TNA Wrestling returns to Universal Orlando on March 13
TNA Wrestling returns to Universal Orlando on March 13 (photo: Wikipedia Commons) Good news for fans of the “squared circle”: TNA Wrestling returns to Universal Studios Florida beginning March 13, 2014. The league recently updated their website with a schedule of 13 events at Universal Orlando between March 32 and May 9. Most will be…
Broom for improvement: TV’s gender balance is still an American Horror Story
A love Supreme: Lange lusts for power Thirty years since high school, and nothing much has changed: All the cool kids are wondering who’s going to win the Super Bowl, and all I can think about is who’s going to win American Horror Story. The storyline for this season (subtitled Coven) has a bunch of…
Human Trafficking Awareness Day at Lake Eola Park on Jan. 25
via Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking The movie 12 Years a Slave depicts an awful scenario: a free man kidnapped and sold into bondage. The events of the film are disturbing, but in the minds of many, they’re also remote and more than a century old. Yet slavery is a much larger part of our…
Florida prison officials forced to provide kosher meals for inmates
On Dec. 5, a federal judge ordered the state of Florida to serve kosher meals for inmates who request them and are found to have “a sincere religious basis for keeping kosher.” After a 2012 lawsuit, the state had promised to comply in all its prison facilities, but has been “dragging its heels,” as the Jewish…
HAPPY KATIE PORTA DAY!: Disabilities advocate and friend to everyone gets her day in the sun
photo via Stephanie Porta I can’t really remember the first time I met Katie Porta, but I CAN remember the consistent streams of riveting conversations we’ve shared over the years about all things local, civic, political and meaningful. She is an inspiration to me for many reasons, not the least of which being that I…
Q: What are you doing this weekend? A: Watching Blue is the Warmest Color
Curious about what all the fuss was over? Blue is the Warmest Color, the 3 hour Palme d’Or winning film about two girls’ erotic journey from Milan to Minsk makes its way to most streaming platforms today. The explosive film follows the story of Adele, who spots a blue-haired pixie named Emma on the street…
Florida medical marijuana supporters say enough signatures have been verified to get issue on ballot
via theweedblog.com Today, United for Care sent a letter to supporters saying that state supervisors of elections have certified more than enough signatures on the group’s petitions to get a medical marijuana initiative placed on the ballot in November. So far, the organization says, more than 683,149 signatures from voters in various Congressional districts have…
Five for Friday: Be more productive, Padawan
You don’t want to do any more work today, do you? Here’s some links that’ll help kill the rest of your day: via 1. Frogs and bats are sneaky, sneaky animals. Did you know that they eavesdrop on other frogs? That’s not very nice! via 2. Here are 7 lessons from Star Wars that can help…
UPDATE: Boy Kong painting finished; bids accepted through Jan. 29
We blogged about Boy Kong’s online art auction for the Make-A-Wish foundation last week (if you missed it, catch up here). Well, he just finished the painting, and it looks like this: Go here to bid. As of this writing, the price is absurdly low at $125.
Watch Teen Agers’ new video for “Here We Go Again,” premiered on PureVolume
Teen Agers, the Orlando punk band comprised of members from seasoned and loved punk acts Go Rydell, Protagonist, Direct Effect and How Dare You, premiered their new music video for “Here We Go Again” on PureVolume this week, and it’s a must-see for fans of punk, obviously, but also anyone obsessed with C.S.I.-type shit. The…
YOUR DAILY WEEKLY READER: Looking for Crist, loving Virginia, hating Huckabee, hiding the cash
TAMPA BAY TIMES OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES ITS SUSPICION THAT THE CHARLIE CRIST CAMPAIGN IS SORT OF A MIRAGE, OR AT LEAST IN TROUBLE: “Sure, he announced a couple days ago that Barack Obama campaign manager Jim Messina is on board, and Obama’s digital director, Teddy Goff, has signed on too. Obamaworld has opened up a bunch…
In honor of National Pie Day, here are some of our favorite Orlando slices
According to the very official American Pie Council, it’s National Pie Day! You know what that means? Pie for dinner! Here’s our some of our favorite places in Orlando to get a slice of pie: via P is for Pie Located on Corrine Drive, P is for Pie opened last year. They have a ton…
It’s on! Makers of ‘Blackfish’ challenge SeaWorld to a public debate
It was SeaWorld that threw the first punch in the battle to put the spin on Blackfish, the documentary that uses the story of Tilikum, the whale who killed SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010 during a show at SeaWorld Orlando, as a platform to discuss the ethics of keeping orcas in captivity. Before it…
Orlando teen competes on American Idol tonight
via Need an excuse to tune into American Idol tonight? Tell the Judge-y McJudgersons that your only watching to see a local girl succeed. Last October, Emily Piriz auditioned in Atlanta and will be featured on tonight’s episode on AI. We wish Emily luck, but if spoilers are to be believed, she won’t need it, because she’s already made…
ORLANDO WEEKLY ON WMFE: Billy Manes on marriage equality and the pathetic death of organized hate
Listen now: Here’s the transcript of Billy Manes’ segment on WMFE 90.7 FM this morning (re-airing Saturday at 9:59 a.m.) The long, slow march to marriage equality in Florida got a little spring in its step on January 21 when six same-sex couples in Miami filed suit against the Miami-Dade County clerk of courts for…
Universal Orlando reveals name of new Harry Potter ride and Diagon Alley shops
Concept art of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida This morning (Jan. 23, 2014), Universal Orlando held a webcast to reveal more details of Diagon Alley, the new expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opening at Universal Studios Florida this summer. I’ll have a full breakdown…
YOUR DAILY WEEKLY READER: Where Justin Bieber, Lou Pearlman, abortion and marriage meet. POP!
via Popmatters OUTRAGE. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU QUIETLY ALLOW YOUR LEGISLATORS TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR BODY, YOU KNOW, FOR JESUS. PLEASE STOP: “The 22-week-old fetus’s lower extremities are deformed and it is impossible to determine its gender, the attorneys for the woman’s husband, Erick Muñoz, said in an emailed statement. ‘The fetus…
Cover show mania: A cautionary word for the promoters of cover shows
Cover shows are fun, and the funny thing about a good cover show is that it frequently leads to another. (Case in point: The recent Yeah Yeah Yeahs/Strokes cover show inspired next week’s Prince cover show.) I made a couple jokes a while back about people confusing the free Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover show for…
Disney’s Frozen comes to theaters in newfangled sing-along version
On the back of a Golden Globe win and two Oscar nominations, Disney is sanctioning your love for Frozen and its many original songs by releasing a sing-along version to theaters next Friday, Jan. 31. The sing-along version of the wildly successful film will feature on-screen lyrics and a bouncing snowflake for you to keep…
Prisoner Lou Pearlman is better than Madoff, worse than you remember
Though he may not have scammed $18 billion of unwitting investors with quite the Ponzi flourish of Bernie Madoff, former TransCon megalomaniac (and Orlandoan) Lou Pearlman is apparently appreciating his own half-billion-dollar racket in the context of Madoff’s from his low-security confinement in the Federal Correction Institute Texarkana, according to a new piece published by…
Goodosphere mashup: Haim’s “The Wire” x intro credits of “The Wire”
This picture also misrepresents the sadness and terror visited upon these boys. In which Goodosphere, with the help of Haim, makes The Wire into some DeGrassi High bullshit. Lo, this mashup of Haim’s pleasant song “The Wire” with the Season 4 opening credits of HBO’s gritty Baltimore drama (and pretty much the best show ever made), The…
YOUR DAILY WEEKLY READER: Medicaid expansion woes, new Koch and dirty tea
via fabiusmaximus.com REMEMBER ALL THAT STUFF ABOUT HOW OBAMACARE WOULD RUIN SMALL BUSINESSES? UH, IT’S THE JACKASS REPUBLICAN STATES WHO REFUSED FEDERALLY FUNDED MEDICAID EXPANSION WHO ARE ACTUALLY HURTING BUSINESSES: “Jackson Hewitt found that employers in Texas, one state not expanding Medicaid, could be on the hook for up to nearly $400 million in new…
Florida Bar sets its sights on 1-800-Ask-Gary, 411-Pain and other lawyer-referral services
Bar wants restrictions placed on one-stop-shop lawyer- and medical-referral services
Nashville’s Turbo Fruits headline Norse Korea’s anniversary weekend
An interview with Turbo Fruits’ Jonas Stein
Traffic jam at the expressway authority
State Attorney halts questionable ascent of former Rep. Steve Precourt
‘Clybourne Park’ chronicles the war next door
Theatre Downtown’s latest forces us to examine race, resentment and real estate
Bar Exam: Rogue Pub
We test out Orlando’s bars and give you all the answers
The Daily City Cardboard Art Festival returns to Orange Studio
Cardboard is among the most ubiquitous and unloved of manufactured materials, mostly known for filling our recycling bins and providing cozy hiding spaces for kids and cats. But stop before you break down that box: An artist could turn it into a work of art! That was demonstrated with last year’s inaugural Daily City Cardboard Art…
Gov. Rick Scott’s growing race problem
Legislative Black Caucus cancels meeting, calls intended negotiations with governor “fruitless”
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Actor Casey Affleck appreciates the nurturing power of his loved ones. “My family would be supportive,” he says, “if I said I wanted to be a Martian, wear only banana skins, make love to ashtrays and eat tree bark.” I’d like to see you cultivate allies like that in the coming…
Savage Love
I’m a straight 24-year-old female, and I just recently lost my virginity. I’ve had sex only three times and have found each time to be incredibly painful – even when the guy’s just using his fingers. I’ve always been extremely sensitive. In the past, I’ve had guys run their hands over my jeans, and even…
First Words: Hardly working
Hardly working Great column (“Rick Scott’s confusing jobs message,” Jan. 15). But it’s even worse in three ways: 1) Orlando’s record tourism growth has occurred during a virtual disappearance of our construction industry and massive decline in manufacturing jobs, so that local politicians’ goals of growing non-tourism jobs instead resulted in a larger percentage of…
Lucero embraces Memphis soul; can the world be far behind?
The stars could finally be aligning for restless rockers Lucero
Fresh-fried goodness at Hubbly Bubbly
College Park falafel shop serves up chickpea fritters, crisp-crunchy salads and juicy roasted meats
This Little Underground: Norsekorea’s big anniversary blowout
Roadkill Ghost Choir on Letterman, Perfect Pussy, Ex-Breathers, Suno Deko, Gnutzak, Jessy Lynn Martens
Craft beer battles, the return of La Coquina’s brunch and tons of new restaurants
Tip Jar: local food news
Gov. Rick Scott vs. Gov. Chris Christie
Recent revelations prove that Christie isn’t such a nice guy, but neither is Scott
‘Invisible Woman’ charms but never excites
Movie about Charles Dickens’ mistress Ellen Ternan may hold your attention, but not your imagination
Drinking, Nightlife and Parties
Where to drink and party in Orlando this week
Opening in Orlando: ‘I, Frankenstein’
Movies playing in theaters this week
‘Grady Kimsey: The Mind’s Eye’ at Crealdé gallery
Primitive masterpieces are a suite of stories told in miniature
ART FOR WISHES: Boy Kong online auction ends Jan. 29
via Redefine Gallery Local artist Boy Kong (right, with/in his own work) has been blowing minds and blowing up Instagram feeds since his earliest shows in Orlando. I first saw his work in a hilarious, candy-colored horror show called Anti-Happy Story Time! while scarfing a late dinner at Tako Cheena, but his show at the Peacock Room in…
Florida Clean Water Declaration Campaign local kickoff at Lake Eola Jan. 22
via Price of Sprawl In 2010, the Atlantic published a pretty dire prediction. It said that research showed that our city’s demand for fresh water would likely exceed the supply by 2014 if no steps were taken to reduce the number of gallons being pumped daily from the Floridan Aquifer, the underground body of water…
UCF represents at Sundance with “The One I Love”
There will be at least one UCF alum freezing their tuchus off in the snowy mountains of Park City, Utah this week. Premiering tonight at Sundance is The One I Love, a comedic drama featuring Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass as a married couple who make a weekend retreat in a last ditch effort to save their…
BREAKING: HERE WE GAY! Lawsuit filed in Miami-Dade aimed at overturning gay marriage ban! (Full complaint attached)
via Sun-Sentinel As previously suggested (or reported ), this morning Equality Florida and the National Center for Lesbian Rights announced from Miami Beach that they would indeed be teaming up to challenge Florida’s gay marriage ban in the courts. Though the move falls in line with recent historic efforts in Utah, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania (among…
YOUR DAILY WEEKLY READER: gay marriage, presidential Twitter-lynching, racist beards and more!
via fortheloveofbeardedmen.tumblr.com BIG FLORIDIAN GAY MARRIAGE ANNOUNCEMENT COMING THIS MORNING. HERE’S AS QUICK REMINDER AS TO WHY IT WILL REMAIN DIFFICULT, EVEN IF JUSTICE WINS OUT: “Now the movement faces its greatest test as foes complain that the recent decisions have leapt ahead of the public in those deeply red states and risk creating another…
