WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30 2013 >>>

1. Australian Circus Oz is kicking off its new North American tour with three performances this weekend at the Pantages Theater. Formed in 1978, Oz is a rock and roll, animal free circus of musicians, acrobats, contortionists and artsy clowns. Grab a free, sneak peak of the show at 4:30 p.m. today inside the STAR Center.

2. Want to know what's in our food? At 6 p.m. inside the Moore Public Library a Let Me Decide - Genetically Engineered Food Initiative Forum will discuss a legislative initiative that would require food companies to label products containing genetically modified organisms.

3. Word Nerds! Scrabble is back at King's Books! Chill. You're good with words. Seriously. Get it together! This is Scrabble Rabble at 6:30 p.m. inside King's, remember? It's all in good fun. Now piggyback off that free U to form QUAT - that's 14 points without the double-word score. Word!

4. Dorky's Bar Arcade in downtown Tacoma hosts Trivis for Dorks every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. Weekly Volcano scribe Nikki McCoy has the scoop here.

5. Play bingo with those not just killing time before the Grim Reaper calls their number. Every Wednesday at 9 p.m. inside The New Frontier, bingo players are treated to a rather boisterous evening of number-calling. The music rocks, the prizes are craptastic and there's something very satisfying about yelling "It's not a tumor!" when B-9 is pulled from the hopper (Schwarzenegger anyone?). Sessions are free with $2 margaritas during bingo. Every Wednesday night is also Taco Night with $1 beef, $1 black bean and $2 chicken in soft or crunchy shells.

LINK: Wednesday, Jan. 30 arts and entertainment events in the greater TAcoma and Olympia area

IT'S A SANDWICH SERIES! >>>

I've always felt that eating vegetarian food is like dating that proverbial nice girl. You know you should like her (she's nice and wholesome!). You want to like her (she's good for you!). You try really hard to like her (Wow! You're so sweet!). But in the end, you remain just a little short of satisfied. Before the vegetarian community gets up in arms, my carnivorous self discovered a glorious, delicious vegetarian sandwich at the Rosewood Café in Tacoma's Northend neighborhood.

Yes, my Wednesday South Sound sandwich series visits the Rosewood, a neighborhood gathering spot for sandwiches, salads, wine and beer. The Rosewood knows sandwiches - they're big, fresh and tasty. You can say the same for its salads. Therefore, by some sort of mathematical property, it makes sense that its Renee's Garden Sandwich excels.

Renee's Garden Sandwich is a solid combination of cheese and real veggies. This is not a processed patty of unrecognizable veggies and flavor, but rather fresh lettuce, tomato, red onions, carrots and zucchini combined with sharp cheddar and Havarti cheeses - piled high between slices of toasted peasant bread. The red onions and sharp cheddar offer a great "bite" to every, er, bite, while the carrots and tomato add a sweet contrast.

Add soup, salad or chips and a glass of wine, draft cider or beer - and you have yourself a tasty meal.

ROSEWOOD CAFE, 11:30 A.M. TO 9 P.M. DAILY, 3323 N. 26TH ST., TACOMA, 253.752.7999

Other South Sound sandwiches I've reviewed:

LINK: Fish Tale Brew Pub's ham and Brie

LINK: The Swiss Dip

LINK: MSM Deli's Mike's Deluxe

LINK: Antique Sandwich Company's turkey sandwich

LINK: Meconi's Hot Italian Sub

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SOTA INTERN BLOG >>>

Today I was invited to try out Me-Ality, a machine that scans your body frame then suggests your perfect fit of clothes! The first and only one in Washington arrived last March at the South Hill Mall near Target. It's a free service and only takes 20 seconds to get scanned.

Like most scanners you can't wear metal. Me-Ality has a bucket to put your stuff in. I still suggest you don't wear too much metal jewelry or accessories as it's a pain to take off.  After you are scanned, the Me-Ality staff sends you an email with a link to its website housing a detailed list of clothes that would fit you best. They have a long list of brands such as Guess, Buckle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and Levi's. Since Me-Ality is located at a mall it is only natural it will show you the clothes that would fit you there! So you can get scanned and go right to shopping.

Thanks to Me-Ality I have a nice long list of jeans that would look good on me. Jeans are not the only items they know will look good on you. They also have lists of tops, skirts, dresses, pants, intimates and sweaters - for both men and woman.

Thousands of Americans are logged into Me-Ality's shopping guides. If you have trouble finding things that fit you or are just curious about what they think you should try, Me-Ality is your stop.

SOUTH HILL MALL, 10 A.M. TO 9 P.M. MONDAY-SATURDAY, 11 A.M. TO 6 P.M. SUNDAY, 3500 S. MERIDIAN, PUYALLUP, 253.445.5163

THURSDAY, JAN. 31, 2013 >>>

1. While many people would associate water or Gatorade with exercise, those people would be wrong, and the Tacoma Runners know it. Every Thursday at 6:30 p.m., for the last three years, waves of runners head out from a Tacoma pub, following a 5K route announced at the start, before returning to the starting line for multiple hugs and carbohydrate-rich beers. Mike Hahn, Derek Young, Rob McNair-Huff and several others launched the social group in 2010, with Young, Sarah Cutting and McNair-Huff running it today, hosting a website and setting the routes for 2,041 Facebook members. Tonight the Tacoma Runners will celebrate three years - with a 5K and awards - at the Parkway Tavern. Read Kristin Kendle's feature story on the Tacoma Runners in the Weekly Volcano's Mudroom section.

2. Sometimes you want a sweaty, grinding, and crazy time out of a show. You're not listening for the words but feeling the beat. Others, you want to sit and really contemplate what is being said while being swept away by how it is being said. KUPS and Northwest Sounds host an evening with songwriters ideally suited for the latter. From 7-9 p.m. Missouri's Barna Howard, winner of a Boston Phoenix Best Music Award Vikesh Kapoor and Hip Hatchet from Portlandia will fill Oppenheimer Cafe with melodies and carefully orchestrated folk songs. To reach the café, enter through the southwest entrance of Thompson Hall down on the University of Puget Sound's campus.

3. First Prize Winner of the 2011 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, violist Veit Hertenstein is one of the most exciting musicians on his instrument to emerge in years. He has already garnered recognition for his exciting stage presence and virtuoso artistry. Catch him at 7:30 p.m. inside the Washington Center in Olympia.

4. Phasers on Kill has been fighting the pop punk fight for nearly four years since members of the defunct West of Waco formed this quartet, grabbing the name from a Screeching Weasel song. Phasers on Kill's latest, Write Home, is a five-track EP — a jump-up-and-down-and-smash-something sort of album that at once rocks like the bejezus yet is melodic. Chris Adkins (guitar, vocals), Mikey Waco (guitar, vocals), Ryan "Timebomb" Smith (drums) and Dan Rankin (bass) will showcase Phasers' new work tonight at Louie G's Pizzeria with The spittin' Cobras.

5. Engine House No. 9 is housed in a firehouse built in 1907 and still retains some of original firefighting artifacts. Purchased by the X Group, the force behind Asado and Masa, there's new excitement with better food, a whiskey bar, more craft beer from head brewer Shane Johns and a shuffleboard in the sideroom. Rev. Colin hosts karaoke two nights a week, starting at 9 p.m. He possesses a wealth of oddball musical knowledge and a disarming ease for calling everyone "baby."

LINK: Thursday, Jan. 31 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THIS IS REALLY A JOB >>>

Area woman Aunt Mary marked a new level of commitment to her marijuana habit by grabbing her bong, "Ol' Frederick Greenmeister," and filling out the paperwork to be Washington state's pot consultant. Yesterday, during her break at the licensing department, Aunt Mary joined the sea of ponytails and flannel at a briefing in Tacoma hosted by the Liquor Control Board. The agency is looking for an advisor who knows weed, inside and out, and could assist in developing regulations.

The 37-year-old feels her nightly ritual of smoking several ounces of marijuana and then microwaving a turkey pot pie gives her cred for the new position.

"Sure, I might not have the five years of regulatory experience, or the preferred law degree, but ask Ol' Frederick Greenmeister, I certainly have the extensive knowledge of all things marijuana," said Aunt Mary.

After passing a law legalizing the recreations use of marijuana this fall, Washington state must set up a system of state-licensed growers, processors, retail stores and such where adults can score an ounce of heavily taxed cannabis.

"I'm not saying Mr. Greenmeister has a soul or anything like that," Aunt Mary said with a cackle. "But I mean, how cool would it be if I was allowed to bring my bong to my new office at the Liquor Control Board."

Aunt Mary then affectionately chucked the bong where its chin might be.

THE WEEK OF JAN. 31-FEB. 6, 2013 >>>

In this week's issue of the Weekly Volcano ...

Here you go sweethearts. The Weekly Volcano presents our favorite restaurant seats in the South Sound. Love ya!

In the cold and blustery January 2010, three intrepid runners planned a three-mile run followed by celebratory beverages at the Parkway Tavern. These three runners - Mike Hahn, Derek Young and Rob McNair-Huff - announced their plans online. When they met up, rather than just the three of them, there were seven runners waiting to dash and drink. Tacoma Runners was born. Since that fateful day, the group has met up at different Tacoma bars every Thursday evening. Tonight, the Tacoma Runners celebrates its three-year anniversary. Read up on its history, and find out where you are running tonight (you know you want to join the party).

Originally known as the 11th Street Bridge - also the City Waterway Bridge - the Murray Morgan bridge has served as the gateway for the Thea Foss Waterway for one hundred years. The bridge we know today replaced an original single span bridge in 1913. The reason for the change was that a single span bridge does not move, so to allow for increased boat traffic the new bridge was built. With the bridge reopening Friday, the Weekly Volcano takes a look at the Murray Morgan Bridge's history and its coming-out parties.

Super Bowl is Sunday, and the Weekly Volcano has to confess to feeling a tad bipolar about the whole thing: glad to see the 49ers in it again, but also bored to distraction at the thought of subjecting ourselves to a four-hour advertising blitz interrupted by a few minutes of pro football. We could invest loads of man hours baking hot wings, making deviled eggs and concocting some clever pig skin themed cocktail OR we could leave it up to the professionals and ante up to a bar where testosterone swirls in the air, hoots and hollers fill the room and someone else makes the barbecue ribs and cocktails.

Weekly Volcano theater critic Christian Carvajal read Liz Duffy Adams' script Or, (the comma is part of the show title) a few months ago, when he admired rather than enjoyed it. He couldn't visualize all its chaotic comings and goings. As with any sex farce, it turns out Or, has to be seen to be fully appreciated. Read Carv's review of Harlequin Production's OR, in the Weekly Volcano's Arts section.

Australian Circus Oz is kicking off its new North American tour with three performances this weekend in Tacoma. Formed in 1978, Oz is a rock and roll, animal-free circus of musicians, acrobats, contortionists and artsy clowns. However, because Oz doesn't have the financial backing of Cirque du Soleil, it only has a dozen or so performers doing all the acts. Whether you've been awaiting its show or have never heard of them before, here are five reasons you should be Circus Oz's new biggest fan.

PLUS: Deep Sea Diver is blowing up

HEY YOU!! >>>

All those exclamation points mean business, yo! This is serious!

It's your LAST DAY to vote in the Volcano's Best of Olympia 2013 Readers' Poll!

We wouldn't joke about such a thing. It's true.

Go here to VOTE NOW!

The Volcano's Best of Olympia 2013 issue hits the street Thursday, Feb. 21 - less than a month from today. This means here at the Volcano we better kick it into high gear (just kidding ... kind of), and you better mark Wednesday, Feb. 20 on your calendars. The Weekly Volcano's Best of Olympia Party will go down at the Capitol theater starting at 6 p.m., featuring raffle prizes, emcee Elizabeth Lord, TUSH! burlesque troupe, bands Mosquito Hawk and Science, and more.

FRIDAY, JAN. 31 2013 >>>

1. Since its introduction in 1894, the motorcycle has spawned a variety of cultures and uses. As basic transportation, as leisure activity or as a die-hard lifestyle, millions of people have a love affair with Choppers, Crotch Rockets, Thumpers and all things two-wheeled. The action-packed exhibit "Let's Ride! Motocycling The Northwest at the Washington State History Museum is a celebration of the region's never-waning motorcycle culture - will include interactive exhibits, videos and impressive displays of machines from 1906 to the 21st century. At 3 p.m. WSHM curator Remond Barrett will host a walk and talk of the exhibit.

2. "Tacomapocalypse" is now in its third year, morphing just a tad with each incarnation. The first "Tacomapocalypse" focused on zombies and destruction. The second took a tongue-in-cheek look at the end of the world. "Tacomapocalypse III" in turn is centered on what has lived through the end of days and what that recovery might look like. So if you need a little boost getting over your end-of-the-world fretting from last year, think of "Tacomapocalypse" as a little bit of unconventional therapy. The show opens at Amocat Café today with a reception from 5-9 p.m. and will remain up through the month.

3. Stonegate Pizza hosts Art On A Mission, a benefit for The Rescue Mission featuring professional art, silent auction, raffle and live music by John Leonard from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

4. Australian Circus Oz is kicking off its new North American tour at 7:30 p.m. inside the Pantages Theater. Formed in 1978, Oz is a rock and roll, animal free circus of musicians, acrobats, contortionists and artsy clowns. However, because Oz doesn't have the financial backing of Cirque du Soleil, it only has a dozen or so performers doing all the acts. Whether you've been awaiting its show or have never heard of them before, read five reasons you should be Circus Oz's new biggest fan here.

5. DJs Broam, Bobby Galaxy and Mr. Melanin have created something that should be reviewed in a gourmet magazine: We swear to you, their Future Bass is so good you might want to eat it. The bass throbs. The sounds ebb. The crowd is hyped. The roof is definitely being raised. All under the hypnotic influence of the trio's tight grooves. Future Bass is back at The New Frontier Lounge at 10 p.m. with its night of electroclash, EDM, hip-hop, disco, exclusive remixes and throwbacks - as well as guest DJs Delicious Brown and Ninjamonik. It's smart. It's waaaay groovy. It's obviously the product of much thought and dedication – just where the future of bass should be headed. Tasty.

LINK: Friday, Jan. 31 arts and entertainment events in the greater TAcoma and Olympia area