A very long Q&A with Al Burian, of Milemarker, Challenger, and Burn Collector
Out of sheer curiosity Al Burian was contacted. What had happened? Where’s the new album? Absolutely shocking how months and years pass by quickly and the occasional perusal of websites reveals no new information. Burian, singer/guitarist for two of my all time favorite punk/hardcore bands Milemarker and Challenger, currently resides in Germany, and agreed to…
CL Holiday Auction Black Friday giveaway now underway …
What's Thanksgiving without a little bargain hunting the day after the big meal? For this year's national shopping spree (and judging by the media coverage, Black Friday is now a holiday in its own right), we at the CL Holiday Auction wanted to sweeten the deal for you, the holiday shopper. As such, here is…
CL Holiday Auction Item #051: Summer flashback Blu-ray & DVD package
If it seems like only a few months ago that the summer movie season was stomping through the multiplex, that's because it was. But with a shortened period between the time a movie hits the big screen and its arrival on home video, a summer hit can easily become a cherished holiday gift. Included in…
Sierra Nevada’s Organic Estate Homegrown Ale and their eco-friendly brewing practices
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is considered by most craft beer lovers to be one of the granddaddys of American craft beer. The Chico, California brewer was one of the first to offer beer lovers something other than the mass-produced, watered down, and mostly tasteless light American lager that still pervades the beer market today. In…
Spoiler Corner: Glee, Grey’s, Vampire Diaries and more!
Curious about your favorite shows? Is someone dying? Is your favorite couple getting engaged? Hook ups? Break ups? well here you find all the answers to your burning questions! Enjoy television lovers! Glee Guess who still believes in Santa Clause? Of course the biggest ditz on television right now — Brittany. Next week's Christmas episode…
Dissecting Dexter: Season 5, episode 9 “Teenage Wasteland”
The Tale of the Blood Necklace proved to be an overall decent episode that helped Dexter get to where it needs to be for the final stretch of the season. There were a lot of things I hated about this episode, in the sense that they seemed overly contrived and, well, lame. The downhill trend…
Tiny MP3 player looks like a Band-Aid and is powered by body heat
"Why is that Band-Aid making noise?", you may be asking. Actually, it's a tiny MP3 player designed by Chinese engineers that is powered by body heat. The Skinny Player is flexible, has adhesive on one side and reusable. The battery charging strip is located on the under side of the device and uses heat from…
CL Holiday Auction Item #049: TV sci-fi lovers Blu-ray & DVD collection
For that person on your list that not only knows the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek but is also militant about it, we offer this collection, which includes: Battlestar Galactica, Season Three (Blu-ray), Heroes, Season 4 (Blu-ray & DVD) and The Bionic Woman, Season 1 (DVD). And yes, that's the original Bionic Woman…
CL Holiday Auction Item #61: Be a Celebrity Bartender at 717 South
Join one of the celebrity bartenders behind the bar of SoHo's famous 717 South. Includes dinner for two to start off the evening ($75) before you get behind the bar. Package also includes a signed copy of Organic, Shaken and Stirred: Hip Highballs, Modern Martinis, and Other Totally Green Cocktails by local author (and CL…
CL Holiday Auction Item #048: Ultimate TV Blu-ray & DVD package
For the TV lover in your household, we've got this collection of current hits that is sure to spice up their post-holiday viewing. Included box sets are: Law & Order SVU: The Complete 11th Season (DVD), The Office, Season 6 (Blu-ray), House, Season 6 (Blu-ray), Friday Night Lights: The Fourth Season (DVD), 30 Rock, Season…
Vermicomposting 101: Super fertilizer from worm poop (video)
You may have already heard of composting, using decomposing plant material as fertilizer, but what about vermicomposting? Vermicomposting is like taking composting to another level by adding worms to the mix. The worms eat the decomposed fruits and vegetables that have been added to the compost bin and their excrement, also known as "vermicast" or…
Tampa Bay food, wine and beer events
Wednesday, November 24: CL Beer Club at Prime Bar Do you like beer? How about free beer? Then mosey on up to Prime Bar at The Shops at Wiregrass for CL’s next Beer Club event. Blue Moon pints will be on special at the bar for $3. Check out the Beer Club site for more…
Google Maps captures naked man climbing into his trunk
There seems to be a cult of people who look for strange things on "Google Street View." Recently, police even used an image of a notorious Brooklyn drug corner to help prosecute three heroin dealers. Now a Google picture has surfaced of what appears to be a naked German man climbing into the trunk of…
Movie Review: Splashy, flashy Burlesque w. Cher & Christina Aguilera
There isn’t one unpredictable moment in Burlesque. It's a foregone conclusion that the girl from the sticks (Christina Aguilera) will wind up a star, that the beleaguered club owner (Cher) won’t lose her bistro to the bank, that the boy (Cam Gigandet) will get the girl, and that Stanley Tucci will once more turn out…
Do It Today: RestART and 13 Ugly Men’s Get Roasted Thanksgiving Eve Party
Whether you plan on getting sauced — or saucy — these Thanksgiving Eve parties allow you to have fun and take satisfaction in knowing that you're supporting locally tied, worthy causes. Talk about a win-win. First, the Orpheum presents Ybor for the big RestART audio-visual extravaganza. More than 25 artists, multimedia gurus, DJs and performers…
On the Radar: Black Friday Art and Fashion Show, Seminole Heights’ Two-Wheel Rollout and George Lopez
Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! Get yer food on and celebrate afterward with the following super-cool happenin's. A cornucopia of chic and contemporary creativity awaits at the Black Friday Fashion Show art party and sale. The event spreads out across two venues –Vitale Studio art gallery and the Local 662 live music bar – both on the…
Clendenin out in race for Florida Democratic Party chair, but Andrew Gillum not ready to bow down to Rod Smith
On Wednesday Hillsborough Democratic State Committeeman Alan Clendenin announced that he was dropping out of the race for the chair of the Florida Democratic Party, giving his full endorsement to the establishment favorite, former state Senator Rod Smith. It's an about face for the South Tampa resident, who told CL two weeks ago that he…
Thanksgiving turkey with a side of arsenic, anyone? Go for antibiotic-free poultry
As if there aren't enough reports on foods contaminated with a number of chemicals and bacteria, try swallowing this bit of information with your Thanksgiving dinner. It turns out, the antibiotics in poultry feed are laced with arsenic. That's right, arsenic — the same toxic chemical element that can cause hemorrhaging, organ failure and death…
Listen up, GOP: new poll says majority of Americans want to keep or expand health care law
Although Congressional Republicans know they won't be able to repeal the entirety of the landmark federal health care bill signed into law earlier this year, many of them insist that they'll be able to kill it ever so softly, by starving provisions of the bill individually when they come up for a vote in the…
CL Holiday Auction Item #047: Be a movie reviewer
Are you a film fanatic who's always dreamed of writing your own review of a big Hollywood release? If so, this one's for you: The winning bidder will accompany Movies & TV Editor Joe Bardi to an advance screening of a major upcoming release. Love it? Hate it? Either way, you sort out your thoughts…
Movie & TV links for today, Nov. 23, 2010: Sundance 2011, NPR, America Lost and Found, Thanksgiving and more …
With the Oscar Front runner The Kings Speech opening this week, the IFC podcast takes a look at the depiction of royalty in movies. Indiewire looks at all the wondrous possibilities for Sundance 2011. Dennis Lim takes a look at Criterion's upcoming box set (and ultimate cinephile Christmas gift) America Lost and Found: The BBS Story.
CL Holiday Auction Item #046: The movie-lover’s special
The winner of this item gets a four-pack of tickets to lovely Beach Theatre in St. Pete Beach and four passes to Tampa Theatre, the jewel of downtown Tampa and a destination for Bay area film fans since the 1920s. At Beach, you can take three friends to see a hot new release, the next…
Movie Review: George Tillman Jr.’s Faster, starring Dwayne Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton (with trailer video)
There's a scene in the movie The Rundown where famed action-star-turned-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wishes upcoming action star Dwayne Johnson good luck. It was a sort of passing of the torch from the last great action star to the next. No longer "The Rock," Johnson took that torch and promptly did movies like Tooth Fairy. The…
Announcing the CL Holiday Auction’s special Black Friday giveaway
What's Thanksgiving without a little bargain hunting the day after the big meal? For this year's national shopping spree (and judging by the media coverage, Black Friday is now a holiday in its own right), we at the CL Holiday Auction wanted to sweeten the deal for you, the holiday shopper. As such, here is…
CL Holiday Auction Item #57: The SoHo Experience
SoHo will never be the same after you and your friends descend on South Tampa's party district as the winners of this extremely tasty auction item. Here's what you get: One $100 gift certificate to use at Cheap, Hyde Park Cafe or The Kennedy (you could grab some eats at Cheap, then use the rest…
Bill’s Sports Binge: Rival week, Bucs schedule weak and Big Ben’s expensive cheek
I don't understand. I like Kool-Aid. It reminds me of birthday parties, sticky fingers, lips redder than a baboon's ass and that giant pitcher dude destroying homes to get us to drink more of it every Saturday morning. And since he was like made of Kool-Aid, wasn't it kind of gross that he wanted us to drink…
CL Holiday Auction Item #007: Take The Children’s Home to the movies — plus dinner and a movie for you all year
They say it's better to give than to receive, but why not do both? Win this two-part auction item and you'll see your name scribbled on Santa's 'nice' list, as you'll be sponsoring a night out at Channelside Cinemas for the kids at The Children's Home. You can then bask in your altruism in 2011…
Herald L. Lord is the latest candidate in Tampa City Council election
The latest entrant in the Tampa City Council election next March is 26-year-old Herald L. Lord, who filed yesterday to run in East Tampa's District 5 seat, where he will face Stanley Gloster, Lynette "Tracee"Judge, Carrie West and Frank Reddick. District 5 incorporates much of downtown, Channelside and Ybor City. Ford has been working at…
DIY green: Decorate your holiday dinner table with natural and found items
You may have your holiday menu all planned out but have you thought about decorating the table to add a little extra pizazz to the occasion? Don't panic: this doesn't mean you need to rush out to your local arts and crafts supply store and stock up on doilies and candelabras. Why not decorate your…
Rick Scott’s work already done? Economists say Florida will add a million jobs over next decade without his draconian moves; Chris Matthews looks clueless in defending Michael Chertoff, and more on Tampa City Council candidates
This will be the last MPR before the Thanksgiving holiday. Regular readers may recall my whining about not getting any days off – the fact that I might start losing some company days off means there won't be a report here tomorrow, and management is giving the staff at this weekly paper Friday off, which…
Lobbying for body-scanning machines doubled over past 5 years -not that Chris Matthews has a clue (video)
As the mainstream media continues to dominate their news coverage with footage and anecdotal stories of some aggressive pat-downs by TSA agents at American airports, USA Today reports that the companies with multi million-dollars contract to supply those airports with body-scanning machines more than doubled their spending on lobbying in the past five years, and…
My first year of gaydom — Things fall apart (part 3)
Author's note: This is the third installment of a series of pieces that reflect on the year that I first discovered that I like women. I celebrated my "Bi-versary" on Oct. 5, 2010, and felt amazed by all the growth, changes, realizations and events that had occurred in the past year. I went from not knowing…
Rick Scott’s work already done? State economists say million jobs coming Florida’s way over the next decade.
Throughout his campaign for governor, Rick "Let's Get Back to Work" Scott's mantra was that coming from the private sector, he knew how to create jobs. That's huge of course, by far the #1 issue that people cared about during the campaign. Conservatives like Scott and Marco Rubio say government cannot create jobs per se,…
Leftover turkey calls for an ‘Elena Ruz’ sandwich
You can call it that other Cuban sandwich, but most people know it as the Elena Ruz. The sandwich’s namesake, Elena Ruz Valdes-Fauli, comes from the old Cuban elite, a family of lawyers that went on to invest heavily in the Miami business community. As a young lady, Ruz was a socialite who loved to…
Theater Review: Christmas Stopping at Gorilla Theatre is a mild season antidote
James Rayfield is one of the most respected theater professionals in the Tampa Bay area. As an acting teacher for many years at the Blake High School of the Performing Arts, he educated and inspired some of the best performers still in the region and others who have moved on to bigger cities for bigger…
Life As We Blow It: Why camping out in front of Best Buy is the quintessential American Thanksgiving
By the time you read this, members of St. Pete's Davenport family will have been camped out in front of their local Best Buy for more than a week, in order to be the first customers through the door to take advantage of the annual Black Friday Cavalcade Of Savings And Mind-Blowing Special One-Day-Only Deals…
Do It Today: Helios Jazz Orchestra at Nova 535 Lounge, Opus and Black on Black Rhyme
Spend the evening on a high note at Nova 535 tonight. The Helios Jazz Orchestra returns to the Nova 535 event space for a performance of big band jazz at 7:30 p.m.
Lightning dominate Boston 3-1 in 4th consecutive win
The Tampa Bay Lightning must circle the calendar when they see games against the Northeast division of late; in their previous four games, they’ve posted a 4-0-0 record against those teams. That trend continued Monday night at the St. Pete Times Forum, when Boston paid a visit and the Lightning defeated the Bruins 3-1. For…
A local, green gift giving guide for your holiday list
It is already that time of year to start thinking of holiday shopping. This year, I wanted to give some tips on some great eco-friendly gift ideas that come from local businesses right here in Tampa Bay. These are businesses that are making a priority of being environmentally conscious, so you know the gift will…
Craft brews to pair with your Thanksgiving feast
Ah, the holidays. Ready or not, they are upon us. The Christmas songs have been playing in the stores since before Halloween, but the first of the Big Two is nigh: Thanksgiving. That meal-to-end-all meals, the very thought of which makes buttons pop and belts strain. Heaping plates of food: Sweet potatoes, stuffing, mashed potatoes,…
Kathy Castor introduces new legislation to ensure that BP pays for Gulf restoration
Under new legislation announced today by Tampa Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor, 80 percent of the fines and penalties that oil giant BP will be required to pay for their responsibility for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill would go to Gulf Coast states to help re-brand their tourism and seafood industries, as well as provide funding…
After saying she wouldn’t be, Yolie Capin now says she’s a candidate for Tampa City Council
Although she said she wouldn't run again if the Tampa City Council selected her last summer to succeed John Dingfelder in Tampa's District 4 seat, Yolie Capin now says she's changed her mind, and has filed to run for the council in the District 3 race. "When the question was 'do you intend to run?'…
Movie & TV (and some music) links: Scorsese on 3D, Kanye’s My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy, Duncan Jones’ Source Code and much more …
Martin Scorsese on his latest film: "3D is liberating. … Every shot is rethinking cinema." According to the reviewers, Kanye West's My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy is already one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever. Don't believe me? Maybe you'll listen to Pitchfork and Slant … Filmmaker Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank, Red Road) casts Cinema's first black Heathcliff in her adaptation…
Concert review: Diana Ross delivers a supreme performance at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater (with photos)
Before Diana Ross had earned the nasty, unfavorable reputation as a bitchy diva and somewhat of a train-wreck, her music and her distinctive vocals were solely what she was known for. The wide-eyed petite young lady who had hopes and dreams of breaking out of the Brewster Housing Projects in Detroit, Michigan and becoming a…
CL Holiday Auction Item #53: SideBern’s Seasonal Tasting Dinner
special gourmet feasts are always a hot ticket, and with this auction item you get two tickets to the Seasonal Taste: "Winter's Wonder" dinner at SideBern's on Thursday, January 13. Executive Chef Chad Johnson will be creating a six-course menu especially for the event paired with fine wines from a single featured winemaker. A representative…
EarthTalk: Environmental links to prostate cancer
The following is from the environmental themed advice column EarthTalk®, by the Editors of the non-profit publication E/The Environmental Magazine, that we’ll be regularly featuring here on CL’s Green Community. Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that environmental factors could be playing a role in the increasing number of prostate cancer cases in the U.S. and…
#MusicMonday, Vol. 20: The Lemonheads, Brian Eno, Girl Talk, The Thermals, and more (with video)
After a brief hiatus, Music Monday has returned! Check out what the Creative Loafing music team is jamming to break through the Monday malaise and rocket launch the super-short work week… Click here to check out previous entries. – The Lemonheads, It's a Shame About Ray (1992) A friend turned me on to the recent…
AltDotPop: 30 Rock Soundtrack, Naked Gyllenhaal and Hathaway, plus Courtney Love’s butt, Katy Perry’s troubled cleavage and the Sexiest Man Alive
Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway are looking sexy, and by "sexy" I mean naked, on the cover of Entertainment Weekly to promote their new movie Love and Other Drugs. I know this is totally an advertising ploy to get me to see this movie and I also know that I am totally going to do…
Why would a guy want to be farted on?
Some heavy fetish players claim you can make a fetish out of anything. I don't know about that; I've never encountered anyone who'd be aroused by watching videos of unkempt 30-something guys playing Xbox. But it's indisputably true that there are some really oddball fetishes. Take fart fetish, which seems to be growing in popularity recently. I know…
HCC Ybor Dance Event features paladin New York artists, cakeface, perform vice. (with mary kate) causing audience members to realize, they don’t have to be a vegan to be badass
After sitting through what seemed to be an hour’s worth of voyeuristic gentle porn (various young adults in ballet clothes stretching) and then watching my 7-year-old’s finger paints be re-created by artist/dancer Meghann Snow to the tunes of ">“Paper Planes” by M.I.A, Hillsborough Community College’s Dance Ybor event finally gave me a reason not to…
New music CD and DVD releases out this week (November 22 & 23): Nicki Minaj, My Chemical Romance, Ne-Yo, Regina Spektor, Michael Jackson, Sting, Jay-Z, Royksopp, Kanye West, and more (with video)
This week, we have pre-Black Friday albums and CD/DVD releases dropping November 22 and 23. Here's a breakdown of the ones you want to know about; to see releases that came out last week (November 16) and a wrap of the must-have albums from November 9, click here. Out today (11/22): , H.F.M.2 [Hunger For…
Sara Romeo out in Tampa City Council race, GOP Republicans thwarting Obama on START Treaty, but is that a surprise? And dynamic new film on the Valerie Plame case hits Tampa Bay: Mitch Perry Report 11.22.10
Welcome to what for many will be a shortened working week. Let's begin by sharing stories that we worked on over the weekend. On Saturday night we learned that Tampa City Council candidate in District 1, Sara Romeo, was quitting her race after having worked on her campaign for over a year. Also on Saturday…
Undercover investigation of Publix egg supplier reveals ‘animal abuse and food safety threats’
According to a recent press release, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has reportedly witnessed rampant abuse of caged chickens and food safety issues after a recent undercover investigation of Publix Supermarkets' main egg supplier, Cal-Maine Foods. Cal-Maine is the nation’s top egg producer and coincidentally, is also implicated in the latest major…
Swingers: the need for secrecy
Indiscretions are almost as common to marriage as rings. Even though sex outside of the marital bed is likely more normal than monogamy, it's still viewed as a travesty to marital bonds (even by those doing it). Swingers practice a sexual lifestyle that many will never comprehend. Although those who likely damn our lifestyle are…
CL on the Road: A weekend of Paul Weller in New York City
Paul Weller fans are a staunch, stubborn lot. Since his days as leader, singer, songwriter, fashion plate and mastermind of The Jam (one of Great Britain's finest bands ever), the dedication and loyalty Weller has elicited from his audiences throughout his long career is phenomenal. Starting out in the late 1970's fronting the highly political…
“Fair Game” exposes the high cost of telling the truth in a time of fear
Doug Liman's Fair Game, an adaptation of former CIA agent Valerie Plame's book of the same name (as well as her husband Joe Wilson's The Politics of Truth), was released this weekend in the Tampa Bay area, where it's now playing at the Veterans 24 in Hillsborough county and in Baywalk in St. Petersburg. Though…
Prepare to continue to have your “junk” touched at TIA this Thanksgiving week (video)
With many of us getting on planes this week to travel for Thanksgiving, there will presumably considerably more descriptions of invasive behavior by Transportation Security Administration agents when it comes to passenger screening. This story has become the biggest consumer issue in the country over the past week, after more aggressive pat-downs began in the…
Do It Today: Mary’s Cares at Hamburger Mary’s and Real Thanksgiving Story
Monday's a drag — but in a good way. More than 45 area entertainers join forces for a diva-tacular and fab-oh benefit — Mary's Cares at Hamburger Mary's. The fund-raising event serves up live vocal performances, drag queens, drag kings, dancers and live musical acts from 7 to 11 p.m. All the proceeds from the…
Hillary Clinton pushes White House plea for Senate Republicans to support nuclear treaty with Russia
GOP Senate intransigence on the New Start Treaty with Russia was a question that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was asked to weigh in on in her appearances on three network Sunday talk shows. That treaty would bar the U.S. and Russia from deploying more than 1,550 strategic warheads and 700 launchers each, and it…
Saying she can’t leave the non-profit group she runs, Sara Romeo drops out of Tampa City Council race
Sara Romeo announced Saturday evening that after "consulting with Board members and my close friends," she will drop out of her race for the District 1 Tampa City Council seat that she announced she was running for nearly a year ago. Romeo had to make a decision following the news published a week ago that…
Trouble Brewing: The move to close Cigar City’s Tasting Room
There are lots of happening bars in the Tampa bay area, full of style and panache. The Tasting Room at Cigar City Brewing isn’t really one of them. That's because the increasing numbers of faithful customers who visit the barebones space adjacent to the brewery's warehouse in West Tampa aren't looking for a scene; they're…
Clean Energy Victory Bonds: Can WWII tactics really help America’s green effort?
Last year, China invested twice as much in clean energy as the U.S., ultimately leading to China’s control of 35 percent of the global market in solar panels. Overall, the U.S., according to Green America, is the “10th in the world in investments in clean energy as a percentage of the national economy.” After the…
Movie & TV links for Fri., Nov. 19, 2010: Ebert defends NPR, Spike Jonze teams with Arcade Fire, Kurosawa’s Red Beard and more …
Harry Potter and the Incredible Cash Machine Part 1 opens today. Check out the CL review here … Roger Ebert's latest Great Movies entry: Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard. Speaking of Ebert, here' his passionate defense of NPR. Planet Money's fantastic podcast on gold and why its worth so much to Glenn Beck us.
CL Holiday Auction Item #66: Brew your own beer at Cigar City Brewing and follow up at home
You could have ultimate craft beer bragging rites with this auction item. First, you'll sit down with the Cigar City brewmasters and decide upon the style and flavors of your beer, then you'll get to help brew an entire batch of your concoction, and finally, you'll get to enjoy your one-of-a-kind craft brew creation with…
Vuvuzelas find new life as innovative, recycled creations in the WoZela contest
Though I miss the World Cup games (and wish they were held every year), I surely do not miss the incessant drone of thousands of vuvuzelas coming through my TV speakers. I am happy to report, though, that vuvuzelas are being put to good reuse after two advertising firms in South Africa started a vuvuzela…
CD review: Bob Dylan, The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 (The Bootleg Series, Volume 9)
This latest collection of informal recordings by Bob Dylan is a curiosity rather than a revelation, an audio catalog of his original songs recorded as transcriptions from 1962 through 1964. As such, it's surprising that Dylan treated many of the songs as performances, perhaps conscious that anything committed to tape would reflect his ability not…
Jim Davis out in race for Tampa Mayor; Greco leads in new poll, and Al Austin talks about how high paying donors to Tampa’s RNC want access: Mitch Perry Report 11.19.10
Happy Friday to you one and all. With a short holiday week for most of the nation next week, we're not certain how much political news will be generated, but we had loads of it here in Tampa on Thursday. The biggest news was that former Congressman and 2006 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jim Davis says…
Tampa Bay Bucs face major test this Sunday in San Francisco
The biggest story in the almost completed 2010 college football regular season is the controversy surrounding the young man considered the best player in the country, Auburn quarterback Cam Newton. Over the past two weeks, allegations that Newton's father was calling around and specifically requesting that Mississippi State University pay over $100,000 for his talented…
Edible gardens are sprouting up in schools and contributing to better nutrition to the lunchroom
With Happy Meals at only $1.99, it is easy to see why America has such an overweight population in our children. The lunchrooms at our public schools have also been long void of the nutrition that will keep kids' minds alert and able to learn. However, because of this, there is a recent trend in…
Lightning outlast Flyers in crazy night in Philadelphia
The Fans in attendance in Philadelphia went to what they thought would be a hockey game. The Ringling Brothers Barnum Bailey Circus is what they ended up getting, and it was the Tampa Bay Lightning outlasting and outscoring the Flyers 8-7 for their second straight road win. The Flyers got the craziness off to a…
Survey by new Florida firm shows Dick Greco narrowly ahead of Rose Ferlita in poll for Tampa Mayor
He's not even in the race yet, but former Tampa Mayor Dick Greco leads in the first major poll conducted on the 2011 race. A poll published by a new polling group called Logos Communications that was released on Thursday showed Greco with 23%, Rose Ferlita at 19%, Jim Davis at 12%, Bob Buckhorn and…
Al Austin talks about what it will take for Tampa to host the 2012 Republican National Convention
Tampa will be hosting the 2012 Republican National Convention in 647 days, and the way that Al Austin describes it, he'll need every one of them to make sure that everything is ready to go by the time the GOP descends upon the St. Pete Times Forum to nominates their presidential ticket for 2012. Austin…
Do It This Weekend: Centre Gallery’s Duality, Mindy Solomon’s Utility and Beauty, Chillounge Night, Shopapalooza and more
If you're looking for artistic inspiration this weekend, two art/photography show openings help broaden your horizons in dazzling and imaginative ways. Friday night, attend the opening of USF Centre Gallery's Duality, in which photographer Zornitza Natcheva captures the struggle between internal desires and external expectations. The solo exhibition features a series of digital photographs printed…
Environmental education is more than learning to recycle
One of the great misconceptions among many Americans is that the so-called "environmental movement" is about putting nature and animals ahead of human beings, stopping corporations from making a profit, and that it is more about "saving the earth" than protecting human life on it. While there are certainly those that do fall into that camp,…
Jim Davis will NOT run for mayor of Tampa
In a somewhat surprising development, former Tampa Democratic Congressman and 2006 gubernatorial nominee Jim Davis announced today that he will not run for mayor of Tampa in 2011. Davis had been discussed as a potential candidate for the past year, and told reporters that he would not make a decision about getting into the race…
Movie & TV Links for today, Nov. 18, 2010: Feel-good Brit flicks, Claire Denis’ White Material, Patti Smith, Global Warming and more …
IFC asks the pressing question: Which feel-good Brit movie is right for you? Speaking of the UK: For some Brits the coming Royal wedding will be "Hell on Earth!" Rock legend Patti Smith wins National Book Award for her memoir, Just Kids.
CL Holiday Auction Item #052: Craft Beer Dinner for Four in The Refinery’s Chef’s Suite
Greg and Michelle Baker of Seminole Heights' The Refinery are opening their restaurant on a Sunday night especially for you and three guests for a private, all-inclusive dinner paired with craft beers. You'll be sitting with a kitchenside view as Greg prepares the food, sharing cooking tips and tricks of the trade. The menu may…
Concert review: Roger Waters brings The Wall to the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa (with photos)
Thirty years ago, Pink Floyd put up The Wall and took it around the world, presenting it as an allegory for the way Roger Waters felt about the band's seeming detachment from its demanding fans. Since then, one man's acute disdain set to music has turned into a three-decades-old global love affair with a conceptual…
Mary Mulhern says she’s running for re-election for Tampa City Council in District 2
Tampa City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern has announced today that she's running for re-election in Tampa's citywide District 2 race next March. The news came to us from her new campaign manager, Kevin Wren (UPDATE: Mary Mulhern tells us that Wren is helping out with her campaign, but as of this time is not her manager).…
Turanchik says light rail will never happen in Tampa, Connie Mack challenging Bill Nelson, and a former Bush administration official says GOP being obstinate on START Treaty
We were at Wednesday's breakdown on how and why Hillsborough County voters so thoroughly rejected the transit tax posed to them earlier this month, and have a full report for you. We also have written a separate post to highlight the strong criticism directed towards officials involved with creating the plan that went before the…
CL Online Holiday Auction 2010 for The Children’s Home: Bidding begins today, ends Dec. 16
Prime seats to Lady Gaga! An exclusive dinner with a Best of the Bay-winning chef! Poker lessons with the multi-million-dollar prodigy John Racener! A vacation anywhere in the world! The cover of Creative Loafing! You can buy all that and more, and help The Children's Home at the same time, by bidding on the more…
Former George H.W. Bush administrator blasts GOP for intransigence on Russia US nuke treaty
A fascinating window into how Congressional Republicans would rather jam President Obama than doing something good for the country, as well as an indication of how far conservative the country is as a whole as say, two decades ago, was manifested last night in an exchange on the PBS NewsHour between Richard Burt and James…
Where to dine in Tampa Bay on Thanksgiving Day
While many people will be getting up at the crack of dawn and toiling for hours in the kitchen to prepare their Thanksgiving feasts, others prefer a simpler, easier way to enjoy their holiday meal: at a restaurant where someone else does the cooking (and the dishes). Here's a list of places around Tampa Bay…
Upscale & down-home: Diner Sixty West serves comfort food at comfortable prices, with an updated aura
There are only a few restaurant genres that span the breadth of dining habits from meat-and-potatoes chain regulars to inveterate foodies, and almost all of them feature low-end fare: sandwiches and comfort food done right, maybe with a little flair to surprise people who want to pay attention to what they're eating. And none of…
Kelly Benjamin, seriously: He’s been shot at, arrested and gassed — and now the longtime activist wants to be on Tampa City Council
It's a little after 6:30 p.m. on one of the first chilly nights of the fall when Tampa City Council candidate Kelly Benjamin shows up at the Refinery's upstairs bar. He's wearing a sportscoat and carrying a bicycle tire, which he hands off to a bartender. (His vintage Raleigh 10-speed is parked below.) He orders…
Pop-up powerhouse: Master chef Jeannie Pierola is back — but you’d better act fast to catch her latest act
Tuesday night, November 9, just shy of 6:30 p.m., Kitchenbar looks like it's in the weeds. The place opens for business in minutes, but servers are still scurrying about to drop flatware on tables, tie aprons and huddle up for a final confab before service. Soon enough, the groups of people waiting in the cool…
The art of the possible: Mary Mulhern has a message for the next crew of City Council candidates
At least 17 Tampa citizens who have never held citywide office have announced their candidacies for one of the seven City Council seats that will come up for a vote in March, meaning local residents can expect to hear lots of rhetoric about jobs and neighborhood improvement and other buzzwords over the next three months.…
Do It Today: Crasheoke, Gallagher, Patel’s Stand-Up Comedy Showcase, Empty Bowls and more
Best of the Bay Elder Scene Statesmen, country punk troubadour and friend-to-all Sean "Crash" Mitchell has been hospitalized with complications from pneumonia and hematoma since early October. In spite of it all, he maintains his characteristic humor and Bucs trivia expertise — and has "cheated death twice." In addition, Crash has endured excruciating pain, an…
Lightning snap losing streak, beat Islanders 4-2
The Tampa Bay Lightning entered play Wednesday night in desperate need of a win. The only team in the NHL that may have needed a win more was the opposing New York Islanders. Even though it wasn't pretty, the Lightning got the job done, defeating the Isles 4-2 behind a huge goaltending effort by Dan…
Concert review: Joanna Newsom at The Ritz Ybor (setlist and photos included)
When buzzy indie songstress Joanna Newsom hit the stage of The Ritz Ybor this past Tuesday night in her ruby-red lipstick and strappy black heels, I wasn't quite sure what to expect and braced myself for the unknown. [All photos by Mike Wilson.] Newsom began her performance with "The Book of Right-On," deftly plucking harp…
Connie Mack attacks Nelson on tax cuts, inviting speculation that he’ll be one (of many) to try to take on the Democrat in 2012
There will undoubtedly be a number of Republicans who hope to join Marco Rubio in 2012 as a U.S. Senator representing Florida, and Fort Myers area Congressman Connie Mack IV informally began his own campaign today by blasting the Democratic incumbent in the race, Bill Nelson in an op-ed in today's Orlando Sentinel about his…
Kelly Benjamin, seriously: He’s been shot at, arrested, gassed — and now the longtime activist runs for City Council
UPDATE: It’s a little after 6:30 p.m. on one of the first chilly nights of the fall when Tampa City Council candidate Kelly Benjamin shows up at the Refinery’s upstairs bar. He’s wearing a sportscoat and carrying a bicycle tire, which he hands off to a bartender. (His vintage Raleigh 10-speed is parked below.) He…
Movie & TV links for today, Nov. 17, 2010: Your Highness, Cowboys & Aliens, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., great sci-fi movies, Meryl Streep goes viral and more …
The Playlist reports that Steven Soderbergh is in negotiations to direct a big-screen version of the ’60s TV show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and possibly eyeing George Clooney for the lead role. Glenn Kenny lists the 50 greatest sci-fi movies of all time.
Two big fests, both sides of the bay: Ybor City Heritage & Cigar Festival and Sanding Ovations
The 12th annual Ybor City Heritage & Cigar Festival gets a-puffin’ this weekend with the fundraising kickoff party “Fire It Up” at the Ybor City Museum Garden Friday night (see details at oursmokinevents.com).
Top Chef Podcast – Just Desserts Ep. 9: Truffles, tears and cake wrecks
On Top Chef: Just Desserts, the final four made truffles, cakes and a boat load of bitchy comments. The Quickfire saw the chef'testants preparing four truffles that represented their lives: people who are important to them and their "golden moment" (the winner's then being made and sold by Godiva). After bitching about how little time…
Green Community Calendar weekend events: Tampa Bay Watch benefit, Dunedin Community Garden fundraiser, Seminole Heights Sunday Market and more
Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar. Dunedin Green Market- Fridays: 8 am-1 pm, Saturdays: 9 am-2 pm (through April). Featuring fresh, local produced goods such as baked good, ready-to-eat-foods, organic plants and herbs, coffee, honey, seafood, clothing, and so much more. The Dunedin Green…
