Leaflet Descending

Rick Scott Applauds Newt Gingritch and Mitt Romney While Addressing Florida Primary

2012-01-23T10:23:00.000-05:00

Florida Independent:

Though Scott has chosen not to endorse anyone (which many have speculated might actually be helpful to candidates, due to his unpopularity), he did applaud both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich for taking on the jobs issue, adding that “it’s going to really be important that this week [Romney] gets out there and says, ‘This is very simply what my plan is.’”

Source

SOPA Online Protest

2012-01-18T14:00:00.001-05:00

League of Women Voters of Florida Offers Voting Tips Before Jan. 31 Presidential Primary

2012-01-18T13:58:00.001-05:00

League Reminds Voters to Be Ready for 2012 Elections
by Checking Their Voter Status

Tallahassee, FL -- The League of Women Voters of Florida encourages all citizens to vote with confidence during this year's three elections. The first election date is the Florida GOP Presidential Preference Primary on Jan. 31. Early voting runs Jan. 21 to Jan. 28 in all Florida counties except Hillsborough, Collier, Hardee, Hendry and Monroe, where early voting will feature extended dates.

To make sure voters are as informed as possible about the process, the League offers these voting tips:

What happens on Election Day if my residential address is out-of-date?

Voters who have moved from one county to another, and who have not updated their address with their Supervisor of Elections, could be handed a provisional ballot at the polls under Florida's new election law. You can change your address by simply calling your Supervisor of Elections before you get to the polls.

I have heard that vote-by-mail ballots are not counted unless the election is close. Is that true?

FALSE! Vote-by-mail ballots are actually the first ballots to be counted. By Florida law, Supervisors can begin tablulating vote-by-mail ballots 15 days before Election Day. Vote-by-mail results are not actually counted until after 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Where do I vote if I have been forced out of my home due to foreclosure?

The law states that you must vote in the precinct where you live on Election Day. Voters in a foreclosure situation have several options: Any voter can vote early at one of several designated early voting sites in their county. There are no assigned precincts for early voting. In addition, you may request a vote-by-mail ballot by calling your local Supervisor. The most practical option is to contact your Supervisor and update your residential address before Election Day so that is current and accurate. You can do this by phone. Then go to your assigned precinct for your new address on Election Day.

Scan and be connected! Update your voter status!

The League encourages Florida voters to be ready for all three elections in 2012. The League has made it easy. Voters with smartphones can scan the "Be Ready to Vote" Microsoft Tag and be connected to their local Supervisor of Elections, no matter where they live in Florida. Voters have three options to be connected: phone, email or website.

The League encourages voters to take action: Update your voter record for address changes, name changes, and updates to vote-by-mail ballot requests.

For non-smartphone users, visit www.BeReadyToVote.org or www.VamosAVotar.org.

It's democracy made easy!

For more information or to request an interview, please contact the individuals listed above.

Awake the State January 10th

2012-01-06T12:57:00.000-05:00

Tallahassee Details (link)

Find a Location (link)

WTFlorida (video) - It's Not Homicide if You're a Lee County Enforcement Officer

2012-01-03T23:54:00.000-05:00

Per The Agitator
"Maybe there’s a legitimate law enforcement reason to strip a man naked, strap him to a chair, tie a “spit hood” around his mouth, put a hood over his head (see video at the link), and douse him with pepper spray until he dies. That’s what sheriff’s deputies in Lee County, Florida did to 62-year-old Nick Christie two-and-a-half years ago.
I certainly can’t think of any such legitimate reason. But Lee County State’s Attorney Stephen Russell apparently can. Because he cleared the deputies involved of any wrongdoing.
Christie’s family just filed a lawsuit."

TIME's person of the year - The Protestor

2011-12-14T16:30:00.002-05:00

WTFlorida

2011-12-07T21:05:00.000-05:00

Petition for Fiction

Personhood Florida officially launched their amendment petition for the 2014 election to recognize that life begins at the moment of conception. The Florida ProLife Personhood Amendment is one of many Personhood amendments that have popped up nationwide - and not even Mississippi voted for it.
source

Tortilla Oven Kills Man

A man near Palm Beach Co. died last Tuesday after being crushed by a tortilla oven behind a closed supermarket.
source

Dick vs Rick

Public Policy Polling reports Governor Rick Scott's approval rating has hit a record low, at about 26%. Richard Nixon received comparable support around the time of his resignation.
source

EPA penalizes Clean Water Act violators, including three in Florida

The EPA has issued Consent Agreements and Final Orders against 25 entities in the south east for violating the Clean Water Act of 1977. Three of the penalties went to Florida wastewater utilities for disposing sewage improperly.
source

The freedom to bicycle in Tallahassee

2011-12-06T16:12:00.000-05:00

My car has been fixed a while now but I decided to keep bicycling to work, anyway.

I recently learned that Florida ranked #1 this year for bicycle fatalities (NBC 2011) but it's only a 20 minute ride and I get a sense of autonomy and accomplishment at the end of every trip. My green-friendly conscience is eased, I get wicked exercise and I save gas money, too. So, why shouldn't I bike to work? Besides, accidents are more likely to happen on narrow roads without bike lanes (which Tallahassee certainly lacks) however I can gratefully say I have one the entire way. So why is it so effing stressful?

I do my part for you Tallahassee; I make a real effort to stay inside the bike track - in fact, I even give you half of that. I know you can see me, T-dawg. Even when it's dark I turn my flashing lights to "epileptic" so I am impossible to miss. Somehow you still act like I am invisible (or you're having a collective seizure but then I am pretty sure you shouldn't be driving).

And what morbid satisfaction do you get out of passing me miles above the speed limit, only inches away? How can I replicate this joyous experience? Maybe I should fly my bike at warp speed past a baby stroller in hopes of an instant diaper filling. Oh yeah, that's the stuff.

Somehow you're also entitled to have the right-of-way because I am on a bike and you're not. You're so blinded with certainty and rage that you honk at me; that must be car language for, "Check me out, I can make loud noises - that makes me a bad ass." And by bad ass, I mean douche bag.

You ride your bike to work? Oh wait - you're a hippy aren't you? Maybe if you didn't hate freedom so much, people wouldn't want to run over your hippy ass.

No, hippies are stereotypically docile. I am more, how you say, pissed off.

You might not prefer to bike to work but respect those that do (and oh yeah, their freedom to do it). You must be mixing up your Darwinisms; if your trickle down free market principles happens to make it more affordable for someone to bike to work (aka me in the beginning of all of this), that shouldn't translate to "your hippy ass needs to be run over."

Just saying.

A meme comic: "I'm gonna get a job today!"

2011-11-25T11:28:00.000-05:00

Cracked cracks Black Friday

2011-11-25T11:24:00.000-05:00

Cracked.com is what happens when the universe sends a herd of wild unicorns across the magical planes of the internet; it's like a double rainbow and it is in fact awesome.

Cracked again delivers another brilliant post, in this case about Black Friday myths. For instance, many places don't even stock the items they advertise for the occasion and black friday isn't even the biggest shopping day of the year (it's the 5th).

Check it out here.

A video you should watch - and listen to.

2011-11-22T19:11:00.000-05:00

I know what you're thinking. "Get a job," right? Well bro, I have a job. And so do most of the protestors.

A Tallahassee free market failure

2011-11-08T16:38:00.003-05:00

When a string of misfortunes happen, where does it begin? I would take a guess around the time when my car broke down - so I guess I will start there. There's evidence that the damage is pretty rough; the CV axles, the transmission and the power steering are out. I could afford to fix one of those things, but not all of it at once. But that doesn't matter - you'll see what I mean.

The week before, in light of my vehicle's inevitable fate I found myself at a Legacy Toyota dealership (the one on Tennessee street). I asked for the college loan program because I was a recent graduate and I had my eye on a Yaris - they were affordable and small. But I didn't qualify for the college loan program because of having debt on my record. The only loan they offered was possibly in the upper 23-27%% interest with high monthly payments that I couldn't even blink at. Naturally, I didn't get the car.

Why is my credit so bad? I have been fighting an identity theft case against my Dad for a few years now and the only way out of it is to be forced to file charges against him. The car belongs to him and if I do file charges, he is probably coming for it. But I digress..

The point is what college student doesn't have debt after graduation? With the ample amount of medical bills and credit card debt that students find themselves in, how many of them actually benefit from Toyota's program? How is this any different from a bait and switch? And why are we charging people in the hole with higher interest rates, anyway?

Although my student loans didn't count against me - my identity theft and my ER visits did. ER visits I am forced to use when I am in pain because even though I was referred to a specialist, I can't afford to consult with them.

When the fit hits the shan...

The next day Comcast rescheduled my 8-10am connection appointment for 1-3pm without giving me notice. Even though I wrote down 8-10am via phone and confirmed the same time at the Comcast center when I picked up my equipment. They didn't have evidence that it was rescheduled in the first place so they just assumed I lied about it. To think I picked up my modem early to save them the trouble.

That Sunday a close friend drove me to Jacksonville to find a car because they were the closest dealers opened - in this case another Toyota dealership (Keith Pierson). My friend was willing to help me cosign but they didn't know their own credit score. It was an emergency and I was willing to try anything. 4 1/2 hours of driving and my friends credit was too low to help.

I asked them for some base costs and instead of an answer they returned my question with only, "what can you pay?" Why the secrecy? And I hadn't even chosen a model yet. They asked me if there was someone that would let me borrow money from them and I told them I didn't have that luxury. When they convinced me I can't afford the car, I began to leave. They responded by explaining that they didn't make money when they didn't sell a car.

Yet, of course they do! I once had a sales job where we did the same scheme; meaning, if you couldn't pay as much as what the next customer will probably pay or if the market basket was too low, we would try to convince you not to buy it at all. This was a tactic to make store numbers look good and I quit the job as a moral imperative.

So my last option was a scooter. I was ok with the idea of a motor that had 100 miles to the gallon. At this point, really ok. I remembered I had a companion cube sticker that would look neat on a scooter, too.

I called a guy named Roy at allaboutscooters on North Monroe street to explain my situation to them and he agreed he could probably work with me. I told him I was put off by sleazy salesman and that their business got brownie points for being a mom-and-pop place. He seemed fine with my mediocre down payment (I offered about $400) but his wife and co-owner however, was not. What hurts is it wasn't about the monthly payments, which were affordable because hey, it's a fuggin' scooter. I knew she could have sealed the deal if she wanted to because they made their own standards - but she didn't.

So I considered taking Tallahassee's broken Trasnportation system - one where it's a one way to work yet it's faster to walk then transfer 3 times on the way home.

Other people who refused to work with me were Tallahassee Powersports (when I told the guy 1,600 for a used 50cc scooter was a lot, he rudely told me to go elsewhere), proctor Honda and the used car supermarket.

I was so fed up that I have compromised by buying a bicycle.

I could question how this is a bigger problem than just my own personal experience or I can "think" of it from right-field and hope I don't go to the ER again, trust everyone including car salesman and pray that nothing will ever go wrong.

Does per pupil spending include teachers pay?

2011-11-03T14:35:00.000-04:00

I hear a lot from the right about how much the US spends per pupil and how that hasn't improved our education system; according to the Heritage Foundation, around $9,000 in 2004-2005.

I immediately asked myself, "What exactly are we paying for? Does that include public services like free lunches? How much of that goes toward teachers pay?"

I then found this post from the New York Times. According to research from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, our teachers work more hours than any other public education institution including countries like Germany, Denmark and Japan.

The kicker is this... apparently they're not being rewarded for it.

I would like to know where the money is going - particularly if it's not being spent on teachers, who may see their economic inequality as a reason to lack incentive.

Richard Wilkinson: How economic inequality harms societies

2011-11-03T13:23:00.000-04:00

Just one of the many reasons I am a liberal.More awesome TED videos here.

Occupy Wallstreet Comics

2011-10-26T14:52:00.002-04:00

Walmart Scales Back Healthcare Coverage - Slapped Once Again by the Invisible Hand of the Free Market

2011-10-21T17:00:00.001-04:00

Per NPR,

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation's largest private employer, is scaling back health care coverage for future part-time workers while raising premiums for many of its full-time workers, particularly tobacco users.

Doesn't Walmart rank #1 of fortune 500 companies in revenues this year? Naturally the Republican Party and Tea Party back a company so engrossed by the "success" of free market principles - but can Walmart live up to their own standards?

It seems like lines at Walmart are just getting longer and fewer employees are behind registers. Hell, have you ever tried to buy paint at Walmart? Tallahassee is a great example, just walk up to the paint counter of any of Tally's branches - particularly the parkay and NE cap circle - and see (no one) for yourself.

You would think by the standards of free market principles that a successful business would thereby hire more people - or at least maintain employee benefits instead of that whole profiteering thing.

It's quiet...too quiet.

Be Rick Scott for Halloween - Downloadable Mask

2011-10-21T16:10:00.000-04:00

Pink Slip Rick now has a downloadable Rick Scott halloween mask you can print out at home. Want one? Click here.

Remember Remember the 5th of November

2011-10-19T16:43:00.000-04:00

What are you doing on November 5th? Well in case you didn't hear about it just yet, the 5th is a national day of action to move from corporate banks to local credit unions. Already looked into switching and it's going to cost me much less to switch accounts. And oh yeah, I don't get to fund the people who helped cause the mortgage crisis :) Remember remember the 5th of November...

"We are the bottom line!" - An Occupy Tallahassee Speech

2011-10-17T19:15:00.000-04:00

College GOP interview at Occupy Tallahassee

2011-10-16T19:49:00.000-04:00

College Republican (self proclaimed Libertarian) interview at Occupy Tallahassee.

Video: Occupy Tallahassee Rally

2011-10-15T20:43:00.000-04:00

Occupy Tallahassee (More Photos)

2011-10-15T18:59:00.001-04:00

If you would like to see the whole album of the Occupy Tallahassee events click here.

Photos - What kind of pie? Occupy! (Tallahassee)

2011-10-14T22:49:00.000-04:00

Once again this link is a good explanation of why the movement is happening.

Here are some of my photo faves from the initial declaration rally today. If you want to see the whole album click here. Tomorrow at the big rally more pictures will be taken so stay tuned!

We are the 99% and we are the bottom line.

Occupy Tallahassee

2011-10-14T12:56:00.001-04:00

Here is WHY (please scroll down and view all of these):

thoughts on the Occupy Wallstreet protest

2011-09-27T15:50:00.000-04:00

Last night I couldn't sleep; instead I layed in bed gripping my phone and for the first time I watched footage from the Wallstreet protest.

I saw bystanders herded into portable orange fences, a lanky teenage boy unable to breathe from the pressure of an officer's knee on his neck and chemicals sprayed onto a group of young women, guilty of nothing but simply standing on the same end of the street together. Their legs fell from under them and a chorus of screams echoed from the sidewalk as they clawed at their eyes in pain.

You know, the police, they don't get paid all that much. And they may even lose their pensions because of the wallstreet exec's that they abused protestors to protect. If the police protected anyone, it wasn't the people of New York City.