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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 25, 2007

Many People To Thank

Blistered and sunburned, I am recovering from the Tampa Bay Breast Cancer 3-Day walk. Logistically it was a masterpiece. There is so much to think about with that many people involved.

Accolades to: traffic enforcement at intersections, medical volunteers, cooks (for delicious meals), the safety team, scanners, sign hangers, cheerleaders and Channel 10. So many to thank. Besides the overwhelming support of the crew, I was totally amazed at the love and support of the community.

So many people came out with coolers of cold water, ice, kind words, cheering children and touching signs. Many yards were decorated in pink pool noodles twisted in the shape of the breast cancer ribbon. Many people sat in their yards and gave 'high-fives' as we passed by. Going through the cheering station at John's Pass was very emotional. There must have been about 500 people there cheering us on. The vendors were out, and the spirit was so encouraging.

It was a privilege to be part of such a tremendous event. Thank you to everyone that made this possible.

SUSAN BODA

Tampa

Nursing Careers Derailed

In light of the recent articles and editorials about the Hillsborough County school nurse shortages and the response by the Hillsborough schools' administration, I find it incredible that both Blake High School and Hillsborough high schools have both recently canceled their first-year health sciences programs. This action makes it impossible for students in the inner-city area of Tampa to begin a nursing study program. In fact, my daughter transferred from Hillsborough High to Blake after being told one day before school started that the program was canceled. Now, the program at Blake has been canceled after just nine weeks of school.

Oh, sure, the program is offered at Armwood, Bloomingdale and Gaither - none of which are convenient, and the school system doesn't offer transportation to students on special assignment. What happened to the idea of high school students choosing a major course of study and being able to leave high school with skills that could prepare them for the workforce? Isn't nursing an area of critical shortage in this state?

PAUL ANDERSON

Tampa

Goodbye Rabbit Ears

A special aid to survival from disasters is being taken away from us. TVs are going totally digital in programming format in 2009, meaning that our old friends the 'rabbit ears' are of no use on analog TVs in a storm. Many of us were aided during those terrible weeks without electricity by turning on our portable, battery-operated TVs for traffic conditions, and ice, blue roofing tarps and bottled water pickup sites.

Our little TV brought to us a world we couldn't stay in contact with if we had just a radio. In 2009 we will have lost this great freedom and aid to survival. No one will be broadcasting in analog, therefore we will need electricity. To me it is a loss of a great but silent freedom to have that window on the world for $25.

DAVID SHELTON

Brandon

Not Too Late To Change

Regarding 'But, Tampa Isn't In South Florida' (Nation/World, Oct. 17):

With all the national attention, I was wondering if the school will ever change or alter the name to something more geographically correct. How about U of Southwest Florida? It'd still be USF and make a bit more sense.

It's funny they went with that name South Florida; After all, 'South Florida' was already a developed area around Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Since UCF changed its name about a decade after being established, I don't think it would be too much of a big deal to alter the name now.

JEFF OSWALD

Tampa

Rude Rutgers Reception

I was able to travel to and attend last Thursday's Rutgers football game with four others from Florida. We were unable to get visitor tickets in advance and wound up sitting among the Rutgers season-ticket holders wearing our University of South Florida colors. It was an experience that I never plan to repeat.

Now, I can understand zealous team spirit or shouting down visiting fans, but by halftime we were being subjected to obscenities shouted at us, I was spit on while standing in line at halftime and a few of us were hit in our seats by thrown objects - all for simply cheering USF's successes on the field. I am therefore proud of the fact that here in Tampa when a fan engages in shouting obscenities, he or she is removed from the stadium, not congratulated or high-fived by other fans.

I would ask that our fans learn from this experience. Friendly verbal sparing can be fun, but yelling hateful, ugly obscenities at visitors should never be tolerated and should be discouraged by all.

WILLIAM BRACKEN

Tampa

A Level Playing Field

Tom Schatz' column 'Europe Ransacks Intellectual Property' (Other Views, Oct. 12) is a gross distortion of the European Commission's recent ruling against Microsoft. The case dealt with allegations that Microsoft abused the monopoly position of Windows as a desktop operating system in order to capture the market for the file servers that interact with desktop computers. The EC ruled that Microsoft had failed to comply with orders to provide information needed to allow interoperability. This is by no means 'ransacking of intellectual property'; it is simply allowing for a level playing field.

A simple analogy might be to imagine that a single automaker manages to acquire a 95 percent share of the market and then enters the gasoline business. It then decides to change the specifications for what fuel can be safely used and refuses to tell other gasoline venders how they can comply on the grounds that it would violate its 'intellectual property.'

DAVID BRUCE

Tampa

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