TUESDAY, MAY 6 2014 >>>

1. For those green-thumb-challenged folk who haven't quite got growing seasons down, the 6th Ave Farmers Market opens today at 3 p.m. Learn to grow a secret garden of your own and see it blossom. Not a gardener? Well then just visit the world's most productive gardener, the farmer, and pick up a bunch of their "fruits of labor" until 7 p.m. at Sixth and Pine in Tacoma. The first 50 bicyclists will receive a $2 market token.

2. In recognition of National Bike Month "Inky Spokes: A Traveling Exhibition of Bicycle Art" opens at the Tacoma Art Museum at 10 a.m. The exhibition, an initiative of The Levee Breaking, in conjunction with the Gigantic Bicycle Festival, features work by emerging to late career artists based in the Pacific Northwest.

3. The Grand Cinema continues its Tuesday Film Series with screenings of NOW: In the Wings on a World Stage, follows Kevin Spacey and director Sam Mendes as they take their stage tour of Shakespeare's RICHARD III around the world. It screens at 2 and 6:45 p.m. A post-show Q&A session will be held with actor Gavin Stenhouse at the 2 p.m. screening, and a videotaped version after the 6:45 p.m. show.

4. Let's go camping! Where to camp? We don't know. That's why you should head to Olympia to catch David Kaynor's one-hour slide presentation, "10 Great State Parks To Camp In," at 7 p.m. in the Olympia Center. He'll tell you when, where and why camping in Washington state is awesome.

5. KUPS 90.1 FM hosts bands Posse, Wind Burial and Hana and the Goose at 8 p.m. in Club Rendezvous on the University of Puget Sound campus.

LINK: Tuesday, May 6 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

I have to admit, I'm a pretty enthusiastic eater. What can I say; I like food ... especially breakfast! There's a problem, through. I rarely get a chance to eat breakfast out. I need to hit the home coffee pot for hours before even considering putting proper clothing on to be seen in public. My morning situation makes breakfast/lunch hybrid brunch an ideal dining option. I can mumble and grumble my way through the morning and by noon it's perfectly acceptable to join the outside world and still indulge in food fare fit for the most important meal of the day.

Last weekend marked Smoke + Cedar's first brunch service and let me tell you - GO! I can honestly say among the several items I sampled there's not one I would not recommend. However, this column is called Eat This Now, not Eat These Now.

If I have to choose, I choose Smoke + Cedar's Hangover Hash ($11). A favorite, potato-y side of mine in the tater tot lays the foundation and is scrambled with eggs and ample amounts of onions, peppers, roasted poblano chilies, fried bologna and pepper jack cheese. The end result is a fluffy, scrambled concoction that delivers a teeny bit of smoky spice, ooey-gooey cheesy nibbles with perfect portions of each ingredient throughout. All of this is then drizzled with Nunya Sauce, a mysterious tangy and smoky mayo-ish condiment that will have you wondering what nunya's (like nunya bidness) delicious secret is.

This dish is the bees knees and will have you all bright eyed and bushy tailed even if you did wait until 2 p.m. on a Sunday to peel off those shades and zombie crawl your way to Smoke + Cedar.

SMOKE + CEDAR, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, 2013 South Cedar, Tacoma, 253.343.6090

LINK: More photos of Smoke + Cedar brunch dishes on our Tumblr page

The arrival of spring at the RAM Restaurant and Brewery marks the return of its 2010 Great American Beer Festival bronze medal winner, Maibock. "The RAM's traditional Heller Bock combines toasty malt richness and a refreshing hop character to deliver a bold kick," says Dave Leonard, director of Brewery Operations for the RAM in a news release.

In Germany, Maibocks are the first bock biers released each year, which makes this medal-winning brew perfect to toast longer days. The RAM's version is an easy drink, smooth with notes of citrus, floral and caramel.

The RAM's Maibock will be on tap for a limited time at all RAM locations.

Wednesday, May 7

I'm transforming my Ford Fusion into a funky vehicle perfect for peeling through the years via one of those freaky traversable wormholes. I still need a collider, an imploding device, a differentiator - you know, your basic road trip stuff. My target? Shea Stadium, 1986, Game 6 of the World Series to make damn sure that Beantown's first baseman bends lower. 

Some would rather go back further, mid-1800s, to see how our state rocked the world back then. If you are having differentiator problems, check out Fort Nisqually Living History Museum at Point Defiance Park. Established in 1833 by the Hudson Bay Company and moved to Tacoma's peninsula in 1933, the fort acts as a repository of living history, and their camps and classes - run by Mike McGuire (a.k.a. Fort Mike) - continue to educate kids about the rich history of the South Puget Sound.

Pint Defiance - the beer store/taproom so in love with Point Defiance Park it incorporated the Tacoma icon into its name - will host a fundraiser with Ninkasi Brewing Company for Fort Nisqually 5-7 p.m. Wednesday.For every pint sold, Ninkasi will donate $1 to the Fort Nisqually Foundation to keep the camps and classes coming. In fact, $2 will be donated for every growler filled. With Ninkasi's Total Domination IPA, Prismatic Series Lux Helles Lager and Multihead Single-Hop Pale Ale on tap, McGuire should be a happy man.As a bonus, Pint Defiance is putting a bounty on the draft beers by donating $50 to the Fort for every keg emptied that night. Nice. Expect Ninkasi schwag and both free and donation-based raffles.

Thursday, May 8

Now in its sixth year, Seattle Beer Week is more than 100 beery events May 8 through 18. Who cares? Pint Defiance does. It will celebrate the Seattle event by tapping 26 Washington beers, in intervals, during the duration. Pint Defiance will issue a special punch card. Drink all 26 and earn a limited edition shirt as proof of your status as a veteran beer marathoner. Start stretching and stay hydrated with your favorite electrolyte-enhanced beverage, because you won't want to hit the wall during this once-a-year-event. Check out its Facebook page for more details: facebook.com/PintDefiance.

Saturday, May 10

The third annual Gig Harbor Beer Festival will host 21 craft brewers, Gig Harbor's Heritage Distillery and a bigger music venue at the Gig Harbor Uptown Pavilion Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. In terms of music, Perry Acker returns for the band's second year and takes the stage at 3 p.m. Aisle of View, a reggae band currently touring the country, opens at 1 p.m. Tickets are $25, and are available at gigharborbeerfestival.com. Admission includes a commemorative taster cup and eight taster tokens. Depending on availability, you may also purchase tickets the day of the event for $25. Additional taster tokens will be on sale during the event. The Uptown Pavilion is at 4701 Point Fosdick Dr. NW.

Wednesday, May 14

The 10 Barrel Brewing Co. is on the move. The Bend, Ore., brewery is opening a third brewpub in Portland's Pearl District this summer - the other two are in Bend and Boise. The Portland site will include a pub and a brewhouse, which will brew small batch and one-off beers. Speaking of 10 Barrel small batch beers, several will be available May 14 when 10 Barrel visits the Puyallup River Alehouse. The downtown Puyallup house of beers will serve hot dogs, tacos, giveaway prizes and pour a bunch of 10 Barrel beers.

The 2014 U.S. Army Soldier Show tour schedule has been released. From a poem scratched by a prisoner on the back of an envelope during the War of 1812 to troops smart-phoning home from Baghdad, the 2014 U.S. Army Soldier Show brings the enduring story of how soldiers and their families "Stand Strong" to Joint Base Lewis-McChord at 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8.

"The show tells the Army story - via music, song and dance - by showcasing those things that instill strength and character in our soldiers and their families, inspiring them to exemplify Army values and take care of themselves and each other," said Lt. Gen. David Halverson, commander of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, the headquarters element for Army Entertainment and the Soldier Show, in a news release.

According to a released statement, the show weaves physical readiness training, the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program, sponsorship, ceremonial drill and even the loss of a soldier and suicide prevention into the production.

Included in the cast of singers and dancers is Pfc. Kiari Mhoon of Joint Base Lewis-McChord. As you may remember, Mhoon represented JBLM during last year's Operation Rising Star competition.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 5.7.14 >>>

NATO turns to airlift following increased convoy attacks in Pakistan.

Vietnam and China face off in South China Sea.

The commander of U.S. air forces in the Pacific is reporting a significant increase in activities by Russian planes and ships in the region.

Every country will have armed drones in 10 years.

The military's top leaders tried to sell Congress on the pay and benefits changes they proposed in the 2015 defense budget.

A quartet of powerful U.S. senators are warning that anything less than keeping the A-10 fully active in the Air Force is unacceptable.

White House to give senators access to drone assassination memo.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno talks about the future of the Army and the threats posed by an unstable world.

Pentagon funding for space programs is projected to fall 37 percent over the next four years.

The House Armed Services Committee is opening the door ever so slightly to the possibility of another Base Closure and Realignment Commission.

Bomber-plane budget by U.S. Air Force projected to double.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III: After 23 years of high-tempo operations, the Air Force is in a precarious position.

Army's vice chief of staff Gen. John F. Campbell: Army aviation needs its innovators to stay, despite the fact that funding is down to bare bones.

The Federal Aviation Administration has determined a U-2 spy plane did not cause computers at Los Angles International Airport's control center to crash.

The Army is reclaiming the lost art of jungle warfare, and soldiers who make it through the new 21-day school can earn a tab and big bragging rights.

Picatinny engineers have devised improvements to the packaging of 60 mm smoke and illumination mortars.

Raytheon is making a bold move: it's dumping the proprietary operating system Solaris in favor of Linux for the control systems of its U.S. military drones.

Too Much Free Time: This guy collected 75,000 McDonald's items over 50 years.

Man foils attempted arrest by knowing his rights better than cops.

There's a new Tori Amos song.

Charles Grodin talks about his weirdo doctor role on Louie.

It wasn't all war, war, war in the Galactic Empire, as Malaysian photographer Zahir Batin reminds us with these curious images of Star Wars miniature figures going about their everyday lives.

Finally: Man makes giant 27.5-foot-long space station with 282,000 matchsticks.

Don't forget the tickets ...

LINK: Original photo by Sgt. John Crosby

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 2014 >>>

1. Named after Bill Murray's iconic, sardonic Peter Venkman character - and populated by members with names like Air Bud and Hot Pants - something tells us Venkman aren't usually serious about much, but the stuff they take seriously they'll likely go nuclear over. Nominally a powerviolence band (charmingly re-dubbed "nerdviolence"), Venkman tear through punishing, briefly blistering songs with silly names like "Powerviolence and Applesauce." Catch the band with Jedi Scum and Under 15 Seconds at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

2. Pint Defiance - the beer store/taproom so in love with Point Defiance Park it incorporated the Tacoma icon into its name - will host a fundraiser with Ninkasi Brewing Company for Fort Nisqually 5-7 p.m.For every pint sold, Ninkasi will donate $1 to the Fort Nisqually Foundation to keep the camps and classes coming. In fact, $2 will be donated for every growler filled. As a bonus, Pint Defiance is putting a bounty on the draft beers by donating $50 to the Fort for every keg emptied that night. Nice. Expect Ninkasi schwag and both free and donation-based raffles.

3. Film Colorist Ed Shoemaker comes to the 253Film Collective to share his process in color grading film as part of telling a good story at 7 p.m. in The Grand Cinema. 

4. Journeying through the rich and complex saga of American history with storytelling, "old time" music and paintings as the McHughs will present "The Green Fields of America" at 7:30 p.m. in the Olympia Timberland Library.

5. The Brotherhood Takes Flight aerial and trapeze show takes off at 8 p.m. every first Wednesday, with Olympia's toughest babes taking to the air with whimsy, strength and artful grace. The performances above the drinking crowd range from naughty to funny to just plain beautiful. A dance party typically follows the performance.

LINK: Wednesday, May 7 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

As 2014 continues, unabated, to be the Year of the Religious Movie^TM, we find ourselves faced with an unusual entrant in the growing genre of pandering Christian movies. Whereas claptrap like God's Not Dead and Heaven is For Real (to say nothing of the forthcoming Creationism screed, A Matter of Faith, which I look forward to downloading and devouring with a group of friends), which wear their messages emblazoned on their sleeves, Mom's Night Out is a bit of a Trojan horse.

Billed as a comedy of errors about a harried mother of three who takes an opportunity to hit the town with her girlfriends - only to have her evening out plagued by hilarious mishaps, while her husband struggles with even the briefest stint of solo parenting - underneath the labored comedy beats the heart of conservative family values.

If the presence of Bible-thumping celebrities like Patricia Heaton and Trace Adkins isn't enough of a tip-off, take a gander at the co-directing team of Andrew and Jonathan Erwin, who were previously best known for their anti-abortion drama October Baby and their faith-based 9/11 documentary The Cross and the Towers.

Who wants to wager $5,000 that Mom's Night Out doesn't end with our frazzled heroine realizing that her true calling is to forever remain at home with her shitty kids - and that, even though her husband may not be around all the time, a certain guy named Jesus will always be there for her? Part of me hopes that this is a covert sequel to Baby's Day Out, and the film will morph into a thriller about Joe Mantegna chasing people around Los Angeles, in and out of gorilla cages and the like.

Though, just my luck, they'd stop in front a gorilla and make some kind of smug comment about how those godless heathens think we came from monkeys - but then, why are there still monkeys, smarty pants? Check and mate!

Have you heard drinking chocolate milk after exercising is better for your body than sports drinks? The International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism claims it's true.

Hmmm ...

I'm thinking someone should do a study on the effects of eating cupcakes after running. Don't you agree it would be awesome?

Bombshells and Bombers thinks so.

Sponsored by Bonjour Cupcakes, the running group meets every Wednesday to tackle two routes through Olympia, and then meet back up at the downtown Olympia cupcake shop to relax and enjoy some tasty treats.

"Number one - everyone is welcome. All levels, all ages, even our furry friends," explains Jeannie Hogg, group coordinator. "I post two separate routes onto the Bombshells and Bombers Facebook page, a longer and shorter run. We all encourage each other and stick together on our runs. Afterward, we often hang out at the cupcake shop and catch up and make new friends. That is my favorite part - how great everyone is and each week making new friends. All runners get a free mini cupcake, including pupcakes for the dogs."

Someone call the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

BOMBSHELLS AND BOMBERS, 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Bonjour Cupcakes, 609 Capitol Way S., Olympia, 360.515.0564

Fun Fact: Terra Perkins, one of the Bombshells and Bombers babes, just got back from the Boston Marathon, and sometimes leads the group runs.

On an evening 350 high school seniors took their pledge to join the military, Command Sgt. Maj. Sam Murphy shared a story about when he made his commitment coming out of high school.

Raised by his grandparents in New York, Murphy asked his grandfather, a Korean War vet, about joining the Army after graduating. His grandfather encouraged him to join.

"There will be fewer prouder moments as a parent and fewer prouder moments in your lives," Murphy said Tuesday night at Operation Red, the third annual recruit dinner at Saint Martin's University.

Murphy, who assumed responsibility of the 7th Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in October, shared one regret.

"I'd like to change places with you for the opportunity to serve all over again," Murphy said. "Parents, thank you for raising such fine citizens."

Michelle Vojir, whose son, Zachary Delgado, took the pledge to join the Air Force last night, admitted she had mixed feelings about her son's decision.

"We're proud. We're excited and we're anxious," Vojir said.

Her son, who is going into medical care, reports to boot camp in August, two months after graduating from high school. Vojir and her husband both served in the Air Force, so they know what to expect.

"It will be good for him," Vojir said. "It will help him grow up."

The Captain Meriwether Lewis Chapter of AUSA hosts the dinner-pledge ceremony. It's where the high school recruits from Pierce and Thurston counties in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard make their pledge and receive a farewell dinner.

Roy Heynderickx, president of Saint Martin's University, thanked the high school seniors for joining the military and then gave them some timely advice.

"This is an important first step that you are taking," Heynderickx said. "Your time in the military will be a time of personal growth. You will learn and experience more while in the service than any other situation you could choose."

Cynthia Pratt, of the Lacey City Council and the deputy mayor, read a proclamation that thanked the inductees and their families for their commitment and service.

Kim Wyman, Washington's secretary of state, mixed humor, appreciation and insight in her speech.

"Earlier this evening a few hundred of you walked into this room as a civilian with your family and friends," Wyman said. "But I hope each of you has taken a moment to reflect on what it means to take that oath of office. What you're doing tonight is important. I want to congratulate you all."

Each time Wyman said a branch of the service, whether it was the Marines, which her father was in, or the Army, which she had a cousin serve in, those who were in that mentioned branch echoed a "hoo-ah."

"Since before the Declaration of Independence marked the establishment of the United States, people like you have done the same thing you're about to do this evening," Wyman said. "They answered the call of duty. Military service is an honorable calling."

Jan Angel, a Washington state representative, thanked the high school seniors and asked them to take inventory of their decision.

"You are taking the most prestigious job you can have," Angel said. "You are going to protect and defend America. You can't take that lightly."

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 5.8.14 >>>

The House Armed Services Committee unanimously approved a measure that would authorize just over $600 billion in 2015 U.S. defense spending and block plans to retire the A-10 attack plane.

House panel pulls BRAC from budget.

Powerful factions in Congress are moving to set up an independent commission that would examine the sweeping force structure changes the active duty Army says are necessary.

The U.S. House Armed Services Committee called on U.S. national security officials to report back on the threat posed by Russian satellite monitoring stations.

A U.S. House panel approved provisions restricting the Air Force's ability to retire its E-3 warning aircraft, encouraging the Navy to build two F/A-18E/F Super Hornets each month, and ordering the Pentagon to hand over reams of information.

The House Armed Services Committee approved legislation that prevents the Defense Department from retiring a nuclear aircraft carrier.

The House Armed Services Committee added language to prohibit the department from enforcing the new hair rules.

The House Armed Services panel rejected the Army's plan to transfer the National Guard's Apache attack helicopters to the active side. 

Three crashed drones were launched from North Korea for spying purposes and had been programmed to fly over South Korea.

U.S. Army sends its best tanks to European war game.

Five Chinese weapons of war the U.S. should fear.

Recruiting fraud is "pervasive" across Army, Guard according to a vocal Guard advocacy group.

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said he would not resign amid charges that the department attempted to hide long wait times for appointments at VA health clinics.

Inside the Army's growing Artic Circle mission.

Researchers just published findings from the first ultra-realistic simulation of our universe's growth. And it covers 13 billion years.

Inside the Boeing capsule that could take you on a space vacation.

Climatologist, author, and former NASA scientist Dr. Roy Spencer offers ten good skeptical arguments against global warming.

Five crowdsourcing projects that defy all logic and reason.

Fox has canceled three comedies: Dads, Enlisted and Surviving Jack.

Big news, Sweathogs: Welcome Back, Kotter: The Complete Series is coming to DVD.

WTF?: Tommy Lee will play drums on the next Smashing Pumpkins album.

Finally: A chart of the most overrated and underrated movies of all time.

It's finals week at the U.S. Naval Academy. ...

LINK: Original photo by 1st Lt. Alun Thomas, 1st ACB, 1st Cav. Div. PAO