Sunday Night Politics

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Favorite Fever Foto of the Week

-miami fever
-miami-fever.com


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Your Evening Sift

This is going to be the last Sift for a while, folks. I'll have some vacation thoughts for you tomorrow morning. Enjoy your evening Sift...

A- Random Pixels has a video of the Republican vice presidential nominee working as a sportscaster. This was after she won the Miss Wasilla beauty contest and finished 2nd in the Miss Alaska pageant.

B- Reidblog notes how many "liberal media" commentators are cheering for Sarah Palin.

Be prepared, Democrats: much of the mainstream media appears to be going directly into the tank for Sarah Palin, judging by the opening remarks from "neutral" reporters including David Gregory (who today called the pick "cool" ... Andrea Mitchell and Maria Bartoromo, who spent her morning on "Meet the Press" hawking Palin as if she were a hot stock.

C- Old Grover tells us there is a silver lining in Hurricane Gustav for Republicans.

D- I shot the chef introduces her readers to a French pastry called choux. As always, great pictures accompany the post.

E- After you're done with the choux, you can move on to the eclairs that you've cooked with the help of Natalie's Nibbles.

F- Not Exactly Coral Gables laments the state of Bird Road in her neighborhood.

G- Artlurker looks back at Miami's art scene with the help of Miami-based artist David Rohn.

As we approach Art Basel Miami Beach 2008 we would do well to remember our precarious position. The art world as we know is cruel, ruthless and rarely considerate to the needs of those striving for recognition; irrespective of whether they are an individual artist or a whole city. Nevertheless, the bonds forged between makers, patrons, and all those close enough to the furnace to feel the heat have been proven to withstand leaner times; and annealed by a uniting desire to marry into a life defined by art and personal exploration they make long term subsistence realistic whatever the weather.

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SFDB Post of the Week

SFDB selects its Post of the Week by going back and reviewing all the Sifts that we've done during the past 7 days. We find the best post of the week and note the runners ups as we judge them to be.

It's the last PotW for the month of August, folks. When I get back from vacation, we'll do the monthly ritual of voting for the Post of the Month. Another great week for blogging in the SoFla blogosphere. Lots of political posts with the elections going on, but plenty of other topics covered, too. Here we go.

Winner: Every now and then, Justice Building Blog wanders off the reservation and posts about something other than the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building and the drama that fills it. On Tuesday he did just that and described the experience of voting in Miami-Dade County. It's a hilarious piece and while you're laughing you're reminded that South Florida, and in particular Miami-Dade County, is like no other place in the United States of America. Democracy in Action is a must-read for all voters and is this week's SFDB Post of the Week.

Runners Ups: Miami Beach 411 provided us with a 40+ minute video of the inaugural tour of the Versace Mansion on South Beach. Tour information and interesting snippets of trivia about the mansion are also included in Inside Casa Casuarina - Peter Loftin’s Private Hotel. Mambi Watch is all over the ongoing saga of Luis Posada Carriles and in Back To Court (Part 2), does a great job breaking down and analyzing the latest Federal court decision that has put the Carriles case back on the court docket. And, finally, Ipanemic did me in with the killer video he put together and posted this morning in Sunrise, No. 400. The time lapse, the simplicity and the song created a combination that just bowled me over.

'Till next time, people, keep on blogging!

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Two New Blogs

One of the more enjoyable things I get to do here at SFDB is introduce new blogs to the South Florida blogging community. I have two for you today.

South Florida Classical Review is a Blogger blog that is written by "recently jettisoned" Miami Herald classical music critic Lawrence A. Johnson. Wanna talk about creds? Here you go...

Lawrence A. Johnson is the recently jettisoned former classical music critic of the Miami Herald, and, prior to that, classical music writer at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel for six years. He is a regular contributor to Gramophone and Opera and has written for The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, Opera News and The New Criterion.

SFCR has been around since June of this year when Mr. Johnson was laid off by the Herald. A hint to the purpose and mission of SFCR can be found in the first post where Mr. Johnson says that he wants to "ensure that intelligent, honest, in-depth, and comprehensive coverage of our vital, evolving and often chaotic music scene" continues.

Looking back through the archives you'll find well-written discussion about the arts from Palm Beach to Miami posted every couple days in nicely illustrated entries.

The second blog that I wanted to bring to your attention today is the Miami Bike Scene. Here's what MBS's author, Rydee, wants us to know about the blog...

This blog was created to keep riders in South Florida informed on local cycling events and news. The content will cater more towards urban commuters, fixed-gear riders, etc. I will probably not touch upon road racing or trail riding much as there's other sites for that already available. I wanted something to promote events for us, the everyday commuters and city cyclists. Everyone expresses their dissatisfaction with our bike scene or lack thereof and that's perfectly understandable. We live in one of the top bike unfriendly cities in the US, this is clear to us all, let's try to change that, here's a step in the right direction. Get on your bike, start riding and stop complaining.

If you're looking to keep up with what's going with biking in Miami-Dade or are interested in Critical Mass events, you gotta check out MBS.

Like South Florida Classical Review, MBS is a Blogger blog and it looks like Rydee tends to post every few days.

I want to welcome both blogs to the South Florida Daily Blog blogroll and I look forward to following along.

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Making Pavlov Proud

The Bush Administration in response to Katrina in 2005....






The Bush Administration in response to Gustav in 2008....

(CNN) — President Bush and Vice President Cheney will skip the Republican Presidential Convention due to Hurricane Gustav, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino announced Sunday.

Good dogs!

[woof!]

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Sunrise

Here's a great video to start your Sunday from Ipanemic...




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The Cooler

All hurricanes, all the time. That's what the mainstream media's mantra is this morning. Here's a couple other things that I spotted of interest.

A- Sun-Sentinel: Where she'll go, nobody knows.

In just one day, the forecast track for Tropical Storm Hanna has almost made a 180, from south to north.

On Friday, the National Hurricane Center predicted the system would turn southwest toward Cuba or Hispaniola. On Saturday, the projected path was aimed somewhere between South and Central Florida. That put us right back in the cone of uncertainty.

But don't freak out. Yet.

B- Herald: You mean you didn't get the full $200 you voted for? Too bad.

Gov. Charlie Crist promised Floridians that their tax bills would ''drop like a rock'' if they voted for property-tax reform in January.

Now, with prospective tax bills in hand, disillusioned South Florida homeowners and investors say the decrease is more like a soggy bag of Styrofoam packing peanuts.

''I was expecting a lot more than this,'' said retired shipping manager Alfonso Llanes of Palmetto Bay.

Actually, the article is a pretty good explanation of how the whole thing works.

C- Herald: Carl Hiaasen, President Bush is the elephant in the room at the convention.

It's a tricky scene that GOP strategists must have grappled with as they choreographed the grand finale. While McCain can't afford to be perceived as being too chummy with Bush, at the same time he can't behave as if the man's got cooties.

I predict a hug, brief and collegial. And a photo that will be up on Obama's website within seconds.

D- Herald: Miami River eateries.

Restaurants on the riverside, such as García's Seafood Grille and Fish Market, 398 SW North River Dr. and Casablanca Seafood Bar and Grill, 400 NW North River Dr., not only cook the fish for you, they also have their markets where people can go and buy right out of the boat.

''Everything we sell here is fished by our own fishermen,'' said owner Luis García. ``It can't get any fresher than what we got here.''

Casablanca and García's get some competition from the Miami River Lobster and Stone Crab Market, 135 NW South River Dr., when it opens its doors during the lobster and stone crab seasons.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

It's was a slow, slow Saturday night and Sunday morning in the South Florida blogosphere. I'm sure the holiday and the gloomy weather has everything to do with it. Here's what I could collect for your morning Sift...

A- Blast Off! has some extra convention photos he's posting.

B- Tilefortlauderdale drops Lobster Girl at a meeting of the South Florida Backgammon Club.

C- Typical Miami finds an embarrassing Herald typo.

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Your Evening Sift

Got this in before midnight so it still qualifies as an evening Sift. Enjoy...

- What a great little pizza place Coconut Grove Grapevine has found wedged between some buildings in the Grove.

- The Eclectic Chapbook has the murder of a Federal agent in Broward County all figured out.

James "Pat" Wonder has been released from jail on a $10k bond. Wonder is the 65-year-old kidney dialysis patient who was targeted and pursued by a muscular polygraph (lie detector) operator named Donald Pettit in the Pembroke Pines Post Office parking lot recently.

Mr Pettit, who may have been suffering from "roid rage," then aggressively confronted Mr Wonder and was shot by him. Mr Wonder has been charged via Grand Jury with manslaughter.

Wonder is only the latest in an endless parade of little old ladies, cripples in wheelchairs and other misfortunates monetized by the Broward County Justice system to fluff up their stipend while they demonstrate a sullen regard for habeus corpus.

- Reidblog, Bark Bark Woof Woof and Random Pixels have serious concerns about John McCain's judgment after his selection of Palin for VP. From BBWW...

But more importantly, we have to consider the judgment of the man who decided that such a person was the best person he could find to be his running mate. If John McCain thinks honestly that Sarah Palin is the best he could do, it's scary, and if he chose her for the acid-etched cynical reason of only winning an election, then it's terrifying.

- After 16 days in the hospital, The Florida Masochist is back.

How am I feeling? Pretty good except for numbness in three fingers on my right hand. This a result of surgery, it should get better. My hosp stay had its share of complications, pneumonia for one, my needing to remain tubed 24 hours after surgery was another, my return to the ICU after one day on the cardiovascular floor being another. I spent most of my first 9 days in the hosp. in ICU.

- Justice Building Blog has some sobering thoughts about the storms that are out there.

- Ipanemic presents another one of his professionally edited and composed videos about what he does best.

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SFDB Saturday Night Turndown Service

Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

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In The Pit Of My Stomach

Gustav is a Cat 4.

From the 2 PM discussion...

Gustav could intensify some more during the next few hours over water...and one cannot rule out category five intensity before crossing Cuba.

And, once again, NOLA and its residents are staring down the barrel of a very large gun. But this time they're getting out. Early.


You read this stuff and you see the track and you can't help but think "Katrina, all over again." After everything New Orleans has been through since 2005 and all the sweat and tears and work that has been invested in getting it up and running again, it makes me sick to my stomach to imagine that it might happen again.

But what can anyone do but watch and wait and hope and pray that Mother Nature takes pity on this beat up city.

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Let's Go To Wasilla, Alaska!

Are you ready to travel to Wasilla and take a peek at the town where Sarah Palin got her "executive experience" as mayor?

Let's go!

It doesn't look like much from a distance...



But there's actually roads and back alleys....



...and stores...



And of course there is City Hall where Mayor Palin prepped herself to be ready to move into the White House if need be.



Okay, well, it isn't Chicago, but c'mon, Sarah would be a heckuva gal to sit down and have a beer with and you know how important that can be to determine ones fitness to hold office.



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The Cooler

A little later than usual, but here's a wrap up of the SoFla mainstream media...

A- Palm Beach Post: Share and share alike.

WEST PALM BEACH — Three major South Florida newspapers Monday will begin a three-month trial of sharing some stories.

The Palm Beach Post, The Miami Herald and the Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale will share news stories from the previous 24 hours, giving readers more news of regional interest.

B- Palm Beach Post: Republicans elect the son of a KKK grand wizard in Palm Beach County.

Many Republicans in a neighborhood on the southeast side of West Palm Beach were shocked Wednesday when they heard they had elected the home-schooled 19-year-old son of a former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard as their local committeeman.

"He won? Are you serious?" asked wallpaper hanger Scott Schulle. "I can't believe it."

"I doubt that people knew who they were voting for," said poll worker Bill Zern.

Local GOPers now claim Derek Black, stormfront.org founder Don Black's son, didn't sign the proper paperwork and will refuse to seat him as committeeman.

Derek Black vowed to take the issue to court.

C- Herald: Freedom to travel.

A federal judge has struck down a controversial state law that essentially banned professors at state universities in Florida from traveling to Cuba for research purposes, declaring it unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz ruled that the 2006 law, pushed aggressively by State Rep. David Rivera, ``is an impermissible sanction and serves as an obstacle to the objectives of the federal government.''

The law prohibited the use of state and nonstate funds for travel to Cuba and other countries labeled by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism.

D- Herald: Morin.

E- Herald: Editorial, transit cuts.

Reducing routes and service at a time when more people are using mass transit is counter-intuitive. Miami-Dade's transit users put up with poorly maintained Metrorail and Metromover cars and stations and other inconveniences. Some riders have no choice; others want to keep their cars off the road. Whatever their reasons for riding, the county should be catering to transit users, not considering route reductions and other cuts that will make their commutes more difficult than they already are.

F- Sun-Sentinel: Sweet job.

FORT LAUDERDALE - For almost two years, a Fort Lauderdale police officer has collected a paycheck, pension and benefits — at $110,249 a year.

He has done no work.

Officer Sharif Samer Masri's job since October 2006: stay home, check in with the police department every day and take no "official police action." He can't wear a police uniform, carry a gun, drive a cruiser or enter the department without an escort, city records show.

Masri's wife, Amy Kienast Masri, was the target of a criminal investigation into allegations she bilked the city police health insurance fund. Amy Masri, a dentist, was sentenced in May. The police department is still looking at Sharif Masri and could discipline him in the case. But he was cleared in June of any criminal wrongdoing, by the State Attorney's Office.

G- Sun-Sentinel: FHP gets Chargers.

Don't be surprised if the next time you go barreling down the highway, the blue lights in your rear view mirror are from a police car that looks like it's been pumping iron and drinking protein shakes.

The Florida Highway Patrol has added 102 of the cars, which look like they're from a Mad Max movie, to its fleet.

"It handles like a dream. It's a real police car," said Trooper Robert Dooley, who got his 2008 Dodge Charger earlier this month. "It reminds me of a mean-looking muscle car. It looks like it's ready to go out there and do whatever we've got to do."

It comes in Hemi form with a 340-horsepower V-8 and also as a 250-horsepower six-cylinder model, the one the Highway Patrol uses.

H- CBS4: Video, Doral police get camera-equipped Tasers.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

The blogosphere continues to be dominated by politics with everything that is going on in that arena. So, of course, that is reflected in your morning Sift...

A- Reidblog has been doing a great job of giving us background on Sarah Palin. Here are 10 reasons why the Right likes the woman which should be very, very interesting to any liberal Hillary supporter who is considering voting for the McCain ticket, and here is Palin's anti-Israel bend which Jewish voters should take note of.

B- Tilefortlauderdale drops off some cats at the Southport Shopping Center off of Cordova and 17th Street.

C- Incertus has a great analysis of how McCain settled on Palin.

And just what is McCain's definition of maverickation? (Yeah, I'm coming up with as many variations as I can.) Put Sarah Palin and Joe Lieberman's positions on issues beside each other, and you get some serious differences. I mean, I'm no fan of Holy Joe, but his voting record, even over the last couple of years, isn't one of extreme conservatism. Far from it. But he was going to be the nominee if McCain could have pulled it off, thanks to Holy Joe's maverickness. But when McCain's handlers told him Holy Joe was a no-go, he switched to an inexperienced governor who could only be more conservative on choice if she suggested jail time for mothers who have abortions.

D- Some Camera Guy captures a pretty typical South Florida driver in his semi-regular Traffic Photos feature.

E- Flablog tries to drum up sympathy for Charlie Crist. Not.

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Your Evening Sift

Super busy around the blogosphere today. We're into the weekend, folks, which is a great thing. Speaking of which, here is your great evening Sift...

A- Reactions were aplenty around the SoFla blogosphere for today's vice presidential pick by John McCain. Here are some of them.

• Babalu: She knows how to catch trout and she's placed in a Miss Alaska contest and that makes her the perfect choice.

• Smashed Frog: The ongoing ethics investigation against Ms. Palin.

• Reidblog: Who says a VP of the United States needs experience...or ethics?

• 26th Parallel: In short...I don't know a lot about Palin but I really like the pick because Obama doesn't have a corner on the "change" mantle any longer but with McCain and Palin it's "true change" and it's great for conservatives. Gotta run, see ya in a few weeks!

• Man or Maniac: Has the transcript of the conversation that resulted in her selection.

• Bark Bark Woof Woof: "[T]he right-wing, the evangelicals, and the low-informed voter who will not examine her record" will be happy.

• Discourse: A desperation move.

• Random Pixels: Thank you, John McCain!

  What's really hilarious is listening to Republicans, many of whom have never heard of this woman until this morning, sing her praises and spinning her "executive experience." It takes real chutzpah to call the former mayor of backwater town in Alaska as someone with "executive experience." Just think of their reaction had Obama picked a running mate with comparable experience.

B- Jeff Eats loves Andiamo.

I got a terrific pizza joint for you...Andiamo!...which is located in Miami. I had dinner in this joint last night and I have to tell you that Andiamo!’s makes one of the best brick-oven pizzas down here in South Florida...absolutely delicious. This joint also serves terrific salads, sandwiches and desserts.

C- Kate's Plates enjoyed Ra Sushi in South Miami.

As I mentioned before, perhaps the best part of this experience was the fact that our bill very pleasantly surprised us. The trendy decor and dim lights give the effect of a pricey restaurant, while the menu told a different story. I would recommend RA to anyone looking for a fun night out and good food, without having to break the bank. And with a happy hour that offers $1 sake and beer for $2.75, I doubt you will need little convincing. Even better -- they offer several sushi rolls and appetizers at discounted prices as well.

D- Coconut Grove Grapevine takes on a City of Miami trash truck.

E- MAeX Artblog sources a Herald article and informs us that The Moore Space is closing.

F- Tropic of Mom loves her some Whole Foods.

I enjoy going to Whole Foods (I love their cheeses! Oh, cheese!), which is only a mile from my house, and I'm even following Whole Foods on Twitter. Anyway, I just found out Whole Foods has a blog! And podcasts! They are so high-tech and with it. Their Whole Body podcast has been focusing on back-to-school topics, and I know some readers have kids in school, so I just thought I'd point it out.

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Friday Flashback

The Police, Voices Inside My Head

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McCain's Trophy VP

So John McCain has made his choice for Vice President. It's Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. Here's her bio...

Palin was born in Idaho and raised in Alaska. In 1984, she was the runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant, receiving a scholarship that allowed her to attend the University of Idaho, where she received a degree in journalism. After working as a sports reporter at an Anchorage television station, Palin served two terms on the Wasilla, Alaska, City Council from 1992 to 1996, was elected mayor of Wasilla (population 5,470 in 2000) in 1996, and ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor in 2002.

Palin was elected Governor of Alaska in 2006 on the theme of governmental reform, defeating incumbent governor Frank Murkowski in the Republican primary and former Democratic Alaskan governor Tony Knowles in the general election.

So her political experience consists of being a city council member for 4 years, a mayor of a small Alaska town for 10 and then 2 years in her current position as Governor.

Remember the obsession Republicans have with Obama's inexperience? Sure you do. That is one of their biggest gripes about Obama before moving on to other things like flag pins.

Well, today is John McCain's birthday. Happy #72, Johnny!

72 years. Hmmmm. So if John McCain were not able to fulfill his duties as President for some reason, guess who moves in to the White House?



Yep, former city councilwoman/mayor/1 term governor and Vogue cover girl, Sarah Palin.

Can it be that the GOP is really this stupid?

Or so friggin' hypocritical?

-photo via Kodiak Konfidential

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The Facts

Just so you're not misled....



-via digby


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Storm Update

This morning's screenshot from the Sun-Sentinel...



...as always, click the image for a larger view.

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The Cooler

It's pretty much storms and Obama in the mainstream media this morning. Here's a couple other stories I found noteworthy...

A- Herald: The Hurricanes kicked some major butt in Dolphin stadium last night.

But the ''first'' that mattered most to coach Randy Shannon was UM's 52-7 victory against Charleston Southern -- its first of 2008.

''This is a balanced team,'' Shannon said. ``[Thursday night] was no different. A field is a field. The fans were into the game, and it still feels like home.''

B- Herald: Woof, woof.

A Miami-Dade School Board budget workshop erupted into a shouting match Thursday as Miami-Dade Superintendent Rudy Crew yelled at a board member to not treat him``like a dog.''

C- Herald: Man who allegedly murdered federal agent will not face death penalty.

If the man accused of killing a federal agent earlier this month is found guilty, he won't face the death penalty, nor will he spend the rest of his life in prison.

Thanks to the actions of a Broward grand jury Thursday, the most time James Wonder would serve in prison if convicted is about 15 years.

That's because the grand jury downgraded the charges against Wonder from murder to manslaughter, which may suggest jurors think the shooting was indeed a road rage incident -- with both men at fault.

[...]

The grand jury's decision fit the charges for most road rage incidents that end in death, said Mel Black, a veteran criminal defense attorney in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

''The grand jury saw their way through the natural emotions and worked in a rational and balanced way. They ended with the conclusion that his actions were reckless -- he didn't intend a death, but it was a consequence,'' said Black, who is not involved in the case. ``The concepts of road rage and first-degree murder don't match up. This wasn't premeditation.''

D- Herald: Hot dog tragedy.

Coral Springs police are investigating why a narcotics canine was left in an unmarked cruiser, with its engine off, during the hottest part of a late-August day -- leading to the dog's death.

Hieke, an 8-year-old German wirehaired golden retriever mix, apparently succumbed to the heat about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

The dog's handler, an undercover narcotics officer whose name was not released by police, had left the dog for two hours. Protocol is to leave the car running while a canine is inside, but the 20-year veteran of the force turned off the engine.

E- Sun-Sentinel: Adventures on SoFla roadways.

The BMW driver, whose name was not released, told Florida Highway Patrol troopers that shortly before 1 p.m., he was traveling along Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach when a white Mercedes-Benz pulled alongside him. When the BMW driver asked the other driver why he was looking at him, the driver brandished a handgun, he told troopers.

It was not clear when the shots were fired into the windshield.

Both cars sped south on the turnpike, the woman said. When the Mercedes exited at Lake Worth Road, the BMW, which was following, struck a guardrail and went out of control, the driver told troopers. The car drove off the road and ended up between two trees in a swale.

The suspect's car got back on the turnpike and continued north, troopers said.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Yes, it's Friday. This will be my last day of work for about, oh, two weeks, so your morning Sift was written with a little extra enthusiasm.

A- Computer Colonics says that "entire state of Florida is as twitchy as a ferret in a room full of cats and jumping up and down sideways" and that people "in Miami have overlaid TS Hanna’s track with Hurricane Andrew and they are freaking out also." I hadn't even noticed.

B- Miami Condo Investments has the views from the penthouse at 900 Biscayne Bay. All yours for $1.9 million.

C- Dolphin's pre-season is over and Phin Phantic has last night's game covered.

Let the games begin. With tonight New Orleans Saints game the Miami Dolphins finished off a meaningless 3 and 1 pre-season. The next chapter starts tomorrow as teams across the NFL pare down to 53, the final 53. Tonight the Phins won an over matched contest of their 1st teamers against the Saints backups 14-10.

D- In case you didn't catch it, Bark Bark Woof Woof has the video of Obama's speech last night. Reidblog has some comments and, in a separate post, so does BBWW.

E- Share your favorite lunch spot with Miami Dish and you might win something.

F- South Florida Theatre Scene gives us his usual weekly wrap.

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Wow

Quote of the night...

It is time for them to own their failure.




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Your Evening Sift

Thursday night in the SoFla blogosphere and for once I hope that everyone is doing something other than reading the evening Sift. The speech begins shortly. Make sure you're listening...

A- A new poll shows that Raul Martinez has surged ahead of a sweaty Lincoln Diaz-Balart, according to Mambi Watch.

B- Justice Building Blog explains why keeping the dream alive doesn't mean voting for a black man because he's black.

Barak Obama is a black man, but that is the least and worst reason to consider voting for him (or against him).

Vote for him because he comes from a broken family, and became a man who is raising two daughters with his wife. Vote for him because he is smart. But he used his Harvard degree not to obtain wealth on Wall Street, which was his right to do. But because he saw wrong in the neighborhoods of his home, and went back to do right.

In short, examine Mr. Obama's character and his ideas and his promises, and vote for him or don't vote for him, and don't even consider the color of his skin. That decision, either way you make it, fulfills the dream of Martin King and validates the greatness of this country.

C- Rakontur's marketing techniques get a write-up in BusinessWeek.

D- Wow. Great photo of a palm grove reflecting in a pool of water at Fairchild Tropical Garden, from Volunteering at Fairchild.

E- Coconut Grove Grapevine gets his hands on an old Coconut Grove Monopoly game.

F- Miami & Beyond talks about how entrenched Miami-Dade commissioners are and uses a Morin cartoon as a backdrop.

It's near impossible to get rid of a commissioner, even at the ballot box. They get appointed as a carbon copy of their predecessor and after that is almost a life appointment. The only exception seems to be a criminal indictment and we have had a few of those, thankfully. Challengers have a hard time competing with incumbents who have a larger public presence, draw a lot of financial contributions from companies doing business with the county and also have discretionary county funds at their disposal, which they use to curry favor with their constituents.

We need term limits for commissioners, because obviously voters just don't care enough or can be bought in enough quantities.

G- FinsNation previews this weekend's tonight's Dolphin/Saints game.

H- Blast Off! is one of the bloggers who is interviewed for this short video filmed out in Denver this week.

I- Miami-Dade Dems is patiently waiting for Obama's speech to begin at Invesco Field. Talk about a dedicated blogger!

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Thanks For The Memories

Since SFDB is going to be on vacation next week, I thought I would post this now...




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Bill Clinton's Speech Last Night

"People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power."


-via Southern District of Florida Blog

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The Cooler

Just a few things pulled from today's mainstream media.

A- Herald: Tonight's 1st game for the Hurricanes at Dolphin Stadium.

The Hurricanes will officially begin a 25-year stay at Dolphin Stadium on Thursday night when they open their season against Charleston Southern.

B- Herald: And, of course, we're still under water restrictions. Stop the insanity!

The Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday it intends next week to start slowly draining water as a precaution to protect [Lake Okeechobee's] vulnerable and aging levee.

The big lake continued on a record rise and was on pace to hit 14 feet Thursday or Friday -- only inches below its historic average and still three feet short of the danger zone where risk of levee leaks, erosion and potentially catastrophic breaches sharply rise.

But the Corps predicts the vast lake could continue climbing for at least another week to nearly 15 feet above sea level. And another storm could quickly raise the risks of levee failure and flooding across the rest of saturated South Florida.

C- Herald: Morin.

D- CBS4: Why would she be mad at him?

KENDALL (CBS4) ― Police were called to the Kendall home of O.J. Simpson after his daughter reportedly knocked him to the ground during a fight over his relationship with girlfriend Christie Prody.

During the alleged argument between Arnealle Simpson, 39, and Prody on Sunday, Simpson came to Prody's defense; the fight reportedly centered on Prody's behavior and drinking.

E- WPTV: Puhleese.

PALM SPRINGS, FL -- A Palm Springs mother says her four-year-old son looks like Barack Obama.

Patricia Smith says when she's out in public, people comment that her son Rafael looks like Obama. "They call him the Obama kid because he looks like Obama, that's what they say. When Obama started to run during the primaries, people started to comment and how I should send the pictures to the news."

Smith says she recently had her son's picture taken at a portrait studio and workers there commented on his photos, and the resemblance to Senator Obama.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

It's The Day Before Friday and the blogosphere was quiet last night. Only a few thing for you in this morning's Sift...

A- Random Pixels wonders out load about the timing of possible Hurricane Gustav and the Republican National Convention and dips into his photoshop skills.

B- Some Cranky Guy reports 95's Lexus Lanes are still not moving during rush hour.

C- Smashed Frog has some things to say about Hillary's actions to nominate Obama yesterday but you really need to visit to view the oddly disturbing picture that accompanies the post.

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Your Evening Sift

A- Incertus calls golf "The Sport of Bosses and Whores" after the LPGA issues an admittedly idiotic policy that says that their members must be conversant in English.

Yes golf is the sport of corporate dickheads. So what CEO wouldn't love to do 18 holes with a cute little Korean girl who can really play? But if she doesn't catch a minute of your jokes or flirting and then leaves when you're done, I guess it's a lot less fun? I guess you realize she's an athlete and not your little golf-playing geisha girl, and that might be hard to get over? Maybe you won't even write your check to underwrite the tour at that point?

B- MenuPages Blog: South Florida gives us a look at the new Cafe Bustelo located in Miami Beach's Gansevoort South.

The space is minimalist and chic - a wall made of coffee cans anchors the room - and we're curious to see the execution of the menu, which is classic Cuban all the way: Cuban sandwiches, mojo chicken sandwiches, croquetas (chorizo, chicken, rice and beans, and plantano and cheese), pastries (guava, chocolate and mojo chicken), rice pudding and flan.

C- Eye on Miami's wrap up of yesterday's Miami-Dade elections sparks some discussion in the comments of the post.

D- Mango&Lime stops by Graziano's in Coral Gables and grabs herself a steak sandwich.

E- Mambi Watch notes that there are a number of Cuban dissidents that disagree with the current U.S. policy towards Cuba making one wonder how the United States can claim to be in solidarity with the Cuban people.

One certainly should ask if anyone in the Republican party is actually listening to these voices of the Cuban opposition. The same goes for the Democrats. Where's the "measure of solidarity"? How much longer will these opinions (of brave men and women) be set aside by policy-makers in the US?

F- Blind Mind has reminded me a couple times that I missed his most excellent post on last night's Hillary Clinton speech, which, strangely, now seems like weeks ago.

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That's Not A Maverick, That's A Sidekick

Pennsylvania's Robert P. Casey...


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Be A Dentist

I'm off to get some routine dental work done up in Fort Lauderdale. Although I enjoy a pretty good relationship with my dentist, I can't help but think of this clip from Little Shop of Horrors every I time go.



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The Cooler

Local election results are all the rage in this morning's mainstream media. Here's some of the other stories I was able to dig up...

A- Herald: You know you're addicted to the computer when you...

PALM BAY, Fla. -- Authorities say a Palm Bay teen chased his mother with a knife and beat his brother with a sugar cane because of a change to his computer privileges.

B- Herald: Election results may prove troublesome for Rudy Crew.

In an election night shocker that could spell the end of embattled Superintendent Rudy Crew's tenure in Miami, incumbent School Board member Evelyn Greer lost her seat to a retired principal whose recent offer to stay on the job for a $1 salary was rebuffed by the district.

The surprise victory by Larry Feldman could shift the balance of power on the Miami-Dade School Board.

Greer had been one of Crew's strongest supporters on the bitterly divided nine-member board. Feldman has said in the past he would bring new leadership to the nation's fourth-largest school district.

C- Herald: Even if you have good credit, good luck getting a mortgage.

'In areas like Brickell or the Biscayne corridor, there is no way to get a loan unless a borrower is willing to put 30 or 40 percent down,'' said William Zalaquett, a Keyes Co. Realtor who specializes in the area. ``Europeans, wealthy Northeasterners and the wealthy locals who have the cash can buy. The average working class here, they are left out.''

D- Herald: Morin.

E- Herald: The speech Barack should give according to Michael Putney.

Getting our beloved country back to its special status as a beacon of light and hope for the world will be harder. President Bush is a nice enough guy, but he has done so much harm that it's hard to know where the repairs should begin. I'd say in Iraq, where our military has done an outstanding job. So good, in fact, that I'll start drawing down troops almost immediately. But we'll be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in. Some of those troops will have to be recycled to Afghanistan, where we should have concentrated our anti-terrorism efforts in the first place. The Brits got their rear ends kicked there and so did the Soviets; we have to make sure we don't join the list.

F- Herald: Segafredo expands.

A Brickell hot spot is expanding in every sense of the word.

From more space to a revamped menu to two new locations -- one in Bal Harbor and one South Beach -- the owners of the local Segafredo franchise say they are ready to broaden their horizons.

''It made sense to expand. We are packed almost all day and there came a point where we couldn't fit people inside,'' co-owner Alejandro Ferllen said.

Worldwide the Segafredo name is mainly known for its coffee, but the Brickell location at 1421 S. Miami Ave. -- now 10,500 square feet after the expansion -- also now offers a wider selection of Italian foods, as well as a full bar.

G- Sun-Sentinel: Have you been strip searched?

More than 1,000 people improperly strip-searched by the Broward Sheriff's Office are about to get paid, taxpayers and insurance companies will get off cheaper than expected and lawyers will hit the jackpot.

Broward Circuit Judge Jeffrey Streitfeld has approved a final settlement giving $1,000 to anyone strip-searched after arrests on minor crimes like trespassing, public drunkenness and loitering between December 1998 and October 2007. Those charged with felonies or violent crime are not eligible.

H- WPLG: Dirty Dining does its last installment on Lincoln Road and includes the Ice Box, Hofbrau Munchen, and Books and Books in its reviews.

I- WPLG: Election results.

J- WPLG: DMX drops the F-bomb in Miami-Dade court.

MIAMI -- Rapper DMX dropped the F-bomb during an extradition hearing in a Miami-Dade County courtroom Tuesday morning after learning he would spend another month in jail.

"I ain't going back to no f---ing jail," said DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons.

"Oh, well that just ingratiated you to me," said Judge Lawrence Schwartz. "I've never heard the F-word before, so it's OK."

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

A slow, slow night in the SoFla blogosphere results in a sparse Sift for you this Hump Day morning...

A- Blast Off! continues his blogging from Denver and provides us with a couple up-close-and-personals with the Clintons.

B- Bark Bark Woof Woof has the video of Hillary's speech last night.

C- Eye on Miami has the depressingly low voter turnout stats from yesterday. I think every voting day in Miami-Dade should include a referendum on whether Fidel Castro sucks or not. Then would you see the numbers soar.

D- A Pretty Good Guy reaches 100 posts.

E- Backstage at the Hooter's Pageant with Camera Ephemera.

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Your Evening Sift

As you might imagine, lots of political posts out there in the SoFla blogosphere these days. Today was a local voting day and we have the Democratic convention going on in Denver so lots of folks talking politics. Here's the wrap up of today's highlights, packaged together in your evening Sift.

A- Bark Bark Woof Woof has some thoughts on John McCain exploiting his status as a P.O.W. to win votes.

In one respect, the longer he exploits his time as a P.O.W. the less impact it will have to the point that the voters will get tired of it, which is fine with me; maybe we can make the election of 2004 the last election about the war in Vietnam. But it doesn't do any favors to the other soldiers who also served time in the P.O.W. camps and who mean it when they say they don't want to talk about it or use it for political gain.

Miami & Beyond has the video of McCain's very uncomfortable appearance on Leno last night that prompted BBWW's comments.

B- Mambi Watch continues his examination of the court proceedings involving alleged terrorist and Cuban-American hardliner hero Luis Posada Carriles.

C- Justice Building Blog has an absolutely hilarious recitation of his voting experience today.

I parked and approached the polling site. There were several elderly women sitting on chairs surrounding the entrance. Upon seeing me, they immediately sprung into action, grabbed their walkers or canes and cards containing ads for various candidates and descended upon me.

Now I've lived in Miami long enough to understand most Spanish, so I immediately recognized when an elderly woman loudly insulted the heritage and family members of Fidel Castro while thrusting a Rick Corona for Judge card into my hand.

D- MenuPages Blog: South Florida indulges itself in the Miami Spice menu at Kobe Club on a Saturday night and finds it's an outrageous deal.

E- Ipanemic and Penelope take dance classes and record their experience at South Beach USA.

F- Today is I Shot the Chef's Blogday so to celebrate she provides her readers some pictures and a recipe for Shrimp Fried Rice.

Today’s post is a milestone for me… exactly one year blogging! I’m so happy I let Stephan talk me into food blogging because its become a wonderful hobby for me. I’ve “met” so many fellow bloggers, and truly enjoy being a part of the whole food bloggin’ thang.

G- Blast Off! reports from Denver that, to a large degree, bloggers are the story at the convention.

H- The latest Quinnipiac political poll for Florida is not very good news for Obama, according to Flablog.


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South Florida Cartoons

Chan Lowe, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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The Cooler

Gustav is getting a lot of attention in the local media this morning as you might expect. But there are some other things...

A- Herald: Another good reason not to exercise if you live in South Florida.

A jogger fatally struck by a vehicle on busy South Dixie Highway in Coral Gables Saturday morning was identified by police Monday as Carlos Cardenes Jr. of West Kendall.

Cardenes, 28, was jogging with a group of about 20 from Footworks of South Miami.

Police say he died as a result of injuries sustained when the vehicle struck him about 6:30 a.m. near the corner of U.S. 1 and South Alhambra Circle.

First it was bicyclists on the MacArthur. Now it's a jogger. Watch, some yahoo is going to crash into a Pilates class on Brickell on Thursday.

B- Herald: It's Chad.

DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano couldn't help but have a little fun Monday when he finally announced the winner of the team's drawn-out quarterback competition.

"It's Chad," he said, chuckling.

Chad Pennington or Chad Henne?

"Pennington," he added. "I think the guy will do a great job of managing our team. And the team has responded really well to him, and that's where we are going."

C- Herald: Audio, the 911 calls reporting bicyclists hit on the MacArthur. From the accompanying story...

''I can't get it out of my head; I'm still trying to file it in the right place,'' Valori told The Miami Herald. ``You could hear the bicycle metal crunching and people screaming.''

Another motorist, a woman on her way to work, called 911 and calmly gave a description of the collision just before 8 a.m. near the entrance to Palm island.

``A cab just ran into like 10 bicyclists and left them smashed on the road. . . Please get here quickly. There's people spread all over the road.''

D- Sun-Sentinel: These are our neighbors in South Florida.

An 18-year-old who, along with his mother, lost custody of his two dogs after authorities found signs of bestiality, was arrested Monday after detectives found at least eight other videos on his computer of little girls performing sexual acts with grown men, an arrest report said Monday.

In April, Palm Beach County sheriff's detectives raided the Palm Beach Gardens apartment the teen shared with his mother and seized three computers.

On them, authorities found a videotape showing the suspect when he was 17 having sex with his 4-year-old German shepherd. The teen told detectives that he made the video, that it was him having sex with the dog and that he'd done this only one time. But in a civil trial in the case, the teen's mother testified that her son told her he'd had sex with the dog four times, the report said.

E- Sun-Sentinel: The best health care in the world.

The scene was reminiscent of old back-alley abortion clinics, though not as shady: an operating theater in dirty, unsterile conditions.

Police pulled up to a storage unit in Palm Springs to find a man with a light attached to his head, leaning over a patient in a reclining dental chair. There was a syringe filled with lidocaine smuggled in from Colombia, police said. Dental tools and a trash can with bloodied gauze told the rest of the story.

With no running water and no working sterilization equipment, police said Juan Bernal, 71, of Boca Raton, was lucky not to have seriously harmed someone's health.

Bernal was arrested Friday on charges of practicing dentistry without a license, operating an unlicensed dental lab and unlawful possession of drugs, said Palm Springs Police Capt. Mark Hall.

F- CBS4: Gustav goes hurricane.

G- WPLG: Not used to getting rejected, I guess.

PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. -- Police are searching for the gunman who shot a woman early this morning while she drove down University Drive in Miramar.

According to police the incident actually began at Cafe Iguana in Pembroke Pines. Witnesses said the man was hitting on the woman inside the club, she denied his advances.

The woman left the club and got into her car alone. Her friends got in another vehicle and where following her when they said the man from the club pulled up beside her at Miramar Parkway and University Drive and opened fire.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Looks like things were dragging in the SoFla blogosphere last night. Just a handful of posts for you in this morning's Sift...

A- Blast Off! continues his coverage from Denver with photos from around town.

B- Vote today and make Justice Building Blog happy.

C- You might say that Swampstyle is not too happy about Don Imus replacing Nicole Sandler at WINZ.

940 AM has been the lone noise wave that began a vital push-back to the behemoth echo-chamber built by radical conservative purveyors of hate in the past 20 years. We know the usual suspects, Rush gives way to Glen Beck, Candy Crowley spawns Kitty Pilgrims, O'Reilly the nut-rouser and the list goes on as Don Imus takes center stage right here in our swamp. There is nothing local about that dried-up cowhand.

D- Those of you who are Hillary supporters supporting McCain in protest of the process that selected Obama as the Democratic candidate might want to check out this post from Random Pixels in order to see your BFF's are in that "protest."

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Ted Kennedy's Speech Tonight

One word: inspiring...

[updated to add the intro by Caroline]

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Your Evening Sift

You don't have to look real hard to find blog posts about the new storm approaching Cuba. I'm going to try to give it another day or two before I let myself get too interested.

Speaking of interesting, here's your evening Sift...

A- Miami Beach 411 takes us along on the inaugural tour of Casa Casaurina, also known as the Versace mansion.

B- Another South Beach night scene from Miami Fever.

C- Burnettiquette explains why he needs to takes a break from blogging sometimes.

But surely you understand that when the debates get mean-spirited for no other reason than an individual can't figure out how to voice opposition in a sensible way, inspiration to share your opinion can be temporarily in short supply.

So every now and then I have to purge myself for a few days of all writing that requires my opinion. I have to do only old-fashioned reporting. I have to make sure my life outside of work is healthy and not on life-support. And I have to re-balance things, get my Zen back in order.

D- MiamiNights briefs us on a local Miami band that goes by the name of Modernage. Video included.

E- "Mario Sweats During Talk and Avoids a Debate" is the name of this A Cup of Joe post and the accompanying photo is priceless.

F- Volunteering at Fairchild has lots of pictures showing the work she recently participated in at the Center for Tropical Plant Conservation.

G- The Coconut Grove Arts Festival has been ranked #1 in the country by Sunshine Artist Magazine, according to Coconut Grove Grapevine.

H- Blast Off! is making the rounds out in Denver.

I- Man or Maniac was in the right place at the right time to capture this photo of the new Metro Mover cars...rolling down I-95.


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More Than Just A Game

I made it to the Dolphins-Kansas City game on Saturday night but it wasn't much of a contest (Go, Dolphins!). But really, the game is just part of the whole experience. Follow along.

There's tailgating before the game...



Doesn't have to be anything fancy...



Although sometimes it is...



As long as there's lots of good food and drink. This being South Florida, it's only appropriate to grill up some churassco steak.



But eventually you have to head into the stadium and watch the, um, game, and the cheerleaders. Go, team, go!



The Sony JumboTrons are very cool. Hey, look who's on the JumboTron!



I'm thinking this might be kinda fun for Jets games.



Back to the JumboTrons. Hey, there!



But at some point you have to stop watching the JumboTrons and stands and sidelines and actually watch what's happening on the field...



Okay, so I wasn't totally focused on the game. The point is that there is a lot more to do at football games than watch football. Oh, and don't forget your binoculars.

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"[Bleep] Fox News!"

Check out this Fox News dweeb as he covers a "leftist protest" march in Denver. Try to follow along as the reporter explains that when you refuse to talk to Fox News you don't believe in free speech. The protesters turn on this bonehead and start chanting "F**k Fox News" as Fox quickly moves on to other news.



-via Huffington Post


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The Cooler

Just a few things for you from today's SoFla mainstream media outlets in this morning's Cooler...

A- Herald: Taxi plows into a group of bicyclists on the MacArthur. The photo with the story is sickening.

A cab driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel early Sunday just before plowing into a group of bicyclists out for a leisurely morning ride on the MacArthur Causeway, Miami Beach police said.

The 8 a.m. accident left many of the riders sprawled on the pavement in the eastbound lane and sent six to the hospital.

The most seriously injured was a 48-year-old rushed to Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition.

Five others were brought to the hospital in stable condition. Some were later released.

B- Herald: More proposed cutbacks for Miami-Dade mass transit.

Mayor Carlos Alvarez and County Manager George Burgess are pushing for much deeper cuts in the upcoming fiscal year's budget.

After several years of right-sizing, and reducing more than 6 million miles of politically protected, underperforming ''dog'' routes, the transit agency is now being forced to make a lot of tough choices to cut another 4.1 million miles next year.

Unlike the low-ridership ''dog'' routes, many looming under the next wave of cuts carry substantial numbers of passengers.

The cuts would wreak havoc on the quality of service to major job centers, including hospitals, the airport and Seaport. Who will that hurt most? Third-shift blue collar workers, seniors, students and transit-dependent domestics trying to get to tonier addresses like Pinecrest and Coral Gables.

C- Herald: Florida gets its votes back.

DENVER -- Florida delegates scored full voting rights and front-row seats Sunday on the eve of the Democratic National Convention, settling a party feud that threatened to demoralize Democrats in the nation's largest battleground state.

D- Herald: Letter to the editor.

The U.S. embargo of Cuba is the last vestige of power wielded by a minority that is making our foreign and immigration policy. Who is doing business with Cuba? American farmers and cattlemen, U.S. pharmaceutical vendors, Cuban-American attorneys and businessmen via third-party countries and those sending cash to relatives on the island.

We continue to see laws and edicts from lawmakers about such inane things as Little League teams and university groups going to Cuba, travel agents booking flights to Cuba and the wet-foot/dry-foot policy though we give Cubans 20,000 visas a year and have seen Budweiser being purchased by InBev, which sells brands sold in Cuba.

State and federal lawmakers should worry more about the deterioration in the quality of life here because of traffic, sewage, uncontrolled immigration and government corruption and fraud. The embargo has not had any effect on those in power in Cuba; it only has consequences for those of us who live in South Florida.

ED BOEN, Coral Gables

E- CBS4: UM starting the football season off with a bang.

University of Miami quarterback Robert Marve has been suspended for the Hurricanes season opener against Charleston Southern. It is not known if Marve will be the starting quarterback when he returns for the September 6th contest against the Florida Gators.

The school also said that six other players will sit out the opener at Dolphin Stadium but did not identified the players or gave reasons for their suspensions.

F- NBC6: An anniversary that passed rather quietly this weekend.

Sunday marked the 16th anniversary of one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history -- Hurricane Andrew.

Andrew made landfall in South Florida on Aug. 24, 1992, with winds of over 150 miles per hour.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Don't have much to say this Miserable Monday. Instead, here's your morning Sift for, what turned out to be, a very active Sunday night in the SoFla blogosphere.

A- Joe Biden introduces himself in a video over at Miami-Dade Dems.

B- Miami & Beyond discusses a Miami Herald article documenting the growing numbers of Hispanic Democrats in Florida and gives us his thoughts on Cuban-American voting patterns.

If you are Cuban and vote Republican because you truly believe they are the better choice for the US, more power to you. But if you vote Republican because you believe they have done more for Cuba, because of Kennedy's "treason" or Carter's "appeasement" or any other exile lore, then you are just exchanging your vote for hot air.

C- Tilefortlauderdale drops Hannah and Blackie at an ice cream shop on Las Olas.

D- You know you're old when you read this post by Blind Mind that describes his week and you wonder if you ever could have survived it.

E- Blast Off! is in Denver for the convention and gives us his first report including an observation that most Floridians used to our moist climate seem to make when they visit out West.

The altitude doesn't seem to bother me much at all. The dryness, however, does.

F- Transit Miami has some thoughts on yesterday's accident on the MacArthur Causeway in which 11 bicyclists were struck by a taxi.

The Macarthur Causeway is a limited access highway. In almost all cases, bicyclists are prevented from riding only these types of roads because of the elevated level of danger they present. Yet, the Macarthur is actually designated with signage as a Bicycle Route. Here in Miami, it seems we promote bicycling on only the most dangerous street for bicyclists and leave the safest ones unmarked. What a terribly backward twist on an already poor situation.

G- Justice Building Blog believes that that building that currently houses the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office should be renamed the Janet Reno Building.

She remains the finest prosecutor any of us will ever encounter. She inspired a generation of prosecutors and lawyers by giving them simple and heartfelt instructions: "go where the facts and evidence take you and do what's right." As a lawyer, State Attorney and Attorney General of the United States she always did her "level best" to do the job right. We are speaking of course of Janet Reno, and there is not even a bus stop in this town named after her. It's time to change that.

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Favorite Fever Foto of the Week

-miami fever
-miami-fever.com


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Your Evening Sift

People were pretty busy putting together blog posts today. Got a few things here for your evening Sift...

A- Fort Lauderdale Daily Photo has a cool shot of a very tropical looking basketball court.

B- Pulitzer Prize winning Miami Herald editorial cartoonist Jim Morin has a new book, according to Eye on Miami.

Morin is a Miami Herald treasure. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1996 as an editorial cartoonist. In the past decade he has captured the stupidity, greed, and carnage unleashed by an economic and political elite whose hubris rises to the occasion of Greek tragedy. He also proves the point: a picture is worth a thousand words. Morin's cartoons and oil paintings have been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide. Some days, we wish Morin would train his gaze on the newspaper industry ... but then he'd have to become a blogger like us!

C- myTribune posts a homemade video that he made early this morning of a young Russian couple that spent the night on a lifeguard stand on the beach.

D- Stuck in Hialeah is upset about WINZ replacing Nicole Sandler with Don Imus in the mornings.

It's a shame that the station would fire such a rare, brilliant host and replace her with what is essentially an anti-semite, racist, misogynist, homophobe. Actually, it's more than a shame. It's just plain dumb.

E- Camera Ephemera finds a heart in the most unusual of places.

F- Swampstyle is on fire.

The stage is set for the next round of republican bow-outs. Conservative reagen wannabe worshipers have taken us so far out to an abysmal right field that it will take considerable efforts to return to center stage normalcy. We've seen it play-out time and again: the fundi-crazies take over with a new con, invariably trash everything we know to be good for the most People, then kick back and watch while progressive liberals restore our treasury and sanity.

G- Some cool macro photography from Some Camera Guy of his thing.

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