People are attacking our embassies around the world for one reason, and one reason only: They want to stop the spread of ScuttleButton puzzles.
But they will not succeed.
ScuttleButton, of course, is that once-a-week waste of time exercise in which each Monday or Tuesday I put up a vertical display of buttons on this site. Your job 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.)
For years, a correct answer chosen at random would get his or her name posted in this column, an incredible honor in itself. Now the stakes are even higher. Thanks to the efforts of the folks at Talk of the Nation, that person also hears their name mentioned on the Wednesday show (by me) and receives a Political Junkie t-shirt in the bargain. Is this a great country 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.
(Why do people keep forgetting to include their name and city/state?)
And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be among the first on your block to receive notice about the column and the puzzle. 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!
By the way, I always announce the winner on Wednesday's Junkie segment on TOTN — eight days after the puzzle goes up. So you should try and get your answer in as soon as possible. But logistically, you have about a week to submit your guess.
Here are the buttons used and the answer to last week's puzzle:
I Love Ringo — Ringo Starr was the drummer for that flash-in-the-pan group from the 1960s, the Beatles.
(picture of a ship) Set All Sails and Elect Capt. F.E. Lovejoy State Senate — A Republican from Washington State who ran in 1938.
"Enter Laughing" — A Joseph Stein musical made into a 1967 movie.
Eyes On the Prize 2010 — A documentary on the civil rights movement that first appeared on PBS in 1987 and was released on DVD in 2010.
So, when you combine Starr + Ship + Enter + Prize, you may just very well end up with ...
Starship Enterprise. The spaceship used in the Star Trek TV series.
This week's winner, chosen completely at random, is ... Amy Budetti of Montclair, N.J. Amy will get a TOTN Junkie t-shirt (which is coming SOON!).
To all those previous winners who are owed a shirt: Remind me again of when you won, and tell me what size you want.
And don't forget to check out this week's Political Junkie column, which focused on the battle for the Senate and includes ratings for all 33 races. Plus: Will John Kerry succeed Hillary Clinton as secretary of state? And a look at others, in addition to Paul Ryan, who ran for national office and Congress at the same time. Click here to read the column.
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