Silicon Valley Redneck

Quizzes in the wee hours

Well, one quiz.

You are a: Conservative Anarchist Isolationist Cosmopolitan Liberal

Collectivism score: -50%
Authoritarianism score: -100%
Internationalism score: -50%
Tribalism score: -17%
Liberalism score: 33%

Well, that's an interesting label.  And I'm not really an anarchist, more of a minarchist.

Quiz here, via Joel, who apparently is less tribal and liberal than I.

Those 3-valued answers aren't so good, though.  I used "maybe" for a lot of things where "85% yes" or "63% no" would have been more appropriate.

So there's this president test making the rounds

Here.  (Via.)

Sez I'm most like James Madison, based on a personality test bought at a sporting-goods chain named after big dangerous critters.  Or something.

Description:

Compared to the general population, you are:

• Low on Extroversion, indicating that you are an introvert who prefers calm environments to large social gatherings.
• Below average on Openness, indicating that you find it important to preserve what past generations have built rather than throwing it all overboard on a whim.
• Average on Agreeableness, indicating that you alternate between being tenderhearted in some situations and tough-minded in others.
• Above average on Conscientiousness, indicating that you take a balanced approach between sticking to plans and deadlines and being flexible about updating your current goals.
• Average on Neuroticism, indicating that you respond adequately to changes in your environment and feel some measure of stress under pressure without letting it get to you.

And let's see how it does on predictions:

According to a study done by Jeffery J. Mondak, Ph.D., your scores indicate that you are:

• Likely to be skeptical of minorities and sexual deviants.
  Eh?  If I were skeptical of minorities, I'd be seriously out of place around here.  I mean, other than politically.  And, while I've been away from my usual social group for a few years... well, I used to hang out with a very queer-friendly crowd, and it was no big deal.
• More likely to be pro-life rather than pro-choice.
  I'm a squish on this'n.  If I had to choose one extreme or the other, I'd be stuck with pro-life.  Maybe.
• Likely to feel that any sensible person must start with the status quo.
  Normally, yes.  With regard to the current political status quo?  I'm increasingly of the opinion that it needs nuking from orbit.
• Likely to regard philosophical discussions a waste of time.
  Pretty much, yeah.  Though sometimes such discussions can be enlightening, assuming they're really discussions and not just shouting matches.
• Likely to pursue interests in the real world, rather than bury yourself in book knowledge.
  By inclination, yes.  This is why I need that big workshop.
• Less likely to have a tolerant attitude towards smoking.
  True, but that's not a personality thing.  It's a nose thing. I'm also intolerant of dry-erase markers.
• More likely to favor harsh criminal punishments over milder ones.
  Er.  I favor harsh punishments for things that should be crimes... but there are altogether too many things considered crimes now.  How about: if harsh punishment isn't warranted, maybe it shouldn't be a crime at all?
• Less likely to watch TV and read the news, preferring instead to follow your own interests.
  Yeah.
• Less likely to mobilize your friends in your own interests, preferring instead to immerse yourself in your interests in solitude.
  This is largely the case, though I've been known to launch mini-movements from time to time, and to organize largish social events.
• Someone who seems impassive to others, while being in fact quite sure of your own views.
  Well, kinda-sorta.

According to a study done by Jayme Neiman, Ph.D., your scores indicate that you are:

• Less likely than the average person to enjoy bitter vegetables like broccoli and arugula.
  Oooh.  Very good about the spectacles.

So... this personality-test thing is somewhat accurate, but way off with regard to, e.g., my attitude towards the Differently Different.

On this quiz, I get stuck on Question Zero

OK, so Question 0(c):

From what country does your surname originate?

Er.

The name is German, but comes from my Swedish great-grandfather's older brother.

So I guess, for my family's purposes, it originates from the U. S. of A.

And so I skip that one....

On clicking the insufficiently-fine-grained answers to the actual quiz:

Political Values

Progressivism	80
Socialism	25
Tenderness	50

Your test scores indicate that you are an open-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with a journalist. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a generally optimistic attitude towards humanity in general. Your attitudes towards economics appear capitalist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as a libertarian. To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a sensible radical egalitarian with several strong convictions.

 Not sure how they define "Progressivism", but the test appears to be from a Brit perspective.  While I may share some of the underlying values of capital-P Progressives, I'm firmly opposed to their penchant for trying to impose such values by force.

Oh, and journalists being open-minded?  Not in modern America.  To today's professional journalists, I'm very nearly the epitome of evil.

But, radical egalitarian?  Yeah, that's me*.

(Via Classical Values.)

* I should perhaps clarify my interpretation of "radical egalitarian": I strongly oppose privilege, and support equality before the law.  I am most assuredly not a radical leveler, i.e., one who seeks to enforce equality of outcome.

Oh, look: another quiz thingy!

According to this...

You are Gandalf from the trilogy the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. You are a visionary with grand ideas and courage to match. You are thoughtful and often spend more time thinking about the future than the present.

The Lord of the Rings is an epic trilogy which is often considered to portray the mythic past of England. Published in three volumes in 1954 and 1955, the story is part of the mythology that Tolkien had been working on in 1917. Another well-known work that precedes this is The Hobbit.

So, I'm a grouchy, mostly solitary old geezer who'd rather think than fight, and who spends a lot of time wandering the wilderness, am I?

Er... yes.  But I refuse to grow a long beard and wear a pointy hat on a daily basis.

Found via OldAFSarge.

Update: Hey, I wonder how much it'd cost to get a proper wizard's tower built in Dogpatch.  Not that Gandalf ever had a tower, mind you.  Hmmm... needs stone, mortar, and labor, plus some civil engineering (AKA target design).  Just another thing to ponder.

Another of those character-alignment tests

I always fall in a blurry zone involving lawful good and true neutral (possibly reflecting my Jewish and Viking sides).  This one, via Random Nuclear Strikes, gives these results:

I Am A: True Neutral Human Ranger (6th Level)

Ability Scores:
Strength-14
Dexterity-14
Constitution-10
Intelligence-15
Wisdom-8
Charisma-14

Alignment:
True Neutral A true neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. He doesn't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most true neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil after all, he would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, he's not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way. Some true neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run. True neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion. However, true neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

Well, that's good to know.

You are 0% like Hitler!

 

Your traditional conservative beliefs mean that you have very little in common with Adolph Hitler. Congrats you're a human being after all!

How Much Like Hitler Are You?
Take More Quizzes

But calling me a traditional conservative is kinda stretching it.  Stretching, indeed, nearly beyond recognition.

(Via The MoxArgon Group.)

What, so women don't shop at Digi-Key?

Mike on Ads (never heard of him?  Neither had I) has a cute gimmick.  Surf on over to the gender guesser, enable Javascript, and click the button.

My results:

Likelihood of you being FEMALE is 19%
Likelihood of you being MALE is 81%

Site	Male-Female Ratio
google.com	0.98
snopes.com	0.74
tinyurl.com	0.83
slashdot.org	1.74
digikey.com	2.7
microcenter.com	2.08
maniacworld.com	0.74

(Via El Reg.)

So I'm a six-and-a-half-foot-tall dwarf, am I?

       

Which Discworld Character are you like (with pics) created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Carrot Ironfounderson You are Captain Carrot Ironfounderson of the City Watch in the greatest city on the Disc - Ankh-Morprok! A truly good natured, honest guy, who knows everyone, and is liked by all. Technically a dwarf, but only by adoption. You'd rather not be reminded that you are the true heir to the throne, but that does explain why people naturally follow your orders. Carrot Ironfounderson           69% Greebo           56% The Librarian           56% Cohen The Barbarian           50% Lord Havelock Vetinari           50% Commander Samuel Vimes           44% Gytha (Nanny) Ogg           31% Rincewind           31% Esmerelda (Granny) Weatherwax           25% Death           25%

Arrrrr?

 

    My pirate name is:    

 

    Dirty Tom Flint   

   

    You're the pirate everyone else wants to throw in the ocean -- not to get rid of you, you understand; just to get rid of the smell. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky.    Arr!    

  Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network  

...at age 95... causing me to lose control of the plane...

You'll die from a Heart Attack during Sex.

Your a lover not a fighter but sadly, in the act of making love your heart will stop.  But what a way to go.

'How will you die?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Via Classical Values.

Another test with answers that don't fit

So here's this "how liberal or conservative are you" test over at Blogthings (via that other Eric).

I didn't get very far.

Question #2:

Immigration policies

• Should be less strict. Immigrants enhance this country.
• Should be more strict. Too many people enter illegally.

Hmmm.  How about, Both and Neither?

I'm in favor of improved border security, and deporting illegals who are caught committing crimes.  (I'm not in favor of drastic measures to check the status of workers, and there are some illegals who probably ought to be allowed to stay - e.g., the ones who just have minor technical problems with their paperwork.  Zero tolerance is often bad policy.)

I'm also in favor of making legal immigration easier.  Look at all the hoops legal immigrants have to jump through to get a student visa, never mind permanent resident status.

So: I favor making legal immigration easier, and illegal immigration more difficult.  This is contrary to political trends, which favor making life more difficult for the ones who are easy to catch, and easier for the ones who make a lot of noise.

Um.

I stumbled across this at Conspiracy Factory, which in turn I guess I found in a comment on Orac's blog.

Really, now... a nerd god?  98th freakin' percentile?

And here's more detail.  Still a nerd god, but kinda weak on comics and dorkery.  (Actually, I do have some comic books... The Cartoon History of the Universe, and an incomplete set of Der Ring Des Nibelungen done as comic books, and of course some Calvin and Hobbes.  Can't do without that.)

Somewhere in there was a question about using a computer with less than 512K of memory.  How about 2K of program memory and 32 bytes of data memory?  Programmed one of those just this year!

Hmmm.

Via Bad Science, I come across this test thingy.

It say:

You scored 56.667 out of 100 masculine points, 59.167 of out 100 feminine points, and 56.667 out of 100 androgynous (neutral) points.

Er.

Does that mean I have the dreaded Sexual Identity Disorder?  Should I start wearing pre-1940s blue clothing to reflect this?

I gotta start cussin' more!

Mingle² - Online Dating

(Test via Orac.)

Well, of course it gets a G rating.  Shucks, I don't even call Rebo & Zooty: Asparagus! by its proper name.

Another reason this blog will not be a major motion picture anytime soon.

It's been a while since I read that book...

...but I still managed a decent score:

                                 

One week       You scored 46 Survival!

yup, thats all that ill give you, you know enough, but unless you hook up with people more apt to survive

 

My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on Survival

Link: The Zombie Survival Guide Test written by dadeathwing on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Via Orac, who scored 50.

What's worse, I still remember this stuff.

Well most of it, anyway:

You paid attention during 97% of high school!

 

85-100%  You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high!  Good show, old chap!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz

Via Four Right Wing Wackos and Drumwaster.

C'mon... I'm not that nerdy!

Test via Orac, who points a finger at Adventures in Ethics and Science.

OK, so... all my datacenter computers are things I assembled myself, and they're all running UN*X variants that I configured myself... and I learned FORTRAN, on my own, in high school... and, once upon a time, I knew how to use a slide rule... and I've never learned how to use a non-RPN calculator... and my first computer was one I built myself, from chips and wires... but....

Yes, I can name more than 80% of the elements.  But I cheat and use a mnemonic, so they come out in Tom Lehrer order.

Yes, I own a microscope... and, come to think of it, a telescope of sorts.  But it's not like I actually use them.  Except... just this morning I was thinking it'd be fun to hang a digital camera on a microscope and start doing my own "whatziss" challenges, with little teeny obscure tech goodies.

Yes, I don't consider BASIC to be a real programming language.  But I had to think about that one; PASCAL and COBOL were strong contenders, and I have my doubts about C++.

Oh, and I just noticed that I still have a paper-tape reader.  And most of a roll of paper tape.  But I don't have a punch.  (I think I may have some treasures from my high-school days squirreled away on paper tape, somewhere around here.)

And I don't have a heck of a lot of figurines in my office.  Let's see... there's Great Cthulhu, and Lesser Cthulhu, and Pikathulhu, and Tux, and a sparkly snake, and a sort of computer gargoyle.

Oh, and there's a globe in my office.  Of the Moon.

Well, I'm not as nerdy as Orac, anyway.  But Orac is a bald dwarf plastic box with blinky lights and buzzy noises, and you just can't get much nerdier than that!

(Note, however, that even without Orac's special ability to tap into any data source in the galaxy, I can still play out-of-region DVDs on my homebrew home-theater system.)

Just how silly can tests get?

Orac buzzed and hummed and linked to yet another quiz: "What Disease Are You?"  Looks like I'm a doozy!

What Disease Are You?

You Are Rabies!

Also known as Hydrophobia, you tend to be exciting and spontaneous. Energetic and daring, your friends value your ability to eat things after the five second rule has expired. While you are greatly appreciated for your ability to take chances, you have been known to "bite the hand that feeds you." You have a great sense of humor when you can manage to wipe the foam off of your mouth.
Take this quiz!

Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Well, I'm feeling a bit rabid at the moment, and ready to bite rapidsvn, or should that be rabidsvn... Debian-stable comes with 0.7.0, which is old; when I try to build 0.9.1, I get a weird link error; 0.9.0 builds OK, but gives a shared-library-related error when I try to run it.  Version 0.8.0 builds and runs, but it isn't the latest... actually, looking at the changelog, there doesn't seem to be any reason I need the latest, so I guess I can stop foaming and get back to work, now that I wasted all this time taking quizzes while waiting for the program to build, repeatedly.

Tests, cont'd

That other Eric, over at Classical Values, followed the same link I did yesterday, got a much higher geek score than my mere 42; alarmed at this, he referred back to the Polygeek Quiz, which had shown him to be a non-geek just three years ago.

So, I just had to try that one, too:

You are 30% geek

You are a geek liaison, which means you go both ways. You can hang out with normal people or you can hang out with geeks which means you often have geeks as friends and/or have a job where you have to mediate between geeks and normal people. This is an important role and one of which you should be proud. In fact, you can make a good deal of money as a translator. Normal: Tell our geek we need him to work this weekend. You [to Geek]: We need more than that, Scotty. You'll have to stay until you can squeeze more outta them engines! Geek [to You]: I'm givin' her all she's got, Captain, but we need more dilithium crystals! You [to Normal]: He wants to know if he gets overtime.

This looks like an answer!

Dr. Helen linked to this geek test over at NewSqueak.

On some items, I scored completely non-geeky (World of Warcraft?  Wozzat?), and on others their scale didn't go high enough (number of working computers in one's home only went up to 4... heck, I've got 5 powered up and in use at the moment).

It got the answer right, though.  My score is... is...

Forty-two.