Room Two was in a three-way with Shitz and Giggles and Outback. It was Matt's scary knowledge of Madonna that broke the deadlock, as they claimed the money.

Greg brought along some reinforcements to the Outback team. They chose "blues music" as their theme for next week.

Shitz and Friends were happy to have Giggles back in the fold. They chose "80s music" as their theme, so next week wear your big hair.

The Foreplayers were doing really well and only missed the winners' circle by one question.

Tonight, Bruce's team was known as "Mahatma Bambi."

The Pretzel Cats enjoyed the show so much that they vowed to return.

The best bartenders in Lititz, Laurie and Alice, AKA two-thirds of Alice in Wonderland.

The B52s could have used Cindy tonight.

Bube's: The Triviaceous Period

Not the momma! And not the Henson Dinosaurs, either. It was dinosaur night of the 15 foot tall cold-blooded (or were they warm-blooded?) variety, along with Fight Club (but I'm not allowed to talk about that). It looked like it was going to be sparse night, but then the regular crowd shuffled in (along with that old man making love to his tonic and gin. Everybody sing!). TDC and Eman Meat - that's "Team Name" for the dyslexic - both missed the top five by one measly point. The Jelly Roll Mortons made their first trip to the winners' circle and originally chose "Mike Horn" as their theme. But the Witness Protection program nixed that idea, so they chose "Arrested Development - The TV Show" as their theme (yes, I realize we had that a month ago, but it was a different team). The Tesla Death Rays finally came through in the last round, so they chose "Pulp Fiction." Brent was finally joined by Keith, as the Wise Man became the Wise Men and they used their Wonder Twin power to come in third. Charles, Carol and Bill stripped down their team name to TFM and placed second (along with winning one of the more unusual trashbag prizes - a bag of snap peas). But the Nutsack-a- suarus-rex tore up the vegetation and led the pack all the way, stomping over the competition.

Chuckles: Going Commando

Tonight's big news was the debut of Cordless Mike with the cordless mike. Of course, there were some minor squawking and volume issues, but it turned out fine, so beware! I might sneak up on you when you least expect it. Tonight it was bowling and Seinfeld night. Victory snuck up on the Price Is Right as a 35 in the last round helped them to pass the Rainmakers by two points. Out of the Vortex placed third, despite an awful picture round. The Lethal Amoebas took fourth and chose the TV series "Strangers with Candy" as their theme. A miniature version of Skirtland took fifth and chose the American Civil War. Barb and her Laffy taffy crew enjoyed their newly decorated nook out in the boonies. Eastside was getting by on confidence alone, while carol of KC qestioned the questions.

Reminder: No VFW Trivia Tonight

Stop your basting and come out to the VFW to hear the band Hotwired. See you all next week!

Bube's: I Yam What I Yam

In honor of their missing comrade, the Soon to Be Full Monkey team says "Charles," instead of "Cheese." They're celebrating their first victory in a while, but it was a close one, since they staved off the charging FJ Chubby Stubbies and won by one question. A mere two points behind the Chubs were the Wise Men, followed by Ten Pounds Nutsack With All the Trimmings (They chose Fight Club as their theme). TDC was fifth and chose dinosaurs (as in actual beasts, not the Jim Henson TV show). Missing the winners' circle by only a couple of points were the Toxic Olives and the Jelly Roll Mortons. And we welcomed back Eat It Raw, as Chris finally unchained Brian and let him out of the basement. Trashbag of Deelite prizes once again had a holiday theme. For some reason, the 2 pound yam from the Trashbag was traded in for a tiny stuffed horse.

Chuckles: The Things That Pass for Knowledge

It was a musical matchup, with Shania taking on Walter and Donald. The Lethal Amoebas' knowledge of Steely Dan helped them post a surprise victory. Skirtland also did well, placing second and winning the grand prize of a turkey from Stauffer's of Kissel Hill (Congrats to Kay!). Then there was a tie between the Price Is Right and Ubersmack for third. Deric was determined to lose, and lose he did, so Ubersmack picked Seinfeld as their theme. The Talent Scouts were doing well until the finale, and settled for fifth. They chose bowling as their theme. Joe's Team, Bug Man and Laffy Taffy also combusted in the end. The Flying Purple People Eaters are steadily climbing the ladder, getting b etter each week, and the Tidy Bowlers are close behind. Hopefully next week's debut of the cordless mike will help the non-smoking room acoustically. Gifts from the Trashbag were all holiday-oriented (with some leftover Halloween specials), although I forgot to bring the turkey bacon. Look for that at Tuesday's Bube's show.

There's a New Team in Town

Thanks to Hot Tub Steve (AKA Mini), I got to see the debut exhibition bout of what is sure to become Lancaster's newest champion franchise, the Dutchland Rollers! You can see some of my lame cellphone shots at right.

These ladies have been practicing all year, but they looked like seasoned pros to me (of course, I know jack about roller derby, so take that comment with a grain of salt). I sat behind White Thrash's family, so we rooted for her team, the Poison Apples. They ended up winning in a final tie-breaking jam, so we were rooting for the right team. I think their next bout won't be until next year, so go their website and sign up for their mailing list. This is not your mother's roller derby! (Unless your mother wears fishnet stockings and goes by the name of Hillbilly Hellcat or Penny Purgatory).

VFW: Hey, Good Looking!

No, that is not my high school picture. That is Hank Williams the Third's grandfather, AKA Hank Willams Jr's father, AKA Hank Williams (he sure had a lot of aliases). He was part of one of our themes, country music of the 50s and 60s. The B52s got swept away by the music as they, led by the warbling Paul, sung their way to the top spot for the second week in a row! (A team record for the B52s). Chicks and Dicks leapt from fifth to second, while D & M took the bronze. Next up was Shitz and Friends Minus Giggles (we wish a speedy recovery to Willie), who chose animated Christmas specials as their theme. We're Here for the Beer finished fifth and chose spelling as their theme. (Steve better watch out, since it looked like Darla, Sheila and Don were going to exercise their license to kill when they missed a James Bond question).

Reminder: There will be no trivia on Thanksgiving Eve. Instead, give your brain a rest and break out your dancing shoes, since the band Hotwired will be playing at 8:30. See you all in two weeks!

Bube's: We'll Stay for Just a Bit

Here we have the Depends Team, who were in town on a visit from Pittsburgh. They had no intention of staying after dinner, but with a little persuasion, they sampled the first round and stayed until the end, when they took home the imaginary Fifth Place trophy. They naturally chose "Pittsburgh landmarks" as their theme for next week, when all 12 of them will take the train in. The FJ Chubby Stubbies once again placed fourth and chose "Italy." Last week's champs, TDC settled for third and the dynamic duo of "Dirty Shame" took second. The Flaming Moe-rons (Go Flyers!), always contenders, finished strong in the last round to take first.

These two guys were the ringleaders of the steel curtain.

Janelle and Justin, AKA "Dirty Shame," came through in the last round to overtake TDC for second place!

Chuckles: A Tribute to Dad

Once again going on memory for this blurbage: Sunday marked the fourth-year anniversary of my dad's passing (that's him clowning around at right), so I chose questions that he would have approved of: Armstrong, the Steelers, Dairy Queen, Hee-Haw, etc. And the picture round spelled out his name. He was able to play trivia a couple of times when Curtis was doing the show, but was not able to see me host. But he always enjoyed hearing the questions.

The other themes for the night were Lincoln's cabinet (with which everyone did surprisingly well) and Hanson. Unfortunately, the mmmBop lyrics in the final round tripped many. Marge of Out of the Vortex, however, channeled her inner teeny-bopper and led her team to victory, squeaking by a last round surge by Skirtland. Ubersmack and the Amoebas tied for third, with the Meebs falling. They chose "Steely Dan lyrics" as their theme. The Laffy Taffy crew took fifth and kept it musical by picking Shania Twain lyrics. Props go to Bugman, who aced the picture round, Jackie and Brian of the Jelly Roll Mortons, who made it to two shows this week, and to Lori, who ably handled some drunken oafs who provided us with a halftime show. Team Zissou did extremely well, considering that they missed the first round. And Fonk du Jour CV Beat the Barons had one of their highest placings ever, almost making the coveted Top Five.

My First YouTube

Here's my first attempt at posting on YouTube. It's Damion Wolfe performing his song "Freestyle" at the Chameleon Saturday night. My camera only records three minute films, so the ending is cut off. Damion was phenomenal, and that other guy was pretty good, too ;-)

VFW: Slaughter in the Fourth

I don't have my notes, so this is from memory: My main impression of tonight was the carnage created by the last round. Room Two and Shitz and Giggles had been leading all night. But when the smoke cleared, it was the B52s who emerged victorious. And Nix Lix almost made the winner's circle, missing it by one point. They chose candies of the 1960s as their theme. Keeping us in nostalgia mode, fifth-place Chicks and Dicks chose country music of the 50s and 60s. (And you're looking at a picture of the present-day Frank Serpico, by the way).

Bube's: Dodging the Draft

Problems with the taps system did not deter the teams from a thoreauly rousing night of trivia. And neither did one of our stranger themes: transcendentalists. The Firkens (pictured above) were astonished to see that trivia is still going strong at Bubes, approaching its ten year anniversary. They placed sixth by almost catching up with the fifth place Tesla Death Rays. They chose the 1950s camp classic movie "The Bad Seed" as their theme. The two man team known as the FJ Chubby Stubbies did really well, placing fourth and choosing the Phillies for next week. The Olives were in second all night, but were usurped by the hard-charging Fool Monkey Wrench in the Electoral Works team. The Monkeys almost beat TDC, but they won by a mere whisper. Also: thanks to Rebecca for doing a bangup job on her first night as trivia server.

Pierce and Pierce may not have placed, but they did manage to win three Trashbag prizes (even though Sugar daddies are not their favorites).

The trivia virgins known as the Jelly Roll Mortons are seen here puzzling over the last round. They enjoyed it so much that they vowed to check out the Cafe Chuckles show.

Damion Wolfe Opening for Tim Reynolds

Songwriter-guitarist and huge trivia supporter Damion Wolfe will be playing this Saturday (Nov. 11th) at the Chameleon Club. He'll be opening for famed guitarist Tim Reynolds, who is well known for his work with the Dave Matthews Band. Surely a night not to be missed!

Chuckles: White and Nerdy

We have a musically diverse group at Chuckles, as evidenced by the themes. We've already had doo-wop and Bon Jovi. So this week, it was gangsta rap and next week it's Hanson (they sang the immortal "mmmmmCRAP!" - or something like that). Marge and the Notorious B.I.L. got in touch with their inner rappers and led the way until a meltdown in the last round. Joe's Team and Laffy Taffy, also, were not big fans of the final round. The Price Is Right took fifth, but since they will not be here next week, they gave their pick to the Tidy Bowlers. The Bowlers were taken aback by finally getting a choice and scrambled for a theme, so they chose the aforementioned musical trio. Skirtland placed fourth and chose Lincoln and his cabinet (Quick everyone, you have one week to read Doris Kearn Goodwin's Team of Rivals. C'mon, it's only 944 pages!) Ubersmack, led by Ole Boy Deric, came in third and the Lethal Amoebas featuring Lefty Lorraine came in second. And the big story of the night was the fourth round comeback of the Talent Scouts, who managed to make it to the top spot two weeks in a row.

VFW: Saddle Up!

In honor of our horse tack theme, the night came down to a shootout between four members of Room Two and D & M + 3, with rootin' tootin Clyde providing the key shots. Shitz and Giggles and Friends took third, followed by the B52s, who were in their comfort zone, fourth place. To change things up a little, Sheila chose cars of the 1960s as their theme. We're Here for the Beer took fifth and chose the Al Pacino flick Serpico as their theme. The Patty Melts enjoyed the new earlier start time of 7, while the Foreplayers took advantage of the nice weather to make a return appearance. We had a special grand prize of a giant Shrek doll, courtesy of yard sale shopper extraordinaire Renate. Paul was initially reluctant to accept the prize, but decided his grandson would enjoy it.

VFW: New Start Time!

Don't forget that tonight we begin starting an hour earlier, at 7 P.M.! (or else you'll miss the first two rounds) - Note this only applies to the VFW; Chuckles and Bube's remain at 8 P.M.

Bube's: Happy Hallow-ack-ack-ack!

You're looking at the winner of this year's Costume Contest. I'm still not sure if she was human or alien, since she stayed "in character" all night long. Don't know if the fifty bucks will do her any good back on Mars, though. She was assisted by the Wolfman (see below) and the scariest costumed one of the night, College Archives Assistant Man. A few teams had to bug out early to take the famed Bube's Ghost Tour, so they missed seeing the grand finale. Luckily the Smashing Squash team stayed, since they placed fifth and chose Neil Young as their theme. The Nutsack of Amontillado placed fourth and chose transcendentalism (yes, you read that right). M&M (AKA Mike and Melissa) played for the first time and tied for second with Where's Ainsley Hayes When We Need Her. But it was TDC's night for the first time in a good while. Just Me enjoyed her orange jello, Sexless in the City enjoyed their mild heckling and Cyainac really loved her Halloween Barbie. And lastly, thanks to Sam who provided some swag for our costumed winners.

Second place went to Kate and her interpretation of the term "Dixie Chick." (Those are Dixie Cups attached to her bodice).

Third Prize went to Nate "Is He Man Or" Wolf?

Fourth Place went to Dr. McSteamy (or is it Dr. Frankenstein?)

Bube's: Costume Contest Tonight!

Don't forget that I'm handing out 50 bucks to the best costume at tonight's trivia show! (You know you can do better than this guy!)

Thank you, Mr. Ivey!

Thanks to Chris Ivey for ably filling in for me this past week while I was performing at Appalachian Brewing Company's Halloween Radio Comedy show. This is his favorite time of year and he enjoys stepping back into the trivia pool from time to time. Hopefully no small children were frightened by him this year.

$50 for Best Costume at Bube's

Don't forget that I'm giving $50 to the best individual costume at Tuesday night's Halloween Bube's show! (cue creepy music...)

Chuckles: Oh Bla Dee, Oh Bla Da

Here's a pic of half of Laffy Taffy, hepped up on sugar. They had a really good night, placing third, only one question behind the recently-renamed Joe's Team (you know them much better as the Rainmakers). But it was the David-Bowie obsessed Lethal Amoebas who were tonight's victors. In fourth were the Beatle-challenged Ubersmack team, who decided that the music questions need to skew younger. So they chose "gangster rap" as their theme. (Yes, you read that correctly). The Price Is Right took fifth (beating the Tidy Bowlers by one point) and chose "Kevin Spacey movies" as their theme. Please note: since guest host world champion juggler Chris Ivey will be filling in for me on October 29th, these themes will not be featured until Nov. 5. Chris has an extra-special Halloween show planned for Sunday, so be afraid. Be very afraid.

VFW: Put A Sock In It

Tom of Shitz and Giggles and Friends models his newly acquired Spongebob Frankenstein socks from the Trashbag of Deelite. They didn't help, however, since his team was bested by the Chicks and Dicks (AKA the Scooby Gang). We're Here for the Beer Special Reunion Edition, with Dave and John and Frank took third. Ted and Janie and Cal of the Stick A Fork In It Posse took a hike. Tom and Nick, meanwhile, were missing Andrew's Civil War expertise. Dennis and Mel chose horse tack (that's saddles and bits and whatnot) as their theme, while Room 2 are going with beer jingles and logos. These themes won't be featured until Nov. 1st, since Chris Ivey will be guest-hosting next week (Oct. 25th).

Bube's: The Return of Linuscratchitt

Here we have a pic of the MAM team, two fine ladies from Pittsburgh, along with their friend from Hellam (or is that Hallam?). They were unsure at first, but got into the whole trivia experience as the night went on. Thank you, MAM. On the action front, it looked like the returning Linuscratchitt team was going to be the victors, especially after they aced two rounds (a spectacular feat nowadays). But Paging Senator Foley's Nutsack, one of the theme choosers for this week, charged hard at the end and beat them by one question. The Fool Monkey Considers Not Winning a Declaration of War thankfully came in third. In fourth was TDC, who chose the classic film "Dazed and Confused" as their theme. And J's Girls, who came in fifth, are going with "Gilbert and Sullivan" as their choice. These themes will be used on our special Halloween show on Oct. 31, since guest host Chris Ivey will be filling in for me on the 24th. Also, don't forget we are having a Halloween costume contest on the 31st, with a whopping $50 going to the best one!

Speaking of Robert Palmer...

Here's a scan of his bestselling 1985 album, Riptide.

Chuckles: A Darned Good Night of Trivia

Tonight we answered the classic question "(The)Who kilt (Stan) Laurel (Robert) Palmer?" Of course, it was (Builder) Bob." (You had to see the picture round to get that Twin Peaks groaner). Bill and Marge returned from a two-week hiatus all fresh-eyed and bushy-tailed and took the championship, besting Skirtland by two points. The Lethal Amoebas, led by Robert Palmer's biggest fan Jay Barry, took third. Ubersmack chose "Bon Jovi" as their theme for placing fourth, followed by the Assassins, who chose "Beatles lyrics." Team Nipplewinger was overjoyed to trade their pumpkin-carving kit for some much-needed baby wipes. The Talent Scouts were all prepared for fifth, but missed it by one question. The Price Is Right, meanwhile, were wondering where their birthday compatriots were. The Bowman said, "we're outta here!." And we welcomed Deidre, who graciously allowed Debbie to only have to work 25 days straight.

Freakish autumn sun tonight in Mountville.

VFW: What's Black and Tan All Over?

Pottstown or Pottsville? That was the question. But most of our beer drinkers knew where Yuengling comes from. Tonight the competition see-sawed, but Room Two charged ahead at the end. Nix Lix and Son used their lager knowledge to take second, followed by Kirk and the Lincoln Road Gang in third. Chicks and Dicks, with special guest star Don, took fourth and chose 70s TV cartoon characters as their theme. In fifth was the Shitz and Giggles gang, who chose the Civil War. Addison and Robert loved the jam music (leftover from Sunday's jamtastic Chuckles' show). The coconut-hating Chad from the B52s proved to be their strongest player. D & M once again were vocal in their opinion of the picture round. And the Foreplayers, led by birthday boy Arlen, once again retired (but they'll be back when we least expect it).

Bubes: Thirty Questions Lead to One Question

And that one question was "Will you marry me?" Congrats to Seth and Missy of Team Discovery Channel, who had their first date three years ago at our trivia show. Little did they know then that they would end up married! The big event is this weekend. Their team tried desperately to give them a win as a pre-wedding present, but TDC came in sixth. At fifth by their lonesome was the Tesla Death Rays. Then we had a three-way with Monty Python and the Holy Nutsack vs. The Fool Monkey Says Saturday Night's Allright For Fighting vs. How Did My Ovaries End Up in North Korea. Using a special tie-breaking round, the 'sacks came in fourth, followed by the Ovaries. Charles' height-guessing abilities helped his team claim second. (Themes for next week are two TV series: Arrested Development and the Iron Chef). But the big news of the night was the Boognishers, whose perfect picture round helped them to their first victory ever! The MDs, on the other hand, were not too keen on cult movies. And the team from Spain, Juan and Rebecca, were not too keen on American trivia, but were delighted to claim the three-feet tall stuffed frog prince. The Johnny 5 Is Alive team bolted after the second round, but left an apologetic note on their sheet ("He made me leave :-(")

There's Nothing Like a Dame

Some women cause poets to write sensual sonnets. Some launch a thousand ships. But only one woman inspired a man to create little pieces of dry, slightly burnt toast. Ladies and gentleman, I present to you Dame Nellie Melba, the muse of Melba Toast!

Chuckles: Only One Can Survive

Unfortunately, the one to survive was not Veda, but her team, the Tidy Bowlers, did score a whole roll of body tattoes, which is what she is sporting on her cheek. I wish I had brought my real camera, instead of the cell, so that you could see her team in all its glory. And the Highlander to survive was not Chris of the One Low, Low Low Price (Is Right) team, who missed his team's memo that they were not coming (or, perhaps he beheaded them all). Bugman was so flushed with victory, leading with Laffy taffy going into the picture round, that his head exploded (ewww.., more gruesome imagery). The Lethal Amoebas and Skirtland tied for fourth, so Special Agent Phil chose the TV series Twin Peaks and the Skirts (after some discussion) chose mixed drink recipes as their themes. Ubersmack, lead by Tim's knowledge of female anatomy (specifically Allysa Milano and Pamela Anderson), took third. And the whole theme thing worked nicely, as the two teams who chose them placed second and first. The Talent Scouts jammed the night away into second and the Rainmakers (finally!) were the last team standing.

Happy Birthday, Curtis!

Everybody sing!

You say it's your birthday
It's my birthday too--yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party.

I would like you to dance--Birthday
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance-Birthday
I would like you to dance--Birthday
Dance

You say it's your birthday
Well it's my birthday too--yeah
You say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

VFW: The Single Point Theory

I thought last night was an exciting night of trivia (and it takes a lot to get me excited). We had one of the closest endings ever, with only a single point difference between each of the top three. The Foreplayers (pictured above) were the victors, which was bittersweet, since it was supposedly their last game before they did their annual winter migration back to their homes in West Lawn. Happily, the gift certificate has conviced them to play one last game next week. Now, if they keep winning, we might get to spend Christmas with them.

The Speaker Made Us Late team was content with second place, since they like cold hard cash. Room 2 took third. In fourth was Nix Lix and Son, minus Major Leroy. They chose the Yuengling brewery as their theme, since Tom is in the industry (brewing, that is, not drinking). Last week's victors, Chicks and Dicks, took fifth and chose child stars. And Dennis and Melanie chose the wrong Rocky.

Bube's: A Bumper Crop

The balmy outdoor weather extended inside as we had a sultry night at Bube's. Project Runway and crops were the themes. Stayin' Alive were the winners of the coveted McDonald's shake Halloween costume, and they are busy making plans to alter it. Our Chamber of Cobwebs was doing well until the last round and some bad changes. Ditto to the Olives, this week abetted by Juergen and Judy. The Solo Boognisher bolted after the third round, in search of his teammates. The Wise Men charged at the end to claim fifth and chose "Who Starred in the Following Three Movies" as their theme. The two-person A Dirty Shame team (see below) were leading all night, but ended up in fourth. They chose cult movies as their theme (So it's movie night next week). Next up was Team Discovery Channel. Then the Tesla Death Rays and J.D. Salinger's Nutsack in the Rye tied for first. Josiah's birthday luck came through and the 'sacks took first. That's Josiah with his Trashbag prize, Snotnose Glasses in the pix above, along with teammates Nathan and Marie.

Also: I've discovered a bad answer from last night, but it did not affect the final tallies, since only one team put down Hanoi for the current Ho Chi Minh City. The correct answer is, indeed, Saigon, which is what everyone else had down. My apologies.

I warned the Dirty Shame Team that this picture wouldn't work. (Perhaps they're vampires?)

Chuckles: Oh, Won't You Stay A Little While Longer

Famous Wyomingite J.C. "You Can Call Me Cash" Penney would have approved of everyone's knowledge of his state, but it was the Doo-Wop Kings of Skirtland who took home the grand prize. Three points behind was the prune-powered Ubersmack. Laffy Taffy of the Hinterlands had one of their highest placings, taking home the bronze. They were followed closely by the Rainmakers and the Talent Scouts, who chose jam bands (like Phish and the Grateful Dead) and the Highlander movies as their themes. Lisa of the Bald Beauties used her keen powers of observation to score some Peppermint Patties. Carol of KCC enjoyed my birthday serenade, and said she would bring her twin sister Connie next time. The Tidy Bowlers, AKA the Lapps, are also looking forward to the next time and will bone up on their jammers. Debbie was renewed by her 36 hour vacation. And those lucky enough to stay around were treated by Debbie to peanut butter and chocolate cake to celebrate the Barnstormers' Atlantic League Championship!