Daily Loaf

Miss Destructo: Zombie Hunter

When you think of Orlando, you may think of Mickey Mouse and the tourist-filled, neon-lit strip of International Drive.  However, now all I see is Mickey’s zombiefied clone terrorizing tourists and International Drive becoming a twisted nightmare of ghoulish zombies … oh and Jake Busey.

My family has some strange traditions. For the last three years, we’ve packed up the whole crew to  go to Orlando for the horror-themed convention Spooky Empire (formerly known as Screamfest).  It’s a three-day-long event full of celebrity panels, vendors selling gory goods and infamously wild late night pool parties. Read more about Spooky Empire and watch the video after the jump…. Read the rest of this entry »

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As we report on tight and interesting races in the Best of the Bay Readers’ Poll, this category is always popular. Some view it as a good thing to be named a troublemaker; others vote it as a pejorative. We don’t care how you vote/view it as long as you vote in the poll.

Longtime reader fave Joe Redner is winning at this point. You have less than two weeks to vote (the poll ends Aug. 31). Vote now,

[About Daily Best of the Bay: Creative Loafing is posting writers' and editors' picks for Best of the Bay 2009 each day until the BOTB issue is released on Sept. 16. Vote now for your own BOTB choices in our Readers' Poll!]

All right, I must confess that I caught my real “first Florida” show before my St. Pete Times Forum/ Green Day experience. Stick Martin performed at Skipper’s Smokehouse in July, and it was a great introduction to the Tampa music scene, but the lineup at New World Brewery in Ybor City this past Saturday, August 15, was indeed the actual initiation. (King of Spain pictured at right.)

As a veteran Northwest concertgoer who recently re-located from Oregon to Florida, a place my sister described as “not being able to get any further away,” I had my suspicions that perhaps the music, the performers, the bands, the whole scene could also be “further away” from anything I was used to. Unaware as to whether or not those differences would be good or bad, I walked into New World with the “Ybor Square” sign looming in the backdrop and I felt completely comfortable, a surprise and delight.

First of all, it was my grand introduction to Ybor City. I’d heard many people say I needed to go there but the closest I’d made it was IKEA, which doesn’t exactly count. NWB was tucked in and pretty quiet when I arrived. I walked past a few people running around the stage area and a DJ setting up. A quick scan of the place left no indication of who was performing and who was just grabbing a drink or ordering pizza that smelled really good. It was still early. Read the rest of this entry »

Fri.-Sun., May 22-24: Fetish Weekend. Itching to break in a whip or have your nipples electrocuted? Toss your best fetish gear in the Honda and head over to Fort Lauderdale for the 14th annual Fetish Weekend. The largest fetish event in North America, this 3-day fiasco attracts 2,000 fetishists to its main ball and its themed socials: the beat & greet, alter ego, extreme players bash, and the pool party. Instead of a wine tasting or appetizer sampling, guests can mingle while “sampling” fetish gear and practices, from bondage to genital torture. Fetish workshops will cover all aspects of kink: pressure fetishes and objectification, body piercings, fire play, rhythmic impact play, and the art of cell-popping-semi-permanent branding with a searing point. Performances by Jackal & Hyde, Samar, Rebecca’s Rubber Room, Rubberdoll, and Ruby Luster. Dress code is strictly enforced so bring a few changes of your best rubber, vinyl, leather, corsets, sexy uniforms, fetish glam, gothic, kinky drag, and ultra formal wear. See Fetishfactory.com for more details.

Sat.-Mon. May 23-25. Caliente’s Memorial Day Weekend Bash. Poolside BBQ, nude gyro-sphere, caricatures, Jell-o wrestling, tiki bar karaoke, and a party later at Fiesta Night Club. 12-4pm. Caliente Resort 21240 Gran Via Blvd. Land O Lakes, FL 34637. Read the rest of this entry »

The first cruise I ever went on, about two years ago, turned out to be an unofficial swingers’ cruise… They had their own events in different parts of the ship (away from us monogamists) but they wore next to nothing at dinner, topless sunbathed on the Lido deck and nude sunbathed on the topless deck. Even the European guests complained. The best part was when the cruise line threatened to leave them in the Grand Cayman Islands if they didn’t start cleaning up their act … This was definitely a cruise to remember, and one that left me with fond memories of people I would never want to see half-naked again.

Read more vacation memories and plans for this year by clicking here.

Katie Machol is the editor of CL’s Green Community site.

What happened today, in the form of easy to absorb bullet points:

• Laura Reiley gets an early jump on Ocean Prime
• Go to any of the new restaurants that have opened recently? Let us know.
• Ethical foie gras? Looks like it.
• Free food at Five Guys — today only.
• Review of The Glenlivet 25 year-old Scotch whiskey.
• Five food trends for 2009.