Former Black Panther to speak in Ybor City
For the uninitiated, the Black Panthers were a 1960's radical black organization formed after the killing of Malcolm X that scared the bejeebers out of the establishment, none more powerful that longtime FBI Chief J. Edgar Hoover, who called the group "the greatest threat to the internal security of the United States." The Panthers had…
The Perfect Roasted Chicken recipe
Though I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting any of his restaurants, Thomas Keller certainly needs no introduction to me. I’ve been hearing about and reading about his genius in the kitchen for years. His multi-award winning, three Michelin star rated flagship restaurant, The French Laundry, is legendary. The rest of his fleet, Bouchon, Per…
Do It This Weekend: Public Photo Shoot, a T-Shirt art show, Berlin Style Writing graffiti expo, Stageworks’ Eurydice, the Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival and more
OK, aspiring fashion plates, Saturday’s your big chance to strike a pose somewhere other than in front of your bathroom mirror. Whether you’re self-absorbed model material or just an average Joe or Jane, The Public Photo Shoot Project wants you. The live art event, which hits Ybor City this weekend, is the brainchild of native…
On the Radar: Tampa Bay theater companies unite for Fringe Bound at The Studio, and Jobsite’s staged reading of Nerve
Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview upcoming events to mark your calendars for. If you'd rather have a double root canal than attempt to cross the Howard Frankland on a weeknight, never fear: both sides of the Bay offer tasty morsels of theatrical goodness next week. In St. Pete, see Fringe Bound, a…
On the Radar: The Public Photo Shoot Project
Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview upcoming events to mark your calendars for. OK, aspiring fashion plates, Saturday’s your big chance to strike a pose somewhere other than in front of your bathroom mirror. Whether you’re self-absorbed model material or just an average Joe or Jane, The Public Photo Shoot Project wants you.…
CL’s Lost Podcast: Season 6, Ep. 14 “Across The Sea”
Welcome back fans of the CL's Lost podcast! For this week's podcast, Host Joe was joined by a wavy-coiffed London, Mr. Ham Gravy, Fat Jesus and Producer Stephen as we tried to the heart of our feelings on this week's origin episode of Lost, "Across the Sea." With only ONE episodes left before the two-and-a-half-hour…
Dreaming of an identity crisis
“Dream Momma, Had an interesting dream. I was in a large place , with several rooms something like a hospital and all the clients wore a gown similar to a honney but it cover you better and it opened like a coat in front. We stayed in a big room lots of beds but they…
Saturday’s 600 Block Party in downtown St. Petersburg a rousing success (with photo gallery)
Few events kick off with as much success and optimistic energy as this past Saturday’s 600 Block Party in downtown St. Petersburg. The May 8 event was both a celebration of the block’s renaissance and the restoration of the Crislip Arcade as well as an introduction to the new businesses located there, many of them…
Live in a truly green community: New LEED certification for neighborhoods
LEED certification isn't just for buildings anymore — it's now available for whole communities and neighborhoods. A new government program will allow entire neighborhoods to apply for LEED certification. The Mother Nature Network reports: "A new rating system, created under the Obama administration's Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities, will help home buyers separate the green…
Wednesday-music.com indie music profile: Future Islands
While attending East Carolina University in 2003, J Gerrit Welmers (synthesizer, drums), William Cashion (bass) and Samuel T Herring (vocals) began making music together as Art Lord & The Self-Portraits (ultimately self-releasing four albums). They relocated to Baltimore in 2006 and as their music became faster and more powerful, they evolved into the post-wave, synthpop…
Tampa poised to learn its hosting 2012 Republican Convention; New energy bill gives Florida an opt-out on drilling, and protest planned today in St. Pete against BP:Mitch Perry Report 5.12.10
In a few hours it should be official: Tampa will host the 2012 Republican National Convention; Florida's U.S. Senators – Bill Nelson and George LeMieux, got to testify at a Senate hearing on the BP oil spill yesterday- LeMieux wants those responsible to dole out a billion dollars to make up for lost commerce in…
Politico: Tampa to host 2012 Republican National Convention
Politico's Mike Allen reports this morning what has been a pretty safe bet for weeks: Tampa will host the 2012 Republican National Convention in late August of 2012 (an official announcement will be made later today). As most readers are well aware, Tampa was an also-ran for the 2004 and 2008 RNC's, and by that…
Office organizing and productivity tip: The importance of a daily to-do list
Whether I'm consulting with a business or individual, the common denominator is that everyone says they have too much to do! Almost every day, you probably hear yourself or someone else saying there just "aren't enough hours in the day to get it ALL done" or apologizing because they just "didn't have time to get…
New Senate energy bill would allow Florida to opt-out of drilling up to 75 miles from their shore
Yesterday there were back to back hearings on Capitol Hill with executives from BP, Transocean and Halliburton taking turns blaming each other for the massive oil spill out in the Gulf, which continues to spread unabated. At the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing, Gulf Coast Senators participated as witnesses along with those executives,…
On the Radar: the Tempus T-Shirt Show and a Berlin Style Writing graffiti show at Raw Vibes
Forget looking at boring paintings just hanging there on a wall: this weekend's art exhibitions use everything but a canvas on which to share the artist's unique visions. The T-Shirt Show features the works of various artists (among them Christopher W. Weeks, Ellen Mueller, and Allan Hampton [work pictured], known for his affinity for using…
Do It Today: Minus the Bear roars at The Ritz, All Leather wants to F*** Like a Girl and a last chance to see Godspell at the Straz
For their fourth full-length, Omni, Seattle-based indie rock five-piece Minus the Bear (pictured) signed with new label Dangerbird Records, brought on Grammy-winning producer Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket), and tried a more organic approach in the studio (fewer scratch tracks and overdubs) while experimenting and straying further into electro funland with slinky…
Insurgent Republicans jump on immigration as a way to catapult their candidacies
Earlier this week we wrote about the astonishing poll numbers that former health care executive Rick Scott amassed in a recent Mason/Dixon poll when matched against Bill McCollum in a race for the Republican nomination for Governor. Scott dropped a quick $4.7 million into buying up loads of television time to get the word out…
Green jobs: News and job listings in Tampa Bay (and oil spill updates)
Though I will be concentrating mainly on the subject of green jobs (see below), I'll certainly be commenting on other environmental issues that impact the Tampa Bay area as well. The oil spill has definitely taken center stage as the predominant local environmental media issue over the last week. There are a number of local environmental…
CL Interview: OK Go bassist Tim Nordwind; the LA foursome plays Crowbar on Friday (with video!)
The internet has become the best platform for delivering music videos to untapped audiences and the success of these creative endeavors is defined by the number of plays they get on YouTube. has led the online music video revolution since 2006, when the band’s infamous routine-on-treadmills video for their single “Here It Goes Again” went…
St. Pete activists to target BP
The St. Petersburg based activist group St. Pete for Peace have announced that they will be demonstrating Wednesday afternoon in front of a BP gas station, on 4th Street and 62nd Avenue N from 5:00-6:00pm. It's all part of a larger national day of activism against the oil giant (with similar rallies being held in…
The Sounds of CL, Vol. IV: What the music team is listening to right now, from Dizzy Gillespie to Little Brother to Sonic Youth and more
Ever wonder what the Creative Loafing music team has been listening to, above and beyond all those albums we review? There's plenty, believe me; here's this week's selections. Leilani – Dizzy Gillespie, Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac (1967) Bebop trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie recorded this short five-song album over two days at The Memory Lane, a Los…
Do you know the SkyTruth about the Horizon oil spill? (video)
The fluctuation rates have changed and with BP in control of the action, coupled with only letting in the Associated Press to disseminate information, are we really in the know? Sky Truth,who uses remote sensing and digital mapping to promote environmental awareness, stated, “We estimate the spill rate is closer to 1.1 million gallons (26,500…
New music releases out this Tuesday, May 11: The National, Holy F*ck, Jackson Browne, The Dead Weather, and more (with video!)
This week’s new music releases; to check out a complete breakdown of upcoming releases due out in the next few weeks (and a list of those ones that have dropped since the year began), click here. As I Lay Dying, The Powerless Rise (Metal Blade) Beneath the Sky, In Loving Memory (Victory) Marco Benevento, Between…
Crist calls for special session to focus on the future of oil drilling off Florida’s coast
Governor Charlie Crist this morning said he wants to call for a special session of the Legislature within the next few weeks that would focus on a constitutional amendment that would ban offshore drilling in Florida waters, as well as looking at energy alternatives. Crist's announcement comes five days after Miami Beach State Senator Dan…
Theater: Here comes Sarah Ruhl, “Genius” Grant winning playwright of Eurydice and Dead Man’s Cellphone
It may be a coincidence that two plays by Sarah Ruhl are slated to take the stage in the Bay area within a few weeks of each other, but it’s the kind of coincidence that only happens when a dramatist happens to be hot. And Ruhl – whose Eurydice appears at Stageworks on May 14 (pictured: Dahlia…
Tampa Bay food, wine and beer events
Wednesday, May 12: The NoHo Bistro Wine Wednesdays. The wine and tapas change weekly, so come back regularly and bring your BFFs, blind dates, co-workers, boy/girlfriends or, hell, someone else’s boyfriend. $15 for two glasses of wine paired with two tapas. 1714 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa (813-514-0691) Thursday, May 13: Florida Craftsmen Gallery Feast for…
The mythical Unicorn exists! I had lunch with her
You may have never met her, you may have never even seen her, but the mythical Unicorn does exist. I know because I had lunch with her last week. In the magical realm of swingerdom, a unicorn is a single female (often bi) who has sex with couples. While the lifestyle does attract single women…
Nelson to call for more regulations of oil companies on Capitol Hill; Republicans debate in House District 57 race, and surprising statistic on taxes: Mitch Perry Report: 5.11.10
The focus of what went wrong and who's to blame about the massive oil spill in the Gulf will get maximum attention in Washington today, as Florida U.S. Senator Bill Nelson will demand that never again can an oil company drill anywhere in this country without more reliable backup systems; The three Republicans competing to…
Restoring US economic world leadership will lead the way to a Triple Bottom Line economy
For the last 60 years, the United States has been the undisputed world economic leader. But many will now acknowledge that this status is shifting to China as their economy thrives and ours seems to be stumbling mightily. This is a very different position for the US to be in and leaves many people wondering…
Despite the Tea Party complaints, Americans are paying their lowest level of taxes in nearly 60 years
Over the past year and a half there has undoubtedly been an increase and expansion of federal government spending. Combining the $700 billion TARP plan in September of 2008 with the Obama $787 (now $862) billion stimulus plan from a year ago, as well bailouts for the auto companies, have understandably freaked out a portion…
As oil spill continues to sit in the Gulf, Bill Nelson will testify for tighter regulations on oil companies
The question of who deserves the blame for the April 20 oil-rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico will be discussed today in Washington, as executives with BP America, Transocean and Halliburton go before two committees in the Senate. BP says it has already spend $350 million in cleanup efforts, and undoubtedly will continue to…
Sex, drugs & rock ‘n roll in sports: Lawrence Taylor, John Tesh, Oprah Winfrey and marijuana use at the University of Florida
Sex: Lawrence Taylor I was watching the disturbing news about Lawrence Taylor this week when something other than the actual atrocities of the situation struck me as odd. In the English language, we have myriad ways to describe any one particular thing. But after all these years, there’s still amazingly only one word for pimp.…
On the Radar: Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival
Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview upcoming events to mark your calendars for. This weekend marks the fourth year for the Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival, the big two-day bash at the Don Cesar on St. Pete Beach (pictured: TBWFF 2009). It’s structured like most of these parties, with a giant tasting…
Do It Today: Richie Kotzen (of Poison and Mr. Big fame) at Skipper’s, and an Archetypetonics art show at The Studio@620
The Studio@620 is (in)famous for showcasing the works of local and national artists that otherwise might receive little public recognition. This time they might have outdone themselves. Archetypetonics: Paintings by Thomas Murray is a series of paintings in which "Narcissus, Madonna, Duende, and Lilith [pictured], revel on the same stage," says the artist. "This is…
GOP House District 57 candidates debate in Tampa
Democrats in Tallahassee think they have a chance of picking off a GOP House seat in Hillsborough's District 57 race, where Republican Faye Culp is being term limited out of office. Whether that's an Stacy Frank will in all probability be their candidate in November, but three Republicans stand in her way of making it…
CD review: Minus The Bear, OMNI; the Seattle-based indie rock five-piece plays The Ritz Ybor on Wednesday
Seattle's Minus The Bear has always occupied a paradoxical space within the indie/posthardcore scene—humorous yet serious, proggy yet poppy, accessible yet resolutely indefinable. As a result, the group's fanbase has traditionally been made up of fellow musicians, armchair music snobs and followers of the members' other projects (Botch, Kill Sadie, etc.) as opposed to, you…
Photo review: Jason Castro at Capitol Theatre
A series of shots from the Friday, May 8 show featuring singer-songwriter and American Idol alum Jason Castro at Capitol Theatre in Clearwater. Check out the rest of the pics after the jump.
Dreaming of bloody office walls
“Dream Momma, What does it mean? My Asian Indian boyfriend had a dream last night about my office. Were both business professionals. He dreamed that he opened my office door and there was a broken window with dark red blood everywhere and all over the walls, but no person was in his dream. Please tell me what this means.”…
Hillsborough Planning & Growth Management’s bizarre theorem revealed – “It’s not sprawl if it’s planned properly”
By George Niemann CL contributor and R-LAND, UCAN, FSP and FHD/Amendment 4 activist The views expressed are my own and are not necessarily the same as the organizations to which I belong Hillsborough seems like Superman’s Bizarro World at times, especially when you pay careful attention as to how it plans and manages growth. What…
Building a better, sustainable future for the planet
In South America, Mother Earth is called Pachamama. To the Greeks, she’s Gaia. Over 40 years of celebrating Earth Day have lost some of the awe and sacredness that is essential for our return to wholeness. Over recent decades we have lost touch with the fact that people are actually part of nature. A good…
Chocomize It! Personalized chocolate bars make for a tasty and unique gift
One of the perks of being a fabulously famous food writer is having tons of various product vendors, food companies and book publishers send you scads of all kinds of great products to try out. Since I’m not a fabulously famous food writer (except maybe in my mother’s mind), I guess I can’t really comment…
Top 10 hottest acts at WMNF’s 29th annual Tropical Heatwave (with audio, video + complete schedule; pre-Heat panel times included!)
Every year in the weeks leading up to the official start of summer, WMNF throws a multi-stage music fest in Ybor City and brings a diverse range of acts to fill up the bill. The 29th annual Tropical Heatwave has expanded, and now encompasses two additional venues and more than 40 performers. Here are the…
Florida U.S. Senate nominees ultimate opinions on Kagan will be instructive
President Obama's nomination of Elena Kagan to replace John Paul Stevens on the U.S. Supreme Court is receiving good buzz amongst Democrats, and reserved commentary from Republicans. Nothing exceptional there. As more information surfaces on the current Solicitor General (the attorney who represents the U.S. government in court at the Supreme Court), opinions amongst Republican…
It Happened This Week-ish: Kendra Wilkinson’s sex tape, Twilight‘s RPatz and KStew confirm relationship to Oprah, Jenny McCarthy on the prowl and more …
Some guy who worked for Michael Jackson's doctor claims that Jackson was gay and they had a glorious two-month relationship. Michael was on top… right? Cuz the other guy is humungo! Get it? Not funny? K, Sorry. In a related story (how related??? We may never know), Michael Jackson used to prank call Russell Crowe.…
CD review: The Human Condition, Life In Lines
Life In Lines, the latest release from Tampa’s own alt rock four-piece The Human Condition, features a diverse collection of tunes as well as some first-rate guest appearances by fellow local musicians Rebekah Pulley, Ronnie Dee and Abe Fender. The album was laid down at Zen Recording Studios in St. Petersburg with the help of…
The Top 10 comic book mothers
Mothers are a lot like superheroes. They protect us nine months before anyone else even sees us. They make sure we have everything we need — and if they can, everything we want — and as we get get older, we realize they even have secret identities. They're people. And while Mother's Day 2010 may be…
Neighborhood Eats: Dunedin
The restaurant options in this little town by the gulf have exploded in the past decade, turning downtown Dunedin into a dining destination for tbhe entire Bay area. If you’re headed to out neighbor in the north, here are a few options, from down-home diner fare to high-end cuisine. BAMBINO PIZZA AND RESTAURANT 2028 Bayshore…
Party Pics: Orpheum Red Party (5-8-10)
Last Saturday, DJs Rig and Noi celebrated eight years of Red Square Saturdays at the Orpheum. This dynamic duo must be doing something right because this club is packed every weekend. The Party: The Red Party to celebrate eight years of all you can drink, sink or swim at the Orpheum. Hottest Couple: This week's…
Strange swinger rules
Most people believe that swingers live outside rules, but in some ways swingers often have more rules regarding our sexual communions than vanilla couples. Swinger couples normally go over their rules before heading to the bedroom. Many swingers have standard rules, like myself: always use protection and respect the other person and his or her…
Holder wants “flexibility” on giving Miranda rights to terrorists, Rick Scott’s flush of ad money paying off, and Bob Buckhorn makes it official: Mitch Perry Report 5.10.10
The politics of national security were once again the focus on the Sunday morning national television programs yesterday, and Attorney General Eric Holder was shipped out for the first time to discuss where the Obama administration is on a variety of issues. Holder said that the case of Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani born man who…
Mapping out a sustainable community
I often get caught up in my own mind about the problems my generation faces. For over a year and a half I've been going around talking about peak oil, climate change, and general problems of the monetary/industrial economy we live in. I've decided I'm done talking about the problems — I want to institute…
Responding to critics, Eric Holder says Miranda protections should be eased for terror suspects
Perhaps no member of the Obama cabinet has been more maligned (mostly, but not exclusively, from conservatives) over the first year plus of the new administration than Attorney General Eric Holder, who made appearances Sunday on ABC's This Week and NBC's Meet the Press (while the Obama administration farmed out terror czar John Brennan to…
Rick Scott’s advertising spending spree pays early dividends in new Florida Republican governor poll
If you watched any of the Sunday morning television public affairs programs yesterday, you no doubt saw at some point a television ad featuring the newest entrant to the Republican primary race for governor, Rick Scott. The controversial former head of Columbia/HCA Health care has dropped a quick $4.7 million into the race in the…
Do It Today: Louie Anderson’s stand-up at the Hard Rock and The Spill Canvas at the State
Let’s be honest: It’s been quite a while since Louie Anderson has been on the pop culture radar. After bursting onto the national scene in the mid-’80s, the portly comedian from Minnesota sustained his popularity with appearances on the late-night talk-show circuit, the cartoon Life With Louie, and as host for a few years of…
On the Radar: Stageworks’ Eurydice, starring Dahlia Legault and Dayton Sinkia
Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview upcoming arts events to mark your calendars for. This Thursday, Stageworks debuts Eurydice, the perfect start to a summer of love (for those who are looking for a summer of love). In this version of Orpheus and Eurydice's story, Pulitzer Prize finalist Sara Ruhl tells the tale…
The Green Community week in review: Oil spill coverage, hair boom how-to, first U.S. offshore wind farm and more
What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week: Addicted to oil: The high costs of drilling – Will we fight to the bitter end over these finite resources as we are currently doing in Iraq and Afghanistan? Or will we wake up,…
Concert review: Sublime with Rome at the Roseland Ballroom in NYC (with video)
**Disclaimer: I have loved a little band called Sublime since first hearing Stand by Your Van in 1999 — three years after Bradley Nowell’s death. I never thought in my wildest live show dreams that the band would find another singer, get back together and take to the road; therefore, I will try to keep…
Sports caption contest: The Tasered Phillies fan
Philadelphia fans are at it again. You’d think there was nothing to do in that town for entertainment. Apparently the Liberty Bell isn’t the only thing in Philly that’s cracked. Last Monday night, at Citizens Park, smack dab in the middle of a Philadelphia Phillies game, 17-year-old Steve Consalvi took it upon himself to run…
Life As Blow It: Let’s go to Mexico, said the idiot to his wife
"Pack your bags, baby, because I finally got half of that bonus I was promised, and you and I are going on an exotic-ass vacation." "'Exotic-ass?' This isn't one of those weird things where you turn our apartment into a scene from Saw, is it?" "Nope. You and I are headed for the combination of…
Screw the blockbusters! CL presents: The Alternative Summer Movie Preview
[Editor's Note: If you really want to know about the blockbusters, check Joe Bardi's Summer Movie Preview. And for reviews of many of the summer's biggest releases, check out the Daily Loaf Movie Review Index.] Yes, every summer movie season looks more the same as the last one. We have another Shrek, another Iron Man, another…
3 Guys & Chuck – The Podcast: “Chuck vs. the Role Models”
This weeks episode of Chuck served as a great template for what we can expect from the rest of the third season. The episode had drama, great chemistry, the introduction of a new bad guy, and Chuck and Sarah getting it on. The 3 Guys break it all down, and try not to ogle at…
Movie Review: Thomas Balmès’ Babies, obviously starring a bunch of little kids (with trailer video)
[Editor's Note: For more reviews of the summer's biggest movies, check out the Daily Loaf Movie Review Index.] It’s difficult to imagine a world without context, but that’s life for a baby. A newborn is thrust into a world that it will spend decades trying to understand, and promptly gets to work grabbing, sniffing and…
Advanced link building tactics from Search and Social Spring Summit
The Search and Social Annual Spring Summit hit Tampa this past week and brought a bevy of big name SEOs to the area to learn about latest techniques in search engine optimization and social media. I attended the second day of the conference which was focused primarily on SEO, not social media (boo). I really…
Maurice Ferre says the massive oil spill is a call for a new energy plan in the U.S.
Florida Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Maurice Ferre this afternoon unveiled a position paper on what he believes the country needs to do on energy, in the wake of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that could ultimately get into Florida's waterways, though the Coast Guard announced today that will not happen for…
Oil spill cleanup 101: How to make a hair boom (video)
As you may have read in my post last week, the non-profit organization Matter of Trust has been collecting donated hair to make hair mats and booms to aid oil spill cleanups. They've aided in cleanups off the Galapagos Islands, San Francisco Bay, and they're currently creating some for use in the Gulf Coast oil…
Previously on Lost: “The Candidate”
[Editor's Note: For more on Lost, check out CL's Lost Podcast.] After a long two weeks, this week's episode of Lost packed quite a punch. There were highs (finally, Kate gets shot! Woo!) and lows (poor Baby Kwon is now an orphan), but incredibly well-acted parts by this season's most compelling characters made for an…
Florida Democratic Senate candidate Jeff Greene on health care, immigration and how he made his millions
It was a week ago that 55-year-old real estate investor Jeff Greene declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. He's a newcomer to Florida politics, and is now in the process of introducing himself to the people of Florida, who despite calls to the contrary, don't have the power in the state…
3 Guys & Glee – The Podcast: Ep. 16, “Bad Reputation” w/ a special guest (and episode video)
This week’s episode of Glee added some more heart and depth to Will Schuster’s character — and a lot more drama. There was so much to talk about, the 3 Guys called for backup in the form of CL’s Top Chef Podcast host Katie Machol. The four of us discussed the music, the drama, the…
St. Pete legal drinking hours increase, Meek and Greene in verbal war, and Crist says he’ll keep an open mind on banning offshore drilling for good:Mitch Perry Report 5.7.10
Florida newspapers are filled with stories about the Mason-Dixon poll on the U.S. Senate race. We write about that, and the pissing match yesterday between Kendrick Meek and Jeff Greene; In St. Petersburg, you can get now get trashed for an extra hour in the bars. CL contributor Arielle Stevenson reports; And if you didn't…
Grab your last-minute Mother’s Day gifts from these eco-friendly stores in Tampa Bay
Still haven't a clue what to give Mom this Sunday? Why not 'think green' this Mother's Day and kill two birds with one stone by giving a great gift that also gives back to the planet. Better yet, why not buy from a local business here in Tampa Bay that specializes in selling Earth friendly…
Charlie Crist Romance Novel: The Governor’s Mistress – Chapter 6 – Secluded Paradise
I was on my way to class with a case of the Mondays when my cellphone rang. It was Governor C., or rather C.'s assistant. C. had “this thing on this boat” coming up and he really wanted me to be there. The catch was that I couldn't be seen with him. But could I…
Wine: Shiraz-viognier — a Cote-Rotie by another name
Most wine drinkers are familiar with blended wines, where a wine is made from multiple grape varietals that have been combined after they have been fermented. Blending of different wines is used to help make a more balanced, well-rounded wine by playing up strengths and down-playing weaknesses of particular varietals. A different method is cofermentation,…
BP’s current efforts with the oil spill cleanup
Okay, so unless you live under a rock, you should be well aware that we have a “little” problem in our Gulf. About five thousand barrels of oil has been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico on a daily basis since April 20th – so far we have a grand estimate of 75,000 barrels or…
St. Petersburg City Council Votes in Favor of Alcohol Sales Until 3 a.m.
The taps and tabs will stay open one hour later in St. Petersburg beginning Tuesday. After two hours of intense discussion at the St. Petersburg City Council meeting this morning, the motion passed with a six to two vote. The push to keep bars open later would put St. Petersburg on equal footing with Tampa's…
Matcha Frozen Yogurt recipe
Have you noticed that the yogurt section of most supermarkets has pretty much taken over the entire dairy aisle? Every day a variety of new types and flavors seem to crop up, widening the sea of yogurt options. There's a good reason for that. Yogurt has some pretty impressive health benefits. Yogurt is rich in…
Florida Democratic U.S. Senate race gets a bit spicy
released on Thursday that includes all three of the major U.S. Senate candidates mixed into one survey shows Charlie Crist leading with 38%, Marco Rubio at 32%, and Kendrick Meek at 19%. However, pollster Brad Coker says that much of that support for Crist comes from Democrats and African-Americans, which he believes will change once…
Are carbon dioxide-capturing, artificial trees the way of the future?
If you remember one name over the next 20 years, remember Klaus Lackner. Lackner is the inventor of perhaps one of the most ingenious and technologically advanced devices ever created, and perhaps the savior of our Earth from global warming. Klaus Lackner has invented an artificial tree that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere 1,000…
Concert review: Band of Horses at House of Blues, Orlando
I really hate when a band gets too big for its britches. I realize that music is an industry, and like all other business endeavors, it's all about making money. Music is different, however, because it is so dependent upon an intensely personal visceral connection to the artist. Entirely too frequently, once mainstream listeners take…
Top Chef Masters Podcast, Ep. 5: Blindfolds, “unctuousness”, and what not to wear to your wedding
This week's episode of Top Chef Masters was phase one of the Champions Round. The final eight chefs standing were Rick Moonen, Susan Feniger, Marcus Samuelsson, Jody Adams, Susur Lee, Jonathan Waxman, Carmen Gonzalez, and Tony Mantuano. The Quickfire Challenge revisited the blindfolded relay race cook-off that we saw in the last season of Top…
In the wake of oil spill, Charlie Crist says he’s open to Democratic proposal for constitutional amendment vote to ban offshore drilling in state waters
Governor Charlie Crist said today that he is open to a proposal by Florida Democrats Dan Gelber in the Senate and Rick Kriseman(pictured to the right) and Keith Fitzgerald in the House for the Legislature to meet soon and propose a Constitutional Amendment on the 2010 November ballot that would prohibit drilling for oil or…
Photo review: As Tall As Lions with Rachel Goodrich and Bear Hands at State Theatre
Some shots from the Sunday, May 2 show at State Theatre headlined by Long Island indie rock foursome As Tall As Lions, and supported by Brooklyn's Bear Hands and South Florida's Rachel Goodrich. As Tall As Lions guitarist/singer Dan Nigro. Check out photo galleries for all three bands after the jump.
Integrate Wordpress-to-lead plug-in to make your website do the work for you
Wordpress is quite the impressive and simplistic CMS (content management system). It's great for the typical blogger, as well as any business that implements the extended functionality of plug-ins. You can find plug-ins that will allow auto updates to your Twitter accounts, your Facebook fan pages and even implement an account such as Feed Burner…
Tampa Bay Foodways: Crab and community, simmered by the beach (with a recipe for Crab Chilau)
Beginning in 1886, Tampa’s cigar industry attracted immigrants from Cuba, Spain and Sicily, and they all brought their favorite foods. By the 1920s, Tampa’s ethnic boundaries blurred as the smells of immigrant cooking mingled in the subtropical air, giving rise to “fusion cuisine” long before it was a trendy catch phrase in high-end restaurants. The…
Music/book review: The Art of the LP: Classic Album Covers 1955-1995 by Johnny Morgan and Ben Wardle (with pics)
A gorgeous example of the way a quality coffee table book should be put together (despite its unwieldiness), The Art of the LP: Classic Album Covers 1955-1995 is far more than a bunch of cover art assembled into one oversized glossy-sleeved manual. It’s a thoughtful celebration of the imagery so closely linked with the music…
Gay activists want Bill McCollum to speak up; concerned Bay area residents about oil spill show up in Gulfport, and what’s up with competing re-districting initiatives? Mitch Perry Report 5.6.10
You probably know that Florida is the only state in the country that has an outright law on the books banning gays from adopting. A few years ago, Attorney General Bill McCollum spent a lot of money for a controversial expert witness who testified why the law is a good thing. Now some folks want…
Bill McCollum takes down Facebook messages about the scandal involving Dr. George Rekers
If you click on Florida Attorney General and GOP gubernatorial favorite Bill McCollum's Facebook page today, you'll see a slew of messages demanding that he comment on Dr. George Rekers, McCollum's controversial "expert witness" against gay adoption (one of only two that McCollum brought forth) in a trial in which he was seeking to reverse…
Church of Scientology of Tampa buys Ybor Square: It’s a done deal
Per a letter sent last night to Creative Loafing's chief financial officer, CL now has a new landlord: The Church of Scientology of Tampa, Inc. We broke the story of the prospective purchase last weekend on the Daily Loaf after finding documentation of the deal-in-progress at the City of Tampa zoning office. That news was…
Kevin Burns out of U.S. Senate race – Maurice Ferre reminds the media he’s still in it
Yesterday former North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns dropped out of the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, announcing that he will now run for the state senate seat being vacated by Democrat Dan Gelber. In a statement, Burns said, "I chose public service to make a difference, locally, in my community, and I believe I have…
Concerned Bay area residents discuss what to do next regarding oil spill
A crowd of approximately 70 people gathered in Gulfport last night to hear representatives from the Sierra Club, as well as a public official and an assistant to U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, talk about the latest developments locally as the gigantic oil spill off of Louisiana’s coast remains floating in the Gulf of Mexico. The…
Music, wine, and Guitar Hero: A fun few minutes with Foghat
To some people, Foghat is simply a classic blues rock band that had a few hits a long time ago. While this is a true statement on its face, it falls short of the whole truth. The members of today’s Foghat have spent the better part of the past four decades building up a loyal…
Movie Review: Jon Favreau’s Iron Man 2, starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell and Don Cheadle (with assorted videos)
[Editor's Note: Check out Joe's full Summer Movie Preview for a look at some of the biggest summer releases. For full-length reviews, visit the Daily Loaf Movie Review Index.] Iron Man 2 picks up six months after the conclusion of the first film, with eccentric billionaire Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) revealed as the man…
CL’s Lost Podcast: Season 6, Ep. 13 “The Candidate”
Welcome back fans of the CL's Lost podcast! After a week off, ABC's island mystery returned last night and laid waste to the emotions of the audience. For this week's podcast, Host Joe returns to weep openly into the mic, as fellow mourners London, Ham Gravy, Fat Jesus and Leilani sit shiva on the tragedy…
Tampa salon accepting donations of hair and nylons to aid in oil spill cleanup efforts
Last week, I reported on about eco-friendly and alternative (and quite frankly strange) method for cleaning up oil spills: using hair to create mats and "booms" to soak up all that black gunk from the water and on beaches. Locally, one Tampa hair salon has taken the initiative to help out the oil spill cleanup…
Wednesday-music.com indie music profile: The Apples In Stereo
In 1991 Robert Schneider, met Jim McIntyre on a Denver bus. They struck up a conversation and found that they shared many musical interests. Jim later introduced Robert to Hilarie Sidney (Robert and Hilarie later married and divorced); Robert then met Chris Parfitt. The four soon began to discuss the idea of starting a Velvet…
Clarifying or Undermining Fair Districts? Voters Decide in November
With Friday’s passage of yet a third redistricting amendment, GOP legislators in Tallahassee hope to undermine the will of 1. 7 million Floridians who are demanding fairer elections. So says the group FairDistrictsFlorida whose members gathered each one of those 1.7 million petition signatures in order to get two amendments on the November ballot that…
The Water Cooler: Kottkamp; Oil; and Porn
What people are talking about in politics By Chris Ingram Kottkamp’s Follies Last week in one of my columns I referred to some of the scoundrels in the Florida G.O.P. leadership mentioning that they were “the kind of guys who make Jeff Kottkamp look honest.” Kottkamp, who is Florida’s do-nothing Lieutenant Governor best known for hundreds…
Alex Sink calls for Cabinet meeting next week to focus on oil spill
In Ybor City this afternoon, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink addressed the continuing oil spill disaster emanating off the Louisiana coast. "BP needs to be held totally responsible," she said to a few reporters after speaking at an Ybor Fire Station about Arson Awareness Week (the CFO is actually the state's fire marshal). "They are…
Surfrider Foundation debates offshore drilling
Expert panelists David Mica, executive director of the Florida Petroleum Council, and Ericka Davanzo, Florida Regional Manager of the Surfrider Foundation, had a live discussion about offshore oil drilling and the Deepwater Horizon explosion. They were joined by Laurence Reisman and Michael Goforth of Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers. During the conversation, two polls were sent…
Alex Sink calls on Governor to discuss oil spill at next week’s Cabinet meeting
Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink today called on Governor Charlie Crist Sink spoke today in Ybor City about observing the giant oil plume, that still stands far from the shores of Florida (at the moment). "BP needs to be totally responsible. They are the party directly responsible for this spill occurring. There are potentially…
Gulf oil spill volunteer opportunities
Local and national environmental groups are asking the public for help with cleanup along the Gulf coast states due to the recent oil spill disaster. Check out groups below and see more on this list from Tonic. National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana…
Tonight’s Top Chef Masters preview: The kinky blindfold challenge strikes back and Wedding Wars
Hooray! It's finally time for the Champions Round on Top Chef Masters and you know what that means: The show may actually get better from this point on. For round one of the finals, we welcome back the "Eight Great" challengers who crushed their chef competitors in the previous weeks: Tony Mantuano, Susan Feniger, Carmen…
The Sounds of CL, Vol. III: from Corrosion of Conformity to Girl Talk to Lemuria and more
Ever wonder what the Creative Loafing music team has been listening to? There's plenty, believe me; here's this week's selections. Click here to check out Vol. I and here to check out Vol. II. Leilani – OK Go, Of the Colour of the Sky (2010) I've been spinning this disc regularly since it came out…
Seventh Heaven: an interview with Matthew Johnson of Seventh.Ink clothing
Newly transplanted from Minnesota to Tampa, Matthew Johnson says he’s exited to inject his music-, comic- and pop-culture-inspired t-shirts into a place where t-shirts are worn year-round. His Seventh.Ink clothing line was rated Most Improved Indie Clothing Brand of 2009 by IAMTHETREND and has been featured on top-rated t-shirt sites such as Tee Hunter, Buy…
Tampa area swingers business, Club Elite, under fire again (video)
is once again under the gun of Pasco County authorities. Under the guise of zoning regulations, county law enforcement is attempting to push the swingers club out of its location and out of business. According to Tampa's ABC Action News, the county is attempting to label the club as a sex oriented business. This type of…
Chimpanzees found using sexual tools
As humans' closest living animal relatives, it's only natural that chimpanzees would also use sexual aids to attract mates. Many animals use crude external tools, mostly to attain food, but chimps use the widest variety and most complex forms. Bonobo chimps are even similar to humans in that they are one of the few animals…
Jeb Bush endorses Marco, Oil spill continues to dominate Florida news, and does Arizona’s new controversial immigration law seal the deal for Tampa to host 2012 RNC? Mitch Perry Report 5.5.10
Jeb Bush has offically endorsed Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate in Florida. I know, it's shocking; Republican National Committee members meet next week to talk about who's hosting the 2012 Republican Convention. Tampa was already looking good. Now that Arizona has become ground zero in the immigration debate, you can check off Phoenix as one…
Not so stunning news: Jeb Bush(finally) endorses Marco Rubio in U.S. Senate race
For the longest time, Jeb Bush has held off an endorsement in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate. Then Charlie Crist quit the race last week, meaning that Marco Rubio the de facto GOP nominee, some 3 months before the actual vote. With that out of the way, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has done…
BP execs admit amount of oil being spilled could be 10x estimated flow
According to today's New York Times, a senior executive with BP admitted yesterday that the oil spill flowing through the Gulf of Mexico could be 10 times – or 60,000 barrels a day of oil. That comment came during a closed to the press briefing between executives with BP and members of Congress. The Times…
As Arizona immigration law continues to draw heat, Tampa looks even better as 2012 Convention host
Republican National Committee members are scheduled to meet next week to discuss the three – count 'em – three bids to host the 2012 Republican National Convention, and the city of Tampa is looking better as the potential host by the day. For those keeping tabs, Tampa has always been the favorite, simply on the…
My boyfriend is a crossdresser
Plus, caught up in the Chatroulette craze.
Celebrating 40 years of creative album covers
Co-authors/editors Johnny Morgan and Ben Wardle present The Art of the LP: Classic Album Covers, 1955-1995.
God, sports and Colin Powell come to Tampa for the Get Motivated seminar
What you missed at the Get Motivated! Seminar.
Can either Crist or Meek win the U.S. Senate seat?
Can Gov. Crist’s independent charm beat Marco Rubio’s hard-right charisma? Or will Kendrick Meek inherit the earth?
How accurate are police sketches of suspected criminals?
We recently learned a rapist was loose in our neighborhood when my roommate got an an e-mail from her school that included a link to a police sketch of the subject. This got me thinking about the accuracy of police sketches. How much should I trust the rendering we saw? Has anyone done a study…
I love your Hair, now playing at Demens Landing
A must-see production of the still-relevant ’60s musical.
Do It Today: Cinco de Mayo parties across Tampa Bay, Cycle to CEFA, and Impending Doom at Orpheum
Today is Cinco de Mayo, when we celebrate Mexico's defeat of the French army by drinking tequila, wearing sombreros and cheering on masked lucha libre wrestlers. St. Pete's Red Mesa Cantina and Push Ultra Lounge are teaming up for a block party, complete with a margarita bar, plenty of cervezas, and live music and luchadores…
Florida creates task force to deal with oil spill and its aftermath
The Chancellor of the State University System of Florida, Frank Brogan, has established a clearinghouse for all things related to the massive oil slick slowly moving its way towards Florida. It's called the Oil Spill Academic Task Force, and will provide assistance to local, state and federal agencies in dealing with the spill and it's…
New music out this Tuesday, May 4: Booka Shade, Broken Social Scene, Deftones, Hold Steady, Minus the Bear, New Pornographers, Flying Lotus, and more (with audio + video)
This week’s new music releases; to check out a complete breakdown of upcoming releases due out in the next few weeks (and a list of those ones that have dropped since the year began), click here. Asia, Omega (Frontier) The prog rock group's second release since reuniting in 2006. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Uni-5: The World's Enemy…
Tonight’s Top Chef Masters preview: Getting fruity and Modern Family
This week's episode of Top Chef Masters has me really scratching my head. From the looks of the video of the Quickfire Challenge (below), whomever wins the challenge — styling a fruit plate — goes straight into the finals round. Does this mean that the winner of it doesn't have to participate in the Elimination…
CL’s Lost Podcast: Season 6, Ep. 12 “The Last Recruit”
Sorry Lost fans, but there is no new episode tonight of the most mysterious show on television. Lost returns next week with an episode entitled "The Candidate." (I think I just got a little chill.) To help you pass the time until the castaways return, check out the latest edition of CL's Lost podcast. Recorded…
Top Chef Masters Podcast, Ep. 3: Irish pub fare, Star Wars references and girlie cocktails
Last night's episode of Top Chef Masters brought back six heavy hitters from last season who didn't make it to the finale and were back for redemption: Graham Elliot Bowles, Jonathan Waxman, Ludo Lefebvre, Mark Peel, Rick Moonen and Wylie Dufresne. The Quickfire challenge was to choose a cocktail from the fruity, girlie ones provided…
How to Take a Girl’s Virginity — her Star Wars Virginity (The Special Edition)
“Hey, you wanna hold my light saber?” If you’re a nerd it’s your quintessential pick-up line when you go wherever you might go to meet ladies. Perhaps a somewhat shady Cantina? It’s simple, geek-topical and unlikely to get your arm cut off of you if you repel the damsel in question. But what’s a guy to do…
