January 3, 2008
Shelving Game
Shelving books has never been so... fun? weird? trippy?
Check out this Library of Congress classification game. The chipper music and the gruff "you're not done yet" aren't so bad, but the "YES!" and "ALL RIGHT!" guy seems a little too enthusiastic about shelving books.
I must admit that I played through to the end. My inner librarian loved the fact that I could shelve all the books and have them stay in perfect order, because my time working at a library taught me that this never happens in reality (at least not at a public library). Patrons constantly put books back on the shelf in the wrong spot and, more importantly, shelving never ends. You never finish shelving. It's a constant process that must be diligently monitored. And if the computers go down or a power outage occurs, the backlog takes ages to clear out. It's like the 'Seinfeld' episode in which Newman explains why postal workers 'go postal':
Because the mail never stops. It just keeps coming and coming. Piles of it, more and more! And you have to put it all out, but the more you put it out, the more it keeps coming in! And then the barcode reader breaks! And it's Publisher's Clearing House Day!
(Maybe it would be helpful for library workers to have someone standing next to them saying "YES!" and "ALL RIGHT!" every time they shelved a book correctly.)
03 Jan 0:59 | Link | Category: Interactive, Libraries & Digital Information
July 8, 2006
U.S. Citizenship Quiz
Here's another online quiz (why not...). It's from MSNBC, and I hope all U.S. citizens can pass: Do you have what it takes to become a citizen? The questions are examples of what might be asked by CIS officers. Some are pretty pointless, but oh well. (My mother and grandmother both had to take the test. Both said it was fairly easy, though it didn't hurt to be prepared.)
I'm happy to say I didn't miss any questions. Maybe I can be an American after all, even though I don't have an American flag sticker on my bumper.
08 Jul 23:31 | Link | Category: Interactive, Misc. Tidbits
Bible Quiz
Here's a pretty interesting quiz that's been floating around: What Do You Really Know About The Bible?. I managed 42 / 50 but only because I'm pretty familiar with the strange customs and laws in the Old Testament and the contradictions found in the New Testament. (If you actually have a life and don't want to waste time answering the questions, just submit a blank quiz to see the answers.)
The quiz does a good job of highlighting parts of the Bible that conflict with teachings of modern Judaism and Christianity (even orthodox and fundamentalist sects). It makes the point that taking every word of the Bible literally is a nonsensical idea. And maybe part of the point is that even so-called Biblical literalists don't take the Bible as literally as they profess to.
The quiz is obviously biased and has its own agenda, but I still think it's pretty interesting and makes a good point. A wise person, of course, realizes that it's never a good idea to look at selections of a document out of context or without consideration of the whole. The Bible has a very interesting history and has played a significant role in Western history and people's lives, so it's interesting to try to understand where it came from, how/why it has changed, and how/why it came to be seen as it is today by so many religious people.
Religious texts in general are interesting documents from both a historical and anthropological perspective. I think the key in approaching such a text is to learn and understand its context in culture and history. The Old Testament, for example, is an interesting look back at how the patriarchal Hebrew society, a relatively early civilization, saw itself and the world. It provides a peek into the genesis, transformation, and mindset of an early monotheistic religion & civilization. The New Testament's story is also interesting - particularly how it was first written, then adopted by foreign cultures and modified through the years.
Maybe viewing the Bible simply as a cultural and historical artifact is heretical to those who see it as God's daily guide to personal life and a relatively (or absolutely) inerrant guide from His mouth. Maybe they see that view as the start of the slippery slope so many scholars have taken towards disbelief... I don't know... as I've said countless times, if a divinely inspired / directed religion can't honestly reconcile itself with both history and obvious facts, something must be rotten to begin with.
Anyway. I can't say Biblical history and interpretation have ever been all that interesting to me - the world's just such a big place with so many more fascinating things to study in depth - but if it interests you, there's a huge body of work about it (and that's an understatement). The most recent book I have sitting on my desk is Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why by Bart Ehrman.
08 Jul 17:31 | Link | Category: Human/Primate Evolution & Behavior, Interactive, Misc. Tidbits
February 2, 2006
More First Lines
A few people have commented on the 100 First Best Lines from Novels link I posted in Quick Links the other day.
Last year (or was it two years ago?), I was on a J.M. Coetzee kick. One of his novels (Elizabeth Costello) centers around a fictional novelist. Its opening line offers this take on opening lines:
There is first of all the problem of the opening, namely, how to get us from where we are, which is, as yet, nowhere, to the far bank.
Below are a few more 'first lines' pages (two in quiz format):
- Novel Quiz: Famous First Lines
- Famous First Lines of Novels and Poems
- First Lines: A Sort of Literacy Test
- First Lines from Famous Books
02 Feb 0:58 | Link | Category: Art & Entertainment, Interactive, Misc. Tidbits
January 24, 2006
Falwell, Robertson, or Bin Laden?
I found this cool little quiz through The J-Walk Blog:
Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Usama Bin Ladin have a lot in common. Take the quiz and see if you can identify statements by each of these "leaders."
I scored 10 out of 20.
24 Jan 9:11 | Link | Category: Current Events, Interactive, Opinion & Thoughts
December 16, 2005
iTunes Signature Maker
This is pretty useless, but also fairly cool: Jason Freeman's iTunes Signature Maker. It analyzes your iTunes library and, based on preferences you can set, mixes your most played/highest rated/most recently added songs into a 'signature' of tunes.
Here's a signature from some of my highly rated songs (4 MB WAV).
16 Dec 23:38 | Link | Category: Cool Links, Interactive, Music, Technology & Computing
December 10, 2005
Google Earth / Windows Live Local
If you haven't used Google Earth yet, you're missing out on one of the coolest little apps in quite a while. There are a number of other similar products, but I haven't yet seen one that's quite as nicely done as Google Earth. I've been eagerly awaiting a Mac version of Google Earth for months, and finally it has arrived! (Well, sort of. It hasn't been officially released yet, but if you're resourceful you should be able to find a copy floating around the internets. I downloaded a copy and it runs perfectly on my G5. Hopefully an official release will come shortly.)
In related news, Microsoft's Virtual Earth has become Windows Live Local (also still in beta). I can't say I understand the name change, and the interface isn't very usable yet (in Firefox, at least) -- but there are some cool features. The Birds Eye Images are extremely cool. There's also an interesting "locate me" feature (that has caused some concern among privacy advocates).
I've wasted entirely too much time looking at maps and aerial photos today. The silence shall now resume.
10 Dec 17:39 | Link | Category: Interactive, Libraries & Digital Information, Technology & Computing
April 8, 2005
How Normal Are You?
How "normal" are you? According to this scientific quiz, I am 45% normal (somewhat normal):
While some of your behavior is quite normal...
Other things you do are downright strange
You've got a little of your freak going on
But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself
I'd actually prefer to be a little less normal than that, but I guess I can live with 45%.
08 Apr 16:04 | Link | Category: Interactive
January 15, 2005
What Age Do You Act?
Another stupid quiz... this time you can determine what age you act. According to the quiz, I act like I'm 19 years old. (Sadly, it's probably accurate.)
15 Jan 13:00 | Link | Category: Interactive
December 27, 2004
What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?
Find out what your "dominant intelligence" is with the What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have quiz. Depending on how I answer the quiz, I get either linguistic or musical.
27 Dec 22:56 | Link | Category: Interactive
December 8, 2004
What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die?
Fans of Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies might enjoy this quiz: What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die?
I'm George, Smothered Under a Rug. ("You will be smothered under a rug. You're a little anti-social, and may want to start gaining new social skills by making prank phone calls.")
08 Dec 23:28 | Link | Category: Art & Entertainment, Humor, Interactive
December 7, 2004
Social status quiz
Yet another silly online quiz for you. (Sorry, I haven't been in the surfing or blogging mood, so you end up with links like these.)
My highest score was Alternative, followed by Middle Class:
You're partially respected for being an individual in a conformist world yet others take you as a radical. You have no place in society because you choose not to belong there - you're the luckiest of them all, even if your parents are completely ashamed of you. Just don't take drugs ok?
07 Dec 23:22 | Link | Category: Interactive
December 6, 2004
"I will find a city, find myself a city to live in"
This is odd. I took the Find Your Spot quiz, and apparently my "best places to live" are:
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Denver, Colorado
- Seattle, Washington
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Carlisle, Pennsylvania
It's baffling that good ol' SLC, my hometown and current residence, topped the list. I really don't know what to make of that. Kinda disturbing. Hmmm. Anyway. The other places sound pretty nice (though I have no idea what Carlisle, Pennsylvania is like).
(Note: The site makes you register, but if you're like me you might make a few minor errors entering your information. They think I'm someone named Jerry Falwell living in Schenectady, NY 12345).
Another interesting, somewhat related site is ePodunk ("profiling more than 25,000 communities across America"). They have lots of interesting stats, like:
06 Dec 0:48 | Link | Category: Interactive
November 17, 2004
Abandon All Hope
An article by Danielle Morton led me to the Dante's Inferno Hell Test. It determines which circle of Hell you will be banished to.
Things aren't looking good for me. It banished me to the Sixth Level of Hell - The City of Dis, with the heretics.
Here's how I matched up against all the levels:
| Level | Score |
|---|---|
| Purgatory (Repenting Believers) | Very Low |
| Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) | Moderate |
| Level 2 (Lustful) | High |
| Level 3 (Gluttonous) | Low |
| Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) | Moderate |
| Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) | Low |
| Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics) | Very High |
| Level 7 (Violent) | Moderate |
| Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers) | High |
| Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous) | Low |
17 Nov 14:29 | Link | Category: Interactive
November 12, 2004
What Kind of Elitist Are You?
Find out what kind of elitist you are by taking this quiz.
It tells me I'm a "politics and culture guru":
From Timbuktu to Tijuana, you know all about world culture and politics. You've seen it all, and what you haven't seen, you watched on one of the "smart people channels." Your friends tell you that you should run for governor. What people love: You've always got a great story to tell. What people hate: You make them feel like ignorant plebians. Sometimes you slip and CALL them plebians.
(via J-Walk)
12 Nov 1:21 | Link | Category: Interactive
October 26, 2004
Which File Extension Are You?
This is only for major geeks: Which File Extension Are You? I only link to it because I liked my very accurate result:
You are .*
You are a wildcard. You are everything to everybody. You can't make up your mind as to what you want to be.
26 Oct 19:08 | Link | Category: Interactive
July 9, 2004
nocircles.com
I found a cool flash game through memepool. Head over to nocircles.com to play it. (Play v1 because it has a much better soundtrack.)
Now I wasted time playing that stupid game... and I still have to do laundry because I'll have nothing clean to wear... and I have to be at work early in the morning. Life is so hard sometimes. :)
09 Jul 0:33 | Link | Category: Interactive
July 7, 2004
Logo Game
See if you can identify company / organizational logos based on small "clips" at LogoGame.com. I was best at automobiles and, sadly, cereal.
07 Jul 0:06 | Link | Category: Interactive
June 7, 2004
U.S. Citizenship Test
See if you can correctly answer questions from the U.S. Citizenship Test.
(via Idle Type)
07 Jun 23:27 | Link | Category: Interactive
May 27, 2004
Guess My Age / Guess My Name
See if you can guess someone's name just by looking at his/her picture.
You can also see if you're any good at guessing age based on a picture.
27 May 0:24 | Link | Category: Interactive
May 21, 2004
Do-It-Yourself Deity
Last year I linked to Battleground God and other 'games' at The Philosophers' Magazine.
Their newest is a simplified version called Do-It-Yourself Deity.
21 May 0:13 | Link | Category: Interactive
May 11, 2004
Reverse Astrology
Describe your personality to the Reverse Astrology test and it will attempt to determine what your sign is. It got mine completely wrong. Shocking.
11 May 21:55 | Link | Category: Interactive
August 23, 2003
BBC's "The Mind"
Check out BBC's The Mind page. They have a bunch of interesting surveys you can take. Make sure to check out the disgust and lonely hearts surveys. There are lots of other interesting ones, too, like perfectionism (I tend to be one) and what sex is your brain? (according to the program, mine's 50/50).
23 Aug 22:15 | Link | Category: Interactive
June 27, 2003
"Tryin' to get to heaven before they close the door"
Uh-oh. According to this quiz, I'm not going to heaven.
(Apparently I'm too evil to even finish the quiz. Then when I tried to have some fun, it scolded me: "It appears you may not be taking our little game serious [sic].")
27 Jun 0:28 | Link | Category: Interactive
May 18, 2003
Caveman Challenge
Somehow I just found myself playing the BBC's cavemen challenge through to the end. Hmm. I need to get a life. (But maybe I'll try the chimp challenge first...)
18 May 23:29 | Link | Category: Human/Primate Evolution & Behavior, Interactive
May 6, 2003
Bond, Garrett Bond
Do you have what it takes to become a British intelligence operative? Take the Secret Service Test to find out. I was quite pleased with my score:
YOU SCORED: 77.98 %
It appears that you may have what it takes to become a full service agent. You are clever, knowledgeable and have lightening reflex.
Woot!
06 May 23:36 | Link | Category: Interactive
November 20, 2002
Test your knowledge of geography
According to the National Geographic Society, 87 percent of Americans between the age of 18 and 24 cannot find Iraq on a map. 70 percent can't find New Jersey. Only half can find New York. One of ten can't find the United States. I have a hard time believing this is true, but if it is, it's utterly depressing.
Test your knowledge of geography. And those of you who can't find Iraq, please learn where it is.
(I am so incredibly tempted to insert a snide George W. Bush joke here, but you all know I'm above that, right?)
20 Nov 11:59 | Link | Category: Interactive