Tuesday, February 19, 2008

"Spreading Democracy" on This Day of Fidel Castro's Retirement

And who, while decrying the dictatorial splinter in the collective cornea of yet another palm-tree-lined nation doing us no harm, all the while ignoring the beam lodged in their own myopic eye; and who, to this day, and despite mounting evidence to the contrary, tell the citizenry that promoting freedom is what they've been doing all this time.......here

Time to Retire America's Failed Cuba Policy

This is the event that fifty years of U.S. policy was designed to stop
Fidel Castro has announced his retirement. He will be replaced in a peaceful succession, without the violent upheaval that U.S. policy makers have been predicting since the 1960s.
Now that Fidel Castro has announced his retirement, it's time to retire our Cold War era Cuba policy..........It failed........here

Freedom In Cuba?

Representatives of the students of the University of Ciencias Informa'ticas (UCI) interrogated the president of the Cuban parliament, Ricardo Alarcón, on the policies of the government.In Spanish

The United States Embargo On The Cuban People

The United States embargo against Cuba is an economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed on Cuba on February 7, 1962. The embargo was enacted after Cuba expropriated the properties of United States citizens and corporations (notably those that belonged to the United Fruit Company and the ITT)........Wikipedia
The only candidate I see who is even close to ending the embargo is Barack Obama. He has stated that he favors a loosening of the travel ban so that Cuban Americans can visit family; he also wants fewer restrictions on remittances. Further, he is the only candidate who believes we should be in dialogue with governments that have been determined enemies.......here
Mario Diaz-Balart - Ileana Ros-Lehtinen - Lincoln Diaz-Balart - Mel Martinez
46 YEARS - END THE GODDAMN EMBARGO

Creationism in Florida

The southern racists refused to allow desegregation, despite the fact that they were (a) wrong and (b) breaking the law of the land. Having failed, their children and grandchildren are fighting to impose another evil on children - not racism, but ignorance. Like creationism, racism was once a fashionable pseudoscience. It’s still there, it has just gone out of fashion. The sooner people discard both lies, the better........here

No Sympathy For Florida and Michigan

It isn’t up to Howard Dean. As Chair of the DNC, he has to follow the rules, and the rules for the primary elections were adopted way back in August of 2006. State Parties violated the rules, knowing in advance exactly what they were doing and what the consequences would be. Just because a great injustice has happened in Florida and Michigan, it doesn’t mean we should abandon the process and the rules – that would be a greater injustice........here

Gnooze

Monday, February 18, 2008

The Foreclosure Express Driving Into Florida

The bus tours that have motored across foreclosure-littered neighborhoods of California, Nevada and other slumping states are pulling into the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County. Two local real estate firms in Port St. Lucie and Tequesta are planning their first tours of bank-owned properties Saturday........here

Tampa Bay Online Engages In Censorship

Tampa Bay Online, which is somehow partnered or owned by The Tampa Tribune and WFLA News Channel 8 has decided to remove reader comments en masse. On February 10, the website posted a story about a group of people protesting Scientologists. A day or 2 later there were over 100 comments, most not favorable to Scientology but none that used profanity or otherwise violated the website's Terms Of Service........here

Who Signed The GOP Anti Gay Petition?

The names of thousands of Floridians are turning up online, for signing a petition supporting a gay marriage ban in the state. Those who posted the names call it a public service; but we found many others who call it an invasion of privacy........here

Earth First Conference In West Palm Beach

Alaina is an activist from the native St'at'imc people of British Columbia, fighting to keep her ancestors' land from being lost to ski resorts and the 2010 Winter Olympics. Ron Huber is trying to protect the livelihood of Maine's lobstermen from the invasion of "resort wannabes," 23 years after he squatted in treetops to stop loggers in Oregon. Both were in the wilds of northwest Palm Beach County on Friday, part of an international gathering of Earth First! activists who came to trade tales, talk tactics and express solidarity with their imprisoned allies........here

The Godfather Backs McCain

John McCain picked up former President George H.W. Bush's support on Monday, a critical blessing by a pillar of the Republican establishment......here
Four More Years!

Howard Dean On Counting Florida's Votes

DNC Chairman Howard Dean responded to NAACP head Julian Bond's call to seat the FL and MI delegations by, well, saying pretty much nothing. Looks like the DNC and FDP strategy/plan is to cross their fingers that a nominee emerges soon......here

CNN: Obama Supporters Becoming Cult-Like

Tampa Pirate Rebel Radio

Click here to listen to our new station. Right now there is more music than commentary, over the next couple days that will change some.

"Justice Without Borders" At Cafe Bohemia

Amnesty International, in conjunction with St. Pete for Peace, presents "Justice Without Borders", a documentary film that explores the global movement seeking justice and accountability for the most grave human rights abuses.
Wednesday, Feb. 20. 8:00pm - Cafe Bohemia, 937 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Words Are Cheap!

Evolutionary Awareness in Florida Seems to be Abysmal

Once again, Floridians disappoint. A poll conducted by St. Petersburg Times indicates that an alarming 51% of people in Florida think that creationism/intelligent design should be the only thing taught in the classroom. Another 18% think that both creationism and evolution should be taught in class. Only 22% of people in Florida think that Evolution only should be taught in science classes.........here

DNC Not Backing Down On FL And MI Delegates

Clinton's operatives want DNC chairman Howard Dean to come up with a resolution, but Dean is staying out of the fight for now........here

"It‘s time for us to shut up and listen to the voters, and that‘s what I‘m going to do".......Howard Dean

McCain's advice Miami-bred

Close aides to McCain caution that it's too early to talk about who will be their campaign's Latin American affairs advisors and that an official team has yet to be put together. But when pressed for names of who have been briefing him recently, they mention Florida's Cuban-American Sen. Mel Martinez and Cuban-American congress members Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros Lehtinen......here
UPHILL BATTLE
Because of his steadfast support for the Iraq War and his foreign policy views molded during the Cold War, McCain would face an uphill battle to convince the world that he represents change and would bring a breath of fresh air to Washington.
That is likely to be McCain's biggest problem, abroad and at home.
Barring a terrorist scare that would put his national security credentials at center stage,
it's hard to see how he could overcome it.

Orlando, Florida Postcard Art

Pictured here are images of celery fields, a fountain in Lake Ivanhoe, the 1892 Orange County courthouse, downtown Orlando, a wig wam village, and a Brahma bull. This is located in a park in downtown Orlando called Heritage Square, beside the History Center........here

The Fairy Godmothers Of Fort Myers, Florida

This program is Only for girls with financial hardships. It is designed to help girls who, without our help, will not be able to attend their Junior or Senior Proms........here

Charlie Crist Veep-O-Meter

With all the chatter nationally about Gov. Charlie Crist maybe getting tapped as John McCain's running mate, how could we resist? This week the Buzz debuts our exclusive Charlie Crist Veep-O-Meter, which tracks his vice presidential prospects.
It's way too early in the process for St. Petersburg's first governor to start measuring drapes at Dick Cheney's place, but our Veep-O-Meter starts out bullish since Mike Huckabee no longer serves as an amiable McCain ally against Mitt Romney but more like a pesky pain in McCain's petard.......here

Tampa's Trolley Runs On Shaky Finances

Five years after it started rumbling down the tracks, Tampa's streetcar is running out of time.
The next few months will be crucial in deciding whether it moves forward -- or takes a big step backward........here

Tempering Florida's Summers Of Protests

On the evening of June 19, 1964, at the height of the civil rights protest in St. Augustine, J. B. Stoner, an ardent racist and Ku Klux Klan leader, stood on the stage of a park gazebo in the heart of old St. Augustine -- where slaves were once formally sold -- speaking to hundreds of hate-filled Klansmen. "The way to white supremacy," he said, "is to rid Congress of those who voted for the civil rights bill and get that ni---r-loving Lyndon Johnson out of Washington."......here
I think the enduring story of the Civil Rights Movement is the uncommon courage of the demonstrators.

For Florida Lawmakers, No More Free Jeb Bush Burgers

A block from the white domes of Florida's state Capitol, suits and ringing cell phones dominated the brick patio of Andrew's Capital Grill & Bar, where patrons can order a "Jeb Bush" burger in the shade of broad umbrellas emblazoned with premium beer logos. But not all is well at the famous haven for Sunshine State lobbyists and lawmakers........here

Saturday, February 16, 2008

NIU Students: WBC Don't Fuck With Us.

Carpenters Fans Try To Save Former Home

Owners of The Carpenters' former home aren't feeling on top of the world about the legions of fans who keep stopping by to pay tribute. The five-bedroom tract house, where siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter lived and penned some of their greatest hits, was featured on the cover of their 1973 hit album "Now & Then." It was also where an anorexic Karen Carpenter collapsed in 1983 before dying......here
Owners Manuel and Blanca Melendez Parra have apparently grown weary of the parade of fans paying homage.

Ybor City Streetcar

By Chris The Hockey Fan.....Click Here

The Relevant Church in Ybor City

A pastor has a new challenge for his parishioners. It involves sex - a subject that may be taboo in many congregations. The Relevant Church in Ybor City has issued a 30-day sex challenge.

Friend Says Tampa Cops Set Up Jessica Sierra

In a taped interview, a reported longtime friend of "American Idol" contestant Jessica Sierra claims that Sierra's arrest last December was a set up by Tampa police........here

Charlette Marshall-Jones

A Hillsborough County detention deputy who dumped a quadriplegic man from his wheelchair was arrested this morning on a charge of abuse of a disabled person. Charlette Marshall-Jones, 44, turned herself in to authorities and was booked into the Orient Road Jail at 5:19 a.m. before being released about an hour later on $3,500 bail, records show. A warrant for her arrest was announced last night by Sheriff David Gee.......here
State Opens Civil Rights Investigation

Room 641A

What's happening in Room 641A of 611 Folsom Street in San Francisco remains one of the most closely-held secrets in the U.S. government......here

Keith Olbermann Special Comment

MR BUSH YOU ARE A FASCIST!