Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Since the Bucs are facing the dreaded bye week (there’s always the possibility of a Tampa Bay love boat scandal, keep your fingers crossed), I will forgoe my typical game preview to instead engage in some much-deserved bashing of a local inksheet, one of the favorite activities of Buccaneer fandom.

I sure hope Rick Harmon received free Direct TV ’cause then at least one person received some benefit from his article in the Tampa Tribune. Harmon uses the Bucs bye week to pimp the benefits of Direct TV, when he could have instead pointed out how the NFL needs to do a better job offering a wider variety of games to local markets.

Out of market NFL fans (such as myself) are forced to buy Direct TV if they want to watch their favorite team. For a league supposedly interested in growing its fanbase, the NFL handcuffs itself by not allowing cable or even other satellite providers to broadcast out of market games. Direct TV is nice (I should know, I have it) but Harmon doesn’t have to throw the NFL’s money-grubbiness (that’s a real word right?). But then again, maybe I owe Harmon an apology. As Big Daddy Kane said, “Pimpin’ ain’t easy.”

95 years ago…

September 30, 1911 — Police Chief S.T. Woodward is arrested after assaulting and severely thrashing Frank Sullivan, a well-known socialite and publisher of the Florida Beacon, on the corner of Franklin Street near Lafayette Street (now Kennedy Boulevard). Woodward gave his reason for the assault as retaliation for an article appearing in the Beacon which stated that he had been seen at The Imperial Theater, an establishment noted for its burlesque shows and women of ill-repute. When confronted by Woodward, Sullivan denied writing anything about him in his paper. According to an eyewitness, Woodward then said he would give Sullivan “something to write about” right before punching him in the head and beating him with a billy club.

Courtesy of the Tampa Bay History Center.

Sticks of Fire is a proud sponsor of the 2006 High Heel Hike, benefitting Easter Seals.  Guys and girls get in your best high heels, and hike around the Westshore Mall tomorrow morning at 10am.  Or buy tickets to the Glam Ball at the Hard Rock Cafe.

A complaint was filed against Temple Terrace city councilwoman Linda Shattles. From the Tampa Bay Business Journal:

… on Sept. 21 Shattles told employees of Salon One, [at] Sherwood Forest retail center, that the retail center had posted the “wrong political signs” in front of the building and that she would organize a “boycott of Salon One and other merchants in the shopping center” unless the center’s co-owner, Paul Tomasino, removed the signs.

The “wrong political signs” were for her opponent in the upcoming election.  As a sitting councilwoman, you just can’t do that. Linda Shattles has not responded for comment.

65 years ago…

September 29, 1941 – War department engineers deny the city’s request to keep the Lafayette Street (now Kennedy Boulevard) and Platt Street bridges closed to river traffic during rush hour. At the request of the board of alderman, Mayor Robert E.L. Chancey asked permission of the war department to keep the draws of the bridges closed from 8:00-9:30 a.m. and 4:30-6:00 p.m. Shipping interests protested that the draws were already closed between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., while war department officials cited lack of traffic problems in downtown which warranted the extra closure of the draws.

Courtesy of the Tampa Bay History Center.

I’ve been daylighting at an organic cafe in North Tampa. A seven or so mile drive from my house that takes 35+ minutes in rush hour traffic. (Mind you, I am going against the flow of traffic.) I’ve driven in major metro areas before: Philly, Seattle, Dover, DE (just kidding). But seriously, the amount of red light runners in Tampa is no freaking joke. It’s bloody ridiculous. One reason we’re stuck at a light long after it turns green.

People become so selfish when hidden behind the steel frames of their vehicle. We all have places to go. Most of us are running late too. But way too many drivers have stopped giving a rat’s ass about the next guy and it’s making me want to put the smack down.

It’s offense-sive driving instead of defensive and there are no teams, just a handful of safe drivers abiding by the rules (and their common sense), which exist to keep us all safe.

Short of an infrequent accident on NB 275, most of trip is smooth. Until I get hit intersections on Fletcher or Bearss. Cars will jam intersections knowing their light will turn red and they’ll still be sitting there, blocking turning or oncoming traffic. In most cities, blocking an intersection is illegal. (Although so is red light running, but I’ve already been through that one.)

I think on my day off I’ll stand on the corner videotaping all the assinine antics of impatient drivers, complete with close ups and license plate shots. It could be the next hit show on community access.

Here is something to do after you complete Tommy’s request to plan your trip to work on Google Transit. Let’s have some fun. What is the longest trip you can plan using Google Transit? Include walking time.

I have come up with a trip from Pony Express Way & Race Track Rd, Odessa, FL 33556 to: chert rock trail, wimauma, fl.  It takes 6 hours and 2 minutes in transit and 1 hour 50 minutes walking. After walking for 53 minutes you pick up the first bus at 7:01 AM and get dropped off by the last bus at 1:03 P.m. with only 56 minutes left to walk to your destination.  Part of the reason for such a long ride is there is a 1 hour 33 minutes transfer wait.

According to Google driving the 49 miles would take 1 hour 14 minutes.

After playing with it for a while, I suspect that if you have to walk for more than an hour to catch a bus, maybe HARTline isn’t the way to go.