As the hours tick down to midnight -- when I'll probably be asleep -- I can't help but look back over the year and think about what a wild ride it's been, both in good ways and bad, and realize what blessings and good things I have to appreciate.
B- Miami Bike Scene does it again with a great video of bicycle hijinks in Fort Lauderdale last night.
C- Smashed Frog questions if the Adam Walsh murder is really solved.
That being said, If I were a journalist with my question antennae up on the "solved" Adam Walsh case, I'd review any and all information regarding house guest James Campbell, who resided at the Walsh home when the six-year-old disappeared.
D- Eat It, Miami visits Piola on Alton Road...twice.
Well, wise guys, now I have. Twice in a week, in fact. It's great. You get seated immediately by friendly wait staff and the pizzas come out about 3 minutes after you order them. Capricciosa is one of my favorite pizzas, and Piola's is fantastic.
E- Anyone who has been reading Hidden City for any length of time knows where they can find Hidden City tomorrow morning.
F- Are the South Florida New Times papers purposely not reporting on their own financial problems, asks Random Pixels?
But one story they've shied away from is the one that's happening in their own backyard.
It's a story that both the Miami and Broward editions of New Times have avoided. Even Broward New Times press watchdog Bob Norman has been uncharacteristically silent.
As far as I can tell neither paper has printed one word about the deep financial doo-doo that New Times' parent company Village Voice Media finds itself mired in.
H- Swampstyle gets the award for the best title post of the day....maybe the week...wait, maybe the year.
Castro incontrovertible
I-Let's just say that Jeff Eats isn't a big fan of Boston Market.
Do you know what garbage is?…Well if you don’t, eat-in/take-out food from this joint and you will. A recent outing had me trying the chicken, turkey, meatloaf, sirlion…and macaroni & cheese-vegetable stuffing-green beans-mashed potatoes-corn bread sides. Bad?…let’s just say, that the chicken was “beyond belief” fatty and salty… the turkey was stringy and dry…the meatloaf and sirlion had absolutely no taste…the sides were passable, except the corn bread was one step away having the consistency of a hockey-puck.
Well, this is it. The last day of 2008 and the last morning Sift that you'll get this year. Enjoy it.
A- Vote for the Second Annual Best Looking Office Holder in Miami-Dade at Eye on Miami.
Here are the finalists in the Second Annual Best Looking Office Holder in Miami-Dade award. In order of appearance: Mayor Carlos Alvarez, FL Rep. Erik Fresen, School Board Member Ana Rivas Logan, FL Rep. Oscar Braynon, Jr., FL Rep. Yolly Roberson and Mayor Manny Diaz.
B- If you're still not sure of what your plans are for tonight, Miami Beach 411 can help out with a few links and suggestions.
C- Artlurker discusses the new Federico Nessi and Dino Felipe mural at Sweat Records, among other things.
The mural itself, which looks somewhat like a party monster vomited on wall is admittedly garish, ill conceived and apparently stifled by an inability to reconcile its opposing worlds of a chaotic energy and obsessive-compulsive order or disorder. Nevertheless, what is interesting and even validating about it is that like the performance work of Psychic Youth, Inc, it is completely free of intention and feeds not on a preconceived notion of communicating or achieving something, but rather simply on the audience’s reactions– or in the case of this piece, which was completed in solitude, what the artists imagined those reactions to be.
- Jeb Bush will run for the Senate here in Florida and win in 2010. But he will become the Ted Kennedy of the Bush family; the Senate is as far as he will ever go in national politics; the only way he would ever get beyond that is if he changed his name to John Ellis Obama.
Lots of stuff to get through this evening so without further ado, here's your Sift...
A- Eye on Miami tells you where you can safely stash $100K, if you had it.
Crunching all the numbers, I picked out Northern Trust N.A. as my bank for my non-existent money. Their star rating is 4. “A” is at .2% and “B” is at 231.8%. Someone told me Northern is known as the "Rich People's Bank."
There is a high minimum balance at Northern Trust N.A. They wouldn’t tell me what it was over the phone but when I read $100,000 from my article, they said that would qualify. You get a personal banker there. They have a few branches in Miami. I heard they gave you coffee, pedicures, etc. but apparently the person I spoke to said that wasn’t true. Bummer.
So, I decided to fry up some eggs, over easy, along with the sausage. As I was cooking the sausage, I decided to make more coffee. That meant I had to put more water in the teakettle, and clean out the french press. Being a man, I only know two settings on the stove - full on or full off. Naturally, it was full on. I turned back to the stove when the smoke alarm went off. Not a tiny little battery operated smoke alarm either - but a Brinks smoke alarm. The Whooop! Whoooop! Whoooping alarm.
Our four cats were in the dining area, and all four leaped straight into the air, then without even landing, blasted off into the bedroom, their 16 legs moving in a total blur like little air propellers. I fought my way through the smoke to the front door where the alarm panel is located, entered the secret code and stabbed the cancel button. Then remembered I hadn’t taken the sausage off the stove yet…..smoke poured out of the kitchen in waves.
C- Jaded in Paradise cleans up her mobile phone and cleans up her life.
I took out my mobile phone and scrolled through the address book to do a little cleaning up.
The bad boy is no longer appealing but rather seen as a headache not some dream machine. Delete. The prissy female friends who were impossible to please are out of my network, freeing me to enjoy the simple things in life. Like a day at the beach without having to wait 3 hours for Ms. Princess to do her makeup. It is SoFla, but who cares, it’s the friggin beach, get the straightening iron out another day. Delete.
D- Flablog will be in Coral Gables next week signing his new book. Stop into Books & Books and say hello!
E- Is MIA getting better? Maybe, according to 305.
I just have to say guys, that the new US Air wing at the Miami International Airport is PIMP.
[...]
There is both a Starbucks and an Illy cafe (Illy being one of my favorite brands of coffee, BTW.) There is also a small food court, several stores and a place to get a quick manicure.
There are also the round docking stations for phones, laptops, etc and flat screen TVs.
Super awesome. Oh yeah, and did I mention that getting into the airport didn't make me want to tear my hair out? That the employees were actually nice?
F- MacBeth will be performed in Peacock Park in the Grove this January, according to Coconut Grove Grapevine.
G- The Chowfather revises his best SoFla burger list to include Five Guys.
As you may recall, I posted my top Burgers in Miami/Broward a few months ago and indicated that I was underwhelmed by my first Five Guys experience. That sounds perverted, I know. Anyway, I have been back to the Midtown Miami and Ft. Lauderdale locations a few times since and have changed my tune.
H- Miami, bro. links to a New York Times article that praises La Carreta.
We had a nice drive up A1A yesterday although I forgot that you can't get off Palm Beach Island from the north end. Doh! I shouldn't have ignored my GPS's early warning.
Here's a few things to get you started.
A- You might say Jeff Eats was pretty satisfied after stopping by Muncheez on Miami Beach.
In a recent outing, I was like a pig in sh@t… cheeseburger and fries drenched in ketchup, grilled Sabrett hot dog topped with mustard and sauerkraut, onion rings and a Coke. Just what the old cardiologist ordered.
C- If you don't have tickets for the Dolphins playoff game this weekend, the Phin Phanatic says you're out of luck.
The first playoff game since 2001 in Dolphins Stadium is SOLD OUT. Tickets when on sale early Monday morning and by 10AM most of the tickets were gone. Lines formed at Dolphins Stadium where fans eager to cheer on their team stood in Dolphins gear and according to a report, one woman bought 90 tickets…can you say Ebay?
D- Ipanemic posts a few photos from the King Mango Strut.
B- Babalu's Mike Pancier posts a powerful tribute to his late pianist mother that features a slideshow in which she plays a composition by Rene Touzet.
C- I Shot The Chef cooks up a delicious-looking yule that will make your mouth water.
I chose to make my yule log with a passion fruit mousse, as I had recently made white chocolate passion fruit truffles (which I plan to blog soon) and had leftover passion fruit puree in the freezer. I did NOT like the mousse preparation. How the hell can you heat 1/3 c cream and then temper egg yolks and cornstarch into it? I immediately had a brick of scrambled eggs the second I poured the tempered egg yolks back into the pot. So I had to do it again, but let it cool slightly before adding the tempered eggs.
D- MiamiNights interviews Jose El Rey and Otto Von Schirach.
B – Are you in fact Cuban?
J – In fact?
B – I was lead to believe that you were, but still not sure about it.
J – yeah, but I don’t know that I ever said [on the record] that I was.
B – but now it is on the record that you are actual Cuban?
J - No I am in fact, American, I was born here. That’s what my grandfather tells me to say if anybody asks.
B – Cool.
E- Jeff Eats likes La Sandwicherie on Miami Beach.
La Sandwicherie makes some great sandwiches and salads...throw in a juice-bar and gourmet coffees and you got everything that “clubbers” and the rest of us need…as the joint is open 7 days a week 10am-5am.
F- Some Cranky Guy has a whole slew of photos from Fort Lauderdale airport to peruse through at your leisure.
“Wait, you skipped the line for a decaf coffee? You cut in front of all these nice people for a decaf?” barista ponders to herself and then looks at the clock, it reads:
7:16 a.m.
H- Miami Bike Scene posts the second of three videos covering the latest Critical Mass ride in Miami.
I- Miami Beach 411 reviews Marley and Me, a movie about South Florida without sex, drug, and violence.
So all in all “Marley and Me” is a nice enough family comedy that does a good job of capturing what life in South Florida is like. Many of us who were here over the summer remember its filming, and the perpetual Jennifer Aniston-Owen Wilson sightings around South Beach, so it’s always fun to see the fruits of the summer movie celebrity season. But even though it is entertaining, you can wait for this one to come out on DVD. It’s a little long for what it is, and being able to stop and come back would be a nice option. For dog lovers and family lovers, this is a great one for you and the kids, because you don’t have the usual brands of sex and violence that mark most movies set in South Florida. Just a man, his wife, his kids and his dog. Apparently, the worst dog in the world.
J- Reidblog discusses the latest bit o' racism from the GOP.
This parade made me ashamed. Ashamed that I have lived here forever and never attended it! It was so weird, eclectic and far-out, yet quirky, cozy and grassroots. Kinda sounds like me, huh? Imagine how I felt when I learned that my high school french teacher was in the parade, but I did not recognize her because she was wearing a big old wig!
Anyway, for as long as I live and am in the Miami area the last Sunday before New Year's, I will attend this parade.
L- Daily Cocaine considers North One10 or Casa Toscana for New Year's Eve dinner.
My girlfriend and I will be taking a few days respite at an undisclosed location a little north of here. The Sifts will continue [she's understanding like that] and perhaps a Question of the Day will pop up just to keep everyone honest, but the Cooler will be on hiatus until New Years Day.
Other than that, you won't even notice that I'm gone.
Google employees are apparently still scratching their heads and trying to fix a broken RSS feed that helps drive the Recent Comments Widget that SFDB, and a host of other blogs, uses.
I could make all sorts of snarky comments about how a huge and talented technology company like Google, who owns Blogger, has been dumbfounded by a broken feed, but I won't. The bottom line is that we're in our 11th day with this problem and the comment threat over at the Blogger Help Group is now at 53 and counting. Besides Google Employee "Gatsby" poking her head into the forum [a long, long, time ago], smiling, and chirping "'K! We're working on it!" there has been nothing.
And so, we wait. Be assured that as soon as the thing gets fixed, it will be placed back up in the right sidebar. And thanks for your patience.
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.
Well, the Dolphins pulled it off, folks. What a win! To think this team was where it was just a year ago. But, then again, it wasn't this team, you know? Bring on Baltimore!
There wasn't a whole lot going on in the SoFla blogosphere today (maybe because of the game), so I present to you a rather thin Sunday evening Sift.
A- Blast Off! is protesting his taxes and Uncle Sam is noticing.
Back in April, I told you about my first real foray into civil disobedience, my participation in the War Tax Boycott. I withheld 15% of my total tax liability as a protest against the use of federal tax funds to operate an illegal war in Iraq and Afghanistan (never mind the fact that the war has been handled incompetently at nearly every turn).
The IRS has begun to catch up with me, though. On Wednesday -- Christmas Eve, for Jeebus' sake -- I received a certified letter from the IRS informing me that I would be subject to various legal penalties, including liens on my property, if I didn't make arrangements to pay up immediately. Of course, after two divorces and being unemployed since September, my only "property" of any appreciable significance is my car, which they are welcome to have ... but that's beside the point.
B- Eye on Miami reports in from the King Mango Strut Parade that was held today in the Grove.
A fine afternoon of satire and parody in Coconut Grove. Congratulations to Glenn Terry and the intrepid band of volunteers who put on the Mango Strut Parade every year. This year, the broad themes of a failed presidency and a national financial catastrophe dominated, with smaller themes woven in.
D- A light show and a musical performance at a former marijuana grow house in Homestead? Artlurker has the details and a video.
At dusk, an intimate crowd gathered in the overgrown garden surrounding the façade of the house; a squat, single level domicile whose yellowish walls and taped windows would have appeared nothing out of the ordinary save for the suspect associations concerning its prior function—the production of marijuana.
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.
Even though it was a holiday week, it was a great time for blogging in SoFla. There were some super posts so we have a lot of ground to cover. Let's get to it.
Winner: One of the things that bloggers can do is fill in for the mainstream media when they drop the ball. Random Pixels did just that this week when he posted Where's Carlos Alvarez, Jr? and asked some tough questions about the recent release of Carlos Alvarez, Jr., the sexual predator son of the Miami-Dade County mayor. The Miami Herald relegated the important story to a gossip column but Random Pixels noted it and brought it to the forefront of the blogosphere. Carlos Miller later expanded on Random Pixels' post and dug up even more relevant information. It was some leading edge blogging and for that reason Random Pixels' post is this week's SFDB's Post of the Week.
Runners-Up: Babalu's Mike Pancier lost his mother this week and posted a wonderful tribute to her life as a Cuban-American exile in South Florida. A bad case of cat scratch fever was all the motivation Man or Maniac needed for this very painful post he called, appropriately enough, Cat Scratch Fever. Daily Cocaine doesn't post as much as he used to, but when he does these days, it's a good one. Such was the case with his delicious review of Christmas Eve dinner at the Royal Bavarian Schnitzel Haus. And, finally, South Florida Classical Review did a great wrap-up of this year's top performances in an informative post titled Top Ten Performances of 2008.
It takes a special kind of stupid for Hamas to think that they could indiscriminately lob rockets into Israel for an indefinite period of time without Israel doing anything. And for those people who think Israel's response is overdone, take it up with Hamas and let them know that you're tired of them putting innocent lives at risk. Everyone knows that Israel takes her peace and security seriously. Why does Hamas demand that Israel demonstrate that to them time after time?
Here's a few things I found interesting in this morning's mainstream media.
A- Sun-Sentinel: Michael Mayo recaps the year's most memorable stories.
This is how I'll remember 2008.
B- Sun-Sentinel: Just remember: it's not the breed, it's the owner.
Five people were attacked by a pit bull that suddenly became aggressive early this morning just west of Boca Raton.
One man and three women were taken to Boca Raton Community Hospital with minor injuries. The owner of the dog, who was also attacked, refused medical care, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office reported.
Catalina Medina was walking her poodle in the 5600 block of Pacific Boulevard when Julia Reichardt approached with her pit bull on a leash.
When the pit bull became aware of the smaller dog, it suddenly became so aggressive that Reichardt had trouble holding the dog back, the report said.
Concerned about a possible attack, Medina threw herself on top of her poodle. The pit bull broke away from its owner and attacked Medina and her dog, the report said.
Reichardt tried to intervene but the pit bull turned on her and bit her.
Three people who were in the area tried to stop the attack but were also bitten by the dog, the report said.
C- Sun-Sentinel: Hyde, with win today Sparano is Coach of the Year.
Each day three things come across his desk that he didn't expect or ever see before, like last Sunday in Kansas City when he feared his team was thinking too much about the 10-degree weather.
So you know what Sparano did? Linebacker Joey Porter huddled the team just before kickoff, as he does before every game, and began yelling and jumping and cursing and ...
"Then Tony jumps in the middle and pushes Joey out," receiver Brandon London said. "It was like he wanted to show how much he was into this. He started chest-bumping everyone. And yelling. And dancing. Tony!
D- Herald: Hurricanes lose their bowl game and....whatever.
After winning five games in a row to carry them into late November, the Hurricanes fizzled in their last three, including Saturday's 24-17 heart-pounding loss to California in the Emerald Bowl.
E- Herald: Video, The Miami Herald's Top Pictures of 2008.
Two men are stabbed outside a Miami nightclub with a history of violence.
Two parking lot attendants were stabbed trying to break up a fight outside a sprawling downtown Miami nightclub early Saturday morning, police said.
The men were stabbed shortly before 5:30 a.m. at Metropolis Downtown, 950 NE Second Ave. Miami Fire Rescue took them to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where one was in critical condition Saturday afternoon. Police were looking for their three attackers.
Odds of dying in a freak fireworks accident: 1 in 954,786. Of being attacked by a shark: one in eight million.
And when Florida joins Powerball next week, the already tough odds of hitting the multistate jackpot will increase to 1 in 198 million.
But, bad economy be damned, lottery experts are betting that Powerball's big-money appeal will get thousands of Floridians to plop down their ''discretionary dollars'' for a chance to win.
Powerball tickets go on sale in Florida Jan. 4, and the first drawing is Jan. 7 from Powerball's new digs at Universal Studios. The drawings are moving to Orlando after a 16-year run in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Thieves shoplifted almost $29,000 in bras and panties from two Victoria's Secret stores on the Treasure Coast this year.
Most of the amount was stolen in just a handful of incidents, including a grab of more than $12,000 in merchandise from the Indian River Mall store on Nov. 30. And in February, the location at the Treasure Coast Square mall in Jensen Beach had more than $5,200 worth of merchandise stolen, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
"It's probably the work of professional thieves," said Chris McGoey, a Los Angeles-based retail theft expert. "Victoria's Secret isn't exclusively being targeted, but you probably have a team of thieves who travel from state to state and they've targeted Victoria's Secret because they know how the stores are staffed."
Well, there really is only one thing going on for Miami football fans today. It's the culmination of a fantastic regular season and the result is pre-destined. Go Phins!
And with that, here's your morning Sift.
A- Ipanemic was out shooting a lingerie show at Felt on South Beach last night and has the photos to prove it.
C- Miami Bike Scene does his usual good job with Part One of a three-part video of Friday's Critical Mass ride through Miami.
The Miami Critical Mass December ride was a success by South Florida standards. Approximately 50 cyclists showed up & joined in on the fun. The ride lasted about 1 1/2 hours with just one brief stop at a gas station for refreshments. Total distance ridden was 14 miles.
The route initially consisted of going north on Biscayne Blvd but it was slightly detoured by the Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls game at the AAA and/or Cirque du Soleil.
E- The Phin Phanatic continues his video tour of the Miami Dolphins training facility in Davie, this time showing us the media rooms.
F- Eye on Miami is getting serious and holding their Second Annual Best Looking Office Holder Award.
G- Babalu's Mike Pancier writes a tribute to his mother, who passed away yesterday.
Yesterday morning, on December 27, 2008, the music world lost a great pianist and artist, Olga Diaz. Today, I also lost my mom. For over 65 years, my mom, Olga, has played the piano and entertained so many people from all over the world. I’m not a journalist as I am sure there will be better written articles about her in the next few days. I’ll give you the story from a son’s perspective.
She was born Olga Diaz-Parlade in the Province of Oriente, Cuba in a town called Palma Soriano in 1936. At age 5, she started playing the piano and ultimately earned her degree in Music at the Universidad de Oriente. She studied with Dr. Aurelio de la Vega, and Edmundo Lopez, two of the greats that the island has produced.
B- Artlurker shares a few of the Dorsch Gallery's upcoming January events.
C- Swampstyle takes a look at Overtown artist Purvis Young.
People whose opinion matters in the art world seem to love his work, his prolific nature. They have a romance with the swampy rawness, the earthy primitive, the works looks great on pristine white walls. Personally I thinks the work is totally depressing as a manifestation of the inscesent characteristic of Miami's institutionalized historical racism, the 'beat-to-a-pulp tragedy of Overtown. I am not a huge of his work, but a true humble admirer of his life and dedication, the spirit of creativity- Purvis knows that it can not be killed.
E- The Chowfather takes a critical look at The Meat Market on Lincoln Road. [Note to the Father: Blue on black is terribly tough on the eyes]
Wow! Very impressed with every aspect of the recently opened Meat Market on Lincoln Road. (SoBe) This could be my new favorite place on South Beach. They did a great job renovating/updating the old Pacific Time spot and it is very sharp looking. The have a nice bar area up front which made the wait for our table a non-issue. The model hostesses didn't hurt either...
F- Tilefortlauderdale leaves Mysterious Mona at Mr. Fabulous on Federal Highway.
People are always saying that Mona is kinda quiet, and some jokingly call her Mysterious Mona. They like to use all those little worn-out phrases about still water running deep or giving her a penny for her thoughts or that one that goes "Cat got your tongue? which Mona never really did understand. How can a cat have your tongue?
The funny thing is that Mona doesn’t feels like she’s being that quiet, because in her head it’s not quiet at all. It actually gets kinda loud in there and half the time, when people think she’s just being quiet, she just feels busy trying to keep things calm and orderly up there.
G- Vicequeenmaria relates a modern SoFla boy-meets-girl story. Here's a portion of it.
Since I arrived unfashionably early, I decided to order a drink. The bar was pretty empty but it turns out I had plopped my butt down in someone's place -- two men showed up about ten minutes after I arrived -- so I just scooted over to another stool. In any case, one of the men and I struck up conversation and he seemed decidely pleasant, although a little forward, asking me if I'd ever been married. He was visiting from out of town -- something he did often, apparently.
H- Daily Cocaine does an excellent review of The Royal Bavarian Schnitzel Haus although he forgets to tell you where it's at [1085 NE 79th St.].
I happen to be lucky enough to live around the corner from The Royal Bavarian Schnitzel Haus, but it is the kind of place you must seek out, whatever the location. You are not going to leave the ‘Haus hungry, or thirsty, and you will remember your visit as warm and toasty, even if the weather outside is not ‘frightful!’ The special Christmas Eve menu included a “Portion of fresh crisp oven roasted Goose”, and we are lucky to get the last ‘portion’. It is a huge leg attached to a piece of breast (goose breasts don’t have an awful lot of meat), and it is the kind of thing that, even though it is as big as your forearm, you know that at some point you will have to pick it up and eat directly from the bone.
The smooth jazz station Love 94 (WLVE 93.9 FM) went off the air at 10 this morning, replaced by a rhythmic pop station called 93.9 FM-MIA whose tagline is "Move to the music," Clear Channel Radio Miami/Fort Lauderdale announced today.
"The station will feature popular up-tempo music from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and today," said an e-mailed Christmas Day press release. "To celebrate the launch, 93.9-FM MIA is airing commercial-free music from artists including the Bee Gees, Madonna, Prince, Justin Timberlake and Jennifer Lopez."
Now THERE'S a big step forward for South Florida radio!
I tuned in this afternoon, 3:45 - 4:15 p.m., and the station played The Spinners' Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl, Ace of Bass' Beautiful Life, TKA's One Way Love, a song I couldn't identify, Gnarls Barkley's Crazy, Human League's Don't You Want Me, Shaggy's Angel, CeCe Peniston's Finally and Michael Jackson's Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground).
Ohhhhhh! Ace of Base! Turn it up!
Okay, so where is the info on Love 94?
The release quotes Brian Olson, President/Market Manager for Clear Channel Radio Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, saying that Love 94's smooth jazz format will be revived on Clear Channel's high-def digital radio network, at 93.9 HD2. A letter posted at the new station's Web site doesn't specify a date for Love 94's return in HD but says listeners should check back after the holidays for more information.
"Digital radio HD2 network?" Is that like satellite radio or what? I don't get it. Literally and figuratively.
Look, I know a lot of you weren't fans of Love 94 and during the last couple years even I couldn't take their sickly sweet smooth jazz format that seemed to play the same songs again and again. But Love 94 is the first place I learned of groups like Everything But The Girl, The Rippingtons, and Hiroshima. And, yeah, it was the only place in South Florida that you stood half a chance of hearing Pat Metheny, God's gift to contemporary jazz, or some of the more obscure and better stuff by Van Morrison or Sade. But over the years, they had lost a number of their DJs including Gina Martell, who did a great job with her spotlight on Brazilian jazz, and their playlist had turned terribly stale. But they still offered listeners an alternative to the pop junk that seems to thrive in South Florida and for that reason, and Stu Grant's wonderful Sunday Jazz Brunch, they deserved a spot on the dial, in my opinion. If you check out the comments in the Sun-Sentinel post, you'll see that a lot of people feel the same way.
Personally, I'm going to miss them. But more than that I'm going to hate having another station that plays nothing but mindless, fatuous, meaningless music. Something that we already have too much of in broadcast radio.
Thanks Clear Channel.
******
The highbrow intelligentsia at babalu who can't seem to construct a sentence without a four-letter word...
...take issue with this post [although they exert their dominance and thump their chests by not linking here]....
Jazz on Miami radio died when WBUS ("The Magic Bus") went off the air many, many moons ago. These days it's resurrected somewhat by the only local radio refuge for real jazz: WDNA. They play a great variety of jazz, including lots of Afro-Cuban jazz. They play real jazz, not pussified "love jazz," or the modern crap that some call "jazz" that so many are all atwitter about. Coltrane, Bird, Sonny Rollins, Brubeck, Weather Report, Getz, Bill Evans, Sarah Vaughan, Basie, Miles, Diz, Paquito d'Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, Chico O'Farrill, Tito Puente, the late Cachao. Real music. Real jazz. Real improvisational genius.
I know the liberal progressive metrosexual pussymen are all up in (bangled) arms about Love 94 going belly up, about not hearing that favorite Kenny G masterpiece while sipping on their non-fat lattes and reading The New York Times; but all I have to say is: buh-bye.
George needs to put down that Little Debbie cake and listen up although I have to admit that he knows jazz well enough to refer to Dizzy Gillespie as "Diz." And he doesn't even use Miles Davis' last name! F*ckin' A!
But the fact is that Love 94 played every single artist that he mentions. Not all the time, mind you, but during special segments or programs that were regularly featured. Not that it matters much because once George gets a whiff that anything isn't oozing testosterone, the conservative in him takes over and the 'phobe comes out in full glory. Music is a measure of your manliness you see.
All cavemen agree.
P.S. Thanks for reading, George. You guys just can't stay away can you? No matter how hard you try, you just gotta see what I'm writing. Pitiful.
P.P.S. WTF is a national blog about Cuba doing discussing Love 94 anyway?
******
WDNA Operations Manager educates Moneo in babalu's comments section.
The enjoyment of jazz is independent of one's political framework. Though I would like to point out that:
1. Jazz tends to be progressive in spirit and attitude; and,
2. The bunk Love94 played was very popular with men 45+ who considered themselves "conservative."
But let's not cloud the main point: WDNA appreciates your support and patronage, regardless of who you voted for, as nothing is more American than the music this great nation birthed.
Kind regards,
Joe Cassara Operations Manager WDNA-FM
But, of course, trying to share facts with Moneo is like trying to serve broccoli to a two year old.
Joe, to echo Henry, I cannot think of one of my conservative friends who listened to that crap station. Zero, zilch. Methinks your Obama filter needs changin'...
Caveman says "Ugh."
Also, from the Sun-Sentinel comments...
Let Clear Channel know you are pissed off.
John Hogan - CEO or Tom Owens / SVP of Programming Clear Channel Communications , Inc. 200 East Basse Road San Antonio, TX 78209
I understand their email is first name + last name @clearchannel.com
As regular readers of SFDB are fully aware, one of the things I try to do here is keep an up-to-date blogroll for readers to reference. So with that in mind, here we go with another installment of refreshing the SFDB Blogroll.
Hellos
Mood Vane: So many of the South Florida blogs that I am following are Miami-Dade centric. So it's nice to discover one that does a great job in covering Fort Lauderdale. Here's how Mood Vane's Courtney Hambright describes herself and her blog...
I am a professional writer with a big heart and a grinning mind. I am interested in people of note and ordinary folks, music, movies, books, stand-up comedy, oddities and the living of life. I have a few personal writing projects that are important to me, and Moodvane is one of them. Moodvane is my blog, a place where I share my photographs, experiences and opinions. Check in from time to time for a couple of regularly (weekly) featured pieces.
Victorian literature and rock ‘n’ roll forever.
Mood Vane has been up and running since April 2008 and uses the WordPress platform. Courtney loves integrating photos into her posts and you'll find lots of them in the 3-column format that she uses. Dipping back into the archives, it appears as though Mood Vane posts every 3 to 4 days.
I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to getting some rare Broward County coverage on the blogroll.
Rat Radio: Head south down the coast from Mood Vane's territory and you eventually run into the Keys Key Biscayne, which is where Rat Radio is written by Rafa. While the Keys Key Biscayne is given a lot of attention in Rat Radio, Rafa also likes to cover interesting stories that occur in South Florida in general, so you get a fairly good mix of subject matter.
Rat Radio has posted inconsistently since its inception last January, but for the most part it looks like Rafa is trying to come up with something new at least once a a week.
Welcome to both Mood Vane and Rat Radio!
Unfortunately, we also have to say adios to blogs when they stop posting or slow down to a degree that makes it hard to keep them on the blogroll. As a point of information, if a blog hasn't posted anything in 2 months or so, I tend to move it to the inactive file.
Here are a few that you will no longer see on the SFDB blogroll.
I'm not a big one for movie reviews but I saw Milk last night at the Gateway in Fort Lauderdale and, well,.....
See it.
Now.
Quite simply, it's an extraordinary Oscar performance by Sean Penn who truly becomes Harvey Milk in the film. Perfect for the times that we're going through, this flick one you deserve to see on a big screen. And it's not just me saying this.
Funny story. After watching this powerful movie, I wandered out into the lobby of the theater where I found a comment board. Gateway provides a space for movie patrons to write their comments on index cards and then tack them onto a posting pole of sorts for everyone to read. Well, I was reading all these complimentary and inspirational thoughts on the movie when, placed right in the middle of them, I found this one...
I was kind of disappointed with the movie because I thought it was going to be about cows.
After having just viewed a very intense and solemn story and then reading a bunch of contemplative comments, that one comment was very well received, to say the least, by me and my friend.
For some reason, there's a bunch of really depressing news out there this morning. Here's some of the highlights and lowlights from today's mainstream media.
A- Sun-Sentinel: Because the egrets can get nasty sometimes.
Beginning Jan. 9, visitors to Everglades National Park and most other U.S. wildlife refuges will be permitted to pack a concealed weapon along with their mosquito repellent and sunscreen as they head out into the great outdoors.
A Fort Lauderdale man faces a reckless driving charge after he was caught driving [through Marathon] at more than 100 mph and then threatened to shoot himself as officers approached, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said.
• Gasoline hit $4 a gallon -- and those were the good times.
• On several occasions, Saturday Night Live was funny.
• There were a few days there in October when you could not completely rule out the possibility that the next Treasury Secretary would be Joe the Plumber.
A 6-year-old girl was killed at Miami International Airport on Friday after a taxi slammed into her when she fell off a luggage cart on which she was riding.
The accident occurred at the airport's lower level Concourse E at about 7:10 p.m. as the family left the airport.
F- Herald: I think they call it it closing the barn door after the horse is out.
After months of stinging criticism for letting crooks and con artists prey on Florida borrowers, regulators have proposed sweeping changes in state law that would make Florida one of the most tightly regulated mortgage markets in the country.
MIAMI (CBS4) ― Sedrek A. Singelton, a homeless man in Miami, according to police, beat to death a man over the way he looked at him.
Sedrek A. Singleton, 29, was charged on Friday with first-degree murder of a homeless man, telling Miami police he beat the victim to death because he didn't like the way he 'looked' at him.
Police said that Singleton confessed to the beating, admitting he was angered over "the wrong way" that Todd Hill looked at him.
According to Miami police, Hill, 41, was sleeping on a park bench behind the River Park Hotel in downtown Miami at SE 88th Avenue and 4th Street when he was attacked around 4:00 a.m.
The police report said the weapon used was an iron bar.
Hill, whom friends said was a war veteran, was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center where died a short time later.
I suppose the very late Sift that was done last night took some of the punch out of this morning's collection of posts. I thus present to you a very short morning Sift...
B- An exhibit of Salvador Dali works can be viewed at the Freedom Tower, according to Mayor Manny.
The City of Miami, due to the efforts of Miami Dade College, has been able to bring us Dali’s “Divine Comedy”, on display at the Freedom Tower. The “Divine Comedy” is Dali’s visual interpretation of Dante’s classic piece of literature, and presents the viewer with a combination of jarring and beautiful imagery.
It's a little late tonight but, hey it's Friday...whattayou expect? Here's your late evening Sift...
A- Get your Sift started with a whole bunch of holiday goodness from Miami Fever.
B- Miami Bike Scene says that Miami Beach is getting something called B-Cycle.
I've been told Miami Beach will be one of the US cities getting B-cycle, a bicycle sharing program inspired by Velib in Paris, France. Not sure on the exact date but apparently happening within the next year.
C- AshAndBurn samples some delicious looking stone crab.
D- Man or Maniac shares one of his Christmas traditions.
These are my maniacal Christmas socks, blazing cheerily through cold mornings since 1982.
E- Miami Vegan is having a CD Release Party and Birthday Party tomorrow night in North Miami Beach.
F- The Phin Phanatic has the 5 keys to a Dolphin victory over the Jets this weekend.
If we go back to week 1would you have believed then that in week 17 we would be talking about a rematch with the Jets that had playoff implications and a division title on the line? For Miami? Of course not. If we went back to week 1 we would have said that a solid effort would have been acceptable…for week 1. Now, 15 weeks later and a “solid effort” only means that the Miami Dolphins are watching the post-season from the warm confines of home instead of the warm confines of Dolphins Stadium on Wild Card Weekend.
Mr. Pardo decides to dress up like Santa Claus and exercise every single word of his 2nd Amendment rights...
A man stinging from a bitter divorce went to his former in-laws' Christmas Eve party dressed as Santa, opened fire and methodically set their Covina house ablaze, killing at least eight people, authorities said Thursday.
The gunman killed himself hours later. Police identified him as Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, 45, a Southern California aerospace industry worker who may have recently lost his job.
[...]
The frenzied shooting occurred late Wednesday night at a two-story house on a cul-de-sac in Covina, about 22 miles east of Los Angeles. An 8-year-old girl ran to the door to answer Pardo's knock, police said. He shot her in the face, stepped into the house and began to fire indiscriminately with a semi-automatic handgun.
People who escaped the house got out by smashing through glass and jumping out of windows. One woman broke an ankle when she leapt from a second-floor window.
Police said Pardo later killed himself with a single gunshot to the head at his brother's home in Sylmar, a community in Los Angeles about 40 miles from the house in Covina.
This might be a prime time to once again discuss how guns don't kill people.
Slim pickins in the mainstream media today. Take a look...
A- Palm Beach Post: A couple South Floridians are on the upcoming new Real World on MTV.
All Katelynn Cusanelli was trying to do was give a friend a ride to Miami.
But that ride began a journey that continued on to a reality show in New York City and, if Cusanelli has her way, will end in a happy and uplifting place.
"I want to use this as an opportunity to educate the public at large. Everything else is circumstantial," says the 24-year-old former Palm Beach Community College student, who makes her debut on Jan. 7 as the first ever transsexual cast member on MTV's reality stalwart The Real World, on its 21st season.
[...]
"I never expected to be selected," says Cusanelli, who "as a '90s kid grew up watching that show."
But she was, indeed, cast on the show, along with a hipster Mormon, a gay dolphin trainer from Miami Beach, a personal trainer/model, a former teen beauty queen and a former U.S. Army member who guarded Saddam Hussein.
B- Sun-Sentinel: Hey, I thought they were supposed to help.
A Road Ranger hit two cars, injuring the driver and three other people Thursday morning while en route to assist a vehicle stopped on westbound Interstate 595 near Pine Island Road, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.
The back of Road Ranger David Grimstead's truck spun sideways and swiped the side of a Nissan when Grimstead applied his brakes on the wet highway, trying to help the driver of a stopped Ford just before 11 a.m., FHP spokesman Sgt. Mark Wysocky said. The truck then bounced off the Nissan and rear-ended the stopped Ford, Wysocky said.
Police say that parents who reported the Tuesday disappearance of their 6-month-old child, Riley Archer Buchness, were lying.
Miami police spokesman Willie Moreno put it simply Friday morning.
''The mom was lying,'' he said.
Police said there was no child, and the mother, Meagan McCormic, had actually had a miscarriage six months ago.
She had used the fake existence of the baby to lure back an ex-boyfriend, who had traveled south to Miami from whereabouts unknown to meet his supposed son.
Northern St. Lucie County has a coyote problem that has been escalating over the past several months, according to county Animal Control Officer Ricardo Pellot.
"The coyotes are everywhere," Pellot said. "I've seen three killed by cars on Kings Highway. It's been about six or eight months since we've noticed them coming out more."
DiFrancesco, whose homestead is off Okeechobee Road, just west of Florida's Turnpike, knows that all too well: He recently lost four animals to the ever-daring and clever creatures.
"Last week I lost two sheep and two goats to the coyotes," DiFrancesco said. "So far I can't catch them. They took three babies, one lamb and two goats and tore them to shreds. The last one they took was a big 120-pound sheep right up by the fence."
I was driving around town today and was kinda in the mood for some Christmas music so I punched up Love 94 and expected to hear the tail end of their Christmas Music Marathon they've been playing since early November. Well, guess what? Love 94 is now 94 MIA or something like that and they're playing dance music. No more smooth jazz in Miami, folks. Their website sort of confirms it. And although most of you probably only knew them for their "elevator music," Stu Grant did a real nice job with the Sunday Jazz Brunch that I will truly miss.
As you might expect, things were kinda light around the SoFla blogosphere today. I only found a few things for your evening Sift...
B- Jeff Eats is mad about Scully's Tavern on Sunset Dr. in Miami-Dade.
Scully’s is an absolute “must try.” Take a look at this joint’s website www.scullystavern.net for menu/prices/deatils. When you check the website, there are a handful of photos that will have you thinking that… this is a neighborhood “run-of-the-mill- pub”…loaded with the standard flat screen tvs and mediocre food. WRONG!!! Okay, its got the tv screens, but the food in this joint is off-the-chart…I am telling you, that many of the dishes that this joint makes, rivals the stuff served in some of South Florida’s top-rated restaurants. Throw in the fact, that the prices are neighborhhod-pub prices and you got a home-run joint.
D- Tilefortlauderdale released Patsy and Petey at Birch State Park today.
After chatting madly in the Pea Patch time and time again...Petey eventually invited Patsy around to his Pad in P-town for Pasta and Pinot Grigio. That went well, and soon they were a Pair. In the wintertime, they would walk around town in their Parkas and go for Pizza. Sometimes they’d hit a diner to see their server friend Pink Poodles. Occasionally, they’d enjoy a day at the Park or visit the candy store where Petey would get Pecan chocolate chunks and Patsy would get Peppermint chocolate chip ice cream. They took little day trips to other nearby P-towns like Pompano and sometimes all the way to Pahokee. Along the way, they took lots of Photos, whenever they remembered their cameras.
A lot of Christmas stories in the mainstream media this morning for some reason. Here's some of the highlights.
A- Herald: Dwyane Wade gives a family a house for Christmas. And makes the family give him all their matches.
MIAMI -- When Dwyane Wade heard the plight of a South Florida woman whose nephew accidentally burned down her home - and ruined all the family's possessions - the Miami Heat star knew he had to do something.
So he helped the family move into a new home, just in time for Christmas.
Wade presented Dawn Smith with the ultimate Christmas gift on Wednesday - the keys to a her new house, along with some furnishings, clothing and gifts to make sure her family has a joyous holiday, something that didn't seem likely just a few weeks ago.
B- Herald: Let's all hope for more economic disasters!
Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff thinks so and is proposing that the city turn some of those would-be condo properties into temporary parks. Amid the dour economic climate, it will likely be years before developers build anything there, even in prime, waterfront locations.
Call it rent-a-park.
Sarnoff, following the lead of a Seattle program that turns vacant land into community gardens, has approached several local developers.
One, Tibor Hollo, is poised to grant Miami use of his 1201 Brickell Bay Drive property -- future home of the two-tower, 787-unit Villa Magna project -- for the next three years at a lease rate of $1 a year.
The Brickell-area property boasts panoramic views of downtown in a densely-populated neighborhood lacking park space.
''Every cloud has a silver lining,'' Sarnoff said of Miami's now-lackluster real estate market. ``And the silver lining for the citizens of Miami is that they get to have a waterfront park.''
Christmas Day is here, and what an inauspicious time it is for celebrating. Americans are hunkering down to weather the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Confidence in the stock market is eroding, retirement and 401(k) funds are shrinking, the U.S. automobile industry is nearly bankrupt, our soldiers are risking their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 11 million of us are unemployed and looking for jobs that seem to disappear faster than applications can be completed.
On this Christmas Day, there clearly is much that ails America -- and the world, too. But there is this: Hard times have often been an opportunity to reflect on what is most precious in our lives. It is a time for remembering and holding fast to our truest values, a reminder of our unshakable belief in family, faith, friendship, love, caring and sharing.
D- Sun-Sentinel: We don't need no stinkin' SunPass.
New toll lanes on Interstate 95 have sped up the daily commute for nearly 18,000 drivers willing to pay for a quicker trip.
Even those staying in the free lanes are moving a little faster.
But the express lanes also have become a temptation for those who don't want to pay the toll.
Records show 15,683 motorists who didn't pay for the privilege evaded the tolls during the first week after the express lanes opened Dec. 5 on a 7-mile stretch of northbound I-95 in Miami-Dade County.
B- Miami Bike Scene has the info on the Ride the Rickenbacker event scheduled for January.
Bicyclists are invited to “Ride the Rickenbacker” in celebration of the completion of improvements to the Rickenbacker Causeway and on- and off-road bicycle lanes on Saturday, January 10, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., across from the Crandon Park Marina at the Bear Cut Preserve. Free parking will be available at Crandon Park until noon for bicyclists who choose to “drive to ride.”
Northbound traffic lanes will be closed from Crandon Park to the West Bridge from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Traffic will be re-routed to the southbound lanes.
Shame on me, I suppose, for not spending at least part of the last 25 years that I've lived in South Florida trying to decipher what grilling a pig has anything to do with the birth of Jesus. Here all along I thought it was all about a virgin and immaculate conception and the Son of God.
But I need to put that all aside because right now, in the middle of zero-lot line South Florida suburbia, my neighbor, who I now clearly know likes Latin music, is celebrating Christmas in his backyard by filling the humid tropical air with smoke and salsa. I suppose he believes all of his neighbors should share his desire for roast pork and heavy bass beats, because, as is often the case with these type of people*, the world revolves around them.
It's a good thing that I'm in such a Chrismassy mood because if I hadn't listened to Brenda Lee sing Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree 10 times today, I swear I would throw open the window, point my speakers in the general direction of Mr. Suave and crank Van Halen's Runnin' With The Devil.
Because doesn't he deserve the same amount of much disruption to his night as he feels comfortable doling out to the neighborhood?
I hope Santa gets here quick and resolves all of this.
*Before anyone cries "racist!" as is often the case around here, "these type of people" refers to those who tend to blast their music at inappropriate times of the day or night.
Only once a year do I get to write this Sift and it's the only one written with Christmas music playing in the background. By the way, did you notice it's snowing at the top of the page?
It was surprisingly busy in the SoFla blogosphere today, so let's get to it...
A- Jeff Eats says Little Hoolie's in Kendall has a little something extra special going for it.
Just so we are straight...if booze-tvs-food were the “game” here, this would be a joint for NEIGHBORHOOD FOLKS ONLY. But… Little Hoolie’s has something going for it, that makes it a “destination” spot for others on Friday and Saturday nights…that “something”...the joint hosts some of the best cover/and originals bands in South Florida.
A recent visit introduced me to a band, “Mr. Nice Guy” www.mngband.com...and I have to tell you, that my party of 4 had an absolute blast, eating/drinking and listening/dancing to these guys. By the way, I checked the websites of past/future booked bands and Little Hoolie’s has talented bands working its stage. There are no cover charges.
Inspirational keyboard performances dominated local stages in 2008 with a third of the top ten performances coming from feats of pianistic derring-do. Here is the roll call of the year’s finest classical music performances.
C- Man or Maniac gives me one more reason why not to own a cat.
A young doctor came into to look at the wound. He asked for my history, I gave it. He looked at me and said "You do realize that we will have to admit you to treat this, right?" I confessed that by this time, I was not surprised. "OK, then."
They gave me a robe, they drew some blood. I gave a history again. Dr. Lam came in to look. I gave the history again, she looked very stern. She felt the swollen area. "Can you feel that?" I nodded. "But I can feel the swelling when I move my hand," I replied.
"Hmmm," she pondered me. "We might need a surgical consult."
D- Eye on Miami casts a wary eye at the U.S. economy and makes a couple predictions.
Here is my prediction: the stock markets will not turn upward until hedge funds stop panic selling in response to redemption calls from frightened wealthy investors. The excessive leverage in the US financial system-- tens of trillions of dollars-- has to fully resolve and that is going to take time. In the first half of 2008, half of all hedge funds could disappear. The fiscal stimulus plan by the Obama administration will only help if tax dollars are used to form the nucleus for a new energy economy: if the only purpose is to build roads, bridges, and serving existing infrastructure-- the fiscal stimulus could provoke a deeper Depression; this one unfolding from stagflation.
The good news? We are not likely to have a 1929 style run on the banks-- we were near to it, in October. But I do think unemployment will soar and that the reliance of retirees on dwindling savings is going to be severely tested throughout 2009 and 2010.
Let's be clear, too, about this: the housing sector such as represented by the Latin Builders Association in Miami is spent, as a lever to improve the economy. Its false promises are finished. There is too much inventory to absorb and too much financial turbulence to work through: our focus has to be on rebuilding the atrophied sectors of the US economy, starting with energy.
There will be inflation at the back end of this deflation. The only way we will beat inflation is if we are producing and making products that the world wants to buy. It is back to basics, right now; create value through manufacturing, technology, and a cogent response to the health care emergency.
I knew when I started this I wasn't going to be getting any journalism awards and certainly no one was going to be offering me any six-figure book deals.
But I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I clicked on New Times Riptide 2.0 and learned that New Times writer Kyle Munzenrieder called this blog (along with Carlos Miller's blog) "two of Miami's best blogs."
And that makes everything I've done for the past 10 months worth every minute.
H- Mayor Manny wants everyone to have a green holiday.
I- The Phin Phanatic does a very comprehensive breakdown of the important pro football games that are coming up this weekend.
There are the “playoffs” and then there is the “real playoffs”. For several teams this weekend, week 17, must win games are exactly the same as the “real playoffs”. The only difference is the bonus attached to the real games played in the post-season.
For some teams, it’s a “rest your starters” type of weekend because they can’t go up or down in their seeding. For others it’s win and get some help and others it’s simply do or die. Here is a breakdown of each NFL team AFC and NFC with “Post-Season” aspirations.
J- Great vintage video of Mariel refugees protesting outside the OB in 1980 from Rakontur. I love the police car.
He tracked down my phone number and told me he would find me and beat me up and maybe kill me, I didn't understand it all, he has a thick accent. It happened at 11 am today.
I had a witness who heard it all on the speaker phone and I have notified the police.
Just thought you should know. Just in case you don't see me around anymore.
L- Miamism recommends some SoFla blogs to read and SFDB makes the cut.
