Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

When we found out that the woman who went missing owned the Suki Spa in Palm Harbor, you knew the story would have a happy ending.

Satuday Night is fight night at the Forum. Pensacola’s Roy Jones vs. Tampa’s Antonio Tarver. If you can only get to one event this weekend, this is the one. Don’t forget, the unofficial after party is at the Blue Shark in Ybor – come party with JGLB!! (stay out of the road!!)

If you can’t make it to the fight, you have to check out USF taking on Miami on channel 28. Don’t forget, the unofficial after party is at the Blue Shark in Ybor – come party with JGLB!!

The Tampa Boat Show began Thursday night. Florida is a boater’s paradise. The two just go together. Even if you’ve never thought of being a boater, you should go to the show. I went last year, and ended up with a boat in May. Just before the gas prices started skyrocketing.

No matter. Every single time, as soon as we leave shore, Wifey and I can feel our cares being left back on the dock. Work sucks? Kids a pain? Blog uninspiring? Significant other being a significant imbecile? Just go boating for a while. The way those few hours really relax and relieve you, it’s magic.

The show lasts all weekend, and as I mentioned, even if you have no clue and no desire (as I did), go spend a couple hours at the boat show anyway – you might walk away with a new outlook. After all, you do live on Tampa BAY.

Carnell Williams ran for over 150 yards on Sunday, as your Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Green Bay Packers 17-16. The Bucs’ first win at Lambeau Field since 1989 gives the home town heroes a 3-0 record, best in the NFC. The game was Williams’ third in the NFL, his third 100 yard game, and now owns the NFL record for rushing yards in any back’s first three games. The feat resulted in C-Dub’s cleats being sent to the Hall of Fame. He’s also the NFL’s rookie of the month for September. You might want to keep your eye on him.

I fell off my barstool when hearing this county is considering a slowdown in growth. Of course, we can all go right back to drinking after County Attorney Renee Lee suggests ignoring the new rule for a little while. After attorneys for the builders piped up, Lee suggested the county was not ready to enforce the “make sure there are schools” provision.

Of course, you already know that the County Commissioners are to blame. Not just the current officials, but all of them for the last two decades. The Tribune warned about this a year ago, and this very subject was considered by the BOCC in 1986. Nothing was done.

But back to today. What, exactly, does the BOCC do? Why do we bother going through the motions of electing representatives, if they are nothing but a rubber stamp? Why does the commission have to approve rezoning, if they can get sued for deciding one way or the other?

Suppose for a minute that a majority of commissioners really wanted schools in place before building more homes (crazy, I know, but use your imagination for a minute). The stories linked above indicate they have no choice in the matter.

The possibility of a suit ensures the commission is ineffective and essentially pointless. The BOCC should have to power to make these decisions based on the good of the community as a whole. Otherwise, why bother.

Of course, Lee’s suggestion could merely be an excuse (not a reason) for commissioners to vote on the side of developers. Kathy Castor says the provision is defensible. I’m no expert on the intracacies of local government, so if someone can explain why the BOCC does not have the power to do whatever they want, I would certainly appreciate a primer.

Alvin W. Wolfe is a smart man. Must be. He’s got a Ph.D., and heads the Florida Health and Human Services Board. Why is it then, that he writes an opinion piece for the local paper that only serves to point fingers?

He complains that in the ongoing discussion of disaster preparedness, almost no one has addressed how to handle patients stuck at Tampa General. He also worries about the “only level I Trauma Center in West Central Florida” (among other “onlys”) being shut down for days on end. To be sure, these are excellent points – valid concerns that should have folks searching for answers immediately.

But instead of offering any solutions, Dr. Wolfe only wants to know “who is willing to accept the blame” for building the hospital there. Even after conceding we cannot move the place, he wants to reach back through time and throttle someone.

What kind of culture do we have when the first question asked is one of blame? When we look to condemn someone for something that has not yet happened? With all due respect to Dr. Wolfe, that place was built where it is and we cannot change it now.

A better question is this: Who will help create a comprehensive emergency plan for a hospital as vulnerable as Tampa General?

If you’re not busy, check out Stoney & Blade tonight at 42nd St. Bistro on South Howard. 7-11pm Better leave now!

I need some help.
- “Of course you need help, tommy. You ain’t right!”
I mean I need someone to help me with Sticks of Fire.
- “Yeah – those colors… did the same guy pick the Bucs original uniforms?”
No – the colors are fine. I mean I barely have time to update the thing, yet I am compelled to update every day.
- “You don’t update every day. In fact, I don’t recall any posts on any Sunday.”
There was one. But anyway, that just goes to prove my point. I’d like to have something new every day. Do you think other people would want to write on Sticks of Fire?
- “I doubt it. People don’t even want to read Sticks of Fire.”
Hey, c’mon, it’s the most popular blog in Tam—
- “Relax, I was just joking. I’m sure someone out there has something to say. Why not on SoF?”
So, I just ask other people to write stuff and they will send it in?
- “You could just open it up, and let anyone post anything.”
Well, I do have my own personal ‘stinging satirical wit’ to consider.
- “Whatever. They could have said ‘constantly forgets headlines,’ which is actually true.”
Thanks a lot.
- “No problem. Hey, the other guys indicated it was ‘more than just a blog‘– and isn’t that the idea?”
Absolutely. But making it ‘more than just a blog’ takes a lot of time.
- “So, invite other writers, and be an editor.”
An editor.
- “Yeah, an editor, idiot.”
I don’t even know how to properly write, much less ed… editoriali… uh, be an editor.
- “Fake your way through, just as you have for the past year and a half.”
You do have a point… I guess.
- “Now, about these colors…”

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