The Heralds Are Schizoid on Rudy Crew

From El Nuevo Herald. The chasm between the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald couldn’t be more evident than in the way the two publications cover Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Rudolph “Rudy” Crew. In the Issues & Ideas section of August 26’s Sunday Herald, reporter Tania deLuzuriaga does a full-page…

The New Traditional Labor Day Menu

Welcome to Fall! What’s the difference between an Independence Day barbecue and a Labor Day barbecue? Around these parts, about five degrees. Seriously: Why are two distinct holidays held in different seasons celebrated via the same menu of hamburgers, hot dogs, and the like? Thanksgiving has its turkey, Easter its…

Labor Day Rundown

It’s the Friday before a three-day weekend, and you’re either toiling away at your computer trying to compensate for the workday you’re gonna miss next week, or you’re surfing the web, planning your weekend. Thought so…..just in case you didn’t find anything on our calendar that grabs your eye, here…

Fidel Castro: Still Dead. Or Alive.

It’s Friday, amigos, and you know what that means: another wave of Fidel death rumors! It would be so darned convenient if Raul and Co. announced El Maximo Lider’s death today, wouldn’t it? We’ve got a three day weekend, perfect for 72 hours of freedom-loving fiestas. Let’s take a look…

Burger King or Bust

During college, I boycotted mega stores linked to exploited workers and supported Ralph Nader. After college, I cavorted with wealthy Republicans and shamefully ducked in to Wal-Mart Supercenter from time-to-time. Hopefully, the idealism of the 100-some college students traveling to Miami for a protest at Burger King headquarters Friday will…

Proud to be Average

Maybe our school system’s obsession with test scores has gotten out of hand, or maybe our standards have simply dropped. The Miami charter middle school Florida International Academy has posted “Proud to be a B school” in the front of their small building on Biscayne Blvd. Sure the Academy has…

Butcher of the Andes

Gladys Marin, a 61-year-old in snug stonewashed jeans and a gold necklace bearing her name, chomps gum to the rumble of washers and dryers at Happy Family Coin Laundry. Her cropped sable locks flecked with gray, she describes the 15 years of neighborhood gossip she’s heard while working in the…

Comfortably Numb

When Japanese soldiers stormed the quiet Philippine village of San Juan one morning in January 1942, 11-year-old Narcisa Claveria was at home. Her parents and eight of her nine siblings milled about nearby, oblivious. By the time the Imperial Army departed hours later, the small fishing town in the northern…

Cinderella Story

Human trafficking is a buzzword these days in federal law enforcement. This case, however, has a uniquely Haitian spin.

The Lexus Leprechaun

The Lexus Leprechaun Filed under: Flotsam Early last week the embattled John Timoney suggested that a friendly guy, of Irish ancestry, could walk into a Lexus of Kendall dealership, make friends with the owner, and be granted an indefinite test drive. Well, he didn’t say that. But he expected everyone…

Rolle, Ahsha, Rolle!

A Miami Shores tenisista is getting national recognition at the U.S. Open this week. Ahsha Rolle (number 109) beat 17th ranked Tatiana Golovin in the tournament’s first round, a mind-blowing upset. Then in the sedcond, she whacked 57th ranked Karin Knapp in three sets. A picture of Rolle, who was…

Bring ‘Em Home

John and Yoko would be proud A few dozen demonstrators gathered late Tuesday in South Beach to protest the war in Iraq and rally to bring the troops home. Waving signs that read “Honk” and “Bush, Cheney, send your own kids,” the 42 volunteers from the action group moveon.org were…

Mile High Michy’s

Fans of Miami chef Michelle Bernstein’s culinary creations no longer have to journey to her famed Michy’s Mediterranean-style bistro to sample a taste of her talents. Beginning September 13, Delta Airlines will be serving up an exclusively crafted series of the celebrity chef’s meals to its passengers. Well, those in…

Bike Blog: This Man Says Miami’s Ahead on Biking. Is He Nuts?

Apology: Somehow, this post got cut short, making it look an obnoxious rant against the very people whose work I meant to highlight. Sorry, Herb! A few nights ago, the Bike Blog was chatting with Herb Hiller, the Southeast Regional Program Consultant for the East Coast Greenway Alliance. The group’s…

Castro Is Dead. Or Not.

The city is abuzz with rumors that Fidel Castro has gone to that big communist gulag in the sky. Here’s what we know: folks who picked up the phones at City Hall, Miami Police, Metro-Dade police and the county emergency center so far deny the rumors. So does Congresswoman Ileana…

Another Problem for Chief Timoney

Now that Miami Police Chief John Timoney has been caught lying about his year-long test drive of a Lexus SUV, his critics are circling like sharks in a blood-filled ocean. This morning, members of the Fraternal Order of Police called a press conference to talk about how Timoney looks the…

400 Reasons to Celebrate

If the South Beach club scene were a cocktail, it would definitely be a Long Island Iced Tea – overflowing with an assortment of shit and guaranteed to get you fucked up. But each and every Friday for a year now, The 400 Club has put the “ice” in the…

Style Soldiers – South Beach Mesh

10 Practical Reasons for Wearing a Mesh Tank-Top 1) In order to be an all-around sexy beast 2) It doubles as a pasta strainer 3) Because everyone knows mesh goes with Bermuda shorts … and a name-plate necklace … and a bleached, Mafioso tip… 4) Solidification of the fact that…

Interactive Vineyards

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, a national chain with a local branch in Coral Gables, has come up with an innovative idea: A Web site that takes viewers on a virtual tour of five esteemed vineyards that provide the restaurant with some of its exceptional wines. The voyage is…

New Officers, No Confidence

The City of Miami started recruiting new police officers this week. According to a press release on the city’s website, “those hired will be able to reap the rewards of a great career in law enforcement under a recently ratified labor agreement, which will offer a starting annual salary of…

Dade Disclosure

Check out this sad, sad e-mail exchange. It allegedly took place at Christmastime 2002 between cyber-Casanova Abel Lera and a county hall boss named Benigna Marko, a.k.a. Bennie. It smells like a breakup. Benigna: I know you will be strong — please be. But I will not! I know myself…

For Whom the Hell Tolls

Some months ago, on a hot winter afternoon, I found myself crawling toward the westbound tollbooth on the Venetian Causeway. The bridge was raised; the only thing moving in the dull orange light was a line of boats up ahead. Bored and hung over, I began fishing around under the…