High-Class Squatter In Ybor City

Playwright, sculptor and artist Blake Emory works on a stage in an Ybor City building where its owners let him stay, for now, and direct art shows......here

How Lethally Stupid Can One Country Be?

So, happy anniversary, America! You put these people in charge, and then -- after seeing in explicit in detail what they were capable of -- you actually did it again in 2004! You stood by in silence watching the devastation wrought upon an innocent people, produced in your name and financed by your tax dollars. And you continue to do just that again, now in Year Six.......here

Ybor City Scrapbook

From March 1994 to August 1998, I lived in the Tampa Bay area. This is my collection of Ybor City overviews and memorabilia.......here

Florida Lawmakers Busy With Daylight Saving Time

One Florida lawmaker wants to end the annual rites of springing forward and falling back.State Sen. Bill Posey wants the state to stop using daylight saving time.If approved, Florida would become the third state to shun daylight savings, which was used during both world wars and Congress ultimately made a law in 1966.........here

Rising Sea Eats Away At Florida Coastline

Global warming is boosting the sea level along Florida's gulf coast and already causing profound environmental changes, scientists say.......here

Florida Red and Blue

Some conservatives will stop at nothing to roadblock progress for GLBT people -- even if straight people will also be affected in big ways. And they never seem to miss an opportunity to pander to their anti-gay base, especially considering that it's already been uncovered that the Florida GOP has directed large sums of money to conservative anti-gay marriage groups to underwrite their efforts to pass this discriminatory amendment.......here

Legacy Trail Opens In Florida

Bicyclists are celebrating today's official opening of a 10.6-mile rail-to-trail that links Sarasota and Venice. The Legacy Trail takes the place of an abandoned CSX Transportation railway line that was purchased for $14.5 million in 2004. It's one of more than 1,460 rail-trails in the US that stretch across nearly 14,000 miles of landscape.......here

Extremist of South Florida - Joe Kaufman

For the past couple of months, Joe Kaufman has been smearing Muslims in the Tampa Bay area, if one didn’t know any better one would think that Joe lives in our community, but he doesn’t. So why the interest in Tampa, Kaufman?? A reason maybe the fact that Kaufman has discredited himself in South Florida so much that not a single mainstream media outlet would dare quote him. He’s proven to be a very bias and unreliable source.......here

Marilyn Garateix's 50 Years Of Fidel

I have never met the man, but he has been a never-ending presence in my life. My parents, grandparents and other adults in my family despise him. They had to adapt to a new country while mourning the loss of their homeland to a revolution they vehemently opposed. And they blame Fidel for everything.......here

Slave Labor in Florida’s Tomato Fields

You can act now to urge Burger King to do the right thing and treat these workers with common human decency and respect. Sign the petition to eliminate modern-day servitude in America’s produce fields and join an industrywide effort to eliminate slavery and human rights abuses from Florida’s fields........here

Paul Cejas: Florida Clinton Donor

He is only one of the Clinton top donors who are demanding their money back from the DNC because of the Florida sanctions..........here

Howard Dean Warns Bickering Has To Stop

Democratic Party chief Howard Dean says Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and their supporters should beware of tearing each other down, demoralizing the base and damaging the party's chances of winning the White House in November.......here

Hot For Teacher In Tampa, Florida

Florida Streamlines Food Stamps Process

With the economy in trouble, more people need help, and food stamps are one form of assistance. In the Central Florida region, more than 320,000 people are receiving food stamp assistance -- that's 50,000 more than a year ago. For those who are shy and do not want to apply for help in person, Florida is helping lead the way in getting to people in need......here

To sign up for food stamps, please.......click here

Florida Forever Coalition Growing

Because of the enormous grass-roots support for Florida Forever — and the urgent need for land conservation funding in our state — more than 100 groups, businesses, and associations have now joined the Florida Forever Coalition. In addition, 38 counties have now passed resolutions in support of Florida Forever.......here

Florida Lawmakers Float LGBT Rights Bill

Thirty-seven Florida lawmakers have sponsored a bill that would prohibit discrimination against gay men and lesbians in public and private employment, housing and public accommodations. State Sen. Ted Deutch introduced a measure that would amend the the Florida Civil Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act to include sexual orientation.......here