The NASA Corral

With the all the flap going on between NASA and the community at large, I thought the Talk to Me crowd might enjoy a bit of back history on how Big Brother first happened upon our exquisite stretch of Florida heaven.

Cliff Lethbridge--veteran space journalist and author of The History of Cape Canaveral--summarizes the series of events that led to the taking of the area now known as the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Check out Chapter Three here.

What NASA giveth, the space cowboys--in no uncertain terms-- can taketh away.

Happy Friday.

A Question of Experience

Allow me the luxury of blatant self-promotion as I provide a link to my first Florida Today community column, A question of experience.

But be forewarned.

My photo could scare small children.

I'm not so pretty that pink.

Read on.

Experience is a tricky word, depending on the definition......

Our Final Frontier

A Land Remembered is the story of all Florida, a revelation of the trials faced by the early pioneers of this state who somehow scratched survival from the uninhabitable frontier.

Present day residents--many who have found their way here from across the world and now call Brevard County home-- choose to forget that history when discussing how best to tame what remains best untamed.

Oldtimers call these types squatters, those who hold no allegiance to the Florida legacy.

Newsflash. Multi-generational Floridians built the backbone of this state. And they--as well as many long time residents--are flat tired of watching Rinker pour concrete from the Atlantic to the Gulf. .

NASA--a huge chapter of modern Florida history--is beginning to look a bit carpetbaggerish through the insensitive mention of a new possible launch site that would limit public access to the sacred land called the Mosquito Lagoon, where those who lie buried amid the scrub palmetto once stood in the same magnificence where we now stand in their footsteps of long ago.

I suggest the space feds pick up a copy of Patrick Smith's book and get back in touch with its Florida self.

In the meantime, leave our final frontier alone.

Don't Go There, NASA

I don't think so.

Don't even think about it, NASA.

Even though you giveth through the conservation of the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge by virtue of the establishment of Kennedy Space Center, you may absolutely--in no uncertain terms--taketh away the one area where those who love Florida can breathe the last remaining breath of history in A Land Remembered.

Want to build a commercial launch complex? I've got one word for you.

Refurbish.

Don't you dare deny us access to Mosquito Lagoon or Playalinda Beach.

These pioneers--who came long before NASA-- stand in silent witness to the history among the palmetto.

Florida, Eugenia, Agnes, Henry and Willie Campbell.

Annie, Mary, Floyd and Douglas Jackson.

Butler Campbell. Andrew Jackson.

Wade Holmes.

Douglas Dummett.

You've made history, space cowboys. Now save ours.

Stripping away the last remaining legacy of Brevard County will break the hearts of those who love this land.

The soul--the essence--of our community lies in its past.

Allow the Wild Rumpus to live on.

Political Jabs

Stop lying about my record.

Back in the day--when Bob Dole planted his foot firmly in mouth during the now infamous interview with Tom Brokaw--fact checking a political candidate's record was not a mere keystroke away. Implication that an opponent may have distorted the truth served to sow an effective quick seed of doubt with a constituency much more inclined to believe a brief sound bite, rather than check out the actual record.

Didn't matter if the charge was true--or not. Politicians are quite savvy to the fact that most people won't do their homework. Dole knew voters would not climb into their cars and head to the library to scour the Congressional Record for the facts. As a result, he let voters see him sweat.

No excuse these days for voters not to check out the truth. Politicians may try the bob and weave of a Dole or be Doled, but better base the charge or the comeback on accuracy. One search on a keyword by a voter will bring up one's record in mere seconds.

At the national level, Hillary finds her past statements supporting NAFTA coming back to haunt her at lightning speed. Locally, the race for state house District 32--Bob Allen's seat--finds itself taking on the incoming fire of alleged he said, he said.

Let's take a look at the response by both candidates.

Democrat Tony Sasso responded to charges lobbed by Republican opponent Sean Campbell by posting his record via website. Sasso offers quick links which serve as a starting point for voters sifting the flour before casting their vote in tomorrow's election. Though both candidates have traded barbs through use of negative ads, Campbell's website offers no yellow brick road for the voter to follow to absolve himself from such charges. No response is a response of sorts, a decision to walk above the fray.

The question remains--is Campbell betting District 32 voters will watch My Dad is Better Than Your Dad rather than researching whether he is the man for the job?

Jerry Maynard is a third option for voter consideration. Read his commentary here.

Don't let the dog eat your homework on this one. Cast your vote--informed.

Out at Home

Hey, Brevard County.

What caught your attention this past week?

I'll tell you what caught mine.

The proposed cadre of Florida Today citizen bloggers never materialized.

What's up with that?

Did no one step up to the plate?

Talk to Me.

Soooo Brevard County

After sleeping through--uh, watching WATCHING--last night's debate between Obama and Clinton, I tore myself away from the couch long enough to check whether or not the political punditry felt that the HRC swan song was finally sung.

Skimming through the FT headlines of the hour, I came across this Kodak moment.

Honestly, doesn't this photo sum up Brevard County perfectly?

Reminds me of an old Henny Youngman joke...

A woman says to a man, "I haven't seen you around here."

"Yes, I just got out of jail for killing my wife."

"So you're single...?"

Happy Friday.

Political Hay

Fresh off wins in Wisconsin and his home state of Hawaii, Barack Obama will debate a seriously wounded Hillary Clinton tonight in Texas.

Watch for Clinton to deep-six her opponent as a last gasp measure to derail Obama's runaway "10 straight win" train of momentum.

She will play to those who still harbor doubts about Obama, who have one ear remaining open to the ridiculous debunked rumors that seem to magically appear via email just previous to the arrival of both Democratic candidates to the next campaign state.

For those who follow politics, none of us ever count Hillary out.

Knowing her is to REALLY know her and what we all know is she does not grovel. The following statement is revealing of her uncharacteristic mind set prior to tonight's debate.

"Please," she beseeched in one of many TV interviews yesterday. "Look at a candidate who is ready, willing and able to do it.

"Don't give up on this."

Rumors seem to be the political hay of the day as John McCain responds to a story posted by the New York Times last night. McCain is angry and deservedly so.

He's the latest victim of a political paparazzi drive-by.

Castro

Today when I learned that Castro had announced his resignation, my thoughts turned to a long ago colleague, who often spoke of escaping Cuba at the age of 12.

During one of these conversations, my very naive, very American twenty-four-year-old self might have asked something to the effect of "Was it really that bad?"

Wrong question.

Her answer ripped me up one side and down the other with a a lot of you don't know how lucky you are thrown in. I learned from that verbal spanking to never again ask really dumb questions about an experience I never lived.

In stark comparison, the response by Cuban Americans has been muted. Many feel nothing will change. Some continue to hope that democracy will one day come to the island. Most probably figured the old man would die before stepping down.

Those are just guesses. After the last time, I'm not assuming anything.

But for those who did experience those times, I'd like to extend an invitation.

Tell us your story or the stories of friends or family who left their lives behind to start life anew.

What was it like?

Talk to Me.

How, Not What

I listened to Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" while driving the ribbon of I-95 to and from my weekend respite.

The book is loaded with specifics of Obama's vision for this country for those interested in learning more about his views on particular issues.

Chapter 3--Our Constitution--interested me most as I feel our country's founding document is currently used as toilet paper by our lawmakers.

Obama states my observation much more eloquently, indicating that "only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans."

Obama offered his personal insight regarding the once cherished document, stating that the Constitution teaches Americans "how to think, not what to think".

That statement is so simple, yet so true.

What are your thoughts?

Talk to Me.

Pregnant Pause

Teenage girls will use this President's Day to scour the malls for what the holiday has become best known for...shopping.

Instead of hitting Hollister or Anchor Blue, some of these young ladies will ooh and aah the holiday away at Baby Gap.

For all the talk about abstinence, a University of Florida study recently found that Florida has the 6th highest rate of teen pregnancy in the country.

This simple fact is excruciatingly clear for many local young women who find themselves graduating into motherhood before graduating high school.

Florida receives the 2nd highest amount of federal money for abstinence-only sex education. With that kind of money to spend, Florida lawmakers do what they do best.

Legislate--but this time, with a twist of unconventional thinking.

The Healthy Teens Act that would set statewide standards for sex education in public schools beginning in the 6th grade. Abstinence as well as life saving information about other prevention methods such as condoms and contraceptives would be included in the curriculum.

For many teens today, perhaps this proposal would be better titled-- Too Little Too Late.

Later Gator

Hey, Brevard County!

This weekend it's all about....

ME!

I'm outta here for a bit of well-deserved R & R.

I may peek in now and again, so if something has got you down or caught your attention, this is the place to rant or rave.

See you Monday.

Watching...and Waiting

My grandparents witnessed so much in their lifetimes.

I used to quiz both constantly about how things were before this or before that. Wasn't it hard, I'd ask, pressing clothes through a ringer or lugging a block of ice home for the icebox?

They'd just laugh. That's the way things were. That's the way things were done.

But when IT happened, I'd insist--when dryers replaced clotheslines, when refrigerators became common kitchen appliances, when man went from car to air to space, did my grandparents take note of the importance of such life-changing events?

The answer was always the same.

We were too busy surviving to notice much. But now we have you to remind us.

Although my grandparents have passed, I carry them with me in my heart and in my mind's eye. Once in awhile, something will catch my attention that I know would have caused them to marvel.

Something's caught my eye.

I think we are bearing witness to a phenomenon. Rarely, do we get an opportunity to see someone come out of nowhere to grab hold and make us...take notice.

As the returns posted from the Virginia, D.C. and Maryland primaries, I knew this country was smack dab in the middle of a David-smacking-down-Goliath-moment, like none other in recent memory.

My grandparents would have enjoyed Barack Obama. Although both were Republicans-- this slingshot of propulsion, this force--this young upstart--with the ability to grab hold of people, reminding them that just because times are bad doesn't mean times will get worse, just because you start small doesn't mean you can't end big--he would have symbolized what the two of them always knew, no matter what new fangled invention burst on the scene.

You gotta believe.

And for all the technological, industrial, and scientific advances that bettered my grandparents way of life, belief in each other, in themselves and in others and what that power can accomplish if we just work together--that is what got them through the hard times.

Will Goliath give up, will she step aside gracefully? Not a chance....which is why Clinton stands in such stark contrast as an unintentional symbol of the past, a place where many don't wish to return.

Obama inspires us to believe once again in possibilities.

Take notice.

There's no time like the present.

Mission Control

Back when Bill Clinton ran for President the first time around, NASA was as anti-Hope, Arkansas as any conservative federal agency could be.

So, I find it funny that apparently--as rumor has it--the space feds support Hillary Clinton's candidacy. The Senator from New York is "...generally supportive of the current approach to human spaceflight"...

Translated: Business as usual. Go for launch.

Knowing full well that Barack Obama has a plan for post-Shuttle 2010, I decided to research why his relationship with NASA is star-crossed.

Blame Constellation.

November 2007: Obama indicated he would delay the development of Constellation by five years to fund part of his education plan, which prioritizes math and science.

January 2008: Campaign sources clarify that Obama would not "delay the development of Constellation, only later stages of the mission that would send astronauts to the moon and Mars."

NASA needs $23 billion to cover Constellation costs from 2009-2012; Obama needs $18 billion annually to cover education reform. A plan to reduce government waste and regain "a small portion of savings associated with fighting the war in Iraq" would cover the difference.

So, that's what the tiff is all about.

You gotta admit.

Not many candidates have the space rocks to take a shot at NASA.

There's Hope yet.

Farewell

JAWS scared the ocean right out of this gal.

I pretty much vowed never to dip a big toe back in the water after stressing through the opening scene where that dumb bell of an evening swimmer meets the working end of a great white shark.

Just the first few strains of the movie theme...DAda....DAda...DAda DAda.... DAda..DAda..DAda..Dada.....uh oh uh oh uh oh uh oh uh oh uh oh...and I'm right back flailing in the water...deliciously terrorized all over again.

Police Chief Martin Brody--resourceful, stoic, of good Yankee stock--saved the town, the beach, the summer and left us all treading water for a sequel.

Roy Scheider--Brody's alter ego--departed this earth for more peaceful seas this past weekend, leaving a legacy of work that included--DAda--The Film--that has had every Floridian casting a baleful eye toward the Atlantic a time or two.

I hope he found his bigger boat.

Bon voyage.

The Run for the Roses

Couple of questions to jump start your political week.

Tucking Washington State, Louisiana, Nebraska, Maine and the U.S. Virgin Islands under his delegate belt, Barack Obama bolts into the Potomac Primary (Maryland, Virginia, D.C.) this Tuesday just 59 delegates shy of Hillary Clinton, according to the AP scorecard.

The Dem super delegates are becoming super-important to the nominating process, due to the specter of a photo-finish between the two candidates.

Super delegate commitment is quite fickle in choice of support. Should the ObaMO continue--with the voice of the people sounding loud and clear--Yes We Choose Him--will the SD's leave Hillary thrown off her mount, pledging their commitment to Barack, the People's Choice to run for the roses?

John McCain suffered a loss in Kansas over the weekend to Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee, who says he is not going anywhere. McCain--with 714 delegates to Huckabee's 217--faces a more formidable opponent within his own party--the Republican conservatives.

With the voices of Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham fanning the flames of discontent along with the rest of the CPAC-ers, will Republican voters support McCain, should he become the nominee?

Or will they stay at home, boycotting the general election?

Talk to Me.

Community Columnists

Hey Brevard County.

How about those community columnists?

Eight Space Coast residents have joined the FT Opinions pages to offer up their voices on various issues of importance.

The topics they pick and what they say are up to them.

You already know one of them.

(I know, I know. Shameless self-promotion.......)

Seriously, check out their opinions in the print edition and also online, where You, the People can log on and log in your commentary.

It's about starting--and continuing--the community conversation.

It's important for all to be heard.

Talk to Me.

Stuck in the Middle with You

Earlier this week, Howard Dean slinked into Orlando to raise a few bucks.

He won't count the primary votes of over 1,000,000 Florida Democrats but our money, that he has no problem counting.

But I hear Howard's losing sleep over the even-steven delegate count of the two Democrats who aspire to the Presidency. Seems like the votes of slapped down Michigan and stuck in the corner Florida were a bit more important than originally thought.

Dean would like a do-over.

As in holding new elections.

No more boycott. The restriction would be lifted. Clinton and Obama would be allowed to come out and play with snubbed Michigan and Florida, the We Did It Our Way states.

All would be forgiven.

Just come on out and cast a vote---again.

Otherwise, Super Delegates--not bound to vote for the candidate chosen by the electorate--could end up selecting the nominee in a brokered convention nightmare, leaving every Democrat in this country to feel their primary or caucus vote didn't count.

No big whoop for Florida.

We're used to our votes not counting.

As for Howard, I'm enjoying watching him sweat.

New elections?

You're dreaming, Governor.

Go count sheep.

Double Whammy

When the space industry crashed in the early 1970's, my family joined the exodus out of Brevard, relocating in South Florida.

As far as schools go, I had entered a different universe. My new high school was a monster housing 4000 students. A far cry from where-everybody-knows-your-name Eau Gallie High.

Broward County Schools had only two words for educating such large numbers.

Double session.

As a senior, I was in school by seven, out by noon. My freshman brother attended the afternoon shift, noon to five.

Lunch was served to both incoming and outgoing students, who could choose to eat...or not.

Best described as two schools on one campus, both were downsized with less frills and fuss for super effective use of the building.

I remember feeling bone-tired that entire year, forced to rise at an ungodly hour, but my brother--always a bear to wake in the morning--proved well-suited to the later start.

Once awake, I actually loved it. I'd come home, power-nap by the pool--not too shabby.

But for my mother, double session was not her cup of tea. Her peaceful the- kids-are-at-school-I'm-alone-for-the-day moments were as history as the space program. She got so steeped with her loss of Me time, she soon figured out a way to get her afternoons back.

"Sheree," she said, blocking my sun as I relaxed poolside. "With all this free time, I think it's time you found yourself a part-time job." Dropping the classifieds in my lap, she strode back inside to her sweet tea.

I soon found myself pulling double duty, school and work.

On second thought, maybe that's why I was so tired my entire senior year....

Super Too-Daze

As I wait for the California polls to close, the political ping-pong has bounced back and forth across the net all evening.

Three certainties of the evening.

Huckabee is Huck-a-Back, sweeping the South like nobody's business.

Endorsements don't mean diddley squat and...

Hillary Clinton has one formidable opponent with Barack Obama.

The tally as of 5:33 AM:

Democrats

Obama Wins AK, AL, CO, CT, DE, GA, ID, IL, KS, MN, MO, ND, UT

Clinton Wins AR, AZ, CA, MA, NJ, NY, OK, TN

Republicans

McCain Wins AZ, CA, CT, DE, IL, MO, NJ, NY ,OK

Huckabee: AL, AR, GA, TN, WV

Romney: CO,MA,MN,MT,ND,UT

But as Florida well knows, it all comes down to the fat lady singing in the form of delegates. The Republicans need 1,191 delegates to secure the nomination, while the Democrats need 2,025.

RealClear Politics sums up the delegate race as follows: McCain Breaks Out to Big Lead while Clinton, Obama Neck and Neck.

Check out RCP for complete bipartisan Super Tuesday information.

Onward to the weekend where voters from Louisiana, Washington, Nebraska, Maine and the U.S. Virgin Islands place their bets at what is shaping up to be one heckuva a horse race.

For Shame, Hillary

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Hillary Clinton's misty-eyed moment the eve before the New Hampshire primary was tough enough to believe.

Here we go again.

The day before Super Tuesday--when half the country casts a vote--she's at it again.

While walking down memory lane, Hillary yet again shed a tear or two during a visit to Yale Child Study Center, where she volunteered a year of her time as a law student and also met hubby, Bill.

Not once, during the eight years of the Clinton White House did we once witness the glistening of her eyes in public.

And now, twice in one month?

Call me manipulated.

But maybe I'd cry too if my alma mater endorsed my opponent over myself.

Read what others are saying here.

Instinct

I regularly visit a certain pond by a certain library, tossing scraps of stale bread to the many birds claiming the area as home.

A few years back, instead of parking in the library lot, I pulled alongside the road just to the west of what Floridians refer to as a lake. I must have been in a hurry because sketchy is a word that best describes that side of the park, depending on the time of the day. Rationalizing my stay would be quick, I got out of the car and walked a bit along the sidewalk, breaking bread with the odd-looking ducks that walk the same beat.

I looked up to see a young man approach, probably about sixteen years old. To this day, I'm not certain what caught my attention, whether it was a look on the kid's face or the manner of his walk, or just the fact his hands were hidden from my sight, stuffed deep in his jean pockets...but I got that feeling. I knew right then and there--this was a situation that was going stale fast.

I hadn't wandered too far from my car, just yards away, but I had to pass the kid to get there. As we drew closer together, he eyed me steadily. I pretended not to notice, yet my hypervigilance kicked in.

It was just the two of us and a couple of ducks, who trailed me like tame dogs. Plenty of feathered fowl circulated overhead in final approach to search for food.

No one else was around.

Nonchalantly, I reached inside the bag containing my several days-old bread and crumbled the remaining slices into several pieces.

Almost there.

Six feet from contact, I tossed the shreds directly in his path.

From seemingly out of nowhere, the sea gulls descended--at least twenty of them--dive-bombing the breaded bits in that intrusive way that annoys us most.

The boy did what we all do when suddenly found in the center of the white scavengers that show no awareness of personal space. Startled, he flapped his arms frenetically at the gulls who continued to buzz within inches of his head, bent on devouring the bread into which the kid had most certainly stepped.

His attention diverted, I made my move and hustled to my car. Safe inside, I pulled away, looking back in my rear-view mirror to watch the kid running in the opposite direction, with a couple of my white-winged protectors swooping down in final salutation.

Whether life or politics, sometimes you just have to trust your gut instinct.

Declare Destiny

To all those Talk to Me readers living in Super Tuesday states...

...the eyes of the nation are upon you.

Yes. We. Can.

Blueprint for Change
Obama's Plan for America

More than 20 states will vote or caucus on February 5th.

Want Change?

Strumming Along

Hey.

Brevard County.

What's going on?

Whaddaya know, whodaya know?

What caught your attention this past week?

Or... have you left the past behind to look forward to the up and coming Supers...as in Super Bowl and Super Tuesday?

This weekend, it's all about you.

Talk to Me.

SOH SOS

Floridians may have passed Amendment 1, but three Floridians aim to make the new amendment history.

Citing "real inequality", Robert Bruner, Deborah Plitnick and Stanley Chamberlin believe the burden of property tax has fallen quite squarely on their shoulders.

Their claim: the portability portion of the amendment, which allows a long-time homeowner to transfer his tax savings to a new home, discriminates against newcomers to Florida and violates their state and federal constitutional right to equal protection, and the right to move from another state without facing economic harm.

'"I'm standing in my backyard right now looking in my neighbor's house, which is essentially the same,'"said Chamberlin, of North Palm Beach, last week. `"My neighbor pays about $8,000 in taxes and I pay $23,000, and it's just not fair.'"

Florida lawmakers can't say they haven't been warned. A year ago, University of Georgia professor Walter Hellerstein--hired by the Florida Legislature to evaluate the amendment's legal muster indicated that Save Our Homes "would be subject to substantial constitutional objections" and possibly struck down.

Governor Charlie said this about that. "We're changing the constitution. How can it be more constitutional?"

Spoken like a true politician on the short list for VP.

Read what We, the People are saying here.