S. Florida Teen Recovering After Cougar Attack
CBS 4 - Miami,FL,USA
PALM SPRINGS NORTH (CBS4) ― A South Florida teen is recovering at home after being mauled by a cougar in a North Miami-Dade home Saturday.
The 4-year-old cougar named Chaos belongs to retired teacher Alan Rigerman. Rigerman owns has a second cougar, who is Chaos' mother, along with several snakes, tortoises and alligators at his home in the 17 thousand block of Northwest 84th Avenue. Jorge Pino, a spokesman for The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, says Rigerman is properly permitted to keep the animals at his home.
Miami-Dade police said the incident occurred when the 16 year old entered Rigerman's home with Anthony Zitnick, 21, around 1:30 p.m. Saturday. CBS4 news partners at the Miami Herald report Rigerman said Zitnick went into the house without his permission with a key he'd given him soon after Hurricane Wilma when he did yard work for the older man.
''He helped me with my cats under my supervision,'' Rigerman told the Miami Herald. ``But never, never, never alone.''
Neighbors believe Zitnick took the girl into the house because he was trying to impress her.
Richard Miralles said he was outside when he heard the girl scream. He rushed to the house and was shocked by what he found. The girl was lying on the floor, Chaos was on top of her with the girl's head in his mouth and declawed paw on her face.
click link for more
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Marilyn Mock, Foreclosure Angel, not done helping
Reaching out to foreclosure victims
WFAA-TV
Marilyn Mock, the "foreclosure angel" who helped a Pottsboro woman keep her home last month, wants to help others facing the same fate.
WFAA-TV
Marilyn Mock, the "foreclosure angel" who helped a Pottsboro woman keep her home last month, wants to help others facing the same fate.
"People need to help each other, that's all there is to it," Mock said last month.
Weeks later, she kept her promise and signed the papers so Orr can move in.
"She is going to make payments on whatever she can afford," Mock explained.
And now, Marilyn Mock wants to reach out to others who are facing foreclosure. She has launched the Foreclosure Angel Foundation, a non-profit organization to help struggling homeowners.
"I am trying to set up so people can actually meet and see the people they are going to be helping," Mock said.
One by one, she hopes to bring more families back home.
click link for the rest and for the video to remind you of what happened.
Pacific Washington:Mourners keep vigil for young man shot in cold blood
Mourners keep vigil for young man shot in cold blood
This shell-shocked community came together Saturday night, keeping vigil for a young man who was shot and killed at a crowded, church-sponsored youth event on Friday. A candlelight vigil was held at a memorial that sprang up near the scene of the deadly shooting a short time after it happened.
PACIFIC, Wash. - This shell-shocked community came together Saturday night, keeping vigil for a young man who was shot and killed at a crowded, church-sponsored youth event on Friday.
A memorial sprang up near the scene of the deadly shooting a short time after it happened, and became a focal point for grieving friends and family of the victim during the day that followed.
It continued Saturday night during the vigil as people stood together, stunned, candlelight flickering across their sorrowful faces.
They came together for Shiloh Drott, 21, who was enjoying an evening with family and friends at the community center in Pacific when he was gunned down in cold blood.
Someone opened fire through a window of the community center next door to Pacific's city hall, hitting Drott in the chest. He died on the rec room floor as shocked friends and children - some reportedly as young as 4 years old - looked on.
Drott's mother, says the community center was always a special place for their family.
"Our kids grew up with the rec hall. This is their sanctuary," she said late Saturday.
Drott was well-known for his work as a youth mentor. He and his friends had just finished a basketball game and were about to eat pizza when the gunman tracked him down.
"He was like, sitting in his chair. He was like, "What's going on?" And another bullet came and hit him, he just fell on the ground," says 11-year-old Kaleb Shoute, who was sitting next to Drott when he was shot to death.
Read more »
The heroes of the wrongfully convicted
Heroes of the wrongfully convicted
For decade, NU center has shaken up justice system
By Steve Mills Tribune reporter
November 16, 2008
The Center on Wrongful Convictions at the Northwestern University School of Law has won freedom for nearly three dozen innocent people and, in that often difficult process, changed how many people think about the state's criminal justice system.
In the 10 years since the center was founded in 1998, it has played a leading role in the exonerations of 19 people in Illinois. Before that, members of its staff were crucial to 14 exonerations. Those include 13 inmates who had been under a death sentence, as well as the country's first DNA-based exoneration, Gary Dotson, who had been convicted of rape.
Among the high-profile cases the center or its founders have tackled and won are those of the Ford Heights Four, exonerated in the 1978 murders of a suburban couple, and Rolando Cruz, exonerated in the 1983 rape and murder of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico of Naperville. Three others are detailed on this page.
Through its work, the Center on Wrongful Convictions has made people think twice about claims that the system always works. It has prompted some top city, county and state officials to reconsider their views on the death penalty and other aspects of criminal justice
click link for more
For decade, NU center has shaken up justice system
By Steve Mills Tribune reporter
November 16, 2008
The Center on Wrongful Convictions at the Northwestern University School of Law has won freedom for nearly three dozen innocent people and, in that often difficult process, changed how many people think about the state's criminal justice system.
In the 10 years since the center was founded in 1998, it has played a leading role in the exonerations of 19 people in Illinois. Before that, members of its staff were crucial to 14 exonerations. Those include 13 inmates who had been under a death sentence, as well as the country's first DNA-based exoneration, Gary Dotson, who had been convicted of rape.
Among the high-profile cases the center or its founders have tackled and won are those of the Ford Heights Four, exonerated in the 1978 murders of a suburban couple, and Rolando Cruz, exonerated in the 1983 rape and murder of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico of Naperville. Three others are detailed on this page.
Through its work, the Center on Wrongful Convictions has made people think twice about claims that the system always works. It has prompted some top city, county and state officials to reconsider their views on the death penalty and other aspects of criminal justice
click link for more
4 Pacific Union College students killed in crash
4 College Students Killed In Crash
Quartet from Pacific Union College are killed late Saturday night when their speeding car skids out of control and collides with a pickup truck north of St. Helena. Demian Bulwa
15:00 PST NAPA -- -- Four students at Pacific Union College, a Christian liberal arts school in the Napa Valley, were killed late Saturday night when their speeding car skidded out of control and collided with a pickup truck north of St. Helena and just a few miles south of their campus in Angwin, California Highway Patrol officials said.
The Napa County coroner's office today identified the victims as Luke Kotazo Nishikawa, 22; Boaz Joshua Pak, 20; Chon Shin, 20; and Simon Cholin Son, 19.
click link for more
NOTE: A reader posted comment that "Chon Shin" has wrong spelling. It should be Chong Shin.
Patiently waiting on science and faith for daughter's healing
Patiently waiting on science and faith
By Billy Cox
PALMETTO - One day, Lexi Antorino was painting with watercolors, reciting her ABCs, and counting to 10 in Spanish.
Then, in a moment, her life and the lives of those who care for her were forever
The thing packs a jolt to the fingertip, like one of those concealed hand-buzzer gags. Sarah laughs; Lexi gets it in the arm twice a day, 90 minutes per session.
"She's the youngest person they've ever tried it on," Sarah says.
It's called a right median nerve stimulation (RMNS) cuff, and its effect on the brain was discovered, accidentally, by American orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Ed Cooper in the 1980s.
At his practice in Kinston, N.C., Cooper initially used neuro-stimulation therapy to reduce spasticity and increase muscle control among brain-damaged patients. By placing a cuff of electrodes along the median nerve of the right forearm in quadriplegics, he learned that the current jumped hemispheres and also strengthened the left arm.
But he also began to notice that certain patients in minimally conscious states showed signs of improvement in their cognitive abilities.
After observing the positive responses of several dozen brain-impaired patients at the University of Virginia and East Carolina University, Cooper published his results in the journals of "Neuropsychological Rehabilitation" and "Brain Injury."
Widespread research has yet to occur, but the RMNS cuff has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. With their pediatrician's approval, the Antorinos began using Lexi's cuff in July.
Now retired, Cooper has neither met Lexi nor examined her records. His remarks are cautious: "You never know about these things. Overall, I'd have to say I'm optimistic about her making some type of functional mental recovery."
Then he volunteers an observation that has nothing to do with his medical credentials but seems on-point with the views and hopes of the Antorinos.
"I've found that the kind of parents who have the most hope are conservative Christians and faithful Roman Catholics. They seem to have the deepest belief in miracles."
Web page, http://www.prayforlexi.com/,
click link for more
By Billy Cox
The Palmetto youngster was badly hurt when a swingset toppled onto her in December 2007.
PALMETTO - One day, Lexi Antorino was painting with watercolors, reciting her ABCs, and counting to 10 in Spanish.
Then, in a moment, her life and the lives of those who care for her were forever
The thing packs a jolt to the fingertip, like one of those concealed hand-buzzer gags. Sarah laughs; Lexi gets it in the arm twice a day, 90 minutes per session.
"She's the youngest person they've ever tried it on," Sarah says.
It's called a right median nerve stimulation (RMNS) cuff, and its effect on the brain was discovered, accidentally, by American orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Ed Cooper in the 1980s.
At his practice in Kinston, N.C., Cooper initially used neuro-stimulation therapy to reduce spasticity and increase muscle control among brain-damaged patients. By placing a cuff of electrodes along the median nerve of the right forearm in quadriplegics, he learned that the current jumped hemispheres and also strengthened the left arm.
But he also began to notice that certain patients in minimally conscious states showed signs of improvement in their cognitive abilities.
After observing the positive responses of several dozen brain-impaired patients at the University of Virginia and East Carolina University, Cooper published his results in the journals of "Neuropsychological Rehabilitation" and "Brain Injury."
Widespread research has yet to occur, but the RMNS cuff has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. With their pediatrician's approval, the Antorinos began using Lexi's cuff in July.
Now retired, Cooper has neither met Lexi nor examined her records. His remarks are cautious: "You never know about these things. Overall, I'd have to say I'm optimistic about her making some type of functional mental recovery."
Then he volunteers an observation that has nothing to do with his medical credentials but seems on-point with the views and hopes of the Antorinos.
"I've found that the kind of parents who have the most hope are conservative Christians and faithful Roman Catholics. They seem to have the deepest belief in miracles."
Web page, http://www.prayforlexi.com/,
click link for more
Operation Lioness, When Women Go To War
Female U.S. soldiers' role in Iraq war profiled
Documentary follows 5 troopers stationed in Ramadi in 2004
Marines preparing to leave west Iraq
Displaced Iraqis forced to live at Kirkuk Stadium
Training offers lessons in culture
By Tony Perry
Los Angeles Times
"Lioness," showing this week on PBS' "Independent Lens" series, is an up-close look at the evolving role of women in the U.S. military — not just in traditional roles as nurses and support personnel but as weapon-toting frontline troops.
The 82-minute piece, by veteran documentarians Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers, deals with five women attached to a Marine battalion in the middle of prolonged fighting in Ramadi, Iraq, in 2004.
Retired Navy Capt. Lory Manning, now of the Women's Research and Education Institute, says they were among the first U.S. women to experience combat on an essentially equal footing with men.
Federal law prohibits assigning women to direct combat, but that distinction has been blurred on the ground in the Iraq war. Among other things, U.S. troops, particularly in the combat-heavy phase of the war, were stretched thin and needed help. Also, there are Islamic cultural prohibitions against men searching Iraqi women or even talking to them.
As a solution, the Army began Operation Lioness, assigning female soldiers to accompany male troops on patrol and on checkpoint duty, although the women had not had infantry training.
Staff Sgt. Ranie Ruthig, a mechanic who never expected to fire a weapon, remembers a late-night mission in which troops forced their way into Iraqi homes to search for weapons and insurgents.
go here for more
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081116/NEWS08/811160313/1001/NEWS
linked from
http://icasualties.org/oif/
Documentary follows 5 troopers stationed in Ramadi in 2004
Marines preparing to leave west Iraq
Displaced Iraqis forced to live at Kirkuk Stadium
Training offers lessons in culture
By Tony Perry
Los Angeles Times
"Lioness," showing this week on PBS' "Independent Lens" series, is an up-close look at the evolving role of women in the U.S. military — not just in traditional roles as nurses and support personnel but as weapon-toting frontline troops.
The 82-minute piece, by veteran documentarians Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers, deals with five women attached to a Marine battalion in the middle of prolonged fighting in Ramadi, Iraq, in 2004.
Retired Navy Capt. Lory Manning, now of the Women's Research and Education Institute, says they were among the first U.S. women to experience combat on an essentially equal footing with men.
Federal law prohibits assigning women to direct combat, but that distinction has been blurred on the ground in the Iraq war. Among other things, U.S. troops, particularly in the combat-heavy phase of the war, were stretched thin and needed help. Also, there are Islamic cultural prohibitions against men searching Iraqi women or even talking to them.
As a solution, the Army began Operation Lioness, assigning female soldiers to accompany male troops on patrol and on checkpoint duty, although the women had not had infantry training.
Staff Sgt. Ranie Ruthig, a mechanic who never expected to fire a weapon, remembers a late-night mission in which troops forced their way into Iraqi homes to search for weapons and insurgents.
go here for more
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081116/NEWS08/811160313/1001/NEWS
linked from
http://icasualties.org/oif/
Fort Carson:9 men,10 murders from one brigade
Before you attempt to write these soldier off as just criminals, consider this. They were willing to risk their lives for this country with two military campaigns going on. Afghanistan was invaded in 2001 and Iraq was invaded in 2003. All of them volunteered to risk their lives because the government said they were needed. Is that the act of a criminal? Is that the act of someone with absolutely no regard for human life? No. Are there some trying to get into the military so they can "kill people" and get away with it? Sure there is that possibility but I'd like to see them pass the mental evaluation and pull it off. Even if you know absolutely nothing about PTSD, I'm sure even you would understand the difference in character the men and women in the military have from the rest of us. If nothing else, allow that to enter into your brain before you read this.
For my readers up to speed on PTSD, this requires absolutely no more explanation for you to understand so please read it and then contact your elected officials, yes even the ones who were just elected to office so they have a game plan when they get to Washington. There is no time to waste.
For my readers up to speed on PTSD, this requires absolutely no more explanation for you to understand so please read it and then contact your elected officials, yes even the ones who were just elected to office so they have a game plan when they get to Washington. There is no time to waste.
Deadly duty for Fort Carson
Fort Carson has sent thousands of troops into action overseas. But nine may have brought too much of the war home with them and have been linked to violent crimes.
By David Olinger
The Denver Post
John needham, 25, pictured at left atop an armored personnel carrier in Iraq, was arrested in Orange County, Calif., in September and charged with murder in the death of a 19-year-old woman found beaten at a condominium in San Clemente. (Photo courtesy of Mike Needham )
COLORADO SPRINGS — Erica Ham was walking to a bus stop, heading for work as a nursing-home housekeeper, when a car struck her from behind.
Three men jumped out. "Get on the ground!" one with a gun ordered. Another stabbed her repeatedly, puncturing a lung and slitting her left eyelid. Police found her unconscious but alive, her cellphone at her ear.
Matthew Orrenmaa was shot as he walked to get gas for his truck, Zachary Szody as he talked with a friend in front of a Colorado Springs house. Cesar Ramirez-Ibanez and Amairany Cervantes were gunned down as they posted a garage-sale sign. Kevin Shields was shot to death on his 24th birthday, Robert James for the cash in his wallet, Jonathan Smith in an attempted robbery, Sara
Sherwood by a husband who then killed himself. Judilianna Lawrence was murdered by a rapist who slit her throat. Jacqwelyn Villagomez was beaten to death.
The victims had just one thing in common: The men accused of attacking them all went to war in Iraq with the same Fort Carson unit, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
In three years, nine men from that single 3,700-soldier Army brigade have been charged in 10 murders and attempted homicides, all but two in or around Colorado Springs. Some of the attacks appear frighteningly random; victims were shot and stabbed by men they had never seen before. Four of the victims — Orrenmaa, Szody, Shields and James — also served at Fort Carson.
Of the accused, one had been sent home early from Iraq with mental-health problems. Another had been hospitalized with post-traumatic stress disorder. Another had become addicted to painkillers prescribed for his wounds.
go here for more
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_10996605
Linked from
http://icasualties.org/oif/
Haley VA center apologizes after vet dies
"It just don't seem right," said Szamlewski's widow, Marie. "I just don't understand why they didn't give it to him. Maybe my story can help somebody else to know they've got to stay on the VA every minute."
Haley VA center apologizes after vet dies
By William R. Levesque, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, November 15, 2008
TAMPA — During his recovery from cancer surgery, doctors put Jim Szamlewski on oxygen to help keep him alive.
But they discharged him from the James A. Haley VA Medical Center without the thing most essential to his survival: oxygen.
For up to six agonizing hours on Sept. 5, the 75-year-old Army veteran struggled for breath as his condition deteriorated, his wife said. The oxygen finally arrived. But Szamlewski's heart stopped 12 hours after his discharge. Though it was restarted, his brain had been irreparably damaged.
Szamlewski, of Land O'Lakes, died with the removal of life support on Sept. 9.
His is the third case detailed by the St. Petersburg Times in recent months in which a veteran died after either being misdiagnosed or discharged without vital supplies or equipment.
After a Times inquiry, the Department of Veterans Affairs regional director requested a review of the Szamlewski case by the agency's independent watchdog, the Office of Medical Inspector.
go here for more
http://www.tampabay.com/news/military/veterans/article903950.ece
President Elect Obama's last day as senator
Obama says thanks on last day as senator
President-elect Barack Obama said "a very affectionate thanks" to the people of Illinois in a letter published Sunday in newspapers across his home state. Several Illinois Democrats have been mentioned as possible Senate replacements for Obama. Gov. Rod Blagojevich is assembling a panel to look over likely candidates. full story
President-elect Barack Obama said "a very affectionate thanks" to the people of Illinois in a letter published Sunday in newspapers across his home state. Several Illinois Democrats have been mentioned as possible Senate replacements for Obama. Gov. Rod Blagojevich is assembling a panel to look over likely candidates. full story
When they rush to help, do you pray?
Firefighters shift focus to north Orange County as 26,000 evacuate
By Tami Abdollah, Howard Blume 2:38 p.m.
The Triangle Complex fire burns uncontrolled and threatens to cross the 57 Freeway. Firefighters make better progress in Sylmar area and Santa Barbara.
I live just outside of Orlando and around here, the sound of a fire engine is pretty common. Each time I hear one, I offer a prayer for the firefighters rushing to help others. A little while ago, several passed nearby. They reminded me of what is happening in California right now. With all the people losing their homes to the fires, it's easy to acknowledge they need help and offer a prayer of comfort for them. What we too often take for granted is the firefighters. They need prayers of comfort and to be watched over as they battle the fires. Please take a moment and pray for them.
We also forget about the police officers who also risk their lives on a daily basis. Unless one of them is caught committing some kind of abuse, we don't read much about them. That is unless it's too late and one of them has fallen in the line of duty and we see their funerals covered on TV. Please pray for them as well.
And then that takes us back to the men and women serving in the National Guards, Reservists and active military. We should also offer up prayers for the families waiting for them to come home as we pray for them. Offer prayers for the wounded veterans. Prayer takes so little time but it does require something not everyone is willing to do. Set aside your own needs for a moment a day and pray for those who do so much for us. Here's a few links if you can't think of what to pray but remember, God does not care if you are eloquent with your words. He can hear your heart.
(St. Michael is used in most of the posts I do on the fallen)
Patron Saints of the Military Other Than St. Michael:
ST. BRENDAN, PATRON OF SAILORS
ST. JOSEPH CUPERTINO, CONFESSOR, PATRON OF PILOTS AND ASTRONAUTS
ST. JOHN CAPISTRANO, PATRON OF MILITARY CHAPLAINS
ST. ERASMUS [ELMO], MARTYR, ONE OF THE 14 HOLY HELPERS, PATRON OF SAILORS
ST. GEORGE, ONE OF THE 14 HOLY HELPERS, MARTYR AND PATRON OF SOLDIERS
THE LITANY OF THE 14 HOLY HELPERSST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA,
PATRON OF SOLDIERS
THE LITANY OF ST. IGNATIUS
ST. JOAN OF ARC, MARTYR, PATRON OF MILITARY LEADERSTHE LITANY OF ST. JOAN
ST. SEBASTIAN, MARTYR, PATRON OF SOLDIERS
FOR OUR ARMED FORCES
O God, I beg Thee, watch over those exposed to the dangers of a soldier's, sailor's, or airman's life. Give them such strong faith that no human respect may ever lead them to deny it or fear to practice it. Strengthen them by Thy grace against the influence of bad examples so that, being preserved from vice and by serving Thee faithfully, they may be ready to meet death, if it should come to them on land, at sea, or in the air.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, inspire them with sorrow for sin and grant them pardon. Mary, Immaculate Mother of God, protect them. Amen.
Our Lady of Victory, we humbly beg thee to protect all our armed forces everywhere and to give them unflinching courage age to defend our country with honor and dignity. Guard our churches, our homes, our schools, our hospitals, our factories, our buildings, and all therein from harm and peril. Protect our land from enemies within and without. Grant us an early peace and victory founded upon justice. Instill into the hearts and minds of men everywhere, a firm purpose to live forever in peace and good will toward all. Amen.
PRAYER FOR A SERVICEMAN
O Mary, Queen of Martyrs, look after my beloved wherever he may be. Talk with him during the silent watches of the night and spur him to bravery when he faces the cruel foe. Keep him inspired by a never undying faith in God our Savior. Wherever his duty takes him, keep his spirit high, and his purpose unwavering. He is my choicest treasure, take care of him, O Mother of God! Keep him in health and sustain him under every possible circumstance. Touch him with thy smile of benevolence, comfort him and give him full confidence in thy intercession and my prayers for his every brave pursuit. Fail him not and may he not fail God, his country, nor the ones who love him.
Pvt. Paul Timothy Muse, passed away after brain surgery
GI found dead was recovering from brain surgery
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Nov 16, 2008 10:27:46 EST
SPERRY, Okla. — A Sperry soldier found dead in his barracks room at an Arizona Army post had been recovering from surgery to remove a tumor on his brain stem, his father said.
Pvt. Paul Timothy Muse, 22, was found in his bed Nov. 8 during a morning inspection at the Warriors in Transition unit at Fort Huachuca, located southeast of Tucson, Ariz.
The unit provides physical and mental health help to soldiers wounded in action and other troops recovering from medical conditions. A Fort Huachuca spokeswoman said Muse arrived at the unit Oct. 6.
The soldier’s father, Douglas Muse, told the Tulsa World his son began preparing last fall for a December deployment to Iraq.
“He was getting headaches and blacking out from time to time,” the father stated in an e-mail to the newspaper.
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Nov 16, 2008 10:27:46 EST
SPERRY, Okla. — A Sperry soldier found dead in his barracks room at an Arizona Army post had been recovering from surgery to remove a tumor on his brain stem, his father said.
Pvt. Paul Timothy Muse, 22, was found in his bed Nov. 8 during a morning inspection at the Warriors in Transition unit at Fort Huachuca, located southeast of Tucson, Ariz.
The unit provides physical and mental health help to soldiers wounded in action and other troops recovering from medical conditions. A Fort Huachuca spokeswoman said Muse arrived at the unit Oct. 6.
The soldier’s father, Douglas Muse, told the Tulsa World his son began preparing last fall for a December deployment to Iraq.
“He was getting headaches and blacking out from time to time,” the father stated in an e-mail to the newspaper.
On Nov. 6, his son went to the base hospital because his head and ears had swollen. Doctors managed to reduce his swelling, and he was discharged the next day.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_muse_111608/
Veterans Turn to VA Clinics in Tough Economic Times
Veterans Turn to VA Clinics in Tough Economic Times
KSAX ABC News
Nov 15, 2008
November 13, 2008 - The worsening economy is taking a big toll on veterans.The Anoka County Veterans Services Office says it could see as much as a 25 percent increase in new clients this year.
Many veterans say that in this economy, they wouldn't be able to pay for medical care without their veteran’s benefits."I would probably just take the medicines I thought I could afford, which would be skimping on my health," said Michael Calistro, a veteran. "I would not be able to afford it."Another factor driving the increase in new clients is an aging veteran population, especially in veterans from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.
Click here to watch this news story.
CNN Faces of Faith: Unlikely duo, helping homeless
Unlikely duo reach out to homeless
Unlikely help for homeless 3:34
CNN's T.J. Holmes reports on an unlikely duo that is raising money and awareness for the nation's homeless.
This is their site
http://www.samekindofdifferentasme.com/about.aspx
About Same Kind of Different As Me
Unlikely help for homeless 3:34
CNN's T.J. Holmes reports on an unlikely duo that is raising money and awareness for the nation's homeless.
This is their site
http://www.samekindofdifferentasme.com/about.aspx
About Same Kind of Different As Me
DENVER MOORE'S BIOGRAPHY
Denver was born in rural Louisiana in January 1937, and after several tragic events went to live on a plantation in Red River Parish with his Uncle James and Aunt Ethel, who were share croppers.
Sometime around 1960, he hopped a freight train and began a life as a homeless drifter until 1966 when a judge awarded him a 10 year contract for hard labor at the Louisiana State School of Fools, aka, Angola Prison!
According to Denver, he went in a man and left a man and received a standing ovation from prisoners in the yard as he walked out of there in 1976. For the next 22 years he was homeless on the streets of Fort Worth, Texas. However, there were a few times after a brush with the law, he'd ride the rails visiting cities and hobo jungles across America, sampling regional cuisine like Vienna sausage with fellow passengers.
In 1998, "He never met Miss Debbie," Miss Debbie met him and his life was changed forever.
Today, he is an artist, public speaker, and volunteer for homeless causes. In 2006, as evidence of the complete turn around of his life, the citizens of Fort Worth honored him as "Philanthropist of the Year" for his work with homeless people at the Union Gospel Mission.
click link for more
CNN video is at the bottom of this blog under Faces of Faith
Col. Stephanie Dawson First woman to lead Harlem Hellfighters unit
First woman to lead Harlem Hellfighters unit
The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Nov 15, 2008 10:56:11 EST
NEW YORK — The first female brigade commander in New York National Guard history will lead the legendary Harlem Hellfighters.
Col. Stephanie Dawson is to become the commander of the 369th Sustainment Brigade during a ceremony Saturday at the Harlem Armory.
The unit was formed during World War I as an all-black regiment and was among the first brigades to arrive in France. The soldiers of the unit were also among the most decorated veterans of that war.
Dawson is the assistant director of operations at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The 52-year-old Queens resident is also a decorated veteran with a Bronze Star for her service in Iraq.
The Harlem Hellfighters lost 1,500 soldiers during World War I.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_hellfighters_111508/
The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Nov 15, 2008 10:56:11 EST
NEW YORK — The first female brigade commander in New York National Guard history will lead the legendary Harlem Hellfighters.
Col. Stephanie Dawson is to become the commander of the 369th Sustainment Brigade during a ceremony Saturday at the Harlem Armory.
The unit was formed during World War I as an all-black regiment and was among the first brigades to arrive in France. The soldiers of the unit were also among the most decorated veterans of that war.
Dawson is the assistant director of operations at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The 52-year-old Queens resident is also a decorated veteran with a Bronze Star for her service in Iraq.
The Harlem Hellfighters lost 1,500 soldiers during World War I.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_hellfighters_111508/
Medicaid cuts: Providers close doors to poor
During the two year presidential campaign, we heard a lot of speeches, but more we heard a lot of reasons why people were voting for McCain/Palin. "Socialized medicine" was one of the reasons along with "they want to give my money away" but the people who complained the loudest must have never been touched by something like this, faced loosing everything because they got sick or were too poor to be taken care of. The same people would also claim that they are "Christian" and vote on "morals and family values" without thinking of how these two things are against each other.
We know what Christ had to say about taking care of the poor, needy, ill, young, elderly and how we were supposed to treat others the way we want to be treated. Would Christ approve of this? I hardly think so.
When supporters of McCain made statements about the way tax money is spent, how is it that they found nothing wrong with tax money being given to corporations with tax cuts? How is it that they found nothing wrong with getting accountability from the government on how our money is being used? Did they ever consider their money was in fact feeding the rich while ignoring the poor? Millions of families across this country are one paycheck away from being homeless. When people lose their jobs, they lose their healthcare. They worked. They worked hard and tried to do the best they could, then ended up suffering thru no fault of their own. Do the others ever think of what it would be like if it was their job? Their family? No, they take it for granted that they deserve their jobs and their incomes, but others did not. Doesn't matter to them the state of others.
So here's a short story of what happens next. In January I lost my job. I took a part time job working for a Church as the Administrator of Christian Education. I only wanted to work part-time so that I could work with veterans more hours. I had to work (and I still do) but even though I was good at my job, dedicated and loved what I did, I had no control over the budget. My two year joy of a job was gone and the position was eliminated. Working for a Church, they didn't pay into the unemployment system. I didn't even get unemployment checks. My family has been suffering ever since. Now, do I stop helping veterans with PTSD who are suffering more, dump all the hours and go to work at Wal-Mart, that seems to be the only company hiring, so that I can be viewed as "hard working" in their eyes? Isn't 16 hours a day enough? The only difference is I don't get a pay check. I brought home paychecks since I was 14. But that's not the worst.
My brother also got laid off. Less than a week later, he passed away of a massive heart attack at the age of 56. He worked his whole life, went to college to become an engineer and built buildings in New England. He had an expensive house in an executive area and earned every dime of his pay. He died on October 9th and I flew back home to bury him. What did he do wrong? What did he do to be ashamed of? Nothing. He did everything we're supposed to do. So did I but others in this country are under some delusion if you are not working, you did something wrong or you want to suck off the system and "live off their money" instead of working.
Keep all of this in mind as you read the following story. Then open your eyes as well as your heart.
We know what Christ had to say about taking care of the poor, needy, ill, young, elderly and how we were supposed to treat others the way we want to be treated. Would Christ approve of this? I hardly think so.
When supporters of McCain made statements about the way tax money is spent, how is it that they found nothing wrong with tax money being given to corporations with tax cuts? How is it that they found nothing wrong with getting accountability from the government on how our money is being used? Did they ever consider their money was in fact feeding the rich while ignoring the poor? Millions of families across this country are one paycheck away from being homeless. When people lose their jobs, they lose their healthcare. They worked. They worked hard and tried to do the best they could, then ended up suffering thru no fault of their own. Do the others ever think of what it would be like if it was their job? Their family? No, they take it for granted that they deserve their jobs and their incomes, but others did not. Doesn't matter to them the state of others.
So here's a short story of what happens next. In January I lost my job. I took a part time job working for a Church as the Administrator of Christian Education. I only wanted to work part-time so that I could work with veterans more hours. I had to work (and I still do) but even though I was good at my job, dedicated and loved what I did, I had no control over the budget. My two year joy of a job was gone and the position was eliminated. Working for a Church, they didn't pay into the unemployment system. I didn't even get unemployment checks. My family has been suffering ever since. Now, do I stop helping veterans with PTSD who are suffering more, dump all the hours and go to work at Wal-Mart, that seems to be the only company hiring, so that I can be viewed as "hard working" in their eyes? Isn't 16 hours a day enough? The only difference is I don't get a pay check. I brought home paychecks since I was 14. But that's not the worst.
My brother also got laid off. Less than a week later, he passed away of a massive heart attack at the age of 56. He worked his whole life, went to college to become an engineer and built buildings in New England. He had an expensive house in an executive area and earned every dime of his pay. He died on October 9th and I flew back home to bury him. What did he do wrong? What did he do to be ashamed of? Nothing. He did everything we're supposed to do. So did I but others in this country are under some delusion if you are not working, you did something wrong or you want to suck off the system and "live off their money" instead of working.
Keep all of this in mind as you read the following story. Then open your eyes as well as your heart.
Providers close doors to poor
Medicaid cuts leave no choice, says doctors, hospitals
By Marshall Allen
Sun, Nov 16, 2008
Budget cuts in the state’s Medicaid program are forcing a major shift in where Nevada’s poor can seek health care.
Cancer patients who had received outpatient treatment at University Medical Center, for instance, will have to seek treatment at other hospitals and clinics because UMC, citing reductions in Medicaid payments, says it can no longer afford to offer cancer treatment.
Low-income children with bone and spine problems may need to leave Las Vegas altogether for treatment, because pediatric orthopedists are no longer accepting payment from Medicaid because of cutbacks to their reimbursements.
And on Tuesday, UMC administrators will tell Clark County commissioners what treatments and programs they may need to drop because Medicaid payments don’t cover the hospital’s costs, and the hospital can’t afford to go in the hole.
Indeed, the Nevada State Medical Association said other pediatric specialists may also stop taking Medicaid patients because the government reimbursements don’t cover the cost of delivering the care.
“I really feel we’re heading for a precipice and I think somebody needs to be candid about this,” said Dr. Carl Heard, chief executive of Nevada Health Centers, a nonprofit organization that operates clinics for low-income patients. “I just don’t know that we’ve seen a path to follow or that the leadership is stepping up to fill the void.”
go here for more
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/nov/16/medicaid-cuts-hitting-poor/
Linked from RawStory
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Scotland:Veterans’ charity at centre of two mental health initiatives
Veterans’ charity at centre of two mental health initiatives
Sunday Herald - Glasgow,Scotland,UK
By Rachelle Money
Ex-services personnel to benefit from projects led by Combat Stress
SCOTLAND IS leading the way in its treatment of war veterans with the announcement of two projects that will help those who continue to suffer from mental health problems after they leave the armed forces.
An Edinburgh-based pilot scheme, aimed at providing a one-stop shop for veterans, will launch in the new year. Another community-based outreach project looks set to help ex-servicemen and women across the country from April.
The First Point scheme in the capital will be delivered by NHS Lothian's Traumatic Stress Centre (formerly known as the Rivers Centre) and will be funded by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the NHS. It will be run in conjunction with the charity Combat Stress, which runs the only Scottish-based treatment centre, in Ayrshire. A Combat Stress welfare officer will visit the project once a week and veteran mentors will also offer support to those using the service.
click link for more
Sunday Herald - Glasgow,Scotland,UK
By Rachelle Money
Ex-services personnel to benefit from projects led by Combat Stress
SCOTLAND IS leading the way in its treatment of war veterans with the announcement of two projects that will help those who continue to suffer from mental health problems after they leave the armed forces.
An Edinburgh-based pilot scheme, aimed at providing a one-stop shop for veterans, will launch in the new year. Another community-based outreach project looks set to help ex-servicemen and women across the country from April.
The First Point scheme in the capital will be delivered by NHS Lothian's Traumatic Stress Centre (formerly known as the Rivers Centre) and will be funded by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the NHS. It will be run in conjunction with the charity Combat Stress, which runs the only Scottish-based treatment centre, in Ayrshire. A Combat Stress welfare officer will visit the project once a week and veteran mentors will also offer support to those using the service.
click link for more
Iraq's Cabinet to vote on security pact with US
Iraq's Cabinet to vote on security pact with US
By HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press
BAGHDAD – Iraq's Cabinet will vote Sunday on a security pact with Washington that would keep U.S. forces in the country for another three years, a major step in efforts to balance Iraqi demands for national sovereignty with the security concerns of the two allies.
In a bid to secure support for the agreement from the country's top Shiite cleric, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Saturday dispatched two senior lawmakers to see Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the holy city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, with a copy of the pact's final draft.
A senior official at al-Sistani's office said the cleric told the two legislators — Khalid al-Attiyah and Ali al-Adeeb — that the document represented "the best available option" for Iraq, signaling that he would not object to it if the Cabinet and later parliament approve it.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said al-Sistani indicated to al-Attiyah and al-Adeeb that he wanted the agreement to pass by a comfortable majority in the 275-seat parliament.
click post title for more
By HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press
BAGHDAD – Iraq's Cabinet will vote Sunday on a security pact with Washington that would keep U.S. forces in the country for another three years, a major step in efforts to balance Iraqi demands for national sovereignty with the security concerns of the two allies.
In a bid to secure support for the agreement from the country's top Shiite cleric, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Saturday dispatched two senior lawmakers to see Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the holy city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, with a copy of the pact's final draft.
A senior official at al-Sistani's office said the cleric told the two legislators — Khalid al-Attiyah and Ali al-Adeeb — that the document represented "the best available option" for Iraq, signaling that he would not object to it if the Cabinet and later parliament approve it.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said al-Sistani indicated to al-Attiyah and al-Adeeb that he wanted the agreement to pass by a comfortable majority in the 275-seat parliament.
click post title for more
US helicopter down in Iraq's Mosul, two dead
US helicopter down in Iraq's Mosul, two dead
15 Nov 2008 19:44:06 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds deaths)
BAGHDAD, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Two U.S. soldiers were killed in a helicopter accident in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Saturday, a military spokeswoman said.
The helicopter involved was an OH-58 Kiowa Warrior, a small scout helicopter fitted with weapons. It hit overhead cables as it was attempting to land.
"There has been a helicopter incident in Mosul. They're classifying it now as a hard landing when it came in contact with wires," Captain Charles Calio said earlier on Saturday.
go here for more
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LF144121.htm
15 Nov 2008 19:44:06 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds deaths)
BAGHDAD, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Two U.S. soldiers were killed in a helicopter accident in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Saturday, a military spokeswoman said.
The helicopter involved was an OH-58 Kiowa Warrior, a small scout helicopter fitted with weapons. It hit overhead cables as it was attempting to land.
"There has been a helicopter incident in Mosul. They're classifying it now as a hard landing when it came in contact with wires," Captain Charles Calio said earlier on Saturday.
go here for more
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LF144121.htm
11 year old Brenden Foster: 'I could have done more'"
Brenden Foster: 'I could have done more'
Watch the story
The local boy whose dying wish to feed the homeless inspired thousands across the world has taken a turn for the worse. Brenden Foster is growing weaker. His body is failing, his skin yellowing. His mother is trying to decide on the wording for his grave marker.
BOTHELL, Wash. -- The local boy whose dying wish to feed the homeless inspired thousands across the world has taken a turn for the worse.
Brenden Foster is growing weaker, but his message is growing stronger.
His body is failing, his skin yellowing. His mother is trying to decide on the wording for his grave marker.
"B-Man is his nickname, or Mr. B. But most people call him B-Man," said Wendy Foster.
The end is near, and Brenden has one question for God.
"Why at so young an age? I could have done more. But if it has to be now, it has to be now," he said.
It's easy to imagine all he could have accomplished after seeing what the 11 year old has achieved in his final days. Brenden's dying wish to help the homeless has touched hearts from Saudi Arabia to South Carolina. Many of them left voice messages for their new hero.
"We saw you on television and love you with all of our hearts and we're praying for you," said Gayle Cleveland.
"(I'm) 59 years old and it brings tears to my eyes every time I see him -- someone with that initiative that wants to help the homeless," said Danny Billingsly.
"We collected over 20,000 cans of food and donated it to a local food bank in your honor," said a woman named Nina.
A Vietnam vet from Kentucky who lost his leg in the war wants me to give Brenden his Purple Heart for bravery.
"This is for you, little angel," said Jim Jones. "A bunch of guardian angels here and a bunch of guardian angels are waiting for you in heaven."
Brenden's message inspired Daniel Chairez, a 12-year-old boy in California who is also battling leukemia.
"He really inspired me because he's not afraid. And he wants to help people and he's not selfish," he said.
How you can help
In Brenden's honor, KOMO News will be holding a food drive for Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline. You can drop off food on Thursday, November 20th at Fred Meyer stores in Issaquah (6100 E Lake Sammamish Parkway SE), Federal Way (33702 21st Avenue SW) or Brenden's hometown of Bothell (21045 Bothell-Everett Hwy).
If you can't make it in person, you can donate online by going to the Problem Solvers donation page and select "Brenden Foster Food Drive" from the donation options list.
Donations to the family can be made to the "Brenden Foster Cancer Fund" at any Washington Mutual bank branch.
click the link for more
Eagle Scout's dream comes true, even after he succumbs to cancer
Eagle Scout's dream comes true, even after he succumbs to cancer
Darryl E. Owens | COMMENTARY
November 15, 2008
Simon Sharp could have been the poster child for Scouting -- the kind of Boy Scout who lived the creed, served his community, respected elders and embraced people with friendship. A born leader his fellow Scouts admired.
Bradley Trowbridge came up in Scouting with Simon, looked up to his senior patrol leader, and wouldn't shrug at going that extra mile if Simon asked.
At 11 this morning, friends, families, and veterans will meet at Founder's Park in the Osceola County community of Celebration. They'll gather to dedicate The Celebration Veterans Memorial, the labor of love that Simon, who belonged to Boy Scout Troop 125, chose for his Eagle Scout project.
In doing so, they'll celebrate a special pact, born of a friendship so strong that Bradley refused to allow Simon's dream to go unfulfilled even after his friend passed away.
Three summers ago, Simon sold commemorative American flag pins on the Fourth of July. The pins brought in $7,000, and his project was off and running. But the following month, life tripped Simon up. He fell ill, stricken with an aggressive form of leukemia.
With Simon undergoing treatment, and fighting fevers, nausea and pneumonia, his comrades tended to his project. They raised more than $12,000 toward the $40,000 budget.
Halfway through Simon's 30-month treatment regimen, doctors knew the cancer would win -- long before the monument ever would come to fruition.
But Simon was determined he'd die an Eagle Scout. Last November, he slid off his oxygen mask, endured his Eagle Scout interview, and, one last time, gasped the Scout Oath.
He died the next day at age 16.
click post title for more
Darryl E. Owens | COMMENTARY
November 15, 2008
Simon Sharp could have been the poster child for Scouting -- the kind of Boy Scout who lived the creed, served his community, respected elders and embraced people with friendship. A born leader his fellow Scouts admired.
Bradley Trowbridge came up in Scouting with Simon, looked up to his senior patrol leader, and wouldn't shrug at going that extra mile if Simon asked.
At 11 this morning, friends, families, and veterans will meet at Founder's Park in the Osceola County community of Celebration. They'll gather to dedicate The Celebration Veterans Memorial, the labor of love that Simon, who belonged to Boy Scout Troop 125, chose for his Eagle Scout project.
In doing so, they'll celebrate a special pact, born of a friendship so strong that Bradley refused to allow Simon's dream to go unfulfilled even after his friend passed away.
Three summers ago, Simon sold commemorative American flag pins on the Fourth of July. The pins brought in $7,000, and his project was off and running. But the following month, life tripped Simon up. He fell ill, stricken with an aggressive form of leukemia.
With Simon undergoing treatment, and fighting fevers, nausea and pneumonia, his comrades tended to his project. They raised more than $12,000 toward the $40,000 budget.
Halfway through Simon's 30-month treatment regimen, doctors knew the cancer would win -- long before the monument ever would come to fruition.
But Simon was determined he'd die an Eagle Scout. Last November, he slid off his oxygen mask, endured his Eagle Scout interview, and, one last time, gasped the Scout Oath.
He died the next day at age 16.
click post title for more
Cops: Man hid stolen money in prosthetic leg
Cops: Man hid stolen money in prosthetic leg
Susan Jacobson Sentinel Staff Writer
November 15, 2008
MERRITT ISLAND - Brevard County deputies on Friday arrested a man in a wheelchair they say robbed a credit union on Merritt Island and hid the money in his prosthetic leg. Christopher Warren Reed, 45, was caught about 4:15 -- 10 minutes after investigators say he robbed Space Coast Credit Union on Fortenberry Road. Reed, a paraplegic who uses a motorized wheelchair, came into the credit union about 4 p.m., told a teller he was armed with an explosive and demanded money, the Sheriff's Office said. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash that was recovered in the prosthetic leg when he was caught about a block away, they said. Reed told investigators that two people had threatened him with a gun, told him to commit the robbery and were going to take the money for themselves. He was arrested on charges of robbery, grand theft, threatening to use a hoax explosive device and aggravated assault.
go here for picture
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-robber-
hides-money-in-leg-08nov15,0,2114685.story
Susan Jacobson Sentinel Staff Writer
November 15, 2008
MERRITT ISLAND - Brevard County deputies on Friday arrested a man in a wheelchair they say robbed a credit union on Merritt Island and hid the money in his prosthetic leg. Christopher Warren Reed, 45, was caught about 4:15 -- 10 minutes after investigators say he robbed Space Coast Credit Union on Fortenberry Road. Reed, a paraplegic who uses a motorized wheelchair, came into the credit union about 4 p.m., told a teller he was armed with an explosive and demanded money, the Sheriff's Office said. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash that was recovered in the prosthetic leg when he was caught about a block away, they said. Reed told investigators that two people had threatened him with a gun, told him to commit the robbery and were going to take the money for themselves. He was arrested on charges of robbery, grand theft, threatening to use a hoax explosive device and aggravated assault.
go here for picture
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-robber-
hides-money-in-leg-08nov15,0,2114685.story
The War Within: Eyewitness News investigates PTSD, Part V
The War Within: Eyewitness News investigates PTSD, Part V
By By Kurt Rivera, Eyewitness News
Video
By the time all troops in Iraq and Afghanistan finally come home, thousands will face a different battle: post-traumatic stress disorder. So how are veterans and their families getting help? And, is the Department of Veterans Affairs prepared for the expected onslaught of cases? Amber Allen is married to a Bakersfield Marine veteran diagnosed with PTSD."You want to throw in the towel all the time. You really do. Like I quit, I'm done," says Amber Allen.
"My marriage is starting, hopefully it doesn't, to go down the drain. I don't want it to," says Marine veteran Mike Allen.
Mike Allen and wife Amber are opening-up at a counseling session at Good Samaritan Hospital in southwest Bakersfield."It comes firmly out of his mouth. Nothing will make me happy," says Amber referring to husband Mike.
The Allens who have known each other since they were thirteen.
"I served eight and a half years in the Marine Corp and I was diagnosed with severe PTSD," say Mike Allen surrounded by his family in a cozy conference room.This is ground zero in their desperate attempt to save a close knit marriage deeply impacted by Mike's struggle from within.
"Takes a lot of courage to just be free enough to take the risk, just to talk," says Russ Sempell who leads the counseling session.
Russ Sempell and Patrice Maniaci are co-founders of the counseling session called "Frontline."
"It's a unique "National Alliance on Mental Illness" or "NAMI" support group geared towards counseling family and friends of veterans with PTSD."Have you accepted I've got a different deck of cards to play with this time?" says Sempell speaking directly to Amber Allen.Sempell is a clinical psychologist and licensed family & marriage therapist at Good Samaritan Hospital.
Maniaci is a recovering survivor of PTSD learning to understand a father who developed the disorder in World War Two and Korea."I saw that he wasn't that crappy old drunk that we all hated or that I did. He was a veteran suffering with the trauma he suffered while he was in the war," says Maniaci.
"We had a veteran last night that was excited about getting help for the first time in fifty years.
Our motto is we're trying to save lives and save families," says a beaming Sempell.
go here for more
http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/34495484.html
By By Kurt Rivera, Eyewitness News
Video
* Editor's Note: This is the final installment in an Eyewitness News special report on post-traumatic stress disorder. For months, Eyewitness News has been documenting personal accounts of the devastating disorder. Many military veterans have never spoken publicly about their agonizing problems.
By the time all troops in Iraq and Afghanistan finally come home, thousands will face a different battle: post-traumatic stress disorder. So how are veterans and their families getting help? And, is the Department of Veterans Affairs prepared for the expected onslaught of cases? Amber Allen is married to a Bakersfield Marine veteran diagnosed with PTSD."You want to throw in the towel all the time. You really do. Like I quit, I'm done," says Amber Allen.
"My marriage is starting, hopefully it doesn't, to go down the drain. I don't want it to," says Marine veteran Mike Allen.
Mike Allen and wife Amber are opening-up at a counseling session at Good Samaritan Hospital in southwest Bakersfield."It comes firmly out of his mouth. Nothing will make me happy," says Amber referring to husband Mike.
The Allens who have known each other since they were thirteen.
"I served eight and a half years in the Marine Corp and I was diagnosed with severe PTSD," say Mike Allen surrounded by his family in a cozy conference room.This is ground zero in their desperate attempt to save a close knit marriage deeply impacted by Mike's struggle from within.
"Takes a lot of courage to just be free enough to take the risk, just to talk," says Russ Sempell who leads the counseling session.
Russ Sempell and Patrice Maniaci are co-founders of the counseling session called "Frontline."
"It's a unique "National Alliance on Mental Illness" or "NAMI" support group geared towards counseling family and friends of veterans with PTSD."Have you accepted I've got a different deck of cards to play with this time?" says Sempell speaking directly to Amber Allen.Sempell is a clinical psychologist and licensed family & marriage therapist at Good Samaritan Hospital.
Maniaci is a recovering survivor of PTSD learning to understand a father who developed the disorder in World War Two and Korea."I saw that he wasn't that crappy old drunk that we all hated or that I did. He was a veteran suffering with the trauma he suffered while he was in the war," says Maniaci.
"We had a veteran last night that was excited about getting help for the first time in fifty years.
Our motto is we're trying to save lives and save families," says a beaming Sempell.
go here for more
http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/34495484.html
PTSD stigma is over for us
After 26 years of doing outreach work, the stigma of PTSD is finally over for my husband. It was up to him when I started to use my married name because our story has been so personal. It took a long time to get here but from now on you'll see the name DiCesare on my posts and videos.
When I started to write, I was still in high school. The newspaper back home was used to seeing my name and when we got married, they had a hard time adjusting to the new name. I kept it. Back then it came in handy so that I could write about living with PTSD when the stigma was overwhelming the veterans and their families. Trying to get people to understand that living in silence should have never been necessary was nearly impossible. I tried to get people to understand that until they began to talk about this wound, the stigma would live on and they would suffer needlessly.
My husband is a private man, a quiet man and without a doubt one of the most magnificent I've ever met. Out of respect for his need for privacy, very few people knew my full name. While the work I do is because of him, veterans have claimed my heart because of him, this has never been about him. It's been about all of us. The men and women serving this nation and all the ones who came before them. It's been about the families trying to cope and understand what this wound does, not just to the veteran but to the entire family.
While I have responded to emails with full disclosure so that verifying my background can be done, many have not even bothered to ask. If you have any questions, please email me at namguardianangel@aol.com
There are still some things I do want to keep private but our lives have been pretty much an open book and that can be read from this blog on the side bar under Free Book, For the Love of Jack.
We will always run up against people who refuse to understand. We will always come in contact with people who refuse to become educated. It takes courage to talk about this but the more we do, someday, we will get to the point where the shame is laid at the feet where it belongs. Not on the veterans and not on their families, but on the judgmental people too closed minded and hard hearted to listen and learn. Over 7 million people are living with PTSD in the USA alone. Millions more across the globe. We have plenty of company.
We need to do this for the Vietnam veterans, still trying to heal and we need to do this for the new generation so they do not have to suffer in silence anymore. We need to be their voices until they can find their own.
Senior Chaplain Kathie "Costos" DiCesare
International Fellowship of Chaplains
407-754-7526
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
Troops sick from burn pits urged to contact DAV
Reporting illnessesTroops sick from burn pits urged to contact DAV
Military official: Situation improving; troops report health complications
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Nov 15, 2008 7:02:03 EST
Top News StoryBurn pit falloutDisabled American Veterans has issued a call to all service members and veterans who think they may have illnesses related to burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq: Contact the DAV so they can collect data and look for trends.
“Anyone out there who thinks they may have had a long-term health effect ... needs to file a complaint” with the Department of Veterans Affairs, said Kerry Baker, DAV’s associate national legislative director.
Noting that it took Vietnam veterans 20 years to gain benefits for exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange, Baker said, “We don’t want to see these guys have to wait 20 years. We want to see Congress act right away.”
He said service members should be alert for respiratory-related problems, such as allergies, sleep apnea, trouble breathing, asthma and lymphocytic leukemia, as well as skin diseases. Of the 300 to 400 disability cases Baker said he has personally reviewed since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, he said 30 percent potentially could be linked to the burn pits. He said he’s amazed by the numbers of troops reporting sleep apnea.
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., also has demanded an investigation in an Oct. 31 letter to Army Gen. David Petraeus, the new chief of U.S. Central Command.
“After years of helping veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf Wars cope with the health effects of toxic battlefields, we have learned that we must take exposures to toxins seriously,” Feingold wrote.
He asked Petraeus to inform him of pending investigations into the “prevalence of health care conditions among those potentially exposed to toxins and particulates,” as well as why more incinerators are not taking the place of burn pits in Iraq.
click link for more
Watch video at top of side bar.
Military official: Situation improving; troops report health complications
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Nov 15, 2008 7:02:03 EST
Top News StoryBurn pit falloutDisabled American Veterans has issued a call to all service members and veterans who think they may have illnesses related to burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq: Contact the DAV so they can collect data and look for trends.
“Anyone out there who thinks they may have had a long-term health effect ... needs to file a complaint” with the Department of Veterans Affairs, said Kerry Baker, DAV’s associate national legislative director.
Noting that it took Vietnam veterans 20 years to gain benefits for exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange, Baker said, “We don’t want to see these guys have to wait 20 years. We want to see Congress act right away.”
He said service members should be alert for respiratory-related problems, such as allergies, sleep apnea, trouble breathing, asthma and lymphocytic leukemia, as well as skin diseases. Of the 300 to 400 disability cases Baker said he has personally reviewed since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, he said 30 percent potentially could be linked to the burn pits. He said he’s amazed by the numbers of troops reporting sleep apnea.
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., also has demanded an investigation in an Oct. 31 letter to Army Gen. David Petraeus, the new chief of U.S. Central Command.
“After years of helping veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf Wars cope with the health effects of toxic battlefields, we have learned that we must take exposures to toxins seriously,” Feingold wrote.
He asked Petraeus to inform him of pending investigations into the “prevalence of health care conditions among those potentially exposed to toxins and particulates,” as well as why more incinerators are not taking the place of burn pits in Iraq.
click link for more
Watch video at top of side bar.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Disabled veterans swimming with the sharks
Shark swim helps vets feel whole again
An innovative program at the Georgia Aquarium is helping disabled veterans feel free
Swimming with sharks helps veterans feel whole again
Story Highlights
Fish Wish program allows veterans with disabilities to swim with sharks
Program is open to the public, but waiting list is long and cost is $290
Veterans report feeling "equal" in the weightless environment of water
By Judy Fortin
CNN Medical Correspondent
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Retired Army Spc. Scott Winkler had many scary encounters while serving in Iraq, but they were nothing compared with his recent experience at the world's largest aquarium: swimming alongside a massive whale shark.
The fact that Winkler, 35, of Augusta, Georgia, is a paraplegic made the once-in-a-lifetime experience even more challenging.
"It's like you're in space," Winkler said. "It's like you're an able body again. It makes you feel so free."
Winkler was paralyzed five years ago during an accident while unloading ammunition in Tikrit, Iraq.
He is one of more than two dozen disabled veterans who have participated in the Fish Wish program at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta during the past two months.
A separate swim and dive program is open to the public, but the waiting list is nearly full until the end of the year.
The experience isn't cheap. A half-hour dive costs $290. The veterans swam for free.
Therapeutic recreational specialist Susan Oglesby helps train safety divers at the aquarium to assist swimmers with disabilities. She explained there are very few limitations in the tank. Watch more on veterans swimming with sharks »
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DoD Rethinks 'Personality Disorder' Separations, but only half way
I've been covering this since they first started to do this and still waiting to know what anyone is doing to make up for all the veterans they have already done this to. What is being done for them? To stop the bleeding is great but this does not correct any of the damage done to the veterans who were pushed thru the cracks and abandoned.
They were left with no money, no jobs, families that fell apart, some ended up homeless, some ended up committing suicide and Lord knows what else they suffered after they were wounded in service to this nation then slapped in the face by the commanders they trusted with their very lives. That is what this all comes down to. The men and women serving this nation were willing to lay down their lives for this nation and they put their faith and trust in their commanders to give the right orders, have the right plans and equipment needed and the get as many of them home as possible as soon as possible. What they did not allow to enter into their minds was that these very same commanders would be so blind to the wound of PTSD that has been suffered by warriors since man first went to war with man, that they would betray them. Where is their justice? Has anyone bothered to study what happened to any of them? Any clue what happened to over 22,000 of them or their families? Does anyone care? Changing the rules and procedures is great but you cannot forget about the ones it's already been done to. Let's get this right!
They were left with no money, no jobs, families that fell apart, some ended up homeless, some ended up committing suicide and Lord knows what else they suffered after they were wounded in service to this nation then slapped in the face by the commanders they trusted with their very lives. That is what this all comes down to. The men and women serving this nation were willing to lay down their lives for this nation and they put their faith and trust in their commanders to give the right orders, have the right plans and equipment needed and the get as many of them home as possible as soon as possible. What they did not allow to enter into their minds was that these very same commanders would be so blind to the wound of PTSD that has been suffered by warriors since man first went to war with man, that they would betray them. Where is their justice? Has anyone bothered to study what happened to any of them? Any clue what happened to over 22,000 of them or their families? Does anyone care? Changing the rules and procedures is great but you cannot forget about the ones it's already been done to. Let's get this right!
DoD Rethinks 'Personality Disorder' Separations
Tom Philpott November 13, 2008
Crackdown Begins On 'Personality Disorder' Separations
Under pressure from Congress and following the Army's lead, the Department of Defense has imposed a more rigorous screening process on the services for separating troubled members due to "personality disorder."
The intent is to ensure that, in the future, no members who suffer from wartime stress get tagged with having a pre-existing personality disorder which leaves them ineligible for service disability compensation.
Since the attacks of 9/11, more than 22,600 servicemembers have been discharged for personality disorder. Nearly 3400 of them, or 15 percent, had served in combat or imminent danger zones.
Advocates for these veterans contend that at least some of them were suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury but it was easier and less costly to separate them for personality disorder. By definition, personality disorders existed before a member entered service so they do not deemed a service-related disability rating. A disability rating of 30 percent or higher, which most PTSD sufferers receive, can mean lifelong access to military health care and on-base shopping.
Over the last 18 months, lawmakers and advocates for veterans have criticized Defense and service officials for relying too often on personality disorder separations to release member who deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan or other another areas of tension in the Global War on Terrorism.
A revised DoD instruction (No. 1332.14), which took effect without public announcement August 28, responds to that criticism. It only allows separation for personality disorder for members currently or formerly deployed to an imminent danger areas if:
1) the diagnosis by a psychiatrist or a PhD-level psychologist is corroborated by a peer or higher-level mental health professional,
2) if the diagnosis is endorsed by the surgeon general of the service, and
3) if the diagnosis too into account a possible tie or "co-morbidity" with symptoms of PTSD or war-related mental injury or illness.
go here for more
http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,179143,00.html
Keep God but dump your church
Since there has been so much outrage against churches lately (more than usual) between the gay marriage ban in California, while Connecticut now allows it along with Massachusetts, some churches telling parishioners they can not receive communion if they voted for President Elect Obama, following all the others who have told lawmakers they couldn't receive communion either if they were pro-choice, the solution seems pretty simple to all of this, dump your church and find one that works for you. Don't dump God or your faith or fellowship. Just find one where you are welcome to come as you are.
This is a free country after all and even pastors, ministers, priests, along with all religious leaders have the right to open their mouth, no matter how terrible, you have the right to leave that church so you won't have to listen to them anymore. Who wants to sit in a pew and hear someone spouting off hatred of others? The church lives on your money and if you don't feel welcome there, then why would you want to pay someone to make you feel miserable? You're supposed to walk out of church feeling forgiven, feeling fellowship and as if you are loved. You are not supposed to walk out of there wondering why you just wasted an hour to feel worse than when you walked in the door.
They are supposed to be walking a fine line between faith and politics in order to keep their tax exempt. If they preach that voting for Obama is something to be forgiven for then you really need to ask them where they were when all the evidence about Iraq was proven to be "bearing false witness" or when McCain, Palin and many in the GOP spread false rumors.
You also need to wonder a few more things while you're at it. Do they spend more time talking about politics than they do the homeless? The wounded veterans? The poor and needy? In Nebraska there are parents dumping their teenagers because they cannot handle raising them any more. Some parents have abandoned their younger kids at the hospital because they are so poor, they can no longer take care of them properly. Do they talk about this? Do they bother to tell you what you can do to help? Do they set up anything in that church to take care of God's children the way Christ said we should or do they spend more time condemning them the way Christ did not?
This nation has a lot of problems while some of these "holy people" stuck their fingers in their ears and hands over their eyes so they could have more time attacking politicians they don't like instead of being about God's work.
The Mormon church spent boat loads of money to take rights away from people they think are evil when they could have spent that money on taking care of the homeless and the needy. Did you donate money to that church and know what they were going to do with the money? Or did you assume it would have gone to help people in your community? If you agree with what the church you go to stands for, then fine, stay. You fit right in there. If you don't agree then why on earth would you spend time there and give your money when they make you feel terrible?
Read what Christ said and then read what the Constitution says. If your place of worship does not match then you should find one that does, otherwise you are not worshiping God according to your own soul. You are worshiping political policy. Don't blame God for it or turn away from your faith. The problem is not your's. It is the problem of the church you attend when it does not welcome you the way you are and the same way Christ would have welcomed you. He told us how to live our own lives if we made the choice to follow Him and He also told us how we were supposed to treat other people. If it doesn't fit, find another place to sit. There are plenty of churches out there to go to.
One more thing and this is just a reminder. I went to a lot of really large churches here in Central Florida trying to get them to help the veterans with PTSD so they could help them heal their souls. Over twenty churches later, I heard back from exactly one. It turned out the pastor of that church was also a Chaplain and a veteran. No one else bothered. What does this say about these churches when they cannot even bother to stay up on current events and understand how many veterans, especially the National Guardsmen and their families suffering right now? It does not reflect well on them at all. They didn't care that when the mind, body and especially the spirit are tended to the healing rate is higher. They just didn't want to bother to learn. Too many still don't.
If you are happy with your church and what they preach then you are in the right place for you but if you are not, begin to ask someone who seems to have the same type of heart as you do and find out where they go. You don't have to give up being a member of your particular branch and it's not that hard to adapt to their traditions if you walk out of there feeling better, closer to God then when you went in.
Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
www.Woundedtimes.blogspot.com
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
Veterans group reaches out to over 1000 homeless people per month
Veterans group reaches out to over 1000 per month
North Fort Myers Neighbor - North Fort Myers,FL,USA
By ANDREA GALABINSKI, nfmneighbor@breezenewspapers.com
In the month of October — working only one morning a week — a group of dedicated volunteers provided 999 bags of groceries and 951 meals to local veterans and community members, including 82 children.
“We serve all who are hungry with the meals — veterans have priority,” said Lee County Veterans Outreach Inc. Director Sara Cacciolfi. Many of the veterans do not have homes. “I don’t say homeless, they are those who make their home in the woods.”
Every Wednesday those from the outreach start early preparing a great meal and grocery bags for local veterans and community members at All Souls Episcopal Church on Cleveland Avenue. Along with the veterans, there are the children.
click link for more
North Fort Myers Neighbor - North Fort Myers,FL,USA
By ANDREA GALABINSKI, nfmneighbor@breezenewspapers.com
In the month of October — working only one morning a week — a group of dedicated volunteers provided 999 bags of groceries and 951 meals to local veterans and community members, including 82 children.
“We serve all who are hungry with the meals — veterans have priority,” said Lee County Veterans Outreach Inc. Director Sara Cacciolfi. Many of the veterans do not have homes. “I don’t say homeless, they are those who make their home in the woods.”
Every Wednesday those from the outreach start early preparing a great meal and grocery bags for local veterans and community members at All Souls Episcopal Church on Cleveland Avenue. Along with the veterans, there are the children.
click link for more
Three gifted students drown in Fox River
Big dreams cut short
After voting in his first election last week, 18-year-old Jimmie Avant stayed up into the wee hours of the night celebrating Barack Obama's presidential victory.
So moved by the Illinois Democrat's win, Avant, a senior at North Lawndale College Preparatory High School, told his mother, "If Obama can achieve that, I can too,"
Avant and two other North Lawndale students, Melvin Choice III, 17, and Adrian Jones, 16 --all described as high achievers who planned to attend college -- drowned in an early-morning boating accident on the Fox River near a campsite in northwest suburban Algonquin.
Jones graduated valedictorian in grade school and made the high school's honor roll every year, his family said. He was a straight-A student and a lifeguard who dreamed of owning his own business and having children, especially a little girl.
The three were among about 16 teenagers who snuck out about 1:30 a.m. to take paddleboats down the river, some of the victims' family members said. Authorities said two teens got in the first boat -- it's unclear which two -- and the boat quickly sunk. The third teen swam into the cold water to save them.
click link for more
Wildfire claims 100 homes in Montecito, Santa Barbara
Wildfire claims 100 homes in Montecito, Santa Barbara
By Times staff writers2:02 p.m.
Firefighters battle flames that have charred 2,500 acres and driven thousands from luxury neighborhoods.
• L.A., Ventura counties get wildfire warnings
• Stepping up to help fire victims
• Wildfire fears of the rich and famous
By Times staff writers2:02 p.m.
Firefighters battle flames that have charred 2,500 acres and driven thousands from luxury neighborhoods.
• L.A., Ventura counties get wildfire warnings
• Stepping up to help fire victims
• Wildfire fears of the rich and famous
Congressman Filner, do VA hearing right or not at all!
Congressman Filner, the veterans in this country need this to be done right. Otherwise it is just paying more lip service instead of taking care of them. Have you ever considered what these veterans are going thru when they do their duty, serve their country, get wounded and then have to fight the government after? Have you ever considered what this does to them and their families as they wait, and wait, and wait? They didn't make the government wait until they got around to going to combat and risking their lives so why is the government under the impression they are entitled to make the veterans wait to have their claims processed and approved so their wounds are treated and their families are provided for? Can they tell a mortgage company to wait? Can they tell a landlord to wait? If they cannot work they don't have an income!
If you think this is just about Afghanistan and Iraq veterans you better think again. Too many Vietnam veterans are still waiting to have their claims approved and have fought the government in order to finally have justice. How many do you need to sit in front of you giving sworn testimony before you understand that? This is just the latest slap in the face to veterans when they found out claims were being shredded and filing dates changed to not make it look that bad. We have to get this right and get it right now. Our veterans should not have to wait to be taken care of! kc
If you think this is just about Afghanistan and Iraq veterans you better think again. Too many Vietnam veterans are still waiting to have their claims approved and have fought the government in order to finally have justice. How many do you need to sit in front of you giving sworn testimony before you understand that? This is just the latest slap in the face to veterans when they found out claims were being shredded and filing dates changed to not make it look that bad. We have to get this right and get it right now. Our veterans should not have to wait to be taken care of! kc
Vets committee reneges on VA hearings
Nov 14, 2008
November 14, 2008
Vets committee reneges on VA hearings
The chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs won't hold hearings as promised on a shredding controversy at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Instead of a formal hearing, the committee chairman will hold a two-hour "round table" discussion on Wednesday in Washington without sworn witnesses and no assurance the VA will even participate.
Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., who chairs the committee, could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday and no explanation about the change was provided by committee staff.
click link for more
Online town hall to discuss wounded care
Online town hall to discuss wounded care
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Nov 14, 2008 13:40:50 EST
Defense health care officials began accepting advance questions on Friday for an online town hall meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 19, to talk about medical programs and services for wounded troops.
The online meeting, a “webhall,” will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time on Nov. 19, and can be accessed at www.health.mil.
Questions can be submitted in advance to MHSWebContent@tma.osd.mil, but questions also will be taken during the meeting, defense officials said in an announcement.
The forum is designed to talk about overall issues and not specific problems, officials said.
click link for more
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Nov 14, 2008 13:40:50 EST
Defense health care officials began accepting advance questions on Friday for an online town hall meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 19, to talk about medical programs and services for wounded troops.
The online meeting, a “webhall,” will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time on Nov. 19, and can be accessed at www.health.mil.
Questions can be submitted in advance to MHSWebContent@tma.osd.mil, but questions also will be taken during the meeting, defense officials said in an announcement.
The forum is designed to talk about overall issues and not specific problems, officials said.
click link for more
Army promotes first woman to four star rank
Army promotes first woman to four star rank
The female descendant of a long line of US military officers was promoted to four star general Thursday, the first woman ever to reach the top rung of the US military.
Ann Dunwoody accepted the promotion and command of the army's materiel command with humor and humility at a Pentagon ceremony so packed with well wishers that three star generals were standing in the aisles.
"When people ask me, Ann, did you ever think you were going to be a general officer, say nothing about a four-star, I say not in my wildest dreams," she said.
"There is no one more surprised than I, except, of course, my husband.
And you know what they say, behind every successful woman there's an astonished man."
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Proof It's Never Too Late To Get Help For PTSD
There are only so many hours in the day and I have not had time to take a good look at this series. I'm putting in the links to the other parts and hopefully, I will get to the rest of them. For now, take a look at this site and see the great work they did and then do something for the veterans with PTSD. Contact the station and tell them "thank you" for this.
The War Within: Eyewitness News investigates PTSD, Part IV
By Kurt Rivera, Eyewitness News VideoBakersfield Now - Bakersfield,CA,USA
* Editor's Note: This is an installment in an Eyewitness News special report on post-traumatic stress disorder. For months, Eyewitness News has been documenting personal accounts of the devastating disorder. Many military veterans have never spoken publicly about their agonizing problems.
____
As our armed forces continue fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, more and more are coming home with post-traumatic stress disorder. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates 18 veterans a day, or 6,500 a year, commit suicide.
Many fought in Vietnam where PTSD is an ongoing battle, even now.
"You would have three guys in a fox hole and one guy gets shot and other guys live.You know what kind of mental effect that has on you?" says Oildale Vietnam veteran Mike Stevenson.
Stevenson was just 17 years old when he was dropped in a jungle to fight as a Marine.
"It's unreal some of the things I've seen," says Stevenson.
After 17 months of heavy combat in Vietnam, the Marine rifle expert came home, changed forever.
"Main thing is bodies, children, women. It's unreal whenever they wire up a child with an explosive and send him out to us. They're babies and don't know what's going on," he says.
Stevenson was diagnosed with post traumatic disorder. As a result, he has been plagued with nightmares, anxiety, anger for years. His life was a wreck.
"It got bad for me. ... I went through three marriages, drinking, doing drugs," said Stevenson.
It took 30 years and being homeless for months, but Stevenson finally sought help and has turned things around. Today, the numbers on just how many Vietnam vets suffer from the disorder is controversial. Some say one in five, others one in three.go here for more
http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/healthalert/34435119.html
The War Within: Eyewitness News investigates PTSD, Part I
The War Within: Eyewitness News investigates PTSD, Part II
The War Within: Eyewitness News investigates PTSD, Part III
New York Chief of Veteran's Affairs suspended after investigation
Nov. 13: VA Employees Suspended in Widening Shredder Scandal
Scott Waldman
Times Union
Nov 13, 2008
November 13, 2008 - A high-ranking U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs administrator from Guilderland has been placed on paid leave in the wake of an investigation into his office.
Joseph Collorafi was suspended last month as chief of veterans affairs at the New York City regional VA office, said Keith Thompson, acting director of the office.
The investigation revealed that someone in the regional office intentionally entered claim documents from veterans with incorrect dates — called "backdating" — into an internal database, VA spokeswoman Alison Aikele said Wednesday.
"They would make it look like they were processing claims faster than they really were," said Aikele, who works in Washington, D.C. Changing the dates made it appear that the management was not "severely underperforming," according to Aikele.
She said the leadership of the office in Manhattan was replaced and the individuals who left would not be returning. She maintained that no veterans were affected by the backdating.
Scott Waldman
Times Union
Nov 13, 2008
November 13, 2008 - A high-ranking U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs administrator from Guilderland has been placed on paid leave in the wake of an investigation into his office.
Joseph Collorafi was suspended last month as chief of veterans affairs at the New York City regional VA office, said Keith Thompson, acting director of the office.
The investigation revealed that someone in the regional office intentionally entered claim documents from veterans with incorrect dates — called "backdating" — into an internal database, VA spokeswoman Alison Aikele said Wednesday.
"They would make it look like they were processing claims faster than they really were," said Aikele, who works in Washington, D.C. Changing the dates made it appear that the management was not "severely underperforming," according to Aikele.
She said the leadership of the office in Manhattan was replaced and the individuals who left would not be returning. She maintained that no veterans were affected by the backdating.
In recent weeks, 41 of 57 regional VA offices across the country have come under scrutiny over the possible shredding of supporting evidence in claims filed by veterans. Next week, the Democratic chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Rep. Bob Filner of California, will hold a hearing on the destruction of the records.
go here for more
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/11628
Ecstasy may help PTSD
You need to see this video, especially if you are under the delusion scientist are not sure about PTSD. It is real. They have the test and research to prove it!
For more on this on this blog
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Tom Shroder wants questions from you on ecstasy trials for PTSD
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Ecstasy Trials Was it a fluke -- or the future?
Monday, February 11, 2008
A New Look At Ecstasy To Treat PTSD
Monday, February 18, 2008
Breaking the Drug Taboo:PTSD Veterans Get Ecstasy Treatment
Monday, April 7, 2008
UK:Welsh soldier dies from Ecstasy use
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Australia tackles Ecstasy treatment for PTSD
Monday, June 23, 2008
Ecstasy for PTSD in Australia battle for minds
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Drug trials:Had a nice trip. Wish you could, too.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
From Marijuana to Ecstasy, Scientists Fight to Study Illicit Drugs
But, this study is not new. This is from my other blog
Ecstasy trials for combat stress
David Adam,
science correspondent
Thursday February 17, 2005
The Guardian
American soldiers traumatised by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are to be offered the drug ecstasy to help free them of flashbacks and recurring nightmares.
The US food and drug administration has given the go-ahead for the soldiers to be included in an experiment to see if MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy, can treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
Scientists behind the trial in South Carolina think the feelings of emotional closeness reported by those taking the drug could help the soldiers talk about their experiences to therapists. Several victims of rape and sexual abuse with post-traumatic stress disorder, for whom existing treatments are ineffective, have been given MDMA since the research began last year.............................
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1416073,00.html
TWO QUESTIONS ON THIS LITTLE KNOWN REPORT. ARE THEY STILL DOING THIS? ARE THE TROOPS BEING SENT BACK TO IRAQ TAKING IT? WE KNOW THEY ARE SENDING TROOPS DIAGNONSED WITH PTSD BACK TO IRAQ ON MEDS. IS THIS ONE OF THEM? COULD THIS BE THE CAUSE OF SOME OF THEM GOING OVER THE EDGE?
http://namguardianangel.blogspot.com/search?q=ecstacy+trails
Ecstasy may help PTSD 2:02
CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on research showing ecstasy might help those suffering from PTSD.
For more on this on this blog
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Tom Shroder wants questions from you on ecstasy trials for PTSD
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Ecstasy Trials Was it a fluke -- or the future?
Monday, February 11, 2008
A New Look At Ecstasy To Treat PTSD
Monday, February 18, 2008
Breaking the Drug Taboo:PTSD Veterans Get Ecstasy Treatment
Monday, April 7, 2008
UK:Welsh soldier dies from Ecstasy use
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Australia tackles Ecstasy treatment for PTSD
Monday, June 23, 2008
Ecstasy for PTSD in Australia battle for minds
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Drug trials:Had a nice trip. Wish you could, too.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
From Marijuana to Ecstasy, Scientists Fight to Study Illicit Drugs
But, this study is not new. This is from my other blog
Ecstasy trials for combat stress
David Adam,
science correspondent
Thursday February 17, 2005
The Guardian
American soldiers traumatised by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are to be offered the drug ecstasy to help free them of flashbacks and recurring nightmares.
The US food and drug administration has given the go-ahead for the soldiers to be included in an experiment to see if MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy, can treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
Scientists behind the trial in South Carolina think the feelings of emotional closeness reported by those taking the drug could help the soldiers talk about their experiences to therapists. Several victims of rape and sexual abuse with post-traumatic stress disorder, for whom existing treatments are ineffective, have been given MDMA since the research began last year.............................
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1416073,00.html
TWO QUESTIONS ON THIS LITTLE KNOWN REPORT. ARE THEY STILL DOING THIS? ARE THE TROOPS BEING SENT BACK TO IRAQ TAKING IT? WE KNOW THEY ARE SENDING TROOPS DIAGNONSED WITH PTSD BACK TO IRAQ ON MEDS. IS THIS ONE OF THEM? COULD THIS BE THE CAUSE OF SOME OF THEM GOING OVER THE EDGE?
http://namguardianangel.blogspot.com/search?q=ecstacy+trails
Panel: Gulf War vet health research lacking
Panel: Gulf War vet health research lacking
By Kimberly Hefling - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Nov 14, 2008 6:46:12 EST
WASHINGTON — Even as possibly hundreds of thousands of veterans suffer from a collection of symptoms commonly called Gulf War illness, the government has done too little to find treatments for their health problems nearly two decades after the war ended, a panel commissioned by Congress said.
The advisory panel of medical experts and veterans wants at least $60 million spent annually for research, calling it a “national obligation,” according to its report, obtained by The Associated Press.
The report, which goes to the Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake on Monday, said the Defense Department cut research money from $30 million in 2001 to less than $5 million in 2006. Both departments have identified some of their research as “Gulf War research” even when it did not entirely focus on the issue.
“Substantial federal Gulf War research funding has been used for studies that have little or no relevance to the health of Gulf War veterans,” the panel concluded.
Independent scientists have declared that the symptoms of veterans of the 1991 Gulf War do not constitute a single syndrome. They have pointed to pesticide, used to control insects, and pyridostigmine bromide pills, given to protect troops from nerve agents, as probable culprits for some of the varied symptoms.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_gulfwarresearch_111408/
By Kimberly Hefling - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Nov 14, 2008 6:46:12 EST
WASHINGTON — Even as possibly hundreds of thousands of veterans suffer from a collection of symptoms commonly called Gulf War illness, the government has done too little to find treatments for their health problems nearly two decades after the war ended, a panel commissioned by Congress said.
The advisory panel of medical experts and veterans wants at least $60 million spent annually for research, calling it a “national obligation,” according to its report, obtained by The Associated Press.
The report, which goes to the Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake on Monday, said the Defense Department cut research money from $30 million in 2001 to less than $5 million in 2006. Both departments have identified some of their research as “Gulf War research” even when it did not entirely focus on the issue.
“Substantial federal Gulf War research funding has been used for studies that have little or no relevance to the health of Gulf War veterans,” the panel concluded.
Independent scientists have declared that the symptoms of veterans of the 1991 Gulf War do not constitute a single syndrome. They have pointed to pesticide, used to control insects, and pyridostigmine bromide pills, given to protect troops from nerve agents, as probable culprits for some of the varied symptoms.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_gulfwarresearch_111408/
Thursday, November 13, 2008
London Police alerted to 'distressed' mother hours before child killings
Police alerted to 'distressed' mother hours before child killings
Last updated 12 minutes ago
Senior police officer describes scene as 'something no human being should ever have to see in their life'
Woman, 21, sectioned under Mental Health Act
• Social services launch inquiry into family's case
Helen Carter and Sandra Laville guardian.co.uk, Friday November 14 2008 00.01 GMT The Guardian, Friday November 14 2008
The family of a baby and his two-year-old brother who were stabbed to death at home expressed their complete devastation yesterday at the loss of their "beautiful, innocent" children.
A senior police officer described the scene inside the home in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, as "something no human being should ever have to see in their life". Police and ambulance crews who attended the house have been offered counselling.
The boys, Romario Mullings-Sewell, two, and his three-month-old brother Delayno, were discovered at 6pm on Wednesday, a few hours after a family doctor had called police to express concerns at the erratic behaviour of their mother, Jael Mullings. The brothers had single stab wounds to their abdomens.
As Mullings, 21, was arrested on suspicion of murder and sectioned under the Mental Health Act yesterday it emerged the family was known to social services, though the children were not on the at-risk register. The admission that the family was on the radar of social services is likely to once again focus attention on the efficiency of child protection measures in the wake of the death of Baby P in Haringey, north London.
click link for more
New Castle soldier death investigated
New Castle soldier death investigated
Updated: Nov 13, 2008 04:54 PM EST
Fort Campbell, KY - The Army is investigating the death of a Fort Campbell soldier who was being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for injuries suffered in Iraq.
Fort Campbell spokeswoman Kelly Tyler says 22-year-old Spc. William Justice Foster McClellan was found dead on Nov. 6 in his barracks room at Walter Reed.
Tyler says he was being treated for shrapnel injuries to his arms and legs, which were not life-threatening.
Updated: Nov 13, 2008 04:54 PM EST
Fort Campbell, KY - The Army is investigating the death of a Fort Campbell soldier who was being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for injuries suffered in Iraq.
Fort Campbell spokeswoman Kelly Tyler says 22-year-old Spc. William Justice Foster McClellan was found dead on Nov. 6 in his barracks room at Walter Reed.
Tyler says he was being treated for shrapnel injuries to his arms and legs, which were not life-threatening.
go here for more
linked from ICasualties.org
DYING DOESN'T STOP AFTER WAR
DYING DOESN'T STOP AFTER WAR
Many of the troops in Iraq have been drawn from the TA
History recounts the awful cost of war - the dead, the maimed and the destruction. But we are now learning more of a hidden cost that often only shows itself when soldiers return home. Battlefield trauma can come with a heavy price.
Peter Mahoney was a long distance lorry driver. He enjoyed his job, his family and friends.
He was, as his wife Donna says, "a loving father and a loving husband".
But he was also dedicated in his commitment to the Territorial Army (TA) as a specialist truck driver.
With the TA comprising a quarter of the British Army, he was always on the call-up list to join front-line actions with his regular army colleagues.
In 2003, his call up came for action in Iraq.
He already had experience of active service with the TA in Bosnia, so his family and he were aware of the implications.
But in August 2004, he died.
He was immaculately turned out in his army uniform - smart as he always was.
But he didn't die on the front line in Iraq. He died in his car, in his garage.
go here for more
http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/northeast/series6/ptsd.shtml
Many of the troops in Iraq have been drawn from the TA
History recounts the awful cost of war - the dead, the maimed and the destruction. But we are now learning more of a hidden cost that often only shows itself when soldiers return home. Battlefield trauma can come with a heavy price.
Peter Mahoney was a long distance lorry driver. He enjoyed his job, his family and friends.
He was, as his wife Donna says, "a loving father and a loving husband".
But he was also dedicated in his commitment to the Territorial Army (TA) as a specialist truck driver.
With the TA comprising a quarter of the British Army, he was always on the call-up list to join front-line actions with his regular army colleagues.
In 2003, his call up came for action in Iraq.
He already had experience of active service with the TA in Bosnia, so his family and he were aware of the implications.
But in August 2004, he died.
He was immaculately turned out in his army uniform - smart as he always was.
But he didn't die on the front line in Iraq. He died in his car, in his garage.
go here for more
http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/northeast/series6/ptsd.shtml
Neb. parents rush to leave kids at 'safe havens'
Neb. parents rush to leave kids at 'safe havens'
State sees uptick in abandoned children before law is rewritten
updated 59 minutes ago
LINCOLN, Neb. - The mother was running out of more than patience when she abandoned her 18-year-old daughter at a hospital over the weekend under Nebraska's safe-haven law. She was also running out of time: She knew that state lawmakers would soon meet in a special session to amend the ill-fated law so that it would apply to newborns only.
"Where am I going to get help if they change the law?" said the mother, who lives in Lincoln and asked to not be identified by name to protect her adopted child.
To the state's surprise and embarrassment, more than half of the 31 children legally abandoned under the safe-haven law since it took effect in mid-July have been teenagers.
go here for more
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27706078/
State sees uptick in abandoned children before law is rewritten
updated 59 minutes ago
LINCOLN, Neb. - The mother was running out of more than patience when she abandoned her 18-year-old daughter at a hospital over the weekend under Nebraska's safe-haven law. She was also running out of time: She knew that state lawmakers would soon meet in a special session to amend the ill-fated law so that it would apply to newborns only.
"Where am I going to get help if they change the law?" said the mother, who lives in Lincoln and asked to not be identified by name to protect her adopted child.
To the state's surprise and embarrassment, more than half of the 31 children legally abandoned under the safe-haven law since it took effect in mid-July have been teenagers.
go here for more
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27706078/
PTSD on Trial:Wife dead, Iraq veteran convicted
Double tragedy? Some will say no because this wife was murdered. Who did it was not in question. That was known. Ricardo Cortez shot Nikki Fix-Cortez. Her family has closure because "justice" has been granted. They will never have to wonder who killed their daughter or regret that he was not punished for doing it. The rest, we may never know.
There are two families in this. There are two stories in this. A man goes to serve his country and his company in Iraq. A wife waited at home. If she was leaving him, we may never know why. She was pregnant and it is not usual for a wife to leave her husband while pregnant, so there has to be more here.
This story is played out across the nation everyday. A veteran returns from combat with the war inside of him. He is judged by those who came home with just memories trapped in their minds but their ghosts were left behind. There are domestic violence issues that happen because a spouse is in the wrong place, at the wrong time with the wrong reaction simply because they don't know what PTSD does or what it can do. A combat veteran carries his wound well and tries to hide it but the anger and silence, the mood swings and pushing away are screams from his soul begging for help.
If Cortez has PTSD we need to wonder if this death could have been avoided. We need to wonder what else could have been done. If there was anything anyone could have done beside Cortez himself. What about all the others?
There are judges in different parts of the country setting up veteran's courts so they can render justice with knowledge and understanding of the uniqueness of these veterans. These courts deal with minor crimes and not murder. We really have to wonder if the judges dealing with murder cases are as informed as they can be to be able to provide the proper justice and then we need to wonder if while the veteran is incarcerated, if he is getting any help or not.
What I'm trying to say is that while some people will read this post and think "good justice is served" we really don't know if it was or not. Two families facing the rest of their lives with this in their mind, a wife stays in an early grave and a veteran, a man who was willing to lay down his life for this country, will see the rest of his days behind bars. kc
There are two families in this. There are two stories in this. A man goes to serve his country and his company in Iraq. A wife waited at home. If she was leaving him, we may never know why. She was pregnant and it is not usual for a wife to leave her husband while pregnant, so there has to be more here.
This story is played out across the nation everyday. A veteran returns from combat with the war inside of him. He is judged by those who came home with just memories trapped in their minds but their ghosts were left behind. There are domestic violence issues that happen because a spouse is in the wrong place, at the wrong time with the wrong reaction simply because they don't know what PTSD does or what it can do. A combat veteran carries his wound well and tries to hide it but the anger and silence, the mood swings and pushing away are screams from his soul begging for help.
If Cortez has PTSD we need to wonder if this death could have been avoided. We need to wonder what else could have been done. If there was anything anyone could have done beside Cortez himself. What about all the others?
There are judges in different parts of the country setting up veteran's courts so they can render justice with knowledge and understanding of the uniqueness of these veterans. These courts deal with minor crimes and not murder. We really have to wonder if the judges dealing with murder cases are as informed as they can be to be able to provide the proper justice and then we need to wonder if while the veteran is incarcerated, if he is getting any help or not.
What I'm trying to say is that while some people will read this post and think "good justice is served" we really don't know if it was or not. Two families facing the rest of their lives with this in their mind, a wife stays in an early grave and a veteran, a man who was willing to lay down his life for this country, will see the rest of his days behind bars. kc
Iraq war veteran convicted in death of wife
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Nov 13, 2008 18:09:45 EST
GREELEY, Colo. — An Iraq war veteran has been convicted of first-degree murder in the shotgun death of his 21-year-old pregnant wife.
A jury took just 2½ hours to convict Ricardo Cortez Thursday in the Sept. 16, 2007, slaying of Nikki Fix-Cortez.
The 25-year-old Cortez pleaded innocent by reason of insanity. The defense said he suffers from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
A psychologist testified that the PTSD stemmed partly from Cortez’s work as a medic during two tours in Iraq and from being molested by his father.
Prosecutors say Cortez shot his wife twice in the back because she was leaving him.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_shootingdeath_111308/
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