Florida Squeeze article Finding Dan McCarty

Our good friends at THE FLORIDA SQUEEZE are just too nice
here is a lovely little article they wrote about the book




Finding Dan McCarty the new book by Robert Buccellato has been released and is available via Amazon.com (click on the link on the book title to purchase a copy). I’m honored to have contributed to this work writing a Forward which was about the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s in Florida politics.

"A thin layer of glass separated him from the crowd; the endless stream of people walking past his open casket, glancing down at his lifeless face. His body lay resting inches from the main rotunda stairway where just a handful of years earlier he could be seen running up in a mix of energy and youthful vigor that would make him Florida’s youngest speaker and Governor. South Florida’s first Governor, a progressive who was also a realist, McCarty was now stricken by a heart attack. His policies now at the hands of his nemesis, the arch conservative Senate President Charley Johns. But fate and happenstance stepped in and allowed his state to flourish none the less. Finding Dan McCarty is a story about two very different men on similar journeys of personal and professional discovery. On the one hand is an Historian reaching out to the last members of this distant moment in Florida’s history to understand the life of a deceased politician, long hidden under a cloak of mystery. The other is a fallen Governor, who left behind in his wake a lasting legacy of achievement. A story which paints vivid portraits of McCarty’s many enemies, allies, and the historic events that formed the Governor’s thrilling brief life. Written by Robert Buccellato author of the acclaimed “Jimmy Carter in Plains.”

Finding Dan McCarty

here is a link to my new book on Governor Daniel McCarty, Florida's 31st governor.



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/151740553X/ref=crt_ewc_img_ld_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


A thin layer of glass separated him from the crowd; the endless stream of people walking past his open casket, glancing down at his lifeless face. His body lay resting inches from the main rotunda stairway where just a handful of years earlier he could be seen running up in a mix of energy and youthful vigor that would make him Florida’s youngest speaker and Governor. South Florida’s first Governor, a progressive who was also a realist, McCarty was now stricken by a heart attack. His policies now at the hands of his nemesis, the arch conservative Senate President Charley Johns. But fate and happenstance stepped in and allowed his state to flourish none the less. Finding Dan McCarty is a story about two very different men on similar journeys of personal and professional discovery. On the one hand is an Historian reaching out to the last members of this distant moment in Florida’s history to understand the life of a deceased politician, long hidden under a cloak of mystery. The other is a fallen Governor, who left behind in his wake a lasting legacy of achievement. A story which paints vivid portraits of McCarty’s many enemies, allies, and the historic events that formed the Governor’s thrilling brief life. Written by Robert Buccellato author of the acclaimed "Jimmy Carter in Plains."

Stranded John Cleese takes US$5,100 cab ride from Oslo to Brussels

Just found out about this
apparently it happens several years ago
and it just cracks me up

Article originally from National Post arts section



OSLO — Monty Python comedy legend John Cleese took a US$5,100 dollar taxi ride from Oslo to Brussels after becoming stranded in Europe’s volcanic ash travel crisis, the Norwegian TV2 broadcaster reported on Friday.

“We checked every option, but there were no boats and no train tickets available. That’s when my fabulous assistant determined the easiest thing would be to take a taxi,” Mr. Cleese told the broadcaster in a telephone interview posted on its website in Norwegian.


The bill? A whopping US$5,100, said Mr. Cleese, who was visiting the Norwegian capital to take part in the popular Scandinavian talk show Skavlan.

The taxi carried two extra drivers for the 1,500 kilometre drive, TV2 reported.

“It will be interesting. I’m not in a hurry,” Mr. Cleese said, adding that from Brussels he planned to take the Eurostar train to London, where he hoped to arrive by 3:00 pm on Saturday.

“I will think about a joke you’ve probably already heard: How do you get God to laugh? Tell him your plans,” Mr. Cleese said.

The comedian is not the only one spending heavily on taxis as the volcanic ash from Iceland spreads over Europe.

According to Oslo Taxi, drivers have made numerous trips between Oslo and Stockholm since Thursday and a number of fares have gone even further.

“The longest trip so far was from Oslo to Paris,” Oslo Taxi spokesman Lars Dolva told the NTB news agency.

Agence France-Presse

monty python and the holy grail artwork

There is something profoundly wonderful about the visual aspects of the second and most praised Monty Python movie "monty python and the holy grail."
It is this mild mix or blend of the current culture of the 1970s and the public's own imagery of the middle ages.
great credit must be given to Terry Gilliam and his efforts to transform the movie's artwork and cartoon into a tool to push the narrative along.

The start of a great cartoon in the middle of the second act which manages to bring all the parties back together after their respective sections.

Part of the film's cover

My personal favorite was this scene

OF COURSE ITS A GOOD IDEA!!!!! God my absolute favorite part of the film.

New Promotional images for Jimmy Carter in Plains

Cyrus Webb Radio show book review

Robert Buccellato shows with JIMMY CARTER IN PLAINS that anything is possible

Last year I had the pleasure of connecting with author Robert Buccellato and getting an advance copy of his book JIMMY CARTER IN PLAINS. As someone who loves history and getting to know the story behind the individuals we feel as though we know, I was excited for the chance to read it. I didn't know at the time, however, that it would take me not just into former President Carter's humble beginnings but how where he was from and what he accomplished became so personal for those around him.

What Robert has done through words and most importantly pictures is give us a snapshot into the life and the home of a man who believed great things were possible, no matter where you are from---and what he accomplished proved just that. This is not a political book. This is a book of hope and of appreciation that where we begin may not tell you how far you can go but it can be the starting point for everything in your life.

It wasn't just that Jimmy Carter became President. It was that he showed that anyone could do it if they believed, put in the work and had a vision for what was possible.

This is a book that will take you back into a former President's life but also remind us that moving forward that it all begins with a decision to do something great and then rallying others to believe it can happen for them as well.

Jimmy Carter in Plains: Robert Buccellato valdosta daily news article

“Jimmy Carter in Plains” is mostly a picture book filled with photographs of the 39th President and his family in their Georgia hometown.

Charles W. Plant provides the mother lode of photos. Robert Buccellato provides the words.

The book is part of the Images of Modern America series.

There are plenty of photographs of all of the Carters from the period when he was running for President of the United States: Brother Billy, mother Lillian, wife Rosalynn, etc.

The book reveals Carter’s small-town roots and his outsized ambition to move from the office of Georgia governor to the White House.

Ironically, as the book is filled with Plains photos and remains true to the title “Jimmy Carter in Plains,” the cover is a photograph of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter walking the streets of Washington, D.C., during the presidential inauguration.

With dozens of photos, the book is an interesting look, literally and figuratively, into the small town that fueled the rise of Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential campaign. The same town that serves as his home and inspiration today.

ANDY AND DON: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show

//Andy and Don// by Daniel de Vise is a revealing biography with the kind of sweeping narrative and premium placed on detail, that its impossible for it not to become a definitive telling. De vise's book attempts and largely succeeds as a behind the scenes account of the Andy Griffin Show and the complex lives of its stars. Most striking is the author’s access to the subject matter; he was after all the brother in law of Don Knotts and the vastness of his research. Every single living member of the cast was extensively interviewed as was countless friends and family. ||The book is a both an exploration into the surprisingly spirited personal lives of its two titled characters and their own personal friendship that helped create an American Television Classic. A perfect gift for any lover of American comedy or celebrity biographies of course, but also a wonderful read for any lover of Non fiction. Or anyone looking to take a leisurely stroll down memory lane and take a dip into the nostalgic waters of long ago.

Publisher Simon & Schuster
Imprint
Price (use $) $ 26.00
Page Count (type "pages" after number) 320 pages
Category N02 Biographies & Memoirs