Your Evening Sift

It's Friday night and the blogging is right. Ugh. I know. Anywho [ha!], here's your excellent evening Sift [I really mean that]. And I'm still updating the SFDB Weekend Widget in the right sidebar. Enjoy.

A- Miami Beach 411 doesn't seem to think that a new stadium is going to change much when it comes to the Marlins.

There is some hope that the Miami Marlins can start a new tradition in the heart of the city. There is hope that the team can rally the community, and develop a loyal following among Miamians. But the way this is done is by listening to fans and appealing to them. And if the Miami Marlins don’t learn from the Florida Marlins’ mistakes, the only difference between them will be the color of all the empty seats.

B- Cool photo of downtown Miami from Miamism Pix.

C- Culture Designers posts an excellent video from a recent Big Brothers Big Sisters auction that showcases the good work that they are doing. Swampstyle makes a cameo appearance!

D- Wow. Political Cortadito is a one person wrecking crew in Hialeah politics.

Tony "Phony" Vega, the owner of a gun shop cited for building an illegal gun range last year, told a firefighter in July through a facebook message that Hernandez had offered to help him get his permits. "Yo Bud. I met with the Hernandez camp. They are gasping for support and offering sweet deals," Vega wrote to Eric Johnson, an 10-year veteran of the department and vice president of the firefighters union. "My range is getting fast tracked as a result."

Let Ladra say that again: "My range is getting fast tracked as a result."

This week, Vega said it was a dirty trick.

E- Go Hydrology! shares a video of a rainy day in the swamp.

F- Yes, Ipanemic pushed his scooter across the Venetian Causeway today. He considers it "exercise."

Almost two and one-half hours, it took me. After I walked around the toll on the Venetian Causeway, I actually saw one of the other drivers from where I work. He was on his way home. Stopped. Talked. Thought I was crazy. Standing there, looking at the high-rises of downtown Miami way off in the distance and (panning to the left) seeing the high-rises of South Beach just as far off if not farther, I thought for a minute he might be right.

G- Ahol paints Sweat Records' outside wall for a new look.


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Friday Flashback

1981...






Lakeside, Fantastic Voyage


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On The Streets Of Key West

I'm wrapping up a quick trip to Key West during which I was able to enjoy two great dinners [Mangia, Mangia and Camille's] and a brief walk around Old Town. I spotted this vehicle...or maybe it was some kind of storage container that had four wheels and a drivetrain...on Fleming near Margaret. There were plenty of coconuts stashed on the roof, a metal detector in back, a bike, a garbage can, and a pallet or two among other things that graced this old Suzuki SUV.

Only in Key West.

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So Who Really Increased The Debt The Most? [UPDATED W/Correction]

Republicans hope and pray that Americans don't pay attention to facts.

Pay attention. And vote for the best choice.





-via Caliz Political Report



******

So because I am interested in the facts here at SFDB, I followed up on the comment that was left by Anonymous @ 1:33 [I would be willing to bet that anonymous commenters also don't use turn signals because that's another thing that doesn't take much effort to execute] and it has merit.

Let's take a look at the link. Politifact discusses the sources and the use of the data used in the chart in a lot of detail.

The chart actually comes from a Flickr page belonging to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who posted it on May 5, 2011. Specifically, the chart tracks "percent increase in public debt" for the five presidents during the following time periods -- January 1981 to January 1989 (Reagan), January 1989 to January 1993 (George H.W. Bush), January 1993 to January 2001 (Clinton), January 2001 to January 2009 (George W. Bush), and January 2009 to April 2011 (Obama).

We checked with Pelosi’s office to see what data they used to assemble the chart. They referred us to the U.S. Treasury’s "Debt to the Penny Calculator."

After conducting what appears to be an in-depth analysis, Politifact concludes...

So by this measurement -- potentially a more important one -- Obama is the undisputed debt king of the last five presidents, rather than the guy who added a piddling amount to the debt, as Pelosi’s chart suggested. Of course, all this goes to show that statistics can be used -- and misused -- to bolster almost any argument.

After we presented our research to Pelosi's office, a spokesman acknowledged that the office had erred in assembling and posting the chart and that it was in the process of reposting it. The updated version – which corrects the mathematical error but not what we consider to be the three additional design flaws – can be found here.

Politifact links to this revised version of the same chart at Pelosi's Flickr page...

But...

That's a step in the right direction, but it doesn't change our ["pants on fire"] rating since it only occurred as a result of our fact-checking. We find so much wrong with this chart that we don’t think it contains any significant approximation of the truth.

I respect Politifact's conclusion and thus don't consider the chart that I posted this morning as being accurate or useful.

Thanks to Anon @ 1:33 for the link. I'm always open to contradictory information as long as I can research it on my own. And no, links to Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck or any right wing blowhard will not be seriously considered.


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SFDB Morning Chuckle

Mercedes commercial...




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The Cooler

Here are some of the more interesting things I found in this morning's South Florida mainstream media.

A- Herald: They wouldn't be just for buses any more.

Miami-Dade transit officials may allow personal vehicles to use the Busway lanes between Dadeland and Florida City, now used mainly by passenger buses, if they pay a toll.

Recently, the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority rolled out a proposal to install such toll lanes on the Busway, which runs alongside South Dixie Highway/U.S. 1.

[...]

“I think it’s all right because a lot of people sometimes need to move fast, and I believe this would be faster,” said Carolina Vásquez, 20, who got off at Southwest 104th Street. “I also don’t think everybody would be using it. Just in an emergency.”

B- Herald: Video, Blogger Political Cortadito confronts a Hialeah politician.

C- Herald: They write letters.

Ros-Lehtinen rethinks

Kudos, I suppose, are due Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for becoming the first Republican member of Congress to co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act.

Sadly, it took a personal experience — her daughter Amanda is transgender — for this 59-year-old woman to finally find it within herself to support the cause of basic human rights for gays and lesbians, a class of individuals who have never threatened her or the peace and security of our nation.

Why it has taken her this long to reach this moment is something I will never understand.

Frighteningly, not one of her Republican colleagues has reached this moment of understanding in their mean-spirited beliefs.

Jeff Gale, Miami Shores

D- Sun-Sentinel: Video, Boca Raton police officers lift car off child thereby demonstrating why they get paid way too much.

E- Sun-Sentinel: More proof that riding bikes in South Florida is life threatening.

A Miami woman in a black SUV plowed into a line of cops on bikes Thursday morning, injuring three officers and causing a traffic jam that lasted hours.

The Miami officers were part of a group in a bicycle certification program. A marked police unit stopped traffic at the intersection of Southwest 27th Avenue and U.S. 1 around 10:45 a.m. to allow the pack to pass through the intersection, said Miami Police spokeswoman Kenia Reyes.

The biking officers were headed south on 27th when Teresa Quintanilla, 56, driving a Honda CRV, drove past the marked unit with its lights flashing and crashed into the bike formation.

She hit three officers, including Renee Beaudry, 44, who was lifted onto the hood of Quintanilla's vehicle and smashed the windshield on impact. Also injured were Richard Diaz, 41, and Miguel Mercado, 47.

Diaz was discharged Thursday but Beaudry and Mercado were still hospitalized in stable condition late Thursday, Reyes said.

"I don't think this women intended to hit anyone," Reyes said. "It's fortunate everyone is going to be able to walk away."

F- South Florida Business Journal: Slideshow, Rusty Pelican makeover progress.




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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Well, we made it. Another week is in the history books. Blogging is slowing down and the SFDB Weekend Widget in the right sidebar is packed...two sure signs it's Friday. Enjoy your morning Sift, readers.

A- Miami Beach 411 thinks South Florida needs a Trader Joe's and they want your support.

B- It's that time of year again so South Florida Food and Wine has a couple Oktoberfest celebration listings for you.

C- Justice Building Blog is still looking for someone to take over his blog.

Must be kind, thoughtful. studious, generous, hard working, good looking, a great trial lawyer, knowledgable about wines and football and cosmology and epistemology. The ideal candidate will know a noun from a verb and avoid at all costs ending a sentence with a preposition which is the type of arrant pedantry up with which we will not put.

D- The crowd at the Wall Street protests is changing, says Bark Bark Woof Woof, as Wall Streeters literally gulp champagne.


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Your Evening Sift

Key West is almost desolate, readers. If you're looking to visit before the hordes of tourists and students invade this season, this isn't a bad time to do so. Plenty of room at the restaurants [the ones that are open] and Duval Street is almost quaint. Let's get rolling on with your evening Sift.

A-  Eye on Miami reflects on the environmental sophistication of the late former Florida Governor Claude Kirk.

I first experienced the glories of the Everglades and Florida Bay as a young man in the early 1970's. I knew nothing, at the time, of politics or what Claude Kirk and his team accomplished. It was still possible to experience these great treasures as they had been for hundreds if not thousands of years. Only a few people knew, then, that our grand Everglades was sputtering already. They didn't need "science". They had common sense and applied it to those initial attempts to use the law and public policy to save what we valued. In doing so, they triggered a 40 Year War on the Environment that animates, to a large degree, Florida's GOP and nationally, too.

What a positive result it would be, if Claude Kirk's passing triggered both reflection and a reversal of so much harm done to Florida's natural resources by the state's Republican leaders.

B- Nunez Photography shares a bunch of images taken at a recent fashion show at the Delano.

C- Okay, this may be a first. Swampstyle survives "a medical scare" and posts a photo of him in a hospital bed. Make sure you follow the link he includes in the post.

D- Burger Beast tells us about the new menu items at La Camaronera and their food truck, The Fish Box.

It had been a bit since I had been to Miami Landmark La Camaronera in Little Havana. The first thing that caught my eye when I walked in to the left was a new food station. I looked right above it to find a “Specials” board. La Camaronera now has a Chef who is creating new dishes for the restaurant.

E- The problem with Wynwood wall art is that it has the potential to disappear so quickly as Culture Designers shows us.

F- Beached Miami attended the Marlins' last game at Joe Robbie and of course they have photos.

But I am a Marlins fan, and I always will be. I’ll attend many a game at the new Miami Ballpark, but I’ll probably never go back to Sun Life.

G- So you say you like cheese. Boy, does South Florida Food and Wine have the restaurant for you.

Exotic and familiar cheeses line the display cases along with some fine accoutrements such as dried figs and apricots, dates, olives and marcona almonds. An assortment of craft beers and wines compliment both the cheese selection and menu of panini’s and salads.

H- Random Pixels preps us for the coming season of the Lincoln Road Outdoor Antique and Collectible Market.

As for the antique show itself, more than 100 vendors offer everything from vintage one-of-a-kind clothing items to old, hard-to-find magazines and books, jewelry, bric-a-brac, tchotchkes and, of course, antiques.

I- Zagat-rated Grimaldi's Pizzeria is opening on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach in November, reports Eater Miami.




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SFDB's We Live Here

[extra points for the kind of car]



-miami fever





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Despicable Them

I'm thinking it's a nice grouping.

They clap for executions. Cheer on letting the uninsured die. Boo the gay soldier.

And then we should never forget this...



Welcome to America The Ugly and their representatives, The Tea Party.

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SFDB Morning Chuckle

And if you have to ask....



-image via The Daily Wh.at



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The Cooler

Another busy news day in South Florida. Lots of interesting stories out there. Here are some of them.

A- Herald: Improvements to the 18-Mile Stretch are completed.

Drivers no longer will have to grit their teeth when they travel the 18-Mile Stretch — the two-lane road between the mainland and the Florida Keys, known for deadly head-on collisions.

Wildlife is safer, too.

It took 25 years, but the controversial, $330 million road improvement project is finally done.

B- Herald: Taxes are the most important thing, not the safety of citizens. Perfect.

After a contentious meeting Wednesday night, the Hialeah City Council unanimously approved the city’s $263.4 million budget for 2011-12 — and laid off more than 100 fire rescue workers in three stages beginning Saturday, the start of the fiscal yar.

After almost 90 minutes of debate in the packed council chambers, filled mostly by fire rescue department employees, the council voted 7-0 in favor of the spending plan submitted by Mayor Carlos Hernández.

“I am very proud of the work of the council in approving this balanced budget,” Hernández said. “Most importantly, taxes are not raised for the residents of the great city of Hialeah.”

C- Herald: Just a prop, similar to an iPad.

During a staff meeting last week, Miami-Dade Schools Police Chief Charles Hurley pulled out his .40 Glock pistol, unloaded the magazine, and placed the bullets on a meeting room table.

He says it was an impromptu demonstration to stress the dangers facing officers and students during a recent spate of shootings. Some in the room, however, say they felt it was a display meant to intimidate.

The episode happened Sept. 22 at the Miami-Dade Schools Police headquarters, 6100 NW 2nd Ave. The meeting, attended by more than a dozen command officers and civilian employees, was to discuss staff issues.

Hurley insisted that the pistol was just a prop meant to underscore the need to step up policing. About an hour earlier, a gunman had emptied a high-powered magazine in an incident near Northwestern High, rattling the neighborhood.

He said several firearms instructors were on hand, ensuring safety, and the weapon was not waved or pointed at anyone.

“This was a visual aid. It was done in a very controlled environment,” Hurley said Wednesday. “Just like if I was CEO of Apple, I would put an iPad on the desk.”

D- Herald: They write letters.

Elusive Marlins tickets

I have to sound off. I’ve tried, unsuccessfully, to buy a ticket to one game in the new Marlins stadium in order to take my grandchildren. All they sell is season and 41-game tickets. Many seniors like me supported all efforts to get the stadium built, and now we find that we cannot enjoy it. The little people always get pushed aside.

Carlos Cabrera, Miami

E- Sun-Sentinel: Sheriff Nick dies.

Nick Navarro had settled into a low-profile lifestyle, a gray-haired 81-year-old. But his name for most longtime South Florida residents will always conjure memories of law enforcement flamboyance, TV-star cops before there were TV cops, and of course his infamous tangle with Miami hardcore rap group 2 Live Crew.

The former Broward County Sheriff Navarro died Wednesday. Friends said he had been sick with cancer.

F- Sun-Sentinel: As long as it doesn't raise my taxes. Otherwise, I'm against it.

FORT LAUDERDALE— After a second incident this year when an armed man entered a Broward County courthouse, the chief judge and the sheriff called for county funding to increase security.

[...]

In Hollywood on Tuesday, the Sheriff's Office says, Brown was headed to a hearing on a charge of driving with a suspended license when a courthouse security guard saw his black backpack go through a screener.

Brown told the security guard he had the handgun, and said he was a law enforcement officer but failed to provide identification, according to comments from Lamberti's press conference on Wednesday.

Investigators said there is no record of his being a sworn officer.

The Sheriff's Office said Brown's backpack held 133 bullets, a loaded, semi-automatic Smith & Wesson pistol, and a spare magazine.

Brown is unemployed and was carrying $6,149 in cash, according to investigators.

G- Palm Beach Post: Their smiles gave them away.

Three people were arrested Wednesday after authorities raided a Boca Raton pawnshop suspected of selling stolen dental hygiene products.

A precise estimate of the value of the stolen items was unavailable, but investigators said it could total more than $3 million.

[...]

Hegmann and Healy allegedly concentrated their efforts on dental hygiene products such as electric toothbrushes and whitening strips, authorities said.

H- CBS4: Video, the Marlins last game at Joe Robbie.



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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

It was a busy night and morning around the South Florida blogosphere so I have a lot for you in this morning's Sift. Don't forget to check out the SFDB Weekend Widget in the right sidebar for some of this weekend's activities. Enjoy.

A- Republicans have moved on to yet another "crush," according to Bark Bark Woof Woof.

The Christie Crush will last about as long as the last one did, and then they'll realize that A) he's not that into you and B) he's nothing special, anyway. There is no magic in the man from Trenton; he's just another noisemaker and bully, and while it may be fun for some in the GOP to watch him pull off a Tony Soprano-like rant against the public school teachers or the woman who had the nerve to ask him where he sent his kids to school, this isn't what the world needs in a president.

B- Sex and the Beach doesn't think Tweeters should be nervous about giving their honest opinion of a business they frequent.

The bottom line is this: restaurants shouldn't have their customers walking on eggshells if they choose to broadcast during their meals.

C- Go Hydrology! answers the question, "Is September Florida's rainiest month?"

D- It was a weird Wednesday, Justice Building Blog says.

E- So, um, yeah, The Heat Lightning enjoyed last night's Black Star concert at the Fillmore.

The show was in one word soawesome. It started fairly late, and the anticipation in the room was unbearable. J Rocc was spinning some impressive hip hop, and it was fun, but by 10:30, it was time. Then the mics were set up, one white (for Talib Kweli) and one red (for Mos Def) and then the show began. I have no idea what went on in that theater besides what was happening onstage. It was like I was in sonic heaven.

F- Political Cortadito gets tossed out of Hialeah City Hall again and discovers that she and Raul Martinez share something in common.

Ladra went from the surreal to the completely ridiculous when she stepped outside City Hall during Wednesday's budget hearing after she was trespassed from the building by police on orders of the chief. As she took a short walk to a group of fellow bogus budget objectors talking outside, a gentleman came up to her and asked if she was Elaine de Valle. "Yes," I said a little hesitantly, thinking he could be another Sergio Gonzalez. But the man only wanted to thank me for my work and hand me a flyer he found on his car in the parking lot at City Hall when he left the council chambers (apparently on his own accord). On the plain letter-sized, white paper, in all capital letters, a very rudimentary flyer with zero creative flair says that former Hialeah Mayor and current candidate Raul Martinez and I are communists.

G- Sex and the Beach appears in Under the Sun's True South Florida Story feature.

H- The South Florida Theatre Scene's weekly wrap up of everything theater is ready for your review.




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Your Evening Sift

The SFDB Weekend Widget is coming to life in the right sidebar tonight so look for it to get more active as we move towards and through the weekend. In the meantime, enjoy your Hump Day Sift.

A- We'll begin tonight with some Jewish-themed sentiments from South Florida Lawyers.

B- South Florida Food and Wine provides us our first look at M Bar on Las Olas.

The M bar itself is the centerpiece of the restaurant with ample seating framing the mod-style bar. Both the lunch and dinner menu offer the customary small and medium plate sizes of their tapas as well as a bar snack menu with $4 and $5 offerings of Fried Chickpeas, Crispy Pig Ears, French Fries and Deviled Eggs. For lunch the prices start at $6 and scale to $17. The dinner menu pricing also starts at $6 for the small plates and slides up to $29 for the medium size plate of the 10oz Bone-in-Ribeye. Both menus offer interesting choices such as Fried Chicken Watermelon Salad, Spicy Sea Beans, Crispy Sweetbreads and Pork Belly as well as an assortment of seafood; Tuna Sashimi, Scallop Ceviche, Grilled Octopus and Fried Grouper Tacos.

C- The Heat Lightning breezes through a short history of the Marlins on the day they play their last game in Joe Robbie Stadium.

A second playoff berth had resulted in a second world title. This time the team benefited from mostly homegrown talent, the seeds of a prosperous minor league stable coming good earlier than expected. Timely contributions also came from a group of more established players and even one, now infamous, spectator in left field at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Steve Bartman’s interference with a pop foul late in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Cubs may be remembered long after the play at the plate which ended the previous series or Cabrera’s home run against Roger Clemens in Game 4 of the next.

D- Politics can be odd at times as Discourse experiences first hand.



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SFDB Quote Of The Day

The hypocrisy of the Tea Party candidates is addressed by Esquire's Charles P. Pierce, via Pensito Review...

It becomes plain quite quickly that history serves these people as religion does — not a complicated interaction of complicated people, but as a glossary of shibboleths, of fundamentalist code words…

They are deaf to the ironies of even their own personal histories. Rick Perry was in the Air Force. Herman Cain did ballistics analysis for the Navy. Jon Huntsman has worked government jobs for 20 years, and Mitt Romney’s father was governor of Michigan. Rick Scott proudly admits he grew up in public housing, and Paul Ryan got through high school and college on Social Security survivor’s benefits. And this is how they all came to become small-government conservatives who didn’t need a hand-out.

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SFDB's Name That Spot #15

Name That Spot is a periodic feature in which SFDB readers attempt to identify the South Florida location of the photo that is displayed.

Past winners include Balou, Gus, brwass, smedvin, Michael Kain, The Chowfather, Lori, CB, South Florida Food and Wine, Whack-A-Mole and Alex de Carvalho. There's been two Stumpers and one identified by "Anonymous."



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SFDB Controversial YouTube Of The Day

Child using a beer bong to drink OJ. Yes, it's Capri Sun. But is it okay?

Discuss.

Oh.

And Go Canes!




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The Cooler

It's a busy Wednesday for news. Here's some of it.

A- Herald: The Top Ten Florida Marlin moments.

2. April 5, 1993

Charlie Hough throws the first pitch, an outside knuckleball, that is a called strike on the Dodgers’ Jose Offerman in the inaugural Marlins game at what was then known as Joe Robbie Stadium.

B- Herald: No brainer.

A $424,314 project to install art panels in 42 restroom entrances at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was flushed away late Tuesday by the Broward County Commission.

[...]

Commissioners have been giving public art a lot more scrutiny lately. In fact, another airport art project — mural wraps for 23 shuttle buses — had to be redrawn after commissioners complained that menacing-looking sharks would send the wrong message to tourists.

C- Herald: Life in South Florida.

A Plantation woman who opened her door for a flower delivery — she thought — was robbed at gunpoint of jewelry and $130,000, police said.

The victim, who is 71, suffered bruises and cuts during the Sept. 12 robbery, and officers are reminding the public to be wary of unexpected visitors, including delivery people.

Residents could ask for a telephone number for the business and call it to verify a delivery while the door is still closed, according to Plantation Police Detective Philip Toman.

“At least get some basic information before opening the door,” Toman said. “The best bet would be to try and verify why they are there before you open the door.

“Look outside,” he continued. “Try and check out what they are driving, and if there is anyone else hanging around outside.”

D- Sun-Sentinel: Just what Wal-Mart shoppers need.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has agreed to end its long-standing refusal to sell lottery tickets in its U.S. stores after reaching a deal with the Florida Lottery.

[...]

"We want to offer products our customers want," said Tara Raddohl, a spokeswoman for the Bentonville, Ark., based company. "We did some initial research and we determined it would be a good market to pilot in."

E- TC Palm: This would never happen on Twitter.

JENSEN BEACH — A confrontation thought to have erupted over comments made on Facebook and that could be connected to drugs landed three people behind bars on felony charges, according to recently released records.

[...]

An 18-year-old man and a 21-year-old man identified by Martin County Sheriff's officials as the victims initially said several people "barged into their home" with a baseball bat and a handgun. At least one of the assailants had a mask, and all eventually fled on foot.

"Detectives believe this was a fight that started on Facebook with taunting comments about Port St. Lucie versus Martin County and that the original reason they went over to the victims' house was to fight about the Facebook comments," sheriff's spokeswoman Rhonda Irons stated Tuesday via email.

F- WPLG: Wait a minuter. Didn't they already buy the land?

MIAMI -- A bill aimed at legalizing three destination casinos in South Florida will soon be filed in the Legislature, and while Gov. Rick Scott is not saying yes to the casinos, he is not saying no, either.

G- WPLG: Super fish.

MIAMI -- A new type of fish is growing in popularity.

But most people probably haven't even heard of it, unless they have been to the Peruvian Amazon. It is called Amazoni Paiche, and it is the first fish in over a decade to be introduced to the marketplace.

At Meat Market on Lincoln Road, executive chef Sean Brasel features the new fish in a mixed grill. At $12.50 a pound, the farm-raised fish has been nicknamed the "super fish" because of its unique culinary properties and healthy benefits.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

After a less than satisfactory night of sleep, I'm very time-challenged this Hump Day morning. But I will take the time to warn you to stay away from SW 8th Street and 106 Ave this morning. During rush hour? WTF is Shell thinking? Enjoy your morning Sift, readers.

A- Obalesque is having his imaginary conversations again. This time with the Broward Muslim who thinks he is perfect for the Republican Party even thought they don't.

“Certainly. This is why I don’t understand their concern about my alleged ties to terrorism. They’re not actually opposed to terrorism itself — only certain kinds against certain people. It’s obvious to me, anyway, that the Republican party of Florida would be receptive to attacks on physicians and Planned Parenthood clinics, for example, if that’s what it takes to stop baby killing abortions. The end justifies the means. Terrorists understand this, and I suspect Republicans do as well."

B- Man or Maniac? offers his counterpoint to my distaste for pit bulls.

C- October's classical events calendar is up at South Florida Classical Review.

D- Two dozen new photos are up at The Street.




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Your Evening Sift

The South Florida blogosphere was humming this afternoon. I have lotsa posts for you so get ready. Here's your evening Sift.

A- Political Cortadito spots the Miami mayor's son spending a lot of time around Hialeah.

Attorney Carlos "Junior" Gimenez was seen in the city clerk's office at City Hall, at the Hialeah Housing Authority and, twice, at Maruch restaurant, the unofficial meeting place (conveniently behind the fire union office) for the Back to the Future slate that Gimenez is supporting.

"I was meeting with candidates whom I believe have the capacity to lead, and, equally as important, have the best interests of the city at heart," Gimenez told Ladra. He said he is not working for any of the candidates officially, but was "reviewing several legal issues" and advising them pro-bono.

B- Francisco Perdomo's Forward Motion Records notes their one year anniversary by spending a little time with Beached Miami.

Perdomo says he wants to “bring back the hometown hero,” someone who puts Miami on the map for old-fashioned songwriting.

“Miami really needs one,” Perdomo says. “You know, Rachel Goodrich is really close. I really hope that works out. Jacuzzi Boys are really close. Of course, these are not my artists, but all we need is one artist to break it big in a style that isn’t Latin or electronica or hip hop to really break things open for South Florida.”

C- Jeff Eats enjoyed Damn Good Burger in Miami.

Really didn’t spend time figuring out the numbers, but off the top of my head- DGB’s prices seem a drop higher than 5 Guy’s and the others in the class. That said, you won’t end up in the poorhouse eating there, so no big worry. I tried a double patty cheeseburger, waffle french fries, onion rings and a grilled mahi sandwich and everything was right on the money.

D- South Florida Food and Wine checks out Jimmy'z Kitchen in Wynwood.

Recently I had lunch at Jimmy’z Kitchen in Wynwood. I can’t help but think I’m the last person in South Florida who hasn’t been to Jimmy’z until now. Even though I’m a bit late getting in the Mofongo game I can honestly say it was worth the wait and anticipation.

E- Pubbelly Sushi is on its way to Sunset Harbour on Miami Beach, reports Belle Isle Blog.

The sushi restaurant, in the old Bartolome Grill space, 1424 20th St., opens next Monday with the name Pubbelly Sushi, and here’s hoping its as energetic and creative as the original Pubbelly.

F- It's Blowfly at O Cinema, says Sweat Records.

G- Amarilis Dominican Restaurant in Allapatah gets a B+ from The305.Com.

So this spot gets a (B+). And the fact that the way the restaurant sits in a makeshift indoor/outdoor kinda construction, you feel like you’re in the middle of Santo Domingo when you walk inside this place. So it just gives it a little bit of that extra authenticity factor. But yeah, check the spot below if you want to pass by.

H- There's good news and bad news to report about Lake O, according to Go Hydrology!

I- Eye on Miami wonders about the extremely high incidence of methylmercury contamination in Martin County women.

Are the women of Martin County eating ocean-going pelagics at twice the national average and significantly more than surrounding counties? More likely there is something in local "fresh" water inlets, canals draining from sugar polluters, and the St. Lucie, that is getting into women at higher than predicted or normal values.

J- Justice Building Blog weighs in on tomorrow's execution of Florida prisoner and convicted cop killer Manuel Valle.

This is not and should not be interpreted as minimizing the nature of Valle's crime. A police officer sworn to protect the public gave his life and the penalty for his murder should be severe. He had a daughter who lost her father. The man who killed him deserves to suffer. He possibly even deserves to die. But what ever side of the fence you are on in the death penalty debate, this case is outrageous and would be ridiculous if the events weren't so tragic for Officer Pena and his family.

K- If you want real Haitian food then you have to head to Chez Madame Johns in North Miami, maintains Miami Dish.

This place is Haitian all the way. The store hours are not concrete, as many Haitian locals strolled in even after 10 pm. If you want the real deal, try a treat from Chez Madame.

L- Culture Designers gets an interview with street artist Poska of Clandestine Culture.

P81: Why do you use poster and stickers as your media?

Poska: Efficiency. In the past I have worked with stencils and aerosol, but there is not doubt about it that “paste” is the most efficient way to work. To work on streets or cities that are too busy you need to act quickly, or you become an easy target.

M- Coconut Grove Grapevine shares some images from Sunday night's Pan Am Party in the Grove.




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SFDB Post Of The Week

SFDB selects its Post of the Week by going back and reviewing all the Sifts that we've done over the past 7 days. We find the best post of the week and note the runners ups as we judge them to be.

It was a good week for some South Florida bloggers that I rarely get to consider for Post of the Week...and one guy who gets considered at least once every couple weeks because that's about how often he posts. Here are my selections for this week.


Runners-Up: I found Miamism's compact but very nicely composed and informative post on the unique SoBe Work Spaces to be an interesting and enjoyable read. The writing is the usual stand out in Food for Thought's description of the latest Cobaya dining experience with Chef Jeremiah Bullfrog, but the photos aren't bad either. I enjoyed the editing and the work Mike LaMonica did on a video that brought a nice Saturday in his South Miami neighborhood to life for his readers.



Winner: Mac's Club Deuce on South Beach has won awards and is one of Florida's landmark bars that could really tell some stories if it could talk. But who really knows its owner, Mac Klein? Thanks to a great job by Liam Crotty Photography this past week, we all know Mac a little better. Crotty attended Mac's 97th birthday party and shot some great images of the man who looks at least 20 years younger. Crotty threw in a little narrative about the day and shared some of his conversation with the birthday boy. I loved this post, titled Mac’s Club Deuce Bar – Mac turns 97!, and it's why it receives this week's SFDB Post of the Week.



'Til next time, people, keep on blogging!

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Insulting The Memory of Ronald Reagan

[Sarah Palin] is the closest thing to Ronald Reagan we have as a spokesman for our principles.

-George Moneo, Babalu Blog [via Twitter]



-image via Saints Report


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SFDB Morning Chuckle

Carlsberg sent several unsuspecting couples into a Belgian movie theater full of rough-and-tumble-looking bikers.

-via The Daily Wh.at


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The Cooler

Just a few stories pulled from this morning's mainstream media outlets. Enjoy.

A- Herald: Jeebus. The Herald's Marc Caputo better wipe the slobber off the floor.

Marco Rubio, the West-Miami Republican tea party favorite, is about to write about his life story, his political thoughts and the story of his improbable victory last year in the Senate race vs. former Gov. Charlie Crist.

“I think we have something to say,” said Rubio in what might be the biggest understatement from one of the most eloquent of elected conservatives.

“I’d like to tell a little bit about my upbringing, and how my upbringing has led me to some of the policy conclusions I’ve reached,” he said. “And I’d like to tell about the campaign, my time in the Legislature.”

Rubio, 40, not only carries the conservative message with a perfect pitch, he represents an idealized version of the American dream as the son of immigrants who rocketed to political stardom in just a few years.

B- Herald: The Marlins have a new coach.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is out the door in Chicago -- and according to ESPN and other published reports -- headed to South Florida to manage the Marlins when they open their new ballpark in April.

The White Sox confirmed late Monday that the team and Guillen have parted ways. "The White Sox have agreed to Ozzie Guillen's request to be released from his contract, allowing the manager to pursue other opportunities," the White Sox said in a statement.

ESPNChicago.com reported Guillen was traded to the Marlins for two minor-league players. The Marlins declined comment but did not deny the reports.

C- Herald: Wynwood Walls getting a facelift.

In keeping with its Miami roots, Wynwood Walls, the outdoor street art museum that helped revolutionize this downtown industrial neighborhood, is not so much getting a facelift but full-body cosmetic surgery, complete with touch-ups, new murals, and host of tweaks intended to make her even more of a stunner.

“It’s going to knock your socks off,” said Tony Goldman, the real estate maven who jumpstarted the reinvention of Wynwood as an arts district when he spent $35 million on 25 properties here beginning in 2004. Known as the force behind SoHo’s revival in New York, Goldman has breathed new life into downtown Philadelphia and Boston. In Florida, The New York Times dubbed him the “granddaddy of South Beach,” as one of the first to recognize the “American Riviera” in what was then a decaying seafront wasteland.

D- Herald: Life in South Florida.

Hialeah police are promising to arrest drivers caught with fake insurance cards during a one-day citywide crack down.

On Wednesday, every motorists stopped by an officer in Hialeah city limits from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. will be asked to show proof of insurance along with their driver’s license, the department announced on Monday.

Those caught with forged paperwork will be charged with a third-degree felony for carrying fraudulent proof of motor vehicle insurance.

The crackdown in necessary, said Detective. Eddie Rodriguez, a spokesman for Hialeah police.

“The National Insurance Crime Bureau has informed us of a disturbing rise in the use of fake auto insurance cards by South Florida drivers,’’ Rodriguez said. “These fake insurance cards have been like a ‘get-out-of-jail-free-card’ because it is very difficult for a police officer to verify insurance coverage during a routine traffic stop or crash.”

E- Sun-Sentinel: Anybody seen Tyler lately?

PARKLAND— The Broward Sheriff's Office is urging residents throughout the county not to let their pets roam around without supervision.

The warning comes after the discovery earlier this month of the carcass of a dead cat in Parkland's Meadow Run development.

The cat's remains were found on Sept. 14. The Sheriff's Office says the cause of the animal's death remains unclear.

The cat had been gutted, its neck was snapped and its chest was slit open, WPLG-Ch.10 reported after interviewing the animal's owner.

F- NBC Miami: Always remember to fill up!

Four people suspected of committing burglary in Coral Springs fled police in a rental car before running out of gas on I-595.

The foursome, who have yet to be identified, were arrested on an overpass after being swarmed by unmarked police cars.

Coral Springs PD spokesman Lt. Joe McHugh said the group originally attracted the attention of police when their vehicle was spotted backed into a home as if a burglary was in progress.

When officers attempted to stop the car, he said, they fled.

Unmarked police cars then followed the rental vehicle until it ran out of gas on I-595, also known as the Port Everglades Expressway, McHugh said.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

It was a slow Monday night in the SoFla blogosphere. This won't take you long at all.

A- Man or Maniac? tells us about some sort of "estimate math" [formal name is "compatible numbers"] that is supposedly being taught in schools today, although I've never heard of it.

In compatible math, you round up the numbers (or one of them) to one that's easier to deal with, to come up with an answer that is close to the actual number the problem should result, but isn't actually the number the problem should result in.

B- Bark Bark Woof Woof notes a local example of Islamophobia at work. The terrorists have won.

C- Eye on Miami notes former NOW President Patricia Ireland's apparent makeover in South Florida.

Patricia Ireland actually campaigned against Katy Sorenson at one time. Katy was one of the most supportive politicians in Florida of a woman's right to choose. What is wrong with Ireland? Her husband's doing? Is she a "stand by my man?" I would think that if Ireland had an ounce of her old self left in her she would have done anything she could to keep Lynda Bell out of the County Commission. But ONLY being the good wife apparently is paramount for Ireland now.

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Your Evening Sift

Lots going on in the South Florida blogosphere today. Here are all the links you need to have. Enjoy.

A- Grovites are apparently struggling over the role art plays in their community, according to Coconut Grove Grapevine.

Still being debated at the Gallery Walk meetings are whether all the galleries in the Grove are "legitimate galleries." Who is to say what is art? How can you pick and choose what a gallery is? I am not sure which galleries they are questioning, but just because you don't like the art in a particular place, does that make it not a gallery? It may be a crummy gallery, but it's a gallery isn't it?

B- Roy Black maintains that UM should expand their law school to suit the booming international law business in Miami.

Certainly UM has an outstanding international law program, but with so much legal work being done here, the school should be a mecca for lawyers from other countries to come for training. Professor Laurence Rose, who directs the litigation skills program, has been working on programs to train international lawyers, but he needs more tools. A great start would be to authorize the construction of a state of the art courtroom to train law students and lawyers. It would be a great selling point for the school.

C- Worst Pizza likes Steve's Pizza in Cooper City.

The pizza at Steve’s Pizza in Cooper City was very tasty. They use a kind of sweet sauce recipe over a thin crust pie…yum! Then they also add some spices and herbs to it which made the difference to me when I first tasted it. Rich flavor...wonderful taste! Steve’s Pizza has managed the art of the crust. The crust was crisp, held up, and tasted great. It goes to show that you don’t have to go all the way to New York to find a good slice down these ways.

D- Beached Miami selects their favorites from a year's worth of Critical Mass photos.

E- It's all about the Cuban sandwich at Miami Dish.

I would argue that a Cuban sandwich is the most famous sandwich in South Florida. Although people use “South Florida” to mean the eastern part of our state, I’m roping Tampa in as well. The omnipresence of the Cuban sandwich on our menus and street corners demonstrates the cultural influence of Cubans throughout South Florida.

F- South Florida Lawyers has an endless reserve of posts thanks to Coral Gables attorney Spencer Aronfeld.

G- The Accent Police, while loved by Republicans, will never find a place in Obalesque's heart.

H- The Green Parrot has a full schedule planned for October.

When I looked at the October Entertainment Calendar today, even though I knew for months what was coming, I was blown away by what we had on deck.

I- Man or Maniac? makes an observation about the latest Republican Flavor of the Month, Herman Cain, and whether he's really all that popular.

Sure, he got more votes than the top two runners-up combined, but he still took only a little more than a third of all the votes cast. That means that about 2 out of every 3 participants voted against him. He didn't win so much as he didn't lose as badly as everyone else.

J- Shula Burger is opening this year at Holiday Isle in the Keys and a lot of other places in Florida in the near future, according to Eater Miami.

The gourmet burger concept joins an ever-growing list of gourmet burger concepts, but this one has a twist, it will include wine pairings. Now, what burger place do you know of that offers Pinot Grigio or a Pinot Noir?

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Making Them Own It

More like this, please...

At a San Jose, Calif., fundraiser Sunday night, the president sought to cast the campaign as a “contest of values.” He then proceeded to offer a pointed critique of the values on display by his Republican rivals — and their supporters.

“Has anybody been watching the debates lately?” Obama asked a crowd of about 300 at the home of Symantec Chairman John Thompson and his wife, Sandi. “You’ve got a governor whose state is on fire denying climate change.”

The president was referring to Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whose state has been ravaged by wildfires that have been so bad that Obama called him a few weeks ago to offer federal assistance.

[...]

“You’ve got audiences cheering at the prospect of somebody dying because they don’t have health care and booing a service member in Iraq because they’re gay,” Obama said.

Exactly.

Oh, they'll stomp their feet and wail and complain how unfair the President is but the fact is they did it. They own it.

It's them.

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SFDB's We Live Here

-miami fever



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Obama Is [Still] Coming

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) attracts the looniest of the American Right so it should be of no surprise that on Friday, Wayne LaPierre, president of the National Rifle Association (NRA), stood before them in Orlando and declared that just because the Socialist anti-American half breed Marxist hasn't come knocking at their doors for their guns doesn't mean they should let their guards [or paranoia] down yet.

“[The Obama campaign] will say gun owners — they’ll say they left them alone,” LaPierre told an audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Friday. “In public, he’ll remind us that he’s put off calls from his party to renew the Clinton [assault weapons] ban, he hasn’t pushed for new gun control laws… The president will offer the Second Amendment lip service and hit the campaign trail saying he’s actually been good for the Second Amendment.”

“But it’s a big fat stinking lie!” the NRA leader exclaimed. “It’s all part of a massive Obama conspiracy to deceive voters and destroy the Second Amendment in our country.”

“Obama himself is no fool. So when he got elected, they concocted a scheme to stay away from the gun issue, lull gun owners to sleep and play us for fools in 2012. Well, gun owners are not fools and we are not fooled,” La Pierre declared.

So either Obama has restrained himself and has successfully pretended to be something other than what the right wing nutjobs thinks he is for the last 3 years or LaPierre is trying to boost NRA membership rolls by frightening the CPAC dimwits.

Hmmmmm.



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SFDB Morning Chuckle

-via Dawn Geary


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The Cooler

It's your regular slow news Monday, readers. Here's all I could dig up.

A- Herald: The Dolphins lose. But you already knew that.

“We’ve got to stop the bleeding,” Dolphins linebacker Kevin Burnett said. “If we stop the bleeding, we’ve got time to pick ourselves up. But we’ve got to stop the bleeding.”

Sunday was to be the day the Dolphins stitched up a few wounds. Instead, this team seems to be bleeding more.

B- Herald: Nyad bails for the second time.

Nyad quit Sunday morning after 40 hours swimming past sharks, barracudas and men o'war in the waters between Cuba and the Florida Keys. She could have fought through bad weather or medical problems, she said, but her medics said more man o'war stings might have killed her.

"It's such a bitter pill. I am so capable of that swim. That's the end, though" Nyad said.

C- Herald: They write letters.

No way to treat fans

On Sept.17, a busload of North Port Ohio State fans attended the OSU/Miami football game. Upon arriving at the stadium, I got into a line for a bathroom. A young woman carrying beer saw my OSU clothing and began verbally assaulting me.

I had done nothing to provoke her and being a frightened senior citizen, thought it best not to respond. She continued her tirade until I did ask if she was a student at Miami. She said she had graduated. I did say she must have not been an English major as she did not know how to use the English language.

Later I met two younger members of our party who had been physically assaulted by a drunken young woman. One had been slapped in the face and the other punched in the eye.

I called a police officer over who said we could fill out a report at the end of the game.

I understand everyone loves their team but anything we do or say has nothing to do with what happens on the field. We are not players, referees or officials. We are fans, there to watch 22 young men play a game. Beer and alcohol shouldn’t be sold in the stadium during college events.

R.A. Garand, North Port, FL

D- WPLG: As predictable as the sun rising.

MIAMI -- GOP presidential hopeful, Newt Gingrich, rallied republicans and courted the Cuban American vote with a campaign stop at Versailles Restaurant Saturday morning.

He greeted the crowd with, "Buenos Dias, Miami," which drew a big cheer from supporters. During the breakfast, Gingrich sipped cuban coffee and tried to rally republican voters around his message.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

It's the start of another work week, readers. Yeah, I know. Me, too. Enjoy your morning Sift.

A- Food for Thought says he has discovered another great place in Miami-Dade for dim sum.

People of South Florida, I have an important announcement. There is a new dim sum restaurant. In Sunny Isles. And it appears to be quite good.

B- Searching for Normalcy got a nice surprise this weekend when a couple family members popped into town.

C- Homestead is Home catches the town's mayor apparently violating city code with his campaign sign.

D- Need a job? Miami Beach 411 is hiring.

E- Bark Bark Woof Woof thinks that Mitt Romney is going to be the Republican Party presidential nominee.

And through it all Mitt Romney cruises along, nary a hair out of place, winning the Michigan straw poll on Sunday and Mr. Perry barely showing up. Mr. Romney's advantage is that his father, Gov. George Romney, was a popular figure in Michigan fifty years ago. Since the average age of the Michigan GOP pegs out the actuarial tables, my guess is that most of the votes he got were because they thought they were voting for his dad.

In spite of that, were I a betting man, I'd say that Mitt will end up getting the nomination, even if it's barely worth having. To quote a wise gambler, when the money is split between the favorites, bet on the long shot.

F- Eye on Miami is in a Monday morning mood.


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Your Evening Sift

I was able to catch PJ20 at The Tower tonight. Nice to get back down to Little Havana. Oh yeah, great flick. Enjoy your evening Sift.

A- Sex and the Beach posts a video interview of Ron Jeremy, who has his own rum.

So there you go. Two guys from Finland come up with this idea in Amsterdam, an American adult film star gets involved, and you're sipping rum made in Panama from an old Caribbean recipe, probably aged in sherry barrels from Spain.

B- PhinPhanatic declares today's Dolphins game an epic fail.

This game was supposed to be a good barometer of what this team could do. They lost two games coming in to very good football teams. Today they lost to one of the worst. The fact that the Browns couldn’t move the ball the entire game should tell you exactly where the blame should be. Coaching. The Phins gave up a final 85 yard drive that ended with the game winning TD. Pathetic. The Dolphins defense should be ashamed.

C- If you're looking for a great costume for Halloween this year, you might want to check out the latest from the South Florida Theatre Scene.

D- The Reid Report has last night's GOP debate skit from SNL.

E- Some Blogging Guy acquaints us with the distinctive candlestick bush. 



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What's Missing?

The St. Petersburg Times has posted a slideshow of 54 pictures taken at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) going on this weekend in Orlando. As you flip through the photos and note the veritable sea of older white people, you can't help but note the one, single solitary African-American conference attendee that appears in Slide 2.

One.

In 54 slides.

Yep.


-Photo via the Sacramento Bee.

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Republican Candidates: Answer The Question

Compassion, sensitivity, mercy and kindness have all become dirty words for the American Right and their presidential candidates.


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Harry's Pizzeria

Chef Michael Schwartz, he of Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, is preparing to open a new pizzeria on Tuesday named "Harry's" that is situated in the space formerly occupied by Pizzavolante. The menu is online and Tuesday is the big day. Here are some photos of the place that were released a couple days ago on Harry's Tumblr site.

I am really looking forward to checking this place out.

Harry's Pizzeria
3918 North Miami Avenue
Miami
786.275.4963
Twitter: @harryspizzeria




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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

And away we go with your Sunday morning Sift...

A- Some Blogging Guy explains how he photographs butterflies.

A shutter that will shoot in burst mode is mandatory. These suckers almost never stand still and they will dart to the left, right, sideways so sharply that I wonder what their brains are like. If I made such extreme maneuvers my brain would me mashed potatoes. So, burst mode, or continuous shooting mode as Canon calls it, is required. Depending on my settings I can usually get several shots per second.

B- Go Hydrology! takes us to the Naples Pier.

C- Mike LaMonica shares a nice little slideshow created from photos taken yesterday at the South Miami Farmer's Market.

D- South Florida Food and Wine interviews Michael Saperstein, the man behind Charm City Burger Company and El Jefe Luchador of Deerfield Beach.

South Florida Food and Wine: After launching and building the successful Charm City Burger, where did El Jefe Luchador come from?
Michael Saperstein: It came from our love for Mexican street food. We saw a huge void in the market for this ever popular style of food. We wanted to bring this type of food out of the backs of Mexican supermarkets and street carts to a QSR Environment. It has been a lot of fun so far.

E- A little airboat riding with Nikon Miami.

F- The Reid Report takes a look at the results of yesterday's Florida straw poll that favored Republican Herman Cain.

Cain’s personal story apparently resonated with people, and the Orlando tea party types, I can tell you from personal experience, would relish the chance to push a black candidate, to refute the whole ‘tea party racism’ charge.

G- After using some kind of mathematical equation, Forbes has come to the conclusion that Fisher Island is the "richest place" in America and Miamism believes their figures disprove the "heresay" that the rich pay less taxes.



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SFDB Saturday Night Turndown Service

We're going to change it up a little for you tonight...




Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Look At Miss Ohio



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Your Evening Sift

Didja hear that Sun Life has been taken over by a swarm of dragon flies And the UM game has been delayed? I'm not kidding. I swear this place is like Jurassic Park. Enjoy your evening Sift.

A- Random Pixels leads things off this damp Saturday night by highlighting a few recent embarrassing Miami Herald goofs.

B- Does Miamism really have a tricked out BMW X5 that bears a personalized tag of "Miamism?" Sure looks that way.

C- Spy stories, from The Cuban Triangle.

D- Nice photo of a swamp grasshopper at Go Hydrology!

E- There were a few challenges when Chef Jeremiah hosted another Cobaya dinner with some help from Ms. Cheezious. Food for Thought was there, of course, to document it for your reading pleasure.

What I actually missed most of all was the communal aspect, the ability to bring everyone together at a couple tables to share in the experience. We did do smaller communal tables for a few of the services, but it's not quite the same - even if, as our dinners now typically include 35-45 people, it's impossible to spend time with everyone.

F- Miami Spice is ending but Broward's Dine Out Fort Lauderdale is just beginning, explains South Florida Food and Wine.

As one door closes another opens, and Fort Lauderdale begins its restaurant promotion program, Dine Out Lauderdale on October 1 and runs through November 10. Similar to Miami Spice, restaurants in Fort Lauderdale and surrounding cities will offer 3-course dinners for $35; eight of the 41 participating restaurants will be offering 4-courses.

G- The Green Parrot is rooting on Diana Nyad as she swims from Cuba to the Keys.

H- Bark Bark Woof Woof logs another report from his 40th high school reunion in Ohio.

We all got to tell our stories, all of them laced with good humor and tales of accomplishment, but also leavened with experiences of life. What amazed me was the ease at which we were able to bring things long forgotten back to the fore; some good memories, some bad; some comic, some tragic. We have all faced the ravages of time, of disappointment, but also joy and blessings.

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Old Breakfast House, Fort Lauderdale

I've been wanting to try this place in the Himmarshee section of Fort Lauderdale for quite some time so this morning my girlfriend and I headed on over to check it out.

I'm not going to spend a lot of time doing an in-depth restaurant review because that's not what I do here but I will say that at 10 AM it was cramped and warm and the food, while very good, wasn't a home run. You can check out the menu at their website and decide for yourself whether the prices are too high, but we walked out of there $30 [including 20% tip] lighter.

Service is excellent and you can tell that they are really trying to make it work from the moment you step out of your car in the restaurant's parking lot, but if I can't carry on a conversation without the person at the next table being able to hear every single word that I say and I'm warm and the food doesn't knock my socks off, I don't have a lot of reason to pay a little extra.

Or to return.



-photos of the food and a more extensive review can be found at FTL Collective


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Hallelujuah!

Thought I might start off your day with a stirring sermon from the pulpit.



Actually, it isn't.

It's our Lieutenant Governor, Jennifer Carroll, making a political speech earlier this week. She delivered it in Orlando which is kind of smart because she would have been run off the stage had she tried that BS down here in South Florida.

It's hard to believe that our tax dollars are paying for this kind of thing.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Not much going on in the South Florida blogosphere this Saturday morning. Free admission to national parks today [check the SFDB Weekend Widget in the right sidebar] so you might want to ride out to Everglades National Park. Just you and your bug spray. Enjoy your morning Sift.

A- Adoptable gardens at Coconut Grove Elementary, courtesy of Coconut Grove Grapevine.

B- Eye on Miami provides a quick look at Republican presidential candidates Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul and their views of building a fence along our borders.


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Your Evening Sift

It's Friday night and we have the whole weekend to look forward to, readers. Enjoy your evening Sift and don't forget about the SFDB Weekend Widget in the right sidebar.

A- Obalesque is preparing for the weekend and the cool weather.

I spent the morning putting away all my pastel shorts and tees, and hauled out the earth-toned sweaters and long sleeve casual wear, as well as the leather coat in case we get another early cold snap. I checked the supply of Jack Daniels and Mescal, too: no tequila again until May, at the earliest.

Not!

B- The quaint Open Kitchen in Bay Harbor Islands is open for business, according to All Purpose Dark.

The place is overwhelmingly quaint, with a great selection of wines and craft beers and a chalkboard menu of daily lunch specials - things like oriechette with arugula pesto and mozzarella and turkey meatloaf.

C- South Florida Lawyers reveals he was part of '70's supergroup Starbuck and he has the video to prove it.

(In case you didn't guess, that's me in the brown jumpsuit about 1:49 in, working the pipes.)

D- Sex and the Beach won't be traveling to Cuba anytime soon.

I can't go out of pure, deep respect for my parents and all who fled the regime. I may not stand for anything, but this I will stick to. When they die and communism is out the door, well, then, that will be a different story. Sure, intellectually, the idea of going there is very appealing, but hell, there are plenty of beautiful beaches in the Caribbean for me to explore.

You can have your Cuba in the meantime.

E- Eater Miami says South Florida should get ready for Salt Life Food.

The one and only Salt Life Food Shack in Jacksonville is spreading its "eat, drink and be salty" philosophy to South Florida. Owner Greg Saig and his partners have signed a development deal to open several Food Shacks from Miami to Stuart. The first is slated to open early next year in The Walk of Coral Springs on University Drive, a popular retail and dining destination.

F- Boy Writes Miami says that Buck 15 is laid back...and small.

I saw zero douche bags, no stuck-up chicks, no bottle-popping madness, and no Haitian in a vest and bow tie in the restroom expecting $5 for putting soap in my hands. That alone puts it well above most of the places on the beach. But, it depends on what you want. Some people want the laid-back feel of Buck 15 where the lack of ventilation and tiny space ensures that if someone has meningitis everyone has meningitis, and others want to get date-raped at Dream.

G- The Green Parrot shares the story of Green Parrot regular Willy The Burner.

When the expense of island living and lack of proper elder care facilities made his move to Homestead neccesary we were all heartbroken. But it seems every time we see him, or hear from him, he is the same old Burner: Expansive, grateful, humble and of course as Linda notes, always amazed and in wonder that despite all his road-tested miles, he is doing as well as he is.

H- Politics, Hialeah-style, at Political Cortadito.

"I was assaulted and battered," Morales said. "He was pushing me, he was grabbing me by the arm. I repeatedly told him stop touching me. You are battering me and I am going call the police." He didn't have to. Someone, and we suspect it may be HHA Director Ponce, called police and had him and Bolaños escorted out.

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