Florida

Hallowed Be Thy Republican

During every election, the Wonders of Truth Christian superstore reminds locals that the road to hell is paved with Democratic politicians. In honor of today's vote, here's the front and back of their signs: ... (read more)

2006/11/07

Crist Snubs Bushes on Election Eve in Florida

A weird thing happened in Florida today: Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist refused to appear with President Bush and Gov. Jeb Bush at a huge rally in Pensacola. The Crist campaign is spinning this as a strategic decision to campaign in more competitive parts of the state than the solidly Republican panhandle, but he was scheduled to introduce Bush at the event in material released by the White House. Karl Rove is openly treating this like a snub: On a tarmac in Texas where the ... (read more)

2006/11/06

Daytona Beach Hospital Makes Room for Bikers

Biketoberfest begins in nine days in Daytona Beach, an event heralded by hundreds of huge motorcycles roaring south down Highway A1A like two-wheeled F-16s. Halifax Medical Center is making an unusual preparation for the event -- they're limiting elective surgeries so they have time to put injured bikers back together: The decision, he said, is the result of the carnage that came through the emergency room during Bike Week 2006. Bike Week is the busiest time at the Halifax emergency room, the ... (read more)

2006/10/10

Foley's Abuse of Teens Should Draw Bipartisan Disgust

I'm glad that some right-wing partisans such as Michelle Malkin are outraged about Mark Foley's sexual exploitation of Congressional pages and the inaction of House GOP leaders who knew he was behaving suspiciously and did nothing to investigate: There is a time and place for attacking the Dems and the MSM. Now is not that time. Parents need assurance that their kids are safe on Capitol Hill. If Beltway GOP elites can't understand this, they are beyond hope. The Wall Street Journal editorial ... (read more)

2006/10/03

The Blogger To Be Named Later

A few years ago, outspoken tech blogger Russell Beattie got a phone call at home after he angered someone with one of the entries on his site. They asked to speak with his young son. Beattie didn't want the incident to feed anyone's fear, but I think it's worth recalling in the discussion of whether it's OK to reveal a blogger's identity, as Michael Arrington appears to believe. Arrington's put the chill on the unnamed author of Dead 2.0, a blogger critical of the web 2.0 bubble that has become ... (read more)

2006/09/22

Katherine Harris Clowns Around in Sarasota

An AP photo taken Tuesday at Sarasota-Bradenton Airport combines two of my favorite things -- Katherine Harris and sad clowns: One of the best things about Harris is that she keeps firing staffers, reducing the chances that someone will might tell her things like "don't do a photo op in front of a suicidal clown." But as much as I love this photo, I have to question the decision to place a giant mural of a sad clown at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. Is that really what you want to ... (read more)

2006/09/22

Ernesto Hits Florida as Tropical Depression

Most of Florida is under hurricane watch for Ernesto, the hurricane that weakened to a tropical depression and will hit the Florida Keys later today. Jeff Masters' prediction: The latest forecast models are all in excellent agreement, calling for a landfall in the Everglades tonight, a long passage up the spine of Florida, followed by a re-emergence into the Atlantic and possible re-intensification to a Category 1 hurricane before a second landfall in the Carolinas. Riding out a tropical storm ... (read more)

2006/08/29

Hurricane Ernesto Eyes Florida

Northeast Florida is in the projected path of Hurricane Ernesto, a category 1 storm that Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff Masters expects to strike Florida's west coast and move northeast across the state: I think it is unlikely Ernesto could affect the Keys as anything stronger than a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds. A hit as a tropical storm or Category 1 hurricane is more likely. If Ernesto spends another day or two traversing the warm waters along the west cost of Florida, ... (read more)

2006/08/27

The Politicians and the Possums

In Florida, we're subdeveloping the rural parts of the state out of existence as fast as we can, but there's still a significant rural vote that requires pandering in the panhandle. Every election year, national and statewide candidates in Florida must prove they are good country folk by mistreating a possum at the Wausau Possum Festival. Candidates bid for a possum, taking it out of a holding area by its tail and giving it a shake to terrify the creature into going limp so it won't claw them. ... (read more)

2006/08/16

We Enjoyed the Space Shuttle a Lot

This picture was taken on Saturday in Titusville, Florida. If you look closely, you'll see the space shuttle not taking off in the background as thousands of people watch with excited anticipation along the banks of the Indian River, 19 miles across the water from the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center. I'm standing in a field on U.S. 1 just south of the Miracle City Mall, which the Unofficial Space Shuttle Launch Guide recommends as one of the best places to not see the shuttle take ... (read more)

2006/07/05

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