Dear Friends of the Pub Quiz,
Pressed for time, today I write in bullets.
- Delaine Eastin (pictured above) died yesterday at the age of 76. She has been a hero to Davisites for many years, having represented two different districts in the California State Assembly in the 1990s. Just a few weeks ago she added her name to the membership of the Davis Facebook group Events in Davis, so I sent her a note saying that I’d love to have her back on my radio show.
- Today is the day of my KDVS fundraiser show. Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour” airs every Wednesday from 5-6 PM and has been on the air for more than a third of KDVS’s 60-year history. No matter when you pledge, please mention my show: https://kdvs.org/fundraiser/ — you could also call 530 752-2777. You could also try this link.
- Yesterday we also lost Helen Vendler, perhaps America’s best close reader of poetry. She has written textbooks that I have assigned or quoted in all my poetry classes. I also learned a lot from a long lunchtime conversation with her at a poetry conference in Stirling, Scotland in 1996. She was a fan of opera.
- I got to announce the Picnic Day Parade again this year. One of my favorite parts of that experience is meeting the older UC Davis alumni who want to chat after the event, telling me how many such celebrations they have attended over the decades.
- I’m grateful to my daughter Geneva who stayed with her recuperating mom while I was practicing my announcer voice as the floats and bands marched by. On Patreon, I posted some video of the UC Davis Marching Band playing a bit of Dolly Parton’s song “9 to 5.” Her first two lines rhyme “tumble” with “stumble.”
- I’m grateful that Dolly Parton is pro-vaccine and that Willie Nelson is an ally of the LGBT community. People who represent certain demographics will sometimes surprise you. Parton has also given away over 200 million books. There’s a reason she’s not a billionaire.
- This Monday, April 29th, I will be reading a poem to honor UC Davis student Karim Abou Najm. Emotionally, I shared the poem with his parents this past weekend. I feel honored to participate in this event:
- It has two parts: Readings, a Q&A about mental health and a lecture by Andrés Sciolla, a professor emeritus of clinical psychiatry, will take place at 5:30 p.m. at Willett Elementary School, 1207 Sycamore Lane. Secondly, the unveiling of a bike path, bench and memorial sculpture, all named in honor of Abou Najm, will take place at 7 p.m. at Sycamore Park, adjacent to Willett. Perhaps I will see you at one of these events.
- I send fond regards to the Najm family, and to yours.
Dr. Andy
The weather will be pleasant on this Wednesday night, though cooler than last week because of the gentle clouds. If you are in Davis this evening, please join us at Sudwerk. Recruit a team and join us at the beautiful outdoor patio where we have room for everyone. Even though it is more work for me, we always have more fun with the bigger crowds and more voices. As Saint Augustine allegedly said, “Good times and crazy friends make the best memories.”
In addition to topics raised above, tonight’s pub quiz will feature questions on California notables, corporate headquarters, the coasts of Africa, areas of focus, electric vehicles, drug users, long films, banned books, Beverly Hills, final words, tall judges, Pulitzer Prizes, bookends, famous tribes, kidnappings, unwelcome jumps, cherry blossoms, Indiana exports, domesticated birds, gentlemen, super bowls, Oscar-winners, meteorology, security councils, guitarists, U.S. states, film critics, great Americans, environmental degradation, goats, droning textures, current events, books and authors, and Shakespeare.
Thanks to all the new patrons who have been enjoying fresh Pub Quiz content. Thanks also to Brooke, Jeannie, Becky, Franklin, and More Cow Bell. Every week I check the Patreon to see if there is someone new to thank. I also thank The Original Vincibles, Summer Brains, The Outside Agitators, John Poirier’s team Quizimodo, Gena Harper, the dependable Mavens, and others who support the Pub Quiz on Patreon. I would love to add your name or that of your team to the list of supporters. I appreciate your backing this pub quiz project of mine!
Best,
Dr. Andy
P.S. Find below three questions from last week’s quiz:
- Internet Culture. In what 1982 video arcade game do players assume the role of knights armed with lances and mounted on large birds (an ostrich for Player 1, a stork for Player 2), who must fly around the screen and defeat enemy knights riding buzzards?
- Newspaper Headlines: Earnings and Area Codes. President Biden and Jill Biden reported how many thousands of dollars in 2023 earnings on their joint tax return? Was it closest to 213, like Los Angeles, 530, like Davis, or 619, like San Diego?
- Four for Four. Which two of the following singers were born in California: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Janis Joplin, Olivia Rodrigo?