Open Thread: Blue Monday

"Don't stop thinking about tomorrow." (0.00 / 0)

Conservatives never start.

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by: hannah @ Mon Dec 14, 2009 at 08:55:26 AM CST

How old is the profession of journalism? (0.00 / 0)

If I could believe the industry was giving someone with a troubled past a second chance -- like John Waters casting Patty Hearst in one of hils films -- that would be one thing, and I'd be all for it.

But I can't convince myself of that in this case.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nyti...

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by: JimC @ Mon Dec 14, 2009 at 13:05:40 PM CST

Remember (4.00 / 1)

Amy Fisher, the so-called "Long Island Lolita"? She had a newspaper column, too. May still have, for all I know.

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by: Jennifer Daler @ Mon Dec 14, 2009 at 14:08:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I don't remember that (0.00 / 0)

But I believe you.

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by: JimC @ Mon Dec 14, 2009 at 14:49:07 PM CST

[ Parent ]

VA Budget increased by $15 Billion (4.00 / 1)

Thank you, President Obama and Congressional Democrats.

The VA's fiscal 2010 budget of $109.6 billion has passed through Congress and is on its way to POTUS for his signature. It should be noted that this budget is up $15 billion from 2009.

(bold mine)

** OEF/OIF vets: $2.1 billion specifically for the health care needs of veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, a $463 million increase over last year. That includes new research and treatment programs for mental health issues and traumatic brain injuries.

** Claims processors: $1.7 billion to hire roughly 1,200 additional claims processors to address the backlog of benefits claims and to reduce the time to process new claims. That's up $223 million from 2009.

** Homeless vets: $3.2 billion for healthcare and support services for homeless veterans, including $26 million for a presidential initiative to combat homelessness, $20 million for supportive services for low-income veterans and families, and $21 million to hire additional personnel for the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program.

** Electronic records: $3.3 billion to develop the next generation of electronic healthcare record

** Women veterans: $183 million to "meet the unique needs of women veterans" and respond to criticisms of a male-dominated VA system.

** Rural services: $440 million to continue outreach to vets living in remote areas of the country, including a $250 million continuation of the Rural Health Initiative.

** Prosthetic research: $581 million (up $71 million from last year) for research in spinal cord injuries, burn injuries, polytrauma injuries, and sensory loss.

** VA construction: $1.9 billion, including $1.2 billion for new hospitals and clinics and  $50 million for the renovation of vacant buildings on VA campuses to be used as housing for homeless veterans.

The points I chose to bold are not "more important," but they are of interest to me.

-Imo, women have crossed a threshold, this decade, in terms of combat operations. There are more women serving in "this man's Army" and they are serving to a far greater degree in direct combat. One way to recognize this fact is by the budget increase that you see above.

-I haven't seen anything specific, but I'm hoping that NH gets some serious help with VA facilities.


www.KusterforCongress.com - www.paulhodesforsenate.com

www.nikitsongas.com - www.devalpatrick.com

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Mon Dec 14, 2009 at 15:27:40 PM CST

Lots of Blue Monday mashups (0.00 / 0)

Here's one with MIA:

Also Talking Heads, Rhianna, and Lady GaGa.

birch, finch, beech

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by: Dean Barker @ Mon Dec 14, 2009 at 18:55:49 PM CST