An 18-year-old bicyclist was struck and killed Monday night by a fire truck in Winter Park, Fla.

Police said the driver was not at fault as he was turning into a hospital, when the cyclist, riding in the same direction on Lakemont Avenue in front of Winter Park Memorial Hospital, lost control and fell under the truck.

The driver had his turn signal on to make the right turn, but the bike apparently did not have any brakes. The cyclist, identified as Cullen Detamore of Winter Park, tried to speed up to pass the truck. He then made a sudden turn at about 20 mph, and the bike slipped out underneath him.

The firefighter, Ronald Ryan, 51, will not face charges.

MIAMI — A 15-year-old Marathon, Fla. girl has been charged with making a false police report and was released to her mother’s custody after authorities said she lied about bite marks on her body.

The girl, whose name was not released because of her age, allegedly told her mother she was attacked by a man while she was out jogging in order to cover up the fact that she engaged in “fantasy biting” with a 19-year-old man in August, the Associated Press reported.

The girl took part in the fantasy, because she said was inspired by the “Twilight” saga.

Police said that the girl was a big fan on the movies and books. She worried about what her mother would think after seeing bite marks on her neck, arms and back so she allegedly made up an attack.

Police couldn’t find any evidence of an attack, and the girl eventually confessed that she made it up.

No charges were filed against the 19-year-old.

Five children, three brothers and two sisters, died in a house fire on Monday in Citra, Fla. that fire officials believed was caused by a space heater.

Trapped inside the house at 1760 NE 182nd Place were the five children of Krista Jordan, a night-shift manager at a McDonalds restaurant, according to the St. Petersburg Times.

They were Joseph, 15; Austin, 13; Shyanne, 12; William Jr., 8; and Trenity, 6.

“My babies!” the mother cried, until firefighters carried her away. “Someone get my babies!”

Citra is about 20 miles southeast of Gainesville.

Turn to the Times for more on this story.

This is an unedited transcript of Florida Gubernatorial Debate with CNN’s John King. CREDIT: CNN’s John King/USA.

JOHN KING, HOST: Good evening everyone from the University of South Florida in Tampa. This is a special edition of JOHN KING, USA, the Florida’s Governor Debate sponsored by CNN and the “St. Petersburg Times”. Just eight days from Election Day and this race, one of the nation’s most important contests, is a dead heat.

And the outcome could matter to you regardless of whether you live here in Florida. The country’s most populist state is front and center in all of the big national debates. Unemployment in this state just shy of 12 percent, it ranks second nationally in foreclosures. And immigration, health care, school standards and taxes all are front-burner issues in the race for governor.

The two candidates tonight, a Republican Rick Scott, a health care executive. And Democrat Alex Sink, the state’s chief financial officer. I’m also joined by Adam Smith, the political editor for the “St. Petersburg Times” — two quick pieces of housekeeping before we get started.

The candidates have graciously agreed to a free-wheeling format. We’ll have a lively conversation and our audience here has agreed to hold all reaction until our hour-long conversation ends. And let me remind the audience one more time that’s very important. Don’t deny your candidate’s time, so let’s get started.

Mr. Scott, if you watch your conversations here, your campaign rallies, your television ads, one would think that you might be running against the president of the United States. You call your opponent an Obama liberal. You made your name before you decided to run for governor attacking the Obama health care approach. Is there nothing this president has done in his first nearly two years, where you would say Mr. President, amen, I’m with you 100 percent.

RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA GOV. CANDIDATE: If I was going to pick one thing, at least he’s continued the — fight the war in Afghanistan, so I think that’s positive. He’s continued to do what President Bush did and try to defend the country. But I think the rest of his policies, the stimulus is a disaster. I think Obama care is going to be horrible for patients. It’s going to be horrible for taxpayers. It’s probably the biggest job killer ever. I think his just — you know his belief that big government works, it doesn’t. It’s killing jobs. And my opponent that’s — that’s what she believes in.

KING: One thing. One thing in nearly two years, that’s it?

SCOTT: That’s it.

KING: That’s it. Ms. Sink, I want you to answer his charge. If you listen to him, you are an Obama liberal and you would be a rubber stamp in Tallahassee. Anything the president wants to do in Washington, you would echo and help implement from the — from your position in Tallahassee. Where would you stand up to the president? Where has he been wrong?

ALEX SINK (D), FLORIDA GOV. CANDIDATE: Well let me give a lot of examples. Both sides where I agree with the president and I have disagreed with the president. But I have to say, Rick that every time you put that Obama liberal label on me, you just don’t know what you’re talking about. I have always been a fiscal conservative. I served as the chair — the vice chair –

KING: You say that you’ve always have been a fiscal conservative. Is that a contrast with the president? Has he not been a fiscal conservative?

SINK: Well I’m not — I’m not grading the president right now. What I’m answering is that Rick Scott continues to say that I’m an Obama liberal and you cannot put that label on me. Every newspaper in this state has called me a fiscal conservative with the right plan for Florida, who will cut taxes, that’s my plan, and cut government spending.

So let’s go back and talk about these charges about the relationship with the president. Let me say that I agree with the president on his education reforms. The reforms and race to the top are good and positive, and I’m very pleased that Florida was one of the winners of the race to the top grant. But when the president and his administration are doing things that hurt Floridians, he is going to hear about it.

SINK: Like?

SINK: Like I think that the Bush tax cuts ought to be extended. Look, Florida is a state of small businesses, and those tax cuts have got to be extended, because otherwise they will hurt small businesses, and my plan is all around small businesses. I also took issue with the handling of the BP oil spill and they heard about it from me loud and clear.

ADAM SMITH, POLITICAL EDITOR, ST. PETERSBURG TIMES: Mr. Scott, you’ve described the president’s agenda as a disaster for our economy. You look at your tax returns. You actually had greater taxable income under President Obama than you did Bush. Your tax rate is actually lower under President Obama. It seems like you are doing better under the president.

SCOTT: Well you know what I do is I follow all the rules. Whatever the tax rates are, the tax rates are. You know the way I’ve made my money is build companies. And so when you build companies and you sell things, that’s when you generally have your income. So that’s what I’ve done, but you know let’s look at, you know, what President Obama has done and what my opponent wants to do. She has spending plans that are going to cost us $12.5 billion. (INAUDIBLE) sent her a letter saying what taxes are you going to increase? We all know that all the things President Obama has done, we know that taxes have to go up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He keeps saying you are going to raise taxes. What do you say?

SINK: Well you know even your own newspaper ad called that charge false on every single count. I don’t know where that $12.5 billion comes from. There is nothing in my plan that calls for tax increases. That’s not the way to grow our economy. And let me just go back. Rick Scott constantly says I follow the rules. Well he certainly was not following the rules when he led a company that was convicted of 14 felonies because they were engaged in Medicare fraud. He is just somebody that we can’t trust, because he doesn’t know how to follow the rules.

KING: We’re going to those issues as we continue the conversation, but on the point Adam was just asking about, will you tell the people of Florida tonight — it’s the last chance they’ll get to see the two of you together before the election in eight days — that if you’re elected to a four-year term that you would absolutely not raise taxes? Or you cannot make that promise because you don’t know what is ahead?

SINK: Well my plan, which I have a very specific and detailed plan, calls for cutting taxes for businesses who hire more Floridians because look, that’s the problem that we have right now. Our unemployment rate is high.

SCOTT: (INAUDIBLE) other businesses could have tax increases —

SINK: No. I have nothing — there is nothing in my plans that says raising taxes. That is just a false charge that we’ve heard over and over and over again from Rick Scott.

SINK: Everyone — every one of your ads has been claimed as being full of lies and false ads by the newspapers.

SCOTT: That’s untrue. The — you are going to increase the pay for state workers. OK. How are you going to pay for that?

SINK: Rick –

ORLANDO, Fla. — I’m no food connoisseur but I will be the first to tell you how much I like to eat and eat well. I can’t say I disagree with the fact that Orlando was recently ranked to be less fun than Poughkeepsie but I can say that the City Beautiful will never be short on dining options. From southern comfort food to fine dining, we have it all. If you’re willing to venture out of the chain comfort zone you find yourself gravitating to because they are close to your hotel and eat like this local, you just might be willing to try something new in your own town.

Brunch/Lunch/Dinner

Harmoni – Market Bistro Wine Bar

407-637-8050

If you just happen to be craving local, fresh ingredients in a causal bistro scene look no further than Harmoni. Mediterranean based dishes provide a great range guaranteed to satisfy everyone with a motto of “Better is better” each meal is nothing short of delicious. With a majority of their items coming from local vendors, farms and fisherman it doesn’t get much fresher.

Open for brunch on Saturday and Sunday, 10-3pm, you can experience Cinnamon Challah French Toast with vanilla cream sauce ($7.50), that is sweet enough to not require maple syrup. Lump crab Benedict served with seasonal fruit and roasted red breakfast potatoes ($11). The mixture of the abundance of crab that is melt-in-your-mouth good paired with the roasted potatoes and of course the sauce make this breakfast decadent. Breakfast Panini’s, flatbreads and omelets’ with the locally blended coffee, and a low key setting with just the right amount of live music playing set the mood for a great way to start or end any weekend. If you happen to stop in for dinner try the fresh Baba Ghanoush as a starter($4), Gumba flatbread with rib eye, mushrooms, caramelized onions, tomatoes and bleu cheese ($10.50), Mediterranean Cobb salad ($9), Scallops with tomato parmesan couscous and wilted spinach ($16.50), and Basil Pesto pasta with their very own house made mozzarella ($10). Harmoni also has an impressive wine list with over 150 different varieties, locally brewed beers, occasional live music and a full bar round out this unexpected find at either of their two locations.

Lunch on the run

Black Bean Deli

407-628-0294

I discovered the Black Bean Deli many years ago while working down the street from their Winter Park location and it has since been a favorite. Rated “Best Cuban Food” and “Best take out” by Orlando Weekly and Orlando Sentinel for 5 years straight along with being ’ZAGAT RATED’ and best of AOL CITY SEARCH is proof this little gem has managed to win over a few others too. To avoid the lunch rush, it’s best to call your order in ahead of time because it’s typical for the line to snake out the door of the small order/pick-up area. With a menu of simple yet delicious Cuban favorites, I hardly ever deviate from the lunch special which is served daily until 3pm. It features a hot pressed Cuban that is always perfectly toasted and never fails on providing the exact balance of salty, sweet, crunchy, and melted cheese goodness that you come to expect when you think of a great Cuban. It comes paired with a small cup of black beans and rice ($5), which beats any value meal for the same price. Other favorites include Papas Rellenas, a mashed potato ball stuffed with Picadillo served with rice, beans, plantains’ and salad for ($6.75), and Flan ($2) to cover your sweet craving.

Comfort

Olde Dixie Fried Chicken

407-855-0681

Olde Dixie Fried Chicken, an Orlando landmark since 1962, has been serving up anything but mediocre fried chicken since the day they opened their doors. The decor hasn’t changed since that day either it seems with the original vintage sign still out front but neither has the menu. Their chicken is always fresh, never frozen and delivered daily. Their chicken is the definition of good fried chicken; crispy, juicy, perfectly seasoned and delicious. 3-pc chicken dinner with choice of two sides (potato, coleslaw, baked beans or macaroni salad, mashed potatoes, fries), hot rolls ($6.10) which is just basic good eatin’. Bucket o’ shrimp which features 25 large hand breaded shrimp, coleslaw, hot rolls, and their own tangy shrimp sauce ($22.95) claims to be able to feed 5-7 but I’ve seen it devoured by less. Fish or chicken sandwich ($4.10) are also just as equal in providing the love you feel after consuming any fried food.

Sushi

Nona Sushi

407-381-7777

I’ve become quite the sushi snob after my neighborhood was blessed with Nona Sushi. Set at the end of a nonchalant strip mall they have managed to set the bar high on serving up fresh delicious rolls in a very casual environment with excellent service that has me basing any other establishment off of. Edamame ($3.95), Tuna Kobachi ($8.95), and Seaweed Salad ($5.25) are my favorite ways to start. A wide variety of traditional and exotic rolls fill the menu but the Mexican that features shrimp tempura, avocado, cream cheese, jalapeno and eel sauce($10), Fresh Salmon Roe($5), Spicy Tuna roll with cucumber($8) and Dynamite roll with salmon, imitation crab, cucumber, battered and fried, topped with spicy hot sauce($8) are my favorites. A daily menu that offers new options from rolls to entrees for something different but entree list that doesn’t disappoint is always available. Chilean Sea Bass that is steamed with ginger & scallion soy sauce ($23.75) or Walnut Shrimp with mayo-flavored sauce and candied walnuts ($19.75) each entree is served with rice and your choice of Miso Soup or Ginger salad. Desert isn’t debatable with the Tempura cheesecake ($7.95) that is perfect for sharing.

Fine Dining

Bull & Bear Steakhouse

407-597-5500

If you really want go all out, a night at Bull & Bear is the way to go because the statement "go big or go home" is what they are all about. Even though Orlando is a far cry from New York City, we’re more than appreciative when not only the renowned Waldorf Astoria Hotel opened their doors in late 2009 bringing with it original creations such as the Waldorf Salad, Veal Oscar, Red Velvet Cake, Thousand Island Dressing and of course the Manhattan but introduced us to the several award winning Bull & Bear. From the attentive service, the plush gentleman’s club interior, fresh daily selections, and lengthy wine list; their promise of an extraordinary dining experience follows through.

Start with the Iced Shellfish Platter that features chilled Maine lobster, oysters, crab cocktail and gulf shrimp that are quite the statement on the oversized silver platter ($56) and Heirloom tomato salad with Burrata cheese and arugula ($15). Rack of Colorado Lamb features double cut loin chops ($42) cooked medium rare are not in the least gamey which just might have those reluctant to try something other than the norm. Broiled Diver Scallops that were almost the size of a half dollar in Tarragon scampi butter ($38) are nothing short of divine. Though Bull & Bear is known as the first restaurant on the East coast to first serve Certified Angus Beef which they display on five of the six beef selections, there is also the 10 ounce American Kobe skirt steak ($52). The skirt steak is not known for being a tender cut but if a butter knife could do the job then you know it’s good. Mac and cheese with pancetta ($8) that is so rich it is nearly impossible to consume more than a few sinful bites and Seasonal fresh mushrooms ($8) completed the meal.

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” is Universal Orlando’s upcoming addition to their “Islands of Adventure.” This new island is set to open officially in Spring 2010 and will feature several themed attractions, shops and a restaurant. Two of the rides scheduled to open are “The Dragon Challenge” and the kid-friendly “Hippogriff.”

One exciting feature under development is “Hogwart’s castle,” which will include a state-of-the-art attraction: “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.” According to a statement, guests will be able to visit some of their favorite locations both within the castle and around the castle grounds.

A lot of excitement has been building around the imminent opening of the island. A short survey on Harry Potter message boards, shows that Harry Potter fans are willing to pay up to $150 for admission, and one person offered to pay any price. Another survey from Theme Park Insider determined that 58 percent of survey takers have plans to visit the park in 2010.

In a statement, author J.K. Rowling said “The plans I’ve seen look incredibly exciting, and I don’t think fans of the books or films will be disappointed.”

CELEBRATION, Fla. — I tell people I’m from Orlando. All of us do.

The second the word "Celebration" escapes your lips, you start to raise some serious questions. Yes, Celebration, Florida is a real place. Yes, I grew up on Disney property. No, I am not an animatronic Disney robot. If I am, they did a great job of making me lifelike because I am freezing my little robotic ass off right now in Boston.

I moved to Celebration when I was 11, right as the school was being built and Walt Disney’s picture was still up on the wall. Celebration was designed to be the real EPCOT — an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow — where residents could work, eat, sleep and die all in the same place without ever leaving. Sometimes I feel like I grew up in either the 1950s or on “The Truman Show.”

And then I moved from "Pleasantville" to Somerville.

I’d always wanted to come to Boston. Mainly, I blame Celebration’s Town Tavern, which was the only place in town to hang out once you turned 21. The Tavern was like a home away from home, with Celtics and Red Sox gear on the walls and the "Boston Garden" patio. It seemed so great, but I forgot to take two factors into account. First, I was always drunk when I was there. Second, we had the heat lamps on once it reached 60 degrees. So did I know what I was in for? No. Not really.

Definitely, no.

But during the holidays, there are always parts of my new place up north that will remind me of home.

Like… snow.

Yes. This rumor is true. They pump out fake snow in the streets of Celebration during the winter. We needed something to keep us feeling festive in between the holiday decorating contest and the Radio Disney Holiday Concert in the middle of town.

Sure, you could bide your time watching that house that has their Christmas lights synchronized to holiday music. Or you could ride in the little toy train around the lake in search of Santa Claus and alligators.

But nothing beats fake snow.

Last winter was the first time I’d ever been freaked out by going home. As I sat drinking a glass of wine with a friend on Market Street, a loudspeaker made an announcement to the throngs of tourists gathering on the street.

“Once … In a magical land called Celebration … a little girl made a wish that she could see snow…”

The voice in the loudspeaker proceeded to get the entire street of people to wish as hard as they could for world peace and for dreams to come true. And then it happened. It snowed.

After experiencing real snow for a full winter, it was strange to sit on Market Street and watch perfect flurries fall from the sky while I was wearing a tank top.

Sidebar: For those of you back home who have never seen snow, it’s a lot like cold sand from hell. But in a good way.

Celebration snow is not actually snow. It’s what residents refer to as “snope,” a flurry of soap bubbles designed to look like snow that conveniently melt into the sidewalk after 10 minutes. No windshield scraper needed.

It might not seem so magical once you’ve moved north and have had to shovel off the top of your car, only to find a dozen orange parking tickets frozen to your windshield.

But all in all, it’s pretty much the same thing.

Keep wishing for snow, Little Girl. But snope is so much better.

Three Florida teens accused of burning 15-year-old Michael Brewer alive pleaded not guilty to attempted murder today, CNN reports.

Matthew Bent and Denver Jarvis, both 15, and Jesus Mendez, 16, along with two others, are accused of pouring rubbing alcohol over Brewer and setting him alight in an apartment complex in Deerfield Beach, Florida on Oct. 12.

According to investigators quoted on CNN.com, the day before Brewer was set on fire, Bent approached him to collect the $40 he allegedly owed Bent for a video game. Brewer had no money so Bent took his father’s bicycle as collateral. Brewer called the police and Bent was later arrested.

The next day, Bent and four other boys confronted Brewer and called him a “snitch”. They then set him on fire.

After being set on fire, Brewer made the conscious decision to jump into a nearby swimming pool, but not until 65 per cent of his body had already suffered severe burns.

Witnesses of the incident say Mendez set Brewer on fire with a lighter after Bent instigated the attack. Mendez admitted to setting Brewer on fire and acknowledged that it was a “bad decision” in an official statement.

Brewer was recently taken out of intensive care at the University of Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital Burn Center, but still faces many months of recovery there. Doctors say his face and hands were largely spared, though they say he will need multiple skin grafts and surgeries, CNN reports. Up until last week Brewer was breathing through a ventilator.

Bent, Jarvis and Mendez are all being charged as adults. Two other teens involved are being charged as juveniles and their names cannot be released by law.

Bent’s lawyer has publicly denounced the fact that his client is being charged as an adult.

The three boys will return to court on Jan. 17, 2010. If convicted they could face up to 30 years in prison.

A ukulele, a stove, a set of spoons, the autoharp, the upright bass — these are just a few of the instruments up-and-coming artist, Rachel Goodrich, has in her repertoire.

It doesn’t seem quite so unusual when you realize this is a girl who records her music video in a ladybug costume, “just for fun.”

Born and raised in the Sunshine State — Miami to be specific — Goodrich definitely does not need to worry about Seasonal Affective Disorder. With a healthy dose of sunshine on her face most days, Rachel says the warm weather has more than slightly shaped her music. “Keeps it a bit more upbeat,” she giggled.

Goodrich’s style is not typical of the area, but really neither is any other musician’s hailing from South Beach. It’s a mix of electronic, Latin fusion, funk, and the worldly sounding artists who line Lincoln Road, where Goodrich has spent countless hours buzzing her kazoo, strumming her ukulele, and crooning about life as she knows it.

She could play music on just about anything, probably even the kitchen sink if presented the challenge. It was a literal lack of instruments that fostered this resourceful creativity.

“I had to be inventive. I used to use the stove as a snare, made the best of what I had. Then I was like ‘Wow, this sounds much better than a snare.’ I stuck with it and enjoy those sounds a lot,” she said in a recent interview with Blast. She believes her music style is “a little different.” How different? Goodrich coined her own term to describe it: “shake-a-billy.” It makes you want to move your hips and, well, shake.

As for influences, she names Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Joni Mitchell, The Dead, and Dr. Seuss among the many.

Goodrich’s father played the guitar, and her grandmother, he piano, so there are at least a couple of musical genes in the family. Her parents fueled her musical passion by passing down numerous old-school vinyls, which she continued to collect, cherish, and idolize.

“I was introduced to (music) super young. Growing up, I thought it was part of being a child, regular, like taking piano lessons. I was like yeah I really want to play music,” she said. Rachel took action and started learning the guitar as a twelve year old. From there, she formed a few bands in high school and kept moving forward in the musical direction.

“It wasn’t until I was sixteen that I got really serious about it,” she recalled.

Goodrich left Miami for a brief academic stint in Gainesville, Fla. There, she tried her hand in the formal study of music, but found that it “stunted her growth.”

“Gainesville didn’t play a necessarily negative role,” she said, in a charmingly defensive manner. “It was just the whole small town, college party scene- it wasn’t my thing.”

Rather than going out eight nights a week to keg parties full of inebriated undergrads, Goodrich retreated to her bedroom for almost two years. There, basking in the creative silence of her own space, she “became truly acquainted with my records and music and real things and stuff.”

Goodrich returned to Miami and dabbled in jazz guitar. Despite honest intentions of continuing her studies, Rachel found herself fully immersed in the South Florida music scene. Now twenty-four years of age, her favorite place to play is Churchill’s Pub, a local joint. “It’s the best place ever. Everyone just kind of ends up there at the end of the night. Sometimes it’s just one big jam session. It’s awesome,” she said.

The past several years have been spent recording tunes in friends’ bedrooms, eventually releasing her first album, Tinker Toys, which dropped on her self-made label last October. Yellow Bear Records is the label, and Goodrich hopes to develop and grow it in time.

The story behind the name Yellow Bear is only fitting. Goodrich had been living in Gainesville at the time, hanging outside between classes (one can almost picture her: long shiny black hair, white retro sunglasses, skinny black jeans and converse sneakers– strumming the banjo) when a Native American man suddenly approached her and said “Me, I am Blue Bear. But you, you, you are Yellow Bear.”

“I thought I was hallucinating. I could have been,” said said.

While usually displaying an uninhibited and optimistic tone, Goodrich breaks her own mold in “The Black Hole,” a track with undeniably dark and downbeat undertones. Most of the album, she corrects, has dark undertones.

“It was a pretty weird moment when I wrote that song; it was a bright and sunny day but I wasn’t feeling so bright and sunny. Most of my songs are very related to events in my life. Sometimes I need an escape and it’s fun to tell a story,” Goodrich said.

What’s fun is being the listening ear to Goodrich’s many and colorful stories. In between our questions, Rachel inserted more than several “Oh mans” and “Ya knows.” It’s hard to tell if she’s an active participant or desperately reassuring herself. Either way, her manner is genuine and heartfelt.

As for a five-year plan, well, Goodrich has never even heard the phrase. Lucky her.

“I am so not aware of that term. I do live day by day. Wow! I mean, I do think it’s good to maybe set up some goals or, you know, things to look forward to- challenges and stuff. But no, I don’t plan ahead years I don’t think. No. No. I can’t even think…” and she trails off as if the here and now is all that is relevant.

A self-proclaimed “thinker,” Goodrich really does enjoy life — sudoku and good food among her many pleasures. The highlight of her most recent gig at the Heineken Transatlantic Music Festival was the spicy Jamaican food a fellow performer dished out.

As for all of that thinking, “It’s ok, but not great always. Either I am really excited and enjoying everything, or I am totally having an anxiety attack,” she said.

This sentiment seems all too familiar in the artist’s persona. Truly gifted musicians are, more often than not, conflicted, in one way or another. For Goodrich, the tedious tasks in life bring her down — like folding creases in sweaters at an old retail job, or the mixing of each individual track on her album.

No, Rachel Goodrich does not suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. She is an upbeat, positive young woman with a disposition as sunny as the state she calls home. Only by delving deep into her person, her lyrics, and her tone can one begin to sense what may be found beneath the sunny exterior- conflict, struggle, and thought. It is a rare bunch, however, which is so blessed and able to turn such complex talent into such beautiful music.

Listen for yourself. Buy Tinker Toys, and listen to every single word on every single track. You too will become one of Rachel Goodrich’s newest fans. You may even find yourself picking up a set of spoons and trying to make your own kind of music.

So what would she be doing if music weren’t an option? Goodrich says she’d be painting or doodling. For a long time she wanted to be a cartoonist, and was encouraged by her grandmother in that pursuit. “So for now I do both. If it’s not music, it’s art,” she said.

A moment passes and she nonchalantly adds, “or maybe I’d be a tollbooth collector or something.”

A Boynton Beach, Fla. woman busted four robbers who broke into her house after she saw them ransacking her home on a digital webcam security system that let her check in on her house from her work computer.

Talk about timing.

When Jeanne Thomas saw four men robbing her house, she called 911 and the cops got there before the thieves could get away with the loot.

In the interview with CBS, Thomas says she used refers to the camera as a “webcam” but Logitech was quick to point out that it was actually their WiLife Digital Video Security System.

The product, while not a traditional webcam per se, is a bunch of webcam-like cameras that you can view from the web.

Names aside, it was a good $250 investment for Thomas.

WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain, in a tight race, has won the all-or-nothing Republican primary in Florida.

Over the past few weeks, since his victories in both South Carolina and in New Hampshire, McCain has begun to emerge as something of a steamroller. Depending on how he fares on February 5, in what is as close to a national primary as possible, he could likely secure the nomination in a few weeks.

McCain won all 57 of Florida’s delegates after winning 35 percent of the vote. In Florida, McCain received the endorsements of wildly popular Republican Governor Charlie Crist, and Republican Senator Mel Martinez.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney came in second place with 31% of the vote. Romney, despite his second place finishes (with wins in Michigan, Nevada and Wyoming), has enough money to ensure that this campaign carries on and will not likely concede the nomination anytime before the last primary in June.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani finished a disappointing third after throwing all of his resources of the past month into the Florida primary.

Sources say Giuliani will drop out of the race tomorrow at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California and endorse McCain. Despite tensions among the other candidates, the two have always been respectful of one another.

Only Senator Hillary Clinton campaigned in the delegateless Florida primary. She claimed victory at a rally on Tuesday night. The Democratic party stripped Florida of its delegates for holding an early primary.

The nation now turns to February 5, where over 20 states will hold their primaries.

Stick with Blast and our Politics with a Touch of Class blog!

From our PRrag blog:

From WFTV Florida: (video on their website)

“A 75-year-old woman was arrested at a Clearwater McDonald’s drive-thru because police said she wouldn’t pull her car forward.”

The grandmother of eight asked for fries without salt. The fries took extra time to cook special, and employees told her to wait there for a few minutes.

Well that didn’t sit right with the cop waiting in line behind her.

He ordered the grandmother to pull forward in the drive-thru. Waiting for her coffee and special salt-free fries, she told the officer the McDonald’s employees asked her to wait there.

The cop called for backup, arrested the woman, Jean Merola, handcuffed her, took her to jail and searched, photographed and fingerprinted her before releasing her 90 minutes later.

Imagine a New England winter—the air is cold, crisp and clear. It’s a perfect evening to slide back the moon roof and watch the stars with that special someone. Imagine a Florida spring—temperate and green—with weather that makes you want to slide open the sunroof. Imagine a California summer—hot and bright—a convertible paradise.

Picture a car that can satisfy all three: the view of a moon roof, the breeze of a sunroof and the sheer satisfaction of a convertible.

Enter the 2007 Volkswagen Eos.

The Eos is the first hardtop convertible with a sunroof. While it may sound well overdue, this car has arrived right on time to usher in a new bar height for others to crawl under.

The secret is the coupe-sunroof-convertible (CSC).

“The CSC is a revolutionary five-panel roof that transforms the coup’es hardtop, with integrated sunroof and heated-glass rear window, into an open-air convertible,” said Kristin Lambert, spokeswoman for Volkswagen. According to Lambert (and first-hand experience) the whole transformation happens in 25 seconds.

Your editor spent a grueling work week between Miami and the Florida Keys in March with other members of the media. While there, we had a chance to check in on this German-engineered powerhouse and see what it can do.

The Florida Keys didn’t know what they were in for when the 3.2L turbocharged V6′s roared to life.

To be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first, not sure what the land of Bugs and Jettas was putting out in the Eos.

The Eos seemed strangely at home in Key West (which features the end of U.S. Rt. 1 and the southernmost point in the continental United States) enroute to Key Largo.

The 3.2L package I drove includes a double clutch automatic transmission system. You simply don’t feel the gears shift. It’s a computerized system that’s so smart, it could out-shift a professional racer, according to one Volkswagen spokesman.

While I tested the better engine package, the Eos comes standard with a four-cylinder engine and manual transmission also.

The convertible mechanism is a thing of beauty. As long as the Eos is stopped, one lever raises or lowers the top, sunroof and all, and folds it into the trunk in less than 30 seconds.

The Eos is also fast. 0-60 mph is well covered and (shh) so are 60-80 and beyond. The turbocharged engine performs amazingly well; stick your hand out the window in a Cali-style sloped motion if you need any visual help in that area. The car is just a pleasure to drive.

An onboard GPS navigation system is available to make sure your road trips don’t involve any more gas station stops than necessary. It’s built into the LCD on the dash and powered by DVD (by the way, there’s DVD too) so the system is constantly upgradeable.

One such upgrade-a partnership with Google Earth-is on the way, according to a VW press release.

Of course, AM/FM radio is included and satellite radio is an option that’s growing in popularity. This is powered by a 10-speaker Dynaudio sound system. A six-disc CD player in the armrest rounds off the audio/visual elements.

So those are the specifications and specifics. What makes the Eos better than any other sports car?

More importantly, what was it about the Eos that impressed an otherwise not easily-impressed media type?

As soon as I stepped into the driver’s seat, the Eos felt like it was mine.

It’s a hard feeling to describe. The smaller racing-style wheel and sleek racing pedals give the car an exciting edge. The side mirrors can be adjusted without looking away. The top comes up with a flick of the wrist. It comes in a variety of sexy colors. The seat was adjustable in a dozen different ways, including spinal support inward and outward; something swoon-worthy.

Basically, this car is actually comfortable to sit in and drive for several hours.

Think about that.

The whole concept of stretching legs was invented as a break in the otherwise uncomfortable long-form driving scenario. Here, it’s just not necessary.

The Volkswagen Eos is the ultimate cruising vehicle. It will seat four on your way to New England, Florida or California, no matter what season.

Skepticism resided, the Eos pleased me. It delivers. I just wish it was included in the “Three V-dubs for under $17,000″ campaign.

It starts around $27,000. The 3.2L is nicely equipped at $38,000.