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Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec
Date: 03/31/2009 10:56:00
Good Morning.
Today is our 2,204th day in Iraq.
We'll start this morning as we always do, with the latest casualty figures from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, courtesy of antiwar.com:
American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4261
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4122
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3799
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3403
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 32
Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 671
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 449
Journalists - Iraq: 139
Contractor Deaths - Iraq: 1264
We find this morning's cost of war passing through:
$ 609, 424, 500, 000 .00
Turning to our friends at IAVA, we find that they've been very busy with the new administration. Last week, member Carolyn Shepper testified before Congress about the disparity in PTSD diagnoses between male and female combat veterans. It's a rather long snippet, but there's no real appropriate place to cut...
PTSD can strike in many ways. Once affected, you never know what might be the 'trigger' to push you back over the edge. But how about the simple act of taking a shower?? Remember a couple of years ago now the stories about soldiers being shocked to death in their showers in Iraq? Unfortunately, the problem has never really gone away, and the military is struggling to inspect over 90,000 facilities in Iraq, most of them built by KBR.
OK, so you get shot at, get shocked in the shower, and now you've got PTSD and electrical burns. Fortunately, you get to go stateside to recover. Alas, you'd think being in a hospital in the United States would be the height of safety and sanitation, wouldn't you? Maybe at Mass General, or Duke, or University of Chicago...but not at a VA hospital.
Alas, a rather sobering "Ask a Vet" today, but it just serves to remind us that the problems haven't gone away. President Obama is doing the best he can at multi-tasking, but given all the other troubles he's facing these days, it's easy to bump things down the priorities list. It's up to all of us to make sure taking care of our veterans remains on the front burner.
Today is our 2,204th day in Iraq.
We'll start this morning as we always do, with the latest casualty figures from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, courtesy of antiwar.com:
American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4261
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4122
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3799
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3403
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 32
Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 671
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 449
Journalists - Iraq: 139
Contractor Deaths - Iraq: 1264
We find this morning's cost of war passing through:
Turning to our friends at IAVA, we find that they've been very busy with the new administration. Last week, member Carolyn Shepper testified before Congress about the disparity in PTSD diagnoses between male and female combat veterans. It's a rather long snippet, but there's no real appropriate place to cut...
My name is Carolyn Schapper, and I am a combat veteran. While serving as a member of a Military Intelligence unit in Iraq from October 2005 to September 2006 with the Georgia National Guard, I participated in approximately 200 combat patrols. While many of these patrols included positive interactions with the local population, I did encounter direct fire, Improvised Explosive Devices, and other threats during some of my missions. Overall, I valued the opportunity to learn more about the Iraqi people, my country, and myself.
When I came home from Iraq, I dealt with a wide range of adjustment challenges/Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms; rage, anger, withdrawal from friends and family, depression, high anxiety, agitation, nightmares and hyper-vigilance. When you are in this state of mind, it is difficult to traverse the VA maze. I might still be lost if I had not had the luck of running into another veteran who already had gotten help, and who pointed out that a Vet Center could help me start navigating the VA system. While I was able to receive the appropriate help and rating from the VA for my psychological injury, many of my sisters-in-arms have not been so lucky.
Part of the problem is that, because females are excluded from official “combat roles” in the military, women veterans have a greater burden of proof when it comes to establishing combat-related PTSD. But the reality on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan is that there is no clear front line, and female servicemembers are seeing combat.
Modern warfare makes it impossible to delineate between combat, combat-support, and combat service support roles. You do not even need to leave the Forward Operating Base to be exposed to the continual threat of mortars and rockets. Military personnel are often required to walk around in or sleep in body armor. As one female veteran told me, “Life in Iraq and Afghanistan is combat.” Moreover, many female troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have been exposed to direct fire while serving in support roles, such as military police, helicopter pilots, and truck drivers. All of our troops, whether or not they serve in the combat arms, must exhibit constant vigilance, and this can take an extreme psychological toll on our servicemembers.
The traditional understanding of female servicemembers’ military duties has been the biggest hurdle to getting them adequate compensation for their injury. The nature of PTSD and other psychological injuries makes it difficult to identify the exact stressor, and therefore, disability may be determined based on the claims processor’s perception of exposure to combat. While a service-connection for PTSD would seem obvious for a male infantryman, it could easily come under more scrutiny for a female intelligence soldier despite how much actual contact either of us had with enemy forces.
Another obstacle that female servicemembers face when trying to establish presumption of service-connected PTSD involves collecting the proper paperwork. Especially in instances of Military Sexual Trauma, some women forgo documenting their injury, rather than get official military documentation from a male commander or doctor. If you are suffering from a mental health injury, the possibility of having someone question, deride or expose such a personal and painful experience is often overwhelming, and can lead many female servicemembers to avoid the process altogether.
H.R. 952, introduced by the Chairman, solves this problem. It changes Title 38 to presume service-connection for PTSD based solely on a servicemember’s presence in a combat zone. IAVA wholeheartedly endorses this legislation, and looks forward to working with the Subcommittee to see this bill become law.
PTSD can strike in many ways. Once affected, you never know what might be the 'trigger' to push you back over the edge. But how about the simple act of taking a shower?? Remember a couple of years ago now the stories about soldiers being shocked to death in their showers in Iraq? Unfortunately, the problem has never really gone away, and the military is struggling to inspect over 90,000 facilities in Iraq, most of them built by KBR.
Ron Vance, who served as a sergeant in the California Army National Guard, remembers being knocked out cold in a shower building in 2004 in Taji, Iraq. He said he screamed and fell while showering, suffering burns on his back and shoulders. Another soldier who tried to pry him from the shower head also was injured. Vance, 57, of Fresno, Calif., said he's still too traumatized to shower without his wife nearby.
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., called Task Force SAFE's findings troubling. He said the task force is doing good work but the problems should have been fixed much earlier.
"Just imagine getting the news that they've done 25,000 facilities, but your son or daughter is in the 65,000 they haven't done," Casey told the AP.
Last year, 94 troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan or other Central Command countries sought medical treatment for electric shock, according to Defense Department health data. KBR's database lists 231 electric shock incidents in the more than 89,000 facilities the company runs in Iraq, according to military records.
KBR is the target of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Maseth's family. They claim the company knew there were electrical problems in the building where he died, but didn't fix them. His mother testified last year on Capitol Hill.
Continued...
OK, so you get shot at, get shocked in the shower, and now you've got PTSD and electrical burns. Fortunately, you get to go stateside to recover. Alas, you'd think being in a hospital in the United States would be the height of safety and sanitation, wouldn't you? Maybe at Mass General, or Duke, or University of Chicago...but not at a VA hospital.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—Viral infections, including hepatitis, have been found in 16 patients exposed to contaminated equipment at Veterans Affairs medical facilities, a department spokeswoman said Friday. So far, 10 colonoscopy patients from the VA medical center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., have tested positive for hepatitis, VA spokeswoman Katie Roberts told The Associated Press.
In a later e-mail, she reported six patients at the VA's ear, nose and throat clinic in Augusta, Ga, tested positive for unspecified viral infections.
The number of reported infections could rise.
More than 10,000 veterans were warned to get blood tests because they could have been exposed to contamination at those two facilities plus a medical center in Miami. All three sites failed to properly sterilize equipment between treatments, and the problems dated back for more than five years at the Murfreesboro and Miami hospitals.
Roberts said the department doesn't yet have results from most of the veterans it warned.
A VA alert to patients said they "could have been exposed to body fluids from a previous patient."
Roberts said four Tennessee patients have tested positive for hepatitis B and six have tested positive for hepatitis C. No one has tested positive for HIV, she said.
Hepatitis is a viral infection of the liver. The most common form, hepatitis C, is potentially life-threatening and can cause permanent liver damage. Both the B and C forms are spread by contact with the blood or other body fluid of an infected person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Roberts stressed that the source of the infections isn't known and may never be identified.
"There's no way to scientifically, conclusively prove they contracted this due to treatment at our facility," Roberts said.
But the VA will make sure those who tested positive "get the best possible treatment," she said.
The VA's inspector general office has started a review, spokeswoman Joanne Moffett said Friday.
According to a VA e-mail, only about half of the Murfreesboro and Augusta patients notified by letter of a mistake that exposed them to "potentially infectious fluids" have requested department blood tests.
Some veterans said they decided to seek tests from their private physicians, rather than the VA.
Alas, a rather sobering "Ask a Vet" today, but it just serves to remind us that the problems haven't gone away. President Obama is doing the best he can at multi-tasking, but given all the other troubles he's facing these days, it's easy to bump things down the priorities list. It's up to all of us to make sure taking care of our veterans remains on the front burner.
Comments:
Order comments Newest to Oldest Refresh Comments
Comment by 
velveeta jones on 03/31/2009 13:04:57
velveeta jones on 03/31/2009 13:04:57
Morning. Am I first? :blink:
Hell must have frozen over.......
Anyway, great, yet a bit squirmy post TriSec. (I refer, of course, to the colon info. UG).
Hell must have frozen over.......
Anyway, great, yet a bit squirmy post TriSec. (I refer, of course, to the colon info. UG).
Comment by 
wickedpam on 03/31/2009 13:09:56
wickedpam on 03/31/2009 13:09:56
Morning :hug:
Comment by 
TriSec on 03/31/2009 13:16:47
TriSec on 03/31/2009 13:16:47
Alright gang, heading out. I'm at the store in daylight hours today. I'll be back later this afternoon. Hoping to hear from MetLife today! 
Comment by 
Scoopster on 03/31/2009 13:23:11
Scoopster on 03/31/2009 13:23:11
Morning all! 
Was a strange commute today.. the bus got pulled over by the cops looking for some runaway girl.
Was a strange commute today.. the bus got pulled over by the cops looking for some runaway girl.
Comment by Scoopster on 03/31/2009 13:31:59
Scoopster on 03/31/2009 13:31:59
I should probably add to that heh.. bus stopped for like 10 min, then the cops came, pulled this girl off the bus.. Good lookin', maybe 17-18? Questioned her for a few mins, let her back on.. Anyways she was sitting next to me and got on her cell phone to recount the whole story to someone - the cops thought she was a runaway from Fall River. I didn't see anything on the news or anything about it so I'm asking ppl if it was in the papers.
weird stuff man..
weird stuff man..
Comment by wickedpam on 03/31/2009 13:35:55
wickedpam on 03/31/2009 13:35:55
Curse you Steph! Stupid earworm!
Comment by wickedpam on 03/31/2009 13:58:09
wickedpam on 03/31/2009 13:58:09
John Lithgow is still alive
Comment by velveeta jones on 03/31/2009 14:23:08
Man! That is really some weird stuff....... scary as well.
velveeta jones on 03/31/2009 14:23:08
Quote by Scoopster:
I should probably add to that heh.. bus stopped for like 10 min, then the cops came, pulled this girl off the bus.. Good lookin', maybe 17-18? Questioned her for a few mins, let her back on.. Anyways she was sitting next to me and got on her cell phone to recount the whole story to someone - the cops thought she was a runaway from Fall River. I didn't see anything on the news or anything about it so I'm asking ppl if it was in the papers.
Man! That is really some weird stuff....... scary as well.
Comment by Scoopster on 03/31/2009 14:38:17
Scoopster on 03/31/2009 14:38:17
Not the first time my bus was stopped by the cops either.. back in like '04 i was on a bus that got stopped right after I got on. Someone had called in a bomb threat and the bus company traced his cell call.
Might hafta go digging through the AAP bloggie archive for my freakout session over that one!
Might hafta go digging through the AAP bloggie archive for my freakout session over that one!
Comment by 
BobR on 03/31/2009 14:40:28
BobR on 03/31/2009 14:40:28
KBR as a company should be indicted for fraud. I've heard Obama say that care for vets stateside should improve; whether he can make it happen remains to be seen.
Comment by BobR on 03/31/2009 14:42:43
BobR on 03/31/2009 14:42:43
Comment by 
Raine on 03/31/2009 14:43:26
Raine on 03/31/2009 14:43:26
:coffee: Good morning!
Comment by Scoopster on 03/31/2009 14:45:42
Scoopster on 03/31/2009 14:45:42
Mornin' Raine & Bob! 
Comment by Raine on 03/31/2009 14:48:01
Raine on 03/31/2009 14:48:01
Speaking of PTSD, I have a friend on Facebook who posted this story, The Dr. mentioned in the article is his bother, and does the research at Emory University... The War at Home
Nice to see some strides are being made in this area for our vets.
Nice to see some strides are being made in this area for our vets.
Comment by wickedpam on 03/31/2009 14:51:52
I take them into work and the warehouse guys and drivers have been hovering them down.
When I miss a week they want to know where the cake is - think I may have created a monster with this :)
wickedpam on 03/31/2009 14:51:52
Quote by BobR:Quote by wickedpam:
More Cake Picts :D
who's eating all these yummy cakes??
I take them into work and the warehouse guys and drivers have been hovering them down.
When I miss a week they want to know where the cake is - think I may have created a monster with this :)
Comment by 
livingonli on 03/31/2009 15:09:44
livingonli on 03/31/2009 15:09:44
Good morning. 
Comment by Raine on 03/31/2009 15:11:50
Raine on 03/31/2009 15:11:50
Comment by livingonli on 03/31/2009 15:14:43
livingonli on 03/31/2009 15:14:43
Even the nights when I do get home not so late, I still end up going to bed too late.
Comment by Raine on 03/31/2009 15:39:24
Raine on 03/31/2009 15:39:24
STFU Dick Morris, mmmkay?
Comment by 
Mondobubba on 03/31/2009 15:43:46
The guys in your warehouse have access to some sort of anti-gravitational device that allows a cake to hover? Oh! You meant hoover, as in vacuuming.
I kid because I love.
The company wireless network is kaput. So, I am now hardwired in. There is a semi-dangerous red network cable snaking across the floor from the swith to the back of my PC.
We are reimganing PCs today. What you think your IT people let you have a computer straight out of the box?
Mondobubba on 03/31/2009 15:43:46
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by BobR:Quote by wickedpam:
More Cake Picts :D
who's eating all these yummy cakes??
I take them into work and the warehouse guys and drivers have been hovering them down.
When I miss a week they want to know where the cake is - think I may have created a monster with this :)
The guys in your warehouse have access to some sort of anti-gravitational device that allows a cake to hover? Oh! You meant hoover, as in vacuuming.
I kid because I love. The company wireless network is kaput. So, I am now hardwired in. There is a semi-dangerous red network cable snaking across the floor from the swith to the back of my PC.
We are reimganing PCs today. What you think your IT people let you have a computer straight out of the box?
Comment by Raine on 03/31/2009 15:49:05
Raine on 03/31/2009 15:49:05
hey mondo!
Comment by 
Random on 03/31/2009 15:52:14
Random on 03/31/2009 15:52:14
Hi group of people I know, kinda...sorta...not really.
Comment by Raine on 03/31/2009 15:53:52
Raine on 03/31/2009 15:53:52
I cannot believe this MoFo was someone Obama chose to be in the cabinet. F&CK you Judd Gregg.
Comment by 
m-hadley on 03/31/2009 15:54:12
m-hadley on 03/31/2009 15:54:12
Morning Everybodee :P
Hope everyone is having a great day
It's busy as all get out here at the Liberry, today!
Cheers,
mfaye & :peace:
Hope everyone is having a great day
It's busy as all get out here at the Liberry, today!Cheers,
mfaye
& :peace:
Comment by Raine on 03/31/2009 15:54:13
Raine on 03/31/2009 15:54:13
Random baby! wassup?
Comment by Random on 03/31/2009 15:59:50
Random on 03/31/2009 15:59:50
nutin much...just dull work day.
Comment by wickedpam on 03/31/2009 16:11:34
wickedpam on 03/31/2009 16:11:34
Heyya Raine, Bob, Liv, Random, and everyone! :D
Comment by livingonli on 03/31/2009 16:12:48
livingonli on 03/31/2009 16:12:48
Hi Mondo and Random. How's our Florida delegation?
Comment by Raine on 03/31/2009 16:14:23
Raine on 03/31/2009 16:14:23
:yadda:
David, shut the hell up for a minute.
David, shut the hell up for a minute.
Comment by Scoopster on 03/31/2009 16:17:46
Scoopster on 03/31/2009 16:17:46
Comment by Raine on 03/31/2009 16:17:48
Raine on 03/31/2009 16:17:48
David hung up... coward.
Comment by Raine on 03/31/2009 16:17:48
Raine on 03/31/2009 16:17:48
David hung up... coward.
Comment by Raine on 03/31/2009 16:19:30
you might find one here...
Raine on 03/31/2009 16:19:30
Quote by Scoopster:
O'Reilly is a turd..
We need a Facebook boycott group on this clown.
you might find one here...
Comment by Raine on 03/31/2009 16:29:59
Raine on 03/31/2009 16:29:59
:thud: Miss Universe Blogs about her trip to Gitmo...
Bold face mine.
This week, Guantanamo!!! It was an incredible experience.
We arrived in Gitmo on Friday and stared going around the town, everybody knew Crystle and I were coming so the first thing we did was attend a big lunch and then we visited one of the bars they have in the base. We talked about Gitmo and what is was like living there. The next days we had a wonderful time, this truly was a memorable trip! We hung out with the guys from the East Coast and they showed us the boat inside and out, how they work and what they do, we took a ride around the land and it was a loooot of fun!
We also met the Military dogs, and they did a very nice demonstration of their skills. All the guys from the Army were amazing with us.
We visited the Detainees camps and we saw the jails, where they shower, how the recreate themselves with movies, classes of art, books. It was very interesting.
We took a ride with the Marines around the land to see the division of Gitmo and Cuba while they were informed us with a little bit of history.
The water in Guantanamo Bay is soooo beautiful! It was unbelievable, we were able to enjoy it for at least an hour. We went to the glass beach, and realized the name of it comes from the little pieces of broken glass from hundred of years ago. It is pretty to see all the colors shining with the sun. That day we met a beautiful lady named Rebeca who does wonders with the glasses from the beach. She creates jewelry with it and of course I bought a necklace from her that will remind me off Guantanamo Bay :)
I didn't want to leave, it was such a relaxing place, so calm and beautiful.
I was back in NY on Wednesday and on Thursday I did some paper work at the office and went out for dinner. On Friday I flew to Miami for the weekend because I had a photo shoot for the magazine People en Espanol. So hopefully I might be a little lucky and have some time off to take the sun for a while :)
Posted by Dayana
Comment by Random on 03/31/2009 16:33:06
Hartman?
Random on 03/31/2009 16:33:06
Quote by Raine:
:yadda:
David, shut the hell up for a minute.
Hartman?
Comment by BobR on 03/31/2009 16:42:35
BobR on 03/31/2009 16:42:35
Just took an online SQL test for a potential job in Hartford, CT. Lots of stuff there I didn't realize I didn't know... :(
Comment by wickedpam on 03/31/2009 16:43:29
I just recently met someone who lived at the base there when she was a kid. She said the same time - it's a beautiful place, the base is very small town like, but she does acknowledge that it now be forever linked with the word prison
wickedpam on 03/31/2009 16:43:29
Quote by Raine:
:thud: Miss Universe Blogs about her trip to Gitmo...Bold face mine.This week, Guantanamo!!! It was an incredible experience.
We arrived in Gitmo on Friday and stared going around the town, everybody knew Crystle and I were coming so the first thing we did was attend a big lunch and then we visited one of the bars they have in the base. We talked about Gitmo and what is was like living there. The next days we had a wonderful time, this truly was a memorable trip! We hung out with the guys from the East Coast and they showed us the boat inside and out, how they work and what they do, we took a ride around the land and it was a loooot of fun!
We also met the Military dogs, and they did a very nice demonstration of their skills. All the guys from the Army were amazing with us.
We visited the Detainees camps and we saw the jails, where they shower, how the recreate themselves with movies, classes of art, books. It was very interesting.
We took a ride with the Marines around the land to see the division of Gitmo and Cuba while they were informed us with a little bit of history.
The water in Guantanamo Bay is soooo beautiful! It was unbelievable, we were able to enjoy it for at least an hour. We went to the glass beach, and realized the name of it comes from the little pieces of broken glass from hundred of years ago. It is pretty to see all the colors shining with the sun. That day we met a beautiful lady named Rebeca who does wonders with the glasses from the beach. She creates jewelry with it and of course I bought a necklace from her that will remind me off Guantanamo Bay :)
I didn't want to leave, it was such a relaxing place, so calm and beautiful.
I was back in NY on Wednesday and on Thursday I did some paper work at the office and went out for dinner. On Friday I flew to Miami for the weekend because I had a photo shoot for the magazine People en Espanol. So hopefully I might be a little lucky and have some time off to take the sun for a while :)
Posted by Dayana
I just recently met someone who lived at the base there when she was a kid. She said the same time - it's a beautiful place, the base is very small town like, but she does acknowledge that it now be forever linked with the word prison
Comment by wickedpam on 03/31/2009 16:44:38
Maybe you know it by other terminology?
wickedpam on 03/31/2009 16:44:38
Quote by BobR:
Just took an online SQL test for a potential job in Hartford, CT. Lots of stuff there I didn't realize I didn't know... :(
Maybe you know it by other terminology?
Comment by 
Will in Chicago on 03/31/2009 16:46:58
Will in Chicago on 03/31/2009 16:46:58
Good morning, bloggers!! Great post, TriSec!
I hope that everyone is doing well today. No subbing, so a little later I will hit a few stores to check for part-time work. (I am optimistic about finding a teaching job, but the new school year does not start for a while yet.)
I hope that everyone is doing well today. No subbing, so a little later I will hit a few stores to check for part-time work. (I am optimistic about finding a teaching job, but the new school year does not start for a while yet.)
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/31/2009 16:48:59
I really, really hope she is talking about the Marine Base at Gitmo as a whole and not Camp X-Ray which is just a small subset of the colonial, post imperial posession we have in Cuba.
I mean it's very green the views from the hilltops must be breath taking when the sun is setting. Right? :sarcasm:
Mondobubba on 03/31/2009 16:48:59
Quote by Raine:
:thud: Miss Universe Blogs about her trip to Gitmo...Bold face mine.This week, Guantanamo!!! It was an incredible experience.
We arrived in Gitmo on Friday and stared going around the town, everybody knew Crystle and I were coming so the first thing we did was attend a big lunch and then we visited one of the bars they have in the base. We talked about Gitmo and what is was like living there. The next days we had a wonderful time, this truly was a memorable trip! We hung out with the guys from the East Coast and they showed us the boat inside and out, how they work and what they do, we took a ride around the land and it was a loooot of fun!
We also met the Military dogs, and they did a very nice demonstration of their skills. All the guys from the Army were amazing with us.
We visited the Detainees camps and we saw the jails, where they shower, how the recreate themselves with movies, classes of art, books. It was very interesting.
We took a ride with the Marines around the land to see the division of Gitmo and Cuba while they were informed us with a little bit of history.
The water in Guantanamo Bay is soooo beautiful! It was unbelievable, we were able to enjoy it for at least an hour. We went to the glass beach, and realized the name of it comes from the little pieces of broken glass from hundred of years ago. It is pretty to see all the colors shining with the sun. That day we met a beautiful lady named Rebeca who does wonders with the glasses from the beach. She creates jewelry with it and of course I bought a necklace from her that will remind me off Guantanamo Bay :)
I didn't want to leave, it was such a relaxing place, so calm and beautiful.
I was back in NY on Wednesday and on Thursday I did some paper work at the office and went out for dinner. On Friday I flew to Miami for the weekend because I had a photo shoot for the magazine People en Espanol. So hopefully I might be a little lucky and have some time off to take the sun for a while :)
Posted by Dayana
I really, really hope she is talking about the Marine Base at Gitmo as a whole and not Camp X-Ray which is just a small subset of the colonial, post imperial posession we have in Cuba.
I mean it's very green the views from the hilltops must be breath taking when the sun is setting. Right? :sarcasm:
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/31/2009 16:52:33
Bobber I feel your pain. What pray tell didn't you know about. :SQL Geek:
Mondobubba on 03/31/2009 16:52:33
Quote by BobR:
Just took an online SQL test for a potential job in Hartford, CT. Lots of stuff there I didn't realize I didn't know... :(
Bobber I feel your pain. What pray tell didn't you know about. :SQL Geek:
Comment by livingonli on 03/31/2009 16:54:12
livingonli on 03/31/2009 16:54:12
Miss Universe: :snaps gum: Whatever!
Comment by Raine on 03/31/2009 16:55:33
Raine on 03/31/2009 16:55:33
I have no doubt that the Island is beautiful... but she was on the base...
We also met the Military dogs, and they did a very nice demonstration of their skills. All the guys from the Army were amazing with us.
We visited the Detainees camps and we saw the jails, where they shower, how the recreate themselves with movies, classes of art, books. It was very interesting.
Comment by Will in Chicago on 03/31/2009 17:06:01
Will in Chicago on 03/31/2009 17:06:01
Here is the followup article to the one I posted yesterday from the Liberal Talk Radio blog on the fifth anniversary of AAR.
We will see what happens to AAR, but I think progressive talk will be around. One big question is will it mostly be on terrestrial radio or the Internet? Mind you, I think that terrestrial radio will be around -- at least till most cars can receive internet radio.
Air America - five years later (Part II)
When Al Franken opened up the microphone just after noon eastern time on Wednesday March 31, 2004, the upstart Air America Radio network was officially born. And, at that very moment, the vultures and cynics officially began speculating on their demise.
Right-wingers, supposedly the champions of free enterprise and the Capraesque American dream of entrepreneurial achievement, were rooting for their quick death. Executives in the oft-cutthroat fraternity of the radio industry were understandably pessimistic. Even many of the new network's target listeners on the left were a bit skeptical - most of them didn't even like talk radio. Yet five years, numerous radio station affiliates, four or five ownership groups (for those keeping count), one bankruptcy and countless departed hosts later, Air America has defied the odds, and are still around to celebrate their fifth anniversary on March 31, 2009. Imagine that.
Looking back, who in 2004 would have predicted that in 2009, a popular Democrat of mixed-race origin named Barack Hussein Obama would be in the White House, or that his party would control both houses of Congress? Or that his much-derided predecessor, George W. Bush, would leave office in disgrace (okay, we already predicted that)? Who would have expected our once-robust economy to be teetering on virtual collapse? Or that people would still be buying Britney Spears albums? We easily could have guessed that the radio industry would be in absolute turmoil, a victim of its own short-sightedness. But could we have guessed that the newspaper industry would be suffering so brutally, with even legendary entities like the San Francisco Chronicle threatening to shut down its presses? Most certainly, very few probably predicted that the media entity that is currently known as Air America Media would be around to celebrate their fifth birthday. You certainly wouldn't be faulted for thinking so.
We will see what happens to AAR, but I think progressive talk will be around. One big question is will it mostly be on terrestrial radio or the Internet? Mind you, I think that terrestrial radio will be around -- at least till most cars can receive internet radio.
Comment by Raine on 03/31/2009 17:07:42
Raine on 03/31/2009 17:07:42
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/31/2009 17:25:36
I think we are miscommunicating. All of Gitmo is not Camp X-Ray. My mind raced to the same place about the dogs. You mean the ones they use to torture the prisoners we have there?
(Warning Rhetorical Question) Why does the Navy feel the need to show off the detention facility to every passing Tom, Dick and Miss Universe? More importantly, does the current Miss Universe understand the difference between plural (detainees) and possesive (detainees's)? Cause the way she wrote her ungrammatical blog post she refered to the "Detainees Camps" in a non-possive way. :continues to foam at the mouth about plural and possesive:
Mondobubba on 03/31/2009 17:25:36
Quote by Raine:
I have no doubt that the Island is beautiful... but she was on the base...We also met the Military dogs, and they did a very nice demonstration of their skills. All the guys from the Army were amazing with us.
We visited the Detainees camps and we saw the jails, where they shower, how the recreate themselves with movies, classes of art, books. It was very interesting.
I think we are miscommunicating. All of Gitmo is not Camp X-Ray. My mind raced to the same place about the dogs. You mean the ones they use to torture the prisoners we have there?
(Warning Rhetorical Question) Why does the Navy feel the need to show off the detention facility to every passing Tom, Dick and Miss Universe? More importantly, does the current Miss Universe understand the difference between plural (detainees) and possesive (detainees's)? Cause the way she wrote her ungrammatical blog post she refered to the "Detainees Camps" in a non-possive way. :continues to foam at the mouth about plural and possesive:
Comment by BobR on 03/31/2009 17:32:36
I did better than I thought. The recruiter called me back already and said I did fine and will be contacting the company.
Most of the stuff I was able to look up quickly enough, and some was stuff I've used but never really think about specifically. Mostly the stuff I didn't know was the spec limitations for things (max size of blah blah), which you never run into unless you try to make a varchar sized at 10K or something.
I've always felt that if you understand the concepts and know how to find specifics in your references, you don't need to memorize all that junk.
BobR on 03/31/2009 17:32:36
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by BobR:
Just took an online SQL test for a potential job in Hartford, CT. Lots of stuff there I didn't realize I didn't know... :(
Bobber I feel your pain. What pray tell didn't you know about. :SQL Geek:
I did better than I thought. The recruiter called me back already and said I did fine and will be contacting the company.
Most of the stuff I was able to look up quickly enough, and some was stuff I've used but never really think about specifically. Mostly the stuff I didn't know was the spec limitations for things (max size of blah blah), which you never run into unless you try to make a varchar sized at 10K or something.
I've always felt that if you understand the concepts and know how to find specifics in your references, you don't need to memorize all that junk.
Comment by BobR on 03/31/2009 17:34:48
She was probably there as part of a USO junket, ie: for the soldiers' benefit, not hers.
BobR on 03/31/2009 17:34:48
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:
I have no doubt that the Island is beautiful... but she was on the base...We also met the Military dogs, and they did a very nice demonstration of their skills. All the guys from the Army were amazing with us.
We visited the Detainees camps and we saw the jails, where they shower, how the recreate themselves with movies, classes of art, books. It was very interesting.
I think we are miscommunicating. All of Gitmo is not Camp X-Ray. My mind raced to the same place about the dogs. You mean the ones they use to torture the prisoners we have there?
(Warning Rhetorical Question) Why does the Navy feel the need to show off the detention facility to every passing Tom, Dick and Miss Universe? More importantly, does the current Miss Universe understand the difference between plural (detainees) and possesive (detainees's)? Cause the way she wrote her ungrammatical blog post she refered to the "Detainees Camps" in a non-possive way. :continues to foam at the mouth about plural and possesive:
She was probably there as part of a USO junket, ie: for the soldiers' benefit, not hers.
Comment by BobR on 03/31/2009 17:38:22
To clarify: Here's the result I got back:
Advanced SQL Server Programmer with a score of 3.71 out of 4.50
That's 82%? I guess that's not too shabby...
BobR on 03/31/2009 17:38:22
Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by BobR:
Just took an online SQL test for a potential job in Hartford, CT. Lots of stuff there I didn't realize I didn't know... :(
Bobber I feel your pain. What pray tell didn't you know about. :SQL Geek:
I did better than I thought. The recruiter called me back already and said I did fine and will be contacting the company.
Most of the stuff I was able to look up quickly enough, and some was stuff I've used but never really think about specifically. Mostly the stuff I didn't know was the spec limitations for things (max size of blah blah), which you never run into unless you try to make a varchar sized at 10K or something.
I've always felt that if you understand the concepts and know how to find specifics in your references, you don't need to memorize all that junk.
To clarify: Here's the result I got back:
Advanced SQL Server Programmer with a score of 3.71 out of 4.50
That's 82%? I guess that's not too shabby...