Have you ever met a mad scientist? I have. His name is Galen Turner and he builds neon signs at his workshop in Hilltop. Read More
For me, the word ‘orphan’ makes me think of a young Dickens character roaming the streets of 18th century London in tattered clothes. I always found that image rather romantic as a kid and would pretend to be a poor orphan who would inevitably be adopted by some form of royalty. Read More
There are two types of people in Tacoma: men who grow beards and women. As a lifelong member of the latter group it took far too long for it to occur to me having a beard is a male's default state, and choosing to be clean-shaven is a commitment. Read More
Want to take home a Tacoma girl, a Tacoma pearl? At first glance it seems Phil Baxter did, although his lyrics to a 1930's song about our lovely Tacoma ladies were nearly lost for good. Read More
The holidays are a time for family togetherness, ambiguous religious symbolism, and crippling stress over gift giving. Sure, you could just go out and buy everyone the perfect gift, but store-bought presents are just so mainstream, you know? Read More
This morning I drove on South 19th from Cheney Stadium to UW Tacoma and one thing was readily apparent: it's going to be easy pickings for police come January 2018 when they start writing tickets for hands-on electronics use. Read More
Are you in on this Tacoma secret? Maybe you’ve seen the clues without even realizing it. Once a month beautifully designed letterpress art posters are posted around the city, and if you can find one, it’s yours to keep. Read More
There's a four-legged celebrity in our midst, and he's known as Asher the Italian Greyhound. Read More
If you have lived in Washington state for a while you know about the stark differences between east and west. I spent the first half of my life on the East Side and I'm just starting the second half on the West Side, here in Tacoma. Read More
Let’s be honest, nowadays, with our smartphones, we are all basically amateur photographers. Of course our phone pictures are no replacement for professional portraits, but that doesn’t mean they can’t look good! Read More
What’s the best Christmas present you ever received? For Job Carr, it was probably finding the 138 acres that would become the city of Tacoma, which he claimed on Christmas Day of 1864. Read More
Think of this as your handy guide to getting started in the Tacoma podcast scene. Rather than direct you to pages all willy nilly, we've asked podcast network Channel 253 to curate not only a list of great podcasts, but the very best episodes they've heard from each. Read More