The Breakfast Club displays their first prize gift certificate while Yvonne wonders which one is Emilio Estevez.

Mark and Sheila, AKA Brainless, chose Get Smart as their theme for next month.

Damion goes digital!

We here at Earth Trivia are big fans of acoustic wizard Damion Wolfe. For those of you who haven't listened to his cds yet, you can now purchase individual tracks at Soundclick.com by going here.

Lititz VFW

It was a Dots-free night as players tested their knowledge of Las Vegas and Penn State football. We're Here for the Beer, with almost newlyweds Steve and Darla took fifth and chose the Boston red Sox as their early wedding present. The Chicks brought along Yvette, their secret weapon from California and captured fourth. They chose the King of Queens as their theme. The B52s continued their streak, once again cozy in their new third place position. Room Two, AKA Tess Tickles took second as the Posse with their own secret weapon Kirk, took first. Aw Shit had an off night, as Sludge and Roaddog took off before we could sing Happy Birthday.

April Tourney Leaders, Week 2:
1. The Posse, 140 pts.
2. Chicks and Dicks, 134 pts.
3. The B52s, 131 pts.
4. Room 2, 127 pts.
5. We're Here For the Beer 125 pts.
6. D & M, 115 pts.
7. Nix Lix, 114 pts.
8. The Hackers, 112 pts.

Bube's: J's Final Pour

Tonight sadly marked J's last evening as our bartender, as he decided to try new experiences after nine years behind the bar. He has always been the number one supporter of the Bubes trivia show, helping Curtis, Michelle, Chris and especially technologically-challenged me through the years. Happily, J will remain in the area and promises to continue playing trivia, so beware! You can also catch him hosting Barcrawler Karaoke at Bubes every Sunday night with Big Bald Sean - soon to be expanding to other nights. And watch this website as we may see J become the next member of the Earth Trivia host family! J, thanks again for all your support.

Nate, AKA the Olive Kid, celebrated his team's choice of "hats" as one of this week's themes by dusting off his cowboy hat, which he hadn't worn since his "Urban Cowboy" youth. his team came in second, bested by a mere point by a team of teachers known as "When's June?" The Nutsacks came in third, followed by the Fool Monkey and the Bears. Next week's themes are two cities: Pittsburgh and Florence, Italy.

April Tourney Leaders, Week 2:
1. The Nutsacks, 144 pts.
2. The Toxic Olives, 133 pts.
3. Dead Bear Baby in a Jar, 131 pts.
4. The Wise Men, 128 pts.
5. The Fool Monkey, 115 pts.
6. Team Discovery Channel, 112 pts.
6. Tesla Death Rays, 112 pts.

Peter Cottonsoftail wishes you and yours a very merry Easter! (This message has been brought to you by attitudealley.com.) This gentleman was one of a horde of Harley enthusiasts who took over the balcony and part of the front for most of tonight's show. He won a pair of pink bunny ears from the Trashbag of Deelite and proudly wore them the rest of the evening.

A New Trivia Show!

Here's some exciting news: I have a new trivia venue: Glassmyer's Restaurant in downtown Lititz. This is a special, once-a-month show at one of Lititz's legendary establishments. Glassmyers has been a Lititz institution for over 50 years and features an old-fashioned ice cream fountain. It's just a Wilbur's Bud toss from the square, directly across the street from the Lititz Springs park. Owners Yvonne and Stan are avid trivia players at the VFW and wanted to share the fun with their customers, opening up at night just for trivia. Our first show will be this Thursday, April 13th and it begins at 7 P.M. Due to limited seating capacity, reservations are required and teams can have a maximum of four players. Call Yvonne at 626-2345. Glassmyers is a smoke-free and alcohol-free environment.

Earth Day 2006: April 29th!

It's a sure sign of spring when the swallows return to Capistrano, all the families return to Rita's for a free cone and the one and only Curtis Earth returns to Bube's for a special show upstairs at Alois's at Bube's Brewery. Save the date: Saturday, April 29th, doors open at 7 P.M. Details to come!

VFW: New Fuzzies

The Foreplayers returned from their winter hiatus just in time for the start of the April mini-tournament. Tonight, Dennis and Melanie could have used their Steve McQueen fan friend, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead, it was a victory for the Chicks and Dicks, followed by the Posse, the B52s (who are getting comfortable in their new favorite spot, third place). We're Here for the Beer captured fourth and chose the city of Las Vegas as their theme, followed by the Hackers, who chose Penn State Football. Special thanks to Cindy for providing new fuzzy prizes and best wishes to Anne of the Posse.

Leaders, Week 1:
1. 71 pts Chicks and Dicks
2. 69 pts. The Posse
3. 65 pts. The B52s
4. 63 pts. We're Here for the Beer
5. 60 pts. The Hackers
6. 58 pts. D & M
6. 58 pts. Room 2
8. 53 pts. Nix Lix
9. 52 pts. El Dorado
10.51 pts. Team Lame

Bube's: And They're Off!

The April mini-tourney got off to a rousing start with a major comeback by the Barry Bonds Steroid-Infested Yet Shriveled and Impotent Little Nutsack team. They had their worst first round ever, only getting four points, but bounced back with a six-point victory. Dead Bear Baby in a Jar Too Electric Boogaloo are determined to have me play Benson to their Tates, so they took third. The Wise Men made it a balcony trifecta, taking second. The Olives took fourth and chose "hats" for their theme, and the Rays took fifth and chose "Belgian Beers." Everything else is just a blur (I really need to write these things earlier.)

Leaders, Week One:
1. 75 pts The Nutsacks
2. 69 pts The Wise Men
3. 64 pts Dead Bear Baby in a Jar
4. 60 pts Toxic Olives
5. 58 pts Tesla Death Rays
6. 56 pts Bookends
6. 56 pts Team Discovery Channel
8. 55 pts Bang
8. 55 pts We Love Boobs
10.54 pts Why Does It Burn When I Pee?
11.51 pts The Stonecutters
11.51 pts The Tornadoes
13.47 pts The Fool Monkey

April Mini-Tournaments Announced

To celebrate the month of April, I will be conducting month-long mini-tournaments at both Bube's Brewery and the Lititz VFW. Whatever team has the most cumulative points at each venue will be treated to a dinner for four (possibly more) prepared by renowned chef Michel Horncois at the esteemed Hornswylde Mansion in beautiful downtown Lancaster. Menu to be determined (but I hear he makes a mean tuna and macaroni and cheese casserole).

VFW: Who the Heck Is Kevin Smith?

Team Lame, who came in fifth last week, chose a theme (Kevin Smith movies) that left many VFWers scratching their heads. But it was a good choice for the Lame-Os, since they came in second, only losing by one point to the Posse (who this week were aided by Bob and Kirk). Mark's choice of Cubs trivia also propelled his one-man team to fifth place. Room 2 came in third and the D&M team placed fourth. Thanks to Cal for fixing my iPod, by the way. And welcome aboard to the BGJKM team, whose name just rolls of the tongue.

Next week's themes: Steve McQueen movies and the Civil War.

Bube's: Gator Eat Gator Trivia

Since Captain Jack was getting a little rusty (who knew that plastic could rust?), I found a replacement, his steroid-enhanced cousin (to be named later). He has less teeth, so the tie-breakers should go faster. In fact, Ellen found out when the Olives quickly lost to the Tornadoes and had to settle for fourth. Congrats to the Tornadoes for making the champions' circle in just their second try.

Congrats also to the Flaming Moe-rons, who led all night but stumbled in the fourth to be waylaid by the Fool Monkey Is Unimpressed by Bush Playing the Card Card team. Our sympathies to Joanne, AKA Up In the Balcony I Sit, A Lone Nutsack Without Any Nuts team and the not-so-aptly named Can We Just Go Ahead and Pick a Topic Next Week team.

Also, welcome to the Schniedewutz's team (they say that their name would make any woman happy); Happy Birthday to Ellen, who brought along her real and faux sisters and congrats to Missy Rhoads who left her honeymoon to join us.

Next week's themes: real names of celebrities and the Simpsons.

Sam, in town to celebrate the deClarkifying of Missy, shares a pint with Mrs. Rhoads.

Birthday Girl Ellen, flanked by sister Susan and pseudosister Laura

VFW: Cannabis Lecter?

That's a pic of Tommy Chong at the right. Four teams mistook Tommy for Sir Anthony Hopkins in the dreaded Picture Round. It must be his eyes. This week we welcomed back the STaR team, who had been on hiatus. Janie's team returned from their Caribbean getaway, tanned and exhausted. Nick lucked out and scored two boxes of Dots. Dennis and I had a major difference of opinion of Chili-Cheese Pringles, which ended up in the the trash (briefly). Team Lame was doing well until the fourth round, which killed many a noble team. When the dust settled, it was Room Two at the top, followed by We're Here for the Beer and the B52s, who finally got out of fourth. The aforementioned Team Lame came in fourth and the Misfits and Chicks and Dicks tied for fifth. Their themes: Chicago Cubs, Kevin Smith movies and Harry Potter.

Bube's: Bodacious Battle

It was an evening of bogus shocks and excellent surprises when two teams that have been recent regular attendees finally made the winner's circle. The Bookends and friends kicked trivia butt on the last round, only missing one question. 13 points behind was the appropriately-named Let Us Win Goddammitt team, followed closely by the still-hot Nutsacks. Brent's exhaustive knowledge of Saved By the Bell took the Wise Men to fourth (again) and the Olives welcomed back the Bears as they tied for fifth. MJ and her Tornadoes spent all their energy on the first three rounds, not expecting a fourth. The Unit Two Meltdown crew were joined by their youngest sibling, the pirate from Dodgeball. Next week's themes (there are 3 of them): French words, the city of Venice and Family Matters.

Themes for this week

Sorry for the commando post, but I'm pressed for time.

Themes for Bube's: Bill and Ted; Saved by the Bell.
Themes for the VFW: The Amazing Race; That 70s Show.

Congrats to Honeymooners Barb and Cal!

As The Trivia Turns

Annie was so happy that she got to choose One Life to Live as a theme that she actually stayed the entire game. But it was Room 2's night, as they racked up an impressive 80 points. The Posse (with special guest Colette) once again took second, despite the presence of Ted :-) Mark and Sheila brought along some extra family power and took third. We're Here for the Beer took over the B52s' favaorite spot, and chose Denzel Washington movies as their theme, followed by Chicks and Dicks with Eagles songs (and I don't mean E!A!G!L!E!S!)

It's Pressure-treated Lumber, And It's OK

Well. it certainly was one of the strangest themes ever, but everyone did surprisingly well with the pressure-treated questions. Doing best was We're Sure Glad that Crash Won for Best Picture Instead of Nutsack Mountain. The Flaming Moe-rons made a rare Bube's visit and took second, with TDC third. The Stonecutters took fourth and chose the assassination of Abraham Lincoln as their theme. The I (Heart) Lumber team chose the XFL as their theme. They also had a smack-talking team name-calling with the Brent Hughes Wishes He Was Richard Gere's Hamster team that got worse as the night progressed.

Thanks again to Ellen's taxi service. I finally got my car back from the shop, so I should be able to make it to the Salvation Army for some more traditional Trashbag of Deelite gifts.

Lititz VFW

The big news this week was the earlier start time of 7 P.M., which proved to be a boon to the Chicks and Dicks team, who had their first victory in a while. It must have confused the Posse, since only Frank and Regina showed up. But there was a silver lining since they placed second! Room 2 claimed third and the B52s were in their comfort zone of fourth place (they chose cars as their theme). Boot, Scoot and Annie took fifth and chose "One Life to Live" as their theme (Guess which member of their team picked it). We welcomed Sarah's replacement Shannon and we all wondered exactly what Tom gave up for Lent. Also: thanks to Steve for his taxi service.

Pressure treated what?

The Bubes' show was unusual since, due to a tie the previous week, we had three themes: the Dukes of Hazzard, fish and banned substances. The Toxic Olives had experts on all three subjects and took first place with 71 points. The brother and sister team of James and Becky were joined by Alex and Randy and Mike and took second, their highest showing ever. The Stone Cutters had another great week, placing third. Patty and the Prophets (AKA The Wise Men) stumbled in the last round, but are planning a victory next week, since they chose the most unusual theme ever: pressure-treated lumber. What Happens in Bube's Stays in Bube's took fifth and chose Babylon 5 as their pick.

On the music front, we had to play it old school when my iPod chose the worst time to die. (Replacement batteries are winging their way to me even as we speak) My car also died (temporarily), so special thanks to Mike and Ellen for providing taxi service.

Don't Forget the VFW Time Change This Week

Don't forget that this week, and from here on out at the Lititz VFW on Wednesdays, we start the show at 7 P.M.

(The Bubes show is unaffected and will remain Tuesdays at 8 P.M.)

A Pic That'll Make You Curl

Surprisingly, our players have lives outside of the trivia arena. One of our Bubes players, Charles of the Fool Monkey, was recently featured in the morninig newspaper. To find out what Charles is looking at, look here. In honor of Charles, we'll have one curling question this week.

And here's the accompanying article from the Intelligencer Journal, written by Madelyn Pennino:

Throwing Stones

There's something about the way a stone sounds as it slides across the ice that's soothing to Charles Scharnberger. It's one of the things that drew the Millersville resident to the sport of curling.

"There's something aesthetically pleasing about it," Scharnberger, 62, said.

"The way the rock looks as it slides down. Hearing it ... it's kind of like a hum. It's the experience of reading the ice and judgment."

As usual, the sport of curling has received a massive wave of interest since its return to the world stage in the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

A relatively little-noticed sport in the United States in off-Olympic years, curling has a long history.

Though this year marks the game's fourth appearance in the winter games, it was invented 500 years ago in Scotland by farmers who wanted something to do during the winter months.

That's just a smidge of curling history courtesy of die-hard curling fans Lenius and Mary Gottliebsen, both 80, of West Lampeter Township, who introduced Scharnberger to curling 10 years ago.

"We call it a closet sport that's now coming out of the closet," Gottliebsen said.

The Gottliebsens, to say the least, are crazy about curling and haven't missed an Olympic curling match since the Turin games began.

Mr. Gottliebsen said he was thrilled when the U.S. men's team won the bronze medal for curling Friday morning by defeating Great Britain.

"That was really something to watch," Mr. Gottliebsen said.

During the last two weeks Mr. Gottliebsen has seen all the drama unfold.

"We haven't missed any of the (curling) matches."

The couple discovered their love of curling in 1979, when their son invited them to the Philadelphia Curling Club.

Mr. Gottliebsen said he was instantly interested in the sport.

"As soon as I walked in and saw the ice," he said, "I said, 'This would really be a neat thing to do.'" Mrs.

Gottliebsen, who stopped playing the sport four years ago, said she likes the chilvalrous part of the sport.

"It always begins with a handshake and ends with a handshake," she said.

Mr. Gottliebsen founded Keystone Curling Club in Lancaster several years ago.

But the club disbanded after two years due to a lack of members.

As millions of Americans tune into the Olympics, some are asking what the "rock throwing" sport is all about, how it is played and how score is kept.

The Gottliebsens and Scharnberger shared some insights into how curling is played and why it often becomes a lifelong passion for those who take it up.

Here's how the game works: Curlers compete in two teams of four, each curler getting two turns per game at sliding, or "throwing," a 42-pound granite stone at a bull's-eye-type target at the opposite end of the ice.

As each curler prepares to throw the stone, he or she places one foot in a "hack," a sort of starting block.

Then curler pushes the rock across the ice.

The object of the game is to get more stones into the center of the bull's eye, called the "house," than the opposing team.

Other members of the team, called "sweepers," brush the ice in front of the stone so it glides more easily.

In Olympic curling, the game is broken down into 10 rounds, or "ends."

In club curling, there are eight ends that usually last about 15 minutes each.

Scharnberger said one of the appeals of curling is that it's always exciting.

"It's never boring," he said.

"No two ends are ever the same. There are a variety of situations that can arise."

It's also a game of strategy that weighs heavily on the shoulders of the team "skip," whose job it is to decide where the throwers should slide their stones.

Mr. Gottliebsen, who stopped curling last year due to health problems, played several roles on the team, including that of a skip.

He said he liked sweeping better than being a skip.

"I preferred sweeping," Mr. Gottliebsen said.

"It was great exercise, very aerobic. By the time you get done, you really feel great."

Scharnberger agreed curling is tiring, but it's got wide appeal.

"It's a game you can play at any age," Scharnberger, who is a member of the Philadelphia Curling Club, said.

Mr. Gottliebsen said he has participated in a number of curling championships.

His wife led the Philadelphia club's women's curling team, called the Philadelphia Bells.

Mrs. Gottliebsen said she loves the sport because it's easy.

"It's not hard to learn, and it's nice to see yourself improve," she said.

Neither of the Gottliebsens have curled since retiring from the sport.

Mr. Gottliebsen said he misses it, however.

"Every time I shave I look in the mirror and think about it," he said.

He said he keeps a curling stone in his home office to remind him of his love for the sport.

"We use it as a paperweight," he laughed.

Time Change for the VFW Show!

To allow everyone an extra hour of beauty sleep, don't forget that starting next week (March 1st), we will begin the VFW show at 7 P.M. Themes for that night will be Seinfeld (as chosen by Nix Lix) and show tunes (as chosen by D&M + 2).

Last night it looked like Stu and Nadine were going to be the sole players for Room 2, but reinforcements arrived and catapulted them to the winning spot. Ze Posse took second and Greg the amazing one-man El Dorado team took third.

On the prize front there was a brief scuffle for a box of Dots, Sticky Fingers Darla tried to double-dip and Dave was upset that some of his toilet seat covers were missing.

Bube's Brewery

It was a dramatic finish to a night of keen competition and chlamydia-infested penguins when the two leading teams, the Denogginators and the Stonecutters, made some crucial crossings-out in the fourth round. That allowed the Tesla Death Rays and TDC to surge ahead and tie for first. Then Beth went down in flames and last week's birthday girl Karen led her team to victory. For the first time we have three teams choosing themes for next week, so the Stonecutters chose fish (of the aquatic variety), the Toxic Olives chose the Dukes of Hazzard (TV show, not the movie) and Cheney's Chapped Chode chose banned substances (they also taught me a new anatomical term, since I had no idea what a "chode" was). Depeche Commode did very well for a two-person team, as did the Chicken Pluckers and the Two Dude Brew Crew. And Joanne "I Love the 80s" Park does not want me to discuss She's My Cherry Pie, Put a Smile on Your Nutsack 10 Miles Wide.

VFW Mystery Solved!

All that asbestos must have gone directly to my brain, since I forgot the answer to one of the pictures in the 60s music picture round. But my brain cleared this morning and I found out that the mystery band was the Hollies! Now we can all sleep better.

It was a night of see-sawing competition, but in the end the newly-renamed Tess Tickles (AKA Room Two) took the prize, followed by Chicks and Dicks and the slimmed down quartet version of We're Here for the Beer. The B52s tied for their traditional 4th place with the Possee. They chose "anatomy" and the Posse chose "80s music" for next week's themes.

We also welcomed some new teams (or at least new names): Naked Flamingos, Little Red Riding Hood, 3 Shots and a Snot and Don't Know Crap to the competition. Team Lame did well until the picture round, which didn't match their age demographic.

The Trashbag featured lots of fudge-covered gifts, and a mouse puppet which caused hours of amusement. No one chose the chocolate chip muffin or the strawberry cheese danish, so I had a great breakfast today.

Also, please note: Starting March 1st, the show at the VFW moves to 7 P.M., so next week will be our last 8 P.M. show. I'll be sending out more reminders when we get closer to the date.

Something was In The Air

It was a night of romance, hearts and flowers. Meanwhile, at Bube's, it was a night of walking toasters and cans of beets as we celebrated Valentine's Day Earth-Trivia-style. All the prizes featured red dye #5, like strawberry moon-pies and ketchup chips. Lisa won the world's biggest Valentine's Day card - of course it didn't have an envelope. Rick lusted after Laura's Bob Hope autobiography. TDC enjoyed their alien cling-ons. Holiday team names included "Hot Lovin'," "Lovers Forever," "Sex Swing," "Cupid Says Rick's Getting Laid," and "The Wise Men, and Yes, Ladies, Two of Them Are Single." The Stone Cutters came in 5th, followed by a tie between the Tesla Death Rays and last week's winners, "Penny Silan and the Claps." (The Rays won the tie-breaker). Topless Monkey Curling in 2010 settled for their third week in second place, and the Lovesick Toxic Olives had their first victory of 2006. Themes for next week are an appropriate pair: '80s music and sexually transmitted diseases.

The Beast Is Gone!

Blogging has been light here of late due to a crisis on the homefront at Hornswylde mansion. It involved the huge asbestos-laden monster in my basement, which is thankfully gone after much effort. Special thanks to Chris Ivey for filling in at the Lititz VFW last week. We're back to what passes for normal this week.


First up, an Extra Special Episode of the Bube's Brewery show, where we will be celebrating Valentine's Day. And what says romance more than this week's themes: Battlestar Galactica and the Koran? (And there will be lots of love, too). There's only one way to find out!

And, this just in: Wednesday night, it's geology and college football.

Riddle Me This

Inquiring minds want to know what the themes for Bube's this week will be. Unfortunately, the fourth place team took off before I could get it from them, so you are at my mercy. And I haven't written the questions yet, so it'll be a complete surprise once you arrive. Bwahahahahahahaha!

Lititz VFW

It was a fun night of nostalgia as we took a trip down memory lane with vintage TV commercials and Heidi Doody's brother Howdy. On the competition front, it's a rare night when the top spot goes to ones of the non-regulars, but that's what happened this week when Team Lame took the crown. They were third in the second, second in the third and first in the fourth (try saying that ten times fast). They beat the Posse, which have slowly been building up steam and the Cunning Linguist, who were going for their third in a row. The B52s wound up in their favorite spot, fourth, along with Room 2. They chose cars and tools as next week's themes.

Is Your Cat Prepared?

You can find out how to make one of these helmets here. (Link courtesy of boingboing.net)

Bube's Brewery

It was a trivia rumble as the rival gangs tested their knowledge of West Side Story and nuts (of the tree kind). It was also the closest finish ever, as seven teams were all within one 5-point question for the lead! In the end, TDC bested The Fool Monkey in a Captain Jack-off for the win, The Bears came from out of nowhere to take third, and the Olives settled once again for fourth. They chose as next week's themes Canada and Wendy's fast food.

Final results:

• 77 points - Team Discovery Channel


• 77 points - The Fool Monkey


• 76 points - Dead Bear Baby In A Jar


• 75 points - The Toxic Olives


• 74 points - The Nutsacks


• 73 points - The Tesla Death Rays


• 72 points - Ubersmack

We also celebrated Bartendin' Bruce's birthday (even though he had to work) and dyed-in-blue-wool-Mets-fan Deric was appalled to pick a "Mets Suck" t-shirt from the Trashbag (coincidence? I think not). Laura, meanwhile, will hoard her Siegfried and Roy t-shirt until the value goes up on eBay.

What If D'Artagnan and Daniel Boone Had Mated?

Here's a pic of me in what is supposed to be a colonial frontier costume. Fifty three naugas had to die to make that coat. It was all part of F&M's celebration of Ben Franklin's 300th birthday, which was a day-long event on campus. I volunteered to marshall (hah!) 50 third and fourth graders around to six different sites around a miniature version of colonial Williamsburg. There were 2,300 kids on campus that day, so there were many logjams. But the kids had a great time (and nothing impresses an 8 year old more than gunpowder explosions).

Litiz VFW

Anybody remember Gail Storm? If you did, you would have done well Wednesday night as we travelled back to the fifties. The We're Here for the Beer farm team, the Cunning Linguist, had a disastrous picture round, but pulled it together on a brutal fourth round to beat Chicks and Dicks by two questions. Room 2 took third and the Posse took fourth, choosing classic TV commercials and Howdy Dowdy as next week's themes. The B52s were leading until the last round, but I'm not allowed to mention that. Instead, John wants me to point out that Sheila can now spanky the monkey at home. (Hey, I just write what I'm told to write). Meanwhile, Dennis and Melanie want more maps in the picture round and Nick wants to, once again, put a curse on me after that last round.

Bube's Brewery

Team ID-IO-TS went back to Callyfornia, so they weren't around to hear their Star Wars questions. Ubersmack's car was broken into at their home, so they couldn't make it. And the Nutsacks were only represented by their right half, so they had an off night. But we all had fun nonetheless. Special thanks to Tim for his gift of a Captain Jack keychain/laser pointer. Visiting author DDD didn't do well, despite the fact that one of the questions was taken directly from his book "50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet" (nice website, btw). But Team Discovery Channel did very well, followed by What Happens In Bubes Stays In Bubes and the Tesla Death Rays. The Toxic Olives took fourth and chose West Side Story and nuts as next week's themes.

Lititz VFW

The high point (low point?) of tonight's action was the tie for third between the B52s and Room Two. It was Sheila and Cindy vs. Clyde and Kim answering questions from a Trivial Pursuit card (and you thought my questions were tough!). It looked like Kim's Australianess would prove key when there was a Down Under question, but the ladies' love of Andy Roddick proved key. Therefore, Room Two got to choose "50s music" and "spelling" as next week's themes. Chicks and Dicks' knowledge of Harry Potter gave them second place. And a newly formed team of seasoned players known as "The Cunning Linguist" took first.

Bube's Brewery

It was the Nutsacks all the way (or technically, it was "And You Will Know That I Am the Lord When I Lay My Nutsack Upon Thee) as they led all four rounds. The Toxic Olives, still on a roll, took second. A new team helped by some visiting Californians known as Team ID-IO-TS tied with the Death Rays for third, but were felled by Captain Jack (who's getting alittle long in the tooth...). So they chose Star Wars and college football for next week's themes, (bolded for Alex's failing eyesight) even though they cannot attend. The Mighty Unicorns Featuring The Ageless Emily left before we could sing to her. Trashbag items included some spoon-straws, seahorse bath buddies and a zebra hat for your computer monitor (at least that's what I think it was.)

Lordy, Lordy, Haggit's 40!

Happy 40th birthday to Craig Haggit, founding member of the Holy Hand Grenades and key player in the Moon Pies and Juggle This! He once laughed while teammate Mat-t was in the middle of a stare-off, causing Mat-t to "falter spectacularly," thus earning him the nickname "Damnthat Haggit." And now, he's halfway to 80!

Lititz VFW

People should have worn their legwarmers and Members Only Jackets, because it was 80s night at the trivia show (much to the chagrin of the visiting Foreplayers). It was also a sports-free night, since I figured most of the sports nuts would be home watching the Texas-USC game. But there was a crowd nonetheless. Room 2 made it two in a row, The Posse made second and the B52s finally arose from their perennial fourth place to take third. In their place was the Chicks and Dicks, who chose Harry Potter and the King of Queens as next weeks themes.

The Gift That Keeps Giving

This was one of the prizes from the Trashbag of Deelite last night, won by the non-Republican Lisa. Imagine my horror this morning when I found him attached to my antenna. That means that poor Dumbo flew down 283 from Mount Joy to my home in Lancaster. (It also means that I'm not very observant)

Next Week's Themes for Bubes

As chosen by Team Discovery Channel: Zodiac signs and Pulp Fiction.

Bube's Brewery

The Penn State bowl game may have kept people away, but it didn't prevent Missy from watching J's tiny TV at the end of the bar (not sure if she stayed for all the overtimes, though). We celebrated the other Missy's birthday (or is the first Missy the other Missy?), along with Lori from a team whose name is unsuitable for publication (let's just say it rhymes with Bus Inspected Bum Troubles). Bill and Marge of the legendary Out of the Vortex team made good on their smack talking, beating TDC and Dead Bear Baby, and placed third. Charles of the Fool Monkey had his boy scout badge removed and placed second. And for the first time in a loooong while, the Toxic Olives took first.

Trashbag prizes included a bag of spinach, the world's worst Swiss Army knife, a punk snowman kit and a stuffed elephant (see above).

Also, I literally ate my words as I consumed that awful question from last week about the first city of the first state. Thanks to everyone who sent me info on that unfortunate question. Let us never speak of that again.

Themes for this week

For Bubes: duets and mollusks.
For the VFW: '80s music and automobiles.

(how's that for no-frills blogging?)

Was Santa good to you?

Lititz VFW Dec. 21st

Special thanks to Tzed (the Z is silent) for taking all of tonight's pix!

Nick and Tom took third place, but gladly traded places with the Posse so that they could pick next week's themes: the Three Stooges and the Simpsons.

Chicks and Dicks celebrated the season by capturing first place.

Tina, Tom, Sheila and Mark say Cheez for the camera before they dig into the night's raffle grand prize.

We're Here for the Beer had a rare off night.

What's that on his head?

Room 2 attempted a three-fer, but had to settle for second.

Janie celebrates the Posse's adoption of Kirk by sporting a new chapeau.

A nice pic of Kathy and Janie.

The two-person D&M team came in fifth and won some sponge creatures.