Courtesy of Lynn Sislo, I discovered the
Táncos Cultural Eccentricity Inventory,
which I had to do because I knew more of the choices on
this list than on Terry Teachout’s. And also, I don’t have any books to write about tonight.
1. Philip K. Dick or Robert Heinlein?
2. Winsor McCay or George Herriman?
3. Crimson or scarlet?
4. Cream or Hendrix?
5. Francesco di Giacomo or Jon Anderson?
6. Cordwainer Smith or Isaac Asimov?
7. Mammillaria or Euphorbia?
8. Jacqui McShee or Maddy Prior? Actually, I have no idea
who Jacqui McShee is, but Maddy Prior–I saw Maddy Prior play at
McCabe’s Guitar Shop once. I have many, many albums on which she sings. She is very, very good.
9. The Dream (Ashton) or A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Balanchine)
10. Austrian Copper or Peace?
11. A Wizard of Earthsea or Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone?
12. Thunderstorms or snow?
13. Heath Robinson or Rube Goldberg?
14. The Face in the Frost or Stormbringer?
15. Muriel Spark or J.F. Powers?
16. Penrose tiles or the Mandelbrot set?
17. 3 Mustaphas 3 or the Klezmer Conservatory Band?
18. Steve Morse or Steve Vai?
19. Photography: black and white or color?
20. Four o’clocks or vinca?
21. Mountains or beaches?
22. Minimoog or DX7?
23. Chesterton or Belloc?
24. Stand Up or Aqualung? But a very tough choice.
25. Walnut or oak?
26. Chocolate: dark or milk?
27. Bill Nelson or Bryan Ferry?
28. Edward Koren or George Booth?
29. Terry Pratchett or Tom Sharpe?
30. Donald Barthelme or John Barth?
31. Randy Newman or Richard Thompson?
32. Stapeliads or orchids?
33. McCartney or Lennon?
Bonus question: “Simple Gifts” or “Amazing Grace”? Another toughie
That’s 20 answers, which according to the author of the inventory means that the magnitude of my eccentricity is 61%, while my specific choices indicate that the quality of my eccentricity is 60%. Whatever that means.
The View from the Foothills 
I didn’t think it was possible to come up with a test where I was more clueless than on the Teachout one, but here it is…
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It just goes to show that this particular inventory measures only one kind of eccentricity, and not all kinds of eccentricity. After all, you’re the one who dresses up like a Viking….
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Darn it, I knew I should have googled Winsor McKay and George Herriman. Now that I’ve done it, I do know who they both are…and I’d pick McKay, definitely.
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Me too, Lars! This one really had me befuddled.
But at least Will got the milk vs dark chocolate question right! ;o)
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I’d sure pick McKay over whoever the other guy is. McKay’s old strips are just breathtaking. My only gripe with him is that Little Nemo always looked like a sissy.
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The other guy, George Herriman, is responsible for the Krazy Kat comic strip. Which was undoubtedly influential, but not at all my thing.
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Ah. I’ve seen Krazy Kat. Never understood it, which makes me feel terribly insecure, because Bill Waterson loves it, and I think Bill Waterson (Calvin & Hobbes) is a genius. But there it is.
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