In-Tacoma.net

Who do you think should take it? Both visible community members. Thoughts?

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Sometimes I look at the solutions David Boe from exit133 puts together and really wonder if we really need to get that complicated. Would a solution that’s already working in our other parks work with Tollefson Plaza? For under 1k could this solution work?

Seriously Movin 92.5 do we need your ads right next to our freeway sign and on our fence of Almond Rocha, a Tacoma Icon. I think not. If you know people in high places let them know that they should take down the visual spam.

Help spread the word!

Ps feel free to leave a note for Movin 92.5 in the comments

Country music and Jason go together like oil and water…however, I think John Rich is on to something with his song “Shutting Detroit Down.” I think this guy really captured the sense of many of the people in our country. You really should take a listen to this song, and even check out the video (stars: Mickey Rourke and Kris Kristofferson). He captures the reality of what is taking place in our nation at this time. We’re going through massive unemployment in some of the cities of our nation that are upwards of 30-40%. While we are bailing companies out to fill their pocket books with their bonuses of hard work…Don’t tell me Chris Dodd didn’t know of these!  This politician received hunderds of thousands of those bailout dollars in campaign contributions.  Imagine that, politics and business intermixed.  Corruption in politics, of course not.  Corruption in these bail outs?  Of course not. 

America’s poorest neighborhoods and cities are crumbling, while we have people in the banking industry and government getting bailed out with BILLIONS. With the multiple bailouts, it’s in the TRILLIONS! We have a statelike Kentucky crumbling under the pressure of the economy, with thousands of people being laid off, while the University of Kentucky hires John Calipari for $4 million dollars a year…WOW…Are our values way out of wack?! Of course…

Now to our city.  Tacoma, we’re not far behind in the unemployment yet, but who is to say that we won’t reach those levels? As my friend Jermz mentioned on his twitter “200 people deep at Worksource.”  When I saw that…all I could think was WOAH!  I know our area is probably around a 10% unemployment rate, but I could see us at 15-20% by the end of the year.

If you take a drive through Hilltop, the city is starting to look like it was in the 1990s…same with parts of downtown.  The economic boom of our downtown core is no longer…you still see some projects in the works, but those new and amazing renovations are going to remain open and vacant…Pretty soon the lovely coverings of plywood will bless the buildings outer cores.

Back to John Rich….He’s a normal guy who I don’t think had any idea of the caliber of song he was writing.  Is it lyrical genious?  Far from it.  But it is mastery in it’s own sense because very few songs out there can capture a sense of millions of people in every facet of society.  Really take a listen to his song….Check the video out when it comes available…Country is not my music…but this song transcends my preferences.

http://www.johnrich.com

I watched the movie “Brown Sugar” about a month ago with my wife last night and it brought back so many memories for me.  Memories of who I was and the paths that I had to chose during critical times in my life.  I never realized how much influence Hip-Hop had on my life and the decisions I made on a day to day basis.  For me, Hip-Hop sparks something somewhere deep in my soul that not much has been able to penetrate (other than my wife and God).    

This love extends past any barrier that I have imagined.  But can this love last?  What happens to this love?  It changed for me.  My love for hip-hop over the last several years to me has become much more authentic.  The more I stepped away from it, the more it pulled me back.  Not back into the person I once was, but back into a deeper love for H.E.R., in a new way. 

I love H.E.R. because she will never judge me, nor will she leave me.  She has shaped me in new ways that I cannot describe.   What is this love?

When thinking of Tacoma, I don’t think of greatness, or prosperity, or beauty. What comes to my mind is potential, loss, failure, constant change, dirty….Why is that? May be it’s my mindset today because I just found out that I will be losing my job in two weeks due to budget and program cuts by those that fund my program. When driving through the city, I don’t feel that buzz any more. I don’t feel that excitement that was there 10 years ago. Are the realities of bubbles bursting setting in?

I just think that our city is filled with people that are just lost. Some because they have just lost their way on the map, some because they have taken a wrong turn and just haven’t left…others because they choose to be lost and Tacoma just found them.

Tacoma, I love you, I have grown to love you as a living, breathing entity, even though you are ugly.

Ok, i should do item of the week but i’m a lazy blogger! So check out this funky dress people, it’s so hip it’s sqr. I have to say i’m very happy that two people (very cute sisters) came in and got their 40% off. Now this month tell me that you love Morrissey too and you love vintage and receive 30% off your clothing purchase! I also want to just say thanks to all of you that are supporting my venture in bringing you funky fashion, i love you all! Keep coming in even if it’s just to say “Hi!”

Friesenburgers seriously doesn’t get enough credit in the local rags. Was reading in the old Weekly Volcano the other day about the “Best places to grab a burger”, no mention of this place. Anyways today I’m going to give you a lead on a delicious fatkid burger. It’s called the Cheesy Onion Burger.

Its a normal cheese burger with a twist, they dice up onion and mix it into a molten oniony cheese mixture and put that onto of the beef patty. The texture as you eat it is awesome, the diced onions is perfect cause if they were huge slices I know I wouldn’t be into it.

This place does it simple which is what I like about it. Rumor has it they are perfecting some sort of meatloaf sandwich.

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Walking past Alfa last night I noticed a ultra rare beast of a car called the Lamborghini LM002, aka the Rambo Lambo. Definitely a really mean car packing a v12 engine. You may remember hearing about how the US military in 2004 used an LM002 that was owned by Uday Hussein to simulate the effects of a car bomb. They obviously had no idea that this car is valued at around $150k+ and there have only been 301 of these produced. Not sure if its going in their showroom or if some local is having it serviced.

After a long conversation with an OG from the Hill today about Tacoma in the late 80s and early 90s, he brought up Ice Cube. One of my all time favorite MCs, and founding members of NWA. I guess Ice Cube made a visit to the Hilltop in 1989 to see what all the talk about Tacoma was. This OG described that Ice Cube wanted to see how “Real” Tacoma was and found out that it was a lot harder than he thought. He immediately got beat down from the hoods on the Hill. I’m not one to start any Internet rumor, but this OG is from the block and has no real reason to lie. Can someone help me sort this one out!

On my way to portland I was able to snap a few photos with my cellphone camera. Thought I would share the eerie foggy photos from that morning. Its crazy how many people from Tacoma I run into down there, seems like when people get sick of all of the things that piss tell off about Tacoma they move down to p-town. Well I’m glad to be back in Tacoma now, lot less beggers, and I was about 5 blocks away from that shootings on Saturday that killed two and injured seven.

Sorry peeps, I guess the Goldfish isn’t really In-Tacoma; it should not be on the best bar poll whatsoever, it should be kept a secret. Not too long from now my fear of the inevitable might come true and the goldfish will spoil with the new condos being built on Ruston way flooding the place with yuppies and fiendish bores. This tavern is at its best serving a regular maximum of 15 people on a Friday night which is why I love it.

Besides the small crowd, what else do I love about this place you ask? What makes it a worthwhile place to visit with a stale beer atmosphere and wait your turn bathrooms? The people. Red necks, old couples, blue collars, white collars and the average soul gather on a regular basis in this tavern to convene and shoot the sh&@. Notice I said regular, every time I set foot through the large green door I not only recognize the bartender but also the familiar faces I have had at least one intellectual, goofy and fascinating conversation with.

With the beer at an affordable price, I can warm my feet on a cold northwest day next to the crackling fireplace while listening to the scratchy sounds of Shane McGowan’s lyrics blaring just loud enough from the jukebox. Strike a match under a kindling conversation and be on my way to bliss. This kind of place is where beer is a social lubricant not a depressant and comfort is never an issue. The Goldfish is not a place to pick up chicks, go elsewhere to embarrass yourself. The last fight was almost 3 years ago so don’t bother picking a fight either, the old codgers will clown your face, shatter your ribs and pull a Kano (Mortal Kombat) on you before you know it. Did I mention the last fight was three years ago?

If you’re looking to network with all walks of Tacoma life, have a great time, drink beer and be yourself the goldfish is where it’s at because “sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name.”

update: The goldfish is indeed on the tacoma side thanks to everyone that messaged us!

So check it. I have friends who are good at what they do. Some of them have been blessed enough to make a career out of what was once their hobby. I’m talking about my homies who are tearing up the bmx/skate scene from right here out of Tacoma. And this is not just some homemade piece of junk video put together by mediocre extreme athletes. Yes, i just said extreme. If you don’t know who Davey Watson is, google that mufucka. He is a 20 year old dude who is completely taking the bmx world into his own hands. Front covers of nationally known magazines, huge sponsorships, and mega video parts are earning him respect amongst his fellow shredders. He linked up with my good friend Alex Cassidy, a University Place skateboard product, who is also doing solid things for his sport as well.

A great supporting cast as well:  Austin Gilmore, Brandon Smith (SAVES NW), Darin Read, Ryan Paulson (funniest guy ever), Mike Swearingen, Tyler Bergstrom, and Bruce Chrisman.

everybody is talking about putting “Tacoma on the map”. Well, peep game, because this just might just be one of the things that does get a little bit of recognition.

This week was an interesting week:

• The News Tribune leaked info about the new car that was being filmed downtown, also the TNT gets a new coat of paint itself
• Local Tacoma resident says she will do anything for $100
• Owner of UrbanXchange finds a golden ticket
• Stephanie’s reopens with no more roaches!(ew)

Was having a coffee the other day and these kids started skating the roof of nova tattoo & satellite coffee