Vote for reality or storms like Helene will be a thing of the future

Hurricane Helene struck a couple of hundred miles to the east but still caused significant flooding at Ferry Park in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Photos by Del Stone Jr.

Since the late 1800s, scientists have been telling us that our use of fossil fuels was changing the climate. For the past 50 years, scientists have been telling us that the ice caps are melting and sea levels are rising;… READ MORE

Floridians don’t want the DEP to pave paradise and put up a parking lot

Wind-sculpted trees crouch atop a dune at Grayton Beach State Park. Image courtesy of Del Stone Jr.

“They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” – Joni Mitchell, “Big Yellow Taxi” The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, according to its mission statement, “protects, conserves and manages the state’s natural resources and enforces its environmental laws.” Why… READ MORE

Today is Mom’s birthday

Today is Mom’s birthday. She would have been 97 (and would have killed me for telling you that). Happy birthday, Mom!

I got a nosebleed – not a big deal, right? Wrong

Image courtesy of The Blue Diamond Gallery by way of a Creative Commons license.

I got a nosebleed last night. No big deal, right? Well, not exactly. I’ve had nosebleeds my entire life. When I was a kid my bloody nose frightened my parents into taking me to the hospital at Keesler Air Force… READ MORE

Another kick in the teeth from the Florida Legislature

Image courtesy of Laura Joyce Stone.

The Florida Legislature continues to ensure Florida remains unaffordable to anybody who isn’t independently wealthy. The Legislature recently approved a measure, Senate Bill 2-A, which among other things requires people who insure their homes through the state pool, Citizens Property… READ MORE

Let there be light, and there I was – wobble

Image courtesy of Luke with Pixnio by way of a Creative Commons license. https://pixnio.com/objects/electronics-devices/electric-lights-pictures/fluorescent-lights

This morning I became angry. For TWO YEARS I have tolerated relative darkness in my kitchen, all because the overhead flourescents had grown dim. They needed changing. The replacement lights had been sitting on a cabinet in the dining room…. READ MORE