"DOGTOOTH" NOW PLAYING AT THE GRAND >>>

We run to movies in part for the illusion of safety they offer, the sweet little lies, whispered in the dark, that reinforce our values and our sense of place and well-being in the world. In this sense films function much like parents do, but to what extremes will the latter distort truth for the sake of their young?

The 2009 Greek import Dogtooth ponders this question. An Academy Award nominee last year for Best Foreign Language Film (and running at The Grand Cinema until April 7 with another nominated feature and five animated shorts), the story centers on a nameless young man and his two sisters, all lifelong prisoners in their large upper-class home. Mom and dad sustain this bizarre house arrest not with coercion, but through words, elaborate fictions they spin about the horrors waiting outside the compound's high fence. (Beware of the kittens that prey on children's flesh!)

A complex reordering of language is at work here too; in this household's lexicon, phone = salt and "keyboard" stands in for a lady's privates. As this last example demonstrates, such a repressed environment produces a warped, almost mechanized view of sexuality - its inhabitants (and the camera eye) reduce the human body to fetishism of its components: a bare shoulder, stockinged legs, breasts. Think Brendan Fraser's sunny flick Blast from the Past, just darker and sicker.

The narrative has all the classic symptoms of a European art piece, including explicit nudity, violence that shocks for its suddenness, and a maddeningly ambiguous ending. Pity, anger, revulsion, fright, and to make it bearable, uncomfortable laughter - this is what awaits you with this film.

In its quiet way, Dogtooth will chew a ragged gash through your nice little world.

WHAT THE HELL IS THE VOLCANO DOING WRITING ABOUT MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL? >>>

Weeks of oppressive rainfall and colder than normal temperatures can mean only one thing in the South Sound: Spring has sprung.

Every year, the onset of spring means a couple of things here at the Weekly Volcano headquarters. Editor-in-Tyrant Matt Driscoll sends off a round of curt, ‘you better shape up' emails. The Swarner family has a collective catatonic meltdown, threatening to leave the thankless newspaper business once and for all. Many freelance writers disappear from civilization, trekking to faraway places for ill-conceived, pseudo-literary pilgrimages. Some come back. Most don't.

But most importantly, the onset of spring means the Weekly Volcano begins its coverage of Tacoma Rainiers baseball.

Wait. What's that? You can't remember the Weekly Volcano ever covering the Tacoma Rainiers? That's because we haven't. Sticking to only the highest of journalistic pursuits, the Weekly Volcano stays away from all but the highest caliber of sports coverage. But with new Cheney Stadium finally finished and the Tacoma Rainier's gearing up to defend their Pacific Coast League title, a collective decision was made for the Weekly Volcano Staff to delve into minor league baseball coverage.

So here we sit. Never mind the fact at least two papers in town already cover the Rainiers. Never mind that Matt Driscoll, myself and the variety of other scribes have zero experience covering baseball. These facts don't matter. What matters is we saw a lack of half-cocked, uneducated, minor league baseball coverage in the South Sound.  A void - if you will - of quality, Volcano-ish coverage.

And like us writers always say, "we need to fill that void."

The Coverage ...

Today the Rainier's unveiled their opening day roster.  With 11 players returning from last year, the Rainier's come to bat with a good chance at defending the PCL title. That is, of course, if the Major League affiliate Seattle Mariners don't gobble up some of the best talent. Those greedy Mariners.

Here's a speckling of the talent:

2^nd Base Dustin Ackley- Far and away the star of this team. Ackley was the second overall pick in the 2009 draft. Baseball America has ranked him as the number one prospect in the Marnier's farm system.

Ackley did compete for a spot on the Mariner's during spring training, but the Marnier's brass decided he needed a little more time in the minors to work on his footwork. There might have been talk about Ackley joining ‘Dancing with the Stars' to improve said footwork, but those rumors were definitely unconfirmed.

Most likely, Ackley will only stick around in Triple A for a few months, so see him while you can.

Infielder Matt Tuiasosopo- Tuiasosopo enters his fourth season in a Rainier's uniform. He has a decent skillset and can play a variety of positions, something Daren Brown and the rest of the Rainier's coaching staff love to see. He frequently gets called up to Seattle, only to be frequently sent back down.

Tuiasosopo is a member of Pacific Northwest sports royalty, the Tuiasosopo's. They may not be the Mannings or the Williams sisters, but hey, we'll take what we can get.

3^rd Base Alex Liddi- This year marks 22-year-old Alex Liddi's Triple-A debut.  Liddi is ranked as the 13^th best prospect in the Mariner's organization. Since he's coming up from Double-A West Tennessee, it's impossible to say how he'll handle the bright lights of Tacoma. But word on the street is he plays a mean hot corner.

Starting Pitcher Luke French- Teams yearn for capable southpaws. Last year, French went 11-3 with a 2.94 ERA in Tacoma. He also spent some time in Seattle, where his numbers were more pedestrian.  He'll be Tacoma's Opening Day starter when the Rainiers play the Sacramento River Cats, Thursday, April 7th.

Outfielder Mike Carp- Carp can hit the ball a long way. He can also strikeout. We like him because his last name is Carp. It has also been rumored he has a tattoo of a carp (the fish) somewhere on his body.  The Weekly Volcano staff hears it's near his caboose. But this rumor is definitely unconfirmed.

OK, that's just a sliver of the Rainier's lineup. We don't want to overload you with names like Chaz Roe, Carlos Peguero and Greg Halman too early on in the season. We plan on easing you into this Tacoma Rainier's coverage stuff, like a concerned nurse easing a geriatric patient into a warm bath.

The team opens the season on the road. Starting on April 7, they play four games at Sacramento then four games in Fresno, facing the Grizzlies. They return home Friday, April 15^tto play the Sacramento River Cats.  First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. in the new Cheney Stadium. Fireworks will follow the game.

Look forward to more Rainiers coverage in the weeks and months to come. Like a nervous rookie A-Baller worried about veteran hazing, we are new to the sports coverage world. Please suggest anything we can do to improve. In the meantime:

Play Ball! 

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from Miss Kathy, who was apparently in the house for last night's monumental Tournament of Pizza Championship Party, where Tacoma's Katie Downs emerged victorious after a slugfest with Apollo Pizza of Olympia.

Miss Cathy writes,

Side by side Apollo clearly had the better pie, hands down. Theirs was full of flavor while the Katie Downs slice I had tasted like cheese and nothing but. I had already cast my vote for Apollo before sampling either pizza, as I have never liked Katie Downs' pizza at all. Never heard of Apollo until this tournament. Apollo, we will be seeing you this weekend for lunch - your pizza rocked!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011 >>>

1. Six films compose the Diversity Film Festival at The Grand Cinema (April 6-18), each one a meditation on the theme of cultural diversity. Catch up on the story here. Reel Injun - A documentary tracing how the images of Native American people in cinema have influenced the understanding and misunderstanding of their culture and history - opens the DFF today with a 1:55 p.m. screening. At 8 p.m., Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna - a film exploring the largely forgotten exploits of the African American infantrymen known as Buffalo Soldiers - screens at The Grand.

2. Back in November the Swan Creek Master Plan development contract was awarded to MIG. Since then, three possible concepts for the 250-acre greenspace have been drawn up that include a salmon-bearing stream, wooded canyon, upland forest, trails and community garden. Want to check out the plans? Drop by the Salishan Family Investment Center (1728 E. 44th St., Tacoma ) between 4-6 p.m. and share your vision concerning the park.

3. Burc McFarlan of Fish Brewing in Olympia will drop in on 99 Bottles in Federal Way from 4-7 p.m. with crates and crates full of Swordfish Double Cascadian Dark Ale among other Fish brews for a dollar a person tasting.

4. A.Madman follows in the same lineage of sample-heavy electronica as groups like the Avalanches - groups that value texture and ambience in equal proportion to hooks and dancey grooves. Check them out with Broken Figures, Ghost Feet and Bizzart at 8 p.m. inside the all-ages venue Northern in downtown Olympia.

5. As part of Wildstyle Wednesdays at the Gruv Lounge, live hip-hop from XP and Rockwell Powers will complement the funky beats from DJs Reign and Slim Rock, beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Half-priced bottles of wine tonight

This week ...

THING: Everything Buffalo

Place: Bruceski's Buffalo Wings and Pizza

City: DuPont

Opened: 2005

Seats: 20

Owner: Yon Kim

Obvious specialty: Buffalo wings and pizza

Buffalo meat present: No

Buffalo, NY correspondent: Eric Curley

To read this week's full column click here.

FRIDAY AT THE TIMBERLAND LIBRARY IN OLYMPIA >>>

The ukulele isn't just for school children anymore. Yes, it's small, and yes, it's easy to learn. But after hearing Jake Shimabukuro play "Bohemian Rhapsody" on the uke, I can no longer dismiss it. It might be little and it might be cute, but it's also a serious - and chill-producing - instrument.

"In Hawaii, everyone grew up playing the ukulele," Shimabukuro says in a recent interview with the Associated Press. "It was just a very simple, relaxing instrument to play. Then when I was a teenager, I got turned on to some of the rock guys. I remember seeing some concert footage of a Van Halen  show. ... I remember thinking to myself, ‘That's what a ukulele concert should be like.' "

On his new album, Peace Love and Ukulele - which has original songs along with "Rhapsody" and "Hallelujah" - Shimabukuro proves the ukulele can do almost anything.

That said, though, it is easy to learn. In fact, folk duo the Ukalaliens promise to teach beginners how to play in 90 minutes.

'Aliens Steve Einhorn and Kate Power will teach at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 8, at the Olympia Timberland Library, 313 Eighth Ave. S.E., Olympia. It's free. There will be a limited number of ukuleles available to borrow for the lesson; if you have your own, please bring it along. (For more information, call 360.704.4508 or visit www.trl.org.)

If you want to play "Bohemian Rhapsody" instead of "I've Been Workin' on the Railroad," though, it's going to take more time.

OPENING DAY IS FULL OF POSSIBILITIES >>>

As the Tacoma Rainiers get set for their tomorrow's Opening Day against the Sacramento River Cats, we thought we'd bring you some more blog action.

We mentioned yesterday that the Rainier's Opening Day roster is set. We have since found the roster online. Is it just us or is staring at a baseball roster a little...daunting? All those strange names and numbers crowded on the page.  It's not the easiest thing in the world to look at.

Some things do jump out:

* How awesome is the name pronunciation guide at the bottom of the page? They really break it down for you. Alex LID-ee. Dustin ACK-lee. Matt TOO-ee-ah-so-SO-po.

* As mentioned yesterday, Mike Carp is listed as an outfielder. His stat page on the Rainier's website lists him at first base. Since he's a big guy, maybe they wanted to give him more room to roam this year. Only speculating here.

* Dustin Ackley is listed first on both the numerical roster and the alphabetical roster. Seems fitting since he is the hottest prospect on the team.

* Alex Liddi hit 15 home runs in his time at West Tennessee last year. Not bad for an infielder. He is also from Italy, which automatically doubles his cool.

* When looking at the pitchers, Cesear Jimenez really stands out. If we're reading the roster right, Jimenez only gave up one earned run in fifteen innings pitched last year. That's not a huge sample size, but lets hope he can continue down this path. Indefinitely.

Rainier's announcer Mike Curto has announced this year's Rainier's broadcast schedule on his blog. It looks like all 144 games will be covered live on South Sound Sports 850 AM. You can also listen to the games via a live stream on www.tacomarainiers.com . As of right now, no games will be shown on television. We blame reality TV for monopolizing all the airtime.

Remember to tune into 850 AM tomorrow at 7:05 for the first pitch of the season. It will be Luke French vs. a TBD River Cats starter.

TBD? What is this, River Cats, Double-A ball? Get your act together.  

And for those interested in attending tomorrow's game (it's only, like, a 12-hour drive to Sacramento), we should note it'll be $2 beer night at Nat Bailey Stadium in Sacramento. Every Thursday the stadium features $2 Millers and live music. They will also have opening day fireworks. Worth the drive? 

WHAT'S THE WORD? >>>

Last week I said we were lucky to have a live weekly hip-hop night.

I lied. We have two!

While the weekly hip-hop night I mentioned last week happens at El Perron every Wednesday night, there's also an all-ages cipher/freestyle session every Sunday at the Graffiti Garages on South Ninth and Broadway in Tacoma at 1 p.m.  And it's free.

This is how it works: World-famous DJ Ice Man drives his truck up in there and blasts beats. That's it, pure and simple. The events usually last until around 3 or 4 p.m. DJ Ice Man, originally from Brooklyn, says, "It's the purest outdoor cipher around here. It reminds me of back in the day at Washington Square Park. Kids ciphering just to do it, not to get big."

To read the rest of Josh Rizeberg's What's the Word? column, which also includes information on Juice Radio, click here.

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2011 >>>

1. Join the Volcano at the Pacific Grill for the launch of our South Sound Happy Hours Mobile App from 5-7 p.m. Be the first to download the app and enjoy 50-plus appetizers, meals, snacks and desserts at 50 percent off. Even sweeter: DJ dAb will spin funk and soul. Even sweeter than that: at the party you can be the first to download the app for free! The sweetest of all: be the first to taste Pacific Grill's "Volcano Drink!" It's so on.

2. National Beer Day - now there's a holiday we can get behind! It has everything we're looking for in a holiday ... mainly an excuse to get drunk. Tacoma's Harmon Tap Room will celebrate National Beer Day ALL day by tapping some T-Town Blonde Ale, offering $1 beers during lunch, giving away a bunch of awesome stuff (read: beer!) and even throwing a '30s era dress contest from 6-8 p.m. Did we mention it's NATIONAL BEER DAY? They had us at "beer."

3. The Lula Washington Dance Theatre - instrumental in creating the mesmerizing movements of the blue-skinned Na'vi tribe in Avatar - performs at 8 p.m. at The Evergreen State College. Choreographer Lula Washington developed the tribe's signature movements, and for Avatar she and members of the company wore motion sensors so their movements could be translated to animation. Since founding her company and dance school in inner-city Los Angeles in 1980, Washington has used her work to explore social and humanitarian issues.

4. No doubt the Thursday Beer Runners voted daily in our Tournament of Pizza, being fans of carbo-loading. And we're almost positive they planned to have tonight's run at the winning South Sound pizza joint. A few runners were disappointed with the elimination of Infernos Brick Oven Pizza in Tumwater as running around the old brewery would have been bitchin'. Instead, Katie Downs was crowned the top pizza joint in the South Sound Monday, and the runners will meet at the Ruston Way waterfront restaurant at 6:30 p.m. for an easy 3-mile run, followed by copious amounts of pizza and beer.

5. May Day Press proprietor Catherine Alice Michaelis and local poet Anne Spiers will discuss the creative process of artist and writer collaboration and the synergy created from the intersection of these two fields from 7-9 p.m. at the Collins Memorial Library on the University of Puget Sound campus.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight in the South Sound

COMMUNITY ARTS ROUNDTABLE DELVES INTO OLY'S INDIE IDENTITY >>>

Olympia is known for its alternative, indie, do-it-yourself arts scene.

"To me, that's one of the beautiful things about Olympia," says Devon Damonte, an experimental filmmaker and artist. "It's a very welcoming arts community, and that fosters people pursuing their dreams, regardless of how well their dreams might not pay."

Yet often the Olympia Arts Commission's programs seem targeted more toward the business side of making art, says arts commissioner Kelsey Smith.

Smith is offering a look at a different segment of the arts community at Monday's Community Arts Roundtable, which she organized.

"There's a really rich culture in Olympia of people who just make art because that is what they do," Smith says. "They are not necessarily hoping to make a living out of it. That's the part of the arts scene that I'm the most interested in, and that's why I wanted to join the arts commission. I wanted to support some of the more independent and alternative artists."

To read Molly Gilmore's full article click here.

Community Arts Roundtable: Arts Beat Olympia

Monday, April 11, at 6 p.m., free

Olympia Timberland Library meeting room, 313 Eighth Ave. SE, Olympia

360.709.2678

Northern Flickers

Film screenings organized by panelist Devon Damonte

Monday, April 11, at 8 p.m., free

Northern, 321 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia

northernolympia.org