Word of the Week - 6-2-2008

Word of the Week
INVEIGLE
Pronunciation: \in-ˈvay-guhl \
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Anglo-French enveegler, aveogler, avogler to blind, hoodwink, from avogle, enveugle blind, from Medieval Latin ab oculis, literally, lacking eyes
Date: 1539
1 : to win over by wiles : entice
2 : to acquire by ingenuity or flattery : wangle


Interesting Fact
Puerto Rico is an organized unincorporated U.S. territory which has been given internal self-governing powers which are referred to as "Commonwealth" status. (The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, located in the western Pacific Ocean, has a similar delegation of self-government powers by the United States.) Puerto Rico has more latitude over its internal affairs than the U.S. territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or American Samoa. Puerto Rico has approximately the same degree of authority over its internal affairs as an American state. The United States federal government controls interstate trade, foreign commerce, customs, aviation and navigation, immigration, currency, all military and naval matters, radio and television communications, mining and minerals, highways, the postal system, social security, and other areas generally controlled by the federal government in the United States. As in the case of a state, the United States Supreme Court also have the final say over the constitutionality of Puerto Rican laws. Puerto Rico's elected governor and legislature control all other delegated internal affairs.
The major differences between Puerto Rico and the states are:
Puerto Rico does not have the rights of a state as granted by the US constitution, because it is not a state. These include:
· Lack of voting representation in either house of the U.S. Congress, as the US Constitution provides these rights only to full states. The only delegate to the Congress is an elected Resident Commissioner who represents the people of P.R. in the United States House of Representatives. The delegate may speak but cannot vote for final passage of congressional legislation, and may serve and vote in committees, as well as the Committee of the Whole.
· The ineligibility of Puerto Rican residents to vote in presidential elections, as the US Constitution provides these rights only to full states. (Note, residents the District of Columbia only attained this right in 1960 by a constitutional amendment.) P.R. does not have any electors in the U.S. Electoral College, although the Puerto Rico chapters of the Republican and Democratic parties can (and do) have state-like voting delegations to their respective nominating conventions, as well as voting representation in the Democratic and Republican National Committee.

Trivial Pursuit
Here are the questions:
Global View (Geography):
What celebration’s seven principles are Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Nia, Kuumba and Imani?

Entertainment:
What movie features cameo appearances by Tweety Bird, Betty Boop and Dumbo?

News:
What U.S. state’s department of criminal justice was the first to post last meal requests of death row inmates on its web site?

Written Word:
What daily comic often shows its title character morphing into a biker babe named Vicki?

Life & Science: What medical diagnostic tool from 1895 got a complete overhaul in 1997, when Xerox’s digital version scrapped the need for film altogether?

Games & Sports:
What was the second horse in history to run the Kentucky Derby in under two minutes, in 2001?

Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
How much taller was the average Japanese 11-year-old in 2001, compared to 1950 – 2, 4, or 6 inches? 6 inches

Entertainment:
What contrarian comic rants darkly on a 2001 CD entitled The White Album? Lewis Black

News:
What Shakespearean play did Crown Prince Dipendra quote from on Mother’s Day, shortly before he killed her along with the king? Hamlet

Written Word:
What comic strip bird was named by creator Berke Breathed for a song by the band Kansas? Opus

Life & Science: What large internet portal was accused in 2001 of denying access to millions of netizens using “alternate” browers like Opera and Mozilla? MSN

Games & Sports:
Who was the only man besides Cal Ripkin Jr. to make baseball’s All-Century team at shortstop? Ernie Banks