Doggie Door
Dog-loving regulars on Park Avenue have been dreading the impending closure of Bullfish. Owners Jeff Brow and Brian Wettstein recently opened a Bullfish in Baldwin Park, announcing that high rent and scarce parking were driving them off the Avenue for good. The Park Avenue Bullfish sells the same unique canine gifts and accessories that the couple had popularized at The Doggie Door, which closed three years ago. But now the savvy retailers are coming back. Drawn by plummeting rents on Park Avenue, Brow and Wettstein are finalizing plans for The Doggie Store a few blocks north of their previous location, near Panera Bread. The new shop, set to open in early October, will offer pet-related merchandise. Bullfish in Baldwin Park will focus on gift items and home accessories.
Many fronts in the culture wars
A 17-year-old Ohio girl meets a Florida Evangelical preacher online, hops on a bus headed south and deserts her Muslim family. When she arrives in Orlando she tells authorities that she is afraid her father will kill her for converting to Christianity. The father claims he would never harm his daughter, and will allow her to practice the religion of her choice—but he wants her home. The girl’s attorney sees things differently. “She is literally a dead girl if she is sent back to Ohio,” he says. “Extremist Muslims take the Quran literally.” Sound a little over the top? Religious experts think so, but consider the source: Amendment 2 advocate John Stemberger, who also claimed that constitutional protections against same-sex marriage are necessary to prevent the downfall of Florida families. Stemberger is president of the Florida Family Policy Counsel. He’s representing the young girl with the assistance of fellow Orlando-based right wing attorney, Liberty Counsel president Matthew Staver.
Tidbits
At the suggestion of Daily Show host Jon Stewart, Ben and Jerry’s recently announced that they will change the name of their popular “Chubby Hubby” ice cream flavor to “Hubby Hubby” to celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage in home-state Vermont. * Happy about football season? Enjoy eye candy? Visit Men.Style.com/gq/features for some magnificent shirtless photos of god-like University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.
