Bobble Tiki has said it before, the pivotal scene in the 1986 classic "Pretty In Pink" was not when Molly Ringwald's character finally managed to land the wealthy preppy. The key moment of this film was when Molly proudly emerged in her homemade prom frock. To this day, that pink dress remains one of the most ugly pieces of couture ever captured on celluloid. If you have a similarly striking leftover prom dress, or perhaps a powder blue tuxedo that is in need of airing out, Bobble Tiki has just the event for you. Tonight at 9, there's a 1980s-themed prom at the Varsity Grill in downtown Tacoma. The “Pretty In Pink Valentine’s Day Ball” is more than just a shameless excuse to spin tunes from Echo and the Bunnymen, it's a fund-raiser for the Dockyard Derby Dames.  Tonight will include food, drinks and prom pictures.  Tickets are $15, or $25 per couple.

Suzy Stump incorrectly listed this event has happening on Valentine’s Day in the Weekly Volcano.  She is sorry.  She will most likely be subjected to a “Carrie” scenario tonight at the prom. â€" Bobble Tiki

Tribune pop culture columnist EJ reports on his blog that his column in today's Trib prompted the Tacoma Fire Department to shut down the Junkyard all-ages club due to numerous code violations.   Apparently fireman don't read Bobble Tiki's column when he reported last week that the Junkyard was like a scene from the "Terminator." 

Don't throw rocks at EJ kids; he's just doing his job, like his worthy review of the Shins' new album. â€" Bobble Tiki

So Bobble Tiki received an e-mail with "Hey Bloggersâ€"You're Tagged" in the subject line and
"Go here: www.TheHitList.org.  You've been tagged" in the e-mail body.

Bobble Tiki has been tagged?  Yikes!  What does that mean?  Is this spam?  If Bobble Tiki had his penis enlarged as many times as he's been promised, he would have an extraordinary career in the circus sideshow.

Oh, it's Tacoma Actors Guild's fund-raising promotion.  Check it here. â€" Bobble Tiki

If it wasn't for the mention of a high-end martini bar, this news release from the City of Tacoma's Forward Tacoma newsletter would make Bobble Tiki angry.  All Bobble Tiki needs is more people walking on his lawn.

• Forward Tacoma reports: Metropolitan Real Estate Development, LLC, recently announced plans to revitalize the intersection of 6th and St. Helens avenues.  According to a news release issued by the organization, they'll be completing a historic renovation of the Walker Building to create 36 residential units.
• They'll also begin new construction on the adjacent property, the North Walker Project, which is planned for another 55 residential units atop retail space. Potential tenants for the retail area within these two developments include a high-end martini bar and a real estate brokerage.
• On the opposite side of St. Helens, in a joint venture between Metropolitan Real Estate Development, Beaver Brinkman and Walt Sharp, a mixed-use development of approximately 526,000 square feet will be constructed. Known as the Sharp Project, this development has been planned to include more than 150 residential units and over 100,000 square feet of commercial space by 2008.
• They're currently negotiating with potential tenants for the commercial space usage in the Sharp Project, including a hotel and three different grocery store chains.

But while so few experiences live up to expectations, there's one thing that never fails to impress Bobble Tiki, one thing that â€" no matter how much it's talked about, no matter how often Bobble Tiki hears it praised â€" is always exponentially better than you could imagine. That thing is toro.

Tuna belly: the fatty, striated, dull-pink meat taken from the underside of that cattle of the sea, the giant tuna. Like eating velvet, like a taste of the divine â€" there are no perfect words to describe Bobble Tiki’s first taste of toro. And no matter how often he eats it, every time is like the first time. Toro never gets dull, never becomes old hat, and you can never eat too much of it. If there's a limit to the potential for enjoying tuna belly, Bobble Tiki would have found it by now, and he hasn’t.

Tackling toro at Jazzbones would seem like a recipe for disaster, especially since it’s house in their dark balcony.  It’s not.  It’s freakin’ good.

Mr. Lee hacks, slices, builds and presents delicious sashimi and sushi rolls, including toro, while bands rock out on the main floor.  It’s brilliant.  Between band changes, Bobble Tiki grabs a roll topped with melted scallops.  If jazz fusion graces the stage, Bobble Tiki will tackle toro, uni and carpaccio and watch the spazzy spectacle on the two plasma screen sandwiching the sushi bar.

Jazzbones bartender Johanna Gardner has almost completed her new cocktail creations, including many sake cocktails, to compliment the sushi bar.

Expanded seating and a pool table upstairs are in the planning stages.      

Short of hopping a jumbo jet bound for Japan, you are not going to find a sushi and music combo better anywhere in this area. â€" Bobble Tiki

Bobble Tiki believes despite all the mad orgasm of technology and despite Bobble Tiki’s incredible ability to stay in constant touch and despite how he can receive FedEx packages on tiny islands and text message in The Factory’s restroom, Bobble Tiki feels he’s killing his brain cells like Britney Spears kills a party.  He feels his Treo 1000 whatever makes his life so much easier that he no longer has to think. A happy suicide of mental capacity if you will.

Bobble Tiki is becoming slower and more mellow, just like he feels during a Who Cares show, except all the time.

Therefore, Bobble Tiki’s New Year resolution is to take technology in moderation. He will make a note of it, except he will use R.R. Anderson’s Idea Globe.  Or Anderson's Idea Rack. Bobble Tiki will stare at them like a mantra and then vow to yank the useless charge cord out of his Treo 840 whatever and hang out at the Kickstand Café or search for Bob’s Java Jive’s karaoke machine or read more books full of polysyllabic words or attend more Who Cares shows.

Bobble Tiki will be the wave of the future.

Oh, got to go.  Bobble Tiki’s television tells him that his chicken pot pie is ready in the microwave. â€" Bobble Tiki

And there it is. The wireless icon will read a full black on my PowerBook G5. I will be able to sit on a bench at the Tacoma Commerce Street transit center and connect to the universe. 

Oh My Gawd, I can eat my Lunchables and read about TomKat and Oprah next to the D Street Overpass project!  I can read about the Britney sex tape while I wait for a parking space to open up by the Swiss!  Oh joy!

The BIA Blog announces that Clearwire is launching a wireless Internet service for downtown Tacoma tomorrow.  All I'll need is a delicious piece of hardware with a modem riding shotgun and a few bucks for a monthly fee.

If I can read this on my smoke break, then sign me up! â€" Brad Allen

Bobble Tiki dutifully takes up his spot at the back of the line behind 15 other glazed-looking individuals, and as he watches the woman behind the counter toy with the temporary power
she holds over his morning, he accepts the truth: Bobble Tiki is addicted to coffee.

But four coffee joints in 300 yards is ridiculous.

Fusion Salon, Tanning and Espresso is opening shop soon in Lakewood on Custer Road between Coffee Escape and Cock N Bull Coffee.  Add Classic Coffee that sits between all these java joints and Bobble Tiki can play Java Pinball.

Boing!  Boing! Boing! Buzz! â€" Bobble Tiki

Sunday's Bumbershoot highlight for Bobble Tiki was Thee Emergency's 5 p.m. performance at EMP's Sky Church.  Their engrossing blend of Stooges/Stones classic rock overload and punk-powered energy that leaves the indie-rock kids struck dumb and the punk kids wondering why all their CDs at home sound like crap.

Singer (rather gospel-inflected wailer) Dita Vox, guitarist Sonic Smith, bassist Nick Detroit and Drummer "don't call me John Densmore even though I look like him" Tom T. rock like rock stars.  They leap in the air.  They crawl on the stage.  They play their instruments behind their head.  The hold their fists in the air.  And they use every inch of the stage.

A little ticked that some dude in the crowd had his arms folded, Smith, donning a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and, instructed the dude to start dancing.  "People who dance go to heaven. People who don't go to hell," he shouted.

Drenched in sweat, the Seattle quartet commanded through their songs off their debut CD, Can You Dig It? before posing for photographs with Japanese fans offstage.

The KEXP radio jock who introduced Thee Emergency to the packed venue said this band was going to rock our asses off.  He said that Bobble Tiki and fellow enthusiasts would leave without our asses.  I'm standing as I type this as Bobble Tiki doesn't have an ass left. â€" Bobble Tiki

Bobble Tiki would describe Seattle popsters Crystal Skulls as what it might sound like if Steely Dan and Stereolab were to get in a bar fight. Their sound sits somewhere between '70s AM radio gold and indie pop.  The Skulls played the late Sunday afternoon slot on Bumbershoot's Backyard Stage giving the mostly lounging crowd a little snap, jangle and pop. â€" Bobble Tiki