Mitch Perry Report 8.28.13 -Another GOP governor gets his legislature to approve Medicaid expansion, while Rick Scott yawns
Lots of news to talk about on this, the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King's historic "I Have a Dream" speech. It should be noted that the march was officially labeled the march for "Jobs and Freedom," and called for a minimum wage of $2 per hour. Adjusted for inflation,…
The Republican National Convention one year later: A visual retrospective
One year ago this month the Republican National Convention was in town. Before, during, and after the event there was a lot of prognostication about the economic impact and long-term benefit the RNC would bring to our city. Congress appropriated $50 million for Tampa primarily for city and convention security. The 2012 Tampa Bay Host…
Foster edges Kriseman by just 867 votes, while the Lens is history
Kathleen Ford crashed and burned at the end, getting just 19 percent of the vote.
Frank Reddick doesn’t care if you don’t believe “black-on-black crime” is a problem
Frank Reddick Outrage over the timeliness of George Zimmerman's arrest, as well as the subsequent anger over his acquittal last month, have prompted some conservatives in the media to ask why there isn't more outrage over crimes committed by young black men against each other, or against whites. That narrative has blown up in the…
Can Context Florida go where Florida Voices couldn’t?
If you're reading this blog, I'm going to assume you're interested in Florida and/or Tampa Bay area politics. Most likely there are other local and national news media websites you'll check out at some time today, which brings me to the point that starting a new political site and hoping to attract sufficient eyeballs to…
Mitch Perry Report 8.27.13 – Little drama expected in tonight’s St. Pete primary
Unlike the Tampa mayoral primary some two and a half years ago, there is little drama going into tonight's St. Petersburg primary election. Both Bill Foster and Rick Kriseman are predicted to move into the general primary, with the only possible surprise occurring if Kriseman were to have the most overall votes in the five-person…
The One Thing You’re Not Hearing About Miley Cyrus’ VMA Performance
When it comes to monsters, we really shouldn't forget that we often make them ourselves. We've sort of morphed into a Franken-society. Miley Cyrus' VMA performance, an undeniable gag-ganza, is our fault really. What did we expect the mixed-up, former Disney kid, daughter of the world's best/worst mullet to do on the MTV VMA awards?…
New Music Tuesday! (August 27): Dodos, Belle and Sebastian, Franz Ferdinand, Lumerians, Bob Dylan, Big Sean & More
Releases out this week; audio & video included.
freeFall and American Stage lead in nominations for Theatre Tampa Bay Awards
Georgina McKee, Chris Crawford and Brian Webb Russell were all nominees for My Name Is Asher Lev. Theatre Tampa Bay, the alliance of local professional theater artists and organizations, announced nominations Monday for the 2013 TTB awards, as well as the winner of the first Jeff Norton Dream Grant. For the first time, the TTB…
Sequestration cuts hit Moffitt Cancer Center hard
The odds of getting grants has also diminished.
Congressman Dennis Ross says U.S. has become “totally irrelevant” in Syria
Congressman Dennis Ross It looks like if the U.S. engages in any type of military strike against Syria, it will be in concert with their European allies. Today, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the United States is examining all options but would not act alone in dealing with allegations that the Syrian government of…
Hillsborough Transportation Commission executive director done moonlighting as a security guard
What’s next for the embattled Cesar Padilla?
Mitch Perry Report 8.26.13 – U.S. & Allies to bomb Syria this week?
Welcome to the last Monday in August, the most unforgiving time of the year in Florida. How was your weekend? Mine started out with a viewing of Woody Allen's searing new drama, Blue Jasmine, followed by watching a considerable amount of pre-season NFL games. But all the entertainment in the world can't block out the…
New poll says Tampa residents want city to deal with homeless — not build a stadium — with tax money
Residents came out 56-36 against a taxpayer-funded stadium.
Colin Powell says GOP laws to tamp down minority voters are no way to draw them to party
“You say you want to reach out? This is not the way to do it.”
Kinky kid
My teenage son is stealing and wearing diapers.
Jeff Brandes wants to kill Hillsborough’s Public Transportation Commission to draw Uber to Bay area
“We’re going to be considered a backwater if we don’t bring them here.”
Double major
Introducing STEM II: Symmetry, Truth, Empathy and Meaning.
How Flynt Dominick became a male porn star in less than a year
From the streets of Brevard County to the porn sets of LA.
Padilla’s reported moonlighting latest headache for Hillsborough Public Transportation Commission
Victor Crist is well aware of the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission's (PTC) unsavory reputation, which is why one of his efforts to reform it since taking over as board chair this year is to develop an operations manual with detailed standards. That includes having Executive Director Cesar Padilla work under a contract, rather than…
Choose the 2014 St Pete Pride Carnivale theme
You have until Sept. 1 to cast your vote for Florida’s largest Pride event.
Mitch Perry Report 8.23.13 – Will the world react to what’s happening in Syria?
The Guardian reported that Russia is calling for an independent investigation by United Nations experts into allegations that the Syrian government carried out a deadly chemical weapons attack on the outskirts of Damascus. This is significant because Moscow has frequently been a roadblock (along with China) for any action by the U.N. on stopping some of…
American Stage buddies up with Art
Plus: New Stage’s debut, Maybe, Baby, It’s You!, deconstructs relationships.
Foster blasts Kriseman for spending and raising money outside of St. Pete
Bill Foster Bill Foster is definitely feeling the heat from Rick Kriseman. The mayor has criticized his former City Council colleague for bringing partisanship into the race, specifically for having the state Democratic Party contribute to his campaign coffers (to the tune of $30,000). But with just five days before next Tuesday's primary, Foster is…
Story Time Vol. 7 is new school fun
Go back to school with local scribes and Doll Parts this Friday at the CL Space.
Celebrate 50 years of MLK’s dream with a free screening of The March
WEDU-Ch. 3 and Tampa Theatre have joined forces to honor what may be the most significant of cultural milestones this month: the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. Join the two Tampa institutions in commemorating the historic event with a free community screening of The March, a film honoring the 50th anniversary of the…
Bill Nelson endorses Rick Kriseman in St. Pete mayoral primary
Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson endorsed Rick Kriseman in next Tuesday's primary election in St. Petersburg, and the Kriseman camp is touting the public announcement as a significant development. "Rick Kriseman is a strong leader who will bring people together to find solutions for the challenges facing St. Petersburg," said Nelson in a press release…
The Gaily News: Bradley Manning to live as a woman
Bradley Manning plans to go by the name Chelsea and live as a woman. Bradley Manning, the Army private recently sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, said that she plans to live as a woman named Chelsea and wants to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. Manning, whose…
Jim DeMint’s “Defund Obamacare” act greeted by protesters in Tampa
Heritage Action will spend more than $500,000 targeting 100 House Republicans with ads about defunding Obamacare.
Inside the photo booth: Singer/songwriter Jun Bustamante
Kevin Tighe Jun Bustamante (click to enlarge) Jun Bustamante creates sound that is a mix of folk and jazz with hints of hip-hop and electronica. After graduating from Gibbs High School, Jun continued her musical training at Pinellas County Center for the Arts and New York University. Bustamante's creation and oversight of ROOTS, a free…
Mitch Perry Report 8.22.13: Bradley Manning is now Chelsea Manning
Yesterday, Bradley Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison on charges of espionage to theft for leaking more than 700,000 documents to the WikiLeaks website while working in Iraq in 2010. But he'll probably be in the news today even more for the stunning revelation that he intends to transition as a woman and…
Supporters of the Affordable Care Act try to seize the initiative in Tampa
Brad Woodhouse, Representative Betty Read, Dr. Mona Mangat & Megan Milanese speak up for Obamacare on Wednesday Hours before an anti-Obamacare rally was scheduled to take place in Tampa, Affordable Care Act supporters tried to seize the initiative at their own news conference, combating calls from Republicans in Congress who want to repeal the ACA…
St. Petersburg’s primary considerations
The state of the races for Mayor and City Council as Aug. 27 looms.
End of summer blowout
The World’s End puts a giddy exclamation point on blockbuster season.
Tampa Bay’s gallery scene is on the move
Mindy Solomon’s gone, Chris Kelly’s back, and other shifts in the visual arts community.
Review: The Swimming Pool Q’s, The A&M Years, 1984-1986
What a delight listening to decades-old music and not feeling compelled to hear it through the fog of nostalgia. That was my first reaction to The A&M Years, a reissue of two mid-1980s albums by Atlanta’s The Swimming Pool Q’s. The Q’s were, nominally speaking, a New Wave band, and, as such, contemporaries of synth-playing,…
Q’d Up with The Swimming Pool Q’s
A reissue from an underrated New Wave-era act with deep local roots sees the light of day.
You’re Next is bloody awful
This buzzed-about horror flick is a grisly bore.
The Eiffel Tower would never have survived a referendum
Holding a wet finger up in the air is no way to create a memorable city.
Q’d Up background: Bringing the Swimming Pool Q’s reissue to market
All the major record conglomerates have divisions dedicated to reissuing their catalogue material. Those lavish boxed sets, best-of compilations and expanded editions constitute a major profit center for the industry. But an album or act must have achieved a level of critical or, more important, commercial status to merit reissue. Obvious case in point: Thriller,…
The Mortal Instruments make bad music
Watching this latest fantasy adaptation will actually make you want to pick up a book.
A recipe so easy even a caveman can do it
Try this tasty Paleo diet makeover of a popular Thai curry dish.
Stop in for Southern Fresh charm
Safety Harbor’s charming bungalow restaurant does fried chicken right.
Georgie’s Alibi cuts off $3 Long Island iced teas
A late-night brawl brings an end to a Thursday night tradition.
Blackfish is a whale of a tale
SeaWorld Orlando is at the center of a new documentary about the evils of killer whale captivity.
