3 Ocak 2013 Perşembe

9th Annual Southwest Florida Nature Festival hosted by Rookery Bay

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The 9th Annual Southwest Florida Nature Festival is January18-20, 2013 and celebrates the local coastal environment through almost 40guided field trips to over 20 wildlife hot spots around Southwest Florida,on-the-water adventures plus on-site activities at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center. The fee-basedfield trips are offered in conjunction with partners including Naples Botanical Garden, Corkscrew SwampSanctuary, Big Cypress National Preserve and Conservancy of Southwest Florida.From noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 19, 2013, four guest lecturers willmake one-hour presentations. Award-winning Filmmaker Elam Stoltzfus will showbehind-the-scenes video and photos while discussing the Florida WildlifeCorridor Expedition, a 1,000-mile expedition over a 100-day period from Januarythrough April 2012 that increased public awareness of and generated support forthe Florida Wildlife Corridor project. Bear biologist Joe Guthrie,conservationist Mallory Dimmitt, photojournalist Carlton Ward Jr. and Stoltzfusmade the trek from Everglades National Park to the Okefenokee NationalWildlife Refuge in southern Georgia. Admission is $10 foradults and $5 for children 12 and under and includes entrance to the fourafternoon feature presentations. For more information, contact Rookery Bay at (239) 417-6310.

Naples' Jazz Orchestra Ellington Concert

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The Naples' Jazz Orchestraand the Naples' Youth Jazz Orchestra will performa concert in Cambier Park from 7 - 9 p.m. onJanuary 14, 2013. The show will feature many of the most famous arrangementsfrom American composer, pianist, and big-band leader "Duke"Ellington. A $5 donation is requested for this event. Bring a chair orblanket and let yourself drift into the evening as you listen to Big Band sounds!

Florida Travel Tips for the New Year

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Wishing You A Very Prosperous and Happy New Year from the Hilton Naples!
If you are planning on visiting Florida in 2013, keep a few of these traveltips from USA Today in mind:
Floridais one of the most visited states in the country, attracting millions ofvisitors each year. Top destinations in Floridainclude Orlando, Miami,Tampa, Naples andSt. Petersburg and each city is brimming with a wealth of activities, attractions and sites.Whether you are visiting Floridafor a weekend getaway or an extended vacation, spend a little time planningyour itinerary can make the most of your experience.
  • Learn About Local Events: Live entertainment, communityevents, carnivals and fairs are just some of the local events taking placethroughout Floridaeach month. Visit the city's Chamber of Commerce web page to learn aboutupcoming events that you can add to your itinerary.
  • Consider the Weather: South Florida's most comfortabletravel season is between October and February, while the northern regions of Florida are best visitedduring the summer. Central Florida staysrelatively hot year-round, but temperatures can dip to the lower 50s duringNovember and December. Monitor the weather in your selected destination so thatyou can make the most of the sunshine and avoid the rainy and humid seasons.
  • Protect Yourself From the Sun: You will see sun in theforecast more often than not throughout the Sunshine State.Make sure that you wear sunscreen every day and apply it at least once everytwo hours if you are going to the beach. Loose, lightweight and light-coloredclothing will reduce your risk of heat stroke, and a wide-brimmed hat or visorwill offer some extra sun protection.
  • Book in Advance: If your heart is set on an event, book yourreservations at least 60 to 90 days in advance. Events fill up fast, especiallyduring peak season, so plan ahead by making reservations as soon as you bookyour trip.

GAEA Guided Kayak Nature Tours on the Cocohatchee River/Wiggins Pass Estuary

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From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., travel with a professionalnaturalist to places rarely seen on the Cocohatchee River/Wiggins Pass Estuaryin North Naples. Tours will be held several dates throughoutthe month, including January 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 30th. See themagnificence of Nature in Southwest Florida,in her true form, in quiet, easy to handle kayaks and learn about thisbeautiful estuary area, with many birds (herons, egrets, osprey, pelicans),dolphins, manatees and other critters. $40 per person includes equipment;reservations are required. For more information, contact GAEA Tour Guides at(239) 694-5513.

Taste of Brazil Celebration at Naples Botanical Garden

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Enjoy a carnival-style evening celebrating all things South American. Thisfundraising event will benefit The Guadalupe Center. The Guadalupe Center wasstarted to address the immediate needs of feeding and clothing the hungrychildren of Immokalee has evolved into a group of programs and services thatare specifically designed to break the cycle of poverty for the children andfamilies. The Guadalupe Center is now the largestsingle-site provider of Early Childhood Educational services; serves over 650children in its after-school and summer programs; employs 62 high schoolstudents in the Tutor Corps and has over 80 children currently incollege. 
The event will host silent and live auctions in thebeautiful surroundings of Naples Botanical Garden. Danceto live entertainment and enjoy a great evening that benefits underprivileged children in the community. Cocktails start at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m. Call(239) 643-7275 for ticket information.

2 Ocak 2013 Çarşamba

It's a Nano World Exhibit Opens at the Corvette Museum

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January 14 the National Corvette Museum welcomes a special traveling exhibition from the Ithaca, New York Sciencenter entitled “It’s a Nano World.” The exhibit introduces children and their families to the biological wonders of the nano world and inspires curiosity, creating a context for future learning about nanobiotechnology.

The hands-on exhibit’s focus is on the “adventures” of very tiny things and demonstrates the tools scientists use to see them. At the ‘Magnification Station’ visitors can use microscopes of different strengths to look at items such as shells, paper, sand and hair. Children can become larger than life at the ‘Giant Magnifying Glass’ and can learn about the effects of small things in the air while playing ‘germ, dust and pollen pinball.’ There is also a ‘Giant Blood Drop’ represented by a large pit filled with over one thousand red balls (red blood cells) and the challenge is to hunt for the few fluffy white balls (white blood cells).

“This will be the third year in a row that we’ve brought in a special exhibit during this time period,” said Katie Frassinelli, Marketing and Communications Manager. “Your ticket into the Museum gives you access to both Corvettes and this hands-on children’s science exhibit… it’s like two in one!”

The exhibit will officially kick off on Saturday, January 21 with Family Fun day, offering free activities in the Museum’s Conference Center from noon-3pm.
The exhibit is funded in part by a sponsorship from PNC Bank. “PNC has developed a program called ‘Grow Up Great’ which helps prepare children for success in school and life, especially underserved children,” said Katie. “This will be our second exhibit to work with PNC on, and this year we are bringing in all of the Bowling Green Headstart children as part of their sponsorship to give them the opportunity to enjoy the exhibit.”

Through Grow Up Great, PNC supports families, educators and community partners to provide innovative opportunities that enhance learning and development in a child’s early years. Research shows that children who participate in high-quality preschool programs are far more likely to experience greater educational achievements, strive toward higher vocational aspirations and contribute to society later in life. Their website, http://www.pncgrowupgreat.com/ offers a number of great Sesame Street themed activities, downloads and information.

"We’re excited to bring this hands-on exhibit to Bowling Green,” said Kevin Carrico, PNC Regional Manager. “PNC’s Grow Up Great program offers educational opportunities to children everywhere, and It's a Nano World has activities families not only from south central Kentucky can enjoy, but also the many visitors who pass through our wonderful community.”

In addition to PNC’s commitment the Museum is seeking businesses and individuals to sponsor classrooms and schools that might not otherwise get the opportunity to take a field trip. The “Fund-A-Fieldtrip” program has the potential to increase the number of visitors to the Museum while providing kids with a fun, educational learning opportunity outside the classroom walls. Classroom sponsorships are $300 and include a number of recognition benefits. Contact Katie at 270-467-8846 or katie@corvettemuseum.org to find out how you can sponsor a classroom.

Admission to the Museum and Exhibit(Regular admission price includes the exhibit)
$10 for adults
$5 for kids age 6-16
$8 for seniors
$25 family admission (everyone in a household)
$4 student groups age 6-16
$3 student groups age 3-5
(1 free teacher/leader with every 10 students, bus drivers free)

Discount tickets to the exhibit are available at Bowling Green and Smiths Grove branches of PNC Bank, and PNC Bank customers may simply show a bank card to purchase discount tickets at the Museum.

Hours & LocationOpen seven days a week, 8am-5pm CT
350 Corvette Drive, just off I-65 exit 28.
The exhibit is open January 14 - April 15, 2012

Learn more about this and other educational programs offered by the Museum online at www.corvettemuseum.org/exhibits/nanoworld.shtml.

For more information on the National Corvette Museum, visit our website at: http://www.corvettemuseum.org/ or call (800) 53-VETTE (83883).

Family Fun DaySaturday, January 21 - 12-3pm
The exhibit will officially kick off on Saturday, January 21 with Family Fun day, offering free activities in the Museum’s Conference Center from noon-3pm. Activities include an indoor inflatable, face painting, arts and crafts activities, games, vendor booths and more. The first 50 kids to attend will receive FREE admission to the Museum and Nano World exhibit!


Character BreakfastSaturday, January 21 - 8-11am
Kid Stuff Around Town, a local nonprofit organization who matches youth volunteers with opportunities, is hosting a "Character Breakfast" in conjunction with Family Fun Day. The breakfast will give families the opportunity to dine with various "characters" including Big Red, Yogi Bear and Boo Boo, Cinderella, Iggy, Licky, Axel the Hot Rods Bear and many others. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased online at:http://www.kidstuffaroundtown.com/.

'Celebrate My Drive' With Free Teen Driving Event Saturday

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On Saturday, September 15, 2012, State Farm is hostingCelebrate My Drive events across the U.S. and Canada, creating one special dayfor communities to rally around new drivers as they explore the roadahead.  One such local community eventwill be from 10am-3pm at the National Corvette Museum.

“The regional State Farm office approached us early thisspring wanting to see how they could partner with us on our teen drivingprograms,” said Katie Frassinelli, Marketing and Communications Manager at theNational Corvette Museum.  “Like us,State Farm has an interest in keeping our teens safe on the roads, and theprograms we offer both through the driving simulators and our car care andmaintenance seminars were a great fit for their Teen Driving efforts.  State Farm is supporting the Museum withgrant funding for this event, the texting while driving virtual realitysimulator, and additional resources for our ongoing teen driver classes.”
Activities at Saturday’s event include a golf cart courseusing Fatal Vision goggles, basic vehicle maintenance seminars, door prizedrawings, driving simulator demos every 30 minutes, vendor booths and a mockcrash by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. The Museum and State Farm have also rented the P.E.E.R.S. FoundationVirtual Reality Simulator – Aware TXT. The simulator is designed to teachstudents the dangers of texting and driving, the consequences of their actions,how to make the right choice and to provide them with a hands-on demonstration onthe simulator.
Families are welcome to drop in for a few activities, orstay for the entire event.  All CelebrateMy
Drive activities are free, and reduced rate Museum admission is available forthose participating who would also like to tour the exhibit areas.  A complete schedule with more details isavailable online at:
http://www.corvettemuseum.org/registration/drive/index.shtml.
State Farm’s website also has many resources for teendrivers and their families. Log on to http://teendriving.statefarm.com/celebrate-my-driveto learn more.

Free Admission to Area Museum on Smithsonian Magazine's 8th Annual Museum Day

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On Saturday, September 29, 2012, the Historic Railpark and Train Museum, and the National Corvette Museum will participate in the eighth annual Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day. The Museums will join other participating museums and cultural institutions nationwide to open their doors free of charge to all visitors who download the Museum Day Ticket from Smithsonian.com. A journey to celebrate our world’s dynamic heritage and cultural life, participating Museum Day venues emulate the free admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based facilities.

The Historic RailPark & Train Museum takes a step back in time to the golden era of passenger service. A guided tour of vintage railcars showcases the workings of a Post Office Car, Dining Car and Sleeper Car. The self-guided tour of the two story museum immerses visitors into the cultural story of the railroad including two new exhibits. "Hobo Times explores the life of the Hobo with the secret language interpreted into quilts by Creative Quilters Guild," said Sharon Tabor, Executive Director of the Railpark. "The Civil War and the Railroad includes personal stories, models and antique photography," she added.

Visitors to the National Corvette Museum will enjoy the special "September 11, 2001: A Global Moment" exhibit on loan from the New York State Museum, plus a new 1,000 square foot KidZone. "We are an ever-changing Museum and no two visits with us are the same," said Katie Frassinelli, Corvette Museum Marketing Manager. "We are more than just Corvette, offering a little something for everyone."

The Museum Day Ticket is available to download at www.smithsonian.com/museumday. Visitors who present the official pass will gain free admission for two people to one participating museum or cultural venue of their choice. One ticket is permitted per household, per email address. Listings and links to participating museums’ and sponsors’ sites can be found at www.smithsonian.com/museumday.

Corvette Racing #3 C6.R Race Car Making Pit Stop in Bowling Green

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CorvetteRacing fans in the Bowling Green, Ky area are in for a treat this week. On itsway home from the Circuit of the Americas track in Austin, Texas, the CorvetteRacing #3 C6.R race car will be making a two-hour appearance at the NationalCorvette Museum from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. CST on Thursday, December 20, 2012.
TheCorvette #3 C6.R race car, driven by Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and JordanTaylor, was the 2012 Michelin Green X Challenge GT Team Champion car, finished2nd in the 2012 American PetitLe Mans race and has received many other honors at various race events. Itcombines a sophisticated chassis as well as powertrain and aerodynamictechnology developed by GM Racing with the advanced engineering of thesixth-generation Corvette, Corvette Z06, and Corvette ZR1 production models.
The2012 season marks Corvette Racing's 14th year in international road racing. Thetwo-car team made its competition debut in February 1999 in the Daytona 24-hourrace, finishing third and 12th. From that modest start, Corvette Racing hasbecome one of the world's most successful production sports car teams, winningeight consecutive ALMS GT1 manufacturers and team championships and sevenstraight ALMS GT1 drivers' titles.

For moreinformation on this vehicle and Corvette Racing, please visit: http://www.corvetteracing.com.

Corvette Racing #4 Hauler Pits at NCM

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Today the Corvette Racing #4 haulerstopped by the NCM. Dave James is the driver of the truck and a pit crewmember, “I could fly to races but I don’t like flying that much. Besides, thisis a nice truck to get to drive and the fan reactions that I get along the wayare always fun.”
He’s been with Corvette Racing since 2000 and can’t hide thesmile when he thinks back on his life so far. “Getting to go to France isgreat, and every time I step out onto the track there it still gives me chills.Being a part of the team that wins the greatest race on earth—there’s nofeeling like it.”He was impressed with the Museum, and despite being a partof the Corvette story he was surprised by how much he learned along the way. “Ifound myself in the Corvette Racing exhibit!”
Dave was on his way back from testing in Austin, Texas, atthe Circuit of the Americas when he stopped by the NCM. He says that thedrivers liked the track and are looking forward to racing there. “Another goodthing about adding Texas to the schedule,” he says with a grin, “is that theNational Corvette Museum and the Assembly Plant are on the way home. We’ll geta chance to stop by more often now.”

Another excuse to come here will be the NCM MotorsportsPark. “That’s exciting. I can’t wait until it is done. It’s not that far fromus, and having a track here to test on with all of the major turns from all ofthe major tracks we race at will be great for the team and great for the fanswho want to come out and watch. That is going to be a real draw and a lot offun.”

If you are new to Corvette Racing and want to be up to speedfor the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March16, 2013, you can go to the race archive at www.alms.com/alms-tv and watch lastyear’s fight for the ALMS Championship.

1 Ocak 2013 Salı

Marco Rubio's Continued Lack Of Compassion

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Earlier this month, Marco Rubio was one of 38 Republican senators who voted against a United Nations treaty meant to help the world's disabled and "assure that the disabled enjoy the same rights and fundamental freedoms as their fellow citizens."

On Friday, Rubio followed up that display of callousness by voting against a $60 billion aid package for Hurricane Sandy victims. Even though it was $20 billion less than what was requested by the storm-ravaged states, Rubio joined 31 other Republicans in saying no to Sandy victims. Fortunately, there were enough votes to get the bill through the Senate, anyway.

Hopefully, Americans are taking notes and carefully filing away Rubio's voting record to reference in 2016 when he is sure to be considered for the Republican presidential nomination.

Because we should give Rubio credit for being so consistent in his principled lack of compassion for the down-and-out and impaired.

Like these folks...




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SFDB's A Few Minutes At Mauro's Pizza In Hollywood

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So I've been hearing consistently good things about this place and finally decided to check it out. If you drive in, make sure you park on Harrison Street, one street south, where you miss the perennially congested Hollywood Boulevard.

Doesn't look like much from the outside...


Or the inside...


And it seems like everywhere you turn, there's a sign telling you what you can't do...


This is the area behind the front counter. Click on the image to make it bigger so you can read all the signs.


While we were waiting to order, a woman came in and asked the guy making the pizzas if they sold subs. "This is Mauro's Pizza. We make pizza." And, yes, they sure do.


$2.75 a slice, $1 dollar for each topping.

What makes this pizza so great, in my opinion, is the crust. I added mushrooms for this first-time visit because I usually don't eat a plain slice but next time I'm going plain. It really doesn't need anything more.

Best pizza in South Florida? I'll leave that up to the experts [here and here].  But I will say that this is the kind of food that deserves a trip out of your way.

Simple, delicious, blue-collar pizza...served with an attitude on paper plates.



Mauro's Pizza
1904 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood
954.929.4001




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Your New Year's Eve Sift

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We're experiencing the last few hours of 2012, readers. Be safe and enjoy your last evening Sift of the year.*

A- Burger Beast posts his 2012 Year In Burger.

B- Happy New Year from South Florida Lawyers.

C- Bark Bark Woof Woof reviews his 2012 predictions and reveals his prognostications for 2013.
- President Obama moves into his second term with pretty much the same situation in Washington and Congress as he has had for the last two years, so nothing will really get done. The budget matters, including the fake drama of the Fiscal Cliff, will still be around in some form because it’s a lot easier to kick it down the road than actually do something, especially when you have a Republican Party that absolutely refuses to work with the president on anything at all. It has nothing to do with policy, deficits or debt, taxes or revenue. The reason is pretty simple: they don’t like him, and so like a kid in grade school who refuses to do his math homework because he hates the teacher, they refuse to budge. You can pick your excuses, ranging from his Spock-like demeanor to his refusal to suck up to the Villagers, but most of it comes down to the unspoken reason that dare not speak its name: he’s black. No one dares say that out loud, but get three beers in any Republican, and I’ll bet they’ll admit it by saying “He’s not one of us.” How many dog whistles do you need? A big tell was that in the last-minute budget negotiations, Mitch McConnell went to Vice President Joe Biden as the go-between the Congress and the president. Why? Because Mr. Biden was in the Senate and knows how to talk to them, and also because he’s the white guy. So we will have another year of gridlock, and the new Congress will make the one just concluded look good.



*The last SFDB post of 2012 will be later with a special Turndown Service.



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Your New Year's Day Morning Sift

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Welcome to 2013, readers. Time to get cracking on your resolutions, one of which should be, "Read more SFDB!" Here's your New Year's Day morning Sift.

A- Restaurant Gal summarizes a fairly tumultuous 2012 and welcomes in the New Year.

B- Justice Building Blog shares his thoughts on the so-called fiscal cliff.
The simple fact is that the government is broken. There is no leader among the entire house and congress willing to stand up and say "here's my idea to fix this...follow me." Instead, each vote is measured by each congressman and senator with the yard stick of how the extremists (read tea party) in their district will view the vote and will it anger them enough to run a challenger in their primary? Until five or ten brave souls who are true leaders get together and tell the extremists they no longer matter, this brinksmanship of bringing our country to the edge of defaults and economic disaster will continue every two or three months.

So get used to it.
C- Miamism Pix brings us the first sunrise of the new year.

D- Cuban Guys is expanding in Miami-Dade County, according to Burger Beast.

E- The Miami Bike Scene has the details on the next !¡!Cañones Sueltos!¡! race and a wild video of the last one.

F- Happy New Year wishes from Bark Bark Woof Woof and Obalesque.




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Hellos And Goodbyes

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It's that time again to update the SFDB blogroll. I like to keep the blogroll fresh and exciting and filled with the best South Florida blogs that post regularly. There may be no better time to dust off the old SFDB blogroll and make some changes than the beginning of the year. So here we go...


Hellos

Foodalogue

Joan Nova is Foodalogue and is also an SFDB Editor. As you might gather from the name of the blog, Foodalogue is about all things edible, however Joan is also...
...a food blogger, recipe developer, cooking challenge enthusiast, wine imbiber, casual communicator, social media dabbler, photography enthusiast, tireless traveler.
Foodalogue's archives stretch all the way back to 2003, although it's been busiest since 2008, averaging a couple posts a week. Joan is an avid photographer and loves to include plenty of photos in her posts.

You'll be able to find Foodalogue in the South Florida Foodies blogroll.


SeanWasHere

Sean Was Here is a Tumblr photoblog that features Miami, where Sean currently lives, but also includes images from Sean's travels. From his About page...
Quick rundown
Born in Boston. Studied Film & Animation at RIT, Rochester, NY. Lived in Boston for a few years after school before moving to Miami in 2010 where I currently reside. I love to travel, take photos and create projection mapping installations.

My philosophy
I value moments . Life is just a series of moments all happening one after another. People, places, and things that are here today could be gone tomorrow. You never know how long those moments will last.
So I take a picture.
I've posted some of Sean's photos for my "We Live Here" feature and find his work to not unlike that of Miami Fever.

Take a look at Sean's Top 40 if you want to get a feel for his stuff.

You'll find SeanWasHere in the South Florida Blogoshere blogroll.


Fatgirl Hedonist

I'm going to let Fatgirl Hedonist explain her blog...from her first post in June 2011...
So after much contemplating and urging from my friends, I've decided to start up a food blog detailing my food adventures around Miami. I'm a chubby hispanic girl who likes food and the greasier, yummier and funkier, the better it is! Within the last 7 months I've become a food truck junkie, with several of the trucks knowing me by name and knowing my 'usual' order. Which is 1 part comforting and 2 parts embarrassing.

So with this blog, I'll discuss my outings as they occur, with the occasional photo and critique/review. See you at the dinner table!
Like Burger Beast, FH concentrates on the local restaurants that serve food to satisfy one's hunger instead of one's ego. No truffles, royal osetra caviar, or 26-month aged Beemster XO cheese here. Just honest reviews (both good and bad) of dining establishments that all of us are able to enjoy.

You'll be able to find Fatgirl Hedonist in the South Florida Foodies blogroll.


A Northern Cabin

This is a Tumblr blog that primarily posts images of remote cabins and the mountain vistas that I love so much. It's not South Florida-related so you'll find it in the Other Interesting Folks blogroll.


I'd like to welcome Foodalogue, Fatgirl Hedonist, A Northern Cabin, and SeanWasHere to the SFDB blogroll.


Goodbyes

There are a surprising number of goodbyes this time around including some SFDB blogroll mainstays.
  • Under the Sun: Last post, August 2012.
  • Radio or Not: Dead.
  • Blind Mind: Last post, December 2011.
  • Brickell Life: Last post, May 2012.
  • Spokes 'n' Folks: Last post, June 2012.
  • Coconut Grove Grapevine: Dead.
  • The Street: Dead.


Hope you enjoy the changes, readers.





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