GRAB A COFFEE POT AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 9.8.14 >>>

The U.S. is planning a campaign against ISIS that may take as many as three years of sustained effort to complete, including attacking the self-proclaimed Islamic State's redoubt in Syria.

A suicide bomber struck a meeting of Sunni tribal fighters and Iraqi security troops today, killing 16, just hours ahead of a key parliament meeting that is expected to vote on a new government.

The head of the Arab League on Sunday urged its members to join the battle against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

The new U.N. human rights chief urged world powers today to protect women and minorities targeted by Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, saying the fighters were trying to create a "house of blood".

The U.S. launched a new round of airstrikes in Iraq late Saturday night in an effort to halt ISIS's advance towards the Haditha Dam.

President Obama stressed that U.S. efforts against ISIS will not escalate to a full-blown war on Meet the Press on Sunday.

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has established a stronghold in the border area between northern Syria and Iraq, but officials and experts are watching closely to see if its influence will spread to other regions. 

Just 36 hours after Ukraine reached a ceasefire agreement with pro-Russian rebels on Friday, eastern Ukraine was hit with new shelling.

NATO leaders emerged from a summit in Wales with a plan to protect eastern members from a resurgent Russia, a pledge to reverse the decline in their defense spending, and an embryonic Western coalition to combat Islamic militants in Iraq.

Potential 2016 presidential candidates are using hawkish terms when it comes to Russia and the Islamic State. But while some are banging the drums of war, few are calling for larger annual U.S. defense budgets.

President Obama said Sunday he will send U.S. military assets and personnel to help contain the spread of Ebola in West Africa.

Hamas criticized Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today for attempting "to destroy the reconciliation and play into the hands of the Americans and the Israelis."

Russia's prime minister warned in an interview published today that Moscow would respond "asymmetrically" if the United States and Europe impose new sanctions.

The EU says new sanctions against Russia should be adopted shortly and take effect on Tuesday, despite a Kremlin warning of retaliation.

Russia will hold a nuclear exercise in September that will include over 4,000 Russian troops, according to reports.

A group of the most senior civilian Pentagon officials took to the hustings late last week to outline what it promises will be a sustained, multipronged effort to improve how the Defense Department develops, buys and sustains its equipment.

When it comes to post-service plans, 1st Lt. Heidi Beemer has a clearer picture than most: She's going to win a global contest, get launched into space, become one of the first humans to land on Mars, and stay there.

Four years of fighting in the NFL trenches earned a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate a spot on the Denver Broncos' roster.

The Ohio State University football team lost their game to Virginia Tech 35-21. But the OSU marching band scored big time with this medley of TV theme songs.

This is exactly how amazingly big the supermoon is going to be tomorrow.

Neutron Stars: This video explains all we know-or suppose-about them.

Alarm app lets complete strangers dial you up to help get your butt out of bed.

Wacky golf trick shots in slo-mo.

LINK: Original photo byStaff Sgt. Malcolm McClendon

MONDAY, SEPT. 8 2014 >>>

1. Divided Heaven is the acoustic/indie/punk singer-songwriter project of Jeff Berman, an East Coast native living in Los Angeles. Singing stories rooted in history and politics, travel and experience, love and hope, Berman has taken the project to a full band, releasing his sophomore effort, Youngblood. Make no mistake; Berman and his guitar are still at the forefront and the songs are as honest as their singer. Catch the band with Dead Frets at an all-ages 8 p.m. show at Le Voyeur.

2. The 2014 Washington State Fair celebrates the U.S. armed forces by hosting its annual Military Monday Sept. 8 and 15. Free gate admission is offered to all active, reserve, and retired military and National Guard and their dependents, plus disabled veterans, when each shows valid military ID at any gate. March over to the traveling dental office exhibit, where Joint Base Lewis McChord gives Fair guests insight into toothache relief and other dental issues when troops are deployed. This display is staged to look like dental offices taken to war zones. They will also perform demonstrations at 3, 5 and 7 p.m. with a four-cell move team in riot gear against an aggressor. The action will capture the attention of all who attend. Several non-profit organizations related to the military will have booths at Military Appreciation Days. Hobby Hall is showing their stars and stripes with their staged recruitment office and Vietnam War memorabilia display, open for the duration of the Fair.

3. How do you create a time capsule and what's involved in selecting the items that will tell the story of today to the people of the future" Knute "Skip" Berger of Crosscut.com will talk about what it took to develop the time capsule for Washington's centennial and how it will be updated for the 125th anniversary at noon inside the Washington State Capital Coach House in Olympia. Learn more about the role of the Capsule Keepers in the process.

4. The students at Arbutus Folk School will put down their Pieh Har-Lev Ergonomic Cross Pein Hammers, Langstroth Beehive Frames, Spriggs Adjustable Frame Looms and Excalibur nine-tray food dehydrators and pick up guitars for the Arbutus Acoustic Open Mic, which now happens every second Monday of the month from 7-9 p.m. The M.C. and organizer of the event is Mark Iler, who started and ran the open mic for Victory Music in Seattle for 20 years. It's a friendly environment, and certainly open to everyone, even if you don't make Scandinavian knives at the Olympia school.

5. Local comedian Eric Puddin Lorentzen hosts "Monday Madness Comedy Night with Puddin" at The New Frontier Lounge. Expect 6-10 minute sets, each recorded. The audience will choose a winner, who will headline the following week. Sign up at 8:30 p.m. for the 9 p.m. show.

LINK: Monday, Sept. 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

The back blast from the howitzer instantly raised the fine dry desert dust. 

A 155 mm shell sliced through the warm morning air toward a target miles away - sort of like the way the first sip of a cold beer feels as it goes down on a hot day.

As silence returned and the dust began to slowly settle, seven soldiers assigned to the 12th Brigade, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), hurried to reload the big gun.

A minute later, the cannon spoke again.

"It's great to be out here in support of Rising Thunder," commented Capt. Edward Mader, a 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division spokesperson.

"We're here to work with the Japanese in this bilateral training. They are very good soldiers."

>>>  Japanese soldier work fast to reload a 155 mm howitzer during a training exercise. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

Rising Thunder is a multi-echelon combined training exercise being conducted for the 21st time at the Yakima Training Center. (YTC).

"The focus of this exercise is to train combined arms in conjunction with maneuver and firepower," pointed out Col. Takashi Goto, a JGSDF commander, in a press release.

The 12th Brigade is one of six active brigades comprising the JCSDF. Approximately 300 Japanese soldiers are engaged in the two-and-a-half-weeks of training at YTC.

"We will perform comprehensive combat power with combined arms units and train bilaterally between Japan and the US to enhance interoperability."

>>> A Mitsubishi built Type 10 Main Battle Tank of the 12th Brigade, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, maneuvers at the Yakima Training Center during Operation Rising Thunder. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

Training began Sept. 2 and will conclude on the 22nd.

Working with the Japanese are approximately 450 soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord's 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

The brigade's part is to facilitate urban assault operations, sniper training and supporting fire training.

"We're pleased to be a part of such an important event," said Lt. Col. Jeff Bryson, 4th Battalion's commander.

"The focus of this year's training is interoperability."

>>> A Japanese soldier rests for a moment during an urban building clearing exercise.Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

Off in the distance two Mitsubishi built Type 10 main battle tanks rumbled into positions and opened fire on targets in the distance as JGSDF soldiers engaged in a live fire urban assault exercise.

As the Army readjusts both domestically in terms of a reduction in troops while at the same time realigns its focus on Asia and the Pacific, interoperability is another work for partnership.

>>> Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza, commander, I Corps, greets an officer of the 12th Brigade, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, during Operation Rising Thunder, an annual training exercise between American and Japanese forces. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

The stability of the Asian-Pacific region is of interest to both Japan and America.

To meet future challenges, the two country's military forces must bilaterally confront logistics support issues while simultaneously increasing combat power.

"This is about a partnership with America," said Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza, commander, I Corps, as he toured several training sites and talked to JGSDF and American soldiers.

Joining Lanza on the visit last Saturday morning to YTC were Maj. Gen. Terry Ferrell, commander, 7th Infantry Division and Maj. Gen. James Boozer, commander, United States Army Japan and I Corps (Forward).

"The training and the building of partnerships being built and the interoperability being practiced are great," said Boozer.

SEE ALSO

I Corps on point in the Pacific

Deleting its iCloud account, this is Nerd Alert, the Weekly Volcano's recurring events calendar devoted to all things nerdy. I myself am a Star Wars fan, mathlete, and spelling bee champion of long standing, so trust me: I grok whereof I speak.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 11

Thursday's screenings offer a last round of chances to catch the 30th-anniversary re-release of the 1980s' most essential comedy, Ghostbusters, on the big screen. Mother pus bucket! Many Shuvs and Zuuls will know what it is to be roasted in the depths of the Slor this day, I can tell you!

SATURDAY, SEPT. 13

It was a tearful ordeal in the geek community when Pluto, erstwhile friend of Interplanet Janet, was downgraded from full-on member of the post-Copernican pantheon to trans-Neptunian dwarf planet in August 2006. Some of us still haven't gotten over it, despite the fact that Pluto isn't in the ecliptic and has a larger cousin, Eris, farther out in the Kuiper Belt. Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson was obliged to write an entire book, The Pluto Files, in defense of the International Astronomical Union's decision. One little girl, Madeline, actually wrote Tyson to say, "Some people like pluto (sic). If it doesn't exist then they don't have a favorite planet." Madeline added, "Please write back, but not in cursive because I can't read cursive." Awww! So bring your wee ones out to the plane'arium, learn more about frigid little Pluto out there in the solar 'burbs, and have fun explaining to your wide-eyed progeny why small things are undeserving of equal treatment in an ostensibly ethical society.

PLUTO, THE FORGOTTEN PLANET, 2 p.m., Pierce College Science Dome, 9401 Farwest Dr. SW, Lakewood, free, 360.786.9484

SUNDAY, SEPT. 14

Speaking of Dr. deGrasse Tyson, Sunday marks his first of two appearances at the Paramount in Seattle. Be sure to bring your psychologically wounded children, a busload of Flat- and/or Young-Earthers, tinfoil helmets, and a full trunk of easy-light torches along with your signable copy of The Pluto Files. The avuncular Cosmos host and Spacetime Odysseus is eager to hear your proofs that the Moon landings were a hoax, the first three chapters of Genesis constitute a science textbook, and DNA is a myth.

NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON, 7 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Monday, The Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle, $31.25-$71.25, 877.STG.4TIX

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17

After the demise of ER, I bet you thought network television and Steven Spielberg would never barf up another prime-time dramedy set in a hospital staffed with hot doctors. Well, you're wrong! You are so wrong! And everyone loves The Fault in Our Stars, so will this new show be full to weeping with sick, witty teenagers? You bet your sweet vat of Proactiv it will! Ugh, I'm losing my will to live just by writing about it. Anyway, the premiere of Fox's Red Band Society airs Wednesday at 9. If you stuck it out through Extant or this year's season of America's Got Talent (break a leg, Quintavious Johnson!), then those finales air tonight, too.

As this episode of Nerd Alert hits the Web, Apple is probably announcing the rollout of its new product, iWatch, plus two smokin' new models of iPhone with larger screens, faster WiFi, NFC, and A8 processors. I was unable to reach Siri for comment, as I'm still dejectedly rocking my iPhone 4.

Until next week, may the Force be with you, may the odds be ever in your favor, and may your junky old iPhone fetch a decent resale value on Gazelle.com.

Marshawn Lynch, the Seattle Seahawks rugged running back, would have been on his feet, cheering and clapping.

Airman 1st Class Parker Gill, in his own Beast Mode fashion, overcame a strong challenge and a muddy, 3.5-mile obstacle course to win his wave at the Subway Beast Mode Challenge Saturday at Meadowbrook Farm near North Bend.

Senior Airman Kyle Knoblock, who along with Gill is with the 446th Security Forces Squadron, placed a muddy second in their wave. To win, Gill had to get over, under and through 12 football-themed obstacles that included hills, barriers, water, mud and sludge.

Gill, covered with mud from head to toe, held off his friend and strong field to place first. To even finish the muddy course, runners had to draw on their inner Beast Mode.

The muddy race was sponsored by Air Force Reserve recruiting and proceeds from the race went to Fam 1st Foundation, a program started in part by Lynch, the Seahawks hard-hitting running back whose nickname is "Beast Mode". The foundation's mission is to help put inner city youth out of trouble with the law and on a positive path. The foundation's goal is one of "empowerment and education aiming to build self-esteem and academic learning skills in underprivileged youth."

At the 3.5-mile muddy run challenge, the Air force Reserve recruiters were also on hand to answer questions about the Air Force reserves. The obstacles of the race included slides, walls, mud pits and water for runners to survive and get through.

Whether contestants were desk jockeys, taxi moms or average Joes, everyone had to draw on their inner Beast Mode to finish the race. It was an opportunity for contestants to come out and tear up an obstacle course meant to keep them from reaching the end zone. The muddy challenge couldn't stop Gill and Knoblock.

Gill had to rely on his inner Beast Mode so he could move faster, jump higher and survive the muddy course. And that inner strength is something every reservists draws on to get their job done. Every play, every game, Lynch gives it everything he has. And after a game he donates his time and money to raise awareness through his Fam 1st Foundation about the needs of inner city kids.

Lynch, who avoids interviews with sportswriters before and after games, lets his actions on the field speak for itself.

"I ain't never seen no talking win me nothin'," Lynch said.  

Lynch got the nickname Beast Mode because of his smash-mouth, hard-hitting running style he has with the Seattle Seahawks. Lynch was a first-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2007 and he became the Bills' first rookie in 30 years to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Lynch graduated from the University of California as the Bears' second all-time leading rusher with 3,230 yards. 

Lynch partnered with Joshua Johnson, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' fifth-round draft pick in 2008 and later the backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, to start their foundation.

When asked by an ESPN reporter about why his foundation is important, Lynch said, "My city where the crimes is going on, it seems like the kids are getting younger and younger."

"I live in Tacoma, and I'm proud to say it's my hometown!" Quick, can you name the band who sang that? Chances are, the answer is no; and that, my friends, is a crying shame. Would your angsty curiosity be aroused further if we told you that song, "My Hometown," includes the lyric, "Don't get off the bus, 'cause there ain't nothin' for ya here?" No, it ain't Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, it's the Gritty City foursome known (to the unfairly narrow extent they are known, that is) as Girl Trouble.

If that moniker doesn't match the mental real estate you've allotted to such artists as Neko Case or the Sonics, it may be because Girl Trouble resisted the advances of major labels. They've recorded with K Records, PopLllama and Sub Pop but stubbornly avoided dissolution into the mainstream. That's no mere pose. The band's resolutely independent, crafting all their own album covers and promotional materials, even their own zine, since their inception three decades ago. Their sound, a dance-friendly variant of surf punk, evokes beach-blanket bacchanalias while retaining its own insistent pulse. If any local outfit is years overdue for a wave of adoration, this be them. It appears their day of glory has arrived at long last.

Isaac Olsen, the acclaimed Tacoma filmmaker who gave us Quiet Shoes (2010) and Ich Hunger (2013), is related to the quartet by blood. He's also the guy our readers named Best Filmmaker in 2014. His new documentary, Strictly Sacred, delves into Girl Trouble's archive of historical treasures. "Girl Trouble is a vastly creative band," Olsen explains, "who have brought all their artistic talents to the fore in the pursuit of pure entertainment experience. They were early pioneers of DIY. ... The other unique aspect of Girl Trouble is that they were avid chroniclers of their own story. ... It's almost as if Girl Trouble has been generating biographical material for the express purposes of a comprehensive film." Strictly Sacred opens Friday at The Grand Cinema (voted Best Movie House every year) for a week's run.

>>> Colored pencil drawing by Bon Henderson, on display at Fulcrum Gallery Sept. 11-14.

Oh, but that's not all; Olsen and Girl Trouble also collaborated on a gallery exhibition to accompany the film. Continuing a theme, your pick for Best Gallery, Fulcrum, hosts the exhibit, with an opening-night gala Thursday from 6 to 10. It highlights T-shirt art by guitarist "Kahuna" Henderson, paintings by drummer Bon Von Wheelie, a dress worn by octogenarian dancer and Girl Trouble superfan Granny Go-Go, and a massive store of art and arcana from a band that's still happily banging away.

The movie's soundtrack album packs 39 tracks into 79 minutes of booty-shaking mayhem. "My Hometown" made the cut, along with "Neko Loves Rock and Roll" (Ms. Case, a former Girl Trouble go-go dancer, identified the band as one of her three greatest influences), "A Brand New Tacoma" and "Viva Tacoma." So start that attraction! For more deets, check out Girl Trouble's DIY website, Wig-Out.com.

"STRICTLY SACRED: THE ART OF GIRL TROUBLE," Sept. 11-14, opening night reception 6-10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11 ($5), Fulcrum Gallery, 1308 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, Tacoma, 253.250.0520

STRICTLY SACRED, 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12-Saturday, Sept. 13; 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14-Monday Sept. 15; 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16; 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17; 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18; The Grand Cinema, 606 S. Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, $5-$9.50, 253.593.4474

GRAB A COFFEE POT AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 9.9.14 >>>

President Obama will go on the offensive against the Islamic State group with a broader counterterror mission than he previously has been willing to embrace.

Degrading, defeating and destroying the Islamic State.

A longtime CIA operative in the Middle East - whose sources are probably as good as you can get - says "I have been told with no uncertainty there are ISIS sleeper-cells in this country."

Helped by the United States and Iran, Kurdish forces and Shi'ite militia are finally beating back Islamic State militants. But the aftermath illustrates the unintended consequences of the U.S. air campaign against Islamic State.

Iran has detained three foreigners suspected of trying to join ISIS forces in neighboring Iraq.

A spokesman for Steven Sotloff's family told CNN the journalist was captured by "so-called moderate rebels" in Syria then sold to ISIS. 

U.S. and China discuss avoiding military incidents.

U.S. officials believe Russia may have tested a ground-launched cruise missile in violation of the 1987 Soviet-American treaty.

Not Good: A federal investigation has found that Homeland Security is totally "ill-prepared" for something like the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic - or something worse, such as a global Ebola outbreak.

By The Numbers: U.S. military brain drain.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald launches 100-day VA reform plan.

U.S. House could vote this week to avert government shutdown.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he plans to forge ahead with bureaucratic Pentagon reform initiatives despite the uptick of global threats and military activities in recent months.

"Aurora Monsoon" was the first-ever platoon-level bilateral exchange between soldiers of the U.S. Army and the Bangladesh army at the Rajendrapur Cantonment Area near Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Steadfast Javelin II was a large-scale, joint, multinational exercise held on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, which included aircrew from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

DARPA released a video of what its engineers have in mind for its next generation armored vehicle.

Taxpayers cover Coast Guard private-party patrols.

The U.S. Air Force is bringing back its "Aim High" advertising slogan after a 15-year hiatus with the launch of the "I am an American Airman" recruiting campaign Sept. 8.

All eyes in the tech world are turning to Cupertino, California, today as Apple makes its biggest product announcements of the year.

One For The Record Books: Maibam Itomba Meitei has spent 14 years perfecting his record - the most consecutive pinky pullups!

Bad trip: This man pulls out of his garage and straight into a tornado.

Atmospheric CO2 increases have hit a 30-year high.

List: Top earning authors of 2014.

Finally: The size of dinosaurs compared to airplanes, visualized.

Dagnabbit kids!

LINK: Original photo by Staff Sgt. Joseph Swafford

TUESDAY, SEPT. 9 2014 >>>

1. For classical music fans that want to hear something other than the 12,655th performance of Beethoven's "Fifth Symphony," the Classical Tuesdays in Old Town series every second Tuesday offers rousing performances of accessible music by classical guitarists, sitar musicians, hip young string players and opera in the Slavonian Hall and other Old Town Tacoma venues. "Sounds of Japan and Latin America" will feature duo Miho Takekawa on the marimba and Diego Coy playing the quena, a traditional Andean flute, perform distinctive warm, natural wood sounds as they take listeners on a musical journey from Japan to South America at 5:30 p.m. in Old Town Park. The duo have produced four CDs covering music of the Andes, traditional South American folk, Brazilian, Japanese, jazz and Latin jazz music, as well as original compositions.

2. Tosca's Kiss is a 1984 documentary on the Casa Verdi, the home for retired musicians in Milan founded in 1902 with a bequest from Giuseppe Verdi. Among the performers interviewed are Sara Scuderi, Giuseppe Manacchini, Leonida Bellon and Giulietta Simonato, though director Daniel Schmid seems less interested in them as individuals than as walking metaphors for the frailty of the flesh and the permanence of art. Catch the film at 2:15 and 6:30 p.m. in The Grand Cinema.

3. Science Café is back from its summer hiatus focusing on "Sounds of the Amazon Pink River Dolphins" at 7 p.m. inside Orca Books. Since 2007, David Bonnett and his wife, Dottie, have recorded the underwater sounds of these dolphins, and will fill you in on their discoveries.

4. Usually when you go to the casino you just lose money - but tonight could be different. Danny Vernon's Illusions of Elvis will be at the Red Wind Casino. Travel out to Yelm and have a great time with the King's likeness, starting at 6:30 p.m.

5. For those who haven't dusted off the Good Book in a while, Jars of Clay takes its name from 2 Corinthians 4:7, which speaks of God's gift of grace to mankind, which holds "this treasure in jars of clay, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." Formed in 1992 when the members were in college, a few songs cooked up over spring break in 1994 led to a triumph at the Gospel Music Association's national Spotlight 1994 talent competition, which led to a label deal and a tour playing to youth groups across the country. This series of breaks eventually resulted in the 1995 release of the groundbreaking Jars of Clay, which bore the crossover single, "Flood." The band is still rocking today, with 10 studio records - three of which earned Grammys. Jars of Clay will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Rialto Theater.

LINK: Tuesday, Sept. 9 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

GRAB A COFFEE POT AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 9.10.14 >>>

Tonight, President Barack Obama will outline his plan for combating the ISIS terror group. A senior administration official says he'll focus on three major themes: the threat posed by ISIS, his strategy to address that threat and proposals on how to fight and destroy the militant group.

Obama is reportedly open to ordering airstrikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria targets in Syria in what would be a significant escalation of the military mission against the terror group.

Obama told leaders of Congress that he did not need for them to authorize his strategy to fight Islamic State, before he addresses Americans on the matter.  

The Long War: No end in sight for America in the Middle East.

ISIS vs. al Qaeda: Terror groups battle for hearts of young jihadists.

House members on Tuesday voted to condemn Obama for failing to notify Congress about plans to exchange five Taliban detainees for prisoner of war Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

Russia carried out a successful test of its new Bulava intercontinental nuclear missile today and will perform two more test launches in October and November.

Ukraine's president said today Russia had removed the bulk of its forces from his country, raising hopes for a peace drive now underway after five months of conflict in which more than 3,000 people have been killed.

Russia said emphatically on Tuesday it did not want Ukraine to become a NATO member, describing such a possibility as an "unprecedented challenge to European security."

Ukraine isn't the only place where Russia is stirring up trouble. Since the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, Moscow has routinely supported secessionists in bordering states, to coerce those states into accepting its dictates. Its latest such effort is unfolding in the South Caucasus.

The first veteran provided an exoskeleton that enables him to walk will be in California as part of a veteran's health summit.

The military wants a vehicle that can dodge rockets by itself.

Future Army grenade could kill enemies hiding behind walls.

The Air Force awaits a legal opinion whether an atheist can opt out of the phrase "so help me God" in his re-enlistment oath.

In one of the most ambitious product launches in its history, Apple unveiled two new iPhones, a smartwatch and a mobile payments platform yesterday.

Apple Inc's embrace of wireless charging for its new Watch may be a defining moment for a technology that's languished for years amid competing standards and consumer confusion.

Watch: Frances McDormand and Bill Murray stare at rural things.

Frozen food critic realizes what he's done, quits show mid-episode.

John Oliver gives Russia's horny space geckos a proper musical sendoff.

Trippy toonrific ...

ROYGBIV: A Pixar Supercut from Rishi Kaneria on Vimeo.

LINK: Original photo by Airman 1st Class Christian Clausen

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10 2014 >>>

1. Walt McClements, formerly a multi-instrumentalist in bands such as Dark Dark Dark and Hurray for the Riff Raff, has struck out on his own with a one-man operation called Lonesome Leash. Armed only with drums (either preprogrammed or live), his voice and an accordion, Lonesome Leash achieves quite a great deal with so little. Despite the pared down setup, Lonesome Leash covers a surprisingly wide range of sounds. Read Adam McKinney's full feature on Lonesome Leash in the Music & Culture section, then catch McClements with Globelamp, the Raven and the Writing Desk and Eric Freas at 8 p.m. in Olympia's all-ages club Northern.

2. The Red Hot continues its not to ciders with "Ten on the Tenth" with Seattle Cider Co. At 5 p.m., the hot dog and beer joint will tap Semi Sweet Cider, Dry Cider, Pumpkin Spice Cider, 3 Pepper Cider, Honey Cider, Heirloom Cider, Gin Barrel Aged Gin Botanical Cider, Red Wine Barrel Aged Pacific NW Berry Cider, Barrel Aged Wild Ferment Cider and Lavender/Chamomile infused Semi Sweet Cider 3.

3. Jeff McGuire, a geophysicist with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution of Massachusetts, will give a lecture about what could be the next major earthquake in the region, why it is so hard to predict, and what scientists are doing to change this. He will speak at 7 p.m. in Thompson Hall, Room 175, on the University of Puget Sound campus. It might be a good time to head to Massachusetts.

4. Saxophonist Kareem Kandi has hosted an open jazz session for years, a backyard patio for his music school friends, fellow musicians and newbies to jam out standards - fresh, fiery and exciting. The jam now resides every second Wednesday at 8 p.m. in The Swiss.

5. The Laughs & Lyrics Comedy Series highlights local and national comedians on a monthly, and soon to be weekly basis, at The Sampan Restaurant & Grill in Olympia. Laughs & Lyrics 5 features New York's Anthony "Harlem" Blu, Tacoma's Frank Brown (by way of Valdosta, Georgia) and another T-town (by way of Alexandria, Louisiana) resident, Ray "Love 75" Humphrey. This will be an edgy, hilarious night with class, featuring dinner and drink specials, and Crowd Control Entertainment & Live From I-5 spinning soul/R&B, reggae and hip-hop after the comics rock, beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: Wednesday, Sept. 10 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area