10 fun (and sometimes grueling) upcoming races in the Orlando area
Wanna stay active during the summer and fall months, but get bored running endlessly with no excitement whatsover? Look no further than these extreme races and fun runs around the Orlando area. From obstacle courses to splash zone courses, they cater to both the rookie runner and veteran track star. via Hunter Vision Watermelon 5K Before…
The Internet responds to news of Orlando DJ Disco Jr.’s death
[View the story “Orlando DJ Disco Jr. dies” on Storify]
YOUR DAILY WEEKLY READER: the new inequality, religious Hobbies, buffer zones and bondsmen
IN WHICH SOCIAL INEQUALITY IS EXTRAPOLATED FROM INCOME INEQUALITY. IN OTHER WORDS, WE’RE ALL DOOMED: “The American political system is overrun by money. Economic inequality translates into political inequality, and political inequality yields increasing economic inequality. In fact, as he recognizes, Mr. Piketty’s argument rests on the ability of wealth-holders to keep their after-tax rate…
Sex abuse ads featuring Disney Princesses cause controversy for the wrong reasons
A Middle Eastern artist-activist called Saint Hoax has created a bit of a comment section controversy over the weekend by releasing an internet ad campaign aimed at minors who are victims of sex abuse in their own home. The ads feature Disney princesses locking lips in an a very uncomfortable manner with their fathers, along…
Criterion’s summer 50% off Bluray/DVD sale starts online today
The most wonderful time of the year (or one of them) for film nerds, the twice yearly Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble begins today online, and in stores tomorrow (July 1). Be nice to your poor cinephile friends today, because they’ll be heartbroken if they can’t buy anything in this sale window. The sale…
See The Hunger Games: Catching Fire for $3
If you’re a Katniss superfan and want to see Daft Punk lead her and Peeta into the Quarter Quell again, or you just missed all the fuss the first time around, AMC Citywalk is having a special screening this week of the second installment of The Hunger Games. After circumventing the rules to win the…
Mini Maker Faire will be bigger than ever this year
Art by Makenna Whiteside, Photo by Joseph Grey In 2012, I wrote a cover story on the brand new, eye-popping/exciting event, Mini Maker Faire. During the process, I discovered FamiLab, an incredible hackerspace/community laboratory in Longwood, where I got lost in rows of electrical equipment and machinery in a high-tech fantasyland I never knew was…
SunRail train has “minor crash” with another vehicle near downtown Orlando today
It’s time to update the Days Since Last SunRail Accident website. We just got notification from the Orlando Police Department that there was a minor accident in downtown Orlando today involving a SunRail train. “There was a minor crash between a Sun Rail Train and another vehicle in the area of South Orange Avenue and…
Thank you, Internet: Disco clams and … Bisnuts?
It’s the last weekend of Bite30, so you should totally take advantage of that the second you bust outta work this evening. Until then, use these links from around the Internet to kill the last few hours of your day: via 1. So, first there was a cronut. And now? Well, Carl’s Jr. have given…
Location Matters: the Orlando Sanford Airport from ‘Passenger 57’
OSIA: always bet on it for safe travel to Allentown. Location Matters is a series that reflects upon pieces of Orlando immortalized in popular film. The Orlando Sanford International Airport: consistently in the top 30 of our nation’s busiest airports despite its size and comparatively remote bearings. In addition to shuttling travelers to such exotic locales as…
BREAKING (AGAIN!): Charlie Crist joins Orlando and Miami Beach in filing brief in support of marriage equality
This is all happening so fast! Within the last hour, Democratic gubernatorial candidate – and former Republican governor – Charlie Crist filed an amicus brief in the Pareto v. Ruvin case in Miami-Dade County. NOT SURPRISING! Crist has been pretty solid in his support for equality this go ’round, even speaking at a Pride event…
Bite Night is SOLD OUT!
The most delicious night in Orlando is SOLD OUT! Bite Night,the grand finale of Bite30, Orlando’s month-long restaurant week promises to be a night full of delicious treats, tasty cocktails and just a general aura of fancy. Benefitting Edible Schoolyard Orlando, the inaugural event will feature a celebrity chef cook-off and an array of bites from…
Space Fest: fundraiser involves crafty workshops, puppet shows and 8 awesome bands
They’re calling it “the most awkward conversation, ever,” and what better way for a humble DIY effort like the Space to publicly admit they need help ($$) on a flier for the upcoming Space-Fest. The idea is for those who have been positively impacted by the addition of this grassroots venue on the Orlando arts…
Special dinner with Bikenomics author Elly Blue
Elly Blue, the author of Bikenomics: How Bicycling Can Save the Economy and Sharing the Road with Boys is fast becoming a big mover in the world of bicycle culture. Her writing has been featured in The Guardian, Grist, Bitch Magazine, Bike Portland, Bicycling Magazine and more but this Monday Orlandoans will have the pleasure…
YOUR DAILY WEEKLY READER: choose harassment, drying Detroit, Obama’s science jokes
via sayanythingblog.com OF ALL THE PERSONAL FREEDOMS THAT NEED TO BE PROTECTED, IT’S THE NEED TO THREATEN INNOCENT PEOPLE WITH HATE SPEECH AND KNIVES THAT WE SHOULD HOLD MOST DEAR: “I went alone, I had no support, and the first time I could have real feelings about my choice in front of someone was at…
World Cup Brazil: Mama Said Knock You Out
Well, my Who to Watch players didn’t do much of anything in the group stages outside of Messi and Neymar both showing off their ridiculous talents. Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon, my goalie to watch in his swansong, injured himself the night before the first match and never played. Was that the difference between Italy going out…
Hundred Waters discusses the Florida scene they sprang from
Photo by Tonje Thilesen Although Hundred Waters relocated to Los Angeles, their Florida roots run as deep as our state’s springs, and experiencing their sound is a lot like diving into one on a balmy day: The music vacillates between thick warmth and shocking cold, with melodies both sticky and clean (see “Out Alee”). Their…
This Little Underground: Blackbird Blackbird & Beat Culture @ BB
This Little Underground is Orlando Weekly’s music column providing perspective, live reviews and news on the city’s music scene. Read the latest column here. Blackbird Blackbird at Backbooth (photo by James Dechert) The calling card of San Francisco’s Blackbird Blackbird (June 24, Backbooth) is a song-smart approach to electronic music that takes pop…
Wall Street Plaza is one of the best places in the U.S. to watch the World Cup
25 Fan Favorites from the USA vs Ghana Wall St Party The Boston Globe recently released a list of the five best places in the U.S. to watch the World Cup and sitting smack in the middle of that list is Orlando’s own Wall Street Plaza. We’ve been to the last two USA games at Wall Street,…
Panama City tween steals school bus, drives to Wal-Mart
Michael Wade Propst. Photo via the News Herald. 12 year-old Michael Wade Propst of Panama City has been charged with grand theft school bus after the youth commandeered a yellow kiddie wagon Tuesday morning from the home of its driver (said driver, 29 year-old Brandon Curtis, admitted to leaving his keys in the bus ignition…
Universal Orlando plans for 5th hotel and beyond
Yesterday, our friends at Parkscope uncovered recent filings with the Orange County Comptroller’s office that unveil Universal Orlando’s plans for a 5th hotel and beyond. Hot on the heels of the grand opening of the Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Universal and Loews Hotels will construct a new property on land between Cabana Bay and the Royal Pacific Resort. …
Orlando is the No. 1 most affordable summer destination (plus review snippets from the “affordable” hotels)
60 epic Orlando sunsets According to discount travel site Hotwire, Orlando is the most affordable summer vacation destination in the world. Yes, in the entire world. To come to this determination, Hotwire pulled its 25 most popular mid-to-late summer destinations and ranked the top ten, based on the average nightly hotel rates. Here’s the entire…
Police Beat: Orlando man suffers third-degree burns in grits attack
Around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, a conflict between 59-year-old Edward Holley and 29-year-old Darryl Devon Blacknell reached a brutal climax on King Cole Boulevard in West Orlando. Upon finding Blacknell playing poker with some friends on his porch, Holley said, “I’ve got something for you,” before going inside and returning with a pan…
Vegan Hot Dog Cart’s ‘Vegan Holiday Dog’ ranked best vegan dog in America
Now that’s a weenie. Everybody’s favorite anti-cruelty society, PETA, put their clothes back on long enough to announce that they’d ranked the Top Five Vegan Hot Dogs in America — and Orlando’s own Vegan Hot Dog Cart came in at No. 1! That’s right, VHDC serves the best vegan dog in America. “PETA has long known that meat…
From NIN to TLC: August music night covers best of 1994
via As much as I agree with Ace of Base and ritually don’t turn around, I’d be lying if I didn’t cop to my vulnerability to all things ’90s. So when I got an event invite this morning advertising a show called “1994 – a one-night event celebrating music and culture from the year,” well…
It’s complicated: Facebook’s history of tracking you
How Facebook’s “Like” button helps it track your online activity
YOUR DAILY WEEKLY READER: equality for Utah, weed racism, Virginia’s Medi-gate
via bilerico.com LET’S SEE IF UTAH’S RACE TO THE SUPREME COURT BEATS PAM BONDI’S BIGOTED LEGAL STONEWALLING(!) IN FLORIDA: “Gay marriage advocates won a significant court victory Wednesday when a federal appeals court upheld a lower court ruling in Utah that struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriages. The 2-1 ruling by a panel…
Moonmen From Mars debut new EP, plus screen ‘They Live’ and lure you with free pizza
In John Carpenter’s satirical sci-fi flick They Live, aliens are the evil forces responsible for driving humanity to spend all their dollars and live a Stepford Wives-like existence, without questioning the establishment (who are, again, ALIENS). For Moonmen From Mars’ CD release, they’re doing something a little similar – for $5, you can see the…
10 free things to do in the Orlando area this weekend (June 27-29)
25 fun things to do in the Orlando area this week (6/25 – 7/2) Are you looking for places to blow off your summer energy but not blow all your cash? Well, we have you covered. Here are 10 free things to do around Orlando this weekend. Decipher Find out how the dichotomy between science…
City of Orlando tickets Uber vehicles as “gypsy cabs”
Today, Bungalower.com reports that the city of Orlando ticketed drivers of multiple UberX vehicles, which began operating in the city earlier this month, for violating vehicle-for hire laws. Drivers, who use their own cars to take passengers around town, were fined $450 and had their cars towed. Why? According to the Bungalower’s conversation with the…
Beefy King to replace iconic sign
via TastyChomps.com The iconic Beefy King sign is about to become history. For the past 46 years, the little restaurant on Bumby has served regular folks and celebrities, both Florida-centric (Rick Scott) and national (Jimmy Fallon), alike. It’s one of those places that, if you haven’t eaten there, you’re not sure if you can really…
19 questions with an Orlando resident: Kelly Berry
Welcome to 19 Questions, a feature where we ask longtime Orlando residents 19 questions that are mostly related to living in the City Beautiful. Kelly Berry is a twenty-something professional artist who has spent her entire life here in luscious Orlando. She is not the same person as Kelly Berry Nabong, the basketball star of…
‘Cock’ portrays the pain of love, lust and betrayal
Dance meets drama in Mike Bartlett’s powerful play at Mad Cow
Universal’s Diagon Alley truly earns the “alternate universe” label
Opening July 8, the magical shopping mall sets a new gold standard
Rebuilding Bithlo
United Global Outreach hopes its success transforming the town of Bithlo can become a model for other struggling Orange County communities
Relief in Abstract celebrates three years of rapid success
The reputable electronic record label seeks to expand its roster to include new genres
‘Just Be Free’ charts new ground for NOLA’s Big Freedia
Album review: Big Freedia’s ‘Just Be Free’
Parquet Courts curate a grab bag of music-connoisseur influences
Album review: Parquet Courts’ ‘Sunbathing Animal’
Savage Love
I’m a bit out of your usual demographic, age-wise (I’m 70), but I am still an avid reader. My cousin and I have flirted and joked about getting it on together for about 50 years or more. Now she’s divorced and having the time of her life. The other day, she told me she’d really…
Ethics and the governor’s race
Rick Scott and Charlie Crist trade ethical filings as campaign gets dirtier
Support for medical marijuana
Letters to the editor
Opening in Orlando: ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’
Movies opening in Orlando theaters this week
Secret Cities creates the most majestic chamber pop out now
Album review: Secret Cities’ ‘Walk Me Home’
‘Obvious Child’ addresses abortion in daringly matter-of-fact fashion
Gillian Robespierre’s Millennial rom-com doesn’t sensationalize or treat topic as taboo
Get to know Relief in Abstract’s current experimental music roster
Abstract artists include XXYYXX, Fortune Howl, Marble, Spies on Bikes, Out Go the Lights
Which Florida politician should you be pissed off at this week?
Use this handy flowchart to decide who’s to blame for what ails you
Phantogram sticks to its icy, hip-hop-influenced creative guns
The band’s core duo, Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter, scale the dream-pop mountain the old-fashioned way
What to expect when you’re expecting a Trader Joe’s
The cult-favorite market is set to open Friday. How should you prepare yourself?
Drinking, Nightlife and Parties
Where to drink and party in Orlando this week
This Little Underground: Questlove’s three-night reign over Orlando
Live reviews of Deafheaven, Wreck & Reference, Bear Hands, Cage the Elephant
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19) According to an astrologer named Astrolocherry (astrolocherry.tumblr.com), Aries is the sign of the freedom fighter, the explorer, the daredevil and the adventurer. That’s all true; I agree with her. But here’s an important caveat. As you get older, it’s your duty to harness all that hot energy on behalf of the…
Kiko offers traditional Japanese and nontraditional vegetarian flavors
Experience the Wu clan’s tang at Jim Wu’s Winter Park sushi spot
They see me trollin’: Wolfie, Cheney and the importance of being earnest
Hey, Jesus: THIS is who I meant. Back when my father was a drama teacher, one of his best students was a guy named Dennis Boutsikaris. You may know Dennis by sight (if not by name), since he’s worked pretty steadily in the 40-plus years since Dad had him in class. He played Mozart on…
An early look at the downtown Orlando Magic entertainment complex
image via Orlando Magic Yesterday, the Orlando City Council approved a zoning change that brings the Orlando Magic entertainment complex one step closer to reality. Called the Orlando Sports and Entertainment District, the $200 million complex will house offices, residential units, hotel spaces and retail spots. The plan is to move 100+ Magic employees from…
This Little Underground: Jason Lancaster, Savannah & A Hero’s Fate @ BB
This Little Underground is Orlando Weekly’s music column providing perspective, live reviews and news on the city’s music scene. Read the latest column here. Jason Lancaster at Backbooth (photo by James Dechert) Lately, I’ve had the fortune of watching and reporting on good pop-punk around town but, really, that’s a lamentable minority these days.…
BREAKING: Attorney General Pam Bondi files motion to intervene in Florida gay marriage case (docs inside).
Around 4 p.m. this afternoon, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi made it officially clear that she will in fact be fighting the Pareto/Ruvin case in Miami-Dade County as a steward of the state who wishes to see that gay marriage is summarily displaced despite the winds of change blowing the hair out of her blank…
State Rep. Joe Saunders makes MSNBC’s “12 Gay Candidates to Watch in 2014” list!
With Pride month wheezing its last breaths of, well, excited breathlessness, it’s nice to see that Florida’s first elected (or second, depending on how you deal with tie matches that include South Florida Rep. David Richardson) LGBT state representative Joe Saunders, D-Orlando, is getting some black-and-white national recognition via a slideshow on MSNBC. Saunders, who…
Rethinking the City: Orlando’s Pedestrian Safety Problem event at East End Market
Rethinking the City is a monthly event and weekly radio show on WPRK that meditates on ways people can or are already engaged in positively changing Orlando and Central Florida. It began as a part of the Signature Series of events at Urban ReThink – the now defunct and greatly missed co-working and cultural events…
The Daily Meal: The Orlando area is home to two of the best burgers in the nation
via The Daily Meal released a list of the 101 best burgers in America. Two of those burgers reside right here in Orange County: the Hog Wild Burger at Oblivion Taproom and the B.B. Burger at That One Spot. They join delicious company like the Butcher’s Cut at Flip Burger in Atlanta (No. 78), The Father’s Office…
McDonald’s introduces ‘Florida Beef’ burger in France
Yep, that’s real Florida beef. Sock ray blue! As part of their “American Summer” promotion, select McDonald’s locations in France are now offering a “Florida Beef” burger whose recipe was allegedly “inspired by” our sun-soaked swampy shores. At the sandwich’s core are two chopped steaks (of course, the entire world knows Florida is often…
YOUR DAILY WEEKLY READER: melted awakening, sick dignity, panic in Detroit, gay mustaches
via guardianlv.com NOW EVERYBODY AGREES THAT WE’VE WARMED OURSELVES TO DEATH. WELL, EVERYONE WHO MATTERS ANYWAY: “More than a million homes and businesses along the nation’s coasts could flood repeatedly before ultimately being destroyed. Entire states in the Southeast and the Corn Belt may lose much of their agriculture as farming shifts northward in a…
Pearl Jam break into ‘Let It Go’ in Milan
In what I hope is my last ever post about Frozen, Pearl Jam showed they’re fans of the film on Friday at the San Siro in Milan. In the middle of Daughter, the band broke into the refrain from Let it Go, the Oscar-winning song from the film. In the past, Pearl Jam has used the same space…
