Can you name the elements?
July 6th, 2008 Filed Under fun, games, science
This can you name the elements game from Sporcle is extremely simple, but well done and actually kinda fun, at least the first two or three times. Accepting the input instantly is a nice touch.
Their geographic tests (like how many countries in Europe can you name) are even harder, at least for me.
I got 71 elements. When you try your hand at it, leave a comment with how many you could name, and which one you were pissed that you missed.
Stumble it!Timeline of Superlative Modifiers
July 6th, 2008 Filed Under fun, ideas
I would like to see a timeline of superlative modifiers, when they came into fashion and when they became uncool.
extra- (L. outside, 1922-1945)
super- (L. above, 1940-1958)
ultra- (L. beyond, 1979-1984)
mega- (Gk. great, 1984-1993)
hyper- (Gk. beyond, 1994-2000)
meta- (Gk. after, 2001-present)
I bet Lexus-Nexus could run this query, actually.
Nethack server online
December 30th, 2007 Filed Under fun, games, software
I normally play Nethack on nethack.alt.org (NAO) as ‘zem‘. I’ve been playing Nethack since 1990, and all 5 of my ascensions have been on NAO–once a year since 2003.
I think my recent ascension this month inspired some friends of mine to play again, and on NAO for the larger community experience–more “bones” files, ability to watch games, an IRC bot that announces every game’s ending. It’s been fun, but one friend lamented that the NAO high score list–which has 2000 entries on it, 20 times more than the default–is so packed that it basically requires an ascension to get on it.
So I installed nethack and the dgamelaunch software, and now pwanson.com has a ‘public’ nethack server. Just telnet pwanson.com port 4242 and hack away!
Geek Album: 2038 by Colonel Panic
November 12th, 2007 Filed Under featured, fun, ideas
2038: A New Epoch
Colonel Panic and the Machines
1) Candyflip (BSD + X = love)
2) Bill and Steve and Steve and Steve
3) kill(2) Send a Signal
4) DEADBEEF
5) Gates to the Windows of Hell
6) Unix Won’t Rape You
7) Ode to Be
8) U R OS/Xy
9) Sit Ubuntu, Sit
10) A. Tanenbaum (Christmas Bonus Track)
WikiConnections
October 29th, 2007 Filed Under fun
If you use Wikipedia at all, you’ve probably already spent a lot of time playing the online version of Connections, which is a great way to kill a few hours. If you record every page that you get to, and only go forward through internal links, at the end you have a wonderful journey through Wikipedia with your soul as a compass.
For example, here’s a WikiLoop that a friend of mine traversed, starting from a conversation we had that somehow included
- Billy Ocean, who was born in
- Fyzabad, Trinidad, which in 1937 was the centre of labour unrest in Trinidad and Tobago, which was led by
- T.U.B. Butler, who is looked upon as the founding father of the
- Oilfields Workers Trade Union, which grew into a potent political force, playing a role in the
- Black Power movement in 1970.
- John Sweat Rock (1825-1866), one of the first African-Americans with a medical degree, is credited with coining the phrase
- Black is beautiful, which was used to counter internal racism in the black community, which had led to such practices as
- paper bag parties, at which people whose skin was not lighter than a paper-bag were denied entry. Very light-skinned black people are also known as
- high-yellow, and people of this skin tone dominated the culture, according to people like
- Duke Ellington, who inspired the song
- “Sir Duke”, written by
- Stevie Wonder, who also wrote
- “I Just Called to Say I Love You”, which was succeeded on the Billboard Hot 100 by
- “Caribbean Queen”, which was written by
- Billy Ocean.
I turn 31 years old today, so constructive criticism only, please.
