Kia Ora-

Well, howdy. It's been a while since I've been behind a keyboard or a computer for anything other than creating DVDs (the newest talent I've learned at work--and I don't mean burning copies, I mean making DVDs from scratch, clips and all). I've been doing a heck of a lot more work with the computer so I've been avoiding it on off hours. So let's bring you up to date on events of the past weekend.

Friday night we were supposed to go and see Kirk play hockey, but it kept pissing down rain for most of the night. We all (Kirk, Karen, Mr. Eric, V, and I) decided to go to New Port Richey and get some pizza at our usual joint, Fairway II. Apparently our waitress now considers us reuglars and even knows what we will order, so that's kind of cool. I never mind going in to a place and saying, 'Gimme the usual!' (OK, I've never said that in that kind of situation, it's more like she'll ask, 'So do you want your usual __________ (fill in item)?' And then I'd say, 'Yes, please, thank you.') After that we went to Blockbuster and rented Master Of Disguise and Buying The Cow. Mr. Eric had to leave after that, but the four of us went on to Dairy Queen (of course), and once again the soda duder knew our orders before we even gave them. This is getting creepy. But hey, we are regulars. We went back to the Casa de Hynes and watched Master Of Disguise. Now, I was thoroughly uninterested the first time I saw the ad for the film, but as it kept playing I eventually kind of wanted to see it. I was expecting something else totally than what the film turned out to be. Needless to say, that was one of the most fucked up, disconnected, and erratic films I've ever seen. And I loved it!!! I thought I would hate it all the way, but it ended up being so whacky for no reason at all that I really liked it. Or perhaps, like Kirk's explaination, I hate it so much that I really dig it.

Saturday we made plans with the Hynes' to go to the park and walk/skate (I walked; K, K, & V skated). We worked out for a good 2-1/2 hours, and after we were hanging out at the dog park (for Karen's sake) and Melissa's friend Michelle came up with her two new Grayhounds, Lincoln and Mazzy. That was very cool to see her and glad she has two new dogs. After, we went back to V's to change and then we all ate at Lee Roy Selmon's. I still owed Kirk dinner there from our NFL bet at the beginning of the season (if the Bucs won I owed him dinner at Selmon's). Damn, what good food! It's all southern cooking and we packed it in. Everything was so good and we definiitely plan on going back soon. We decided to head back to New Port Richey to watch Buying The Cow. The film was alright, it's just fun to hang out with the Hynes'.

Sunday was a lazy day. I woke up and watched one of the most brilliant films I've ever seen, Black Hawk Down. I just recently finished reading this book (and subsequently also listened to it on tape as I didn't want to miss a second of it) and it's unbelievable. What those soliders went through and the non-recognition they received after they were pulled out was unreal. This is the touchstone film for our generation--balls out, fist to the face reality of what our troops go through out there. Everyone should see it. (It also makes me wonder why all the people protesting the most recent campaign weren't out protesting when Clinton was sending troops to Somalia and Bosnia. That's right, they were too busy at cocktail parties with the Clintons. Fuck you, Sheryl Crow.) Anyway, last night V cooked for her parents (this time it was the anniversary) and she made an amazing spread once again--salad with homeade dressing, Chinese vegetables, Rizzoto, New Zealand Green Mussels, seared Ahi Tuna with dijon wasabe, and Bananas Foster. It was all so brilliant.

And that brings us here today. Back at work, back in front of the computer, and back at cursing loudly.

Anyway, Tampa people--don't forget to vote tomorrow. I will be voting for Pam Iorio. I will be voting against Bob Buckhorn. Apart from being a short-sighted, sex-obsessed, Guliani-wannabe, here's a shortlist of quotes and articles I found this morning:

1999, Florida Libertarian Party Newsletter
Mr. Buckhorn played off Redner’s message against Big Brother government, declaring that his (Buckhorn’s) moves to close clubs, impose teen curfews and crack down on prostitution amounted to “Protecting the Freedom of Tampa Families.”

1998, TurnMeLoose.com:
It is now illegal to for dancers to perform lap dances at the Mons Venus. The moralist Bob Buckhorn felt his values should be legislated upon the entire community. In my satire, Chuck E. Cheese assumes ownership of the Mons. Since kids are allowed to grab Chuck and patrons at the Mons must be 6 feet away from the dancer, this has a strange irony to it.

Bob Buckhorn, the councilman behind all the curfew laws, looks destined to be the next mayor of Tampa. His anti-personal liberty stance won him re-election for city council against personal freedom hero Joe Redner. The aging population of Tampa is fearful of people doing what they want even when it isn't harmful to others. They desire a police state and Bob Buckhorn will deliver it to them.

1999, TurnMeLoose.com (parody editorial Buckhorn passes Martial Law , about Tampa's Future):
Tampa City Council has passed The Bob Buckhorn Be-At-Home Bill, which places Tampa under martial law. Citizens will only be allowed to move freely from their homes while traveling to and from work or going to church (Christian only). All violators will be shot execution style.

2002-2003, CouncilmanBuckhorn.com (Buckman's own site):
Date: 7/12/2002 8:49:26 PM Posted By: Donna Posey (67.209.237.217) Email: poseypowerfromtp@aol.com

Q: What is the big deal with the city councilmen when it comes to joe redner and his clubs when you, and the other council members can get together with the mayor and figure how we can make this city safer

A: As Chairman of the Public Safety committee I spend a good part of my time focused on the larger issues you referenced, including the lack of adequate police patrols in our uniform districts. The enforcement of any and all adult use ordinances are the purview of the Police Department and not City Council or the Mayor.

Date: 7/6/2002 9:18:05 AM Posted By: Tony Potoczny (65.32.185.128) Email: Tonyff67@tampabay.rr.com

Q: Hello sir. I have a question about your "quality of life"initiatives. I believe that true quality of life is when you have Many options open to you. Part of the idea of a city is that you have so many things you can do. I believe many of your initiatives are limiting some options. To be a world class city we have to be a little liberal in our thinking. We need to be tolerant of other peoples ideas and lifestyles, even if we don't agree with them . If we were to create too many more "quality of life initiatives" we would be more like a subdivision , with it's many rules and regulations . If we continue on that path we might as well unincorporate, because God knows, limiting people's optionns is no way to become a Great City. thanks for your time. Tony

A: Tony, I do not believe that this city's attempt to enhance the quality of life of our community by focusing on petty crimes, inhibits any law abiding citizen from engaging any activities. As Mayor Guliani proved in New York, it is often the quality of life crimes, that left unchecked,lead to a decline for everybody and result in a city that is unliveable

1999, AINews.com (regarding the lap dancing ordinance):
"We think Tampa's reputation as a wide-open city needs to end," said City Councilman Bob Buckhorn, author of the ban.

2003, St. Petersburg Times:

Q: Name a book you read or movie you saw recently that you really liked.

A: Rudolph Giuliani's recent book on leadership. I haven't seen a movie in a long time. I've been reading biographies. They help put in context how important leadership skills are in very difficult times. With the 9/11 incident so fresh on everybody's mind, and having watched Giuliani perform during that six-month period, he was an inspiration to everyone in the country. I mean, his unique style of leadership I think helped get us through, not only New York City, but as a nation.

2002, O'Pinions:
"For 15 years I have been working on making this city a better place," he insists. "The biggest impact I can have is as mayor."

While he has been an impact player for most of those 15 years, Buckhorn concedes another possible edge on the sword of name recognition.

"A lot of people only know me through TV," he acknowledges. "It's easy to characterize me based on one or two issues. Lap dancing obviously is one. In fact, it's not even on the radar screen of my agenda. It's simply one component, pure quality of life. But based on that, a lot of people probably thing I'm some right-wing Republican. I'm a Democrat."

Actually a Democrat who sounds a lot like Rudy Giuliani cleaning up Times Square. Buckhorn also signs on to the "broken windows" approach to urban governance, saying he'd target "quality-of-life" issues such as code violations, dumping, vandalism and prostitution.

"You take care of the fundamentals first," he states.

2003, St. Petersburg Times:
Four days before the election, mayoral candidate Bob Buckhorn took aim at front-runner Pam Iorio with a "family values" ad criticizing her for opposing a ban on T-back bathing suits in public places.

Buckhorn mailed fliers to voters Friday that criticize Iorio for opposing the T-back ban in 1991, when she was a county commissioner.

"Family values are under attack," says the flier, which features a picture of a young couple and child packing a car for a day at the beach.

The proposed T-back ban came before the commission in October 1991 after Brandon residents complained about vendors selling hot dogs on the side of the road in skimpy swimsuits. A year later, the county passed a public nudity ordinance that banned the T-back swimsuits in all public places, including the beach. The ordinance requires people older than 10 to wear attire that covers the entire cleft of the buttocks.

Iorio was one of two commissioners who voted against the T-back ban.

"I did not believe -- and I don't believe today -- . . . that this is an important issue," Iorio said Friday. "The issue is not relevant at all to being mayor."

Buckhorn said the vote was relevant when viewed as part of a broader, family-values agenda.

"I believe a record is part and parcel of what we should stand on," he said.

Buckhorn also asserted in the flier that Iorio had not responded to a questionnaire from the Christian Coalition. Buckhorn did respond.

Iorio said she passed over the Christian Coalition questionnaire because it asked about social issues that the mayor doesn't handle.

"It got into a number of issues that were not relevant to the mayor's office," Iorio said.

Keep the faith,

-N.