The most hated women in film: A top eight list
I recently wrote a ‘five overrated movies’ post that garnered a fair amount of attention. I prefaced the piece by stating that film is largely a matter of personal preference and I was just sharing my opinion. I received so much response, both positive and negative, that many suggested a follow-up article. So, at the…
Game Review – Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The Summer blockbuster you’ve been waiting for
Is Nathan Drake the best video game character of this console generation? I think he must be. Part Lara Croft and part Han Solo, the star of the Uncharted series for Playstion 3 brims over with goofy, roguish charm and is just the right amount of both badass and smarty-pants. Voice-acted to perfection by Nolan…
Picking the right pumpkin: A guide to seasonal, gourd-infused brews
Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale — Brewed in Portland, Maine by Shipyard Brewing Company, Pumpkinhead is easily the mildest, most accessible, and sessionable pumpkin beer. At 4.5% ABV, this institution in pumpkin ales pours a golden hue, emitting aromas of wheat grain with faint traces of baking spices. On the palate, nutmeg dominates; making it very pie…
On the Radar: Walk with Mayor Iorio at Keeping Tampa Fit
Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. The City of Tampa’s fiendish plot to have you get up at an insanely early hour of the morning and groggily lace up your sneakers continues next Saturday with Keeping Tampa Fit. The biannual event is devoted to increasing…
Do It Today: Culture galore with the USF Fall Dance Concert, The Florida Orchestra, books signings, art openings and more
The University of South Florida’s School of Theater and Dance Fall Dance Concert, which kicks off tonight, offers a veritable So You Think You Can Dance episode’s worth of styles.You can see everything from modern to flamenco-fusion to ballet and swing (albeit no krumping), which puts these students and choreographers on our Hot Tamale Train.…
Reggae singer and noted homophobe Buju Banton playing the Cuban Club
Jamaican dancehall singer Buju Banton, whose notorious song "Boom Bye Bye" advocates gay-bashing and murder, was originally supposed to play The Ritz Ybor and Jannus Landing this weekend. Those gigs are no more — cancelled like so many of the gigs on Banton's U.S. tour. But now we hear the show is back on —…
Plant a tree this Halloween with the Tampa Bay Derby Darlins
The Tampa Bay Derby Darlins are at it again, teaming up with Esurance, T.R.E.E., Inc. (Tampa Bay Reforestation and Environmental Efforts Inc), the City of Temple Terrace Parks and Recreation Department and Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful, Inc. to plant trees to offset their carbon gas emissions from their local and long distance traveling done in…
Kama Sutra: the Amazon
The Amazon begins with the man lying on his back with both feet in the air, legs curled towards his abdomen and spread comfortably. The woman then squats over the man, pushing his legs forward, curling him backward, so that she can straddle his hamstrings and achieve penetration at the same time. Any recommendations on…
Dreaming of your sexual shadow
“Well, I’ll start of with the basics you'll need to know to understand how this is so confusing to me. All my life i've constantly been told by girls "i only like you as a friend" There this girl in real life who i really like, but we're just friends, best friends to be exact,…
Pig producers in Washington, crying for money from the USDA and help from Congress
According to this Reuters article, "Hog producers have lost, on average, nearly $23 for each hog marketed since September 2009, 'and things look bleak going forward,' said NPPC president Don Butler at House Agriculture subcommittee hearing." You might want to blame this porcine problem on idiots who believe that they'll contract H1N1 from ham, but…
Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful teams up with Nestlé Waters to improve recycling in Hillsborough County
announced it has teamed up with Keep America Beautiful to provide $10,000 “Recycle On The Go” grants to 12 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, including Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful. These efforts are being done in hopes of encouraging and empowering local communities, like Hillsborough County, to make away-from-home recycling more convenient. Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful was selected…
Wednesday-music.com indie profile: Noah and the Whale
London based Noah and the Whale have created wistfully gentle indie/anti/nu/pop-folk sound only since 2006. The band, Charlie Fink (vocals, guitar, harmonica, ukulele), Tom Hobden (fiddle), Urby Whale (harmonium, bass), and Doug Fink (drums), say that in addition to folk they find influence in punk (but who doesn’t). Critics have compared Noah and the Whale…
A message from a youth-baseball mother: Parents and coaches, stop abusing your kids
After two weeks of practice and a few rain delays, game day is finally here. The sun is playing peek-a-boo behind just a few clouds in an otherwise clear and bright blue sky. An autumn breeze doesn’t lower the temperature too much, still in the high 80s, but I sit in the shade and feel…
Tonight’s Top Chef preview: TV dinner showdown and Natalie Portman’s surprise (videos)
As we saw in last week's episode of Top Chef Las Vegas, the stakes and drama are getting higher and it's getting harder to predict who will be going home next (with the majority of the weak links now gone). We've seen some of the heavy-hitters, like Ceveech (Jen), slipping up and some of the underdogs,…
Top 10 reasons you should read comic books
At some point in your life, in one way or another, you've come across a comic book. You read them when you were younger; you made fun of someone for reading them when you were younger. (Or last week.) You saw Spider-Man 3 on its opening weekend; someone gave you their copy of Spider-Man 3…
Florida Congressmember running amok, new poll ratings on Obama, and Alex Sink speaks on a public option: Mitch Perry Report 10.28.09
Florida Chief Financial Officer and leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor, Alex Sink, has been very reluctant to comment on a government run health care option. Not any longer. Meanwhile, two members of the Florida Congressional delegation are making news – including GOP Brooksville's Ginny Brown-Waite calling on President Obama to ask for…
Strawberry, Chocolate Cream, or Fermented Cabbage? Dunkin Donuts stuffs their dough with kimchi in Korea
Alright, maybe the recently launched Dunkin Donuts Kimchi or Lentils Curry Croquettes aren't exactly donuts, per se, the fundamentals are there: stuffed, fried dough. And they take a spot right in the middle of the rest of the company's sweet stuff. Imagine if our domestic Dunkies took a more progressive stance and started offering international…
Concert review: Paramore at House of Blues Orlando
For a long time I've had this funny thought roaming in the back of my mind. Ya know how bands like AC/DC and Kiss are still playing shows 20+ years after they made it big? Well, sometimes I wonder if Paramore will do the same. Maybe in 20+ years, I will be reminiscing on my…
Cone Ranch Update: Please watch your step
Well the advisory panel to evaluate a proposal to sell Cone Ranch (brought forth by County Commission Chairman Ken 'Half Truth' Hagan) is getting nowhere fast on just what should be done to protect the already preserved and publicly owned land. This was the first panel meeting I have attended in person (they have had…
Alex Sink speaks out on – but doesn’t judge – a public health care option
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has enjoyed Alex Sink's reluctance so far to comment much (if at all) on a proposed government run health care public option being debate daily in Congress and nightly on cable news. For instance, check out this ad that the AG has put up on his potential Democratic rival for…
We’re eco-conscious at home, let’s do the same while at work
The Issue Most of us spend more waking hours while at work than at home, we might as well be eco-aware while doing so. Be Part of the Solution What can we do to be more sustainable? How about: Turn off you computer at night! A computer left on 24 hours a day costs your…
New polls indicate dissatisfaction with the country- but GOP isn’t gaining
Two new major polls were released last night asking Americans their views on a number of issues, such as their feelings about the government, the economy and health care. The NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey has a whole bunch of numbers in it. Of those that stand out as most provocative is on health care.…
Alan Grayson admits he went too far in calling a lobbyist “A K Street whore”
Orlando area Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson apologized yesterday for calling an adviser to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke a "K Street whore" while being interviewed by Alex Jones. In a statement late yesterday, Grayson sent out what he said was a sincere apology to Linda Robertson, a former lobbyist for Enron, according to the Orlando…
Original ending to Paranormal Activity (with video)
Paranormal Activity has been a huge success created on a miniscule budget. As with any from-out-of-nowhere hit, the urban legends related to the film are growing in popularity on the Net. By now you may have heard that Steven Spielberg was locked in his house for hours after watching the DVD, and was so freaked…
Movie Review: Michael Jackson’s This Is It
I went into Michael Jackson's This Is It fearing the worst. After months of breathless coverage following MJ's demise, what could a hastily assembled documentary about the rehearsals for the King of Pop's comeback 50-night stand at London's O2 Arena possibly have to add to the spectacle? I feared This Is It would be little…
Do It Today: Yo-Yo Ma, Hallowed Crawl, Kennedy White House Wine Dinner and more
, perhaps the most famous man to bring bow to strings, visits to perform Bach's Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites tonight. One of history's hardest-working musicians — he has 75 albums under his belt, 15 of which are Grammy winners — and a dedicated advocate of music education, he calls his latest collection, Songs of Joy…
On the Radar: Comedian Roy Johnson’s “Hollywood or Bust”
Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. Seems like everything has been ghost and ghoul-related lately, but if you're in search of a little levity, head to The Tampa Improv to see comedian Roy Johnson next Wednesday. He's been beefing up his funny resume since his…
CL’s new offices: A walk in the Yborhood
Oct. 27: Our second day in CL's new offices in Ybor Square — but first day I got to do what I’d been dreaming of: actually get out of the office and just WALK AROUND. That may not sound like much, but after five (!) years cooped up in a former fruit warehouse where you…
Daughter of former Tampa Bay Buc owner to testify to Congress on football brain injuries
The NY Times is reporting this afternoon that Gay Culverhouse, the daughter of former Tampa Bay Buccaneer owner Hugh Culverhouse, will testify before the House Judiciary Committee tomorrow to talk about the prevalence of head injuries in the National Football League. A recent analysis suggested that NFL retirees between the ages of 60 to 89…
Restaurant Review: Cafe Dufrain’s new chef regime under Ferrell Alvarez
Cafe Dufrain 3 stars 707 Harbour Post Drive, Tampa, 813-275-9701 or cafedufrain.com One glance at Cafe Dufrain’s new menu — which is still evolving — and you can see where new chef Ferrell Alvarez has come from. Alvarez spent the last seven years next to Marty Blitz in the kitchens of Mise En Place, Chef…
Movie Review: Aviva Kempner’s Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg
I’m embarrassed to confess that I had no idea who Gertrude Berg was before I watched You-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, an enlightening if somewhat stock documentary from director Aviva Kempner (The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg). A radio and television pioneer, Berg enjoyed a long career playing signature character Molly Goldberg, a stereotype-shattering Jewish matriarch…
Theater: It’s not like television – We can hear you
Why does one come to the theater if one does not want to watch the play? Case in point: The Woman in Black sold out performance last night. I directed the show and have been to just about every performance, so I tend to watch the audience as well as the play. It is a…
Routes Music, Austin: The ghost of Michael Jackson appears near Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas (with photos!)
An unexpected but enthralling update from Phil Bardi of Routes Music: Austin is a city with a long tradition of many things, from mass murders to good music. So, it's no surprise that many claim the state capital of Texas is haunted. On Saturday, while coming down Brazos Drive in downtown Austin, I snapped some…
A blood-powered lamp, plus more strange and creepy green inventions
I know that people who make environmentally-friendly inventions have the best intentions at heart, but sometimes they take it a bit too far and come up with things that are, well, weird. Just in time for the creepiest holiday of the year, TreeHugger has compiled a slideshow list of some of the most unusual (to put…
Cook or Be Cooked — Food Network’s first video game — hits shelves next week … Wheee?
The Food Network's first mainstream video game — Cook Or Be Cooked ($39.99), for the Wii — is almost out. Just a glance at the title might make you think that it's a cooking game, likely with a nasty cannibalistic undertone probably injected by Rachael Ray's know predilection for "long pig". But no, it's both…
Gossip Girl recap: never mess with the Waldass
"Like all good things, the witching hour must come to an end. True natures are revealed. Tricks turn into treats, and taking off costumes is as much fun as putting them on. Everything returns to the way it was except for little girls who forget Halloween lasts only one night. They wear their costumes for…
Is DirecTV being inconsiderate to Chris Farley and his fans? (video & poll)
Recently, DirecTV brought out its newest commercial in the campaign that has featured a scene from a famous movie, re-edited into a pitch for satellite TV. (You know, like this one …) The newest clip features the movie Tommy Boy, and has caused a bit of a stir as it features Chris Farley, who you'll…
CL Feature: The Hip Abduction, a local tropical rock act that headlines the Nightmare at the Museum Bash
Bay area singer-songwriter David New picked up guitar as a kid, but never really got serious about being a musician until he was in his mid-20s. “At the time, I was bored, hating my job really bad and just kind of searching for something else,” New told me last week when we chatted at the…
Bare minimum Halloween costumes for ballsy men (pics NSFW)
With Halloween approaching faster than an ADD kid jacked up on Snickers, much ado has been made about the sexification of female Halloween costumes. While some women feel that Halloween is the one day they can wear provocative outfits in public without being called sluts, others feel this trend increasingly objectifies women. I don't know…
Kevin’s Korner: Ninja Turtles, The Crow, Bill Murray and so much more
And now, the article you’ve waited all month … err, all week … err, all day … well, you’ve waited long enough, it’s Kevin’s Korner (Insert applause here). This week we have all kinds of fun movie news, a trailer and a bit of a rant. So buckle up, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride;…
Concert review: Hanson at House of Blues Orlando
Imagine running into a crush from your early childhood. He or she is all grown up and married, and balances out a successful career with a loving family. Though you don't carry the same torch for your former love, just the sight of that person makes you remember why you fell for them all those…
United States now has biggest and smallest wine apellations in the world, thanks to Happy Canyon AVA
California will soon be host to the world's smallest wine appellation, or legally designated wine region. The U.S. is already home to the largest appellation in the world, the ever-popular Upper Mississippi River Valley American Viticultural Area, which covers almost 30,000 square miles spread across four states, approved earlier this year by the US Alcohol…
Obama to spread the wealth in DeSoto County, Kathleen Ford comments, & more Rubio vs. Crist: Mitch Perry Report 10.27.09
President Obama continues his stay in the sunshine state this morning, with a major speech on modernizing our electricity power grid at 12:25 this afternoon in Arcadia. Kathleen Ford was asked yesterday to comment on her "HNIC" remark at Gibbs High School in St. Pete yesterday. And Marco Rubio blasts Charlie Crist again, this time…
Photos from around the globe of the International Day of Climate Action
Last Saturday (October 24) was the International Day of Climate Action – the biggest day of grassroots action on global warming ever. People from over 180 countries participated in different ways to show our world leaders that we want stricter rules on global carbon emissions when they meet in Copenhagen in December to reach an agreement on a…
Tampa Bay food, wine and beer events
Tuesday, October 27: Snookers Grill Champagne and Sushi. It seems like the words I’m reading are too good to be true, but unless my eyes are deceiving me, it appears that Snookers is offering unlimited — yes, like, all you could ever imbibe — champagne and chef-selected sushi. Those just happen to be two of…
Charlie Crist’s mea culpa
What Charlie Could Say To Win Back Voters Dear Fellow Floridian: As the people’s governor, I’ve been very busy. Not busy being governor, but being busy running around the state of Florida – a beautiful state full of nice people who own homes that aren’t worth half of what they paid for them – running for…
Book review: Richard Wrangham’s Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human
Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, by Richard Wrangham, is rightly taking the food world by storm. Well researched and documented (the bibliography alone is 30 pages long), it is also an engaging read. Astonishingly, few other writers have previously related the importance of cooking to the nutritional quality of food, thereby enabling human…
The new threat to party politics
As President Obama's approval rating continues to slip, it is clear that he will face a much tougher race for re-election in 2012 than he ran last year. It's like an over-due pregnancy; it's been nine months, but he has yet to deliver. The markets are still fragile, and the dollar is going down while…
Obama flies into Sarasota to announce billions of dollars for modernizing the power grid
President Obama continues his two day stay in Florida this morning by touching down at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport before traveling to Arcadia, where he will make a major announcement regarding billions of dollars in federal funding aimed at modernizing the power grid. Obama will visit and speak at Florida Power & Light's DeSoto Next…
Kathleen Ford finally responds to “HNIC” charge
Kathleen Ford's racially charged comments that referenced the phrase "HNIC"(head Negro in charge") on a radio program two weeks ago has become an issue in the St. Pete Mayoral campaign, which officially ends a week from tonight when registered voters who haven't already voted will go to the polls. How big an issue is impossible…
Forbes Magazine asks: Is Charlie Crist the country’s worst governor?
Charlie Crist has a number of critics inside the Sunshine State, and a growing number outside as well. Fodder for those critics was shelved out on Monday when Forbes columnist Reihan Salam penned a column called,"America's Worst Governor?" Salam is the co-author (along with NY Times columnist Ross Douthat) of Grand New Party, an acclaimed…
On the Radar: Singin’ in the Rain
Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. Most people are headed out for thrills and chills this weekend, but why not enjoy a good ol' song and dance at Eight O'Clock Theatre's presentation of Singin’ In the Rain at the Largo Cultural Center? When "talkies" threaten…
Do It Today: Stay or The New Century, sneak peek at 11:11
In the midst of its successful run of Woman in Black, Gorilla Theatre presents a one-night-only staged reading of Stay, a new play by Sheila Cowley, starring Eugenie Bondurant, Christopher Rutherford, Nicole Jeannine Smith, Fred Lasday, and Bridget Bean. Remember in Misery, when Kathy Bates holds her favorite writer hostage, and goes at his ankles…
Bibliophilic Burlesque: naked girls reading (video & photos NSFW)
Eye candy rubbed elbows with intellectual stimulation last weekend at Madame X, a dimly-lit bar in Greenwich Village. I've seen many burlesque shows since I moved to Manhattan, but none as thrilling as this performance by Naked Girls Reading. Lead by burlesque star and NGR creator, Michelle L'amour, the performance featured beautiful, nude women reading selections from…
Appetizing Top Chef updates: Second helpings of Top Chef Masters and new spinoff will be ‘Just Desserts’ (videos)
Like me, most of you Top Chef fans probably get a little anxious by this time of the week – it's been how many days since the last episode?! Well, I'm here to give you a Top Chef fix to help you get through the next few days. Since the Restaurant Wars episode aired last Wednesday, I…
Tampa Bay Green Business Summit Tuesday (10/27) in St. Petersburg
The inaugural Tampa Bay Green Business Summit, hosted by Mayor Rick Baker, will be held tomorrow (Tuesday, October 27) at the Progress Center for the Arts at the Mahaffey Theater in Downtown St. Petersburg. The event will allow the business community to share ideas, strategies and best practices to invest and grow business in the emerging…
CD review: Sufjan Stevens/Osso, Run Rabbit Run (with video)
Have you ever heard the creaky noise an unoiled door makes when it’s opened, or the screeching sound of violin strings rubbing against a chalkboard? That’s what most of Sufjan Stevens' new album sounds like — jarring and harsh. Run Rabbit Run recycles material from 2001’s Enjoy Your Rabbit. The new album, arranged by assorted…
Is Hillsborough County already sabotaging the rail referendum?
You would think that when an elected body is proposing the idea to citizens to approve taxing themselves for something they might never even use that they would want to put their best foot forward. We are in Hillsborough though so keep your expectations low. Very low. The upcoming ballot referendum question is very important…
Have Gun, Will Travel release new CD (free download)
In advance of the big CD release party for the new Have Gun, Will Travel record, Postcards from the Friendly City, Creative Loafing is giving away a free download of their new single, "Sons and Daughters of the Gilded Age" for a limited time only (See below for the link). Show info: Saturday, November 14th…
Routes Music, New Orleans: Delicious Gloom, girls gone wild on guitar and drums in the French Quarter (video)
Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We’re traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here;…
On the Radar: USF Fall Dance Concert
Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. For those (three or four) of you looking for something non-Halloween related to do this weekend, check out The University of South Florida’s School of Theater and Dance Fall Dance Concert, which offers a veritable So You Think You…
My creepy Halloween story: Secundo House
Nervous about the waning light, I slid the silver key into the lock and twisted it. I’d wanted to come here by myself first so I wouldn’t get all emotional in front of the real estate person, but maybe I’d made a mistake in venturing here alone. About ten years ago, my father turned our…
CD review: Three Days Grace, Life Starts Now
Before listening to Life Starts Now, the latest album from Three Days Grace, I couldn't quite decide how I felt about the Canadian rock band. It's not that I've ever disliked their sound. In fact, lead singer Adam Gontier's distinctively rough vocals make Three Days Grace stand out on radio stations so often filled with…
It Happened This Week-ish: Amy Winehouse’s creepy dad, Charlize Theron and Adam Lambert kiss girls, Full House shockers, Kanye is alive
*Creepier headlines than this are hard to come by, even with Halloween approaching: Amy Winehouse's Dad: She and Her New Boobs Are 'Fantastic' …. Mmmmmmk, well first of all, this is a lie because I am a person and I know about things and I have eyes. Second, I did not realize that Joe Simpson…
Tampa takes part in International Day of Climate Action
This past Saturday marked the International Day of Climate Action, a global call for an active, scientifically-minded approach to climate change. With 4,000 simultaneous demonstrations taking place in over 180 countries, it was the most widespread day of environmental action in history. Activists hope a opportunity for improvement is on the horizon. In early December,…
Ethics complaints, Feingold on pulling out of Afghanistan, and Adam Putnam is against excessive federal spending; Mitch Perry Report 10.26.09
Over the weekend you may have read about Hillsborough County activist George Niemann's ethics complaint against County Administrator Pat Bean's self imposed pay raise now being investigated by the State Ethics Commission. But I bet most people don't know how the process works. CL Contributor Niemann explains it all to you. And it's not pretty.…
Green chile stew recipe
The most important men in my life all have one thing in common: they are, among other things, die hard green chile fans. Watching my dad, grandpa and my uncles at the dinner table anticipating the goodness that was green chile stew, sticks in my mind like a movie reel. As young girls my sister…
Concert review: Junior Boys at Crowbar in Ybor City (with pics)
The bump-and-groove crew was in high spirits as we enjoyed a brief reprieve from our regular lives and shed the stresses of the week to take a ride on the Junior Boys’ indie train to electro jam land. [All photos by elawgrrl.] The stage was bathed in saturated lights and scattered with Halloween trimmings; flickering…
I’m Adam Putnam, and I’m running for Agriculture Commissioner
Polk County Congressman Adam Putnam is hosting a town hall meeting tonight in Bartow. He's also written an op-ed in the Tampa Tribune, where he's decrying the excessive federal spending in Washington. Here's an excerpt: The bottom line is that as President Obama's policy agenda moves forward, it is going to need hundreds of thousands…
A different voice on Afghanistan gets prime time coverage
Today it was announced that that 14 Americans died in Afghanistan in two separate incidents involving helicopters. For weeks, cable news and talk radio have gone back and forth about how quickly President Obama should move on General Stanley McChrystal's request for at least 40,000 more troops in the region. The discussions have generally been…
Green Visions Series: Water conservation and the revival of local economies
Let us assume for one moment that water was a precious commodity, as rare as gold itself. How would we treat it? Would we bathe our infertile landscape with it? Expend perfectly clean water to dispose of our waste? Throw it away after scantly using it in the sink while doing dishes? Now let us…
Is it opt in or opt out for the states on the public option?
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's announcement last week that he might just be a vote or two Senate votes shy of having a filibuster-proof majority in favor of a public option for health insurance coverage with a provision allowing states to opt-out was a source of discussion on the Sunday. talk show circuit. New York…
Do It Today: Wilder to Williams, Benise, Modern Skirts
In lieu of the Best of the Bay-winning Summer Sunset Cinema Series, The Studio@620 and Push Ultra Lounge once again team up to present a collection of classic films each Monday. Tonight’s selection in the Wilder to Williams Film Series — which includes the best of Billy Wilder and Tennessee Williams — is Williams' This…
Can I have sex at lunch?
All swingers have rules within the lifestyle. Rules are what make swinging doable (yes pun was intended!!). Soccer Dad and I have gone somewhat past the basic swinger lifestyle and have dabbled a bit in an open marriage. You might wonder how is this actually different. We are having sex with others, isn't that open? …
The hotness/kinky scale and the yogurt slinger
At dinner the other night, a friend revealed her recent drunken sexual debauchery, which involved a certain dairy product usually reserved for cereal. There were four of us in attendance, myself, the debaucherist and my good friends, "the twins" (actual people who are twins… not my breasts). We are a fairly close group and it's…
Sunday music news links: Maroon 5, Nirvana, Them Crooked Vultures, Pearl Jam, Weezer and more (with video) news
The weekend doesn't officially begin until you're caught up on your music news. RollingStone.com has exclusive video footage of Maroon 5 recording the follow-up album to 2007's It Won't Be Soon Before Long. The video also includes footage of the band lounging in Switzerland, where lead singer Adam Levine (pictured right) and company have been…
Routes Music, St. Augustine: Ryan Dettra, Les Savy Fav, and how the sleepy beach town became a musical hotspot
Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We're traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here;…
Tampa Bay planning tip: Learn to swim (video)
We all know the Tampa Bay area is notoriously inept at short or long-range planning. Most would rather work on their tans, or try to forget that nasty divorce up north, than do the heavy lifting required to intelligently plan for our region’s future. Examples of our incompetence are everywhere. We lack mass transit, housing for…
As the county churns – The truth behind the Bean/Lee ethics investigation
By George Niemann PoHo contributor and R-LAND and UCAN activist The views expressed are my own, and not necessarily those of the organizations that I belong to You may have read the report in Saturday’s Tampa Tribune about the Ethics Commission moving forward with a full investigation of County Administrator Pat Bean and County Attorney…
Routes Music, Orlando: McDonald’s boy band fever, medical marijuana activism and Cheetah Records
Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We’re traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here;…
This weekend’s best bets in Bay area music: Revolting Cocks, Freaker’s Ball with the Legendary JC’s & Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, Eric Lindell, Solillaquists of Sound and more
A quick breakdown of this weekend’s most worthy concerts. For a more comprehensive schedule of concerts, check out our Upcoming Events page. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 [pictured] w/Jim Rose Circus/Blownload/Left Spine Down Purveyors of down and dirty industrial dance music since 1983, Revolting Cocks have passed the torch of their music, at least temporarily. Three musicians…
A Youth Encounter on Sustainability Program participant’s view on sustainable living and development
The following is an essay on sustainable development by Anubha Momin, a Canadian student studying abroad in London who will be attending the Youth Encounter on Sustainability program in Braunwald, Switzerland. This two-week program "aims to sensitize participants to the complex issues of sustainable development in a global context, through course work, field trips, workshops, group work,…
Theater Review: Jobsite’s Night of the Living Dead is too unimaginative
Jobsite Theater’s Night of the Living Dead isn’t even very funny. Insofar as it has a plot, it’s tiresomely repetitive, and the script, by Lori Allen Ohm, isn’t within miles of being the sort of inspired Charles Ludlam-like parody one might have expected. There are a few good moments – a couple of graphically gory…
Project Runway recap, episode 10: The Rise and Fall of a Prince, a Feather Prince
We are officially Shirin-less this week aaaaaaand I like it. There is already a sense of peace and calm amongst the designers, take it in; it's lovely isn't it? Now that we have had a little moment of zen, it's time to get extremely bored and then overly stressed. You ready? I am. Michael Kors…
Halloween Round Up: A guide to Guavaween, ghost tours and graveyard walks, costume parties, freaky film fests, trick-or-treating zones, scary shows and more
11:11, Let There Be Light, Art, Sound This sneak peek of the exhibit (which officially opens Nov. 11) includes live music, artworks from local artists, a drum atrium and a costume contest on Halloween night. Visit studio620.org for more info. Oct. 27-31, noon-4 p.m. Tues.-Sat., reception 7 p.m. Sat., The Studio@620, St. Petersburg, free. Hallowed…
Restaurant News Roundup: Gratzzi, The Table, CineBistro, Primi Urban Cafe
Gratzzi's not dead yet! CineBistro ups the ante on beer and fries theaters! The Table will not be The Spot, or will it? Primi changes owners, but not much else! Read on for all the details! Gratzzi closed up shop in Baywatch a few weeks back, right around the same time that Pacific Wave closed…
What NFL and NCAA football games you should watch this weekend (Oct 24-25)
This Saturday’s college slate gives us a quick breather from the top-ranked, head-to-head matchups we’ve seen so much of lately. The weekend features only one contest between ranked teams and a number of distinct favorites squaring off against theoretically lesser opponents. That doesn’t mean we won’t see our fair share of surprises. It does mean…
Connecting South Central Asian resources with American sustainability
Parag Khanna's maps of the South Central Asia around the 12 minute mark in the video below is a great way of understanding our role in Afghanistan. With this map you can assume that we are not leaving Afghanistan for a long time. We need it to be safe to deliver oil from the South Central…
Dick Greco, George LeMieux and Karl Rove says the White House is playing politics with Afghanistan; Mitch Perry Report 10.23.09
There's another local story today about former Tampa Mayor Dick Greco flirting with another run to lead the city. My take. Florida Senator George LeMieux's past associations are creative waves, especially when it comes to the politics of offshore drilling. And Fox News' Karl Rove says that Barack Obama won't announce he's raising troop levels…
Old Tampa can’t get enough of Dick Greco
Times columnist Daniel Ruth weighs in with another winning piece this morning on a subject that Tampa political reporters and others who simply love following politics somehow can't resist: former Mayor Dick Greco, and will he or won't he run for Mayor in 2011? It's the 2nd piece on the former Mayor in the paper…
Karl Rove says Obama delaying Afghanistan action until after November election
Locally, the hottest election going is the St. Petersburg Mayor's race between Bill Foster and Kathleen Ford. Nationally there are two elections that political observers are (probably) over analyzing right now- the two off-year gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia. Originally, the GOP candidates looked pretty solid, setting off stories of them being possible…
To do this Sunday night: Scott H. Biram @ Pastimes Pub in Sarasota (audio)
Sure, plenty of shows come to town and there are plenty of reasons to be excited about each and every one of them. But, unlike people, all shows are not created equal. Some shows are just more worthy of your unbridled enthusiasm. Scott H. Biram falls into that category. When Scott comes to your town…
So what does George LeMieux believe in?
The St. Petersburg Times reviews a subject that was originally brought forward when Charlie Crist named his close aide George LeMieux to succeed Mel Martinez as U.S. Senator. That is, some of LeMieux's work with the law firm of Gunster Yoakley & Stewart. Reporter Alex Leary writes that a financial disclosure form showed that Florida…
On the Radar: Stride for Strays
Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. Who could deny themselves the opportunity to see a daschund dressed up as a weenie and help combat pet overpopulation? Next Saturday, Animal Coalition of Tampa is hosting Stride for Strays, its ninth annual walkathon to raise money for…
Do It This Weekend: Festival of Reading, Thrill the World, Circus McGurkis, Seafood Fest and more
At Thrill the World, St. Pete joins MJ fans across the world in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for Largest Simultaneous Dance — in this case, the famous, phantasmic Thriller dance. The Pier hosts music, food, activities and a pre-dance lesson for anyone who needs to learn the monster moves. Then, Michael…
Theater Review: Paul Rudnick’s The New Century at American Stage
Paul Rudnick’s The New Century starts out incandescent, loses a little effulgence in its second scene, becomes decidedly lackluster in its third, and fizzles out completely in its fourth and fifth. The American Stage “After Hours” production offers two outstanding performances — by Annie Morrison and Matthew McGee — and even during its least interesting…
Darrill Schoonover submits Zak Jensen; Team Rashad maintains lead
Jokes don't win fights. But strategies do. In the sixth episode of the mixed martial arts (MMA) reality show The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season ten Coach Rampage focused on being funny and entertaining his fighters at the expense of Team Rashad. Coach Rashad, however, chose the high road and delivered his punch line in the…
Introducing Routes Music, an in-progress documentary about music that’s traveling across America and back
Right now, I'm sitting in a dark, one-bedroom basement apartment in the uptown section of New Orleans. To my right is Catman , a 28-year-old heavy metal fan who got the nickname two decades ago from some cruel children after his Tourette syndrome caused him to lick his hands repeatably and wipe them on his…
Tampa’s first annual Green Halloween event this Friday in Hyde Park
Tampa's first Annual Green Halloween event will take place in Old Hyde Park Village this Friday, October 23rd from 3:30pm-6:30pm. Sponsored by Divine Events of Tampa, their initiative is to create healthier and more eco-friendly holiday events for the people of Tampa Bay. This green event will include a pumpkin patch cake walk, bobbing for…
Top Chef Las Vegas Podcast, Ep. 9: Restaurant Wars, blindfolds, and nice guys finish last
Wow. I have to say this has been the first episode of Top Chef Las Vegas where I was actually on the edge of my seat and cared about who won or lost. It also showed us that maybe nice guys do finish last. For the Quickfire, we saw the cheftestants divided into two teams…
Movie Review: Amelia starring Hillary Swank and Richard Gere
Under Mira Nair’s direction, Amelia is pretty enough to look at, but its lack of dramatic momentum and episodic nature are deficits the film’s handsome production values can’t overcome. As a biopic, Amelia falls short in two critical areas: It fails to sufficiently illuminate its protagonist, and it is unable to convey the weight of…
GIFF fundraiser tonight in Ybor City feat. Matt Butcher, Poetry n’ Lotion and a screening of Visioneers
The Gasparilla International Film Festival is still months away, but it’s never too early for festival organizers to begin raising some scratch for Tampa’s biggest annual movie shindig. Tonight, GIFF and Brokenmold Entertainment are throwing one such event, a concert by Orlando singer-songwriter Matt Butcher and recent Best of the Bay multi-award winners Poetry n’…
Blue October cancels tour, including their Halloween date at the Ritz, due to lead singer Justin Furstenfeld’s extreme anxiety
Just got this canceled show alert about alt rockers Blue October (of "Into the Ocean" fame). Apparently, lead singer Justin Furstenfeld hasn't been dealing with his issues properly and needs a couple of Xanax, not to mention a new psychiatrist. Here's the release: The Pick Up The Phone Tour 2009 has been canceled due to…
CD review: The Flaming Lips, Embryonic
The quest for free, unfettered creativity can sometimes lead straight over a cliff. And so The Flaming Lips crash and burn with Embryonic (Warner Bros.), a noisy, tuneless “double” album (on one CD) that falls prey to all manner of sophomoric excess and discards the techno-psychedelic-dream-pop that the band brought to sublime fruition with 2006’s…
Too tall an order? Tampa City Council to ask local businesses to refrain from selling booze on Gasparilla
At a workshop at the Tampa City Council this morning, officials announced new measures to try to curb the excesses that occur annually at the Gasparilla Parade – excesses generally attributed to people getting inebriated throughout the course of that Saturday in February. Assistant Chief of Police Marc Hamlin came before the Council to address…
Sink your fangs into Vampire Cabernet, a spooky Halloween party wine
This time of year is ripe for ghosts, ghouls and scary tales, but don’t let witches brew distract you from great inexpensive wines. Halloween screams for some scary and spooktacular vino, and one of my all time favorites to drink on Halloween night is Vampire Cabernet Sauvignon. Vampire — like its counterpart, Dracula Wine —…
Concert review: Willie Nelson at Ruth Eckerd Hall, on the road again … and again…
In a day and age when glitz and glamour are the necessary ingredients to make it big in Country music, it's nice to be treated to an evening of pure, unadorned entertainment from one of the architects of the genre. For a lesson in "how it's done", there's no one out there nowadays who exemplifies…
Duck and scallops, together forever in this elegant salad recipe
Simple is always better. I’ve said it so many times when I cook. Sure, sometimes I get mired down in complex recipes, but a handful of great ingredients with just the right touch of care always bring the greatest rewards. That couldn’t be truer than in this duck and scallop dish. On a menu in…
Bill Young not leaving yet,Beckner calls in the FDLE, and Grayson infuriates the GOP(again); Mitch Perry Report 10.22.09
It happens every two years, but rumors again are circulating that Bill Young won't run for re-election in 2010. His spokesman strongly denies that rumor. Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner isn't playing around on the whole Pat Bean giving herself a raise controversy. He said yesterday that he's called the FDLE to check it out.…
Man commits suicide via metal band Opeth’s tour bus
I'm beginning to wonder if Opeth are cursed. Over the past few years, bad things tend to happen when the Swedish deathprog metal makers hit the road. When Opeth stopped in St. Pete in 2005, their tour bus driver was arrested for child pornography and flying an underage Michigan girl to meet him in Tampa.…
Bureaucrat watch continues: County Administrator Pat Bean still circling the drain
Well, that bureaucrat watch is still on for embattled County Administrator Pat Bean but she is managing to stay afloat despite some very questionable activities. Since my last update on this even more issues have come to light: 1. She has a driver in spite of taking a car allowance 2. There seems to be…
Alan Grayson honors those who died because of a lack of health insurance
Orlando area Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson will not be deterred. The freshman Representative has turned on Democrats throughout Florida and the country with his no holds barred attacks on Congressional Republican in the health care debate. Yesterday on the House floor, Grayson announced a new Web site – called namesofthedead.com – that intends to honor…
Kevin Beckner steps it up – challenges pay raise for Pat Bean
Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner said yesterday he has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to review the 1 percent pay raises that County Administrator Pat Bean and County Attorney Renee Lee approved for themselves in 2007. The Commissioner dropped that bomb during the discussion about what to do about the pay raises, which…
Bill Young spokesman denies the Pinellas Congressman will step down
A spokesman for Pinellas area Congressman C.W. Bill Young is denying a recent report that the longtime GOP Representative will not run for re-election in 2010. Last week on Florida This Week, the local PBS public affairs program on WEDU, USF-St. Petersburg Political Science Professor emeritus Daryl Paulson said that Pinellas area Congressman C.W. Bill…
Gospel truth: Just As I Am: The Life, the Times, The Voice of Mahalia Jackson
If you’re interested in hearing some superb gospel singing, don’t miss Sharon E. Scott in Just As I Am: The Life, the Times, The Voice of Mahalia Jackson. But the title is misleading: in fact, Scott’s script leaves out huge chunks of Jackson’s life and times, leaving audiences pretty much uninformed about more than a…
Movie Review: Fig Trees
A documentary-opera about two men who take AIDS activism very personally. Canadian Tim McCaskell and South African Zackie Ahmet lead different, yet parallel lives. Tim's fight against major pharmaceutical companies that value profits over human lives leads him to create Aids Action Now in the late '80s. Fed up with the lack of government support…
Three great & cheap restaurants near Tampa Bay area campuses
Students know best: “Cheap” is the hallmark of quality.
The walls of academia: galley shows at local universities
University galleries are prime destinations for art lovers.
Movie Review: Outrage
The choice of whether or not to reveal one’s sexual preference is a private one. But what about politicians living in the closet who work to advance anti-gay-rights legislation? Don’t they deserve to be exposed? That’s the thesis of Outrage. The big fish, of course, is Florida Governor Charlie Crist, and while director Kirby Dick…
Movie Review: City of Borders
In this documentary, Yun Suh offers a rare glimpse of the intertwining lives of a handful of gay people living near Jerusalem. The heart of the film pumps from within the Shushan, the only gay bar in Jerusalem, owned and operated by Sa’ar, the only openly gay councilman in the city. Sa’ar says that he…
Movie Review: Prodigal Sons
An extraordinary documentary that begins with a trans woman’s journey to her Montana hometown for a high school reunion and expands into a surprising, complex narrative. Filmmaker Kimberly Reed assumes that her own story will take focus; after all, most of her classmates still remember her as Paul, the quarterback all the girls had crushes…
Movie Review: Chica Busca Chica
It’s like The L Word with subtitles. There’s the “I’m straight, but I’m into that one girl” lesbian; the “I just met you but I’m already in love with you and want you to move in with me” lesbian; the “I think I may be a lesbian so I’m just gonna dive into pussy head…
Writers’ oasis: The St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading
Books are alive and well on USF St. Pete’s campus during the Festival of Reading.
Zombie sex
A query in the spirit of the season
Is there any difference in quality between name-brand drugs and generics?
When I buy over-the-counter pharmaceuticals from our local drug store, I always buy the house brand. The active ingredients and dosages in Tylenol (acetaminophen) are identical to that of the copy. The same is true of the Motrin alternative, the Sudafed clone, and so on — and they're all much cheaper. However, my wife insists…
Ghost story: A review of The Woman in Black
The Woman in Black is a thriller that’s actually thrilling at Gorilla.
Why is the solar industry getting into bed with supporters of offshore drilling?
Environmental groups and those involved in the solar energy industry reacted with dismay (if not outright anger) earlier this month when the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association (aka flaSEIA) came out in support of the proposal being floated in Tallahassee to authorize offshore energy exploration for oil and natural gas off Florida's shores. The proposal…
Movie Review: I Can’t Think Straight
The coming-out process isn’t easy. In fact, it’s terrifying. Shamim Sarif’s I Can’t Think Straight gives viewers a glimpse of this scary time with the story of Leyla and Tala. New to London, both are from affluent families, and both are in relationships with men. And after Leyla’s boyfriend takes her to play tennis with…
Junior Boys groove
Indietronica duo Junior Boys bring their sexy sounds back to Ybor.
Halloween Round-Up: A guide to freaky film fests, costume parties, trick-or-treating zones, graveyard walks and ghost tours, scary shows and more
This inaugural "eek-o-friendly" event offers a pumpkin patch cake walk, a "best green costume" contest, bobbing for organic apples, making a Halloween goodie bag from recycled magazines, and a sweet-n-scary selection of healthy treats. Visit greenhalloween.org for more info. Fri., Oct. 23, 3:30-6:30 p.m., Hyde Park Village, Tampa. Zombie Weekend A cadre of creepy films…
Tonight’s Top Chef preview: Restaurant Wars and blindfolds (videos)
Drama! Action! Blindfolds! (Sounds kinky.) I know we're going to see at least two of those in tonight's episode of Top Chef…hopefully. It's that time of the season again: Restaurant Wars! We'll get to see who works fairly well together for the win and who gets the blame for having the losing restaurant, thus going down…
The 2009 Creative Loafing College Guides: Who won?
Here they are: The submissions from our 2009 College Guides. Vote for your favorite below.* The student receiving the most votes wins the title CL College Guide 2009, plus a CL briefcase stuffed with movie and concert passes, CDs and DVDs and assorted CL gear plus a $500 shopping spree from CL Deals. Submission #1:…
The Green Community week in review: USF Green Expo, ‘No Impact Week’, green your Halloween, and more
What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week: Connecting of tribes at the Campus and Community Sustainability Conference at USF- Contributor Eric Stewart gives an overview of the seminars at the event and what Florida students are doing to make others aware…
Green Community Calendar weekend events: Beach cleanup, Sweetwater Farmer’s Ball, Gateway Organic Farm dinner, and more
Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar. Dunedin Green Market- Every Friday; 8 am- 1 pm. The Dunedin Green Market is located in Pioneer Park at the cross streets of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in Downtown Dunedin and runs every Friday. Tampa Downtown Market-…
Rabid Erotica: The Wedding Date Part 4 Boardwalk Dreams
'The Wedding Date' began here. “I didn’t think you’d come,” she said to him nervously as he approached on the moon-lit boardwalk.
