Mitch Perry Report 9.6.12 – Now it’s Obama’s turn
In the four years since Barack Obama became president, Bill Clinton has suddenly become Republicans favorite Democrat, frequently invoked by such former rivals as Newt Gingrich and even Rush Limbaugh as sensible and practical, compared to that European style Socialist currently in the White House. But Clinton's"full-throated" endorsement of Obama last night (we put that…
Mary Mulhern praised TPD for its work at RNC, but not for the heavy security
Mary Mulhern Earlier this year while the Tampa City Council was approving requests from the Tampa Police Department regarding high security at the RNC, one city council member thought it was too much. "We spent $25 million (on equipment) and made two arrests. I think that says it all," said Mary Mulhern on Wednesday afternoon.…
In the financial hub of the South, Code Pink seeks to “bust up” the banks
Code Pink is in Charlotte for the Democratic National Convention in order to “Bust Up” the banking system. Despite pouring rain, about ten activists with the movement posted in front of the Charlotte headquarters of Bank of America Tuesday, in their trademark hot pink shirts, shouting slogans against the financial giant. As with many of…
Budweiser commercial features TV on the Radio song
Budweiser's latest ad campaign features TV on the Radio's "Will Do" off their most recent album Nine Types of Light. Jay Z is speaking over the music. He performed at Budweiser's Made in America music festival in Philadelphia alongside Calvin Harris, Miike Snow and others. TV on the Radio did not perform. The commercial originally…
Gary Johnson supporters to protest at Bay News 9
Gary Johnson Last week the Republicans had their fun in Tampa. This week, it's all about the Democrats in Charlotte. But what about the Libertarians, Greens and other third party presidential candidates? When will they get airtime? Probably not any time soon. Despite the plethora of third-party candidates running for office, the U.S. establishment remains…
How to: make aurora jungle juice at home
Melody ST. Rendering of jungle juice by Melody ST. Recently, a recipe called Aurora Jungle Juice went viral online. The drink, originating from The Campus Companion's party lab, calls for tonic water, gin or vodka, pink lemonade and a black light. The accompanying photograph featuring sparkling blue and pink liquid being poured from a bottle…
FreedomWorks to open office in Tampa this Saturday
Although The Washington D.C. based group FreedomWorks was created in the mid-aughts, most people outside the Beltway didn't hear of it until the Tea Party movement exploded in 2009. It's been a leading organization in growing the movement — perhaps the leading organization. It's also been used as a bogeyman by critics who claim that…
Mitch Perry Report 9.5.12 – Enough with the psychoanalysis of the Clinton/Obama relationship!
Sometime between 10 and 10:30 p.m. tonight Bill Clinton is scheduled to speak at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte in what is being billed as one of the highlights of this year's Democratic National Convention. In recent days, the New Yorker, Newsweek and now Maureen Dowd in the New York Times have written…
Lesbians, get ready to rock
Finally. An event that’s all about the ladies. We all know the Tampa Bay area is super LGBT friendly. But most events and establishments cater mainly to gay male or mixed crowds. Now, Girl2Girl Productions is introducing an exciting new music festival that will be sure to have all the lesbians atwitter.
Cory Booker to speak at Hillsborough County Democrats dinner
Cory Booker The Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee announced that Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker will be the main speaker at the annual Kennedy-King dinner. Booker, a Rhodes Scholar and former tight end at Stanford University, is serving his second term as mayor of Newark. There are rumors he might challenge Republican Chris Christie for…
Judge rules that Florida students can’t be charged higher tuition based on parents’ legal status
In a ruling that could affect hundreds if not thousands of students, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore determined that students in Florida can't be charged higher non-resident tuition because of their parents' legal status. The ruling is in agreement with House Bill 441, which died in March. If the bill had passed, it would…
Obama to speak in Pinellas County on Saturday morning
Less than 36 hours after President Obama is scheduled to give his acceptance speech for the Democratic party nomination for president in Charlotte Thursday night, POTUS will be in Seminole, speaking at Natural Habitat Park Field, which is on the Seminole Campus of St. Petersburg College, 9200 113th Street North. The event is free and…
Revisiting Bill Clinton’s classic walk to the podium at the 2000 DNC in L.A.
Bill Clinton's relationship with Barack Obama is getting the full bore media treatment from such sources as the New Yorker and the New York Post in anticipation of the former Democratic party president addressing the audience at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte this week, where he is expected to deliver a forceful speech on…
New music Tuesday! (September 4): Two Door Cinema Club, Cat Power, Animal Collective, Stars & more
Releases out this week, with audio & video.
Dinesh D’Souza’s Obama’s America spins paranoia into box-office gold
Two years ago, Forbes magazine published a thin reed of an idea by Dinesh D'Souza that took off in conservative circles — a fresh, bold look at understanding Barack Obama's worldview. The article was an excerpt from D'Souza's soon to be published book, The Roots of Obama's Rage, which essentially said that the President gets…
Florida Republicans fear Charlie Crist will run for governor as a Democrat
The Democratic National Committee has yet to announce when Charlie Crist will speak on Thursday night at the DNC in Charlotte, but the fact that he's doing so is creating anger among the Republican Party of Florida. The anger is understandable — there's a sense of betrayal, or didn't you see the comments made by…
The last night of the RNC you didn’t read about
Chip Weiner Newt speaking at the RNC on Thursday night before his encounter with a damp reporter. I'm not sure what was my highlight of the last night of the RNC: crashing the Republican pool party and being the only one to jump in — full dress — or giving Newt Gingrich a sopping hug…
Mitch Perry Report 9.4.12: The First Lady makes her pitch
For those involved at any stage of last week's Republican convention in Tampa, was there anything sweeter than having a three-day holiday weekend to regain one's equilibrium? We think not. But since last week's events, the political world has packed up and moved on to the second act of convention season, with the Democrats convening…
RNC’s hero(ine): Hail to the L-Chief!
Chief Castor keeping an eye on everything during the first big RNC March Mon. Aug. 27. This past week while the GOP held its convention in Tampa, something truly amazing happened — well, didn’t happen. The massive protests and violence that were predicted, based upon the angry mood of the country, Occupy demonstrations and encampments…
Days before the Democratic Convention, Charlotte sees a formidable dissent
While the protests in Tampa were much smaller than expected, it looks like Charlotte is going to see more than its fair share of activists and demonstrations. At least 1,000 marchers from over 80 groups joined together Sunday to march through downtown Charlotte in advance of the Democratic National Convention and make a mark in…
Rock-ribbed Republicans in Tampa
Workers inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum are continuing the process this week of breaking down the infrastructure set-ups created for the Republican National Convention, with the hopes of having the arena restored to its usual condition by the end of this week. But before the memories of the RNC2012 escape completely from memory, CL…
Traveling through The Twelve Rooms of the Nile with Tampa author Enid Shomer
Before Florence Nightingale pioneered the field of professional nursing, and before Gustave Flaubert wrote Madame Bovary, both were struggling to find their place in the world. During this period of personal uncertainty, both happened to travel through Egypt along the Nile at the same time. While there is no evidence the two met, Enid Shomer…
Bill Maher skewers Romney, Ryan & Republicans in sold-out show in Clearwater
Bill Maher appeared at a sold-out performance at Ruth Eckerd Hall on Saturday night in Clearwater, where the political satirist tore apart Republicans, "Teabaggers," organized religion and the idea of American exceptionalism in a 100-minute performance. Coming less than 48 hours after the GOP closed out its convention across the Bay in Tampa, fans expecting…
The U.S. Pledge of Allegiance under the microscope
A law was recently upheld in Nebraska establishing a mandatory period during the school day which will be devoted to reciting the United States of America's pledge of allegiance. Students are provided the option to abstain from actively participating. However, they must observe the mandatory pledge period in silence. Is this obligatory recital a benign…
Trouble sleeping
How can I stop my husband from “attacking” me while he’s dreaming?
Here, there be elephants
It takes all kinds to make up the Republican party.
Welcome newbie!
The perfect dining guide for those new to the area or looking for an unfamiliar haunt.
The Amazon Trail: Gaily creaking
My next birthday is approaching. I barely remember the skinny, dark-haired kid I used to be. Back then I'd stay up all night playing and get to work at 5 a.m. Now, when I'm up late, it's called insomnia and I take a pill for it. I used to catch boxes of groceries off a…
Bob Buckhorn not a fan of Clint Eastwood’s RNC performance
As we all very well know, the U.S. electorate is extremely polarized going into this fall's election. So it's not surprising that the 12-minute endorsement/performance art piece by the legendary Clint Eastwood on the climactic night of the Republican National Convention in Tampa is dividing the public as well. One Tampa Democrat who you can…
RNC Photo Diary 8/30: The RNC Finale
Photographer Joeff Davis captured these moments on Night Three of the RNC, Thurs., Aug. 30, 2012.
Celeste and Jesse Forever is smart, touching
Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg amuse and surprise in this indie rom-com.
Reel Projections: We ain’t afraid of no ghost!
On this week's edition of Reel Projections, Dave and I are forced to flee to the Tampa Theatre's balcony — but not because we're still freaked out by Director Matt's ghost sighting (though we are). No, it was because the theater was resurfacing the floor right in front of the stage and we couldn't get…
Construction sites
Two St. Petersburg mainstays are undergoing an expansion and remodel.
RNC aftermath: Buckhorn credits “overwhelming force” for only two arrests
TPD Chief Jane Castor, Host Committee CEO Ken Jones, Mayor Bob Buckhorn & Chief of Staff Santiago Corrada Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Police Chief Jane Castor held a news conference Friday morning to discuss the just completed Republican National Convention. As far as the mayor was concerned, "We knocked it out of the park."…
RNC Photo Diary 8/29: Inside the RNC
AAN award-winning photographer Joeff Davis, who usually photographs for Creative Loafing Atlanta, is a political convention veteran who's training his lens on Tampa and Charlotte for the CL publications in those cities and for many of our Southcomm sibling papers around the country. Click on the slideshow to the right for shots he took on…
RNC Rewind #112 Now Live
[audio-path:http://archive.org/download/TwoBigMouths112/Tbm08-23V2.mp3] Yes, the G-O-P has left town and things are sort of getting back to normal around the Mouths home town. So it's time to take a listen to what we were like ahead of the convention with this walk thru memory lane. Re-live all the action that was show #112. A show chock full…
RNC Rewind #112 Now Live
[audio-path:http://archive.org/download/TwoBigMouths112/Tbm08-23V2.mp3] Yes, the G-O-P has left town and things are sort of getting back to normal around the Mouths home town. So it's time to take a listen to what we were like ahead of the convention with this walk thru memory lane. Re-live all the action that was show #112. A show chock full…
Final night of RNC protests: Five times when shit (almost) got real
Joeff Davis Before marching to the Forum Thursday night, protesters gathered in Lykes Gaslight Park." When there’s a seismic shift thousands of miles from any inhabited land mass, those in the doomed locale can prepare all they want, but they can’t avoid the fact they’re in the direct path of a violent tsunami. That’s probably…
Honey Boo Boo beats RNC, Clint tweets the morning after
Was Tampa's RNC moment in the spotlight stolen by a tawdry reality show about a self-described redneck child on the beauty pageant circuit? TLC's Here Comes Honey Boo Boo— a show about a kid powered by "go-go juice," who spouts off stripperisms like "a dolla makes me holla" — won out over the GOP. More…
Mitch Perry Report 8.31.12: Your Tampa RNC is now history
And now we return to your regular life in downtown Tampa. The Republican National Convention, years in the making, ended last night officially sometime around 11:15 p.m., as the red, white and blue balloons dropped from the rafters onto the delegates, reporters and elected officials jamming the floor of the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Of…
Be a food tourist
There is plenty of good food here. Get out and try it.
Wanted Mann
freeFall’s Cabaret is back by popular demand — owed in large part to David Mann’s magnetic Emcee.
Bizarre appearance by Clint Eastwood upstages Romney’s big speech
A huge audience, a surprise guest — what could go wrong?
Doctors of America march in support of Obama’s health care reform
In one of the last official protests of the Republican National Convention, doctors and patients descended on Lykes Gaslight Park in downtown Tampa Thursday afternoon. It was the latest stop by Doctors of America, a health reform advocacy group, in a tour to break through misconceptions about the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Doctors for America’s…
Review: Steve Aoki at the Amphitheatre in Ybor
Steve Aoki played a free show sponsored by Rock the Vote on Aug. 28
Tommy Thompson thinks Paul Ryan broadens Mitt Romney’s appeal
About an hour before Mitt Romney was scheduled to give the proverbial "speech of his life," CL spoke briefly with former WIsconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, who was pacing the convention floor. The 70-year-old Thompson, who also served as Health & Human Services Secretary for George W. Bush, was asked if Romney's speech should appeal to…
How to use DOMA to your advantage
I am a financial advisor who has been in practice for more than 10 years. I am also one of the few Accredited Domestic Partner Advisors (ADPA) in the state of Florida. I work hard to help LGBT families set up financial plans and investments that work in their best interest. In this article, I…
Ask Dream Momma: Jumping someone else’s plane
“Dear Dream Momma, In my dream I was at a bar with my business partner (we are both female). It was some sort of celebration, we may have been drinking (go figure). My partner and I were talking and the conversation was about trying to find things to do together. I’m not sure, but I…
Sandra Fluke leads Democratic assault on Romney-Ryan ticket
Sandra Fluke and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz at Democratic opposition headquarters in Tampa Throughout the RNC, Democrats have conducted their own "counter-convention" just a short distance away from the fenced-in perimeter of the Tampa Convention Center. On Thursday afternoon, just hours before Mitt Romney was set to give the speech of his political life, Sandra Fluke —…
The McCains, Bill O’Reilly party to help the vets
The Arizona senator and some other celebs party for a good cause at the kids museum.
Despite low turnout, “Romneyville” organizer feels RNC protests have had a positive effect
At the tail end of the Republican convention, it seems that the overall atmosphere of Tampa was much more low-key than previously expected. It seems the city was expecting much more of a turnout by protesters, hence the heightened security and heavy police presence. Reverend Bruce Wright leads the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign…
Hillsborough County GOP Chair admits the party is trying to figure out how to appeal to Latino voters
Art Wood Throughout the RNC, a lot of hot air and hype has come out of the Tampa Bay Times Forum. However, frequently recited statements about the importance of the Tampa Bay area in this year's presidential election remain relevant. On Wednesday, New York Times blogger Michael Cohen wrote : " … how much is…
Grover Norquist Unyielding on His Anti-tax Pledge
Grover Norquist is not a member of congress, nor a holder of public office, a speaker or a delegate at the RNC in Tampa. Nonetheless, he is arguably one of the most powerful men in Washington D.C.Wednesday afternoon on at the University of South Florida Saint Petersburg campus, Norquist versed a sparse crowd of around…
Daniel in the lion’s den: Tampa’s RNC strip club conundrum
They may not legislate like it, but let's face it: Most Republicans dig sex as much as the next delegate. Witness the vast influx of strippers, escorts and other sex workers to Tampa for the RNC. They're not all here just to service the visiting news media. Even the pro-GOP Christian Broadcasting Network worries about…
Won’t Back Down at RNC: Jeb and education reform
Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis star in Won't Back Down I agree with former Gov. Jeb Bush. Education has not been one of the hot-button issues on the lips of politicians this election season, but it should be. At least someone was talking about education at the RNC, and I got a full (if one-sided)…
Life on the inside: Ryan, Rice and Night Two at the RNC (Photos)
Kevin Tighe Night Two featured major speeches, including one from VP Candidate Paul Ryan.
Mitch Perry Report 8.30.12: Selling the Romney brand
As we go into tonight's final session of the Republican National Convention, the question is: How much Mitt will we learn about tonight during his much anticipated speech? Tune in a little after 10 p.m. tonight to find out. Last night was Paul Ryan's biggest turn in the klieg lights. Our take here. Approximately 500…
At a rally, recalling when Republicans partnered with Planned Parenthood
Robert Azmitia The Planned Parenthood rally on Wednesday brought hundreds to Julian Lane Park. Alabama Republican delegate Jackie Curtiss learned a hard lesson earlier this month in Tampa. The national Republican Party is not interested in keeping its tent open for folks who believe in birth control or abortion in the case of rape. Curtiss,…
Dr. Pierola’s laboratory
The food at Jeannie Pierola’s new “lab” isn’t exactly experimental, but it’s tasty.
Josette Urso’s site lines
The artist’s drawings outline a view of her perceptual world in Taking Place.
Can you be a martyr with no followers? Photos of Jehovah Phineas
His badly deformed leg is a result of a severe motor vehicle accident. Jehovah Phineas planned his protest and scheduled his event for Herman Massey Park. He constructed his crucifix with no stakes in the ground, as ordered. He had a small public address system and a message, but hardly anyone showed. Jehovah Phineas at…
Paul Ryan’s speech marred by inaccurate charges
Let’s face it: other than Sarah Palin four years ago, how often do you remember VP speeches?
Vermin Supreme drops in at CL Space (Photo Gallery)
Ryan Bauer Vermin Supreme speaking to the assembled at CL Space
Unannounced march down Tampa Street blocks traffic, but remains peaceful
On Wednesday night, protesters took to the streets for a nighttime march down Tampa Street. Starting at I-275 and ending at Lykes Gaslight Square Park, the unannounced march was quickly joined by law enforcement officials who escorted the group and stopped traffic. Protesters begin their march near I-275 on Tampa Street. Protesters marched down Tampa…
Two conservative groups fight for marriage equality
The legalization of same-sex marriage is not a high priority on the GOP's to-do list. However, the Log Cabin Republicans are seeking to change that. At a Tuesday morning brunch hosted by law firm Holland & Knight, members of Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry and the Log Cabin Republicans gathered to discuss the…
The Daily Show at Straz: Sen. Rubio, a lap dance and giant roach
The show riffed on Rep. Todd Akin with the usual jabs at Tampa heat, bugs and strip clubs.
Review: Fang Island at Local 662, St. Petersburg
Even if I tried, I couldn't help leaving the Fang Island show with a big dumb smile, a warm fuzzy feeling, and with the firm mental confirmation that "yeah, life is okay right now." Because, aside from a virtuoso-like ability to shred their respective instruments into technical oblivion, this Brooklyn five-some emanates such an infectiously…
“America’s Toughest Sheriff,” Joe Arpaio makes his way into Tampa RNC
Joe Arpaio outside the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Wednesday Though undoubtedly he would have been met with thunderous applause if he'd been given a speaking slot at the RNC, "America's toughest sheriff," the notorious (some say racist) sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, Joe Arpaio, will be speaking in Tampa on Thursday — at Lowry…
“A smaller, less douchey Miami”: Jezebel’s Erin Gloria Ryan on Tampa and the RNC
Chip Weiner Jezebel.com's Erin Gloria Ryan Some may remember Erin Gloria Ryan's article 10 Reasons Why Ryan Lochte Is America’s Sexiest Douchebag on Gawker-owned website Jezebel. She wrote what everyone was thinking and the article went viral. Now she's in Tampa for the RNC — she just wrote an article called "Everyone at this Hooters…
The Romney, Bush & Clinton kids at the Tampa Improv in Ybor
Congressman Aaron Schock, George P. Bush, Jim Tankersley & Chuck Todd speaking at the Improv in Ybor One of the panel discussions attrracting the most buzz this RNC week was a discussion about youth, perhaps because it featured NBC News correspondent Chelsea Clinton. You probably know her best from her family pedigree, which was a…
Interviewing the media: Five minutes with Arianna Huffington
ARIELLE STEVENSON The Huffington Post's Arianna Huffington and Creative Loafing's Arielle Stevenson Wednesday at the Cuban Club in Tampa. The Huffington Post hosted a panel discussion and luncheon today at the Cuban Club called "Job Raising: What is Working." The panel on job creation was moderated by NBC's Tom Brokaw, and ties in with HuffPost's…
David’s a Goliath
David Dondero headlines the eighth annual Summer Jam this Saturday.
More Summer Jams
Five bands you don’t want to miss at Summer Jam 8.
Matisyahu + Summer Jam 8, Honey Island Swamp Band, and more in Tampa Bay area live music
FRIDAY, AUGUST 31 Jazz, The Art of Music Series: Stolen Idols Museum of Fine Art’s Friday night summer concert series — which brings a range of fine Bay area jazz artists to the scenic confines of its glass conservatory — concludes with a performance by Stolen Idols. The quintet crafts slinky exotica made for swaying…
Dominic Monaghan’s serious face
Catching up with everyone’s favorite LOSTie before the release of his latest movie, The Day.
The Day the movie died
A lack of substance lessens this stylized, dystopian vision.
Trying Cigar City’s Tony Jannus Pale Ale
Arielle Stevenson Fresh from the brewery, the Tony Jannus Pale Ale. This Cigar City beer was named for the infamous local pilot who made the first commercial landing at Albert Whitted Airport in St. Pete. The beer is only being poured at the Tampa International Airport and Cigar City's tasting room, so before I embarked…
Cigar City Brewing grows
The Tampa brewery is building out the tasting room, brewery and more.
Labor-free wine
The best wines for Labor Day weekend.
Mel Martinez and Mario Diaz-Balart fail to make a case for Romney with Latino voters
Mel Martinez, Jorge Ramos, Diane Sawyer and Ron Brownstein at the University Club of Tampa There were major media figures on stage and in the audience at an Aug. 29 panel discussion titled, "The Republican Party and Tomorrow's America: The Hispanic Surge and the New Landscape of American Politics." Held at the University Club of…
Honey badger enters 2012 presidential race
There are many ways to not give a shit. This election season, Randall — narrator of the viral mock nature documentary about the honey badger — wants American voters to be like the tough-as-nails mammal when they go to the polls. As Randall famously said in the video, "The honey badger don't care." Randall thinks…
Former WMNF DJ and urban planner Jim Beeler dies
Jim Beeler, photo by Max Reed/INsite Magazine (Gainesville) Not long out of high school in 1986, Laura Taylor got an invitation she remembers today. One of her radio idols, Jim Beeler, a regular presenter on community radio station WMNF, invited her to spin records for a half-hour on his weekly show. "I was obsessed with…
Buy Pinellas Park program supports and promotes local businesses
We live in a society where a majority of the population shops at mainstream businesses. For this reason, it's sometimes difficult for local businesses to flourish. It's also more time consuming for shoppers to discover and experience smaller-scale, mom-and-pop shops that offer a more personalized experience, as well as familiarity. Big box stores have local…
Seven activists ejected from Tampa Theatre after they interrupt Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker
Danielle Villarreal was one of the activists who began protesting while Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker addressed the crowd (UPDATE) An hour and a half into Ralph Reed's Faith & Freedom Coalition event at the Tampa Theatre on Sunday afternoon, seven protesters were ejected after they shouted and demonstrated during Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's speech (CL…
