The Wombat File Is Yours to Keep

Late, late, late.

So very late, it's early!

Two Scots give us today's quiz. It's got nothing to do with Memorial Day. It's got nothing to do with anything. It's just what I got.

It's a two-parter:

A physician emigree from Scotland to America's 15th state in 1823 put his scientific and medical knowledge to use for the Pepper family in pursuit of commercial ends, creating a process which made possible a product of enduring popularity. His name was immortalized as one of the most well-known brands of the product, and is still sold today. What is the brand?

The great Scots poet Robert Burns made popular a Scots phrase in his poem "Tam 'O Shanter," as the hero, delighted by the sight of a scantily dressed witch he happens upon. His compliment upon her skimpy attire contained a two-word phrase which passed into common use; the phrase was adopted as the name of a famous vessel built in 1869, which in turn spawned the name of a product in 1923 --and which is still sold today. What is the two-word phrase?

First answer of both wins a tam o'shanter made entirely o'shanter. No Googling or leaving early for your seventy-two-hour stint drinking wine coolers and hanging with your virtual pals in Second Life. Stay the course! One guess at each part per comment, but comment away, ye bonnie bairns.

Posted by BT at 12:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)

I know that at the end of a long week you're all dying for a classic Wombat Quiz preamble. But I'm actually in danger of falling asleep as I type, so I'm going to get right to the point with this week's persimmons and no starch please, I've left my keys in Loretta Lynn's hair, it's getting late and when did we buy that enormous gunnysack? And why am I wet?

See what I mean?

Anyway, here's today's cap-pistol.

"Founded" in 1098, the County of Edessa had a history of not quite a century and a half. The first Count was Baldwin of Boulougne, a nobleman originally from northern France. When his brother died, he ceded Edessa to a cousin and took over the neighboring territory his brother ruled, styling himself as the king, although his brother had not used that title. He died after nearly two decades of successful conquering, as the result of eating some bad fish. Edessa's rule passed to the family of Joscelin of Courtenay, although Joscelin's son eventually lost control of the County, and it ceased to exist as such. Within the area controlled what two modern states did the County chiefly lie? Bonus point: what was the name of the kingdom that Baldwin I ruled after ceding power in Edessa?

First correct answer posted to comments wins a gunnysack, of uncertain provenance. No Googling or ceding power to the faithless descendents of Joscelin of Courtenay. One guess per comment but comment as often as you like.

Posted by BT at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

Now that its presiding spirit has finally left Middle-Earth, will the tower of Barad-Dur collapse into so much dust like it did at the end of Return of the King?

Evidence suggests that, at least, some of the Nazgul are still active.

(On MeFi -- a perspective worth respect.)

Posted by BT at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, my copy of The Secret finally arrived. I'll admit to some excitement...I figured that if Oprah was behind it, then this Byrne woman was finally the one to put it all together. At last, I thought, we're all going to move ahead to the next phase. After so many missed opportunities, it gave me a real charge to imagine a humanity truly transformed by the power of the knowledge that's been both hidden and obvious for so many centuries.

Of course, there's a bittersweet side. The Father in Me is pleased to see human beings on the threshold of fulfilling their divine potential. The Son...well, the Son part of Me did make a really good effort in terms of publishing on this subject. Kinda hurts to imagine it. But sour grapes is just not what I'm about, really.

Anyway, I needn't have gotten myself all worked up. A waste of time, beginning to end. This Byrne character gets caught up in that whole Law of Attraction idea. It's kindergarten logic, but there's a bit of it that's based on the old Wish Fulfillment protocols we had running in Reality 1.0, back in the day. Of course, those were written out of the system shortly after the Eden prototype crashed. I suppose some of the old technical documentation is still circulating, which means I really have only Myself to blame.

It's the same thing with that When God Winks nonsense. When I wink, you'll feel it, Jack. Anybody remember the Tunguska Event?

But it got me reflecting and to be honest, I'm in the end amazed that no one has figured out the actual Secret by this time. Especially because the whole idea was to make it obvious enough that even the benighted human race would stumble upon it. I want to shout, in a city-flattening Voice, "Ask the squirrels, people, just ASK THE SQUIRRELS. Why the hell else would I have all of 'em running around pointlessly to and fro under your noses?"

I mean, that's really it -- they've got the whole kit and kaboodle. You step on up and ask "Hey, do you happen to know the Divine Secret?" and then it's like clicking on one of those crazy Easter Egg thingies in Grand Theft Auto. They've all been loaded with the keys to prosperity, a couple of dozen infallible rules for living in perfect harmony, and the basic technical specs for a car that runs on recycled styrofoam peanuts.

Of course, they play dumb -- and I mean dumb until you actually ask, but there has to be something left for folks to figure out. After St. Francis missed it (so close, really -- he said good morning and all kinds of stuff, and then trailed off into a sermon about walnuts), I thought it'd be the sort of thing somebody'd get to by 1650, tops. Once all that crazy pre-Enlightenment experimenting started, you'd think some desperate philosophe would just start trying all the possibilities.

I've tried to give you people a fighting chance, but nobody seems to have the imagination to look around. I guess there's still some hope that Hawking'll figure it out. I wrote "Talk to the Damn Squirrels" in sorta nifty binary code and threw that into a couple of pulsar outputs about a millenia ago, just in case. But really, it's no fun if nobody wants to play.

Posted by The Intelligent Designer at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Note to self -- time running only one direction. Need to re-check original rationale on this one. Honestly can't remember what the story was with that...completely inconvenient. No "undo" function, which just seems like a fundamental feature now.

Probably there was some kind of snag...maybe something to do with Free Will? I must have had My reasons, but it's surprising what slips by if you don't write it down. Anyway, will run by the boys in Phil. Ramifications before I make any changes, but will definitely have a look.

Also shld review: bilateral symmetry in higher organisms. Starting to feel it getting a little tired.

Posted by The Intelligent Designer at 02:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In honor of last week's AWOL quiz, and the recent ascension of our own Art Stukas to the honored status of Real Aussie Man, we invite you to a veritable feast of questions.

Come one, come all. Don't be shy. Cancel that lunch date. You've got some skull-sweatin' to do.

Today's time-annihilator consists of six completely randomly assembled forays into sheer pointlessness. Some have multiple parts. Here they are:

1. A portion of Bronzino's famous painting "An Allegory of Venus and Cupid" appeared regularly on what television series first broadcast between 1969 and 1974?

2. Of the six currently existing absolute monarchies, three are in Asia, one on an island, one in Africa, and one in Europe. In one of these, the monarch is that rare bird, an elected but absolute monarch. Name as many as you can.

3. Follow-up: in another Asian nation, a group of hereditary rulers of individual states elect the monarch of the Federation to a five-year term. What is the nation?

4. In 1837, two German professors of linguistics and philology joined with five of their colleagues to protest the abolition of the liberal constitution of the state of Hanover by the King (who happened to be one of George III's sons). They and their colleagues were known collectively as Die Göttinger Sieben (the Gottinger Seven). They were fired from their posts and one of the two was deported. He was joined by the other, and they were invited to Berlin to continue their work. But for what very different activity are the two best known today, under what collective name?

5. Henry Maxwell Dempsey, born in 1925, is perhaps most famous for a dystopian novel (published under his pen name) set in sweltering New York slums of the future, and begins when NYPD detective Andy Rusch is drawn into a riot which starts as a protest by people 65 years and older who have been forced into retirement. The film adaptation of his work changed the title, much of the detail, and added a radically shocking ending. What was the film's title?

6. The United States contains a number of places designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Most of these (such as Yellowstone National Park or Everglades National Park) a predominantly comprised of natural features; several are comprised of ancient Native American dwelling sites, such as Taos Pueblo. Only three are centered around man-made constructions from the 18th Century and beyond. The oldest was completed by 1753; the most recently constructed was dedicated in 1886. The other is a two-part site, consisting of a private home and a public institution, located in the same area. What are the three sites?

Anybody who gets all of these by their own selves can take over this Quiz nonsense. (Actually, anybody who's silly enough to ask has a good shot at the position). But honor, glory and a chorus of digital huzzahs will be heaped on those first with each individual piece. All search engines, reference tomes, and knowledgeable village elders should be shunned for the duration. Do it to prove you can. One guess per part of each question per comment. But comment away, me hearties, comment away.

Posted by BT at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)

Sorry I forgot to mention it before Friday rolled around, but the Editorial Staff is attending a team-building seminar in Kansas City, Missouri through tomorrow.

We expected to be able to post a little here in between sessions, but the junior members of the staff have been really demanding.

Posted by BT at 04:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)