In a money-making move that commissioners hope will plug some of the city’s financial bleeding, Miami’s largest city-owned buildings — as well as its parks — could soon be sold as advertising space to the highest bidder. Commissioners gave preliminary approval Thursday to allow illuminated blinking billboards, known as LEDs, at city parks and on the exterior of city-owned buildings that hold more than 1,000 people.

The move means that visitors to the Miami Children’s Museum, James L. Knight Center and Gusman theater soon could be greeted by brightly lit signs advertising cars, clothes or sports news — like the flashing neon at Times Square.

Florida International University sociologist Guillermo Grenier, who was born in Cuba, said while the sentiments expressed by Guillen aren't rare among non-Cubans, he was surprised that Guillen was reckless enough to voice them publicly.

Restaurateur Barton G. is launching Vault magazine on April 26, according to its website.

The Miami Herald reported that Glenn Albin, formerly of Ocean Drive magazine, will be editorial director.

"Vault is here to unlock the secrets shared by the heiress and the gigolo, the star and the artist, the mogul and the con man," the magazine's website says. "They know surprise and innovation are essential in society, and in these pages you will encounter a heady mix: high fashion and high concepts, breezy intellectualism and serious frivolity. It's about knowing how to attend a party as well as throw one."

MIAMI (CBS4) – “Is contraception wrong?” CBS4's Jim DeFede asked Senator Marco Rubio in a recent exclusive one-on-one interview.

“In terms of?” he responds.

“Birth control,” I said.

“Of course not,” he replied. “Who says it is?

Every inch of his personal car is a statement against violence, from the bumper to the door handles.

He walked around the car showing off the different messages, “on this part you have 'no AK-47,' this is the main weapon that take our kids’ life.”

Others read, “stop the violence” and “do not take a weapon into the school yard”.

On one window is a rather stern commentary, “when you do a drive-by shooting in any community we need you to be tried like Al-Qaida because you are committing a terrorist act on US soil, zero tolerance.”

Patrolling northbound Interstate 95 April 7, Oneyear noticed a vehicle on an emergency shoulder with a woman squatting beside it with her pants down, according to recently released records.

She was defecating, according to the incident report.

The accused roadside bowel mover was six miles south of I-95's St. Lucie County Rest Area, which has restrooms, picnic tables, pet exercise areas and outside night lights, among other amenities, according to the Florida Department of Transportation web site.

Queried as to what she was doing, the woman said she was going to the bathroom.

A- Arterpillar has a collection of art links from around South Florida in their "Betweeners" feature.

B- Beached Miami assures us that the food trucks are back at Art Walk.

The email announcing the return of the food truck roundup came from Sakaya Kitchen Restaurant, which has a location in Midtown and Downtown and also the Dim Ssäm à gogo food truck. Sakaya Kitchen operator Richard Hales organizes the Art Walk roundup and, according to the email, he dealt with the city to make sure it went down this Saturday. In order to get the permit, the trucks had to hire a City of Miami fire inspector, who will be making sure each of the 37 participating trucks is up to code.

C- Week 19 of your CSA share is pictorially presented at Redland Rambles.

D- If you need an old sofabed, Florida Keys Girl would like to speak to you.

We first got this couch upon graduating college, moving to New York and needing someplace to sit (and sleep guests… it was only a 400 square foot apartment.) This particular choice from Jennifer Convertibles met all of our criteria: it pulled out into a bed, was reasonably attractive and was cheap. Two years later, we moved from Greenwich Village to the Upper East Side, and along came our couch, all the way up to the fourth floor of the walk-up (that’s right – no elevator, which was a lot of fun when I had ACL reconstruction, but that is a story for another time.) We had numerous overnight guests sleep on the couch in the nearly four years we lived in that apartment.

E- The guy who is going to be canoeing the Miami-Dade canals talks to Under the Sun about his upcoming trip.

F- Shorter Jeff Eats...

I am entitled to lie about my dog being a service animal and the restaurant should not question that deception.

G- Discourse mentions SFDB so...you know.

H- Eye on Miami opines on the effect Fox News has had on politics and points us in the direction of a PBS documentary about the scandal currently rocking the Murdoch empire.

What emerges from the Frontline documentary for any willing to watch it, is that the Fox News/Roger Ailes empire has chilled democracy in the United States; adapted from the formula for success in Great Britain; exploiting human weaknesses and deploying strategies to attract viewers, advertisers, and politicians to its cause of media consolidation. Whether the charges against the Murdoch empire rises to criminal activity against Fox Broadcasting in the U.S. remains to be seen. At the very least, the pall that Fox News casts over American politics should be visible, now, to more viewers and voters. Unfortunately, Fox News has substantially contributed to the rampant disease blending opinion and fact so thoroughly that the polarization of American politics is scarred by the insistence that everyone has the right to their own facts.

I- South Florida Food and Wine shows us what to expect for dinner at Asia de Cuba.




.

A- Sex and the Beach has some comments regarding Pinterest.

Pinterest seems to sum up what is inherently narcissistic about social media. (I'm the first guilty party to raise her hand, by the way.) "Here's pictures of shit that I like, and I absolutely must share them with you, even if I violate someone's copyright beyond creative commons."

B- Justice Buiding Blog shares some thoughts on healthy eating, of all things.

C- A little video on wildfire season from Go Hydrology!

D- Redland Rambles shares some images from the Pinecrest Gardens Farmers Market as it winds down for the season.



.

A- Ebay purchasers are a confusing bunch, according to the latest from Some Blogging Guy.

I sell more broken items than not. About 60/40. The broken ones go like hot cakes. The almost new ones not so much. And when the almost new ones do sell, at a substantial discount over new, I always have complaints from the buyer. Not anything that effects my Ebay rating, just whining. There is a microscopic scratch 1 millimeter long on the back that you can clearly see if you examine it with an electron microscope. What? Go away.

B- Shorter Worst Pizza...

I'm a sucker for a free lunch.

C- South Florida Food and Wine gets a few minutes with Yardbird Southern Table & Bar Chef Jeff McInnis.

South Florida Food and Wine: What is your favorite item on your menu at Yardbird?
Jeff McInnis: I’m all about the Fried Chicken (it’s a 150-year old recipe that takes 27 hours to make, start to finish), the Brunswick Stew (with house-made alligator sausage and rabbit), and the Shrimp and Grits. They’re comforting classics, but they have modern, interesting ingredients added to the mix.

D- Taste of the Grove Day One pictures are up at Coconut Grove Grapevine.


.

-via Mac Stone Photography



.

Rodrigo y Gabriela, Diablo Rojo



.

A- Blogging Black Miami might have what is called a "fair and balanced" view of some controversial remarks recently made by a Miami-Dade Fire Department employee.

The Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue Department is right to investigate the Facebook posting but not to deny Beckmann his right to free speech as a private citizen. The Department is obligated to assure that blacks are not subjected to discriminatory employment practices, a hostile work environment and improper service by Beckmann and his peers.

B- Lizard porn at Camera Ephemera.

C- Random Pixels posts, without comment, a video of Bill Maher's comments on the Ozzie Guillen controversy. I can't say that I agree with Maher on everything that he says.

D- Searching for Signs takes issue with my post today that blames hardliners for once again shooting themselves in the foot and claims that I'm smearing the entire Cuban-American population by insinuating that some of the folks upset about Guillen are also probably behind the threats against a business owner.

Unless Rick above has rare and highly-sought-after information on who placed the calls (highly doubtful), it’s mighty presumptuous of him to categorically assume that “the folks vilifying Ozzie Guillen had some time on their hands” in placing the bomb threats. That’s right, slime an entire group of people based on the actions which can be safely assumed by any rational and fair-minded human being to be those of a very small minority. Actions which the vast majority of people, hardliners and otherwise, are strongly against. Cuban-Americans would be better served, IMO, by perhaps being more assertive in denouncing these attacks as they justly are in condemning the billboard. Nevertheless, it does not excuse for a second the cynicism and deep disrespect shown by Rick toward a group of people he knows very little about simply because of ideological disagreements.

E- Backyard bird photos are up at Some Blogging Guy.

F- The305.Com posts a photo of the aftermath of a rather expensive vehicle crash at the EPIC last night.

G- Flipping multi-million properties is so Miami, as Miami Condo Investments shows us.

Penthouse A at Apogee South Beach is back on the market for a cool $25M, exactly 365 day after selling last April for $11.5M. Judging by the pictures, it does not appear that any upgrades were made to the unit prior to putting it back on the market.

.

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!

B- The Miami Bike Scene has the 411 on a very proper bike ride on South Beach this Wednesday.

C- Quite a show was put on by pianist Evgeny Kissin at the New World Center this weekend, according to South Florida Classical Review.

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.

D- A foodie story, presented by Obalesque.

E- Jeff Eats likes Elevation Burger.

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.

F- Searching for Signs agrees with Bill Cosby when he says that the Trayvon Martin shooting is not about race.

G- Salty Eggs defends Bill Maher's right to defend Ozzie Guillen.

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.”

H- There are lots of posts about The Canoe Project that is underway at Under the Sun.

I- Unions supporting President Obama are a sign that the upcoming election will be rigged by Marxists and Socialists...you figure it out at Some Blogging Guy.

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.

J- Eye on Miami spells out a political platform that they would be willing to support. Here are some of the positions...

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


.

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."

.