Save the date

Autumn in South Florida; there's a nip in the air, the leaves are changing color to brilliant yellows and oranges and the squirrels are stocking up on acorns.

OK, so this is Florida and I made all that up.

But fall is approaching and that can only mean one thing.

The Miami Beach Outdoor Antique Market on Lincoln Road is back.

The organizers of the event have released the 2010-2011 dates. I've posted them in the right-hand column.

The first show is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 10..

And you know what that means.

For starters, some of the best people watching in South Florida.

People watching outside the Victoria's Secret store
And lunch at some of Lincoln Road's fine restaurants like The Cafe at Books & Books; a long-time Random Pixels supporter.

Miami favs tells you what else to expect.

As for the antique show itself, more than 100 vendors offer everything from vintage one-of-a-kind clothing items to old, hard-to-find magazines and books, jewelry, bric-a-brac, tchotchkes and, of course, antiques.

So, save the date, come early, find a good parking spot...and have fun.

And don't forget to bring the dog!

Miami Herald celebrates 40 years of animal cruelty

The Miami Herald, which executive editor Anders Gyllenhaal has single-handedly destroyed in his short tenure, printed one of its most shameful puff pieces ever today, and in the process gave the Miami Seaquarium tens of thousands of dollars worth of free advertising.

"Lolita's greatest feat may be surviving at Miami Seaquarium for 40 years," read the headline on Saturday's story about the Miami Seaquarium's killer whale Lolita.

For the record, Lolita swims "in the smallest killer whale tank in North America." A tank that's "about one-tenth the size of those at SeaWorld [animal parks."]

But Herald writer Robert Samuels barely touches on that issue in his story; an issue that has angered animal rights activists for years.

Instead he quotes Seaquarium curator Robert Rose: ``This is her home. It's the only home she's known for 40 years.''

Well, that makes it alright, I guess.

Back in February, it was Rose who insisted that Lolita was "happy."

Samuels does try to balance his piece with quotes from those who say that Lolita should be released, but the overall tone of his story pushes the notion is that the animal is "happy." "

"Lolita swims still, in this same tank, never giving a clue that she'd want anything else," writes Samuels, who like curator Rose, is apparently able to read Lolita's mind.

And Samuels never mentions that the Miami Seaquarium is one of the lowest rated tourist attractions in South Florida.

To be fair, the Herald has addressed Lolita's captivity over the years.

But until someone at the Seaquarium decides that it's time to end the cruelty, Lolita will continue to be exploited. And the Miami Herald - until it gets a new editor with a spine - will continue to be the Seaquarium's most enthusiastic and willing accomplice in perpetuating that cruelty.

Saturday night with Paul Simon

Two of my faves from The Rhythm of the Saints

A Random Pixels random thought

The Marlins shouldn't have any trouble filling up that new stadium if they can make this happen every other game.

["Nyger] Morgan mixed it up with the Marlins in a bench-clearing brawl on Wednesday night that featured actual fighting — a rarity in the majors — along with enough flying punches, clotheslines and post-fight posturing to satisfy the pro wrestling crowd.

"Honestly, it looked like something straight out of Mortal Kombat."

All Sarah, all the time

Some good news this morning for those of you who get sick to your stomach at the suggestion that Sarah Palin might run for president.

New York magazine makes "The Case for Why Sarah Palin Won’t Run for President."

“I don't think she's going to run for anything,” added another adviser. “My reasoning is as follows: She hated what was happening in public office. She was getting pilloried, she was going broke, she really didn't like it — it's why she left. She hated her life. She hated it. Now she has the world by the tail. She's speaking to adoring crowds. Maybe only 20 percent of the people like her, but they adore her. I would be stunned if she does it. I would give it 90 percent probability she doesn't run. ... She's smart enough to know the chances of getting elected is very, very slim. And she will get pilloried in the process. She likes her life up there, now she has the money she needs. She has the best of both worlds.”

But for those of you who just can't get enough of Sarah, there's a great read in the October issue of Vanity Fair that delves into Palin's Jekyll/Hyde personality.

On the 2008 campaign trail, one close aide recalls, it was practically impossible to persuade Palin to take a moment to thank the kitchen workers at fund-raising dinners. During the campaign, Palin lashed out at the slightest provocation, sometimes screaming at staff members and throwing objects. Witnessing such behavior, one aide asked Todd Palin if it was typical of his wife. He answered, “You just got to let her go through it… Half the stuff that comes out of her mouth she doesn’t even mean.” When a campaign aide gingerly asked Todd whether Sarah should consider taking psychiatric medication to control her moods, Todd responded that she “just needed to run and work out more.” Her anger kept boiling over, however, and eventually the fits of rage came every day. Then, just as suddenly, her temper would be gone. Palin would apologize and promise to be nicer. Within hours, she would be screaming again. At the end of one long day, when Palin was mid-tirade, a campaign aide remembers thinking, “You were an angel all night. Now you’re a devil. Where did this come from?”

It's obvious that the overwhelming majority of Americans believe that Sarah Palin is unqualified to be president. So, why all the fascination with her?

I think this comment left on New York mag's story explains it best: "People are 'fascinated' by her in the way the people are fascinated by the homeless man [on the street] who screams out answers to the voices inside his head."

Stuff we like

Nothing much impresses the kids at the blog Gawker.

But they call this short film - which was put together by a group of German filmmakers - "the best home movie of a New York visit you'll ever see."

-via Gawker


THE BEAT OF NEW YORK from tim hahne on Vimeo.