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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This weekend is your last chance to nominate for the 2nd Annual Golden Melon Awards. The purpose of the Golden Melon Awards is to recognize all the hard work and innovation that went into a great year of empowering, informing and inspiring. We are now accepting nominations for the following categories. Submit a nomination by entering a comment or emailing goldenmelon@themelononline.com. Nominees will be announced in mid-December and the awards will be given out on January 3rd, 2010. We’re accepting new category suggestions as well.
GOLDEN CONTRIBUTOR (Contributor of the year.)
INTERVIEW OF THE YEAR (Best interview of the year. Both podcasts and videos qualify.)
MELONITE OF THE YEAR (For outstanding Guest Contributions or Commenting.)
SEEDLING AWARD (New award for Best New Melon Contributor.)
THE HARTMAN AWARD (Article/piece with most educational value. Named after our first guest on Melon Radio Darrick Hartman.)
THE SOUND AWARD (Given to an article with outstanding local (Sound Area) coverage.)
MELON VISUAL AWARD (New award for Best Coverage, Production or Otherwise in Video form.)
THE SPIT-SEED AWARD (Most hilarious, weird or insane article/piece or figure relating to The Melon.)
Melonites, come January 2010, The Melon will officially turn two years old. 2009 has been a fantastic year for The Melon. We’ve been featured in many local publications, interviewed all major candidates in the Tacoma 2009 election, spoke with former President of U.S. Term Limits Paul Jacob and former Nivana bassist Krist Novoselic, launched The Sweet-Spot Online Gallery, joined forces with new writers and organizations and so much more.
The purpose of the Golden Melon Awards is to recognize all the hard work and innovation that went into a great year of empowering, informing and inspiring. We are now accepting nominations for the following categories. Submit a nomination by entering a comment or emailing goldenmelon@themelononline.com. Nominees will be announced in early December and the awards will be given out on January 3rd, 2010. We’re accepting new category suggestions as well.
GOLDEN CONTRIBUTOR (Contributor of the year.)
INTERVIEW OF THE YEAR (Best interview of the year. Both podcasts and videos qualify.)
MELONITE OF THE YEAR (For outstanding Guest Contributions or Commenting.)
SEEDLING AWARD (New award for Best New Melon Contributor.)
THE HARTMAN AWARD (Article/piece with most educational value. Named after our first guest on Melon Radio Darrick Hartman.)
THE SOUND AWARD (Given to an article with outstanding local (Sound Area) coverage.)
MELON VISUAL AWARD (New award for Best Coverage, Production or Otherwise in Video form.)
THE SPIT-SEED AWARD (Most hilarious, weird or insane article/piece or figure relating to The Melon.)
Greetings Melonites! Here’s a heads up that The Melon may experience some downtime some of this week as we work to switch to a new server. Our apologies for the inconvenience during election season but we’ll be roaring again in no-time thanks to our bad ass webmaster Micah.
Like many of our readers, I’m currently struggling to find a job. This means that I spend most days on the web, where I recently found the following Merritt for Mayor YouTube commercial, Jim Merritt A Leader We Can Believe In, with current school board candidate Jerry Thorpe providing the voice-over.
On September 29th at 4pm, The Melon’s Electric Elliot will be among many other local Tacomans as judges in the Best Fall Soup Blind Tasting and Silent Auction at the 6th Ave Farmers Market.
The event, which is being put together by the 6th Ave. Farmers Market and South Sound Eats was put together as a charity event to raise money for Tacoma’s Bee Lady, aka Chanetta Ludwig, whose husband, Peter, died unexpectedly leaving behind seven children. That’s a lot of mouths to feed in this economy.
A plethora of local restaurants slated to contribute soups to this taste-test-o-rama (like Masa, Gateway to India and more). The winning soup will be put on rotation at Tacoma’s Infinite Soups. Best of all, you too can be a judge of the Best Soup in All of Tacoma by putting $10 towards the Bee Lady. Tickets are available through South Sound Eats.
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