August 2006 Archives

I've been waiting on Ernesto to arrive for a couple of days now. He didn't come here as a hurricane, or even a tropical storm. Ernesto is a tropical depression, and not really even worthy of a name. Still, it's a tropical cyclone and that makes today a storm day.
That's supposed to be like a snow day, for those of you who live in the great white north.

We started off with preparations. People rushed for gas, food, and home supplies. NASA even decided to roll the space shuttle back off the launch pad and back into the VAB for protection. Then, something unprecedented happened. NASA changed its decision and reversed course. Put the shuttle back on the launch pad. This storm is a pansy!

Schools were closed today, and so were some businesses. Then the businesses decided to re-open. Banks opened. Shelters closed. Weathermen were bummed out that we called for a storm and Ernesto showed up, instead. I checked out Technorati to see what the bloggers had to say, but more spoke about Katrina than Ernesto. It's really sad when last year's storm is a better news story than the one hitting home today.

Let's be fair. Ernesto was a hurricane. Ernesto killed two people in Haiti (though there's a good chance two Haitians would've killed each other, anyway. Also, some people in Florida lost electricity (maybe 6,800 from one report I read). Two people died in auto accidents due to slippery roads. Any tropical cyclone causes problems.

On the evening news, they showed people who referred to Ernesto as "a lot of hype over nothing", "overblown", or "just a waste of a workday." These are the people who probably think all storms are this weak. These are the future victims of America, because they won't take precautions for the next storm.

I believe in being prepared, being safe, and knowing that storms are still unpredictable. 2004's Hurricane Charley wasn't supposed to hit us, but it jogged right and came up the I-4 line to blow over my house, knocked out power for weeks, and generally made life miserable. My neighbor lost every tree in his yard during the 2004 hurricane season.

Ernesto is going a fine job, though. Central Florida was somewhere between 8-10 inches below our rainfall for the season. We could use a good soaking without all the damaging winds. That's what we're getting.

Good job, Ernesto.

Something really stupid is happening in Central Florida lately. Brash, young idiots are playing chicken with cops. The idiots operating vehicles aim at a cop standing by on the street, rev the engine, and (I'm guessing) hope he'll jump out of the way so they can escape getting pulled over.

There's a flaw in their theory. The idiots are hitting the cops before they have a chance to get out of the way. Deputy Callin was murdered by a fool who didn't want to get pulled over, so the fool revved his engine and ran straight into the deputy.

Then Lake Mary Officer Chris Dye escaped death while trying to pull over a speeding motorcycle, and the fool on the bike accelerated, hit him, and then raced off. According to the Orlando Sentinel article:

"He made clear eye contact with me," said Dye, who had minor injuries. "He was shaking his head as if he was disappointed, not that he wasn't going to stop."

Fortunately, an anonymous tip lead to the arrest of Joshua Michael Wiggins, 26. This fool lives a couple of miles away from me. They're getting too close for comfort.

Now, we have this report about another fool on a motorcycle hitting another cop. Officer Robert Baxter is ok, but could have just as easily been seriously injured or killed from the impact of a fast moving vehicle. I believe I heard on WESH today that police apprehended Jose Gabriel Miranda, 19, for this latest attack.

I'm not anti-motorcycle. I've been riding since I was 12 and have no plans to stop. No, I'm anti-idiot. Putting someone else's life at risk just because you want to avoid a ticket is just stupid. It appears that Jose Gabriel Miranda may have had more at stake, as he reportedly used a firearm in the theft of the motorcycle he used to attack officer Baxter.

Who is breeding these selfish idiots? When you get arrested, tried, and convicted of trying to run over a police officer, I think the penalty should include castration. People like these fools are just too dangerous to let them breed more little idiots.

Ah, the smell of the season's first hurricane. It's not unlike the anticipation of Christmas, only with destruction instead of presents. If you have enough small kids, perhaps the two events are more similar than you'd like to admit.

I won't pretend to give you hurricane updates. You can find that at a number of places. My favorite source is un-official, but excellent. Please check out the flhurricane blog for some interesting analysis and information. Another useful site is the Orlando Sentinel Hurricane Blog. Finally, the state operates Florida Disaster web site.

Although I should consider this good news, I'm a bit disappointed now that the experts tell us Ernesto should remain a tropical storm while over Florida. That's going to take the fire out of the TV news broadcasts. These guys get really excited showing us everything you ever wanted to know about hurricanes. This morning, the WESH weather guy was giving a Cuban history lesson about the Pico Turquino mountains.

It seems that Ernesto was passing this spot, the highest peak in Cuba. That's when he told us how Fidel Castro and his band of merry men hid out for a while. Yeah, nothing like weather and communist history in the making to complete my morning quest for information. Thanks, WESH.

Life gets mildly complicated when a hurricane (or tropical storm) approaches. Expect long lines at grocery stores, gas stations, and home improvement stores.

I started at Publix today. Things were busier than most Monday's after work, but not too cramped. Employees were stocking all over the place. The cashier told me it was busier yesterday and this morning. I figured it wouldn't hurt to get some bottles of water and some snack foods, just in case the power goes out and I can't cook. I must've picked up five pounds of grapes, too.

Next, I needed gas. I was going to hit Sam's Club, but the line was outrageous. I decided to skip the gas then and headed home. When I got there, I saw the same Sam's Club gas pumps on the evening news. Looks like I made the right decision. So I waited until 8:30 tonight and hit another station. It was busy, but I found one pump free waiting for me. The guy at the pump in front of me was filling his Civic and a 5-gallon gas can. I guess nobody told him we don't have any gas reserve problems this time around. Then again, it doesn't hurt to be prepared.

As I have no desire to get in a fight for plywood, I skipped the whole mess at the home improvement stores. I hate those places, anyway.

It looks like Wednesday may be a day to stay home from work. If that's the case, I'll need more food. Another trip to Publix may suck, but I didn't want to stand in line for the deli today.

It's election season. That means we get tons of news about things done and said by people seeking office. This year, we get the ever entertaining Katherine Harris running for Senate. She's on the Republican ticket, but the Republicans in power don't seem to want her. Considering some of the things she does and says, no wonder. Consider this piece on the Orlando Sentinel's political blog.

It's so awful that you almost have to laugh. Does this idiot realize that she's just insulted millions of voters by declaring that anyone who is not Christian is evil?

Separating religion and politics is "so wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers," Harris said.

Oh, well then feel free to insult the voters. They don't matter. Just believe in God and He will elect you to the U.S. Senate. Wow. That's a strategy I've never heard before. Good luck with that, Katherine.

I'm not picking on Katherine Harris because I'm anti-Republican. Far from it, I'm a registered Republican. No, I'm picking on Katherine Harris because she's just flipped out.

The part that's really scary is...she's not in last place. Consider these results from a Hispanic Chamber of Orlando straw poll:

U.S. Senate: Will McBride, 125; Bill Nelson, 70; Katherine Harris, 37; LeRoy Collins Jr., 18; Peter Monroe, 5.

Of course, it just keeps getting worse. Now she has her own entry in the Urban Dictionary.

Katherine Harris is by no means the only loony candidate this season. She's just the most promising one for our entertainment purposes this season. What truly frightens and tittilates me at the same time is the notion that she could represent me in the U.S. Senate.

Labor Day weekend means it's time for cops to make threats to the driving public. After last year's record death toll - 44 people died in crashes across Florida - the cops are making their biggest threat yet. They promise to jail anyone who breaks the law.

Let's think about that. If you get caught driving drunk, you go to jail. Hmmm.

Do we need a holiday weekend for this concept to be policy? Wouldn't you expect cops to always jail a drunk driver? Does this mean that they normally just give the drunk a ticket and send him (or her) back on down the road? I certainly hope that isn't the case.

No, this announcement is yet another way that local and state law enforcement uses to treat citizens like children. As evidence, the Orlando Sentinel gave this quote:

"Don't drink and drive, because we will fill up 33rd Street if you do," said Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary, referring to the county jail.

This isn't just a local or state effort, though. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sponsored a nationwide effort, in conjunction with MADD, and an $11 Million advertising campaign. You know the type - commercials with real cops who are deadly awful at delivering their lines.

The only thing that's really missing is a catchy name or slogan for this campaign. How about this one from MADD's site?

DRUNK DRIVING
Over the limit. Under Arrest.

Well, someone thought it was catchy. I think they could do better. The first problem is that there's no rhyme, as with Click it or Ticket. You need those rhymes for the message to sink into the juvenile mind of most drivers. At least, that seems to be the message from our law enforcement community.

How about these slogans?

• Have a drink and we'll send you to the clink.


• Bottoms Up! (in more ways than one)


• Abuse your liver and we send you up the river.


• Get hammered. Get slammered./

I don't mean to belittle the severity of drunk driving. It makes sense that our law enforcement community would raise attention to the problem on holidays when so many people find ways to kill themselves (and others) on the roads. I just wish they could do it without treating us as subjects of a police state. Sometimes, I think their authority goes too much to their heads.

Orlando gets quite a bit of convention business. It's an understandable draw. We have world-class attractions, plenty of hotel rooms, the weather is generally accommodating, and there are facilities all of the place. The Orange County Convention Center is one of the ten largest centers in the nation. We get all manner of conventions in Orlando, including the Orlando Comic-Con that's at the Caribe Royale this weekend.

If a collection of geeks is good for Orlando, why not another collection? I'm trying to decide if that's what I'll find if I attend BlogOrlando - an unconference of bloggers at Rollins College on September 22-24. It's a free event to discuss "blogging, podcasting, public relations, social media, citizen's journalism and other related topics," according to the web site.

The idea of a blogger convention within reach appeals to me. BlogHer '06 just finished recently, and I've been reading many of the articles people are writing about it, but I think I'd like something with an implied acceptance of testicle owners. When I first read about BlogOrlando, I thought this could be my opportunity to actually see other people who like to do this stuff.

Then the word "unconference" stuck out. What the hell is an unconference? Why do I need an "un" in front of "conference?" I've been to plenty of professional conferences, and I like them. Sure, conference food sucks. They make up for that by offering cool swag, like conference bags.

It seems that an unconference is the uber-geek's idea of cool for the past few years. Instead of having planned sessions with intelligent speakers (right), the unconference hopes that the attendees will do all the work for them (wrong). My, isn't this exciting? It's almost communism in geekdom. Everyone is equal, but the one with the microphone is more equal than others.

In truth, the event is really only one day's worth of informative sessions. The last two days are set aside for theme parks, and I have no desire to see Disney or Universal Studios (again). The first day is a travel day for people who aren't local. So the question in my mind - "Is this thing worth taking a vaction day?"

The attendees page shows about 39 people right now, including one woman who doesn't have a blog yet. Whether this unconference is any good or not is ultimately up to the participants. That thought doesn't inspire me with confidence. I've seen too open mike sessions ruined by geeks with an affinity for stealing the spotlight, and without regard for the audience's benefit.

Do I go? Ultimately, I'll go with my gut feeling. My desire to attend a conference is high, but this just doesn't feel right to me.

Men's Health Magazine ranked 100 cities in America to determine: How Angry is Your City?

Congratulations, Orlando. You're #1!

Not only did Orlando take the prize as the angriest city in Orlando, but several other Florida cities made appearances in the top 10 - St. Petersburg, Miami, and Jacksonville residents are also peeved. Tampa didn't have quite enough gusto to make the top 10, winding up as the 12th angriest city in America.

So what's ticking you off, Orlando? Is it the incompetence of other drivers on I-4? Is it the fact that our elected officials keep getting in trouble with the law? Could it be the ever increasing rate of murder in town? All are good reasons for getting a bit peeved.

Look at the bright side. The City of Orlando has 99 parks to use. Pick a nice one and chill out.

I just got off the phone with SunPass customer service. They confirmed that my account hadn't replenished, but it will the next time I drive through a toll booth. That's nice.

I asked about the -$2.57 account balance showing on the web page. Can you refund that?

"I'm sorry, we're not setup to do that."

You were setup fine to take my money at the toll booth. Can you tell that I went through a toll booth instead of the express toll?

"Yes."

Well?

"I'm sorry, but we can't give a refund without a receipt.

How do I show you the receipt over the phone?

"I'm sorry, we're not setup to do that."

So that's just money lost for me?

"Yes. Can I do help you with anything else?"

Getting around town these days means either fighting traffic on I-4 or spending toll money on the Expressway Authority toll roads. With my commute, I get to deal with both roads. In the morning, I take I-4 down to my gym. After a workout, I continue down I-4 to the 408 towards work. After work, it's 408 to 417 to get back home. It's about a 50 mile round trip.

One of the nice things about the Expressway roads is not having to deal with the deadlocked traffic. Of course, the tolls aren't cheap. My commute cost me a little over $100 in tolls last month. It's getting to be a little more annoying lately, though. My transponder from SunPass isn't getting reloaded lately. When I checked their website, I found this little note:

We are currently experiencing delays in the downloading of toll and replenishment type transactions. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Your account will be updated to reflect any recent transactions as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Hey, at least they apologize for any inconvenience. So what's inconvenient? The fact that I'm going through the pay booths instead of the transponder lanes. Even though I'm paying in cash (and not getting the discounts associated with the transponder accounts), my transponder is giving me warnings that it has an insufficient balance. Honestly, I didn't think anything about that. At least, not until I checked my account.

My account is -$2.57 now. How is that possible, when all the tolls are in $.25 increments? It seems that I lost $.43 on my transponder when I paid at a $.50 toll. It wasn't enough to pay the toll, but they sucked the money out of my account. Since I paid at the booth, that one cost me $.93. Ok, it's not big money. It's just enough to be annoying.

So why is the SunPass system having a problem replenishing accounts? When will my account get replenished so things can start working normally? One of my tolls is $1.50 on the transponder, but costs $2.00 for cash customers. You'd think someone would be a phone number on the Expressway Authority account page, but it's not there. I may have to use the dreaded phone book.

As if this weren't enough, they want to raise the tolls. I understand that's because we have more roads to build and someone has to pay. Wait, I'm already paying. I don't need another road, unless they want to replace my commute on I-4.

It's only August, but we've had more murders in 2006 than any previous year in Orlando's history. It's safe to say that we're knocking them dead. Naturally, this new record deserves some kind of mention from elected officials and, in the case of murder, the police department. Let's start with the statement from His Honor, Mayor Buddy Dyer:

Dear friends,

Public safety has always been a top priority of this administration, and we are dedicating substantial additional public safety resources to protect and serve our citizens. As you are aware, the rising numbers of homicides in our city is a great concern, however, Orlando is not alone in the recent escalation of violent crime. Cities across the country are facing similar challenges, but any violent crime, even one homicide is unacceptable in our city.

The Orlando Police Department has developed a number of measures based on proven best practices that have worked in other cities, focusing on tactical operations and crime prevention programs to address not only the rising homicide rate, but other serious crimes as well. I have complete confidence in our police department to implement deployment methods based upon location of criminal activity. In fact, this tried, tested and effective approach is utilized often by police forces across the country.

In addition, we will implement a comprehensive, 3-year public safety initiative to increase our police officers and fire personnel by 11% and add additional personnel to patrol our parks and recreational facilities. This multi-year proposal will strengthen our police force, putting 75 additional officers on our streets to patrol our neighborhoods… making Orlando one of, if not the, highest-ranking cities in the nation for the number of officers we have per thousand citizens.

We must not tolerate the environment and lifestyles that result in violent crimes, and I encourage using the information listed below to assist you and your neighbors in becoming engaged in addressing this community wide concern.

Sincerely,

Buddy Dyer
Mayor

Ok, so we're setting new records in death. What are we going to do about it? Glad you asked such an intelligent question. Let's see the Orlando Police Department plan:

Public safety is a community wide responsibility. The Orlando Police Department’s 3-point approach includes: Enforcement: proactive tactical efforts based on crime statistics, Education: community outreach initiatives and Engagement: how you can make a difference to create safe and livable neighborhoods.

Enforcement

• Based on the analysis of the current homicide data the City has identified areas where a majority of the homicides have taken place, and are mobilizing resources to increase presence in those areas.
• In addition to the assigned patrol officers, the Orlando Police Department is deploying uniform and non-uniform specialized units as well as drug enforcement officers to these identified areas.
• These deployment efforts will not have an impact on our patrol coverage in those areas not affected by the current homicide trend.
• The Homicide Unit has solved approximately 73% of the cases since the beginning of this year by arrest or the suspect has been identified and an arrest is pending.
• In 70% of the homicides, the victim has been involved in the use or sale of drugs.

Education

• Citizen Police Academy- A program that introduces citizens to police work from how to patrol neighborhoods to tactics used in high-risk incidents. This academy is also offered during the day for senior citizens and in Spanish. Call 407.246.2461 for class times and dates.
• Faith-Based Neighborhood Outreach- A partnership between the City and local faith based leaders with a focus on educating and engaging the community. For more information call 407.246.2104.
• School Educational Programs- The Orlando Police Department offers “Super Kids", an elementary school program and the GREAT Program "Gang Resistance Education and Training", which is included in the Middle School curriculum and addresses community service and drug awareness and prevention.

Engagement

• Crimeline- Citizens are encouraged to anonymously notify the Orlando Police Department with information and suspects involved in crimes. The Crimeline phone number is (407) 423-TIPS.
• Drug Hotline- An anonymous hotline where citizens can report drug activity to the Orlando Police Department. The Drug Hotline phone number is 407.246.CRAK(2725).
• Citizens for Neighborhood Watch- Citizens for Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention program that provides home and personal safety training including free home and business security surveys; hosts Operation I.D. to engrave personal items for easy identification; and regular updates on neighborhood crimes statistics and crime alert bulletins. To get involved call 407.246.2461.
• Citizen Observer Program (COP)- Volunteers help police maintain livable neighborhoods by performing crime watch duties and alert the police department of hazards and unlawful behavior. To get involved call 407.246.2461.
• Kicks for Guns- A gun exchange program for shoes. A yearly event hosted by the Orlando Police Department, Real Radio 104.1 and Reebok. For more information call 407.246.2461.

Ok, now let's take some lessons learned from these announcements from our city leaders.

• Murder is bad, but at least we're not the only city dealing with additional violent crime.
• More murder = more cops. (since killers don't pay taxes, we'll charge you.)
• We know where the murderers are! (they leave dead bodies behind to help us track them.)
• Drug users get murdered. (Like Nancy Reagan said, "Just say no!")
• Isolate and brainwash people without jobs (OPD will now offer a day care service for kids & senior citizens).
• We need your tips! (it seems the murderers tend to leave the scene after killing people. Please tell us where they are.)
• Trade your stolen weapons for free shoes. (we know you didn't pay for those guns, but the taxpayers will buy you shoes.)
• No good deed goes unpunished. (We're going to harass the hell out of hard-working, honest taxpayers with stepped up traffic enforcement, because that makes them think we're hunting for murderers.)

As you can see, our local authorities have this murder thing well in hand. As long as the tourists are safe while in town, the rest of us can just join a betting pool to see how high the murder count rises by the end of the year.

Florida had a lot of gators in the news this year. The pesky critters kept eating people, and that tends to get our attention. When you think about the numbers, it's actually quite rare for a gator to attack a human. According to the United States Census Bureau, there are an estimated 17,789,864 in Florida as of 2005. That's an 11.3% increase since the 2000 census.

Gators don't have quite the same population. After spending 20 years on the endangered species list (1967 - 1987), the gator population now explodes all over the state. Here are some quick numbers for the Central Florida gator population:

• Lake Jesup: 15,000


• Lake George: 13,800


• Lake Kissimmee: 8,800


• Lake Harney/Lake Monroe: 8,200


• Puzzle Lake: 5,800


• Lake Griffin: 5,200


• Lake Toho: 3,400


• Harris Lake: 2,300

As of May 2006, there have been 19 confirmed fatalities caused by alligators in the State of Florida since records began in 1948. Over 17 million people against thousands of gators. It seems we kill more of them than the other way around.

Well, brace yourself for more gator killing, because it's gator hunting season. From August 15th through November 1st, licensed trappers can hunt the pre-historic beasts under the Florida Alligator Harvest Program. There were 4,406 permits issued in the state, with a two-gator bag limit for each permit.

Not everyone wants to go gator hunting, though. The permit costs $272 for residents ($1,002 for non-residents). Only 2,155 intrepid souls snapped up the permits this year. Last year, the state didn't sell all of its permits, so now it allows trappers to purchase more than one permit this year. All of the permits sold out in four hours this year. See what happens when the gators start eating people before hunting season?

Some of the new gator hunters may wonder if they got more than they intended when the hunt begins. First, the hunt is a night venture. The permits allow hunting from 1/2 hour before sunset until 1/2 hour after sunrise. Next, you don't get to shoot the beast from afar. Gator hunting is up close and personal.

You go out in a boat, shining your light on the water. Red eyes look back at you. Slowly, you paddle closer to those eyes. How close? Close enough to hit the gator between the eyes with your bang stick - a pole with a device on the end that fires a bullet only when you push it against the gator's skull. Between the time you spot the gator and get close enough to use your bang stick, the gator has a few tricks of his own. They don't go willingly. Gators are usually brought close to the boat with hand-held snares, harpoons, or restraining lines.

There are tales of supposedly dead gators snapping back to life once inside the boat. Much like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.

Personally, I won't ever be one of the folks out hunting gators in the middle of the night. They taste like chicken, and it's too easy to get a chicken sandwich around here.

I just picked up this little piece from the Road Wise column in today's Orlando Sentinel. It seems the commuter rail service coming to Orlando in the next three years will have built-in wifi and power outlet connections on all seats.

I wonder how many people will be on the train with port scanners trying to hack into someone's laptop?

Cute, aren't they? Everyone loves dolphins. Everyone, except a six year old kid who got bitten by one at the Sea World Dolphin feeding area a couple of days ago.

Fortunately, the dolphin bite didn't break his skin. The kid walked away with a bruise and little desire to continue seeing the dolphins. Sea World folks said this type of thing happens very rarely. They'll take the dolphin back for rehabilitation before allowing it to return to public contact.

Just because something is cute doesn't mean it won't bite.

I found this one at Shakespeare's Coffee.

If you're an American, then here's an example of your tax dollars at work. The United States Department of Agriculture wants to fine the Hemingway Home in Key West $200 per cat for violating the Animal Welfare Act. As far as the USDA is concerned, the Hemingway House is an "exhibitor of cat," and denied the house the license it needs to keep the cats.

The Hemingway Home used to allow people to adopt kittens, but no longer does so. That would change its status from Dealer to Exhibitor (I presume) in the eyes of the USDA.

It seems absurd, but something that should get resolved easily. Will it?

Orange County Deputy Michael Callin, 26, died last night of injuries sustained from being hit by a speeding car. Witnesses report that Deputy Callin stepped out into the road to signal the speeding white Honda Civic to pull over. The driver down-shifted and swerved left. When Deputy Callin stepped further into the roadway, the driver drove straight at him. Withnesses said the driver, Allan O. Barahona, 19, had plenty of time to avoid the deputy. He didn't brake, swerve, or try to avoid the deputy at all.

As such, Barahona's charges currently include attempted murder of a law-enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and resisting an officer without violence. Now he should probably expect a murder charge to get tacked onto his list of offenses.

A day after Barahona did his hit-and-run, nearby Polk County suffered a loss of Haines City police officer who was riding to work on a motorcycle. A van Officer Phoenix Montana Braithwaite, 24, and then he was immediately hit by a flat-bed truck. The driver, Miguel Gonzalez, 43, of the van fled the scene on foot. He left Officer Braithwaite in the middle of the road and two injured passengers in his van as he fled into the woods. Gonzales is an illegal alien from Mexico and does not have a driver's license.

Two law enforcement officers were victims of hit-and-run drivers in as many days. Both officers died. I expect a major crackdown on reckless driving and speeding in the Central Florida area to happen now, and with good reason.

Yesterday, Orange County Deputy Michael Callin was struck by a speeding car while performing his duty. The impact hit his femoral artery. As a result, he lost a great deal of blood (he required 170 pints) and doctors amputated part of his right leg. Deputy Callin is still in pretty bad shape.

The Orlando Sentinel Crime Blog has information for those who wish to donate money or blood to help Deputy Callin and to replenish blood bank supplies.

Want to make Florida a better state? Send your ideas to 100ideas.org. The Florida House of Representatives plans to meet in Orlando on August 10th & 11th for a statewide policy summit. The idea is to give legislators the opportunity to discuss issues and develop policy for the book entitled “100 Innovative Ideas for Florida’s Future”. The lawmakers have an opportunity to share their knowledge and experiences with each other, as well as hear from citizens throughout the state.

Some of the ideas are informative and useful. Others...well, let's list some of the others on the 100ideas page:

• I would like the actual start times posted for movies. I went to see a movie yesterday. I got there when the start time in the newspaper was listed and sat through 20 full minutes of commercials and then 10 minutes of previews. Not only are they lying about the start times, but I paid to see a movie not ads. If they sell ads, then reduce my admission fee. Regardless, this is misrepresentation. They advertise that the start time of the movie is such but what they are really doing is starting the commercials at that time. This has been talked about for 25 years but the chains never do anything. It just gets worse and worse. What I'd like to see is the state getting together with the chains to voluntarily come up with a solution. We don't need more laws unless there is no other way. Give them options and see if a compromise can be made.
• Require all gas stations to post in letters the same size as the price per gallon the country or countries of origin of the crude oil used in the gasoline. Give our citizens the information necessary to choose to buy Texas Alaska or Gulf of Mexico gas instead of Saudi Arabia.
• Credit card companies should not be allowed to issue more than one credit card account to an individual. For example if I own a Visa Card via one bank it should be illegal for Visa to mail me applications for another card via another bank. It is far too easy to acquire credit cards.
• Basic insurance coverage liability of at least $50000-$100000 should be mandatory and should be purchased by everyone driving in Florida by adding the cost on to the price of Gasoline and Diesel fuel. Yes gas is costly and adding to the cost will not be popular at first but in the long term every Floridian will save money by not having to purchase expensive PIP and uninsured motorist coverage. The cost of insurance would be tied to the number of miles driven and the efficiency of the vehicle. Large vehicles with poor gas mileage would pay more than hybrids. Those who drive more would pay more than those who just go to church on Sunday. Every tourist from another state who drives into Florida would be automatically 'covered' as soon as gas is purchased. Extra coverage collision comprehensive etc. would be optional. Since the States regulate insurance the coverage could be spread around to various companies such as those writing homeowners windstorm and other unpopular or less profitable lines.
• Every school in the state of Florida should have the same dates for vacations so families with children at different schools can all go away on break together.
• [My personal favorite] The State of Florida, as part of the Space Initiative Legislation signed into law this session, should make a priority consideration for Asteroid defense of planet Earth. It is no secret that there are hundreds of thousands of planet killing rocks in outer space which could end human civilization once and for all. Who cares if the roads of Florida are clogged, if my children or grandchildren could be wiped off the face of the earth? Please fellow citizens, I beg of you, do not laugh off this threat.

For the last 20 years, I've heard stories about commuter rail coming to Orlando. One group wanted it, another one didn't. Everyone wanted the federal government to pay for it. Sometimes the money appeared forthcoming, and then people couldn't meet the deadlines to get the grant. One plan called for the rail to travel between lanes of Interstate 4.

Now, it looks like things will finally happen. The money comes from a mix of federal, state, and local governments...plus a little kick in from private investment. It seems the key to this plan is existing track owned by CSX Transportation. That's the company owning the 61 miles of existing track on which the commuter rail plans to run. The path for the initial track runs from DeBarry, FL to downtown Orlando, potentially operating by 2009. Extensions to Osceola county may take a few more years to happen.

After 37 years on the job at one station (something of a minor miracle in the TV news industry), Dave Marsh retired from local NBC affiliate WESH. During the course of his career, he contributed to about 27,000 broadcasts and endured 300 hurricanes. Dave was the guy who would give you the facts without hype. Dave was the guy you could trust.

A few years ago, I spoke with WESH General Manager Bill Bauman while trying to line up a job. Bill didn't know me at all, but he was kind enough to speak with me. The thing I remember from Bill is that he said, "This is a destination station. People come here to work out the rest of their career." Certainly, some people have come and gone from WESH. I still think that Bill's comment is true. Dave certainly proved him right.

As part of the send-off for Dave, WESH taped video segments from many of Dave's co-workers. It was clear they all had genuine respect for the guy. Me, too.