The final standings following the Final Round of our dread clash of fact-finders, including Friday's tempestuous lightning round of January 27 nativities:

1. Scott 450+235+50+333 =1068
2. Boxjam 220+370+25+326+25 = 966
3. Scraps 200+450+276+25 = 951
4. Gavin 273+290+312+25 = 900
5. Art 290+375+210 =875
6. Karen 245+275+278 = 798
7. Jonathan 110+235+112 = 457
8. Laura 60+155 = 215
9. James = 55

Scott, to mark his triumph, wins a copy -- very possibly a first edition, though I can't verify that -- of Francis Grierson's peculiar 1926 mystery The Limping Man, which begins with a dedication and apology to "a certain Eminent Scientist", coins the dismissive exclamation "Pouah!" in the first paragraph, and concludes, you'll be happy to know, with the resounding line "Teddy's arms held her tighter than ever."

(And yes, we still have Scraps's mind-destroying puzzle from beyond the Barnyard Curtain, his deferred trophy from last year's victory. He'll get it, don't worry).

There's another little something in the works for all the players. More news when that's actually verifiable.

Note: the only bona fide stumper of Round Four was produced by my ill-advised inclusion of little-known Victorian nutjob/media myth/urban legend Spring-Heeled Jack. You can read up on the subject at Wikipedia, which has a considerably detailed article, with illustrations, and a modern bibliography that stretches to Stephen King and Phillip Pullman.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled program or rants and excuses. I'd like to promise a new look sometime soon. But we'll have to see about that.

Now, a massive spam-comment cleaning is in order...

Scott finishes this round like the brawny bruiser of trivia he is:

1. Scott 450+235+50+333 =1068
2. Boxjam 220+370+25+326 = 941
3. Scraps 200+450+276 = 926
4. (tie) Art 290+375+210 =875
4. (tie) Gavin 273+290+312 = 875
6. Karen 245+275+278 = 798
7. Jonathan 110+235+112 = 457
8. Laura 60+155 = 215
9. James = 55

I'll post the round-four answers in a bit.

But wait! We've got one last lightning round on some January 27th birthdays, which will be worth a total of 150 points -- just enough to allow either the second or third-place finishers to pass Scott, should they take all the marbles.

30 pts. each to the first correct answer posted to comments.

1. Miriam Spickler was born on this day in 1956. She is currently on the board of directors of the World Poker Tour. She is moderately well known for other work, by a different name, and was once the spouse of a much more famous person. By what name is she more widely known?

2. Seth Justman (born this day in 1951), joined what group (most popular in the early 1980s) as organist in 1969?

3. Born Merle Johnson Jr in 1936, his first film roles were in The Monolith Monsters and Man Afraid, both in 1957. By what name is he better known?

4. Born in Michigan on this day also in 1936, young Samuel was raised by his parents outside of the U.S. When he won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1976, he was the first recipient ever to deliver his Nobel speech in what language?

5. Born this day in 1919, he scored his first success as a songwriter when he and his cousin William Saroyanm (yes, that William Saroyan) teamed up to write "Come On-a My House", which was a hit for Rosemary Clooney. You probably know him for a later musical project. Name him by either his birth name (not Saroyan) or the very different name which he used for these records.

No Googling, I beg. One guess (on each) per comment, please.

There was an industrial-strength dose of a-moanin' and a-groanin' about this final round of questions, but the initial guesses, once grudgingly submitted, prove that the Wombat File Quizvitational playing field is up to the challenge.

So, some clues.

1. With regard to the company's current name, it directly reflects the function of the 26 acquired businesses. Among the other fictional personas associated with its signature products, several are monsters, one a mythical creature of enormous size and power, and one is a hand. With regard to the persona itself, Barnes & Noble.com lists over 200 titles with this persona as the author; the most popular among them is in its 10th edition.

2. A record-setting work of art in the possession of the National Park Service contains a representation of this personage.

3. One of his two best friends was introduced in The Crab with the Golden Claws.

4. A family relationship figures prominently in the title and conceit of this program. The brother of the lead actor is well-known not only for his sitcom success, but in lead roles in popular movie musicals.

5. He shares part of his name with a more infamous Victorian terror, and that his purported means of quasi-aerial locomotion gave him the rest of his popular monicker. There is at least one musical artist who has re-used the name, and another pop star who has a song title which is a variation on the name.

6. Those who owned the rights to Wilson's character have now replaced it with animated bears.

7. The composer of the most successful operatic version of The Barber of Seville also wrote an opera around this figure.

8. His meeting with the Pope (and others) took place at the River Po, and was re-imagined famously by Raphael.

_______

Final answers to bt AT wombatfile DOT com (with the word "quiz" in the subject line, please), by 12:01 AM Friday.

Yesterday, Boxjam suggested an innovative form of protest regarding certain government overreaching.

You've arrived. Give yourselves a back-pat. Eight questions and six hundred and six points to go.

Details on prizes as the week unfolds, but remember, Quiztaculists, that clues will rain down upon you on Thursday, so please get your answers for full value in by 12:01 AM Thursday morning. Answers posted between then and Friday at 12:01 AM will receive half credit.

Also, a reminder: answers to bt AT wombatfile DOT com, with "quiz", please, in the subject line. Don't send them to any of my many other aliases.

Characters mostly fictional populate our trivial town this time around, although there are some appearances by figures of more-than-truth-y humanity. Enjoy.

__________________ROUND FOUR QUESTIONS__________________________

1. In 1856, Cadwallader C. Washburn founded a company which leased power rights to other businesses operating along a stretch of the Mississippi river. In 1877, a merger created the Washburn-Crosby Company. In 1921, Washburn-Crosby created an in-house persona meant to add warmth and humanity to company responses to customers. Seven years later, the company merged with 26 other related businesses and took the name by which it is known today, which still bears a trace of its original function. Under this larger company's direction, the created persona became increasingly famous and influential, and was believed by many to be a real person; from 1933 onward, this persona's name appeared on numerous publications.
What is the persona's name? (40 pts.) What is the name of the company? (40 pts.)

2. Some trace the origin of this legendary figure to the "Papineau" rebellion of 1838; supposedly the local people of the area near Saint-Eustace, Quebec, were aided in battle against the British by a fierce fighter, whose name reflected a colloquial expression suggesting surprise and astonishment. Related legends circulated about an Ottawa Valley character named Montferrand. The stories spread well beyond this region and language base, and were in 1910 widely disseminated by James MacGillivry, a Michigan newspaper reporter, in articles and later a book called The Round River Drive. What is the name by which this figure is most widely now known? (75 pts.)

3. Just over 75 years ago, a series of illustrated adventures starring a boy scout patrol leader appeared in a European Boy Scout magazine. The hero was based on the younger brother of the author. In a later series of similar (but much more well-known) fictions, the hero had been somewhat transformed -- and slightly renamed -- but the figure of the author's brother reappeared; the two had since had something of a falling out, and so the brother (who was a military man by this time) was cheekily recast in the form of a villainous officer from a country strongly resembling an Eastern European satellite of the Soviet Union. What was the name of the hero of the more famous, later set of adventures? (75 pts.)

4. In a somewhat infamous television show which first aired in 1965, the lead role of attorney David Crabtree was played by a man whose brother was at the time starring, on another network, as the eponymous lead of another, widely celebrated program. The less-successful show featured Avery Schrieber as Crabtree's scheming nemesis, a villain determined to get possession of a unique object which Crabtree had acquired, and which lent the show its concept and title. The actor who played Crabtree had turned down the role of Gilligan on Gilligan's Island, as well as a chance to replace Don Knotts on the Andy Griffith Show. The show only ran for one season, and was long held up as an example of the worst of its kind. The actor who played Crabtree eventually found success (and four Emmy nominations) as a supporting actor on a hit program which ran from 1989-1997. What was the 1965 program in which he played David Crabtree? (50 pts.) What is the actor's name? (25 pts.)

5. Although legends of a figure resembling this one had been circulating in England for two decades, it was in 1837 that the first recorded encounter happend. A London businessman, walking home at night, reported being accosted by a mysterious figure, who emerged in athletic (and, it would come to seem, signature) fashion from a cemetery. It sported a pointed nose and ears, and terrifying, glowing eyes. Subsequently, a rash of attacks, sometimes on groups of people but often on young women, were reported. No deaths were caused at the time (although a much later attack attributed to this figure was blamed for a young woman's death), but the figure reportedly used sharp claws to rend his victims, and also appeared with shocking effect in front of horse-drawn carriages, causing crashes. Although many chose to see the figure as supernatural, others considered that some dangerous or deranged prankster was at work. A letter read by the Lord Mayor at a public session suggested that a wager laid by powerful and well-connected people were behind the attacks, which were rumored to involve an aristocratic figure. Those seeking to identify the attacker made much of the mechanical genius which was thought to enable his signature ability, and which (through this ability) allowed him to appear without warning and elude capture. By what name was this figure of terror known? (75 pts).

6. From 1965 to 1989 a perpetually unhappy character played by actor Dick Wilson regularly appeared on American network television. The actor who played him had, as his other claim to fame, a repeating role on the series Bewitched, as a befuddled souse, but this character was much more widely recognized -- according to a 1978 survey (commissioned, it should be noted, by his creators), he was the third-best-known American, behind Richard Nixon and Billy Graham. What was the name of this well-known character? (75 pts)

7. The first recorded appearance of this character is in the 15th century. In one version (such as appears in the accounts of Melchior Russ), he is a key figure in local rebellions against the oppressive Hapsburg empire. Other accounts mention his deeds, but make him more peripheral. But in the 16th century a Catholic historian named Tschudi merged the two versions, and his revised narrative became a foundational part of national legend. In the 1830s, historian Joseph Kopp suggested that this character was more fanciful than factual, and angry crowds burned him in effigy in a meadow above a well-known lake -- a meadow where, it was believed, the oaths that first bound their country together were sworn. According to a recent survey, 60% of the citizens of that country believe he existed and acted as the legends say. What is this quasi-historical figure's name? (75 pts.)

8. Little is known about the early life of this person, but it is believed that he received a good deal of formal education while as a young man at the court of the Emperor Honorius -- at the time in Ravenna -- in the 5th Century. Following the death of his uncle, he came into his own, shortly thereafter journeying to bargain with delegates from Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II. After making many journeys -- and not returning to Italy in the interim -- he received a message imploring his assistance from Honoria, who was the sister of Valentinian, at that point the Roman Emperor. She was looking to get out of an arranged marriage to a senator, but the man in question also read her plea as an offer of her hand in marriage to him. He accepted, but Honoria's brother exiled his sister and wrote back to her suitor, denying the offer's legitimacy. Our man made his way eventually back to Italy, to claim Honoria's hand and a dowry, but he was met by an unusal embassy which included Pope Leo I. Whether or not it was due to their arguments, he turned back and did not pursue Honoria further. He died the following year. By what name do we know this (nonfictional) personage? (76 points).

I'm sorry I couldn't get to all of this yesterday -- I didn't want to post the answers without a little bit of side notation, and I didn't wind up with the time. But finally -- here are the standings following the lightning round and my discovery of Jonathan's uncounted Tuesday answer submission. Correct answers follow.

Scott 450+235+50 = 735
Art 290+375 = 665
Scraps 200+450 = 650
Boxjam 220+370+25 = 615
Gavin 273+290 = 563
Karen 245+275 = 520
Jonathan 110+235 = 345
Laura 60+155 = 215
James 55+0 = 55

In general, the entire field proved itself fully capable of remembering more grade-school U.S. political geography than is probably useful in our daily lives. Well done. Scott made some serious gains, particularly with that lightning-round boost, but the top 3 scores are still within 100 points of one another. I'm all a-twitter!

Now, on to the definitive answers.

1. The five least-populous state capitals are, in order, Montpelier, VT (8K), Pierre, SD (13K), Augusta, ME (18K), Helena, MT (25K), and Frankfort, KY (27K). Quite a few people guessed North Dakota and Wyoming, but both of these -- in a curious coincidence -- have a population of just over 55,000. Other small capitals are Juneau, AK; Dover, DE; Annapolis, MD; and Jefferson City, MO, all of which top the 30,000 mark.

2. Sacramento, CALIFORNIA, was the answer here. It's name is (in Spanish) part of the longer name of the Catholic Eucharist, to wit "the Most Holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ." Note that if you said "Sacramento" and not California, you still received full credit here, because I figured that if you knew Sacramento you knew what state it belonged to. Salem, Oregon (which is supposedly derived from the Hebrew "Shalom" or peace, but not from any specific ceremony) was also guessed. Another guess was Santa Fe, New Mexico has as a full name "La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís."

3. Bismarck, North Dakota. This was widely guessed correctly, although Helena, Montana (which is actually named for one of the founders' home towns, St. Helena, Minnesota) was something of a runner-up. (As a result of this quiz, I know more about Otto von B. than I ever thought I would, though I am still confused about the outcome of the whole Schleswig-Holstein thing, which in the end apparently resulted in Austria getting a hunk of Denmark.)

4. Des Moines, Iowa, is said to have taken the "insurance capital" title away from legendary insurance-industry hometown Hartford, CT. If you guessed "Iowa" and didn't specify Des Moines, you got 1/2 credit.

5. Tallahassee, Florida.

6. In alpha order, the correct states are Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. For the record, only Scraps got 100% here, though most people got more than 1/2 right.

Some popular wrong guesses here: Kentucky, Tennessee, Alaska, Nevada, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, both Dakotas, North Carolina, and Connecticut. Almost everyone knew about Boston and Providence -- while quite a few of you either think that Vegas is also the state capital Nevada, or that Carson City is some kind of megapolis.

I'll post FINAL ROUND questions as early on Monday morning as possible -- they may be up before midnight Sunday, but I won't promise it.

Here are the standings after all the post-clue guesses are in -- with one caveat; Jonathan submitted some answers earlier in the week that I cannot now locate. I've asked him to re-send that email (and I'm not at home, so it may simply be that I'll find them this evening). So his score will be tabulated once those answers are located.

As you can see, it's still a tight race going into the last week. Round three scores here are that second number added to the composite from the first two rounds:

Scott 450+235 = 685
Art 290+375 = 665
Scraps 200+450 = 650
Boxjam 220+370 = 590
Gavin 273+290 = 563
Karen 245+275 = 520
Laura 60+155 = 215
James 55+0 = 55
Jonathan 110+?? = ??

With a spread of less than 200 points between the top 6 scores, and 606 more points possible in the final round, the final seems still pretty wide open.

A note on the scoring: for Question #1, players received 50 points for indicating the state with the smallest capital as the overall smallest (Vermont) -- even if you just named it first in your list. One or two people named it, but didn't give it priority. These answers got 1/2 credit. The others could be given in any order for full credit. (More on this question in the lightning round).

For questions where the city name was asked for, if you named the state instead, you got 1/2 credit.

For Question #6, I apologize that in the clue round I didn't make it clear that one could change individual states guessed, and leave the rest of the question "intact" for full credit on a state-by-state basis. Bad Quizmaster! So, this clue was less useful than it ought to have been.

Now, on to today's LIGHTNING ROUND, which continues the presiding mystery of #1. Each of the five smallest state capitals was guessed by at least one person. But there was one state/city no one guessed. It is the fifth-smallest state capital, close to 4,000 souls smaller than Juneau, Alaska. Its captial may or may not be the final resting place of one its states most famous residents, who was initially buried in Missouri -- both states now claim to hold his remains.

25 points to the first correct guess of the state name, and another 25 to whoever can provide the city posted to comments. 25 additional points to the famous man who might be buried there.

One guess per comment please -- you may, however, make a composite guess in a single comment.

OK, we're closing in on the end of Round Three. Most of the players have already submitted full-credit guesses. Here are the clues; I'll accept revisions/new answers for half-credit until 12:01 AM tomorrow -- that is, Friday -- morning. Lightning round to follow tomorrow.

1. There's one of this "small five" that nobody's guessing. The founder was involved in the "Spanish Conspiracy" to join his entire state (this was before it joined the union) and hook up with the Spanish Empire. One relic of this attempt is the naming of a street in the city after the then-governor of New Orleans, Esteban Miro. The attempt was defeated and the founder decamped to Mexico.

At the turn of the century, political unrest in this state led to the assassination of the newly elected governor William Goebel as he was walking to the capitol building to be inaugurated. A former Secretary of State was later found guilty of conspiracy in the killing.

2. A few miles east of the city's founding area, founder's father had dubbed his settlement "New Helvetia." The founder and his father had come as part of a great and famous wave of emigrants.

3. The city's namesake was first a Count, then a Prince, then accepted the title of Duke upon retirement, when he was forced out of office by his 29-year-old sovereign, who had never liked him.

4. In 2000, the state of which this city is capital went for Al Gore; in 2004, it went for George W. Bush by a margin of 0.7%. Remember, the question asks for the city name, not the state.

5. In 1539, a famed explorer landed in what would later become this state, and in the winter camped at a conquered native American settlement near what would later become the capital.

6. Of the states in question, seven are located east of the Mississippi river.

Round Two of the Quiztacular is complete. Current scores are posted here.

Ready for Round Three? Prepare to hate the Wombat.

Six hundred possible points. The subject: State capitals.

We know, incidentally, that for at least one player it's hard to stay away from U.S. maps during the course of ordinary business. Whatever arrangement -- perhaps you might want to avoid reading and answering the questions below until you're at home and away from tempting, tempting maps! -- serves your sense of honor and fair play will be adequate. But maybe this is just a good week to call in sick from work and just let the Quiz take over your life for a little while.

But, back to our subject. Yes, the entire subject of this week's round will be state capitals. Is the Wombat a major dork? You bet. The world's biggest dork? Maybe. But we just want to pause here and note: without us super-dorks around for favorable points of comparison, you wouldn't be looking so cool, my friend. Because we have it on good authority that you're kind of a dork yourself.

Full-credit answers due to bt AT wombatfile DOT com by 12:01 AM Thursday January 19. Thursday morning the clues will be posted, and you'll have until midnight Friday to post answers for half-credit. Partial credit is possible on many of these.

And of course, you're avoiding reference materials, social studies textbooks and road atlases of all kinds during your period of skull-sweat production.

______________ROUND THREE QUESTIONS_______________

1. For 50 points, name the U.S. state with the smallest capital city (in terms of population, as ascertained in the 2000 U.S. Census). For 50 points each, name the states whose capital cities rank 2-5 on this scale (that is, the next-smallest, then the next-smallest, etc.)

2. The capital of what U.S. state gets its name from the (longer) name of a religious ceremony? 50 pts.

3. The capital of what U.S. state is named for a 19th century European head of state? 50 pts.

4. Captain James Allen was going to name his fort Fort Raccoon, as it was on a site where the Raccoon and another river merge. The War Department told him to name it after the other river. The origin of this river's name is in doubt -- some believe it refers to a local Indian tribe, some to local Trappist monks, and some to a phrase in a foreign language. Now a state capital, this city recently challenged another state capital as the city with the highest concentration of insurance industry businesses. Name the city. 50 pts.

5. This state capital was the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi not captured by Union forces in the Civil War. It was also chosen as a site for a city partially because of its proximity to a waterfall. What city is it? 40 pts.

6. Due to the massive population shifts caused by Hurricane Katrina, the state capital of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, is likely to be officially recognized as the largest city in the state. In the state of Ohio, the capital city of Columbus is technically the most populous city as well, although Cleveland's "metro area" is larger. There are sixteen other states in which the state capital is also the most populous city. Name them (160 pts; partial credit possible).

Enjoy!

*ducks*

Here are the standings post-round-two and Friday's Lightning Round, which brought Scott and Scraps 25 more points apeice. Plus, corrections for scoring errors for the Stuke and the Lady (I had not given Art his 25 points for a correct, post-clue submission of C-section for answer #2, nor Ms. Yogurt her 50 for a pre-clue correct answer of same).

So, going into round three, the standings are:

Scott -- 200+225+25 = 450
Art -- 165+100125 = 290
Gavin -- 73+200= 273
Karen/qiutank -- 95+150 = 245
Boxjam -- 70 + 150 = 220
Scraps -- 0+175+25 = 200
Jonathan -- 35+75 = 110
The Lady B. Hey! -- 10+050 = 60
James -- 55+0 = 55

Just a reminder -- there are 600 possible points in the third round, so even if you're trailing, be comforted.

As we look at the round-two standings, we see that Scott solidifies his lead, but a close call for second place, and everything still wide open for two 600-point-laden rounds to come. The excitement -- it's like insects are crawling around underneath my eyelids!

Scott -- 200+225 = 425
Gavin -- 73+200= 273
Art -- 165+100 = 265
Karen/qiutank -- 95+150 = 245
Boxjam -- 70 + 150 = 220
Scraps -- 0+175 = 175
Jonathan -- 35+75 = 110
James -- 55+0 = 55
The Lady B. Hey! -- 10+0 = 10

There was, as usual, some water-balloon-hurling in the Wombat's direction from our more discerning participants. There was one complaint about a misleading clue (since "antimony" is not the most alphabetically primary of the elements) and one general accusation that my clues were making it too easy. I plead guilty to everything, including making up that bit in my memoir (which was really more of a work of "non-non-fiction"), in which me, Mr. T., George Peppard, and that crazy guy saved the village with a lawnmower, some insecticide, a bucket of marbles, and nun's habit.

But that's all behind us now. On to today's LIGHTNING ROUND, again a two-parter.

ONE:The correct answer to question #1 was The Czech Republic and Slovakia at the center, and Poland, Hungary, Germany, and Austria on the periphery. For 25 bonus points, by what name was this "empire" (sometimes referred to as "Great ________") known?

TWO: The correct answer to #4 was "George M. Cohan" and the most famous song from his first musical was -- as many of you identified -- "The Yankee Doodle Boy". No one correctly guessed the second tune I referred to in the question. It's not "Over There", which he didn't write until twelve years later during WWI. And "You're A Grand Old Flag" -- to which we referred in the clue (originally "You're a Grand Old Rag", which offended some) was written for another musical, George Washington Jr. For 25 points, what was the second big song from Little Johnny Jones?

All usual restrictions apply -- no Googling, please, and one guess per comment. First in for each gets the bonus points.

Welcome back, lovers of the recondite, While we're all diverted by l'affaire Frey (I refer you, incidentally, to Ron Hogan's GalleyCat for any comment), we have the small matter of clues toward the fiendish puzzlement offered in Round Two's questions.

Correct answers sent in to bt AT wombatfile DOT com from this point until 12:01 AM tomorrow morning will receive 1/2 credit. There have been on-the-ball responses submitted so far to all questions but one.

1. The two countries whose territory were at the core of this little-remembered Empire were, until 1993, one nation. They had been so, in a variety of political arrangements, since 1918. Both are democracies. One of these countries contains the birthplace of a very famous man who said (among other things) "At bottom God is nothing more than an exalted father" -- although this man is not usually associated with the region of his birthplace, and became famous a short distance away. The remaining four modern nations into which this Empire's largest historical boundaries penetrated currently almost completely surround the two "core" nations (there's a sliver of border that is an exception, where a country not part of the historical empire buts up against one of the two "core" nations). All four of the "secondary" countries are larger in area (and larger than or equal in population) to the two core countries.

4. One of the author's other extremely famous songs was written a couple of years later, and included in the musical George Washington, Jr. It originally had the word "rag" in the title, but the writer changed that after some were offended, to the form we know today. However, the two songs we are speaking of were from the older musical. One begins "I'm the kid that's all the candy..." The other contains the couplet "With tear-dimmed eye they say goodbye, they're friends without a doubt;/When the man on the pier shouts loud and clear, as the ship strikes out..." before launching into the chorus. He was given the Congressional Medal of Honor by FDR, and there is a statue of him in Manhattan.

So, get your post-clue revisions or first-time guesses in by midnight. Lightning round tomorrow? Who knows...

All rested and ready for Week Two of the Quiztacular? Of course you are!

Rules for Round Two are as with Round One -- you have until the full-credit deadline -- 12:01 AM Thursday, January 12 -- to send your guesses to bt AT wombatfile DOT com (please put the word "quiz" in the subject line). On Thursday, I'll post some clues, giving you a chance at a half-credit answer to any stumpers. Any correct answers sent in (or revised) at that point get 1/2 their full point value. The final deadline for round two is 12:01 AM Friday, January 13 (oh, fateful day).

Again, four hundred possible points in this round. In this round, more of the questions are broken down into "subtopics" for varying point allowances. No, they're not all worth the same.

Special note: please stay away from Periodic Tables of the Elements this week. If you are a high school chemistry teacher, you should call in sick.

______________ROUND TWO QUESTIONS_______________

1. In 833, Prince Mojmír I's conquest of the Nitrian Principality led to the creation of what some referred to as an empire at the time, which lasted until a few years after the death of King Svatopluk I in 894 -- his sons had a falling out, and an ethnic group arriving from the east started making trouble. While it spanned parts of what are now six different countries, its core was in what are now two nations. Its name lives on as the name of a region of one of those two nations. What are the two nations? (25 points each). What are the other four nations whose modern borders this Empire once crossed (25 points each)?

2. The first recorded instance of this surgical procedure occurring with complete success was in the Holy Roman Empire in 1500. It was supposedly performed by a pig gelder named Jacob Nufer. On March 5, 2000, a Mexican, secluded at the time in a cabin, was the first person in recorded history to self-administer (successfully) this procedure. What was the procedure? (50 points).

3. The name of this element may come from Greek roots which would put its name as "opposed to solitude", since it is usually found in conjunction with other substances. Another suggested origin for its name is from an Egyptian expression which would translate as "bloom of" followed by the name of the sun god. It is quite poisionous, but in one form is sometimes still used for the treatment of the parasitical infection schistosomiasis. Its number on the Periodic Table is 51, but it is the very first of the elements named by Tom Lehrer in his song "The Elements." What is this element? (50 points) For 25 more points, from what famous operetta is the music of Lehrer's "The Elements" borrowed?

4. Despite claims to the contrary, he was born on July 3, 1878, in Rhode Island. He began show business as part of a family act, with his father Jere, mother Nellie, and sister Josie. He became a well-known dancer by his teens, but it was in another pursuit where he gained his greatest claim to fame. In 1904, the Broadway show Little Johnny Jones featured two songs that were to be among the greatest hits of his incredibly prolific career, one of which is still quite well known (the other, somewhat less so, though you may well be able to sing a bit of the chorus). For 50 points, name one. For 25 more points, name the other; for another 25 bonus points, name the composer. For 25 more points, name the man who won an Academy Award for playing the composer on film.

Here are the standings in the Quizvitational, following Friday's bonus lightning round
(in which Scott garnered an additional 50 points, and the Lady B. Yogurt picked up a super-bonus 10, for knowing so damned much).

We also had some score-corrections from previous faulty Wombat addition. Here is where we currently stand.

scott -- 200
Art -- 165
Karen/qiutank -- 95
gavin -- 73
boxjam -- 70
james -- 55
Jonathan -- 35
The Lady B. Hey! -- 10

There are still three rounds to go, and with 2006 possible points, the field is still wide open. So if ou haven't joined the fray yet, consider yourself invited. Start here to find out how, and then look directly above this here post for the Round Two brain-spelunkers.

The scores for the first round are in. I'm offering a special Lightning Round for those who miss their customary Friday fun. But first, I want to point out a few things

(a) the questions proved just a hair on challenging side this time around, and thus out of 400 possible points, the highest score was 170. This is good news for those of you who missed out on Round One. Hence, I encourage everyone who was still road-tripping or otherwise occupied this week to join us for Round Two, which begins Monday. It's all still wide open!

(b) There were only two questions that stumped everyone: #1 and #4. I put this down to simply inadequate information in the questions/clues -- a problem that stemmed from my concern that if I said much more, they would be giveaways. See the Lightning Round below.

(c) Everyone got at least partial credit on #9. No one named all eight. If you submitted your answer pre-clue, you got 5 points for every correct country named out of 8. If you submitted/changed your answer post-clue, you got 2.5 points per correct country. Non-whole-number results were rounded up.

(d) I'll let everyone try to work out answers in the comments (and the lightning round is part of that), but will post definitive answers later today.

So, here are the current standings. Art proves that Australia has a salutary effect on the brain, or at least the Wombat part.

Art -- 170
scott -- 165 150
qiutank -- 95
gavin -- 73
boxjam -- 70
james -- 55
Jonathan -- 35

LIGHTNING ROUND:

For a bonus of 25 points each, in the comments, take a shot (again or for the first time) at questions #1 and #4. All the usual prescriptions apply re searching and multiple guesses per comment (i.e.: don't). Here they are, with additional hints.

Original question #1: Between 1816 and 1855, Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve mapped a "chain" which stretched through parts of what was at the time only two nations. This chain is now a UNESCO World Heritage site that is part of ten separate countries. What was its purpose? Clue: The "chain" is virtual -- a product of measurements -- and its purpose was scientific. Lightning round clue: Struve was an astronomer.

Original question #4:Sir James Coats once said, of a unique and exclusive sporting locale, " [it] is a powerful and attractive mistress. She will stand no nonsense when you are learning the ropes, and many and severe are the rebuffs that she administers to her most ardent suitors." The club that maintains the site to which he refers calls the activity pursued thereon "one of the last amateur sports." What is the activity in question? Clue: To date, only four individuals have lost their lives in this sport at the facility Coats speaks of here, in the Engadine valley. Before novices can first use it, they must attend the infamous "death talk", at which they are shown x-rays of injuries sustained by some of those who have gone before. Lightning round clue: The facility Coats speaks of must be reconstructed annually, and is always slightly different every year.

Congrats to Art on his Round One lead, and good luck with the bonus round, all.

Just joining us? Check out the full info and first set of questions in our Glorious Wombat File 2005/2006 Quiztacular -- our second December-Januaryish battle royale of nearly-nonsensical questions with factual answers.

I want to begin by thanking those brave enough to submit a raft of pre-clue round 1 answers. You people are the real Wombats -- all of you! Any answers you revise at this point are submitted for half-credit. You are free to let stand some and revise others -- full credit will remain for any answer you gave before now.

If, on the other hand, you're just waking up from a bender that began in a Red Hook dive at 8:43 PM on December 31, and is now just finishing up in, say, Harbin, China, I assure you -- there's still time to play! Send your post-clue answers before tomorrow at midnight to get in on Round 1. At this this stage of the game, each is worth a possible 20 points.

And remember, folks, this is the first of FOUR rounds -- so, there's plenty of time to get in the game if you didn't feel fantastic about this set of questions.

Enough palaver from the host -- on to the clues (again, the original questions are here):

1. The "chain" is virtual -- a product of measurements -- and its purpose was scientific.

10. Sample dialogue from two well-known characters:

Character 1: "Fearless Leader, here?"
Character 2 "He's doing a guest shot in this episode." (A gunshot noise is heard) "There goes a guest now."

There. Those should clear up any lingering difficulties.

Remember, all answers should be submitted to bt AT wombatfile DOT com (with "quiz" in the subject line) by 12:01 AM EST on Friday. I'll post a tally of current scores as early on Friday as I can possibly get to it.

Jane referred to this candid shot taken during the recent Snail-Wombat summit as "Bloggers United", but Rory's filename reflects the more universal response, I suspect.

Let it be noted that we did get out to see things like dinosaurs and other beasts, some quite terrifying.

So, yeah. Nerds.

Welcome to the New Year. The New You. The brilliant You who is ready to astonish us all with your knowledge of the recondite, your mastery of the arcane, the occult, and the just plain unimportant. The Quiz Champ you were born to be.

If you played in our 2004 festival of Mentaliciousness, you're ready to defend your standing or better yourself in our new four-week festival of factoid-mongering. If you hung back, now is the time to step up and claim your birthright as a Wombat File reader. And if you've joined us since then, let your humble editor assure you that no better entertainment will come your way over the next couple of fortnights.

The Players: Every wombat-blooded reader who dares join us.

The Goal: Wind up at the end of January (and four rounds of play, plus the occasional Friday "lightning" round) with the greatest point total out of 2006 possible points.

The Prizes: One-of-a-kind items, mementoes of a precious, fleeting moment of wombattery. I'll tell you all about them as we go along.

The Method: For those of you who are only familiar with our Friday quizzes, the questions will be similarly tortured, but answers in this case should be submitted by EMAIL. Please send all answers (and quiz-related correspondence) to

bt AT wombatfile DOT com

with the word "quiz" in the subject line. That last bit is important, as I will only be looking for answers in a filtered folder.

Deadlines: the full-credit deadline for ROUND ONE (see the ten questions just below) is 12:01 AM Thursday, January 5. All correct answers received by that time will receive full credit. Early Thursday I will post a set of Delicious Clues for each brain-whizzer. There will be a second, post-clue deadline for answers of 12:01 AM Friday, January 6. In other words, you've got a chance to use the clues to get closer to any question that stumped you. All answers (or changes to previous answers) sent after the clues are posted will get half-credit.

You may submit some answers before the first deadline, and hold others until after the clues, and there is no penalty for changing your answer, although any changes made post-clue take your possible points for that question down to 1/2. Your final answer is the one you are stuck with.

General prohibitions and good sportsmanship: You're on your honor, here, just as in the Friday quizzes. No Googling in pursuit of the answers, and no trips to the reference shelf, the reading room, or that pile of old Popular Mechanics in the den. Points acquired by playing fast and loose with this rule will weigh on your soul like Jacob Marley's freaking chains, capeesh?

Also, use the comments for general trash-talking, boasting, and silly mouthing-off, but under no circumstances should you be offering hints to other players, should you have figured out any of the answers. Pain of disqualification, etc. (If you want a question clarified, feel free to email. If a serious emendation of the question is mandated, I'll make sure it goes in the comments).

Enough said. Let's get ROUND ONE underway. 10 questions, each a possible 40 points, for a total possible of 400 points.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Between 1816 and 1855, Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve mapped a "chain" which stretched through parts of what was at the time only two nations. This chain is now a UNESCO World Heritage site that is part of ten separate countries. What was its purpose?

2. There were 105 of these. The first was named Adobe, and the last was named Kennebec. Some of the others were called Aardvark, Ferret, Chipmunk, Manatee, Calamity, Bandicoot, and Bluegill Triple Prime. From the first to last, their existence spanned a little more than a year, and they were the last of their kind-- there were no more after Kennebec. What were they?

3. Howard and his three brothers -- Bob, Dick and Don -- got a big break when they performed with Bing Crosby on his hit recording of "Swingin' on a Star." This appearance led to a nightclub act with singer Kay Thompson. Howard broke out when he went solo -- his third single, "Canadian Sunset," hit the Top 10, and he had a #1 hit the following year. At one point in his career, the only performers with more gold albums were Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. Under what name did he become famous?

4. Sir James Coats once said, of a unique and exclusive sporting locale, " [it] is a powerful and attractive mistress. She will stand no nonsense when you are learning the ropes, and many and severe are the rebuffs that she administers to her most ardent suitors." The club that maintains the site to which he refers calls the activity pursued thereon "one of the last amateur sports." What is the activity in question?

5. Name the author of the following passage, the opening of a 1938 novel by an author who would become considerably more famous for work published more than a decade later:

At first he could not see clearly what they were pointing at. There aseemed to be some paler and slenderer plants than he had noticed before amongst the purple ones: her hardly attended to them, for his eyes were busy searching the ground-- so obsessed was he with the reptile fears and insect fears of modern imagining. It was the reflections of the new white objects in the water that sent his eyes back to them: long, streaky white reflections motionless in the running water-- four or five, no, to be precise, six of them. He looked up. Six white things were standing there. Spindly and flimsy things, twice or three times the height of a man. His first idea was that they were images of men, the work of savage artists; he had seen things like them in books of archaeology. But what could they be made of, and how could they stand? -- so crazily thin and elongated in the leg, so top-heavily pouted in the chest, such stalky, flexible-looking distortions of early bipeds ... like something seen in one of those comic mirrors. They were certainly not made of stone or metal, for now they seemed to sway a little as he watched; now with a shock that chased the blood from his cheeks he saw that they were alive, that they were moving, that they were coming at him, He had a momentary, scared glimpse of their faces, thin and unnaturally long, with long, drooping noses and drooping mouths of half-spectral, half-idiotic solemnity.

6. In Venezuela in 1824, a physician experimenting with compounds of plants of the genus Gentiana created a medicine later adopted by the British Navy. A readily available product, the direct descendent of this remedy, still carries the name of a Venezuelan town. What is the (non-medical) product?

7. Years after defeating his foe at a battle in Indiana, the victorious general went on to refer to the man he defeated as "one of those uncommon geniuses which spring up occasionally to produce revolutions and overturn the established order of things." The defeated leader fled to Canada, but came back to inflict further damage in Michigan and is considered a hero by many. One of the members of the victorious forces later had a grandson who was named for this figure -- but when his father died, the young man was given a "Christian" first name, and the tribute name left as his middle name. The boy went on to be one of the most famous Americans of the 19th century. Who was the "uncommon genius" commemorated in this boy's name?

8. Basque "anguleros" use water infused with what substance to kill the juvenile eels they net in river estuaries?

9. In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers, apparently responding to the challenge long ago thrown down by the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, offered a list of "Seven Wonders of the Modern World," commemorating "the greatest civil engineering achievements of the 20th century." The honored projects include two towers, a bridge, a tunnel, a dam, a water-control network, and a canal, some of which are in (or abut) territories controlled by multiple nations. Name the eight countries (total) in which these works can be found -- amazingly, none are Asian nations. Note: Partial credit possible.

10. During World War II, Bill Scott worked in the U.S. Army's First Motion Picture Unit, alongside Ronald Reagan. In 1953, he adapted Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" for an Academy Award-nominated short film. Between the years of 1959 and 1964, he vocally interpreted the work of multiple poets on a well-known television program, including the work of William Wordsworth, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Charles Lamb. Scott was also one of the chief writers and co-producers of the program. What was the name of the television show?