Sam Murray can probably whup you in quizzo, and now the out-of-work bartender/server from South Philadelphia is on the cusp of winning $1 million on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

Competing on the show's "Million Dollar Tournament of Ten," which assembles previous winners, Murray yesterday correctly answered his question: "According to the Population Reference Bureau, what is the approximate number of people who have ever lived on earth? A: 50 billion, B: 100 billion, C: 1 trillion, D: 5 trillion."

If the other daily contestants through Nov. 20 bomb their answers, Murray gets the grand prize. If not, he settles for 50 grand.

"If I do something or read something, it tends to stick in my head," explains Murray, 44, a West Virginian who has lived here 19 years. "But I don't have a photographic memory."

The answer, by the way, was B.

Foodstuff

Chef Alison Barshak closed Alison at Blue Bell, her BYOB on Skippack Pike, on Tuesday - the day her newer restaurant, Alison two in Fort Washington, filed for bankruptcy protection. The petition lists between "50 and 99" creditors, and states "$100,000 to $500,000" in assets and "$1 million to $10 million" in debts. In a letter to customers, Barshak called it a "sad choice" to close the Blue Bell restaurant and vowed to redouble her efforts at Alison two, where she would honor parties and gift certificates. She declined to speak to me about it. Barshak burst onto the scene as chef at the splashy 1994 opening of Striped Bass. After splitting in 1996, she opened Venus and the Cowboy (which lasted 10 months in 1999), and moved to New York. In 2001, she opened Alison Cafe, in central Montco near Skippack. Two years later, she moved it to Blue Bell, and in October 2008 opened Alison two.

Media notes

Q102's Joey Brooks hosted an appearance Tuesday at Cherry Hill Mall by actors Charlie Bewley and Daniel Cudmore of the movie The Twilight Saga: New Moon. What the thousand fans didn't know is that Brooks had just given notice after three years. He's bound for the afternoon job at Toronto's CHUM, starting Dec. 1, and is expected to wrap at Q102 within two weeks.

Meteorologist Adam Joseph of 6ABC's Action News was all set to return from a long vacation, and then got sick. He's expected back to work tomorrow.

Meteorologist Rob Guarino, the Fox29 emigre who landed a year ago at the ABC station in Albuquerque, N.M., has given notice and will return east. Family reasons, he said. His dad, in Wilmington, is ailing, he said, and he misses his two kids. "It's been great here," said Guarino, who does not have a new job. "It's that simple." He said he'd remain at KOAT until his replacement is hired.

Bite or flea

Visitors at today's Philadelphia Advertising & Business Show at the Crowne Plaza on City Avenue will see thousands of bugs from the Insectarium in Northeast Philly, as well as a display by the Francisvale Home for Smaller Animals. The booths will be set far apart.

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Contact columnist Michael Klein at 215-854-5514 or mklein@phillynews.com. Read his blog at http://go.philly.com/insider. He's also on Twitter: @phillyinsider.