Your Evening Sift

Well, we made it through yet another week. Posting was very light around the blogosphere so you'll be able to whip right through tonight's Sift...

A- Justice Building Blog claims an "assist."

There are many ways we have, over the years, snatched innocent clients from the maw of the state. But suffice to say the comment below leads us to believe this is the first time we have ever contributed to a not guilty by virtue of our humble work here...

B- The Burger Beast checks out Stop Burger and Fries in Weston and finds that it is mediocre at best.

Both Ed and John really disliked the Hot Dog which I just found average. The best part was probably the Wings and the low point were the onion rings which were flavorless.

C- The Tiny JEWELBox profiles a Broward business called We Take The Cake which sounds like a pretty cool place to get your cake.

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Friday Flashback

B-52's, Rock Lobster


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Twitter Is Teh Gay And Kid Rock Is Still Irrelevant

From the genius performing artist who hasn't had a hit in 10 years, let's sit back and listen as his brain cells go into overdrive once again...

While many celebrities have flocked to Twitter, spurring the service to set up verified accounts, one musician who won’t be tweeting in the foreseeable future is Kid Rock.

The singer-songwriting rapper told Rolling Stone magazine that Twitter is “gay” and that “if one more person asks me if I have a Twitter, I’m going to tell them, ’Twitter this s**t, motherf**ker’. I don’t have anything to say, and what I have to say is not that relevant. Anything that is relevant, I’m going to bottle it up and then squeeze it onto a record somewhere”.

Exactly. Why waste all that creativity on a stupid 140-character social media tool when you can "bottle it up" and put it in a song like "Balls In Your Mouth."


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News That Makes The Little Limbaughs Sad

Because what's good for America...

WASHINGTON – The economy sank at a pace of just 1 percent in the second quarter of the year, a new government report shows. It was a better-than-expected showing that provided the strongest signal yet that the longest recession since World War II is finally winding down.

[...]

Obama's stimulus package of tax cuts and increased government spending provided some support to second-quarter economic activity. But it will have more impact through the second half of this year and will carry a bigger punch in 2010, economists said.

Is bad for Limbaugh Republicans.





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The Beer Caucus

Yesterday's extraordinary meeting at the White House between the President, Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Sergeant James Crowley has produced the typical shallow partisan rhetoric you might expect from Republicans where they concentrate on the types of beer the men choose and lamented how this was just another photo op.

Being the Party of No! and wanting the President and America to fail, who really can expect anything else. And I don't.

As is usual, I find that the words of progressive South Florida blogger Bark Bark Woof Woof do a great job in summarizing my feelings on this gathering...

Events like these are like Rorschach tests; you take away from it what you want to see. Some saw it as a cynical attempt by the president to recover from his "acting stupidly" moment at his press conference where he lifted the veil on his anger and hatred for white people (if you listen to someone like Glenn Beck); some saw it as just another photo op on the White House lawn -- like when Arafat and Rabin shook hands -- that papered over the real differences between the parties and nothing's really changed; and some saw it as one more way that Barack Obama has confounded the conventional wisdom and demonstrated that no matter how smugly convinced you are that you think you know what he will do, he goes and does something that is completely unexpected yet lands him on his feet with a gentle "ta-da!" It's a touch of grace, self-awareness, and political savvy that I haven't seen in a president since JFK. And it answers the perpetual and blindingly irrelevant question that pollsters whip out every election cycle: who would you rather have a beer with?

[...]

Staged events like this rarely accomplish anything in themselves, but it does set an example. Take away the hype and the artifice of the lighting, sets, props and costumes (notice that the most casually dressed people in the picture were the most powerful) and what you have is, to coin a phrase, a "teachable moment" that goes beyond the issue of race and profiling and a presidential Kinsley moment: committing a gaffe by speaking the truth. We Americans can accomplish a lot more by sitting down and actually getting to know each other than we can by relying on preconceived notions of race, class, and profession. So if this little beer bash accomplished anything -- besides boosting the market share of Bud Light, Bucklers, Sam Adams, and Blue Moon beers -- it may get the cop and the prof in other places like Toledo or Albuquerque or Miami to sit down and have a beer between themselves.

Getting people to talk to each other instead of shouting at each other is a noble goal no matter what beer is sipped or how many photos are taken.

Watching Fox News commentary, listening to conservative radio, and reading right wing blogs makes you realize just how little interest some Republicans have in elevating themselves to this level of discourse.

I couldn't end this post without including Old Grover's image.




-White House photo courtesy The White House Blog


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The Cooler

A rooster gets thrown off the island, and other stories, this morning in your Cooler.

A- Herald: Killing them softly.

In a letter to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Thursday, PETA expressed concern over the prescribed methods for hunters participating in a new eradication program to euthanize Burmese python with either ``a blunt or sharp hand-held device.''

The group argued that while American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines for euthanasia approve of ``cranial concussion'' for reptiles, it also advises following up by cutting off an animal's head or otherwise severing its spinal cord.

B- Herald: Home is where the homeless are.

Three years ago, few cared about the ragtag outcasts living under the Julia Tuttle Causeway.

Now, two lawsuits and a groundswell of national media coverage later, potential housing options for the convicted sex offenders are being negotiated among state and local officials, with legal challenges poised to fly through the courts. Even Gov. Charlie Crist has pledged to do his part to find a resolution.

But there is just one snag no one seemed to see coming: The sex offenders themselves are reluctant to leave their ramshackle abodes, no matter how deplorable their isolated existence has become.

C- Herald: Video, Mr. Clucky gets the boot.



D- Herald: A guide to the 9 top pizza places in South Florida. No Spris.

To qualify as makers of new-generation gourmet pizza, these restaurants do Old World style baking in a brick or stone oven that might burn wood, gas or, in the case of the Brooklyn-style, coal.

In the words of baking guru Peter Reinhart, ``crust is at least 80 percent of the pizza experience. The crust is the unifier . . . and the toppings play off of it.''

E- Sun-Sentinel: Chan Lowe.

F- WSVN: Skippy succumbs to the rules of Darwin. On word for Ms. Carroll: leash.

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A woman is in anguish after her dogs wandered over to a lake where an alligator attacked them, killing one.

Neighbors said they heard a commotion on Sunday. When they looked to see what was going on, it was too late. "It was pretty heartbreaking," said Karen Carroll, whose dog Skippy, a cocker spaniel mix, was mauled to death by the alligator.

G- TC Palm: "Frat house with guns."

SUBURBAN WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- It was an anonymous letter sent to Sheriff Ric Bradshaw that started a review. The letter contained allegations of Lt. Paula Kronsperger sleeping with numerous higher ups to rise to a position of authority.

The letter, at this point largely comprised of rumor and innuendo, names names and paints a picture of the department being like a frat house with guns.

[...]

Sources say Kronsperger did have an affair with a deputy who helped save her life during an altercation in Belle Glade. She would later become his superior and he was transferred after the department became aware of the affair.

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Your Latest Two Minutes Of Hate...

...from the right wing...




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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

It was a busy Thursday night in the South Florida blogosphere so I have a good amount of posts for you to peruse through in this Friday morning Sift...

A- Daily Cocaine stumbles upon some fish eggs and is quite excited about them.

When I popped into Food Giant on the Kennedy Causeway yesterday, I had no intention of buying anything other than a lemon for a simple linguine and bottarga dish. Passing by the meat/fish counter, I saw a sign that read "Mahi Row". I had an inkling, then a suspicion, and when I asked in Spanish I was told 'juevas'. Jackpot.

B- Miamism shows off some of Miami photographer Claudio Lovo's surrealist works.

C- So I guess En Vivo y En Directo is trying to top Ipanemic's cross country scooter ride.

So on the 9th of September we will board a 16 hour flight to Mumbai and then head to Goa, the starting point of the Autumn 2009 Edition of The Rickshaw Run.

D- The South Florida Beer Blog really enjoyed himself at The Pub in Pembroke Pines.

As soon as my friends and I walked in the door, the ambiance was overwhelming. You could tell this wasn't some wannabe Irish bar. The Pub is closely fashioned to a classic English pub. The wooden bar is the central focus. With its large size it takes up half of the place. It's made of quality hardwood that's simply beautiful. With multiple taps on all sides of this wrap-around bar, no beer is repeated twice which made it hard to decide which taps of beer I wanted to be closest to. The Pub has the traditional bronze taps you would find in any pub in England. The large selection of Scotch behind the bar is also amazing. The place immediately makes you feel at home.

E- 305 discovers that eating and drinking wine at a particular gas station in Miami can be an enjoyable experience.

So we met up in the back of the BP off of 17th street. Now, when you walk into the gas station, it's your typical setup. But when you walk into the back, you see the lights are darkened, and there's an entire wall of wines. Apparently, the restaurant El Carajo (I am always amused by their name) has a little mini restaurant in the back of the station. Complete with the full menu and no indication of such from the outside.

The food was actually pretty decent.

F- South Florida Lawyers notes a new way that at least Miami lawyer was using to drum up business.

G- Miami Bike Scene has the info on a Fort Lauderdale ride scheduled for this Tuesday.

H- Bark Bark Woof Woof has the latest clip of Daily Show brilliance.

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Your Evening Sift

Day One of my Four Day Weekend is in the bag and I am proud to say I took advantage of National Cheesecake Day at Sawgrass Mills. Who ahhh! Here's your slightly bloated evening Sift...

A- The Cuban Triangle points out some proposed legislation that would allow American oil companies to drill for oil near Cuba.

The bill was was co-sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. It encourages offshore oil development in U.S. waters. Its Section 6 also allows Americans to explore for oil, extract oil, and sell equipment for those activities in “any portion of any foreign exclusive economic zone that is contiguous to the exclusive economic zone of the United States.”

Which means “drill, baby, drill” – in Cuba.

B- Ipanemic surpasses 1.5 million views on his Flickr.

C- Tropic of Mom has her hands full.

So, today the Man-cub locked me out of the house. With himself, the Junebug and my keys inside.

Earlier in the week, he knocked over and broke dishes that had been handed down from my husband's family, played in the cat litter box and sifted the litter across the room.

D- Transit Miami advises that Miami is receiving more recognition for being bike friendly.

Bicycling Magazine has announced that they and Jamis Bicycles will be coming to Miami on August 27th.

The reason?

Miami has been selected as a “BikeTown.” This is no doubt due, at least in small part, to the continued advancements that the city has made since that very magazine ranked the city as one of the three worst in America in which to cycle.

E- Soul of Miami has the music schedule for the Van Dyke Cafe for the month of August posted.

F- Urban Environment League tells us about the plans FP&L has to double the size of the Turkey Point nuclear plant and what you can do to voice your opinion.

G- WSVN has commanded its employees, "You will tweet!," according to SFLTV.

Not sure what prompted the sudden orders but Wednesday and Thursday 7Newsies have been creating accounts and figuring out this twitter thing.

H- Miami Beach 411 gives us a nice wrap up of the Mr. Clucky controversy and has to go and ruin it with a tasteless pun at the end.

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SFDB's Not So Random Thought

Isn't it rather extraordinary that the people who have blamed President Obama during the last 7 months for all of this country's problems and hard times are the same ones who pretend that George W. Bush's presidency began a full nine months into his term on September 12, 2001?






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SFDB Missed SoFla Connection Of The Day

Definitely a finalist for The Most Ambiguous Missed Connection Ever.

Woman at the mall - m4w - 22 (that mall)

You were at the mall wearing a t-shirt and jeans. I noticed because I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, and instantly felt connected to you! You looked over like you were looking for a store but I know you felt the connection too! It was probably a week and a half ago this happened.

You - Female, two breasts of B or C cup (though they could be A's that're stuffed or D's that are overly covered and crushed). Light brown hair with some blonde, so I can't really tell what color it was, but it was of average length. You were between 5'2 and 5'7, average build, probably with brown eyes but who could tell from halfway across the mall? No idea what mall it was, I have a bad memory. Skin color was probably white, though you may have been hispanic, and you could be anywhere from 18 to 37, it's just so hard to tell in that lighting.

Me - Average looking guy with completely average features, jeans and t-shirt, 5'10 with short brown hair and brown eyes.

I know you're just like me and had to go into missed connections to check daily for this so I figured I'd make the first move and put this ad up knowing that you will know exactly who I am and who you are. I'll be at the mall again tonight wearing a t-shirt that has a generic one-liner on it, send me an email later telling me what it said.

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Your Two Minutes Of Hate...

...from the right wing...




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The Cooler

Another busy day in the mainstream media although it looks like a South Beach rooster is the center of attention...

A- Herald: Go Mr. Clucky!

Mr. Clucky is going to Miami Beach City Hall Thursday morning, which is when the local celebrity chicken will learn whether or not he will be exiled from Miami Beach.

City code enforcement told Mr. Clucky's owner, Mark Buckley, that farm animals are not allowed to live in Miami Beach and that the chicken and his publicity-shy girlfriend, Wallflower, must leave Buckley's Jefferson Avenue studio apartment.

Buckley is crying fowl -- uh, foul. He argued that the chicken delights many children when it rides in his basket along Lincoln Road and has become an ambassador for the city.

B- Herald: I know the perfect blogger to get to the bottom of this.

Two men impersonating police officers are on the run after shooting a man early Thursday in Northwest Miami-Dade.

Laura Magnum and husband Paul, who own a fire restoration business, were heading to a job about 4:15 a.m. When they realized they had forgotten their notebooks at home, they turned around to get them.

As they neared their neighborhood, Laura Magnum said a dark Dodge Charger with flashing red and blue lights pulled them over near Northeast 111th Street and 14th Avenue. Once the couple pulled over, they were told over a loud speaker to get out of the car.

As Paul Magnum got out of his car, Laura Magnum said, two men got out of the Charger. One was carrying a baseball bat.

``They came at him with the bat. They hit him in the back with the bat, and then he started fighting with them,'' Laura Magnum said. ``They ended up in the bushes, where they shot him twice.''

C- Herald: Making sure we stay scared.

``Yes, it seems slow compared to the last couple of years, but this is nothing out of the ordinary,'' said Dennis Feltgen, spokesman for the National Hurricane Center in West Miami-Dade County.

Many a hurricane season has started slowly, only to accelerate right about now. In 2004, for instance, the first named storm didn't pop up until the last day of July.

``That was the same year that had Charlie, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne,'' Feltgen said. ``We ended up with 15 named storms.''

D- Herald: Run, doggies, run!

Dog lovers and their pooches didn't let bad weather deter them from celebrating the grand opening of Tropical Park's Dog Park Playground on Saturday.

[...]

The playground is divided into two areas, one for dogs weighing more than 35 pounds and the other for smaller dogs.

Both sections of the playground feature play equipment such as a tire jump, king-of-the-hill ramp and a dog walk. There are also doggy drinking fountains, pooper scoopers and a comfort station where owners can hose down their canines to prevent them from overheating.

E- Sun-Sentinel: Don't they do this all the time?

Drivers who change lanes without warning may get more than just nasty looks from fellow commuters this week.

Today and Friday, scores of Florida Highway Patrol troopers will be monitoring the Florida Turnpike and interstate highways for aggressive drivers, issuing citations to anyone they stop.

Anyone who switches lanes abruptly, tailgates, runs traffic lights, speeds or ignores traffic signs and signals is considered an agressive driver, according to the Highway Patrol.

F- Sun-Sentinel: Collateral damage.

HIALEAH - An off-duty Surfside police officer fired at a charging pit bull this morning, missing the dog but grazing a woman standing nearby, police said.

The woman was grazed in the neck and treated at the scene, said Detective Eddie Rodriguez, a Hialeah police spokesman.

G- Sun-Sentinel: Yeah, but what about the lobsters?

Against choppy seas and wind, the opening day of the two-day lobster miniseason had its usual share of fish tales but was marred by at least two divers' death and several boating mishaps.

H- Sun-Sentinel: One more reason to stay home.

The new Air Lauderdale show that's coming April 24-25, 2010, will be a bit different than the old Air and Sea Show you're used to. For one thing, much of the beachfront will be behind gates, and an entry fee will be charged to get into that area, where concerts and activities will be presented.

I- Sun-Sentinel: Chan Lowe.

J- South Florida Business Journal: Leader of the pack.

Florida, along with three other states, continued to lead the nation in number of foreclosures, accounting for 35 of the 50 highest foreclosure rates among metropolitan areas with a population of 200,000 or more, according to RealtyTrac’s midyear report.

California, Nevada and Arizona were the other three states.

K- CBS4: South Florida's crappy beaches.

The National Resources Defense Council says that Florida beaches rank ninth in the nation overall, and that they are no cleaner or dirtier than they were last year.

However, in its first five-star rating of the nation's top 200 beaches, South Beach only earned a two star rating. No beaches in Broward made the list.

The surveys were based on data collected from the state. A spokesman says it shows that Florida beaches must do a better job of keeping bacteria and other pollutants out of the water.

L- WPLG: Video, "weeding" out Oleta River State Park.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

I got some extra sleep this morning so the Sift is running a bit late as a result. The good news is that I'm well-rested. I know. You don't care. But hey, check out the Weekend Widget that has risen to the top of the right sidebar and see what's happening this weekend. Here's your morning Sift....

A- The South Florida Beer Blog has the scoop on what beer will be served at today's Executive Beer Fest at the White House.

B- Did you know that all raindrops start out their lives as hail? Thanks to The South Florida Watershed Journal you do now.

C- Deucers has a bunch of photos from their recent raft trip down the Colorado.

D- Superbee finds relief from South Florida's impersonal lifestyle in a certain set of Publix checkout lines.

That three minutes I spend in line is sometimes one of the highlights of my day - I usually spend 11 hours arguing with other people, and preparing to argue with other people, so to have an interaction with someone where no one wants anything, there are no ulterior motives, and there's no acrimony - it's just nice.

It's also nice to make someone laugh while they're doing what could probably be a pretty boring job.

I sort of took it at face value in the beginning while speaking to the Checkout ladies (if they make the slightest effort to talk to me, I'll engage them) that everyone brightened at their "How's your day been?" opening line, but apparently not.

Alls I can say is, whenever I get to Angel's checkout line (we're on a first-name basis, now) she chastises me and tells me it's been too long since she's seen me.

E- South Florida Theatre Scene has his wrap up for the week.

F- According to The Eclectic Chapbook, when cigarette taxes go up smokers are forced to cut back spending in other parts of their lives in order to afford their blessed cigs...and that creates problems for local economies.

When they jacked up the price of cigarettes up North, people continued to buy cigarettes, but they no longer bought newspapers.

The circulation of the local metro-regional newspaper plummeted, and, in due course, they lost their newspaper. There are now entire communities up there which have gone dark - they get no news coverage whatsoever, as if they don't even exit.

Who benefits from this? Corrupt politicians benefit from the reduced or eliminated scrutiny. And the pharmaceutical companies hope to benefit by selling their patented versions of nicotine substitutes.

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Your Evening Sift

Another big day in the South Florida blogosphere so we have lots of items for you. This is my Friday this week so expect...well, who knows what to expect in the coming days. Enjoy your Sift...

A- Random Pixels introduces us to a little Overtown history and gentleman named Clyde Killens.

B- Babalu turns on Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez...hard...because she disagrees with the official babalu position on Honduras.


[click to enlarge]

These guys will slam one of the brighter and courageous patriots in Cuba because of a simple difference of opinion. Babalu notes that Yoani also committed the mortal sin of siding with President Obama on a couple issues. Un-believable!

C- More Blog About Buildings And Food takes us back to the "early Miami blogging scene" of 2005 and revisits Miamity.

Back in 2005, Miamity was one of the first wave of Miami omniblogs. It was written by University of Miami student Kyle Munzenrieder (this was in the days before every college student had a blog or three), and had a kind of laid-back nonchalant snark that you’d still miss if you’d read it.

D- Miamism profiles Miami's IOS.

What a great building! I’m a sucker for austere white, contemporary buildings against the blue Miami skyline. Ios on the Bay is one of those buildings that doesn’t need to be ostentatious, it’s simplicity speaks for itself and pricing is out of this world. This building is located in Miami’s Upper East Side directly on Biscayne Bay with panoramic water views. The floor plans are simple, the finishes are excellent and did I mention the prices are out of this world (with one bedroom units starting in the low $200,000’s).

E- You can tell from this photo what Miamism Pix was doing today.

F- The Burger Beast announces the rules for "The Burgies."

The categories will be:

Best Burger
Best Hot Dog
Best Side/Appetizer
Best Frita
Best Cuban Sandwich
Best Croqueta
and last but not least:
Best Burger - Reader's Choice

G- NBCMiami.com is getting panned in an opinion poll over at SFLTV.

H- Eye on Miami nails a great discussion on what it took to defeat Lowe's attempt to move the UDB and why commissioners continue to support such measures.

Lowe's never "needed" a store outside the Urban Development Boundary in Miami-Dade. Lowe's was, however, tapped by corporate interests to take its turn at the front of the line: the latest icebreaker seeking its passage into new territory for production housing, strip malls, and unfettered commercial development closer and closer to the edge of the Everglades. All the public hearings with rent-a-crowds, incoherent as to the reasons for their presence, all the non-sequitors by Pepe Diaz and Joe Martinez (yes, Charter Schools outside the UDB!), and the snide insider jokes (Dorrin Rolle, Audrey Edmunson, Natacha Seijas, Pepe Diaz, Joe Martinez), all the slumbering of Javier Souto sinking like a piece of water-logged wood behind the dais: it is the great unwritten history of a dysfunctional, wasteful government that is neither by the people or for the people.

I- Who knew that you could get 6 free taxi rides in South Florida if you're a shared ride commuter, bicyclist or ride the bus at least 3 days a week? Now you do thanks to The South Florida Traveler.

J- Worst Pizza tries out PizzaVolante in the Design District.

What stands out most to me about this pizza, is that I was able to taste every ingredient. You might find that odd, but think about the last time you went to a pizza place, took a bite of the slice, and were able to separate each ingredient as you swirl them around your mouth. Most of the time you bite and swallow, and say Yay or Nay. With this bite, I was able to taste the crisp tasty and perfectly baked crust, the sweet fresh sauce and the incredibly fresh cheese. Each one separate. Just go try the pizza if you think I am crazy.

K- After an extended trip, Discourse arrives at MIA and doesn't feel Miami Nice.

We are back in Miami. The return journey was notable for its length, and especially for the ineptitude of baggage handling at MIA on our flight from Chicago. I’m used to the idea that you never get a bag off a plane in less than 29 minutes — the airport boast 95% of flights get their first bag within 30 minutes — but 50 minutes? For a domestic flight? On a weekday evening?

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News That Makes The Little Limbaughs Sad

Because what's good for America...

WASHINGTON — The economy is finally beginning to show signs of stabilizing in some regions of the country, bolstering hopes of a broader-based recovery this year.

A Federal Reserve snapshot of economic conditions issued Wednesday found that most of the Fed's 12 regions indicated either that the recession was easing or that economic activity had "begun to stabilize, albeit at a low level."

The economy remains fragile. But the fact that some Fed regions reported signs of activity beginning to level out raises hope that the recession, which started in December 2007, is drawing to a close.

Is bad for Limbaugh Republicans.





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SFDB's "Miami Social" Moment Of The Day

This 1 minute video is about 30 seconds beyond my tolerance for these kinds of people.

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Police Women Of Broward County

And yet another reality TV series chooses South Florida...

This docudrama will follow four remarkable women who work for the Sheriff’s Office in Broward County. It won’t be sugarcoated either, as we will go on gang busts, car chases and see the harsh reality of what goes on in their dangerous and adrenaline filled lives.

This show focuses on 4 women. Andrea Penoyer is a 26-year old single mother. She is spunky, passionate and her goal is to clean up the streets. Julie Bower is the oldest member of the show at 48. She is a mother of 3 whose job is a combination of solving sex crimes and missing person cases. Shelunda Cooper, the 25-year old rookie finds herself working the graveyard shift. She’s always ready for the unexpected, but her family is understanding as they too are part of the force. Ana Murillo is the last member of the team. At 29, she won’t let anyone get past her as she tackles drug deals and conducts surveillance operations.

Starts August 6th on TLC.

via The South Florida Traveler


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The Cooler

Here are some snippets from this morning's mainstream media...

A- Herald: A little too late.

Forty-one people have been charged with taking part in a $40 million mortgage-fraud scheme, federal authorities said Tuesday in Miami.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sloman said the fraud involved a network of fake purchasers, crooked mortgage brokers and cooperative bank employees who arranged for inflated mortgages.

In mortgage-fraud scams typical during the boom, a team of mortgage professionals -- often including attorneys, mortgage brokers and appraisers -- would pay stand-in buyers to use their identities to get mortgages for the purchase of inflated properties. They would often never make payments on the loans and the homes would soon enter foreclosure.

Check out the link to the U.S. Attorney's press release that details how the fraud was committed.

B- Herald: The perfect size for robbing banks?

On Valentine's Day 2008, as his children greeted him with hugs and his wife videotaped, ex-Hialeah cop Rolando Bolaños Jr. opened a red gift bag and pulled out a gray jacket with distinctive black sleeve patches.

``It's very nice,'' he said, trying on the jacket.

That tender glimpse of family life might come back to haunt Bolaños when he goes to trial on bank-robbery charges.

Miami-Dade prosecutors have entered into evidence a home video they say shows Bolaños, the son of Hialeah's former longtime police chief, wearing the same jacket that he later wore while robbing a Hialeah bank in February.

The home video is included in the story.

C- Herald: Protected form of expression?

An artist who makes his living selling sketches of people on public sidewalks is suing Fort Lauderdale, arguing the city won't allow him to express himself with his ``visual art.''

[...]

Wang sets up on sidewalks at the beach or downtown, with two chairs and an easel, sketching tourists or residents who stroll over. He has continued to do so despite city officials and police officers telling him over the past year that he could not.

``Visual art is a protected form of speech,'' said Wang's attorney, David Vinikoor of Fort Lauderdale, who is volunteering for the ACLU in this case.

[...]

City attorney Harry Stewart said the city sidewalks at the beach are off limits to street vendors and artists like Wang.

If Wang were giving his work out for free, he wouldn't run afoul of the city's laws, Stewart said.

D- Herald: Editorial, ban texting while driving.

Safe driving practices should not be optional. Too many Florida drivers have had the frightening experience of going down a busy freeway and seeing the driver in the next lane passing them while looking down at the cellphone screen and tapping out a text message.

This practice should be discouraged by state lawmakers. They've been reluctant to restrict drivers talking on cellphones, but texting is worse -- a clear and present danger that should be prohibited by law.

E- Sun-Sentinel: No Vick.

In an unusual move for a typically secretive organization, the Dolphins released a statement on Tuesday disavowing any interest in adding the controversial Vick to their stash of quarterbacks.

The statement falls in line with those from several other teams, including the Redskins and Bengals, that they won't be signing the recently paroled Vick.

"We don't have an interest," Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland said in a statement. "We like the players we have on our current roster."

F- Sun-Sentinel: Bad cop, no donut.

HOLLYWOOD - After a Hollywood police officer rear-ended a car in February and then arrested the driver on drunken driving charges, he and other officers talked about doctoring the report--it said a jumpy cat created a distraction--to cover up the crash.

The exchange was recorded by a dashboard camera in one of the patrol cars. The officers apparently didn't realize it was on.

G- Sun-Sentinel: Snake magnet.

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE - Miami-Dade Fire Rescue workers removed a 6-foot python from the backyard of a home this morning, the third snake the family has found on its property in the past two months, WPLG-Ch. 10 reports.

The snake was found on the 21000 block of Southwest 213 Avenue Road in Southwest Miami-Dade, near Everglades National Park.

H- Sun-Sentinel: News that makes you want to shake your head.

FPL Group reports today that its net profit shot up 77 percent in the second quarter to $370 million from $209 million the year before.

[...]

Next month, state regulators will start weighing the utility’s request for a $1.3 billion increase in base electric rates that includes a 12.5 percent return on equity -- the utility's profit margin, based on what shareholders invest.

I- Sun-Sentinel: Chan Lowe.

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Your Two Minutes Of Hate

...from the right wing.



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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

I've taken the next two days off work so this is kinda like a Friday to me. There was some good stuff posted in the SoFla blogosphere last night. Here's some of it presented in east to read Sift format...

A- Obalesque discusses the problems of obesity from a standpoint that's unique and refreshing.

B- Eye on Miami reveals they are torn when it comes to the treatment of registered sex offenders.

I think about these men and women, many afflicted with mental conditions, that on the one hand I cannot empathize with because of the nature of their crimes but on the other hand they are fellow human beings so I do. I wonder how can we all sit in our houses and think that requiring a released prisoner to live under a bridge is okay. Yes, it was amusing at first but they are there for years now!

C- SFLTV takes a good look at the NBCMiami.com redesign.

Overall the design is very clean and without clutter and distractions that are typical for other television news sites. The content seems very softball though and the site, at least on my computer feels a little heavy, making Firefox a bit sluggish.

D- Miami Condo Investments assesses the state of the Miami-Dade County condo market. Lots of charts and graphs included.

After the first 3 months of the year, I personally felt that 2009 was shaping up to be my worst year in real estate. However, at the beginning of April, business began to show life again. In fact, activity has drastically improved to the point where 2009 could end up being one of my best years. I personally feel that the Miami condo market is within 2-3 months of reaching the bottom. That’s in no way saying that prices will begin to increase soon after. The overall market needs to move sideways for at least the next 12-24 months before we see any significant increase in sales prices.

E- Both Bark Bark Woof Woof and En Vivo y En Directo discuss how Republicans are dealing with President Obama's race these days. The below narrative comes from BBWW and En Vivo has a video...

There are probably a lot of psychological terms we can bring up in this discussion; projection and transference ("Obama is a racist!"), denial ("He isn't really an American"), and several others, but what it comes down to is the inability to accept the fact that he actually won.

F- Discourse links to the quintessential Birther Takedown, not that it will make any difference to the Birthers.


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Your Evening Sift

There was a huge amount of blog postings to go through this evening so you'll have to excuse the tardiness of your evening Sift...

A- Coconut Grove Grapevine posts some Grove development plans that were sent in from a CGG reader which sparks a lot of interesting commentary.

B- Images showing some Virginia Key residents, from Nikon Miami.

C- Man or Maniac? comments on the swill NBCMiami is serving up these days.

D- Eye on Miami has some good news for those who want to hold the line.

The governor and cabinet's Final Order said Lowes Big Box Store was found out of compliance and they also limited the precedential adverse impact of the Brown Amendment.

The County is ordered to rescind the Ordinance allowing the Lowe's store on the other side of the Urban Development Boundary within 60 days.

E- En Vivo Y En Directo discovers The South Florida Beer Blog. 305 noticed earlier in the week. Cool!

F- Speaking of the devil, SFBB tells us what last Thursday's Sunset Tavern beer tasting event was like.

One of the few complaints I heard about the event was that instead of the tasting going from lightest to darkest, it involved one distributor going through all of their beers and on to the next. Going from a Stone Imperial Russian Stout to Presidente Light was a bit of a step back in the tasting. Also, the glasses were washed after every couple of beers and it was leaving a soap residue on the glasses that you definitely picked up in the beers.

G- Mango&Lime has a nice preview of Miami Spice, which starts this Saturday!

...[W]ith the seemingly growing popularity of prix fixe menu events at Miami restaurants, Miami Spice doesn’t seem as special as it once was. Still, I’m always up for making at least one Miami Spice excursion.

H-Two great examples of the way some conservatives think, from Incertus and Bark Bark Woof Woof.

I- Blind Mind announces that his hurricane pool has diminished greatly and takes the opportunity to tell us what he thinks of hurricane forecasters.

And once again I am reminded that I shouldve gone to school to become a weatherman and hurricane predictor. It remains the only job in existence where you can eff up year after year and still retain a job. Im convinced that meteorology classes consist of nothing but funneling beers and taking bong hits and then throwing darts at a board that has sections for different weather conditions based on the season.

J- Another Collabo Show report, this time from Daily Cocaine. Don't bother with the videos unless you mute first.

K- The Burger Beast is getting noticed.

L- Brickell Life checks out Fort Lauderdale life and visits Primanti Bros. on Oakland Park Boulevard.

Holy burger-rama. It’s like being caught in some kind of burgatory. A place half way between burger heaven and hell where the slightest shift can throw you in either direction. Everything is jammed into this sucker except for the napkin and my drink. It’s a well done patty covered in melted provolone and topped with a mountain of fresh-cut fries, a tangy vinegar-based coleslaw, couple slices of tomato and all sandwiched between to huge thick-cut slices of crazy soft Italian bread. You have to attack this thing with a full frontal assault. It’s an arms out to the side for balance, two-handed mama-jama kind of sandwich that will leave you in a food inducing coma afterwards asking yourself what did you just do.

M- Worst Pizza shares some photos from last night's Pizza Tweetup in Boca Raton.

Last night we had an impromptu mini PizzaTweetup event at Nino’s of Boca. Although we were only supposed to have 20 people max show up for the event, we actually ended up with 34.

N- Justice Building Blog highlights the improper actions of a Hollywood police officer and makes the jump that this is the way all cops are in Broward. I'm wondering when we can expect JBB to start using just as wide a paintbrush on his fellow Broward barristers?

O- Your South Florida Moment of the Day: monkeys at the Fort Lauderdale Airport Park 'n Ride, according to FTL Today.

While taking the suitcases out of the car...I heard Jeff yell "What's that?!?!?" and pointed to an animal in the middle of the lot. I'm thinking it was your normal neighborhood animal like a raccoon...a squirrel or maybe even a dog. WRONG! Monkeys! A whole family! At first it was alarming...as they started walking in our direction. Were they going to throw poo and steal our luggage? Were they going to bite us? Do they carry rabies? All they did was walk past us and didn't even give us a second look. The van driver said that they have a whole family with some baby monkeys too.

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SFDB Viral Video Of The Day

This is the official clip from BOUNCE & Friends. More than 300 dancers met at 15.30, got informed and then learned the choreography in 30 min. Less then 1 hour later they performed it.

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The Cooler

A certain kind of car is attracting lightning in South Florida, it seems. That and more in your Cooler this morning...

A- Herald: Hemingway would have loved it.

KEY WEST -- Key West is hoping to join Miami and two other U.S. cities as ports of entry for travel to Cuba, 50 years after Key West-to-Havana flights ceased when Fidel Castro took power in the island nation.

Key West International Airport director Peter Horton said restoration of the once-popular route is ``long overdue.''

[...]

Cape Air, a Massachusetts-based independent regional airline, said it would like to provide service for the Key West-to-Havana route with its fleet of 57 nine-seat Cessnas. Cape Air already serves Key West with routes to Fort Myers.

``We've been interested in flying to Cuba since we began flying out of Key West almost 20 years ago,'' said Michelle Haynes, director of communications for Cape Air.

Haynes said that if Key West is declared a port of entry for Cuba, Cape Air could quickly begin flights, with round trips costing about $220.

B- Herald: Morin.

C- Sun-Sentinel: Miami is 113 today but you have to read the Lauderdale paper to learn that.

MIAMI (AP) - The city of Miami is preparing to celebrate its 113th birthday with traditional gifts, cake and ice cream.

The city is holding an event Tuesday at the historic Lyric Theater. It will begin with a bus tour, followed by a party for children. Mayor Manny Diaz will speak about coming together as a community.

The city of Miami was incorporated July 28, 1896.

D- Sun-Sentinel: Michael Mayo's tribute to his mentally ill brother is worth a read.

I'll never forget the first time Uncle David met his niece. He held her tiny hand in his, and his face lit up.

David taught me that life isn't fair, but he also taught me to take what's given. He enjoyed the simpler things.

A Marlboro cigarette. A corned-beef sandwich. A hot-fudge sundae from Carvel.

He didn't complain, not even when his cancer prevented him from keeping food down.

E- Sun-Sentinel: Chan Lowe.

F- NBCMiami: Stupid Headlines R Us.

G- WSVN: God hates Chevy Impalas.

NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A driver is talking about surviving a lightning strike while inside his car, marking the second such strike in less than a week.

At about 1:30 Monday afternoon, the bolt of lightning stopped Oscar Fernandez right in his tracks. He was traveling along Interstate 75 when lighting struck his vehicle. "Saw the flash by the window, and I heard the loud explosion," he said.

[...]

Miami-Dade Fire Rescuers responded and checked him out. They determined that he had no injuries, but the bolt left his gray Chevy Impala inoperable and knocked off its antenna.

Oddly enough, Friday night, a little after 8 p.m., another Chevy Impala suffered a another lightning strike. Both cars have their antennae on the roof, over the rear window.

H- WPLG: For the 100th time.

"Usually when we have an El Niño, that cuts down on the number of strong hurricanes in the Atlantic. What is noteworthy, is that NOAA is saying the more sophisticated models are all indicating a moderate to strong El Nino developing,” Mayfield told Local 10.

But don’t place all of your bets on El Niño, said Mayfield.

“It’s extremely important to note that it is not all about numbers. It still just takes that one hurricane over a particular location to make for a bad year," he said.

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Your Two Minutes Of Hate...

...from the right wing...



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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Posts and pictures from this past weekend's activities continue to surface in the SoFla blogosphere as we start into our Terrible Tuesday. Enjoy your morning Sift...

A- Miami,bro adds to her collection of photos from this weekend's art event that was first noted on last evening's Sift.

B- The Burger Beast loves Whisk's burgers.

The blue smoke was smothered with generous amounts of caramelized onion jam and blue cheese and topped by two slices of thick-cut smoked bacon. The bread was slathered with tarragon mustard. That's medium but on the rare side. Good thing I like it on the bloody side. It was exceptional, cooked perfectly. I love the burgers from this place. whisk is my #1, no doubt about it.

C- Discourse weighs in on the Birthers and has a few videos to share.

Back when I lived in England, both sherry-drinking and beer-drinking intellectuals in the UK used to deride the British Tory part as “the stupid party”. Today British intellectuals boast that whatever their Tories may be, they’re not as crazy as the US Republican party.

D- I Heart Miami has what you can expect from South Florida musically this week.

E- "A lawyer" responds to "a judges" list of courtroom pet peeves at Justice Building Blog.

5) Texting. Here's the deal. I will stop texting if you stop using the computer you have on the bench to send an email to the Judge down the hallway confirming that you're going to Casolas for lunch while I'm arguing to get my client out of custody. Deal?

F- Burnettiquette weighs in on the Gates matter.

So, that leaves "disturbers of the peace." If Gates was indeed yelling at Crowley and yelling accusations of racism, no doubt, he was arguably disturbing the peace.

So was Crowley within the letter of the law? Sure. But he still wasn't required to make an arrest. It is discretionary.

G- En Vivo y En Directo provides their take of The Collabo Show.

I couldn’t help but become fixated on the jelly fish in the water tank under the blue light, as well as the hot air paper balloons that gloriously burned over the Little Haiti skies. (With the couple of exceptions where they burned either just prior or right after being released.)

Honestly, I don’t know what it all meant but it was a lot of fun and as torturous as some of the work looked (e.g. putting together the live piece in the suffocating confines of their installation), it was the artists who seemed to be having the most fun.

H- And, finally, Bark Bark Woof Woof thinks the Birthers have reached the end of their life cycle.

The birthers may have reached and passed their peak, though, thanks to the scrutiny, the derisive laughter, and the backlash from the overkill on the part of the wingnuts in the mainstream media like Lou Dobbs. According to a report from Media Matters, Mr. Dobbs' efforts to keep raising questions about the president's legitimacy took the movement out from the shadows of right-wing chain e-mails and rumor-mongering onto the cable systems of America where everybody could see what a steaming pile of bullshit it was. So rather than get the country behind him, Mr. Dobbs provoked the raging ire of people on both the left and the right and reduced him to little more than just a target for mockery.

I- A Mom, a Blog and the Life In-Between turns 32 today. You know what to do.


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Your Evening Sift

The SoFla blogosphere was humming along today on all cylinders it seems. The result is a bursting at the seams evening Sift...

A- One word: Ouch!...at The Street.

B- Foodtastic! enjoyed their evening at a Miami Beach Moroccan restaurant by the name of Ta-Zin.

The server explained that a ta-zin is the clay pot in which all the items of the dish are cooked together directly on the fire or the oven. The ta-zins are also offered with a variety of toppings - I had the Sweet Lamb which was amazing! It was juicy, fall off the bone tender and covered with dates, almonds and a delicious sauce combining the meat juices with honey.

C-Rick Sanchez twitters and isn't shy, according to SFLTV.

D- The Miami Herald needs to be a little more forthcoming when it comes to reporting negative news about their own, according to Random Pixels.

E- All you wanted to know about pythons in the Everglades but were too afraid to ask, according to Miami Beach 411.

Florida is no stranger to invasive species. There are iguanas, fire ants, love bugs and Australian pines to contend with. However, pythons are in a league all their own. Adults have few if any predators to quell their numbers, while they eat everything in sight, including endangered and protected species, such as Florida panthers and wood storks. They also consume other wading birds, as well as rodents, rabbits, raccoons and even bobcats.

F- 305 tells us about her spa experience at The Palms Hotel.

As you walk in, there's the unmistakable scent of an Aveda salon/spa, a very relaxing herbal essential oils scent. The service was impeccable, and the whole spa was just very chilled out, with low down-tempo lounge world music playing. Between the massage and my nails, they have you wait in the "relaxation room." Basically it's a room with lounge chairs inside and outside, water (laced with lemons) and fruit. I decided to lounge outside on a chaise. It's been raining all week, so it was overcast, warm and there was water flowing from a nearby fountain.

G- Food For Thought and The Chowfather are collaborating on an "underground dinner club" and they even have a blog about it.

H- Urban Environment League shares their opinion on the timing of an upcoming Miami 21 vote.

Just when most of us are on vacation (mentally or physically) there will be a very important City of Miami vote on Miami 21 - the ambitious rezoning of the City of Miami. What is your opinion?

Ours is: Important public hearings should not be held in August.

I- The Cuban Triangle says states, including Florida, are itching for more direct flights to Cuba.

J- Worst Pizza ventures into La Luna's in Boca and likes the crust.

After what seemed to be quite a long time for a pizza to get made, we were served our pizza. They brought out my first pie wrong, and I waited once again for the new one to come out. As you can see by the photos, half the pizza seemed more cooked then the other. Some of the cheese was almost burnt, while the other half remained a little undercooked. I bit into my individual pie, and couldn’t believe that the sauce was so terrible. I ended up having to lift up the cheese (which was surprisingly good) to wipe up all the sauce.

What I found pretty odd was how good the crust was here. Based upon how this pizza tasted as a whole, I would have never thought that the crust alone would taste so good.

K- Stay tuned for details of The Burger Beast Burgies.

So with this I'm going to announce that in September, on my blog's anniversary we are going to give out some awards. The awards will be known as "Burgies" and will be for the following categories so far: Best Burger, Best Frita, Best Side/Appetizers and finally a Reader's Choice. This is where you will come into play. In the next few days I'll be opening up the site to voting for your choice for Best South Florida Burger. We will have an awards ceremony and actual awards to hand out. It should be cool.

L- Miami, bro has images from this weekend's art events in Miami.

Both shows on Saturday were quite spectacular. The Walden Project was well attended and the audience really enjoyed the show. There's Venessa Monokian up there with her collages (buy one).

The Collabo Show was quite an event. I didn't know what to expect, but it was a huge mix of performances and art. Much of the pieces were large in scale.

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News That Makes The Little Limbaughs Sad

Because what's good for America...

New homes sales surged in June to their highest rate this year, according to Commerce Department data released Monday, another sign that the housing market could be starting to stabilize even as prices continue to stumble.

Is bad for Limbaugh Republicans.





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SFDB Missed SoFla Connection Of The Day

Oh yeah. One other thing.

wont get more onest then this - m4w - 29 (miami lakes)

Well let me start by saying that m looking for some one to have a fund relation ship ,i will take u out help u in whatever i can ,m not looking for a hore or any thing like that all i want is a friend that can be more in the neer future ,i can send u pictures or u can look me up on my space ,let me tell u a lili about my self ,m 5-5 195 , m self employ i like going to the movies out to eat u know whhat ever u consiter normal for my age lol, one more thing which is very importan i live whit the mothere of my kids which i have two .so if u think u wont have a problem write bac to me tanks

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Let's Face It, He's Black

The Gates arrest and the subsequent Presidential involvement in the situation has, once again, ignited the discussion of race relations in this country.

Below you'll find a couple video clips that address what conservative spokesperson Rush Limbaugh is saying about the matter. Note in the second clip that while many Republicans love listening to the bigoted Limbaugh, some of them are really uncomfortable publicly talking about what he has to say.







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The Cooler

We have an interesting mix of stories for you in this morning's Cooler.

A- Herald: Coinky dink, or something more?

Just eight days after Miami Beach's extraordinary Gothic castle burned to the ground, the Burke family took another devastating blow: the death of the youngest son in a family made famous by its legendary cruise line.

Joseph Conrad Burke, 46, once president and director of the now-defunct Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, died Saturday in his sleep. According to friend Kelly McLaney, he fell asleep at his parents' Miami Beach home at 11 p.m. Friday and was discovered dead four hours later.

The cause of his death has not been determined.

B- Herald: Nepotism, anyone?

When Pembroke Pines officials decided to open a long-promised art colony, they hired Commissioner Carl Shechter's daughter in February to get it off the ground.

The newly created job was never publicly advertised and Jill Slaughter was the only candidate interviewed. Slaughter, who painted murals and designed store displays for a living, was hired as the city laid off dozens of workers to balance a $26 million budget deficit.

Already on the city payroll were Shechter's son and niece.

[...]

Slaughter, who was living in California, said she heard about it from family and friends, but couldn't remember exactly who told her. Hiester said Slaughter was a good candidate because she ``had significant experience in the arts.''

While she did not earn a college degree, Slaughter took university art classes. Her most recent job involved designing displays for a gift showroom in Los Angeles.

Prior to that, she sold furniture for a store and painted murals for the city.

``I don't know why they hired me as opposed to someone else,'' Slaughter said. ``I guess my knowledge from being an artist and in sales makes me uniquely qualified.''

C- Sun-Sentinel: Life in South Florida.

FORT LAUDERDALE - As she headed to the airport to pick up her brother, staying safe in a lightning storm was the last thing on Michelle St. Val's mind.

Although rain threatened, I-595 was dry, St. Val's 2003 Chevrolet Impala was running smoothly, and her son 4-year-old Mikyal was belted into the back seat and singing along to his favorite song, the New Boyz' "You're a Jerk."

Then, in a literal flash, said St. Val, 23, "my car lit up like it was Christmas," the music stopped, Mikyal was showered in glass, and the burgundy Impala was drifting powerless across three lanes of traffic.

"It was a huge boom, and then lightning completely took over the car," St. Val said Sunday, recalling the terrifying events of Friday evening as she stood beside her damaged car in the driveway of her Fort Lauderdale home.

[...]

Houdini-like, Mikyal slipped out of his seat belt and was in the front seat in his mother's lap almost before the car came to a stop about 8 p.m. Friday on the shoulder of the interstate, just west of the turnoff for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

D- Palm Beach Post: Are you getting any tail?

MIAMI — Florida's spiny lobster season kicks off this week with a special, two-day sport season, which allows the state's recreational lobster hunters time to dive before the commercial season opens.

During the short season on July 29 and 30, divers can take six lobsters a day in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park. The limit is 12 in all other state waters.

During the regular season, it is six per day per person. Divers are required to possess a valid saltwater fishing license along with a lobster permit. Divers are required to display a divers-down flag.

E- CBS4: Do you still have to say "Fill 'er up?"

MIAMI BEACH (CBS4) ―Miami Beach will be among the first South Florida city to park two electric car charging stations, which will resemble parking meters.

The idea is to get the charges up and running by September. It stemmed from an artist who built and featured his electric car during Art Basel last December for its Green Art Fair, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald.

[...]

So far, South Florida has only one other charging station and it's located in the parking lot of the Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church at 160 Harbor Dr.

F- WSVN: Life in South Florida, Chapter 2.

MIAMI, Fla. (AP) -- Police are searching recycling centers and scrap yards for a 5-foot long aluminum wheelchair ramp that was stolen from a handicapped man's yard.

Miami Police said a man riding a bike stole the ramp -- after pushing the 74-year-old man's wife out of the way. The ramp fit over the stairs.

The thief rode away on his bicycle, carrying the ramp.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Quite a busy Sunday night in the local blogosphere which means there's plenty to read this morning in your Miserable Monday morning Sift...

A- Justice Building Blog has a judge write in with a few suggestions for attorneys in his courtroom.

I don't like:

Attorneys who raise two fingers on each hand to indicate parenthesis when making an argument.

Attorneys who say to me "I'm sure you've read the case law" when they know damn well I haven't.

B- Southern District of Florida Blog has the results of his poll choosing the next U.S. Attorney and Federal Judge.

C- Miami Bike Scene has the info and a cool poster for the upcoming Loose Cannons race.

D- The Collabo Show is reviewed by Artlurker.

Unexpectedly, whilst The Collabo Show was almost certainly more about spectacle and festivity than art work, it inadvertently revealed a pervasive and, depending on which side your bread is buttered, a sad truth that would seem to be an unavoidable stigma of geography. For as much as we strive to counterbalance the commonly held view that Miami is a party destination with the propagation of culture, the overwhelming and in certain circumstances suffocating enthusiasm that Miami’s art crowd has for revelry is indicative of a mob hopelessly fixated on good times.

E- Soul of Miami shares some images and a little narrative after their visit to the Bancroft Restaurant and Bar.

They bill it as a supperclub, so be aware that it starts to get loud around 10pm. But, the atmosphere is nice, a little snooty, but not too much so. If you are looking for a nice restaurant that offers reasonable value for the prices and excellent service, definitely check out Bancroft.

F- Mango&Lime tours a place called Erickson Farm out in the netherlands of Palm Beach County.

Erickson Farm is a family-owned operation along the Eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee. Its beginnings date back to 1911 when Swedish immigrants, Alfred and Elfrida Erickson, settled along the lake and began farming with their four children. Two of the children, Floyd and William, continued with the family business growing squash, peppers, beans and other vegetables. Floyd later became interested in fruit and began planting mangos and avocados. In 1974, Floyd’s son, Dale, took over the mango production and started growing other tropical fruit. Today, Dale runs the farm with the help of his two daughters, Krista and Kim.

G- The Faux Foodie tries out the Yelp Eats! menu at Red.

The entree was a Certified Angus Beef Prime Sirloin Steak served with potatoes and asparagus. According to our waiter, the CAB served at the Red, The Steakhouse is only served there and at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC...pretty special. The steak was done to perfection and finished with aglio brushing (Kosher Salt, Tellecherry Pepper and garlic).

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Your Evening Sift

It was rather quiet this Sunday afternoon in the SoFla blogosphere so it won't take you long at all to whip through your Sunday evening Sift...

A- Random Pixels had quite a moving experience at the Rusty Pelican on Friday night.

Unfortunately the food was NOT spectacular!

I had the salmon. Or a more accurate description would be that the salmon had me.

It raced through my digestive tract like a suicide bomber through a Baghdad roadblock.

Got home just in time.

B- Man or Maniac? continues his critique of the Sun-Sentinel.

Another page turn brings us to Sun-Sentinel's Earl Maulker, telling us that in order to remain relevant, he, and most of the Sentinel staff, are now on Twitter.

Earl, I gotta tell you, 140 characters is fine for a Tweet. But a newspaper article requires a hell of a lot more. I expect pages to be full of stories, not meaningless decorative graphics, especially for what we're paying these days. This week's Outlook section is an outrage. The image is not a graph, nor is it some informative picture of people communicating. It's a slap in the face to everyone you fired, and it's a spit in the eye of your readers.

Maulker, the Tribune should can your ass and use your salary and benefits to bring back some of the real journalists who lost their jobs so some snot-nosed interns could gut what's left of the corpse of a once-proud news source.

Tweet THAT.

C- Learn to play croquet and make your life complete. More at The South Florida Traveler.

Its another Saturday morning and you are looking for something to do - taking a ride on the boat, digging your feet into the sand, a tasty brunch or going for a bike ride might come to mind, but why not change things up a little and make your way down to the The National Croquet Center located in West Palm Beach.

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