. >>> for those of you who took this weekend to pack it up for the sarasota or the keys, we're july lus-- jealous. those who went north, went right into the teeth of the storm. >> reporter: all it took is one winter pounding to make northeasterners long for those days when the summer hit from a hurricane was the biggest fear. it turns out this year's most freakish weather event was a snowstorm. no trick or treaters. >> it's too dangerous. >> reporter: some places got 30 inches of snow. more than 3 million customers lost power. >> this is really a power outage driven by the snow and the fact that the leaves were still in the trees. >> reporter: in new jersey more than half still don't have power. in connecticut more than 70% lost electricity. in new york city the snow melted quickly but destroyed 1,000 trees, eight times more than irene took out. at least a dozen people died. at the airport in hartford, connecticut, passengers were unhappy. >> jetblue has demonstrated a callusness towards its passengers that i find hard to comprehend. >> reporter: they were tracked on the tarmac for seve

by the way, sarasota got rated the best beaches in the country, including hawaii.mate for entrepreneurs, risk takers and people building businesses. we need more diversity. the free trade agreement is a big part of that. i'm very bullish on florida long term. >> excellent. >> you know what, vern, to borrow words from robert wexler, you are half right. >> just half right. >> i too am bullish on florida's future, but anybody can tell you, sarasota doesn't have the number one beaches in the world. pensacola does. vern, with that, we're out of time. >> sorry. we can't hear you. >> thank you so much. robert wexler, my whom is here. she's forgiven me for talking to you. i ask that your family forgive you for being on my show. >> i'll forgive you. >> very good. >> david stafford, thank you for doing that. >> thank you for doing this for pensacola state college. >> we're going to drop by the pace center for girls who do a wonderful job. >> busine"business before the b next. we'll be back in just a moment. ♪ >> welcome back to "morning joe." we get a check on "business befo

brazil or residents of siesta key in sarasota florida trying to figure out how a giant lego man washed up ashore on their beach the eight foot tall one hundred pound five revised lego man was found lying on the beach tuesday with the words no real bell and you are scrawled across its chest and had residents full of speculation about where it came from. so i heard it probably fell down the boat somewhere so we're told i do think it was from the u.f.o. people i really do. whether aliens would use lego's to begin their assault is unclear but we can officially rule out the lego company a representative quickly released a statement denying responsibility for the stunt even though the incident coincidentally coincides with the opening of lego land florida last month even stranger this isn't the first time a lego man has washed ashore around the world now to two thousand and seven a lego man appeared oland in two thousand and eight a lego man was found washed up in england a peculiar dutch artist named ego leonard through rumored to be responsible for the lego man incidents his name was scraw

host: what is the housing situation like right now in sarasota?aller: not too much construction and residential. there are a few projects and commercial. -- in commercial. we did a baseball stadium. host: in sarasota, you think the fact that people cannot afford the houses or are the prices too high, they cannot get loans to buy the houses? what is holding up the housing recovery? caller: in my opinion i think there is a lot on the market. a lot of people cannot get loans. they are afraid to buy because of their job situation. but the point i wanted to make, it is related to finding a job. there are a lot of companies that will not hire people because they have things on their record, and they did not investigate if the person pleaded guilty because they had to, they could not afford a lawyer. host: is that your situation? caller: yes, it is. i was convicted for child abuse but i did not touch them, i just ran them. i had to plead guilty because i got tired of sitting in jail for six months. the lawyers are all busy with their cases so i took a pl

made of fiberglass and washed up on a beach near sarasota. no exact information where he comes from but maybe it has something to do with the opening of a new legoland. some surprised beach combers are talking. >> i figure he probably fell down from up above somewhere. i don't know where it came from. >> i kind of think it was from the ufo people. i really do. >> ufo people. >> okay. >> i know those guys. by the way, company officials deny they have anything to do with lego man's mystery appearance although they joked he does deserve one phone call and an attorney. the rightful owner has 90 days to come get him. >>> tying the knot in the midst of an incredible drug storm blasted during their ceremony in phoenix just as they were saying their i dos. >> kind of thought we could get through it and we could be in the reception then if it broke loose, it did, but it broke loose during the ceremony instead. >> laughing now. at the time i'm just eating dust. >> i love the video caption. capture the memory. you won't ever forget that one. >> no. >> t

real estate consultant richard kessler has tracked foreclosure filings in manatee and sarasota countiesand found problems in most of them. >> we found in 72% of the cases the documentation was defective. in other words, things were left out. they weren't there. they contradicted themselves. or they were downright fraudulent and fabricated. >> turns out these banks, which demand borrowers have all of their paperwork just right, these same banks have fouled up their own paperwork to a historic degree. >> the family of six that lives in this home thought they were getting a loan modification. then through a realtor and friend they found out that their home was already in foreclosure and sold. >> so why should any american citizen be kicked out of their homes in this cold weather in ohio? it's going to be 10, 20 below zero. don't leave your home. because you know what? when those companies say they have your mortgage, unless you have a lawyer that can put his finger or her finger on that mortgage you don't have that mortgage. and you're going to find they can't find the paper up there on wa

carol, this guy just kind of floated ashore there in siesta key near sarasota.eight feet tall. it's done by a dutch artist. guys like this have floated up through the netherlands and through the uk. but this one all of a sudden popped up across the western coastline of florida. coincidentally, i don't know if this had anything to do with it, there's a legoland exhibit happening in winter haven, florida. >> you're kidding. >> yes. maybe there's a connection. >> i don't know. it was so much better when it just seemed random like that. it is an interesting sight. >> there is the free publicity for legoland. see you at 6:00, carol. >> i'll be there. >>> the good news, we're getting a look at the list of the most reliable cars from "consumer reports." the bad news, one american carmaker, well, it's not on the list, but first let's take a look at the "phrase of the day," shall we? it's lagrangian point. it's six minutes till the top of the hour. women men and uh pandas... elbows mmm [ male announcer ] wanchai ferry, try it yourself. when you're a sports photographer,

look at the giant lego man that washed ashore in sarasota.ounds is the work of a dutch artist. some suspect the stunt may be tied for the recent opening of legoland florida. legoland officials deny any involvement. anderson? >> thanks very much. a dust up on "dancing with the stars." one of the dancers had it with one of the judges. the rediculist is neck. [ male announcer ] at transamerica, we are the tomorrow makers. we're making tomorrows like clockwork. ♪ for all the different things our customers planned for. like a college education. or, the perfect wedding. ♪ ♪ i love ya, tomorrow! [ male announcer ] we're making them a better financial future. what can we make with you? transamerica. transform tomorrow. ♪ we're centurylink... a new kind of broadband company committed to providing honest, personal service from real people... 5-year price-lock guarantees... consistently fast speeds... and more ways to customize your technology. ♪ >>> tonight, an american original. a businessman who changed the world. >> an ipod. a phone. >> perpetrated

host: sarasota, florida, is next, doug, republican line. caller: hi. i have seen that the public is not treated well in florida, that number one in the past 10 years, the senate is not viewed by the general public, and my big question is, what if ron paul is elected in florida, what happens then? guest: whomever. if he wins the primary -- look, whomever wins the republican primary, whoever ends up as our eventual nominee, republicans are going to unify and come together and ensure that we elect that nominee as the next president of the united states. the current president and the current administration has to go. right now, if you look at our debt under this president, it breaks down -- it's over $14 trillion, it's over $48,000 for every man, woman, and child in the united states. think about that. what parent in their right mind that loves and cares for their children would go out and continue to charge money on a credit card that would ultimately be left to their children? that's what this government is doing right now. now, i know that folks will re

we have joseph klein, sarasota, florida, 100 years old, loves, i mean enjoys growing all kinds of orchardsng his beautiful wife. how sweet. how fortunate the man is. and so is she. edith pearson, albert city, iowa, 103 years old. still has all kinds of wonderful memory and her memory is so incredible it amazes her family, and loves to bake cinnamon rolls. my favorite in the whole world, hot cinnamon rolls and cold milk. william stearns, towson, maryland, just up the road from us, baltimore, 100 years old, proud ww ii veteran and loves to go out and enjoy his garden and life. chesapeake bay i'll be over tomorrow morning. i love the name bennie and here is bennie, not jack but genie wa watanabe from wheat ridge, colorado, a former, i believe successful christian missionary all over the world and loves to teach the bible. good old charlie, charles krenzer from fremont, nebraska, 100 years old today loves to play cards and eat fresh veggies, and he is a fine man of class. how about that. that's it. that's all from washington at this time. >> all right, thanks so much, willard. >>> coming up ne

they went to sarasota to get a salary. they went to michigan, new york. what does this mean to you? caller: if we would have never set up a welfare state, we would not have the problems we are in right now. we would have had people to gather our fruit and vegetables, working in our meat factories. my mother worked in a meat factory. my mother had an eighth grade education and my father had a fourth grade education. guest: to put this in perspective, we are in an economy with an on climate rate -- an unemployment rate of 9.1% and of evidence that shows people are trying desperately to work and are unable to find employment. we have a different set of rules now about not being able to go to work so we need to provide child care because sometimes it is not available. sometimes we need extra money to create subsidized jobs. illinois crated a subsidized program and and that placing 35,000 people. they had no trouble getting people to take those jobs. some of it is a misnomer that people will not take the jobs. some people do not have the education or skills th

myers area and get up to sarasota and tampa before the day is done. chance of that happening and getting picked up by the lower level winds and that's the moisture source and that's teaming up what is coming through the south of texas. these two systems will come together and have them selves a party across the east coast. beginning across florida and then the mid-atlantic and southeast and into the delmarva and into the northeast before the week is done here. heavier rains in front of and behind this system and note as little bit of white mixing in there, as well. decent amount of cold air behind this, as well. temperatures could drop as low as the lower 20s and for game one of the world series tomorrow might, it's going to be windy and temperatures probably not out of the 40s. if you're traveling today, thunderstorms should slow things down and not too much in the way of red on the map. >> christine was asking me what the word in haboob in arabic means. i think it means dust storm. it didn't mean, like it wasn't some kind of unusual meaning that mig

host: grade, independent line from sarasota. good morning. caller: straight to the point. what we have to do is start something pretty simple. you have to leave something so you're not a grease spot by midnight when it comes to a 40. we have to get to a point in our voting when it comes to congress -- we have to say my vote given with no confidence in the party is. it is not like kissing your sister. you put everything in front of them and say who are these people? what have they done? they are drawing lines in our cities. they exist. it is a form. you cannot double flush them because of the constitution. but when it comes to congress, my vote given with no confidence in the parties. guest: no-confidence is the perfect phrase to use. there is no confidence in our government. there is no confidence in our economy. without that confidence and without the trust, the wheels do not turn could this is why we are stuck. we are stuck in washington. we are stuck on wall street. we are stuck economically because we do not trust the system. we have eight games to play, but we do not

host: greg, independent line from sarasota. caller: straight to the point.t we have to do is start something pretty simple. you have to do something so you are not a -- just a grease spot by midnight. we have to do something in our voting that when it comes to congress, we have to say my vote, my vote given with no confidence in the the parties. it is not like kissing your sister. it is like sticking everything in front of them and saying who are these people. what have they done to draw lines in our cities? they exist. it is a form. you cannot double flushing them because of the constitution. but when it comes to congress, my vote given with a no- confidence in the parties. guest: no-confidence is the perfect phrase to use. there is no confidence in our government. there is no confidence in our economy. and so, without that confidence and without the trust, the wheels cannot turn. this is why we are stuck. stuck in washington, stuck on wall street, stock economically because we do not trust the system. you cannot even say we have a game to play if we don't

and we start with one from the "sarasota herald tribune." according to the new study, fish living in marshes exposed to bp crude have showed clear signs of oil-related toxicity. the study published last week recounts earlier assessments that the gulf has returned to normal following the spill. >>> and the "financial times," greece's cabinet agrees to big budget cuts. including the immediate layoff of thousand of public sector workers. the mood is tense and that transportation workers are planning to wage a strike. yes, what a brilliant move. strike your way into bankruptcy. >>> and now to the guardian. in an attempt to slim its population and cut heart disease, denmark became the first country in the world to impose a fat tax over the weekend. under the measure, all foods will have an additional cost based on saturated fat content. this means the price of butter will almost double with an added $2.87. >> you're happy about this -- >> are you moving to denmark? >> i think it's a good idea. >> you're happy about it. >> guess what happened over

the sarasota herald tribune says an outcry from angry customers has prompted netflix to abandon planso separate its dvd by mail service from its online streaming business. >> boy, that ended very quickly didn't it? >> the company stock has lost almost two-thirds of its value since announcing the price increase three months ago. great story from "the washington post." >> that's right. one woman's decision to run in the chicago marathon is sparking an interesting health debate. 27-year-old amber miller of chicago entered the marathon this past weekend despite being 39 weeks' pregnant. she says she felt contractions about halfway through the race so she walked the rest of the way. she made it to the finish line and gave birth hours later. she says her doctor gave her permission to do a half marathon and word is that mom and baby are apparently doing fine other than the fact that baby has to grow up with a mother that has that type of judgment. >> no. >> i read this story to my wife last night and she screamed in outrage. who is the doctor who said this was okay? >> seriously. doctor clea

host: independent line from sarasota. caller: what we have to do is start something simply. you have to leave something. when it comes to voting, you have to get to the point in the voting were when it comes to congress we have to say, my vote cannot be given with no confidence in the party's. it is not like kissing your sister. it is like putting everything in front of them and saying, who are these people? they just exist, it is a form. you cannot double flush them because of the constitution, but when it comes to congress, my vote is given with no confidence in the parties. guest: that no confidence is the perfect phrase to use. there is no confidence in the government. there is no confidence in our economy. without that confidence and without the trust, the wheels don't turn. this is why we are stuck. we are stuck in washington, in wall street, we are stuck economically because we did not trust the system. you cannot even say we have a game to play if you don't trust the rules. we think they are fundamentally unfair. the majority of americans feel that way. there is a la

they went to sarasota to get a salary. they went to michigan, new york. host: what does this mean to you? caller: if we would havnever set up a welfare state, we would not have the problems we are in right now. we would have had people to gather our fruit and vegetables, working in our meat factories. my mother worked in a meat factory. my mother had an eighth grade education and my father had a fourth grade education. guest: to put this in perspective, we are in an economy with an on climate rate -- an unemployment rate of 9.1% and of evidence that shows people are trying desperately to work and are unable to find employment. we have a different set of rules now about not being able to go to work so we need to provide chd care because sometimes it is not available. sometimes we need extra money to create subsidized jobs. illinois crated a subsidized program a a that placing 35,000 people. they had no trouble getting people to take those jobs. some of it is a misnomer that people will not take the jobs. some people do not have the educatioor skills that p