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From this morning’s News Tribune: Man arrested after allegedly using blue police-like lights to get through traffic

Washington State Patrol troopers arrested a 25-year-old Tacoma man Thursday evening after he allegedly used flashing blue lights to get through traffic on Interstate 5.

Admittedly, this was a total asshat maneuver, but you gotta give him a couple points for ingenuity. We all know the traffic conditions on I5 are perpetually brutal.

The driver was arrested. He later told troopers the lights and siren were “just for show,” the State Patrol reported.

Yeah right, dude.

Wild Orchid is one of our favorite Asian Cuisine restaurants in Tacoma. Certainly, I’d admit we’re fortunate. There are a number of good, local Asian restaurants in the area. Wild Orchid sits on the northwest corner of 6th Avenue and Cedar streets, convenient from any address in Tacoma, and serves a variety of entrées with a Southeastern Asian theme.

We’ve visited Wild Orchid many times, and always have a great experience — this time was no exception. We ordered fried wontons to start things off along with a lemon basil martini for myself and a Saporro for my wife. My martini arrived ungarnished without frills. I found quite a bite to this one, a piquant basil tone on the first sip but finishing nicely with a lingering citrus and herb-infused flavor. There is nothing quite like fried cream cheese to augment such a sophisticated flavor. I’ll leave it there.

I ordered a Green Curry Chicken (four star spicy) and my wife, the Three Flavor Beef. Both arrived shortly and our server constructed our plates at the table. The Green Curry Chicken was an enchanting arrangement of red bell peppers, bamboo shoots, fresh green beans, mushrooms, eggplant and basil in a green curried coconut milk and served over steamed jasmine rice. Though the Three Flavor beef was served to my wife, her thoughts were spicy, sour and sweet. Mmm, Delicious.

For just under $50, we had dinner with appetizer, two beers and a fancy pants cocktail. We brought home enough food to serve as lunch today.

This outing also provided occasion for me to put to work my new Nikon D300, which is incredible and shoots in the dark with reckless abandon. I would totally make out with it if it were a person and not a camera. (My wife knows, okay? It’s cool.) Check out the photos. Hover over the image to move forward or back through the series.

Side note

We finished of the night with a first visit to the new Crown Bar where we were served by Dino, a very knowledgeable and friendly bar keep who served me my first made with Bookers Manhattan. There’s a first time for everything.

My first thought on entering the Crown Bar was, if you’re going to serve $10 cocktails, there should be a “we don’t have televisions” rule. I know everyone doesn’t, but I LOATHE the people who feel like they have to yell at televisions when their sports team is winning. It’s stupid to pay good money for a drink and have to hear a group of dicks screaming at the TV. I can go to the RAM for that.

I ventured up to Seattle last Saturday to check out Tacoma’s own The Fucking Eagles (photos) opening up a show with Denmark’s Power Solo (photos) for Jon Spencer’s (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) new project, Heavy Trash (photos).

As always, it’s always reverent to hear completely anomalous questions from Seattle people about drive-bys, meth and aroma. Some of my photos are featured on the Seattle Indie Pop Rock blog, Three Imaginary Girls in a full review of the show from heather b.