All Faiths donations up to $571 as of last night!
Whoo hoo! So far, we’ve raised nearly six hundred dollars for All Faiths Food Bank in the MC Reality drive 2009! On the All Faiths website it says that $500 will provide 794 meals — so that means we’re easily helping to give at least that many meals to the hungry men, women, and children of our community. Or, if you think of it in terms of Thanksgiving dinners (including turkey, stuffing and all the usual trimmings!) for entire families — well, our collective $571 will provide nearly 50 Thanksgiving dinners!
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! (more…)
Sarasota police situation normal … all F’d up
Color me surprisingly unsurprised.
This report was posted on the Sarasota Herald Tribune website earlier today:
Sarasota Police investigation finds no wrongdoing
By Todd Ruger
A law enforcement department’s six-week review of the Sarasota Police Department into a mishandled excessive force investigation found nothing wrong. (more…)
Sarasota (and beyond) feeding the hungry — All Faiths Update!
All Faiths Food Bank let me know today that three REALITY readers have already donated $160 in the MC Reality Readers annual All Faiths fundraising drive to feed the hungry. Donations have come from as far away as Phoenix, Arizona! Big thanks to both local and far-flung readers!
That $160 will provide 93 meals, according to All Faiths — can you believe that!?
At the request of one reader, I’ve decided to also offer another thank you gift to the mix — I’m adding a Guest Blog. So that’s another option for a thank you gift And I’m going to add one more drawing — so instead of the previous three names being drawn, there are now four chances to “win” a thank you of your choosing. As with the other thank yous, the guest blog will be subject to editing by me and I won’t run anything that’s off the charts (and yes, it’s solely up to my discretion). (more…)
No Noble Prize for America’s Top Pundits
A few weeks back, at the height of the Nobel Peace Prize brouhaha, I wrote a short column for a Washington Post (yes, that Washington Post) “America’s Next Great Pundit” contest. I wasn’t selected as one of top ten finalists … think it had anything to do with my slamming one of the Post’s own top columnists? Nah, me either. Just better writers out there! Anyway — here’s the column I submitted to them; know it’s no longer timely, but … take a gander anyway and comment if you like (or don’t like!).
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The Washington Post received nearly 5,000 submissions to America's Next Great Pundit contest.
Less than Noble-Prize Behavior from America’s Top Pundits
If the Norwegians gave an award for miserly-hearted writers – the Nobel Prize for Petty Punditry, perhaps? — they’d have an abundance of Americans from which to choose, awash as we are with self-righteous columnists outraged over the news that their president, Barack Obama, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. (more…)
Economy from the edge …
Monday, November 2 — “On the Edge with Economist Dr. Ayse Somersan: An Economic Forum.” Event hosted by the Southwest Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice.
Featuring Waldo Profitt, political editor emeritus at Sarasota Herald Tribune; Chris Wille, editorial page editor at the Bradenton Herald; Dr. Frank Alcock, political science professor at New College; and of course, Dr. Somersan, professor emeritus and dean of University of Wisconsin.
The Forum will be co-moderated by Augie Schmitz and Rob Lorei (of WMNF and the same elegant man who moderates Florida This Week).
Golden Apple Dinner Theater — 586.6839 or swfcpj.org. Cost is $20 and that includes hors d’oeuvres. See you there!
MC on WSLR Radio … Fundraising for Community Radio
Hey, if anyone out there enjoys WSLR 96.5 LPFM radio — now’s your chance to help keep great community radio on the air! At the same time, your donation will net you a nice “premium” (aka thank you for donating gift).
On Sunday, I’m going to join WSLR Louisiana Gumbo Show host John Osgood on air to try to help raise funds for the station. I support WSLR because they give so much great information about everything from local to global politics and social issues and they also offer some pretty great music selections. (more…)
You’ve got to WATCH this video about First Watch restaurants
Disclaimer — I’ve never eaten at a First Watch restaurant in my life. AND, I’ve traditionally hated youtube just on general principle alone.
But I’ve seen a couple of things lately that make youtube less spooky to me. And one of those things is this very simple but inspiring video by local writer Amy Knapp of The gg Monologues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uapsWe2nJE (more…)
MC Named Best Local Columnist by CL Readers — Third Year in a Row!
Jiminy Cricket! MC Reality readers — both print and on this blog — I can’t thank you all enough for voting for me in the Creative Loafing Best of the Suncoast 2009 contest. You pulled it off — et voilà — I’m now the Best Columnist on the Suncoast three years running (you guys voted me in, in 2007 and 2008)!!!
MC Coolidge Best Local Columnist!
Pets at Work — BIZ 941’s shout out to pets who help their owners get through a long work day!
Check out my famous cat on BIZ 941’s website.
Submit a pic of your own Sarasota area pet to BIZ 941 at the contact address listed at the above link … and your pet, too, can be as famous as Coco Chanel!
Keeping the faith … for others who might be losing theirs
Last night, Friday night. I finished work around 9 p.m., and drove to Publix to grab a sandwich and some coffee for the morning. I picked out my few groceries — cat food, coffee, a sandwich, and got in line to pay.
The man in front of me was all smiles, but the slightly nervous kind. He was simply, but neatly, dressed in flip flops, shorts and a tee shirt. The cashier rang his single item up. He swiped his card. It was denied. (more…)
