Dear Friends of the Pub Quiz,
How grateful I am not to need anything for Christmas this year other than the company of family and friends, and a warm place for us to gather to tell stories and play with the dog. I hope you have all these things.
Many Californians are lucky to spend time in such a beautiful state, but because so many people leave their homes to come to California (or we once did), many of us can’t count on spending time with multiple generations this holiday season. My brother just spent a week in DC with our mom (Hi Mom!), and my wife Kate’s mom will be visiting us beginning on Boxing Day. My daughter Geneva has returned for her last Christmas as an undergraduate, and Truman will entertain us all with Christmas carols on his saxophone. (And Jukie is watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas as I write these words.)
But I remember times as a child when we could count on seeing 20 or more relatives in the same place, or in various places as we traveled to different neighborhoods in DC or Maryland to see these folks. We were so lucky to have access to people the age of my grandparents (now all gone) and of my parents (many of them gone). I sometimes wish that I had asked these folks more questions about their childhoods, about lessons they have learned, about the people and experiences for which they were most grateful.
We live in a time of abundance. For some (not in our house) that means plenty of money, but for all of us, it means an abundance of information. This leaves many of us feeling that we need more wisdom, and less data. With that dynamic in mind, I started a book this morning called The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. Jonathan Haidt has written an especially apt book for people who have never taken an introductory psychology class or who have not been sufficiently exposed to the wisdom of great spiritual and philosophical traditions, but I too am appreciating the sagacity reflected in his explorations and summaries.
Haidt suggests that happiness is affected by the biological “set point” with which we are born, the conditions under which we are raised and where we find ourselves (which is another reasons why art galleries, music halls, and libraries are so important), and voluntary activities, over which we have choice and control.
In a university town, we are reminded often that there is much to learn, and that our brains can grow and change perpetually, and that we have access to many resources, many of them familial, that can continue to help us grow into the people we aspire to be. I hope the time spent sharing or requesting wisdom, insight, and stories gratifies you throughout the holiday season, and into the next decade whose beginning is fast upon us!
In addition to topics raised above, tonight expect also questions about famous origins, the extinction of drives, protest signs, upcoming calendars, famous men whose actual names we don’t know, celebrations, American architecture, whose woods these are you may not know, the abundance of trees, poignant gifts, indebtedness, net populations, namesakes of various gods, beasts not found in nature, ghosts, New York City, animations, Homburgs without hats, therapy for actors, people who look like us who get all the blame, final films, successful records, Christmas symbology, oils, and Shakespeare.
I will be bringing copies of my most recent book, Pub Quizzes: Trivia for Smart People, to tonight’s Pub Quiz. Maybe there’s someone on your gift list who wants more than familial wisdom and time with the dog.
Happy holidays! See you tonight!
Dr. Andy
Your Quizmaster
https://www.yourquizmaster.com
P.S. Here are four questions from a previous quiz:
- Continents of the World. In 2016, was the population of Africa closest to 500 million, 1 billion, or 2 billion?
- U.S. States. Monmouth University, Stockton University, and Fairleigh Dickinson University are all found in the state with a 91% high school graduation rate, recently called The Smartest State in America? Name the state.
- Science. What P word completes this recent headline? “Biologists Discover That Flower Shapes Evolve to Adapt to Their BLANK.”
- Books and Authors. The book Suspect is about the subject of Clint Eastwood’s new movie. Name the film.
P.P.S. “It’s a fine line between Saturday night and Sunday morning.” ― Jimmy Buffett, who was born on Christmas Day.