Musings from Brian J. Noggle

Is Brian Media Diverse?

Over at Signifying Nothing, Chris Lawrence Takes Michelle Malkin's Media Diversity Test (original Malkin post here.) He scores 60 out of a possible 100, which indicates he's slightly more...what, Midwestern, conservative, something...than the major media.

Here's how I did:

Question	Answer	Comment
I have never voted for a Democrat in my life.	No.	I voted for Chris Liese over his competitor 4 years ago, for example, because I received a flyer at the polling place which said his competitor was in favor of strong sodomy laws. It was all I'd heard about the challenger, and it was that he was against homosexuals.
I think my taxes are too high.	Yes.	I think all taxes are too high, not just mine. The government wastes money, period, because it can always get more.
I supported Bill Clinton's impeachment.	Yes.	Perjury is a crime. Whether it's about sex, or about the color of the sky.
I voted for President Bush in 2000.	Yes.	I volunteered for the campaign and I displayed a yard sign. Of course, I supported McCain first.
I am a gun owner.	Yes.	I hate to admit it because my admission on the Internet flags me if They decide to confiscate all guns.
I support school voucher programs.	Yes.	Why not? If you think the government redistribution of wealth should be directed to a goal other than increasing the size of government, you should be, too.
I oppose condom distribution in public schools.	Yes.	Do the students need them for school? No, don't answer that.
I oppose bilingual education.	No.	I do, however, think that speaking, reading, and writing proper English are important to survive in society and oppose any education that would have students believe that speaking a tribal language inherited from their ancestors is equal to speaking a common tongue.
I oppose gay marriage.	No.	I don't think the state should deprive long term gay couples who want to commit of the same privileges granted to heterosexual couples. I don't think marriage should be a state issue. So I don't condemn religions who prohibit gay marriage, either. I'd rather the state eliminate the concept of marriage and issue Civil Union licenses used by couples when they marry in the churches of their choice. Or don't.
I want Social Security privatized.	Yes.	Actually, I want it eliminated, but if privatization is all I can get, I will take it. Somehow, though, I suspect that "a bankrupt nation, much like they enjoy in Europe" is what I will get.
I believe racial profiling at airports is common sense.	Yes.	What, ethicity counts as a special factor in college admissions, but not in anything else? Give me a break.
I shop at Wal-Mart.	Yes.	Before I accidentally married the woman of my dreams, I bought most of my new clothes at Wal-Mart. Now, though, she's informed me that better quality jeans make my butt more attactive, to her at least, so who am I to argue?
I enjoy talk radio.	Yes.	I gauge my work day by talk radio. 7-9, Weber and Dolan. 12-3, Rush Limbaugh. 5-7, Hugh Hewitt. It's entertainment more than enlightenment, come on.
I am annoyed when news editors substitute the phrase "undocumented person" for "illegal alien."	Yes.	It's small potatoes, though, to a greater problem in newsrooms across the country. They have a greater latitude to play linguistic tricks because people are less literate to identify them.
I do not believe the phrase "a chink in the armor" is offensive.	Yes.	I'm not even offended by off-handed racial epithets that target my race. If someone's speaking them to get a rise out of me, though, I will respond to the context. But it's not the words. It's the speaker using the words effectively to elicit the response he or she wants.
I eat meat.	Yes.	Well, tonight I ate fish, but it's all the same to the lower life form that I exploited for my further existence.
I believe O.J. Simpson was guilty.	No.	I don't believe anything. I wasn't there, and he was not convicted. I don't believe he's innocent, either, though, and he's got a cloud over him that I don't think is undeserved.
I cheered when I learned that Saddam Hussein had been captured.	Yes.	I'll mark this as a yes even though I didn't shout, "Huzzah!" I remember where I was, and I called out to tell Heather that they did, which is good enough for me.
I cry when I hear "Proud to be an American" by Lee Greenwood.	Give me five points.	I don't cry, but I do feel close sometimes when I hear this song depending upon the context.
I don't believe the New York Times.	Yes.	I don't believe any source of news. They all tell me some facts interspersed with their interpretations. I have to treat it with the same skepticism I treat anything anyone tells me. Less, actually, since I haven't vetted the media as well as I have vetted my closest friends.

Final score: 80/100

What does it mean? I'm different from Chris. Also, Michelle Malkin would probably think of me as a relative comsymp, much like I think of Alex Knapp of Heretical Ideas.

I guess we're diverse, which is good, ainna?

- posted by Brian J. @ 9:33 PM