New report calls out hypocrisy of CEO’s advocating for cuts to entitlements
Illinois Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin Like it or not, most of the news coming out of the nation's capital over the next month will be about the "fiscal cliff." And that means that liberal and conservative advocacy groups and think tanks will chime in with their corresponding position papers on how to deal with…
Buy him beer soap
cigarcitybrewing.com Every man has a smell. Some are worse than others, those are usually the men that think Irish Spring still smells good. Or worse, they don't believe in bathing at all. If you're a beer-lover, like me, you look for beer in the nooks and crannies of everyday life. Lip balm, clothing, home decor.…
The Gaily News: Carnival bans drag on drag cruise
With the Drag Stars at Sea cruise set to depart this weekend, Carnival Cruise Lines made a surprising announcement on Monday: guests are banned from dressing in drag while attending performances or in public areas at anytime during the eight-day cruise. The company has since rescinded the ban, and Carnival president and CEO Gerry Cahill…
Tasting Southern Tier’s Pumking pumpkin ale
Southern Tier Brewing Company During Creative Loafing's BeerFest, my partner in crime Mr. Doom and I were charged with the task of delivering Southern Tier brews to the masses. On tap were several different brews from Southern Tier, including a limited supply of their Pumking pumpkin ale. Our line was perpetually long, longer than most,…
Mitch Perry Report 10.28.12 – Would Tally let the people of Tampa tax themselves for transportation?
The Tampa Tribune's lead editoriall today focuses on something we've heard a lot about in recent months amongst those who advocate for light-rail in Tampa – that somehow the Legislature should pass a law to allow cities to ask for sales tax increases on their own. The Trib writes that "This would allow city voters…
Don’t be afraid of the dark
Stouts and porters are the perfect accompaniment to the cooler winter months.
Fluoride coming back into Pinellas’ water system next March
Capping more than a year long drama that originally saw the Pinellas County Commission remove fluoride from the drinking water supply, that same board today voted to reinstate the chemical – officially on March 1. The Commission voted 6-1 in favor of fluoride, not a surprise at all after the board members expressed their views…
Castor to Gov. Scott: increase reimbursements to primary care physicians treating Medicaid patients
Kathy Castor Since President Obama's re-election, political commentators in Florida have observed that Gov. Rick Scott has been hailed by columnists as finally "getting it," after he declared that the election was history and it's time to implement the health care reform plan — a plan he has bitterly opposed for the past couple of…
Buckhorn introduces the InVision plan for downtown Tampa
Since the time he was elected 20 months ago, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn has steadfastly advocated that one of the top goals he hopes to achieve is to make the Hillsborough River the center of downtown Tampa, not its western edge. There are a lot of ideas and plans that the mayor and other major…
Pedaling into the bike advocacy sunset, Alan Snel lays out his plan to increase safety for cyclists in Tampa Bay
As CL reported earlier this month, Alan Snel, Tampa (and Tampa Bay's) leading bicycle advocate over the past eight years, has left the Bay area to resume his career as a newspaper reporter, writing about the business of sports for the Las Vegas Journal-Review. Right before Thanksgiving, Snel sent us this missive that he wanted…
Mitch Perry Report 11.27.12 – Days of fluoride and rail
In recent years, two of the biggest issues in local Bay area politics have been the light rail and fluoride. In the case of Pinellas County, the local government may put up a referendum in 2013 to help fund a light rail line between St. Pete and Clearwater — a major development since the region…
Consumer advocates outraged as Florida PSC approves another $293 million rate increase for nuke plants
Dwight Dudley A lot of Florida citizens are fed up about the state law that allows energy companies like Progress to hit up taxpayers for money that would go toward nuclear power plants that may never see the light of day. That anger manifested itself once again on Monday, after the state's Public Service Commission…
Holiday Auction Bonus: Doug Martin football, Straz Broadway series
From Cyber Monday through Dec. 12, you can find wonderful gift ideas in our Online Holiday Auction for the benefit of The Children's Home. We've added four new items today that would make spectacular gifts. First, something for Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans: a football signed by Bucs running back Doug Martin, one of the hottest…
Military expert gets the heave-ho from Fox News for calling them out on Benghazi coverage
So what really happened in Benghazi on the night of Sept. 11? There's been a lot of media coverage about the tragedy that led to the death of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans. For weeks, GOP Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham have blasted the Obama administration's Ambassador to…
Tom Scott confirms he’ll run again for Hillsborough County Commission
Tom Scott The next elections for Hillsborough County Commission aren't for nearly two years, but Democrats are lining up to run in the countywide District 7 seat currently held by Republican Mark Sharpe. In late September, former County Commissioner and Tampa City Councilman Thomas Scott mused to Tampa Bay Times columnist Sue Carlton that he…
Rick Scott challenges state universities to “$10,000 degrees”
On Monday morning, Gov. Rick Scott visited St. Petersburg College in Clearwater — one of several stops throughout the day — touting his challenge to state colleges and universities to offer $10,000 degrees. That's not asking for tuition to be less than $10,000 a semester — it's for the entire four years. One of the…
Mitch Perry Report – 4 weeks to Christmas, 5 weeks to ‘taxmageddon’?
Welcome back to the working week, Tampa Bay area denizens! As well as everyone else reading this post on this crisp Monday morning, four weeks out from Christmas Eve. This is always our favorite time of the year. Mainly because we get to break out our leather jacket, turtleneck sweaters and other articles of clothing…
Kitchen homecoming
Richie Farina heads up the kitchen at Chicago’s Moto Restaurant now, but he started cooking in Brandon.
Republicans ready to break their blind allegiance to Grover Norquist on raising taxes?
Grover Norquist Remember when Mark Sharpe announced his candidacy to challenge Kathy Castor for Congress in the summer of 2011? The Hillsborough County Commissioner's only campaign pledge he said he if was elected would be one "that says I'm not going to be signing pledges." Though Sharpe later reversed course and opted not to take…
How others see us
The Petraeus affair offers a window into how the nation views Tampa Bay.
The proposal
A reader kicks around a strange job offer.
50 pro-Palestinian activists in Temple Terrace call for an end to Gaza blockade
While leading Florida politicians on both sides of the aisle were lending their support for Israel in rallies this Thanksgiving weekend, about 50 pro-Palestinian activists held forth Saturday afternoon at the corner of Fowler and 56th Street in Temple Terrace. Although official hostilities between Israel and Gaza's ruling Hamas party ended earlier in the week…
Hi-Yo Silver!
Cheers to Nate Silver, who kept hope alive.
Elf the Musical gets the season started on a sugar high
The movie Elf has become a modern classic Christmas movie. Mainly thanks to Will Ferrell’s goofy but charming portrayal of Buddy the Elf. The Broadway musical tour production of Elf the Musical, inspired by the film, is up at the Straz Center’s Carol Morsani Hall this weekend, through Sun., Nov. 25. I took my 8-year-old…
Tampa Chamber of Commerce opposes Obama plan to let Bush tax cuts expire for the rich
Rohrlack is president and CEO of The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Hopefully you haven't grown weary of stories about the "fiscal cliff" facing the country at the end of the year, because you're going to be hearing a lot more about it this coming week. Although the phrase primarily refers to the fact that…
Welcome to the Doll’s House
Ibsen’s old parlor game of woman’s identity vs. societal perceptions is still being played today.
Killer Karaoke: Singing plus humiliation plus Steve-O equals fun!
Killer Karaoke is part The Voice, part Fear factor, and all guilty pleasure.
Shoppe till you droppe: Black Friday alternatives
BLACK OUT: Bands and sales highlight Black Friday at Mojo Nov. 23. Fasten your jeans, Black Friday is upon us. But you don't have to be part of the unwashed, brainwashed masses, duking it out at the big box stores and malls (the sales are bogus anyway — havent' you heard?). Instead, buy local. Record…
Hello, Mr. Chips
The fine art of making perfect French fries.
Guardians assemble
The holidays meet heroism in DreamWorks’ Rise of the Guardians.
Jannus offers music and good vibes for cancer patient
The Jannus Live courtyard is often the setting for great musical acts to rock out to, and great times to party with your closest friends. This week, the venue is proud to do both, while also raising money for a cause that reminds us of the importance of those closest to us. Supporting The Suzanne…
Name that hippo!
Lowry Park Zoo has announced a contest to choose the name for the female pygmy hippo born at the zoo on Nov. 15. So far they have three African names starting with the letter Z in honor of mother hippo, Zsa Zsa — Zawadi, which means "gift"; Zola, which means "to love"; and Zuri, which…
Mitch Perry Report 11.21-23 – Tribune shows there’s still life in Jill Kelley stories
Is Tampa's additional 15 minutes in the national spotlight over? The Cigar City was hoping to be "dance like we've never danced before" in Mayor Bob Buckhorn's inimitable phrase during the RNC this summer, but in fact the attention Tampa garnered from the convention has been dwarfed by the white-hot spotlight in the national and…
Get out your LGBT planner this holiday weekend
Forget the turkey. Thanksgiving Eve is one of the biggest drinking nights of the year — almost a separate holiday unto itself — and there are plenty of LGBT events to choose from over the long weekend if you're looking for something fun to do. Head to Ybor tonight for G Bar's Pilgrims in Bikinis…
Fowl play on Thanksgiving
Down on the farm with The Turkey Man, Ben Pate.
Gift Guide: Musical notes for the season
A holiday shopping guide for Black Friday Record Store Day and beyond.
Israel/Hamas opinionating: Knowing when to know you don’t know
No one should opinionate on Middle East turmoil without, say, being able to locate the region on an unlabeled map. Do you consider yourself to be an adequately informed member of your community? Do you, perhaps, suspect you are much more well-informed than the average American? It’s OK — I like to think I know…
American Women at St. Pete’s MFA
A female-centric new show is but a preview of what’s to come.
Where to dine on Thanksgiving day
Neighborhood dining guide.
New World’s Sandy benefit stymied by sketchy transport situation
COLLECTION IN LIMBO: A composite of some of the images snapped at New World Brewery's I Heart NY and NJ benefit last weekend. New World Brewery regulars and event organizers Chris "DJ Cub" Preston and wife Catherine hosted I Heart NJ & NY, a fundraiser for Sandy victims last weekend at the popular Ybor hangout.…
Hillsborough County Commissioners choose Ken Hagan once again to be their chairman
Ken Hagan Watching local governments choose their leaders can be sort of fun. But it can get tedious. And sometimes embarrassing. It's politics at its most basic and often comes down to who's the most popular guy or gal in a room of seven people with sizable egos, or at least the one whose offended…
St. Somewhere Brewing’s Pays du Soleil
Arielle Stevenson Down by the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs, something delicious is brewing in the form of St. Somewhere Brewing Company's stellar handcrafted Belgian-style ales.
Norm Roche doesn’t believe there was a mandate in Pinellas County on fluoride
Norm Roche Last year, the Pinellas County Commission voted 4-3 to remove fluoride from the county's water supply. The vote was one of the most controversial decisions mad by a local government in Tampa Bay politics in the past decade. It came eight years after Pinellas finally opted to add the chemical into the water…
Attempting full penetration with The Sessions
Helen Hunt bares all, playing a sex surrogate who helps a disabled man explore his sexuality.
Voting rights: Who needs ’em?
After the Florida debacle, you’d think the talk would be about protecting voters’ rights. You’d be wrong.
Smashed hits home
Strong performances and a convincing portrayal of alcoholism highlight this touching indie drama.
3rd annual Repeal Day Party to benefit charities
Tampa Bay's Left Coast Bartenders' Guild (LCBG) will host its 3rd annual Repeal Day Party to celebrate the end of prohibition and benefit two charities. The party of all parties that celebrates "our right to imbibe" takes place on Sunday, Dec. 2, from 8 p.m.-midnight at the Don Vicente Historic Inn in Ybor City (Dec.…
