FOOR FOR THOUGHT >>>

To get to know her students better, an Olympia-area elementary school teacher recently asked them what they had had for supper the night before.

When his turn came, one little boy said he didn't have anything to eat; that it was his turn to miss a meal because his parents couldn't afford to feed his family.

My thought processes stopped for a moment when Robert Coit, the executive director of the Thurston County Food Bank, related the story to me.

Then I tasted anger.

Don't get me wrong; I am not some bleeding heart liberal in search of a cause.  On the contrary, I have a heart as hard as a blacksmith's hammer when it comes to earning what I want for me and mine.

This doesn't make me a Wall Street lackey - it just characterizes me as ambitious and gives me the ability to provide for others and myself.

But I draw a line at hunger.  No one in this country - the richest in the world - should go to bed hungry.  This is about a human need and right.

It doesn't matter that some adults have made decisions that have put themselves and any children they may have produced at the mercy of hunger.

Stupidity and hunger sometimes share the same ride to work, if you know what I mean.

Unemployment is more than happy to drive the car.

"The unemployed fuel the rising numbers of the hungry we see today," Coit added. 

According to the federal government's numbers, one in six Americans suffers from what is euphemistically referred to as "food insecurity."

What? Insecurity? Please. Spare me the verbal pabulum.

Hunger is hunger, damnit, and calling it anything else is as intellectually dishonest as it is cowardly.

Nationwide, 19.5 percent of Americans live in hunger.  Almost 14 million children go to bed hungry, and over three million of them are under the age of 5.

Hunger is a capricious and growing bastard that cripples lives.

"What we do in society today to address the issue of hunger is a band aid only," Elisabeth Schafer, a retired nutrition professor and volunteer at the Thurston County Food Bank, told me as she helped a young couple with a small child.

"Hunger hurts children; they need nutrition to grow and learn; we all have an investment in this; children are the future."

Cliché aside, Schafer's verbal arrow found its mark.

Helen McGovern, executive director of the Emergency Food Network in Pierce County, drove the point in deeper.

"18.2 percent of the clients we serve are children."  Then to add insult to the tragedy that anyone in this country is hungry, she added, "Another 24 percent of those we help are senior citizens."

Young, old and, yes, for those in-between, hunger doesn't give a damn.

In August, the network served 833,000 individuals.  During the first nine months of this year, more than 12 million pounds of food has been distributed.

That amount - like a person struggling to stay afloat - barely keeps families fed.

In both Pierce and Thurston counties, the number of people needing food continues to rise.

Coit and McGovern both pointed to bad life choices and the train wreck of an economy derailed at 9.2 percent unemployment as the reasons for more Americans needing help to feed themselves and their children.

"This is the front-line of fighting hunger," Marcus Stoll told me as we stood in a small, crowded room at the FISH Food bank at the United Methodist Church in Lakewood.  "Look around you, these people need food."

They did and they do.

I wondered about the little boy who routinely skips supper and goes to bed hungry to help his family.

My anger has a nasty aftertaste.

Want to help? Visit www.efoodnet.org or www.thurstoncountyfoodbank.org.

Can't see the slideshow associated with this story? Click here.

GORY FUN AT THE GRAND CINEMA >>>

We're giving away five pairs of tickets to the opening weekend of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil at The Grand Cinema in Tacoma.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is one of those gory, good-spirited horror comedies, similar to Shaun of the Dead, only with more killer rednecks. Tucker and Dale are two best friends on vacation at their dilapidated mountain house, who are mistaken for murderous backwoods hillbillies by a group of moronic, preppy college kids. When one of the students gets separated from her friends, the boys try to lend a hand, but as the misunderstanding grows, so does the body count.

This film captured the Midnight Audience Award at SXSW, the Jury Prize for First Feature at Fantasia, the Best Director award at Fantaspoa and the Best Motion Picture Award at Sitges.

Anyhoo, like we said, we're giving away five pairs of tickets to its screening at The Grand Cinema. And even a moronic, preppy college kid could win them. Simply "LIKE" our new Weekly Volcano Blast Zone Facebook page and you'll be included in our random drawing 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, which the accounting firm of Tucker & Dale will oversee. We'll draw five names that night, pass your Facebook page to The Grand Cinema and they'll contact you.

Good luck.

IT'S EASIER NOW >>>

You'll recall from high school lit class that Dante's version of hell had nine circles; all of them had holes in the road. Potholes. Craters, as Tacomans call them.

(You might want to double-check the whole circle-hell-pothole thing.)

Anyway, ask any Tacoman and they'll tell you they do indeed live in Dante's pothole hell.

In response to the complaints over the last 20 years, the City has launched a new pothole hotline at 253.591.5161 that offers an easy way to report potholes you encounter around the city 24-hours a day.

According to the release, the hotline offers an option to submit a standard report or yell into the receiver about a pothole that just threw out your back.

(Again, you might want to double-check the yelling part.)

"Response times to fix a reported pothole vary depending on the type of street where the pothole is found," states the release. "For an arterial street, the typical response time is 24 to 36 hours and for residential streets, the typical response time is 24 hours to 10 days."

Potholes can also be cursed at in 140 characters to the City's Twitter account at www.twitter.com/CityofTacoma, or in a different fashion online at www.tacomaservices.org.

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from mykeee253 in response to the latest Damage Report column by Jason McKibbin.

Mykee253 writes,

I was at HK Friday and Saturday! As for Friday; Jamie Nova, Mischa Kianne & rhythm section was stellar as usual. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogd3vdtfGIw Prob one of the best videos Ive shot ever! Moms Rocket is so damn awesome. Hard too imagine that the 2 guitarists have played togeter all these years, and still perform awesomey! Best of luck to Prophets Of Addiction. And finally; can't wait to see what C.O.H. members do next. I really enjoyed the last project, so we'll see what the next one has in store!

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Awesome View: Point Defiance Park named one of the 10 "great public spaces." (American Planning Association)

Tacoma Tells Adults: Give the kids an hour to catch up. (KPLU)

GOP Source: Gov. Christie won't run for president. (CNN)

Distracted Drinking: A tour of the comedy club of Tacoma. (Post Defiance)

No!: Money dispute may end The Simpsons. (The Daily Beast)

Watch: The entire 100-minute Arrested Development reunion. (Slash Film)

William Shatner: He answers 20 questions. (Pop Matters)

TUESDAY, OCT. 4, 2011 >>>

1. It's honestly not every day that an award-winning writer the likes of Sherman Alexie comes to Puyallup. It's not even every-other day. But today, as part of Banned Books Week, Alexie will appear at the Pioneer Park Pavilion in P-town, delivering a talk focused on issues of censorship and intellectual freedom. Alexie's acclaimed novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, has been widely censored for it content - just one of many truths that makes Alexie's inclusion in this event so fitting. The event seats only 400, so those interested in attending are advised to arrive early.

2. 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 nights at the downtown pub, hosted by graphic artist and Weekly Volcano production assistant Holland Hume. The quiz consists of eight rounds of eight questions and is played in teams of up to six people.

3. KC Brakes plays the Mandolin Café today. The acoustic action starts at 6 p.m., is all ages, and is completely free of cover charge.

4. It's Ha Ha Tuesday once again at Jazzbones on Sixth Avenue, meaning local comedian Ralph Porter will be hosting another hilarity filled night of laughs. Ha Ha Tuesdays now kick off at 8 p.m., with DJ Omar spinning afterward, starting around 10 p.m.

5. Get in on the "Songwriter Circle" at Traditions Café in Olympia tonight, starting at 7 p.m. Creativity abounds, and the good times are all ages.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

CRITICAL MASS >>>

Every Tuesday, Spew sifts through the local Internets for arts stories so you don't have to.

The first local arts story we discovered sifting through our Google Reader is the Weekly Volcano's review of Always...Patsy Cline at the Capital Playhouse. Volcano theater critic Christian Carvajal gives props to lead Kittra Coomer for coming damn close to carry Cline's voice.

Tacoma Arts Commission's blog, Tacoma Arts, bumps up the Art at Work Month hype teasing us with "some mouthwatering freebies" coming our way. They also posted a retrospective of past awesome Art at Work Month swag.

Speaking of the Tacoma Art's blog, they wrote a little ditty on the Weekly Volcano and co-publisher Pappi Swarner, complete with Yosemite Sam quotes.

Our new favorite website Post Defiance has an in-depth look at GreekGirlCon. Although it's in Seattle, it sounds awesome.

The Trib's Go Arts blog reviewed the photography show at Tacoma's Bick House gallery. We've seen the show twice and agree it's a must-see.

The Spaceworks Tacoma blog previews Edward Albee's one-act play The Zoo Story, which opens Oct. 13 at the Toy Boat Theatre, and organization taking advantage of the City of Tacoma's Spaceworks project.

LINK: Free things to do this week in the South Sound

RUNDOWN OF LOCAL HAUNTED HOUSES >>>

Halloween has gone through an interesting evolution over the years. From a simple celebration of the end of summer and harvest, to a welcome occasion for kids to dress up and mow down otherwise unheard of amounts of sugar, to a once-a-year opportunity for adults to package themselves in next to nothing in the name of a spooky holiday, these days Halloween promises something for almost everyone. It's not just for the kids anymore.

Like most things, one tradition that's gotten bigger and better as the years have passed is the local haunted house. There was a time when an unexpected, "boo" and a little vampire face paint might have done the trick, but these days the production and entertainment value offered by local haunted houses and corn mazes has skyrocketed.  If getting scared stiff is your bag, there are plenty of options.

Here's a look at some of the best of the best when it comes to local haunted house in the South Sound this Halloween season.

Theatre of Lost Souls

The Paradise Theatre in Gig Harbor has offered up the scares for over a decade with its annual haunted house, the Theatre of Lost Souls.  This potentially frightening escapade takes you indoors and out, fully stocked with well-versed actors who could easily be mistaken for actual zombies. Twists, turns, and brutal scenes that could be created only by Gig Harbor's finest stage crew claims victim after victim with terrifying screams and suspenseful attacks. - Steph DeRosa
[Paradise Theatre, Oct. 23-31 (off Monday), 6:30-9:30  p.m., Special Kids Night Oct. 23, 26 6:30-8:30 p .m., 9911 Burnham Dr. NW, Gig Harbor, 253.851.PLAY]

Fright Fest

With all the pools drained, decorations up, and lights off, Wild Waves Theme Park really does transition into an eerie scene for its annual Fright Fest.  All dry rides are open, and admission into multiple incredibly intimidating haunted houses is included in the somewhat hefty entrance fee.  My mind over matter mantra almost failed me as I waited in the long, but steadily moving line - full of people just like me waiting to be scared crapless.  A large sign warning visitors of sudden scares and stating due precautions set my mind into overdrive, giving me a nervous belly. And the scares provided delivered. This thing called Fright Fest, my friends, is worth every bloody penny. - SD
[Wild Waves Theme Park, weekends in October, $24.99 plus parking, 36201 Enchanted Pkwy. S., Federal Way, 253.661.8000]

Maris Farms Corn Maze

The corn maze phenomenon has taken off, and without question one of our area's best is the corn maze offered by Maris Farms, a Sumner/Buckley tradition. Now in its twelfth year, this Halloween's installment of the eight-acre Maris Farms Corn Maze comes with a tagline of, "Out of This World," meaning thrill seekers should expect frights of the alien kind. While for most a jaunt to Maris Farms will require a drive, once there the entertainment isn't limited to just the corn maze. Other good times include the "Haunted Woods," pumpkin patch, pig races and pedal cart racing. Maris Farms promises something for all ages, and delivers. - Matt Driscoll
[Maris Farms, through October, 10-6 p.m., $3 weekdays, $5 weekends, 24713 Sumner Buckley Highway, Buckley, 253.862.2848]

KUBE 93 FM Haunted House

The KUBE 93 FM Haunted House bills itself as the, "scariest event of the season," and those who've lived to talk about it seem to agree. Topnotch makeup and larger-than-life production explain why this yearly tradition has stood the test of time. Scarier than most, KUBE 93 FM's Haunted House offers a kids day on Oct. 22, when the lights will be turned on for the young ones' enjoyment and KUBE DJ Shellie Hart will broadcast live. - MD
[Old Georgetown Morgue, through October, 7 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, 7-10 pm. Sundays and Thursdays, 6-10 p.m. Halloween, $16, 5000 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, seattlehaunts.com]

Rutledge Farm Corn Maze

What's scarier than your run-of-the-mill haunted corn maze? Try the Rutledge Farm Corn Maze in Tumwater, this year carved in an ode to the next installment of the Twilight movies, Breaking Dawn. No, I'm serious. It's literally a corn maze cut into the likeness of Edward and Bella. You have to experience it to believe it. - MD 
[Rutledge Farm, through October, 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (last ticket sold at 11 p.m.), $11, 302 93^rd Ave. SE, Tumwater, 360.357.3700]

LECTURE SERIES >>>

It's a crisp autumn afternoon at the Weekly Volcano World Headquarters. The wood fire is burning, the rear windows look out on the green foliage, and Editor Matt Driscoll has just made the office some peppermint tea.

As we discuss our editorial focus for our Green Issue next spring, one of the phrases buzzing around our group hug is "interdisciplinarity and sustainability." At its core, the idea is environmental concerns and their solutions interweave the boundaries of scholastic departments. Today's big brains are wise to consider the opinions of academic types in other fields in developing sustainable solutions. Help is not harmful, as they say.

Well. Guess. What. The University of Washington-Tacoma has developed a lecture series on interdisciplinarity and sustainability, kicking off tomorrow with Mike Kalton, professor emeritus, Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences discussing "Complexity and sustainability: systems perspectives" at 12:30 p.m. in UW-T's Joy Building.

Below is a list of the remaining lectures - all held from 12:30-1:30 in the Joy Building, Room 117. The lectures are free and open to the public. Just show up. The lectures are sponsored by UW Tacoma's Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences program (natch!). No word yet if Driscoll's delicious peppermint tea will be served.

Tacoma: from gritty to green
Oct. 12  - Marilyn Strickland, mayor, City of Tacoma

The economics of sustainability
Oct. 19 - Joe Lawless, executive director, Center for Leadership and Social Responsibility, UW-Tacoma

Community gardens: effects on nutrient cycling, diabetes and democracy
Oct. 26 - Kristen McIvor, Tacoma/Pierce County community garden coordinator
Grow Local, Cascade Land Conservancy

On the working waterfront: integrating multiple uses and creating public access in urban industrial shoreline areas
Nov. 2 - Anne Wessells, assistant professor, Urban Studies, UW-Tacoma

Watershed economics for the 21st century: the value of ecosystem services with a case study in the Puyallup River watershed
Nov. 9 - Research analysts Rowan Schmidt and Zac Christin, Earth Economics

Community-based conservation in tropical ecosystems: examples from Peru and Panama
Nov. 16 - Ursula Valdez, lecturer, Environmental Sciences, UW-Tacoma

Uranium mining: sustainable solutions in a tribal community
Nov. 30 - Twa-le Abrahamson, SHAWL (Sovereignty, Health, Air, Water, Land) Society, Spokane Tribe

Feeling the heat: how American mainstream media cover environmental issues
Dec. 7 - Ellen Moore, lecturer, Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, UW-Tacoma

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from Amy in response to our recent review of Something Wicked This Way Comes at Lakewood Playhouse.

Amy writes,

Just wanted to clarify that the skeletal carousel animals were designed and created by Tacoma sculptor Otto Youngers.