MICHAEL SWAN: NOT SO SNUG >>>

Thanks Bobby Norwood, you wasted 3 minutes and 51 seconds of my life.

MICHAEL SWAN: TUESDAY, SEPT. 22, 2009 >>>

1. The first African American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for the Broadway hit Topdog/Underdog Suzan-Lori Parks speaks at 8 p.m. at Schneebeck Concert Hall at the University of Puget Sound.

2. Engage all five of your senses. Feed off of the psychic overflow generated by mass co-creation. Artists of all sorts, skill-levels, styles and genres are invited to commit art, collaboratively or individually during Tac25’s Artlatch from 6-11 p.m. at the corner of 25th and Tacoma Ave.

3. Jazz poet Marvin Bell will read his latest poems at 7 p.m. at the Peninsula Library in Gig Harbor.

4. Jazz saxophonist Kareem Kandi hosts a talented jazz open jam at 9 p.m. inside Sax on 6th.

5. Bring your iPod to the Tempest Lounge, jack it into their sound system, throw back a couple of drinks and strut up and down like you own the joint during iPod Tuesday beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

MICHAEL SWAN: PUYALLUP FAIR, TUESDAY, SEPT. 22, 2009 >>>

Check it: Al's Brain Exhibit. Snug.

Stuff to do today
All Day: Etching, Pavilion, 2nd Floor

11 a.m.: Art Demonstration, Oldfield Western Heritage Center

12 p.m.: Rubber Stamping, Hobby Hall

1 p.m.: Underwater Adventures, Contest Arena

2:15 p.m.: Vocal Trash, Coca-Cola Stage

4 p.m.: Woodworking, Hobby Hall

5 p.m.: Western Music & Country Poetry, Oldfield Western Heritage Center

6:30 p.m.: Knitting, Pavilion, 2nd Floor

7 p.m.: Spinning, Pavilion, 2nd Floor

7:30 p.m.: Sixties Spectacular, Grandstand

More things to do today here

Hours
10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday.

Admission
$11 adults, $8 seniors (62 and older) and students (age 6-18); free age 5 and younger. Advance discount tickets at Safeway, Fred Meyer and Columbia Bank.

Parking
$10 Monday-Friday, $12 Saturday-Sunday

Transportation
Pierce Transit “Fair Express” for $3 round trip. Details are here.

More Information
Do their Web site.

NEWS TEAM: GOOD MORNING SOUTH SOUND >>>

He Would Have Been A Hundredaire: Man charged in holdup of coffee drive-through.

Do The Puyallup: Pellets and knives.

Whoa: Feds seek about a dozen people in terror investigation.

Political Sex Scandals: Why are some forgiven?

Partly Cloudy: U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for urgent action on climate change, saying negotiations on reducing emissions were proceeding too slowly.

Bum-er: Surgeons find 6-inch blade embedded in mugging victim's butt.

Today In Overreacting

CERVEZA SISTERS: THE TASTY ROAD TO THE TACOMA CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL >>>

The banks are bust, war is everywhere, and, heck, add a global pandemic to the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for real, lasting despair. If that makes you want to crack a beer, you’re in luck. The beer industry is doing alright and, true to the populist spirit of the age, it’s craft beer that’s growing the most.

My sister and I will be drinking and reviewing craft beer here on Spew right up to the Tacoma Craft Beer Festival on Oct. 3 at the Foss Waterway Seaport. We’ll be highlighting some of the 42 breweries that will be represented at the beer festival.

OK, on to our first beer review:

Mad River Steelhead Double IPA
New in Mad River Brewing Company’s line, their Double IPA logs in at a whopping 8.6 percent.

You'd never know it!

Great citrus-y bite is what we LOVE about West Coast IPA!  It comes on strong with grapefruit but balances out with a nice pine-y finish. We’re talking 95 IBUs.

LINK: Mad River Brewing Company

LINK: Tacoma Craft Beer Festival

There's simply no need to dump sub-par "beer" down your throat. It's just not cool, bra. ...

MICHAEL SWAN: ANOTHER BIKINI ESPRESSO STANDING COMING TO LAKEWOOD? >>>

While stopped at a traffic light on South Tacoma Way by Highway 512 today, I noticed the long narrow diner that constantly changes owners is undergoing yet another change as red and white camouflage was being applied to the outside of the building.

From my car across the street I yelled at the painter for a clue as to what we could expect the building to be next.

"Um bikini something," he yelled back.

Lovely.

Of course, I spotted more abandoned shopping carts in Lakewood on the way back to the office.

MICHAEL SWAN: WHO THE HELL IS EMILY BIKINI? >>>

She was spotted at Forza Coffee in Puyallup.

She hung out with Capt. Jonathan and The Deadliest Catch crew at the Puyallup Fair.

She’s practically naked on her MySpace page.

She’s Emily Underwood aka Emily Bikini, the creator of Bikini Soda and star of the upcoming reality show, Life in a Bikini.

Rumor is she’s still hanging at the Puyallup Fair. I’ll go investigate. ...

UPDATE: Yes, it's true. Bikini Soda has a booth at the Puyallup Fair. Sadly, Emily Bikini was nowhere to be seen Tuesday afternoon.

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

Discuss the above video over happy hour at:

Johnny’s Dock
1900 E. D St., Tacoma, 253.627.3186
Happy Hours: 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday
Drink Specials: $2.99 wells, house wine, domestic beer
Food Specials: $3.99 and up appetizers

LINK: Other South Sound happy hours

MICHAEL SWAN: PUYALLUP FAIR WAS A WARM BREEZE TODAY >>>

Put down your Cosmos and snap on some overalls â€" the Puyallup Fair is very doable this year. The weather is gorgeous. The crowds are down due to the economy. Many of the hassles are gone.

Today, I found no line at the scone joint. There wasn’t a line for Myer's Burgers or any other food spot. Parking was a cinch.

The $25 Dizzy Pass is a scorching deal. I must have rode 50 rides. Tiny waiting lines!

Now, if they can just get rid of that popping balloon at the squirt gun game. Does it really need to be that loud?

I snapped a few shots today:

MICHAEL SWAN: WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23, 2009 >>>

1. Matt Coughlin brings his alt country show to The Swiss at 8 p.m.

2. If you love Tacoma then you’ll love the Love Tacoma love fest at 5:30 p.m. on Johnny’s Dock’s deck. Expect raffles, prizes and drink specials you love.

3. The Hub hosts a Heart Walk party at 4 p.m. followed by Hump Day drink specials at 5 p.m. followed by DJ J-Fresh at 7 p.m. followed by you and your ass in a cab.

4. A community workshop to help craft a Mobility Master Plan for the City of Tacoma will be held at 5:30 p.m. inside the South Park Community Center.

5. Waterbound brings Celtic and traditional Irish music to A Rhapsody In Bloom Florist & Cafe' Latte' at 7 p.m.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide