Green Community Calendar weekend events
PestoFesto, hibiscus and vegetable workshops and farmers markets!
Castor to host consumer fraud & identity theft workshops on Thursday
There has been an avalanche of reports about tax refund fraud in the Tampa Bay area over the past few months. Last month at a U.S. Senate subcommittee meeting, a Tampa police Detective said that a pilot program will soon start in Tampa where the IRS can share some information related to tax fraud with…
Times boasts of its circulation lead over Trib
Before we get into the new circulation numbers released on Tuesday by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, we'd like to take a moment to give praise to the Tampa Tribune. After the paper's severe restructuring last December, the management down at Parker Street decided to devote their diminishing resources to covering Tampa more thoroughly than…
This week in food and drink
Cinco de Mayo happenings, National Hoagie Day and Blueberry Festival!
Mitch Perry Report 5.2.12 – Rick Scott gets a dose of realpolitik from Miami Cuban-Americans
The Miami Herald's Marc Caputo and Patricia Mazzei have an interesting story that's more of a follow-up to the news yesterday that Governor Scott had signed the bill that bans local companies in Florida from doing business with Cuba and Syria. Apparently Cuban elected officials in Miami like David Rivera think the governor sold them…
Countdown to Tropical Heatwave 2012: The Explorers Club
CL spotlights our favorite acts in the weeks leading up to the WMNF fest (w/audio & video).
Pinellas Sheriff busts officers for “extreme loafing”
We have to be honest. As reporters for this publication, we're sometimes met with incredulity when we mention that we represent an entity called Creative Loafing. While those who know the publication (either here or in our other Southern locales) are often complimentary, others express befuddlement. And there are those who chuckle somewhat condescendingly, saying…
Brandon’s SR 60: The worst traffic in the world
Google Satellite Map I have had the good fortune to visit a few of the world’s great cities. Paris. London. Madrid. New York. Los Angeles. While they vary in age, each of these metropolises exists as a symbol of mankind’s ability, ambition and drive. Each is also notorious for its terrible traffic, and its alternately…
The Voice Recap: Clearwater rocker Juliet Simms “killed it”
The Voice semi-finals brought out some crazy good performances from the remaining eight contestants. But it was Clearwater homegirl Juliet Simms who seemed to belt out the best. She chose a James Brown tune, and unlike the other contestants she matched operatic power with raw bluesy grit. Simms sang Brown’s “It's a Man's, Man's, Man's…
Buckhorn to Rick Scott: Please sign an executive order banning guns during the Convention
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn today sent a letter to Florida Governor Rick Scott, respectfully requesting that the governor issue an executive order prohibiting guns in downtown Tampa during the four days of the Republican National Convention this August. As has been widely reported, Florida law prohibits local governments from regulating guns — a law passed…
Upsetting big business, Rick Scott signs bill banning local governments from hiring companies with ties to Cuba or Syria
Rick Scott winds and delivers at spring training Governor Rick Scott on Tuesday signed HB 959, a bill that lays the groundwork to prevent state and local governments from entering contracts worth $1 million or more with businesses operating in Cuba and Syria. “The records of the Castro and Assad governments are undeniably oppressive, and…
Two Tampa spots make list of Best Sandwiches in America
Last spring, for the Creative Loafing food issue, I went in search of Tampa Bay's best sandwiches. Now it seems like a somewhat more notable name in food circles — Adam Richman of Man v. Food fame — has been making his own forays into local lunchland. The TV personality (not to be confused with…
Review: Punk-folk minimalist Tim Barry inspires the Local 662, St. Petersburg
Armed with only an acoustic guitar and a microphone, Virginia artist Tim Barry delivered a punk-folk set upon his return to the the Tampa Bay area last Wednesday night, managing to inspire and captivate the Local 662 crowd despite his minimalist style. The show kicked off with a set by Lonly Monster, a growly-howly singer-songwriter…
Obama administration finally admits its reliance on drone warfare
Try as they might, Mitt Romney and his coterie of national security advisers' complaints about President Obama's "feckless" foreign policy haven't gained much traction so far, and there's a good reason for that. Yes, the president is vulnerable when it comes to not taking action in Syria, as Bashar al-Assad indiscriminately kills his own citizens…
Mexican corn for Cinco de Mayo
Be corny on Cinco de Mayo!
Mitch Perry Report 5.1.12 – Who’s on strike today?
Nationally, the Occupy movement has been relatively moribund for months. But today, May Day, a comeback is being planned of sorts around the country. What that will entail remains to be seen. Locally, Occupy Tampa has not at this moment announced any big plans for today, but they do include this message on their website:…
New Music Tuesday (May 1): Norah Jones, Rufus Wainwright, Pennywise, B.o.B., Santigold & more
A breakdown of releases out this week, with audio & video.
Chris Smith releases his own Stand Your Ground task force finding
Last week we wrote about how some people think that Rick Scott's task force on Florida's Stand Your Ground law headed by Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll is a bit of a farce, considering that its roster includes three members of the 17-member group who voted to support the 2005 law, and no members of the…
Cinco de Mayo drinking destinations
Head to some Cinco de Mayo fiestas this Saturday!
Obama staying aggressive against Romney regarding Osama bin Laden
Mitt Romney has scheduled an appearance Tuesday in New York City with firefighters and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani to mark the one-year anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death. The presumptive GOP presidential candidate was asked on the campaign trail on Monday a rather silly, but relevant question: If he had been in charge a year…
Kathy Castor pushes for Congress to pass student loan bill
This sign indicates the number of days before interest rates for subsidized Stafford loans are scheduled to double Last Friday, after the GOP-led House passed legislation that would prevent federal loan costs from doubling for millions of college students, House Speaker John Boehner and other Republicans accused Democrats and President Obama of playing politics with…
Hot health care startup now operating in Tampa
Say you're traveling to some other city this week, but when you arrive you find yourself in urgent need of a doctor's care. Unless you know someone in the region, you're going to be stuck going online hoping and praying some MD can find time to see you, right? That's what ZocDoc hopes to alleviate.…
Where’s my damn hotel? RNC delegate housing
The Arkansas delegation will be staying at the Hilton Garden Inn in Ybor City Over the weekend officials from the Republican Party of Florida made an open plea for Mitt Romney to take care of them when the Republican National Convention comes to town in late August. That's because of the penalties the Republican National…
Spicy and sparkling margaritas
While you’re out shopping for sombreros this week, in anticipation of Cinco de Mayo, consider shopping for margarita ingredients as well. If you’ve been using the same margarita recipe since Ricky Martin was “Living La Vida Loca,” perhaps it’s time to “mix it up” a bit and consider variations of the popular cocktail. Cinco de…
Craig Becker and Somerston wines
Some men chase their dreams. Craig Becker followed a girl. That is, after the then-21-year-old biochemist saw his girlfriend (now wife), Courtney, win a plum internship at a California winery. Becker decided then to give viticulture a try. A perfect score on Robert Mondavi Wines test landed him at the famed winemaker, where Becker was…
Mitch Perry Report 4.30.12 – Bin Laden assassination anniversary controversial?
Happy Monday, y'all. In Washington D.C., the big deal Saturday night was the White House Correspondents Dinner, which featured President Obama cracking jokes as well as Jimmy Kimmel. Obama had a few good jokes, but wasn't nearly as effective as last year. Then again, Donald Trump wasn't in the house (or in the news) this…
Obama camp’s celebration of bin Laden killing is angering some Republicans
When George W. Bush ran for re-election in 2004, Democrats were outraged about him using the 9/11 attacks as a political asset, particularly regarding one ad that used imagery from the actual attacks. If you've been anywhere around the Drudge Report this weekend, you've no doubt seen the anger amongst conservatives about what they say…
GOP strategist denies women paid less than men in U.S.
Two and a half weeks after Hilary Rosen argued on Anderson Cooper 360 that "Ann Romney that never worked a day in her life," opening herself up to a deluge of personal criticism (including from those closest to President Obama's re-election campaign), the CNN liberal analyst finally went public to participate in a roundtable discussion…
Talking with Olympia Dukakis
The Oscar winner dishes on marriage, her career and her new film Cloudburst.
Liquefy fruits and veggies for a refreshing treat
The juice is loose
Miss this Engagement
Jason Segel and Judd Apatow should have called off The Five-Year Engagement.
The Tampa side of National Record Store Day: Art After Dark and Microgroove
Last week, retail outlets and art venues throughout the bay area celebrated National Record Store Day, an event that pays tribute to the obstacle trodden, Internet-challenged, independent bricks-and-mortar dealer of vinyl and CDs and other music-oriented merchandise. Arts and Entertainment Editor Julie Garisto and CL Contributing Photographer Daniel Veintimilla were on the Tampa side of…
Tempus for Spring: Support the arts, empower an individual
At Tempus for Spring, this Sat., April 28, at the CL Space, you can get an eyeful of vanguard and aesthetically exciting art, make a purchase and help an organization that helps people make a new start . The reception with art, DJ, food and beverage for the public is 7-10 p.m
Kitchen basics
Our resident cooking expert offers these tips for timid chefs.
Ybor City art show to benefit local transgender group
Metro Wellness and Community Center will host an art show fundraiser for Trans*Action Florida tomorrow evening in Ybor City.
Critics have right to be skeptical about Rick Scott’s Task Force on Stand Your Ground
Will Weatherford You don't have to be a conspiracy nut to believe that the odds are fairly good that the task force appointed last week by Governor Rick Scott to examine Florida's Stand Your Ground law isn't going to do anything radical when it comes to how to amend that controversial legislation. Needless to say,…
Mitch Perry Report 4.27.12 – Will Rick Scott be moved by Tampa’s concerns regarding guns at RNC?
The Tampa City Council yesterday joined up with Mayor Bob Buckhorn in saying they will reach out to Governor Rick Scott about allowing Tampa to be exempted from the state law that prohibits local governments from making any changes regarding gun regulations. The Mayor and Council are united in their concerns about the potential volatility…
Hookup to honeymoon
Can a one night stand turn into something more?
Tapas at home
Why go out for tapas when you can make stewed chickpeas with chorizo in your own kitchen?
Hey, Will! Happy Earth Week!
Shakespeare as mulch, and other green thoughts for National Poetry Month.
Father and son match wits in Footnote
This Israeli import (and Oscar nominee) is also one of the best films of the year.
Celebrate community-building success at FICS’ grand re-opening fiesta
Family fun with breakdance, capoeira, drums and more 4-8 p.m. Fri., April 27.
The Raven, well-hatched, fails to fly
This movie shall be spoken of … Nevermore.
Federal Judge rejects Gov. Scott’s bid to drug test state workers
Judge Ursula Ungaro remains unable to find a rationale for the program.
Tampa City Council wants to ask Rick Scott to allow them the ability to bans guns inside the “event zone”
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn has already been quite clear about what he thinks of a Florida law that blocks all local regulation of guns, saying last week it made the state "look like a bunch of knuckleheads" that he can ban squirt guns inside what is now being called the "event zone" in Tampa, but…
Elvis Costello brings his spectacular “Spinning Songbook Tour” to Ruth Eckerd Hall
The Brit singer-songwriter stages another amazing marathon performance in Clearwater.
Tampa one step closer to allowing domesticated chickens?
In the words of Tampa City Council member Mary Mulhern, changing the law in Tampa to allow for residents to raise domesticated chickens in their backyards is simply "recognizing what the trends are and the reality is," which she says is that more people want healthy food and that urban agriculture is a big part…
Friends without benefits
someecards.com Recently, two friends gave me a “manervention.” They forbid me from becoming friends with a guy I had a crush on in the past because he is currently in a relationship. They suspected that our friendship would not remain innocent. At the very least, they feared I would make his girlfriend jealous. I honestly…
In St. Pete, the public says no to cuts and yes to tax increases at Budget Summit
Wednesday night a cross-section of St. Petersburg packed into the J.W. Cate center on 22nd Avenue for the first of St. Petersburg's three scheduled budget summits. Upward of 100 senior citizens, parents, college students, city employees and professionals packed into folding metal chairs inside the room. More residents flanked the walls of the room. The…
Neighborhood Dining Guide: Sports Bars
Love your team and a good meal? These restaurants cater to the aficionado in all of us.
Politicians: Do you really care what women voters want?
Because I’ve noticed that you haven’t asked…
Lisa Powers is falling in love again
The actor/director is back, and local theater companies have taken notice.
Ariel Levy talks female raunch at Eckerd
Dawn Morgan Ariel Levy (center) at the conclusion of her speech at Eckerd on Tuesday night Ariel Levy has been writing and reporting for the New Yorker since 2008, and before that she served on the staff of New York magazine, but what has distinguished her from the pack of New York city based journalists…
Tampa officials finally admit that GOP gets first dibs on city parks during convention
(UPDATE Thursday 11:50 a.m.) For months activists intent on protesting in city parks during August's Republican National Convention in Tampa have complained that their requests for permits have been met with indifference by city officials. Rumor had it that the Republican National Committee had already reserved those parks. Back in January CL attempted through one…
Mitch Perry Report 4.26.12-Tampa officials come clean regarding permits to protest during RNC
For months, activist groups who've requested permits to march during the Republican National Convention have had those requests slow walked, and given lip service to the idea that they wouldn't be able to deal with such requests until the perimeter around the site of the convention was established. But a new report confirms what had…
Jack White, Blunderbuss
White crafts a shamelessly fun and whimsically varied record for his solo debut
Tampa Epoch’s May issue its last?
Tampa Epoch being unloaded from a truck last fall" title="The first copies of the Tampa Epoch being unloaded from a truck last fall" width="320" height="240" /> The first copies of the Tampa Epoch being unloaded from a truck last fall Ever since the stunning news of the death of Tampa Epoch publisher Bill Sharpe earlier…
The other “Stand Your Ground” case
Do you know about CeCe McDonald? Probably not. She is a trans woman who stood her ground, but unlike George Zimmerman, she was arrested within six hours, not six weeks — and she is still in jail. McDonald has been in jail since June 5, 2011, when she was charged with second degree murder after…
Everyone’s a winner at the 10/100/1000 party
Plus: Two CL staffers are moving into new roles.
Where no train’s gone before
Hillsborough’s transit measure went off the rails. Can Pinellas do better?
A little lounge from down south tops the Bay area’s best mixologists
Sarasota surprise at Pangea
Hail Olympia!
Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis shows her impressive acting chops (and impressively filthy mouth) in the hilarious Cloudburst.
St. Pete’s Museum of Fine Arts goes Communist
A new exhibit of Soviet photos evokes the gap between the dreams and realities of Russian Communism.
Burn the Floor at Straz: It takes 12 to tango
Burn the Floor, a ballroom dance showcase that’s been described in reviews using every “hot” adjective in the thesaurus, also could be called “Dance 101 for the Short Attention Span Crowd.” This week at the Straz, two dozen dancers representing a good portion of the globe (Australia, England, Italy, Venezuela, South Africa, Slovenia and the…
Check out “bare: a pop opera” at the Shimberg Playhouse through Sunday (video)
From left, Stephanie Coatney (Ivy), Omar Montes (Jason) and Natale Pirrotta (Peter) At a time when religion and anti-LGBT views are consistently intertwined, M.A.D. Theatre's latest offering couldn't be more appropriate.
The Advocate lauds Equality Florida’s public policy director
The Advocate Mallory Wells Equality Florida's Gainesville-based public policy director, Mallory Wells, has been named to The Advocate's 2012 “Forty Under 40” list, which honors the "budding powerhouses, leaders in media, politics, sports, and science” who are poised to be “the architects of the next decade.”
Peelander-Z brings their weirdo comic-punk fun to Orpheum, Ybor City
The Japanese Action Comic Punk band hailing from the Z area of Planet Peelander, aka Peelander-Z, returned to Orpheum for their umpteenth show at the Ybor City venue last Friday. They brought fan favorite songs (and also costumes, masks, and signs), as well as a couple additions from their newest album, Space Vacation, released just…
jessica drake’s guide to becoming a ‘wicked’ sex coach
GuideToWickedSex.com What made you want to create the x-rated instructional series, jessica drake's Guide to Wicked Sex When talking to people about sex at signings and feature dance appearances, I realized there was just such a need. Once I was approached by a woman in her mid-twenties who thought there was something wrong with her…
Obama explains his stance on weed in new Rolling Stone interview
President Obama is not going to legalize weed, and he never said he would. But when he was running for office four years ago, he did maintain that his Justice department wouldn't go after medical marijuana dispensaries or those who grow to stock those facilities, saying it was an issue best left to state and…
Countdown to Tropical Heatwave 2012: Damion Suomi & The Minor Prophets
CL spotlights our top 10 favorite Heatwave acts leading up to the WMNF fest (w/audio & video).
Delandapalooza: Musical mayhem at its best
This Sat., April 28, the usually sleepy little municipality of Deland's scenic Historic Downtown District will shake, rock, roll, groove, and move with more than 150 acts from all over Florida (and beyond) playing on 28 stages throughout the Old Florida town. From 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., on stages large and small, solo performers…
Mitch Perry Report 4.25.12 – The pivot towards the center begins for Mitt Romney
Although Mitt Romney has not yet captured the 1,144 delegates needed to officially become the GOP nominee for president, the former Massachusetts Governor is now moving towards a general election strategy against Barack Obama, which begins today for him with some major fundraising events in the northeast. Romney now needs to court the middle, mainstream…
This week in live music: Malcolm Holcombe, Rise Against with A Day to Remember
Plus: Lacuna Coil, Greg Lake + more, April 26-May 2
Stars from LGBT-friendly sitcom Modern Family appear at Ruth Eckerd Hall tonight (video)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (left) and Eric Stonestreet (right) It's not too late to catch tonight's behind-the-scenes event featuring some of your favorite stars from the Emmy Award-winning show Modern Family. Routinely lauded by GLAAD and other LGBT organizations, the sitcom features two of television's most popular and mainstream gay couples, who are also parents: Cameron…
Hillsborough Democrats have a challenger for Rob Turner at Property Appraiser
Aspiring County Appraiser James DeMio Let's face it. County property appraisers don't make much copy, unless they do something outlandishly foolish. That was the case with Jim Smith in Pinellas County in 2007 when the then Property Appraiser's sale of his flood-prone home to the county led to a grand jury investigation and formal ethics…
Big changes in Buckhorn’s “Clean Zone” ordinance, starting with the name
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and his legal staff were surely not surprised when his announced rules for those intent on protesting at this summer's Republican National Convention were met with strong opposition from activists in the Bay area. But that opposition stretched out way beyond a handful of activists. The more establishment editorial board of…
Tampa City Council members challenged at HOPE assembly
Lisa Montelione For years, elected officials in Pinellas County have gone before members of FAST (Faith and Action for Strength Together) at their Nehemiah Action Assemblies, where they're asked to commit to proposed solutions to issues. For as many years, the folks over at HOPE (Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality) in Hillsborough County have…
Laissez les bons temps rouler… at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
This weekend, The Big Easy will once again open its heart and soul for the two-weekend, seven-day 42nd annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell. Internationally known as simply "Jazz Fest," this august musical institution brings together artists of every genre known in popular music; not just jazz, but country, gospel, blues,…
Shock your vagina with the Intensity
As my testicles straddled the electrode contacts on the Intensity, I was suddenly far less confident that four AAA batteries were incapable of delivering a handicapping jolt of electricity to my genitals—my mind kept filling with images of the shell-shocked patients of electro-shock-therapy. Still, a deal was a deal. I clenched my jaw and my…
Lelu & B: The sex stars next door
At home with a Tampa couple that makes money making love on webcam.
How to have an affair without getting caught
There are as many rationalizations for cheating as there are cheaters. Some people feel trapped in a sexually unsatisfying relationship due to children or financial pressures. Others are just addicted to the thrill of sex with a new partner. Cheating may not conform to modern social expectations of marriage, but the natural urge to stray…
