Alan is afraid of heights.

Quietly Making Noise is ready for their close-up. They're also ready for the theme they picked for next week: Boston Legal.

You Can't Fix Stupid aced the picture round and had a stellar last round.

This group of E-towners was able to catch the last round only, since they had been busy celebrating Brittany's 22nd birthday.

Chuckles: Beanboozled Again

The ladies of No BitchAssness had a great night their first time playing trivia at Chuckles, winning those Russian Roulette jelly beans known as Beanboozled. They also saw the come from behind victory of Ubersmack. The 'smack were helped by Deric, who actually read the Scarlet Pimpernel (non-Cliff Notes version) this week to prepare for the theme. The Twin Roses were right behind and are more determined than ever to get first place. The Pixiestix were one question back and then there was a tie for fourth between Making MagiK and Clowns McNutty. Skirtland placed sixth, with the Zombies getting theme choice (see below).

The Twin Roses, featuring My Favorite Martian Rick, are inching ever closer to the top spot.

Steve is upset that he didn't remember Swing Out Sister, while Sue takes a nap.

Angie and Kim almost came in third, but a last-minute change in an answer did them in.

Name That Tuna Bob with Team Chamo, named after their guest player, Chamo the Wonder Bear.

The Tidy Bowlers bolted early, so they didn't hear that Justin will be guest-hosting next week.

The Zombies came in lucky seventh and chose World Cup soccer as their theme.

You never suspect the quiet one.

My Lovely Assistant

This week's questions were composed with some minor assistance from Oscar F. Cattison. (This pic was taken right before he did his patented circle move and wiped out an entire row of Simpsons figurines).

VFW: ReMaverickans, Don't You Know!

Chris and Matt joined forces with Chris' mom and her fiance to become the ReMaverickans, tonight's winning team. Chris always knew that he could create the Dream Team. They squeaked by Chicks and Dicks in the last round and won by one point. The B52s also came alive in the last round and placed third. Dennis and Mel tied with Mark and Sheila for a tie for fourth. I forget who placed fifth and sixth, since I left my scoresheet at home.

We're Here for the Beer added Frank in the last round and rubbed his belly for good luck. That was good enough for seventh place, and they chose TV westerns as their theme for next week.

The B52s also cleaned up in Trashbag of Deelite goodies, winning four prizes.

The Good, the Bad and the Crazy, featuring champion speller Cass.

Sheila is bummed that she and Mark tanked the last round, dropping out of second place.

Bube's: They Blew Up Kenny! Those Bastards!

The Wise Men and their Wiser Ladies (with special guest star Kenny) gathered to say farewell to Van and Erin, who are headed out this weekend to the wilds of Omaha. A key crossout cost them first place as Puff N Suds won by two points. In fact, it was tight night of competition, as the top six teams were within two questions of each other. There was a tie for third, forcing a Jack-off™ between Josiah and Sarah, both of whom had never lost. Sarah's record remained intact, as the Tony Danza Slap took third and The Nutsacks Are Closer to Uranus Than Any Other Team took fourth. Tom of TDC held his own, placing fifth as Quietly Making Noise woke up and took sixth. You Can't Fix Stupid finally achieved their life-long dream of seventh, allowing them to pick the theme for next week: NASCAR!

Puff 'N Suds attribute their win to their favorite brain food: Gummi Panda Bears.

The Tiny Tony Danza Slap is still trying to work out their gang signs.

Josiah and Marie are trying to get Peter Gabriel out of their heads.

Happy Monday!

Would you like our mortgage?

Chuckles: Triviamania!

The British Bulldog stopped by tonight, since the theme was professional wrestling's Ric Flair. It proved to be a particularly punishing night, since the high score was only 68. That belonged to the team that can wear this week's championship belt: Skirtland. Of Pixie Stix and Whirlygigs were 11 points behind in second (much to Fritz's dismay), followed by the Andy and Kirsten (AKA the Intoxicated Intellectuals). An overstressed Ubersmack was fourth, while the Twin Roses' cross-out put them in fifth. The Zombies were right behind and we had two teams tied for seventh. So next week we're going with '80s One-Hit Wonders (The Brain Dead's choice, which should please Ray to no end) and The Scarlet Pimpernel (Clown McNutty's choice).

Dave and Lisa of Trivia at 8 (What a Concept!) had an amazing 93 points on Wednesday, and a not-so-amazing 36 tonight.

National Book Festival

I'm doing some retro-posting: I attended the National Book Festival a couple of Saturdays ago and snapped this shot of Congress. This is the second year I attended the Festival and once again they had a great line-up. I saw Bob Schieffer and Neil Gaiman and was convinced to see the lady who wrote the Other Boleyn Girl - all great speakers. The highlight of the trip was a visit to the Smithsonian's Sackler Museum, where they were finishing up a Jim Henson exhibit. They even had the Mu-Num-A-Na Muppets! (doo, doo, da, doo, doo!)

VFW: Derek Jeter, Pumpkin Eater

Tonight featured some truly bad puns in the picture round, inspired by the Nursery Rhyme theme, like Hickory, Dick, Cory, Doc and Peter, Peter, Derek Jeter. (At least it made me laugh). Mixed Company added Dave of Trivia @ 8 and romped through all four rounds with a most impressive 93 points. Chicks and Dicks managed to survive a last round comeback by Room Two to take second. The crow-munching B52s were only three points behind, followed by Alice in Wonderland. There was dramatic Jack-off between Angie of the Highsteppers! and Jean of Prius, with Jean swiftly bitten twice. So Angie and crew are going with game shows as their theme choice.

Bube's: Returning from Uranus

Shannon, Heather and Mary made a rare Tuesday night appearance. Rare, since they run a trivia show in Middletown on the same night. They cheered on tonight's come-from-behind team, their former teammates Josiah and Nathan, who took the gold. Becky's Care Bear knowledge helped the Toxic Olives place second, with the Oil Lobbyists right behind. Team Discovery Channel, which is down to one active member, took fourth, followed by the Laos-loving You Can't Fix Stupid and the Tony Danza Slap. The Merry Teabaggers (the aforementioned ex-Nutsacks) copped the seventh place spot and are going with Uranus and/or Your Anus as their theme for next week.

Presenting the bronze medal-winning Harold and Maude Has Nothing to Do with the Oil Lobbyists, but Rocks and Minerals Do.

Avoid At All Costs

I saw the new Shia LaBeouf flick "Eagle Eye" yesterday and almost walked out of the theater several times at its preposterousness (is that a word?). You've heard of "suspension of disbelief?" My disbelief was cryogenically frozen, encased in amber and entombed for a thousand years. Ugh. Thankfully I used a free ticket that came with a DVD of the John Travolta/Nicholas Cage classic "Face/Off." Now there's a believable film! :-)

Good Evening! - Halloween Feast

The Count would like to invite you a spookishly good time at Bube's Halloween Feast which is held weekends in October in the Catacombs. Sam Allen, the owner of Bube's (and a good friend of the Count) gave me feast tickets as a birthday present, so I used them on Friday. I had heard about the feasts for years, but this was my first experience. It was a truly entertainig night and I highly recommend it. And we capped the night off by listening to a stellar performance by Josh Longo's band, Flatbed Ford in the Bottling Works.

Chuckles: Holy Canoli, Batman!

Deric displays a different finger for once to celebrate Ubersmack's come from behind victory. Tim managed to pull Bob Dylan from his butt to give them the gold.

Here's an action shot of Skirtland, who had an excellent night, placing second.

Twin Roses are on a roll, once again placing third, only one point behind second.

I think the seventh-place Team C.H.U.D. was inspired by the picture of Dusty Rhodes in the picture round, since they chose Ric Flair as their theme for next week.

Of Pixie Stix and Whirlygigs have grown accustomed to the fourth-place spot.

Mary Jo helped Barb celebrate her adoption of a baby boy, who soon will playing with bubbles from the Trashbag of Deelite.

Andrew and Aimee had a grand time and vowed to be back.

The restaurant was packed, but the bar was empty. Kirsten blames Andy's new deodorant.

Best team name of the night: The Swedish Fish Mongers.

The Attachments were determined to win, even though they missed the first three rounds.

The Eagles weren't playing at night, so Scott, George and Brian made the game.

Alan bonds with his Billy Warmth action figure.

Happy Birthday, Curtis!

Today is the birthday of the George Washington of Trivia, Curtis Earth! If you're in the Bahamas, where he is currently vacationing, wish him well and have a mojito!

VFW: All or Nothing at All

Mixed Company, featuring Tom's Arm, are a go-for-the-gusto team who will only settle for first or seventh place. So I won't mention that they came in third, behind the B52s and tonight's champs, Chicks and Dicks. Farther back were Room Two, Trivia @ 8 and two tying teams Alice in Wonderland and We're Here for the Beer. I initially gave theme choice to eighth place Nix Lix, but they can't make it, so we're going with the sixth placce teams: Nursery Rhymes and Rock Bands.

Dee and Charlie of the B52s thought it was a B.Y.O.C. party.

Bob, Pat and Bert will be taken a short hiatus from trivia as they prepare to make their annual trip back to their homeland.