Local Legends: An interview with David Muse
David Muse grew up in the Tampa area and got his musical feet wet playing local clubs during his teen years. As a multi-talented musician, he was able to move on up the ladder of success to become an original member of the 70's super group Firefall, playing flute, sax and keyboards. During his time…
Movie Review: Valentine’s Day, starring most of Hollywood, but focused mainly on Jennifer Garner, Ashton Kutcher, Jessicas Alba & Biel, Jamie Foxx, Taylor Swift and more
Valentine’s Day is once again upon us, bringing with it a spike in both florist-related expenses and the bitterness of the lost and the lonely. V-Day also usually comes gift-wrapped with an influx of romance-fueled media, a style exemplified by the star-studded romantic extravaganza creatively titled, you guessed it, Valentine’s Day, directed by Garry Marshall (Pretty…
Kendrick Meek on why he’s sponsoring a NASCAR race driver at the Daytona 500
Kendrick Meek was in Tampa on Tuesday, where he spoke with local reporters about a number of subjects, including his unique sponsorship of NASCAR driver Mike Wallace's car #01 at the Daytona 500 this weekend. The Miami area Democrat, who has been virtually ignored by most of the political press as the Charlie Crist-Marco Rubio…
Do It Today: Aleshea Harris’ spoken word, Perspectives on Parks and an urban porch party
Sometime spoken word artist and actress Aleshea Harris (pictured) waxes poetic on "everything from love and hope to war and breasts" in Cafe on the Bay: Grit and Silk. Contact cantyl@stpt.usf.edu or visit bagofbeans.net for more info. Weds., Feb. 10, 12 p.m., USF St. Petersburg Campus. Perspectives on Parks provides historic reenactments of the purchase…
“It Came from the Sixth Grade”: Palin’s crib notes, tea parties and Tard-Gate
I told myself I would resist the urge to write about not-governor Sarah Palin this week, I really did. Even though she keeps “rearing her head” in the news cycle, to me she still feels like yesterday’s funny papers. But in the wake of the big week she had, I’m going to make an exception…
A rainy-day, newcomer’s guide to Ybor City
I am brand spanking new to Tampa Bay, so when presented with the opportunity to do a newcomer's travel guide to Ybor City (the infamous Ybor City) I must admit, my little writer's brain got all caught up in fluttery enthusiasm. I pictured a research day sipping beer on sun-flooded patios, browsing all sorts of…
Chris Wallace and Fox News Sunday to host first Crist-Rubio debate?
The first of what will probably be several televised debates between GOP Senate candidates Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio may take place next month on Fox News Sunday, moderated by Chris Wallace. Chicago Tribune reporter Mark Silva (formerly with the Orlando Sentinel) reports that Rubio has already agreed to the debate, but Crist has not.…
Tampa Police Department’s streak of plummeting crime statistics continues
Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor said that the TPD achieved a 15.8% crime reduction in 2009, leading to a 56% reduction since 2003, the year Mayor Pam Iorio and former Police Chief Stephen Hogue took power in City Hall. At a news conference at the department's downtown headquarters on Tuesday, a proud Castor claimed that…
Top 10 Sickest Drummers of All Time (with video)
The drums. The spine and pulse of a band. A bad drummer loses an audience. A good drummer keeps the flow going in unison. A great drummer owns the stage. Being a bass player, I have always been intrinsically tied to drummers as we both have the duty of keeping things "in the pocket." It…
Sarah Linthicum – Contributor
Funny bio: Sarah was born on the frozen tundra of a distant planet when her pregnant mother was forced to sleep in the belly of a dead Tauntaun in a terrible snow storm. After making it to safety she was relocated to Baltimore where she, her mother and a man who insisted she refer to…
Board vote on ballot language on light rail in Hillsborough County to be delayed?
County Commission Chair Ken Hagan hinted today that ballot language for the proposed one cent sales tax for transportation projects might not be voted on at the BOCC's March 3rd meeting. He made the comment at the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce luncheon with members of the Tampa City Council, Hillsborough County Commission and Hillsborough…
3 Guys & Chuck The Podcast – “Chuck vs. The Mask”
Your one stop for all things Chuck is back with 3 Guys and Chuck, the podcast. This weeks episode, entitled "Chuck vs. The Mask" (no relation to the Jim Carrey movie) was all kinds of fun. Sadly, we'll now have to do without Chuck until the Olympics are over. To hold you over, why not…
Pitchfork and Bonnaroo announce festival lineups
Last Friday, Pitchfork.com revealed the first batch of hip-as-shit bands that will be performing at the 2010 edition of the Pitchfork Music Festival, to be held July 16-18 at Chicago’s Union Park. Modest Mouse headlines on Friday, LCD Soundsystem and Raekwon appear on Saturday, and Sunday’s bill features Pavement as well as St. Vincent, Lightning…
Concert review: Todd Snider at Skipper’s Smokehouse
I gotta be honest, I go to a lot of shows. Anyone who pays any attention to the calendar page of my site knows that. An unfortunate side-effect of that is that I've become slightly desensitized to the excitement of seeing a concert, so I'm rarely genuinely excited about seeing a show. This past Friday's…
Project Runway Ep. 5 sneak peak: “The biggest challenge in Runway history” (Spoilerish)
Yes, you heard read me right…"The biggest challenge in Runway history." Ok, so I guess I know better than to get super-crazy-excited for these things, but this is looking like quite the important episode we have brewing for Thursday night and I am getting ready for something huge. Here is what we know: The prize…
CL’s 2010 Food Tournament is almost here: This time, we’re rockin’ Tampa Bay’s best ribs
In 2007, CL inaugurated an annual food phenomenon by pitting 64 of Tampa Bay's best pizza places against one another in a frenzy of slice-to-slice competition that eventually crowned one spot the best in the area. In 2008, burgers. In 2009, tacos. For 2010, we're getting our hands dirty with something a little messier. Who…
3 Guys & The Quest for the Holy FAIL: Death Bed: The Bed That Eats
The world is buzzing with news of this year’s Oscar nominations. Best Picture, Best Actor, Screenplay, blah blah blah. Anyone can appreciate an excellent movie, but it takes a brave soul to peer into the darkness in dire search of films so bad they’re good. Beware! Within that cinematic abyss are sights that could make…
Tampa Bay food, wine and beer events: Valentine’s Day edition
Tuesday, February 9: Roy’s Australian Wine Dinner and Bottle Signing. Winemaker John L’archet hosts tonight’s dinner to share some of his secrets, sign bottles and recommend wines for your sophisticated palate. Chef Kiel provides a fabulous five-course meal, perfectly paired with delectable selections from down under. $75. 6:30-9 p.m., 4342 W. Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa…
Restaurants Reviews Revisited: Savannah’s, Primi Urban Cafe, Rawbar Sushi
I like to think that my restaurant reviews are timeless, but that really only applies to the prose. Each one is a snapshot of a place during a brief period of time; as soon as it's written and printed, the moment is gone. So many things can change, from that smiling server who had a…
Super Bowl XLIV halftime show: If not The Who, then who?
"Give the people what they want/ You gotta give the people what they want/ The more they get, the more they need/ And every time they get harder and harder to please…" …so says the title track of Give The People What They Want, the 1981 album by legendary British rock 'n' roll band The…
How to identify a swinger…maybe
are secretive people. Most tend to keep their lifestyle and identity private to avoid a mirad of potential issues. Who wants their boss or worse yet mother know that they engage in sex with multiple partners? (Except my boss at CL…he thinks I'm cool). We tend to be evasive of where we go, how we meet people,…
Valentine’s Day events in Tampa Bay : MUSE art show, GLBT dance, blow a glass heart for your Valentine, Pieces of Love Fabaret and more
Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming events to mark your calendar for. This weekend's fast-approaching Valentine’s Day is a holiday for lovers – but if you’re heading to ARTpool’s MUSE show, it might be best enjoyed as a single (unless you enjoy getting slapped for ogling). That’s because the exhibit, inspired by…
Strikeforce Miami features four fighters from the Tampa MMA scene
Ryan Keenan, Pablo Alfonso, David Gomez, and Hayder Hassan made it from the Tampa mixed martial arts (MMA) scene to the big times when they were featured on the undercard of the Strikeforce Miami event at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. on Jan.30, 2010. Although the undercard bouts were not aired on PPV, the…
Raising the next ecoist
It is nice to imagine a time in the far-distant future when all of the earth-friendly and carbon reducing efforts being made today will have succeeded in creating a more stable environment. Of course, the sort of progress being made today can only continue if parents raise children who are ecologically-minded too. While this can…
Diary of the unemployed housewife: pedicures, oh how I miss thee…
Since losing my job in December the husband and I have been making decisions concerning our “wants vs. needs”. It has been established that pedicures are a “want”. I beg to differ. Granted, I have not had a pedicure since early December and I have been performing my own pedicures every few weeks, but not…
New releases out this Tuesday, February 9: Hot Chip, Redman, The Watson Twins, Yeasayer, and more
This week’s new music releases; for a complete breakdown of upcoming releases due out in the next several months, click here. , Mechanize (Candlelight) Ernest Gonzales, Been Meaning To Tell You (FoF Music) HIM, Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice (Sire/ London/Rhino) Hot Chip, One Left Stand (Astralwerks) Jaheim, Another Round (Atlantic) Lionel Loueke, Mwaliko…
Jeffrey Sachs’ plan on fixing the deficit will be ignored, but it shouldn’t be
For any of you citizens who are absolutely freaked out about the escalating federal deficit, a story in Monday's USA Today should cause you to shudder. The paper reports that Social Security's annual surplus nearly evaporated last year for the first time in 25 years as the recession led hundreds of thousands of workers to…
On Game Change, how to deal with the deficit, and Jack Murtha, gone at 77: Mitch Perry Report 2.9.10
The political book Game Change continues to dominate in the best-selling charts, a month after its publication date. Yours truly provides a review. Everyone admits the federal deficit is becoming a serious problem. But nobody agrees on what to do about it. Which is why economist Jeffrey Sachs's piece in the current Time magazine is…
Do It Today: Godspell at Jaeb Theater, Prairie Home Companion redux and the Vienna Boys’ Choir
is a psychedelic adventure with a Superman-shirt-wearing, clown-face painted Jesus and his disciples, set in 1960/70s NYC, complete with a stellar score and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (who's getting a lotta play at the Straz right now; his runaway success, Wicked, is on the mainstage). Visit tbpac.org for more info. (Pictured: The cast of Godspell.…
The value of Game Change: Trashy gossip or definitive history?
It's been exactly four weeks since Game Change: Obama and the Clinton, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime was published. Co-written by New York magazine writer John Heilemann and Time magazine's Mark Halperin, it's become an instant bestseller (currently #1 on the NY Times list) and reviewed in such non-political journals as…
Ann Kramer – Contributor
Ann Kramer, Ed. S. LMHC, author of Life Puzzle….putting the pieces together, and Life Puzzle for Teens, is president of Good 4U Inc. a training, publishing and education service begun in 1992. She is a National Board Certified Counselor and Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida and Oregon. Over 15 years experience in the social…
Ann Kramer – Contributor
Ann Kramer, Ed. S. LMHC, author of Life Puzzle….putting the pieces together, and Life Puzzle for Teens, is President of Good 4U Inc. a training, publishing and education service begun in 1992. She is a National Board Certified Counselor and Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida and Oregon. Over 15 years experience in the social…
A jobless recovery + 10 million unemployed = A wake up call and an opportunity
Here in the US we've had 0% job growth in the last 10 years. That’s right, there’s been no net increase of jobs in 10 years. There are multiple reasons why this is happening. Some of it is because the consumer economy is retracting and frankly needs less and less workers. Technology is also replacing…
Iraq war critic Congressman John Murtha dies at 77
Longtime Pennsylvania Democratic Representative John Murtha died Monday afternoon due to complications from recent gallbladder surgery. The somewhat controversial lawmaker was 77 years old. He was first elected to Congress back in 1974. A former Marine, he became the first Vietnam War combat Veteran elected to the Congress. Despite that lengthy career, he received the…
Rachel Kaylor – Contributor
I am a junior at the University of South Florida and currently majoring in Broadcast Journalism. I am very involved on campus, I am in the Herd of Thunder (marching band), in the Society of Professional Journalists, a member of Phi Eta Sigma national on Society, a member of Campus Crusade for Christ, a contributor…
Former Primi owners open Georgio’s Pizza in Pinellas
Arno and Irene Von Waltsleben — former owners of downtown St. Pete's excellent Primi Urban Cafe — recently bought out an ailing sandwich shop in Tampa and refurbished it into a casual Italian pasta and pizza joint. Georgio's Pizza, Subs & Wings (6200 Haines Road N., Tampa), named after our their son George, will serve…
Musicology: A night with The Expendables and other shenanigans (with video)
So I had two songs on constant replay in my head all weekend – Prince's "Purple Rain" and "Sacrifice" by The Expendables – one of the direct side effects of my musical adventures Friday night in Ybor. My boyfriend (bf) and I had tickets to see The Expendables at The Ritz and doors were at…
The Scenestress at the Super Bowl: Game Day (photos)
The parties have been great but now it's time for the main event. There's more cattle herd-style queueing getting into the official NFL Tailgate, but finally I make it and pounce on some wings and a tasty Blue Moon to wash it down. Daughtry is on the main stage, and while the guy sings pretty…
Concert review: B.B. King and Buddy Guy at Ruth Eckerd Hall (with pics)
B.B. King and Buddy Guy paid Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall a visit this past Friday night and put on an epic performance for an audience of fans ranging in age from 9 to 90, all waiting in eager anticipation for the legendary blues artists to take the stage. [All photos by Fernando Garcia.] Buddy Guy…
Sweetwater Organic Community Farm: A great spot for a ‘green’ date
For a great green date, spend a day volunteering or enjoying the Sunday market at Sweetwater Organic Community Farm. The six-acre urban, organic farm in Town n’ Country provides our community with fresh organic foods to enjoy and help grow. From 12 noon until 4pm on Sundays, Sweetwater opens to the public to host a…
Five Minute (Almost) Almond Brioche For Your Valentine
Valentines Day is right around the corner. A heart pierced by Cupid’s arrow is a traditional symbol of this special holiday honoring love and lovers, and giving someone a heart signifies the bestowing of your love to that person. Each year at this time, the stores are brimming with red and pink heart-shaped boxes filled…
Colorado Springs: What happens to a city when religion trumps government
Catherine Durkin Robinson is a handful, creating quite a scene over at Out in Left Field. Conservatives like to talk of the need for more religion and less government in our communities. They long to live in a world where their brand of Christianity is represented on every street corner. They refer to taxes as…
![[5]art associates launch funky new gallery, Tempus Projects, in South Seminole Heights](https://i0.wp.com/www.cltampa.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/04f95_tempus2_300x225.png?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
[5]art associates launch funky new gallery, Tempus Projects, in South Seminole Heights
Leave it to [5]art’s creative director to choose a funky locale for her latest project. Since [5]art moved out of its warehouse late last year, Tracy Midulla Reller has joined up with two other [5]art affiliates, Lisa Harasuik and Ashley Nevin, and a third artist, Michael Marcotte, to found a literal hole-in-the-wall gallery behind Ink…
Valentine’s Day is coming! Here’s how to photograph your lover naked.
It’s Valentine’s Day again and you’re wondering what you can do with your honey. Chocolates and flowers are good, but you want to do something different. Break out the point-and-shoot and take some nude photos! I am not talking about sexting….no standing in front of the mirror to iPhone camera your junk. This is about capturing some artistic nude photos…
The Scenestress’ Super Bowl party report, cont’d: LL Cool J, Jamie Foxx and more evidence white men can’t dance (photos)
With two nights of celebrity parties under my belt it's a bit tough to rally for more on Saturday, but I somehow manage to get dressed and get my ass to Mansion for the CBS party where LL Cool J is performing for an intimate crowd. Let me just say one thing: white people can't…
Ragin’ Palin, sober Greenspan talk, and football fans despair as the NFL ends for another year: Mitch Perry Report 2.8.10
While you were hopefully enjoying your Saturday night, Mr. sometimes doesn't have a life was watching Sarah Palin addresses over a thousand Tea Party Baggers in Nashville. A full report; It's becoming more obvious that as much as Republicans and centrist Democrats insist that Barack Obama is spending the nation into oblivion, they're equally disinterested…
Easy energy saving ideas (that are great for your wallet too)
One of the surest ways to slow the rapid progress of climate change and global warming is to consider how we use energy in our homes. Sure, the major sources of greenhouse gases and emissions are industrial facilities, but right on their heels is the energy industry – and that means the rest of us.…
Football season is over
When the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson killed himself almost exactly five years ago (February 20, 2005), he entitled his suicide note, "Football Season is Over." Although the famed writer was obviously in an extremely depressed state that led him to end his life at the age of 67, the fact that the hardcore…
Alan Greenspan says nobody in Congress (or at least the Senate) is serious about deficit reduction
On NBC's Meet The Press Sunday morning, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson discussed the current economic morass and what exactly might help change the situation. Paulson and Greenspan agreed that the single factor that could jump-start the economy is unknown, since it will probably come from "innovation," defined…
Sarah Palin rips Obama in Tea Party speech: “How’s that hope-y, change-y thing workin’ out for ya?”
In her single most high profile speech since her national debut at the Republican National Convention, Sarah Palin blasted President Obama and gave homage to the Tea Party movement on Saturday night at their first national forum in Nashville. Palin scored a direct shot thirty seconds in, when she welcomed the C-SPAN television audience, saying…
The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is spinning like a dynamo – Oh, if we could only harness that energy
By George Niemann PoHo contributor and R-LAND, UCAN, FSP, FHD/Amendment 4 activist The views expressed are my own and may not be the same as the organizations to which I am a member The controversial Lithia Pinecrest Road Widening Project in east Hillsborough is generating a lot of energy as it makes its way toward…
It happened this week-ish: Twilight Vampire in his undies, Lost action figures, RIP FOB, Jordan Catalano can’t read
*Can't decide between Team Edward and Team Jacob? You love the mysterious and dangerous vampire-type but then there are those abs and that bod. I give you the perfect compromise: "How you doin', Kellan Lutz in undies?" This blood-sucker is packing some serious… um… abs. All I can say is, RPatz who? *Lost MEGOs?! When's…
Do It Today: Snoop Dogg at the State, Central Cigars’ hospitality night and “Afro-Cubans in Baseball” at the library
West Coast rap artist and producer Snoop Dogg is nearing 40 and has changed some since his in-your-face pot-smoking, women-grubbing, gin-and-juicing days of the 1990s, when he rose to fame with his ’93 debut, Doggystyle. He’s still puffing blunts and spouting his drawling brand of gangsta rap in his 10th studio album, Malice n Wonderland,…
Concert review: John Mayer at the St. Pete Times Forum (with pics)
[All photos by Mike Wilson.] There is something that comes over women as soon as John Mayer straps on a guitar. I have no idea what it is, as I am not a scientist or a psychiatrist, but I do know that it is nothing short of magical. When my mother realized she was not…
CD review: Four Tet, There Is Love in You
On his new album, There Is Love in You, Kieran Hebden (the artist otherwise known as Four Tet) incorporates electro melodies and samples into a sound very similar to the free-form yet structured vibe of jazz, making the equivalent of electronic jazz Instead of a tenor saxophone or trumpet, Hebden's instrument is his computer. On…
Scenestress at the Super Bowl parties, cont’d: Josh Duhamel (but no Fergie), Keri Hilson, Nick Lachey, Audrina Partridge
After experiencing T-Pain's superb spinning the previous night, Friday I hop a cab to Fontainebleau Resort for ESPN The Magazine's NEXT event. Despite the cool weather, skin is in on South Beach — was it ever not? — as sparkling stilettos and lengthy legs vie for attention outside the party. The line seems to snake…
Diary of the Unemployed Housewife: Shopping for the interview suit
I may have mentioned previously that my dear and gracious husband went shopping with me this week in pursuit of a new interview suit. The one I had in the closet was a bit on the shabby side and kind of thrown together — you know, two blacks (of different shades) don’t always make a…
Sant’ Yago Illuminated Knight Parade 2010: Photos by Chip Weiner
It was a cool and crisp night for the 2010 Sant' Yago Knight parade. The crowds seemed calmer, the police reported fewer arrests — and it was a target-rich environment for street photography. Fake boobs worked well as a bead-getter. Bigger is…uhmmm See lots more…
Can Tampa’s new art museum transform downtown?
Years in the making (and weeks and days in the hyping) the new Tampa Museum of Art opened its doors on Saturday morning, after a half hour of speeches by luminaries who had been instrumental in helping to create the $34 million waterfront structure, near where its previous incarnation was based. However, there is much…
Concert review: Owl City with Lights and Deas Vail at The Ritz Ybor (with pics)
Faced with a jam-packed, sold-out venue this past Wednesday night at the Owl City show, I had no other choice but to tunnel through the crowd of milling teeny-boppers, some accompanied by their long-suffering parents. It was a virtual underage circus. [Pictured: Adam Young of Owl City] This is how my night started. First up…
As unemployment dips, the Obama economic team discusses small business initiatives
President Obama visited Maryland today to speak on proposals to help small businesses prosper, and in turn creating job opportunities to help alleviate the current unemployment concerns. During a press conference call, Christina Romer (President's Council of Economic Advisers) and Karen Mills (Small Business Administrator) discuss President Obama's plans to excite growth within small businesses…
The (un)Official CL Super Bowl drinking game
With the Super Bowl just a few days away, the temptation is to write a story explaining why the Saints will dominate the Colts, or vice versa. Those stories, like most Super Bowls, are boring. So to help liven things up, here’s a game to help the big game a little bit more fun. Assuming…
Kevin Smith’s Cop Out red band trailer is out and it’s funny! (NSFW)
The red band trailer for Kevin Smith’s Cop Out is up, and unlike the previous trailer, this one's really funny! The first trailer showed no resemblance to director Kevin Smith’s previous work, famous throughout movie-geek land for the arch wit of the screenplays and low-fi look of the films. You know, like Clerks and Chasing…
Project Runway podcast ep.4: Will whore-it up for Campbell’s Soup?
This was hands down, the most tearjerkery Project Runway episode since… well, I don't think they have ever worked with people who have pacemakers before, so, ever, I guess. The designers are going red to raise awareness for the American Heart Association, designing dresses for real women who have been affected by heart disease, for…
Celebrate World Nutella Day with this Nutella Icea Cream recipe
Did you know that today is World Nutella Day? Did you even know that there was a World Nutella Day? Well, there is and today is it! Since its first appearance on the culinary scene in the 1940's, Nutella has become much more than a popular after-school snack. It is literally a cultural and social…
CL interview: Deon Rexroat of Anberlin
Any preconceived notions you might have about your favorite bands can be immediately shot down once you’ve gotten to know them. In this world of the “rock star,” rarely does anyone get that chance. I’ve been fortunate enough to call Mr. Deon Rexroat [pictured below, courtesy of the band's Myspace] my friend. Oh, and he…
The Scenestress at Super Bowl XLIV: Kardashians at STK, T-Pain at the Bud Light Hotel
I'm in Miami (bitch) for Super Bowl XLIV and started the weekend off on Thursday night with dinner at STK, where the Kardashian sisters also happened to be dining, dressed in Herve Leger. Wow, short, tight dresses on Kardashians? Who'da thunk it? While the 'Dash sisters headed to neighboring hotspot Coco Deville, I bopped down…
Sustainable treats for your sweet this Valentine’s Day
Valentine's Day is another one of those over commercialized holidays where companies try to get you to spend as much money as your bank account will allow (and then some). This also means a huge amount of energy and carbon output from the production and shipping of all those gifts. Why not make it a…
Download: Suburban Home Records Mix Tape, Stream: Tim Barry, 28th & Stonewall (with audio)
According to Suburban Home Records founder, Virgil Dickerson, he was inspired by a documentary he saw about mix tape culture in hip-hop and decided to put one together himself. It features bands from the Suburban Home Records roster as well as artists that he's a big fan of. And as he says on the CD…
Boston-based hedge fund manager buys Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning announced today that they have been purchased by Boston based hedge fund manager Jeff Vinik. In addition, Vinik will also now own the home of the Lightning, the St. Pete Times Forum, as well as two parcels of adjacent land. In a press release, Vinik said he was psyched to be…
Infuse your booze: Making your own flavored vodka and rum
My inspiration for this project came to me while perusing the aisles at a liquor store, debating on what to bring to a friend's upcoming party. There are countless flavored liquors available now days, from passionfruit to pomegranate and even sweet tea flavored, but many of them are marked up in price simply due to…
Local eco-friendly fashion outfitter chosen for the “Go Green Fashion Show” in Miami for Super Bowl festivities this weekend
, Clearwater resident, CL Green contributor and owner of 'It's Our Nature: Healthy Wear for People Who Care' (ION) has been chosen to to participate in the "Go Green Fashion Show" this weekend presented by the National MOM Squad Organization. The National MOM Squad, is a "non-profit organization comprised of celebrity sports and entertainment mothers…
OK, OK, I admit it: Burn Notice is The A-Team 27 years later
I was hooked on basic-cable network USA's vigilantes-with-heart series Burn Notice from the first episode. And that's always bothered me a little bit. Not that it's not a good show, but it's not, you know, a great one or a groundbreaking one or a provocative button-pushing one; given its lush location and colorful cinematography and…
Week in review: produce, planes, police and politics (just one NIMBY’s view)
The Hillsborough County Commission re-voted on suing The Pimpin Commish, Kevin White, so he could abstain this time around (hey, abstaining might have been a good idea while on that trip with his former aide too). There is no do-over available for White regarding that ill-fated trip so taxpayers got the $500,000 bill for his…
Tea Party Convention starts, the new Tampa Museum of Art is finally here, and all types of stuff from the Super Bowl:Mitch Perry Report 2.5.10
The first Tea Party convention gets under way this weekend in Nashville, with special guest Sarah Palin; The new Tampa Museum of Art is finally opening tomorrow. Everybody's psyched, except some local graphic artists and designers; And Super Sunday is just a couple of days away. We've got a few things to say about, and…
Shame on the Hillsborough BOCC
Where is the leadership? Where is the outrage? Is the BOCC in bed with Kevin White? Who elected these people? Oh wait, we did. By Chris Ingram Are any of my Tampa friends as outraged as I am that the BOCC let Kevin White have a “do-over?” Where’s the outrage (and accounability?) What kind of…
Tony Dungy doesn’t think your Super Bowl experience will end in a cliff hanger (with video of the Who at Thursday press conference)
Over 100 million people are expected to view Super Bowl XLIV this Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. on CBS. And though the last two championship games have been thrillers (and actually there have been better games in the last decade than traditionally was the case in most of the earlier games ), former Indianapolis Colts…
Tea Party Convention begins in Nashville starring Sarah Palin
Florida U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio yesterday publicly walked back his comments regarding counting undocumented immigrants in the census count. As the Miami Herald's Beth Reinhard reports, the former House Speaker's comments have antagonized some Latino officials, like NALEO's leader, Arturo Vargas: "Mister Rubio needs to read the U.S. Constitution because it says the census…
Momofuku’s Ginger Scallion Noodles recipe
By now, any foodie worth their fleur de sel has heard of the Momofuku dynasty and its irascible ruler, Chef David Chang. With wildly popular restaurants in operation, best-selling cookbooks and numerous awards, including a James Beard, Chef Chang is now a bona fide foodie icon. I’ve been seeing lots of Chang’s recipes on the…
Local designers upset that they weren’t asked to create new Tampa Museum of Art logo
After years of stops and starts, the new Tampa Museum of Art is scheduled to be open to the public tomorrow morning. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony beginning at 10:30 a.m., and the museum doors open free to the public at 11 a.m. But there are some local art designers in the area who…
Reality TV — Solitary V4.0: Val is watching you cry
For the new season of Solitary V4.0 on the Fox Reality Channel, I thought I’d bring you up to speed on this wonderfully orchestrated experiment in American endurance. Nine ready, willing and very broke participants are placed in their own “pods,” which are nothing more than unfurnished, octagonal steel rooms. The only contact our pod…
Do It This Weekend: Wicked, BlueLucy gallery premiere, The Vagina Monologues, Tampa Bay Derby Darlins triathlon and more
The first friend I made in college was Kali, an extrovert who was torn between her loves of theater and teaching, and who’s enthusiasm made up for my shyness. I’ll never forget the first time I jumped into her Honda Civic and she asked if I like musicals. I’m sure I have her a look…
Kama Sutra: the 70
We've all heard of 69', but if you really want to test your physical skill you should try 70'. This is the ultimate in mutual satisfying oral sex. The man begins on his knees. The woman starts with her legs wrapped around his neck. Once this position is reached, the man carefully stands up, balancing…
Shannon Bennett – Contributor
Brand new to the Tampa Bay area, Shannon has landed back in Florida in after spending her first year post-college living and working in England, France and Spain. She's looking forward to getting to know Tampa with a traveler's enthusiasm (and hopefully the joy of eventual full-time employment). Shannon has a BFA in film production…
House of the Rising Debt
There is a House in Washington… Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to reinstate "PAYGO", the pay-as-you-go spending policy that requires expenditures to be financed with currently existing, rather than borrowed, funds. On the surface, this appears to be a fiscally responsible guideline; during the Clinton years, PAYGO helped control the deficit…
Is your puppy bored?
There’s a saying among dog people: “A tired dog is a good dog.” Same thing goes for puppies, it's just harder to tire them out! Puppies power nap. I really wish I could do this. The puppy has an attack of puppy crazies, runs around like a lunatic, playing, chasing his tail, chewing everything in…
Tampa City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern sounds off on atheist debate
For the third Tampa City Council meeting in the young year, members of the public who oppose starting Council meetings with an invocation again spoke out against the practice today, but for the first time a member of the Council publicly reacted to their concerns. Two weeks ago, the group Atheists of Florida came to…
CD review: Joan of Arc presents Don’t Mind Control (with video)
Now for something completely different, which is what you should expect from by every Joan of Arc album; but especially Don’t Mind Control, an 18-track compilation featuring the current projects from the vast rotating cast of musicians who've performed with Tim Kinsella in Joan of Arc. And yes, like every new Joan of Arc release,…
USF launches the nation’s first School of Global Sustainability, holding inaugural conference next week (2/11-12)
The University of South Florida's School of Global Sustainability is set to be the first-of-its-kind in the nation, educating students with their world-class staff of environmental researchers and preparing them for the 2.5 million "green collar" careers that are estimated for the coming years. USF President Judy Genshaft stated: "The University of South Florida is…
Movie review: Crazy Heart, starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal
You have to give it up for Jeff Bridges, who delivers a fearless performance as circling-the-drain country singer Bad Blake in Crazy Heart. The actor sacrifices all vanity in his portrayal, raising the bar of disgust with each passing scene. When we first meet Bad, he's stumbling pants-undone out of his rusted truck after a…
Diary of the unemployed housewife: leave cupid in Cabo
It's almost upon us people, the dreaded Hallmark holiday. Every year we watch the revenue of thousands of florists, jewelers, and Hallmark stores spike like crazy on February 14th, and don't even think about trying to find a restaurant to have dinner at unless you made the reservation months in advance. I am personally boycotting…
Movie review: Pierre Morel’s From Paris With Love starring a bald John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Director Pierre Morel’s second action-packed movie, From Paris With Love hits theaters this week. The Taken director decided to completely change the formula of his last movie, remaking the hero from a calm, cool and collected Liam Neeson to an explosive, bald, F-bomb dropping John Travolta. From Paris With Love is a buddy-cop type movie…
This weekend’s best bets in Bay area music: SPC Jazz Festival, Jucifer, BB King & Buddy Guy, Todd Snider, and more
A quick breakdown of this weekend’s most worthy concerts beginning with Thursday, ’cause that’s when the weekend really starts, right? For a more comprehensive schedule, check out our Upcoming Concerts page. THURSYDAY, FEBRUARY 4 Have Gun Will Travel w/The Whiskey Gentry [pictured]/Josh Roberts & the Hinges Bay area purveyors of fiery Americana HGWT caught the…
Ashley Jones – Contributor
I’m an avid photographer, traveler and dreamer. I began traveling abroad at age 16 and still haven’t kicked the travel bug. I have a dream of hosting my own show on the Travel Channel. I am highly inspired by J. M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy. I believe in staying young at heart forever. I am fascinated with mythical creatures…
This week’s caption contest celebrates Roger Federer, Andy Murray and the Australian Open
I’m always hesitant to label an athlete the best to ever play his sport, particularly since that label gets thrown around like a hot potato. That being said, Roger Federer is the best men’s tennis player ever. Period. I never saw Bill Tilden play. I never watched Rod Laver. But I have seen Bjorn Borg,…
Crowdsourcing is lazy journalism? Maybe, but who wants hard news, anyway?
In early January, New York media-and-culture pulsefinder Gawker.com ran a couple of posts on the subject of lazy journalism. Chief among today's lackadaisical newswriters' offenses, apparently, is "crowdsourcing," or using social networks such as Twitter to solicit quotable anecdotes for softcore personal-interest features. You know, asking the world if anybody ever grabbed a bag off…
Dear John, why are you so sad? A movie review by The Amandas
Nice Amanda here, and I'll admit it: I'm bit of a Nicholas Sparks fan. If The Notebook is on television, I'll watch it. I cried during A Walk to Remember. I own a few of Sparks' books and enjoyed them. I will also admit that I have not read Dear John, but I was a…
CL’s Lost Podcast: Season 6, Ep. 1 “LA X”
After months of waiting, ABC's Lost made a triumphant return to TV Tuesday night with the two-hour season premiere. If you're like us, you were probably left scratching your head over new Lostian concepts like Flash-Sideways and Locke=MIB=Smoke monster, and new characters Dogan and Lennon. Fortunately, the CL Lost podcast is here to sort through…
Dockery’s steaming, Pinellas County Commissioners are reeling, and a Clearwater businessman is feeling the attention a week after questioning the President: Mitch Perry Report 2.4.10
There's another scandal emerging from inside the top ranks of the Florida Republican party. And Paula Dockery doesn't like it one bit. Pinellas County Commissioners got some sobering news the other day. They've got to cut $80 million from their budget in the next two years — $60 billion this year. It was just a…
Reflections on the State of the Union’s clean energy initiatives (video)
Green Community welcomes a new contributor from Repower America, a group dedicated to transitioning America into a clean energy economy. Hello and welcome readers! The goal of this blog post will be to focus on environmental issues, clean and renewable energy news, and the need for action on responsible energy legislation. We’ll be discussing why…
Clearwater businessman Steve Gordon making most of his facetime with Obama
A week ago Barack Obama and Joe Biden spoke at a town hall meeting in Tampa for nearly an hour and a half. The big news was the announcement that Florida would receive $1.25 billion to begin construction on a high-speed rail line. It was the president's first appearance after his State of the Union…
Can Paula Dockery’s calls for reform gain traction in her bid for Governor?
When Lakeland State Senator Paula Dockery announced her candidacy for the GOP nomination for Governor last fall, she said one reason she was running was to take back her party from some of the corruption that has gone on with executives and major fundraisers for the state party in recent years. That sentiment is what…
Living with artists: Behind the scenes of the Re:Create show at The Roosevelt
I live with these guys. They’re artists. Each has his hand in a few different mediums, but both are working toward a common goal: the pursuit of art. Art for the sake of art kind of art. Appreciate beauty in misunderstood places kind of art. Take a piece of rubbish and turn it into the…
Hard choices lie ahead for Pinellas County Commissioners
The Board of Pinellas County Commission had a very sober Tuesday as they listened to officials tell them they need to cut $80 from their budgets for the next two fiscal years of 2011 and 2012. The BOCC agreed to do a 60/20 split, meaning they will try to cut $60 million from next year's…
Concerned neighbor mistakes my active social life for prostitution
Single women beware! If you date multiple men at once, and have a preference for Xmas lights, concerned St. Pete neighbors may accuse you of being a hooker. That's exactly what happened to me when a tenant in my apartment complex reported "a lot of traffic" through my place and a red porch light to…
Local environmental entrepreneurs take their case to Washington
Over a dozen local business officials flew to Washington on Wednesday to meet with Florida lawmakers, urging them to pass comprehensive clean energy and climate change policies. John Ferrari is with DwellGreen, a Sarasota based company that does home performance evaluations. He says the message he wants to bring to Florida Senators Bill Nelson and…
Some “free” songs from The Drive-By Truckers and The Legendary Shackshakers
Neither of these are particularly new news but I thought I'd post about them here anyway… faves, The Legendary Shackshakers [pictured], are ramping up to release the politically charged Agridustrial, which aims to tell the tale "of an American band fighting back against a society gone mad with greed and the usurpation of basic human…
Featured green site: Green Maven- The green search engine
Have you ever wanted to look up green-related issues, products, etc., without getting swamped down by thousands of unrelated links and ads when you look on the more popular search engines? Next time, look no further than Green Maven for your green online queries. Basically, it's like Google for green, bringing together the best of…
Go green on Super Bowl Sunday
The Issue A typical party of thirty guests can create 80 pounds of waste! Be Part of the Solution How can I entertain in an environmentally friendly way? -Watch the big game on Energy Star certified TVs or listen to it on the radio. Or better yet, wait until the next day to ask someone…
Disturbing Kos poll, and more intrigue at the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority: Mitch Perry Report 2.3.10
As faithful readers know, we've been closely following the actions over at the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority in the past couple of months, as we began delving into the issue over the lack of international direct flights at TIA. We've got more on the intrigue there; Daily Kos hired a professional pollster to ask the…
More intrigue at Hillsborough County Aviation Authority
This morning St. Petersburg Times transportation reporter Steve Huettel reports on the job status of Louis Miller, the executive director of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority. The story comes as Miller today is in Tallahassee, where as President of the Florida Air Council he is discussing with lawmakers the legislative priorities of the council going…
Gasparilla postmortem: How effective was law enforcement?
For many, the real excitement of this year's Gasparilla Day Parade meant waiting to see how well the combined forces of Gasparilla organizers and the Tampa Police Department enforced the no-pee zones in the neighborhoods. And they came down hard, too: the St. Pete Times reported that 413 arrests were made during the parade, a…
Diary of the unemployed housewife: Go suck a juicebox!
"Go suck a juicebox" is the quintessential insult to many of today's 10-year-olds. Oh, to be able to use (and find great pleasure in) juvenile vocabulary in our everyday lives as adults. Why at one point in our adolescence or young adulthood did we cease using phrases like "Go chew on a crayon" or "Ewwww!…
Is my uncle gay for me?
Conservative relative might make a move someday.
Not so cockeyed: Tampa Bay’s coming arts explosion
New horizons in Tampa Bay’s cultural landscape.
The U.S. Extreme Court? Goodbye, campaign finance reform
The campaign finance decision: How radical is it?
Could a human body be frozen solid, then broken into a million pieces?
Dude gets splashed with liquid helium, or blasted with cryogas, or breathed on by a white dragon, and he freezes solid into an immobile, frosty, astonished-looking block of man. Then he teeters over and crash! Smashes into a million pieces on the ground. We've seen it in the movies a million times. But has it…
President Obama stays the course
Amidst street protests and a gloomy national mood, supporters of Obama turned out in force for last week’s town-hall meeting.
Jeff Bridges delivers a knockout performance in Crazy Heart
You have to give it up for Jeff Bridges, who delivers a fearless performance as circling-the-drain country singer Bad Blake in Crazy Heart. The actor sacrifices all vanity in his portrayal, raising the bar of disgust with each passing scene. When we first meet Bad, he's stumbling pants-undone out of his rusted truck after a…
Numbers
Some thoughts on the occasion of “Poet’s Notebook” #50.
The new Tampa Museum of Art is a triumph inside and out
With the new Tampa Museum of Art slated to open to the public this weekend, local residents are anticipating its unveiling with the tentative eagerness of a post-op plastic surgery patient. What's under the bandages, so to speak, is likely here to stay — and probably of profound import for Tampa's civic and cultural identity…
The long path to Stageworks’ new theater in the Channel District
Stageworks' new space in the Channel District of Tampa held its groundbreaking last week, and celebrating the moment were Mayor Pam Iorio, City Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena, Arts Council Executive Director Art Keeble, writer/philanthropist Elaine Shimberg, developer Ken Stoltenberg and a host of other luminaries and well-wishers. Anna Brennen, long the producing director of Stageworks, gave…
Gasparilla 2010 photos: Wet but still wild
Gasparilla Pirate Fest 2010 was a wet success. The city promised many changes including stronger code enforcement, tickets for open containers, no coolers on the parade route and more public toilets to decrease urination in South Tampa neighborhoods. For the past week the weather forecasters had also been predicting wet — very wet! And it was….…
Joe Bardi talks Mel Gibson’s Edge Of Darkness and ABC’s Lost on The Grind with Flip and Bill
If you're in the Tampa Bay area, you can catch The Grind weekdays from 10-3 p.m. on 1010 AM radio. If you're outside the broadcast area or just prefer listening online, you can check out the show at WQYK AM's website. For this week's show, the guys and I discussed Mel Gibson's Edge of Darkness,…
Green Community Calendar weekend events: E3 Summit, Re:Create upcycled art and fashion show, crafting workshop at Sweetwater Farm and more
Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar. Congress for the New Urbanism 2010 Statewide Meeting- Thursday and Friday, January 28-29. This years title is "Great Expectations! (even in tough times), How the current economic crisis can provide insight and opportunity for Florida and sustainable urbanism"…
