Beware, traffic bozos! I’m watching

Image courtesy of Shannon Holman. https://www.flickr.com/photos/shannonholman/

They came by email and they came by telephone and they came by fax and even good old Uncle Sam’s snail mail. And almost to a man and woman they cried: Kick the flickers. You folks really hate people who… READ MORE

The Palm Theater lives on in my memory

This photo has been largely agreed upon as having been taken at the Palm Theater in Fort Walton Beach, although some doubt remains. I was unable to find the name of the photographer. If anybody knows the identity of the photographer, please let me know. I'll be happy to include a credit or remove the photo, if the photographer would prefer. I found it under a Creative Commons license and it appears to be available for use.

First they closed the Stardust. Now, the old Palm Theater has burned to the ground. Ashes to dust. For me, the Palm, called The Picture Show these past few years, had assumed a warm and comfortable place in memory, like… READ MORE

At least the hurricane wasn’t named ‘Monica’

Image courtesy of NOAA. — As the dark clouds and the muddy waters swirl, let us pause to express our gratitude. It could have been worse. Much worse. The hurricane could have been named “Monica,” leaving bashful journalists deprived of… READ MORE

I’m not ready to forgive and forget Bill Clinton

Image courtesy of Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bill_Clinton_by_Gage_Skidmore_(1).jpg

Like many of you, I watched television Monday night as President Clinton admitted to the nation that he is a liar. Unlike many of you, I am not ready to forgive and move along. I have not written about any… READ MORE

A pricetag cannot be affixed to what is lost through growth

The author poses with a scrub jay in this photo that was taken in the 1970s during a Stone family vacation. Image courtesy of Delmar S. Stone Sr.

Every time I speak against the rising swell of pollution, congestion and destruction that is overwhelming the Asphalt Coast, quivering snouts emerge from the quagmire to squeal for pearls. “Show us the numbers,” they demand, and then they cast forth… READ MORE

Trees do us more good than you may think

A Florida live oak at Eden Gardens State Park in Point Washington. Image courtesy of Del Stone Jr.

A wooded lot on Racetrack Road was recently cleared. A business was gained, and a couple of hundred trees were lost. But that’s not the whole story. A bit of smog control disappeared into the woodpile. Trees help filter pollutants… READ MORE

B-24 ride brought an unexpected windfall

Image courtesy of Del Stone Jr.

When you’re next at a bookstore or newsstand, be sure to pick up the premiere issue of Vent magazine. Vent is published by Marta Randall, who is the wife of somebody you probably know: Rush Limbaugh. What you don’t know… READ MORE

An emphatic ‘No’ to tech for the sake of tech

In this photo the author (right) explains to visitors how the newspaper is assembled during an open house. Photo courtesy of the Daily News.

Very soon, the Daily News will abandon its old, proprietary computer system for a brand new, PC-based computer system. With this change, we will move up a notch in the high-technology race that seemingly shifted into high gear during the… READ MORE