"There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor." - Charles Dickens

The Washington Center for the Performing Arts knows this quote to be true. It's firing up its annual Comedy in the Box season, which kicks off Thursday, Jan 23. Once a month, through June, the region's finest and funniest comedians will perform. 

Booked in conjunction with the Seattle Comedy Competition, most evenings feature a headlining performer as well as two openers. 

This Thursday, David Crowe headlines. Crowe is a past winner of the Seattle and San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy competitions. According to pre-show hype, Crowe's act has been described as "an alternative universe where Bill Gates takes on Led Zeppelin, Bull Riding is an Olympic event, Pearl Jam stars in The Sound of Music and customer service employees say what they truly feel."

Also on tomorrow's bill will be Todd Armstrong, a comedian from Portland, who was named to Comedy Central's "Comics to Watch" list. Expect stranger than fiction stories and clever wit from this chap.

Geoff Brousseau will be the emcee.

Cozy into the Black Box Theater-turned-cabaret, and enjoy. A full bar in the lobby completes the action for those 21 and older.

COMEDY IN THE BOX, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 23, Washington center, 512 Washington St., Olympia, $17, $15 military, 360.753.8586

Well, we all knew it would come to this, didn't we? And you know what? You're ALL guilty! Years after making jokes about how the trend of sex-ifying monsters (a la the Twilight saga) would lead to sexy mummies and swamp things became so rote that they established themselves as unspoken truths, we now find ourselves gazing deeply into the abyss. And what stares back at us? None other than the grim visage of I, Frankenstein.

This time around, the object of our increasingly complicated monster fetish is not a hairless 20-something, but rather a ripped Aaron Eckhart, so, I mean, there's that I guess. Eckhart - oh once great Eckhart - will soon be sitting on talk show couches telling lots of stories about how fun and grueling it is to do your own stunts, while no doubt remaining tellingly silent about the rest of I, Frankenstein.

Before we get too deep into this, I just have to point out the fallacy of the film's title. As we'll recall, Frankenstein is not the name of the monster, but of the monster's creator. Aaron Eckhart does not play Dr. Frankenstein. I'm just saying: I, Frankenstein's Monster.

Anyhoo, there is precious little to talk about with regards to what actually happens on screen in this trailer. It appears that there are legions of Frankensteins set to conquer the world, along with some predictably cheap-looking gargoyles, and it's up to Eckhart to stop them. Turning the story of Frankenstein's monster on its head (read: this ain't your grandpa's Frankenstein), this time around the monster is no lumbering hulk, but a sleek, chiseled movie star who has super "strength, speed, and stamina," and who rocks the blazer-and-hoodie combo, natch.

To end on a happy note: there doesn't appear to be too much psychosexual interplay between a chaste teenage girl and her paranormal boyfriend, so that's something. Now, let's all take our cold showers and await the sexy Sasquatch movie.

Some biographers and experts have claimed Charles Dickens was the first pop-culture celebrity. Film critic Richard Roeper agrees. His review of The Invisible Woman in tomorrow's print version of the Weekly Volcano reaffirms his belief. Roeper writes:

Here's a cool thing about Dickens: He was a 19th-century rock star, and that suited him just fine. In addition to creating some of the most beloved, acclaimed and enduring novels and characters we've ever known, Dickens wrote plays, was an amateur actor, raised money for worthy causes, connected with the masses, read his own works to packed houses and even loved doing magic tricks. If today's technology existed back then, Dickens would have 10 million followers on Twitter and he'd be Instagramming selfies with "Copperheads" dressed as David Copperfield characters at Charles-Con.

According to Roeper, the film is a handsomely crafted but rather bloodless recounting of author Charles Dickens (played by Ralph Fiennes) and his secret romantic relationship with 18-year-old stage actress Nelly Ternan (Felicity Jones).

Enjoy the read tomorrow.

It's easy to get careless during the holidays. For those lucky enough to grab time off from work, year-end exhaustion can cause bad decisions, especially with an increase in travel.

According to Natalie Eslinger of the Air Force Safety Center Public Affairs, Air Force Airmen there were no Airmen lost between Dec. 21, 2013, and Jan. 1 - a first since 2010.

"Every Airman owns a piece of this milestone," said Maj. Gen. Kurt F. Neubauer, Air Force chief of safety. "It means Airmen did everything right: designated drivers, no distracted driving, and travel planning were among the risk-management techniques used. Commanders, supervisors, friends, family and wingmen are also winners."

"The efforts of all Airmen in keeping safety a priority contributed to this achievement," said Bill Parsons, Air Force chief of ground safety.

The Holiday/Winter Safety Campaign, which ran Nov. 22, 2013, through Jan. 2, ended with four Class A fatalities, as did the FY13 campaign. Of those, one involved a private motor vehicle, one involved a motorcycle, and two were sports and recreation-related. Overall, there was a decrease in reported mishaps resulting in injuries. During the campaign period, there were 122 Class C mishaps (42 on duty and 80 off duty), representing a decrease of more than 31 percent from the same time last year.

No time to loosen up. Valentine's Day is staring us straight in the face.

GRAB A CUP & READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 1.23.14 >>>

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told reporters Wednesday that he was eyeing overseas contingency operations to pay for most - if not all - of the $30 billion veterans omnibus bill he introduced last week, which includes the repeal of the military retirement benefits cut.

The Pentagon on Wednesday announced new rules that make it easier for troops to request religious exemptions from uniform rules, grooming standards and other military policies.

A military judge has ordered the release of un-aired portions of interviews that CBS and CNN conducted with a woman at the center of a sexual assault case that involved three U.S. Naval Academy football players.

The U.S. government's decision last week to cut funding for the Army's combat vehicle program may dash hopes for production of BAE Systems Plc's so-called green machine.

After two failed attempts to replace the Kiowa Warrior, the U.S. Army has finally succumbed to financial pressure and abandoned plans for a third effort to buy a specialized helicopter optimized for the armed scout role.

Soldiers who serve as instructors in the NCO Education System will be recognized with badges and professional development skill identifiers as a result of the Army's continued efforts to battle sexual assault.

Unmanned robots already have proven their worth on the battlefield, neutralizing improvised explosive devices, and more capable ones are coming in the future.

Despite a shrinking budget, Army aviation will continue to become even more valuable to commanders and soldiers on the ground through its investment in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, sensors and software.

An overseas intelligence and security command retention staff sergeant has been named active component Headquarters, Department of the Army/Secretary of the Army Career Counselor of the Year.

Department of Defense Dependents Schools-Europe and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Europe District are engaged in a robust military construction program designed to revitalize dilapidated schoolhouses.

Three soldiers from the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program earned nominations for the U.S. Olympic Luge Team for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Five Soldiers in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program have been selected for the U.S. Olympic men's bobsled team that will compete at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

All the Air Force Doctrine Documents on the AF e-Publishing website have been rescinded and replaced by the new Air Force doctrine website.

Norway's endless Tolkienesque landscapes of little islands, fjords, and mountains are a pleasure to watch from an F-16 jet fighter.

Arnold Schwarzenegger goes undercover to prank people at Gold's Gym.

Gasp: Captain and Tennille are splitting up!

Quentin Tarantino is furious after one of his movie scripts leaked.

Bill Cosby may return to TV.

Bill Nye is heading to the Creation Museum to do battle against some loony creationists.

Shakespearean actors exactly recreate a battle between commenters on YouTube.

THURSDAY, JAN. 23 2014 >>>

1. The annual Tacoma Home and Garden Show opens 11 a.m. and runs through Sunday at the Tacoma Dome. Everything we want to know or see in the garden world will be on display. The huge event features the first-ever "$25,000 Backyard Makeover" contest, award-winning garden writer and designer Don Engebretson, aka "The Renegade Gardener," will be in the house Friday and Saturday, as will local garden experts Ciscoe Morris, Marianne Binetti, Pete Lisoskie of KIRO Radio's "Home Matters," and many others sharing tips and trends in daily seminars. Show attendees can get a jump on spring gardening projects with inspiration from local vendors, headlined by a feature garden created by Olympic Landscape, and the popular plant sale staged by Olympia's Bark & Garden Center. 

2. Unveil the mysteries of exquisite flavors and treat your senses to the extraordinary foods of Persia when Mitra Mohandessi teaches you the secrets of the dishes she grew up at 6 p.m. in the kitchen at the Bayview School of Cooking.

3. The Washington Center launches its annual Comedy in the Box series at 7:30 p.m. featuring headliner David Crowe, as well as Todd Armstrong and emcee Geoff Brousseau. Cozy into the Black Box Theater-turned-cabaret, and enjoy. A full bar in the lobby completes the action for those 21 and older.

4. Few comedians are so confident that they can take a joke as far as it can go, effectively drive it into the ground in the process, and still drag the audience kicking and screaming the whole way. Watching Gilbert Gottfried lay a joke out in explicit and hilarious detail is a sight to behold, which you can see at 8 p.m. at the Tacoma Comedy Club.

5. Jane Wagner penned the one-woman comedy The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe for her life partner, Lily Tomlin, basing segments on many of the comedian's characters. Tomlin famously allowed a dozen or so characters to inhabit her body, including Agnus Angst, the 15-year-old punk whose hero is G. Gordon Liddy; Lud and Marie, a retired couple (and the grandparents of Agnus Angst); and Trudy the Bag Lady, who acts as a tour guide for visiting space aliens. Harlequin Productions presents award-winning Seattle actress Terri Weagant in the lead roles at 8 p.m.

LINK: Thursday, Jan. 23 arts and entertainment in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Southern California's National Training Center is one of two Army sites in the States that plunges units into elaborate deployment scenarios, complete with role-players, who play civilians or enemy combatants. Units are evaluated 24 hours a day by veteran soldiers called observer-coach-teachers, or OCs. NTC trains the soldiers by conducting force-on-force and live-fire training for ground and aviation brigades in a joint scenario across the spectrum of conflict, using a live-virtual-constructive training model, as portrayed by a highly lethal and capable Opposing Force and controlled by an expert and experienced Operations Group. 

The 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord has been at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif, since the beginning of the month. There aren't any fixed bases. There isn't a focus on capturing the enemy. Instead, the focus is centered on large-scale, conventional warfare training with offensive and defensive operations.

Staff Sgt. Justin A. Naylor of the 17th Public Affairs Detachment is embedded with the 3-2 SBCT. Naylor adventures have landed him in Cpl. Charles Wamsley's domain, a communication specialist with the 3-2. While at NTC, Wamsley is spearheading a program that connects communication equipment that was previously unable to communicate. The Lacey resident, and computer freak since childhood, has an interesting history.

Wamsley ... has been serving in the Army for just over five years. Things have changed a lot for him. Before joining the service he was a high school dropout working several dead-end jobs and had his second child on the way.

Read Naylor's full feature on Wamsley here.

See Also

Arrowhead Brigade sweeps over National Training Center

As previously mentioned, the 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord is at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif, participating large-scale, conventional warfare training with offensive and defensive operations. The first Stryker brigade ever activated in the Army is now conducting its first decisive action rotation with a unit from the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force at NTC. For four weeks, the 3-2 SBCT will roam the 1,200 square miles of high desert terrain - with the JGSDF soldiers from the Fuji Training Center near Mt. Fuji - facing guerilla forces, insurgents, criminal elements and a near-peer conventional force.

Journalist Staff Sgt. Christopher McCullough with the 3-2 SBCT has waded through the predominately male discipline of field artillery to check in with 2nd Lt. Taylor Cardosi, a fire direction officer working in the 1st Battalion, 37th Artillery Regiment Battalion Fire Direction Center, and the first female to do so.

Cardosi's appointment as FDO is hot on the heels of the Department of Defense's decision to eventually open all military jobs to females. However, while some positions remain closed as the Department of Defense works out details, the job of FDO opened up only days after Cardosi's entry into active duty on Dec. 27, 2012.

"I was 100 percent surprised when I got here," said Cardosi. "I just showed up and I immediately went to the field."

Cardosi's admission into the largely male-dominated field is no surprise to those who know her. All her life Cardosi has strived to succeed in activities not usually associated with young ladies, beginning with her decision to quit ballet.

Read McCullough's full interview with Cardosi here.

See Also

One-on-one with communications specialist Cpl. Charles Wamsley

Arrowhead Brigade sweeps over National Training Center

IT'S HAPPENING TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

MUSIC - The Abigails are fixtures in the Southern California psych-rock garage scene. Thomas has been a member of bands like the Growlers and the Grand Elegance, and fellow Abigail Kyle Mullarky has been in the Starlite Desperation - all bands that occupy a sort of LSD haze. Additionally, the Abigails are members of Burger Records, the epicenter of SoCal psych-rock. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on the Abigails in the Music & Culture section. The Abigails, The Drippers, Farewell To The Woods, Generifus, 8 p.m., all ages, Northern, 414 1/2 Legion Way, Olympia, $5

MUSIC - If you dig country music - particularly Hank, Cash, Haggard and Earle - Tacoma rockin' country mainstays The Twang Junkies mosey on into The Swiss tonight. Even if country's not your cup of Texas tea, there's still a lot to enjoy in this band made up of Tacoma music scene veterans. The quintet takes the outlaw country sound and braises it with a Stones/Bowie-esque over the campfire. The Twang Junkies, 9 p.m.,The Swiss, 1904 Jefferson Ave., Tacoma

LINK: More live music Thursday, Jan. 23 in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Joint Base Lewis-McChord recently announced that CDM Constructors Inc., of Bellevue, was awarded a $77,476,628 firm-fixed price contract to design and build a Class A wastewater treatment plant for the growing installation.

"We are ecstatic about winning the job," said Robert Davis of CDM Smith, Inc., a company that conducts about $1 billion worth of work worldwide annually and oversees CDM Constructors in the Puget Sound. "We do a lot of Department of Defense work, specifically design and construction, but wastewater treatment plants are a specialty of ours."

The existing wastewater treatment plant is located near Solo Point off of DuPont-Steilacoom Road, about 1.5 miles south of the JBLM North gate, and is an older plant. The new plant, according to Davis, will be a Class A facility that can treat 10 million gallons of water per day.

"The size the new plant is for a projected base population of 100,000 in 2030," Davis shared.

As of now, the project is slated to receive an official notice to proceed in February from office of the Army Corps of Engineers in Seattle, which is the contracting activity. The initial months of the project will focus on planning and design, so the work will begin in the office. Ground breaking for the work itself is expected to occur this summer.

"On paper, the duration of the project is 1095 days from start to finish, so it will take approximately three years," said Davis, adding that all construction will be conducted at Solo Point, which is owned by JBLM.

The new site will be adjacent to the existing site, but since it will be a completely new treatment plant, CDM anticipates that there will be no disruption in service for those living and working on JBLM.