Nan Rich to Florida mainstream media: Don’t count me out
“It’s like the Tortoise and the Hare,” said Rich about her low-key campaign.
Mitch Perry Report 5.15.13 -Decision time (again) for St. Pete City Council
On May 2, the local media pumped up big-time the St. Petersburg City Council's decision on whether or not to fund an additional $1.5 million on the next design phase of the Lens. The vote took place with the threat of a referendum cancelling the project very much in the air. The Council voted 5-3…
Pork love and Knob Creek bourbon
Sidebern's Executive Chef Chad Johnson strode into the dining room with a full Berkshire pig (from the nearby Summerfield's Pasture Prime) draped over his shoulder. Everyone at last week's Knob Creek Big Flavor Dinner dropped their Manhattans and gathered around a demonstration table. And with three knives, and seemingly little effort, Johnson showed the room…
Pinellas County GOP at Tiger Bay: Session was great, though Dems disagree
Pinellas Legislators breaking bread (from L to R) Larry Ahern, Jeff Brandes, Dwight Dudley, Ed Hooper, Jack Latvala, Kathleen Peters, Darryl Rouson (not pictured, Carl Zimmerman) According to most of the Pinellas County area GOP state lawmakers who gathered at the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club's meeting at the St. Petersburg Marriott Clearwater on Tuesday, the…
New music Tuesday! (May 14): Eve, Vampire Weekend, The Boxer Rebellion & more
Releases out this week; audio & video included.
Dennis Duggan: Of Mice and Men’s magic man
The actor’s definitive portrayal of Lenny makes for a must-see production at Stageworks.
The Gaily News: Minnesota approves same-sex marriage
Minnesota has become the 12th state to legalize gay marriage, following Delaware and Rhode Island, which also approved marriage equality laws during the past few weeks. The Minnesota State Senate voted to approve same-sex marriages 37 to 30 on May 13, following approval by the State’s House of Representatives last week. The governor is expected…
Florida GOP is game for some Pelosi bashing
Mark Sanford "debating" Nancy Pelosi in South Carolina last month It used to be Ted Kennedy. Then it was Hillary Clinton. But ever since she ascended to becoming the first female Speaker of the House back in 2006, Nancy Pelosi has become the Democratic Bogeyman (or woman) that Republicans throughout the country feel secure about…
Tampa town hall meeting gives a face to budget cuts
Speakers took turns depicting the effects of budget cuts on everyday life.
Mitch Perry Report: WTF is happening at the White House?
Barack Obama better hope that 2013 is better for him than 2005 was for George W. Bush.
Buckhorn top aide Siobhan Harley leaving Tampa for political consulting gig
Siobhan Harley In the world of Tampa politics, Siobhan Harley has become a powerful player in just a few years. The most visible member of Bob Buckhorn's campaign team for mayor, the Scottish native was immediately hired onto Buckhorn's staff after he was elected in March of 2011. But now the 25-year-old Harley is leaving…
“Hating Breitbart” a celebration of a controversial conservative’s life
Love him or loathe him, no one can deny that during his short time on the national scene, Andrew Breitbart was a force of nature. The conservative blogger/commentator/reporter/raconteur died of heart failure in March of 2012 at the age of 43 (though, naturally, some of his most intense enthusiasts say he was assassinated by liberals).…
Rubio demands IRS chief be fired in wake of scandal — but office is vacant
Should acting commissioner Steven Miller be fired?
Mitch Perry Report 5.13.13: IRS scandal will redound on local government
The American people's trust in government began eroding in the 1970s, and it has never fully recovered. That erosion, coupled with an ideological aversion amongst Libertarians and some conservatives to what they label "big government," has created an environment where Second Amendment fans can argue against universal background checks for guns because of fears of…
Lawmakers say the military is incapable of dealing with sexual assaults in their ranks
Last week the U.S. military released a report estimating that 26,000 people in the armed forces were sexually assaulted last year — 35 percent more than in 2010. That led President Obama to comment that he had no tolerance for sexual crimes in the military, and vowed to prosecute commanders who ignored the problem. So…
In Tampa speech, Charlie Crist teases Democrats
Is the final step in Crist’s metamorphosis an announcement that he’s running for governor in 2014?
Reading comprehension fail
This longtime reader should know better.
McCain bill would eliminate NFL blackouts for Bucs games at Raymond James Stadium
Remember Mike Fasano's legislative attempt last year to fine NFL teams in Florida for every game blacked out on local television? Maybe you don't, because the bill proposed by the Pasco County lawmaker went nowhere in the Legislature. The bill's fate was the same as every other attempt by the government or private sector to…
Ever feel like a sandwich?
Ever feel like a sandwich? Wait! Don't run to the kitchen and make a sandwich. The question is literal not figurative. Do you sometimes imagine you're a ham and cheddar and being taken for granted? Or maybe you're a hot dog that is overloaded with all the fixings. You want to yell, "Hey, my bun…
James Deen, the cock star next door
The co-star of The Canyons and Farrah Abraham’s sex tape opens up about his silicone penis, why he was cast as a successful sociopath, his stage name, and his trick for getting hard on demand.
Third annual Tampa Ride of Silence takes place May 15
Unless you're new to the Tampa Bay area, you don't know need to be informed about how hazardous the roads in the region are to bicyclists and pedestrians. The group Transportation published a report last year about the most dangerous metro areas for pedestrian deaths. The Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater area was ranked the second most dangerous…
Mitch Perry Report 5.10.2013: Not so fast, Mr. Minder
Tampa’s proposed Riverwalk Tower hits a snag.
Vivian Maier: Hidden from view
The extraordinary photos of a woman whose talent wasn’t discovered till after her death.
The good Gatsby
Baz and Leo scratch the surface of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel.
What happens Behind the Gates?
An American girl disappears in Jerusalem in Jobsite’s latest.
Peeples, please
Craig Robinson and Kerry Washington make an unbelievable pair.
Kiersten Down gets ready for her 3800-mile bike ride for Student Veterans of America
Kiersten Downs and her new Cannondale bicycle. “People often think it is crazy to bike ride across the country, but I don’t live life in the culture of fear. Sometimes you just have to get off the couch and live life.” Kiersten Downs has wanted to cycle across the United States for many years and…
New poll shows strong support for pathway to citizenship in Florida
Gus Bilirakis says he's for border control only right now New polls released by two activist groups — Florida Majority and Project New America — show relatively strong support for comprehensive immigration reform in Florida, including four specific Central Florida congressional districts currently controlled by Republicans Gus Bilirakis, Dennis Ross, Daniel Webster and Tom Rooney.…
Ex wife new life: life is short, as may be your date
Life is too short to drink bad wine or weak coffee, though I have no problem downing the occasional bag of stale Doritos. The point is, life is short. That was the mantra I repeated to myself each time I prepared for a new Match.com date and my mind started playing the "what if" game.…
Tampa House Democrat recounts his first session in Tallahassee
Mark Danish spoke Wednesday night in Ybor City District 63 House Democrat Mark Danish owes nearly all of his November 2012 victory over Republican incumbent Shawn Harrison to an incredible grass-roots campaign, as the state Democratic party pretty much sat out the race. But less than a week after participating in his first full session…
Potential new Channelside owners present vision and receive input from locals
Punit Shah Wednesday evening at the Florida Aquarium, Liberty Channelside LLC principal owners Punit Shah and Santosh Govindaraju addressed a gathering of Channel District residents and businesses, unveiling the group's plans for the beleaguered Channelside Bay Plaza, which they have recently made their intention to purchase. Both members of Liberty Channelside LLC have strong ties…
Mitch Perry Report 5.9.13 – Bill Young on immigration reform:”Amnesty is amnesty”
Props to the Times' Alex Leary today for doing us all a public service – querying many of Florida's GOP House delegation about what they think about immigration reform, since House Republicans will be the deciding caucus in seeing whether or not such legislation gets passed this year. Not one of those members of Congress…
Summer Guide 2013: The “B” List
Baseball, beaches, bikinis, beer — we’ve got the summer covered from B to B.
The Bands of Tropical Heatwave
WMNF brings more than 60 of ’em to Ybor for its annual music festival.
Six Heatwave must-sees
Check this list before you hit WMNF’s annual music fest.
Hangin’ with the Boys of Summer
Minor League baseball games are a bargain — and a blast.
Leagues of our own
The Ybor City Museum’s Béisbol exhibit is a hit.
Bikinis: Style for the sun-obsessed
Hot swimwear from SRF | CTY and Urban Body Clothing.
Embrace the bulge
Don’t castrate. Accentuate.
A menu that puts the B in BBQ
Ribs, veggies, drinks and dessert make for the perfect summer cookout.
The Beer Can Open
In this golf tourney, the prize is a pair of empty kegs.
A guide to Bay area beach bars
Where the music may not be new, but the vibe is always fine.
A Day To Remember brings an unforgettable party to Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
A review of the Thurs., May 2 show.
Blockbusters invade the multiplex!
The 10 summer movies you need to see.
Review: The Sonic Blast of The Joy Formidable hits State Theatre, St. Petersburg
Everyone was ready to party at the Joy Formidable show at the State Theater in St. Petersburg last Sunday night, and not just because it was Cinco De Mayo and most people had already been throwing down most of the day. The Joy Formidable is known for being a high-energy, blast-your-face-off kind of band (well,…
B Movies in Bradenton
South Florida Museum celebrates sci-fi all summer long.
Summer on the Boob Tube
Escape the summer heat by hunkering down with some good ol’ bad TV.
Broadway and beyond
The summer theater season has already begun.
Settle in for some binge-watching
RX for summer: Mass quantities of Arrested Development, Hemlock and Onion.
Great books for a day at the beach
Perfect beach reads, even if you never get to the beach.
Blazed: Blunt wraps reviewed
Burning bacon, banana, and brown sugar papers.
Defining the “Boregasm”
Noun, verb: The apex, or climax, of boredom.
Birds, bees and other beasts
Up close and personal with creatures great and small.
The appeal of banyan trees
An ode to our big, beautiful and strange botanical treasures.
Better yo’self at Tampa Free Skool
Take a class this summer — you might learn something.
More fun in the summer sun
Where to splash, swim, hike, bike, walk, gawk, learn and swim some more, all season long.
Marco Rubio to oppose Thomas Perez as Labor Secretary
Today, Marco Rubio announced that he will oppose Thomas Perez to fill President Obama's Secretary of Labor post, just hours before the nomination was set to go before a Senate committee. The post has been vacant since Hilda Solis left in January. In a press release, Rubio said, "Our nation deserves a proven administrator who…
Know your ABC
Get authentic Chinese cuisine at St. Pete’s ABC Chinese Seafood.
Every day is sundae
Taste the tropics in this piña colada-inspired dessert.
Piggy-free pork
Did you know that jackfruit does a good impersonation of pulled pork?
Bring your own bottle
A guide to restaurants that allow you to skip the wine list and BYOB.
Opposition builds toward proposed apartment tower in downtown Tampa
Eileen M. Thornton/USF Libraries Jan Platt In January, the Tampa City Council voted unanimously to sell one acre of land to two developers looking to build a 36-story apartment tower overlooking the Hillsborough River, just west of the John F. Germany Public Library. But as the issue goes back before the Council this week at…
25 Reasons To Have Hope In An Ecological Future
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