I wouldn't exactly say it inspires civic pride, but perhaps PETA has given Tampa another reason to be proud.
Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson adorns a billboard on Hillsborough Avenue just east of Interstate 275. The message? Boycott Kentucky Fried Chicken (I refuse to call them KFC on first reference because it's not kitchen fresh, it is fried).
Anyway, Anderson is leading PETA's (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) protest of how KFC treats chickens. The association thinks the company could be a little nicer before slicing and dicing fryers and loading the pieces in red and white buckets.
Just the thought of that bucket makes me want to tailgate.
But I digress. PETA has serious problems with reports of at least one KFC supplier kicking, throwing and stomping live birds. It also complains that suppliers have seared off their sensitive beaks with hot blades and crammed the birds into tiny cages with the decomposing remains of their feathered friends.
"If KFC executives treated cats or dogs the way they treat chickens, they could go to prison on felony cruelty-to-animals charges," Anderson said in a recent release.
Oh wait, this just in. The Chick-fil-A cows have no problems with KFC's treatment of "chikins."
KFC, which does not own or operate any poultry farms or processing plants, says its suppliers have assured them they are adhering to its animal welfare program. The chain's Web site also states that, "we buy our quality chicken from the same trusted brands that you buy in your supermarket, like Perdue, Tyson and Pilgrim's Pride."
The truth probably lies somewhere in between, but for once, PETA's demands are not outlandish. Sure, they would like people to stop eating chicken, but for now the group's only asking for better treatment and more humane methods of ending the chicken's life.
Sounds reasonable, and healthier.
What's most impressive to me, an antivegetarian, is that Tampa made the list of cities that got a billboard. It's just one more sign that we've arrived as a major metropolis. We're on the PETA map.
Now all we need to do is slap an "I Am Tampa" banner across Anderson.
I was more than thrilled to read about plans for a downtown highrise featuring affordable condominiums. Well, I use the word affordable lightly because I'm not sure if a condo starting at $170,000 is really affordable.
Still, the price tag should be in the ballpark of some first-time home buyers, and it's considerably less than some of the condo projects say, in the Channel District, which are going as high as $1-million plus.
The vision of a vibrant downtown will be a step closer to reality if the Atlanta developer follows through with the plans and builds 400 condos on the southeast corner of Ashley and Polk streets.
I get excited thinking about people listening to the music of the traffic in the city, and lingering on the sidewalks where the neon signs are pretty. (See Clark, Petula).
Maybe we'll be able to forget all our cares and go downtown after 5 p.m. And if I win the lottery - twice - I'm going to play a role in making it happen.
Yes, I'm going to take my new-found wealth and build an upscale dorm/apartment for University of Tampa students and young professionals. In my idyllic vision, there would be plenty of parking (don't ask me how), a spacious courtyard for beach volleyball and a Starbucks and Subway on the first floor.
The old Floridan Hotel is crying out for just such a project, and bringing students and young singles will truly make downtown uptown.
