Another week, another list of blog highlights! Let’s dive in: thelogan engages in a housecleaning of Lovecraftian proportions. Tim Fasano leaves to slave away in the Arizona desert. Yeah, slave. Whatever you say, Tim. Addison has MySpace issues. (He can join the club.) Nick Starr shows us the real Firefox. Joel tells us about the fallout from a trip to Venice. Next [...]
“For peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing.” The Tampa Tribune justified yesterday’s front-page spread about so-called immigration reform because Tampa has so many affected immigrants. That rationalization is weak. I’d like to see their numbers compared to uninsured children, senior citizens who cannot afford prescription medication, or students forced into crowded schools and [...]
35 years ago… March 31, 1971 – Riots break out at Hillsborough High School for the second time in a week, causing school officials to close the school to all but 12th graders. Tensions were high over the results of student council elections, which did not produce any black winners at the recently integrated school. Courtesy of the [...]
In Thursday’s column, Dan Ruth mentioned that Florida is second in the number of hate groups, behind only South Carolina. Here is a map of the US highlighting those groups. The southeast is full of ‘em. Here’s the map and a list of groups in Florida. Notice the big bunch in Tampa Bay. Horrifying.
So as usual my DVR is set to record Daytime on Channel 8. So I just happened to see the Johnny G Lyon Band on tv for the very first time (I don’t stay up late enough to actually go see them play). I admit that I fast forwarded through all the rest so this is [...]
55 years ago… March 30, 1951 – “Lash” LaRue, star of Western films, brings an 18-foot bullwhip and his Great Western Show for a performance at the Florida State Barn Dance in Drew Park. Courtesy of the Tampa Bay History Center.
In his intro, Smitty made reference to Sandra Thompson’s recent column about the inconsistency and (lack of) planning in the downtown core. Reader Joe suggested we reprint the entire article. I don’t think we’ll do that, but we here in the sticks could not agree more with Sandra. Some highlights: …two dime stores don’t make an [...]
Samm Simpson’s got one heck of an uphill climb if she wants to be elected to Congress. On two fronts, no less. Simpson is running as a Democrat for Florida’s 10th congressional district, which is made up predominantly of St. Petersburg, Dunedin and the beach communities. Her first challenge is to get on the ballot. Simpson [...]
In addition to Dave Rothacker, another writer began his contributions to the Sticks of Fire empire while I was away. Without any further delay, Straight from Smitty’s World, heeeeeeere’s Smitty! Howdy, Sticks readers. Smitty here, representing downtown and all the wonderful things herein. As one of downtown’s handful of condominium residents NOT living on Harbour Island, I take a [...]