GOP senators block bill expanding care for veterans exposed to toxins

Republican lawmakers blocked passage of a bill in the U.S. Senate Wednesday that expands healthcare coverage for military veterans who were exposed to toxins and burn pits during their service.

All Democrats and eight Republicans voted for the Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act, but the 55 yes votes fell short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster in the Senate. Three Senators did not vote.

The PACT Act, which the House passed earlier this month, would enable additional healthcare coverage for more than three million veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits and Vietnam-era veterans exposed to the deadly herbicide Agent Orange.

https://news.yahoo.com/gop-senators-block-bill-expanding-032616654.html


February 2011, the Veterans Administration published its final regulation regarding the PRESUMPTION OF HERBICIDE EXPOSURE (AGENT ORANGE) as it pertains to veterans who served in or near the Korean DMZ during the Vietnam War. Specifically, VA now PRESUMES HERBICIDE EXPOSURE for any veteran who served on the DMZ between September 1, 1967 and August 31, 1971.

I was assigned to HHC 3rd Brigade 2ID from March 1970 to March 1971 on the DMZ. I am awaiting confirmation of prostate cancer.

Time for my two cents worth

By default the approval mechanism for entries falls mostly on the winner of the previous contest with input from the public facing moderator. As the winner of a few contests, I have had the occasion to deny entries because the SUBJECT matter did not qualify, not because I deemed the vision and method of the photographer to not be to my liking.

My personal opinion, and I have stated this many times, is that the subjects listed should be open to the ARTIST'S interpretation and vision. The subsequent judging by the larger population of the General Discussion Board is then responsible for determining the applicability of that vision to the subject listed and if that population doesn't like the entry they are free not to vote for it. But to be told that one's vision is not photography is ludicrous.

I understand not everyone holds this opinion and would want a more strict interpretation of subject matter, and might feel any change to the photo as received by the sensor or surface of the film to be an abomination. I disagree however. Would you stand before a painting and turn to the artist and admonish them for using the blue and not red and claim this is not painting?

I pre-approved Andy's photo and I stand behind my decision.


ADDENDUM FOR SECOND THOUGHTS

the winner of the previous contest is free to stipulate anything they want, i.e. no photoshop, major photoshop only and let your freak flag fly, (the kids don't still say that do they?) no noise cleanup, virtually anything.
thank you

LOL, Morton's DC YELP page

I've got my eye on you

I know you're scared
And I know what you've been through
Look in my eyes
Can you see I'm frightened too
So lets take one step at a time

I won't give up
That's one thing I swear will be true
For its said by the wise
Keep your eye on the prize
And I've got my eye on you

My recent retail experience

We always shopped at Pep Boys for auto parts, but they were bought by Carl Icahn and now only provide service, the parts stores were bought by Auto Zone. Went to Auto Zone yesterday and here is the feedback I sent to Corporate:

"My third and last visit to your new store #XXXX, found two behind the counter employees LOUDLY expressing blatant QAnon conspiracy theories about high gas prices including how the President, on day one, closed a pipeline and is now blaming V. Putin, and on and on and on. I did not bother to correct these two on the subject, I walked out of your store. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I do not have to suffer listening to them. I have worked retail. One thing no one wants is personal opinions injected into their shopping experience. If these employees are not intelligent enough to know better than do this in front of customers, AutoZone has a personnel problem. I completed my purchase at the nearby Advance Auto Parts. Take this in the spirit offered, to correct things."

Reply received in two days:

Good afternoon
My name is Renee I am the district manager for the store XXXX.
I have received your issue you had at my store. I apologize about your experience and have already had a discussion with the employees at that store. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience!
Thank you,
Renee
District Manager



I wonder if she actually talked to them and did anything about it?

Back in Aug 2020 AndyS posted a water drop photo

which reminded me of one I took years ago. I have never found the negative, but did have an 11x14 print, which I took a photo of and did a little work to clean up. not perfect, not as good as an original but at least interesting I think

Anyone do the Korean DMZ?

HHC 3RD BDE 2nd Div

We were all about command communications, radio, telephone, teletype, and satchel. My squad, which you will see repetitious photos of, among other things ran a courier service to Panmunjom daily and I was in charge of the Brigade switchboard and operators. Right at the end of my tour the Army replaced the switchboard with a Stromberg XY dial office. Before being drafted in the Marines in 1969 and joining the Army instead, I had worked for GTE.

Only 17 years after hostilities was basic living conditions (we were paid hostile fire pay, same as my brothers that were dying in VN, $80/month as I remember). Barracks were single story fiberglass coated plywood with diesel space heaters, one big room with 100 bunk beds. We were only allowed to wear civilian clothes after going south of the river, never in the DMZ. All dirt roads right up to the end of my tour when units rotated south of the river. We saw 100 F and no wind during the summer, and -65 F wind chill during the winter (we had inflatable ‘mickey mouse” boots and warm parkas). When it was that cold, everyone relaxed because you knew NK's diesels would not start either. You will notice in the barracks we each had a cabinet stuffed with as much personal stuff as it would hold. We never had “inspections”, really relaxed for grunt life. I guess being sacrificial had its benefits, had hostilities happened, the bridge would be blown and we would hang on as long as possible.

I can’t tell you how many hours I have spent cleaning and restoring these 52-year-old negatives and slides. A few at the end I left “as is” because it definitely fit the mood, BURNED OUT. I wasn’t sure what to expect emotionally with the project, a few tears and more than a few laughs for sure. Photographically, these are not the photos I would take today. This was my first SLR, and only three months past my 20th birthday.

I co-opted a sign photo to separate the sections, Bob Hope, JSA/Panmunjom, Freedom Bridge and south to Seoul, around the Company area, some fun stuff, switchboard, portraits (notice original minefields sign), and finally, what it was like after 12 months.

Enjoy would not be the correct term, but I hope you find it at least interesting. It is exactly like being there, except completely different. My final thought at completion was, “I can’t believe this actually happened”, but it did.

Take a look here: https://jamesdevore.smugmug.com/60-YEAR-JOURNEY-IN-PHOTOGRAPHY/DEMILITERIZED-ZONE-CIRCA-1970

For this special day, Arlington 1964

Everyone is invited to the DMZ Circa 1970

First, a foundation

Our Company was all about command communications, radio, telephone, teletype, and satchel. My squad, which you will see repetitious photos of, among other things ran a courier service to Panmunjom daily and I was in charge of the Brigade switchboard and operators. The photos are not what one might expect from the DMZ. Photography was forbidden on the fence, so there would have been none of that anyway. (I did nab a couple of outpost photos)

Life only 17 years after cessation of hostilities was better than combat living conditions (we were paid hostile fire pay, same as my brothers that were dying in VN, $80/month as I remember). Barracks were single story fiberglass coated plywood with diesel space heaters, one big room with 100 bunk beds. We were allowed to wear civilian clothes ONLY after going south of the river, never in the DMZ. All dirt roads right up to the end of my tour when units rotated south of the river. I experienced 100 F and no wind during the summer, and -65 F wind chill during the winter (we had inflatable ‘mickey mouse” boots and warm parkas). When it was that cold, everyone relaxed because you knew NK diesels would not start either. You will notice in the barracks we each had a cabinet stuffed with as much personal items as it would hold. We never had “inspections”, really relaxed for grunt life. I guess being sacrificial had its benefits, had hostilities happened, the bridge would be blown and we would hang on as long as possible.

I can’t tell you how many hours I have spent cleaning and restoring these 52-year-old negatives and slides. A few at the end I left “as is” because it definitely fit the mood, BURNED OUT. I wasn’t sure what to expect emotionally with the project, a few tears and more than a few laughs for sure. Photographically, these are not the photos I would take today. This was my first SLR, with a barely 20-year-old brain, but I can see glimmers of composition forming. Today I would spend much more time south of the river photographing a very beautiful country and wonderful people.

I co-opted a sign photo to separate the sections, Bob Hope, JSA/Panmunjom, Freedom Bridge and south to Seoul, around the Company area, some fun stuff, switchboard, portraits (notice original minefields sign), and finally, what it was like after 12 months.

Enjoy would not be the correct term, but I hope you find it at least interesting. It is exactly like being there, except completely different. My final thought at completion was, “I can’t believe this actually happened”

https://jamesdevore.smugmug.com/60-YEAR-JOURNEY-IN-PHOTOGRAPHY/DEMILITERIZED-ZONE-CIRCA-1970

What law was broken by the "leaker"?

not that anyone I have seen said they did............

the court has no ethics rules