WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Tacoma Budget Ax: Police and firefighters set to be laid off get reprieve. (News Tribune)

Tacoma City Manager Hunt: Tacoma Interim City Manager Rey Arellano, San Antonio Assistant City Manager T.C. Broadnax and Lakewood City Manager Andrew Neiditz have put their holiday end-of-the-year letters on hold. (News Tribune)

Pierce County Air Quality: It sucks even more. (News Tribune)

Freed: An Afghan woman whose plight gained international attention when she was imprisoned for adultery after a relative raped her has been freed. (CNN)

Music List: Pitchfork names its top 100 tracks of the year. (Pitchfork)

TV List: The 10 freakiest commercials of the year. (Warming Glow)

Why?: Hear 10 seconds from every hit song on the '80s. (WFMU)

Action Figures: MTV names the best of the year. (MTV)

Louis C.K.: Dude has feelings. (Fresh Air)

Mean!

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Budget Shortfall: Tacoma faces some tough decisions about funding the arts. (Weekly Volcano)

For Safety's Sake: Tacoma City Councilman Jake Fey says he will propose a motion next week calling to postpone by 30 days implementation of City Manager Rey Arellano's proposed layoffs in the city's public safety departments. (News Tribune)

Budget Cuts Q&A: What the Tacoma police and fire officials have to say. (News Tribune)

This Is It: European leaders are meeting in Belgium to shore up the euro, the currency of 17 nations. (CNN)

Mustache Gallery: Try it on. (Spaceworks Tacoma)

Bella Swan: A romanticized archetype of a helpless heroine with absolutely no agency whatsoever. (Refinery 29)

Alec Baldwin's Booted Brethren: 10 celebrities who have been kicked off planes. (Time)

Ho Ho Oh No: The 12 all-time ugliest Christmas sweaters. (Collectors Weekly)

Got To See This: Sketch eye glasses. (Design Boom)

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.

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Yikes: A state audit has found the city of Tacoma potentially overbilled city utilities by more than $1 million. (News Tribune)

Tacoma City Council Vs. The Arts: Ticket prices might go up. (News Tribune)

Back To The Drawing Board: European leaders are meeting this week to discuss ways to solve the deepening debt crisis, and this time they are talking about rewriting European Union treaties. (CNN)

Madonna: She'll play the halftime show at Super Bowl XLVI with help from Cirque du Soleil. (Rolling Stone)

iPhone Not Loud Enough?: You need the Crazy Megaphone. (DVice)

Most Expensive Car Crash of the Day: At least eight Ferraris, two Mercedes, and a Lamborghini were among 14 cars involved. (The Daily What)

Video: Psycho captain crashes into yacht. (Dumb As A Blog)

Creepy

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Better Remove Your "WSDOT Sucks" Bumpersticker: The Washington State Department of Transportation announced it will begin photo tolling on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Saturday. (News Tribune)

Happy Friday News: Nearly a third of all Tacoma-area homeowners with a mortgage owe more than their property is worth. (News Tribune)

Unemployment Rate: It fell to 8.6 percent after employers added 120,000 jobs in November, the Labor Department reports. The jobless rate in October had been 9 percent. (CNN)

Lacey City Council: Not huge with pot smokers. (News Tribune)

For Those Who Don't Drink Beer: Forza now the official coffee of the Tacoma Rainiers. (News Tribune)

Not So Christmasy: Don't wear a Frosty mask. (WCTI12)

Freaky: Daniel Day Lewis IS Abraham Lincoln. (The Superficial)

Just In Time For Christmas: There's an Angry Bids cookbook. (walyou)

Cookie Cottages Have Come A Long Way: Lights, camera, gingerbread (Flavorwire)

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Fallen Officers Food Drive: A Pierce County storage company will be participating in a food drive to honor four Lakewood police officers who were killed two years ago today. (King 5)

And So It Begins: Olympia's budget-cutting special section is on. (Seattle Times)

Combing For Ethics Violation: Retired Tacoma Dome director Mike Combs isn't suppose to be helping with the publicly funded study to bring a pro sports team to Tacoma. (News Tribune)

Occupy Olympia: Protest leads to arrests yesterday. (SLOG)

Iranian Students Pissed Off: Iranian students stormed the British Embassy in Tehran today, breaking down the door and replacing the British flag with an Iranian one. (CNN)

Oh Schrute: Dunder Mifflin paper is coming to stores. (TVGuide)

Listen: Scarlett Johansson teams with a dead Dean Martin for "I'll Be home for Christmas." (Indiewire)

Ho Ho Ho: 105 geek gift ideas (DVICE)

Macabrenet!: Elvira is launching her own line of wines. (Shock Till You Drop)

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

SoDo Tacoma: A half-million-dollar grant has launched the City of Tacoma toward pre-approving up to 30 million square feet of new development in south downtown. (News Tribune)

Score One For Tacoma: Tacoma had more schools named to the Innovative Schools list than any other school district. (News Tribune)

United States Receives A Warning: Pakistan's prime minister vows there will be "no more business as usual" with Washington after NATO aircraft killed two dozen Pakistan troops. (CNN)

Occupy Camps: The stakes will be pulled on Los Angeles. (Los Angeles Times)

Oh, Great: New Star Trek film will be in 3-D. (Deadline)

Interview: Noel Gallagher is on his own. (The New York Times)

Make It Happen Murray!: There could be a Flight of the Conchords movie. (New York Magazine)

Thought Zoot Would Be Higher: Top 25 Muppets (CinemaBlend)

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Holiday Events And Gifts: All in one glorious spot. (Weekly Volcano)

Grinches: They're stealing copper wire in Tacoma. (News Tribune)

Shift Your Shopping: Go Local Tacoma joins the national campaign. (Weekly Volcano)

Kamal Ganzouri Is Back: The former prime minister under President Hosni Mubarak was given his old job back today. (CNN)

Ewww: The eight germiest spots in a mall. (CNN)

Thank Gawd: Someone else read the Kardashian's novel so we don't have to. (FourFour)

We Love The Bendy Straw: An awesome article about the invention of the Bendy Straw. (The Atlantic)

Prank Of The Day: An oldie but goodie. (BroBible)

LIKE: Fanwagon Facebook car by Volkswagen. (Design Boom)

The World's Largest Thing Of The Day: Gummy Bear. (The Daily What)

FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2011 >>>

1. First it was Mickey Avalon. Today, Jazzbones welcomes "rapper" Dirt Nasty to Tacoma, founder of the Dyslexic Speedreaders (of which Avalon and Andre Legacy were also a part of), and - more importantly - Simon fucking Rex from former MTV fame. That's right. Dirt Nasty is Simon Rex, and these days his gig revolves around producing ridiculously funny hip-hop tracks pertaining to drugs, the '80s, cocaine, sex, even more drugs and the inability to dance ... not necessarily in that order. According to the show's billing, Dirt Nasty will come to T-Town prepared to bust out his "hits," including "1980." Cue the hook in your head: "I got a gold chain ... I'm on co-caine ..." Honestly, there's no way this show won't be entertaining. The Breaklites and DJ Pedro are also on the bill. 

2. Through three days, the Fair Trade Market, hosted by St. Leo Parish and Urban Grace Church, promises a guilt-free way to start your holiday shopping. Running Today, tomorrow and Sunday at Catholic Community Services the annual event is your chance to get in on, "baskets, ornaments, linens, musical instruments, food products and more from vendors such as Ten Thousand Villages, Theo Chocolate, Laughing Lotus, L'Arche, and many more," according to pre-event hype. 

3. Join the benefit and auction to honor the life of Staff Sergeant Nathan Wyrick, who grew up in our area, attended Franklin Pierce High School and was recently killed while serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, and the Remembering Nathan Wyrick Foundation, tonight at Varsity Grill. The event starts at 7 p.m., with all proceeds from the event being placed in trusts for each of Wyrick's four sons.

4. Tonight at Big Whisky Saloon in downtown Tacoma, Comedy Underground welcomes Seattle-based, Nashville born, national touring comedian Billy Wayne Davis - billed as, "the thinking man's hillbilly."

5. Tonight, for those on the outskirts, the band Moose Knuckle plays The Royal Bear. Stay classy, Algona.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound
LINK: Live music tonight

LINK: This week's freebies

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!