Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

As I sit here and attempt to write dorky folk songs on my ukelele with sordid visions of Tiny Tim dancing through my otherwise uncluttered brain, I am going to pimp my band.  Specifically we have a show at Paul’s Tattoos in Plant City on September 9th.  It’s an all day thing, 9 bands, the show starts at 1pm.  We’ll probably go on at 7ish, but knowing how shows work, I would also like to add that my prediction is probably wildly inaccurate.

I’ve been remiss in writing anything here because I’ve been simultaneously trying to figure out my new job, record an EP and get the band whipped into gig shape.  So please, support the local music scene (I know, Plant City is far, quit whining) and come out and see a rockin’ show.  You can find out more about Ghost Town Gridlock at the myspace.  We’re not quite up to JGLB standards, but if my drummer keeps slacking I might have to borrow Ray Blade for a few shows.

Update 2006 Sep 28:  We had to close this post to comments.  Please use the new post to continue your discussion of the Trenton Duckett story.

AMBER ALERT - ENDANGERED

TRENTON DUCKETT

Date Missing: 8/27/2006

Missing From: Leesburg

County: Lake

Birth Date: 8/10/2004

Age Disappeared: 2 yrs

Height: 3′ 00″

Race: Asian

Hair: Brown

Weight: 35 lbs

Sex: Male

Eyes: Brown

Trenton was last seen wearing a blue and green striped shirt or no shirt, denim shorts and diaper. The child was last seen in the 1400 block of Griffin Road 48 and is believed to be in danger.

If you have any information concerning the whereabouts of this child, please contact the Leesburg Police Department at 352-787-2121 or 911

FDLE website

It is not your imagination. Your Tampa Bay commute has gotten longer over the last 5 years. 

• Eighty percent of the region’s commuters drive to work alone.
• Only 1 percent use public transit.
• Drivers in Pasco spend the most time commuting, averaging 28 minutes one way.

We need better mass transit solutions.  Now.

85 years ago…

August 31, 1921 – Fort Dade on Egmont Key is deactivated by the United States government. The fort, along with Fort DeSoto across the channel on the tip of the Pinellas Peninsula, was constructed during the Spanish-American War to guard the entrance to Tampa Bay. Remnants of the fort, along with the Egmont Key lighthouse built in 1848, can still be visited today.

Courtesy of the Tampa Bay History Center.

Here’s a great opportunity for you to get your voice heard on the subject of war. Asking you to weigh in on the war in Iraq and the war on terror is Ben Eason, President and CEO of the Weekly Planet (also Creative Loafing in Atlanta). Check out this new blog called Voices of War.  From Ben Eason:

I’m interested in seeing how a civil dialogue might occur online amongst interested friends. Please respect the groundrules and we will all learn from one another. I appreciate your willingness to participate in this dialogue. I would like to present several broad themes in this blog coming from different participants and then ask you to engage in a dialogue by leaving comments underneath the theme that you’d like to respond to. The blog is a public space but I would also like to try to weave these comments into an article to appear in Creative Loafing in Atlanta and Charlotte or the Weekly Planet in Tampa and Sarasota.”

Voices of War already has several contributors and Ben introduces each at the beginning of their posts. It’s just getting started and I believe Sticks readers would have a lot to offer. So check it out!

“You know that feeling you get when you’re about to take a test you didn’t study for? That’s how I feel about the primaries.” So said my girl friend Lexie, former WMNF reporter turned journalism grad school student. (She’s on the road to BU as I type.)

So over coffee we read through last weeks’ Know Your Candidates insert from the St. Pete Times and devised a quiz to test and educate you on the candidates banished to the back pages. Yes, we only used Dems (and nonpartisan positions). No, you shouldn’t use this to make informed decisions. Answers at the end of my column.

I find it difficult to vote for the circuit court judges - I’m not in law, what the heck do I know about selecting a judge?! I didn’t feel like the articles informed me enough and I wouldn’t want endorsements unless I knew and trusted the source(s). So I turned to another friend, a local attorney, for his input.

For 13th Judicial Circuit, group 25: Foster. Opponent Catherine Real has 3 pending FL Bar complaints against her and my friends’ friend used to work for her and quoted her as being “Mean.”

13th Judicial Circuit, Group 32: Caroline Tesche, on the other hand, is reportedly “very nice to work with.”

13th Judicial Circuit, Group 45: Ashley Moody is nice AND would bring fresh air to black robedom.

13th Judicial Circuit, Group 44: My lawyer friend used to work with Jesse Dominguez and highly recommends him.

Answers below:

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Since I am a huge fan of John Travolta’s hair the upcoming release of the Punisher: Extended Cut DVD caught my eye. With the recent proposals to build a movie studio of our very own right here in Tampa I think it is a good time to remember this cult classic. Cult in this case means the group of people that will buy any movie that is in the 99 cent bin at Wal-Mart. You didn’t know there was an untapped market of blind and deaf movie fans did you (Sunrise Cinemas are you listening)?

I remember watching the interviews of the director and crew who worked on the movie and being more that a bit surprised that although people had told them filiming in Tampa in the summer meant heat, humidity, and daily rain they didn’t listen. Shooting had to stop for the rain and dehydration became a problem. I guess nothing stinks up an action movie like your hero turning red and falling over from heat exhaustion.

I don’t like this review though. It is one thing to say how bad a movie The Punisher is but to then follow it up with …

PS: You lost me at Tampa, Florida.

… is just plain mean. Maybe we can score the next big Tom Cruise movie now that he is out of the Hollywood system? I see MI:4 shot in downtown Clearwater what do you all think? “This pamphlet will self destruct in thirty seconds . . . ”

Let me start by saying there is nothing better than front row at any concert. I have been lucky enough to sit front row for some, lets say, laid back shows. BUT this was to be the first ROCK show in the front row.

When we arrived Margi and I were more than pumped. Just knowing that we did not have to try and sneak up front nor sit a mile away! Then the thought of possibly meeting the band was overwhelming to say the least.

We headed in before Cinderella hit the stage, and found our seats. It wasn’t hard to do – we just had to walk to the front! We planted ourselves and waited for the show to begin. Cinderella is not my kind of band but Margi was singing along like no tomorrow. I found myself watching the “real” groupies and photographers on side stage, trying to figure out how I could get one of those jobs!

A few people made their way toward the front to stand behind us and we let it pass - it was only Cinderella. One couple with nice cameras offered us $100 for our seats. “Uhh.. Hell no.” I love money but now we all know where my priorities are when it comes to rock n roll. During Cinderella’s encore song we hit the stairs for a smoke and refill of our adult beverages. Outside we talked to some friends from westWayne, and met up with our group. Knowing we’d be inside for a while, we smoked and smoked…smoked and smoked.

OKAY, back in and to the seats we go. Ready, set, come on Poison! Why are all bands late?

The lights went down and the drums banged out the first beat! HOLY SHIT we are close! My hair is moving to the bass drum and my feet to the rest.

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