The Creative Loafing team prides itself on producing more Daily Loaf content each week than any individual could ever possibly comprehend. As such, you’re bound to have missed at least one worthwhile story from the pages of this blog over the last few days. Here’s a “greatest hits” list from the week that was, broken down by section:
NEWS
MUSIC
Movies, food, sex and Punky Brewster after the break. Read the rest of this entry »
Creative Loafing Editor David Warner made this announcement today:
Mitch Perry, who served for over 9 years as assistant news director of WMNF-FM and created the WMNF Evening News in 2003, joins the staff of Creative Loafing as News & Politics editor beginning September 21.
A respected voice in Bay area journalism with broad experience in covering local, national and international news and community affairs, he brings multi-media expertise and deep knowledge of the local scene to CL’s print and online publications. He has already won readers as a contributor to the Daily Loaf blog, where he worked with former CL Political Editor Wayne Garcia, and his appointment as Wayne’s successor reflects CL’s continued commitment to fair, thorough and intelligent coverage of the issues that are important to Tampa Bay residents.
“I’m thrilled that Mitch is joining our team,” said CL Editor David Warner. “I’ve long admired his work as anchor and reporter on the Evening News, and I’m looking forward to the new dimensions he will bring to CL — including that unmistakable Mitch Perry voice.” That voice will continue to be heard in a new daily CL podcast hosted by Mitch, along with a weekly print column, in-depth feature reporting and daily coverage in CL’s news & politics website, cltampa.com/news.
“The new owners of Creative Loafing have expressed strong support for good, solid journalism,” said Warner, “and this hire more than meets that standard. I’m looking forward to adding further depth to the newsroom as the year progresses.”
Perry, a San Francisco native, worked as an anchor and reporter for KPFA Radio in Berkeley, CA before his tenure at WMNF. He has moderated candidates’ debates in the Tampa Bay area, and regularly appears on local news and public affairs television and radio programs. He is a graduate of San Francisco State University and a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
This is it — the final episode, where we learn who is the Master of the Top Chefs.
I was quite impressed with this episode because they did away with the drama and really focused on the food (well, there was some nail-biting drama at the final judging). The chefs had to cook a four-course meal that told a story about their culinary career: Their earliest food memory, the experience that made them want to become a chef, their first restaurant, and where they’re heading in the future with their career. Their dishes were gorgeous (except for Michael’s whole fried fish) and made me want to reach through the screen to taste them.
Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi and the five former Top Chef winners joined the judges to feast upon the cheftestants’ dishes (yes, Hosea is still alive). We also got to see some old pictures of the chefs, from childhood to their early career days — not pretty pictures, these guys definitely were late bloomers.
Highlights: Rick Bayless’ orgasmic mole (mo-lay, as in, the sauce) which took Jay Rayner’s “mole [mo-lay] virginity”; our fantasy Padma-on-Kelly chick fight; Keller’s former life as a dirty hippie; Chiarello’s diss at James Oseland; Jay wanting to bathe with Gail in Chiarello’s food; and the revelation of the winner.
At the end of our podcast, we discussed the new season of Top Chef and ragged on the newbies (and their crazy body art), but tune in next week to hear our rants on the first and second episodes of the season. Yes, we’re continuing this podcast — much to your delight.
Hear the exciting podcast after the jump:
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:
Sustainable beer 101: A guide to growlers- Benefits of refillable beer jugs far exceed the lure of fresh tap beer.
Refresh your mind, body and spirit by reconnecting with nature- Living in such a busy world these days overloaded with technology leaves little time to get back to the basics and connect with the planet we live on. Take some time out of your busy schedule and reconnect with nature, which will balance you physically, mentally and spiritually.
Ronald McDonald gets a pie in the face from PETA protester- Ronald McDonald takes one in the kisser from a PETA protester who is against McDonald’s “controlled-atmosphere killing” of chickens.
St. Petersburg College and Tampa Bay green building chapter announce partnership- St Petersburg College’s Corporate Training Office announced a partnership with the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter (FGCC) of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to provide a comprehensive sustainable building operations training course based on the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating system.
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David Warner's (New) Desktop Filing System
I’m back to tell you that some serious clutter sorting, purging, and space-clearing began at the CL offices as we continue their green office makeover. Everything in the mail center, sales counter, and reception desk was evaluated and paper, supplies, and items that didn’t get used or add functionality were either recycled, donated, or discarded. Storage units, filing cabinets, and bins that didn’t serve a purpose in their current space were moved to a “staging area” we set up in the back of the office to be “repurposed” somewhere else later.
Next, we began to clear space in the lobby to make room for the ”very special something” for the community that I referred to in my first CL green makeover post . The half-empty wire bins in the lobby were disassembled and a simple, two-level rack to hold issues of CL was placed in a corner of the lobby next to the sofa, making the current issue easy to find and read! A table and bulletin board were also added to the space. You’ll want to know what this area is going to be used for, so stay tuned!
Video after the break:
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I distributed the following memo to the Tampa Creative Loafing staff this afternoon.
In the face of declining print revenues and an according shift of resources to web-first production, Creative Loafing is restructuring its editorial staff. Unfortunately, these adjustments have made it necessary to eliminate the position of senior editor held by CL veteran Eric Snider.
There is no question that CL will be a different place without Eric. He has made a major contribution to the company as a writer and editor, and his style, his street smarts, his charismatic presence and journalistic expertise have added immeasurably to CL in print, online, and in our day-to-day lives.
We will miss having Eric as part of the staff, both as a journalist and a friend. He will continue at CL full-time through the end of this week; after that, we hope to continue working with him on individual projects.
Sharry Smith, Publisher
David Warner, Editor
Nothing much else to say except that the recession sucks, that this was an extremely painful decision, and that it brings to four the number of layoffs we have had to make this year from an already small edit staff. And yet, in spite of everything, I’m still optimistic about the future of this company.
But Eric will be missed.
In episode 5 of ArtsSpeak, Creative Loafing editor David Warner talks with Marissa-Alma Nick and Tera Greene, the creative team behind the multi-disciplinary Peace Piece project and the dance opera “Take A Walk In My Shoes” which premieres February 24 at USF. This episode also introduces Brianna Kole and Lennox of The Fusionistas, CL’s new arts-and-fashion bloggers, who brought the Peace Piece to our attention.
See pictures below the jump:
Postell Pringle (at left in photo) is playing the title role in the American Stage production of August Wilson’s “King Hedley II.” He’s also the star of another famous entertainment vehicle with a number in its title: He’s Playboy X in Rockstar Games’ “Grand Theft Auto IV.” CL Editor David Warner (right) talks to Pos about his multi-faceted acting career, and Online Producer Stephen Hammill makes a confession: He killed Playboy, and he’s sorry about it.
After the jump, a photo of Postell Pringle and his virtual alter ego, Playboy X. Read the rest of this entry »
Lights Up: Editor David Warner and art critic Megan Voeller welcome artist Will Pappenheimer and the City of Tampa’s Robin Nigh (L to R in the photo above) to talk about Lights On Tampa 2009, the illumination celebration that will transform the Convention Center, the St. Pete Times Forum and other downtown sites starting January 10.
In the first episode of ArtsSpeak, Creative Loafing’s new podcast on the local arts scene, Creative Loafing editor David Warner (above left) talks to local actors Curtis Belz and Phillip Gulley (above right) about their roles in Six Degrees of Separation at Gorilla Theatre. Phil almost gossips, Curtis tries to explain why he keeps getting cast, and Warner reminisces about the good ol’ days (October, to be exact, when he played Phil’s dad in The Chosen).
I don’t want to, but I will. Thanks to my failed World Series bet with Philly City Paper Editor Brian Howard, I am ready and willing to run all the way up to the tarp seats belting out “Gonna Fly Now.” Brian tells me he’d be happy to accept as his reward a special delivery of hot pressed Cubans (as in sandwiches), but apparently there are evil, uncaring forces at the City Paper who insist on their pound of flesh.
However, we have to get entree into the Trop in order to perform this penance, and we haven’t heard back yet from the Rays‘ publicist who, for some reason, didn’t return our call today. We’ll keep you posted — but remember, Philly fans, there’s nothing like a delicious Cuban when you feel like a celebration. (Though I know you’d prefer to climb light poles and overturn cars.)
A note from Creative Loafing editor David Warner: As a former Philadelphian (and a former Bostonian before that), I might be expected to feel a little torn about this year’s World Series. Nah. Even though I know how much a Series win would mean for my erstwhile home town, the idea of the Rays winning it all is just too good a story to resist, and the players just too deserving for it to end any other way.
So, with my allegiance firmly in place, I have entered into a wager with Brian Howard, editor of the Philadelphia City Paper, where I used to work. We’re asking you to decide the, um, stakes:
Loading … Loading …You can also vote at the Philadelphia City Paper site, citypaper.net.
*PS: Howard was in town recently for a wedding, so to get an early taste of victory I met him for a cheesesteak at Delco’s Original Steak & Hoagies in Dunedin (that’s Howard and I in the photo above – he’s the one whose cap has a big “P” on it, the meaning of which is not clear). Delco’s, formerly La Spada’s, is reputed to have the best Philly cheesesteaks south of Philly – and you know what? They do. Even if I don’t wind up getting a special-delivery sandwich from Geno’s or Pat’s or some other Philly mainstay, now that I’ve found Delco’s I know I won’t go hungry.
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