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!

Hey, if anyone out there enjoys WSLR 96.5 LPFM radio — now’s your chance to help keep great community radio on the air! At the same time, your donation will net you a nice “premium” (aka thank you for donating gift).

On Sunday, I’m going to join WSLR Louisiana Gumbo Show host John Osgood on air to try to help raise funds for the station. I support WSLR because they give so much great information about everything from local to global politics and social issues and they also offer some pretty great music selections. Read more »

Jiminy Cricket! MC Reality readers — both print and on this blog — I can’t thank you all enough for voting for me in the Creative Loafing Best of the Suncoast 2009 contest. You pulled it off — et voilà — I’m now the Best Columnist on the Suncoast three years running (you guys voted me in, in 2007 and 2008)!!!

MC Coolidge Best Local Columnist!

Well, I did it … I appeared again on the WEDU/PBS (Channel 3) political television program Florida This Week. Whew! I’m serious — it’s a major deal for me each time. I’ve only been on three times so far and of course, I’m trying to improve in both style and substance … but the girl has a long way to go.

Anyway, I griped about Sarasota government operating in the dark — as I’m wont to do. I think I say “the sun just isn’t shining in Sarasota government,” and um, I might say a little something about the local gov being “dysfunctional” at best. Um, yes, I know … I flunked “how to win friends and influence people” …

Try to ignore how I flubbed my answer on “the keys” — oh, good grief, I stumble around that answer like a fish out of water — key water that is.

Anyway, if you want to catch the show — just click here: MC on Florida This Week October 9. Look for the program that says October 10 (they got the date wrong there) and just hit play. You can fast forward to about 25:00 if you want to just hear me yakking about Sarasota.

Any comments, quips, queries, questions — post a blog comment here.

. . . on everything from lizards mating to the kissing statue on our bayfront to my theories on clipping coupons, shopping at my local Publix, sex in the morning, and going with fewer martinis every week . . . have a listen at the link below! You can laugh, at least, at my goofy attempts to keep from swearing and roll your eyes, at the very least, at the very weird conversation about the word “colored” and the word “black.” And yes, I know I bungled it … but I was just a little taken aback.

MC on the radio talkin’ ’bout lizards, sex, and horse-surfing!

I’m not saying it’s the most fascinating radio talk of all time — but if you care to listen to the podcast of the radio show I was on earlier today — WSLR 96.5 LPFM’s Two Early in the Morning — check it out.

Hey! MC will be on Two Early In the Morning — tomorrow, Wednesday, September 16th from 9 to 10 am.

Call the studio at 941-355-4540 between 9 and 10 and ask any question you like … of me … or Two Early In the Morning host Francis Scheuer. Whatever you want to comment/ask about — birds, parking meters, being single in the SRQ, health insurance … whatever.

Listen in at WLPFM at 96.5. Or listen live on the Internet at WSLR on the Internet.

John and Nina Arico of Zest Catering are hosting a super Dining On Air Party to benefit WSLR 96.5 LPFM radio this coming Saturday, September 5th at 7:00 p.m. I think the restaurant is located in the Gulf Gate area on Superior Ave. The Arico’s are serving up a fabulous New Orleans-themed dinner with yummy crab cakes, chicken and sausage gumbo, blackened fish with corn relish and mirliton (what the heck is that!?) Wine, beer, ice tea and sparkling water are included.

John Osgood — the radio host of WSLR’s popular Sunday night Louisiana Gumbo show (which airs every Sunday from 7 to 9 pm) — is creating a special mix of Louisiana-flavored music to complement the cuisine and will be dining with guests and answering any questions about zydeco, blues, Louisiana music, and lots more ….

A free after party is planned at Arts Center Sarasota with LIVE music by Los Rumberos and scrumptious desserts donated by local businesses including Pastry Arts, Carr’s Corner, Ben and Jerry’s and more.

The price is $50 per person — not too bad considering you’re getting a four-course specially-prepared gourmet meal and drinks, music and good conversation AND DESSERT! (I’m so there!) And though WSLR’s website and publicity about the event doesn’t say how much of the ticket price goes back to WSLR and doesn’t tell whether or not any portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible, you might be able to find out by calling the station; at the very least, you’ll be getting great cuisine and supporting local radio. Visit www.wslr.org to learn more.

Zest! of Sarasota Catering
6584 Superior Ave., Sarasota, FL 34231 941-924-2535
Sarasota County Green Business Partner
www.zestofsarasota.com

Last week on August 25th, this online column cum blog reached its one-year anniversary! I was so crazy-busy last week that I missed the actual anniversary … but I’m celebrating it on Friday night (September 4) under the light of the full Harvest Moon (sounds appropriate, doesn’t it — celebrating at harvest time?). I plan to have a martini (or two) and toast my little Internet endeavor.

All I ever wanted to be — from the time I was old enough to remember — was a writer. By reading my work … each one of you make me one. Really can’t thank you enough.

Reading in my Beacon Hill apartment the year I decided I was going to become a columnist come hell or high water. I got damn near burned up before I nearly drowned but I'm on dry land, now. Big thanks to Brian for capturing the moment, for believing in me when I didn't believe in myself. XO ad infinitum

Some fast facts:

• I launched MC’s Reality Online in August 2008, just one month after the debut of my book — Sideways in Sarasota. Because both anniversaries fall so closely together … and since several people have asked me in the days of Sarasota News & Books closing, where they could buy a copy of my book — I’m also celebrating my book (oh, good — another reason for a martini on Friday night) and offering an anniversary price via my own website of $13 (taxes and shipping included; signed copy). Just click on the hypelinked words Sideways in Sarasota above and you’ll be directed to information to buy, if you’re interested. Also, Sideways is available at Circle Books on St. Armands Circle.

• Since September ’08, the number of unique readers who visit the site each month has grown from 377 to 1,225. Guess it’s a tortoise – slow and steady growth. But what matters to me is that a lot of you keep coming back to read more. SO appreciated!
• MC Reality Online readers donated $1,943 to All Faith’s Food Bank in my 2008 drive. Stay tuned for news about the 2009 drive.
• MC’s Reality Online averages 26,000 hits per month.
• 938 of you have posted a comment at one time or another – I invite you to continue to use this site as a place for dialogue.
• I instituted advertising on the site in summer ’09 and have already sold several ads and the advertisers have received a pretty darn good return-on-investment in terms of hits to their own sites, etc. BIG thanks to those advertisers who have already supported my site and my writing by choosing to advertise here!
• I have to thank David Martin of Brighter Technologies, Inc. He’s my all-things-web guru and keeps me going when I can’t figure things out. If you need a great web guru, check him out and tell him MC referred you.
• My first blog ever – MC enters the blogosphere.
• In the year that I’ve been blogging, I’ve been asked to speak as a local blogger on a media panel , in a classroom and as an occasional guest panelist on WEDU’s political roundtable television program — Florida This Week, with moderator Rob Lorei.
• And BEST OF ALL, the folks who read this blog – um, that’s ALL OF YOU – were super, super kind to vote me as Creative Loafing Best of the Suncoast Best Local Blogger in the 2008 Reader Poll, and in Sarasota Magazine’s Best of 2009 Reader Poll as one of the best local bloggers. THANK you so much for helping me spread the word about my blog, achieve some street cred as a blogger, and most importantly, give me more reasons to ask bartenders all across Sarasota to “Shake me another ‘tini, baby!”
• And, lastly, if you like what you read here and want to help me snag another year as Best Local Columnist and/or Best Local Blogger in Creative Loafing’s annual Best of the Suncoast Readers Poll – you can vote for me in either or both categories – online right here! I sure would appreciate it!

Mostly, though, thanks for reading – for taking the time to visit this site, agree, disagree, encourage, chastise … I love being able to stay connected to readers even though I don’t have a weekly print column. It’s been a great year.

Here are my notes from last night’s talk at Sarasota News & Books … I also spoke extemporaneously a bit about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan … but the text below is the gist of what was discussed. Read more »

This Thursday, July 23, I’ll be speaking, reading, and taking questions (and of course, signing copies of my book Sideways in Sarasota) from the audience during a book event at Sarasota News & Books. The shindig begins at 7 pm — I, along with another Creative Loafing contributing columnist — Theresa Rose — will be introduced by Cooper Levey-Baker, editor of CL.

Even if you already have my book … feel free to come and listen to me spout off on a new topic I’m ranting about this week — never previously written about (by me) and so esoteric it just might bore your pants off. It’s also your chance to ask, live and in person, all those questions you’re burning to ask but to shy to ask over this blog (as if).

And, if showing up in person to ask a question is just too, too hard, feel free to submit a question here and I will answer your question on this blog. Just be aware, your question will appear here in a separate “answer” blog, not in the responses section of this blog post — but I won’t identify the person asking a question — not even the aka name.

I’ll take questions between now and noon on Thursday, July 23 — answers will be posted on the 24th — that is, if anyone even asks any ….