Dear Friends of the Pub Quiz,
I wrote a poem about the Washington Monument years ago that contains a stanza that I adapted for my book of poetry about Yolo County veterans coming home after serving overseas.
In 1865, after so much loss, all of us veterans,
we were unrecovered, still confounded;
we confronted you wearily.
Sometimes I feel that way about America now, with everything that we’ve been through in recent years, and everything that we continue to go through. So many of us feel like unwilling veterans of an American civil war that we didn’t sign up for.
I had originally written “we confronted you warily,” but then I thought about how tired we must have felt after such loss of life during the American Civil War. I substituted “wearily” for “warily.”
Today we are feeling wary, that is, cautious about ongoing possible dangers or problems, as well as weary, and our weariness can come from many sources.
Sarcopenia starts earlier than we would expect, compelling us to visit a gym or at least to step outside for a walk.
Economic strain and inflationary pressures have inspired recent political campaigns. In Davis, we consider especially the high cost of housing. The economic inequality makes me think of what sociologists call The Matthew Effect: “the advantage of those who already have advantages.” In Matthew 25:29, we learn that “For to everyone who has, more will be given.”
Digital overload and AI-related workplace insecurity encourage many of us to take breaks from our screens (though I appreciate the screen that allows you to read these words).
Sometimes persistent health and public health pressures, such as long Covid, saddle us with caregiver fatigue, even the fatigue coming from taking care of ourselves. An increasing percentage of the food we consume is ultra-processed, meaning that we risk our health even when we just eat what everyone else is eating.
I could go on, but instead I will recall the advice we usually receive when feeling overwhelmed, wary, or weary:
- If tasks overwhelm you, break them into smaller steps.
- Prioritize and focus on what’s essential.
- Rest, meditate, or take a break.
- Reduce input and limit notifications or news.
- Move your body. Your walking shoes or bicycle may be nearby.
- Ask for help or delegate.
- Reconnect to breath through slow breathing.
- Reframe expectations and let go of perfectionism.
- Hydrate and eat something simple and healthy. Try a food with just one ingredient.
- Return to routines for stability.
- Limit multitasking. If possible, limit tasking at all.
- Use grounding or sensory reset techniques. I read of one psychologist who bites a lemon to reconnect with the now.
- Talk to someone.
- Engage in a small pleasure or micro-restoration.
My gathering tonight, with friends, our community, and the small rituals of shared play, remains for me one of the most reliable balms for weariness. As Francis Bacon said, “Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief.”
What’s more, on November 20th, I get to hear live poetry by two of my favorite performers, Julia Levine and Mischa Kuczynski. What an opportunity!
If I’m lucky, I may also get to see you.
The heaters may be warming us tonight, so I hope you will join me outside. You might want to bring an extra layer to warm your lap. I invite you to join the regulars and irregulars for the social event of the week featuring 31 questions on a variety of topics you should know something about. Finally, I get to eat again with The Mavens! Today’s pub quiz is 959 words long, if we include the answers.
In addition to topics raised above and below, expect questions tonight on the following: nicknames, California landmarks, Senatorial reviews, pilgrimages, juicy parts, mints, monarchies, taxes, odd numbers of decades, tunnels, committed domestics, 2025 tickets, dancing starts, Canadians, hometown baseball heroes, teaching gigs, European cities, wars of independence, jetliners, unsuccessful candidates for U.S. President, skinny writers, immediacy, counties, accountants, hooves, wells, mononyms, places that start with the letter A, Academy Award favorites, laundry, nature categories, hilarious currency jokes, places we spend our time, trading partners, U.S. states, geography, current events, and Shakespeare.
For more Pub Quiz fun, please subscribe via Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/yourquizmaster.
Thanks to all the new players joining us at the live quizzes and to all the patrons who have been enjoying fresh Pub Quiz content. We have over 80 Patreon members now, including the new paid subscribers Kiera, Esther, James, Damian, Jim, and Meebles! I should write a question for Kiera. Thanks also to new subscribers Prescott, Bill and Diane, Tamara, Megan, Michael, Janet, Jasmine, Joey, Carly, The X-Ennial Falcons, and The Nevergiveruppers! Every week I check the Patreon to see if there is someone new to thank. Maybe next week it will be you! I also thank The Original Vincibles, Summer Brains, Still Here for the Shakesbeer, The Outside Agitators, John Poirier’s team Quizimodo, Gena Harper, the conversationally entertaining dinner companions and bakers of marvelous and healthy treats, The Mavens, whose players or substitutes keep attending, despite their ambitious travel schedules and the cost of the aforementioned avocado. I appreciate the Mavens’ kind words to me in the newspaper. Thanks in particular to my paid subscribers on Substack. Thanks to everyone who supports the Pub Quiz on Patreon. I would love to add your name or that of your team to the list of pub quiz boosters. Also, I sometimes remember to add an extra hint on Patreon. I appreciate your backing this pub quiz project of mine!
I also want to recognize those who visit my Substack the most often, including Luna, Jean, Ron, Myrna, and Maria, to whom I send sustained compassion.
Best,
Dr. Andy
- Mottos and Slogans. What watch company invites us to “Reach for the Crown”?
- Internet Culture. The white-collar job with the largest decline in job postings from 2024 to 2025, with a decrease of 32.7%, has the initials CGA. What do those initials stand for?
- Newspaper Headlines. Because his film Megalopolis bombed at the box office, Francis Ford Coppola recently had to sell which of the following: His film production company, his island in Belize, his winery, or his Pokémon cards collection?
P.S. I will share my entire Washington Monument poem with subscribers on Patreon. Thanks for your support there!