TEDxPoynterInstitute 2014: I’m a Cat. I’m a Kitty Cat!
TED talks have become a constant cultural presence for anyone who pays attention to ideas. TED started out in 1984 in Southern California, catering to Silicon Valley, but has exploded both in size and scope, with satellite events in nearly every country on the planet. These independently organized "TEDx" events are loosely supervised by the…
Bill’s Sports Binge: Priced out of the market and are you ready for some football? (Spoiler alert: Yes)
You can prepare for the inevitable as much as you can, but when it finally hits it can still suck donkey balls. Gram Gram is over a hundred and won't live forever. Summer vacation is great but won't last forever. Last call isn't until 3 a.m. but time marches on. And don't get me started…
Mitch Perry Report 8.7.14: The GOP’s love affair with Uber gets bigger
It's not exactly a news flash to state that the ridesharing service Uber has been embraced by lots of free-market Republicans who say that the innovative service is exactly what Florida (and America) needs more of. Local state lawmakers Jeff Brandes and Jamie Grant have championed the San Francisco-based mega-company's entry into the Tampa-area market,…
The Gulfport Neighborhood Guide: Madam president
Lori Rosso knows everything about her adopted hometown, which means you can get a lot of good dish on Gulfport while she’s dishing out delicious egg casserole at Sea Breeze Manor, the inn she’s owned for 12 years on Shore Boulevard. But she won’t be working the breakfast shift much longer; Ybor’s La Creperia is…
DrunkCameraGuy takes on Tampa Bay Comic Con
No one can get their geek on with style quite CL’s intrepid contributing photographers.
Theater review: freeFall’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
A masterful McMurphy but some puzzling choices.
Growing up in G-town
During the bleak 1970s in Gulfport, some crazy Italians helped keep things interesting.
NRDC Action Fund goes after Marco Rubio as one of its “Daily Dirty Denier$”
An environmental activist group is naming Marco Rubio one of its "Daily Dirty Denier$" based on his evolving stance on climate change. The NRDC Action Fund, which is affiliated with but is a separate organization from the Natural Resources Defense Council, has been highlighting members of Congress during the August recess who "allow polluters to…
Restaurant review: Little Tommie’s Tiki is laid-back and lovely
Little Tommie’s Tiki pairs Gulfport’s casual vibe with serious eats.
Gather ’round the table
Comfort and food come together creatively at a Gulfport Tuesday-night tradition.
Crist raises record amount of money in July, but Rick Scott & RPOF raise more
The Survey USA poll released on Wednesday shows Rick Scott with a narrow 45-43 percentage lead over Charlie Crist, with 8 percent of the vote going to "other." An educated guess would be that the 8 percent is actually for Libertarian candidate Adrian Wyllie, and certainly pollsters should stop doing surveys without his name being listed.…
Kent Curtis says he can be a vital part of revitalizing the Pinellas public school system
There are five Pinellas County School Board seats up for election this year, four of them to be on the ballot later this month. On Tuesday night at a candidate forum hosted by the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association in St. Petersburg, representatives from only the two at-large countywide seats were invited to give their pitch…
Free until close: A&W root beer floats
The fast-food franchise is celebrating National Root Beer Float Day at various locations.
Norm Roche tells voters to ignore the media in evaluating his race against Ed Hooper
It was Ed Hooper's 67th birthday on Tuesday, so who better to lead a rendition of "Happy Birthday" to the Clearwater House Republican than Norm Roche? With his rich baritone voice leading the way, the sometimes controversial Pinellas County Commissioner was magnanimous in honoring his opponent in this month's District 2 Republican race for Commissioner.…
Mitch Perry Report 8.6.14: How soon before gay marriage ban reaches the Florida Supreme Court?
Yesterday Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Diana Lewis became the fourth judge in Florida in the past few weeks to overturn the state's ban on same-sex marriage in a single county. All four have found that the 2008 constitutional amendment banning gay marriage violates gay residents' rights to equal protection under the 14th Amendment. Attorney General…
Tonight in live music: Peter Murphy at Orpheum
The Godfather of Goth returns to Ybor (videos included).
Movie review: James Brown biopic Get On Up
The film glosses over personal life issues to emphasize the public, iconic James Brown.
Charlie Crist announces his “Fair Shot Florida” plan for the middle-class
Today in Fort Lauderdale, Democratic gubernatorial would -be nominee Charlie Crist unveiled what advisers are calling the first part of his middle-class jobs and opportunity plan called "Fair Shot Florida," and it's heavy on job training and enhancing opportunities for college students. The highlights include raising per-child funding in the state to $7,405.79, persuading the state Legislature…
Tampa to study creating “Quiet Zone” regarding CSX trains
Tampa officials said today that they intend to contract with an engineering firm to develop a study about how to create a Train "quiet zone" along CSX tracks that run through Ybor City, downtown Tampa and the area around Port Tampa. "As our urban area continues to densify, the train horns bounce off surrounding developments.…
The Laugh Tract — who’s bringing the funny
Louis C.K. is one of many stand-up superstars on the Oddball Comedy and Curiosity tour. It's only August, but this will be the biggest comedy weekend of 2014. It all stems from the Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival, where some of the biggest names in the business will be at one place on the same…
Annata to open on Beach Drive near end of August
The wine bar hangout by Kurt Cuccaro of Mazzaro’s will feature rotating wines and small plates.
New Music Tuesday! (August 5): Spoon, Bear in Heaven, The Interrupters & more
Releases out this week; audio & video included
April Griffin offers no apologies, runs for 3rd term on the Hillsborough County School Board
Compared to some of her opponents, April Griffin hasn't raised a whole lot of money in her race for re-election to the District 6 Hillsborough County School Board seat that she's held for the past 7.5 years. And she failed to receive the endorsement from the two major newspapers in town. Yet she's still considered…
Mitch Perry Report 8.5.14: ACA rates to rise, but Dems say state blew chance to keep them lower
Health insurance rates seem to rise every year, so the fact that eight insurance companies in the Affordable Care Act exchange are raising their rates in Florida really shouldn't be shocking. However, this is the ACA — or, to use the more familiar (and derisive) term, ObamaCare — so people are going to pay attention.…
Tampa Bay’s weekly literary happenings
The Palm Harbor School of the Novel hosts its monthly meet-up at Organic Life Café, 35362 U.S. 19 N., Tuesday, Aug. 5, 6:30 p.m. Bring up to three pages for other members to read and critique. Bruce Hadburg, author of Wacky, Warped & Wicked, will discuss the process of building a non-fiction book. His Wednesday,…
Tonight in Live Music: People’s Blues of Richmond, Matt Woods & more
A look at some shows happening tonight, video included.
Tampa, St. Pete among top 10 cities for recreation
WalletHub’s spending gurus have spoken, again.
Third GOP-appointed judge in Florida overturns ban on same-sex marriage
For the third consecutive week, a Republican-appointed Circuit Judge in Florida has struck down the Sunshine State's ban on same-sex marriage, this time in Broward County. Circuit Judge Dale Cohen today ruled against the state's 2008 constitutional amendment, stating that the denial of marriage equality to same-sex couples in Florida is unconstitutional. The judge's ruling…
Margs & Dogs
Well, Margarita Wars was a success! More than 10 local restaurant and bars battled it out all night long, competing for the title of “Tampa Bay’s Best Margarita” and, let me tell you, the concoctions whipped up were unlike anything we've ever tasted before! From bacon-infused to rimmed with ghost pepper salt, the competing bartenders…
HART board votes to delay decision on their destiny
It was a packed third-floor boardroom this morning at HART's Ybor City headquarters as members of the public and concerned business and political leaders gathered to watch board members of the Hillsborough County Transit agency gather to ostensibly vote on a proposal introduced by the Transportation and Economic Development group (TED) — a proposal that…
Attend a workshop on exhibition proposals
Last chance to sign up for The Arts Council of Tampa’s Exhibition Proposals Workshop, tonight at CASS
Concert review: Curren$y pays off at Orpheum, Ybor City
Curren$y proves his worth with a smooth, enduring set this past Friday night.
Swoop swoops into Gulfport
Although Pinellas County voters won't decide until this November about whether they're willing to pay for a major expansion in their transportation options, folks in the Pinellas County town of Gulfport got a boost in their transit needs this past weekend — and it won't cost a cent. Well, not exactly, since it'd be considered…
Mitch Perry Report 8.4.14: Legislators to revise district map they didn’t get right the first time?
Okay, let me make sure I've got this right: The GOP-led Florida Legislature, which was recently found by Leon County Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis to have failed its constitutional duties to draw up fair and contiguous legislative and congressional districts as per Amendments 4 and 5, is now going back into session later this…
Concert review: Maxwell is smooth and stylish as ever
The contemporary soul icon returns to touring in fine form.
FNS’s Chris Wallace challenges Marco Rubio on his immigration pullback
With Congress having finished their (meager amount of) work for the summer, Marco Rubio is wasting no time in perpetuating the idea that he may be running for president in 2016. The Florida Senator is in Iowa this weekend, ostensibly as the draw at a fundraiser for Iowa GOP Senate candidate Joni Ernst. But he…
St. Pete eateries sizzle during Battle of the Burg(er)
Nine Grand Central District restaurants fired up their grills for the third annual burger showdown.
Welch unrepentant after PSTA refunds DHS money for Greenlight ads
In June, PSTA executive director Brad Miller and board chair Ken Welch blasted a report by WTSP's Mike Deeson that said that the Pinellas County transit agency had misused funding from the Department of Homeland Security to pay for ads promoting Greenlight Pinellas, the transit tax initiative on the ballot this November. But in an…
Do This: The Weekend Top 10
Lowry Park's big beer bash, comedy headliners, cutting-edge visual art, film and theater and Tampa Bay Comic Con make up a list of this weekend's best events, enumerated here in quasi-chronological order: 1) Hey, beer lovers. Tonight is Wazoo, a sudsy fundraiser by and for Lowry Park Zoo. The brewtastic expedition includes lagers, porters, stouts, browns,…
This weekend in live music: BJ Barham, Yes, Anti-Folk Revival Tour & more
Concerts, Aug. 2-3.
Savage Love: Taking advantage
Savage Love’s Dan Savage takes on honesty from multiple angles.
Tampa Heights, rejoice — Ulele has an opening date!
The official opening date for Richard Gonzmart’s long-awaited Ulele restaurant is Aug. 26.
Harry Cohen & Jeff Brandes participate in “Stand with Israel” rally in downtown Tampa
A cease-fire in the conflict in Gaza quickly unraveled this morning, with at least 44 Palestinians killed. Israel and Hamas accused each other of breaking the cease-fire. Israeli officials say it broke down after gunmen emerged from one or more Gaza tunnels and opened fire on an Israeli soldier, with at least one of the…
Chance The Rapper, Wyclef and others team up to cover the Arthur theme
In today's edition of "You Can't Make This Shit Up," Chance the Rapper and The Social Experiment have teamed up with Wyclef Jean and a whole slew of other artists for a rendition of the theme song for Arthur, arguably the best television show about an anthropomorphic aardvark ever. As wacky as the news sounds,…
Movie review: Guardians of the Galaxy is an antidote to the summertime blues
Fresh, fun and full of fireworks, Marvel’s latest might be its best.
So many questions: Why did the Rays trade Price?
ESPN referred to it as "perpetual recycling." Yahoo Sports gave it a "to be determined" grade. CBS Sports described it as "a roundly unimpressive return." After having a night to let the trade of David Price marinate, I still am dumbstruck. In one of the busiest trade deadline days ever for Major League Baseball with…
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vin Diesel’s Groot is a tree of few words, but in many languages
Guardians of the Galaxy hits theaters this weekend, poised to set the summer box office on fire. Boasting the likes of Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel — yes, the two biggest names on the project have zero face time — Marvel's latest has enough star…
The Hip Hop ABCs: A Weird Al wish list of potential parodies
The Hip Hop ABCs is all about lists (and Hip Hop). We’ve been running through the alphabet picking the best artist or group whose name starts with that letter. We are nearly at the end of the list but with lots of folks still talking about Weird Al Yankovic’s 8 videos in 8 days roll-out…
Big time boxing event takes over the A La Carte Pavilion on Friday night
Earlier this week, a scuffle at a wedding reception in Middletown, NJ escalated into a huge brawl involving approximately 300 people. Multiple police departments responded to quell the melee, which resulted in two arrests. On Friday, the A La Carte Pavilion, normally reserved for wedding ceremonies that typically begin and end beautifully, will host a…
Mitch Perry Report 8.1.14: Will House GOP fail to approve a bill that would speed up deportations?
The House of Representatives is scheduled to depart from Washington tonight, and perhaps they'll end up passing their own immigration bill dealing with the recent influx of tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants into Southwest Texas. Or not. Yesterday House Republicans (some with an assist from Ted Cruz) decided that none of their options were…
Tonight in live music: Royal Thunder and O’Brother, Maxwell, Curren$y, Dirty Heads & more
It's a busy Friday, Aug. 1, and there's a little something for everyone tonight. Check out some highlights below. Royal Thunder & O’Brother with Sons of Hippies Mixing blues and metal may sound as unappealing as combining orange juice and toothpaste (OK, maybe not that horrific) but Royal Thunder’s Southern-coated riffs and love-stricken wailing of…
Hillsborough County taps Les Miller to replace Anne Madden on HART board
Is this how the reconfiguration of the HART board begins? The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) announced today that County Commissioner Les Miller will replace Anne Madden on their board, after Madden announced her departure from the board earlier this month. The significance of this is that Madden was a representative from the community…
SouthShore community scores fresh chef
A revamped menu accompanies the change at Landing Café in Apollo Beach.
The Tigers got him! Say farewell to David Price, Rays fans
So there's that consolation, Rays fans: Our guy was the "biggest prize" of all this year's coveted trade targets. What did we get in return? Hard to say, since details not forthcoming at this second — but word is it's a three-way deal, with Seattle also involved.
Gulfport’s 14th Annual Geckofest: A How-To
Re-live the 1920s throughout the month of August at Gulfport’s “Roaring Geckos” themed End-of-Summer Bash.
Annette Taddeo takes in West Tampa in 1st solo campaign appearance in the Bay area
The importance of the Latino vote in a Florida statewide election has never been more apparent than in this year's gubernatorial contest. Two weeks ago Charlie Crist chose Miami-Dade County Democratic chairwoman Annette Taddeo to be his running mate if he wins next month's Democratic Party primary against Nan Rich. That follows the decision by Rick…
Movie review: Richard Linklater’s Boyhood achieves its lofty filmmaking ambitions
In his lengthy film culled from more than a decade of shooting, Linklater pulls off a nifty cinematic magic trick.
High On Style: Accessorize your life (with advice from the interns)
“Any opportunity to adorn oneself is human, and accessories are an easy way to do it.” —Marc Jacobs My mother asked me what I was writing about today. “Accessories,” I said. “Maybe you can come into my closet and help me pair some outfits with accessories,” she said, “It’ll be fun! We can play!” And…
The CL Intern Issue: The vibrant viral voices of Florida’s collegiate a cappella groups
Florida’s collegiate a cappella groups are a web sensation
The CL Intern Issue: Our favorite student discounts
College students are traditionally thought to live on the ultimate shoestring budget, and need to pinch their pennies when they can. But that doesn’t mean they can’t afford to get out, grab a decent meal, see something special and have some fun every once in a while. We asked our CL Summer Interns about their…
The CL Intern Issue: Hometown heroes – Florida artists making it big
From Benjamin Booker to Hundred Waters, we’ve put together a list of some noteworthy talent coming out of the Sunshine State
The CL Intern Issue: Step up to the (open) mic
CL intern Jackie Braje looks into the wide-open culture of Tampa Bay’s open mic nights.
Water born: Community Stepping Stones’ “I Am River” mural project
Sulphur Springs students discover the Hillsborough through a unique arts project.
Tonight in live music: The Woodgrains, Daryl Hance, Bruce’s Birthday Bash
Today (Thurs., July 31) in live music: The Woodgrains Hang up your flower crowns, crocheted tops and high-waisted shorts, girls. Pulling off the true nostalgic flare of the 1960s and ‘70s is no easy feat, but this psychedelic trio has mastered the art to a T. The Woodgrains are heavy on the Zep and heavier…
The CL Intern Issue: Fun facts 101 — oddball info about our interns’ institutions
We asked the CL Summer Interns to come up with interesting factoids about their universities. Here’s what they unearthed (or decided to brag about). Florida State University (Amy Daire) • FSU has one of only two collegiate circuses in the country. • Leon County, where FSU is located, has an STD rate three times Florida’s…
The CL Intern Issue: When did our role models grow up?
Wisdom from our interns’ significant elders. Jackie Braje on Allison Williams “Being a young mom, I had to grow up much, much faster. My circle of friends got a lot smaller, I stopped being so irresponsible, and it pushed me back into college.” My mom, Allison Williams, was only 19 when she became an adult.…
The CL Intern Issue: Just do it — millennials find satisfaction in working on their passions
The media used to dismiss millennials as lazy, spoiled kids with the attention span of a goldfish. But given the success of people like Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram, and Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook — both of whom made their marks well before they turned 30 — older generations are now seeing millennials as…
The CL Intern Issue: After college … what?
Bliss fills your heart as you throw your graduation cap in the air. Four long years of all-nighters, tough professors, and copious amounts of caffeinated beverages to keep you awake in class are finally coming to an end. But wait. As your graduation cap falls back into your hands, you see that it has morphed…
The CL Intern Issue: Who needs college, anyway?
I remember graduating high school and seeing college as an extension of school. After being freed and tossed right back into the system, I thought, why not? I knew it was the right thing to do for myself at the time; I wasn’t necessarily ready to grow up, have a job, and pay bills just…
The CL Intern Issue: Money things — dealing with finances as an adult
My monetary role model, aka my mother, Barbara Daire, told me that she knew she was officially grown up when she started paying for all her own stuff and learning how to use money. I quickly realized that if that’s what it took to be a grownup, I’d be a kid forever. I suspect there…
The CL Intern Issue: Student debt — running on empty
“Go to school!” your parents command. You go to college, make friends, join some clubs, and have a kick-ass time. You then graduate, expecting employers to flock to you with jobs that pay six figures. But reality kicks you in the face. You’re 25, living in an apartment and repeatedly declining your friends’ offers to…
The CL Intern Issue 2014: I don’t want to grow up — but I have to
Creative Loafing’s summer interns on money, jobs and other looming post-college concerns.
