WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Garage On Broadway: The city-owned garage next to the McMenamins Elks Temple is not looking good. (News Tribune)

The Show Must Go On: despite budget shortfalls the Tacoma City Council will continue to fund local events and neighborhood markets. (News Tribune)

Fourth Of July In The Boonies: Pierce County Council says residents in unincorporated Pierce County can continue to blow shit up for eight days. (News Tribune)

GOP Presidential Race: Rick Santorum's hat-trick reshaping the contest that will decide who runs against President Obama in November. (CNN)

Watch Out For The Thing: Russian scientists are reporting success in their quest to drill into Lake Vostok, a huge body of liquid water buried under the Antarctic ice. (BBC)

Metallica: It has its own summer music festival. (USA Today)

Jay And Silent Bob: The cartoon. (Paste)

Today's Lesson: The history of the middle finger. (BBC)

Times Are Tough. Even for Batman. (Comicbeat)

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Welcome to 2012: Pierce and Thurston County home prices suck. (News Tribune)

Shirtless in East Pierce County: Oh, the man was carrying a hatchet and stole a Pierce County sheriff's patrol car. (News Tribune)

W.T.F.: Sound Transit may soon spend an additional $24 million to study and design a longer southern extension of light rail, reviving hope that trains will someday reach Federal Way. (News Tribune)

Prop 8 Decision Coming This Morning: California measure banned gay marriage. (NPR)

PAC Man: Obama's re-election campaign will begin using administration and campaign aides to raise funds for Priorities USA Action, a super PAC backing the president. (CNN)

Messing With Sidewalk Cappuccinos: Atmospheric patterns that normally keep Arctic cold over the poles abruptly changed in January, pushing frigid air over Europe. Shrinking polar ice caps may be to blame. (CNN)

Skydiver Felix Baumgartner: Fucking nuts. (BBC)

Zombie Report: The actor who played George A. Romero's first zombie has died ... we think. (USA Today)

Falling Mad Men Guy: The 32 best Mad Men subway poster hacks. (Best Week Ever)

Didn't See This Coming: Madonna embarks on a world tour in May. (omg!)

South Park's Cartman: He's real. (Dangerous Minds)

Beardski: Board like Chewie. (The Awesomer)

Today's Tingly Moment: They Have a Hulk

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Weather Chat: It's going to get interesting. (News Tribune)

HOT Lanes: It's the ol' overhead costs distribution story. (News Tribune)

Depressing Shopping Experience: Sears Holding Corp. to close 100 to 120 Kmart, Sears stores. (USA Today)

Protests In Syria: Arab League monitors arrived in the battered Syrian city of Homs today amid reports of security force gunfire and massive anti-regime demonstrations. (CNN)

Russia Election: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dismisses calls for a review of disputed parliamentary election results, despite mass demonstrations. (BBC)

Too Much Free Time: Coffee poster. (Column Five Media)

Too Much Free Time II: Eighties film alphabet. (Flavorpill)

Could We See This At The Tempest Lounge?: DJ Robotarm. (Crackajack)

Too Much Holiday Spirits?: Swimmers take icy plunge around the world. (MSNBC)

End Of The Year Lists: Bands we lost this year. (Stereogum)

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Tacoma Budget Cut Victims: Interim City Manager Rey Arellano cut two fire stations, four neighborhood engine companies, the gang unit, the school resources officers program, most community liaison cops, building inspectors, municipal court clerks, office assistants, accountants and others. (News Tribune)

State Budget Cut Vicitms: Nearly a third of Washington's year-round state parks staffers are being notified this week that they likely will be laid off. (News Tribune)

What You Might Want After The First Two News Items: Pine Street Landing Restaurant's happy hour is one right now. (Weekly Volcano)

Stadium Tully's Was Busy: Nearly 100 Stadium High School students walked off campus Tuesday to protest state cuts to education. (News Tribune)

Putin On The Fritz: Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, today called for new parliamentary elections over concerns about vote fraud. (CNN)

The End Of Steampunk: Thanks a lot Justin Bieber. (Gawker)

Who Knew?: Austrian-born movie actress Hedy Lamarr invented a device that would eventually lead to the development of GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology. (Techland)

Scott Baio And Pamela Anderson ...: 25 celebrity couples you never knew existed. (Buzz Feed)

Enough Is Enough: Let's get to work.

BOOZE >>>

We imagine you've heard Initiative 1183 passed with 60 percent of the vote allowing grocery stores in Washington to sell selling liquor beginning June 1. Liquor sales will shift from the state to grocery and warehouse stores, including Costco - and more than 900 state employees will lose their jobs.

How does the Liquor Control Board feel about the whole deal?  Pretty shitty. Here's the LCB's press release that just hit the Internets:

OLYMPIA - We are, of course, deeply disappointed by the election result on Initiative 1183.

Weighing most heavily on our hearts and minds are the more than 900 Liquor Control Board employees who will lose their jobs. Our employees have been working under the cloud of initiatives for nearly two years. Despite operating under a microscope, they have carried out their responsibilities with dignity and professionalism. We owe our employees a debt of gratitude for the professional way in which they have conducted themselves during a difficult time.

Moving Forward

We will begin moving forward to ensure that we are meeting the timelines established by the initiative. Our goal is to have an orderly transition from public to private business operations. Our agency leaders are meeting now to develop a contingency plan.

• We will continue to maximize revenue in responsible ways through the holiday season.
• In January, our operational focus will be on divesting ourselves from the business as prescribed in the initiative.
• By June 1, 2012, all liquor business operations - including purchasing, distribution and retail -- will be transitioned of the private sector.

Our state liquor stores have among the highest no-sale-to-minors compliance rate in the nation at more than 94 percent. The private sector's overall compliance rate is 77 percent. As the sale and distribution of liquor will soon be completely in the hands of the private sector, we hope it will treat this public safety responsibility with the utmost importance.

The Liquor Control Board will continue carrying out its highest priority of public safety. While the agency is ending its business operations, it will continue to carry out our enforcement, licensing, adjudicative and policy-setting functions affecting over 16,000 liquor licensees statewide.

Note to Editors: A good source of information will be the Liquor Control Board website at www.liq.wa.gov. We will keep the site up-to-date with the latest information regarding the transition.

The Liquor Control Board includes Board Chair Sharon Foster and Board Members Ruthann Kurose and Chris Marr.

Contact: Brian Smith, WSLCB Communications Director, 360-664-1774

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Costco Is Celebrating With Giant Bags Of Something: Liquor is coming to a corner grocery store near you. (Seattle Times)

Election Results So Far: Hello Ibsen, Boe, Mello, Walker, medical pot users, 911 upgrade ... (Pierce County Auditor)

Tacoma Budget Cuts: Interim City Manager Rey Arellano will start swinging. (News Tribune)

The Word Out Of Greece: Prime Minister George Papandreou will address the nation on what's next for Greece and then resign, his office says. (CNN)

R.I.P. Heavy D: The hip-hop legend died yesterday afternoon after collapsing on the walkway outside his Beverly Hills home. (L.A. Times)

Led Zeppelin IV: Happy 40^th birthday! (Dangerous Minds)

A Girl Ought To Have A Sense Of Humor: Sarak Silverman sings Broadway. (The New York Times)

Hey You Eating The Bowl Of Corn Flakes!: Want to be an extra in Iron Man 3? (Superhero Hype)

May The Rock Be With You!

BOWLING FOR BOE >>>

You have drunk Merlot with Boe. You have ridden the Art Bus with Boe. Now you may bowl with Tacoma City Councilman David Boe.

Boe's City Council campaign get-togethers continue with a special Bowling For Boe Thursday, Sept. 1 at Chalet Bowl in Tacoma's Proctor's District. Wearing the same shoe style as the public, Boe will shake hands, bend ears and pick up 7-10 splits just like Earl Anthony did back in the day.

Why bowling?

"We couldn't get the insurance coverage for Bow & Arrows with Boe and Boxing with Boe," explains Carly Snapp, Boe's campaign manager. "We are trying to keep the campaign as reflective of David's personality as we can.

"You should have seen the ones that didn't make the cut - such as Bada-bing, Bada-BOE," replies Boe.

Here's what to expect Thursday at the Chalet Bowel:

After Boe throws his first strike, he'll explain the need to keep working on all levels of municipal government to attract high-density residential development - and how this is really going to require "revisioning" of the expectations of downtown and the neighborhood centers.

After Boe picks up a 4-6-7-10 spare, he'll go into detail about making the zoning code closer to the "reality" of development in Tacoma. He hopes to have the archaic off-street parking regs removed this year. 

After Boe nails the "Greek Church" spare, he'll discuss his plan to promote micro and small business - especially start-up businesses. He believes Tacoma has the potential to be the Start-up Capitol of the Pacific Northwest. "Weyerhaeuser, Russell, Hillhaven, DaVita, etc. ... some get too big and need to leave - just like my kids," Boe tells the Weekly Volcano.  "And really this is by leveraging what many see as our weakness - too much Class A and B space, lower housing costs - for start-ups that want green power, great water, historic neighborhoods that are affordable and within 20-minutes bike ride of the county's major urban center."

After Boe accidentally bowls down the wrong lane, he'll launch into his lecture about working to creatively solve the infrastructure and transportation conundrum in Tacoma. He'd like to see Tacoma as a true transportation hub - expanding the streetcar to provide incentives for transit-oriented development for residential and start-ups in an urban center.

Then, after Boe finishes his last frame, he'll turn to the spectators and proclaim the arts in Tacoma is an economic engine that should be explored further.  "It maybe small but small engines can accomplish quite a bit with a good maintenance and reliable fuel intake," Boe says.

Bowling For Boe

Thursday, Sept. 1, 6-8:30 p.m.
Free, campaign donations are encouraged
Chalet Bowl, 3806 N. 26^th St., Tacoma
Facebook Event Page

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Election Results: Super Best of Tacoma Doorbeller Anders Ibsen and Karen Smitherman emerged victorious, and other winners (News Tribune)

Too Expensive: State officials still chugging along toward improving passenger train service through Pierce County. (News Tribune)

You Might Be Dead: Administration incorrectly declares about 14,000 Americans dead. (CNN)

His Story: Roger Ebert has posted the opening pages of his memoir on his website. (Chicago Sun-Times)

The Light Is On: Booklamp helps you find new books by comparing the content of the books themselves. (booklamp.org)

Record Set: Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne sets record on iTunes. (New York Times)

Nice: Jeff Buckley movies on the way. (gothamist)

LINK: We added 15 new South Sound happy hours

WHAT TO DO >>>

Today marks the Pierce County Primary election, dagnabbit, and it's fascinating - not because it's supposed to be but because ... OK, it's supposed to be. Tacomans will vote on one City Council seat and two School Board positions. Throughout the county, we're looking at a battle for Milton mayor; races for council positions in Orting, Puyallup, University Place and Tacoma City Council Position 1; contests for Puyallup School District No. 3 and Tacoma School District No. 10; four people battling for Fire Protection District No. 22 and a race for Peniinsula Metropolitan Park District Commissioner Position 5. The Pierce County Audiot's website has the scoop.

You should consider yourself lucky: All you've got to do to get in on the action is vote today.

But how?

This is a vote-by-mail-only election. Ballots must be postmarked by midnight or dropped off at a designated collection spot by 8 p.m. For secure drop box locations, click here.

Remember to rip out the "I Voted" sticker from your nifty Voter's Pamphlet and wear it proud.

We all know presidential campaigns are marathons, spanning multiple years. But so to, apparently, are Pierce County Executive races. County Executive Pat McCarthy recently launched a new website and is holding a campaign kickoff event April 27 at the Varsity Grill. On her website McCarthy touts having "re-prioritized the delivery of core government services, trimmed the size of government, consolidated programs, and challenged managers to find operational efficiencies while improving the quality of public service."

Currently no other candidates have filed to oppose McCarthy, but they still have roughly a year and two months to do so.

To read the full column by Zach Powers click here.