Once again we are thrilled to have this missive from Rocky Sullivan quiz master, Scott Turner. And this week he even sends us a picture of himself. Nice to put a face to a name, eh?

Greetings, Pub Quiz Alamo Memory Merchants…

Brooklyn is Brooklyn.  It's unlike anywhere else.

To be unlike anywhere else, a place has to be a lot like everywhere else.

It then takes that gumbo and cooks up the vibe that renders a taste found nowhere else.

That's why Brooklyn and Texas are two very rough, prickly, vibrant, extravagant feathers of the same extraordinary bird.

Today's Bolt From The Blue Comparison arrives in service of this week's Rocky Sullivan's San Jacinto Day Pub Quiz.  This Thursday Texas is the topic of the Quiz's Music Round, Photo Round and Guest Round, all helmed by Texas native Rachell Turner — no relation, but be assured that at least one of us told gullible classmates that Nat Turner was a distant relative.

The Battle of San Jacinto — war, patriotism, and a really good Pub Quiz event

Yeah…a lot of Brooklynites and Texans might be aghast.  But remember — this isn't lumping together.  That's cattle-car uncomfortable.  Or NYC studio-apartment cramped.

No, this is a celebration of the confluences of the weird and
eccentric — plus a few tawdry scoundrels who deserve the bright red
target they've painted on their own backs.

We begin with…

Attitude.  Brooklyn and Texas are incredibly attitudinal.  From Marty Markowitz's dopey "Leaving Brooklyn — Fugheddaboudit!" signs to "Don't Mess With Texas," both places have a hopped-up sense of self.

Beer.  Both locales' suds have made the rest of the world very happy.  Brooklyn gave up its Brewing Capitol of America crown in the 1950s, but before that Piels, Rheingold and Schaefer all
called Brooklyn home.  Sadly, the borough's current best-known brand,
named after the borough, is an enthusiastic supporter of Bruce Ratner's disastrous Atlantic Yards project.  In Texas, Shiner Bock, Pearl and Lone Star are beloved brews that make the Lone Star State very, very unlonely.

Insane stadiums.  Ratner's disintegrating Barclays Nets
arena is insane.  But that's not the comparison here.  Rather, it's the
100,000 domed realm that Brooklyn and Texas reach across the aisle
for.  Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley wanted to build a 100,000 seat geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller.  Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has built a 100,000 seat dome.  Insane.

Scales of Grandeur.  Texas' affinity for big, bigger, biggest
is legend.  Brooklyn, for all of its little-guy championing, has a
latent and always emerging hunger for The Big.  Markowitz's bizarre Manhattan envy is just Brooklyn's latest love-of-large proclivity. A century ago Coney Island's grand amusement parks were juggernauts.  The Brooklyn Navy Yard during WWII employed 70,000 24 hours a day.  And there's that Nathan's hot-dog eating contest every Fourth of July.

Immigrants.  Brooklyn and Texas have reaped the fruits of people
from other lands.  Despite all the back-patting, neither place is as
opened armed as we like to think or need to be.

Jackalopes and jackass politicians.  Neither Texas nor Brooklyn has a living jackalope, but at least in Brooklyn they're allowed to be off-leash in Prospect Park
before 9 a.m.  As for jackass politicians, we have both in droves. 
Recent times alone have been damaging.  Much of Texas is proud of George Bush and his Crawford cartel, and Governor Rick "We're Seceding From Obama's America" Perry.  Brooklyn?  Texas' infatuation with Bush, Perry, Phil Graham and Tom DeLay is more than matched by Brooklyn's bizarre and self-victimizing love of Michael Bloomberg.

Texas jackalope and jackass

Brooklyn's equivalents, in Prospect Park and 1 Metro Tech

phalluses, comma, big.  Brooklyn wins this competition, but just by a…hair.

churches.  Brooklyn is the Borough of Churches, and there's a rumor making the rounds that Texas itself is taken with religion.

accents. 
Texas and Brooklyn accents always used to turn up together.  Usually in
World War II movies.  Generally, the Brooklyn guy died before the Texas
guy.  Today, the classic Texas accent is alive and well.  Brooklyn? 
Fading, but still there.  Arrivals from elsewhere pick up Texas
accents, but in Brooklyn, they don't.

the Runaway Scrape vs. The Battle of Brooklyn.  In 1836, Sam Houston's
ragged army retreated from Mexican forces and deployed a scorched-earth
policy behind them.  In 2009, Bruce Ratner's ragged forces retreat from
community opposition, the bad economy and his own incompetence,
deploying a scorched-earth policy in Prospect Heights.  Houston's
forces emerged victorious and the Republic of Texas is formed.  Here's where the similarity will likely end.

Sam Houston, architect of the Runaway Scrape, and the architecture of Bruce Ratner's own Runaway Scrape

There're dozens more.  But the time has come to get this Quizmail into the mail.  Let me know what I've left out — I'll send out your Brooklyn-Texas suggestions in the next Quizmail.

Brooklyn…Texas: Different…Yet Not.

* * * * * * * *
Before we get to last week's wrap-up, a note about something exceptional.  Two weeks ago, during a round on Easter, I asked this question: "Which five colors do Peeps come in."  Most teams got all or most of the colors — yellow, white, pink, lavender and purple.  A number of teams insisted — insisted — that green is also a Peep color.

The Rocky Sullivan's Green Peeps Defence Committee was right, and I was wrong.  Green Peeps were introduced in 2007, the newest kids on the Peep block.

How wrong was I?  A package was waiting for me last week at
Rocky's.  I opened it to discover a five-pack of green Peeps and a note
from Anne Olivia Bauco.

Dear Scott,

Please don't think I am a complete crazy-pants for sending your green Peeps.

I don't mind being wrong, it's just that when I know I am right and am told I am wrong, I like to prove it.

In any case, last night was my very first trivia night at Rocky Sullivan's, and I had a great time and can't wait to come back.

Sincerely,

Anne Olivia Bauco

Anne:  I don't think
you're a crazy-pants, complete or even partial.  I'm glad you proved
you were right in the most undeniable way possible — physical proof
sought out, purchased and delivered.  Thanks, Anne, for standing up for
yourself and everyone I left in the lurch.

The Quizmaster and the five tiny marshmallowy horses he should have ridden in on.