First things first. In order to fully feel me in what I’m saying here I’ve included this song for you to listen to while you read, so go ahead and click “play” now for the full effect.   Sarasota summers can drain your energy. The air is heavy and the heat is crushing. Everything seems to require a little extra work … including getting in the mood. My desire for you loyal readers is for you to have the best time imaginable in our sunny city on the bay, even [...]

I was out soaking up some of the sunshine this afternoon, so pardon the breeze and other city sounds in this week’s video! So … how do Russian beer and lounge martinis sound to you? Maybe a day trip to the awesome Farmer’s Market or the museum? Or what about a local band’s CD release party? All this and more coming up this weekend, and you won’t want to miss any of it!  So watch the video and get the scoop on what’s going down. I hope to see you, [...]

If you are planning a wedding or vow renewal and love the Sarasota Pops, are a lover and supporter of local arts organizations and dream of having an entire symphony orchestra play at your ceremony, then the Sarasota Pops Wedding Contest is for you. As part of a wedding-themed season, the Sarasota Pops Orchestra is creatively merging love and fundraising in an innovative wedding contest. The Contest: Between October 1, 2012 and March 10, 2013, the Sarasota Pops will match one of four finalist couples with a concert. The couples [...]

The Venice Theatre is seeking sweet transvestites from transsexual Transylvania — or at least actors who like to dress up and play the part — to audition for roles in the upcoming fall production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, running from October 12 through November 3. Auditions for all roles in the musical will take place on Sunday, July 22 and Monday, July 23 at 7:30 pm at the Venice Theatre, located at 140 West Tampa Avenue on Venice Island. Actors, be prepared to flash your ID when you [...]

Come August, Sarasotans will have an opportunity to help create a new kind of economy by joining Sarasota’s first time bank known as Common Wealth.   What is a Time Bank?  In the words of Time Banks USA founder Edgar Cahn, “The concept is simple: One hour of help of any kind given to another member earns one time credit, exchangeable for an hour of help in return.”  Think of it as a system of exchange based on a different kind of currency, made of what we already have in abundance [...]

On my first visit to The Toasted Mango Café, I was quite impressed with the quality of the service. Upon our arrival, we were warmly greeted, seated promptly and given time to peruse the menu. Our orders were taken and before we were ready for a refill on our drinks, the food was on the table; fast and efficient indeed, but not in a harried way. In fact, just the opposite — there was no sense of rush. The staff encouraged us to linger and even asked our names and [...]