Clean, Safe, Accessible

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Gresham Barrett delivered the following speech on the House floor today to support the use of nuclear energy as an alternate energy source.

“In the past few weeks, the focus of the energy crisis conversation has been about lifting the offshore ban on drilling to increase oil and gas supply in the U.S., and, offshore drilling is one solution that can help ease our energy crisis and lower gas prices at the pump.

”There has also been talk about using alternative energy sources to solve our energy problem for the long-term.

“The Department of Energy found that the 103 nuclear units in the U.S. supply about 20 percent of the electricity produced in the United States.

“In my state of South Carolina, 52 percent of our state’s power comes from nuclear power plants.

“For years, I have regularly worked with organizations and companies within South Carolina to promote the benefits of nuclear power.

“Nuclear energy is clean, safe, and it’s accessible to us in our country.

“Nuclear energy is an alternative energy source that our country can use to create long-term energy solutions for generations to come.

“It is a real solution that if we invest in now, will bridge us from short-term solutions to long-term ones,” said Congressman Gresham Barrett.

Cheering Germans

On the way to the doc today, I was listening to NPR breathlessly tell me that "if Germans could vote in the U.S. election, 75% would vote for Obama..." To which I thought..."who cares?"

I mean, seriously, who cares what the Germans think about one of our candidates? Do you? This gives a peek into the mindset of these journalists that probably actually think that German opinion would sway an American voter. I don't even think it would sway my good Hessian friends' opinion...Just another puff piece paid for by my tax dollars...

Oh, and what is this "citizen of the world" crap? I don't want a citizen of the world to be my President...I want to know that he's on my side, not the Germans or anyone else's. I want a President who understands the importance and natural right a nation has to unapologetically utilize power...and someone who has to preempt his comments by assuring foreigners that they are fellow citizens strikes me as pandering, at best, but telling about his view of national sovereignty. I guess this might fall in line with his professorial restructuring of the definition of patriotism.

"no challenge too great for a world that stands as one" - Here he was referring to the conquering of the Soviet Union. Hmmm...they weren't part of the world? He speaks as if victory was some sort of foregone conclusion, that Reagan and Gorby were hanging out at Reykjavik smoking pot and dreaming big dreams about world unity.

There's a lot more to this speech...mostly platitudes...feel-good stuff...easy to say but hard to do (he's going to stop global warming by partnering with the EU).

He really does strike me as an eloquent toddler sitting behind the driver's seat...his head full of big dreams and fantasizing about racing in the Indy 500...bargaining for the keys to the car...and the "responsible" adults seem inclined to hand them over.

McCain/Roosevelt -- could be worse...

McCain citing Teddy Roosevelt as his conservative model makes sense to me. I think it only bodes well for his candidacy to have taken such a stance.

RIP Tony Snow

With charm, wit and a relentless goodwill toward all, Tony Snow was always fun to watch and one you could have confidence in. Saddened by his death, we remember what it truly means to suffer and he provides a great example of how to do so with class.

Read the AP if you want to read an article that shows what Tony dealt with on a regular basis. This article has no class, getting its digs in during the most grievous of times.

FoxNews, as always, is much better, though they used some quotes from the AP.

Here is a good overview with Brit Hume.

A skeptical look at Barack?

Well, not entirely skeptical, but it is quite a feat for the mainstream press to do a story that is anything but fawning... HT: Powerline

Vision Loss Redux Part XV - Diagnosis

Quick Summary: Pressures are down in my eye, I have Susac's.

Soup to Nuts (just heard this cliche for the first time, and have been waiting to use it):

Concerning the pressures in my right eye, they were down to 8. I don't know what accounts for these wild fluctuations and Wiz #1 doesn't seem to know either...probably the pred.

My visit to DC was sort of as expected and hoped for...

Wiz #2, who looks a lot like a good friend of mine from years past, sat down with us and distilled a lot of experience and work into a 5 minute briefing.

They didn't find anything in my MRI or other studies that I had done. He said that he had a whole room of doctors looking at the recordings of my innards because they heard I was a possible Susac patient.

The MRI showed some possibility of something, but it was a "might be, might not be" sort of thing. However, Susac's has been diagnosed without the encephalopic episodes that one hears about.

So, I am indeed one in 20 million, or at least will be treated as if I am.

I will undergo a series of IVIG treatments that may or may not work. The goal is to stabilize me so that, according to the doctor, I can get on with my life.

Thankfully, the doctor I see here was one of his students and I have confidence in her. So, I will be undergoing treatments much closer to home in Allentown.

After 3 years, it's good to at least have a plan of attack.

Successful People Do Hard Things

Capt. Ivan Castro is one of them.

When Capt. Ivan Castro joined the Army, he set goals: to jump out of planes, kick in doors and lead soldiers into combat. He achieved them all. Then the mortar round landed five feet away, blasting away his sight.

"Once you're blind, you have to set new goals," Castro said.

He set them higher.

An inspiring story of a man who won't quit...what's your excuse?