THURSDAY, JULY 17 2014 >>>

1. Emmet and Marque met online. They fell in love. She moved to Ireland and lived with Emmet for seven months. Then, she brought him to the States. They became Irish man and wife. Emmet began the process of immigration. After three years, he secured his green card. He performed Irish folk music for two years in the greater Phoenix area. Music is his life; it runs in his blood. Emmet's late uncle Tommy Makem was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. The couple decided to move to Olympia. Emmet's St. Patrick's Day shows completed the travel fund. Then, doctors found a cyst on one of Marque's ovaries. The travel fund was gone. After Marque healed, the duo launched a GoFundMe page. Emmet and Marque now live in Olympia. Emmet now goes by That Irish Guy. At 5:17 p.m. Doyle's Public House will hold its Guinness Pint Club award ceremony and new members recognition, as part of its monthly St. Practice Day party. At 7 p.m. That Irish Guy will perform Irish folk music. At 8 p.m. a Guinness Pint Club member will hug him.

A reception for Bill Colby's "Water and Rocks: A Journey" will be held from 4-6 p.m. in The Gallery at Tacoma Community College. A former art professor at the University of Puget Sound, Colby has been creating art for six decades, and his work has been widely displayed and collected.

It's the third Thursday of the month, which means we look at art in Tacoma. Spaceworks Tacoma hosts The Portal Pop-up Gallery from 5-9 p.m. in the Post Office Building, 1102 A St., in downtown Tacoma. In conjunction with the Post office's current exhibitions - "The Hole in Your Heart is a Portal to Another Dimension"by Erin Dengerink and "Invoke the Muse" by Jennifer Chushcoff - Dengerink invited a group of her artist colleagues and collaborators to pop in on the Pop-up and pop out their works, including Maureen Andrade, painter and executive director of the NorthBank Gallery in Vancouver, Wash.;Sarah Paul Ocampo, multi media artist and performer from Seattle; and Edward Trover, printmaker, painter and sculptor from Portland, Ore.

4. Sailor Jerry presents Tattoo Night at The Swiss from 6:30-10:30 p.m. The downtown Tacoma hangout will have an artist on site doing free Sailor Jerry tattoos (yes, real ones). Junk Parlor will rock it at 9 p.m. Drinks include $4.50 rum drinks and, of course, the shot wheel.

5. A doom-ish, heavy show is going down at the all-ages Northern venue in downtown Olympia featuring Dead To A Dying World, Uzala, Shadows and Burial Suit at 8 p.m.

LINK: Thursday, July 17 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Again, change may be coming to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

In 2013 the Army announced a reduction in force from a wartime peak of around 570,000 in 2010 to 490,000 as well as a substantial realignment of the remaining force.

These changes were required to achieve the savings specified in the Budget Control Act of 2011 and to adjust the Army's force structure to meet evolving mission requirements.

To analyze the potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts on surrounding communities, the Army prepared a Programmatic Environmental Assessment in 2013 whereby 21 Army and joint base installations were evaluated.

Since 2013, the mission and fiscal considerations of the Department of Defense have continued to change, and now the size of the Army must be reduced to below the 490,000 discussed in the 2013 PEA.

The 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) states that the active Army will now reduce to a force of 440,000 to 450,000 soldiers.  The QDR also states that if sequestration level cuts are imposed in fiscal year 2016 and beyond, force strength will be further reduced to 420,000.

As a result, the Army has recently prepared a Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment (SPEA) to assess the environmental and socioeconomic impacts on local municipalities of further reductions and to provide information to decision makers and the public.

The assessment has a direct bearing on JBLM.

As part of the reduction of force, in a worse case scenario the SPEA indicates that JBLM is being considered for a potential reduction of 16,000 soldiers and civilian workers.

The timeline for any kind of reduction would be between now and 2020.

"Under the proposed action, the Army estimates the JBLM Region of Influence (ROI) - encompassing Pierce and Thurston counties - would see an income reduction of $971.6 million; what the Army acknowledges to be a ‘significant impact' to Washington's 10^th District," said Congressman Denny Heck in an email. "It is critical that we take advantage of the SPEA's public comment period to evaluate the Army's assessments and respond accordingly."

The South Sound Military and Communities Partnership (SSMCP) has put together an action team to analyze the SPEA and develop talking points for local communities to use in preparing official comments on the SPEA.

For more information on how to respond to these changes, contact Mary Huff, interim program manager, SSMCP at mhuff@cityoflakewood.us or 253.983.7774.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 7.18.14 >>>

Malaysian airliner shot down over eastern Ukraine: First came the loud explosion that made buildings rattle: then it started raining bodies.

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine agreed to allow investigators access to the scattered crash site of a Malaysian airliner that was shot down, killing all 298 aboard.

Separatist rebel claims about the flight recorders have profound implications for the integrity of the plane crash investigation.

It's finally time to stand up against Putin.

Israel steps up Gaza ground offensive, civilian casualties grow.

Why Israel launches a ground war in Gaza.

The Pentagon could use a new $5 billion counterterrorism fund, strongly opposed by the US Congress, to purchase new intelligence gear and aircraft for American and partner militaries.

A U.S. Senate panel approved nearly $550 billion in military spending, while also proposing to keep alive weapon systems the Pentagon wanted to retire. But senior members made clear it may never see the Senate floor.

Pentagon officials defended their request for $60 billion in war funds before the House Budget Committee as lawmakers accused them of trying to avoid budget caps and congressional scrutiny.

All four Congressional defense committees have aligned to support an increase in Tomahawk missile production in 2015 and beyond.

Afghanistan's future was the most popular discussion point during Thursday's confirmation hearing on Gen. Joseph Dunford's nomination to become the next Marine Corps commandant.

Sustaining the readiness and training in the Republic of Korea, includes soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Captains across the Army are telling their chief of staff that distance learning can be a powerful tool, but its be-all-promise may be a stretch, and its method of delivery may need some re-tooling.

Mission command challenging in peacetime, captains advise Army chief of staff Gen. Ray Odierno.

Researchers at the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, or NSRDEC, take shelter ballistic protection to the "X" Level.

The Army is creating a standard marketplace of tactical communications hardware to support the Common Operating Environment initiative and deliver a familiar and intuitive experience for soldiers.

The Hornet's Nest is a product of a two journalists - Mike and Carlos Boettcher, a father and son team who were embedded with the unit for nearly two years, filming soldiers' actions and daily lives, as well as those of the Soldiers from 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 101st, and Marines with 2nd Battalion of the 8th Marines.

Airman to publish story of tragedy, perseverance.

Complaints are surfacing about a new contractor that recently took over the process of shipping service members' privately owned vehicles to and from overseas locations.

Here Kitty Kitty!: How a cat poop parasite could help scientists develop a cancer treatment.

A hoodie made from speaker fabric won't muffle your headphones.

A tent with built-in LED lighting eliminates midnight flashlight hunts.

R.I.P., Elaine Stritch and Johnny Winter.

Here's a roundup of books that inspired various indie tunes and albums.

A.V. Club writers share their favorite songs of the year.

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert appear in this funny Star Wars video for a good cause.

Finally: a few of these vintage Disneyland pictures are horrifying.

Got paddle?

LINK: Original photo by Cpl. Joseph Scanlan

FRIDAY, JULY 18 2014 >>>

1. Made up of looped samples of '60s soul and bubblegum songs, the music of the Los Angeles-based TV Girl then incorporates hip-hop beats and blissed-out indie pop vocals, creating what amounts to a kind of factory-tested ideal for summer soundtracks. Everything is nostalgic and new with TV Girl, with the result coming out as a neo-futurist ode to the cyclical nature of popular music. Oh, and it sounds really great. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's interview with TV Girl in the Music and Culture section., then catch the band with Brothertiger and Globelamp at 8 p.m. in Olympia's all-ages venue Northern.

2. As part of its 20th anniversary, Dick's Brewing Co. has brewed Dick's Midnight Ride, a robust, Northwest-style CDA bursting with Cascade and Centennial hops, and balanced with a rich dark malt profile. Think rich, dark and malty like a porter with a hop profile. Drink it today when it's released to the public. Dick's taproom is open from 3-7:30 p.m. at 3516 Galvin Road in downtown Centralia. 

3. Gleeful children dashing after saltwater taffy shot from a "candy cannon" is just one of the experiences in store during Fort Nisqually Living History Museum's Family Fun Night from 6-9 p.m. Families are invited to bring their own picnic dinner to the Fort, located in Point Defiance Park, and join in games, dancing, and relay races with the Fort's re-enactors. 

4. Wow, Laura (comma included) delivers breezy indie pop while also taking time to inject it with jarring shifts in time signatures and halting uses of stop/start dynamics. Catch the band with iji at 8 p.m. in the Half Pint Pizza Pub.

5. "Whip It," "What I Like About You," "Safety Dance" and you're-goddamn-right "Don't Stop Believin'" are a few of the songs on the Spazmatics' set list, so grab your skinny tie, brush up your Robot, and pull up your Members Only jacket sleeves. One of the hottest '80s cover bands in the country will play with Mr. Pink at 8 p.m. in Jazzbones. They are so choice.

LINK: Friday, July 18 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Suzanne Gerstner summed up neatly the reason for standing in front of the flagpole at the heart of the Tahoma National Cemetery.

"We're here to pay tribute to our fallen spouses," said the Gold Star Wife from Florida. 

The gold star on her lapel is representative of having lost a spouse serving in the military.

"We will not forget them."

The Gold Star Wives of America, a non-profit, was founded before the end of World War II.

Its purpose remains to provide support for the spouses and children of those who lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States.

>>> Incorporated on Dec. 15, 1945 the Cold Star Wives have 10,000 members nationwide with more than 60 active chapters. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

Eighty-six wives from around the country are meeting this week in Seattle for its 69th National Convention.

The Tahoma Chapter hosted the three-day convention, which held a short ceremony this morning at the Tahoma National Cemetery.

"What a beautiful day," enthused chaplain Andrena Taylor.  "And this is a beautiful place to lay our loved ones."

>>> Eighty-six Gold Star Wives from around the country attended the 69th Gold Star Wives National Convention this past week.Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

On April 5, 1945, four widows - who did not even receive a flag or letter from the government for their sacrifice - met in Marie Jordan's apartment in New York City and began the organization.

Not long after, Eleanor Roosevelt, the widow of President Franklin Roosevelt, joined the group and became one of the original signers when the organization was chartered as a non-profit.

Today, the organization holds a Congressional Charter under title 36 of the United States Code under public law 96-497.

Over the years, Gold Star Wives of America have worked quietly to support each other and their survivors. 

They have also worked for and received greater recognition.

On April 5 of this year, Congress designated the day as "Gold Star Wives Day."  The intent is to publically recognize the sacrifice made by service members and their spouses in support of the nation.

"This day provides an opportunity to honor the members of Gold Star Wives of America, a volunteer organization that has assisted widows and survivors of fallen service members," said Senator Richard Burr (R-North Carolina).

"By designating April 5, 2014 as ‘Gold Star Wives Day,' this resolution promotes awareness of the dedication and sacrifice of the families of America's fallen soldiers and veterans."

>>> Gold Star Wife and National Chaplain Andrena Taylor thanked the Tahoma Chapter for its hospitality and hard work. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

The organization has a strong local connection.

"You have here today the spouses of service members who gave their lives in all of this country's war since the organization was founded," said Arlene Murray, president of the Tahoma Chapter.

"We are honored to be able to serve and remember those who have served."

The local chapter meets every third Saturday of the month at 10 a.m. at the AmVets Post #1 in Tacoma.

For more information about the Gold Star Wives of America, visit www.goldstarwives.org.

For more information about the Tahoma Chapter, email Murray at a.murray2293@gmail.com.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 7.19.14 >>>

Rebels are accused of moving bodies from the site of the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, denying access to area.

Obama said the rebels "have received a steady flow of support from Russia," including antiaircraft weapons.

The U.S. will not take military action in response to the downing of a Malaysian passenger jet over Ukraine.

Iran faced Western pressure today to make concessions over its atomic activities after it and six world powers failed to meet a July 20 deadline for a deal to end the decade-old dispute but agreed to keep talking.

Israeli clashes with Hamas intensify in Gaza: Civilian casualties mount as fighting grows more fierce.

The U.S. military continues to draw down in preparation for the end of its combat mission in December, but the fight in Afghanistan is not over.

Afghanistan drawdown: Some lawmakers say they are uncomfortable with Obama's plan, which responds to the American public's war fatigue.

Lawmakers were quick to praise Senate appropriators' $550 billion defense spending bill, which rejected many proposed Pentagon cost-cutting measures and protected programs in their home districts.

The first congressional panel to take action on a White House-proposed counterterrorism program breathed life into the effort - but also raised a slew of questions the Obama administration is struggling to answer.

Air Force focuses fourth round of VERA/VSIP on headquarters reductions.

The U.S. subsidiary of the British defense giant BAE Systems Plc expects the Army to begin buying its guidance kits to convert unguided rockets into "smart" heat-seeking missiles.

The fighter jet we could have built instead of the F-35.

Next-generation combat pilot helmet: Say goodbye to night vision goggles.

Captain America: Steve Rogers is hanging up his shield and turning things over to the Falcon in the Marvel comic book series.

My Name Is New York, Woody Guthrie: An upcoming record features tunes the folk legend penned about the Big Apple, and this title track blows most of today's artists out of the water.

Badfinger demos: A bunch of recently uncovered demos from founding members Pete Ham and Tom Evans have been posted at poba.org, and they're worth a listen. Peruse the site to see more rare work from visual and musical artists.

Miley Cyrus may exist, but the jury's still out on whether or not she's a real person.

The best movie soundtracks of 2014, so far.

Not a good idea: Flying man flies so close to a cliff he can high-five someone.

Wh-What?: Man climbs a ladder with a morotcycle on his head.

Too much free time: Freaky animal hybrids.

How Tinder dating app works ...

LINK: Original photo by Sgt. David Edge

SATURDAY, JULY 19 2014 >>>

1. From its birth in the 1970s, the post-punk genre evolved as many of the all-time greats of the genre appeared. Into the '80s, bands like the Fall, Public Image Ltd., Wire and Suicide continued to innovate. The term "darkwave" came from back in the 1980s, and was one of the terms used to describe the Golden Age bands, as well as dark electronica acts such as Gary Numan and Depeche Mode. Now the new wave is discovering the art of the original New Wave, and even some of the surviving masters are making returns to resurrect the genre. It's an exciting time for post-punk fans. At 8 p.m. in Le Voyeur, post-punk and darkwave collide when three dark post-punk bands take the stage: Happy Noose, Shadowhouse and the Mercenaries. Bonus: Vern Rumsey, former bassist of Unwound/Blonde Redhead, will perform as Red Rumsey.

2. Often we try to bring you fun activities at a reasonable price. But it doesn't get any better than FREE! Of course most of the time, free isn't exactly free, that is just the sugar-coated packaging the really expensive activities come in. The 30th Annual Gig Harbor Summer Arts Festival is one of them. It's pretty cool, and if you can abstain from buying anything, you might come out scotch free - unless you have a girlfriend. But ... what can be more romantic than taking a stroll along the beautiful Gig Harbor waterfront, hand-in-hand with your better-half, taking in beautiful art by 122 area artists and craftspeople from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You will see painters, potters, jewelry designers, fabric artists, woodworkers, photographers and, of course, pastels and watercolors.

3. LeMay - America's Car Museum hosts an exclusive summer event for lovers of the grill, both the one that adorns your wheels and the ones you cook over fire with in their Smokin' Hot RibFest 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dive into barbecue ribs and other meat delights while enjoying discounted admission into the museum. Attendees get to vote for the best vendor book and best ribs with a percentage of proceeds benefiting Rescue Mission of Tacoma. Need something to wash down all that meaty goodness? Imbibe in cocktails from Heritage Distilling Company and Ginkgo Forest Winery.  Meals are $10 and tastes in the garden are $3. Vroom, Vroom, YUM.

4. Narrows Brewing will host a one-year anniversary party titled "Breakers Ball" from 6-11 p.m. Stephanie Anne Johnson will perform. Local food trucks and vendors will be on site. Read Pappi Swarner's interview with Narrows' head brewer Joe Walts in the New Beer Column.

5. Ant and the Cold 102's gang will brings their real blues, blistering guitars and wailing harmonicas to Doyle's Public House at 9:30 p.m. 

LINK: Saturday, July 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, JULY 20 2014 >>>

1. If you think you've been hot the past two weeks, think about how hot those guys in the food trucks must be. The high temp should only reach 70 today so no one should complain about the heat at the Food Truck Festival from noon to 5 p.m. at Wright Park. Metro Parks called out to food trucks, and they've answered en masse. Today will mark the one-day, free event featuring trucks and mobile businesses and live entertainment. Schedule businesses driving trucks to the park include Masa, Asado, It's Greek To Me, Lizzie Lou's Comfort Food, Celebrity Cake Studio, Lumpia World, Josefina's Taco Truck Pampeana empanadas, Budha Bear Bagels and others.

2. If you've got a girlfriend, you probably know what season it is: the free outdoor festival season. You've probably hit just about every free music-in-the-park event, free drum circle and free farmers market since April. Well, this weekend prepare for a trip over the bridge, for the annual Gig Harbor Summer Arts Festival, where 122 artists (plus the obligatory vendors), live music and family activities will take over Judson Street in downtown Gig Harbor from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Go ahead, get your face painted.

3. The sun is hiding today after what felt like a 10-year summer. Head inside today to catch some local theater today. 

4. The Social Bar and Grill's patio is a lovely spot to while away a weekend afternoon, sipping cocktails and old world red wine and watching condo residents walk their dogs. Come Sunday afternoon, resident DJ Mr. Melanin and rotating guests spin an eclectic and extremely tasteful selection of lounge, bossa nova and electro soul music 2-6 p.m. This triple threat of delicious happy hour specials, sun and hip tunes is known as Tacoma's only daytime summer party, "Dayclub."

5. What might have come across as a bit of cheeky, gimmickry with the Cave Singers, has coalesced into an easy and natural product. Combining members of punk bands such as Pretty Girls Make Graves and Murder City Devils into a folk-rock band (right at the apex of Seattle's neo-folk inundation, mind you) surely must have struck some as a stunt, but the band's seventh year on the scene shows them settling into a welcome groove. Their tour finds them breezing through The New Frontier with No Grave for a rare Sunday 8 p.m. show, so it'd behoove you to catch them.

LINK: Sunday, July 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 7.21.14 >>>

The Palestinian death toll rose to more than 500 as Israel announced it had prevented two more attempts by Hamas militants to infiltrate the nation via tunnels from the Gaza Strip. 

Science!: Why Israel's Iron Dome is overrated.

Secretary of State John F. Kerry cited what he calls an "enormous amount of evidence" tying separatists to downing of Malaysia Airlines in Ukraine.

The Buk that brough down MH17 is the high-tech equivalent of the ubiquitous AK-14, which almost started World War III.

Republicans and Democrats showed a rare display of bipartisanship last week when members of both parties criticized the Pentagon's $58.6 billion war budget request, but experts say Congress will likely approve the measure.

Obama wants $5 billion to boost foreign deployment of special operations forces.

The revival of the Pentagon's storied F-35 alternative engine program is unlikely despite a U.S. Senate panel raising that possibility.

China in the sky: 10 things to know about the People's Liberation Army Air Force.

The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee on Tuesday will hold a confirmation hearing for Robert McDonald, President Obama's nominee to lead the troubled Veterans Affairs Department.

A small aircraft carrying U.S. military personnel made an emergency landing in the middle of a highway after running out of fuel.

The Kansas Adjutant General's office says federal authorities are investigating possible corruption involving outside medical companies' contracts with the Kansas Army National Guard.

Air Force officials are expected to decide by next month whether to go forward with a huge expansion of a bomber training area over the Northern Plains for B-1 bombers.

For the first time students from the U.S. Air Force Weapons School got to fly with the newly upgraded Sustainment Block-16 B-1B Lancer.

Military pride: These states boast the highest enlistment rates in America.

The definitive proof: Why the moon landings could have never ever been faked.

These photos of rest areas will make you want to jump in your car and go.

Actor James Garner has died.

Watch a trailer for the new season of Homeland.

See a trailer for Aaron McGruder's new Adult Swim comedy, Black Jesus.

Finally: Here's a cover of Queen's Another One Bites the Dust that consists of movie screams.

Here's today's Ugandan street dance battle ...

LINK: Original photo by Cpl. John A. Martinez Jr.

MONDAY, JULY 21 2014 >>>

1. Algerian blues guitarist Abd.El.Kader, or AEK, has created his own original blues style, SafarBlues, combining the sounds of North Africa and the West. AE discovered the guitar when he was 10. Very quickly he felt a passion for the blues, whose laments reminded him of the traditional songs of his country of origin. It was the beginning of the nineties that he crossed the path of famous bluesmen like Correy Harris, Luther Allison, Willie Kent and Amar Sundy. Sundy supported AEK, together they played at various festivals, jam sessions and Parisian clubs throughout France. It's from that collaboration with Amar Sundy that his SafarBlues was born, a mix between blues and African rhythms balanced on the strings of his guitar. AEK and his band revisit The Swiss for its Monday Night Blues series at 8 p.m.

2. "Mining the Ego" presents a selection of sculpture from Benjamin Entner's "Ego Sum" series, in which Entner draws himself in postures similar to that of Classical Greco-Roman and Renaissance sculpture. "Ego Sum" is a series of inflatable drawings that explore the boundaries and interplay between two- and three-dimensional methods of “making.” Specifically, the point at which a drawing can become form and an object can become a representation. Read Alec Clayton's review of the show here, then check it out from noon to 4 p.m. at the Minnaert Center.

3. Local comedian and host Eric Puddin Lorentzen hosts the "Monday Madness Comedy Night with Puddin" at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge. Expect 6-10 minute sets, each recorded. The audience will choose a winner, who will headline the following week. It was the great Bill Cosby who said, "Puddin, you can't be a comedian without him," or something.

4. Mike Lewis spent 25 years of his life playing trumpet in Polynesia. For the last 15 years, he has been working the tri-state New York area, fluent in jazz trumpet, lead trumpet and recording projects. Lewis recently moved to Olympia. At 8 p.m., he and Combo Caméléon - full of horns and percussion - will play Rhythm and Rye in downtown Olympia.

5. While there have been a few bars that have tried hosting karaoke nights with live bands, Jazzbones' Rockaraoke live band karaoke is one of the ones that's lasted. It can be fun as hell singing along with a live band. Expect $2 PBR drafts, $3 Sinfire shots and $4 Smirnoff flavor vodka bombs.

LINK: Monday, July 21 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area