Older Than Anne Elliot

Here’s to wishing . . . note that Edward Ferrars is at the bottom of the heap.

You scored as Captain Wentworth.

Your husband/boyfriend is Captain Wentworth of Persuasion, who some believe to be the most romantic of Austen’s heroes. He is entertaining, yet he will always come to your aid before you even need to ask. Prone to jealousy, you can be certain he will protect you. The two of you have an active, endearing relationship that stands the test of time.

Captain Wentworth		75%
Col. Brandon		60%
Tilney		60%
Edmund Bertram		45%
Knightley		35%
Darcy		20%
Edward Ferrars		15%

Who is Your Jane Austen Boyfriend/Husband?

I Respect Her the Most

My results aren’t terribly surprising, although I would much prefer Mr. Bingley (or Mr. Darcy, for that matter) to Edward Ferrars.

You scored as Elinor Dashwood.

As Marianne’s older sister, Elinor lives at the other end of the emotional spectrum. She rarely reveals her intense feelings and is more concerned with being honest and loyal than having what she deserves. Even though her intentions are pure, she sets herself up for loss by constantly placing other people before her own needs. Overall, Elinor is gentle and rational but is just as capable of radical emotions (despite her withholding them) as her sister.

Elinor Dashwood		84%
Jane Bennet		78%
Elizabeth Bennet		72%
Emma Woodhouse		63%
Charlotte Lucas		44%
Marianne Dashwood		38%
Lady Catherine		22%

Indeed, when I went back for my tie-breaker question, I ended up with

You scored as Elizabeth Bennet.

As one of Austen’s most beloved characters, Elizabeth Bennet represents what most women would like to become: strong, independent, and loyal. Of course, she has her faults including a stubborn will of iron and a clinging to first impressions. Overall, Lizzie is bright and lovable…something to admire and aspire to.

Elizabeth Bennet		81%
Jane Bennet		81%
Elinor Dashwood		81%
Emma Woodhouse		63%
Charlotte Lucas		44%
Marianne Dashwood		38%
Lady Catherine		22%

Which Jane Austen Character are You?

Sniff Your Poison

Inventors are on the verge of creating the first mobile ‘smellophone’, a gadget which can capture an odour and then replay it back later, just as camcorders do with images.

If I could choose a smell for the smellophone, it would be the smell of diesel oil, which reminds me of my dad.

No Longer a Choice

Janice posted this in the comments of another post, but Chinese infanticide is so blatant and grotesque that it deserves repetition:

A Chinese county has been ordered to conduct 20,000 abortions and sterilisations before the end of the year . . .

Many of the terminations will have to be conducted forcibly on peasant women to meet the quota . . .

Officials said that, as part of the drive to meet the quota, doctors had been ordered to sterilise women as soon as they gave birth after officially approved pregnancies . . .

Sven Burmester, the United Nations Population Fund representative in Beijing, said: “For all the bad press, China has achieved the impossible. The country has solved its population problem.”

That “bad press” has included reports of babies drowned in paddy fields by officials . . .

Most recently, a woman was reported to have died while trying to escape from officials who were attempting to sterilise her.

Have I mentioned that I find the United Nations equally grotesque? With Japan so worried about not having enough babies and China worried about having so many that they have to exterminate the ones they have, it seems like there might be some sort of obvious agreement which could be reached, if the countries could just overcome certain regional prejudices.

The Man They Call Joss

Firefly has inspired On the Drift by the Badlam Bards.

(Hat tip Kevin Miller.)

Blue as My Blood

I am 40% Dixie and definitely a Yankee.

Are You a Yankee or a Rebel?

(Hat tip to Gary Pryzbocki.)

Moped Restrictions

Tim Schwarzenberger has sent me some very disturbing information:

This is upsetting, thought I should pass it along. Check your driver’s license… Now you can see anyone’s Driver’s License on the Internet, including your own! I just searched for mine and there it was..picture and all! Thanks to Homeland Security! Privacy, where is our right to it! I definitely removed mine, I suggest you all do the same….. Go to the website and check it out. Just enter your name, City and state to see if yours is on file. After your license comes on the screen, click the box marked “Please Remove”. This will remove it from public viewing, but not from law enforcement.

I went through the website and there I was, plain as day!

The Zolpidem Solution

A pill may reverse the vegetative state:

A sleeping pill can temporarily revive people in a permanent vegetative state to the point where they can have conversations, a study finds . . .

Dr Ralf Clauss, now in the nuclear medicine department at the Royal Surrey Hospital was one of the researchers who carried out the study.

He told the BBC: “For every damaged area of the brain, there is a dormant area, which seems to be a sort of protective mechanism.

“The damaged tissue is dead, there’s nothing you can do.

“But it’s the dormant areas which ‘wake up’.”

Technically, this study may actually be further evidence that “permanent vegetative state” – like “the common cold” – is a poorly defined condition.

In any case, it’s exciting. There is so much left to learn about human physiology!

(Hat tip to Father Kish.)

Definitely Not Chewbacca, Andrew

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I think agreeing that “I am a girl” greatly skewed my results:

You scored as Padme Amidala

Padme Amidala		64%
Darth Vader		61%
Clone Trooper		58%
Anakin Skywalker		58%
Yoda		53%
Obi Wan Kenobi		44%
R2-D2		44%
Mace Windu		42%
General Grievous		36%
C-3PO		36%
Emperor Palpatine		33%
Chewbacca		28%

Which Revenge of the Sith Character are you?

(Hat tip to Brian Preston.)

Save the Dragon Eggs!

Have you tried Green Eggs and Pan?

Huzzah for Cornell University!