This is a quick plea for your help and attention. My sister and her husband — first time homebuyers — are on the brink of losing the house they have a winning bid on and are totally on track to close on April 14. EXCEPT that they cannot get the flood insurance they need for the loan because Congress went on Easter Recess!

Baby #1 has hatched (only one egg is broken, although the photo didn’t come out great).

Here’s a clearer picture of the pair of babies, both less than one day old! What helpless little things!

http://brynnevans.com/blog/?p=648 Last week I received three interesting “words” (with definitions) in my word of the week poll on Mechanical Turk. Has anyone heard of these before?:

1) spatulamancy: divination using the shoulder bone of a sheep

2) Aequeosalinocalcalinoceraceoaluminosocupreovitriolic: describing the spa waters at Bath, England, is attributed to Dr. Edward Strother (1675-1737).

3) Sexy-Ugly: Someone who is not conventionally good-looking (or any kind of good-looking in some cases), but possesses an appealing personality, style, or talent, and is thus considered sexually attractive by many. -urbandictionary.com

Here are the Words of the Week for the week ending February 15, 2009:

Here are the Words of the Week for the week ending on November 16, 2008:

Here are the Words of the Week for the week ending on November 2, 2008. And pease remember to vote on Nov 4!!!

August 6, 2008

Dear Brynn:

Knowing of your strong interest in energy independence and global warming, I am writing to update you on these critical issues.

The 110th Congress is working to move America in a New Direction for energy independence – to lower gas prices, make America more secure, and launch a cleaner, smarter, more cost-effective energy future that creates hundreds of thousands of green jobs, reduces global warming and provides relief to consumers.

American families and businesses are reeling from paying record high gas prices, while oil companies are earning record profits. With prices averaging nearly $4.40 per gallon in our state, Californians, and San Franciscans in particular, are hard hit with some of the highest prices in the country. The failure to diversify our energy sources—with bold investments in renewable energy and more efficient technology—leaves our nation dangerously dependent on foreign oil, and hurts our economy and our families.

How this happened is no mystery.  The White House received input from the oil industry in writing their plan, which benefitted the oil industry. The oil companies are earning record profits while Americans are paying record prices.

Even so Republicans in Washington are only offering more of the same with drilling as their solution -even though 68 million acres of federal lands are already open and leased for development. Oil companies are warehousing the public’s resources, keeping domestic supply lower and prices higher.  Drilling in the pristine Alaskan Wildlife Refuge would not yield any oil for 10 years—and in 22 years would only save consumers about 2 cents a gallon.  The bottom line:  America has less than 3 percent of the world’s oil supply, but we use 24%—so drilling is not much of a solution at all. I am committed to protecting California’s coastline from any new oil and gas leasing.

The New Direction Congress has a new energy policy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by reducing demand through greater efficiency and accelerating the use of renewable fuels – both of which will result in lower prices at the pump. Under Democratic leadership, last year we enacted the landmark Energy Independence and Security Act, raising vehicle fuel efficiency standards for the first time in three decades,  increasing our commitment to affordable American-grown biofuels, imposing energy efficiency standards for appliances and buildings, and protecting consumers from energy price and supply manipulation. The increase in fuel efficiency standards is one of the most effective ways to reduce gas prices and will save families from $700 to $1,000 per year at the pump.

We are building on this success, diversifying our energy sources, and increasing domestic supply and conservation, while protecting consumers and providing relief from record prices at the pump.  To increase supply, Congress recently required the Bush Administration to temporarily stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), resulting in an additional 70,000 barrels of oil a day coming onto the market and is fighting to free more oil from the SPR; the increased supply may bring down prices a bit. To protect consumers the House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation requiring the Administration to use its emergency powers to curb excessive speculation and other practices distorting the energy markets to prevent gamesmanship from driving up fuel prices. A clear majority also voted to investigate and punish those found guilty of price gouging.

To promote conservation and bring about a green future, the House also passed legislation to encourage public transit by reducing fares for commuters and expanding transit services. Congress has also been working to provide tax incentives for renewable energy, including incentives for plug-in vehicles, create hundreds of thousands of green jobs, and spur American innovation and business investment.  President Bush and Republicans in Congress have repeatedly opposed these critical efforts to expand renewable energy across America.

As Speaker of the House, I made energy independence my flagship issue.  The New Direction Congress will continue to search for solutions to the energy crisis while still protecting our environment from unnecessary assault.  We will continue to offer innovative energy solutions, pressing for legislation that invests in clean, renewable energy and efficient technologies, reduces transit fares, helps Americans struggling with energy prices, rewards conservation, cracks down on oil speculators and on price gouging, forces Big Oil to ‘use it or lose it’ on federal drilling permits, and transitions America to a new more affordable energy future.

To learn more about these efforts, to express your views, or to sign up for email updates, please visit my web site at www.house.gov/pelosi.

Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi
Member of Congress