Too often, careless opinions gets bandied about concerning our state's crippled health-care system. Too seldom are viable ideas proposed and discussed to solve problems. At Florida Craftsmen Gallery's Cocktails with a Cause, presented by the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area, you can remedy the booboos of the health-care debate by hearing Jeff Hazzard, board member of the Florida Council of Advanced Practice Nurses Political Action Committee, talk about options that may improve the health care of Florida citizens without cost to the State. There will be light appetizers provided by the Queenshead and, of course, cocktails. The free event is from 6 to 8 p.m. and Florida Craftsmen is at 501 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. The League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area can be reached at (727) 896-5197, or visit lwvspa.org.
Pop in on the Artist and Writers Group auditions for the fourth annual Deep Carnivale 7-9 p.m. We hear the roster is full but if you want to make one last crack at it, don't tell 'em I sent you. Really, you should go to help out and give a shout out to the folks auditioning. They need moral support and a crowd to cheer them on, and what a great way to meet some of the area's most creative thinkers and get some free entertainment. Think of it as a tasty sampler of the literary buffet you can gorge on this weekend at Deep Carnivale. Three participants at the audition will be selected to read at Deep Carnivale on Sept. 10 and will compete for three cash awards totaling $200. The auditions will be at Tre Amici at the Bunker,1907 N 19th St.,Ybor 813-247-6964. www.yborbunker.com.
Most people know the British rock duo Tears for Fears, Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, from the mid-1980s and remember them for hits "Head Over Heels," "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." Heh, that's the lame Tears or Fears. There's a superior early-'80s TFF that the "artfags" from back in the day remember and love, who memorized front-to-end the classic album The Hurting, who know their most famous song — and a tune far superior to the previous mentioned — isn't even considered a U.S. hit: "Mad World." It's been covered ad nauseam, appeared in the film Donnie Darko and other soundtracks. Those of you who always loved that tune, plus "Change" and "Pale Shelter", you shouldn't be disappointed at tonight's show — we hope. Proclaim your nerd-rock snobbery again even if you sound as ridiculous and old as I do right now. Tears for Fears have put out albums over the years, although nothing new since 2004's Everybody Loves a Happy Ending. At 8 p.m. at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, $35-$78. (Leilani Polk contributed to this report.)
This article appears in Aug 26 – Sep 1, 2010.