MONDAY, APRIL 28 2014 >>>

1. The Swiss Restaurant & Pub celebrates its 21st birthday will run 11 a.m. to close. The Swiss and 7 Seas Brewing in Gig Harbor collaborated on a special imperial red ale for the occasion, which will be released at 11 a.m. Raffle prizes will be doled out on the 21st minute of every hour. Junkyard Jane will hit the stage at 8 p.m., normal starting time for bands during The Swiss' popular weekly Monday Night Blues sessions. The show and party are free. 

2. Cocktail aficionado Hilltop Kitchen hosts a Vino de Mezcal tasting at 2 p.m. That's right, artisanal mezcal on a Monday afternoon. So nice. The entire line of Vino de Mezcal from Fundación Agaves Silvestres will be poured as daylight shines through the Hilltop Tacoma lounge. The $45 ticket price includes the taster flight of seven mezcals and light snacks. This is a delightful opportunity to discover something new and gain boozy insight and knowledge. The man behind these spirits, Erick "Alma Mezcalera," will be in the house. Tickets are at brownpapertickets.com.

3. The Weekly Volcano's art critic's prose will be read by the Weekly Volcano's theater critic at Creative Colloquay, which was founded by the Weekly Volcano's food critic. The literary event will also feature storytellers Jack Cameron, Titus Burley, J Anne Fullerton and David Mucklow reading from their works. An open mic follows. Talk may be cheap, but Creative Colloquay is free. Step up at 7 p.m. in the B Sharp Coffee House.

4. The Tacoma Cult Movie Club continues its homage to Mike Vraney of Something Weird Video with screenings at 7 p.m. in the Acme Grub Cage. Besides free admission and popcorn, expect a large raffle, which will include gift certificates from Olympic Cards and Comics.

5. Jazzbones has amped up its weekly live band karaoke. For the past six weeks it has hosted a singing contest with the grand prize being two nights and flight to Las Vegas. Tonight at 9 p.m. is the finals. 

LINK: Monday, April 28 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Nick Cassavetes has never had the track record of his father, John. The elder Cassavetes was unimpeachably important as one of the catalysts of the American indie film movement, and his catalogue is peerlessly valuable to the cinematic landscape. Though his directorial output was relatively brief, even a cursory glance at his credits reveals classics such as A Woman Under the Influence, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie and Gloria.

Meanwhile, the younger Cassavetes has seemingly struggled through the years in search of a directorial voice. Recently, it seemed like he was beginning to find it: the execrable John Q led into the improved The Notebook, which then led into the quite good Alpha Dog. Unfortunately, his career then dipped into the mopey My Sister's Keeper - his first dalliance with Cameron Diaz - and we now find ourselves flinching at The Other Woman.

This is far from the first film to feature three jilted women taking revenge on their mutual cad - Chasing Papi and John Tucker Must Die both come immediately to mind, which indicates that there are likely scores of other examples. What all of these movies seem to share in common (besides plot) is the odd choice to subject their scorned women to the further humiliation of starring in a shitty comedy.

I'm not asking for these women to go full-on, scorched earth, Falling Down on this guy, but it feels just the slightest bit gross to watch these beautiful, accomplished women slapstick around for 90 minutes in the wake of a betrayal. It doesn't help that, while Cameron Diaz may have many bright spots, comedy is one that seems to have alluded her.

Still, full judgment of The Other Woman will be held until I inevitably find myself staring blankly at it one hung-over Sunday afternoon. God help me.

Nearly 52 years after an Air Force fighter jet crashed in the Olympics and killed the pilot, two Seattle outdoorsmen are going to search this spring for the wreckage that has never been found.

Tomasz Biernacki and Phil Anderson have researched the crash and believe they have come up with some new evidence.

"We hope that our fresh approach and research will help locate the wreck site," Biernacki said. "After reviewing the crash and news reports from that time, we think the military may have been misled in their initial search."

On Nov. 10, 1962, Capt. Robert Lucas was flying a F-102 fighter interceptor on a routine training mission when his plane crashed somewhere between Lake Cushman and Lake Quinault. Hunters said they heard an explosion near the Wynooche watershed on the same day.

Multiple searches never found the plane or the pilot. Lucas is believed to have ejected from his plane before it crashed.

>>> Capt. Robert Lucas

"We have some evidence that has lead us to explore a few possible new locations for the jet crash," Biernacki said.

Biernacki and Anderson have been waiting for the snow to melt before they begin their search for the wreckage in the OlympicMountains.

The two outdoorsmen will film their search and it will be part of their adventure documentary series exploring the Olympic Peninsula, My Olympics.

The adventure documentary will include an episode on Anderson, who is nicknamed "Cougar Phil." Anderson, following the advice of a local Indian, will spend five days in the wilderness, living off the land in an attempt to experience what Indians called "Vision Quest." He'll only have knife and a survival kit.

Another of the six planned episodes Biernacki and Anderson will be shooting will be on cougars.

TUESDAY, APRIL 22 2014 >>>

1. "Let every individual and institution now think and act as a responsible trustee of Earth, seeking choices in ecology, economics and ethics that will provide a sustainable future, eliminate pollution, poverty and violence, awaken the wonder of life and foster peaceful progress in the human adventure." So states John McConnell's original Earth Day proclamation. Begun in 1970 during the March Equinox (March 20, 21), Earth Day is a worldwide yearly celebration and call to action in order to sustain the natural beauty and viability of our world. Once again, in celebration of Earth Day, admission is free at all Washington state parks - meaning the Discover Pass is not required to visit a state park on designated free days. Do your part by ceasing all bathing activity beginning today. For more information, visit www.discoverpass.wa.gov.

2. Local breweries are getting their Earth Day on with a human powered beer delivery parade followed by a bunch of beer drinking.

3. A panel of academics in the early stages of their science careers will share their experiences as science scholars of color at a forum and panel discussion from 5-7 p.m. UW Tacoma's William W. Philip Hall.

4. Kimya Dawson and hip-hop artist Ian Bavitz (aka Aesop Rock) are The Uncluded and will perform music from their debut album, Hokey Fright, at 8:30 p.m. in the Olympia Timberland Library.

5. The "Month of Murray" at The Swiss Restaurant and Pub with a 9 p.m. screening of Rushmore on the projector. Expect food and drink discounts.

LINK: Tuesday, April 22 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Feeling stupid and contagious, 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.

FRIDAY, APRIL 25

As you may have gathered by now, I'm not that impressed by most horror movies. Over the years, I've seen enough Shatner-masked axe murderers and cats jumping out at me to last a dozen lifetimes. Yet I'm a bit intrigued by the setup for The Quiet Ones, in which a team of unethical psychologists try to induce telekinetic responses from a teenaged girl by scaring the Schlitz out of her. That's an interesting spin on Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, don't you think? Early critical responses are mixed for Hammer Films' latest effort; but it stars Jared Harris (Lane on Mad Men, may he rest in peace), and everyone seems to agree he's on point at least. I mean, it's got to be scarier than A Haunted House 2, right?

Right?

Hey, it's Olympia Arts Walk weekend! Among tonight's highlights are a Nirvana tribute concert featuring five local bands and a world of teen spirit. Yes, it really has been two decades since Kurt Cobain's untimely passing (on April 5, 1994). Memoria, my friends. Memoria.

NIRVANA TRIBUTE CONCERT, 9 p.m., Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia, $5, 360.951.8728

If a heart-shaped box isn't your cup of tea, Vince Brown will be strumming away (with jazz vocalist LaVon Hardison) at Swing Wine Bar starting at 6:30 p.m., and WET Science Center will be open till 8. You could also drop by the Midnight Sun, where my wife Amanda Stevens will costar in an 8 p.m. revival of Chamber Music, a nuthouse dramedy directed by Pug Bujeaud of Theater Artists Olympia. Downtown will be crazy in general, so I recommend taking the bus. Plus it's eco-friendly!

If you've ever wanted to get levitated, drowned in a milk jug, or penetrated by Spikes of Doom, now's your chance. Married illusionists Kevin and Cindy Spencer were named "Magicians of the Year" by the International Magicians Society in 2009, and yes, they do call people up out of the audience to get ensorcelled within an inch of their lives. Kevin has a habit (swiped from Harry Houdini) of walking through brick walls, so catch his act now before he does himself any permanent craniofacial damage.

SPENCERS THEATRE OF ILLUSION, 7:30 p.m., Pantages Theater, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, $72-$82, 253.591.5894

SATURDAY, APRIL 26

The 20th Procession of the Species proceeds at 4:30 p.m. in downtown Olympia, so make like Neil deGrasse Tyson and celebrate the awesome power of natural selection! - in this case, by yelling pleasantries at people in octopus costumes.

SUNDAY, APRIL 27

Local restaurateurs, vintners, and microbrewers bring their A games to the South Sound's premiere oyster chow-down, SLURP (Shellfish Lovers Ultimate Rejuvenation Party). It's a community auction and mollusk feed that benefits habitat restoration and community outreach programs. Duly adored for its Grand Oyster Bar, this is paradise for the bivalve-curious. Chris Schwarz, corporate executive chef for Tom Douglas Restaurants, will be leading all the shucking and jiving. VIPs who shell out (sorry) a thousand bucks get a private chef and oyster server. Hey, did you know Olympia oysters start their reproductive season as males, turn themselves female partway through, then might even become male again just for squirts and giggles? It's true! Boy, talk about a life form that's easy to shop for.

SLURP, 4:30 p.m., Fish Tale Brewery Warehouse, 515 Jefferson St. SE, Olympia, $60, 360.754.2744

How sad is it that ratings for Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are dropping like a vibranium hang glider just as the show finally decides to get good? If you're looking for a reentry point, episode 16 ("End of the Beginning") worked for me. The show ties into Marvelverse movie continuity, so the chaos in Captain America: The Winter Soldier's third act pays off big time aboard Agent Coulson's Sassypants Airline.

Until next week, may the Force be with you, may the odds be ever in your favor, and may Agent(ish) Skye get shot all the way to death next time. Sorry, Bennet. I'm just not a fan. No T.A.H.I.T.I. for you.

FRIDAY, APRIL 18 2014 >>>

1. Neil Simon's recipe for onstage success: Take two people with conflicting personalities. Put them in confined living quarters. Add a sprinkle of personal hygiene jokes. Allow the tension to rise for about an hour. Cool. Serve. Enjoy The Odd Couple at 8 p.m. at the Lakewood Playhouse.

2. Enlarge your geo-wareness this weekend at the Capitol Theater's Environmental Film Festival (April 18-20). The film festival kicks of tonight at 7 p.m. with ML Lincoln's documentary Wrenched, which looks at how art inspired life, with Edward Abbey's Monkeywrench Gang fiction inspiring the direct-action tactics of a new generation of eco-activists.

3. Pink Martini's blend of American swing, Latin rhythms and chamber arrangements, along with vocals in five languages, give the group's largely original material mass appeal - meaning the audiences consist of people who normally don't sit next to each other. Thomas Lauderdale of Portland, Oregon, founded the "little orchestra" Pink Martini in 1994. It has gone on to become a genre unto itself. We adore the band's cosmopolitan mix of Disneyfied Latin rhythms, cabaret Orientalia and Arabic tunes kissed with carnival atmospherics and ragtime horns. Catch the band with the von Trapp Family Singers at 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater.

4. Blues Hall Of Fame guitarist Joe Louis Walker celebrates the release of his new Alligator album, Hornest's Nest, with a live performance at 8 p.m. in Jazzbones. Expect equal parts rock 'n' roll fire and blistering blues. 

5. The folk-rock duo of Justin Stang and Jim Elenteny  - also known as Science! - is infectious and will easily rock their first night at the newly-opened Rhythm and Rye. Expect smiles, fun, dance moves, riffs that send chills, sparkly eyes, good cold beer, high fives, shots and new music from one of the best bands in Olympia, at 9 p.m.

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

THURSDAY, APRIL 17 2014 >>>

1. This Sunday, families all over the South Sound will participate in the tradition of searching for hundreds of hidden eggs to prevent our fair region from smelling like a rotten omelet come summer. Yup, it's Easter - bunnies toting around baskets with colorful dyed eggs and candy to hide for sugar-addled children. If the regular old egg hunt just won't satisfy, consider an early adult egg hunt on the Art Bus. The third Thursday bus tour to Tacoma galleries, businesses and venues hanging art goes bunny hop tonight, handing out bunny ears to riders and inviting them to search for eggs at each stop, all under the careful watch of tour guide Rep. Jake Fey of the 27th District. As always, there will be VIP swag bags, hugs, plenty of art and pizza provided by Puget Sound Pizza. Details can be found at tacomaartbus.com.

2. The 4th Annual TCC Diversity Film Festival rolls on with Fort McCoy, the latest from directors Kate Connor and Michael Worth, which tells the story of Frank Stirn (Eric Stoltz), a man who earns his living in WWII-era Wisconsin working as a barber for the Army at nearby Fort McCoy. Business is good - Frank caters to both American military personnel and to the Nazi POWs that are his new neighbors. Catch it at 2 and 6:30 p.m. in The Grand Cinema.

3. The Collins Memorial Library, at the University of Puget Sound, invites the public to join a lively and informative discussion on current research, unique resources and rare books that are part of the University of Puget Sound Collections. At 4 p.m. in Collins,C. Mark Smith ('61) will join four student curators to discuss the life and times of Professor Lyle "Stan" Shelmidine who taught Middle Eastern History and the creation of the Collins Library exhibit, "Stan!," featuring artifacts and documents from Shelmidine's Collection. Learn about Middle Eastern art and architecture and explore the library and life of a Puget Sound icon.

4. Doyle's Public House will combine its monthly St. Practice Day party with its eighth anniversary celebration beginning with the standard hoisting pints at 5:17 p.m. to recognize pint club achievements and welcome new members, followed by hugs, drinking and music from The Cold 102's at 8 p.m. No cover, as always. Click here for the story on how Doyle's came to be.

5. The Twang Junkies will fill The Swiss with rockin' country tunes beginning at 9 p.m.

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

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.17.14 >>>

President Vladimir Putin accused the authorities in Kiev of plunging the country into an "abyss".

Obama says Russia realizes U.S. military is "significantly superior."

The Obama administration has removed all operational combat tanks from Europe and key strike aircraft, limiting the options for a show of force to bolster eastern NATO allies as Russia contemplates invading Ukraine.

Stronger U.S. economic sanctions urged against Russia.

Poland's defense minister is calling for a larger U.S. and NATO military presence in his country to deter the type of Russian aggression occurring in eastern Ukraine.

DoD quietly expanding U.S. Africa Command missions.

The U.S. Navy is about to transform almost everything.

The U.S. electric power grid is vulnerable to cyber and physical attacks.

For the first time since 1995, a team representing the 25th Infantry Division took home top honors at the David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition.

Army lab teams up with Boston Marathon to prevent heat injury.

Pentagon is working on advanced, speedy, stealthy, next-gen drones.

Scientists learn how to generate solar power in the dark.

Fox network has removed all traces of the military-themed comedy Enlisted from its spring schedule.

If you spend enough time on the Internet you'll eventually encounter a conspiracy theory.

Google X's Rapid Evaluation Team looked into building a space elevator.

Dude builds Spider-Man's webslinger using an electromagnetic launcher.

The most haunted place in the world is for sale.

Jon Hamm sniffs condescendingly at your Megan Draper/Sharon Tate rumors, so time to put your theories to rest. Or is it?

How South Korea promotes a TV show ...

Once again, we find ourselves poised on the edge of a crevasse, gazing into the howling void that is Marlon Wayans. But what gazes back? Only madness. Madness and homophobic jokes.

A Haunted House is finally receiving its long-awaited sequel, after a whole year of anxious debate online about what events could have transpired for the beloved characters of the first installment. Well, all those Wayans-heads on the forums at hauntedhouse.biz will be happy to learn that Marlon Wayans is reprising his role as some guy in A Haunted House 2. Also rejoining the cast is everybody's favorite gun-toting stereotype, Cedric the Entertainer.

Seeing as the first film so limply skewered horror movies, why mess with success? This time, the found-footage conceit is taken to absurd lengths, allowing all of the side characters to carry cameras at all times, enabling Wayans to finally just cut to the chase and shout jokes directly at the audience.

What would A Haunted House 2 be without Wayans' trademark racist, sexist and homophobic humor, all of which are well-represented in the interminable two minutes of this trailer. Also featured: an unfortunate homage to one of the best gags in A Fish Called Wanda, involving a dog and a safe.

I wouldn't go so far as to call the Haunted House franchise (ugh, to have to say that) the bottom of the barrel-that distinction still belongs to Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg, the auteurs that brought us Meet the Spartans, Epic Movie, and The Starving Games (awesome title, dudes). However, I think there's very little arguing that this franchise is certainly familiar with the bottom of the barrel, its belly grazing against it, ever so delicately, entangled in the terrible dance of garbage comedy.

Best to look away and hope that, once A Haunted House loses your attention, it'll fade away like Marty McFly in that polaroid.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.16.14 >>>

JBLM soldier found dead in the woods near Olympia Tuesday was the nephew of two presumed victims of last month's devastating landslide in Washington state.

446th Airlift Wing reservist named Howard O. Scott Citizen-Airman of the Year.

Former Sgt. Kyle White will receive the Medal of Honor for heroism in 2007 while serving as a specialist in Afghanistan.

Defense Department officials released a report that documents the cuts to military forces, modernization and readiness that will be required if defense budgets are held at sequester-levels in the years beyond fiscal year 2015.

The Pentagon's planned five-year spending plan for procurement and research-and-development projects, set forth in its 2015 budget proposal, would be cut by $66 billion if US federal spending caps remain in place.

More than $1 trillion in sequestration-related defense cuts, slated for now through 2021, "would significantly increase risks both in the short- and long-term," according to a report released Monday by the Pentagon.

Confidential U.S. assessments, which the State Department tried to hide from the public, show nearly all Afghan Cabinet ministries are woefully ill-prepared to govern after the U.S. withdraws its troops.

Is North Korea about to collapse?

A group of 11 lawmakers on Tuesday called for members of NATO to end all defense contracts with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.

Planning for withdrawal in Afghanistan may be smart, but it's not wise.

China has good reasons to remain secretive about its military.

The National Guard Association of the United States accused Army leaders of refusing to create a commission that could show reserve force are cheaper to maintain than the active duty.

Game of Drones: It will be tough to go into the big battle against drones without the irrepressible Goose.

U.S. military leaders have approved funding to develop a hybrid, stealth motorcycle to be driven by special operations teams in the not too distant future.

Russian missile system masquerading as innocent cargo container.

Patients at Veterans Affairs medical centers remain satisfied with the care they receive and complaints are down, a new survey released Wednesday by the American Customer Satisfaction Index found.

Tricare announced its plans for reinstating thousands of beneficiaries who lost eligibility for Tricare Prime last October, but by law, not all who were booted off Prime will be able to re-enroll.

General Dynamics says the Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle competition is stacked against its 8×8 Stryker.

Hollywood is going to war again, and this time, Brad Pitt is in charge.

The soldiers of the 1st Battalion 69th Infantry aren't Navy SEALs, but now they've played them on TV.

The high-tech soldiers of the future are here.

List: 10 amazing discoveries that remain unexplained by science.

The Legacy of The Colbert Report: the joke's on you!

The X-Men: Days of Future Past trailer debuted on Conan last night.

Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss continue to morph into exact replicas of each other.

Yep, Nicolas Cage makes a good movie every five years. There's even a chart to prove it.

What beer are people really drinking?

Nice: Check out one dad's pop-culture lunches.

Kicked in the head by a train ...