For two decades, the Center for Urban Transportation Research has advised Florida policymakers on how to spend billions of taxpayer dollars to improve the state's overwhelmed transportation system. The University of South Florida think tank says every transportation option it examines undergoes a rigorous and objective analysis. It says it plays no favorites. But a St. Petersburg Times analysis shows CUTR has often criticized one type of travel — passenger rail — while promoting alternatives it is paid millions to study. -- One of rail's biggest critics gets millions to study and promote alternatives A question unasked is why DOT believes that CUTR can do better studies than DOT can in-house? If they want opinions and studies from different sources, are they spreading around the wealth to other "think tanks?" • Hit tip to Sticks of Fire - cutr’s anti-rail stance questioned
At Jannus Landing (St. Pete) Sat 08/08 Best of The Bay/Summer Jam 2009 - Featuring: Javon Black, Cristol, Tom G and Hardwhite At New World Brewery (Ybor/Tampa) Wed 08/12 Jacuzzi Boys, Davila and Others At Ford Amph (Tampa) Sat 08/08 Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum Sun 08/09 Coldplay, Elbow and Kitty Daisy & Lewis Tue 08/11 Rockstar Energy Meyham Festival - Featuring: Slayer and Manson With: Bullet For My Valentine, Killswitch Engage, Trivium, Behemoth, Whitechapel, God Forbid, All That Remains, Mushroom Head, The Black Dahlia Murder, Cannibal Corpse & Job For a Cowboy Wed 08/12 Dave Matthews Band Fri 08/14 Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick
Step into the world of animation at Animation’s MOSI’s latest exhibit which opens this Friday, July 10. According the to MOSI web site you will “explore animation from concept to finished product — from storyboarding, character design, and drawing techniques to movement, timing, filming, and sound. Larger-than-life graphics of popular Cartoon Network characters provide a colorful backdrop to the exhibit, which also explores the history of animation and features a screening room and a cartoon museum.” It’s a great time to take the kids (or a significant other) and see this latest exhibit and to watch a movie in the IMAX dome theatre.
This has been a week of loss. The deaths of longtime second banana Ed McManon, 70s beauty “Angel” Farrah Fawcett, and musical superstar Michael Jackson have brought people to asking themselves “What Next?”. Locally, we’ve also suffered the loss of a dear public servent in Phyllis Brunansky, Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections. And now, we’ve [...]
Yesterday, I was able to get into the half million gallon Coral Reef Exhibit at The Florida Aquarium to swim with the fish! Keep reading the full article for more about this experience and to watch the video.
Am I making a promise I can't keep? Keep reading to find out and see what I'm talking about.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, there’s a house down the street that was abandoned and is now owned by Bank of America. There was lots of crap inside the house that was also abandoned and someone about 6 weeks ago cleaned out the house and piled all the garbage bags in the front [...]
Here’s some bipartisanship I can get behind. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and Congressman Lee Hamilton penned this op-ed piece for the Christian Science Monitor about the importance of civic education. Of course, there’s no reason Florida (or Hillsborough County, or Tampa, or YOU!) needs to wait for the federal government to do something about it. [...]
I want to thank council member Charlie Miranda, code enforcement, and whoever is responsible for building the Tampa.gov website. The website is relatively easy to use and has a pretty smart design (though there’s still room for improvement!) and all have promptly responded. Thanks to everyone for their prompt and courteous response. Unfortunately, the end result [...]
Bruce Sterling has a new science fictional monologue in Rudy Rucker’s latest issue of Flurb. When I think about recreating Tampa this is what I’m thinking about. Vision. We need to be looking ahead. Tampa needs to start now to be among the leaders in cloud computing in a quarter century. Computer Entertainment Thirty-Five Years From [...]
I’m sure we’re not the only block to suffer from the eyesore of abandoned homes. As I walk around the neighborhood there are several obviously abandoned homes with overgrown lots. One particular eyesore is just down the street from me. After contacting Bank of America, and the Realtor on the sign out front, I contacted Code [...]
Vote Vote Vote! We’re halfway through the month and I needs lots more votes. Don’t be overwhelmed by the number of choices. You aren’t expected to vote in every category. AND, if there’s a category you don’t see, Invent It! Either vote in the comments here, or send me an email at patadave AT gmail.com.
I’ve been lax on the music Monday posts the last few weeks. That whole Labor Day thing threw me off. This week is a pointer to Probe is Turning-on the People! This is the kind of music site that makes me delirious with joy. There’s no top 40, or classic rock, or indie, or alternative rock, or [...]
Tommy at Sticks of Fire is looking for suggestions on how to increase voter turnout, especially elections that don’t involve presidential candidates and don’t take place in November. Here are the suggestions I offered. 1. Voting registration drives in the political off-season. During the heat of a political season, wary citizens are afraid of being bamboozled [...]
Giblets takes a look at the “Jesus-fearing moose-hunting hockey-mom mother of five” that has won the whole world’s heart. “So maybe Sarah Palin doesn’t have all that much “experience.” Maybe she doesn’t pay much attention to your fancy-pants “foreign policy” or “domestic policy” or “policy.” Maybe she’s “crazy” and “corrupt” and was picked by a [...]
Bio: The short line? Father, husband, writer. My online presence is primarily through as the editor, writer, and occasional photographer for the news sites, Lakeland Local, a sampling of the news, concerns, and events for Lakeland, Florida, and Metro i4 News, which covers the Interstate 4 corridor in Central Florida. Both sites feature the work of myself and other contributors. As a hobby, I manage a forum and some web sites that feature a pulp fiction series written by Lester Dent -- Doc Savage Organized, Doc Savage Info, and Flearun.