Your Evening Sift

It was a strange kind of day here in South Florida. I was home and running chores but I couldn't help but notice the thick cloud cover virtually all day that reminded of my years in the Northeast. I would like to say it felt noticeably cooler, but, well, no such luck. Enjoy your Hump Day evening Sift...

A- Sweat Records provides some info on the new Black Umbrella Book Club's inaugural meeting and says that copies of Jennine Capó Crucet's "How To Leave Hialeah" will be available.

B- Miami Metblogs notes the autumn-type weather today in SoFla.

As I rode my bike to synagogue this morning, I thought I felt a slight, very slight, coolness in the air. As I got to top of the drawbridge and looked at the sky, I knew it wasn’t a tactile hallucination: there’s a cold front going through!

C- Anybody wanna buy an Italian bike frame? See South Florida Fixed.

D- Random Pixels says that the newest issue of the Miami New Times might cause some hoopla on the streets of Little Havana.

A new issue of New Times has hit the streets.

Staff writer Tim Elfrink along with Vanessa Grisalez has crafted an interesting piece on the migration of Cuba's black market economy into cyber-space

But it's not the story that may upset some in Miami.

It's the cover.

E- Discourse elaborates on Rep. Alan Grayson's comments from yesterday that I highlighted earlier today.

That said, Grayson's remarks can be called inaccurate in one respect — there really isn't a Republican health proposal on the table at all, just a bunch of bills each with a small number of sponsors, none endorsed by the Republican leadership.

To those who would attack Rep. Grayson for his unusually blunt talk, I would ask, “Do any of the leading Republican plans ensure basic health care for all Americans?” And, where were you when Republicans were using similarly hot rhetoric?

F- AshAndBurn posts a few interesting photos from around town.

G- Urban Environment League's photos from this past weekend's Virginia Key workshop sure show some serious folks.

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SFDB's Missed SoFla Connection Of The Day

So very, very wrong in so many ways.

You are dating my daughter - w4m - 45 (Dade County)

You have been dating my daughter for a short time and I think you two are really cute together, but I've noticed the way you eye me. We can be discreet. Respond with some way that allows me to identify you.

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Bossacucanova In Miami

Regular readers know I don't promote many events here at SFDB so when I tell you that you shouldn't miss Bossacuconova in downtown Miami on Friday afternoon then it should tell you how much I think of this Brazilian band.

From the email I got yesterday...

The Miami DDA is presenting a Burle Marx celebration for the beautiful new sidewalk and landscaping for the Biscayne Boulevard New World Design project by legendary Brazilian designer Roberto Burle Marx. Enjoy Brazilian culture, dance, food, and fun - and catch a FREE CONCERT by one of our favorite bands direct from Rio de Janeiro: BOSSACUCANOVA!

Friday October 2nd, event starts at 5:30PM
East Plaza of AmericanAirlines Arena, Biscayne Blvd at NE 6 Street, Miami
After party at Botequim Carioca
Info: DWNTWN.com

Here's a little something from them called Bom dia Rio. Enjoy!

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The Republican Health Care Plan In 3 Minutes

Finally!

I found the Republican health care plan!

Thanks to Rep. Alan Grayson from Florida for briefing me on the details.



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The Cooler

Cosmetic surgery gone bad in Weston seems to be the story du jour this morning in the local mainstream media. That and more in the Cooler.

A- Herald: When "minor cosmetic procedures" go bad.

Rohie Kah went to a Weston spa on Friday morning for what a friend called a minor cosmetic procedure. The 37-year-old mother of three from Miramar left Weston MedSpa later that afternoon in the back of an ambulance headed for Cleveland Clinic Florida, where she remained Tuesday in critical condition.

Exactly what transpired in the intervening hours is a mystery, but attorneys representing Kah's family assert that whatever happened at Weston MedSpa was not minor.

``Something really bad happened there,'' said Michael Freedland, a Weston attorney who described Kah as being ``clinically brain dead'' after her visit to the spa.

[...]

``She had some kind of seizure or multiple seizures during or after the procedure,'' Freedland said, adding that ``someone at the facility tried to revive her'' before paramedics were called.

B- Herald: Awesome story, Miami Herald.


[click image to enlarge]

C- Herald: They write letters.

Alvarez `duplicitous'

The Editorial Board was too kind to Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez in its Sept. 19 editorial Judgment call. It said: ``We do not question his integrity, but, rather, his judgment.''

I question both. Alvarez issued a warning to the community of a pending budget crisis and prepared a doomsday budget. Yet he awarded salary increases to favored staffers.

Is this not duplicitous behavior? The mayor could have remedied salary disparities by consolidating duplicated staffs in his and the county manager's offices. Positions could have been eliminated and, yes, a few staffers would have left for other opportunities.

Unless Alvarez realizes that he represents the residents of Miami-Dade, and not his staff and police commanders, he will leave office as an ineffective and disgraced politician.

PETER L. FORREST, Miami

D- South Florida Business Journal: How about that change?

Home prices in Miami rose 1.3 percent between June and July, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Index.

However, prices still remain down 21.2 percent, year-over year.

[...]

“The rate of annual decline in home price values continues to decelerate and we now seem to be witnessing some sustained monthly increases across many of the markets” said David M. Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor’s, in a news release.

E- CBS4: This guy is looking like a real piece of work.

MIAMI BEACH (CBS4) ― CBS4 News has confirmed that a Miami Beach police officer involved in two police shootings in June and later suspended with pay on an unrelated matter, was relieved of duty after he tested positive for marijuana, according to a CBS4 News source and the officer's attorney.

Officer Adam Tavss attorney Gene Gibbons and a CBS4 News source both say that when Tavss was "relieved of duty" earlier this month, it was because he failed a marijuana drug test.

F- CBS4: The City of Miami has a new budget.

Some employees will be taking pay cuts and some might be seeing pink slips after the City of Miami Commission voted to approve it's 2009-2010 budget early Wednesday morning.

The saving of non-union jobs and saving police NET offices took center stage Tuesday night as the City of Miami Commission debated before voting on the budget items. The city was trying to balance the budget and at the same time come up with enough money to save 159 city employees from layoffs.

G- WSVN: When iguanas attack.

OAKLAND PARK, Fla. (WSVN) -- A 7-year-old girl is recovering from getting nearly two dozen stitches after she said an iguana bit her.

Madison Wells said the iguana bit her in her neighbor's backyard last Thursday. "A 6-foot iguana bit my foot, and I got 23 stitches," she said.

[...]

Wells' mother described her daughter's reaction after the incident occurred. "She was hysterical crying and she was really hurt. It was almost like her feelings were hurt more then anything because the iguana bit her," said Michelle Yurko.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

It was a busy night for blogging in South Florida and there's a lot to cover this morning as a result. Grab some coffee and let's get going with your morning Sift...

A- Computer Colonics mulls over the high divorce rate in the Keys.

So. Why is the divorce rate so high? A guess … drugs, alcohol, cheating. The stories I’ve heard are pretty much the same. One mom told me the first guy she married was an off shore fisherman who would go out for a month at a time. She said he didn’t make enough money so while he was out she divorced him and married a sport fisherman. Those tournament guys are sex-ay doncha know? I don’t even know how you divorce someone in under a month without their signature on some paperwork.

B- Miami Bike Scene links to a .pdf of the finalized version of the 2030 City of Miami Bicycle Master Plan.

C- Miami Beach 411 heads to Blacksburg, Virginia, to cover the UM-Virginia Tech game from the sidelines.

I met up with Dan on my way from the UM tailgate up a long hill in a freezing (ok, 58 degrees, but to any Floridian that IS freezing)downpour to Lane Bryant Stadium, or whatever they call it. On the way we passed a group of UM fans who looked like they’d just been beamed from the old East End Zone at the Orange Bowl. The Virginia Tech fans, apparently familiar with Miami’s demographic makeup just kept yelling, “Cuba! Go back to Cuba and your boy Castro!” Who knew Virginia hilljacks were so versed in Latin American politics?

D- The Burger Beast is visiting all the recipients of the coveted Burgie awards to "make sure my Burgies have found a good home." First stop: Kingdom.

E- The South Florida Watershed Journal looks at the disparate rainfall around the Southeast United States and Southern Florida.

Tropical moisture has a way of making winners and losers in the fall weather "game."

It’s just as hard to tell which is which.

F- Eat It, Miami samples Miami Spice at Gotham Steak.

For my main course, I had the braised veal cheeks. They were incredible. Our waiter said they were cooked for 6 hours or something like that. Maybe it was more than that. I think it was more. It was more. Renee had skirt steak, and that was delicious too. The accompaniments were wonderful so that a combined forkful was packed with big flavors. Hers had bacon and spinach and mine had polenta and roasted tomatoes. I even got to eat like half of hers, so by dessert time I was already stuffed.

G- Eye on Miami notes Miami Gardens' success after it wrests itself from Miami-Dade's grasp.

On September 27, 2009, the front page of the Tampa Bay section of the St. Petersburg Times profiled Miami Gardens and Mayor Gibson, Prudent city can brag as it saves by Janet Zink. The lead says, “As other Florida cities struggle with budgets, Miami Gardens is still hiring and building”. And they are saving for rainier days too. Shirley won’t say it, but I will: The Commission was dead wrong about Miami Gardens and they are about other incorporation efforts too.

It’s time the county removes the moratorium on incorporations and lets citizens control their own destiny. We should not be slaves to the county’s bloated inefficiency and salaries.

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Tuesday Night Politics

Once again, The Daily Show is able to break down the latest Little Limbaugh hysteria into laughable bits of clownish tomfoolery.



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Your Evening Sift

What a great day for blogging in the SoFla blogosphere. Make sure you take in this evening Sift...it's a good one.

A- Artlurker explains the drama of the last couple days and claims that the post that drew all the attention was a fake post. The site is still slow and for the life of me I don't "get" any of this. Is this the only way to "spark conversation on the state of art?" By posting fake information?

By publishing The Rape Tunnel our intention was to spark conversation on the state of art for a few hours with coverage of an entirely fake art project. We then planned to post a disclaimer revealing The Rape Tunnel as a fake, however, further to the story being picked up Gawker a surge in traffic knocked out our comparatively meager server making that impossible. The site has only just been restored and is still not without problems.

B- Transit Miami likes the Omni Redevelopment Plan. Not so much the port tunnel.

Here we are in a financial crisis that is tearing apart our city services, and the city is still moving forward with plans to spend millions of dollars it doesn’t have on an expensive Port Tunnel it doesn’t need. This is exactly the same type of mismanagement of taxpayer dollars that produced the stadium deal, and that led to the current fiscal crisis. Rather than saving money, every last bit of capital the city has (and even some that it doesn’t have) are going to go into pushing the tunnel.

C- The Burger Beast walks us through one of his home barbecues so you can see how a pro does it.

One of the questions I get asked a lot is where do you buy meat for BBQs? When we're going to do a BBQ right, we usually go to Fresh Market. We've also purchased burgers, hot dogs and sausages from Whole Foods but prefer Fresh Market. Fresh Market sells Sirloin burgers (my favorite) with Bacon/Cheddar, Blue Cheese & Cajun Seasoning/Swiss mixed in.

D- Food For Thought continues to question the New Times' criticism of Whole Foods for not supporting local farmers and offers up a recipe for Spiny Lobster & Vegetable Salad with Salmorejo.

The local pickings in the produce section were indeed pretty limited, but this should come as no great surprise this time of year as there's not much that's in season yet locally. I was able to score some very nice pea greens from Green Garden Organics, which lists a Miami address. The seafood section was abundantly stocked with local product: Key West pink shrimp, whole yellowtail, snapper, mahi mahi, spiny lobsters ... I'd hazard a guess that roughly 25% of what was in the seafood case had a "local" sign on it. There was also a large selection of locally produced honeys on the shelves, with at least three different producers offering Florida tupelo, saw palmetto, avocado, lychee, orange blossom, wildflower and other honeys.

E- Shorter Coconut Grove Grapevine...

Leaving the bars open another 120 minutes will save the Grove.

F- Miami-Dade politics continues to resemble something out of high school, as this post at Eye on Miami shows.

G- Eating Local in the Tropics reveals the shocking fact that coffee is grown right here in South Florida.

We have local coffee. We are the luckiest locavores in America! Yes, you heard me. Coffee is grown and roasted right here in Davie, Florida. I'm not kidding you. There's not a lot of it, but you can get your hands on it. Right now the only place that sells the Davie coffee, from a company called Wagon Wheel Coffee Roaster, is at a small fruit stand in Fort Lauderdale on McNab off of Cypress (in the Pine Crest area) called "By Their Fruits" (I'm writing about them soon too).

H- The Reid Report urges the world to remember that the extreme right is just one, embarrassing part of the United States and not representative of the American population as a whole, no matter how much attention the media likes to pay to them.

Now, in just one short summer, barely eight months into Barack Obama’s presidency, we’ve gone from a country that went from African slavery to a black president in less than 400 years, to a country that prompts unnamed world leaders to ask the president: what’s wrong with your people? ‘We don’t understand it. You’re trying to make sure everybody has health care and they’re putting a Hitler mustache on you — I don’t — that doesn’t make sense to me. Explain that to me…” The images emanating from our country have gone from 100,000 mostly white, young and old Americans cheering a black presidential candidate in Missouri last fall, to a town hall full of screaming old people who don’t know Medicare is a government program.

I- Random Pixels rates Miami's TV station websites and I totally agree.

Some recent visits to local TV station web sites have revealed that all web sites are definitely not created equal.

What follows is my (totally subjective) analysis of Miami's Big 4 local English language TV station web sites.

J- I Shot The Chef recaps her recent trip to Europe and includes some fantastic pictures.

We started our road trip in Frankfurt and drove to Prague, Vienna and Munich. As usual, our traveling consists of two things… eating traditional food and photo taking. Or as the Germans say… Photoshooting. Check out some AMAZING non-food images that Stephan took from our trip.

K- In an epic post, Urban Environment League explains the results from the Virginia Key workshop that was held over the weekend.

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Things That Change As You Blog

The Blog Herald, which, by the way, is a great resource for bloggers at all levels, shares 5 things that have changed for him as he's blogged over the years. I liked #4...

4. Posting Schedule

When you first start blogging, your schedule is likely more erratic. You might not know what days/times you will be posting to your site or what kinds of posts you’ll be doing.

However, as you move on grow and progress, your schedule begins to become more concrete. You develop a schedule that becomes a habit for both you and your readers.

Though life always trumps blogging and the schedule may change, finding this meter and this rhythm is crucial to both keeping your audience happy and to continue writing. It’s too easy to walk away from something that isn’t a habit but once blogging is part of your daily/weekly routine, it’s much easier to stay with as something feels “missing” if you don’t do it.

Indeed. And the post's bottom line sums up everything quite nicely.

When blogging, a lot of things can and do change over time. The one thing that should not change, however, is your love for what you write about.

If you are not interested in writing your blog, it will show up in your writing and your readers will see that. The passion has to be there because, without it, your site is just circling the drain.

Enjoy what you do, be passionate about your topic and do good work. If those things remain the same, your blog can survive just about any changes thrown at it.

I find it fun to wander through my archives every now and then and read what I was posting about months or years ago. While there may be differences in content or format or tone, TBH is right: I find there is always a consistency in the passion and devotion to the subject matter.

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SFDB Question Of The Day

It's hard for me to start my day without my cup of coffee. The smell, the taste, the caffeine...it all gets me set for the day ahead, if not physically then psychologically.

Since today is National Coffee Day, the logical Question of the Day is...

Why do you like coffee so much?

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SFDB Viral Video

100 Greatest Hits Of YouTube In 4 Minutes


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The Cooler

Here's some of the more interesting stories I found this morning in the mainstream media.

A- Herald: The Dolphins are officially Chadless.

Starting quarterback Chad Pennington, who injured his throwing shoulder on Sunday, likely will miss the rest of the season, according to multiple sources.

B- Herald: 400 Miamiams love Miami.

Sure, Miami's got lousy drivers, questionable manners and one of country's most depressed real estate markets. Yet despite its drawbacks -- not to mention the recession -- residents of Miami-Dade say they love this city more than ever.

To be more precise, they're expressing a greater level of attachment to this community, according to the ``Soul of the Community'' three-year study conducted by Gallup and funded by the Knight Foundation.

This year, the second of the project, Miami had the most significant jump in community attachment when compared to other large cities in the survey, which is being released Tuesday. In all, 26 U.S. communities are being studied.

[...]

``It turned out to be somewhat surprising to us,'' said Scholl, Miami program director for the foundation. ``I would have thought that people, because they were unhappy with their economic circumstance, would be unhappy with their community.''

For the 400 local adults interviewed by Gallup between February and April, problems of crime and unemployment were perceived as being more severe than in 2008. But positive qualities -- especially Miami's openness, aesthetics and social offerings, like culture and entertainment -- caused a statistically significant increase in the overall level of attachment compared to last year.

C- Herald: They write letters.

Firefighters work four days a week. Most of the time they sit idle. They promote themselves as sex symbols on calendars. Before 9/11 firefighters were considered slackers who wanted fair pay and a good pension.

Now they all have hero status, even those who did not battle in the aftermath of 9/11 in New York. I know a regular firefighter who makes $125,000 a year, including overtime, and a lieutenant who makes $300,000. What is wrong with this picture?

ARMANDO ALVAREZ, Miami

D- Sun-Sentinel: Their way of thanking you for flying with them.

Several big airlines this week have added $10 surcharges for most of their tickets for travel on three busy days around Thanksgiving and New Year's holidays.

American and United airlines added the charge for most of their fares for travel on Nov. 29, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, as well as Jan. 2 and 3. On Friday US Airways Group Inc. matched the surcharge, and FareCompare.com said Delta Air Lines Inc. added it, too.

Spokespersons for Southwest Airlines Co. and Continental Airlines Inc. both said they had not added the surcharge.

E- TC Palm: She's more of a cat person.

MARTIN COUNTY — A 23-year-old Stuart woman stabbed and killed her dog Sunday, according to an arrest affidavit.

Cassandra Danielle Lauderdale of the 1700 block of Southeast Salerno Road was charged with cruelty to animals and was being held at the Martin County Jail in lieu of $2,500 bail Monday.

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office was called about the incident about 10:30 p.m. Sunday at Lauderdale’s home. Deputies found several people inside, including Lauderdale, who appeared agitated. The people at the home told deputies she had taken the dog into the bathroom and stabbed it in the bathtub, the arrest affidavit said. They told the deputies they heard the dog’s yelps during the attack.

“She uttered that she had the right to kill the dog and it was no one’s business,” Deputy Vance Irick wrote in his report.

F- WSVN: Just another day on I-95.

MIAMI (WSVN) -- All northbound lanes of Interstate 95 approaching State Road 836 managed to remain open despite 500 feet of hosing that fell onto the expressway from a fire truck Monday afternoon.

A pickup truck driving behind the City of Miami Fire Rescue engine received damage to its front bumper and a flat tire. However, the smaller vehicle's driver was not injured.

Firefighters removed the tubing from the road and loaded it back onto their truck.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

I head back to Miami this morning after yet an another bit of travel. Hopefully I'm going to stay planted for at least a few weeks so I can enjoy the falling leaves and the apple cider and the chilly temperatures and, oh wait...sorry. I was having a flashback to a time when there was a "fall" in my life. Nevermind. Enjoy your morning Sift anyways.

A- There's apparently some type of controversy brewing in the South Florida blogosphere that involves Artlurker and an alleged misrepresentation made in a post. Local Motion Miami explains and links back to the Miami New Times story that is stirring the pot. I'm not sure exactly what's going on and would be interested in what Artlurker has to say before I jump to any conclusions.

B- Bark Bark Woof Woof tells us why Sarah Palin quit her job as governor.

C- Smashed Frog has the news that Atlanta has their own Julia Tuttle Causeway.

For those persons deemed sex offenders who are unable to locate housing due to residency restrictions, state probation officers have directed these now homeless offenders into the woods outside Atlanta.

D- The Reid Report has the latest on the census worker found hanging from a tree in Kentucky and it involves the radical right smearing the dead man.

E- The South Florida Watershed Journal shares with us the four signs of fall in South Florida.

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Your Evening Sift

You folks are working me hard this evening. I have a full plate of Sift for you to review and enjoy so let's get started...

A- Brickell Life enthusiastically describes his experience at Charm City Burgers in Deerfield Beach.

Seriously, Charm City Burger Company is the real deal. They are great at what they do and treat you like family as soon as you walk in the door. Go visit them. Tell them the Burger Beast sent you, tell them the New Times sent you, heck tell them Brickell Life sent you, but go eat here because this is what South Florida good eats is all about.

B- Tilefortlauderdale hides Random at the Holland Garden Center after she finishes some long overdue yard work.

Random knew she must save the vines, and save herself too. She began pulling them out by the roots like a madwoman, grabbing hold of a string of leaves and pulling, pulling, pulling until there came a snap from somewhere. She filled up one big yard waste bin after another, after another ... This went on for the better part of a weekend, until her flowers were finally free of all that had snuck in while no one was looking and was slowly but surely trying to kill them.

C- Random Pixels links to a New Times article that notes that City of Miami mayoral candidate Tomas Regalado once held a fundraiser for convicted terrorist Eduardo Arocena which, as the post notes, could be considered a good thing in Miami.

D- Justice Building Blog wonders why the State courts are closed on Yom Kippur which immediately touches off a debate in the comments section.

E- Miami, bro's review of this past weekend's Death To The Sun festival reveals that some interesting and unique people attended the event.

Aiden Dillard, the director and artist (Death Print), walked about in a gold lame thong, mildly harassing people who were milling about.

F- Miami Beach 411 describes the scene at the Mondrian for Sunday Brunch [video included] and the only thing missing are the genuine folks from Miami Social.

After brunch I returned to my lounge chair and suddenly the party was in full swing! So much for the mellow scene! The DJ was spinning house with a somewhat chill vibe, and the turquoise pool was swarming with tanned and toned bodies. There were several models sprawled out on a bed across the pool, drinking champagne. The private bungalows made entirely of green shrubs were full of friends chatting and sitting in the shade. The truly glamorous, who arrived by boat, were making their way up the dock.

G- South Florida Lawyer's favorite journalistic target, Herald columnist Glenn Garvin, gets a full shot of snark in SFL's lastest post.

H- The Urban Environment League's Virginia Key Design Workshop was a big success according to Urban Environment League.

Despite a raft of competing events – and widespread apathy- one hundred people showed up for the UEL Public Design Workshop for Virginia Key this past Saturday morning. Prominent architects, planners and residents of the city of Miami, Key Biscayne and the county all expressed their desire to see the current City of Miami /EDSA plan further refined.

I- The Jew Review has a bunch of photos from the recent Homestead Car Show including a video of some serious drifting on the racetrack.

J- REV Miami links to Miami Music Festival information.

K- The removal of Australian Pines from the Rickenbacker Causeway gets a big thumbs up from Eye on Miami.

The removal (finally!) of Australian pines on Rickenbacker Causeway is advancing. It is a very good project; improving the overused, under-maintained parks on Rickenbacker Causeway. The pines are invasive exotics and should be cut down and replaced with native shade trees. Is it worth the cost? Yes.

L- Coconut Grove Grapevine posts some photos from this past weekend's outdoor movies at Cocowalk.

M- The Reid Report notes a recent Facebook poll that questions whether President Obama needs to be killed. As you might imagine, the Secret Service isn't laughing.

N- The Cuban Triangle digs and finds a picture of Fidel Castro, Dizzy Gillespie and Arturo Sandoval posing together. Communists!!!

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"America's Worst Driver" Films In Miami

After viewing this Herald video about the upcoming Travel Channel series called "America's Worst Driver," I haven't decided whether it's going to be yet another stupid reality show or something worth checking out. I'm thinking the former.




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Houston, We Definitely Have A Problem

When someone tells you that our health care system doesn't need fixed or that everything is just fine and dandy, make sure you run this statistic by them...

Going without health insurance can delay when people obtain primary and preventative care, potentially resulting in poorer health. Even more gravely, a lack of private health insurance brings an increased risk of death; uninsurance is to blame for some 44,789 adult deaths across the U.S. every year, according to a new study published online today in the American Journal of Public Health.

The findings show that uninsured Americans—between the ages of 17 and 64—have a 40 percent higher risk of death than those who have private insurance. (Those enrolled in government insurance programs, such as Medicaid and Department of Veterans Affairs insurance, were excluded from the study.) About 46.3 million Americans didn't have health insurance as of 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the number is estimated to be higher now since the recession has forced many off of employer health plans.

[...]

The authors analyzed information from surveys and health examinations of more than 9,000 people that was collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) between 1986 and 2000 and checked against death records. Even after controlling for age, gender, race, income, education, employment, smoking, alcohol use, assessed health and BMI, the researchers found "lack of health insurance significantly increased the risk of mortality," they wrote in the paper.

Some folks, particularly those who have health insurance, are perfectly content to sit and do nothing as their fellow Americans struggle to pay their health care bills or literally die because they can't afford the care they need. After all, these fortunate souls "have theirs" and it's up to less fortunate to somehow "get theirs."

Visit Florida Speaks and arm yourself with the facts so that you can articulate the need for health care reform.

It's something that America, all of America, needs now.


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SFDB Ecard Of The Day

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The Cooler

I'm running short on time this morning so here's another abbreviated version of the Cooler.

A- Herald: Same as it ever was.

SAN DIEGO -- SAN DIEGO -- The news wasn't good. The Dolphins' training staff just told quarterback Chad Pennington that an injury to his right shoulder Sunday would require him to remain sidelined at least for the rest of Miami's 23-13 loss to the Chargers.

[...]

In Sunday's wake, you can dissect many depressing aspects of another bad loss. You could continue to wonder why Miami's secondary keeps giving up huge plays. Or why the Dolphins failed to score any points on three of four trips into the red zone.

But on a day when an 0-3 start might have otherwise fueled the bulk of the questions moving forward, another wonder instantly took its place as Chargers linebacker Kevin Burnett caught the underside of Pennington's shoulder early in the third quarter.

Here it is: Would those words from Pennington to Henne mark the official transition -- the passing of the torch -- between Miami's current starter and its quarterback of the future? The question, as of Sunday evening, remained vague.

B- Herald: They write letters.

Don't use flashers

Here's a clever idea: Use those smart signs that have popped up on most of our highways to remind people that emergency flashers are for emergencies only. It is very distracting to be driving in the middle of a blinding rainstorm and see that most of the cars around me have their flashers on.

To make it even worse, some of them didn't have their headlights on.

C'mon people, I'm trying to be a safe driver.

PHYLLIS HAINS, Miami

C- Palm Beach Post: "Hint of Fall" in Palm Beach County?

The forecast says we'll get clouds and afternoon storms with highs about 91 degrees. The record in West Palm Beach is 93 degrees set in 1958.

But Tuesday night a cold front will make it down to these parts dropping the overnight lows into the lower 70s.

Forecasters say this front probably won't make it all the way to Broward or Miami-Dade counties and will bring only a hint of fall, dropping temperatures about 3 or 4 degrees and delivering noticeably drier air Wednesday and Thursday.

D- WPLG: Double stabbing near Nikki Beach.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Miami Beach Police are investigating a double stabbing near Nikki Beach Club.

The two men were found at South Point Park, located at First Street and Ocean Drive.

One man was stabbed in the shoulder, the other one in the abdomen.

E- WPLG: Video, Escape To Miami Triathalon.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Time to start another week. Here's your Monday morning Sift...

A- Bark Bark Woof Woof reflects on the significance of this Day of Atonement.

You don't have to be Jewish or Catholic or Quaker or Muslim or Hindi or Rastafarian to stop for a while, even if it's only a moment, to realize that you and that which you believe in are not the center of the universe and that getting your way or winning the argument and hurting someone else in the process isn't just something we shouldn't do because God or the Flying Spaghetti Monster says so. We know through our human instinct that making amends for our flaws and hurts is the most human thing we do.

B- South Florida Beer Blog reveals the beer line up for this year's Oktoberfest celebration at Abraxas.

C- Tall cypress in deep swamp, from The South Florida Watershed Journal.

D- Miami on the Cheap has the detail on the free mini-burgers at Fleming's this Wednesday.

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SFDB's We Live Here

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Bay Rowing
ImageMD

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Your Evening Sift

It was a slow Sunday in the South Florida blogosphere which makes your evening Sift a breeze to get through tonight.

A- Swampstyle announces his next exhibition at Swampspace Gallery that will take you back to the 60's and 70's.

B- Miami, Bro shows you what to expect at The Flying Carpet exhibit on Lincoln Road.

Each work is interactive, at least I think they are. The grove of crocheted palm trees attached like marionettes to strings seems to be on a timer. The sewing machines are all instruments and you use the pedals to make some noise. I thought the whole thing was pretty neat. That's all I have to say.

C- Ipanemic and his friends at his apartment complex on South Beach are having a party and you are invited.

D- There are a couple interesting events and promos that Food For Thought believes you might be interested in.

E- Restaurant Gal offers a few reasons why the divorce rate is so high in the Keys.

F- Discourse is the latest Miami blogger questioning the existence of the Miami Herald.

In short, the Herald ducked everything complicated, important, and interesting about this story. It failed to help readers figure out which if any of their representatives were actively engaged in doing anything meaningful about the problem. And this on one of the leading political controversies in the country, one which the House will be voting on soon.

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Guess Who Stopped Back In Town Over The Weekend?

New photos from Miami Fever are up!


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This Week's Far Right Hissy Fit

It's always gotta be something with these people. Here's the latest source of hysteria from the Little Limbaughs...



Words like "indoctrination" and "scary" and "sick" were used by fringe right bloggers to describe this 7-month-old video that showed children celebrating Black History Month and "the contributions of African-Americans to our great nation."

We're still digging to find the outrage the same group of blowhards had to this video a few years back. So far no luck.




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The Cooler

Here's just a few things I found in this morning's mainstream media sources.

A- Herald: The difference between Hialeah and Weston when it comes to health care.

As the nation's leaders debate the merits of healthcare reform, what's happening in Hialeah and Weston forms a stark tale of two cities at the opposite ends of the spectrum.

More than half of Hialeah adults aged 18-64 -- 53.1 percent -- lack health insurance, according to Census data released last week. That's almost three times the national average and the highest rate in South Florida. The lowest -- 13.8 percent -- is in Weston.

That disparity ``could certainly be a poster child about the need for reform,'' says Robert Berenson, a physician who is a health policy expert at the Urban Institute.

B- Herald: They write letters.

If healthcare reform is socialism, then I encourage all those protesting to relinquish Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps and GI benefits.

LOIS KAHN, Coral Gables

C- Sun-Sentinel: The dangers of MySpace.

A man in his late teens to early 20s was robbed after meeting a woman on MySpace who asked him to drive her around town. The victim, of Lantana, chatted on MySpace with a woman Friday evening and met her within hours of "meeting" her online, police said.

The woman gave the man her phone number and he called her.

She asked him to pick her up and the two drove around a bit before the woman asked if they could give her friend a ride. They picked up a man nearby in the 1000 block of North Seacrest Boulevard. He asked to be dropped off in the 700 block of Northeast Third Street. After that, the victim was supposed to go to the woman's house, police said. He was robbed instead.

[...]

When they got to Third Street by about 10:30 p.m., the passenger pulled out a handgun. Other men at that address surrounded the car and ordered the victim out. The robbers stole the victim's pants, wallet and keys. He then ran to a nearby store and called police. The crooks didn't take his car, but it had to be towed because he didn't have his keys.

D- WPLG: The Hurricanes forget to show up to play.

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Jacory Harris planned to play it cool against Virginia Tech.

The 11th-ranked Hokies blew up that plan in about five minutes, harassing the Hurricanes' quarterback into early mistakes and dominating No. 9 Miami 31-7 in a downpour on Saturday.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Early Sunday morning sifts do not usually yield a lot of material and this morning is no exception. Enjoy your slow Sunday morning...

A- Hover over the Everglades with The South Florida Watershed Journal.

B- Miami Condo Investment provides a link to a recent Time Magazine article entitled, "Miami: 10 Things To Do In 24 Hours."

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SFDB Saturday Night Turndown Service

Larry Carlton, Sleepwalk

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Your Evening Sift

As usual, I have a wide array of posts from South Florida bloggers to share with you this weekend evening. Enjoy your night and your Saturday evening Sift...

A- Miami Bike Scene has a link to a WPLG video on yesterday's Critical Mass ride as well as their own short video of the riders passing through Merrick Park.

B- Some Cranky Guy shares some photos from the new Pembroke Pines Farmer's Market on Pines Boulevard.

C- Random Pixels notes a recent magazine article that highlights Miami's best street food. "Miami" being, of course, all of Miami-Dade County.

D- The M-Path gets a critical review from Transit Miami.

I am unsure that the M-Path merits the designation of a “path”. Usually a “path” has as a main characteristic some level of connectivity, and unfortunately the M-Path does not. There is no clear designation or markings for one to follow the M-Path.

E- Eating Local In The Tropics has a 6-post series detailing how to make a tomatillo salsa.

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Rookies!

This is just outside of where I vacationed just a few short weeks ago...

Two Florida hikers were safely removed from the 13,500-foot level of Mount Princeton Friday in separate rescue operations because one became sick and the other lost his way.

Chaffee County Sheriff's Deputy Matt Goodwin reported Robert Dale Aggen, 19, of Wellington, Fla., was rescued by a Flight for Life helicopter Sept. 18 after suffering apparent altitude sickness.

He was hiking with his father, Dale Robert Aggen, 49 of Wellington, on Mount Princeton.

Dale contacted the sheriff's office dispatch center about 2 p.m. Friday requesting search and rescue assistance to remove his son who he said was unable to move, but was conscious and breathing normally.

Chaffee County Search and Rescue personnel were summoned to assist, but Goodwin said Dale requested a helicopter. Chaffee County Sheriff Tim Walker subsequently authorized use of the aircraft.

Flight for Life personnel found and evacuated Robert after 5 p.m. The victim was later diagnosed with a low carbohydrate level and minor altitude sickness.

Dale told rescuers he would hike off Mount Princeton to the trailhead by himself. However, Goodwin reported, Dale became lost later in the evening and again requested search and rescue assistance.

I usually take 2-3 days once I arrive out in Colorado to acclimate just to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen [although I don't ever get to 13,500]. Floridians who live at 5-10 feet above sea level are particularly prone to having the altitude do weird things to their bodies.

- Photo via my Flickr

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SFDB Ecard Of The Day

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Update On The SFDB Health Care Challenge

Earlier this week, I posted a short video detailing the President's health care plan and I challenged my conservative readership to provide me a link to a similar Republican proposal for change. Despite having a number of conservative readers here at SFDB, I got absolutely no response from them in the comments.

In a most excellent post from yesterday, Bark Bark Woof Woof provides the answers why Republicans aren't "putting up."

It's definitely worth the click over.


-image via Chan Lowe, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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The Cooler

Here's what caught my eye early this morning in the local mainstream media.

A- Herald: Video, El Palacia de los Jugos.

B- Herald: South Miami is the new black.

The once sleepy downtown known as a hangout for teenage movie-goers is slowly finding a following as a sophisticated place to be.

The area is attracting a wide mix: college students, professionals in their 30s, baby boomers from Pinecrest or Coral Gables.

The transformation is no accident. It's all part of a planning process that began more than a decade ago.

``The area has really picked up,'' said Hiers, 48, a consultant, who lives in Palmetto Bay. ``It's alive, but it's not the craziness of South Beach. I don't want to be in a crowd of 20-year-olds where I'm out of my element. This is more my scene.''

C- Herald: There's always the backyard.

Sandy Ketcham, the manager at Broward Pet Cemetery in Plantation, said she typically handled 30 funerals a year, but that number has dropped along with the economy.

``People don't have the money to spend like they used to,'' she said. ``The economy has affected everybody. People are pinching their pennies.''

D- Herald: They write letters.

Give us real news

Our country is in a recession; President Obama is defending healthcare reform and wants to bring Israel and the Palestinians to the table for peace talks; and the ayatollah in Iran is criticizing our president.

But instead, The Miami Herald has given us front-page headlines about some guy named Juanes whom most non-Latins have never even heard of.

What is happening in our country?

Now we have to search inside the paper for important information about our own country.

How about putting pertinent news that concerns all Americans on the front page?

JUDITH PALGON, Miami

E- Sun-Sentinel: Editorial, the great American anti-tax myth.

That people make money all by themselves is the Great American Anti-Tax Myth. In reality, they do it with the help and cooperation of countless other people — including, in your case, your employees, Mr. Smith — and a government that functions to protect them, their property and the economic environment in which they do business. You don't get all that for nothing. Remember that before you whine again.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

It was slow in the SoFla blogosphere last night so this morning's Sift is going to take you but a minute to get through. Enjoy!

A- The Reid Report is closely tracking the details of the apparent murder of a census worker in Kentucky as it is appearing more and more as if it is a product of right wing extremism.

B- Eye on Miami is concerned about falling iguanas in Greynolds Park.

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Your Evening Sift

I'm getting to this Sift a little later than usual so, as a result, it's a little longer than usual. Have a safe Friday evening, folks, and enjoy your Sift.

A- The Burger Beast gives us an idea of what to expect at the Titanic Restaurant and Brewery in Coral Gables.

It was good, nothing out of this world. It's your standard bar burger.

B- More photos of hardened women of the street are posted at The Street.

C- Brickell Life has a suggestion for a good coal-fired pizza place in Broward in case an Anthony's isn't close by.

Salad is hearty and enough to feed 3-4 people. It includes romaine, tomatoes, black olives, garbanzos, red onion, celery, eggs and a homemade vinaigrette. Gorgonzola is a bit extra but worth the additional $1 to round it out. Wings are awesome here. Like other coal fired joints, they bake them in those insanely hot ovens which produces a crazy crisp, but juice wing minus the deep frying. They come with caramelized onions and focaccia. I could eat them all day. Pizzas are great and have that burnt edge signature mark from the hot coal fired ovens. Toppings are standard, but specialty pies like a broccoli rabe & sausage, meatballs & ricotta and a frittata pizza stand out as well.

D- Miami City Diggs does a quick comparison of the Brickell, Miami Beach and Downtown Miami areas as it pertains to renting or buying.

E- The Reid Report looks at what Florida Governor Charlie Crist is facing with the recent arrests of 3 Democratic politicians in Broward County.

F- South Florida Beer Blog submits an impressive review of the beers now offered at 8 Oz. Burger Bar.

They have greatly expanded their draft beer selection with the addition of 12 new draft lines. Although the beer prices always seemed a little high the addition of the new draft system now gives me more of a reason to use the bar section of the restaurant.

G- Miami For Change questions why the City of Miami unions [maybe just the police union???...hard to tell] are against a pay cut.

City Commissioners are doing the right thing not to raise taxes especially when other cities and the county is raising them. They are faced with cutting services, salaries, and city jobs. So they asked the unions to take pay cuts.

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Friday Flashback

The Rolling Stones, Waiting On A Friend

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SFDB Ecard Of The Day

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But Seriously...

I know that a lot of pundits have been rough on the folks who have been out there exercising their First Amendment rights and protesting against illegal immigration higher taxes health care black presidents just about everything but I want to let you know that I'm not going to be one of those people. No siree. SFDB is going to take the high road on this one and instead show you a video of the goings ons at a recent Tea Party Express stop in Ely, Nevada.



I mean, how can you NOT take these people seriously?

Jump on board. There's not much room left.



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The Cooler

I'm a bit pressed for time this morning so this abbreviated version of the Cooler will have to do.

A- Herald: The I-95 "Lexus Lanes" are officially a success, says the people who created them.

The Florida Department of Transportation has claimed victory against chronic traffic congestion on Interstate 95 -- at least northbound traffic in Miami-Dade -- thanks to the new toll express lanes.

[...]

According to the report, motorists who use the two variable-toll express lanes now travel at an average speed of 56 mph during rush hour -- 36 mph faster than before the lanes opened. Even drivers who use the four free lanes are traveling faster at peak times, the report said -- 42 mph instead of 20 mph.

The state defines the northbound ``peak period'' as 4 to 7 p.m.

``The program has dramatically improved the overall operational performance of I-95,'' the report said.

[...]

The report claimed that motorists were happy.

``Response from I-95 users (of both express lanes and local lanes) has been extremely positive,'' the report said.

B- Sun-Sentinel: No job? Go back to school.

Students at Florida's colleges and universities may be feeling a bit cramped these days.

Enrollment is up at 10 of the 11 state universities and at an all-time high at eight of them, including Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and Florida International University in Miami. South Florida's three community colleges also have record enrollments.

[...]

Money is a big reason for the boom, officials say. Reacting to the recession, some students are pursuing more education if their job prospects are poor, while others are foregoing more expensive out-of-state or private schools.

C- Sun-Sentinel: Chan Lowe.

D- Palm Beach Post: It's raining men!

BOCA RATON — A man was rushed to the hospital after apparently trying to commit suicide by jumping from a balcony inside a hotel in suburban Boca Raton.

The man, whose identity was not released, jumped from a top floor to the indoor atrium at the seven-story Hilton Suites at 7920 W. Glades Road shortly after 8 p.m., according to Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue officials. Authorities are treating it as an attempted suicide and the man was taken by ambulance to Delray Medical Center.

E- WPLG: Alonzo makes his return.

MIAMI -- A former Miami Heat star will return to the team as a new vice president, the Heat announced Thursday.

According to the team, Alonzo Mourning has been named the vice president of player programs. His duties will be to provide support and mentoring to the players, helping their personal and professional development.

F- NBCMiami: NBCMiami continues to be the place to find the non-news in Miami with their coverage of yesterday's PETA protest on Biscayne Boulevard.

Our friends at PETA were at it again Thursday, this time to defend our underwater friends.

A handfull of protesters, topless (with pasties) and covered in green paint, pretended to be fish out of water on the corner of Flagler Street and Biscayne Boulevard in honor of something called National Fish Empathy Day.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

TGIF, folks. It's here! Make sure you check out all the happenings this weekend in the right sidebar, which is continuously updated as I come upon new information. Let's get things started with your morning Sift...

A- The South Florida Watershed Journal says The Farmer's Almanac is now available. Woo hoo!

B- Miami Condo Investments opines that the views from the penthouse of the Marquis are the best in Miami. You be the judge.

The views are simply majestic. It’s amazing how minuscule some of the buildings look from the 66th floor.

C- REV Miami interviews Jota from Radioboxer, Miami New Times' Best Band of 2009 [Reader's Choice].

S: What other plans do you guys have going on locally?

J: We’re playing Saturday September 26th at PS14 with Huma Rojo, they are a really amazing band. On October 9th we’re going to be on the local morning show on NBC. November 14th we’re at Churchill’s. Later in the year we’re doing a radio show called Sound Theory, it’s a live program where bands play live. We’re going to do a theatrical drama, like a soap opera on the radio. We’re going to have a story and put our songs there, but we want to do something different, which is what we always try to do. We try to find a balance between playing a good sound and doing something different, because you get bored of playing the same songs. People get bored too, last year we played once every weekend. So we try to give people a little extra so they pay more attention and we have fun in the process of doing it too.

C- Random Pixels once again addresses the age old problem of how newspapers keep their print editions alive while offering free content on line.

D- Man or Maniac? critiques one of Some Cranky Guy's photos and the way it depicts the I-95 Express Lanes.

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Your Evening Sift

I was on the road for most of the day [again] but took the time tonight to put together a rather decent Thursday evening Sift. Have fun.

A- My Weston Blog ventures out of Broward County and informs us that there are now "Animal Relief Areas" at MIA. Cue the jokes.

B- October 8th is a day Miami-Dade bicyclists might want to circle on their calendars, according to Spokes 'n' Folks.

C- South Florida Theatre Scene has their regular wrap up for the week.

D- SFLTV takes a look at the fracas that occurred yesterday outside the Federal courthouse when a politician accused of corruption emerged and was swarmed by the media.

E- Ipanemic chills with his peeps in his apartment courtyard for South Beach Social: Episode #9.

F- Obalesque shares the comments he gave at a recent Broward County Commission hearing and there's confusion in the comments.

G- Eye on Miami's missive on the state of Coconut Grove is pretty much what you've been hearing from Coconut Grove Grapevine for the last year or so but a bit more readable.

In historical context, however, there is another issue: the Grove recklessly squandered its unique character. It is not easy to correct errors in permitting developments out of scale with neighborhood character. Coconut Grove needs its character back, but it was sacrificed on the altar of lobbyists, greedy public officials and grand schemes. It is the story of Florida writ small.

H- Someone needs to show Miami-Dade Dems how to embed YouTube videos on his blog.

I- Both Incertus and Bark Bark Woof Woof comment on the increased sale of ammo in this country since President Obama took office. From the former...

The silly side of this is that these people are manufacturing fear out of nothing, spinning it out of the air. They're making themselves paranoid and spending lots of money on something based on this irrational notion that there's a secret plot to disarm them and take their freedoms away. The scary side of it is that these people don't seem to get that they're being irrational, and any move to convince them otherwise only reinforces their paranoia.

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SFDB's 3 Political Truths...

...that were revealed to me over my vacation.

1. Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are the Right's Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan, although Republicans are totally and utterly blind to this fact.


2. No matter if you're a Democrat or a Republican, you can never, ever defend a racist who still believes that we need segregated school buses.


3. White men can't jump and Little Limbaughs can't count.

-photo credit

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Happy National Punctuation Day!

From the National Punctuation Day website...

NPD is celebrated in schools and businesses throughout the world with activities, games, programs, and contests. It has inspired people to pay attention not only to their p’s and q’s, but also their commas, semicolons, and ellipses. NPD reminds us of the importance of proper punctuation for communicating clearly at home, school, or at work.

Quick. Somebody tell Fox News.



[Not that their audience actually noticed.]


-via Dependable Renegade

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The Cooler

I've got a really wide variety of stories pulled from this morning's mainstream media for you in this Thursday edition of the Cooler.

A- Herald: Hands in the cookie jar?

Three separate federal probes in Broward County involving alleged payoffs of more than $40,000 have led to the arrests Wednesday of two leading political figures and a former Miramar city official.

Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion Jr., School Board member Beverly Gallagher and former Miramar Commissioner Fitzroy Salesman were arrested Wednesday on a variety of charges including bribery, fraud and money laundering.

B- Herald: Florida may be tops in divorce because of people like Linda.

ISLAMORADA, Fla. -- It's easy to see why bookkeeper Linda Mortimer moved to the Florida Keys 20 years ago: the impossibly blue water, the year-round sunshine, a lifestyle so laid-back that every day is like a Jimmy Buffett lyric.

What Mortimer didn't anticipate was falling in love - and then getting divorced less than two years after taking her wedding vows.

"I discovered after we got married that my husband had been divorced four times," said Mortimer, as she finished a noontime burger while sitting at the bar at the Ocean View, a local party spot and Mortimer's place of employment.

"I was his No. 5. He didn't understand why I got so upset."

C- Herald: Video, guy drives an Indy car around South Beach. He should have taken it out on I-95. Now that would have been interesting.

D- Sun-Sentinel: What a way to go.

DEERFIELD BEACH - Jerry Gunderson started diving for golf balls in 1953, when he was 19. On Saturday, during a dive, he lost his life. He was 75.

"I don't know why he did it; it's high risk, but he just loved it," said his wife, Judith Gunderson, of Deerfield Beach. "He always said that's the way he would go."

Jerry Gunderson, whose passion for diving for golf balls led to the founding of a chain of seven golf-supply stores, was found dead in the center of the lake at the Deer Creek Country Club in Deerfield Beach on Saturday.

Gunderson, who was wearing scuba gear, drowned, officials said.

E- Miami Today: As gas prices go, so does ridership.

Tri-Rail ridership has seen double-digit deceleration for four months running compared to last year, in part reflecting today's low gas prices and high unemployment.

The most recent count shows an average 11,559 rode the commuter rail system weekdays last month, down 20.7% from August last year.

July brought this year's biggest drop so far: 10,605 riders weekdays on average, down 29.9% from July 2008.

F- CBS4: South Florida's history of corruption.

South Florida's public trust has been trashed often over the years, as the accused have marched into court and/or off to prison with clockwork regularity. Guy Lewis was a hard charging, corruption busting U.S. Attorney in Miami from 2000-2002. He put his share of corrupt officials behind bars.

"Here in South Florida the rules did not seem to apply," said Lewis. "People played fast and loose. It was our culture."

G- NBC6: Video, the media and accused politicians all acting like jerks.

H- WPTV: Don't you just hate when this happens?

SUBURBAN WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- David Fischer's vacation was cut short this summer with a phone call from a roofing company, "that 'oops, we accidentally ripped off your roof," he says.

Fischer came back to his home in Breakers West to find, sure enough, his roof was gone.

The company, Bossler Roofing, Inc. says it was simply a mistake.

Instead of doing work on Fischer's 2 story home, the company was supposed to replace the roof on his neighbor's one story home two doors down.

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