Le Sabot Post-Moderne

I just was there visiting friends for the holidays, my friend had a house five minutes from the beach. I had a great time, it sure is a nice town!

Disco... this must be running on every TV set in Ukraine

Kuchma urges Ukrainians to support Yushchenko

I just read this surprising post, where Leonid Kuchma is said to have congratulated the Ukrainian people, saying that he was, “[G]reatful to everyone who facilitated constitutional reform” and helped to reach a “peaceful settlement in the recent political crisis.”

He said the nation would have a new President and that, "The whole of Ukraine, every region and every person should accept the democratic choice as his own" because the new president, "is going to need your support."

I'd have to disagree, Bradenton is better. We get all of the benefits of being close to Sarasota (I love being able to go see movies at the cheap theater that haven't even made it to most of the country and that the film snobs I know from college haven't seen yet) but without having to deal 24/7 with the snotty retirees who would rather spit on you than look at you. Oh yeah, and we're getting something that Sarasota wants but that we got to first--a minor league hockey team to go with our spring training baseball and tennis, golf and soccer academies (though I'm not entirely sure that we should be proud of giving the world Anna Kournikova *grimace*).

Sorry, I suppose I should get over the inferiority complex and need to prove that we're as good as Sarasota that much of Bradenton has.

Agree with some of the items you mention. You forgot the Sarasota Music Fesitval held each June, featuring musicians from schools throughout the United States as well as foreign countries. The free student concerts are a treat! Also the Ringling Museum with its outstanding collection of paintings by Peter Paul Rubens. Siesta Key Beach, one of four white quartz sand beaches in the world - fantastic!
And yes, we know a PCA pastor who hunts wild boar - presumably not on "weekends" when he'd be otherwise occupied. :>)

FLGrandma-

Dave and I went fishing on that bass boat of his last time I was in the States -- but we did it on the bay with a bit of a chop. That was a blast. How is he these days?!

Kathryn-

Heh. Bradenton has it's nice points too, of course. Tennis greats, for instance. I know what you mean about the inferiority complex -- the Sarasota Herald-Tribune has a Manatee version, as you know. People pay EXTRA to get the Sarasota version up north of the county line, just to have the name on the paper. . .

Ron C-

I don't think it's huge news, honestly. Kuchma has been showing his neck to the winner for awhile now. But it definitely is a good thing to have Kuchma telling the country to support the new president. Given his approval ratings, however, it's doubtful how many will listen.

Racoon-

Very cool! I'm popping over to the States for a bit this summer. I can't wait to lay on sugar-sand instead of rocks when I go to the beach. Yalta is nice, but nothing compares with Sarasota when it comes to the beach. :-)

Sarasota is one of our favorite cities, too. We honeymooned there 15 years ago, and now that my sister-in-law lives there, we go back every couple of years. My son, a budding marine biologist, loves Mote Marine, the Pelican Man's place, and wandering the beach looking for sea creatures. One year he found a couple of live seahorses and a sea urchin.

I'll add to your list of things to love: The Main Bookshop (biggest selection of remaindered books in the world), Siesta Key, Myakka River State Park (and its airboat tours), and a downtown that Sarasotans obviously love and care for.

Micheal,

That was one of the things I loved about Sarasota--when we lived there, it was like living on honeymoon. *blush*

And we love the Main Bookshop, the Ringling Art Museum, Lido, Turtle Beach. . . Lots of memories.

Ack! Just talking about this is making me miss it a lot. . .

Hockey in Sarasota is just too funny a thought for words. There's just something indescribably, necessarily northern about the game, and it isn't just the need for ice.

pentamom--Hockey may be a northern game, but it's taken root in certain parts of the sunshine state. Believe it or not, youth hockey is becoming a pretty big deal in Manatee county, which I think is one of the reasons that the ECHL decided that Manatee county would be a good market for the minor league team that starts play next season.

Oh, it's ECHL? I thought you were talking about HOCKEY! (evil grin)

We had an ECHL team up here several years ago, and they don't provide the most exciting play you're likely to see. We've since moved up to OHL (Ontario Hockey League) from which the top-level players occasionally get drafted straight to the mythical NHL. I guess you'd call them the equivalent of AA. (BTW, the rookies are the ones I really feel for in this strike thing. Personally I couldn't care less about pro hockey, but what about the kids that just got drafted, haven't had time to sock away a couple mill, and aren't able to earn anything?)

I know it's taken root in the Sunshine State, but my point is that it just doesn't seem to fit there. ;-)