Integrate This: Chia seeds
Kimberly DeFalco Rollin' Oats associate Alain Del Rio displays organic bulk chia seed. For the warriors of the Aztec and Mayan cultures, their spears were only as mighty as their food source. Chia seeds (Salvia Hispanica L), once at the top of the Mayan and Aztec food pyramid, faded into relative obscurity just as their…
Contrary to rumors, Mark Sharpe is still a Republican
At Tuesday's campaign event for Hillsborough County Commission candidate Pat Kemp at Ella's, Tampa City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern thrilled many of her fellow Democrats when she announced that she had just heard Mark Sharpe had left the Republican Party. But that isn't the case. Not yet, anyhow. Sharpe did tell the Tampa Tribune's Joe Henderson last week…
Mitch Perry Report 5.1.14: So long, Manuel Sykes, we hardly knew ya
The Reverend Manual Sykes might not have been the perfect candidate to challenge David Jolly in the CD13 race this November, but there is no guarantee at this point that the Democrats will have one after their August primary. Which is why it's a bit disturbing to read this morning (via Curtis Krueger in the Times)…
freeFall’s Mikado — let’s hear it for the boys
freeFall delightfully revives Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado with an all-male cast.
“Clash of the Comics” mixes comedy and competition
This year’s “Clash of the Comics” begins tonight at Tampa Improv.
Of Montreal documentary The Past is a Grotesque Animal set for June release
The doc gets a nationwide release in June; of Montreal hits State Theatre this Tues., May 6.
New report warns that funding for transit & highway projects in U.S. in peril
The Tampa/St. Petersburg area would lose out on more than $70 million in funds to maintain and improve their transportation networks if and when the Highway Trust Fund goes broke this summer, according to a report released today by the D.C.-based Transportation for America. The federal Transportation Fund is expected to be exhausted in July. That…
The Laugh Tract — who’s bringing the funny
If you like different comedy formats, this is a good weekend for you. Traditional stand-up, ventriloquism, impressions, comedy competitions and free shows pack the schedule. Here's what's happening this week:Comedy Clubs Christopher Titus at Tampa Improv. Titus is a prolific, unapologetic writer. No matter when you last saw him, he's got new material for you.…
News: Benjamin Booker signs to ATO, releases a track, plays Letterman
Lots happening for the former local.
Do This Tonight: Downtown St. Pete happenings
Be enlightened, entertained and gain new connections.
Janos Enyedi — an industrious body of work
A Sarasota exhibition looks back at the works of late St. Petersburg-based artist Janos Enyedi.
McKenzie Gallery — new chip off the 600 Block
A new gallery in St. Pete’s cutting edge arts district gets a big city welcome.
Restaurant review: Aqua Prime
This Indian Rocks Beach eatery offers a welcome change from regular beach fare without going too far upscale.
New Q poll shows a majority of Floridians okay with gay marriage & in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants
Some Republicans are questioning the methodology utilized in this morning's Quinnipiac University poll that shows Charlie Crist leading Rick Scott by 10 points – 48-38 percent, and also shows Floridians taking progressive stances on immigration and same-sex marriage. Of the 1,413 voters surveyed by Quinnipiac, 34 percent identified themselves as Independent, 31 percent as Democrats…
Liberal Super PAC skewers Rick Scott on immigration
Among the supporters hopeful that the Florida Legislature will pass a law before the session ends this week that will allow undocumented Florida high school students to attend Florida colleges or universities by paying a reduced in-state tuition rate is Governor Rick Scott – a move that cynics have sighted as purely political as he…
Mitch Perry Report 4.30.14: The opposition to medical marijuana gets organized in Florida
You knew it was coming, and here it is. Top GOP fundraiser Mel Sembler has contributed $100,000 to Drug Free Florida, a political action committee formed to oppose the medical marijuana initiative on November's ballot. The Tampa Tribune's William March reports that the group is headed by another St. Pete resident, Carlton Turner of St. Petersburg, who…
Hillsborough County Elections office preps to send out Vote by Mail ballots
Generally, political reporters only engage with local supervisors of elections in advance of an election, Election Day itself, and/or if there are problems at the polls, immediately afterwards. That hasn't been the case in Florida in recent years, however, what with major election reform bills passed in 2011 and 2013 that Democrats referred to derisively…
Arthenia Joyner single-handedly kills Dana Young’s bill to reform Hillsborough County Civil Service
Strange ways of the Florida Legislature continued… Yesterday we reported that when the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation gathered together last December, they voted down a proposal sponsored by local Republicans Jamie Grant and Jeff Brandes that would have effectively killed the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission. So that was that, right? Not really, as the two…
Craig Ferguson says goodnight to The Late Late Show
The Cheeky Scot is the latest to move on amid late-night’s changing landscape.
RPOF goes back in time to show when Charlie Crist bashed Bill Clinton
A week from tonight Bill Clinton will headline a Democratic Governors Association bash in Miami Beach to raise funds for Charlie Crist's campaign coffers. In response, the Republican Party of Florida (naturally) has found some stock footage when Crist was a Republican saying some not so nice things about the former president. The time was…
Mitch Perry Report 4.29.14: Growler bill goes to Senate floor
Is it really a compromise if only one side likes the deal? That's what should be kept in mind today as the Florida state Senate votes on Lakeland Republican Kelli Stargel's revised bill (or "strike-all amendment" in Tallahassee parlance) imposing new regulations on craft breweries in exchange for them finally getting the opportunity to sell…
Streaming HD porn on your flat screen: can it revitalize the adult industry?
Mike Kulich wants to make SkweezMe.com the Netflix of HD porn.
New Music Tuesday! (April 29): Pixies, Damon Albarn, Rodrigo y Gabriela & more
Releases out this week; audio & video included…
Swinefest No. 2: A weekend pig-me-up
Backyard dining at Pearl in the Grove’s family-style barbecue.
You’re going to have to drive to Miami if you want to see Jay-Z and Beyonce on their summer stadium tour
The power couple kick off a 16-date itinerary with a June 25 show at Sun Life Stadium
Video: Watch The Hold Steady celebrate 10 years in new video, see them live at Tropical Heatwave May 10
The Hold Steady first immortalized Ybor City on their debut LP, Almost Killed Me, a decade ago.
Jessica Ehrlich will NOT run for the CD13 seat this fall
Jessica Ehrlich, whose loss to the late Bill Young in the 2012 race for the CD13 congressional seat was the closest anyone came to defeating him in nearly 20 years, has announced that she will not run for the Democratic nomination for the seat against Republican David Jolly this fall. "Washington remains gridlocked and broken.…
“Anti-Sharia Law” bill advances in Florida Senate
The so-called "anti-Sharia law" bill strongly opposed by Muslim and Jewish organizations in Florida passed in the state Senate this morning on a 24-14 vote. Observers say the bill has changed substantially since Senator David Simmons(R-Winter Park) was charged with trying to get it through the Senate. The legislation would restrict judges from considering foreign…
Concert review: Bad Veins hop through Crowbar, Ybor City
A look back in words & photos.
Former diplomat pessimistic about a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace
The former ambassador to Bosnia Herzegovina and foreign affairs expert, Douglas McElhaney, was the keynote speaker at last Saturday's 4th annual Human Rights Conference on the University of Tampa. The all day event was held at the Vaughn Center; the campus' student union. Despite a small turn out of roughly 50 people consisting of students,…
Video: Listen to Karen O Cover “I Shot the Sheriff” with N.A.S.A.
The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s frontwoman teams up with the DJ duo to cover the Bob Marley classic
Do This: Holocaust Remembrance Day
Commemorate an important period in history by visiting the Florida Holocaust Museum today, and hear an inspirational talk on Wednesday.
Rwandan genocide survivor Clemantine Wamariya to speak in St. Pete
It's now been 20 years since the horrors of the Rwandan genocide took place. While most Americans are aware that an estimated 800,000 (mostly Tutsi) were killed in the conflict, more than double that amount, or 1.8. million Rwandans, fled to neighboring countries as refugees. One of those displaced by the 1994 genocide was…
Mitch Perry Report 4.28.14: The last days in Tallahassee
Today begins the last week of the legislative session in Tallahassee (though rumors persist that there may be a special session called to deal with casino gambling sometime later this year). One of the bigger votes that should come up within the next couple of days is the bill offering in-state tuition at Florida universities…
Stargel bill that hurts Florida microbreweries goes national on “The Ed Show”
Cigar City Brewing's Joey Redner Lakeland Republican Senator Kelli Stargel's bill that would require microbreweries in the state selling more than 2,000 kegs per year of their own brew to distribute their bottled and canned products through an established distributorship and then have to buy back their own product (at marked-up prices) to sell to…
Elizabeth Warren is not about to endorse Hillary Clinton (yet)
For all those Democrats out there not prepared just quite yet to anoint Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee for president two years out, the only other Democrat who is even in the discussion these days as a possible foil to Mrs. Clinton is Elizabeth Warren, who never even held elected office two years ago.…
Hollywood invades Bollywood on IIFA’s final day
The IIFA Awards closed out a hectic, exciting run.
“Movies, Magic …” and confusion at IIFA technical awards gala
The show started late but offered Indian film fans much to make up for the delay.
The Other Woman is a shallow imitation
This rom-com is a shallow attempt at the female-led comedy typified by 2011’s Bridesmaids.
Bill’s Sports Binge: Bolts swept, Rays struggle and is it too early to talk football? (NEVER!)
Perspective is a wonderfully fascinating state of mind after frustrating results. It's a time when losers are left to make statements through gritted teeth they don't quite mean. "It was an honor just to be nominated," "We were just happy to be here," "It's Bush's fault." But pain plus enough time eventually clears the brain…
Brick Mansions is a crumbling mess
If you go willingly into a Luc Besson production, you know what to expect: cartoonish bad guys (with at least one oversized thug), c reepy French actors miscast in American roles, and a string of outlandish chase scenes and fight sequences. His latest is all of that, wallowing in the same depravity that finds its…
Hillsborough Democrat bashes BOCC for failing to back Sharpe on craft beer legislation
Although there may be solid arguments in favor of Florida's three-tier system of distributing beer, you don't have to be a craft beer aficionado to be suspicious about the way the Florida Beer Wholesalers are making their case in Tallahassee this legislative session. In their now four-year battle over craft brewers' desire to join virtually…
Farewell to Venue Theatre — for now
Wish them best regards at a moving sale through May 26.
Glam rockin’ with IIFA
The event’s proceeds will go to a charity that empowers young women.
The Hip Hop ABCs: Letter M
Who’s your fave hip hop artist beginning with the letter ‘L’? The alphabetical rap battles continue…
Video: Watch Little Dragon bring “Paris” to Queen Latifah Show, then see the band live this June
Yes, Queen Latifah has a show. And yes, this awesome band is coming to Ybor this summer.
Mitch Perry Report 4.25.14: Bill Nelson’s dilemma
You'd think after being locked out of the governor's mansion for 16 long years, Florida Democrats would be united this year as they contemplate ousting a man whom so many hold in contempt, Rick Scott. But this being Florida Democrats, you'd be wrong. The reason we say that is because not every Democrat has jumped…
Drink More Wine: Pucker up
Learn to discern how tannins help great wine achieve balance.
Politicians & Bollywood stars welcome IIFA weekend
The festivities leading up to Saturday night's International Indian Film Academy Awards kicked into full gear on Thursday, and you'd have to be the most jaded of observers not to pick up on the electric energy generated at Downtown Tampa's Hilton Hotel, where hundreds of (mostly) Indian journalists swarmed around the star power of Anil…
Ghost the Musical attempts to resurrect a classic love story
The high-tech musical adaptation yields unremarkable results.
Judy Genshaft says “we’re willing to listen” regarding USF students’ divestment petition
One of the largest student-led petition drives in Florida university history has taken place on the USF campus in Tampa, initiated by the USF chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. More than 10,000 have signed the petition calling on the school's endowment foundation to divest from companies involved in perceived human rights violations in…
Meet St. Pete Pride’s 2014 Grand Marshals
St. Pete Pride announced its 2014 Grand Marshals at Bert Smith Auto Group in St. Pete on April 17. The three category winners are: Female – Darden Rice; Male – Jay Aller; and Organization – PFLAG Tampa. Darden Rice Earlier this year, Rice was elected to St. Petersburg’s City Council. She is one of three…
Eat for a cause: Dine out to fight AIDS
More than 50 local restaurants will donate a portion of their sales Thursday to the AIDS Service Association of Pinellas.
Dancers kicked off IIFA festivities in style
The Odissi Dance Academy helps kick off IIFA with a Bollywood shimmy.
Wine & Rhyme goes monthly, diversifies even more for round two
Jazz, art, and comedy round out new Bay area hip hop night at Crumb & Cork.
Concert review: Cloud Nothings at Crowbar, Ybor City
Crowd Nothings delivered a searingly good, though sparsely attended gig on Tuesday night.
Doug Dozark of Cycle Brewing: The 64-ounce solution
How to beat Florida’s 64-ounce growler ban? Hint: Get some tape.
This week in Tampa Bay area live music: Mogwai, Santana, Goblin, Chuck Ragan & more
Concerts, April 24-30.
Interview: Portland singer-songwriter M. Ward makes his headlining debut in St. Petersburg
The tour for A Wasteland Companion finally makes its way down south
Hooray for Bollywood
As the International Indian Film Academy Awards come to Tampa, local fan Aaron Alpert explains his love for Hindi cinema.
The Hip Hip ABCs: Letter K
It is nearly impossible to get a bunch of passionate hip hop fans to agree on anything. But I tried anyhow, starting with a series of polls on Facebook that aimed to figure out which emcee or group was the best in the game as driven by the letters of the alphabet. No specific rubric…
