…that it’s time to post the unofficial Florida state motto (pictured above).
Category: Florida
Yes, we can be “America’s drainpipe for weirdos” sometimes, but we’re also a blessed tropical paradise.
While the rest of the country’s enduring near-freezing, freezing, or sub-freezing temperatures, the temperatures here have been ranging from 79°F (26°C) here in the Tampa Bay area to 84°F (29°C) along the east coast.
Last year, we had a problem with a household who in addition to keeping chickens in their yard, also kept a rooster. I have no problems with neighbors keeping chickens, but the rooster was a big problem at the crack of dawn, for reasons that should be obvious if you’ve ever been to a farm or rural town. That problem was solved by identifying the household and going through the appropriate City of Tampa code enforcement channels. Urban chickens are legal, but a roosters aren’t.
Over the past few days, we’ve been woken by a rooster again, and this time, we think it’s a free roamer, which isn’t uncommon here in the Sunshine State, and part of the scene in Ybor City, just a couple of miles south of our neighborhood.
Anyhow, all this had led to the most “Florida” conversation I’ve ever had on Facebook chat with my neighbor Jennifer, as pictured above.
…especially if you swap out the boots for flip-flops and stick a Salt Life sticker on the vehicle.
At the time of writing:
| Taiwan | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| COVID-19 cases | 716 | 1,058,074 |
| Deaths | 7 | 19,177 |
| Recovered | 574 | 672,375 |
Here’s the source for the Taiwan data, and here’s the source for Florida’s.
Recommended reading
Why are Florida’s numbers so bad compared to those of Taiwan, despite their having a similar population (and much greater density)? One of the big reasons is pictured below:
Some recent articles on the Governor’s deliberately ignorant response:
- The Independent: Florida governor suppressed Covid information before 2020 election to help Trump, report says. As former Republican operative and current member of the Lincoln Project Rick Wilson puts it, “Everything Trump touches dies.”
- CBS Miami: Sun Sentinel Investigation: Gov. Ron DeSantis ‘Ordered Public Health Officials Not To Discuss The COVID-19 Virus With The Public’
- Esquire: Ron DeSantis Is the Yammiest of the Vulgar Talking Yam’s Lackeys. “In perfect imitation of his idol in the White House, the Florida governor sidelined any real experts that he had on hand in Florida.”
- WTSP 10: Governor DeSantis does not respond to Florida mayors urging him to change COVID-19 approach
- The Palm Beach Post: Opinion: DeSantis must follow the data for an effective COVID-19 pandemic response in Florida
The right mindset allows us to surpass what we perceive to be our limits. It’s just that in Florida, the “right mindset” often means “drunk”.
The meme above reminds me of this Florida Man story from 2018, where this happened:
We later found out more details:
Today is the first day of early voting in Florida, and there are also drop boxes for mail-in ballots. If you can, vote — and remember that Orange is sus!