Taking Names

• U.S. Sen. Paula Hawkins, ceiling-shatterer, passes away

  U.S. Sen. Paula Hawkins, the mavericky self-proclaimed "Maitland housewife" who took on the establishment in Tallahassee and then went on to become Florida's first female U.S. Senator, died last night. Family friends just called to share the news. She was...

  
  

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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 11:09am EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Look under the hood of local nonprofits

  As I noted in today's column, the Community Foundation of Central Florida has started providing a true service to residents in this community who want to donate time or money to local nonprofits -- or really, just see how they...

  
  

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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 6:55am EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Return of the Jedis ... to the convention center

  Enclosure: [download]

  Rich Crotty announced today that Orange County has landed the annual Star Wars convention for next year. Actually, he did more than just announce it, he proclaimed: “The Force must be with us.This could be the largest Star Wars fan...

  
  

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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 9:53pm EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• A naughty elf, courtesy of Southern Strategy

  I'm not sure Southern Strategy will ever be able to top their Larry Craig-inspired holiday card from a couple years back. (See it here if you missed it.) But the firm with offices from Orlando to Tallahassee to D.C. managed...

  
  

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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 4:02pm EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Predict rail will pass

  Someone asked me at the gym today if I thought SunRail would be approved during the special session -- and I said yes. Not because Buddy Dyer or any of our local homers said so. (They've been repeatedly wrong in...

  
  

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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 3:20pm EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Charlie's political adviice for Tim Tebow: We need you

  One of the most intriguing political items I read over the holiday weekend was actually buried deep within one of the many (many, many, many) sports pieces fawning over Tim Tebow. A glowing piece in the Palm Beach Post quoted...

  
  

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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 5:28pm EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Special rail session's on

  Looks like they're serious this time. House Speaker Larry Cretul just sent out official word that a special session will convene Thursday (three days from now). The sole purpose -- rail ... with a final vote by the senate next...

  
  

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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 5:13pm EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Maher hearts Grayson; WMFE's Steck's new gig

  Comedian/talk-show host Bill Maher seems to have thing for Alan Grayson -- or at least his spine. In a recent interview with Watermark about Maher's upcoming visit to Tampa, interviewer Kirk Kartlage asked Maher about Grayson -- to which the...

  
  

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  Posted: November 27, 2009, 12:11pm EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Joining the Philips Phile Tuesday; 'Hot' broadcasters compete

  A couple of broadcast bits... * Assuming I get all my homework done in time, I'm gonna join the Philips Phile in the studio tomorrow/Tuesday afternoon from 3 - 7 p.m. Jim's off. So I'm slated to join Jack, Moira...

  
  

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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 2:56pm EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Blood Centers reform -- what do you think?

  Well, it took a while, but Florida's Blood Centers has started to clean up the way it does business. As you may have seen in Saturday's paper or today's column,FBC execs finally agreed that board members and their companies should...

  
  

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  Posted: November 22, 2009, 9:01am EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Coffee contract -- a distant cosolation prize

  So I got a press release this week announcing that Barnie's Coffee had been chosen as a the sole provider of coffee in the Amway arena. I like that. Because, as much as I enjoy Starbucks (and damn, I do...

  
  

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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 6:27am EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Hometown Democracy - a respectful debate

  Yesterday's columnabout Hometown Democracy generated a decent amount of mail -- mostly atta-boys from readers with no dog in the hunt, folks who are sick of seeing both unchecked growth and cozy relationships between politicians and development interests. Still, I'm...

  
  

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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 9:07am EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Progressive Dem to Kosmas: "It's payback time"

  In the past week I've gotten more e-mails from Democrats who are ticked off at Suzanne Kosmas for voting against the health care bill than anything else. (Well, except for my wife. We've been talking about house-buying and taking advantage...

  
  

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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 2:24pm EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Huckabee, Palin and Beck ... oh my!

  In case ya missed it, Central Florida is about to be grand-central station for conservative pundits. Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee are all slated to swing through Central Florida to promote their books. Huckabee - who's actually promoting...

  
  

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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 3:19pm EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Ginny Brown-Waite - a one-woman fringe festival?

  Today’s column looked at what our congressional reps have been up to – and took a look at some of Ginny Brown-Waite’s more fringey moments. I contend that, while the media (including this paper and me and my column) has...

  
  

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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 6:00am EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Miscarriages of justice: Rotten dog cases getting more light

  In the past few weeks, the cases of miscarried justice in Brevard County -- all connected to a fraudulent dog-handler -- have started getting more attention ... some of it international. Two things have put this matter back in the...

  
  

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  Posted: November 10, 2009, 2:49pm EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• $$$ in Politics: Grayson's 'bomb', Crist's turmoil, Sublette's event

  A trio of political pieces... * Alan Grayson is earning national attention again -- not for anything he said this time, but for how much money he raised in a single day. It was more than $500,000 after the Grayson...

  
  

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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 10:20pm EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• NYTimes: Grayson is Democrats' 'Problem Child'

  The New York Times took a look at the phenomenonon that is our hometown congressman this past weekend in a piece that's pretty good. Whether it's overly critical or flattering probably depends on your perspective. In the piece, Grayson is...

  
  

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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 6:42am EST
  by ScottMaxwell

• Harleys for kids; Bowling for Autism; Scares for theater

  Well, on the heels of last week's charitable affairs -- including downtown's Run for the Children in which WESH's Martha Sugalsk and Jim Payne and I all particpated (a worthwhile, but muggy affair) -- we have a several others on...

  
  

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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 3:24pm EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Sen. Bob Smith: I have what Marco, Charlie don't - experience

  Most every time you read about the U.S. Senate race, it's all about the fiery primary between Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist. But there's another candidate in the race that gets often ignored. (And I don't just mean Democrat Kendrick...

  
  

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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 11:33am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• I'm a zombie ... with hate-group connections

  You know how some days you know rather quickly it's going to be a weird one? Well, today started with a reader offering up his suggestion for a halloween mask ... Zombie Scott. And then the metro desk gets the...

  
  

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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 11:01am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• WDBO's Officer Jim ousted; Buddy & Buckethead X-mas buddies

  UPDATE OCT. 29, 9:45 A.M: Just got off the phone with Officer Jim, who offers some parting thoughts on his years on the air -- and the shock of it all -- below. UPDATE OCT. 30, 10:00 AM - WDBO...

  
  

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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 8:17am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Crist-bashing seems to be all the rage

  You could hardly open a newspaper this past weekend without finding seeing another Charlie Crist smackdown -- the criticism coming from both mainstream and conservative media; and from Florida to Washington. My own licks - which I also offered to...

  
  

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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 2:26pm EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Crist enjoyed breakfast, donations in Winter Park

  Charlie Crist swung through Central Florida Thursday -- for both breakfast and stack of campaign checks. The event was at the home of Crist friend and Winter Park financial adviser Scott Peelen (and wife Patty) and headlined by Republicans co-hosts...

  
  

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  Posted: October 23, 2009, 4:39pm EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Who should be Orange County's next mayor?

  Today's column looked at the race for Orange County mayor -- and wondered whether some more candidates will step into the ring. I mentioned Teresa Jacobs, who would probably shake things up more than anyone else. Also League of Women...

  
  

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  Posted: October 23, 2009, 5:55am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Run, party, golf, eat for good causes

  Thought I'd mention a few of the upcoming charitable events coming up in Central Florida. If you have more you want to promote, feel free to add em. * This Saturday marks the 29th annual Dick Batchelor Run for the...

  
  

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  Posted: October 20, 2009, 1:33pm EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Catching up - with Grayson, Niagara and, oh yes, the birthers

  The little Nameses and I were cruising last week, which meant I was blissfully unplugged. The blackberry was off, and I actually made a point of not watching a single minute of any TV news for a solid week. It...

  
  

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  Posted: October 20, 2009, 8:32am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Blog on break

  Hi all. Just wanted to drop a note to say I'll be on break for a week, returning Monday, Oct. 19. Consequently, so will this blog. So the posting of comments will be delayed. Until I get back, keep an...

  
  

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  Posted: October 10, 2009, 9:01am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Twitter links, Headdress pics and Sheehan vs. Manes

  A few items springboarding off today's grab-bag column: If you want the Twitter addresses for any of the folks I mentioned -- from Dwight Howard to Jeb Bush -- I have them all posted on my own page: http://twitter.com/Scott_Maxwell. A...

  
  

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  Posted: October 09, 2009, 8:37am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Rove for Rubio and other Senatorial money notes

  Stirring up whispers around the water cooler this week is news that Karl Rove is now a Marco Rubio supporter. Yes, that Karl Rove. The former adviser to George W. Bush told NBCthat he had inked a check for $1,000...

  
  

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  Posted: October 07, 2009, 9:09am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Grayson fallout - double-standards, cringe-worthy TV & more

  The reaction and fallout from Alan Grayson's "die quickly" remark continues... * One sentiment I heard from several readers in response to Sunday's column was people expressing surprise about Ginny Brown-Waite's "drop dead" comments from a few months earlier. Brown-Waite...

  
  

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  Posted: October 06, 2009, 10:44am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Charlie goes on Fox & Friends - & has Doocy of a time

  There's been a lot of talk about Charlie Crist's recent step into the national spotlight -- claiming credit on CNN and MSNBC for the state's shrinking budget and predicting that Barack Obama would be a one-term president. But I've been...

  
  

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  Posted: September 30, 2009, 3:19pm EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• If Rifqa was Julie: Readers say thanks ... and 'pure garbage'

  Sunday's column posed the question: "What if Rifqa Bary was Julie Johnson?" And it drew a lot of reader reaction -- from profound thanks to suggestions that I am morally bankrupt and that all Muslims lie. The majority of readers...

  
  

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  Posted: September 29, 2009, 8:28pm EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Who does Sen. Paula Hawkins think is "a wimp"?

  In today's column, I chatted with former U.S. Sen. Paula Hawkins about the need to clean house and reform the Public Service Commission. After all, the mess up there in Tallahassee -- cozy relationships between utility execs and the state...

  
  

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  Posted: September 23, 2009, 6:43am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Dialing-for-dollars Crist, seceding from reform & *****bag Edwards

  A few bits of political tid from this past weekend ... * The Miami Herald's Beth Reinhard had a good look at the phenomena that is Charlie Crist's fundraising prowess. Complete with insight from donors who insist that telling Charlie...

  
  

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  Posted: September 21, 2009, 6:53am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• 'Aha! There was opinion in that column!' (Responses for angry readers)

  Honestly, I really like hearing from readers. I get hundreds of e-mails every week from readers who are funny, appreciative, gracious and interested in challenging my conceptions and giving me other perspectives to think about. OK, I also hear from...

  
  

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  Posted: September 20, 2009, 10:06pm EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Student questions about journalism

  Every couple of weeks, a high school student writes me with the same three questions about journalism for a class they are taking. I think I've fielded 40 or 50 of these in recent years. So, while I'm not the...

  
  

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  Posted: September 20, 2009, 12:03am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Crime priority: The adulterating tourist from S.C.?

  Perhaps we've taken care of all the murderers, rapists, batterers, thugs and muggers that have besieged Orlando in recent years. Because, as you may have seen in today's paper, our local organized-crime unit is now focusing its energy on hookers....

  
  

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  Posted: September 18, 2009, 7:24am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Good news, Ex-senator signs books, TV worth watching

  Some random bits of tid: * Two good-news pieces worth highlighting from today's paper: Burnham partners with Duke (This is the kind of stuff that, one small piece at a time, can truly help transform our local community and economy),...

  
  

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  Posted: September 18, 2009, 6:58am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Argenziano for governor?

  Don't tell my wife, but I think I may finally be falling in love with a politician. It's Republican Nancy Argenziano. She first lit my heart on fire back in 2001, when she was a state rep and sent a...

  
  

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  Posted: September 15, 2009, 10:36am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Holy Land is about to 'Come out with Pride'

  So perhaps you've read something about Holy Land finally agreeing to reveal which day people they'll let customers in for free ... per the agreement that justifies the theme park's tax breaks. Well, this year, Holy Land chose Oct. 6...

  
  

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  Posted: September 11, 2009, 7:28pm EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Shutting doors just doesn't seem like the right Destiny for this group

  Today's story on the impending closing of the Destiny Foundation gave me pangs. It should for much of our community. You can read the bad news on the likely closing in today's paper. And below is the piece I wrote...

  
  

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  Posted: September 11, 2009, 8:53am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• McCollum says Obama will put seniors "at risk" & other reactions

  Statements released from local politicians in the moments after President Obama's speech last night were all over the map. Republican Party of Florida leader Jim Greer, fresh off his time in the nation's spotlight for calling the president a lying,...

  
  

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  Posted: September 10, 2009, 9:49am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Greer - Still on media tour, still says White House is lying

  Florida's GOP chief Jim Greer is still waging war against the Barack Obama in front of as many TV cameras as possible. His latest contention is that the White House is now lying about the speech, that he still believes...

  
  

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  Posted: September 08, 2009, 7:51am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Taking a break

  This blog will be on break over the Labor Day weekend. So the posting of comments may be delayed. Thanks. And have a great weekend! -- Scott

  
  

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  Posted: September 05, 2009, 11:21am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• GOP electeds: Greer's cries of 'lies' & 'indoctrination' were fair

  Today's column revealed that Florida GOP leader Jim Greer -- the same man who has been all over national TV claiming that President Obama was trying to "indoctrinate" children and screaming that politicians have no business going into schools without...

  
  

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  Posted: September 05, 2009, 8:32am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• The Lake Eola Light Show - downtown reborn

  It seems everybody's got an ideaabout what to do with Lake Eola's lightning-fried fountain. Well here's mine. Some have said save the fountain. Others say replace it was a water show. I say: Do both. What we need is a...

  
  

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  Posted: September 02, 2009, 8:39am EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Renewal chaos: How Charlie could be a hero in this higher-fee mess

  We're being inundated with calls and e-mails from residents who are having difficulty getting their drivers licenses and tags renewed by tonight's price-hike deadline, thanks to long lines and even government web sites that aren't working properly. (See our developing...

  
  

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  Posted: August 31, 2009, 4:33pm EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Shannon Burke's coming back to 104.1 FM...

  ... but only for a day. Yes, continuing our unexpected theme of former Real Radio personalities re-emerging (See the Savannah post below), word has emerged from WTKS that Jim Philips plans to have fallen radio host Shannon Burke on his...

  
  

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  Posted: August 28, 2009, 2:29pm EDT
  by ScottMaxwell

• Our next U.S. Senator: LeMieux ... Le-Who? ... Le-Pew.

  As those of you who read last week's entry may have surmized, I didn't think even Charlie would stoop to something as blatantly political as choosing his former campaign director and chief of staff, George LeMieux to be our next...

  
  

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  Posted: August 28, 2009, 12:16pm EDT
  by ScottMaxwell