Shitty Idea has yet to be flushed and reservoir is still cracked!
Looks like our water officials still have not flushed the idea of dumping shit in the aquifer. Tampa Bay Water told the BOCC last week it was still on the table (they called it aquifer recharge) I call it dumping shit in the aquifer. Swiftmud is studying this idea at a cost of $500,000. I…
Daily Show host Jon Stewart to Sarah Palin: “Fuck you!”
From a talk at Northeastern University in Boston: [youtube]] UPDATE: Jon Stewart clarifies his comments on the Daily Show:
Activists decry St. Pete ordinances
From the Uhurus and peaceniks to homeless advocates and the American Civil Liberties Union, activists across St. Pete are challenging the city's newest ordinances that prohibit certain activities around Tropicana Field during the World Series and on medians throughout the city. The median ordinance, which prevents anyone from standing on a median, was passed two…
Art and the economic downturn
This post continues an ongoing conversation with local arts leaders about how the economy is impacting their business. (Read the first in this series of posts here or an even earlier post here.) The national media are starting to pick up the broader story about the effects of the recession on arts organizations and the…
Reel Projections — Tuesday, October 21
Spoilers alert! io9 has the latest scoop on Nazi-killer looks: Brad Pitt as the rugged lead in Quentin Tarantino's WWII flick, Inglourious Basterds (yes, it's really spelled that way). Bond doesn't do Norse code: Daniel Craig says he turned down the lead in the upcoming Marvel Comics flick, Thor. Samuel L. Jackson gets more Fury-ous:…
Avett Brothers cancel Skipper’s gig
North Carolina acoustic rock outfit the Avett Brothers have postponed their Oct. 23 WMNF gig at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa Cuban Club in Ybor City. I'm usually irked at this kind of shit, especially since my advance piece for the show already went to print for the edition that hits newsstands Wednesday. But the reason…
Moderate McCain voters face-off with anti-Obama right-wingers
Some good news from McCain supporters on the election front. After weeks of surprisingly vitriolic attacks on Obama from Republicans at McCain rallies, some McCainiacs confront the outright lies of protesters claiming Obama has ties to radical Islam. Check the video here from the American News Project:
Do It Today
1. Author Dennis Lehane (pictured) makes an appearence at Inkwood Books this evening to read from and sign copies of his latest novel, The Given Day. Photo by Diana Lucas Leavengood. 2. Kelly and Becca bring their national "Let's Talk About It" sexual assault awareness, prevention and education campaign to USF. 3. Los Angeles-by-way-of-Tampa comedian…
Today’s groovy offhand Joe Maddon quote.
Watching ESPN this morning, I saw Rays manager Joe Maddon being interviewed about the distractions that come along with going to the World Series, stuff like a barrage phone messages and texts and ticket requests. He was smiling, not complaining. Amid all this, he says, "A lotta folks back at the pad." I love it.…
Photos from Beer Fest at Jannus Landing
Here are some photos from this year's Beer Fest at Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg. Further evidence that beer is recession-proof. Click the Image to View the Slideshow > Send the word BEER to 50618 to receive Creative Loafing Beer Club updates via text.
The Short List — Tues., Oct. 21
Anyone remember Terry Tate, office linebacker? He's back, this time in a special guest appearance with some very famous faces. (Trust me, watch the video!) [youtube]\\<\/iframe\>] Obama leaves the campaign trail to visit his dying grandmother in Hawaii. Bernanke's vibrator: Get this country some economic stimulation! Today's poll: Obama up by 8. Stay off the…
The Bar Has Been Raised
Sitting. Staring. Typing. Deleting. Retyping. More staring. That is how I spent the first hour in my desperate attempt to finish writing this post. I sat there looking out of the window at the lake in my back yard. How many fish are in there? What would happen if I swam in it? Would I…
Around Local Theater
William McKeen is chairman of the University of Florida's Department of Journalism and author of several books, including the Hunter S. Thompson biography Outlaw Journalist. Top Bay area actor Brian Shea is going to be back on the boards after a year-and-a-half hiatus. Shea, who has three times won CL's Best of the Bay award…
Avett Brothers cancel
I'm all happy about the acoustic rockers bringing a baby into the world but still can't help but be pissed that I received the news after my write-up went to print. Yeah, I'm a prick like that. Anyway, here's the skinny, courtesy of WMNF: WMNF’s concert with The Avett Brothers, scheduled for this Thursday, 10/23/08,…
Tampa’s Palantine unleashes Melee
Editor's note: Pictures and text by Nicole Kibert. Palantine's Melee release party at New World Brewery in Ybor City on Sat., Oct. 18, proved a bit frightening (see haunting Halloween decorations). Luckily, the evening did not turn into an actual melee, affray or fracas. Rather, it was a night filled with some of the best rock Tampa…
The World Series: When alt-weekly editors collide
A note from Creative Loafing editor David Warner: As a former Philadelphian (and a former Bostonian before that), I might be expected to feel a little torn about this year's World Series. Nah. Even though I know how much a Series win would mean for my erstwhile home town, the idea of the Rays winning…
Beer fest, pool wounds and Dolly Parton
It was a long, rough weekend and I have the scars to prove it. It all started last Friday with a four-beer lunch at The Bungalow in SoHo, followed by a trip to the Courtney Campbell Causeway where I joined coworkers (and a cheap ass) for too many mojitos (and a $260 tab!) at Oyster…
Beer fest, pool wounds and Dolly Parton
It was a long weekend and I have the scars to prove it. It all started Friday with a four-beer lunch at The Bungalow in SoHo, followed by a trip to the causeway where I joined coworkers for way too many mojitos at Oyster Catchers and then way too many beers at Whiskey's Joe's. Wine…
The Cranky Copy Editor — Monday, October 20
How can I possibly be cranky today? Especially with our beloved hometown Rays having just banished the almighty Red Sox to a winter of what-ifs and might-have-beens. Well, there’s one reason … I didn’t get to taste the post-game salty tears of Red Sox fan and CL Online Editor Max Linsky*, who recently wrote about…
Sales figures for Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” released
Remember when Radiohead released In Rainbows and told everyone to pay whatever they thought was appropriate? It subsequently came out in more standard retail formats. A little more than a year after the album's Oct. 10, 2007 initial release, sales figures have been made available for the first time. Here are highlights from a press…
Who are the scariest people of Tampa Bay?
Need a costume for that Halloween Party next week? Well, Austin-based cartoonists Ethan Persoff and Scott Marshall have you covered. They've created a ghastly gallery of potential Halloween masks sure to scare the ba-jeezus out of your co-workers, little sister or thin-skinned Republican friends. Persoff and Marshall have created some ghoulish likenesses of the most…
A little love for Tampa Bay’s other coach: Gruden
Amid all the hooplah about the Rays and the (justifiable) crowning of Joe Maddon as the Bay area’s top coach, let’s take a timeout to praise Jon Gruden. Yeah, Gruden. You remember him. I think it’s safe to say that the Tampa Bay Bucs coach had lost his golden-boy luster over the last two or…
You own the St. Pete Pier
… and you should have some say in what happens to it. For the last couple years, the St. Petersburg City Council has alluded to the redevelopment of the Pier. Seems like city leaders are finallly sick of that inverted pyramid look that residents have hated for the last three decades. There's about $50 million…
Barack Obama speaks in Tampa
About 10,000 turned out at George M. Steinbrenner Field (Legends Field) to cheer on Barack Obama. The candidate arrived on the same day early voting begins in Florida. Obama's camp clearly sees the state as a possible win now, with polls giving a slim, 3-point edge, and they know how the I-4 corridor will likely…
Rally for the Rays on the pier
If you want to hop on the Rays bandwagon, join other fans at the St. Pete Pier for a celebration. From the city: In celebration of the Rays win of the American League pennant, The city of St. Petersburg invites all Rays fan for a giant celebration at The Pier on Monday at 5:30 p.m.…
Do It Today
1. Hawaii pop reggae trio Pepper (pictured below) plays a show at Jannus Landing; The Supervillains and Passafire provide support. 2. Tampa Theatre hosts a limited run of When Did You Last See Your Father?, a drama based on Blake Morrison's autobiographical novel about his troubled relationship with his father. 3. Lambda Legal Defense and…
Larry Flynt’s Sarah Palin Porn – Oscar-Worthy Sneak Peek
I'm nominating Larry Flynt's new Sarah Palin "biopic" — Who's Nailin' Paylin? — for an early Oscar bid. Not because of the dirty, dirty Alaskan sex scenes (mainly because I haven't seen any). And not for the obvious political import that comes part and parcel with featuring a dim-witted vice (heh, heh) presidential candidate in…
The Short List — Mon., Oct. 20
Big news over the weekend as Gen. Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama. The McCain camp took the announcement in stride, with McCain saying, "I respect and continue to respect and admire Secretary Powell." How will this effect the race? Check back for poll results later in the week. [youtube]\\<\/iframe\>] The Rays slay Boston! The World…
The Short List — Saturday, Oct. 18
Will Republican Colin Powell endorse Barack Obama Sunday on Meet the Press? Sarah Palin has yet to see the SNL script featuring her, but aides confirm she will go on tonight, and it won't be a 30-second cameo, either. Remember the 80s? Check out the look back at cover art for SNES (Super Nintendo) games.…
Tampa Bay music report
It's an awesomely balmy Friday afternoon. I'm seated on the patio of new SoHo hotspot The Bungalow (pictured). I'm sipping on a Bud, gnoshing on a killer B.L.T and some deliciously crunchy fries. A Buffett saloon song I dig called "Bama Breeze." just gave way to the reggae classic "Rivers of Babylon." Screw the office…
Whither Gala Corina?
November will seem a little less eventful this year with the absence of Gala Corina from the visual arts scene. Since 1999, the unconventional art fair – typically staged inside a historic cigar factory or other unfinished structure ripe for architectural or interior design interventions – has been an annual Tampa tradition. In this, what…
More blows to the morally challenged
I attended a BOCC meeting last week where a brave Eileen Hart, winner of the 1996 Moral Courage Award, gave her award it back during public comment due to that award's recent name change. Ms. Hart was not loud or rude (although she sure had a right to be) as she explained why she was…
Bungalow blowing up in SoHo
I spent this afternoon blogging from The Bungalow, SoHo's latest must-visit bar and eatery. When I arrived at 12:45 p.m. the place was packed. Impressive. I filled my ever-swelling gut with an awesomely fatty B.L.T. and fries combo (plus several beers, but you already knew that). The place has a great feel to it (especially…
Washington Cheese Please
Visited Monteillet Fromagerie, an organically farmed 30-acre dairy in Walla Walla, Washington (eastern part of the state) – a haven for goats, sheep, dogs, a family of pigs, a flock of free range fancy-looking chickens and lambs. Although this carnivore admits to getting as hungry as Wile E. Coyote, petting them was almost as satisfying. Almost.…
WMNF announces Joni Mitchell tribute show lineup
Tampa Bay's awesomely stuck-in-the-1960s community radio station WMNF has been honoring flower power titans like The Beatles, Dylan and The Doors for years by having local bands cover their songs at the Skipperdome. The latest artists to get the interpretation treatment is superior singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell. Here's the info. The wonderfully estrogen-intensive lineup appears after…
Artsqueeze joins Daily Loaf
Hola, Daily Loaf readers. From now on, I'll be adding my ruminations on local visual art happenings to the mix here on the Loaf, to complement what I write each week as visual art critic in Creative Loafing's print edition. You'll see short exhibit reviews, online-first arts reporting and weekend roundups of must-see events—as well…
Do It This Weekend
1. Bay area faves Modern Skirts — who actually hail from Athens, Ga. — stage a CD release party for their new album, All of us in Our Night (pictured at right), at Crowbar on Friday night. 2. Two bike-friendly events are held Saturday — the Share the Road Ride in the morning and afterwards,…
Ouch! Rays have to return to the Trop.
Well, doesn't this suck? Had my whole weekend planned out without having to be near a TV to watch the Rays. For a couple hours last night, it certainly looked as if the plan would fall into place. The fellas and I were at the Sports Bar in Bay Pines and in the fifth and…
My First Election
Why do I support I am pro-choice. I firmly believe that it is up to an individual woman to determine what to do with her body, not the government. Obama is pro-choice and backs Roe v. Wade. McCain calls it a “flawed decision” and wants to overturn it. Education is also very important to me,…
The Short List — Fri., Oct. 17
McCain launched a charm offensive on David Letterman last night. Letterman bought it and agreed to bury the hatchet on one condition: Sarah Palin goes on the Late Show. Stay tuned. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v48l5s8qryk[/youtube] Joe The Plumber isn't really a plumber, isn't really named "Joe," doesn't really pay his taxes and gets a better tax cut from…
Back at Crossfit, gettin’ in shape.
Wanna get in shape — in a hurry? That's what I wanted — and it's working. I started Crossfit about three weeks ago, and blogged about my first, damn-near-killed-me routine that lasted all of eight minutes. Since then, I've done one more workout that was even harder than the first, but got waylaid from the…
Top 10 Motown songs
One of the world's most important record labels celebrates its 50th anniversary with the 10-disc box Motown: The Complete No. 1's, due Dec. 9., reports Billboard.com. It's probably more Motown than most need but if you can swing it, I highly recommend splurging. In July, I gratefully received the 10-disc, Time Life Motown Collection (my…
Grab a hammer and start cracking that stone crab!
Stone crab season started yesterday and it's time to break out the wetsuit and begin harvesting one of Florida's tastiest indigenous foods. Best thing about stone crabs is that they are — largely — sustainable: the tough little buggers' claws are made to fall of to distract predators and they grow back in about a…
Do It Today
1. Comedian Hal Sparks (pictured) kicks off a four-night run of stand-up at the Tampa Improv. 2. The latest Indy Film Cafe documentary film presentation takes place tonight at the Studio at 620. The featured selections are the short Prayer for Peace and the feature-length Peace One Day. 3. Tony Bennett headlines the first night…
Reel Projections — Thursday, October 16
A Frost-y reception: Ron Howard's Nixon/Frost gets mixed reviews at the London Film Festival. Or does it? Bastards! Quentin Tarantino's WWII flick gets a name change. Boldly go: Very cool pics from J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Touch of Grey: Porn star Sasha Grey cast as lead in Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience. Great Scott: Ridley…
How to Make the Most of a Ruined Vacation
“Are you ok?” I asked my friend after realizing that she wasn’t faking and couldn’t get up. She was sitting on the volleyball court with a fearful expression on her face. Looking at her face I also realized that she is in a lot of pain even though she was trying to hide it and…
Four things I’ve learned From “Weeds”
Each Fall an army of eighteen-year-old "adults" floods USF, expecting to finally set foot in the long prophesized "real world." They soon discover that college, and the real world, are whatever these freshmen make of them. In constructing their identities, most are required to take a basic writing course. Creative Loafing has chosen four of…
Hustlers beware: Big Government on yo’ turf
We've been told for the last year how much the Super Bowl is going to boost our economy. But, as some have reported before, that's largely bullshit. The money coming into the Tampa Bay area usually leaves the next day through corporate chains' profits. Besides some double-shifts, residents don't see much from all the sports…
The Cranky Copy Editor — Wednesday, October 15
It feels so good to vent. And it's so nice to have you wonderful people to vent to. So with no further ado: Madonna divorcing Guy Ritchie. Because if those two kids can't make it in this crazy world … Tonight's final presidential debate. Does it even matter at this point? A while back I…
Disturbing trend in election vitriol: Obama death threats
Forget the Muslim talk: John McCain supporters are calling for Barack Obama's head — literally! Yesterday, at a Pennsylvania McCain rally, someone yelled "Kill him" when a speaker mentioned Obama. (h/t to Pushing Rope). On Oct. 10, the very same words were uttered by a crowdmember at a Sarah Palin rally in Clearwater. In August,…
Reasons to leave Madonna
Rumor has it that Madonna and Guy Ritchie are headed for splitsville. Good for him. I can think of quite a few reasons why the British film director should leave the fading pop star. Here are 10. (Yes, folks, it's a slow news morning.) Top 10 Reasons Why Guy Ritchie Should Leave Madonna 1. She's…
Thank you, Rays, for a break from the woe
Every morning I walk out onto the driveway and pick up the daily newspaper — yes, there are those of us who still do — take it into the house and, y'know, read a good portion of it. Lately, that paper's been a bit of a godsend to me, because on the front page —…
Gay Kryptonite (or Not-So-Undercover at the CLIP After-Party)
Being a reasonably fit, attractive, and ambiguously straight man, I’ve long assumed that I held a certain power over gay men looking to convert me — like a kind of gay kryptonite. I imagine myself the male version of that attractive girl friend who does all the things the boys do — booze, ballgames, and…
The Short List — Wed., Oct. 15
Apropo of nothing: I was watching a little Wheel Of Fortune with the beautiful Heidi last night, and I explained to her that one of my favorite things in the world is when someone wins a shit-ton of cash filling in the letters, only to blow it when trying to solve the puzzle. You know,…
Art : Christopher Still: Coming Home
Gulf Coast Museum of Art, which has struggled to stay afloat in the cultural wasteland of Central Largo since it opened in 1999, will close its doors indefinitely this upcoming January. In a recent interview, GCMA Executive Director Michelle Turman said the plan is to shop around for more user-friendly digs, re-organize and re-open 2012,…
Qdoba throws more fast food burritos into the Tampa mix
The Subway model of dining has its appeal. It gives you the freedom to choose whatever bizarre combination of ingredients and toppings your hunger fever dreams up. And those ingredients are usually, if not quite fresh, then fresh-like. Then you get to watch some poor schmoe assemble your meal as if it was actual cooking.…
Sex Drive, W. and more movie releases
OPENING THIS WEEK MAX PAYNE (R) Mark Wahlberg takes on the title role as a DEA agent out to avenge his family's murder in this major release based on the popular video game. (Not reviewed) THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES (PG-13) Read Curt Holman's review. SEX DRIVE (R) The bar for teen-sex comedies has never…
Discussion: Kelly & Becca – Tuesday, October 21
For the next installment of its University Lecture Series, USF welcomes Unite for Change founders Kelly Addington and Becca Tieder. The Tampa-based duo have used their personal experiences to spearhead "Let's Talk About It," a national campaign in support of sexual assault awareness, prevention and education. The USF program addresses sexual assault on today's college…
Tell dancing fool to grind it somewhere else
Savage Love I am a single, young, professional gal who likes to party until the break of dawn. This weekend, I went out with a group. One of the guys, who I liked as a friend but was not attracted to, was at first cordial. But he became aggressive on the dance floor. He kept…
M*A*S*H* Bash for the war ship SS American Victory
The SS American Victory — a 63-year-old merchantcargo vesselthat served the American military during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars — stages its third annual M*A*S*H Bash, a fundraiser held in support of the ship's youth maritime education programs and its continued upkeep and restoration. Guests enjoy food by Stumps Supper Club,…
Dunderbak’s to leave University Square Mall for Tampa Palms
She made him do it. That's right. J.B. Ellis' wife Christina made him purchase Mr. Dunderbak's. What a woman! An original occupant of Tampa's University Mall, the 35-year-old institution has evolved during Ellis' decade-long ownership from a half-ass chain restaurant into a beloved and prestigious German beer bar — one that's about to get even…
Music: Dolly Parton – Monday, October 20
Country music's most iconic female performer, Dolly Parton, remains a vital live act whose legacy continues to grow in stature thanks to bands like the White Stripes routinely covering her self-penned classic "Jolene," and virtually every young Nashville star citing her as an influence. Mon., Oct. 20, 8 p.m., Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1010 N. McMullen-Booth…
Oliver Stone defends his movie W. in Maxim
"The movie's not a smear job. I wouldn't want to spend a year of my life making something that is demeaning to somebody, being malicious. That's the wrong approach to art. It's not a political film, but a Shakespearean one." —Oliver Stone, in November's issue of Maxim magazine, on his new film, W. "Sure, it's…
The Secret Life of Bees: Queen Latifah’s schmaltzy civil rights-era drama
In The Secret Life of Bees, a young black voting-rights activist (Alicia Keys) expresses one of the paradoxes of Southern racism in 1964: that white bigots hate black people, even though so many were raised by African-American nannies and domestics. The Secret Life of Bees acknowledges that double standard even while it demonstrates another one.…
Dance: Le Salon de Danse
Taking its cue from the 19th-century "salons" in Paris — where patrons enjoyed an artists' work in an intimate setting and where bohemian mother of modern dance Isadora Duncan turned ballet on its head with her novel style of interpretive movements — Le Salon de Danse is the first in a trio of contemporary dance…
Alkaline Trio bring their Agony & Irony to Jannus Landing
Alkaline Trio has spent the past decade evolving from your basic hardcore outfit into the rare punk band capable of making music large enough to fill an arena. The Matt Skiba-led threesome's major-label debut, Agony & Irony, which Epic issued earlier this summer, is a majestic, mature pop-rock affair that recalls My Chemical Romance, minus…
Fundraiser: M*A*S*H Bash – Friday, October 17
The SS American Victory — a 63-year-old merchantcargo vesselthat served the American military during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars — stages its third annual M*A*S*H Bash, a fundraiser held in support of the ship's youth maritime education programs and its continued upkeep and restoration. Guests enjoy food by Stumps Supper Club,…
An introduction to molecular gastronomy, with a few simple formulas
Although the term “molecular gastronomy” was coined by French chemist Herve This and Hungarian physicist Nicholas Kurti to describe their exploration of the science behind various cooking methods and techniques, Spanish chef Ferran Adria is the undisputed poster-child of this modern culinary catchphrase. His El Bulli restaurant was the first to combine the rigors of…
Film: Indy Film Café
Indy Film Café — the film series with a social conscience — continues this Thursday with two film presentations: the four-minute short, Prayer for Peace, which focuses on the worldwide "Prayer for Peace" held at a U.S. Earthdance event; and Peace One Day, British activist/filmmaker Jeremy Gilley's visionary documentary about the ways we'd all benefit…
Alanis Morrisette, The Crystal Method and Dolly Parton perform
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16 ALANIS MORRISETTE w/ALEXI MURDOCH She kicked her way onto the international scene in '95 as a brilliant, angry (and a little scary) 21-year-old with the watershed Jagged Little Pill. Now she's 34, demure, sophisticated and literate, with a current album titled Flavors of Entanglement that's burdened by brittle production and a general…
Special Events: Share the Road Ride and Bicycle Bash by the Bay – Sunday, October 19
Florida has one of the highest rates of bicyclist-car incidents in the nation, and the car almost always comes out on top. St. Petersburg Bicycle Club's 2008 Share the Road Ride gives 'cyclists of all skill levels the chance to ride in solidarity against the lethal statistics and raise awareness that bicycle riders are everywhere.…
New on CD: Blitzen Trapper, Oasis and The Imus Ranch Record
FurrBLITZEN TRAPPER(Sub Pop) Portland, Ore., avant-folk outfit Blizten Trapper's latest CD, Furr, begins pleasantly enough with the contemplative, Harvest-style rocker "Sleepytime in the Western World." The everyman-voiced singer doesn't have much to say, but it's a catchy, rustic opener. The second track ups the rock quotient and, on the coda, squeezes a flute next to…
Love Train: The sound of Philadelphia: Philly soul in a CD boxed set
Love Train: The Sound of PhiladelphiaVARIOUS ARTISTS(Sony Legacy) This four-CD boxed set lovingly chronicles the subgenre spearheaded by songwriter/producers Gamble & Huff, who combined elements of R&B, symphonic soul and smooth jazz, and made a helluva lotta hits. By the mid-1970s, Philly soul had become a precursor to disco but was rarely as mindless. Love…
Beer101: The Best of CL’s BEERFest
Creative Loafing's "Brew U" Beer Fest is this weekend, and I realized it would be grossly irresponsible to simply unleash the masses amid such an unprecedented variety of excellent suds. Chaos would ensue. Therefore, it's my duty to provide a bit of direction. Get ready to take notes, 'cause these are my top ten picks…
How deadly are samurai swords?
Samurai swords are reputed to be among the best ever produced, a fact attested to by the practice of testing the swords on human cadavers, usually those of condemned criminals. My question is, just how sharp were these blades? I've read accounts declaring certain swords could cut through the hip bones of three grown men…
Modern Skirts release All of us in Our Night at Crowbar
Pillars of the enviable Athens, Ga., scene, the Modern Skirts have regularly been dipping down into Tampa Bay and wooing fans with their dazzling, catchy, emotive pop-rock for years. In 2005, the band released its admirable debut full-length, Catalogue of Generous Men. It includes the stunningly beautiful "NY Song," which has been played more than…
Beer 101: Science: How we get from barley to beer.
1. MaltBarley is soaked in water until the grain sprouts, which releases enzymes in the grain that convert starches to sugars. The barley is then heated and dried (that's the "malting") to stop the germination before the seed starts consuming the sugar. Like coffee beans, this subtle roasting of the grain can produce either lighter…
The bailout plan, Jeff Garcia, Paul Krugman
Bush formulates new bailout planStep One: For marketing purposes, it will be called the bailout du jour. 30,000 felons on Florida's voter rollsAnd that's just the guys in the Rush Limbaugh prescription drug ring. Jeff GarciaHe was always our first choice. Always. Tampa gets new Swedish trade groupIf you think that making "meatball importation" jokes…
Notable Moments of Women in Music: a book tribute to female musicians
Notable Moments of Women in MusicJAY WARNER(Hal Leonard) This comprehensive timeline of female musicians' accomplishments kicks off in the 1870s and runs straight through to 2008 with an entry about Sony Pictures releasing "the eventual horror cult-classic Zombie Strippers, starring the outrageous British punk-rocker Roxy Saint alongside sex star Jenna Jameson." Not sure how author…
Beer 101 — Geography: Where your beers were born.
Around the world in 80 beers? Not quite, but here's a quick survey of beer's most famous styles, connected with the areas that put them on the map. Grab your passport and go, or just pick up a couple of mixed sixes and enjoy a tasty world tour without stepping on a plane. Czech Republic:…
Food & Drink: Fourth Annual International Beerfest – Saturday, October 18
Creative Loafing's Fourth Annual International Beerfest is both a fundraiser for the Humane Society-Tampa Bay and a tasting party for beer aficionados. Among the dozens of featured brews are crafts, micros and imports by Unibroue, Saint Somewhere, Sierra Nevada and Flying Dog. Sat., Oct. 18, 6-8 p.m. VIP, 8-11 p.m. general, Jannus Landing, 200 First…
Beer 101: Taylor Eason learns the craft of homebrewing
Like many youngsters, I was always curious about how things were made: food, babies and, er, food. Vertically challenged, I'd perch on a stool at the stove to observe the concoctions my parents brewed, taking notes for later. Since then, my yearning to explore hasn't waned, including a nagging curiosity about beer. I now know…
Brass Verdict: Has Tampa’s Michael Connelly written another best-seller?
Tampa’s Michael Connelly brings his heroes together in The Brass Verdict.
Tampa’s Palantine releases new CD Melee
MeleePALANTINE For the third year in a row, Tampa-based rock band Palantine — aka Vinnie Cosentino — has issued a fierce slab of dirty, fuzzed-out power-pop. Titled Melee, it's one of those discs that sound best at earsplitting decibel levels, especially when the sheets of distorted guitar come rushing through the speakers like Grand Canyon…
Frank Strunk forges Geometry, Life, Rust at St. Petersburg’s C. Emerson Fine Arts
Anyone who has suffered chronic pain understands that it's a game-changer; tasks that once seemed effortless — from lifting or stretching to maintaining an upbeat demeanor — require grimace-inducing exertion. Simply holding the question "Why me?" at bay often demands Herculean effort. Since an undercover law enforcement officer struck Frank Strunk III's car at a…
Beer 101 — History: Eight thousand years and counting.
15,000 B.C. Humans give up nomadic lifestyle and domesticate grain 12,000 B.C. First evidence of intentional fermentation 6000 B.C. First written records of brewing by Sumerians 3500 B.C. First chemical evidence of beer 1900 B.C. Hymm to NinkasiNinkasi is the Sumerian goddess of brewing, as well as brewmaster for the other gods. This hymn found…
Have relations between the U.S. and France improved?
It's hard to remember sometimes that France and the United States actually are each other's oldest foreign friends. French assistance was critical to the success of the American Revolution against Great Britain. In fact, if not for French help, we'd probably all be speaking English right now. We repaid the favor — most notably during…
Beer 101: Beer Glossary
Words to know before popping the top at your next beer exam. ABV (Alcohol By Volume): The worldwide standard for measuring the amount of yummy alcohol in beer. Alcohol: CH3CH2OH. It gets you drunk. Ale: Any beer produced using top-fermenting yeast. Barleywine: An English beer noted for distinct malt flavors and alcohol that ranges from…
Literature: Dennis Lehane
Dennis Lehane became an American literature star when his 2001 novel, Mystic River, was made into an Academy Award-winning film. Since then, the bestselling author has done some writing for HBO's The Wire and penned a few books, most recently, The Given Day. The 700-page epic saga takes place in Boston at the tail end…
Fact checking some prominent political ads and claims
B.S. alert: Fact-checking prominent political ads and claims
Beer 101: The Basics of the big three beer types
Yeast + sugar = alcohol and CO2. With beer, the sugar comes from grains, primarily barley that's been soaked and cooked to make the glucose easily accessible. Toss in some yeast, trap the carbonation, and you have the sparkling treat that's fueled monks through long fasts and sports fans through paroxysms of joy and heartache.…
Florida Crafstmen’s art adjusts to the economic crunch
Last week, I asked the folks who run a few of Tampa Bay's best-known art galleries and organizations what effect the economy has had on their business in recent months. I was prepared for the inevitable bad news — yes, they've felt the pinch — but what surprised me was the resilience with which some…
Theater: Bat Boy, The Musical and The House of Frankenstein!
Although it may not feel like fall, the season is upon us and along with it comes a host of Halloween happenings. Two community theater troupes stage holiday productions for the enjoyment of the scare- and laugh-loving populace. M.A.D. Theatre of Tampa presents Bat Boy: The Musical, which is based on the Weekly World News…
CL’s crash course in all things beer
Beer and bread may have been instrumental in kick-starting civilization, but I suspect beer played a bigger role. Once those hunter-gatherers got a little alcohol in them, you likely had arguments about who should lead the hunt the next day. Voilà — Politics! And then fights must have broken out, which probably led to Law.…
This week’s wine and food events
THURSDAY: ABC SEFFNER Over a dozen wines from around the world, along with complementary hors d'ouvres. Guests receive a souvenir wine glass and a coupon for $3 off any purchase made the night of the event. $5. 5-7 p.m., Oct. 16, ABC Fine Wine and Spirits, 508 MLK Blvd, Seffner (813-681-7979). FRIDAY: CORK & OLIVE…
Rays one win from World Series
With their 13-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox in game #4 of the ALCS, the Tampa Bay Rays, baseball's worst team last year, are one victory away from the American League pennant and their first World Series appearance. The Rays started the year as a 50,000-to-1 shot to win the World Series. Creative Loafing's…
The best you can do: just be there
Each Fall an army of eighteen-year-old "adults" floods USF, expecting to finally set foot in the long prophesized "real world." They soon discover that college, and the real world, are whatever these freshmen make of them. In constructing their identities, most are required to take a basic writing course. Creative Loafing has chosen four of…
Notes from a faithful reader
William McKeen is chairman of the University of Florida's Department of Journalism and author of several books, including the Hunter S. Thompson biography Outlaw Journalist. COMING TO INKWOOD: Hunter Thompson used to say that every writer needed to serve time in a sports department. The drama of the games and the deadline demands brought out…
