Blurbex

The Bachelor’s Matt Grant

I have to admit that the recent gossip about Matt Grant – the single British bloke who’s looking for love on ABC’s The Bachelor: London Calling – has me intrigued. Did the 27-year-old global financier really appear on the show because his lawyer told him the best way to make a permanent move to the U.S. was to marry an American woman? Is love only a positive side effect of his ultimate goal?

I don’t know and frankly, I don’t care – this season’s Bachelor has me hooked solely for the out-of-control antics of the women seeking Grant’s attention. (Getting totally wasted and then putting a pair of lacy white panties into the pocket of a potential suitor is only a good idea if said panties aren’t stained and frayed in the crotch area. Bonus points if you manage to refrain from passing out face-first by the toilet afterwards.) 

Among the remaining bachelorettes is Shayne Lamas, the snotty blonde daughter of Lorenzo Lamas and a working-class actress who apparently didn’t realize the premise of the show when she decided she wanted some free face time. (No, you do not get preferential treatment just because you were in General Hospital.) Also vying for Grant’s attention are Amanda R. from Orlando, an attractive brunette who hiccups (“meeps”) quite charmingly when nervous and who appears to be the current frontrunner; Brooklynite Marshana, an African-American fashion designer with sass and class; singer/songwriter Ashlee, cute but extremely annoying and hailing from San Clemente, Fla.; and Noelle, a redhead Hollywood-based photographer.

The third episode airs on ABC tonight at 9:30 p.m. 

In other reality news, Fox premieres Hell’s Kitchen 4 at 9 p.m. tomorrow, April 1, while Bravo ends its first season of Make Me A Supermodel this Thursday and launches its new reality series, Step it up and Dance, described as a cross between So You Think You Can Dance and Project Runway. No telling whether or not host Elizabeth Berkley will bust out some Showgirls-style dance moves.

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You’ve heard the hysteria generated by news reports and legislators, and perhaps even seen the videos on YouTube. Now I take a look (and a hit!) of this mysterious legal herb.Check out the story here.

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Mitzi Gordon’s “Greenspace” is one of numerous works up for bid at Fifty/Fifty.

1. Various local artists auction off works to benefit their favorite charities during Fifty/Fifty at Silver Meteor Gallery.

2. Creative Loafing presents its third annual Sensory Overload, a lively multidisciplinary arts festival.

3. A new exhibit Ybor City State Museum, Sicilians in Tampa — Unfolding the Journey, opens in conjunction with Festa Italiana at Centennial Park.

4. L*Space Swimwear unveils its spring line of swimsuits at the Reno Beach Spring Swimsuit Fashion Show at Nova 535 Art Lounge.

5. A two-day international conference, The State of Taste, examines taste in all its forms at USF-Tampa.

6. “High-octane octogenarian” jazz saxophonist Sam Rivers performs an EMIT Series concert at Palladium Theater.

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Das Fraulein

1. St. Pete Film Movement presents the Swiss film, Das Fraulein.

2. Former Air America personality Marc Maron brings his stand-up comedy to Tampa Improv. 

3. Case Western Reserve University’s Dr. Lawrence Krauss leads a lively talk, “Science, Non-science and Nonsense: From Aliens to Creationism,” at Eckerd College.

4. Gorilla Theatre opens its new production, Bach at Leipzig.

5. The Coliseum presents the 10th annual Senior FREE! Fest.

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Persepolis

1. A limited run of the animated feature Persepolis – awarded four stars by CL Film Critic Lance Goldenberg – draws to a close at St. Pete’s Beach Theatre.

2. University of Tampa Writers at the University Series welcomes fiction writer Mary Gaitskill.

3. A discussion on race and healthcare takes place during a “Round Table on Social Justice” at Studio at 620.

4. Tampa Equestrian Festival kicks off its Tournament of Champions at Florida State Fairgrounds.

5. Nova scienceNow’s Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson talks cosmos at Palladium Theater.

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1. Snag a copy of the Counting Crowes’ much-anticipated first in five years, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings; The Raconteurs’ little-anticipated but no less worthy Consolers of the Lonely; and the new Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple, released early due to online leakage.

2. Eat brats and drink beer with the Renaissance Festival Players at Mr. Dunderbak’s.

3. Attend a Distinguished Lecture of Insight, Innovation and Impact with Dr. Linda Cooper at USF-Tampa.

4. Pick up Steven Goldman’s 2008 baseball guide and find out about the Rays’ upcoming season.

5. Get made over and more with the Great Beauty Tour.

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NOBODY’S HOME: The Palm River trailer park that housed nine sex offenders is mostly empty.

The sex offender story in this week’s issue is one of the hardest stories I’ve had to report. In fact, I wrestled with the idea of writing it at all.

Like most people, I abhor sex offenders and their crimes. There’s a comment I heard often this week: Many people regard sex offenders as worse than murderers. It’s true. You can see that in prison; most sex offenders, especially those that targeted a child, try to keep their crimes a secret for fear of violence from other inmates.

But I decided to write the story, because I felt other reporters weren’t asking the underlying question: If we push sex offenders from areas where they are legally allowed to live, where should they go? And are we serving ourselves, and our children, by constantly uprooting these people and regulating them to the far reaches of our county?

Nobody wants a sex offender living next door. I certainly don’t. But as our counties build out, it’s becoming harder to avoid, and situations like the one in Palm River are increasing. But instead of crafting sane policies that keep children safe while also giving these offenders a chance to re-enter society, elected officials try to out-do one another with increasingly harsh ordinances. What isn’t being reported is that these residency restrictions can backfire.

(more…)

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Aceyalone

1. Aceyalone performs at Orpheum with Tribal Style and Promise & Numonics.

2. USF Contemporary Art Museum opens 32nd Annual Juried USF Student Exhibition.

3. The Cleveland Orchestra plays Mahaffey Theater.

4. A “Women Who Changed the World” lecture is presented at Eckerd College.

5. Jon Entine launches a new book at Temple B’nai Israel.

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Christie Lenee performs at tonight’s Ted Freed Memorial benefit.

1. Ted Freed Memorial Benefit at Skipper’s Smokehouse.

2. Comedy by ranney at The Studio at 620.

3. Sixth Annual Roser Park Tour of Homes in St. Petersburg.

4. The Circle of the Grey Flamingo art show at [5]art West.

5. Funny Money, presented by Hat Trick Theatre at Silver Meteor Gallery.

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1. George Thorogood & The Destroyers concert at Tampa Theatre.

2. Author Randy Wayne White book launch.

3. Celebrity Dancing in Tampa Bay at TBPAC.

4. A modernized Hamlet at American Stage.

5. Suncoast Sierra Club meeting.

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State plans to raise the tolls for those heading to Fort De Soto were dropped yesterday.

From the Times:

“This year? It’s deader than a doornail — I mean it is flat, Black Flag dead,” said state Sen. Dennis Jones, R-Seminole, who sponsored bills with Rep. Jim Frishe, R-Belleair Bluffs.

I’m guessing it had something to do with the hundreds of angry people who came out to last week’s public meeting discussing the toll hikes. Chalk one up for public participation.

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What are you doing for the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War?

(One idea: On your way home from the office today, check out the local Tampa protest.)

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