Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Major League Baseball’s second half got underway last night.  My job isn’t to recap.  I’ll let others handle that responsibility.

Nope, I’m just here to announce a quick poll (will close in a few days).  The question?  Will the Rays make the playoffs?  This season has had the Rays perform like the franchise has never before…  But can they hold on to make the wild card?  Or do what seemed implausible only last season and win the American League East?  Dare I even suggest win the American League pennant?

It’s just a yes-or-no question…  But let your vote be heard:

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It’s time once again for Creative Loafing’s annual Best of the Bay voting for 2008!

In previous years, we have been honored to be recognized by Creative Loafing’s readers and editors as being one of the top local websites:

• 2007 - First place Creative Loafing Best of the Bay 2007 - Best Local Blog, Readers’ Choice.
• 2006 - First place Creative Loafing Best of the Bay 2006, Reader’s choice for Best Local Blog.
• 2005 - First place Weekly Planet’s Best of the Bay 2005, Editor’s choice for Best Local Website.
• 2005 - Third place Weekly Planet’s Best of the Bay 2005, Reader’s choice for Best Local Blog.

We certainly are proud of these honors from all of you, and are happy that you are keeping Sticks of Fire on your reading list.

Alas, the time has come once again to see if we can still hang.  There have been a bunch of new blogs and bloggers started up in the past year, and some of them are simply fantastic.  We enjoy reading several of them, and any number of them could knock Sticks of Fire out of the top spot.

Of course, there is so much more to Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay than just websites. You can vote for the best neighborhood, your favorite art gallery, the worst road, the best thrift store, and so much more.  In fact, you must vote in 25 of the categories (there are 100 categories this year, and we list them all after the jump below).

Make sure you vote for YOUR FAVORITES by Aug. 13, 2008, and CL promises to publish the results on Sept. 17.

So vote for the Best of the Bay right now, or cut & paste the list of categories below in order to give ‘em all some thought.

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So the Gov’nah changed his philosophy on oil drilling off the coast of Florida, and so have other already-elected officials in a huge flip-flop while gas prices are huge (with thanks to speculation in commodities trading).

So riddle us this — do you approve of oil drilling off the coast of Florida?

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Here you go, TJ:

Last week we discussed Tampa Bay’s top ten problems, according to Wayne Garcia:

1. Suburban sprawl
2. Urban density (lacking)
3. Transportation
4. Environment (weak protections)
5. Living green
6. Diversity (racial, ethnic, class)
7. Professional sports (over-subsidized and over-idolized)
8. Media consolidation (lack of independent voices)
9. GLBT Rights
10. Save our young (with economic opportunity)

We asked if you thought the list was comprehensive, but Chaaalie suggested we add education, economics, taxes, and cost of living. Besides these being vague, I assume Garcia left them off his list since those are essentially statewide issues.

But we can certainly do our part here in Tampa Bay to bring about change, so I have added them, and combined a couple of the issues above in a new poll to find out where you think we ought to get started. Pick your top three issues that should be worked on FIRST:

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OK, so who is gonna’ mark a ballot next week (or mail in an absentee ballott, or perhaps early vote)?

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Besides the Presidential Primary, the property tax amendment (Amendment 1) will be on the table for your consideration as well as other referendums and local items depending on where you’re voting….

One and done, once again.

A couple of days after Los Buccaneeros lost their playoff game to the New York Giants, we’d like to know what the fans generally think about the direction of the team and the franchise? Cast your vote in our poll…

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New poll for your bemusement and discussion here as the clock winds down on 2007 and begins on 2008. Just how would you rate 2007?

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Leave your thoughts in comments on the year gone by… And while you’re at it, the year to come.