According to MoveOn

I had read all this before, but seeing it in a list like this is just freaking me out. I want a facts check! It is so hard to believe that McCain, who I believed to be fairly intelligent, has actually made this choice. I feel like he is trying to "commit political suicide" or something. I just am so confused.

Who is Sarah Palin?

• She was elected Alaska's governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage. She has no foreign policy experience.
• She's doesn't think humans are the cause of climate change.
• She's pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won't be ready for years. She does not bring an alternative perspective to the table on McCain's energy policy.
• She sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species—she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska.
• How closely did John McCain vet this choice? He met Sarah Palin once at a meeting. They spoke a second time, last Sunday, when he called her about being vice-president. Then he offered her the position.

Also, I have got to say that I am so very, very glad McCain has his attention fully focused on the hurricane situation. Score for sanity! As I understand it, during Katrina, he was celebrating President Bush's birthday with him. I am glad he is now setting a different standard. But I guess I am a little confused by this too. I mean, even though he is not yet president, it's unclear how much time he'll even spend at the convention, if any at all. I think touring the Gulf Coast emergency response systems is highly important for the candidates, but also, calling people to action, which is what Obama's campaign is planning to do. I guess I just worry that this has been used as a convenient opportunity for political spin and exploitation of a bad situation in order to overshadow conversations about things like Palin. I really hope this was an attentive and compassionate move, rather than a 100% self-serving (I recognize it is politics) and calculated one for the political reason that McCain feared he couldn't beat what happened at the DNC especially with the anxiety his VP choice has created.

Last of personal posts for a while:

I am back from a busy month, and I am getting ready to post again. I'll be returning to opinions, politics, religion, medical ethics, and that sort of thing with my next post, so this will be my last personal post for a while.



Just to tie up some loose ends:



1. We finally SOLD the house! Someone got a sweet deal on it, but now we can move on. In this market, we're lucky to have sold at all.



2. I am still undergoing the necessary neurological testing. I have an appointment on Friday at which I hope to finally have some answers.



3. For those who haven't heard our very sad news: our younger dog, B. died on Valentines Day. He was six years old. It was awful. His leash somehow wasn't fully clipped onto his harness and it snapped off and he went running. M. was frantic and kept calling and calling him. We tried to stay calm, but he wouldn't come back home so we decided we had to wait for him to come back on his own. B. has always been one to run farther and faster if someone is after him, and we didn't want to chase him off. He was hit by a car 45 minutes later. He lived for a short while, but by the time we spotted the police car out at the main road and I got over there, he was dead. It is sooooooo sad, and we all miss him like crazy (except maybe K. who at least seems unphased).

4. I do hope to post about New Orleans within the next week or two. Thanks a million to those who supported the trip. You were all so generous!

Another Break For Personal News...

I don't intend this to be a diary style blog, but I have some interesting news.

1. Our house is under contract again. The first inspection is Thursday. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

2. I leave for New Orleans also on Thursday. Gah! So much still to do.

3. I received some interesting medical news Monday. I had gone to see a neurologist after G. begged and pleaded. My memory and clarity of thought has become very poor in the last year. The neurologist first gave me a very encouraging prediction. She looked at my throat, noted that it is especially small, and suggested that sleep apnea might be causing not only my neurological symptoms, but also my longtime chronic fatigue. This made me so super duper excited because sleep apnea is treatable with oxygen (read: no side effects other than having to sleep with equipment, a relatively common and doable condition, etc.).

I went and had my sleep study and have been eagerly awaiting my order of oxygen. But the sleep study didn't come back indicating sleep apnea. Instead, it actually brought up some other concerns. I haven't spoken with the neurologist in person yet, but given the little bit that the nurse said and the testing the neurologist has ordered (to happen immediately...they wanted it done this week, but I am going to do it as soon as I get back from New Orleans), it seems she is concerned I am having seizures. If I am having seizures, the questions to me seem to be, what is the cause and what is the treatment?

I am feeling a mixture of being scared and sad, but mostly, excited and eager to have some answers. I hope this isn't a false lead only in that I really want to know what is going on.

Deal Fell Through

Just a brief note to say that our deal fell through during the 10 day inspection period over which the buyer can back out. It wasn't the result of inspections. She got worried about her monthly payments. We're keeping our fingers crossed that a new contract is coming our way.

I am heading out to New Orleans this coming week for Katrina recovery work. I may not be able to post for a week or two, but please, please check back...especially as I look forward to finishing my series on autistic allies.