Weekly Volcano Blogs: Walkie Talkie Blog

Posts made in: January, 2011 (182) Currently Viewing: 11 - 20 of 182

January 4, 2011 at 7:32am

Bundt cake vs. volleyball

Helllloooooo .... Wilson.

WILSON! >>>

Bobble Tiki thinks that holiday bundt cake is a lot like sex: great bundt is one of life's ultimate pleasures, but if faced with nothing but a supermarket Sara Lee's dredged from the icebox, well, even the crummiest of bundts is better than no bundt at all.

However, Bobble wobbles now.  Bobble Tiki knows he needs to shed those extra few pounds picked up munching on holiday bundt. But Momma Tiki mailed him a chocolate and cranberry bundt cake, which he can't stop eating - bad, bad, bad. Bobble Tiki needs to get his mojo workin'.  He needs to get fit.  Drop-in Volleyball every Thursday night should do the trick.  It's only $3 to smack Wilson around.  Don't worry Wilson, Bobble Tiki do all the paddling. You just hang on! 

Drop-in Volleyball


Thursdays, 6-9 p.m., $3
Giaudrone Middle School, 4902 South Alaska St., Tacoma
253.305.1015

LINK: Read Bobble Tiki's music column

Filed under: Sports, Tacoma,

January 4, 2011 at 10:29am

Glass art: a clarification

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT >>>

I recently posted an article on this blog called "Give glass a rest." It was subtitled "Dale Chihuly is bigger than you'll ever be." I don't make up the titles. There's a guy they keep locked in the basement of Weekly Volcano World Headquarters who does nothing but write headlines. Blame that guy.

I started the article with, "Enough with the glass art already," and went on to berate glass art in general and Dale Chihuly in particular. Believe it or not I don't despise all glass art. I even admire some of Chihuly's stuff. There have been and continue to be spectacular glass art shows at the Museum of Glass and Traver Gallery. Tacoma is lucky to have these institutions.

I particularly liked Karen LaMonte's stunning empty dresses at MOG - flowing glass gowns with the imprint of the figure, the smallest details of the figure visible inside the empty dresses but no body there. These were hauntingly beautiful sculptures in glass.

I was blown away by William Morris' "Object and the Animal" show from 2005. Few exhibitions of art of any genre have been so impressive. (I was told by a spokesperson from his studio that he has retired but you can still see his work online at http://www.wmorris.com/ and he is still represented by the Foster White Galleries in Seattle.)

And I was both highly entertained and impressed by Einar and Jamex de la Torres' shows at both MOG and Traver. These Mexican-American brothers are talented, irreverent, funny and macabre. Their sculptures are loaded with sex and politics. In my review of their show at Traver in 2008 I called them "the bastard twin sons of Andy Warhol and Frida Kahlo." How could you not want to see art that inspired a statement like that?

But the thing about glass art is that most of it is predictable and repetitious and essentially decorative craft, not art. I know some people will say that's a snobbish attitude. So be it. I'm an art critic; I'm supposed to be a snob.

The craft of glass is very much like the craft of pottery, just a different media. I remember once in another lifetime when I was reviewing a faculty art exhibit I dismissed the few ceramics works in the show with a take-off on a famous quote from Gertrude Stein: a pot is a pot is a pot. I caught hell for that, but I stood by it then and still do today. Like most pottery, most glass art consists of vessels and plates and other decorative knick-knacks to be displayed on a shelf at home. Sometimes the people who make them make them really, really big and think that makes it art. That ain't art, my friend. Art aspires to something greater. Art triggers emotion and stimulates thought. Pretty s just a tiny part of it.

Filed under: Arts, Tacoma,

January 4, 2011 at 10:51am

Crazy Shit I Found on the Internet

I'VE GOTS HAY FEVER BITCHES!>>>

And the award for "Most Creative Drunk Driver" goes to the butt-ass-naked hay baler from Armarillo, Texas. Well, I'm reading here that the video is a fake. Dream crushers! The disclaimer is probably neccessary. I mean, if you can sue McDonald's for making you fat, you can probably sue Youtube because your drunk uncle tried to run himself through a thresher. Fucking America.

Filed under: Video Hot Spot,

January 4, 2011 at 12:00pm

Short Order: Downtown Tacoma grocery store, beer dump, pizza eating contest

DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

Downtown Grocery Store: The News Tribune is reporting The Meyers Group will lease space in Pacific Plaza to operate a full-service grocery store, which could include "grab-and-go" prepared food. Read their full story here.

Cellar Days: 99 Bottles in Federal Way finished their annual inventory and are selling their limited bottles to the public.

New Winery: Ray and Kristi Curtis have opened the Northwest Mountain Winery at 2825 Marvin Road N.E. in Olympia. They produce dry Riesling, Chardonnay, Syrah and Cab Franc, along with several fruit wines and spiced mead. They are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

Future Things Are Coming: Farrelli's Wood Fired Pizza in Lacey (4870 Yelm Hwy. SE) will host a pizza eating "chompetition" at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 5. How much pizza do you think you could put away in 15 minutes? The winners take home cash.

Food Matters: Neanderthals had a sweet tooth like us, study finds.

LINK: Beer and wine tastings today

LINK: Join our Nosh League foodie/drinkie group

January 4, 2011 at 1:57pm

"State of the Union" - Q-Dot's call to action

DYNAMIC DUO: Quincy Henry and Suzanne Skaar put countless hours into last year's Grit City Fest. Photography by Patrick Snapp

NEW YEAR, NEW Q-DOT TRACK>>>

Got word from local hip-hopper Q-Dot this afternoon that he's got a new track available he's hoping people will check out - "State of the Union." According to Q-Dot, the song "is a rallying cry for the local music scene and independents to move forward in 2011."

Not surprising, considering the positive force Q-Dot is within the local music scene. For a refresher on this admirable side of Q-Dot's game, take a look back on the Grit City Festival Q-Dot and Suzanne Skaar produced last June.

Here's "State of the Union"

Filed under: Tacoma, Music,

January 4, 2011 at 2:22pm

Person, Place or Thing with Steph DeRosa

Jason Barker of Community Produce

This week ...

Thing: Community Produce

Co-owners: Jason Barker and Deanna Riley

Location: Doyle's and King's Books shared parking lot

Open: Daily

Been open for business: Five weeks

Distributor: Snow Valley (Seattle)

Weather: COLD

Shelter provided by: 10-by-10 tent

Walls: None

Heat: None

Layers of warm clothing worn by Barker: Five

Did I feel like tailgating under the tent?: Yes

Did Jason Barker allow me to tailgate under his tent?: No

Did I go home afterwards and make a tent out of furniture and bedsheets?: But of course

In the freezing rain, which seemed to be coming down sideways, Jason Barker and his friend, Kevin, stood outside Doyle's Public House and chatted. Part of me felt like a dumbass for not saying "screw this" and running inside Doyle's for a hot toddy, but the curious part of me stayed strong enough to stop and ask questions.

In front of me, and squeezed under the tailgate tent, were plastic bins of sundry produce such as jalapeños, potatoes (of the red, gold and russet varieties), avocados, apples, oranges, carrots, bell peppers and onions.  Damn, these were all the basic ingredients to cook just about any dinnertime meal! I suddenly craved jambalaya and my stomach began to rumble. Ugh, how embarrassing.

Barker politely ignored my gastro-intestinal issues and quickly got back to business. He informed me that his intentions were to lower the infrastructure and cut down on produce costs sometimes found in grocery stores - and his endeavor (the tent filled with produce) is called Community Produce. While currently relegated to the parking lot next to Doyle's, Barker also told me he'd like to provide convenience for families by opening more of these tent-locations in the urban community, thus making it easier to stop daily to grab fresh produce. 

Although he does not yet carry organic goods, he looks to add some to his inventory, while he also mentions that he hopes to teaming up with local CSA gardens for distribution. Competing with other local home delivery options, Barker also provides weekly delivery that feeds three to five people, for a $10 fee.

Barker and Riley's intentions are inventive, gutsy, passionate and show their extreme loyalty to bringing food into our community at fair market value. If anyone feels as though they share the same mindset, has a willingness to learn, is punctual, has great customer service and (obviously) is not afraid of extreme weather - Barker can hook you up and help make you some extra scratch.

Hell, I won't even charge you my usual 30 percent finder's fee.  You're welcome.

[Community Produce - Doyle's and King's Books shared parking lot, 253.301.0838]

PERSON, PLACE OR THING LINK HUB

LINK: Sabrina T. Scale of Menchie's Frozen Yogurt in Federal Way

LINK: Puyallup Forza

LINK: Spartacus T. Ladle of Infinite Soups

LINK: Louie G's Pizzeria "Little Italy" Pizza Challenge

LINK: Aaron Tumale, dough-tosser at The Rock Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits

January 4, 2011 at 2:34pm

1022 South exposed as awesome in highly regarded, fancy-pants newspaper

1022 South packs them in

ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO DRINK >>>

Local business owners have made the mistake of giving me their private cell numbers before. Chris Keil of 1022 South is not the first. As soon as I caught wind of 1022 South's epic breakthrough into high-class journalism with The New York Times Magazine's food blog , I gave Keil a jingle to congratulate him.

STEPH DEROSA: I bet your phone has been blowing up today with phone calls.

CHRIS KEIL: Yeah, I kinda knew it was coming. I got a bunch of calls this morning and was a little foggy when I first glanced over the column, but I like it.

DEROSA: It's a great article. The writer did a good job encompassing what 1022 South is about. But I can't help but be a little jealous. He HAD to have missed something, right? So, what would you like to add to that New York Times piece?

KEIL: Actually, what I'd like to throw out there is that there is such a sense of community out there when it comes to 1022 South. Just during our last big freeze it was 25 degrees in the bar and I had loyal customers all bundled up, drinking gin and tonics and playing cribbage.  It really means a lot to me that we're allowed to do this.

DEROSA: Now that you're a celebrity, does this mean you are going to move to LA and start wearing sunglasses all the time?

KEIL: Ha-ha! No, I won't - but people have approached me about moving up to Seattle and doing something like 1022 South up there. Although it would be easier for a place like this to do well up in Seattle, I wouldn't be anywhere else but Tacoma. I come from a working-class family, this is where I'm from, so this is where I'm happy.

DEROSA: Awww, Chris, you are so sweet - you are going to make me tear up.

KEIL: Well, that being said, if I were to receive any New York job offers, that might be something I would entertain.

DEROSA: Before New York steals you, can I get your autograph?

KEIL: Ha-ha!

DEROSA: No, really, can I?

KEIL: No.

**

1022 South

1022 South J St., Tacoma
253.627.8588

LINK: 1022 South also told us how to drink better

January 4, 2011 at 3:37pm

Know your Thurston County judges

SEE WHAT WAPNER SEES >>>

For many, watching a District Court judge hammer down the gavel is not a desired experience. But on Wednesday, Jan. 5, the sight of the gavel doesn't mean that the little baggie stashed deep in your sock drawer was finally discovered, it means you're in Olympia participating in the Justice at Work open house.

From 1-4:30 p.m. Thurston County Superior and District courts will be hosting an open house in an effort to show the community how the courts work. The open house will feature a brief opening ceremony, followed by the opportunity for visitors to watch initial hearings of those recently jailed (always a crowd pleaser) and pay visits to Family and Juvenile Courts. Community members will also be allowed to tour juvenile detention.

The courts are funded through state, county and city tax dollars. Like many other taxpayer-funded institutions, the courts face constraints and possible budget cuts in a tough financial year ahead. Although the courts are open to the public everyday, the Justice at Work open house event will give community members the chance to ask questions of court volunteers and  learn more about the programs and resources the courts offer. 

Visit the Washington Courts website for more information on the event. And remember this Weekly Volcano recommendation: Never look the judges directly in the eye. They can see the guilt in your soul.  

Filed under: Crime, Politics, Olympia,

January 4, 2011 at 6:02pm

Miley Cyrus rides the serpent … or some other silly reference to getting really high

KIDS THESE DAYS >>>

By now you all know Miley Cyrus is a confirmed major drug addict, and by "confirmed major drug addict," we mean there's a video floating around the Interwebs of her hitting a bong.

As has also been heavily reported, word on the street is Cyrus was smoking a product known as salvia divinorum - legally obtainable over the counter at smokeshops and headshops throughout Washington and much of the country. TMZ (naturally) recently reported that salvia sales have skyrocketed in California since the Cyrus video went public.

Anyway, just mark this episode as yet another thing editor Matt Driscoll has in common with Miley Cyrus.

Filed under: Pop Culture,

January 5, 2011 at 5:34am

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

One of Art Chantry's proudest accomplishments is having one of his pieces hanging in the bathroom at the Louvre.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 5, 2011 >>>

1. Art Chantry is to rock posters what Bobble Tiki is to boxed wine consumption - quite simply, the very best. Having created for labels like Estrus, Rhino, Sub Pop and Chuckie-Boy, and worked with just about everyone there is to work with - from the Center on Contemporary Art to Hempfest and beyond - Chantry‘s imagery is iconic, as are the punk ideals they're based upon. He also punched his time card four different times as art director for the Rocket music rag. At 7 p.m., he'll be at the Tacoma Main Library. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

2. The Olympia Supply Company hosts green minded DIY home improvement workshops every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. That cracked Y-connector in your sewer line isn't going to fix itself.

3. Big Chunk, Phantom Power, Big Quinn & The Broken Hearts and Woodshed will rock Hell's Kitchen beginning at 8 p.m.

4. Sellers' Inspector Clouseau (in his second outing after The Pink Panther) - convinced sexy suspect Elke Sommer is innocent (despite leaving in-his-face murders in her wake) - trails her through Paris and to an even-more-picturesque nudist colony, donning a strategically-placed guitar ... Not now Kato! ... en route in the film A Shot In The Dark (1964), screening at 9 p.m. inside the Capitol Theater.

5. Your Girlfriend's Favorite DJ spins beginning at 10 p.m. during College Night at Masa Comida Mexicana.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

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About this blog

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

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