LAST CHANCE TO HIT THE ART VENDING MACHINE >>>

What could be cooler than vending art from a machine? What could be cooler than art for a measly five bucks a shot? And could there be a cooler use for outlawed cigarette vending machines?

Nothing.

We're sad to remind you that the popular Art*O*Mat® art vending machine in Tacoma will disappear tomorrow.

BKB & Company, the upscale gallery and boutique housing said machine, closes its doors tomorrow for good.

"Since 1998 my mom, Corky, and I have had the pleasure of representing artists and introducing wonderful wearable arts and contemporary crafts to Tacoma through our gallery, BKB & Company.  We will close forever tomorrow, December 15^th," wrote Victoria Brown today on the TacomaArt listserv.

BKB & Company offers a 40 percent off storewide sale tomorrow. Drop by the Pacific Avenue store during Third Thursday Artwalk and bid them farewell.

[BKB & Company, 1744 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.6884]

THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Clear and cold, hi 45, lo 30

Saturday: Mostly sunny, hi 43, lo 34

Sunday: Partly cloudy, hi 43, lo 32

>>> THURSDAY-SUNDAY: A Christmas Story

True, there are a boatload of holiday theater productions to choose from right now - including Capitol Playhouse's Scrooge: The Musical and Tacoma Little Theatre's A Christmas Carol, both of which received rave reviews in this week's Volcano. Still, only one South Sound holiday production stars the Volcano's own Christian Carvajal, theater critic extraordinaire! And that production is Olympia Family Theatre's A Chrismtas Story, currently running through Dec. 18 at the Minnaert Center-Black Box. Rather than watching the re-run on TBS for the 800th time, see Ralphie's quest for the elusive Red Ryder BB gun with the whole family in Olympia.

• The Minnaert Center-Black Box, through Dec. 18, 7 p.m. Thursday - Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday - Sunday, recommended for ages 8+, $9-$16, 2011 Mottman Road SW, Olympia, 360.753.8585

>>> SATURDAY, DEC. 10: SANTARCHY TACOMA

Anarchy is once again coming to Tacoma, and it's wearing a Santa suit. Well, hopefully hundreds of Santa suits. The pan-continental holiday riot known as Santarchy could easily be denounced as just another excuse to get s***faced - like wedding receptions or a visit to Sea World. But it's more. The revelry involves dozens, hundreds, sometimes thousands of Santa-suited sots marauding about town - and in Tacoma it's been a tradition since 2007.  This year Tacoma's version of Santarchy goes down Saturday, Dec. 10. And there's a Santarchy party bus involved! The Santarchy party bus takes off from the Harmon at 5 p.m. (must have a purchased bracelet to ride), and will drop the drunken Santas off at 9 p.m. at O'Malley's. Before, during, and afterward craziness will ensue. Follow Tacoma Santarchy on Facebook for all the details.

>>> SATURDAY, DEC.10: BEAUTIFUL ANGLE HOLIDAY PARTY & POSTER SALE

Now in its ninth year, there's there's no doubt that the annual Beautiful Angle Holiday Party and Poster Sale is an event Tacoma has come to know and love. Going down this Saturday at King's Books and kicking off at 7 p.m., the event will be a, well, beautiful exposition of everything Tacoma's underground-legend guerilla arts project is all about. If you're not on the Beautiful Angle train yet, see what you've been missing. Bryan John Appleby, along with special guest, The Living, will be providing the music. And you'll have the opportunity to buy a poster or two while meeting Lance Kagey and Tom Llewellyn. It's a win-win.

• King's Books, 7 p.m., free admission, 218 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.8801

>>> SATURDAY, DEC.10: DICKENS FEST

Oh Dickens! It's time for another Stadium District Dickens Festival! Every year, for one Saturday in December, Tacoma's postcard-esque Stadium District (Hey, they make postcards of a lot of stuff...) gets all Dickensy in the spirit of the holidays, busting period costumes, carriage rides, beard contests and even Bill Baarsma telling stories of the Chinese expulsion (What, really?). It's all true. Even the Baarsma part (he'll be at King's Books at 4 p.m.). Get in on the tradition this year. Find all the info you'll need right here.

• Stadium District, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., all ages, most events are free, $40 dinner and theater package available, dickensfestival.net

>>> SATURDAY-SUNDAY: THE NUTCRACKER

Stop pretending you're some sort of tough guy and go see the goddamn Nutcracker already. You know you want to. You're fascinated by people in tights. Plus, the local productions are simply amazing. In Tacoma, Tacoma City Ballet does its thing at the Pantages. In Oly, catch Ballet Northwest's take at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts.

• Pantages Theater, Tacoma City Ballet presents The Nutcracker, Saturday-Sunday through Dec. 18, 3 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 1 p.m., $19-$60, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5890
• Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Ballet Northwest presents The Nutcracker, Friday- Sunday through Dec. 18, Friday- Saturday 7:30 p.m., Saturday - Sunday 2 p.m., $14-$30, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia, 360.753.8586

>>> WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

NIKKI TALOTTA Features Writer
All things Christmas. Finding and cutting the perfect tree with my boys, shopping at Duck the Malls arts and crafts sale, baking and decorating yummy cookies and with my hubby - a little kissing under the mistletoe. Sweet stuff.

JOANN VARNELL: Theater Critic
Saturday the whole family is going to the annual Beautiful Angle Holiday Party where we will grab some amazing limited posters (I may throw an elbow or two if necessary so watch out) and listen to Bryan John Appleby!!! The little son and I will be going to his first toddler birthday party for his best friend on Sunday.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Meat Market Photographer
Going to the Dickens Festival and Happy Feet II with the kiddos as well as working in the church yard and then some jammy time around the house... Oh the glamorous life of a writer.

ALEC CLAYTON Visual Arts Critic
PFLAG holiday party and white elephant gift exchange Sunday.

.

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
I'll be fighting a furnace all weekend as The Old Man in Olympia Family Theater's production of A Christmas Story. Hosticklepfeiffer!

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Up For Debate: Pacific Lutheran University's student newspaper website shutdown due to potty language. (News Tribune)

Malin Not Mailing It In: Davenport, Iowa City Manager still intereste din City of Tacoma Manager job. (News Tribune)

Fun To Say, Dangerous To Eat: Ocean Spray expands Craisins recall. (Boston.com)

Tacoma Bath Bombs: Oprah loves them. (News Tribune)

Evil Craigslist: More than 100 people in Ohio responded to a Craigslist ad asking them to "watch over a 688 acre patch of hilly farmland and feed a few cows." Some of them are buried in shallow graves. (New York Times)

GOP Focus Groups: GOP voters in a Virginia focus group say they have not warmed to Mitt Romney, are worried about Newt Gingrich's volatility and have all but dismissed Herman Cain. (CNN)

Best Toys Of All Time: Stick, dirt ... (Wired)

Maybe This Shall Destroy Them Both: Anne Hathaway vs. Jessica Biel. (Celebitchy)

Beautiful slo-mo footage of exploding cocktails

Phantom Cocktails from Ty Migota on Vimeo.

SATURDAY, NOV. 26, 2011 >>>

1. Every time a snowboard movie arrives at a snowboard shop, wrenches hit the concrete, open signs are flipped over and couches are pushed together.  Tonight, Northwest Snowboards takes that mindset a notch higher with a night of snowboard and skateboard flicks - including TB20 and Absinthe's Twel2ve - on the Capitol Theater screen beginning at 7 p.m.  

2. Is it us or is the shopping local movement gaining tremendous speed. Now we have Small Business Saturday. The national campaign encourages shoppers to favor the locally owned businesses that are often the soul of their communities. Of course all area small businesses are down for this today, including A Rhapsody In Bloom Florist & Cafe Latte on Sixth Avenue. Besides offering new merchandise and sale pricess, the small business will shell out complimentary 8-oz. eggnog, mocha or vanilla lattes and hot ciders. Nice.

3. Wine Bank and Beer Vault celebrates its sixth anniversary with a wine tasting and special sale pricing from 2-4:30 p.m.

4. The Weekly Volcano applauds those responsible for the Bicycle Booze Cruz for further synthesizing these two activities: exercise and drinking. This particular cruise called Turkicanus Bicyclette will launch from Magoo's Annex at 7 p.m. - rain or shine – in honor of one of our more subtly bizarre holidays, Thanksgiving. Riders are encouraged to dress up however they see fit, as they bike from bar to bar, all over Tacoma. Of course, biking and drinking aren't quite a match made in heaven, so ride at your own risk.

5. Throughout the month of November brave men have been attempting to eradicate cancer by growing mustaches (thus raising awareness, which is fatal to cancer). The movement is called Movember. Stonegate Pizza on South Tacoma Way is down, hosting a mustache party tonight, which will benefit friends Tiffany and Jimmy with medical expenses to fight cancer. Admission is $5 suggested donation AND a mustache - real or fake (prizes will be awarded. That means you too ladies. Ture Holland and Brandon Morgan will rock the joint. And there's a raffle, too.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Happy hours!

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Holiday Events And Gifts: All in one glorious spot. (Weekly Volcano)

Grinches: They're stealing copper wire in Tacoma. (News Tribune)

Shift Your Shopping: Go Local Tacoma joins the national campaign. (Weekly Volcano)

Kamal Ganzouri Is Back: The former prime minister under President Hosni Mubarak was given his old job back today. (CNN)

Ewww: The eight germiest spots in a mall. (CNN)

Thank Gawd: Someone else read the Kardashian's novel so we don't have to. (FourFour)

We Love The Bendy Straw: An awesome article about the invention of the Bendy Straw. (The Atlantic)

Prank Of The Day: An oldie but goodie. (BroBible)

LIKE: Fanwagon Facebook car by Volkswagen. (Design Boom)

The World's Largest Thing Of The Day: Gummy Bear. (The Daily What)

MAYBE YOU MAY HAVE A BOWL WHILE YOUR BRAKES ARE FIXED >>>

Remember all those boxes of cereal in Jerry Seinfeld's set kitchen? Bobble had more: Go Lean, Raisin Bran, Wheat Chex, Kashi, Grape Nuts. Bobble Tiki regarded Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cocoa Puffs as "dessert cereals." (Hey, it works with wine.) A bowl eaten after 10 p.m. (and after a glass of wine) was the perfect soporific snack.

Perfect, that is, until Bobble Tiki couldn't fit into his pants.

Anyway, if you have a love for dessert cereals, stop by Simmons Automotive on South 56th Street and South Proctor in Tacoma. Obviously, the folks working at the automotive repair shop love them, too.

NOW OPEN >>>

Jack Noble has his head so wrapped around the opening of his new retail kitchen store in Tacoma's Triangle District he didn't notice I was taking hits off his soy latte. Noble, along with business partner Kris Blondin, have opened Füdie next door to their über deli, STINK Cheese & Meat. In fact, they blew a hole through the wall and mirrored STINK's color scheme in the new store, which also sells gourmet food, wine and beer.

We'll ignore the fact I didn't realize I was drinking the wrong coffee.

Noble bounced through different emotions as he swept, arranged and wiped. He's proud to open small businesses in downtown Tacoma. A strong sense of community pride drives the ventures of he and Blondin undertake. A smile dominates as he adjusts local and European beer labels so they're facing forward. There's even a skip to Noble's step as he straightens the mini whisks, spatulas and tongs next to the front counter. However, he's slightly sad a few of his gourmet spotlight items are stuck in a truck somewhere in New York. He believes the few empty spots on the shelves will burst with color by the weekend.

"I'm thrilled to offer downtown denizens, and those traveling to the suburbs, the opportunity to buy gourmet food products, top-of-the-line kitchen tools, a nice bottle of wine and hard to find beers," Noble says.

Those familiar with the wine and beer sold at STINK will delight at Füdie's variety. Just eyeing it, I'd say the amount of wine and beer has grown 10 times, including Shafer Cabs, Merryvale and Rex Hill Pinots, Novelty Hill Merlot, Italian Chianti, French reds and whites, port, sparkling, and an impressive large bottle beer selection, including Hales El Jefe Weizen and Supergoose IPA, and Fish Tales Organic IPA.

The gourmet treats include Island Troller albacore from Whidbey Island, Nikki's shortbreads (Meyer lemon and maple syrup), Bissinger's liquor cups, Matiz Gallego sardines in olive oil and much more.

"Kris says Tacoma can now eat pommes frites," Noble says, pointing to the jars of Rougie Duck Fat.

The 1000-square-foot store is airy and modern, anchored by a 12-foot thick farm table, where Blondin and Noble will host wine and beer tastings.

Besides the mini kitchen tools, Füdie carries typical-size kitchen utensils and accessories from Epicurean, Progressive, Danesco and Further.

Ignoring the new wide entryway into Füdie, not much has changed on the STINK side. A new menu will roll out in three weeks with quiches, stratas and other comfort food. All the popular dishes will remain.

Füdie's front sign isn't up yet. The logo's backdrop is that of a pineapple, the international symbol for hospitality.

The hours match STINK's - 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, open until 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours may soon be added.

[Füdie, Sixth and St. Helens Ave., 253.426.1347]

LINK: STINK Cheese & Meat

THIS JUST IN >>>

Tacoma Football Club announed the transfer of ownership of the Tide and the Seattle Sounders Women to a new local group. Tacoma Tide FC of the Premier Development League and the Seattle Sounders Women of the W-League have been purchased by Lane Smith and Cliff McElroy, with former owner/operator Mike Jennings maintaining a minority stake. The United Soccer Leagues (approved the sale of the teams yesterday.

No word yet if Costco had anything to do with the sale. Here's the rest of the press release:

"We are coming on board with the goal of growing these two teams and establishing an even greater connection with their communities," says Lane Smith. "The Tide and the Sounders Women both represent a strong work ethic as well as stepping stones on the path for our local players in their soccer careers."

McElroy says the new group promises to work hard for and with local soccer supporters. "The Tacoma Football Club looks forward to the opportunity to increase engagement of the Sounders Women and Tacoma Tide into the Puget Sound community. We plan to work hard to bring more fan and youth involvement as well as business ties to these two local teams and expand the Pacific Northwest's storied Football tradition. "

Read more...

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BOOZE >>>

We imagine you've heard Initiative 1183 passed with 60 percent of the vote allowing grocery stores in Washington to sell selling liquor beginning June 1. Liquor sales will shift from the state to grocery and warehouse stores, including Costco - and more than 900 state employees will lose their jobs.

How does the Liquor Control Board feel about the whole deal?  Pretty shitty. Here's the LCB's press release that just hit the Internets:

OLYMPIA - We are, of course, deeply disappointed by the election result on Initiative 1183.

Weighing most heavily on our hearts and minds are the more than 900 Liquor Control Board employees who will lose their jobs. Our employees have been working under the cloud of initiatives for nearly two years. Despite operating under a microscope, they have carried out their responsibilities with dignity and professionalism. We owe our employees a debt of gratitude for the professional way in which they have conducted themselves during a difficult time.

Moving Forward

We will begin moving forward to ensure that we are meeting the timelines established by the initiative. Our goal is to have an orderly transition from public to private business operations. Our agency leaders are meeting now to develop a contingency plan.

• We will continue to maximize revenue in responsible ways through the holiday season.
• In January, our operational focus will be on divesting ourselves from the business as prescribed in the initiative.
• By June 1, 2012, all liquor business operations - including purchasing, distribution and retail -- will be transitioned of the private sector.

Our state liquor stores have among the highest no-sale-to-minors compliance rate in the nation at more than 94 percent. The private sector's overall compliance rate is 77 percent. As the sale and distribution of liquor will soon be completely in the hands of the private sector, we hope it will treat this public safety responsibility with the utmost importance.

The Liquor Control Board will continue carrying out its highest priority of public safety. While the agency is ending its business operations, it will continue to carry out our enforcement, licensing, adjudicative and policy-setting functions affecting over 16,000 liquor licensees statewide.

Note to Editors: A good source of information will be the Liquor Control Board website at www.liq.wa.gov. We will keep the site up-to-date with the latest information regarding the transition.

The Liquor Control Board includes Board Chair Sharon Foster and Board Members Ruthann Kurose and Chris Marr.

Contact: Brian Smith, WSLCB Communications Director, 360-664-1774

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND THIS MORNING >>>

Last Night's Amber Alert: Suspect in custody, baby safe. (News Tribune)

Shift Your Shopping: Tacoma joins the national campaign. (Santa Says Blog)

Flippin' Nippon: Pilot error causes plane to 737-700 to fly upside down. (Seattle Times)

Today: Tacoma City Council will hear an overview of what it could do to bridge the $25.7 million budget shortfall. (News Tribune)

Greek To Many: Greece shocked European leaders by calling for a national referendum on its debt bailout. If Greece rejects the deal, it could rattle the global financial system. (CNN)

History Of Rap 3: Timberlake and Fallon down again. (NY Daily News)

Red Vines: Not just for sticking between your teeth. (Dangerous Minds)

Dumb: Tubing behind a car on a hurricane flooded street. (TruTV)

Final Halloween Words