The Reporter & the Prosecutor
Advance look from this week's Creative Loafing: BY JOHN SUGG and WAYNE GARCIA Michael Fechter, whose reporting led to the decade-long federal investigation of Sami Al-Arian, and Cherie Krigsman, one of the case’s federal prosecutors, are an item. Fechter confirmed to Creative Loafing this week that he and Krigsman have been romantically involved since shortly…
Doug Belden and Monica Lewinsky’s Blue Dress
Hillsborough County's testosterone-fueled tax collector, Doug Belden, got in trouble last month for making unwanted touches of a woman at a bar in Tampa. She complained in the media; he denied in the media; then he apologized in the media (blaming demon rum, of course). Better to apologize than not. Good boy. But if not…
Morning Roundup
Here you go: CREATIVE LOAFING EXCLUSIVE: The Trib's top Al-Arian reporter, Michael Fechter, is off the story after revealing he is dating one of the federal prosecutors in the case. No criminal charges planned in Lowry Park Zoo tiger death. Our investigative story on the case here. Does Howard Dean deserve any credit for the…
Morning Roundup (Late Evening Edition)
No, the elections didn't wipe me out. And no, contrary to some guesses, I didn't give up on the blog to devote full-time attention to sex, drugs and rock 'n roll. Just incredibly busy with post-election analysis and an investigative piece set to run in this week's CL. I'll try to give the Blurbex faithful…
Never Give Up!
Just about the most overrated of all inspirational messages has to be "never give up." It seems to Yr Editor that, for every tear-jerking success, there's a pathetic failure (or a mountain-out-of-molehill false upside). This week's News of the Weird mentions the Pinellas County diner Ralph Paul, who spent several thousand bucks, and much opportunity…
Special Porno Edition (no pictures)
A federal child-porn ring turned up several F-staters, including Associate Dean Pat Shannon at the University of Florida law school, who quickly resigned. In what is apparently a separate federal child-porn investigation, a police captain at the Haley VA Hospital in Tampa, Bruce Scheller, was also charged and is outta there. Father Adrian Parry was…
More Cracker Crumbs
If you found this week’s Urban Explorer column on Crackers interesting, a reader suggests checking out the Cracker Trail, the actual routes Florida pioneers used in the late 19th century to drive their cattle. Every February, horseback riders (with covered wagons!) trek cross-state on a 120-mile journey to draw attention to Florida's horse and cattle…
A Perfectly Copacetic Election Day, Except . . .
In Putnam County, Jim Smith whipped Robbie Scholl for a Crescent City commission seat, 176 to 175, which shows that Smith might have learned a thing or two in the ol' back room, in that, in 2000, he lost a commission seat by 1 vote. More seriously, though, Republican Vern Buchanan beat Democrat Christine Jennings…
Nyah Nyah Nyah, Florida Didn’t Screw Up
Just a few glitches were reported (several hundred ballots' worth, out of 4.5 million votes). Among the disappointed observers was the Al Jazeera channel, which was in the house all day (actually, correspondent Nasser Hssaini ["H-s-s" is what it says here], in a Tallahassee park doing live feeds for the Arab world). [Tallahassee Democrat] The…
CL‘s picks for the week’s best shows
Dashboard Confessional, the Limeliters, Moonspell
Not Exactly Blue’s Clues
FUNDRAISER
Thinning the herd
The battle between man and beast gets kicked up a notch
Hello, Hello
MUSIC
Abridged laughter
The latest from the Reduced Shakespeare Company isn’t up to the level of its previous offerings
The Bush Presidential Library
How will the final design look?
Famous last words?
Hillsborough County Commissioner Ronda Storms
Capsule reviews of recently released movies
A Good Year, Harsh Times
The boys are back in town
All-American Rejects, Ribfest, the Weary Boys
Concerts
Live Love Tour, Army of Anyone
Spins
Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood, Chingy, Sparklehorse
A Natural Focus
ART
Lost in translation
Confusion gives way to connections in the elaborate Babel
Substance vs. style
What we can learn from Paul de la Garza
CL‘s must-do list for the week
Mable Sims, the Florida Show, Keller Williams
Election burnout?
This week’s issue: Guaranteed 100% election-free!*
Good Clean Rotten Fun
THEATER
Art in the Park
FESTIVAL
Pre-holiday shopping
Seasonal events
Mail bonding
Readers have their say
A Bunch of So and So’s
An eight-member band works together toward a singular goal: quality pop
Corina, Corina
Tampa’s most egalitarian artfest takes steps toward a more solid future
Letters to the Editor
Food critics!
Reality bites
Stranger Than Fiction
The reporter and the prosecutor
The Al-Arian story takes a controversial romantic turn
Backspin
Fountains of Wayne’s Welcome Interstate Managers
Southeast Music Alliance Presents Volume 2
Various artists
The Blotter
Bizarre crimes from Tampa police files
Smoke ’em if you got ’em
On location at the Terra Ceia Mullet Smoke-Off
DVD: Live at CBGB 1982
Bad Brains
Our crunchy history
A Tampa attraction takes a look at the Florida Cracker (not the edible kind)
