Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics operates a monthly service from Tacoma as part of its eastbound Asia/North America/Europe trade. As the ship sailed out of Tacoma a half hour ago, we believe we saw this image in one of the portholes.

MICHALE SWAN: WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2009 >>>

1. Donald Glaude spins at The Swiss beginning at 9 p.m. You know. The Lakes High grad who went on to be a world-famous DJ.

2. The Tempest Lounge hosts Breakfast For Dinner, a benefit for Coalition: HUMAnE tonight from 5-7 p.m.

3. Steve & Kristi Nebel â€" the internationally touring duo that has been performing together for 17 years, recorded eight albums as a duo, and three albums as founding members of The Madrones and The Filucies plays A Rhapsody In Bloom at 7 p.m.

4. Don’t Tell Sophie and Colonies play an all-ages 8 p.m. show at Pacific Lutheran University’s Cave.

5. Randy Oxford Blues Theatre open jam starts at 8 p.m. at Jazzbones.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

JAKE DE PAUL: WEDNESDAY WINE LINKS >>>

The Tempest Lounge hosts Breakfast For Dinner, a benefit for Coalition: HUMAnE tonight from 5-7 p.m.

Cook yourself thin

Plan well, freeze well, then eat well.

Today’s South Sound Specials

Centered around the book Tacoma is reading â€" Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: Around The Kitchen Table â€" a community conversation, will be held tonight at 7 p.m. at the Swasey Library, 7001 Sixth Ave.

Wino Wednesday $3 pours and $5 Rainier Pitchers Night, The Red Hot, 2914 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.779.0229.

Half-price Wine Night, Merende Restaurant, 813 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.722.1993.

Future Things Are Coming

Winemaker Brennon Leighton of Efeste Wines will host complimentary wine tasting Saturday, May 9 from 2-5 p.m. at Water to Wine, 9014 Peacock Hill Ave., Gig Harbor. For more details and directions, call 253.853.9463.

The Bayview School of Cooking offers a blind wine tasting Thursday, May 15 from 5-7:30 p.m. Five wines will be tasted. Come and go as you like. The cost is $12 per person, which includes cheeses. The tasting will be in the BCS demo kitchen on the second floor of Bayview Thriftway, 516 W. Fourth Ave. in downtown Olympia. For more information, call 360.754.1448.

LINK: Wine and beer tastings tonight

NEWS TEAM: GOOD MORNING SOUTH SOUND >>>

Beat It Beets: Federal Way council ousts city manager.

The Lost Girls: They take over the Hotel Murano â€" because they’re kind of lazy.

You Complete Us: Walking the streets of Tacoma.

Lost In The Median: Pierce County home prices fall 14.5 percent.

Hey! He’s Like Us: Obama and Biden go to Hell.

GOP Civil War: Palin supporters attack Mitt Romney.

Fire Up: Dude, Schwarzenegger says it's time to debate marijuana. Not surprising.

NEWS TEAMS: WANKERS OF THE DAY >>>

Not So Sweet 16

Hipster Grifter

Parenting in Gorst

Pink Stars

BOBBLE TIKI: HERE WE BOLDLY GO AGAIN >>>

The return of Star Trek means that you simply cannot escape, and it all comes around to smack you in the ass again anyway, and what the hell, you just better accept it, and learn to laugh at it, deeply, heartily, with lots of wine and sex and deep dreams and a more profound understanding that it's all of a piece anyway, and you just gotta relax and soak it all in and smile and love love love that you get to experience such surreal constipatory cultural gyrations â€" except here we are, near the end of the first decade of the 21st century, and Bobble Tiki honestly expected to have a personal jet pack by now.

Simply named Star Trek, the film opens in theaters on Friday and boldly strays from Roddenberry's vision of the future. Read Roger Ebert’s review in tomorrow’s Weekly Volcano.

LINK: Films in South Sound theaters today

JAKE DE PAUL: PLEASE SERVE THAT AWESOME HAMBURGER, TOO >>>

Asado on Sixth Avenue will open for lunch beginning June 1. From 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, you will enjoy such treats as fresh fish Cuban sandwich, Asado cobb salad with smoked mahi and prawns, quinoa bowls, sliders and more.

Asado's happy hour will begin at 2:30 p.m. during the week.

[Asado, 2810 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.7770]

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

MICHAEL SWAN: HAPPY HOUR DISCUSSION TOPIC >>>

It sucks to get old.

LINK: South Sound happy hours

MATT DRISCOLL: THE FIGHT OVER OLYMPIA'S ISTHMUS KEEPS GOING, AND GOING, AND GOING ... >>>

It’s like a 15 round fight, and we’ve got to be getting near round 11 or 12.

For what seems like forever, Olympia and its impassioned residents have been going back and forth over the fight for the “isthmus” â€" which in reality is just the small patch of land between Budd Inlet and Capital Lake. Some, like Triway Development â€" which owns part of the land in question and has designs on (semi) high-rise condos â€" and Oly2012, a citizen policy analysis group â€" support the idea of high density housing on the isthmus. (Though, Oly 2012 doesn’t necessarily support the proposed Triway condos.)

Others, like State Sen. Karen Fraser of Thurston County and the Olympia Isthmus Park Association â€" chaired by Jerry Reilly â€" want to see a park built on the land in question, and, more importantly, no obstruction of current views.

As you may recall, earlier this year the Olympia City Council voted to raise building height limits on the isthmus â€" a move that seemed design to pave the way for housing on the land. Then, in retaliation, Fraser and her colleagues in the legislature proposed legislation that would have limited height limits on the isthmus and moved to protect the shoreline in question through the state’s Shoreline Management Act. The bills seemed to receive fairly widespread support from lawmakers in Olympia, but eventually failed.

Now, after receiving the results of a study on the feasibility of a park on the isthmus â€" which both sides seem to be attempting to use to their advantage â€" Olympia Mayor Doug Mah has proposed sending a $33 million bond to voters that would raise property taxes to pay for the park. Such a move is likely to happen in November.

And so the fight continues.

“The need to create housing opportunities for all ages and income levels in downtown Olympia remains our highest priority,” said Enid Layes in the latest Oly2012 newsletter, also applauding those who stood up against Fraser’s attempts to force Olympia’s building heights hand.

“The Mayor’s proposal is an important step along the path to realizing the community’s vision of an open, accessible, and integrated public Olympia waterfront,” wrote the Olympia Isthmus Park Association in a recent newsletter of its own.

How will it all play out? Stay tuned. It’s far from over.