My Political Views, according to Facebook

There are a ton of useless, mindless quizzes on Facebook. I have no desire to know what '80's hair band best reflects my personality, or what Nordic god I'd be (Odin - duh). I do admit to a sophomoric desire to take a score of the girly quizzes, just to find out what Disney Princess I'd be and freak out the in-laws.

Anywho, I did enjoy a quiz that tried to pigeonhole where you stand on the political spectrum. It was pretty detailed, and while I have no idea if it was scientifically accurate or not, I was impressed.


My Political Views
I am a right social moderate
Right: 5.08, Libertarian: 0.15

Political Spectrum Quiz


My Foreign Policy Views
Score: 6.43

Political Spectrum Quiz


My Culture War Stance
Score: 5.66

Political Spectrum Quiz


The Political Spectrum Quiz
Daniel is a right social moderate. He is also a neo-con and culturally conservative. Daniel's scores (from 0 to 10):

Economic issues: +5.08 right
Social issues: +0.15 libertarian
Foreign policy: +6.43 neo-con
Cultural identification: +5.66 conservative
Category: political quizzes

* * **

No surprises on the foreign policy front, since I've always been a bit of a hawk. Still, in this day and age 'neo-con' just means not agreeing to take one up the ass every time another country might have its feelings hurt.

My, that did sound neo-con, didn't it? :)

I was a little thrown off by not being judged as more libertarian. But, after reviewing the test, I do favor government intervention in some cases, and my pro-life views don't jibe with the standard Libertarian platform.

All those results, and a pretty little graph too. What more can you ask for in a free Facebook quiz?

And now the content universally despised among blog readers: pictures of the writer's cats

Angelcakes, who sleeps with YaYa most nights.



And Billy, aka William Sonoma, a mainstay of our lives since 1997.

More TV

At the moment I'm quite depressed, and rather bitter with the course of my rotten life. So let's take the focus off the real world and discuss the magic box in the living room again, shall we?

I did forget a few shows when I did my last write-up. My DVR scooped up the The Office unexpectedly, as I thought I'd cancelled that slot. It was funny, but not as strong as the premiere. For the record, I thought the co-manager gig was ridiculous. Forget the 'value' of Jim. Michael has somehow (voodoo?) managed to run one of the most productive branches in the company, and they're going to F with that? And in a recession, with the business downsizing? Nuh-uh.

Lame.

For a few weeks I was hooked on SyFy's Eureka, which follows an everyday sheriff in a town full of government super-geniuses. Cute show, cute premise, but I soon tired of the formula.

Basically, the genius of the week will invent something magical that winds up posing a threat to the town. The crisis will be diverted not by luck or science, but by a seemingly random observation by the sheriff, something that could only be spotted by an Average Joe.

I'll still watch, but I don't count myself as a big fan.



* * *

On frequent rotation in my house: Doctor Who (aka the greatest sci-fi show ever).

* * *

Here's an odd glitch in my makeup. I can watch a game between two teams I've never seen before, sometimes playing a SPORT I've never seen before, and in minutes develop a vocal and partisan loyalty to one team.

Case in point: the championship game for Australian Rules Football, a mix of rugby and soccer I'd never knew existed. Last week I found myself watching it in the middle of the night when I was saddled with a toothache. Ten minutes in the rules of the game began to saturate my brain, and by the end of the match I was screaming when Geelong scored the go-ahead goal to finish off St Kilda.

Well played boys!

New AIC

Listening to Alice In Chain's new album, Black Gives Way to Blue, in stores today!

Fantasy Football Wk 3

Some more good news tonight. After a vigorous contest that saw my team post 104.16 points - good enough to beat all but two teams in my league - I lost the game by a tenth of a point. A tenth of a bleepin' point.

That's right. I lost 104.26 to 104.16.

Bright side: the point total should move me up the standings among the 1-2 losers. Downside: I'm 1-2. Duh.

Everything you wanted to know about Canada but were afraid to ask!

While its intent was to get a laugh, this Rick Mercer clip from Feb 3rd (2009) taught me a lot about the convoluted workings of the Canadian government. From an outsiders perspective, I have to comment on what a whacky system they've put in place. It's worked for them so far, of course, but look at it from a distance and just try to justify it by saying "That's the right and proper way to go about it!".

On a less serious note, if you can ignore the canned laugh track, there are some funny lines, such as describing the Queen as "an elderly lady of German descent who lives in a castle across the ocean."



H/T Canadian Perspective

Bad (car) news

If you have Lisa as a Facebook friend, then you've already heard. Her van, our primary means of transportation and the ONLY car we have big enough to fit everyone,is on the fritz. It ran fine all day ("like buttah" I foolishly jinxed us by saying) and then refused to move when Lisa tried to drive it home.

It starts, it revs, it doesn't move. It does rock forward in park, so it isn't a broken axle. I had someone look at it and the tenative diagnosis is a transmission. Approximate cost: $2100, 'round about $2090 more than we have on hand.

At the same time, my Escort is in dire need of exhaust work, and is barely functional in its current state. Lovely.

I do not know who we wronged in this universe to deserve all the crap that finds its way to our doorstep, but I'm sick of it. If it's you, kindly send us a postcard detailing the misdeed and we'll do our best to correct it.

Meanwhile, I'll have the van towed to a garage in the morning and see if the powertrain warranty is still in place . . .

Uh, when do I find time to watch all these shows?

Dear Reader, before you read this and voice the opinion that I waste away my day as a couch potato, ck thyself. Lisa and I wake up at 6:30 a.m, get the kids off to school, continue on with work/kids/life, and only plop ourselves down in front of the tube after 10 o'clock at night.

It takes a certain panache to stay up until 2 in the morning everyday clearing out the DVR, thus leaving you a maximum of four hours of sleep a day, but as in all things, sometimes a sacrifice is necessary for the greater good :)

* * * *

I checked out the series premiere of Flash Forward and found it less than endearing. It's very reminiscent of Lost, almost Xerox-y in tone, but I found some of the acting blah and the holes in the plot pretty large. I'll probably give it another shot, but if in a few weeks it doesn't perk up, sayonara.



* * *

Fringe has returned, and I enjoyed the premiere quite a bit. One thing tho: that 'twist' at the end could be seen a mile away. If you were on the spot, wouldn't you have asked to check for those plug-marks in the palate, just to be sure?



* *
Glee continues to rock, and has established itself as one of my favorite shows on broadcast TV. Last weeks episode was LOL, and its good to see that the ridiculous pseudo-pregnancy is actually going to tie into a decent plot thread. WATCH THIS SHOW!!!



* * *

Out of the blue I've begun watching reruns of Medium. Yes, the teenager still calls her "Mommy", which is creepy, and the husband annoys me, but those are teeny complaints. Overall I think it's a good show, with solid scripts and decent acting.

I am still having trouble shaking a Mad TV parody that was spot-on, and which continues to make me giggle at the sound of Allison's voice :), but I've added the show to my DVR schedule.



* *

I won't be adding Ghost Whisperer. I gave it a one week shot, but ewww. The only bright spot is watching Jennifer Love Hewitt, but that's not enough to keep me watching.



* * *

I watched the lame Family Guy premiere, which included a single laugh-out-loud moment. In my humble opinion the show jumped the shark a few years back. And you know what? The constant anti-Christian jokes are pissing me off and makes me wish the Inquisition was still around. I think I'm done with this mess.
.
* * *



Project Runway is getting stronger as the weeks go by, but I still miss New York terribly. What was up with cutting Ra'mon and leaving one-note Louise in the competition? What an awful decision!

* * *


A&E's Hoarders is a reality show that showcases two compulsive hoarders each week, and offers them assistance in cleaning their house and getting psychological help. These people as sick, in a very literal sense, and watching the show you are both fascinated and repulsed.

It is heartbreaking to see 'normal', everyday folks live in a mouse filled house filled with trash and expired food, know that they had their kids taken away by the state and face city-mandated eviction, and yet be unable to throw away a used napkin because of their illness.

Hoarders can be seen on A&E on Mondays at 10/9 central.

* * * *

Argh, I'm sure I'm missing a show or two, believe it or not. But drop me a line, and let me know what you think of the one's I've listed here.

Cops, guns, straw buyers, and cries of racism: Now what's going on on the South Side?

I saw this slogan on a bumper in front of me when I picked up my girls from school last week.

You can take my First Amendment when you pry my cold, dead hands off the Second

Although not a gun owner myself, I agree with the sentiment. So when I was driving near Miller Park I was surprised to see the following sign outside a local gun shop; so surprised I returned home to grab my camera.





Racist Milwaukee Police Dept is pulling over African Americans leaving this store. Sorry for the inconvenience

What the hell was that about?

The answer came in today's paper.

Badger Guns, once known as Badger Outdoors, has long been a high profile source of straw purchases - the practice of buying guns for criminals unable to legally purchase them on their own. From the late '90's on Badger was among the national - NATIONAL! - leaders in this practice, actually topping the charts in 2005.

Between January of 2006 and this month more than 1800 guns tied to the store have been used in the commision of a crime. By its lonesome, Badger Guns accounts for more than 1/3rd of all the weapons used in crimes here in Milwaukee. One third. The nearest competitor? Well, they take up a whole 3% of the citywide total. That's a wee bit fishy, no?

The final straw -no pun intended -was when two Milwaukee cops were shot and seriously wounded with a weapon tied to the store. Police Chief Ed Flynn, who for all his flaws has a knack for doing the needful regardless of political fallout, said enough was enough.

He authorized an ongoing stakeout of the gun shop, one that continues to snag straw buyers and felons using the establishment. "They know to whom they are selling, they know what is happening with their product, they know citizens in Milwaukee are dying, and they don't care." said Flynn.

"All we are asking is that they [Badger] be professional," [D.A. John] Chisholm said. "Their public service would be to do everything in their professional skill to prevent a sale to someone who will turn around and put that gun on the street to commit violence. They have the skill to do it. I suspect they choose not to do that more than they do."

As for the claims of racism? Noting that the majority of gun violence in Milwaukee involves African-American shooters and victims, Flynn isn't surprised that a majority of those arrested will fit that description. He says the owner of the store " . . . clearly doesn't care a damn about the demographics of dead Milwaukeeans," Flynn said. "To try to wrap himself as a victim of racism is not only absurd, it is obscene."

I'm going to have to side with the MPD here. Frankly, I'm surprised the shop hasn't been shut down by lawmakers, either by strict 'above the board' means or via the twists and turns at their disposal. If the place is flipping off the law and knowingly, or even just carelessly, allowing criminals to purchase guns for use in a crime, then screw 'em.

And Chief? Once again, kudos for doing what needs doing. It's so very odd to actually have a Milwaukee Police Chief worthy of respect.

UPDATE: Badger's owner has removed the sign.

Off Season by Jack Ketchum

In the quiet Maine countryside a group of friends gather to enjoy a cabin in the woods. Unfortunately, a family of insane cannibals also lives in the area, and when they're hungry the local 7-11 just won't do. What follows is a horrendous night of violence and terror as the group fights to survive the attack; or, at least, die with their flesh still on their bones.

Off Season by Jack Ketchum is an "old" book, as paperbacks go, originally published in the early 1980's. That version was heavily redacted to remove violence and tweak the ending, and it's with great pride that Ketchum released the "new", original version of his novel.

If you've followed my writing you know that I don't care for so-called "torture-porn" genre of horror, and dismiss the Saw and Hostel franchises accordingly. So it's odd that I give this gory little book a thumbs-up, but . . .

Ketchum might have one or two screws loose, but the guy has a flair for carrying a story. Sometimes his voice is so smooth your mind blots out the subject matter. I'd read a chapter, put the book down and then say to myself: "Hey, wait a minute! Did I just read a two page recipe for curing and jerking human thigh? How the hell did that slip by me?"

There is a gruesome and slow death near the end that was almost too much to bear [ugh, just shivered remembering it] but all in all, despite the gore it was much better than expected.

2.7 out of 4. Note: I did not read the short story included as an extra in the book.