The state Democratic Party said Wednesday that it continues to lead in voter registration, releasing state Division of Elections data showing the Democrats out-registered Republicans in April by 10 percentage points. New voters have been registering with the Democratic Party more than the Republican Party for a few months in Florida.  State data – the reporting of which by the state elections office lags that by the parties – showed Democrats registered 5,459 more voters in April than did the Republican Party. Democrats have a 4 percent overall registration advantage over Republicans in Florida.

If only registration translated into electoral victories.

This certainly qualifies for Facebook rant of the day, no? From Lisa Greer, wife of ex-RPOF chair Jim Greer, who Charlie Crist accused of attempting to extort him:

“So, a convicted felon and Charlie Crist whining like the girl that he is are the best the papers and others can come up with today to continue the bs campaign against my husband, even though sworn affadavits keep coming out that prove Charlie Crist and Party leadership (“I don’t know how my signature got on that agreement”!) to be a bunch of liars. The only thing Jim can be found guilty of would be if it were a crime to trust in the lies and so called friendship of that scumbag Charlie Crist. The transcript and recording of the phone call have been released and there is no extortion there. Clearly FDLE agreed or they would have talked to Jim over a year ago. The truth of the matter is the phone call was the result of Charlie having his minions call Jim begging him not to include him in any book that he might write and indicating that he would ” help” if this occured. Charlie will do and say anything to be somebody again (perhaps a run for Governor as a Democrat?). He cleary showed his lack of honor and character when he flip flopped on everything he once stood for in his desparate efforts near the end of his FAILED Senate campaign. Charlie, remember directing Jim to deliver Marco Rubio’s AMEX statements in an unmarked envelope to the Miami Herald? I once loved and trusted Charlie Crist, I now know he would whore himself out to anyone that will put him in power again. I am sick of the games and lies, I have a family to protect and a precious baby girl on the way, the truth must come out to clear Jim’s name. So go ahead Charlie, use what little juice you have left, why don’t you make one of your cheesy, demeaning commercials to spread your lies. Jim Greer can’t wait to face you and the rest of the Party in court, the truth will come out and Jim will be found not guilty on ALL counts.”

In 2009, the United States crossed a digital Rubicon: For the first time, the amount of data sent with mobile devices exceeded the sum of transmitted voice data. … Even as the number of wireless connections increased from 286 million in 2009 to 303 million in 2010, voice usage on those phones decreased. And our calls are getting shorter. While in 2003 the average local mobile phone call lasted a leisurely three minutes, by 2010 it had been trimmed to a terse one minute and 47 seconds.

In 2010, there were about 360,000 Americans with masters degrees or higher on public assistance. Stacey Patton reports on them:

Some are struggling to pay back student loans and cover basic living expenses as they submit scores of applications for a limited pool of full-time academic positions. Others are trying to raise families or pay for their children’s college expenses on the low and fluctuating pay they receive as professors off the tenure track, a group that now makes up 70 percent of faculties. Many bounce on and off unemployment or welfare during semester breaks. And some adjuncts have found themselves trying to make ends meet by waiting tables or bagging groceries alongside their students.

Forrest Wickman notices the trend in films in which implosions are replacing explosions:

When the opening action set-piece of The Avengers ends with the destruction of a remote research facility, the structure goes out not with a bang but more of a cool sucking noise. Meanwhile, in the first trailer for The Dark Knight Rises, Bane is set not on exploding a football stadium full of thousands of people so much as imploding it. In the second Dark Knight Rises trailer, released last week, rather than sending a bridge up in a fiery blast, a few tactical detonations send it neatly collapsing into the water. We appear to be entering a boom in Hollywood implosions.

His theory as to why:

It evokes the most indelible image of 21^st-century destruction, the one filmed on September 11, 2001. The most frightening visual from that day was not the planes exploding into the towers, but the towers falling in on themselves.

The People’s Budget Review is planning to present results from over 4,000 surveys. The People’s Budget Reiew has posted on its Facebook page, “We need everyone’s voice to build a vision forward in St Petersburg,” encouraging community attendance at the forum.

Mayor Bill Foster and City Council have scheduled these budget summits to meet with residents to try and figure out how best to bridge the gap of a $13 million shortfall in next year’s budget. City residents are encouraged to attend and voice their thoughts on budget issues and priorities for St. Petersburg.

The last budget forum, hosted at the J.W. Cate Center was packed—extremely difficult to find parking and standing room only inside. Eople parked blocks away just to have their voices heard and hear what both their community and elected officials had to say.

The People’s Budget Review has been a strong addition to these discussions, provding input from thousands of citizens on the upcoming budget decisions. Yet, while all agree their work has been invaluable, they have not gone without criticism.

Particularly, The People’s Budget Review was criticized by Mayor Foster and Councilmember Leslie Curran for not having a great enough sampling of residents south of Central Avenue.

South St. Petersburg residents overall voiced their concerns that while they see revitilization and growth in the downtown and Old N.E. aeas of St. Peersburg, south St. Pete is feeling neglected, and that already difficult situations are getting worse with a tough economy and slow to no economic and business development focused in their neighborhoods.

“The People’s Budget Review is going door to door, to bus stations, to churches, libraries, markets, and street corners to make it as easy as possible for you to have a voice in this year’s budget,” said Aaron Dietrich of The People’s Budget Review.

Tonight we will see if their survey base is broader than before and if south St. Petersburg has felt welcomed and included as priority members of this discussion.

Via Daphne Taylor Street. You can contact Daphne at dts.streetmedia@gmail.com.