A Florida Man...

[Leo Lyons]

What a freaking idiot. He want to drop the Mockingbird in exchange for a cartoon character bird.

Probably my bad, but I'm not seeing what bird Jeff Brandes, state senator, would prefer to the mockingbird.
Personally, I think that the mangrove cuckoo better captures the spirit of Florida Man.

As the spirit of Texas would be best captured by 'ol Beaky

[billy.pilgrim]

https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2021/1 ... rd-column/

What a freaking idiot. He want to drop the Mockingbird in exchange for a cartoon character bird.

Probably my bad, but I'm not seeing what bird Jeff Brandes, state senator, would prefer to the mockingbird.

Personally, I think that the mangrove cuckoo better captures the spirit of Florida Man.

Flamingo, you know, sorta like the plastic ones, but they can fly and change to white.

[Vrede too]

https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2021/1 ... rd-column/

What a freaking idiot. He want to drop the Mockingbird in exchange for a cartoon character bird.

Probably my bad, but I'm not seeing what bird Jeff Brandes, state senator, would prefer to the mockingbird.

Personally, I think that the mangrove cuckoo better captures the spirit of Florida Man.

Flamingo, you know, sorta like the plastic ones, but they can fly and change to white.

Ah.

... In defense of his proposal, Brandes mocks the mockingbird as being — unlike the flamingo, perhaps — not Florida-ish enough. In tweets, he argued that “the mockingbird is also the state bird of 4 other states,” and that, to achieve its status, “The mockingbird had a very good lobbyist.” ...

That "perhaps" makes it a pretty vague reference.

[O Really]

Flamingos aren't generally found all over Florida - just down south. But If they wanted to make the plastic one the state bird, I'd find that highly appropriate.

[neoplacebo]

I think they should have gone with Foghorn Leghorn. "Boy, I say boy, look at me when I'm talking nonsense to ya." Probably had copyright issues.

[O Really]

https://tampanewsforce.com/state-bird-c ... le-finger/

[billy.pilgrim]

Flamingos aren't generally found all over Florida - just down south. But If they wanted to make the plastic one the state bird, I'd find that highly appropriate.

True

In the mockingbird's favor is the legendary one who lived in the neighborhood of 2 of my rental houses. The rentals are near a large hospital. The sirens get him going with some pretty authentic ambulance sounds.

[Ulysses]

Flamingos aren't generally found all over Florida - just down south. But If they wanted to make the plastic one the state bird, I'd find that highly appropriate.

True

In the mockingbird's favor is the legendary one who lived in the neighborhood of 2 of my rental houses. The rentals are near a large hospital. The sirens get him going with some pretty authentic ambulance sounds.

Mockingbirds are not exclusive to Florida, which may be an argument against their selection as state bird. I see them in my East Bay neighborhood a lot, usually in the summer. They might be migratory, I don't know. They tend to be kind of antsy and raucous, which is OK with me because, well, bird. Haven't seen any for a month or so, hence the migratory suspicion. I can always spot them by the white patches under their wings. Very distinctive.

https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/file ... -p0102.pdf

That said, I couldn't tell you what the California state bird is. Wait, Google. Oh yeah, it's the "California Quail". Zzzz. Too bad it's not the Roadrunner. That would be more in line with this state's automotive obsession. And we do have a lot of them:



http://www.prbo.org/calpif/htmldocs/spe ... unner.html

[O Really]

I really don't know why it's necessary to have so many "Official State <whatever>". California has way too many, thought maybe not more than most other places. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_C ... te_symbols
It's particularly sad when the official animal exists in California only as an image on the flag.

And on that long list is not even the official state barbeque, which should be Santa Maria Tri-tip.

[Ulysses]

I really don't know why it's necessary to have so many "Official State <whatever>". California has way too many, thought maybe not more than most other places. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_C ... te_symbols
It's particularly sad when the official animal exists in California only as an image on the flag.

And on that long list is not even the official state barbeque, which should be Santa Maria Tri-tip.

Well, I suppose it could be argued that the Santa Maria Tri-tip BBQ was once part of an animal, presumably a beef cow. Never heard of it myself. I much prefer rib steak, which has become unaffordable for the past few months (IMHO). So I've been downgrading to T-bone, and now NY Steak, which is the tougher side of a T-bone. Eff.

However I will agree that the whole "official state whatever" is a bunch of BS. So I'm wondering if any state has declared an official state Bull Shit. For Florida, it would be a tie between DeSantis and Trump.

[billy.pilgrim]

Flamingos aren't generally found all over Florida - just down south. But If they wanted to make the plastic one the state bird, I'd find that highly appropriate.

True

In the mockingbird's favor is the legendary one who lived in the neighborhood of 2 of my rental houses. The rentals are near a large hospital. The sirens get him going with some pretty authentic ambulance sounds.

Mockingbirds are not exclusive to Florida, which may be an argument against their selection as state bird. I see them in my East Bay neighborhood a lot, usually in the summer. They might be migratory, I don't know. They tend to be kind of antsy and raucous, which is OK with me because, well, bird. Haven't seen any for a month or so, hence the migratory suspicion. I can always spot them by the white patches under their wings. Very distinctive.

https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/file ... -p0102.pdf

That said, I couldn't tell you what the California state bird is. Wait, Google. Oh yeah, it's the "California Quail". Zzzz. Too bad it's not the Roadrunner. That would be more in line with this state's automotive obsession. And we do have a lot of them:



http://www.prbo.org/calpif/htmldocs/spe ... unner.html

How many state birds live in more than one state?

[Vrede too]

I really don't know why it's necessary to have so many "Official State <whatever>". California has way too many, thought maybe not more than most other places. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_C ... te_symbols
It's particularly sad when the official animal exists in California only as an image on the flag....

... However I will agree that the whole "official state whatever" is a bunch of BS....

I believe that most are proposed and lobbied for by school kids. It's bad politics to reject children.

[O Really]

How many state birds live in more than one state?

Probably a lot, when you consider also migration. But a lot of birds have fairly limited area, and the collection of East Coast birds is different from West. F'rinstance, we don't have Cardinals, and I miss them. But Florida could adopt the Limpkin, which is found in no other state and only in South Florida.

[Ulysses]

How many state birds live in more than one state?

Probably a lot, when you consider also migration. But a lot of birds have fairly limited area, and the collection of East Coast birds is different from West. F'rinstance, we don't have Cardinals, and I miss them. But Florida could adopt the Limpkin, which is found in no other state and only in South Florida.

If I'm not mistaken, the state bird of Connecticut is the cardinal. I remember that because that is where I was born. It was sort of an idyllic childhood until it wasn't. Then to California, where everything was quite different. But I got used to it.

[Vrede too]

How many state birds live in more than one state?

Probably a lot, when you consider also migration. But a lot of birds have fairly limited area, and the collection of East Coast birds is different from West. F'rinstance, we don't have Cardinals, and I miss them. But Florida could adopt the Limpkin, which is found in no other state and only in South Florida.

... Personally, I think that the mangrove cuckoo better captures the spirit of Florida Man.

Range map of Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus minor)

[billy.pilgrim]

How about Snowbirds
Florida man would be greatly diminished without the snowbirds who miss their return migration.

[GoCubsGo]

How about Snowbirds
Florida man would be greatly diminished without the snowbirds who miss their return migration.

It's an ugly species.

[Vrede too]

Can we order ones with the COVID deceased names too?

Florida is reaching a whole new level of stupid under DeSantis.

Article and more tweets mocking DeSantis' balls.

[Vrede too]

Hot under the collar? Police say man used (generally legal ) flamethrower to settle parking dispute


A representative from X Products LLC of Vancouver, Washington, demonstrates use of its XM42 Lite Flamethrower, which shoots flames up to 20 feet and sells for about $900 online, in a screen capture from a Nov. 18, 2020, promotional video.

I'm appalled . . . and I want one.

[Vrede too]

It's an ugly species.

Speaking of an ugly species:

Profane political displays in Cocoa Beach (Christmas) Boat Parade draw complaints, future changes

Guess who the assholes are.

Spoiler:

A handful of watercraft displayed vulgar messages criticizing President Joe Biden ...

I know, it's an easy challenge.