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Author: TriSec    Date: 04/23/2013 10:32:04

Good Morning.

Today is our 4,216th day in Afghanistan.

We'll start this morning as we always do; with the latest casualty figures from our ongoing war, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 2,196
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,081

We find this morning's cost of war passing through:

$ 1, 445, 834, 675, 000 .00


It's been an interesting week around here, that's for sure. As a friend of mine commented, this is zero degrees of separation...everybody in this city knows somebody that ran, worked, or was there. No exceptions. My friend from Scouts, a Mr. Mark Fisette, is also a Guardsman and was there at the scene.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/v/907542_10201167015723978_997743324_n.jpg?oh=5f5c26e65e11c2f5afaba08cdffb140b&oe=5177F2AD&__gda__=1366898527_c8c706057dc28155dc0a756341458995


But he wasn't the only member of the military present that day. There's a significant portion of runners at the marathon that do their bit for various charities, including a Massachusetts Transport Company. They were doing something called a "Ruck March" for their charity....their marathon ended the instant the bombs went off.


First Sgt. Bernard Madore spent most of the Boston Marathon doing what first sergeants do: keeping his men on track, joking around, playfully shouting at the other runners to “get up the hill!”

The fun came to an abrupt end the afternoon of April 15, when two explosive devices went off near the finish line, killing three and injuring more than 180. That’s when Madore’s training kicked in.

“I started looking up and around as soon as it went off to see where’s it going?” Madore told Army Times. “And then there was a secondary bomb, so we paused to look around, because you don’t know if somebody’s going to start shooting or what.”

Madore and several other soldiers from the Massachusetts National Guard’s 1,060th Transportation Company had ruck-marched the 26.2-mile race to raise money for the nonprofit Military Friends Foundation. They were waiting in a medical tent for the last members of their group to catch up when the first blast went off around the corner.

The men rushed toward the scene and immediately began helping first-responders tear down a barricade that separated spectators from the marathon route. When the uninjured were freed, it was on to the next step.

“A medical assistant yelled at me, ‘Hey, Army guy! Go do triage!’ ” Madore recalled.

While others searched out clean rags and water to tend wounds, Madore picked up an unsoiled baby blanket lying on the ground, then moved to help a woman whose burning clothes were being removed to save her skin. He covered her up and put a tourniquet around her ankle as she held her husband’s hand.

Once the woman was taken away, an emergency worker handed Madore a 3-year-old boy with a compound fracture and asked him to make sure the child stayed near his mother, who was on the ground receiving medical attention.

After he’d helped patch up a few victims, Madore regrouped with his men to make sure everyone was safe and accounted for.

“It was elbows-to-elbows, policemen, firemen, first responders, those medical people,” Madore said. “It was amazing how many people just ran in to help that aren’t Army trained.”

Dozens of local guardsmen and Army employees from the Natick Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass., ran in the race, but also downtown that day were more than 400 soldiers from the Massachusetts Guard’s 747th Military Police Company, who shifted from security personnel to first-responders in a matter of seconds.

“The Boston Marathon is one event that we proudly serve each year in concert with local, state and federal agencies,” 79th Troop Command commander Lt. Col. Mark Merlino said in a statement the morning of the race. “Our guardsmen really seem to enjoy interacting with crowds of people who come to enjoy the marathon.”


We'll shift gears dramatically, but perhaps not so much. Many things happen on Patriot's Day. Passing almost un-noticed this year was the 71st anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. I"m sure I don't need to recount the story. Last week, 3 of the last 4 living members of the crew met for what was billed as the last time in Destin, Florida...not very far from Eglin AFB where they learned how to get their B-25s off a carrier lo, those many years ago. I've been to Dayton and have seen The Goblets with my own eyes. Being a WWII geek myself, and my area of expertise is the Pacific...it was a very humbling experience.


DESTIN, Fla. — Retired Col. Dick Cole poked his head out of the window of the B-25 Mitchell, its massive propellers spinning and diesel engine sputtering. It had been 71 years since he flew in the same type of plane for the Doolittle Raiders’ bombing mission to Japan that ultimately set into motion the strategic moves that ended with Japan’s naval defeat at Midway.

Now 97, Cole showed he still has the right stuff as he took the controls of the B-25.

“It’s the same as it was then,” he said. “All I did was prove how rusty I am.”

The flight in the B-25 was part of the final Doolittle Raiders reunion April 17-21 at Fort Walton Beach, not far from the Eglin Field airstrip where crews trained to get the lumbering Mitchell off the ground in 500 feet to mimic their takeoff on an aircraft carrier.

Larry Kelley, who owns the vintage B-25 aircraft that Cole flew April 17, choked up when trying to explain what it meant to him to meet Cole and the other raiders over the past several years.

“Here are some of the most famous aviators that came out of World War II, and they’ve never put a nickel in their pocket for notoriety,” he said.

Instead, any money from book signings and appearances has always gone to the James H. Doolittle Scholarship Fund for aviation students.

Kelley said sitting beside Cole while Cole took the controls of the B-25 and landed the aircraft was a highlight of his life as a World War II and aviation buff.

“Oh yeah, he did most of the flying today. He did the landing. He’s dead on. I kept looking over the altimeter. I told him to hold 1,500 feet and I kept looking at the altimeter and it was dead on, not 1,499 feet, not 1,501 feet. He had the altimeter pegged at 1,500 feet,” he said.

The surviving Doolittle Raiders have held reunions to carry on the legacy of the mission. At every gathering, there is a case with 80 silver goblets inscribed with each raider’s name. Only four remain upright; the rest are inverted for those who died in the raid or since. The surviving raiders offer a toast in remembrance to those who “gave their all in success of our mission, and to those who have joined them since.”

The four who remain are: Cole; former Staff Sgt. David Thatcher, 91, a Silver Star recipient; retired Lt. Col. Edward Saylor; and retired Lt. Col. Robert Hite, 93. Hite did not travel to the reunion.

The importance of the reunion being the final one is “overblown,” Cole said, “but apparently the public likes it so we have to live with it.”

A private gathering will be held this year, where the final four will sip from a bottle of Hennessy cognac from 1896, the year mission commander James Doolittle was born, and toast one last time to all of those who made the mission.


Finally this morning....the needs of our modern military doesn't change from week to week, and the VA is finally trying to tackle their enormous claims background. I hope it is not cosmetic, but from the story it sounds like they might finally have some people with different ideas around, and they're not afraid to try them. (Process Improvement, as we call it in the industry.) I've done this myself - we have a mantra that if we have an idea, it doesn't hurt to try it for 21 business days to see if it works. (There's a reason for that figure, but I won't get into it today.) If it fails...at least we tried, and we can go right back to what we used to do. In any case...I hope it all works out.


The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to quickly eliminate its backlog of older disability claims by assigning provisional ratings that take shortcuts in the normal approval process.

About 250,000 claims pending for more than a year will be handled in this unprecedented fashion under a plan announced April 19 by VA Undersecretary for Benefits Allison Hickey that could put money in the pockets of veterans within months.

In the short term, Hickey said, the current average processing time for claims, 286 days, may rise, but she predicted a dramatic drop in the pile of about 804,000 pending disability compensation claims. About 570,000 pending claims are older than VA’s 125-day goal, but only about 250,000 are older than a year or more, VA spokesman Josh Taylor said.

Giving top priority to the oldest claims means newer claims will take longer to process, but Hickey said priority will be given to new claims from Medal of Honor recipients; former prisoners of war; terminally ill vets; troops separating through a “wounded warrior” program; and anyone filing a fully developed claim with help from a veterans service organization.

Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman, said VA’s idea “sounds promising” but it remains to be seen if it is “good policy rather than just good PR.”

“VA has a responsibility to make sure it doesn’t use this program as an excuse for letting average claims processing times continue their steady ascent indefinitely,” Miller said, noting he does not like the idea of shifting resources from processing new claims “just to clear out old ones.”

While there are concerns about the process, particularly the accuracy of hastily assigned disability ratings, the move was praised by lawmakers who have pressed VA on its claims backlog.


So, we have some varied things to ponder today. But given the way the week was...it's good to get a little bit of normalcy back.
 

49 comments (Latest Comment: 04/23/2013 22:40:59 by livingonli)
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Comment by wickedpam on 04/23/2013 12:44:21
Morning

Comment by BobR on 04/23/2013 13:36:07
I read the link about the 4 surviving members of the Doolittle crew, and I don't understand why it was deemed to be the last one. Do they think that none of them will be able to return next year?

Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 13:38:12
OK, Macaroni and Rocky mountain mike? THIS IS BRILLIANT parody....

Comment by BobR on 04/23/2013 13:49:20
Raine - I believe you were asking about Glen Beck's big story yesterday?

Comment by wickedpam on 04/23/2013 13:54:29
Quote by BobR:
Raine - I believe you were asking about Glen Beck's big story yesterday?



oh lord

idiots

I wondered why people were posting crap about that Saudi guy on Frank Wolf's FB posts.

Comment by trojanrabbit on 04/23/2013 14:02:36
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by BobR:
Raine - I believe you were asking about Glen Beck's big story yesterday?



oh lord

idiots

I wondered why people were posting crap about that Saudi guy on Frank Wolf's FB posts.


No matter how hard they try, we aren't going to do anything to the Saudis.

I guess we should wait for Glenn's next big story that links it to the Iranians too.

Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 14:05:12
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by BobR:
Raine - I believe you were asking about Glen Beck's big story yesterday?



oh lord

idiots

I wondered why people were posting crap about that Saudi guy on Frank Wolf's FB posts.

Oh, wait... there is more.... (wingnut video alert)


It's worthy for the audio --



Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 14:12:41
Less wingy video.


Comment by wickedpam on 04/23/2013 14:36:17
So according to Duncan the only reason you can be deported is because its terrorism related?

Comment by Scoopster on 04/23/2013 14:41:16
Mornin' all..

Well, there was some quick progress on the apartment hunt yesterday. I found what looks like a REALLY promising lead in a fantastic area of Providence. Also I think I stumbled onto something in the housing laws that may kick my current landlord's ass big time - for YEARS he's been charging me for maintaining his lawn and claiming it as a utility fee.

Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 15:03:26
You know, I thought early on that this entire mess in Boston -- these two brothers seemed more like DC Sniper case and Columbine -- This article seems to point to that as well.

Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 15:04:51
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all..

Well, there was some quick progress on the apartment hunt yesterday. I found what looks like a REALLY promising lead in a fantastic area of Providence. Also I think I stumbled onto something in the housing laws that may kick my current landlord's ass big time - for YEARS he's been charging me for maintaining his lawn and claiming it as a utility fee.
Wait: you were his landscaper? and he CHARGED YOU??


Comment by Scoopster on 04/23/2013 15:13:59
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all..

Well, there was some quick progress on the apartment hunt yesterday. I found what looks like a REALLY promising lead in a fantastic area of Providence. Also I think I stumbled onto something in the housing laws that may kick my current landlord's ass big time - for YEARS he's been charging me for maintaining his lawn and claiming it as a utility fee.
Wait: you were his landscaper? and he CHARGED YOU??

Not even. When I first moved in he had a landscaper and didn't charge me anything. Then he started doing it himself & charging me for it - starting at $20 per mowing (usually weekly) and raising it slowly. Last year it was $50 per mowing. I offered several times over the years to do it for him as long as he didn't charge me & he paid for just the gas, but he refused every time claiming he didn't want to be responsible if I dropped dead from heat stroke.

Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 15:17:24
Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all..

Well, there was some quick progress on the apartment hunt yesterday. I found what looks like a REALLY promising lead in a fantastic area of Providence. Also I think I stumbled onto something in the housing laws that may kick my current landlord's ass big time - for YEARS he's been charging me for maintaining his lawn and claiming it as a utility fee.
Wait: you were his landscaper? and he CHARGED YOU??

Not even. When I first moved in he had a landscaper and didn't charge me anything. Then he started doing it himself & charging me for it - starting at $20 per mowing (usually weekly) and raising it slowly. Last year it was $50 per mowing. I offered several times over the years to do it for him as long as he didn't charge me & he paid for just the gas, but he refused every time claiming he didn't want to be responsible if I dropped dead from heat stroke.
The F*ck.



Comment by wickedpam on 04/23/2013 15:20:00
Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all..

Well, there was some quick progress on the apartment hunt yesterday. I found what looks like a REALLY promising lead in a fantastic area of Providence. Also I think I stumbled onto something in the housing laws that may kick my current landlord's ass big time - for YEARS he's been charging me for maintaining his lawn and claiming it as a utility fee.
Wait: you were his landscaper? and he CHARGED YOU??

Not even. When I first moved in he had a landscaper and didn't charge me anything. Then he started doing it himself & charging me for it - starting at $20 per mowing (usually weekly) and raising it slowly. Last year it was $50 per mowing. I offered several times over the years to do it for him as long as he didn't charge me & he paid for just the gas, but he refused every time claiming he didn't want to be responsible if I dropped dead from heat stroke.



$50 PER mow?! That's like $200 a month extra he's charging you. I get teens at my door asking to mow the lawn for $10 at the most all summer long. Plus it was HIS house so he should be paying to upkeep, not you. Definitely get your money back.


Comment by TriSec on 04/23/2013 15:37:44
Quote by BobR:
I read the link about the 4 surviving members of the Doolittle crew, and I don't understand why it was deemed to be the last one. Do they think that none of them will be able to return next year?


My read on this is that they're all over 90 and it's extremely difficult to travel. (One of them is 97!) One or more may or may not still be with us in a year's time, but it would be just as hard to get everyone together as this time.




Comment by Will in Chicago on 04/23/2013 15:40:24
Good morning, bloggers!

I had a weird morning. I got a call for a late half day sub assignment, showed up and the teacher or someone else was there. So, for waiting five minutes for someone to see me at the high school, I got paid for a half day of work.

It is said that the last Doolitle Raiders reunion happened, but it could not go on for much longer. My hope is that the surviving members of the Raiders will keep in close contact.

It is reassuring to see how many people responded to help at the Boston Marathon.

Comment by trojanrabbit on 04/23/2013 15:42:48
Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 15:46:50


Ahh the french...

Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 15:47:11
Comment by BobR on 04/23/2013 15:53:48
Comment by TriSec on 04/23/2013 15:55:15
Quote by trojanrabbit:
You have GOT to be shitting me!



He's not President anymore - that's a significant improvement in my eyes.



Comment by Will in Chicago on 04/23/2013 15:56:43
Quote by TriSec:
Quote by trojanrabbit:
You have GOT to be shitting me!



He's not President anymore - that's a significant improvement in my eyes.




Maybe we are the United States of Amnesia.

Comment by trojanrabbit on 04/23/2013 16:03:55
Quote by Will in Chicago:
Quote by TriSec:
Quote by trojanrabbit:
You have GOT to be shitting me!



He's not President anymore - that's a significant improvement in my eyes.




Maybe we are the United States of Amnesia.


I'd only consider an improvement to be him sharing a cell block with Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rove, Pelosi etc

Comment by wickedpam on 04/23/2013 16:06:05
Hey Will, can you add my Aunt Bev to your Synagogue's pray list?

Comment by Scoopster on 04/23/2013 16:06:20
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all..

Well, there was some quick progress on the apartment hunt yesterday. I found what looks like a REALLY promising lead in a fantastic area of Providence. Also I think I stumbled onto something in the housing laws that may kick my current landlord's ass big time - for YEARS he's been charging me for maintaining his lawn and claiming it as a utility fee.
Wait: you were his landscaper? and he CHARGED YOU??

Not even. When I first moved in he had a landscaper and didn't charge me anything. Then he started doing it himself & charging me for it - starting at $20 per mowing (usually weekly) and raising it slowly. Last year it was $50 per mowing. I offered several times over the years to do it for him as long as he didn't charge me & he paid for just the gas, but he refused every time claiming he didn't want to be responsible if I dropped dead from heat stroke.

$50 PER mow?! That's like $200 a month extra he's charging you. I get teens at my door asking to mow the lawn for $10 at the most all summer long. Plus it was HIS house so he should be paying to upkeep, not you. Definitely get your money back.

Just called the state's legal referral service for their "free consultation" and it was.. well.. much less than advertised. All they did was say 'we can refer you to an attorney who will then charge you your first-born on retainer'.

After doing some quick math to find out if this is a small claims matter (it's not) I then dropped a couple emails to local lawfirms asking for advice.

Comment by wickedpam on 04/23/2013 16:08:17
Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all..

Well, there was some quick progress on the apartment hunt yesterday. I found what looks like a REALLY promising lead in a fantastic area of Providence. Also I think I stumbled onto something in the housing laws that may kick my current landlord's ass big time - for YEARS he's been charging me for maintaining his lawn and claiming it as a utility fee.
Wait: you were his landscaper? and he CHARGED YOU??

Not even. When I first moved in he had a landscaper and didn't charge me anything. Then he started doing it himself & charging me for it - starting at $20 per mowing (usually weekly) and raising it slowly. Last year it was $50 per mowing. I offered several times over the years to do it for him as long as he didn't charge me & he paid for just the gas, but he refused every time claiming he didn't want to be responsible if I dropped dead from heat stroke.

$50 PER mow?! That's like $200 a month extra he's charging you. I get teens at my door asking to mow the lawn for $10 at the most all summer long. Plus it was HIS house so he should be paying to upkeep, not you. Definitely get your money back.

Just called the state's legal referral service for their "free consultation" and it was.. well.. much less than advertised. All they did was say 'we can refer you to an attorney who will then charge you your first-born on retainer'.

After doing some quick math to find out if this is a small claims matter (it's not) I then dropped a couple emails to local lawfirms asking for advice.



Virginia has something like that for communityies with HOA's and Condo Associations - they aren't much help either. They never give the advice you need just that they can't interpret the law.

Comment by Will in Chicago on 04/23/2013 16:17:49
Quote by wickedpam:
Hey Will, can you add my Aunt Bev to your Synagogue's pray list?



Sure, can you give me her last name. (I am WIlliam Ronald over on Facebook.) I hope that things go well for your Aunt Bev. Fortunately, we can now do things medically that would have been called science fiction a few decades ago. I am keeping her and you in my thoughts and prayers.

In some good news, if I can get a little more income in the next few weeks, I will get the VA Teaching License. A lot of my tax refund had to go to expenses.

Comment by wickedpam on 04/23/2013 16:24:40
Quote by Will in Chicago:
Quote by wickedpam:
Hey Will, can you add my Aunt Bev to your Synagogue's pray list?



Sure, can you give me her last name. (I am WIlliam Ronald over on Facebook.) I hope that things go well for your Aunt Bev. Fortunately, we can now do things medically that would have been called science fiction a few decades ago. I am keeping her and you in my thoughts and prayers.

In some good news, if I can get a little more income in the next few weeks, I will get the VA Teaching License. A lot of my tax refund had to go to expenses.



Thank you - Beverly Dietz. I think the power of prayer and positive thought helps in ways science hasn't figured out yet.

I need to find you on the book of faces (I'm Pamala Weinlein)

That sounds great for the VA teaching license - I really hope it all pans out. I have a couple of friends who are teachers (one in Prince William County Schools and one in a private extra crispy Baptists school) if I hear anything else I'll let you know

Comment by TriSec on 04/23/2013 16:37:50
Say, in other news, I had my meeting this morning with Councilor Tom Stanley...I am officially on his re-election campaign, and still awaiting the outcome of the Markey race to see if my neighbor is going to run for that seat.

This is all long-range machinations for the Mayoral race of 2015 in this city, and my now planned for City Council run in that same year.

Donate Now! (Actually, I ought to look into setting up a PAC so I can fundraise now.)


Comment by livingonli on 04/23/2013 17:02:03
Good day, folks. Bush's approval ratings going up may be proof that most Americans are either ADD or don't have any memory beyond the short term.

Comment by Will in Chicago on 04/23/2013 17:04:34
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Will in Chicago:
Quote by wickedpam:
Hey Will, can you add my Aunt Bev to your Synagogue's pray list?



Sure, can you give me her last name. (I am WIlliam Ronald over on Facebook.) I hope that things go well for your Aunt Bev. Fortunately, we can now do things medically that would have been called science fiction a few decades ago. I am keeping her and you in my thoughts and prayers.

In some good news, if I can get a little more income in the next few weeks, I will get the VA Teaching License. A lot of my tax refund had to go to expenses.



Thank you - Beverly Dietz. I think the power of prayer and positive thought helps in ways science hasn't figured out yet.

I need to find you on the book of faces (I'm Pamala Weinlein)

That sounds great for the VA teaching license - I really hope it all pans out. I have a couple of friends who are teachers (one in Prince William County Schools and one in a private extra crispy Baptists school) if I hear anything else I'll let you know



I fear that Mayor Rahm Emmanuel's plans to close 53 Chicago Public Schools will flood the market with teachers. NW Indiana is not hiring teacher's with Masters, so it is time to check out East -- whether the Bay State or the Old Dominion.

Comment by Will in Chicago on 04/23/2013 17:07:24
Quote by TriSec:
Say, in other news, I had my meeting this morning with Councilor Tom Stanley...I am officially on his re-election campaign, and still awaiting the outcome of the Markey race to see if my neighbor is going to run for that seat.

This is all long-range machinations for the Mayoral race of 2015 in this city, and my now planned for City Council run in that same year.

Donate Now! (Actually, I ought to look into setting up a PAC so I can fundraise now.)



Well, if I end up in Massachusetts, expect some help.

Comment by Will in Chicago on 04/23/2013 17:08:01
Mike Pappantonio coming on to talk about the Miranda rights issue in the Boston bombing case.

Comment by trojanrabbit on 04/23/2013 17:44:05
AP's Twitter account hacked. Bombing of White House announced. DJIA drops 100 points in one minute.

Stupid fucks. That person should get an all-expense paid trip to Gitmo.

Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 17:53:01
Quote by trojanrabbit:
AP's Twitter account hacked. Bombing of White House announced. DJIA drops 100 points in one minute.

Stupid fucks. That person should get an all-expense paid trip to Gitmo.
Could have been CNN...


Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 18:18:09
So, Elvis Ricin presley appears to have been released...

Comment by Will in Chicago on 04/23/2013 19:09:11
Comment by Will in Chicago on 04/23/2013 19:12:01
Mike Newcomb on again today for Thom Hartmann and will be in Friday. So, I will find something else to listen to today and Friday. (I am not sure why Thom is off, but I hope that he and Louise are well.)

Comment by TriSec on 04/23/2013 19:48:51
Congress shall make no law about religion.

They make lots of laws about child abuse, don't they?

Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 20:06:57
Quote by Will in Chicago:
Good riddance. From the Huffington Post: Max Baucus Retiring: Montana Democrat Won't Seek Another Term In U.S. Senate
Looks like Former Gov. Brian Schweitzer might run for the seat.

I would like to see the Dems hold that seat.






Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 20:08:15

First France now Rhode ISland?

GOOD DAY FOR


Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 20:14:01
He's such a POS.

SERIOUSLY. You should here what he said today on WTOP radio. Take a listen.




Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 20:19:27
Fucking congress and their fucking sequester:

The Pentagon long has battled with Congress over politically sensitive spending cuts. But this year, military officials say Congress' refusal to retire ships and aircraft means the Navy and Air Force are spending roughly $5 billion more than they would if they were allowed to make the cuts. In some cases Congress restored funds to compensate for the changes, but the result overall was lost savings.

In other cases, frustrated military leaders quietly complained that they were being forced to furlough civilians, ground Air Force training flights and delay or cancel ship deployments to the Middle East and South America, while Congress refuses to accept savings in other places that could ease those pains.

Along the eastern seaboard, two Navy cruisers -- the USS Anzio in Norfolk, Va., and the USS Vicksburg in Mayport, Fla. -- were scheduled for retirement this year but both are now sitting pierside. Navy leaders will soon schedule the ships for significant repairs and begin readying their crews so they can go back into service.




Comment by Raine on 04/23/2013 20:26:43
RIP Allan Arbus.

Many knew him as Dr. Sydney Freedman on M*A*S*H -- One of my fave recurring characters on the show.

Did you know that he was married to photographer Diane Arbus for over 25 years?




Comment by Will in Chicago on 04/23/2013 21:11:47
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Will in Chicago:
Good riddance. From the Huffington Post: Max Baucus Retiring: Montana Democrat Won't Seek Another Term In U.S. Senate
Looks like Former Gov. Brian Schweitzer might run for the seat.

I would like to see the Dems hold that seat.







My cousin Ron has served as a campaign spokesman for Governor Schweitzer. So, I imagine he may be involved in the campaign if the govenor runs.

Comment by livingonli on 04/23/2013 22:40:59
Quote by Raine:
So, Elvis Ricin presley appears to have been released...

Make It Plain on SiriusXM is saying the charges have been dropped.