Neighborhood Dining Guide: Brandon
There’s plenty of great eats in eastern Hillsborough County.
Green Community Calendar weekend events
Check out a rocket ship car, environmental film festival or visit a farmers market!
A Taste of Pinellas 2012 welcomes national headliners Sheryl Crow, Dashboard Confessional + others
A Taste of Pinellas celebrates its 26th year of raising funds for All Children's Hospital with some quality musical talent in the country, pop, reggae, and rock music genres. The event will be held May 4-6 in at Vinoy Park on St. Petersburg's waterfront. More than 40 restaurants (400 Beach Seafood & Tap House, Madfish,…
The Tampa Lookbook – 02.15.11
You can never plan for a Florida February. Sometimes it's beautiful and breezy, like today, and other times it's hot and miserable, like later this week. The best way to deal with this is with a scarf or cardigan that you can stow away in a big bag. Lucky for you, I have ideas on…
V.M. Ybor residents unhappy about Trinity Cafe will protest at City Council
Neighborhood residents who reside in the V.M. Ybor area, just north of Ybor City, plan to speak at Thursday's Tampa City Council meeting regarding their opposition to a proposal by the owners of the Trinity Cafe to open a restaurant in the neighborhood. For over a decade Trinity, currently housed at the Salvation Army on…
White House hints they’ll veto bill that would cut funding to HART & PSTA
House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica Last week HART CEO Philip Hale warned his fellow board members that a proposed transportation bill in the House of Representatives presented a mortal threat to the health of the Hillsborough County transit agency. In Washington D.C., floor debate began on Wednesday on that bill, with a final…
Mitch Perry Report 2.15.12: Privatizing prisons goes down in Tally
Florida State Senator John Thrasher is moaning about the power of unions in the Sunshine State. The powerful Republican in Tallahassee was quoted as making that comment after the push to privatize South Florida prisons went down narrowly yesterday in the state Senate. Some of Tampa's most powerful developers and real estate representatives have unveiled…
Santo ad mocks Mitt’s growing rep for character assassination
As Rick Santorum continues to show life in the GOP race for president, all eyes are now turning toward Michigan, which holds its primary on February 28. As Newt Gingrich has already complained ad nauseam, Mitt Romney has the deep pockets to flood the airwaves and massively attack his political opponents, as he did to…
CD review: Dr. Dog, Be the Void
Dr. Dog is absolutely incapable of churning out garbage. Their trademark harmonies, the playful way they turn a phrase, how each song refuses to blend in with the indiscriminate herd of trying-really-hard-to-sound-like-vintage-folk-rock sheep that all bleat the same… The 12 tracks off their latest effort, Be the Void, attest to the group’s ability to be…
This week in food and drink
Wine bottle signing, beer and cheese tasting, culinary classes and more
Tampa Committee produces its report on how to make the city more business-friendly
Bob Buckhorn, Thom Snelling & Bob Abberger For years in Tampa there have been complaints about the onerous permitting process that has hampered small and large companies from doing business in the city. The issue was so widespread that every candidate running for mayor last year vowed to do something about it if elected. So…
Florida Senate prison privatization bid falls short
Rick Scott supported privatizing some Florida prisons It was something you don't see often in Tallahassee, dominated by Republicans as it is: a vote that actually went down to the wire. The issue: privatizing prisons in at least 26 prison facilities in 18 South Florida counties. Proponents said it would save $16.5 million annually. Opponents…
Exactly how important is Valentine’s Day?
It's finally happened. I've fallen prey to a Hallmark holiday. Until now, I've never done much for anyone for Valentine's Day. Never purchased anyone flowers or candy. Sure, some years I went on weekend getaways, to Montauk or maybe to the coast of New Hampshire, with whomever was my then-current paramour. These jaunts had less…
Of course Facebook’s spying on you
Mark Zuckerberg's $7 million mansion: Would he care if you had sex in his closet? If you pay attention to such things, then you know there’s lately a lot of talk about privacy and the Internet. If you pay attention to such things, then you know there’s always a lot of talk about privacy and…
The gold standard of romance: the art of selling Valentine’s jewelry
Natalie K Jewelry A few years ago Bob Serata of Bernie's & Son managed to create a unique, yet classic, engagement ring based on my wife's and my crude sketches. He is a man who understands how to interpret the feelings his clients want to convey into a piece of jewelry. I returned to Bernie's…
Dockery & Fasano slam Alexander regarding USF budget cuts
Paula Dockery Although it's hardly done deal that the massive budget cuts for USF listed by the Florida Senate will happen (the House cuts aren't nearly as harsh), there is undoubtedly supreme concerns about what happens next on the Fowler Avenue campus this Tuesday. The overwhelming message that school president Judy Genshaft and members of…
“Happier Hours” are at Bonefish
Bonefish Grill recently launched their Happier Hours menu, where seven days a week, from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m., patrons may enjoy Bonefish favorites, such as Fish Tacos and Bang Bang Chicken, at a discount. Some of the handcrafted mixed drinks, made with high-end liquor such as Absolut, are only $5, while the remaining selection of…
New music Tuesday! (Feb. 14): Heartless Bastards, Tennis, Amos Lee + more
Valentine's Day releases! Let's hear it for love and music! I've included info and links for the ones you want to know about most below, plus some other ones you may never have heard of (but should know), with audio & video for your listening and viewing pleasure. Click here to check out releases that…
Happy Valentine’s! Who loves ya, baby?
New World, The Bricks and others cozy up with fun, drinks and entertainment.
The Gaily News: Google Valentine’s Day doodle includes image of two gay men (video)
Google Doodles, whether animated or not, are known for their creativity, charm and ingenuity. On a daily basis, they celebrate a variety of holidays and milestones, from the mainstream — think Halloween or Christmas — to lesser known landmark events — think the birthday of Thomas Alva Edison or the 30th anniversary of Pac-Man. This…
Remembering Freddie Solomon as a 49er
Tampa, San Francisco, South Carolina and and probably many more places across the U.S. are mourning the death on Monday of Freddie Solomon after a nine-month battle with colon and liver cancer. As has been well-covered by Tampa Bay media, Solomon was a former football star who was respected just as much if not more…
Mitch Perry Report 2.14.12 Valentine’s Day edition
Although the huge news in Tampa last night was the emergency meeting held by the USF Board of Trustees regarding what school President Judy Genshaft described as "draconian" budget cuts by the Florida Senate, props to Tampa Tribune columnist Joe Henderson for his quote from Wesley Chapel Representative Will Weatherford in his column today.. Weatherford…
The best ‘Missed Connections’ of 2011
Sophie Blackall For those of you who don't know, "Missed Connections" and "A Shot in the Dark," are messages on sites like Craigslist where people try to reconnect with strangers. What results is some of the most hilarious, and at times tender, personal moments broadcast in public forums. Here are some of the more entertaining…
USF officials discuss doomsday scenarios in wake of state budget cut
Judy Genshaft By the time the USF Board of Trustees concluded their emergency meeting to discuss the stunning proposal by the Florida Senate that would cut their funding by an astounding 58 percent, the mood was more hopeful than despondent, as USF President Judy Genshaft insisted that now was the time for everyone in the…
Living of Love: a music timeline
Julie traces the milestones of her romantic past via song
Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign playlist — Spotify style
Last Thursday, our president released his official 2012 campaign Spotify playlist via his Tumblr account — yes, you read that correctly, Tumblr. (He also has Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Flickr, and Instagram.) It would probably be silly to assume this was all Obama’s idea and that he actually compiled this list, but I'd like to…
Another Mitt flip-flop? 2010 interview reveals praise for individual mandate
Mitt Romney "rebounded" a bit over the weekend by (barely) winning the Maine Caucus and getting some love at CPAC (where he declared himself a "severe" conservative, whatever that means). But the narrative of the 2012 presidential campaign has hardly shifted from where it was a week ago — Romney is not that strong a…
GOP holding up unemployment benefits for recipients who don’t have a GED
Although considerable airtime and print coverage will be devoted to President Obama's proposed budget, the bigger issue in Congress is extension of the payroll tax holiday and emergency unemployment benefits, which will run out at the end of this month (UPDATE: Late Monday, the GOP House reversed themselves and agreed to extend the current payroll-tax…
The push for a public referendum on the Pier is not dead
As the sun set outside the inverted pyramid Saturday, around 75 people attended a forum on the third floor of the pier. Residents and business owners came to learn about the petition for a public vote on the pier. Arielle Stevenson Residents gathered to hear about a petition for referendum on the Pier Saturday. Architectural…
National Drink Wine Day
Honor this holiday and toast your health this Saturday!
#MusicMonday Vol. 58: Siouxsie and the Banshees, Memoryhouse, Shearwater + more
What the CL Music Team is jamming this fine Monday to rocket launch the work week.
The Tampa Lookbook: An Introduction
nicholas Trobiano Attending private Catholic school in a small Florida town since the age of 5 placed its limitations on my wardrobe. I was allowed to choose the color of my uniform's polo and style of sneaker, but beyond that, my personal style was pretty much indiscernible from that of my peers (unless, of course,…
Mitch Perry Report 2.13.12
Good morning everyone. If you aren't digging the rare winter-like weather we've experienced in the past 24 hours, don't worry. It'll be near 80 degrees again tomorrow. While there is rioting in the streets in Athens, Greece because of sweeping new budget cuts, most folks in the U.S., particularly of a certain generation, were absorbed…
USF Poly faculty not pleased with new plan to go indie immediately
J.D. Alexander Last week the Florida Senate Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee sent a seven-page conforming bill sponsored by Senator Evelyn Lynn to the full Budget Committee re separating USF Polytechnic from USF Tampa. That move had been pushed for months by Lake Wales Republican state Senator J.D. Alexander, until the Board of Governors agreed last…
Sexy and heart-healthy cocktails
Sure, that the controversial Hallmark holiday known as Valentine’s Day is now behind us, but there is no need to shy away from aphrodisiacs for the next twelve months. Instead, plan a secret rendezvous, and enhance the mood with a sexy or heart-healthy cocktail. The beverages below may be used as “liquid courage” if your…
CupidRadar: using geolocation to meet singles
In the early 1990s, Mehrdad Sarlak envisioned a dating service that matched likeminded singles based on their physical location. It was not until smartphones emerged with their geolocation capabilities that Sarlak's vision took shape. He founded CupidRadar.com as a way for singles to exchange messages with potential matches who are within their search parameters—both their…
Life and death in Oregon
The doc How to Die in Oregon tries a neutral take on physician-assisted suicide.
GOP leadership now supporting bill that would allow all employers to deny coverage for contraception
After a week of white-hot controversy that cable news bookers have thoroughly enjoyed, President Obama announced on Friday that his administration was offering a compromise (which critics call an accommodation) on offering employees of Catholic hospitals, universities and service agencies contraceptive coverage in their health insurance plans, saying the insurance companies, and not the institutions,…
Cyber criminals don’t want you to read this …
Daily News of Sri Lanka Stick em up! We’ve all seen it, and our computers have all suffered some sort of intrusion, vandalism, or theft. You may not be aware of it but I am willing to wager your debit card’s PIN on it. There is one more thing to be added to the list…
CPAC crowd eats up Sarah Palin’s mocking of Barack Obama
Since she opted not to run for the Republican nomination for president, Sarah Palin's contributions to the 2012 campaign have been limited to her commentaries on Fox News. Though she has yet to endorse a candidate, she has steadfastly maintained that the GOP should avoid coalescing around a single candidate this early in the primary…
Fried Food Feast 2012: Photos from the Florida State Fair
For the past two years I have taken one for the CL team by doing a review of midway munchies at the Florida State Fair. Promoters announce in advance news of upcoming culinary dilemmas (good food but bad for ya) to be found on the midway. When the word got out about fried bubble gum,…
Concert review: Mike Doughty at Orpheum, Ybor City
Mike Doughty played an intimate set to a mostly seated but intensely loyal crowd at the Orpheum this past Wednesday night. In between playing requests randomly yelled at him from the crowd, he read excerpts from his just-released memoir, The Book of Drugs, intermittently espoused about his extreme dislike of anything Soul Coughing related (including…
It’s Story Time!
Gather round, kids! It's Story Time! No, you don't need a blankie, and sorry, you won't get cookies and milk (though there will be Cafe Hey cupcakes). Story Time is a new music and reading series, premiering tonight at CL Space, that was designed by CL's irrepressible Julie Garisto to provide "an outlet outside the…
Concert review: They Might Be Giants at The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City
I have honestly lost track of how many time I've seen They Might Be Giants since my first show at Rollins College in 1992. However, the fact that I’ve seen them three times in the last two years should give you an idea of how high that number must be. A TMBG show isn’t just…
Forget The Vow
Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum star in an amnesiatic chick flick.
Brewing your own beer can be tasty fun
Home is where the hops are
Mark Sharpe suspends Congressional campaign
Mark Sharpe will not run for Congress, after all. For now, anyway. Speaking on Tampa radio station 1470 AM-WMGG with Republican political consultant and blogger Chris Ingram, Sharpe said he would not end his campaign to run for the District 11 seat currently held by Democrat Kathy Castor, but instead suspend it. He said he…
The dick lit laureate: Tucker Max gets interviewed about Sloppy Seconds, Hilarity Ensues
In 2000, Tucker Max put a "date application" online to settle a bet. He won the bet and bragging rights by sleeping with one of his date applicants — a woman he also encouraged to jump out of his bedroom window naked so his friends would not see how fat she was. After graduating from…
Denzel Washington goes rogue
The Academy Award-winning actor sticks it to the CIA in Safe House.
Mitch Perry Report 2.10.12 – Sharpe to announce intention, lawsuits coming on redistrictings
Are you not ready for some football? Yes, it's February people, football is history. But there is the Grammy Awards and CPAC for your viewing pleasure this weekend. Later today Mark Sharpe will make his much anticipated announcement about his political future. Rumors abound that the Hillsborough County Commissioner will opt to drop out of…
Florida Senate passes redistricting bills – LWV & others say they’ll sue
Democrats, good government groups and some activist organizations have complained for months that the Florida GOP-led Legislature is sabotaging the spirit behind Amendments 5 & 6, the measures that required that the redistricting of legislative and congressional seats in the Sunshine State be fair and contiguous. So it was inevitable that shortly after the Florida…
A Tampa Tribune staffer tells his colleagues what he really thinks of his organization
As the financial losses have tallied up at Media General in Virginia, the parent company of the Tampa Tribune/WFLA News Channel 8 and TBO.com, hundreds of staffers, some there for decades, have lost their jobs. Some of those longtime staffers (such as Daniel Ruth) have gone on to other jobs in journalism, but sadly many…
Neighborhood Dining Guide: Valentine’s Day
Make Feb. 14 a night to remember at these great Bay area restaurants.
Memphis when It sizzles: A review of the touring production at Ruth Eckerd Hall
LISA TIGHE I’m not really into musicals. It’s annoying when the characters feel the need to stretch everything out with interminable singing when they could just say it and move on. However, I do make exceptions.
Woof you be my valentine?
You don’t have to be a seasoned baker to treat your dog for Valentine’s Day.
Rick Scott hangs out at the Florida State Fair in Tampa
Gov. Rick Scott He came and saw some livestock, but Gov. Rick Scott didn't take a trip down the Giant Slide located inside the Florida State Fairgrounds Thursday morning as the Florida State Fair began in Tampa. After a series of activities, including conducting a Cabinet meeting, the Governor joined much of the Hillsborough County…
Tom Scott is seriously thinking of running for Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections
Tom Scott is poised to get back into the political arena For nearly a year now, Thomas Scott has been out of the political spotlight. His loss in attempting to become Tampa's first black mayor meant he no longer had a government job for the first time since 1996, and he is apparently hungry to…
Concert review: Zola Jesus at Crowbar, Ybor City
Ybor felt like a ghost town as my boyfriend and I made our way to see Zola Jesus on Monday night. There was no line of barely-legal, barely-dressed kids waiting to get into the Czar, nor any raucous Cuban music pouring out of the small cigar shops. Even Carmine's, where we'd planned to stop for…
The ABCs of love
The truth about Valentine’s Day from A to Z.
One night only: Fancypants at AMC Westshore
Plus: Slime City Massacre gums up Tampa Pitcher Show.
Concert review: Morningbell at New World Brewery, Ybor City
Gainesville’s Morningbell returned to town for the first time in nearly a year on Saturday night, staging a performance that felt entirely too short and was sandwiched in between sets by openers Cure for Caska (I caught the dramatic ending strains of the Orlando chamber rock outfit’s set as I approached New World Brewery) and…
Sweet and salty maple-bacon kettle corn
For the love of bacon
Proposition 8 decision bolsters the fight for same-sex marriage
Earlier this week, a federal appeals court struck down the infamous Proposition 8, a voter-mandated law that banned same-sex marriage in California. Judge Stephen Reinhardt concluded that Prop. 8 violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In his decision, Reinhardt wrote that the legislation "serves no purpose, and has no effect in California,…
Why women are cheating just like men
Leann Rimes is the patron saint of female cheaters In the spirit of role reversal, it seems that women have emerged as "manizers." We are using men for sex while our boy toys mistakenly think they are going to steal us away from our husbands and boyfriends. This is not necessarily something to be proud…
Kathy Castor poised to support watered down bill on insider-trading rules in Congress
Eric Cantor The House of Representatives is poised to approve legislation on Thursday that would tighten insider-trading rules in Congress, despite changes made by Virginia Representative Eric Cantor to a key part of the bill. The legislation would also require public officials to disclose their stock transactions within weeks, rather than once a year, as…
Can TacoSon’s invasion of St. Petersburg succeed?
Tampa Bay can’t seem to get enough tacos.
Mitch Perry Report 2.9.12- RNC, Super PACs and insider-trading in Congress
Good morning everybody. Both local dailies have some interesting news about the Republican National Convention, and we have one as well: Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn not dismissing the idea of allowing some of the thousands of protestors coming to Tampa in late August from sleeping overnight in one of the city's parks. President Obama earlier…
Fishbone doc offers bleak Sunshine
A new documentary sheds light on the enduring struggle of influential L.A. band Fishbone.
Editor’s Note
It’s that time again …
Seven Guitars at American Stage: Life itself
Character is all in August Wilson’s revelatory, deeply humane play.
Live and Local Spotlight: SubAp One-Year Anniversary Party
Roughly one year ago, a new media outlet covering the Tampa Bay area’s music and culture scene — SuburbanApologist.com — made its premiere in the blogosphere with pics by Brian Mahar from a Crowbar performance featuring Cali noise rock duo No Age. More than 900 posts later, the grassroots blog run by local music enthusiast…
Three little words
No, not those three little words. But these pack just as big a wallop.
Just the ticket
A fierce battle between StubHub and Ticketmaster has reached the Florida Legislature.
V-Day by the numbers
$4.1 billion: The amount that will be spent on jewelry gifts for Valentine’s Day. In addition, $3.5 billion will be spent on an evening out, $1.8 billion on flowers, $1.5 billion on candy, $1.4 billion on clothing, and $1.1 billion on gift cards. 1.5 billion: The approximate number of flowers that will be shipped on…
Planning a gayvention
Should I out my online-trolling classmate?
Payne’s world
Hunter Payne’s greatest artwork may be… Hunter Payne.
Pier pressure
Despite Council’s approval of a new Pier design, many hurdles remain before completion.
Brassy indie dance from Rubblebucket at Crowbar, feel-good folk pop from Kopecky Family Band at New World + more of this week’s concerts
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9PJ Bond w/Billy & Joe/Y Los Dos Pistoles/Dead Sound/Mr. Davis This past November, alt country-folk artist PJ Bond premiered a new song via video at Altpress.com, “I'm in a Bad Way,” his acoustic guitar strumming, husky wailing vocals and whiskey-poetic lyrics paired with the mournful notes of lap steel guitar as delivered by…
Buckhorn open to the possibility of allowing protesters to sleep in city park during RNC
Unlike many other American cities, the Tampa Police Department never allowed members of the public to sleep overnight in city-owned parks during the apex of the Occupy movement. Instead, the department compromised, allowing protesters in Curtis Hixon Park to sleep on the sidewalk in front of the park. In December, the bulk of Occupy Tampa…
Banana Pecan Muffins
Nicholas Trobiano Banana Pecan Muffins Everyone says you’re either a better baker or a better cook. But I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive. I first learned to cook while watching my mother prepare all kinds of dishes: tall pots of thick tomato sauces, steamy oven roasted chicken breasts, and savory Hungarian goulash. While…
Review: Eddie Money – It’s Only Money at State Theatre, St. Petersburg
Thursday night’s show at State Theatre proves a disappointment.
