tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17658948348540477852012-01-26T17:50:05.248-05:00A blog for the civically engaged.Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.comBlogger2441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-37893020597619675622012-01-08T00:01:00.003-05:002012-01-08T00:12:41.559-05:00

Last year I compiled the list of books I sent to my incarcerated younger brother.  I liked Pelzer's healing attitude and his inspiring ability to move forward. Having not spent a lot of time with him as an adult (he went in at 21 while I was living on the West Coast), it's great watching his literary tastes develop.  All Ned Vizzini's books should be required reading for young men who've

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-68906577396509971352012-01-07T21:06:00.001-05:002012-01-07T21:06:56.443-05:00

Sally Nichols (née Cook) & husband have owned Cook's Kitchen in South Tampa for the past 18 months.  Originally from the UK, Sally previously cooked for Prince Andrew and Fergie.   I won't make any Weight Watchers jokes, other than mentioning I ate half my weight in brie and cream and sticky toffee pudding.  The sun never sets on sticky toffee pudding. It's nice to enjoy the best

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-57670010474951675232011-12-27T17:00:00.001-05:002011-12-27T17:00:02.325-05:00

There's plenty of Florida I haven't yet seen, like Mote Marine Lab & Aquarium.  Fish make me happy. Watching them, learning about them, even eating them. (Yeah yeah, I know, fish are friends not food...but dolphins do it, and they're much smarter than us.)  She enjoys being a fish.    Unburied beach untreasure. Between Mote's main building & its rehab hospital, there's a bird

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-77210996962702253232011-12-23T00:01:00.078-05:002011-12-23T00:01:00.519-05:00

As an impoverished writer, I'm the last person I buy books for (though they're my favorite presents to give). But on my recent vacation I spent more on books, for myself and others, than on food. Don't let my waistline fool ya, I'm kind of a pig. Because my travels were as much about break-up recovery as reconnecting with old friends, one of the books I bought for myself & devoured in flight

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-13109609711576409202011-12-21T17:10:00.003-05:002011-12-21T17:10:01.573-05:00

To keep my brain moving at a happy pace (it gets sad when bored & unchallenged), last semester I overloaded it with two classes as a non degree seeking graduate student in USF's College of Public Health. I'm still unsure of which flavor MPH I'd like to earn. There's the policy track, which could turn me into the C-SPAN nerd of my dreams while giving me the tools to help improve health care &

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-75551287769621840362011-12-13T06:36:00.001-05:002011-12-13T06:41:39.465-05:00

Image kindly shared by Danielle at Feminist Ryan Gosling When I worked at the public library, the assistants &  librarians alike were all pretty choosy about the books and other media we consumed.   Me: Do you like Nicholas Sparks? Former County Librarian: No! Well, I don't know. Never read any of his books. But I'll watch The Notebook. There's just too much good stuff to be distracted by the

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-76914799874925483352011-12-06T14:41:00.001-05:002011-12-06T14:43:30.868-05:00

Who needs to publish a book in order to embark on a four city book(store) tour? Not me! I didn't get to stop into all of my favorites, but I sure did fit a bunch into one week. And I even had a fan to greet me.

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Seattle47.439026 -122.300583tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-18177575896649948732011-12-06T11:41:00.001-05:002011-12-06T16:15:40.592-05:00

Change is uncomfortable, but it can lead to a better way of life for us all.

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-55035219542203947522011-12-02T12:48:00.001-05:002011-12-02T13:21:46.378-05:00

My first blog post via iPhone as I wait for my flight from PHL to SEA, so excuse any format weirdness. As I embark on the final phase of my DC/Philadelphia/Seattle trip, I can't believe that I even attempted to pack all this into a one week. But my MO wasn't the travel itself, rather I'm on a post-divorce mission to check in with many of my long lost girlfriends. People who remind me of (what

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0Philadelphia International Airport Philadelphia39.874082 -75.234454tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-36534759696886812732011-12-01T15:25:00.000-05:002011-12-01T15:25:21.508-05:00

Ah, vacation. At American University Politics & Prose National Museum of Natural History

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-47026705526181835542011-11-28T19:15:00.000-05:002011-11-28T19:15:40.380-05:00

Yet some how playing with Photoshop seemed a better use of my time. 

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-59915490602595647332011-11-26T12:40:00.000-05:002011-11-26T12:40:49.745-05:00

Some of my favorite places in Tampa to spend my hard earned dollars. Rollin Oats: Good Food for Good Health Outstanding staff & author events at Inkwood Books Coffee at Buddy Brew Good music, brew & company at the Independent

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-81909771631056551092011-11-24T16:04:00.003-05:002011-11-24T16:11:56.785-05:00

Every day Americans of every stripe call into C-SPAN's morning show, the Washington Journal, and begin their commentary by thanking a higher power for C-SPAN. I concur. Happy Thanksgiving!

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-66295306126069255212011-11-22T16:00:00.002-05:002011-11-22T16:00:02.898-05:00

 Sent from my iPhone 

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-79637674677563075932011-11-16T14:38:00.002-05:002011-11-17T08:37:32.434-05:00

 I am thankful today for one of my most favorite Tampa spots. Where I once enjoyed guava pastry & cafe con leche with a special red headed reporter days before she ran away to join an NPR affiliate.      This park makes me aspire to be Leslie Knope.   My park is also used for parking during Buccs season. This makes me hate football even more, in case you care local government

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-91028030275946484862011-11-10T20:20:00.000-05:002011-11-10T20:20:15.824-05:00

Do you know what it takes to recover from childhood sexual trauma? I don’t, because I’m not there yet.  Last month, just shy of two years into my weekly therapy sessions, I asked my counselor how much longer it would take until I got better. When she informed me that healing is a lifelong process, my heart split open. I felt like I’d been handed a life sentence. Of all the causes I’m willing to

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-78125448593108396882011-11-08T17:05:00.001-05:002011-11-08T17:05:00.743-05:00

This past summer every other gal I know was glowing and pregnant, eyes focused to the future with tiny, new lives. Meanwhile, I felt as if I had taken a few steps backwards. I got divorced and was starting over, beginning with needing a place to live. I had nothing to my name, except maybe my overpriced B.A. degree and the certified nursing assistant (CNA) license I got several years ago at the

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-45412500215281400932011-11-06T08:50:00.000-05:002011-11-06T08:50:38.543-05:00

Even though I've only ever briefly entertained the idea of becoming a St. Petersburger, I am very thankful for this oasis of urban Florida walkability. Home to lots of ethnic and veggie restaurants, beaucoup music venues and dive bars, the Poynter & soon-to-be Tampa Bay Times and waterfront views. w/ fellow WMNF'er Ryan Iacovacci I can't go into a coffee shop there without running

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-75323535127640315072011-11-05T10:35:00.002-04:002011-11-05T10:45:30.518-04:00

Hampton, David and Lee Hinkle, a Floridian musician who got away Maybe you should come up with a better name for Tampa art. (This is why I'm not in marketing.)  When I moved here 6.5 or so years ago, I immediately recognized that this place was bubbling with artsy stuff.  Sure I hadn't wanted to leave Seattle. I'd even set my sights on Austin or San Francisco, but Florida's low cost of living

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-56269060757193948872011-11-04T05:23:00.001-04:002011-11-04T09:24:41.862-04:00

Some friends are posting their appreciation for life's little things in their Facebook status updates throughout this month. I've decided to do the same here, using as many videos and photos I can come up with since this month will be a little hectic for me - two jobs, grad school, traveling - all of which I'll be writing about soon. But for now, my very humble gratitude. Day 1: I am

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-1174912953778715742011-10-28T06:00:00.011-04:002011-10-28T07:27:21.893-04:00

Can't do this with a Kindle  Neighborhood Girl (approximately 13 years of age) and I share a penchant for pumpkin carving. We got together to create art, bake & eat seeds, and get a culture lesson (Tim McGraw okay; Josh Ritter better). Happy Jack & Andy Rooney. (Guess which one is mine.)

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-56597318087188630802011-10-27T23:52:00.000-04:002011-10-27T23:52:48.689-04:00

Brainy cupcakes I've always loved October. It's the season of pumpkins, zombies and first kisses backlit by a bonfire.  I ♥ nerds: Jenn & Mike's bookish cake topper Two of my wonderful and book-loving friends (Jenn the speed reader and Amy the librarian/dedicated blog reader), must think October is as romantic as I do.  They're both getting married this Halloween (party) weekend.   

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-711793867457409222011-10-27T00:30:00.000-04:002011-10-27T00:30:28.963-04:00

Science and media are two of my favorite topics. When done right, they can bring such good into the world.  But evil (or at the very least, lazy) scientists and media makers sometimes produce sloppy if not dangerous work.  Both fail miserably when they can't break down complex subjects and communicate the importance of these topics in our daily lives. Or if they make stuff up. This week I

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-29050174338580393632011-10-23T12:14:00.003-04:002011-10-23T12:16:29.377-04:00

  In 1999 I earned a $325 speeding ticket in the Nevada desert because of this song. Totally worth it. The video has aged pretty badly, but at least I haven't. (And of course, I'm a much wiser driver now, too.)

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-38816091909184015232011-10-07T06:00:00.003-04:002011-10-07T10:03:52.283-04:00

There's a 2002 episode of This American Life that featured prisoners performing Hamlet. Many of the inmates were so frustrated by the play's language that they missed its meaning at first. My own high school experience was similar. While good teachers helped me to cultivate my love of civics, community service and journalism, I lacked proper guidance to awaken in other areas, and purposely 

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-31468580156256884142011-09-21T06:28:00.003-04:002011-09-21T11:04:48.700-04:00

Last week I was awarded with CBS Tampa's Most Valuable Blogger Award in the local affairs category. I appreciate the inclusion and honor, even though I’ve lacked the time to write about it until now. I’ve been a little busy with life - doing good, enjoying havoc, entertaining myself and getting by.  Thanks to Clark Brooks, fellow winner and creator of the blog Ridiculously Inconsistent

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-84637549496689251432011-09-07T06:00:00.003-04:002011-09-07T07:34:45.773-04:00

Happy (early) 32nd birthday WMNF! Celebrate with us (and Bob Schneider, the Ditchflowers & Monica da Silva) at Skipper's Smokehouse Friday, September 16th. Check out this show and a week full of birthday events on WMNF's events page (because who the heck celebrates for just one day?!).

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-55247641526798290012011-09-03T11:52:00.001-04:002011-09-03T11:53:54.579-04:00

@Caitlinconstan's Sasha has better things to do My friend Jenn, also a relatively recent & young divorcée, has a term she calls divorce crazy.  The definition is self explanatory. And she was smart enough to foresee it before it occurred, so she planned for it. It's poignant for me because in a marriage that didn't work, I found that my biggest enemy was not the partner who didn't fit me

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-6467717074035613742011-08-25T08:24:00.000-04:002011-08-25T13:02:10.902-04:00

Fake journos O.K. too. With Rob Riggle in Largo, FL 2007  Although I love talking to anyone about anything, my favorite people to interview are other journalists. I want to know what they know, how they got started, what they're covering, what they'd rather be covering and when the book's coming out. Maybe it's because I've always been a freelancer. I miss creative pow wows and staff

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-88496520347307599342011-08-19T08:51:00.004-04:002011-08-19T08:58:51.591-04:00

Be honest: have you ever met or seen a person with some kind of disability and just stared? Or done the opposite - looked away so as not to be rude? Five or so years ago while I was a shy (so not good for radio) co-host on the Saturday Asylum on WMNF, I briefly met a musician who brought up these insecure feelings in me. Luckily I happened to have been recording the musician, Susie Ulrey, and

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-20960451173578111442011-08-15T07:10:00.001-04:002011-08-15T07:11:27.867-04:00

The size of the crowd Sunday evening at Skipper's was modest, but the songs were the opposite. One-man band Hamell on Trial played three sets, rated G, R, and Triple X.  This one, Halfway, was a part of the latter. (Thanks to my new YouTube pal Gordo73 for sharing this video, recorded in 2007 at the Etcetera Theatre in London.)

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-31134905177143614622011-08-08T22:21:00.000-04:002011-08-08T22:21:24.015-04:00

I can be a little hard on Tampa sometimes, wishing it were bigger, more cosmopolitan. Some place else.  Though there's plenty of history, much of it has been paved over by fatter times. Luckily the future is all around and begs us to do right.  Of course part of this city's appeal is that we who live here are busy making it what we want. A couple of weekends ago I attended a yoga-themed baby

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-54131602713981262312011-07-27T21:09:00.000-04:002011-07-27T21:09:30.495-04:00

The New York Times' TV & digital media reporter Brian Stelter, 26, may be ahead of the online curve but he knows the value of newspaper subscribers and "old fashioned reporting."   Earlier this month Brian sat down in Seattle with my pal Warren Etheredge (the Brian Lamb of movies) to chat about the Page One documentary, trusting major networks & local news gatherers, and the importance of

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-85468533995906006002011-07-26T07:22:00.002-04:002011-07-26T08:37:20.398-04:00

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures I was in my senior year of college in Dover, Delaware studying & learning how to produce media when September 11th happened.  After three days glued to the tube, a friend had to pry me away. There was no new news. I was traumatized again and again watching the scenes replay.  And that began my news blackout. I couldn't watch or read or consume anymore,

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-36714715861972414422011-07-23T20:34:00.000-04:002011-07-23T20:34:04.401-04:00

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-32605066621014335692011-07-14T02:38:00.000-04:002011-07-14T02:38:20.263-04:00

This is the view I get from work every morning.  This is the view I'd really like. 

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-49953616538169922862011-07-04T17:48:00.005-04:002011-07-04T20:42:57.477-04:00

Trinity Cafe's Chef Alfred Astl and Program Director Cindy Davis. "Kindness, love and compassion is the most important thing we do today," Program Director Cindy Davis told a circle of about 20 purple-aproned volunteers on Monday at the Trinity Cafe.    It was a few minutes before the 11:30 a.m. serving time at Trinity, where the homeless and hungry of downtown Tampa can go for lunch on most

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-56663090739766256322011-06-27T11:28:00.001-04:002011-06-27T11:29:09.662-04:00

Ronny & I hosted the rockabilly/roots show The Bumpy Ride this Saturday. It's available in the archives for the next few days. Artist Track Album/CD Graham Parker/Back To School Days Howlin' Wind  Billy "the Kid" Emerson/Red Hot Blue Flames Jo-Ann Campbell Mama (Can I Go Out Tonight?)/That Real Gone Gal set break James "Sugarboy" Crawford She Gotta Wobble/30 New Orleans Classics  Brinsley

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-67802769794564004742011-06-19T18:42:00.015-04:002011-06-19T18:52:28.236-04:00

WMNF volunteer Julia Jones spearheaded this Sunday's Juneteenth/Father's Day effort, adding flair to already-scheduled programs (Scott Elliott told the Sunday Simcha's Kevin Frye: "Today I get to be Jewish and you can be black."), and inviting the community into the radio station for film, food and shout outs to dads near and far on live air.  In case you're a little rusty on American history, 

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-20410493047820733022011-06-17T10:02:00.000-04:002011-06-17T10:02:57.325-04:00

Father's Day coincides with Juneteenth this Sunday and 88.5 WMNF is celebrating them both with a very special day of African American and dad-centric programming. Schedule of Programs & Activities (some last minute changes may occur): 6am – 8am: Gospel Classic Hour  with Pastor Pat Hauser 8am – 9am: Thee Righteous Temple Of Hip Hop with Tempest Rodney and A Morning Prayer by Kwabena Dinizulu

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-89100162768905867192011-06-13T08:17:00.000-04:002011-06-13T08:17:57.298-04:00

As a writer who continues to look for new avenues of writing income & outlets for my work, I found this program, Publishing in the 21st Century, educational and inspiring. It was from the L.A. Times Festival of Books in April and aired on C-SPAN over the weekend.  Publisher Johnny Temple spoke about success in writing not being the next Danielle Steel franchise (my words, not his), but being

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-67261609022301121612011-06-10T21:22:00.012-04:002011-06-11T09:20:18.452-04:00

WHO don't?!  WHO, also known as the World Health Organization, together with the World Bank, released a 300+ page study on disability this week.  (Click here for the easy version.) The foreword was written by Professor Stephen Hawking, the 69-year-old British physicist who was diagnosed with ALS when he was 21.  "Disability need not be an obstacle to success...Governments throughout the world can

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-86442273618625628392011-06-03T05:39:00.001-04:002011-06-03T05:39:00.322-04:00

Which ones can you name?  Night Blooming Cereus opening at dusk Full bloom near midnight

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-69903865566232155372011-05-29T18:03:00.001-04:002011-05-29T18:03:56.706-04:00

I like to be in the middle I was a huge hockey fan in junior high school, growing up outside of Philly.  I admired Manon Rhéaume and wanted to be the first woman in the NHL. Though I realized by the time I was 16, since I still didn't know how to skate, I should face reality and aim for a more viable career (like first woman head writer for SNL or queen of all noncommercial media).   The

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-55860508794491168012011-05-25T07:40:00.005-04:002011-05-25T19:05:45.068-04:00

Checklist composed during the first round of beers The Brews & Books book club had its third meeting last night. The assignment was Atul Gawande's The Checklist Manifesto, which was my (pleading) suggestion.  The general consensus was that the book was useful, but even I, the die hard Gawandite of the group, found parts of it drag along. His Better remains one of my favorite books and should

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-29953155975200418872011-05-24T07:27:00.000-04:002011-05-24T07:27:28.289-04:00

Celebrate Dylan's 70th birthday tonight at Skippers along with some of Tampa Bay's finest musicians. 5pm to midnight, $10 advance, $13 door.

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-4775586860872097032011-05-19T11:59:00.003-04:002011-05-19T11:59:00.347-04:00

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-81831930736257678222011-05-16T07:51:00.002-04:002011-05-16T08:44:55.281-04:00

Carolina Chocolate Drops  Sassy would have sounded their Cute Band Alert for the Ryan Montbleau Band Devon Stuart played the New World Brewery with Mike Claytor, Lauris Vidal and Ricky Kendall (the latter two pictured below). Holy Ghost Tent Revival's Ross Montsinger WMNF Station Manager Jim Bennett with Cheryl Mogul  David Audet of the Artists & Writers Group plugs his latest

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-37820783619843778492011-05-15T12:57:00.000-04:002011-05-15T12:57:04.946-04:00

with a Tampa favorite, singer songwriter Geri X I volunteered the first few hours of Heatwave, checking in other volunteers and directing foot traffic.   MIFU ready for the street parade It was a great job to have, close to the action. I greeted hundreds of Heatwave-goers, WMNF lovers and musicians.  Beloved staffer Linda Lu and her 60's show cohort Laurie Lu Community spirit like this

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-91083481453963463982011-05-13T19:08:00.000-04:002011-05-13T19:08:28.328-04:00

Tomorrow! 

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-20929331619753844052011-05-08T17:52:00.001-04:002011-05-08T17:54:24.937-04:00

The newest Oppelt and his boy parts Every woman I know who is having a baby, or who recently gave birth, is having a boy.  Lorrie & her boy  As Lorrie DiDomenico put it, they all wanted "cute and snuggly and precious" girls. The second-time mom has a two-and-a-half-year-old princess. "Audrey has this detailed book logging conception to birth and this time I only have the ultrasound pics

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-83246140510626409862011-05-06T13:44:00.000-04:002011-05-06T13:44:22.808-04:00

Tonja Brickhouse and mother Mary Holmes-Graves   Decades ago an unwed, pregnant teen was sent out of the state to have her child and then forced to give the baby up for adoption. Upon her return home, the childless mother "Cried and cried. She was unable to get over it," said Tonja Brickhouse, vice president of the Alpha House's Board of Directors.  Tampa's Alpha House was started in 1981 to

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-79463791024292449452011-05-04T14:51:00.001-04:002011-05-04T14:51:50.016-04:00

Some of you may remember that I work a couple of times a year as an audio describer at the Straz Center, where I basically do a live play-by-play of Broadway musicals for patrons with visual impairments. Gone are the days when they needed someone to whisper in their ear about what was happening onstage. I'm not normally a cheerleader for pop culture but I loved Shrek the Musical. The big,

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-85449963979998170692011-05-02T09:58:00.000-04:002011-05-02T09:58:00.952-04:00

Amy Royale is a slim, artsy 26-year-old senior at the University of South Florida. When she wears cutoffs you can see the lissome lines of her most recent tattoo billowing over her right calf and shin. "I look like I have a normal, thin body," she said. "You can't tell with my clothes on."  So to tell her story she bares all. A double major in psychology and studio art for photography, this

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-39357567653082087902011-04-28T16:59:00.000-04:002011-04-28T16:59:56.404-04:00

The Bay Area Arts & Music Organization, or BAAMO as the cool kids call it, is celebrating the very active (if not slightly secretive) Tampa Bay music scene with the release of its sixth compilation entitled Tales of Highways & Low Roads. Yep, it's a concept album about traveling, with 20 original songs by local (but hardly amateur) bands and musicians.  Cover photo by famed photographer

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-63101487835244663422011-04-25T19:01:00.000-04:002011-04-25T19:01:22.161-04:00

Across the bay in St. Pete, good music happens at lots of places, including the Hideaway Cafe, a production studio/listening room whose patrons will shush the heck out of loud mouths if they chat during a performance. For music appreciators only.  Here's a couple of videos I took at the beginning of the month during the Grant Peeples/Ronny Elliott show April 1st.

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-14964888547810304952011-04-18T15:00:00.001-04:002011-04-18T18:08:46.120-04:00

Dev. Dir/DJ Lounge Laura Taylor & Barry Shalinsky Volunteers are to WMNF what the sun is to a day at the beach - essential, amazing and priceless. There would be no radio station without its community.  Sunday afternoon WMNF staffers, volunteers and board members got together to celebrate the radio station and each other down by the river at the Heights.  Ronny Elliott & the Rebel 

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-32123057600266664212011-04-17T12:08:00.000-04:002011-04-17T12:08:56.310-04:00

The Sexual Violence Task Force of Tampa Bay presented Take Back the Night last night in Hyde Park Village. I arrived as they were honoring Rita Peters, Chief of Sex Crimes for the District Attorney’s office. She gave an emotional speech about wearing her heart on her sleeve as she helps victims of abuse win their cases with a 96% success rate.  I was very happy to get a few moments with

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-84155462939072506132011-04-14T09:00:00.000-04:002011-04-14T09:00:21.487-04:00

With a little help from his friends, Clark surpassed his goal of raising $1,500 for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. And he got a muffin named after him. So if you like blueberries (cancer-fighting antioxidant) and white chocolate (white guy euphemism), then take a break at the Bunker in Ybor and treat yourself to a Clark of your very own to savor the sweetness of someone else's

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-60494640726060644072011-04-12T15:22:00.002-04:002011-04-12T15:25:23.643-04:00

Former Tampa City Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena and Stephanie Schriock “Early money is like yeast,” EMILY's List president Stephanie Schriock told me Sunday, explaining the organization's acronym and their theory on fundraising, which is basically that it takes money to make even more money.  EMILY's List began in 1985, a basement full of  women in Washington D.C., pooling their resources and

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-77108354292789310692011-04-08T13:39:00.000-04:002011-04-08T13:39:08.717-04:00

"Yeah, I just want to ask how many people here has NOT had sex with my husband? " My attempt to go shoeless for one day was almost a complete failure. Just getting out of bed that morning and having my feet hit the bare wood floor sans house slippers gave me the willies (and I had swept the entire house the day before to gear up).  I intended to soldier on. I had an interview (reporting, not

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-55347283949061545782011-04-06T13:49:00.110-04:002011-04-06T15:17:36.265-04:00

Thanks in part to the Science Challenge 2011, several months ago I picked up Inside the Outbreaks by Mark Pendergrast. It's about the CDC's elite team of medical detectives, and very House-like. The book opens with a parable about two doctors, a clinician (who practices medicine) and an epidemiologist (who studies patterns of diseases). The two were walking to the side of a lazy river, but

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-974695523313953862011-04-05T12:23:00.000-04:002011-04-05T12:23:26.073-04:00

We are smack in the middle of National Public Health Week and Thursday is World Health Day.  USF's College of Public Health has a bunch of activities going on this week (calendar here), from bike safety to film screenings to blood donation. Public health really is the whole shebang.  I love this year's slogan "Safety is NO Accident." Many moons ago I trained to be a bus driver in the suburbs of

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-85347543470461845252011-04-05T11:28:00.000-04:002011-04-05T11:28:42.373-04:00

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-54069261747862229412011-04-04T20:58:00.000-04:002011-04-04T20:58:52.618-04:00

I'm tempted to go barefoot all day tomorrow in observance of "One Day Without Shoes."  I have a full day of reporting & tutoring (but at least I'm not working in a public building). I have no natural arches so being shoeless is a challenge for me, never mind the 'ick' factor of stepping on stuff and having people see my weird feet. But the point of the day is to raise awareness about the

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-84499314138639842632011-04-04T11:02:00.000-04:002011-04-04T11:02:18.477-04:00

This morning Ronny and I sat in for regular Monday Morning Show host Glen Hatchell on 88.5 WMNF. Music of this sort doesn't usually win industry awards or find its way onto corporate radio play lists, but you don't need a mass comm degree to know that this is the soulful stuff with the power to change the world for the better.  Thanks to my partner (in justice & life) Ronny for putting this set

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-63330967325523824172011-04-01T08:44:00.000-04:002011-04-01T08:44:29.220-04:00

I've had a busy week doing the usual do-goodery, work and dodging tornadoes. I've also been entertaining a couple of friends from Ireland who are visiting the U.S. for the first time. George & Manda  Ronny met Manda and George several years ago when he played the Belladrum Festival in Scotland. The working class couple (social worker and union organizer) had won a pair of tickets to the

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-12709145027409095282011-04-01T08:15:00.001-04:002011-04-01T08:16:26.049-04:00

Friday: Downtown Tampa  Friday Market! Museum Makeover Day! Get a makeover with vegan-friendly Arbonne products and support the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts.  St. Pete Florida Do-Gooder Grant Peeple's new CD release party at the Hideaway Cafe in St. Pete with Ronny Elliott.  Saturday: Downtown  Library book sale. North Tampa - Ecofest 2011.   My house - Usually I stay home and

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-21541371992838879512011-03-30T15:20:00.001-04:002011-03-30T15:21:32.948-04:00

At least one pup and several humans spoke up for all animals today on WMNF's Talking Animals program.  My animal rights activist musician husband performed two songs live, his original Nothing About Heartache about his friend's late cat, and a cover of Larry Murray's Dakota.  You can listen online in the archives and catch Ronny and bunches of other Tampa Bay musicians and animal-loving

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-75051667738364940442011-03-30T12:00:00.002-04:002011-03-31T17:13:48.940-04:00

HEAL is a new networking group for young professionals (in any field) sponsored by the University Community Hospital's Foundation Center.  Tuesday morning the group met for a breakfast lecture at Pepin Heart Hospital with medical director Dr. Charles Lambert. It was an amazing opportunity not only to chat with other professionals but also get a morning biology lesson from one of Tampa's top

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-19366163486753183532011-03-23T21:26:00.000-04:002011-03-23T21:26:32.502-04:00

Bob from the block  I went to sleep last night before checking the news of who won the mayoral run-off election. But I knew what the outcome was when I heard a steady stream of cars honking all night long for my neighbor Bob Buckhorn. This morning his yard was bombarded with signage.  

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-63354943595872757592011-03-23T11:51:00.012-04:002011-03-23T12:03:54.119-04:00

Russian researcher Irina Vainer  If a conference has health, research or policy in its title, I'm usually drooling with excitement at the thought. I love learning about what other people are learning about, and innovating and creating. I'm happily doing a couple of stories this week for WMNF on USF's 24th Annual Children’s Mental Health Research and Policy Conference. I produced one story

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-64352839442803667672011-03-20T22:10:00.001-04:002011-03-20T22:11:38.081-04:00

I recently came across the book Give a Little by Wendy Smith. It reminds me of one of my first fundraising experiences in high school Key Club.  I had helped organize a Bowl-a-thon with the local branch of the Boys & Girls Club. Several of us volunteers went door to door one Saturday to raise money, and we bypassed our middle class town and headed to the more affluent neighborhoods. Mostly they

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-56464359168797422522011-03-19T07:49:00.000-04:002011-03-19T07:49:12.011-04:00

My friends Glen and Kelly were both laid off from their respective corporate jobs at various points in this recession.  But they were good savers and planners, and had enough to start a business of their own.  Both animal lovers (and volunteers at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay), they opened a Home Buddies franchise.  Most people would rather work for love than money, and I'm so happy Glen

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-26404875431175041472011-03-18T18:11:00.004-04:002011-03-18T18:18:16.193-04:00

Funny (not ha ha) how within a week of my stories on sexual assault, which focused in part on how the media (mis)handles such horrors, the New York Times fell on its face by reporting on the gang rape of an 11-year old from the perspective of the (18!) rapists as the real victims.   Florida's freshman Rep. Kathleen Passidomo followed suit by citing a quote from the article, that the victim

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-48859221653434044132011-03-17T23:50:00.000-04:002011-03-17T23:50:36.789-04:00

 One of my (many) jobs includes working p/t at the library. I interact with homeless people daily. Some crazy, some awesome, some crazy awesome.  A few keep to themselves but most wave to me and smile as I go about my duties. So many of the familiar faces are happy to chat when we pass on downtown streets or even when I'm stopped at a red light in my car and they're on the corner panhandling.

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-40612540250419650402011-03-11T15:41:00.003-05:002011-03-11T15:44:47.696-05:00

The fruit of several weeks of hard work aired on 88.5 WMNF on March 8th, International Women's Day. I produced the 30 minute documentary I Am Someone and an author interview with Jaclyn Friedman.  Tuesday evening I went to the Urban Cantina  to celebrate a friend's upcoming nuptials and ended up in a scene from Billy Elliot. Lovely Awakening of the State. It's about time voters started

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-74502321519131490932011-03-08T06:34:00.002-05:002011-03-08T06:34:00.779-05:00

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-51569628151623348352011-03-07T22:39:00.002-05:002011-03-07T22:41:25.541-05:00

I remember sixth grade like it happened yesterday, instead of 1988. We were the oldest kids at Garfield East Elementary, and one of the privileges of our seniority was getting to switch classes for the first time (even though it was only for three periods). It was a baby step to prep us for junior high, or maybe just something that entertained our three 6th grade teachers. Mrs. J. was my

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-73195652098717648092011-03-07T07:53:00.000-05:002011-03-07T07:53:34.235-05:00

As always, thanks to Bev at WMNF for compiling.  Tues 3/8  FRANZ NICOLAY, DAVID DONDERO  New World 9 p.m. Wed 3/9    RA RA RIOT in-studio w/ Scott Elliott on WMNF 88.5. at 2 p.m. and at the Crowbar in Ybor at 8 p.m. ROCKY VOTOLATO, MATT POND  New World 9pm Thurs 3/10  Singer Songwriter night  7:30 at  The Bunker  1907 19th Street N  Murder by death   Fake Problems Orpheum Dean Johanesen at the

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-49561497683365004322011-03-02T14:34:00.000-05:002011-03-02T14:34:03.000-05:00

Our happy dog Jamaica, former Humane Society orphan This morning while I was waiting for one of my interviews to show up at the radio station, I looked in on Duncan Strauss, live in the studio with his show Talking Animals.  He was chatting with a couple of ladies from the Humane Society of Tampa Bay about their upcoming fundraiser Bark in the Park, this Saturday morning at Al Lopez Park. 

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-48361418817675159092011-02-24T12:04:00.002-05:002011-02-24T13:31:10.185-05:00

Eddie Shedrick, 49, of West Tampa, volunteers for Rev. Scott's campaign for mayor outside of the C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. Public Library on East Dr. MLK, Jr. Blvd.  Eddie told me he registered to vote the year he graduated from high school, and has voted (and had jury duty) every year since.  According to the US Census in 2008, younger citizens (18–24) had the lowest voting rate. I asked Eddie if

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-31284035533862811382011-02-23T21:11:00.001-05:002011-02-23T21:15:18.055-05:00

Support Tampa Bay's best musicians this Saturday night as they head to Austin next month to represent. (Yes, I'm married to one, but I adore the others, too!) 

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-90330733524664499792011-02-21T21:19:00.005-05:002011-02-21T21:46:18.988-05:00

On Tuesday I'm interviewing Jaclyn Friedman, editor of Yes Means Yes!: Visions of Female Sexual Power & A World Without Rape. The interview will be part of a 30 minute radio documentary I'm producing for 88.5 WMNF's annual observance of International Women's Day on March 8th. (If you didn't know that most of the world celebrates women on this day, you should, and now you do!) My doc is

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-87687497987731578162011-02-17T12:09:00.001-05:002011-02-17T12:10:40.895-05:00

Last week after reading about Florida's new budget cuts, I could only see the waves of impending suffering pounding down on the state's most vulnerable citizens. The Florida Department of Elderly Affairs then fired Brian Lee, who was the director of the state ombudsman program, which investigates complaints against assisted living facilities (ALF's) and nursing homes. As a former volunteer

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-1434293663814474832011-02-09T12:00:00.001-05:002011-02-09T12:02:29.914-05:00

My friend Stephanie Armenia is a mother of two and passionate about how she'll leave the world to her children. Though she does not refer to herself as a writer, she wrote a brilliant children's book called When Will We Be Recycled, Momma?  Stephanie's goal is to gift the book to all second graders in Hillsborough County by Earth Day on April 22nd.  Tampa Bay Beautification has already joined

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-32153349732299015892011-02-07T10:41:00.002-05:002011-02-07T10:44:57.839-05:00

All shows in Tampa unless otherwise noted. Thanks again to WMNF's Bev for compiling.  Wed 2/9 Acoustic BBQ The Cosmic Gospel Hour @ New World Brewery 7 p.m. Thu 2/10 Singer/Songwriter Night feat. The Baker Act, Dan Feinman, Rayzilla's PBS @ The Bunker  7:30 p.m. Thu 2/10 Robert Randolph & The Family Band w/ The Constellations @  State Theatre, St. Pete  Fri 2/11 - Ella Jet, Danny and Alex

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-49336704204636232522011-02-04T11:55:00.001-05:002011-02-04T11:56:42.585-05:00

I've been reading biographies and memoirs since I was a kid in South Jersey. I used to think my life was so boring (it really was), and I was dying to know how others lived theirs. In high school when I was a shy but budding performer I devoured Love, Janice, Gilda Radner's It's Always Something, and Kurt Loder's Bat Chain Puller.  In college I veered off towards radio and film and was

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-51838959179449015282011-01-31T12:16:00.000-05:002011-01-31T12:16:18.900-05:00

When I was two or three I told my mom that my babysitter tickled me. She asked me where and didn't like the areas I pointed out.  Years later my mother told me how she had tried to press charges against the teen, who happened to be an Army officer's son. But either that family or ours was moved from Ft. Knox to another Army base to avoid further trouble.  I don't have any recollection of

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-71676624943940819952011-01-30T10:37:00.002-05:002011-01-30T10:40:10.323-05:00

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-4606342571298801002011-01-29T15:09:00.001-05:002011-01-29T15:12:01.544-05:00

 I snapped a few photos early Gasparilla morning around the Davis Islands bridge. Bayshore Blvd. was blocked off in both directions so I crossed with no fear of being run over.  In fact, many of the usual morning exercisers were jogging down the middle of the street. I walked from the island to downtown and back again interacting with so many other pedestrians.  Ah, I've never seen so

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-2612239192574427242011-01-28T06:58:00.000-05:002011-01-28T06:58:54.534-05:00

A brief note to my dear readers: I've been messing around with settings, design, and address of this blog for a few weeks but have already decided to stay at tampadogooder.blogspot.com for the time being. If you notice any other problems that prevent you from reading, please let me know!  Thanks for your dedication! 

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-4387996023644281652011-01-25T12:11:00.004-05:002011-01-25T12:20:22.479-05:00

Wednesday evening at Hamburger Mary's in Ybor. The evening features Tampa's curmudgeoniest do-gooder Clark Brooks. Word on the street is that it'll be the party of the year.

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-46048975832017492112011-01-25T08:25:00.012-05:002011-01-25T09:04:18.655-05:00

I suffered a terrible case of SAD from enduring three Seattle winters, and it rears its head if I go too long without massive infusions of light. It's been gray here almost every day for the past week, with some intervals of sunshine. So last week when the thermometer hit 70, I took a long stroll along downtown Tampa's growing

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-27673762743108633522011-01-21T07:22:00.006-05:002011-01-21T07:40:11.466-05:00

Sometimes living in paradise leads you to forget about the rest of the world. Which led me to completely drop the ball on writing about Eckerd College's Writers' Conference. I can't say enough good things about Eckerd and the tons of cultural happenings there (not to mention all the rad volunteering of its students & staff), so better late than never? The conference wraps up tomorrow, and the

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-74587429309664812462011-01-19T08:52:00.009-05:002011-01-21T08:15:41.295-05:00

Added 1/21/11: I failed to mention that Madison Middle School is in desperate need of beige/khaki pants & shorts for both girls and boys in all sizes. If you are able to donate funds or gently used clothing, contact Bonnie Lambert at Madison or send me an email. I rarely get feedback from my writing. At best: "Good story, good work!" Which I like, of course. But that doesn't tell me if what I

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-36516101970288168632011-01-19T08:37:00.007-05:002011-01-19T08:49:16.001-05:00

Scott Stossel is the deputy editor of The Atlantic magazine, and author of Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver. Sarge died Tuesday at 95, and Scott wrote about his experience as his biographer:Shriver had a gift for what one of his old War on Poverty colleagues called "expanding the Horizons of the Possible." In my darkest moments of despair over my biography of him, when I had a

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-8545828891093884122011-01-17T15:22:00.017-05:002011-01-18T07:57:53.709-05:00

I used to think that there was something wrong with me, mostly because of the people who told me I wore my heart on my sleeve too often and that I should just take care of myself. Even those who didn't say it showed me that material things mattered more than happiness: they worked jobs they hated where they didn't contribute anything worthwhile to society, but hey, they had new cars and big TV's

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-67073055034080741602011-01-13T18:05:00.006-05:002011-01-13T18:33:52.830-05:00

I'm a big cheerleader for the YMCA because of its affordability, programs, and numerous locations. I've been a member for a year and a half and have maintained a healthy, stable weight since a few months in. (My weight fluctuated dramatically throughout my 20's due to various eating disorders.) My favorites include walking and jogging, but as we know Tampa isn't the safest place to be a

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765894834854047785.post-22400283321680995132011-01-09T15:59:00.008-05:002011-01-11T12:25:53.461-05:00

What do a lawyer, legal assistant, former sailor, two teachers, and a journalist have in common? They're all members of the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMoPA) and presented their photography at November's "Your 15 Minutes of Fame". Each presenter had 15 minutes to display prints or slides, and answer audience questions about their work, equipment, and future goals. The next installment

Dawn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02793535022716269847noreply@blogger.com0