Blurbex

There’s an obscenity brouhaha brewing in Australia over a prominent photographer’s use of 12- and 13-year-old models for a series of nude pictures that were hanging in a Sydney gallery until police seized them last week. Authorities are considering initiating an obscenity prosecution against photographer Bill Henson.

The Australian arts community has rallied to his defense. Among others, Cate Blanchett signed an open letter that said, in part, “The work itself is not pornographic, even though it included depictions of naked human beings …”

Here’s a link to the only online image that I could find.

Some of Henson’s backers have claimed that the photos are not sexual. I’m not buying that one. The pic I viewed didn’t do anything for me, but to my eyes it’s clearly sexual.

Is it obscene? I believe in the adage that you know obscene when you see it, and in this case, I do not see obscene. I don’t think Henson, who has shot a lot of stuff other than minors in the buff, should be hauled into court. As far as whether the 20 nudes should be hanging in a Sydney art gallery, I’m not so sure about that one.

But one of my colleagues did make an interesting point: That by seizing the artworks and condemning them, Australian authorities have sensationalized these photos. In effect, they’ve turned them into kiddie porn.

Emily Gould, blog diva supreme, late of Gawker, appeared on the cover of the NY Times mag this weekend in a come-hither glam pose that may have been intended ironically, but nonetheless seemed to undercut her professed disenchantment with exposing herself online. Still, she’d probably cop to the contradiction, if this passage is any indication:

The will to blog is a complicated thing, somewhere between inspiration and compulsion. It can feel almost like a biological impulse. You see something, or an idea occurs to you, and you have to share it with the Internet as soon as possible. What I didn’t realize was that those ideas and that urgency — and the sense of self-importance that made me think anyone would be interested in hearing what went on in my head — could just disappear.

But that passage made me wonder: Is this what makes a successful blog click with readers? The sense of spontaneity, of observations recorded on the fly, particularly if they reveal something personal about the blogger? Do the same requirements apply to a news blog? Where some reflection (or at least some research) would seem to be required? Or is the quickest route to massive hits a recipe of snark, gossip, self-revelation and impassioned opinion? And if so, what’s any of that got to do with news?

Just some questions I’m pondering as we make a concerted effort (have you noticed?) to post more on our respective CL blogs. Emily, by the way, drew 1216 comments, last count, on the NYTimes site.

Just in time for Memorial Day:

Yesterday, coastal expert Dr. Stephen Leatherman — better known as “Dr. Beach” — named Caladesi Island State Park as America’s Top Beach for 2008.

If you’ve ever taken a trip out there, you know exactly why: The sand is white and powdery and the water is a perfect blue-green. There are plenty of kayak trails, a lush mangrove forest and tons of birds. Best of all, there are no roads and, by extension, cars. In fact, you have to take a boat to get there.

Fort DeSoto, a frequent Best of the Bay winner, won this award in 2005.

I’m sure the Pinellas County tourism authority is having a party right now. And I hate to poop in their punchbowl, but there are some troubled waters on Florida’s west coast.

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Here’s a guy I never thought I’d hear about again: Mumia Abu-Jamal, the former Black Panther and radio journalist on Philidelphia’s death row.

Abu-Jamal, convicted in 1982 of fatally shooting a Philly cop during a traffic stop, became a cause-celebre in the late 90s for all types of counter-culture types like anti-death penalty activists and black power groups, who, like Abu-Jamal, claimed he was the victim of a racist criminal justice system. At nearly every large-scale protest in the late 90s, you could find some guy hawking “Free Mumia” stickers emblazoned with the prisoner’s dreadlocked mug.

Then, around 2001, I suddenly stopped hearing about him. After George Bush strolled into office, it seemed progressive organizations had bigger worries than some taxi cab driver on death row. But Abu-Jamal’s lawyers have continued to fight for a new trial.

On March 27, Abu-Jamal was denied a new trial, but a panel of three judges did rule he deserved a re-sentencing. And, unless the district attorney pushes for a new sentencing trial, Abu-Jamal will leave death row for life in prison. There’s still chance for this to reach the U.S. Supreme Court, too.

Once again, cities on both coasts are planning rallies; Abu-Jamal gets another day in the spotlight; freemumia.com will get a million more hits; and somewhere, some guy is fishing out his shoe box full of those “Free Mumia” stickers.

(Photo credit: Glutnix on Flikr)

Education is on a lot of minds this week.

First and foremost, the looming state budget cuts. Newspapers across the state report the state legislature may have to cut up to $3 billion from the budget. Who will bear the brunt of it?

Students. Several school districts across the state are planning hire freezes or simply cutting staff. Class-size requirements may be amended. And that’s not even counting the crisis facing state colleges.

Meanwhile, the Uhurus, angry at what they see as the disenfranchisement of black students, want to bypass the public school system all-together. In this week’s Creative Loafing, I take a look at their plan to create an Afrocentric charter school.

So, how are legislators dealing with this education crisis? By proposing a law to require students to pull up their sagging pants, of course!

And we wonder why half of Florida high schools are called “dropout factories,” by the U.S. Department of Education.

Last weekend, while driving through Tierra Verde, an older gentleman knocked on my window. Expecting him to pull out a squeegee and start cleaning my window, I didn’t respond.

But then I saw the brochures in his hand.

Those brochures outline a Florida Department of Transportation proposal to raise the tolls on the Pinellas Bayway (that section of road from 54th Avenue South in St. Petersburg down to Pass-A-Grille) and Ft. De Soto Park (a recent “No. 1 Beach” award winner).

Dr. Delay, the Times‘ traffic columnist, recently received one of the brochures, too. He The doc outlines the FDOT proposal and finds most of the info on the brochures is correct:

The Stop Toll Hikes pamphlet lists current tolls and proposed fees that may go into effect July 1.

The current toll to cross the Bayway is 50 cents for east-west traffic and 35 cents the original 1962 fee to head south to Fort De Soto. The hikes would bump the Bayway plaza tolls to $1.25 (or $1 for SunPass holders) and the Fort De Soto toll to $2.50 ($2 for SunPass holders). The cost of an annual pass is proposed to increase from the current $50 per year to $125. A third column ambiguously labeled “later” lists proposed hikes to $3.50 for the Bayway bridges, $7.25 to access Fort De Soto and $256 for an annual pass.

In advance of the hearing, we talked with DOT officials and asked if the information in the literature being distributed is accurate. It is, but there’s more to it.

The “later” toll rates are proposed for the year 2038. Planning for a project as huge as replacing three bridges (the reason for the proposed toll hikes) requires revenue projections – in this case, decades ahead. But since “later” could mean a year from now, it’s good to know it’s 30 years from today.

DOT officials say they want to get the bridges replaced soon.

Hey, I’m all for replacing bridges. Last thing our tourist economy needs is a bridge collapse. But $2.50 to drive to Fort De Soto?! Already on top of the $1.25 you’ll pay to get on the Pinellas Bayway?! I can take the Pinellas Bayway increase — there’s a beach trolley that runs from downtown St. Pete to the beach anyway — but there is no bus to Ft. De Soto.

Maybe if it were just this toll, I’d reluctantly reach deeper into my pocket to enjoy our beautiful beaches. But, why do I get the feeling this is just the beginning of increases in taxes and fees throughout the state?

If you want to attend the DOT meeting on this issue, set your Blackberry to Wednesday, March 12 at 6 p.m. inside the St. Pete Beach Community Center.

(Photo courtesy of Mrs. Gemstone on Flikr)

In one hour, the Hillsborough County Commission will hold its public hearing and final vote on installing red light cameras at busy intersections.

By the comments I’ve heard from Commissioner Ken Hagan, chief supporter of the cameras, the concept looks like a shoo-in.

Which is unfortunate. Of course, nobody likes people who run red lights. But there are more issues with these cameras than just finding a way to prevent accidents.

There’s the privacy issue.

There’s the rear-end collision issue.

There’s the “Does it really work?” issue.

There’s the issue of a private company conducting law enforcement duties for profit.

Plus the issue of the government choosing these cameras to fill their own coffers.

And it’s even against state law (some counties in Florida have found a loophole, though).

I don’t think these issues are getting as much play as the “let’s-get-cameras-and-we’ll-all-be-safer” line. Pam Iorio agrees, reports the Times:

Mayor Pam Iorio recently considered and scrapped a proposal to install red-light cameras in Tampa. She said some research has shown the cameras cause accidents because people slam on their brakes when lights change.

She also expressed concern about a company issuing the citations and keeping a portion of the fines.

“The jury’s still out as to whether that approach works,” Iorio said.

Admittedly, some arguments against the cameras are better than others. But from personal experience, cameras do little to combat red light runners. Running a red light is usually a split second decision made by a hurried driver. If they are already risking life and limb to save a few seconds, I don’t see how they’ll care about a ticket.

If it works and saves lives, I won’t complain. But, honestly, this smells much more like a business opportunity for some Arizona company, at my expense no less.

What do you think?

UPDATE: Yup, we got ‘em.

My senior editor Eric Snider just reminded me of a story printed in the St. Petersburg Times this weekend about Baldwin, a small town near Jacksonville which passed an ordinance this month banning the fashion fad of sagging pants. (The city of Opa-Locka, near Miami, passed a similar law last year.)

The new law in this little place in northeast Florida makes it illegal within town limits to wear baggy, below-the-butt pants, and comes with punishments ranging from 40 hours of community service to a $500 fine. The five-person Town Council passed it last month unanimously.

Baldwin has joined a debate that’s gone national, raising issues of freedom of expression, indecent exposure and the possibility of racial profiling because the majority of the wearers of the baggy pants are young, black and mimicking hip-hop stars.

The article reminded me of another sagging pants story I’ve kept on my desk for several weeks:

Last month, Gary Siplin, a Democratic state senator from Orlando, introduced (for the third time) a bill to require students in public school to “pull up those pants, boy!” Violators who expose their underwear would face phone calls to their parents and a second offense would be a three-day suspension. If that young whippersnapper hasn’t learned his lesson, he’ll get 10 days suspension for his third offense. The bill already passed the majority-Republican Pre-Kindergarten-12th Grade Education Committee and could go to the Senate floor next month.

How’s that for bipartisanship!

I’m not going to spend a lot of time mentioning several school districts, including Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, already have rules that restrict “sagging.” Or go into the fact that prohibiting a fashion fad by state law will only make it even more fashionable.

I’m just going to give you Gov. Crist’s comment on SB 302 as reported by the Associated Press: “Style is not my issue.”

Thoughts?

The results are in and Barack Obama has “won” Iowa. Of course, as soon as I walked into a local caucus precinct tonight, I knew it.

At the Des Moines precinct I attended, over 200 people showed up to support their favorite candidates, almost triple the amount in 2004; 130 of them were for Obama. And during the part of the caucus where candidate supporters persuade and cajole each other into switching sides, there were no Obama defectors.

The significance? In the cafeteria where I sat, I saw a microcosm of America: young, old, men, women, black, white and brown, first-time caucus goers and longtime politicos.  There was definitely energy in that room and it will be interesting to see how far that takes Obama.

Oh, and Huckabee took the Republican side. But considering the evangelical base in Iowa, that’s hardly news.

I almost heard a collective sigh in Des Moines when I stepped out of the high school. Political eyes will be off Iowa for a while and this Midwest state can go back to the normal stories it produces; namely, septuplets and ethanol.

Here are two photos from an Obama rally I attended last night at my old high school in Des Moines. I’d put the number of attendees at a few hundred. This is the first time I’ve heard Obama speak in person and let me say — I was not impressed. The crowd didn’t seem impressed either. The Illinois senator was hoarse from long days of campaigning and his talk about hope, change and special interests sounded too forced and familiar. Still, I imagine this 10 p.m. rally was not typical Obama flavor.

The only real significance of the rally was the amount of 20-somethings in the crowd. Obama is the leader in polls here, but only based on a projected 60 percent of Iowans who will caucus for the first time. If these young Democrats decide to go out for a few beers instead of caucusing, Obama may not do well.

Speaking of caucuses, I’m on my way now to one. Despite living here for the 2000 and 2004 elections, I’ve never attended one.
I’m actually excited.

I’m attending a Democratic caucus and not because I’m partisan. Democratic caucus are so much more fun than Republican caucuses. Today, Republicans will simply gather in a high school gym and vote privately. But for Democrats, it’s a little more complicated.

First, attendees find their candidate’s crowd and stand with them. Then the precinct captain counts the number of people in that group. Candidates with less than 15 percent support aren’t considered viable, so their supporters disband. Then the other candidates’ groups will try to get those disbanded to join their teams. This is where grand promises are made. Afterwards, supporters are counted again and a complicated formula decides the number of delegates.

But the most fun is the part where supporters cajole each other into joining their candidate’s group.

Last night, over a pitcher bought for my friends by an Obama supporter, a female friend of mine told me caucus goers enjoy making huge promises during the caucus. In 2004, she was supporting Kucinich, but their group didn’t have enough people. So, one of the Kucinich supporters offered to mow an Edwards supporter’s lawn for a month to get her to switch.

It worked.

I’m usually a Letterman-over-Leno fan, but I have to say that in their first late-night faceoff since going back to work, Leno was the winner. Letterman’s material was tired, and so was he, whereas Leno was definitely on top of his game. And Huckabee — well, it was clear why he’s winning hearts, if not minds. Like an Iowan told Ben Montgomery in today’s Times, “He has that charm in front of people that makes him look human.” A reasonable facsimile of a human! Perfect!

But something’s bugging me about Huckabee (besides his insane flat-tax talk and his belief that rampaging Pakistanis are pouring through our borders). He reminds me of someone, and I can’t settle on who it is. I know there’s some Nixon in there someplace, but it’s more Nixon crossed with… Jack Lemmon? Kevin Spacey? The guy who played Bosley on Charlie’s Angels? Anyone else have a suggestion?

I’m in Iowa this week visiting friends and family and let me tell you — the political ads and phone calls are as thick as the snow on the ground. You can’t even throw a snowball without hitting some campaign staffer. Two or three candidates come into town every day and more than a few conversations have involved “Who would win?” bets if Chuck Norris and Oprah Winfrey got into a scrap.

What does it matter? Good question. Our own Wayne Garcia gives his own take on the Iowa buzz here. He’s agreeing with the New York Times assessment that Iowa doesn’t matter.

Those comments, some of the columnists at the daily here write, are fighting words. Des Moines Register columnist Marc Hansen says the big issues of the day — like immigration and overseas outsourcing — are played out in Iowa every day.

My past experience living here for eight years puts Iowa’s importance somewhere in between. Either way, there’s no denying that Iowans love their few months in the spotlight. Everywhere I’ve went for the last four days, someone was talking about the candidates, giving their opinion.

Some of the stranger highlights:

• Drunk 26-year-old Jewish woman: “What? You’re voting for Obama because he makes good speeches? That’s like Hitler!”

• 22-year-old nursing student: “Wouldn’t you like to live in an alternate universe where Al Gore was running?”

• 27-year-old audio/visual engineer: “Huckabee is scary. But I like Chuck Norris. If Chuck Norris was his vice president, I might actually vote for him. Wouldn’t that be great? Chuck Norris as VP!”

• 62-year-old retired lawyer: “John Edwards made 40 million from hedge funds and he fights for the little guy? Never believe anybody who says they became rich fighting for the little guy.”

(That last quote says a lot about the race here. Edwards has essentially been campaigning in Iowa for the last four years, and yet, polls consistently put him below Clinton and Obama. I doubt he’ll last after the caucuses.)

One thing that I have noticed is several younger people plan to caucus for the first time tomorrow. A Des Moines Register poll published this week makes the same point. And so far, Obama and Huckabee are leading in the Iowa polls.

Representative? Probably not. But there’s no denying this cold little state will set the tone for the next several weeks.

Tomorrow, I plan to attend a Democratic caucus to see what it’s like. I’ll post my experiences. In the meantime, enjoy the Florida weather. It was -5 degrees here last night.

As today’s Times reports, the Florida International Museum received yet another bailout from the St. Petersburg City Council yesterday, this time to the tune of $260,000. The Mayor praised the unanimous vote and, once again, the Times editorial staff was on the winning side.

But if you look deeper into the coverage of this seemingly benign agenda item, something is amiss.

On Wednesday, a Times editorial supporting the forgiveness of a $260,000 city loan to the museum stated: “The relationship between the city and museum is complex and goes back a ways.”

You don’t know the half of it.

Back in 2001, Creative Loafing’s John F. Sugg reported on the “complex” relationship between the museum, the Times and Mayor Baker. He detailed the Times cheerleading of the museum’s opening. He uncovered Baker’s connections to the museum, in which he served as lawyer, board member and chairman. And Baker’s push for a $5.4 million bailout in the mid-90s.

Read Sugg’s story here, then re-read the Times coverage this week and tell me something isn’t amiss.

The Times grabbed a hold of the Evander Preston story today, previewing a City Council item that will review the legality of handing out alcohol on city sidewalks and streets.

The media seems to have latched onto the “Woodstock Santa” title that City Councilman Bill Foster gave him in a recent city memo. Foster is fond of affixing the “Woodstock” label to anything homeless (I’ve quoted him calling the homeless “Woodstock wannabes” in the past).

The best part of the article is the comments. Most of the comments on my original story about Preston’s gift-giving came from angry downtowners. But the majority of online Times readers seem to sympathize with Preston.

A small sampling:

“City Council may just be worried about him running for office. He gives the people what they want.”

“A bunch of do-gooders whining and crying because they don’t approve of one man’s gesture of kindness. Way to have the Christmas spirit, you Grinches. I too always try to give out a few beers and stuff to the homeless this time of year.”

“It is probably better that they stand on every corner begging for money so that they can buy their bourbon. I am tempted to buy some myself and give it to them.”

“Sure beats a bowl of thin soup, some stale bread, hollow promises and hope to quell the misery.”

“Foster’s measure would make it illegal for me to walk across the street and hand my neighbor a beer. Butt out Foster. Who are you to decide what is charity and what is not.”

“I hope he won’t forget the crackheads this year, either!”

“Terri’s Law”, anyone? It’s amazing how so called conservatives are always ready to make a new government intrusion to affect the behavior of one person. So much for limited government…”

I’m set to talk with Preston today or tomorrow about all the media attention and I’ll share his comments with readers. In the meantime, check out this Tampa Bay 10 news feature on him.

This week’s Creative Loafing is all about America’s new buzzword: green. (Just in time for Gov. Charlie Crist’s visit to Tampa for the National Governors Assocation Energy Task Force, too.)

In the issue, we explore: Where does the United States stand with Kyoto Agreement? Will St. Petersburg ever have curbside recycling? What is the University of South Florida doing to create a more sustainable campus? Has Habitat for Humanity gone green? Will Florida’s plentiful oranges soon run our cars? And how does Florida and your Tampa Bay city rate in our Green Report Card?

Get the answers from the links above and pick up your printed copy at a local news stand.

Those St. Pete homeless advocates are at it again!

Since Sunday evening, Rev. Bruce Wright and Eric Rubin have gathered with other activists and segments of the homeless population protesting St. Pete’s treatment of street people. By setting up camp — literally — outside the Mahaffrey Theater, the activists had hoped to bring national attention to the city’s homeless plight during the CNN/YouTube debates. (The irony being the last time St. Pete’s homeless made national attention, YouTube was also involved.)

Of course, that sort of thing doesn’t play well with Mayor Rick Baker, so city officials confronted the group yesterday afternoon, asking them to leave the Mahaffrey property. The activists are also holding a hunger strike, which may have accounted for some irritable, raised voices when this little powwow occurred. Eventually, the activists agreed to leave their patch of grass in front of the Mahaffrey.

They’re currently across the street.

Anybody who has followed the events of these homeless advocates for the past few years probably could have seen this coming. Wright has a penchant for high-profile confrontations. But I don’t think this protest can be chalked up to a few angry activists looking for media attention. If anything, it’s the city that has raised its rhetoric in recent weeks.

There was Councilman Bill Foster’s comment to a Times reporter: “Those who don’t want to go to the tent city because they are afraid of the system, we will not tolerate them. The red carpet is gone.” There was the city’s refusal to sign an agreement penned by Pinellas Hope’s organizers. And, as I posted earlier, there’s been an increase in passive-aggressive tactics to rid city property of vagrants.

City officials seem to be the ones eager for a confrontation. And after Dec. 1 — when Pinellas Hope tent city opens — there will be one.

It’s your ball, Mayor.

Here’s some of the early obits:

“Norman Mailer, Outspoken Novelist, Dies at 84″ (New York Times)

“Author Norman Mailer dead at 84″ (Los Angeles Times)

“U.S. writer Norman Mailer dies aged 84″ (Reuters)

“Author Norman Mailer dies at 84″ (USA Today)

“Biographer: Norman Mailer dead at age 84″ (AP/Miami Herald)

Nothing yet [10:22 a.m.] from Village Voice, the free alt-weekly Mailer co-founded in 1955.

… over to The Political Whore. Check PoHo blog daily for your dose of goofy or insightful links. Today’s is here.

Two months ’til Christmas. Have you begun putting off shopping yet?

• California is burning. Let the blame game begin!
• The U.S. has designated Iran’s real-super-scary-sounding Revolutionary Guard Corps “a proliferater of weapons of mass destruction.” Really? And the proof of this is …?
• The government’s terror watch list has topped 750,000 names — still short of the 300 million goal.
• Anybody remember when the Red Sox used to always choke and blow it in the end? Neither do they.
• Rangel fires the first shot in the coming tax-code overhaul battle.
• Sarasota identity thieves should have made it a Blockbuster night.
• Microsoft buys a stake in Facebook. I guess that’s the end of that.
• You ever wonder how long a human being can stay awake for? Truth is, no one knows for sure.

I see James Brown, how about you?

• Vladimir Putin goes to Iran, warns U.S. not to invade. Way to go Vlad. I’m sure Bush will back down now.
• Tonight’s special in Kurdistan: Turkey armed with the all trimmings.
• Body painting for the big game? If you go to Manatee High School, that’s a boys-only activity.
• Health News #1: Cancer deaths continue their slow but steady decline.
• The U.S. military claims to have al-Qaeda on the run in Iraq. Where have I heard this before?
• Guerilla filmmaker Robert Greenwald unveils another web-only doc about Rudy G., this time exposing America’s mayor for failing firefighters on and before 9/11.
• Health News #2: Stanford researchers think they have developed a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease.
  
• It’s been a long time: Led Zeppelin finally joins the digital revolution.