SLUSH DAY SPECIALS TOO >>>

Whether you like to shoot a game of pool in a boisterous tavern or want to bring the kids along, there are tons of places with pool tables in the area. Many restaurants and bars have a pool table. Farrelli's Pizza joints always have a table or two, as does The Spar in Old Town Tacoma, Harmon Tap Room, Top of Tacoma, Meconi's, Brotherhood Lounge and many more.

The places we've chosen to feature have more than one table, as well as an undeniable perk or two to go with your game of pool.

Also listed below are specials for today.

The Swiss

1904 S. Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2821
The Swiss is quintessentially Tacoma is so many ways-local artwork on the walls, industrial-chic local, and awesome food. There are four pool tables at The Swiss along with shuffleboard, foosball and other games. Better yet, stop in Monday through Thursday and enjoy free pool. Friday and Saturday nights often include live music.
Slush Day Specials: Pasta primavera, egg salad sandwich and clam chowder

Malarkey's Pool and Brew

445 Tacoma Ave. S, Tacoma, 253.383.3301
With about 16 pool tables, Malarkey's is hard to beat if you're looking for a serious pool hall. Wednesday evenings feature 9-ball tournaments, and all evenings offer cheap food, beer and games.
Slush Day Specials: Clam chowder, plus $5 "summer-ish" drinks and hot cocoa

Tower Lanes

6323 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.564.8853
Tower Lanes is a good place to go if you want your pool with a side of mini golf, arcade games, pull tabs and bowling. There are three pool tables available at $6 per hour. If you go on a Friday or Saturday evening, you might have to wait to play, but there is enough to do at Tower Lanes that it's not likely to be a problem. Tower is also one of the rare places where adults can play pool and tip back a beer, but still bring the kids along.
Slush Day Specials: None. Still $2.50 a game to bowl

Eastside Club Tavern

410 E Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.357.9985
If you live closer to Olympia, check out the Eastside Club Tavern for all your pool hall needs. Located downtown (close to several other bars and taverns if you want to make a bar crawl out of the night), the Eastside has a great selection of microbrews at very reasonable prices and an array of other table games.
Slush Day Special: $3.25 pints from 4-7 p.m.

4th Ave Ale House & Eatery

201 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.786.1444
The 4th Ave has a fantastic jukebox, a huge room of pool tables, a predictable selection of domestic-micros on tap, sandwiches, pull tabs, and of course - the infamous "back room."
Slush Day Specials: Ring ... ring ... ring ...

Where do you like to shoot pool?

NIKKI TALOTTA AND FAMILY ARE FEELING LUCKY >>>

Some people say I'm lucky. I've won blackjack tournaments and essay contests; I've won radio show trivia for board games and concert tickets; once I even won a trip to London to see Muse at Royal Albert Hall.

Some say it's luck. I just say I try. My latest bout of "luck" has been with game shows. Recently I was chosen via-video audition to attend a final audition for the Wheel of Fortune. Lady Luck was not with me that day, however, as my son gave me a stomach bug, and hours before the show I was poised over the toilet, violently vomiting with curlers in my hair. With sweat dripping down my brow - I was persistent - "The show must go on!" I proclaimed, as I downed Imodium AD and bombed the audition.

But, perhaps, it was fate. Because just a few days later, the Weekly Volcano reported that the Family Feud would be holding contestant auditions at South Hill Mall!

I quickly followed the link and phoned like 10 family members. At our Christmas party, we drunkenly attempted to make a video to submit, thought better of it, and sent a witty email to try and ensure a spot for the auditions instead.

A few days later, Team Talotta got the confirmation letter! Excitement swelled inside me as I called my aunties and cousins, chatting about what we'd wear, and how we'd stand, and most importantly, who Team Talotta would be comprised of. Our own family feud had begun.

Shit, I didn't realize 10 of us were crazy enough to go on the show. The first thing we had to do was narrow it down to five or six. So we cut the quiet ones, and the flakey ones, and then finally my own husband was cut, as we deemed it appropriate that in-laws don't count. (Sorry, honey.)

So, team Talotta was complete. Me, my big brother, my goofy mom, my smarty-pants aunt and my motivational speaker cousin. Solid.

The morning of the big day arrived, and as promised, I provided my team with a continental breakfast, complete with jelly-filled frosted cinnamon roles, fresh coffee and orange juice. After a few trial runs on my cousin's family feud phone app, we piled in our cars and braved the snowy roads up to the fine city of Puyallup.

When we arrived, the parking lot was ridiculous, as no one could see the lines where to park so cars were randomly positioned wherever. Inside the mall, families were just as ridiculous, everyone checking their paperwork, with everyone wandering around trying to figure out where to go.

Finally, we got to the check-in line, where a sprite little lady was making name tags. I told her my name was Nikki, and she could go ahead and spell that W-I-N-N-E-R - which she did. Awesome.

There were three stages hosting the auditions. We were at stage "C," near Macy's. There was paperwork to be filled out, and as families bowed over their clipboards, classic rock played in an attempt to pump up the crowd. So, I began throwing up horns and singing along, encouraging my family to do the same. I even got the cameraman involved and slapping me high fives. The other families stayed fixed on their paperwork.

Soon, our host Carlos arrived, all sweaty and energetic, and the games began. The first few families did all right, and eased the tension a little bit. Then, it was our turn. We flew out of our seats, ready to play. I showed my good sportsmanship by shaking the hand of the other team's captain, and then flawlessly introduced my players.

The first question was, "Name a country that is known for having macho men." I didn't hit the buzzer fast enough, and the other family guessed a few right answers. So our job was to get in a huddle and come up with an answer to steal, if we got the chance.

Three strikes and the other team was out. We completely exploded out of our huddle, prompting the host to say, "See, that's how you do it!" We stole the game when I answered, "Right here in the USA!"

We played another round, showing off our spunk and wit, winning again, and riling up the audience. It's funny how our family dynamic and nuances seem completely normal to us, like when my mom started slapping my brother's hand and shouting that she couldn't hear. It was freaking hilarious to other people, again prompting the host to comment, "The feud is supposed to be the other team."

Anyway, it was super fun, and we walked away feeling like we nailed it. We will receive a postcard by Feb 5 if we are chosen. Family Feud would then fly us to a taping sometime in the next year, where we would have the chance to win up to $100,000 and a new car!

Know what? I'm feeling lucky.

TUESDAY, JAN. 17, 2012 >>>

Weekly Volcano recommends you call ahead as Snowmageddon is wreaking havoc on our little neck of the woods.

1. Singer Jeff Angell and guitarist Kyong Kim anchored a tight quartet that fused rock, seedy lyrics and grease to form a fresh sound unlike anything you've ever heard. The band was named Post Stardom Depression. It was headed toward the big time. Along the way the wheel fell off causing the band to crash and burn. Fans will be happy to hear Angell and Kim will perform tonight for old time's sake during Doyle's St. Practice Day party at 8 p.m. No cover makes it even harder to believe - but it's all true.

2. New York writer, editor and journalist Eric Etheridge, who grew up in the South during the Civil Rights era, will discuss his 2008 book Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Freedom Riders at 11:30 a.m. in the Student Center at Tacoma Community College. The book includes mug shots of the 328 black and white Freedom Riders who were arrested in Jackson, Miss. and charged with breach of peace for trying to desegregate transportation terminals in the city.

3. The musical drama Once ended with the guy and the girl going their separate ways. As much as this went against the grain of romantic expectations - and this rough-hewn indie was deeply romantic - that ending was perfect. The Swell Season arrives as a sequel of sorts. Shot in lush black and white, the documentary follows Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the stars of Once, on a two-year tour after the pair won the 2008 Oscar for best song: the lovely, heartbreaking "Falling Slowly." The Swell Season screens at 1:45 and 6:45 p.m. at The Grand Cinema.

4. Tacoma-native Megan Bostic's book, Never Eighteen, hits bookstores nationwide today. Never Eighteen tells the story of 17-year-old Austin Parker, who lives in Tacoma and is dying of leukemia. The book falls into the young adult genre, but Austin is a wise and believable character who appeals to older readers as well. His heartbreaking situation resonates with anyone who has lost a loved one to a chronic illness or cancer. A launch party and book signing will be held at 7 p.m. inside the Wheelock Library in Tacoma. To read Kristin Kendle's full feature on Bostic, click here.

5. Tuesdays seem to be the hottest night for the overeducated South Sound masses to prove their intellectual worth. And where do such brainiacs head? Glad you asked. The GEEKS head to Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub. The Tacoma watering hole is the site of John Dicker's Geeks Who Drink pub quiz night at 8 p.m. The quiz consists of eight rounds of eight questions and is played in teams of up to six people. Questions are read aloud by the quizmaster; teams write their answers on provided sheets and turn them in at the end of each round. The team with the most points after eight rounds is the winner.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

LINK: This week's freebies

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11, 2012>>>

1. Join Charles Lambert tonight at the Timberland Regional Library in Olympia for a presentation on Martin Luther King Jr. that arrives just in time for the MLK holiday. According to hype, Lambert wil "bring Civil Rights history to life using images, lecture, and song. This presentation will cover the Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, and the Sanitation Workers Strike in Memphis along with music from the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s." It starts at 7:30 p.m.

2. Play bingo with those not just killing time before the Grim Reaper calls their number. Every Wednesday at The New Frontier Lounge, players are treated to a rather boisterous evening of number-calling. The music rocks, the prizes are craptastic and there's something very satisfying about yelling "It's not a tumor!" when B-9 is pulled from the hopper (Schwarzenegger anyone?). Sessions are free with $2 margaritas and $4 Cuervo Gold shots during bingo. Every Wednesday night is also Taco Night with $1 beef, $1 black bean and $2 chicken in soft or crunchy shells.

3. Today South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia will unveil its Wish You Were Here postcard exhibit, the result of months of wading through submissions and the combined word of 75 local and regional artists who produced 250 works of art in a variety of mediums, from paintings, prints and drawings to photography, ceramics and sculpture. Running through March 2 in SPSCC's Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts Gallery, Wish You Were Here will celebrate an official opening reception Friday, Jan. 20 - kicking off a six-week silent auction, with all the works on display available for purchase.

4. Holy crap! Hump Day already? That must mean it's time again for Masa College Night. Expect flesh.

5. It's karaoke galore around the South Sound tonight. Check out the Volcano's live local music listings for the bevy of bars and clubs offering you a chance at the mic tonight. Hot spots include Backstage Bar & Grill, Club Silverstone, The Swiss and even Tillicum's Barbecue Inn.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

FREE EVENTS JAN. 9-15 IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Bobble Tiki suggests that you start ducking and covering now. That's because it's this week's Freeloaders column - Morbid Edition. What in the Tim Burton is that, you ask? This week's column starts weird, with dark, morbid funhousey opening credits a montage of images happening in the South Sound this week and ends weird, with Crispin Glover singing the column's love theme, the Jackson 5 hit "Ben." If you are not a rat-o-phobe and end up reading this whole column, Bobble Tiki hopes you stay for the closing credits to hear Glover's bizarre, almost pretty take on the song, but like many reading this column right now, you may pack up and leave before it's ove...

For those still here, rub Pond's cold cream on your face and enjoy the following free morbid-ish events this week in the South Sound.

MONDAY, JAN. 9: The geeky Graphic Novel Book Club will discuss Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 by Tim Hamilton at 7 p.m. inside Hilltop Tacoma's book-themed 1022 South lounge. Hamilton's consistently muted color palette of grays, blues and blacks sustains the overarching gloomy mood and renders the bright flashes of red and orange flames all the more startling in contrast.

TUESDAY, JAN. 10: Rev. Colin co-hosts the wacky Tacoma Cult Movie Club, screening mini-skirted astro-vamps to folks of questionable character at The Acme Grub Cage. When Rev. Colin isn't behind the projector, he's behind the microphone hosting karaoke Tuesday through Saturday. At 9 p.m. Tuesday night Rev. Colin sets up camp in Puget Sound Pizza's lower level. In keeping with the Morbid Edition, Bobble Tiki suggests you sing, "There Is a Light That never Goes Out," "Girlfriend In a Coma," "The Eternal" and "The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11: The Tacoma Classics Book Club is a classic. It's been lurking around Tacoma since 1994. At 7 p.m. inside King's Books, the club will discuss the uplifting The Plague by Albert Camus, a carefully crafted political allegory about an epidemic of bubonic plague that takes place in the Algerian port city of Oran.

THURSDAY, JAN. 12: There's always one member of the family who takes it upon him- or herself to document every branch, twig, leaf and bud of the family tree. Sate this person's taste for amateur genealogy by dragging him or her to the Olympia Genealogical Society's monthly meeting at 7 p.m. in the Thurston County Courthouse, Building One, Room 152. The topic of this month's meeting will be obituaries. Awesome.

FRIDAY, JAN. 13: OK, this might be a stretch, but it's free and a lot of people are killed. Once Sold Tales Bookstore Outlet in Kent will screen Bourne Identity at 7 p.m., or what Bobble Tiki likes to call "Run, Damon, Run."

SATURDAY, JAN. 14: An informal discussion on family caregiving sounds depression to Bobble Tiki, but it's a fact of life. If you need resources, tools and skills to help care for a loved one, the Sumner Public Library offers a free class at 11:30 a.m.

SUNDAY, JAN. 15: Like Kenny Rogers says, you gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em. So put on your poker face and test your holding and folding at the free Texas Hold'em Tournament at 2:30 p.m. inside Halftime Sports Saloon in Gig Harbor. And remember, there'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done. ...

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

WEEKLY VOLCANO WORLD NEWS >>>

Weekly Volcano Water Cooler manager Ted Augment opened and completely read today a spam email promising to add no less than two inches to his penis.

"This one actually sounds like it has some real science behind it," Augment said as he scrolled through the message - with the subject heading "Get a MONSTER ROD" - promoting herbal supplement Proverna, which claimed to "increase your pleasure -and hers - in less than a week!"

"I mean, check this out. Apparently this herb stimulates your abdominal muscles to contract more often, resulting in increased blood flow to the genital region, resulting in a thicker, longer erection," Augment said. "Kind of makes sense when you think about it."

After spending $82.99 on harmless fiber pills manufactured in Guam, Augment sent out an office-wide email stating the Washington Lottery has instigated a $2 Powerball game.

The $2 Powerball game story is actually not spam. Read the press release after the jump:

Read more...

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TUESDAY, JAN. 3, 2012 >>>

1. It's Tuesday, which means The Grand Cinema fires up the popcorn and threads another awesome indie film as part of its Tuesday Film Series. Hitting the screen at 1:30, 3:45 and 6 p.m. will be Director Andrew Haigh's Weekend, starring Tom Cullen and Chris New who have a one-night stand that becomes something more. Roger Ebert says it's"a smart, sensitive, perceptive film, with actors well suited to the dialogue. It underlines the difficulty of making connections outside our individual boxes of time and space."

2. When the folks behind the Franciscan Polar Plaza ice-skating rink arrived to melt the ice and call the downtown attraction a success, kids cried violently, throwing themselves on the ice. What do you do? Extend the run is what you do. Extended through Jan. 8, and running from 4-10 p.m. today, the Franciscan Polar Plaza will be alive with glee.

3. Trio De Vibe will fill the Mandolin Café in Tacoma with swanky jazz beginning at 6 p.m.

4. Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. This makes it cool, because you can see all of the different ways it adapted as it spread around the world. Spaniards pronounce c's as a "th." Argentineans say a "y" sound using a "juh." In Costa Rica, the word for cool can be "duanes" or "pura vida," while in southern Spain, it's "guay." So why should you care? Because Tango Puget Sound will kick-off a month long of Tuesday Tango lessons beginning at 7 p.m. inside the South Bay Grange and it would be extra cool if you could whisper "cool" in a cool language into someone's ear.

5. You've read about Geeks Who Drink Quiz Night with Quizmaster Holland Hume. Have you seen the glorious, boozy game show yet? It starts at 8 p.m. inside Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub. It ends with you passed out in your bedroom clutching your game card.

BONUS: Tacoma author Mariss Meyer unveils the Cinder series

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Nightlife It List

LINK: This week's freebies

TUESDAY, DEC. 26, 2011 >>>

In Tacoma, Paddy Coyne's is the site of John Dicker's Geeks Who Drink pub quiz night. Dicker, a genius from Colorado, has taken the Irish Pub quiz tradition to a new level with Geeks Who Drink games across the nation, including every Tuesday night at the downtown pub, hosted by graphic artist and Weekly Volcano production assistant Holland Hume. The quiz consists of eight rounds of eight questions and is played in teams of up to six people. Questions are read aloud by the quizmaster; teams write their answers on provided sheets and turn them in at the end of each round. The team with the most points after eight rounds is the winner. It's awesome fun.

2. Speaking of trivia, there are abundant trivia choices throughout Tacoma today. Test your brain at any of the following water holes tonight: The Mix, The Hub, Farrelli's or The Swiss. And for a full look at bar trivia nights throughout the South Sound, check out our calendar of events.

3. Enjoy a little post Christmas karaoke in a bowling alley tonight at the Bull Market Bar and Grill at Paradise Bowl.

4. Test out your pipes tonight at O'Malley's during the weekly karaoke with Danny Ray.

5. Down south, it's open mic night at Tugboat Annie's in Olympia, and even further down Interstate 5 find an all-ages performance by the band Slow Roller at the McMenamin's owned Olympic Club Hotel and Theater.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

MONDAY, DEC. 19, 2011 >>>

1. Oh yes, it is winter. Instead of allowing your hostility toward cold and snow and Mother Nature build and build (a destructive practice that may surely only result in tragedy, namely the increased proliferation of strip malls and other nature-defying-structures across our fair South Sound), make your peace. Experience the beauty of nature during the colder months. Join a park ranger to learn the art of snowshoeing and discover how plants, animals, and people adapt to the challenging winter conditions at Mount Rainier. Snowshoe walks daily at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.

2. Only six more shopping days left ... so begins the jolliest (and undeniably the most stressful) time of the year. Especially these days, with the economy wallowing in the shitter. Santa has local gift ideas for your mom/aunt/significant other/sibling/bus driver/favorite local vagrant/bossman/whomever over on his Santa Says Blog.

3. Tired of boring old posters on your living space walls? The folks at State of the Arts Gallery in Olympia, which specializes in selling art created by Northwest and regional artists, has some interesting alternatives as part of its 20^th Annual Deck The Walls & More show, which is open today from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. - normally close don Mondays.

4. You're sick and tired of driving through the neighborhood looking at the homes of people who think they deserve an award for their light displays. You deserve to take a night to go see ZooLights at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Billed as the region's biggest walk-through light show, ZooLights includes animated light sculptures, live entertainment, snacks, animal encounters and the Paul Titus Carousel. While enjoying your stroll, be thankful you're not in charge of this holiday light display. The lights flip on at 5 p.m.

5. From 6-8 p.m. host Jeff Ross tosses out random trivia questions about movies, sports, news and geography to teams of players at the Mandolin Café - while students study in the corner, ladies knit and that one guy dozes next to the fire. The winning team of each round - six total - receives a bowl of candy. The overall winning team scores a free drink, which means beer and wine.

PLUS: Sing-along "Messiah" in Olympia

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: live music and DJs tonight

WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE >>>

When I was a wee one, my heroes were not Roger Staubach, James Bond or even H. R. Puffinstuff. No, I looked up to Ted Simmons, a science professor from Orlando, Florida, and Milly Cornwall, a "stewardess" from Wichita, Kansas. I knew little about them; Ted had a beloved coin collection, and Milly was an avid tennis player. But I absorbed their essence.

They were the few, the proud, the contestants on Match Game. RIP Gene Rayburn!

I'm told other kids frolicked outside on swings, swam in pools and jumped their bikes over their friends. I even think I saw a few of them from my window while I was immersing myself in $20,000 Pyramid, Break the Bank, Password, Joker's Wild and my beloved Family Feud.

This was showbiz: microphones, funny banter, flashing lights and lovely parting gifts.

I wanted so bad to be on one of those shows. To be that young boy from Enumclaw whom could one day grow up and stand next to Bert Convy.

Ah, but life is such a cruel bitch.

Now I hear Family Feud will be in the area in January looking for contestants. And the dream is once again sparked. Could I get the chance to trade witty banter with host Steve Harvey and win $100,000 in cold hard cash?

Then I remember I have to bring family members.

I'm out.

[South Hill Mall, Family Feud auditions, Saturday, Jan. 14-Sunday, Jan. 15, need five family members, call for an appointment at 323.762.8467, or email seattle@familytryouts.com for complete information and available times]