NOSH LEAGUE >>>

The Weekly Volcano's ever-expanding Nosh League will make a ruckus in University Place the evening of Thursday, Feb. 9. Members and newcomers will gather at 6 p.m. inside the Ale House Sports Pub & Grille to taste 12 of the 64 beers the joint has on tap  - while noshing on appetizers.

"I will assemble trays so that each individual is tasting the same beers to enhance discussion of likes (and dislikes if there is such a thing!)," explains Ale House owner Craig Dickens. "I can guarantee a wide variety of ales to sample, some common, some not-so common."

As the League sips, brewery representatives will discuss the history and beer-making processes.

Between sips, raffle prizes will be awarded.

As always, the price tag for the night will be $15 a person.

The Nosh League is not just about food and drinks; it's an event. There's a pleasant communal aspect to the whole shebang. Join us.

To get in on this Nosh league event, RSVP on the Nosh League's Facebook.

To join the Nosh League, visit the Weekly Volcano Groups.

Read a recap of past Nosh League gatherings:

Social Bar and Grill

The Melting Pot

Affairs Cafe & Desserts

HAVE YOU SEEN IT? >>>

The theme of the 10th Annual Biennial at Tacoma Art Museum is identity, described by the museum as "a vision of regional identity that revolves around how communities interact, intersect and overlap."

These interactions, intersections and overlaps extend in intriguing ways to resonances between the works of art, many of which are coincidental or are byproducts of similar interests and concerns by artists working in the same region and in the same time. Such resonances are highlighted by strategic placement in the gallery. For instance, images of redacted government documents face photos of censored writing in a book and of a redacted tattoo on a man's arm. The image from the book is an enlarged photo. Near it is the actual book displayed in a glass case, which sits in front of a series of photos of the edges of abandoned and empty commercial signs which, coincidentally, repeat the angular forms of Jeff Jahn's sculpture, "Canopy II" that hangs on an adjacent wall. Such juxtapositions can be seen throughout the show. They are the result of happy accidents and the keen eye of curator Rock Hushka.

The show leans heavily toward installation art, photography and video with very little traditional painting or sculpture. Among the painters represented are Tacoma-area artists Jeremy Mangan and Juliette Ricci.

To read my full review, click here.

10th Annual Biennial

Through May 20, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. third Thursday
admission $10, student/senior/military $8, children 5 and younger free
Third Thursdays free from 5-8 p.m.
Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma
253.272.4258

MONDAY, JAN. 30, 2012 >>>

1. Back for year two, Go Local Tacoma's Shift Happens will inhabit The Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center today for a daylong extravaganza built on seminars and the power of local businesses. Shift Happens attendees will eat and drink local products, as well as tour booths representing local businesses from 7-9 p.m. Shift Happens will also, once again, include a State of the City address delivered by Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland. Perhaps most beneficial of all, the event kicks off at 1 p.m. with a litany of "Sustainability Smart Labs," aimed at small businesses. For $10 registrants can sit in on "Key Indicators of successful Entrepreneurs;" "Unlocking Your Situated Advantage: the hidden wealth potential of body, place, and commons;" "Customer Acquisition Tool Box;" and "Becoming a BEST Business." From 6-6:45 p.m. Go Local Tacoma will hand out "Indie Awards" before Mayor Strickland tells us how it is.

2. If discussing civic spaces during the dinner hour is your bag, then you're in luck. Landscape architects Atelier Dreiseitl wants to show you a preliminary plan for transforming the portion of the Prairie Rail Line that runs through the civic heart of the University of Washington Tacoma campus into an active, open space for the community. Get in on the discussion at 5 p.m. inside the William Phillips Hall.

3. Earth Control, Xerxes, Code Orange Kids, White Heat and Tribes perform at the all-ages Red Room in downtown Tacoma beginning at 7 p.m.

4. Mark Riley Band anchors "blues night" at The Swiss beginning at 8 p.m.

5. Magoo's Annex's Micro Mondays with DJ Melodica has become a habit for many, specifically those who enjoy punk, post punk, New Wave, early electronica and garage tunes while waiting for that one damn pool table. Tonight at 8:30 p.m. the "Micro" is shelved for something Melodica calls "Showcase Monday." DJ Darren Selector will be in the house, as well as the band Battersea and a TV theme trivia contest with prizes.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

LINK: Local happy hours

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Dale Washam: His legal frays costs the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer a grand total - including investigation costs, legal fees and settlements - $691,990. (News Tribune)

Federal Way: The city is unhappy with Sound Transit delays and hints of de-annexing. (News Tribune)

Washington State Gun Safety Laws: A new bills asks for more gun lock testing. (News Tribune)

Brutal Crackdown Against Syria's Anti-Government Protesters: The U.N. Security Council will discuss a draft resolution this week that calls on President Bashar al-Assad to step down. (CNN)

What In The World Is Going On?: Japan has recorded a trade deficit. (CNN)

EU Summit: The eurozone crisis is set to dominate chats. (BBC)

Sundance 2012: Angry moviegoers storm out of Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie. (EW)

SAG Awards 2012: The winners list. (Hollywood Reporter)

Awesome: Saved by the Bell: The Complete Collection is coming to DVD. (TV Shows ON DVD)

How to Improve A Classical Painting?: Add a big furry cat. (Flavorwire)

Mr. Pitt from Seinfeld: Dead. (Huffington Post)

WE'RE SEEDING OUR TOURNAMENT OF BREAKFAST! >>>

In March, the Weekly Volcano will host the South Sound Tournament of Breakfast. Chosen through the nomination process below, the top 64 vote getters - the cream of the griddle - will compete daily on our blog - weeklyvolcanospew.com - March 15-April 2. Through online voting, readers will pick daily winners until the Best Breakfast in the South Sound is crowned. It's just like March Madness, only with way more syrup. The Tournament of Breakfast grand champion will be announced at our Tournament of Breakfast Party at 6 p.m. April 2 (details soon).

First, we need you to help select the 64 restaurants that should be included in the tournament. Who has the best breakfast in the South Sound? Vote for your favorite below.

WHEN SPECIALS ARE SPECIAL >>>

I have found a delicious way to wage caloric battle against our winter: the Loco Leches Banana Bread Pudding ($6) at The Social Bar and Grill.

Crazy, indeed. Crazy good.

It's a healthy chunk of glorious mélange of old bread, eggs, cream, sugar and banana. And when I say healthy, I mean a good chunk of dessert. This moist treat witnessed five creams and coconut caramel during its creation. Warm and oozily, cozily rich, fragrant with banana, and slathered in completely extraneous but oh-so-delicious sauce, this bread pudding is the ultimate comfort dessert.

Oh, there's also a big dollop of real whipped cream.

Power to the pudding!

[The Social Bar and Grill, opens at 11 a.m., bread pudding is a special - call ahead, 1715 Dock St., Tacoma, 253.301.3835]

TUESDAY, JAN. 31, 2012 >>>

1. Filmmaker Jan Hrebejk tackles the touchy subject of the collaboration between Czech citizens and their former Communist government with a light, ironic touch in Kawasaki's Rose, the official Czech nominee for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2011 Academy Awards. The Grand Cinema screens the flick at 1:15 and 6 p.m. as part of its thought-provoking film series on Tuesdays.

2. Chef William and Shannon Mueller, the talent behind Dinner Solutions and Babblin' Babs Bistro, will open up the Parisian-style bistro Secret today for lunch in the back of Babs. With small tables for two, no electronic devices allowed and reservations only (253.761.9099), the Muellers hope you will leave the world behind and savor several courses over good conversation. Read the full story here.

3. Has the commercialization of "traditional" Andean animals like the Guinea Pig for nouveau cuisine or social protest against extractive industries in Latin American been eating away at you? Ease your mind. Professors Maria Elena Garcia (Anthropology; History of Ideas) and Jose Antonio Lucero (International Relations; Latin American and Caribbean Studies) from the University of Washington, Seattle will give a public talk on new trends in the shape and focus of local and transnational indigenous politics in Latin America at 4:30 p.m. inside the Murray Boardroom at the Wheelock Student Center on the University of Puget Sound campus. They will make sense of it all.

4. The Doors tribute band The American Night hits the Red Wind Casino's stage at 8 p.m. Strange days have found us.

5. Our state's credit outlook, Republican presidential race, kitten halftime show ... Let's face it, we could all use a good laugh. So do yourself a favor and enjoy a little levity courtesy of Brett J at 8 p.m. as part of Jazzbones's Ha Ha Tuesdays night.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

LINK: Local happy hours

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

When Prison Officers Lose It: A state correctional officer went berserk yesterday. (News Tribune)

Pierce County Salary Commission: They will fight for truth, justice and the American way. (News Tribune)

GOP Presidential Race: Fifty delegates are up for grabs in today's primary. (CNN)

Not Good: The Western-Arab push for a UN resolution on Syria could put the country on a "path to civil war." (BBC)

David Letterman's 30th Anniversary Show: Howard Stern will be the guest. (New York Daily News)

You Wanna Fight?: The most classic fights to ever come out of Asia. (IGN)

Awesome: Entire Arrested Development cast confirmed for Netflix series with original writers. (Huffington Post)

Where Are They Now?: 20 years after the alternative revolution. (Spinner)

Wanna Turn Yourself Into A Magic Unicorn?: There's an app for that! (Who Killed Bambi?)

TACOMA 2012 STATE OF THE CITY >>>

Last night at Go Local's second annual Shift Happens event Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland delivered her 2012 State of the City Address. This year's address was less of a pep rally than last year's State of the City Address, and instead was calm, positive and confident.

Last year Mayor Strickland spoke like an entrepreneur trying to sell investors on her product. This year Strickland sounded more like a CEO updating her shareholders on a year of growth while providing positive projections for the future.

Strickland's address began by recapping the highlights of 2011.

"Last year, our theme for the State of the City address was ‘finishing what we started'," the Mayor recalled. "From family recreation to commerce and transportation, we saw the completion of many great projects."

Leading with Cheney Stadium, the opening of IGA's Tacoma City Grocer, and the Wright Park Sprayground, Strickland highlighted eight finished projects that she identified as improving the quality of life throughout Tacoma.

After lauding successful projects Strickland shifted attention to small business culture, highlighting expansions, success stories and reasons for optimism moving forward.

"We saw 2,744 new businesses get licensed in 2011 - 500 more new businesses than in 2010," Strickland pointed out.

Looking forward to the scheduled opening of the LeMay Museum, a McMenamins location, and the completion of Sound Transit's D-to-M Street project, Strickland beamed while describing the looming completions of several major projects in 2012.

Mayor Strickland also highlighted bright spots within Tacoma's public education system and praised local organizations like Tacoma 360, the Foundation for Tacoma Schools and the Mayor's Education Task Force. Strickland also touted the award-winning work being done at Lincoln High School.

"All kinds of positive news continues to pour out of Lincoln High School, where they recently won a Golden Apple Award from KCTS-9 for the Lincoln Center," Strickland reminded the crowd.

Strickland ended her speech by citing author Thomas Friedman. Friedman recently challenged Americans to realize that the era of average must be replaced by an era of above and beyond. Friedman refers to this beyond as a person's, organization's or business' "extra."

"The business world is overflowing with products and services and designs and marketing campaigns that are adequate," explained Strickland. "The real challenge - and the huge opportunity - is to turn something adequate into something amazing."

"It's just not good enough to be pretty good at everything," Strickland continued. "The most successful companies, products and brands have figured out how to become the most of something.

"That is, to find and embrace their ‘extra'."

Strickland concluded her State of the City address with a challenge to everyone in the room.

"From the private sector, to the non-profit world, to the public sector," Strickland said, "we must ask ourselves what is our extra?"

LINK: Tacoma Komo reviewed last night's State of the City Address by Mayor Strickland.

LINK: Exit 133 also reviewed last night's State of the City Address by Mayor Strickland.

LINK: FeedTacoma's fantastic Kevin Freitas posted audio of Mayor Strickland's State of the City address here.

LINK: Before any of this, The News Tribune previewed Mayor Strickland's State of the City address.

KID CONGO COMING TO TOWN >>>

Kid Congo became an important post-punk figure in the 1980s. After playing in an early incarnation of The Gun Club, Kid joined The Cramps in the early '80s, and traded in his birth name - Brian Tristan  - at the suggestion of singer Lux Interior. Kid did a couple of more stints in The Gun Club before joining Nick Cave's crew in the late-'80s. He's been releasing music under his own name since 2005.

Thursday, Feb. 2, Kid Congo will perform at the Backstage Bar & Grill in Tacoma. Appropriately, Girl Trouble, Red Hex and the Trasholes will open.

What two free tickets to the show?

Correctly answer the question below and you name will be shoved into a random drawing for the pair of tickets. We'll draw a name at 5 p.m. today. The winner will be notified by tomorrow noon; tickets will be held at will call.