It's probably been noticeable that I've been out of the office for two of the past three weeks, but it doesn't mean I've kept my nose out of the news.

And it hasn't all been about college and professional football - if that even qualifies as news.

And it hasn't all been about the Journal, (insert shameless plug here) although it remains by far and away my No. 1 news source. Certainly, the Argus Leader and the Aberdeen American News enjoy a good share of my online time when it comes to news, along with a handful of national sites such as USA Today, the Christian Science Monitor and, yes, ESPN.

But let's not forget about the blogs. I don't spend much time on national blogs, but those authored by South Dakotans tend to grab my attention. And here's some of the most attention grabbing headlines from the best of the bunch over the past week or so.

Invoking the name of Napoli and Apa and the looming budget crisis

A pair of former Hills area lawmakers got some props recently on the popular conservative South Dakota War College blog.

Blogger Pat Powers relayed a message of concern from one reader who said that as the state faces a certain budget crisis with revenues plunging and program costs growing, those willing to consider significant cuts seems to be in short supply around Pierre.

The reader championed former lawmakers Bill Napoli of Rapid City and Jerry Apa of Lead as watchdogs who are no longer at their posts of state coffers, a situation that could be calamitous if their roles aren't filled.

Powers is quick to point out the state would have been there this past year if it weren't for the Obama bucks poured into governmental coffers through the stimulus bills. Next year, not so likely.

And while one can debate - and the readers certainly were willing to - whether Napoli or Apa would be better at guarding the door to state spending, the truth is, a budget crisis is almost certain as state revenues will likely fall well short of what the state budget will demand.

Which leads to a new set of questions, including: Who has the guts to go to bat for big time budget cuts, or who has the guts to go to bat for big time tax increases?

A vote, a 180 turn, and a campaign slogan

Former Journal staffer Denise Ross poses a question of her own in a recent column at the Hog House Blog. It goes something along the line of, "Should an elected official make a campaign slogan against something that he voted for?"

Such is the case with John Thune and his "Stop The Bailouts" message. Thune, who voted for the original bailout bill, calling it absolutely necessary to prevent the nation's economic collapse, is now making it a cornerstone of his 2010 re-election campaign.

Thune's argument is that he and other senators were sold a bill of goods in voting for TARP, with the administration promising to buy up toxic assets but instead becoming shareholders in banks and financial institutions.

Political? Perhaps, probably likely.

Popular? Certainly. At least in this neck of the woods, where Washington's growing spending is about as popular as a bull fight at a PETA conference.

Health care debate alive and well in the Hills

The Decorum Forum is one of my favorite new blogs, with longtime Blogmorites and local bloggers Bill Felming, Bob Newland and Mike Sanborn taking interesting angles on all sorts of topics, from hyper-local to global.

Of course, of late, health care is an always popular target of bloggers.

Two things that make the DF a must read on the local blogging circuit.

No. 1: Graphics, informational and oft unusual, provide a level of visual interaction not usual in South Dakota blogging circles. Fleming uses a more traditional choice to make his point here.

No. 2: No hard line political sell, at least not a unilateral one, to be found here. Fleming takes up the left-leaning flag here, with Sanborn offering up the counterpoint of covering costs. Meanwhile, Newland - not to be found on this particular post but certainly active, at least in his free time - takes the road less traveled.

Good stuff, good stuff.

A teen, some text and a blogger saved

The voice of the Madville Times, Cory Heidelberger, brings up a point much less political in relaying a horrifying story - via a letter to the editor submitted to the Madison paper - of the near disaster of a young driver, a family on a bike ride, and the unseemly practice of texting while driving.

He gets extra points for not conjuring up the ghost of Randy Scott and making a public safety issue and political one.

For the full letter, click on the link above.

Stay in school or Socialism 101

The newest third arm of Mount Blogmore, editorial page editor Jerry Steinley, steps up to the plate in tackling the hottest issue of the Labor Day weekend - President Obama's speech to schools nationwide.

Offering up props for the Rapid City School District, which basically said it was up to teachers whether to have students watch the address in class, Steinley notes the hyper political context of having the president deliver a message to school-age children.

The message? Stay in school kids. Don't ask what what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

And this is what passes as viable political discourse these days? Apparently, with dozens of responses to Steinley's post.