Guilty Till Proven Innocent
I've always admired people who have empathy for others, because empathy is a virtue. So, when a VoiceStream customer service supervisor wrote in response to the recent column where I trashed how her company treats its customers, I took pause. Empathy. Imagine what it would be like to handle call after call from angry customers…
Gratis Grub
"More die in the United States of too much food than of too little." —John Kenneth Galbraith Yeah? Tell that to someone who lives on our salaries. We're so broke, the bum down the street gives us change and the only thing in the pockets of our thrift store jeans is moths. Thank the Grease…
Spins
Stanton Moore Flyin' the Koop This is jazz with bad manners. This is jazz that'll point at your chest and then flick your nose. This is not, however, jazz that's a rhythm-less, skronkin' cacophony. Moore, the drummer for New Orleans funk stalwarts Galactic, has assembled an ace ensemble for his second solo disc: bassist Chris…
So Fresh and So Green
Clearwater Downtown Farmer's Market occurs every Wednesday and Saturday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., from October through April 20. The market is located on a vacant lot bordering the Pinellas Trail on East Avenue, south of Cleveland Street between Pierce and Franklin streets. With about 20 vendors, it features fresh fruit, baked goods, music and hand-crafted items.…
Finding Their Religion
It's funny how shit like that happens sometimes. Epitaph founder Brett Gurewitz surely wasn't thinking of building a cultural touchstone — he just wanted a way to put out records by his band, the legitimately legendary Bad Religion. And 20 years and 350-some-odd records later, he finds himself back in the position that started everything…
Jazz Up Junk Food
Some days, my well-worn couch becomes my temple. At this altar, I worship the TV god, Bacchus, and occasionally a family-size bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. These treats can weigh on the bod, but provide sheer comfort to the soul, especially the salty, fat-laden chips. But this retreat to earthly pleasures brings up a touchy…
Late Nite Eats
When it comes to eating late, you can't afford to be too picky. After all, you're up past the bedtimes of about 80 percent of the people in your time zone. However, for some reason, our stomachs are just as discerning after midnight as they are at any other hour. It's damn near impossible, in…
Babs, Bananas, Foreskins and Fighters
The Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival
Letters
Public Servant Announcement Re: "A Matter of Public Record" by Fawn Germer (Feb. 20-26) As a public employee, I agree wholeheartedly with the right of the public to have access to public records. Files, documents relating to public business should be and are open to the public for your review. What I don't understand is…
Not Plain Air
With all the beautiful flora and fauna, beaches and parks in our area, it really comes as a surprise that there are relatively few places to eat en plein air. Part of it has to do with the stifling heat that afflicts us six months out of the year; the other culprit is the misguided…
Freebie of the Week: Gaspar the Art Lover
The Gasparilla Festival of the Arts
Music Menu
Punk Rock/Heavy Metal Karaoke Director/producer Sonny JL Aronson's documentary film Punk Rock/Heavy Metal Karaoke takes a look at the latest thing to hit LA and NYC — namely, karaoke nights where Joe Anybody can be a rock star for five minutes by getting up and belting out their favorite raging guitar tune in front of…
Bonk: Eccentric Boogalo, Part 11
The 11th annual Bonk Festival of New Music
Outtakes
40 Days and 40 Nights (R) A moderately pleasant little surprise for anyone simply expecting another mindless, cookie-cutter sex comedy. The story here is certainly slight enough — sex-crazed twentysomething Matt (Josh Hartnett) takes a vow of celibacy for 40 days, during which time he meets the perfectly charming and hot, hot, hot girl of…
The Super Market
Perhaps in the not-too-distant future, the watermelon you pick up at the local market will be square — the better to fit in your fridge. You might eat something called a "pluot," which is a genetic cross between a plum and an apricot. The asparagus on your restaurant plate may give way to tiny, thumb-size…
The Bullet (Loop)hole
"All nations should know," President George W. Bush told his fellow Americans during the Jan. 29 State of the Union message, "America will do what is necessary to ensure our nation's security." That apparently does not include doing anything that would offend the National Rifle Association. Staring down suicide bombers is one thing. Standing up…
Get Your Food On
FEBRUARY The Florida Strawberry Festival, Feb. 28-March 10, Plant City. This food fest is the granddaddy of food festivals, dating back to 1930. It includes a midway, exhibits, competitions, livestock, games, and generally features daily entertainment by country music stars. There's also cook-off competitions, clogging and strawberry shortcake eating contests. At the Festival Grounds, 2209…
Have Mouth, Will Travel
These places offer the tastes of exotic locales without leaving the Bay area. By Sara Kennedy One of the advantages of living in an urban area is the wide range of food at your fingertips. Thousands of shops and restaurants dot the landscape — everything from a posh Italian bistro perched glamorously atop a fancy…
Web Site of the Week
Stripper-FAQhttp://www.stripper-faq.org
Biographical Touchstones
The art of Rose Marie Prins and Kevin Kuenzel
Books
Rag Man By Pete Hautman Simon and Schuster/$23 "Can a single act change who you are?" The mildly uncreative tagline Hautman delivers for his ninth novel digests like an overdone nine-dollar steak. Maybe that's not completely fair. Let's just say it reads much like a late night movie on the Lifetime channel. You know you've…
A Taste of Revenge
On the face of it, the relationship seems clear cut. Customer. Server. I order the stuff, you bring it. Just so long as you bring it efficiently and don't forget me when I ask for extra sour cream, I'll give you a fair tip. Hell, if you're really efficient, and nice to boot, I might…
The Food Issue
To paraphrase Homer Simpson: Mmmmmmmmm, food. Welcome to Weekly Planet's second annual food issue. Proceed with caution. Perusal of these pages is bound to set your taste buds a-tingle. Diets may die horrible deaths. Drool cups may be needed. We've concentrated on providing you with tons of useful info — an overview of exotic, out-of-the-way…
