Dom Forth Presents...

As the Tampa Bay Times writes, "if you can find a parking spot, Caddy's has an awesomely spring-break-style carnival atmosphere — DJs, volleyball, cornhole, an upstairs deck — and yet, for some reason, it still feels a little hidden. Maybe that's because people spill out from the bar all over the beach, often with coolers of beer they brought from home. Truth is, Caddy's feels less like a bar and more like a beach that serves liquor — and you won't hear us complaining about that."


Late in the day, as the party winds down...

We had a great time today and I'd highly recommend making the trip down here!

More pictures are here...

Matching its Livepool namesake, this fun-loving club has been a major player in building up the nightlife scene in Ybor.

Apparently Lady Gaga played here before Just Dance and Poker Face got huge — not to mention strip parties and dance nights for both sexes.....



For that Jim Harvey gives G.Bar the thumbs up!

As the Tampa Bay Times writes, "MacDinton's is the "mac" daddy of Irish bars. It's got more square footage, a better alcohol selection and elaborate, handmade rustic decor. Heck, a fishing boat even hangs from the ceiling."



And with one of the best happy hours in South Tampa ($10 all you can drink Friday 6pm-8p) MacDintons gets Jim Harvey's seal of approval!

What better way to spend the July 4th weekend than on a sunset cruise on a 110ft boat on the Gulf of Mexico.


In loving memory of my sunglasses which went overboard about 2 hours after this photograph... doh!

With so many fireworks displays taking place on the mainland, we were able to take in half a dozen or so different displays over different city skylines from the water.

Met a lot of good people, the top floor dj-s were awesome, dropping in remixes of outta space, age of love and other classics, while downstairs it was an open bar for the night.

Good times.

Waking up to my last bay view at Sailport today, I whacked on some old classics including two great trance tracks from Flash (Megatron and The Day After) as well as Insigma's open your eyes.

Some great memories from these tracks and a great way to round off the first month here in Tampa with a glass of wine and appreciation of the scenery.

This moment got me thinking about just what are the best trance tracks of all time. Apparently there's been much discusison online about the same topic. I found this list from darktremor and wanted to share it with you.

Top 400 trance tracks of all time - list is here
Submitted by darktremor on Wed, 10/20/2004 - 07:29

Craziest baseball game I've ever been to tonight!

We scored seats in the sixth row, I got given a foul ball, witnessed a marriage proposal, everyone started doing multiple mexican waves, I got to kick it with Raymond the mascot (see story) and then a fight broke out between rival fans!

As for the game: In a four-run hole before they'd even stepped to the plate, the Rays posted six runs in the first two innings en route to an Interleague series victory. Ben Zobrist hit his 16th homer, a two-run shot, and Willy Aybar also went deep and drove in three runs.

Kicking it with Raymond at tonight's game I got to hear his story. Apparently, in early 1998, Rays scouts on a fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico spotted a strange looking animal. The creature, apparently drawn to the boat by the smell of hotdogs on the hibachi, climbed aboard and soon won the scouts over with his silly antics.



During the excitement, a scout had a brilliant idea: make this fun loving fuzz ball the mascot for the new baseball team. "Raymond" as the scouts dubbed him, immediately accepted their contract offer of all the hotdogs he could eat, all the high fives he could handle, and the ability to shake his groove thing to countless Tampa Bay fans.



The rest is history!

So I joined a “a bunch of drinkers with a running problem” tonight and completed 5km.

Just the title of the group alone was enough to persuade me and the group is really growing. Last week 31 new runners signed up and the group is now up to 202 total runners.

Four Green Fields Running Club offers the opportunity to come out every Tuesday to enjoy a 5K, followed by your favorite brew and company with friends. Runs start at 6pm and 6:30pm.

According to the event organizer, "It just keeps growing -- the food was of course great thanks to Chef Extraordinaire Randy!!! And thanks to Barry and the A-Man for keeping our Pints full; you guys rock!"

Next week is their Independece Day Run, more information is here

More Video to follow!

Sunset is pleased to announce a LIVE performance of “Rabbit In The Moon” at The Ritz Ybor with Special guest Dj Baby Anne. More info and tickets at www.sunsettampa.com

House Room DJs
Jask
Brian Busto
Chang

Drum & Bass Room
CIRCLE K
ClrH20
BAKER
ELETRON C

United kick off the 2009/10 title defence with two newly-promoted teams in the first two games. Birmingham City come to Old Trafford on the season's opening weekend; the champions then visit fellow North West side Burnley in midweek.

The Reds next travel to Wigan before a tough run brings home matches against Arsenal and Manchester City either side of a visit to Tottenham.

Please note, all dates are provisional only and are subject to change.

First six games
15 Aug Birmingham (H)
18 Aug Burnley (A)
22 Aug Wigan (A)
29 Aug Arsenal (H)
12 Sep Tottenham (A)
19 Sep Man City (H)

The run-in
3 Apr Chelsea (H)
10 Apr Blackburn (A)
17 Apr Man City (A)
24 Apr Tottenham (H)
1 May Sunderland (A)
9 May Stoke City (H)

See the full list of fixtures on ManUtd.com

Wow! WHAT a weekend!!!

More to follow...

Don't ever piss off the owner of Crispy's because he takes it personally.

So personal in fact that he will come and find you.

And, he'll bring back up.

Yes, folks we truly pissed off the owner of Crispy's tonight. And yes he payed us a personal visit. Luckily for us the back up he brought was two police officers.

How did it come to this?

Ownership of a Supreme Pizza and 10 wings combo, that's how.

You see the owner is so adamant that you only pay with cash or credit card that he is on a one man mission to rid South Florida of personal checks for good.

Forget the fact that the delivery driver had already left. That the pizza and wings were half-eaten. In the currency of Crispy, checks don't count as legal tender. He wanted cash or credit card.

As we thought we made pretty clear by writing a check, we had neither, and all this could easily be resolved if Crispy caught up with the marvels of modern banking.

So, there we were winding down for the night, well after the delivery driver had left, well after I'd turned my cellphone off due to Crispy's incessant calling (if I didn't answer it the first five times, I'm not going to answer it the next fifteen!) and well after Crispy had called the hotel phone another three times, when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

There stood a glum-faced member of the resort staff.

Speaking very quietly he informed us that the police were at the front desk.

Crispy had kicked off big time. And he'd brought back up.

Apparently if we didn't go to pay we would be charged with theft.

Only problem was (which somehow Crispy still didn't understand!) was that we had no cash or credit card!

I'd left my credit card at a pool party earlier in the day. The hotel couldn't pull the number from file. Why in the world Crispy would not take the check, I do not know.

To add to the comedy, the police officers took me aside and told me that Crispy was so enraged that they had actually been forced to pull him over and ticket him for speeding on the way to the resort!!

Classic!

The guy at the front desk loaned us the 25 bucks we were short, Crispy left with his tail between his legs and we had a few minutes to shoot the shit with the police officers to downplay the whole situation.

The whole circus was almost over when the overweight female police officer suddenly stopped and said "You know what would have happened if you hadn't paid don't you..."

"You would have gone to JAIL!"

This still cracks me up. The poor woman was in no physical shape to be a police officer, let alone lecturing us about how we should pay a pizza delivery man!

So, if you're considering Crispys in Tampa, FL, while the wings aren't bad and the pizza is average - make sure whatever you do, you don't try and pay by personal check!

Because Crispy takes personal checks very personally...

You have been warned!

Guestlisted up, we worked our way into the Extreme Mansion exclusive 7 acre estate for a sick ass pool party.



Touted as the Bay Areas hottest poolside party, the event featured DJ's from the huge lagoon pool, with Rewind Sundays broadcasting live on 93.3 FLZ from Pool 10A with Legendary Resident DJ Mondo and Dj Jaime Ferriera, DJ Goofy White Kidd, Katie, and Brian Fink taking to the turntables.



We couldn't argue with a 6000 Square Ft. 200,000 gal. Lagoon pool with all the fun toys a pool can have, including: "in pool swim up" bars, grottos, hot tubs, water falls with slides, and much more!



Not too mention a pirate ship! A definite first for Forthy - partying it up on a bloody pirate ship. Top Class!

Completely Remodeled with all new spacious & upscale VIP areas and a new rotating dance floor, The Ampitheater Complex is proud to present - Club Tantra, the newest high energy dance and entertainment complex in the Bay Area!



As club manager Jakub with head of security and promoter Josh tell me, Club Tantra will prove to be the next level in provocative nightlife entertainment.



Centered in the heart of Historic Ybor City this new venue has the potential to excite your senses and, as their website states, leave you BREATHLESS!

I love the Sunsets in Tampa



But not the sun!



My friend Churchy tells me you can always tell the British down here. Apparently they have two colours - pasty white and pink. I'm not sure if he meant at the same time, but if he did then I've managed to pull it off in this picture...

So, so bad! I'm sticking to the SPF 50 from now on! Ha ha!

3 top reasons why Clearwater Beach was the best place to be on Saturday afternoon...

The owners tout it as the most unique dining experience in the Tampa Bay area. I'm not exactly 100% convinced about that as I've been to tons of buffets similar to this before, but what I can say is that the food at Fresh Harvest is fantastic.

It came highly recommended from a coworker who tells me they crack fresh oysters right in front of you - all included in the price.

And, just by signing up for a free players card you get a 25% reduction off your ticket from $20 to $15 per person.

If you're still not convinced then this crafty creative writing off their website may persuade you:

"With 7 different kitchens to choose from - the possibilities are endless. Brickoven pizza to dim sum to delicious desserts and everything in between, your Fresh Harvest card is your ticket to embark on a culinary tour of the world. Enjoy the live action in the kitchens, where every meal is a show stopping chef performance. But remember: the food is still the main event."

Makes me laugh, but the food is so good - its worth the visit!

I'm currently staying at the Sailport Resort in Rocky Point and was finally able to soak up some sun tonight and enjoy a first Tampa Bay sunset from the room's balcony.



When my good friend Frank Scicchitano called and asked how the view was, paradise was the only word I could use to describe the view.



To think I've been here almost two weeks and not sat through one makes me feel like I've wasted two weeks opportunity.

To think I've still got two weeks here before I find a permanent place though, isn't too bad a thought!

This was sent through to me this morning by someone who shall remain anonymous and I have to say it's one of the funniest things I have seen in a long, long time! Had me in absolute stitches!

Read this simple, great quote this morning:

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.

I think it epitomizes the fundamental essence and purpose of this blog!

Emile Heskey scored his first goal in a competitive match for England since the 2002 World Cup as Fabio Capello's side took another important if unconvincing step towards the 2010 finals.

Victory maintained their perfect record in Group Six, and they will have one foot in the finals in South Africa next summer if they dispose of bottom-placed Andorra at Wembley on Wednesday.

We watched the game at MacDintons - the neighborhood bar of choice for South Tampa denizens in search of the familiar. The Irish accents are as heavy as the Guinness and Harp on tap.

After the England game, The Republic of Ireland halted Bulgaria 1-1, at Vassil Levski stadium, took a vital point and maintained their five point lead over Bulgaria in Group 8.

This movie is Scandalous!!!

Two days before his wedding, Doug and his three friends drive to Las Vegas for a blow-out bachelor party they’ll never forget. But, in fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they actually can’t remember a thing.

I was fortunate enough to get into an advanced screening ahead of Friday's launch. The story that follows had me in stitches from start to finish!

If you like Old School - you'll love this!

I never thought I would leave Kansas City in 2009. I knew one day I would, but thought it would take months of careful, painstaking consideration.

As it turned out, I received a new job offer, packed up, and was on the road in under a month.

When I first moved to Kansas City back in 2006 I had nothing. I'd just graduated my MA in Warrensburg and my lease was expiring at the end of July. After traveling Europe, I literally left myself a week to find a place.

I had no job and a visa that's time was running out - plus nowhere to live!

I ended up finding a guy named Shane Sprenkle off craigslist.

His name still makes me laugh...

For just $400 a month all my rent and utilities were paid, the place was furnished and I gambled that I'd have someone to show me the city.

As it turned out he was ripping me off. I found out off neighbours on just the second day that the apartment rent's was $375 for two people.

I confronted Sprenkle about this and he declared that we weren't roommates at all, that I was, in fact, subleasing the apartment from him to pay the landlord.

Highly illegal and complete bullshit - I didn't pay him another penny.

Luckily I met Jake Koehler. Jake owned a newly remodeled three bedroom house in beautiful Brookside and had a room to rent.

Jake and I agreed rent. I waited for Shane Sprenkle to go to work one day, packed up all my belongings and moved in at Jake's place.

Then, despite applying for jobs all over the United States, I accepted a position at the NBC studios in Kansas City.

I never looked back.

I did learn a valuable life lesson though. In life you have two main choices: Where to live and what to do. If you can match them up you are already ahead.

I chose the career I wanted in a place I was happy at, knowing if I could grow and become successful then I would eventually be able to build my career in the future where I wanted to live.

Almost three years later had I reached the peak..?

On the day I left Kansas City, I'd just come off spending the weekend on a multi-million dollar yacht, lived in a $1.5 million mansion, was about to bill my best quarter ever with the station, left a relationship that had immense potential, and had developed a network of people that included connections at the best bars, nightclubs, sports teams, and media - not to mention all the great, great friends and fraternity brothers that will always endear Kansas City in my heart.

So why did I leave???

This line from Paul Arden's book, It's not how good you are, it's how good you want to be sums it up:

"Risks are a measure of people. People who wont take them are trying to preserve what they have. People who do take them often end up by having more."

I feel I was reaching my peak in Kansas City. It was time for a new challenge. Kansas City is the country's 31st biggest media market. Tampa Bay is 13th. I was accepting a promotion, pay increase, better perks, and perhaps the biggest draw of all, moving to the beach where the highs usually range between 65 and 95°F year round.

I have to say that I would never have gotten as far as I have today without all the wonderful people I have met on this journey. If I can accomplish here in three years what I've accomplished in Kansas City then just imagine...

Who knows where this "risk" will take me. I will immensely miss everyone in Kansas City, just as much as I have missed and continue to miss everyone in England and the rest of the world.

So here is my invitation to all the wonderful people I have met to come visit because without you all, this would never have been possible!

Life is short. Without breaking out of our comfort zones and pushing ourselves to reach our full potential in life though, we will never know what else out there is also possible.

Known as Tampa’s Latin Quarter for over a century, Ybor City is an exotic blend of aromas, flavors, sights and sounds. From the scent of roasting Cuban coffee early in the morning to the rhythms of Latin music late into the night, Ybor is a feast for the senses.







Listen to the music of the night - jazz, blues, salsa, reggae and even hip-hop emanate from a selection of pubs, patio bars and nightclubs. Ybor is alive with a variety of entertainment that makes it one of Florida’s top-ranked nightspots.

After breakfast in Nashville, we decided to take the scenic route to Atlanta, driving into Alabama and through the deep south for drinks during happy hour in Birmingham, Alabama.



Arriving With low expectations, Alabama really surprised and impressed. The locals were all extremely warm and friendly. Birmingham has certain character and charm, and the southern hospitality we received was second to none.

After a quick drive-through tour of downtown we headed to Five Points South - an area located in southern section of downtown with antique shops, park, restaurants, hotels, and night spots.

With directions from one of the locals, we found ourselves walking down a red brick road to a country house converted into a local bar with some great brews.



Live music and a great atmosphere, rounded off a great stop in a city I would definitely recommend visiting...

Located off Bransford Avenue near 100 Oaks Mall in "Berry Hill." The Pfunky Griddle is fun in a very unpretentious way. Each table has its own heating device that allows you to cook your breakfast at your own table!



You can order "toppings" and make the pancakes yourself just the way you like them. From chocolate chips to coconut to pineapple to an obvious favourite, blueberries, they have tons of choices.



And, the best part is that they give you unlimited regular and whole wheat batter. This would be a great place to go after a big night out and when you're seriously hungry.



They're regular sandwiches come highly recommended too - I had the Kalua Pig Sandwich and loved it!

Everyone's a country music star in waiting in Nashville! I discovered that halfway through the first cocktail. All this time I thought that people who used to play live music in Nashville were the coolest thing. That was until my friend Laura pointed that almost every bar in Nashville has live music and almost every performer there is a wannabee country music star. Made me laug. It's not neccessarily a bad thing though and it definitely adds to the culture and climate of the city.

We'd met Laura at The Lime and headed for cocktails at a few different places before stopping in the Red Door Saloon.



Shrouded in the shadows just off Division Street, this curious little cottage serves brews spiced with a hint of mystery. As a right of passage, the first time you head there you have to look through "The Hole" a small peek-through hole in the floor of one of the rooms.



I can't tell you what we saw, but the bar is definitely worth checking out for this just alone!



If you're of the faint of heart, the bar also has great pineapple-infused vodka drinks for a reasonable price, too!

Making record time through Illinois on the way to Tennessee via Kentucky, we were flying - passing every man and his dog.

Then I realised why.

There was a cop on the center median, and yes he was using a radar detector, yes he clocked us, and yes folks, 15 over the speed limit will get you a ticket.

Thankfully he made it as painless as possible.

Within ten minutes we were out of there.

A slap on the wrist and a $75 fine.

Not too bad, but still enough to take the edge off the roadtrip.

From then on in we had to strictly adhere to the speedlimit, deciding 10 over should be enough to avoid falling into a further wrath from the police!

No roadtrip is complete with passing through the Gateway to the West (Or, in this instance, Gateway to the East!)

St Louis has been very good to me over the years, and it's a city defined by the Gateway Arch - the tallest national monument in the United States.

Approximately a million visitors ride the trams to the top of the Arch, and apparently in order to ensure that the constructed legs would meet, the margin of error for failure was 1/64th of an inch. All survey work was done at night to eliminate distortion caused by the sun's rays.

Since the Arch was constructed before the advent of computer technology, relatively crude instruments were used for these measurements.

If you ever get a chance to stop in St Louis I'd highly recommend it. The city has one of the best mardi gras festivals in the country and heading to the east side after bars should also not be missed!

It's a grueling 20 hour drive to Tampa that includes stops in St Louis, Nashville, Birmingham, and Atlanta, but Forthy and Kennedy are up for the challenge!

Here's the route:


View Larger Map

More to follow...

The Lake of the Ozarks is a large reservoir created by impounding the Osage River in the northern part of the Ozarks in central Missouri.



More to follow...

Check this shot from out of the plane window on a recent layover in Charlotte, North Carolina...