If you ask a minor walking around the city of Tacoma who their favorite local M.C. is - more than likely they'll tell ya Lil Ripp. He's the young Hilltopper who caught our attention when he ingeniously turned "Rack City" into "Tac City" and lit a match under the local Hip-Hop scene. Following "Tac City" he released a host of other Hip-Hop video's, each one seemingly better than the last. His topics grew from weed, to girls, then all the way to grown-man topics like travelling and Trayvon Martin. He's got the O.G.'s of the scene on his side also. There may be no stopping this kid.

 Ripp has a rare local-performance this Friday, June 1^st at the Asia Pacific Cultural Center, 4851 S. Tacoma Way. Tickets are sold-out, but there are still some $10 tickets at the door. The fact that this show is sold-out is proof to this young-man's buzz. Rozay, a swag rapper, is also on the bill. Come see the glory that is Tacoma Youth and grab yourself a K.N.O.W. shirt while you're there. Then maybe you can look cool. The show starts at 9pm. Right now currently on the Facebook invite page there are 251 people confirmed for the show!

This article is a yarn about a woman who began a business in order to bring happiness to others.

The Green Pepper Art Company is a knitting and jewelry concern that Melanie Simpson began in 2005. 

"I started the company because I enjoy knitting and working with jewelry and because I wanted to help my family financially," she said recently at an art show in Olympia.

Since its inception, the Green Pepper Art Company has grown from a small, local business to an on-line concern that has customers nationwide.

The knit and jewelry work are handmade with the best quality of materials. 

"I create unique art - something you will not find at a retail store," Simpson explained over coffee. 

"In order to do that, I use the best - nothing that will fray or tarnish is a short period of time."

Aware of what the market has to offer, Simpson produces knitted goods and jewelry that is better quality and at a fair price.

"I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to find someone who produces such wonderful jewelry and knitting without trying to rob the customer," Helen Jackson of Tacoma wrote after visiting Simpson at the Christmas Bazaar in Olympia.

"She has an eye for fashion, is knowledgeable about her work and very pleasant to talk with."

A customer in Illinois recently echoed this sentiment.

"She is an unbelievable seller," Julie Callaghan, wrote in an on-line review after an on-line purchase of jewelry."

"We are very pleased and glad you are here."

Simpson could not be happier, who just introduced a line of military themed jewelry ranging from a "Hooah" charm to a "I Love My Soldier" bracelet.

"I enjoy working with military spouses; I recognize and respect their sacrifices," she continued.

She has a point - her husband served for 21 years in the Air Force, and she has endured numerous deployments.

"I hope my jewelry and knitting bring a bit of happiness and comfort.

For more information about the Green Pepper Art Company, visit www.greenpepperart.com or call (253) 414-4677.

A couple of weeks ago myself, Kris Blondin, Jennifer Johnson and Bandito Betty graced the cover of Weekly Volcano in honor of the world's greatest scavenger hunt, Tap into T-Town.

After much preparation and reconnaissance, Team Volcano took first place this past weekend at the 2012 Tap into T-Town event, and we could not be any more full of utter glee.

Months before the event our team was hitting the gym to increase jogging stamina.  We were also banking extra points by attending registration events and putting ourselves on the Weekly Volcano cover. Drawing business maps of 6^th Avenue and downtown Tacoma, strategizing our day-of-event-routes, paying attention to Facebook hints and keeping our nose to the ground when it came to potential helpful information came in extra handy when it was finally "go time".

We were in it to win it, and did everything we could to learn from our 2010 Tap into T-Town mistakes.  Team Volcano jogged 90% and utilized said preparation while strategizing our win.  We had it down to a science and it paid off.

Apart from the seriousness of our "winning" mentality, Team Volcano (along with 68 other amazing teams) had a tremendous blast this past weekend, and to prove it I've pirated some team pictures from Tap into T-Town's Facebook page.

We'll Always Have Parasites

My boyfriend of two months is a gem, but his house is a horror. The fridge and bathroom are disgusting, and the whole place is seriously messy. There's this eerie feeling that the house was formerly homey, like nothing has changed since his wife left him three years ago -- down to the box of sanitary pads in the bathroom cupboard and the very wife-ish folksy kitchen art everywhere. I wonder if the state of things reflects some inner devastation he's feeling post-divorce. He takes pride in his home's exterior, meticulously maintaining his lawn, and I don't think he's trying to impress the neighbors (not a pretentious bone in his body). He hadn't changed his sheets in our two months together, so I removed the pillowcases and dropped them on the floor as a hint. He didn't get it. It seems too early in the relationship to say anything. Still, I don't feel I should have to keep faking that I'm comfy in his home and in his bed on sheets that feel like they haven't been washed since the 1980s. --Yuck

A woman can leave a man, but apparently, cows grazing on a field of gingham and "Rooster Crossing" signs are forever. And of course, nothing says a man's open to a relationship like his ex-wife's 3-year-old box of Kotex. 
Welcome to the Museum of the Ex-Wife. At least, that's how you're seeing it, and that's understandable. In trying to make sense of things, people have a tendency to look for some underlying deep meaning. And, sure, maybe the biohazards and lingering Kountry Kitchen Kwaintness are reflective of some inner darkness on his part (depression, inability to cope with his loss and move on). Or...maybe it was his job to care for the outside of the house and hers to care for the inside, and after she left, he never thought to fill in the blanks on the chore wheel. Before long, the place became Home Sweet Bacteria Rodeo.
If you don't see other signs suggesting he's depressed or troubled, he's probably just mess-blind. It's hard for those who practice what would be considered ordinary tidiness and house hygiene to understand, but for some, all the chaos and grunge just blends into a big, benign whatever. The basic rule of this sort of laissez-faire housekeeping: If the crud isn't so big and scary that it's grabbing your ankle as you're en route to the toilet, why get your last pair of clean underwear into a wad? 
It is cute that you thought dropping stuff on the floor -- the floor of a man who basically lives in a two-bedroom landfill -- would have an impact on his housekeeping standards. You should actually consider it a bit troubling that he apparently made no attempt to tidy up for you. Even the most squalor-inured tend to look at their living situation through new (and horrified) eyes when a new romantic partner is coming over and try to do something -- get a backhoe in there, burn the bedding, crash a Febreze truck into the living room. 
I'm not suggesting you go all Joan Crawford on the man ("NO. MORE. WIRE. HANGERS!"), but you can't let him think it's no big deal for you to get in bed onto sheets that feel like they haven't been washed since the Reagan administration. (If you put out a message that anything goes for you, whether in the housekeeping department or any other, very likely, anything will.) Don't be pulling on any rubber gloves, either. (Start cleaning up after him and you'll keep cleaning up after him.) Instead, say something gentle but direct like "I think you're a great guy, but I really need you to clean your place so I feel comfortable there." There is a chance that he'll break up with you over this. But, what kind of man kicks the girl out of bed and keeps the cracker crumbs?
Instead of trying to get him to clean up his whole act at once, take things step by grody step. Whatever effort he makes, keep letting him know you appreciate it. If the house isn't getting to a civilized level of clean, gently suggest that it needs a woman's touch -- a cleaning woman's: "Ever thought of getting a maid once a month?" Finally, address the ex-wife's leftovers by joking that some of the decor doesn't quite seem a reflection of him. In fact, you're particularly confused by the box in the bathroom cabinet, but you'd like to be supportive: "A man's first period is a very special time, and there's no reason to feel ashamed about the changes in your body, which should soon have you turning cartwheels in a flowing white skirt."

Congratulations to Oliver Doriss, this year's recipient of The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation fifth annual Foundation of Art Award. Doriss is well known in Tacoma as both an outstanding glass artist and as the founder of Fulcrum Art Gallery.

"Oliver is deeply committed to art in Tacoma, both as an artist and a gallerist," said Jeremy

Mangan, former Foundation of Art Award winner and the Foundation of Art Committee member

who nominated Doriss for the Award. "His own glass work is as unique and risky as it is beautiful, and Fulcrum Gallery is a vital and dynamic venue where art and community meet in the best way."  

Sixteen Pierce County artists were nominated for the award this year. They are R.R. Anderson, Gabriel Brown, Kyle Dillehay, Spencer Ebbinga, Travis Galindo, Susan Russell Hall, Matt Johnson, Chris Jordan, Maria Jost, Chuck Knigge, Meghan Mitchell, Peter Serko, Kenji Stoll, Sharon Styer and Judy Wagner. 

"I was flattered just to be nominated," said Doriss. "I couldn't have done a better job at identifying the creative community than in the artists that were nominated. To be selected as the winner and have that recognition is very validating."

Founded in 2008, the Foundation of Art Award is one of the most prestigious regional art awards, designed to recognize the talent and commitment of local artists to the Pierce County community. As this year's winner, Doriss will receive a $7,500 award and create a commissioned art piece for the Community Foundation to be unveiled in December 2012 at a five-year culminating art show featuring the work of Foundation of Art Award nominees from the past five years. 

In his other life Doriss is known as DJ Broam. Whether playing music, running an art gallery or making glass art Oliver Doriss is a blessing to the community of Tacoma.

Fulcrum Gallery is currently showing surrealistic portraits by a bevy of Tacoma artists and a photo installation by Foundation Award nominee Sharon Styer. Fulcrum is located in the Hilltop neighborhood at 1308 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. They're open noon to 6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and by appointment.

Previous award winners are Chris Sharp, Jeremy Mangan, Lisa Kinoshita and Jessica Spring.

Harmon Tap Room's must watch gold fish races will return to Tacoma. General manager Bob Casey tells us the fun starts June 21st, with races held every Thursday at the Tap Room. Enjoy a drink and watch the fish swim to victory.

Harmon Tap Room. 204 St. Helens Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402

Hoodies are in style here in Washington, year round.  They're comforting and protect you from the elements no matter what the season.  Sadly, even in the month of June.

The same could be said for every person's childhood favorite, the grilled cheese sandwich.  Comforting, yes.  Protect you from the elements?  Absolutely.  After all, other people's seasonal depression is always an element you will have to endure in any public situation, so why not be prepared with a warm grilled cheese in your stomach?

An alternative to your ol' Wonder Bread and Kraft Singles, two Tacoma restaurants top the charts with two of the finest grilled cheese sandwiches in Washington State: Pacific Grill and Stink Cheese & Meat.

Part One: Pacific Grill

Gordon Nacaratto at Pacific Grill serves up his classic grilled cheese (with a twist) on a country sourdough panini, cave-aged Gruyère and vintage white cheddar, tomato chutney & a cup of today's soup for $10.95.  Meat lovers can add imported prosciutto for an extra $1.50

Pacific Grill - 1502 Pacific Avenue,  Tacoma (253) 627-3535

Always putting a stink-themed twist on all her comfort food classics (including the most fantastic mac ‘n' cheese you've ever had), Stink owner Kris Blondin secures this grilled cheese win with weekly changes to her grilled cheese sandwich.

Pictured above is a Tillamook cheddar layered with a sugar/cinnamon oven roasted Granny Smith apple.  Stink also serves up their Monte Stinko which holds layers of turkey, ham, Swiss, cheddar and blackberry jelly with powdered sugar on top.

Another popular Stink grilled cheese will soon be a mainstay on their menu: Stink Reuben.  This sandwich boasts Lebanon Balogna, provolone, balsamic marinated strawberries and Havarti.

STINK Cheese & Meat - 628 St. Helens Avenue, Tacoma (253) 426-1347

Get ready for some giggles with your sweetheart. Tonight, Mud Bay Coffee in Olympia will host Fools Play Improv - Olympia's premier improv comedy show. The performance will begin at 8 pm, cost is $5 per person.
Mud Bay Coffee. 1600 Cooper Point Rd SW, Olympia, WA 98502.

Tacoma Little Theater presents the Laramie Project, making its debut tonight as well. Based on a true story about a young victim of a hate crime, it's a sad but riveting play. Shows will be Fri-Sat, 7:30pm, and Sun 2 pm. Check out the website for ticketing information. http://www.tacomalittletheatre.com/secondstage.php
Tacoma Little Theatre. 210 North "I" Street Tacoma, WA 98403. (253) 272-2281.

If your feeling hungry this weekend, check out the Thurston Co. amateur BBQ Cook Off. Enjoy bbq, live music, demo's, a bake sale, and more. The action is Today from 11 am to 6 pm. 5700 Black Lake Blvd. SW Olympia, WA 98512. (360) 754-2868.
http://www.visitolympia.com/events_details.php?category=events&id=1644

Enjoy a rollicking comedy show? Like contributing to good things in your community? You can do both tonight at the Grit City Comedy's benefit show for the AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma. Go on. Watch some comedy and make a difference.

Headlining the show is Dean Oleson, Seattle-based comedian extraordinaire. With over 200 TV ads and 3,000 radio appearances behind him, Oleson has toured all over the world and has appeared on Comedy Central, A&E, and PBS. With all this funny-man experience, you can expect a night of giggles and snorts.

The AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma provides a place of refuge and shelter for people often in poor health on arrival. Since opening in 1990, this unique association has provided housing for over 100 individuals. Most of the people who use the facility return to living on their own after their health improves.

Grit City Comedy is located at 445 Tacoma Avenue South, inside Malarkey's Pool and Brew. The show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 and are available online through Brown Paper Tickets or from the venue. Call 253-961-4262 for more info.