Weekly Volcano Blogs: Walkie Talkie Blog

Posts made in: August, 2014 (87) Currently Viewing: 11 - 20 of 87

August 5, 2014 at 7:34am

Tuesday Morning Joe: Afghan insider attack, Russian buildup, Air Force vs FedEx, top grunge songs ...

Company C, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division participate in a live-fire coffee pot familiarization training at McGregor range near Fort Bliss, Texas. Original photo by Sgt. Vincent Byrd, 2nd BCT, 1st AD, Public Affair

GRAB A COFFEE POT AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 8.5.14 >>>

A man dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire today on foreign troops at a military base, killing at least one U.S. soldier and wounding 15, including a German brigadier general and "about a dozen" Americans, authorities said.

UPDATE: U.S. officials say U.S. general was killed in the Afghan insider attack.

A group of retired military generals and flag officers is calling on the White House to support an "expansive declassification" of a Senate report on CIA interrogations expected to be released as early as this week. 

Declaring its anti-tunnel mission accomplished, Israel agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire, yet continues to maintain thousands of forces around the border with Gaza for rapid response in case rocket attacks resume.

Hamas is able to fire missiles into Israel because Tehran provided weapons technology to the militant group to defend itself against Israeli attacks, a senior Iranian official said.

A bipartisan group of seven lawmakers is in Israel to assess the conflict with Hamas, now entering its fourth week.

Russia has roughly doubled the number of its battalions near the Ukrainian border, and could respond to the Kiev government's gains there by launching a cross-border incursion with little or no warning.

Russia's defense ministry announced 100 fighter jets, helicopters and bombers will conduct military exercises near the Ukrainian border this week.

Ukrainian government forces kept up a military offensive to claw back lost territory from pro-Russian separatists today while casting a nervous eye at Russian military exercises over the border.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has called upon his country's armed forces to help Kurdish forces battle a Sunni militant offensive in northern Iraq that has caused tens of thousands of people from the minority Yazidi community to flee their homes.

The latest string of victories by Islamic militants in Iraq raises an enormous and obvious question: What's the U.S. doing to help the Kurds?

What the Air Force can learn from FedEx.

The Air Force is extending the service life of its fleet of C-130 combat delivery aircraft by replacing center wing boxes on some of the planes and adding new electronics.

U.S. government, military had role in experimental Ebola drug.

Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command and U.S. Transportation Command are standing up a team of transportation experts this week to quickly address the most significant challenges and concerns military customers are facing when shipping their privately owned vehicles.

High speed footage of a missile disintegrating a tank.

U.S. Navy sailors inside an amphibious assault ship - or a lost Aliens scene.

Behold some of the best Steadicam shots of all time.

Sharknado 2 is coming to theaters.

List: Top 50 grunge songs.

Finally: this video tries to catalog Easter eggs in every Marvel movie.

Roof Strong ...

LINK: Original photo by Sgt. Vincent Byrd, 2nd BCT, 1st AD, Public Affairs

August 5, 2014 at 7:42am

5 Things To Do Today: National Night Out, outdoor movie, West Olympia Farmers Market, John Denver ...

Strangely Alright will take a bite out of crime with their guitars during National Night Out.

TUESDAY, AUG. 5 2014 >>>

1. As the last month of summer begins, it's time to step outside your air-conditioned oasis and take some time to appreciate your neighborhood. Or as this practice is referred to around the country, National Night Out, the one evening a year in which law enforcement, citizens, business owners and local officials come together to heighten crime awareness and build community morale. But more than that, NNO is a time when neighbors can come together and celebrate while enjoying free bitchin' entertainment. The Bridge, the new cooperative parish of the United Methodist Church at 56th and South Puget Sound, will host a street party, food, games and the musical stylings of Jason Kertson, Strangely Alright, Sleepy Pilot and Antihero from 6-10 p.m. Crime prevention and live music? It's a win-win situation!

2. Feed your brain at 1:40 and 7 p.m. when The Grand Cinema screens Decoding Annie Parker, an educational film about the proactive choices some women are making regarding breast cancer.

3. Pack your snacks, blankets and lawn chairs and head to Peoples Center for a free outdoor screening of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 at 5 p.m. Movie sponsor Click! Network in partnership with Metro Parks Tacoma are also bringing in jazz musician Michael Powers. So really expect clear skies with a good chance of awesome jazz.

4. Ever since the Westside Tavern won the Tournament of Burgers and Hana Klimek was named Server of the Week, the real estate agents representing Olympia's Westside have been inundated with inquiries. The Westside is happening, but that's not news to those who live up on the hill. If you want proof, drop by the Tuesday West Olympia Farmers Market from 4-7 p.m. In addition to an awesome selection of local vendors, this season features live music, raffles and special events. Drop by for fresh produce, baked goods, pastured poultry and meats, flowers, veggie starts and crafts.

5. Folksy, folk-writing folk hero John Denver - born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. - died Oct. 12, 1997, when the experimental plane he was flying crashed into Monterey Bay off the coast of California. Tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Red Wind Casino fans both casual (which way to the slots?) and rabid (dude, "Rocky Mountain High"!) will cheer on Ted Vigil - born Ted Vigil - as he pays tribute to Denver - both visually and musically.

LINK: Tuesday, Aug. 5 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

August 5, 2014 at 10:06am

Nerd Alert! - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and female superheroes

The tide is turning against Michael Bay’s rampant profiteering, and his wholly unnecessary reboot of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" may be the undertow that finally drags him down. Photo credit: Moviestore Collection/REX

FRIDAY, AUG. 8: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Now, Michael Bay has become death, destroyer of worlds. Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's the fastest road to the emotional truth of a sea of nerds seeing what he's done to their beloved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. There's a point that comes in every nerd's life when he or she must confront the fact that Donatello has a nose and lips, now, and there's nothing anyone can do or say to stop it. This threshold has arrived, and we must all take a long, hard look in the mirror come this Friday, when the Michael Bay-produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles splats onto the big screen. We must, at long last, admit to ourselves that we are truly the ones who are at fault.

We made Michael Bay too powerful, and now he cannot be stopped. Much like Super Shredder at the end of The Secret of the Ooze, Michael Bay has mutated into a monster after coming into contact with toxic sludge (the millions of dollars we have nonsensically decided to give him over the years), and we are powerless to defend ourselves from his rampage. Also, like Super Shredder, I suspect Bay is secretly being puppeted by professional wrestler Kevin Nash.

If we are to rejoice - which we are not, but imagine if we were - we would take solace in the fact that Michael Bay eventually backed away from his threat to forego the mutant angle of it all, and to make the turtles aliens, which is what he had previously dangled over a helpless nation. He's like a super villain with a weather machine who, instead of ravaging the world with an eternal winter, eventually just decided to make it rain really hard for a year. Thank god for small miracles.

On a related note, please do inform me when Michael Bay literally does make a weather machine. It's only a matter of time, and I need to get a heavy coat.

SONY TO MAKE FEMALE SUPERHERO MOVIE

In an effort to end on a bright note, I bring you tentative news from the folks at Sony. After years of people getting more and more frustrated wondering why none of the pantheon of female superheroes have been given their own movie in our current glut of comic book movies (we're just gonna forget about Elektra), Sony has come forward to announce that they intend on padding out Spider-Man's already busy franchise with a film focused on one of Spidey's female associates.

While there's still no word as to what character will take the mantle, the film is already scheduled to arrive in 2017. Still, there's no shortage of women in Peter Parker's life, so it's now time for probably a year or two of idle speculation about who the film will center on. Black Cat seems like the early frontrunner, what with her appearance in the latest Amazing Spider-Man movie, but it's all still up in the air. Even so, it'd be nice for us to get a woman as the lead in a superhero movie, as opposed to just falling back on Black Widow's presence in Marvel movies to justify the disparity.

Filed under: Nerd Alert!, Pop Culture, Screens,

August 6, 2014 at 7:33am

Wednesday Morning Joe: US generals killed in combat, US troops in Ukraine, bad guy database doubled, Western girls to Jihad, top movie fight scenes ...

Bridge Company, 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group throw a training coffee pot at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Original photo by Lance Cpl. Sullivan Laramie

GRAB A COFFEE POT AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 8.6.14 >>>

U.S. officials prepared to fly the body of a two-star general slain in an Afghan "insider attack" back home, as a similar attack saw an Afghan police officer drug and shoot dead seven of his colleagues, authorities said.

Who assassinated Maj. Gen. Harold Greene?

History of U.S. generals killed in combat.

The Obama administration needs to boost its military support to Iraq's Kurdish minority, which has suffered a string of setbacks in the last several days battling a Sunni militant group, according to key members of Congress.

Russia has amassed around 20,000 combat-ready troops on Ukraine's eastern border and could use the pretext of a humanitarian or peace-keeping mission to invade.

The U.S. sent a small team of troops to Ukraine to aid in recovery operations for the victims of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17.

A Senate committee is holding up a plan to shift $100 million to an Air Force space-launch program, telling the service to devise a plan for a new liquid rocket engine.

A government database of known or suspected terrorists doubled in size in recent years, The Associated Press has learned. The growth is the result of intelligence agencies submitting names more often after a near-miss attack in 2009.

Paul Wolfowitz, a former senior George W. Bush official and one of the chief Iraq War architects, said the U.S. "won" the war in Iraq.

The ISIS online campaign luring Western girls to Jihad.

Leading experts in military combat-vehicle research, engineering and design gathered to discuss a single goal: reducing the weight of the Army's tanks and infantry fighting vehicles by 40 percent in the coming decades.

It's a banner year for the Air Force with the Department of Energy recently announcing that service won a lion's share of 2014 Federal Energy Management Program awards.

Court: Leaders not liable for subordinates' bad decisions.

Three current Blue Angels pilots are among the commissioned officers who circulated pornographic messages and photographs among themselves and to other members of the elite flight team, according to copies of phone texts that were part of a recent Navy investigation.

Special Agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, commonly known as CID, are once again warning internet users worldwide about cyber criminals involved in an online crime that CID has dubbed "the Romance Scam."

Abandoned Soviet forced labor camp oddly turns into one of the most enjoyable beaches ever.

Are these the best movie fight scenes ever? You will watch all 11:20 minutes of this.

Ooh, it's an oral history of The Wonder Years.

Glamour has a video feature about The Daily Show's Jessica Williams and Samantha Bee.

What?: "chillax" and "vlog" have been added to the Scrabble dictionary.

Finally: Peter Dinklage, a mullet and a bazooka.

Did Louie C.K. shrink?

LINK: Original photo by Lance Cpl. Sullivan Laramie

August 6, 2014 at 7:42am

5 Things To Do Today: Blueberry Festival, Walk Tacoma Scavenger Hunt, The Brown Edition ...

Participants enjoy the 2013 Berry Festival outside the Anderson University Center at PLU. Photo credit: John Froschauer/PLU

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 6 2014 >>>

1. As we wolfed down fresh wild blueberries, we couldn't recall the last time we ate any fruit quite so flavorful. Eating a blueberry still warm from the sun was like tasting one for the very first time. Its essence goes straight to our heads. And everyone knows blueberries are loaded with antioxidant compounds that travel through the body reducing free radicals that can lead to cancer and other age-related diseases. We were pumped to hear Pacific Lutheran University brought back its berry festivals, specifically the Blueberry Festival today from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The berry festivals are a summertime tradition at PLU; each monthly lunchtime concert focuses on one delicious berry and features summery desserts and free live music and entertainment, which features folk-rock musician and PLU alum Peter Benjamin. Bonus: local farmers and community groups will be onsite promoting community-supported agriculture, sustainable communities and local food. We no longer have to jump a certain fence to gather wild blueberries ... although, the price was right.

2. We gotta spent this paragraph of copy convincing you that spending your Wednesday afternoon combing downtown Tacoma for clues, answering trivia, and completing challenges while snapping photos is as unbelievably rad as we both know you know it is. Downtown On the Go Walk Tacoma Scavenger Hunt asks you to begin the hunt between 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the Social Bar and Grill, then use public transportation and your feet to take you to destinations scattered across downtown before meeting back at the Social Bar and Grill for food, drinks and prizes at 6:45 p.m. This is pretty much as close to a purpose that one can hope to find in an uncaring, noncasual universe, and the very notion you'd need encouragement is ridiculous. But, it's free and there is no need to pre-register.

3. With a rotating cast of contributors and performers over the past seven years, the core of Champagne Sunday is the creative brain of Jessi and Jared Fredeen. Jessi's huge, soulful vocals could star on Broadway, on tour with Garbage or in your church choir. Her voice - which draws comparison to Chrissie Hynde and Ani Difranco - ranges from a hushed lullaby to a soaring celebratory wail. Jared, armed with a James Taylor-ish voice, guitar and a passion for raw music, can rock star pose when Jessi wails, then float on a cloud when she takes it into the ethereal edges. Catch them at 6:30 p.m. for a free, outdoor show in Old Town Park.

4. Peter Finn, The Washington Post National Security editor and one-half of the team that wrote The Zhivago Affair: The Kremlin, the CIA, and the Battle over a Forbidden Book, will speak at the Olympia Timberland Library from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. Finn and his co-author, Petra Couvee, bring to light a story that has stayed behind the historical scenes for decades, a cold war drama in which Russian novelist Boris Pasternak's literary masterpiece, Dr. Zhivago, became a pawn of two super-powers.

5. If you want to get a party started, start it off with The Brown Edition. Self-described as "all the soul, funk and jazz your ass can handle," the Brown Edition's music keeps listeners happy because it keeps them glued to the dance floor. The band pushes the funk forward; he also reveres those who came before them. Lead singer Miguel Pineda is fiercely serious about the music that he loves. The entire band is a who's who of Olympia's jazz and funk scene. Bassist Thomas Pell tackles the meatier end of the, uh, funk stick, and it's just sick. Get into the groove at 7 p.m. at Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia.

LINK: Wednesday, Aug. 6 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

August 7, 2014 at 7:36am

Thursday Morning Joe: ISIS captures, Khmer Rouge in prison, Al Qaeda's how-to manual, new Terminator movie ...

1st Platoon Delta Company with The Basic School throw coffee pots during the Squad Weapons Munitions Field Firing Exercise. Original photo by Lance Cpl. Emmanuel Ramos

GRAB A COFFEE POT AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 8.7.14 >>>

The deadly insider attack that killed an Army major general and wounded more than a dozen other troops has led to questions about the way ahead in Afghanistan and the strength of the partnership between coalition and Afghan troops.

Sunni militants from the Islamic State group today seized Iraq's largest dam, placing them in control of enormous power and water resources and access to the river that runs through the heart of Baghdad.

Militants from the so-called Islamic State have taken over the largest Christian town in Iraq, Qaraqosh, and sent tens of thousands fleeing as a result.

Russia's "provocative actions" in neighboring Ukraine are prompting NATO to re-examine its relevance.

Decades after terrorizing Cambodia in the 1970s, the two most senior surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge were found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison today.

U.S. lawmakers continue reacting skeptically to the Obama administration's quiet U.S. military and intelligence pivot to Africa, this time holding up millions to counter violent extremists there.

Veterans are expected to have an easier time getting government-paid health care from local doctors under a bill that President Obama is set to sign into law today. The $16.3 billion measure also allows the Veterans Affairs Department to hire thousands of doctors, nurses and other health professionals at the VA's nearly 1,000 hospitals and outpatient clinics nationwide.

Deputy Veterans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson: Wait times can be fixed in two years.

A primer on why the U.S. military puts Israel and the Palestinian territories in European Command.

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl this morning again faced more questioning, which so far has not been confrontational. Maj. Gen. Kenneth Dahl began interviewing Bergdahl at Fort Sam Houston in Texas yesterday. That session lasted from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dahl has been tasked with looking into the nature of Bergdahl's 2009 disappearance from his Army base in Afghanistan. 

Captured letters reveal Al Qaeda's how-to manual.

The White House proposed a plan two months ago for the Pentagon to train and equip vetted Syrian rebel forces in that nation's civil war. But, since then, there's been lots of talk and not much action

The U.S. Army is seeking "one-way" tracers that can only be seen from the vantage point of a shooter.

The Navy's latest 30-year shipbuilding plan calling for a fleet size of more than 300 ships and submarines is at risk because of budget cuts.

The Navy and NASA wrapped up the second round of practice recoveries of the Orion spacecraft, which is designed to bring humans to the moon, asteroids and, eventually, to Mars.

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center recently rolled out the first comprehensive two-year integrated priorities list to strategically order funding of sustainment, restoration, modernization, environmental and demolition projects across the Air Force portfolio.

Marine vet paddles away two tours in Afghanistan on the Mississippi River.

The Army National Guard is ending its sponsorship of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Indy Racing League driver Graham Rahal.

This animation video explains everything you need to know about Earth.

What?: Rick Springfield and Meryl Streep? There's a pairing we never expected to see.

There's no need to freak out about an Annie Hall sequel.

Time has a fascinating graphic that illustrates Hollywood's movie calendar.

This cool feature compares cartoon characters in the first and last episodes of their series.

Really? A fifth Terminator movie?

Yes please: R2-D2 kitchen timer.

Finally: All the sounds in the Matrix replaced with 8-bit sounds.

How to stop a baby from crying

LINK: Original photo by Lance Cpl. Emmanuel Ramos

August 7, 2014 at 8:03am

5 Things To Do Today: National IPA Day, wedding run, Green Drinks, Black Lillies ...

Colin Harvin of 7 Seas Brewing suggests you drink their IPA at their Gig Harbor brewery taproom today. Photo credit: Pappi Swarner

THURSDAY, AUG. 7 2014 >>>

1. Today, as you surely know, is a pretty big holiday: National IPA Day (or #IPADay, if you're joining the cause on Twitter). National IPA Day celebrates this particular style because the India Pale Ale is one of civilization's saner inspirations for a holiday: it evolved from a means of preservation during beers' arduous travels from England to India; nobody died or was tortured; nobody has to fast; nobody has to commune with the dead or celebrate war. All you have to do is be glad this good beer made it to America and enjoy the hell out of it. Click here for IPA suggestions we found at last week's Olympia Brew Fest.

By now everything about Tacoma Green Drinks, the sustainability network platform to inspire new ideas and awareness, and get a little buzzed. Tonight's Green Drinks is something special.  The local chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, Cascadia, will graciously be offering a tour of the Pacific Plaza in downtown Tacoma. The building has received LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council - the highest rating possible - for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. After an informative look at this green building, there will be a regroup at Tacoma Cabana for drinks and green talk. All are welcome. Meet at 1250 Pacific Ave. in the lobby at 5:30 for the tour. 

Do you know Tacoma Runners Emily and Brian? They're getting married. Therefore, the Tacoma Runners will convert their weekly Thursday 3-mile run into a travelling wedding, asking everyone to meet at the Harmon Tap Room at 6:30 p.m. dressed in bridesmaid dresses, bow ties and other wedding-themed outfits. Don't invite that family member who gets drunk at every wedding. After the run, it's toasts and garter belts at the Tap Room.

Knoxville's the Black Lillies have done a nice job uniting varying strands of the country spectrum. They're an indie-label band that plies its trade at rock bars, but, in addition to making a big impact on the Americana charts and year-end lists as the case with their 2011 album, 100 Miles of Wreckage, the band is freakin' cool to rock a benefit for United Way of Thurston County and its work to support vulnerable children and families. Their sound is rooted equally in bluegrass and country-rock, but taken to the next level with the vocal interplay of songwriter/bandleader Cruz Contreras and vocalist Trisha Gene Brady. Olympia favorites the Blackberry Bushes will kick off the night at 8 p.m. in the Capitol Theater.

5. It's crazy band name electro night at Olympia's all-ages club Northern. At 8 p.m., electro-punk Violent Vicki, hip hop-ish Garlicman & Chikn, electro-dream-pop Vibrissae and dreamcore Nightspac3 take you to another time, space and dimension.

LINK: Thursday, Aug. 7 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

August 7, 2014 at 3:18pm

Jimbo Jitsu's "The Farm" revolutionizes the hemp/weed/eco connection in Olympia

Scott Taylor and Burdman performed live at The Farm in Olympia, Aug. 2

Out Delphi Road, near the Nisqually Nature Trail, is a farm. And not just any farm, this is "The Farm," home of "The Cannabis Connection," a new resource for lovers of the herb.

Now, this reporter, a fan herself, enjoyed the opportunity to visit The Farm on opening day Aug. 2.

A small crowd, laughing and discussing jalapeno chicken and hemp and drinking cold beer, a few vendor tents with "goods," bales of hay for sitting, live acoustic music from Scott Taylor and Burdman, rendering an especially cute version of "Up in Smoke," and good smells, some sweet and intoxicating, others salty and grilled, were all part of the experience.

Jimbo Jitsu, curator of the event, and beloved Olympian was a gracious host. You may know him from Olympia's Farmers Market, his fascinating Youtube channel, his award-winning chef skills, or his musical involvement.

Jitsu's has a vision: An open farm market with artisan, commercial, and adult pavilion, a 21+ market section with medical cannabis, informational speakers, live music on stage, charity beer garden and Sunshine Grill. It's a place where medical/recreational cannabis providers and other vendors meet within a Farm Market and Adult Pavilion.

"Several people told me this was needed," said Jitsu of his inspiration, "... a lot of people have a need to share their specific type of medicine, like different oils and creams. So I wanted to build a place where they can not only provide their medicine, they can provide the knowledge they have, so people can then treat themselves."

A part of the agro-tourism movement, the eventual goal is to create an eco-village, beginning with a yurt made of hemp composite, and then building other types of sustainable housing on site, creating workshops out of the building experience so the public can participate.  

Education is a huge part of The Farm experience, and the first speaker Saturday was Kevin Hodge, inventor of Hemp Adobe, a building material as strong as, but 40 percent lighter than, concrete. Please view Jitsu's Youtube video of Hodge and his awesome invention. ... 

The Farm is open to the public every Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., when the season changes, the fun will be moved into a barn. Every event will have an informational speaker, live music and freebies.

Saturday, Aug. 9, Jitsu will give away 500 free "samples" and 100 free award-winning bacon bites - Jitsu's special blend of sausage, hamburger, mushroom, onion, bacon and secret spices. Discussion and demonstrations will focus on cooking with cannabis with a topical pain rub free trial.

Camping is available, and an eventual "kid zone" and "dog zone" will be part of the fun.

THE FARM, noon to 6 p.m. Saturdays, 6501 Delphi Road SW, Olympia, 360.754.2868

Filed under: Community, Events, Music, Business,

August 8, 2014 at 7:23am

Friday Morning Joe: US airstrikes in Iraq, Israel airstrikes in Gaza, hacking the military, Theory of Everything ...

Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron throw coffee pots during Exercise Dragon Fire 2014 at Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan. Original photo by Cpl. Antonio Rubio

GRAB A COFFEE POT AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 8.8.14 >>>

President Barack Obama authorized air strikes on Iraq to protect Christians and prevent "genocide" of tens of thousands of members of an ancient sect sheltering on a desert mountaintop from Islamic State fighters threatening to exterminate them.

British Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed President Obama's authorization of targeted airstrikes in Iraq, but his office ruled out similar action

Obama's Iraq plan has a killer flaw - and airstrikes alone may not save it.

Ukrainian army units broke out of the blockade today and rejoined government forces, but 15 soldiers and border guards were killed in the operation.

The head of NATO on Thursday called on Russia to withdraw the estimated 20,000 troops massed along the Ukrainian border, amid fears that Moscow may invade its neighbor.

Israel launched air strikes across the Gaza Strip today in response to Palestinian rockets fired after Egyptian-mediated talks failed to extend a 72-hour truce in the month-long war.

What does Hamas do now? In its war with Israel, the Palestinian group has accomplished none of its aims. Not one.

Hackers show how to break into military communications.

Senate blocks F-22 cut, little else for U.S. Air Force reprogramming.

Vet Wait-Time Crisis: Shinseki led by setting goals that looked impossible, but that he knew could inspire better performance and bigger budgets.

Panamax 2014, an annual U.S. Southern Command-sponsored multinational exercise focused on ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal, kicks off today at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.

The Air Force will increase nuclear force manning at Air Force Global Strike Command missile and bomber wings beginning this fall.

Facebook's app strategy is bad news for anyone who uses apps.

A man in Portsmouth, England was arrested for allegedly pretending to be a ghost in a cemetery as people nearby attempted to mourn a loved-one.

See the trailer for the Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything.

DC Entertainment will release nine superhero movies through 2020.

Have you seen the Wu-Tang Clan episode of The Daily Show?

Twenty-five years after Seinfeld, where have the Elaines gone?

Finally:  The Simpsons' Springfield out of Legos.

Your prayers have been answered. Ten hours of the A Team theme song.

LINK: Original photo by Cpl. Antonio Rubio

August 8, 2014 at 7:36am

5 Things To Do Today: Downtown Music Crawl, Tacoma Trivia Night, Radio8Ball, Coven ...

The Rockwell Powers Band will anchor the Downtown Music Crawl tonight at UrbanXChange.

FRIDAY, AUG. 8 2014 >>>

1. Tonight will see round three of the confluence between small businesses and indie music performances in a moment of synergy that won't rub you the wrong way. Dubbed the Downtown Music Crawl, the event will feature three downtown businesses showcasing three brief, consecutive concerts. Starting with Q Dot at 6:30 p.m. in Anthem, Will Jordan at 7:45 in Bleach and ending at 9 p.m. with The Rockwell Powers Band at urbanXchange, the event is designed to reward those who do the crawl and hit all three stores. Ten dollars cash allows you in to all three concerts, plus 15 percent discount at each store.

2. Don't know much about history; don't know much about biology, who cares? What matters is how much you know about Tacoma. Here's your chance to strut your Tacoma stuff: a trivia game where your local knowledge feeds your ego and your sense of belonging. Dr. Bill Baarsma, former mayor of Tacoma, will host History of Tacoma Free Trivia Night from 6:30-9 p.m. at The Forum. Expect history-themed eats and drinks. Wear period costumes for door prizes. What Tacoma woman was a nurse for 30 years before running for state office? You know. What Jack lived in the grotto by the Tacoma Hotel in the 1890s? Why, that's easy. What two Tacoma clubs, owned and operated by the Downings, were home to local bands in the 1990s? You puked outside of both. Here's your chance to impress your friends and neighbors.

3. Andras Jones created Radio8Ball in 1998 on KAOS in Olympia. Now, he is producing it as a local TV series (for the web, for now) with Olympia Film Collective. The episodes are filmed in front of a live audience at Rhythm and Rye in downtown Olympia, including tonight at 8 p.m. Radio8Ball has fun with synchronicity, choosing the songs that answer the questions by spinning "The Wheel of 8" or picking a Radio8Card, and using the music and lyrics of the song to answer questions from the audience, drawing in associations with other systems, like tarot, astrology and numerology. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on Radio8Ball.

4. For rock guitar fans looking for instrumental jams à la such '80s shredders as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson, the Travis Larson Band has made sure the genre is still living and breathing in the new millennium. The band hits the Jazzbones stage at 8 p.m. with Nolan Garrett and Larry Mitchell opening. This show will rock. 

5. Seattle thrash metal legends Coven plan to rule McCoy's Tavern at 9 p.m. with Iron Kingdom and Reficul. After 20 years, they are re-releasing their third album, Boneless Christian. Coven demonstrate shock-comedy metal at its finest.

LINK: Friday, Aug. 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

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News and entertainment from Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s most awesome weekly newspapers - The Ranger, Northwest Airlifter and Weekly Volcano.

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January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2015
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2014
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2013
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2007
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2006
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December