If You Don't Like Players Kneeling, Read Before Burning

I'm not going to weigh in on the debate as to whether players for the Jaguars should kneel, stand awkwardly with arms locked, or stay in the locker room during the National Anthem.

Jacksonville Needs a Menards

I am from Wisconsin, home of the most coupon-using folks in the country. It's no wonder Kohl's is based in that state. Deals, rewards, "cash" and never a full-price item in the store. Menard's is the home improvement version of Kohl's, and we need one here in Jacksonville.

David Boynton Parkway - Monument Road

Driving along Monument Road in Jacksonville, I had seen the sign a few times. I finally decided to look him up, thinking maybe Pappy Boynton was the same as David Boynton. Apparently, George "Pappy" Boyington, one of my childhood heroes from watching reruns of Black Sheep Squadron, is not the namesake for the portion of Monument north of McCormick.

The parkway is also not named after the semi-famous Hawaiian who was
"a leading expert on the natural history of the Hawaiian island of Kauai" (Wikipedia).

Merrill McCormick Wonderwood What? One Road, Many Names

For about twelve miles from the St. Johns River to the Atlantic Ocean, a continuous road in Jacksonville changes names about as often is possible. In fact, I'll go ahead and wager it's the most changed street name in the country over a dozen miles. (As a side note, I'm wondering why St. Johns does not have an apostrophe, as it's not like there are multiple St. Johns. Or that Johns was John's name.) Anyhow, to the many-named road.

Helping Hands on Kernan And Why Some People Stop

I have always stopped for others in distress. I have yet to get mugged. On the other hand, I have yet to get paid in a Rolex like one guy I know. But I don't stop to help people in the hopes that they've got cash for me. I stop because I'd hope one of them will someday stop for my wife or kids when they are in need. So far, I've gotten to see some of the ups and downs of Jacksonville when it comes to stopping to help others.

Reality Theft: The Perception of Burglaries in Jacksonville

I get weekly offers from ADT, SafeTouch, Xfinity, and more, for security system installation and monitoring. My house came equipped with an alarm. I see SafeTouch ads every day when I watch my two hours of TV. I've even had the ADT guys show up at my house and ask if it was the cost or the fact that I'm not interested in protecting my family that kept me from buying their product. I told him I wasn't interested in protecting my family. But, in reality, I am interested in it. I'm not interested in scare tactics and negative perceptions dictating how I live, so are we safe here in Jacksonville? I used FBI crime statistics to see, and it's not really as bleak as those security salesmen might lead you to believe.

Jacksonville's Not Part of the Panhandle

This wasn't an obvious answer this morning as we discussed it. Technically, Florida does not look like a pan, so calling one part a panhandle is a little difficult to imagine. If we imagine Florida as a vacuum cleaner, does the handle stay the same? Or, if it's a fishing net, would the handle be the entire frame (all the way across)?

If There Aren't Any Panthers in North Carolina or Jaguars in North Florida, Then Why?

I get the Dolphins, Rays, Buccaneers, Marlins, Hurricanes, and even Seminoles (I thought they were all in Oklahoma, but there are still some in Florida). There's Heat, daily Lightning, and Magic at the theme parks. And Panthers. All of it's here, but not Jaguars. Conversely, North Carolina has no actual Panthers.

I'm Not Blaming Armada For This...

I don't know enough about the situation to blame anyone, so this is not an article complaining about Jacksonville Armada, only it kind of is. Here's the deal, or lack of deal: my kid plays soccer on a co-ed grade 5-8 team that plays against other such teams. These are private schools, most of which without their own fields. We're not ritzy schools with big-time donors, so we use public parks. However, the arrangement we had for the use of Ed Austin Park has dissolved under Armada rule.

Jacksonville's GIS Map Needs This Feature

My house did not flood during Hurricane Irma. We were in Evacuation Zone 1, and we got out of the area. However, that's not enough for me. I want to know if my housing investment is safe, and the best way to do it is to have more information about the flooding that did occur, possibly as an added layer on Jacksonville's fairly nice GIS mapping system.

More Evidence You Don't Want a Gas Station in Your Hood

I tried to write to developers and the city about a gas station at Kernan and McCormick in Jacksonville. Nobody responded, including my representatives in the city council, the developer who owns the property, and the builder who owns the adjacent property. I posted my letters and concerns on my other websites. Here's one of the articles.

A Newbie Experiences a Hurricane: Irma 2017

I remember when we were looking for possible locations to live, I had a list of worst-case scenarios. One was lack of water, having grown up in the Midwest right next to Lake Michigan. Florida has plenty of water, so no problem there. Lots and lots of water, in fact. I also didn't want earthquakes. That's not a problem. Hurricanes were on the list, too, but everyone kept saying Jacksonville almost always missed the big storm. The 100-year stats seemed to back that up.

Historical Flood Risk and Costs

I am sure 2017 will put Florida and Jacksonville back on top when it comes to flood risk and cost, but I thought it was interesting to see the historical data. Here's the top 30 as of 2016 with the total number of claims closed with FEMA payment and the total amount.

What's an Internet Cafe, By The Way?

I know nobody wants them in their neighborhood. I know there's possibly been some abuse of the law when it comes to them, including some significant charges against a local lawyer. But I just don't get what an internet cafe is in the first place. Or why anyone would want to go there. Then again, I don't get gambling in general, so a non-gambling version of gambling makes even less sense. These places are also called LAN cafes, gaming cafes, or cyber cafe.

Superheroes From Florida

I was reading about Moxie Girl, a superhero from right here in Jacksonville, who gets her powers from her afro-puff hair style, and it got me to thinking. First, I have really thick hair, and I wondered what it would look like if I let it keep growing. I'd probably have the power to mop up oil spills with it. Next, I wondered about the local superheroes.

Giant Pickup Trucks in Jacksonville

You've seen them. You might even own one. Giant pickup trucks. They are all over the place in Jacksonville, and I kind of wonder what the appeal might be. Actually, I saw one today and realized the appeal, since the guy who owned it was kind of a little fella, but the babe in the passenger seat was a real looker. I guess that's the point: if women in Jacksonville go for giant pickup trucks, then that's why there are so many around.

JAX Churches and Schools, Your Websites Need Help

I'm new to Jacksonville, but I can tell that it suffers from some of the same problems with website design that I've seen in the Midwest. Basically, you've got some really good and exorbitantly expensive websites for some churches and schools. Then you have the rest.

Ga-ga Ball is Sweeping Over Jacksonville

I have no evidence that Ga-ga (or Ga-ga Ball as my kids call it) is actually being played by thousands of kids in Jacksonville. I do know my kids play it at their school, so I decided to find out why. After researching the game, I can honestly say I still don't have a clue why it's the game of choice.