Tuesday January 20th, 2009 @ 12:10 pm
I’m all weepy and feeling proud.
“On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor — who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.”
from President Obama’s inaugural speech
Monday March 10th, 2008 @ 11:38 pm
ureteroscopy (YER-eh-ter-OS-koh-pee) Examination of the inside of the kidney and ureter, using a ureteroscope. A ureteroscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing. It may also have a tool to remove tissue to be checked under a microscope for signs of disease. The ureteroscope is passed through the urethra into the bladder, ureter, and renal pelvis (part of the kidney that collects, holds, and drains urine).
I’ve got one of these coming in the not too distant future but hopefully it will be put off for a bit. I’ve already had a cystoscopy and that was a fun filled morning waiting on plastic couches while reading AARP and being surrounded by ancient men with blank stares and then sitting all alone in a cold room half naked with my legs in stirrups with a q-tip shoved up my urethra until I was adequately numb. It was actually neat being able to see inside of what I normally think of as a gross organ, but as neat as it may be to watch a camera go up to my kidneys, there’s something disconcerting about having a rod shoved half way up my torso.
Thursday February 14th, 2008 @ 6:47 pm
Moral absolutes or moral relativism.
Abortion Clinic is a Frontline documentary that aired in 1983. This program is powerful whether you are pro-choice or pro-life.
