Weekly Volcano Blogs: Walkie Talkie Blog

Posts made in: February, 2009 (247) Currently Viewing: 41 - 50 of 247

February 6, 2009 at 9:51am

Pizza Monday

JAKE DE PAUL: TOSSING PIZZA >>>

Short of mac ‘n’ cheese, Guinness and bourbon, there's no better comfort food than pizza. A good pie will glisten with a sheen of grease over a thick layer of cheese and the meat of your choice (vegetables may be present for color and a hint of flavor, but they should really be relegated to the appetizer or salad), and you won't care that the cheese burns the roof of your mouth, leaving you gnawing at the burned flesh for the next week.

Mangano’s Italian Ristorante in Lacey has introduced Pizza Mondays. Every Monday night Mangano’s will be serving a special menu including some of their most popular pasta dishes and available only on Monday nights â€" pizza. If you look closely as Chef Michele as he hand-tosses the pizza dough in the air that he has a few tasty pizza options up his sleeve.

[Mangano’s Italian Ristorante, Mondays, 5-9 p.m., 9323 Martin Way E., Lacey, 360.943.9937]

LINK: Mangano's review

LINK: Eat Italian today

Filed under: Food & Drink, Lacey,

February 6, 2009 at 10:08am

Roasted Habanero Enchilada

STEPH DEROSA: SLOW BURN >>>

Slow-Burn-Matador Matador
Roasted Habanero Enchilada
Price: chicken/pork $11.95, beef $12.95
Burn Factor: Three-and-a-half out of four Molotov cocktails
Slow-Burn-3.5-rating


“You mean you WANT spicy?  Most people ask for the least spicy item!”  Server Jessica definitely gave me mad props for ordering Matador’s hottest thing on the menu: Roasted Habanero Enchiladas.

Given the option of enchilada filler (chicken, pork, shrimp, veggie, or beef), there is hardly any way I could turn down the beef.  Matador has always dished beef that was tender and flavorful, not ever wavering on quality.  These warm chunks of meat came swimming in ooey, gooey cheeses laced with their infamous heated habanero sauce and snuggled in two warm, fresh flour tortillas. 

It only took one bite for my mouth to fill up with flames and line my throat with pepper.  The burn was intense, yet non-overbearing.  Crowning these fiery wraps were accompaniments suited perfectly for a dish such as this.  Fresh shredded lettuce, guacamole, and Matador’s chive sour cream cooled down and balanced out the bites as time went on. 

If you’re not one to commit to an entire dish that will set your mouth afire, simply add some of Matador’s fresh Pico de Gallo to any meal and prepare to extinguish the flames.

[Matador, 721 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.627.7100]

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

February 6, 2009 at 12:57pm

KUPS record review Friday

MATT DRISCOLL: IT'S BACK, YO! >>>

Animal House Check it: Weekly CD reviews from the staff of KUPS 90.1 FM The Sound are back. The kids took a break but now they've returned fiercer than ever. Every Friday we'll have a new one.

This week's subject is Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavillion.

You can find it here.

Filed under: CD Review, Music,

February 6, 2009 at 1:00pm

Tacoma photo of the day

Filed under: Photo of the Day, Tacoma,

February 6, 2009 at 3:59pm

Is the Hope running dry?

MATT DRISCOLL: YOU KNOW IT'S BAD WHEN >>>

Barak-obama Maureen Dowd, who humped Obama's leg for what seems like the entirety of 2007, is jumping off the bandwagon.

As January fades into memory and February begins to show its hand, have we already lost that warm, fuzzy Obama high we all seemed to be riding? Are you a Krugman? A Brooks?

That's a real question, Tacoma and Olympia? How are you feeling? Has the stimulus debacle soured you? Or are you as confident as ever? Is it only those whose job it is to stir shit up who are beginning to be more critical of Obama (as perhaps they should)? Or has the country's economic woes, along with the President's appointees' tax problems (you knew something was fishy when Daschle started wearing those ridiculous glasses) and the divisive nature of the stimulus fight left you wondering where the change is?

And what are your thoughts on the stimulus bill that's apparently very close to being reached in the Senate (or appears to have been reached, depending on where you look)?

February 6, 2009 at 4:23pm

Summer Breeze

MICHAEL SWAN: PAPPI SWARNER’S JUKEBOX >>>

It’s Friday afternoon at the Weekly Volcano, which means our leader Pappi Swarner closes his office door and cranks his ‘70s jukebox. Pappi has been working out a bit lately. Early today I just saw him flexing his calf muscles for The Steno Pool. Right now he’s on his spin bike with Seals & Crofts cranked up high. Enjoy their classic “Summer Breeze.”

Filed under: Music, Pappi Swaner's Jukebox,

February 6, 2009 at 4:30pm

Flickr Post of the Day

February 7, 2009 at 7:07am

Week in review

MATT DRISCOLL: BONG HITS, BUILDING HEIGHTS AND DEAD RACCOONS >>>

What you are reading is something new â€" something fresh, like Taco Time or Bobble Tiki’s moves on the dance floor.

By the name you probably surmised the gist. Every Saturday morning, from now until I lose my fingers in a horrible garbage disposal accident or get so beaten down by the blogosphere that I lose all self dignity and start cutting myself and listening to My Chemical Romance, I will take a moment to sit at the computer and offer a very Volcano look at the past week’s events.

Sounds fun, right? Well, so did Ranked Choice Voting in the beginning.

But either way, here we go…

Monday, Feb. 2

Like most decent people, I spent my time on Monday searching for pictures of Michael Phelps taking bong rips â€" or at the very least taking one bong rip. Who wouldn’t want to see visual evidence that one of the most celebrated athletes of all time has a place in his gold medal covered heart for a little weed? I know I did. What kind of bong was it? Was the weed homegrown or something cultivated with hydroponics? Maybe B.C. bud? These were all questions I wanted answered. Unfortunately, after Googling everything there was to Google, I didn’t learn much.

However, while my Michael Phelps search yielded little more than one, over hyped picture and a lot of apologizing from Phelps â€" it did lead me in the direction of some other celebrities smoking dope. The Weekly Volcano research department tells me that putting pictures of celebrities smoking weed on the blog will be good for business. Who am I to doubt the research department?
Parispot2_tMBCG_5906
Yoda-smoking-weed
Steve-o-smoking-pot
Snoop_dog_8-celebrities1

Tuesday, Feb. 3

While the Tacoma City Council had so little on its plate that â€" just possibly â€" Tuesday’s meeting was shortest in history, to the south, in Olympia, they were busy debating the building height limit situation on the isthmus now that Thurston County State Sen. Karen Fraser (D) introduced a bill that, if passed, would once again reduce the building height limit on the isthmus to 35 feet, and make the land a shoreline of statewide significance in the state's Shoreline Management Act â€" which, of course, would make development there a huge pain in the ass for anyone so inclined.

(If you need a refresher on the building height wars of Olympia, check out last week’s Volcano cover story here.)

The problem for the Olympia City Council is, Fraser bill, basically, disrespects the body’s au-thor-it-tie. Not long ago the council voted to allow building of 60 and 90 feet on the isthmus in a move designed to spur downtown growth and development. It was a decision and vote that came after months of bickering and back and forth, and many in Olympia hate the council for it. Fraser’s bill seems to represent that sentiment.

However, while the Olympia City Council may strongly favor increasing building height limits on the isthmus â€" for whatever reason â€" one thing that’s certain about politicians is they always hate to be disrespected. Whether Fraser’s bill gains traction or not â€" safe to assume the Oly City Council is none too happy with it.

Wednesday, Feb. 4

Hump day, bitches!
Humpday-birddog

Thursday, Feb. 5

The big news was the announcement of the axing of the ninth-grade WASL â€" as Superintendent Randy Dorn did today. Apparently, and stop me if you’ve heard this one already, there’s just no money for the ninth-grade WASL. Doing away with the test will reportedly save nearly $500,000 for Dorn and his reading, writing and arithmetic warriors.

And, of course, the kids love the decision.

I caught up with a fictional ninthgrader somewhere in Tacoma who told me “Fuck the WASL. I don’t have time for that shiznit, anyway. I’m trying to figure out how not to get boners in Algebra class and thinking about unmentionable things I’d like to do with Hillary Duff.”

Well said.

More Thursday, Feb. 5

Nothing too horrible happened on Thursday, unless you’re a raccoon, that is.

The atrocities continued at Point Defiance.

On Monday, two raccoons were found shot with pellet guns at Point Defiance. The animals were so badly injured that they were later euthanized. By Thursday, the total of dead raccoons was up to six â€" with two of those deaths believed to have gone down between 1 and 2 p.m. on Thursday.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking. Economic times are tough. Raccoons look meaty. I’d eat a raccoon. I wonder if that’s what’s going on here?

Since dead raccoon carcasses are being discovered, it seems safe to assume the raccoons are not being hunted for food â€" unless, that is, the huntin’ and eatin’ is so good at Point Defiance that the less meaty raccoon carcasses are simply being left for scavengers.

These are strange times we live in.

Friday, Feb. 6

The biggest news of the day came from the other Washington, where it was announced late in the afternoon that the Senate had finally reached a deal on the hotly contested stimulus package.

Is this good news or bad? Depends on who you ask â€" and whether you’re in line to receive any of the newly printed cash, I suppose.

Here at the Weekly Volcano we’re hoping the stimulus will finally pay for that breast augmentation we’ve been hoping for. We dream of someday fondling our own rack.

But, more importantly, what’s your take on the new stimulus bill? Is it what America needs â€" or are Democrats simply embarking on a pointless spending spree with no hope of sparking the economy with money that the country doesn’t actually have?

And how has Obama handled all of this? Would you have liked to see more from the man promising Change and Hope, or did he do as well as could be expected?

With that, please enjoy a dog with a beer. See you next week.
Dog with beer

February 7, 2009 at 7:11am

Top Heavy Crush at Hell's Kitchen tonight

LAUREN NAPIER: IF YOU LIKE CATCH, THC DOES CATCHY >>>

Top Heavy Crush Top Heavy Crush: the suggestive band name only makes it that much more rock and roll. If you’re into songs that immediately get stuck in your head, then this might just be a band you want to check out. Every song they create is infectiously catchy with occasional spurts of originality. But maybe you can’t have it all. Gaining notice in last year’s American Idiot competition, hosted by KISW, the band has been keeping up their momentum and rocking the socks off the Washington scene â€" with ballads like “Why Don’t You Stay” where vocalist Andrew Day croons with a portion of his heart and the entirety of his vocal chords, to in-your-face, edgier, yet rather predictable tunes such as “The Stand” â€" which could sit on shelves next to Buckcherry. Either way … you’ll leave Hell’s Kitchen with the songs stuck in your head and a need to get your hands on some Top Heavy Crush.

[Hell’s Kitchen, with Bucket, Bone Flower, Dreams Jaded, 9 p.m., $5, 3829 Sixth Ave, Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

Photo: Myspace/Andy Roulston

Filed under: Lauren Napier, Music, Tacoma,

February 7, 2009 at 7:21am

The Badfish Band

TONY ENGELHART: TIGHT AND IMPROVISATIONAL >>>

Badfish Band Can a bunch of white boys in their 20s play Reggae and funk and actually pull it off? You bet your ass they can. With three horns blowing at a high-octane pace coupled with a tight-as-a-virgin-on-prom-night rhythm section, the seven piece band from Portland known as the Badfish Band brings up memories of the Ska scene in the mid-’80s with a little vintage James Brown thrown into the mix. Each member brings his own flavor to the group to create an improvisational jam band that will dare you to stay in your seat. They are fronted by Johnny D (vocals and guitar) who echoes the vocal styles of Jimmy Cliff. The band’s debut disc, Funk Yo Coach, captures all the elements of a live Bad Fish show as they transition from Curtis Mayfield-inspired funk to Sublime-esque third wave Ska revival.

The Badfish Band will play Jazzbones in Tacoma tonight.

[Jazzbones, 9 p.m., $7, 2803 Sixth Ave. Tacoma, 253.396.9169]

Filed under: Music, Tacoma,

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