Strokes of luck

What a horrible weekend, what with the mass shootings happening at an exponential clip. I mean, it's kind of serious when a church shooter kills one and wounds five and that's only the third or fourth most horrible shooting of the weekend.

And the war goes on, and oil companies continue to shake us down for more money while their profits go crazy, and parents of babies can't find formula to feed their children because of no good reasons.

Meanwhile, in a coincidence that might serve as a warning to all, two leading politicians from this area suffered strokes over the weekend.

Maryland's junior US Senator, Chris Van Hollen, said he suffered a "minor stroke" over the weekend and is still in George Washington University Hospital.

The Maryland Democrat's statement said that his doctors told him "there are no long-term effects or damage as a result of this incident" but he points out that he'll be staying put for observation. He plans to return to work later this week.

Mr.  Van Hollen went to the hospital after he had been "experiencing lightheadedness and acute neck pain" while making a speech. Upon returning home, he checked with a doctor, who recommended that he present himself at a hospital.

And, up in Pennsylvania, the most interesting lieutenant governor in the world, John Fetterman, who is the the favorite to win his state's Democratic US Senate primary election today, announced Sunday that he's recovering after a stroke.

"I had a stroke that was caused by a clot from my heart being in an A-fib rhythm for too long," Fetterman said, adding, "I'm feeling much better, and the doctors tell me I didn't suffer any cognitive damage. I'm well on my way to a full recovery."

Fetterman's spokesman, Joe Calvello, said the lieutenant governor was going to an event on Friday, when his wife, Gisele, urged him to get checked out at a hospital.

"I wasn't feeling well, so I went to the hospital to get checked out," Fetterman said in the statement. "I didn't want to go — I didn't think I had to — but Gisele insisted, and as usual, she was right."

To show the quirky fascinating personality of Gisele Fetterman, I must tell you that in her position as Second Lady of Pennsylvania, she self-identifies as SLOP! I think these two are the very models for coolness today, and I hope they will reside in DC very soon.

And, please, pay attention to the list below. If you or someone you love is experiencing these symptoms, do not assume "it will go away." Taking action at the first sign of stroke symptoms is key.