Ybor City State Museum Book Signing

The Ybor City State Museum will present Author John V Cinchett signing copies of his new book Vintage Tampa Signs and Scenes - a pictorial collection of 200 historic Tampa photos of the 1950s never before seen........more

Light Rail Route From Wesley Chapel To St. Pete?

A 52 mile light rail route from Wesley Chapel to St. Petersburg would draw the most travelers of five routes examined by TBARTA........here

Autoway Of St. Pete

Clunker Stash

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Shrimp Creole
With Spanish Bean Soup And Rice
$6.99.......At Pipos In Town N' Country

Florida: Lawsuits Challenge Red Light Camera Legality

Florida attorney Jack L. Townsend, Sr joined with the firm Edwards and Ragatz on July 30 in filing a class action lawsuit against
The City Of Temple Terrace
for allowing American Traffic Solutions (ATS) to operate a traffic camera program designed to generate $3 million in annual revenue primarily from vehicles turning right on red lights........here

Temple Terrace, Florida Revenue Stream

Liberty City Is Like Paris

Tampa Model Stevie Lynn

here

The Cass Street Bridge

Tampa Daily Photo

Alex Pickett' s Shameless Promotion Alert

Vote for me! Vote for me!

That headline, screamed in a high-pitch voice, is pretty much how I feel about asking my beloved readers to vote me BEST BLOG in a few local contests. But, alas, without shameless promotion, I’ll remain unemployed, so here it goes.......here

Wikler Moran-Mora Of Tampa

Told his wife he'd been abducted so he could cheat on her. When she told him she was calling police, Moran-Mora balked, telling her that his captors had agreed to let him go.........here

Vote! Ridiculously Inconsistent Trickle Of Consciousness

Creative Loafing's annual "Best of the Bay" poll/competition is wrapping up soon.
Voting ends on August 31st.
This is the last time I'll solicit your votes for Best Blog. If you've already voted, THANKS!!! If you haven't yet, here are three more reasons why you should vote for this blog........here

Bob Graham At USF

University of South Florida - Monday, Aug. 31
3 p.m. - Kokolakis Auditorium

here

The Liberal Lion Is Gone

Sen. Ted Kennedy
RIP

We will miss Senator Ted Kennedy as a nation, and I will miss him as a human being........Howard Dean

Share Your Memories and Sympathies

See You Later PoHo

After nearly five years of documenting the inside story of Tampa Bay and Florida politics,
my time here is coming to a close.......here

Clean Energy And Anti-Offshore Drilling Rally In Ybor

Would you like to stand up against the Big Oil and Big Energy companies and oppose offshore drilling of the Gulf Coast? Would you like to support Clean Energy and green jobs in the Bay area? Then help make a difference and make your voice heard by attending this Clean Energy rally on Thursday in Ybor.......here

Pizza Hut Delivery Unit

In Plant City

Tampa Con Leches

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio’s Fantasy Football Team
It’s fantasy football time, and Yahoo Sports has offered mayors around the country an opportunity to try their hand at fantasy football.......here

Kennedy Barbeque Takes Over

Ernest Kennedy Jr. is the co-owner of Kennedy Barbeque at Heritage Isles Golf and Country Club. He owns the restaurant with his father, Ernest Kennedy Sr. “Because it’s our dime, we have the incentive to do well,” Kennedy Jr. said.......more

Kenneth J. Summers Of Largo

Was arrested early Monday morning, accused of leaving two small children in his vehicle while he was in a strip club.........here

Obama Office Opens In Tampa

Organizing for American, the arm of the Democratic National Committee dedicated to keeping President Barack Obama's campaign corps going year-round, is opening its Florida headquarters in Tampa tonight.......here

The Air Guitar Guy

At Sligh And Armenia In Tampa

Buddy Johnson The Millionaire Wannabe

The story begins more than three years ago, when Johnson had his profile posted on MillionaireMatch.com, where aspiring tycoons meet eligible singles.........here
"I'm an intelligent, red-blooded, well-traveled, wine-enjoying Baptist boy,''......Buddy Johnson

Mr. Johnson, I Am Sorry To Pick On You So Much. But You Deserve It!
From Millionaire Wannabe To Poor Old Man.

High Speed Rail In Florida

Think a high speed train between Tampa, Orlando and Miami is a good idea?
If so, you may want to check out ConnectUs.

ConnectUs was founded by Ed Turanchik as a grassroots organization in collaboration with the leadership of the Central Florida Partnership, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Tampa Downtown Partnership, and Tampa Bay Partnership..........here

Crist Wants To 'Shut Down That Cockamamie Idea'

At a jam-packed reception for his U.S. Senate bid at a Republican Party of Florida convention in Orlando, Gov. Charlie Crist gave a detailed, policy-laden analysis of the health care reform legislation in Congress...........here

Family Of Slain UT Student Ask For Help

Ready to Fly Marian

It's a concert, featuring a ton of bands with Times employees and Times-affiliated folks, hoping to help photojournalist Steve Coddington and his wife, Marian.
Tonight At Skippers Smokehouse In Tampa.
here

Peabody The $68,000 Stud Deer

A Haines City man, serving probation for beheading a prized breeding buck last year, found out that this was one deer worth a lot of dough..........here

South Florida Blog Is Being Sued By The Miami Herald!

Just received this letter from the Herald's law firm, Greenberg Traurig.
It appears that the attorney, Ian Ballon, has done some sloppy research..........here

Rep. Ray Sansom Of Florida

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer told party officials Saturday that he had taken back the American Express cards issued to staff and was "tired" of hearing stories -- some of which circulated by disgruntled GOP leaders -- about their misuse.
The issue came to a head this week after stories that Rep. Ray Sansom had used his card to charge $170,000 in travel expenses, flowers, hotels, and other perks..........here

Car Wash At The Quik Mart

In Tampa

New Local Blog: Latin Solution

Welcome Manny

Holly Benson Of Florida

Inept Secretary at Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration,
said in a radio interview Wednesday being poor or unemployed is no excuse to be unhealthy.
“It means,” Benson said, “you have a lot more time to go running.”
The radio host laughed in response.........here

The Casanova Of Hillsborough County

Guilty
Friday, the jury came back with its verdict in the Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin White sex trial at 5:10 p.m. Jurors determined that 1) Commissioner Kevin White did sexually harass Alyssa Ogden during her employment with Hillsborough County and 2) that the sexual harassment played a part in her firing.........here
Great Job George Niemann

Tampa Bay Journey Fans

There's a big Retro Party on Saturday night (Aug. 22) here in Tampa Bay and it features a Journey tribute band called Don't Stop Believin'.......here

Is Obama A Socialist?

The funny thing is, of course, that socialists know that Barack Obama is not one of us.
Not only is he not a socialist, he may in fact not even be a liberal.
here

Socialists And Atheists At Braden River High School

Man, You Got To Love This Shit

I heard the cops were looking for me today. They called United Cab, staked out my house (ya, right, a Goddamn motel room), put out an APB. In Short, they where breathing down my neck. I had to hide from them like a criminal........Tim Fasano

Viva México!

Mexico has decriminalised the possession of small amounts of cocaine, heroin and marijuana, as part of an attempt to focus a police crackdown on drug producers and traffickers.
The new law, which also covers LSD and methamphetamine possession,
will also offer addicts free treatment, in order to tackle the domestic demand for drugs.......here

St. Petersburg, Florida, Twitter Meetup

Scarecrows, Crackheads & Hookers

In St. Petersburg
I like Ross Pavio. I don’t know him personally, but dude has a great mustache. And he likes plants. I like plants. But Ross isn’t a bad gardener. He’s just not very neighborly........here

Michelle Obama’s Shorts

If we weren’t eating it, they wouldn’t be feeding it to us.
So I’m damned if I write about this nothingness (because by doing so I am just perpetuating the media echo chamber on this particular non-news item) but if I sit by and let this phenomenon continue to go unchallenged I look either a) out of touch or b) like I condone such piffle........here

22News could not find anyone opposed to Obama's shorts, but many online bloggers think otherwise.

Friends Of Stogie

At Gilda's 50th

Tampa Bay Green Drinks

Strengthening the Green Community - Making Tampa a Sustainable City!
Green Drinks is a social networking group that brings together corporate, government, ngo, non-profit and interested people who want to learn about environmentally responsible practices and other related topics. Our goal at Tampa Bay Green Drinks is to bring together the Tampa Bay community to keep “green” moving forward in our community.........more

Kathleen Ford Frontrunner In New Poll

The poll, commissioned by the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, found 23 percent of voters were still undecided........here

Deveron Gibbons had 11 percent of the vote.

Dr. Howard Dean: Co-ops Don't Work

Public Option is the Only True Reform

Vampires In Ybor City

here

The Kevin White Sex Trial

Obama Picks Fight with Left

In backing away from its support for a public option in healthcare reform, the Obama administration is picking a fight with the liberal wing of the Democratic party. Liberal Democrats have insisted a public insurance option is necessary to ensure competition for private insurers. Just this week, former

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean predicted there could be Democratic primary challenges if a healthcare bill without a public option is approved by Congress..........here

Eco-Friendly Stores in Tampa Bay

This morning I sent out a call to all of our customer list asking them to take a few moments and vote for us in Creative Loafing's Best of the Bay. This year they have a category for Best Eco-Friendly Store........here

Deveron Gibbons Putting Voters To Sleep

Deveron Gibbons has a new mailer designed to put voters to sleep. On the front, the mail-piece has a couple of pictures that basically say "I am down with white voters. You are allowed to vote for me." Gibbons even gives you his cell phone number in case you need a free money order........here

Obama The Loser (If There’s No Public Option)

If Rahm Emanuel thinks he can now shift the discussion to co-ops as the answer to our healthcare woes, then he is sadly mistaken. Howard Dean very clearly pointed out last Friday at Netroots Nation.......here

Sexxy Brandon

Brandon Areana

Longwood's Steven Perezluha, Journeys To Alaska

Steven Perezluha left his home in Longwood on June 8 on his trusty racing bike, three days after graduating from Lake Mary High. He wore his yellow racing jersey, black bike shorts and a helmet. The maps he stashed away were highlighted with back roads and bike trails that crisscrossed the United States and Canada, a distinct path that would guide him for the next 6,000 miles. Steven Perezluha was headed for Alaska........here

Republican Brian Blair To Run For House

He plans to run for Rep. Kevin Ambler's seat (Ambler is running against Hillsborough Commish Jim Norman for Sen. Victor Crist's Tampa seat).......here

I cannot think of anyone more qualified to continue on in the footsteps of Kevin Ambler........Legacy Lover

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Pork Shop

With Spanish Bean Soup And Rice

$5.99.........At Pipos In Town N' Country

Our Man Damon Interviews The Pres.

Via....rc/t

Dr. Jason Newsom Of Bay County

Railed against burgers, french fries, fried chicken and sweet tea in his campaign to promote better eating in a part of the country known for people's unhealthy lifestyles.
He might still be leading the charge if he had only left the doughnuts alone.........here

Via....Out In Left Field

No Competition Allowed In Tampa Bay Taxi Business

While the officials are hiding behind "safety" claims,
the truth is that it's a typical move of regulatory capture by the cab companies, limiting competition so they can keep their prices artificially high and avoid any sort of business model innovation........here