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This Memorial Day, my heart is full and I am ever grateful.
I've known the reason we celebrate Memorial Day for as long as I can remember celebrating it, but for some reason this year I've been thinking a lot more about the service men and women who have fought {and are still fighting} for the freedoms I enjoy every.single.day.
Not sure why this year my thoughts have been way more focused on this than they were in years past.
{Maybe 'cause I'm thirty now and that means I am automatically super mature!}
I love a good Memorial Day BBQ, and I sure love the long weekend with my husband home so we can spend time together as a family.
But the only reason we get to enjoy those fun things is because we live in a country with people who fought for our freedoms to live and enjoy life.
How awesome are our troops?
For sure they are the bravest men and women and I admire that bravery, so much.
My heart goes out to their supportive families. Spouses who live life separated by great distances.
Sweet children who grow up missing their moms and dads, who spend holidays apart and long to hug them and never let go.
I'm proud to live in a country with brave men and women who defend our freedoms.
So, to those who fought for our freedom before the US even existed…
To those who fought for civil rights and women's rights and who keep our country safe today,
To those who gave some, and to some who gave all.
Thank you.
Your bravery is admirable, your strength is encouraging and your pride is motivating.
I think you're pretty dang fantastic.
I love the following video- but it is a tear jerker for sure! Don't say I didn't warn you!


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Written on: 20/07/2013 by MandyB54 (1 review written)
I rang mastergames and spoke with a few advisers and was delighted with the helpful advice they were able to give me on my purchase of an outdoor table tennis table.
I was told when I might expect delivery of the table which in fact arrived a couple of days earlier than I anticipated.
The courier company that delivered the table were also excellent, calling me to arrange a day and then, when they arrived the couriers gave me advice on the table and went through the checklist of what should be in the box and even took some of the rubbish away. I chose to put together the table myself although for a fee the delivery company are able to do it.
So all in all, I am extremely pleased with the whole purchase process. Will definitely use again and highly recommend them.
My husband, three children and I are delighted with the table tennis and it is getting plenty of use!

subset: commoncrawl


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Alternative Impact
Please Click on the link to see how our product works.
For the past 17 years Alternative Impact has been building performance parts for riders of all calibers, from the weekend warriors to the everyday extremist. As you can see if you have compared our prices to others we are on the lower end of the scale in price and the upper end in quality and performance. Our titanium packages are never disguised with such things as bead blasting, wire wheel finishes, powder coating etc. to cover up imperfections. We do not add numbers to weights for an illusion of a lighter product. Here at Alternative Impact it's honesty is the best policy, which gets harder to find in today's market. We still live behind our no B.S. Policy we did the day it was started and that will never change. All of our front a-arm kits have countless hours of testing to create arms that will withstand extreme punishment but also save bulk heads during an impact. Probably one of our best well know assets for sleds such as the extremely fragile Rev and XP chassis. Our bottom line as always is a better quality part from one end of the sled to the other at a price more people can afford.
Due to the high volume of credit card fraud we require that your billing adress matches that of your credit card billing. House or P.O. Box must match as well as zip code or the transaction will be declined.
|1/2"-20 Cromoly Rod End w/ Stud Polaris
1/2"-20 Cromoly Rod End w/ Stud


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Latest Stories
Will Farrell Goes GBA0 Comments
September 23, 2004
About This Game
- Summary
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You might say that Buddy stands out a bit at the North Pole. Sure, he was raised by elves after stowing away in Santa's bag, but after 30 years, he just doesn't seem to fit in any more – literally. Santa suggests that Buddy journey to New York and find his real father, but when he arrives, hilarity ensues as Buddy learns his way in the Big City. Make your way through 10 different stages inspired by the movie or compete in three different mini-games.
Can you take on the role of Buddy the elf and bring Christmas cheer to everyone? A six-foot, five-inch elf doesn't exactly blend in. You'll have to brave icebergs, Manhattan traffic and worse. It's up to you to help Santa and save Christmas!
- Supported Functions
- Number Of Players: 1-2
- Memory Card
- 10 action-packed missions, reliving the popular Elf movie storyline
- Three Elf-themed mini games
- Five languages: English, Spanish, Italian, French & German
ElfPublisher: Crave EntertainmentRelease Date: November 3, 2004MSRP: 19.99 USD
Help us solve the toughest (or most puzzling) game puzzles and challenges.
Our attempt to answer issues which most commonly occur on IGN's wikis.


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My Nonprofit Reviews
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I wish I had the skills to organize a charity like this. I'd follow right in GVCF's footsteps, but failing that, I'll just make a hefty donation! Great combination of cool people, attainable goals and really smart implementation. They're one in a million.
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These homes have been remodeled. Bringing them back to living condition.
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crimp or not to crimp
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May 30, 2000, 11:06 PM
Big Bunny
Senior Member
Join Date: August 9, 1999
Location: New South Wales - Australia
Posts: 605
Either mild taper-crimp or none atall should be OK, most seater dies will also TC (as well) all in one operation.
To use a FLS die to taper-crimp will need another press operation, but it is possible with care. ( ...but without the decapper stem of course!)
Some accuracy and reliability is claimed for taper-crimping but it depends a lot on the tolerances of your individual pistol/projectiles/cases whether it is worth it. Try 10 or so rounds and then try it on the range.
I leave the mild belling on my own .40S&W cases(6.7gn of W540 with lead 155gn SWC proj ) as they are still a drop-in fit in the chamber (with or without) and the more positive headspace stop /"cleaning action" of the nonTC round may be an advantage if a lot of rounds are fired, but my tests are still continuing on that!
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QPR have shown admirable mental strength and durability this season, leading the Championship by an intimidating distance. A trip to bottom-placed Scunthorpe, who had been defeated 6-0 by Norwich the previous week, should have been the simplest of tasks.
But, if you're already dreaming of trips to Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, then the nitty-gritty of a visit to Glanford Park can be a shock to the system.
Having conceded just 11 goals away from home before this game, leaking four against a side heading for League One seemed an utterly implausible outcome.
Manager Neil Warnock was ranting during the game and at full-time. But he had mellowed after the match and decided to speak diplomatically about his players, opting against criticising them after such an impressive season.
"It was one of those days," he said philosophically. "Players who are normally reliable were unreliable."
Clint Hill is one of the side's most consistent defenders and he looked shocked and sheepish afterwards.
Hill admitted that QPR's players may be believing their own hype. "It will probably bring everyone down to earth," he said. "A few people are speaking as though we are already up. You hear some people in the papers and the pundits and you think that you're up already. But we're not.
"We got out-fought and we made some defensive errors. We haven't made many this season."
On Tuesday night, they face Barnsley away. The key will be cutting out complacency, which seemed to be their undoing at Scunthorpe.
Having taken an early lead through a Rob Hulse header from Wayne Routledge's cross, they were coasting. Then a pair of Joe Garner goals – a header followed by a scrappy, close-range finish – stunned them.
Still, they did not raise their intensity sufficiently and Michael O'Connor's brilliant 30-yard strike stretched Scunthorpe's lead. QPR looked a beaten side at that stage and the home team added a fourth when Mark Duffy's shot was deflected in off Pascal Chimbonda.


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The Dade school board elections that took place this past November were marked by two dramatic changes: The number of board members increased from seven to nine, and candidates ran for office from single-member districts. These changes resulted from the settlement of a lawsuit designed to increase the influence of black and Hispanic voters in school board elections. (Similar changes for similar reasons affected the Dade County Commission elections of 1992.) As part of the settlement, board members were given six months after election day to become legal residents of their districts. Though that six-month clock rang its bell on May 19, three newly elected board members seem not to have heard it -- at least if being a legal resident means actually living there.
In various documents, school board chairman Solomon Stinson says his official residence is a modest but tidy ranch house at 6900 NW Fifth Ave. in Liberty City, which lies squarely within school board District 2, from which he was elected. But Stinson resides in a large, two-story home in the unincorporated North Dade neighborhood known as Biscayne Gardens, which lies outside the boundaries of District 2.
Board member Demetrio Perez, Jr., has lived for years in a Brickell Avenue condominium located outside the district from which he was elected. And Renier Diaz de la Portilla claims to spend only occasional nights each month at the house he rents within his school board district.
Requiring that candidates live from day to day in their districts was not the highest priority for the plaintiffs who sued to create the school board's districts, says Stephen Cody, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys. But they certainly envisioned that the board members would in fact do so. "It was not done solely for the purpose of electing candidates by race or ethnicity," Cody says. "In part it was also giving the voters in an area the chance to elect the person of their choice. If someone ran and wanted to make [residency] an issue, it certainly would be a fair topic to raise in a campaign."
Since late October of last year, Solomon Stinson has listed the Liberty City home as his residence on his voter registration card. This past April he changed his Florida driver's license from Biscayne Gardens to the same address, according to Janet Dennis, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Safety and Motor Vehicles. But 71-year-old John Perry Bryant, who lives next door to Stinson's Liberty City property, says the school board chairman does not reside there. According to Bryant and a second neighbor who asked not to be named, the house is occupied by Stinson's ex-wife Jessie. The couple, divorced for 24 years, jointly own the property. "She lives there alone," Bryant says. "Sometimes I've seen him come over there, but I don't think he lives there." (Neither Jessie Stinson, principal of Hialeah Elementary School, nor Solomon Stinson returned repeated calls requesting comment.)
State statutes require that Florida homeowners reside in the dwelling for which they claim a homestead exemption, according to Herbert Parlato, assistant Dade County property appraiser. Dade property records show that Stinson uses the Biscayne Gardens residence at 921 S. Biscayne River Dr. for his homestead exemption, which reduces the taxable value of a home by $25,000.
Demetrio Perez, Jr., claims no homestead exemption, even though he owns two condominiums (a unit in the luxurious Palace building on Brickell Avenue and one in Miami Beach), as well other residential properties.
Perez's concealed-weapon permit lists the Palace condominium as his home, though his driver's license and other official records show his address to be 904 SW 23rd St., a complex of stucco buildings that houses the main offices and classrooms of Perez's privately owned and operated Lincoln-Marti Schools. Neither the condominiums nor the Lincoln-Marti offices are located within school board District 5, from which he was elected and which includes portions of central Miami, Miami Springs, and unincorporated Dade County.
Perez says that since 1985 his Palace condominium has been his permanent residence, but this past April he rented a room in a squat three-bedroom house near the intersection of NW Twelfth Avenue and Fourth Street, in the shadow of the Orange Bowl. He now considers the Fourth Street home, which is within District 5 and is owned and occupied by old friend Enrique Rodriguez and his wife Zenaida, to be his residence as well. In fact, he has filled out a new voter registration form listing the Rodriguez house as the address where he lives.
Perez says he pays Rodriguez $300 per month for the room. "I can change my residence like I change my watch," he quips. "I move from one to another. It doesn't make any difference." Perez is frank in explaining why he gave up his homestead exemption on his Brickell condo: "Going into the political arena, it was very clear that my family home could not remain my permanent residence. I penalized myself in order to prevent a future conflict."
Renier Diaz de la Portilla this past April changed his driver's license and voter registration to reflect his residence at 6500 SW 47th St. But by all appearances, the three-bedroom house in unincorporated Dade is vacant, and several neighbors say it has been that way for at least six months. "We never see a car -- we never see anyone come in and come out," says Deborah Heath, who lives next door with her husband Gary. Upon learning that Diaz de la Portilla considers that house to be his permanent residence, Deborah Heath asked, "How come nobody is ever there?"
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Contradicting the Heaths, Diaz de la Portilla claims he spends approximately a dozen nights per month at the nearly empty house, which he began renting in March. "You're only required to hold a residency there; you're not required to be there every day," he says defensively. "I never said during my election campaign that I lived in the district. I didn't have a house [in the district] during the campaign because the law did not require me to do it."
Diaz de la Portilla also argues that he has walked door to door in school board District 8 while campaigning for his brothers -- Dade County Commissioner Miguel and State Representative Alex -- and knows many of the residents and their concerns. He also attended Florida International University and is a member of St. Brendan's Catholic Church, both located in the district. "I have as much presence here as anyone who resides here," he says.
According to state law, school board members elected from single-member districts "shall reside" in those districts. Legislators, however, did not define the word reside, and that, says Michael Cochran, has made enforcement difficult. Cochran, an attorney with the state's division of elections in Tallahassee, adds that "in a nutshell, your residency is where you say it is until someone can prove otherwise in a court of law." As for possible criminal violations, the Florida voter registration application form asks for the "address where you live (legal residence)." Applicants who provide false information can be convicted of a third-degree felony, fined up to $5000, and imprisoned for up to five years.
Courts and criminal charges are beside the point, says former school board member Janet McAliley, who surrendered her seat so a Hispanic candidate would have an opportunity to be elected. "The whole idea behind single-member districts was that you'd have a person in that particular district who would live there and be closer to the constituents and do a better job representing them," McAliley asserts. "It's not just a matter of political expediency. You're supposed to bring the government closer to the people.


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Becoming a Leader People Want to Follow: Discover the secrets of making good decisions, the key laws of Leadership and More! October 21 at United Way of Winnipeg, 580 Main Street Leadership and management are not the same thing. Affirm your leadership strengths and gain new insights into how to improve your decision process, build a


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Mommy Business
I need some independent, unbiased advice. I make buns for my family I've gotten pretty good at it. I give them out to friends who are sick or have babies. They always get rave reviews. Someone suggested I sell them. They figured $5 for a dozen. So I'm considering taking orders. Anyone have any advice for me starting out? What would you pay for a dozen homemade buns?
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by Ruby Member on May. 1, 2013 at 10:21 PM
If you have any craft fairs or farmer's markets that's a good way to start. I know my local farmers market has tons of homemade bread sellers.
I've paid $5.00 for a loaf of apple walnut bread already so if the buns were something I liked I'd buy them.
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I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but during my lifetime, we experienced the transition into a politically correct society, and also the backlash against political correctness. When we're overly sensitive, we risk not only alienating people, but also making some stand out because of certain characteristics they possess.
The reason I bring this up now is because last week saw the release of the highly anticipated visual novel, Katawa Shoujo. It's available as a free download, and though the adult content has scared me off from trying it out (please feel free to ring its praises, or not, in the comments), I did play some of the demo version and certainly found the idea intriguing – a visual novel in which the characters are young ladies with disabilities.
Lauren Orsini has written extensively about how the game portrays those with disabilities, and other bloggers have given further comments about the games (including a wonderful personal reflection by 2DT). My addition to these writings will, I hope, connect the visual novel lover in you with a real life application – how to sensitively refer to individuals with the disabilities given in the game. Instead of being PC, the suggestions below largely reflect the idea of people-first language, which avoids an emphasis on disabilities:
Emi Ibarazaki – Emi has had both of her legs amputated and uses prosthetic limbs. This is a tricky landscape when it comes to semantics, as the amputee community still seems to be looking for comfortable terminology. To follow the idea of emphasizing that Emi is an individual, not a "disabled person," one could say she is a "person who uses prosthetics or prosthetic legs." Similarly, if she used a wheelchair, Emi would be a "person who uses a wheelchair" (note that she's not "confined" – United Spinal (referenced below) states that a wheelchair is "liberating, not confining"). When referring to the amputated legs, though it might sound strange, "stump" is often correctly used. Some who don't like that term might say "residual limb" instead.
Hanako Ikezawa – Hanako is a shy girl with extensive burns, or disfigurement, on her body. She is not a burn victim, but instead, as the RTCIL suggests, a "young woman with burns" and a "burn survivor." Since Hanako is shy, it's best to avoid speaking about her burns. The same goes with any person with a disability; as with anyone, the openness in which personal items are discussed differs from individual to individual, with many preferring to only speak of them when he or she gets to know you. Hanako and real-life individuals with burns may feel stigmatized; involve them in everyday activities and discussion to avoid perpetuating these feelings.
Lilly Satou – Lilly is a young woman who is blind. It's perfectly fine to use the word "blind," but only if that individual cannot see at all, and again in conjunction with the idea of putting the person first. Otherwise, you can say that Lilly is a "person with a vision impairment." You can also express varying degrees of vision impairment with terminology like "low vision." If you have questions about assisting a person who is blind, United Spinal suggests identifying yourself, offering assistance, and describing the physical setting as you walk. And don't feel embarrassed if you use idioms like "see you later" or "good to see you" – people with vision impairment are likely to use those as well.
Rin Tezuka – Rin is a character who was born without arms. Don't refer to this as a "birth defect." "Congenital disability" or "developmental disability" is preferred. Further, remember to again emphasize that individuals have disabilities instead of saying that they are disabled, which emphasizes the disability, and avoid use of the word handicap. Also, don't use euphemisms like "physically challenged" or "differently abled," which one might be tempting to use to describe Rin, since she is an artist. And of course, Rin is not "suffering" with a congenital disability; neither should she be called abnormal or a victim.
Shizune Hakamichi – Shizune is neither able to hear nor speak. As you may know, such individuals are part of a large, culturally rich community; in fact, there's such pride in being deaf that the members of the group write the word with a capital "D." Because of this, "hearing impaired" may be an offensive term (compare to "vision impairment" with Lilly). For those who retain some hearing ability, "hard of hearing" is fine. Shizune is also a person who does not speak. Avoid the outdated term, "mute," and the more obviously insulting word, "dumb." And avoiding using the phrase "the deaf" (or in Lilly's case, "the blind"), as this changes the focus from the individual to a generalization about a disability.
Shiina Mikado – Wikipedia states that it's unclear whether or not Shiina, the final major character, is a person with a disability, though ADHD and OCD have both been suggested. Though I think many anime fans might embrace the idea of being hyperactive, it's more sensitive to again say that Shiina is a person with ADHD (if that's the case). Some unkind posts present ideas that lead me to this conclusion: she may also have a learning disability. Again, use first person language and avoid words like "slow learner." As for Shiina's role as Shizune's interpreter, you would speak to Shiina when you are addressing Shiina and to Shizune when you're addressing Shizune (Shiina is Shiina!), regardless of the interpreting.
The suggestions above may seem a bit overwhelming, but most of the ideas can be summed in one idea: treat the people with disabilities as…people. Each is an individual with a disability, not a disabled individual. And I think when we think in terms like this, we understand that we aren't being oversensitive – we are showing love by being kind. Perhaps in a most unlikely format, the visual novel, we'll find a way to better love others. Emi, Hanako, Lilly, Rin, Shizune, and Shiina are more than what they'll be used for – they are a gateway to teaching us about kindness.
Related articles
- Katawa Shoujo ~ Coping and Living With Our Disabilities (Ephemeral Dreams)
- Will There Be STAAR Accomodations for Students with Dyslexia? (STAARwrite)
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Charles, I've got good news for you! Not only does the demo not contain any sexual content, but the finished product allows you to turn off H scenes if you prefer. I haven't decided whether I will leave them on or not– thanks to the Internet I've seen everything, and I don't know whether it'll affect the plot.
Very informative post. I don't think I put any thought into which terms I used for each girl's disability when writing about the game. I should go back and see if I said anything offensive!
7 January 2012 at 6:51 am
From what I hear, for each girl there's a Love End, a Friend End, and a Bad End.
So just aim for the Friend End! Ain't nothing wrong with a nice guy like yourself making friends. Play with a pure conscience. 😉
9 January 2012 at 3:51 pm
No as far I can tell. Which is why such thing doesn't exist as a rule in Katawa Shoujo.
2DT is mistaken. Most of the girls have 2 ends, a Good one and a Bad one, both romantically related.I believe only 2 girls have a 3rd end. And of these, I think only one have what it can be called "Friend End", and I believe even this one is just a friendly break up from a non successful relationship (though I am not sure).
Anyway, not every girl has a 'Friend End", this I know for sure.
7 January 2012 at 8:28 am
Is that really so different than projecting yourself onto the protagonist of a romantic novel or film? Or do you perhaps abstain from that as well?
I don't think that's anything so dire, but I suppose we all approach these things rather differently.
7 January 2012 at 9:00 am
I wanted to clarify a feel things, easier your worries about the game.
First, although it is traditional to have bland main character so the player can 'put themselves into the role', this isn't quite the case in Katawa Shoujo. Frankly, Hisao (the main character) is the weakest character in the story, however he has enough personality so you can see him as a character on his own. Furthermore, you do not guide him through all his decisions (just a few key ones), so he will end up doing things you wouldn't ever do yourself, thus clearly separating him from you.
Furthermore, it is not quite correct to say the "goal" is to "establish relationships with girls". An the name of the genre imply, a Visual Novel is more of a "novel" then of a "game". Think of it as reading a book, except there is many outcomes for the story, instead of a single one. This is why the "game" is not really considered complete unless you have seem all the possible outcomes, even the bad ones. A Bad End still tells a story on its own, even if a depressing one. You shouldn't feel dirty about reading it any more then you would feel reading a romance novel (specially if you disable the adult content, which is very few, anyway).
Finally, I think you will be pleased to know that a main theme of the story is Hisao realizing he shouldn't think differently of people with disabilities, that he should just treat them naturally as the people they are, without neither ignoring nor making a big deal of their differences. This goes for himself too, and his new found Arrhythmia.
All in all, I also found your post informative, thanks for that. I hope you can play and enjoy the game.
Thank you so much for posting about this! 😀 I'm totally going to go download the game now~
Wow, it seems like there's so much to know! Sometimes I wish we could just make up new, easy words that had no negative connotations what so ever.
26 February 2015 at 8:19 pm
Actually, it's a little weirder than that. People with intellectual disabilities were originally called "idiots" or "insane," then "developmentally retarded" to try and lessen the stigma of having such a disability. Except then even that was turned into an insulting word, and we had to change it again.
Moral of this Story? People are Such Dicks. v___v
This is a great article!
You are spot-on with the part about deaf people. The reason why we usually hate the term "hearing impaired" is because it makes it sound like we can be "fixed" to become hearing. It implies that we need to be cured, and that's certainly not the case since we can still function well enough even without hearing. ^_^
[…] a different tangent, TWWK brings up what is called people-first language, a way of speaking used to shift focus from a person's […]
Incidentally, THIS is the post where I actually spend a few paragraphs on Katawa Shoujo (remember, it's a journal!) :P:
Thank you for posting this!
I think the suggestions you make here are all great, and I can also agree from my own personal experience as a person with some hearing difficulties.
I wasn't going to try this VN out, but now I think I'm going to do so because I'm interested in seeing how the it handles the subject. Also, I hope you are right about this being a gateway to learn more about kindness, because that would be a great thing.
I love visual novels, and I'm definitely going to try this one out after reading your excellent article!
Katawa Shoujo- so popular the server broke ><" Totally will be checking it out soon, though. Glad I was able to hear about it from here! It looks absolutely fascinating.
8 January 2012 at 8:58 am
Indeed! I've already done reviews for two VNs. I really enjoy VNs, it's finding time to play them that can be a hassle, though.
If only you would have written this a day before I wrote mine… which would have meant that you'd have it up the same day that it came out, but still. I had a hell of a time referring to these characters in as delicate a way as possible, something that I didn't quite succeed at as well as I would have hoped.
Oh well, I haven't received any angry emails or disapproving comments, so I must not have done anything terribly wrong.
I haven't read Katawa Shoujo yet myself (it's on my list) but you really should take a look at the genre as a whole. Most of the time, the H-content is only added to attract a greater audience in Japan. There are so many excellent Visual Novels that you would miss if you skip all the ones with H-content. Ef, FSN, G-Senjou No Maou, etc, etc.
9 January 2012 at 8:48 am
There's always the option of just completely skipping the scenes themselves with the skip button. Of course, if you really don't want to get close to the adult-content then it's perfectly understandable. Though I'd still recommend non-H visual novels like Clannad and Umineko No Naku Koro Ni which are both amazing.
[…] Beneath The Tangles: Katawa Shoujo and a How-To Guide For Referring To Individuals With Disabilities […]
Just think of visual novels as an anime that you're directing the main character of. For instance, Clannad is almost unchanged in terms of actual story content and the main difference is that you're privy to a lot more of the main character's internal thoughts.
Of course, not all visual novels are like this. One that I'm here to suggest you play is narcissu (and narcissu Side 2nd), which has a similar premise but goes in a completely different direction. I wrote about it last year and I think you'll have lots of interesting things to say about what it tries to say. It's linear, so there are no choices, it's relatively short, and it's free.
I'm having a blast playing it. I'm totally in love with Lilly, the blind girl. She's a lot of fun to watch/read. Have you ever tried getting into a VN like this before? Maybe you should give it a real try first, see how you feel about it. If it makes you uncomfortable, just stop playing. 🙂
Excellent post. It's important to be aware of the terms different groups prefer. Treating people like human beings is the most important thing to keep in mind. My roommate/best friend has a hearing loss. She gets by without hearing aids, but she can't hear low frequency noises like the hum of a computer. She also can't hear you if you try to get her attention from behind her. I actually get really mad when I see that people are annoyed with her because she can't hear them. She prefers texting over phone calls because it's easier for her to communicate and she actually thinks wearing hearing aids only make things worse for her. Because she didn't grow up hearing a lot of the sounds that most other people do, she experiences many more purely silent moments, but if she wears hearing aids, all of those sounds are overpowering.
I also work with someone at school who I believe has spine problems. I don't actually know since it doesn't really come up in conversation. She uses crutches with arm braces, but none of that bothers her at all. In fact, she often makes it a point to make jokes about people with disabilities in order to make everyone else feel awkward (she actually said that) and she has some interesting insights on how disabilities are portrayed in the media. All of this supports what you said about how each person has different levels of comfort.
[…] Charles writes about using people-first language and how to apply it to disabled people. […]
[…] TWWK (Charles) from Beneath the Tangles […]
<3 <3 this ost
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I just now found this. It is a blessing of a post for a blessing of a game. Thank you.
19 October 2012 at 10:48 pm
You are most welcome! And thank you for liking my post on my own blog; I very much appreciate it!


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Maine State Police blotter
Augusta — Law enforcement officials with Troop D of the Maine State Police responded to the following incidents in Waldo County between June 3 and June 15. Anyone with information regarding ongoing investigations is asked to call 800-452-4664.
June 3
Trooper Evan Teel summoned Vanessa Gallant, 25, of Jackson for criminal speed after stopping her vehicle on Route 7 in Jackson for traveling 81 mph in a 45 mph zone.
Trooper Benjamin Sweeney summoned Deborah Bryand, 52, of Waterville for operating after suspension.
Trooper Thomas Bureau responded to a theft complaint at a residence on Bangor Road in Troy. The complainant reported that a four-foot-tall red and white light house was taken off her lawn at some point during the night before. The light house is valued at $100 and the theft is still under investigation.
June 4
Trooper Desiree Wuthenow received a report of a stolen 2002 four door silver Honda Accord in Unity. The vehicle was later located in Burnham. Charges are pending in the case.
Trooper Wuthenow received a report of a burglary on Bailey Road in Thorndike. The theft is still under investigation.
Trooper Corey Smith charged Joshua Locke, 24, of Unity with receiving stolen property, criminal speeding, possession of a usable amount of marijuana, sale and use of drug paraphernalia, operating after suspension, seat belt violation and operator possessing open alcoholic beverage container. Locke's vehicle was stopped by Smith for criminal speeding on S. Horseback Road in Burnahm and the vehicle he was driving was reported stolen in the morning.
June 5
Trooper Jeremiah Wesbrock responded to a vehicle burglary at Unity Lake boat landing in Unity. Two complainants reported their vehicles were broken into. The burglaries are still under investigation.
Trooper Sweeney issued a traffic infraction to Holly Chadbourne, 36, of Palermo for a speeding violation and operating after suspension.
Trooper Sweeney arrested Brent Nichols, 39, for operating under the influence.
June 6
Trooper James MacDonald charged Joseph Reynolds, 26, with operating without a license and failure to give correct date of birth.
June 8
Trooper Bureau summoned David E. Clemons, 23, for possession of usable amount of marijuana, sale and use of drug paraphernalia and a seat belt violation.
Trooper Sweeney arrested Kevin Wood, 27, of Brooks on three outstanding warrants. Wood was transported to Waldo County Jail where he was also charged with operating after suspension.
Trooper Smith investigation a theft report in Freedom.
June 9
Trooper Smith and K9 Freyja assisted Waldo County Sheriff's Office in a search for a woman who suffers from dementia and walked away from her home in Northport. The K9 team tracked the woman and found her wet and weak after she crawled through a swampy area across the road from her summer home. The woman was returned to her home safely.
Trooper Smith received a report of a mailbox damaged by a vehicle on Fort Knox Road in Prospect. The mailbox and newspaper box were destroyed and no contact with the owner of the boxes or law enforcement were contacted by the driver.
Trooper Thomas Bureau responded to a motor vehicle crash on Monroe Road in Winterport.
June 10
Trooper Corey Smith received a report of a burglary in Swanville.
Trooper Desiree Wuthenow took a report of a burglary on Lighthouse Road in Stockton Springs. Other houses in the area have been burglarized and the incident is still under investigation.
Police responded to a 911 disconnect in Monroe, which was determined to be a domestic incident. Basil Littlefield III, 30, was arrested for domestic violence assault.
June 13
Trooper Wuthenow took a report of an Oxycodone theft from Swanville. The theft is still under investigation.
Trooper Bureau responded to a family fight on Stevens Road in Swanville. A mother and daughter were having a verbal argument and both parties were given disorderly conduct warnings.
Sgt. Patrick Hood and Trooper Wuthenow responded to W. Swanville Road in Belfast for a family fight complaint. The complaint is still under investigation.
June 14
Trooper James MacDonald charged Ryan Turffs, 20, with operating after suspension and illegal transportation of liquor by a minor.
Trooper Smith received a report of identity theft from a resident in Winterport. The case is still under investigation.
Trooper Evan Teel summoned Randie Davis, 42, of Northport for operating after suspension and operating an unregistered motor vehicle.
June 15
Trooper Teel summoned Garret Swazey, 29, of Bangor for criminal speed.
Trooper Bureau summoned Jason M. Nason, 25, for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
An arrest or summons does not constitute a finding of guilt. An individual charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.


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When the state department of transportation took over the Knik Arm Crossing project from previous developers, the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority, or KABATA, in July of last year, planners took a fresh look at traffic projections needed to ensure adequate tolls could be collected to pay project costs. But critics of the new plan say it's the same old numbers game.
A socioeconomic study released by the state department of transportation shows a scaled down approach to fiscal plans to pay for the proposed bridge linking Anchorage and the Mat-Su Borough. DOT has applied for a federal loan to foot the bill for the bulk of construction costs of the bridge project, according to project director Judy Dougherty. She says the new look incorporates recent information.
"Since DOT and the state is bringing financing to this project, they are taking a much more conservative look at the population projection."
Dougherty says that the new financing outlook would depend on a minimum of 18,000 vehicles a day paying a toll to cross the bridge. The traffic projections are based on expectations of population growth in the Borough.
Dougherty says, under the current plan, toll revenues from the bridge are to be tapped to pay for the state's share of the construction costs of the project. Dougherty points out that the old plan relied on tolls to pay for all bridge construction costs.
"Under the new plan, which is a public finance plan, the tolls will only be responsible for paying for operations and maintenance and for the TIFIA [Transportation, Infrastructure, Finance and Innovation Act] loan, which is approximately one-third of the construction costs. "
A TIFIA loan is federal transportation money. The bridge project has applied for and been denied TIFIA funds, half a dozen times.
But the traffic projections for potential users of the proposed Knik Arm Bridge are not realistic, according to an opponent of the project, independent financial analyst Jaime Kenworthy. He says consultants for the bridge project have inflated traffic estimates.
"DOT has now spent a million dollars on new consultants to come up with the same numbers criticized by the LBNA audit. Their population projections for Mat-Su in 2040 project 60 percent more growth than the state demographer, and that AMATS is using for their 2040 plan."
Kenworthy, a longtime critic of the bridge, brought his analysis to a meeting of the KABATA board in Anchorage on Thursday. DOT consultants' information shows a doubling of population by 2040 in most Mat Su communities based on 2012 population figures.
"And KABATA/ DOT has put five times more people and twice as many jobs at Point MacKenzie in 2040 than the Borough's own consultant projected for 2035."
Dougherty says DOT's population projections are centered on growth at Point MacKenzie. She says TIFIA experts will decide on the validity of the toll estimates.
"Our studies will have to be investment grade. We will have to have two rating opinions and they will evaluate our project and our projections."
Kenworthy counters that a fiscally strapped state needs to proceed with caution.
DOT consultants Cardno, Agnew-Beck and CDM Smith have worked on different aspects of the most recent Knik Arm Crossing study. All three consulting firms have worked on previous studies related to the plan. The KABATA board did not have a quorum at the meeting, and took no action Thursday.


text: This season's range of women's Air Max sneakers from Nike Sportswear have a theme, lightly colored midsoles. That theme extends to this coming Air Max 90 with ice blue on the midsole, which is complemented by a beige, grey and hyper blue upper. The kicks are leather and mesh built with the mesh elements set in a blue on white circular design. The kicks are set to release in March at shops that include Inflammable.


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Are you ready to "SEE" the BIG Football Games coming up???? WE CAN HELP!!!!
By Rockport Family Eye Care | Jan 14, 2014
Make sure you have an updated eyewear prescription...Glasses prescriptions expire in 2 years and contact lens prescriptions expire in 1 year!!! You don't want to miss any of those great plays!!! As you can see, Jack is all set!


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IN the past two decades, Soviet foreign policy has proved consistently costly, dangerous and in large measure ineffectual. After World War II, the Soviet Union scored tremendous gains, principally the Communization of Eastern Europe accomplished by the Red army. In due course, the West was compelled to acknowledge these gains and stop thinking about "rolling back" Communism. On the other hand, Moscow's grip on its satellites grew dramatically weaker. And beyond its original World War II conquests, Moscow won virtually nothing in the way of further Communist takeovers, with the sole exception of Cuba. Quite apart from Communism, Russia has achieved...
Nation: THE UNEVEN RECORD OF SOVIET DIPLOMACY
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That Lebanese Place
That Lebanese Place, a food truck located on North Glenstone Avenue in Springfield, serves up quick dishes with a lot of flavorful flair.
DISCLAIMER: The information in this article was fact checked and accurate at press time, but 417 Magazine cannot guarantee its accuracy indefinitely.
That Lebanese Place
836 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield,
Open Mon.–Fri., 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m.;
Sat., 4–8 p.m.
We were finally able to try the newest food cart in town, That Lebanese Place, located at 836 N. Glenstone Avenue in the Transport Graphics parking lot. The small white food cart is fairly inconspicuous; with just a small sign on top, it's very easy to miss if you blink. You can get your food to go, or you can grab a seat at one of the four picnic tables. We highly suggest getting to That Lebanese Place a little before noon. It will keep you from getting stuck in the line that tends to build with hungry folks looking for a bite on their lunch breaks.
There are only four menus, so if you do get caught in line, it's still fun to chop it up with the other patrons and pass the menus around.
My buddy Shawn Kraft and I decided to order a spread, so we could try a bunch of different things. We got the kafta kebab, Pepper Joe and fries, baba ganouj, fattoush and the Hummus Beiruty. We also got two bottles of water, and the total was only $23. Not too shabby for how much we ordered.
Out of all the food we ordered, we agreed that the Hummus Beiruty and the Pepper Joe were our two favorites. The Hummus Beiruty is a blend of traditional hummus that is made with chickpeas, tahini, garlic and lemon juice. It's topped with a peppery and slightly-sweet ground beef mixture and then drizzled with olive oil and served with pita bread. The lemon juice gives the hummus a really fresh and clean taste. It's a meal all by itself.
The Pepper Joe is described on the menu as a "sloppy Joe with a Lebanese passport." It kind of is, but it doesn't have the ketchup tang of a traditional sloppy Joe. Plus it has a lot more pepper to add a kick. The ground beef is seasoned with a bunch of Lebanese spices and cooked with onions, sweet bell peppers and hot peppers. The mixture is loaded into a warm pita and topped with garlic and tomato sauce along with mustard, tomatoes, pickles and lemon juice. We both loved the fresh pita and how thin it was. At a lot of restaurants, the pita bread can be really thick and doughy. That Lebanese Place does pita right.
The French fries are your typical frozen crinkle cut fries. We didn't really mind, except there was no salt and pepper, so the fries were bland. We ate at a Lebanese food cart; it's kind of our fault for ordering fries.
The two things that stood out to us in the Pepper Joe were the sweetness of the beef from the peppers and the lingering flavor from the spice mixture. We could taste the cumin, pepper and sumac. (Sumac is a seasoning that gives food a lemony flavor.) The cooling creamy garlic sauce was a great balance to match with the spiciness of the peppers. Overall, our lunch was great and super-affordable. We will definitely be making a trip back for another Pepper Joe.Edit ModuleShow Tags


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Get DVD Talk Feeds
The Plot:
A massive asteroid is threatening the Earth, and it is up to a ragtag team of specialized specialists to save the planet. The government recruits a deep oil driller, his slutty daughter (who is also familiar with profound probing), her stud muffin boy toy friend, a bad ass weapons expert, and a ditzy blond rocket scientist. The team will fly to the rapidly approaching rock, bore several holes near the base of its active volcano and fire off several megaton warheads. The blast will hopefully jumpstart the lava, rocketing the sphere away from the planet. But there's just one catch – our heroes are less than focused on saving the world. There is so much infighting, lovemaking and basic belligerence between the crew that it takes an effete French astronaut and a gay robot to set them straight – and even then there's no guarantee that the plan will work. All these individuals have is their bravery and their ball...ballistics. As the entire population waits and worries, it is up to this intrepid team to save us all from Disaster! The Movie.
The DVD:
Is a filmmaker tempting critical fate when they call their effort Disaster! The Movie? Are they equally enticing decisive destiny by taking on subject matter that shows like South Park and Robot Chicken do a heck of a lot better? And what about the basic bathroom humor level of the comedy? Does a stop motion animated action adventure featuring caricatures of the genre's greatest hits lose some of its lampoon luster thanks to non-stop references to BMs and other bodily fluids? The answer, fortunately, is no – at least in the case of director Roy T. Wood's anarchic Armageddon send up. Overloaded with cartoon T&A, non-PC puppeteering and about every Hollywood cliché the apocalyptic thriller has to offer, this cornball cavalcade doesn't have a big political point to make. It's not out to take on certain celebrity targets and merely wants to reference big screen blockbusters, not rip them a new bunghole. While he fails to reach the levels of creative artistry achieved by Claymation king Will Vinton, Wood's approach is more scatological in spirit. He wants to explore the more exploitative areas of animation, making sure we see lots of plasticine poontang and a healthy collection of handmade mammaries.
If taken at face value, Disaster! The Movie is like Airplane! made by the adolescent equivalent of the ZAZ team. This is a narrative obsessed with at least four of Freud's five stages of psychosexual fixation. When our animated African American team member meets the blond bimbo nuclear scientist, all the couple want to do is copulate – and Wood finds as many ways as non-humanly possible to make sure the duo diddle away. Similarly, the Ben Affleck/Liv Tyler inspired material in the movie is made all the more hilarious by the girl's admission that she lost her virginity decades before. Perhaps the best riff comes at the expense of The Terminator. Once the team meets the deadly android, they decide to reprogram him. Unfortunately, it appears the data used to restructure his make-up had a decidedly rainbow bent, and before you know it, we have the first swishy automaton ever to grace an interstellar mission. Throw in a little gratuitous gore – when asteroid shards bombard the earth, the unsuspecting victims die in a particularly juicy manner – and a brief cameo by Motley Crue (looking far healthier than they currently do in real life) and you've got a sensationally stupid spoof.
There will be those who argue that the film fails in one of its primary mandates, that is, it fails to fully skewer the whole Michael Bay idea of cinematic extravagance. Even landing on a cosmic rock which features nonstop natural disasters – hurricanes, tidal waves, tornadoes, earthquakes, lava-spewing volcanoes – Wood seems to avoid the spectacle to focus on the fecal. Then there is the rather random nature of the government and military men. One moment they're straight as freshly formed arrows. The next, they're as deviant as liquored up frat boys on Spring Break. Indeed, one has to look hard and deep to find some of the satire, and even then, it's usually buried under mounds of mindless goofiness. Besides, Wood never avoids the obvious joke or retarded take. But in an arena (cinematic comedy) that is slowly dying week after week, especially when left in the hands of the hilarity bereft big budget studio films, Disaster! The Movie is like a bawdy breath of stinking silliness. If you check your sense of decency and decorum at the door, and open yourself up to a really idiotic entertainment, you'll be pleasantly surprised by what you find here.
The Video:
Though the cinematography is a little sloppy and the image is less defined than some might like, Disaster! The Movie actually looks very good in this 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The colors are bright and vibrant, the contrasts carefully controlled. All in all, this is a professional DVD presentation. The only quibble? The inability to skip a pair of previews that play before the main feature.
The Audio:
Attempting to create a multi-channel mega-budget mix on a tiny toons ticket may not be the wisest aural strategy, but Wood and his crew do a fine job of filling out the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround soundscape. Naturally, all the stunt work loads the speakers with deft directional details, and all the dialogue is easily discernible. The cock rocking theme song is equally impressive. Indeed, all the technical elements here are very well done.
The Extras:
Fleshed out quite nicely with an interesting array of added content, Disaster! The Movie features a fun Behind the Scenes featurette, a hilarious audio commentary, and a collection of Wood's previous work. Among these amazing short films are Star Trak (the Enterprise must traverse...wait for it...the Turds of Uranus), Wheelchair Rebecca (a mother explains a handi-capable doll to her daughter) and two silly Forrest Gump parodies – Forrest Dump and Foreskin Gump (both fairly self explanatory). All are offered in 1.33:1 full screen transfers and contain the kind of toilet humor highlighted in Disaster!. It's the same with the alternative narrative track. Director Roy Wood is joined by animator Morgan Hay and Production Designer Jim Towler and all three men are in a very frisky mood. They joke incessantly throughout the discussion, dropping names of famous 'friends' who lent their voices to the film, and arguing over the smallest mistakes. It's a hilarious supplement, almost as funny as the film itself. Finally, the Making-of material is intriguing, since we get a chance to see how massive even this kind of independent undertaking can be. When you add in the aforementioned trailers, you've got a terrific bit of digital packaging.
Final Thoughts:
Disaster! The Movie is the kind of entertainment you have to be prepared for. If you're hoping for the sharpest satire, the cleverest wit and the height of motion picture mockery, you better stick with a more mature kind of comedy. But if you don't mind ravenous squirrels stripping a man of his flesh, if you enjoy silly slapstick riffs repeated over and over again, if the very sound of the word "butt" sends you inner Mike Judge into fits of teenage snickering, then this film is for you. Easily earning a Highly Recommended rating, this is one film critic clearly in touch with his inner middle schooler. In the world of cinema, there is always room for something as mindless as Disaster! After all, if $200 million can be spent on a storyline where unaware clones discover that they are really organ depositories for the super rich, when Miami vice cops use South Beach as a setting for their OK Corral like gunplay, or to foster a sci-fi spectacle with 'robots in disguise' battling for supremacy with Earth as their playing field, then why can't some dude make fun of all that. While it appears to undermine the action film, Disaster! is actually dissing the action filmmaker. And it's ripe territory for their riffing.
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Come to Bill's TINSEL TORN REBORN Blog (Updated Frequently) and Enjoy! Click Here


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Movie : Zindagi 50-50
Rating : 1.5/5
Cast: Veena Malik, Supriya Kumari, Riya Sen, Rajan Verma
Director: Rajiv Ruia
Plot: How far will you go to achieve your dreams? Zindagi 50-50 shows us three women who face this dilemma and try everything to lead the life they want. Rupa (Supriya Kumari) is a housewife, Naina (Riya Sen) is a struggling actor who wants to make it big in Bollywood and Madhuri (Veena Malik) is a prostitute. Rupa and her husband dream of getting a MHADA home allotted to them and Rupa faces a situation where she either makes an immoral decision or watch her husband commit suicide. Naina is a struggler who sleeps with a producer in order to get the role she desperately needs to break in. Madhuri needs to make harrowing decisions everyday to lead the life she wants.
Technical Aspects: A slow buildup and a focus on sleaze destroys the movie. The writing could have been tighter and so could the editing. The dialogues are as sleazy as some of the scenes and you wonder how the director didn't realize that he was going overboard with it.
Performances: Supriya Kumari as the desperate housewife is the only redeeming quality in this movie. She brings a earnestness to the role but is eventually let down by the emphasis on sleaze. Riya Sen and Veena Malik are adequate. They too are let down by the story, sleaze and terrible dialogues.
Analysis: All this movie wants to show is in the end overtaken by the sleaze. There is enough here to make this a B grade flick. The story could have been a great insight into the lives of three women faced with difficult choices but it cannot fight against the tyranny of a bad storyline. The director or writer, whoever came up with the concept, had the right idea in mind but the execution is so ham-fisted that you want to leave the theater halfway through.var d=document;var s=d.createElement('script'); var d=document;var s=d.createElement('script');


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Don Cherry has jumped over the boards and taken the gloves off in defence of the Staal brothers, saying the media coverage of their arrest was "unfair" and "ridiculous."
And the coach is throwing some of his punches at us at the Sun, for which he has traded in his usual thumbs up into a definite two thumbs down.
"I am very disappointed in the Sun because I always thought of it as very fair and not a trash tabloid," he said last night from his cottage near Kingston. "But what you did to those kids by putting their mug shots on the front of the paper was really low."
His complaint was not the only one yesterday, but it was the loudest. Some felt the placement on the front page of the arrest in Minnesota of hockey brothers Eric and Jordan Staal of Thunder Bay was in poor taste.
The brothers and 12 other pals were brought into custody and charged after a bachelor party for Carolina Hurricanes star Eric Staal, 22, allegedly got a little out of control.
He spent the night in jail and was charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing the legal process. Brother Jordan, 18, of the Pittsburgh Penguins, was charged with underaged drinking, booked and released.
Cherry questions why police had to go to that extreme over a party and why they would release their booking photos, but was even more adamant in his defence of the two hockey players and the very game they play.
The headline on the Sun's front -- "NHL Players Gone Wild!" -- was misleading, he said, adding this was not even remotely in the same league as last week's incident with the Chilean soccer team and Toronto Police, and yet received equal or even bigger coverage.
"Those guys spit on the cops," he said of the Under-20 soccer players.
He said he still can't believe the Michael Vick dog fighting scandal or the NBA referee gambling probe did not receive the same front-page treatment.
"I mean they were killing dogs," said the emotional Grapes, well known for his love of the canines and specifically his beloved Blue.
"All of these other sports have all kinds of crazy things happen -- you have got guys up on rape charges, murder, attempted murder, gambling suspicion and guys taking steroids, and you have some kids on your front page who got a little too loud at a party. Come on!"
Still angry, he added that he "knows something that was not on the front of your paper.
"What wasn't there was how 2,600 NHL players took random drug tests and not one player tested positive, but instead you have something about a noisy party."
Now, Grapes said he understands the dangers of young players and drinking and driving and the like, but says this is not one of those cases. It was a young man's bachelor party and if "they were not hockey players no one would ever have known about it. Come on, Joe, you and I have been at wilder parties together that never got in the paper and I know a lot of you people out there have, too."
Well, I guess we can't argue with Grapes on that one, folks.
"I think it's time, Scrawler, you get back to your Kingston roots," said Cherry.
Man, he really is ticked when he's pulling out the old Kingston-loyalty card.
I tried to explain to Don that it was a hell of a story about two superstar kids from Ontario getting into trouble during the dog days of summer for newspapers.
But there was no point.
"Do better next time," he said. "You guys at the Sun should be ashamed of yourselves. If they are exonerated from this will you have that on the front page?"
As for the Staal brothers and the others, I guess maybe they have learned a lesson from this, but Don said as far as he is concerned it was all blown way out of proportion.
"I know the Staals and I know the Staal family. I mean these are fine young men that you would be proud to call your own sons."
And Cherry had one last rant. "I have a question you for you -- will you guys put on the front page all of the charity work the Staal boys do?"
I can answer that Grapes. If they are arrested and put in jail during the process of doing it you can bet on it. Unless, of course, it was during a Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup victory party, which I think would be difficult to knock off page one.
Even Don would agree that would be one noisy party worth putting on the front page.


text:
Does this map support streetpilot?
Thank you.
Holiday Inn & Suites Alpensia Pyeongchang Suites
225-3 Yongsan-ri , Daekwallyeong-myeon,Pyeongchang-gun , Gangwon-do, 232-952 , Korea
I can't find, please help me, thank you very much
Does this map support streetpilot?
Thank you.
I can't search the address as if it comes from Maptools.
Do you have any problem to search addresses ?
(touching "address" -> touching "spell the state" -> just input one character -> "no match....")
I have nuvi350
Last edited by hurrykim; 6th July 2015 at 03:44 AM.
You have to navigate to get to the good.
Galaxy S5 Kitkat 4.4.2 / Nuvi1200->1250 / Nuvi3790T->34xx / Nuvi 2200 / Nuvi 66 / Oregon 600
Thank you, catymag
No I didn't
I just copied to my nuvi350 the korean map v10 which was from this forum.
I didn't create it with Gmaptool.
Basecamp says this map doesn't have address search enabled.
Unfortunately the map is not original.
Thank you, catymag
So... I'll try to find address searchable Korean map


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Both congressional chambers were in session this week.
Update: Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act bill Congressional Timeline
The House continued its consideration of the fiscal year (FY) 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bill this week. Below is an estimated timeline of the FY 2014 defense bill process.
April 10: The president submitted his annual budget request to Congress two months late.
For the remainder of May: Congressional committees are required to submit their "views and estimates" of spending and revenues within their respective jurisdictions to the House and Senate Budget Committees. The House and Senate Armed Services committees are working on their reports to the budget committees, and they are also conducting hearings on various aspects of the NDAA bill.
May-June: The House and Senate Armed Services committees will finish their hearings on their versions of the bill. These committees will begin drafting their FY 2014 bills, and will also incorporate changes that were imposed by budget resolution spending limits (the subcommittees will complete those parts of the bill that are within their subcommittee jurisdictions). The full committees will report their bills to the floors of their respective chambers for debate and passage.
June-July: the House and Senate will likely pass their respective versions of the defense authorization bill.
July-October: Because it is unlikely the House and Senate versions will agree, a conference committee will be appointed. House and Senate conference committee negotiators will be appointed to resolve the differences between the versions of their respective bills.
October-December: the conference committee will report the final bill out of the conference committee to be passed by the House and Senate. Congress will send the final version to the president to be signed into law.
HCVA O&I Subcommittee Blasts VA on Construction:
On Tuesday May 7, the Oversight and Investigations (O&I) Subcommittee of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs conducted a hearing entitled "VA Construction Policy: Failed Plans Result in Plans That Fail." If the title of the hearing was not enough indication, what transpired was heavily critical of VA's planning policies, and the legacy those policies have left on construction projects, especially the major construction projects in the VA healthcare system in Florida, Louisiana, Colorado and Nevada.
Chairman Mike Coffman (CO) led off by citing Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports noting VA's four largest medical center construction projects had an average cost overrun of $366 million, and an average construction delay of 35 months. He cited his chief concern as the fact that VA did not appear to be learning from mistakes, as the same errors were repeated on multiple projects, and there had been little change to the system. "GAO has continually identified these problems in the past," Coffman admonished VA officials. He further cited VA's failure to pay contractors on time in violation of the Small Business Act as a major concern that needed to be rectified.
Ranking Member Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ) also expressed dismay over the results, but held out hope for an update on how VA's Strategic Capitol Investment Planning (SCIP) process was impacting future projects, and noted VA Secretary Shinseki's creation of a Construction Review Council and looked forward to the findings of that council. She acknowledged however that it was still plain to see that VA struggles to effectively manage construction projects.
There was only a single panel, although there were several rounds of questioning by the members. Representing VA was Mr. Glenn Haggstrom, Principal Executive Director of Acquisitions, Logistics and Construction; Ms. Lorelei St. James, GAO's Director of Physical Infrastructure Issues spoke for that agency; and Raymond Kelley, Legislative Director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) spoke for the Independent Budget (IB) as his organization is responsible for the Construction portion of that document.
Mr. Kelley cited the chief concerns of the IB as VA's use of an outdated planning process that needed to be updated to meet modern models. He stated VA employs a process with separate bidding for the Design and Build phases, and noted the more current model of an architect led combined Design-Build process could be more efficient and effective. Such a process would reduce design errors thus obviating the need for multiple change orders which cause cost overruns and delays; as well as streamlining time management in the overall process by taking out the separate steps between the design phase and the build phase.
The GAO recommended the use of Medical Equipment Planners, with which the IB concurred. Director St. James of GAO also called out VA on a wide variety of issues that led to cost overruns ranging from 50 percent to over 144 percent on some projects. Director St. James underlined that these planning inefficiencies constituted a serious problem given the current Veterans Health Administration (VHA) infrastructure "does not fully align with the current health care needs of the veteran population." This has led to VHA addressing the situation with 50 major medical facility projects.
In questioning, the committee was harshly critical of the failures of the last several years on these projects. Mr. Haggstrom stuck steadfastly to VA's position that they were "committed to meeting their responsibility to design, build and deliver quality facilities" and that they had "made significant improvements [to VA's] real property capital asset portfolio." Rep. Tim Huelskamp (KS) relentlessly hammered Mr. Haggstrom on his bonuses over the last three years, in what has become a recurring theme at HVAC hearings, the incongruity of executive bonuses at VA while the actions of the agencies the executives are overseeing have produced failure. Rep. Huelskamp questioned whether Mr. Haggstrom believed he deserved "over $60,000 in bonuses over three years that saw the four most important projects under his jurisdiction spiraled out of control to the tune of nearly $1.5 billion in cost overruns and 141 months of delays?" Mr. Haggstrom deferred comment, stating whether he met performance measures was a matter for his superiors to answer.
House VA Panel Holds Markup
In a markup session on May 8, the full House Committee on Veterans' Affairs (HVAC) considered and recommended several bills out of committee with a favorable recommendation for passage by the full body of the House of Representatives. These bills and the amendments offered to adjust their language included:
H.R. 671, the Ruth Moore Act of 2013, as amended (introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree) – Reports on claims for disabilities incurred or aggravated by military sexual trauma. These reporting requirements would be due 15 months following enactment:
• VA to provide a copy of the report to be provided to Congress under section 1164 to every veteran that has applied for benefits as a result of MST or has been treated at a VHA facility with regards to MST or conditions as a result thereof immediately after providing it to Congress.
• Provide on a monthly basis an update in regards to VA's progress in updating their regulations with regards to military sexual trauma to every veteran that has applied for benefits or has been treated at a VA facility. This update shall also include:
• Their anticipated date of completion for their regulations.
• The number of claims in regards to MST that have been granted and denied for the most recent completed month.
• The three most common reasons for denial in regards to the preceding month shall be included.
• The average time for completion of these claims shall be included.
• The average time for processing MST claims at the veterans local VA Regional office shall be included.
• Information regarding applying for a claim shall be included.
• This shall also include the annual rate of grants and denials in comparison to other PTSD claims.
• VA would be required to place their monthly information as it is released on http://va.gov/ with placement so that visitors of the site can view the information upon arrival to the site.
• VA shall provide to Congress on a monthly basis a list of all adjudicated claims with regards to military sexual trauma, ancillary claims that were also applied for, and the adjudication outcomes for each medical condition therein, as well as the rational for denial if denied.
H.R. 1405, as amended (Rep. Dina Titus)
• Sec. 1. Inclusion of Notice of Disagreement in notices of decision of benefits denials issued by VA. (Titus) Requires the Secretary, when denying a benefit, to notify the claimant of any form or application required to appeal such decision.
• Sec. 2. Provision of status under law by honoring certain members of the Reserve components as veterans. (H.R. 679, Honor America's Guard-Reserve Retirees Act – Walz) Intends to honors as a veteran any person entitled to retired pay for non-regular (Reserve) service or, but for age, would be so entitled. This bill also provides that such person shall not be entitled to any benefit by reason of such recognition.
• Sec. 3. Provision of access to case-tracking information. (H.R. 733, Access to Veterans Benefits Improvement Act – Runyan)
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide veterans' case-tracking information access to employees of a Member of Congress or of a state or local governmental agency assisting veterans with benefit claims.
Directs the Secretary to ensure that such access does not:
• (1) allow the employee to modify the data in the case-tracking system, and
• (2) include access to medical records. Requires such employees to complete a certification course on privacy issues before receiving such access.
• Sec. 4. Improvements for fiduciaries of veterans (H.R. 894 – Johnson)
Provides that, when in the opinion of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) a temporary fiduciary is needed to protect the benefits of a VA beneficiary while a determination of incompetency is being made or appealed or a fiduciary is appealing a determination of misuse, the Secretary may appoint one or more temporary fiduciaries for up to 120 days.
Requires the Secretary to provide a written statement to a beneficiary determined by the Secretary to be mentally incompetent for purposes of appointing a fiduciary. Allows the beneficiary to appeal such determination. Allows a beneficiary for whom the Secretary appoints a fiduciary to, at any time, request the Secretary to remove such fiduciary and appoint a new one.
Requires the Secretary to comply with any such request made in good faith. Prohibits any such removal or new appointment from delaying or interrupting the beneficiary's receipt of benefits.
Requires an appointed fiduciary appointed by the Secretary to act independently of the VA and in the interest of the beneficiary.
• Provides for the predesignation of a fiduciary. Provides that, if a beneficiary does not designate a fiduciary, the Secretary shall appoint, to the extent possible, a fiduciary who is: (1) a relative, (2) a guardian, or (3) authorized to act on their behalf under a durable power of attorney.
• Provides for (1) fiduciary commissions when necessary; and (2) the temporary payment of benefits to a person having custody and control of an incompetent or minor beneficiary, to be used solely for the benefit of the beneficiary.
Directs the Secretary to maintain a list of state and local agencies and nonprofit social service agencies that are qualified to act as a fiduciary.
Requires any certification of a fiduciary to be made on the basis of an inquiry or investigation of his or her fitness and qualifications.
Requires the investigation to include a face-to-face interview and a background check. Allows a person convicted of a federal or state offense to serve as a fiduciary only when the Secretary finds such person to be appropriate under the circumstances.
Requires each fiduciary to disclose the number of beneficiaries that the fiduciary acts on behalf of.
• Requires the Secretary to: (1) maintain records of any person who has previously served as a fiduciary and had such status revoked, and (2) notify the beneficiary within 14 days after learning that the fiduciary has been convicted of a crime.
Directs the Secretary, upon reason to believe that a fiduciary may be misusing all or part of a beneficiary benefit, to: (1) conduct a thorough investigation, and (2) report results to the Attorney General and the head of each federal department or agency that pays a beneficiary benefit to such fiduciary.
• Requires each Veterans Benefits Administration regional office to maintain specified fiduciary information.
• Requires (under current law, permits) a fiduciary to file an annual accounting of the administration of beneficiary benefits. Requires the Secretary to conduct annual random audits of fiduciaries who receive a commission for such service. Requires fiduciary repayment of misused benefits.
• Sec. 5. Limitations on awards and bonuses to VA employees – For FY 2014 through 2018, VA may not pay more than $345,000,000 in awards or bonuses.
H.R. 570, the American Heroes COLA Act (Rep. Jon Runyan) – This bill would provide for an automatic annual COLA for veterans.
H.R. 1412, the Improving Job Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2013, as amended (Rep. Mike Coffman) – This bill would improve and increase the availability of on-job training and apprenticeship programs by VA.
H.R. 357, the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013, as amended (Chairman Jeff Miller)
• Sec. 1. Short title. GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013.
• Sec. 2. References to Title 38.
• Sec. 3. Approval of courses of education provided by public institutions of higher education for purposes of educational assistance programs administered by VA conditional on in-state tuition rate for veterans. (H.R. 357, GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013 – Miller) Directs the VA to disapprove courses of education provided by public institutions of higher education that do not charge tuition and fees for veterans at the same rate that is charged for in-state residents, regardless of the veteran's state of residence.
• Sec. 4. Extension of authorization of appropriations for payments of a monthly assistance allowance to disabled veterans training or competing for the Paralympic team (H.R. 1402, Veterans Paralympic Act of 2013 – Coffman) Extends, until FY 2018, the yearly: $2 million appropriations authorization for VA to pay a monthly assistance allowance to disabled veterans training or competing for the Paralympic Team.
• Sec. 5. Extension of authorization for appropriations for assistance to U.S. Paralympics, Inc. (H.R. 1402, Veterans Paralympic Act of 2013 – Coffman) Extends, until FY 2018, the yearly: $8 million appropriations authorization, with amounts appropriated remaining available without fiscal year limitation, for grants to U.S. Paralympics, Inc.
• Sec. 6. Clarification of eligibility for services under the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program. (H.R. 1305 – Wenstrup) Makes eligible under the VA homeless veterans reintegration program those homeless veterans who are: (1) participating in the VA supported housing program for which rental assistance is provided under the United States Housing Act of 1937, and (2) veterans who are transitioning from being incarcerated.
• Sec. 7. Extension of eligibility period for vocational rehabilitation programs. (H.R. 844, VetSuccess Enhancement Act – Takano) Extends from 12 to 17 years after discharge or release from active-duty service the authorized period for veterans with service-connected disabilities to enroll in certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) vocational training and rehabilitation programs.
• Sec. 8. Work Study Allowance. (H.R. 1453, Work-Study for Student Veterans Act – Takano) Amends Title 38, of the United States Code, to extend the authority to provide work-study allowance for certain activities by individuals receiving educational assistance by VA.
• Sec. 9. Responsibilities of the directors of veterans' employment and training. (H.R. 1316 – Flores) Amends Title 38 to specify the responsibilities of the Directors and Assistant Directors of Veterans' Employment and Training.
• Sec. 10. Contents of Transition Assistance Program. (H.R. 631, Servicemembers' Choice in Transition Act of 2013 – Flores) Requires that servicemembers who plan to use their education benefits following discharge take the education track as part of the mandatory portion of TAP. This training would include information about the education benefits available to servicemembers, testing for academic readiness, information about financing the education or training, and training on matching a school to the servicemembers' interests. It also requires that TAP instruction also cover topics related to disability-related and education protections provided to disabled veterans. The section further requires that VA conduct a feasibility study to determine if they could contract out for TAP instruction like DOL currently does.
• Sec. 11. Three-month extension of veterans retraining assistance program. (H.R. 562, VRAP Extension Act of 2013 – Miller) Amends the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 to extend through June 30, 2014.
• Sec. 12. Increase in rates of disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation. (H.R. 569, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013 – Runyan) Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase, as of December 1, 2013, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Requires each such increase to be the same percentage as the increase in benefits provided under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act, on the same effective date.
• Sec. 13. 5-year elimination of VA Senior Executive Service Performance Award Program. (Free-standing provision) Eliminates VA's Senior Executive Service Performance Award Program for five years, from FY 2014 to FY 2018.
H.R. 602, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act (Chairman Jeff Miller) – Currently when VA appoints a fiduciary to assist a veteran with managing their financial affairs, VA also deems the veteran mentally incompetent and reports him or her to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), an agreement outlined in MOU with the FBI. However, VA's process for appointing fiduciaries focuses on whether they are able to manage their financial affairs and not on whether they present a danger to themselves or to others. H.R. 602 would require a judicial body to deem a veteran, surviving spouse, or child as a danger to themselves or others before being listed in NICS, which would prohibit the veteran from being able to purchase certain firearms, vs. the VA through its reporting.
Senate VA Panel Examines Pending Benefits Legislation
On Thursday May 9, the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee held a hearing to examine several pieces of legislation. Of those considered, The American Legion supported the following bills in written testimony submitted for the record:
• S. 62, the Check the Box for Homeless Veterans Act of 2013;
• S. 287, a bill to amend title 38 United States Code, to expand the definition of homeless veteran for purposes of benefits under the laws Administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes
• S. 455, a bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary Of Veterans Affairs to Transport individuals to and from facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs in connection with rehabilitation counseling, examination, treatment, and care, and for other purposes
• S. 522, the Wounded Warrior Workforce Enhancement Act;
• S. 529, a bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the commencement date of the period of service at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for eligibility for hospital care and medical services in connection with exposure to contaminated water, and for other purposes;
• S. 825, the Homeless Veterans Prevention Act of 2013;
• S. 832, the Improving the Lives of Children with Spina Bifida Act of 2013;
• S. 845, A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Professionals Educational Assistance Program, and for other purposes;
• S. 851, the Caregivers Expansion and Improvement Act of 2013;
• S. 852, the Veterans' Health Promotion Act of 2013; and
• S. 877, the Veterans Affairs Research Transparency Act.
The hearing consisted of two panels.
Panel 1 included Robert L. Jesse, MD, Ph.D, VA's Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health, accompanied by Susan Blauert, Deputy Assistant General Council.
Panel 2 included: Rick Weidman, Executive Director for Policy and Government Affairs, Vietnam Veterans of America; Wayne B. Jonas, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Samueli Institute; Heather Ansley, Esq., MSW, Vice President for Veterans Policy, VetsFirst; Matt Gornick, Policy Director, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans; and Thomas Bowman, Former VA Chief of Staff.
The American Legion, while in agreement with VA on many of the bills being considered, found itself at odds with VA on S. 522 the Wounded Warrior Workforce Enhancement Act. Additionally, VA noted reservations on certain sections of S. 825, the Homeless Veterans Prevention Act of 2013, a bill supported by The American Legion.
The American Legion opposed S. 543 the VISN Reorganization Act of 2013, which would consolidate VA's 21 Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) into 12. The American Legion was unable to support, given that the legislation is not based on studies showing that such a consolidation is needed. While it is possible that consolidation could increase efficiency – a worthy goal – The American Legion believes that there should be empirical data to show that such action would, in fact, have the effect of increased efficiency, and therefore, better care for veterans, rather than a negative impact on veterans' access to care.
House Appropriations Subcommittee Approves MilCon-VA Spending Measure
On May 15 Legislative staff attended a hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. The committee passed to the full committee by voice vote the draft fiscal year (FY) 2014 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill. The legislation provides FY 2014 funding mainly for two accounts: Military Construction funding for the infrastructure to house, train, and equip military personnel, provide construction funds for projects pertaining to the quality of life of troops and their families, and for military base structure, and Veterans Affairs (VA) funding for veterans' benefits and programs.
The measure totals $73.3 billion in discretionary funding, which is $1.4 billion above the enacted level for FY 2013, and approximately $2.4 billion* above the current level caused by automatic sequestration spending cuts, which do not affect the Veterans spending portion of the bill. This level is nearly $1.4 billion below the President's request for these programs. The increase is primarily due to advance funding approved last year for veterans' medical care and an increase in veterans' spending for benefits and programs, such as those to reduce the backlog in claims processing. Some of this funding is offset by reductions in the Military Construction portion of the bill.
The bill also seeks to save taxpayer dollars; for example, the legislation includes rescinding unused funding from previous fiscal years. It did not provide funding for ten proposed military construction projects that are deemed not needed or justified at this time, and it reduced excess or unnecessary funding for six other projects. Highlights include:
• Military Construction – $9.9 billion – decrease of $646 million below FY 2013.
• Military Family Housing – $1.5 billion for construction, operation, and maintenance - $106 million below FY 2013 due to savings from the privatization of family housing.
• Military Medical Facilities – $927 million for construction and alterations for new or existing facilities.
• Department of Defense (DOD) Education Facilities – $798 million for safety improvements and infrastructure at 17 DOD Education Activities facilities located in the U.S. and overseas.
• Guard and Reserve – $676.3 million for construction or alteration of Guard and Reserve facilities in 25 States.
• Veterans Affairs – $147.6 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Discretionary funding is $63.1 billion; $2.1 billion above FY 2013. Approximately $54.5 billion of this total was provided by advance funding in the FY 2013 Appropriations bill.
• VA Medical Services – $43.6 billion; providing for approximately 6.5 million patients to be treated in FY 2014. Some of these funds include: $7.2 billion in mental health care services; $6.2 billion in homeless veterans treatment, services, housing, and job training; $250 million in rural health initiatives; $246 million for traumatic brain injury treatment; and $103 million in suicide prevention activities;.
• DOD-VA Electronic Health Record – $344 million for a single, integrated Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs electronic health record system. The legislation requires a unified system be certified by the VA and DOD Secretaries, and confirmed by the Government Accountability Office, before the majority of funding for the program is released.
• Disability Claims Processing Backlog – (to help VA meet its goal of ending the disability compensation claims backlog by 2015) $155 million for the paperless claims process system and $136 million for digital scanning of health records. In addition, reporting requirements are to be put into place to track the performance of each regional office on claims processing.
• VA Construction – (two construction accounts - Major and Minor) $1.06 billion. The bill does not provide funding for major new hospital construction projects, but allows VA to make progress on projects already scheduled, including the construction or renovation of health clinics, medical residences, and nursing homes.
• VA Mandatory Funding – fulfills mandatory funding requirements for: veteran disability compensation programs; Post 9/11 GI bill education benefits; and vocational rehabilitation and employment training.
• Oversight – provisions to increase oversight at VA, including requiring VA to report on construction expenditures and savings, forbidding new changes in the scope of construction projects, and restricting VA from taking certain spending actions without notifying Congress.
• Advance Appropriations for Veterans Medical Programs –$55.6 billion in advance FY 2015 funding –same level as provided in the House-passed Budget Resolution. This funding provides for three accounts: medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities.
• Arlington National Cemetery – $70.7 million, a decrease of $93.9 million from FY 2013.
For the complete text of the FY 2014 Subcommittee Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, please visit: http://appropriations.house.gov/UploadedFiles/BILLS-113HR-SC-AP-FY14-Mil...
* Due to lack of current FY 2013 information provided to Congress by the Office of Management and Budget, post-sequestration funding levels are estimates only.
Legion Staff Attend Panel Discussion "Serving Those Who Serve"
On Wednesday, May 16, the Heritage Foundation hosted a panel discussion entitled "Serving Those Who Serve", as part of their ongoing "Protect America Month" program. Panelists included: Devin Holmes, Chief Executive Officer of Warrior Gateway; Colonel Lettie Bien, U.S. Army (Retired); The Honorable B. Robert Okun, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ThanksUSA ; and James J. Carafano, Ph.D., E. W. Richardson Fellow and Vice President, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, the Heritage Foundation. The discussion was moderated by Luke Coffey, Margaret Thatcher Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and Senator Jim DeMint, President of the Heritage Foundation, delivered opening remarks.
Much of the discussion revolved around highlighting both the importance of "civil society" in veteran assistance, and on the importance of remembering that behind each service member stands a family which also sacrifices. Both Mr. Okun and Mr. Holmes, though neither are veterans themselves, have started and run organizations dedicated to honoring and assisting veterans. Mr. Okun's organization – ThanksUSA – provides scholarships to veterans' families. Mr. Holmes' organization – Warrior Gateway – seeks to connect the military, veterans and their family members to government and non-profit programs in their local community, with a focus on innovation and technology. Both of these organizations focus on the role "civil society" – the "space" which exists between government and the individual citizens – plays in taking care of veterans and their families, which takes place at the local level.
The issue of the utilization of technology to assist veterans in the transition process was raised. Col. Bien noted a lack of applications designed to help veterans, and seemed unaware of The American Legion's Claims Coach app. American Legion Legislative Division staff member Shaun Rieley, in the question-and-answer period, addressed the panel by calling attention to The American Legion's effort to fill the dearth of apps aimed at assisting veterans through the launch of Claims Coach, and further urged the panel to bear in mind the essential work that older, more established Veteran Service Organizations – such the Legion – do, from claims processing, to local work though the posts, to advocacy in Washington, D.C.
Legislative Staff Meetings
On Monday, Legislative Staff met with the staff of Senator Orrin Hatch's (UT) office to discuss his sponsorship of the Flag Amendment. Sen. Hatch plans on introducing the legislation on Friday, the June 14 June (Flag Day). Also, Staff met with representatives from The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) to discuss legislation relevant to veterans preference and employment.
On Tuesday, Legislative staff participated in a Seniors Advisory Council meeting hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) to discuss strategies for protecting COLA from the threat of Chained CPI. Also, Staff met with representative from Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's (HI) and Rep Tammy Duckworth (IL) offices to discuss Legion legislative priorities and pending legislations that is being sponsored by the House Armed Services Committee.
Legislative Division testified on a slate of 30 bills on Wednesday, May 15. We are also testified as a witness before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee to discuss The American Legion's position on two specific bills that we are particularly involved in: S. 257: the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act., and S 294 – the Ruth Moore Act, which deals with Military Sexual Trauma.
Also on Wednesday, legislative staff attended an event sponsored by the Heritage Foundation titled "Serving Those Who Serve" and also attended a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veteran Affairs which marked up the proposed FY 2014 MilCon-VA Appropriations measure.
Thursday, legislative Staff attended a hearing of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy, and Trade to discuss the Keystone XL Pipeline and Small Business Jobs. Also on Thursday, Legislative staff met with the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability and Memorial Affairs to discuss an upcoming hearing that our organization is providing testimony for entitled "Expediting Claims or Exploiting Statistics?: An Examination of VA's Special Initiative to Process Rating Claims Pending Over Two Years."
Friday Legislative Staff launched the maiden edition of the Legislative News Letter, and conducted in-house training.
Letters of Support
The American Legion on May 7 sent a letter of support to Rep. Elijah Cummings (MD) giving our organization's support for his proposed amendment to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). This amendment would: (1) protect service members deployed in support of contingency operations from home foreclosures, regardless of when the home was purchase; (2) expand the civil penalties levied against unscrupulous lenders to better reflect the seriousness of violations against SCRA; and (3) mandate a 12-month stay against foreclosures for service members placed on convalescent status, for veterans that are medically discharged, and for surviving spouses of service members whose deaths are service-connected. [Resolution 328-2012]
On May 15, The American Legion sent a letter of support to Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ) giving our organization's support for H.R. 1729, the VA Claims, Operations, and Records Efficiency (CORE) Act. This legislation would codify the commitment VA and the Department of Defense (DOD) have made to developing service records which are easily transferrable in an electronic format between the two departments, such that transitioning service members can be assured that their records are available if and when they need VA assistance. [Resolution 42-2012]
Also on May 15, The American Legion sent a letter of support to Rep. Mark Takano (CA) giving the Legion's support for H.R. 1453, the Work-Study for Student Veterans Act. This legislation would amend title 38, U.S. Code, to extend the authority to provide work-study allowance for certain activities by individuals receiving educational assistance from VA. [Resolution 31-2012]
The American Legion on May 15, sent a second letter of support to Rep. Takano giving the Legion's support for H.R. 844, the VetSuccess Enhancement Act. This legislation would amend title 38, U.S. Code, to extend the eligibility period for veterans to enroll in certain vocational rehabilitation programs. The basic period of eligibility for Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) programs is 12 years from the date a veterans separated from the military, or the date the veteran was first notified by VA of a service-connected disability rating. H.R. 844 would extend this basic eligibility period an additional five years. [Resolution 54-2012]
Update on Flag Amendment Bill
On January 18, House Joint Resolution (H.J. Res.) 19 was introduced by Representative Jo Ann Emerson (MO). This legislation is a proposed constitutional amendment to protect the American flag from physical desecration. Its text states simply: "The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States."
The next task is finding cosponsors for this legislation. Please contact the offices of your representative and senators, and ask them to become cosponsors of the flag amendment in their respective chambers. [Res. 272-2012]


text:
If you need confirmation that cats are secretly evil and are plotting to take over the world, look no further than 'Cats That Look Like Hitler.' This website is dedicated to cats and kitties that have an unfortunate patch of black hair below their noses.
Some of these cats look evil, some look cute, but all have an unfortunate face that led to them being dubbed 'Kitlers.' Check out the Cats That Look Like Hitler site by clicking on the links to your left, or just cruise through the gallery above to see a few of the many infamous 'Kitlers.'
Feline Dictator Blogs
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Contentious Baby Apparel
Fat Cat Blogs
16 Controversial Hilter-Inspired Designs
Shocking Kids' Shows
Dictator Fashion Ads
'Cats That Look like Hitler' Features Menacing 'Kitlers'
- By: Michael HinesSep 18, 2010
References: catsthatlooklikehitler
References: catsthatlooklikehitler