Shoeless Joe's home now open to the public

Shoeless Joe Jackson, the famous (infamous?) Major League baseball player from Greenville, S.C., continues to intrigue me.

Here's an article about him (which I wrote) appearing in today's Charlotte Observer.

(Click on the above headline link.)

Energy or fuel from pond scum

Ever seen an algae covered pond in a cow pasture?

You might be looking at a prime future source of fuel to power our cars and trucks.

Pond scum as a fuel?

Don't snicker.

It's been estimated that 4.5 million acres of algae farms could give us enough of a power source to replace all transportation fuels now being consumed in the United States.

Pluses: No fertile cropland required (as with producing ethanol from corn or biodiesel) in creating and cultivating algae.

In addition, algae grows just about all the time (in every season) and can be harvested every day or so.

Next time, you see pond scum, think adios Exxon!

Please take my quick poll on CNN & the Democrats

T-shirts testing limits of First Amendment freedoms

Read yesterday about a company that is selling t-shirts.

On one side the shirt reads: "Bush lied."

Opposite side reads: "They died."

The shirts, which I believe you can order for $22 apiece, are also emblazoned with the names of the 4,000+ Americans who have died in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Every so often, the shirt is updated with more names.

Some in the land of the free and the home of the brave say the shirts are an outrage and no way should be protected by the First Amendment.

Read more about it by clicking on the above headline.

Salute to veterans

One thing that's struck me during all this "heart stuff" I'm going through is our nation's military veterans.

In the heart surgery recovery unit, for example, at the Asheville VA Hospital, "Shelby" (never got his last name) occupied a bed about 30 feet from me.

Shelby is a Vietnam veteran, wounded in that war four times.

Today, at age 61, he's fighting for his life (just as I am.)

He has the support, just as I do, of the Veterans Administration, but I wonder, throughout his life, how much hero status Shelby ever received.

One night, he shared with me that "People don't care, Larry. They don't give a d... what happened to me in Vietnam."

Here's a big thanks to veterans like Shelby and to those vets who haven't seen combat but answered the call nonetheless.

They're all heroes.

We should never forget that.

Street clothes better than pajamas

I learned last night from heartsurgeons.com that it's best to get your life back to normal soon as possible following bypass surgery.

Tempting just to stay in the PJs all day long, watch ESPN and CNN, and read.

But should not do that.

Get dressed.

Walk a bit more each day.

Develop an exercise regimen when strength starts to return.

In short, get on with life!

Weak but getting back

I've survived double-bypass surgery. So much to write about but first things first. Just amazingly happy to be alive on a sunny Sunday.

Chest is tender and hurts but should heal with time and TLC.

Thank you, Dr. John Lucke at the Asheville VA Medical Center.

Thank you, R.N. Fred (didn't get your last name) but you took great care of me in the ICU. The ice chips were heaven sent.

Thank you, Kathy and Scott and Dallas and Anna (R.N.s on 3 west).

Thank you, Paul Ballard, physician's assistant. You prayed with and for me two days before my surgery.

Thank you, Garland Vance, chaplain at the VA in Asheville--sent to me by an angel.

Thank you, bypass patient Larry McNeely--in the same room with me and giving me hope that things would go well.

Thank you, Elsa, for making sure I knew (during a full day of pre-op) what I faced and how I should best get ready.

And thanks to my children, other family, colleagues, friends, students. All those prayer lists I was on!