Death Row Frog

Toady Montana awaits execution

Say Hello to my Little Friend - Toady Montana

Meet Toady Montana.

Toady is part of the new Cuban crime-wave here in Florida and don't let his name fool you.  Toady is ALL FROG.  In fact he's a Cuban Tree Frog, AKA Osteopilus Septentrionalis and his gang is so fearsome, they have a contract on their heads.

Even the Greenie-Tree-Huggers say: "He's gotta go!"

The University of Florida has a hit out on Toady and his pals, with detailed instructions available on their website for a gruesome Benzocaine/Freezer recommended 'whacking'....http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw259

Toady's fate remains unclear.  Seen here in a Dunedin fire pit after his capture, he doesn't seem so fearsome.  In fact, Cuban tree frogs are commonly available in the pet trade elsewhere in the United States. but he skin of Cuban tree frogs secretes a toxic mucus that can burn the eyes and trigger an allergic (or asthmatic) reaction.

Here in Florida, many people have reported that after they first noticed a Cuban tree frog in their yard, they noticed the gradual disappearance of the other frogs, toads and even lizards. That's because Cuban tree frogs are voracious eaters -- and unfortunately they eat Florida's native frogs, toads, and lizards, in addition to insects and spiders.

That is why the kill-on-sight order was issued by 'The Commission'.

Toady keeps insisting that he is a political refuge and that there is Nothing we can do to him that Castro hasn't already done.  Upon apprehension, Toady croaked: "You want to play rough, OK!"

What should we do with Toady??

Honeymoon Island Suicide

According to local witnesses, the body found this morning on the Honeymoon Island Causeway was in fact a suicide.  Horribly, this person hung themselves from the south side span of the second bridge leading to the state park.  An early morning fisherman discovered the body and contacted authorities.

Traffic was blocked for a time in the west bound lane leaving the island.  The The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is investigating.  The park is open today.

A very sad start to the holiday weekend :-(

http://dunedin.patch.com/articles/body-found-along-dunedin-causeway

Out of Gas, Out of Luck!

Driver tries to outrun deputy, runs out of Gas
On Monday, Brian Joseph Condon, 36, of Clearwater Beach was driving 90 mph in a 55 mph zone on U.S. 19, clocked by a Pinellas County sheriff's deputy, according to reports. But when a deputy tried to pull him over, he tried to elude the officer by driving behind several businesses, the report states. One business he neglected to visit was a gas station: Condon was caught when his car ran out of gas. He was charged with felony fleeing and eluding and driving under the influence after he failed field sobriety tests, according to the Sheriff's Office. He was taken to the Pinellas County Jail, where he was held Monday in lieu of $5,500 bail.

[Last modified: Aug 28, 2012 05:47 PM]

Copyright 2012 Tampa Bay Times

Dunedin Study: Dope makes you Dumb!

Young Stoners Run Risk of Lower IQ

Individuals repeatedly diagnosed with cannabis dependence during young adulthood had noticeable declines in IQ scores by age 38, especially when the heavy use started in their teens, researchers said.

A small to medium decline in mean IQ between tests taken on the eve of adolescence and again at age 38 was seen in those diagnosed at least three times with cannabis dependence, according to Madeline Meier, PhD, of Duke University, and colleagues, who reported on data from 1,037 participants in a New Zealand birth cohort.

In the small group of participants who became cannabis dependent before age 18 -- a total of 23 cohort members -- the decline translated to an average of about 8 IQ points, whereas 14 participants who also showed heavy cannabis use but only beginning in adulthood showed only a very small drop in full-scale scores (P=0.02), Meier and colleagues indicated online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers also reported that the size of the mean decline increased with the number of cannabis dependence diagnoses that participants had received in five evaluations conducted from ages 18 to 38 (P<0.0001 for trend).

"Collectively, [the study's] findings are consistent with speculation that cannabis use in adolescence, when the brain is undergoing critical development, may have neurotoxic effects," Meier and colleagues wrote.

Study participants were members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. It attempted to track all children born in Dunedin, New Zealand, from April 1972 to March 1973 starting at age 3. At age 38, the investigators had data on IQ testing and cannabis dependence diagnoses on 874 cohort members.

Besides assessing cannabis use, the five structured interviews in adulthood also elicited information on use of other illicit drugs and alcohol. IQ tests were conducted initially at ages 7 to 13 and again at age 38.

Among participants included in the current analysis, 242 never reported cannabis use in the structured interviews nor were they ever diagnosed with dependence; 479 indicated some use but never received a diagnosis; and 80, 35, and 38 had received one, two, or three or more dependence diagnoses in the adult evaluations.

Baseline mean IQ scores were similar and close to the standardized population average of 100 in these cannabis-use subgroups. However, at age 38, the mean scores had diverged considerably. The change from baseline was as follows (P values not reported):

• Never used, never diagnosed: +0.80
• Used, never diagnosed: -1.07
• One diagnosis: -1.62
• Two diagnoses: -2.47
• Three or more diagnoses: -5.75

Meier and colleagues reported other changes over time in "standard deviation units," in which changes of 0.20, 0.50, and 0.80 should be considered small, medium, or large, respectively.

For participants with three or more diagnoses, the change was -0.38 units.
The researchers also stratified participants into two groups according to whether, at a given interview, they reported using cannabis at least once a week on average ("regular user").

Individuals classed as regular users at least three times in the study also showed the largest declines in IQ between tests (mean -5.23 IQ points, -0.35 standard deviation units, P value not reported), whereas little change was seen in those never reporting regular use.

Similar patterns were seen in IQ subdomain scores.

These small to medium declines were also seen in this participant group in tests of memory, processing speed, and executive function.

Meier and colleagues sought to rule out potential confounding factors, taking educational attainment and use of alcohol and other drugs into account.

When they restricted their analysis to 278 participants who did not get beyond high school, again those with three or more dependence diagnoses showed medium-level declines in IQ (mean -0.48 standard deviation units) whereas those in the never-used, never-diagnosed category had essentially no change (mean -0.03 units, P=0.0009 for trend).

The pattern also held up when the researchers excluded participants with persistent dependence on tobacco, alcohol, and "hard" drugs, and also those with diagnoses of schizophrenia.

However, the strongest relationships between persistent dependence and IQ decline applied to those who began heavy use in adolescence. Meier and colleagues suggested that, actually, the relationship between dependence and IQ decline may be entirely driven by this group.

The 23 participants with adolescent-onset dependence and at least three diagnoses overall showed a mean decline of about 0.53 standard deviation units, compared with a drop of about 0.13 among those with three diagnoses that all came during adulthood (P=0.02).

Nonsignificant trends toward greater declines in IQ were also seen in those teen-onset dependence but fewer total diagnoses of dependence.

"In fact, adult-onset cannabis users did not appear to experience IQ decline as a function of persistent cannabis use," Meier and colleagues wrote.

 They cautioned that their data did not prove that heavy cannabis use actually caused the decline.

"There may be some unknown 'third' variable that could account for the findings. The data also cannot reveal the mechanism underlying the association between persistent cannabis dependence and neuropsychological decline," they wrote.

They also acknowledged that their data relied on self-report of cannabis use, without confirmation from blood or urine testing.

But these caveats did not stop them from speculating on causal mechanisms and the implications of a causal relationship.

Meier and colleagues noted that animal studies as well as theories of neural development during adolescence support a neurotoxic effect of cannabis in the young adult brain.

Moreover, they argued, their findings should inform public health programs.

"Prevention and policy efforts should focus on delivering to the public the message that cannabis use during adolescence can have harmful effects on neuropsychological functioning, delaying the onset of cannabis use at least until adulthood, and encouraging cessation of cannabis use particularly for those who began using cannabis in adolescence," they wrote.

Duke University, in a press release, was even less circumspect in a press release headlined, "Adolescent pot use leaves lasting mental deficits."

Its first sentence claimed that "the persistent, dependent use of marijuana before age 18 has been shown to cause lasting harm to a person's intelligence, attention and memory" in the study.

The Dunedin cohort study was funded by the New Zealand Health Research Council. The current analysis was supported by the U.K. Medical Research Council, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the Jacobs Foundation.
No potential conflicts of interest were reported.

Dunedin's Beltrees Street - What Happened?

Is this part of the town's new re-branding?

Just in time for Spring Training?

This poorly spelled graffiti is not the only problem.  It's a symptom of a much larger issue.

Take a look at Beltrees St. and the connecting streets lately.  While there are still many proud and responsible home owners and renters.......   Well, you look!

Picture it in 5 years!

 

I never thought I would see this type of 'Urban Blight' in 34698!

Rand Paul Detained by TSA at Nashville Airport (Refused Pat Down)

Rand Paul Detained by TSA in Nashville

Ron Paul is reporting that his son, Rand Paul is being detained by the TSA at the Nashville Airport


#RonPaul -My son Rand is currently being detained by the TSA at the Nashville Airport. I'll share more details as the situation unfolds.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) was detained Monday by the Transportation Security Administration in Nashville, Tenn. after refusing a full body pat-down.  “I spoke with him five minutes ago and he was being detained indefinitely,” Paul spokesperson Moira Bagley said Monday morning. “The image scan went off, he refused patdown.”  Paul’s father, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) tweeted out news of the incident, saying that there had been an “anomaly” with a body scanner.

“My son @SenRandPaul being detained by TSA for refusing full body pat-down after anomaly in body scanner in Nashville. More details coming,” wrote the authenticated Twitter account of presidential candidate Ron Paul.  Paul was travelling when he was detained.

The incident was first reported by Bagley on Twitter.

“Just got a call from @senrandpaul. He’s currently being detained by TSA in Nashville,”

How Long Can Locked-Up a Bike Last in NYC? Time-Lapse Video

Fantastic time-lapse video!

Re-Post from TheBlaze.Com 

Bike locks can only do so much.

A branding firm called Red Peak has released the result of an interesting urban experiment they carried out with Hudson Urban Bicycles:

“Get a bike. Lock it to a post. Take a pic every day for a year.”

The firm chained a fully loaded bike with bells, basket, and lights to a post along a busy Soho street on January 1, 2011. They then took a picture of the bike everyday for 365 days, watching it slowly disappear.

Check out the project they call “LIFECYCLE:: 365 days in the life of a bike in NYC.”

Wonder Hostess Bakery Thrift Shop: Clearwater

After Hostess announced this week that they were seeking bankruptcy protection and attempting another restructuring, the press was overflowing with dire predictions regarding the fate of the beloved (or infamous) Twinkie.  

Hostess Brands represents much more than Twinkies however!

The loss of Hostess would mean the loss of dozens of iconic American brands and products.  Founded in 1930, they are the owner of Hostess, Wonder Bread, Nature's Pride, Dolly Madison, Butternut Breads, and Drake's brands - including of course the famous Ring Dings, Devil Dogs and Seinfeld's favorite, the Drake's Coffee Cake.

We are lucky enough to have a local Wonder / Hostess Bakery Thrift Shop and who doesn't like close-out coffee cakes?  Actually, they offer most of the Hostess and Wonder products at severely discounted prices.  Bread is available in half a dozen varieties for under $1 per loaf.


If you would like to support Hostess and would like to save some money in the process, then stop by the Wonder Hostess Bakery Thrift Shop at:

301 South Belcher Road

Clearwater, FL 33765

727) 799-3416

Sarasota Homeless Man Decapitates Friend over Spilled Food

A homeless man is accused of decapitating a companion in a fit of rage over a knocked-over grill, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said.

Ricky L. Leer, 48, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder Tuesday in the death of another homeless man whom authorities have not identified.

Deputies said a 911 call came in at 1:32 a.m. Tuesday from a man who said he saw Leer kill someone by "chopping off his head." Deputies met with the caller, who led them to an area in the woods near the 3100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way, where a body was located.

Deputies said they canvassed the area and located Leer near the campsite drinking rum and leaning against a tree. He was taken into custody.

The 911 caller gave a sworn statement saying he and the other two men were cooking steaks and drinking rum when Leer and the victim began arguing and the victim accidentally knocked over a grill, deputies said. The witness said Leer knocked the victim down, grabbed a machete-like knife and began to chop at his head.

The witness identified Leer as the suspect with an accurate description of his clothing and physical attributes, deputies said.

Deputies said Leer exercised his right to have an attorney present for questioning.

Raheem Morris Fired! Tampa Bay Bucs Manager AND Staff Sacked

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired coach Raheem Morris on Monday, the team announced.

Dropping their season finale 45-24 to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, the Bucs closed the year with 10 straight losses -- the franchise's worst in-season stretch since the 1977 team lost its first 12 games."We want to thank Coach Morris for all his hard work and dedication as head coach of the Buccaneers," Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer said in a statement.

As the NFL's second-youngest team, the Bucs (4-12) might have not handled last year's NFL lockout as well as an experienced club, but Tampa Bay still managed a 4-2 start that included an emotional 16-13 win over Atlanta. That Week 3 victory ended a five-game series losing streak that gave quarterback Josh Freeman his first win over the Falcons.

While Freeman completed a career-high 62.8 percent of his passes this year, he threw 22 interceptions just a year after throwing just six.

When Tampa Bay struggled badly in Morris' first season of 2009, the Bucs still had a reputation for playing hard despite their 1-12 start.

But they won 16 of their next 25 and seemed ready to challenge New Orleans and Atlanta for supremacy in the NFC South.

Everything began to unravel, however, after they beat the Saints 26-20 on Oct. 16. They lost their next 10 -- the franchise's worst stretch since the 2008-09 teams combined to drop 11 straight.

Sunday marked the seventh loss this season by 16 or more points.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7413905/tampa-bay-buccaneers-fire-coach-raheem-morris-10-game-losing-skid