get the necessary exit permit from Cuban authorities. ........here
Stalinism With Conga Drums

Clintonistas Kendrick Meek And Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Rarely have I seen grown adults throw temper tantrums the way the Clintonistas have because their “inevitable” candidate is not winning. You can be sure that each signatory of this letter is losing some position in Hillary’s Administration by the fact that Barack Obama is going to win the Democratic Nomination.........here