No Neutrality

I Guess I Shouldn't Be Shocked

It truly is PATHOLOGICAL now. I said earlier today: "How long before the press starts finding other disgraced political figures--Republicans--to 'compare' with Spitzer? I give it 3 weeks before another scandal hits--a Republican, of course--but until then, look out for the 'Hmm. That's just like so-and-so...you know, the REPUBLICAN GUY that <insert dirty activity here>.'"

Well, I didn't even have to wait a day!

This AP story "helpfully" grabs some poli sci professor to talk about recent scandals and of course, it HAD to include a Republican. They can't just talk about the guy under question by himself--no, that would focus too much attention on him, so they have to take the heat off Spitzer by bringing in a GOP offender. But in the course of doing so (this is just amazing even though I expected it), they actually had the GALL to not mention the political affiliation of two of the three scandal-wracked people mentioned in the article, but managed to slip in the Republican's party affiliation! These people are just UN-BE-LIEV-ABLE.

Did you see any such treatment of Republican Congressman Larry Craig? Did they ever bring up Gary Studds as a helpful comparison? Gary Hart? BILL CLINTON? Pffft! Stop it already! This is the AP and the rest of the mainstream media we're talking about here...

Another tri-state governor in scandal - Yahoo! News

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Get Up On Your Soapbox

Microsoft has finally entered the Internet video fray with "Soapbox" on MSN.

Here's a sample:
Video: I-90

Hopefully Soapbox won't pick up YouTube's eggregious habit of censoring.

Windows Live Writer

 Dude.

If you blog and you're not using it, you're so old school.

Another Gem Unearthed

Well, more like stumbled across. Last night I found the very cool "Reformed Chicks Blabbing" blog  off the Captain's Quarter's blogroll. I think I'm the better for it.

Do You Have To Go There?

I've really got no beef with Chris Muir's Day by Day and he's evidently held in high regard by folks like Captain's Quarters, but is it just me or does it seem that with each cartoon he gets progressively more and more risque? He seems like a great artist so why does he have to go there?

Today it's some chick with a provocatively drawn derriere in thong-like underwear. Pretty much every day I see the cartoon atop Captain's Quarters, it suggests sensuality before anything else. Now, before you go and flame me as being a Puritan joy-killer (don't get me started on how unfair that stereotype is when applied to the Puritans), I just have to ask: For all of you who say, "Chris Rock/Jamie Fox/Eddie Murphy/Robin Williams can be so funny without having to throw in all the gratuitous language and 'dirty' themed jokes!" I ask the same here.

Isn't Muir's talent obviously compelling without him having to drench every cartoon he releases with sensuality? It just makes it appear as if he has nothing to offer if that's taken away, and I'm sure that's not his point.

Just sayin'...

Blonde Vs. Blonde!

Yikes!

One of my favorite conservative pundits, Debbie Schlussel, jabs another of my favs, Laura Ingraham, in a post about the effects of urban sprawl on surrounding ecology.  Despite Debbie's misgivings about Laura (she puts "conservative" in quotes when speaking of Laura), I find Laura's show to be one of the best on the radio and her to be reliably conservative on most any topic.  I don't think anyone perfectly fulfills any person's idea of what a "true" conservative is.

New Blog In Town

I've finally succumbed and started a new blog.  Yeah, the "God Blog" epidemic has reached even yours truly.  I'm still touchy about having given in, so DON'T call it a God Blog--I have my pride, you know!  Think of it as my "personal space"...ouch.

Really, though, it's just a place for me to throw out some Bible study/reading thoughts in the hope of starting conversations that help me and whoever joins in the dialog in our Christian walk.  If you're so inclined, come on by and take a look and drop me a line.

Where In The World?

Sheesh!

I was gone again.  Just got back yesterday from a back-to-back spate of days at the Reserve base.  The longer I spend in the reserve components, the more admiration I have for the reservists who contribute, and the more contempt and disregard I have for those who seem to thrive on finding something negative to say about the US military.

The admiration I have is for those like the Master Sergeant who retired from my squadron this month with 36 years of service.  From Vietnam to Gulf War II, he has been all over the world, supporting the airlift mission.  Along the way, he found the time during some of his repeated deployments to the Philippines, to strike up a benevolent relationship with an orphanage, a relationship that culminated with his adoption of a young Filipino girl (now a teenager) that he and his wife welcomed into his already busy home of 4 children.  In some ways, he is unique but in other ways, he represents the type of people I have worked with for going on 16 years.

The contempt I have is for fools (and I use that word with complete sincerity) like those who seem to have no other occupation in life but to try and dig up reported "abuses" by the military of detainees in Gitmo.  They are fools who in an attempt to "balance" the news and be objective, have so bent to the Left, they are permanently contorted.  What next?  Will they start "balancing" the viewpoint of the rapist?  The child molester?  If they are so intent on balance, where are the stories that Chenkroff reports routinely?  What of the many humanitarian efforts led privately by soldiers and airmen, even those of my own base?  What IS "Koran abuse" anyways and why is it somehow equal to the ungodly and barbarous beheadings of a Zarqawi?  What IS that satisfaction that some seem to gain from being able to uncover the misdeeds of their country to the almost complete neglect of its positive accomplishments? 

I don't know.  But I do know that, increasingly, I see the gulf between those with that view of America--the "bad" America that can't ever seem to "get it right"--and those who acknowledge America's wrongdoing, but think that the proper perspective is to focus on the good that the country has done and IS doing, a good that far outweighs the missteps we may have made.  I think the civil struggle in America that is so evident these days has only begun.

Where In Blue Blazes?

Oy.  I've been absent again.  This part-time blog thing can be a tough gig.  Home life with a new baby, busy time at work with TWO jobs, and some personal impediments on my part have led to another absense.  So Jeff's being doing DBPJs solo.  I'll have to buy him a pint soon (but not tonight).

Some things are in order: I have to apologize to the twobabesandabrain crew because I promised them a post on the history of the judicial confirmation vis-a-vis the Republican congress under Clinton.  I fell prey to a trap I should know better than to slip into.  As I started researching it, I find myself falling into my old habit of feeling like I needed to give a bit of background.  I got to that point, and then felt there should be a little MORE background, until I was waist deep in stuff I found.  So I've decided that I will treat the topic in stages, starting from framing the current debate down to the details.  I'll have to tackle this as time allows so I can't promise a new post on it each day--more like each week.  My apologies, ladies.

I also owe some posts on my impressions of the Federalist Papers as I've been reading them again, some 15 or so years since the last time I read them.  Again, time allowing, I'll try and knock a few out here and there.

Finally, I've been doing some soul-searching about the "tone" that frequently lapse into here, and I think an adjustment definitely should be made.  It's easy to fall into a mode of combatative, bristling communication when you blog.  You spend some time posting only to have some "yahoo" say something that to you seems so patently stupid, absurd, or even hateful, that you react with scorn and some anger.  At DBPJs, we realize that ultimately, we are no better than the next persons--sinners we are ALL.  The goal here is not to lambast those that disagree or "bust chops", but to communicate in a God-honoring way; a way that clearly evidences that we think that everyone we speak with is made in the image of God even though we are fallen.  I apologize to any who may have felt wronged by my manner of speech here.

So with that said, I'm off to more blogging!