SFDB Ecard Of The Day

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SFDB's "Miami Social" Moment Of The Day

Because it is just so terribly bad...




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SFDB Question Of The Day

Bing has made an impressive entry into the search engine market, but I continue to stick with Google.

What's your search engine of choice?

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The Cooler

Only felt like highlighting a few things from the mainstream media this morning...

A- Herald: Video, Herald Executive Editor Anders Gyllenhaal discusses the Herald commenting system and a couple other things.

B- Herald: Putney compares Crist to Rubio.

Rubio's policies are often out there. He wanted to do away with property taxes altogether and hike the state sales tax to 14 to 15 percent. For federal tax reform, he wants to ''flatten'' the personal income tax and give corporate America a bigger tax break.

Rubio's a big thinker. ''I have to hope and believe that ideas still matter in American politics,'' Rubio says.

Crist's a modest thinker -- and big fund raiser. In the last quarter, Crist raked in a record $4.3 million on his way to at least $20 million without breaking a sweat. The tanned, rested and ready governor never sweats because aides tote around a portable fan wherever he goes.

C- Palm Beach Post: Bruuuuuuuuce returns to SoFla!

They might hail from Jersey, but they’re locals now. Springsteen, who resides part-time with the horsey set out in Wellington, and Singer Island’s Big Man, Clarence Clemons, plus the rest of the E Streeters are coming to the BankAtlantic Center on Sept. 13.

D- CBS4: Video, huge deficits in Miami-Dade mean big changes.

E- WPLG: Bloodsuckers.

Reyes doesn't keep a stash of bug spray at his valet stand. But Michael's Genuine in the Design District does. They dole out shots of Off to their patrons. Kristi Zeitouni, the manager there, said, "We do occasionally have guests that complain so we'll offer them bug spray. We do always have citronella candles burning."

With all the rain, and standing water where mosquitoes can breed, both Miami-Dade and Broward Counties have collectively sprayed more than 250,000 acres.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Just wondering how many of you caught the first episode of "Miami Social" last night. Here's your Hump Day morning Sift...

A- The Burger Beast does a kind of "Frita Crawl" and hits 3 Little Havana frita joints in search of the best one.

We agree, El Mago was the best with El Rey De Las Fritas second and La Palma third.

B- Miami Busway Sprints are going to held on Friday the 24th, according to Miami Bike Scene.

C- In case you weren't around for it, Miami Beach 411 tells us what the Beatles first visit to Miami Beach was like way back in 1964.

Upon their arrival, they were greeted by throngs of teenage fans at Miami International Airport, jam-packing the observation decks to get a glimpse of their shaggy-haired heroes. People just began abandoning cars on the concourse at MIA and rushing into the terminal to see the Beatles get off their plane.

D- The sales of waterfront homes on Miami Beach have dropped 50%, according to data collected by South Beach Condos Blog.

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Your Evening Sift

I have nothing for an intro tonight so enjoy your evening Sift...

A- The new "Miami Social" series starts tonight which has the blogosphere buzzing. Miami Metblog has some thoughts while Random Pixels links to a scathing Riptide Herald review of the show. From the former...

I honestly wish Bravo and the cast of Miami Social all the best in this new series, but I can tell you I am not particularly interested in the series. I don’t care one bit for the image of Miami as “party central home to the beautiful people,” and that’s all I’m seeing here, at least based on the info on the site and the promos on TV. I try my best to highlight the side of Miami that is more than that stereotypical perception, and a show that reduces the city merely to the socialite games of South Beach instinctively bothers me.

B- Jeff Eats dines at Casola's and suggests sticking to the pizza.

My “taste test” netted me pizza, philly cheesesteak sub, lasagna and grilled chicken salad. Now for the verdict…the pizza is dynamite. The 2-slices that I had are as good as the NY slices that I grew up on in Brooklyn and Manhattan…I am telling you, they really are top-shelf. As for the other stuff that I had…good, nothing great. The game at Casola’s is PIZZA.

C- South Florida Lawyers has a list of ways the CIA can tell someone is lying. This might come in handy.

D-MAeX Artblog reports from a casting call held in Wynwood for yet another reality show being done by Bravo TV.

Of those that got through to the initial round had to be artists with work the jurors defined as fine art, not craft, not design, not something else. Once you met that criteria, you could then be moved on to the next step. The whole process is a bit of a mystery for most of us and there were very few who could answer questions on the streets.

E- Local Motion Miami lists the 5 worst things about last night's Cat Power concert in Fort Lauderdale.

4. If you’re not familiar with Cat Power’s music, it’s bluesy and mellow. It’s not the type of music that’s fit for a stadium or an amphitheater – it’s intimate, like a confession. But one chap insisted on repeatedly screaming, "Hell yeah" and "I love you Cat Power." He acted like he was in a football game. He cut off the ending of seven or eight songs.

F- The Keirin OpenSprints were held at PS14 last Thursday and Miami Bike Scene has a video that gives you an idea of what they are all about.

G- South Beach USA has the schedule for this week's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim.

H- There was a very well attended Pizza Tweetup at Spris in Coral Gables last night and Worst Pizza tells us about the evening as well as a great deal being offered by the restaurant.

Julio had such a nice time, that he is offering 20% off your bill at the location in Coral Gables, if you mention pizzatweetup to the server! That is all you have to do, just say pizzatweetup and save 20% off of some amazing tasting food. This special only runs until the 21st of July.

I- Some loon up in Georgia is refusing to report to duty in Afghanistan because he doesn't think his Commander-in-Chief was born in the US. Bark Bark Woof Woof has the story while I'm betting he's a big fan of Rush Limbaugh.

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Sponsored Blogging

There's an interesting article that appeared yesterday in the New York Times about the sometimes lucrative business of "pay per post" blogging.

Colleen Padilla, a 33-year-old mother of two who lives in suburban Philadelphia, has reviewed nearly 1,500 products, including baby clothes, microwave dinners and the Nintendo Wii, on her popular Web site Classymommy.com. Her site attracts 60,000 unique visitors every month, and Ms. Padilla attracts something else: free items from companies eager to promote their products to her readers.

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For some bloggers, product sponsorships have become a lucrative side business. Drew Bennett of North Attleboro, Mass., began a photo-a-day blog more than four years ago and was one of the early participants in the site PayPerPost.com in 2006 and later, its sister network SocialSpark.

In three years, Mr. Bennett has written more than 600 posts for companies including Blockbuster and Xshot, a telescopic camera extender, typically making $5.35 to $10 a post. Through some arrangements, he says, he earns 11 cents to 68 cents every time a reader clicks from his site to a corporate site that sells the product.

But it isn't without controversy.

Still, the encroachment of commercialism into new-media formats worries some consumer advocates. Many forms of online word-of-mouth marketing depend on the perception of unsolicited or personal opinions, said Robert Weissman, managing director of the advocacy group Commercial Alert.

“It’s a contrast to the Tupperware model, where everyone knows what’s going on, and no one’s trying to be deceiving,” said Mr. Weissman, whose group favors stricter oversight of marketing practices.

Although I've read some posts in the SoFla blogosphere that smack of sponsored blogging, it's not a common occurrence and I've never been able to verify that it's actually happening.

However, if it is done, it's my opinion that the blogger owes it to their readers to be upfront with them about the compensation they're receiving for the post.

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SFDB Question Of The Day

Although it's sometimes hard for me to get going in the morning, once I do I consider it my most productive time of the day. Which leads in to the question...

What is the most productive time of the day for you?

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The Cooler

Presenting the stories I found interesting in this morning's mainstream media...

A- Herald: One more reason to own a Lexus.

At the new Lexus of North Miami, customers can get their teeth brightened while their tires are rotated.

Haircuts, manicures, workout sessions -- even boutique shopping -- are available at the country's largest Lexus store under a single roof.

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The dealership, which celebrates its formal opening Tuesday, measures about one million square feet. At a cost of nearly $70 million, it also likely rates as the most expensive ever built in South Florida.

B- Herald: The Rickenbacker biking problem.

A plan put forward by Miami-Dade Commissioner Carlos Gimenez is roiling South Florida's biking community. Members worry the proposal -- still in its early stages -- could make it more dangerous to ride on the causeway.

Gimenez's plan would replace the toll plaza with electronic tolling, meaning vehicles would no longer slow down or stop to pay tolls. Drivers would speed through as devices atop an overhang deduct tolls from debit or credit card accounts.

Gimenez said his idea would ease chronic vehicle congestion and bring in more money to cash-starved county coffers.

But cyclists fear the change may make it more difficult, if not impossible, to use the causeway -- particularly for bikers who train or exercise on the road -- because vehicle traffic would no longer be delayed at the toll plaza. The delay gives cyclists vital extra seconds to safely cross the toll plaza and enter the causeway without having to dodge speeding vehicles.

C- Herald: Ft. Lauderdale police chief's wife goes to jail.

The wife of Fort Lauderdale's police chief agreed to a plea deal Monday that will make her a convicted felon, but spare her the mandatory 20 years in prison she would have had to serve as originally charged.

Though she fired three gunshots at or near her husband out of anger over his alleged philandering, Eleanor Adderley was allowed to plead ''no contest'' to aggravated assault without a firearm. Bizarrely, her plea also includes the charge of using a gun in an occupied building.

When Broward Circuit Judge Jeffrey Levenson imposes sentence Aug. 21, Adderley, 46, will receive from nine months in the county jail to 30 months in prison.

D- Sun-Sentinel: One more reason not to let kids out of your sight.

According to police, Latasha Bailey, 30, was in another room of her apartment in the 250 block of Northeast 10th Street when she heard her baby boy crying.

When she entered the room, she found her 4-year-old son standing next to her infant son, who had a screwdriver jammed in his ear.

E- Sun-Sentinel: The Most Obvious Bank Robber In The World.

POMPANO BEACH - An armed bank robber who wore a wig, surgical mask and sunglasses when he hit an HSBC Bank last week is still on the run, police said today.

F- South Florida Business Journal: Or is it just less traffic?

After a strong start, Interstate 95’s northbound express lanes in Miami-Dade County are not getting as much traffic as planners expected.

According the most recent statistics from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 6 office, about 23,500 vehicles used the toll lanes in May.

“We’re about 10 percent less than we had projected at this point,” said Rory Santana, the FDOT engineer in charge of the project. Still, he said, “I’m not unhappy with the results we’re having at all.”

[...]

The express lanes may be getting slightly less usage than anticipated due to the fact that more people are out of work or using public transit, Santana said.

G- South Florida Business Journal: A little Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Dolphin/Landshark stadium naming background.

In 1996, before Pro Player signed on as the naming-rights partner, American Airlines came close to putting its nameplate on the Dolphins’ home – before it did a naming-rights deal for the home of the Miami Heat.

Sources said Huizenga killed that one, too, at least partially because he was so upset after he was left waiting on the runway in an American Airlines charter returning from Denver to Miami during the 1996 Stanley Cup Final between the Colorado Rockies and the Florida Panthers, then owned by Huizenga.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

So I logged into Blogger this morning and everything was back to normal. No word verification. No lockdown. No word that the restrictions had been lifted. You gotta love Blogger. One day they're threatening to delete your blog in 20 days, the next day all is good. Oh well, it keeps life exciting.

Here's your Tuesday morning Sift.

A- Swampstyle tells us why today is a big day in Surfside.

B- The Burger Beast shares their personal slider recipe with readers.

80/20 is the magic ratio for sliders (and regular burgers too). 80% meat to 20% fat.

C- Check out the great pictures of this weekend's Mango Brunch that Mango&Lime has posted.

Yesterday morning, D and I spent our morning at Fairchild Tropical Garden’s 17th Annual International Mango Festival. This year I resolved to splurge on the mango brunch to see what it was all about. We then walked around the festival, which has undergone some improvements since two years ago.

The brunch this year featured chefs Allen Susser of Chef Allen’s; Mark Militello, executive chef at the Regent Bal Harbour; Roly Cruz-Taura, executive chef at The Biltmore; Charles Froke, executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons hotel; and Giancarla Bodoni, chef at Escopazzo.

D- Obalesque reviews his life as a bachelor these last 12 days.

I didn’t total a car (this time), or get arrested, or alienate any of her friends with lewd, drunken come-ons. I didn’t hang out and close any bars. I awoke in no strangers’ beds. I didn’t start any fires or break any appliances, chiefly because I didn’t use anything more complicated than a ceiling fan. No confrontations with the neighbors. I didn’t get fired. No cats were injured or mysteriously disappeared. No holes in the wall, splintered furniture, blown speakers, or scattered glass shards.

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Your Evening Sift

Lots of blog posts to sift through today and from them emerges your very special Monday evening Sift.

A- 26th Parallel compares and contrasts two Jackie Bueno Sousa columns [Miami Herald] that he maintains contradict each other.

Been catching up to the latest musings of our favorite Miami Herald columnists, and not one, but two of Jackie Bueno Sousa's columns perked my interest. The first one, back on June 28th, served as a good reminder not to draw conclusions about minorities based on the actions of some. The second one, written exactly one week later, implores us to admit that Cuban-Americans have a knack for looking the other way when some of their own scam the government or other big business, whether it's Medicare, the mortgage/real estate industry, or anything else.

B- Foodtastic! eats a birthday meal at Fleming's Prime Steak House and seems to enjoy the experience until...

All in all I'm glad I went but, despite the sublime spinach and the decadent lava cake, I don't need to go again.

C- Blind Mind definitely recommends Por Fin in Coral Gables.

I actually give the servers a lot of credit and the kitchen and bar as well because they really did a great job and were really polite and accommodating even though the place was packed and it was tough to move between the tables. Id definitely recommend Por Fin to friends and I'll have to make it back sometime myself. It was a fun place with a great vibe and the food was delicious.

D- Random Pixels notes some good media coverage for a former Miami news anchor and UM graduate.

E- Miami, bro finds a newborn kitten with serious problems and is unable to find anyone who can help before it dies.

The Cat Network did call back - they have little resources, but they actually care. Animal Services said they don't offer medical care, but I could bring it to the shelter. I was sure the kitten was a goner.

I brought it to my parents' house and my father saw that it was bleeding from near its tail and its mouth. My mom's animal friendly friend held the poor thing until it died.

F- Nice Rolls in Merrick Park from Miamism Pix.

G- Lola tells us about the Miami FC soccer games that was held at FIU (?) and drew a crowd that would rival any Marlin game.

The crowd was minimal with maybe 200 spectators, which surprised me considering the huge Latin and European population in Miami. There was a small but vocal group of fans beating their drums and waiving their flags in the late afternoon heat. I was cheering for Miami, but I love Canada.

H- Mango&Lime updates us on the latest developments over at the old MenuPages South Florida Blog.

There will be an editorial component to MenuPages South Florida but it’ll be less of a blog, more features. Launch date is still to be determined.

I- Think you can mix a mean drink? You might want to check out today's post from The South Florida Traveler.

J- Miami Beach 411 takes a quick look at some of the more "stunning" South Beach hotels, restaurants and nightspots.

K- Incertus opines on "our Florida Marlins."

Personally, I'd be more willing to shuck out some bucks for a Marlins game now and again if the Marlins had paid for this new stadium out of their own pockets, or if the local contribution had been limited to things like tax abatements for a limited period and maybe some help clearing the land use issues. That would show me that the Marlins have a commitment to south Florida--they'd be putting their own money at stake in the form of a stadium, much like the Giants did in San Francisco. Loria and the Marlins snuggled up to the public teat and started sucking, all while fielding a team that, were it not for the implosion of both the Mets and the Phillies in the NL East this year, would be dangling players for trade right now--and who still might. The trade deadline is at the end of the month, after all. They could get worse. And what's the public going to do about it? We've just ponied up for a brand-new stadium--we're stuck with them, whether they suck or not.

L- See "Food" for free in Fort Lauderdale this Thursday, according to All Purpose Dark.

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SFDB Gets Locked Down Inconvenienced

It has been a while since Blogger reminded me why they're free so I figured they were right on time when I got this email today.

[Click on image to make larger]

Yes, the good people at Blogger have decided to rely on their craptastic robots once again to lock down SFDB while they figure out whether or not it should really be locked down and deleted. It's sorta like a "shoot and ask questions later" policy applied to the blogging world.

What does this mean for SFDB? I have no idea. I'm assuming they're going to find that their robots are acting like humans again and making mistakes. In the meantime, I'm having to use some word verification system to post, if I can post at all.

We'll see. Here goes nuthin'.

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It works!

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SFDB June Post Of The Month

Food For Thought: In The Test Kitchen At Paradigm

By a margin of only a single vote, Food For Thought's most excellent series of posts was able to bring home the bacon and garner him June's Post of the Month. The 3-parter [Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3] led readers through a unique and exciting night at Paradigm, the restaurant within a restaurant at the Trump International Beach Resort, and gave us an idea of what goes on behind the kitchen doors of a first-class dining establishment. They were exquisitely detailed posts that made generous use of photos to supplement the wonderfully articulate narrative.

Congratulations to Food For Thought for sharing this experience in such fine fashion and for bringing the SoFla blogosphere such consistently good foodie experiences week after week. His posts join the other PotM's that sit at the bottom of the right sidebar.

And congratulations once again to all of June's nominees and for those of you who took the time to vote and support this SFDB feature.

We're already well into July and collecting our nominees for this month's PotM. Happy blogging to all!

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Just Pass The Friggin' Speed Stick

As I tool about the South Florida blogosphere, I am mystified by those who describe 92 degrees with 60% humidity and dewpoints in the mid-70's as "beautiful weather."

"Beautiful" in the sense, I guess, that 5 above zero in January is considered "beautiful" by Alaskans. "Beautiful" in the way that vultures look at 2-day old roadkill, maybe.

But when a layer of perspiration forms on my brow before I have even removed the key from the front door as I head out in the morning, that ain't "beautiful." Neither is sweat running down my back and into my pants. Who, for Pete's sake, describes sweating profusely "beautiful?" But I suppose that because we have to live like this for 7 months of the year, some of us need to make lemonade out of lemons. And then promptly sweat it out.

I'm sure there will be the profound solution tendered by some that "If you don't like it, then leave." Yeah, well, that's coming, believe you me.

But in the meantime, in order to establish some type of benchmark, let's all pretend that 75 degrees, with 20% humidity, and a light breeze is "beautiful." And the stuff that we've been seeing this weekend in South Florida is more suitable to Jurassic Park.

And its inhabitants.

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The Cooler

Here's what I found interesting in this morning's mainstream media.

A- Herald: Not worth the drive anymore.

TALLAHASSEE -- Smokers, beware: If you have relied on the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes' smoke shops as a tax-free haven for cigarettes, think again.

The tribes have begun charging the state tax on cigarettes for the first time since Florida imposed it 66 years ago, coinciding with the $1-a-pack state tax hike that took effect July 1. The new tax is $1.34 a pack.

Tribal members still can get untaxed cigarettes for their personal use, but non-Indian visitors to the reservations must now pay the levy.

[...]

For South Florida smokers, though, the tribes' decision is more unwelcome news. It shuts down a convenient source of discounted smokes at a time their habit is becoming more and more expensive. The federal tax also went up 62 cents, to $1.01 a pack, in April.

'When I went the other day [to the Seminole smoke shop] and saw the sign, I went, `What? Another $13 -- $56 for a carton?' '' said Cathy Hoffman of Hollywood. ``I was shocked. I think I'm going to have to switch to a cheaper brand.''

B- Herald: Video, tattoo convention in Miami Beach.

C- Herald: How BankUnited failed.

Alfred R. Camner, the founder and biggest shareholder as well the chairman and chief executive until October 2008, led the bank in an ambitious foray into option ARMs -- a product many consider the riskiest mortgage ever created.

''The big question is why would Camner bet the bank on one product that turned out to be the most toxic,'' says Ken Thomas, an independent Miami banking analyst.

D- Herald: They write letters.

Catch of the day

It's Friday night and on the way home you stop to pick up a couple of steaks. Or, how about an exotic alternative like iguana? Yes, iguana. Here in South Florida we have Central American iguanas cavorting around our properties eating every plant and flower in site.

How do we get rid of them? We don't. What we have is probably the cleanest protein food right in our backyards. It tastes like chicken, but unlike much of our chicken, is not pumped up with any growth hormones.

So the next time you are thinking chicken, stop and with a bit of dexterity catch a nice organic iguana for dinner.

JACK WATTLEY, Fort Lauderdale

E- Herald: They write more letters.

Brave officers

On May 14 two Hollywood police officers fought deadly rip currents to save three men from drowning. They did so without hesitation or concern for their own well being. Officers Michael McBride and Richard Losenbeck responded to a 911 call about three men drowning about 100 yards off Hollywood Beach at a time when there were no lifeguards on duty. Both officers stripped down and jumped into the water, working together with the aid of an off-duty lifeguard to pull all three men to safety.

To date, this story remains untold by the media. I have to wonder why that is.

The public is regularly bombarded with negative pieces about law enforcement, but it is a rare thing to see police officers lauded for the heroic deeds they perform every day. The job these men and women do is thankless and often times dangerous, yet each day they don the uniform and go out and do it again.

It is time to hear the other side of the story. Ask Marco Popescu, Vasile Modovan and Carlos Escobar -- the three men rescued on May 14 -- how they feel about the job the police are doing.

JEFF MARANO, senior vice president, Broward County Police Benevolent Association, Fort Lauderdale

F- Sun-Sentinel: Three hots and a cot.

Ten days after leaving prison, Raphael Marquez made an unusual request to a Broward County judge: Put me back behind bars.

Marquez, 38, is a sex offender who was released June 20 after serving seven years of his eight-year sentence for sexual battery on a minor, records show. Two years of house arrest were to follow.

But for Marquez, the hardest part was finding that house, said his attorney, Cheryl Koewing.

"Every place he looked he couldn't afford or had a restriction," she said.

[...]

Marquez hopped from one cheap Hollywood motel to another until he ran out of money. At one point, officials found him a rehabilitation home for sex offenders in Pahokee, but Koewing said her client couldn't afford to travel and move there.

Marquez came to believe the only place he had left was under a rat-infested overpass next to Broadview Park.

G- WPLG: I-95 Lexus lanes head north?

Officials who have declared the pay-if-you-drive lanes a success, are now asking if they'd be a good idea to alleviate traffic to the north.

As a result, Broward County officials have given the green light to a federally-funded traffic study to see if express lanes should be expanded into the Broward-Palm Beach County line.

The timing of any project is yet to be announced.

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Your Morning Sift

Good morning.

Shhhh, it's Miserable Monday. Don't talk too loud. Just read your morning Sift...

A- Superbee has decided on a strategy to cope with South Florida's intense heat.

I'm going to stock up on light-colored clothing, and call it a day. I don't wear light colors, because I'm prone to being a messy disaster, and darks hide the crayon stains, the juice-pop stains, the grass stains, the chocolate stains, the chocolate milk stains, and the Cheetos stains. Also, I still have a lot of black clothing from the days when I could afford to be Jappy.

But daytime black and blue and green will have to give way to white... and white... and white. I'll be a tan, bearded, sweaty vision in blinding white (and camouflage shorts) for half the year, because the white will keep me markedly cooler, and the camouflage shots hide swamp-ass.

I will venture out into the Sahara-like sunshine, and go about my business reflecting the sun's heat, and sweating confidently, instead of whimpering on my sofa in the fetal position, and pining for January.

B- Miami Dish has a bunch of photos from this weekend's Mango Festival at Fairchild.

Saturday, I spent the morning and early afternoon at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden for the 17th Annual International Mango Festival. The heat was insidious and the crowds made me feel slightly misanthropic, but I enjoyed my day. Fortunately, several events took place indoors.

C- Okeechobee Lake has reached a milestone early this year, according to The South Florida Watershed Journal. But does it really mean anything?

D- Justice Building Blog has what sounds like the making of a good investigative story going. Where are you Miami Herald?

E- Bark Bark Woof Woof takes a look at the latest Bill Kristol inanity but also points out how ridiculous it is for Republicans to be complaining about the Obama Administration.

Okay, quiz time: what recent president took a surplus and turned it into a monstrous deficit? What recent president had a heavier hand of government if you're counting warrantless wiretapping, outing covert CIA agents for political gain, and had an attorney general and his minions screening their applicants for political loyalty? And what recent presidential campaign gave us their idea of the "best and the brightest" with a vapid ignoramus who reveled in her lack of insight into foreign affairs and reading materials? Answer: it wasn't the Obama administration. (Oh, and when Sen. John Ensign, supposedly one of the rising stars of the Republican party, is calling up his mommy and daddy to bail him out of his adulterous affair, using the term "nanny state" takes on a whole new meaning.)

F- Eye on Miami suggests an innovative idea on how to fill the new Marlins stadium.

How do you bring more people to the games? Give them something valuable for free. A novel idea: offer free houses to taxpayers who buy season tickets to the Marlins. Don't call them "foreclosures", call them tickets at a very good price. How might this work in the case of foreclosures and season tickets to professional baseball? Baseball teams are accustomed to giving away toy wooden bats, pennants and other tokens of fan appreciation on specially designated nights. This practice simply needs to be expanded to include foreclosed homes.

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