One of the more interesting, possibly sketchy things about the deluge of comic book movies we find ourselves inundated with, is the prospect of Marvel and DC expanding their reach to include B-list titles, such as the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy adaptation. These production companies are so glut with profits that they now feel comfortable plumbing the depths to bring the moviegoing public characters they never knew they wanted to see.

One such property is the upcoming Ant-Man adaptation, which recently received a blow in the form of director Edgar Wright leaving the project. For many, the only reason anyone would even consider seeing an Ant-Man movie (despite the character being one of the original Avengers, back when the notion of "he's got all the powers of an ant!" seemed like a nifty idea) was the inclusion of the kinetic auteur, Wright, being involved. Wright's Cornetto Trilogy - Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End - along with his previous comic book adaptation, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, all seemed like indications that, if anyone could breathe goofy life into this middling superhero, it would be this man.

While no one has been announced to take the director's place, fellow nerd heroes Joss Whedon and James Gunn have taken to social media to mourn Wright's departure, which was reportedly amicable. The fate of Ant-Man, however, seems sealed - no one knew they wanted to see Ant-Man, and now most people should be assured that, in fact, they do not.

MAY 29-31: JACKIE KASHIAN

Jackie Kashian's recent comedy album's title serves as a nice litmus test to see if you're gonna be on Kashian's wavelength. It is titled This Will Make An Excellent Horcrux, and if that last word sounds like gibberish to you, then you're just not dorky enough.

As the host of The Dork Forest podcast, Kashian takes her nerdy obsessions seriously. Every episode finds her bringing another funny guest on to discuss what they nerd out over, and it can be a fascinating peek into areas of dorkdom that you possibly haven't given much thought to.

As a comedian, Kashian has a Midwestern charm that transcends the nerdier aspects of her material. With wordy jokes that are brimming with ideas and blink-and-you'll-miss-them mini-punchlines, Kashian can sometimes come across as a more affable Patton Oswalt. If you haven't seen her or heard her, you're really missing out.

JACKIE KASHIAN, 8 p.m. May 29, 8 and 10:30 p.m. May 30-31, Tacoma Comedy Club, $10-$15, 933 Market St., Tacoma, $10-$15, 253.282.7203

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 5.26.14 >>>

President Obama issues Memorial Day Proclamation.

The roots and lessons of Memorial Day.

Obama secretly slipped into Afghanistan under the cover of darkness Sunday for a weekend visit with U.S. troops serving in the closing months of America's longest war.

White House inadvertently identifies CIA chief in Kabul.

Ukraine's next president, Petro Poroshenko, pledged to restore control over the separatist east, and said he would meet Russian officials to secure their help in resolving the crisis. 

Thai coup leader General Prayuth Chan-ocha said today he had been formally endorsed by the king as head of a military council that will run the country, and warned he would use force if political protests flared up again.

The Pentagon announced it's suspending exercises with Thailand's military and called on officials to restore democratic rule after a bloodless coup there.

The Pentagon is distancing itself from the U.S. Justice Department's charging of five Chinese People's Liberation Army officers with 31 criminal counts of hacking and cyber espionage against six U.S. companies.

South Korea: Asia's new powerhouse arms exporter.

Increased risk for Army, National Guard missions.

The scandal involving a potential cover up of medical mistreatment of military veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs dominated discussion on the Sunday morning political talk shows. 

China-Vietnam sea spat heats up.

Russia is buying new weapons and aims to modernize its Aerospace Defense Forces.

With sequestration likely to remain, the U.S. Air Force is looking for ways to drive down cost on protected military satellite communications.

One Vietnam veteran is receiving long-delayed recognition for his heroism in a 1968 battle.

How to become an astronaut.

Watch a barn blow-up.

Japan to start building giant ice wall at Fukushima.

Meet the Asian giant hornet. Soon.

Mad Men mid-season 7 finale recap.

Eight literary homes you can buy right now.

Who wants a snake massage?

LINK: Original photo by Chief Petty Office Ryan Wilbur

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 5.23.14 >>>

The Pentagon announced it was closing down 21 military facilities in Europe, a move the Department said would save $60 million annually.

At the end of a week rocked by allegations of mismanagement and cover-ups at the Veterans Affairs agency, Pres. Obama used his weekly address today to again vow to make sure veterans get the necessary medical care.

Four things Washington could do right now to fix the VA.

Smoke and flames rose from Somalia's parliament building in Mogadishu after militants launched an attack today.

Candidates in Ukraine's presidential election stayed out of the public eye today, observing a ban on campaigning on the eve of a vote that Kiev hopes can help end a bitter confrontation with Russia.

Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) announced that a bipartisan proposal was included in the Senate's defense bill to end a Pentagon contract with a Russian firm to supply the Afghan air force with 18 more transport helicopters. 

As the Army fights an uphill battle on Capitol Hill to avert deep budget cuts in 2016, it is also mounting a public-relations campaign against pundits and analysts who downplay the value of land forces.

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted to include measures in its defense policy bill aimed at curbing the number of military suicides, which officials fear could spike this year.  

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) has introduced a bill to give Medal of Honor recipients the highest priority among veterans seeking access to Veterans Affairs healthcare.

Tensions are rising in the East and South China Seas. America needs to walk a fine line between appeasement and confrontation when it comes to China.

The Army is replacing its Universal Camouflage Pattern with Scorpion, a pattern similar to MultiCam developed around 2002.

The task force working to come up with ideas for the U.S. Navy's small surface combatant got a major data download, as industry submitted their proposals for modified or entirely new designs.

A report blames the CO of a destroyer for shiphandling that caused a helicopter to be swept off the flight deck by a rogue.

The future of defense.

Using Google Street View to study the Great Barrior Reef.

Watch this guy jump over an entire island while kitesurfing.

The last thing the world needs is another singing competition, but Sing Your Face Off has something the others don't: Torchwood/Doctor Who alum John Barrowman.

Keep an eye on this guy: Brandon Scott Wolf.

Every single Nicolas Cage laugh ever compiled in one single video.

Chicago critics Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot delivered another great episode of their podcast with an installment devoted to influential alt-country band Uncle Tupelo.

Seriously?: Fox may have cancelled Enlisted, but one fan is launching a campaign to get the network to bring the show back.

How to drink Gothic.

This version is the best X-Men ...

LINK: Original photo by Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Moore

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 5.23.14 >>>

Armed pro-Russian separatists clashed with Ukrainian self-defense fighters near the eastern city of Donetsk today, two days before the presidential election, and at least two people were killed.

The Kremlin's crazy shock troops.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki issued a message to veterans defending his leadership and promising to fix delays in care that have rocked his agency and the Obama administration in recent days.

The House approved a measure that would authorize just over $600 billion in 2015 U.S. defense spending, while blocking A-10 retirement plans and ordering an independent group to study the Army's future.

The House passed legislation that tacitly approves a 1.8 percent pay raise for military service members next year, and includes a number of other pay, benefits and workforce provisions.

The leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee unveiled a $514 billion defense bill that differs in several ways from the version approved by the House.

The Senate Armed Services committee wants to put $320 million saved from cutting personnel to pay for flying the A-10 another year.

The Navy has dispatched a cruiser to the Black Sea in the latest sign that Washington is ramping up pressure on the Kremlin's power play in Ukraine ahead of a disputed referendum.

The intelligence community is on the verge of "revolutionary" technical advances.

DARPA has invented a device that gives soldiers Terminator vision.

The 10 algorithms that dominate our world.

Here comes the Headfoams.

Veruca Salt played for the first time in 18 years on Conan.

Watch the big drum-off between Will Ferrell and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith.

See a trailer for the new season of Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

Finally: This lengthy piece explores the history of Don and Peggy's relationship on Mad Men.

Suddenly American idol is much better ...

LINK: Original photo by Cpl. Emmanuel Ramos

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 5.22 14 >>>

Defense bill amendment to restrict wartime funding usage.

Thailand's army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha took control of the government in a coup saying the army had to restore order and push through reforms. 

North Korean artillery fired at least one shot which landed near a South Korean navy patrol ship south of the two sides' disputed maritime border.

The U.S. has deployed a Predator drone team of 80 military personnel - mostly airmen - to Chad to help find nearly 300 schoolgirls kidnapped in neighboring Nigeria.

UAV platforms begin to mature.

Air Force security failed nuke test.

A U.S. Senate subcommittee has backed the Pentagon's plans to curb military pay raises and housing allowances next year.

Spurred by allegations of mismanagement and scandal at numerous Veterans Affairs facilities, House members overwhelmingly approved a measure giving the department's secretary more power to fire underperforming employees.

Navy chief Adm. Jonathan Greenert says the Navy needs 11 aircraft carriers to meet security demands despite the Pentagon's plan to retire one and bring the count down to 10 to meet caps on defense spending.

The House passed by voice vote an amendment to the 2015 defense authorization bill that takes the Obama administration to task over the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

The first launch of an anti-ballistic missile from a new shore-based version of the classic Aegis missile system was successfully carried in Hawaii.

This incredible Russian dash cam footage shows a car driving through a forest fire while the drivers wonder if they are going to die or not.

18 places you should ride your bike before you die.

Song premiere: Peter Murphy's "Eliza."

Rolling Stone's new cover story is an interview with Jack White.

Watch the new trailer for the Roger Ebert doc, Life Itself.

Cool creature alert: Video from the Star Wars set.

It's gonna be a beautiful day, Walkie Talkie readers. So take Bert and Zachary Levi's advice: GO OUT AND PLAY.

LINK: Original photo by Lance Cpl. Charles Santamaria

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 5.21.14 >>>

Spc. William Rogers of Joint Base Lewis-McChord proved he was Army Strong at the U.S. Army Installation Management Command's Best Warrior Competition.

Al Qaeda runs shadow army in Afghanistan; Taliban on verge of surge.

The U.S. House will begin work on nearly 170 amendments to a Pentagon policy bill, including ones that would add funds to weapons accounts, require arms sales to allies, and kill the measure that authorized America's post-9/11 conflicts.

The Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs has expanded its investigation to include 26 facilities around the country accused of mismanagement and hiding long wait times. 

President Obama has summoned Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and White House deputy chief of staff Rob Nabors for a meeting to discuss their investigation into mismanagement at veterans hospitals across the country.

Sen. Patty Murray says the VA failed to implement legislation she wrote to counter problems with the appointments system.

Why is Shinseki refusing more authority to fire VA employees?

Who broke the Department of Veteran Affairs.

The White House will reportedly comply with a court order to release a secret memorandum describing the legal justification for the 2011 drone strike against three Americans in Yemen.

The Senate Armed Services Committee's 2015 defense policy bill will reject a new round of military base closures.

A U.S. Senate subcommittee approved a measure allowing the Pentagon to spend billions on its most lethal forces while also clearing them to target the Boko Haram organization.

Senate Armed Services Committee members have cobbled together a plan to keep the U.S. Air Force's A-10 attack planes flying for another year.

Australia, Britain, Canada and United States have signed a symbolically important Memorandum of Understanding committing them to "a partnership on combined space operations."

A group of U.S. special operations leaders outlined what capabilities their troops will need in the coming years, focusing mostly on intelligence gathering technologies in places such as Africa and the Arctic.

A subcommittee defied the Army by supporting a panel to study the transfer of Guard attack helicopters to the active component.

The Defense Advanced Research Programs Agency's Information Innovation Office, or I2O, is hosting DARPA Demo Day 2014 in the Pentagon's courtyard today and it has four projects that could be bigger than the Internet.

Roughly 6,000 U.S. troops will take part in this year's "Eager Lion" exercise in Jordan from May 25 to June 8, a Defense Department spokesman said.

Animation teaches you what happened in World War II in 7 minutes.

The science of losing belly fat.

This is a rare view: Five skydivers in wingsuits soar over New York City.

The real mansion from Scarface - the iconic Brian de Palma movie starring Al Pacino as drug lord Tony Montana - has hit the property market.

Seven facts about the X-Men you might not know.

R.E.M.'s complete catalog and many rarities have been remastered for iTunes.

The Horror: Miley Cyruscovered The Smiths. (It's actually not bad!)

List: Best book recommendation services

You need To Know: Here's where Mad Men shot the Burger Chef scenes.

Yikes: There were 1135 Aryas, 241 Khaleesis and 67 Daeneryses born in 2013. And 15 Theons and five Robbs.

Lights out for this cat ...

LINK: Original Photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Bowcock

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 5.20.14 >>>

The House this week will vote onlegislation that tacitly approves a 1.8 percent pay raise for service members next year.

The Pentagon still plans to increase funding for special operations equipment in the coming years, but after years of plus-ups, that trend is expected to flatten.

America still has way more air power than any rival.

Thailand's army declared martial law nationwide to restore order after six months of street protests that have left the country without a proper functioning government, but denied that the surprise move amounted to a military coup.

A top White House official has promised that the CIA would no longer use vaccination programs as a cover for spying.

The White House is threatening a veto of the House version of a $601 billion defense bill over election-year moves to spare weapons systems and popular programs in the face of limited budgets.

President Obama is relying less on drones and more on foreign governments in the global fight against terrorists.

Retired Marine Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, 24, will receive the Medal of Honor for heroism in Afghanistan in 2010.

The United States invented the Internet, but we may not rule it any more.

Navy officials expect ship defenses to get a boost following the introduction of the Block 2 Rolling Airframe Missiles.

Turns out a littoral combat ship will be headed to Hawaii this summer after all.

A new bill would allow members of the military and their families to keep their current auto insurance policy if they are ordered to relocate to a new state.

House approves Congressional Gold Medal for Civil Air Patrol.

A small, easy-to-use and lightweight explosive screening kit continues to move forward toward full fielding as a means to provide soldiers with the capability to screen for suspected homemade explosive materials.

Army PULSE-W watercraft proves ability, benefit of enduring presence in Pacific.

Veterans remember historic Strike Brigade deployment.

This looks like some end of the world type weather.

Spielberg's masterful use of the long take is one of the things that make him so great.

"Fangirl" and "unfriend" are among the new words Merriam-Webster is adding to the dictionary.

McDonald's has a creepy new mascot.

How much money is it possible to win on Jeopardy!?

Here's a tribute to Road House for its 25th anniversary.

And finally, this story is for all the drummers.

Back To The Future love song ...

LINK: Original photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger

BAMF! (And no, not the acronym.) 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, MAY 8

Thursday night brings the TV premieres of Labyrinth on the CW (sorry, no Bowie) and Gang Related on Fox. No one cares, not even the person who should've put a hyphen in Gang Related.

FRIDAY, MAY 23

As we all know, the X-Men (but let's not be sexist: X-People) have endured mixed success on the silver screen. It's tough to gripe about director Bryan Singer's first two efforts, but then Brett Ratner took the reins on 2006's threequel X-Men: The Last Stand and ... well, it almost was. For my money, the first standalone Wolverine film, in which Hugh Jackman squared off against Sabretooth, a wretchedly misconceived Deadpool, and suck-tacular special effects, was even worse. Then, notwithstanding January Jones' predictably glassy-eyed performance, Matthew Vaughn steered the franchise back onto the rails with X-Men: First Class three years ago. Finally, like a time-traveler from days of future past, Singer returns to the fold, adapting the Sentinel storyline from Chris Claremont and John Byrne's 1981 run of Uncanny X-Men. Hey, speaking of "uncanny," how much do you want to bet Fox is sweating the timing of those child molestation charges against Mr. Singer? Of course, the man should be considered innocent until proven guilty, and that's always a generous attitude to retain when new superhero movies hit cinemas as well. This time, the early buzz turns out to be good.

Thanks to a bit of temporal translocation, both Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy get to play Professor X, Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender can play Magneto, and Rebecca Romijn who? As if that isn't super enough, the cast adds Peter Dinklage (as Bolivar Trask) and two people named Fan Bingbing and Booboo Stewart as, I'm guessing here, pandas. I can pretty much promise you it'll be better than X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, or, let's face it, The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Oh, Paul Giamatti, you deserve so much better.

SUNDAY, MAY 25

Sunday night marks HBO's first airing of Normal Heart, the most controversial movie of 20 years ago. That said, the script, based on Larry Kramer's off-Broadway 1985 play, is terrific, and the cast is superhero-movie good (try Alec Baldwin, Alfred Molina, Jim Parsons, Julia Roberts, and Mark Ruffalo for starters). I'd be stunned if this isn't a major Emmy contender next year. The play's belated 2011 debut on Broadway earned the Tony for Best Revival, plus two acting awards for Ellen Barkin and John Benjamin Hickey. Essentially, it's about an early-1980s crusade to push AIDS awareness - literally, an awareness and acknowledgement that the virus even existed - into public conversation and governmental action.

TUESDAY, MAY 27

A new season of America's Got Talent begins on NBC, which would be much more exciting if America, which judges the show, also had taste. (Wouldn't America Has Talent - or even better, Americans Have Talent - be preferable?) Luckily for our purposes, Syfy also gave former Enterprise-D helmsman (helmsperson?) Wil Wheaton a weekly comedy show, The Wil Wheaton Project, and that debuts Sunday at 10. He calls it "Talk Soup for geeks." Um ... I thought that was called Talk Soup?

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28

Come gather ‘round, people, wherever you roam. Like many writers and critics who prophesize with our pens, I keep my eyes open for new books about Robert Zimmerman, better known as the one and only Mr. Bob Dylan. But The Dylanologists: Adventures in the Land of Bob isn't, strictly speaking, a tome about the Bard of Minneapolis, it's an insider's look at geeks like me who adore him. Author David Kinney will stop by the downtown Olympia library tonight to promote it. And don't think twice, it's all right: he will have copies available for purchase.

DAVID KINNEY, 7:30 p.m., Olympia Timberland Library, 313 eighth Ave., Olympia, free, 360.352.0595

Until next week, may the Force be with you, may the odds be ever in your favor, and may the answer be blowin' in the wind.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 5.16.14 >>>

The senior enlisted soldier for 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment has died from wounds suffered in Afghanistan.

The results of a much-anticipated government investigation into charges of scheduling fraud at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System will not be out until August.

The House will consider legislation next week to give the Veterans Affairs secretary expanded authority to fire senior executives.

USA Today: VA chief Shinseki has a lot to explain.

There are clear indications that the United States and China are grappling with how to craft a more stable and more intimate set of military to military relationships.

The Pentagon released a report that showed there were nearly 1,400 reported incidents of sexual harassment in 2013.

How the military could kill Godzilla.

Amazing military infographics.

Gen. Keith Alexander: We're at greater risk.

Officials declared that freeing schoolgirls abducted by the radical Islamist group has become a top administration priority.

Recent satellite images show two new North Korean frigates, the largest surface combat ships the nation's navy has constructed in a quarter-century.

The Air Force is a step closer to bedding down its anticipated fleet of KC-46A Pegasus aerial tankers.

Despite a year of workforce furloughs and dwindling budgets, the Defense Department's science and technology enterprise reports advances ranging from a full hypersonic weapon system and high-energy lasers to light-based brain treatments and new core capabilities in cyber warfare.

This footage of the wildfire in San Diego county is absolutely terrifying.

Today's freakout: Fearless daredevils from Eastern Europe.

A new HBO series will showcase the making of the Foo Fighters' next album.

Chad Smith and Will Ferrell talk about their upcoming drum battle.

Morrissey has joined Twitter.

The 16 most badass monsters from the Godzilla movies.

The Flaming Lips' latest project: a cover of the complete Sgt. Pepper album.

Did you catch Blondie on The Daily Show?

Finally: Mad Men/X-Men parody.

Trippy cool ...

LINK: Original photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Chandler

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 5.14.14 >>>

A nightmare group in Syria could target the U.S.

The escalating sanctions war between the U.S. and Russia has claimed its latest victim, with potentially devastating long-term implications for the sole provider of military launch for the US Air Force.

Rockets are raining down on bases in Afghanistan as the Taliban's fighting season begins, and one military officer is taking extra precautions while he dodges the incoming fire.

Urban warfare 2035: The U.S. Army prepares for combat - physical and cyber - in the megacity of the future.

The Pentagon has cleared a nearly $1 billion package of aircraft trainers, surveillance aerostats and up-armored Humvees for the Iraqi military.

The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee will reject a plan approved by its House counterpart to use emergency funding to keep alive the A-10 attack plane.

U.S. Air Force is looking to cut the number of UAV combat air patrols from 65, a number required under Defense Secretary Robert Gates, to 55.

Report: U.S. military needs more drones, not better ones.

A federal judge has tossed out most of the lawsuits filed against the Defense Department over the theft of personal data belonging to 4.9 million Tricare beneficiaries.

Former Sgt. Kyle White became the nation's newest Medal of Honor recipient.

Medal of Honor recipient's former commander recalls his heroism.

A Fort Campbell active duty officer entered a guilty plea to stealing the identity of other soldiers, applying for loans and using the money for his personal benefit.

The country's largest student loan providers will pay out $60 million to U.S. troops and veterans for unfair lending practices under a proposed settlement announced by the Justice and Education departments.

Pentagon is trying to transfer convicted national security leaker Pvt. Chelsea Manning to a civilian prison so she can get treatment for her gender disorder.

Now the military is going to build robots that have morals.

Life after email at DoD.

The world's heaviest-drinking nations, ranked.

Find some comfort and inspiration in these gorgeous personal libraries.

The Harry Potter spinoff trilogy, Fantastic Beasts, arrives in theaters in 2016.

Wedge Antilles has retired to some ranch across the galaxy border.

Wedding anniversary gift exchange ends with the wife giving the best present any man can get: A fully functional Millennium Falcon.

This cute little kid is better at doing yo-yo tricks than you are at doing anything.

Finally: All the most important Batmobiles in one handy chart.

Finally: It's the Game of Thrones characters as cats.

SPOILERS: It doesn't end well. ...

LINK: Original photo by Sgt. Nicolas A. Cloward