Category: Uncategorized

* Football aphorism: “You always hurt the one you block.”

* If you’re a hockey fan, as I am, you probably get this—at least in theory. Hockey is the hardest spectator sport. When you watch other major sports, especially football and baseball, there is an inherent pacing that can accommodate–sometimes overly so–viewing fans. There are lots of built-in breaks in the action–enough time to argue a call or second-guess a strategy or grab a beer. With hockey, it’s largely a frenetic pace; you can’t always see the puck; and teams change personnel every minute and a half or less. It’s not a fun, relaxing experience. In fact, it can be downright nerve-racking. That’s why I rarely watch a Lightning game beginning to end. I’ll look in for an update, and if the Bolts ultimately win, I’ll kick back and watch the highlights--and often the replay–without being on the edge of my seat coiled in nervous tension, spilling a drink.

* “A red alert for our planet.”–UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, referring to a UN report showing that the newest pledges by countries to limit global warming are falling short of Paris Climate accord goals.

* “Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest.”–Mark Twain.

* “M.B.S. (Saudi Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman) has proven time and time again to be a liability and a danger for the kingdom, reviled and avoided by the international community.”–Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now.

* “Charity can’t replace policy, but solidarity is how we’ll face climate change and build a better world.”–Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

* “The Biden stimulus is unsound economic policy. … Near-record levels of savings are evidence that consumers are able to spend. When COVID is finally in the rearview mirror, they will come roaring back.”–Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.

* “To my colleagues who say this (pandemic relief) bill is bold, I say it’s bloated. To those who say it’s urgent, I say it’s unfocused. To those who say it’s popular, I say it’s entirely partisan.”–House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

* “The moral calculus could not be clearer. A $15 minimum wage would cost employers. Growing inequality costs all of us even more.”–Eugene Robinson, Washington Post.

* “The voices of moderate Republicans and those from states such as Texas where the benefits of immigration are so vibrantly on display, must join with Democrats to reach a filibuster-proof majority.”–Houston Chronicle editorial board.

* “The Capitol riot presents unique risks for corporate financial supporters of members of Congress who back President Donald Trump’s position on Jan. 6.”—Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, Stetson University law professor and author of “Political Brand.”

* That sense of mastery over nature has been so seriously challenged by this pandemic.”–Historian Drew Gilpin Faust, former president of Harvard University.

* “Florida got it right, and the lockdown states got it wrong. … I have a policy: I only travel to free states.”–Gov. Ron DeSantis.

* “Permanent.”—What last weekend’s CPAC relocation to Orlando should become, according to Marco Rubio.

* “The hallmark of the (real estate) bubble is speculative behavior, where the expectation of future price growth is driving the current price growth. That’s definitely not what’s happening now … it’s that people need housing.”–Len Kiefer, deputy chief economist for Freddie Mac.

* “In the health care sector, private equity buyouts have been associated with lower staffing levels, more frequent citations for health and safety violations, shortages of supplies like ventilators that are crucial for COVID-19 patients, and other failings tied to the constant imperative to cut costs.”–Julia Rock, Jacobin.

* “What people I think are mostly interested in is: Is it going to keep me from getting really sick? Will it keep me from dying from this terrible disease? The good news is all of these (three vaccines) say yes to that.”–Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health.

* “All Americans deserve non-discrimination protection in the workplace, in school, in housing and in public.”–Florida Congresswoman Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, on the House passage of the bipartisan Equality Act that Castor co-sponsored. The Equality Act would extend civil rights protections to members of the LBGTQ community.

* “The cost of doing nothing, of allowing our transportation crisis to grow in magnitude and exigency, has never been as great as it is today. We are paying for this paralysis with our time, our money and, in the most tragic circumstances, our lives.”–Tyler Hudson and Christina Barker, co-founders of All for Transportation.

* “We absolutely want to repurpose our facilities before we surplus them, I’ll tell you that.”–Hillsborough County Schools Deputy Superintendent Michael Kemp, in underscoring that the district wants to modify the way it uses partly empty schools—but doesn’t want to shutter or sell the buildings.

* “We’ve got to remember to be grateful for what we have now, but that doesn’t mean we’re not aspirational for the future.”–USF Athletics Director Michael Kelly, on the prospect of an on-campus football stadium.

“Welcome back, America.”

That was European Council President Charles Michel, exercising a lot more than diplomatic protocol. Those three words embody a return to normalcy welcomed by all non-authoritarian leaders worldwide. It’s about geopolitical trust and cooperation and American wherewithal. It’s about NATO, immigration, climate change, the WHO, the Iranian nuclear deal, Russian accountability, a Marshall Plan for Central America instead of a wall, and a whole lot more. The world needs the U.S. like never before, and the U.S. response can’t be unilateralism, arrogance and MAGA caps. It has to be an acknowledgment that America matters mightily. And will use that might in the right–as in correct–way.

* “I’m tired of talking about Donald Trump. For four years, all that’s been in the news is Trump. The next four years, I want to make sure all the news is the American people.”–President Joe Biden, speaking for much of America.

* “You have fringes on both ends, but (America’s) not nearly as divided as we make it out to be.”–President Joe Biden.

* “This is not just a council. It’s a plan to take a government-wide approach to gender equity and equality.” That was Julissa Reynoso, who will co-chair the Biden Administration’s Gender Policy Council.

* According to President Biden, vaccines will be available for every American by the end of July.

* Decor matters: The Trump Oval Office was known for featuring a portrait of Andrew Jackson and a bust of Winston Churchill, plus military flags and photos of the former president. The Biden version features paintings of Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, FDR and Daniel Webster; busts of Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Cesar Chavez, Martin L. King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy; and family photos. “It was important for President Biden to walk into an Oval that looked like America and started to show the landscape of who he is going to be as president,” explained Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations Ashley Williams. BTW, the button on the president’s desk, the one used to summon a Diet Coke, has been removed.

#AloneTogether

* Coronavirus mortality numbers: World-2.4 million deaths; U.S.-500,000; Florida-30,000.

* France is committing 5 percent of its coronavirus vaccine supplies to donate to poorer countries through the WHO.

* Pfizer says it has been shipping 5 million vaccine doses a week in the U.S. on average and expects to more than double that by the end of March.

* The CDC still urges essential travel only.

* Only recently did Facebook decide to remove vaccine misinformation.

* 200,000: The estimated number of Hillsborough County residents who are 65 and older.

* Providers in Tampa and St. Petersburg are among the top five in the country at giving veterans an initial vaccine dose.

* No River O’Green again this year for St. Patrick’s Day.

* Florida will have four FEMA-facilitated mass COVID-19 vaccination sites beginning Mar. 3 with the capacity to administer 2,000 shots per day. Tampa’s site will be at the Tampa Greyhound Track.

* Florida has the country’s highest number of cases of the UK variant.

* “Friends coming over for dinner, we should still try to follow the guidelines. You never know who is compromised, where the vaccine may not work as well.”–University of Pennslyvania immunologist Dr. E. John Wherry.

* “Too early to say.” Donald Trump on whether he will run again in 2024. A Trump-Greene ticket, anyone?

* “(If Trump tries to make himself) the center of attention, that actually could cost Republican seats in the general election.”–Steven Law, president of the Senate Leadership Fund, a GOP super PAC.

* “Unhinged falsehood.” Sen. Mitch McConnell on Trump’s contention of voter fraud.

* “A dour, sullen and unsmiling political hack.”–Donald Trump on Sen. Mitch McConnell. Imagine what he would have said had McConnell voted to convict.

* Former Minnesota Sen. Al Franken nailed it a few years back in a reference to Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. “I like Ted Cruz more than most of my colleagues like Ted Cruz. And I hate Ted Cruz.” Self-serving ambition, deception, sleaziness, disloyalty and hypocrisy deserve no better. Cruz went from an insulted Trump foe to a fealty-friend of the Republican cult leader.

But like Trump, he’s a scorpion. A smarter one, but still a scorpion. He can’t change his nature. That’s why Cruz control took him to Cancun during his state’s infrastructure meltdown that was ravaging Texas with power outages and unsafe water. Now he’s “Fled Cruz,” and more Texans presumably realize why they would be better off with Sen. Beto O’Rourke.

* “(Trump) will only define our party if we let him define our party.”–Gov. Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark.

Lowering the bar on lowering the flag: Gov. Ron DuhSantis continues to distance himself from that post-Rick Scott, rookie Republican governor who initially seemed nigh on to normal. Remember the resilience agenda? Since then, he’s been doubling down on right-wing agendas—from pushing for big fines on big tech for deplatforming certain politicians to enabling vaccine shots for a higher-end, zip-code community to snarky comments about the new Administration in Washington. And now the latest manifestation of someone who remains a Fox-friendly, sniveling Trumpster: Ordering state flags at half mast on public buildings in, uh, honor of Rush Limbaugh.

Honor? Limbaugh was sexist, racist and homophobic. He was the embodiment of divisiveness in a country democratically devolving. But according to DuhSantis, he was well worth half-mast flags that typically salute those who protect us—not divide us. “Rush is the (greatest of all time)–of radio, of conservative media and of inspiring a loyal army of American patriots,” declared DuhSantis.

And where will DuhSantis be this weekend? He’ll be at the annual CPAC conference on Saturday in Orlando. That’s where Trump will make his first post-presidential appearance. DuhSantis will be there representing the Trump wing of the GOP. Other invitees include Mike Pompeo, Ben Carson and Ted Cruz—unless he stays in Texas to feign fealty to constituents still trying to recover from that disastrous winter storm.

* The death of Rush Limbaugh begs all kinds of reactions, including anger on the left, adoration on the right and angst among those who can’t speak ill of the dead. Although he stoked partisan bigotry, he was also the inexplicable recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Amid all the political friction and factionalism, Limbaugh called himself an “entertainer.” For context, he actually helped usher in the era of politics and political commentary as show business. As a result, we are all worse off as commentators, pundits and politicians need schticks, sound bites, mass-communication forums and ratings. I miss Eric Savereid.

* New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now reeling from the revelation of under-counted nursing-home deaths that has drawn the attention of the Justice Department, won’t be going on his brother Chris’ CNN show any more. It had been a notable journalistic exception to the rule of thumb that discourages main stream media personalities from utilizing family connections on camera. BTW, fortuitous timing on Gov. Cuomo’s book, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” that was published back in October. “Communication is an art form,” noted the governor-author, “especially when emotion is running high.” As true as it is ironic.

* “I’m probably the only person who has been featured on the cover of Rolling Stone and AARP.”–Michael J. Fox.

* “We love our Rays, but it’s time for them to pick a partner and get married.”–St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman.

* Toronto Bay: The Toronto Raptors (NBA) are calling Tampa home this season. And the Toronto Blue Jays (MLB) will open their season in Dunedin. Two other potential Canadian relocatees: Toronto and Montreal (MLS) have been looking at Tampa as a temporary relocation.

* Still the youngest head coach to ever win a Super Bowl: Jon Gruden, who was 39 when he led the Bucs to their first Super Bowl win in 2003.

* Bucs kicker Ryan Succop, who played at the University of South Carolina, became the first player drafted last (256^th in 2009) to win a Super Bowl.

* “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.”–Franklin D. Roosevelt.

* “Things are looking a great deal better for multilateralism this year … and that has a lot to do with Joe Biden having become the president of the United States of America.”–German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

* “(President Biden) is prepared to go to the table to talk to the Iranians about how we get strict constraints back on their nuclear program.”–National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

* “Biden is asking not for a few minimal immigration fixes but for a comprehensive solution. This is a president who wants more than a return to the old days: He’s shooting for a truly new normal.”–Eugene Robinson, Washington Post.

* “The subtext under every one of the images we are seeing from the White House is the banner: ‘Under new management.’”–Robert Gibbs, press secretary for President Barack Obama.

* “The long-term goal of a de-Trumpified GOP will take years. In the meantime, this trend to a smaller and more divided Republican Party could give Joe Biden the breathing room he needs to govern. … If Biden can push ahead with a robust stimulus, a large infrastructure bill, and a Federal Reserve committed to full employment, Democrats will have a much better chance of winning in 2022 and 2024.”–Jeet Heer, The Nation.

* “Republicans have taken politics as theater to an entirely new level in the Donald Trump era.”–Veteran GOP strategist Mac Stipanovich, who is now NPA.

* “The GOP of the last 30 years is over.”–David Marcus, The Federalist.

* “This is a president that lost the House, the Senate, the White House in four years. I think the last person to do that was Herbert Hoover. … (Trump should have) very little if none at all (influence) on the party going forward.”–Former Texas GOP Congressman Will Hurd.

* “We’re recovering, but to a different economy.”–Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

* “2021 began with the same market conditions we saw over the previous months, such as very low mortgage rates, high buyer demand and a lack of inventory.”–Florida Realtors President Cheryl Lambert.

* “A uniform signal across the state of what sea level rise projections should be used over what time periods.”–Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein, in referencing the DEP rule being crafted that will lay out a standard for considering sea level rise before starting construction on some publicly projects along the coast.

* “I voted to acquit former President Trump because I will not allow my anger over the criminal attack of Jan. 6 nor the political intimidation from the left to lead me into supporting a dangerous, constitutional precedent.”–Sen. Marco Rubio.

* “Joe Biden is considering treating Florida like East Berlin and shutting down our border over ‘coronavirus concerns.’”–Gov. Ron DeSantis, in a fund-raising email. East Berlin?

* “I would say everything is on the table.”–Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, on the Legislature’s approach to crafting a balanced budget amid an economy hit hard by the pandemic. That legislative table includes considering the reduction of Medicaid payment rates for hospitals and nursing homes.

* “She was a trailblazer. … Her spirit is always present in the theater.”–Andrea Graham, former president of the Stageworks Theatre board, on the death ofAnna Brennan, Stageworks’ founder.

* “We anticipate the number of colleagues and services in our Tampa hub to grow and evolve over time.”–Pamela Eisele, spokeswoman for Pfizer, which is opening a 100,000-sq.-ft business hub in Tampa’s Heights Union, an office complex next to Armature Works.

* “The development of this land is critical to creating a seamless connection between Ybor, the Channel District, Encore, our downtown and even Tampa Heights.”–Developer Darryl Shaw, on completing the purchase of more than half of the Tampa Park Apartments housing complex that abuts Nick Nuccio Parkway.