DANIEL BLUE: MEET BRIDGETTE QUAIFE >>>

Bridgette Quaife has only been in Tacoma for one month, but somehow she belongs here, knows this, and can be found highly involved downtown on a regular basis. 

Working for a short time at the new Maxwell's, she is now reverse commuting to Seattle to bartend at Ruins. When I asked her what she "does" she said she couldn't tell me, but most of the time people say that when they want you to be curious. I waited a while, and naturally she began to tell me all about it. Volunteering at Fulcrum Gallery seemed to bring her an incredible amount of joy, I keep meeting more and more people who are exited about community and art.

"Nonprofits are eligible for eight gambling events a year, I'm learning to manage nonprofit organizations", she says, when she was rudely interrupted by an Amy Winehouse song that turned out to be her cell phone ringing.

No one has ever tried to make Quaife go to rehab, she drank Coke while Oliver Doriss and I drank malt liquor.

Look to find Miss Quaife snapping photos around downtown and generally chilling out and acting all cool.

MATT DRISCOLL: CATCHING UP WITH AUDITOR PAT >>>

In this week’s issue of the Weekly Volcano I ran a story about current Pierce County Auditor Pat McCarthy’s campaign for County Executive â€" specifically a recent flap she had with the 2nd Legislative District Democrats. If you didn’t catch the story, you can find it here. If you’d prefer a brief synopsis, here’s the gist: McCarthy has been claiming the endorsement of 2nd LD Dems since at least April. In January, the 2nd LD Dems voted to recommend democrats choose McCarthy’s democratic opponent Calvin Goings with their first choice on this fall’s Ranked Choice ballots - and McCarthy second. In the eyes and interpretation of the McCarthy campaign, the resolution constituted an endorsement. In the eyes of 2nd LD Dems, it really didn’t. When McCarthy was recently endorsed by the Master Builders Association of Pierce County (a group the 2nd LD Dems view as non eco friendly and unprogressive) they reached a breaking point. On Tuesday, June 17 they issued a press release fully endorsing Mr. Goings â€" in an attempt to erase ambiguities that have allowed the McCarthy campaign to claim otherwise, and also withdrawing any support they may have shown McCarthy in the past.

Just call the situation politics. It’s silly. It doesn’t matter much. But this is the way we’ve chosen to do things.

McCarthy recently got a hold of me to clarify her position (a viewpoint I’d hoped to have for the original piece, but since McCarthy’s all busy auditing and whatnot it proved impossible.)  Most importantly, with or without the official endorsement of the 2nd LD Dems, McCarthy feels fine about her chances in the district which includes Roy, Rainer, Graham and Orting. She pointed out that the 20 person voting group which decided to issue Tuesday’s press release probably didn’t speak for the entire district.

“I’ve been a Democrat in good standing for over thirty years,” says McCarthy. “The resolution (originally passed by the 2nd LD Dems in January) said ‘endorsement.’ From my perspective, we believed it was an endorsement. Clearly, my democratic opponent did as well. That was my perspective.”

As for her recent endorsement by the Master Builders Association of Pierce County, McCarthy was “as surprised as anyone” by it, and also happy to have it. She pointed out that every candidate for Pierce County Executive interviewed with the MBA looking for the endorsement.

“I’m very proud of that endorsement. I think the next Executive will need to take a reasonable approach to development and growth,” says McCarthy. “I believe in bringing everyone to the table. If we pigeonhole and profile, and make enemies it doesn’t help. I’d love to have the endorsement of environmental groups as well. Everyone should have a seat at the table.”

BRAD ALLEN: ROBOT ROCK >>>

So, this is what is has come to. ...

Somewhere Herbie Hancock is weeping.

EVENT
Summerfest
More than 100 food, craft and nonprofit vendors will be on hand. (Read: more glass jewelry, organic food petitioners, and meat on a stick than your mom could ever dream of.) If you don’t feel like indulging in grease and knitted caps, then there’s also going to be more than 150 cars on display, a fun run, a kids zone ($5), and an outdoor cinema featuring the Bee Movie.

Sound good? I’m not done. There’s also my favorite part of any event â€" the live entertainment! Singer/songwriter Angela Jossy will be giving the crowd a musical workout along with other acts such as The Afrodisiacs, Charles White Band, and The Machines. And remember: Minus the angioplasty you’re going to need after all the funnel cakes, most of it is free. â€" Steph DeRosa
[Fort Steilacoom Park, noon, movie at dusk, free, 8200 87th Ave. S.W., Lakewood, 253.983.7827]

FILM
Kenny
The 2006 film Kenny brings to the surface a subject we normally cringe at: poop and pee. Its eponymous hero installs and cleans public waste receptacles for a living. Almost two hours of excrement â€" sounds like the perfect vehicle for Adam Sandler’s juvenile brand of comedy, right? â€" Kenny actually hails from Australia. Already having garnered multiple awards and won fans Down Under, Kenny smartly avoids the easy raunchiness of its premise, instead painting an enjoyable and sympathetic picture of a man â€" and occupation â€" that society ignores. Read full review here.

A post film discussion will be held after the 4:45 p.m. screening today.â€" Christopher Wood
[The Grand Cinema, 12:15,  2:30, 4:45, 7:05 and 9:10 p.m., $4.50-$8, 606 Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, 253.593.4474]

PARTY
Summer Solstice
Revelers can welcome the beginning of shorter days with friendship and community with Chiara leading the Midsummer Night’s ceremony, then hang out and eat, drink and, well, you know â€" party. But in a spiritual way. Which means don’t get wasted and grope any strangers, dig? â€" Suzy Stump
[Mandolin Café, Saturday, June 21, 6:30 p.m., 3923 S. 12th St., Tacoma, 253.761.3482]

PARTY
DJ Taj
Around this time of year, people seem to think they can do everything outdoors â€" armed with a pup tent, a Weber grill and an outdoor shower, what’s to stop them? In our humble opinion, dining on charred chicken, fending off swarms of mosquitoes, and unintentional streaking are not what summer is for. Summer is for hooking up â€" er, romance. When DJ Taj puts a funky house, breakbeat and progressive house spin in his home base of San Francisco, like he has for 15 years, the singles come out in full gum-snapping force.

DJ Taj will take a summer trip with a stop at the Tempest Lounge Saturday to energize Tacomans with his diverse and energetic style. DJ Cyphers will open. The Patio will be transformed into a beer garden.â€" SS
[Tempest Lounge, 8 p.m., $5, 913 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Tacoma, 253.272.4904]

LINK: Floater and others in the clubs tonight
LINK: Check out the movie starting times
LINK: Let’s eat outside today

SUZY STUMP: NERDS RULE >>>

Alternet has posted a story from The Tyee claiming a growing breed of young women are claiming the nerd label for themselves.

These are my people.

Check it here.

DANIEL BLUE: MEET AMY >>>

Amy never told me her last name, but I met her while tooling around the Lincoln District when I stumbled in to Asia Gift and Aquarium, a hybrid store with more Feng Shui coursing through the fabric of my energy field than the time I put my finger in the light socket. She answered all of my dumb questions about the various idols that were hanging out on her shelves. She was very nice to me and appreciated my interest in the stories behind the images. The most memorable of these was about "the man of justice" who was a character in the story of the three kingdoms. I've heard about this dude before, but what I didn't know is that many gangsters worship him, because he is not a god.

Amy and her husband Nghia, have been in that location for 18 years, selling fish and statues to the fine people of Tacoma.

"My husband bought some fish tanks and some fish and all of the sudden had so many fish to sell, we took them to the supplier and they would not buy them, so we decided to sell the fish ourselves."

At some point the lucrative import market expanded to the maze of visual delights that It is now; Amy is a delight and an anchor to Tacoma's international district.

BOBBLE TIKI: LUNCH WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>>

THE DAILY WORD

Choler \KOLL-ur; KOLE-ur\, noun:
Irritation of the passions; anger; wrath.

USAGE EXAMPLE: Bobble Tiki’s choler rises with every loss the Mariners rack up. At this point, Bobble Tiki’s choler feels like it’s at an all time high.

AFTERNOON NEWS

TACOMA: Elected blogger

OLYMPIA: Walk for suicide

SEATTLE: Rich guy world

NATIONAL: The semicolon situation

ENVIRONMENT:Offshore wind power

JUST BIZARRE: "Our bad," say police

MORE STRANGE NEWS: Kinky

THINGS TO DO TODAY
FILM LISTINGS: Look here
MUSIC LISTINGS: Here’s what’s happening
SHOOT THE SHIT: Weekly Volcano forums

BRAD ALLEN: THE GREEN IS OFF RED'S >>>

Friendly construction workers have ripped down the green awning that graced Red Kelly's jazz joint at 11th and Tacoma Avenue South in downtown Tacoma. The men claim the building was purchased by a law firm. The workers had only heard of the bar but never knew Red or drank there. They sure missed out.

LINK: Red Kelly history

LINK: History of Tacoma jazz

LINK: Associated Press story on Kelly's passing.