Pa. won't have to limit military funeral honors
MARC LEVY
Associated Press
Friday, November 23, 2012
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A limit on taxpayer-paid military funeral honors to burials within 100 miles of Philadelphia and central Pennsylvania has been lifted by the state National Guard after it received a commitment for more federal money, a state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs spokeswoman said Friday.
Two state senators, Joe Scarnati, of Jefferson County, and Lisa Baker, of Luzerne County, had protested the policy in a letter this week asking Adjutant General Wesley Craig to reverse it. The senators said that they were shocked that an arbitrary limit had been set without notice or consultation and that it affected servicemen and servicewomen living in several urban centers, numerous small communities and extensive rural areas.
But Craig's spokeswoman, Joan Nissley, said additional federal money received within the past week or two from the National Guard Bureau resolved the need for a limit.
read more here
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Bedford VA Chaplain investigated by the Archdiocese for the Military Services
UPDATE
VA chaplain suspended for alleged inappropriate talks with minors
VA chaplain suspended for alleged inappropriate talks with minors
Bedford VA Medical Center has had some of the best doctors working on PTSD in the country. I am not sure what the Chaplain is accused of but will post an update as soon as it is available.
Chaplain at VA hospital in Bedford is suspended
11/23/2012
By Brian Ballou and Martin Finucane
Boston Globe Staff
A chaplain at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Bedford who has been living at a church rectory in Stow is under investigation for “personal conduct matters,” the Archdiocese of Boston said today.
The Rev. Luke Odor is being investigated by the Archdiocese for the Military Services, which supervises him, the Boston archdiocese said in a statement.
Odor has been suspended by the military archdiocese and the Boston archdiocese said it had followed suit, taking “similar action.”
read more here
Friday, November 23, 2012
Soldier’s last wish: Let DOMA die before I do
Soldier’s last wish: Let DOMA die before I do
Washington Post
Posted by Andrea Stone
November 22, 2012
Charlie Morgan should have been dead by now.
“I was to have expired last month, in October,” said the 47-year-old career soldier who has battled Stage IV breast cancer for four years and was given less than six months to live when she voluntarily stopped chemotherapy in April. “But I’m still here.”
She hopes to live to see the United States Supreme Court do right by her and her family.
You see, as a chief warrant officer in the New Hampshire National Guard, Morgan is eligible for all the benefits a grateful nation can provide its military service members. But as a lesbian married to another woman, her wife will not receive the survivor benefits other military widows get and which she will need to help raise their daughter Casey, 5, after she is gone.
read more here
Washington Post
Posted by Andrea Stone
November 22, 2012
Charlie Morgan should have been dead by now.
“I was to have expired last month, in October,” said the 47-year-old career soldier who has battled Stage IV breast cancer for four years and was given less than six months to live when she voluntarily stopped chemotherapy in April. “But I’m still here.”
She hopes to live to see the United States Supreme Court do right by her and her family.
You see, as a chief warrant officer in the New Hampshire National Guard, Morgan is eligible for all the benefits a grateful nation can provide its military service members. But as a lesbian married to another woman, her wife will not receive the survivor benefits other military widows get and which she will need to help raise their daughter Casey, 5, after she is gone.
read more here
CNN Veterans Charities Cheating Compassion
Last night on CNN there was a repeat of a report they did on charities for veterans. Given the fact suicides have gone up along with all the suffering veterans and their families go through on a daily basis, you'd have to be a complete idiot to not wonder where all the generous donations in the millions every year has actually gone to. Never mind the millions Congress spent with terrible results.
Drew Griffin has a whole page worth of reports just like this.
Here is one of the stories CNN focused on last night.
The Disabled Veterans National Foundation is not the DAV even though most people think they are the same thing. If you want the one that has been around since WWI, then that is DAV.org There are so many groups starting out taking the name of another group with a long history and good reputation but doing things that are not the same.
Charity Cheats
When you open your heart and wallet to help a charity, how do you know your money will be put to good use? Tonight we'll bring you a special investigation into charities accused of collecting millions of dollars in donations and not spending it where donors expected.
One of the charities under scrutiny is the Disabled Veterans National Foundation or DVNF. CNN's Drew Griffin discovered there is no sign any of DVNF's cash donations of about $56 million over three years went directly to veterans. Not one dime. Due to CNN's reporting, the Senate Finance Committee is demanding answers from DVNF. The committee is requesting records relating to their fundraising and marketing activities to see if the foundation abused its tax-exempt non-profit status.
Drew tried to get a response from the president of the group, but she slammed a door in his face. So, we tracked down the vice president. You'll hear what she has to say about where all the money is going tonight on the program.
What's remarkable is the Disabled Veterans National Foundation is not the only charity Drew's been highlighting. He's also uncovered another vets group and even one that helps animals called SPCA International. Its signature program is called "Baghdad Pups." They've raised millions to reunite military dogs with U.S. troops and others who serve overseas, but as far as we can tell they don't do that at all.
Of all the charities we've been digging into, they all have one thing in common. All have connections to the fundraising company Quadriga Art, which essentially gets paid to build mailing lists for the charity groups. You'll see what Drew uncovered when he followed the money trail.
We'll also give you tips on what to look for to make sure you're donating to a charity with a good record. Join us for our special investigation tonight at 8 and 10 p.m. ET.
Drew Griffin has a whole page worth of reports just like this.
Here is one of the stories CNN focused on last night.
The Disabled Veterans National Foundation is not the DAV even though most people think they are the same thing. If you want the one that has been around since WWI, then that is DAV.org There are so many groups starting out taking the name of another group with a long history and good reputation but doing things that are not the same.
Florida Vet Wins $1.25M in Hep C Case Against VA Hospital
Vet Wins $1.25M in Hep C Case Against VA Hospital
Nov 23, 2012
Miami Herald
by David Smiley
A failure by Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center staff to properly clean colonoscopy equipment likely infected a patient with hepatitis C, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan awarded U.S. Air Force veteran Robert Metzler and his wife a combined $1.25 million in their medical malpractice case against the United States government. Metzler, 70, and his wife, Lucy Ann Metzler, had sued for a combined $30 million.
Metzler was one of more than 11,000 veterans who received colonoscopies with improperly-cleaned equipment between 2004 and 2009 at VA hospitals in Miami, Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Augusta, Ga., according to an investigation by the VA's own Administrative Investigation Board.
read more here
Florida veteran wins lawsuit
Nov 23, 2012
Miami Herald
by David Smiley
A failure by Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center staff to properly clean colonoscopy equipment likely infected a patient with hepatitis C, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan awarded U.S. Air Force veteran Robert Metzler and his wife a combined $1.25 million in their medical malpractice case against the United States government. Metzler, 70, and his wife, Lucy Ann Metzler, had sued for a combined $30 million.
Metzler was one of more than 11,000 veterans who received colonoscopies with improperly-cleaned equipment between 2004 and 2009 at VA hospitals in Miami, Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Augusta, Ga., according to an investigation by the VA's own Administrative Investigation Board.
read more here
Florida veteran wins lawsuit
Members of Massachusetts National Guards come home
National Guard company returns to Florence from Afghanistan in time for Thanksgiving
By Fred Contrada
The Republican
November 22, 2012
Tierney and Robert, both sergeants in the 182nd Engineer Company of the Massachusetts National Guard, spent the last year with some 80 fellow soldiers clearing roadside bombs in Afghanistan. They came Thursday home to a quiet, sunny November day, and that was thanks enough for them and their families.
read more here
By Fred Contrada
The Republican
November 22, 2012
By Dave Roback, The Republican 11/22/12-Florence-Staff Photo by Dave Roback-Michael Robert meets his nephew Bradley Ray Bletz, of Enfield, age 6 months for the first time as Robert's company, the 182nd Engineeer Company returned to Florence from Afghanistan on Thanksgiving DayNORTHAMPTON -- Jason Tierney was looking forward to a peaceful Thanksgiving with his family in the Berkshires. Michael Robert was so set on relaxing that he and wife Kayla decided to put their holiday off until Friday.
Tierney and Robert, both sergeants in the 182nd Engineer Company of the Massachusetts National Guard, spent the last year with some 80 fellow soldiers clearing roadside bombs in Afghanistan. They came Thursday home to a quiet, sunny November day, and that was thanks enough for them and their families.
read more here
Obama calls 10 service members in Afghanistan to offer thanks
Obama calls 10 service members in Afghanistan to offer thanks
By The Associated Press
President Barack Obama celebrated Thanksgiving quietly at the White House with his family, friends and some White House staff members after phoning 10 members of the U.S. armed services in Afghanistan.
Obama, as has been his practice during previous holidays, reached out to service members from the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy.
read more here
By The Associated Press
President Barack Obama celebrated Thanksgiving quietly at the White House with his family, friends and some White House staff members after phoning 10 members of the U.S. armed services in Afghanistan.
Obama, as has been his practice during previous holidays, reached out to service members from the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy.
read more here
Troops in Afghanistan show their talent against Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders
Any employers out there thinking about going digital with videos,,,,maybe you should call these guys and give them a job when they come home!
U.S. troops in Afghanistan make hilarious spoof mimicking Miami Dolphins cheerleaders' video of Call Me Maybe
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 15:20 EST, 22 November 2012
It's hard to believe that the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders could be outshone - but it looks like a group of fun-loving soldiers in Afghanistan might have done it.
Call Me Maybe by Carly-Rae Jepsen was turned into a music video by the cheerleaders in August, with the ladies splashing around in a swimming pool, writhing on the beach and waving pom-poms.
Earlier this month, the soldiers gave them a run for their money with dance moves and lip synching making do with props from their Afghanistan base.
read more here
Thankful for greedy bosses proving it
Thankful for greedy bosses proving it
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
November 23, 2012
When you think about what is going on today with some bosses, you may think it is all new, but it is history being repeated. While we may spend money at some of these businesses, the thought of how the employees were treated never really entered into our minds. We'd see the friendly server taking our order at Denny's. After the meal, we'd leave a tip knowing they made most of their pay from tips during the day. Cheap bosses in the food industry is a given but when you stop and think that they are being blamed because this election couldn't be bought, it makes me want to avoid all of places I go to until they make things right again.
The Men Who Built America "John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford and J.P. Morgan rose from obscurity and in the process built modern America." But if you watched this series there is one outstanding businessman who decided to make sure his workers were not only treated well but were able to make enough money to be able to buy the product they were building.
The man was Henry Ford and the workers not only built the cars, they bought them! The rest of the men took great ideas someone else had, spent their money taking advantage of the brilliance of others, then instead of being grateful, they treated their workers as if they didn't matter at all.
History is being repeated all over again except the richest people in this country were not able to buy the oval office. They could only afford to buy the control of the Congress. Actually that's where their money was well spent because the House controls the money and the rules.
Getting back to the tyrants of today, this really exposes them for what they really are. They didn't care enough about their employees to pay them a living wage or care enough that their own employees couldn't afford to go to the doctor to be healthy? This also shows the rest of us that if they do not care about their own employees, why would they care about their customers in the same income range?
There are a lot of great employers out there taking care of their workers much like Henry Ford did and it matters. It matters to the customers they want to have when they are good to their own workers. To Americans in Ford's days, they knew people mattered more than making money. In return, they happily made him more money and I bet he was able to sleep at night.
Today we are reminded again from the program that in the end, these greedy men ended up trying to change how they did business and they gave a lot of their fortunes to charity after the rules changed and they were on their way down. Too bad they didn't think of that when they were getting more and more money on their way up.
We see great bosses across the country and many of them are hiring veterans. Seeing what some greedy bosses do, it should make all of us more grateful the good bosses are still out there and deserve our business.
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
November 23, 2012
When you think about what is going on today with some bosses, you may think it is all new, but it is history being repeated. While we may spend money at some of these businesses, the thought of how the employees were treated never really entered into our minds. We'd see the friendly server taking our order at Denny's. After the meal, we'd leave a tip knowing they made most of their pay from tips during the day. Cheap bosses in the food industry is a given but when you stop and think that they are being blamed because this election couldn't be bought, it makes me want to avoid all of places I go to until they make things right again.
The Men Who Built America "John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford and J.P. Morgan rose from obscurity and in the process built modern America." But if you watched this series there is one outstanding businessman who decided to make sure his workers were not only treated well but were able to make enough money to be able to buy the product they were building.
The man was Henry Ford and the workers not only built the cars, they bought them! The rest of the men took great ideas someone else had, spent their money taking advantage of the brilliance of others, then instead of being grateful, they treated their workers as if they didn't matter at all.
8 bosses who screwed their employees after Obama’s reelectionThe other thing the business giants had in common with some of today's owners is they thought they could just buy a President. They managed to do that twice. They made sure that William McKinley got the office chair. He repaid them by allowing them to do whatever they wanted. When McKinley ran for re-election Teddy Roosevelt was speaking out against what they were doing so the men with the money made sure they just made him Vice President. When McKinley was assassinated, Roosevelt took the chair and changed the way the "men who built America" did business.
Papa John's John Schnatter isn't the only "job creator" putting his workers' salaries in jeopardy
BY LAUREN KELLEY
ALTERNET
NOV 20, 2012
Most of us have had a terrible boss or two in our day, but right now thousands of Americans find themselves with a very special kind of bad boss: one who uses Obama’s election as an excuse to threaten to cut their hours, roll back their benefits, slash their wages or fire them outright. Much of this worker abuse centers on the new law that businesses with 50 or more employees must offer workers healthcare options by 2014. Jon Stewart noticed this recent post-election “trend” and issued a strong judgment:
Denny’s/Dairy Queen franchise threatens “Obamacare surcharge,” reduced employees hours.
Red Lobster and Olive Garden parent company may rely on more part-time workers.
Papa John’s CEO plans to slash workers’ hours so he doesn’t have to cover them.
Applebee’s New York CEO says he’ll ax jobs because of Obamacare.
Small business owner in Georgia says he fired workers who voted for Obama
Las Vegas businessman says he laid off 22 employees after election night.
Builder of “Queen of Versailles” mansion told employees that Obama re-election “threatens their jobs.”
Coal company lays off 160 workers because of Obama’s “war on coal.”
History is being repeated all over again except the richest people in this country were not able to buy the oval office. They could only afford to buy the control of the Congress. Actually that's where their money was well spent because the House controls the money and the rules.
Getting back to the tyrants of today, this really exposes them for what they really are. They didn't care enough about their employees to pay them a living wage or care enough that their own employees couldn't afford to go to the doctor to be healthy? This also shows the rest of us that if they do not care about their own employees, why would they care about their customers in the same income range?
There are a lot of great employers out there taking care of their workers much like Henry Ford did and it matters. It matters to the customers they want to have when they are good to their own workers. To Americans in Ford's days, they knew people mattered more than making money. In return, they happily made him more money and I bet he was able to sleep at night.
Today we are reminded again from the program that in the end, these greedy men ended up trying to change how they did business and they gave a lot of their fortunes to charity after the rules changed and they were on their way down. Too bad they didn't think of that when they were getting more and more money on their way up.
We see great bosses across the country and many of them are hiring veterans. Seeing what some greedy bosses do, it should make all of us more grateful the good bosses are still out there and deserve our business.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Iraq veteran nearly killed by gunshot in Denver
Iraq War veteran nearly killed in violent attack on Colfax Ave. in Denver
FOX 31 Denver
November 21, 2012
by Justin Joseph
DENVER — R and B Superstar Lauren Hill was the featured performer at the Fillmore last Friday night.
Jennifer Muenzenmayer and her friend Jonathan Hammond had just left when it happened. “Jonathan put me in the passenger side of the vehicle. He walked to driver`s side and that`s when he was attacked,” said Muenzenmayer.
The attack happened at E. Colfax Ave. and Pearl St., just one block from Denver’s largest police precinct.
Cell phone video captured the chaos as police came from every direction. Two men tried to rob Hammond, and when he refused, one of them shot him, piercing a major artery in his leg.
It was the third violent crime in Capitol Hill in just weeks.
“All I can do is pray and have faith in God,” said June Hammond, Jonathan’s mother.
“There`s nothing like getting a phone call at 3 o’clock in the morning and you have no idea what happened other than there was a shooting and your son’s in critical condition.”
But Jonathan Hammond is much more than just a victim of another crime.
He’s a veteran surviving 12 years in the Iraq war.
All of that, and it was a bullet last Friday night in Denver that nearly killed him.
read more here
FOX 31 Denver
November 21, 2012
by Justin Joseph
DENVER — R and B Superstar Lauren Hill was the featured performer at the Fillmore last Friday night.
Jennifer Muenzenmayer and her friend Jonathan Hammond had just left when it happened. “Jonathan put me in the passenger side of the vehicle. He walked to driver`s side and that`s when he was attacked,” said Muenzenmayer.
The attack happened at E. Colfax Ave. and Pearl St., just one block from Denver’s largest police precinct.
Cell phone video captured the chaos as police came from every direction. Two men tried to rob Hammond, and when he refused, one of them shot him, piercing a major artery in his leg.
It was the third violent crime in Capitol Hill in just weeks.
“All I can do is pray and have faith in God,” said June Hammond, Jonathan’s mother.
“There`s nothing like getting a phone call at 3 o’clock in the morning and you have no idea what happened other than there was a shooting and your son’s in critical condition.”
But Jonathan Hammond is much more than just a victim of another crime.
He’s a veteran surviving 12 years in the Iraq war.
All of that, and it was a bullet last Friday night in Denver that nearly killed him.
read more here
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