“When You Get Spanked, You Feel It, But It’s All Good Now.”
The words above were spoken by former Hillsborough County Democratic Party Chairwoman Lynn Marvin to The Buzz, the political blog of the St. Petersburg Times, after getting a day’s worth of good news entering the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
Not only did the delegations from Florida and Michigan have their full voting strength restored by the party’s credentials committee Sunday, but the Sunshine State delegates will have prime seating for the convention at the front of the podium. Only the delegations from Illinois, Delaware (the home states of soon-to-be nominee Barack Obama and VP choice Joe Biden), and host state Colorado have better views.
However, with the good comes the bad. Florida’s delegations is split between three hotels far from the Pepsi Center near an industrial park which, according to the Times‘ Political Editor Adam C. Smith, “featuring views of warehouses, Interstate 70, and an occasional shuttered strip joint.” And the speakers for the morning delegation breakfasts aren’t what you would consider exactly A-list. While Smith notes there has been some talk that Joe Biden may pay a visit, the early schedule shows such guests as New York Governor David Patterson and U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D - MD).
If you’re interested in what’s happening at the Democratic gathering this week, and you’re like me — too cheap or otherwise simply can’t afford to pay for cable or satellite TV — chances are we’ll miss all except the most major events on the schedule. But there are some Floridians who will be covering the events in detail:
Florida Progressive Coalition Blog: This is the official state blog credentialed by the host committee. They will have full access to all events, and members of their team will be seated with the Florida delegation.
Convention Buzz: The St. Petersburg Times has a team in Denver, led by Political Editor Adam C. Smith, but this blog will also feature three delegate bloggers.
Convention Ears: Here’s the Tampa Tribune blog from the Mile High City. It will be led by Political Reporter William March and writer Billy House.
Taking Names: And, from the east side of the I-4 Corridor, Scott Maxwell is representin’ the Orlando Sentinel keepin’ an eye on the delegates from the area.
Miami Herald at the Democratic Convention: The team from the Herald’s political blog Naked Politics is there, too. Beth Reinhard and Lesley Clark will be joined by feature writer and author Dave Barry.
And before I head out the door to work, I should mention that while the Lakeland Ledger is not sending anyone to Denver, political reporter Bill Rufty has a good piece in today’s edition, remember the late Polk County Sheriff Monroe Brannen, who he says knew how politics truly worked:
When he walked into a political meeting, even in his 80s long after leaving office, many people would stand when he came in. He just had that presence.
His greatest loves were politics and getting out and meeting people. At his funeral he was described as “Polk County’s senior statesman.”
Brannen didn’t think much of the Internet, or even television as campaign tools.
Oh, he knew they worked and reached a lot of people, but he said it separated the voter from the candidate, and that, in his opinion, was inexcusable.
Brannen felt that a candidate’s character is best shown in person.
“You just can’t get the measure of a man if you can’t shake his hand and look him in the eye,” Brannen once said.
It still works today, if candidates would only make the time to do it.
A Mostly Quiet, Restful Sunday
After my biweekly Saturday duties on the phone at work, it was nice to enjoy a mostly restful day at home.
First, it was nice to finally see a mostly clear morning around Lakeland, although that was to be short-lived as the usual afternoon showers made their way here later. I had to do a load of laundry for both my son and I, which wasn’t much…and I needed the exercise.
A couple of hours napping during the early afternoon, otherwise playing around online.
BTW: If you’re a rock music fan, I discovered one programme from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Radio One service available online which many of you would enjoy. Randy Bachman’s Vinyl Tap is a two hour show presented Saturday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 PM ET and features the former member of the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive frontman playing some of his favourite tunes and notes some of his many experiences on the road and in studio.
One of my co-workers would have really enjoyed last night’s programme, which spotlights some of the guitars played by rock’s biggest stars and how they made the insturments make some of the unique sounds from their hits.
Accessing it doesn’t cost a thing, and the Web site accepts most media players including Windows and Real Player. There’s even seperate feeds available for those who have high speed access as well as those of us who are stuck with old fashioned dial up. And as long as you aren’t accessing other services or sites, it’s a generally uninterrupted feed.
Tonight, I’ll very likely turn in early…maybe watch at least some of the Olympics Closing Ceremony until I fall out.
If You Don’t Like It…Don’t Buy It!!!
America’s dominant provider of greeting cards is now seeking to capture new markets, and not everyone is happy about it.
From the Associated Press, via CBS News:
Most states don’t recognize gay marriage - but now Hallmark does.
The nation’s largest greeting card company is rolling out same-sex wedding cards - featuring two tuxedos, overlapping hearts or intertwined flowers, with best wishes inside. “Two hearts. One promise,” one says.
Hallmark added the cards after California joined Massachusetts as the only U.S. states with legal gay marriage. A handful of other states have recognized same-sex civil unions.
The language inside the cards is neutral, with no mention of wedding or marriage, making them also suitable for a commitment ceremony. Hallmark says the move is a response to consumer demand, not any political pressure.
“It’s our goal to be as relevant as possible to as many people as we can,” Hallmark spokeswoman Sarah Gronberg Kolell said.
Hallmark’s largest competitor, Cleveland-based American Greetings Corp., has no plans to enter the market, saying its current offerings are general enough to speak to a lot of different relationships…
Hallmark, known more for its Midwest mores than progressive greetings, has added a wider variety lately. It now offers cards for difficulty getting pregnant or going through rehab.
It pulled a controversial card that featured the word “queer” in the punch line after it was criticized by some customers and gay magazine The Advocate last year. At any given time, Hallmark has 200 different wedding cards on the market, including some catering to interracial or inter-religious marriages and blended families.
At the call centre where I work, Hallmark happens to be one of our clients. We have a small number of associates who handle customer service calls and e-mails for the Kansas City-based company, and a couple have mentioned to me that their lines have been jammed with a number of callers complaining about the decision to start carrying the card.
These folks simply need to get a life! Hallmark simply made a business decision to make cards catering to a segment that is underserved. It’s not like the company is triumphantly announcing the move and putting the supposedly offensive cards at the front door of it’s Gold Crown stores. You don’t have to agree with the decision, so if you don’t like the idea, remember that noone’s forcing you to purchase it…simply pass it by.
sticks on facebook
Just a real quick note to Sticks of Fire readers who use the Facebook:
Sticks of fire has it’s own Facebook fan page now!
Keeping An Eye On The Tropics
With Tropical Storm Fay FINALLY getting out of the way (unfortunately, not quickly enough for those who have experienced record setting rains earlier), we at I4J2 remind you that we are, indeed, nearing the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. So it’s always good around this time to keep a constant look out at the tropics.
Some of the residual effects of Fay’s outer band touched Polk County Friday, as a tornado struck at a mobile home community on Camp Rosalie near Lake Wales. Four trailers were damaged, while one was completely destroyed. Thankfully, noone was injured, as many of the homes were empty as their owners are winter residents who had returned north.
Only yesterday, we were becoming concerned at the system noted in the top map, labled “Invest 94″ by the good folks at Weather Underground. The computer models were showing a general agreement that this system would possibly intensify and become Tropical Storm Gustav within a few days, affect Hispaniola, and possibly enter the Florida Straits. Today, it’s a different story.
The National Hurricane Center notes that:
A BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL WAVE IS LOCATED A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS…AND IS PRODUCING SEVERAL SMALL AREAS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS IT MOVES GENERALLY WESTWARD AT 10 TO 15 MPH. REGARDLESS OF DEVELOPMENT…LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD OVER PORTIONS OF THE WINDWARD AND LEEWARD ISLANDS TODAY.
And the models are predicting that “Invest 94″ will eventually turn toward the west or west-southwest and possibly either miss the Haiti and the Dominican Republic completely or simply skirt the coast of Hispaniola and be of little, if any, consequence to the U.S..
The most recent system noted on the bottom map, identified as “Invest 95″, it is generally agreed at this point to be of little concern, as the NHC notes:
A TROPICAL WAVE LOCATED ABOUT 1100 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS IS PRODUCING DISORGANIZED SHOWER ACTIVITY. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM IS UNLIKELY DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS THE WAVE MOVES WESTWARD AT ABOUT 20 MPH.
As you can see, the computer predictions show little agreement, with some showing the system making a beeline toward the Bahamas within a week, and others taking it to the north or south.
We may actually get to rest a bit over the next few days, a good time to review your own hurricane plans. Fay was a good practice scenario for many, the real deal for others.
Gotta Watch The Rules VERY Closely!
Anyone who is even considering a run for any public office should always remember Rule 1: Either become extremely knowledgable on state (and, if applicable, federal) election law, or hire someone who is. As much scrutiny that candidates at all levels are receiving, it’s especially important…otherwise, you may find out the hard way.
Case in point from this morning’s Lakeland Ledger:
The MySpace page for Leviticus Reed, one of three candidates for seat 2 on the Lake Region Lakes Management District, violates state election laws, said Barbara Osthoff, assistant Polk County supervisor of elections.
During an earlier interview with The Ledger, Reed said he did not have a Web address for his campaign, but his MySpace page shows otherwise.
“He should have a disclaimer on the page and I don’t see one,” said Osthoff, who viewed the page Thursday after a Ledger reporter brought it to her attention.
NOTE: When I checked Reed’s page this evening, the disclaimer had been added.
Reed, 32, states on his page, which is at www.myspace.com/levireed: Leviticus Reed for Lake Regions Lakes Management District…
Osthoff said Reed had also violated election laws because he should have claimed in his campaign finance report an in-kind contribution for using a computer to modify his page…
The newspaper piece also provides some very interesting insight into Mr. Reed’s background and his ambition:
Reed is also claiming on his MySpace page that he is a county government planner, and on a professional networking site called Linkedin he says he is employed as a planner with Polk County.
“I haven’t messed with that Linkedin page in a while,” Reed said. “I didn’t know it was accessible to anyone outside of my e-mail contacts.”
During his candidate interview with The Ledger, Reed said he was a former planner with the county but did not give a reason for his departure.
A public records request with the county showed that Reed was fired. He was hired in March 2007 and was terminated eight months later.
The reason stated on his termination report was lack of ability. He received unsatisfactory marks in quantity of work, attendance, job knowledge and ability to get along with others.
Reed said his poor evaluation was due to disagreements in his office about the treatment of his son, who is disabled…
Reed, who is a Republican, has lived in Polk County for only a year, but wants to join the young political elite such as U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow, who is the third-ranking Republican in the U.S. House, and state Rep. Baxter Troutman, R-Winter Haven.
The two elected officials’ success in Polk’s political arena has given Reed inspiration, he has previously said.
Reed’s political ambition shows on his MySpace page and insinuates that he’s seeking a congressional office.
Looking at Mr. Reed’s blog on myspace.com he mentions a group called Republicans for Black Empowerment, noting that it’s mission is “to raise awareness of the benefits offered by conservative solutions to the black community’s concerns”.
The Sunday Chat Shows For August 24
OK, everyone should know that all of the network chatters will be in Denver this weekend for the Democratic National Convention, and that the talk will be focusing on soon-to-be nominee Barack Obama and his running mate. So we’ll simply note who will be appearing.
ABC NEWS / This Week with George Stephanopoulos: Obama campaign manager David Axelrod and former New York City Mayor and Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Guiliani. Then, the political roundtable.
BAY NEWS 9 / Political Connections: Bay News 9 does not provide advance notice of the guests or topics for Political Connections.
CBS NEWS / Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer: As of Friday evening, the guests have not been announced. Please check back for updates.
CABLE NEWS NETWORK / Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer: U.S. Senators Robert P. “Bob” Casey, Jr. (D - PA) and Jack Reed (D - RI), Congressman/Majority Whip James Clyburn (D - SC), Governor Janet Napolitano (D - AZ), and Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe.
FOX NEWS / Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace: Governors Tim Kaine (D - VA) and Bill Ritter (D - CO). Also, Obama senior adviser Robert Gibbs.
NBC NEWS / Meet the Press: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D - CA) and Obama Vice Presidential Search Committee co-chair Caroline Kennedy. The political roundtable will feature Gwen Ifill of PBS‘ The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and Washington Week, Newseeek editor Jon Meacham, and NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd.
SYNDICATED / The Chris Matthews Show: The questions: Will Obama’s new running mate prove to be a winning pick? And are the Clintons doing enough to help ensure Obama wins? The panel: Washington correspondent Katty Kay of the British Broadcasting Corporation, Time magazine Managing Editor Rick Stengel, NBC News Political Correspondent Ron Allen, and The New Republic Senior Editor Michelle Cottle.
WEDU-TV 3 / Florida This Week with Rob Lorei: WEDU does not provide advance notice of the panelists and topics to be presented.
WFTS-TV 28 / Flashpoint with Brendan McLaughlin: As of late Friday evening, the guests and topics had not been announced. Please check back for updates.
Daily “Don’t Miss” on Hiatus
The daily “don’t miss” column is on hiatus while I work on the process and format. Reading all the regional newspapers everyday for months was more taxing than you’d believe.
I want to find a better method to get the articles from the main stream media to your eyes.
I’m also working on a slight upgrade of this site’s design now that I have a better idea of what I want. Look for that in a week or so.
what’s wrong with channelside
Channelside Bay Plaza (formerly known as the “Shoppes at Channelside,” which was formerly known as “Channelside at Garrison Seaport”) is seven years old. The St. Pete Times says Channelside businesses are struggling, mainly because locals don’t frequent the place.
Nope - locals don’t go. But that is not the only thing - Channelside Bay [...]
Fay, You’re A Bit More Than Just A Bother Now!
The sun finally peeped out from among the clouds here in Lakeland yesterday for the first time in nearly three days. Although it looked like we would get a heavy shower from Tropican Storm Fay’s residual bands, all we got was a brief sprinkle (at least in the north and central areas of town).
For the next couple of days, Fay will continue to be a giant nuisance for the Panhandle, keeping close enough to the Gulf of Mexico to continue as a tropical storm while dumping lots of rain on what we like to call the “Redneck Riviera” before petering out over Mississippi’s Pine Belt region early next week (see top map). While mostly affecting the Panhandle, the storm will have some effect on the northernmost areas of the Tampa Bay area, especially in Citrus and Hernando counties. We’ll continue to have a threat of rain from her outermost bands, along with a slight breeze, but not much more.
And for those who like to follow what may follow, please check out the centre map, labeled “Invest 94″. We’ve been watching this for the past several days, and while the weathergeeks are predicting slow intensification, it is a system we will have to keep a close watch on. The computer models seem to be in general agreement that what may eventually become Gustav will eventually come close to Hispanola, with some looking for it to enter the Florida Straits.
The National Hurricane Center says:
A BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED ABOUT 600 MILES EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS IS PRODUCING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO GRADUALLY BECOME MORE CONDUCIVE FOR SLOW DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS IT MOVES WESTWARD OR WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT 15 MPH.
Then, there’s “Invest 95″ (see bottom map). Not much to this system, and you’ll note that the models generally predicting it to be of little threat to us anytime soon. I just included this as evidence that we are, indeed, entering the busy time of the Atlantic hurricane season. So don’t wait until the last minute to make preperations.
ending the tampa bay creative diaspora (part ii)
Let’s quit pretending. Tampa isn’t a city. St Petersburg isn’t a city. Clearwater and all the other municipalities in the Tampa bay region are not cities in the traditional sense. Lacking a coherent functioning core and distinct boundaries (other than saltwater), they are, or have become, no more than jurisdictional regions.
The small urban cores of [...]
Helping Our Neighbours
Thankfully, Tropical Storm Fay did not significantly affect Polk County or the Tampa Bay region. However, as the storm continues to meander along the east coast of Florida, many people are suffering as a result. With betwen one and two FEET of rain reported at locations along the Space Coast, a number of residences are under water, and your brothers and sisters need your help.
So, how can we step up?
One of the best ways is by making a donation to the American Red Cross. More than 500 workers are assisting in the area, but here’s something to keep in mind:
At present, the Red Cross Disaster Fund is empty. Red Cross expended all disaster relief funds responding to Hurricane Dolly, this year’s record tornado season, flooding in the Midwest, and an early wildfire season. In addition to Tropical Storm Fay, Red Cross is also responding to flooding in south Texas and the Grand Canyon.
The best way to help is by donating to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. You can make your contribution by calling 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish), or mail your donations to your local Red Cross chapter. You can also mail your donations to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org .
You can also send your donation to the local chapter which serves Polk and Highlands counties:
American Red Cross Polk County Chapter
147 Avenue A, Northwest
Winter Haven, Florida 33881
Telephone: (863) 294-5941
Local Obama Campaign Office Opens
The Barack Obama Campaign for Change will officially open it’s Lakeland office this afternoon at 5:00 PM. The location is 5835 Gateway Boulevard, #14, which is just east of County Line Road between U.S. 92 and Drane Field Road near Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. All supporters are invited to check out the new offices and meet fellow supporters and staff.
It’s the first time in a long time that a presidential campaign has opened an office in Polk County, and is yet another sign that the I-4 Corridor is very much in play this campaign season.
temple terrace good at planning
Does this place have an identity?
The middle child between bulky, demanding, big brother Tampa and quaint, cute, little brother Plant City, this third incorporated city in Hillsborough is just sorta there.
On the northeast side of the Tampa Bay area, Temple Terrace is strategically situated between three major interstates— I-4, I-75, and I-275.
Sure, there are gorgeous [...]
Local Congresswoman’s Spouse Dies
My sincere condolences go this morning to the family of Fifth District Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite, whose husband died early Tuesday after a six month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 68.
Harvey F. Waite served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1961, then spent over 20 years with the New York State Police before retiring and eventually moving to Hernando County with his wife in 1995. Mr. Waite owned a vending business and also served as an investigator with the area public defender’s office.
Thankfully, he died at home with a loving family around him.
Visitation has been scheduled for 3:00 until 6:00 PM Friday at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, 20428 Cortez Boulevard in Brooksville, with funeral services to follow there. The family is asking that in lieu of flowers a donation be given to the Hernando-Pasco Hospice, 12107 Majestic Boulevard in Hudson. They are available online at www.hphospice.org.
