Your Evening Sift

Happy Blue Moon Friday, readers. It's Friday and the beginning of a holiday weekend...and the buffalo burgers are calling my name. Enjoy your evening Sift.

A- Bark Bark Woof Woof determines that the Republican Party doesn't offer him anything.

Maybe I'm in the wrong demographic: I'm a middle-aged gay man with a middle-class income that I earn from working in public education. Right there I see three strikes against me in the GOP platform: my rights as a person are not the same as the straight people, my taxes will probably go up under the GOP budget, and they want to rip the guts out of public sector jobs. In the rest of my family, my parents are at risk if Medicare is gutted, my sister stands to lose healthcare because she doesn't get full benefits from her job, my brother's two kids in college could lose Pell grants and cheaper student loans, and my nieces, nephews, and cousins who are under 26 could lose their health insurance if they can't be included on their parents' policies.

B- There's more, modern architecture being contemplated for the Lincoln Road area as Curbed Miami shows us.

C- On Two Shores recognizes Marco Rubio for mentioning Cuba during his convention speech last night.

D- One seat per person on the bus, please...at Transit Miami.

So please, when you have a bag — or two, or three, or four — with you on transit, please volunteer to remove it from the seat. Place the item(s) on your lap, under the seat, or, when available, in the overhead luggage rack.

E- Salty Eggs picks the five biggest lies out of all the lies that were told by Republicans at their convention.

There were hundreds of lies, large and small, told on the stage at the Republican National Convention. The lies listed below were uncommonly pernicious. They were told again and again in voice after voice, by speakers of differing ideological backgrounds and different political proclivities, suggesting that these are the lies with which Republicans hope to dupe America into voting for them in November.

F- Local artist Cary Polkovitz is featured by Arterpillar.

G- The Chowfather updates his Best Burger Miami list [although it actually covers all of South Florida].

The following are the best of the best burgers in Miami according to ME and broken down into Tiers. I limited the list to my Top Twenty and listed them alphabetically within each tier with the exception of Shake Shack because they remain the King.

H- Obalesque can't wait for the Democratic convention to begin.

Can you even imagine what Joe Biden will come up with this time? Early line: The smart money predicts with confidence he’ll top Clint Eastwood.

I- South Florida Lawyers shows us that there are actually some lawyers with hearts.



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Flashback Friday

1983...






Thompson Twins, Lies, Lies, Lies



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Paul Ryan Lies

Just in case you missed Paul Ryan's fact-challenged speech the other night, here you go...







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South Florida Cartoons

Chan Lowe, Sun-Sentinel

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The President Responds

 

The President: 1.

Over-the-hill Hollywood actor pandering to a room of buffoons: 0.





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Miami Beach v. The Mainland

What's the deal with this island-mainland rivalry that Riptide took a stab at yesterday....

While we appreciate your invitations, the following will not inspire us to take our talents to South Beach:

• A "happy hour" that involves a thimble-and-a-half of house gin being poured into a tall, thin glass filled to the top with crushed ice for $8.

• Shopping: Any stores you have that we don't already have on the mainland we probably don't want to shop at anyway (or, OK, can't afford).

• Eating at any restaurant that pesters you with flyers when you walk by.

Maybe it's because I live in Broward ["The Great White North?"] that I don't understand all the apparent animosity between the mainland and island populations, although I once had a commenter insinuate that I was less of a blogger because I didn't live on Miami Beach. I wasn't too upset because compared to some of the comments I get, that one was relatively tepid.

So, really, what's the deal? Why the drama?



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SFDB Quote Of The Day

And when Rubio goes on to say broadly of programs like Obama's stimulus bill that "these are tired and old big government ideas, ideas that people come to America to get away from," he makes a mistake that is as stupid and lamentable as it is understandable: Having come from the prison of Castro's Cuba, his family and families like his vowed to banish communism from the earth forever. And in their zeal they sometimes seem to find communism everywhere, including Washington. And after three and a half years of Obama, in this hall in Tampa, through this looking glass, for the assembled delegates and luminaries of the GOP, it has become an article of faith that Barack Obama is a socialist, maybe even a communist. (A communist running like hell for reelection, as they have throughout history.) There is a good and necessary and vigorous argument to be made against President Obama's reelection, but this is not it. It is absurd, and does a grave injustice to communism's true victims.

Senator, your family didn't leave Cuba to get away from Social Security. Or the GI Bill. Or even Obamacare.

- Mark Warren, Esquire

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Mugshot Yourself

Because it's Friday...

Mugshot Yourself



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The Cooler

Here's a few things from the local mainstream media to check out while you down your coffee this morning.

A- Herald: Leave my brother alone! Waaaaaahhh!

TAMPA -- Former Florida governor Jeb Bush used his prime-time spotlight at the Republican National Convention Thursday to pass a symbolic torch to his party’s nominees, defend his brother, and urge the nation to rededicate its promise of an equal education for all.

But before he began his prepared remarks, he said he had to get something off his chest — the defense of his brother, former President George W. Bush.

“He is a man of integrity, courage and honor and during incredibly challenging times, he kept us safe,’’ he said to loud applause. “So Mr. President [Obama], Mr. President, it is about time to stop blaming your predecessor for your failed economic policies. . . . In the fourth year of your presidency, a real leader would accept responsibility for his actions, and you haven’t done it.”

B- Herald: So guess which offense Republicans are ignoring?

TALLAHASSEE -- As the debate continues over whether or not to purge Florida’s voting rolls of potential non-citizens before the November elections, at least one person faces possible time in prison for voting illegally in 2008.

Josef Sever, 52, a Canadian citizen born in Austria, pleaded guilty Thursday to illegally voting in the November 4, 2008, presidential election as a non-U.S. citizen, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He also pleaded guilty to obtaining a firearms license by falsely claiming he was a U.S. citizen.

C- Herald: Morin.

D- CBS4: Life in South Florida.

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) – Fort Lauderdale Police are looking for the robber who rifled through an 91-year-old woman’s nightstand while she was sleeping, then tried to suffocate her as she cried for help.

E- CBS4: Driving in South Florida.

HIALEAH (CBS4) – A Palm Springs North man couldn’t believe his eyes when an SUV seemingly came out of nowhere and ended up in his backyard pool.

“I thought it was a movie! I came out here in shock, there’s a car in my pool,” said Alex Ferrer.

It was not movie. An SUV really did end up in Ferrer’s pool. Miami-Dade police say a car ran a stop sign at NW 178th Street and 84th Avenue and the driver of the SUV, the impact sending it through Ferrer’s fence and into the pool. Ferrer saw it plow through the fence into his yard and then watched his jet ski launch across the pool.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Finally, it's Friday. Long week for me, folks. I'm going to review the SFDB Weekend Widget in the right sidebar and decide what I want to do this weekend. Here's your TGIF morning Sift.

A- Random Pixels compares the Republican National Convention on Miami Beach to the one held this week in Tampa...as far as police presence goes.

B- Your Republican hypocrisy of the day captured in a picture at Bark Bark Woof Woof.

C- Summer vacation pictures, from Eye on Miami.

D- Miami Beach 411 briefs us on the new customs and immigration processing hall at MIA which is just another reason I choose to travel domestically.

The new arrivals hall is split into Visitors, Residents and Citizens. This is a new concept for Miami immigration, which previously let US residents and citizens pass through the same lane. Now, if you have a green card, you are also in a huge line of people and are not allowed to pass through with US citizens, no matter how long you have lived here or if you are married to an American. The visitor lines are long and slow moving and the staff are unfriendly.

E- We're beginning South Florida's "fall funk," according to Go Hydrology!

The peninsular “fall funk” is a well documented affliction during which the psyche of us Floridians finally starts to crack amid the unending daytime heat, nighttime humidity, increasing tropical activity and perhaps worse of all, knowing that up north our continental cousins are relishing the crisp, cool and carefree days of fall …

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SFDB Late Night Politics

The Daily Show's Samantha Bee visits the Republican National Convention and demonstrates what it takes to be a conservative today. Hint: it involves a stunning lack of self awareness.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

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Your Evening Sift

It's Thursday night, readers, so the SFDB Weekend Widget is up and running in the right sidebar and the evening Sift is prepared and plated. Enjoy.

A- Roy Black has a movie recommendation.

The film is about Sixto Rodriguez. A native of Detroit and the son of Mexican immigrants. He plays guitar and writes songs in the late ’60s and plays in some of Detroit’s underground bars and clubs. A producer signs him and he creates two albums of ’60s-type protest songs. He is named simply as Rodriguez on the albums. The lyrics are beautiful and the messages compelling. He sounds like Bob Dylan. Unfortunately the albums don’t get noticed, and by 1971 Rodriguez quickly fades into music obscurity.

B- Salty Eggs fact checks the entire Paul Ryan speech last night and comes to the conclusion that Ryan "is a deceitful, conniving snake."

C- What to expect from The Dutch during Miami Spice, at The Chowfather's place.

D- I think Eye on Miami has had it with absentee ballot fraud.

These ballot collectors are like cockroaches - you can't eradicate them. We can continue to legislate against the behavior but it will never stop. The expansion of absentee ballots (from people who can't get to polls, to the general public) just does not work. To boot, the people who get them don't need photo ID's - only people going to the polls need a photo ID to vote. How does that work for you? The rules for absentee voting are less stringent.

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Clint Eastwood And The Principled Republican

To be a Republican is to hate Hollywood because it's full of liberals who are pushing their message through their movies and celebrity status. So they say. Just listen to Rush Limbaugh go down the list...


Clint Eastwood is Hollywood on steroids. So when he came out with this Superbowl commercial earlier this year...


...conservatives were besides themselves because they viewed the ad as a campaign ad for President Barack Obama and the auto bailouts.

But on Monday Karl Rove, a former political adviser for President George W Bush, told Fox News that he was 'offended' by the advertisement.

He said: 'I'm a huge fan of Clint Eastwood, I thought it was an extremely well-done ad, but it is a sign of what happens when you have Chicago-style politics, and the president of the United States and his political minions are, in essence, using our tax dollars to buy corporate advertising'.

Another Republican pundit, Michelle Malkin, took to Twitter to vent her rage, saying: 'Agh. WTH? Did I just see Clint Eastwood fronting an auto bailout ad???'

Republican media strategist Chris Haynes, guest hosting The Rachel Maddow Show on Monday night, also reflected on the controversy boiling over the ad.

'If you doubt the potential effectiveness of this message, if you doubt its political potency, all you have to do is look at the conservative backlash against the Clint Eastwood ad today,' Mr Hayes said.

'It’s only natural that people ask that question given how much this dovetails with the president’s own re-election narrative,' he added.

Typical Hollywood lib, right? There's no way a real Republican would get near Clint Eastwood.

Wrong.

Oscar-winning actor and director Clint Eastwood will make an appearance at the Republican National Convention Thursday night, before Mitt Romney takes the stage to give his headlining speech, NBC News confirmed.

The 82-year-old became the highest profile celebrity to support Romney after endorsing him at a big bucks fundraiser in early August.

“Now more than ever do we need Governor Romney,” he said, according to the Associated Press. “I’m going to be voting for him.”

Anything or anyone that can help them win an election gets Republican love.

At least for that moment.

Tomorrow is another day.

And another set of principles.


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South Florida Cartoons

Jim Morin, Miami Herald

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Obama Picks Up Jan Brewer's Vote

When you can't beat them, join them. Tea Party Republican Jan Brewer has announced her support of President Obama...





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SFDB Quote Of The Day

From the Booman...

There really isn't anything the GOP base agrees that the federal government should do aside from garrisoning the Middle East and Central Asia, and building a moat on the Mexican border. And, because Romney is so cautious and deferential to the base, he has no positive message. He has no message on education. He has no message on climate change. He has no alternate vision on foreign policy. He isn't talking about veterans. He isn't talking about Native American policy. He has nothing to say about prison reform. And he opposes all progressive change on social issues.

He can't say what he wants the government to do. Close to 100% of his rhetoric is about what he wants the government to stop doing. They've delegitimized the federal government to such a degree that they can't actually run it. They can't even articulate a theory of how they'd run it.

That's why we're seeing a convention completely devoid of content. It's also why they're more comfortable telling lies than offering alternatives and honest criticism.

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SFDB Morning Chuckle

Two men waiting at the Pearly Gates strike up a conversation. “How’d you die?” the first man asks the second.


“I froze to death,” says the second.

“That’s awful,” says the first man. “How does it feel to freeze to death?”

“It’s very uncomfortable at first”, says the second man. “You get the shakes, and you get pains in all your fingers and toes. But eventually, it’s a very calm way to go. You get numb and you kind of drift off, as if you’re sleeping. How about you, how did you die?”

“I had a heart attack,” says the first man. “You see, I knew my wife was cheating on me, so one day I showed up at home unexpectedly. I ran up to the bedroom, and found her alone, knitting. I ran down to the basement, but no one was hiding there, either. I ran up to the second floor, but no one was hiding there either. I ran as fast as I could to the attic, and just as I got there, I had a massive heart attack and died.”

The second man shakes his head. “That’s so ironic,” he says.

“What do you mean?” asks the first man.

“If you had only stopped to look in the freezer, we’d both still be alive.”



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The Cooler

Lots of news for you this morning, readers. Read up!

A- Herald: So how many people you think are playing 2-4-6-8-10?

Tuesday night’s Fantasy Five picks — 1-3-5-7-9 — resulted in the biggest win in the game’s history since July 2001.

B- Palm Beach Post: Forget the mosquitoes.

While most of Palm Beach County enjoyed sunny skies and drying lawns Wednesday, Nicola and Troy Joseph have been among a scattered few who are still dealing with the soggy effects of Tropical Storm Isaac.

Along with worries about flood damage, the Josephs are leery of the water moccasins they saw in the streets and the possibilty of alligators crawling up to their front door.

C- Miami Today: Trolley service extended.

Plans to extend the Miami trolley service are still coming down the line, with new routes expected in November, December and January.

The service launched its health district route just more than a month ago and is seeing about 250 riders a day, a number that is steadily increasing, according to Albert Sosa, city director of capital improvements.

D- Miami Today: The European invasion.

Prodded by unrest in the Euro Zone and good value in the local market, Europeans are snapping up residential properties in Miami-Dade.

"In the past three or four months we've seen a tremendous pickup out of Italy and France in particular, especially in downtown and Miami Beach," said Philip Spiegelman, founder & chair of International Sales Group, or ISG.

"In our office, 74% of all our sales are to individuals whose permanent residence is outside the US," said Frank Jewett, broker and district sales manager in The Keyes Co.'s Miami Beach office. "Inventory has reduced significantly in the past 60 days, and many buyers are waiting for anything that comes on the market to make an offer immediately."

E- South Florida Business Journal: South Florida's $100K+ political contributors.

F- NBC Miami: Your South Florida moment of the day.

Three men are in custody after a bizarre police pursuit involving cops on land chasing suspects in a boat ended in Kendall Thursday morning.

The chase began around 1 a.m. at a canal in the area of Southwest 8th Street and the Palmetto Expressway after an officer who lives in the area heard gunshots coming from the boat, Miami-Dade Police spokeswoman Rosanna Cordero-Stutz said.

According to Cordero-Stutz, officers chased the small fishing boat for several miles, riding along the canal in police cruisers. Along the way officers would stop at bridges and tell the boaters to stop and pull over to the bank, but the suspects refused, police said.

Cordero-Stutz said the suspects were firing indiscriminately, endangering people who live along the canal. At one point officers fired at the suspects and one of them was injured, though it's unknown if the injury came from the gunfire, Cordero-Stutz said.

G- WSVN: Worst mother ever.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (WSVN) -- A South Florida mother has been arrested after she hit her daughter with a tire iron in front of her school.

Thirty-six-year-old Tonya Burns appeared in court Wednesday morning. Burns has been charged with aggravated child abuse for hitting her 15-year-old daughter with a tire iron.

According to police, the incident occurred at Carol City Senior High School on Tuesday. They said Burns dropped off her daughter and the girl said she didn't want to go to school. Burns then struck her daughter several times. The police report said the victim put her arms up to defend herself. As a result, she suffered several wounds to her arms.

H- WPTV: You think that's bad. You oughta see when the pepperoni is left off.

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- A man accused of punching a pizza delivery person "because he forgot the garlic knots" got locked up on a misdemeanor charge, according to a recently released arrest affidavit.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Lots of political writing showing up in the Sift these days, for good reason. Hey, the SFDB Weekend Widget is up and running in the right sidebar with loads of things to do this weekend. Check it out and enjoy your morning Sift.

A- Man or Maniac? presents the latest example of how far Republicans are willing to go to mislead the American public.

B- Jeb Bush thinks that Republicans need to stop acting so stupid. A suggestion that Obalesque, and probably most of America, agrees with.

The obvious revelation here is that Florida’s beloved former governor Jeb! Bush, a loyal, faithful Republican with very deep roots, acknowledges that his party has been acting stupid. You need to be acting stupid in order to stop.

C- Paul Ryan is the new Nixon, at Bark Bark Woof Woof.

The one thing that Mr. Ryan has going for him that Richard Nixon never had was the polish and charm. Mr. Nixon oozed paranoia and distrust the way some people sweat, and in spite of his gnawing pursuit of power, he never seemed to feel comfortable in the spotlight. Mr. Ryan, however, can pull it off with his butch workout routine and dazzling smile; Mr. Nixon never got further than a smirk.

D- When Marco takes the stage tonight in Tampa, it's all part of a plan that Eye on Miami describes.

Rubio gets to deliver the introduction of the GOP candidate for president as a quid pro quo; providing the national audience that could cement their presence in the White House for the next four years and beyond.

We won't hear a breath of this, in tonite's speech. It's all back room politics. Powerful politics from men who have used the mess of Miami to advance their causes.

E- Isaac gave us our first Big Rain Day of the wet season, reports Go Hydrology!

The most surprising thing about the rain from Isaac is that the heaviest portion of it occurred over the swath of south Florida -- the East Coast -- that was farthest from the storm's eye. That area also recorded the most power outages, too.

F- Political Cortadito explains how Hialeah politicians are suddenly all about stopping absentee ballot fraud...riiiiiiight.

It’s a step in your campaign strategy: Make people believe you are a reformer. Because that will do almost nothing to stop the absentee ballot fraud, which is just the tip of the iceberg on different kinds of fraud and is an organized ring with lists and people who will stop at nothing to steal votes. Because that’s the only way some people can get elected.

G- Transit Miami calls NE 79th Street "not suitable for pedestrians and cyclists," a designation that could be applied to almost every street in South Florida.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with 79th Street it is another classic FDOT road that is designed to move cars as quickly as possible without considering the safety of pedestrians or cyclists-an urban highway if you will. Case in point: 79th Street has three lanes going west to east and one lane going east to west. Needless to say, west to east traffic is moving in excess of 50 mph through the middle of our city! This is not an acceptable safety standard; never has and never will be.

H- The weekend is almost here so make sure you stop by the South Florida Theatre Scene for their preview of the weekend shows.




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Your Evening Sift

I have a day off tomorrow so this kind of feels like a Friday...I guess I get two this week. Here's your evening Sift.

A- BurgerFi opened its doors today in Aventura and Eater Miami has all the links you need.

The sixth outpost of South Florida burger chain, BurgerFi, makes its Miami-Dade debut this evening, opening up the doors to its Aventura location. In what is becoming standard practice, BurgerFi prides itself on its beef - never frozen, all-natural, grass-fed beef.

B- Eye on Miami shares their impressions of last night's Republican convention speeches.

What was most alarming? The pan shots. You wouldn't find more homogeneity in a herd of Texas steer. Every now and again an African American showed up in the camera view, as though to highlight the gaping holes in "The Big Tent" Republicans were inviting a national audience to huddle under together, and you could almost hear the TV producer in the van outside muttering to the operator, keeping moving!

C- Carlos Miller seems almost disappointed that he hasn't been able to bait a cop into arresting him in Tampa yet.

For the most part, the platoons of cops from every corner of the state that are roaming the streets of Tampa on bike, horse and foot appear bored but content.

Content they are making loads of overtime without having to do much but look intimidating. And that intimidation falls apart as soon as they start rolling out the red carpet for photographers.

D- Curbed Miami is not tracking "hot" celebrity stories from around South Florida...for some reason.

E- The305.Com calls a video promoting September's Fashion Night Out "cryptic"...I call it senseless. See what you think.

F- Random Acts of Culture is approaching a milestone that Culture Designers tells us about.

Brought to the world by the great good folks of the Knight Foundation, Random Acts of Culture has been wowing this country from coast-to-coast for a couple years now. There’ve been drive-bys in Biloxi, Ikea takeovers in Philly, Pops Fest occupations in San Jose, and Macy’s infiltrations down in Dadeland. All told, as the above so unequivocally attests, there have been 1000 of these actions, and they’ve involved a cast of thousands.

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Yeah, Mitt Romney Is Pure Republican

From a recent Fox News interview at home with Mitt Romney and his family...

CHRIS WALLACE: So, Tagg, what are family meals like?

TAGG ROMNEY: A little bit of craziness. Dad always goes in line first because he doesn't want to wait for all the grand children because it takes forever. Parents are cutting their meat and he's usually finished by the time the rest of us sit down.

Ha ha ha! It's funny being a douche, isn't it?

The look on Mitt Romney's face at the end of clip is priceless and totally says, "Yeah, that's right. I'm that much of an a-hole."



-via Daily Kos



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SFDB Quote Of The Day

Today's quote was bellowed yesterday by conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh...

RUSH LIMBAUGH: Okay, folks, it's a moment of truth. We are mere hours away now from Tropical Storm Isaac, which everybody is desperately hoping becomes a hurricane. I can't believe this. They are desperately hoping that it becomes a hurricane. It's the Democrats' wet dream that this thing hit New Orleans. So, you know me. My middle name is Solutions. I have some ideas for the Republicans. How to deal with the tropical storm, slash, hurricane hitting New Orleans.

The first thing we do is offer to send 500 bus drivers to New Orleans, paid for by us, to make sure that the buses that were not used by the Democrat mayor during Hurricane Katrina will be used to evacuate people should it become necessary. The second thing that I think the Republicans ought to do is send bags of money instead of sand. Bags full of money to shore up the levees in New Orleans. This would accomplish many things. A, it would show our compassion. B, we could have Romney's five sons who CNN last night asked, "What's it like to be rich as sin," or whatever. They did. Piers Morgan asked Romney's sons, (paraphrasing) "What's it like to be stinking rich?" So we have Romney's five sons deliver the bags of money to shore up the levees.

Now, this will accomplish much. It will show our compassion, and it will do something else. Once we publicize that we have sent 500 bags of money -- well, whatever number of bags, bags filled with money to shore up the levees, what will happen? The poor of New Orleans will storm the levees and steal the bags, thereby putting themselves at risk for the eventual flooding that will happen once they remove the bags of money. And that way the Republicans can get rid of even more Democrats in Louisiana and shore up the state for themselves. How about those two ideas, folks? Am I not thinking or am I thinking? [SFDB emphasis]

You can listen to it here.

It's a good thing that popular Democratic radio personalities don't have fantasies of killing their fellow Americans in the name of ideology. It would sully the party, get the person dragged off the air, and ruin his/her career.

In a Republican's world, coming up with ideas that amount to murdering your political opponents in a very calculating fashion gets you a microphone, millions of listeners, and a mansion in Palm Beach.

Funny how that works.


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SFDB Morning Travel Envy

Frequent flyers will appreciate this guy's trip in First Class from Bangkok to Hong Kong aboard an Emirates Airlines A380. And you thought your Southwest flight's emergency row aisle seat was sweet?






-via vvv



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The Cooler

South Florida has crappy drivers. That and other surprising and interesting news in this morning's Cooler.

A- Herald: The things we do for love.

The tale of the Cuban vice president’s daughter who defected may turn out to be a love story after all. Glenda Murillo went to Tampa to be with her boyfriend and not for political reasons, her aunt declared Tuesday.

Murillo has a boyfriend in Tampa and left Cuba “for personal and not political reasons,” the aunt, Idania Diaz, told El Nuevo Herald in a polite but brief phone conversation from her home in Tampa.

B- Herald: Your only in Miami moment of the day.

Miami’s Cuban Catholic community is planning a huge celebration to mark the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the statue of Our Lady of Charity, the patron saint of Cuba.

The Archdiocese of Miami is inviting the public to attend a celebration on her day, Saturday, Sept. 8, at AmericanAirlines Arena in downtown Miami.

The event will begin at 4 p.m. with the departure by sea of the statute from her Coconut Grove shrine, known as La Ermita de la Caridad del Cobre.

C- Herald: Photo, finding a tree on top of your S-class in the morning can ruin your day.

D- Herald: Czech it out!

Travelers will have more ways to shuttle between Miami International Airport and Europe later this year when nonstop flights to and from Prague will be offered for the first time.

E- Herald: Morin.

F- South Florida Business Journal: No shocker here.

Hialeah and Miami rank among the top ten cities with the worst drivers, according to Allstate Insurance’s America’s Best Drivers Report.

Forbes reports that Allstate analyzed the frequency of auto insurance claims in the 200 largest U.S. cities.

G- CBS4: Life in South Florida.

PEMBROKE PINES (CBS4) – A Pembroke Pines man is recovering from gunshot wounds after he was attacked while cleaning his yard of Tropical Storm Isaac debris.

Police say Nicholas Dragone was in his front yard trimming a fallen tree when he was approached by a two men who demanded he hand over the gold chain around his neck.

Dragone, a Vietnam War veteran, refused to give it up, telling CBS4′s Joan Murray that it was a present from his wife. He even swung his tree clippers at the suspects in an effort to defend himself.

The suspects opened fire on Dragone, who was struck in the stomach.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head. Here's your morning Sift, readers.

A- Transit Miami cycled on A1A shortly after Isaac passed and found that the storm hadn't washed away the bad attitudes of motorists.

First we had a Broward County Transit bus honk at us while the driver ran a red light in his desperate quest to pass us. Then a motorist trying to sound nice passed us slowly in the other lane, saying, “shouldn’t you be over there in the bike lane?”

B- The words of George Washington could be useful in today's political climate, maintains Man or Maniac?

In Washington's times, factionalism was divided along regional origin; citizens tended to identify themselves by their state affiliation rather than Americans. But the basic problem is still with us, even if we call ourselves "Democrats" and "Republicans" or "Liberals" or "Conservatives." Washington was very clear that true patriots are Americans first, above and beyond any other affiliation.

C- Obalesque shares some examples of recent right wing lunacy which, unfortunately, are very easy to find.

D- Southern District of Florida Blog posts a video of past presidential candidates accepting their party's nomination.

E- Bark Bark Woof Woof wraps up yesterday's Republican convention action with a video and some comments.

I also read that Gov. Chris Christie spent most of his speech talking about himself, obviously introducing himself so that four years from now he can take the stage. Ohio Gov. John Kasich talked about how great the Ohio economy is doing, thanks in no small part to the rescue of the auto industry by President Obama. But of course you wouldn't hear that part of it.

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Your Evening Sift

For some reason I keep thinking it's Wednesday. I hate when that happens because it's almost like you have to live the day over again. Here's your evening Sift, readers. Cheers!

A- Bark Bark Woof Woof shares a nice blogger birthday card on his father and twin brother's 86th birthday.

B- Transit Miami posts a decent collection of old Miami photos.

It’s fascinating to observe the evolution of Miami and it’s environs; how some areas drastically transformed while others stay remarkably similar though the years. What’s also captured here is the insidious destruction the automobile wrought on downtown Miami through the 50′s and 60′s after the streetcars were town out, historic buildings were razed and parking lots sprouted like mushrooms after a spring rainfall.

C- Just a real pleasant post today from Hello, I'm Scott.

D- Blind Tastes reflects back on his many Cobaya dining experiences and comes away satisfied.

People come to a Cobaya dinner to have an interesting dining experience. Discussion at the table ensues and covers what's liked and disliked, what a dish reminds them of, or what their favorite of the night is. On top of the meal, most leave with additional info to use later, like a place to find great Korean BBQ or what spot has the best chicarrones. They bring nice bottles of wine and share with others at the table, most of whom are total strangers. Their common bond is the meal and things develop from there. We've had people of all types at Cobaya dinners - lawyers, deckhands, medical professionals, bartenders, college students, even chefs and other industry folks in the Miami area.

E- Where to eat and drink in Coconut Grove Grapevine, according to Eater Miami.

F- Chimi Kendall food truck is pretty good, says The305.com.

The verdict? Some of the better street Dominican food I’ve had in a while. Very authentic and not too overly drenched in grease.

G- Curbed Miami shares some pretty amazing stats about Bal Harbour Shops.

H- Some advice for the brand new public defenders and assistant state attorneys who started this week is provided by Justice Building Blog.

Put in about four or five hours of prep for every hour in court. If you are on the defense side, accept nothing, investigate everything. If the state has an expert, get their prior testimony. Get their college grades. Read their doctoral thesis. Go to the crime scene. Speak to your witnesses. Push and dig and dig and dig until you get the impeachment evidence you need.

If you're a prosecutor, then you are doing justice. What an awesome and wonderful responsibility to have.

I- South Florida Food and Wine gathers together a list of Delray Beach Happy Hour spots.

J- Eye on Miami posts the statistical evidence demonstrating that, yes, there are loads of people in Miami-Dade County who will vote for a corrupt politician who ran a mailman off the Palmetto simply because he hates Castro with a vengeance.




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The Driver's Part Of The Equation

I highlighted the following story in the Cooler yesterday but I had a few more things to say about it so here it is again...

Shortly before 6:45 a.m. Sunday, Princess Jocelyn Llanos, 24, was southbound in the northbound lanes of the Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike, near Northwest 74th Street, said Joe Sanchez, spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol.

As Llanos drove in the wrong direction, her 2006 Nissan Altima crashed into a northbound 2008 Ford F-150 driven by Raymond Howard Jackson Jr., 47, according to FHP.

Jackson wore a seatbelt; Llanos did not. Both died.

FHP was investigating Sunday why Llanos drove the wrong way.

Since 2004, Llanos had received 12 traffic tickets in Miami-Dade, mostly for infractions that included not wearing a seatbelt, illegal window tint and improper lane change. In most cases, the charges were dropped or she pleaded no contest and paid the fine.

In 2010, she was charged with driving under the influence. The charge was dropped.

South Florida blog Transit Miami is prone to blame virtually every vehicle accident on road design but as this tragic accident illustrates, that is simply not the case.  Road design certainly plays a part in some accidents but in South Florida we have way too many drivers like Llanos who arguably needed additional attention and training. For some, even that wouldn't help, but my point is that the human factor, I believe, is too often overlooked by some traffic planners and segments of the public as a significant casual factor in crashes.

Two people died yesterday on a straight and dead flat piece of South Florida highway. The investigation that is currently underway will hopefully determine why it happened but I'm willing to bet that it isn't going be the design of the roadway.

I know that most South Floridians realize that we have a lot of really terrible drivers in our midst. That's old news. It's way overdue that we start addressing that problem just as aggressively as we go after bureaucrats and their road designs.





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Not An Abdullah Among Them

Remember when Republicans went ballistic a few years ago when the Department of Homeland Security warned of an increased domestic terrorism threat that might involve "white supremacists, radical anti-abortionists, and a few 'disgruntled veterans.'"

Of course you do. The report was so offensive to conservatives, in part, because it wasn't totally fixated on Muslims and foreign threats.

Well, fast forward to yesterday...

LUDOWICI, Ga. — Four Army soldiers based in southeast Georgia killed a former comrade and his girlfriend to protect an anarchist militia group they formed that stockpiled assault weapons and plotted a range of anti-government attacks, prosecutors told a judge Monday.

Prosecutors in rural Long County, near the sprawling Army post Fort Stewart, said the militia group of active and former U.S. military members spent at least $87,000 buying guns and bomb components. They allege the group was serious enough to kill two people — former soldier Michael Roark and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Tiffany York — by shooting them in the woods last December in order to keep its plans secret.

“This domestic terrorist organization did not simply plan and talk,” prosecutor Isabel Pauley told a Superior Court judge. “Prior to the murders in this case, the group took action. Evidence shows the group possessed the knowledge, means and motive to carry out their plans.”

[...]

The prosecutor said the militia group had big plans. It plotted to take over Fort Stewart by seizing its ammunition control point and talked of bombing the Forsyth Park fountain in nearby Savannah, she said. In Washington state, she added, the group plotted to bomb a dam and poison the state’s apple crop. Ultimately, prosecutors said, the militia’s goal was to overthrow the government and assassinate the president.

                                        Lewis Levine/AP

I bet none of these guys owned a Gadsden Flag or watched Fox News.

No way.

Even this won't convince me.

Isaac Aguigui, the Army private and alleged ringleader of a plot to assassinate Barack Obama and "take over" Ft. Stewart in Georgia, apparently served as a page at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, Minn. That's his mug shot after he was arrested for the alleged murder of Pvt. Michael Roark on the left. At right is a 2008 Reuters photo with the caption: "Republican National Convention page Isaac Aguigui watches from the edge of the floor at the start of the first session of the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota September 1, 2008."

Okay, so maybe he watched Fox for the stock reports.

But that's it, I'm sure.


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SFDB Tuesday Morning Kickstart

This is making the rounds...and for good reason.

From Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom...




Wow.



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The Cooler

All things considered, a pretty boring morning for news in South Florida. Here's some of it.

A- Herald: They're still trying to find him.

Pierre Mezidor was measuring the level of the dry cement powder from the roof of the silo when it gave way underneath him at about 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 17. The 58-year-old worker, originally from Haiti, had been working at the Tarmac Cement plant, which is owned by Titan America, for 19 years.

It’s been 10 days of a technically challenging — and emotionally distressing — operation to pull the roof remnants out of the 200-ft. tall silo and look for the body of the missing worker. The process has been complicated by the stormy weather conditions that continue to dump rain into the now open silo that was 70 percent full of cement powder. Without a roof protecting the material, the rainwater mixes with the gray dust in a way that doesn’t exactly create hardened concrete, but certainly makes it more difficult to dig through the debris, said Kate McClain, spokesperson for Titan America.

B- Herald: Morin.

C- Palm Beach Post: Slideshow, Isaac damage in Palm Beach County.

D- NBC Miami: Not good news for the Fins.

Miami Dolphins tackle Jake Long, who battled injuries all last season, is hobbled again.

Long left practice Monday after hurting his right knee when he went down in a pile on a pass play. An MRI exam showed the injury wasn't serious, said a person familiar with the diagnosis, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins didn't comment on the injury.

E- NBC Miami: Slideshow, South Florida Isaac photos.

F- WPTV: Your South Florida story of the day.

THE ACREAGE, Fla. - Many of the roads in the Acreage were flooded Monday and some passed the time by doing water recreation activities in the flooded streets.

[...]

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said around 4 Monday an adult and a child crashed in an airboat on 60th Lane North.

The crash caused the adult to be airlifted to St. Mary's hospital and the child to be rushed in an ambulance to the hospital.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Welcome to Tuesday, readers. Perhaps today is the day we see the sun. Enjoy your morning Sift.

A- Bark Bark Woof Woof is somewhat doubtful of Charlie Crist's sincerity.

I can appreciate the fact that the Florida Republican Party is turning into a melange of Tea Party wingnuts and old-fashioned corruption (Google Jim Greer, the former state party chairman, and see what comes up), making it hard for a candidate of moderate political views to get traction, but to the average voter in Florida, regardless of party, he's too much of a switch hitter over the last four years to instill any confidence that he's not just in it for himself.

B- A Mom, a Blog, and the Life In-Between is doing it again.

And then, there it is: an almost completely human form, and there, in the spot I've already trained myself to zero in on, is a tiny white flapping thing. The heart. It's beating just fine, and instantly, I choke up, the tears flowing as the anxiety becomes an overwhelming feeling of gratitude that everything is o.k. Despite myself, my own constant self-warnings to hold back, to be cautious, there I am, my heart squeezing tightly over the love I feel for this creature that will soon enough be my second child.

C- Restaurant Gal took Isaac seriously.

I have not experienced a hurricane. I had not experienced a true tropical storm until yesterday. I was, however, very familiar with the shopping-spree syndrome during which you tell every checkout person, “I’m not shopping for the storm–I really was out of these things!” Uh huh. Whatever. Or, really, who cares? I didn’t. I wanted to be prepared. Because from what I’ve heard from the SoFla lifers, the aftermath of a real storm is real ugly. Ask anyone–Wilma is their never-again gauge.

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Your Evening Sift

Okay, so who is ready for the sun? Sheesh. Here's your evening Sift, readers. Enjoy.

A- Isaac Instapix pics are up at Beached Miami.

B- Although it may be a little late for Isaac, Miamism has some hurricane tips and lists the kind of hurricane people.

The hurricane second handed – this is the person who has a loved one that will make all of the hurricane decisions. They will not even watch the news and leave the worrying to someone else. They will help if asked, but will not contribute any opinion to the cause.

C- Speaking of Miamism, guess who won Curbed Miami's Hottest Miami Realtor contest?

It was a tight race, and an exciting one, but almost 3,000 people voted and by a close margin of %1, Miami's Hottest Broker is Ines Hegedus-Garcia. Yay Ines, you hottie, you won!

D- Florida Keys Girl says that Isaac was a non-event that they watched from Hollywood.

Well, I guess we dodged a bullet. The news would have your believe that the world was ending, when in reality, we had rain. It is what we, in Florida, call “summer”.

E- Worst Pizza doesn't have a whole lot of bad things to say about Tony's Pizza in Delray Beach but only gives them 4 out of 8 stars.

Pay when you are done, with no pressure, added to the friendliness of this place. I am almost embarrassed to say this since they have such a crappy oven, but I would actually go back to Tony’s Pizza since the slice was crisp, held up nicely, and it just felt like a pizza place from back home (minus the Southern European owners).

F- Not so random thoughts from Obalesque about hunger in America and his wedding anniversary.

I went through 12 years of school and NEVER missed lunch. Not once. Some days I had two. It never even occurred to me that anybody in school ever went hungry. I was a sheltered, middle class kid with a stable family and the unwavering confidence such relative affluence provided. So reading this, I’m guilty, outraged, and incredulous. How can this be America?

G- There's a great tribute to local blues man Big Poppa E, who passed away suddenly over the weekend, at Salty Eggs that you don't want to miss.

Among Poppa’s best songs was an original ballad titled “Daddy’s Girl.” Here, he movingly creates a composite portrait of his three daughters, his deep-river baritone floating atop sparse and jazzy chords. “Daddy, would you buy me a pair of soft, pretty wings,” he sang. “I really think I’d like to give flying a try.” He sported a ring that divided into three parts as a constant reminder of his love for them.

“My two best accomplishments in life,” he told me, “are being a good husband and a good father.”

H- The heavy rain is driving all sorts of things out of their normal hiding places, as Bark Bark Woof Woof shows us.





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Robert Is Here Breaks Some Wind

Here's what it looked like outside Robert is Here in Homestead as Isaac passed by, according to an SFDB reader...

 

 

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SFDB's We Live Here

-via reddit


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Ryan: Rape Is Another Method Of Conception

Amazing...

During an interview with WJHL this week, [Paul] Ryan was asked his view about Rep. Todd Akin, who recently asserted that women could not get pregnant from “legitimate rape.”

“Specifically where you stand when it comes to rape, and when it comes to the issue of should it be legal for a woman to be able to get an abortion if she’s raped?” WJHL Josh Smith wondered.

“I’m very proud of my pro-life record, and I’ve always adopted the idea that, the position that the method of conception doesn’t change the definition of life,” Ryan explained. “But let’s remember, I’m joining the Romney-Ryan ticket. And the president makes policy.”

Let that sink in for a minute.

Again: Rape is just another form of conception.

Romney disagrees [for now] which is important, but it should be disconcerting to any woman, be they 18 years old or 80, that a potential Vice President of the United States and others in his political party believe that a woman who gets pregnant as the result of a rape has been given a gift from God that needs to be preserved.

The Republican Party in the meantime has taken the brave stance of taking no stance on the issue.

If you are voting Republican this is the kind of ideology you are supporting and and enabling in America today.

Bottom line: If you think that rape is a lousy way to start a family, vote for Obama.

Also...





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SFDB Morning Chuckle

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The Cooler

There are still some pretty hellacious bands of weather passing through South Broward this morning. And Blogger is also challenged. But despite all these things, I was able to complete a fairly decent Cooler for you.

A- Herald: People can talk about "road design" being the cause of accidents all day, but as long as the following kind of driver inhabits South Florida roadways, "road design" doesn't mean squat.

Shortly before 6:45 a.m. Sunday, Princess Jocelyn Llanos, 24, was southbound in the northbound lanes of the Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike, near Northwest 74th Street, said Joe Sanchez, spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol.

As Llanos drove in the wrong direction, her 2006 Nissan Altima crashed into a northbound 2008 Ford F-150 driven by Raymond Howard Jackson Jr., 47, according to FHP.

Jackman wore a seatbelt; Llanos did not. Both died.

FHP was investigating Sunday why Llanos drove the wrong way.

Since 2004, Llanos had received 12 traffic tickets in Miami-Dade, mostly for infractions that included not wearing a seatbelt, illegal window tint and improper lane change. In most cases, the charges were dropped or she pleaded no contest and paid the fine.

In 2010, she was charged with driving under the influence. The charge was dropped.

B- Herald: What is open and closed today.

C- Herald: The face of today's Republican party.

But for Sandra Stuart, a 59-year-old nurse from Ormond Beach, the most important issue was this: "Freedom, freedom, freedom. Freedom to do what you want as long as it’s under the word of God. Traditional marriage."

She said she would have preferred to vote for Bachmann in November, but like most people who spoke with the Times she said she liked the Republican ticket more after Mitt Romney’s choice of Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan.

"He’s just like my daddy," she said. "He’s a deer-hunting, bible-thumping, gun-toting conservative Republican family man."

D- Herald: Morin.

E- TC Palm: Wonderful.

WASHINGTON — Florida's fast-growing Medicaid program — which cares for the state's impoverished children and for most senior citizens in nursing homes — would lose roughly a third of its federal money under budget plans embraced by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan.

F- CBS4: It's the American way.

He thinks the price hike came as desperate drivers were looking to fill up as Tropical Storm Isaac threatened South Florida.

“They‘re taking advantage of us man, $4.49, the gas prices are ridiculous. Come on man,” complained Davis.

CBS4 found other gas stations in the area selling unleaded regular from about $3.79 to $3.89 a gallon. The $4.49 price tag at the station Cory Davis visited is about sixty-cents more a gallon than other stations in the area.

G- NBC Miami: Video, Darwin nods.

H- WPLG: Long day at MIA.

69 flight arrivals were cancelled at MIA while 93 departures were cancelled early Monday morning. No delays were scheduled for arrivals or departures.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Lotsa writing about the Republican National Convention that opens in Tampa this morning. That and more in your wet and windy morning Sift. Enjoy.

A- Bark Bark Woof Woof isn't going to spend a lot of time talking about the Republican clown car that's rolling through Tampa this week.

Call it liberal bias, but I'm not going to devote too many pixels to the GOP wet blanket party over on the other coast. I've been watching conventions since the 1960's and they're basically studies in foregone conclusions, right down to the spontaneous demonstrations cued to the second. But if I wanted a constant stream of whining, bashing, and misogynistic and hateful rants about how horrible life is under the brutal heel of that secret Muslim Kenyan-born gay socialist coke-snorter, I'd subscribe to a certain family member's Facebook page.

B- Speaking of the convention, Carlos Miller files his first report from Tampa and gives us an update on his local arrest.

There were no signs of protesters but plenty of cops. But the cops we ran into were very cordial, including an Orlando police officer named Pasley (pictured above) who jokingly grabbed my camera strap for a photo opp, asking me to not “write a bad caption.”

C- Embattled South Florida congressman David Rivera is at the Republican National Convention, according to Political Cortadito.

Rivera did show up and told Ladra he had no reason not to. He is a delegate, having won the committeeman seat in District 5 of Miami-Dade, where he won with 77 percent of the vote.

D- Political advertising is SoFla seems to be dominated by Republicans, according to South Florida for Beginners.

I’m not privy to DNC election strategy, but it seems very dangerous for the Democrats to cede the airwaves in South Florida to the GOP, which according to everything I’ve been reading lately, has a huge advantage in fundraising. Maybe the DNC has a barrage of new ads they’re preparing to unleash, but if they have any hope for winning the Florida electoral votes, the Democrats need to win big in South Florida. If the Democrats don’t have the money to spend, and can’t win—or at least fight—the propaganda battle in the media, their chances of winning in ballot box are not good.

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Your Evening Sift

Tonight's evening Sift reflects the level of activity that I would expect to see on a day like today. I have lots of good stuff for you so shake out that umbrella, settle in and enjoy your Sift.

A- Zinger's Deli in Boca Raton is a homerun, according to Jeff Eats.

Zinger’s Delicatessen is one of the best, if not the best–New York Kosher Style Delis in South Florida.

B- If you missed Jimbo Mathus at The Green Parrot Bar this past Saturday then you missed a great show.

What I, in my haste, left out was to say was that it was one hell of a day of music, three scorching sets that combined blistering rock and roll, gut-bucket juke joint delta blues, barroom-weepers that would have George Jones reaching for a Kleenex, Tex Mex two-steppers, and a version of "Who Do You Love" that had not been heard in Key West since George Thorogood duck-walked on top of the bar at Fitzgerald's.
Soundcheck was a jaw-dropping medley that caused one of our more astute music fans to lean over and mention in an obvious reference to the impending weather, "This is the perfect band for this weekend, like a Cadillac driving off a cliff".

C- Check out the 3-day rain chart that Go Hydrology! has up an see how much water your neck of the woods received this weekend.

D- Beached Miami posts some of Alex Broadwell's photos of the Toad Eyes EP release party that was held last night in Miami.

E- Hello, I'm Scott makes deliveries on South Beach...on a scooter, in the rain and on video.

This was my drive to the store at the end of my shift. THIS is what it’s like to drive a scooter in the rain. And if you look closely at the street at some points, you can see sheets of rain blowing in every single direction.

F- Random Pixels highlights some of the lowlights from this weekend's local TV coverage of Isaac.

G- Vehicles continue to have accidents on Biscayne Boulevard in MiMo and Transit Miami is documenting them with their camera.

This situation will only get worse if the flawed high-speed design of this road is not immediately resolved. Fourteen crashes, in a two year period, within a twenty-five-blocks isn’t an acceptable safety standard.

H- Burger Beast identifies his Top 5 comments.

I- Swampstyle shares his swampy thoughts on the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

If the RNC 2008 in St. Paul MN was an indication, we can expect plenty of riotous over-reaction from from the Tampa militarized enforcers. It may not be raining rubber bullets yet in but there are elephants falling from the sky already.

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Nothing Says Art Lover Like....

An $800 Britto stroller...

A $250 Britto infant car seat...

Or a new $50 Britto umbrella, [art lover's apparently like to call them, "parasols"]...

Wow.

The only thing they're really missing is a Britto car sun shade.

Oops. My bad.




-via Sun-Sentinel


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Sh*t Cuban-American Hardliners Say

Who needs racist and bigoted idiots stereotyping Cuban-Americans when you have Humberto Fontova of Babalu Blog.

Here he is [Google cache] describing Cuban-Americans who support family back on the island and attend concerts held by Cubans here in the U.S. as "New Men and Women."

Get our New Men and Women to use what little money they haven't sent us in remittances or spent on gold chains, five-inch fake fingernails and hair-coloring to buy tickets to attend concerts by our regime-sanctioned musicians... [Emphasis SFDB]

So the Cubans who have recently immigrated to the U.S., some by risking their lives by crossing the Straits of Florida, and want to take care of family left behind are "New Men and Women" who spend their money on "gold chains, five-inch fake fingernails and hair-coloring," according to Fontova, pictured at right.

I understand Fontova's whole "we're upset because you supposedly undermine hardliner's efforts" thing, but to denigrate and disparage fellow Cuban-Americans, people who share a unique heritage, indeed, your "brothers and sisters," simply because they don't share the same viewpoint on a controversial issue and want to take care of family?

Damn.





-photo via Louisiana Sportsman

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It's More Than Just A Game

The greatest moments in sports...for some of us, it's a lifetime of memories...








via vvv




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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

After all these years, I still have a hard time figuring out the South Florida blogosphere. This weekend would seem to be a great opportunity for bloggers to pen some decent posts but it has never been slower. On the Twitter feed, it seems as though the people I'm following are more concerned about what restaurant they're going to visit for lunch than they are anything else. I've given up trying to sorting it all out and instead just chalk it up to the mystery of human behavior.  And with that, here's your morning Sift.

A- Eye on Miami shares some thoughts on Miami-Dade's confusing absentee ballot counts.

Nothing seemed odder to me than the absentee ballot numbers in the Dennis Moss/Alice Pena race. Alice Pena raked in 1,425 absentee ballots. Dennis Moss got 1,855. They were pretty close in absentees. However on election day Pena got 1,521 votes to Dennis Moss's 5,343. He got almost 4 times as many votes. How did she do so well in absentees? In early voting he topped her with three times as many votes. Very odd numbers in this race.

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SFDB Saturday Night Turndown Service

Hem, Great Houses Of New York



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Your Evening Sift

I thought there would be more activity in the SoFla blogosphere due to the weather but not so much. Make sure you stop by later for the Turndown Service. Enjoy your Sift.

A- As if dealing with Isaac wasn't enough, Belle Isle Blog shares a photo of the flooding caused by a broken water main on Miami Beach.

B- Another Hurricane Andrew story at Under the Sun.

We survivors remind the world that no matter how awful and hopeless life can be in the wake and surge of disaster, homelessness and catastrophe — by putting one foot in front of another, we continue day to day. We rebuilt our homes, but I think we also rebuilt our lives while redefining who we are. Everyone lost more than possessions on August 24. We lost our sense of how life is supposed to work, and realized either at the time or later, that nothing is ever permanent and safe. And at the end of the day, all anyone can do is put one foot in front of the other with a smile on their face, if that’s manageable.

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