Unclear on the Concept of “Internet Gambling”
Apparently, James Giordano didn't get the memo that the Internet had freed up otherwise-illegal gambling only because you could serve American customers by operating your business from another country. That is, it's not just that you had a cyber arm to your bricks-and-mortar syndicate; you had to be in the other country to avoid prosecution.…
Centro Espanol de West Tampa Deal Dead
Nice scoop by the Tampa Tribune, but it appears that Without Walls International Church's deal to buy the Centro Espanol de West Tampa building is dead. Or maybe not. I got my hands on the letter from City Attorney David Smith to the Centro's owners, the now-defunct Urban League chapter in Hillsborough, dated Nov. 29.…
Busto Mulls City Council Race
Just spoke with Jason Busto and he confirms what La Gaceta first reported on Friday: He is thinking about running for the Tampa City Council against Shawn Harrison and Mary Mulhern. Busto, dubbed the unofficial Mayor of West Tampa, is CEO of the family-owned Busto Plumbing. He is best known for his strident advocacy for…
Florida Election Runs Smoothly
As many as 16,000 registered voters showed up at a polling station set up at the Orange Bowl in Miami on Saturday and cast their ballots, not complaining about the long lines or any irregularities. These were, um, Venezuelan citizens voting for president at a station run by the consulate. [South Florida Sun-Sentinel] The Miracle…
Morning Roundup
John Bolton is out at the UN, an early Christmas present for ya: Forbes: St. Pete Times wants to cut costs, 80-90 jobs companywide through attrition. A nice piece in the Trib that looks at how one elementary school went from the top of the FCAT heap to the bottom after its principal retired. A…
Would a Hospital Kill a Guy and Then Forge a “Do Not Resuscitate” Order?
Bad enough that Hector Soto-Velez, 82, went to the ER at Orange Park Medical Center in Jacksonville with only an ankle fracture and was dead three days later. Well, he had a complication, doctors said, and he was started on morphine, which slowed his breathing down, and then, suddenly, it was zero. The family's puzzlement…
Court Frees Piece-of-Work State Senator
Sen. Gary Siplin, of Orlando, who is one of the least humble of Florida's 16 million residents, was convicted recently of the felony of using his Senate office staff to do campaign work and was earlier this month sentenced to 300 hours of community service plus three yrs' probation. This would be a setback to…
“I’m More Careful in My Kitchen Handling Chicken than They Are with Their Patients”
"They" would be Jacksonville Naval Hospital, one of whose surgeons frantically called Jennifer Backman (author of the above statement) hours after her hernia surgery and told her that "someone" had broken protocol and that "contaminated instruments" had been used. In the year before her surgery, JNH had settled $71m worth of lawsuits over shoddy work.…
Morning Roundup
Let's go to the hop, oh ba-by: Why is this panel even bothering? There is NO way the Legislature is going to raise taxes. Newly elected Senator Webb: Porno-like writer, major dickhead. Though I love narrative writing (and have taught it at the college level), I often take reporters to task for misusing it. This…
Pimping Me
Your favorite Political Whore blogger will be appearing live on "Your Turn" with Kathy Fountain on Fox 13 today at 12:300 p.m. to talk about the cultural (and criminal) phenomenon that is YouTube.
The Swing
Name of Kama Sutra Position: The Swing Getting into the position: Begin by sitting face to face in bed with the womanÕs breasts pressed tightly against the manÕs chest. The lovers should lock heels behind each other's waists and lean back while clasping one another's wrists. Then set the swing gently in motion. This is…
Morning Roundup
No time, running around like a madman: Hillsborough County job opening. Oh, and Kramer now claims to be one of the gansah mishpucheh.
Greetings from Gorilla
THEATER
Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out
The Police
Just crazy enough
You — yes, you — could be the next Ron Popeil
Spins
Primus, Pernice Brothers, Women and Children
The Blotter
Bizarre crimes from Tampa police reports
The Wolves Survive
On the heels of one of its best releases, Los Lobos endure as a group whose music matters
Quirk by Carl
LITERATURE
Art — the alternative way
Evolucion Art Exhibition
He likes us
He really likes us
Going Postal
Reactions to the Overrated story, others
Concerts
Planes Mistaken for Stars, Susan Tedeschi, Rod Stewart
CL’s must-do list for the week of
Thurs., Nov. 30-Wed., Dec. 6
Top of the pops
Sparkling wines good enough to drink all year long
Bringing a knife to a gunfight
Republicans outspent Democrats 3-to-1 in Tampa Bay legislative races
The Money Men, Again
SoHo Zoning
Twist of lime
The Lime serves bar food with a difference, but does it have that something extra?
Hello, BETTY! Goodbye, AIDS.
FUNDRAISER/MUSIC
CL‘s picks for the week’s best shows
Gwar, Cheryl Wheeler, Dropping Daylight
Baby it’s Cold Outside
Civil war in Iraq, No Elf 2
Too Tough To Die
Sometimes it takes a manners monitor to bring a family together
Go Tell It on the Mountain
THEATER
Variations on a theme
CLASSICAL MUSIC
His appointed rounds
Between dogs, terrorists and government bureaucracy, delivering Tampa’s mail is no cakewalk
Simple pleasures
Minimalist works, maximum impact at TMA
Get the kid with the camera
How a 24-year-old videographer became the longest-jailed journalist in America
Backspin
Cowboys From Hell by Pantera
Ready, steady, go
Plus MC Lady Sovereign and 97X’s annual Next Big Thing
Capsule reviews of recently released movies
Boynton Beach Club, Fast Food Nation
The Funny Pages
Laws
A tourist’s nightmare
Turistas
Events around the city
Wine tastings and dinners
Like a virgin
An earnest Nativity Story and a scary trip to Jesus Camp
Reindeer games
Santa gets sent up in a one-joke play stretched beyond its breaking point
Where other media feared to go
Like the imprisonment of Josh Wolf, the death of indie photojournalist Brad Will has roused activists around the world
Flurry of Activity
HOLIDAY
