Nobody got the answer to my readers quiz completely correct, but several people came damn close, with the winner being, I suppose, reader smokedpaprika. Here are the answers I was looking for, some more elaborate than necessary. Answers are in bold.
1.) What does PCC(E) stand for?
Everyone knows this; it was an easy starter question. Professor Ceiling Cat (Emeritus), one name for your host.
2.) Give two reasons why canids are usually spelled “d*g” on this site
Most missed one of the two. The answers: first, because I’m not a huge fan of d*gs, at least compared to cats or ducks, and so I disemvoweled the term. Second, because pious Jews aren’t allowed to spell out the deity’s name in full, so we get “Y*hw*h” or “G*d”. “D*g” is simply the reverse of the last word
3.) Why don’t I like WEIT to be called a “blog”? What’s the preferred term for the site?
The word “blog” as one reader reminded us, is butt-ugly, and I dislike it. The preferred term for WEIT is “website.”
4.) What is the name of my favorite duck, and how many years in succession have I taken care of her?
Dead easy. Honey, and I’ve known her for six years. She’s down in the pond at this moment, being a diva, chasing other ducks, and spurning duck pellets in favor of mealworms and defrosted frozen corn.
5.) How did this website get started?
Back in 2009, my publisher asked me to start a website to call attention to my new book, and I agreed to do it, intending to post about the evidence for evolution once every week or two. But now it’s metastasized into a chronicle of my life and thoughts. This, for example, is the 26,117th post.
6.) What was the name of my last cat, and what kin of cat was it?
Teddy, of course—a white shorthair that we rescued from the streets of Chicago at about three years of age. Here he is:
7.) From what region does my favorite red wine come?
The Rhone! The Rhone!
8.) What must all readers do before they put up their first comment?
Read Da Roolz. Most first-time commenters don’t, and many ignore the civility requirement when making their first post. (Some of these get warned, others banned.)
9.) What is the name of Steve Pinker’s teddy bear? (This was the subject of a contest a long time ago.)
Wilfred. (Formally, “Wilfred J. Bear.) I asked this as a contest question because the answer cannot be Googled (at least back then). However, I’d used the name previously, and a perspicacious reader picked it up.
Here’a a photo of Wilfred, which Steve still has, just like I have Toasty:
10.) What was the great insight I had on an acid trip when I was in college?
“The walls are fucking brown.” I related that in a memorial post for my friend Kenny King. I was surprised that so many readers answered it correctly. It must be a meme.
Knowing your dislike of the term, it is surprising that you don’t write “bl*g” like you do for “d*g” or “g*d” 🙂
“Disemvoweled” is great! I wish I had thought of that.
The funniest use of disemvoweling I’ve run across are Trans activists writing “JK R*wling” in order to express their horror over her so-called transphobia. In certain circles, the Harry Potter author has literally become “She Who Must Not Be Named.”
Sh* Wh* M*st N*t B* N*m*ed. Nope, couldn’t make a coherent word out of it. A damn pain to write out, though. The troweling of Rowling has truly been one of my biggest head scratches.
And I missed the f’n last “e”. She’s almost named!
Now I’m confused
What does M*A*S*H _really_ mean?
Which Rhône wine(s)? There are lots. I rather like Cote Rotie, which is about an hour south of here. The old standard Châteauneuf du Pape is not bad either.
All of the red ones, esp. Hermitage, Chateauneuf, Cote Rotie (which I can’t afford), and Gigondas. I can do without Cotes du Rhone as they’re not very complex, but I’ve had some great top-end reds that it would be a crime to drink with food. They once were bargains, but those days are gone.
I left my Cotes out in the Rhone…
What did Gandhi say to the coat-check girl?
A: Ma hat, ma coat!
The last one, I think, you just deployed yesterday.
Having taken its place alongside Woodstock lighting designer Chip Monck’s warning about the brown acid, man.
I’d give every dime in my pocket right now (should be at least a few) to know what is on Wilfred J. Bear’s mind at the time of that photo. Last time I was in a similar situation, I thought “Coffee supply?” – “Check.” e-mail?” – Check”‘ World news? – “Check” “Local?” -“Meh.”
Re: question #5 – “Back in 2009 … “; and we’re all glad you did!!
Agreed. “Blog” is a terribly dated, amateur word: small time. Website is much better. Blog dates to last century. With a readership of over 70k, and the years it has been going, your website is absolutely a “website.”
My column barely gets those numbers and it is part of two larger sites! And you do it all almost alone.
Kudos.
D.A.
NYC
“because pious Jews aren’t allowed to spell out the deity’s name in full, so we get “Y*hw*h” or “G*d”. “D*g” is simply the reverse of the last word”
Aren’t cats generally regarded as gods? As such, should the vernacular term show the same pious deference?
C*t <- like that
The Rhone, the Rhone, I should have known,
I moan that my lack of attention was shown.
So what’s your second favorite region? Like F1, perhaps I can get half-points? 🙂 It might be Napa, though, and I picked Rioja. Has your taste in wine changed over the years, or have you always been fond of the red Rhone wines?