My job was not looking so hot at the beginning of the week.

Seeing *The Secret* and talking with a co-worker helped me realize some important things about myself and my job.

In other words, I got a dose of the same "pep talk" (Mike Hipp's words) I give every week.

Nice to be on the receiving end...

Music today:

"You've Got To" by Podsafe Music Network group The Young Punx

"Get Your Light Up" by Podsafe Music Network artist Coconi

"Captain of My Soul" by Podsafe Music Network group Last Under the Sun

Intro Music:

"Deep Cycle Discharge" by Podsafe Music Network artists Simon James and Derek K. Miller

Outro Music:

"Power Inside" by Podsafe Music Network and PodsafeAudio.com group EL84

Contact info:

You can email me at thatbluejeansguy@gmail.com.

You can call my voicemail at 206-984-3740.

You can also contact me by Gizmo Project at Gizmo ID thatbluejeansguy.

Visit my webpage at http://thatbluejeansguy.libsyn.com, where you can send me an Odeo voice mail and stick a pin on my Frappr map.

While you are there, check out the links to my favorite podcasts' home pages.

Check out my page on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thatbluejeansguy/.

Thanks for listening,and Stay Powerful!

Ok, I know I promised several times I would publish the Feedburner URL for the show, and I kept flaking and forgetting to do it.

Why subscribe with this URL, you might ask. Well, if you subscribe with this URL with an RSS reader that is podcast-compatible, then you will get not only my podcasts, but you will also get my blog entries. The blog entries will be a bit sporadic for the next few weeks while I am transitioning into my new job and away from my current one, but once that is over, I plan to blog more frequently.

So, here is the URL:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/thatbluejeansguy

As always, thanks for listening and reading, and have a great week!

David

In memoriam of a friend from back home in Erwin:



(Image courtesy of JohnsonCityPress.com)

John Mark Keesecker (1972-2007).

Mark will be missed. My prayers are with the entire Keesecker family, as well as the entirety of Unicoi County.

Job update.

The House of Representatives has finally moved to begin the end of the nightmare in Iraq. I read the AP story and editorialize.

Music today:

(No picture available)

"Love Plus Justice Equals Peace" by Podsafe Music Network artist viajah morgan (no website listed)

(No picture available)

"Pass on Love" by Podsafe Music Network group People Coyote (With me doing some impromptu backup singing :-) )



"Peace" by Podsafe Music Network artist Brad Stanfield (or is it Brad Stanfield and Spirit of Lennon? Either way, it's listed under Freedom People. Help me, Brad! :-) )

Intro Music:



"Deep Cycle Discharge" by Podsafe Music Network artists Simon James and Derek K. Miller

Outro Music:



"Power Inside" by Podsafe Music Network and PodsafeAudio.com group EL84

Contact info:

You can email me at thatbluejeansguy@gmail.com.

You can call my voicemail at 206-984-3740.

You can also contact me by Gizmo Project at Gizmo ID thatbluejeansguy.

Visit my website, where you can send me an Odeo voice mail and stick a pin on my Frappr map.

While you are there, check out the links to my favorite podcasts' home pages.

Check out my page on MySpace

Thanks for listening, and Stay Powerful!

Training for my new job has me a bit strung out. I'm still doing the episode, though, because my listeners deserve it, dammit!

Retired military officers come out and demand an apology from Gen. Pace. My comments.

Planet Out.com News claims Star Trek fanfilm series Star Trek: The New Voyages is the first to feature gay characters. Uh, no. Star Trek: Hidden Frontier, another fanfilm has it beaten by several years.

Hopefully next week my brain will be a little less gooey, and I can be back to normal--whatever the hell that is.

Music today:



"I'm So Busy" by Podsafe Music Network artist The Alice Project



"Crazy On the Same Day" by Podsafe Music Network artist David Ippolito (check out his podcast, I Love the Company, as well!)

Intro Music:



"Deep Cycle Discharge" by Podsafe Music Network artists Simon James and Derek K. Miller

Outro Music:



"Power Inside" by Podsafe Music Network and PodsafeAudio.com group EL84

Contact info:

You can email me at thatbluejeansguy@gmail.com.

You can call my voicemail at 206-984-3740.

You can also contact me by Gizmo Project at Gizmo ID thatbluejeansguy.

Visit my website, where you can send me an Odeo voice mail and stick a pin on my Frappr map.

While you are there, check out the links to my favorite podcasts' home pages.

Check out my page on MySpace

Thanks for listening, and Stay Powerful!

One of the many possible outcomes from the Democrats' control of the Congress of the United States of America may well be the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask. Don't Tell" policy.

Instituted by President Clinton after his efforts to remove the military's ban on openly gay servicemembers met with strong opposition, the policy was intended to stop servicemembers from being subjected to "witch hunts" if their superior officers suspected they were gay.

What has actually happened is that the military is dishonorably discharging thousands more servicemembers than it did prior to the policy. This has hurt the military, particularly as many of the discharged servicemembers were specialists in Arabic languages, medical personnel, and other vital support members. In other words, the people we need most at a time we are in the Middle East are being driven out by a policy that was supposed to stop that kind of thing from happening. Apparently, somebody didn't read the policy's "Dont Ask" provision too well?

Well, now that we have had some time to see that the policy has not worked, it is only logical that it is time to look at other options. The policy is broken, and it must be fixed or replaced.

Recently, Marine Sergeant Eric Alva (Ret.), the first servicemember wounded in the current Iraq war broke his silence and announced to the world that he was gay. He has since then joined the effort to repeal "Don't Ask. Don't Tell," and he seems the perfect person to join in these efforts. He looks like a poster-boy for the Marines, and yet had his orientation ever been known, he might likely have never been allowed to serve his country (and, ironically, he would never have been wounded in combat). His efforts, and the efforts of others have not been welcomed with open arms.

On Monday, General Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the armed forces, told the Chicago Tribune that he supports the ban on gay servicemembers, because he considers being gay to be "immoral." He actually went as far as to say that he likened it to having an adulterous affair with the spouse of another servicemember. Huh? In order to commit adultery, one or more of the people doing the deed must be married to somebody else. Unless they are from any state that recognizes same-sex marriage or civil unions, this is not possible with a same-sex couple, as the majority of state constitutions now ban legal recognition of a same-sex marriage.

This statement by Gen. Pace reveals an ugly truth: the hatred and discrimination that gays experience comes all the way from the top. While Gen. Pace may take time to change his attitude about gays (assuming he does at all), his hatred for gay people can not be allowed to write policy for the military. As far as we know, no gay people were ever responsible for Abu Ghiraib, Gitmo, or any of the atrocities that we have found were being done in the name of the United States. In fact, it was straight people every time, and the woman who became famous for posing in the Abu Ghiraib photos had sex with the man in charge and got pregnant out of wedlock. I wonder how THAT would register on the "immorality" scale of Gen. Pace?

I am a supporter of our men and women in uniform, and it follows that I would include the GLBTQ members as well. I support lifting the ban on the military. Much has changed in the last few years, and a recent poll showed that the majority of servicemembers polled said they did not believe that knowing a fellow servicemember was gay would have any impact on troop morale or that servicemember's ability to perform his/her duties.

One of my fellow podcasters, David Ippolito, is the host of the show I Love the Company. Every Wednesday he dedicates his episode to what he calls the "Wednesday Wakeup Call," where he discusses the current political situation in our world, usually featuring some area where things could be much better than they are. On this week's episode, David features the sound clip from Gen. Pace, and discusses the ridiculous nature of the general's comments. I would encourage any of you reading this blog entry to follow this link to listen to Episode 220 of I Love the Company, and then call in to David's voicemail line and leave comments. David is wanting to see how many people he can get to chime in with their feelings about the issue of gays in the military. He said no matter what your position, he wants to hear from you. So, give it a listen, and then give him an earful, because he does "love the company."

Thanks a bundle, David!

Ok, my Rule #1 should be, "never blog when you are falling asleep at the keyboard." So, let's try this one again.

I noticed in my weekly new release email from iTunes that the service is now offering classic episodes of The Electric Company. This show was yet another of my favorites from PBS when I was growing up. The show featured many song-and-dance routines, sketches, cartoons, and a live-action Spiderman sequence, all done with the aim of helping children learn to read. I loved all of the craziness that Rita Moreno, Ruth Buzzi, Morgan Freeman, and others got into for each episode, and I never realized that I was learning while I was laughing.

What I didn't know until a few years ago was that the show was developed by Bill Cosby. The interracial cast ensured that many an American kid could see one or more faces with whom he/she could identify, and I believe that was crucial to the show's success.

Well, now that I know that the episodes of The Electric Company will be available, I will be making some purchases on iTunes. Sooner or later, I gotta get a video iPod, too. Here once again is the link to the iTunes music store where the episodes are kept. Come on, everybody! "We're gonna turn it on....!" (excerpt from the show's theme).

Wow! Talk about a "blast from the past!" I jus found out that iTunes is  now offering episodes of The Electric Company for download. Along with Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, this was a show I never missed. Every episode was full of music, dancing, singing, and reading lessons came to life in a memorable way.

Now that iTunes is offering these episodes, I will be checking out the selection and reliving some great childhood memories.

Here is the link to the iTunes store. Enjoy it!

I am happy to announce that the Democratic Party of Nevada has decided to cancel the presidential candidate debate it had planned for August of this year. According to this article in the New York Times, the decision came after much pressure from MoveOn.org and progressive bloggers.

Fox News has never been a friend to the Democratic Party, and lately the organization and its employees have further damaged the network's image in progressive eyes (as if any shred of positive image ever existed).

Fox Network has found itself in plenty of hot water with the Barak Obama campaign, having made issue of his middle name, "Hussein," and spreading the lie that he had been educated in a madrassa. For this, Obama declared he would not appear on Fox News, and it is likely that the press corps following the Obama campaign might find itself a little less "Fox-y."

Then, there is the more recent episode of hoof-in-mouth disease experienced by Ann Coulter, who referred to Democratic candidate John Edwards as a "faggot." I blogged on this and her so-called "apology" earlier this week.

So it really should have come as no surprise that the members of the Nevada Democratic Caucus would have had their sanity questioned at the mere thought of considering hosting a Democratic debate on Fox News, much less actually scheduling it. But, at least they realized their mistake and pulled the debate before dealing a possibly deadly blow to Democrats' chances of winning back the White House in 2008.

What is amazing is that Fox News was shocked and surprised by the fact that the Democrats took a stand and canceled the debate. It was especially amusing to read the statement made by David Rhodes, the vice president for news at Fox News:

“News organizations will want to think twice before getting involved in the Nevada Democratic Caucus, which appears to be controlled by radical fringe out-of-state interest groups, not the Nevada Democratic Party. In the past, MoveOn.org has said they ‘own’ the Democratic Party. While most Democrats don’t agree with that, it’s clearly the case in Nevada.?

Gee, can we say "sour grapes?" MoveOn.org did not cancel the debate; the Nevada Democrats did. And, since when did talking some sense into people become "radical fringe?" Sounds like good judgment to me.

Thanks to everybody who acted on this issue and helped convince the Nevada Democrats to give up on the idea of a so-called "debate" on Fox.

New job begins Monday; I am looking forward to the new opportunities that await me.

Lots of lying going around lately, and the trouble it can cause for all concerned.

Music today:



"Methods of Modern Madness" by Podsafe Music Network artist Radical Thought Resistance



"Breathe" by Podsafe Music Network artist Jason Brock (check out his podcast, The Peace Pod, as well!)



"Love Song" by Podsafe Music Network artist Kelly Goodlad

Intro Music:



"Deep Cycle Discharge" by Podsafe Music Network artists Simon James and Derek K. Miller

Outro Music:



"Power Inside" by Podsafe Music Network and PodsafeAudio.com group EL84

Contact info:

You can email me at thatbluejeansguy@gmail.com.

You can call my voicemail at 206-984-3740.

You can also contact me by Gizmo Project at Gizmo ID thatbluejeansguy.

Visit my website, where you can send me an Odeo voice mail and stick a pin on my Frappr map.

While you are there, check out the links to my favorite podcasts' home pages.

Check out my page on MySpace

Thanks for listening, and Stay Powerful!

Well, just when it seemed that Ann Coulter had sunk as far as she could possibly go on the troglodyte scale, it seems she has now found a new low. What's better, she has gotten so extreme that she has no fewer than three Republican candidates running scared from her.

I am a bit late into this story cycle, but maybe some of you are as well, so let's play some catchup.

You probably already know Ann Coulter, the commentator on Fox News and author of such polemical classics as How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must!) or The Church of Liberalism. She is known for delivering completely inhuman comments with near-orgasmic relish, such as her advocacy of building the wall across the US/Mexico border and using immigrant labor to build it. Fine lady, indeed...

Well, according to this article in the New York Times, Ms. Coulter was speaking to an overflow crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference, when she decided to give this brilliant commentary on Democratic Senator and presidential candidate John Edwards:

"I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot,' so I--so kind of an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards."

Hmm...she did use the word "faggot," so does this mean that a reservation at the Betty Ford Center is in the cards for Ms Coulter? And, despite her statement that she "...[couldn't] really talk about Edwards," she in fact did. Do I smell pants on fire?

Anyway, her remarks, which are by no means her most extreme were extreme enough that she received a criticism from no less than three Republican presidential candidates.

John McCain, who has been trying to woo Christian conservatives back since his characterization of the likes of Jerry Falwell and James Dobson as "agents of intolerance," called the comments "wildly inappropriate" through his spokesperson.

Mitt Romney, who has been trying to convince conservatives that he was just kidding when he dared to think, much less write about, some progressive viewpoints concerning abortion and gays, called the remark "offensive" and added that all people should be treated with dignity and respect.

Rudy Giuliani, who has raised many a conservative eyebrow with his divorce, his tolerance of gays, as well as his progressive views on abortion, characterized the comments as "completely inappropriate" and said further that name-calling had no place in political debate.

When asked for a reaction to the conservative condemnation of her remarks, Ann further demonstrated her unique ability to deliver a "screw you" wrapped in an apology by having this to say:

"C'mon, it was a joke. I would never insult gays by suggesting that they are like John Edwards. That would be mean."

Hmm...suggesting that gays are like John Edwards would be mean, she says.

You mean that comparing gays to a person who is charismatic and who fights for the rights of the common person is being mean?

You mean that comparing gays to a person who stayed with his wife during her bout with cancer (unlike conservative heroes like, say, Newt Gingrich, who served his wife with divorce papers on her death bed) is being mean to gays?

You mean that comparing gays to someone who stands up for his rights is being mean to gays?

You mean that comparing gays to someone who was willing to shuck off his limited thinking and embrace diversity is being mean to gays?

If that is so, then please keep the epithets coming by comparing me to John Edwards. Hit me with your best shot, Ann Coulter!