Your Evening Sift

Well, Dad is here. His Southwest Airlines flight got into Fort Lauderdale right on schedule. However, if any of you out there want a real challenge, try to concentrate on writing with Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity blasting in the next room. This, folks, is not going well.

Here's your frustrated evening Sift.

A- Artlurker reviews the Abstract Cinema and Technology exhibit at MOCA North Miami.

Curated by MOCA Executive Director and Chief Curator Bonnie Clearwater in association with MOCA Exhibition Coordinator Kevin Arrow the exhibition showcases a large number of works of various sizes and lengths by a range of artists who broke boundaries in film making since 1921 and those currently working with abstract moving images. Similar to the Pivot Points exhibitions showcased by the museum in 2007 there were no heady and hard to fathom or tenuous concepts; to the contrary this inviting exhibition, which presents an engaging vista of seductive screens is both interesting and beautiful in its simplicity.

B- Random Pixels comments on what was discussed at yesterday's panel discussion titled, "Miami: A No Newspaper Town?"

C- The Tiny JEWELbox's Kindle is causing a stir in public places.

I still can't take it out to read in public much. I went to Starbucks once, grabbed a tea and a scone and curled up in a stuffed chair. I pulled the Kindle out of my bag and prepared to read. I only had an hour to spare. But when folks realized what it was, they started asking questions--What is that? How does it work? Where did you get it? Can I see it? A crowd gathered. The hour passed and I hadn't read a page.

D- Have a soft spot in your heart for chihuahuas? I Shot The Chef has something you might be interested in.

A friend of mine came across this little tiny (5 pound) chihuahua a few days ago. Stephan and I just couldn’t let her go to animal control. She looked as if she had been well fed, but had not been to a vet (or bathed) in many years. She was quite the stinker. Its sad that someone can neglect such a precious creature.

E- How difficult is it to get to Florida's capital? Eye on Miami takes a look and tells us.

It has always been hard to fly from anywhere to Tallahassee: the only people who can afford to fly there at the last minute are special interests. The cost of getting to Tallahassee is a high barrier to public involvement in the making of laws: the worst kept secret in Florida.

Here are few examples. Would you like to fly next Monday from Miami, for a last minute appeal on an issue that concerns you? The lowest fare is $818. You can fly to Los Angeles, the same day, non-stop for $637. Next Monday, you could fly back and forth to Washington, DC twice for the cost of flying to Tallahassee and still have enough left over to make a sizable political contribution.

F- Brickell Life tells us about the efforts of one Democrat to make newspapers non-profit organizations.

[Democratic Senator Benjamin] Cardin's Newspaper Revitalization Act would allow newspapers to operate as nonprofits for educational purposes under the U.S. tax code, giving them a similar status to public broadcasting companies.

Under this arrangement, newspapers would still be free to report on all issues, including political campaigns. But they would be prohibited from making political endorsements. Advertising and subscription revenue would be tax exempt, and contributions to support news coverage or operations could be tax deductible.

G- The South Florida Punch takes a look at Wine 69, which has apparently changed its approach to fit the times.

Recently, Wine 69 stripped the tables of its white linens and altered its prices to meet the pressures of the lagging economy. Wine bottles drank on premises are being sold at retail value, plus a $10 corkage fee. Happy hour/early bird specials have also taken over. Arrive between 6 and 8 pm, and flights cost the time that you order. So, if you order a flight at 6:16pm, you will pay $6.16 for it. That’s a nice deal, since these are regularly priced from $13-$16.

H- South Florida Theatre Scene offers their weekly wrap up.

I- Incertus reflects the sentiments of the many Americans who don't hang on Sean Hannity's every word.

And when I see the way people talk about Barack Obama's presidency, I am befuddled. I understand that the economic problems the country is facing require "immediate action," but I didn't expect to wake up on January 21st and see that all the problems are fixed. Did the pundits? I didn't expect to wake up on Februrary 21st and see everything fixed. And I didn't expect to wake up on March 21st and see everything fixed.

[...]

But I have not nor have I seen an iota of "disappointment with" or "frustration with" Barack Obama, and I find the suggestion, widespread among the punditocracy, that he has somehow already failed us after only 2 months in the White House to be childish and absurd. All the laypersons I know expect the recession to go on for some time. We don't have a sense of the economy as a dirt bike that stops and starts and jumps and crashes and rights itself and jumps again... we have a sense of the economy as a super-tanker at sea, one that takes a long time to turn, or stop, or start, the kind of ship you'll lay on the beach for hours before you surprise yourself by realizing that it was once nearer your left, and now it's nearer your right.

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