Great Jazz, Latin on Miami’s WDNA 88.9

MIAMI - While in South Florida, do tune into WDNA, an FM jazz station that is part broadcaster, part advocate for jazz.

Founded in 1977, WDNA has a great variety of hosts, all playing their own idosyncratic playlists.

Favorite? Frank Rivera on Wednesday nights, who hosts a show called Fusion Latina. Its great because while it plays Latin music, Rivera explains it all in English. The news is from the BBC.

While you away from Miami, pine away for times in warmer climes by listening in online at www.wdna.org.

Southwest Introduces Florida Plane

Southwest has introduced an all Florida plane. See a video of the ship at Florida One. More info about the plane:

Date unveiled: April 23, 2010
Process time: 8 days
Number of People: 32 over 3 shifts
Paint colors: 16
Total gallons: Approximately 46
Premask (stencil outline): 15 boxes or approximately 150 different pieces to create the logo

See more at Southwest.com.

Florida Issues Statement on Monkey with Facebook Fans

Monkey Might Well Have Herpes

TALLAHASSEE - The elusive rhesus macaque monkey darting around the Tampa Bay area and cheered on by 60,000 Facebook fans is generating a lot of banter.  However, wildlife officials caution that this monkey is highly stressed and potentially very dangerous, and is itself in danger.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), rhesus macaques are bad-tempered, powerful monkeys that, if cornered, can injure or even kill an adult human.  Of particular concern to wildlife officials is that some area residents are not taking these warnings seriously and are tempting fate by trying to feed or catch this animal with their hands – a very risky and foolish undertaking, according to the FWC.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that roughly 80 percent of rhesus macaques carry the simian herpes-B virus.  If the animal bites, scratches or even spits on you (one of many bad habits this species exhibits), you may become infected.  If infected with this virus, there’s an 80-percent chance you will die from an untreated wound.  Even a treated wound can be fatal.

“Although this marauding monkey makes for humorous reading and anecdotes around the water cooler, people should not lose sight of what’s best for the animal and for public safety,” said Dr. David Murphy, staff veterinarian at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo.

According to the FWC, feeding wildlife is the primary factor causing wildlife to destroy property and to attack pets and humans.  Monkeys are no exception.

“Encouraging this animal to approach or remain close to humans for any reason can lead to a defensive attack if the animal feels trapped or otherwise threatened by miscued human body language,” said Capt. John West, who deals with captive wildlife issues for the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement.

Also in doubt is the monkey’s ability to continue to live on its own in a hostile, urban environment.  Rhesus macaques have a highly evolved society where the health and well-being of each individual is largely dependent on the cooperation of other troop members, especially for defense purposes.  A lone rhesus macaque stands little chance for long-term survival outside its troop.  Predation on a lone macaque by urban coyotes, bobcats or neighborhood dogs is a distinct possibility.  Other factors such as high-volume traffic, high-voltage power lines and other urban hazards add to the mix of threats to the creature.

Monkeys in any situation are difficult to capture, even for the most experienced experts, and the challenge is magnified in a highly stressful urban setting.  So far, this animal has managed to avoid capture through sheer athleticism, sharp eyesight, an apparently intuitive understanding of the dangers of crossing the street and a lot of luck.  Such luck, however, is not likely to continue indefinitely.

“We understand the need for comic relief, as well as the compassion people feel for this engaging creature.  Those things, however, are not of primary concern to our agency.  Rather, it’s how people act upon those feelings that can cause serious consequences to those in direct contact with the monkey,” said Gary Morse, spokesman for the FWC.  “This animal’s only real chance for survival is to be caught and then cared for by an accredited facility, where it can interact with other members of its own kind.”

The FWC urges those who see this monkey not to feed, try to capture or interact with it in any way. If you spot this animal, return to the safety of a building or your vehicle and immediately call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922, and leave the monkey business to the FWC.

Rolex Sports Car Series in Homestead

* Nineteen Year Old Racing Sensation Dion von Moltke Roars Into Miami For Grand Prix of Miami

HOMESTEAD – Nineteen year old racing sensation, Dion von Moltke (www.dionvm.com), is roaring into Miami for the Grand Prix of Miami, March 5-6, 2010 at the Homestead Miami Speedway.

As the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series returns to Miami, all eyes will be on Dion as he returns to Doran Racing, driving with Memo Gidley. Dion will be driving the car #77, a Ford-powered Dallara Daytona Prototype that is being sponsored by McDonalds/South African Airways/P1 Groupe. This is a homecoming in many ways for Dion as Doran Racing gave him his Daytona Prototype start, and he currently lives in Miami attending college fulltime at Florida International University (FIU). P1 Groupe also provides driver management services for Dion, from sponsorships to marketing.

Fun Real Estate in Hobe Sound

HOBE SOUND – What’s more fun than looking at a few $1 million plus houses in Hobe Sound and Jupiter, Florida? Below, a little Trulia Slideshow of the top listings in the area, which is in Martin County north of Palm Beach.

Incredible Mr. Limpet at Weeki Wachee in 1964

Here, a fascinating video of the premiere of The Incredible Mr. Limpet, a part-animated movie about Weeki Wachee. It’s mermaids galore. The world’s first underwater premiere.

An Alternate Opinion on SeaWorld Death

ORLANDO – So today, we have a trainer who died at the hands of killer whale of stage-name Shamu, whose actual name is Tilikum aka Tilly.

There’s a reason why they call the breed a killer whale. Its because, well, they’ve got a bit of a streak in ‘em. They get that streak from being in the ocean, where they kind of rule the joint.

Apparently, Tilly was “was thrashing her around pretty good” and killed the trainer just before the start of a small-group public performance, the Orlando Sentinel newspaper said.

The Sentinel reported that SeaWorld President Dan Brown made a statement on the issue, saying that he had “initiated an investigation to determine, to the extent possible, what occurred.”

There will, of course, be an investigation. But looking back at the last time we were at the show, it was quite far from the quiet, respectful shows of old. The music was loud, deafening, almost angry. It was very tribal, with heavy bass. Creepy, in fact.

Believe, they said! They give the kid a necklace. Loud music. Screams. Bring the animal out! So loud music, a small, contained area, a large killer whale and age, and you have the recipe for a mess.

Frankly, we didn’t like it. And we can see while Tilly, who is getting old and crotchety, would not like it either. Sad to say that the trainer died.

Animals get bored. The animals get old. And these whales are wild. But the Shamu show, we think, had to play a part in it.

Love for some other thoughts on the issue.

Remembering Ocala’s Six Gun Territory

OCALA – One of the great pre-Disney attractions of Florida was Six Gun Territory in Ocala. It was a true western town, with regular shootouts, one of which was shown here. There was also a saloon, fair and Mexican cantina. It closed in the 1980s.

Great Video of Moonport Mercury

A great video of early Mercury launches.

Time For When You Need It Bad

Time to get the old commercial out. “When you’ve got it bad, we’ve got it good” was the slogan. It was run when the weather got cold in the Northeast and Midwest, and it did wonders.

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