Problem: Brown was born in Mineola, a small segregated town in east Texas marked by racial tensions, to Minnie Collins Boyd and Lewis Brown. Brown was the fourth of five children. During Brown's childhood, mob violence periodically erupted in Mineola, keeping African- Americans from voting. His first job was a shoeshine boy in a whites-only barber shop.

As Mayor of San Francisco, Brown was often portrayed mockingly but affectionately by political cartoonists and columnists as a vain emperor, presiding in a robe and crown over the inconsequential kingdom of San Francisco. He enjoyed the attention this brought to his personal life, disarming friends and critics with humor that directed attention away from the policy agendas he was pursuing. Brown's flamboyant style made him so well known as the consummate politician that when an actor playing a party politician in 1990's The Godfather Part III did not understand director Francis Ford Coppola's instruction to model his character after Brown, Coppola fired the actor and hired Brown himself to play the role. Brown later appeared in 2000's Just One Night as a judge. He also played himself in two Disney films, George of the Jungle and The Princess Diaries, and the 2003 Universal release Hulk as the mayor of San Francisco. He appeared as himself, alongside Geraldo Rivera, in an episode of Nash Bridges. He also made a cameo appearance in the 1984 Jefferson Starship music video "Layin' It on the Line" (depicting a futuristic 1988 presidential campaign). Brown was criticized in 1996 for his comments that 49ers backup quarterback Elvis Grbac was "an embarrassment to humankind." He was criticized in 1997 for responding to Golden State Warriors player Latrell Sprewell choking his coach P. J. Carlesimo by saying, "his boss may have needed choking." In 1998, Brown contacted the Japanese television cooking competition Iron Chef, suggesting San Franciscan Chef Ron Siegel to battle one of the Iron Chefs. Brown appeared on the telecast himself, enthusiastically promoting the Chef. Siegel won the battle, in a rare clean sweep against Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai. Brown remained neutral throughout the 2008 presidential campaign. Brown has been working in recent years as a radio talk show host and as a pundit on local and national political television shows and is seen as attempting to build credibility by abstaining from endorsing candidates for office. "I've never been high on endorsements," Brown said. "When you get one, all it does is keep the other guy from getting one. Really, what did getting John Kerry's endorsement do to help Barack Obama?"

Was he ever serious in the public?

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Problem: Blink-182 (often stylized as blink-182; pronounced "blink one eighty two") is an American rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Since 2015, the lineup of the band has consisted of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, drummer Travis Barker, and guitarist and vocalist Matt Skiba. Founded by guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, Hoppus and drummer Scott Raynor, the band emerged from the Southern California punk scene of the early 1990s and first gained notoriety for high-energy live shows and irreverent lyrical toilet humor. Blink-182 was initially known as Blink until an Irish band of the same name threatened legal action; in response, the band appended the meaningless number "-182".

Eventually, the band appeared for the first time on stage together in nearly five years as presenters at the February 2009 Grammy Awards, announcing their reunion. The trio embarked on a reunion tour of North America from July to October 2009, with a European trek following from August to September 2010. The recording process for Neighborhoods, the band's sixth studio album, was stalled by its studio autonomy, tours, managers, and personal projects. DeLonge recorded at his studio in San Diego while Hoppus and Barker recorded in Los Angeles--an extension of their strained communication. The self-produced album--their first without producer Jerry Finn--was released in September 2011 and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. Its singles--"Up All Night" and "After Midnight"--only attracted modest chart success, and label Interscope was reportedly disappointed with album sales. "Despite growing evidence of remaining friction between the members," the band continued to tour in the early 2010s. They headlined the 10th Annual Honda Civic Tour in North America from in 2011, and toured Europe in 2012. The band left Interscope Records that October, and subsequently released Dogs Eating Dogs, an EP, in December 2012. The trio toured Australia in 2013; Brooks Wackerman replaced Barker on drums as Barker was unwilling to fly after his plane crash. These dates were followed with a small North American tour, and a series of shows celebrating the tenth anniversary of the band's self-titled album that November. The band played a European tour in August 2014, culminating in them headlining the Reading and Leeds Festivals; it was the band's fourth appearance at the festival and second headlining slot. The reunion of the band has been characterized as dysfunctional by both Barker and DeLonge. Hoppus commented on this era of the band in a later interview: "Everything was always very contentious. There was always just a strange vibe. [...] I knew there was something wrong." In his memoir, Can I Say, Barker claims DeLonge's behavior on tour was "introverted" until "money started coming in," after which "he'd get excited about Blink." He states DeLonge abruptly quit sometime in mid-2014, and rejoined the following day. The group planned to begin writing their seventh album in January 2015, which had continually seen delays. "I'd do interviews and I just felt awful for fans because they were promised albums for years and we couldn't do it," Barker later said. A record deal was finalized and sessions were booked before DeLonge's manager informed the band he intended to spend more time on "non-musical activities" and indefinitely depart the group. In his own statement, DeLonge remarked that he "Never planned on quitting, just find it hard as hell to commit." After these events, Barker summarized the band's reunion: "Why Blink even got back together in the first place is questionable."

What happened in 2009?

Answer with quotes:
Eventually, the band appeared for the first time on stage together in nearly five years as presenters at the February 2009 Grammy Awards,