HOPE THIS HELPS >>>

This weekend in Seattle-Tacoma craigslist shopping, the "barter" section yields pay dirt. ... Or rather, dirty payoff.

Flirty girl fitness / stripper pole. Used once in home, looks brand new. Is adjustable from 94 inches to 103 inches it will fit ANYWHERE. 180 OBO.

Joe

253-732-1516

We can't quite figure out Joe's photo, but can fit ANYWHERE is appealing.

MONDAY, OCT. 11, 2010 >>>

1. Even if electronic music "isn't your thing," you'll no doubt find German über-producer Ulrich Schnauss' tidal waves of sentimental nu-gaze awe-inspiring and profoundly soothing at 9 p.m. inside The New Frontier Lounge.

2. In Kittredge Gallery's Small Gallery is a video work by Portland photographer, filmmaker, and installation artist Vanessa Renwick from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Her video, shot in 35 mm black and white film, both mourns the loss and celebrates the former vitality of The House of Sound - places, stories and histories of Cascadia, with scores by musicians living in the Pacific Northwest.

3. A state income tax specifically designed to take more money from the rich?  That's the idea behind Initiative 1098, which if passed would institute a state income tax on Washington's most wealthy to pay for education and health programs. Rich guys like Bill Gates Sr. are in favor of it. Other rich guys, like former U.S. Sen. Slade Gordon, are against it. At 6 p.m. inside Philip Hall at UW Tacoma, they'll debate the issue.

4. Leave it to liberals to use the economic collapse to point out there might be a better way of doing things than the capitalist orgy and TV dinners we've grown up on. Award-winning political cartoonist Ted Rall is just such a whacko, and his new book, The Anti-American Manifesto, is as pinko and commie as it sounds. Rall will discuss his work at 6 p.m. inside Orca Books in Olympia.

5. The Jake B Band will fill The Swiss with blues beginning at 8 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

YOUR DAILY GUIDE TO THE 2010 TACOMA FILM FESTIVAL >>>

Rejection hurts. We encounter it in every stage of our lives - as the school dance wallflower, a student ignored by the universities, an employee not considered for a raise. If you take filmmaking seriously, chances are you've dealt with festivals uninterested in work that claimed months or even years of your energy.

A humor-filled workshop with Warren Etheredge can put your film in perspective, and replace those nagging feelings of self-doubt with confidence. On Saturday morning I attended his class at The Grand Cinema, put on in conjunction with the Tacoma Film Festival. The man knows his medium - he's fought in the moviemaking trenches personally, and as current curator of Bumbershoot's 1 Reel Film Festival, plenty of shorts, both excellent and questionable, fall under his scrutiny.

Held annually in Portland, his discussion is titled "What's Wrong with This Picture?" Etheredge takes an opposite stance from most lecturers, arguing that audiences can learn more from flawed films than flawless ones. Moreover, cinema is not this hopelessly subjective art; most of us know good (or bad) work when we see it.

With this commonsense approach, the personable moderator and his audience examined three shorts not accepted into this year's Festival. The filmmakers stood courageously by as our group freely voiced complaints with issues like story pacing, audio, and performance.

Etheredge offers to aspiring artists these nuggets:

• Given its nature, a short must set up its situation quickly. "A story should be as long as a piece of string," he quoted a former teacher as saying. Every aspect of the production, even running time, serves the plot.
• Beginners should let someone else edit their footage.
• Don't fill your cast and crew with friends; only hire those who can do their job better than you.
• Pay SO much attention to sound. Etheredge says, "Audio can level your film faster than anything else." Your audience will never lose themselves in movies with poor soundtracks.

Just this week I submitted my own piece to a Seattle fest, wishing I had known a few of these guidelines. But we grow with every new project. None of us can escape all rejection and criticism, but by caring enough about the craft, you can deal.       

Click here to see a schedule of today's Tacoma Film Festival films.

LINK: TFF goes local

LINK: TFF on twitter

LINK: TFF website

LINK: We wrote a TFF cover story

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Tacoma Diaries almost proudly announces the premiere episode of season 7, The Teacoma Party. In this episode, Mike and Steve lose their rational thought process and join the local chapter of the Tea Party. Wackiness ensures.

George Michael is out of jail and ready to go-go.

Google cars drive themselves.

VIDEO HOT SPOT >>>

Christopher Wood, a film critic for the Weekly Volcano, reviewed last night's Grit City Flicks mini festival, which screened to a packed room at the Washington State History Museum as part of the Tacoma Film Festival.

Click here to see a schedule of today's Tacoma Film Festival films.

LINK: TFF goes local

LINK: TFF on twitter

LINK: TFF website

LINK: We wrote a TFF cover story

PERRITOS CALIENTES EN CUSTER >>>

No longer exiled to the kid's menu, frankfurters are becoming the stars of the show at an increasing number of places around the South Sound ... including the recently opened Maria Bonita in Lakewood. The Mexican restaurant just opened in the spot formerly occupied by El Guadalajara. I did't notice any significant changes to the interior and exterior. And the menu is still in development. Currently, a dozen or so traditional Mexican dishes - typically served by chain restaurants - grace the menu. However, one of the dishes caught my eye - Mexican Hotdogs. Plated with rice and beans, two TURKEY dogs - plump and juicy - are topped with diced tomato and onion, cilantro and avocado slices. Tasty!

How are the other entrees at Maria Bonita?

Maria Bonita

7421 Custer Road W., Lakewood

BUILDING EXCITEMENT UP TO THE DAY OZZY TICKETS GO ON SALE >>>

The Weekly Volcano welcomes Ozzy Osbourne to our blog room - located in building two, floor 5, at our World Headquarters in Lakewood - to answer questions from our readers. Osbourne will perform Feb. 5, 2011 at the Tacoma Dome with Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash. Tickets are $29.50-$79.50 and will go on sale Saturday, Oct. 16 at Ticketmaster.

First question is from Ralph in Fife.

RALPH: Dude, I'm totally your biggest fan! My question is this: there's this chick that works with me on the pickle line who I want to ask out, maybe to go to the Poodle Dog but I'm afraid she'll just laugh because she is way hot and doesn't even know I exist. What do you think I should do, Ozzy?

OZZY: How the (bleep) should I know, you (bleeping) wanker?! If you want her to notice you, take a (bleeping) crap on the conveyor belt then stick a (bleeping) pickle in it!

OK ... then, that's enough for today folks.

TUESDAY, OCT. 12, 2010 >>>

1. Classical Tuesdays in Old Town presents a free concert tonight of Native American Flute performed by Gary Stroutsos, whose music was showcased in the Ken Burns PBS documentary, Lewis and Clark: Journey of the Corps of Discovery. Stroutsos will perform at 7 p.m. inside the Slavonian Hall in Tacoma.

2. The public is invited to dine at Joeseppi's Italian Ristornate from 4-8 p.m. and support the Tacoma Concert Band at no additional cost as a portion of the proceeds will be donated by Joeseppi's to the TCB. There will be food, a silent auction, bucket raffle, music and more.

3. Leave it to liberals to use the economic collapse to point out there might be a better way of doing things than the capitalist orgy and TV dinners we've grown up on. Award-winning political cartoonist Ted Rall is just such a whacko, and his new book, The Anti-American Manifesto, is as pinko and commie as it sounds. Rall will discuss his work at 7 p.m. inside King's Books in Tacoma.

4. Volcano editor Matt Driscoll never saw Titanic, on pure principle, despite months of begging from his then girlfriend. Thankfully, Driscoll ditched that bag for a hip eventual wife who's never seen Titanic either, meaning the Driscoll household as a whole is completely unfamiliar with the cinematic vehicle that launched Gaelic Storm, perhaps the most famous Irish pub band-turned-Celtic music superstars. All of this is OK, since Gaelic Storm will be at the Puyallup Fairgrounds at 7 p.m..

5. Maroon 5 plays the Tacoma Dome at 7:30 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

YOUR DAILY GUIDE TO THE 2010 TACOMA FILM FESTIVAL >>>

Sunday morning film culture expert Warren Etheredge hosted and handed out the Tacoma Film Festival best film awards, as determined by these judges. Here are the winners:

Best Feature Film - EARTHWORK

Best Documentary Film - BACK TO THE GARDEN

Best Short Film - ANA'S PLAYGROUND

Best Animated Film - A COMPLEX VILLAINELLE

Best Regional Film -SHUFFLE

The Audience Choice Award will be announced at the Closing Night festivities Thursday, Oct. 14 at The Grand Cinema.

Click here to see a schedule of today's Tacoma Film Festival films.

LINK: TFF goes local

LINK: TFF on twitter

LINK: TFF website

LINK: We wrote a TFF cover story

SHE'S KIND OF A BIG DEAL >>>

Did you know there's a certified sake specialist working in Tacoma?

Did you even know there was such an honor as "certified sake specialist"?

First, there is such a thing. It's similar to being a certified wine sommelier.

Second, you can find one (in the form of Jeannie Han) at TWOKOI Japanese Restaurant in Tacoma's Museum District. A chance meeting between the folks behind TWOKOI, which hosts one of the biggest sake bars in the Northwest, and Han, a South Korean native, gave Tacoma such a treat.

As a youth Han was exposed to sake and the sake making process at a relative's sake brewery in Korea. She'd watch the late fall sake rice harvesting and washing in giant stainless buckets. The rare experience and exposure to sake at such a young age helped shape Han.

"Being surrounded the by the sake making process and sake drinking relatives and family, it was only natural that I work my way through college as a bar back and bartender," Han explains. It was during this period of her life when Han discovered Makolli - a cloudy nigori sake  - only increading her passion for sake.

After Han joined the TWOKOI team, co-owners Jerry Hyman and Jackie Young Koh encouraged her to document her immense sake knowledge. By taking classes Han became an official Level 1 Certified Sake Specialist as distinguished by the Japanese Sake Educational Council in November 2009.

"It was very educational and thorough and had the most comprehensive sake lectures on earth - not all participants passed," says Han.

Han is well versed in TWOKOI's large variety of premium sakes - and she should be. As TWOKOI's floor manager and sake specialist, she hand picks all of the sakes offered at TWOKOI, rotating the menu of more than 40 different sakes to keep selections fresh. Her expertise doesn't stop there. Han also creates seasonal sake cocktails; leads private sake tasting dinners (sometimes in conjunction with sushi making classes led by executive chef Koh), and  recently introduced sake samplers. Han calls coming up with new ways to present sake to the public her "enjoyable responsibility."

I call it brilliant.

Join Han and the Weekly Volcano's Nosh League at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14 at TWOKOI for an extraordinary sake tasting experience. The cost is $15 per person. In order to attend, you must first join the Nosh League here, and then RSVP to the event here.

TwoKoi Japanese Cuisine

1552 Commerce St., Tacoma
253.274.8999