Weekly Volcano Blogs: Walkie Talkie Blog

Posts made in: May, 2009 (205) Currently Viewing: 31 - 40 of 205

May 4, 2009 at 1:43pm

Flickr Post of the Day

May 4, 2009 at 2:32pm

Grand Duchy snaps at Jazzbones

STEVE DUNKELBERGER: SHOT THESE WITH MY $99 KODAK >>>

Grand-2 Last Saturday night may go down as the highlight of Jazzbones booking guru Sean Culver's life. It's really hard to see him topping the club's booking of Frank Black and Violet Clark husband and wife, collectively Grand Duchy. It's not every day that the main Pixie takes the stage in Tacoma, and Culver (see last photo below) - for once in his life, at least, should be commended.

Aside from some sound difficulties, Black and Clark looked at home Saturday night. If you're familiar with Grand Duchy's debut record, Petits Fours-" which I'm not than I hear you were probably familiar with the set.

While I might not be a Grand Duchy expert, I did snap some photos for your enjoyment.

Grand-1 Grand-3 Grand-4 Grand-5 Ernest Jasmin over at the Trib is hypothesizing that Grand Duchy may end up playing Bumbershoot this year - which wouldn't be too terribly surprising. Black and Clark are gearing up now for what they told Matt Driscoll will be some fairly serious summer touring- including a number of festival appearances.

LINK: Matt Driscoll interviewed Grand Duchy

Filed under: Concert Review, Music, Tacoma,

May 4, 2009 at 4:28pm

Attaboy Star Chefs

RON SWARNER: THE NIGHT WAS THE BEE'S KNEES >>>

In lean economic times, treating yourself to a glamorous night out can be hard to justify: Couldn't you have just as much fun drinking PBR at home? The answer is no, but it might mitigate some of the guilt if you knew the money went to a good cause. That's where last night's Star Chefs comes in. The $150-and-up tickets to Broadway Center for the Performing Arts - 1920s-themed "speakeasy" party benefited the Center's performing arts education program.

After dining on small plates prepared by Brix 25, Maxwell's Speakeasy, and A Grand Affaire Catering and nabbing impressive auction items in the Pantages lobby, patrons carried their drinks outside to the stage door where a password on their auction tags allowed passage into a magnificent 1920s nightclub - white tablecloths, low lighting, flappers, red hot jazz, and steak and lobster from El Gaucho.

Kevin Joyce, co-founder of Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle, hosted the night, controlling the flow of the silent and live auction and introducing his acrobats and trapeze artists who performed amazing feats about the stage.

David Fischer, Benjii Bittle and the brain trust behind the Broadway Center did an amazing job.

Star-Chefs-MC Kevin Joyce emceed the night.

Star-Chef-flappers Teatro Zinzanni's Caribe girls posed as flappers early in the evening.

Star-Chefs-shrimp-cocktail Bourbon shrimp shooters prepared by chef Colin Dudley of A Grand Affaire Catering.

Star-Chefs-Benjii Broadway Center Deputy Executive Director Benjii Bittle policed the benefit.

Star-Chefs-Maxwell's Shredded duck confit with spicy grilled prawns by chef Matt Colony of Maxwell's Speakeasy +Lounge.

Star-Chefs-Brix-25 Marinated chicken and wild mushroom lettuce wraps with Rogue River blue cheese and romaine maki rolls crafted by chef Bryce Lamb of Brix 25.

Star-Chefs-Sylvia El Gaucho bartender Silvia Tapia kept the wine glasses full.

Star-Chefs-Kate Kate Shanaman kept me out of trouble. OK, she didn't.

Star-Chefs-basket Um. ...

Star-Chefs-sign Protesters picketed outside the Pantages Theater.

Star-Chefs-Room The Pantages stage was transformed into a 1920 speakeasy.

El-Gaucho-meal El Gaucho chef Kevin Daft prepared Chateaubriand with lobster and béarnaise sauce, mashed potatoes and asparagus as the main entrée.

Star-Chefs-acrobat Cory Tabuni performed feats of physical strength and balance.

Star-Chefs-trapeze Star-Chefs-trapeze-2 The Caribe girls tossed the flapper outfits and took to the air.

May 4, 2009 at 4:47pm

Money train

PAUL SCHRAG: HOP ABOARD TACOMA >>>

Well Tacoma, help is on the way. Federal help to jumpstart our economy, that is. City of Tacoma has a list of projects, funding pipelines and targets that will be invested in as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. And the Weekly Volcano got its hands on the list of the Tacoma’s priorities and proposals. A quick glance actually inspires some hope.

For those who don’t know, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is a massive federal effort to jumpstart the nation’s economy, create and/or save millions of jobs, and patch up some of the damage done to our economy by greedy business people, government agencies and everyone else you feel like blaming. It aims to make these repairs with huge infusions of federal tax dollars, which cities such as Tacoma are allowed to apply for through various agencies put in charge of handing it all out.

The 14-page document contains a laundry list of projects the city would like to/plans to undertake with the help of these federal dollars, and almost all of them have awesome, reassuring names - from so-called Neighborhood Stabilization Programs to Homelessness Prevention Fund dollars. Some of the money noted is all but on its way, awaiting approval and dispersal by the various agencies that have been put in charge of managing our rescue money.

An estimated $772,000 would come in the form of Community Development Block Grant funds. Potential projects noted in city documents include Metropolitan Development Council’s Tacoma Detox Center to the tune of $149,056; fixing hazardous sidewalks, or at least as many of them as we can with $100,000; and money for affordable housing programs overseen by the Tacoma Community Redevelopment Authority. It is important to note that project suggestions do not mean that money is already designated. They’re just suggestions. So-called Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds would total a little over $3 million, and be used for several purposes. Among them are $750,000 to create a revolving loan fund to help people with modest incomes buy foreclosed homes; $1.5 million to help people with better incomes buy other foreclosed homes; and $833,000 to provide down payment assistance for other homes in foreclosure.

Nearly $1.2 million is slated to be used to create a Homelessness Prevention Fund and Emergency Shelter Grant Program. That money would be used by competitively-selected contractors to provide financial assistance and services that would help low-income families from becoming homeless. Those who have become homeless would receive help getting back on their feet. Mechanisms would include housing relocation, credit counseling, deposits, rent and utility payments and moving costs, for example. All of that money must be contracted out by the end of September.

Law enforcement grants would put money into expanding the city’s Crime Analysis Unit, including hiring of two full-time crime analysts, who usually spend their time analyzing arrest data and crime trends. Another $120,000 would go towards a Truancy Prevention Program, with the goal of reducing crime rates and gang activity during school hours. Other priorities for law enforcement grant dollars include $200,000 for the city’s Domestic Violence Advocacy Program; nearly $100,000 for a Youth Violence Prevention Program, which looks like it would be used for curfew enforcement and to bust up parties; $44,000 to expand the Business Improvement Area bike patrol program; $50,000 to fund DUI emphasis patrols; and $43,500 to buy digital voice recorders for police investigators.

That’s not all of it, Tacoma, and the way this money will trickle down is likely to evolve, says Elly Walkowiak, project manager for the City of Tacoma. But fear not. Help is on the way.

“It’s constantly evolving,” says Walkowiak. “The beauty of part of it is that local governments are able to determine their own priorities and invest the funds where they’re most needed on the local level.”

May 5, 2009 at 12:26am

5 Things To Do: Martes

MICHAEL SWAN: TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2009 >>>

Rock-Band-2-Tues 1. Tightwad Tuesday â€" $2 wells, $2 beers and $2 tacos â€" plus you can play Rock Band 2 on the stage at Hell’s Kitchen tonight.

2. Mato Little Elk will perform traditional Native American Dance at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom from noon to 2 p.m.

3. Rare documents and medical equipment help uncover a century’s development of nursing in Washington as part of the Nurses at Your Service: A Century of Caring exhibit at the Washington State History Museum.

4. The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art Museum Collection ends May 10 at the Tacoma Art Museum.

5. Masa celebrates Cinco De Mayo with the Vicci Martinez Band at 5 p.m. followed by three DJs.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

Filed under: 5 Things To Do, Arts, Games, Music, Tacoma,

May 5, 2009 at 8:22am

Nosh Pit: Cinco de Mayo

JAKE DE PAUL: TUESDAY FOOD LINKS >>>

Tightwad-Tues-rectangle It’s Cinco de Mayo!

Mole pablano, Vuelve and Cinco de Mayo

Ocho alternative uses for jalapeños


Today’s South Sound Specials

Half Price Wine Night, Pacific Grill, 1502 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.627.3535.

Tightwad Tuesdays with $2 tacos, $2 beers, and $2 wells, Hell’s Kitchen, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003.

Wine Tuesday, 20 percent off bottles wines on regular list, Toscanos Cafe and Wine Bar, 437 29th St. N.E., Puyallup, 253.864.8600.


LINK: Where to party tonight

Filed under: Food & Drink, Nosh Pit, Tacoma,

May 5, 2009 at 8:35am

Morning Spew

May 5, 2009 at 9:58am

Albums that drop today

RON SWARNER: IT’S RECORD RELEASE DAY >>>

PEACHES Peaches, I Feel Cream

Ben Harper & The Relentless, 7 White Lies for Dark Times

The Devil Wears Prada, With Roots Above and Branches Below

Bourbon Crow, Long Way to the Bottom

Paul Potts, Passione

Yusuf, Roadsinger

Ciara, Fantasy Ride

Hatebreed, For the Lions

Chrisette Michele, Epiphany

Filed under: Music,

May 5, 2009 at 2:18pm

Andrew Will Winemaker Dinner

JAKE DE PAUL: GOT $100? LOVE GOOD WINE? >>>

First things first: I love attending wine dinners almost as much as I can’t stand attending wine dinners. Wine dinners are A. educational; B. a good place for like-minded fellowship; C. tedious; D. bargains; or E. all of the above. Well, if the wine dinners I’ve attended over the years are any indication â€" and I’m sure I’ve attended well over a hundred â€" the correct answer is E. Wine dinners, more often than not are informative and boring, good values and a great place to meet other food and wine enthusiasts like you.

Want to try one?

El Gaucho in downtown Tacoma will serve a five-course Andrew Will winemaker dinner Friday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m. Pancetta Wrapped Jumbo Marquesa Prawn, Tuna Tartar, Lobster Bisque â€" the menu looks tasty. And Andrew Will has lined up five wines for the night.

The dinner is a whopping $100 per person.

[El Gaucho, 2119 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.15106]

Filed under: Food & Drink, Tacoma,

May 5, 2009 at 6:21pm

25 pounds to freedom

CHUCK DULA: FINAL INSTALLMENT >>>

Chuck Dula Fat Editor's Note: As you may recall Weekly Volcano scribe Chuck Dula struck a deal with a bisexual female friend of his. If he could lose 25 pounds by May 1, then said friend - and another female to be determined later - would have a three-way with Mr. Dula. That's what we called inspiration.

Chuck chronicled his weight loss efforts every Tuesday here on Spew. There were highs and lows, fats and skinnies.

Below you'll find the last installment in Chuck's quest to be less fat and have sex with two women at the same time. Enjoy.

Beginning Weight: 174

I didn’t make it. May 1 came sooner than I anticipated. I am a failure.

Over the past four months I have climbed stairs, ran, raced other people on stationary bicycles, and rowed. I have tried a cabbage diet, a low carb diet, and starvation.

When I started this whole weight loss hoopla I weighed 195 pounds, had 21% body fat, and couldn’t run to the end of the block.

I now weigh 175 pounds, I have 14% body fat, and am running 3 miles a couple of times a week. My cardio has shot through the roof in such a manner that I am sure I could take on two women at one time. This, however, will not happen. Apparently, not even the paramount of my sexual fantasies could keep me away from my first true love, food.

This experiment hasn’t been without success, though, as I have haven’t been called fat for the past couple of weeks. Instead, I have been scorned for how skinny I have become. It is an interesting world.

Ending weight: 175

PREVIOUS 25 POUNDS TO FREEDOM COLUMNS ON SPEW

About this blog

News and entertainment from Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s most awesome weekly newspapers - The Ranger, Northwest Airlifter and Weekly Volcano.

Recent Comments

Walkie Talkies said:

Thanks for posting! But I want say that Walkie Talkies are really required while organizing fun...

about COMMENT OF THE DAY: "low brow’s" identity revealed?

Humayun Kabir said:

Really nice album. I have already purchased Vedder's Album. Listening to the song of this album,...

about Eddie Vedder’s "Ukulele Songs" available today - and I don’t hold a candle to that shit

AndrewPehrson said:

Your post contains very beneficial content. Kindly keep sharing such post.

about Vote for Tacoman Larry Huffines on HGTV!

Shimul Kabir said:

Vedder's album is really nice. I have heard attentively

about Eddie Vedder’s "Ukulele Songs" available today - and I don’t hold a candle to that shit

marble exporters in India said:

amazing information for getting the new ideas thanks for sharing a post

about 5 Things To Do Today: Art Chantry, DIY home improvement, "A Shot In The Dark" ...

Archives

2024
January, February, March
2023
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2022
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2021
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2020
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2019
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2018
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2017
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2016
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2015
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2014
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2013
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2007
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2006
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December