Florida Teen Is Documenting The 2008 Elections

Tenth grader Noah Gray quietly pulled out his iPhone in English class and saw the e-mail he’d been waiting for. You’re in!” He smiled and hid his phone. The 15-year-old hadn’t gotten in to a party or a sports event. The e-mail was from a spokeswoman for Univision, the Spanish television station. The news: He’d have a press pass for Sunday’s Republican presidential debate in Florida......more

Mexican Iguanas Invade Gasparilla Island

Florida's idyllic Gasparilla island has taken up arms against aggressive foreign intruders, but the Mexican spiny-tailed iguanas are putting up a tough fight, devouring landscaped gardens, munching on electrical cables and gobbling up turtle eggs.........more

The Reluctant Chelsea Clinton

Democratic presidential candidate frontrunners are pulling out the big guns this week to woo voters in Iowa. While Barack Obama leans on Oprah Winfrey's star power to pull in crowds, Hillary turns to support from daughter Chelsea Clinton and mother Dorothy Rodham to lend her campaign a softer 'family' feel..........here

Liberals And Ron Paul

Florida Progressive Coalition And Samm Simpson

I've taken Samm Simpson off the progressive blogroll and I couldn't possibly support her in her run for Congress at this point.......Kenneth Quinnell

I know your heart is in the right place and you and I are both deeply concerned about this nation...............Samm Simpson

Dean: Can't Trust Republicans With Your Money

"Republicans continue to prove that you just can't trust them with your money. The Bush Republicans in Congress can't claim to be fiscal conservatives one day and then block Democratic efforts to responsibly manage our country's finances the next. Democrats are absolutely committed to stopping a tax hike on millions of unsuspecting middle class Americans but Republicans are blocking efforts to do so responsibly. With our national debt rising by $1.4 billion a day and foreign governments controlling our debt, what will it take for Republicans to act responsibly?"

I Am A Muslim!

Why Not Drink Local?

In a triumph of marketing over reasoning, the bottled water industry has turned us into conspicuously silly consumers.Controlled by a handful of global conglomerates (such as Coca Cola and Nestle), the water industry has created the fantasy that if it's in a bottle, it's purer than what comes out of the tap. But wait – the EPA stringently regulates the public water systems, requiring tests several times a day for bacteria and other contaminants, and these test results are public information. The corporate bottlers, on the other hand, are overseen by the more lackadaisical FDA, which requires them to test their water sources only once a week – and the results are kept secret by the corporations......here

Heckuva Job DHS! 5 Years Of Corporate Cronyism

Kucinich First, Edwards Second In PDA Straw Poll

Not surprisingly in a field of eight contenders, no candidate came close to gaining a majority of the total vote in PDA's recently completed presidential straw poll. But two candidates--Dennis Kucinich (41%) and John Edwards (26%)--combined for more than 2/3 of the total vote.......here

Residents Of Cassadaga Florida Converse With The Dead

The scent of incense hangs in the air as one passes between the columns saying "Welcome Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp." So does a musty odor. The smells come from the small houses that line the narrow streets, the porches decorated with chimes and ornaments. The paint peels from many homes and some of the yards are unkempt and cluttered. The spooky atmosphere is appropriate — the Spiritualists who live here say they converse with the dead.......here

Justin Troller Elected To Lakeland City Commission

Justin Troller, a Lakeland High School teacher and tireless campaigner, easily defeated Brian Dockery in Tuesday's runoff election for a seat on the Lakeland City Commission. Troller won the nonpartisan race with 61 percent of the vote in an aggressive campaign that in its final days pitted unions vs. business leaders and Republicans vs. Democrats........here

Ron Paul Talks Abortion On The View

Manatees To Stay On Florida's Endangered Species List

Commissioners from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission unanimously voted to postpone a decision to downlist manatees from “endangered” to “threatened” Wednesday. Commissioners also approved the first ever management plan for manatees, which will not only develop better ways to count them but also beef up protections for the sea cow........here

“We got some very good news today,”..........Pat Rose, Director Of The Save The Manatee Club

Evolution Battling Intelligent Design In Florida Schools

The next intelligent design showdown will take place in Florida, where opposition is mounting to state -mandated emphasis on the importance of evolution to science education. The controversy comes on the heels of a Texas education official's firing for forwarding an email critical of intelligent design, which holds that some phenomena are too complex to be explained except by Godly manufacture.......more

Howard Dean One, Bill Nelson Zero

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Democratic National Committee has every right to strip Florida of its 210 delegates as punishment for moving its primary date to Jan. 29. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle dismissed a lawsuit against the national party by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, ruling from the bench that ``Florida has to comply by the same rules as everybody else and does not get to insist on its own way.''........here

If They’ve Got The Guns, We’ve Got The Numbers

Liberal Hawk Says Iraq No Longer Matters

Iraq is now a “Non- Story” and quickly becoming irrelevant to the presidential campaign. So says liberal pundit Peter Beinart. If there’s anything more dangerous than a neoconservative hawk, it’s a liberal hawk. Among Democrats, virtually all the elite figures have endorsed the Bush administration’s plan to pursue the “Korea model,” with those 50,000 or U.S. troops “enduring” (the new code word for permanently) on those U.S. bases in Iraq. Only Bill Richardson has publicly called for all U.S. troops to leave Iraq. (Kucinich fans may be glad to hear that Dennis doesn’t count as part of the elite.).......more

Good Morning America Learns That Bin Laden Is CIA

Dean: Bush Has Lost All Credibility With the American People

"President Bush has lost all credibility with the American people. We were misled on Iraq, now it's Iran. We need to get to the truth so our foreign policy is not only tough but smart. By electing a Democratic president, we can not only begin to renew the American people's trust in its government but also restore America's moral authority in the world.".......Howard Dean

The Florida Marriage Amendment

The Christian Family Coalition announced that it has filed the remaining 3,300 petition signatures necessary to place the Florida Marriage Amendment on the November 2008 U.S. Presidential ballot.....here

Peace Group Barred From Manatee And Sarasota County Schools

Public school districts in two Florida counties are refusing to allow members of a peace organisation to counter the presence of military recruiters by talking with high school students about options other than joining the service, according to a spokesperson for the group........here

Under Bush's "No Child Left Behind" law, signed in 2002, public high schools must give military recruiters access to students, including their names, addresses and telephone numbers.

Bloggers Against GOP Dirty Tricks

Join With Courage Campaign!

Trouble Has Fled To Florida

Trouble, a white Maltese who belonged to billionaire Leona Helmsley until her death in August, was flown by private jet under tight security two months ago after receiving around 20 such threats.........here

The 12 Million Dollar Dog

Florida National Guard To Afghanistan In 2009

The 3,400 soldiers of the 53rd Infantry Brigade will "assume battle space in Afghanistan" to perform a range of operations starting in the summer of 2009, the Pentagon announced Monday. More than 1,200 members of the brigade, headquartered at Pinellas Park, returned from an active-duty tour in Afghanistan as recently as mid-2006.........here

Helen Thomas pwns Dana Perino

Florida Schools Take Out Loans To Pay Teachers

The Jefferson County school district was forced to take out a short-term loan to cover payroll for the 220 teachers and other employees in the system after $2.7 million it held in the pool was frozen yesterday. At least five other districts also obtained last-minute loans.......more

"What we just experienced here is a classic run-on-the bank meltdown.''........Hal Wilson, chief financial officer of the Jefferson County school district

Venezuelan Election Results Could Impact Florida

Nearly 16 million Venezuelans will go to the polls to vote on a proposal to reform the 1999 constitution. The proposal would increase President Hugo Chavez's powers, and would allow him to be re-elected indefinitely.........here

"We Venezuelans would never accept a Fidel Castro-like communism, like the one in Cuba today,".......Nancy Lancaster

Let's Hope So!

Dean: Democrats Can Win In Red States

"What Virginia Democrats have demonstrated is that if you show up and work hard, not just in Northern Virginia but everywhere, and speak about our values as Democrats and Americans, there is no part of America that Democrats cannot win,"........here

Chris Rock Introduces Barack Obama

Tiny Little Dots GOP Debate

These people are no George Bush. I know George Bush. With George Bush the whole of this knowledge is contained within one person......here

Pushing Rope: McCain Complete Asshole

Honestly, I'm sick to fucking death of the terrorism/Nazism comparisons. Hitler had the political intelligence and acumen to maneuver himself into a position of absolute control, with popular support, in a nation that was historically an industrial and military powerhouse........more

PoHo’s Debate Open Thread

Mayor Rick just came onstage to stand and have his photo taken with all the candidates in the gaggle photo op and he wins the “I’m taller than Fred Thompson” award for tonight......here

The St. Petersburg Rally

DFA Mandate for Change Rally

That will be the rallying cry from 2:00 – 10 P.M. on Wednesday, November 28 at Pioneer Park - located at One Beach Drive South East St. Petersburg. Where hundreds of like-minded Floridians will set aside political differences and peacefully assemble to protest what they describe as a failed system of government. ....info

Veteran and co-organizer Dan Tucker, a life-long Republican, believes its time to make a noise. ”I’ve always advocated core American values: the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. We the people share many issues: our diminished civil liberties, the abuse of our military, stolen elections, job losses, legalized torture, destroyed borders, increased poverty and federal debt.”

St. Petersburg Florida - Debate Countdown

Corbett Kroehler For Congress

Central Floridians must stop allowing special interests and big corporations to own our political system and decide how we live. It is time that WE decide how we live. Make Central Florida Ours Again. Make America Ours Again. I’m Corbett Kroehler and I’m running for Congress in Florida’s Eighth District. To learn more about me and why I am running, please.......click here.

The Interstate Traveler Hydrogen Superhighway

If the Sunshine State had a real high-speed rail system, how would it look? Unlike most every other type of mass transit, the Hydrogen Superhighway requires no public investment for construction or maintenance. The Interstate Traveler is solar-powered! It manufactures its own hydrogen fuel with the power of the sun and the excess is sold off to local utilities at a profit. If you'd like to hear all about the Interstate Traveler Hydrogen Superhighway straight from the inventor, in Orlando this weekend
Windermere.......Downtown Orlando

Interstate Traveler

Governor Crist And Availability Payments

A unique approach to infrastructure development, which is common in Europe, Australia and other major countries, is focused on creating needed infrastructure while enhancing regional economic development, including congestion relief. While the local governments retain ownership of the highways, project developers are compensated based on what are known as “availability payments”, which are earned only if strict contractual performance measures, such as quality construction, operation and management, are met. Stiff penalties are incurred if performance falls short. Performance priorities are established by the government. Financial risks are shouldered by the concessionaire, not local tax payers........here

Global Via Infraestructuras

Caja Madrid

Kucinich Campaign Update

If Osceola Could See Us Now

The Seminole Tribe of Florida's leaders have spent millions on lavish homes, boxing rings, basketball courts and other gifts for themselves and relatives as the tribe's gambling enterprise has expanded into one of the nation's largest.......here

"I myself had no running water until back in '70, '71 when I moved into a regular house," he testified in a 2002 court proceeding. "I come from an Indian reservation where there is nothing but swamps, Everglades. So when the money came in, we were on a spending spree."

The Sunshine Skyway For Sale

Faced with a $2.5 billion budget shortfall over the next two years, Florida leaders are considering selling 50-year leases on some state toll roads and bridges in exchange for large sums of cash from private investors. The turnpike's system's roads can't easily be leased because they're all part of a system that's tied together financially.That leaves four roads: Alligator Alley, the Sunshine Skyway over Tampa Bay, the Pinellas Bayway and a state-owned stretch of the BeachLine Expressway (formerly the Bee Line) in central Florida........here

Rise Up! The System Is Broken

A Unity Rally & March

Wednesday November 28, at 2:00 PM

Pioneer Park, St. Petersburg

More Info....here

Aznar, Berlusconi, Blair, Howard,

Australia Conservative Prime Minister John Howard, one of the Bush administration's staunchest allies, suffered a humiliating election defeat Saturday at the hands of an opposition leader who has vowed to pull troops out of Iraq.......here

Democrat Jane Lakes Harman

With overwhelming bipartisan support, Rep. Jane Harman's "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act" passed the House 404-6 late last month and now rests in Sen. Joe Lieberman's Homeland Security Committee. Swift Senate passage appears certain. Not since the "Patriot Act" of 2001 has any bill so threatened our constitutionally guaranteed rights......more

In that vein, diverse groups vigorously oppose Ms. Harman's effort to stifle dissent. Unfortunately, the mainstream press and leading presidential candidates remain silent.

The Barceloneta Pet Killing Fields

An Associated Press investigation reveals why: possibly thousands of unwanted animals have been tossed off bridges, buried alive and otherwise inhumanely disposed of by taxpayer-financed animal control programs. News that live animals had been thrown to their deaths from a bridge reached the public last month when Animal Control Solutions, a government contractor, was accused of inhumanely killing some 80 dogs and cats seized from three housing projects in the town of Barceloneta. A half dozen survived the fall of at least 50 feet.......here

The Everglades, Florida Keys And Global Warming

Range Of Efforts Necessary To Protect Florida Panther

While the challenges are daunting, we also have some success stories to share and reason for hope. By the early 1990s, the panther population was about 20 to 30, and it became clear that genetic problems were causing a downward spiral that would likely lead to extinction. In response, the state of Florida led a restoration effort that has tripled the population. Big Cypress National Preserve and the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, created in the 1970s and 1980s, are strongholds of this population. Today, roughly 75 percent of the panther’s primary habitat is protected, but there is clearly more work to be done.........here

Bill McCollum's "Do Not Shop List"

Florida's Attorney General is urging parents to make a toy list and check it twice, and he's helping you find out who's been naughty or nice. Bill McCollum's "Do Not Shop List.".........here

Burger King Exploits Florida Farmworkers

Attempts To Boost Wages For Florida Tomato Pickers May Fail Under Pressure
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers fought for years to persuade fast-food giants McDonald's Corp. and Taco Bell owner Yum Brands Inc. to pay a penny more per pound of Florida tomatoes - with their suppliers passing the money on to farm workers........more
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Eat Local

Bob Hite, A Local Treasure

Florida's Key Deer Making A Comeback

Florida's Key Deer National Refuge

Recently marked its 50th anniversary.The first ranger at the refuge used to chase off hunters by shooting at their trucks. Things are calmer nowadays, but the conservation efforts started 50 years ago have paid off big time for the little deer.Key deer are found nowhere in the world except the lower Florida Keys........here

Florida Teacher Chips Away At Thanksgiving Myth

Robyn Gioia

Doesn't look like a troublemaker. Far from it. Gioia is a wife, mother and teacher, and her green eyes twinkle when she talks about her fifth-grade students at the Bolles School just north of here in Ponte Vedra. But Gioia, 53, has written a children's book, and just the title is enough to peeve any Pilgrim: America's REAL First Thanksgiving........here......via My Florida History

"I became rather famous at the time for saying that by the time the Pilgrims came to Plymouth, St. Augustine was up for urban renewal."

Cost Of Thanksgiving Soaring

The cost of Thanksgiving is soaring, according to investment bank Merrill Lynch & Co, which may help explain the gloom among U.S. consumers as they head into the holiday season.......here

"Black Friday," the day after Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday and the start of the traditional year-end spending spree, threatens to be a Bleak Friday this time around.

If They Make Us All Poor, Who Is Going To Buy Their Stuff?

Antidepressants Truth About

Bush continues to ignore the growing deaths in children using psychiatric drugs....

Eat The Rich In The Conch Republic

The Florida Keys are at a crossroads, beset by shortages of high-paying jobs and affordable housing, rising property taxes and insurance, and environmental concerns. Yet the move to "upscale" the Keys is gaining steam, a sign of growth that's commonly experienced by tourism-dependent communities. Such growth is leaving many Keys residents feeling priced out or ignored.......here

Chasm Between The Haves And Have-Nots In Florida

The economic chasm between the haves and have-nots in Florida is wide and getting wider, fueled by low wages that fail to cover the most basic needs, especially for families with small children, according to a report released Tuesday.........here

Seeking Nookie On Florida Beaches

Martin County, Florida has a new way to scare people from having sex on their beaches, They are looking to install cameras and loudspeakers that would try to detect and warn anyone seeking nookie. "FlashCAM devices sense motion and then flash a bright light," After being activated, the cameras issue a pre-recorded verbal warning to let people know they are under surveillance. A minute later, the camera starts recording.......here

Howard Dean's Vermont Country Baked Ham Recipe

Ingredients
One 8-pound ham
3 quarts sweet cider
2 cups raisins
2 cups Vermont maple sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon powdered cloves
1/2 cup water
Simmer ham in cider for 2 hours. Drain, skin ham, and cover it with paste made from maple sugar, mustard, cloves, and water. Place in baking pan, pour cider over it, add raisins to pan, and bake 2-1/2 hours at 325 degrees. Baste frequently. Make thickened gravy of cider raisin drippings.
Serves: 16 Source

Florida Soldier Killed While Giving Toys To Kids

A soldier from South Florida was killed in Iraq while giving toys and candy to children. Private First Class Marius Ferrero, 23, of Miami, was killed Sunday in Baqouba, Iraq, with two other Army soldiers from his Stryker brigade. Three children also died........here

Family Says 23-Year-Old Thought War Was 'Stupid'

Kucinich Weekly Update

No Room At The Inn For Florida

Democratic activists and a lone Republican asked a Leon County Circuit Court judge Tuesday to tell Florida to push back its early presidential primary one week. The lawsuit, filed in Tallahassee, seeks to order Florida's Secretary of State to change the date of the controversial primary from Jan. 29 to Feb. 5........here

Jon Ausman, a Democratic state committeeman from Leon County, called it "unconstitutional infringement on my First Amendment rights of free speech and political association.'' This made me angry, Ausman said. But his real anger is aimed at the state.

Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act

A little-noticed anti-terrorism bill quietly making its through Congress is raising fears of a new affront on activism and constitutional rights. The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act was passed in an overwhelming 400 to six House vote last month......here

Examining the Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act

“The impetus is that homegrown terror is something that we now see in Western Europe. It’s by far the number one threat to security in Britain,” Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.)

Don't Tase ......Kill Me Bro!

Pinellas County, Florida And Ron Paul Signs

Dean Slams GOP at UJA Assembly

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean
Told the United Jewish Communities' General Assembly (GA) in Tennessee that the Republican party (GOP) is religiously and racially exclusive. Dean followed by accusing the Republican party of leading the United States towards a theocracy. "The Democratic Party believes that everybody in this room ought to be comfortable being an American Jew, not just an American, that there are no bars to heaven for anybody..........here