Daily Loaf

Large groups of women are often avoided by insecure men. To men on the hunt, these clusters are akin to herds of gazelles: their number often makes it difficult to separate one from the pack. Also, one woman often positions herself as the prude governess, protecting the eligible bachelorettes by turning potential suitors away with a cold scowl or a snarky comment. It wasn’t until I started doing promotions for Creative Loafing at locals bars that I realized groups of women can actually be easier to approach than individuals, but this maneuver involves a bit more cunning. Here are a few things to consider before negotiating your way into a circle of female friends.

Play the odds: While every woman in a group won’t find your stuttering pick-up attempt charming, one or two may laugh at your Chuck Norris joke.  In fact, unless you’re prepared to entertain the entire group with your limited arsenal of dance moves, you’ll be better off pairing off with the one or two who are actually interested in talking to you. Also, even if you’re a blundering fool, the group may tolerate your presence as each female may assume one of the other women likes you. Read more “The libertine’s guide to gallantry: the group pick-up” »

Sometime spoken word artist and actress Aleshea Harris (pictured) waxes poetic on “everything from love and hope to war and breasts” in Cafe on the Bay: Grit and Silk. Contact cantyl@stpt.usf.edu or visit bagofbeans.net for more info. Weds., Feb. 10, 12 p.m., USF St. Petersburg Campus.

Perspectives on Parks provides historic reenactments of the purchase and dedication of St. Pete’s waterfront parks, followed by presentations by St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker; Read more “Do It Today: Aleshea Harris’ spoken word, Perspectives on Parks and an urban porch party” »

I told myself I would resist the urge to write about not-governor Sarah Palin this week, I really did.  Even though she keeps “rearing her head” in the news cycle, to me she still feels like yesterday’s funny papers.  But in the wake of the big week she had, I’m going to make an exception and kick a dead horse around a bit here.

First, let’s address Tard-Gate: after Rahm Emanuel used the phrase “fucking retards” to describe some fellow Democrats he saw as uncooperative, Palin called for his resignation.  Okay — she has a special needs child; I can see how that would be an issue close to her heart.  Maybe for once she isn’t just engaging in political posturing, I told myself; maybe he truly offended her (to his credit, Rahm did apologize in video format).

But then she bends over backwards to defend Rush Limbaugh using the exact same insult, minus the “fucking.”  It seems that was acceptable — “I agree with him,” she noted, because “those people are kooks.”  She may also have left it alone, because as Mike Steele knows: if you go against the leader of the G.O.P. he’ll feed you to his audience of demented neo-con zombies like so much bloody entrails.  And Republicans fear losing that voter bloc the way they fear Americans receiving affordable health care.

Even Megan McCain dubbed Palin’s hypocrisy on Tard-Gate “exactly what’s wrong with politics today” before going on to claim that Palin “will continue to turn off young voters, and anybody who says different is smoking something.”  That girl is rapidly becoming my favorite Republican (and not just because she’s a stone-cold fox).

What's that, Meghan? Vote Republican? Well, ethically I can't see how OKOK I'LL DO IT

Next up is Sarah Palin’s keynote speech at the Tea Party convention.  Never mind all of the logical problems with that.  Never mind that most tea party-goers don’t seem too happy with Democrats OR Republicans, and YET their keynote speaker is last year’s G.O.P. VP candidate (I thought it was supposed to be a 3^rd party?).  Forget all about the fact that the whole movement is supposed to be about fiscal conservatism, and that was hardly mentioned by anybody.  I heard a lot of Obama-bashing, evangelical-boosting, and anti-immigrant rhetoric that at one point seemed to call for a revival of Jim Crow laws, but I didn’t hear any ideas about to cut the deficit.  This was the RNC Part Two: same talking points, same old broken-ass, retarded ideas.  And forget that this “grassroots” movement of the common people was charging folks five-hundred-fifty-fucking dollars to attend their convention.

All of that horseshit is of secondary comedic value to me, because Palin actually wrote down some talking points on the palm of her hand, much like a fourteen year old cheating on a civics test.  Because apparently, that’s much better than a teleprompter.  The ink on her hand actually reminds her to “lift American spirits,” which could either be a reminder to boost the nation’s morale, or a reminder for her to drink only locally-distilled bourbon.

Though it’s long been clear to many observers that the Tea Party is an Astroturf organization funded by Dick Armey and other high level GOP operatives, that fact is actually becoming clear now to some of the Tea Partiers themselves, who are now actually protesting their own protest movement — which is itself only about a year old.  It should be clear to all now that this has never been about cutting the deficit.  If it had been, the Tea Party phenomenon would have cropped up when a (supposedly) evangelical Commander-in-Chief sent the deficit into the trillions with unconscionable spending on vast social engineering projects overseas.

The third and ballsiest bit of the half-governor’s amazing trifecta was her unambiguous admission on Faux News Sunday that she would consider a run for President in 2012.   She even had the sack to equate her quitting as governor because the job got too hard as a “win.”  Everyone was being a dick to her, so she quit — and that’s leadership.  By that standard, Obama should just make some whiny noises about the opposition, step down next week, then claim “victory.”

I still kind of want the old girl to make a run for the White House — because I still have a measure of faith in the American people, and I feel that even they will see through the shit that Sarah is shoveling at them.  But then again maybe they won’t, because after all a lot of them are fucking retarded.

I am brand spanking new to Tampa Bay, so when presented with the opportunity to do a newcomer’s travel guide to Ybor City (the infamous Ybor City) I must admit, my little writer’s brain got all caught up in fluttery enthusiasm. I pictured a research day sipping beer on sun-flooded patios, browsing all sorts of weird shops, and following it up with a night of all-in debauchery.

Imagine my disappointment when I was jolted awake by a crack of thunder to a black downpour of a morning. Suddenly I could relate to every horrified tourist I’d encountered during my college years in Orlando who felt they’d somehow been lied to when they booked a getaway to the “Sunshine” State.

Against every instinct to stay in, eat re-heated Chinese and watch the 6-hour version of Pride and Prejudice, I managed to pull some clothes on, wade out to my car and see what I could make of a truly subtropical day in Ybor City.

My favorite finds are as follows: Read more “A rainy-day, newcomer’s guide to Ybor City” »

The first of what will probably be several televised debates between GOP Senate candidates Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio may take place next month on Fox News Sunday, moderated by Chris Wallace.

Chicago Tribune reporter Mark Silva (formerly with the Orlando Sentinel) reports that Rubio has already agreed to the debate, but Crist has not.

Last fall, when Rubio was desperately trying to reach some parity with the guv, he was already calling for debates. It made little sense for Crist to accept the invitations at the time.  Not only was he up by a prodigious margin (leading the former House Speaker by some 29 points), but the election was nearly a year away.

Now it’s creeping closer, and if the latest Rasmussen survey is to be taken seriously, it is Crist who is now the underdog.  So what would Charlie gain by not debating Rubio as soon as possible? We’ll update when we hear back from the Governor.

Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor said that the TPD achieved a 15.8% crime reduction in 2009, leading to a 56% reduction since 2003, the year Mayor Pam Iorio and former Police Chief Stephen Hogue took power in City Hall.

At a news conference at the department’s downtown headquarters on Tuesday, a proud Castor claimed that Tampa was “bucking a trend” in regards to crime nationally, saying, “I don’t think there’s any other city in the nation that has accomplished what we’ve accomplished.”

The department reported 2o murders in 2009, tying it with 2005 for the lowest number of homicides in the department in the past 25 years.  It reported  15,557 total crimes in 2009 (murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft).  That’s over 19,000 less crimes reported going back to 2002.

Castor was asked about how the department categorizes their statistics.  She said going back to 2004, the TPD learned that they were under-reporting crimes in some cases, and over-reporting in others.  She said that the TPD stringently follows FBI Uniform Crime Reporting guidelines precisely, and those numbers get severely scrutinized before being passed up to the FDLE and ultimately the FBI. Read more “Tampa Police Department’s streak of plummeting crime statistics continues” »

The drums. The spine and pulse of a band. A bad drummer loses an audience. A good drummer keeps the flow going in unison. A great drummer owns the stage. Being a bass player, I have always been intrinsically tied to drummers as we both have the duty of keeping things “in the pocket.”

It is out of love that I share with you my Top 10 Drummers of All Time.

10. Josh Freese (The Vandals, A Perfect Circle, Devo, Nine Inch Nails, all over modern rock radio) — One of the most sought-out studio drummers in rock music, Freese — a Florida native — cut his teeth in a Disneyworld band when he was 12. At 15, he was already touring with the seminal/joke/genius punk band, The Vandals. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records.

Read more “Top 10 Sickest Drummers of All Time (with video)” »

County Commission Chair Ken Hagan hinted today that ballot language for the proposed one-cent sales tax for transportation projects might not be voted on at the BOCC’s March 3rd meeting.

He made the comment at the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce luncheon with members of the  Tampa City Council, Hillsborough County Commission and Hillsborough County School Board.

The timing is important, since the Tampa Bay Partnership, which will be spearheading a campaign in support of the proposal,  say they are holding back on any type of marketing plan until they see the actual language that would go before County voters on November 2.

Hagan said that governance and accountability issues, as well as community meetings currently going on right now about the proposal, could delay the discussion and formal vote on the language scheduled for the first week of March.  “It’s very likely it might be that meeting after the 3rd, maybe two meetings after the 3rd,” he speculated.  “We’re shooting for that.  But I guess you have noticing requirements.  You have to do it 10 days or 14 days in advance of that, so it’s making that a little tight.” Read more “Board vote on ballot language on light rail in Hillsborough County to be delayed?” »

Your one stop for all things Chuck is back with 3 Guys and Chuck, the podcast. This weeks episode, entitled “Chuck vs. The Mask” (no relation to the Jim Carrey movie) was all kinds of fun. Sadly, we’ll now have to do without Chuck until the Olympics are over. To hold you over, why not enjoy some witty banter as the 3 Guys talk about what we liked and disliked about this week’s episode, how hot Kristin Kreuk’s Hannah is, and much more.

And, for your viewing pleasure, check out the full episode of Chuck after the jump!

Download the podcast here.

Read more “3 Guys & Chuck The Podcast – “Chuck vs. The Mask”” »

Last Friday, Pitchfork.com revealed the first batch of hip-as-shit bands that will be performing at the 2010 edition of the Pitchfork Music Festival, to be held July 16-18 at Chicago’s Union Park. Modest Mouse headlines on Friday, LCD Soundsystem and Raekwon appear on Saturday, and Sunday’s bill features Pavement as well as St. Vincent, Lightning Bolt, Cass McCombs, Here We Go Magic and Sleigh Bells. More bands will be added in the coming weeks; to get your tickets now ($40 single-day tickets, $90 three-day passes), click here.

And today, organizers have announced the first batch of confirmed artists for the ninth annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, which is held June 10-13 on a big old plot of land in Manchester, Tenn. Among the current highlights are The Flaming Lips covering Dark Side of the Moon (likely with Stardeath and White Dwarfs, the band that originally collaborated with the Lips on the album), Phoenix, Weezer, OK Go (pictured, and in my humble but well-informed opinion, responsible for the best album of 2010 so far), Jeff Beck, John Fogerty, Norah Jones, Medeski Martin & Wood, Chromeo with guest Daryl Hall (re-living their Live from Daryl’s House episode on stage), Regina Spektor, Isis, Mayer Hawthorne and the County, The Black Keys, The Constellations and some others. More will be announced as the fest date nears. General admission tickets at $209.50 and $224.50 have already sold out; the remaining tickets are priced at $234.50, then $249.50 once the batch at the former price sells out. There’s also other ticket packages available as well as payment plans for the economically strapped. Click here to secure your tickets.

I gotta be honest, I go to a lot of shows. Anyone who pays any attention to the calendar page of my site knows this. An unfortunate side-effect is that I’ve become slightly de-sensitized to the excitement of seeing a concert, so I’m rarely genuinely excited about seeing a show. Friday night’s Todd Snider show at Skipper’s Smokehouse, however, was one of those rare occasions.

Todd Snider brought his brand of politically-charged jingle-jangle with a little folk-soul-country wit to Tampa for a sit down performance at the always amicable Skipper’s. Mother Nature even seemed to be in a good mood, giving us a break in the rains long enough for the entire show to take place sans dripping trees. The show started out somewhat clunky. First was a full-band that opened things up (I apologize, I came in during their set and never caught their name) very well. They played a crackling ‘78 version of Americana well enough, so I was sad that I only managed to catch three songs. Read more “Concert review: Todd Snider at Skipper’s Smokehouse” »

They don’t say “party like a rockstar” for nothing because the business is all about excess. The environmental impact of touring shows and music festivals can be huge- using tons of fuel and resources and creating mass amounts of waste. But one musician decided to make a difference. In 2004, Adam Gardner, Guster guitarist/vocalist, and his environmentalist wife, Lauren Sullivan, launched the non-profit organization, Reverb, that was designed to ‘green’ music tours.

Reverb helps make touring shows more sustainable by providing turn-key greening programs and fostering educational grassroots outreach programs for the fans. For the touring band they provide an on-site coordinator to oversee the event, create a custom rider which includes green requests sent in advance to each venue, arrange biodiesel fueling for tour vehicles, arrange large-scale waste reduction and recycling initiatives, oversee eco-friendly practices with the hospitality and catering staff (i.e.: locally sourced organic food and the use of green cleaning products), calculate the carbon footprint of the tour and arrange appropriate carbon offsets. Reverb gets the fans involved by setting up an Eco-Village where they can get a green education through environmental displays and activities. These Eco-Villages host other environmental organizations, offer a carbon offset program for fans, and provide an online carpooling site where fans can meet up to arrange group travel to the shows.
Read more “Making music tours more sustainable: Reverb and the Green Music Group” »

Yes, you heard read me right…”The biggest challenge in Runway history.” Ok, so I guess I know better than to get super-crazy-excited for these things, but this is looking like quite the important episode we have brewing for Thursday night and I am getting ready for something huge.

Here is what we know: The prize is a cover of Marie Claire and Heidi Klum will be a part of said cover (Will it be a maternity challenge again? I don’t think so but we shall see). Tempers will flare. Our Tampa Designer, Ben Chmura is getting judged by the panel but we don’t know if he is top or bottom three and I am already nervous for him. BUT WAIT, the best tidbit and a slight spoiler for the end of the season, is after the jump…

Read more “Project Runway Ep. 5 sneak peak: “The biggest challenge in Runway history” (Spoilerish)” »

In 2007, CL inaugurated an annual food phenomenon by pitting 64 of Tampa Bay’s best pizza places against one another in a frenzy of slice-to-slice competition that eventually crowned one spot the best in the area. In 2008, burgers. In 2009, tacos.

For 2010, we’re getting our hands dirty with something a little messier. Who has Tampa Bay’s best ribs?

Starting in March, CL will ask our faithful readers to answer that question (and I’ll put my two cents in as well).

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, we need suggestions to fill out the brackets. From street-side barbecue stand to waterfront restaurant, we want to know who serves the best pork ribs around. Dry-rubbed or sauced, smoked or braised, CL will take all you can offer and more to find the absolute best of the Bay.

Tweet (@cl_food), comment in this post, or drop us a line and tell us who smokes ‘em like a post-coital Marlboro. Then we’ll give you the opportunity to vote for the best.

Don’t know where to go for ribs? No worries: You will soon.

Follow all of CL’s food coverage on Twitter – @cl_food.

(Photo by foodista/flickr.com.)

The world is buzzing with news of this year’s Oscar nominations. Best Picture, Best Actor, Screenplay, blah blah blah. Anyone can appreciate an excellent movie, but it takes a brave soul to peer into the darkness in dire search of films so bad they’re good. Beware! Within that cinematic abyss are sights that could make your face melt off, Raiders-style. The 3 Guys are up for just such an adventure, and we semi-proudly present:

3 Guys & The Quest for the Holy FAIL

Christening a poorly made flick “the worst movie of all time” is kind of a big deal. You can’t just go throwing that label around willy-nilly. And dubbing a film “The Holy FAIL” is no different, albeit with slightly more clever title. Today we find The 3 Guys in the presence of some truly demonic furniture and lots of ‘70s camp — Death Bed: The Bed That Eats.

Read more “3 Guys & The Quest for the Holy FAIL: Death Bed: The Bed That Eats” »

Tuesday, February 9: Roy’s
Australian Wine Dinner and Bottle Signing. Winemaker John L’archet hosts tonight’s dinner to share some of his secrets, sign bottles and recommend wines for your sophisticated palate. Chef Kiel provides a fabulous five-course meal, perfectly paired with delectable selections from down under. $75. 6:30-9 p.m., 4342 W. Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa (813-873-7697)

Tuesday, February 9: Uncorked Fine Wine and Spirits
Uncorked Wine Academy. Hit the books (and the bottle!) with a certified sommelier at this wine-centric course that covers pairing food and wine; tasting techniques; grape varietals; how wine makes it from the vineyard to the glass;  and how to distinguish the flavors that make your tastebuds tingle. Reservations required. $50. 7-9 p.m., 2706 Fourth Street N., St. Petersburg (727-892-9463)

Thursday, February 11: Mazzaro’s Italian Market
Night Tasting with Vincenzo Protti and Giampaolo Tabarrini. The market’s locally-revered meats and cheeses are perfectly paired with more than 50 selections of vino from Italy, including the highly-rated Fontodi’s Flacianello 2006, all hosted by the vintners of the Bosco del Merlo and Vescine Wineries. $30. 7-9 p.m., 2209 22nd Ave N., St. Petersburg (727-321-2400)

Thursday, February 11 – Sunday, February 14: Cafe Dufrain
Valentine’s Day Chef Menu. If you’re going for decadence, you can’t beat this weekend-long Chef-selected menu that includes: a selection of fluke sashini with white miso, asian pear, ginger pickled cucumbers and a jasmine rice croquette; seasonal oysters with a cocktail mignonette and tabasco granite; organic mixed greens with heirloom tomato, red onion, roast garlic crouton and a mustard celery vinaigrette; warm confit of organic mushrooms with roasted black garlic cloves, chevre and a grilled baguette; or Kurboto pork cheeks with fried green tomato, smoked bacon and a sweet onion marmalade. The main course offers a gingered yellowfin tuna with wok-fried bok choy, steamed oxtail dumplings and a shiitake consomme; organic smart chicken, harissa spiced, with preserved lemon israeli couscous, chickpea cake and pachadi; Korean barbecue buffalo short ribs with lemongrass scented jasmine rice, kimchee trio and bibb lettuce; roast Berkshire pork with yucca gratin, crisp sweet plantain and a grapefruit avocado relish; and a duo of fennel pollen-dusted maine lobster, american kobe flat iron with chantrelle cream and anson mills creamy polenta; for dessert, choose from carrot cake with mascarpone icing and pecan butter cream cheese ice cream; a chocolate five-spice sorbet with chocolate salted cashew cake and cocoa foam; and baked Fuji apples with walnut praline tart, warm caramel, cinnamon ice cream and streusel crumbs. $50 per person. 707 Harbour Post Drive, Harbour Island, Tampa (813-275-9701)

Friday, February 12: World of Wines South Tampa
Get Some Wine for your Valentine. It’s trite but true: nothing sets the mood for a romantic evening like a good bottle of wine. Today’s hors d’oeuvres-paired pours include: Mustang Sally Shiraz; Pristine Chardonnay; Nordic Frost Riesling; Three’s Company GSM; Black Sheep SMM; Thousand Words Chardonnay; Thoroughbred Cabernet; and Choc-o-Bloc Tawny. $10. 6-8 p.m., 3431 S. West Shore Blvd., Tampa (813-835-9463)

Many, many more food, wine and Valentine’s event after the break: Read more “Tampa Bay food, wine and beer events: Valentine’s Day edition” »

I like to think that my restaurant reviews are timeless, but that really only applies to the prose. Each one is a snapshot of a place during a brief period of time; as soon as it’s written and printed, the moment is gone. So many things can change, from that smiling server who had a preternatural understanding of my needs to the guy who dropped the fries in hot oil. The owner might revamp or sell out, the chef might change the menu because of his summer vacation in Barcelona. Restaurants are like rivers — some move so fast you won’t step into the same one twice.

So, what to do about all the people reading a potentially out-of-date, 18-month-old snapshot of a restaurant? I can’t keep going back — there are just too many restaurants to cover — but sometimes it’s clear that a restaurant needs a second look. Then I can peek my head in, taste a few dishes, try to gauge the impact of the changes and report back the results. More a revisit than a review.

Read on as I revisit Savannah’s and Primi Urban Cafe in St. Petersburg, and Rawbar Sushi in downtown Tampa. Read more “Restaurants Reviews Revisited: Savannah’s, Primi Urban Cafe, Rawbar Sushi” »

“Give the people what they want/
You gotta give the people what they want/
The more they get, the more they need/
And every time they get harder and harder to please…”

…so says the title track of Give The People What They Want, the 1981 album by legendary British rock ‘n’ roll band The Kinks. Lead singer and lyricist of the group, Ray Davies, might have been alluding to the inevitably unsatisfiable nature of most human beings when he wrote those words three decades ago. Then again, he might have been foreshadowing to the present-day bashing and trashing that most spectators who watched Super Bowl XLIV are unceremoniously doling out towards his peers and contemporaries, The Who. Read more “Super Bowl XLIV halftime show: If not The Who, then who?” »

Swingers are secretive.  Most tend to keep their lifestyle and identity private to avoid a myriad of potential problems.  Who wants their boss or even their mother to know they have sex with multiple partners?  (Except my boss at CL… he thinks I’m cool).  We tend to be evasive when it comes to where we go, how we meet people, and who we hang around.

Since being in the lifestyle, I am constantly amazed at who I run into at local swingers club, on swinger websites, and at swinger house parties.  At first I feel like hiding, or just leaving, but the fact is that you both are there doing the same thing.  Still, you can’t help but wonder how you didn’t notice that Mr. and Mrs. Smith from over yonder are swingers. How did I miss the cues?  I don’t remember them offering the secret handshake or wearing our club’s secret symbol. Read more “How to identify a swinger…maybe” »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming events to mark your calendar for. This weekend’s fast-approaching Valentine’s Day is a holiday for lovers – but if you’re heading to ARTpool’s MUSE show, it might be best enjoyed as a single (unless you enjoy getting slapped for ogling). That’s because the exhibit, inspired by “love, sex, nudes or Saint Valentine” showcases a lot of interesting work by talented St. Pete artists – but Saturday’s trendy love-fest is also packed with hordes of painted nekkid ladies (like the gal pictured right). Yep, they’re wearing nothing but some pasties, a bit of string, maybe a few feathers, and the work of some very lucky airbrush artists. Commence drooling.

If you’re more candlelight than flambé, try the GLBT Valentine’s Sweetheart Dance at the Coliseum, where you’ll find St. Pete’s cutest couples cuddling up on the dance floor, swaying to tunes of DJ Kaylee. Best part is, proceeds go to the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund, which helps local women in need.

More inexpensive, arty, fun, flirty, romantic Valentine’s events after the break: Read more “Valentine’s Day events in Tampa Bay : MUSE art show, GLBT dance, blow a glass heart for your Valentine, Pieces of Love Fabaret and more” »

Ryan Keenan, Pablo Alfonso, David Gomez, and Hayder Hassan made it from the Tampa mixed martial arts (MMA) scene to the big times when they were featured on the undercard of the Strikeforce Miami event at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. on Jan.30, 2010.

Although the undercard bouts were not aired on PPV, the event still marked a major career milestone for the four fighters.

It was also the very first time the San Jose, Calif. based MMA promotion, Strikeforce, hosted a fight card in Florida and showcased regional talent in the preliminary bouts.

The yet undefeated Ryan Keenan faced fellow Tampa MMA fighter, Hayder Hassan, who was coming off his first loss against Gerardo Julio Gallegos at XFC 9 last September. Apparently, Hassan had no trouble bouncing back from his recent defeat and passing on the buck by handing Keenan his very first career loss via KO at 2:42 in round two.

Pablo Alfonso also made his impressive Strikeforce debut in Miami with the fastest submission of the night after being featured at XFC 9 in Tampa last year. His Strikeforce opponent, Marcos da Matta, did not stand a chance against Alfonso’s lightning-fast and vicious armbar which earned Alfonso the win via submission at 1:47 in round one.

Read more “Strikeforce Miami features four fighters from the Tampa MMA scene” »

It is nice to imagine a time in the far-distant future when all of the earth-friendly and carbon reducing efforts being made today will have succeeded in creating a more stable environment. Of course, the sort of progress being made today can only continue if parents raise children who are ecologically-minded too.

While this can begin with the use of eco-friendly childcare products that include bottles, toys, and skin care items, it must go far beyond that. Today’s children live in a world that is much more aware of the need to reduce, reuse and recycle than in previous generations. Certainly there have been times when people were sure to retain some materials that were in short supply (such as in times of war), but modern consumers understand that it shouldn’t take extremes or scarcity to make us aware of our habits.
Read more “Raising the next ecoist” »

Since losing my job in December, the husband and I have been making decisions concerning our “wants vs. needs.” Unfortunately, my husband categorizes my pedicures as “wants.” I beg to differ. Granted, I have survived since early December by doing my own pedicures, this task is performed with much difficulty and frustration. I’m not one of those girls whose an artist when it comes to painting toenails, or fingernails for that matter. I get nail polish everywhere else on my digits except where it should be. And don’t get me started on the hot mess that is red nail polish, after which  my feet resemble an angry Jackson Pollock painting. Not only do I lack accuracy in painting nails, but for me to properly treat my feet, I have to bend my body into some seriously sadistic contortions, from which I’m often unsure if I’ll need 911 assistance to get out of. Read more “Diary of the unemployed housewife: pedicures, oh how I miss thee…” »

This week’s new music releases; for a complete breakdown of upcoming releases due out in the next several months, click here.

Fear Factory, Mechanize (Candlelight)

Ernest Gonzales, Been Meaning To Tell You (FoF Music)

HIM, Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice (Sire/ London/Rhino)

Hot Chip, One Left Stand (Astralwerks)

Jaheim, Another Round (Atlantic)

Lionel Loueke, Mwaliko (Blue Note)

Massive Attack, Heligoland (Virgin)

Dave Matthews Band, Live in Las Vegas (RCA)

Mimicking Birds, Mimicking Birds (Glacial Pace)

The Murder of My Sweet, Divanity (Frontier) Read more “New releases out this Tuesday, February 9: Hot Chip, Redman, The Watson Twins, Yeasayer, and more” »

For any of you citizens who are absolutely freaked out about the escalating federal deficit, a story in Monday’s USA Today should cause you to shudder.

The paper reports that Social Security’s annual surplus nearly evaporated last year for the first time in 25 years as the recession led hundreds of thousands of workers to retire or claim disability.

“Things are a little bit worse than had been expected,” says Stephen Goss, chief actuary for the Social Security Administration.   “Clearly, we’re going to be negative for a year or two.”
“The moment of truth has arrived,” says Rep. Paul Ryan R-Wis., top Republican on the House Budget Committee. “This is a wake-up call.”
Since 1984, Social Security has raked in more in payroll taxes than it has paid in benefits, accumulating a $2.5 trillion trust fund. But because the government uses the trust fund to pay for other programs, tax increases, spending cuts or new borrowing will be required to make up the difference between taxes collected and benefits owed.

Experts say the trend points to a more basic problem for Social Security: looming retirements by Baby Boomers will create annual losses beginning in 2016 or 2017.

But will anything be done about that?  As I blogged earlier on Monday, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan on Meet the Press said that in addition to raising taxes, Congress needs to look at ways to deal with Social Security.  But he said that it’s obvious that nobody in elected office wants to touch the “third rail” of American politics, to our detriment. Read more “Jeffrey Sachs’ plan on fixing the deficit will be ignored, but it shouldn’t be” »

The political book Game Change continues to dominate the best-selling charts, a month after its publication date.  Yours truly provides a review.

Everyone admits the federal deficit is becoming a serious problem.  But nobody agrees on what to do about it.  Which is why economist Jeffrey Sachs’ piece in the current Time magazine is worth discussing and dissecting.

Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha died yesterday at 77.  A controversial career and a controversial man, no doubt.  But also a man whose war record gave him cover to denounce the Iraq War back in 2005.

Download
the report here.

Godspell is a psychedelic adventure with a Superman-shirt-wearing, clown-face painted Jesus and his disciples, set in 1960/’70s NYC, complete with a stellar score and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (who’s getting a lotta play at the Straz right now; his runaway success, Wicked, is on the mainstage). Visit tbpac.org for more info. (Pictured: The cast of Godspell. Photo courtesy Rob/Harris Productions) Feb. 9-May 16, 7:30 p.m. Tues.-Sun., 2 p.m. matinees Sat.-Sun.; Performances are at 4 p.m. only on March 7 and 28, Jaeb Theater, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa, $31.50. Read more “Do It Today: Godspell at Jaeb Theater, Prairie Home Companion redux and the Vienna Boys’ Choir” »

It’s been exactly four weeks since Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime was published. Co-written by New York magazine writer John Heilemann and Time magazine’s Mark Halperin, it’s become an instant bestseller (currently #1 on the NY Times list) and reviewed in such non-political journals as Entertainment Weekly, so great is its gossip factor.

And it’s that gossip factor that has led commentators to blast it for being completely superficial, such as Salon.com’s Glenn Greenwald, who wrote last month that

the book is filled with the type of petty, catty, gossipy, trashy sniping that is the staple of sleazy tabloids and reality TV shows, and it has been assembled through anonymous gossip, accountability-free attributions, and contrived melodramatic dialogue masquerading as “reporting.” Read more “The value of Game Change: Trashy gossip or definitive history?” »

Here in the US we’ve had 0% job growth in the last 10 years.  That’s right, there’s been no net increase of jobs in 10 years.  There are multiple reasons why this is happening. Some of it is because the consumer economy is retracting and frankly needs less and less workers. Technology is also replacing millions of people and we’ve outsourced jobs overseas as a way to continue to cut labor costs out of production. Put it all together and there has been no job growth in the United States.  This is a reality that we knew was happening but we chose to ignore it during the good times. But as this recession continues, it is becoming increasing impossible to maintain our ignorance.

Even as we look forward to this recession ending, over and over again you hear the phrase ‘jobless recovery’.  And this makes a lot of sense considering we didn’t have job growth in the last 10 years when the economy looked like it was in good shape (Ha!).

So, when you mix a jobless recovery plus 10 million unemployed in the US, what are you looking at?  Well, it isn’t going to look pretty, that’s for sure. Literally  millions will remain unemployed or under-employed and that will not bode well for our future. But it is wrong to believe that we can’t create a solution to this.  We need get out heads out of the sand and recognize that the old model of the consumer economy’s measurement and monetization system no longer is sufficient to meet our needs. We have to come up with a new economic model.  It isn’t as hard as one might imagine. Frankly, it’s the strong suit of the United States—creating new solutions is what we do best!
Read more “A jobless recovery + 10 million unemployed = A wake up call and an opportunity” »

Longtime Pennsylvania Democratic Representative John Murtha died Monday afternoon due to complications from recent gallbladder surgery.

The controversial lawmaker was 77 years old.  He was first elected to Congress back in 1974.  A former Marine, he became the first Vietnam War combat veteran elected to Congress.

Despite that lengthy career, he received the most notoriety of his career back in 2005, when he became an outspoken and respected critic against the Iraq war.  He had supported the 2002 resolution to go to war, but he later blasted the Bush administration’s war effort, calling it a “flawed policy wrapped in illusion.” Read more “Iraq war critic Congressman John Murtha dies at 77″ »

As Valentine’s Day creeps around the corner, men and women are desperately browsing their partner’s favorite websites to find the perfect gift for the big V-day. While I was standing in the greeting card aisle, I got to thinking. Is it acceptable to keep gifts from your ex? By answering a few simple questions, you will know the proper ex-gift etiquette. Read more “Proper ex-gift etiquette” »

Arno and Irene Von Waltsleben — former owners of downtown St. Pete’s excellent Primi Urban Cafe — recently bought out an ailing sandwich shop in Pinellas and refurbished it into a casual Italian pasta and pizza joint. Georgio’s Pizza, Subs & Wings (6200 Haines Road N., Tampa), named after our their son George, will serve the usual arrays of pies and neighborhood Italian standards, as well as serving as the Von Waltsleben’s catering kitchen. For fans of their biltong — a type of South African beef jerky, kinda — they plan to make that there, as well.

So I had two songs on constant replay in my head all weekend – Prince’s “Purple Rain” and “Sacrifice” by The Expendables – one of the direct side effects of my musical adventures Friday night in Ybor.

My boyfriend (bf) and I had tickets to see The Expendables at The Ritz and doors were at 7 p.m., but I have to admit, the night got started a little late because of a surprise visit from my boyfriend’s older bro. However, we kept the party going far beyond the end of the show.

It was about 9 p.m. when the three of us stopped at The Dirty Shame to grab a beer before the show. The melodic vibes began early as the bar’s speakers blared “When You Were Young” by The Killers and “Lazy Eye” by Silversun Pickups.

My impatient pestering a little while later finally convinced the guys we needed to go, so we downed our beers and headed straight down 7th Avenue to the venue. And, perhaps we would have made it to the show by 9:30 p.m. or so, had I not heard a familiar laugh coming from The Boneyard as we strolled past. But I did, and inside having cocktails were two of my close Tampa girlfriends and their significant others, who I haven’t seen in months. Nothing makes a night on the town better than randomly running into your favorite people. Read more “Musicology: A night with The Expendables and other shenanigans (with video)” »

The parties have been great but now it’s time for the main event. There’s more cattle herd-style queueing getting into the official NFL Tailgate, but finally I make it and pounce on some wings and a tasty Blue Moon to wash it down. Daughtry is on the main stage, and while the guy sings pretty well, I find his dude-rock to be blander than the turkey sliders being served. Evander Holyfield strolls by toward the ultra-VIP “team area,” graciously posing for photos with fans, as does Tom Arnold in a pair of horn-rimmed specs. Mr. Arnold tells me he’s rooting for “the underdog” without hesitation and I give him a high five and a “who dat!” before he heads into the VIP as well.

Steve Winwood is the next (boring) pre-game performer but over in one of the side tents I find a hip-hop violin duo who are killin’ it with classical remixes of Flo Rida and Lady Gaga tunes. I get a green-screen photo of myself scoring a touchdown and am off to the stadium for the 6:30 kick off. Read more “The Scenestress at the Super Bowl: Game Day (photos)” »

B.B. King and Buddy Guy paid Ruth Eckerd Hall a visit this past Friday night and put on an epic performance for an audience of fans ranging in age from 9 to 90, all waiting in eager anticipation for the legendary blues artists to take the stage. [All photos by Fernando Garcia.]

Buddy Guy made his entrance in a shiny track suit, sneakers and leather Newsboy cap, and instantly began wailing on his electric guitar. His four-piece band backed him up on piano, drums, guitar and bass, moved side to side in unison as Guy moved and gyrated with every note played. He was extremely keyed into the crowd and their participation in and appreciation of the tunes. He was also an incredible showman, playing guitar backwards, on his shoulder, positioning it just right to hit notes with certain key body movements, and even plucked the strings with his teeth at one point.

The music was constant and fluid, like one big blues jam session. In the midst of all that crazy musicianship, he still took the time to tell a few stories, discuss a few songs and make a few jokes. He claimed blues musicians weren’t allowed to be profane until the invention of hip-hop. He also said there was no British invasion, “We had it all the time, we just didn’t know what we had.” He followed this claim with a tribute and comparison of Johnny Hooker and Cream.

Guy brought much soulful emotion to his vocals, and encouraged the audience sing to sing along to numbers like “I Just Wanna Make Love to You,” among many other. He segued smoothly from one song into the next, making it feel like one long number, seeming never really finishing any single song until he performed the title track of his last album, “Skin Deep,” seemingly one of the only songs he completed from start to finish.

Buddy Guy is a true bluesman and his set was amazing. He performed all his solos with incredible precision, demonstrated great control of his voice, closed everything out with a big finale, and got the crowed amped up and ready for more blues from co-headliner B.B King. [More pics + photo gallery after the jump.] Read more “Concert review: B.B. King and Buddy Guy at Ruth Eckerd Hall (with pics)” »