Your Spooky Evening Sift

A- Lots of photos from Beached Miami's Halloween Sketchy Party are up and ready for your viewing pleasure.

B- Adults in costume at Miamism Pix and dogs in Halloween get up at Restaurant Gal.

C- The venue pretty much sucked but the food and drink were great for the 2nd Annual Lighthouse Foundation Halloween party, according to Eat It, Miami.

We went to the 2nd Annual Lighthouse Foundation Halloween party at the fancy bazillion dollar parking garage on Lincoln Road on Saturday, and the highlight was definitely the food. The venue was a much less interesting place to have a party than I was expecting. There wasn't really a good vibe in the huge concrete structure, which surprised me, because I park there when I visit my dentist, good ol' Dr. Shaw, and I love to look out from the top floor of the garage over South Beach. The views are spectacular.

D- Coconut Grove Grapevine endorses Michelle Niemeyer for District 2 Commissioner.

I feel that with Michelle as our District Commissioner, things will turn around for the better. I feel the Coconut Grove and the City of Miami will be drama free and more relaxed and life may return to normal. I feel there will be transparency in Government and I feel things will be "real."

What I mean by real is that Michelle is real. She is a true Grovite. She participates in the Grove, she is actually one of us. She doesn't have her nose up in the air and she doesn't just show up when it's the right thing to do or when there is money or votes to be had.

E- The Cuban Triangle has more on the story that just won't go away, much to Marco Rubio's chagrin.

The flap over Senator Marco Rubio has shown us that the Senator has thin skin and ferocious defenders.

More interesting, it shows that exile is a state of mind. The common conception of “exile” involves people being pushed out of their country and barred from return. Many Cubans suffered precisely that. But there are many others, even those born here, who consider themselves exiles because they cannot go or will not go, or will not deal with the conditions the Cuban government imposes. That includes Senator Rubio and his family, which emigrated comfortably in 1956.

F- Eye on Miami was on one of the Jet Blue flights that wound up languishing for hours on an airport ramp in a recent snowstorm in the Northeast.

The full force of the storm still had not arrived when we landed. Already, it was heavily snowing. The plane sat on the tarmac for another half hour. The pilot finally edged the plane to the gate, telling the passengers "from the central office" that he wouldn't be able to keep the gate. The plane would refuel, de-ice and then push off "to make room for other planes". La Guardia, he said, was likely to open later in the afternoon. Then, if anyone wants to de-plane, do it now. So here is how things lined up: the pilot said that maybe La Guardia would open up, it was blizzarding outside, The Weather Channel showed the main part of the storm had still not arrived, and that when it did arrive the heaviest accumulations would be inland. Hartford is inland. There were already planes idling on the tarmac at Bradley, and "dozens waiting to land, having been diverted to Bradley". I knew from past experience (I'm old) that you can de-ice a plane, but that if you can't take off quickly, you have to de-ice again. I grabbed my bag from the overhead bin.

G- A few new photos are up at The Street.

H- South Florida Lawyers comments on a story that has been circulating the web for a few days that illustrates where some of us are on the compassion and empathy scale.



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Tonight On Lincoln Road

If you're wondering what the scene is going to be like on South Beach tonight if the rain stays away, and maybe even if it doesn't...




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Great Pumpkin Time

You know I had to post this today.





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Top 10 Haunted Places In South Florida

Via The Palm Tree Press, check out 10 most haunted buildings in South Florida.

After watching Ipanemic's video, I'm not sure how the City of Miami Cemetery didn't make the list.

Any other South Florida locations that might qualify?



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Hardliner's Views Of Exiles And Immigrants

Since Babalu writers have pretty much stuck to posting the opinions of others instead of their own during the recent brouhaha involving Marco Rubio's misstatements about his parent's immigration to this country, I decided to take a tour through their archives to see if the subject had come up before.

Sure enough, back in 2007, Babalu contributor Robert Molleda penned a post [cross-posted at 26th Parallel] about whether it was okay for Miami Cubans to consider themselves immigrants or exiles.

Exile, using a basic definition, is to be forced out of your land. Immigration, by definition, is to willingly leave one's country to settle permanently in another. Therefore, to be an immigrant is to renounce your native land in favor of a new and better place. Some associate renouncing your native land to renouncing everything associated with it, including past experiences of yourself and others. In that context, George made sense.

However, for Cuban-Americans, it's a bit more complicated than the definitions above. Several polls, including recent ones, indicate that the vast majority of Cuban-Americans would not return to live in a free Cuba of the future. To me, that represents an evolution of the Cuban-American community from an exile state to one of acceptance and assimilation more commonly associated with the immigrant experience. After all, it's been almost 50 years. This is not to say that Cuban-Americans who don't want to go back to live in Cuba resent their heritage. Of course as anyone familiar with Babalu Blog knows, this can't be farther from the truth. This is where I diverge slightly from George and what caused me to pause while hearing the podcast. Yes, there are many self-described Cuban-American "immigrants" who disdain the hard-line and much of their Cuban heritage, as George correctly noted. But there are many more who want to keep their newer roots in the United States and wouldn't even dream of returning to live in a country that is vastly different than it was 50 years ago, whom nevertheless feel very strongly about a free Cuba, are vehemently anti-castro and are proud of their heritage.

In short and in summary, it's OK and perfectly normal to be a Cuban immigrant, still be proud of your Cuban heritage and identify with the values of your parents and grandparents. One does not have to consider him/herself an exile in order to feel this way.

So it appears as though Molleda defines being a "Cuban-American exile" more in terms of one's anti-Castro feelings, attachment to their heritage and their desire to eventually return to Cuba rather than when or how they arrived in the United States. For Molleda, it's totally possible for Cuban-Americans to use the term "immigrant," particularly those who wish to remain here in the United States, and still not be untrue to their Cuban roots.

Fellow Babalu contributor Geroge Moneo, however, was not one to agree with Molleda back then.

Being an exile implies a different feeling, a different mindset, a different set of premises, than that of an immigrant. An immigrant "arrives," an exile "flees;" an immigrant knowingly chooses to come to a new land because he has made a choice, an exile also does this, but he does it because he has no other choice; an immigrant desires a new life in a new land, the exile does the same knowing that that new life comes with the pain of forced separation, a pain that never leaves.

If a Cuban chooses to call himself an immigrant, then to me he is denying with his words what was done to his country, he is denying the very reason for his exit, whether he admits it to himself or not. Because in the end, the Beast of Birán is the author of both experiences. A Cuban calling himself an "immigrant" denies to the world the crimes fidel has committed, the evil he has wrought on the island. It gives him an out in the eyes of the world. Our destiny, our lives, were formed by him. He is the author of our destierro. I just choose to accept the reality of what he did to us. I don't wear rose-colored glasses, and I am not, nor can I be, nor do I want to be, "objective" when speaking about what he has done.

I work with many who have left the island as recently as thirteen years ago who consider themselves exiles. Why? Because their desire for liberty was greater than their desire for work or economic stability. Not that they weren't thinking of brighter pastures here; quite the contrary. Many wanted a new life, to start a family, to have the ability to own property, to have a career -- a real one, not one paid by the government at $12 per month. But the prime mover of their decision was liberty: the ability to do, say, think, believe and live however they wanted. When all is said, where better to seek that liberty than here.

Interestingly enough, by Moneo's rigid definition, Marco Rubio's parents are to be considered immigrants. They left before the revolution and clearly chose to come to America. In 1961, after Castro took power, his mother and siblings actually returned to Cuba and stayed for a month before leaving again.

I offer this up as a impetus for additional consideration on an issue that has become a hot topic of discussion in some circles in South Florida.



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Audi's Halloween A6 Commercial

Good stuff...





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The Cooler

It's a typically slow Monday morning for news. Everyone is talking about the weather so I have that and a few other stories from the Herald for you. Enjoy.

A- Herald: Deep thoughts.

“If this was a 50-minute game, we would probably be a winning team,” Dolphins linebacker Cameron Wake bemoaned.

The Dolphins’ journey to loss after loss has become as predictable as it is demoralizing. Sunday’s 20-17 defeat, which dropped Miami to 0-7, marked the sixth time the Dolphins have blown a lead this season, and the third time they have done it in the game’s final seven minutes. The Dolphins have now lost 10 in a row dating back to last season.

B- Herald: Watered down Halloween.

And while Monday’s outlook for later in the day seems a bit drier, forecasters said there were no guarantees — so trick-or-treaters might want to pack a poncho with their Halloween candy buckets. The National Weather Service in Miami-Dade predicted a 30 percent chance of rain Monday evening.

Moving your trick or treating up to the afternoon might not help. The rain chance is even higher in the afternoon — 60 percent, weather service specialist Bob Ebaugh said.

C- Herald: Snacks for pythons?

Dogs are once again being dumped in Homestead and Redland by owners who decide that they cannot or will not keep the pets. While dumping animals in undeveloped areas or the Everglades is not new, the issue has grown worse over the past few years due to the troubled economy. Homeowners in foreclosure often drop their dogs off in South Miami-Dade’s agricultural areas.

D- Herald: Editorial, Marco Rubio.

Meanwhile, the controversy over Sen. Rubio’s family history continues to boil because the senator has offered various versions of how his parents got to these shores. This is both less serious than the charge about his qualification for the nation’s highest office, yet more embarrassing because it’s an issue entirely of the senator’s own making.

Did he decide to embellish the facts by claiming he was the son of exiles from communism, implying that the family first left Cuba after Fidel Castro’s takeover, or did he simply not know the facts of their earlier arrival years before his birth?

This distinction may be of interest to the vast family of Cuban-Americans in this country, most of whom have their own painful histories of loss and departure, but it does not alter Mr. Rubio’s life story in any significant way. And he was born here more than a decade after his family arrived. He has no memory of the events in question.

However, he has been forced to correct the record. He should settle on the facts and take more care when recounting his life story in the future.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Happy Halloween, readers. Looks like we're in for more rain today but that it might be cleared out by tonight. Enjoy your not-so-spooky morning Sift.

A- Miami Beach 411 takes a close look at the Occupy Miami movement. Lots of photos and a couple videos. Might surprise a couple folks who think these people are nothing but hippies without direction or focus.

Most of the protesters are in their twenties; part of a lost generation of overeducated and underemployed Americans that are finding their voice in activism.

Some, like Malik and Young, are veteran activists who have longed had a social conscious.

But many others are just becoming activists after becoming disillusioned with a system that promised them so much but ended up giving them nothing but debts and low-wage jobs at Starbucks.

B- Beached Miami discusses the Dolphins' latest loss and the possibility of team Halloween costumes.

This Dolphins team is a bottomless chasm of Halloween costume inspiration. Don’t be surprised if you open your door tonight and find a Bludgeoned Tony Sparano or a Brandon Marshall With Amputated Hands or a Lobotomized Jeff Ireland With Shit For Brains sticking his hand out for a Snickers bar. The most fitting get-up, though, would probably be a zombie in full pads since that’s what every player on this nightmare of a team plays like week after week.

C- Go Hydrology! posts some nice images of the swamp and has a Halloween message.

D- If it's Monday then it's time for another Republican hypocrisy, courtesy of Bark Bark Woof Woof.

E- Eye on Miami posts some eye-opening restaurant inspection results for some Miami-Dade restaurants that you're sure to recognize.



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Your Evening Sift

Word is that we're in for more rain tonight, readers. I'm not sure how it is where you're at but South Broward is definitely topped off. Enjoy your evening Sift, folks.

A- Food for Thought reviews a wonderful little pizza place in Lantana called Pizzeria Oceano.

It's a real thrill to find a place like this: simple and humble, but simultaneously serious and ambitious. Pizzeria Oceano does things in what they see as the "right" way, even if it means they're not going to please every potential customer. That has earned their chef a reputation as a "Pizza Nazi." It also should earn them a reputation for some of the best pizza in South Florida.

B- Random Pixels reports that there are still plenty of Miami-Dade County employees making over $100K a year, but doesn't say for sure whether that number has gone up or down or how Miami-Dade numbers compares to other large metro areas.

And while Gimenez pledged to "reduce top-level salaries and executive benefits", one of his first orders of business upon taking office was trying to find ways to plug a $409 million budget gap by seeking concessions from rank and file and lower paid employees.

But, is Gimenez making any headway in reducing those "top-level salaries and benefits"?

C- Homestead is Home is claiming that "multiple sources" have confirmed that the City of Homestead spent $18K on the recent State of the City speech.

$60 per plate for lunch seems a bit lavish for Homestead which you obviously need to be reminded is the worst housing market in the U.S.A.

D- Obalesque obviously prefers baseball over football.

Light is shed on the entire universe of football fans each week as they line their fat asses up on couches and bar stools nationwide to watch stupefyingly dull contests stinking of corporate America values and barnyard blood lust (the marriage of the works out so well, yes?).

E- What you can do with those pumpkin seeds, from Go Hydrology!

F- South Florida Food and Wine questions Chef Jamie DeRosa of the Tudor House on South Beach.

South Florida Food and Wine: What is your favorite dish to make at home?
Jamie DeRosa: Midnight snacks of Grilled Cheese and BLT's a la the movie "Spanglish."

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SFDB's Why We Live Here

Yesterday, Chester, MA...

-more photos from Boston.com


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LA Times Editorial On Marco Rubio

Who can say, in the end, who is an exile and who is not? What's clear is that this smart, ambitious politician felt that he had a better chance of winning elections if he emphasized a narrative that portrayed him as the son of exiles even though, in reality, his story more closely mirrors that of other Latino immigrants who come to the United States in search of work. "Nothing against immigrants," he said in 2009, "but my parents were exiles."

Unfortunately, the story of the hardworking immigrant doesn't sell very well in the Republican Party at the moment, and Rubio understood that. Not too long ago this country put out the welcome mat for those who came to pursue the American Dream. But those days are past.

"Nothing against immigrants..."

Indeed.



-link


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Your Mid-Afternoon Sift

The weather looks a little better than yesterday here in South Broward but only because it hasn't started to rain yet. I think someone forgot to tell Mother Nature that July is long over. Enjoy your Sift and if you are brave enough to be wandering out of the house today, the SFDB Weekend Widget in the right sidebar might help you decide what you want to do. Enjoy.

A- The Green Parrot starts us off this morning with some images showing what life has been like around the place the last couple days during Fantasy Fest...here and especially here.

B- Gun Free Zone's Gun Motivator of the Day feature is as distasteful as ever.

C- Are requests for advertising on Discourse a sign that an economic recovery is on its way?

D- 17 new photos, some of them apparently fit for Halloween, are up at The Street.

E- Superbee says Vizcaya's Halloween Party sucked eggs this year.

Getting drinks was impossible. I was so wet and miserable and sober, I seriously considered venting my rage by setting fire to the Mansion itself.

F- This photo at Nikon Miami pretty much sums up yesterday.


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SFDB Saturday Night Turndown Service

His voice isn't quite what it was, but after a week like the one I had, James Taylor is nothing but net with The Secret of Life.





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Your Evening Sift

I would saying it's raining cats and dogs but you already know that. We've even had some thunder her in South Broward. It's a wet one so be careful out there no matter what you're doing. Here's your very brief evening Sift.

A- Ipanemic reprises a Halloween video he made last year.

B- Check out Miamism Pix's jack-o-lantern.

C- Political Cortadito gets accused of stealing a tee shirt belonging to a Hialeah politician running for office and it's all on tape.

"She stole my shirt," he told Alonso as he rushed over to get someone to confiscate it from me.

"I need that shirt back. Call the police and write a report," su alcaldito instructed Alonso.

"No, I gave it to her," Alonso said, because he doesn't lie, at least not all the time, like his boss.

"Why did you give it to her?"

"It's okay," Alonso said, trying to calm him down. "She can't do anything with your shirt. It's ok."

"I don't want her to have my shirt."

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Miami From Outer Space

Miami Nice Pop Up Blog has a posted some photos they ripped from Google Earth of the Miami area from high above.  Interesting stuff.

Set 1
Set 2
Set 3

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Cafe La Buca, Pompano Beach

Ever since reading Worst Pizza's very positive review of this little hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant in Pompano Beach, I've been itching to try it out.

Today I did some research and found that it got generally favorable reviews in Chowhound, although they do seem to be a little dated excluding this recent thumbs up comment entered by The Chowfather...

This place is a great authentic little spot. Tried their wood oven pizza is easily one of the best thin crust pizzas I've had in South Florida. Loved the taste of the dough and sauce. All of their pastas are fresh. Their rigatoni was cooked perfectly al dente and the accompanying pesto was very nice. Their gnocchi paired with delicious sauce and cheese was another winner.

Must do for all pizza and pasta fans.

Florida Keys Girl seemed to enjoy it, with some caveats...

Overall, La Buca is fun, if kitschy. It reminded me of La Mela, in New York with it’s no-menu-get-whatever-we-have attitude. Here, however, the food was much better. Would I go again? Sure, but I wouldn’t go out of my way. The food is good, the service is surly and it is in a really inconvenient (for me) location.

And Urbanspoon and Yelp reviews are positive. In December of last year, the New Times visited and relished their home-style experience.

With its few execution snafus easy to overlook, Cafe La Buca could undoubtedly expand and still draw droves of eager customers. There would be lines out the door. But the Spinas are satisfied with the current pace of business. "We serve 800 people a week, easy," Marco says. "Imagine if it were busier. We like it quiet."

We did too. And that's they key to the café's charm: It's a humble trattoria where you can celebrate good food and be treated like you're home — even if you're far from it.

I'll let you know what I think once I finally make it there.



-photo via Worst Pizza

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Your Mid-Afternoon Sift

It's Saturday afternoon and the sun is shining and temps have to be in the 80's. Get out and enjoy the day and do something that is listed in the SFDB Weekend Widget in the right sidebar. Enjoy your mid-afternoon Sift.

A- Random Pixels notes a CBS4 story that demonstrates that police officers don't always turn a blind eye to other officers behaving badly.

B- Some Blogging Guy finds out that his unfair and obstinate opinions about government workers are, well, unfair and obstinate some times.

Never thought I would write this. I visited one of the millions of bureaucratic offices of the State of Florida today, and I am still stunned by what happened,.

I was applying for a Concealed Weapons Permit with the state. Their office is in downtown Miami. I planned a half day for the task. What happened?

I was in and out in 14 minutes!!! I experienced the most efficient service ever. I mean, ever.

C- Bark Bark Woof Woof has yet another example of why every single thing that Republicans say is suspect.

D- Miami Condo Investments has the price structure for the new MyBrickell project.

MyBrickell will have a mix of studio, one bedroom + den, 2 bedroom and 2 bedroom + den units. Prices start at $177,900 which is excellent, in my opinion, given the current availability of Brickell condos in that price range.

E- Obalesque links to a podcast thing in which he and Critical Miami aka/other things, discuss current events. I'll let you be the judge of whether it's worth your while.

F- Spooky pictures from last night's Critical Mass Halloween ride are up at Beached Miami.

G- Eye on Miami excerpts a passage from an Esquire piece that blasts Marco Rubio for pretending to be something that he isn't and never will be.



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Your Evening Sift

It's Friday night, the best time of the week in my opinion. Make sure you check in throughout the weekend as I update the SFDB Weekend Widget in the right sidebar. Have a great Friday evening, folks, and enjoy your evening Sift.

A- Some Blogging Guy starts us off to a rip roaring start by trashing the Occupy protests.

These nitwits have set up a kitchen in NY to serve the dedicated revolutionaries organic chicken and vegetables, spaghetti bolognese, and roasted beet and sheep’s-milk-cheese salad. These are the meals of the revolutionaries as they fight the upper class and the wealthy. I don’t even know what most of that is. But apparently the homeless people of New York felt it was a hell of a lot better than the normal soup kitchen fare, so they joined the Occupy Wall Street movement too!

B- Help Restaurant Gal pick her Halloween costume this year.

C- Miami Dish asks a few questions former South Floridian and author of Apocalypse Cakes, Shannon O’Malley.

You can bake any cake in Apocalypse Cakes, but the recipes were not author Shannon O’Malley’s primary focus: “To me, it never really mattered what was in the cakes more than them fitting the idea.” She borrowed recipes from the Internet and tweaked them to fit her irreverent cake ideas like “Fallen Angel Food Cake,” “Black Deforestation Cake,” and “Immigration Mayhem Mexican Chocolate Cake.” Yes, that’s right, O’Malley is making statements via cake.

D- Transit Miami perfectly describes driving on Collins Avenue.

Anyone who has ever been on Collins Avenue knows the score, especially at unsignalized intersections. Cars wait in the travel lane to make that left-hand turn. And wait and wait because of the congestion. Cars two and three behind them whiz around on the right when then can, often grazing the parked cars, shouting expletives and showing the finger. The driver waiting to make the turn finally sees an opening and makes a dash, only to be stopped short by the pedestrian or bicyclist he did not see because he was so focused on the cars coming at him in speeds that range from the posted 30 to 35 MPH. When the waiting driver makes his move, either a pedestrian or bicyclist gets hit or a chain reaction of rear-end collisions happen behind him.

E- Southern District of Florida Blog shares some images from last night's swearing in of Federal Judge Kathy Williams.

F- Culture Designers posts a slideshow of some of the newer murals around Wynwood.

G- There's a new Miami-based clothing line called Kid Sh!t and The305.Com has the video.

H- Another video...this one on the Occupy Miami protests from Eye on Miami.

I- The Grill at the Setai is reopening, says Eater Miami.

Reopening on November 16: The Grill at The Setai, this time featuring "European-inspired small plates" by chef David Werly. Among those dishes: Carpaccio Florida Prawn Tempura with Baby Gem Lettuce, Orange and Avocado Vinaigrette and Homemade Cocoa Pappardelle with Cervena Venison Ragout & Javanese Black Pepper.

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Friday Flashback

1982...




George Thorogood And The Destroyers, Bad To The Bone



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Harry's Pizzeria's Restroom

Although I haven't been yet, I'm jonesin to get to Harry's Pizzeria to sample their grub [.pdf] As a bonus, they have a cool chalkboard restroom courtesy of FriendsWithYou. Check it...

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SFDB PSA Of The Day

Yes, I know that Kimberly-Clark makes hand sanitizer.

But still...

Gas pump handles turned out to be the filthiest surface that Americans encounter on the way to work, according to a study released on Tuesday by Kimberly-Clark Professional, a unit of personal hygiene giant Kimberly-Clark Corp.

A team of hygienists swabbed hundreds of surfaces around six U.S. cities to see what everyday objects are breeding grounds for the worst bacteria and viruses.

The top offenders, following gas pumps, were handles on public mailboxes, escalator rails and ATM buttons.

You might want to think twice about eating that donut or chowing down on those fries in the car right after you fill up.


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SFDB Post Of The Week/Month News

 

October has been a rather chaotic month for the SFDB writing team.

Vacation wiped out a week of Sifts at the beginning of the month and this past week has been a mess as far as regular blogging goes. So you're not going to see a Post of the Month for October and I think I'm going to forgo any Post of the Week selections for the remainder of the month which would include last week and this week.

We'll start fresh again with November's posts which actually begin next week.



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SFDB Appropriate Friday Song Of The Day

You'll either turn off this thing off after 10 seconds or be hummin' it all day.





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The Cooler

It's a slow day for news, readers. Here's a few of the more interesting stories that I could find.

A- Herald: Tragic lesson.

Davonte Macklin would have celebrated his 18th birthday on Friday.

But instead, family and friends are in mourning after the teen jumped from a park bridge and drowned in a Hialeah lake.

[...]

Although signs posted clearly prohibit jumping from the bridge and swimming, kids do it, Rodriguez said. Macklin’s friends said they believed he could swim and didn’t understand how it could happen.

This is not the first time a youngster had died from jumping of the bridge at McDonald Park. In April, Marceon Butler, climbed the guardrail and jumped into the water. He did not resurface.

“I don’t think they realize the dangers,” Rodriguez said, adding the lake is at least 20 to 40 feet deep.

B- Herald: Video, South Florida International Auto Show.

C- Sun-Sentinel: Life in South Florida.

LAUDERHILL — WPLG-CH. 10 is reporting that a misspelled sign near an elementary school has some parents concerned.

The street sign at the corner of 50th Street and Pine Island Road reads "scohol." It is located near Banyan Elementary School.

D- Sun-Sentinel: Nowhere to go but up.

If you're looking for the bottom of Broward County's housing market, Brad Hunter of the Metrostudy research firm in West Palm Beach suggests paying attention to this figure: $165,100.

That's the county's median price for January, according to the Florida Realtors. While home prices in much of South Florida continue to fall when compared with a year ago, Broward's median hasn't dropped lower than $165,100 in any month in 2011 -- a possible sign of a market bottom, Hunter says.

'Most likely, we're not going to see prices return to that low," he said.

E- WPLG: Video, Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.


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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

TGIF, readers. Yep, it's the weekend. Hope you have something cool to do this weekend. If you don't, check out the SFDB Weekend Widget in the right sidebar for some ideas. Have a good morning and enjoy your morning Sift.

A- Just in time for Halloween, Go Hydrology! shows us a spooky swamp hike in South Florida.

B- The Green Parrot shares some images from the Eric Lindell Band's performance last night.

C- Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry doesn't think participating in debates is a good idea, according to the latest from Bark Bark Woof Woof.

D- Gun Free Zone whips out a fancy chart that supports his argument that guns don't make a country violent...or something...but I usually don't listen too much to people or organizations who consider Puerto Rico a country.

E- Political Cortadito rips into the Miami Herald for their endorsements in Hialeah's political contests.

Ladra will always love the Miami Herald and be grateful for the incredible talent and drive there that has made her who she is today. But times have changed. And it's a good thing that the Miami Herald's editorial recommendations in elections are not worth their weight in the paper that prints it anymore.

Perhaps it's no wonder, either, after reading the batch of endorsements the editorial board -- or, rather, two people from the editorial board -- have made. Because these recommends make it very clear that the Herald is completely disconnected from the community and the contest where it pretends to promote candidates.

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SFDB Late Night Politics

Stephen Colbert mocks Republican presidential candidate and part-time clown, Herman Cain.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

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Your Evening Sift

I've spent some time the past couple days visiting a few restaurants on the 17th Steet Causeway in Fort Lauderdale and the place is packed with boaties from around the world in town for the big Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. I've never seen so many Rolls Royces, Ferraris, Jags and big Mercedes sedans in that area of town before. The SFDB Weekend Widget in the right sidebar links to that event and more in the right sidebar, if you're interested. Enjoy your evening Sift.

A- First off the mark tonight, Some Blogging Guy takes us along on his medical visits today.

First was my medical doctor. I had an early appointment and that meant it was a race from the parking lot to the office with the Big Pharma Reps. I won, but only because they were carrying plenty of free Starbucks coffee and samples. And they were girls.

B- The305.Com posts a vintage Miami tee shirt design that you can buy now.

C- A record number of votes are being cast in the Hialeah election, according to Political Cortadito.

While there have been 2,232 ballots cast at the library since early voting started Saturday, more than twice that many AB votes, for a total of 4,517, have been delivered to the elections department since Monday alone. That is about 30 percent of the total 12,354 ABs that have been returned already to the Miami-Dade elections department as of Wednesday. This election is poised to beat the 12,657 absentee votes cast in the June 28 primary in which former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina lost to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. And there are more to come.

D- Eater Miami scores an interview with Chef Paula DaSilva of 1500° at the Eden Roc.

E: Six months into the restaurant's opening what, if anything, changed?

PD: Lots of staffing changes. Rarely is the crew you open with the crew that sticks. The food improved by the six month mark and is better now than it was then. Great food is a process, not a destination. You’re growing and improving every day. Also, by the six month mark we changed from a team-oriented service style to an individual server approach, which is how we do it now. It was a fairly big change to make but it was necessary and worked out so much better.

E- Artlurker interviews filmmakers Richard Haden and Bill Bilowit, the folks behind “The Republic of Misery,” a collaborative video on the life of Mercedes, an Argentinian-born, crack-smoking sex worker in Miami currently on exhibition at Dorsch Gallery.

Bill: In the manner he captured these clips, Richard rejected all the traditional documentary film precepts of defining, framing, and contextualizing a subject, and the result is an extraordinary authenticity. That was exactly his goal, to avoid classifying and moralizing and create instead something “lifelike,” an experience yielding to the indefinable aspects of an encounter, a place, a relationship.

F- The Miami Bike Scene posts a video from last month's Beer Snob Bicycle Pub Crawl.




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News That Makes The Little Limbaughs Sad

Today...

Stocks surged Thursday after European leaders agreed on a deal to slash Greece's debt load and prevent the debt crisis there from engulfing larger countries like Italy. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is close to having its best month since 1974.

[...]

According to preliminary calculations, the Dow Jones industrial average soared 339.44 points, or 2.86 percent, to 12,208.48.

Because if it's good for America, you know that it really, really frustrates the Little Limbaughs and the fine folks who place their party before the welfare of the United States of America.




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SFDB Thoughts Too Big For Twitter

No matter what you think of today's Occupy Wall Street protests, it seems tragically ironic that a Marine can survive two tours in Iraq but come very close to losing his life at the hands of Americans in Oakland, California, for standing up for what he believes in.


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SFDB Morning Chuckle

It's good to know your neighbor in Hazleton, Pa.

-via The Daily Wh.at


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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

We're a little late out of the box this morning as I'm still on an irregular schedule. The SFDB Weekend Widget is up and running in the right sidebar if you haven't noticed. Lots going on this weekend. Enjoy your morning Sift.

A- Starting us off this morning, Go Hydrology! explains the significance of the "wet season" being a meteorological term.

B- Under the Sun shares a wonderful little story of a Canadian snowbird who flies south several times a year to visit her childhood nanny who now lives in Davie.

Roberta Walker, of Ottawa, has been coming to Carlan Park for more than 20 years to visit Mimi, who has lived in the mobile home community for 28 years. Mimi, a native of Colombia, taught Roberta Spanish during the many years she cared for her in New Jersey. Roberta’s parents were American, but she grew up singing Spanish nursery rhymes and eating arroz con pollo.

C- Beached Miami hangs out at the Deering Estate with some ghost busters and creates a video.

Most people ain’t afraid of no ghosts. The brothers Campbell are. In an attempt to conquer that fear in time for the Sketchy Halloween Party this Saturday (RSVP), they recently visited one of the most haunted places in South Florida, the Deering Estate, in the comforting company of the League of Paranormal Investigators. A Miami-based team dedicated to investigating spirit and paranormal activities, the LPI is hosting a Spookover at the Deering Estate on Friday night. If you enjoy being terrified, you should go. This video will give you a sense of the bejeezus expulsion that awaits you.

D- The Miami Bike Scene alerts us to a bike that was recently stolen at gunpoint in Little Haiti.

E- Sex and the Beach posts an in-depth discussion of disclosure and its application to bloggers.

Also, keep in mind that when you start engaging advertisers, you are no longer a writer or a blogger. You are now not only a publisher, writer and editor of your own content, but a god damn salesperson, marketing department and coffee maker plus janitor. It's exhausting. That will sap every living ounce of creative juice out of you and then what's the point? You started a blog because you loved creating unique content, right? Who can wear so many hats?

F- This week's wrap up of South Florida theater is up and ready for your review at South Florida Theatre Scene.

G- A telephone call from a bill collector reminds Obalesque of the good old days.

There was a time when I owed a lot of people money, and I got calls from knobs like this several times daily. I was in credit card hell years before it was a popular issue. But I learn a few things: Establish your position before they do, and take every opportunity to belittle them personally and professionally to move them off their script and game plan.

H- Glenn Beck thinks the emergency broadcast system is an evil government conspiracy, according to Bark Bark Woof Woof.

He thinks it's the precursor a takeover of the national networks by the government, followed by jack-booted thugs in black helicopters coming into every city and town and forcing people into same-sex marriage and other abominations.

I- Eye on Miami alerts us to the latest in Miami traffic nightmares.

Enough is enough on eastbound 195 between Interstate 95 and Biscayne Boulevard. For weeks I've been traversing the worst traffic nightmare in Miami-Dade County. This is the result of FDOT closing down the eastbound North Miami Avenue exit (marked in red) for "road work", leaving only the Biscayne Boulevard exit to handle traffic (in black). Disaster. If you have tried to get to Wynwood, the Design District, or Midtown from 195 eastbound, let FDOT know. And it is going to get worse. A monumental traffic disaster if FDOT doesnt wrap things up SOON. In scarcely more than one month, hundreds of thousands of visitors will descend on Art Basel Miami.

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Your Evening Sift

Okay, we're back in South Florida and trying to get into the swing of things. Looks Rina may be less of a threat to South Florida this weekend so don't cancel any plans that you may have made. Enjoy your evening Sift, readers.

A- Meatless Miami stops by Copper Chimney in Sunny Isles and files a review that leads off tonight's evening Sift.

I'm a sucker for the all you can eat Indian buffet, but sometimes I get myself in trouble challenging the elasticity of my stomach. Copper Chimney an Indian restaurant in Sunny Isles provides an interesting alternative. They have a buffet on Sundays for $16.95, but on weekdays from 12-4pm they offer a lunch special for $12.95. The only problem for vegans is that the six vegetarian options all have dairy as ghee (clarified butter) is a common ingredient in Indian cooking. Fortunately the server spoke to the cooks and they are able to offer several vegan options. The dinner menu was filled with even more vegetarian entrees (many of which were priced at $12), but again if you are vegan you must specially request your food not to have dairy.

B- America's growing distrust of government is a step in the right direction, according to Obalesque.

So while the worldwide economy crumbles, unemployment retains its death grip on Americans’ confidence, and poverty levels in this nation skyrocket to levels unimaginable half a century ago, at least rank and file American citizens have caught on to the plain truth that our government is at best incompetent, more likely apathetic, and in numerous instances actually hostile to the welfare of the general population.

C- Man or Maniac? reviews the Marco Rubio controversy and determines that Rubio is an exile.

This "sloppiness" is why I won't ever vote for him for any office. I've known a lot of "sloppy" people. It's not evidence of dishonesty, only a lack of attention to details. And in Rubio's case, some of those details are pretty important.

But Marco Rubio is unquestionably a child of exiles. Whether he's a good candidate for office is an exercise best left for the individual.

D- Beached Miami has a truckload of images from last night's TV on the Radio concert at the Fillmore.

E- Spokes 'n' Folks shares the results of an interesting study on Florida drivers and cyclists.

F- Smashburger is preparing to open its first South Florida location in Coral Springs, according to the Burger Beast.

G- Nikon Miami captures a unique street art presentation somewhere in Miami.

H- Transit Miami points out some glaring misrepresentations that are being made about the viability of mass transit options for Marlins stadium attendees.

Lets be clear from the start – there is no safe, convenient or fast way of getting to the park aside from driving your car. The notion that a large portion of the 35,000 visitors to the park will come via transit is not only a joke, but is downright dishonest.

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Going Somewhere, Tony?

CBS4 is reporting that Miami Dolphins coach Anthony Sparano has placed his Broward County home up for sale.

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – The rumors have been circling around Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano’s job security all season.

Now, CBS4/790 The Ticket’s Jorge Sedano has confirmed that Sparano’s home has been placed up for sale. The Broward County home, which is registered to his son Andrew, has an asking price of $1.5 million.

A quick search of Broward County property records shows a house owned by Anthony J. Sparano III and Jeanette Sparano in Davie. That house is listed on Zillow as being placed on the market 6 days ago for an asking price of $1.49 million. The photo in the Zillow listing sure looks like the one of Sparano's house that is pictured at CBS4.

So what does all this mean? Who knows. But Tony might be thinking about the slow housing market and could be getting a head start on what he may be forced to do after the Jets game on New Year's Day.



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SFDB's That Was Awesome!

Another reason I need to move out West: human slingshots.




That was awesome!



-via The Daily Wh.at

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Marco Rubio Getting What He Wants

He wanted the national attention and now he's getting it.

From the Miami Herald this morning...

As I said the other day, he ain't just 305 anymore.

Him and the Little Marcos in Miami better realize this is just the first salvo in what he can expect if he wants to be The Next Ronald Reagan. And, oh, P.S.: the whole "They're picking Marco because he's Cuban-American," is about as weak and lame as they get.

If an Angry Black Socialist Marxist Radical can handle it and still become President, surely The Next Ronald Reagan can, too.


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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

It's Hump Day and here at SFDB and I have an appropriately humpy morning Sift for you...whatever that means. Enjoy.

A- Justice Building Blog kicks us out of bed this morning with the eye-opening news that Customs is conducting sweeps and searches of folks at the courthouse.

Clients who are not in the United States legally are being confronted and detained while appearing in traffic court. The traffic courts of the REGJB have been called many things, but an international boarder has never been one of them. Are these "boarder searches", dozens of miles inside the United States, legal?

B- Everything you want to know about Naples' annual Swamp Buggy Parade, from Go Hydrology!

C- Eye on Miami shares some images and a video from a day with Hialeah voters.

I said I would endorse the first candidate that fed me. I got a piece of vegetarian pizza at the Raul Martinez camp -- it had sausages and ham on it...with the vegetables of course.

D- Bark Bark Woof Woof talks poll numbers this morning.

The public is pretty much opposed to the entire GOP agenda. They don't want to repeal the healthcare law, they want to raise taxes on the rich, they want to spend money on schools, teachers, and police, and they want to rebuild the infrastructure. So when John Boehner and Mitch McConnell say the American people are supporting them, they're obviously talking only about each other.

E- Sketchy Pink Party photos from Sunday are up at Soul of Miami.



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Your Evening Sift

Excellent news today in New York. Life is good. Enjoy your evening Sift.

A- The Cuban Triangle kicks off this evening's Sift with a wrap up of Marco Rubio's touchy response to a recent newspaper article about the misrepresentations he has been spreading regarding his background.

Now we know two new things about Senator Marco Rubio.

His family emigrated from Cuba when Batista was in power (1956) rather than fleeing it after the communist takeover (1959), as reported by the Washington Post last week.

And he has a very thin skin.

B- The Heat Lightning posts a collection of Occupy Miami videos.

C- Speaking of Occupy protests, Gun Free Zone apparently feels real threatened by the participants.

I am not an expert, but I am sure I can ring your bell from 300 yards with a properly scoped rifle in a major caliber.

D- Beached Miami shares some images from a rather lame Andrew Charles fashion show that was part of Funkfashion Fashion Week.

Basically, it was a mid-life crisis in the form of a fashion show, complete with an amateurish performance on guitar by Andy himself backed by Tommy Ramone on drums. (That might sound cool. It wasn’t.)

E- Eater Miami has the 411 on a new green food truck that is hitting Miami next month.

Gassing up for a November 17th debut, the Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwiches truck is heading to Miami not just with "architecturally-inpsired, gourmet and delicious ice cream sandwiches," but with the ultimate in being green: edible wrappers---vegan, calorie-free, potato based, soy ink printed Kosher edible wrappers.

F- Believe it or not, Zillow says Weston has the best real estate market in the country and Homestead one of the worst...at Homestead is Home.

G- Amnesia Miami Grand Opening images are up at Soul of Miami.

H- Bark Bark Woof Woof takes a look at Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry's tax proposal.

Last night on one of the cable shows (probably Hardball), I heard some Republican praising the idea of Perry's plan and the flat tax, comparing it favorably to how they did it in Eastern Europe. Really? A Republican praising a foreign country's tax system? Aside from the fact that most countries that use a flat tax rate have a large number of social programs like universal healthcare and all sorts of safety nets, most of those Eastern European countries have a population equal to a small state or large metropolitan area here in the U.S. And what works on a small scale may not work on a large one. That's the right-wing argument about Romney's healthcare reform in Massachusetts vs. Obamacare.

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South Florida Cartoons

Jim Morin, Miami Herald




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Half-Assed Mid-Week Blogging

I'm headed to New York City today. Something to do with specialists and being dealt a band hand with my gene pool. My flight left at sunrise and I'm back before noon tomorrow Wednesday so don't expect much outside of the ordinary Sifts.


I'll try to make it up to you when I get back.





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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

We're getting off to an early start here at SFDB HQ. Let's take a look at the blogging activity from last night, shall we? Enjoy your morning Sift.

A- Soul of Miami starts us off this morning with some images from last Friday's Big Night in Little Haiti celebrations.

B- The cold front that passed through this past weekend wasn't "officially" our first of the season...or was it? Go Hydrology! confuses me.

Naples received its first official cold front of peninsular fall.

And perfectly times for the weekend no less.

We had a slug of cool and dry air descend down from the continent to start the month, but it wasn’t cool enough – at least by text book definitions. By text book I’m talking Morton D. Winsberg’s Florida Weather. For comparative purposes, he defines the arrival of the first cold front form various metropolises across the state as two consecutive nights below 60° F standard.

C- Bees!... at Nikon Miami.

D- Tropicult summarizes the Wynwood Art Fair that was held this past weekend.

Wynwood Art Fair did its share to promote Miami’s budding art scene and its institutions — galleries, schools, established and emerging artists were represented — while raising some mula to benefit the women of the Lotus House Shelter, accepting your contributions year round.

E- South Florida Lawyers examines the latest evidence that Rick Scott is not reality-based.

F- What applies to Rick Scott applies to Herman Cain, as Bark Bark Woof Woof shows us.

It's the electorate's fascination with someone who is so out there as to amuse and mystify rather than appeal to the intelligence. He's a message candidate, not much different than Ralph Nader, Ross Perot, or George Wallace. All it takes is a towering ego and the obsessive need to feed it. And they will always find a core of voters who will be willing to indulge them before getting down to the serious business of nominating the same old establishment candidate rather than the comic relief.

G- Eye on Miami gives us a brief campaign finance wrap up from Homestead.



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Your Evening Sift

I've got a full Monday's worth of blogging for you this evening. Lotsa good stuff so settle in and enjoy your evening Sift.

A- The Dolphins are dead and Justice Building Blog posts a memorial.

B- Flowers and birds, from Some Blogging Guy.

C- Transit Miami declares Gables Bike Day a success.

D- Sounds like Restaurant Gal enjoyed her birthday.

Who doesn’t take stock of life’s antics on one’s birthday? Sure, you pretend this insignificant, utterly forgettable birthday is insignificant and forgettable enough to stop the reflective thoughts as they creep up over your morning coffee and spill forth with the force of a rogue wave by happy hour. Thus, if the thoughts are there, they must be heard.

E- You gotta wonder how the Republican Party has any chance in Florida with the kinda crap they're pulling, as South Florida Lawyers demonstrates.

F- Restaurante Montserrate is a decent Colombian restaurant on Coral Way if you eat early and eat a lot, according to Boy Writes Miami.

Monserrate offers pretty cheap meals. I believe my stomach ruptured and I only spent like $15 to drink a beer, eat a dessert, my entrée, and my friend’s fiancée’s meal. She eats like she’s had a gastric bypass, but it could be because she’s tiny and measures her weight in single-digit ounces.

Once you get past the musky scent, Monserrat is a pretty good choice. Try going for lunch, because this place closes at 9 PM, which is like a senior citizen’s midnight.

G- There are tickets left for the 2012 Burger Bash as long as you prefer the cheap seats, reports Burger Beast.

H- The Heat Lightning's latest post proves that I have definitely reached the point in my life where the antics of the kidz thoroughly confuses and sometimes scares me.

I- What does yours truly, Random Pixels, Miami New Times and, of course, Beached Miami think of the Huffington Post's imminent arrival in Miami? 

J- Florida Keys Girl lists her favorite Fantasy Fest events.

Saturday night is the Captain Morgan parade. Personally, I think this is the weakest part of Fantasy Fest. By Saturday night, most of us have seen enough naked people, and I certainly don’t want to be standing 6-deep on Duval street waiting for floats to go by. If you can snag an invitation on a float, go for it. Otherwise, be sure to find yourself someplace with seating, and preferable a restroom.

K- Bark Bark Woof Woof doesn't like the looks of Hurricane Rina.

L- Discourse quotes Soviet escapee Andrew Pavelyev on why Marco Rubio's embellishments matter.



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Watering The Liberty Tree In Maine

You knew it was only a matter of time.

PORTLAND — Occupy Maine protesters say Sunday morning's attack with a chemical explosive has left them with a mixture of anxiety and resolve.

"We are more motivated to keep doing what we're doing," said Stephanie Wilburn, of Portland, who was sitting near where the chemical mixture in a Gatorade bottle was tossed at 4 a.m. Sunday. "They have heard us and we're making a difference."

Wilburn said she was startled and briefly lost hearing in her left ear when the device exploded beneath a table about 10 feet away. Wilburn's hearing returned and police said no injuries were reported.

Portland police Sgt. Glen McGary said the bomb was thrown into the camp’s kitchen, a tarped area where food is cooked and served. Protest organizers said the explosion lifted a large table about a foot off the ground.

"There was no fire . . . We had a good 20 feet of thick smoke rolling out from under the table," Wilburn said. They could see the "G" on the 24-ounce bottle and its orange cap, as well as bits of silver metal, she said.

She and a friend who ran over to look at it breathed in fumes that smelled like ammonia, she said.

Witnesses said a silver car had been circling before the attack, its occupants shouting things like "Get a job" and "You communist." They believe someone from that car threw the device, according to a statement from Occupy Maine.

Imagine for one quick second what the reaction would have been had this been a Tea Party gathering.

The perps? Who really knows?

But probably not Fox News watchers.

Probably never even heard of Fox News.

Never.


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SFDB Morning Chuckle

Sums up Monday mornings almost perfectly...

 

-via Apple Arts


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The Cooler

It's a slow news Monday in South Florida. Here's what I found somewhat interesting.

A- Herald: Of course it's irrelevant. It has to be in order for the defense to make any sense.

Accused of manslaughter in the 2008 shooting death of a federal agent in Pembroke Pines after a road-rage incident, James Patrick Wonder is hoping a jury never has to hear his case.

If his lawyers prevail at an upcoming hearing, the Miramar retiree will get his way.

Wonder, 68, and his attorneys are gearing up for a Stand Your Ground hearing, a chance to argue that he used deadly force in self-defense, and to convince a judge to toss the state’s case against him.

[...]

Prosecutors say Wonder shot and killed Pettit on Aug. 5, 2008, following a road-rage incident in Pembroke Pines.

Pettit, who was off duty at the time, followed Wonder into a post office parking lot and yelled at him before Wonder opened fire. Pettit’s daughter, 12 years old at the time, witnessed the shooting.

Wonder fled the scene and made it to a dialysis appointment 40 minutes later, complaining he had an anger problem and had almost been killed in a road-rage incident, according to police records. The next day, he rented a car and darkened his hair.

Michael Entin, his lawyer, said Wonder’s actions after the shooting do not change the fact that he fired in self-defense: “What he does the next day is irrelevant.”

B- Herald: Just remember, it's not the breed.

An 8-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital Sunday after he was bitten by a loose pit bull in Deerfield Beach.

The boy, who was not identified, was attacked outside of his house in the 300 block of Southeast First Street, according to a report from the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

The boy ran inside the house. The dog followed.

C- Herald: To the big car dealership in the sky.

Philanthropist and auto dealer Anthony Abraham, a Lebanese-American businessman who devoted much of his life to helping those in need, died Friday at Baptist Hospital of natural causes.

On Feb. 25, he had become a centenarian, celebrating his 100th birthday with 375 family and friends at a lavish Arab-themed party at the Biltmore Country Club.

D- Sun-Sentinel: Bad news for the Hollywood Broadwalk.

"It's nice looking, but there's no business," said Bert Gallo, owner of Vedu's Fish and Burger Shack. "A lot of business owners that I talk to are behind in their rents. Compared to last year, business is off by 50 percent, this year it's got to be 60 percent. It's ridiculously high.''

E- WPLG: Early voting starts today.

Like Hialeah, early voting has also begun in the city of Miami,.

Voters are choosing a new District 1 commissioner: Wilfredo Gort or Shawn Selleck.

In District 2, voters will decide among incumbent Marc Sarnoff, Williams Alfred Armbrister, Kate Callahan, or Donna Milo for commissioner.

Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Oct. 29. You can vote at the Allapattah Branch Library (1799 NW 35th Street); City of Miami City Hall (3500 Pan American Dr.); Lemon City Branch Library (490 NE 61st St.); Stephen P. Clark Center (111 NW 1st St.); and West Flagler Branch Library (5050 W. Flagler St.)

Miami Beach residents will vote, starting Monday in the mayor's race. Key issues include problems inside the city's police department as well as controversy over Memorial Day Weekend.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Time to make the donuts. Happy Monday morning, readers. Enjoy your morning Sift.

A- An interesting picture from the Design District gets us started this Monday morning courtesy of Miamism Pix.

B- Fantasy Fest pictures are already starting to trickle in from the Green Parrot.

C- Beached Miami shares their thoughts on the Dolphins-Broncos game.

And then the Dolphins collapsed. Oh man, did they collapse. It was like watching a drunk on stilts play a game of Jenga on the Titanic. We were up 15 to zero with less than three minutes left. The play of full-time cherub, part-time quarterback Tim Tebow — starting his first ever pro game, mind you – was so bad, the announcers spent the better part of four quarters questioning his ability to play NFL football. And then he threw two touchdown passes and scrambled for a two-point conversion to tie the game with seconds left.

D- Political Cortadito documents the circus that is Hialeah early voting.

Soon after, a second line -- much closer, at the 100-foot mark -- was drawn. And, for the most part, it was respected. Su alcaldito Carlos Hernandez crossed it to walk a little old lady to the polls, but Ladra was later told that was his grandmother so that has to be okay. And former State Sen. Rudy Garcia -- who put on a big, intimidating show by bringing a busload and a half of voters from his campaign headquarters and flying a plane banner overhead at noon with his I heart Hialeah slogan and "I want to save Hialeah" -- helped some voters get off the bus but was told he couldn't do it there because it was within the 100-foot boundary. The driver had to move the vehicle a few feet.

E- The same Republicans who would have a problem with Obama curing cancer are complaining about the end of the Iraq War, over at Bark Bark Woof Woof.

F- A guest blogger at Eye on Miami runs down the employment opportunities that the casino industry is going to bring to Miami.

Not finding the exact numbers on line but let's start with the number of croupiers in Las Vegas. Then we can find the related professions in Las Vegas and come up with a multiplier factor. So if we find there are 3500 croupiers and 20,000 prostitutes, we have a multiplier of 5.7. We can run the same numbers for pimps, pawn shops, extra police, bail bondsman, lawyers (oh happy day!), night courts, muggers, Gamblers Anonymous chapters, minimum wage jobs, homes for all of these people (mainly section 8), water (which we do not have) for all of these people, 24 hour establishments in the area (I know a great spot for a tattoo parlor near Braman Cadillac), noise in the area, laundries (I hear brothels use lots of towels). And don't forget the beauty parlors; our Ladies, and Men, and Children, of the night, day, afternoon, evening, lunch break, coffee break, must always look beautiful. Jobs. Jobs. Jobs.

G- South Florida Guy packs up the blog and takes it with him on a trip to Pensacola.

On this trip, I'm heading to Pensacola. Florida is shaped like a boomerang and I'm driving from the southeast tip to the northwest corner. You know you are truly in North Florida when the rest stops are nicer than the city parks back home. This being October, there is also a chill in the air. Something that happens very rarely in Miami.

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