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Quizmasters

	Liam McAtasney is business owner, Quizmaster, and the guy who replaces the water cooler bottles at Brainstormer.com H.Q. He has been at the forefront of the pub trivia business since 1996, when most people in the U.S. did not know what a Pub Quiz was. Prior to that he worked stints that included a newspaper delivery round and removing scratches from old 33 vinyl records. During university days in Belfast (just a few years ago!), Liam and his roommates would venture out to the pub on damp Monday evenings to give it their best at the Four in Hand, occasionally winning a prize and the bragging rights. Liam is actively involved in the day to day business of Brainstormer and Quiz Dates!, although he yearns for a sandy beach, blue seas and a cold drink in his hand. Bar Owners and Event Planners can contact Liam to host a Pub Quiz or Corporate Trivia Party with a difference. Click here for contact details. Brainstormer’s motto: ‘Educating America, one bar at a time!’

	Mark Walshe has enjoyed hosting events for Brainstormer in numerous venues in and around San Francisco for over three years. In fact, rarely is there a night that he is not in a bar (asking questions). He’s originally from Harlow, Essex in England, just a stones throw from North East London where he eventually moved to in his early twenties. Through playing in his rock and roll bands ‘Some Other Day’ and ‘The Tender Trap’ he became familiar with the world of radio and from there formulated an interest in broadcasting. Mark moved to San Francisco in 1993 working as a DJ and booker for Nickie’s nightclub in SF's Lower Haight. In 1998 he became the full time DJ/Emcee at SF’s Virgin Megastore where he spent the next seven years turning the downtown shoppers onto music and interviewing such celebs as Nelly Furtado, Blondie, De La Soul and David Byrne amongst many others. Mark would like it to be known that he much prefers people mistaking him for Jimmy Page than Simon Cowell, which is the main reason that he hasn't had a haircut in some time! When he’s not hosting Pub Quizzes, Mark can be often found singing and playing for local band The Shakespearos and writes and performs his own songs which he dearly hopes won’t remind you of Donovan - www.shakespearos.com Stop by and say hello to Mark at the following San Francisco venues: Valley Tavern, Martin Mack's, O'Neill's Irish Pub (San Mateo), Elephant & Castle.

	To say that Rick Tosh has always had a passion for music would be an understatement! As a child, he would spend hours listening to all types of music trying to memorize the words and, in his teens, he would make cassettes called ‘Rick’s Mix’ to play at parties. During that time he also was the morning announcer in Jr. High School, and in college, he would DJ parties, bars and nightclubs in Connecticut and Massachusetts. In the early 90’s Rick got a big break and landed a job at WKSS-FM in Hartford as the prize patrol driver for the morning show, ‘Savage in the Morning’. He has also worked as morning show producer for the ‘Sebastian in the Morning’ on WCCC-FM in Hartford, as a Production Assistant on the short lived ‘Chevy Chase Show’, and for Director Peter Bogdanovich on a movie called ‘This Thing Called Love’. Rick lives in the San Francisco area working full time and hosts Brainstormer Pub Quiz at local bars in the evening. He has started his own DJ company, ‘Rick’s Got Music’, and does voiceover and commercial work and provides services at special events and parties. Thinking of getting married? Then, look no farther! Rick is an ordained minister and can also DJ your wedding. Special rates available if you mention ‘Brainstormer’! That’s his life in a nutshell, so far. More info. at www.ricksgotmusic.com and Rick's MySpace Page You can buy Rick a light beer at Monaghan's, Finnegan's (Novato), Knuckles Sports Bar, Rogue Alehouse.

	Meet DJ Appropriate, aka Tony Brooke. Tony has been working with Brainstormer for a couple of years now in San Francisco. These days you can’t swing a cat without hitting a DJ. Rising above the throng of DJs of all typical styles, DJ Appropriate has no style. Wait, that sounds bad. Appropriate has lots of style. In fact, Appropriate is master of all styles. And you get an experienced, cheeseless Emcee too who comes to events over-prepared with hundreds of hours of music. Appropriate (aka Tony Brooke / Sultan of Suitability / Apostle of Apt / Prince of Pertinence) is available for events, production and film soundtrack supervision (California and beyond). -www.djappropriate.com Tony is the man behind the microphone at Danny Coyle's.

	Stan Lee has been a regular Pub Quiz goer for a couple of years. If fact, he was attending so many quizzes in San Francisco that Brainstormer decided to hire him. He hopes to use all the valuable trivia to win big on 'Jeopardy' and promises to throw a big party for all his friends in San Francisco when that happens! Be nice to Stan at Blackthorn Tavern, Chieftain Irish Pub, Temple Bar, O'Neill's Irish Pub, Ghirardelli Sq..

	A faithful quiz-goer in San Francisco for several years, Scott Armstrong is now thrilled to be representing Brainstormer as a quizmaster. Scott is one of those rare people who was actually born in San Francisco and prides himself on knowing his hometown and its citizens inside and out. By night, he's either hosting a Brainstormer Pub Quiz, sitting at AT&T Park with his fellow Giants season-ticket holders, or belting out his latest karaoke rendition of a Johnny Cash song. Scott's favorite Brainstormer location outside California is the Gateway Casino & Lounge in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Scott met an extra in a Sean Penn film during his last visit to the Gateway, which he made while traveling as the play-by-play announcer for pro baseball's El Paso Diablos. By day, you can find Scott on King Street, co-managing retail at the Ball Park Gallery, exclusive memorabilia provider to the San Francisco Giants and Golden State Warriors. Late afternoons and on weekends, you're bound to find him in uniform on some local park or court, officiating amateur baseball, basketball or soccer games. Let the good times roll with Scott at Fishbowl Bar & Grill every Monday night.

	Though Pub Quiz hosting is fairly new to him, Stephen Emerick has been talking non-stop since birth and found his niche in life providing training for Bay Area Biotech Companies that pay him to talk. Stephen is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, but after several mysterious fires, he and his family were asked to leave the city, permanently! Most of his life he has lived in Napa, though don’t ask him about wineries as can’t tell his Pinots from his Merlots! After High-School, he took his 1.2 GPA and went into the military, where after serving as a Plane Captain for four years on A-4 Jets in the Marine Corps, he actually went to college and got his degree in Geology. The most valuable thing he learned in the Marine Corps was Japanese “pick-up” lines while stationed in Iwakuni. Stephen enjoys lots of sports, such as fishing, football, golf and flirting (is that a sport?). So stop by the Dubliner on West Portal any Wednesday night and meet the locals!

	When Bob Deeken lived in San Francisco, he played and hosted Brainstormer quizzes for years. (He has dozens of t-shirts and other quiz prizes to prove it!) So, when Bob relocated to Seattle in search of more rain, it was only natural that he would help Brainstormer expand into that market. Bob also met Brainstormer's tough Quizmaster requirements. Namely, he had a PA system, a working car, and likes to hang out at bars! Bob's day job is making radio commercials for ESPN affiliate 1380 KRKO in Everett. He has also worked as a DJ at Seattle's 103.7 The Mountain. 15-year-old gamers might recognize him as the voice from the Bungie Podcast. You can find Bob Mondays at Elephant & Castle and Wednesdays at Pyramid Alehouse.

	When he's not living in his car, Al Haimowitz can be found hosting trivia in pubs in New York City. Before that, Al spent his time hosting Pub Quizzes in San Francisco and studying at UC Berkeley and earning a degree in philosophy, so naturally he was unemployed for a while. But after much soul-searching and traveling to far-off lands like Cuba and India, Al finally found his true calling in life: trivia! When he's not hosting, you can find Al hiking to the top of some mountain peak and doing yoga all day long. He's also a vegetarian and often finds himself malnourished, so don't hesitate to buy him a Guinness...err, a meal!