SFDB Saturday Night Turndown Service

Cannonball Adderley featuring Miles Davis, Autumn Leaves


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Your Halloween Evening Sift

Have fun tonight, folks, but stay safe. And make sure you review your specially designed evening Sift...

A- Fanless photographed some Halloween revelers running the Miami Beach Half-Marathon this morning.

B- Happy Halloween from Hidden City, Miami, bro, and Local Motion Miami.

C- Artlurker reviews the Dave Mckenzie exhibition “On Premises” at Susanne Vielmetter.

A central work in the exhibition is “Attunement”, a video that plays out an alternate version of The Cosby Show’s pilot episode in which Bill Cosby uttered the infamous ‘Dadism’ “I brought you into this world, and I’ll take you out!” While this quote can seem lighthearted, McKenzie looks at what is said in a larger cultural context, exploring the balance of love and fear that often lie at the heart of human relationships.

Like much of Mckenzie’s oeuvre the work in this exhibition questions our ability to relate to those around us by revealing connected issues of faith and obedience, power and subjugation.

D- Transit Miami shares a couple photos taken at last night's ghoulish Critical Mass ride in Miami.

For the most part pedestrians and motorists cheered us on as we cruised in costume down Calle Ocho, through Mary Brickell Village and the Design District. For a change cars were honking for us and not at us which was encouraging.

E- It seems like everywhere you turn, Republicans are bickering among themselves. Homestead is Home has the latest example from South Dade.

F- Eye on Miami lists some of the contributors to the Rubio campaign.


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Pumpkin Carver

Have at it....





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The President's Weekly Address

This week it's an important one because the President gives us the good news that, while there is a long way to go, progress is being made with the economy. I think this is a notable accomplishment given how much so many congressional representatives and Americans are hoping, wishing, and crossing their fingers that he fails at making America stronger, more prosperous and healthier, and, once again, a model for the world to follow.

And with that, here's your fascist, Black Panther, Muslim President who was born in Kenya and appears to be a lot like Fidel Castro, with the good news...




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SFDB Ecard Of The Day

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The Cooler

Yep, I'm breaking with tradition here and giving you a Cooler on a weekend day. Here are some of the things I found interesting in this morning's news.

A- Herald: Take the money and run.

Miami-Dade Police Director Robert Parker put in his retirement papers on Friday after more than five years at the helm of Florida's largest police department, saying personal financial considerations factored into his decision.

Parker's retirement is effective Sunday.

[...]

He said that he would have lost a considerable amount of money in leave time and other benefits if he had stayed on past Sunday. Parker's annual salary is $226,000.

On Friday, Alvarez announced a 5 percent pay cut for most non-union employees, which goes into effect Monday.

B- Herald: MIA's North Terminal opens next week...kinda.

SHINY AND NEW: Final preparations take place ahead of the official opening. The North Terminal won't be fully completed until March 2011.

Fourteen years after its initial conception, and $2 billion over budget, the almost mythical North Terminal of Miami International Airport will finally open its doors to the traveling public next week.

[...]

Originally scheduled to open in 2006 and projected to cost under $975 million, the now $2.9 billion construction project won't be completely finished until March 2011.

Still to be installed, among other things, is the $135 million Automated People Mover, a train that will run along the roof of the new terminal. The train was ready in 2005, but Miami-Dade County had to pay the Japanese manufacturer $54,000 per month to ``exercise'' the cars, keeping the rubber wheels and electrical systems from deteriorating as construction delay piled on construction delay.

C- Herald: But of course, these are the same braintrusts who voted to lower property taxes a couple years ago.

Florida voters want offshore oil drilling, oppose a ``public option'' for health insurance and overwhelmingly support a gambling agreement with the Seminole Tribe, according to a new Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times/Bay News 9 poll.

D- Sun-Sentinel: You know all those funny "slimy lawyer" jokes?

Five South Florida lawyers have been disbarred and two suspended for stealing from clients, abandoning them, lying to the government or other acts of misconduct, according to The Florida Bar.

E- Sun-Sentinel: Chan Lowe.

F- Palm Beach Post: Republicans are weird.

TALLAHASSEE — An anonymous Web site aimed at embarrassing Republican Gov. Charlie Crist's political rival appears to have backfired after one of Crist's top political advisers admitted that he helped develop the site.

This latest twist in a suddenly sizzling primary race is at least the second time Rich Heffley, a powerful Republican political operative, has assisted a shadowy political group on behalf of Crist.

"This was me going off half-cocked and I'll never do it again," said Heffley, an influential Tallahassee lobbyist who has billed Florida Republicans nearly $6 million for campaign work in the past decade.

G- South Florida Business Journal: Does Forbes do anything other than run surveys?

The Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area ranked dead last on Forbes list of the safest largest cities in the U.S.

The rankings are based on a city’s levels of violent crime, workplace fatalities rates, traffic death rates and natural disaster risk.

America's southernmost metropolis ranked among the six worst in all four categories earning it the lowest overall safety ranking the list, according to Forbes.

H- CBS4: Video, water main break on Biscayne.


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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

And Happy Halloween. There was a lot of activity in the South Florida blogosphere so your morning Sift is chock full of treats for you to take in over your coffee. Enjoy...

A- Random Pixels leaves South Beach for parts unknown.

I've left South Beach.

It wasn't too many years ago that just the thought of spending an hour on South Beach would cause me to have a major panic attack.

So you can just imagine what six years of living here has done to me.

But I moved this week.

I got tired of being around people who embrace a criminal lifestyle, ghetto lifestyle, the drug lifestyle and the lifestyle that says it's ok to let your dog sh*t on the sidewalk everyday.

B- The Capital Grille on Brickell Avenue is not very good, according to Jeff Eats.

I’m not going to bother you with details…let’s just say, that the food isn’t very good...my Delmonico steak was salty and McDonald’s has better french-fries…

This joint is a rip-off...overpriced crap.

C- Take a video and picture tour of the $800K penthouse condo at Espirito Santo with Miami Condo Investments.

Unit 3405, the 3 bedroom penthouse foreclosure, has 1,934 square feet across two levels and a balcony located on the first floor. The condo foreclosure faces south and resides on the 34th and 35th floors. Condos with balconies are found only on the south, east and north sides of Espirito Santo.

D- Mambi Watch familiarizes readers with the life of Juanita Castro, Fidel's and Raul's sister.

The story of Juanita Castro and the CIA shows how drastically Miami and the U.S. government have changed in its opposition to the Cuban government. Ironically, the militancy that Juanita once supported, is now her most vocal critic. It's been an interesting half-century of hostilities, but more changes are still required from both governments if we are all to finally live in peace. One should wonder though, how many more secrets are still out there to reveal.

E- There are spooky things out in the swamp, according to The South Florida Watershed Journal.

There are giant spiders too!

But even worse is a trunk-to-trunk spanning web on your face (and in your hands as you try to remove it after the fact),

Is a spider there too, in my hair or crawling down my neck?

F- Speaking of spiderwebs...go visit Camera Ephemera.

G- There is good news and bad news to report when it comes to South Florida theater reviews, according to South Florida Theatre Scene.

So, the good news: the Sun-Sentinel has cleaned up its culture page, and is paying a professional theatre reviewer for well-written reviews. The bad news: weell, those reviews show obvious signs of butchery. Whoever is editing is wielding a cleaver and leaving gaping holes in the reviews. It's heavy-handed, and obvious to the Theatre Scene that the Sun Sentinel still needs to hire a decent editor or two.

H- If these pictures of Halloweens past are any indicator, tonight's activities at The Deuce should be interesting...check them out at Deucers.

I- Bark Bark Woof Woof demonstrates, again, how dreadfully short a Republican's memory is.

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For Fox Sake!

As usual, Jon Stewart massacres the Right's lunacy.




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Your Evening Sift

Alright, it's the weekend, folks. The blogosphere was busy in South Florida today so I have a good amount of posts for you to review in your Friday night evening Sift...

A- Miami For Change endorses Tomas Regalado for City of Miami Mayor but not for the reasons that you think.

Diaz has also brought Miami from being a laughing stock to national leaders. Just for Miami 21 alone, Diaz will go down in history as one of Miami's and the nation's greatest mayors.

We are also fans of Marc Sarnoff. As we predicted, he has emerged as the true leader on the city commission.

What better way to cement the Diaz legacy and give Sarnoff a legitimate opportunity to become mayor in four years than to have Tomas Regalado become mayor now.

B- The Burger Beast gives 3.5 out of 5 stars to the food A Chef's Burger serves out of their truck.

The "Big Juicy": At last, a stuffed burger I didn't have to prepare. The "Big Juicy" is stuffed with American cheese and topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions. Great tasting burger and it's served somewhere in between Medium and Medium-Well, it wasn't dried out. The burgers were prepared fresh. I watched as he made The "Big Juicy" by hand. I watched as he cut the onions, tossed them in flour and fried them for The "Crispy". I watched him chop the peppers, mushrooms and onions for our burgers and then saute them. It's crazy to see this kind of attention to detail for food served from a truck but I'm not complaining.

C- Miami Bike Scene gets a well-deserved mention in a nice Herald article about Miami's Critical Mass rides.

D- Travel back in time as A Mom, A Blog and the Life In-Between takes a look at some of her past Halloween costumes.

E- Eye on Miami does an excellent job explaining how the City of Miami is going after the venerable Jimbo's. The comments are rolling, too.

And just for good measure [City Manager Pete] Hernandez threw a red herring into the mix. He ordered Jimbo's to clean up the place and come into code compliance or be shut down, although no one is quite sure what the zoning on Jimbo's is.

F- South Florida Lawyers tells us about another loony South Florida lawyer that attended President Obama's fundraiser earlier this week.

G- Someone is emailing derogatory information about Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones around town, according to The Reid Report.

I was apparently one of several journo types and political people who were emailed a pretty scathing 3-page document cataloging a string of alleged bad deeds, not just by Ms. Spence-Jones, but also by her husband, Nathanial. The document is written with enough legalistic language to sound like it came from an attorney, or someone who works with one (or maybe with a bunch of taxpayer-paid ones, if you know what I mean…) and it contains case files that link to actual cases against Nathanial Jones (I looked them up via the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s case file hotline.)

H- Vigilia Mambisa drags out a paper shredder as their latest weapon against the Castro regime, according to The Cuban Triangle.

Rather than engage in a book burning, Vigilia Mambisa’s Miguel Saavedra got himself what appears to be a nice cordless paper shredder to do justice to Juanita Castro’s new book. The performance art protest was double-barreled, taking place in front of Miami’s Spanish consulate to protest Spain’s diplomacy with Cuba.

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Friday Flashback

You know I had to...




Bobby 'Boris' Pickett & The Cryptkickers, The Monster Mash

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SFDB Ecard Of The Day

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SFDB Question Of The Day

Candy cigarettes, candy buttons, Charms, Cherryheads, Dubble Bubble, Pixy Stix, Necco Wafers, Wax Bottles, Circus Peanuts, Sugar Daddy, Sweetarts, Wax Chewing Gum Lips...c'mon, give it up...

What is/was your favorite Halloween candy?

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The Oasis Of The Seas Is On Its Way

Coming to Fort Lauderdale next month, one big honkin' cruise ship...

With 16 decks, 2,700 rooms, and seven different "districts", Royal Caribbean actually achieved two things today - they got a new ship, and they became the owners of the largest cruise ship in the world.

The Oasis of the Seas is unlike anything ever built, and brings some amazing innovations to the oceans. A nine level zip line lets guests race through the massive open air atrium, kids can take a ride on a handcrafted carousel, and at the end of the day, you can relax in one of the 28 multilevel loft suites with floor to ceiling windows, or head up to the aquatic amphitheater. The list of attractions, restaurants and amenities is endless.

The art alone that is contained on board is worth noting, as this video demonstrates.

Check out the rest of the videos and photos of this monster ship here.

-via Gadling

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Is Marco Rubio A Birther?

One has to wonder...

In a two-day swing by U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio through the Panhandle, the most conservative part of Florida, perhaps it was inevitable that the question would come up. At a Republican club meeting last night in Miramar Beach, a young man asked Rubio whether he thought President Barack Obama has a valid American birth certificate.

"I don't know the answer to that,'' Rubio said. "He's been sworn in already...If someone had evidence they should have presented it a long time ago."

After he was safely away from his constituents, Rubio clarified...

Pressed after the meeting about whether he has any doubts about Obama's citizenship, Rubio would only say,"I have not see anything that says he was not born in the U.S."

Is Marco Rubio that desperate for votes that he feels that he needs to appeal to the fringe elements of the Radical Right, or does he really not know whether our President is a U.S. citizen?

Either position is rather disturbing and it may be one reason why the South Florida Diaz-Balart brothers endorsed Charlie Crist way back in July.


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News That Makes The Little Limbaughs Sad

Because what's good for America...

WASHINGTON -- After a long decline, the economy is officially growing again. According to initial estimates, the economy grew by 3.5% in the third quarter of 2009.

Though widely expected to be positive, the figure slightly beat expectations. Economists had projected 3.2% growth.

Gross domestic product (GDP) has not been positive since the second quarter of 2008. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the recession began in December 2007. But with an expanding economy, the recession is all but officially over, and even job growth should soon return.

...and what's great for Americans...

WASHINGTON (CNNMoney.com) -- The largest stimulus program in the nation's history has created or saved at least 650,000 state and local jobs, according to a report released by the Obama administration on Friday.

[...].

The White House said the actual number of jobs created so far is likely closer to 1 million, since its report on stimulus job creation only focused on $150 billion of the $339 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds spent so far.

...and what is super for the country...

WASHINGTON – Cheered by President Barack Obama, House Democrats rolled out landmark legislation Thursday to extend health care to tens of millions who lack coverage, impose sweeping new restrictions on the insurance industry and create a government-run option to compete with private insurers.

Is bad for Limbaugh Republicans.

I sure do hope the President keeps "dithering."



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The Cooler

A wayward manatee is getting a lot of attention in the local mainstream media this morning. That and more in the Cooler.

A- Herald: A manatee snowbird.

Ilya the meandering manatee was returned to Miami on Thursday, plucked from the frigid waters of the Northeast after a massive search and rescue coordinated with the precision of a military operation.

Three government agencies, a marine wildlife group, an international energy corporation and the Miami Seaquarium all pitched in to rescue the sea cow, which strayed far from its Florida home and wandered the inhospitably cold waters of Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey for months.

The gentle giant concluded its epic odyssey Thursday in a concrete water tank at the Seaquarium, where he will spend a few weeks recovering from mild cold stress and weight loss.

B- Herald: Doing the bank shuffle in SoFla.

The battle for Floridians' wallets is heating up.

A series of bank takeovers, spurred by the recent financial upheaval, has brought several new banking giants to the state -- already one of the most competitive landscapes in the nation for banking.

[...]

The latest round of mergers marks a third wave for Florida -- following consolidations after the savings and loan crisis between 1989 and 1991 and the ``invasion of the North Carolina bankers'' in the mid-1980s and 1990s, said Thomas.

Part of Florida's lure is a wealth of deposits from retirees, wealthy Latin Americans, and others who have liquidated assets to move here. With the recent changes, the strong banks have replaced the weak. And the newcomers are expected to shake up the market as they strive to make their mark.

C- Herald: Morin.

D- Palm Beach Post: Yeah, don't get that flu shot.

Tonight's football game between district rivals Benjamin and American Heritage has been postponed because all but seven of Benjamin's players are sidelined by the flu.

The game has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at American Heritage.

Benjamin coach Ron Ream said the Buccaneers were healthy for last Friday's loss to Calvary Christian, but by Monday, players began showing signs of sickness.

"We had homecoming weekend, and I think what happened was that somebody or some kids had some sickness and they were in limos together, they were dancing together. There were 300 kids in the gym at the same time and we surmised that it just spread like wildfire," Ream said. "By Monday, we realized we had an epidemic."

About half of the 400 students at the North Palm Beach private school have been out sick the past two days, Ream said. There was talk of shutting down the school, but because the teachers weren't sick, the school remained open.

E- CBS4: DeFede.

In the past few weeks, polls have shown Rubio gaining on Crist, cutting the governor's lead in half. Crist had a 30 point lead at the start of the campaign but last week, a new Quinnipiac poll showed Crist with only a 15 point lead. And while 15 points is sizeable, it is not insurmountable and the poll prompted a flurry of news stories about how Charlie Crist no longer seemed invincible.

If Rubio is able to overtake Crist next year, it will be Crist's appearance with Obama in Fort Myers back in February that will be played over and over again as the defining moment of the campaign. Which is why Crist is trying to erase that image from people's memories and why you will never see Crist within a hundred miles of the president on any trip Obama makes to Florida.

F- WPLG: Video, progress on the new Marlins stadium.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

It's Friday and the SFDB Weekend Widget is loaded with things for you to do this Halloween Weekend. Let's start it off with a TGIF morning Sift...

A- Nikon Miami has some photos of some serious pint-sized football players from Opa-Locka.

B-Ever want to know what the inside of a typical Jade Ocean condo looks like? Miami Condo Investments takes us on a tour.

C- Eating Local in the Tropics has a [funny] 4-post explanation of her attempt to harvest sea salt.

D- South Florida Beer Blog introduces us to Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale.

Dogfish Head's Shelter Pale Ale is the first beer that Dogfish Head made when they started in 1995. This is beer is usually only available in the Mid-Atlantic area but South Florida got lucky and got a few cases of it this summer. Shelter is the easiest drinking Dogfish Head beer. It pours a nice amber with slight foamy head. It lets off an aroma of citrus and bread. It goes down smooth with a citrusy overtone and a good hoppy bite that isn't as much as an IPA.

E- Bark Bark Woof Woof on the President's tenacity to make the hard decisions.

Instead, the president is dealing with a very difficult problem in the way that all dilemmas should be: getting as much information as possible, looking at all the possible ramifications, including, I hope, the ones you never think of, and coming to a conclusion that may have to be modified or even abandoned as the situation warrants. That's not dithering, that's judgment, and the people who are clamoring for an instant response are the ones who left this flaming bag of trouble on his desk in the first place and are not the ones who will be standing on the tarmac at Dover.

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Your Evening Sift

The weekend slowdown is starting a little early this week as the SoFla blogosphere ratcheted down a notch today. Grab a chair and take in your Friday Eve Sift...

A- What's going on at Sweat Records next week?

B- Under The Sun offers a great profile of Give Good Works, a Wynwood thrift store and charity, and the people involved with it.

Heather Klinker started Give Good Works ten years ago this month. Her goal is to make the streets of downtown Miami a little friendlier and to give people, especially women, a leg up as they start their lives over. Klinker drove around the streets of Miami in her Saab convertible when she first started, helping prostitutes get to rehab and providing them with clothes and books to help them through.

“Nobody wakes up and says I want to be a prostitute on Biscayne Boulevard,” Klinker said. “It’s the worst life you could possibly live. Everyone should give to some imperfect population out there that needs help.”

Give Good Works was also part of Klinker’s own personal transformation.

C- The President of UM sent an email out to the entire University today that addressed a couple recent incidents on campus, according to Discourse.

D- SFLTV reports SouthFlorida.com has changed its format and posts a video that shows us what the new version looks like.

Gone is the ’soundtrack’ that one of Tribune’s bosses thought was so very South Florida. It’s been replaced with a more newsier sounding music track along with a different open without a voice over. The lower thirds graphics are now reddish and lot more conventional looking versus the previous ’stacked shelves’ look.

E- South Florida Theatre Scene has their weekly review up and ready.

F- Miami-Dade Dems changes things up and has some biking information as well as a picture of a cool bike rack in the Grove.

G- Incertus opines on the controversial firing of an Okeechobee Home Depot employee for wearing a pin.

Oh, so [the employee] had a chance to keep his job, and was even given another pin to choose from, but decided not to take it. I don't call that being fired; I call that quitting. If my employers decide it's a condition of my employment that I wear a necktie (please don't ever do this to me, okay?) every day, then I can either wear a necktie or I can lose my job. That's the way it works.

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Hammerzeit

Who says Nazis can't dance?




-via Dependable Renegade

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Attention All You Rapture Ready Citizens

...ever ask yourself, "What happens to Fluffy when the Rapture hits?"

SFDB has just the website for you...

You've committed your life to Jesus. You know you're saved. But when the Rapture comes what's to become of your loving pets who are left behind? Eternal Earth-Bound Pets takes that burden off your mind.

We are a group of dedicated animal lovers, and atheists. Each
Eternal Earth-Bound Pet representative is a confirmed atheist, and as such will still be here on Earth after you've received your reward. Our network of animal activists are committed to step in when you step up to Jesus.

[...]

Our service is plain and simple; our fee structure is reasonable. For $110.00 we will guarantee that should the Rapture occur within ten (10) years of receipt of payment, one pet per residence will be saved. Each additional pet at your residence will be saved for an additional $15.00 fee. A small price to pay for your peace of mind and the health and safety of your four legged and feathered friends.

Alas, there's no coverage in Florida and there are some restrictions...

Unfortunately at this time we are not equipped to accommodate all species and must limit our services to dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, and small caged mammals. [Please note: we can now offer rescue services for horses, camels, llamas and donkeys in NH,VT, ID and MT ]

[...]

If subscriber loses his/her faith and/or the Rapture occurs and subscriber is not Raptured (aka is "left behind") EE-BP disclaims any liability; no refund will be tendered.

In other words, you're a 2 time loser.

And, no, it's not a joke.

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SFDB Ecard Of The Day

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The Cooler

Here's what I found mildly interesting in this morning's mainstream media.

A- Herald: Video, Hialeah Racetrack gets ready to open again.

B- Sun-Sentinel: Likes the 3 hots and a cot.

FORT LAUDERDALE - Unable to find a legal place to live, a convicted sex offender went to a Broward judge to ask for more time behind bars.

Wednesday was the second time Raphael Marquez, 38, had made such a request.

The first time, back in June, Marquez went before Broward Circuit Judge Marc Gold just 10 days after being released from a seven-year prison sentence for sexual battery on a minor. He asked Gold to convert two years of house arrest to six months in jail.

Gold agreed.

Set to leave jail Saturday, Marquez went to Gold again Wednesday, this time to ask for a year in prison instead of 18 years of probation.

This time Gold refused, saying he was troubled by the laws that leave sex offenders with virtually nowhere to go, but he would have no authority to send Marquez back to prison without an actual probation violation.

"I have no sympathy for the crime, but this is troubling to the court to throw someone out on the streets," Gold said.

Marquez looked dejected, arms folded across his lap, head hanging.

C- Sun-Sentinel: Chan Lowe.

D- Palm Beach Post: How about MIA and FLL?

Passengers will no longer have to dig through their luggage for cash or a credit card to get out of the parking garage at Palm Beach International Airport.

They will soon be able to use their SunPass accounts to instantly pay their parking bill.

E- South Florida Business Journal: This sounds smart.

Miami City Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones has sought private investors, including boxing promoter Don King, to partner with the city in creating a destination on Virginia Key that would help to pay for operations of a planned museum.

Don King met over the summer with officials of the Virginia Key Park Trust and a Spence-Jones staffer to discuss the Key, which was once a black-only beach.

The idea of developing a hotel came up, but the suggestion never got past the idea stage, said David Shorter, the trust’s executive director.

F- CBS4: Arrest for thought.

LOS ANGELES (CBS4) ― A partner in Miami Beach's 8 Oz. Burger Bar restaurant and other restaurant businesses in Los Angeles is accused in connection with the death of an unborn baby.

The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 37-year-old Joshua Woodward after they investigated the "suspicious circumstances of a miscarriage" according to a press release put out by them. Officials believe Woodward was the biological father of his girlfriend's unborn baby.

G- CBS4: Video, Broward has world's largest rubber band ball.

H- WPLG: Video, woman living in car outside her Miramar home.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

As busy as yesterday was, last night wasn't. Getting through your morning Sift today will probably take you 2 sips of coffee. Fortunately, that will leave you plenty of time to check out the Weekend Widget in the right sidebar.

A- What does a Fendi-designed condo look like? If you're curious, Miami Condo Investments has the answer.

B- Eye on Miami advises what City of Miami electoral candidates endorsed by the Miami Herald "have always been nice to [her]."

C- Is California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sending hidden messages to the California legislature? Bark Bark Woof Woof thinks so.

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Your Evening Sift

Wow. The South Florida blogosphere was humming today. Lots of stuff to get to so get comfortable and let's start on your evening Sift...

A- Both REV Miami and Miami, bro post farewells to PS-14. From the latter...

Sometimes it was fun to hang out and sometimes it was torture. In traditional So. Fla style, PS was never a stranger to drama. I've gotten into plenty of arguments there, some valid (with nasty people), others from heartbreak (sh*tty [Ed.] exes) and then there are the ones I excuse to the exuberance of drinking. I've thrown things, pool cues, drinks. I've cried there. Once, after eating a bad burger, I even threw up in the sink. Oh, nostalgia! Mostly though, I chatted with friends and I spent a lot of time hugging. Hugging and dancing, both were staples for me at PS.

B- Redland Raised produce is available at Publix beginning this week, according to Redland Rambles.

Starting this week, you won’t have to go too far to find locally grown produce. Redland Raised branded green beans, yellow squash, zucchini, boniato, okra and avocados will be available at all 1000 Publix stores in the state, during the local growing season which runs from November through April.

Miami-Dade County, Publix and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Fresh From Florida program teamed up to promote a “buy local” program throughout the county and state.

C- Miami For Change asks, "Is this the best we can do?"

It's back to basics for Miami mayoral candidate Tomás Regalado

"We do need to take a breather.''

From what, progress???

At a time when our city needs strong inspirational visionary leadership to guide us in the next decade, this guy wants to "take a breather?"

"When I speak of our great city, I do not envision a metropolis.''

What then, the third world???

D- Worst Pizza shares their photos from last night's pizza tweetup in Boca.

Roughly 60 people enjoyed 3 different kinds of pizza. Alberto, the owner of Tucci’s made us a regular pie, a white pie, and eggplant pizza. All three seemed to disappear as soon as they were put out, with raving reviews. As an added treat, Tucci’s also put out close to 100 wings for everyone to enjoy.

E- All Purpose Dark drives north and reviews Michelle Bernstein's newest addition at The Omphoy in Palm Beach.

It's too early to judge as the restaurants have been open just over a month and Michelle is running quite an empire these days but so far it looks like Palm Beach is getting a taste of what we Miamians have known all along, MB is quite good at what she does.

F- Me thinks Eye on Miami is leaning towards Regalado for the Miami mayoral race.

During the building boom in Miami, City Commissioner Joe Sanchez held up the majority supporting Mayor Manny Diaz. Miami's upcoming mayoral election will be a stamp of disapproval for the excesses and bad judgement that accompanied the development boom that turned into the biggest bust since the 1920's. Sanchez is an unapologetic pro-growth optimist; but taxpayers and voters are paying an extraordinarily heavy price for too much boosterism, not enough reflection about choices to pull up Miami from the second or third tier of American cities, too much growth at the expense of scale and public space, too much glad-handing with pushy lobbyists, zoning attorneys, developers, and wealthy baseball team owners.

G- Miami Condo Investments takes a look at Jade Ocean's common areas. Lots of photos.

Each and every unit at Jade Ocean has a direct ocean view with floor to ceiling glass windows. Most condos at Jade Ocean also have intracoastal water views. The architect, Carlos Ott, did an outstanding job in designing both beachfront buildings.

H- Super Subs Etc. on Bird Road in Miami gets 4 out of 5 Burger Beast stars.

There's about 100 different subs that you can order. I can't heap enough praise on this place, so check it out.

I- South Florida Theatre Scene likes his stats.

As you can see, the average through the week is about 200. But yesterday, 675 people read the Theatre Scene, and we're projected to have logged 400 daily readers by midnight tonight.

I can't link it it to any one particular story, although 200 people have read the November 2008 archive. Huh. Last November, I mention that the scene averaged a 100 readers a day; how things have changed!

J- AshAndBurn says Jimbo's may be in trouble.

K- People should be getting wise to Charlie Crist trying to be all things to all people, according to Bark Bark Woof Woof.

I suppose we shouldn't be surprised by Mr. Crist's behavior. It isn't the first time he's tried to pass himself off as something he's not, and it won't be his last.

L- Blast Off! begins a post telling about him sharing a cup of coffee this morning with senatorial candidate Marco Rubio and ends up the post giving us a fair and measures analysis of the entire race in general.

The larger point, though, is that I was sincere in my compliments on his campaign. No one seems to give Rubio much of a chance against the political juggernaut of Charlie Crist, but I have disagreed with that assessment for months now. As early as last May, I said that Rubio had a decent shot against Crist, and his strategy has been, to my mind, pretty much perfect: focus on the party faithful, generally extremists who are disillusioned with Crist's perceived moderate stances on issues like accepting federal stimulus money and being seen with President Obama (the horror!), and enhance name recognition by handily winning county Republican straw polls and collecting the resulting headlines in the press.

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Miami Underground Dining

-via chefjeremiah twitter


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SFDB Blog Share Day [UPDATED]

It's been a while since I've done one of these so here we go again: it's SFDB Blog Share Day.

Today you can introduce new South Florida blogs, new blogging ideas, or comment on anything blog-related that might be on your mind. The comments are open so if you want to share a new blog, whether it's yours or someone else's, just leave us the URL and at the end of the day I'll post the hyperlinks as an update to the post. Even if you mentioned it during last Blog Share Day, we don't mind being reminded of it again today.

SFDB Blog Share Day is a chance for folks to share tidbits of information about blogging or blogs with the readers of SFDB.

So let's go. What do you have for us today?

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Okay, not a lot offered up, but here's what was...

• Miami Munchkins

• FOODalogue

• Blind Tastes

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SFDB Not-So-Random Thought Of The Day

"Real conservatives" have apparently decided to create a 3rd political party that consists of Republicans who are true to fundamental conservative principles and ideas as compared to "regular" Republicans who don't consider our President to be a Black Panther Fascist Socialist who was born in Kenya. These honest-to-God genuine Conservatives who are out to save the United States of America are calling themselves, appropriately enough, "conservatives" and are part of a grassroots "conservative movement" that intends to win elections in 2010 and 2012 and regain some of the ground the movement lost because of America's disaffection with George W. Bush.

I could care less who they say are. What's important is at the end of the day they don't want President Obama to get the economy going again. They don't want to see people get back to work for another 3 years. They don't want to make health care more accessible to more Americans. And they look to Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck for answers.

Not surprisingly, a lot of Americans, both Democrats and "regular" Republicans, have a problem with this approach and, as as a result, these "conservatives" will never, ever make up more than an impotent, radicalized faction of the Republican Party that talks loud and loses elections not only for their candidates but for mainstream Republican representatives from which they draw votes.

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The Cooler

Lots of interesting news this morning but don't take my word for it...check out the Cooler.

A- Herald: Pitts.

Seldom has the need for a viable third party been more apparent.

Unfortunately, we don't have that and won't in the near future. We are left instead with two parties that might better be named Angry and Dopey. One manufactures votes by scaring voters to the polls ("Vote for us or Muslim terrorists will sneak over the border from Mexico and gay-marry your children!''). The other chases legislative power as frantically as Wile E. Coyote chased Roadrunner, but handles it with the same cool authority Barney Fife once handled his gun.

Their one commonality: politicians from both sides seem to rank party above country and themselves above both.

B- Herald: Regalado's lack of vision.

Ask the man most people expect to be Miami's next mayor to describe his vision for the city, and you might as well stick eight years of skyline-filling rapid development in mothballs.

``Tell the people how their money is being spent. No backroom deals. Any grandiose projects, we take to the voters,'' says Miami Commissioner Tomás Regalado. ``We do need to take a breather.''

The anti-Manny Diaz?

[...]

Said lobbyist Jose Cancela: ``The business community is sitting back and taking a wait and see attitude with Regalado. There is no vision at this point.''

Regalado wants nothing to do with grand plans.

``When I speak of our great city,'' his campaign website states, ``I do not envision a metropolis.''

C- Herald: Citizens on patrol.

A murder suspect who left his car running in the street couldn't get away because a woman walking her dog removed the keys from the ignition, Coconut Creek police said Tuesday. Police released a recording of a weekend 911 call in which the woman told a dispatcher that she felt something was amiss, so she pulled out the keys and also took a wallet from inside the car.

The woman was still on the phone when the man -- who unknown to her would be charged with killing another man inside the house -- stepped outside.

``He's coming out now,'' the woman said. ``He ain't going nowhere.''

D- Herald: Nonstop, Lauderdale to Havana.

Residents and travelers with relatives in Cuba might be able to hop a plane or boat out of Broward bound for Cuba.

Broward County commissioners on Tuesday approved seeking permission from the federal government to allow flights to and from Cuba at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

County officials will also ask the U.S. Department of Treasury to designate Port Everglades as another point of entry.

E- Sun-Sentinel: Is your wife hot or not?

Is your wife hot...or not?

A billboard battle along South Florida's busiest roads revolves around that very question.

Now it's the crux of a federal lawsuit.

Air Around the Clock, a Coral Springs-based air conditioning and heating company, filed the suit last week, accusing a competitor of trademark infringement and misappropriating its "Your wife is hot" ad campaign.

All Year Cooling, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, has put up its own billboards up using the phrase "Your wife is not hot" and started advertising the Internet address www.wifenothot.com, which connects to the company's Web site.

Air Around the Clock is demanding a judge order All Year Cooling to stop using the "Your wife is not hot" slogan, and to pay it an unspecified amount in monetary damages.

F- Palm Beach Post: Don't try this at home.

PALM SPRINGS — In an effort to duplicate an experiment shown on YouTube, a 9-year-old Palm Springs boy accidentally blew up a plastic soda bottle and is now recovering from surgery to remove imbedded bits of the bottle from his face, CBS 12 reports.

The science-experiment-gone-wrong began when the boy mixed vinegar and baking soda in a soda bottle, his grandmother told CBS 12.

G-WPLG: Video, Weston's world record miniature car collector.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

It's Hump Day, peoples. We're halfway home to the weekend. Grab your coffee and your doughnut and join me for your morning Sift...

A- Miami Bike Scene says bikers might want to come out to PS14 one last time tonight.

...IAmYourVillain will be resurrecting FingerLickin' for "the last hoe-rah" tonight, Wednesday, October 28th.

Expect a lot of fun activities, cheap beer & food. They are going all out for this party: DJs, ping pong, skee ball, BBQ, kiddie pool, girls in bikinis, drink specials, etc. If you ever had a good time at PS14, tonight is the night to say goodbye, come by & pour out a little liquor for your neighborhood watering hole.

Bring a bike lock! There will be a lot of activities going on out in the patio and your bicycles might be in the way. You should be getting accustomed to carrying a lock anyways because once PS14 is closed you won't find another venue in Miami that will allow you & your friends to bring 20-30 bicycles inside. See you tonight.

B- AshAndBurn posts some random images taken around South Beach.

C- The South Florida Watershed Journal discusses the significance of October precipitation.

October rains haunt –

Either in the form of (1) too much all at once (and often with strong winds), or (2) not enough, sending us off on an early start to the long dry season ahead, or (3) the illusory promise of a “half full” 4-inch average.

D- Miami-Dade County Commissioner Joe Martinez has stopped accepting emails, according to Eye on Miami.

I think it is arrogant on his part. It is the equivalent of disconnecting your telephone line in the 60's, requiring people to write letters.

E- The Miami Civilian Investigative Panel is a farce, claims Carlos Miller.

In a scathing 15-page letter delivered to Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and the City Commission earlier this month, [former CIP chief investigator Steve] Wolf describes an environment of nepotism, inflated salaries, lackluster performance, hindrance of investigations and conflict of interests.

F- Bark Bark Woof Woof takes a look at one congressional race in New York that is exposing the large ideological schism that exists in the Republican Party today.

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Your Evening Sift

It was an interesting day in the SoFla blogosphere. We learned that a "blogup" is being planned in the near future and we also had a blogger explain why their blog was so boring. Enjoy it all in your Tuesday evening Sift...

A- Sex and the Beach reminisces about a South Florida blogger meeting that was held in 2006 and has some thoughts on the upcoming one that she is helping to plan [and that we mentioned this morning].

But in recent history, circa 2006, several established bloggers who are still active today got together for conversation, drinks and food at Tobacco Road. The meetup was inspired by the fact that Stormhoek Winery had put together blogger shindig in South Beach for a Gaping Void campaign. A few people were turned off by the commercial nature of the event and decided that "we" could meet up all on our own. I don't remember who "we" was; it was a loosely defined collective. It just sort of happened.

B- I love rigatoni so I have to mention All Purpose Dark's brief of an all-you-can-eat special at Talula.

C- Blast Off! finds it hard to believe that Charlie Crist says he didn't know the President was in the state yesterday.

Gov. Crist certainly knew the president was visiting the state -- in fact, he contradicted himself when he answered the third question above. And people wonder why Crist is losing ground to Marco Rubio.

The governor is trying desperately to extricate himself from the mess he created for himself with the wingnuts who control the GOP in Florida when he accepted federal stimulus money and appeared with the president in February. But when he pulls stunts like this, it just makes him look petty and equivocal.

Heckuva job, Charlie. You just keep digging, now, y'hear?

D- Coconut Grove Grapevine had a nice experience with the Miami Parking Authority so he writes about it.

She took my dollar bill and tried it. It did not work. We tried coins. It did not work. Finally, we put a credit card in, and it worked. I got the $1.00 worth of parking and she took that and the parking ticket and she said she would void out the $18.00 ticket. It was a pleasant surprise and not expected at all.

E- Shorter Eye on Miami...

It takes a lot of work to be boring.

F- Who knew Metro Mover runs through buildings? I sure didn't until I saw this photo from Under The Sun.

G- When you check out Mango&Lime's post on the latest underground dining experience in Miami, I bet you'll say to yourself, "Self, I've seen this before." And you would be correct because Food for Thought did a similar post that I highlighted in last night's Evening Sift.

The pig was carved in front of us and chef Chad Galiano of Neomi’s Grill, who made a surprise appearance with chef Kurtis Jantz, also of Neomi’s, topped it with trotter cakes made from the pig’s head and trotters. Ah, I think I’m becoming a huge fan of pork.

H- Miami Condo Investments shows us the 1800 Club penthouse that recently sold for $700K. Lots of comments, too.

I- The South Florida Beer Blog says The Democratic Republic of Beer is open in downtown Miami.

The menu states they have over 400 beers, making it the largest beer menu in South Florida. The food options looked pretty good too. I went and checked it out the other night and a full review will be coming soon. I will say this small bar will be become the new beer destination for anyone interested in craft beer without having to go to South Beach.

J- Upcoming punk music events are up at South Florida Punk.

K- Bark Bark Woof Woof says Representative Grayson's 15 minutes are almost up.

I had a feeling that he was a little too much of a good thing and that his sudden fame would go to his head and exacerbate his tendency to shoot off his mouth. Well, I was right.

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SFDB Ecard Of The Day

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Babalu's Lofty Principles [UPDATED]

In the past, babalu contributor Michael Pancier has been responsible for blog posts like these...






But last night, in order to meet President Obama and shake his hand...



...Michael Pancier pretended...

I stand there and talk to a bunch of friends, partners, and associates of mine, many who are Republican, and I note how ironic that here I am, Cigar Mike, in a line to have my picture taken with the President, with whom I disagree on nearly every policy. A friend of mine, and a Democrat tells me, well “he is our President, politics aside.” I told him, “I agree.” While I disagree with him, he is the President and I will be respectful and take a photo with him.

So you may ask, "Cigar Mike, why are you there and why do you shake his hand?" Simple. I'm there cause I have connections and I will not pass up a photographic opportunity such as being able to photograph the President of the United States. Why do I shake his hand? Well, he's my President, even if I don't agree with him and frankly, I wanted to show the leftist nuts out there that unlike them, we can show respect for the President even if we don't agree with him. Their memories are too short, but we remember how they treated GW Bush. But as they say, tomorrow it will all be history and I'll continue my fight to keep the Dems policies from becoming law by focusing on the real issues out there and not on the ridiculous like those birther folks that were across the street from the hotel.

It was my turn to meet the President and I told him “it is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. President.” I shook his hand, he told me “thank you for all your help,” a photo was taken, and I was on my way as the next person got his turn to take his photo with the President.

So Mr. Pancier's extreme animosity toward the President was supposedly put on hold for one night in order to teach liberals a lesson about respect for the office of the presidency...oh, and also get a picture with the "Dick in Chief."

Michael Pancier, "Cigar Mike," applied the tag "Liberal Hypocrisy" to this post.

Really.


******

The comments of the post seem to have been locked down. But because of the magic of Google Cache, the entire post and the comments can be viewed here.

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South Florida Blogup

Mark your calendars, boys and girls...

The south Florida Blogosphere is expanding at an exponential rate! Many of us know each other online, cross-link, cross-post, and support each other. But, how many have actually met in person? Maria of Sex and the Beach and Annette and James of Soul Of Miami come together to bring you the SoFla Blogup. A meet and greet for Bloggers and their fans.

On Saturday, November 21st, Graziano’s Brickell Restaurant is hosting this exciting event. They are providing passed hors d’oeuvres and $5.00 wine & a specialty drink. The event runs 2:00pm until 5:00pm to make it more convenient to those people with families and those with other nightlife commitments. From 2pm to 3pm is reserved exclusively for bloggers (and their dates). At 3pm, it opens up to everyone. Come and meet your favorite blogger! Maybe find some new ones to follow.

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The Cooler

President Obama visited South Florida yesterday. That and more in today's Cooler.

A- Herald: Pull Ted Ginn.

It is time for Sparano and Bill Parcells to pull the plug on Ginn and at least admit he does not deserve the starting job he continues to be handed and must earn it back.

Ginn, the fastest receiver on the squad but someone unable to consistently get open, had eight passes thrown his way Sunday and caught two for a negligible 16 yards.

It was the damage he did when not catching the ball that killed the Dolphins.

B- Herald: Price wars are for the little people.

Even in a recession, the Delano blanches at cutting prices.

The famously hip and expensive hotel has resisted discounting rooms, with prices down about 10 percent from a year ago to $538 a night. When the summer slowdown arrived, it held the line even more, offering only a 7 percent break from what travelers were paying a year ago.

``It continues to be [the] market leader, as it should be,'' Fred Kleisner, chief executive of Delano owner Morgans Hotel Group, told analysts Monday. ``We do not feel it's in the interest of our shareholders to create a rate war.''

C- Herald: Obama in Miami.

``We are closer than we have ever been to passing healthcare reform,'' Obama told supporters at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel. But he added, ``It's not going to get easier from here on in. It's going to get harder.''

The president's layover Monday night in Miami reflects the elite status of the nation's largest political battleground. Obama has spent two days, back-to-back, in the same state only twice since his election, in California and Arizona.

D- Sun-Sentinel: Lighthouse Point, 1: Flaming Wingnut, 0.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT - The flaming flagpole is gone.

Chris Kydes hoisted the structure – a towering ship's mast from which Old Glory flew, with a hose carrying propane gas that snaked up the side and fueled a flame at the top – in mid-August. The city said the installation violated municipal and state building codes and was put up without permits or safety checks.

Fines of $250 a day on the propane torch totaled $3,000 as of Monday.

Citing the city's "heavy demands," Kydes took down the whole thing. The city is dropping the fine.

E- WPLG: Stupid criminals.

TAMARAC, Fla. -- Police are searching for a man who they said left his cell phone behind during the attempted robbery of a man, then later robbed the victim's girlfriend at gunpoint.

[...]

Police said the victim's boyfriend had been the victim of a robbery attempt recently at his Palm Beach County home. In that crime, police said, the would-be robber dropped his cell phone as he escaped.

According to BSO, the woman recognized one of the two men who robbed her from pictures stored on the cell phone left at the crime at her boyfriend's home.

F- WSVN: Video, Stuck on the Paw-Metto.

Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

The South Florida blogosphere was buzzing last night which means you get a fat Tuesday morning Sift...

A- Hard faces from the streets of Miami are posted over at The Street.

B- Moodvane bids adieu to Alligator Alley.

Every occasion that has meaning contains a moment that represents it. When you remember the occasion, you really just remember that moment and the way that you felt. The closing show at Alligator Alley was one of two dramatic moments that I was witness to at the little club in Oakland Park during its final week in operation.

C- Obalesque has some commentary on what Oklahoma politicians are doing to discourage women from having abortions.

Sounds like the lawmakers of this sublimely red state must have misplaced their tinfoil hats: they’re passing laws that shove government face first so far up into a patient’s body, all you see is rubber soled shoes protruding. Fighting like true liberals, too, by ladling layers of government paperwork into the mix to build their bulwark.

D- Eye on Miami liked Van Morrison's concert in New York but would have enjoyed it more had Van liked New York.

Van didn't acknowledge the audience. Not even a "Hello New York". He didn't introduce the band to us. There was no intermission, he played for exactly an hour and a half then he went off stage briefly and came back and sang G-L-O-R-I-A and then he went off again and the lights came on, it seemed abruptly over.

E- Thursday night is the time to visit Coral Gables, according to Coral Gables.

This week marks the launch of "Get Your Gables On Thursdays", where bars and restaurants will be offering special deals on Thursdays, deals that you'll hopefully find so good you have to check it out for yourself.

F- Trees are getting some special treatment in Fort Lauderdale, GreenerMIAMI says.

A “green” program of the Riverwalk Trust in partnership with the City of Fort Lauderdale, Riverwalk Trust Tree Harmony is dedicated to saving trees on privately-owned properties that would otherwise be lost, by transplanting them in the Riverwalk Park and other public spaces. Where once there were unhealthy trees, causing danger for those who played or walked among them or lived within their shelter, are now healthy trees, providing all of the elements they were meant to give us.

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Your Evening Sift

Mondays have been busier in the South Florida blogosphere. Here is a wrap up of today's doings in your Monday evening Sift...

A- A Grand Illusion exercises their photoshop skillz.

B- The Burger Beast thoroughly enjoyed their stop at The Filling Station in downtown Miami.

Nice tasting wings, a little on the small side and I believe they use Frank's Red Hot (always a great choice). Now, Howard's Big Mack Truck has two patties with cheese and fried onions (also some pickles but I had my burger without them). Great burger. We were pleasantly surprised and both thoroughly enjoyed it.

C- Miami For Change dissects today's Herald opinion piece on the mayoral race and a bunch of anonymous commenters yell at each other. Good times!

D- I don't get this whole underground dinner thing that Food for Thought and others are doing around South Florida but it certainly makes for interesting photos of food that I would never eat whether I was above ground or below it.

For dessert, a Krispy Kreme "flan." Donuts were pulverized and blended with a flan base, aerated and squirted into mason jars and then cooked; paired with a goat's milk cajeta (like a tangy dulce de leche).

E- The Director of the Miami Art Museum has resigned and while MAeX Artblog has the story, A Grand Illusion has some comments.

F- South Florida Lawyers reports that a prominent Miami attorney is scaling back on his expenses.

Holy hail, if Zarco has been forced to endure a night's rest without his personally monogrammed sheets when he stays at the Peninsula, what is the world coming to?

I mean, what's next -- having to forgo the shrimp appetizer before the afternoon deposition? That's just unacceptable.

G- I second All Purpose Dark's recommendation for a place to pick up empanadas on Miami Beach.

H- REV Miami posts a short video clip of a skateboarder ripping it up somewhere over at Bayfront or Bayside [someone correct me].



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Fox Is Not News

Be back in a bit with your evening Sift.....



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Driving Around South Florida

I guess you could call this a Ferrundai [as always, click for larger image].




-via shayna batya's Flickr

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A Little Fair and Balanced

Check out this video clip from yesterday and watch as a Fox "news anchor" teams up with Republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and goes after a Democratic congressman offering his viewpoint on a controversial subject.

Quite rightly, Representative Rob Andrews from New Jersey gives it right back to this inquisition purporting to be "fair and balanced news."



More of this, please.

-via AMERICAblog

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