Kevin runs the website “What About Blue“, a social network bringing people together to solve the global water crisis. He’s based right here in St. Petersburg and attends events to promote his cause. The mission is simple, to bring awareness of an issue that many of us in the civilized world take for granted. Starting in July and ending in October, he and two of his fellow adventurers (Brian Coggan and Danielle Katz) will kayak 2500 miles down the length of the Mississippi from Bemidji, MN, to the Gulf of Mexico, in order to help raise awareness of Water and inspire action to preserve, cultivate, restore, protect, conserve, and share safe water.

‘What About Blue?’ exists to encourage people to think specifically about Water and all the ways it is used in our lives. WAB aims to not only raise money to help combat this critical issue (Did you know that over 1.2 billion people live without daily access to clean drinking water?) but to create a network of individuals around the globe who are linked by their passion and concern for water.

Money raised will go to charities working on water issues, locally and nationally preserving and restoring waterways, and internationally to help build wells for those without access to clean water. For just $5 per month, you could help bring water to dozens of people who need it. Such a small contribution (about what you’d pay for a Latte!) could dramatically reduce water born diseases, and cut death in third world countries considerably.

Here’s a video by Fox Tampa Bay covering Kevin’s quest:

Being in the Tampa Bay Area, we’re all surrounded by water. We swim in the gulf. We deal with hurricanes. We are constantly at odds with our city government over when to water our lawns and how much water to use. Now consider what would happen if our water supply dried up. Consider how bad it is in developing nations where no one has access to clean water and the water they do have is filled with bacterial, viruses and waste.

Even if you don’t have money to donate, sign up for What About Blue and listen to the encouraging stories of Kevin Lilly and his collective. You will think twice before wasting water again.

Unlike the first one I attended, the candidates actually seemed to have an agenda now. Many spoke on the importance of keeping our children in programs to avoid gangs. Others spoke of keeping the streets clean, both of garbage and of drug users and prostitutes. Still others pushed issues involving the St Pete Peer. It seems that everyone was making good points, making this a valuable (if somewhat overwhelming ordeal). Here are some photos of the mixer.

The rest of the photos can be seen here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/denisbaldwin/sets/72157619595410198/

The thing I enjoyed about the first event was that you can just show up, ask questions of your leaders and potential leaders, and get frank one-on-one attention from them. I can’t say everyone was being honest, but I did get a lot of answers and face time.

Anyone is welcome. Admission is free.

Here’s some photos of the various teams doing what they do.

The thing I’ve come to expect from Tweetups was proven at this meeting. Everyone is supposed to come together to mix and mingle, but there’s really just a lot of thumbs on keypads as people compete over the tweet wall. This wall, being updated constantly by tweeters in the room, occasionally makes me laugh but a lot of it is self service non-sense as well.

The Tweetup was organized by Julia Gorzka of BrandTampa fame. She made a quick introduction with that crazy energy that she has. Then, we had to sit through a presentation by the aquarium staff, a small payment of time in return for getting to use the aquarium for our meeting (no cover charge!). Thankfully, I was already pretty liquored up by the time that started so I kind of drifted in and out of consciousness.

I got bored of the Tweetup aspect pretty quickly and moved out into the aquarium with a small group, snapping photos and taking in the many exhibits. The aquarium itself has some interesting stuff, but nothing I’d ever pay the $20ish to attend.

For instance, their “shark tank” didn’t have a single Great White, or even a Bull Shark. The sharks they did have were the kind you can buy at an exotic fish store. Not impressed. The scariest thing they had was a giant grouper, which I immediately thought would make an awesome sandwich. I also didn’t see one squid. Really? An aquarium without a squid?

Here’s a few picture highlights:

Rhino takes a different approach to the politics game. It’s members, a true democracy, gather both online and in the real world to discuss and vote on things they would like to see change. Topics range from simple local issues and candidates to more lofty projects. The group gathers in input and uses their collective power to push for the majority vote with the powers that be. If a high percentage of the group wants to stand behind a certain candidate or push for a change in policy, you hear the collective voices of the entire lobbying group in unison. This gives everyone the voice that once only the affluent would have.

I went to the political mixer at NOVA535 (and awesome gallery, by the way) with zero expectations. Thinking I would stand out like a sore thumb, I was surprised when both the RHINO leaders and a number of the mayoral candidates made a point of including me and getting my input.

One of the leaders of the group, Cliff Gephart, made introductions between myself and the others in the group. They were savvy on local issues, and the point was clear that they weren’t going to take these issues lying down. With this kind of pull from the community, I don’t see how they could fail.

Here’s some more photos of the mixer and the gallery.

If you want to stand up to this injustice, there is a peaceful rally tonight here in Tampa to oppose the decision.

Time: 7:00, Candlelight Vigil at Dusk to 9:30 P.M. Rain or Shine

Place: Joe Chillura Courthouse Square at the Corners of Morgan, Kennedy, Pierce & Madison (Across the street from Hillsborough County Center & Court House, 610 E. Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, Florida 33602)

The Green 100 Class of 2009

The Green Bloggers for CL’s new Green Tampa initiative.

Everyone was encouraged to take a tree home and plant it. Mine is now growing in my backyard.

Joshua from Zen Glass, makers of eco friendly glass materials.

Presentations were made, explaining our green impact and how we can help.

I can’t even tell you how much I enjoyed 360 Vodka, the world’s only fully green alcohol. From processing to bottling, the whole deal is green. They even take the tops back for recycling!

Sherry Smith from Creative Loafing MC’ing the event, and sharing the spotlight with the 360 Vodka guy.

Joe Redner makes an appearance.

It’s Heidi, from Got Jokes? Fame, hanging out with Karl Simon.

The paparazzi were all over this.

Human pyramid!

After a few drinks, even the most sophisticated can do the pop-n-lock.

.. and some more random photos from the event:

1. Why your interest in green products?
I wanted to develop a business where I would be able to give back and make a difference. Being a green company inspires me every day to seek out new products and speak with others that share my same passion.

2. How long have you had your store open?
Our vision for the company was developed a few years ago. We officially launched the site in November 2008.

3. Do you have any stories about how you or your store really helped someone change their world for the greener?
For the month of April I sent out information about Earth Day to all my customers. I had a customer that is a Middle school teacher. She read the information to her entire middle school, also her girlfriend used it at her church high school youth group retreat. That information was able to be shared with hundreds of students. With educating our youth about Earth Day it creates a greener world. That was really a nice way to show me that people do appreciate the work that our company is doing.

4. With Earth Day come and gone, what are you hoping the world has learned or will do to be greener?
That we can all make the world greener, it just takes one item at a time.

5. What’s the plan for your store long term?
I would love to see both the store and green practices go global.

6. Are there any green resources, forums or blogs that you read and can recommend?
Green Maven and Eco Seek are great green product resources. For blogs WordPress, BlogCatalog, and Creative Loafing has a great green blog forum.

7. What are your greatest green sellers?
The recycled juice box hand bags are really popular right now. The Chili pepper, it is a hot water pump. We can’t seem to keep them in stock. Another great product is the Klean Kanteen it is a reusable bottle.

8. Anything else your future customers should know?
Please visit the site often, we are always updating with new innovate green products.

There you have it, another Bay Area Green personality promoting ways to help the environment. I’m always looking to cover more environmental stories, so please feel free to submit yourself or others who do something substantial to improve the quality of eco-life here in the Tampa Bay area.

RHINO P.A.C. is a group of nonpartisan individuals who are not affiliated with any political party, organization, candidate or campaign and who want to make a positive impact on the political scene. RHINO is dedicated to advancing the morale integrity and fiscal responsibility of St. Petersburg’s elected officials. The P.A.C. boasts that members of all political parties, donkeys and elephants alike, can still become Rhinos and promote positive change in St. Petersburg.

RHINO will provide a complementary glass of wine and hors d’oeuvres to each citizen that attends.

Housed in a 1920 built five & dime; NOVA 535 is a lush, meticulously renovated 7,000 sqft. versatile event space with two full bars and plenty of convenient parking. It’s high-end yet welcoming atmosphere offers each guest a world-class experience.

Riverfront Park played host to the event, bringing out paddlers of all skill levels. Two runs were made, the first a 5 mile race from Riverfront Park to Marjorie Park and back. The second, a 2 mile family friendly paddle from Riverfront to the convention center brought even more paddlers looking to beater cancer with a paddle. All proceeds from sponsors and donations went to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

Here’s some photos I took of the event.

For more information, see their site:
http://beatcancerwithapaddle.org/

The City of Tampa is placing 20 newly designed receptacles for recycling plastic and aluminum throughout downtown and the Channel District. The green receptacles will be placed along popular pedestrian corridors to assist with recycling efforts. The recycled items will be collected by the Tampa Downtown Partnership Clean Team and brought to a central location for pickup by the City of Tampa Solid Waste Department. Funding for the program was provided by the Downtown and Channel District Community Redevelopment Areas.

This is an event Kara’s work has been involved in during previous years at Bartow High School, so I decided to join Kara for the walk and to use this as an opportunity to take pictures.

Ashland’s Grill Team keeps the dogs and burgers going, refueling hungry relay walkers.

Nothing says “walking for life” like the booze tent.

The theme was “Western”, so there was a lot of cowboy decorations about.

Cancer Can’t Tucker Us Out donated $30,000 to research. That’s awesome.

There were games and fun for the whole family.

Lots of cool prizes to raffle off too. If there wasn’t a 1200:1 chance of winning this TV, I would have bought a $10 ticket.

The local elementary had these cool cowboy cutouts that people were posing with between laps.

Gambling for a good cause.

This chopper is another one of those “man, I wish I could win this prize” prizes. Too bad the tickets were more than I could afford.

I wish I could have gotten a photo of this without the flash and had it turn out right. All along the course there were these candle and sand filled bags that lit up the track. It was neat.

This poor kid. People kept asking him about his “Corn Hole Tournament”.

Everyone kind of moved at their own pace..

They spelled out “CURE” in those same glowing bags. Once again, I wish I could get a photo of them glowing, as this was a cool effect.

The relay was a great success. Preliminary numbers found that donations were very high, even in a bad economy. It’s good to see so many people there, sharing stories and making a difference.

When: April 15, 5:00pm
Where: Lykes Gaslight Park, 401 N Franklin Street, Tampa, FL 33602
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=54785494759

Bands started early, pouring in around noon. Outlaw country stars Hundred Proof were playing when we rolled up. This is the kind of country I like, a mix of the nasty attitude of Johnny Cash and Hank the Third with whaling guitars and rockabilly sensibility. They were followed by Adrian Ray, another country band.

Later on, Blind Rage came up to do a set of classic rock songs.

Blind Rage took a bit of a break to let Francillia of Beatnik Castle come up and o her hit, “Will U B Mine?” While this isn’t her ideal crowd, she did a great job and everyone cheered for her.

We left shortly after Blind Rage continued, but I hear Bark at the Moon, the premiere Ozzy Osbourne Tribute band continued to tear up the stage.

This really was a great benefit show, and it was awesome seeing so many people out to support the Shriners Hospitals. They do great work to save lives and improve lives for kids that wouldn’t have had a chance otherwise. It was totally worth the wicked sunburn I got to be there and support the cause.

If readers can’t make it to the Relay events, they can donate at the 3 bay area American Cancer Society locations.

Greater Tampa Unit
2006 W. Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: (813)254-3630
Fax: (813)349-4431

Hillsborough/Polk Area
2006 W. Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: (813)254-3630
Fax: (813)349-5953

SE Hillsborough Unit
1462 Oakfield Dr
Brandon, FL 33511
Phone: (813)685-0670
Fax: (813)689-1320

http://www.relayforlife.com/

Relay For Life of North East St. Petersburg
3/27/2009 6:00:00 PM
5101 1st Street North East – St. Petersburg

Relay For Life of Temple Terrace
3/27/2009 6:00:00 PM
6925 E Fowler Ave – Tampa

Relay For Life of Zephyrhills
3/27/2009 6:00:00 PM
6335 12th Street – Zephyrhills

It’s a good old fashion yard sale for residents that live the Urban life and have no yard. There will also be a few local retail folks presenting. This is the first year, though it could become an annual event if it does well.

In addition to the HYNCA sale, the market is open in the same park and the Art Walk will be going on the same time. I hope the event will bring those to Ybor who have never been, or never seen the beauty of the city beyond 7th Avenue.

They are dedicated to raising funds to improve current treatments for brain tumors, and to assist brain tumor patients with travel expenses for their treatment.

The goal at Miles for Hope is to provide a complete source for cutting edge treatment and support for both the patient and care givers. There are many wonderful sources of information on the internet for brain tumors, and their goal is to compile these resources at one location.

http://www.milesforhope.org/

You will find a large support forum full of information, the most current clinical trial information, breaking news regarding brain tumors, and other support and awareness tools for your use in combating and fighting brain tumors.

Please support their efforts by attending the Candlelight Vigil. Help them support those who are affected by brain tumors, and fund current research leading to a cure for this disease.

Register for the Event Here:
http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1694505&assetId=09589e73-79f6-4cc8-8968-a2b0c9798e61

I’ve been a freecycle member for many years. 5 years ago in Michigan, I was a moderator for a few of the groups there. I saw the efforts of freecycle help many families who had nothing and were living in squaller to get on their feet. I also saw many people with garages full of junk able to find new space without filling landfills. It was very rewarding seeing the process at work. This is the re-use portion of the the reduce-reuse-recycle movement, and it’s making a big impact.

When I was down on my luck and trying to get my life together, freecycle helped me furnish my entire house. Couches, beds, tables, even a computer all just for asking for it. When I was able to afford nicer things, I freecycled the old stuff back out, as well as some other things I had gathered along the way. These days, I pick up a few nice things if I see them, but I seem to give more than I ask for. Last night, I picked up a 55 gallon fish tank from a very nice local freecycler. A month ago, I gave away 3 computers that I refurbished and a bunch of tech gear to needy families. The give and take is a thrill in and of itself.

Every city has a Freecycle. The Tampa Freecycle is here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecycletampa/

As of this morning, they had 15,122 members. Feel free to sign up and post your offers or wants.

It’s also worth mentioning that Krisky Kreme is giving away a free donut to everyone in America today. All you have to do is go to a Krispy Kreme store and ask for one.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/01/happy-inaugurat.html

The Inauguration begins in 3 hours. Today is going to be a good day.