THURSDAY, JAN. 2 2014 >>>

1. Every Thursday night at Puget Sound Pizza, the Volcano's music critic Rev. Adam McKinney hosts a karaoke session showcasing a Tarantino-like mix of downtown denizens seriously singing Bill Withers and glasses-wearing gals squawking out punk rawk, plus appearances by local rock stars. McKinney, always looking dapper in his sportcoat, has a mellifluous singing voice, perfect for "Disco 2000" by Pulp, "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" by Tom Lehrer, "Little Green Bag" by the George Baker Selection, "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)" by Squeeze and his standard closing song, "Bottle of Wine" by the Fireballs. Get in on the party beginning at 9 p.m.

2. You dream of going global, but you're broke. The next best thing than a global vacation is grabbing a global perspective. It just so happens an art exhibit titled "Global Perspective" opens at noon in The Gallery at Tacoma Community College. According to hype, the exhibit explores "the ever-expanding web of connections that brings ideas and people from disparate cultures and locations into contact. Artists have always drawn on thematic and stylistic influences from beyond their native cultures, but this show demonstrates how globalization, the Internet, and other factors have accelerated the give-and-take." Suddenly, you feel more renewed, purposeful, awake, relaxed, worldly. That'll do.

3. 3. Think running and drinking don't mix unless there's a K-9 unit involved? Not true. For three years the Tacoma Runners - a group of T-town pavement pounders - have gathered at Tacoma watering holes at 6:30 p.m. to run a 3-mile loop, followed by multiple drinks at the launch point. It's been a smashing success. Tonight's run starts and ends at The New Frontier Lounge.

4. A recent book by Jim Rasnberger, The Brilliant Disaster: JFK, Castro, and America's Doomed Invasion of Cuba's Bay of Pigs, delves into how the Bay of Pigs debacle challenged the young President Kennedy in a way that had a long-lasting effect on U.S. foreign policy. The Fireside Book Group, which meets on the first Thursday of every month at Orca Books in Olympia, will discuss Rasnberger's tome when they gather at 7 p.m. It was the group's pick from November, so if you haven't started reading all 480 pages, you'd better get cracking! The group welcomes new members, and Orca offers a 10 percent discount on new copies of group titles.

5. Remember that sudden swing dancing craze about 12 years ago? You could visit the Beginning Swing lessons every Tuesday, or you could learn swing's Africanist cousin, blues dancing, at 9 p.m. Thursdays in the Olympia Eagles Ballroom. Blues dancing derives from the so-called "Black vernacular" of Southern dance styles and includes such moves as the Lindy and the irresistibly named "Funky Butt." Worst case scenario: you have two left feet but get to listen to Nina Simone.

LINK: Thursday, Jan 2 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area