WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Your House Is Safe: Tacoma City Council accepted $1.6M in concessions to avoid firefighter layoffs. (News Tribune)

It Should Pass: The state Senate will vote today on gay marriage bill. (News Tribune)

Aftermath: Romney on a roll, Gingrich undeterred. (CNN)

Coroner: "Soul Train" founder dead of gunshot wound. (CNN)

Science!: Researchers have demonstrated a striking method to reconstruct words, based on the brain waves of patients thinking of those words. (BBC)

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha: The band Survivor is suing Newt Gingrich for using "Eye of the Tiger" at rallies. (Rolling Stone)

If You Go All Darth Maul On A Toy Store ...: You'll go to jail. (Blastr)

Groovy: Mad Men season 5 fashions. (The Sew Weekly)

Surreal Photos: Taiwan's abandoned UFO-style homes. (Flavorwire)

Let An Educational Palette Of Primary Hues Wash Over You

CAMPED OUT >>>

It's 10:30 p.m. last night, and I'm leaning against a piano watching the attractive crowd mingle at the inaugural Tacoma Social, one of the many organized social gatherings the collaborative movement Camp 6 has planned on its way to world domination -  or, at the every least, melding style with business and community in Tacoma. Anthem Coffee & Tea hosts the gathering, the hip hangout where Camp 6 co-founder JD Elquist received inspiration to move his clothing line and ideas from New York to Tacoma.

From my perch at the piano, watching the Pabst, wine and remarkable coffee dance in animated hands - not many wall flowers in this bunch - I realize that the Tacoma Social is a little like the after-parties held seven years ago in Tacoma. There's a bond around entrepreneurial dreams and collective ideas - only this time with a fashion forward dress code.

If Camp 6 continues to provide a home for the energetic and stylish, maybe, just maybe, we'll see a resurgence of interest in fashion in this town.

From what I can tell last night, cuffed pants are back.

Cheers Camp 6.

LINK: More Tacoma Social photos

LINK: Camp 6's story

FILLING YOUR DREAMS TO THE BRIM WITH FRIGHT >>>

Time to give them something fun
they'll talk about for years to come,
let's have a cheer from everyone.
It's time to party.
Making Christmas. Making Christmas.
Snakes and mice get wrapped up so nice with spider legs and pretty bows.
It's ours this time.
All together, that and this with all our tricks we're making Christmastime. - "Making Christmas" from Nightmare Before Christmas

When you think of holiday art shows, what usually comes to mind? Traditionally, if you wanted to gaze at art that contemplates anything deeper than a Norman Rockwell scene, or experience anything more visually challenging than a tinsel-hung tree, you were stuck with the artistic equivalent of a lump of coal.

Jooley Heaps, owner of Box Top Vintage in downtown Tacoma, will add a little Halloween to Christmas when she hosts "Frightmare Before Christmas" art and crafts bazaar in her store Sunday afternoon.

"It's been two years since I opened this store and I never had a grand opening party," says Heaps. "Well, Frightmare before Christmas will be my grand opening - a party with tons of vendors selling the darker side of Christmas."

Do you prefer to fill your stockings with severed feet? Picture Santa as a voyeuristic psychopath? If you prefer your eggnog with a splash of blood, then this holiday bazaar is for you.

The store will be re-arranged to house vendor tables loaded with goods from South Sound and Seattle artists and businesses. Creepy holiday decorations, Gothic art, spooky gifts, crafts, curios and hilarious stocking stuffers will fill Box Top Vintage, which sells true vintage clothing for men and women, as well as accessories and gifts.

A mini bar and Punk Rock Santa will add a little party to the bazaar. Proceeds from the bar will go toward fighting lymphoma in Pierce County.

Every Halloween, you shell out between $20 and $100 bucks on the perfect costume, only to wear it for one night. Well, why not drag that orange jumpsuit and Bernie Madoff mask out for Frightmare?

"I encourage everyone to dress up," says Heaps. "Why not drink cheesy holiday drinks and enjoy DJs Aaron Mack and Melodica dressed as a creepy elf?"

If Sunday's event doesn't send you screaming back into the arms of Santa, well, welcome to the dark side my friend. Or the weird side.

[Box Top Vintage, Sunday, Dec. 18, noon to 6 p.m., all ages, no admission fee, 907 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.304-1874]

LINK: Santa Says Blog

FREE EVENTS FOR THE WEEK NOV. 21-27 >>>

Well, the spirit of Christmas is lurking around Freeloadersland, giving Bobble Tiki a wedgie. Bobble Tiki has already seen It's a Wonderful Life three times and the Christmas tunes are making him cross-eyed. And Bobble Tiki loves it! The trees are decorated, the stockings are hung and the egg is nogged. And in that spirit, Bobble Tiki has a lot of love and news to give, gentle reader, so sit back, pull that Santa hat up from your eyes and enjoy these free events this week in the South Sound.

MONDAY, NOV. 21: Ahh, Thanksgiving. Picture Bobble Tiki's festive holiday scene in your mind. Mom and dad are fighting over the giblets, again. Grandma's working on her 12th vodka gimlet and grandpa has followed Aunt Ho into the bathroom with the video camera. Downstairs, the kids are fighting over who gets to break the wishbone. Sure, it's 87-year-old Uncle Milikona's fragile collarbone, but now that television has supplanted actual parenting, no one cares. Well Uncle Milikona does, but he's already signed the will giving everything to some (gasp!) charity so no one will come to his aid anyhow. Meanwhile, there's a catfight a-brewing in the kitchen as the women in the family pick sides (well, except Aunt Ho, she's still in the bathroom) to fight to the death over who has the damn Tupperware. Every year someone brings Tupperware to collect leftovers and every freakin' year it disappears. Well this year someone's gonna die unless Bobble Tiki's entire family attends the 10:30 a.m. Avoid Those Holiday Blues Class at the Mill Ridge Village Retirement Community in Milton.

TUESDAY, NOV. 22: When Bobble Tiki thinks of stained glass, he thinks of Bruce and Peggy of Walden Designs. The Olympia couple has a showroom inside Sanford and Son Antiques displaying their centuries old traditional techniques of stained and kiln fired art glass - holiday style. Head for Tacoma's Antique Row and check out their handcrafted holiday show.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 23: Doyle's Public House hosts its annual Bad Sweater Party Wednesday night giving away prizes for the ugliest holiday sweaters. Santa has the details here.

THURSDAY, NOV. 24: Bobble Tiki can picture it.  First the turkey, then the stuffing, and of course the cranberry sauce . . . and you won't be able to resist the sweet potatoes with the little marshmallows. Afterward, you'll be collapsed on the couch with your pants unbuttoned, swatting helplessly at the bottle of Tums on the table. Bobble Tiki has a suggestion for you. Wake up Grandpa Joe, grab yourself an Everlasting Gobstopper, and burp your way over to The Acme Grub Cage for DJ Aaron Mack's "Thanksgiving Escape Plan," beginning at 8 p.m. He invites everyone over for a night of music and drinking - cover free. Mack is even willing to spin your music.

FRIDAY, NOV. 25: Every single one-day-at-a-time day is a struggle, particularly around the holidays - specifically during Black Friday. Bobble Tiki knows there are seven habits to becoming a highly effective person, 50 ways to leave your lover and 12 steps to sobriety. But after years and years as a recovering believer in Santa Claus, Bobble Tiki has to ask, "When will it end?" He can't let it go. And there's no better place to get into the holiday spirit than the brand spanking new Franciscan Polar Plaza in downtown Tacoma. Opening Nov. 25, and running through Jan. 2 at Tollefson Plaza, Polar Plaza gives the community an opportunity to come together and make memories to last a lifetime. The center of the holiday festivities is an outdoor ice rink, which costs money and doesn't have a home here in Freeloadersland. At the heart of Polar Plaza will be music, special holiday events, decorations, Christmas trees, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Just go, hang and get in the spirit.

SATURDAY, NOV. 26: America seems to have no real idea who the hell we are anymore, or what it means to have a humane and thoughtful national identity, and therefore we happily scratch and claw and fight our way into giant fluorescent-lit hellpits for a chance at a $31 DVD player and some crappy plasma TVs and a pallet of heavily discounted spatulas. Enter the Jada-Moon Gridley-created Gritty City Gift Fair, where local artists and crafters will offer their one-of-a-kind fairs - plus music and refreshments - from 3-9 p.m. at the 906 Broadway space in downtown Tacoma. Santa has more details here.

SUNDAY, NOV. 27: Olympia's Downtown for the Holidays is a day filled with fun and entertainment, from noon to 4:30 p.m. Most activities are centered in and about Sylvester Park, which will include free horse-drawn wagon rides with Mrs. Claus, a holiday parade (3 p.m.), and a tree-lighting ceremony.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Santa Says Blog

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Thar Be Snow In Dem Hills: Many ski resorts open this weekend. (News Tribune)

Swamp Thing: It's all good. The rain gardens on Pacific Avenue with have 6 inches of drain rock under them. (News Tribune)

Rolling Up Their Sleeves: Members of the congressional committee tasked with cutting $1.2 trillion from the nation's budget deficit before Thanksgiving. (CNN)

Terror Scare: Pilot accidentally locks himself in bathroom and all hell breaks loose. (New York Post)

Wood Eye: The investigation into the death of actress Natalie Wood, who drowned in 1981 while boating off the California coast, is being reopened. (CNN)

Bet Murray Is Pissed: Bret writes for The Muppets. (New York Times)

Indie Film: Raiding the Lost Ark, the documentary. (io9)

Could They Save A Bridge Jumper?: Victoria's Secret models go all superhero. (After Ellen)

Super Password: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Martin Short and Michael Stipe play the game. (Late Night With Jimmy Fallon)

Fashion Victim: Marc Jacobs' spring collection stolen from a train. (Time)

Assemble And Move: Apartment furnished completely in cardboard. (Ignant)

Happy Friday!

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Two-And-A-Half Years Of Joy: The eastbound Nalley Valley viaduct construction project is on. (News Tribune)

Occupy Olympia: The movement has become home to the homeless. (News Tribune)

The Essence Of Tacoma: Changes needed for Tideflats to stop economic engine's sputtering. (Bellingham Herald)

Afghanistan: A suicide bomber attacked a vehicle in a NATO military convoy in Kabul. (CNN)

12-Year-Old Boys Could Jump Their Bikes Off Ramps: Or become the youngest person ever to be awarded the prestigious distinction of "Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society." (Peta Pixel)

What To Wear To A Birthday Party For Chewbacca?: Camilla Belle knows. (Go Fug Yourself)

"We All Go Back To Where We Belong": R.E.M.'s final music videos. (Pop Candy)

Have A Great Time Tonight Everyone!

THURSDAY, OCT. 27, 2011 >>>

1. While the Weekly Volcano occasional dips its toe in a department store (here's looking at you, Saks!), there's nothing like the rush we get from uncovering a hidden treasure at a local mom-and-pop or specialty boutique. So after you've thumbed through Vogue, Nylon, Elle, or wherever you go for your style fix, check out a local take on fall fashion from the cool kids at The Salon Professional Academy. From 6:30-8:30 p.m. you may enjoy a fun, flashy New York-style runway fashion show benefiting the YWCA Pierce County ($10). You'll admire the work of the academy's cosmetology and aesthetics students as well as 10 RAGS Wearable Art Sale artists (yes, their work will be available for sale).

2. The Sixth Avenue Progressive Dinner visits Marrow, Medi's and Studio 6 Ballroom at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Dance to jazz and blues by Maia Santell & House Blend from 8-10 p.m. at Studio 6.

3. At Bates Technical College you can learn a lot of things. Welding. Commercial truck driving. Sheet metal technology. Early childhood education. Even how to be a barber. And on Thursday, Bates will diversify the educational opportunities it offers even more, hosting a "Hoptoberfest" event - designed to educate the masses on the pairing possibilities of beer. According to hype, "Bates' culinary arts students will prepare and serve guests a five-course gourmet meal. Each dish will be partnered with flavorful brews from New Belgium Brewing, home of perennial favorite Fat Tire Amber Ale." The event starts at 6 p.m. at Bates' downtown Tacoma campus and tickets run $40 - which goes to Bates scholarships for students in need.

4. Unless you're of the Folger's drip tribe, you know good coffee is an art - a mercurial mix of water, finely ground beans and flavoring. The folks at Bluebeard Coffee will showcase this art form beginning at 6:30 p.m. when dozens of hirsute non-bikini-clad baristas battle for latte art honors while the rest of us drink beer. Watch the fine hands of the baristas as they shake the milk pitcher before pouring it onto the espresso. Presto, there's a leaf on your cup. Or - if you like - a feather. Could it even be a whirlwind? Look hard enough and you might even see Van Gogh's ear. Check it!

5. If there's one thing the Weekly Volcano has learned this past year, the Tacoma Thursday Runners are freakin' nuts. Running 3 miles in pink tutus like they just don't care. Oh good lord. Well, Halloween is basically upon us and it's Thursday. Appropriately, the Thursday Runners will meet at 6:30 p.m. in front of Hell's Kitchen for their weekly 3-mile jaunt - this time with more bed sheets with holes cut out for eyes. And if timed right, the Runners will be in the Kitchen when Led Zeppelin tribute band Kashmir hits the stage. Ah ah aaaaaaaaaah ah!

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Happy hours!

LET'S GET READY FOR HALLOWEEN >>>

A new art gallery is open in Tacoma. We repeat, a new art gallery is open in Tacoma. This is not a test. The Blue Octopus has taken the leap, and celebrates its home at the Middle Floor Merchants Thursday during Third Thursday Artwalk.

The focus of Kerry Cole's Octopus gallery is affordable, handcrafted drawings, paintings, cards and prints - currently largely Cole's talents. She has other artists on the docket, including men's grooming products (hand crafted by the bearded lady, Madame Scodioli), jewelry and up-cycled lighting.

Cole began her art career drawing while studying Fashion Design at Portland State University.  She had her first professional show after two years of study, and an invitation to show in New York followed later that same year. By mingling figures from reality with myth, her paintings and drawings have an allegorical feel. She incorporates Fauvist color schemes into her works.

"I will be offering an event once a quarter involving a catered lunch, wine tasting and a 90-120 minute class where people can let their hair down and learn how to paint, draw or do collage in a relaxed, fun atmosphere," says Cole. "First event will be Nov. 12."

Cole shakes with glee when she discusses the Le Noir Bizarre event Oct. 30 at Sanford and Son.

"It's a huge steampunk event with romantic Gothic art, fashion, culture and entertainment on the eve of Halloween. I have a lot of Goth/creepy images up right now," she explains.

The Gothic fashion store down the Hall from the Octopus spearheads the event. Read up on Julia Jones' store here.

The Blue Octopus is open Wednesday-Sunday, but Cole hopes everyone stops by this Thursday.

"I will bribe people with wine and appetizers," she says.

A new art gallery, is open. In Tacoma.

[The Blue Octopus, noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sanford and Son Antiques, Middle Floor, 743 Broadway, Tacoma, website]

THIS WEEK'S BEST FREEBIES OCT. 10-16 >>>

If we had an alter ego, we would be sporty. Very sporty. Extreme-sports sporty. We'd snowboard. We'd parasail. We'd skydive. Hell, We'd be able to just play a game of softball without shrieking like a schoolgirl whenever the ball came near us. Best of all, though, we'd be very, very sporty while wearing four-inch Manolos, and after winning the game, we'd walk away with only a sexy muss to our perfectly coiffed hair.

OK, so we want to be a Charlie's Angel.

Who would your alter ego be?

MONDAY, OCT. 10: Would your alter ego be Jack the Ripper? If so, hang out with the Graphic Novel Book Club as the dismember From Hell by Alan MooreandEddie Campbell,the story of Jack the Ripper. Legendary comics writer Alan Moore and artist Eddie Campbell have created a modern masterpiece of crime noir and historical fiction with scratchy lines and heavy doses of ink. The geeky book group will gather at 7 p.m. inside King's Books in Tacoma.

TUESDAY, OCT. 11: Would your alter ego be Doctor Dolittle? It might be a good idea, especially since the neighbors called the cops on you four times this summer for shooting crows of your back balcony. Yes, the crows are hella loud in the morning. But crows have feelings too. It's time to better understand the winged nuisances, free of charge. And if you think your relationship with the crows needs to go beyond the basics of understanding, attend Tuesday's Tacoma Science Café from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at The Swiss. Yup, the popular lecture series moved a larger venue. And Prof. John Marzluff, Ph.D., he of the School of Forest Resources, will discuss the curious behavior of these loud birds.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12: Would your alter ego be a fashion designer? Five dollars, a trip to the hardware store and an imagination will separate the truly hip from the un-hip. Duct tape accessories, and even clothes, have become a trend and it's really not all that surprising. When you think about the plastic (that's polyester, girls) content in everyday attire, it's no wonder people would be drawn to a raw engineered form of it. The look you get from duct tape is edgy and playful. You don't need to be Goth or punk. Just lose your inhibitions and get crafty with the myriad of colors duct tape is now manufactured in. It comes in pink, blue, red, gold and the traditional gunmetal grey, among others. Need a little duct tape tutorial for inspiration? The Tillicum Pierce County Library hosts a duct tape creations class Wednesday from 4-5 p.m. No, we're serious.

THURSDAY, OCT. 13: Would your alter ego be Robin Hood? You're pissed off that people long accustomed to the comforts of middle-class life are now relying on public assistance for the first time in their lives - potentially for years to come - while the rich become richer. You've decided to become a modern day Robin Hood. But, as the movies have shown, you need mad archery skills. You're in luck! Every Thursday Skookum Archers in Puyallup hosts public instruction in its private clubhouse range. Show up at 6:15 p.m. to sign in, go through a brief safety orientation the first time and then you get to play archery under instruction till 7:45. Best part, freeloaders? You first visit is free.

FRIDAY, OCT. 14: Would your alter ego be a poet? We just read the most irritating book in the world. It's called Jeremy Thrane, and while parts of it were fun, the main character had this extraordinarily annoying habit of, in moments of great stress, reciting poetry. And not his own, but stuff by Yeats, Stevens and other dead people. We think that if you're a writer and you find yourself quoting other people's work because their words express your thoughts better than you can maybe you ought to seriously think about what that means. If, however, you'd like to take a stab at writing your own stuff, jog on over to King's Books for its Distinguished Writers Series. After featured poet Ed Harkness goes off at 7 p.m., stand up and read your stuff during the open mic session. And for fun, why not wear a beret?

SATURDAY, OCT. 15: Would your alter ego be U.S. Women's Soccer Team defender Stephanie Cox? While the chances of you kicking it around with Hope Solo, Abby Wambach and Heather O'Reilly remains scant, you may just lose your proverbial women's soccer cherry this Saturday by hanging with Cox at Skansie Brothers Park. The Gig Harbor resident will talk about her experience and soccer background, sign autographs and then kick the ball around from 1:30-3:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCT. 16: Would your alter ego be a tango dancer? Run, run we tell you, to the florist for roses, because you're going to need it Sunday night. You'll be clutching it between your teeth as you dance the romantic and mysterious tango at the Abbey Ballroom Dance and Pilates Center in Tacoma. Milonga Tango Dance includes free beginners lesson at 5 p.m., followed by a dance ($8). Adelante!

LINK: Arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

FRIDAY, SEPT. 9, 2011 >>>

1. As massive as the Puyallup Fair has become, P-Town's long-forgotten small-town identity still runs through it, part of the undeniable charm of the whole thing. But these days, part of the appeal of the Fair also lies in the modern-day, big-time entertainment options it provides. Over the course of its 17 days the Fair will welcome as part of its Concert Series acts like Larry the Cable Guy, the Flaming Lips, Chicago, Counting Crows, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Sammy Hagar and Trace Adkins. Grab a Krusty Pup and get down from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Check out today's schedule here.

2. At 7 p.m. the Amocat Café in Tacoma will host a "Special Fond Farewell to Summer and Sarah" featuring musicians John Dolge, Jeremy Bush, Megan Walter, Matthew Jorgensen, Macy Ragasa Craig Carter and others. We have no idea who Sarah is, but EXCITING!

3. Distinguished writers, poets, playwrights, short story writers, and people who scribble on cocktail napkins will step up to the mic from 7-9 p.m. as part of the Distinguished Writer Series and Open Mic at King's Books. Ken Sikes, pastor of Manitou Park Presbyterian Church since 2003, will take lead.

4. The bassoon is the Steve Buscemi of the orchestra - far from glamorous, not a romantic lead, more of a character actor. But it's the workhorse bass of the wind choir and deserves props. Paul Rafanelli, bassoon professor at University of Puget Sound, knows this. In fact, the Prof reveals that in his 14 years at the college he has never played a full bassoon recital for campus audiences. Enough is enough. Rafanelli will open the 2011 Jacobsen Series with his tribute to the bassoon: "Bassoon and Beyond: A Wily Instrument is Featured for a Night" at 7:30 p.m. inside the Schneebeck Concert Hall. Also in the house will be Dan Williams, oboe; Jennifer Nelson, clarinet; Rodger Burnett, French horn; Keith Ward, piano; Tanya Stambuk, piano.

5. People can be miserable. Dogs, on the other hand, are always pretty awesome. There's just something about unconditional love and the ability to chase a tennis ball for hours on end that always wins us over. At 8 p.m., Tacoma's London Couture independent clothing store presents the second annual "Strut for a Mutt" fashion show, scheduled to go down in Opera Alley and featuring catering by AmeRAWcan Bistro, entertainment by the Imperial Sovereign Court of Tacoma and Shannel (of RuPaul's Drag Race TV show), and treats throughout from the Mix (read: wine and munchies). All proceeds of the Strut for a Mutt event go to Puyallup's Metro Animal Shelter. You should know cocktail hour begins at 7 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: New movies open today