.com-ments
The following comments, which appeared this week on tampa.creativeloafing.com, include a reaction to Wayne Garcia's coverage of the Environmental Protection Commission debacle; a paean to the wonderful Rosa Rio, posted in response to a profile we ran in February of last year (apparently both the profile and the performer are ageless); and the latest in a string of comments inspired by an Eric Snider essay on the appeal of Steely Dan. That story first ran last August, and has been generating responses from Dan fans ever since.
Wet Lands: Sure, why not fill in all the wetlands ("The Big Swerve," by Wayne Garcia, Aug. 22-28). Over develop the state once again!!!! Idiots!! The wetlands are needed by us to keep us safe from flood damages during hurricanes and our wildlife (not much left) need it as well. Hey, let's kill off all the Florida Panthers while we are at it!!! Gopher tortoise? What Gopher tortoise? Did I just bury something under all these houses I just made millions of dollars off of and I did not have to widen one road!!!! 'Haaaa!! I am a builder!! This is what we do'!!! I curse all builders in our country for what they have done as well as those in authority for what they have done as well. GREED!!!!
Eddie
She improves with age: Saw Rosa Rio Sunday at Tampa Theatre ("She Improvs with Age," by Cooper Cruz, Feb. 22, 2006) and was amazed at her talent still going strong! She related to the movie's actions with great skill and humor and a shining example of how one's talents can still be used at any age!
Marjorie
Editor's Note: I was there, too (checking off another item on my Must-Do List) and I can vouch: If anyone deserves the overworked adjective "amazing," it's Rosa Rio. The movie, Douglas Fairbanks in The Thief of Bagdad, was a treat in itself, but Rosa's quicksilver musical puns ("Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here" when a trio of buffoonish characters arrive all at once, or "Fly Me to the Moon," when a magic carpet takes off) added immeasurably to the experience. No wonder the place was packed.
Either you get it or you don't: I rarely come across people who ride the fence with the band ("Is There Gas In The Car?" by Eric Snider, Aug. 6, 2006), and often they complain that they don't get the lyrics. I think of it as like listening to an impressionist or cubist painting. You'll never get "spoon in June under the moon" from them, and I love that. When I heard about the gay-lover theory for the "Gaucho" lyrics, it made perfect sense. Except for the Custerdome, but hell, use your imagination. It can be whatever you want it to be. Why does music have to be obvious? Or cater to a low common denominator? I've learned to just enjoy the band and not concern myself with what others think. Either you get it or you don't. I find their complexity, well-crafted productions and wicked imagination endlessly fascinating and entertaining
Doug
AND FROM THE BLOGS…
• On blurbex.com: Alex Pickett's posts about the projected loss of funding for Florida's Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program provoked a series of responses about D.A.R.E.'s value (or lack thereof). See the Elsewhat category in Blurbex.
• On thepoliticalwhore.com: Fun with wiki-editing (everybody's doing it, including the St. Pete Times). See The Morning Papers category in Political Whore.
• On eatmyflorida.com: Why Florida restaurants are Number One (it's not something to be proud of). See the Worst Of category in Eat My Florida.
• On tampacalling.com: Wade Tatangelo muses on the passing of time (and the fact that he's pushing 30) with a Top 10 list of songs about aging. See the News category in Tampa Calling.
This article appears in Aug 29 – Sep 4, 2007.
