Tampa Bay Comic Con 2013: photo review
Tampa Bay Comic Con had an impressive turnout this weekend, as in "we were forced to turn people away by order of the Tampa fire marshal," according to the event's Facebook page. Those who made it were geeked out in various stages of costumed revelry, searching for deals and a chance to meet special guests…
Mayors Against Illegal Guns targets Rubio in new ad shown in Tampa & Orlando
Although not much has been made about it, the fact that Marco Rubio has joined 13 other GOP Senators to filibuster soon-to-be produced gun-control legislation is actually a radical thing, if you believe Rubio is seriously considering running for president in 2016. Sure, it's seen as a way to stay in close contact with the…
David McKalip says St. Pete should stop spending money on the Lens until referendum happens
David McKalip Today, District 4 City Council candidate David McKalip said that he is calling on the St. Petersburg City Council to refrain from spending any more money on the Lens design concept — which would replace the current Pier — until voters get a chance to weigh in on the issue on a referendum…
John Morgan’s plan to legalize medical marijuana? Thousands of volunteers
John Morgan The campaign to make Florida the next state to allow medicinal marijuana got a huge shot in the arm a few weeks ago when Democratic party uber-fundraiser and trial attorney John Morgan said he would lend his support to the effort. Morgan has become the chairman of United For Care, which recently changed…
Mitch Perry Report 4.10.13 – Kathy Castor & DWS: A tale of 2 different takes on Cuba
Kathy Castor's trip to Cuba last week has been extensively reported on this Web site and throughout the Tampa Bay media. Although other members of Congress have been calling for years to end the economic embargo, Castor may be the first member of the Florida delegation while in office to go so far as to…
Get raw
Leafy Greens Café’s menu will please vegans and carnivores alike.
The politics of food
Wenonah Hauter is on a mission to change America’s food system.
Fresh from the oven
Datz opens Dough, Have Gun Will Travel pairs up with Cigar City.
Need for mead
Called the nectar of the gods by ancients, honey wine is worth a taste.
It’s a spritz
A refreshing wine drink from Italy’s Veneto region.
Kevin Beckner & other activists blast wage theft legislation pending in Tallahassee
Activists came out today in Tampa on wage theft legislation A bill floating through the Florida Legislature this spring could overturn ordinances passed in Broward and Miami-Dade counties in recent years, forcing workers to go to court to fight for wages owed. SB 1216 has been filed by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Orange Park. It would…
New Music Tuesday! (April 9): Paramore, Neon Indian, Dawes, Tyga & more
Releases out this week (audio & video included)
Ralph Fernandez says Kathy Castor injected herself as “the poster woman” for opposition to the embargo
A decade ago, it was considered controversial in Tampa when Dick Greco went to Cuba. A couple of years later when Congressman Jim Davis went? Not so much. The difference in those cases was that Davis placated elements of the anti-Castro wing in Tampa prior to his 2004 trip, whereas former Mayor Greco did not.…
New documentary “Hating Breitbart” coming to Tampa next month
Andrew Breitbart was a hero to many in the conservative movement, and a scourge to the left. Though he's been dead for more than a year now, his impact is still being felt, probably most strongly on his BigGovernment.com website. Breitbart was an acolyte to both Arianna Huffington and Matt Drudge, assisting both of them…
Mitch Perry Report: Will Hillsborough Commissioners tighten background check law already on the books?
To the surprise of no one, Hillsborough County Commission attorney Chip Fletcher ruled yesterday that the board does not have the authority to enact a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity ammunition clips. State law forbids local Florida governments from enacting their own such laws, as you might recall we all learned last year after…
Pastor Terry Jones to burn 2,998 Korans on 9/11 in Tampa?
Pastor Terry Jones Remember Terry Jones? The Gainesville-based pastor who informed the media that he was going to burn Korans on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks — and then didn't burn them? He's been able to keep himself in the news every so often, and now he's done it again. He announced…
Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County to do recount on Tuesday
Homelessness will always be an issue in Tampa (as well as in St. Petersburg and every other major American city). However, it's not being debated on a week-to-week basis, as was the case back in 2010-2011 when the Tampa City Council crafted a law to reduce panhandling (the law bans soliciting on every day but…
Kathy Castor calls for U.S. government to end economic embargo against Cuba
Kathy Castor returned from a four-day trip to Cuba Saturday night Beyonce and Jay-Z weren't the only high-profile Americans in Cuba over the weekend. Tampa-area Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor made her maiden voyage to the Communist island, and declared after her brief stay that the five-decade long U.S. economic embargo against the Castro-led government has…
Ex wife new life: a doctor in the house
What happened when I invited an alcoholic doctor to be my date for my first holiday party as a divorcee.
Perverting the comic voice behind Mindsploitation
Journalism blows. That's why I limit my "reporting" to Q-and-As, requiring the interview subjects to do all the work. Turns out I'm not the first person to outsource writing. In his new book, Mindsploitation: Asinine Assignments for the online Homework Cheating Industry, Vernon Chatman hires barely literate essay writers from "such backwater hick towns as…
Mitch Perry Report 4.8.13: The Masters joins the 21st Century
Plus: R.I.P. Margaret Thatcher, gun control and more …
McCain questions why Marco Rubio & others would filibuster gun legislation
After it was announced last weekend that organized labor and big business had come to an agreement regarding guest workers – a crucial piece in the complicated mixture that will make up comprehensive immigration reform- Marco Rubio made sure to tamp down any euphoria about that long elusive achievement, making public a letter he wrote…
Inside the photo booth: Tina of Casa Tina Mexican Restaurant
Kevin Tighe Tina Marie Avila (click to enlarge)
The enduring appeal of Seminole Heights
In this week’s special issue on one of Tampa’s most fascinating neighborhoods, Seminole Heights, we consider multiple storylines, from the challenges of launching new businesses in the area to the suspicious similarities between SH and a certain crunchy city in Oregon. But I will leave it to longtime SH resident Julie Garisto, our A&E editor,…
Gun-control activists in Tampa say they’re not against the 2nd Amendment
Participants in Saturday's Rally for Gun Reform Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America took a stand with Organizing for Action on Bayshore Blvd and Bay to Bay Blvd in Tampa on Saturday. The 25 activists rallied to support gun reforms floating in Congress. Many of them said they were gun owners and even…
Meet me on the porch
When neighbors get together, the urban landscape gets better.
Seminole Heights Scavenger hunt
How many of these places do you remember?
In brief …
Quick answers to reader questions.
Times, Tribune no longer using the term “illegal immigrant”
Some conservatives went into high dungeon this week after the Associated Press announced that it would no longer use the term "illegal immigrant." The news organization said that its AP Stylebook — the language and grammar guide used by news organizations across the country — will immediately stop approving the phrase. "The Stylebook no longer…
Chatting up Mad Men: ruminations, speculations on season 6
This Sunday marks the return of AMC’s critically acclaimed drama Mad Men for its penultimate sixth season. The fifth season was the most experimental of the series, dealing with issues like the Richard Speck murders, ’60s counter-culture, and drugs, and showed us just how far the characters will go to find happiness, or in one…
Get out your LGBT weekend planner
If you're still looking to make weekend plans, there are plenty of LGBT events in the Tampa Bay area. On Friday, April 5, head to Bradley’s on 7th, 1510 E. 7th Ave., for the “La Cage Aux Folles” show. Performers include Joey Brooks, Esme Russell and Anjila Cavalier. Then head back to Bradley’s the next…
Free Kahwa coffee
Coffee drinkers have habits. Typically, we like one brand, and don't stray (unless desperation kicks in). But this week, through April 7, Kahwa Coffee wants you to give their local roast a try. Go into any Kahwa (they've got several locations across the bay area now) and your first drink is on them. Whether you…
Bishop Lounge to become Yard of Ale
YARD OF ALE DTSP Bishop Tavern & Lounge is soon to become Yard of Ale DTSP. Bishop Tavern & Lounge, home to one of the most well-known ladies night specials, has new ownership. According to their Facebook page, the owners of MacDinton's Irish Pub teamed up to expand another South Tampa watering hole into Downtown…
Mitch Perry Report 4.5.13 – Remembering a pop cultural icon
I first saw Roger Ebert on television in 1978, when he and Gene Siskel, this other Chicago-based film critic, were talking about movies on PBS, and there was never really anything like that I had ever seen on TV. I was seriously into movies then (as I still am now), and it was exciting to…
Homebrewer’s hub
Southern Brewing and Winemaking is the local apex of homebrewing.
Bill Nelson comes out for same-sex marriage
As two more Democratic Senators came out this week in support of same-sex marriage, Florida's Bill Nelson was continuing to stand on an increasingly smaller island. With Pennsylvania's Bob Casey and Delaware's Tom Carper evolving on the issue, Nelson was one of just seven Senate Democrats still clinging to the notion that marriage should only…
$2.5 billion master plan for Tampa International has begun
Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano For months, Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano has been making the rounds in front of various local government agencies, detailing the airport's ambitious 20-year master plan. After its approval from the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority on Thursday morning, the plan has officially begun. The board approved 5-0 to…
Say yes to No
A clever marketing campaign ousts a dictator in No.
Bob Buckhorn only dissenter to Joe Lopano’s new contract
Bob Buckhorn In his short tenure as head of Tampa International Airport, Joe Lopano has established himself as one of the preeminent leaders in the Tampa Bay area. Unfortunately though, he's been in the news nearly as much for his various pay raises as he has for accomplishments at TIA. The latest controversy over his…
Mitch Perry Report 4.4.13 – Mrs. Castor goes to Cuba
A year and a half after she initially said she intended to visit, Tampa-area Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor is in Cuba today (as reported by Ted Jackovics in the Tampa Tribune) for a trip that will last through the weekend. Although Castor had not told the media in advance exactly when she was traveling, she…
Seminole Heights: Open for business
The blossoming of retail and restaurants was a long time coming.
Once upon a time
Residents of the North Street Compound and its fanciful “fairy tale house” were as eclectic as the architecture.
No, Scooter Gabel doesn’t hate kids
Talking with the owner of famously kid-proofed Cappy’s Pizza.
You can go home again
A CL editor remembers the neighborhood he left — and to which he may return.
Elvis hasn’t left the building
Nicko’s Fine Foods, home to the Elvis booth, is keeping the greasy spoon spirit alive.
Long nights at the Hold Tight! House
A Seminole Heights punk house enjoys a long and storied run.
Seminole Heights: Destinations
Restaurants, art, shopping and more …
Minus the Bear and Circa Survive sell out The Ritz Ybor
A look back at the Wed., March 27 show.
Seminolandia
SH or Portlandia? A quiz.
Tracy Midulla Reller beautifies the neighborhood
Tempus Projects is leading the way in the burgeoning Seminole Heights arts scene.
Evil Dead = dead on
The satisfying, modern remake of the horror cult classic is part homage, part re-imagining of the original Sam Raimi film.
That’s hip
Head to Mermaid Tavern for the food and drink. Stay for the music.
The big three (and a half)
A trio of 3.5-star restaurants serving great eats in the Heights.
Dave Foley: sexy socialist stand-up
The actor/comedian hits the stand-up circuit to talk about his favorite topics.
Style: No Mood
Finding fashion fabric in Tampa Bay.
Springtime Happenings in Seminole Heights
Whether you live in the neighborhood or visit often, there’s plenty to do. Here’s a smattering of venues with ongoing events and one-time special events in the ’hood April and May. Hillsborough High Earth Day Celebration Hillsborough High School’s environmental club and alumni association celebrate Earth Day with master gardener Q&A session and a release…
Hillsborough Commissioners approve creating task force on violence prevention
Kevin Beckner Although there appeared to be less than full-fledged support during the debate, Hillsborough County Commissioners voted unanimously today to approve funding $150,000 to a San Francisco Bay Area based nonprofit organization and a local facilitator to assist a county task force in addressing violence prevention. In January — at the first Board of…
Fix the Debt panel comes to Tampa
Jim Davis and Mel Martinez chatted before Fix the Debt breakfast meeting commenced The general consensus is that the U.S. has a problem with the growing federal debt and deficit. However, last month, President Obama told ABC's George Stephanopoulos that there is no "immediate crisis in terms of the debt." Members of the national Campaign…
YouTube Artist to Watch: Sid Sriram
The latest featured artist in the singer-songwriter series.
Hillsborough County’s first hackathon takes place April 12-14
Months in the making, Hillsborough County's first hackathon is scheduled to take place next weekend, April 12-14, at the Hillsborough Community College Brandon campus. The driving force behind the event is Commissioner Mark Sharpe. On Wednesday, Sharpe told his board colleagues that the event aims to get the "best and brightest together — the creative…
Mitch Perry Report 4.3.13: Marco Rubio “paralyzed” on immigration?
Although there have been countless stories written about how the Republican Party is intent on passing immigration reform as an attempt to stay in political contact with the growing Latino part of the electorate, there are still many voices in the party that have no desire to reward such "illegality." This include House members and…
