GRAB A CUP & READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 1.18.14 >>>

President Barack Obama Friday announced a series of reforms for a controversial National Security Agency data-collection program that he said would give Americans confidence their privacy is being protected and allow U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies to continue safeguarding the nation.

The Pentagon is considering sending U.S. troops back to the Middle East to help train Iraqi forces.

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., this week introduced a wide-ranging package of veterans legislation, covering changes to the GI Bill, survivors' benefits, advanced appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs and fertility treatments for wounded veterans.

Barring investment from European allies, the Pentagon should abandon the goal of a nuclear-capable F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in favor of spending funds elsewhere, according to former US Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz.

European Union foreign ministers are expected to approve a military mission to protect civilians in the Central African Republic at their meeting in Brussels Monday.

Whoever runs the Marine Corps Special Operations Command's official Twitter handle got in trouble Friday for this tweet: "Don't be lone shooter #MLK weekend! make sure you've got security - stay safe! #MARSOC #Marines #shortbarrelforVBSS." 

The Defense Imagery Management Operations Center recently signed a $5 million agreement to digitize, store and provide access to hundreds of thousands of historical images.

At the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, experts in the emotional toll of disasters help the Defense Department, government agencies and first responders worldwide understand how best to help communities struck by terrorist attacks, mass casualties and natural disasters.

Dr. Bill LaPlante testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the time it takes to develop and field weapon systems, the importance of science and technology investment and how to speed up cyber acquisition.

The famed Japanese soldierwho spent 29 years hiding out after World War II ended, never realizing his country had surrendered under threat of continued nuclear bombardment, has died at age 91.

Emails from judges in 2008 reveal allegations of misconduct by judge in original case, and could potentially pave way for Roman Polanski's freedom.

Conan O'Brien hilariously grills and tortures his staff of interns.

It's amazing what a little rebranding did for these 10 celebs.

Lupita N'yongo's Critics' Choice Awards acceptance speech is a must see.

Check out this homemade mockumentary on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Bird steals egg with camera inside and films entire penguin colony.

Here's the weirdest videogame trailer ever.

SATURDAY, JAN. 18 2014 >>>

1. Looks like the Bettie Brigade, Dockyard Derby Dames have competition for the title of Fastest Wheels in the South Sound tonight. The National Speed Skating Circuit (NSC) holds its first event of the year at 7 p.m. in the Tacoma Armory.  Inline skaters will race around a wooden track at speeds of up to 30 mph, in both sprints and endurance challenges.

2. Let's Play! will fill the Tacoma Dome with more than 40 different local sports and fitness organizations from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Each fitness outfit on tap will offer up demonstrations or hands-on experiences so you can try your hand at everything from martial arts to lacrosse to ZUMBA to rock climbing. The event aims to get adults, families and especially local kids interested in being active. After all, how can you know if you love fencing or canoeing if you've never tried it?  

3. Do you know what Shodo is? How about Sumi-e? Tako? Ikebana? Well, you have to know origami - don't you? OK, quickly, in reverse order, they are: paper-folding, flower-arranging, kite-making, ink-painting and calligraphy. Confused? Excellent. Now you can go to the Oshogatsu in Olympia: Japanese New Year Celebration to get yourself straightened out. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Olympia Center, you cannot only learn the difference between all of these delicate arts, you can experience firsthand Japanese dance and music, taiko drumming, aikido and vocal performances. You'll walk away culturally educated and suddenly able to kill hours at work by folding all of your memos into little cranes and flowers. Oh, how you'll Odori it.

4. If you're a fan of Downton Abbey, and have craved receiving a fancy engraved invitation that reads, "Lord and Lady Hinklebottom request your company for dinner at Hinklebottom Manor in East Thrappingstock," then this is your lucky day. OK, "Hinklebottom Manor" is actually the Key Center Pierce County Library and "East Thrappingstock" is Lakebay, but it's still a fancy event. Food Historian Tames Alan discusses various aspects of British upper-class dining as it would've been eaten "upstairs" at Downton Abbey prior to the outbreak of World War I at 2 p.m. Manners, menu and accouterments of a full 12-course meal are on the table (figuratively speaking. They are not, we repeat not actually serving a full, 12-course meal). 

5. Waylon Jennings sang like he meant business. He didn't get fancy, and he didn't send his voice on missions it could not complete, but there was an urgency in his best songs that pounded them home. When he sang something, it stayed sung. The Outlaws will mosey on into Doyle's at 9 p.m. for a Jennings tribute. Pro tip: Find a parking spot early on St. Helens before the dusty pick-up trucks cranking AM radio arrive.

LINK: Saturday, Jan. 18 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

It only took moments to lose a sense of context. Less than five minutes into Steve Stefanowicz's set last night at The Hub in Gig Harbor, any normal sense of time and place had already started to melt away. No, it wasn't because of too much Harmon beer - that surreal and otherworldly feel came from the sobering scope and scale of Stefanowicz's guitar performance, the fact the show was held outside in a tent and the packed crowd of 40- and 50-year-olds came to party. Oh, and Stephanie Anne Johnson joined in and belted it out as if it was her last performance.

Every element of the show fit, whether it was the 1,000 selfie shots I witnessed, the impromptu dance performances, people loosing their shit when Johnson sang "You Shook Me All Night Long," or standing in an elbow-to-elbow crowd near the stage to watch Stefanowicz channel Jimmy Page. It was a night of amazing classic rock covers.

It all lent for the kind of feel one would expect from a great New Year's Eve party.

The Hub has, indeed, pitched a tent on its side patio. With the ability to raise and lower side flaps, 10 tall heat lamps, a wood stove and chimeneas, donning short sleeve 12th Man jerseys works. Hub co-owner Pat Nagle says the all-ages tent will stay, even in the summer to provide shade. Since it only spans half the patio, and the side flaps can be removed, it will work. Expect regular outdoor concerts year-round at The Hub.

Johnson announced she, Stefanowicz and a few other friends would perform an hour before kickoff in the Stadium's beer garden at Sunday's Seahawks game. Consider the video below - which I shot while jarred multiple times - a preview for Sunday's performance.

SUNDAY, JAN. 19 2014 >>>

1. Nolan Garrett has been playing guitar since the age of 8. Not finding much interest in sports, his mother suggested he try music. His reluctant guitar lessons at Ted Brown Music and subsequent passion for music have not only transformed Garret into a guitar maniac, but also a soulful singer and excellent songwriter. At 6:30 p.m. Garret will perform with his full band Raymond Hayden, Paul Sawtelle, Eddie Mendoza and Joe Hendershot, each an accomplishes musician, as the headliner for an all-ages show at Louie G's Pizza in Fife.

2. Do you know the story of The Magic Flute? Mozart's famous 1791 opera tells the tale of four hopeless romantics who triumph over adversity - including giant serpents, a ruthless queen and evil sorcerers - to find true love. By Victorian standards, The Magic Flute was considered risqué because it candidly reveals male attitudes about love and sex - kind of like an 18th-century version of The Man Show. Sorry, guys, no jugs at this film. Yup, nope, just an immensely likeable score, jokes then transcend time and language and the Queen of the Night's big arias bringing down the house from the Salzburg Festival, August 2012. Catch the film at 2 p.m. in the Washington Center.

3. A Martin Luther King, Jr. Redeeming the Prophetic Vision interfaith service and event featuring a new theatrical creation from C. Rosalind Bell, spoken word, African drumming and group singing of civil rights-era songs will be held from 2:30-4 p.m. at Urban Grace Church in Tacoma.

4. You may have heard there's a big football game on the tube this afternoon. Any bar or lounge with a TV will have the Hawks game on. Click here for a list of South Sound bars.

5. Saxophonist Kareem Kandi's sound is virtually unrelated to the roomy traditions of soul saxes, honking saxes or deep-chested boudoir ballad saxes. It derives from the classic, free, often enthusiastic tradition of Joshua Redman as filtered through Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt, all of whose shadows can be traced-Redman in Kandi's funky organicism, Gordon in his dynamic harmonics, Stitt in the intensity that coats his every note with a Gritty City finish. The Kareem Kandi will be joined by bassist Osama Afifi and drummer Andre Thomas at 6 p.m. in the Cliff House Restaurant.

LINK: Sunday, Jan. 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 1.20.14 >>>

An assault by suicide bombers and gunmen against a NATO base in southern Afghanistan today killed one servicemember.

After a night of vicious streets battles, anti-government protesters and police clashed anew today in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.

A coalition servicemember was killed today when insurgents dressed in military uniforms launched a complex attack on a military base in southern Afghanistan, employing a car bomb and multiple attackers with suicide vests.

The Obama administration announced last week that it had revised its arms sales policy, emphasizing "restraint" to ensure that arms don't fall into the wrong hands or aren't turned on civilians by governments.

The Taiwanese Air Force unveiled an air-to-ground stand-off weapon developed for the F-CK-1 Indigenous Defense Fighter.

A senior Marine officer whose career was stalled for two years amid a high-profile scandal involving scout snipers in his unit has finally been promoted and assigned to a top-level school.

The 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team is at the National Training Center. Let's look at photos.

The Seattle Seahawks are bringing their game-changing defense - and the "12th Man" - to the Big Apple for the Super Bowl.

Good News: Technology is not driving us apart after all.

According to Google, Washington state residents want "a say" in life.

Why strap a boring Rolex to your wrist when you could proudly wear a spacecraft?

Director J.J. Abrams said he has a completed script for the next Star Wars film and will begin shooting in May in England.

Now there's a rumor that the little Seinfeld reunion was for a Super Bowl commercial.

Gary Burghoff (Radar from MASH) is now on Twitter, with plenty of stories to tell.

You'd think that, by this point, people would start being a little more discerning with their passwords. You would be wrong.

LOB

MONDAY, JAN. 20 2014 >>>

1. Dr. Martin Luther King was propelled into the public limelight five days after civil rights activist Rosa Parks, on Dec. 5, 1955, refused to obey the Montgomery, Ala., law mandating that blacks sit in the back of the bus. A boycott of the city buses was declared, and King, as president of the newly formed Montgomery Improvement Association, was chosen to lead the boycott. His house was bombed, and he was convicted along with other boycott leaders on charges of conspiring to interfere with the bus company's operation. His courage and his impassioned speech led to the desegregation of Montgomery's buses in 1956 when the United States Supreme Court declared Alabama's segregation laws unconstitutional. Over the next 20 years, King emerged as a symbol and leader of the civil rights struggle, despite opposition from both inside and outside the movement. Civil rights opponents reviled him as being too radical, and a significant portion of civil rights activists reviled him as being too moderate, but his commitment to nonviolent means and his vision of an America in which all people will be judged on the content of their character, not on the color of their skin, have come to stand for everything that is good and just about America. We have listed Martin Luther King Jr. Day events in our News section.

2. In honor of the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Washington State History Museum offers free admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. As a popular poet once noted, "Makin' your way / in the world today / takes everything you've got." Yes, it's back to the coal mines, tired already from Seahawks celebrations. You need something to work off that beer, and MLKBallet will be celebrating MLK Day by offering a special Contemporary Master Class at 7 p.m. in the Urban Grace Church. 

4. Tonight at the Swiss drink beer and behold Dakota Bob & The Businessman Band, starting at 8 p.m. and featuring absolutely no cover charge.

5. Internationally ignored DJ No Pants and Mega Hit DJ Aaron Miggity Mack will spin jazz at O'Malley's Irish Pub beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: Monday, Jan. 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Holy hoo-ah - Saturday's JBLM Bettie Brigade's Bare Bones bout against Tumwater's M.I.A. Derby Girls was intense. The Lacey Derby Center was packed to watch the two teams battle it out on the flat track. The elbows were flying, derby girls were checked into the crowd and the announcer was dropping expletives left and right. And the action wasn't only limited to the track. The JBLM Bratz - the Bettie Brigade junior varsity - were darting between the crowds in anticipation of their halftime bout, which featured hits just as brutal as the varsity.

Final: M.I.A. Derby Girls 191, JBLM Bettie Brigade 178

But what those numbers don't reflect was the last-minute (literally) drama of the bout, with the Lacey hall erupting in jeers and boos during the final jam. No holds were barred, or beared or bared, for that matter. The action was feisty.

Below are a few photos we snapped during Saturday's bout.

LINK: More photos from JBLM Bettie Brigade's Bare Bones bout

Saturday, Jan. 18, Narrows Brewing Company gathered great minds in the Tacoma craft beer scene to commence a creative collaboration of brewmasters. Engine House No. 9, Pacific Brewing and Malting Co., Harmon Brewery, The Ram, Tacoma Brewing Company and Wingman Brewers connected at Narrows Brewing's waterfront plant to concoct a Black Belgian IPA. During the collaboration, beer enthusiasts were allowed in to grill brewmasters and guzzled beer.

I was one of those enthusiasts.

Upon entering Narrows Brewing close to Narrows Marina, I was greeted by the sounds of alternative rock, the bubbling and humming of a hoppy laboratory brewing up its delicious potion and Narrows Brewing brewmaster Joe Walts. A small group gathered to observe the brewing process, while Walts checked gauges and connected and disconnected hoses. Many of those in attendance, from what I could gather, were homebrewers, all being lovers of beer and eager to pick Walts' brain about the journey of craft beer. Walts, who has been in the business of brew since 2003, joined Narrows brewing as head brewmaster since July.

When I asked just what we could expect from the Black Belgian IPA Walts told me with a smile, "It's going to be insane.  Not a huge hop but some nice fruity tropical flavors." The batch is expected to yield about 20 kegs, which will be distributed to local bars, as well as local craft breweries. A portion of the profits from each keg sold will go to a local non-profit to be named later. Though Walts tells me the beer will be ready as soon as three weeks, he's expecting a release sometime in mid to late February or even early March.

Another project not associated with the brewers collaboration that's sure to be worth the wait is Narrows brewing's barrel-aged black saison. This delectable, deep and dark brew has been hanging out in rye whiskey oak barrels for 3 months.

Circulating through Narrows Brewery Saturday were whispers of a Tacoma Brewery Week later in the year. Could we be looking at an epic spring or summer time brew themed shindig?

Narrows Brewing is a taproom. There's a fabulous view of the water, trivia night, televisions and sometimes live music. However there isn't a kitchen; they do allow you to bring in your own food. Every so often Jay Dogs and Pampeana Empanadas drop by with their nibbles. Walts hosts a behind-the-scenes tour at 7 p.m. every Tuesday.

NARROWS BREWING COMPANY, 2-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9007 S. 19th St., Tacoma, 253.327.1400

Before the Weekly Volcano hosts its Tournament of Burgers this coming March, let's look back at the rag's first food tournament, the 2010 Tournament of Tacos. The tournament shell-shocked Tacoma when 64 taco-slinging joints battled to determine who was the Big Kahuna. It was like March Madness, only with more indigestion.

It seems a no brainer that Tacoma would have a deep and passionate love affair with the taco. I mean c'mon, it's in the title itself we are TACOmans.

After more than two weeks of voting the Volcano readers picked the most popular taco producer in the greater Tacoma area: Moctezuma's.

Moctezuma's has been a long time favorite of mine for many reasons ... one of which is its Crispy Baja Fish Tacos dish ($13.99).

First, these soft shell beauties are made with flour tortillas instead of corn. XX beer battered, meaty mahi mahi is fried to crispy perfection then topped with crisp cabbage, spicy pico di gaillo and topped with a drizzle of crema. It pairs perfectly with one of its margaritas, although difficult to devour when accompanied by a side of Mexican rice and your choice of pinto, black or refried beans - especially if you nosh on copious amounts of chips and salsa served beforehand.

Seriously, you need to eat these tacos now.

Moctezuma's serves these tacos at its two locations: one in Tacoma's south end and the other just across the bridge in Gig Harbor.

MOCTEZUMA'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 1p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4102 S. 56th St., Tacoma and 4628 Point Fosdick Dr. NW, Gig Harbor

While the South Sound cheered on the Seahawks to victory (OK, maybe not exactly game time), two U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft out of McChord Field airlifted a Rwandan mechanized battalion, per request of the French government and African Union authorities continued airlifting a Rwandan mechanized battalion.

According to a report filed from Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Force Africa, the joint operation with personnel from the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force was in support of an African Union effort to confront destabilizing forces and violence within Central African Republic.

"The African Union has decided to stand up a mission in the Central African Republic to decrease the violence that has been occurring over the last several months," Lt. Col. Allen Pepper, senior officer in Central African Republic, U.S. Army Africa said. "A part of that is getting enough troops on the ground to execute that mission."

Each airlift mission stages out of Entebbe, Uganda and consists of transporting soldiers and equipment from Kigali, Rwanda to Bangui, Central Africa Republic.

Read the full story here.

Below are snapshots of Team McChord's efforts to airlift the Rwandan soldiers on an airfield in the Central African Republic Jan. 19.

>>> A C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., is parked, engines running, on an airfield in the Central African Republic to drop off Rwandan soldiers Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. forces will transport a total number of 850 Rwandan soldiers and more than 1000 tons of equipment into the Central African Republic to aid French and African Union operations against militants during this three week-long operation. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane

>>> Rwandan soldiers and their equipment are flown from Rwanda to the Central Africa Republic on a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane

>>> Rwandan soldiers form up after a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash. dropped them off in the Central African Republic Jan. 19. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane

>>> Rwandan soldiers wait in line at the Kigali airport to have their weapons inspected by Staff Sgt. Curtis McWoodson, 627th Security Forces Squadron Phoenix Raven, before getting on a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane

>>> Senior Airman Paul Gonzalez, 627th Security Forces Squadron Phoenix Raven, scans the airfield for any threats while the C-17 Globemaster III is parked in Rwanda, Jan. 19, 2014. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane

>>> Tech. Sgt. Tim Raymon and Airman 1st Class Kyle Switzer, 62nd Airlift Wing loadmasters, review their load plan before flying into Rwanda to pick up Rwandan soldiers and equipment. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane