FALL IN LOVE OR SNORT COCAINE - IT'S YOUR CHOICE >>>

According to Medical News Today, falling in love affects intellectual areas of the brain and triggers the same sensation of euphoria experienced by people when they do cocaine. Researchers from Syracuse University found that when someone falls in love, several euphoria-inducing chemicals, such as vasopression, adrenaline, oxytocin and dopamine are released simultaneously in the brain.

Researchers also found that when couples had just fallen in love, their blood levels of NGF (nerve growth factor, the molecule key in romantic chemistry) had significantly risen. Syracuse University Professor Stephanie Ortigue believes their findings confirm that love does have a scientific basis.

So, on that note. Happy molecular based, non-fated Valentine's Day week!

THURSDAY, FEB. 3, 2011 >>>

1. Malaikat dan Singa is the love-drunk project of Old Tim Relijun's Arrington de Dionyso, who - after falling hard with someone he knew would be spending months overseas in Indonesia - actually learnt Indonesian and started writing love songs in the language in anticipation of their return. He joins Midday Veil and Georgy for an 8 p.m. all-ages show at Olympia's Northern club.

2. The Living Legends Native American Dance and Music perform at 7 p.m. inside the Washington Center in Olympia.

3. B. Alan Wallace may be the American Buddhist most committed to finding connections between Buddhism and science. An ex-Buddhist monk who went on to get a doctorate in religious studies at Stanford, he once studied under the Dalai Lama, and has acted as one of the Tibetan leader's translators. Wallace will enter the University of Puget Sound's Schneebeck Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. with "Experience, Reason, and Faith in Science and Religion" on the brain. Open yours.

4. Weekly Volcano theater critic Christian Carvajal has been eagerly awaiting Harlequin Productions' The Last Schwartz, which hits their stage at 8 p.m. The production is something of an End Days reunion - Carvajal's favorite show of 2010 - as it's also written by Deborah Zoe Laufer, directed by Linda Whitney and stars Scott C. Brown and Ann Flannigan. Read his review of the show here.

5. Fictitious, Pink Bead Federation, Sex Panther, Faraca 508, Infinite Supreme One and DJ Elite rock Hell's Kitchen at 9 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

THE STARS NEVER LIE...STARTING NOW.>>>

So, you thought you were a Virgo for the last 27 years of your life. Well, turns out you were wrong, and really only because astrologers have been too lazy to change the placement of astrological signs, apparently inaccurate for the past 3,000 years.

According to astrologer Parke Kunkle, the moon's gravitational pull has made the Earth "wobble" around its axis, setting the Earth in a different spot in relation to the Sun. The change in equatorial allignment has created nearly a one-month bump in the stars' relative position and with that: a new arrangement of astrological signs.

A debate has begun about changing the zodiac. Not only has nearly every birthday shifted to a new sign, but a new sign has been added to the mix: Ophiuchus, which is represented by Serpentarius the Healer, a man subduing a gigantic snake. (It's pretty sexy.)

The New Zodiac Calendar:

Capricorn: Jan. 20 - Feb. 16
Aquarius: Feb. 16 - March 11
Pisces: March 11- April 18
Aries: April 18- May 13
Taurus: May 13- June 21
Gemini: June 21- July 20
Cancer: July 20- Aug. 10
Leo: Aug. 10- Sept. 16
Virgo: Sept. 16- Oct. 30
Libra: Oct. 30- Nov. 23
Scorpio: Nov. 23- Nov. 29
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29- Dec. 17
Sagittarius: Dec. 17- Jan. 20

THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Mostly cloudy with some sun, hi 51, lo 38

Saturday: Cloudy with a little rain, hi 50, lo 44

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, hi 52, lo 43

>>> FRIDAY, NOV. 12-SATURDAY, NOV. 13: THE FURNITURE SERIES

The dance begins in the eyes of a man, searching from chair to chair. Some of the chairs will seem interested for a second, then break it off. Others don't even acknowledge him. But when his eyes land on the right piece of furniture, there's no confusing the look. He locks eyes with that chair; the two move toward the dance floor and meet there halfway in an embrace, the classic start of the tango. The lights are dim overhead, and the bottoms of his dance shoes caress the wooden floor as he leads his chosen chair into the tango song. While dancing a dime falls from underneath the chair's cushion. There's an awkward moment. He picks up the coin and continues the dance. "I am," he said too no one there. And no one heard it at all, except the chair.

Possibly this dance but certainly many better ones like it will be performed as part of Robin Jaecklein's Furniture Series at the SOTA theater this Friday and Saturday. A total of 11 pieces of furniture will be the muse of dancers Joel Myers, Kate Monthy, Hannah Crowley, Katie Stricker, Mary Tuttle, Danny Boulet, Lynn Wilmot-Stenehjem, Laura Miltner, Brittany Humphrey and SOTA students.

• Tacoma School of the Arts Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, also 2 p.m. Saturday, $7-$15, 1118 Commerce St., Tacoma, 253.761.8311

>>> SATURDAY, NO. 13: ROCKET RACES

While most of us relegated our ballistic experiments to childhood - leaving those wimpy baking-soda projectiles and more beefy hairspray potato cannons as distant memories - some people continued their interest in amateur rocket science through adulthood. Many such individuals will spend many enjoyable hours this weekend drinking Pabst and launching powerful, adult-size missiles at each other in East Pierce County. The other rocket enthusiasts - those with rubber band powered, propeller driven rockets - will gather at the Olympic Flight Museum this Saturday and freakin' go nuts. Competitions will include both adult and kids with the kids judged according to their grade.

• Olympic Flight Museum, 1 p.m., 7637-A Old Hwy. 99 SE, Olympia, 360.705.3925

>>> SATURDAY, NOV. 13: TELLABRATION!

There are those among us who can make their trip to a hair stylist the most riveting story you've heard all week. People whose stories never trail off into "it was really cool. ..." Envy them. They are not like you. Not only do they have great success at parties, they have a future with the Mt. Tahoma Storytelling Guild. See what all the storytelling fuss is about with storytelling for grownups, in honor of Tellabration, a national storytelling event sponsored by the National Storytelling Association.  If you can stand a 10-minute hairdo story, just imagine how riveted you'll be by something with an actual plot.  

• Antique Sandwich Co., 7:30 p.m., 51st and Pearl, Tacoma, (253) 983-9114

>>> WHERE OUR STAFF IS GOING

MATT DRISCOLL Editor (aka - the guy to blame)
There's talk of a new computer purchase this weekend in the Driscoll household, so that's always exciting. Really, there's nothing more American than the acquisition of shiny new things. Sunday, I plan to coach the single greatest game of fantasy football in the history of man (or at the very least fantasy football itself). 

PAUL SCHRAG Senior Contributor
I'm editing a truckload of U.S Treasury grants for some credit unions that are doing amazing work rebuilding our shattered economy. My play list for this task will include Cee-lo, Jocelyn Montgomery and David Lynch interpreting the cantos of Hildegard von Bingen, and probably some klezmer.

STEPH DEROSA: Columnist
I'm sure to be a gold medalist in the LWPO - Lamest Weekend Plans Olympics.  As a matter of fact, not only do our dear Weekly Volcano editors spank us every time we report to the Weekend Hustle with no plans, there is a possibility they could actually dock my pay for being so extremely boring this weekend. I wish I had a dangerous agenda for the upcoming duo of days off, but alas, I do not. Although, I DO have a hankering punch someone in the face, so don't count me entirely out for a little fun in the next few days.

REV. ADAM MCKINNEY Features Writer
Friday, I'm going to check out Hunter Lea and his new band at The Den. My second all-ages show of the week! That, if anything, calls for Prefunk.

NIKKI TALOTTA Features Writer
I think I'll let Loverboy sum this one up:
Everybody's workin' for the weekend
Everybody wants a new romance;
Everybody's goin' off the deep end
Everybody needs a second chance. ...

JOE IZENMAN Music/Theater Critic
To be honest? I have pretty much no idea what I'm doing. At least in terms of things that anyone else might find interesting. Shopping at IKEA and Fry's? Could happen. Shopping for obscure Indian spices? Hope so. Shopping at the second to last Proctor Farmers Market of the season? There's little doubt of that. But no shows, no plays, no exciting nightlife. Sorry, stalkers!

JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
This weekend will be spent trying to figure out how to get a 1953 Ford up from Nacogdoches, Texas. When I'm not contemplating that (or why my dad is suddenly giving away his cars), I'll be trying to get my 3-month-old son to laugh.

JENNIFER JOHNSON: Lifestyle/Leisure Writer
I'll be basking in the hopefully warm weather in Utah while visiting family for the entire weekend. Yippee!

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL: Theater Critic
I'm seeing Grease at SPSCC and Bug at Evergreen, plus trekking to my junior-high haunts in Humboldt County, Calif.  I'm traveling with my mom, though, so Humboldt's most popular cash crop is off the table.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Meat Market Correspondent
I am going to Harry Potter with the kiddos for Veterans Day and then getting a blooming onion with my pa. This weekend, I'm headed to the opening of Vanity nightclub.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2010 >>>

1. Chandler O'Leary is kind of infatuated with Mt. Rainier - and this is a good thing. For one, it resulted in Local Conditions, O'Leary's interactive book. With 120 image flats and a viewing box, Local Conditions allows readers to literally create millions of Rainier-related scenes. The release of the book (a limited run of 26 hand-bound pieces of art) will be celebrated by an opening reception at UPS Collins Memorial Library from 4:30-6:30 p.m., which is kicking off a solo O'Leary exhibition at UPS through January.

2. November marks the ninth anniversary of Art at Work: Tacoma Arts Month - a community celebration of the arts that includes hundreds of community-hosted arts and cultures events, exhibits and workshops, taking place daily throughout the month - packaged by the Tacoma Art Commission. Once again, the Weekly Volcano is a proud sponsor of the celebration. The whole kit and kaboodle officially kicks off tonight at 6 p.m. with an "Opening Celebration" at the Tacoma Art Museum. The event will include the AMOCAT award ceremony for Oliver Doriss, Fab-5 and Urban Grace Church., performances by the Tacoma Youth Symphony, Tacoma Opera, Tacoma Symphony, and Tacoma Musical Playhouse, the TAM galleries will be open – which includes Mighty Tacoma, hors d'oeuvres, dessert, and a no-host bar.

3. The Tacoma Science Café kicks off its monthly science chat, over beers, with University of Washington Tacoma research scientist Julie Masura at 7 p.m. inside the Harmon Brewery and Eatery. Masura - huge into microplastics studies - will discuss how these teeny tiny particles are destroying our oceans.

4. Tacoma's theater company Gold from Straw opens the comedy Almost, Maine by John Cariani at 8 p.m. inside the Theatre on the Square.

5. The Big Wheel Steakhouse and Lounge in Parkland hosts "Ladies Club Nite Out" with DJ J-Fresh beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: It's Art at Work month!

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

BEER DRINKING - NOW WITH MORE SCIENCE! >>>

Whoever says Tacoma's Center of Urban Waters consists solely of environmental freaks and engineering geeks who hole up inside their kick ass 51,000 square-foot office and laboratory building on Thea Foss Waterway shying from public contact as they play with their test tubes and mentally compute the velocity of their own pee is a big fat liar. Believe it or not, these scientists and engineers adore the public, and will prove it Thursday night when the Pacific Science Center launches the Tacoma version of its awesome Science Café at The Harmon Brewery and Restaurant.

The third monthly science café launched by PSC - Queen Anne hill in Seattle and Kirkland have a hold on the first two - the Tacoma Science Café will kick off its monthly science chat, over beers, with University of Washington Tacoma research scientist Julie Masura, who hangs with the Center of Urban Waters folks after the class bell rings. Masura - huge into microplastics studies - will discuss how these teeny tiny particles are destroying our oceans.

You might want to pull back from your normal beer consumption Thursday, as Masura will also host a Q-and-A session.

Tacoma Science Café

Thursday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m., all ages, no cover
Harmon Brewery and Eatery
1938 Pacific Ave., Tacoma
(253) 383-2739

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Actress Heather Thomas is 53.

Science figures out the sexiest dance moves, with science!

Crosscut Reports: GOP tide could swamp the state's D.C. races, and Olympia too.

According to a new NBC-Wall Street Journal poll, 65 percent of Americans feel that the country is in a state of decline, and only 26 percent think the economy will improve in the next year. The majority of voters think that Obama has "not brought needed change" but are also "as unenthusiastic about Republican incumbents." In other words: meh.

Mark David Chapman denied parole.

Rodney King marries a juror from his 1991 trial.

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

The horror! Smell the screams of mowed grass.

WHAT I FOUND LAST NIGHT DURING ARTWALK >>>

Last night I found Maria Jost's Street Botany's Figure 8 poster "What is this Taraxcum officinale poster about?" at the Brick House Gallery. You can read the multiple choice answers clearer on her Street Botany's blog here. This poster and the previous seven focus on art and science and plants, and they drop periodically in Tacoma.

According to her blog:

These figures will be posted around town. If one appears to be posted with direction, it was so placed because I appreciate the particular location and what it offers to the community. If one appears to be posted randomly, it almost certainly was.

Please pay as much attention to the posters as you like. I anticipate that many will be removed, most will be discarded, some will fall off or down, and a few will be kept.

I was hoping in this final paragraph to strip down my motivations for such a project into a single cohesive purpose. But, I am not quite sure how to synthesize the personal and public elements of my motivation. So for now, my purposes are simply: 1) to artistically explore the science-based concepts living in my brain, and 2) to share some pretty pictures with this town.

I also stumbled upon the Smooth & Juicey postcard with "complimentary size upgrade" printed on the backside. Jason Granwich designed it. It's freakin' funny.

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Rebirth for Tacoma's Spanish Steps is near

Tacoma City Council had a first reading on street vendor rule changes.

Pres. Obama gave his first Oval Office speech last night. Everyone hated it.

FBI records show the Kennedy brothers participated in presidential orgies.

Scientists are studying Ozzy Osborne's blood to figure out how he is still alive.