WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Russell Building: Will it be bought at a discount and cheapen downtown Tacoma? (News Tribune)

Pierce County Council: Its still in charge of its salaries. (News Tribune)

Syd's Boot: Pacific Avenue's giant boot has walked off. (News Tribune)

Holy Rosary School Students: They're not talking. (King5)

Super Tuesday: Romney can't light his cigar with burning thousand dollar bills yet. (CNN)

We Have No Idea What This Means, But Exciting!: US scientists report seeing tentative evidence of the Higgs boson, at a mass similar to the hints seen at the Large Hadron Collider. (BBC)

Twitter: Lady Gaga wins! (Yahoo)

Young Anakin Skywalker: Not a happy Jedi. (Black Book)

Bill & Ted 3: Dude! (Den Of Geek)

Super Morrissey Bros.: The Smiths meet Nintendo (but does Super Mario roll around on the ground?) (Rolling Stone)

There Goes The Neighborhood: It is the Lollipop House, the Lollipop House, the Lollipop House. (Fubiz)

Could You Use A Little Of This Today?

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Leadership Change: Stewart Middle School Principal Jon Ketler - founder of Tacoma School of the Arts and the Science and Math Institute - forced out due to complaints. (News Tribune)

Camp Murray Gate: The proposed move might cause unsafe conditions for Tillicum residents. (News Tribune)

Narrows Bridge Toll: It's going to cost Tacomans more to go chill on the deck at Tides Tavern. (News Tribune)

Oh Crap: A line of storms stretching from Illinois to Louisiana may cause tornadoes and severe weather in the battered Midwest. (CNN)

Yelp Help: The online hub for local business reviews priced its initial public offering at $15 a share. (The New York Times)

Twister Waves: Researchers describe a completely new way to pack information into radio, TV, and wi-fi signals. (BBC)

Davy Jones: Peter Tork shares memories of his former Monkees bandmate. (USA Today)

The Shins: Grab updates and listen to the band's songs. (Paste Magazine)

Awesome: A 24-hour ATM machine dispenses cupcakes. (Dvice) 

Awesome II: Vintage cats and dogs dressed as people. (BuzzFeed)

Awesome III: Art made from Oero cookies. (1 Design Per Day)

Mad Urbanism: Architect looking for investors and/or victims for his giant see-through maze. (Io9)

Panty Fight: Navajo Nation files a lawsuit against Urban Outfitters over the Navajo Hipster Panty. (Jezebel)

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Pacific Lutheran University: The institution hires its 13^th president, who's not Lutheran. (News Tribune)

Point Ruston: The $150 million mixed-use retail and office complex will offer 3-D glasses and popcorn at its center. (News Tribune)

2012: Severe storms leave a trail of death and destruction through the Midwest. (CNN)

Gas At $5 A Gallon?: Major disruption in oil supplies could make it happen. (The New York Times)

Syria: Rebel fighters say they are tactically withdrawing from the besieged Baba Amr quarter of Homs after nearly a month of government shelling. (BBC)

140-Character Limbo: Where to tweets go when they die? (Mother Board)

Spread The Love: 13 Dr. Seuss pickup lines for your potential Sneech Muffin. (How About We)

Das Ist Sehr Gut: Star Wars yoga. (Thaeger)

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Gunman On The Run: Washington State Patrol trooper killed during traffic stop in Kitsap County. (News Tribune)

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Toll: Your neighbors are raising the toll at least one dollar. (News Tribune)

Port Of Tacoma: More stuff arrived in January. (News Tribune)

U.N. Report On Syria: Yup, gross human rights violations are going down in Syria. (The New York Times)

Marines Killed: Seven marines have been killed in a midair collision of two U.S. military helicopters in Arizona. (CNN)

Apple Vs. China: Apple wins trademark infringement case. (BBC)

Conan Report: He's doing well enough to get a contract extension. (New York Post)

Attention Nation: Stephen Colbert wants to talk to your kids via his book. (The Daily Beast)

Rocket Man: Justin Timberlake closer to starring as Elton John. (E Online)

Making The World A Better Place: Tank created with more than 5,000 egg cartons. (My Modern Met)

Down Dog: Yoga Mogul turns out to be a total scumbag. (Jezebel)

Keep Up the Good Fight

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

MultiCare And Franciscan Health Systems: Now taxed by the City of Tacoma. (News Tribune)

State House Democrats: Its proposed budget leaves the state's schools intact, avoids 24-day unpaid furlough for state workers and spares health care programs. (News Tribune)

Power To The People: Puyallup City Council paves the way for citizens to enact or repeal city ordinances. (News Tribune)

Two Western Journalists Killed In Syria: Marie Colvin of London's Sunday Times and French journalist Remi Olchik were killed Wednesday amid shelling from Syrian government forces in Homs. (CNN)

Corporate Tax Rate: President Obama will ask Congress to reduce top rate to 28 percent. (The New York Times)

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement: A controversial anti-piracy agreement is to be referred to the European Union's highest court due to concerns surrounding Internet freedoms. (BBC)

Good Times: The 1990s in photos. (BuzzFeed)

Art: A condemned house explodes onto the streets of Austin. (This Is Colossal)

Ice To See You: Russian scientists resurrect a 30,000-year-old flower from the Ice Age. (Sky News)

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Not Good: 6.0 quake recorded off Oregon coast. (UPI)

Opening: After two decades of crap, the 5,000-acre Tehaleh planned community will open in Eats Pierce County. (News Tribune)

Closing: After years of crap, the Rainier Inn motel in Lakewood will close. (News Tribune)

It's ship Has Come In: Tacoma's J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Co. will build a ship. (News Tribune)

In The Driver's Seat: GM posted record earnings in 2011, just two years after a federal bailout and bankruptcy reorganization. (CNN)

Bangkok Blast: A group of Iranians detained after prematurely exploding bombs in Bangkok on Tuesday planned to target two Israeli diplomats, Thai police believe. (BBC)

Rock And Roll Legends: Van Halen comes clean. (NPR)

Green Day: Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong tweets that recording sessions have begun in their new album. (NME)

In Honor Of The Simpsons 500th Episode This Weekend: Here is every single sentence Bart has ever written on Mrs. Krabappel's blackboard. (Buzz Feed)

Extreme Fashion: let's take a look. (Web Urbanist)

WTF

TACOMA 2012 STATE OF THE CITY >>>

Last night at Go Local's second annual Shift Happens event Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland delivered her 2012 State of the City Address. This year's address was less of a pep rally than last year's State of the City Address, and instead was calm, positive and confident.

Last year Mayor Strickland spoke like an entrepreneur trying to sell investors on her product. This year Strickland sounded more like a CEO updating her shareholders on a year of growth while providing positive projections for the future.

Strickland's address began by recapping the highlights of 2011.

"Last year, our theme for the State of the City address was ‘finishing what we started'," the Mayor recalled. "From family recreation to commerce and transportation, we saw the completion of many great projects."

Leading with Cheney Stadium, the opening of IGA's Tacoma City Grocer, and the Wright Park Sprayground, Strickland highlighted eight finished projects that she identified as improving the quality of life throughout Tacoma.

After lauding successful projects Strickland shifted attention to small business culture, highlighting expansions, success stories and reasons for optimism moving forward.

"We saw 2,744 new businesses get licensed in 2011 - 500 more new businesses than in 2010," Strickland pointed out.

Looking forward to the scheduled opening of the LeMay Museum, a McMenamins location, and the completion of Sound Transit's D-to-M Street project, Strickland beamed while describing the looming completions of several major projects in 2012.

Mayor Strickland also highlighted bright spots within Tacoma's public education system and praised local organizations like Tacoma 360, the Foundation for Tacoma Schools and the Mayor's Education Task Force. Strickland also touted the award-winning work being done at Lincoln High School.

"All kinds of positive news continues to pour out of Lincoln High School, where they recently won a Golden Apple Award from KCTS-9 for the Lincoln Center," Strickland reminded the crowd.

Strickland ended her speech by citing author Thomas Friedman. Friedman recently challenged Americans to realize that the era of average must be replaced by an era of above and beyond. Friedman refers to this beyond as a person's, organization's or business' "extra."

"The business world is overflowing with products and services and designs and marketing campaigns that are adequate," explained Strickland. "The real challenge - and the huge opportunity - is to turn something adequate into something amazing."

"It's just not good enough to be pretty good at everything," Strickland continued. "The most successful companies, products and brands have figured out how to become the most of something.

"That is, to find and embrace their ‘extra'."

Strickland concluded her State of the City address with a challenge to everyone in the room.

"From the private sector, to the non-profit world, to the public sector," Strickland said, "we must ask ourselves what is our extra?"

LINK: Tacoma Komo reviewed last night's State of the City Address by Mayor Strickland.

LINK: Exit 133 also reviewed last night's State of the City Address by Mayor Strickland.

LINK: FeedTacoma's fantastic Kevin Freitas posted audio of Mayor Strickland's State of the City address here.

LINK: Before any of this, The News Tribune previewed Mayor Strickland's State of the City address.

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Have You Heard About The Weather?: People are still in the dark with more rain and wind coming. (News Tribune)

Tacoma's Pothole Program: There's a partial plan. (News Tribune)

Eye On Olympia: New traffic fine would fund crime victims' services. (Peninsula Daily News)

Gay Marriage Bills: Two public hearings on gay marriage bills are set for today in Olympia. (King 5)

Public Works: $1 billion public-works package that could potentially put 25,000 people to work, many starting in the summer construction season just months away. (The Olympian)

European Union Vs. Iran: EU foreign ministers impose new sanctions on Iran citing Iran's refusal to negotiate over its nuclear program. The sanctions include a ban on the import of Iranian oil. (CNN)

Blackberry: Co-chief executives Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie have stepped down in a shake-up. (BBC)

Special Investigative Committee: Miranda July called before Congress to explain exactly what her whole thing is. (The Onion)

What Are They, Maniacs?: Get ready for Flashdance - The Musical. (EW)

Oh Hell Yes: J Mascis bobblehead. (Pitchfork)

Oh Hell Yes II: Dwight Schrute's 13 Best Moments. (BuzzFeed)

Hello Trivia Nights: The 10 most expensive books in the world. (Flavorpill)

For the second year, The Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center will be home to an event aiming to help businesses, individuals and communities discover ways to aid sustainability and promote healthy LOCAL business practices. Go Local Tacoma's Shift Happens daylong extravaganza will feature seminars, food and booths from local businesses beginning at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. Attendees will have the opportunity to eat and drink local products, as well as tour booths representing each local business. Shift Happens will also, once again, include a State of the City address delivered by Mayor Marilyn Strickland.

The event kicks off at 1 p.m. with "sustainability smart labs" aimed at small businesses. For $10 registrants may sit in on "Key Indicators of successful Entrepreneurs;" "Unlocking Your Situated Advantage: the hidden wealth potential of body, place, and commons;" "Customer Acquisition Tool Box;" and "Becoming a BEST Business."

The rest of the event is free.

From 4-5:45 p.m. local restaurants and food vendors will serve food and drinks just outside the main room in a happy hour, networking atmosphere. From 6-6:45 p.m. Go Local Tacoma will hand out awards before Mayor Strickland tells us how it is. At 6:45 p.m. local vendors will be open for business.

The Shift Happens event is just one of the many programs Go Local Tacoma has launched to connect local independent businesses to consumers and resources in an effort to build a more prosperous community.

I tossed a few questions at Go Local Tacoma Headmaster Patricia Lecy-Davis to see what would happen

WEEKLY VOLCANO: What do you believe Shift Happens attendees will walk away with?

PATRICIA LECY-DAVIS: A connection with the Tacoma community that they have not known. The coolest businesses in town will be showing their coolest stuff. Attendees will receive a sense of togetherness and feeling that we can make a difference.

VOLCANO: What can they expect to eat for dinner that night?

LECY-DAVIS: People should expect to bring an appetite. There will be savory samples from wide variety of Tacoma's most passionate food purveyors. The food vendors will be open from 4-5:45 p.m., which will be a happy hour environment. A cash bar will be onsite.

VOLCANO: What excites you the most about Shift Happens?

LECY-DAVIS: I'm mostly excited about all the "new" businesses that have signed up. Ninety percent of our vendors so far are not last year's vendors and are brand new businesses, such as Fingerprint Connections custom candy, Home Makeover Specialists and clothing designer Chelsea Berry Clothing Designer. Sonia Silver will be at Shift Happens promoting her "new shop" that will open in Proctor this spring.

For more information on Shift Happens and Go Local programs, click here.

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?