PAUL SCHRAG: DASH OVER TO THIS ONE >>>

D.A.S.H. Center for the Arts will present the culmination of the Art of Hip-Hop summer camp, which teaches Tacoma youngsters the four elements of hip-hop; MCing, break dancing, DJing and graffiti. Hip Hop in the Park will showcase what these kids have learned, including how to rap with conscious intent and tight vocabulary, and will include performances by D.A.S.H’s own AOHH!, Reality Check, community-based rap group 2012, Alex Duncan, Shyan Selah and a whole slew of freshly-hatched talent.

Check it.

[People’s Park, Saturday, Aug. 29, 12-8 p.m., free, 900 S. K. St. / 9th St. at Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, 253.306.6615]

LINK: D.A.S.H. needs our help

RON SWARNER: RALLY AROUND THA CO-OP WITH A POCKET FULL OF SEEDS >>>

Co-ops don't grow on trees, people. Obviously trees have a role to play. So do you, namely fronting the money. There's a big outdoor benefit for the Tacoma Food Co-op today at wright Park from 4-9 p.m. Anyone interested in becoming a co-op member or learning more is encouraged to attend, as are current members. More info can be found here.

LINK: Read our cover story on the Tacoma Food Co-op

LINK: Go see the film Food, Inc. and support the Co-op

MICHAEL SWAN: BRING CANDLES, SIGNS AND STORIES >>>

The Tacoma Council of MoveOn.org will hold a candle light vigil to honor Sen. Ted Kennedy â€" "his life, his legacy and his drive for a REAL public health insurance option," according to a press release â€" Wednesday, Sept. 2, 7:30 p.m., in the 6th Avenue Business District between State and Trafton streets.

For more information on MoveOn.org's cause, visit their Web site here.

MICHAEL SWAN: TODAY'S HAPPY HOUR DISCUSSION TOPIC >>>

Today's Happy Hour Suggestion (enjoying it live):

The Hub runs its happy hour all day Sunday. Around 35 people are kicking it in The Hub's bar right now, several oj the sunny patio. It's quite lovely.

The Hub
203 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, 253.683.4606
Happy Hours: 4-6 p.m., 10 p.m. to close 7 days a week, Monday through Saturday from 4-6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close, all day on Sunday
Drink Specials: $3 flagship pints, $4 house wines, $4 wells
Food Specials: $5 each: hot wings, Caesar salad, simple green salad with soup, 10-inch happy hour pizza, house fries, smoked salmon plates and bruschettas

LINK: South Sound happy hour

MICHAEL SWAN: MONDAY, AUG. 31, 2009 >>>

1. Junkyard Jane brings its swampbilly to The Swiss at 7 p.m.

2. Angel Matamoros's abstract paintings are paired with surrealistic paintings by Blake Flynn in the current exhibition at Childhood's End Gallery in Olympia open today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

3. DJ Jason Diamond spins roots reggae during The New Frontier Lounge's Rebel Monday at 9 p.m.

4. The Tacoma Rainiers take on the Salt Lake Bees (seriously? Bees?) at 7 p.m. at Cheney Stadium.

5. Sing with a live band at Jazzbones' Rockaraoke night beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

PAUL SCHRAG: THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN >>

Yes, the power is still on â€" surging in fact. More than three decades into a career that shows no signs of slowing down or letting up, AC/DC, like electricity itself, provides the world with an essential source of power and energy. You know â€" the kind that makes you drink a few beers, throw your fist in the air and bang your head.

The boys are still on tour â€" the Black Ice Tour â€" and they’re going to destroy your ear drums in the Tacoma Dome ... twice in one year.

[Tacoma Dome, Monday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m., $89.50, 2727 E. D. St., Tacoma, 253.572.3663]

LINK: Previously on Spew

NEWS TEAM: GOOD MORNING SOUTH SOUND >>>

Nah: State Rep. Tom Campbell will not run for Congress against U.S. Rep. Adam Smith.

Artspace In Olympia: Affordable housing for artists could be coming to Olympia.

California Fire: Serious

Who's The Leader Of The Club?: Disney agrees to purchase Marvel for about $4 billion.

Afghan Vote: There's something fishy going on here.

Under Their Thumbs: Police review death of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones.

Baja Badass: Dangerous hurricane headed for Mexico's Pacific Coast.

Angry, Naked Guy Report: Dude commandeered a school bus full of teenage students.

RON SWARNER: A RANDOM SAMPLING OF ENVIRONESS >>>

You Dig?

Plant a tree. Still the cheapest, most effective way of removing CO2 from the atmosphere. If every American family planted one tree, it would cut more than 1 billion pounds of CO2 from our atmosphere each year â€" about 5 percent of Earth's annual carbon footprint.

So plant two as part of the City of Tacoma's TreeStreet NW project, which, according to a press release, " which supplies trees to neighborhood groups and property owners within Tacoma to plant in their right-of-way area."

Applications to be a part of TreeStreet NW will be accepted beginning Tuesday, Sept. 1 and are due on a rolling basis through April . More information is available at www.cityoftacoma.org/evergreentacoma â€" click on “TreeStreet NW Project.”  


Future Things Are Coming

If you're like most South Sounders, you're worried about global warming, you wish you weren't part of the problem, but you're about as optimistic about your ability to go low-carbon as you are about going low-carbohydrate â€" or making any other of a thousand lifestyle changes that would make you a better person. Yet you can't quite afford the "easy fix" of a fancy new hybrid right now, either â€" right? Well, the fact is: You can still make a big difference without spending a bunch of money and without carb-starving yourself, and that's what we hope you'll find out Sept. 26 by participating in the 2nd annual Green Tacoma Day to be held in conjunction with National Public Lands Day.

Things your can learn and do at Green Tacoma Day:

• Help protect and restore your favorite local park, gulch, shoreline and garden.
• Learn more about your favorite recreation destination from experienced Habitat Stewards.
• Discover something new by taking a walking, hiking, or bike tour of Tacoma’s Natural Areas.

More information is available at the Green Tacoma Web site. www.greentacoma.org

Embrace Treehugger

Treehugger.com is an invaluable resource for green ideas. But getting to know an actual treehugger would probably be edifying, too.

POP: THE REAL BURN >>>

There is “The Burn,” pre burn and in my case REAL burn. This 2009 journey begins with a pre-pre burn; literally, I spilled boiling water on my arm/wrist and couldn't write for the past two days. Luckily my caravan has two very hot Tacoma firemen who medically advised, and have secret special ointments to assist me.

Yet alas, they left yesterday.

The Vicodin wore off so I depart now at 11 a.m.

Bummer. I'll arrive at Burning Man behind schedule. I spent an extra day in my lovely Tacoma with friend Charger running to Cutters Point Coffee and Stadium Thriftway for emergency elixirs as my body was in shock.

Fixer packed up my cargo van, embellished with faux fur (Embellish Multispace Salon owner Trish would sooo love my ride!), and Lady Chaser sexy-modeled my leopard and fuchsia garter belt costumes to make sure the lizard bracelet, fishnet, peacock and ostrich feathers all “work.” Amazing! I didn’t have to run to Vanity again for more more more!
 
And so begins my modern shamanic Burning Man journey. Appropriate as my Virgin companion is a local Peruvian trained shaman named Jaguar Heart.

We’re living at Red Lightning Camp ... our Playa home of native and pagan healers. Red Lightning’s sacred geometric layout has a moon tent for the women, sun lodge for men only â€" the week will be playing with “gender alchemy.”

What the hell is gender alchemy, you may ask? Stay tuned. (BTW, where is paganism in Tacoma? Women’s Circles?)
 
A Reiki practitioner myself, I look forward healing some tragic troubled, six packed soul who needs a little (non) hands on. Perhaps I’ll be Burning Man’s own Serenity Spa meets Hells Kitchen in the dust.
 
My burn hurts. A moment of silence … pray my arm heals within the next 24 (fat chance). All of you pray … from Urban Grace to the Woo Woo Lodge. PRAY for my healing, damn it!

So now what?I’m already experiencing ignorant Burning Man backlash.

Listen up folks: If Sting, the head writers of National Geographic, top Hollywood producers like my buddy Carsten, genius artists like Julien Schnable, academics and Nobel prize winners go to Burning Man, what the hell do you know about dissin’ on it except maybe you're scared of what you would find within yourself if you had the FRIGGIN COURAGE to GO!!!????
 
The only demons at The Burning Man are those within the Self.

Check, check, check it.

Love and Xoxoxo,

Pop Bang Bang

(Like a toy gun at Tricky's Pop Culture Emporium, only one made out of kisses and oil paint and dragons and gleaming lanterns of light that snap you into submission, forcing you to witness your own damn Ego.

Love You! (and you and you and you!)

WEEKLY VOLCANO: MUSIC LINK DUMP >>>

Win Tickets to Pearl Jam: Make an online donation of $35 or more this week to the Cascade Land Conservancy and maybe see Ed and the Boys for free at KeyArena.

Pitchfork: Julian Casablancas debuts solo album cover, new songs live in Japan.

Spin: Oasis split â€" but their antipathy will live forever.