12/31/2002
Nice carpets
The Palm Beach Post waxes wroth about about how Legislators are redecorating their offices while cutting money for ( ____________ fill in the blank. In this case, prosecutors.)
Quote: Only two years ago, the House spent about $7 million to virtually redo its digs. In 1994, the Senate spent $14 million to upgrade some of its offices. This must be the one exception to Tallahassee's belief that you can't cure a problem by throwing money at it.
(See also: The Sarasota Heald-Trib -- A deficit of common sense.
Expect to read a lot of similar pieces in first quarter of 2003. This stuff writes itself.
Quote: Only two years ago, the House spent about $7 million to virtually redo its digs. In 1994, the Senate spent $14 million to upgrade some of its offices. This must be the one exception to Tallahassee's belief that you can't cure a problem by throwing money at it.
(See also: The Sarasota Heald-Trib -- A deficit of common sense.
Expect to read a lot of similar pieces in first quarter of 2003. This stuff writes itself.
Cartoon on Tally Democrat site provokes Arab world
Doug Marlette defends himself for a cartoon that was posted briefly on the Tallahassee Democrat site and then taken off. Earlier the executive editor issued a wan defense and sort-of apology for the cartoon. Meanwhile Islamic organizations went nuts and have been sending e-mails by thousands to Marlette. some with the inevitable death threats. The Council of American-Islamic Relations is outraged. Kathleen Parker, whom I seldom read because she's a scold and a self-righteous Dan-Quayle-Was-Right bore gets riled and writes with passion because this is someone she knows, dammit. Part of the mix is a weird fight over Marlette's book not being featured on the Today show.
In its typical heavy-handed response to a cartoon that had not yet even appeared in print, CAIR is itself reinforcing the stereotype of Islamic culture as intolerant and defensive. The Muslim World League -- which just might have a few other pressing matters to consider at the moment -- also condemns the cartoon as part of "a media campaign in the United States against Islam." Its spokesman "demanded that the Tallahassee Democrat apologize to the 1.5 billion Muslims and give an undertaking that it will not publish such disparaging material again."
In its typical heavy-handed response to a cartoon that had not yet even appeared in print, CAIR is itself reinforcing the stereotype of Islamic culture as intolerant and defensive. The Muslim World League -- which just might have a few other pressing matters to consider at the moment -- also condemns the cartoon as part of "a media campaign in the United States against Islam." Its spokesman "demanded that the Tallahassee Democrat apologize to the 1.5 billion Muslims and give an undertaking that it will not publish such disparaging material again."
12/30/2002
Graham -- compulsive, not anal
Punditwatch watches the Sunday talking-heads shows so you don't have to. Here is David Brooks of The Weekly Standard, giving an odd assessment of Bob Graham on The News Hour (italics are Brooks talking):
People don't like anal retentives for some reason. They're prejudiced against them.
Graham keeps voluminous daily diaries. On the plus side, however, Brooks offered this:
Bob Graham has been on the Intelligence Committee, has articulated positions on Hezbollah,
knows how to spell Hezbollah, which is more than most Senators do.
A pretty weak negative, I'd say. Graham is not "anal retentive," more like obsessive-compulsive. Big difference. And only about a few things, really, like ties with little Florida maps on them and the little notebooks. Any blogger can understand the need to compulsively record impressions. Sheesh: these news shows have to bring in Brits to talk about Florida politicians and they don't understand and use outdated Freudian terminology to boot.
(Thanks to Fla. Politics for pointing to this. )
People don't like anal retentives for some reason. They're prejudiced against them.
Graham keeps voluminous daily diaries. On the plus side, however, Brooks offered this:
Bob Graham has been on the Intelligence Committee, has articulated positions on Hezbollah,
knows how to spell Hezbollah, which is more than most Senators do.
A pretty weak negative, I'd say. Graham is not "anal retentive," more like obsessive-compulsive. Big difference. And only about a few things, really, like ties with little Florida maps on them and the little notebooks. Any blogger can understand the need to compulsively record impressions. Sheesh: these news shows have to bring in Brits to talk about Florida politicians and they don't understand and use outdated Freudian terminology to boot.
(Thanks to Fla. Politics for pointing to this. )
12/28/2002
Detour
I have been a fan of My Single Mom Life for some time. It appears, however, to have lately fallen victim to sabotage (or mishap). You can still find it at its temporary home. The new address will stay up in the strip on the left until things return to normal. Its new address is on the left.
Year-end remembrance
The mail brought in the latest edition of The Drifting Seed (pdf format), a newsletter for sea-bean enthusiasts. (Sea beans are seeds of tropical plants -- a lot of them Brazilian -- that end up on beaches. Fall and winter, you'll see them Florida east coast beaches. People even make jewelry out of them.) I felt sad to see it. The former editor, Cathie Katz, a remarkable, inspiring nature writer, died a year ago last month. I didn't find out until I saw the announcement in the newsletter. And this year I read that another remarkable person I met, John Dennis died. Dennis co-wrote "The World Guide to Tropical Drift Seeds and Fruits," which is the authoritative work on sea beans, and contributed to the newsletter.
Cathie's Nature a Day at a Time is still in print. Cathie had the gift for seeing life, the universe and everything in small things, like those damn seeds. We spoke only a half-dozen times but she changed my life. Some people are like that.
Cathie's Nature a Day at a Time is still in print. Cathie had the gift for seeing life, the universe and everything in small things, like those damn seeds. We spoke only a half-dozen times but she changed my life. Some people are like that.
More tests, more drop-outs, no progress
The NY Times ran a piece about a study that questions the effects of tests like the FCATS. As any parent can tell you, high-stakes testing creates more drop-outs and even when the state test scores improve (because everything is geared narrowly to teaching to the tests) the results of other, more valid tests -- SATs and whatnot -- stay flat.
Here's a press release about the findings in MS Word format. And Here's the report in a big pdf file.
Here's a press release about the findings in MS Word format. And Here's the report in a big pdf file.
Praise the Lord and pass the FCAT
It's a tight year for most schools but there's always state money available to fund evangelical Christian groups under the guise of "Faith-based mentoring." And the group, Frontline Outreach, has had some problems in the past. (Buried in the last 'graphs.) "Muddying the line between government and religion serves neither well in the long term," warns the Tallahassee Democrat.
12/26/2002
Happy Boxing Day
I don't know why Boxing Day isn't a real holiday in the United States, the way it is in Canada, and the rest of the English-speaking world. Well, I've already complained about this. But I'm still going to try to slack off.
12/24/2002
Graham for president?
Everyone runs with Sen. Graham making the first steps toward a presidential bid as well as the possible repercussions. On the surface, He's just what the party ordered -- credible on security, conservative on spending, liberal on social issues. He's also one of the few people I've met in public life who has actually has a personality that hasn't been manufactured for him. He has interests outside of politics, reads fiction, is intellectually curious, hangs with Jimmy Buffett, sings loud, badly and zestfully in public. He's genuinely eccentric. Then there's the deal about the little notebooks. And after being subjected to the ritual humiliation of an unsuccessful VP vetting by political geniuses Michael Dukakis and Al Gore, Graham is not in awe of the party's previous nominees.
A Christmas gift for the editorial pages
As someone who used to write editorials, I know the feeling -- you need to work ahead to get any time off for the holidays, the news cycle is slow and you can't write about campaign finance reform or health care system restructuring again, not and pretend anyone will read this stuff. ("What's the difference between a newspaper editorial and writing in a bathroom stall? People read writing in a bathroom stall" -- Dave Berry.) And then the Legislature drops something easy on your lap. Something so boneheaded and venial that all you need to do is describe it and shake your head.
Well, merry Christmas Florida editorial writers. In the face of a budget crunch the Legislature has set its first priority -- redecorating.
Miami Herald -- What budget crunch?
Orlando Sentinel -- What's good for taxpayers
Palm Beach- Season for children won't take a holiday. (see last graphs)
Well, merry Christmas Florida editorial writers. In the face of a budget crunch the Legislature has set its first priority -- redecorating.
Miami Herald -- What budget crunch?
Orlando Sentinel -- What's good for taxpayers
Palm Beach- Season for children won't take a holiday. (see last graphs)
12/23/2002
Our House is a very, very, very fine House
I have always thought that a good gauge of political hubris is money spent on redecoration. The bigger the ego and the more out of touch with reality the politician, the bigger the decorating budget. Bad sign for the coming Legislative session: Legislative leaders go ahead with $1.5 million office renovations. $7 million already had been spent on House chamber, speaker's offices and House office building -- but that was two whole years ago. Some of this carpet is more than a year old! Surely you can't ask our leaders to live like that! (Herald version here. ~ Who surfs miami.com so you don't have to? You're welcome.)
Hey dude, if they really landed on the moon, why didn't they go back? Huh?
Sheesh. This story won't die. I wrote about this last Sept. when Buzz Aldrin punched that obnoxious conspiracy kook. But sadly NASA can't shake this goofy conspiracy theory.
12/22/2002
Sn-a-a-a-a-kes!
Everyone knows Florida is lousy with snakes. Anytime somebody threatens to move here 'cause it's just so pretty and all, I say: well, how are you about snakes?" (pause) Then I go into descriptions of palmetto bugs and banana spiders if that doesn't have the intended effect. Well, in the Everglades, they have monster snakes as big as cypress logs. Yeah, you heard me right. Pythons! It's in the damn Herald so it must be true. (Dragonleg reads miami.com so I don't have to.) Note the subheads: MAY BE BREEDING ... GOOD SURVIVORS.
Timatollah's Loop
Timatollah doesn't entirely share my tree-hugging attitudes, but he does post some very fine pics of The Ormond Loop.
Deep thinkers ponder Jeb's statement on Lott
Does Jeb's recent mild criticism of Trent Lott mean he's now a majah playah poised for latah? Or was he just a fall guy undercut by his resentful brother? Too deep for me. Maybe it was a easy cheap shot that helped him, helped his bother, so why not say it? Too simple, I guess.
Meanwhile, Martin Dykeman, the cranky institutional memory of the St. Pete Times, uses the Lott matter as a fine excuse to remember Florida Gov. LeRoy Collins whose good sense and decency on racial issues destroyed his career. (Collins was governor when I was born. When I was a kid I thought he looked like Commissioner Gordon in Batman Comics.)
Meanwhile, Martin Dykeman, the cranky institutional memory of the St. Pete Times, uses the Lott matter as a fine excuse to remember Florida Gov. LeRoy Collins whose good sense and decency on racial issues destroyed his career. (Collins was governor when I was born. When I was a kid I thought he looked like Commissioner Gordon in Batman Comics.)
12/21/2002
Developers win again
(Warning: local content.) There are few things more deeply discouraging about local politics than the way government acts like the obsequious waiter to development interests -- we have a very nice wetland we're serving today, how would you like it?
Last Thursday the County Council reversed its earlier vote and agreed to approve a road in West Volusia guaranteed to encourage sprawl and destruction of natural lands. This comes right after earlier votes that will destroy The Ormond Loop.
I've noticed more people driving and riding The Loop lately. Guess they want to see see it while it's still here. Here's a picture I took a few weeks ago. I know what you're thinking -- Why isn't this a golf course, Seven-11 and condo complex yet?
Last Thursday the County Council reversed its earlier vote and agreed to approve a road in West Volusia guaranteed to encourage sprawl and destruction of natural lands. This comes right after earlier votes that will destroy The Ormond Loop.
I've noticed more people driving and riding The Loop lately. Guess they want to see see it while it's still here. Here's a picture I took a few weeks ago. I know what you're thinking -- Why isn't this a golf course, Seven-11 and condo complex yet?
12/20/2002
But Glenda's supposed to be the good witch ...
Poor Glenda Hood. Once a rising star, she has lost moderate support while failing to gain the trust of the Jebbites and Bible-thumpers. Sentinel columnist Mike Thomas asks what kind of lame-ass consolation prize is secretary of state? This was a job Katherine Harris could do, for pity's sake.
Quote: She will go from chief executive to someone who has to wait in line to see the chief executive. She will be like Lady in Lady in the Tramp, dumped in the dog pound with the other mutts.
Harsh.
Quote: She will go from chief executive to someone who has to wait in line to see the chief executive. She will be like Lady in Lady in the Tramp, dumped in the dog pound with the other mutts.
Harsh.
What Would Jesus Fund?
Jeb wants a new high-proifile state office for pouring money into churches, the right kind of churches, anyway. The exact name of the Florida Dept. of Tallahassee Rightwingers Telling You How to be a Good Person is yet to be announced. But wait, there's more. The governor and the Fla. Christian Coalition also want the state to be a whole lot more involved in marriage and family decisions -- making divorce and marriage harder, forcing people to take bogus "counseling courses" to get married, divorce or even to get a homestead exception. "Here's $100 for the rectory fund, Padre; now please sign this so I can get my tax break."
Is anyone the tiniest bit creeped out at this prospect? I mean aside those constitutional purists and liberals who think the First Amendment applies even when there's a Republican majority.
Is anyone the tiniest bit creeped out at this prospect? I mean aside those constitutional purists and liberals who think the First Amendment applies even when there's a Republican majority.
12/19/2002
Read Single Mom Life
The blogs listed over on the left side of the page are there because I look in on them regularly. Particularly My Single Mom Life. A lot of lifeblogs can get self-absorbed, narrow and a bit neurotic. Kat's is different. She is out there fighting the good fight, dealing with Bad Real-Life Stuff, cussin' out those who require verbal correction, triumphing over workplace adversity, and dealing the whole single-parent situation ... and believe me, as a full-time single dad of teens, people are not as cool with single parents as you see on teevee. A lot of teachers, neighbors and whatnot simply assume you are a deviant, hippie, lost soul or nut case. They think you're disfunctional, don't love Jesus or Just Aren't A Good Parent and click their tongues about those poor kids who live in something they call "a broken home." Nothing you do can alter this.
In the latest episodes, Kat rescues lost neighborhood children from likely vehicular homicide and is both rewarded and punished for her good deed. The official reaction is not entirely as one would hope. She handles the situation with characteristic pluck, big-heartedness and honesty.
In the latest episodes, Kat rescues lost neighborhood children from likely vehicular homicide and is both rewarded and punished for her good deed. The official reaction is not entirely as one would hope. She handles the situation with characteristic pluck, big-heartedness and honesty.
White man's burden
Matt Towery of the Fla. Times-Union looks at the Trent Lott controversy and sees bigotry -- against the white South. Walk back in time with him and read a column that except for a Jimmy Carter reference might have been written a half century ago. All that's missing is the line about those aud-sahd adgee-taters. Welcome to the bygone world of the T-U editorial page.
12/17/2002
University Gold Rush!
The Florida university system is experiencing something of a gold rush. University presidents are getting double-digit pay increases this year and Enron-exec style perks. No wonder politicians want to jump on this gravy train. Meanwhile tuition increases and budget cuts are planned to deal with upcoming state budget crunch.
USF-- $325,000 a year , up 37 percent. (With $2,500 so she can get herself a financial advisor to handle her windfall.)
UCF -- $295,000 a year, up $93,000 or 32 percent.
UF-- $350,000, up 36 percent.
FSU -- $228,687, up 10 percent.
FGC -- $230,000, up more than 30 percent.
FAU -- $250,000 to $350,000. (Depending on negotiations when hiring new president.)
USF-- $325,000 a year , up 37 percent. (With $2,500 so she can get herself a financial advisor to handle her windfall.)
UCF -- $295,000 a year, up $93,000 or 32 percent.
UF-- $350,000, up 36 percent.
FSU -- $228,687, up 10 percent.
FGC -- $230,000, up more than 30 percent.
FAU -- $250,000 to $350,000. (Depending on negotiations when hiring new president.)
Thanks
Many thanks to John Spragens. A man of good taste, he got sick of the sloppy graphic that graces the top of this work of blog and sent me a new one with a clear background, the way it's spozed to be. I would never have gotten around to it otherwise.
Map tales
Solonor was right, this is blog-worthy. A Sentinel story about the passing of the last orange groves on Orange Blossom Trail. (Warning, perishable link) I always assumed the name "Orange Blossom Trail" was just a bit of cheap, bitter irony.
12/16/2002
We're No. 1! We're No. 1!
Little known Florida stat -- we lead the nation in murder-suicides.
12/15/2002
Ghostbuster
Palm Beach Post Wise-Guy Metro Columnist Frank Cerabino does a nice job on Katherine Harris' booklike product. He even figures out who the barely credited ghostwriter is.
Big Byrd
Within a superficially positive piece about the new Florida House speaker are warnings about what's ahead in the Florida Legislature -- that Johnnie Byrd already has his eye on higher office and is organizing a formidable propaganda machine. That he is concentrating legislative power in his hands. He has an agenda further to the right than most Republicans are comfortable with. That he is something of an egomaniac.
And you thought you were glad Tom Feeney was gone.
(I read miami.com so you don't have to!)
And you thought you were glad Tom Feeney was gone.
(I read miami.com so you don't have to!)
12/14/2002
Note notes Graham and a lotta Lott
The Note, ABC News' political tip sheet is filled with Trent Lott linkages. The story went from being ignored by mass media to being overplayed by mid week. (Check Slate for an exceptionally cheap, facile and morally obtuse defense of the Lottster. )
The Note also floats this about our own Sen. Bob Graham --
For those of you think the Democratic nomination field is pretty set, what would you say if you heard that Senator Bob Graham of Florida had initiated some "serious discussions" with people about whether he might put together a strong 2004 presidential campaign?
It's way, way toward the end. And that's all there is. A rumor of a rumor set behind a question mark. Hmmm.
The Note also floats this about our own Sen. Bob Graham --
For those of you think the Democratic nomination field is pretty set, what would you say if you heard that Senator Bob Graham of Florida had initiated some "serious discussions" with people about whether he might put together a strong 2004 presidential campaign?
It's way, way toward the end. And that's all there is. A rumor of a rumor set behind a question mark. Hmmm.
Try, try again
How long after the voters spoke did it take legislators to begin subverting their will? 38 days. A Republican senator pre-files a bill to reverse the class-size vote. The idea is to keep sending it back to the voters until they vote right. Republican leaders huddle and ask themselves: is this too cynical to work? Naw-w-w-w.
12/13/2002
News from the shark-bite capital of the world
FACTOID -- Every year, falling coconuts kill 15 times more people than attacking sharks, says a state conservation advocate. It's quoted in the paper so it must be true.
Loop back
Forgive me a little localism here. The Loop, a lovely drive through the trees that I wrote a column about a few weeks back looks more doomed every day.
The County Council approved yet another development that will dump traffic into The Loop. If a couple dozen anti-tax protestors had shown it would have been called "a tax revolt" and officialdom would have backed down in seconds. But these were environmentalists so everyone knew it was OK to belittle them and be generally condescending and insulting. These people are in the way of PROGRESS.
Meanwhile, News-Journal outdoors writer Jordan Kahn (pronounced: KAHHHHNN!) does a really nice feature on The Loop. (Too bad the Web guys didn't post the photos that ran with it in the print edition. They were very nice.)
(While we're on this,take a look at a nice piece of Loop art from Barbara Blondheim, a painter from Gainesville. She sometimes sells pieces on eBay.)
I'll put up a Loop page once the holiday stuff dies down. Promise.
The County Council approved yet another development that will dump traffic into The Loop. If a couple dozen anti-tax protestors had shown it would have been called "a tax revolt" and officialdom would have backed down in seconds. But these were environmentalists so everyone knew it was OK to belittle them and be generally condescending and insulting. These people are in the way of PROGRESS.
Meanwhile, News-Journal outdoors writer Jordan Kahn (pronounced: KAHHHHNN!) does a really nice feature on The Loop. (Too bad the Web guys didn't post the photos that ran with it in the print edition. They were very nice.)
(While we're on this,take a look at a nice piece of Loop art from Barbara Blondheim, a painter from Gainesville. She sometimes sells pieces on eBay.)
I'll put up a Loop page once the holiday stuff dies down. Promise.
MF Xmas (Part II)
A South Florida substitute teacher tells kindergarten kids there is no Santa Claus. Kids are devastated, parents outraged, the school tries to make it up, but the sub stays. My kids have had subs who were senile, who were stoners and who were right-wing evangelical racist crazies. On one particularly memorable occasion in middle school, a sub passed out drunk and had to be taken away by a sheriff's deputy. Telling kids there is no Santa can hardly get you struck from the list -- as long as there are no drugs or firearms involved. We do have some standards.
12/12/2002
Making a list and checking it twice
Merry Fucking Christmas from the Fla. Dept. of Education. Heartless Jebbites manage to make us feel sorry for bureaucrats.
12/11/2002
Kitchen industrialization: Vox Populi
I'm always intrigued at the way other papers run the column. Here at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution site you can read the piece and vote on the most useless kitchen gadget you own. The Salad Shooter� has an unbeatable early lead, but I'd like to see the Hot Dogger� come in at least at a respectable second place.
Miami Stories
Wow, I just discovered this today. MiamiStories.com is dedicated to, well, look at the damn name, stories about Miami. And very nice photos too. It doesn't seem to be updated that often. Cool content. Nice design. Affiliated with CityStories.com. (The editors say to expect new content shortly.)
12/10/2002
Just kiddin', ya'll
You want to see a good reason why the Dems lost big in November and people who might have voted Dem figured they might as well just stay home? Look no further than Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle's mealy-mouthed, chickenshit defense of Trent Lott. (Way, way down 13th or 14th graph, I lost count. This also has the quote from Kevin Martin that disgusted Josh Marshall. Sheesh, the just-kidding defense. ) The punditariat's silence is broken only by Paul Krugman.
12/09/2002
Alternate history / where's the (non-Internet) outrage?
According to Blogdex, the most linked to story in the bloggerverse is the Washington Post story about Trent Lott wishing we elected an avowedly segregationist president in '48 instead of that radical liberal Harry S Truman. (Or you can go to Slate to cut to the quotes.)
This is about what you'd expect from a throwback like Lott. The real story is why nobody ran with this. It wasn't on the news. It was politely buried by the Sabbath scolds of the political talk shows. It was missing entirely from the NY Times all weekend. If AP ran anything, I haven't been able to find it. Naturally, Fox News pretended it never happened.
Joshua Marshall is incredulous and so am I. Why isn't the incoming majority leader coming up with retro racist blather not a news story? Why is criticism restricted to the Internet? (Even lib-baiting war-bloggers are up in arms. (See list at Timatolla.) Why is Lott getting a free pass on this?
This is about what you'd expect from a throwback like Lott. The real story is why nobody ran with this. It wasn't on the news. It was politely buried by the Sabbath scolds of the political talk shows. It was missing entirely from the NY Times all weekend. If AP ran anything, I haven't been able to find it. Naturally, Fox News pretended it never happened.
Joshua Marshall is incredulous and so am I. Why isn't the incoming majority leader coming up with retro racist blather not a news story? Why is criticism restricted to the Internet? (Even lib-baiting war-bloggers are up in arms. (See list at Timatolla.) Why is Lott getting a free pass on this?
There's no arrogance like show arrogrance
For pure arrogance and screw-you attitude there are few industries this side of toxic waste disposal to match the movies. Yet there is nothing local and state governments will refuse even Grade C filmmakers. Tax breaks? Already in place. Close off entire sections of the the city? Tell us when. Put an already overcrowded section of Interstate Highway and major state highway system arteries off limits to drivers during rush hour? You got it! Carl Hiaasen has had enough and bless him for it. (I deal with miami.com so you don't have to!)
Yeah, it brings in money. But not in the sustained good-jobs-at-good-wages way that builds healthy economies. More like a crew of highflyers coming into town, blowing a wad of cash (mostly on food and services) and leaving the locals to clean up after the party. Meanwhile, local officialdom signs on for bit parts as star-struck rubes.
Yeah, it brings in money. But not in the sustained good-jobs-at-good-wages way that builds healthy economies. More like a crew of highflyers coming into town, blowing a wad of cash (mostly on food and services) and leaving the locals to clean up after the party. Meanwhile, local officialdom signs on for bit parts as star-struck rubes.
12/08/2002
Those pesky amendments again
I love it when good columnists square off. When Howard Troxler wrote a column about how voters shouldn't pass initiatives (they should instead select honest and forthright legislators who will stand up for the public will), I responded with cheap ridicule. Martin Dykeman, gentleman that he is, responded with a patient reminder of history and practical politics, not even stooping to mentioning his erring colleague by name. A good response.
12/07/2002
10 percent of this season's crop
The oranges came in way early this year.
Harris gets key role ... well, a sorta key role
Our Katherine Harris lands "a key House role". Which is true sorta. What this Bradenton Herald story has that the AP story doesn't is that about a dozen first-termers who were also so named -- or about a third of new reps. In fact, there are 40-50 Republican whips in the Congress -- about 20 percent of Republican members. Plus, the assistant whips don't even have to voted on by the membership. So despite Harris' glowing press releases and the howls of outrage from liberals, she has been given little more than a party hall-monitor sash. (I read Knight Ridder sites so you don't have to!)
By the way, there are still T-shirts available at Katherine Harris Sucks Dot Com!
By the way, there are still T-shirts available at Katherine Harris Sucks Dot Com!
The inner SUV-lout
The biggest volume of angry, humorless, insult-hurling e-mails I get over columns I've written are not about the subjects you'd expect. Gun nuts, Puritans and the Christian right expect no better of the media. All but the most committed Clinton-haters have moved on to other things. No, the hands-down largest source of nastygrams are SUV drivers. This throws some light on why. Suddenly, it all makes sense.
12/06/2002
Doonesbury Bill
The Doonesbury Bill! I forgot all about it until the Trudeau interview on abc (Go down to the second sub-head.)
In 1985, Palm Beach had an ordinance requiring "the help" to carry ID cards. Yup, you needed a pass to be on the beachside. This tended to be enforced selectively with anyone of the black persuasion having to show their pass. Kinda like old South Africa. Editorials around the state condemned this, but who cares? Then, it ended up in a series of Doonesbury strips and everyone went nuts. In 1986, the Legislature passed Doonesbury Law outlawing such practices. ("What I know about the ordinance is what I read in Doonesbury" -- then Fla. Senate President Harry Johnston.)
In 1985, Palm Beach had an ordinance requiring "the help" to carry ID cards. Yup, you needed a pass to be on the beachside. This tended to be enforced selectively with anyone of the black persuasion having to show their pass. Kinda like old South Africa. Editorials around the state condemned this, but who cares? Then, it ended up in a series of Doonesbury strips and everyone went nuts. In 1986, the Legislature passed Doonesbury Law outlawing such practices. ("What I know about the ordinance is what I read in Doonesbury" -- then Fla. Senate President Harry Johnston.)
Marital advice from your legislature
Anybody who has spent any amount of time studying the mores of Tallahassee will have to stifle a chuckle at this newfound interest in legislating ways to keep people married. Watching legislators stand up for the sanctity of marriage and find new ways to force unhappy couples to stay married promises to be the next best thing to having an officially declared hypocrisy festival. They tried this a couple years back and just got too embarrassed to pursue it. Bold prediction: This will meet a similar fate. But only if enough ridicule is generated. I, for one, pledge to do my part.
Bells! Whistles! Cheap glitz!
Look-look-look. We got new clothes. Pretty spiffy, huh?
12/05/2002
Just when I thought it was a fond Internet memory, just after I removed it from my "favorites" list, Daypop came back to life. (Thank you Dragonleg for spreading this good news.)
12/04/2002
Turns out that from its earliest beginnings Miami could be a rough kind of town.
12/03/2002
Nancy Nall talks about The Florida Angle. And working at a MidWestern daily, a small note of envy slips into her tone. (Sorry, no permalink. Look in the archives after today. She claims that her's isn't really a blog.)
BLOGGER is Down
BLOGGER is down.
~Again~.
If you see this,
It came up for air.
Briefly.
I love BLOGGER.
Why does it stand me up?
"Next time," I say.
"Next time, I won't crawl back."
But I do.
This time,
By February, I vow
To take up tools
Scary and complicated
Option-rich yet unforgiving
To engineer
your viewing pleasure.
This I vow
The software gods.
BLOGGER is down.
~Again~.
If you see this,
It came up for air.
Briefly.
I love BLOGGER.
Why does it stand me up?
"Next time," I say.
"Next time, I won't crawl back."
But I do.
This time,
By February, I vow
To take up tools
Scary and complicated
Option-rich yet unforgiving
To engineer
your viewing pleasure.
This I vow
The software gods.
12/02/2002
I like (St. Pete Times Columnist) Howard Troxler. He's loosened up considerably since he's been back from hiatus. But he has his quirks. One is a weirdly misguided affection for the loathsome Charlie Crist (aptly demonstrated here) The other is a touching belief in the sanctity of the Florida Constitution. (Snicker, snicker.) A document that, well, has its shortcomings.
Last week, he actually took up the challenge, read the damn thing and found the Fla. Constitution had a lot of junk in it from the start and this talk about "junking up the Consitution" with voter mandates was not the strongest argument against amending the thing. In this column he did something few columnists ever do -- he admitted he was wrong. Good on you, Howard.
But then he goes and ruins it by saying he was really right all along and voters shouldn't mess with the Consitution. They should instead vote elect honest and forthright legislators who will stand up for the public will.
To quote Nelson Muntz, "haw-haw!"
Laugh line -- History shows us time and again that no amount of money, and no amount of influence in Tallahassee, can stand up to a truly angry, aware public.
Oh, Howard, Howard, Howard . . .
Last week, he actually took up the challenge, read the damn thing and found the Fla. Constitution had a lot of junk in it from the start and this talk about "junking up the Consitution" with voter mandates was not the strongest argument against amending the thing. In this column he did something few columnists ever do -- he admitted he was wrong. Good on you, Howard.
But then he goes and ruins it by saying he was really right all along and voters shouldn't mess with the Consitution. They should instead vote elect honest and forthright legislators who will stand up for the public will.
To quote Nelson Muntz, "haw-haw!"
Laugh line -- History shows us time and again that no amount of money, and no amount of influence in Tallahassee, can stand up to a truly angry, aware public.
Oh, Howard, Howard, Howard . . .
When good writers go bad -- Safire goes a little overboard praising Henry the K. Get a loadda this -- He is neither an extinct volcano nor an erupting one; rather, he oozes a lava of foreign-policy judgment. Oooh, yuk. As the New Yorker used to say, "block that metaphor!"
Bonus laugh line -- He's working for his historic reputation now, not his clients.
Bonus laugh line -- He's working for his historic reputation now, not his clients.
This is something that has ticked me off for the years.
It's the political cycle of beaches. Public funds are used to "restore" a stretch of beach, often a stretch that has been used by the public for ages. The restoration attracts development. Developers and newcomers then complain about people walking around on "their" beach. Rude surf dudes, loud families, fat men in bathing suits! Then, they chase off the people, put up signs and fences, and demand that cops patrol more heavily -- all at public expense. Then, when the beach erodes again they want more public money to protect their investment.
The Tampa Trib and the Sarasota paper ran a very fine feature "Access denied," about the trend of using public funds to restore and maintain essentially private beaches for a few shore-dwelling, self-rightous, perpetually aggrieved fat cats.
A few months ago Gannett, of all people, ran a surprisingly well-done series on beach erosion, the damage renourishment does and the demands of private beach owners. It's still up, with all kinds of bandwidth-eatin' bells 'n' whistles. Very cool.
Many years back, my little town was host to the key Florida court decision on the public's right to beach access City of Daytona Beach v. Tona-Roma (For policy/legal wonks only: Get it in in pdf format along with the state's brief. Legal types have long wished that it could be refined a bit, but it's what we got.)
Anyway, the state supremes ruled the city couldn't allow a tacky, ugly observation tower to go up on land the public customarily had access to. (Both the tower and the ruling against it still stand.)
It's the political cycle of beaches. Public funds are used to "restore" a stretch of beach, often a stretch that has been used by the public for ages. The restoration attracts development. Developers and newcomers then complain about people walking around on "their" beach. Rude surf dudes, loud families, fat men in bathing suits! Then, they chase off the people, put up signs and fences, and demand that cops patrol more heavily -- all at public expense. Then, when the beach erodes again they want more public money to protect their investment.
The Tampa Trib and the Sarasota paper ran a very fine feature "Access denied," about the trend of using public funds to restore and maintain essentially private beaches for a few shore-dwelling, self-rightous, perpetually aggrieved fat cats.
A few months ago Gannett, of all people, ran a surprisingly well-done series on beach erosion, the damage renourishment does and the demands of private beach owners. It's still up, with all kinds of bandwidth-eatin' bells 'n' whistles. Very cool.
Many years back, my little town was host to the key Florida court decision on the public's right to beach access City of Daytona Beach v. Tona-Roma (For policy/legal wonks only: Get it in in pdf format along with the state's brief. Legal types have long wished that it could be refined a bit, but it's what we got.)
Anyway, the state supremes ruled the city couldn't allow a tacky, ugly observation tower to go up on land the public customarily had access to. (Both the tower and the ruling against it still stand.)
