Local Matters WSLR host Joe Hendricks, along with co-host Steve Norris, and co-guest, Matt Orr, helped me fulfill my New Year resolution to have some fun … Read more »

Joe Hendricks of WSLR’s 96.5 LPFM LOCAL MATTERS sent this notice around to remind folks to listen in tonight between 6 and 7 p.m. …. hope you can join the conversation! Read more »

Tomorrow night, 6 to 7 p.m., I’m going to have a bit o’ fun on the radio — WSLR 96.5 LPFM. I, along with co-guest, man-about-town Matt Orr, will be on a program called “Local Matters” hosted by Joe Hendricks. Read more »

Sarasota Magazine is running its annual Best of Sarasota Readers Poll — and guess what? — they have a blogger category! If you’d like to help me have some fun by giving me something to have a martini for in celebration — just vote for MC as “best blogger” in the magazine’s online poll. The polling ends this Friday, January 15th, I think. Read more »

I just found out that Peter Schorsch’s St. Pete blog supplies a link to MC Reality Online. I appreciate the electronic shout out and invite my readers to check out Mr. Schorsch in return by visiting his Saint Petersblog

Schorsch is a controversial subject for some … you may want to check out

http://blogs.tampabay.com/baybuzz/2009/01/peter-schorsch.html

http://blogs.tampabay.com/baybuzz/2009/05/jamie-bennett-policy-ideas-were-peter-schorschs.html

Tomorrow, I’ll be speaking on the University of South Florida/Sarasota campus on the subject of “Blog or Print?” — a look at the blogosphere versus newspapers and my own experiences in building a blog and connecting with readers via the Internet.

I’ll be there as part of the university’s Lifelong Learning education series at the invitation of Jim Brown, a regular contributor to the Sarasota Herald Tribune. This is the second year Brown has asked me to speak to his classroom.

It’s been a while since I’ve spoken to a live audience; last time was my “Sex & Socrates” talk at our much-missed Sarasota News & Books. Looking forward to it.

“Few Florida politicians have grabbed national attention as quickly and dramatically as freshman U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Sunday Nov. 1, 2009, p.1.

Yep, Grayson was catapulted onto the national stage when he summed up the Republican’s Health Care Plan as 1) Don’t get sick 2) If you do get sick… 3) die quickly!

Guess you know where I’ll be on Sunday, December 6 … and it isn’t in church! Who knows? Maybe it should be … but instead I’m high-tailing it to the Democratic Club of Sarasota’s “Dinner for Progress” at Michael’s on East to hear national scene-stealer, U.S. Representative Alan Grayson ruffle feathers and enjoy just a smidgen of hyperbole with my dinner. A few weeks ago I was on Florida This Week trying to sound smart (ass) about Grayson and now I’ll have to see if he’s got the street cred to bring all that hot air down to earth. Hope to see you there — if you come, swing by my table and say hello to me! (P.S. if you do register, tell ‘em MC sent you — that, and a near c-note, will get you in the door, meaning, basically, my name is mud without money! ;))

You can register relatively painlessly online – or take a look at the registration information below.

————————————————————————
The Democratic Club of Sarasota and The Democratic Party of Sarasota County
invite you to A Dinner for Progress featuring Congressman Alan Grayson
Sunday, December 6, 2009
6:00 pm Social Hour • 7:00 pm Dinner
Michael’s On East
1212 East Avenue South, Sarasota
Other speakers include:
Democratic candidates for Florida Attorney General
Florida Senators Dave Aronberg and Dan Gelber,
and Florida Representative Keith Fitzgerald
$90 per person (in two checks*)
RSVP by December 1 For more information, call (941) 244-2266

The Democratic Club of Sarasota and The Democratic Party of Sarasota County
invite you to A Dinner for Progress featuring Congressman Alan Grayson
Sunday, December 6, 2009
6:00 pm Social Hour · 7:00 pm Dinner
Michael’s On East
1212 East Avenue South, Sarasota
Other speakers include:
Democratic candidates for Florida Attorney General
Florida Senators Dave Aronberg and Dan Gelber,
and Florida Representative Keith Fitzgerald
$90 per person (in two checks*)
For more information, call (941) 244-2266
*******************************************************************************

As reported a few days ago, MC Reality readers — on this blog and in the Creative Loafing and Pelican Press newspapers — dug deep and donated $1,611 to All Faiths Food Bank in my third annual “MC Reality/All Faiths” fundraising drive.

Late yesterday I received a list of names of those contributors who wanted to be entered into the drawings — which were held today! Four names were selected and I’ve sent emails and a snail letter to those folks to offer them their choice of “thank you for contributing” give-aways — including a guest blog on MC Reality Online, copies of my book Sideways in Sarasota, or having me emcee an event, conduct a writing workshop, a free ad on my blog, or give a talk to a group or organization, within the Sarasota area.

Whether you wanted your name entered into the drawing or not — HUGE, BIG, GINORMOUS thank you for everyone’s contributions to this year’s drive!

All Faiths Food Bank let me know today that three REALITY readers have already donated $160 in the MC Reality Readers annual All Faiths fundraising drive to feed the hungry. Donations have come from as far away as Phoenix, Arizona! Big thanks to both local and far-flung readers!

That $160 will provide 93 meals, according to All Faiths — can you believe that!?

At the request of one reader, I’ve decided to also offer another thank you gift to the mix — I’m adding a Guest Blog. So that’s another option for a thank you gift And I’m going to add one more drawing — so instead of the previous three names being drawn, there are now four chances to “win” a thank you of your choosing. As with the other thank yous, the guest blog will be subject to editing by me and I won’t run anything that’s off the charts (and yes, it’s solely up to my discretion). Read more »

Monday, November 2 — “On the Edge with Economist Dr. Ayse Somersan: An Economic Forum.” Event hosted by the Southwest Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice.

Featuring Waldo Profitt, political editor emeritus at Sarasota Herald Tribune; Chris Wille, editorial page editor at the Bradenton Herald; Dr. Frank Alcock, political science professor at New College; and of course, Dr. Somersan, professor emeritus and dean of University of Wisconsin.

The Forum will be co-moderated by Augie Schmitz and Rob Lorei (of WMNF and the same elegant man who moderates Florida This Week).

Golden Apple Dinner Theater — 586.6839 or swfcpj.org. Cost is $20 and that includes hors d’oeuvres. See you there!