Behind Every Condo Tower Real people made real decisions to destroy the West Grove: Initially I was excited to see the New Times had decided to report on the deconstruction of the black community on the west side of Coconut Grove in Kirk Nielsen’s story “Fables of the Reconstruction” (July…
A reluctant student of eschatology, The Bitch was alarmed this week to receive what might be the fourth or fifth sign so far this year of the imminent Armageddon. Although tight, revealing garb and Burberry tams are venerated as South Florida cultural standards, Lior Gonda, a Web designer from Weston,…
Arthur Teele’s death last week brought to a shocking and tragic end a life as complex as it was compelling. Teele was a gifted politician beloved by his supporters and feared by his opponents. His superior intellect gave him a chess master’s advantage over the amateurs who sat with him…
Compact disc sales are down, online piracy is up, and the tune being sung by the music industry is increasingly dire. How dire? Even the size of the industry’s graft has been scaled back. That much was clear from last week’s $10 million payola settlement between New York State Attorney…
Editor’s note: We received hundreds of letters following the publication last week of “Tales of Teele,” which consisted of verbatim excerpts from a police investigation into Arthur Teele, Jr. The investigative report had been released to the public on May 4, 2005, by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. This sampling…
Murdered Memories Developers in the black Grove are destroying our past: I want to believe what Kirk Nielsen reported in “Fables of the Reconstruction” (July 14) — that rising Coconut Grove property values have caused developers to come in and destroy generations of hopes, dreams, struggles, and memories of Grovites…
Through no fault of her own (actually, definitely through her own fault), The Bitch set off an argument among a group of friends out walking on Collins Avenue about whether the coral rock house on the corner of Ninth Street deserves a continued reprieve from death by heavy equipment. “If…
Like any successful music industry CEO, Damon Dash knows the value of building personal relationships. “Individual development is very important to me,” he explained earnestly to the roomful of aspiring moguls who hung on his every word at this past week’s How Can I Be Down? (HCIBD) conference on South…
Cuba: Perception vs. Reality Trust me, it’s more than drunkards and Jesus freaks: Kathy Glasgow’s article “The Rum Chronicles” (July 7) reminded me of the old story about the blind men and the elephant: Each fellow has a very different description of what the animal looks like, depending on which…
Even in summer, The Bitch likes to be covered in sun-repellent fabric from whiskers to tail, and her attire regularly consists of a Ludacris/Curtis Sliwa-inspired urban uniform of a short-sleeve T-shirt over a long-sleeve white T-shirt and Lucky Brand jeans. The culturally conscious canine does make some concessions to Miami…
Miami Is Not Seattle Which is why reggaeton crushes indie rock: In his article “Out of Step” (July 7), Mosi Reeves writes that Miami, unlike most cities, lacks a “vibrant indie culture.” Translation: White people are not the majority in Miami. But is this a bad thing? Miami is like…
During the hottest days of summer (when every day is not just Halloween but a dog day as well), The Bitch tries to move only from the Barkalounger to the tile to cool off, but sometimes the sun-sensitive sighthound dashes over to Nordstrom at the Village of Merrick Park in…
Speaking as a columnist, I can say that Manny Diaz has been an absolute disaster as mayor of Miami. As Diaz’s first term in office draws to a close and he quietly raises funds for his re-election campaign — a campaign in which he has yet to draw an opponent…
Democracy, Department: They Both Start with D But the similarities end there: Regarding Tristram Korten’s “RIP for the CIP?” (June 23): The Miami Police Department’s unwillingness to provide the documents requested by the CIP surely indicates the police are trying to hide something. Otherwise, what reason would they have to…
Whenever The Bitch needed a change from desayuno especial from Enriqueta’s Sandwich Shop, conveniently located only a block from the New Times doghouse, she used to trot over to Smitty’s Family Restaurant on the corner of 31st Street and NE Second Avenue for a hearty, old-school breakfast of fried eggs…
Biscayne Park: Tax Us More And shut the gates for safety of ourselves: The story by Francisco Alvarado, “Delusions of Dogma” (June 16), is yellow journalism at its finest. When I go home, I want to feel probably safe. That is the safest I have ever felt, living in all…
Bill Stephens is careful to sound confident but never cocky as he chats with Kulchur. After all, pride is one of the seven deadly sins, and as executive director of Florida’s Christian Coalition, Stephens has an example to set. Still, these are heady days for conservative Christian activists — their…
Posada: No Candidate for Canonization The happy tidings of his good escape: Brett Sokol’s article “Terror Alert, Miami Style” (June 2), regarding Luis Posada Carriles, made one huge omission of fact. Mr. Sokol informs us Mr. Posada Carriles “escaped from a Venezuelan prison,” but he (conveniently) forgets to mention he…
What do you get when you mix a Veterans of Foreign Wars post with a South Beach high-rise? You get VFW Post 3559, possibly the world’s most fabulously fusty rec room for veterans and the people who will listen to their stories in exchange for cheap drinks. Located on the…
Yes, Master, Your Every Wish Is Our Command Spoken like a true journalism student: Thanks for running Edmund Newton’s article on the disagreements over teaching journalism (“Newsroom or Classroom?” June 9). Both sides of the argument are taking place in the same box. I think we all know by now…
Like the dementors stalking Harry Potter in The Prisoner of Azkaban, the demands of citizenship pursue the bedeviled Bitch wherever she goes, even within the haven of the Miami-Dade County Law Library in the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building. While brushing up on her pro se skills, she was approached…
It’s been seven months since Carlos Alvarez was sworn into office. That should have been more than enough time for Miami-Dade’s newest mayor to learn a morning rush-hour shortcut to work, figure out his e-mail, record a snappy voice-mail greeting, and finally do something — anything — mayoral. Instead the…
