gatorcast from paul smith

From:  http://osceolanews.the72dpisite.com/main.asp?sectionid=1&subsectionid=619&pageID=1

Bob Healy Jr., a businessman who runs a funeral home in Buenaventura Lakes, said he believes he “can make a difference” in county government putting his small business experience to use. He also said economic development in the county has to focus on bringing in more small businesses and offering incentives to accomplish that.

The county’s high impact fees and fire assessment fees, the candidate said, are making it hard to start and keep small businesses going.

He also said he believes county property tax revenue will “get worse before it gets better” and that the county has to pursue consolidation of services with other government bodies to lower costs, but must do so without job losses.

Healy said the county has

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approved enough residential development to accommodate people moving here long into the future and that the proposed Northeast District Conceptual Master Plan, which covers the area south of Lake Nona, if approved as it is would destroy important natural areas.

“We shouldn’t jump on the first offer that comes along,” he said in reference to the plan, which involves a 17,150-acre mixed-use development.

He also said he supports pursuing amateur sports as a tourist tax producer.

“It is a good fit for what we do,” he said.

I just finished reading The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver.    It was a great book!   I love the fact the Taylor, the main character,  leaves home to escape the dreadful idea of being a young single pregnant girl to only find herself right in the middle of making similar life decisions.  Just turned completely around.

I normally stick to books about Florida, humor & crime (I know, a arrow scope of material) but I decided to read the books Cameron has to read  for summer reading for 9th grade.   I am so glad I did because I feel it has opened my mind to a whole new world in terms of reading.    Oh, did I say that I am completely blowing Cameron away in his reading.. :>

I agreed to teach again this Fall at St. Francis Catholic HS.   This time I will be teaching Computer Applications.  It’s funny because I started thinking about what computer applications am I going to show them?   Basically everything we do now is a CA. Right?  Our phones, our webs, even our MP3 players are little apps.  Anyway, my mission is not so far off the planet, but simply teaching 10th graders how to use MS Office.  Which was at a time, the only CA’s people used.  Right now I can use Word, Google Docs, Open Office and now I can even use Microsoft Live (MS version of Google docs).    The resources available to me are Office 2003 and textbooks for Office XP.  Go figure…. Anyway it does not matter because I think it’s more important to understand the concepts and not be so focused on the platform.  In a perfect world I should be able to show them a variety of ways to accomplish tasks using different applications.  Well school starts Thursday for me and I can not wait.

Congrats to Emmitt Smith for being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame today!

I kinda feel old by this news because Emmitt came and went while I was in college at UF.   Some of my HS friends actually knew him and I saw him several times at parties back then.

Its weird having a peer (actually 3 years younger) enter the HOF.

Anyway, glad you are in Emmitt.

Funny I don’t remember seeing his picture before, but I would know his voice anywhere..I will miss his  insight.

(CNN) — Veteran broadcast journalist Daniel Schorr died at a Washington hospital Friday morning, according to National Public Radio. Schorr was 93.

Schorr, who began as a foreign newspaper correspondent in 1946, helped launch CNN as its senior Washington correspondent in 1980 after two decades with CBS.

NPR, which Schorr joined as senior news analyst in 1985, said he died peacefully after a short illness.

Bastille Day 2010 Celebration on July 14, 2010 – Today marks the 130th anniversary of the France’s National Holidaym the Bastille day. This also marks the birth of La Republique. The Bastille Day celebration is considered as one of the most coveted celebrations of the French citizens.

It was said that on this day, the ruling of people with intellectual, social and economic status mixes with the ordinary people in the Presidential Garden to raise a toast for the big celebration.

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I have been celebrating Bastille Day for the last 20 years or my life.  Twenty years is a long time, but certainly not as long as the 130 the French have been celebrating or the 200+ years this country has celebrated their freedom.

It is sad that some people with a “perceived” intellectual,  social and economic status still do not mix with ordinary people.

Celebrations like today should remind us that nothing is forever and that we must always work at relationships with family, friends, countries and even enemies.   If we do, then we can celebrate Bastille day forever.

So, here is to the French,  Happy Bastille Day!