Fall cocktails, plus how to make simple syrup
WEDDINGBELLS.CA Grab some rum, apple cider, maple syrup, lemon juice and apple slices for a glass of Harvest Punch. Finally Florida is rocking the kind of weather that makes the palate crave apples, cinnamon, and booze. Here are a few amateur bar-tending recipes for fall. Also included is how to make the ever elusive simple…
Great scotch!
Whiskey enthusiasts welcome Scotland’s Glenfiddich and their single malts.
Cigar City and Skatepark of Tampa create Moat Water
CIGARCITYBREWING.COM Cigar City Brewing and the Skatepark of Tampa celebrate the first bottles of Moat Water. The Skatepark of Tampa opened its doors back in 1993, which means next year SPOT will turn 20. To celebrate the occasion, Cigar City Brewing and SPOT partnered up to create Moat Water, a hearty stout that's brewed with…
Robert Redford makes a pitch for Bill Nelson
Redford sees Nelson as the best candidate to protect the environment and economy.
Gary Johnson wants you to waste your vote on him
I'm not talking trash. The title of this post was the subject of an email that the Johnson for President campaign sent out last night — a line that has become something of a theme for the Libertarian presidential candidate. Last week in Chicago, at a debate featuring Johnson and three other third-party candidates —…
New series of battleground polls has Obama on top
The momentum in the race for president has clearly been on Mitt Romney's side the past couple of weeks, but a series of battleground state polls indicate that's no longer the case. Although some pollsters have suggested that Florida is already in Romney's hands, a new Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News poll shows President Obama…
Mitch Perry Report 10/31/2012: Florida STILL in play
Obama vs Romney comes down to the wire …
Last-minute kid costume pointers (or ideas for next year)
As Halloween rolls around, parents become afraid of more than just ghosts and goblins. Instead, they become concerned with finances. Every parent wants to afford their kid’s dream Halloween costume. This is out of love, of course, and also because “but all the other kids have cool costumes, mom!” However, coming up with a hip…
Upcoming show bolsters LGBT arts community
It’s never been tougher being an artist, with less people spending money on the arts these days. It’s even harder being a gay artist. That’s why Julie Haber, a photographer and small business owner in Tampa, organized “32 Shades of Gay”, an original art and fashion event featuring gay and gay-friendly artists from the area.…
Scott goes off the talking points again, hailing Florida’s economy
While Mitt Romney is doing all he can to win the presidential election, Rick Scott is doing what he has to do to keep himself viable when his name appears on the ballot in Florida two years from now. The governor's press office issued a release Tuesday afternoon touting the headline, "Florida employers feeling more…
National Organization for Women’s Terry O’Neill vows “no surrender” to attacks on women’s reproductive rights
Terry O'Neill has headed the National Organization for Women since 2009 Ever since the country heard of Sandra Fluke, members of the Democratic Party have claimed that the Republican Party is waging a "War on Women," while GOP women have furiously called such claims bunk. But according to the National Organization for Women's (NOW) Terry…
Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival this weekend
It's late, sometime after 2 a.m., and we're stumbling along a dirt path that snakes through the woods of Spirit of Suwannee Music Park and ends at our campsite. The sounds of a high octane funk jam fade as we travel further from the stage, flickering campfires dot the terrain, some temporarily abandoned, some encircled…
Review: Minus the Bear at Beacham Theatre, Orlando
I'll defend my general love for Minus the Bear's music until the room's empty, but more times than not I'll get an "oh yeah, those guys. They're still around?" in any conversation they come up in. My defense is useless because no one even cares enough to dislike them, which, in turn, almost hurts more…
Concert review: Passion Pit at House of Blues, Orlando
It's almost too easy to be critical of a band after the release of their second album; the pressure on an artist not to fail must be crushing. To many fans, the follow-up can never match the debut, no matter how much of a leap forward the band is taking. It's especially easy to nitpick…
Rewriting romance with bay area BDSM author, Riley Murphy
Tampa Bay area writer Riley Murphy has not so much swept romance readers off their feet as she has dominated them into delightful submission. The success she expected to take three years has taken nine months. She recently won the Ellora's Cave 2012 SuperStar Award and her first book, Reclaimed Surrender, is a 2013 Epic…
Unfaithfulness is funny in Cheat: A Man’s Guide to Infidelity
A Q & A with comedian Joe DeRosa on his field guide to philandering
Mitch Perry Report 10.30.12 – Election Day apparently not in peril
This morning, a Wall Street Journal report answers the question that has been on the minds of voters, certainly in states adversely affected by super storm Sandy's destruction, which has caused millions of people in the northeast to be without electricity (along with countless devastation and at least 16 deaths). That is, could the election…
New Music Tuesday! (October 30): Cee Lo Green, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Thrice, Macy Gray + more
Releases out this week, with audio & video.
Conservative think tank labels the Florida teachers union one of the worst in the country
Charlie Crist in 2010 when he announced he would veto SB 6 The Florida Education Association (FEA) is being called one of the worst teachers unions in the country. The report comes from a not-exactly-unbiased arbiter, but from the right-leaning Thomas B. Fordham Institute, led by Chester Finn, a former U.S. assistant Secretary of Education…
Giants-Tigers: Lowest-rated World Series ever?
The Giants celebrate their sweep over the Tigers. If you just looked up and realized that the World Series is already over, you're not alone. The San Francisco Giants' four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers averaged an 8.9 overnight rating per game, putting the Series on track to become the lowest-rated ever, according to USA…
Review: Aesop Rock hits hump day hard at State Theatre, St. Petersburg
Maybe I shouldn't admit that I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to hip hop. Maybe I also shouldn't admit that for the longest time after being introduced to Aesop Rock's music, I couldn't stand it. His vocals sounded slack-jawed and drippy-mouthed, as though he had shoved his maw full of marbles and performed with…
Romney and Obama stop campaigning due to Hurricane Sandy
It may be storming up the Eastern seaboard, but the sun is shining brightly in Chicago. Those were the sentiments expressed on Monday morning from the top Obama campaign officials regarding where they stand in the battleground states eight days before Election Day. "We're winning this race, and I say that not on the basis…
Tampa Bay Times reporter Justin George to move on to Baltimore Sun
Justin George Over the past year there's been a serious brain drain of reporters at the Tampa Bay Times.The latest to join that illustrious roster is Justin George. But unlike many of his former colleagues who left the paper to make more money working in public relations, George isn't leaving the world of journalism. Far…
The New Guavaween: Pictures from the freak show
The Ybor City Chamber of Commerce tried something new Saturday night for Guavaween, the annual Halloween celebration in the historic district. The event has undergone many permutations. It began 27 years ago as a loosely organized celebration led by writers and artists. Over the years it has become more popular, but it's been difficult for…
Spring into mullet
Mullet broiled on mattress coils, a St. Pete Beach tradition continues 82 years later.
Mitch Perry Report: Sandy upends the race
Plus: Mitch gloats about his Giants winning the World Series.
Rowdies capture NASL title in front of sold-out crowd
Tampa Bay’s soccer team is No. 1 in the U.S. and achieves a first at Al Lang Stadium.
Review: The Temper Trap treats St. Petersburg to their sweet Aussie dispositions
"We worship you in St. Pete!" yelled a voice in the crowd mid-way through The Temper Trap's set last Tuesday night at State Theatre, speaking on behalf of everyone there as the room filled with hoots and hollers in agreement. Knowing the band traveled halfway across the world — from Melbourne, Australia — and performed…
Romney comes to Pasco County, focuses on economics and bipartisanship
Kevin Tighe Approximately15,000 people gathered at Land O' Lakes High School in Pasco County on Saturday night to see GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney speak. From a podium in the middle of the football field, Romney rallied his supporters with his usual rhetoric of encouraging job growth and questioning the policies of the current administration.…
Photo Review: Early voting begins in Florida
Kevin Tighe A sign on first day of early voting directing people to the Pinellas County Courthouse in Clearwater, Florida.
Connie Mack’s competitiveness shows the power of super PAC money
Connie Mack in Tampa last Tuesday Before this campaign season began in earnest, supporters of President Obama said he would get swamped in fundraising due to the impact that the new political action committees, called super PACs, would unleash. But that really hasn't been the case — at least until now. Bloomberg reported that the…
Early voting (finally) begins in Florida
Rep. Janet Cruz leads a march to the West Tampa public library Although more than a million of the 12 million eligible Florida voters have already cast ballots, the official beginning of early voting started Saturday morning throughout the Sunshine State. Early voting was adopted in Florida in 2002, in the aftermath of the 2000…
Nadia G talks life in the Bitchin’ Kitchen
It’s sugar, spice and everything Bitchin’ for the Cooking Channel star.
Truth and consequences
Mourning the first casualty of politics — and debates.
Parental guidance is suggested
Should I talk to my 14-year-old about porn?
More Hyde, less Jekyll
Review of the Broadway tour of Jekyll & Hyde, now at Straz.
Necronomicon: Sci-fi, fantasy and horror geeks invade St. Pete
A costume contest is just one event at the annual Necronomicon, now in its 31st year. You might think that after 30 years, a science-fiction, fantasy and horror convention would have exhausted everything there is to celebrate about the genres. But Necronomicon, now in its 31st year, seems to be just getting warmed up, and…
Cloud Atlas reaches for the stars
Tom Hanks and Halle Berry lead the good fight against evil.
Chasing Mavericks just stays afloat
Gerard Butler catches a wave in this modest diversion.
Seek out this Venue
Pinellas Park’s Venue Theatre may be the Bay area’s best-kept secret.
Two Big Mouths Pre Halloween Show #116 Redux
[audio-path:http://archive.org/download/TwoBigMouths116V2/Tbm10-18.mp3] Hello ghosts and ghouls and sexy vampires and nurses. The Main Mouths are gearing up for All Hallows Eve, so here's our Halloween that includes our costume choices and a Really Random Report about the House of Edgar Allen Poe. Stay safe and we'll be lurking for you….
Two Big Mouths Pre Halloween Show #116 Redux
[audio-path:http://archive.org/download/TwoBigMouths116V2/Tbm10-18.mp3] Hello ghosts and ghouls and sexy vampires and nurses. The Main Mouths are gearing up for All Hallows Eve, so here's our Halloween that includes our costume choices and a Really Random Report about the House of Edgar Allen Poe. Stay safe and we'll be lurking for you….
Mitch Perry Report 10.26.12 – Romney returns
Props to the Tampa Tribune for their above-the-fold story this morning regarding what appears to be a case of blatant hypocrisy regarding the Pasco County school district and its policies regarding Mitt Romney's campaign appearance at Land O'Lakes High School tomorrow night. Romney surrogate John Sununu rapidly danced away from his comment on Pier Morgan…
Tricks, not treats
No Snickers to hand out? Try these unexpected alternatives.
A fountain of youthful inspiration: Midtown and Beyond
LATAVIA NELSON Swingin’: Latavia Nelson, eighth grader at John Hopkins Middle, plays with her son, J’aire George. ”It changed my life in a lot of ways,” she said about giving birth to her son at 14. Seeing the world through the eyes of a professional journalist or photographer is one thing, while seeing it through…
Beckner bashes Iuculano in first TV ad in Hillsborough County D-6 race
The most negative local race in Hillsborough County this fall is the battle for Democrat Kevin Beckner's re-election in the countywide district 6 race, where he is being challenged by Tea Party favorite Margaret Iuculano. This afternoon the Beckner camp released a rather hard hitting ad against Iuculano. Watch: It should be noted that the…
Colin Powell endorses Obama for President; McCain and Limbaugh seethe
Colin Powell announced today that he is endorsing Barack Obama and Joe Biden in next month's election. Powell made the announcement on CBS' This Morning with Charlie Rose: "I think we ought to keep on the track that we are on," said the Republican, who also backed Obama in 2008. Powell also told Rose, "I…
Review: Esperanza Spalding delivers avant grooves at Clearwater Jazz Holiday
Much can be said for the stellar rise of Esperanza Spalding… she gravitated towards playing bass early in life, which led her to be the youngest faculty member (at age 20) of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. She became the first jazz musician ever to win a Grammy for "Best New…
Review: GWAR sprays blood, guts and gore all over The Ritz Ybor
Intergalactic space mutants GWAR skinned their way through town just in time for the "boo-season," drawing their divine slaves of the Tampa Bay area to The Ritz to enjoy a safe, non-slick chamber of death and destruction that the venue has ever-so-kindly deigned to host the past few years. If you are offended by the…
President Obama makes a campaign stop at Ybor City’s Centennial Park
Obama talked women’s issues, detailed his economic plan, and announced that “Romnesia” is covered under Obamacare.
Eric Deggans: Divide and conquer
Tampa Bay’s best-known critic publishes a provocative book on race, politics and the media.
Sunday’s Delicatessen opens in Cigar City
David Sunday’s New York-style deli opens.
Sea Sea Riders, a comforting old Florida retreat in Dunedin
See you on the veranda.
Chef Domenica Macchia quits Three Birds, heads to Beak’s Old Florida
“Let me go,” Macchia said. “Let’s just be part of a community with great food.”
Strange worlds at DFAC
Dunedin Fine Art Center’s Interstellar enters new orbits.
Mitch Perry Report 10.25.12 – Justin who?
In the history of the World Series, only three players have ever hit three home-runs in a single game: Babe Ruth (twice), Reggie Jackson in 1977, and the St. Louis Cardinals Luis Pujols, just last season. Add a fourth now in the San Francisco Giants Pablo Sandoval. The man with the less than svelte body…
Obama’s goal in 2013? To accomplish comprehensive immigration reform
You might have heard that Barack Obama originally wanted his discussion with the Des Moines Register editorial board to be off the record. But the blowback was so toxic he said the hell with it, and the paper published the entire interview. In the piece, the president is asked probably the biggest question that political…
Guavaween reborn
A new, fence-free format makes this year’s Guavaween a must-attend event.
Guavaween: The Music
A breakdown of highlights, plus details on what’s happening Saturday night at each Guavaween venue.
Photo review: Chris Robinson Brotherhood at Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood brought hippies far and wide together for one night at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater this past Saturday night. Country rock and crunchy jam grooves were marked by three-part bearded harmonies, their sound and wardrobe not so reminiscent of the Black Crowes but euphoric in its own right, albeit a bit…
The strongest beer on Earth?
BREWMEISTER.CO.UK Two weeks ago, Scottish brewery Brewmeister released a 65 percent ABV beer called Armageddon "the world's strongest beer" ( it is still awaiting official verification from the Guinness Book of World Records).
Democrats call on Romney to renounce Indiana Senate candidate after comments about rape
At a Tuesday night debate, Indiana GOP U.S. Senate candidate Richard Mourdock was asked whether abortion should be allowed in cases of rape or incest. "I struggled with myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God. And, I think, even when life begins in that horrible…
Keeping your sex life alive with The Lovers’ Guide
I've received hundreds of PR pitches for books, DVDs, sex toys and sexperts that all allegedly offer the "secrets" to improving a couples' sex life. The sheer volume of this content suggests two things: 1) No matter how fiery a relationship is in the beginning, it's natural for a couple's sex life to suffer under…
John McCain and the politics of sequestration
Throughout the past 48 hours, there's been a lot of finger pointing about who is responsible — the president or Congress — for sequestration. Sequestration is the law that will result in $120 billion in spending cuts, half from defense, on Jan. 2 if Congress doesn't come together on a budget reduction plan during the…
Where in the hell are the professional gays and lesbians?
One of the biggest gripes that I get from other gays and lesbians is this: Where are all of the educated, professional gays and lesbians? Where does the professional LGBT community hang out?
