The cowardly nation

Oh, I’ve thought a lot about what Eric Holder had to say about these United States as a sort of Cowards R Us. If I had to take one side or the other (which is such a silly way to think …, but if I did …), I’d say that yes, Americans have a strong […]

Magical music in the March nights

The past couple of weeks, at night, just around this time, 10:15 p.m., my home is quiet, I’ve hopefully turned the computer off, and I’m sitting, perhaps reading, or paying a bill or two, maybe just petting a cat. Winding down from the day and sometimes, and I’m not proud of this, thinking about tomorrow […]

Buying … drinking … thinking … local

Ah, the words on everyone’s lips these days are “Buy Local!” I agree with the sentiment, for the most part, and if you haven’t been to Local Coffee & Tea out on Siesta Key … well, it’s a great place to buy, sit, sip, and enjoy all things local.

Sarasota voters — bah, bah, bad sheep

Good grief. I think I heard on the news today that less than 7% of registered voters in the City of Sarasota bothered to vote in yesterday’s election. On the ballot were the issues of whether to have a strong mayor and which people the citizens of Sarasota want governing them and making laws and […]

Weighing in on Sarasota’s political dog and pony show

Folks I run into on the street and readers of this blog keep asking me why I haven’t weighed in on the raucous ranting and raving going on all over town about the question of having a so-called Boss Mayor. I haven’t weighed in because, frankly, I’m a bit under-whelmed with the brouhaha.

Sideways in Sarasota … and in Bradenton this Friday night

In 2007, I wrote a column — see below — that later launched my book — Sideways in Sarasota — a compilation of newspaper columns from my Reality Chick days at the Pelican Press. The Village Bookshop in Bradenton’s Village of the Arts is kindly hosting a book signing event for me this coming Friday […]

Sarasota County buses — a good deal for most; a GREAT deal for some …

At 75 cents a ride — almost a third of what folks pay in many other parts of the country — Sarasota County Transit Authority (SCAT) offers local folks one of the few good deals they get in this ever-more-expensive town. And the fare used to be even lower. Up until fall of 2007, the […]