Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

It's Monday morning, although it really doesn't feel like a Monday to me. It's that magical time between holidays where a lot of people are not working and the kids are out of school. Many of us are still on vacation. So, this morning, enjoy your No-So-Miserable Monday morning Sift.

A- Carlos Miller comes through with the first photo expose and video of yesterday's King Mango Strut parade in the Grove.

Acts parodying the crippling economy, Sarah Palin and Joe the Plumber, not to mention celebrating President Bush’s departure from office, dominated this year’s parade.

B- Mood Vane checks put a couple local bands that appeared recently in Boca.

The Pretty Faces truly keeps it all in the family. I knew that it was the Thorslund brothers, Jeph (lead guitar/vocals) and Tom (drums), and Jeph’s wife Hannah (guitar). I was surprised to learn that the odd man out — meaning the non-Thorslund in the band — is actually a part of the family too; he’s married to Hannah’s sister. The band’s set was also very enjoyable, as usual. They played their usual set of original rock songs and covered The Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog”. Jeph’s guitar playing was infectious, as usual, and his dance moves were quick as lightning. We enjoyed the show, and we are looking forward to the band’s upcoming album Another Sound. Give the kids a few months before you start asking about it.

C- The Phin Phanatic and Fins Nation share their reactions to yesterday's Dolphins victory. From the former...

Tomorrow morning when you wake up and you open the NFL.com website, then click on standings, that’s what you will see. “Y”. Next to the name Miami Dolphins. It means “Division Champion” as in AFC East Division Champions. Yes, that is this year Miami Dolphins. From last to first in one season.

D- Searching For Normalcy posts Part 3 and Part 4 of her trip to Washington state and shares tons of pictures.

E- What happens when you don't keep up with all the SoFla blogs? Discourse shows us. If only he had been paying attention.

F- Incertus makes a decidedly reasonable and accurate observation of the recently renewed Israeli/Palestinian conflict in the Middle East.

It's easy to sit back from a safe vantage point and make grand pronouncements about who's right and who's wrong and that one group or another deserves to be retaliated against for their actions. The reality is far more complicated than that. Even if we were able to point back to some initiator, to some person or group and say "you are responsible for this," it wouldn't matter at this point. There are too many grievances committed by too many people--all are to blame.

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