South Florida’s Little Moscow has lots to offer

The unfamiliar-sounding names can be seen along a stretch of Collins Avenue and East Hallandale Beach Boulevard: Matryoshka Deli Food, Tatiana Club & Restaurant, Kirova Ballet Academy. The owners of these businesses are Russian-speaking professionals catering to Russian-speaking customers.

Welcome to South Florida’s Little Moscow.

Among the most famous of so-called Russian residents in this region are NHL player Pavel Bure and tennis player Anna Kournikova, who own luxury waterfront villas on nearby Miami Beach.

But those who live in the district that stretches from Sunny Isles to Hallandale Beach, could hardly be called “Russian.” They consist of more than 20 nationalities: Ukranians, Belorusians, Jews, Lithuanians, Latvians, Moldavians, Uzbeks and Chechens, to name a few. The only thing that unites all of these people is the Russian language.

Russian speakers began to emigrate during former Soviet Union times when many were fleeing for political and social reasons. Among those relocating to South Florida was a significant Jewish population. Immigrants of the 1970-’80s adopted the United States as their new homeland, so they spent much of their time trying to adjust themselves and their children to American traditions, culture and way of life.

The second wave of Russian immigration came after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. For many, the desire to relocate was for economic reasons.

“These people didn’t ruin their Russian connection — they kept on developing businesses and investing in Russia while staying in Miami,” writes Vera Kishinevski in her book Russian Immigrants in the United States: Adapting to American Culture (New Americans).

The author adds that many of the immigrants from that era still call Russia their home and follow Russian news, politics and the economy. Many also hire Russian teachers for their children.

At the Russian-named shops, cafes and bars that dot the bilingual Sunny Isles/Hallandale Beach district, customers can find just about any service in Russian faster than in English. Lawyers, doctors, hair stylists, tourism managers and journalists are ready fulfill the needs of Russian-speaking clients.

Janna Kirova, founder of Kirova Ballet Academy of Miami, has spent about 10 years teaching classical Russian ballet to American, Russian and Hispanic children. A professional dancer trained at the prestigious Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, Kirova said she can’t imagine herself without endless ballet classes. She teaches Russian-style choreography to her 200 students.

“Ballet is undoubtedly one of Russia’s symbols,” Kirova said. “As opposed to other arts, it’s been cultivating in our country throughout its whole history, even in the Soviet times. So it’s literally our natural way to express feelings in motion.”

“When I watched a ballet performance for the first time in my childhood, I was fascinated by its airy beauty and symbolism,” she said. “Ballet has become my way of life, my language and my love.” While Kirova’s dance academy has survived, other businesses in the Russian-speaking district have struggled, and a few have closed over the years.

Matryoshka Deli Food, which opened in November 2012, has become a popular gathering spot for Russian-speakers in Sunny Isles Beach. According to store owner Tatyana Pugachova, “It is a supermarket and bistro with traditional Russian food and with the high level of service that the Americans are used to.”

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Can the Government Really Ban Twitter Parody Accounts?

Arizona is entertaining a law that will make it a felony to use another person’s real name to make an  Internet profile intended to “harm, defraud, intimidate or threaten,” which to some sounds like a law against parody Twitter accounts. The legislation, if passed, would make Arizona one of a few states, including New York, California, Washington and Texas, to enact anti-online-impersonation laws. If these regulations seek to put a stop to fake representations online, that does sound like the end of fake celebrity baby accounts and Twitter death hoaxes. Then again, these laws have existed in these other places for years, and that hasn’t stopped the faux accounts from coming in. So what then does this mean?

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What kind of stuff is the law intended to prosecute?

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The law does not say that all uses of another person’s real name can be charged as a felony, but only profiles made for the more nefarious purposes fall into that territory. The legislation is  targeted at more serious forms of impersonation, like cyber bullying. Two Texas teens were arrested and charged under this law for creating a fake Facebook page to ruin a peer’s reputation, for example. Or, the case of Robert Dale Esparza Jr. who created a fake profile of his son’s vice principal on a porn site might fall under this law, suggests The Arizona Republic‘s Alia Beard Rau. Or, in one of the cases brought to court under the Texas version of this law, an Adam Limle created websites that portrayed a woman he used to date as a prostitute. (The case was eventually dropped because of a geographical loophole. Limle lived in Ohio, not Texas.) 

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Okay, the harm and threat in those situation is pretty clear. How can it at all apply to something relatively harmless, like a Twitter parody account? 

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The term “harm” is pretty vague, as this Texas Law blog explains, referring to that state’s version of this legislation, on which Arizona based its own law. “‘Harm’ can be very broadly construed–one person’s joke is another person’s harm,” writes Houston lawyer Stephanie Stradley. 

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So, that could extend to parody accounts then? 

Well, possibly. Stradley suggests that politicians who had parody accounts created to mock them might have a case. Some of the impersonation of Texas lawmakers has gone beyond just the jokey fake Twitter handle. Jeffwentworth.com is not the official site for Texas state senator, but rather redirects to the web site of the anti-tax advocate group Empower Texans which considers the San Antonio politician the “the most liberal Republican senator in Austin.” Wentworth told The New York Times this domain squatting amounted to “identity theft,” and could be the basis for the law’s usage. 

The law could also possibly effect sillier parody accounts, suggest privacy advocates. “The problem with this, and other online impersonation bills, is the potential that they could be used to go after parody or social commentary activities,” senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation Kurt Opsahl told The Arizona Republic’s Alia Beard Rau. ”While this bill is written to limit ‘intent to harm,’ if that is construed broadly, there could be First Amendment problems.”

Ok, but what about precedent? Has the law ever applied to a faux Twitter handle? 

Twitter has its own parody policy that mitigates a lot of the possible damage that could ever lead to a court case. Saint Louis Cardinals manager Anthony La Russa sued Twitter in 2009 because of a made-up account, but the account was removed before the case went anywhere (And that was before these laws went into effect.) 

But it’s not clear that parody would ever be considered harmful enough for the law. When California’s version went into effect, a first amendment lawyer suggested to SF Weekly‘s Joe Eskenazi that jokes could go pretty far without prosecution. “You’re going to have to have room for satire,” he said. The account would have to look fool people, he argued. “A key question is, ‘is it credibile?’” asks Simitian. “Do people who read it think it’s him?” Because of our increasing skepticism of things on Twitter, unless the site has verified checkmark, it’s unlikely that most people believe in a fake account for long. So, unless the imitation tweeter does something extremely harmful to someone’s character, it doesn’t sound like anyone would have a strong case. Alas, parody Twitter accounts, for better or worse (worse, right?) are here to stay. 

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Dallas DVD Season One Exclusive Clip 2013

Fans and critics were skeptical of TNT's decision to launch a reboot of the seminal 70's series, Dallas, when it was announced back in 2010.

VIDEO - Linda Gray Pays Tribute To The Late Larry Hagman

But naysayers were quickly won over once the sensational continuation of life on Southfork begun airing in June 2012. A turn of events star Jesse Metcalfe chalks up to the "The marriage between the old cast members and the new cast members." That's what, he says, makes Dallas "magic."

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ETonline scored an exclusive sneak peek off the Dallas: The Complete First Season DVD, featuring Metcalfe, Brenda Strong, Linda Gray and other cast members explaining why the next chapter in Dallas' story is one worth telling ... and watching!

Dallas: The Complete First Season hits DVD on January 8, click here to pre-order!

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Anonymous donor gives $500K to help repair Sandy-damaged South Street Seaport Museum

An anonymous donor has sailed to the rescue of the South Street Seaport Museum with a $500,000 check to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

The donation made up the bulk of $750,000 in contributions meant to help the museum recover from the storm.

Sandy didn’t damage any of the museum’s ships. But the storm’s floodwater walloped heating, electrical and communications equipment in several of its buildings.

Museum brass expect it’ll cost $22 million to fix and replace equipment and permanently move building systems to higher floors.

The museum reopened last month, and besides its ships it features several new seafaring-related art exhibits.

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Google strikes deal with FTC to end antitrust probe

LOS ANGELES — Google reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission to make voluntary changes to its search practices to put an end to a 19-month antitrust probe, the FTC announced Thursday.

Google also has settled an investigation into its handling of mobile technology patents that it acquired when it bought Motorola Mobility.

The settlement brings to a close one of the FTC's most closely watched investigations. Google still faces antitrust investigations by European regulators and some U.S. state attorneys general. Google is expected to offer concessions to resolve the European Union probe later this month.

Google agreed to give marketers more control over their ads. It also agreed to limit its use of snippets or reviews and other content from rivals, a practice that it had already moved away from.

It also resolved a separate antitrust case involving Google's use of patents to attempt to keep competitors from using mobile technology.

“The changes Google has agreed to make will ensure that consumers continue to reap the benefits of competition in the online marketplace and in the market for innovative wireless devices they enjoy,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. “This was an incredibly thorough and careful investigation by the commission, and the outcome is a strong and enforceable set of agreements.”

But competitors don't see it that way. That the Internet search giant is emerging largely unscathed from the antitrust probe frustrated competitors, including software giant Microsoft, which had its own years-long battle with antitrust regulators in the late 1990s and 2000s just as Google began its rise to dominance in online search.

Microsoft, which runs the Bing search engine, has accused Google of abusing that dominance, harming consumers and competitors. It has railed against the FTC for doing nothing to rein in Google's growing monopoly on the Web.

Google handles about two-thirds of all U.S. Web searches, according to research firm ComScore Inc. It handles more than 80 percent in much of Europe. The software giant has mounted campaigns to condemn Google's business practices. Smaller competitors have also complained that Google search results unfairly promote links to its own business listings, Google+ social network and other online services.

Google has maintained that it has done nothing wrong.

“The evidence the FTC uncovered through this intensive investigation prompted us to require significant changes in Google's business practices. However, regarding the specific allegations that the company biased its search results to hurt competition, the evidence collected to date did not justify legal action by the Commission,” Beth Wilkinson, outside counsel to the FTC, said in a written statement. “Undoubtedly, Google took aggressive actions to gain advantage over rival search providers. However, the FTC's mission is to protect competition, and not individual competitors. The evidence did not demonstrate that Google's actions in this area stifled competition in violation of U.S. law.”

“The conclusion is clear: Google's services are good for users and good for competition,” David Drummond, Google's senior vice president and chief legal officer, said in a blog post.

The settlement with the FTC and the search giant was nearly done before the Christmas holiday, but concern that the deal was too weak from rivals and state attorneys general delayed a vote from the commission.

David Balto, a former policy director of the FTC's bureau of competition, who also has done some paid work for Google, said the decision was a “win-win” for consumers.

“Consumers benefit because Google will not be hobbled by unnecessary regulation or denied the opportunity to try to win consumer loyalty through aggressive competition,” Balto said. “The FTC's mission is protect consumers and as today's statement makes clear, there is no consumer harm.”

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Naked man arrested after choking family dog

A barking dog woke a homeowner out of his early morning sleep Wednesday. When he grabbed his gun and went to check, he found a naked man choking the family pet.

When the victim tried to intercede, the culprit quickly turned around and began biting the man, according to Miami Police.

Fearing for his life, the victim shot the man, while family members called police.

The culprit continued to fight with officers who arrived on the scene.

The subject finally was taken into custody and transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center to be treated for a gunshot wound.

The victim was treated for his injuries.

Police charged the man, who refused to give his name, with burglary with an assault, resisting arrest with violence, lewd and lascivious behavior and animal cruelty.

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Jennie Garth Talks Excruciating Pain of Peter Facinelli divorce

It's been nine months since Jennie Garth separated from Twilight star Peter Facinelli after 11 years of marriage, and in a new interview with Health magazine, Jennie reveals that she went through "excruciating pain" from the split, calling certain moments "immobilizing."

"When I'm in excruciating pain, like with what I've been through with my breakup and that grief and loss that's just immobilizing, it helps to remember that it only lasts for 13 to 15 minutes, max. And then it's over," she says about dealing with the split. "Your mind is ready to go to something else. You might come back to it, but it helps to just know that that pain is not going to last forever."

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And Jennie has since moved on, admitting that she's stepped back into the dating game.

"I'm learning to date again," the Beverly Hills, 90210 star says. "Looks aren't important to me anymore. I like positive energy."

Garth also reveals to the magazine how she shed a whopping 30 pounds from her five-foot-five frame in 2012, after years of fad dieting that backfired.

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"My biggest regret is putting my body through fad diets: Atkins, cleanses, the hCG diet. I lost like 18 pounds, but it came right back," she shares. "The worst was fasting with colonics for three or four days. It was the most horrifying experience ever!"

Among her health tips? Weigh yourself every morning and build up self-confidence.

"I put Post-it notes with quotes or reminders of my awesomeness on my mirror. My favorite is: 'You are enough.' So often we walk around and feel inferior -- not smart enough or thin enough. It means that I'm enough exactly the way I am."

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Cops shoot man outside Brooklyn Technical High School

Police shot and seriously wounded a man today just outside Brooklyn Technical High School in Fort Greene, according to authorities.

The gunfire broke out just before 3:22 p.m. across the street from the school near or inside the brownstone at 48 Fort Greene Place, between Lafayette and DeKalb avenues, authorities said.

Emergency services workers are taking the shot man to Kings County Hospital.

An officer involved in the shooting was transported to Methodist Hospital, which is standard procedure for cops who shoot someone.

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Portion of Macy’s Flagler Street property sold

In a deal that could have implications for the future of Downtown Miami’s anchor retail tenant, a New York real estate investment firm paid $15.5 million to acquire about 60 percent of the property that now houses Macy’s Flagler Street store.

The acquisition by Aetna Realty Group includes the 48,000-square-feet of land that was first leased to R.W. Burdine back in 1917 for the Burdines store. The property was currently owned by 23 heirs of Richard and Harriet Ashby, who signed the initial 99-year lease with Burdine.

The sale was motivated by the impending expiration of that lease in 2016, said Lewis R. Cohen, a shareholder at GrayRobinson, who represented the Ashby family in the transaction that closed on New Year’s Eve.

Over the years, Macy’s has grown the downtown store well beyond the Ashby portion. Aetna has also made a commitment to purchase the remaining portion of the building that is currently owned by Macys, Cohen said. But that deal hasn’t closed yet.

“That deal is a sure thing,” Cohen said. “They could not have closed with us without having an agreement with Macy’s completely nailed down.”

Macy’s spokesman Jim Sluzewski said this transaction doesn’t impact Macy’s lease and he declined to comment on any other pending transaction regarding the property the retailer owns in Downtown Miami.

“It’s business as usual,” said Sluzewski, who would not discuss Macy’s long-term plans for Downtown Miami beyond the expiration of its lease.

But Cohen said Macy’s is in the process of finalizing a short-term deal with the new owners.

“They intend to stay for at least the foreseeable future,” Cohen said. “For a minimum of five years they’ll be there and possibly longer.”

Macy’s long-term future on Flagler Street has been in doubt since 2007, when then Macy’s Florida chairman took city leaders to task for the deplorable conditions downtown and threatened that the retailer might leave.

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South Florida starts the year on the right foot

Eating healthier. Quitting smoking. Saving money. Common New Year’s resolutions, all.

But none may be more popular than the decision to hit the gym and finally get into shape.

Tuesday morning, Dana Todd and her mother Donna Dardeen were two of the 130 people who got up early to attend a 90-minute Zumba class at the YMCA in their Pembroke Pines neighborhood.

Todd had already lost 25 pounds since she started dieting in September. But the new year inspired her to add exercise to her routine.

“I’ve been lazy, but no more,” said Todd, 31, who hopes to lose another 50 pounds. “Now is the time to do it.”

The decision to get into shape is logical, particularly after the overeating and indulgence of the holiday season.

“I ate too much and I need to exercise,” said Maria Rose Heggins Fallon, who is competing with her husband to see who will be the first to lose the weight they gained from a holiday cruise. “I am going to beat him. I want to lose 10 pounds in one month so I will be serious.”

Aside from the usual self-improvement vows, some people strolling down Lincoln Road on Miami Beach Sunday morning had more original resolutions in mind.

Sol Genet, 37, of Miami Beach says he has resolved “to boycott all forms of voting until Congress gets their act together. Until then, I’m sitting politics out.”

Aviva Raucher, 24, who was visiting from Connecticut, says she has vowed to “do one good deed a day, every day.” Her first? Leaving an extra fat tip at the restaurant where she had brunch.

Rodrigo Najar, 43, from Brazil, was in the middle of a jaunt through Florida, from Orlando to Key West, with his wife and two teenaged kids. “We usually take three trips a year, but I want to make it five this year and see more of the world with my family.”

The most philosophical resolution of the day, though, came from Julie Glasgow, 50, of Miami. “I’m going to treat every day as if it were January 1. You can start fresh every morning. Why wait until the beginning of the year to change and improve your life?”

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