If you want to know a little bit more about the guy that writes this stuff, check out The Ledger today.

I don't really agree with the headline though.

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Things are very busy over at the 'real job' so I'll be taking a break for a week or two at EP. See you soon.

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In today's Ledger there is an article about proposed new immigration regulation that would impact the agriculture industry in Florida. The use of illegal immigrants (read: low wage) in various industries is a major issue in Florida. It has been said that agriculture, construction and many of the service industries in Florida would shut down if the current immigration laws were actually enforced.

To put things in perspective though, let me tell you about a conversation I had at a party in Seattle, WA over the first weekend in July. Taking part in the discussion was a group of software developers, including a few that just recently became U.S. citizens (from Australia). The recently naturalized citizens talked about the difficulty they had becoming U.S. citizens. The process involves lots of time and money. They have little or no sympathy for those that enter the county illegally to work.

The biggest issue they had was with the industries that rely upon illegal labor to exist. To paraphrase their thoughts, "If the only way your business/industry can exist is by using illegal workers, then perhaps your business/industry shouldn't exist anymore."

For some added context, Seattle is about as far away as you can get from Florida (within the 48) geographically and perhaps politically. Obviously their distance, in both respects, from the issue gives them a different perspective, but is there some truth to it?

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This really isn't a Polk County story, but it is a Florida story that involves blogging.

Uber-legal blogger Kevin O'Keefe points out that the Ocala Star Banner has set up a blog to cover the Jessica Lunsford trial in Citrus County, FL.

In the initial post, Joe Byrnes discusses using the blog format to cover this high profile case:

The Star-Banner is planning complete coverage of the trial, including something new for us, a Web log, or blog, on Ocala.com. Executive Editor Robyn Tomlin asked me to write this column — which is running where hers usually does — to introduce the blog and talk about our overall coverage....

...In addition, I’ll be writing a blog that chronicles the trial. The plan is to give you developments as they unfold, plus supplemental information and interviews.

The premise of my column – Now We’re Talking – is that it’s a conversation about our community. The blog will make it easy for you to add to that conversation, and other people besides me will read what you have to say.

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This past Saturday night my family made the drive from Winter Haven to Lakeland to eat at Moe's Southwest Grill. While eating, I saw my good friend Kevin Cook and his family enjoying dinner there. If you have little ones the kid's menu at Moe's can't be beat.

Kevin asked, "Did you make the drive to Lakeland just for Moe's?" Sadly, yes. Why? Because there is no Moe's in Winter Haven.

My friend Nick and I love to locate towns smaller than Winter Haven that have Moe's. For example Dahlonega, GA (pop. 3,638) has a Moe's!!! Lake City, FL (pop. 10,699) has a Moe's!!!! When will Winter Haven get a Moe's?

I can think of a few great locations for a Moe's in Winter Haven. How about next to Atlanta Bread Company? (That's if Starbucks doesn't move there)

Moe, when are you coming to town?

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Late Sunday night I was watching the Pirate Tech episode of Modern Marvels on the History Channel and on the screen appears a familiar face, Dr. David Nateman. David used to work at the Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland, FL

David is now the director of the North Carolina Maritime Museum and was one of the featured experts that provided context to the documentary.

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Over the weekend a St. Pete Times article talked about the resurgence of rail transport in these times of high fuel costs.

Suddenly it matters that railroads can haul three times the freight as trucks for the same amount of fuel. Truckers face doubling prices for diesel.

In the article the proposed CSX terminal in Winter Haven is talked about as a major hub of activity:

CSX plans a huge terminal in Winter Haven that could become one of the nation’s largest distribution points for consumer goods such as clothing, toys, household goods and electronics.

Here are numbers the company uses to define its plans:

- It will occupy 1,250 acres in the heart of the city, with 5-million square feet of warehouses, factories and offices.
- It will employ 8,500 people.
- It will generate $10-billion in economic activity and $900-million in taxes over 10 years.

Sounds big, but remember the project will take a while to be built and come online.

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John Harris, a columnist for the Toledo Blade has an article published Sunday that speculates on the future of the Cleveland Indians in Winter Haven.

Forever and a day, the idea of the Cleveland Indians leaving their longtime spring training home in Winter Haven, Fla., was barely a blip on the radar.

The Indians would never leave Winter Haven. Winter Haven would never desert the Indians.

But as the Indians look for ways to improve on and off the field, the franchise has had some loose ends develop recently, which might or might not mean anything....

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The Lakeland Ledger had an article on Sunday about PolkVoice, a new citizen's journalism project. The new site will provide blogs to local residents and groups. What's unique about the project is the reverse publishing model. Reverse publishing means that a select number of article will be selected from the blogs and run in a print edition.

I've been working with the Ledger on this project for the past few months. Look for an updated design at PolkVoice.com shortly :-)

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This weekend I am in Seattle attending the Gnomedex conference. Yesterday's keynote speaker was Senator John Edwards. John was asked to come speak about the new technology tools he's been using to reach out the people. The discussion did drift into politics from time to time though. The Senator said he was here to learn as much from the audience as we were there to hear him.

Since this is a blog/tech conference much of the talk was about opening lines of communication between people and politicians. An audience of bloggers wants open and honest communication, which many campaigns don't always want.

The Senator asked, "what do we need to do?" The answer from the crowd...allow a blogger or independent person to follow and publish every aspect of the campaign. All the behind-the-scense stuff. If one candidate did this then it would put pressure on other candidates to do something similar. Perhaps then the voters could learn about the real person that is running as opposed to the 'plastic figure' (the Senator's words).

Related: Steve Rubel talks about how the next President might be a conversationalist.

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