She's Right: July 2011

Saturday, July 30, 2011

COOL LINK - SEE YOU COUNTY'S DEMOGRAPHICS!

http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/map?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=thab1

Friday, July 29, 2011

READ NOONAN TODAY - SHE NAILS OBAMA!

http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html

"The secret of Mr. Obama is that he isn't really very good at politics, and he isn't good at politics because he doesn't really get people… he is losing a battle in which he had superior forces—the presidency, the U.S. Senate. In the process he revealed that his foes have given him too much mystique. He is not a devil, an alien, a socialist. He is a loser. And this is America, where nobody loves a loser."

Thursday, July 28, 2011

LINKS AND INFORMATION FOR VETERANS [UPDATED 2/27/2017][UPDATED 3/2016]

This is an attempt to centralize a few links that may help a veteran or his/her family. None of these are endorsements - please make sure any site is valid before providing personal information.

Thank you for your service to our country! God bless you.

Department of Veterans Affairs Home Page

http://www.va.gov/

Appeals
http://www.index.va.gov/search/va/va_search.jsp?NQ=URL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fbenefits.va.gov%2Fbenefits%2F&QT=APPEALS&submit.x=30&submit.y=11&submit=Search

Benefits Fact Sheet
http://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/factsheets.asp

CARES Commission
http://www.index.va.gov/search/va/va_search.jsp?NQ=URL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.va.gov%2Fvbs%2Fbva%2F&QT=CARES+commission&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=Search

Center for Minority Veterans
http://www1.va.gov/centerforminorityveterans/

Center for Veterans Enterprise
http://www.index.va.gov/search/va/va_search.jsp?NQ=URL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.vetbiz.gov%2Fdefault2.htm&QT=CENTER+FOR+VETERANS+ENTERPRISE&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=Search

Center for Women Veterans
http://www1.va.gov/womenvet/

Clarification on the changes in VA healthcare for Gulf War Veterans - 2014
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/docs/gulfwar/gulfwar-newsletter-march2014.pdf

Compensation for Disabilities Associated with the Gulf War Service
http://www.benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/claims-postservice-gulfwar.asp

Directory of Veterans Service Organizations

http://www1.va.gov/vso/index.cfm?template=view

Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs) - Compensation

http://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/dbq_disabilityexams.asp

VA Fact Sheets
http://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets.asp

VA Health Care Eligibility
http://www.index.va.gov/search/va/va_search.jsp?NQ=URL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.benefits.va.gov%2FCOMPENSATION%2Fclaims-postservice-exposures-project_112_shad.asp&QT=VA+Health+Care+Eligibility+&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=Search

VA MS Research

http://www.index.va.gov/search/va/va_search.jsp?SQ=www.benefits.va.gov&QT=ms+research

VA National Hepatitis C Program

http://www.index.va.gov/search/va/va_search.jsp?SQ=www.benefits.va.gov&QT=VA+National+Hepatitis+C+Program+

VA Office of Research and Development

http://www.research.va.gov/

VA WRIISC-DC - War Related Injuries

http://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/about-us/who-we-are/dc-wriisc.asp

VAOIG Hotline Telephone Number and Address (Office of Inspector General)
http://www.va.gov/oig/hotline/

E-Mail: vaoighotline@va.gov

1 (800) 488-8244
[9:00am–4:00pm Eastern Time Monday–Friday excluding Federal holidays]

Vet Center Eligibility - Readjustment Counseling Service
http://www.index.va.gov/search/va/va_search.jsp?SQ=www.research.va.gov&QT=et+Center+Eligibility+-+Readjustment+Counseling+Service+

Veterans Benefits Administration Main Web Page
http://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/

Veterans Legal and Benefits Information - Office of General Counsel
http://www.va.gov/ogc/legalservices.asp

VHA Forms, Publications, Manuals
http://www.va.gov/vhapublications/

VHA Public Health Strategic Health Care Group Home Page
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/

VHI Guide to Gulf War Veterans
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/vethealthinitiative/gulfwar.asp

Vocational Rehabilitation - and Employment
http://www.benefits.va.gov/VOCREHAB/

Vocational Rehabilitation Subsistence
http://www.benefits.va.gov/VOCREHAB/subsistence_allowance_rates.asp

VONAPP online
http://www.knowva.ebenefits.va.gov/system/templates/selfservice/va_ss/#!portal/554400000001018?LANGUAGE=en&COUNTRY=us

WARMS - 38 CFR Book C
http://www.benefits.va.gov/warms/bookc.asp

Wartime (Gulf War) Disability Compensation
http://www.benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/claims-postservice-gulfwar.asp
and Compensation 101
http://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/

War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center - New Jersey
http://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/

Welcome to the GI Bill Web Site
http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/

What VA Social Workers Do
http://www.index.va.gov/search/va/va_search.jsp?NQ=URL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.warrelatedillness.va.gov%2F&QT=va+social+workers&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

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May, 15, 2013

I was contacted about adding this link below ... so I'm including them here. As a disclaimer, I'm not familiar with theses organizations and I AM NOT endorsing them...

http://www.onlinedegrees.org/returning-troops-the-transition-back-to-school/

March 19, 2016.... A few more sites from a reader - A.Tollersons (a fellow North Carolinian) Her site is http://forfamilyhealth.net Thank you for the information, and to my readers - please thank her, too.

Again, I have not verified these sites and I am NOT ENDORSING them or their products. But if they can help one veteran, then I'm all for that! I DO recomment verification of all sites on this post...

Grants for home modifications
http://www.homeadvisor.com/r/grants-for-home-modification/#.Vu1gCPkrKhc

Recreation opportunities for wounded warriors, disabled veterans and their families http://www.operationwearehere.com/VeteransFamiliesRecreationWoundedWarriors.html

Best for Vets: Colleges 2016
http://bestforvets.militarytimes.com/2016/colleges/4-year/

The Ultimate Job Relocation Guide For The Newly Hired

http://www.mortgagecalculator.org/helpful-advice/moving-checklist.php

Making the transition back to your civilian job a little smoother

http://www.ameriforce.net/military-deployment-job-security-transitioning-back-to-your-civilian-job-reserve-national-guard-1507

Transitioning back to your family after deployment

http://www.realwarriors.net/family/children/reconnecting.php

How service and Therapy Dogs help (blog)

https://www.rover.com/blog/ptsd-service-therapy-dogs/

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These links have several pages of additional info sites - some may be duplicates.....

http://c322association.org/veteranbenefits.pdf

http://www.ausa.org/resources/retireeaffairs/Pages/DirectoryofVeteranBenefitsInfoWeb-Sites.aspx

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2/27/2017
The links below were provided to me in an email.... I have NOT verified them but merely added them her in hopes they might help someone.... again - some may be duplicates.

Veterans Crisis Line
https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/

Female Veterans and Drug Addiction - 15 ways to support ongoing battle
http://www.drugrehab.org/female-veterans-addiction/

Coming Home From Deployment: The New “Normal”
http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4240149_SAFComingHomeBrochure.pdf

The Veteran’s Complete Guide to Relocation
https://www.redfin.com/blog/the-veterans-complete-guide-to-relocation

Surviving PTSD: Helping Your Military Loved Ones Get the Help They Need
http://thestir.cafemom.com/healthy_living/149723/surviving_ptsd_helping_your_military

How and When to Hang the American Flag
http://www.improvenet.com/a/how-and-when-to-hang-the-american-flag

Depression and Military Families

http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/military-service

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Topic search - publications
https://iris.custhelp.com/app/answers/list/kw/id+1006+asp+www1+viewpublication

Addiction and Suicide (I got this link in an email - I have NO IDEA if it's legit, and I'm not promoting it.... but if it IS genuine, it might help someone in need...
http://www.drugrehab.org/addiction-suicide-veterans/

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

AND ANOTHER PEARL YOU'LL MISS...... CAN YOU SAY 'FALLING APART!'

Jerrery Immelt is Chairperson of the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness in the Obama Administration, and Chairman/CEO of General Electric, Inc. – which is moving GE’s Healthcare unit - the world’s biggest maker of medical imaging machines, and its 115-year-old X-ray business to Beijing.

LMAO! Do as I say and NOT as I DO!!!!

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2011/07/26/ge_moving_x_ray_business_to_china/

HERE'S A PEARL YOU WON'T SEE ON THE CBS EVENING NEWS!

John Kerry was introduced at the 2004 Democratic National Convention by Wade Sanders, a retired Navy Captain and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy who served as a Swift Boat officer in Vietnam. Like Kerry, Sanders was the recipient of a Silver Star for gallantry in action. During the 2004 campaign, Sanders functioned as Kerry lead attack dog against the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, repeatedly denouncing the veterans on the air as liars and comparing them to Nazi propagandists.

Wade Sanders is now in Federal prison, serving a 37-month sentence for possessing child pornography. Now the Navy Times reports that Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has revoked Sanders' Silver Star. The highly unusual decision appears unrelated to Sanders' felony conviction. A Navy spokesman cited "subsequently determined facts and evidence surrounding both the incident for which the award was made and the processing of the award itself." John Kerry has to be hoping this doesn't become a trend.

As one might imagine, the media has ignored this story. Even the Navy Times declined to post its own article online.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/07/kerry_spokesman_stripped_of_silver_star.html

H.R. 2411 - THE 'PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS' BILL

Here is a direct quote from President Obama in last night’s whine about the debt ceiling negotiations.

‘How can we slash funding for education and clean energy before we ask people like me to give up tax breaks we don’t need and didn’t ask for?”

Well here’s a bill that will permit anyone, especially liberals, who believe they are under-taxed to have additional monies withheld from their paycheck – said funds to go to the reduction of the national debt. I think this is a fantastic idea! It should be called the PYMWYMI BILL!

A BILL

To provide for an employee election on Form W-4 to have amounts deducted and withheld from wages to be used to reduce the public d

ebt.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Reduce America's Debt Now Act of 2011'.

SEC. 2. VOLUNTARY WITHHOLDING FROM PAYROLL FOR REDUCTION OF THE PUBLIC DEBT.

(a) In General- An employee may elect for an employer to deduct and withhold upon the payment of wages by such employer amounts to be used to reduce the public debt.

Read the full content of the bill at the link below:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:h2411:

WEALTH – AND THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE RACES

There is an article today on Politico about a Pew Research survey that’s very disturbing – partly because the results are astounding but also because the results are self-serving for the left in promulgating class envy. Look to see this quoted during the debt debate when taxes (a/k/a/ revenues) are brought up.

‘The median wealth of white U.S. households in 2009 was $113,149, compared to $6,325 for Hispanics and $5,677 for blacks, according to the analysis released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center. Those ratios, roughly 20 to 1 for blacks and 18 to 1 for Hispanics, far exceed the low mark of 7 to 1 for both groups reached in 1995, when the nation's economic expansion lifted many low-income groups to the middle class.’ [1]

White households on average now earn 20 times more than the typical black family and 18 times more than the average Hispanic family, the study found. The disparities are three times the gap that existed just three years ago. [1] (I find that last line interesting, especially the ‘three year’ thing – but don’t look for that to be highlighted by the MSM)

At first read, this sounds unbelievable. This data screams ‘tax the rich, tax the rich.’

One analyst in the halls of academia concludes: “What’s pushing the wealth of whites is the rebound in the stock market and corporate savings, while younger Hispanics and African-Americans who bought homes in the last decade - because that was the American dream - are seeing big declines.” [2] (Note to the author – it’s not just minorities who are seeing big declines because of the housing slump – a sinking ship drags everyone under water.)

Wealth, by definition, is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. [Pew defines wealth as assets minus debts] Wealth can be inherited, as Ted Kennedy did, or earned, like Bill Gates did.

Income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings received... in a given period of time. If you work at a job, you have income. If you invest that income you can hopefully accumulate wealth.

Take a walk through most economically depressed minority areas in any large city and you will find (unemployed minority) young people with tats all over their bodies, diamonds in their ears, gold chains around their necks, high dollar sneakers on their feet, and a fancy cell phone pressed to their ear. Many will be driving a muscle car and will park it in front of a seedy, run-down flat. A look inside often belies the exterior, with the high-end sound and video system, just to name a couple of things. [As an aside - did you know Nike makes a pair of sneakers called Air Force One ‘So Cals’ that can be had for a mere $50,000].

Choices. It’s all about choices. I submit this disparity is (in many cases) self-inflicted and government sponsored.

[1] http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2069/housing-bubble-subprime-mortgages-hispanics-blacks-household-wealth-disparity

[2] Timothy Smeeding, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor who specializes in income inequality

Monday, July 25, 2011

IS TODAY THE DAY?

Get ready for a wild ride and keep an eye on Obama's house of cards!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

FINALLY! THIS MAKE SENSE – WE ALL NEED TO HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME SO WE ALL WILL CARE HOW THE GOVERNMENT SPENDS!

Bachmann's Right: All Should Pay Taxes

From Investors Business Daily

Michelle Bachmann speaking on Fiscal Policy at a town hall meeting last week suggests the problem [with government spending] might be that half the people pay no taxes and don't care what the government spends. If all had to pull the wagon, maybe the load would be made lighter.

Regarding the federal income tax, she said we "need to broaden the base so that everybody pays something, even if it's a dollar."

"Part of the problem is (that) today only 53% pay any federal income tax at all, 47% pay nothing."

We can see the headlines now — "GOP candidate wants to tax poor while giving breaks to big business."

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/579220/201107221832/Bachmanns-Right-All-Should-Pay-Taxes.htm

ATLANTA CHEATING SCANDAL REDUX.... ANYONE SEE A PATTERN HERE?

A friend of mine on another site posted a blog yessterday on the Atlanta cheating scandal – and it IS a scandal that something like this could go on for 10 years and be totally acceptable to those in charge…. Once they changed the scores, they had to KEEP changing the scores so as to not call attention to a ‘backslide’.

I’ve thought a lot about this mess since I last posted on it here on 7/7/11 and a thought bubbled up a time or two. (and yes, I DO have thoughts! LOL)

Anyway….. after reading his take, I took a while and did a few searches to see if my theory had merit. Some will surely say it doesn’t since you can find ANY facts you want to support your position. I’ve posted the link below where I got the school stats – I simply copied the school/city information but on the site, they give stats – and they are breathtaking! Go to the link and look at the 25 photos – frame lists school type, grade, and the school’s performance COMPARED TO THE STATEWIDE PERFORMANCE….. some of the statewide numbers are scary as hell!

As the title of my post says……….. anyone see a pattern here? (and I know – in all fairness I should do the TOP 25 BEST and make a similar comparison – that’s for another day – or another blogger)

THE TOP 25 WORST SCHOOLS IN AMERICA…. (actually 24 as one was removed for bad data)

25. Milwaukee Spectrum School (Milwaukee, WI)

24. Fenger Academy High School (Chicago)

23. Hope CS (Philadelphia)

22. W.A. Perry Middle School (Columbia, SC)

21. Englewood Technical Prep Academic HS (Chicago)

20. Welcome Center @ Mifflin M.S. (Columbus, OH)

19. Bus. Entrepreneurship, Science, Tech. Academy (Highland Park, Mich)

18. Harper High School (Chicago)

17. Lakeview Middle School (Greenville, SC)

16 – Removed because of incorrect data

15. Vechig Himdag Mashchamakud (Sacaton, AZ)

14. Alcorn Middle School (Columbia, SC)

13. Choices School (Florence, SC)

12. Charleston Development Academy (Charleston, SC)

11. Circle of Courage Learning Center (Poughkeepsie, NY)

10. Midlands Math and Business Academy (Columbia, SC)

9. Brentwood Middle School (Charleston, SC)

8. Morningside Middle School (N. Charleston, SC)

7. Spring Creek Elementary (St. Francis, SD)

6. Robeson High School (Chicago)

5. Youthbuild Charleston Center (N. Charleston, SC)

4. HR Acad/Global Awareness HA (Milwaukee, WI)

3. School of Humanities (Milwaukee, WI)

2. Kennedy/Lloyd Charter School (Aiken, SC)

1. Tomorrows Builders Charter School (E. St. Louis, Ill)

http://www.walletpop.com/photos/worst-performing-public-schools/

Of the 24 schools, I was able to get information on 19 as to who is running the show…………………

Mayor of Charleston, SC 1975 – present (D) ****

Mayor of Columbia, SC 1990 – 2010 (R) ***

Mayor of Philadelphia PA 1952 – present (D) *

Mayor of Chicago, Il 1931 – present (D) ****

Mayor of Florence, SC 1995 – present (D) *

Mayor of Aiken, SC 1991 – present (D) *

Mayor of St. Louis, MO 1949 – present (D) *

Mayor of Columbus, OH 2000 – present (D) *

Mayor of Milwaukee, WI 1960 – present (D) ***

* Each asterisk indicates number of schools on the Top 25 list
Could not find history/parties for Highland Park, MI, Greenville, SC, Sacaton, AZ, Poughkeepsie, NY and St. Francis, SD (which appears to be an Indian Reservation)

One final observation - the Department of Education's records for 2004 (most recent I could find) show that there are over 93,000 PUBLIC elementary and secondary schools in the United States. You gotta be really, really BAD to make the worst 25.............

HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN

Poor Johnboy – when it rains it pours. On Thursday, the Federal Election Commission voted unanimously to require former Sen. (Vice-Presidential AND presidential candidate) John Edwards’ presidential campaign committee to repay $2.3 million, mostly in federal matching funds it received after he pulled out of the race in January 2008.

But the FEC audit adds up to one more problem for Edwards. Last month he was indicted on federal charges that he used nearly $1 million in campaign contributions to keep secret an affair. Sure hope she was worth it. It would be a shame if Edwards had to sell his sprawling house to raise the funds. The 28,200-square-foot structure outside Chapel Hill is Orange County's most valuable.

Edwards made his money as an ambulance-chasing personal injury lawyer. His deceased wife was also an attorney.

Remember his campaign slogan about the ‘TWO AMERICAS’… well, he definitely doesn’t live in my America. But he may get a chance yet to see how the other half lives.

Judge Andrew Napolitano (a FNC legal analyst) spoke [about Edward’s] “incredible fall from grace” and said that the government’s case is so strong, regardless of a plea or trial, Edwards is likely to be behind bars for at least some time.

Napolitano considered this to be a “classic case of the misuse of federal campaign funds” and combined with the charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, the judge concluded:

"He’s facing two five-year charges. The evidence of guilt on both is overwhelming. He’s facing ten years in jail. In our federal system you serve 85% of the time. You’re talking eight and a half years in jail for someone who ran for President twice."

We’ll see.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

A TRILLION IN NEW TAXES? BINGO! (I mean new REVENUES)

I assume most everyone has seen this by now. Below is the lead paragraph that went up last night - it's since been revised because of the House vote on H.R. 2560 - Cut/Cap/Balance [which passed in the House 234-190 with nine Republicans opposing the bill and five Democrats supporting it on final passage]:

President Barack Obama and a startling number of Republican senators lauded a deficit-reduction plan put forward earlier in the day by a bipartisan "Gang of Six" lawmakers that calls for $1 trillion in what sponsors delicately called "additional revenue" and some critics swiftly labeled as higher taxes.

I read this and cut off my computer. A TRILLION in taxes! WTF can these people be thinking! I lay this entire debacle at the feet of Mitch McConnell.

Sens. Mike Crapo of Idaho, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Saxby Chambliss of Georgia are the three Republicans in the ‘gang of six’ who came up with this krap (and is anyone besides me sick to damn death of GANGS in the Senate? We already know they are a bunch of thugs!) They were joined by Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas – thank you Lamar and Kay for siging on to the death certificate of this country!

All it took for me to know this bill in the Senate is a P.O.S. was to learn that Dick Durbin and Harry Reid supported it. This Senate bill is the kiss of death to the Republican party and to the United States of America.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Debt-hope-Obama-praises-Gang-apf-120819518.html?x=0

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, one of the six Democratic and Republican senators who have been working since December on a deficit-reduction plan, said the proposed $3.75 trillion in savings over 10 years contains $1.2 trillion in new revenues.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/19/us-usa-debt-gang-idUSTRE76I5CK20110719

Sunday, July 31, 2011