Would Jim Bunning please cut it out so we can announce this week's ScuttleButton winner?
Yes, ScuttleButton, America's favorite distraction, does add billions to the deficit, but so what? What bugs me is that how could someone who once threw a perfect game not understand that this too is a perfect game?
Maybe he just doesn't know how to play?
Of course, it's easy. Just check out my button puzzle found on this blog each Friday. It's a rebus: Simply 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 awhile back was "Minnesota Twins" -- not political at all, unless you're thinking Mondale and Humphrey instead of Killebrew and Oliva.
Jodi Rell Governor -- A Connecticut Republican, she replaced John Rowland in 2004, elected on her own in 2006, and is retiring this year.
Paris Match.com -- The French magazine.
Column E / Save Hudson County -- From a local New Jersey election.
O (on a map of Illinois) -- Richard Ogilvie, the Republican governor of Illinois, unsuccessfully sought re-election in 1972.
So, when you add Jodi + Match + E + O, you might end up with ...
Joe DiMaggio. The Yankee Hall of Fame center fielder. Yes, baseball season is fast approaching.
(I'll be honest here: There were more than a few answers that suggested Ralph Macchio, the actor who starred in The Karate Kid, which makes no sense to me. How did they get Ralph out of this?)
OK, I'll worry about that another time. This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Jim Terr of Santa Fe, N.M.
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.
It's hard to say what's sadder: the events that led up to today's announcement that Gov. David Paterson won't run again, or this week's ScuttleButton puzzle. Neither is especially defensible.
You remember how to play, right? It's simple. Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
Five Republican senators broke ranks yesterday to vote with Democrats to kill a GOP filibuster on Harry Reid's "jobs" bill.
None of the five, however -- and this includes Scott Brown of Massachusetts -- sent in answers to last week's ScuttleButton puzzle.
Maybe they don't know how to play?
It's easy. Just check out my button puzzle found on this blog each Friday. It's a rebus: Simply 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 awhile back was "Minnesota Twins" -- not political at all, unless you're thinking Mondale and Humphrey instead of Killebrew and Oliva.
Hoosier Family Values / Evan Bayh Senate -- A nice picture button of Susan & Evan Bayh and their (then) two young children from Bayh's 1998 re-election campaign.
Ken Starr for President -- A reaction to someone else's family values.
Wait Until You've Heard Frank Church -- A button urging Democrats not to commit to a 1976 presidential candidate until Idaho Sen. Church gets in the race.
So, when you add Evan + Ken + Wait, you might end up with ...
Evan Can Wait. Or, more appropriately, Heaven Can Wait -- The 1978 movie starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie. Yes, yes, a remake of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan," but to me it's not even close; I love the '78 version. Charles Grodin and Dyan Cannon are delightfully evil in this one.
This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Lisa Daly of Syracuse, N.Y.
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.
Like Tiger Woods, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior. Yes, I could have had this week's ScuttleButton puzzle up hours earlier. But I didn't. I accept responsibility.
You remember how to play, right? It's simple. Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
NBC won't cover it from Vancouver. ESPN won't even touch it. Apparently it's up to me to announce the winner of the latest ScuttleButton puzzle.
But first, as always ... a reminder on how to play.
It's easy. Just check out my button puzzle found on this blog each Friday. It's a rebus: 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 awhile back was "Minnesota Twins" -- not political at all, unless you're thinking Mondale and Humphrey instead of Killebrew and Oliva.
Damn Straight! It's Time for a Black Presidential Candidate -- From Chicago, shortly after Harold Washington was elected mayor in 1983, it was one of the first buttons that led to Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign.
Our Values/Our Vision / Henry Hyde / Our Congressman -- More Chicago. Hyde was the longtime Republican from Illinois who served from 1975 to 2006.
Peace sign in front of Capitol -- Anti-Vietnam War button, circa 1969-70.
So, when you add Black + Hyde + Peace, you might end up with ...
Black Eyed Peas -- The hip hop group that features Will.i.am and Fergie. Bet you never thought you'd see those names featured in Political Junkie.
This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Jess Walter Soete of Columbia, Mo.
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.
What have I done, you ask, in the week that I've been stranded at home because of the snow?
Simple: Wait for Friday and the new ScuttleButton puzzle!
Even I wonder if I remember how to play.
Wait. It's coming back to me.
Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
I'm sitting and looking out the window, amazed at the snow that doesn't seem to know how to stop. And I'm wondering ... how does this affect this week's ScuttleButton winner?
Even more important: Does everyone still remember how to play the game?
It's easy. Just check out my button puzzle found on this blog each Friday. It's a rebus: 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 awhile back was "Minnesota Twins" -- not political at all, unless you're thinking Mondale and Humphrey instead of Killebrew and Oliva.
Don't Pay War Taxes (with picture of Henry David Thoreau, famous 19th century tax resistor) -- classic anti-war button.
The Tin Man -- from the 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz".
Ing -- this is a button puzzle on its own. "Ing" on a solid green button stands for Green-Ing, or Alaska Sen. Ernest Gruening (D), one of two senators who voted against the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin resolution that was used to justify the sending of U.S. troops to Vietnam.
So, when you add Pay + Tin Man + Ing, you might end up with ...
Peyton Manning -- who, if memory serves, was the losing quarterback of last Sunday's Super Bowl.
This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Nathan Sanders of Okemos, Mich.
You should also know that for the first time in ScuttleButton history, the original random winner this week FORGOT TO INCLUDE HIS CITY AND STATE! And thus, he was disqualified.
We don't fool around with the rules here at Political Junkie.
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.
Ok, the snow is starting to come down, and people in Washington are fleeing for their lives. Might as well solve this week's ScuttleButton puzzle as soon as possible!
Don't forget how to play.
It's simple. Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
Last week's ScuttleButton puzzle failed to earn an Oscar nomination, and with good reason; it was pretty easy. But before we announce the answer, as well as this week's winner, a reminder on how to play.
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.
N.Y. Republican State Committee Guest -- Button from the Nelson Rockefeller era in New York.
Jennings for Governor? Uff Da! -- A Democratic button from Minnesota commenting on the gubernatorial candidacy of Republican Dave Jennings in 1990. Uff da is of Norwegian origin, and it means something like "I am overwhelmed," or "I can't believe it!" In any event, not a pro-Jennings button.
UAW Member -- Button from the United Auto Workers union.
So, when you add State + Uff da + Union, you might end up with ...
State of the Union -- And by sheer coincidence, President Obama delivered his last week to a joint session of Congress.
This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Jessica Peterson of Homewood, Calif. Yes, the winners are truly chosen at random, but the timing of this one was especially nice, as Jessica tells us in this note that accompanied her answer:
Thank you for another easy one. It helps me feel smart while sitting here recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery all hopped-up on pain meds. There's not a whole lot that's made me intelligent this week, so I appreciate all the help I can get.
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.
No football this weekend (sigh), unless you care about the Pro Bowl. Might as well focus on the new ScuttleButton puzzle.
And, as always, I might as well remind you on how to play.
It's simple. Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
The state of the weekly ScuttleButton puzzle is good!
So good that it's time to announce this week's winner. Or should I say, winners. But first, before I explain, a reminder of how to play the game.
Simply check out my button puzzle in this space 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.
I Am Proud To Be An American -- A World War II-era button, the ultimate patriotic slogan.
Eye Care For You -- Courtesy of an optician friend (who was always a good pupil in school).
picture button of Bob Dole -- the 1996 Republican nominee for president.
So, when you add American + Eye + Dole, you might end up with ...
American Idol -- the Fox TV show where contestants can sing to their heart's content and within years find that their father has been elected senator from Massachusetts.
Anyway, this week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ...
Carol Martini of Chickamauga, Ga.
Wait. Wasn't Carol the randomly-selected winner back on June 16?
She most certainly was. And so, in the interest of keeping ScuttleButton players happy, another person has been randomly selected to share the "winnings." At that person is ... Chuck Dalldorf of Petaluma, Calif.
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.
I guess you're aware of this milestone as much as I am -- This is one of the last ScuttleButton puzzles you'll be able to solve before Rielle Hunter's daughter turns two.
Makes you think, doesn't it? And here's how to play.
Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
I think the only thing that would give today's Senate race in Massachusetts the perfect ending would be for it to end in a long, disputed recount. People haven't been yelling and screaming at each other enough; this would really help.
Another help, according to some, would be an easier ScuttleButton puzzle. Compared to the previous puzzle -- "War and Peace" was the answer -- the last one was too difficult for many. The same people who complain about the easy puzzles complained that this one was too hard. Boo hoo hoo!
Before we announce this week's winner, a reminder on how to play.
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.
What We Need Is Love As Our Assemblyman -- A New York Republican from 1968.
Vernon Jolley U.S. Congress -- He was the Democratic nominee against Rep. Marge Roukema (R) in New Jersey's 5th District in 1986.
Catalyst for Change / Shirley Chisholm for President -- Chisholm, an African-American member of the House from Brooklyn, sought the Democratic nomination for president in 1972.
So, when you add Love + Vernon + Shirley, you might end up with ...
Laverne and Shirley -- the ABC sitcom that ran between 1976 and 1983, starring Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams.
Anyway, this week's schlemazel winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Paddy McGuire of Portland, Ore.
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.
It is heart-rending and emotionally moving to see President Obama and former President Clinton doing what they can to help those who so desperately need it. Of course, I'm talking about Martha Coakley, the Democratic Senate candidate in Massachusetts.
Hopefully, before the president flies up to Boston on Sunday, he and the rest of the nation will find the time to figure out this week's ScuttleButton puzzle.
Here's how to do it: Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
Yes, if you must know, I felt quite uncomfortable upon learning that Sen. Harry Reid told a reporter that Ken Rudin had "no Negro dialect." But I'd be more uncomfortable if he criticized my weekly ScuttleButton puzzle, which fortunately he did not.
And with that out of the way, it's time to announce this week's ScuttleButton winner.
But first, a reminder about 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.
Impeach Earl Warren -- Conservatives, led by the John Birch Society, pushed for the impeachment of the Supreme Court's chief justice in the 1950s.
Peace sign -- From the 1969 anti-Vietnam War moratorium.
So, when you add Warren + Peace, you might end up with ...
War and Peace. Which is both an 1869 Russian novel by Leo Tolstoy AND the easiest ScuttleButton puzzle in ScuttleButton history.
Anyway, this week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Craig Wallace of Olympia, Wash. Craig took one look at the puzzle and wrote, "It's either the famous mobster Earl 'Fingers' Soprano or the famous Russian novel which everyone has heard of but which no one has ever actually read." I suspect Craig was really guessing the latter.
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.
How many babies has Peter Orszag had since the last ScuttleButton puzzle? I've lost count. All I know is that this is the first puzzle for 2010 and you'd better solve this one quick before something else happens.
But first, as always, you need to know how to play the game.
Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
I've heard, as I'm sure you have, people complain that the Indian who inexplicably showed up at the White House the other day didn't have reservations. I think the real focus should be less on bad jokes like that one and more on the fact that I skipped a week of doing ScuttleButton puzzles because of the holidays. In any event, it's time to announce the most recent puzzle winner.
But first: Here's 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.
Draft David Duke for Senate -- The white supremacist sought a Senate seat in Louisiana in both 1990 and 1996.
Run Chris Run -- Chris Spirou was the Democratic nominee for governor of New Hampshire in 1984, when he lost to incumbent Republican John Sununu.
What A MESS / McGovern Eagleton Sargent Shriver -- A Republican-inspired button from 1972 mocking the Democratic Party's mess in the aftermath of Eagleton withdrawing from the ticket because of undisclosed health issues and being replaced by Shriver.
So, when you add White + Chris + Mess, you might end up with ...
White Christmas! -- which, for better or worse, much of the East Coast experienced last week.
This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Bob Kennedy of Santa Clara, Calif.
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.
You told me what you wanted this year, and I responded, with this week's ScuttleButton puzzle.
Now put down that eggnog and play the game.
Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck! This is the last ScuttleButton for 2009. Have a Happy and Safe Holiday Season, and I'll see you in 2010.
Let's face it, I don't need 60 senators to tell me last week's ScuttleButton was ridiculously easy to solve. Nearly everyone got it right. But, as always, there's only one winner to announce.
First things first: Here's 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.) If there is one or more buttons horizontally, it's a clue that I'm looking for something plural. 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.
I'm Part of the Oral Majority -- A wise-ass button response to the Moral Majority, circa 1982.
2 Robert Kennedy presidential buttons on the same line -- Kennedy was killed moments after declaring victory in the 1968 California primary.
So, when you add Oral + 2 Robert buttons, you might end up with ...
Oral Roberts -- the televangelist who died this month.
This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Jeff Grill of Mobile, Ala.
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.
President Obama says that while this week's ScuttleButton may be somewhat imperfect, and not especially clever, "it's better than no ScuttleButton at all." And he urges everyone to solve the puzzle, including Nebraska's Ben Nelson.
We agree. But first, as always, you need to know how to play the game.
Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
Also, a reminder: when more than one button is arranged horizontally, it indicates that I'm looking for an answer in the plural.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
I was all set to announce this week's ScuttleButton winner.
Then Joe Lieberman objected.
Actually, I made that up. Yes, the intensity of feelings about the Connecticut senator has been pretty severe. But I would never allow him, or anyone else, to dictate who won the coveted ScuttleButton puzzle award.
Unless I was paid off in buttons.
Besides, it's more important that you know 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.
Historic Peace Mission / Jerusalem 1977 / Menachem Begin / Anwar el-Sadat -- Button commemorating the 1977 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.
Let Us Continue / Young Citizens for Johnson -- President Johnson ran in 1964 promising to continue the job begun by the late President Kennedy.
D'Amato U.S. Senate -- Al D'Amato, a conservative local elected official from Long Island, upset Sen. Jacob Javits in the 1980 Republican primary and went on to win the seat in November.
So, when you add Begin + Let Us + D'Amato, you might end up with ...
Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato. Well, kind of, anyway.
And, for the record, I got a huge amount of e-mails wondering about the propriety of linking Israeli Prime Minister Begin with bacon. Not so kosher, I was told.
Sigh.
Anyway, this week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Beverly Braun of Annapolis, Md.
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.
Now that Jenny Sanford has filed for divorce and her estranged husband, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, is rumored to be moving to South Korea to meet his new "Seoul mate," I figured there was no better time to put up this week's ScuttleButton puzzle.
But, as always, first things first. You need to know how to play the game.
Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
There are fake things in life and there are real things.
Here's one fake thing: the "close friendship" between Gen. Stanley McChrystal and Ambassador Karl Eikenberry that is on parade during today's House and Senate committee hearings.
Here's one real thing: our weekly ScuttleButton puzzle, and the announcement of this week's winner.
First, a reminder on 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.
We Shall Overcome (with a picture of Sitting Bull) -- Button denouncing the treatment of Native Americans in the U.S.
Appel for Congress -- Brent Appel was the 1982 unsuccessful Democratic nominee against Rep. Tom Tauke (R) in Iowa's 2nd District.
Stassen for US -- Former Minnesota Gov. Harold Stassen often sought the Republican nomination for president; this particular button from was from his 1952 effort.
Feinstein 500! -- This is from Dianne Feinstein's 1990 campaign for governor of California against Republican Pete Wilson.
So, when you add Indian + Appel + US + 500, you might end up with ...
Indianapolis 500 -- the famed auto race held every year during the Memorial Day weekend.
This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Dale Parkinson of Turlock, Calif.
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.
Unless you're stuck in your automobile and need your spouse to get you out with a four iron, it's time to play ScuttleButton!
But, as always, first things first. You need to know how to play.
Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
In the scheme of things, with so many crucial life-and-death issues of the day to talk about, I'll be the first to admit there are more important stuff out there than ScuttleButton.
Still, the way I see it, asking you to take a step back from the often ugly world of politics and solve a weekly button puzzle is an innocent distraction. It's fun, it's harmless, and, hopefully, it makes people smile.
And so I want to take time this Thanksgiving week and say, from the bottom of my heart, I am thankful for the thousands of people who have become addicted to playing ScuttleButton each week -- and all the comments you send along with your puzzle answers. I of course read every single one. I'm also thankful for those who appreciate the blog posts and the silliness, as well as the serious discussions of politics and campaigns and issues. Your e-mails and comments and suggestions mean a lot to me.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful -- and safe -- Thanksgiving.
OK, back to ScuttleButton. It's time to announce this week's winner.
First, a reminder on 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.
Reelect Mayor Cucci / Councilman Nagel -- 1980s button supporting Jersey City Mayor Anthony Cucci and a ticket-mate.
Reelect Mayor Cucci / Councilmen Adams O'Reilly Lando Medel -- same as above, only with different ticket-mates.
Overthrow the Government -- Anarchist button, circa mid- to late-'60s.
So, when you add Cucci + Cucci + Coup (which, after all, is shorthand for overthrowing the government), you might end up with ...
Coochie Coochie Coo -- and don't ask me to define this. (Who do you think I am, Charo?)
Lots of people feared that spelling counted on their submissions; rest assured, it did not. Anyway, this week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Jeff Katz of West Roxbury, Mass.
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.
NOTE: ScuttleButton is being replaced by Turkey this week. The puzzle returns on Friday, Dec. 4.
We always talk in our podcast about the "Listener," the one person who listens to "It's All Politics" each week.
Now, it appears there is the "Scuttle."
And that would be Shannon Cuttle, of Raleigh, N.C., who says she's a big fan but also that, after all, she is "SCuttle."
It's hard to argue.
This information comes just in time for today's ScuttleButton puzzle. But, as always, first things first. You need to know how to play ScuttleButton.
Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
Lots of complaints, as usual, about how easy and lame the ScuttleButton puzzles have been lately. In fact, the only person to defend my puzzles as being gutsy and courageous was Bill Belichick.
And what better moment than to announce this week's ScuttleButton winner.
First, a reminder on 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.
Let Me Make One Thing Perfectly Clear / I Am the President / David Frye -- Frye was once a popular impersonator who often mimicked President Nixon.
Keep Dade Moving / Re-elect Burns Governor -- Florida Gov. Haydon Burns, seeking a second term in 1966, lost the Democratic primary to Miami Mayor Robert King High.
Senator D Huddleston -- America wants to know why I keep using the same Kentucky Senate button over and over again.
13 -- It's just a number.
M T W Th / Boo -- F Sa Su Yay! -- A strange button evidently celebrating the weekend.
So, when you add Frye + Dade + D + 13 + Th, you might end up with ...
Friday the 13th. Which happened to be the date of last week's ScuttleButton puzzle. And, oh, my birthday.
This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Dan Mitchell of Oakland, Calif.
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.
The good thing about putting up ScuttleButton on the same day as my birthday is that it saves everyone from having to send TWO separate e-mails. This way, you can combine your heartfelt and sincere "happy birthday" wishes with your answer to this week's puzzle!
But, as always, first things first. You need to know how to play ScuttleButton.
Every Friday on this blog, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
Send your answer (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
Some bad news for ScuttleButton fans: No puzzle this week. NPR employees need to take two more days of furlough in the next year, and my two days are tomorrow and Friday -- I'm escaping to a Florida beach. Next Political Junkie post will be Monday, Nov. 9.
Of course, we would never miss celebrating the latest ScuttleButton puzzle winner.
First, a reminder on 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.
As New Hampshire Goes So Goes the Nation (with a photo of John McCain) -- McCain upset George W. Bush in that state's 2000 Republican presidential primary.
Time for a Change / New York City Needs Louie Lefkowitz for Mayor -- Lefkowitz, then the state attorney general, was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for mayor against incumbent Robert Wagner in 1961.
Bring Yanks Home / Yank the Cops from Harlem / Vote Socialist Workers -- Third-party button from New York, battling the war in Vietnam and police brutality, circa 1966.
Frederick Keys -- A minor league baseball affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. (Wait. Aren't the Orioles also a minor league team?)
So, when you add New + York + Yank + Keys, you might end up with ...
New York Yankees -- who are hoping to win the World Series in Game Six tonight at the Stadium against the Phillies. Say, did I ever tell you I'm a lifelong Yankees fan?
I'll be honest with you. Not everyone was happy with this choice of ScuttleButton. They said it was shameless. Many wrote in the words "New York Yankees" under protest. Some demanded their money back, although it should be pointed out that Political Junkie is free.
Enough whining. This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Sharon McCauley of San Jose, Calif. -- who, I may add, did not send me a cruel aside when submitting her answer.
... unlike, say, Deirdre Carroll of Seattle, who added "Boo! Hiss!" to her answer. (Luis Maldonado of Tampa only added a "Boo.") "Shameless," lamented Jenny Weaver of Mount Orab, Ohio. James Rupert of Muncy, Pa., simply wrote, "I cannot bring myself to answer this week's puzzle." Chuck Ortenberg wrote, "My keyboard is trying to bite me as I type this." It "pained" Johanna Riordan of Philadelphia to send in her answer. Similarly with Laura Viau of Orlando, who added this postscript: "as much as it pains me to give positive attention to the Evil Empire."
Other cruel responses came from Cynthia Dodge of Pearisburg, Va.; Brian Engel of Hiroshima, Japan; Will Ikard of Austin, Texas; Brian Francis of Charlotte, N.C.; Brendan Hutt of Chicago; Debra Winter of Voorhees, N.J.; Maggie Ainslie of Philadelphia (where?); Brian Lehmann of Manchester, Mo.; Sean Walbeck of Bellingham, Wash.; Cory Springhorn of Shoreview, Minn.; and Maura Spiegelman of Silver Spring, Md. All are being sent to Guantanamo.
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.
Now that I think of it, a trick-or-treat ScuttleButton theme would have been appropriate for this week's puzzle. But there are too many important issues out there to focus on something trite like Halloween. As you can see by this week's puzzle.
But always, first things first. You need to know how to play.
Every week, there are buttons displayed vertically. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then. And don't forget to enter my Election 2009 Contest!
How can Majority Leader Harry Reid possibly declare that the health-care bill will include the public option (1) before he knows if he has 60 votes and (2) before we announce this week's ScuttleButton winner?
What was he thinking? That's what I'm trying to figure out.
Of course, it's not that difficult to figure out how to play ScuttleButton.
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.
Some of My Best Friends Are White People -- It's true.
Bob Orr -- Orr, an Indiana Republican, was elected governor in 1980 after serving two terms as lt. gov.
Sketch of Che Guevara -- A Marxist revolutionary and ally of Cuba's Fidel Castro, Guevera was spreading his ideology in South America until he was captured by the Bolivian government and executed in 1967.
Hands holding a peace dove -- An anti-Vietnam War button, circa 1969.
I'm a Lunch Pail Democrat -- The blue-collar, working-class kind of Democrat.
So, when you add White + Orr + Che + Dove + Pail, you might end up with ...
Whiter Shade of Pale -- the 1967 hit song by the British group Procol Harum.
(Ignore the dated video. The song is still great.)
If you must know, my all-time favorite Procol Harum song is Piggy Pig Pig, from the 1970 Home album.
But enough about me.
This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Doug Waldron of Newnan, Ga.
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.
If you've been following the controversy over the White House vs. Fox News skirmish, you're aware of the arguments by the two sides. Fox is not a legitimate news organization. Obama is not a legitimate president.
Now it's gotten worse. The latest charge: ScuttleButton is not a legitimate button puzzle contest. Several people objected to my use last week of a button that simply said "Olympia" when I was looking for the word "snow" in "there's SNOW place like home." Violates the rules, these people said.
Hogwash. I make up the rules as I go along.
But the rules about how to play haven't changed.
Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
A change in approach in the way I announce the weekly ScuttleButton winner.
Each week, during the Political Junkie segment on NPR's Talk of the Nation, I offer up a trivia question, and the first correct responder wins a gorgeous t-shirt. (Less gorgeous is this photo of Neal Conan and me wearing the shirts.)
But there's no similar prize for becoming the randomly-selected solver of the ScuttleButton puzzle. And that is not fair.
Starting this week, the ScuttleButton winner no longer has to search the body of this post to find his or her name. It will now be in the headline.
Maybe one day we'll even have a prize.
OK, back to ScuttleButton, and how to play the game.
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.
Civilians Must Control Their Police -- I suspect this button came out around the time of the 1966 Civilian Review Board measure on the New York City ballot.
Olympia -- Button used by Maine's Olympia Snowe, who as of this writing remains the sole Republican in Congress who has voted for a version of heath-care overhaul.
A Woman's Place Is In the Home, Not On the Ticket -- Hey, I don't make these buttons, I just collect them.
I Like Ike -- The familiar slogan from the successful 1952 presidential campaign of Republican Dwight Eisenhower.
Bring All the Troops Home Now -- From a 1960s anti-Vietnam War demonstration.
So, when you add Their + Snowe + Place + Like + Home, you might end up with ...
There's No Place Like Home -- as Dorothy Gale from Kansas will tell you.
This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is (drum roll) ... Amy Jordan of Overland Park, Kansas. (And seriously, what are the odds of a "no place like home" winner coming from Kansas? I promise this was not rigged!)
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.
A ScuttleButton postscript: Every week, I receive more and more responses to the puzzle, which is very rewarding. And because the winner is truly picked at random, I can't choose someone just because they're from a far-away location. For example, one response last week came from Lukas Vrba in Prague, Czech Republic. Another, from Tim Barnes in Wiesbaden, Germany. Marc Helgesen in Sendai, Japan, and Brian Engel in Hiroshima. I love that ScuttleButton is spanning the globe.
But I was especially moved by the response from Walt Taylor. Walt is an officer on the USS Nimitz, "somewhere near Afghanistan." The fact that ScuttleButton has reached even the USS Nimitz is pretty amazing stuff.
No one was more surprised than I, when that balloon landed yesterday in Colorado, to see nothing in the basket except for this week's ScuttleButton puzzle. A harrowing moment for all concerned.
But it's even more harrowing if you don't know how to play.
Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
On Oct. 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered America.
On Oct. 14, 2009 -- by an amazing coincidence, exactly 607 years and two days later -- we announce the latest ScuttleButton winner.
But unlike Chris, who discovered something without actually knowing what he was looking for, with ScuttleButton, you need to know what you're looking for. And here's how to do it.
As you may know, I'm in Arizona, having a wonderful time meeting the staff of member station KJZZ, as well as its generous (and crucial) donors. I'm especially impressed with the diversity here -- the people, the language, the culture. This morning, while in a supermarket, I noticed "soy milk" ... which I immediately knew means "I am milk."
Enough with the sophisticated jokes. Despite the Nobel Peace Prize going to someone else, I nonetheless present this week's ScuttleButton puzzle.
First, of course, you need to remember how to play.
Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
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.
The news this morning was that Chicago has lost its bid to host the 2016 Olympics.
The announcement came not long after Chicago member station WBEZ decided to drop Talk of the Nation -- and with it the Wednesday Political Junkie segment -- from its programming schedule.
Payback? We'll see. But we do know that Chicagoans can still salvage their weekend by playing this week's ScuttleButton puzzle.
First, of course, is knowing how to play.
Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
I just checked "The New Political Dictionary", the invaluable research tool compiled by William Safire, the former New York Times columnist and wordsmith who died on Sunday. And, as I feared, while there are thousands of political terms explained and defined in the book, there is no mention of "ScuttleButton."
And it's a shame, because ScuttleButton -- unlike Baby Fish Mouth -- is sweeping the nation.
And if it's Tuesday, it's time to announce the latest ScuttleButton winner.
But first things first. You need to be reminded of how to play.
True confessions: I had a ScuttleButton puzzle up and ready to go. And then, late last night, I thought, no, it's not up to ScuttleButton standards. So this morning I feverishly worked with NPR new media maven Claire O'Neill to put up a new one.
And now you know everything about me.
But do you know how to play ScuttleButton?
Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. I usually reveal the answer -- and announce the winner -- in this space on Tuesdays. So you should get your answer in by then.
Last week's puzzle, as I told you earlier, was the only time in ScuttleButton history where everyone sent in the correct answer. In fact, people were so disappointed that the puzzle was so easy and that I wouldn't apologize for it being so easy that I was rebuked by the House of Representatives.
I suspect this week will be a bit different.
Just don't forget how to play.
Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Here's number one. For the first time ever, not one submission to last week's button puzzle was incorrect. Sometimes people are close, but wrong, and sometimes the guesses are so off they boggle the imagination. But everyone figured out last week's puzzle.
Of course, before you figure it out you need to know how to play.
Labor Day has come and gone, and that means the pool is closed. The summer is over. No more takin' it easy. And so it's time to focus on the important things in life. Such as this week's ScuttleButton puzzle.
Just don't forget how to play.
Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
The question facing all Americans, one which President Obama will surely address this evening, is: how can health care be improved if there's only one ScuttleButton winner per week?
It's flummoxed Max Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who is feverishly working on a bill both parties can accept. And it's angered House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who talks longingly for the "ScuttleButton option."
I'm sorry, but there is no option. Just one winner per week.
It's been a week of teases, but ultimately, disappointments.
Let's face it. Eliot Spitzer is not going to run for statewide office in New York next year. Curt Schilling is not going to trade his bloody sock for a Senate race in Massachusetts. Jim Traficant is never going to return from the Planet Traficant.
And now we have some disappointment to share as well.
Because so many people are on vacation this week, a meeting of the ScuttleButton brain trust (see: oxymoron) has resulted in the decision to have a pretty easy one for you this Friday. Why use a clever one if so many people are away and will never see it? So now you know my rationale for this week's clunker.
But the rules of playing the game are the same, easy or not.
Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
There's something sad about summer coming to an end. Vacations are over. School begins. And even more heartbreaking, a reminder that there's only one ScuttleButton winner per week.
Before I announce that person, a quick primer on how to play the game.
What better way to celebrate the life and legacy of Sen. Edward Kennedy than with the latest installment of ScuttleButton.
A tawdry way to get us to this week's puzzle, but that's to be expected of me. More important, do you remember how to play the game?
Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Here's the answer to our last puzzle, which was posted Aug. 14, shortly before my furlough week.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
The thing about me doing my part last week and going on furlough -- something everyone at National Public Radio has to do, part of NPR's attempt to get back to fiscal solvency -- is that it allowed me to sit back and watch all the offers of financial aid come pouring in.
I'm still waiting.
But the good news of the previous week was that ScuttleButton has returned, after some technoglitches (and a vacation) that kept it off the Junkie Web site for three weeks. And many ScuttleButton junkies were thrilled -- I reprint a bunch of their comments below.
But first things first: It's time to announce the ScuttleButton winner.
You've seen the angry protesters. You've seen the terror in their eyes, the anguish in their voices.
What they want -- what they demand -- is the return of ScuttleButton.
Well, for the first time in three weeks, ScuttleButton has returned.
And not a moment too soon. Because my greatest fear was: would people forget how to play?
Actually, it's pretty easy. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Here's the answer to our last puzzle, which was posted July 24.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, and happy Friday!
P.S. With good news comes bad. All next week I am out on a company-mandated furlough. Political Junkie returns on Monday, Aug. 24, and the next ScuttleButton will be on Friday the 28th.
Until we get the kinks out of the new npr.org system -- with apologies to Ray Davies -- there won't be a new ScuttleButton puzzle for at least a couple of weeks. (Read all about it here.)
Lots of supportive tweets on Twitter. Ali Diercks of Bloomington, Ind., calls it a "horrible grievous tragedy." Kris ("Blue Tabbies") writes, "As a consumer, I am outraged." Brian D. Francis of Tehran sums it up best: "The terrorists win."
I'm grieving too. But we still have a new winner to crown for solving last week's puzzle -- which was:
Member Babe Ruth Baseball Club -- Say, did I ever tell you I'm a Yankees fan?
Surf Sex Sin Sharks / PRAY for Rain Snow -- A lot of readers loved this button and wanted to know its history. I have no idea. Does surf lead to sex, which leads to sin, which leads to sharks? And thus we need to pray for rain and snow? Yikes.
Toy for Governor -- Harry Toy lost the Republican nomination for governor of Michigan in 1938.
Lan ... because it's a tough job -- Donald Lan, the New Jersey secretary of state appointed by Gov. Brendan Byrne, sought to succeed Byrne in 1981, but he withdrew from the race prior to the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
So, when you add Babe + Sin + Toy + Lan, you kinda get ...
Babes in Toyland -- which is either a Victor Herbert operetta, a 1961 movie starring Annette Funicello (a ScuttleButton puzzle in itself), or a Minneapolis-based punk rock band.
The winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is (drum roll) ... Ian King of Riverside, Calif.
(And I promise this is a coincidence, but -- speaking of Riverside AND Ray Davies -- one of my favorite Kinks songs is "Sitting By the Riverside." Which you can hear here!)
Check this space in a couple of weeks when, hopefully, ScuttleButton will return.
The new and long awaited revamping of NPR.org, which National Public Radio unveiled on Sunday evening with great fanfare, offers readers a new, clean and easy-to-navigate look.
But with it comes problems with -- gasp! -- illustrating campaign buttons. That's something that affects no one but me.
Thus, until some of the kinks are worked out, ScuttleButton -- my weekly button puzzle that appears in this space every Friday -- will be on hiatus. I'll let you know when it resumes.
When people ask you what ScuttleButton puzzle you were looking at right before Sarah Palin quit as governor of Alaska, you'll remember this one!
Hopefully, you won't quit playing my weekly game. And the way to play, for those of you newbies, is to simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Let's be honest here. I have more experience doing ScuttleButton puzzles than any Supreme Court nominee in the past hundred years.
For those of you coming to this site with empathy, you should know that the ScuttleButton game is a rebus. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Unlike the previous week, there were few reservations with last week's ScuttleButton answer.
But, before we get to the answer and the puzzle's winner, and before having to explain that sorry joke, here's how to play.
Simply 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.
We're in Aspen, Colo., all week, as I've told you umpteen times. We're here for a station visit to Aspen Public Radio and we're making a whirlwind tour of the surrounding area, talking politics, meeting great people, and thanking those who give generously to public radio.
And what better way to repay them than with a new ScuttleButton puzzle??
For those of you coming to this site for the first time, the ScuttleButton game is a rebus. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
In the seven months of the Political Junkie blog -- 28 weeks or so of button puzzles -- there's a ScuttleButton rule that I never spelled out. Unfortunately, last week's puzzle forces me to address the issue.
And that rule is, you cannot take part of a word to arrive at one of your answers. In other words, you can't look at a button that says "Frelinghuysen" and come up with the word "Free." That's against the rules.
And as it happens, this affects this week's ScuttleButton winner.
This Friday, we celebrate the Fourth of July holiday.
So today, one day early, we celebrate another great American tradition: ScuttleButton.
And here's how to play the game.
It's a rebus. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, have fun, and have a happy and safe 4th.
So Mark Sanford calls his girlfriend his soul mate?
I thought she was from Argentina, not South Korea.
The point being, had he focused on solving the latest ScuttleButton puzzle, instead of opening up his heart to the Associated Press, he might have had a chance of political survival.
But he didn't. And he doesn't. And, as a consequence, someone else is this week's ScuttleButton winner.
We're all celebrating the Fourth of July on Friday the 3rd this year -- it was our understanding that there would be no math -- and so ... that means ...
We welcomed in the first week of summer by watching a potential presidential candidate implode right before our eyes. And we saw a true national icon leave us well before his time.
For those of you who are weary, disheartened and exhausted on this can't-come-soon-enough Friday, I only have three words for you:
ScuttleButton!
And here's how to play the game, which is featured every Friday on the Political Junkie blog.
It's a rebus. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)
And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Hundreds of thousands of people are marching in Tehran, demanding tougher ScuttleButton puzzles. Hopefully, this week's will fit the bill.
I keep hearing from people who still have no idea how to play the weekly ScuttleButton game.
Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
ScuttleButton is a regular Friday feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
With so many people now unable to get TV service because the stations began cutting their analog signals this morning, I'm here to remind you that there's still one opportunity for entertainment in this country: ScuttleButton.
The new puzzle is up.
You may have forgotten to get your digital converter boxes, but you shouldn't forget how to play the game. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
ScuttleButton is a regular Friday feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
President Obama speaks for 55 minutes to hundreds of millions of people around the world, and guess how many times he mentioned the word "ScuttleButton."
Precisely.
Well, it's Friday, and a new puzzle is up -- it's tougher than usual -- and I'm here to remind you of the rules. Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? Usually the answer to the rebus is a famous name or a familiar expression. And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
ScuttleButton is a regular Friday feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
President Obama's interview yesterday with NPR covered a wide range of topics. But neither the president, nor NPR's Michele Norris nor Steve Inskeep, managed to mention last week's ScuttleButton puzzle.
Is it because, once again, so many people found it ridiculously easy?
Last week I was in Milwaukee, meeting with the NPR member station and speaking to NPR donors. Consequently, there was no ScuttleButton puzzle.
And there have been consequences.
Since then, the Milwaukee Brewers have coughed up their lead in the National League Central, having been swept by the Twins and then losing a series to the Cardinals. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle's (D) tax raising plans are under attack.
And all because there was no ScuttleButton puzzle last week when I was in Milwaukee.
I think Milwaukee has suffered enough. So ScuttleButton is back. And so are the rules: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? Usually the answer to the rebus is a famous name or a common expression. And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
ScuttleButton is a regular Friday feature on the Political Junkie blog (except when I'm in Milwaukee). Here's the answer to the last puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Now that President Obama has called for fuel mileage standards to be raised, a bunch of our readers are demanding that ScuttleButton puzzle standards be raised as well.
Last week's puzzle was "too easy," complained Judy Keim of West Chester, Pa.; Daniel Polk of Dallas; Joy Ammons of Greenville, Pa.; Michael White of San Mateo, Calif.; Michael DePalatis of Atlanta and Dawn Hewitt of Bloomington, Ind. Debra Kirsch of Bethesda, Md., went further: "Toooooooo easy," she wrote. And Rob Loewy of North Potomac, Md., pleaded, "C'mon, Ken, give us a challenge next time!"
People are constantly asking for hints about solving the weekly ScuttleButton puzzles.
While I usually shy away from doing such things, this week I'm going to make an exception.
As many of you know, this weekend is the running of the Preakness, the second jewel in horse racing's triple crown. And that for the first time in ages, a filly is favored to win it. Well, this week's ScuttleButton has absolutely nothing to do with the Preakness or horse racing.
Hope that helps.
Don't forget the rules: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? Usually the answer to the rebus is a famous name or a common expression. And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
ScuttleButton is a regular Friday feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
A ScuttleButton puzzle just in time for Mother's Day!
Don't forget the rules: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? Usually the answer to the rebus is a famous name or a common expression. And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
ScuttleButton is a regular Friday feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Good luck, have fun, and happy Friday! And Happy Mother's Day!
Some good news for a change: More people are catching ScuttleButton fever than the swine flu.
The fever, in fact, seems to be spreading. In e-mails, on Twitter, and in a note attached to a rock thrown through my window, people are telling me that their lives have been taken over by a need to solve the puzzle before they can get things done around the house. One e-mail sent early Saturday morning -- at 3:10 a.m.! -- was from someone who said they could finally go to sleep because they figured out the answer.
Well, you can't say that ScuttleButton is not topical.
Last week, we used a Jane Harman button in the puzzle, just as the California congresswoman was caught up in a controversy over wiretaps.
Today, there is a David Souter button in the mix.
Don't forget the rules: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? Usually the answer to the rebus is a famous name or a common expression. And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
ScuttleButton is a regular Friday feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
I don't know if last week's ScuttleButton puzzle can be fairly defined as "torture," but it certainly was the toughest one so far.
We'll see how this week's puzzle rates.
Don't forget the rules: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? Usually the answer to the rebus is a famous name or a common expression. And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
This is a regular Friday feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Never before in the history of ScuttleButton puzzles on this site -- a history that goes all the way back to Dec. 5, 2008 -- have there been so few correct answers submitted.
Is everyone focusing on Susan Boyle at the expense of ScuttleButton? (We may have the same initials, but seriously.) Has it come to that?
If you truly hated taxes, then you would have joined other tax resisters this week, such as Ron Paul and Tim Geithner, and participate in the various "tea parties" around the country.
But if you love button puzzles, then you've come to the right place ... because the new ScuttleButton puzzle is up and ready to be solved!
And here's how to do it. Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? Usually the answer to the rebus is a famous name or a common expression. And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
This is a regular Friday feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Much of America is anguishing over the first outrageous action by pirates since Mazeroski's home run in 1960, but I have a solution:
You can solve this week's ScuttleButton puzzle!
And here's how to do it. Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? Usually the answer to the rebus is a famous name or a common expression. And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. Personally, I can't imagine a greater honor.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
I think everyone by now is aware that last week's ScuttleButton puzzle led off with a button from the new governor of North Carolina ... and then, last night, North Carolina won the NCAA tournament ... once again showing to the world the influence of this blog.
And while Ron Paul did not win the NCAA tournament -- it's that other contest, MY March Madness pool, that he's competing in -- we DO have a ScuttleButton winner.
People are having a hard time focusing lately. G-20 or NY 20? Chris Dodd or A-Rod?
What everyone seems to agree on, however, is that -- after a week's absence -- they are happy ScuttleButton has returned.
I may have taken a vacation in the interim, but there's no change in the rules. Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? Usually the answer is a famous name or a common expression. And don't focus on a political answer. It doesn't necessarily have to be political, though it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column; I can't imagine a greater honor. (Or, as Gary Crum of Junction City, Ore., wrote last week, "I'm 66 years old and this is the most important contest I've ever won. Is that pathetic or what?")
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
While I was hard at work, working on my tan in Florida, the least I could do was make my pre-vacation ScuttleButton puzzle the easiest in history (a history that began the week of December 1).
And while the puzzle was indeed a cinch, not everyone remembered to include his or her last name, or city and state, which immediately disqualified them from becoming the official winner. Boo hoo!
Since it's been a while, just a refresher here: All you need to do (besides submitting your name and city/state) is to take one word or one concept per button, add 'em up, and arrive at a saying or a name.
Also: The answer does not necessarily have to be political. For instance, a few puzzles back the answer was "Minnesota Twins" -- not political at all, unless you're thinking Mondale and Humphrey instead of Killebrew and Oliva.
If Not Now WHEN? -- I assume the Hebrew part of the button is the same words as the English, but I don't know its origin.
Irish for President Nixon -- Part of a set of nationalities buttons for Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign.
All Ayes for Lori/National Committee Woman -- The elephant on this button seems to indicate this is for a Republican national committeewoman, but I don't know who this is.
Rural Citizens R for Rockefeller -- From New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller's successful 1962 race.
Give the Smilin' Man a Chance -- with a caricature of Jimmy Carter from his 1976 campaign.
So, when you add When + Irish + Ayes + R + Smilin', you kind of get ...
When Irish Eyes Are Smilin' -- a song that dates back to 1912. And because of all the correct answers that came in (a record ScuttleButton amount!), it's a song I couldn't get out of my head all week.
The winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is (drum roll) ... Gary Crum of Junction City, Ore.
Honorable mention goes to Desmond O'Dwyer of Roscommon, Ireland! Can you blame me?
And yes, I know, most people got it after the first two buttons. That's the dilemma I face. Or, as Janet Pickel of Pittsburgh wrote, "Paraphrasing Goldilocks: this puzzle's toooo easy, last week's was toooo hard! When will you give us a Scuttlebutton that's juuuuust right?"
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.
Last week's ScuttleButton puzzle was so difficult that even AIG employees didn't get it -- and you know they usually get everything.
This week's is simpler. But the rules are still the same: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? (The solution does not necessarily have to be political, but it could be.)
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
This is a regular Friday feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Forget about AIG bonuses. Now we're talking about the REAL deal: announcing the new ScuttleButton winner!
As you know, you don't need a government bailout to win. Instead, simply take one word or one concept per button, add 'em up, and you arrive at a saying or a name. That's all there is to it. No testifying before Congress, no perp walks, nothing remotely like that.
But ... don't forget ... you can't win unless you send in both your name and your city/state.
Also: The answer does not necessarily have to be political. For instance, a few puzzles back the answer was "Minnesota Twins" -- not political at all, unless you're thinking Mondale and Humphrey instead of Killebrew and Oliva.
Keep God In America -- A conservative button, circa 1960s, probably in response to the Supreme Court's ruling about prayer in schools.
Cheer Up They're Still Only 90 Miles Away -- Another button from the right, the same time frame, reminding us that Fidel Castro and his Communist regime are only 90 miles from Florida's shore. (Yes, a lot of words on this button to choose from.)
Gimme Jimmy The Candidate -- He never ran, but he did write. The actor/singer, known for the size of his nose (his nickname was the "Schnozzola"), wrote The Candidate in 1952.
So, when you add God + Only + Nose, you kind of get ...
God Only Knows.
The winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is (drum roll) ... Catherine Vivio of Norway, Mich.
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.
For those of you who can't figure out why Michael Steele continues to say things that get him in hot water, or where their government was when Bernard Madoff was bilking people out of their life savings, here is something else that you may not be able to figure out:
This week's ScuttleButton puzzle.
Weary of people complaining about how easy the puzzles have been in recent times, we decided to turn it up a notch this week. But the process of solving it is still the same: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? (The solution does not necessarily have to be political, but it could be.)
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
This is a regular Friday feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
Everytime I get sick at all the self-promotion that's out there, I find that it calms me down when I try to solve the weekly ScuttleButton puzzle. Except for last week's. Talk about self-promotion!
And I suspect you felt the same revulsion, especially after you took one word per button, added 'em up, and arrived at a saying or a name.
Tom Tauke for Iowa -- The Republican congressman lost to Sen. Tom Harkin (D) in 1990.
Jennings for Governor? Uff Da! -- Jennings, a Minnesota Republican, is a former speaker of the state House who was considered a potential gubernatorial candidate in 1990. I still don't know if this button is pro- or anti-Jennings, though I suspect the latter. "Uff da!" is a Norwegian expression meaning anything from "oh no!" to "ouch!" to "OK." It doesn't really matter. All I care about is that it fit in a ScuttleButton puzzle.
The Nation Needs Richard M. Nixon -- That's for sure! It's a 1960 picture but it's a 1968 button.
So, when you add Tauke + Uff Da + Nation, you kind of get ...
Talk Of The Nation -- America's favorite radio program, especially when what's-his-name is on each Wednesday doing the Political Junkie segment.
The winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is (drum roll) ... Joy Ammons of Greenville, Pa.
Wanna be alerted the moment a new ScuttleButton puzzle goes up on the site? Sign up on our mailing list at politicaljunkie@npr.org.
I was as flummoxed as anyone the other day when Rush Limbaugh said publicly he wants ScuttleButton to fail.
It's up to you to make sure it doesn't.
Here's what you do: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? (The solution does not necessarily have to be political, but it could be.)
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Note: This will be an occasionally recurring feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
I want you all to know that I left a good job in the city to do this blog and come up with weekly ScuttleButton puzzles, and yet people are still not getting the genius behind the contest.
All you have to do is take one word or one concept per button, add 'em up, and you arrive at a saying or a name. That's it. It's not that complicated. It's not that you have to send your cousin to the Dominican Republic for the solution, or something like that.
But ... don't forget ... you can't win unless you send in both your name and your city/state.
Also: The answer does not necessarily have to be political. For instance, a few puzzles back the answer was "Minnesota Twins" -- not political at all, unless you're thinking Mondale and Humphrey instead of Killebrew and Oliva.
Roland Burris for Governor -- The Illinois Democrat has run thrice, losing the primary each time, the most recent in 2002 to some guy named Blagojevich.
Honor/Ribicoff -- This button is from the 1968 re-election campaign of Sen. Abe Ribicoff (D-CT).
Gloria La Riva for Governor/Peace & Freedom Party -- She ran in California in 1994.
So, when you add Roland + Honor + Riva, you kind of get ...
Rollin' On A River -- the refrain heard in Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" song. (Caveat: When I put together this puzzle, I believe I thought the words were "rollin on a river," not THE river. That's ok, actually, since I make up the rules as I go along.)
The winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is (drum roll) ... Sean Walbeck of Bellingham, Wash.
Wanna be alerted the moment a new ScuttleButton puzzle goes up on the site? Sign up on our mailing list at politicaljunkie@npr.org.
I lied at last month's Blagojevich impeachment trial.
I promised I would never use a Burris campaign item in a ScuttleButton puzzle. This week, I broke that promise.
It's too late for you to be a character witness for me. But it's not too late to enter this week's contest. Simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? (The solution does not necessarily have to be political, but it could be.)
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Note: This will be an occasionally recurring feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.
"It's the worry you wake up with and the source of sleepless nights."
Clearly, he was talking about America's inability to figure out last week's ScuttleButton puzzle.
Personally, I don't know what the problem was. All you have to do is take one word or one concept per button, add 'em up, and you arrive at a saying or a name. And, don't forget, you can't win unless you send in both your name and your city/state.
Also: The answer does not necessarily have to be political. For instance, a few puzzles back the answer was "Minnesota Twins" -- not political at all, unless you're thinking Mondale and Humphrey instead of Killebrew and Oliva.
Edward Markey for Congress -- The Massachusetts Democrat was first elected in 1976 and still serves today.
"Du" Burns for Mayor -- Clarence "Du" Burns became Baltimore's first black mayor in 1987 following the resignation of William Donald Schaefer, who was elected governor of Maryland in '86. Later that year, Burns was defeated in the mayoral primary by Kurt Schmoke, another African-American.
Sad button -- well, that's what it is.
So, when you add Markey + Du + Sad, you get ...
The Marquis de Sade, who, I understand, gave rise to sadism, sadomasochism and, even worse, ScuttleButton.
The winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is (drum roll) ... Bunny Salter of Cumming, Ga. Of course, when you combine sadism and Bunny, you get ... Fatal Attraction. But I'm not going there.
Tom Morris of Maplewood, Minn., who submitted a correct answer, wrote, "Whether Marquis de Sade is right or not, I would suggest the reason this came to mind so quickly is only a masochist would listen to your jokes repeatedly on Political Junkie." That's so mean. Maybe Minnesotans deserve only one senator.
And Janet Pickel of Pittsburgh opined that the solution was "painfully" obvious, but she added it must be "torture" trying to come up with a new puzzle each week. I must "rack my brain" trying to come up with them. Note to Tom: Remember, it could be Janet who comes up with these jokes each week.
Wanna be alerted the moment a new ScuttleButton puzzle goes up on the site? Sign up on our mailing list at politicaljunkie@npr.org.
(And as for our contest to give a genuine 1968 Nixon for President button to the first person who correctly names the next HHS secretary ... we're still waiting for an announcement just as you are.)
Nobody seems to be happy with the new budget California lawmakers passed and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed. A lot of draconian budget cuts and tax increases.
They could have done what I did: make some recent ScuttleButton puzzles so easy that everyone would have come away feeling happy about themselves.
But if people in the Golden State are going to have to suffer with the new reality, then so should those who play the button puzzle. And so no easy stuff this week.
How to play: take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and whaddaya get? The solution does not necessarily have to be political, but it could be.
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state -- you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Note: This will be an occasionally recurring feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Allegations that Roland Burris failed to disclose that he received the answers to ScuttleButton puzzles in advance may ultimately end his Senate career. It's the kind of lapse that lawmakers are not known to condone.
But until they trace the leaks to us, we continue with the contest. And here's how to play: Just take one word or one concept per button, add 'em up, and you arrive at a saying or a name. And, don't forget, you can't win unless you send in both your name and your city/state.
Also: The answer does not necessarily have to be political. For instance, a few puzzles back the answer was "Minnesota Twins" -- not political at all, unless you're thinking Mondale and Humphrey instead of Killebrew and Oliva.
Last week's puzzle was neither political nor especially difficult to solve.
Annul Joe Kennedy -- A lot of reader queries on this one. Joe Kennedy, son of the late New York Sen. Robert Kennedy, was a Democratic congressman from Massachusetts. In 1991, Joe divorced his wife. She later learned that he had gotten the marriage annulled by the Vatican so he could have a church marriage with his second wife (whom he married in a civil ceremony in '91). Sheila Rauch, his ex-wife, was outraged that the church could decide that the marriage never happened even after 12 years and two children, and in 1997 she wrote a memoir detailing her side of the story. The "annul" button came out shortly after. Kennedy, who was thought to have eyes on the governorship, decided to retire from electoral politics after 1998.
No Public Financing for Politicians -- This button came from the New York Conservative Party in 1974.
Radio and T.V./Keating -- Kenneth Keating was a one-term Republican senator from New York who was defeated for re-election in 1964 by Bobby Kennedy.
So, when you add Nash + Annul + Public + Radio, you get ...
National Public Radio, that left-wing/right-wing/anti-Republican/Bush apologist (according to my e-mails) news organization that has employed me, for better or worse, since 1991.
The winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is (drum roll) ... Kathryn Nulk of Eleva, Wis. She becomes the first ScuttleButton winner in history to come from Eleva, Wis.
Wanna be alerted the moment a new ScuttleButton puzzle goes up on the site? Sign up on our mailing list at politicaljunkie@npr.org.
(And as for our contest to give a genuine 1968 Nixon for President button to the first person who correctly names the next HHS secretary ... we are expecting to announce that winner next week.)
Let's be honest here. There is no better Valentine's Day present -- not flowers, not chocolate, not a new commerce secretary -- than a new ScuttleButton puzzle. And even though we've only been dating a few months, I feel I know you well enough to give that to you this morning.
But that means you have to fulfill your end of the bargain. Thus, you need to solve the button rebus by taking one word (or concept) per button, adding 'em up, and coming up with the answer. The solution does not necessarily have to be political, but it could be. The solution could be easy or tricky, but that's up to you. (Hint: this week is not tricky.)
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Note: This will be an occasionally recurring feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to the last puzzle.
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be the first on your block to receive notice when a new puzzle goes up on the blog. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Good luck -- and Happy Valentine's Day. (Hint: the answer to this week's puzzle is not "Happy Valentine's Day.")
The benefits of the worsening economy are obvious: More people found time to participate in last week's ScuttleButton puzzle than ever before. The bad news: There can be only one winner.
And the way you become that winner is by sending in the answer to the rebus. Just take one word or one concept per button, add 'em up, and you arrive at a saying or a name. And, don't forget, you can't win unless you send in both your name and your city/state.
What I failed to tell people -- and this is my fault -- is that the answer does not necessarily have to be political. For instance, a few puzzles back the answer was "Minnesota Twins" -- not a political answer, unless you're thinking Mondale and Humphrey instead of Killebrew and Oliva.
Ben Cardin for Senate -- the Maryland Democrat defeated Michael Steele in the 2006 campaign to succeed retiring Sen. Paul Sarbanes.
Roth for Governor -- William Roth finished fourth in the 1974 Dem primary in California.
Liz for Chairman -- thought to be a button for someone running for chair of the California Democratic Party.
Whopper Beats Big Mac -- what can I say?
Anyway, when you add Ben + Roth + Liz + Berger, you get ...
Ben Roethlisberger, the quarterback of the Super Bowl-winning Pittsburgh Steelers! (Anu Devkota of Chesterfield, Mo., can't figure out why I have a Whopper/Big Mac button in my collection. Neither can I.)
Anyway, the winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is (drum roll) ... Ryan LaFountain of Athens, Ga. Ryan is now on the short list to be the next secretary of health and human services.
Wanna be alerted the moment a new ScuttleButton goes up on the site? Sign up on our mailing list at politicaljunkie@npr.org.
(And don't forget, the contest to name the next HHS secretary is still going on as well; click here for details and go to the bottom of the post.)
You got it -- it's time for another ScuttleButton puzzle! And you don't have to have paid your taxes to win!
What you have to do, of course, to solve the button rebus is this: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and what do you get?
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Note: This will be an occasionally recurring feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to the last puzzle. (Sorry, we would have had a contest last week, but I figured that it was better that you read my 4,834 posts during the battle for RNC chairman.)
Plus, you can add your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, a list from where President Obama will choose the next HHS secretary. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org.
And speaking of which, it's not too late to join our contest to pick the next HHS secretary! Details are at the bottom of this Junkie post.
You may not have to pay your taxes to become Treasury secretary, but you need to understand how button puzzles work if you want to be the ScuttleButton winner. There's no two ways about that.
And you start by taking one word or one concept per button to arrive at a saying or a name.
I did give you a hint on this one. Usually the buttons are assembled vertically. This time, two of them were displayed horizontally, and I told you that that indicated the word I was looking for was plural.
below that, two other Kennedy for President buttons (both with a picture of RFK)
A surprisingly large number of folks guessed the punk rock group "Dead Kennedys." One, I wouldn't be that crass in doing the puzzle. But if that were the answer, why one JFK and two RFKs?
So ... when you add JFK with two RFKs, you get ...
John Roberts!
(Yes, the chief justice. And please don't ask me to allow a do-over, even though we allowed him to do one. Though I did like the response from David Zuckerman of Baltimore, who, when told he got it wrong on his initial guess, wrote, "It's only fitting that I bungled the first attempt.")
Anyway, the winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is (drum roll) ... Robin Winning of Santa Rosa, Calif.
We're still hours away from hearing New York Gov. David Paterson announce that his choice for the Senate is Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand. We don't know for sure if the Blagojevich impeachment trial will begin on Monday. And pitchers and catchers don't report until Feb. 12.
It may be Friday, but we're restless, cranky, fidgety. What to do?
Of course! It's time for ScuttleButton!!
And you know what that means. It's time to solve the button rebus: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and what do you get?
(This week, for the first time, some buttons are lined up horizontally. And here's a hint: that means the word[s] I am looking for is/are plural.)
Anyway, a correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Note: This will be an occasionally recurring feature on the Political Junkie blog. Here's the answer to last week's puzzle.
Plus, you can add your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, which, for some people, is even better than getting appointed to the Senate. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org.
There's only one thing more exciting than the inauguration of a new president, and that's the announcement of a new ScuttleButton winner. I'm sure you will agree.
There's no mystery in how to be inaugurated as president. You simply need to win a majority of the electoral votes at stake on Election Day.
But being the ScuttleButton winner is much different.
First, you have to solve the rebus. You need to take one word or one concept per button to arrive at a saying or a name.
Caricature of a man's head on a chicken's body -- this is actually former Texas Gov. Bill Clements (R). If memory serves, he either threw a rubber chicken at his 1978 Democratic opponent, John Hill, at a dinner, or somebody threw it at him. Whatever. At least there was a button commemorating the event.
Ed Koch for Governor -- the mayor of New York City sought the Democratic nomination for governor of New York in 1982, but he lost the primary to Mario Cuomo.
A -- a button from the Anarchist Party. I got this from an Anarchist book store in Manhattan in the early '70s.
Photo button of Margaret Thatcher -- the former British prime minister.
Anyway, when you add Chicken + Koch + A + Tory (Thatcher's political party), you get ...
Chicken Cacciatore!
The winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is (drum roll) ... Tom Unzicker of Hillsboro, Ore.
Congratulations Tom! You have executed the button puzzle faithfully.
Unreported by the mainstream media is that in yesterday's Senate vote releasing bailout funds, money for another ScuttleButton puzzle was included. Many lawmakers voted against this provision, upset with last week's "Baby Fish Mouth" puzzle. Hopefully, they'll like this one better.
Here's what you need to do to solve this rebus: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and what do you get?
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Note: This will be an occasionally recurring feature on the Political Junkie blog.
Plus, you can add your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, even though these are the first people they will come after when you-know-who takes over. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Yeah, sure. You all complain that the ScuttleButton puzzles have been too easy. So what happens when I try to make it a bit more difficult? A drastic drop-off in guesses.
Easy or difficult, the rules remain the same. In order to solve the rebus, you need to take one word or one concept per button to arrive at a saying or a name.
"Keep the Faith Baby" with a photo of Adam Clayton Powell -- a favorite slogan of Powell, the legendary New York congressman.
I'm Voting For Hamilton Fish Jr. -- an upstate New York Republican congressman who served on the House Judiciary Committee during the Nixon impeachment hearings.
Caricature of man with tape over his mouth -- actually, this is Mark Plotkin, once a political commentator for D.C. public radio station WAMU (now with commercial station WTOP); the theme behind the button is that Plotkin likes to talk too much.
Anyway, the answer: Baby Fish Mouth! -- the memorable (to some!) line from Bruno Kirby during the charades scene in When Harry Met Sally. In case this classic scene escapes you, here it is.
The winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is (drum roll) ... Susan Daigle-Leach of Prescott, Ariz.
The last ScuttleButton puzzle ("Merry Christmas") was "too easy," wrote Kyle Dirck of Odessa, Mo.Brooks Hilliard of Phoenix, Ariz., wrote the exact same thing. The answer was "pretty obvious," echoed Jean Cappello. "Even I can get this one," sniffed Brook Soltvedt of Madison, Wis.
OK. You asked for it. This one is a bit tougher.
(Though, for the record, NPR producer Evie Stone got it in 3 seconds. But that's because she thinks like I do. Which is distressing for Evie.)
Here's what you need to do to solve this rebus: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and what do you get?
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Note: This will be an occasionally recurring feature on the Political Junkie blog. You can still see last week's contest here.
Plus, you can add your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, even though these are the first people they will come after when you-know-who takes over. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Bad news: President-elect Barack Obama says the recession is not going away anytime soon.
Good news: We have a winner for the last ScuttleButton puzzle!
You'll be forgiven if you can't remember. It was back in December of 2008. The rebus consisted of three buttons; your job was to take one word or one concept per button to arrive at a saying or a name.
The buttons:
Mary Louise Foust for Governor -- she was a 1963 Democratic hopeful in Kentucky.
Run Chris Run -- Chris Spirou was the Democratic nominee for governor of New Hampshire in 1984.
What a MESS / McGovern Eagleton Sargent Shriver -- a button mocking the 1972 Democratic presidential ticket(s).
The answer: Merry Christmas! (Mary ... Chris ... Mess)
The winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is (drum roll) ... Chris Collins of East Greenbush, N.Y.
A new puzzle appears tomorrow. Note: People at NPR who had an early look either got it immediately or couldn't solve it at all. Good luck!
Wait, wait, wait! Before you leave town -- to be with family and friends and celebrate the holidays -- you must first take time out to check out this week's ScuttleButton puzzle. It's the last one of the year, and we can't guarantee prices will stay the same come 2009.
The concept is the same, though: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and what do you get?
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Note: This will be an occasionally recurring feature on the Political Junkie blog. You can still see last week's contest.
Plus, you can add your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, even though these are the first people they will come after when you-know-who takes over. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Friday's button puzzle -- where we lined up three buttons, and your job was to take one word or one concept per button to arrive at a saying or a name -- has produced a winner.
And that winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is (drum roll) ... Maura Spiegelman of Silver Spring, Md.
The answer: Minnesota Twins -- MinnieSodaTwins (that's what you get when you combine the Minnie Mouse button, the Democratic donkey drinking a Pepsi button, and a button celebrating the "Ress Twins").
And, asks Jon Harrison of Reno, Nev., who the heck are the Ress Twins? They're the sons of Manny Ress, whose Emress Specialty Co. (New York City) was among the biggest manufacturers of campaign buttons during the 1950s and '60s. Don't ask why I have that button. I have no idea.
Good news: Because of the shortened week -- though I'll be here blogging every day but Thursday -- a new button puzzle goes up TOMORROW!
There's been a lot of anger expressed lately in my e-mail in box. About the Bernard Madoff alleged Ponzi scheme. About Rick Warren giving the invocation at the Obama inauguration. About Mark Teixeira not going to the Yankees (OK, that last e-mail was from me).
But people seem to be truly up in arms about how easy the last two ScuttleButton puzzles were.
This week, perhaps, is a little tougher.
You know the drill: Take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and what do you get?
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Note: This will be an occasionally recurring feature on the Political Junkie blog. You can still see last week's contest.
Friday's button puzzle — where we lined up three buttons (well, two buttons and an NPR press pass) — has produced a winner.
And the winner, selected at random among the correct responders, is: Brian Tristam Williams of Johannesburg, South Africa.
The answer: It's the Economy, Stupid (when you combine NPR's John Ydstie + Economy + Stupid)
Once again, a so-called button puzzle was only 2/3 buttons. Yes, I broke the rules. Maybe the Illinois state Legislature can add one more impeachment for their consideration. Let 'em try.
Let's be honest here. You're not going to be appointed to the vacant Illinois Senate seat, no matter how much you beg me. But you can, quite possibly, solve this week's ScuttleButton puzzle and see your name in lights!
You know the drill: Take one word or thought per item, add 'em up, and what do you get?
A correct answer chosen at random gets his or her name in this column. If the person is from Chicago, you'll know something is up.
You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.
Note: This will be an occasionally recurring feature on the Political Junkie blog. You can still see last week's contest. As for this week:
-- OK, OK, the first item is NOT a button, it's an NPR ID badge. Sheesh.
-- Anybody know who this Janet character is?
-- Hmm, not really a political button. But it's the best I could do. C'mon, it's Friday!
Friday's button puzzle -- where we lined up three buttons (well, two buttons and a baseball card) — has produced a winner.
And the winner is: Ann Orr of Washington, D.C.
The answer: Saxby Chambliss (Sax + B + Chambliss)
Yes, it was an easy puzzle. Yes, I cheated by using a baseball card. Yes, yes, yes. But rest assured: Future ScuttleButton puzzles will not be this easy.
By the way, among the many answers were some that were especially creative. Kathi Rubin, an assistant professor at Baker College in Owosso, Mich., eschewed a serious answer and instead came up with this ditty:
Lil Bill Blue,
Come blow your sax.
Bush's crony Chambliss won re-election,
But without 60 Democrats can relax.
Erica Ryan of Alexandria, Va., on the other hand, was downright cruel. Deciding to reverse the order of the items, Erica, an online/new media editor here at NPR, came up with, "Yankees B[aseball] Blows." Look, I know all about freedoms and the Internets, but I'm not going to sit idly by while my Yankees are being demonized. Maybe Steinbrenner can buy Erica Ryan.
Two items of note: I turned off the comments section at the bottom of the puzzle page so people won't see an answer while the contest is still going on. And in the future, winners will be chosen at random (rather than first correct answer) — in case people don't get to play the game as soon as it goes up on the site.
How does media bias play into campaign coverage? Do you know the last time two candidates with the same first name ran together on a presidential ticket? Who was the only Native American to become vice president? The youngest woman elected to Congress? What's the scoop on the next round of elections? Find out in Political Junkie, a daily blog by NPR Political Editor Ken Rudin. Want to know more? Check out the blog's FAQ.
