Tag Archives: Florida

White Paper: Drivers of Zephyrhills’ Growth and Its Expansion Prospects

Posted on November 30, 2025 by nathanalbright

1. Executive Summary Zephyrhills, in eastern Pasco County, has shifted from a small, largely seasonal retirement town into one of the faster-growing small cities in Florida. Between roughly 2000 and 2023, its population grew from about 11,000 to more than … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Musings | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

White Paper: Timing of Design Standards in Temple Terrace, Florida

Posted on November 27, 2025 by nathanalbright

1. Introduction Temple Terrace, Florida, is unusual among Tampa Bay suburbs: it was marketed in the 1920s as a golf-course garden city anchored by Mediterranean Revival architecture, and still promotes that identity today. At the same time, the city has … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, History | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Origins of Florida Man and Florida’s Distinctive Reputation

Posted on April 2, 2025 by nathanalbright

The “Florida Man” phenomenon has become a defining element of Florida’s modern cultural identity. This unusual reputation for bizarre news stories and eccentric behavior has complex origins rooted in several interconnected factors. Origins of “Florida Man” The term “Florida Man” … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Devil’s Element

Posted on April 8, 2024 by nathanalbright

The Devil’s Element: Phosphorus And A World Out Of Balance, by Dan Egan This book hit surprisingly close to home for me. As a child, I grew up in the area very close where Florida’s phosphorus business goes on, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, History, Military History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Wherefore Art Thou Florida Man?: Part One

Posted on December 26, 2023 by nathanalbright

Although I have for more than a decade lived in the Pacific Northwest in the area of Portland, Oregon and its surrounding communities, I have still spent a majority of my life as a resident of the state of Florida … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Hurricane Tales

Posted on September 28, 2022 by nathanalbright

In August of 1992, I remember having the day off of school for a very important reason–a hurricane, Hurricane Andrew specifically–was crossing the state of Florida and so school was canceled because of the threat that the storm posed to … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

On The Slow Boat From China

Posted on July 23, 2022 by nathanalbright

On the day before she returned to Florida from our usual annual vacation, my mother was finally able to get in touch with my stepfather on the phone to chat, and when she did she found out that he had … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Hotel Review: Ramada By Wyndham Miami Springs/Miami International Airport

Posted on June 29, 2022 by nathanalbright

In a line to the immortal rap song “No Pigeons” by Sporty Thieves (itself a response song to TLC’s classic “No Scrubs”), there is a disparaging line about the Ramada Inn. While I do not mean to express myself so … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Restaurant Review: Old Tom’s Sports Bar

Posted on June 29, 2022 by nathanalbright

One thinks that the Old Tom’s Sports Bar may not even be in business if it did not have a captive supply of customers from the Airport Ramada, as was the case with my mother and I last night when … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

An Experiment In Urban Hiking

Posted on June 22, 2022 by nathanalbright

One of the aspects of traveling that I have often found intriguing is the way that airports are designed. In many ways, Orlando International Airport is designed like Tampa International Airport, with various smaller terminals that are connected to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings | Tagged , , | Leave a comment