I try not to knock over the giant Jenga tower. (Photo by Glenn Darling)

I hadn’t played trivia at a bar before, so when I arrived, Glenn, along with his friends Ryan, Krystyna, Sarah, Katina and Joe, explained how it works. Essentially, you get to wager points on each question.

Mr. Beery’s made it more interesting by fielding a team of their own beertenders, who played against everyone else. Anyone who beat the house team got to pick a beer off Mr. Beery’s shelf of rare brews not sold in Florida.

I want to congratulate Mick and Erin, who hosted the event. Apparently, they aren’t the regular hosts, but they did a fantastic job and kept up a witty banter. You two should host again.

For a ringer, I sure got a lot of questions wrong. Here are just a few; answers are below:

1. True or false: In Wisconsin, it’s legal to drink if you’re under 21 if you’re with an over-21 spouse, parent, etc.

2. What decade did Coors begin distributing to all 50 states: 1970s, ’80s or ’90s?

3. Who’s on the label of Samuel Adams?

I’m quite proud that I knew the beer that has a crown on its label and the phrase “By Appointment to the Royal Danish Court” is Tuborg. We were the only ones to get that question right.

In case the trivia wasn’t enough, we simultaneously played Jenga: that stacking game where you try not to tip over the tower while making it taller. But Mr. Beery’s has Giant Jenga, or actually Giant Similar-to-Jenga-but-Distinct-Enough-to-Avoid-a-Lawsuit. All the blocks are about a foot long. You’d better watch your feet, sensitive body parts and beer glasses when the tower falls.

Nobody had to worry about me being a trivia ringer since we didn’t win. And we did too well to get the prize for last place.

“How many questions did we rely on him?” Ryan asked. Apparently, too many. And if you were wondering, only one group beat the house team and got to pick their beers off the wall.

Bradenton Beer Festival

A reminder that the Bradenton Beer Festival returns Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. on Old Main Street downtown.

In addition to the beer (including local brews), the festival will be catered by food trucks from around the region. Tickets that get you beer and food samples cost $30. Food-only tickets are $10. You can buy them online or get a list of local sellers at craftbeerexpo.org.

Beer Cook-Off

Growler’s Pub (2831 N. Tamiami Trail, 487-7373, growlersonline.com) is hosting its second annual Beer Cook-Off to benefit All Faiths Food Bank on Feb. 26. Cook your favorite dish with beer as one of the main ingredients. And if you don’t want to cook, the pub is looking for judges. Bring plenty of quarters, because you’ll use them to vote for your favorite dish. Growler’s will match the donation.

Sign up with a bartender at the pub for more information.

Answers

1. True; 2. ’90s; 3. Paul Revere (I know. I can’t believe it, either.)

Dorothye Smith, the first African-American school principal in Sarasota County, and the first to be named Teacher of the Year (Photo courtesy of the City of Sarasota)

Lots of interesting people to see and learn about over the next several weeks.

First up, the Literacy Council of Sarasota is hosting its fifth annual Author’s Luncheon Friday (Feb. 17) at Michael’s on East.  The council’s website runs the tagline “Words Open Worlds” and, of course, as a writer and avid, some might say rabid, reader, I can’t imagine a world without words.  Can’t imagine not being able to read  — to live without having my mind, heart and spirit, not to mention opportunities, expanded by access to the thoughts of others and information essential to my survival and personal growth.

Not everyone is so lucky.  According to the Council, roughly one in five residents in the City of Sarasota is illiterate — i.e., they can’t speak English or are so undereducated that their reading and writing skills restrict their ability to find work, protect themselves, and contribute within their community.   The Council helps people learn to read and write, prepare for GED testing, and learn English as a second language — in other words they help provide a voice to many in our community who might otherwise not be heard.

Speaking at Friday’s luncheon is former president of ABC television and co-founder of Project Literacy US James E. Duffy, who says, “Obscured in all the glitz and glamor of 15-minute celebrity, the greed of Wall Street, and the despair of Main Street, is the continuing problem of illiteracy in America.  Until we make a vigorous effort to educate and give all of our people basic skills, we will continue our slide toward a second-class nation.”  Tickets are $75; call 955-0421.

“Civil Rights: The Struggle Continues …” that’s the theme of the 2012 Kennedy-King dinner being held Sunday, March 4, hosted by the Sarasota County Democratic Party.  The annual event, named in honor of President John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has two powerhouse speakers this year: Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith.  The pair will share their experiences and perspective on the ongoing struggle for civil rights in this country.  The event, held at Michael’s on East, is one of the Dems’ biggest fundraisers.  Tickets are $100 per person; for details, visit www.sarasotadems.org or call 330-9400.

The City of Sarasota is celebrating Black History Month with a monthlong exhibit at City Hall showcasing photographs and newspaper articles that chronicle Sarasota’s history of racial integration and legacy of African-American trailblazers.  The exhibit, organized by Sarasota residents Dorothye Smith and Mary Edmunds, is open through Feb. 29; call 365-2200 for details.

Smith was the first African-American principal in Sarasota County.  This is the fifth year of the exhibit, and Smith told me that, especially for local high school students who might know “very little” about the history of African-Americans in Sarasota — both the struggles and the positive aspects — the exhibit would provide needed background and context.

Speaking of the relationship between races in Sarasota over the years, Smith, who was a schoolteacher and served as the principal of Southside Elementary for 11 years, said, “Even though we lived in separate parts of town, we learned from each other.”

The exhibit is a great opportunity for furthering that learning — an excellent reason for a school field trip … or just a visit on your own.  I hope you’ll check it out.

– Follow MC on Facebook (MC-Coolidge); email her at mcrealityonline@yahoo.com.

Downtown Sarasota Festival of the Arts. H-T ARCHIVE PHOTO / CHIP LITHERLAND

Gem-Jewelry & Bead Show & Sale — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday (Feb. 17-19). Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail. $4 (good for all three days). 954-4165; frankcoxproductions.com.

Sarasota Federated Music Club — 10:30 a.m. Friday (Feb. 17).  Eicher Auditorium, Sunnyside Village, 5201 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota.  The program will feature Rachel Nelson-Assi, mezzo-soprano; Yousef Assi, horn, with Adam
DeSorgo, piano,  in music by Mozart, Brahms, Copland.  Free and open to the public. 751-4178.

Village of the Arts Annual Studio Tour — 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday-Saturday (Feb. 17-18). Watch village artists at work in their downtown Bradenton studios. Free. 747-8056; villageofthearts.com.

Live From Downtown, It’s Friday Night — 6-9 p.m. Friday (Feb. 17). The weekly downtown showcase shifts to Towles Court, with live performances. Free. DSAsarasota.com.

Club Scene — 7- 11 p.m. Friday (Feb. 17). The Community Youth Development and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County, Lee Wetherington Club, will present “Club Scene” for teens in grades 6-8. Teens can play basketball, dance to a DJ, play in the game room or just hang out with their friends. (Bring photo ID.) Refreshments will be served. The Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club is at 3100 Fruitville Road, Sarasota. 366-7940.

24th annual Downtown Sarasota Festival of the Arts — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday (Feb. 18-19). Main Street in downtown Sarasota. Free. (561) 746-6615; artfestival.com.

4th annual Antiques and Collectibles Show and Sale — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 18); 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 19) at Manatee Convention Center, One Haben Blvd., Palmetto. Gala preview, 5-9 p.m. Friday (Feb. 17). Weekend show tickets are $6; the gala is $10 in advance, $20 at the door. Antique appraisals by Kennedy Brothers Appraisals will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. 812-8226; ManateeServiceClub.com.

Oldies/Doo-Wop Dance — 7-10 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 18). Presented by Perfect Chord & Memories. Venice Community Center, 326 S. Nokomis Ave. Venice. Call 497-2480 for ticket information.

Suncoast Concert Band — 3 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 19). “Valentines and Presidents,” at Payne Park Auditorium, 2100 E. Laurel St., Sarasota. The 90-minute program includes “Americans We,” “Highlights from Carousel,” “Indiana,” “Emblem of Freedom March,” “A Colonial Rhapsody,” and other popular tunes. $5 at the door. 907-0935; suncoastconcertband.org.

Barbary Coast Dixieland Band — 4 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 19).  First Methodist Church, 602 11th St. W, Bradenton. Free-will offering. 747-4406.

Evensong — 5:15 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 19). The Church of the Redeemer, 222 S. Palm Ave., Sarasota.  The anthem will be “Missa in Simplicitate de Jean Langlais,” with baritone Daniel Cartlidge.  Open to the public.  955-4263; redeemersarasota.org.

Beer: Ruthless Rye IPA

Brewery: Sierra Nevada, California

Notes: I love rye in bread. Guess what? It makes beer better, too. The grain adds a nice spice to a beer that already has big citrus-like flavors and a bitter bite from the hops. This is Sierra Nevada’s new spring seasonal. Seek it out before it’s gone, and check out the new direction the brewery is taking with the artwork.

Have you had Ruthless Rye? Please let me know what you thought in the comment field below.

Rabbi Brenner J. Glickman

Knock, knock. Jews there?

It’s “A Night of Jewish Humor” – Thursday’s (Feb. 17) 7 p.m. free forum at Fresh Start Café about how to master the art of Jewish joke telling.

Based on the “Jewish Jokes” adult learning series by Rabbi Brenner J. Glickman of Sarasota’s Temple Emanu-El, the evening will feature modern and classic jokes, some that date back 100 years.

Formatted like a stand-up comedy show in a cabaret setting, it will be a casual night out at the Burns Court café. Drinks and light snacks will be available for purchase.

Get ready to nosh, laugh and enjoy a great evening, organizers said. It will be an engaging and hilarious retrospective of Jewish wit, storytelling and humor.

In-between laughs, sample the Mediterranean food, decadent pastries and coffee drinks at Fresh Start.

Fresh Start Café is at 630 S. Orange Ave. in Burns Court, Sarasota. For more information, call 371-2788 or 373-1242.

One of the newer kids on this strip is McCabe’s Irish Pub, which opens daily at noon with draught beers, wines, and a bevy of single malt scotches and whiskeys. Though it’s less than a year in, it already feels like a decades-old institution.

Last weekend, I met co-owner Lou Thomey in her little slice of Dublin. I marveled at the Victorian décor — a hand-carved mahogany bar, antique tonic bottles in display cases, and Gaelic street signage. Placards read: “My liver is Irish” and “You can’t drink all day unless you start drinking in the morning.” Nice.

“This is a real, authentic Irish pub, and I think downtown is the perfect place for us. Best move we ever made. We really love it,” Thomey said. “We use any excuse there is to have a party down here, and downtown has really become a destination. You can park once and go to a variety of places.”

Meet Thomas Stynes and Lou Thomey, co-owners of McCabe's.

Thomey and her partner, Thomas Stynes (who sold Rasher Tierney’s in January), revamped the 1,700-square-foot curio shop on the corner of Old Main/12^th Street West and Third Avenue to resemble the Emerald Isles. The pub’s moniker is a tribute to Stynes’ grandmother, and fittingly, the ambiance hearkens back to her era.

There are distressed tongue-and-groove oak floors, evergreen ceilings, glass partitions, original 1920s brick walls, high-top tables, a pool table, and a bench-like seating area with plush cushions. Five flat-screen TVs, free Buzztime Trivia and a Megatouch Rx jukebox add modernity.

On tap are Guinness, Smithwick’s and Harp (or, as Thomey calls it, “the holy trinity”), as well as Kilkenny, Carlsberg, Shock Top, Strongbow, Bass, Yuengling, Bud and Bud Light. Irish car bombs are buy two get one free (or $7.50 apiece). Try the Irish Breakfast shot with Jameson and butterscotch schnapps in one glass, followed by a swig of orange juice, for $6.

Smoke freely, but if you want any food other than chips, you’ll need to order from one of the nearby eateries: B’Towne, Fav’s Italian Cucina, Beck’s Bistro, Pier 22, Retro City Café, Robin’s Downtown Café or Lucky Dogs.

I picked the latter — McCabe’s 2-year-old next-door neighbor, owned by Kathy Jones, Greta Shepherd and Sheri Clinard. Within minutes of my phone call, Clinard walked over a six-inch Kamikaze sub with roast beef, pepper jack cheese, horseradish sauce, onion, lettuce and mayonnaise on a toasted roll for $7.95, accompanied by a bag of chips and a pickle.

“We’re happy to have McCabe’s right next door,” Clinard said. “Our food goes great with their drinks.”

Try the Irish Breakfast shot with Jameson and butterscotch schnapps in one glass, followed by a swig of orange juice, for $6.

McCabe’s hours are noon to 2:30 a.m. daily, and happy hour runs from noon to 7 p.m. with $1.75 domestic drafts and $2.75 wine and well drinks. From noon to 6 p.m. Sundays, sample $2.75 Bloody Marys with all the fixings (Thomey supplies pickled asparagus and stuffs 10 types of olives). Come for pool league on Mondays, and for Texas Hold ‘em on Wednesdays and Sundays.

The Muphin Men play from 8 to 11 p.m. Thursdays, and there is varied live music on Fridays and Saturdays. Check out the Celtic Clan on Feb. 29 while partaking of $12 beer buckets, and stop by Thursday (Feb. 16) during Get Down Downtown or on Saturday (Feb.  18) for the fifth annual Bradenton Beer Festival.

“McCabe’s is awesome,” said Dan Edwards, guitarist and vocalist for the Muphin Men, gripping a Jagerbomb. “This is definitely our favorite bar to play.”

And one of my new favorite places to haunt, at any hour.

The Delta Skyline

Young SRQ trio The Delta Skyline is recording its first album at Bradenton’s Junkyard Rehearsal Studio and the budding rockers are receiving general band guidance (including its photography; see sidebar) from Junkyard owner Barry Waddell (guitarist/vocalist for Seasons of the Wolf).

In addition, TDS is also prepping for the first round of Gorilla Music’s “Battle of the Bands” that’ll be held March 18 at The Orpheum in Tampa.

Beforehand, however, it performs at the (oddly named) Jonapalooza 3, 9 p.m. Friday at Rusty Hook Tavern, with Palmetto’s self-described “rock, experimental, alternative, punk” quartet Airsickness, along with Sarasota’s Devil Made Microphones and The Once and Future Kings. $5.

DOOD CHANGE

Sarasota hard-rockers The Distinguished Order of Disobedience aka The D.O.O.D.  has tweaked its lineup.

Vocalist/guitarist Lee Kay (also in RMisery) takes over for former frontman Mike Partee, who vacated the spot last year (having joined  Seven Years Past for a while, then, recently, playing bass at a few shows for national act Tantric).

As well,  original members Ray Gunderson (guitar, vox), Jonzey (bass) and Jerry Sullivan (drums) welcome guitarist Parker Wojtanek to the fold.

The new three-guitar re-formation hits Venice’s Club 41 (408-8447) for “Bike Night,” Feb. 24, with As Bridges Burn, Kadaver Dolls, Lethal Blend and Pushmower.

SEVEN FOLLOWUP

In case folks weren’t at the show where Seven Years Past revealed its mystery drummer (who replaced instrument-switcher Brett Jones), the new guy is seasoned percussionist Allen Pryor (from The Almighty North among many others).

CATS OUT

After a pre-release cassette put out in October, Cats in the Basement delivers its seven-song debut “Doo Bee Doo La Dee Day Dum Be Dum Drink Your Blood” digitally Tuesday. (Unfortunately, there’s no word on when, exactly, its 10-inch, glow-in-the-dark vinyl version comes out.)

For now, CITB entices fans with a free download of the album’s single “godlovesex” at its Bandcamp page.

Next week, it begins a monthlong tour (some dates with David-Byrne-produced The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt), during which it’ll perform in numerous Atlantic Coast states (to New York), through Virginia and Tennessee, then along coastal Gulf states to Texas.

One of the first tour shows is at downtown Sarasota’s Blue Owl on March 25.

– Send musings and news to dawnzig@hotmail.com

A lot of people are squawking about Michael Fassbender (“Shame”) and Leonardo DiCaprio (“J. Edgar”) failing to receive Oscar nominations for Best Actor, as widely expected among the Hollywood cognoscenti. For my money, the guy who really got cheated was Michael Shannon, whose creepy-yet-charismatic turn in “Take Shelter” (R, 121 min.) earned a lot of critical praise — but few ticket sales for this little-seen drama.

Shannon plays Curtis, a blue-collar Ohio family man who starts seeing strange apocalyptic visions — birds flying into vortexes, threatening storm patterns, even indistinct human forms trying to break into the house and get his daughter (Tova Stewart) and wife (Jessica Chastain, filmdom’s Miss Everywhere for 2011).

Curtis’ own mother had a schizophrenic breakdown when she was about the age he is now, so his first thoughts are that he’s cracking up. He seeks counseling at the free clinic and reads books about mental illness.

But nothing can stop his strange impulses — especially about the old storm shelter buried in his backyard, which Curtis begins transforming into a veritable fortress. He mortgages the house and leverages himself to the hilt in an attempt to slay the white whale only he can see.

It’s an extraordinary bit of acting by Shannon, whose face always seems on the verge of melting into a swirl of emotions. “Take Shelter” is a harrowing portrait of Midwest normalcy disrupted by dark daydreams.

Video extras are pretty good. Director Jeff Nichols supplies a feature-length commentary track, and for once the lead actor joins him. I think these commentaries are always better when more than one person is involved, and even better when representatives of both the crew and cast take part.

There is also a behind-the-scenes featurette, Q&A with Shannon and co-star Shea Whigham, and a few deleted scenes.

Brewmaster Jared Barnes said in an email that they have the license and he started brewing last week. He said he expects the beer to be ready in three to four weeks.

He writes: “Just had to wait for ingredients to come through and get some equipment changes finalized. Now we are ready to rock.”

Check out Darwin on 4th’s latest video, featuring the brewpub’s brewing setup:

Adele sings "Rolling in the Deep." AP PHOTO

(Also see: complete list of Grammy Award winners ~ Photo Gallery: Grammy Best & Worst Dressed ~ Photo Gallery: Grammy Awards ~ Photo Gallery: Whitney Houston 1963-2012)

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Entertainment Writer 

The splintered music world truly coalesces only one night of 365 for the Grammy Awards, and this year was united in the triumph of recovered British soul singer Adele’s trophy haul and the tragedy of Whitney Houston’s death.

Adele swept the major honors of song, record and album of the year Sunday (Feb. 12) for her lost-love epic “21″ and its driving single “Rolling in the Deep.” She picked up her final two awards after making her first public performance in months after being sidelined for throat surgery. Her total of six Grammys matched Beyonce for most ever by a female act.

After seeming almost sheepish in picking up some of the trophies (“This is ridiculous,” she said after winning record of the year), Adele’s tears flowed upon winning best album.

“This record is inspired by something that is really normal and everyone’s been through it — just a rubbish relationship,” she said. “It’s gone on to do things that I can’t tell you how I feel about them. It’s been the most life-changing year.”

The Foo Fighters won five Grammys for music that singer Dave Grohl said was made in his garage, and ceremony no-show Kanye West won four. Indie rockers Bon Iver won best new artist.

Show host LL Cool J’s neat pivot allowed the assembled industry leaders to mourn Houston while enjoying the night’s music. He offered a prayer at the outset for Houston, who died Saturday in a Beverly Hills hotel. Later, Jennifer Hudson, under a portrait of the late vocalist, sang a portion of “I Will Always Love You.” Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, Rihanna and Stevie Wonder all saluted Houston.

“This night is about something truly universal and healing,” LL Cool J said. “This night is about music.”

Foo Fighters

Artists have fewer opportunities these days to reach large, diverse audiences and it has made the Grammys an increasingly important venue. Producers take advantage of the star power to pack the night with performances, deemphasizing the actual awards. Sunday’s was a sprawling variety show, occasionally historic.

Bruce Springsteen sang a new populist anthem, “We Take Care of Our Own.” Rihanna dueted with Chris Martin of Coldplay. Katy Perry debuted a shiny blue haircut. Keys and Bonnie Raitt honored Etta James. The Foo Fighters sang “Walk” and later participated in a tribute to new dance artists. Chris Brown hoofed it up a series of steps, although his voice was barely recognizable. Glen Campbell, soon to retire due to Alzheimer’s, appeared in a tribute.

Maroon 5 and Foster the People played Beach Boy songs, then joined the Boys as they reunited for their 50th anniversary. Many believed Brian Wilson and Mike Love, who looked slightly stiff going through “Good Vibrations,” would never appear on stage together again.

Paul McCartney sang a jazzy new song from his album of standards, then was joined by Springsteen, Grohl, Tom Petty and Joe Walsh on the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” closing medley.

Then there was the truly unexplainable: Nicki Minaj’s exorcism outing, ending with her levitating above the stage.

Adele was the uniting force. Her album was a critical hit and commercial powerhouse, and it would have been an upset if she hadn’t joined Eric Clapton, the Dixie Chicks, Carole King, Paul Simon and Christoper Cross among artists to sweep the three biggest awards in one night.

“It’s nice to see as music keeps evolving that something as authentic as she’s putting out can still be not just relevant but dominating,” said Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum, last year’s record of the year winners.

Adele said backstage that her victories hadn’t sunk in yet. She said she enjoyed the two months where a throat ailment forced her to keep quiet.

“I’m actually quite mouthy,” she said.

Hearts poured out for Whitney Houston, who was found dead on the eve of the Grammys.

As for the subject of “21,” she said, “I think he’ll be very happy for me.”

Dan Wilson, who co-wrote Adele’s “Someone Like You” and two other tracks on the disc, said he’s excited about how well Adele has done because her songs are performed simply. It’s all about the message and the emotion, he said.

“She stands up onstage and delivers them with tons of soul and heart,” he said. “It almost seems like a trick she’s doing that. She doesn’t have any, like, elephants walking with her or, you know, fire and stuff like it. It seems like she has the most amazing trick, which is she’s doing it with almost nothing, and is still blowing us away.”

Paul Epworth, who worked with Adele on the album, won a Grammy for producer of the year.

While Adele’s vocals are powerful, the singing of best new artist winner Justin Vernon of Bon Iver is often delicate, the music atmospheric. He won a competitive and diverse category with Minaj, The Band Perry, J. Cole and Skrillex. Appearing onstage in an ill-fitting suit jacket, Vernon talked about writing for the inherent reward of writing songs, not for trophies.

It doesn’t mean he wasn’t honored and grateful for the award, he said backstage later.

Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. AP PHOTO

“At some point, I got really nervous,” he said. “Maybe it was because I didn’t feel like I deserved to be here … This is the biggest night in music but it’s also a very small Staples Center, and there’s so much music out there in the world and it’s so hard to feel like it’s collecting the whole thing.”

He gave an onstage shout-out to Eau Claire, Wis., probably a Grammy first.

Grohl shouted “long live rock ‘n’ roll” as producers played LMFAO’s “Party Rock” over the loudspeakers to get him offstage after the Foo Fighters won for best rock performance. He made a plea for musicians to recognize that the human element is what makes their art most important.

“It’s not about being perfect. It’s not about sounding absolutely correct. It’s not about what goes on in a computer. It’s about what goes on in here and what goes on in here,” he said, pointing to his head and his heart.

Starting at noon today, head to ticketsarasota.com/limerick and write an original limerick. As an example, here’s one I wrote last year:

St. Patrick’s Day is known for green beer,
a tradition no beer geek holds dear.
I implore all of you
instead drink a craft brew,
which will certainly help my career.

It’s certainly no award winner, but you get the idea.

Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. March 4. On March 5 at noon you can vote online (at the same address) for your favorite. The Top 5 limericks must be recited before a panel of judges on March 17 at the Shamrock’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

Here are the prizes:

Grand Prize: VIP trip for 2 to BeerCity USA in Asheville, N.C. – which includes flight to Asheville, two-night hotel stay at Hotel Indigo Asheville, a VIP Tour of Highland Brewing, a Brews Cruise Tour and dinner.

2nd Place: 4 tickets to the Asolo and H-T Talk Back (a pre-performance reception, a play and post-performance HT Talk Back).

3rd Place: 4 tickets to Mote Marine’s Penguin Island.

More details and all the rules are at ticketsarasota.com/limerick.

Whitney Houston had more than 40 chart singles in the United States over a 28-year career, including 11 No. 1s and 22 Top 10s — from 1985′s “You Give Good Love” to 1999′s “My Love Is Your Love.”

Here are some of Houston’s greatest moments in music video:

(See a video tribute to Whitney Houston)

LOS ANGELES — Whitney Houston, who ruled as pop music’s queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died. She was 48.

Houston’s publicist, Kristen Foster, said Saturday (Feb. 11) that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown.

News of Houston’s death came on the eve of music’s biggest night — the Grammy Awards. It’s a showcase where she once reigned, and her death was sure to cast a heavy pall on Sunday’s ceremony. Houston’s longtime mentor Clive Davis was to hold his annual concert and dinner Saturday; it was unclear if it was going to go forward.

At her peak, Houston the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world’s best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like “The Bodyguard” and “Waiting to Exhale.”

She had the perfect voice and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.

She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who when she first came out sounded so much like Houston that many thought it was Houston.

But by the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.

“The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy,” Houston told ABC’s Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.

It was a tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States alone.

She seemed to be born into greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin.

Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.

“The time that I first saw her singing in her mother’s act in a club … it was such a stunning impact,” Davis told “Good Morning America.”

“To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine,” he added.

With Kevin Costner in "The Bodyguard"

Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in 1985 with “Whitney Houston,” which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. “Saving All My Love for You” brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. “How Will I Know,” ”You Give Good Love” and “The Greatest Love of All” also became hit singles.

Another multiplatinum album, “Whitney,” came out in 1987 and included hits like “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

The New York Times wrote that Houston “possesses one of her generation’s most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity.”

Her decision not to follow the more soulful inflections of singers like Franklin drew criticism by some who saw her as playing down her black roots to go pop and reach white audiences. The criticism would become a constant refrain through much of her career. She was even booed during the “Soul Train Awards” in 1989.

“Sometimes it gets down to that, you know?” she told Katie Couric in 1996. “You’re not black enough for them. I don’t know. You’re not R&B enough. You’re very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them.”

Some saw her 1992 marriage to former New Edition member and soul crooner Bobby Brown as an attempt to refute those critics. It seemed to be an odd union; she was seen as pop’s pure princess while he had a bad-boy image, and already had children of his own. (The couple had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in 1993.) Over the years, he would be arrested several times, on charges ranging from DUI to failure to pay child support.

But Houston said their true personalities were not as far apart as people may have believed.

“When you love, you love. I mean, do you stop loving somebody because you have different images? You know, Bobby and I basically come from the same place,” she told Rolling Stone in 1993. “You see somebody, and you deal with their image, that’s their image. It’s part of them, it’s not the whole picture. I am not always in a sequined gown. I am nobody’s angel. I can get down and dirty. I can get raunchy.”

It would take several years, however, for the public to see that side of Houston. Her moving 1991 rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl, amid the first Gulf War, set a new standard and once again reaffirmed her as America’s sweetheart.

With Bobby Brown

In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with “The Bodyguard.” Despite mixed reviews, the story of a singer (Houston) guarded by a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner) was an international success.

It also gave her perhaps her most memorable hit: a searing, stunning rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” which sat atop the charts for weeks. It was Grammy’s record of the year and best female pop vocal, and the “Bodyguard” soundtrack was named album of the year.

She returned to the big screen in 1995-96 with “Waiting to Exhale” and “The Preacher’s Wife.” Both spawned soundtrack albums, and another hit studio album, “My Love Is Your Love,” in 1998, brought her a Grammy for best female R&B vocal for the cut “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay.”

But during these career and personal highs, Houston was using drugs. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2010, she said by the time “The Preacher’s Wife” was released, “(doing drugs) was an everyday thing. … I would do my work, but after I did my work, for a whole year or two, it was every day. … I wasn’t happy by that point in time. I was losing myself.”

In the interview, Houston blamed her rocky marriage to Brown, which included a charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993. They divorced in 2007.

Houston would go to rehab twice before she would declare herself drug-free to Winfrey in 2010. But in the interim, there were missed concert dates, a stop at an airport due to drugs, and public meltdowns.

She was so startlingly thin during a 2001 Michael Jackson tribute concert that rumors spread she had died the next day. Her crude behavior and jittery appearance on Brown’s reality show, “Being Bobby Brown,” was an example of her sad decline. Her Sawyer interview, where she declared “crack is whack,” was often parodied. She dropped out of the spotlight for a few years.

Houston staged what seemed to be a successful comeback with the 2009 album “I Look To You.” The album debuted on the top of the charts, and would eventually go platinum.

Things soon fell apart. A concert to promote the album on “Good Morning America” went awry as Houston’s voice sounded ragged and off-key. She blamed an interview with Winfrey for straining her voice.

A world tour launched overseas, however, only confirmed suspicions that Houston had lost her treasured gift, as she failed to hit notes and left many fans unimpressed; some walked out. Canceled concert dates raised speculation that she may have been abusing drugs, but she denied those claims and said she was in great shape, blaming illness for cancellations.

Tom Scherberger at the Tampa Bay Times continues his excellent craft beer coverage with a story about Tampa Bay Beer Week, a series of early March events focusing on local craft beer. Scherberger writes:

“A loosely knit group is organizing the event, representing virtually all the major players in the Tampa Bay craft beer scene — brewers, distributors, tavern and home brewers. And it’s being run with the same sort of collaborative spirit that has characterized the development of the local brewing industry.

…

Organizers hope the week will spotlight the already thriving Tampa Bay craft beer scene — and become an annual draw for tourists.”

Read the full story for more info, and you can see a full list of events on Tampa Bay Beer Week’s Facebook page.

Earlier this week I was all over the arrival of my No. 1 beer, Bell’s Hopslam, both on draft and in bottles.

Now distributor JJ Taylor reports on its blog that another of my Top 10 favorite beers, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine, is here. This is another monster (9.6 percent alcohol) of a beer, which Sierra Nevada says “boasts a dense, fruity bouquet, an intense flavor palate and a deep reddish-brown color. Its big maltiness is superbly balanced by a wonderfully bittersweet hoppiness.”

I love Bigfoot. Many people like to age it to take off the harsh hop edge, but I love it fresh precisely for its harshness.

Bigfoot is much more affordable at about $10 per six-pack, while Hopslam is closer to $20. Of course, they are very different beers, with the only thing they have in common is their extreme qualities.

I called Total Wine today to check, and they said they don’t have it in stock yet. I’m guessing JJ Taylor’s blog post is a bit of a heads-up to keep our eyes open.

When it comes in, you’ll be able to find Bigfoot at many more places than Hopslam. I’ve seen it in years past at Publix as well as at the best craft beer stores.

Feb. 14 update: Just called Total Wine and they expect to get bottles in Wednesday, so I imagine everyone else will get it at about the same time.

Have you seen Bigfoot in town? Please use the comment section below to report your sightings.

As I wrote in my last blog, we really don’t know what the Mayan calendar ending on Dec. 21 this year really means. According to some researchers, it was a preset time frame based on generations. The circular Mayan calendar only goes out 52 years because that was the average lifespan of a person of that time. So between 300 AD and 900 AD by the ripe old age of 45 you were losing bodily functions and staining your tunic or soiling the old loin cloth.

In this day and time, 52 is the age you get an AARP membership, a prescription for Cialis, Botox, a Boob Job, facelift, convertible, condo, and then open an Italian Bistro & Piano Bar in a South Florida strip mall.

Wow, how time has changed.

Take the largest city in the Mayan empire, Tenochtitlan; it was about the same size population as Sarasota but only had two Italian bistros. Cortez and the Conquistadors were more focused on real estate, retail, and chasing hot young Mayan tail than opening another sorely needed Mama Pepperoni’s or Café Madone.

If Columbus had gotten there first, the Yucatan Peninsula from Cancun to Tulum would have been much more like South Florida dotted with establishments vowing to provide any visiting guest with the best Pasta Fazool and Cacciatore this side of Mama’s Genoa Cucina.

Instead, the area evolved into tacos and belly shots at Carlos and Charlie’s while singin’ Buffett tunes. If the Italians had gotten to the Mayan Valley first today, you’d be suckin’ down dry martinis at Francos and Frankies singin’ Sinatra and grabbin’ yourself.

But back to the Mayan conspiracy theory insisting that we cancel all insurance and health club memberships as of yesterday and eat like a stoned Paula Deen.

No matter how much evidence there is to support that the end of the world is highly unlikely to happen on Dec. 21 of this year and that the Mayans’ foretelling this is a total sham. There will still be those that believe. This year, some folks will do everything in their power to believe it and others will produce books and DVDs and films and music and survival kits and non-shrink wrinkle-free quality cotton T-Shirts that feeds these human lemmings manic march to oblivion.

If you are one of the believers, do one thing for me: Carefully check out the folks who are making money off this mass hysteria to see if these prophets are saving any of the money they are raking in off your need to believe 12/21/12 is the end or are they spending every penny as fast as they make it. If they are saving money, then they are also planning on saving the date for welcoming in 2013 at the Ultra Lavish Rockin’ New Year’s Eve Ball at the Waldorf Astoria with hostess Nicki Minaj and musical guests Jay-Z and Nickelback. This is a sign, a sign that they are selling you with all the integrity of a free-tour timeshare agent in an east Okeechobee canal front condo association.

Now if these denizens of devastation are spending their money as fast as it is coming in on lavish vacations, homeless shelter upgrades, or a plan to quickly colonize the moon and Mars they are most likely well-meaning goofballs … and who are most likely going to wake up on the morning of Dec. 22nd like a 22-year-old Chili’s waiter — hung-over, broke and pissed off!

So if you are one of those Armageddon-believing folks, consider this possibility. Maybe the guy in charge of calculating and chiseling the calendar (and I am not being prejudice against women by writing guy because if you think it’s tough for women to get equal opportunities now just check into the Women’s Rights of the Mayan Valley 500 AD. It is abysmal) was just working along. Doing a great job, and his boss came in, “Hello Bob” (or whatever Bob’s name would have been in Mayan maybe Bobticuintican), “Bob, how far along are you on the calendar?”

“Well, sir, I am almost finished with 2012.”

“What?! Bob you weren’t supposed to go out more than 520 years. We only wanted 10 future calendar disks. You know there is no way you are getting paid for any work past that date.”

“Sir, with all due respect, that is a load of Black Howler Monkey Poo! I will be calling my FCWMVF (Future Calendar Workers Mayan Valley Federation) union representative and we will see who is not getting paid. Furthermore, screw this, I was almost finished with the beautiful completion of 2012 ‘The Magic Year of Universal Unity,’ but it will sit here 10 days from a finished product and it can stay that way until doomsday as far as I’m concerned.”.

Or, maybe the guy doing the calendar was an Autistic Savant. He was the Mayan Rainman.

Now, click here for the video conclusion of this week’s column …

COMING UP AT McCURDY’S COMEDY THEATRE

Feb. 10-11 — Bobby Collins, tall, dark, handsome, hilarious humor has been a theatre favorite here for 20 years just as he is from coast to coast. He is a Vegas regular, appearing with Tony Bennett, Cher, Dolly & Julio. Originally from NYC, his one-liners and stories reflect observations of the absurd habits and ridiculous situations that are the crazy pieces of our human puzzle, chronicled on his six hit comedy CDs. Rated AS.

Feb. 12 —   MAC Improvisation with the Mad About Comedy Players

Feb. 14 — Valentine’s Night, Black Diamond Burlesque will send you into the vintage era of Gypsy Rose Lee and Josephine Baker when creatively removing clothing put more emphasis on the Tease than the Strip. This is the perfect way to spend the evening on the day devoted to love and passion. The performance is Sex Funny Fun with comedy, music,and the lovely Black Diamond Dames. Check out the Black Diamond Burlesque on Facebook for Photos. Rated AB.

Feb. 15-19 — Eric Myer and Ken Miller, winner and first runner-up at the 2011 Florida’s Funniest Comedy Competition. The 10 top comedy clubs in the state auditioned more than 100 Florida comedians who went through five levels of competition to get to the final four at the West Palm Improv and these guys won hands down. The 10 Finals judges all had more than 25 years of experience each in the industry, including Les & Pam McCurdy. We think you are seeing stars of the future. Ken is a creative observationalist finding humor in everyday life and social issues and Eric is a high-energy mad man with machine gun punch lines. Rated AS.

Feb. 20 — Clean Comedy Family Friendly Show with The Bermuda Mavericks, stand-up and improvisation with audience participation. These shows are open to all ages, but not a children’s show — simply funny clean comedy. No alcohol is served at these performances and the show starts a bit earlier 7 p.m. and finished no later than 8:30 p.m. Rated AC.

Feb. 22-23 & 26 — Bermuda Mavericks comedy team Les McCurdy & Ken Sons have been performing together since 1980 with their brand of stand-up, stories, sketches and improvisation. They have toured North America headlining clubs and casinos and have appeared in concert with dozens of music and comedy stars including Bob Newhart, The Smothers Brothers, Jerry Seinfeld, Clint Black, Alabama and Kenny Rogers. Rated AS.

Feb. 24-25  — Hypnotist Rich Guzzi is back with his nationally known Comedy Erotic Hypnotic Show that takes members of the audience, puts many of them into a hypnotic state — then the fun begins. Shows are generally rated AS, but the late shows can tip over to the AB rating. It just depends on the volunteers. Some folks are just more naturally fun and crazy than others.

Until now.

Here’s where people have reported seeing it:

• Clueless Brewer reports on Twitter that Total Wine in Sarasota has Hopslam six-packs for $19.99. There’s a limit of one six-pack per person, per day.

• Brian Chrisman reports on Facebook that the ABC on Bee Ridge road at Tuttle Avenue also has it in bottles. I just called them and confirmed this. There’s no limit, the employee told me.

• Tod Abrahamson reports on Twitter that Whole Foods has it for $16.99 per six. I just spoke with David at Whole Foods and he said while there isn’t a strict limit, he’s not sure what management would think if you tried to buy the entire stock.

UPDATE: Earl reports in the comments below that ABC is sold out and Whole Foods has one case left as of Friday afternoon.

Spot Hopslam around town? Please use the comment section below to report where you’ve seen it.

A 64-ounce growler is filled in Maine in 2011. That size is illegal in Florida. (AP photo)

If you didn’t read it in today’s Herald-Tribune print Business section, Scherberger has written a good article about Florida’s antiquated beer laws that allow 32- and 128-ounce growlers, but not the standard 64-ounce size.

Opponents say 64-ounce growlers will promote over-drinking. But if that’s true, why are there no limits on wine or liquor bottles sizes? And why can you get a 128-ounce growler but not a growler that’s half that size? And why are breweries treated differently than wineries or distillers?

I recommend reading the full story:

Size matters: Craft brewers challenge Florida’s beer container laws

I’m a Willie appreciator, for sure, but I wouldn’t count myself among the die-hards. My introduction to the original outlaw includes admiring his image on black velvet hanging in a hometown pizza joint, as well as adding “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other” to my open mic repertoire. I find his Old Whiskey River brand of Kentucky bourbon mighty fine as well. The night of the big show, I picked through the contents of my closet, puzzling over what one actually wears to go see the Red Headed Stranger (although by now he’s no longer red-headed and arguably a stranger to no one).

When we got to the Purple Cow, the answer was plain: wear whatever you dern well please. We saw ladies in evening gowns, gentlemen in tie-dye and flip flops, cougars in club wear and more than several leaves of the Devil’s Lettuce embroidered or screen-printed onto shirts.

The brains behind "Beer for My Horses."

We grabbed a round of Buds and did the “‘scuse me, pardon me” conga to our seats. Scotty Emerick got us all to chuckling with his hit songs “I Love This Bar” and “Love Me Like My Dog,” although most folks know those tunes best as sung by Toby Keith and Billy Currington. Emerick’s been a hit-maker for Willie, too, and I really loved to see the man behind the songs get a good 30 minutes in the spotlight.

Well, we grabbed another round and scrambled back over the trouser gauntlet under many baleful stares as the lights went down in the hall. And with a roar from the packed house, Willie strode out with a five-piece posse and launched right into “Whiskey River.” Dressed all in black from head to foot, he showed no mercy to his jangly, blonde acoustic guitar, nor to his back-up band. More than once they appeared to struggle to keep up as Willie blazed through song after song, hardly stopping for a breath or a “thank’ya.” Pretty soon he winged his black cowboy hat into the crowd, followed by his red bandanna. I’ll never know how a second bandanna found its way onto his head and then into the overjoyed front rows.

At a quarter or so to 10, we thought he was wrapping it up with “On the Road Again,” but we weren’t even close. “Always on My Mind” nearly put a tear in my beer, but I got to grinning once more with “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.” Close to 10:30, Willie must have pitied our frail, citified constitutions and closed out with a  gospel medley. By then, I had lost count of all the standing ovations he’d received.

A little breathless, my armrest-mate and I wheeled out onto Tamiami Trail and headed for home. Suddenly a shadow loomed over our vehicle, and the most enormous tour bus I’ve ever seen, emblazoned with a war chief astride his mustang, pulled up alongside us. For approximately two minutes before the bus hung a left onto Fruitville, I may have gotten closer to Willie than I ever thought possible.

While this has its supporters, I can’t get behind it. Primarily because it’s not legal: You can’t re-sell alcohol. Also, you have no idea if what you’re buying is genuine or not.

Craft breweries aren’t happy with re-selling, either. They have taken different steps to try to limit it. Stone Brewing in California had a limited release with numbered bottles where they took down your name when you bought one. If they caught the bottle being sold online you’d be banned for life from future events.

Here’s another interesting technique. At The Lost Abbey* in California, if you want to buy a bottle of their very-limited Ultimate Box Set beer, you not only have to buy the bottle at the brewery, you have to drink it there, too.

Sage Osterfeld, The Lost Abbey’s media liason, says they did this precisely to prevent re-selling.

“We want it to be exclusive,” Osterfeld said. He said they are only making 900 bottles of each beer in the series. If you buy one at the brewery**, they will open it for you and you have to drink it right there, he said. You can keep the empty bottle, but he said security will stop you on the way out and tip it upside down to confirm that it’s empty.

I think this is a pretty clever way to prevent the beers ending up online. Lost Abbey’s director of brewing operations, Tomme Arthur, wrote a very strongly worded column in BeerAdvocate magazine a while back, taking re-sellers to task. While I can’t repeat the headline here, it did involve the f-word and a certain online auction website.

Osterfeld said the brewery doesn’t like seeing a $30 bottle of their beer sold on eBay for $300. He also said they’ve seen counterfeit*** bottles of Lost Abbey beers sold, a move that hurts their brand. The state of California has even contacted them to warn them about selling beer on eBay, even though they aren’t the ones doing that, he said.

Bradenton Beer Festival

Feb. 18 marks the return of the Bradenton Beer Festival, which runs 4 to 8 p.m. on Old Main Street downtown.

For the fifth annual festival, the organizers say they will be featuring new, local breweries from the Sarasota-Bradenton area like Little Giant and Darwin’s on 4th, along with Dunedin newcomer Seventh Sun. There will also be beers from other Florida brewers like the Sarasota Brewing Co., Cigar City, Swamp Head, Saint Somewhere and the Tampa Bay Brewing Co.

And if that weren’t enough, there will also be craft brewers from elsewhere in the United States and beyond.

All that beer is very cool, but an especially exciting feature of this festival is the food, which is being supplied by more than 15 food trucks from around the region. And if you don’t want to drink beer, you can buy a cheaper $10 ticket that gets you just food samples.

Tickets that get you beer and food samples cost $30. You can buy them online or get a list of local sellers (as well as more information, including a list of the food trucks) at craftbeerexpo.org.

* The Lost Abbey’s beers aren’t sold in Florida. Bummer.

** It’s first-come, first-served on these $15, 375 ml bottles.

*** Who could have predicted that there would be counterfeit beer?