tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25269186440951900052024-03-13T23:21:05.465-04:00That's So OrlandoFrom the epicenter of the city built on orange peels and pixie dustUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526918644095190005.post-35631519597713888332009-02-01T10:53:00.004-05:002009-02-01T11:03:23.377-05:00Frosty<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuw6ORpSJ4vm6rXrBYWy5ZyKTBLU7I2Y2I7TzWw10s-jWHJLD9pgohONKcZ1A-XlwtA1YAnVykMllGzoXVUuzAdAcLu1VLcCvvt_BhfXpYq7SQ3IUuBKDkDIlxrGiNv3byATv1OMA11hH/s1600-h/000_0087.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuw6ORpSJ4vm6rXrBYWy5ZyKTBLU7I2Y2I7TzWw10s-jWHJLD9pgohONKcZ1A-XlwtA1YAnVykMllGzoXVUuzAdAcLu1VLcCvvt_BhfXpYq7SQ3IUuBKDkDIlxrGiNv3byATv1OMA11hH/s320/000_0087.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297858955379428194" /></a><br />Let's face it. We all moved to Orlando for basically the same reason: warm weather. I took this pic two weeks ago (not 2007). And no, it didn't seem quite as funny at the time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526918644095190005.post-73205044556943181022009-01-31T21:16:00.004-05:002009-01-31T23:00:38.340-05:00The Orlandope SentinelWant to know why the <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/">Orlando Sentinel</a> is <span style="font-style:italic;">really </span>flat-broke? It doesn't report the news. Not news that matters, anyway.<br />My first indication? The Obama<span style="font-style:italic;">style</span> series that ran between mid-November and January 19th. It was interesting for the first week and a half, like an ongoing biography of a great American. But then it just got ridiculous. It became "Obama-Fashion" and "Travel-the-world-to-retrace-Obama's-childhood." That's 1)creepy and 2) mind-bogglingly unimportant.<br />Second sign: The "Caylee Anthony" tab under "News" but above "Buisness" on the navigation bar of the Sentinel website. C'mon people! That's tabloid stuff. The world financial system is falling apart but all we read about in the Sentinel is a psychotic hick.<br />Third sign: There's actually very little news content in that paper. Seriously, between the car ads, incoherent opinions, and the "National News" articles so trivial that they would barely qualify for the local section anywhere else, I think there's actually more news content in one issue of Orlando Weekly than in a weeks worth of the Sentinel.<br />And they wonder why people prefer the internet to get their news...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526918644095190005.post-89516846591932825912009-01-27T18:54:00.003-05:002009-01-27T19:33:43.336-05:00Where it's at: Coco Bongo'sTraditional Hispanic cure to Pre-Bowl-Blues: Saturday night at Coco Bongo's.<br />If you find yourself bored this weekend in south Orlando, make your way to Club Coco Bongo's, where my old friend DJ Enzo is DJ-ing this Saturday. Coco Bongo's is the local fave for high-energy spanish clubbing, with emphasis on salsa, merengue, and reggaetón. C'mon- now's the perfect time to try out the Latin moves you learned in that overpriced dance studio last year.<br /><br />$10 cover<br />11370 S. Orange Blossom Trail<br />Orlando, FL 32837 <br />407-859-7225Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526918644095190005.post-78921312103591666172009-01-24T18:58:00.009-05:002009-01-24T20:45:38.617-05:00Best lunch in the cityPress 101 is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the hottest concepts in Orlando dining. It specializes in Euro-style bistro food, and sandwiches and wine take center stage. By placing emphasis high quality ingredients and letting the natural flavors shine, its a breath of fresh air on restaurant row, where chefs typically rely on frying or heavy spices to impart flavor.(Not that theres anything wrong with that...)<br />I sat down recently manager Brian Hoening to talk about Press 101. Hoening is actually a personal friend of mine, as well as a culinary mentor. Our conversation:<br /><br /><strong>Describe Press 101 in one sentence.</strong><br />A sophisticated, upscale, neighborhood sandwich and wine bar.<br /><strong>What are your favorite dishes?</strong><br />The grilled-cheese [sandwich], turkey and brie sanwich, and garlic roasted salmon salad.<br /><strong>Why should people choose Press 101 over the other restaurants in the area?</strong> It was voted Orlando's top outdoor dining and top power-lunch restaurant<br /><strong>Anything else you want people to know?</strong><br />Great atmosphere, great food, and live music every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Ask for Brian!<br /><br />VERDICT: Next time you find yourself near restaurant row (the strech of Sand Lake road between Turkey Lake and Apopka Vineland) make sure you stop by for some exceptional food in a friendly (and non-touristy) atmosphere.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526918644095190005.post-72125380531853910762009-01-21T18:15:00.004-05:002009-01-21T18:54:12.775-05:00Smoke for Florida schools...?This March, legislators desperate for a looser budget will consider various ways to raise money through indirect taxes. Proposed include an internet sales tax, closing of online tax loopholes, and, most importantly, increasing the tax on cigarettes. <br />Since 1943, Florida has had a 33.9 cents-per-pack tax. This is an abnormally low amount compared with the national average, $1.12/pack. Larger taxes on cigarettes would raise millions and millions of dollars annually that could go to, I don't know, say, PUBLIC SCHOOLS? Higher taxes would also help to discourage Floridians from smoking, which would be nice because the state currently spends more on smoking-related health problems than it receives from cigarette taxes.<br />WHERE I STAND: Millions of dollars in tobacco-tax revenue would be a godsend for Orange County Public Schools, which is culling teachers and programs left and right considering radical solutions to cope with budget cuts. It's getting pretty intense; last year school starting/ending times were completely overhauled to save a few mil on bus costs and a few months ago word went around that the school week might be shortened to save a few more.<br /> Although those millions would be well-appreciated, I doubt tangible change will come due to the strong presence of Big Tobacco lobbyists in government. Politicians' famous addiction to tobacco-industry campaign funding doesn't help either; those donations will likely- go up in smoke?- if a politician legislates against the will of Big Tobacco.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526918644095190005.post-21126931905414226652009-01-20T18:37:00.007-05:002009-01-20T19:14:23.995-05:00CSA Plates- No Way<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSeF547iGj2eHgkUMiurD2NlkfNls3wEpTAXMZQfjbWFsx3mBzHjF-ZmRUZB8ajMUBEzIa8umXRVW6mvE9fv3bskW8yJz1kDrzP1jrCR9J2bR5TZXubJ8OkoWlwSgMygpNHjdgo0j12MMM/s1600-h/florida_tag.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSeF547iGj2eHgkUMiurD2NlkfNls3wEpTAXMZQfjbWFsx3mBzHjF-ZmRUZB8ajMUBEzIa8umXRVW6mvE9fv3bskW8yJz1kDrzP1jrCR9J2bR5TZXubJ8OkoWlwSgMygpNHjdgo0j12MMM/s320/florida_tag.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293533610841820674" /></a>So a few years ago, a group (of hicks) called the Sons of Confederate Veterans started a campaign to get a new specialty Florida license plate on the road. The group was tasked with finding 30,000 Floridians who would support the tag (pictured), and it took them a full three years to find them and raise the $60,000 required for the state legislation to greenlight the plate. The state has more or less ignored their requests, and now the group is suing. Apparently they are, in fact, bright enough to do that. <br /><br />The SCV say that the plate is not racist, but their claims run contrary to popular opinion, which associates the confederate flag with racism. Seeing as how the Confederacy basically fought the civil war so it could keep the institution of slavery, I side with the vox populi on this one. <br /><br />WHERE I STAND: Can't they choose some other, less offensive FL specialty tag? Like <a href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/specialtytags/miscellaneous/NASCAR.html">NASCAR</a>, <a href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/specialtytags/environmental/protect_florida_whales.html">Save the whales</a>, or the <a href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/specialtytags/miscellaneous/florida_salutes_veterans.html">already existing veterans plate</a>? Regardless, I can tell you one thing- ambiguously racist license plates will do <span style="font-weight:bold;">nothing </span>for our already slumping tourist trade.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526918644095190005.post-57723191621872563762009-01-18T18:05:00.003-05:002009-01-18T20:50:00.808-05:00Economic Reboot<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfkv4q8Dk9Z3kLZZsTh99ZoGdV4W8yAC4sOAJHz9RvMeQZjh0RTwnj3YuL3SpvheNYFBTiFrb67fBb-ZEPD8X2CSglIkP9cRQwz0VRh6lrmRB-mzhJp6Tks_rAHXTLLjfH0f2oUResb7Z/s1600-h/rendering1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfkv4q8Dk9Z3kLZZsTh99ZoGdV4W8yAC4sOAJHz9RvMeQZjh0RTwnj3YuL3SpvheNYFBTiFrb67fBb-ZEPD8X2CSglIkP9cRQwz0VRh6lrmRB-mzhJp6Tks_rAHXTLLjfH0f2oUResb7Z/s320/rendering1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292804536121210738" /></a><br />Would you believe that I didn't know that there was such a thing as a state income tax until I was in my teens? It's true- the tourist tax in Florida prevents the need for a statewide income tax on residents, so I never heard about it until a trip to the northeast. The problem, however, is that when tourism dries up, government income dries up, putting immense pressure on state and local budgets<br />Long story short, funding and support for public projects fluctuates with tourism, and right now tourism's not so hot. The Orlando Sentinel released an article a few days ago stating that funding for the planned Dr. P. Phillip's Performing Arts Center (DPAC) might be cut as a result of tightening budgets. The DPAC people replied right away, denying the Sentinel's allegations and stating such positive sentiments as "Our board of directors and donors are solidly behind the project... is moving forward and our vision remains steadfast," and "Our project is moving forward and will be built..." Linkage to full article <a href="http://www.orlandopac.org/news/news_releases/2009/01/statement-from-the-dr-p-phillips-orlando-performing-arts-center">here.</a><br />WHERE I STAND: The arts center will be a major boost for Orlando and will definitely help central Florida out of the economic slump. It will breathe fresh life into local tourism by redefining Orlando as a world-class and refined city; more than just the parks. I know we already have the Bob Carr, but it pretty clear that the Bob Carr is NOT the performing arts center of a world-class city.<br />(Photo Props to DPAC)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526918644095190005.post-77056217719774299922009-01-17T22:34:00.003-05:002009-01-18T18:00:35.205-05:00Quintessential Orlando Experience: Chili's at MCOYeah yeah, I know its a chain. But a pre- or post- flight meal at the Chili's at the Orlando International Airport is actually a standard tradition for many Orlando residents. The elevation allows for superior people watching, and until you've people watched in Orlando, you haven't really people watched at all. Although the food court has some decent options (and the huge central aquarium is definitely worth stopping by), it's often crowded, so stopping at Chili's is a good chance to work in some relaxation and, lets be honest, a few margaritas.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526918644095190005.post-8750280042636018632009-01-16T20:22:00.003-05:002009-01-16T21:51:31.403-05:00Universal announces Mardi Gras ConcertsProof that O-town does Mardi Gras better than New Orleans: Ne-Yo and Boys Like Girls.<br />The concerts don't actually take place on fat Tuesday (or any Tuesday, for that matter), but we're willing to look past that for the likes of Pat Benatar, Barenaked Ladies, Kelly Clarkson, and Nelly. As always, the concerts are included with the days ticket.<br />Feb 7- KC and the Sunshine Band<br />Feb 14- Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons<br />Feb 15- Village People<br />Feb 21- Ne-Yo<br />Feb 28- Pat Benatar<br />Mar 7 Barenaked Ladies<br />Mar 14- Montgomery Gentry<br />Mar 21- Collective Soul<br />Mar 27- Boys Like Girls<br />Mar 28- Kelly Clarkson<br />Apr 4- MC Hammer<br />Apr 11- Trace Adkins<br />Apr 18- Nelly<br />More info on <a href="http://www.universalorlando.com/mardigras/index.html">the Universal site</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526918644095190005.post-69929317931139666642008-06-05T22:17:00.005-04:002008-06-21T10:10:52.789-04:00Wth is a Sodo?<img src="file:///C:/Users/MARIEB%7E1/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-5.jpg" alt="" /> When you hear "Sodo," short for "South of Downtown Orlando," what do you think of? The biblical town of Sodom, razed by god for it inhabitants' impenitent sins? Do you think of NYC's SoHo, for which the name is clearly modeled after? Or do you perhaps think of the Ethiopian town with 65,737 residents?<br />While I'm totally down with the idea of a 22-acre mixed use complex downtown, I HATE the name. I hate it with a passion. Sodo? Are you kidding?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526918644095190005.post-6570793765128861772008-06-05T14:21:00.001-04:002009-01-20T19:18:33.824-05:00Welcome to my blog!Welcome to my blog, <span style="font-style: italic;">Thats So Orlando</span>. My goal in this blog is to keep you, whether a fellow Orlandoan or a visiting guest, totally informed of the happenings of "The City Beautiful."<br /><br /> Check back often,<br /> Matt B.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0