You're Siddhartha!
by Hermann Hesse
You simply don't know what to believe, but you're willing to try anything once. Western values, Eastern values, hedonism and minimalism, you've spent some time in every camp. But you still don't have any idea what camp you belong in. This makes you an individualist of the highest order, but also really lonely. It's time to chill out under a tree. And realize that at least you believe in ferries.
Take the Book Quiz at the Blue Pyramid.
USAF-issued dog tag (click for larger). I’m Buddhist, by an official act of the US Gub’mint. The story behind that lil bit of trivia goes like this… Once upon a time while I was still on active duty it came to pass, via directive, that all personnel had to have Official ID tags in their possession, at all times. Those of us who had lost their ID tags were ordered to report to the CBPO and get re-issued. So, I took my ol’ self down to the personnel shop, found the ID-tag foundry and presented my ID card to the airman in charge. He looked at it in a bored manner and asked “What’s your religion?” “No preference,” sez I. “No go,” sez he, “You have to choose a religion…pick one from this list…” and he shoves a list of about 25 religious denominations across the desk to me. I scan it quickly, and he’s right: there are no “No preference” or “Agnostic” categories. So I said “I’m Buddhist.” The airman didn't bat an eye and proceeded to pound out my dog tags. Ten minutes later I walked out of the personnel shop with my newly-minted dog tags and a brand-new religion. The Second Mrs. Pennington was most impressed when I got home, she being a closet Buddhist and all.
Siddhartha, indeed.
Today is brilliantly clear and cold. It almost, but not quite, hurts to gaze upon the fields of snow outside the window. The park’s roads are still white, what with the cold and lack of traffic. We haven’t progressed to that slushy-gray muck yet. But it will come. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the view.
Here are a few quick P-Town snow facts, courtesy of the Portales News-Tribune. They say:
A winter storm that lingered over the middle of
[…]
Snow facts
—Portales averages 9.2 inches of snowfall each year.
—The city's snowiest season on record was 1972-73, when 26.9 inches fell.
—Portales recorded 22 inches of snow in December of 1997, a record for one month.
—Portales received one-half inch of snow last season, all of it in March.
—Saturday's snowfall was the most in Portales since March of 2005, when the city saw 10.5 inches for the month.
How about that?
My first was "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy."
ReplyDelete"Considered by many to be one of the funniest people around, you are quite an entertainer. You've also traveled to the far reaches of what you deem possible, often confused and unsure of yourself. Life continues to jostle you around like a marble, but it's shown you so much of the world that you don't care. Wacky adventures continue to lie ahead. Your favorite number is 42.
I'd agree to all but the first and last sentences (unless I'm a closet entertainer). Actually, Douglas Adams is my second son's favorite author and I love him, too.
Second, "To Kill a Mockingbird." And third try, "Huckleberry Finn." Interesting because I'd listed the second two in my favorite books profile although the descriptions seemed a bit off-kilter to me.
That's a fun site, Buck! Thanks! :)
Ok, my first try was Anne of Green Gables. My second try was Siddhartha, and the third time I did it, I came out to be the Mirriam Webster Dictionary!
ReplyDeleteThose quizzes never peg me very well. I think the thing about them is that often none of the choices they give are quite right. I have to pick the closest, but it still isn't spot on.
I remember that snow of 97. My husband and father-in-law had built a barn using circle sprinkler towers for the frame of the roof that summer. The snow collasped the whole barn and the only thing that held it up was the hay we had underneath it.
ReplyDeleteUhm, well first, I picked up right away on the ferries thing. LOL!
ReplyDeleteSecond.... I did the quiz and went "HUH?" This has to be the most stupid thing I've ever seen:
You're Cat's Cradle!
by Kurt Vonnegut
You believe quite firmly that free will deserted you long ago and far away. As a result, it's hard to take responsibility for anything. Even though you show great potential as a leader of a small 3rd world country, the choices are all made ahead of time. You're rather fond of games involving string. Your fear of nuclear weaponry is trumped only by your fear of ice.
This reminded me of one of those mad lib things where you just insert random words and it makes for an odd story. I will do it again to see if it makes any sort of sense.
Nope, doesn't sound "remotely" like me:
ReplyDeleteYou're I, Robot!
by Isaac Asimov
While you have established a code of conduct for many generations to follow, your demeanor is rather cold and calculating. Brought up to serve humans, you have promised never to harm them, to follow orders, and to protect yourself. Living up to this code has proved challenging and sometimes even drives you mad. If you were a type of paper, you would be pulp.
Bec & Becky: I thought the most interesting thing about this particular quiz was the wide variety of possible results. SN1 was Dune, he posted on his blog about it. Didja check out the weekly results? They haven't been updated in nearly three years, but they're interesting, nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteI hear you about the inaccuracy of these quizzes, Becky. I was pretty happy with the outcome of this particular one, though.
Just as an aside, Bec, Adams is one of SN1's faves, too.
Jenny: I bet your husband and F-I-L were none too pleased about that! Have you gotten out and into town yet? I'll "remain in place" again today, what with the persistent low temps and lack of melting.
Laurie: you were testing as I was composing my comment... And you're absoultely right: your results make absolutely NO sense!! I'm amazed at your results!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking there's another story in these comments somewhere...ferries?
ReplyDeleteRemind me Dad to tell you the story of a young Airman headed to Belgium...
;)
Gotta love the quizzes!
SN1
I've been to Floyd to pick the kids up from school and that's it. Not that we can't go anywhere, I just am choosing not to. LOL! One less idiot on the road. haha! My milk and bread are holding out, I may make it til Thursday on town.
ReplyDeleteFerries. See Ferry,
ReplyDelete1. A place where persons or things are carried across a river, arm of the sea, etc., in a ferryboat.
I don't think they meant to imply boats. Really impressive from someone pretending to be so literary to misspell something that could have other meanings with other spellings.
SN1 sez: I'm thinking there's another story in these comments somewhere...ferries?
ReplyDeleteAnd Laurie sez: I don't think they meant to imply boats.
Oh, but they did. One of the key episodes in the novel is when Siddhartha meets a ferryman after leaving his life of indulgence and together they live on the river and work as ferrymen.
So, yeah: I believe in ferries.
Jenny sez: Not that we can't go anywhere, I just am choosing not to.
ReplyDeleteI have to go out today. It remains to be seen if the Green Hornet is gonna find traction in the snow that has yet to melt! I'll wait until mid-afternoon; we're supposed to go into the low 40s today, and that just might help melt some of the snow in the driveway.
Ah, very interesting. I like the concept, everything comes back, just like the river.
ReplyDeleteI think the key to these quizzes is not to overthink your answers too much - to get the closest result possible. Just a hunch.
ReplyDeleteKris sez: I think the key to these quizzes is not to overthink your answers too much - to get the closest result possible.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Whenever I do these thingies (and I LOVE 'em) I just answer as quickly and as accurately as possible. The "accuracy" of my answer is often a debatable thing, given the choices you get. Whatever's closest...