New Blog and site info

I admit this blog has had a bit of MPD lately. This blog is going to stay on the topic of Tampa Bay news, info, and events. Stuff about Sex, Culture, and Politics will be over at I Used to Be Snow White. Update your bookmarks or whatever.

Also, I’m looking for new people to help with both blogs. If you have some writing experience send me samples at 28intampabay@gmail.com

Does Anyone Know Burmese in Tampa Bay?

Frank Tedesco (you may know him as the guy whose Buddhists teachings were banned from Pinellas County jails because jail, even as other religious classes continues) is looking for a native level Burmese speaker who can serve as a translator. This is a paying job! He needs someone ASAP, so send me your information and I can send it along to him.

28intampabay@gmail.com

The Spitzer sitch: does marriage lead men to cheat?

Here we are on day three of hookergate, and the questions are all about why. I posted my own theory below, about it being related to the virgin/whore complex, but some well known people disagree.

No, they think it’s because the lovely Mrs. Spitzer wasn’t doing enough at home.

Dr. Laura was the first to bring up this twisted idea on the Today show, when she suggested that because the Gov wasn’t getting what he needed at home, he needed to get is somewhere else.

His wife just should have started charging him 1,000 dollar an hour and negotiate future price discounts with him. That would have fixed everything!

OK Bubba, we get it, you beat MJ

I’ve never really liked Bubba’s radio show back when he was on 98 Rock. I’m just not into the shock jock thing. Honestly, I’m more of an NPR girl. But they’ve been doing their fundraiser this week, and I can’t put up with the guilt trip anymore. So, I tried out Bubba’s new show on The Bone.

It’s not bad. I like his progressive politics, his fearless defense of the first amendment, and his desire to go after people (even if it makes him unpopular). I also know that he’s really a good guy. I’ve been 2 degrees away from him in terms of friends we both have (after all, this is a small town at heart). He is, from all I’ve heard, the classic good guy when he’s not on the radio. And on air he serves the role of community pot stirrer, which really is important.

But the show grinds to a halt whenever he starts talking about MJ. The songs, the skits, the constant bashing- it is dull. Besides, Bubba’s already won the ratings war. There’s no reason to keep harping on it.

This morning, on the long drive down 19, I was faced with either listening to Bubba go through an extended MJ rant or listen to the NPR money begging.

I actually picked the begging.

So, Bubba Clem, do us a favor and stop it with the MJ stuff. Show a little bit of class. When you win the war you stop shooting at the enemy. Focus on taking down the people in power (like Rhonda Storms) instead of starting some lame radio host war.

The Perfect Gift for the Tampa Bay native

I know I’m something of a rarity having been born, and still living, in Tampa Bay. But I love this place!

Which is why I fell in love with these vintage art prints from AllPosters.com.

Hitching to St. Pete, FloridaIt just perfectly captures those feelings of old Florida, when we were a dreamland of sunshine and vacations. We were Vegas before Vegas was Vegas.More great images after the cut!

This Virgin/Whore thing… it’s complex

Did you hear that NY Gov. Spitzer hired a hooker?

Of course you have. Everyone has. It’s the top story in every paper (my fave headline: “Ho No!”).

The main question I keep hearing people ask is “why?”. I mean, on one hand we all know why, the question behind the question is why a guy like this would need to pay for sex?

He’s married, to a really cute wife. Seriously, don’t judge her by the way she looked at that non-resignation resignation press conference. She’s actually quite cute, and has a great shape.

And even if he was tired of his wife there is no end to the number of aides, interns, and co-workers he could have used for a booty call. As sad as it sounds, an affair with a co-worker probably would have been better for his career than one with a hooker. We can forgive cheating (exhibit A: Bill Clinton) but we can’t get over the hypocrisy of a guy who used to punish hookers now frequenting them.

But he didn’t go that route. He paid an estimated $3,000 for sex, with another $1,500 going towards future visits. And that is what most people don’t understand.

The phrase “you get what you pay for” might be true for shoes, but not for nookie.

So, if there are a number of women he could have sex with, why did he need to pay for it?

I think it all goes back to our old friend the virgin/whore complex.

Give Something Back! Volunteering in Tampa Bay.

Brides Against Breast Cancer. March 13-15. 9:30AM-9PM (4 hour shifts). Tampa Westshore Mariott.

This is a great opportunity for those who love weddings or have retail experience. This unusual fundraiser allows women to shop for wedding dresses with the proceeds helping fight breast cancer. They need 30 volunteers to help with everything from unloading the dresses to helping zip gowns up and helping the brides find their perfect dress.

WalkMS. March 15th. 3pm-10pm (3 hour shifts). Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa.

Help this walkathon for MS research go smoothly by volunteering to check in walkers, organize the event, answer questions, or just cheer at the finish line.

Keep Pinellas Beautiful: Trash Bash 2008! . March 15th. Dozens of locations around Pinellas. Check the wesbite for times and locations.

Air Potato Round Up . 9am-noon.  Boyd Hill Nature Preserve (1101 Country Club Way S.)

Help keep the preserve free of non-native plants that can destroy the ecosystem. Free lunch will be provided. RSVP ahead of time, so they can have enough food for all.  RSVP to 727-893-7326. 

Congrats Jessica Sierra

Today is her 100th day clean!

Jessica was back in town to help settle the pissing match between California and Florida over issues like judicial custody and other stupid stuff. It’s petty bureaucratic crap when they should be focusing on doing what is best for this woman.

From what I’ve heard through the grapevine, it was these legal issues that led to Sierra’s relapse in the first place. On the season finale of Celebrity Rehab she was going to be in sober living in California. But, from what I’ve heard, she was forced back to Florida because of legal issues surrounding her first case.

Coming back to the stress of home (and the old friends and temptations) before she was ready is what led to the incident in Ybor.

But that’s the past. Right now, Tampa’s own Britney Spears is on the right track, and I’m happy.

Jessica, when you do come back to Tampa full-time, drop me a line. I think we could be friends. We have similar backgrounds (alcoholic parents) and I don’t drink or use drugs. I can give you some tips of how to have fun without having to hit the bars and their temptations.

An interesting fact

I live about a quarter-mile from US 19. I work right on US 19. If I wanted to take a bus from my house to my office I would need to change busses three times.

I don’t know why we don’t have a MARTA or BART that goes up and down 19 and the other major roadways. I can’t imagine I’d be the only person who is in this situation.

As I look at $4 a gallon gas and the fact it takes me 45 minutes to drive home (a 15 mile trip), I just want to do something else.

This pretty much sums up my thoughts

This post on The Huffington Post pretty much sums up my thoughts on the Clinton/Obama thing perfectly.

I saw Senator Obama when he was here last year. I’m a pretty cynical person when it comes to politics, mostly because of my poly sci degree. I’m sure that biologists aren’t struck by the wonders of the human body, because they know how it works. I am never swayed by speeches or ads, because I know what goes into them.

But Barack Obama was different. Because when he talked, I actually cared. He wasn’t promising me 4 years of rainbows and sunshine. Hell, he wasn’t even selling himself. His message was that I could make a difference. That, as a group, we still had the power to change the world. But it would take work. Each and every one of us.

It was honest. It was motivational. And it sold me completely. It made me actually care. My whole life I’ve been told that we do our part for change when we vote, and then we leave it up to the guys in Washington. But Obama wasn’t saying that. He said that he wanted us to stay active after that. To get out in the community and the world and do good things.

That’s one of the big differences between him and Clinton. Barack is a community organizer. He believes that change comes from the people to the government. Hillary is a politician. She is saying that change starts with government and filters down to the people.

Here’s the one thing I learned from that Political Science degree. The President isn’t supposed to have a lot of power.. He doesn’t make laws (that would be the congress). He doesn’t determine what is right and wrong (that is the Supreme Court). He isn’t a King. His mission is to set the agenda. To set the nation on a course, and then allow us to follow through with the project.

History’s greatest Presidents (Lincoln, FDR, Kennedy) were the ones who gave us high goals to reach and then had faith that we could reach them. The perfect example of what a President is supposed to do is Kennedy and the space program. He set a crazy goal and then let us run with it until it was a reality. He didn’t micromanage the whole thing or come up with a specific plan on how to build the rockets. He just inspired us to do it.

Barack Obama is able to do that. To inspire us, to move us, and to lead us. I really hope that he is able to capture the nomination, if only so that more people are able to hear him talk and get inspired to have hope in this country. American’s are great people. We deserve a great leader.