Blurbex

It’s been two weeks since the Red Bull Flugtag rolled up its runway and left the Tampa Convention Center and more than 100,000 (mostly) happy, (mostly) drunken spectators behind. Except for the folks at the sixth annual Metrocon, who recently e-mailed CL to complain about the Flugtaggers who wandered into their event.

Attendees at Metrocon — Florida’s largest anime convention held inside the convention center as people were attempting to fly unflyable homemade vehicles — were repeatedly harassed by crowds of rowdy flugtaggers who made catcalls at young girls and tried slipping cameras up their skirts. The Red Bull fans shouted “freak” and “fag”at participants, ruined artwork and spilled beer on costumes, said Allison Rexrode, who attended the event for the sixth year in a row.

The convention is normally a family-friendly celebration of Japanese culture where fans can come dressed in homemade costumes, participate in skits and contests and meet fellow anime-lovers.

“It was completely different (this year),” Allison said. “It was a constant hassle… a constant influx of people coming in and out, and there was no way to control it.”

The convention center double-booked the Red Bull and Metrocon events, assuming Flugtaggers would stay outside on the Riverwalk while Metrocon carried on inside. But security was unprepared for the number of people and the amount of drunken stupidity.

“I just think it was a really bad decision for the convention center to book both events at the same time,” Allison said, “especially a family-friendly event and [another] event where they were selling (alcohol).”

Her mother, Bonnie Rizzo, was equally disappointed with the double-booking. Bonnie, who has attended numerous anime conventions with Allison, said “It’s a really wholesome event that these kids look forward to every year. As far as the way the convention center and Red Bull handled it, I think it’s appaling that they would jeopardize people’s kids like this.”

Metrocon 2008’s Director of Operations Alex Craddock issued this apology on its website last week:

I have received countless emails detailing reasons that people were displeased with METROCON, or this weekend in any capacity, and I personally would like to address the big one: Red Bull Flugtag.

… It’s unfortunate that there wasn’t more we could do to prevent some of the incidents that occurred, but at this juncture, I feel my best course of action is to apologize. The staff of METROCON (and those of you that saw us on Saturday will more than agree) did everything short of miracle-working to stop the multitude of disrespectful and irritating things that many of you saw or unfortunately, were involved with. Please keep in mind that the METROCON staff places your interests and well being above all else, and are doing everything we can to make right every single act of injustice that we saw taking place this past weekend.

Do not misunderstand what happened this weekend, however. I have spoken with several individuals from the Red Bull Corporation, who had worked so well with us prior to the event, and they are just as unhappy with everything that happened the way it did as we are. They have asked that I pass on their apologies to our convention-goers as well, and to let it be known they are also currently pursuing a course of action that will prevent anything (and I do mean anything) like this from ever happening to our valued attendees ever again so long as we are in this venue. Please trust in the fact that we at METROCON did everything we could. We are continuing to do everything we can to right these wrongs, and to make sure that you know it will never happen again. METROCON will continue to be a safe, fun, exciting place for the die-hard fan or casual anime watcher, and for parent and child, alike

Christine Pena, who dressed in a Parasite Eve costume at this year’s Metrocon, detailed her experience in an e-mail:

The costume contest pre-judging was held in a room close to the riverwalk. After pre-judging, I was trying to make my way back when a group of about 5 guys passed me, bopping my wig … When I went to grab a snack in the food line, I felt my wig get tapped again. The guy who did it ran away, to which I heard, ‘GET A TAN!’ He looked familiar.

The third time it happened, I was standing relatively close to the information desk. The same group of guys were lined up to walk by. They each bopped one my wig’s horns. I was not about to walk onstage with a broken wig; after all, presentation is a big part of the costume contest and I had worked very hard. I yelled quite a few profanities at them as they walked away. I hated to be so nasty, but from that moment on, no one else bothered me the rest of the convention. Despite there being so many jerks, there were also a lot of (nicer) Flugtag people asking me for photos.

It was unfortunate that these events happened to so many other cosplayers and that TCC Security, from what I observed, did nothing to stop it.

John Moors, administrator for the convention center, said that “coinciding events happen all the time, and with the number of people in attendance (at Flugtag), it put pressure on all the downtown facilities.

“It was a great event,” he continued. “It was great to see people out and enjoying the day. Maybe some people enjoyed their day more than others, but there was 100,000 people there. There’s always going to be a few that stick out.”

(Photo credit: rcmaclean via flickr)

There is nothing better than getting wrapped up in a good book, especially in the summertime, when a great read is key for lounging on the beach or relaxing at home on a rainy day. Plus, the economy sucks, we’re all broke and — with a valid public library card — books are free. So I’ve compiled a short list of books to read this summer:

1. David Sedaris’ new collection of essays When You Are Engulfed in Flames. While reading Sedaris’ best-selling Me Talk Pretty One Day, published 2001, I laughed myself to tears before finding myself morbidly depressed at finishing it. When You Are Engulfed in Flames is his much-anticipated sixth collection of essays. I would recommend actually buying this one because 1) you’ll probably want to keep it around and 2) Sedaris is so good he deserves your money. Click here for an in-depth review by the New York Times

2.  The Prodigal Tongue: Dispatches from the Future of English by Mark Abley. Abley explores the fluid reworkings of the English language, making his newest book about language a must-read for word-nerds. From Henry Hitchings’ review for The Telegraph:

Attuned to pop culture as well as to scholarship, Abley proves a deft social anthropologist. On field trips to Singapore, Japan, Oxford and Los Angeles, he has sampled the plosive rhythms of hip-hop and African American vernacular, the spicy hybrid that is Spanglish, the “gnarled gobbets” of Asian English, and the zippy argot of cyberspace, where novelties proliferate at a particularly startling rate.

3. In honor of Entertainment Weekly’s 1,000th issue, the magazine compiled a list of the 100 best reads of the last 25 years. One of my all-time favorites, American Pastoral by Philip Roth, came in at number 5. Pastoral, published in 1997, focuses on Swede Levov and the tragedy that befalls his perfect family when his only daughter becomes a terrorist in a paroxysm of rage over the Vietnam War. When you’re done reading that, you might want to check out Roth’s anti-pastoral, Sabbath’s Theater.

4. If the title alone isn’t enough to entice your readership, the past eight years and a recent testimony before the House Judiciary Committee by former White House Press Secretary and author Scott McClellan should be. His book What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception is a memoir chronicling his experience as one of the president’s closest advisers. Click here to read some highlights.

5. And something for all you fantasy lovers: local author Dora Machado’s debut novel Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone. In Stonewiser, a mysterious rot has been eating away at the entire world, and only the tales preserved in the hearts of the stones can provide the truth. The Stonewisers are the blessed ones able to read what’s hidden inside the stones, and the most gifted one is Sariah, Machado’s main character. When Sariah discovers untruths in the stone tales she goes on a desperate quest to restore justice. The Heart of the Stone is the first installment of a three-part series. Read the review by Science Fiction & Fantasy Media a.k.a sffmedia.com.

Because of Jesus Christ Superstar’s colossal reputation, I wasn’t surprised by the excited buzz before the rock opera’s start at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center last night. While the regular theater-goers busied themselves at the bars scattered in the lobby, families and couples found their seats and flipped through their playbills, excitedly discussing “the guy from the movie,” Ted Neeley, who stars as Jesus in the production and who played the same role in the 1973 film.

Corey Glover as Judas; photo by Joan Marcus.

When Neeley made his grand entrance during the third number, the crowd roared, but that’s about as exciting as things got until the famous “Gethsemane” scene.  I wanted to see Neeley play a real superstar, a more Michael Jackson-esque performer who wowed his followers into worship with rock ‘n’ roll. What I got was a Jesus who was majestic and pained, but not a convincingly rockin’ messiah or even a believable messiah at all. In Neeley’s defense, his failure was probably the result of a lack of strong direction. It seemed like he was just there to sing. That, at least, he did very well.

Unfortunately, Judas was also a dud. Played by Corey Glover — lead singer of Grammy-winning band Living Colour — Judas lacked strength or charisma. Glover was limp, shoulders hunched and head hung, for the entire time he held the stage, making his character annoying, not tragic. A bolder Judas would have been more interesting.  Again, this was probably the result of ineffective direction, not a reflection of Glover’s lack of talent, and his final number, “Superstar,” actually allowed him to shine. Matthew G. Myers and Aaron Fuksa as Simon and Herod provided the most memorable performances. Myers shocked me out of my boredom-induced haze during his solo in the first act. But it wasn’t until Fuksa, playing an afroed Herod, appeared on the stage with a handful of soul singers  that I was entertained again.

Despite the production’s generally lackluster feel, the technical aspects were flawless. The choruses were clear and beautifully harmonized, and the choreography stole the spotlight from Jesus and Judas every time.

Overall, Jesus Christ Superstar didn’t live up to its glowing reputation. For the most part, I was bored out of my mind and couldn’t wait for it to be over, but that may have just been me. The 9-year-old behind me really dug it, what with his knowledge of every word and participation in every sing-along throughout the show. If you’re already a JCS nut, then I’d say go for it. The show runs through Sunday, June 29.

Note: A correction has been made in above entry to the name of one of the actors. In earlier version, Matthew G. Meyers had been misidentified as Michael G. Meyers.

In all of my previous experience, Tampa has been a safe haven for underage drinkers — all you need is a fake ID and a pretty smile. At least that’s what’s always worked up until now.

First, let me introduce you to my partners in crime, Danielle and Melissa. Melissa looks like an angel, tiny with blond hair and big, green eyes, and she’ll flirt with anything in a 5-mile radius willing to buy us drinks. Danielle is fiery and has the tendency to be overly dramatic, but only in an entertaining way. I’ve been getting into trouble with these two since high school. As soon as we were semi-old enough to begin frequenting local bars we started searching for fake IDs. I was the lucky one: I have an older sister. I was the designated 21-year-old in our group of girls for a while, but after our first semester in college, all of our friends had fakes.

Last week we strode into a bar on Bruce B. Downs and presented our fakes confidently. It wasn’t the nicest place, but it had great service, lots of pool tables and dart boards, and the best thing is they give you these blue tickets when you walk in the door that are good for two $5 pitchers. Danielle, Melissa and I hadn’t seen each other in a while, so we just wanted to catch up. Every time I go out with Melissa we drink for free. It never fails. She has this uncanny ability to get guys to offer her and all her friends whatever they want before she politely thanks them and sends them on their way. Normally, I frown upon this type of behavior, preferring to buy my own drinks rather than feeling like I owe a conversation to some sleaze, but this particular night for some reason was especially easy for Melissa to secure our buzz for free. After the bar closed and we were thrown out, we decided to head over to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino.

This is where the night took a very wrong turn.

At first it was perfect. We stumbled into the Hard Rock, but not before stopping to pee in a well-hidden crevice between wall and bush. (It was a very long walk from the parking lot.) Our Casino entrance was very well-executed. When you’re drinking underage, everything is like a special-ops mission, and the trick is confidence. We made our way to the bar, flashed our IDs and the party continued. Melissa began working her magic while Danielle and I sat back and laughed as we watched her score rounds of drinks for us. She even weaseled $20 out of one poor dude so we could try out the slot machines.

Then our party stopped. A security guard swooped in on Melissa and asked for her ID. Shit. She kept her game face on and answered all of his questions before he ruthlessly threatened her with the P-word: Police. After wriggling the truth from Melissa, he moved on to Danielle and me. In the few times my fake has been questioned, I have recited perfectly my fake name, my fake address and my fake zodiac sign, resulting in immediate surrender from the bouncer or bartender, but this guy was not fooling around. After questioning us, he got out a pen and paper and made us sign our names so he could cross-reference our signatures with those on our IDs.

We were toast.

How embarrassing. We successfully fooled everyone at the bar only to be discovered and thrown out in front of everyone. Our IDs were confiscated, but I’m thankful law enforcement was not involved. It really got me thinking about what could have happened, so I looked it up.

From the University of Florida Police Department Web site:

F.S.S. 322.32: Unlawful use of license is a second degree MISDEMEANOR.

This statute makes it unlawful to display, cause, permit to be displayed, or have in your possession any canceled, revoked, or suspended, disqualified, fictitious, or fraudulently altered driver’s license. It is also unlawful to lend a license to any other person or knowingly permit its use by another.

Example: An older sibling or friend loans their driver’s license to younger sibling or friend who uses it to get into clubs/bars; the older sibling would be charged. To display, or represent as your own or any driver’s license not issued to you is also illegal.

Example: Same scenario as above but this time the younger sibling or friend would be charged.

Since my ID was my sister’s and my friends had friends’ IDs, we would have been charged with a misdemeanor, but presenting a forged ID, like many of my peers do, is a felony.

F.S.S. 322.212: Unauthorized possession or other unlawful acts in relation to, driver’s license or identification cards is a third degree FELONY.

It is unlawful for any person to knowingly have in their possession any blank, forged, stolen, fictitious, counterfeit, or unlawfully issued driver’s license or identification card. It is unlawful for any person to barter, trade, sell, or give away any driver’s license or identification card or to perpetrate a conspiracy to barter, trade, sell, or give away any such license or identification card unless authorized.

Example: A person provides false information or someone else’s information about their identity to the Division of Driver’s Licenses and has an official ID card or DL made with their photo on it and the erroneous information they provided.

Example: A friend has a “board” made that you stand in front of and have your photo taken so that the photo looks like an official ID card or DL issued by the State of Florida.

My first instinct was to call my sister and beg her to get me a new ID, but now I’m questioning if it’d be worth it. I could easily get a new one, but I’m thinking I might quit while I’m ahead.

The Florida Professional Firefighters union is joining the campaign to stop Amendment 2, the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment.

According to SayNo2.com, the firefighters union has joined the campaign in light of a recent Michigan Supreme Court ruling that found a similar amendment to interfere with public employees’ ability to extend benefits to domestic partners.

Other supporters of Florida Red and Blue include the League of Women Voters, NAACP, the Florida Education Association and Florida CFO Alex Sink.

In other news, the proponents of Amendment 2 over at Yes2Marriage.org are growing increasingly concerned over California’s decision to allow gay marriage’s.

They also can’t spell and have terrible sentence construction:

“All 27 states that have had marriage amendments on the ballot have one, except Arizona who lost by a couple of points. In Arizona they stopped promoting the idea so called gay marriage altogether and created a new argument and tactic.” – Yes2marriage.org, under opponents arguments.

Who’s in charge of their website?!

I snapped this photo while walking along the Eastside Gallery during a recent stay in Berlin, and I couldn’t agree more with the person who wrote this. The Gallery is a 1.3km-long section of the Berlin Wall, and is supposed to be an “international memorial for freedom.”

Every day I have to fight myself to not check Facebook multiple times, or to stalk that girl that’s dating my best friend’s boyfriend’s sister’s cousin, who I am just fascinated with. I mean, why am I even friend’s with her?

And every day I have to fight myself from getting that happy feeling because a new friend request from someone I barely know just came in. It’s just so great knowing someone wants to stalk you back. I think on the grand spectrum of Facebook addiction, mine is pretty bad, but atleast I’m not alone (from the “Facebook is ruining my life” Facebook group):

“For all the people who find themselves addicted to facebook. You are on facebook everytime you’re on the computer and you don’t even hesitate before doing so.

Facebook comes into play in every discussion we have, whether it’s at school, home, a restaurant… whatever. In time, facebook will rule the world and become the new Sun that the Earth orbits around.

Every event is on facebook, and all previously nonfacebook invitations are extinct. Invite your friends, we’ll all become facebook addicts together… there’s no way to fight it.

Thank you very much Mark Zuckerberg… jerk.”

Facebook has more than 70 million users, and MySpace has 110 million. It’s no wonder social-networking has caught on with such a fervor because reconnecting with old friends and keeping in touch with new ones is great, but sometimes I feel the need to ask myself: “Are you in charge of Facebook, or is Facebook in charge of you?”

Amid all the hoopla over Obama being named the Democratic nominee and Clinton’s reluctant but inevitable step-down, I started to wonder how I felt about Obama’s win.

In the primary that didn’t really matter, I voted for Clinton. I did simply because I liked her for all the reasons everyone else didn’t — she’s a bitch.

I also voted for her because I settled in the voting booth thinking I would vote for Obama (I mean, it’s so hard to resist his charm), but when it came down to actually filling Obama’s little box, I changed my mind for some reason. Maybe it was loyalty to my gender or just a characteristic of such (I can never make up my mind, that’s a female characteristic, right?), but I started to think about what I knew about either candidate. I realized I knew very little about either one other than they were Democrats, like me, and probably thought the way I did on a number of things. And so, on a whim, I just decided that I liked Hillary better. Because she’s a bitch.

Maybe it’s wrong to vote for someone based on personality instead of voting records and whatnot, but I don’t think I’m wrong in assuming that plenty of Americans vote the way I did. I’m not defending it, but offering my own misgivings as a testament to what really needs to change.

This led to an epiphany of sorts: I realized I had no idea what the hell was really going on in politics. I’m a new voter; as a University of Florida student of legal age to do my constitutional duty, this was my first presidential primary. Since then, I’ve tried to figure out who I truly wanted to vote for. I even tried to watch C-Span! Now that it’s all over and Obama’s our guy, I’m wondering if he is the right choice. And with the election moving into the phase where we actually pick the next president, I’m wondering if I’m even a Democrat.

In today’s news climate, where we have talking heads coming at us from all directions and corporate media placing profits at the top of the priority list, how does one make an informed decision?

Despite Hil’s denial that her campaign will be meeting its end tonight, the event chairmen for “The Art of Politics — Painting America Blue” are already touting unity as their new theme.

The art exhibition and fundraiser takes place Sunday from 3 to 8 p.m. at 1105 Twiggs St. and will feature more than 100 artists from the Bay area and beyond. Pieces will range in price from under $100 to more than $10,000, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the Art of Politics political committee to elect Democrats.

“Whether it’s Hillary or Obama, they can’t do it alone,” says Juan R. Capin, co-chair for the event, referencing the need to elect Democrats to congress to “turn this country around.”

The artists whose works will be available include: Bradley Arthur, David Audet, Catherine Bergmann, Rocky Bridges, Angel ButterFly, John Catterall, Dolores Coe, Chalet, Neverne Covington, Suzanne Camp Crosby, Angela Dickerson, Mark A. Dion, Diane Elmeer, Gary English, Denis Gaston, Jay Giroux, John Grubacs, Dee Hood, Patricia Hunter, Mic Knight, Carolyn Kossar, Susan Livingston, Elio Lopez, Charles Lyman, Bruce Marsh, Bryant Martinez, Kathie Olivas, Chris Peattie, Debra Jo Radke, Mort Richter, Tasha Ricks, John Reimer, Judith Salmon,Ester Sanchez, Maria Saraceno, Roberta Schofield, Catherine L.Thompson, Rachel Tilow, Elsa Valbuena, Consuelo Vallina, James Vann, Christopher Weeks, Theo Wujcik.

The funds will go toward financing campaigns, as well as lobbying for the arts in Tallahassee.