We were as shocked as anyone upon hearing Gen. Stanley McChrystal say that an additional 45,000 ScuttleButton winners should be sent to Afghanistan. But not too shocked that we can't post this week's winner.

But first things first. You need to be reminded of how to play.

 

It's easy. Just check out my button puzzle each Friday. Take one word or one concept per button, add 'em up, and arrive at a familiar saying or a name. (Seriously: a saying that people from Earth might be remotely familiar with.) Submit your answer and hope you're the person chosen at random. That's it!

Oh wait. You MUST include your name and city/state to be eligible.

And also remember, the answer does not necessarily have to be political. For instance, the answer to a puzzle a while back was "Minnesota Twins" — not political at all, unless you're thinking Mondale and Humphrey instead of Killebrew and Oliva.

(Wait. As a Yankees fan, did I really just mention the Minnesota Twins??)

Here are last week's buttons, in case you forgot:

Vote Whiplash for El Presidente — "Whiplash," the 2008 presidential "candidate" for Taco John's restaurants, ran on the West-Mex platform. Yeah well.

N / United Citizens Nixon — This button was from Richard Nixon's 1968 successful presidential campaign.

Senator D Huddleston — Walter "Dee" Huddleston, a Kentucky Democrat, served two Senate terms before being unseated in 1984 by Mitch McConnell.

Vote for Bill Jenner for U.S. Senator — Jenner, a conservative Republican from Indiana, was elected to the Senate in 1946.

Russ for US — Sen. Richard Russell of Georgia was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1952.

So, when you add El + N + D + Jenner + Us, you might end up with ...

Ellen DeGeneres — comedienne, talk-show host and new co-judge on American Idol.

This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Chuck Ortenberg of Menlo Park, Calif.

And if you want proof that he was picked completely at random ... Chuck is a Red Sox fan.

Wanna be alerted the moment a new ScuttleButton puzzle goes up on the site? (How can you NOT???) Sign up on our mailing list at politicaljunkie@npr.org.

New ScuttleButton puzzle up every Friday.

Tags: ScuttleButton