TampaBLAB

One year ago on Rays Index some thought Joe Maddon was among the "Crappiest Baseball Managers."

Joe Maddon Is Too Good For Rays [Rays Index]

The following is a clip filmed as part of the Vote Local Now campaign

Soon, the 18-year-old woman who was raped and beaten in April at the Bloomingdale Regional Public Library is expected to leave the rehabilitation center where she has been receiving treatment.
The house where her family lives and where she will reside needs extensive renovations to accommodate her medical needs when she returns home.

Thankfully, people have been stepping up to offer assistance.

If you would like to offer assistance, there are a number of ways to do so:

• Pink and red latex bracelets with the inscription, “Everyone’s Daughter, Everyone’s Friend,” are available at the Ruskin Chamber of Commerce for a $5 donation. The bracelets will be available at the chamber, 315 S. Tamiami Trail, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and at the office of Child Protection Education of America, 3439 Brook Crossing Drive, Brandon, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
• Bloomingdale High School’s PTSA is hosting a 5-kilometer run/walk fundraiser November 1st at Bloomingdale High School. Registration is at 9 a.m. and the event starts at 10 a.m.
• Also on November 1st, the International Independent Showmen’s Association, 6915 Riverview Drive, Riverview, is presenting a fundraising entertainment extravaganza beginning at 12 p.m. Tickets are $25 and will be sold at the door. The outdoor concert is being organized by St. Petersburg resident Jim Brady, and will feature doo-wop, country and Latin entertainers. Bring your own chairs and blanket. Food and drinks will be available for sale.
• Aaron Fredricks, proprietor of East Coast Pizza in Ruskin is planning two events in cooperation with the Ruskin Chamber of Commerce. The first is a barbecue on November 22nd and the second is a golf outing on December 5th. These events are still in the planning stages, so if you’d like more information, or would like to offer your services, please contact Mr. Fredricks at (813) 234-1700 or fred12582@aol.com.

And if you’d like even more info, here are some additional resources:

• Tampa Tribune report, June 2008
• A column by Steve Otto of the Tampa Tribune
• A report on fundraising efforts at Sticks of Fire.com.
• A fund to assist the victim’s family is being administered by SunTrust Bank
• Contact info for Sarina Fazan of WFTS TV in Tampa, who has been actively involved with reporting on the case itself as well as various fundraisers and other assistance efforts.

(Cross posted at Ridiculous trickle of consciousness)

Jack Turduckhen, reporting live from Dubuque, Iowa. The McCain campaign has decided to "Let Sarah be Sarah", and she is here now with me. Sarah, you are very strong on crime and punishment. Alaska doesn't have a Death Penalty. What is your position on The Death Penalty?





If the legislature passed a death penalty law, I would sign it.
I support adequate funding for a strong public safety presence in Alaska. Feeling safe in our communities is something we cannot accept any compromise on. This includes policing in all its forms, the court system, prosecutors and corrections. If the legislature passed a death penalty law, I would sign it. We have a right to know that someone who rapes and murders a child or kills an innocent person in a drive by shooting will never be able to do that again.


You are opposed to abortion. You believe life begins at conception, and an abortion is the premeditated murder of an unborn child. The premeditated murder of any child is a heinous crime, and the murderer should get the Death Penalty, right?







You Betcha!














I guess the only question that remains is "How will you execute women that have abortions?" Electric chair? Gas Chamber? Lethal injection? Public hanging with hordes of Christians chanting "Kill Baby, Kill!"?







Zencomix

From the tone of the City Commissioners at this morning’s agenda meetings, it appears Lakeland will soon have red light cameras.

The company Lakeland choose to install the cameras, American Traffic Solutions, presented the commissioners with the results of this week’s testing. Various city intersections were watched for an eight hour period each. The numbers of red light runners were:

51 - Northbound South Florida Ave. at North Parkway Frontage Road
40 - Southbound North Florida Ave. at Memorial Blvd.
33 - Eastbound Memorial Blvd at North Florida Ave.
32 - Westbound Memorial Blvd. at North Florida Ave.
31 - Northbound North Florida Ave. at Memorial Blvd
17 - Southbound South Florida Ave. at Polk Parkway Off Ramp East

Those numbers indicate the top six violation locations. Of course, none of the violations were checked by Lakeland Police Department officers. The test simply indicated the number of violations that ATS would send to LPD to be checked. Officers will have the option to reject violations for a number of reasons.

The commissioners heard a short presentation by ATSVP Greg Parks. They took the opportunity to ask Parks a number of questions about the cameras. Discussion included procedures, privacy issues, possible state laws, and the ATS contract.

The contract isn’t final at this moment, but city attorney Palmer Davis will have the final draft to the commissioners this afternoon. Commissioners were assured that the contract will state that the city will pay no capital expenditures to install or maintain the cameras.

The process is a simple one. Intersection cameras record 24 hours a day. The ATS software automatically flags all possible red light violations. Video and still images of the rear of the car are saved for each possible violation. LPD officers view only those possible violations as flagged by ATS. LPD is responsible for actually approving or rejecting violations. Lt Mike Link, of LPD Traffic Operations, noted that his officers will all receive training to use the ATS software. The officers will then work shifts on the software.

Only after an officer determines a violation has been committed, will ATS mail a citation to the owner of the vehicle running the red light. Owners can appeal the citation to a city code enforcement hearing officer, and to the courts if they reject the hearing officers findings. The video of the event is available to car owners when they receive the citation. Parks reported cities find very few car owners ever protest the citations after viewing the video.

Tomorrow morning, we’ll have more on red light cameras and how they’ll work in Lakeland.

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Did you know that Lakeland Local maps are interactive and include information you won't find in the article?

Mayor Bob Hackworth:

Ever since I began my campaign, I have been clear that I wanted to be a true citizen-legislator, not a career politician, and that I would not serve more than four terms. This pledge is not a new position, but something I have been saying from the beginning. Our campaign has always been about change and new leadership, but that will not happen if the same people are representing us, decade after decade.

My opponent has been in Washington for thirty-eight years and I believe that is thirty years too long. As mayor of Dunedin, I have been able to cut taxes, expand the number of parks, and bring new economic development to our community and it did not take me decades to do it.

We need change – both here and in Washington – and part of that is saying “no” to becoming a career politician. Too many politicians have lost touch with the communities they represent and, at the same time, they are collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from insurance companies, big oil and other special interests.

If the voters send me to Washington, they know that I am not going there to collect a government salary for the next four decades. I have heard all the arguments for keeping our representatives in Washington for thirty or forty years, but I do not believe that our community or our nation benefits from politicians treating elected office as a lifetime appointment.

Bob Hackworth is the Mayor of Dunedin. He was elected in 2006 after previously serving as a City Commissioner.

OK, everyone, this Sunday is the season finale of "Army Wives" on Lifetime. The previews have set us up for a dramatic climax where somebody dies.

All bets are on Jeremy, son of estranged Frank and Denise. Jeremy used to hit his mom, but then in true soap-opera fashion he left town for awhile and all was forgiven. Now Jeremy is the perfect son, having followed his father into the Army and gotten himself deployed to Iraq.

It’s the perfect set-up for TV tragedy.

Other reviewers have suggested Chase might be the one to die or be captured, or even one of the wives.

All will be revealed Sunday night (or not, since this is the season finale) and we’ll be right here to watch it during our weekly live chat and viewing party. The fun kicks off at 9:45 p.m. in the comments section to Sunday’s post and we usually stick around until 11:30 or so.

Let’s go all out since this is the season finale – make your favorite comfort food and adult beverages, and ask a friend to join us.

See you then!

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• Another day, another feature piece on the Rays in the New York Times. This time they take a look at the staying power of the team in the AL East, noting that core of the team could be unchanged in 2009 and beyond. However, Gerry Hunsicker reiterated that due to financial limitations, the team is always "trying to trade people a year too soon than a year too late.". The piece also speculates that Scott Kazmir could be traded along with one or more of the arbitration-eligible players (Edwin Jackson?)...In the piece it is indicated that the Rays likely turned a profit for the first time under Stuart Sternberg thanks to reaching the World Series. [New York Times]
• Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald says the Rays have "started - and are winning - a war for supremacy with the Red Sox" in the AL East and that the rivalry between the Sox and Yankees has been put on ice for now. Silverman says the Rays are good for baseball and refreshing for the Red Sox. [Boston Herald]
  
• Eric Hinske gets to face Brad Lidge again. They are in a Fantasy Football league together. Seriously. [Fanhouse]
  
• There is a rally tentatively scheduled for 4:30pm on Friday at Straub Park in St. Pete. [MLB]
  
• We wish we could have muted Tim McCarver and Joe Buck and instead listened to Sully's wife. She had more insight...Speaking of which, did any of you watching on TV know that Jason Bartlett ran through a stop sign in the 7th inning? Us neither. We listened to Dave Wills call during the Rays' radio broadcast and indicates that Bartlett indeed ran through a stop sign. Of course we never saw replay from FOX TV and McCarver and Buck never even bring the issue up. [Sully Baseball]
  
• Jerry Crasnick of ESPN takes a look at what the World Series means for the Rays moving forward and how this is a team that could be better next year. [ESPN]
• Jon Heyman says there was no disappointment, anger or bitterness in the Rays locker room following their game 5 loss...There is a part of us that wished the Rays had taken the World Series loss a little tougher. But then again, this is what has been great about the Rays all season. They are able to get over losses very quickly and move forward. [SI.com]
  
• Jordi over at The Serious Tip opens up about what the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays meant to him. [The Serious Tip]
• Will never happen. NEV-er. [Chicago Tribune]
  
• A Joe Maddon pumpkin? Wow. That's all we got. Wow. [The Heater]
• Mike Wlodarczyk is blogging from the Arizona Fall League. [Rays Prospects]
  

photo credit: Tom Hagerty

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Did you know that Lakeland Local maps are interactive and include information you won't find in the article?

YouTube - TOM WAITS “Going Out West”

YouTube - The Cars - Candy-O 1979

Need One - Martina Topley-Bird

One of my favorite singers.

Too Tough to Die - Martina Topley-Bird

Shangri La - Martina Topley-Bird

A

Barack Obama stepped forward to urge California voters to vote no on Prop 8. The anti-gay measure would make gay and lesbian marriages illegal in California.

About Prop 8
Why Vote No on Prop 8?
Prop.8 is unfair, unnecessary and wrong. Find out why Californians are voting no >>

Facts v. Fiction
Special interest groups behind Prop 8 have engaged in a deceptive campaign to confuse voters.
Get the truth >>

Who Opposes Prop 8?
Nearly every major newspaper in California, and a broad range of groups and leaders representing teachers, nurses, seniors, business and labor, oppose Proposition 8. See who is on the list >>

What is Prop 8?
Prop 8 would eliminate the fundamental right for same-sex couples to marry. Read the title & summary and ballot arguments >>

Barack Obama calls Prop 8 “Divisive and Discriminatory” >>

Hat tip to Pam.

  It did happen.  For the second week in a row, USF was beaten by an inferior team, this time Cincinnati 24-10.  Bulls Quarterback Matt Grothe threw three interceptions in the game.  The USF offense was bottled up most of the night.

  You couldn’t have asked any more from the USF defense.  They held Cinncy to one TD in the second half, but the offense couldn’t do their part.

  So the Bulls lose their third Big East game of the season.  Forget the Big East title, and say goodbye to a Top 25 ranking.   It looks like injuries have taken their toll, showing a lack of depth despite returning 17 of their starters from a year ago.  Never would have picked this outcome.  Bulls are now 6 and 3 on the season, 1-3 in the Big East. 

  Tom Korun

The AP reports Barack Obama approached Rahm Emanuel about being his Chief of Staff. Marc Ambinder doesn't see it happening.

Emanuel has been a regular behind-the-scenes adviser to Obama, knows everyone in Washington, is one of the better communicators in the party, and certainly is qualified for the post. But he's ... got a very strong personality that doesn't exactly jibe with the tone Obama likes to set for his endeavors. (David Plouffe and Rahm Emanuel could not be more different in temperament.) He also has a young family, and he has not moved them to Washington, and his hours as chief of staff would be hellish.

I don't see it happening because Nancy Pelosi is pushing to have Emanuel fill Obama's Senate seat. Jesse Jackson Jr. has been lobbying to fill the vacancy. Emanuel has more political capital within the party to make Governor Rod Blagojevich appoint him. Emanuel is fairly young and his star is rising. Chief of Staff would be a career dead end.

The British The Economist endorses Barack Obama. The editorial board are classical liberals. American libertarians have some similarities. Conservatives bloggers will just say another liberal media outlet endorsed Obama. I thought throw the "classical liberals" raw meat out there. Fire away, Peer Review.