WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Snow: Yup, the threat lingers. (Seattle Times)

Tacoma's Finances Outside Review: Not good. Like $31 million general fund shortfall not good. (News Tribune)

Pierce County Council: Leadership vote went Republican electing Joyce McDonald of Puyallup as its new chairwoman. (News Tribune)

Republican Race: Romney won a convincing victory, but none of the contenders plans to drop out before South Carolina's Jan. 21 primary. (CNN)

Hostess: Unlike its Twinkies, it doesn't look like it will last forever. (The Wall Street Journal)

Goodfellas On TV?: AMC thinks so. (Deadline)

Wish You A Very Logical Day: Crochet Spock ear. (Craftzine)

John Lennon: He was crazy about cats. (Mental floss)

Warm Fuzzy of the Day: Woman manages agoraphobia by meeting her 325 Facebook friends. (Jezebel)

WTF?

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

While You're Eating Your Lunchables: Tacoma School District teachers will vote on a tentative agreement. (News Tribune)

Get Back Here!: Gov. Gregoire is calling lawmakers back to Oly to fix the $1.3 billion budget shortfall. (News Tribune)

Changing The World: Top 10 heroes of 2011. (CNN)

Facebook Changes: Booo!!! (CNN)

Roger Ebert: A critic reflects on "life itself." (NPR)

Top Chef: Cast and guest stars revealed (Hint: I know you are but what am I). (Huffington Post)

Dream Come True: William Shatner talks Star Trek vs. Star Wars. (Furious Fanboys)

Remember TheTick?: Quickest canceled TV shows. (UGO)

Honoring Tom Selleck's mustache

FRIDAY, SEPT. 16, 2011 >>>

1. It is not too early to be planning your St. Patrick's Day celebration - March 17 is than six months away. To help you get in the mood - and sell a pot full of Jameson whiskey - Doyle's Public House will host its annual Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Party tonight and tomorrow.  Besides $3 dollar appetizers from 3-6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. both days, the Stadium District watering hole hosts Floater frontman Robert Wynia for an acoustioc with drums show at 9 p.m. Wynia is touring in support of his solo release, Iron By Water. Blvd Park hits the stages tomorrow at 9 p.m. Both shows are free.

2. At 4:30 p.m. at Kittredge Gallery, University of Puget Sound Associate Professor Janet Marcavage will discuss her prints in conjunction with the exhibition, "Show and Tell: Art Department Faculty 2011," currently on view at the gallery.

3. These six little spelling champs are kids we've seen before - lonely outsiders and bratty overachievers, adolescents whose parents neglect them or push them too hard to succeed. The characters come close to stereotype without ever quite falling into it. As a result, we can laugh at them and empathize simultaneously. We, of course, are referring to Tacoma Little Theatre's 7:30 p.m. production of The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which theater critic Joe Izenman reviewed here.

4. Tonight, the owners of Big Whisky Saloon in Tacoma are opening a second location in the former Vault Nightclub space in downtown Olympia. The new Big Whisky will feature all the hits of original Big Whisky, complete with more than 50 whiskeys from around the world. "I think people will be shocked and impressed with the feel," says part owner Todd Ruzicka. Nothing like a little shock and awe to get the ball rolling on a new club.

5. For those of us who retain cognitive memories of the ‘80s, Tempest Lounge brings down the house every third Friday at 9:30 p.m. with "Beat Boxxx" straight outta that decade. You can throw your hands in the air, and wave ‘em like you just don't care. DJs dAb, Suga Jones and rotating guests man the decks and cover all the bases - funk, pop, old school, club classics - throwing in the occasional '80s track you probably haven't heard in decades, depending on which decade you were born in.

PLUS: More events in our Weekend Hustle

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: New movies open!

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Gas War: There's a high-stakes court between oil giant BP and a longtime Tacoma franchise owner going down and it could affect you. (News Tribune)

One Step Closer: Tacoma's Planning Commission is sending its recommendation for an overhaul of Tacoma shoreline rules to the Tacoma City Council. (News Tribune)

Stock Plunge: Turmoil returned to the U.S. stock market today. (CNN)

Tale Of Two Economies: In a national economy that is barely growing, Seattle may help the U.S. avoid another round of recession. Even here, though, the areas of opportunity are pretty limited. (Crosscut)

All Is Not Jolly In England: Two 20-somethings were sentenced to four years in prison for trying to organize riots through two Facebook events. (Guardian)

"The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie": Red Hot Chili Peppers go all "Where The Streets Have No Name" on their new video. (NME)

"I Love Furry Hot Water Bottles": Stevie Nicks lists "25 Things You Don't Know About Me." (US Magazine)

Yes, I'd Like A Skinny Bethuccino: How about a cup o' joe from a KISS-themed coffeehouse? (huffingtonpost)

LINK: Stuff At Night

FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2011 >>>

1. The music of You Are Plural is so immediately, vibrantly engaging that it can be almost jarring. Tonight, the band plays Northern in Olympia, in what should be  a fine display of all-ages musical action.

2. Catch Rare Groove tonight at the Tempest Lounge on Hilltop - an evening of "intelligent soul, funk, jazz and (fittingly) rare grooves."

3. Amocat Cafe's live music night -- "Amocat Live!" -- goes down on the second Friday of every month. And, lo and behold - that's this week! Tonight catch Gabe Rhee, Sam Bogle, Steve Cairns, Karen Miller, Volkert Volkersz, Morgan Alexander & Kevin Freitas and Amocat Live! house band Les Collaborateurs.

4. Tonight would be the perfect time to drop in on the Open Contemporary Dance Class led by choreographer and all-around-talent Joel Myers, this evening from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Urban Grace Church in downtown Tacoma.

5. The Nuge. Or the Backstreet Boys and NKOTB. Or even the Monkees.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight in the South Sound

WEEKLY VOLCANO COLUMN FEEDBACK >>>

Weekly Volcano columnist Geoff Reading (drummer for Green Apple Quick Step, New American Shame, Top Heavy Crush, Duff McKagan's LOADED) wrote about his first concert experience yesterday in his weekly Wednesday Reading column. We linked the column on Facebook, posting the question, Where was your first concert?

More than 30 people have chimed in with their first concert experience.

What was your first concert experience? Come clean here.

MICHAEL SWAN: SPEWED >>>

Sorry about the afternoon's gaps in posting. It's chaos around here. Everyone's excited about Thursday's issue. My ashtray is full! Where the hell did the intern go?

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