Mike sent these fascinating examples of numeric symmetry:

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

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Heather sends this informative, short quiz reasoning, I suspect, that since most of us will be enjoying a traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner in a couple days, we should know something about the critters we’re about to devour. What’s to know, you ask? Well, take the quiz. You may discover you don’t know jack about turkeys and learn something new in the process. Gobble, gobble!

This was in Sunday’s Parade (“Ask Marilyn” section) and was fun to work out. Try it yourselves and see how much you remember.

A number has five different digits, none of which is 0: (a) The first plus the second equal the third digit; (b) the third times 2, plus the second, equals the fifth; (c) the second times 2 equals the first; (d) the first times 4 equals the fourth; and (e) the fourth minus the second equals the fifth. What is the number?

Come up with the right answer and win a valuable, great and wonderful free subscription to this site!

Another smart quiz. It’s uncanny how accurate these can be!

You Are Definitely Not a Hippie

In fact, you’re so conservative, you make George Bush look like Jerry Garcia. You’re not big on experimentation or alternative lifestyles. Fringe ideas tend to freak you out. You’re pretty suspicious of hippies - or anyone who sympathizes with them. As hippies would say, you are the establishment. You’re part of the system… and proud of it.

Are You A Hippie?

Someone sent me this “Blog Readability Test” the other day so, naturally, I took it. Or rather, I inserted this blog’s URL in the designated space and, in less that a nanosecond, it read my entire blog and determined that a high school education is required to understand it.

I suppose that’s about right. I write most posts for easy readability by a wide audience that includes my teenage grandsons. But considering the program’s rapid response, I suspect it merely searched for four syllable words and, finding relatively few, determined the blog’s readability quotient. Perhaps I’ll pen a long, nonsensical essay laced with four or more syllable words and resubmit. Farcical, you say? Impracticable? Perhaps. But incontrovertibly gratifying.

Louise reminded me that I’d promised to post the results for those of you that took the “new and improved” nerd quiz a couple weeks ago. I’d asked that any of you that took the test (and were so inclined) embed a photo of yourself and email me the resulting quiz icon. Some of you did and so, as promised, here ya’ go. I’m not sure what any of us learned from the exercise, but it was kinda fun, yes? It did demonstrate just how diverse our readership is and that at least one of you has a sense of humor about his (or her?) mug shot…

Thanks to (in no particular order) Louise, Robo, Ralph, Karen and Sterling for following the directions (some of you didn’t include the photo.) And Teddy, yours didn’t get published for the same reason your carved pumpkins didn’t make the cut. Pretty funny, but a little over the line for posting on this site. But keep ‘em coming, the editorial staff loves them!

Stanley alerted me (thanks!) to the fact that the results graphic from the Nerd Test I took a couple months ago to determine my relative nerdiness was no longer visible. Turns out the problem is a bi-product of the test being “updated.” I took that as a personal challenge and took the new test with the following results:

The questions seemed familiar in the new version so taking the quiz was a little faster. About the only new thing I noticed was the option to include a photo with the results. So I did. (I’m a handsome nerd, aren’t I?)

Go ahead, click on the image above to take the new test and discover your new inner nerd!” Be sure to add your photo, then send me your results graphics and I’ll post them! Might make an interesting collage, don’t you think?

Still undecided about which Presidential candidate to support? Davey sent this short quiz designed to find out which candidates are most aligned with your views and opinions.

Based on the original Select a Candidate Survey (link) developed by Minnesota Public Radio, the quiz isn’t meant to pick your candidate for you. Rather, it’s designed to inform the public of the various stances candidates make.

According to the directions, you may skip questions if you don’t want them factored into the results. And the results, while not scientific, may surprise you. My top candidate, for example, is one I know absolutely nothing about!

I found this short, fun quiz at The Bastage. Go ahead, answer a few questions and build your dream home…

Build Your Dream Home!

Okay, I took the “Nerd Test” I got from Grouchy Old Cripple to get a handle on my “relative nerdiness.” There were some surprises, of course…

…I was surprised I scored as high as I did on Sci-Fi/Comic and that I scored higher in History/Literature than Science/Math which were always my best subjects.

Curious? Take the quiz! Learn something about your inner nerd!

I found this quiz on Noah’s new blog. He has a feeble 69% chance of survival. He probably can make a Molotov cocktail - they’re a Finnish invention, after all - but he may lack the all-important baseball bat! Anyway, take the quiz. You can never be too prepared…

75%

Note: The misplacement of the percent figure is apparently within Mingle’s source code. It’s nothing I can fix.

This caught my eye over at Beancounters. It’s perhaps a little morbid, yet interesting. Give it a try.

$4165.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth.

And don’t be thinking about cashing me in, ya’ hear?

Here’s a little quiz aimed at determining which wine,  based on your answers to five questions,  best describes your personality . I’m apparently a “Chardonnay” personality (I’m not particularly fond of most chards - Go figure!) Interestingly, by changing one answer (I was on the fence) I become a “Pinot Noir”! Give it a try and see what you learn about yourself.

You Are Chardonnay

Fresh, spirited, and classic - you have many facets to your personality. You can be sweet and light. Or deep and complex. You have a little bit of something to offer everyone… no wonder you’re so popular. Approachable and never smug, you are easy to get to know (and love!). Deep down you are: Dependable and modest Your partying style: Understated and polite Your company is enjoyed best with: Cold or wild meat

This short quiz aims to describe just how Republican (or Democrat - there’s a quiz for you guys, too) you are. I think it fairly well describes my political leanings. Give it a try. You might be surprised.

You Are 56% Republican

You aren’t a full fledged Republican yet, but it’s probably the party that fits you best. You probably consider yourself an independent Republican. You usually support the party, but you also think for yourself!

Here’s an interesting, 16-question quiz to determine what American accent you have. I apparently have a “Midland” accent and could have been a newscaster (or played one on TV!) Hmmm… I was born in Ohio and married a Chicago girl. Could either have affected my results? Not necessarily? Give it a try and discover your own accent!