They're working on their fourth album, The Final Funktier, and need audience members to be part of four songs they're recording for the disc.

To get in on the session at the University Child Development Center, 5062 9th Ave NE, Seattle, pre-order a copy of the new album for $25 on the band's site. There will be a limited number of tickets available at the door too.

A proposal being discussed would require a tasting room or shop be attached to the wine making operation if it's located downtown. At the same time, the city of Snohomish is trying to lure wineries to their downtown, where it's already legal for vintners to set up shop.

The first one is about a former 7-year employee at a Sherman, TX, store who says he was fired because managers didn't like his tattoos. The first commenter: "Ummm, wouldn't 43% of their workforce need to be fired if tattoos mattered?"

The second one is about a homeless guy who threw coffee at a Starbucks employee, scalding her with first- and second-degree burns. It links to a story in suburban Chicago's Daily Herald, a paper I worked for, ummm, more than a few years ago.

If you want to get a reminder of what winters' past have been like, check out the snowy photo on the Whidbey Island Life blog.

The post also includes a link to a book by the Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island that will help you make sure the groundhog doesn't see its shadow next year. It's for a cookbook with a recipe entitled "How to Cook a Groundhog."

I found out about it from Mike Davidson, who posted the clip on his blog.

Corydon optometrist Jack Moss, who took the video, can be heard saying to someone off camera:

"There she goes George. That's brighter than usual." Then the booster rockets spiral off and Moss realizes something is seriously wrong. "That's trouble of some kind," he says with dawning disbelief.

The video might never have been made public if Moss hadn't thought to donate it to NASA shortly before he died last December.

It's being put together by a volunteer group headed by the folks at one of our favorite breweries, Boundary Bay.

The parade starts at noon on the 13th following the annual Runnin' O' the Green Race and Fun Run.

You can get more details about the event on Boundary Bay's blog.

Do you like what you see on this blog and are itching to (pun alert!) enhance its flavor with your own exceptionally engaging prose? Or rather, do you view this blog as an undercooked stew, and think your contributions will improve the hell out of Voracious?

Either way, we'd like to hear from you...

If you're salivating at the opportunity, find more information here.

Here is what Theo Chocolate says about the effort:

At Theo we are deeply saddened by the human suffering caused by the earthquake in Haiti, and we understand that all life on our planet is interconnected. The people of Haiti need our help NOW! Please join us!

100% of the purchase of our 45% classic milk and 70% classic dark chocolate bars will go to CARE, a humanitarian nonprofit fundraising for the Haiti relief effort.

The money will initially help CARE provide 600,000 water purification tablets. Other aid items will follow.

Theo bars can be ordered online here. See a list of Cafe Vita locations here. You can also donate directly to CARE here.

(Via Culinary Fool)

The 22nd annual show's theme is "Beauty and Functionality," capitalizing on the buzz around the new catchword "sustainability." The show also includes more family-friendly attractions, including a butterfly house and a "Sproutopia" children's area.

You can buy tickets at more than 75 local nurseries or online.

If you wait until the show, tickets will cost you $20 at the door.

You can find the photo here. And to show how much the city has grown, here's a shot of a couple of the latest additions to the skyline.

Exit 133 has more information about the talk and an archived thread with lots of discussion about the quality of Tacoma's climate for growing new businesses.

MyBallard reports that workers plan to take down the building Wednesday after removing some additional asbestos from the building and freon from the air conditioning units.

The popular bowling alley was sold and closed a little less than a year ago. It's sat empty ever since, while development plans moved forward.

I'll be pulling for Rachel and Seif.

More info on Seattle Weekly's Voracious and on Wallyhood.