Development Progress On Clearwater Beach - If you drive along Gulf Boulevard on Clearwater Beach you will notice pilings and other construction work being performed.
At Third Street there is construction work in preparing the support pilings for a highrise hotel project and, at the area where the old Holiday Inn Sunspree was located, demolition of the old hotel is completed. Construction is happening on Clearwater Beach. Slow, but happening.
Of course, the old Clearwater Beach Hotel project is under construction and will be the first hotel project to be completed (among the three proposed hotel projects).
The Patel hotel project on First Street?
No progress at this time.
Yes, things are happening at Clearwater Beach. Slow progress, but happening.
However, with all the road work at Coronado and Hamden Drive driving on Clearwater Beach is . . . a mess.
Five years from now?
Probably will look good. How will some smaller merchants survive until then? They won't. Smaller motels? Not good.
I Can't Believe It - The City of Clearwater calendar that was mailed to every resident does not list good Friday (April 6) or Easter Sunday (April 8) though April Fool's Day (Appropriate?) is specified along with Earth Day.
Signs Say Paid For By Penny - Driving across the Sand Key Bridge, one can't help but notice colorful signs extolling the merits of the Penny For Pinellas tax. (Which, most conveniently, is coming-up for taxpayer approval or rejection).
The sign says, "Paid for by Penny For Pinellas" taxes.
Some good folks on Sand Key called and asked if the "Penny" tax paid for the entire Sand Key Bridge project.
In other words, is the sign correct?
Here is the source of funds that paid for the Sand Key Bridge:
All "Penny" funds?
No exactly true, is it?
Just call it good promotion with the use of taxpayer funds.
Is the penny tax a good thing to renew? Voters will decide, but county and local city government think they need the "Penny" tax in order to complete projects where city funding can't support the contemplated projects. Without the Penny " tax many countywide projects would be scrapped.
Super Bowl Results - It's finally over and Tony Dungy has shown that nice guys can win the Super Bowl (Perhaps Jon Gruden of the Tampa Bay Bucs will learn something from Tony Dungy).
Further, quarterback Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl ring. Even though Manning is considered by football fans to be one of the best quarterbacks of all times, it had been said that if Manning did not win the Super Bowl, he might be considered as another Dan Marino (great passer without winning important playoff games). Instead, Manning won and now he is reportedly in the class of John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman and Joe Montana. The proverbial "monkey" is off Manning's back.
Much has been said about a minority coach winning the Super Bowl. Rubbish. There are good and bad coaches of all ethnic backgrounds. Yes, Tony Dungy, to his credit broke the barrier of a minority coaching a Super Bowl winner. The way I see it, this topic was overplayed, much like many other things at the Super Bowl.
Indianapolis Colts won the game over a Chicago Bears team that reflected a weak offense and suspect defense. At halftime the game was close due to miscues (fumbles) and special plays (kickoff touchdown return to start the game).
The game, perhaps due to the constant rain, was better than many other super Bowl games . . . not pretty, but interesting.
Miami News - On Thursday of Super Bowl week there were plenty of empty rooms available in Miami, Super Bowl ticket prices were dropping to under $3,000 with folks expecting ticket prices for scalpers to be about $1,500 or less on Friday.
At South Beach, the Miami Beach area were "partying" never stops, hotel rooms were still available. Prices and length of stay hotel terms were lowered on Thursday to encourage more visitors.
All of this news from Miami made me wonder whether people were expecting a Colts "blowout" or were just not interested in a Chicago-Indianapolis Super Bowl match-up.
Go Bucs!
They Must Defend Their Nation Or Lose It - If the people of Iraq do not wish to defend the sovereignty of their nation, we can't. The people of America have done their part to help bring opportunities of freedom to Iraq. Our soldiers have performed with courage and honor. Americans have done their part, now it is time for the people of Iraq to put aside religious differences and support their nation as one people. One people with different religions, much like Americans. Many religions, yet one people.
President Bush and the U.S. Congress have done all they could to help the cause of freedom and fight terrorism (anti-American radicals) in Iraq. Saddam is gone and the time has come for an exit strategy. A strategy where the people of Iraq assume control over its density (with some U.S. support). The world needs a free Iraq, but if the people of Iraq wish to remain in turmoil, so be it.
U.S. would never leave an ally that is fighting terrorism. Abandoning allies would be foolish for American interests. However, the people of America are frustrated with the lack of an exit strategy in Iraq. The time has come for Iraq to realize that America will not stay in Iraq forever to fight their battles for sovereignty.
The people of Iraq must put aside religious differences and defend their country, or it will be taken-over by the people of Iran or Syria. Iraq is at an impasse.
From Upper Maine - Seems as though a high school basketball coach went a bit too far in trying to entice his players to play with more enthusiasm. It was reported that the coach told the players at half-time to "reach down in your pants and see who has the biggest . . . that is who will win the game."
Is he sorry he said those words? Yes, he was fired as coach after this news was made public.
The way I see it, Fort Kent, is the most remote, northern place in Maine. Yes, it is a cold, very cold place. Can you imagine playing basketball in shorts, even inside, at Fort Kent, Maine?
Who allows these types of idiots to become coaches of young people?
Twenty years from now, the players will have a few laughs remembering how ridiculous the (once) basketball was at half-time. All but one player actually followed the coach's orders.
The game?
The boys won. (Let's hope that no-one thinks this strategy actually worked to help win the game.)
Part Of History? - When you think about all of the many great athletes that have played football, tennis or golf, we might be watching a few of the best players that ever played in those sports. Yes, history in the making.
Roger Federer won another major tennis tournament, the Australian Open, and demonstrated why he has been referred to as "the best ever tennis player."
Who has stated that Federer is the "best ever?"
People like tennis great Rod Laver.
Tennis experts predict that before he retires from tennis, Roger Federer would hold most every tennis title at least once.
No weakness in his game.
When you think about previous tennis greats, there is not one that has the total tennis game like Roger Federer. Federer is playing at a time when tennis athletes are bigger, stronger, faster and have the best technical equipment ever developed. Yet, Federer beats all-comers.
Could Federer beat a Jimmy Conners in his prime? A John MacEnroe or Bjorn Borg? Big Bill Tilden or Evan Lendl? Pancho Gonzales?
Yes, Roger Federer would beat any of those great players, including the great Pete Sampres. Yes, Roger Federer is making tennis history in his quiet, confident manner.