Thursday, January 10, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Manatees' Family Tree Recorded In Florida
A thick herd of manatees greeted Blue Spring State Park specialist Wayne Hartley as he started his manatee count during a recent Florida cold snap. Among them swam Lunatic, Law, Liege and Lili — manatees he named when each was a newborn calf and all of whom descended from Luna, a matriarch whose family tree of 35 sea cows spans five generations. "Luna was one of those who had a calf every two years," said Hartley, sighing in his reminiscence. "I can remember when she died. They picked her up in Lake Monroe Fla.". But Luna's legacy — and those of a dozen other matriarchs — lives on among the more than 260 manatees that take refuge at the Orange City, Fla., park every winter. Their family trees — recorded throughout Hartley's 27 years of tracking the manatees — serve a vital purpose for scientists, too.........here
Blue Hampshire
The Republican Party in New England's only "red state" may be going the way of the Old Man of the Mountain, the craggy icon of independence that crumbled a few years back in a rock slide. In the last election, Democrats took both seats in Congress for the first time in nearly a century and both houses of the legislature for the first time since 1874. Democratic Gov. John Lynch won a second term with a record 74 percent of the vote, and lawmakers recently authorized same-sex civil unions and a smoking ban in bars and restaurants........moreMost independents say they'll vote Democratic.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Absentee Ballot Requests Pour In From Palm Beach Democrats
Though they've been snubbed by their party's presidential candidates, Palm Beach County Democrats seem to be more fired up about Florida's Jan. 29 primary than local Republicans. One indicator: Democratic absentee ballot requests outnumber Republican requests by more than a 2-to-1 margin in the county.......moreSunday, January 6, 2008
Atheists Are Moral, Too
The role of religion in politics and government has been a major point of contention between social conservatives who prefer more religion in public policy, and liberals who want to maintain church-state separation. This issue was addressed in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's "Dueling Columnists: Religion in Government". Here's an atheist's perspective........here"I believe in a President whose religious views are his own private affair, neither imposed by him upon the nation or imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office.".......John F. Kennedy
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Florida ACLU For Impeachment
The Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida urges the National ACLU Board of Directors to call for the convening of hearings by the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives to determine whether to recommend Articles of Impeachment against President George Bush, and Vice President Richard Cheney to the House.......hereDr. Maya Angelou At USF
Monday, January 14, 2008 7:00 PM, As Part Of MLK CelebrationTickets on sale now at Sun Dome Ticket Office or by calling (813) 974-3002
Friday, January 4, 2008
Howard Dean's 528,468-Mile Journey
What started as a groundbreaking but controversial bid to set up Democratic Party offices in every state, even red ones, has been completed, and party boss Howard Dean has the frequent-flier miles to prove it........here
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Obama and Edwards In Iowa
Progressives Unite in IowaObama, an Illinois senator bidding to make U.S. history as the first black president, won the first Democratic test on the road to the White House with a comeback triumph over New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who were in a tight battle for second........here
A year ago, the pundits and beltway Democrats said this race was a forgone conclusion.
Close Guantánamo Tampa Protest
January 11, 2008, is the six-year anniversary of the first arrival of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. We are calling on everyone opposed to torture and indefinite detention to WEAR ORANGE to symbolize their sadness and disgust with the national shame that is Guantánamo Bay........here Contact: rcolbert@mail.usf.edu
No More Sexual Conduct With Animals In Florida
Bestiality isn't a crime right now in Florida. So a St. Petersburg lawmaker has filed a bill for this year's legislative session that would make it a first-degree felony for people to have sex with animals. Rep. Frank Peterman, D-St. Petersburg, crafted the bill to prevent anyone from knowingly committing bestiality, knowingly causing or aiding another person to have sex with an animal, or knowingly permitting sex with an animal at a property under his control........here The Netherlands
Fake Grouper, Not At The Columbia Restaurant
At many restaurants around Florida, the specialty of the house is a slab of grouper, blackened, grilled, stuffed or encrusted with pecans, sometimes on a roll, maybe with a slice of Bermuda onion. But not at Richard Gonzmart's place.......here
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Olivia's Kiss: Chapter 2
Cigarettes taste best right after a hit, so I took a smoke break on the balcony and looked out over Boston. The rush gone, I felt like taking a nap.........more
E-Mail From Howard Dean
The Democratic Party has never been healthier. Just look at the vigorous presidential primary we've got on our hands. Right now, every one of the Democratic campaigns is working around the clock to become our nominee, and any of them would be a great choice. But when the dust settles and people like you pick our nominee, the real challenge will begin. This time, though, it won't be a debate of ideas with fellow Democrats. It will be against a Republican machine eager to redeem its losses in 2006, fighting to extend George Bush's policies for another four years. We've all seen the way they run campaigns, so we have to be unified and ready. We know that the Republicans are going to come at us with every scam they think up to suppress the vote. In the past, they've abused robocalls that hide their true identity, jammed the phones Democrats used for getting out the vote, and purged voters from the voter rolls. We need to be united in order to stop them.
Stand up and show our candidates, our opponents, and the country just how strong the Democratic Party is by joining me in a pledge to support the Democratic candidate for President in 2008 - no matter who wins. When we have a nominee, they'll know that thousands of Democrats from across the country are united - even if they may not have supported them in the primary. Pledge........here
Off Rob Lorei's Bookshelf
The Shock DoctrineNaomi Klein
The Shock Doctrine retells the story of the most dominant ideology of our time, Milton Friedman’s free market economic revolution. In contrast to the popular myth of this movement’s peaceful global victory, Klein shows how it has exploited moments of shock and extreme violence in order to implement its economic policies in so many parts of the world from Latin America and Eastern Europe to South Africa, Russia, and Iraq........here
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Monday, December 31, 2007
Tampa Cab Companies To Boycott International Mall
AFFORDABLE CAB...ADDIS CAB....AMERICAB....NORTHWEST CAB....NORTHEAST ZONE CAB...VICTORY CAB...KARENS AIRPORT SERVICE...FREEDOM CAB....FRIENDLY CAB...OLDSMAR CAB...REDTOP CAB....These are all very bad people.They are predators.You many not even be safe in their cabs! Don't use them.
Call...813-253-2424 We will come in get you....and your family will be safe.......TIM FASANO
Kate's Jeans Dilemma
What is it about denim, spandex, and sweatshop labor that makes finding the right pair of jeans so difficult? It's a topic tackled by Oprah, countless websites, Saturday Night Live, and my friends.......here
Choctawhatchee High School
Adam Nystrom remembers being taunted by classmates in middle school for needing so many special-education courses. "They'd say, 'Oh, that's the retard class,' and everybody would laugh," recalls Adam, who suffers from a learning disorder that impedes reading ability. "I wouldn't really say anything because there isn't anything funny about it.".......more"Even though I am just a truck driver, I am proud of what I do and what I have become," he says. "I believe deep down inside that I have succeeded already."
Mindy McCready Coming Home
"I'm so happy to be out, I'm the happiest girl in the world right now.".........Mindy McCreadyFlorida Family Arrested Over Baggy Pants
Several members of a Palm Beach County, Florida family were taken into custody by police last week after they protested the arrest of one of their members over the issue of baggy pants. The family claims they were arrested by close to two dozen deputies because they were upset with the 20-year-old's arrest.......hereThe family says in addition to number of police, there were K-9 units and a police helicopter used in the incident.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
This Day in History
Jose Rizal (June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896)Was a Filipino polymath, nationalist and the most prominent advocate for reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is considered a national hero and the anniversary of Rizal's death is commemorated as a Philippine holiday called Rizal Day. Rizal's 1896 military trial and execution made him a martyr of the Philippine Revolution........here
Year 2 For The People's Governor
It was typical Charlie Crist. The 51-year-old first-year governor prefers cajolery to confrontation, a sunny smile to sweeping condemnations. His centrist policies and corny aphorisms -- calling Floridians "the boss," and himself "the people's governor" -- are delivered with warm sincerity. But as Crist enters his second year in office, he's finding that sincerity may not be enough -- and his personal warmth is being met by increasingly icy responses......hereThere Are Rumblings On The Republican Right Wing
Loxahatchee Rock Miners And Palm Beach County Politicians
Loxahatchee rock miner Enrique Tomeu looks more comfortable in a hard hat than a tuxedo. "All I am is a hardworking guy who has busted his butt all his life," he says humbly. But in 2005, he schmoozed at the highest levels of the Republican elite - at George W. Bush's second inauguration, a $42 million cavalcade of power brunches, candlelight dinners and nine inaugural balls. To attend the four-day fete, Tomeu contributed $50,000 to Bush's inaugural committee, more than most Palm Beach County families earn in a year......moreDave Barry's Year-End Review
It was a year that strode boldly into the stall of human events and took a wide stance astride the porcelain bowl of history. In short, 2007 was a year of deep gloom, pierced occasionally by rays of even deeper gloom. Oh, sure, there were a few bright spots.......more
Democrats' Stealth Presidential-Primary Campaign In Florida
When Bill Clinton appeared in Winter Park recently to raise money for his wife's presidential campaign, he slipped into town behind the tinted windows of a sport utility vehicle. When he left two hours later, he pulled out with a quick wave to onlookers, leaving reporters cooling their heels on the curb........here
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Florida's Unspoiled Charms
The Lower Florida Keys is a roughly 36-mile stretch of Florida islands between Marathon and Key West......here
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The Plant City Strawberry
Florida strawberry growers, almost all within 30 miles of Plant City, planted a record 8,320 acres this year after a sixth consecutive record sales year of $273 million. Those figures represent a 14 percent increase from $239 million in sales in the 2005-06 season and an 11 percent increase in the 7,500 acres planted last season, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture......here
House Members Spent $20.3M On Flock
House members spent $20.3 million in tax money last year to send constituents what's often the government equivalent of junk mail - meeting announcements, tips on car care and job interviews, surveys on public policy and just plain bragging..........here
Central Florida Pakistanis Uneasy
Less than a month ago, Pakistanis living in Central Florida were protesting President Pervez Musharraf's declaration of emergency rule. Now, they're wondering what the latest turn of events -- the assassination of opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto -- means for their homeland, and the United States........here
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Max Lesnik At Home In Cuba And Florida
He fled Cuba in 1961, but still calls Fidel Castro his friend. He can't stand communism, but bitterly opposes the U.S. embargo. He lives in Miami, but travels regularly to Havana, even appearing on state-run television. Max Lesnik always has an opinion, and often makes someone mad — no matter which side of the Florida Straits he's on.........here, Interview with Amy Goodman........hereEnd The Embargo On The Cuban People
Buddhist Community Grows In Homestead
Between the alligator-infested Florida Everglades and the craziness of Miami Beach lies a peaceful center surrounded by tomato and fruit farms.Wat Buddharangsi, a Thai Buddhist temple, is unexpectedly found on five-acres in the rural town of Homestead, a short drive from Miami.........here
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Free Ingrid Betancourt
A video delivered by her kidnappers shows her sitting in a jungle clearing on a roughhewn bench, legs crossed, hands motionless on her right knee over shapeless dungarees. Her chestnut hair drops over a shoulder to her waist. She has been a prisoner of the FARC for nearly six years since venturing into rebel territory while campaigning for the presidency, and this is the first proof that she is alive to surface since a 2003 video.......here Betancourt children in release plea
It's Bizarre In Florida
Florida, well-known for its theme parks and beaches, has another - more dubious - distinction, a tendency toward bizarre news and 2007 was no exception. There was the battle over former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith's body, the city manager who was fired after he became a she, and the love triangle involving the female astronaut who drove 1 609km, allegedly using diapers to save time, to confront a romantic rival........here
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