The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the release of 68 new forms that will help speed the processing of Veterans' disability compensation and pension claims. These disability benefits questionnaires (DBQs) guide physicians' reports of medical findings to be used by the VA. DBQ's can be found at VA's Disability Benefits Questionnaires webpage. Veterans may file a claim online through the eBenefits website.
(Yeah, yeah, I know... Forms, forms, forms... But, yer dealing with the government here, so whadda ya expect? Anyway, as I always tell vets applying for compensation, it's all about documentation. The VA will not take yer word for it. The do want to help you, hence the announcement and I know from personal experience, but ya gotta jump through some hoops. Just gotta suck it up and deal with it... Note: If you are denied, Appeal!)
Members of the clergy in rural areas can sign up for free, one-day workshops offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to educate these community leaders about the concerns of veterans and how to contact local VA facilities to request information or assistance for Veterans. Workshops will run through June in rural parts of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Seating for the workshops is limited and pre-registration is required. For more information about dates and locations, visit VA's Rural Clergy Training webpage or contact Jim Goalder at 1-800-872-9975.
(I know that a lot of rural vets, particularly in those areas noted, have close relationships with their churches (or their families do) and it's good that the clergy know how to contact the VA for vets that need help or are struggling... Intervention by proxy, as it were, if needed and certainly a valuable resource to help vets that may not be able to help themselves. I'm thinking aged vets as well as the younger ones recently deployed and now left to fend for themselves...)
Are you a wounded, ill or injured service member looking to increase your career readiness and use your time productively while you recover? Consider participating in an Operation Warfighter internship! To get an idea of how an internship could help you during your recovery and rehabilitation, read the story of one of the interns on the DoD Warrior Care Blog. For more information about Federal internship opportunities, send an e-mail to warriorcare@osd.mil.
(Note that this program includes ill or injured vets, not just the wounded...)
Eligible Sailors separating due to the Enlisted Retention Board (ERB) who have ten years of qualifying service before their separation date will be allowed to transfer their Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to qualified dependents. ERB Sailors without ten years of qualifying service must affiliate with the Reserves and commit to serving four years as a drilling Reservist to transfer their benefits. For information on transferability, visit the Post 9/11 GI Bill website...
(This could be very helpful for those being separated that have teens soon to be college-bound.)
California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. recently met with 102 year-old WWII veteran Bea Cohen at the State Capitol in Sacramento, as part of celebrations honoring Women's Military History Week. Ms. Cohen is believed to be the oldest living female WWII veteran in California and one of the oldest in the country. Watch Ms. Cohen on YouTube, follow her on Facebook , and read Governor Brown's press release.
(I've had the pleasure of talking to several WWII women veterans who were residents at the very fine VA nursing home facility at the Battle Creek VAMC. I was a volunteer with the title of 'Friendly Visitor' and I stopped in twice a week. I played cards with them or just sat and talked. Most were WWII or Korean War vets with some Vietnam Era. I was particularly interested in the WWII vets and there were a number of WAC's and WAVE's. Those ladies were a hoot!... as were many of the stories they told...)
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In closing, I wanted to comment on yesterday's 'Rock Beyond Belief' picture. It said, "Being a soldier requires dedication, not faith". I believe that being an active duty person does require faith, not in any religion mind you now, but in your fellow comrade's abilities and fortitude. You have to have faith that they will have your 'back' when the going gets tough... IMHO
Mark Shields: "Political Humor: A Serious Matter" (Creators Syndicate)
At Washington's annual Gridiron dinner, where there are three guest speakers - a Democrat, a Republican and the president or his designated substitute - Texas Gov. Rick Perry brilliantly kidded himself about his factual gaffes and failed campaign. Noting President Obama's absence, he added: "I read that he is in Korea, at the DMZ. Would somebody tell me, why do you have to go all the way to Korea to get a driver's license?Must be something to do with that birth certificate thing."
Marilyn Preston: "The Secret of Spring: Three Ways to Jump Start Your Fitness" (Creators Syndicate)
Spring, dear readers, is nature's way of saying you can begin again. It's as true for your own health and wellness as it is for trees. Spring is the high season for personal renewal, the perfect time to plant new seeds and celebrate new growth. A new seed on your path to a healthier lifestyle might look like deciding to give up artificial sugars and processed food. The new growth is your increasing awareness of how much better you feel when you don't fill your body with energy-zapping, fat-boosting additives and chemicals.
David Bruce has 42 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $42 you can buy 10,500 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," "Maximum Cool," and "Resist Psychic Death."
C.P.O. Sharkey is an American sitcom which aired from 1976 to 1978 on NBC.
The series starred Don Rickles as a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy. C.P.O. Otto Sharkey was an abrasive, sharp-tongued veteran in charge of a company of new Seaman Recruits on a San Diego naval base.
The series was the first American prime-time TV series to have a punk rock themed episode, with San Fernando Valley punk rock band, The Dickies, making a guest appearance.
Source
Alan J was first, and correct, with:
C.P.O. Sharkey
mj wrote:
wild guess (again)
Happy Days.
Regarding yesterday's question, until recently (5-10 years ago) fine wines still had lead foil over the corks. It occurred to me that if you were drinking enough wine for the lead in the foil to be a problem the lead in the foil wasn't your biggest problem.
Jim from CA, retired to ID, responded:
C.P.O. Sharkey
Charlie replied:
It was apparently a 1977 episode of CPO Sharkey featuring the Dickies.
I don't really know much about the Dickies; I don't think they quite rate with Blondie or The Ramones circa '77, but I'm not really being fair.
Adam answered:
Square Pegs? No, CPO Sharkey.
Sally said:
According to the Internets, a sit com circa early 70's called, "C.P.O. Sharkey" held the honor of being the first American prime-time TV series to have a punk rock themed episode. Damn, and I missed it...
Look closely and you'll see Don Rickles in there somewhere...
PS: Professor Charlie, I too remember hearing the rumor about the shortage of lead because of bullet manufacturing for the war. I think it's true too... :)
Marian responded:
CPO Sharkey
Dale of Diamond Springs replied:
CPO Sharkey was the first American prime-time TV series to have a punk rock themed episode, with San Fernando Valley punk rock band, The Dickies, making a guest appearance.
Peter Isackson Sharkey The Dickies Cigarette Box Incident
PS to Sally: Thanks for posting the definitions of Joe's words!!!! I sure am quite satisfied that I have bid adieu to all that manmade hypocritical, fairy tale, dogmatic doctrinaire bullshit!!!!
MAM wrote:
"C.P.O. Sharkey" ~ 'The Dickies', a San Fernando Valley punk rock band. The series starred Don Rickles as a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy. 1976 to 1978
And, Joe S answered:
According to Wikipedia it was CPO Sharkey. I didn't know this. There was no way I could have known this. I never, ever, ever, watched that show. I strongly dislike Don Rickles and wouldn't cross the street to see him. (Hate is a strong word. I don't hate anyone.)
I knew you'd like the tamale pie Sally. It's tasty and nutritious.
Thick marine layer kept the sun out of sight til mid-afternoon.
Tonight, Tuesday:
CBS begins the night with a RERUN'NCIS', followed by a RERUN'NCIS: The 2nd One', then a RERUN'Unforgettable'.
Scheduled on a FRESHDave are Keith Olbermann, Allison Williams, and Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real.
Scheduled on a FRESHCraig are Ted Danson and Hannah Simone.
NBC starts the night with a FRESH'Biggest Loser', followed by a FRESH'The Voice', then a FRESH'Fashion Star'.
Scheduled on a FRESHLeno are Maya Rudolph, Jason Biggs, and Gym Class Heroes.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Fallon are Regis Philbin, Rachel Dratch, and Dr. John featuring Dan Auerbach.
Scheduled on a FRESHCarson 'The Scab' Daly are Thom Beers, Joel Sartore, and Jay Roc.
ABC opens the night with a FRESH'Last Man Standing', followed by a FRESH'Cougar Town', then a FRESH'Dancing With The Stars', followed by a FRESH'Body Of Proof'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Kimmel are Edie Falco, the latest "Dancing with the Stars" castoff, and Amy Schumer.
The CW offers a RERUN'90210', followed by a FRESH'Ringer'.
Faux has a FRESH'Raising Hope', followed by a RERUN'Raising Hope', then a FRESH'New Girl', followed by a FRESH'Breaking In'.
MY recycles an old 'Cold Case', followed by another old 'Cold Case'.
A&E has 3 hours of old 'Storage Wars', followed by a FRESH'Storage Wars Texas', then another FRESH'Storage Wars Texas'.
AMC offers 'CSI: The 2nd One', followed by the movie 'Backdraft'.
BBC -
[6:00AM] BBC WORLD NEWS
[7:00AM] BBC WORLD NEWS
[8:00AM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-Ep 11 - Fleming
[9:00AM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-Ep 1 - Mojito's
[10:00AM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-Ep 3 - Bazzini
[11:00AM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-Ep 4 - Flamangos
[12:00PM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-Ep 5 - Hot Potato Cafe
[1:00PM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-Ep 6 - Mama Rita's
[2:00PM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-Ep 7 - Sushi Ko
[3:00PM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-Ep 8 - Lido Di Manhattan Beach
[4:00PM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-Ep 9 - Le Bistro
[5:00PM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-Ep 10 - Anna Vincenzo's
[6:00PM] TOP GEAR-Episode 8
[7:00PM] TOP GEAR-Episode 9
[8:00PM] TOP GEAR-Episode 2
[9:00PM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-Ep 4 - Davide NEW
[10:00PM] NO KITCHEN REQUIRED-Dominica NEW
[11:00PM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-Ep 3 - Grasshopper Also
[12:00AM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-Ep 4 - Davide
[1:00AM] NO KITCHEN REQUIRED-Dominica
[2:00AM] TORCHWOOD-Ep 9 Random Shoes
[3:00AM] TORCHWOOD-Ep 10 Out Of Time
[4:00AM] THE X-FILES-Ep 16 Young at Heart
[5:00AM] BBC WORLD NEWS (ALL TIMES EDT)
Bravo has 'Real Housewives Of OC', another 'Real Housewives Of OC', followed by a FRESH'Real Housewives Of OC', then a FRESH'Tabatha Takes Over'.
Comedy Central has '30 Rock', another '30 Rock', 'Key & Peele', 'Tosh.0', another 'Tosh.0', still another 'Tosh.0', followed by a (F) 'Tosh.0', and 'Key & Peele'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJon Stewart is Tom Goldstein.
Scheduled on a FRESHColbert Report is Gov. Nikki Haley.
FX has '2½ Men', another '2½ Men', followed by the movie 'Taken', then a FRESH'Justified'.
History has 'Top Gear', 'Pawn Stars', another 'Pawn Stars', followed by a FRESH'Top Gear', then a FRESH'Top Shot'.
IFC -
[6:00AM] Where God Left His Shoes
[8:15AM] Toto le Héros
[10:15AM] Che: Part One
[1:00PM] Che: Part Two
[3:45PM] Where God Left His Shoes
[6:00PM] Malcolm in the Middle -Malcolm Holds His Tongue
[6:30PM] Malcolm in the Middle -Boys at the Ranch
[7:00PM] Malcolm in the Middle -Grandma Sues
[7:30PM] Malcolm in the Middle -If Boys Were Girls
[8:00PM] History of the World: Part I
[10:00PM] Little Miss Sunshine
[12:15AM] History of the World: Part I
[2:15AM] FF: Scoring With the American Secrets at SXSW
[2:20AM] Little Miss Sunshine
[4:35AM] FF: Scoring With the American Secrets at SXSW
[4:40AM] Bollywood Hero (ALL TIMES EDT)
Sundance -
[6:00A] Angel of Mine
[7:40A] Return To Rajapur
[9:15A] Somebody Told Me about Carla Bruni
[10:45A] The Gift
[11:00A] Angel of Mine
[1:00P] MY SO-CALLED LIFE - Guns and Gossip (Episode 3, Season 1)
[2:00P] MY SO-CALLED LIFE - Father Figures (Episode 4, Season 1)
[3:00P] Return To Rajapur
[4:35P] Monsieur Hubert de Givenchy
[5:30P] Peter and Vandy
[7:00P] Love Lust & the Bikini
[8:00P] Fur: An Imaginary Portrait...
[10:00P] GIRLS WHO LIKE BOYS WHO LIKE BOYS - Get Out of My House
[10:30P] GIRLS WHO LIKE BOYS WHO LIKE BOYS - A Dirty Word
[12:35A] Instead of Abracadabra
[1:00A] GIRLS WHO LIKE BOYS WHO LIKE BOYS - Get Out of My House
[1:30A] GIRLS WHO LIKE BOYS WHO LIKE BOYS - A Dirty Word
[2:00A] Autoerotic
[3:15A] Fur: An Imaginary Portrait...
[5:30A] THE MORTIFIED SESSIONS - NYPD's Rick Schroder (Episode 7, Season 1) (ALL TIMES EDT)
SyFy has the movie 'Signs', followed by the movie 'The Village'.
TBS:
Scheduled on a FRESHConan are Mike Tyson, Chris Elliott, and Cy Amundson.
U.S. Singer and actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Harry Belafonte holds balloons before releasing them from a balcony near the Brandenburg Gate during an event promoting a UNICEF clean water for children campaign, in Berlin April 2, 2012. UNICEF Germany's campaign "Water Works" aims to provide some 500,000 children in six countries with clean drinking water, a UNICEF press release said.
Photo by Thomas Peter
He's known for his comedic insults, but Don Rickles will be complimented when he receives a special honor at the second annual Comedy Awards this month.
The 85-year-old has been chosen to receive the Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence.
Jon Stewart will present Rickles with the award.
Rickles is the second recipient of the award. Last year it went to David Letterman.
The Comedy Awards will take place April 28 and will air on Comedy Central on May 6.
Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi receives flowers from supporters as she leaves the headquarters of her National League for Democracy party in Yangon, Myanmar Burma Monday, April 2, 2012. Suu Kyi claimed victory Monday in Myanmar Burma's historic by-election, saying she hoped it will mark the beginning of a new era for the long-repressed country.
Photo by Khin Maung
Indie-rock songstress Leslie Feist took home a Juno for Artist of the Year on Sunday night, and jazz crooner Michael Buble's holiday-themed "Christmas" claimed the prize for Album of the Year at the 41st annual Canadian music awards ceremony.
Canadian-born Captain Kirk himself, 81-year-old William Shatner, was this year's host with the most.
The "Star Trek" icon poked lighthearted fun at Deadmau5 - intentionally mispronouncing his moniker - before riling up the crowd by asking if they were "ready to rock."
Shatner then strapped on a Les Paul guitar and launched into a medley of a few bars of rock classics including "Born to Be Wild," ''Summer of '69," and "Taking Care of Business" in his trademark sing-speak manner. In pre-show interviews he vowed he wouldn't lend his vocals to the ceremonies.
He also gamely participated in comedy sketches with Nickelback and Hedley, playing the role of the delusional hanger-on, deadpanning his intention to become Nickelback's fifth member.
A heated voicemail left by actor Chevy Chase for "Community" creator Dan Harmon leaked online over the weekend, revealing a troubling rift between the veteran comedian and the series showrunner, Deadline reports.
During the third season wrap party, Harmon reportedly made a speech where he gave Chase a big "fuck you" after the actor reportedly refused to film a final scene because he didn't like the writing.
Chase's wife and daughter were present at the party, so the actor stormed out - and that is when things got even more tense.
Chase then called and left Harmon a volatile voicemail, in which he calls Harmon a "fat fuck" and says that the writing on the show is an "abomination."
He continues: "I don't get talked to like that by anybody - certainly not in front of my wife and daughter you goddamn asshole alcoholic, fat shit…I have nothing to say to you except you can suck my cock."
Actor, comedian and musician Steve Martin performs "Banjo" with Rascal Flatts at the 47th annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 1, 2012.
Photo by Steve Marcus
The actor's current wife, designer-model Emma Heming Willis, gave birth Sunday in Los Angeles to a baby girl. They named their daughter Mabel Ray Willis, who weighed 9 lbs. and 1 oz.
This is the couple's first child together. Willis, 57, and Heming, 33, were married in 2009.
Willis has three daughters, 23-year-old Rumer, 20-year-old Scout and 18-year-old Tallulah, from his previous marriage to actress Demi Moore.
"Weird Al" Yankovic says that Sony Music Entertainment owes him to the tune of $5 million.
In a lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in New York, the "Eat It" musical parodist claims that Sony has shortchanged him on royalties with a variety of improper accounting practices. He is seeking a judgment somewhere north of $5 million.
The suit, which was filed by Yankovic's company Ear Booker Enterprises, claims breach of contract and breach of the implied duty of good faith and fair dealing, and makes numerous claims against Sony.
Among the alleged dirty dealings on Sony's part: Double-charging Ear Booker for advance royalty payments, miscategorizing marketing costs as production costs that can be recouped, charging for expenses that it hasn't provided documentation for, miscategorizing commercial videos as promotional videos that can be recouped against, and reporting negative streaming royalties on the tune "Don't Download This Song" -- something that the suit claims is an impossibility.
A bird's nest collector climbs down from the roof of the chamber at the Niah Great Cave inside Niah National Park in the Malaysian state of Sarawak in Borneo island, March 29, 2012. Niah Caves contain the oldest remains of Homo sapiens found in Borneo, and features the world's largest limestone cave entrance as well as ancient rock paintings. Studies published recently have shown evidence of the first human activity at the Niah caves from ca. 46,000 to ca. 34,000 years ago.
Photo by David Loh
Federal agents targeted one of the country's leading pot advocates Monday in a raid on a San Francisco Bay area medical marijuana training school instrumental in pushing for ballot measures to legalize the drug.
The doors to Oaksterdam University in downtown Oakland were cordoned off by yellow tape and blocked by U.S. marshals following an early-morning raid by agents with the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. A museum connected to the school as well as a nearby medical marijuana dispensary operated by Oaksterdam founder Richard Lee were also raided.
Agents also raided Richard Lee's home and briefly detained him during their search but did not arrest him, said Dale Sky Jones, Oaksterdam's executive chancellor.
Agents carted trash bags of unknown materials out of the school to a waiting van as protesters gathered to condemn the raids. Oaksterdam University offers classes to would-be medical marijuana providers in fields ranging from horticulture to business to the legal ins-and-outs of running a dispensary. The school does not distribute marijuana.
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that jailers may subject people arrested for minor offenses to invasive strip searches, siding with security needs over privacy rights.
By a 5-4 vote, the court ruled against a New Jersey man who complained that strip searches in two county jails violated his civil rights.
Justice Anthony Kennedy said in his majority opinion for the court's conservative justices that when people are going to be put into the general jail population, "courts must defer to the judgment of correctional officials unless the record contains substantial evidence showing their policies are an unnecessary or unjustified response to problems of jail security."
In a dissenting opinion joined by the court's liberals, Justice Stephen Breyer said strip searches improperly "subject those arrested for minor offenses to serious invasions of their personal privacy." Breyer said jailers ought to have a reasonable suspicion someone may be hiding something before conducting a strip search.
Albert Florence was forced to undress and submit to strip searches following his arrest on a warrant for an unpaid fine, though the fine actually had been paid. Even if the warrant had been valid, failure to pay a fine is not a crime in New Jersey.
A member of staff places a sign in front of a giant chocolate Easter egg at the Fassbender and Rausch chocolatier in Berlin April 2, 2012. Some 50 kg of chocolate were used in the production of the Easter egg.
Photo by Thomas Peter
Oprah Winfrey admitted on Monday that she had made mistakes while creating her cable channel but promised the fledging OWN television network would still succeed with a new strategy.
The talk show host, who recently laid off 30 staffers at the 15-month-old network after poor ratings, told "CBS This Morning" that she had been ill-prepared for the venture.
"The idea of creating a network was something that I'd wanted to do, had I'd known that it was this difficult, I might have done something else," she told the morning program co-hosted by her longtime close friend Gayle King.
Winfrey, 58, had appeared unstoppable in her career with a 25-year reign on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," but when questioned about whether she seriously would have never taken on the project, she replied, "Oh absolutely."
Jurors in a landmark priest-abuse trial heard Monday about a priest-turned-camp prowler and another who allegedly bragged about having sex with three boys in one week.
Also Monday, two jurors were replaced by alternates, but a gag order prevents lawyer from discussing the reasons for the move.
Monsignor William Lynn is on trial for child endangerment and conspiracy. Lynn, 61, is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his handling of priest-abuse complaints. Prosecutors say he helped the church bury them in secret files, far from the prying eyes of investigators, civil attorneys and concerned Catholics.
In the day's most startling testimony, a detective read internal church memos about a priest who allegedly "joked about how hard it was to have sex with three boys in one week." His accuser also stated that the priest had a "rotation process" of boys spending time sleeping with him.
Defense lawyers argue that Lynn tried to address the problem as secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004, but was blocked by the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and others in the Philadelphia archdiocese.
People sit behind a cherry blossom tree in full bloom on the edge of Lake Zurich on a mild and sunny spring day, April 2, 2012.
Photo by Christian Hartmann
State medical board officials say a Beverly Hills psychiatrist who treated Anna Nicole Smith in the days before her death has had her license suspended for a criminal conviction involving the Playboy Playmate
The March 30 decision by the Medical Board of California did not name any patients in the case against Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, but the filing listed the court number of the Smith case.
Eroshevich's license will be suspended for 90 days and she will be placed on five years of probation by the state licensing agency for wrongly prescribing opiates and other misconduct.
Eroshevich was initially convicted of two felonies in the drug trial involving the treatment of Smith. One was later thrown out and the other was reduced to a misdemeanor.
The percent of public elementary schools offering classes in the visual arts, drama and dance has declined over the past decade. That's according to a report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Education.
Dance and drama saw the biggest drop - declining from classes in 20 percent of all elementary schools to less than five percent in the 2009-10 school year.
Arts classes at the secondary school level remained about the same, though there were declines at schools with high numbers of poor students.
The figures come after several years of significant budget cuts that have reduced electives at many schools.
People are seen through the acrylic bubbles of the art piece "Concave Circles" by Argentine artist Rogelio Polesello at the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City April 1, 2012.
Photo by Claudia Daut
You have reached the Home page of BartCop Entertainment.
Make yourself home, take your shoes off...
Go ahead, scratch it if it itches.
The idea is to have fun.
Do you have something to say?
Anything that increased your blood pressure, or, even better, amused or entertained?
Do you have a great album no one's heard?
How about a favorite TV show, movie, book, play, cartoon, or legal amusement?
A popular artist that just plain pisses you off?
A box set the whole world should own?
Vile, filthy rumors about Republican hypocrites?
Just plain vile, filthy rumors?
wrote:
answered:
