MONDAY, SEPT. 19, 2011 >>>

1. Legal scholar Kenji Yoshino will be at the Evergreen State College Tacoma campus tonight discussing "Shakespearean drama and the role it plays in critical crises in contemporary life, law and current affairs," according to hype. Yoshino will draw from his new book A Thousand Times More Fair.

2. The Old Family Circus's national tour will hit the Mandolin Café tonight at 6 p.m. The action is all ages.

3. You haven't lived until you've experienced a "Uke-A-Thon." Trust us. Luckily, tonight at Traditions Café in Olympia there will be just that - a Uke-A-Thon featuring Ukalaliens, Kate Power, Steve Einhorn and the Quiet American.

4. Drop in on Meditation Monday at the Lakewood Progressive Spiritual Center, or "The Center," to those in the know. The relaxation runs from 6 - 8 p.m. and will cost you $10. There is a punch card option.

5. Are you ready for Toxic Karaoke? Not even sure what Toxic Karaoke is? Find out tonight at Lady Luck Cowgirl Up Steakhouse and Saloon.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

New York resident Robin Bacior is on the road in support of her new LP, Rest Our Wings. Tuesday, The 24-year-old folk singer will fill Olympia's Le Voyeur Lounge with lullaby-like compositions, lingering melodies and subtle harmonies from the transient period of her life - of ebb and flow both geographically and within relationships.

Here's a taste of what you'll hear in Olympia tomorrow:

OCTOBER FOODIE GROUP MEETUP >>>

We came across a 1970 Better Homes and Gardens fondue cookbook at our grandma's house. It reads like a commercial on Nick at Nite. Ladies of the household are advised to "experiment with these recipes and you'll become an effervescent, day-by-day fondue hostess." There are special sections devoted entirely to "Pert and Saucy Hot Dips" and "The After Ski Scene." Our mouths watered thinking back to our childhood fondue memories.

Inspired, the Weekly Volcano foodie group Nosh League will dip into the past with a cheese and chocolate tasting at The Melting Pot fondue restaurant Thursday, Oct. 13.

The Nosh League will stab its sharp prongs into Wisconsin Trio Cheese fondue - a blend of Fontina and ButterKase cheese coupled with the rich flavor of crumbled blue cheese, shallots, scallions and a hint of sherry. This will be paired with 2009 Cupcake Chardonnay from the central coast of California. 

The League will also enjoy a Dark Chocolate Flaming Turtle fondue - rich dark chocolate, caramel, and pecans are combined and then flambeed tableside. This will be paired with 2007 Ravenswood "Zen of Zin Old Vine" Zinfandel from Sonoma. 

As the League dips, Melting Pot General manager Josh Goffin will discuss the history of fondue, explain fondue The Melting Pot way, and talk wine pairing.

In between dips, raffle prizes will be drawn.

Fondue is not just food; it's an event. There's a pleasant communal aspect to the whole shebang. Join us.

To get in on this Nosh League event, RSVP on the Nosh League Facebook page.

To join the Nosh League, visit the Weekly Volcano website here. 

Dip Into The Past

Nosh League at The Melting Pot
Thursday, Oct. 13, 6-8 p.m., $15
2121 Pacific Ave., Tacoma
253.535.3939

LINK: http//www.weeklyvolcano.com/entertainment/spew-blog/2011/09/tacoma-Nosh-League-foodie-group-tasted-chocolate-at-affairs-cafe-and-desserts/">Recap of the last Nosh League event

WEEKLY PUB QUIZ WITH A TWIST >>>

Tuesdays seem to be the hottest night for the overeducated South Sound masses to prove their intellectual worth. And where do such brainiacs head? Glad you asked.

The GEEKS head to Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub.

The Tacoma watering hole is the site of John Dicker's Geeks Who Drink pub quiz night. Dicker, a genius from Colorado, has taken the Irish Pub quiz tradition to a new level with Geeks Who Drink games across the nation, including every Tuesday night at the downtown pub, hosted by graphic artist and Weekly Volcano production assistant Holland Hume. A second game with host Ozzimo is held Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. inside The Ram Restaurant & Brewery on Tacoma's Ruston Way.

The quiz consists of eight rounds of eight questions and is played in teams of up to six people. Questions are read aloud by the quizmaster; teams write their answers on provided sheets and turn them in at the end of each round. The team with the most points after eight rounds is the winner.

"Rounds two and seven are audio rounds, five is a visual round with image on a piece of paper and the rest are read by me to the crowd," explains Quizmaster Hume, or as the teams at Paddy Coyne's call him - Holland the Wonder Boy.

Team Grasshopper

Four times during the quiz, participants get the chance to answer a random question, and the first one to show the correct (and legible) answer to the quizmaster wins a free drink and bragging rights for the night.

"The quiz is compiled by about a dozen individuals, fact-checked by a team of library science majors, and supervised by a gentleman who earlier this year was one of fourteen people ever to win six episodes of Jeopardy," says Hume.

Team The Goobs

Hume has commanded the Paddy Coyne's version for two months.

"The first month was pretty rough - the second night I had two teams," says Hume. "Now I consistently get 12 to 15 teams every Tuesday night, which packs the pub to capacity."

Team Angry Pissed-off Mama Possums

What's the wackiest thing Hume has seen during his reign?

"I can't really think of any one instance. Usually each night has its own event, whether it is corralling the people too drunk to play or publicly humiliating cheaters. Hmmm. Oh, I had one guy that kept trying to ask me about my shirt while I was reading questions, and then halfway through round one he ran outside and started puking everywhere. Stuff like that keeps the job entertaining if nothing else."

Geeks Who Drink pub quiz

• Tuesdays, 8 p.m., no cover or entry fee
  
• Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub
• 815 Pacific Ave., Tacoma
• 253.272.6963

LINK: Last week's results

LINK: More photos from last Tuesday

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

ON HOLD: Tacoma School District kids are still on summer break. (News Tribune)

ON HOLD: City building officials call the Central Tacoma Walmart project too damn big. (News Tribune)

ON HOLD: Pierce County Council members are expected not to give themselves raises. (News Tribune)

ON HOLD: Business logic at Netflix (Slate)

ON HOLD: INXS has fired its singer. (Spinner)

ON HOLD: Supergirl puts tweeting and watching TV on hold to fight giant robots. (USA Today)

ON HOLD: The message that fat-activating foods like fried chicken, ice cream, and pizza are bad (Complex)

TUESDAY, SEPT. 20, 2011 >>>

1. Join quizmaster Holland Hume tonight at Paddy Coyne's in Tacoma for the every-Tuesday Geeks Who Drink Quiz Night. It's awesome.

2. Boz Scaggs has the coolest name. Coolest name in classic rock or otherwise. Scaggs and fellow '80s jammer Michael McDonald take their talents the Puyallup Fair tonight. Have a scone and travel back in time.

3. Usually when you go to the casino you just lose money - but tonight could be different. Danny Vernon's Illusions of Elvis will be at the Red Wind Casino this evening. Travel out to Yelm and have a great time with the King's likeness, starting at 6:30 p.m.

4. It's open mic night at Tugboat Annie's in Oly. It's time to show the world that glitch folk concept record you've been working on in your basement.

5. The Rafael Tranquilino Band does its thing - and does it well - every Tuesday at Stonegate Pizza on South Tacoma Way. This is a local favorite.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

STEAMING HOT >>>

As we all know, stress levels are high right now in the Tacoma School District. With the ongoing teacher strike, and shouting and picketing in full force, perhaps folks on both sides of the rift could benefit from the advertised iced goodness of a Ghiradelli Chocolate mocha made with soy milk from Met Market. Then again, how many teachers can afford to shop at Met Market?

THE TFF DIRECTOR GIVES HER TWO CENTS >>>

To mark the Tacoma Film Festival's seventh anniversary, The Grand Cinema folks are screening more than 100 independent films, local and international, from Oct. 6-16 in several Tacoma venues. "As usual, I organized about 12 volunteer reviewers to watch every submission (each one was watched by at least two people), and ultimately made our final selections in late July. We usually try to choose around 100 films, and this year we are on target with 107 official selections," Tacoma Film Festival Director Emily Alm told Weekly Volcano Editor Matt Driscoll in a feature story posted here.

Alm has seen nearly all 107 films programmed for this year's fest. The Weekly Volcano asked her to filtered out the films that stick out in her mind the most.

"It's not an easy task," Alm says, "and I truly believe that each and every official selection has undeniable value and entertainment. Each of this year's selected films has depth, unique stories, and will offer you much more than a trip to the movie theater."

We asked her to do it anyway. The follow are the TFF director's picks:

International Shorts

Sunday, Oct. 9, 12:40 p.m., Tacoma Art Museum
This grouping of seven short foreign films is a first for the Tacoma Film Festival. We've always had films of all lengths from many countries; but this year, I chose to play the shorts together. It's a sort of "passport to independent film," as I like to call it. Each short in this grouping represents a different culture, a different area of the world, and a different approach to storytelling. Not to mention, there's some terrific filmmaking as well.

Heart Breaks Open

Friday, Oct. 7, 6:05 p.m., The Grand Cinema

I had the pleasure of screening this film on the big screen during one of our regular volunteer screening sessions at the Grand. Not one person in the audience disliked Heart Breaks Open, and not one person was unaffected by its powerful and realistic story. The film was powerful simply for its storyline, but the filmmaker (William Maria Rain), and actors amplify its presence through not-to-be-missed performances and creativity. Heart Breaks Open screens Friday, Oct. 7th at 6:05 p.m. at the Grand Cinema. The director, cast and crew will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A.

Harlistas: An American Journey

Sunday, Oct. 9, 12:40 p.m., The Grand Cinema
I'm not exactly a motorcycle girl. I'm much more likely to be cruising around in my very safe, and very predictable Honda Civic. That's why, upon popping Harlistas: An American Journey in my DVD player, I wasn't sure that it would be up my alley. Boy, was I wrong. The film is so much more than an ode to Harleys - it's an intimate look at family, at relationships, and how the two shape who we are and who we want to be.

This Narrow Place

Friday, Oct. 7, 3:55 p.m., The Grand Cinema
Also Wednesday, Oct. 12, 6:30 p.m., The Grand Cinema
Sometimes a film comes along that blows you away, that represents new, raw, and undeniable talent. The director of This Narrow Place, Sooney Kadouh, exhibits enormous potential with his debut feature. His cause is greatly empowered by the lead actors, Sammy Sheik (Hassan) and Jonathan Stanley (Chris). Hassan has recently smuggled himself into the United States and plans on avenging the death of his brother, who was killed in Israel by a US-made bomb. In the meantime, Hassan develops an unlikely and fascinating friendship with Chris, a lonely drug-addict who seems reinvigorated by his new relationship with Hassan.

Hit So Hard

Saturday, Oct. 8, 8:35 p.m., The Grand Cinema
Much like Harlistas, I wasn't sure how well I would relate to Hit So Hard, given that my music tastes differ quite a bit from the grunge and rock scene dispelled from Seattle in the 1990s. But yet again, I was pleasantly surprised. I was lucky enough to watch Hit So Hard  in Seattle on the big screen, and listen to Patty Schemel herself (the film centers on her, the openly-gay female drummer for the band, Hole), talk about her life story and her experiences in the music industry, and yes - her friendships with Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain. This is a music documentary unlike any other.

Splinters

Monday, Oct. 10, 6 p.m., FREE, Rausch Auditorium, University of Puget Sound
Like many other films on this list, Splinters snuck up and floored me. The seemingly innocent documentary about the introduction and development of surfing in Papua New Guinea has a lot more meat to it than you'd think. Sure, it's entertaining to watch the surfers practice and prepare for battle in the island nation's first-ever surfing competition. But it's ever more fascinating to get a peek into their culture and social dynamics.

Pacific Northwest Programming

One thing that the Tacoma Film Festival prides itself on is showcasing, celebrating and supporting filmmaking in the Pacific Northwest. This year, the overall festival program looks a bit different. All of the locally-made films will be screened within two days - Oct. 10-11. No matter what you come to see on either day, you'll see impressive and vibrant works from filmmakers who live in Tacoma, Seattle and a few other neighboring cities. There will be shorts, features, documentaries, and more - there will definitely be something for everyone.

LINK: 2011 Tacoma Film Festival preview

DIG IT >>>

National Public Lands Day, which calls for volunteers to spend a day working to improve and restore trails, campgrounds and natural habitats, officially falls on Sept. 24 this year. But related events across the South Sound and the nation take place over a two-week period, during which time the call will be answered by helping hands. If you'd like to be among them, Saturday's the day when the fourth annual Green Tacoma Day consumes area parks.

Volunteers organized locally by Green Tacoma Partnership will converge Saturday on 14 Tacoma parks, including Point Defiance Park, Titlow Park, Garfield Gulch, McKinley Park, Tacoma Nature Center and Pacific Lutheran University.  If you love to remove scotch broom, Green Tacoma Day needs you. If you can lay down a mean chip spread, please get involved. If blackberry bush thorns give you an incredible rush, you're needed. Volunteers can, er, volunteer by contacting Richard Madison with Metro Parks at 253.752.2596.

Green Tacoma Day is organized by The Green Tacoma Partnership, which combines the efforts of the City of Tacoma, Metro Parks Tacoma, Tahoma Audubon Society, Cascade Land Conservancy, citizens, educational organizations, neighborhood groups, small wood nymphs, non-profits, faith-based organizations, gnomes and businesses to create and support natural spaces in Tacoma.

For information on parks and projects, go to GrennTacoma.org.

RANDY SPARKS TAKES A NEW DIRECTION >>>

I dialed Randy Sparks' number late Thursday night, and his voice, tiny amidst a mob of shouts, greeted my ears.

"Chris, hold on a second!" he cried, sounding faraway. "I'm at Hell's Kitchen!"

It figures. If you know only two indispensable truths about Sparks, they are a) he has a fondness for local music, and b) he also has a tireless drive to make movies.

Sparks took his phone to a quieter spot across the street and began to tell me about his newest venture. Rose Colored Shades marks Sparks' first foray into both producing and directing a full-length film, coming on the heels of his short works It Don't Rain on Sunny Days (2009) and A Glitch in the System (2010). Seattle-based comedian Rod Long, who played a fast-talking boss from hell in It Don't Rain, lends his talent for language to the feature script alongside Sparks, and also steps into the shoes of lead character Joe Ware.

Sparks has known for some time he would transition to a larger project at this stage in his maturing talent. He found guidance inside the good book - The Portable Film School, in which author D.B. Gilles encourages readers to first write two short films before tackling features. It took Sparks and Long only four-and-a-half months to crank out Rose's ninety-plus pages.

The breakneck pace at which this man works suggests a race against time. Having recently turned 53, Sparks tells me, "I just wish I would have jumped on doing more film earlier in my life." But his upbeat, better-late-than-never attitude continues to push his creativity in newer, more challenging directions. With his body of work growing each day, Sparks' future looks quite rosy.

LINK: See a photo of Randy Sparks