This would be Tampa’s Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI), the largest science center in the southeastern United States, including Florida’s only IMAX® Dome Theatre.

This video features the High Wire Bicycle at MOSI. It is the longest high wire bike in a U.S. museum. You should try it. Don’t worry the bike is counterweighted so you won’t fall off.

(On iphone? watch here)

[Note - I am part of the MOSI Virtual Ambassador Volunteer Program, see what we are doing while at MOSI on twitter #vapmosi.]

Even though we have a few plans I still wanted to look for some kid friendly (and free) events. I found a ton! I used TBO.com and tampabay.com to get the events listed below. They each have very nice and easy to read community calendars. www.tampabay.com has put together a nice Easter-only list with one event for each area around town. Have a nice Easter, and spend some extra time with the family this weekend, it is supposed to be a beautiful Florida weekend!

Saturday, March 22 from 9am-11am at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center is the Eggstravaganza sponsored by Magic 94.9. This event is free and for the whole family. There will be breakfast, photos with the Easter Bunny, face-painters, a petting zoo, a strolling magician, a safe-kids activity area, Patel Conservatory tours, a Rock School demonstration, coloring and 20,000 candy-filled eggs! IMPORTANT change for this year’s event- Due to construction in Curtis Hixon Park, there will be no egg hunt this year. Instead, candy-filled eggs will be distributed throughout the event to children ages 10 & under. So remember to bring your Easter Basket!

Saturday, March 22nd opening at 9:30 am at the Community Center Park & Pool, St. Pete Beach, The 1st Annual Underwater Easter Egg Hunt! The park is located at 7701 Boca Ciega Drive, St. Petersburg. This is a free event. They will have an underwater egg hunt and a traditional hunt in the park. Don’t forget to bring your own basket to fill up! I selected this event because it is different then all the others by using the pool! If you have older kids I bet this one will go over very well!

Saturday March 22 from 10am–2pm at the Florida Aquarium you can have your picture taken with the Easter Bunny before he takes a dive in the coral reef. This event has the regular admission to the aquarium of $17.95, $14.95 seniors, $12.95 ages 3-12. Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine will be sponsoring this event and will have child friendly activities scheduled. The Explore A Shore area is great for the kids; make sure to bring the little ones a change of clothes, they are sure to get wet!

Sunday, March 23rd from 12pm–2pm at Coachman Park, 16th Annual Easter Egg Hunt. This is a free event. There are separate areas for the big and small kids, so all children will enjoy finding eggs. A few special eggs contain the fabled “Golden Egg” inside, which is redeemed for a plush bunny to take home. There will be vendors set up and a handful of rides. I suggest bringing a picnic lunch to this event and hang out for the entire day!

While I was looking for Easter events I found one thing that I would like to mention for this weekend that does not have an Easter theme.

The Florida International Museum will be open to the public for free this weekend. The hours are Saturday 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday 1pm–5pm. They are having a Art Parade: A celebration of Creativity and the Art in the Park Family Day. For more information please go to floridamuseum.org. The museum is located at 244 2nd Avenue North. I went to the website but did not find a lot of information regarding the free admission but they have listed this event at TBO.com.

Happy Easter everyone!

FX International offered up bigger stars, was less crowded, and had a congenial staff. Katie Jarvinen, the general manager of the con, personally worked with me to get me what I needed, smoothed out issues over the phone and through email, and was always polite and helpful, even when she was busy with keeping celebrities happy at the event’s autograph alley. I felt like a valued guest of the event.

From Megacon, I received one generic email.

While FX was centralized, Megacon was spread out over two floors. And then, there were the scheduling conflicts.

I joined up with One World by Night, a Live Action Roleplay group I’m a member of. In the convention program, the group was scheduled until 1:30 a.m. all three nights of the con. Before midnight on Friday, we had security guards telling us to leave, even after we showed them our scheduled time in the event’s official booklet. Saturday was worse, with a security guard asking if we were in a seance and having a party and then readjusting our lighting to full bright before 11 p.m. Anyone who’s LARPed or table topped before will understand why some angry members who traveled across the country to attend Mega just to game asked for their money back. For everyone else, imagine a security guard turning on the lights during a play or movie and asking the audience why they’re all sitting around.

There were also problems securing passes for game staff and the expected annoyance of paying $6-$10 for a day’s worth of parking. Fortunately, myself and others staying at the Days Inn across the street could walk to the convention center in around 10 minutes. Note to anyone attending a conference or convention at the Orange County Convention Center: the Days Inn is a good choice for a price that shouldn’t eat your wallet.

For me, there were three highlights to the con. There was a miniature game piece painting room, which offered up free classes and free miniatures to paint for different games. I spent at least an hour painting a tiny warrior woman brandishing a pair of swords. There were also a number of people carrying around ball-jointed dolls (china dolls that can be posed and which can cost thousands of dollars when fully painted and accessorized). I even got to hold one, realizing they’re much creepier in person. There were also belly dancing lessons and performances throughout the day. I’m not sure how they fit into the overall theme of the event, but they were fun.

There are more cons coming up this year. Here’s a brief rundown of those closest to us.

Jacon

This is a 24-hour anime con in Orlando. Their guest of honor is Tara Strong and features anime related attractions, from artists to musical guests. They have some guest related info up, but the site’s a little sparse on details.

Oasis 21

Authors and artists will be on hand for the Orlando Area’s Science Fiction Society’s convention. The con runs May 23-25 and has David Gerrold and Paul Vincenti as guests of honor. Their website has a full listing of guests and events.

Metrocon

Tampa’s anime convention is being held July 18-20 at the Tampa Convention Center. Expect a bunch of otaku (hard-core anime fans) in costume. There are also costume contests, a human chess match, a masquerade, and a host of other visual draws. Check out the Metrocon site for more info.

Necronomicon

Necronomicon has had some problems in the past, partly because of rowdy con attendants and overflow from Guavaween. This year, the horror party is going to be at the downtown St. Pete Hilton Oct. 10-12. I’ve always liked Necro for not overlooking literature, as other cons usually do. This year the guests of honor are Frederick Pohl, Julie E. Czerneda, and Rick Wilber (who, for reasons of disclosure, is a former professor of mine.) Necro is another RPG friendly con. Necro’s site has a few tidbits about this year’s events.

Screamfest

Screamfest is another horror fest in October, but this one’s in Orlando. It runs from Oct. 17-19 and has a line up of film festivals and bands as well as stars and writers in attendance. The site doesn’t have much info yet, but if you’re interested bookmark it and check it out in a few months.

FX 2009

Yes, next year’s FX in Orlando is already in the works. The website already has a few juicy tidbits about next year (including info about a poker game where comic book professionals raise money for a good cause) but won’t be up in its full glory for at least a few months.

Volunteers are needed to pick up litter along the Hillsborough River at Rivercrest Park and Greenway. There is a LOT of litter here. We may also be doing some cleaning up of mulched plant beds, trimming, invasive removal and other chores as needed by the Tampa Parks Department. Suitable for ages 5 and up. Lunch and t-shirt provided.

Volunteers must pre-register!! To sign up, call Nanette at (727) 893-2765 or e-mail nanette@tbep.org.

This workday is sponsored by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, the Tampa Parks Department and the South Seminole Heights Civic Association.

When: Saturday, March 15 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Where: Rivercrest Park 4802 N. River Blvd. Tampa, FL 33603

• Thursday, March 6, Tampa Theatre, 7 p.m. — Making Trouble (2007, 85 min) — “An impeccably researched documentary that explores six legendary American Jewish women comics. Produced by the Jewish Women’s Archive, Rachel Talbot as Director, has created a tribute to Molly Picon, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, Joan Rivers, Wendy Wasserstein and Gilda Radner.” Opening Night Celebration with special guest Cory Kahaney and a dessert reception following the film. Tickets for the opening night are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Ticket includes a dessert reception after the movie. Sponsored by Weinberg Village.
• Saturday, March 8, Tampa Theatre, 7 p.m. — Schwartz Dynasty (Israel, 2005, 104 min) — “This dramatic comedy is a satirical look at Israeli society.”
• Saturday, March 8, Tampa Theatre, 9 p.m. — Someone to Run With (Israel, 2006, 118 min) — “This movie tells a beautiful story based on the novel by David Grossman about growing up and finding the strength to overcome your fears, the meaning of true friendship, and best of all, finding someone to love, someone to hold, someone to run with.”
• Sunday, March 9, Tampa Theatre, 1 p.m. — Praying with Lior (USA, 2007, 88 min) — “Ilana Trachtman’s touching documentary presents a real-world story of faith, the heart-wrenching challenges of a child with disabilities, and the complex relationship Lior shares with family, friends and community.” Sponsored by Tampa Jewish Family Services.
• Sunday, March 9, Tampa Theatre, 3 p.m. — Shadya (Israel, 2005, 52 min)– This film “poignantly illustrates the challenges of coping with competing identities—Palestinian/Israeli citizen and Muslim woman/karate champ.” Sponsored by Tampa Jewish Family Services.
• Sunday, March 9, Tampa Theatre, 4 p.m. — Arranged (USA, 2007, 89 min) — “Featuring strong, naturalistic performances and a sensitive screenplay, Arranged offers a unique perspective on what it means for modern women of faith to make their own choices in a secular world.” Awarded Best Narrative Feature at the 2007 Brooklyn International Film Festival. Sponsored by Tampa Jewish Family Services.
• Thursday, March 13, Baywalk in St. Pete, 7 p.m. — Nina’s Home (France, 2005, 109 min) — This feature film “movingly dramatizes the true stories of Elie Wiesel and other child Holocaust survivors.” Sponsored by Hadassah of Tampa Bay.
• Thursday, March 13, Baywalk in St. Pete, 9 p.m. — Pesya’s Necklace (Israel, 2006, 35 min) — Drama about an elderly woman’s memories of Auschwitz. Sponsored by Hadassah of Tampa Bay.
• Saturday, March 15, Baywalk in St. Pete, 8 p.m. — Beaufort (Israel, 2007, 125 min) — A “stirring war epic” based on Ron Leshen’s best-selling novel. Nominated for Best Foreign Film Academy Award in 2007. Winner of four Israeli Oscars, including Best Cinematography, and the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival for Joseph Cedar, a veteran of the first Lebanon war.
• Saturday, March 15, Baywalk in St. Pete, 10:15 p.m. — A Touch Away (Israel, 2006, 80 min) — A “marvelous, multi-family drama” primetime television series in Israel. The TBJFF will screen two episodes, with the remainder to follow later in the spring.
• Sunday, March 16, Baywalk in St. Pete, 1 p.m. — Sixty Six (UK, 2006, 93 min) — “A wonderful mix of nostalgia, comedy and pathos, Sixty Six is an autobiographical story based on director Paul Weiland’s childhood experiences growing up in post-war Britain.”
• Sunday, March 16, Baywalk in St. Pete, 3 p.m. — The First Time I Turned Twenty (France, 2004, 97 min) — A “charming, humorous and poignant film” about a sixteen-year old misfit growing up in the suburbs of post-war France.
• Wednesday, March 19, University of South Florida, 7 p.m. — Aviva My Love (Israel, 2006, 107 min) — A “richly-layered story of a working-class woman desperate to escape her provincial life.” Winner of six Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Script and Best Director honors for acclaimed filmmaker Shemi Zarhin (Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi).

You can purchase tickets, watch movie trailers and more at the Tampa Jewish Federation website.

(cross-posted at www.tampafilmfan.com)

On deck so far:

• Ken Knight, multimedia reporter for Media General
• Demorris Lee, reporter for the St. Petersburg Times, who recently completed a multimedia reporting fellowship at the Knight Digital Media Center
• Boyzell Hosey, director of photography at the St. Petersburg Times
• Ken Irby, photography and multimedia expert at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies
• Eric Deggans, St. Petersburg Times TV/media critic and editor/creator of The Feed blog

Scheduled for 11 a.m. March 8 at the Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker St., Tampa, this seminar is free and open to anyone who wishes to attend.

During the panel discussion, we will talk about ways to think about expanding traditional journalism work to multimedia platforms, the advantages and challenges of blogging for journalists, the resources available for those who hope to learn more about this kind of work and more…

Last year, we got a great response from area bloggers of all ethnicities and had a chance to turn it into a wide-ranging discussion. Even if you don’t consider yourself a journalist, but would like to learn more about this new field, please feel free to attend.

As we all work to try and understand these new media platforms, sometimes the most fun comes from getting together and swapping ideas on what it all means. And fellow bloggers, feel free to post this on your blog somewheres…

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists’ website is www.tbabj.com. Please remember, however, that you’re welcome even if you’re not a journalist. Or from the Tampa Bay area. Or black.

You read it right – bloggers are welcome to sit in and learn as well as share experiences. Also, any bloggers are welcome to post this info on your blogs.

Hope to see you there.

(cross-posted at www.tampafilmfan.com and www.tampabookbuzz.com)

The Teenager has to work all weekend, so we won’t see her much (poor thing!). The little one will want to be kept busy or she will continue to ask “what’s next?”! I have looked for kid, family, and not-too-expensive events, and only came up with a few.

I know there is always MOSI, Lowry Park, and other regular staples but I try to look for different things to do with the family. Not only to save money but to venture off a little, not be so same old, same old. When I was a child we had little money for extras (forget about Busch Gardens or Disney!), so my mom and step-dad had to be creative. And let me tell you, I miss that! I’m trying hard to pick that back up for myself and my kids. Sometimes it is not where you go but the fun you had getting there and spending with the family or friends you took! Below are my picks for this weekend, please have fun with whatever you choose to do!

Brandon Fresh Market Saturday March 8, 9am-3pm at the Winthrop Town Centre, corner of Bloomingdale and Providence Avenues. This fresh market will have produce, plants, seafood, books, candy, antiques, and several other types of vendors. There are a handful of locally owned stores in the centre as well. This is not always fun for small kids, but I know sometimes little ones can be bribed for something little or just ice cream! My little one loves Publix fried chicken and since there is a Publix in the centre, well, guess where lunch will be coming from! Now we all are happy and ready for the ride over the bridge (see below). You can go to www.brandonfreshmarket.com for more information.

Sounds of Music Series Saturday March 8th, 1:00pm-4:00pm at the St. Petersburg Pier. The Pier is going to have live music from Lionheart outside at the Waterside Courtyard. For the kids, there will be free face painting, a one man circus and a character from Frizy Bros. (this one stumps me). I suggest taking kites and sandwiches and walking down to the small beach area or over to the park and just have fun with the kids. There are great trees to climb or to sit under for a nice picnic. This is the stuff I love about living here!

Brandon Coupon Club Meeting, Saturday March 8th at 2:00pm at the Bloomingdale Regional Library in Valrico. This is what I need to be doing, I love coupons and I did not know this club existed. I found this on TBO’s community news. All it says is to bring your scissors and extra coupons to share! I won’t be able to make this meeting but they meet every second Saturday of the month. Linda will answer any questions you have. She can be reached at 813-689-9150. I have already marked my calendar for next month, I just wish it was earlier in the day so I could get up, go, and then go shop!

16th Annual Apollo Beach Manatee Festival Saturday and Sunday, March 8th & 9th, 10:00am – 4:00pm at the Tampa Electric South Shore Community Center. This has a $5 admission fee for anyone older than 12 and that does include parking. This event will have artists and craftsmen, cooking demonstrations, children’s creativity center and art show, food vendors, and a beer garden. There will also be an exhibition tent with various organizations to help educate how to protect the Tampa Bay waters, wildlife, boating and environment. They are also offering a free shuttle to the Manatee Viewing Center from the festival site. This sounds like so much fun for the whole family. I planned on going boating Sunday but I think this might be added to our list instead. For more information go to www.apollobeachchamber.com

Those are just a few of the things going on in Tampa Bay this weekend. No matter what your tastes, it’s the most beautiful time of the year, so don’t stay inside – go out and do something!

We’re calling ourselves ‘Team Daddy-O Alley Katz’ and our theme is retro bowling.

I know, right? Someone actually appointed me to a position of leadership and responsibility, which is about as likely an occurrence as seeing the Hamburglar profiled on America’s Most Wanted.

Well, actually, it’s not like I’m completely unqualified. I am sincerely committed to the cause, which is raising money to find a cure for cancer and eliminating it once and for all. I don’t want to just defeat cancer, I want to defeat it and humiliate it in the process. I want to pull down cancer’s pants and make crude, derisive comments about its genitalia. I want to give cancer a swirly in front of all the other diseases. I want to date cancer’s mom just so I can steal all her money, call her crude names and tell her to go make me sandwiches. So obviously my heart is in the right place.

I’ve taken to my role as team captain and have done my best to motivate my team. I assured them of my sincerity and dedication by telling them that I had already gone so far as to have written “CAPTAIN” on the waistband of all my underwear… in Sharpie.

But working with volunteers is a challenge at times. It’s hard to make demands of busy people who are doing stuff for you in their spare time. I have to remind myself to be patient and encouraging when things aren’t moving quite as quickly as I’d like. And actually, our team is doing pretty well so far. But it takes effort to come up with ways to keep everyone interested and enthusiastic without being completely obnoxious about it.

I have little doubt that many of them will no longer want to speak to me when it’s all over. I’m basing that on the fact I have no doubt that I’ve already been so obnoxious that some of them don’t even want to speak to me right now.

Relay For Life® isn’t really a competition per se, but teams do challenge each other to do a good job as a matter of pride and in the interest of pushing each other to raise as much money as possible. When it’s over, the American Cancer Society recognizes the best teams’ efforts with trophies and prizes. So screw what I said before; it’s totally a competition.

There’s a team in our Relay that’s been at it for years and they win a majority of the awards every year. I’ve decided that I hate them. In my mind, I’ve decided to consider them smug know-it-alls who act like they invented cancer just so they could raise funds to eradicate it and make me feel inadequate in the process as a bonus. Now, you don’t have to tell me what a terrible person I am for feeling this way. I’m already fully aware that resenting a group of people for effectively raising funds to combat a horrible disease is about as reprehensible an act as you can think of. I’m ok with it though, because I want to win trophies and prizes.

Besides, it’s not that I don’t want them to raise a lot of money; I just want my team to raise more than they do. So as I was sitting around thinking of new ways to try to motivate my team, it occurred to me that I should use this totally unjustified and irrational hatred to my advantage and pass it along to the people on my team. I wonder why I haven’t thought of it before; exploiting people’s healthy desire to see their like-minded peers re-cast as hostile opponents is not only completely natural human instinct, but repeatedly proven to be a highly successful tactic! Hmm, I’m beginning to understand why I was selected to be captain…

Anyway, if you’d like to learn more about Relay For Life and contribute to our team’s efforts, I’ve put yet another link to the site right here.

(Cross posted at Ridiculously inconsistent trickle of consciousness)

I looked over some of the lists out there, but have not found much that I feel like doing here locally. I already have plans Friday night with a girlfriend so I think Tommy and I will just disappear on Saturday and see where it takes us. Sometimes having a plan is not always the way to go.

Here’s what I will be doing Friday and then I wanted to mention an event on Saturday that is being held in Clearwater for The Spring of Tampa Bay. A very close friend of mine works for The Spring, and will be at this event collecting all the donations that go to a great cause. If you have the time and the $50/$60, please join them for their event.

Friday February 29 Don Rickles and Joan Rivers at Ruth Eckerd Hall. I won these tickets from 105.5 the Dove this week, so my girlfriend and I are heading out for some laughs. I have heard this show will have adult language and adult content some even say pretty raunchy! You can go online to purchase tickets at http://www.rutheckerdhall.com.

Saturday March 1 the 3rd Annual VIP Mardi Gras Charity Party will be held at the home of founder J. Michael Pinson with the proceeds to benefit The Spring of Tampa Bay. There will plenty of special guests from the who’s who list of Tampa Bay. All inclusive: New Orleans style crab & lobster claws, French baked scallops, seared tuna, shrimp gumbo, pasta, shrimp, prime filet and more. 3 Full Open Bars with New Orleans Rum Runners & martinis. Get there early the food and drinks are while supplies last. This is a Mardi Gras Party so bring your beads! Cocktail Dress Recommended. Men, no ties are required. Dress to be comfortable to have a relaxing and enjoyable evening.

Since 1977, The Spring of Tampa Bay has provided sanctuary and services to more than 30,000 abused adults and their children. The Spring is the largest of Florida’s 41 certified domestic violence shelters and the first in the United States to have an accredited school on site. Nearly half of the operating budget comes from private sources including: individuals, corporations, and foundations.

This is a great charity event and is one of the premier events of the year. They only sell 250 tickets to this event due to limited space, you may call the Pinson office at 813-855-3663 until Friday February 28th at 12 noon to purchase advance tickets at $50. After that time, all ticket sales will be at the door at $60 per person. The Pinson website with all the info is http://www.pinsonfoundation.org

By the way, Shane West, star of TV’s ER and the GFF selection What We Do Is Secret, will be at the Gasparilla Film Festival this year. I’ll post more details when I get ‘em.

Here’s a glimpse at some of the special events and screenings planned for this year:

Wednesday, February 27:

• Opening Night VIP Reception at the Tampa Theatre
• Opening night film Kabluey, a “hilarious, unique and heartfelt comedy” starring Lisa Kudrow, Chris Parnell and Christine Taylor. **Executive producer Jeff Balis is a Tampa native.**

(more…)