Daily Loaf

Since I was a kid I’ve always had a weakness for hula-hooping; I even bought my own a few years ago. Little did I know that hooping is more that just rolling the hoop hula-style around your waist.

I started noticing hoop dancers at  shows and festivals. These girls could wind the hoops over their bodies so that they’d flow like water, from head to ankle, out to their arms, and back again.

Abby is one of those girls; I met her at the St. Pete Saturday Market. She is a certified Hoop dancing Instructor, and is president and founder of St Pete’s own Hoola Monsters. She invited me to photograph some of her Hooping classes. Read the rest of this entry »

In celebration of J. J. Abrams’ bold decision to bring back the boots and mini skirts in the new Star Trek film, here’s a collection of retro pin-up-girl photos featuring current Hollywood actresses. Enjoy:

Scarlett Johansson:

Alexis Bledel:

More pics below the jump:

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Between free chicken at KFC and IKEA’s new grand opening near Ybor City, a lot of people are getting fried (no pun intended) by all the line waiting and excitement overload in Tampa this week.

Well, IKEA is having a fun, eco-friendly contest that you can create in the comfort of your own home but still get a little bit of that IKEA craving curbed for at least a few moments.

The new contest entitled, “Where has your blue bag been?” is an opportunity to share with the IKEA community photos, videos, or even blogs (me me me!) of how you may use or wish to use one of the IKEA blue bags. (Incidentally, for anyone who doesn’t know, the IKEA blue bags are the reusable shopping bags that you can carry throughout the store to put your super cool stuff in and can purchase for 59 cents.) Read the rest of this entry »

I headed there almost as an afterthought.  The sun was sinking in the sky, and I had the night off from work.  It was such a beautiful evening that the last thing I wanted to do was to go home and work on the computer.  So, I grabbed my camera and headed to Treasure Island’s drum circle. It had been over a year since I’d been there, so I called a friend to make sure it was still going on. She told me that “officially” the drum circle is every Sunday at sunset, but that people gather long before, and drum long after the sun sinks into the gulf.

As I wandered onto the beach, I saw hula hoops scattered across the sand, families relaxing in beach chairs and on blankets, dancers and drummers of all ages, sweaty, sandy and sunburnt — all sharing in a communal rhythm.

More pictures below the jump:

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On Earth Day 2009, Creative Loafing debuted its Green 100 list, choosing 95 people and organizations leading the way toward a greener Tampa Bay, and asking readers to nominate the final five.

On May 5 — 50 nominations and 6,180 votes later — we celebrated the winners and nominees with a party at Creative Loafing’s offices. Close to  200 people came out to celebrate, including Tampa City Councilmembers John Dingfelder, Mary Mulhern and Linda Saul-Sena; Joe Redner and the team from the Roosevelt in Ybor; former Hillsborough County Commissioner Ed Turanchik; Stuart Rogel from Tampa Bay Partnership — Green 100 listers all — plus many others from the list, including the top Final Five votegetter, Temple Terrace’s favorite son Grant Rimbey. CL Tampa Publisher Sharry Smith, CL Editor David Warner and the editors of CL’s new Green Community website, cltampa.com/green, Sharon Joy Kleitsch and Katie Machol, greeted the crowd, which included many of the site’s contributors. EVOS, Bamboozle, Whole Foods, Sally O’Neal’s Gourmet Pizza and 360 Vodka provided the green eats and drinks. Scroll on for photos and a slide show by CL bloggers Chip Weiner and Denis Baldwin, respectively.

The Green 100, 2009 (photo credit: Chip Weiner)

CL’s Green Community contributors

More pictures and slideshow below the jump:

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Today, I attended the “April Powerslide Rallycross” races at East Bay Racetrack (6311 Burts Rd
Tampa, FL 33619), one of my favorite places to kick some dirt around.

This race, one that’s held every few months, is an open call to anyone to bring most any kind of car they want out on the track. The track is a series of curved in and out of cones and barrel, set up for skill instead of speed. Helmets are required, but former training or experience isn’t. There were many people at the event today who has never driven rallycross, autocross or any other format of competitive driving.

More shots below the jump:

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models wait to go onstage at IADT's annual fashion show

I hadn’t seen daylight since about 1 p.m., yesterday. From then on I was the backstage photographer for the International Academy of Design and Technology’s annual student fashion show.

This year’s fashion show was titled Imagine, at the A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa.  I hardly saw the runway, instead I was in the back hallway, lined with rows of costumes, ranging from sea creatures, to bikini brides, and goth couture.  At any moment, depending on which way I turned the atmosphere could be chill, frantic or anywhere in between.

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Michelle Obama is very tall, about 5′11″ according to “official” sources (Chickipedia has her listed at 6′1). Look at this shot of her among the wives and partners of politicians attending the G20 summit at an event at Covent Garden’s Royal Opera House:

Not to be confused with the following photo from the book Wonders of the Rainforests:

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I could probably sum up my entire day at the AirFest air show at Mac Dill Air Force Base in just three words: “America, Fuck Yeah.” Never have I seen such blatant nationalism, mixing the chauvinistic strut and machismo of the modern military industrial complex with the power and beautiful of well engineered aircraft both of current militia and of days gone past.

More picture below the jump: Read the rest of this entry »

All photos by Chip Weiner.

See the rest of the pics after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »

When Creative Loafing puts on a party, it puts on a party! The HoneyPot (1507 E. 7th Avenue in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida) was the host for the fourth annual “Sensory Overload” party, a mix of live music, djs, circuit bending, models, artwork and booze. While not what I expected, it was an excellent collection of elements.

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In the market for a 1978 Ford Fairmont with only 110,000 miles, new brake cables, new tires and new shocks, all for $500? No? Did we mention it’s painted with the original maps from The Legend of Zelda?

If you’re anywhere near Corvallis, Oregon, hit the link below the jump (get it, Link?)

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Creative Loafing in Tampa celebrated the launch of its new Web site last night in our South Tampa offices with a night of music, food and drinks. Pictures below, courtesy of contributor Chip Weiner.

More pics below the break:

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After the jump, Oreo-chasing pigs, a Spider-Man sighting, night on the Midway and “I think I’m gonna hurl — again.” Read the rest of this entry »