The Sharing Premium Smiles During the Pandemic Economy Edition of the Pub Quiz Newsletter

Dear Friends of the Pub Quiz,

This newsletter is made possible by the patrons of the Pub Quiz. If that includes you, thanks!

It’s late 2020, and I’m sitting on my couch with both a laptop and a blanket across my lap. If I am lucky, I expect to be doing the same thing 30 years from now, though, sadly, with a different dog resting her head on my shoulder.

Over the weekend, while walking with Jukie through the greenbelts of south Davis, I hatched a plan to focus this week’s newsletter on the Cal Newport book Deep Work, which I am rereading for a book club meeting. Newport reminds us that we must commit to determined practice of skills if we are to improve them and become superstars in our fields.

But then I got to thinking about “The Pandemic Economy in 7 Numbers,” an episode of The Daily podcast that the New York Times released on November 19th. Only 75% of Americans aged 25-54 are employed, a statistic that is “about as bad as in the worst of the Great Recession.” I learned that the change in economic data — wealthy Americans are refinancing their homes with record-low rates and spending much more on goods than services —disproportionately harms lower-income people in America, especially women, and especially people of color.

I am lucky to have other windows into the world that is shaped by the grim statistics. My students’ first essay in my journalism class this quarter required that my young correspondents report on a group of people that has been affected by one of the big three news stories of 2020 (the pandemic, the economic downturn, or the revived racial justice protests). From their writing, I learned a lot about families whose steady economic progress over generations has halted this year. Many have faced unemployment and food insecurity, and with some benefits and protections running out the day after Christmas, many will face hunger and eviction from their homes.

My wife Kate interacts with many families facing these or other economic and health challenges because of her volunteer work as Communications and Family Support Director at the Smith-Lemli-Opitz Foundation. In addition to providing a necessary network of information, encouragement, and support, this organization supports medical research that helps us understand and treat kids like my son Jukie. Many families who have always been stretched too thin because of the strain of raising challenging kids and adults now find themselves in crisis mode. Kate has heard from parents who wonder if it’s safe to visit doctors with a medically-fragile young person who refuses to wear a mask. She also talks to parents who have recently lost a child to SLO.

Not surprisingly, given the widespread economic distress in the world, donations are down to the Foundation at a time when those affected most need its support. What’s more, the (entirely unpaid) board has hatched plans to help more SLO families. They would like to pay contractors to update the content and look of the website, begin planning on the 2022 family and medical conference that brings together the parents and children affected by this syndrome, and determine other ways to support all the families that have it so hard right now. The conference also provides the many scientists and clinicians studying this rare syndrome their only opportunity to meet and compare their findings and discoveries. 

Here comes the call to action. Our family does what it can, mostly with Kate’s hours of volunteer work every week of the year, but maybe you would like to help. The Foundation always welcomes tax-deductible donations, and potential donors know those gifts will go far because of the Foundation’s negligible administrative costs, for no one in the history of the organization has ever taken even a dollar of salary. They do remarkable work on a shoestring budget.

If you are interested in Dr. Andy premiums to incentivize you to help, I have a few thoughts. Maybe you would like to invest in some “services” rather than “goods” this year, and thus provide those on your gift list with something they will remember and not have to eventually throw out or recycle. 

I will videorecord a holiday greeting for a friend or family member for anyone who donates $25 or more, I will write a poem for a friend or family member (I will need some content ideas and details) for anyone who donates $100 or more, and I will create a new Pub Quiz on topics, even specific topics, of your choosing for anyone who donates $250 or more. You could just send a check to the address below and put “Jukie” in the memo portion of the check. I can start work on your gift as soon as you let me know that you’ve sent the check.

If that is too complicated or old-school (some young people don’t write checks), these same premiums will also be triggered for anyone who starts a new Patreon sponsorship for The Pub Quiz at the $20, $80, or $150 or greater tier. In that case, I will send you a copy of the acknowledgement for the donation I make on your behalf, and then contact you for the details needed for me to create the premium.

Along with the bonus trivia that I share on Patreon (20+ questions thus far — I hope you will check it out from time to time), I will acknowledge the generous new donors there. I’ve set a goal of raising $500 for the Smith-Lemli-Opitz Foundation before the end of this iniquitous year of 2020. Will you help me reach it? The address: SLO/RSH Foundation, P.O. Box 10598, Fargo, ND 58106. Thanks!

I hope you will get to see tonight’s Pub Quiz, or even that you will get to see me perform it on video! There will be questions about Agatha Christie, Canada, Google News, climate change, years in power, metallic adjectives, women of a certain rage (Hi Eileen!), moon rocks, American humor, fates that live in us, gay heroes, the fraction 5/13ths, the comparative populations of US states, people named Charles, historical divisions, insistent questions, people born in Harlem, family squabbles, Division I sports, winners of Grammy Awards, people named Howard, people named Harris, cabin cleaning projects, video games, breakfast cereals, and Shakespeare.

Thanks to all the patrons of the Pub Quiz, especially the Original Vincbles for their support. Because of the tier they chose to keep the Pub Quiz going, they will receive a copy of Cal Newport’s highly recommended book DEEP WORK before Thanksgiving!

Stay safe!

Dr. Andy

P.S. Here are four questions from last week’s Pub Quiz:

  1. Chess Culture. What is the chess TV show that everyone’s talking about? 
  1. Landslides. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2016, voters in landslide counties accounted for 30% of all votes nationwide. What was that percentage in 1980: 4%, 15%, or 40%?  
  1. Current Events – Names in the News. The 13th hurricane of the 2020 season, named after the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet, is heading  toward Central America. What is the hurricane’s small name?  
  1. Sports Films. In 1942, who starred in Pride of the Yankees as the baseball player Lou Gehrig?