Rocky

Non-service-connected veterans... those who do not suffer service-connected injury/disability must complete a means test EVERY year. EVERY year, not just for a couple of years. However, once enrolled, a veteran may continue to be enrolled for the rest of his/her life, but whether or not the veteran must pay co-pays is determined by the means test. It's not EVER the decision of the president. CONGRESS ONLY can appropriate. Period. And you are correct that it is not something that can simply be "looked up" to determine quickly which president is responsible for what policies, policy decisions, implementations, etc. It takes a long-term study that generally comes either by way of work experience in a government or government related profession/situation and/or college education or some form of continuing adult education. Not that my background makes me any kind of an expert, but -- having worked for 8+ years for a state government agency as an accountant (and held certification as a CGFM, or certified government financial manager), and about four years reporting and doing technical research on the Arizona Legislature for a political newspaper -- gave me the opportunity to develop some degree of understanding so that I can look beyond the surface of news and opinions put forth by journalists and pundits. Some concepts are more or less the same for the federal govt. as for states.

This might be related to mentoring... helping each kid be successful in school. A kid that feels like he/she "belongs" when doing well in one or more school related activity is critical... primarily, doing well academically, but also in a shared experience of success in... sports, or music (i.e. band/choir), debate team... etc. Gangs happen because kids need the security brought by a sense of belonging. When they get that from positive group activities, they don't need gangs... at least that's my understanding.

Though I can't share any experience I had in cutting off a nicotine addiction (I never was a smoker, except trying it when I was a pre-adolescent), I can say I'm incredibly thankful my mother quit. It's been a long time for her, but I know she no longer craves a smoke... I just don't know how long it took. And since she shares a home with my first ex-sister-in-law who does smoke (outdoors, not in their home), I'm certain that she no longer has even the emotional urge... and at age 73, I'm also certain she wouldn't still be using those lungs of hers if she had NOT quit... This may be the one most difficult and important accomplishment (outside of raising children) my mother has done as an adult. And I'm proud of her for it. So, LindaZ, I'm proud of you too for making it six months so far!

Hmmmmmm... how about you start, pls?

Kathy, I have NO idea what you are talking about. Veterans ARE automatically eligible to receive VA benefits upon separation from active duty (I believe one must serve at least six months active duty), unless their discharge is dishonorable. Perhaps you are referring to something more specific? To which particular benefits are you referring? And Clinton did not "rob our military." IF you mean that military spending severely decreased during his administration, there's much more to it than an oversimplified blame game. Congress establishes budgets for each agency/department. Another word for it is "appropriation" or the authorized spending levels. I know that there were plenty of folks during his adminstration making the same claim... the process of "streamlining" the military, or reducing spending was actually Bush 41's legacy (or, it was started before Clinton's administration). IF you are referring to VA medical benefits, which are no longer automatically available to veterans, that too was well after Clinton left office... and more than likely someone at the VA was spouting off about his political views rather than giving you legitimate background on the reasons for it. After January 2003, the only veterans to receive medical benefits (and this has NOTHING to do with "friendly fire" incidents) either have service-connected medical needs OR have income/assets that do not exceed certain levels (a means test). And those income/asset thresholds also determine (each year) for enrolled (non-service connected) veterans whether or not they will be required to pay co-pays for doctor visits and/or prescriptions.

THAT is NOT true. Veterans injured/disabled (either partially or fully) in ANY way by ANY service-connected activity ARE eligible for medical care through the VA in a higher priority group than ANY who are NOT injured or disabled due to service-connected activity. Further, Veterans with ANY service-connected ongoing disability ARE eligible for disability pay through the VA. And CERTAINLY any pension any veteran is otherwise eligible for is also NOT changed/removed due to a service-connected injury. HOWEVER, the process by which veterans are DEEMED for such purposes to be suffering any kind of service-connected disability is often difficult and time consuming (as in it takes months and sometimes years to get it accomplished... which is also the case for persons seeking disability benefits through the Social Security Administration). I do not know much about benefit programs for which resident "aliens" (documented or not) are or may be eligible... since I don't know any such resident aliens (makes me think of the movie Men in Black).

That sounds a lot like my new years' tradition... except for the moderate drunkenness part... I'll let you guess as to which direction I vary on that

I'm pretty sure they sell that stuff around here, but I've never tried it... so, do you REALLY like it? (just kidding )

Very nicely stated FullCircle... thanks for your insights and thoughtfulness.

I'm with Excie... I thought Ex10 was talking about hair color! Otherwise, I'm pretty much with Mstar -- WHO gives a flyin leap what that schmuck uptown thinks? I certainly don't. I think I'm somewhere between not believing in God anymore and not doing anything for God. I retired early. And even IF I were doing things "for God" I would NOT see a need to submit either those things or myself for some bozo to tell me whether he/she approves.

It has NOT happened to me WHILE surfing GSC... BUT I have had to log in manually about once/week... otherwise, I just let it recognize me as signed in everytime I visit. So, since there was no poll option for my particular experience, I did NOT vote.... and I ALWAYS vote (in real elections anyway).

No doubt I would have done it in 73 (at age 18/19) ... in the fall of 73 I was in beautiful downtown Biloxi... back in school... but this time getting paid for it (meager pay as it was... when I first started active duty, starting pay for an E-1 was $307.00 (NOT per week) per MONTH... with room and board added to it). But it didn't snow that year on the Gulf Coast. What did we call skitching? Didn't have a word for it... just called it riding car bumpers on icy/snowy streets with slippery shoes. Skitching was probably dumb, but it beat the heck out of vandalism or fight clubs or whatever else young people do these days!

Make that 4 WEEKS from today. I also just read that the Texas stRangers have offered a minor league contract to Sammy Sosa (who did not play baseball professionally in 2006).

Hey George, my guess is that we were more afraid to tell our parents (or, perhaps afraid to let them find out) than we were of this amazingly dangerous activity (or else we WOULD be dead by now)!!! God forbid our kids did/would do it and WE find out!! hahahahahaha....... I have no doubt my daughter would do it if she were anywhere near snowy streets. Thank God she's in Chandler, AZ (I think... I know it's -- almost -- 10 o'clock, do you know where your children are?).

Oh, yes... and after reading CA_Dreaming's post, I remembered... there in Flagstaff... BEER factored into the equation significantly (by December 1972 I had turned 18 and back then 18 was the magic age for alcohol in AZ). And that probably played a big part in me getting that major cold/bronchitis that year.

Well... I didn't google it... AND I hadn't heard it called that (and I AM over 50)... but I HAVE done it. Before moving to AZ in 1968 (age 13), my brother and I did it a few times on side streets in Rochester NY... He, however, was more adventurous than I but he got me to try it. We had to use what we called back then "pack boots"... nothing else would protect our feet from freezing AND keep them dry. Besides, they did a good job of being slippery when we needed them to be. btw, we did this on the bumpers of cars that did not know we were doing it. THEN... in the fall of 1972, after 4 years away from the snow, I (perhaps foolishly) had decided to attend Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. The first snow that year was around Oct 21. Being away from parental supervision, but waiting until December when there was enough snow on the streets, a few of my fellow college freshmen and I did it a few times. That was also back before the age of emissions testing of cars... so, I got a plentiful dose of CO (carbon monoxide). Luckily, I didn't die, but did end up with a doozy of a cold/bronchitis.... I ended up not returning to NAU for the spring semester (not because of the "skitching"), enlisted in the USAF (even though my draft lottery number was 336) and the rest is history... It took me until 1986 to finish my bachelor's degree (at Arizona State... no snowy/icy streets here). The only times after my enlistment was up that I lived in snowy climes were when the 9th corpse was in first in-res year in Emporia, and 1981-82 I spent a year (WOW) in Fremont OH. It would not have been prudent to skitch in either of those places/times... Good one Sprawled!!! LOL!!

Still pretty chilly here today, even though it only got down to 40F (15 degrees warmer than earlier in the week) at my house... cold and windy. Sounds like it could be time for family Calisthenics at the niKa home in Norman! Hope the kids aren't going bonkers (yet).

again... yes, there HAS been user activity in the politics forum, but since everyone must be logged in, as soon as anyone in there goes to any other forum (or the main index page), they are considered no longer in that forum...

I can't imagine the Bush administration would have any interest in our politics forum... besides, that forum is NOT open to guests (one has to log in to get access)... besides, from their perspective, our petty bickering would probably seem quite mundane.

I started seeing this last night... and was wondering about it myself.

That's easy.... Pursuit of Happyness And I haven't seen the movie... (that quote, I believe, was in trailers for the movie) ... and if that's correct, I yield my turn to the gentleman from South Florida (Raf... returning his favor from the other day) :)

Fellowshipper... is that you in the second pic from the top in the right hand column on the page linked above?

Sorry brethern and sisterns... I guess this game is not my forte... anyway, I just watched Firewall last night, so I don't have any other fresh quotes to think of...

Nope... it's from Firewall

Oh... sorry. Well, I don't see that many movies... so, I'll only occasionally play. Here's my movie quote: "You get your money when I get my family back."