Words by Shelton Hull   The only April showers we’re bringing here this month are showers of nonsense, starting with our fellow Floridians, who really need to tighten up their game. According to a study by Innerbody Research, out of the 100 U.S. cities with the highest STD rates, seven of them are in the Sunshine State, including three of the top 25. Among them, Jacksonville ranked No. 16, followed by Miami at  No. 17 and Fort Lauderdale at No. 19. Orlando (No. 53), Tampa (No. 59), West Palm Beach (No. 83) and Daytona (No. 87) also made the list. …

Words by Shelton Hull    The array of options available for vegan diners has grown almost as vast as the variety of vegan foods available in stores. This includes an increased number of actual vegan restaurants but also, even more importantly, more choices at places that aren’t typically vegan-friendly at all. The restaurant industry is moving quickly to accommodate this heightened demand to the point where it’s now almost impossible to find at least a couple of vegan items on practically every menu in this city or any other.   The Vegan Chef Challenge (VCC) has taken place in 14 …

JaxUSL kicks local soccer into gear Words by Shelton Hull   The men’s World Cup ended back in December, and the women’s tournament begins this July. Both events get plenty of airplay here in Northeast Florida, whose soccer scene has been steadily percolating since the 1970s. Whether you’re a hardcore fan, a casual fan or not even a fan at all, soccer has become almost unavoidable on social media and in public parks around the region. That trend is sure to only increase with the recent launch of the Jax USL soccer club, a new local startup aiming to score …

Words by Shelton Hull   Much of the explosive growth that initially characterized the country’s cannabis market has certainly cooled off a bit, but that’s inevitable in any industry. Better a slow, consistent burn than a white-hot, inconsistent flame. Still, though, the industry continues to grow, here and elsewhere, and a big factor in that growth has been the involvement of celebrities. As we’ve seen with the liquor industry, celebrities have been enthusiastic about lending their names and images to the product in exchange for a steady, reliable source of pocket money, and who can blame them? Likewise, in a …

April Fools’ Day is right around the corner, but foolishness of all kinds is already well underway, and here are just a few recent examples. We’ll start in Florida, where fights get started over food on a daily basis. These fights are usually stupid and unnecessary but not in this case. A man in Fort Myers attacked his roommate after he ate an entire Key lime pie that the man had specifically bought for his mother’s birthday, as he should. The roommate responded by dumping cold water on his head for which he was booked for battery on a person …

Words by Shelton Hull   Valentine’s Day is either right before or right after you read this, so it seems a good time to look briefly at how cannabis can enhance the reader’s romantic life. As always, our (possibly deliberate) failure to get the plant fully legalized here puts some limits on the options available, but online readers in more advanced states can take advantage of the full spectrum.  Gentle reader, be forewarned that we’ll be talking about sex here today. It’s a natural thing, practiced by all animal species around the world throughout history, including the most dangerous animal …

Words by Shelton Hull    Well, we’re now settled into 2023 quite proper, and any hopes that this year will herald a return to relative normalcy have been dashed faster than a Tourette’s patient using Morse code.  MGA Entertainment, best known for making Bratz dolls, is now facing legal action over its new Poopsie Slime Surprise, little unicorn dolls that poop, which isn’t a problem itself. The issue is their theme song, “My Poops,” is a transparent ripoff of “My Humps” which was a big hit for Black Eyed Peas in 2005. The suit also claims that the leader of …

Folio Weed Words by Shelton Hull   Last year was an election year, so you may have seen people collecting petitions for all types of causes here and there. We still have local elections in March, but all the statewide and national action is over until 2024, which promises a Superelection that promises plenty of violence and results that are unlikely to satisfy anyone but the extremists on either side of the aisle. Until then, the only petitions being collected are to fully legalize cannabis in Florida.    We’ve been around this block before, like stray dogs with OCD, constantly …

Weird Wild Stuff Words by Shelton Hull   The new year has begun and with it a feeling of freshness and new possibility … most of which will dissipate like morning fog before the end of the month. But until then, we can revel in the hope that 2023 is at least slightly less tragic than 2022. The news doesn’t stop, and neither do we, so here are a few choice nubbins that have come in since last month. Enjoy!    In Britain, a regulatory body body called Ofcom (which has nothing to do with “The Handmaid’s Tale”) recently cited …

Unforced Error Diana Greene jumps the shark Words by Shelton Hull Quick history lesson: Jacksonville’s first Black mayor was Alvin Brown, whose political career was all but ruined with a single critical mistake: the role he played, behind the scenes, in helping to block passage of the city’s initial attempt to pass a Human Rights Ordinance designed to extend traditional anti-discrimination protections in housing, employment, etc. to the LGBTQIA+ community. It was a rare case of almost unanimous consent within the local power structure, something that usually only happens in matters related to football, turtles and, occasionally, public works.  The …