WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Our Freakin' Weather: Here comes the floods and avalanches. (Seattle Times)

Madigan Investigation: Did the Army hospital screw soldiers out of their full PTSD treatment? (News Tribune)

State Budget: Democrats give it a shot this morning. (News Tribune)

New Parking Rules: The Tacoma City Council wants to limited parking stalls in downtown core to make it easier to build while not encouraging more cars. (News Tribune)

Needs To Be Asked: Where do the Republican candidates stand on immigration laws? (The New York Times)

Affirmative Action: Supreme Court agrees to hear affirmative action in higher education case. (The New York Times)

Question: Where do you stand on Web piracy? (The New York Times)

Speaking of Mixtapes: If Harriet the Spy made a mixtape, what would be on it? (Flavorwire)

Remember The Band Blur?: Blur to headline Olympics closing show. (BBC)

Remember The Band Depeche Mode?: The band has started recording a new album. (NME)

Kick-Ass: The sequel to the critically acclaimed comic book drama will be shot this summer. (NME)

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

This Weekend: A buttload of rain. (Seattle Times)

Occupy Tacoma: The lights went out ... probably for good. (News Tribune)

Payroll Tax Cut Extension: The Senate and the House hug it out over a deal. (CNN)

What the Fukushima?: As the United States prepares to build its first new nuclear power reactors in three decades, concerns about an early generation of plants have resurfaced since last year's disaster in Japan. (CNN)

Syria: Troops have resumed heavy shelling of the Syrian city of Homs. (BBC)

World's Best Movie Theaters: No children, booze and 4D. (CNN)

Didn't See This Coming: Charlie Sheen doesn't have many positive things to say about this season's Two and a Half Men. (Hollywood Reporter)

Didn't See This Coming II: Man suffers heart attack whileeating "Triple Bypass Burger" at Heart Attack Grill. (Time)

Colbert Report: Suspended temporarily for family issues. (The Wall Street Journal)

Idiotic: Oxygen greenlights a pilot for a teen wedding reality show. (Deadline)

Oh.

stereo skifcha from xgabberx on Vimeo.

KEEPING HISTORY ALIVE >>>

Tacoma art instigator Lynn Di Nino sent us word the 9th and 10th (Horse) Calvary Buffalo Soldiers Museum on the edge of Tacoma's Museum District has undergone a refocus and a renaming. It's now called the Buffalo Soldier Museum, and according to the press release Di Nino sent, it's worthy of your attention.

To keep the memory of pioneering black soldiers alive, William Jones created the Buffalo Soldier Museum in a cottage on his property situated on the edge of Tacoma's Downtown Museum District.  Following his death on December 3^rd, 2009 at age 91, his daughter Jackie Jones-Hook began the process of formalizing the entity by filing articles of incorporation. 

The Museum, formally known as the 9^th and 10^th (Horse) Calvary Buffalo Soldiers Museum would like to announce its readiness to further educate the public on aspects of American history, to depict and illustrate the story of the all black regiment on the United States military, and to preserve memorabilia of historical significance.

According to his daughter Jackie Jones-Hook, who currently serves as the director of the private museum, "the collection contains military artifacts, an extensive library of books, articles and DVD's from her father's military career with the 10^th Calvary - the Buffalo Horse Calvary."  The Tacoma Museum is one of only two museums dedicated to the Buffalo Soldiers in the nation, the other being the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in Houston.

Upon receipt of the legal non-profit status, the board met for the first time on February 4^th, 2012, to establish immediate goals, which include designing a program for youth educational tours of the museum.

Board members include, in addition to PresidentJackie Jones-Hook:

• Edvine Evans, vice president (retired Army Sergeant Major)
• William Watkins, treasurer (Union representative and Mr. Jones' grandson)
• Willie Stewart (former Tacoma school board member, past principal Lincoln High School)
• Lynn Di Nino (community organizer and long time family friend)

Scheduling for Museum Tours: 253-272-4257

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Mount Rainier Ranger Killer: Dead. (News Tribune)

East Tacoma Murder Suspect: Dead. (News Tribune)

Darth Vader: Dead. (ESPN)

Pierce County Councilman Tim Farrell: Eyeing the dead Russell Investments building. (News Tribune)

Iran Puffs Up Chest: Tehran said last week it had photographed a U.S. carrier patrolling the area where Iran was holding military drills. The country doesn't think that's cool. (CNN)

Afghanistan's Taliban: They have "an initial understanding" to set up an office overseas, possibly in Qatar - a move some see as key to future peace talks. (BBC)

E.N.G.A.G.E.D.: Aretha Franklin. (People)

Portlandia Stars: Why we tease the cool kids. (Salon)

The Price Is Right: Snoop Dogg hosted it. (Idolator)

Too Much Free Time

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Helicopter Crash Last Night At JBLM: Four Army aviators were killed. (News Tribune)

Tacoma City Manager Survivor: One drops out. (News Tribune)

Tacoma Budget Check: Tacoma City Councilmembers Spiro Manthou, Ryan Mello and Victoria Woodards propose a resolution to delay 100 layoffs to the city's police and fire departments. (News Tribune)

Jerry Sandusky Situation: Waived his right to a preliminary hearing. (CNN)

South Sound Cities Didn't Make The List: Top 10 cities with the hottest people. (Time)

End Of Year List: Top 50 albums of 2011. (Spin)

Holiday Songs: Here are 11 that never really took off. (Mental Floss)

Here's Something: Best cover songs of 2011. (Cover Me)

It's Real: Motorhead Vodka. (Dangerous Minds)

Game of Thrones Season 2 Trailer!

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Pays To Stay In School: Tacoma Public Schools Board awards incoming superintendent a bunch of money. (News Tribune)

Murray Morgan Bridge Update: Tacoma City Council looks up. (News Tribune)

Veterans Day: Where to honor our nation's heroes. (Northwest Military)

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta: Military strike against Iran could have "unintended consequences." (BBC)

The Simpsons: Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay in the house. (Television Blend)

Nearly One Month Later: LEGO people still occupying LEGO Land. (Gothamist)

Sid Loves Cookies: 10 things you didn't know about Sesame Street. (Buzz Feed)

Notorious B.I.G. is so soothing

THIS WEEK'S FREEBIES NOV. 7-13 >>>

Hey, what happened?  Bobble Tiki was just traipsing happily through autumn, watching the leaves turn pretty colors and fall into someone else's yard, when it suddenly turned cold!

When the cold arrives is when Bobble Tiki begins doing his old man thing: puttering around the house. Bobble Tiki walks around turning lamps on and off, makes coffee, calls to see which checks cleared overnight, visits the porch to see which plants he has killed and, well, just putter. Anything you read on this page must be taken with a grain of salt, because Bobble Tiki can't remember what it is he's supposed to be doing.

But don't fret, gentle reader, because Bobble Tiki sends you another fresh Freeloaders column to keep your tootsies toasty. This week, Bobble Tiki will focus on free events centered on things that are old. Like Bobble Tiki. 

MONDAY, NOV. 7: Tacoma playwright C. Rosalind Bell presents a free staged reading of her screenplay about blues guitar legend Robert Johnson at the Toy Boat Theatre in Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood. Twelve professional and community actors will bring to life the African American blues artist who, in the 1930s south, developed a sound and approach that was to influence the entire genre of rock and roll music, before his untimely death at 27 after being poisoned by the husband of a woman he was wooing.

TUESDAY, NOV. 8: For some reason, the history books concentrate on the presidents after the adoption of the U. S. Constitution. However there were 14 presidents prior to the U. S. Constitution, eight of which served under an earlier constitution, The Articles of Confederation. The 14 Presidents Prior to George Washington exhibit - on display at Karpeles Manuscript Museum next to Wright Park in Tacoma - will discuss history during these 14 presidential terms. As always, admission is free.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9: Emile Zola's epic Germinal was published in 1885: the year Freud arrived in Paris to study hysteria, and the year the miner's son, DH Lawrence, was born. Psychologically, socially and politically, Germinal was a trailblazing fiction set in the 1860s in a mining community in northern France. Meeting in Tacoma since 1994 - the year Bobble Tiki was beat up by his construction site buddies after Bobble Tiki said he preferred anti-folk, no-wave and some math rock over country music - the Classic Book Club will discuss Germinal at 7 p.m. inside King's Books.

THURSDAY, NOV. 10: For the past 25 years investigative journalist David Barsamian has altered the independent media landscape with his weekly audio series Alternative Radio, a one-hour public affairs program carried by over 125 radio outlets in the U.S., Canada, Europe and beyond. In September, he was deported from India for his work on Kashmir and other revolts. At 7:30 p.m. Barsamian will give a free lecture on "Uprisings: Form Kashmir to Egypt to wall Street inside the Washington State Labor Council office in Olympia.

FRIDAY, NOV. 11: The Washington State History Museum will admit active duty and retired military and their family free admission on Veteran's Day. At 2 p.m. the downtown Tacoma museum will commemorate Veteran's Day by reading aloud a series of recollections written by or about military service members past and present. Members of the public are invited to recount, in 500 words or less, a personal experience related to the American armed forces or a memory of someone who is or was in military

SATURDAY, NOV. 12: What was life on Earth like in the years between the dinosaur extinction and the rise of human beings?  Bobble Tiki was thinking it must have been pure bliss.  But no, there were dangers a plenty, which you may witness if you drop in on the shark feeding at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium at 11 a.m. 

SUNDAY NOV. 13: Remember how sweet life was before everyone was addicted to TV and the Internet?  When situations weren't created for you - you actually had to use your imagination to spice up life? Shake the dust off your brain, and listen to Dr. Lorraine McConaghy discuss her newly released book, New Land, North of the Columbia: Historic Documents that Tell the Story of Washington State from Territory to Today, at 2 p.m. inside The Tacoma Public Library Main Branch. Historian McConaghy has traversed the state and sifted through the files of three dozen archives to cull the 400-plus documents that bring to life Washington's last 150 years.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Nightlife It List

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Gadhafi Is Dead: Fighters attacked the house where Moammar Gadhafi was hiding and shot him when he tried to flee, a spokesman for Libya's new government says. (CNN)

Because Thieves Suck: Auction items to raise money for 49-year-old mother's bone marrow transplant were stolen out of a Tacoma storage unit. She needs your help. (News Tribune)

That's Some Initiative: With more than $34 million committed to both sides of the campaign. Initiative 1183 is the most expensive ballot measure in state history. (News Tribune)

Sea Of Pink: The Thursday Tacoma Runners group dedicates tonight's 3-mile jaunt to National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Throw on some pink at join the group, which launches into stride at 6:30 p.m. at The Social Bar and Grill. (Facebook)

Not Good: September saw 18,400 jobs lost, the first monthly loss since August 2010 and the most since early 2009. (Seattle Times)

"Dark Blood": River Phoenix's final film to be released after 18 years. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Metallica/Lou Reed Collaboration: Hear the whole Lulu now. (loureedmetallica.com)

Not Happy Days For Some: Fraud claim thrown out in Happy Days lawsuit. (CNN)

Halloween Costumes: Let's look at some worn by TV characters. (The Atlantic)

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Occupied: The Tacoma spin-off of what's becoming a nationwide protest against corporate greed, income inequality and other social issues marched from Fireman's Park to Tollefson Plaza, stopping briefly to pound on some recycling bins. (News Tribune)

Checking In With the Tacoma School District: The board has its eye on Deputy Superintendent Carla Santorno for two consecutive posts. (News Tribune)

Tacoma Week In Review: Clean water clusters, potholes, awards for TV Tacoma & Pierce County TV and a new blog. (Weekly Volcano)

He's Got Your Back: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta tells sailors he will insist that any agreement on keeping U.S. troops in Iraq beyond 2011 includes immunity from Iraqi prosecution. (CNN)

If Your Job Sucks - Too Bad, At Least You Have One: Unemployment rate remained stuck at 9.1 percent. (LA Times)

Design For America: Young designers to take ownership of social problems in their communities and working to solve them with innovative solutions. (Core77)

Halloween Costume Ideas: Of course you have to look to Comic Con. (Neatorama)

Axl Rose looks and sounds horrible

MONDAY, SEPT. 12, 2011 >>>

1. According the the band, Margy Pepper plays "loud kitty puke punk jazz," which is awesome. Check them out at 5:30 p.m. when the trio performs at an all-ages show with Humble Cub and Meowtain inside The Den at urbanXchange.

2. Gate admission to the Puyallup Fair is free today for active, reserve, and retired military and their dependents, and disabled veterans. The gates open at 10 a.m.

3. Tacoma loves it some Pacific Grill. It was no surprise when the Gordon Naccarato-powered upscale dining option on Pacific Avenue took home "Best Restaurant" honors in the Volcano's 2011 Super Best of Tacoma Readers' Poll. Tacoma's love for Pacific Grill has been proven time and time again. Today and tomorrow, from 4:30-9 p.m., Pacific Grill will celebrate its sixth birthday with two birthday party extravaganzas, each featuring free appetizers and snacks, drink specials, prizes and hot DJ action. The only thing more exciting is the food.

4. The Graphic Novel Book Club meets at 7 p.m. inside the 1022 South lounge to discuss Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse over craft cocktails.

5. Blues band Palmer Junction performs at 8 p.m. inside The Swiss.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Happy hours!