Summer of Sami – Emerson’s view
Federal District Judge James S. Moody threw as much of the book as he could at Sami Al-Arian during sentencing this morning, giving him the high end of the sentencing guildelines after his plea bargain on one count of aiding a terrorist organization. The dailies will be all over it tomorrow, and Al-Arian's side of…
Sami Speaks
This just in, being distributed by Al-Arian's supporters in the Tampa Bay Coalition for Peace and Justice: A Message by Dr. Sami A. Al-Arian to His Friends and Supporters Dear Friends and Supporters, This May 21 will mark my 31st anniversary in the United States. The American chapter of my life has surely been the…
MEDIA WATCH: Trib writer wins award
Tampa Tribune reporter Shannon Behnken has won a National Association of Real Estate Editors’ Annual Journalism Awards for Best Newspaper Report in the less-than-250,000-circulation category. Behnken writes about development, especially in the downtown Tampa area, and is all over that beat with lots of good scoops. Via Talking Biz News.
Stringed Victory
The quiet triumph of Clearwater’s internationally known guitar maker.
Music Menu
THURSDAY, APRIL 27 FALL OUT BOY/ALL AMERICAN REJECTS/FROM FIRST TO LAST/HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS/OCTOBER FALL It's the biggest all-ages emo show this side of the Warped Tour. This one runs the gamut from the tepid to the interesting. You've got your generic, incredibly overrated kiddie-pop MTV2 darlings (Fall Out Boy). You've got your insanely catchy but unfortunately…
GreenDays
With energy costs soaring and Florida in overdrive, cities from Sarasota to St. Pete are going green. And you may be surprised at who’s leading the charge.
Wild, Wild West
ART
You Can Do It
Ten easy ways to go green.
Food For Funds
What is it about food that makes folks feel more generous? Perhaps it's the appeal of breaking bread with fellow do-gooders, of sharing one of life's most basic needs while helping out a deserving charity. At any rate, food-themed fundraisers have become commonplace; this week alone, three separate organizations offer eats and entertainment in exchange…
Upcoming Releases
The following releases will be in stores Tues., May 2: Assisted Suicide Assembly, No Love Lost (Fist Music) The BellRays, Have a Little Faith (Cheap Lullaby) The Black Keys, Chulahoma (Fat Possum [Ryko]) CrashBox, CrashBox (Crash Cinema) Crushed Stars, Obsolescence (Arena Rock Recording) Dalton, Taste the Sky (Selectric) Dem Franchize Boyz, On Top of Our…
Spins
New English EP AMBULANCE LTD TVT Critically hailed Brooklyn quartet Ambulance LTD continues its habit of issuing short releases and its penchant for increasingly mature pop, on this seven-track offering. In addition to demo versions of "Heavy Lifting" and "Sugar Pill" (both from the band's sole full-length, '94's LP) and an impressively rendered live version…
Outtakes
NEW RELEASES AKEELAH AND THE BEE (PG) Moviegoers who just couldn't get enough of Spellbound — you know who you are — might be more than a little curious about this tale of an 11-year-old girl who struggles against the odds and unites her community when she enters a national spelling bee. The studio's publicity…
The Lighter Side of Depression
Lonesome Jim is actor Steve Buscemi's third outing in his director shoes and it's in much the same, bone-dry, post-Jim Jarmusch-ian vein as his previous efforts, but with an even bleaker core of humor. The characters are mostly sullen or sociopaths, and the narrative touches upon such surefire laugh-getters as suicide, divorce, drug-dealing and debilitating…
The Expo
The Expo will feature information sessions from such sponsors as the Sierra Club and Progress Energy on green building for developers, homeowners and other advocates interested in low-impact lifestyles, construction and landscaping. Exhibitors include companies specializing in solar, irrigation, native plants, healthy homes, environmentally friendly paints, Home Depot and the Audubon Society. The Council of…
Melting Point
Snack City’s famous ice cream may become a thing of the past.
Baby’s Got a Gun
Necessary anger and crafty feminism in St. Pete.
WInelist
Got an upcoming or ongoing wine event? Send information to: The Wine List, 810 N. Howard Ave., Tampa, FL 33606, fax 813-739-4801 or e-mail winestuff@weeklyplanet.com. *'SPLORIN' SPAIN Tampa Bay Uncorked, a young professionals wine group, hosts a Spanish wine happy hour at St. Pete's newest Spanish tapas eatery, Ceviche. Features discounted wines and appetizers. Free.…
Chain Gang
Mitchell’s, a Midwestern seafood chain, invades our turf, but doesn’t measure up.
The Blotter
Punk Drunk Fight: Two guys on N. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota reported that they were in a fight with an unknown male. They explained to the police that the fight had begun as a verbal argument until the unknown man punched one of them in the face. The other man who called police jumped on…
Convivial pursuit
Games to challenge your wine IQ.
Stick In The Eye
Don’t trash an entire sport for the actions of a few.
Sticking to his Guns
Former hair-metal icon Tracii Guns returns to his roots.
Backspin
Ask the Ages SONNY SHARROCK Axiom One of the leading exponents of avant-garde jazz guitar, Sharrock, who died in 1994 at age 53, led an all-star band on the splendidly cacophonous Ask the Ages. He's joined by Coltrane alumni Elvin Jones (drums) and Pharoah Sanders (sax) and bassist Charnett Moffett, 24 at the time. Although…
Going Once, Going Twice …
FUNDRAISERS
United in terror
The story of the 9/11 passengers who were,
Instant Karma
BIN LADEN'S LATEST TAPE We're not buying; already downloaded it from LimeWire. CHARLIE SHEEN DENIES ABUSING EX-WIFE "I only smack people who don't believe in the 9-11 conspiracy. And hookers." DAVID LEE ROTH CANNED Sorry, wasn't paying attention, was that from Van Halen again or just the radio gig? PAY-PER-VIEW TV SEANCE Claims contact with…
Hot Doggin’
SPORTS
Going Postal
LISTEN UP, CARTER John Sugg's story about election night 1976 (Interview, "Listen Up, Democrats," April 19-25), which recounted how his newspaper became one of the first to report Carter's victory, was an entertaining bit of nostalgia. I was a freshman at the University of Georgia that year, and voted for favorite son Carter. Since then,…
Nun’s the Word
THEATER
Memory Loss
Quality performances can’t save this trivial play.
GIANTS’ STEPS
The smart, eminently quirky duo They Might Be Giants released its eponymous debut 20 years ago. While TMBG quickly became a collegiate novelty hit, few could've foreseen that in '06, Johns Flansburgh and Linnell would be alt-culture icons, documentary film subjects, TV theme-song composers and children's entertainers. Like Ween, another enduring project that's unarguably heavily…
Peeling back the foil
Cheap champagne, crack pipe roses and artistic objectivity.
A Carnival with Character
FESTIVAL/MUSIC
