TampaBLAB

Mayor Pam Iorio says that Tampa needs to get started on rail transit now, and not wait for TBARTA to get it going.

TBARTA wishes she would just give ‘em time to analyze the entire region.

The Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners will have to decide if they want to ask for extra sales tax as soon as the 2010 election.

Think about it…

In the first 10 seasons of this franchise’s existence, the trade deadline meant
the Rays phone was ringing off the hook. EVERYBODY wanted the Rays’
players…and, well, the Rays were a pretty bad team so teams felt like they
were entitled to the Rays upper-tier talent. Think Wigginton, Huff, Lugo.

But not anymore.

Now the Rays phones are ringing for a different reason. The Rays are players in
the trade deadline game.

The Rays have options this season. Will it be Jason
Bay from the Pirates? Will it be
Adam Dunn from the Reds? Will it be a left-handed bullpen arm? Will it be
nobody at all?

As odd as it sounds, the Rays’ best bet may be to just stick with who they
have. I know, the overall idea is to improve your team…but let’s look at the
teams the Rays need to worry about:

NEW YORK
YANKEES

Additions:
They added Xavier Nady and Demaso Marte from Pittsburgh.
They added Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez from Detroit.

Subtractions:
They also lost Kyle Farnsworth, the reliever that used to give the Rays fits
with his high-90s fastball. They lost Jorge Posada for the season due to
shoulder surgery…not including his veteran presence on the field.

Overall:
The Yankees don’t bother me after all their deals. Yes, they essentially
stole Nady and Marte but Pudge doesn’t scare me at all. This isn’t 1999
anymore. The Yankees are 4 back of the Rays as of today and still play each
other 6 times this year. The Rays are 5-7 vs NY this year.

BOSTON RED SOX

Additions:
None as of yet. The Red Sox have been after some big names but are yet to
get a deal done. They are reportedly interested in Jason
Bay and Brian Fuentes.

Subtractions:
None as of this moment, but the BIGGEST name leaving could be Manny
Ramirez. He wants out. Boston
wants
him gone. There are rumors that Manny may even land with the White Sox
alongside Ken Griffey Jr…who JUST agreed to a deal with Chicago. A three-team deal is in the works with the
Marlins and Pirates to
dump Manny and bring Bay to Bean-Town. That could hurt the Rays, but
three-way
deals are tough to pull off.

Overall:
The Red Sox and Rays are played 12 times this season, each team winning all
6 of its home games. The Red Sox and Rays have had some pretty good drama going
this season, and the trade deadline will be no different. Both want Jason
Bay…who will get him?

The Rays didn’t pull the trigger on Casey Blake. They didn’t pull the trigger
on Mark Teixeira either. They may not pull the trigger on Jason
Bay. If they don’t, it’s not that
big of a deal.

They have a few aces up their sleeve for the last two months of the season.
Obviously it isn’t the ideal fit, but Rocco Baldelli has been progressing well
for the Rays in the minor leagues. He can’t be relied upon to play everyday in
the outfield, but you can’t deny the fact the Rocco’s presence on the field as
a DH could help give this team a quick jolt that could energize them for a
stretch run. The same thing could be said about prized starter David Price.
Price may find himself in the big leagues come the end of September and could
help the Rays make a push towards the division title.

So all in all, the Rays may not HAVE to make a move at the deadline. If they
do, I’m sure that Andrew Friedman will pull off a deal that was just as
successful as the one he ran down last year…

…and how has that Wigginton for Wheeler deal worked out? Enough said.

 

Just over 3 ½ hours to go….it outta be interesting.

>Bobby Lewis

After threats of a veto to the nation’s most substantial housing bill in decades, President Bush signed the Foreclosure Prevention Act today. This bill provides relief to more than 400,000 homeowners in danger of foreclosure and helps reassure financial markets of the health of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae who control 42% of the nations mortgages. One provision of this Act calls for $300 billion in mortgage relief for troubled homeowners, this will allow these homeowners to transform their high-interest mortgages into government-backed, thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages. The Act also sets a cap of $625,000 on loans made by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which the FHA can insure and allow both institutions to buy back mortgages up to 15% above the median home price. Another provision of the bill gives $3.9 billon to help communities fix-up foreclosed properties.

“With 1.4 million foreclosures, and rising, nationally, and with one home out of 200 in Florida in foreclosure, it is outrageous that Rep Bill C. W. Young, would not support this bill. I find it deplorable that Rep. Young voted against this bill, especially with Florida having such a high mortgage default rate. As our Congressman, he should be trying to help, not hurt during this crisis,” said Mayor Hackworth.

   Quarterback Jeff Garcia suffered a slight calf strain in a non-contact quarterback drill about three quarters of the way through morning practice.

   Head Coach Jon Gruden told us that he does not believe Garcia’s injury to be serious. Gruden said Garcia was working on the sidelines, taking snaps from center, and when he rolled out, Garcia felt a twinge and pulled up.  He was carted off the field.  Gruden said he would have an update on Garcia’s injury later today, likely after the afternoon walk-through under the tent.

   Tom Korun

From Yahoo at 9:50 am....



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Shoppers can buy a pound of coffee this week at Tampa Bay area Barnes and Noble shops to send to troops overseas.

Mark Samz, an assistant manager at the chain’s Carrollwood store where the idea originated, said the promotion is running at all Barnes and Noble stores throughout the St. Pete – Tampa – Brandon area.

The idea is simple: Shoppers buy a pound of coffee, write a short note to go along with it, and then leave it at the cash register.

The coffee will be dropped off at MacDill Air Force Base. Samz said officials there have agreed to ship it to deployed troops.   

The promotion runs through the end of the week.

The Starbucks in Winthrop Town Center in Riverview is doing a similar promotion, and last week Sweetbay was selling brownies and cookies to send overseas.

Obviously, such efforts are good for business. But it’s also nice to know that someone is thinking about those who are fighting for our country.

(Note: This was originally posted on The OP but it seemed a better fit here.)

Today is the non-waiver trading deadline in baseball and this post will be dedicated to all the rumors and moves as they happen throughout the day. So keep checking back from time-to-time...

[10:50] The Marlins have now acquired lefty relief pitcher Arthur Rhodes from Seattle. Could this mean that the Marlins are no longer interested in Grabow from the Pirates? If so, that throws another wrench in the Bay-to-Boston deal.

[10:45] Earlier we said that the Pirates had 3 options, with one being to keep Bay. Dejan Kovacevic is now saying that the Pirates are open to moving Bay to either Boston or Tampa Bay. Jayson Stark is saying that a Manny-to-Miami deal is now "50-50". The deal could fall through if the Marlins are not willing to part with prospect Mike Stanton. Also Stark says that reliever Grabow would go to Miami, not Boston.

[10:35] Another "plan B" for the outfield could be the Phillies Jayson Werth. One Rays scout told ESPN Radio that he is scouting Werth. Werth is a right-handed hitting outfielder that is hitting .272-14-40. Werth is arbitration-eligible after the season and is set to be a free agent following the '09 season.

[10:24] The relievers that the Rays may be targeting include Wil Ohman a lefty from the Braves and John Grabow of the Pirates, who could be part of the Bay deal. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the Rays are one of 5 teams that have talked to the Braves about Ohman. Of those teams, the Sox would get Grabow in the Bay deal and the Tigers just landed Kyle Farnsworth, leaving just 3 teams that may be interested, including the Rays. The Newark Star-Ledger notes that the Rays are one of 4 teams to talk to the Mets about Scott Schoeneweis, another lefty.

[10:18] Peter Gammons is reporting that the Pirates are "not satisfied with the players they were receiving in exchange for sending Jason Bay to Boston." This opens the door to the possibility once again of the Rays obtaining Bay. Obviously, in a dream world, the Rays get Bay and Boston trades Manny away without receiving a bat in return, but that is not likely to happen.

[10:08] With the Red Sox still trying to move Manny Ramirez, the big rumor is that Manny is headed to the Marlins in a 3-way deal that would send Jason Bay to the Red Sox. The Rays are said to have an offer on the table for Bay, and are waiting for the Red Sox deal to either go through or fall apart.

Jayson Stark is reporting that if Bay does go to Boston, it now appears as though the Rays may consider Adam Dunn their backup plan. Stark notes that the Rays and Reds had conversations yesterday but nothing of substance. Dunn is intriguing in that he is a left-handed bat. Dunn is also a free agent at the end of the year.

As we stated last night, the Rays are now just waiting for the Pirates to either accept the Red Sox-Marlins offer, accept the Rays offer or decide not to trade Bay. It is believed that the Rays are not offering any of their top prospects with the Pirates asking for Jeremy Hellickson and or Reid Brignac. The Ray are likely offering a package revolved around Jeff Niemann.

Uh oh, I’m now doing what I warned the Rays against: watching the standings. It started two nights ago when the Rays beat the Blue Jays while the Red Sox and Yankees lost. I thought, “Hmmm, they gained a game. Good.”

I peeked this morning and saw that that Sox lost again, and the Yanks won. Not too bad. Rays have a three-game lead in the AL East.

But like I said a few days ago: There are more than 50 games left to play (55 to be exact). I think it’s counterproductive for Rays players to start a daily vigil on how the Sox and Yanks are doing.

I know it’s impossible to ignore those scores — the news is everywhere — but the St. Petersburg team has to do its best to downplay the day-to-day importance.

For fans, on the other hand, it just adds to the excitement.

The Rays fared pretty well on their road trip, going 4-3 and taking two out of three (close games) from division foe Toronto (although, collectively, the offense has yet to kick into gear).

The Rays play their next six games at home, three each against the increasingly dangerous Detroit Tigers (6-4 in their last 10) and then the Indians.

I like that Kazmir opens the series on Friday, not so much that the increasingly shaky Andy Sonnanstine pitches against crusty veteran Kenny Rogers on Saturday. Then again, L.L. Cool J performs after that game, and the Rays haven’t lost on concert Saturday nights.

I’m wondering if my bud Sean Daley of the St. Pete Times has started watching the standings? I’m also wondering if he’s excited about watching L.L. shirtless.

THE GOOD: Carlos Pena. Since the All-Star break, Pena has 4 home runs in 46 at bats or 1 every 11.5 at bats, which is closer to his '07 rate of 10.7 at bats per home run. Prior to the break he was only hitting home runs once every 20 at bats...Edwin Jackson. In his last 7 starts, Jackson is 3-1 with a 3.67 ERA. He is still not striking anybody out, but he only has 14 walks over that span and only once has he walked more than 2 batters in this stretch.

THE BAD: BJ Upton. We have been hesitant to bash Upton and his lackadaisical play at times. We are of the belief that it is easy for a very athletic person to look like they are giving less than 100% just as it always seems like people that are not very gifted athletically are giving their all because their movements are less "natural" and look more labored. Well, Upton gave the naysayers some ammunition yesterday almost turning a routine flyball into a double or triple. In the bottom of the 3rd, Upton nonchalantly went straight back on a flyball. As he drifted to the wall, Upton acted as if this was a very routine play. At the very last moment, Upton had to stretch and reach for the ball as it almost went over his head. He barely avoided giving the batter at least 2 bases.

THE TELLING: The Red Sox lost again last night and for the second time since the All-Star break, they have been swept by the Angels.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• We will be back in a little while with all the trade buzz.
  
• Anybody want EvanLongoria.com? Bidding starts at $25,000. [Deadspin]
• Bugs and Cranks continues their march towards the Rays franchise-record 71st win, by looking at every 62nd win in the first 10 seasons. [Bugs and Cranks]
  

I had a dry spell for a while, but the Lakeland SPCA called last week to see if I could foster any of the 15 puppies that weren’t yet old enough to be adopted. I agreed to care for three six-week-old puppies. Believe it or not, these are all siblings:

This is the little girl. She is so sweet and her tail is constantly wagging.

This one is a little boy. He’s the rambunctious one who attempts to chew up my plants and who can’t understand why the neighbor dog on the other side of the fence doesn’t want to be his friend.

Another little boy. This one is a chunk! I think he’s gonna be big. Out of the three, I think he loves affection the most. Let’s hope he doesn’t think he should still be a lap dog if he reaches 90 pounds.

If you love pets, but can’t afford the full-time commitment of owning one, I recommend becoming an SPCA foster parent. The foster parenting hyperlink takes you to the SPCA’s application. For me, this experience is perfect. I get all the enjoyment of having a puppy. But caring for them is just enough work that by the time they are old enough to be adopted, I’m actually ready to let them go.

If you simply can’t handle the responsibility of foster parenting, but you firmly believe in the SPCA’s cause, I hope you’ll consider supporting them. The SPCA always is in need of supplies such as dry puppy and kitten food, towels and blankets, bleach, paper towels, unscented liquid laundry detergent, medium and large latex gloves, liquid soap, distilled water, gallon size Ziploc freezer bags, kitty litter and new or lightly used pet crates/carriers. Can’t decide what to buy? You never go wrong with gift cards to PetSmart, PetCo or Pet Supermarket.

Buffalo 8, Durham 5. Wade Davis pitched 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks and 2 hit batters. He struck out 6. He gave up a 2-out home run in the first, after which he loaded the bases with 2 walks and a hit batter before getting the 3rd out. In the 2nd he gave up a leadoff home run. This time he reacted better, striking out the next 2 batters. In the 4th, he gave up a leadoff double and one out later the runner scored on a single. Davis did not have a 1-2-3 inning...Ben Zobrist was 3-4 with a home run and 2 RBI...Dan Johnson finished with 2 singles and a double in 5 at bats...Joel Guzman was 0-4 with a strike out and Reid Brignac hit his 26th double and 9th home run in 4 at bats. He also struck out twice.

Montgomery 3, Huntsville 2. Gaby Martinez broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the 9th with a leadoff home run. It was his first hit of the game after striking out his previous 3 at bats...Jino Gonzalez allowed only 2 hits over 5 innings, but 1 was a solo home run for the only run he would give up. He struck out 4 and walked 3...Rocco Baldelli DH'd again and went 0-3 with a walk...Rashad Eldridge went 2-4 with a double and his 16th stolen base...Chris Nowak added his 14th home run and finished 2-4 with 2 RBI.

Jupiter 6, Vero Beach 4. Wilton Noel dropped to 1-5 after giving up 6 runs (4 earned) in 6 innings...Matt Fields went 3-4 with a double. He has 7 hits, including a home run in the last 3 games...Ryan Royster was 1-4 with a double and an RBI.

Augusta 7, Columbus 4. Jesse Darcy started and allowed 5 runs in 5 innings. He struck out 6 and walked none, but did get touched for 3 home runs among the 7 hits allowed...Reid Fronk was 3-5 with a double and Chase Fontaine drove in 2 with a triple in 4 at bats.

Tri-City 5, Hudson Valley 4 (13).

Johnson City 14, Princeton 11. Tim Beckham did not play for the 3rd straight game.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Rays Digest takes a closer look at Wade Davis. [Rays Digest]
  

1. Three Bay area movie theaters present single-night screenings of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s latest motorcycle-riding documentary, Long Way Down. Pictured: McGregor looking cool in Africa.

2. After 25 years of doing their own thangs, keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, drummer Lenny White and guitarist Al Di Mieola have reunited as Return to Forever. The foursome performs at Ruth Eckerd Hall tonight. 

3. Comedian Phil Palisoul kicks off a four-night run of stand up at Side Splitters Comedy Club. 

4. Inkwood Books welcomes Mississippi writer Mary Anna Evans, who reads from and signs copies of Findings, the fourth installment in her Faye Longchampe archaeological mystery series.

5. Atlanta garage rockers The Hiss bring their psychedelic sounds to New World Brewery. Strangers and November Foxtrot Whiskey provide support.

“A film buff tells a friend that he’s finally broken “the code” - the mystery behind the character & story threads that bleed from one Quentin Tarantino movie or screenplay into the next. His friend is less than impressed. Starring Seu Jorge (The Life Aquatic) and Selton Mello (Tarja Preta). A short film by Brazilian [...]

Over on the Official Unofficial Seminole Heights blog, the post on OSHNA nominations has become more of a debate on the by-laws. My blog already states my views. That post is restated below.

There is an extensive revision to the Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association (OSHNA) by-laws. Naturally I have some opinions here. I strongly encourage a NO vote for the long term health and vitality of the organization.
I have reviewed the by-laws in detail. I still have a saved copy of the by-laws from when I first went on the board. Packed away in boxes notes on the first major re-write was back in 1994. I have copies of subsequent revisions. It is one thing to make corrections of spelling, grammar and such was a comprehensive revision. It is quite another to ram through a variety agenda driven changes in one big package. That is the kind of BULLSHIT Congress does to pass what could never stand on it's own merits. That is, in my opinion, what the By-law Committee and it's Chairperson have done.

Honorary membership is the one I have the most fun with; you see in the 1994-95 revisions Honorary Members included past Presidents who were given life-time voting privileges. In 1996-97 there was this rush to take away the voting privileges from those lifetime Honorary members. I was the only one that was the target for that little change, it too was mingled with other revisions to hide the agenda. Now we come full circle, now it is proposed that those rights are to be restored. Well I thought it was unnecessary then and I still do. There was no compelling reason for the first change and there is no compelling reason for the current proposal. But hey if I am wrong, and the members pass the revisions, I can save $10 a year and still have the benefits of running for office and voting.

But back to the serious side. All the bitching about no body wanting to get involved is bullshit. Yet that is the smoke screen for 2 year terms. That is the compromise for term limits.

Two year terms will prove to be a disaster and lead to a board out of touch and filled with their own self-importance.
Term limits are unnecessary. When people have choices they can choose to limit terms. Simply ask the one sitting board member who lost their trustee position in the fall of 1994. There may be people on the board that have been there far too long in my opinion but it should be up to them or the membership when their time on the board is up.
Why is it suddenly necessary to require one year of membership before being able to be a candidate? OSHNA has been in existance for 20 years. Has there been a crush of newbies storming the palace gates? It is yet one more BAR put forward to impede participation.
Why the prohibition against a sitting President running for any other position? Maybe there would be a President who still wish to serve but who because of a change in circumstances wanted a less demanding position (as a past President, I could see that happening). This also masks an unstated agenda.
In the guise of "the selection of a diverse and experienced board" the complete re-write of Article V, Section 2 "Eligibility" becomes self-serving of the incumbents.
The last time I checked it is the membership that is responsible for the selection of their governing Board.
On a 9 member board there is no sound reason to prohibit a President from voting. No President in OSHNA has ever had the sway over the Board to dictate outcomes of votes. Some have voted, some have abstained, some have selectively voted. In my time on the Board as President or as chairperson, I selectively voted but did not make motions in acting in the capacity of chair person.
There is no justification neutralize the President. The board has restricted the President's setting of meeting agenda's and speakers, and some would go so far as to say the President cannot express a view that has not already had the blessing of the board. This is to proscribe from the President the one tool or option at his or her disposal. Another hidden agenda masquerading as reform.

The board has the power to expel members from the association and remove other board members without the membership having any say but the members have no authority to recall board members before the next election???

I've been driving the Yaris for a little over 6 months now. I've tracked every tank of gas, and my average mileage is about 39mpg. I've gotten as high as 42mpg and as low as 36, but the average over the long haul is 39 miles per gallon, so that's not bad.

Except that things could have been so much better.

This evening Shirley and I watched the movie Who Killed the Electric Car. Back around 1980 I worked in a music store with a guy who drove one of these. I have no idea what the car cost or who made it, but it was fine for my colleague, who lived fairly close to the store and just needed easy around-town transportation. And there were various electric cars produced by the big auto makers, but through the mix of oil company greed, auto company short-sighted greed (quite rational focus on profit if you don't give a hoot about national security nor the environment), Bush administration actions, and other schmuckery ...the electric car efforts were killed.

Toyota was among the big companies that killed their electric car projects (an electric RAV4) once the US companies were stopping their own projects. But Toyota and Honda did move forward with their hybrid cars (US manufacturers abandoned hybrid work, only recently making some efforts at hybrid catch-up). So now, of course, Toyota is king of hybrids with the Prius, and will quite probably have a plug-in hybrid Prius in 2009. Sigh. The US companies had the skills, they had the technology, and they had the momentum ...but they blew it in favor of what we've seen far too often: the quest for short-term profits, at the exclusion of longer range thinking.

Hydrogen powered cars is just a ridiculous idea (from a consumer standpoint that is). Best estimates are that with a few miracles, they might be viable in 30 years. Or we could have had widely available electric cars on the road today.

Not being able to afford a Prius (and actually I would have preferred a Honda Insight if they were still on the market), I opted for the car model that got the best mileage at the time, and at an affordable price: the Yaris. And I've not been disappointed.

I especially look forward to 5 or so years from now when I truly believe we will have not only plug-in hybrids, but also a decent selection of completely electric vehicles available.

All day long, I thought today was Tuesday. I never actually bothered to check, because why would you check if you think it's the right day? After dinner, Richard listened to my plan for Wednesday and then pointed out that...

This from AP:

Police say they have confiscated a gun belonging to Jerry Lewis that was found in the 82-year-old entertainer's carryon bag as he prepared to fly to Detroit from Las Vegas.

Las Vegas policeman Bill Cassell said Tuesday that the actor was cited Friday for carrying an unloaded concealed weapon at the Las Vegas airport.

Lewis' manager, Claudia Marghilano, says the handgun is a hollowed-out prop gun that Lewis sometimes twirls during his show. She tells The Associated Press that the gun couldn't fire.

Marghilano says Lewis didn't know the gun was in the bag along with other props.

Cassell says if the gun were merely a prop "it wouldn't be a weapon and we couldn't cite him for carrying a weapon.

No doubt Lewis was going to use the gun to get that "$1 more" for his Labor Day Telethon, right?  Give me a break.

Rove's Racial Strategy will now head into second gear.



The "John McCain: Apocalypse Now Redux" T-Shirt can be purchased at The Zencomix Online Market. Call before midnight tonite! While supplies last! This offer void where prohibited! Buy one now before they ARE prohibited! Act Now!

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Zencomix

In 2005, we brought you [ex CIA Ray McGovern,](http://homepage.mac.com/sammscript/iMovieTheater5.html) the man who [called out the lies](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1FTmuhynaw) of ex Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld.