Dear Reader

Hello friends and family. Perhaps you have noticed that my blogging has dropped off dramatically? I apologize that this is so.

But! You should know that it is all for a good cause, as I am working diligently and expediently on the Horatio Theater so that we can be up and running with cool plays. Like Molly Sweeney. And Topdog/Underdog (for which, by the way, I am interested in finding a director).

So a lot of that blogging time I used to have has been taken up by moe pressing matters. Not to mention time to watch movies, too. I had hoped to see both Iwo Jima and The Departed this weekend. But alas.

Anyway, since my blogging will be more sporadic, I will give you a special treat. Here is the raid on the Death Star in Star Wars, Episode IV, re-enacted entirely with hands. Really, hands.

Enjoy.

Little Miss Sunshine

I'm now 2 for 5 on Best Picture nominations. LMS was very funny, with great characters, and a solid foundation in the very very dry. I'd definitely recommend this movie. It manages to get a lot of suspense in, especially around Olive's decision about the contest. She was a great character and very well acted (the same girl played very well in Signs in 2002).

High marks from this blogger!

Paddy Coynes Preview

I got to get in to Paddy Coynes tonight to see a little sneak preview of the newest Irish Pub in Tacoma has to offer.

And it has a lot to offer. It's a beautiful atmosphere and it's a great addition to the Pacific Ave nightlife. It, the Matador, Meconi's, and Vin Grotto make for a very cool new district.

I can't say too much about the food, because I didn't have any, but they serve Magner's Irish cider and have a rocking good atmosphere. It's not a neighborhood hangout like Doyle's, but it's a good destination if you're looking for a night out. I'll be back very soon.

Rock of Ages - Again

The Mountain's really really cool programming is back. Check out the Rock of Ages on 103.7. My dial hasn't changed since Monday. I just think it's an awesome way to listen. They'll be on until Sunday.

The Sharp Project

There is a lively discussion going on right now at Exit133.com about the Sharp Project, its overall aesthetic, and what it means for USA of Yesterday. I also found Peter Callaghan's column today to be very thought-provoking and providing a new perspective on the property tax abatement program (of which I am currently taking advantage).

Lots of good fodder for discussion.

For my own part, I don't especially think downtown is sorely lacking a grocery story, however much people think we need one, so I'm not going gaga over that part. (Although to be fair, as a resident I am stoked to see one come in across the street). And I'm not so wacky about the building exterior of the Sharp Project. And I would like to see the storefront of USA of Yesterday preserved.

All that said, my hot buttons are far from being pushed on any of these issues. It's a major project for downtown Tacoma and we should make sure it happens. But I think it can be tweaked to be made better.

The Best Picture Nods

So today's Oscar nominations are interesting: I've only seen 1 out of the 5 films (The Queen). That for me is very unusual.

I would also like to extend my congratulations to the Academy for not nominating Dreamgirls for Best Picture. This movie was pretty boring. I'm not even sure it's the movie's fault. I think it's the story. It's not a good story. The music isn't great either. In fact, the plot of the movie is how a conniving producer sanitizes black music for a white audience. And then we have to listen to it! Surely that is not the best kind of music to listen to. Short of Effie's heart wrenching solo (which got quite an applause in the theater in St. Louis when I saw it) this movie really didn't have much to offer.

I should probably rent The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine, but I think I'm going to have to do without seeing Babel (unless it wins). And I'll catch Iwo Jima in the theaters, hopefully.

New Orleans Diaspora

Reading about New Orleans is pretty interesting right now. Their population is just over half what it used to be, but the city was losing people at an annual rate of 1.5% before Katrina, which leads some people to think that this is closer to the size the city's economy could report.

Anyway, it's pretty interesting reading.

This Blog Is Not Yet Rated

The MPAA is rolling out a few changes for its ratings system, but they don't sound like the dramatic changes that are actually needed.

First, they aren't changing the actual ratings, which is badly needed. We need to split up the NC-17 to the old-fashioned "X" and then introduce an "A" rating that is just above an "R" rating. This would be good for violent films like "The Passion" as well as films with a high level of sex or nudity that still aren't pornography.

They also aren't being very open about who rates the movies.

I'm not a big fan, but then they haven't consulted me.

Welcome, Neighbors ... Will you come in peace?

The Forward Tacoma newsletter and Exit133 both have some information about the rumors of a grocery store in downtown. Interestingly, it's likely slated to go right across the street from me. Say goodbye to USA of Yesterday and hello to the Sharp Project.

The Sharp Project will supposedly weigh in at a shockingly massive 526,000 sq. ft. That's 150 residential units; 100,000 sq. ft. of commercial; and ...

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.

Dude. That's a big project for this hill. A hotel? A grocery store? 100,000 sq. ft. of commercial? Am I going to live across the street from a Gap?

One thing is for sure. No mure view of Mount Rainier after next year. If the Sharp building doesn't block my view, the Walker North will, and if neither of them do, the 18 stories of Jay Heights will surely do the trick. That's what I get for living on the 2nd floor.

Found Date

The executives of Lost are looking to ABC to set a date for the finale. They want to know the date so they can plan on how to end the show and how long to do the wrapups. Apparently, the producers are concerned about doing what "X-Files" did, which they believe went on two extra years (I would tend to agree, though I haven't seen many from the last two years).

And for Lost fans looking forward to February, here's an interesting quote from the article:

One prominent critic - ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson - said he thought the first six episodes this season concentrated too heavily on the stories of Jack, Kate and Sawyer at the expense of other members of the large cast.

The producers said that will be rectified right away for the season's second half as "Lost" goes back to the beach.

Awesome.

Ad Watch

Here's a crazy piece in my fav: the NYT. Say good-bye to blank space ...

From the lead:

Advertisers seem determined to fill every last one of them. Supermarket eggs have been stamped with the names of CBS television shows. Subway turnstiles bear messages from Geico auto insurance. Chinese food cartons promote Continental Airways. US Airways is selling ads on motion sickness bags. And the trays used in airport security lines have been hawking Rolodexes.

Eggs are now stamped? Eggs over easy with a side of CSI Miami? Scrambled Survivor?

Mixed Income Neighborhoods

Dan Voelpel has a piece today about mixing low income from the Winthrop in to the Hilltop Neighborhood. He's generally against it. As were most commentors on Exit133 about the same subject. And I am generally against it too.

This quote was in the Voelpel article and I think it's important:

“This neighborhood has more than our fair share of low-income residents and way, way too many sex offenders,” said Bockwinkel, co-owner of Ex-Press Printing. “I’m not sure what the population is like of the Winthrop residents, but those residents should be spread around the county, with none coming to the Hilltop."

My quibble with this is slight, but important. Low income residents should not be spread around the county. The housing available should be in our neighbhoods with the best access to transportation and services that a family without a car could use. This means putting low-income into some of our most livable areas: Downtown; Stadium; Proctor; pieces of 6th and other neighborhoods with good business districts.

I'm sure a lot of business-owners and current residents may not be in favor of this, but it makes no sense to put low-income residents in areas where you need a car to live. It may be true--it likely is true--that MLK already has its fair share of subsidized housing. But it has qualities that make it very attractive for a family without a car and that should be taken into account too.

I do totally understand that if the subsidized housing was going to go on the former site of the former Browne's Star Grill it is a questionable "turn around" and I'm not sure it would justify the purchase by the city. This is a very tricky and sensitive issue, and I hope Prium will do the right thing and the City will not let them off the hook in their eagerness to get the Winthrop re-developed.

Mount Bachelor

I went skiing yesterday here at Bachelor for the first time in 2 years, almost to the day. My legs are killing me and I'm sore all over but it was definitely worth getting back out on the slopes.

We also had an awesome dinner in downtown Bend last night. On my trips here before I've never ventured into the downtown, but I discovered it's a pretty great little town. I'm going to go back today and explore a little more in the light of day.

Snow Stories

Apparently, some seniors leaving "In the Mood" Wednesday night (possibly in the crowd that I captured with my cell phone cam that night) got stranded at the Pantages until 2 a.m. According to the article:

To pass the time, theater staff members gave the group coffee, tea and a tour of the building, she said. About 1:45 a.m., the chef from Ravenous, a nearby restaurant, brought the stranded group four pizzas.

As for my own snow stories yesterday, I did attempt to drive 12th and back to my condo after I rescued my car from the Matador. It was a disaster. I did all right, but skidded out twice, once nearly on to the sidewalk.

At about 12:30 I parked my car safely in my garage and journeyed out on foot (not necessarily that much easier) but a lot less dangerous. Makes me want to be back in Minnesota!

Federal Way vs. 'Truth'

I think the Tribune's editorial on the controversy about teaching global warming, and using 'An Inconvenient Truth' to do it, is well done. It's a pretty sane response that gets toward what appears to be the crux of the issue.

I thought this bit from the original article was pretty funny:

None of the three – Barney, Larson and Charlie Hoff – has seen the film.

“I know it’s a controversial movie, even though I haven’t seen it,” Larson said.

Having been very skeptical of the film, I was surprised while watching it to find how very uncontroversial it was. I think someone should mail them a DVD.

To see the effects of climate change locally, visit Exit133 for the satire piece today.

Snowy Adventure

Mary and I had dinner with Angela, back from her European trip, at the Matador this evening. After taking her back home, we encountered a harrowing trip along Schuster Way, which was one or two cars away from being totally blocked.

From there, we attempted the 9th Street Hill with no luck and lots of skidding. And so we have left the Elantra at the Matador and made our way home enjoying an incredible night of snow. The Pantages was letting out from "In the Mood" and many families and couples were pouring out into the streets, very surprised how much had fallen during the show. 9th was used by skimboarders, sledders, and snowboarders in the middle of the street. 7th was used by sledders as was Wright Park.

I've posted some cool cell phone pics below.

I hope to claim my car tomorrow!

Hannah Heights - In the Snow, From My Deck

Let it snow

You can see morning's snowfall via a webcam at KevinFreitas.net. This is another one of those miracles of technology that allows me to see what I missed before I woke up.

My deck looks pretty well blanketed. I haven't ventured much farther out, however.

Another love letter to Apple

AppleInsider.com has a range of pictures of the iPhone that go well beyond what you find at other sites. The pictures show the sleek look of the phone itself here and the awesome software and functionality of it here.

The screen is amazing making it an awesome iPod; and the phone and internet capabilities are amazing phone. It's just ... wow. Who's switching to Cingular for this? This guy! (In 9 months).

Big Big Day for Apple

What's not to like about Apple today?

Release of a new Airport Extreme with 802.11n capability? Check.
Release of Apple TV, synching your TV with your computer and iTunes? Check.
Addition of Paramount Pictures to Apple iTunes movie library? Check.
And the new iPhone ... the coolest most compelling smart cell phone that neatly puts the Blackberry to shame? Big check.

I want them all!

Winthrop News

Read all about it in the Trib. $2 million for the Prium group so they can build some low income housing to start moving residents out before they begin the renovation. It sounds like an interesting process. More info to come, I'm sure.

Christmas Tree Note

Happy Monday, all. I tossed out my tree at the dump yesterday into the biggest pile of dead Christmas trees I'd ever seen. If the pile hadn't been so big I might have been able to capture the carnage with my cell phone cam.

So, if you want to see a lot of lumber, the dump is the place to visit.

Support the Economy: Buy Gift Cards

The fun Freakonomics boys, Levitt and Dubner, are on the case of gift cards in the NYT Magazine today. Here's a crazy crazy quote:

The financial-services research firm TowerGroup estimates that of the $80 billion spent on gift cards in 2006, roughly $8 billion will never be redeemed — “a bigger impact on consumers,” Tower notes, “than the combined total of both debit- and credit-card fraud.”

To repeat: consumers lose more as a whole on unused gift cards then they do on debit and credit card fraud combined. That is crazy.

Some Condo Notes

Mary and I had a good downtown tour today. First stop Tully's. Second stop: Old City Hall to see their floorplans and model unit. It's a pretty cool place, I must say, and I would suggest that 625 Commerce is going to surpass One North Stadium Way as the premiere address in Tacoma. It's just an awesome place, no question.

From there, we took in a few odd galleries/shops like Rampart and Mandarin, and then the Kickstand for a good lunch.

And then a visit to Hannah Heights, which we both thought was pretty well done. It's one of the more urban feeling condos that I've been in downtown with good street views. All in all a fun day exploring downtown

NBC Update

The Office was quite funny--once again--last night. But I've also gotten hooked on 30Rock.

Don't try to pick this show up midseason. Go for the DVD or buy some old episodes on iTunes. It's a very good show.

Tacoma Renaissance

According to Dan Voelpel's column today, Old City Hall (AKA Renaissance) will be open tomorrow from 10 - 4 with a model unit available for tours. I'm very interested to get a glimpse of how the project will likely look. Although with units starting at $600,000 I'll need a bit of a pay increase to afford the mortgage if I like it.

Ah well.

More reasons to look forward to 2007

On New Year's Eve I mentioned that I was coming up with my Top Ten Things to Look Forward to in 2007. Today, Exit133 asks what are the reasons to be optimistic about Tacoma in '07.

So with his specific question in mind, as well as some more big-picture stuff, here is my Top Ten Things for '07. I've also inclued lots of links back to posts I made in 2006 for reference.

1. We didn't die last year. Last January I posted a pretty good list of the ways humanity might go extinct in 2006. Giant asteroid. Nuclear holocaust. The end of the world--as predicted by the Bible Code. Needless to say, it was a bad month for me. So that we made it through 2006, considering the stuff we had to weather, I'd say that's not too shabby.
2. The Horatio. Can't lie to you. I'm very very excited about this.
3. Movies. We're expecting a double helping of Harry Potter (Book VII + Film V) plus Spiderman III.
4. Travel. I was a bit of a jetsetter/travel blogger last year (Torino/Switzerland, San Jose, LA, Minnesota, Chicago, New York, and St. Louis) Click on the links to get to the month I traveled. You can find the posts about each place from there. I'd very much like to keep that up this year if I can.
5. Tacoma Condo Sales Cooling. Weird thing to be excited about, I know, but too many of Tacoma's great buildings were starting to be jeopardized by the lure of the almighty dollar. With a cooling condo market, other forms of land use can be considered creating better mixed-use of downtown Tacoma.
6. National Elections. Sure I'm all about Obama right now. I think the guy is awesome and I will be stealing his book from my parents when they are done. But the truth is that the field from both parties means some great excitement for 2007. Besides Obama, I am still interested to see what happens with McCain, Giuliani, and maybe even Rice on the right and Edwards on the left. Clinton doesn't really do it for me, I gotta say. But we could see some amazing things this year. Imagine a 2008 contest between Obama/Edwards and McCain/Rice, for example. There's a lot to get excited about there.
7. The Sound Transit Vote. They have a lot going for them right now. A "reverse" train starts in September from Seattle to Tacoma for commuters. They'll get Husky Stadium to the airport on the original tax package. And we have a proposal moving forward to get Pierce Transit connected to the airport (while I feel the plan to get Fife to the airport is really dumb, I believe the money to get it the rest of the way would appear and that the rail line would never actually stop at Fife). Only downside: another sales tax increase.
8. Summer. Because it's just so hard to beat. Especially at the Lake.
9. Nightlife. More nightlife downtown, on 6th, and in Stadium means more fun for me. Business is booming.
10. The Winthrop and the Elks Temple. 2007 will hopefully continue the good experiences and high hopes for this hotel and Temple.
    

Happy New Year!

I'm posting this from St. Louis, MO, where I have had a great time exploring the city since I arrived Friday.

2006 is a couple of hours in the past now and in retrospect it was a fascinating year for me. With big highs and big lows and a whole bunch of self-growth, learning, and new experiences and challenges.

All that said, I'm looking forward to a great 2007. I have a few ideas for a Top Ten List of Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2007. It's a random list ranging from Opening Night for the Horatio to Barak Obama's likely candidacy for President.

Happy New Year from St. Louis. For all those in Tacoma, let me tell you that I've come to see this city could teach us a lot about what we should be doing and a lot about what we shouldn't be doing. It's a very interesting place.

See you in T-Town tomorrow.