The Melon » Electric Elliot

The Melon’s 2nd Annual Donation Drive/Haiti Relief Fund

Electric Elliot — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:00:40 +0000

It’s time once again to help The Melon see another great year. The costs of The Melon are very limited, our writers offer their own free time and craft their amazing articles/content out of their passion for doing so. But, like all things, there are some costs to maintaining our space and making sure it is meeting out needs, which is why in this drive we’re hoping to meet our goal of $1000 to update The Melon infrastructure and pay for our maintenance costs. We need your help to keep The Melon fresh. As a Melon Supporter, you’ll be added to our supporters list for FIVE WHOLE YEARS. FIVE! What’s more, is we’ll mention you from time to time as a Supporter who makes our content possible. Imagine your logo or name in one of our videos. Yeah, pretty cool.

While we here at The Melon value our content and contributors greatly, and hope you enjoy what we are able to do for the community, we realize there are those with way more need than us. This is why we’ve decided to donate HALF of the total donations received to the Friends of the Orphans Haiti Earthquake Relief fund in honor of Molly Hightower, a native Tacoman who passed in the recent Haiti Earthquake while working to aid children in need. Read more about her here.

Even if we don’t reach our $1000 goal we will still donate half of it to this fund. So please, for The Melon and for those who really need it, help two great programs strive forward and continue making a difference.

Holy Cow! Former Melon Contributor Writing For Huffington Post

Electric Elliot — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:07:19 +0000

We just received word from Jen Drake that one of our guest writers and regular contributor to our old KUPS radio show, Walid Zafar, is now writing for the Huffington Post.

Walid’s Huffington Post bio reads, “Walid Zafar is a writer and researcher for Media Matters Action Network, a progressive research and information center dedicated to analyzing and correcting conservative misinformation coming from politicians and advocacy groups.”

You can read his first Huffington Post article here. Congrats, Walid!

The 2nd Annual Golden Melon Awards

Electric Elliot — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:00:19 +0000

It’s here. Time for all the Melonites to walk the purple carpet and take photos in front of the Hummer/GM backdrop for the last time. Your votes have been tabulated, considered, rejected, re-tabulated and accepted to achieve a 82.5% democratic voice in this year’s Golden Melon Awards. Below are the winners. Congrats to everyone and thanks for another great year.

Interview of the Year:

The Melon Underground - Ep 01

With 6 episodes, The Melon Underground stands as The Melon’s longest running post-KUPS podcast. This episode of TMU featured Tacoma Urbanist, Erik Bjornson and went on to be one of the landmarks in discussion about Tacoma.

Melonite of the Year:

Erik Bjornson

A one time writer for the Melon, many times guest, Erik Bjornson has become just as ingrained in Tacoma lore as has RR Anderson. Erik Bjornson stands out as a first-class citizen for his public action and honest to goodness Tacoma advocacy. What would Tacoma be without Erik Bjornson? I don’t want to find out.

Seedling Award:

Best New Melon Contributor

John Hathaway - New Takhoman

In a lot of ways John Hathaway is the embodiment of Tacoma. Old fashioned, true to himself, gritty and willing to dig through grime to find just what he’s looking for. When we met John Hathaway in an old dinner, we found him in a 50s gangster hat, dressed in a suit and tie, as if he was about smuggle something. But behind the hat, sharp mustache and focused eyes, John Hathaway is an idealist with a heart. We were pleased to be able to record a podcast with him and help promote the oldest Tacoma comic in existence, The New Takhoman. For his dedication to telling it how it is, and pushing the city to think no matter what, the Seedling Award is far to unimportant an award for John Hathaway. Tacoma should be giving him a medal of honor.

Honorable Mention: Erik Connell

CLAW End of Year Ceremony

Electric Elliot — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:59:39 +0000

Adam the Alien treats the world with a glimpse of the secret Cartoonists League of Absurd Washingtonians End of Year Ceremony.

UW’s Green TV Show

Electric Elliot — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:22:01 +0000

We just received a nice little press release from Melonite Emily Knudson. It’s about an exciting new TV show that’s supposed to be doing big things for sustainability and community. If they can make TV a positive force, maybe this is worth a read. Here’s the release:

Seattle’s little TV show that could - Mission: Sustainable - is gaining momentum on its climb to the top by taking an unconventional and simple path to success.

Seattle, WA - January 4, 2010 - There’s a unique story developing in Seattle for television producer Rose Thornton, and it revolves around the simple concept of “ask and ye shall receive.” Against all odds - as well as Hollywood’s blueprint for how-to-make-a-television-show - Thornton and her company, ReGeneration Productions, are nearly finished producing the pilot episode for the green-themed makeover show Mission: Sustainable.

This man-bites-dog story is compelling because Thornton bypassed the traditional approach of selling a TV show to the networks. She wasn’t interested in optioning the concept or parading through the networks with a treatment to pitch the show. Instead, she opted to produce the pilot episode on her own - with little production experience and no money - simply by telling people she needed their help.

Silly idea? Not to Thornton, who has applied this mantra since May of 2009 and has a long list of successes already under her belt, including finding a director, holding auditions, casting a team of eight local sustainability experts, locating a crew and necessary equipment, shooting and editing the pilot episode, and creating the “Green Carpet Event of the Season” in the form of the show’s premiere at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion on February 11, 2010. In addition to the Seattle premier, the Mission: Sustainable team was also invited January 22-24 to broadcast the pilot during Eugene, Oregon’s 5^th annual Good Earth Home, Garden & Living Show - the nation’s first sustainable home show, attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually.

“From the very beginning, all I had going for me was an idea I was extremely passionate about,” says Thornton, a 23-year-old graduate from the University of Washington’s Community, Environment and Planning program. “All I’ve done is share my idea with people who care about the environment and sustainable living, and it wasn’t long before people were contacting me out of the blue offering their support. It has been a phenomenal seven months.”

Mission: Sustainable has been fueled by the energy of more than 50 volunteers - not a single person involved in the production is being compensated - and the donation of products and services from more than a dozen organizations, including the Seattle Center, In Harmony Sustainable Landscapes, Mode Organic Salon, PCC Natural Markets, Full Circle Farms, Mutual Fish Co., Vesta Home Performance, Absolute Digital Media and Pure Audio. More than $20,000 has been donated since the project began in earnest last September.

“I’m proud to say that I live in a community that gets the importance of sustainable living,” says Thornton, who estimates the total out-of-pocket expense for the show to be less than $900. “Whenever we’ve asked for help, Seattleites have stepped up and delivered with pride and enthusiasm. They want this show to make it and are doing whatever they can to help us. I’m humbled and forever grateful.”

Thornton and company are facing their greatest financial obstacle since the project began with a $5,000 funding gap to secure payment for required union workers for the premier event at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion.

“We think it’s extremely important to have the premier at a green location, and Fisher Pavilion fits the bill,” says Thornton, who is working closely with her marketing team to invite local politicians, dignitaries and celebrities to attend the big event, which is expected to draw more than 1,000. “We reviewed several less expensive venues, but all along we’ve felt this was the venue for us. Now, we simply need to ask all the green-friendly businesses to help us make this dream a reality.”

Thornton and company are reaching out to more than 100 Seattle-based companies to support their efforts in the form of donations. In return, the sponsoring companies will have reserved seating at the event, logos included in all advertising efforts and the opportunity to have a booth at the event. In addition, anyone in the community can donate to help the cause by visiting the Mission: Sustainable website at www.mission-sustainable.com and selecting the “Donate” tab.

Anyone interested in supporting the Mission: Sustainable production process is invited to contact Thornton at rose@mission-sustainable.com. “This is a show about Seattle initially, yet it’s for the benefit of the entire planet,” says Thornton. “We’ll talk to anyone and everyone who wants to help us get the show on TV as soon as possible.”

Media Contact: Rose Thornton, 206-335-5370, rose @mission-sustainable.com

About Mission: Sustainable: Think Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and What Not to Wear for green lifestyles. Each show will feature a new individual nominated by friends and family for a sustainability makeover. Depending on the nominee’s lifestyle, three green consultants will be chosen to perform a makeover customized to the individual’s needs, desires, and walk of life.

About ReGeneration Productions: Founded by Rose Thornton, ReGeneration Productions creates community-based green media in the Seattle area with a mission to communicate the ideals and practice of urban sustainability. Visit www.regenerationproductionsllc.com for more information.

Electric Elliot’s Best of 2009 List

Electric Elliot — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:00:18 +0000

I know, I know. It’s not like The Melon to present too many substance-less items, but hey, I figured I’d share some of my year’s favorites with my fellow Melonites.

BEST FILM OF 2009:

World’s Greatest Dad

There’s little I can say about this movie without giving it all away. Robin Williams has had his hits and misses over the years, but this dark comedy had me laughing when I thought I should be crying and crying when I thought I should be laughing. Written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, World’s Greatest Dad takes you on a remarkable ride spanning every emotion, and taps into the core of sociology and what each and every one of us is capable of. Don’t miss this film.

View trailer

Runner Up:

District 9

What’s remarkable about District 9 is not it’s great SFX or even its interesting commentary on discrimination. What I love about this movie is the fact that it watches like a hardcore science fiction book and plays to a mainstream audience without gratuitous action. D-9 puts an alien spaceship over Johannesburg, South Africa. What follows over the next 28 years is the establishment of a refugee camp for aliens aboard the ship. Government Agent Wikus Van De Merwe is in charge of this refugee camp and becomes the aliens’ unlikely ally, when he is exposed to an alien chemical that is slowly mutating him.

Trailer

Honorable Mention:

Inglorious Bastards

I was pleasantly surprised by how awesome this movie is. I constantly feel iffy about Quintin Tarantino, but he delivers full force in this strong piece, which features great dialogue and iconic suspense.

Trailer

BEST BLOG OF 2009:

Mark’s Daily Apple

Those of you who know me, know of my involvement in the Organic and Agriculture industries, which is why it should come as no surprise that my number one pick for blogs this year is Marks’ Daily Apple. Written by Mark Sisson, MDA focuses on living a primal lifestyle (primal meaning eating and approaching fitness from a caveman’s perspective). There are a lot of blogs out there that focus on this lifestyle of nutrition and fitness, but MDA seems to be the only one with the full spectrum of analysis, dispelling myths and presenting well-collected research. For anyone looking to better understand the human body and the fuel we require, I recommend this blog.

Honorable Mention:

Robb Wolf - http://robbwolf.com/ - Another fitness and nutrition blog.

BEST RADIO PROGRAM OF 2009:

RADIOLAB

Hands down, in 2009, I had way more fun drawing or doing other random work listening to RadioLab than I did listening or watching anything else. Hands down! NPR’s RadioLab presents hour-long explorations of various exciting topics from parasites (some of which that live in most cat owners and are making them more lethargic) to death and the afterlife. For anyone with a scientific curiosity or just curiosity in general, check out RadioLab. Not only will you not be disappointed, but you’ll be instantly addicted.

BEST COMIC OF 2009:

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

A close second are the comics of every CLAW member found on Feed>>Tacoma’s comic page.

BEST ALBUMS OF 2009:

Picking just one favorite album of the year proved to be a difficult task, which I why I’ll present my top three.

Discovery - LP

Mixing electronic with alternative, Discovery is the dark horse of albums this year. The only way I can describe this album is cool. So get on it.

Passion Pit - Manners

High pitched, poppy and funky, Passion Pit’s Manners is a joyride, that’ll have you attempting to sing along in falsetto. You might recognize one of their songs from a car commercial, but really, everything on this album is great. Passion Pit may be the MGMT of 2009, so we’ll have to see how they evolve, but for now being that type of band ain’t at all bad.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Phoenix has been around for a while. Since the late 90’s actually. The french group released their first album in 2000, and while it has the same iconic, new age tunes present on their 2009 release, hadn’t seen the height of popularity in America until this new album. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix has some great poppy, sing along tunes that will make you think “Hell yeah, this makes me happy,” and some other more mellow tunes along the “this really touches me, in a uplifting sort of way” songs. So if you’re interested in that sort of feeling check out this album.

Honorable Mention:

Bag Raiders

The Galvatrons - Laser Graffiti

Mika - The Boy Who Knew Too Much

ELECTRIC ELLIOT’S NEW PROJECTS OF 2009:

Bob the Dog - I’ve been drawing this comic since 2004, but after a year hiatus, I’ve started it up again on a brand new website.

The Fuck Yeah – My “interesting stuff” blog where I post interest items found while wasting my mind on the internet.
Trailer Hater – Where the typical reviewer looks at just the movies, Trailer Hater examines the art of movie trailer exclusively.
I am the greatest chef in the world – Yeah. I got that URL. I’m no chef, but I am adamant about eating good, healthy food. Join me as I journey through some modest recipes and evolve into the greatest chef in the world.
Minutaur.com – Have you ever wanted to own your own day, or your own moment in time? Well you can on minutaur.com. Take a look, you won’t be disappointed.

Finally, in the year 2009, I filmed the first interview of a new, feature documentary I have decided to develop. I’m not going to present the concept just yet, but my first interview was with Ernest Callenbach, author of Ecotopia.

What are some of your favorites of the year? Favorite website? Favorite book? Let us at The Melon know in the comments. Oh, and happy new year.

Congratulations Chris and Jen!

Electric Elliot — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:00:55 +0000

Congratulations to Melonites Chris Van Vechten and Jen Drake who are tying the knot today in down in Oregon. Here’s to many great lifetimes together and more fantastic articles. It has been a pleasure working with you both and we all at The Melon wish you the best.

Two More Officers Down in Pierce County

Electric Elliot — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:26:19 +0000

Word from the News Tribune is that two officers have been shot somewhere in Pierce County around 9pm. A suspect is reported shot and potentially decease and the officers are in critical condition. Officers are still reporting to the scene which started as a domestic violence call.

More info as it becomes available.

Vote for the Golden Melon

Electric Elliot — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:00:35 +0000

Now is your opportunity to voice your choice in the second annual Golden Melon Awards. The nominees are in, and it’s time to vote! Polls close the 2nd of January, 2010.

RR Anderson Rocks City Council

Electric Elliot — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:00:28 +0000