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Today the state Senate voted unanimously to approve Senate Bill 5970, a measure to allow military men and women to qualify for civilian licenses if they meet certain requirements. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Steve O'Ban, R-University Place, says he proposed the idea because too many soldiers with outstanding skills and abilities must start at square one after reentering the civilian workforce.

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GRAB A CUP & READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 1.30.14 >>>

President Barack Obama had some sharp language on Iran in his State of the Union address, but Tehran saw it mainly as tough talk for a domestic audience.

Yikes! North Korea appears to be expanding its main launch site to permit more advanced missiles, which may eventually be able to reach the United States.

Militants stormed a government office in eastern Baghdad today, killing at least two employees and triggering a firefight with police as security forces besieged the building official said.

The Pentagon plans to tout the capabilities of US-made weapons when Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and other senior defense officials meet with their counterparts in Poland today.

Senators vow COLA cap repeal, commissary grocery price hike eyed.

A coalition of companies that vowed in 2011 to hired 100,000 veterans within a decade has made its goal seven years early, announcing today that 117,439 former service members have since been provided jobs.

US aerospace giant Boeing reported a big jump in quarterly earnings, but signaled a leaner 2014 profit outlook after last year's boom.

The Defense Department is releasing a draft request for proposals, or RFP, to modernize the DOD electronic health records while also working to make it interoperable with Department of Veterans Affairs and private provider electronic medical records.

The Army launched an eight-week Sexual Harassment/Assault Prevention and Response Program schoolhouse pilot program at Fort Belvoir to better prepare sexual assault response coordinators, victim advocates and trainers.

The Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center rolled out the newest Humvee ambulance today.

The Army is having the most trouble with the simplest systems, the portable radios.

Courtney Love is launching a YouTube channel. And it looks like it's going to be everything we want it to be.

Watch The Daily Show's extended interview with Louis C.K.

These Portlandia videos about tailgating Prairie Home Companion are pretty funny.

Get ready for Dungeons & Dragons yoga.

eBay: A wonderfully weird side where hardcore movie fans can acquire props, both iconic and banal, that have been culled from a wide variety of film sets.

Wonder bathtub has built-in sink, speakers and digital controls.

We want a drone to follow us around like in this fun video.

Knock, Knock.

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Yesterday's comment of the day comes from Cassandra de Kanter in regards to Jackie Fender's update on the local craft distillery scene.

Cassandra writes,

Port Steilacoom Distillery really is terrific, and well worth a visit to Steilacoom. The Wicked Wind honey liquor is ridiculous. Must taste. (My dad designed the labels for PSDs bottles, so maybe I'm a little biased, but it's true: Wicked Wind = wooonderful.)

THURSDAY, JAN. 30 2014 >>>

1. The Mantles hail from San Francisco, where legions of bands are embracing the '60s sound, though largely in the context of fuzzy garage rock, this sort of Nuggets influence that seems to color all Bay Area bands. Meanwhile, the Mantles tend to incorporate brightly ringing guitars with delicately hazy melodies. Each song, while lo-fi, is a chiming bit of bubbly sound that defies the current trend of shrouding songs in fuzzy haze. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on the Mantles in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with Still Caves, Not From Brooklyn and Loser Dog at 9p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

2. Tacoma Goodwill's Youth Barista Program new hands-on classroom for youth (16-24) barista training opens at 9 a.m. for a "first pour" ceremony at its Coffee Buzz training facility and coffee shop at the Hilltop Regional Healthcare Center in Tacoma.  District managers from Starbucks are volunteering to help with the program kickoff.

3. The Crown Bar in Tacoma hosts an Anderson Valley Beer Night at 5 p.m. Tasty brews include Boont Amber, Hop Ottin, ESB and Bourbon Barrel Stout. Food specials will include bangers and mash and fried oyster rolls.

4. Puyallup Main Street Association meetings aren't all boardrooms and slideshows. Its meeting and reception dinner tonight will include a Margaritaville themed murder mystery, no host bar, a margarita luge and games such as the limbo and karaoke at The Manor-Station House (726 N. Meridian, Puyallup). The buffet style menu includes a Santa Fe salad, chef carved carne asada and other delights with, of course, a Margaritaville flair. Tickets cost $30 presale or $35 at the door; festivities will occur from 6 to 10 pm. Tropical attire is suggested. Purchase online at puyallupmainstreet.com or at the PMSA office, 107 N. Main in Puyallup.

Jason Baldwin, a man who spent 18 years in Arkansas prisons as one of the WM3 - the West Memphis Three - for a grisly 1993 murder, despite spotty evidence, will speak at 7:30 p.m. in the Olympia Timberland Library. Baldwin, a teen when he was convicted in 1994, will discuss his experience as an innocent man sentenced to life without parole. The story gained international attention, and outcries by a long list of celebrities, after the 1996 release of the documentary Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, which was critical of the investigation of the crime and the trial. Following his talk, Holly Ballard of the Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty will speak about capital punishment and the work that is being done in Washington State.

LINK: Thursday, Jan. 30 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

The folks at ABQ Mastermind Productions have dreamed up a fascinating documentary, and with just nine days to go, they're 25 percent of the way to fulfilling their $2,000 Kickstarter campaign.

A little bit about the project, from the Kickstarter page:

Imagine putting your life on the line for your country, and coming home trying to reintegrate yourself into the society you have long been distanced from while in battle. What kind of problems would you have? Where would you find help? We are making the YOLO Documentary to showcase these distinguished leaders cloaked in honor, yet still struggling with underlying unimaginable traumas. Veterans are coming back home with horrifying and devastating issues, and many feel that they can't find the help they need. This trend breaks our hearts, so we are making a documentary to get to the bottom of the problems, and help the people who are trying to fix things get the exposure they deserve. As longtime filmmakers, we have recently opened a Production Company named ABQ Mastermind Productions and we are trying to gain exposure through projects that will attract a following and make a difference in the world that we are all apart of creating. As a Veteran myself, I feel Veterans will relate with the interviewees whom we have spoken with, and America will be drawn to the stories and passion that our Veterans embody. We should all strive to live with the same dedication that our Veterans do on our behalf each and every day. We have been filming with our own personal funds already, but your contributions will make the difference and our YOLO Documentary will hopefully serve as the creative embodiment of the struggle and immense optimism that our Veterans and supporting companies have to live with.  

Time's a-wasting! Donate now!

Just the other day Team Walkie Talkie was discussing the lack of veteran-related apps. We came up with several ideas, then went back to our day job of writing snarky preview blurbs.

When, what to our wondering eyes should appear, but a new veteran app originating across the Cascade mountain range. Central Washington University says it's the first university in the United States to use a special web and mobile application to help military veterans connect to colleges to earn degrees.

That's cool.

Here's an excerpt from the news release:

Key components of the Veterans App (VAPP), developed by Edmonds-based Operation Military Family, are a lockbox for online storage of military service records and the ability of users to browse veterans' service providers by major categories. The VAPP platform also provides a checklist of required steps needed to transition out of the military.

CWU is also specifically highlighted on the first-of-its-kind VAPP Checklist pilot program, a web-only application, limited to active service members at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) as they transition out of the Army. As a select sponsor of VAPP, CWU anticipates veteran recruitment and enrollment, both at Ellensburg and at CWU's campuses statewide, will grow.

"More than 20,000 veterans from JBLM will be going through the Active Duty Transition Process in the next two years. And those who investigate education through the VAPP checklist process will always see CWU's Preferred Sponsorship Logo linking to our VAPP Web page," said Swiney, adding that VAPP is formatted for both Web and mobile devices.

The Veterans App is available at www.vapp.com. The link can also be found on CWU's web site under Services, and on Admission's and the Veteran's web pages under Related Links.

State Sen. Steve O'Ban and Rep. Dick Muri have introduced military-related bills during the 60-day 2014 legislative session, which began Jan. 13 and is scheduled to adjourn March 13. The two lawmakers will no doubt update the public on the bills, as well as others, at their 28th District town hall events.

The first event Saturday, Feb. 1, will be an in-person town hall meeting at Patriots Landing at 1600 Marshall Circle in DuPont. The gathering will take place in the Olympic Dining Room from 10 to 11:30 a.m. No RSVP is required.

The second meeting is an hour-long telephone town hall scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4. To take part in the call, residents can dial in toll-free 1-877-229-8493 and enter PIN# 112355. The phone line will open shortly before the call begins. To ask questions of the lawmakers during the call, participants can press star three (*3) on their telephone keypads.

The lawmakers will give a brief update on issues being discussed during the legislative session then open the call up to questions.

Rep. Muri, R-Steilacoom and retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force, introduced two measures that would assist veterans and better serve their disabled children in Washington state. Muri is currently serving his first legislative session as a state representative for the 28th District. House Bill 2343 would allow the option for veterans to have a veteran designation on their driver's licenses and identicards issues by the state Department of Licensing. House Bill 2363 would require the state Department of Health and Social Services to provide services to developmentally disabled children of military servicemembers in the order he or she was on the waiting list in another state, rather than having to go to the bottom of the list for services after relocating to Washington.

Sen. O'Ban R-Pierce County, has several state Senate bills on the table. SB 5969 would help military members and veterans get college credit for the training they received during their service. SB 5970 would grant civilian credit to military members and veterans for skills and abilities they developed while in the service. SB 6049 would help incentivize businesses in Washington to hire veterans by providing those business owners with a business and occupations tax credit, one of the most burdensome business taxes in the state. SB 6084 would allow a senior citizen or service-connected disabled veteran to qualify for a property tax exemption if they are near the poverty line and meet other benchmarks as well.

Residents who are unable to participate in the call can send comments and questions to O'Ban and Muri via e-mail at Steve.OBan@leg.wa.gov and Dick.Muri@leg.wa.gov. Or, they can leave a message for both legislators by calling the toll-free legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000.

GRAB A CUP & READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 1.31.14 >>>

A new poll finds a majority of the public believes the United States failed to meet its goals in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

It's official: President Obama will nominate Vice Adm. Michael Rogers to lead the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command.

The president also has nominated Mike McCord for Pentagon comptroller, Brian McKeon for principal deputy undersecretary of Defense for policy and others.

The U.S. Air Force should look at moving as much manpower into the Reserve and Air National Guard components as possible, according to a new report from a congressionally mandated panel.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is refusing to sign the bilateral security agreement negotiated with the U.S. And without it, U.S. officials say they'll have to consider a complete withdrawal of troops post-2014.

Veterans group says military suicide rate is "out of control."

A long-awaited complaint system, launched Jan. 30 by the Veterans Affairs Department in partnership with other federal agencies, offers students using military or veterans' education benefits a way to report unscrupulous schools to authorities with the power to stop them.

A former Canadian brigadier general and head of Canadian forces in Afghanistan is being detained in Afghanistan for alleged gun smuggling.

Premature weapons testing drains military budget.

Senior military commanders should not retain authority over sexual assault cases within their command, a congressionally-appointed panel said in a report released Thursday. 

What exactly is this secret Seinfeld project?

See a bunch of new photos from the upcoming season of Game of Thrones.

This week's episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee features Tina Fey.

Get nostalgic with these bizarre Super Bowl ads from now-defunct companies.

Sharknado 2 is on the way.

Finally: A ranking of 94 X-Men members.

First-person view of Felix Baumgartner's space jump

FRIDAY, JAN. 31 2014 >>>

1. The life and career of folk singer Judy Collins is almost too storied to get into without resorting to bullet points: her rise through the ranks of the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early '60s; her discovering of Leonard Cohen (which led to her making the first recordings of the man's songs, back when he was too timid to perform them himself); her political activism, which included testifying in the infamous Chicago Seven trial, during which she participated in the open heckling of Judge Hoffman by singing "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" from the stand; her transition from exclusively performing cover songs to becoming a respected songwriter in her own right - and this just amounts to roughly the first decade of her career as a musician. Read Rev. Adam McKinney interview with Judy Collins in the Music & Culture section before catching her show at 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater.

2. Dream on stepping inside one of the Woolworth Windows installations in downtown Tacoma? Today is your lucky day. From noon to 1 p.m. Artist Acataphasia ("Cat") Grey will open her window to you and your brown bag lunch then chat about her art. Get in on the lunch party at the corner of 11th and Commerce.

3. North Shore Golf Course hosts a Deschutes Brewery Beer Tasting Night at 6 p.m. A Deschutes representative will introduce new brews, accompanied by live music, raffles and prizes and paired with tasty nibbles for $20.

4. Like emotions? Like, REALLY like emotions? Then you just might go nuts for the "Got Opera? Arias, Duets, and Ensembles" at 7:30 p.m. in Schneebeck Concert Hall. University of Puget Sound voice faculty members Michael Delos, bass-baritone; Christina Kowalski, soprano; Kathryn Lehmann, alto; Dawn Padula, mezzo-soprano; and guest artist Gino Luchetti, tenor will bust out big operatic singing, adding a lot of comedy and a dash of drama. 

5. The majestic feeling of unity is captured quite well in the harmonies of Camp Wisdom. The band takes folk rock and imbues it with the kind of riled-up enthusiasm that's necessary to unite those singular voices into one. Catch Camp Wisdom with Lure and Generifus at 8 p.m. in Northern.

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

I Corps Deputy Commander Maj. Gen. Kenneth Dahl honored Mrs. Joan Shalikashvili with induction into the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Civilian Hall of Fame at a ceremony Jan. 30. Dahl cited her lifetime of service and thousands of volunteer hours, including her current role on the board of directors at the USO Northwest "Shali" Center.  Shalikashvili is the 21^st inductee into a group of civilians who have contributed greatly to the welfare of the Soldiers, Airmen and families on JBLM. 

Read J.M. Simpson's interview with Joan Shalikashvili in the News section.