Green Community Calendar weekend events
‘Local-paloosa’, free workshops, farmers markets and more!
Kitchen tips: 3 ways to carve a watermelon (videos)
There are a number of ways to get your watermelon fix.
Democratic Party in Florida and nationally try to raise funds on West-Wasserman Schultz flare up
The war of words between South Florida Congressmembers Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Allen West continues to reverberate, following West's angry tirade at his Democratic colleague in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. That's when the GOP freshman Congressman from Fort Lauderdale issued a vitriolic email to Wasserman Schultz, who in addition to representing Palm Beach…
Concert review: Sade with John Legend at Amway Center, Orlando
Opening with Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" was a pretty bold move, but R&B superstar John Legend pulled it off with the grace befitting his talent and backed by a band composed of a three-piece horn section, bass and lead guitars, drums, a keyboard set-up that would've made Stevie Wonder drool, and three backing vocalists…
Unleash your inner monkey at MOSI’s new Sky Trail Ropes
Photos by Kevin Tighe It's not indoors. It's not a wall. And you don't have to be an athlete to do it. But you will have to be in somewhat good shape and get over your fear of heights. The new Sky Trail Ropes Course at Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry opened this week…
Live-action Captain Planet movie in the works
Let’s just hope they keep that catchy theme song.
Demise of Borders isn’t a cool thing
Stories on NPR and in the Wall Street Journal are juxtaposing the closing of America's second largest bookstore chain for good – Borders – with their big box rival for so many years – Barnes & Noble – and why the latter has survived the "Amazonation" of the industry. Tom and Louis Borders created Borders…
New polls show a dramatic shift in attitudes in debt-ceiling debate
Two new national polls released overnight show Republicans are risking – in the words of the Wall Street Journal – "isolation from many independent voters" – in the debt ceiling debate that has been roiling Washington for weeks. The NBC News/WSJ poll finds that on the basic idea that the debt ceiling should be raised…
This week in food and drink
Cask beer expo, “Hot Happy Hour”, tons of tastings and more.
Steve Cona says he’s ready for the rough and tumble of a campaign
Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner has been working hard on his re-election bid for 2012 for awhile, and from the number of GOP entrants who want to remove him from his District six seat next year, he can't start soon enough. Brad Faircloth, Margaret Iuculano and Steve Cona have all filed to run the Republican…
Wish Upon a Wedding
Wish Upon a Wedding has helped their first Florida wish recipients: Eden and Cory Banks. Wish Upon a Wedding is a nationwide organization that helps celebrate the bravery and dedication of couples during their most challenging times together. Eden Banks was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2009 that had metastasized to her liver.…
Book review: Everyone is la-la in Lola, California
I’m a lazy reader. I expect plots to move from Point A to B to C in a linear fashion, time to flow in chronological order, and the narrator to maintain a consistent voice throughout. Edie Meidav (pictured right) chooses to eschew such conventional literary devices in her new novel, Lola, California (Farrar, Straus and…
First look: The Amazing Spider-Man trailer leaks online ::UPDATED::
I brood therefore I am … We've got a superhero trailer pissing match this week, as a bootlegOFFICIAL copy of the teaser for The Amazing Spider-Man has leaked online hot on the heels of the first official first look at The Dark Knight Rises. The Social Network's Andrew Garfield stars as Peter Parker/Spidey, and the…
‘Lyrotica’: An anthology of erotic poetry and prose
When was the last time you read a good bedtime story? I have several books sitting on my nightstand waiting for me, but somehow my recent selections have just put me to sleep. I like a late night book to draw me in and at some point turn me on. When I was asked to…
Kitchenbar 3.0: Pierola’s pop-up restaurant returns to South Tampa
Open for 20 nights only in August.
Doctor Who Series 6, Part 1 mysteriously turns up on DVD
The Doctor (and his team) will see you now … Doctor Who fans rejoice, as the first half of this year's two-part Series 6 is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray for your home viewing pleasure. Matt Smith reprises his role as the 11th Doctor for Series 6 of the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who.…
The white wine spritzer gets a classy, 21st century makeover (recipes)
Say buh-bye to the old throwback drink.
Mulhern & Beckner show support for effort by Hillsborough County Young Democrats to register thousands of new voters
Tim Heberlein, Mary Mulhern & Kevin Beckner Florida's new elections bill passed by the GOP led Legislature and signed by Governor Rick Scott earlier this year contains such onerous provisions that it led the League of Women Voters to throw up their hands and say they will not work over the next year to register…
The Glee Project Recap: “Pairability”
The Glee Project" title="Darren Criss as guest judge on The Glee Project" width="448" height="300" /> Darren Criss (left) as guest judge on The Glee Project This week on The Glee Project, Darren Criss was back to teach the contenders a bit about “Pairability,” aka the ability to perform a duet. The eight contenders paired off…
New Music Tuesday 7/19
Theophilus London, Crystal Antlers, 311 & more (w/audio & video)
Orlando poll shows it wasn’t just Hillsborough voters who were confused about high speed rail related to light or commuter rail
Among the myriad reasons that supporters of a light rail system in Hillsborough County have suggested was a reason for the transit tax's abysmal failure at the polls last year was the fact that many voters confused the local initiative with the federal high speed rail project that was very much in the news at…
UK caterer creates powdered asparagus to be ingested by snorting
Have your asparagus and snort it, too!
Tonight’s SciCafé discussion: The science behind the tsunami and the aftermath
Taking place at The Hangar Restaurant in St. Pete.
The Gaily News: DC Comics’ gay superheroes
DC Comics will introduce several LGBT characters in their own titles this fall. The company is attempting to establish a wider range of diversity in an overhaul of its entire line of comics by releasing 52 all new #1 issues in September. LGBT characters include lesbians Batwoman and The Question, the bisexual Voodoo, and Apollo…
Inside Scientology at Inkwood: Fears and frustrations come out
Janet Reitman’s reading became a sort of encounter group for ex-Scientologists.
Buckhorn’s budget: Good news?
Fewer cuts envisioned in a rosier-than-expected scenario
Recipe roundup: Creamy, frosty, frozen treats
Stay cool and satisfy your sweet tooth.
Concert review: Pinellas represented mightily at New World
Photos by Drew Coffman Alexander and the Grapes drew fans to the front Friday night at New World. I'll admit that I've slowed down on my local rock show attendance since working the A&E beat, but I felt the magic again at New World Brewery Friday night. The all-local all-Pinellas-originatin' lineup of Alexander and the…
John Dingfelder joins Florida ACLU legal staff
John Dingfelder has joined the ACLU Former Tampa City Councilman John Dingfelder has now joined the ACLUFL’s Mid-Florida Regional Office in Tampa. “John is a great addition to our staff and will be an outstanding resource for us and on ongoing work to protect and defend religious liberties and all our rights guaranteed by the…
Could we harness energy from earthquakes? Not likely.
Tapping into deep fault lines are way beyond our current technological capability.
Concert review: Natasha Bedingfield at The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City
Standing behind a group of 9-year-old girls wearing glittery eye shadow before the Natasha Bedingfield concert last Thursday at The Ritz Ybor, I felt reasonably apprehensive. [Text by Melanie, photos by Tracy.] The Grammy-nominated Brit has enjoyed much chart success since 2004. Her "Less is More" tour made a stop in Tampa in support of…
Florida Senate shocker: Mike Haridopolos drops out of the GOP race
Mike Haridopolos, the President of the Florida Senate and a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2012, stunned the Florida political world Monday morning when he announced that he was stepping down in that race – a race in which he had raised the most money.
The Dark Knight Rises trailer lands online
Your first look at Christopher Nolan’s third (and final) Batman film.
St. Pete Cask Beer Expo: Sat., July 23rd
Lots of craft beer, bluegrass and more.
#MusicMonday, Vol. 41
What the CL Music Team is jamming this week, from City of Ships to Patti Smith (w/audio + video)
HART board approves ten year plan that does NOT include light rail
What a difference a year makes. At this time in 2010, the debate, hype and excitement of a possible light rail system finally coming to the Tampa Bay area was very much part of the political discussion, as a penny transit tax to fund a system was to go before Hillsborough county voters in the…
Throw a soiree the eco-friendly way
From simple to ‘go-the-extra-mile’ ideas.
Austrian “Pastafarian” wins right to wear colander in drivers license photo
A subscriber to the ‘Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster’ religion
‘ManWords’: redefining primal grunts and penis jokes
The dictionary is filled with terms, both great and small, for helping a man relate the magnificence of his penis to other men, as well as gentlemanly words for negotiating with women a place to store said penis. Jeremy Greenberg's book, ManWords: Real Words for Real Men, distills some of this sexually charged vernacular down…
Jim Dean brings his DFA training academy to Tampa
Jim Dean speaking at DFA campaign academy on Saturday Jim Dean, the chair of Democracy for America (DFA), was in Tampa this weekend, assisting in his group's campaign academy training at Dickinson Elementary School. These sessions are where DFA members train prospective Democratic political candidates, consultants, campaign workers and other assorted political junkies on the…
Herman Cain says it’s fine for local communities to ban mosques
GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain returned to the set of Fox News Sunday by making a self-effacing remark about his whiffing on a question about foreign policy the last time around on the Sunday morning news show, but ended it with some extremely provocative comments about Islam in the U.S. Cain reiterated his previously announced…
We should’ve appreciated Blockbuster when we had it
I will be honest, I have not had a Blockbuster Video membership since sometime in college when the one I had was activated through my dad's credit card. The credit card had expired, and since I was like 19 and did not have a credit card myself, they took my laminated Blockbuster card away and…
Photos from Trashion Fashion 2011 at ARTpool Gallery
Garbage + grocery bags + duct tape + jump ropes = High style
Rubio not hip on McConnell plan to resolve debt ceiling problem
The Sunday morning public affair shows were dominated by appearances by White House Budget Director Jack Lew and an assortment of members from Congress, all talking about the August 2 deadline on increasing the federal debt ceiling. Getting nearly ten minutes of his own on CBS' Face The Nation with Bob Schieffer, Marco Rubio never…
Kate Bradshaw to leave WMNF for Broward Palm Beach New Times
Kate Bradshaw (on right interviewing Charlie Crist) WMNF 88.5 FM news reporter Kate Bradshaw is leaving the Tampa Bay area community radio station to work for New Times Broward-Palm Beach, the weekly alternative newspaper/blog that covers the Fort Lauderdale/Palm Beach community, where she'll report for the paper and on its website. The 29-year-old Bradshaw's last…
Falling Skies: “Sanctuary, Part 1” Preview
Catch Sanctuary, Part 1 Sun., July 17 at 10 p.m. This week’s episode of Falling Skies, “Sanctuary, Part 1,” opens with Dr. Anne Glass examining a child, and subsequently getting mugged at gunpoint by the child’s father. Freaked out by the death of Dr. Michael Harris (so I guess someone was affected by it) and…
Fast food chains and rainforest destruction
YUM! Brands sources palm oil, paper, etc., from suppliers notorious for destroying tropical rainforests.
Stereogum Cruel Summer 2011 Mix
Remember your favorite mix CD? Stereogum has a new one for your summer listening pleasure.
Ditch the Stella d’Oro and try these Cherry Almond biscotti
Better than store-bought
Deathly Hallows Part 2 is spellbinding
The epic adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter finale lives up to the book — mostly.
Activists to meet in St. Pete to attempt to come up with economic solutions
You've heard of the Contract with America. Now a group of progressives are gathering in St. Petersburg and across the country this Saturday, July 16, to come up with a new “Contract for the American Dream." MoveOn.org and the group Rebuild the Dream are holding such meetings (a reported 1,500) to come together and try…
The Gaily News: Singer Ari Gold and boyfriend sent to the back of the bus, LGBT hate crimes see 13% rise
Singer Ari Gold, who headlined last month's St. Pete Pride festival, was asked by the driver of a Shortline bus heading to the Catskills out of New York City's Port Authority to sit in the back for holding hands with his boyfriend. When they refused, the driver pulled over and called the police on the…
‘Green After Dark’ event in Odessa: Saturday, August 20th
Eco-friendly vendors, activities and more.
Can children of Latino immigrants be the group that supports aging U.S. population to pay for Medicare and Social Security?
Among the many issues that there appears to be little consensus on how to address in the U.S. is illegal immigration, and the influx of Mexicans into the U.S. Unless something stunning happens soon, any serious attempt at comprehensive immigration reform that the U.S. Senate engaged in in 2006 and 2007 is off the table…
Meet the locals: Tampa Bay Fem Follies
The Tampa Bay area is blessed with a wide array of clubs, groups, events and other resources catering to people with different interests in the fields of gender & sexuality. From support and activist groups to naughty play parties, the choices can be dizzying. Today I'm beginning a new series of posts which will hopefully…
Tough Thursday for Team Haridopolos – loses straw poll and jettisons key staffers
Mike Haridopolos Mike Haridopolos confirmed last night that two staffers of his U.S. Senate campaign have been let go. What that means for his campaign we'll let others decide. That news cam on the same night that results were made public showing the Florida Senate President taking a beating at a straw poll of Tea…
Dining in Downtown Clearwater (and beyond)
Dining Guide
Author Janet Reitman delves deeper into Scientology
A new history wins praise from reviewers, condemnation from the Church.
Church of Scientology official response to Janet Reitman’s book
The Church details its criticisms of Inside Scientology.
Florida Orchestra to participate in multi-year cultural exchange with Cuba
After several months of communication with Cuba's Music Institute of Havana, The Florida Orchestra (TFO) has announced it has been given approval to start a musical relationship with the communist country. This upcoming, multi-year cultural exchange with Cuba will involve members of the orchestra performing in Havana, and more.
Bill Gates funds water-less toilet and excrement recycling research
To provide Kenyans with sanitation facilities and clean drinking water.
Pimp out your kitchen library with these ridiculous celebrity cookbooks
Cooking with Coolio, Gwyneth and a Real Housewife.
Hillsborough County Young Democrats vow to register 20,000 voters in time for 2012 election
The continuing job problem in the U.S. will make Barack Obama's re-election bid tough next year, regardless of his opponent. There are concerns that parts of his base – young and minority voters – simply aren't in love with President Obama in 2011 as they were with candidate Obama in 2008. Vowing to ensure that…
Progressive group to hand FSU President a petition demanding they cancel Koch Brothers contract
Charles & David Koch David and Charles Koch, two of the wealthiest men in America, have been contributing to Tea Party and libertarian causes for a long time. But until the New Yorker's Jane Mayer wrote her detailed story last August, the brothers were frankly not that well known. But Mayer's story changed everything, and…
Ruth Eckerd Hall and Capitol Theatre serve up big names this concert season
If you’re looking for your fill of showbiz legends and guilty pleasures this concert season, the lineup at Ruth Eckerd Hall and the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater promises to keep you busy into 2012. Bask in the glitz and camp of Liza and Dolly, or the timeless soul of The Temptations and Ms. LaBelle. And…
The 2011 Emmy nominations: the yays, the ehs and one ugh
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences on Thursday announced the nominees for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Here are some reactions. Yay! Yes! Yes! Yes! My favorite sitcom (tied with Modern Family) has finally nabbed an Emmy nomination. Parks and Recreation joins the ranks of the same 'ol, same 'ol patrol of The Office,…
Little Pepperoni: Indian restaurant, Italian accent
A surprising pairing in Pinellas.
Glazer Children’s Museum beats annual attendance goal early
At the Glazer Children's Museum, it's like "what recession?" A press release from the kid wonderland announced that with nearly an entire fiscal quarter yet to complete before the end of its operating year, the Glazer Children’s Museum has already achieved its first-year attendance goal. President and CEO, Al Najjar, announced today that 200,662 people…
Canceled and changed concerts this Friday night
Some last minute concert cancellations and changes that I didn't get in time for print (and thus, said concerts appear in this week's Music Calendar). Galen Burow The Head, a young emerging three-piece from Atlanta, have canceled the remainder of their tour dates due to serious illness. This includes their Friday night stop at New…
The Glee Project Recap: “Dance Ability”
Harry Shum Jr. on The Glee Project This week on The Glee Project, the contestants were challenged on their ability to dance. Naturally, the guest judge was Harry Shum Jr., who plays Mike Chang on Glee and has an extensive background in dance. As in previous weeks, however, the contenders weren’t really tested on how…
Hard not to see guilt playing a factor in Hillsborough County Commisioners vote on supporting historic buildings
Cuban Club Ybor City advocates are citing the furor regarding The Regent, the $7 million community center that opened near Brandon earlier this year, as a key factor in the Hillsborough County Commission suddenly seeing the light and voting on Wednesday to allocate $2 million for repairs and upkeep of three historic buildings in Ybor…
Gus Bilirakis asks Eric Holder about “Project Castaway”
In a story that has right wing blogs afire, Tampa Bay area Congressman Gus Bilirakis has written a letter regarding reports that the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have purposely allowed firearms to pass into the possession of criminals and other dangerous third party organizations Bilirakis writes…
Tampa Rep debuts with Greek tragedy Alcestis
A promising start for a new company, even if results are mixed
Tampa gets its own U.S. Bartenders Guild Chapter
Trained professionals
Rick Scott gets one right!
Plus: Jeter, Murdoch and more …
Juggalos, et al., Tom Green speaks
Showbiz’s beloved imp brings his stand-up to Tampa this weekend.
Live and Local Spotlight: Crash Mitchell’s 42nd Birthday Bash!
Everyone's favorite local mainstay, CL's award-certified "Best Scene Elder Statesman," and an overall great guy, cow punk humorist Sean "Crash" Mitchell celebrates making it to 42 years (and thumbs his nose at a few close calls) with his traditional birthday show. Rounding out the bill are some of his musician friends — hardcore punk outfit…
The Great Pooh Bear
Winnie the Pooh looks down from Disney-ing heights in his latest animated adventure.
Global-warming doubters and the long hot summer
Poet’s Notebook: Peter Meinke feels the temperatures rising.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Adaptations
Did the movies do justice to the books?
Picture problems
I found my little brother’s gay porn stash — and more.
Cold Dead Hands at Tempus: Charlton Heston lives!
Matt Normand imagines the NRA icon back on the Planet of the Apes.
Grammy-nominated Natasha Bedingfield hits The Ritz Ybor
Plus Britney Spears, Hayes Carll and more of thw week’s best concerts.
