RON SWARNER: LOBSTER SPAGHETTI >>>

The Pacific Grill has become the preferred spot for those looking for a wonderful dining experience â€" from ambiance to service to consistency, the PG has it all â€" followed by an evening of martini-sipping and chatting with the chefs who often mingle with the customers in the bar.

Known for their inventive dishes, fresh seafood and seafood, and braised meats, I’ve gone the pasta route on my last three visits.  In fact, I’ve nestled up to the same dish â€" lobster spaghetti.

Pacific Grill chefs remove the meat from a Maine lobster, cut it up, and toss it with spaghetti, shrimp, over-roasted tomatoes, zucchini, crushed red pepper, extra-virgin olive oil and basil.

Their lobster spaghetti ($28.95) isn't the usual pasta tangle studded with the odd bit-o-lobster, but a dish where the noodles are played small and the lobster is played big, with whole claws and chunks of tail meat swimming about smartly.

Yum.

[Pacific Grill, 1502 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.627.3535]

GUSTY GAIL: TALL SHIPS JULY FOURTH >>>

"Tall Ships traffic blows, Gusty," shares Top Secret Shirley from the Museum of Glass, which is quite different from the DMV â€" but acting as a port to man, car, boat and beast this weekend.

"VIP my glass," shares international tourist Luciano. "I came to see the vagina art at the William Traver Gallery and even with the VIP parking pass it took me an hour to get through this mess."

More on the the art after the fireworks tonight. One vagina bomb is enough for any blog. Turns out Luciano dawned sparkle fingers and a magic hat to try to pull a disappearing act on the crowds and golf carts.

But it appears she shrunk the Tall Ships instead. Don't get me wrong. They still kick ass; but they're smaller than the last time.  Or is just me?

Check out the rest of my Tall Ships Tacoma 2008 photos I snapped today here.

EVENT
Tall Ships Tacoma
Check out me link here fer me and me mates’ list of Tall Ships Tacoma events for the entire length de be docked in Tacoma â€" including TacomaOpolis tonight, Museum of Glass’ annual sale and the Black Pirate screening Sunday at the Rialto Theater. Fer all the Tall Ships Tacoma information ye can shake a wooden leg at, be at th' official Web site. â€" Cap’n Rumgut

FESTIVAL
Zimfest
Me just finished a clap of thunder and ravaged a wench, but before I rest me eyes for a spell, let me tell you about a treasure of a time known as Zimfest, the Zimbabwean Music Festival, for it’s a booty of a good time. Zimfest is annual jubilee that brings together music and culture from the country far, far away from the calm seas of Tacoma. â€" Capt. Black
[Pacific Lutheran University, July 5-6, 1010 S. 122nd St., Tacoma, 360.321.2075, zimfest.org]

JAZZ
The Smooth Operators
Shiver me timbers! A musical ship will set sail on July 5 and 6, and you can bet yer botton dollar, Cap'n Rumgut will be there dancing a jig on me one good leg. Arr, The Tall Ships and Smooth Jazz at the Tacoma Club give ye a yo-ho-ho gander of Tall Ships anchored at Commencement Bay and the Thea Foss Waterway in downtown Tacoma. Mates Ed Taylor, Darren Montgomery and Patrick Lamb â€" the Smooth Operators â€" are each dandy mistrals in their own right so imagine Cap'n Rumgut’s delight that they will all partake in these fine merriments out at sea. Arr, Taylor is the original smooth operator who can pluck them strings as good as George Benson. Taylor summoned his long time bucko Patrick Lamb to blow his saxophone alongside him for this high seas adventure on Saturday and sax player Montgomery to accompany him on Sunday. Funny lass Debbie Wooten will be onboard to tickle ye funny bone. Aye, it will surely be a good time for all. â€" CR
[Tacoma Club, July 5-6, 7 and 9:30 p.m., all ages, $30, dinner available $22-$28, 1201 Pacific Ave. # 1601, Tacoma, 253.759.6639]

LINK: Vicci Martinez Band and others in the clubs tonight.
LINK: Check out when the movies begin here.
LINK: Let’s eat Italian today.

CAP’N CLIVE KNIFENOSE: PIRATES AT FREEDOM FAIR >>>

Avast, me hearties! It be not enough to take over the Weekly Volcano this week. Me and me mates also grabbed a slice of yesterday’s Freedom Fair along Ruston Way in Tacoma.

Des pics by from J.M. Simpson. Yarrr!

LINK: Thar be more pics on the Weekly Volcano’s Photo Hot Spot thingy.

DANIEL BLUE: MEET TREVOR DICKSON >>>

Trevor Dickson is a maniac.  We attended the same high school; he was a year younger, but was always way cooler. 

I remember moving to Tacoma several years after graduation and being shocked when I saw his little car parked outside an apartment near Wright Park.  You couldn't miss his car in those days. It had a huge Bat Signal on the hood.   

Currently he's the front man of the increasingly popular musical sensation, The Elephants. This bizarre excuse for a humanoid is winning the hearts of our nation, one soul sucking hip gyration at a time.   

Between bouts of tennis and rounds of golf, Dickson can be found funking out in the practice space where many bands train downtown, or relaxing by a pile of LEGOs in his living room.   

Most of the time I am unaware of what Trevor is really trying to communicate, but we recently bonded on a midnight motorcycle ride through the waist high grass of an abandoned lot. 

"Were in a time machine!" Trevor shouted.   

Oh yes, my friend, a time machine back to where it all started - the class of 1999.

BRAD ALLEN: MORE IMPORTANT THAN DRINKING >>>

Tater Tot and I dropped by Doyle's Public House to check on how many days, hours, minutes and seconds were left before St. Patrick's Day on the pub's countdown clock.

Apparently Doyle's co-owner Russ Heaton has been a busy boy.

Congrats Russ and Jenn!

BOBBLE TIKI: LUNCH WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>>

THE DAILY WORD

Repletion \rih-PLEE-shun\, noun:
1. The condition of being completely filled or supplied.
2. Excessive fullness, as from overeating.

USAGE EXAMPLE: Somewhere in between the grande nachos and mozzarella cheese sticks Bobble Tiki reached repletion, but that didn’t stop him. A few chicken strips, a couple handfuls of kettle chips, and three beers later, Bobble Tiki wished it would have.

AFTERNOON NEWS

TACOMA: Ten years after Trang Dai massacre

OLYMPIA: Lacey's Sixth Ave

SEATTLE: Greenwood graffiti

UNITED STATES: Low-rise obsession

ENVIRONMENT: Green books

JUST BIZARRE:Face full of patriotism

MORE STRANGE NEWS: Nothing says the Fourth like cheese carving

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

RON SWARNER: SOMEONE NEEDS TO MOW FAWCETT AVENUE >>>

The family on the corner of 17th and Fawcett Avenue in downtown Tacoma must cross the street to ride their bikes. The sidewalk on the west side of Fawcett between 15th and 17th street has been consumed by tall grass and weeds. 

Who is suppose to take care of this stretch of sidewalk? City of Tacoma? Marcato condominium people?

UPDATE: The sidewalk is being mowed by L&L Landscaping as I type. The families living on this stretch of Fawcett thank the responsible parties.