TGMO, folks. Try to figure that one out. Here's your pretty decent evening Sift.

A- Coconut Grove Grapevine posts some photos and hilarious stories from Saturday's concert at the Shell Lumber Yard.

The Solar Dogs performed at Saturday's 3rd Annual Big Howl in the Wood concert at the Shell Lumber yard. There was lots of music, dancing, art, food and booze. The local artists hang their art for sale up on the lumber and a couple of bars are set up. It's all about the wood, you are surrounded by all that lumber. At one point I was talking to a friend and I said to him, "knock on wood," and we had to almost roll on the floor laughing at the thought. We had our pick of wood to knock on!

Kissin plunged in confidently, putting across the bouncy first movement with unrestrained exuberance and humor, but also playing with great delicacy when needed, as in the light, quick treble section in the second movement. He drew great dramatic tension from the Adagio. And not only did the fiercely difficult counterpoint of the last movement seem to give him no trouble, it inspired him to a headlong, hard-driving performance that ended with a flourish and generated a mid-recital standing ovation.

Now nothing for nothing, the burger and fries were as good, if not better than the stuff I’ve had at “players” like Five Guys, BurgerFi and Shake Shack. To be perfectly honest–I have absolutely no idea if Elevations’ delicious burger “resulted” because some cow in Nebraska was hand fed organic grass by some leprechaun-or whatever! What I do know, is that the cheeseburger was dynamite-same for the fries.

Whether a commentary offends because it’s too far right or too far left, we all have access to all the weaponry we need to avenge that insult: our speech. So if you don’t like Maher’s opinions or Limbaugh’s, then speak up.

It’s when the offended parties go beyond that speech — whether that means targeting advertisers or claiming moral rightness — that one begins to feel queasy. In such instances, there’s wisdom in a quote attributed to Voltaire: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

This is a trained and carefully planned attack. A non-profit corporation spending millions to train protesters across America. It’s goal ultimately to reelect President Obama.

This Spring Uprising is just a front for the Radical Liberals.

1) Protect personal liberty: de-criminalize marijuana and de-criminalize American society.
2) Reverse policies and programs favoring the privatization of the penal system and military subcontracting.
3) Repeal and stop commercialization of drones in American skies.
4) Create meaningful firewalls between regulators and the regulated.

the following?

Nearly 60 prominent theologians, priests, nuns and national Catholic social justice leaders released a statement today refuting Rep. Paul Ryan’s claim that his GOP budget proposal reflects Catholic teaching on care for the poor, which he made in an interview earlier this week with the Christian Broadcasting Network. The group of Catholic leaders — including a former high-ranking U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops official, a priest in Rep. Ryan’s district and the leadership team of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas — called on Ryan to “reconsider his radical budget proposal and refrain from distorting Church teaching.”

“If Rep. Ryan thinks a budget that takes food and healthcare away from millions of vulnerable people upholds Catholic values, then he also probably believes Jesus was a Tea Partier who lectured the poor to stop being so lazy and work harder,” said John Gehring, Catholic Outreach Coordinator at Faith in Public Life. “This budget turns centuries of Catholic social teaching on its head. These Catholic leaders and many Catholics in the pews are tired of faith being misused to bless an immoral agenda.”

The leaders wrote: “Simply put, this budget is morally indefensible and betrays Catholic principles of solidarity, just taxation and a commitment to the common good. A budget that turns its back on the hungry, the elderly and the sick while giving more tax breaks to the wealthiest few can’t be justified in Christian terms.”

Let me answer my own question:

No, you won't hear word one from them.

Because this "War on Religion" has never actually been about religion. It's been about conservative Catholics shamelessly using their religion to lash out against the Obama Administration in the name of partisan politics.

In the words of Jon Stewart...

-via Booman, image


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Effective Tuesday, construction work to install two toll-charging express lanes has prompted a temporary speed limit reduction, from 65 miles per hour to 55, in South Broward. At first, the lower speed limit will be in place between the Miami-Dade-Broward county line and just north of the Griffin Road exit.

A few months from now, however, on a date yet to be determined, the lower speed limit will also be applied to much of central Broward, as the construction work creeps north. At that point, all of I-95 from Sunrise Boulevard south will be capped at 55 mph.

B- Herald: Classy.

A Miami-Dade firefighter’s rant about the Trayvon Martin case — posted on his personal Facebook page — is drawing scrutiny from his bosses.

Capt. Brian Beckmann’s post, published for the public Friday by the website theGrio.com, lambasts the prosecutor in the George Zimmerman case and suggests “urban youth” are the products of “failed, sh*tbag, ignorant, pathetic, welfare dependent excuses for parents.”

C- Palm Beach Post: This will fix things.

Palm Beach County students will be asked to take a pledge not to cheat when they sit down today to begin the bulk of this year's FCATs.

It's one of several strategies the state is putting in place this school year to try to reduce cheating on its high-stakes standardized exams.

The pledge is simple: "I agree that I will not give or receive unauthorized help during this test. I understand that giving or receiving such help during the test is cheating and will result in the invalidation of my test results."

D- NBC Miami: Slideshow, Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade.

E- NBC Miami: Darwin nods.

Four elderly women were found with burns to their faces and necks after authorities said they participated in a ritual involving alcohol and a lighter, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

F- WSVN: Life in South Florida.

MIAMI (WSVN) -- A pregnant South Florida convenience store clerk became an assault and robbery victim after armed gunmen stormed into the business demanding money.

Store clerk Murshiva Khondaker had an uneasy feeling at her Quike Foodmart along Northeast Second Avenue in Miami on Sunday, after two men walked into the store.

Khondaker's suspicions were confirmed when the crooks, armed with guns, lunged at her. "Pushing me down, throw it, they're pushing," said Khondaker.

One of the men threw Khondaker, who is 4-months pregnant, to the ground and beat her as her 6-year-old daughter watched and tried to stop the attack. When asked what she said to the men, Khondaker's daughter said, "The black man to stop hitting my mom."

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A- Bark Bark Woof Woof presents yet another example of how breathtakingly obtuse Republicans can be.

B- Man or Maniac? explains how the City of Miami Beach is making a mistake in their selection of a film production company.

C- Sex and the Beach recommends the Pulpo A La Gallega at DB Bistro Moderne in the JW Marriott Marquis in downtown Miami.

D- Vintage aircraft at Nikon Miami.

E- The Canoe Project pushes off today at Under the Sun.

Terence Cantarella, a frequent contributor to the show, will give us an in-person account of his travels as he rows a canoe around miles of man-made waterways that snake around the entire county.

F- Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade illustrations at Beached Miami.



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Beached Miami has their usual collection of Art Walk images.

B- Restaurant Gal is slowing taming a mean-spirited customer.

On a slow night two days later, in wheeled Maureen to her favorite deuce. She was wearing a royal blue blouse that fully complimented her clear pale skin and large dark eyes. She looked lovely, actually.

“That is a great color on you,” I said as I placed her Sprites before her.

She looked up at me, puzzled by my comment. “Thank you,” she said without emotion. A second passed. “You know,” she began, looking directly at me, “If you pour me three quarters diet Sprite and add three long shots of regular Sprite from the fountain, it should be right.”

C- Philanthrofest photos at Soul of Miami.



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Gun Free Zone, who like to warn their readers of an impending insurrection by African-Americans [all of them, no doubt, wearing hoodies] who are supposedly pissed off with the racial injustices in America. For example, check out this one at GFZ and make sure you read the comments.

But I'm thinking that as long as we have folks like George Zimmerman, Alvin Watts, Jake England and paranoid right wing gun extremists like Gun Free Zone roaming the streets, it's African-Americans who need to be fearful of some kind of offensive from America's "well-regulated militia."

Know what I mean, Vern?


-image via Jim Morin



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Tree crushes home in Orange City; mom and daughter unhurt
04/17/2012

A mother and her teenage daughter narrowly escaped serious injury today, April 12, when a massive oak fell into their Orange City home about 12:30 p.m. Neighbor Gavin Holley swept away electrical wires to help the younger woman exit the small house at 412 W. Central Ave. A large section of the roof ...

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DeLand Easter crosses a success, despite change
04/17/2012

Sixty-nine crosses were decorated in Downtown DeLand on Easter eve this year. Organizers called the project a success, noting there were 13 more crosses on building windows and walls in Downtown DeLand this year, after a controversy arose over the placement of the Christian symbols on the public sid ...

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Weekend Calendar April 13-15, 2012
04/17/2012

Friday, April 13 Benefit Spaghetti Dinner 5-8 p.m. at the Rainbow Child Care Center, 1401 W. New York Ave., DeLand. Proceeds will go to playground improvements at the center. The center is a ministry of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand. Donations: $5 adults; $2 children. Defe ...

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Driver ID in hit-and-run fatality may take months
04/17/2012

More than three weeks after a car hit two 14-year-old girls in DeLand, killing one of them, there is no new information about who may have been driving. Juliana Hobbs and Rachel Russell were walking to Rachel’s house on South Spring Garden Avenue around 9:35 p.m. March 17, when a car struck them f ...

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Bulldogs lose head football coach Smith
04/17/2012

The rumor mill has been brewing for the past several months, and it finally boiled over April 12, when DeLand High School Bulldog head football coach Ryan Smith resigned. The popular and successful coach led the Bulldogs to a 9-2 record in 2011, his only season at the helm here, but he had three pre ...

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West Volusia Beacon Deal of the Weekend
04/17/2012

Welcome to the Beacon Deal of the Weekend. Today is Friday, April 13, 2012. These deals are valid through various dates. Each Friday, we'll post a video message to share with you the "extreme" coupon offers that will allow you to get something free — or nearly free — over the weekend. We invi ...

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Stetson University partners with Museum of Florida Art
04/17/2012

A partnership between Stetson University and the Museum of Florida Art will give the school a new home for its theater program, and the museum a financial boost, as well as new energy. Stetson is moving its theater-arts program to the former Cultural Arts Center at 600 N. Woodland Blvd., where it wi ...

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Spiritual Side: National Poetry Month celebration service April 15 in DeLand
04/17/2012

Poetry celebrated Cheryl Orr will present “Poetry Readings” at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 15, service at First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand. In honor of National Poetry Month, there will be a poetry show-and-tell. Various readers will share favorite poems submitted b ...

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Rent-a-cop explains mall rules to baffled customer...
04/13/2012

Uh, oh! I knew I was in trouble. Club champion? OMG!

But, Lou turned out to be a very fine person and we had a great time on the course. I won't mention my score for it was less than impressive, but he ended the round just two over par! That is phenomenal by any standard!

Lou is known as Captain Schroeder for he has owned a marine services business in the Palm Beach area for many years and one of his services includes yacht sitting. He is now more or less retired and living in the Ocala area.

Perhaps we'll run into each other again some time. If that happens I'm gonna take notes!