From the outside looking in, the life of an artist is easy. How difficult could it possibly be to draw, paint or sculpt for a living? Let Palm Harbor, FL based artist Laura Allen James tell it and you may be surprised to know that being an artist isn’t as laid back as it seems.

“Being a professional artist is so much more than producing work,” James said. “Artists must balance production of work and marketing the work.”

James has been working professionally as an artist for three years. She has been blessed to have her work presented in several galleries and she also works with interior designers on special projects. Though it seems that James has much going for herself, she acknowledges that it was very difficult to establish herself as a serious artist when she first began her career. She advises up and coming artists to “decide if you really want to commit yourself to the business end of the art world.  Get all the information you can about the art scene in your area and study up on marketing techniques.”

Although it is important to have a good understanding of the business side of art, let’s not forget that the main objective of an artist is to create. A typical work day for James includes sketching, painting, updating and maintaining her online presence, and researching galleries. She creates abstract and scenic images using acrylic paints which offer more flexibility than other paints.

“Abstract equals total freedom of expression,” she said. “It is a true creation of something out of nothing-no reference. Scenic pieces are just lovely to me.  I love catching a frozen moment and calling attention to the beauty all around us in our everyday lives.”

The beauty all around us also serves as inspiration. James is in awe of the sea. In addition to its beauty and fluidity, she appreciates its color, sound, power and mystery. Some would likely say the same of her work. As it is often said, there is power in words. Four of James’ pieces feature word art that is unlike any of her other work. The pieces, “Love Mercy”, “Speak Truth”, “Wisdom Speak”, and “Know Truth”delivers a message and features a layering technique that she had not used in her previous art.

Even as a successful artist, James knows the importance of continuously evolving. This can be achieved by seeking more education. Artists should attend local workshops and seminars and, as James recommends, join art associations and obtain a mentor. It is vital to have a mentor in any industry. The wealth of information that these individuals are able to share is invaluable.

Of course, the age old method of acquiring education is through schooling, but going this route may prove to be a little difficult. Schools are cutting fine arts programs daily due to budget cuts. This, despite the fact that it has been proven that fine arts education helps students improve in other subject areas such as math and English.

“I understand our economy is in dire straits and that cuts must be made somewhere but I think that removing the arts programs from school is not the wisest choice,” James said. “Learning about art is so much more than looking at the pictures. It is seeing the world from a new perspective, learning about other points of view and ways to communicate. Broadening your view of the world is a very good thing.”

James is represented by Gallery Woo and will be presenting at the Dunedin Fine Arts Center in St. Petersburg, FL in the near future. For more information on the artist and to view her art, visit ljamesart.com.

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Washington, U.S.A. — A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies provides a detailed picture of immigrants (legal and illegal) in the United States and in Florida. Florida has the fourth largest immigrant population in the country. Using the latest Census Bureau data from 2010 and 2011, the study shows Florida’s immigrants tend to be poorer than the state’s native-born.

The report is online at http://cis.org/2012-profile-of-americas-foreign-born-population.

• Florida’s Immigrants:

Florida’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) grew 37 percent (1 million) from 2000 to 2010. Nationally the immigrant population grew 28 percent over the same period.

Immigrants accounted for 19 percent of Florida residents in 2010, the fourth largest share in the country. Immigrants are 22 percent of workers in the state.

Of Florida immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 21 percent live in poverty compared to 14 percent of natives and their children. Immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 23 percent of the state’s overall population and 31 percent of all persons in poverty.

Of households headed by immigrants in Florida, 31 percent used at least one major welfare program, primarily food assistance and Medicaid, compared to 20 percent of native-headed households.

Of Florida immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 34 percent lack health insurance, compared to 18 percent of natives and their children (under 18). Immigrants and their children account for 36 percent of those without insurance in the state. Florida immigrants’ home ownership rate is 61 percent, compared to 70 percent for natives.

The lower socio-economic status of Florida’s immigrants is not because most are recent arrivals. Their average length of residence in the United States is 20 years.

One of the primary reasons immigrants in the state tend to be poorer than natives is a large share arrive in the U.S. as adults with relatively low levels of education.

Of adult immigrants (25 to 65) in the state 16 percent have not completed high school, compared to 7 percent of natives. However, the share of immigrants in the state with at least a bachelor’s degree (30 percent) is similar to that of natives — 32 percent.

In 2010, more than one in four public school students in Florida were from immigrant households. Overall, 29 percent of public school students in the state speak a language other than English at home.

• Illegal Immigrants in Florida:

Our best estimate is that slightly more than one-sixth of Florida immigrants are in the country illegally. Illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 4 percent of the state’s overall population, 9 percent those in poverty, 11 percent of the uninsured and 8 percent of the school age population.

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Orlando, U.S.A. – AAA‘s newest app, AAA Mobile, bundles services for motorists, such as mapping and gas price comparison, as well as member-exclusive benefits including roadside assistance and discounts.

The new app available for iPhone and Android-compatible devices combines the AAA Discounts, TripTik Mobile and Roadside apps into one app creating the perfect companion for any motorist. AAA Mobile delivers a complete mobile experience for members; centering around help at the roadside, travel plans and getting the latest discount at your favorite store with AAA’s Show Your Card and Save program.

“AAA is dedicated to evolving with our members by providing them with the latest ways to stay informed and access all their AAA membership provides,” says Marshall L. Doney, AAA National Vice President, Automotive, Financial Services and e-Business. “We are very pleased to be able to provide this new app to our members and future members. The new AAA Mobile app will provide a convenient solution to those members looking to maximize their membership benefits on the go.”

Available now for free in iTunes and Google Play app stores, the AAA Mobile app features include:

• Road Service Request (app identifies location)
• AAA member discounts
• AAA Approved Auto Repair locator
• Gas station locations and updated gas price information
• Diamond Ratings for AAA Approved hotels and restaurants
• Hotel booking capability powered by Travelocity
• Listings for AAA Approved attractions and campgrounds
• AAA branch office locations
• TripTik® travel planning with interactive maps and directions
• Instant battery replacement quotes
• Electric vehicle charging station locations
• Join AAA

AAA Mobile is available to all mobile users; however some services and benefits are only available to AAA members such as roadside assistance and discounts. The app was launched as an update to the current AAA Discounts app in the iTunes and Google Play (formerly Android Market) app stores.  Any user who has the AAA Discounts app downloaded on their phone should have been notified that an update was available.

When updated, the AAA Mobile app will replace AAA Discounts on their phone.  The current AAA Roadside and AAA TripTik Mobile apps will soon be updated to display a message that these apps have been replaced with AAA Mobile, download the new app, and delete AAA Roadside and AAA TripTik Mobile apps.

Smartphones with mobile applications are valuable tools before a vehicle is in motion; however, they greatly increase motorist distractions when used while driving.  Distracted driving can have deadly consequences.  AAA urges motorists to minimize distractions behind the wheel by not using wireless devices, such as cell phones with mobile applications, while driving.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 53 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. Members and non-members can visit AAA on the Internet at AAA.com.

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St. Petersburg, U.S.A – Affectionately described as “the Starbucks of tea” by locals, The Hooker Tea Company is more than just a trendy little niche in downtown St. Pete. Originally opened in 2006 by Sean Hooker, the shop has since been taken over by current owner Raymond Ritola, and the love Ritola has for both the store and the brand is evident in everything from the merchandise to the way he speaks.

Big tins full of loose-leaf tea make up one of the walls behind the counter, with pieces of real fruit and other spices mixed in, and the staff will let you take a whiff of any flavor before you come to a final decision on what you’d like to try. There’s no rush, with over one hundred flavors of tea, and the staff is highly knowledgeable in the craft, as well as more than willing to explain the nuances of their teas to help match you with the right fit for your palette. This is the kind of caring, personalized experience you can expect to feel in every aspect of the shop.

“We try to give a relaxed atmosphere that’s very warm and very comforting, but at the same time you can be productive,” Ritola explains, “You can get away from it, you can do your work here instead of at home or at an office. “ His words are evident in the board games stacked by the door – every childhood favorite, from Connect Four to Jenga – and the large, comfy chairs spread out among tables. Free Wi-Fi is offered to guests and drinks are usually served in real mugs and glasses in a bid to combat what Ritola calls the “serve ‘em and send ‘em” mentality that other, similar places may have.

The comfort of the customers, though most important, is not the only thing on Ritola’s mind as he runs his store. The Hooker Tea Company is a place that prides itself on its effort to remain local and environmentally friendly. Since taking over, Ritola has managed to reduce utilities by 40%, and all to-go containers are green and made of recycled material. They even use special trash bags that recycle the liner used in strawberry fields, which are not only green in sustainability, but in color as well. The vast majority of their ingredients for food are purchased locally, and they sell orange juice straight from a nearby grove.

As inspiring as all of Ritola’s work is to keep the planet healthy and to Keep St. Petersburg Local (an organization of which they are a member), his efforts do not stop at the store itself; the Hooker Tea Company has a variety of healthy relationship with other restaurants and shops in the area as well. Places like Mezze 119, a Mediterranean restaurant down the street, and NeoSoul, a tattoo and art shop, carry the Hooker brand teas for their customers.

And Hooker’s neighbors, the gelato shop Paciugo and AnnaStella’s Cajun Bistro, both enjoy sharing a cooperative success with Hooker Tea, as they are three very different stores that complement each other. In fact, Ritola’s neighbors are one of the main reasons he refuses to sell coffee.

“Both of our neighbors sell it. It’s kind of adding us into competition that we don’t necessarily need to be added into,” he says of potentially placing coffee on the menu. “We feel we should stick with something that we’re very good at instead of throwing ourselves into the mix of a bunch of competitors.”

Those who need their daily coffee fix and don’t feel like walking next door can breathe a sigh of relief, however. Ritola adds, “Aside from the mates, which have the high caffeine content, we also have coffee-esque style teas like our Toasted Amaretto or our Café Latte, which are very very similar to it.”

While the main thing they serve is their superior-quality tea – and it is indeed what they are known for – the Hooker Tea Company does offer an array of house-made items to eat. From cupcakes that are moist and decadent, but not overly sweet, to fresh fruit, to their popular quiche. Rich and cheesy, with obviously fresh ingredients, their quiche manages to do what so little can – taste more of the many, layered flavors than simply of egg. If these are the kinds of items served when the Hooker Tea Company is a café, then one can imagine how exquisite the food will be if Ritola’s dreams of expanding into a full tea-based restaurant come to fruition.

“It’d be all kind of tea-oriented,” he says, excited by the prospect, “Cooking with tea is becoming a lot more popular. We actually worked with a couple of breweries at one point and created tea-infused beers, tea-infused sangrias. But we also do tea-infused cupcakes, tea-rubbed chicken and steaks, tea-infused salad dressings – there’s just a lot of ways you can integrate teas into the cooking, which is a very unique style of cooking that could be something that could have a lot of potential and success.”

Although the possibility for such a place is still up in the air, one thing is certain: It will be as much loved and revered by the St. Petersburg locals as the humble little Hooker Tea Company shop currently is.

For more pictures, visit our Facebook gallery.

• Teas are served iced or hot: $2.75 – $3.50 (depending on type, one size only)
  • $5.95 – $7.00 for endless tea pot (in house only)
  • Skim, 2%, whole, half-n-half, vanilla soy, and almond milk available
  • Splenda, Sweet n Low, sugar, honey and agave available
  • Over 100 kinds, including green teas, white teas, fruit and herbal blends, mates, black teas, rooibos teas, oolong teas, decaf black teas, honeybush teas, and pu-erh teas
  • Customers have the ability to mix and match tea types to create their own custom blends
  • Bubble Tea (weekends only): $3.95
  • Hot Blends: $3.95
  • Frozen tea blends: $4.45
  • Food Items (made fresh daily): $3 – $8.95
    • Pastries
    • Quiche (Vegetarian or Meat)
    • Tea-infused Oatmeal
    • Parfait
    • Fresh fruit bowl

The Hooker Tea Company
Open 8am-10pm (M-Sat)
8am-7pm (Sun)
300 Beach Drive
Suite 124
St. Petersburg,  FL 33701
ph:  727 894 4832
e: info@hookertea.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hookerteacompany
Website: http://the-hooker-tea-company.myshopify.com/

The article Find Tea Heaven at Downtown St. Pete’s Hooker Tea Company appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Located in the middle of Central Avenue in St. Petersburg, USA, under a stand-out crimson canopy, is a local restaurant putting a more affordable – and not to mention delicious – flair on the usual European cuisine. Our first impression upon walking into the St. Pete Brasserie was that the place was classy, but still very warm and inviting, with a dark atmosphere that was only somewhat combated by the lighting and jazzy music. First impressions are sometimes right on the dot; we felt welcome and well taken care of the moment owner Justin Chamoun stepped up to greet us at the door.

A personable, charming man, Chamoun has obvious pride in his little piece of St. Petersburg – and with good reason. Having been an enthusiast of European food for as long as he can remember, specifically of the French variety, Chamoun spent over a year looking for the right kind of restaurant to run. The St. Pete Brasserie was a place he frequently enjoyed dining at as a patron, a fan of Chef J Ward’s food from the get-go, and when the opportunity arose for Chamoun to buy out the place from a financial backer, he leapt at the chance.  So fond of the Brasserie as it was, to this day he retains almost the entire staff from before he took it over. A wise choice on his part; the staff members we interacted with and observed were all incredibly knowledgeable and pleasant.

The superstar, of course, is the chef. J Ward has been with the restaurant space since the days when it was named Table and served an entirely different menu. Not only did he bring Table’s menu to life, but he crafted an entirely new menu when the restaurant transformed into the St. Pete Brasserie. So much trust does Chamoun have in Ward, he leaves all menu decisions to the chef, allowing him almost total control over the menu. Ward’s interest in European cuisine comes from the years he spent overseas as the son of an Air Force father, and he uses much of his time trying to replicate the flavors he experienced and loved. With no real formal training, Ward is one of those special individuals with a talent and passion for food that is evident in every bite you take.

In terms of food, only the highest quality will do.  Practically everything is fresh and made in-house, and in doing their part to Keep St. Petersburg Local (an organization of which they are a member), they strive to keep a healthy relationship with local businesses, purchasing most of their ingredients from the area. The only real exception to this is their meat, which they ship in from Niman Ranch, a distributor from San Francisco that prides itself on its sustainability and focus on animal welfare.

As proud of the food as he is, it is not the sole focus for Chamoun. The man is truly what you would call a wine aficionado – and in wine is where his passion lies. A self-described “wine fanatic”, he is a connoisseur of wines (preferring French over Californian) and can easily launch into a dialogue of the fine nuances of more than just his favorites, suggesting exactly which type goes with which meal and why. He strives to soon turn the lounge area of his restaurant (a separate room that is mainly used for additional seating on weekends at the moment) into a space where he can host wine parties and tastings. The few gatherings he has attempted in the past have given him encouragement that he can add such events to the overall experience of the St. Pete Brasserie.

The Dining Experience

Upon being seated, our drink orders were taken and a basket of house-made bread was served.  Well-toasted and warm, the bread was crusty and hard on the outside, but melt-in-the-mouth soft on the inside. It set a high bar for the rest of the night, which easily kept being met.

We had a chance to look over the menu, extensive for only two pages (but not overwhelmingly so), and after having the specialties explicated to us, we suggested that Chamoun make the final decisions with whatever he thought most embodied his restaurant.

First up were samples of a few of the appetizers: the Tuna Tartar, the Escargot en Cocotte and the Moules Gratinee (mussels). The tuna was obviously fresh and sliced to order, a littering of capers complimenting the lemony tone, which made this dish more refreshing than any sort of fish. It was our photographer Ines’ favorite part of the meal. The all-stars of the three dishes for me, however, were the escargot and mussels – and it had very little to do with the sauces and seasonings (a simple garlic sauce for the snails that is perfect for a lighter palette, and smothered in sharp cheese for the mussels).  One thing that I usually presume is inescapable at most restaurants is a slightly chewy texture when eating escargot or mussels; not so at the hands of Chef Ward. The meat of both items were tender and thick, melting the moment you bit down like eating the perfect cut of marbled beef. Both tasted incredibly fresh and the way they were prepped complimented the natural flavors of both the escargot and the mussels, rather than trying to hide or detract from them. It was my first indication of the night that Chef Ward is a man who knows exactly what he’s doing with every shake of a pan.

Next to sample were portions of their Mac & Cheese, their Red Snapper, their Half-Roasted Chicken, and their Cassoulet (a typically French casserole containing meat and white beans). The Mac & Cheese was phenomenal (and as someone who is not usually a fan of the classic dish, I can only imagine how the many who swear by it would feel). It was rich, creamy and garlicky, with slivers of bacon, four different types of fresh cheese, and each noodle cooked to perfection.

The snapper was flaky and fork tender, lightly seasoned to take advantage of the fish’s full-bodied flavor, and the capers made a return in a sauce that paired well with the fish. The fish was served with brussel sprouts and sliced potatoes that were just as excellent as the snapper.

While the chicken was well-seasoned with a delightfully crispy skin, Ines and I found the meat to be a bit dry and completely outshined by the Pork Belly White Bean Escarole Ragout that the chicken was served on. However, when the chicken was eaten in the same bite as the ragout, the combined flavors created such a delectable experience that the small issue with the chicken meat hardly mattered.

Cassoulet is described frequently as “comfort food”, and the moment I tasted Chef Ward’s version (with duck confit and several types of sausage) those were the first words to fill my brain.  Heavy, rich, the filling melts on the tongue and sets warm in the stomach. The various meats mixed in with the beans made for a zesty meal, with so many layers of flavors that I couldn’t really label them aside from the feeling they give me – which was “warm”.

The final stage of the night presented us with two of the Brasserie’s desserts: their triple crème brulee and their lava cake. The crème brulee was an experience all on its own, with three different compartments that each housed a different flavored version of the custard (chocolate, vanilla and espresso), and three different dessert wines were suggested to us by Chamoun that were each to pair with a specific flavor. The overall texture of the custard was not the standard, silky smooth you usually find in crème brulee – it was lighter and airier, which made for a dessert that was decadent, but not overly sweet.

Chef Ward managed the same with the lava cake, creating a fluffier and gentler version of a dish notorious for being rich and heavy. If you’re disappointed that the lava cake isn’t that punch of decadence you’re used to, however, Chef’s house-made ganache is paired on the side with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

On a whole, the service was exemplary and the food was ambrosial. The only disappointing moment of the night was when Ines and I realized we had forgotten our leftovers at the table.

What makes the St. Pete Brasserie a place that I would recommend highly to others is not only the brilliant menu, but the relative affordability of the cuisine. Many restaurants that one would dine at with a similar level of service and quality will be comparatively more expensive. Chamoun prides himself on their ability to keep the price down enough that locals can enjoy a night out with great food and not have to worry about the cost.

“People know they can come in here, have a good time, and not spend an arm and a leg,” he says, his pride for his restaurant shining through once more. And indeed, the St. Pete Brasserie is a warm and welcoming piece of downtown St. Petersburg that offers a reasonably priced menu for anyone looking for a great meal.

For more pictures, visit our Facebook gallery.

Appetizers: $3-$20
Entrees: $17-$37
Prix Fixed Menu (M-Thurs, 5pm-7pm): 3 courses for $23
Hours: 5pm-10pm (M-Th)
5pm-11pm (Fri-Sat)

St. Pete Brasserie
539 Central Avenue
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
ph: 1 (727) 823-3700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StPeteBrasserie
Website: http://www.stpetebrasserie.com

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Greed is a sin, especially when it comes to power, status, and above all: money. But since 35-year-old Guma Aguiar disappeared, last seen on June 19 in Fort Lauderdale, nasty and heated court battles have arose regarding who will acquire Aguiar’s $100 million fortune.

For those who knew Aguiar best, a successful business man that held a good reputation as a devoted husband and loving father, find it very difficult—almost impossible—that he would do what the media is considered Aguiar to have done: engineering his own disappearance.

Aguiar’s good friend Jerry Levine finds it very difficult to believe that he would just disappear, leaving his fortune and family. Levine told ABC News that Aguiar “was a very at ease guy, very comfortable in his own skin,” and that “he was funny, personable, charismatic.” Levine, who was also Aguiar’s filmmaker, finds it hard to believe that Aguiar would disappear in the middle of making a biographical documentary regarding Aguiar’s views on the Middle East, as well as his dedicated involvement with Israel’s sports teams.

The day after Aguiar was last seen, the early morning of June 20, his 31-foot fishing boat was found washed up on the shore with the engine still running and all of the lights still on. However, there was no sign of Aguiar himself.

So why would such a loving father with so much to live for just fake his own death or disappear? According to Levine, Aguiar also suffered from bi-polar disorder and depression, and seemed to be acting oddly during days leading up to his disappearance. Extremely stressed at the time of his disappearance, Aguiar was in a legal battle with former business partner, his billionaire uncle, Thomas Kaplan. In fact, the legal battle was over how to divide the $2.5 billion sale of the company that the two used to run together.

Levine describes Aguiar as either being extremely successful or nearly falling apart, just those two extremes and nothing in between.

“When he was at the top of his game, he could juggle like a juggler with, like, 12 balls. You’d see so many balls in the air. He really could do it, but when this disease would kick in, he’d lose grasp of that edge and all those balls would start falling down.”

But still as a close friend, Levine is positive that Aguiar did not commit suicide, despite rumors.

“I don’t think for a second he killed himself. It never even crossed my mind. A person like that was episodic, but still had his kind of capability and wasn’t all of a sudden going to take his life, certainly without leaving a note or doing something pretty obvious. The guy had a lot of guns that were accounted for. I mean, come on. You don’t want to die in the cauldron of a storm.”

Since no body has been found, one would think that those closest to him would be busy looking for him instead of fighting over his financial assets. Levine claims that both Aguiar’s mother, Ellen Aguiar, and wife, Jamie Aguiar, are known as gold-diggers.

According to ABC, “just a week after Aguiar’s disappearance, his wife and mother filed a flurry of legal documents seeking control of his assets and fortune.”

Now the two women are in a blow-out legal fight, making accusations against one another. Jamie claims that his mother was always just after his money, while Ellen is claiming that her son took off because his wife filed for divorce the very same day he disappeared.

Yet with no leads or evidence found regarding what has happened to Aguiar, the assets will not be granted to either of the women. A Florida court judge decided no woman will have control over his money and is giving control to attorneys that have represented neither of the women, until Aguiar is found—whether dead or alive.

Levine, as well as those who cared about Aguiar, is still holding onto a hope that is fading daily. “I still hope for the best, but the more time goes by, we’re expecting the worst,” he said.

The article Millionaire Missing: What Really Happened to Guma Aguiar? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Individuals tend to use Fourth of July celebrations as a means to obtain some rest and relaxation from the stresses of work and life; however, KrisAnne Hall had other ideas on how to spend this unique day.

Hall, a teacher, author, attorney and advocate for the Constitution, spent her Fourth of July holiday at the First Conservative Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. She was one of many speakers present at the Church’s “God – N – Country” event that took place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Some of these speakers included Dr. Gene A. Youngblood, the church’s co-founder, who lamented that pastors and religious leaders are unable to express their opinions on issues effectively, and Victoria Baer, an activist and educator, who detailed the dangers present in Agenda 21, a set of procedures by the UN that relate to sustainable development. In addition, William Korach, publisher of the Report Card, was present to read the Declaration of Independence and discuss what occurs in local school boards.

Those present at the event also had the opportunity to listen to a reenactment of Patrick Henry’s “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” speech along with great music from the gospel trio “One Heart.”

When it came time for Hall to address the audience, she focused on American liberty and its central presence in the fabric of our society, while also detailing whether America was a democracy or a republic.

To Hall, the nation of America is clearly the latter rather than the former. In stating this, she emphasized why this form of government best fits the American landscape.

“A republic is a government that derives its just powers from the consent of the people,” Hall pointed out.

“It is a government among men, not over men, and it is the only form of government which ensures that the minority has a society-changing voice.”

Hall then pointed out that republic governments are not without challenges.

“Our founders said that those who administer it may forget their obligations to their constituents, and prove unfaithful to their important trusts,” Hall pointed out.

This point crystallized a key theme throughout Hall’s speech, that governments are only effective when individuals are engaged in the political process.

“It is incumbent of people in a republic for people to be on their toes, in their faces and constantly reminding them of what their jobs are, because as much as they hate it, we are their employers,” she said.

If individuals are not vigilant in monitoring the actions of their elected officials, Hall stated before an attentive crowd, it would ultimately result in a form of governance that will fail to represent their best interests.

“You will see us become a government of politicians, by your state capitals and for Washington, D.C.,” she pointed out.

Throughout her speech, Hall frequently referenced the words and actions of the founding fathers in stating her points about government. In particular, she praised the influence of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Hall mentioned that Franklin preferred a republic-style government “only if we could keep it” while noting that Jefferson’s influence would garner “as much of a cult following as many of today’s politicians.”

Hall added that the founding fathers gave specific instructions on how an ideal government should work, and that these directions are just as relevant now as they were then.

“Our founders built this nation as a republic with a purpose. They gave us specific instructions, which are not only in the form of the Constitution, not only in the form of the Bill of Rights, but in every word that they wrote down,” she said passionately.

To Hall, a key danger facing America today lies in the changing of language present in these founding documents from their original intent. The language present in the Constitution and Bill of Rights is fine, Hall pointed out, going on to mention that even though individuals are quick to criticize the founding fathers because their intents were not perfect, that the founders were prescient enough to see the type of government that would evolve from the blueprints that were initially set forth.

She also took issue with recent Supreme Court decisions that placed the whims of the federal government over the desires of the state.

“According to the Supreme Court, we can now be taxed not only for things that we buy, but for things that we do not buy as well,” she said.

KrisAnne Hall’s speech continued with her extolling the importance of liberty in a free society, and concluded with her inspiring the rapt audience to separate themselves from a government that refuses to recognize effectively the rights of individuals.

“When a government becomes destructive, it is our right to alter or abolish it. Today, on July 4, we must declare independence from this tyranny,” she said, drawing eager applause from the individuals present.

Image Courtesy of   KrisAnne Hall

The article KrisAnne Hall Reflects on the Importance of God and Country appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Miami, U.S.A. – The Jewish Museum of Florida, a historical museum located on Miami Beach, has become part of the Florida International University family through a gift that will create a unique partnership. The Museum will now be known as the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU (JMOF-FIU).

The Florida International University’s Board of Trustees voted June 29 to approve the gift, which will leverage the resources of both institutions, igniting a new era of interdisciplinary education, research and outreach focused on the history of the Jewish experience in Florida and issues of discrimination against all peoples in Florida throughout history.

Authorization to use the Jewish Museum of Florida- Florida International University as a special purpose center is still pending approval by the Florida Board of Governors.

This hallmark gift includes two adjacent Art Deco buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as The Museum’s historical collections, research library, endowment and other assets.

“There’s an immense richness of research housed within The Museum that explores 250 years of Jewish art, culture and history,” said Florida International University President Mark B. Rosenberg. “Through this generous gift, FIU will expand our reach into the South Florida community, helping to preserve an important part of our history while enhancing the global learning experience we offer our students.”

A key component of the academic plan for the JMOF-FIU is the relocation of a variety of programs, including the Judaic Studies Program, to The Museum’s facilities. The plan also includes the expansion of academic programs and research endeavors about the challenges of the immigrant experiences shared by all ethnicities in the state of Florida.

“Our synergy and mutual commitment to exploring the richness and diversity of Jewish life in Florida makes this a perfect match,” said Jo Ann Arnowitz, executive director and chief curator of The Museum.

Image Courtesy of  Jewish Museum of Florida

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Sarasota, U.S.A. - The organizers of the Sarasota Blues and Music Festival have announce the much-anticipated artist lineup for the 22nd annual festival on September 29, 2012. This year’s festival at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, FL, will feature an unprecedented gathering of blues artists including headliner and two-time Grammy Award winner Delbert McClinton and supporting acts Royal Southern Brotherhood, Ana Popovic, Curtis Salgado, Paul Thorn and prodigy act, Pett Crow. The entire day’s lineup of national acts is bigger than ever before, and strikes a chord with its blues roots while offering festival attendees a taste of country, rock and top 40.

Festival producer Three Zebras Entertainment will turn Ed Smith Stadium into blues central for the huge one-day music celebration. Drawing fans from across central Florida, the Sarasota Blues and Music Fest will once again establish the city as a weekend destination with this longstanding tradition of music, fun and family-friendly entertainment.

This year’s festival will offer VIP ticket buyers food and beverage service, upgraded beer and wine and a separate restroom area, all of which will be in close proximity to the artists on stage. To make this year’s festival more family friendly, fans with kids can try out The Family Fun Zone, a kids’ area with amusement rides and games.

“Ensuring families have a great time from the moment they enter the gates is a big part of how we approached the festival this year,” said Bill Haggett, General Manager of the Sarasota Blues and Music Fest. “And continuing the tradition of bringing the best of the blues to Sarasota is apparent in the all-star lineup this year. We can’t wait for September 29th!”

The festival actually started as the Sarasota Blues Fest in 1991 by the Sarasota Blues Society as a way to celebrate the blues in the Sarasota community. The festival has a rich history of finding and showcasing young talent while also bringing accomplished musicians to the community. Numerous Grammy Award winners and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have graced the stages over the years and the festival seeks to continue that tradition as the Sarasota Blues and Music Festival. Partial proceeds from the event have always been earmarked for charity, and the All Faiths Food Bank Backpack Program will be the 2012 recipient.

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Chicago, U.S.A - Aon Benfield, the global reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor of Aon plc, has released the latest edition of its Global Catastrophe Recap report, which reviews the natural disaster perils that occurred worldwide during May.

Published by Impact Forecasting, the firm’s catastrophe model development center of excellence, the report reveals that two earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks struck northern Italy within a nine-day period, killing 25 people, injuring more than 400 others and causing extensive damage to the cultural heritage throughout the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, in addition to businesses and personal property.

An initial, combined economic loss estimate from both tremors stood at EUR5 billion (USD6.25 billion), following significant damage in the provinces of Modena, Ferrara, Reggio Emilia, Rovigo and Mantua.

In Asia, severe and prolonged periods of rain impacted China throughout the month, affecting at least 22 provinces and killing at least 102 people.

According to China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA), at least 143,000 homes were damaged or destroyed during one prolonged event. More than 949,400 hectares (2.34 million acres) of cropland were also affected, contributing to a total economic loss listed at CNY16.88 billion (USD2.68 billion).

Meanwhile, powerful thunderstorms struck eastern Japan, resulting in high winds and tornadoes that killed at least three people, injured 59 others, and damaged more than 1,845 buildings in six separate prefectures.

Steve Jakubowski, President of Impact Forecasting, said: “The Italian earthquakes resulted in the largest natural disaster loss for the country since the L’Aquila earthquake event in 2009. The seismic activity was not unexpected, as Italy has long been recognised as a region exposed to the possibility of significant earthquake activity. Given the level of insurance coverage in the region, it is anticipated that insured losses would reach minimally into the hundreds of millions of dollars (USD). However, it remains too early to determine how negligible re/insurance losses may be from this event.”

In the United States, two periods of severe weather impacted central and eastern sections of the country; the first causing widespread hail and wind damage from the Dakotas to Maryland, resulting in an economic loss estimated at USD275 million, and more than 30,000 insurance claims valued atUSD150 million. A secondary severe weather outbreak across the central and eastern U.S. at the end of the month spawned significant damage as well. According to a preliminary report from the South-western Insurance Information Service, insured losses in Oklahoma alone were estimated at USD400 million.

Tropical Storm Beryl made landfall near Jacksonville Beach, Florida at peak intensity with 70 mph (110 kph) winds but did not cause any significant damage, injuries or fatalities.

And wildfires burned in several U.S. states during the month, including the largest fire ever recorded in New Mexico.

Excessive rainfall affected areas of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec in May. In Thunder Bay, at least 1,100 homes were damaged as well as businesses and infrastructure, and flood damage with a 100-year return period was recorded in Montreal, where personal property and infrastructure were widely affected.

Additional flood events were recorded in Nepal, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Cuba, Georgia, Brazil and Venezuela.

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Orlando, U.S.A. — Bright House Sports Network (BHSN) have announced that it has signed an agreement with the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) to become the Official Television Partner of the Florida High School Athletic Association. Under the agreement, Bright House Sports Network will produce and distribute all FHSAA state quarterfinals, semifinals and final series games for the next three years.

Bright House Networks customers in Tampa and Orlando can now enjoy live coverage of a minimum of sixty high school post-season games each year in High Definition (HD), including football, boys and girls basketball, boy and girls soccer, boys and girls lacrosse, baseball, softball, swimming and diving, girls volleyball, wrestling, and competitive cheerleading on Bright House Sports Network, channel 47, HD 1147. Bright House Sports Network has also teamed up with Comcast, Cox, Charter, and Time Warner Cable to make available select games throughout Florida and 19 other states, expanding the number of potential households that will be able to view the games to more than 20 million.

“This is a historic development for Florida high school sports coverage,” said Elliott Wiser, Vice President of Local Programming for Bright House Networks. “We are excited to partner with the FHSAA to produce a wide spectrum of sports live for our customers. High school sports have quickly become an important part of the television sports landscape.”

“The Florida High School Athletic Association is very proud to jointly announce the partnership agreement which designates Bright House Sports Network as the official television partner of the FHSAA,” said Dr. Roger Dearing, executive director, Florida High School Athletic Association. “The ability to showcase the quality of talent and level of competition among our high schools in Florida is of paramount importance to our member schools and our student-athletes. The wide variety of events, and multitude of sports covered, will certainly be of interest to every sports enthusiast throughout the state.”

“We are pleased to add the FHSAA state championships to our robust schedule of regular season high school games and events,” said Paul Kosuth, General Manager of Bright House Sports Network. “BHSN has the largest staff in the state devoted to producing and covering high school sports, and with this new agreement we can focus on providing the most comprehensive coverage anywhere.”

After the playoff and championship games air live, there will be multiple replays available. Bright House Sports Network also airs more than 200 regular season high school games throughout the season.

Image Courtesy of   Florida High School Athletic Association

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London, UK – Whether you are visiting as a family, travelling with a loved one or celebrating with a group of friends, Orlando really does have something for everybody.

There are plenty of options when it comes to creating the perfect holiday, whether you want to experience Florida at a resort or if you choose to rent your own villa in Orlando.

Orlando is the theme park capital of the world, home of Walt Disney World Resort, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, SeaWorld and so much more. There has never been a better time to explore Orlando and discover all it has to offer. Visit the Magic Kingdom for a day full of excitement, and why not add even more magic to your trip and visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort.

For the animal lovers, visit Discovery Cove where you can swim with dolphins, snorkel with amazing fish and come face to face with a shark in Sea Venture, a new underwater walking tour! Once the sun has set, you can go to watch La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil, exclusive to Walt Disney World Resort, and experience a mesmerizing, unforgettable evening of acrobatics.

If you could do with a little pampering after the excitement of the roller coasters, Orlando is home to some fabulous spas, and no holiday would be complete without a little rest and relaxation. If you are travelling with your family don’t be put off, as a lot of the resorts in Orlando have spa menus for children! For a little retail therapy, there are fabulous collection of shopping centers, outlet villages and boutiques, all very close to each other – another great way to unwind.

For thrill seekers hunting for some adventure outside of the theme parks, hang gliding, jet skiing, zip wires and snorkeling are just a few of the exciting outdoor activities you can take part in on your holiday. If you are looking for something equally as exciting but maybe a little more romantic, why not try a hot air balloon ride over the treetops to watch the sun set?

With such an extraordinary amount of attractions, theme parks and activities available in Orlando, it’ll be a challenge to fit it all in.

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The Lion King musical is based on the 1994 Walt Disney animated classic, The Lion King.  The musical is adapted from the screenplay by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton and produced by Peter Schneider and Thomas Schumacher.

This musical debuted in 1997 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has now become the seventh longest running show on Broadway and is the highest grossing Broadway show of all time, having grossed $853.8 million. The show has toured in multiple cities across the U.S. as well as around the world.  I had the opportunity to attend the show at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Orlando, Florida on May 9.

Fans of the film will not be disappointed with the musical. It is breathtakingly beautiful, and the actors give an outstanding performance that will have audiences rising to their feet to give a standing ovation at the end of the show.

Both the film and the play are about a young lion cub named Simba who, through deception and betrayal of his jealous Uncle Scar, is wrongfully blamed for his father Mufasa’s death and runs away from his home.  He meets a meerkat named Timon and a warthog named Pumba, who are outcasts like Simba.

They become friends and live a carefree lives under the motto “hakuna matata”, which means “no worries.” Years pass, and back home, Simba’s uncle rules the kingdom and allows his allies, the hyenas, to eat as much as they like, breaking the circle of life. Now all grown up, Simba’s childhood friend, Nala, leaves the pride in search of help and finds Simba. With the help of the wise mandrill, Rafiki, Simba returns home, confronts his past, defeats Scar, and restores the balance. He finally accepts his rightful place as king, and all is well again in the pride lands.

The show opens with a bang. The Pride Rock is the setting for the first scene, as baby Simba is revealed to the rest of the kingdom as Rafiki and the Ensemble cast belt out the “Circle of Life” with “Nants’ Ingonyama.” The drummers-who are placed on both sides of the stage-closed the opening number with a resounding thump on their African drums, which brought the audience to applaud with excitement and approval for what is to come.

The show is about two hours with one fifteen-minute intermission and moves along at a balanced pace. Act One is the longer of the two acts and the better of the two as well. Act Two opens with the Ensemble cast singing “One by One”, a happy and joyous tune. This leads into Scene One which starts out with vultures hovering in the sky, representing the death and lack of food that has occurred under Scar’s reign. It is a stark contrast.

All of the actors’ performances were wonderful, but there were a few that shone brighter than the rest. Actress Buyi Zama was rightfully cast as Rafiki. Her performance was my favorite, as she made the audience laugh throughout the evening and received the most applause. J. Anthony Crane, who portrayed Scar, was memorable. He portrayed the villain excellently and even received a few boos mixed in with the applause. Finally, Mark David Kaplan, who played Mufasa’s confidant Zazu, was hilarious and provided zingers at the right times during the play.

In addition to the original tunes from the film with music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, the show has additional music and lyrics by Lebo M. Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer.  Out of these new tunes, the most notable was “He Lives in You,” which is first performed during the Under the Stars scene in the first act when Mufasa is disciplining Simba. There is a reprise of the song later on in the second act.

Visually, the show is strikingly beautiful with its sets and lighting which bring out the African themes quite well.

The musical features actors in animal costumes that are designed by Julie Taymor, as well as masks and puppets varying in size, also designed by her and Michael Curry. All of the costumes and puppets were colorful and magnificent. The cheetah costume was the coolest, as it featured an actor using their hands to control the front part of the cheetah’s body while their own legs were inside the hind legs of the puppet, propelling the puppet to move as though it was a real cheetah. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

The hyenas were another costume that stood out. The actors’ legs were the hyena’s hind legs, and their hands held sticks molded to look like a hyena’s front legs. Their hyena masks even had moveable mouths.

All in all, The Lion King is a worthy successor to the film. The show will finish its Orlando tour on May 13, so check your local theater to find out when the musical will be coming to your town.

Image Courtesy of   The Lion King

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For most people in the Unites States, February is when slightly warmer days begin to appear in place of fading winter. But for the best bass pros on the planet February means a hot bite, big bass and the beginning of another exciting FLW Tour season.

The Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Okeechobee presented by Evinrude will visit Clewiston, Fla., Feb. 9-12for the first tournament of its 17th season. Hosted by Roland & Mary Ann Martins Marina & Resort, the tournament will feature a full field of the world’s best bass pros and co-anglers casting for top awards up to$125,000 cash in the Pro Division and up to $25,000 cash in the Co-angler Division.

FLW Tour anglers haven’t competed on Lake Okeechobee since the February 2011 season opener, and National Guard pro Scott Martin is eagerly anticipating this year’s kickoff. The Clewiston resident has fished these waters for years and knows them like the back of his hand. Martin also has some tournament momentum behind him, as well. He won the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup and $600,000 in August on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark.

“The fishing has been phenomenal since the day we left (last year),” said Martin, who owns five top-10 finishes and one victory on Lake Okeechobee. “The fishing got better. And it stayed better all throughout the spring and the summer time, and it never slowed down, and now we’re back into the springtime again and the fish are just bigger. There seems to be more of them and more 30-pound bags weighed in at local events right now than I’ve ever seen. The potential for having some of the records fall is very likely.

“I’m in shorts and a T-shirt as we speak,” Martin added. “The water temperatures have been very consistent. We haven’t had a big cold front at all, so these fish are really going to start spawning and really be active this week.”

Martin said he expects the tournament to focus on spawning bass and flipping baits, however, he added that anglers will be presented with opportunities to use a variety of techniques and baits. When asked about the Alabama rig, the hot-topic controversial bait system that took the tournament world by storm at last year’s Lake Guntersville Tour event, Martin offered his opinion with no hesitation.

“I don’t think the Alabama rig will be a factor,” Martin said.

As the reigning Forrest Wood Cup champion, one might think that he has a target on his back and every angler in the field will be looking to dethrone him, but Martin doesn’t think that’s the case.

“This is Lake Okeechobee,” Martin said. “There’s so many good places to fish right now on this lake and so many different ways to catch them that I’m going to really have to put my thinking cap on and buckle down and find the winning pattern and the winning fish. There’s going to be lots of guys catch them.

“Tournaments are tournaments,” Martin added. “These guys aren’t focusing on beating me. Fishing is fishing. You’ve got to beat the fish. That’s what it always boils down to. I don’t think I have a target on my back to say the least. Everybody’s going to be going against the fish. The guys who fish against the fish are the guys that are going to do well. The guys that fish to try to beat some other angler … that’s the wrong attitude.”

In FLW Tour competition, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. This year’s Cup will be in Duluth/Gainesville, Ga., Aug. 9-12 on Lake Lanier and anglers could win as much as $500,000 – the sport’s biggest award. Anglers are also vying for the prestigious 2012 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s title that will be determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors.

Anglers will take off from Roland & Mary Ann Martins Marina & Resort located at 109 Central Ave. in Clewiston at 7:30 a.m. Thursday and Friday morning and from the Clewiston Boat Basin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday morning. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at Roland & Mary Ann Martins Marina & Resort located beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will be held at the Walmart located at 1005 West Sugarland Hwy. in Clewiston beginning at 4 p.m.

Fans will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Expo at the Walmart on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and fans can learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.

As part of the FLW Tour’s community outreach initiative, select FLW Tour anglers will be speaking to third-grade students at Eastside Elementary School located at 201 West Arroyo Ave. in Clewiston from 9-10 a.m. Feb. 8. The anglers’ wrapped boats and tow vehicles also will be on display at the school.

Coverage of the Lake Okeechobee tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when “FLW” airs March 18 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. “FLW” is hosted by Jason Harper and is broadcast to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.

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On January 23, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released the results of its latest survey regarding the number of registered sex offenders located in the U.S.  The organization’s most recent survey of states found there are 747,408 registered sex offenders in the country today, which represents an increase of 7,555 offenders from the previous survey in June 2011.

NCMEC conducted its first survey in 2006, which showed there were 606,816 registered sex offenders in the U.S.  In just five years, an additional 140,592 convicted sex offenders have been added to sex offender registries across the country, an increase of 23.2%.  The three states with the largest number of registered sex offenders are California (106,216), Texas (68,529), and Florida (57,896).

“The courts have long held that the requirement that a convicted sex offender register with authorities is not punitive, it is regulatory,” said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC.  “It is a reasonable measure designed to provide important information to authorities and to help protect the public, particularly children.

These registries are especially important because of the high risk of re-offense by some of these offenders, and the fact that most of the victims of America’s sex offenders are younger than 18 years of age.” The first sex offender registry was created in 1947 in California.  Today, every state has such a registry.

NCMEC created the survey in 2006, following the enactment of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in July of that year.  Each year since the survey was created, NCMEC contacts the sex offender registry in each state as well as registries located in the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas and St. Croix maintain separate sex offender registries, bringing the total number of registries surveyed to 57. ”America has awakened to the threat posed by sex offenders,” said Allen.  “Today, there is a system in place.  Law enforcement is more vigilant and common-sense steps have been taken to better protect the public, particularly the children.”

NCMEC has conducted 13 sex offender register surveys since 2006 and were performed quarterly until 2009.  Since then, they have been done twice each year.

In 2006, NCMEC also created a special dedicated Sex Offender Tracking Team.  This group of analysts — working with the U.S. Marshals Service and state and local law enforcement — accesses donated public records data and aids in locating an estimated 100,000 noncompliant or fugitive sex offenders.

To date, NCMEC has received 15,802 requests from law enforcement nationwide to assist in locating noncompliant sex offenders and has provided 15,763 analytical leads packages to law enforcement, resulting in the apprehension of thousands of fugitives.

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The Hispanic Leadership Network (HLN), a center-right advocacy action group, announced that former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and former Senator Rick Santorum will address its “Inspiring Action” conference to be held January 26-27 at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez will serve as conference co-chairs.

“We are incredibly honored to have such a stellar group of leaders addressing the diverse and vibrant Hispanic community that calls Florida home. Our conference is a chance for center-right Hispanics to take an active role in the policy debate currently taking place around the country,” said HLN Executive Director Jennifer S. Korn.

The conference kicks off on Thursday night with a welcoming reception and debate watching party. HLN is co-host with CNN and the Republican Party of Florida of Thursday night’s Republican presidential debate in Jacksonville. CNN will provide live coverage from the HLN debate watching party. Speaker Gingrich, Governor Romney and Senator Santorum will address the HLN conference on Friday.

“America is in a jobs crisis and Hispanic Americans have been hit especially hard. I look forward to outlining how a conservative jobs and growth strategy of lower taxes, less regulation, a stable dollar and more American energy will help us rebuild the America we love,” said Gingrich.

“Over 2.5 million Hispanics are unemployed today, with the unemployment rate at 11% for Hispanics. In order to free the private sector and provide jobs and opportunity for Hispanic families, we must getWashington out of the way of the American entrepreneurial spirit,” said Romney.

The conference’s Friday program also features discussions on job creation, immigration, and the power of the Hispanic vote. In addition, there will be three training sessions focusing on grassroots advocacy, media, and policy issues. Overall, the two-day gathering will bring together more than 20 distinguished speakers and panelists.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/

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Walmart’s 2012 Acres for America program is helping conserve more than 49,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat across the United States. Acres projects connect existing lands to protect migration routes, provide access for people to enjoy the outdoors and help ensure the future of rural economies that depend on forestry, tourism and recreation.

Acres for America is a 10-year, $35 million commitment that began in 2005 between Walmart and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to purchase and preserve one acre of wildlife habitat in the U.S. for every acre of land developed by the company through 2015.  To date, Acres for America has invested in projects in 24 states, protecting more than 687,000 acres.

“It is estimated that America loses nearly three million acres of open space each year,” said Jennifer May-Brust, Walmart vice president of realty supplier management and compliance. “Our strategic partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is helping save important wildlife habitats and fits perfectly with Walmart’s larger goal to bring sustainability into the communities we serve.”

In the summer of 2011, Walmart expanded its Acres investments to include urban conservation projects inChicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C.  The six awards announced today will support projects in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina and Tennessee.

“With these new projects, Acres for America extends into five additional states to protect vital areas for wildlife and people,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “These investments will not only benefit endangered species like the Florida panther – they will also expand open space near urban areas and conserve forests and streams along the Appalachian Trail, one of our most treasured natural resources.”

The 2012 Acres for America projects:

Southern Sierra Partnership: Tehachapi Linkage, California

• While protecting more than 22,000 acres of rare blue oak habitat in the Sierra foothills, this project completes a key 50-mile ecological corridor linking the Sierra-Cascade ranges to the California Coast ranges and the lowlands of the Great Central Valley to the Mojave Desert.

Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge Expansion: Colorado

• This project protects 1,334 acres of tallgrass prairie adjacent to the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge and connects to 70,000 acres of locally protected open space, greatly expanding recreation opportunities in metropolitan Denver.

Panther Crossing Protection Project: Florida

• This 1,530-acre property protects a key migratory corridor for the endangered Florida panther, of which less than 165 exist in the wild.  It connects existing panther habitat to the south with 1.5 million acres of new habitat in the Northern Everglades, and will also benefit the American black bear, red-cockaded woodpecker, swallow-tailed kite and snail kite.

Almo Tract: Fort Benning, Georgia

• This 7,550-acre tract in Georgia’s Fall Line Sandhills is the eastern anchor of a larger 30,000-acre conservation corridor adjacent to Fort Benning. The project protects longleaf pine forest and provides important habitat for the gopher tortoise and red-cockaded woodpecker, among other species.

The Palila Protection Project: Hawaii

• On the Big Island of Hawaii, two protected parcels (4,469 acres) provide critical habitat to the palila (Loxioides bailleui), one of the rarest birds in the world, and contribute significantly to its recovery.

Appalachian Trail Habitat Protection Project: North Carolina and Tennessee

Partners: The Conservation Fund, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Blue Ridge Forever and Conservation Trust for North Carolina

• This group of seven key parcels collectively protects nearly 13,000 acres of forest and 40 miles of freshwater streams along the Appalachian Trail Corridor, which are home to the imperiled southern Appalachian brook trout, 1,000 species of plants, at least 300 species of birds and 20 species of rare and declining salamanders.

For more information on Acres for America or to apply for a grant, visit www.nfwf.org or http://walmartstores.com/sustainability.

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Nearly one in four American children attend rural schools and enrollment is growing at a faster rate in rural school districts than in all other places combined, according to ‘Why Rural Matters 2011-12’, a biennial report by the Rural School and Community Trust.   In addition, rural schools show increasing rates of poverty, diversity, and students with special needs.

These widespread trends are most evident in the South, Southwest, and parts of Appalachia. ”As the evidence mounts that rural education is becoming a bigger and even more complex part of our national educational landscape, it is becoming impossible to ignore in the quest to improve achievement and narrow achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged groups.

The day of closing our eyes and hoping rural education will just go away are ending,” said Jerry Johnson, a co-author of ‘Why Rural Matters 2011-12’. More than 9.6 million students are enrolled in rural school districts in the United States, which is over 20 percent of all public school students in the United States.

An additional 1.8 million students are enrolled in rural schools in districts not classified as rural by the federal government.  Together, these 11.4 million students who attend rural schools comprise more than 23 percent of all public school students, according to the Rural School and Community Trust, a respected national nonprofit organization.

Of those students attending schools in a rural district, two in five live in poverty, a rate that has increased by nearly a third in nine years.  One student in four in rural areas is a child of color, and one in eight has changed residence in the past 12 months.

Between the 1999-2000 and 2008-2009 school years, rural districts’ enrollment increased by well over 1.7 million students, showing a growth rate of more than 22 percent.  In comparison, non-rural enrollment increased by only 673,000, or by a 1.7 percent increase, for the same time period.  As a result, the rural districts’ share of national public school enrollment increased from 17.4 percent to 20 percent over the decade, according to federal data in the report.

These enrollment gains were particularly strong in the most rural states in the South and Southwest.  Ten states are among the top 13 in both the number and the percentage of rural enrollment growth — Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

The top five states with rural enrollment increases — Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arizona — had a total gain of over 1.1 million, more than half the gain for all states that gained rural enrollment.

“Rural minority students are concentrated in certain states, and that concentration is increasing,” said Jerry Johnson. Over 69 percent of all rural minority students now attend school in states where they represent more than one third of the rural student enrollment.  That is up from 58 percent as reported in ‘Why Rural Matters 2009’.

The report uses 25 statistical indicators grouped into five “gauges” to take the measure of rural education in each of the 50 states.  The five gauges are then combined to produce a “rural education priority” gauge.  The higher the ranking, the more important and challenging rural education is in a state’s overall education system and the more urgent it is for policy makers to pay attention to it.

The 13 highest priority states are all in the South, Southwest, and Appalachia, except Alaska, and all, but three, of the 12 next highest priority states are adjacent to them with the exception of Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

The report notes that rural education ranks high in importance in many Northern states, including Iowa, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, and Vermont.  However, these states tend to rank low on other measures such as student poverty, diversity, or poor student performance and low graduation rates.

“These states symbolize rural education to many people. They are the basis for a myth that all of rural America is uncomplicated, stable, and reasonably well-off. That myth is part of what keeps rural education on the margins of the national debate about education policy,” said Marty Strange, the policy director for the Rural School and Community Trust and co-author of the report.

“But these classic Yankee and Prairie-Plains states are simply an important part of a much more varied, complex, and challenging rural America that education policy makers must better understand,” said Strange. The report found that states most responsive to rural schools have above average fiscal capacity.

For example, the report points out that of the 13 states with the lowest expenditures for rural teachers, all but Nebraska and South Dakota are below the national average in state fiscal capacity.  On the other hand, states with the highest rural teacher salaries are primarily in the Northeast, the West, and the Mid-Atlantic. All these states are above the national average in state fiscal capacity per capital.

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According to award-winning novelist and relative of Columbine shooting victim, Daniel Rohrbough, there is a direct link to school shootings and Al-Qaeda. “When I researched school shootings, more and more evidence pointed to how the Internet is being used to infiltrate, deceive, and recruit boys into the dark world of terrorism,” says Linda Rohrbough.

Formerly a computer book author, Rohrbough discovered a link between school shootings and Al-Qaeda while searching for answers after her nephew was gunned down at Columbine. “My first inkling of the connection to Al-Qaeda was when I attended the Columbine memorial service. I recognized General Colin Powell at the center of the platform in full military dress. He was never mentioned or introduced, and he never spoke. He was just there.”

Powell is an expert on the Middle East, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and credited for successful execution of Operation Desert Storm, which expelled the Iraqi army from Kuwait.

Further reports unveiled the Columbine shooters bragged theirs would be the first of many shootings. Also, the teenage shooters low-level formatted the hard disk drives of their computers before heading out to kill. Rohrbough wanted to know, “How could they know other shootings would follow? And why erase their hard disk drives? What were they trying to hide?”

Fortunately, in two cases, the authorities got to computers before the low-level format was complete. First, in a school shooting in Paris, and second, when a teenager in Florida flew his dad’s plane into a building. In both cases, e-mails traced back to Al-Qaeda operatives. Most recently, three teens in Louisiana were caught before shooting and are being held on conspiracy to commit terrorism charges.

Rohrbough’s extensive research resulted in her new novel, The Prophetess One: At Risk, published on April 20th, 2011, the 12th anniversary of the Columbine shooting.

Image Courtesy of  Randy Miramontez / Shutterstock.com

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When even an extreme congressman is starting to call you out, you are in trouble.  Rep. Allen West called Rep. Michele Bachmann’s suggestion for drilling oil in the Florida Everglades “an incredible faux pas.”

Over the weekend, Bachmann spoke at a campaign stop in Florida. “The United States needs to be less dependent on foreign sources of energy and more dependent upon American resourcefulness,” Bachmann said. “Whether that is in the Everglades, or whether that is in the eastern Gulf region, or whether that’s in North Dakota, we need to go where the energy is.”

The Republican presidential candidate added, “Of course it needs to be done responsibly. If we can’t responsibly access energy in the Everglades then we shouldn’t do it.”

Rep. Allen West, a strange tea partier known for making his own outlandish statements, pounced on Bachmann’s statement almost instantly. West said during a town hall event in Florida, his home state, “When I see her next week, I’ll straighten her out about that.”

West is not the only person pointing out the potential environmental disaster in Bachmann’s statement. Florida Senator Bill Nelson, a Democrat, said, “To go in the middle of the Everglades and to spoil the river of grass just because somebody wants to, that’s not a wise thing to do.”

Bachmann, who has previously stated she would abolish the Environmental Protection Agency, said she would rely on experts to determine where to drill. The same experts who thought deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico was a good idea? “No one wants to hurt or contaminate the earth. … We don’t want to harm our water, our ecosystems or the air.

That is a minimum bar,” she said, according to the Associated Press. “From there, though, that doesn’t mean that the two have to be mutually exclusive. We can protect the environment and do so responsibly, but we can also protect the environment and not kill jobs in America and not deny ourselves access to the energy resources that America’s been so blessed with.”

A CBS reporter in Miami asked Bachmann about her call for drilling, asking, “Why would you invade that natural resource with gas and oil drilling?” Bachmann responded, “Let’s access this wonderful treasure trove of energy that God has given us in this country. Let’s access it responsibly.”

However, many experts do not know if there is any oil beneath the Everglades. A geologist from University of South Florida told CBS News that it doesn’t seem to harbor any “treasure trove.”

“There is no known evidence that there is a significant hydrocarbon deposit beneath the Everglades,” Dr. Albert Hine said.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/

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As if the historically low 17 percent approval rating of Congress wasn’t low enough, certain members of congress seem to want to get this even lower.

Despite unemployment rates that have hovered just below double digits for a very long time, record foreclosures and a stagnant economy that can’t get moving, some members of congress are whining about their low paychecks. I am not kidding. Does it infuriate you??

Even though members of Congress are paid $174,000 a year, get a month off for summer, weeks off for the holiday season, paid travel, excellent health care and plenty of under the table lobbyists perks, these spoiled idiots are saying they are not being paid enough. All while trying to cut spending and put decent government workers out of job.

First up, we have Republican idiot Steve Southerland from Florida. Speaking to a retirement community in Tallahassee, the freshman congressman complained about some of the parts of his new job. He claimed that his salary is not so much because of the amount of hours he puts in. He said there was no instant pensions or free health insurance. Yeah, none of us “normal” folks get that either, jackass.

“And by the way, did I mention? They’re shooting at us. There is law-enforcement security in this room right now, and why is that?” Southerland told about 125 people in an auditorium at the Westminster Oaks retirement community.

“If you think this job pays too much, with those kinds of risks and cutting me off from my family business, I’ll just tell you: This job don’t mean that much to me. I had a good life in Panama City,” Southerland whined.”…He added that ‘if you took the hours that I work and divided it into my pay,’ the $174,000 salary would not seem so high.”

Southerland was a funeral home director before he became a congressman, making about $90,000 a year.

Rep. Sean Duffy from Wisconsin (remember the state that complained teachers’ salaries were too high????????) also complained about his paycheck a few months ago. He said it was a “struggle” to pay his mortgage and student loans with his congressional salary. “At this point, I’m not living high on the hog,” Duffy, a father of six, said.

Sorry, Mr. Duffy, but I don’t feel sorry for you at all. Buy a freakin smaller house. Use birth control. That is the same bullshit you as a Republican would tell a mother when you cut off her food stamps.

It is not only Republicans that whine though. Linda Sanchez, a Democrat from California, told MSNBC last spring that she was living “paycheck to paycheck.” Wow, these people need to budget a little better. You make more than four times what my husband and me make together.

You stupid lawmakers always have the nerve to tell us to cut out expenses. Really? If you can’t make it at six figures, what the hell else can I cut?

Ken Durden / Shutterstock.com

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Michele Bachmann proves once again she can dominate the news cycle with irrelevant statements and ideas. The representative from Minnesota who is vying for the republican presidential nomination stated that the United States can more energy resources than any other country but “radical environmentalists” won’t allow the government to exploit these resources.

Bachmann told a crowd in Florida that with shale oil, natural gas and coal, the United States shouldn’t be “begging” others for oil and energy supplies. She said “we are the king daddy dogs when it comes to energy,” but that environmentalists are preventing resources from being tapped.

Bachmann specifically pointed out untapped oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and off the nation’s coasts along with shale oil in Western states and rich natural gas and coal deposits. Bachmann stated that the U.S. “is sitting on a mother lode of treasure.” Bachmann promises to unlock those resources and disband the Environmental Protection Agency if she was elected president.

“The radical environmentalists have demanded that we lock up all our energy resources,” she said. “President Bachmann will take that key out of the door. I will unlock it.”She added that will eliminate the “job killing” Environmental Protection Agency.

“We will turn out the lights and we’ll lock the doors,” she said. The crowd at a retirement community cheered to those promises. I guess that will happen before she magically lowers gas prices.

Bachmann also spoke in Jacksonville last week. She told supporters there that the corporate income tax should be reduced to prevent more companies from moving jobs overseas. She was later asked by a reporter whether changes to the minimum wage should also be considered to balance the cost of labor here and overseas.”I’m not married to anything. I’m not saying that’s where I’m going to go,” she said.

“I want to bring advisers in from labor and from manufacturers and from the service industry and financial services. I want to know what they know, because that’s what we’ve been missing from President Obama. He has virtually no one in his Cabinet with private sector experience,” Bachmann said. “I want to bring people who know how to create jobs into my administration.”

Bachmann told the crowd she knows Florida will play an important role in the election.”We will be back here many, many, many, many, many times in Jacksonville, and we’re going to be old friends and neighbors by the time this is all done,” she said.

Image Courtesy of  Michele Bachmann

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Author and famed folklorist Stetson Kennedy, who exposed the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan decades ago, died on Saturday at Baptist Medical Center South in Jacksonville, Florida. According to his website which announced the passing, he was with his wife and stepdaughter. Kennedy was 94.

His 1954 book “I Rode With the Ku Klux Klan” was his best-known work, later re-released as “The Klan Unmasked” in 1990. Kennedy was very involved in human rights activism in the late 1930s against segregation laws and decided in the early 1940s to infiltrate both the KKK and the Columbians, an Atlanta-based neo-Nazi organization.

He was crusading against what he described as “homegrown racial terrorists,” according to the LA Times’ report. By posing as an encyclopedia salesman, Kennedy gathered information which he shared with journalists and law enforcement officials. After stepping forward to testify at the 1947 trial of Homer Loomis and Emory Burke, the leaders of the Columbians, his undercover days were over.

Many have applauded Kennedy’s work as a monumental catalyst for the demystification of right extremists and halting the growth of the Ku Klux Klan. He enabled the International Revenue Service to request an outstanding $685,000 in taxes from the Klan in 1944 and helped draft the brief used to revoke their national corporate charter in 1947.

His most populist achievement was to describe the Klan’s rituals – something that Peggy Bulger, director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress described as the strongest blow to the Klan. “Exposing their folklore – all their secret handshakes, passwords and how silly they were dressing up in white sheets,” was extremely relevant, she told the Associated Press in 2007.

In later years, critics have suggested that Kennedy misrepresented his contribution and some of the information that he was delivering. According to LA Times, the co-authors Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt of the best-selling book Freakonomics contended that a number of events described in “The Klan Unmasked” were embellished or based on secondhand information.

He was also accused of failing to credit other undercover agents who had placed themselves in considerably more risque situations than himself. Kennedy has later stated that he never hid the fact that his narrative was a bit colorful but he regrets not having stated this fact more clearly at the beginning of his book.

Stetson Kennedy is survived by his seventh wife, Sandra Parks, and the memorial celebration will be held at his homestead, Beluthahatchee Park.

Image Courtesy of   Pally

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Sun soaked Miami, Florida is a vacation destination for visitors across the country and world wide. Known for its year round warm climate, tropical beaches, and energizing nightlife, Miami has been a hotspot for decades. Palm tree lined streets and a beach atmosphere makes for a perfect travel getaway.

Miami is a crossroads of American and Caribbean cultures and the city blends its flavor and influences to share with the world. Any visitor spending a weekend in Miami can have a fun filled vacation, experiencing all the city has to offer, while maintaining a healthy, green lifestyle.

The Clifton South Beach Hotel brings the stylish, chic atmosphere of Miami living to its guests. It is one of the premier South Beach hotels, located just steps away from the famous tropical beach, restaurants, and bars.

The Clifton South Beach Hotel sets itself apart from other properties by putting in impeccable, environmentally friendly attention to detail. The interior furnishings are made with recyclable and renewable materials. This includes areas like the dry wall, to the mattresses. The paints used throughout the building have zero volatile organic compounds.

Each room comes with bath products that are good for the environment. The Carlton South Beach is a LEED hotel, and a carbon neutral hotel. The exterior of the hotel stays true to its art deco roots; a popular architectural style seen throughout beautiful South Beach. Staying at the Carlton South Beach gives guests an optimal location and can satisfy any environmentalist’s needs.

A first stop on any Miami itinerary is often to the legendary beach. Taking in the soft white sand and turquoise colored ocean is a breathtaking scene for any new visitor, or long time visitor, to South Beach. Finding an empty spot of the sand and spending the day at the beach is a fun, free, eco friendly activity for anyone to enjoy.

Bringing a picnic lunch with locally sourced food is a healthy option to a day at the beach. Working on a golden tan, cooling off in the clear ocean, and playing a game of volleyball are all popular ways to pass the time in South Beach.

Enjoying the outdoors is possibly one of the most fulfilling ways to appreciate the environment. However, while doing so, it is always important to keep the beach clean and the way it was originally found.

Getting around South Beach has never been greener. Walking is an easy, healthy way to get around the neighborhood. Visitors taking a stroll along famous Ocean Drive can get some exercise and pass through one outdoor restaurant after another.

Swoop, a newly introduced company, makes traveling through South Beach eco friendly, and free. Swoop is a line of electric golf carts, seating up to six passengers at a time, that brings people around the South Beach neighborhood. Passengers can go run errands, go grocery shopping, or be dropped off at their favorite restaurant.

Swoop operates every day of the week from 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. This free service is now a well known way to easily get around town, without doing any harm on the environment.

South Beach streets are full of shopping opportunities. The pedestrian only street of Lincoln Road gives people an all around outdoor shopping and dining experience. People can browse through stores, sit at an outdoor café, and spend some leisure time in the relaxed ambiance.

Mango Tree, a shop located on 6th street, is full of products made from local artists. The store sells a variety of soaps, lotions, and incense. Shopping there is a green way to bring back some souvenirs and support the artisanal products made by locals in South Beach.

For some, getting pampered is part of the ultimate relaxing vacation. Uhma Spa is an organic spa in the heart of Miami where all soothing and pampering needs can be taken care of.

All organic products are used in the different spa treatments available. Anything from back massages, body treatments, and the famous Sabai Healing Massage blends professional skill with natural products.

Uhma Spa takes a cultural spread of treatment practices, from holistic Indian traditions to aromatherapy from Europe, and makes their services good for the customer and environment.

The shop at Uhma Spa also offers a line of organic products to take home, including makeup, hair products, candles, and items for children. A day at the spa will have visitors leaving rejuvenated and refreshed, ready for a night out on the town.

Dining out in style is made easy by the numerous amounts of chic and contemporary restaurants all around South Beach. Escopazzo is an organic Italian restaurant, serving up dishes made from fresh ingredients. Offering up a menu full of favorite Italian meals, including anything from pasta, fish, meat, and raw food, Escopazzo is a great place to have a nice meal with organic products.

After a meal of delicious Italian food, tropical cocktails and nightlife await on Ocean Drive, where it is easy to dance the night away until the early morning hours. Taking in the sights and scenes of Miami, from the shopping, dining, to the beach, is now full of green places to explore.

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The US government decided that the problem of obesity amongst children in America has gone far enough and will be stepping in to regulate. The government will be limiting what foods can be advertised to children.

Data from the National Health and Examination Survey shows that about one-third of U.S. adults (33.8%) are obese. Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese.

According to the New York Times 11 food giants, including McDonald’s, Campbell Soup and PepsiCo, have already agreed to stop advertising products that do not meet nutritional standards to children 12 years old and younger.

“We are hopeful that people will look at this and say that the community has done a substantial, enormous amount of work,” Dan Jaffe, executive vice president of the Association of National Advertisers told the New York Times.

The Council of Better Business Bureaus and its Children’s Advertising Review Unit will be reviewing these companies marketing plans and will report to the public on their findings.

The Times reports, according to industry estimates, advertisers spend almost $900 million annually on television made for children younger than 12.

“This is great public relations for the companies, but it doesn’t go nearly far enough,” said Susan Linn, co-founder of the Boston-based group Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. “It is going to be impossible to monitor if the companies are actually doing what they say.”

Obesity currently results in an estimated 400,000 deaths a year in the United States and costs the national economy almost $122.9 billion yearly.

Obesity and weight gain are caused by consuming more calories than the body needs. It is most commonly cause by having a poor diet, consuming high calories, fatty foods, and living an inactive lifestyle.
Obesity impacts more than people’s lifestyles, it can also lead to lower self-esteem, cause depression and can cause people to be uncomfortable in social situations; Obesity can considerably weaken someone’s quality of life.

The government stepping in plays a role in the fight against childhood obesity. But parents need to do their part as well. To avoid childhood obesity, parents should incorporate healthy diets and exercise into their children’s daily lives.

Both children and parents should participant in activities that involve physical exercise and limit the time watching TV, playing video games or on the computer.

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Have you ever stood in a local wine store, looking at the two hundred dollars bottle of wine and think to yourself: should I get this? But I don’t know how it’ll taste like. Well, never mind as you put down the bottle and ended up buying a 20 bucks Cabernet Sauvignon? This happens to me all the time.

The truth is a lot of us are afraid to spend big on something we have such little clue about. Plus, it doesn’t mean we’ll like it just because its pricey value. True, there are plenty of wine bars out there, the ones where you point at the menu and order.

Both self-service wine bars and regular wine bars offer diverse selection, but the self-service one feels to me like a wine lover’s playground – a place where we’re able to explore the wines that interested us at our own pace, portion, and most importantly without having to wait for a bartender or a waiter.

During college, my wine professor showed us a clip of Clo Wine Bar in New York City (closed its doors back in December of last year). Being a self-service wine bar, Clo at the time was a new and genius business concept featuring an interactive menu system where you use your finger tip to guide the cursor and all the info you need pops up.

Located in Brickell, a business district of Miami, Cava – as it was named, is a cool, contemporary wine bar equipped with wine dispenser in which all you do is put a card in the slot, press quantity button (here, they offer three portion sizes: tasting portion, half glass, or full glass), and voila – there goes your desired glass of wine.

The bar was very well organized. More than half of the space were taken by red wines, with the more expensive ones grouped together in the center of the restaurant. Then, there are white wines and champagnes locked in a clear, cooling box. A tasting note accompanies each bottle, providing guests with the wine’s flavor profile, where it comes from, the nose, and the finish.

My tip is to go for something you wouldn’t normally buy – either a bottle that’s really expensive, or the grapes you usually don’t drink. For example, I’m not at all a fan of any red wines, mainly because the taste of tannin, a bitter flavor coming from a grape’s skin, seeds, and stems. But expensive red wines are completely different.

Yes, the tannin is still there, but much smoother and more pleasant.  One of the most expensive wines there – Leonetti Merlot 2008 from Columbia Valley, Washington, was aromatic, light, and has the taste of spices and berries.

All in all, this technology allows us to enjoy experimenting with wine at our own limit. Think about it, most of us don’t buy clothes without trying them on – same thing with wine and everything else. This type of wine bar, specifically, is a great way to find that perfect bottle for a special occasion and expand your knowledge.

After all, who wants to bring a bad bottle of wine to Thanksgiving or Christmas? As for me, I’m always looking for a nice wine where my family and friends can enjoy when we throw a get-together.

With that being said, I’m off to getting my sweet white wine – Chateau de Stony, Muscat de Frontignan.

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The Casey Anthony trial has illuminated a strange pattern with the American public. The same America that has been blasé about so many injustices over the past decade is now outraged about one trial and one inconvenient truth. I do not know whether to applaud that America still gives a damn, even though it seems very misplaced, or if I should be horrified.

This is what we chose as Custard’s Last Stand. As a mental health counselor, I have been fascinated with the overblown reaction that people have displayed after Casey Anthony was acquitted of the serious charges. I can’t quite figure out the outrage. It is clearly not that the crime strikes close to home. When children are abducted and killed by strangers, parents become fearful it could happen to their children and often overreact. I get that.

These people believe that Casey killed her own child, certainly nothing for them to worry about. It can’t be the fact that a two-year old girl died tragically. Yes, that is horrible. But, that happens daily unfortunately. So that does not explain the outrage.  I am not sure how finding someone guilty of murder equates justice, but people will assert that they are angry that Casey got off scot free and there is no justice for Caylee, her daughter. What does that mean exactly? If there is a higher power, and trust me most of these angry people believe that, than if Casey killed her daughter she will be taken care of in the next life.

The legal system is designed to be black and white. There cannot be any gray area in law. It doesn’t work. The justice system is blind to the victim. If the case was different and the victim was a 65-year old pedophile, would any of these same people feel so angry? I think not. The justice system is also intended to be rational and logical. You cannot judge someone based on emotion, only reason. Those on Facebook and Twitter outraged are looking at this from a purely emotional standpoint. No matter what your “gut” tells you, you cannot condemn someone based on a gut instinct. That is insane.

The evidence was clear. The state did not even tell the jury how Caylee died. How can you convict someone of murder when murder was not even proven? THAT is not logical. Speculation and theories do not equal proof. Not in the United States. The people outraged over the verdict have sat by idly while the number of children around the world dying of hunger has increased fourfold in the past decade. They have said nothing as the United States waged two unending wars, sending thousands of young soldiers to their deaths.

They have been quiet as our economy crumbled, sending millions of children to the street, and the people responsible have not been charged with one single crime. Not a peep as the government plays chicken with people’s unemployment benefits and more and more children live in poverty. When a child dies because of lack of healthcare, these same people do not cry “foul” that the federal government is not charged with murder.

Michael Vick should get a second chance at becoming a millionaire but Casey should be gunned down in the street. The income gap between the richest rich and the poor is widening every day, leaving no middle class and a banana republic but everyone seems fine with it. What the hell is going on? As tragic and senseless as this crime may be, there are far bigger crimes being perpetrated by our government daily.  And it kills more than one little girl, even a cute, white innocent girl like Caylee seemed to be.

But, we sit by and do nothing. If Casey’s defense had been that she did not have the money for her daughter, we would all be rightly angry. But, if the federal government blabs about sacrifice and cuts a program for children, no one posts annoying statuses on their Facebook or turns on their porch light to save those kids. Screw those kids. They are poor.  Sorry for the hard truths but our country and justice system is far from perfect.

If you feel that the system was wrong with Casey Anthony, trust me, she is not the first failure of the system or the last. There are innocent people on death row, like Troy Davis and Jeremy Echols. You can be upset with the outcome, just not surprised. Nothing is surprising in this case. Children die in America, far more than they should. The justice system is not perfect. People act really weird when grieving and do things that make no sense.

There are bad mothers with cute kids and good mothers with ugly kids. It is time to WAKE UP!!  Nancy Grace does not know everything, or even a little and life isn’t fair. End of story.

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In a case that for some reason captivated the nation, the Casey Anthony trial has finally come to a close. Casey Anthony was found not guilty in an Orlando courtroom of killing her daughter on Tuesday afternoon. The jury did convict the young mother of four charges for lying to a police officer, which really was not up for much debate. The reaction around the country was instant. It was readily apparent on social media sites such as Facebook. Most users expressed shock and outrage at the verdict suggesting that the United States has become a nation of Nancy Grace wannabees.

Unlike anything seen since O.J Simpson’s televised murder trial in the 1990’s, the Casey Anthony trial has been in the headlines and the top stories of most cable news stations for weeks. Even more apparent after the verdict, there seems to be no gray area with Anthony. People either defend her as a vulnerable woman who clearly has some sort of mental disorder or they vilify her as an evil baby killing mother. The truth probably lies somewhere in between.

Following more than 33 days of testimony and 90 witnesses, the jurors only deliberated for one day until returning the verdict. Anthony was found not guilty of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. She was also found not guilty of aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child.

During closing arguments over the weekend, lawyers from both sides presented last ditch efforts for their case. Prosecution had little actual evidence to go on and instead painted Anthony as a promiscuous self-centered woman. The main case was surrounded on the 30 days following Caylee’s disappearance when Casey was out partying, getting a tattoo and not behaving how a typical grief stricken woman is “expected” to act. Prosecutor Jeff Ashton argued that Anthony wanted to go out with her friends and to live the carefree life she had before Caylee’s birth. “Something needed to be sacrificed, that something was either the life she wanted or the life thrust upon her. She chose to sacrifice her child,” Ashton said during his 90-minute argument.

Despite the attempt to portray Casey as a bad mother, the prosecution failed to answer many questions. Most notably, the actual cause of Caylee’s death. Prosecutors allege that Caylee was suffocated with duct tape by Casey. The defense states that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family pool. During closing arguments, the defense highlighted the little amount of actual evidence seen in this case.

Defense attorney Jose Baez said prosecutors’ forensic evidence was based on a “fantasy.”  The defense countered that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family pool and that Casey and her father covered up the death. The defense also suggested that Casey was sexually abused by her father. One of the lawyers on the defense team also harshly criticized the media following the verdict for sensationalizing the case and destroying Casey’s life. Cheney Mason, said he hoped the verdict was a lesson to those who had “indulged in media assassination” during the three years between 2-year-old Caylee Anthony’s disappearance and her mother’s acquittal for murder.

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A wildfire that claimed the lives of two forest rangers in Florida.

A wildfire in Florida took the lives of two forest rangers, as the state continues to be affected by more than 400 blazes. According to BBC news, “the rangers had been trying to contain a 12-acre(4.8-ha) blaze near the Georgia border, but the fire flared up and trapped them”. While trying to save Josh Burch, 31 and Brett Fulton, 52 two other individuals were also injured due to the fire. The two rangers who were trying to contain the fire were not just injured they were immediately killed.

State Forestry director Jim Karels told the Associated Press News Agency that “the weather can change in Florida very quickly and that’s what we experienced”. Investigators describe how “wildfires have burned more than 200,000 acres of land in Florida since 1 May 2011.
The fire known as the Blue Ribbon Fire in Florida’s Hamilton County which killed the two rangers  had previously been contained. It “was burning roughly 85 miles (136 km) north-east of the city of Tallahassee”. This has known to be the first time anyone working for the Florida Division of Forestry has died from tackling a blaze since the year 2000, when a pilot died from dumping water on a wildfire that took place near the town Fort Myers.

Wildfires across the country have been affecting residences, outbuildings and commercial properties. Many of these fires being so disastrous that homeowners are forced to move from their hometowns. Wildfires can be caused by many things some of which include lightning, volcanic activities and spontaneous combustion. The news about the wildfire in Florida had come as the responders continued to battle around thousands of fires in the region of Arizona, Texas and New Mexico.

In Texas a fast-moving fire in Grimes County destroyed thirty-five homes on Tuesday, after destroying more than 4,000 acres of land. A fire which started because homeowners lost control of a fire in their grill, near the town of Stoneham. Earlier this month, a huge wildfire had hit the state of Arizona forcing thousands from their homes. The blaze had raged for 11 days.

BBC news describes “the largest of the US wildfires is considered to be the Wallow Fire in eastern Arizona and Western New Mexico, which officials said on Tuesday had burned more than 525,000 acres”. The Wallow Fire is now eighty-two percent contained according to Azfamily.com. “Approximately 15,000 acres have burned in New Mexico; the fire’s now covers a total of 538,043 acres”. More than 7,000 firefighters are involved in Arizona and New Mexico to contain wildfires there and a total of 10,400 firefighters are involved in the efforts to contain the wildfires across the US.

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Florida governor Rick Scott quietly put his plans to drug test all state workers on hold. He sent a memo to agency heads on June 10 announcing the decision; however it was not made public. Last week, the ACLU of Florida posted the memo on its website.

Scott issued the executive order March 22, ordering that all state employees be drug tested at their expense. The ACLU of Florida responded immediately by filing a lawsuit alleging the order violated the Fourth Amendment’s search and seizure provisions. The ACLU acted on behalf of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents some 50,000 state workers and 200,000 city and county workers in the Sunshine State.

Scott’s memo states that he is “confident that the drug testing called for in the order is consistent with the Constitution,” but acknowledges that “while the case is pending, it not does not make sense to move forward with the logistical issues involved in instituting the new policy.”

ACLU was pleased with the news. “This is nothing less than a massive and embarrassing retreat on the part of Governor Scott,” said Florida ACLU director Howard Simon. “Despite his continuing rhetoric, he must now realize that Floridians won’t simply roll over but will stand up and defend our constitutional rights.”

Governor Scott now enjoys the title of being the most unpopular governor in the entire country with an approval rating at a staggering 29 percent. Only six months after he took the office of Governor in Florida, Rick Scott has fewer fans in the state than attend a Tampa Bay Rays game. The Quinnipiac University poll found that 54 percent of voters say the budget is “unfair” to someone like them, while 29 percent favor it.”The data on the perceived fairness of the governor’s budget is crucial. When voters by almost 2-1 say his approach is unfair to them, that’s a giant flashing political warning sign for Scott,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “When voters don’t think they are being treated fairly, they tend to react negatively.”

Voters are even more fed up with the economy, perhaps the biggest drag on Scott or any other political leader in the nation. In Florida, 61 percent say they’re dissatisfied in general.

When asked about his low poll numbers, Scott seemed unconcerned.  ”My job is to get our state back to work. My job is to make sure this is the state that’s most likely to succeed,” he said on the Sid Rosenberg Show on WQAM radio in South Florida.

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