April 2009 Archives

It seems that my CA-125 number dropped from 148 to 20!!! My oncologist thinks that once my surgeon finds out the number is that low, he would probably be OK with me only having 6 chemo treatments instead of the 8 or 9 he said he wanted.

BTW, it turns out that there is no such thing as a negative CA-125 number so I'm not sure why my surgeon said that. But 20 is in the normal range and means that I'm doing pretty good and I've got two more scheduled chemo treatments. Hopefully that will be it. My oncologist called my surgeon to get the situation straightened out so that we could all be on the same page for my course of treatment.

I did have some bad news on Monday, I had pain over the weekend near my port site and I'm going to a vascular doctor today to make sure there aren't any blood clots. Pretty scary stuff. Please pray that all goes well.

And another BTW, thanks for the words of encouragement on my last post about the cancer. It's been a difficult situation to get through but I'm so thankful for the well wishes and the prayers. It helps.

The only reason he's doing this is that he knows he can't win in the Republican primary and has a better chance running against the other Democrats in their primary:

When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.

Since then, I have traveled the State, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania.

I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary.

[...]

My change in party affiliation does not mean that I will be a party-line voter any more for the Democrats that I have been for the Republicans. Unlike Senator Jeffords' switch which changed party control, I will not be an automatic 60th vote for cloture. For example, my position on Employees Free Choice (Card Check) will not change.

They will be airing "Lie to Me" instead which seems pretty appropriate when you're up against Obama speaking about the economy:

Fox is "sticking with its regular schedule" on Wednesday night, The Associated Press reports, marking "the first time a broadcast network has refused Obama's request" for airtime.

The press conference, scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday, will be Mr. Obama's third of the year. It will mark his first 100 days in office. ABC, CBS and NBC, along with a multitude of cable networks, will carry the press conference live.

I'm glad they're sticking to their schedule because I don't usually get to watch "Lie to Me" until the next day on Hulu since Sarah has to watch "Lost" so she can talk about it with her friends the next day at school. Yes, we are a one TV family. I bet you thought we had a TV in every room including the kitchen. No, that's what the laptop is for :-)

Yeah, it's called the teleprompter:

Reid, D-Nev., writes: "'That speech was phenomenal, Barack,' I told him. And I will never forget his response. Without the barest hint of braggadocio or conceit, and with what I would describe as deep humility, he said quietly: 'I have a gift, Harry.'"

If you truly have a gift of public speaking, then you wouldn't fall apart when talking extemporaneously. I would agree that he has a gift for gab and saying what his supporters' itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3).

OMH! Free hugs vs. $2 Deluxe hugs! And people actually choose the deluxe hugs. One woman asks, "What can I get for a 20?" Too funny!

Wouldn't you know it! The minute I buy an iTouch, news breaks that Apple is in talks with Verizon to release a Verizon iPhone. Aghhh! Verizon (VZ) and Apple (AAPL) are discussing the possible development of an iPhone for Verizon,...

Yes it is. So, it seems that the Obama administration is trying a new marketing strategy with Biden, just letting Biden be Biden: "The president and the entire team close to him has encouraged me not to try all of...

He asks this of King Abdullah of Jordan which has its own share of torture (here also). Did Gregory find the time to ask about that? Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy...

That's the title of a painting of Obama with a crown of thorns, arms stretched out, holding a curtain. It's amazing to me how much of Obama's egomania is revealed in the painting. Obama with his head bowed down in...

Obama wants yet another prime time slot next week for his news conference. This will be his forth. And the TV networks are giving it to him despite the fact that they lose money in lost ad revenue every time...

It turns out that the Conficker virus wasn't as big a dud as originally thought. It's slowly being activated: A malicious software program known as Conficker that many feared would wreak havoc on April 1 is slowly being activated, weeks...

In it he responds to his critics (Piper): Along the way Wright responds to critics, such as John Piper, who have challenged what has come to be called the New Perspective. For Wright, what Paul means by justification is nothing...

Yeah, she's believable: But Goss remembers the meeting differently: Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, who in 2002 was the ranking Democrat on the House committee, has said in public statements that she recalls being briefed on the methods, including waterboarding....

Biden the prophet warned us that Obama would be tested but I wonder if he thought that our allies would be the ones doing it: The new Israeli government will not move ahead on the core issues of peace talks...

He's going to recommend that my oncologist give me 9 chemo treatments instead of 6. He wants me to have a negative CA-125 for a couple chemo treatments before they stop giving me chemo. Bummer! This means that I'm not...

I hope all you lefties and crunchy cons enjoy your day. BTW, congratulations on your education efforts. Mission accomplished!...

When I read that Rudy was making comments about gay marriage in preparation of a run for governor of NY, I thought it was a stupid move. I don't think it's a major issue right now (even though the governor...

It was so obvious that even the lefties got it: The CBS Evening News reported that "critics say the amounts are so small," that "it's nothing more than a publicity stunt." CBS added that the President "admitted $100 million is...

I know you lefties are going to say that as far as Obama is concerned, conservatives never give him credit. Here he is trying to reduce the budget by tasking his cabinet to cut costs. But come on, he is...

A blast from the past! As Drudge notes this is the two year anniversary of Reid's declaration of surrender. Good thing he wasn't the commander-in-chief at the time,huh? He didn't know what the heck he was talking about! You might...

Making the case that he might be the next Evangelical spokesman: Who is this self-appointed defender of the faith? Until last year, those who had heard of Doug Wilson most likely knew him in his other roles: pastor provocateur in...

Selective editing: It's very convenient for the lefties to make this about attacking Obama but the Tea Parties are about the anger the right feels toward the spending of both the Democrats and Republicans (don't believe me? Take a look...

That's the title of Paul David Tripp's new book, it's 52 meditations on Psalm 27. Here's a video promoting the book which is one of the best book promotion videos I've seen. It convinced my to buy it. I should...

How racist can you get? Doesn't she realize that you can protest a guy's tax and spending polices without any reference to his race? Typical of a lefty to focus on race instead of the issues (she seems to be...

But it's close! Long time readers of this blog know that I've wanted an iPhone since it was first announced. I loved its looks, portability, and ease of use. Recently we bought our 13-year-old an iTouch for her birthday and...

I will never have to take a Hebrew quiz again! I am sooooo happy! Let's celebrate: (via) I think I did OK, it was my desire to finish off on a high note, I hope I did. Professor Green is...

"The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." Albert Einstein "I'm proud to be paying taxes in the United States. The only thing is -- I could be just as proud for half the money." Arthur...

OK, I don't think the duck defense is the best defense for the divinity of Christ but the elephant analogy is not too bad. The stories of the crucifixion were written with a purpose and the writer included details for...

I'm amused to see that the atheists actually thought this study proved anything: IS PRAYER just another kind of friendly conversation? Yes, says Uffe Schjødt, who used MRI to scan the brains of 20 devout Christians. "It's like talking to...

Well, it looks like American ships better start arming their crew or face the possibility of more deadly attacks. Once the pirates see that they can't get rich off American ships, they'll leave them alone but not before they attempt...

He has risen indeed! Today we celebrate the greatest act in history, God the Father accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, his Son to take away the sins of his people (Matthew 1:21) which is good news indeed. Without Jesus'...

This actually sounds like a good idea to me. Squatters are screened and they stay in the house until they are kicked out by the bank. If they don't destroy the property, they're providing a much needed service for their...

Today is a day of reflection on the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior. I was reading through John trying to decide what to blog about Christ's crucifixion and I was struck once again by what John thought was important...

I was reading this report in the NY Post and was amused by this: "We are surrounded by warships and don't have time to talk," one terrified pirate told a Reuters reporter who reached him via a satellite phone. "Please...

Well, at least he's being honest! And there won't be change and bipartisanship unless the Republicans accept the Democrats' positions and Obama knows that. So he can tell the American people that he wants Congress to work in a bipartisan...

Comparisons between current spending and spending in the past. Pretty scary stuff! It's amazing to me that we are just letting it happen: (via)...

So, I'm watching one of the morning talk shows and they have a segment on Hallmark's cancer cards which were introduced in February. This was the first time I heard about them and I'm glad no one has sent me...

Here's an interview with Rick Warren where we learn that the recession appears to be contributing to church growth (Warren says he baptized 800 people recently). And that Obama is giving Rick Warren the runaround on stem cells (apparently, he's...

When I heard about the Somali pirates taking over an American ship I was shocked that the crew would let it happen but then I saw this update and wasn't surprised: Late Wednesday morning, military sources told CBS News that...

April is National Poetry Month, so in honor of it I thought I would share with you some thoughts on a perennial favorite psalm, Psalm 23. It is no doubt the most memorized of all the Psalms in the Psalter....

Equating saving a newspaper to saving Darfur demonstrates just why this paper is failing. They think that they are on a par with saving a country where thousands of people are being systematically killed, tortured and raped. The arrogance of...

Woohoo! Thanks for your prayers, the Lord certainly answered them but it was really hard with a lot of road blocks thrown in my way. I have thrush (from the steroids) and had to spend valuable time today looking for...

Redstate takes over Moveon.org's ad on deficits. Pretty funny! Wonder what Moveon.org has to say about Obama's deficits? Think they'll come out with ads against it? (via)...

Newbie mistake, maybe he should look at the departments he has under his control:"Obama hasn't yet appointed a chief of protocol and his staffers, still unpacking, didn't realize that the State Department has an entire office dedicated to foreign visits."This...

It's about time! I guess the president promising to warranty the cars was just too tempting for Leno to resist (I know I had a good laugh over it). (via)...

Cool! A groundbreaking new loudspeaker that can be printed on and used as a wall poster has been developed by British engineers. The lightweight and flexible speakers are less than 0.25mm thick and could also be concealed in car interiors...

Yeah, it was. How in the world can there be "moderate Taliban?" Didn't she see how they ruled when they were in power? They weren't very moderate, they practiced an extreme form of Islam (even more extreme than Saudi Arabia)....