Professional artists, product creators, and cosmetics mavens all over the city are so psyched for this weekend. Why, you ask? Because The Makeup Show, New York’s famous trade show/artists’ wonderland, is coming to Miami for the very first time! On Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., artist par excellence and editor of On Makeup magazine James Vincent will lead a hands-on workshop on “Perfecting the Canvas.” I had a phone interview with him prior to his arrival, and all it did is make me even more excited to meet him! Here are some of the interview highlights, which specifically tackle beauty issues for women of color.
Fidel Castro Resigns. No One Cares – In Miami, the expected reaction to the news of Castro’s resignation fizzles. The media ends up caring more than the Cuban exile community.
Inflation Cuts the Fed’s Power – The Federal Reserve, despite the fact that it has cut short-term interest rates in January, has still been unable to keep the country from heading in to a recession. The Fed continues to try.
Marlins Still Looking for a Stadium – The baseball club stands to receive millions in profits from revenue generated at the new stadium if the city approves its construction. The city would have to foot the bill for the stadium’s construction almost entirely. It would cost more than $500 million.
Armando Salguero has a conference call with Mel Kiper posted on his blog. But that's not important. What is important is that he wrote about a rumor making the rounds in Indy that the Falcons are reportedly so in love with BC quarterback Matt Ryan that they might consider trading up to get him. They currently hold the No. 3 overall pick. They would also need to give up their 2nd round pick and another pick next year.
And here's where I jump up and shout: "Oh hells yea!! Jump on it Bill!! Jump! On! It!" And that's when the neighbors call the cops.
Alright. You know what this is. The oldest scam in the Miami books. A band of chickens comes into town (down from Arkansas, or up from Key West) loaded up on cocaine. They’re driving by this little house listening to their loud music, smoking their reefers.
And some poor bastard comes out and asks them to keep it down. So they kill him. They fucking kill him and eat him. They move right in and start getting his mail. Before long, they’ve assumed his identity and taken over the house.
After the neighbors get used to having them around and suspicion dies down, they try to sell and move on to the next town.
Luckily the housing bubble’s burst. And I’ve figured out their lil’ scheme. Don’t worry. I’ve tipped off the Feds and local cops. These chickens are gonna swing for this. --Calvin Godfrey
On my way to lunch one day, I passed by this piece on NE 28th Street and NE 2nd Avenue. I didn’t think much of it because it looked like it was part of the buildings décor. I decided to take a closer look and I realized that there is a good chance that somebody just used this wall as their canvas, rather than it being part of the establishment's decoration. -- Elvis Ramirez
It's NFL Combine time! It's that time of year when old men with clipboards and stopwatches poke, prod, ogle and feel-up young men wearing nothing but their underwear. It's gonna be great! It's also the time of year we talk possible draft scenarios and who'll go where and when and what our team needs to do. The reality of it all is none of us knows shit when it comes to this stuff. But we try anyway. So let's get to it...
Are Fins Thinking Quarterback?
It seems more and more likely that the Fins won't be using the first overall pick on a quarterback. They just don't think Matt Ryan or Brian Brohm are worth the number one pick. The fact that I placed 2nd in JD's fantasy league last year qualifies me to say, neither do I.
Miami’s Grind Mode brought down the house at Santo’s Miami Live with hit single “I’m So High” on Wednesday, February 20.
The sexy Wednesday night VIP crowd invaded another stellar party at Santo’s signature Miami Live. Hosted by top Miami promoters Michael Madd and Abebe Lewis, the evening brought another go-around of live music, positive vibes and never-ending bottle service to the packed venue. Plenty of familiar faces came out to celebrate including Miami’s own Pit Bull, Keyshia Cole and Larry Johnson who were in the house with friends and plenty of bottles poppin’. Reggae star Red Rat kicked off the show pumping up the crowd with choice hits including “Tight Up Skirt” followed by modish duo Nina Sky, who graced the stage performing a crowd-pleasing set including their version of Alicia Keys’ “No One,” which had everyone crooning. The boys from Grind Mode were dancing on the floor to chart-toppers like Ball Greezy’s “Shone” before hitting the stage to bust out with live hit “I’m So High,” which produced a room full of airborne hands swaying from side to side. The combination of tracks spun by DJ Obscene, special guest DJ Laz and the in-house band – who cranked out a diverse playlist of old and new school jams – kept the party bumping for hours. Unannounced celeb guests and artists frequent this unique, invite-only event that keeps growing stronger as the months progress. After conquering Miami, future plans for the staple event are in the works to introduce to markets across the country, including L.A., with much success attributed to the chemistry between Madd, Lewis and the company, who keeps coming back for another hit.
So this weekend is all about the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, and we’re sure most of the pretty people will be busy pigging out alongside the likes of Emeril, Rachael Ray, and – our fave – Giada De Laurentiis. If you’re visiting and you need a break from the chowing down, you should stop what you’re doing and book yourself a “Feed the Soul” package at Uhma Spa.
Uhma is all about natural and organic methods of pampering, and the décor reflects that perspective. Instead of the currently chic, super-neon-bright-white with green and/or orange accents look that so many salons are sporting, they’ve gone for a soothing effect with their interior design. Think wood grain, low key lighting, natural rock walls (complete with hints of moss), and walls left deliberately bare. The spa specializes in specific solutions for each client, but this special package for foodies includes a Mayan comforting cocoa polish (how apropos) followed by a primal relaxation massage. All this for $155, plus tax and gratuity.
The special spa package will be available from Wednesday 20 to Monday Feburary 25. Call 305-695-0996, or visit www.uhmaspa.com. -- Patrice Yursik
Hialeah is a mystery. It’s like God took a suburb, put it in a boggle box, shook the shit out of it, and out came this plucky little town.
Luckily, these two High School students have come together to produce this magical number –one that lends understanding to the baffling maw that is The City of Progress. --Calvin Godfrey
They have nicknames like Pukie, The Chef, Crazy Lou, The Mexican, Mr. Barbecue, Tortuga and Colossal. They push themselves hard during practice to win a spot on the “A” squad, and tackle boozing after a game with the same vigor.
“We call ourselves a mental orphanage – nobody will have us,” wing Cagney Kobrin said.
He was talking about how the Miami Rugby Football Club practices on a soccer field at the Miami German American Club, plays their games on a variety of soccer pitches and football fields around the state, and gets little recognition despite being around for almost 40 years. But in another way, he's referring to how the mix of players from all over the world, all as tough as over-cooked flank steak, come together for the camaraderie, discipline and victories.
Anyone else as indifferent about Keyshawn possibly coming to Miami as I am? I’d like to be optimistic and say, sure, we can use his veteran leadership and his experience will prove helpful to guys like Ted Ginn. Except that Keyshawn is a Grade A douchebag. Leadership? Keyshawn’s the first to jump ship when the iceberg hits. And, if you've been stupid enough to be a fan of this team, you know the icebergs come in droves.
The Florida Board of Education passed a new set of teaching standards that requires evolution to be taught in the classroom, but labeled as a scientific theory.
This is raising an uproar, widening the divide between creationists and scientist. And caught in the middle are the children who, I’m sure, are groaning not because they have to learn evolution but because it means extra homework.
Anti-evolution supporters don’t like this piece of legislation because they believe it will force their children to learn something that takes away from the image of God. Pro-evolution people hate the fact that evolution is being called a theory. So no one is ever going to be happy until one side bludgeons the other.
Yesterday's *4-3 decision by the Florida School Board to update science standards was a long time coming. Most attention was understandably focused on the dust-up over evolution, but the larger picture of science education in Florida was just as scandalous as the absence of Charles Darwin.
It was only a few years ago that the Thomas B. Fordham Institute gave Florida failing grades across the board in science—a flat F. The Washington, D.C. organization called the state's science standards "sorely lacking in content,"
"thin" and "nebulous." Worse, the curriculum in the state that launched a man to the moon was riddled with basic errors, such as the idea that "a thermometer measures the amount of heat absorbed by an object." The report also noted that the treatment of other basic concepts, such as electricity and magnetism, "is minimal."
No blonde wig. No pink lipstick. The fabulous creation known as Shelley Novak isn’t meeting me at the Quarterdeck restaurant on Alton Road today – instead, I’m sitting across from Tommy Strangie, the man behind the makeup. He’s got a scruffy beard and a black skullcap. His build can best be described as robust but compact – although his calves are as cut as an amateur bodybuilder’s. That’s the legacy of two decades in drag queen heels.
The man best known as Shelley Novak has created quite an interesting Miami Beach legacy in the two decades since he moved here from Boston with childhood friends Desi and Ellen Pompeo. Both of them have since moved – well-known stylist Desi has returned to Boston, and Pompeo is off in La La Land, where she plays the role of Dr. Meredith Gray on Gray’s Anatomy.
Strangie is getting ready to host the 15th annual Shelley Novak Awards – his self titled celebration of the best and brightest of drag. Back in the good old days, Shelley Novak was at the epicenter of a thriving local drag queen scene. Now she’s tired. “This year it was a struggle to come up with nominees for the awards. My finger isn’t on the pulse. It’s like The Picture of Dorian Gray. I’m getting older, and everyone else is so young! I just can’t do it anymore.”
Apparently, Jason Taylor is on some sort of quest to out-gayify Brady Quinn. Because he just officially announced he’s going to be on Dancing With the Stars. In a related story, I'm officially announcing that my soul has been crushed.
Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor will be the first active NFL player to compete on the popular ABC program. Two NFL legends have competed in previous seasons: Emmitt Smith won after Jerry Rice finished third. The announcement was made Monday, during ABC's Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann.
Also competing: actress Marlee Matlin, magician Penn Jillette, figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, tennis player Monica Seles, R&B; singer Mario, comedian Adam Carolla and actor Steve Guttenberg.
My immediate reaction to this news was, “Steve Guttenberg is still alive?” My second reaction to this news was, “What the hell, Jason Taylor?"
