Sunday, September 21, 2008

Was the McCain Camp Engaged in “Vote Caging” in Florida

That title got your attention, didn’t it? Good. Before we get to the potential voter suppression going on in Florida, however, a bit of stage-setting is in order. Context is everything, after all.........here

Saving Tampa

Saving Tampa , a romantic suspense is about an FBI Agent and a psychic forced to work together to prevent a terrorist attack on Tampa Bay.......here

New Hillsborough County Logo

Based on the decision by the Board of County Commissioners to rename the Moral Courage award, to the Ralph Hughes award, it is time to unveil the new Hillsborough County logo.........here

Christians Rally Around Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays clinched their first playoff berth in franchise history. Several Christian groups are attributing the team's success to the fact that this year they changed their name from "Devil Rays" to simply "Rays."...........here

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Call for Joe on September 25th!

Big Cats Find Sanctuary In Tampa

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, you don’t often get lions called Cameron. Savage as Cameron is capable of being, he’s never seen nature red in tooth and claw. He was liberated from a roadside zoo and lives now at Big Cat Rescue, a non-profit sanctuary for exotic cats that have been abused or abandoned. It’s not a zoo. Visitors are offered two or three 90-minute guided tours a day and that’s it. Big Cat Rescue depends on the $25 admission fee to help meet its $1 million animal budget.......here

Howard Dean To Young Voters: It's Your Time, Don't Blow It

Howard Dean was the headliner at a voter registration rally hosted by College Democrats at Temple University. A crowd of a couple hundred heard the former Vermont governor and former presidential candidate call for young people to lead the way in taking the White House from the G.O.P.......here

An Open Letter to All Republicans

Dear Republicans: This election all Republicans who love America must vote for Obama. A vote for business-as-usual and a continuation of the Neoconservative/Religious Right/ party of corporate American alienation is a vote against America. As a former Republican activist, I appeal to your patriotism and honor..........here

Tampa Bay Bar and Restaurant Examiner

Locals and Limey's Pub; A St. Petersburg Tradition
Limey's Pub is the quintessential local watering hole for St. Petersburg residents. With about 13 mostly British beers and one Cider on tap, served in true 20 oz. English pints, the pub has become a staple for business men, musicians, sorority girls and lesbians alike........here

Lacking Income, Sex Offender Lives Under Crosstown

Zackery Hicks, 42, needed a place to live after serving 14 years in prison on a robbery conviction. As a registered sex offender, however, Hicks wasn't allowed to live within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare center, public park, playground or bus stop........here

Obama To Prep In Tampa For 1st Presidential Debate

Officials within Obama's campaign confirmed the democratic presidential nominee will be in town to prepare for next Friday's presidential debate with republican candidate John McCain.........here

Puppets Pay Tribute To Their Master

I’m sure you’ve already heard that your Hillsborough County BOCC voted 5-2 to rename the county’s Moral Courage Award after long-time local activist and money man Ralph Hughes........here
He was a major contributor to commissioners Brian Blair and Jim Norman and state Sen. Ronda Storms.
"He was the father of conservatism in Hillsborough County,"...........Joe Chillura

Friday, September 19, 2008

Thursday, September 18, 2008

High-Tech 'Batman' Ship in Florida Drug Raid

In the early days of August, a suspected drug-running boat zoomed through the Straits of Florida, trying to outrun her American pursuers. The drug boat zigged and zagged near reefs and sandbars at 42 knots, and skimmed over water as little as five feet deep. Ordinarily, that would have been enough shake off any Coast Guard cutter or Navy frigate chasing her -- those vessels can't be in such shallow water. But this pursuer kept coming, and coming...........here

'Blacks Against Obama' Heckle Barack In Coral Gables

Not all black people are voting for Obama. A group of protesters calling themselves "Blacks Against Obama" interrupted Senator Obama's speech at a rally in Coral Gables, Florida today........here

Say No 2 Campaign Launches Make Your Own Commercial Contest

Florida's SayNo2 Campaign against the dangerous and deceptive Amendment 2 has just announced a contest to create your own commercial against Amendment 2! They will be picking the top user-generated commercials to blast out on all of their social networking sites..........here

Tampa Undecideds Swing Away From Palin

Of the 11 undecided voters participating in the free-wheeling discussion one recent evening at the Times — four Republicans, five Democrats, and two registered to no party — only two Republican men applauded the selection of Palin.............here

South Tampa MoveOn for Obama Party

1112 South Dunbar Ave
21 Sep, 5:00 PM Tampa, Florida

Homestead Mayor Lynda Bell

City taxpayers in Homestead footed the bill for nearly $500 worth of posters touting federal projects Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart has championed, city officials acknowledge.Though the poster boards didn't bear Diaz-Balart's name, they were displayed at a fundraiser for the congressman whose district includes Homestead -- and were ordered up by the city mayor.........here

Best Of The Bay: Best Radio Station WMNF

WMNF is a non-commercial, community radio station operating in the city of Tampa in the U.S. state of Florida that broadcasts at the FM frequency of 88.5 MHz and streaming live. The radio station is listener sponsored, relying on some 11,200 (as of June 2007) supporters for a majority of required funding which is raised in two or three semiannual pledge drives........here

Meanwhile, In Jebbie's Florida Fiefdom

Top Florida investigators found that state regulators failed to alert police agencies to crooked mortgage brokerages, ignored citizen complaints and allowed hundreds of people with criminal histories to peddle loans........here

Annette Taddeo - South Florida Wants a New Beginning...

Best Of The Bay Local Hero: Joe Redner

The Father Of The Nude Lap Dance
Redner has been engaged in legal battles with the Tampa City Council, which has tried to place restrictions on the strip club industry for 25 years. Mons Venus and Redner have filed suits that have reached the Supreme Court and have become case law in many court cases. Redner ran for County Commissioner as an independent in 2004..........here

Joe Garcia: When Will Diaz-Balart Debate Me?

Mario Diaz-Balart and I were supposed to have a debate on Univision this week about the issues affecting our community. He said he couldn't make it because he would be in Washington, but an online invitation shows him as the headliner for an event in Miami.........here

Governors Sebelius and Napolitano at Eckerd College

This Saturday, please join the Florida Campaign for Change in St. Petersburg for a women's economic security event with Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona.......here

Republican Party Of Hillsborough County Needs Your Cash

Charles Hobbs is a Democrat who votes in nearly every election. Hobbs is one of many local Democrats who have received mailers from the Republican Party in recent weeks questioning their voting status and hitting them up for cash. Staff at the Hillsborough County Democratic Party offices in Tampa have been getting barraged with phone calls from party members who have received what they say are deceptive mailers........here

Ralph Nader Makes Florida Ballot

Ralph Nader is back. The perennial presidential candidate will be on the Florida ballot in November. Nader's name is anathema to many Democrats in Florida becuase they blame him for President Bush's 2000 election........here

Motorcycle Riders In Florida Beware

Florida House Bill 137 Becomes Law
The bill that wanted to originally confiscate motorcycles for speeding and or stunt riding was contested by many during the Florida 2008 Legislative Session.......here

Megan in Plant City, Florida

Often worries about her family's ability to pay the bills. A mother of three and stepmother to one, Megan and her new husband first ran into trouble with the failing housing market. Though her husband still works as a nurse, Megan lost her job working as a property manager, and she has realized she can no longer afford health insurance........here

McCainvsFlorida.com Gets More Than 30,000 Hits

Today the Florida Democratic Party officially launched http://McCainvsFlorida.com, a website to highlight all the ways that John McCain is out of touch with Florida. This launch comes one day after the site was unveiled to grassroots activists across Florida, leading to more than 30,000 people visiting to learn more about why John McCain is wrong for the Sunshine State.......here

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

DFA Unity 4 Change Debate Watch Party

Sep 26, 2008 7:00PM
Davis Island Garden Club
81 Columbia Drive
Tampa, Florida.........
RSVP

Dywan Washington: A Tampa Republican

"I don't agree with Barack's liberal socialist views. I'm proud to be a young black supporter of McCain."..........Dywan Washington

"EXCITED ABOUT TUESDAY WHEN I WILL SEE ONE OF MY HEROES LIVE JOHN SYDNEY MCCAIN"
@.....My Space @.....Facebook

Obama To Rally at Metropolitan Park in Jacksonville

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Metropolitan Park
1410 Gator Bowl Blvd.
Jacksonville, Florida........info

Creative Loafing's Best of the Bay

Coskata Eyes Florida Sugar To Biofuel Plant

Coskata, a startup working on next-generation cellulosic ethanol, is talking with Florida sugar producer U.S. Sugar Corp about building a plant that produces biofuels from sugar cane on its land. While U.S. Sugar is in the process of selling its land in the Everglades to the state of Florida for $1.75 billion to be restored, Florida Governor Charlie Crist has endorsed building ethanol on the land as a way to keep jobs in the area.......here

The Habitat For Humanity Of Hillsborough County ReStore

Offers a wide variety of new and used building materials, appliances, cabinets, furniture and much more at discount prices. All proceeds from our store go directly to fund the mission of Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County. We are located at 3738 East Hillsborough Avenue.........here

Meet Christine Jennings, Running For Congress In Florida

Christine was born in Ohio but moved to Sarasota, Florida in 1984. Since then, she has been actively working with local families and neighbors to help them achieve their needs and their dreams. Dedicated to community building and service........here

Eden Tampa Goes Clothing-Optional

That seems to be the prevailing opinion of the young apartment dwellers I talked to while visiting Eden, the newly renamed and much-buzzed-about condominium complex near Westchase. Formerly the Arbors at Branch Creek, the complex is morphing from family-oriented apartment units into a "South Beach-style" condominium with a nude pool.......here

Michael Phillips Of Tampa Wins Emmys

Michael Phillips, an amazing 27-year-old with a muscle disease that has eliminated his ability to move his limbs. Breathing through a respirator and outfitted with a computer that can turn text into spoken words............here

Plan for Change

"Plan for Change" is a two-minute advertisement in which Senator Obama will speak directly to the nation on his view of the state of the economy and what he would do to fix it if he is elected president.

Best Local Blog: litbrit

She’s progressive. She’s a hottie. And she is a major Frank Zappa fan, posting little-known clips of the late composer-rocker on her blog each Friday. So what’s not to like about Litbrit, aka Deborah Newell Tornello. The 47-year-old Gator grad started her blogging career as a commenter/contributor to Shakespeare’s Sister, the nationally known progressive outlet......here
Readers' Pick: Sticks of Fire

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Whaling Group Meeting In St. Pete Beach

For 22 years, the International Whaling Commission has banned commercial whaling. But now a group meeting behind closed doors in St. Pete Beach is talking about what it would take to end that moratorium..........here

Florida Company to Recycle Political Signs

Gulf Stream Plastics (GSP), a Florida-based company, is serving as a dropoff site for political signs through Thanksgiving. Thus far, an estimated 800 pounds of political signs have been collected and shredded.........here

3,000 Pack The Tampa Convention Center For McCain

John McCain put corporate chief executives on notice during an appearance in Tampa Tuesday. About 3,000 people came to listen............here
About 20,000 Saw Obama At The St. Pete Times Forum May 2008