Friday, September 5, 2008

Old Florida on the Half Shell

It's several degrees hotter than the highest recorded temperature in Hades, and so humid it's like breathing wet cotton. Only air conditioning makes the Southern summer bearable -- air conditioning and seafood. I decide I need to pay homage to Apalachicola, Fla., a place sanctified by both. Apalachicola is the Jerusalem of air conditioning and the Vatican City of oysters.........here

Bush Front Man Martinez Shines Less Bright In Florida

A June Quinnipiac University poll found only 40 percent of Florida voters approved of Martinez's performance, compared with 51 percent for Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and 61 percent for Gov. Charlie Crist.......here

Outrageous Injustice for Florida MILF

I often write about the female sentencing discount, but here's one terrible aberration--a 40-year-old woman has been sentenced to 30 years in prison--yes, you read right, 30 years--for having sex with a 16-year-old boy.......here

Happy Birthday, Yoani

Generation Y

Michael Moore's "Slacker Uprising" For Free

"This is being done entirely as a gift to my fans. The only return any of us are hoping for is the largest turnout of young voters ever at the polls in November."........Michael Moore

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Hypocrisy Now!

Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners Meeting

The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners met today in Tampa and covered a range of issues including park lighting, road safety in front of Plant High School, affordable housing, street flooding, the Confederate flag, and the county’s animal shelter.........here

Obama Could Pursue Criminal Charges Against Bush & Co.

Mr Biden Said At An Event In Deerfield Beach, Florida
“If there has been a basis upon which you can pursue someone for a criminal violation, they will be pursued, not out of vengeance, not out of retribution, out of the need to preserve the notion that no one, no attorney general, no president - no one is above the law."...........here

Florida Levee Grows Weaker Each Day

Drive down US-441, and you'll run right into it. A grass-covered wall that stretches as far as you can see in both directions. It's the levee that wraps around Lake Okeechobee -- that huge lake in the middle of Florida. Altogether, the levee is 143 miles long. And the protection it gives could give way in a massive hurricane.........here

Canvass Old West Tampa

Outraged about the last eight years? Eight is enough! Let's canvass Old West Tampa and take on John McCain before it's too late! Bring your walking shoes.......here

Joe Biden In Sarasota, Florida

Doug Tudor for Congress

Florida 12th Congressional District.........here

Help Cuba recover From Gustav: Obama Says Suspend Embargo

Barack Obama and the three Democrats running for Congress in South Florida against Bush rubber-stamps have a common platform on the Cuba embargo: relax it only after Cuba makes progress toward democracy, but meanwhile ease restrictions on family visits to Cuba and on sending money to relatives in Cuba.........here

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Amy Goodman Reports On Her Own Arrest

Immokalee Slave Masters Plead Guilty

Five Immokalee residents pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to charges of enslaving Mexican and Guatemalan workers, brutalizing them and forcing them to work in farm fields. The 17-count indictment in the case - one of the largest slavery prosecutions Southwest Florida has ever seen - was originally released in January.........here
Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Riviera Beach Police Cracking Down On Crime

Meet Kenneth Smith. The Florida man, 29, was arrested yesterday for wearing baggy pants. Smith was busted by Riviera Beach cops for violating a city ordinance governing low-slung trousers........here
In a bid to criminalize a fashion style popularized by urban youth and hip-hop fans, Riviera Beach voters approved the new ordinance earlier this year.

Amy Goodman Grills St. Paul Police Chief

St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington
Held a news conference where he spoke about the nearly 300 people arrested in a police crackdown on protesters a day earlier. Among them were several journalists covering the protests in the streets, including three of us at Democracy Now!—Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Amy Goodman questions Harrington about the arrests.........here

Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper & Trig

Is This An Alaska Thing?........here

Diaz-Balart Brothers: Out of Touch

Brian Blair Mocks Local Blogger David Pinero

I've got job interviews I need to attend to, so I decide to get my suit dry cleaned. There's this dry cleaner on the way to my current job I always pass, so I figure, hey, I'll finally stop in and give them some of my business. In I wheel into the parking lot when, slam, this is what I encounter staring back at me.......here
In Case You Want To Choose Option Number One, This Cleaners Is At Linebaugh Ave And North Boulevard In Tampa.

Can Mr. Smith Get To Washington Anymore?

St. Pete for Peace Wednesday Film Series
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 8:00pm
Cafe Bohemia, 937 Central Ave., St. Petersburg

Don't Rig Florida Coalition Holds Rally

The term “offshore drilling” was the ticket to free admission into the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Saturday evening. The tiny aquarium, known for its sizeable rehabilitative work with marine animals, invited visitors to attend a discussion about the upcoming vote in Congress on Sept. 12 that will determine whether drilling will be allowed within 50 miles of the Florida coastline.......here

Joe Garcia Is Here To Win

Things happen when, after so many years of a family holding political power, all of a sudden, there is fatigue of the repeated speeches, the passing of days, generational shifts or the moment of political realignment in the country sounds several alarms that warn that the trendy word, change, is not only coming to the White House, but to the Congress as well........here

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Mahan Massacre Petitions Delivered

Olivia's Kiss

Chapter 10

Walk Your Tail Off Tampa Bay

Our 8th annual Stride for Strays walkathon is coming up on October 11! Walk your tail off for homeless pets and enjoy food, fun, prizes, activities, demonstrations and a fun day in the park with your dog.........here
October 11, 2008 - 9 am - 1 pm at Lowry Park in Tampa

Sarah Palin: Dick Cheney In A Dress

McCain's anti-choice, anti-science, anti-environment, anti-gay right wing extremist pick for vice president -- particularly important in view of Sen. McCain's advanced years and failing health -- reveals the depth of his cynicism and condescension towards American voters, women in particular.........here

Florida Life: Gators on the Lot

Via......Pete McDonald

Florida State Parks to Celebrate Literacy in September

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Florida State Parks are celebrating the second annual Literacy Month this September at each of the state's 161 state parks. In conjunction with International Literacy Day on September 8 and National Library Card Signup Month, entrance to all of Florida 's state parks will be free the week of September 7-13 for visitors who bring a library card, library book, or who donate a new or gently used family book......here

DWS: "Don't Pull That Populist Stuff With Me."

When my friend Jane saw what Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chair of the DCCC's Red to Blue program, which is charged with defeating Republicans and replacing them with Democrats, saw how shabbily Wasserman Schultz had treated progressive Navy veteran Doug Tudor, her astonishment was palpable. "Wow," she wrote, "We really are the New Republicans!".........here

Amy Goodman Arrested at RNC

Monday, September 1, 2008

Kevin Beckner And The Green Team

For Hillsborough County Commission, District 6

The Official and Uncensored Beat Brian Blair Website

Take a look at Blair's His Contributors tab. As of June 30th, he had 650 contributors, 413 of which are "developer-related" individuals. Why should such a small number of people, 413, run Hillsborough County? That's 1 of THEM for every 2,803 of US.1,157,738 people live here......here

Joe Garcia: Special Video for Supporters

Annette Taddeo: I'm Going To Beat Ileana

Given a brief chance to introduce herself to Florida Democrats at a breakfast here Wednesday -- a day after fellow candidates Joe Garcia and Raul Martinez appeared before the entire convention -- Taddeo seized the moment, taking to the stage in the delegate hotel to outline her candidacy against Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.........here

Johnny Depp's Charitable Florida Jam Session

Johnny Depp played at a charity benefit concert in Pompano Beach, Fla., Friday night. The charity that benefitted from Depp's largesse was the Dan Marino Foundation. The former Miami Dolphin football player's charity funds programs for children with special needs including the Marino Autism Research Institute......here

Ybor (Cigar) City

Hoping to escape labor issues, Vicente Martinez Ybor became the first Key West cigarmaker to move his operations to Tampa......here

Three Men Charged Over Threats To Kill Gordon Brown

Three men arrested over threats to kill Gordon Brown have been charged with terrorism offences, threat posted on website hosted in Tampa Florida.........here