Dear Friends of the Pub Quiz,
I hope by now that you have recovered from the Super Bowl, America’s second Thanksgiving. I followed the game peripherally from the tweets I was receiving, commentary on the half-time show and the commercials, but spent most of our warmest day of the year so far bicycling with my son, enjoying having the deserted city streets and downtown shops to ourselves. I stopped by a favorite South Davis restaurant where typically we are greeted by name only to find that all our favorite employees had the day off. The second-stringers were left to watch over the empty eatery, and to get our food order wrong. Other special occasions, like Reagan’s 100th birthday celebrations, or the televised funeral of Ted Kennedy, distract us for a while, and invite us to think about national trends, values, and heroes. Perhaps informal national holidays such as Superbowl Sunday and Black Friday are meant to help us compensate for missed shopping opportunities on “bank holidays.” As Dave Barry says, “Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice.” Even more cynical is George Bernhard Shaw; he opined that “A perpetual holiday is a good working definition of hell.” Perhaps Shaw didn’t care to spend time with his family. Another important Superbowl attraction for many Americans, I suppose, is that we spend Superbowl Sunday with the friends whom we seek out, and Thanksgiving with family with whom we are stuck.
I will be spending the entirety of Valentine’s Day evening dining with my beloved, and I encourage you to do the same. It’s one of the most important days on the calendar, and I’m sure the hardworking staff would be happy to welcome you and your date. Because Valentine’s Day happens on a Monday this year, we will have to take a one-week break from the Pub Quiz so that the Valentine’s Day crowds can be accommodated. If you are desperate for trivial fun, I will be hosting a Pub Quiz-themed fundraiser for Sunrise Rotary Club at International House on Thursday the 17th. Last year at this event the participating teams raised over $1,000 for Haiti Disaster Relief. Visit www.davisrotary.org/ to find out more about this fine civic organization and the February 17th event (which by now may be sold out).
Even though I have not yet watched this year’s Superbowl (I have it Tivo-ed), you can be sure that I’ll be asking Superbowl-related questions tonight, so feel free to bring at least one person who watched the game. Other questions will concern the letter K, Shakespearean geography, internet culture, supermodels, animated comedies, grouchy former Senators from Wyoming, superheroes (x2), spectacles, football, insects, hellcats, underwear, the automotive industry, the vocabulary of flame wars, Nobel laureates, prayers, telegraphy, Afghanistan, trendy books from last decade, unrest in the Middle East, organic compounds, blockbuster movie stars, gay marriage, and classical composers.
If you have friends who would benefit from receiving this newsletter, please refer them to the yourquizmaster.com website so they can sign up. I hope you can join us tonight for your last Pub Quiz fix until February 21!
Your Quizmaster
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Here are five questions from last week’s quiz:
1. Mottos and Slogans. According to the company’s commercials, what kind of beer “Tastes great” and is “less filling”?
2. Internet Culture. Last week’s Viral Video. In a 1994 episode of what morning show did a host ask this now-famous question: “Alison, could you explain what internet is?”
3. Newspaper Headlines. What is the name of the current President of Egypt?
4. Four for Four. Which of the following American cities, if any, are south of Los Angeles? Memphis, Tennessee; Mobile, Alabama; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Tulsa, Oklahoma
5. Mine Disasters. In what US state did the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster take place?
Friends of the Pub Quiz, and those curious about all the fun and fuss associated with the Pub Quiz, should come to de Vere’s Irish Pub in Davis (217 E Street), the highly esteemed pub and restaurant that fills up every night because of the superb quality of food, drink and company that can be found there. The de Vere’s Irish Pub Pub Quiz takes place every Monday at 7pm, though players are encouraged to arrive early to claim a table. As always, find out more about the Pub Quiz by visiting https://www.yourquizmaster.com. For more on de Vere’s Irish Pub, visit http://deverespub.com/.