Based on the novel by Edna Ferber, with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Show Boat has been reinvented by Asolo Repertory Theatre. Audiences have been moved by the show's timeless classics, including “Ol’ Man River,"“Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” and “Make Believe,” tastefully performed by the singers and the 11-piece orchestra led by musical director F. Wade Russo.

The cast of 25 well-versed actors and actresses draw you into a story of the people who live and work on the Cotton Blossom. The Cotton Blossom takes their shows to towns along the Mississippi River. [Photos by Frank Atura.]

The musical follows the lives of the performers on the Cotton Blossom during a transformative period in U.S. history from 1887 to 1927. Show Boat explores many poignant topics, including racial diversity in marriage and economic hardships that still challenge the world today.

It is a graceful production that beautifully fills the Asolo Rep’s Mertz Theatre, visually and musically, and it's wonderfully intimate too. At any moment you could look right over your shoulder and someone was there crooning soft lyrics, luring you into the occasion.

At its core, Show Boat is about Magnolia, the daughter of Captain Andy and his starchy wife, Parthy Ann. Magnolia falls for the charming and handsome Gaylord Ravenal, a gambler who leads her into a loving but troubling relationship. These two have what's far from a perfect-picture relationship, but you can sense the sincerity and tenderness between Marissa McGowan as Magnolia and leading man Ben Davis as Gaylord. Their voices stir warm feelings during “Only Make Believe” and “You are Love.”

Daniella Dalli as the troubled Julie LaVerne and a big sister to Magnolia, evokes a very different feeling with her vocal skills. She breaks your heart, singing “Bill,” and leads Magnolia and the kitchen staff in a rousing rendition of “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man.” Though all the performances were stunning, I found myself the most moved by Michael James Leslie as the deckhand.

In all I adored Asolo's production of Show Boat. The set was beautifully transformed into the back deck of the Cotton Blossom, with curved wooden staircases and fading paint. The costumes by Amy Clark’ were full of eye-catching color and style, and the lighting set the mood perfectly, making us feel at some moments like we were sitting in the moonlight pondering our own thoughts.

In the end, love didn’t quite conquer all, but love did return to start anew.

Show Boat runs through Dec. 29. Tickets are $29-$75. Asolo is at 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets are also available by calling the box office at 941-351-8000 or 800-361-8388 or by visiting asolorep.org.

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Presented by WMNF-88.5 FM Community Radio and the Studio@620 multipurpose arts venue, the Radio Theatre Project Live series gets in the spirit of Christmas, offering the kind of holiday entertainment folks enjoyed before screens dominated the world.

The program includes the comedic “Plot to Overthrow Christmas,” a 2008 retelling of a show by Norman Corwin and the CBS Columbia Workshop, which rhymes like Dr. Seuss, even though it took place several years before the books hit the stands. It's a 35-minute tale that depicts Nero playing the violin in hell, where he's roped into an assassination plot targeting Santa Claus.

In "Another Merry Christmas" by Jim Wicker, Santa returns home from his annual trip around the world delivering gifts, but he's not his usual jolly self. Santa’s personal elf assistant, Izzy, helps him get back into the Ol' St. Nick spirit.

For "Noel!! Noel!! The Continuing Adventures of Noel Berlin, Cabaret Detective," Paul Wilborn and Matt Cowley bring us more murder and mayhem with a yuletide twist, plus a Christmas cabaret sing-along and surprise gifts and treats.

RTP Live's shows, recorded before a live audience and broadcast later on WMNF, are full-cast productions with actors and live sound effects. Though the programs are in the tradition of the golden age of radio theater, it is not old-time radio — expect contemporary stories with a modern sensibility. The scripts and performers are courtesy of a joint project between the Studio@620 and WMNF Community Radio, which received a grant from the Florida Humanities Council to feature plays based in Florida and/or written by Florida authors. Performances are at the Studio@620 in St. Petersburg, and broadcast on Soundstage, a radio theater show on The Source, WMNF’s digital talk and arts channel.

Mon., Dec. 16, 7 p.m. The Studio@620, 620 First Ave. S., St Petersburg. $10 suggested donation (pay what you can). 727-895-6620. studio620.org.

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Ron Burgundy loves scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch.

And now, thanks to Riviera Imports, everyone can get a taste with Ron Burgundy Great Oin's Raven Special Reserve Scotch.

Bottled in Scotland's Old St. Andrews Distillery, Ron Burgundy scotch is made with 60 percent malt and 40 percent grain blend, with whiskies from Speyside, Highlands and Islay. We hope it tastes like many leather-bound books and rich mahogany.

"Not just for Anchorman fans, Ron Burgundy Blended Scotch Whisky is produced for budding Scotch connoisseurs and traditional Scotch enthusiasts alike," Riviera Imports CEO Ed Caan said in a press release last week.

According to Caan, every $25 750 ml bottle comes with a stand-up display of Ron Burgundy. "As the promotion suggests, this is Kind of a Big Deal," he said. Ben and Jerry's also released their scotchy-homage to Burgundy last week with a new flavor, Scotchy Scotch, Scotch. Both releases coincide with Ron Burgundy's next chapter, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, which hits theaters Wednesday, December 18.

Now, here's something to help that scotch go down into your belly.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued their desultory season yesterday by losing to the San Francisco 49ers, 33-14. Even though it seemed as if the Niners dominated most of the afternoon in terms of who was in control of the game, the fact of the matter was that the Bucs were still in the game early in the 4th quarter after a touchdown, trailing just 20-14. That's when Colin Kaepernick, the Niners' much maligned second-year starter, took San Francisco methodically down the field and made several great plays during a masterful 10-minute drive that culminated with a field goal by Phil Dawson. That put San Fran up by nine points with just 4:27 to play. A subsequent Bucs fumble on the ensuing kick-off led to another Niner touchdown and the lopsided final score.

But you all know that if you watched the game. What surprised the heck out of me was the number of 49ers fans in attendance, at least where I was sitting up in section 335. Though I've lived in Tampa for 14 football seasons now, this was only the third time the Niners have played in Tampa during that time (the two teams have met each other the last four times in SF). Both previous games in Tampa were during the Jon Gruden era, a 2002 playoff game and a 2004 regular season game, and both times the Bucs dominated. But yesterday it was amazing to see (and hear) so many Niners fans wearing vintage jerseys (and not just of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, but 90's stalwarts like Bryant Young). The Niners came breathtakingly close to winning the Super Bowl last February, and still look good enough to get back there, but mark my words — what may stop them is they can't finish drives. Too many field goals, not enough touchdowns.

Colin Kaepernick is a big reason why the Niners won yesterday. His stats were good but not great, but they never really are (the Niners are actually last in the league in passing statistics). It's his intangibles as a running quarterback that make him special. It's interesting because the 26-year-old is still only in his first full year as a starter, yet he's been criticized a lot by some "smart" people in the NFL as maybe being a bit overhyped after his sensational 2012 season; then again, these are the same folks who counted out Carolina's Cam Newton last year, and are already ready to dismiss Robert Griffin the III in D.C. That's lame.

In any event, it was a great afternoon — perfect weather as far as I was concerned (mid 60's) — but though enough tickets may have been sold before the game began to qualify as a sell-out, there were lots of empty seats throughout Raymond James. As far as the Bucs go? I'm not sure what to say about that. Some question whether Greg Schiano deserves to come back next season. They were 7-9 last season and 4-10 so far this year. Next up? Going to St. Louis, who thoroughly whipped a very good New Orleans Saints team last night.

…

This past weekend marked the one-year anniversary of the mass school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. There were numerous events around the country marking that horrific event, including one early Saturday morning in East Tampa.

…

The Senate convenes in Washington this week, only to leave in a few days for their Christmas break. At some point before Friday they're expected to vote on the budget deal reached in the House last week. The Republicans point man on the deal, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, is getting loads of verbal abuse from Tea Party activists and others who feel like he sold them out. Yesterday on Meet The PressRyan essentially told those critics to get over it, following the lead of House Speaker John Boehner last week.

One of those Republican critics of the deal is Florida's own junior U.S. Senator Marco Rubio. But his (over?) zealous reaction to the deal has brought him a great deal of criticism as well.

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4th Annual Comedy Explosion organizer and comedian Robby Slowik has selected a pair of worthy charities to benefit from the event's $10 suggested donation — Ronald McDonald House and FAAST (Florida Alliance For Assistive Services and Technology). And once again, he's put together a full lineup of working comedians and local talent to keep the a New World Brewery audience laughing on Dec. 19.

Performers include J.B. Ball (a regular at local comedy clubs and venues across the southeast), Law Smith (2013 Florida's Funniest Comedian semi-finalist) and Matt Fernandez (2012 Florida's Funniest Comedian finalist). They'll accompany Slowik and Sandro Iocolano, who are both longtime Tampa residents who now work their craft in Los Angeles.

The comedy will be adult-themed and the premises will range from inappropriate to absurd, but the charities are real and the amount raised should be significant: The show normally draws close to 150 people and they're pushing for 200 this year. If "charity,""beer," and "laughs" are on your holiday to-do list, this is the place to cross off all three and have a blast doing it. Thurs., Dec. 19 at New World Brewery, 1313 E. Eighth Ave. Doors open at 8 p.m. facebook.com/newworldbrewery.

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It's not a surprise that members of HART, Hillsborough County's transit agency, aren't fond of the prospect of merging with their Pinellas County counterparts, PSTA, and they cheered when the idea seemed to wither after an initial study was released last year.

But the merger — pushed predominantly by Clearwater area state Senator Jack Latvala — is still very much a possibility. Latvala called for a new study to be conducted during last year's legislative session, and the accounting firm KPMG will present the findings to the state Legislature in February.

With that report just weeks away from completion, HART chair Fran Davin said today that she is troubled regarding the lack of discussions between the two transit agencies over the past year. Davin said that she has reached out "repeatedly" to both PSTA's executive director Brad Miller and outgoing chairman Jeff Danner for months with no success.

"I think it's really questionably procedurally to have something as important as the consideration of merging two deep entities and there's been no communication between the two entities," Davin said.

Staff members of both agencies have been meeting over the past year, but the policy makers have not.

Of course, members of PSTA have certainly been busy in recent months. A ballot measure that would raise the sales tax in Pinellas to pay for construction of a light-rail system that runs between Pinellas and Clearwater has been their major focus in 2013, and the Pinellas County Commission officially approved the measure to put on next November's ballot last week.

CL spoke to PSTA executive director Brad Miller after today's HART meeting. He said that Jeff Danner was contacted by Davin this past summer about a get together on the KPMG report, but said officials with TBARTA said there was no reason to have a policy meeting that early in the process.

When asked if he could contemplate such a meeting with HART members, Miller said there "may be" such a need before the study is sent to the Legislature.

The first study analyzing a merger between HART and PSTA was produced by McCollom Management Consulting was released late last year. It said it would cost more than $1.1 million for a formal partnering of the transit services and about $1.9 million for a full merger. But it also reported that $2.4 million could be saved annually by consolidating senior staff.

"The KMPG study is by virtue of the HART board insisting on a much more detailed quantification of the potential cost savings. That is what it has been focused on, " Miller said of the new merger study.

Marco Sandusky, HART's Manager of EEO and Compliance Programs, said that KPMG was reviewing the earlier study and looking "deeper" at some issues brought out in that report.

Many HART members have expressed skepticism about the benefits of such a merger, concerns that were again referred to on Monday. HART board member Kevin Beckner said that he failed to see how two different agencies from across Tampa Bay would be able to consolidate as one and still be able to serve their respective constituencies. "To merge them into one organization and be able to serve all of those people on both sides of the Bay, I just don't see how that works," he said.

The study is expected to be sent to TBARTA's board on Jan. 24, and to the Legislature on Feb. 1, as is mandated by the bill passed in the Legislature earlier this year.

PSTA has formed a subcommittee to review the KPMG study that will be meet on Jan. 17. HART board members who met as the Finance, Governance and Administration Committee decided today that they should bring in their full board for a meeting on the upcoming study, also on Jan. 17.

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On Friday, the D.C. political websiteThe Hill reported that CD 13 GOP candidate Kathleen Peters has been tardy in paying her home and business property taxes in recent years. Actually she and her husband Michael were late 10 times in the past 15 years, and were late in paying taxes every year from 2000-2007, resulting in a total of $889.02 in late penalties and fees levied on the property.

Peters spokesperson Mark Zubaly pooh-poohed the import of this revelation, telling the website that those late payments never resulted in a lien on her properties and were always paid within a year that they were due.

Certainly voters in CD 13 can decided on their own how relevant this information is. Those same voters will also have to judge her main GOP challenger, David Jolly, who contributed to a number of Democrats running for re-election, including now-disgraced Illinois Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.

But what amuses is how Zubaly attempts to spin the story, according to The Hill:

Zubaly cited the difficulty of running a business in a tourist area as the main reason for the late tax payments on the convenience store.

"We have a tourism-based economy [in Pinellas County]. It really can ebb and flow depending on different things happening around the country," Zubaly said.

"Whether it be 9/11 or oil — we had a barge hit the skyway a few years back … these things affect tourism. And he has a business that was on the beach that was totally at the mercy of the tourist season," he added.

That barge that hit the skyway "a few years back" actually happened in 1980, a few decades back. Shouldn't there be some sort of statute of limitations on invoking how the vulnerable the Gulf Coast economy can be?

Meanwhile, the Jolly camp is touting the endorsement they received on Monday from the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).

“David has a history of advocating for pro-business issues, specifically those impacting the commercial construction industry,” said ABC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter President and CEO Steve Cona III. “He understands the free enterprise principles our association was founded on, and we look forward to working with him in Washington D.C.”

ABC previously endorsed Kathleen Peters in her race for state House last year and Democratic candidate Alex Sink when she ran for CFO in 2006. All three candidates filled out questionnaires, but Steve Cona III told CL that, "We worked with David Jolly when he was a member of Congressmen Young’s staff and our association believes David’s knowledge and experience with federal issues makes him the best candidate to represent the people of CD 13. David met with our chapter’s board of directors last week and after the meeting they voted unanimously to endorse him."

Later in the day, the Kathleen Peters campaign announced that Dunedin Mayor Dave Eggers and Commissioners Julie Scales and Heather Gracy had endorsed Peters in the CD13 GOP primary.

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Prinzzess Felicity Jade repeatedly ripped open my pearl snap shirt while I attempted to ask her sophisticated questions about her sex life and mulch. Her motives were unclear. Had she heard stories of my mannishly smooth chest? Did she crave the sight of a topless man after filming so many girl-girl sex scenes? Was she eager to do some sexually harassing of her own after meeting so many overzealous fans at the AEE Expo?

Whatever her motives, one thing was abundantly clear: Prinzzess is an expert at removing clothes. Truly. She has won national awards for her strip teases. As if to jog my memory from the last time I saw her perform, she flashed me a glimpse of what lay beneath her blue dress at the end of our interview.

While this conversation occurred almost a year ago at the 2013 AVN Awards in Las Vegas, the memory still haunts me like a persistent bout of morning wood that stays with you long after waking.

India Summer told me she recently took your anal virginity on film.

Yep. The scene is actually nominated for an AVN award.

If you win, who gets to physically keep the award?

We’ll share it like a kid. She gets it one month. I get it the next.

Have you won an AVN yet?

Not an AVN. I won the NightMoves award for 'Best Feature Dancer.'

Has the award helped you book more feature dancing gigs, or up the price you can get for club appearances?

I haven't noticed a difference yet. I just won it a few months ago. I stay pretty busy. I did something like 24 clubs last year. That’s a lot of clubs.

I've seen a few of your routines. You have the cupcake routine. The magic act—

The army girl, cowgirl, biker, schoolgirl. I’m making an awesome angel outfit. I’m hoping to put some magic in that. It’s going to be hot. It’s going to be an all white, burlesque angel. I’m making it myself. I just got all the feathers for the wings.

Where do you come up with the ideas for you routines?

I just see things I like and put them together and make them work for me. Have you seen the magicians who elevate?

I've seen magicians levitate?

Haha. Yeah. I’m going to levitate with the angel outfit. My friend is a magician. He’s going to hook me up. I'm also thinking about making doves appear.

Is it legal to unleash doves in a strip club?

I saw him do it once.

Do you train them to fly back to the cage or do you just let them loose.

He just puts his doves on a perch.

How many of your younger sisters are you younger than this year?

I’m the oldest.

I know, but every year they seem to get older while you stay the same age.

I don't know what you're talking about. I’m 24. I’m still just 24.

How is your ranch going?

Well. I’m planting trees and I’m thinking about putting a pool in this summer.

Do you have a horse yet?

Not yet. I only have 5 acres in Florida. I have 220 acres in Belize.

How is your mulch situation?

I have a ton of mulch. It will still be another year and a half until that turns into dirt. But I’m going to get another layer of mulch so it could be up to 4 years before I can plant grass.

What’s the stupidest question you’ve been asked today?

A guy asked me if I “hail Mary Jane.”

Have you gotten up close and personal with any smelly fans yet?

Not yet. So far it has been good. Here they have to stay on the other side of the table.

When you take photos with fans, do any try to grab your ass?

Not this time. That happened a whole bunch in Berlin at the Venus Awards. They are all grabby there.

How is the porn scene over there?

It’s crazy. Their expo is pretty big. They even had live sex shows.

Did you watch one?

I didn’t. I figured it wasn’t anything I wanted to see.

Would you ever do a live sex show?

I don’t think so. Maybe with another girl... Does your shirt have snaps?

Maybe.

I’ve been eyeing it this whole time. It’s like nails on a chalkboard. It irritates me that I haven’t ripped it open yet... May I?

You may.

[She rips my shirt open in one quick movement.] Much better. Now it won’t irritate me.

Do you party at the AVNs or do you go hide in your hotel room after the convention each night?

I might stop by a party. Someone pointed out that my name is on a flyer for a swinger party.

You’re going to a swinger party?

I’m thinking about stopping in.

With a boyfriend?

No, I’m here by myself.

You didn’t even bring any of your sisters?

Nope. I got tired of them. I don’t know yet. I’m not going to get involved in the swinger party, but I may stop in and see what’s happening.

Follow Prinzzess Felicity Jade on Twitter at, @RealPrinzzess, and see explicit content of her at Prinzzess.com.

Follow Alfie on Twitter or Facebook and email him here

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It was exactly nine years ago yesterday, December 16, 2005, when the New York Times revealed that George W. Bush had secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the court-approved warrants ordinarily required for domestic spying.

As we've learned since then (thanks mostly to Edward Snowden), the surveillance begun under President Bush has only escalated under President Obama and hasn't slowed down at all, despite concerns from civil libertarians, members of Congress, world leaders and others.

But that may end now. Yesterday a federal judge ruled that the NSA's daily collection of virtually all Americans’ phone records is almost certainly unconstitutional.

“I cannot imagine a more ‘indiscriminate’ and ‘arbitrary invasion’ than this systematic and high tech collection and retention of personal data on virtually every single citizen for purposes of querying and analyzing it without prior judicial approval,” said Richard Leon, a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. “Surely, such a program infringes on ‘that degree of privacy’ that the founders enshrined in the Fourth Amendment."

This is the first time a judge has ruled against the NSA in their surveillance campaign. Then again, it hasn't exactly been a fair legal fight, has it? The previous courts who have ruled in favor of the NSA (the FISA court) have only had to hear the government's side of those cases.

By the way, the ruling comes the day after CBS'60 Minutes lost some more credibility as our finest news program, giving NSA officials a broad platform to tell "their side" of the story, in a report that has been maligned by national security reporters from across the country.

In other news:The Tampa Bay Times this morning endorsed Kathleen Peters in the CD13 Republican race for Congress that takes place next month. The endorsement comes after a Washington political website reported that Peters and her husband were late in paying their taxes 10 times in 15 years. But what caught our attention to the story was the comment made by Peters' spokesperson.

And a second report on what would happen if the transit agencies of Hillsborough County (HART) and Pinellas County (PSTA) were to merge is being prepared right now, bringing out familiar criticisms and concerns from HART board members who think the whole idea is a big mistake.

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Tonight, aestheticized and Crowbar welcomes Slow Magic to the stage for a Tuesday night of dance and grooves.

Slow Magic is an indietronic DJ/producer who keeps his identity a mystery (no aka’s here), dons hand-crafted glow-in-the-dark equine-inspired tribal masks when performing live (ala SBTRKT, see photo), uses symbols in place of album titles (see last year’s ∆), and delivers shimmering chillwave instrumentals studded with samples, treated with effects, carried on mid-tempo beats and imbued with light world flavor. Support on this night from Spies on Bikes and Young Egypt

All in all, the perfect preface to the usual All Good Tuesdays festivities, which carries on as per usual with Soft Rock Renegades after Slow Magic performs. Admission to the show is $10; All Good is free. Check out a few Slow Magic videos — both live and produced — after the jump...

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Next season, NCAA Division 1 football will move away from its 15-year experiment with the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in favor of a four-team playoff system. The first championship game under the new format will be played at Jerry World AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Glendale, Arizona (near Phoenix), the home of the Arizona Cardinals, will host the game in 2016.

The big news in Tampa Monday afternoon was the revelation that the city will play host to the 2017 college football championship game, which is just a little more than three years away.

Many people, including President Obama, had been critical of the BCS, but more often than not the final game provided the country with a showdown of what the consensus said were the two best teams. That's certainly true of next month's game between Florida State and Auburn, currently ranked numbers one and two, respectively.

In addition to the college game, changes may be coming to the National Football League (NFL) as well. U.S. Senator Tom Coburn wants to alter the current tax system, which allows professional sports leagues in a plethora of sports (not just football) to pay no taxes.

Called the PRO Sports Act, the bill would ban pro sports leagues with more than $10 million in revenue from receiving tax-exempt status. When he introduced it in September, Coburn said, “Tax earmarks are essentially tax increases for everyone who doesn’t receive the benefit. In this case, working Americans are paying artificially high rates in order to subsidize special breaks for sports leagues. This is hardly fair.”

The NFL office earned $184.3 million in 2010, while being exempt from any federal income taxes. It is officially a 501(c)(6), a nonprofit category that includes chambers of commerce, trade groups, real estate boards, and a handful of other sports leagues.

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The third and final week of releases for December (the last two weeks are Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, respectively) is pretty hip hop heavy. Info and links for the ones you want to know about most below, with audio & video for your listening and viewing pleasure. Click here to check out releases that dropped over the past few months.

B.o.B., Underground Luxury (Grand Hustle/Atlantic)
The Atlanta emcee otherwise known as Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. is one of the few in the game with balls enough to issue his third and latest studio LP directly before the holidays. Likely it's because he currently has a track off the album that's still rising on Billboard, the bumpin', super catchy whistle-fueled "Headband" featuring 2 Chainz; it's currently resting at No. 13 on the Rap Songs charts and No. 64 on the Hot 100. I'm definitely a fan — or at least, I will be until the radio stations start overplaying it. Check it out after the jump along with the rest of releases on this light week ...

Sarah Borges, Radio Sweetheart (Modern Trick)
The fourth studio album from the singer-songwriter New York Times has called "a modern-minded honky tonker" straddles the line between Americana and indie rock, and was produced by Steve Berlin (Los Lobos).

Disclosure, Settle — The Remixes (PMR/Island)

Hieroglyphics, Kitchen (self-release)
The Oakland-spawned jazzy, funky alt hip hop collective was originally formed in the early-1990s by Del tha Funkee Homosapien; he and rappers Casual, Pep Love, producer/manager Domino, DJ Toure, and the four individual members of the rap group Souls of Mischief (Phesto, A-Plus, Opio, and Tajai) make up the current incarnation, which presents their first release of new material in a decade. The full album is streaming at Spin.com right now. Check out "It's Partly Me" below.

Mac Miller, Live From Space (TBA)

The Republic of Wolves, No Matter How Narrow (self-release)

Talib Kweli, Gravitas (Self-Release)

Maya Vik, Lay Low EP (Oslo Records)

Frank Zappa, Uncle Meat and Roxy & Elsewhere (Zappa Records/Barking Pumpkin Records/Universal Music)
The Zappa Family Trust presents two more remastered re-issues on 180-gram vinyl: 1969’s double Uncle Meat LP and 1974’s live double LP, Roxy & Elsewhere.

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Last year, The Refinery's dream team of Greg and Michelle Baker were trying to come up with a charity event to host at the Seminole Heights eatery.

"Eric McHugh [Refinery's chef de cuisine] said you guys all cook the food and we will serve everything," Michelle told CL last week. "He was just kidding but we were like, we're totally doing this."

And Trading Places, an annual charity dinner at the Refinery, was born. Chef Greg Baker and his kitchen staff will take over the dining room while wife/manager Michelle Baker and the front of house take over cooking on Wed., Dec. 18. Michelle laughs remembering last year's inaugural event. How often does a James Beard nominated chef wait tables?

"We, in the kitchen, killed it and our food came out fast and tasty," she said. "But Greg and the staff tanked. They were running around like chickens with their head's cut off. The kitchen guys are used to going to Greg for every answer. They would walk up and ask him a question right when he was taking an order. But everyone got tasty food."

Being a charity dinner, the overall effect made for a highly entertaining night.

"People thought it was hilarious. These guys thought it would be so easy serving tables," Baker said. "This year the kitchen is very confident they will make us look bad."

Michelle and the front of house staff design the menu ahead of time, prep all the food, and take over various cooking stations. "We know it won't be flawless, but it will be fun," she said.

For their second annual Trading Places menu, it's all about Southern goodness. Panfried smothered pork chops, fried green tomatoes, lemon sour cream cake and shrimp and grits.

"Everyone we know loves Southern food," Baker said. "And the point is to get you to spend money."

Nature Delivered Farm is this year's recipient. The locally owned pig farm, run by Rebecca Krassnoski out of Bushnell, wants to expand from 20 acres to 200 acres. The farm would be the sole supply for the Refinery's new restaurant Fodder & Shine. To do that, Kressnoski needs funds to get proper equipment to continue raising Duroc-sired pigs on pasture land.

"She just moved her farm and needs better fencing so the pigs can roam the forests of the farm," Baker said. "We choose her because of who she is and how she runs her farm. She's just awesome."

The Refinery's Trading Places dinner, Wed., Dec. 18, 5-9 p.m., 5137 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-237-2000. All proceeds benefit the Nature Delivered Farm.

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As draconian flood insurance increases continue to hit homeowners in Pinellas County thanks to a new federal law, two locally based state lawmakers announced today that they will soon introduce legislation in Florida that they contend will provide alternatives to the rising rates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

State Senator Jeff Brandes' bill would streamline the regulatory approval of private insurers so that they can offer more coverage as an alternative to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's program.

"Congress has turned the American dream into a nightmare," he said at a news conference at the Pinellas Realtor Organization in Clearwater.

The legislators say their bill would attempt to create a wide range of flexible options for policyholders to choose so they can reach an affordable level of coverage for their property. Policyholders would have the option of covering either the outstanding balance of their mortgage, the replacement cost of their property, or the actual cash value of their property.

"It is the number one bill for me this session," Brandes said. He's introducing it now so that it will be able to get a hearing early next month in the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, and be in line for passage from the legislature when they convene in March.

The bill is an attempt to try to bring relief to the tens of thousands of people in Pinellas and Hillsborough County (and others throughout the state) who saw dramatic rate increases kick in on Oct. 1, when the federal bill known as the Biggert-Waters Act officially became law. That bill was designed to overhaul the National Flood Insurance Program, and it quickly increases flood insurance premiums in an attempt to make the program solvent and ensure its long-term sustainability.

But lawmakers, particularly those from Southeastern states and New Jersey, have strongly objected to how dramatic the rate increases are, and have been furiously lobbying to have the law delayed or seriously reworked. None of those attempts have been successful at this juncture. Although the idea was to have people who own pricy beachfront properties pay their fair share, critics say that the majority of homes are more modest in cost and aren't on the water.

"This is about modest homes and their flood insurance rate soaring four times more than the current premiums," added St. Petersburg based Republican Representative Larry Ahern, who will introduce a companion bill in the state House.

When asked how confident he was that private insurers would be eager to enter the flood insurance market in the Tampa Bay area, Brandes said that, "When you're seeing rates of $44,000 for a $200,000 or $300,000 home in Seminole, I have to believe that … companies will be writing those policies."

But will they? Sam Miller, executive vice president of the Florida Insurance Council, told the Tampa Tribune that, "It remains to be seen, even though there's interest in it, if there's going to be private capital to make a huge footprint down here."

Brandes said he has been talking with banks in recent week to ensure that any new state regulations would meet their requirements. "The products that we create here in Florida will have to meet the burden of Fannie [Mae] and Freddie [Mac] and FHA [Federal Housing Administration]," Brandes cautioned.

It's not just Bay area counties that are heavily impacted from Biggert-Waters. Miami-Dade and Lee Counties are also being pounded by the new flood insurance rate increases, prompting Senate Majority Leader Lizbeth Benacquisto (R-Ft. Myers) to call SB 542 "a praiseworthy alternative that will result in reduced costs to policyholders."

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United for Care's petition to legalize medical marijuana in Florida saw what campaign manager Ben Pollara calls "a record-breaking week of signatures." Using volunteer and paid petitioners, United for Care gathered over 100,000 last week alone. "The week before we got 80,000, and 60,000 signatures the week before that," Pollara told CL Tuesday.

"It's growing by leaps and bounds," he said. "We're on track to get close to one million signatures."

At the end of November, Creative Loafing reported that the citizen-driven petition only had about 350,000 signatures. Pollara says United for Care calculates they've got about 700,000 signed petitions today. That's still about 300,000 short of the targeted one million signatures, despite the fact the petition only needs 683,149 to get on the ballot.

"We have to factor in a 25 percent rejection rate," he said. "Some people will sign more than once, some think they're registered and aren't, some aren't registered in Florida or in the county they signed in."

Reaching the number of petitions needed, rejection rate considered, is still up for grabs, but Pollara remains confident they'll get it done with enough help (and funding from attorney John Morgan).

The state Supreme Court heard arguments on the constitutionality of the amendment on Dec. 5, but has until April to issue a ruling.

"We drafted the amendment months ago and talked through anticipated arguments against us," Pollara says. "And not a whole lot that came from our opponents was unanticipated … We had our day in court and now it's out of our hands."

Now it's crunch time for the campaign, as signatures need to be in by the beginning of the second week in January.

"We're turning over every stone," Pollara says. "We're absolutely concerned but very confident. Our concerns are logistical, like do we have enough people collecting petitions? Will the weather hold out? Right now I'm in South Florida and its 78 degrees and partly cloudy, ideal petition weather. It'll be tougher when it gets colder."

Man power, the weather and the holidays — all elements Pollara says are "out of our control"— could determine the fate of the initiative. And, of course, getting those that have yet to sign the petition to give their Florida-registered and county-specific John Hancock.

"It doesn't matter what you feel about marijuana or medical marijuana. If you're against it, sign the petition and vote no," Pollara said. "Signing the petition just means you believe this issue should be taken to the voters."

With the recent Quinnipiac poll finding 82 percent of Floridians in favor of medical marijuana legalization, simply getting the amendment on the ballot bodes well for medical legalization in the state.

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Although the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in June, that didn't mean that same-sex marriage was suddenly the law in Florida or the rest of the other states that haven't passed marriage equality legislation. Nor did it make same-sex couples automatically eligible for marriage-based federal benefits.

But that doesn't mean that same-sex couples in Florida won't ultimately obtain such benefits, says Brian Moulton, Legal Director with the Human Rights Campaign. Moulton spoke Monday night at the Metro Wellness and Community Center in St. Petersburg, where he gave a quick summary of what federal agencies are doing in the aftermath of the ruling.

As Moulton explained, there is no rule across all agencies. Some look to the law of the state where a couple married regardless of the law of the state where the couple now lives (called "the place of celebration") while other look to the law of the state where the couple is living now ("the place of domicile"). He gave a breakdown of what various agencies are doing.

Veterans Administration: Moulton said the V.A has not yet announced how they will treat married couples who live in non-recognized states. "They have said if you're married in a marriage equality state, those veteran spouses have access to veteran spousal benefits, but we have not heard about spouses living in non-recognition states," he says.

Moulton optimistically believes that the V.A. is trying to figure a way around the statute that says they're only supposed to recognize the rights of a married couple based on where they were married.

Dept of Homeland Security : DHS would take the celebratory rule route, but it also means that immigration visa petitions filed on behalf of a same-sex spouse will now be reviewed in the same manner as those filed on behalf of an opposite-sex spouse.

Defense Dept: The Pentagon announced after DOMA was struck down that gay military personnel are entitled to the same spousal benefits as other members, meaning National Guard members can get their benefits processed and ID's issued at state facilities. However there were nine governors across the country who were resisting this call, including Florida's Rick Scott. However after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered that they comply, they all fell in line just last week.

IRS — The IRS has adopted the celebration rule.

Social Security - The same situation as the V.A., where benefits will be granted from where a couple has been married. "If you think you're eligible for benefits, you should apply for those benefits to make sure you preserve your claim for SS benefits. If you're married or surviving spouse is living in a marriage equality state you should apply for benefits," Moulton said, adding that no response has come about a spouse living in a non-recognition state (like Florida) "We think they can be creative and have wiggle room," Moulton said.

"We may have to go back to Congress," Moulton added regarding the V.A. and Social Security Agencies. "We are not letting those agencies alone. Those are two incredibly important programs. I would encourage you to do what the agencies said and to apply for benefits, and preserve the claim,"he said.

During a Q&A afterwards, one woman asked if any of the changes being made since DOMA fell could be rescinded by a Republican president in 2016? Moulton said it was highly unlikely. "There's nothing a future Republican President can do about that unless he tries to amend the constitution. The recognition of marriages is safe," he said adding that potentially marriage equality critics in Congress could go after some federal agencies.

Equality Florida's Nadine Smith also said that she doesn't see that as likely, as a new generation of Republicans appear to be supportive towards the idea of same-sex marriage.

Also speaking at the event was Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor, whose district dips into parts of St. Pete. She called it a banner year for the gay rights movement.

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The Well-Played List is winding down in 2013, with the music tastemakers who participate in the ongoing listening series (myself and various other CL Staffers along with local music promoters, record store and venue owners, music fans and scenesters, DJs, musicians, and a radio personality or two) reflecting on our favorite albums of the year — the Best of 2013. Because we're off on consecutive Wednesdays for Christmas and New Year's, and make up such a large group with varying tastes, I've broken up our lists into four parts; two ran last week —Part 1 on Wednesday, Part 2 on Friday), and the last two parts go up today and Friday. Hopefully, all four will give you something to fill your ears while you enjoy your holiday breaks... and as always, a Spotify Playlist will be included at the end of each post, for your listening pleasure.

Check out past editions of The Well-Played List here. And on that note, what are your favorite albums of 2013? Tell us in the comments…

COLIN JOYCE

Dean Blunt, The Redeemer

My Bloody Valentine, m b v

Inter Arma, Sky Burial

Waxahatchee, Cerulean Salt

Alex G/R.L. Kelly, Split

Chance The Rapper, Acid Rap

Drake, Nothing Was The Same

Wolf Eyes, No Answer : Lower Floors

Julia Brown, To Be Close To You

Daniel Bachman, Jesus I’m A Sinner

DEBORAH RAMOS | Music fan with discerning taste

Toro Y Moi, Anything In Return

Rhye, Woman

Atoms For Peace, Amok

The Appleseed Cast, Illumination Ritual

Mixed Blood Majority, Mixed Blood Majority

Yo La Tengo, Fade

Junip, Junip

Local Natives, Hummingbird

The National, Trouble Will Find Me

Neko Case, The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You

CHRIS NADEAU | non-musician, Permanent Makeup

Holly Hunt, Year One (released December 11, 2012)

The Julie Ruin, Run Fast

Chelsea Light Moving, Chelsea Light Moving

Sacridose, Anxiety Tremors 7"

Landbridge, Landbridge 7"

Pissed Jeans, Honeys

Thee Oh Sees, Floating Coffin

set and setting, Equanimity

Centuries, Taedium Vitae

Ex-Breathers, Collision

MOJO BOOKS & RECORDS (PART 2 of 2)
—Mojo has a rotating group of Well-Played List participants - co-owners Melanie Cade and Dan Drummond along with several knowledgeable staffers. Thus, we are splitting up their entries into two parts; this is the second part; check out part one here...

DAN DRUMMOND

Deerhunter, Monomania

Speedy Ortiz, Major Arcana

Deafheaven, Sunbather

David Bowie, The Next Day

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Push the Sky Away

My Bloody Valentine, m b v

Parquet Courts, Light Up Gold

Merchandise, Totale Night

Thee Oh Sees, Floating Coffin

Paul McCartney, New

CHEYENNE COFFY

Deerhunter, Monomania

James Blake, Overgrown

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, Push The Sky Away

The National, Trouble Will Find Me

Arcade Fire, Reflektor

Phosphprescent, Muchacho

Parquet Courts, Light Up Gold + Tally All The Things You Broke

Disclosure, Settle

Kurt Vile, Walkin On A Pretty Daze

Janelle Monae, Electric Lady

DOUG RENCK
World Party, Arkeology

Chris Whitley, On Air

Mark Kozelek & Jimmy LaValle, Perils From The Sea

Talking Heads, The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads (reissue)

The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Miami Pop Festival

Mad Season, Above (reissue)

Willis Earl Beal, Nobody Knows

Los Lobos, Disconnected In NYC

Pearl Jam, Lightning Bolt

North Mississippi All Stars, World Boogie Is Coming

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CL Space will be the site of Wild celebration tonight.

"Wild" was the theme of this year's Creative Loafing Fiction Contest, and besides being the impetus for way too many bad editorial puns, it also yielded a bumper crop of terrific stories by Florida writers. Karen Brown, an award winner herself for such books as the wonderful story collection Pins & Needles, chose the Top 10 entries in the CL contest. Readers then got a chance to vote online, and tonight we'll announce both the Readers' Choice and Karen Brown's selection for the Judge's Prize. The winners and Brown will read from their work, and we'll honor everyone in the top 10, who are (in alphabetical order):

David Bullard, Ashley Bowcott, Cynthia Daffron, Frank Drouzas, Rhonda Kitchens, Brian Lott, Matt Peters, J. Wynn Rousuck, Jon Silman, and Kelsey Tressler.
CL Fiction Contest Winners' Reading and Reception. Wed. Dec. 18, 7:30 p.m., CL Space, 1911 N. 13th St. (above Spaghetti Warehouse, entrance on Ninth Ave.). Admission free. Public is invited.

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A lot of our readers are paying intense attention to the push to get medical marijuana legalized in Florida. If the voters get a chance to weigh in on the matter, polls show there's little question the state would become the 21st in the nation to legalize medical pot.

But it is by no means a sure thing that Florida voters will even get the chance to vote on it next year. The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments against putting it on the ballot earlier this month from Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said the because of how the amendment is presented, its true scope and effect remain hidden. The Court has until next April to decide on that.

But there's also the issue with gathering the 683,00 valid signatures to qualify to get it on the ballot by February 1. It hasn't been the smoothest petition gathering drive session, but United for Care's Ben Pollara tells CL's Arielle Stevenson that the campaign took in over 100,000 signatures last week alone, and is on pace to getting the million plus that's been their goal all along.

There is no organized campaign (yet) to try to legalize same-sex marriage in Florida, but the Supreme Court decision back in June that struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) does have some implication for gay couples in Florida if they were married in a state that does sanction the practice. On Monday night a representative from the Human Rights Council told an audience in St. Petersburg how various federal agencies are dealing with the new law and how it relates to same-sex couples on issues like Social Security.

One of the biggest local stories in the Tampa Bay area remains the sticker shock that tens of thousands of people, particularly in Pinellas County, are dealing with as their flood insurance rates have skyrocketed in the past two months. That's due to a federal law, but two local state lawmakers introduced legislation yesterday on the state level that they believe can bring new competition for flood insurance policies, and ultimately drive down those escalating rate increases.

And did you know that the NFL's league offices are tax-exempt? Oklahoma GOP Senator Tom Coburn does, and he wants to put a stop to it.

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Two weeks ago the Hillsborough County Legislative delegation shot down a proposed bill sponsored by state Representative Jamie Grant (R-Tampa) and state Senator Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) that would have allowed the voters to kill the county's Public Transportation Commission, which has been marred in controversy for years.

The PTC is the only agency of its kind in Florida, in that it was created in 1976 by the Legislature as opposed to local government. Supporters of the agency say that it provides a critical service in inspecting taxi cabs, limousines and other vehicles for hire, making it safer than in any other county in the state. At the legislative hearing, Grant and Brandes were challenged by their fellow Republicans about who would be responsible for the agency's work if it was eliminated.

"I'm not one of these people who believe that the County Commissioners who serve on the PTC will have a lobotomy when they serve on the County Commission and not be able to keep the same regulatory structure," Brandes said on Tuesday when asked about those lines of inquiry.

He was referring to the fact that every county in Florida except Hillsborough is able to regulate livery vehicles without creating a separate agency.

The PTC has been under siege for years for various transgressions by their leadership. Former County Commissioner Kevin White is currently serving time in an Atlanta prison after being found guilty of bribery and corruption charges that occurred while he served as PTC Chairman. And earlier this year the agency's executive director, Cesar Padilla, resigned under fire after it was discovered he was moonlighting on the job.

But while those transgressions added to the laundry list of issues that critics say justify the agency's dissolution, for thirty-something aged Republicans Grant and Brandes it's the agency's thwarting of competition in the marketplace that has spurred their involvement.

Both lawmakers have discussed their frustration that Uber has opted not to enter the Tampa market, a decision based on the PTC's $50 minimum fare for limousine companies. In recent years, Uber (along with other ride-sharing services like Sidecar and Lyft) have begun providing alternatives to traditional taxi cab services in cities around the country and the world.

(Of course, Uber has seen better days in the media spotlight. After the New York Postreportedon Sunday about a $132 charge to get across the city, Gawkerreported that a 14-mile drive in Southern California cost one unlucky passenger $357.)

"All our bill did was say 'let's take it to a vote,'" Brandes told CL on Tuesday at the Pinellas Realtor Organization. "Let's let citizens vote on it, and before the citizens would vote we would have put together a regulatory scheme that I think would have been very satisfactory to all the parties but that would have encouraged private competition in livery transport."

Public Transportation Commission Chairman Victor Crist has vowed to repair the agency, and has told legislators that sometime in 2014 it will be appropriate to revisit certain PTC policies, such as the $50 minimum fare. Senator Brandes says he's eagerly awaiting to see verifiable reports that the agency has cleaned up its act.

"I think that the challenges with the PTC are much deeper than many individuals understand," Brandes said. "We're blessed to have Victor Crist as a Chairman of that committee. But Victor Crist will not always be the chairman of that committee. And we know that the past chairmen have been real problems to that committee. And the past executive directors have been real problems. So I want to see a performance audit done. I want to see a financial audit done. I want to see longterm solutions that provide leadership of the PTC."

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