MICHAEL SWAN: ALL-STAR CELEBRITY WEEKEND >>>

Nick Lachey, singer and co-owner of your Tacoma Rainiers, will host an all-star celebrity weekend Sept. 22 and 22 to benefit the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Tacoma General Hospital and the Mary Bridge Parenting Partnership.

Nick Lachey and his posse of important people will partake in a celebrity softball game, a celebrity golf classic, a celebrity dinner and a celebrity live auction.

Who are the celebrities? Check out the list here.

The details can best be digested at the Tacoma Celebrity Weekend Web site here.

It will be celeberific.

BRAD ALLEN: COMING TO STATION 56 >>>

And Sept. 13 night’s special at Station 56 is ... Ratt, served up on a platter.  The Tacoma club welcomes these ‘80s hair metal veterans, Los Angeles’s first generation of glam, to rock its South Tacoma Way brick wall.

OK, it’s only the leader of the pack â€" singer Steven Pearcy.

Though the music goes back 20 years, Pearcy still sounds hard and tight. He may look a bit worn, but who wouldn’t after going “round and round”? The best part of this show will be checking out the band’s die-hard fans, if you can believe they still exist. 

Tickets for the show are $10 at Ticketmaster outlets, which go on sale tomorrow at 2 p.m.

Also on sale at the same time will be the Hollywood Allstarz at Station 56 Sept. 12. Those tickets are also $10.

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

OWEN TAYLOR: DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION FROM THE OUTSIDE >>>

OK, kids, sit down and shut up.  Thus far the Democratic National Convention here in Denver is giving me a greater headache than the one I received after the keg of Sam Adams we drank last night at La Boheme.  La Boheme, a Gentleman's Cabaret, touts itself as home to only the “Sexiest Democrats,” and it won our unanimous seal of approval last night. I retired to its extremely comfy confines to nurse a bruised chest from the nightstick of a law enforcement professional with my good friend The Mac, who was fresh from painting a mural on the side of the building. 

Here’s how it went down yesterday on the streets of Denver. I had been making my way over to see the mural when we witnessed several dozen cops running toward the Sheraton. Defying a "lawful order" to not cross the street, we moved 10 feet and then jaywalked, moving around a small building toward the scene of the commotion.  Upon reaching the steps of a neighboring office building, we saw a wall of mounted police blocking the street and protecting the backs of about 300 officers, who had completely surrounded what looked like 50 to 60 protestors on three sides backing them into a wall. They were then given the order to disperse, which seemed like a complete joke as they were surrounded without an exit route and the cops were not moving. 

About a hundred people had gathered on the back side of the police and were chanting several slogans, most of which kept coming back to "The Whole World is Watching" and "Let Them Go!"  This definitely spooked some police as more officers came pouring in from all directions to hold back the swelling crowd. It was at this point that I was cross-checked in the chest like I played for the Pittsburgh Penguins while trying to help a photographer who had fallen off of the railing we were both standing on and had gotten his leg stuck.  We were herded like the cattle we are off the steps of the building and back into the street, where I nearly backed into the Aurora police's Mobile Rescue Unit, or big-ass tank looking thing, complete with fully armed officers on the roof peeking out of the gun turret. This was when they decided to "disperse" the surrounded protestors with rubber bullets and mace cannons, which ended up looking like the worst mosh pit I've ever been in â€" without the camaraderie of thrashing metalheads.  I decided it was time for La Boheme â€" beer and naked women.

Wondering aloud over comped beers, we were joined by renowned West Coast artists Sam Flores and David Choe. We all mused on whether the security organizers for the convention were smitten with the futuristic look of RoboCop when they blew $18 million on new equipment for the police.  The streets are overrun with the Men in Black, and I mean thousands upon thousands of riot gear clad storm troopers waiting to pummel any dissent with the utmost prejudice.  The cops are everywhere in downtown Denver, and they are bored out of their skulls and itching for anything to do. Outside the front of the club last night I saw seven officers arresting a drunk who kept slurring "Why is this necessary?"  They have nothing to do and nothing but time to do it.   

The "protests" mostly have been unorganized whimsical gatherings of anarcho-minded crust punks looking to piss off authority because of their dad issues and the leftover remnants of an era that waved good-bye to both reality and effective protesting long ago.  In the days to come I feel we are going to see only lackluster rallies designed more to make the participants feel good about themselves for being "antiauthoritarian" and less about actually making a difference in the political arena.  I am certain now that only the status quo will be protected, and freedom and justice are available only to those with a qualifying FICA score.  The American Dream is on its last legs, and all of the knuckleheads trying to dry hump it back to life are not helping. 

Case in point: The Convention Marketplace or, as I've taken to calling it, the Swap Meet of the Damned and Upper Median Income Level.  There is nothing like seeing a family of Hawaiians slinging barbecue next to a stall of Marxists who are convinced that they can make a difference if only they were actually listened to.  Perhaps if they had a marketing plan like the rhinestone bejeweled denim Obama vests and teddy bear wholesalers sandwiched between "Princess" belts and two for $10 knockoff Gucci sunglass vendors, they wouldn't be such a damn joke.

We all want to believe that our voices and opinions can be heard, that all is fair, that eventually they'll open the debates and let Ralph Nader in and he'll dazzle us with his Paul Tsongas/Kermit The Frog voiced wisdom and all will be right with America again. 

I’ve got news for you, kiddo â€" we're all screwed.  Whoever, "they" are, well, they're winning, and the machine like grace of the muted robots in the militaristic movements that are controlling downtown Denver right now are not going to be messed with.  So when you're trying to fight back with common sense and logic, it's like watching a midget throw hay makers at Yao Ming, who's just holding him back by his head and laughing.  This is the tragicomedy of the new American landscape. Better get used to being a good little barcode. 

Tomorrow I'm going to try and sneak into the "free" Rage Against the Machine show, which is free for the 9,000 people who got tickets, and then I have to run over to the really big party at the Manifest Hope gallery and finish my interview with Shephard Fairey, who just called me to say that he's out of jail after getting caught bombing his OBEY posters a little too close to downtown last night.

Here's to all the hope and change they're cramming down our throats. I'm chasing mine with a beer.

Throughout the DNC, Owen Taylor â€" a freelance writer from Olympia â€" will be posting updates from the many protests planned in Denver over the next week. Unless he gets thrown in the Freedom Cage, you should be hearing from him often.

LINK: Tacoma at the DNC
LINK: Democratic National Convention Web site
LINK: Weekly Volcano's preview of the DNC

SUZY STUMP: 3 THINGS TO DO TODAY >>>

11 A.M.-10:10 P.M.: Traitor weaves a tangled web of conspiracy and intrigue, crosses politics with thriller elements, and never quite answers its central question: In the war between good and evil, how many good people is it justifiable for the good guys to kill? The film stars Don Cheadle, an actor who excels at inner conflict, as Samir, born in Sudan, later an undercover special op for the United States. Check it out at the Lakewood Cinema.

7 P.M.: Is it true that if a black hole's mass is more than a billion times that of the sun, the tidal gravitational forces are weak enough that a star could pass across the Event Horizon without shredding? And, if so, couldn't an accretion disk of gaseous matter do the same thing? Follow-up two-part question: Is it true that there is a man in the moon? And, if so, is that man also made of cheese? Tough questions, indeed. Fortunately for curious stargazers of all skill levels, Paula Szkody, professor, Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, might be able to answer them during her lecture tonight as part of the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge's 2008 lecture series titled "The Natural World Below and Above Us." Gaze here.

7 P.M.: If somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of your noggin there lurks the knowledge that Jonas Grumby was the name of the Skipper character on Gilligan's Island, played by Alan Hale, then this listing is for you. Every Wednesday Doyle’s Public House in Tacoma hosts Knowledge Night where individuals or teams answer two pages of brain teasers, trivia and current events for shirts, tickets and gift certificates. It’s a challenging, fun night.

LINK: ViVA South Sound arts and entertainment calendar
LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

BOBBLE TIKI: BREAKFAST WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>>

THE DAILY WORD

terete \te-'ret\ adjective [L teret-, teres well turned, rounded; akin to L terere to rub] (ca. 1619)

Approximately round or cylindrical but usually tapering at both ends

USAGE EXAMPLE: "If you look closely, which you probably shouldn't, you'll notice that Michael Bolton's head is eversoslightly oblong and terete in shape, due to the amazing proliferation of bizarre worm-like annelids growing in his alienesque skull," Nicolette Sheridan did not say.

THE MORNING NEWS

PIERCE COUNTY: Graham has garbage until 2036. Yeah!

THURSTON COUNTY: Do tent cities need more laws?

SEATTLE: Sims wants to increase in Metro bus fares

DNC: Hilary in the house

JUST BIZARRE: One-horse town votes to evict said horse

MORE STRANGE NEWS: Rat meat quadruples â€" that sucks for soup

THINGS TO DO TODAY

FILM LISTINGS: Look here

MUSIC LISTINGS: Here’s what’s happening tonight

SHOOT THE SHIT: Let's talk DNC

JENNIFER BOUTELL: SOUTH SOUND FARM TO DISAPPEAR BEFORE HARVEST >>>

Some of the most fertile soil in the world lies along the banks of the once Volcano-ravaged Puyallup River. So ideal for raspberries is the climate of the Puyallup River Valley that connoisseurs from all over the globe order their products from Pierce County farmers. Or they did. Because increasingly, berries like those grown at Richter Farm, once supplied to Margaret Thatcher, the Whitehouse kitchen, and boutique candy companies across the country, just will not exist anymore. Richter was one of the last farms in the area to grow these berries on any scale, and within a month it too will surrender its soil to a bulldozer. Sooner, if the landowner has any say.

Richter Farm has probably been on borrowed time for a while. George Richter leased the property from American Fast Freight, a Tacoma-based company with plans to build a container freight station on the 20-acre parcel. When Richter died this February, his farm went on through a merger with local farmer Jake Sterino's family-owned operation. Sterino knew the company planned to not renew the lease upon its termination this September 30, but estimated that this would give him just enough time to bring in one more harvest of Richter's famed berries. Just as his crops began to mature this summer, however, the freight company notified Richter Farm that it would instead clear the land as early as Monday, Aug. 25.

Looking at all those green pumpkins and too-tart berries just waiting for another month of sun, it would be easy to paint American Fast Freight as a harvest Grinch. The situation is more complicated than that, however. AFF employs more than 120 workers in the Tacoma area, operating with an employee stock ownership plan. The company asserts that if they wait until after Sept. 30 to begin construction wet soil conditions will require the addition of expensive soil amendments, tacking on an additional $250,000 to the project's price tag. Additionally, says Director of Marketing Mike Schuller, the delay will extend the total length of the project and cause untold additional expense, a cost which will at some point be passed on to their employees.

All of this is little comfort for Jake Sterino, who stands to lose a $150,000 crop, a season of labor, and watch George Richter's last crop plowed under before it ever reaches maturity. "You grow the stuff so you can harvest it," says Sterino. "The emotional part is to see it growing and know that it could just get plowed under." Sterino farms other pieces of land, but none have mature raspberries. Without a reliable supplier, he fears buyers will look to other states for their berries. "Nowadays you have to supply the whole market. It's not like before when there were many people selling the same crop. You feel you have a responsibility. If you're the only guy selling raspberries, and you don't have raspberries, the buyer is going to go down to California.”

The Pierce County Council hoped to preserve some of the area's vanishing family farms when it passed an ordinance approving a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program last year. The program would purchase development rights from local farmers, giving the fair market value for the land and effectively taking it off the market for developers. The money for the program must come from local property taxes, however, at about $5 a parcel. The TDR program remains unfunded as the County tries to formulate the right message for already cash-strapped homeowners prior to imposing a new tax.

As of this writing, AFF and the Richter/Sterino farm are meeting with a mediator. It may be possible to save the crop, but whether construction begins this week or a month from now it is too late to save Richter Farm.

LINK: More Richter Farm photography by Jennifer Boutell

Jennifer Boutell is the creative talent behind Tacomamama.com, a locally-grown city guide.

UPDATE: Tacoma News Tribune

MARILYN STRICKLAND: DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION, AUG. 27, 10 A.M. >>>

Denver’s Pepsi Center was buzzing with anticipation last night. Monday, it was a full-on party with music and dancing. Tuesday, the tone was lively but serious. The media hype about division within the Democratic Party has been at full tilt. This election has been described as historic but not always for the right reasons. Two formidable candidates, a black man and a white woman, have been asked to do what their predecessors have not. Obama must combat ignorance and prove that he is a "God-fearing, regular family man" who is not to be feared. Hilary Clinton has been asked to demonstrate that she fully supports Obama's candidacy. When was the last time the second place finisher was required to stump so hard for the presumptive nominee?

Clinton took the stage in one of her signature pastel pantsuits. She received a 5-minute ovation in a sea of signs bearing her name. Each and every delegate gave her props. I had a lump in my throat imagining how she felt. My eyes were watery. This is a woman I loathed during the primary election, but while she stood on that stage, it confirmed what I always knew about her. Clinton is a warrior. She is brave and she is fierce.

I have always considered Clinton a mediocre speaker but she rocked it.  She quoted Harriet Tubman â€" the unapologetic, gun-toting Republican activist who helped slaves. "If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If they’re shouting after you, keep going. Don’t ever stop, keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going." This describes what the Obamas are facing and what Clinton has faced in her journey. It is an affirmation of party unity and the work that lies ahead for the Democrats.

Clinton supporters beamed with pride. I was right there with them. Delegates exchanged high-fives, hugs and kudos. Clinton delegate Linda Mitchell is the chair of the Washington State Women's Political Caucus. When asked about the rift between the Clinton and Obama camps she says that all interactions have been cordial. When asked if she'll vote for Obama in November, she replied, "Of course."

In two days, we've watched two smart, accomplished women take the world stage under intense scrutiny. Every word, every gesture, every inflection and every wardrobe choice was parsed under a microscope. They were asked to give what has been described as the most important speeches of their lives. Michelle Obama's task was to lay the foundation for a legacy. Hillary Clinton was tasked with preserving one. They were each a smashing success and made me proud to be a Democrat. Women do rule.

After two long days (and nights) of roundtables, general sessions and receptions, the attire at the 7 a.m. breakfast meetings becomes more casual. Folks who usually arrive neatly pressed and coiffed are now wearing T-shirts, shorts and flip-flops. Straightened hair is worn curly. Lots of ponytails and stubble. Who needs mascara to eat scrambled eggs?

Today is the day that we delegates will do the work we were elected to do. We will cast votes for our candidates. There will be nominating and seconding speeches on behalf of both Obama and Clinton. Each delegate will cast a vote and each state has a committee that will tally the results. There will be a roll call vote by state. I wish we could rearrange the alphabet, but Washington is at the tail end of this process.

Tonight we will honor our veterans and address foreign policy and national security. I've heard many speeches over the past two days and confess that most of it was background noise in anticipation of Ted Kennedy, Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. Tonight, however, I look forward to most of the speechifying. We will hear from Congressman Robert Wexler of Florida, Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago, Lt. General Claudia Kennedy (the first female three star general in the U.S. Army), Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Governor Bill Richardson. We will also hear from John Kerry, Bill Clinton and Vice-Presidential nominee Joe Biden. I fully expect the big dogs to take on the opposition with some teeth. It's hammer time.

I wonder what's on the band's playlist tonight. I pray we are spared from “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins.

Tacoma City Council member Marilyn Strickland is blogging the Democratic National Convention for the Weekly Volcano. She is an Obama delegate.

LINK: Democratic National Convention
LINK: Weekly Volcano’s DNC preview

CHRYSTAL MORISETTE: EMERGING MARKET DEVELOPMENT GROWS >>>

"Oh no, I'm not going anywhere,” claims Jon Tartaglia with Emerging Market Development in Tacoma. “Unfortunately, I'll be around for awhile."

That was Tartaglia’s response after we tossed the rumor at him that The Vault had purchased the Varsity Grill.

We discovered the opposite is true.

The Varsity Grill and EMD are partnering with the The Vault Catering Company in downtown Tacoma to expand its operation into the catering business.  Tartaglia couldn’t expound more due to negotiations. The partnership will not happen for several months.

Stay tuned for more details as they develop.

DANIEL BLUE: MEET KENNON CHRISTEL >>>

Kennon Christel sits quietly and gazes out at the world around him. He watches busy lives with mild interest as he sips his fancy coffee drinks in contentment.

Recently graduated from the Tacoma School of the Arts, Kennon is an extremely talented guitar player. His riffs are haunting and reminiscent of a better time in the music industry. A time where male three-part harmonies were normal accoutrements to complicated Lydian and diminished scales.

Kennon sits or stands in the back of the room at most concerts. He likes to close his eyes behind his dark glasses, no one knows what he is thinking, but I have a pretty good guess. This tight legged wiry sprig is dreaming of California, touching the orange steel of the golden gate bridge with his tongue and wandering about in rough spun frocks with people who just want to make music all day long.

"You can write about me as long as when people read it they think I'm some kind of weirdo", he told me as I was snapping his photo through the open window of the Black Water Cafe. OK.

Kennon is a total weirdo; I met him through another total weirdo in the music community named Kyle. They go down to the practice space and do unspeakably weird things with their six strings. Unimaginably weird. Nearly pagan. I mean weird here, beyond gonzo. Sometimes they play notes that don't even sound good together. All in a row, over and over. Whoa.

Anyway, if Kennon does not move to Portland with the leader of Team Unicorn, I hope he plays music here forever.

LINK: The Tacoma Files archive