When Rick Wessel is out gallivanting on his horse in local parks, he’s happy to accommodate strangers who want to take pictures. But he’s not the one shutterbugs shoot; it’s his horse-riding pal, Hollywood Jake. Jake, a fluffy, 18-pound, red Maine Coon cat, accompanies Wessel on trail rides and on…

John Messenger, a big film-buff from England, watches old British science-fiction TV shows differently these days. After moving to Davie nearly a decade ago, he hooked up with a group of South Floridians who share his fondness for low-budget British sci-fi. The group, called TRI, was established in 1985 as…

Watching Ed Aristone on stage rehearsing the role of a smoldering, smirking rapist — one who sings, no less — it’s hard to imagine him in real life. During an evening rehearsal at the tiny EDGE/Theatre in South Beach, he’s one of the cast, a muscular guy in jeans and…

Mimi Shapiro’s books bear only the slightest resemblance to their conservative cousins in bookstores, and for good reason. Shapiro is an artist first, a writer second, and her volumes are pieces of art, with some literary content thrown in for good measure. The cover of one of the Fort Lauderdale…

Ryszard Fechtner, inventor, is inspired by fish. The bearded, cheerful man has admired sea life since he swam marathons in the lakes of his native Poland. He kicked and paddled through miles of water, while fish darted beneath the surface with ease and grace. “You look and see how easy…

Flip Schultz is on stage at Uncle Funny’s Comedy Club in Davie, asking if there’s a cop in the audience. Somewhere out in the dark, silhouetted crowd, a guy — brave, naive, or both — raises his hand. Taking his cue, Schultz says hello, then delivers an array of exaggerated…

Inside the butterfly house at the Secret Woods Nature Center in Fort Lauderdale, graceful insects flutter among potted flowers and hanging plants. It’s an idyllic scene, one that would satisfy just about any weekend nature-admirer. But because Scott Bryan, a volunteer at the center, is an insect enthusiast, he has…

I always thought my fancy writing — like the wiggly letters I drew in crayon on homemade Mother’s Day cards and birthday messages — was lovely. Recently, though, I was humbled. Sitting at a dining room table in Plantation with four calligraphers, I was thinking, “How difficult can this be?”…

Historical legends and theories are fine, but Jerry Wilkinson wants to know the real deal. Wherever he’s lived, he’s tried to find out as much as he can about the history of the place, and right now that place happens to be Tavernier, a tiny burg on Key Largo. The…

As the dance music thumps away, Steve Baez leads a group of women through a rigorous set of rhythmic punches and kicks. Women of all ages are throwing their fists and letting their feet fly, building up a sweat as they kick repeatedly — front, back, sides. This may look…

Walking through the woods on a sultry evening, Jim Higgins suddenly stops and waves something that looks like a transistor radio in the air. It’s a bat detector, which picks up sounds humans can’t hear and beeps when it senses a bat nearby. Whenever he hears a beep, Higgins scans…

Like an omniscient general, Frank Steffens is able to pick one toy soldier from among the thousands in his collection and tell you everything about him — uniform, weapon, military unit, even the manufacturer. To prove his point, the Hollywood toy collector plucks Colonel Cardigan, the commander of the 1854…

If you’ve seen the movie, you probably didn’t take the time to notice Jack O’Neil. But as Demi Moore struts on stage and takes it all off in Striptease, the Hallandale resident is right there, front and center. During the shoot, he was in the crowd of male admirers at…

Take the accordion out of Cajun or zydeco music, and what’s left is another musical style completely. “Without an accordion, you don’t have a Cajun band,” claims Junior Martin, an accordion builder from Lafayette, Louisiana. “It’s going to be something else. Maybe a country band or a bluegrass band.” It’s…

It’s late — really late — but the all-night crowd at the Copa is eagerly anticipating its weekly lesson. More correctly, patrons of the Fort Lauderdale nightclub are awaiting the appearance of the teacher, Tiffany Arieagus. Her poise and personality drive the entertaining and instructional show Drag 101. Even as…

Displayed on the walls inside the Yellow Strawberry salon in Fort Lauderdale is owner and stylist Jesse Briggs’ collection of hair. Not just any hair. Famous hair. Historic hair. Expensive hair. Briggs started collecting about five years ago when he acquired a lock of John Lennon’s strands from an auction…

Shu-shu Sanders has a sure way to get her son’s cooperation. She’s learned that the spirited kindergartner obeys more readily when she switches from English to the thick, guttural language spoken by fictitious warriors with ridged foreheads. She says, “Ba,” he sits. She says, “Ghos,” he stops dawdling and comes…