The Laugh Tract — who’s bringing the funny
Funny ladies, local headliners and skilled writers top the list.
School board candidate Dipa Shah takes her message throughout Hillsborough County
Last week at the East Hillsborough County Democratic monthly meeting at O'Brien's in Brandon, District 6 school board candidate Dipa Shah was given a few minutes to address the audience. She talked a little bit about her background and her belief that being on the school board can make a real difference. It was all…
Empower local arts organizations with power2give
Check out Tampa Bay projects still in need of funds.
Mitch Perry Report 4.17.14: The latest Democratic plan to save Medicaid expansion
It's a dream that refuses to die, and its supporters maintain, it never should. I'm referring to the idea of having Florida accept the Obama administration's plan to expand Medicaid enrollment, which would add close to a million people to the insurance rolls. The latest gambit comes via Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson. As the…
FAST movers
FAST. HOPE. BOLD. The acronyms for Florida’s faith-based community action groups are all about urgency — and the need for results. FAST (Faith and Action for Strength Together) held its annual Nehemiah Action Assembly Monday night Apr. 7 at Tropicana Field, attracting thousands who attended for the chance to ask Pinellas officials “yes” or “no”…
NYC flash mob honors IIFA coming to Tampa
NYC is totally jealous.
New Bloomberg based gun control activist movement campaign kicks off in St. Petersburg
Tomorrow marks a year since the U.S. Congress last attempted to pass a gun-control bill. In what was described at the time as a "devastating blow" to President Obama's efforts to regulate guns in the post-Sandy Hook environment, a measure that would have expanded the use of background checks to cover all firearms sales at…
Stanley Cup Playoff preview
The Stanley Cup playoffs have finally arrived and the Tampa Bay Lightning have home ice advantage when they take on the Montreal Canadiens in Game One tonight at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. During the last game of the season the Lightning and the Washington Capitals found little room for separation, but ultimately the Bolts…
Are these the 12 best long takes in film?
Some are undeniably classic, while others aren’t true long shots at all.
Manuel Sykes says he’ll decide whether to run for CD13 seat in next few days
The Rev. Manuel Sykes says he intends to speak with Alex Sink and other prominent Democrats within the next 24 hours before he decides whether or not to jump into the CD13 Democratic primary election. "I am interested, but I certainly want to make a wise decision," he told CL on Wednesday morning. He says…
Restaurant review: The Living Room offers global flavors, flair
An eclectic Dunedin restaurant draws flavors from around the world.
Watch Jinx channel Lil’ John in new Tampa Bay Lightning playoff anthem “We Want The Cup”
Somebody tell Lord Stanley to come home to his Tampa Bay familiy.
Kathy Castor doesn’t see Republicans moving on comprehensive immigration reform for years
Politico is reporting that House Democrats intend to target 30 House Republicans over the next couple of weeks who have expressed previous support for some sort of immigration reform. It's considered a last-ditch effort to force the GOP to act on the Senate's bipartisan comprehensive bill that passed last summer. Among those 30 Republicans, three are from…
Last Bite: Willy’s Big Gooey burger on St. Pete Beach
Could Willy’s cheeseburger be the best on the beach?
Easy peasy: Herbaceous Pea and Walnut Pesto makes for a fresh take on a classic sauce
Add color and flavor to pesto sauce using frozen peas and other ingredients.
Record Store Day 2014 comes to an indie music shop near you this Saturday
Another year, another batch of exclusive & limited vinyl.
Mitch Perry Report 4.16.14: Rick Scott team boasts about its direct voter campaign
The Miami Herald's Marc Caputo has posted an internal memo written by Tim Saler, deputy campaign manager for Rick Scott, in which Saler lays out what the Scott re-election team has done already to reach out to voters, a good half-year before Floridians go to the polls to vote for governor. Saler writes that he expects Charlie…
Lecture highlights CIW achievements, decrease in farmworker exploitation
“Our Food/Our Table: From the Ground Up” was one of seven programs featured during the Florida Holocaust Museum’s annual Genocide and Human Rights Awareness Month.
Divestment petition gathers over 10,000 signatures at USF
USF’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) has gathered more than 10,000 signatures on a petition that calls for the USF Foundation to withdraw its investments in certain management funds and re-invest in more “ethical” corporations. The corporations that the SJP wants USF to disassociate itself from include Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, G4S PLC, Boeing, Lockheed Martin…
Integrate This: Ginger
A multitalented root.
The Black Keys share “Turn Blue,” the title track off their forthcoming album
The duo’s latest is due out May 13.
Traveling Mad Men’s “Time Zones”
A look back at the episode’s most intriguing and amusing moments.
Alex Sink bows out of re-match with David Jolly. Now what?
Exactly five weeks after she lost in the intensely hard-fought CD13 race against David Jolly, Democrat Alex Sink announced this morning she will not be the Democratic nominee challenging Jolly this fall. “I am so honored and humbled by the outpouring of support our campaign received, but after reflection with my family I have made a…
Mitch Perry Report 4.15.14: Exposing govt. incompetence gets rewarded
After St. Petersburg passed laws against panhandling several years ago, reports began surfacing of a large increase in panhandling in Tampa and Hillsborough County. This was right in the middle of the Great Recession, and by 2010 was considered such a problem that the Tampa City Council spent months (if not years) discussing and then…
New Music Tuesday! (April 15) + Record Store Day (April 19): Japanther, The Afghan Whigs, Jason Derulo & more
Releases out this week; audio & video included.
Tampa Bay Times wins 2014 Pulitzer for Hoe Brown exposé
Reporters Will Hobson and Michael LaForgia of the Tampa Bay Times have taken home the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting for their exposé of William "Hoe" Brown, the Tampa Port Authority chairman and Republican fundraiser whose lucrative sideline as a slumlord was essentially subsidized by the county's Homeless Recovery program, which sent clients to live in…
Coachella in Tampa Bay: Watch festival sets from Coachella bands headed this way
…or by bands who’ve been here recently.
Castor, Danish & PTA members call for public school equity on PECO funds
“Were here today to report a theft," Tampa-area Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor said at the beginning of her press conference this morning in front of Wilson Middle School in South Tampa. "There has been a theft of tax dollars from our public schools." Specifically Castor was alluding to the Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) trust fund…
Pat Kemp to challenge Al Higginbotham in Hillsborough County Commission District 7 race
Hillsborough Democrats who thought they had a decent chance of taking the open District 7 countywide seat were crestfallen earlier this year when Tampa City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern dropped out of the contest due to health concerns. But they're feeling a bit more revived today after the announcement that former Hillsborough County Democratic Party chair…
Sean Shaw kicks off stretch run of District 61 campaign
Sean Shaw talks with supporters Sean Shaw, candidate for the State House of Representatives District 61, celebrated the opening of his new campaign headquarters by hosting a community Bar-B-Q Saturday. The event served as a launching point for the District 61 seat, which encompasses Tampa Heights, Seminole Heights and the Temple Crest neighborhoods. In this…
Good news for procrastinators: Warhol show at Dalì Museum extended to June 1
Andy and Dali get to stay together a while longer.
Do This: Orangutan Egg Hunt, Party For the Planet, and Sea Lion Splash at Lowry Park Zoo
Lowry Park Zoo brings us the Earth, sea lions and orangutans.
Mitch Perry Report 4.14.14 – Uber enters the Tampa Bay area market
Well, so much for going through the Legislature. On Friday, Uber, the popular ride-sharing service, began operating in Tampa and St. Petersburg, and for a limited time, offering their service on their own dime. Since I was not in need of car service this weekend, I didn't take advantage of the offer, but I'd be…
Preston Rudie says working for David Jolly was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up
Leaving a successful career as a top television news reporter to work for a newly elected congressman who could be out of a job by the end of this year may sound like bit of a risk. But Preston Rudie says there's no guarantee of anything in this world, and the upside was too good…
Rand Paul laughs off suggestion his foreign policy is influenced by Rachel Maddow
Rand Paul and Marsha Blackburn were just two of a host of GOP figures who appeared in New Hampshire this weekend at the inaugural "Freedom Summit," a cattle call for potential Republican 2016 presidential candidates organized by Americans for Prosperity and Citizens United. Paul is considered a serious candidate for the nomination. Blackburn? Not so…
Thrills & Spills
Sexual attraction in relationships, secret public thrills and more.
Do This: Your Weekend 10 best bets
A round up of fun things to do this weekend, including Ybor Aficionado Days, Frank Fest, comedian Jim Norton and more.
Are you ready for some futbol? Rowdies opener tonight
With the World Cup right around the corner, what better way to get ready for futbol than some fun-filled soccer action up close. While the best in the world get ready to kick things off a little over two months from now in Brazil, some of the finest in the North American Soccer League will…
New Spanx store shapes up International shoppers
The popular shapewear store opens in Tampa.
Bill’s Sports Binge: Boltz lose Bishop (SH!T!), Football visits Bucs (huh?) and Rays on WKRP
Those who know me are familiar with my admiration of the concept of losing. In most cases, in sports as well as life, it's the only way to learn, to grow, improve, get better and fully earn and appreciate the victories. That's right, losers. You are awesome. (You should know, Bill … D'oh! Should've seen…
Queer rapper headlines LGBTQ music and art fundraiser
Queer rapper big Momma Queer hip-hop artist Big Momma takes the stage at the Bends in St. Pete tonight. His edgy performance will be followed up with DJ sets by Sidedraft and BLUD DMND. Doors open at 10 p.m. and the shows runs until 3 a.m. Big Momma’s set is actually one-half of a two-part…
Watch Kendrick Lamar, Tech N9ne & others pay homage to Nas’ Illmatic in new video
Hip hop heavyweights of today discuss the impact of the Nas album as its 20th anniversary nears.
Rick Baker is an undecided voter when it comes to Greenlight Pinellas
It was a fairly packed ballroom inside the St. Pete Yacht Club on Thursday when the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club hosted a debate on the Greenlight Pinellas initiative. If it at times veered into the realms of incivility (see our story here), it also had plenty of facts and figures, though PSTA Chair Ken Welch and…
Shopping: Hyde Park Village
The Village is Hyde Park’s one-stop shop for upscale mall chains — West Elm, Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, Restoration Hardware, Brooks Brothers — minus the drive to the mall. It’s also home to several kid-oriented spots, including AlliSongs for Tots, KidzArt, and Learning Express. But its most distinctive retailers at the moment are small boutiques —…
“Anything Goes” at Artpool’s 6th anniversary this Saturday
ARTPool turns 6 in with sexiness.
Roseberry Goes to the Big City — and you can come
Tampa author M.J. Daniels has released her first children’s book.
Mitch Perry Report 4.11.14: Duke Energy kicks in $50,000 for Greenlight Pinellas effort
Last week over 100 environmental activists marched in front of Duke Energy's headquarters in downtown St. Petersburg, bringing petitions signed by thousands of Floridians to the energy giant's offices calling for the company to get off of coal and start using more solar and other forms of alternative energy in its portfolio. Many of those…
Jim Norton: comedy’s equal-opportunity offender
The busy comedian answers a few questions before his shows at Side Splitters.
Uber bill moves on in state Senate
Although lots of folks have issues with the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission (PTC), Tampa area Democratic state Senator Arthenia Joyner apparently isn't one of them. "Hillsborough County has a commission that has worked for years," she admonished Transportation Committee Chairman Jeff Brandes, who has been pushing legislation that would allow Uber, the car-sharing app…
RumFish Grill to open at Guy Harvey Outpost after May 16
Construction on Guy Harvey’s new St. Pete Beach restaurant is underway.
Sparks fly at Greenlight Pinellas debate at Tiger Bay Club
The raw feelings between supporters and critics of the Greenlight Pinellas initiative that Pinellas County voters will decide on this November burst out into the open just moments into today's debate on the issue at the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club at the St. Pete Yacht Club. After the opening statements made by County Commissioner and…
Preston Rudie leaving Channel 10 to work for David Jolly
WTSP-TV/10 News Reporter Preston Rudie is leaving the station to work as director of communications for newly elected Pinellas County Congressman David Jolly. The Emmy Award-winning reporter will be leaving the station at the end of next week. “For the past 23 years, I’ve been serving the public and helping give a voice to the…
Stephen Colbert to replace Letterman
CBS announced Thursday that the Emmy-winning Comedy Central host will replace its 33-year vet.
Hyde Park/SoHo: Food & Drink
Eats, beverages and nightlife in one of Tampa’s most unique and walkable neighborhoods.
Hyde Park happenings
A wide range of activities can be enjoyed in Tampa’s historic neighborhood.
A Mad Men wish list for the final (sort of) season
Fans tell us what they want to see happen before the season 7 premiere on AMC this Sunday.
Hyde Park/SoHo Shopping: Albisia’s and Urban Body
Two top spots for jewelry and menswear.
