Thursday, March 6, 2008

Florida and the Jackasses That Overreached

The voters in Florida and Michigan have been screwed, but not by the DNC. They were screwed by their shortsighted state party leaders........here

Burger King Is Responsible For Slavery In Florida

Inspired by the stories of workers who continue to toil in Immokalee, Students Toward A New Democracy (STAND) hosted an event for Miami University students and faculty Tuesday, March 4, to discuss modern-day slavery in the United States and fast-food giant Burger King’s part in the problem.......here

Free Chicken Wings For Florida Voters

More than 20 Hurricane Grill and Wings restaurants in Florida are giving them away today to anyone with a state voter registration card. The restaurant chain, with headquarters in Stuart, hopes the fried appetizer will console Floridians frustrated by the election process after the national Democratic Party stripped the state of its convention delegates because the early primary violated the national rules......more

The Green Roofs of Tampa

The Tampa Comprehensive Plan plan calls for the city to “Follow sustainable building practices by encouraging the development of green roofs” in Objective 4.1, policy 4.1.4.........more

Lee De Cesare Rocks

What do you get when you place a baker’s dozen teachers in a room with two newspaper editorial writers? I don’t know but whatever it is it doesn’t lack opinions. The Tampa Tribune hosted a conference with twelve teachers and one dedicated soul who arrived well in to the session to discuss public education issues in our district with two writers from the Tribune’s editorial department.....here

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

The Marine Who Killed the Puppy

Some psychologists are weighing in on this by justifying it. We're told that this can be a reaction to the stress of having your life constantly in danger: In order to feel that you have some control, you attempt to dominate smaller and more helpless beings. Aren't those very reasons shared by wife beaters everywhere?.....more
Marine Major Brian Dennis

Tampa's Cigar City Brewing

The brewery, slated to begin producing beer in September of 2008, will supply boutique draft, and bottled ales to central and west Florida. "We'll be brewing high gravity English, American and Belgian style ales as well as a few lower strength classic styles.........here

Tampa Bay O-Train Making Noise For Obama

Its 6:30p.m. at the Marti Maceo Club along 7th avenue in Ybor City, the polls won't close in Vermont and Ohio for another hour. That doesn't stop a group of supporters from showing up to the historic social club to mingle and cheer for a man that they have only seen on television or perhaps at a rally just a few blocks away last April........here

Florida Legislature Working Hard On Marijuana Bill

This week, Florida lawmakers will take another step towards passing a law that would make the penalties tougher for running a grow house. Right now, it's only a third-degree felony if fewer than 100 plants are seized. The new law would make it a second-degree felony for getting caught with at least 25 marijuana plants, meaning mandatory jail time.........here

More Abuse At Hillsborough County Jail

Apparently the recently reported wheelchair dumping incident at a jail in Florida wasn't an isolaited incident. Another video has surfaced showing an inmate being dumped out of a wheelchair at a Hillsborough County jail. This time, Sheriff's Department officials defended the move, saying jail personnel deliberately took the paraplegic inmate to the floor to protect themselves........here

I Went To Florida

A Beautiful Mess

Florida Bay: Potential for Ecological Collapse

Audubon raised concerns today that this year´s poor nesting season of Roseate Spoonbills—an important indicator species of Everglades restoration success—and the algae blooms in Florida Bay, persisting since 2006, are serious signals that the ecosystem is suffering signs of ecological collapse........here

McCain And Bush Embrace

Four More Years.......here

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

What Kind of Florida Do You Want to Leave Your Kids?

State legislators returned to Tallahassee today for the beginning of the annual 60-day legislative session. Getting the most attention this year are the revenue shortfalls and resulting necessity to cut $2 billion from the budget........more
In the meantime, use their online tool to contact your senator and state representative and let them know the issues you want them to focus on during the Session.........here

The Population Bomb And Florida's Vanishing Paradise

After you've spent a day hiking through Florida's preserves along its Nature Coast, you just might find yourself on the back deck of the Rusty Rim Pub on Cedar Key near about sundown. There, along with your $3 bottled brew and a view of the gulf that won't quit, you'll hear the local men who make their living out of the surrounding waters debrief the day.......more

Monkeys Getting High At Miami Zoo

A species of millipede which originated in the West Indies but has recently appeared in parts of South Florida seems to have a hallucinogenic effect on Monkeys. The monkeys "bite the millipedes, then reach behind their backs and rub it on their fur."........more