Monkey Jungle

Dania Beach is not only a quaint village like charming city with a historic art and antique district, great cafes, ice cream shops, pretty white beaches with a great fishing pier, nature trails including a boardwalk over the mangroves... now they've got another claim to fame.

That would be the African monkeys with the long tails and big teeth frequenting the mangroves just north of Dania Beach Boulevard. What are monkeys doing in Dania? Depends who you ask...with answers ranging from the monkeys being left over from a Tarzan movie to a zoo escape back in the 1940s. Once over a hundred monkeys populated the area, now their numbers are around twenty.

So if you happen to be around Motel 6 in the afternoon, head around back with a banana, mango, or lettuce and make some new friends. They'll be waiting.

Miami Tower Still Shines

Beautiful iconic Miami Tower just sold for a ripe 105.5 Million to a Chicago Investment Group. Built back in 1987 the 47-story three glass tier 600,000 square foot building designed by I.M. Pei is well known to locals for it's illuminating evolving palette of color schemes ranging from a Christmas blue with white snowflakes to a perfect pink for Valentine's Day, & a stunning purple Halloween display. Number one priority will be looking for a new tenant with Bank of America now gone. Would work for free just for the views...

No Boobs in Boca

What is art...who knows? Most of us would hesitate before answering, humbled by what we don't know, only awed by what we've been given over the ages. It's been said that art is the signature of civilizations, perhaps a belief the city of Boca Raton does not subscribe to. Ask local South Florida sculptress Mary Eiland whose marble carved nude female torsos were removed from public display by a park director at Patch Reef Park who cited the art as 'inappropriate'. Art in Public Places regulations allow the city to reject any artwork considered inappropriate for public display, although there is no specific criteria except it appears art in Boca better not contain any tatas. Boca is well known for it's lovely landscaped streets, luxurious high end homes...let's hope it doesn't get an equally well deserved reputation for being a cultural wasteland.

Florida Sold for 73 Million!

Florida has reached a new all time low...not only do we graduate terrorists but now we have Rick Scott as governor?

Scott's Columbia/HCA company, the largest private for-profit health care company in the US, had to pay a record $1.7 billion dollar fine for defrauding Medicare. During deposition he pleaded the Fifth Amendment 75 times. He was forced to resign as CEO back in 1997, with his company admitting to 14 felonies. Since then Scott has been involved with multiple businesses, primarily health care and pharmaceutical related but claims no lobby ties.

Deciding to run for political office in April 2010 to oppose health care reform with his health insurance buds, Scott paid over 70 million campaign dollars out of his own pockets...not to mention the backing received from lobbyists, Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Seminoles, & Sugar Industry. A special thanks to the GOP who after calling first him a crook did a full 360 & gave him $$$ support.

Floridians you have opened the monster's cage. Don't complain when you find your fingers missing...

Kyrie Eleison.

Happy Halloween Night

Looks like the Miami Heat is doing it's part to help the Miami condo market rebound. The LeBron Effect just might be the answer to some condo developer prayers...even now the ching ching of luxury condo buyers across from the Arena is making some sweet music. Some of the buildings offer top of the line amenities at off-peak prices & this just may be the shot in the arm downtown Miami has been needing. We're talking a knockout skyline of Marina Blue, Marquis Residences, 900 Biscayne Bay & Ten Museum Park towers...downtown restaurants & retail businesses. All hoping some of that Heat starlight will cast downtown in hipper light.

Be nice to see downtown Miami back & kicking like it used to.

Lobsters Beware

Love to eat them with hot butter mingled with guilt. Just don't like to look at them alive & wiggling.

Something so sad about a creature that has managed to live fifty to a hundred years only to be boiled alive. Some studies even showing that lobsters genuinely feel pain. It leaves one hoping that the law of karma will not catch up to everything we do. With that in mind, be advised lobster season has begun...you who are truly heartless may want to try your hunting luck just a little south of the Deersfield Beach pier where this big boy was snared. But if you, like me, prefer to leave the guilt and simply enjoy the plate, better you head over to 15th Street Fisheries for the best & freshest Florida lobster. Far less chance of karma hitting you over the head.