Probably another chilly morning.
Long day for me.
Starts with the funeral this morning. Forecast had called for rain, but I’m hoping it’s wrong. Even the very light drizzle predicted would suck.
A luncheon follows the funeral, then back to my sibling’s house. Then dinner with my family, and finally, back to the airport.
Flight after 9pm, arriving IAH at midnight. Probably 130am before I’m home in bed. So, long day.
n
VA has declined my request of compensation for hearing loss. The VA claims since the hearing loss was not indicated when I left the service it is not service connected. I now have letters from two doctors, my primary care and an ENT, that state hearing loss from continued exposure to high levels of noise may not appear until years later.
I will file another appeal, the 3rd appeal, and see how it goes. I suspect the VA will still deny the claim. If the VA allows the claim it will set a precedence that anyone that worked in computer rooms in the military, and have hearing loss, could claim benefits. I don’t think the VA wants that type of decision.
Thus this will be the final appeal to the VA. The next step, which will be the 4th appeal, will be before a judge. According to the VA representative that judge in this area tends to side with the veteran more than the VA. Probably doesn’t mean much.
The compensation amount is not much, only 10%. That would bring me to 30% rating. There is a jump of about $200.00 from 20% to 30%. That jump also provides benefits to my wife if I die and she still survives. The amount paid will go back to the date I initially filed a claim, thus far 2+ years and by the time I finish about 4 years back pay.
Persistent? Darn straight. I was lied to when I left the service and missed 20+ years of compensation for the back injury that occurred while in the service. I am not about to let that happen again.
I think a lot of this stalling by the VA is in the hope that the veteran will die, or give up.
I see people on SS disability who worked for a company, lifted a box, and immediately claim a back injury. Probably only worked 3 months and now on permanent disability. How these people manage to game the system is a mystery to me. Especially when I see them with a 4-wheeler bouncing around the rocks at Windrock RV park with no issues.
I agree that they are delaying to reduce the pool of beneficiaries. The gov did that with the Japanese internment settlement. The more they delay, the less they pay.
There seems to be a lot of racism in the benefits offices. They don’t want to be accused of it, so hand out Bennies to one group, and they can keep their numbers down by denying the group that is polite and well mannered.
N
Even if race isn’t a consideration, the cheats are loud and vocal and the office wants to get rid off the issue, while the legit suffering are not.
N
I see people on SS disability who worked for a company, lifted a box, and immediately claim a back injury. Probably only worked 3 months and now on permanent disability. How these people manage to game the system is a mystery to me. Especially when I see them with a 4-wheeler bouncing around the rocks at Windrock RV park with no issues.
My wife had a patient like that in FL. He would roll into her office in a wheelchair, driving a special van, playing the role to the max, but, at home, he would ride motorcycles, jetskis, etc.
IIRC, the story was he lifted the wrong box working in a service dept. at a local car dealership.
The neighbors finally got fed up with his “disability” lifestyle and filmed him re-roofing his house, turning the tape into all the relevant government agencies and the guy’s former employer. It eventually catches up.
My wife got a visit from the local Sheriff deputies first giving her the choice of either recanting her signature on the disability forms or face the possibility of becoming co-defendant in any criminal charges later. The video on their laptop showed several camera angles so it wasn’t just one disgruntled neighbor with a camcorder.
I would hope so. I see several people in the area on disability for various reasons. Mostly reasons that are difficult to disprove. Usually teamed up with some disability lawyer. Can’t work, but working in the yard, riding ATV’s in the rocks, hunting, etc. Scamming the system.
In some cases it would be difficult to detect a cheater. Pain is difficult to disprove.
I know of one person that was working at UPS, they found him on the floor, claimed he fell, no witnesses. Word on the street he is bragging about how he scammed UPS and is now collecting disability from UPS and SS disability. I hope his bragging is his downfall and has to repay everything he got, with interest. Then toss his ass in jail.
“Juveniles behaving badly”:
I know of one person that was working at UPS, they found him on the floor, claimed he fell, no witnesses. Word on the street he is bragging about how he scammed UPS and is now collecting disability from UPS and SS disability. I hope his bragging is his downfall and has to repay everything he got, with interest. Then toss his ass in jail.
Sadly, anymore, people hate UPS as much as they hate disability scam artists.
I don’t think it a coincidence that my wife’s car was vandalized after I complained to UPS about a driver leaving a “Signature Required” package on my doorstep without the signature.
The Brown Truck Economy won’t end well.
@Lynn – Jimbo needs a bowl game this year or he’ll start next season with a very warm chair. His fingerprints are all over the radioactive situations he participated in creating in both Tampa and Tallahassee.
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2019/10/15/weve-had-five-seasons-to-know-that-jameis-winston-is-a-bucs-bust/
Pain. Waiting in dr’s office with my 98 yo aunt, who has chronic neuropathy, which has no cure yet. It wasn’t even taken seriously until recently. The only treatment offered is narcotics, and, because of the war on some drugs (TM), she gets inadequate dosage. We joke that it would probably be easier to get what she needs on the street, but it is no joke. Reminds me of the whole 2A infringement issue, where the crims go free and the good guys are punished.
The wife can symphathize. She has pain in her feet from neuropathy due to chemo 14 years ago. And other extremities.
They do that all the time at my address. A lot has to do with the amount of package pilfering in the area. Actually quite low in my area. UPS can place the package in locations that are not readily visible from the street. FEDEX does the same thing. No doorbell. I just get a notification on my phone the package has been delivered. Or the dog barks.
Probably cheaper.
I fail to see why a 98 year old in pain should not be able to get as much narcotic pain medication as they desire. It’s not like getting addicted is really going to an issue for the lifestyle.
The VA has offered me drugs to help with my constant back pain, sometimes really attention getting. I have refused as I don’t want to risk the side effects at this point in my life. When I get to be 85 I will certainly revisit the recommendations.
Jimbo will go to a bowl. You don’t score 28 points on Alabama without going to a bowl. It will just be podunk bowl. Plus the Aggies will sell 50,000 seats and that means a lot.
WRT pain medication: my list of why I have constant severe pain is too long to bore all of you with and I sure sympathize with all those in the same boat.
The gooberment (specifically the FDA) is doing no one any favors by making drugs illegal or nearly impossible to obtain in effective quantities. Drugs that are known/proven to be effective and readily available on the street. The problem with the street drugs is you do not know if you are getting what the “dealer” says it is and what it has been adulterated with.
I am having to be very careful today. My blood sugar took a nosedive and it has taken 6 hours to get it back up and stable. Add to that a pain level of 10+ that I cannot get down (a trip to the ER is way too expensive).
The trouble with pain is if you do not reverse it BEFORE it gets unbearable it becomes nearly impossible to reverse it. I’m damned if I do and damned I if don’t because my pain medication prescription (highest currently allowed in WA State) is not enough to reverse a runaway pain episode. So I double and triple dose now only to not have enough to maintain later.
DadCooks, my sympathies. My aunt just received a slightly different prescription. We should know if it is more effective in a day or two.
Most of us would be thrilled to make it to 98, with good health, of course.
Of course, I was only kidding… but then I also fear the FDA, an organization that has given us many things that turned out to be unsafe. Talk about damned if do/don’t.
The problem with making it to your 90s is that you will probably have to bury your spouse. The wife’s 96 year old uncle in West Texas buried his wife of 73 years last saturday. She was 90 with dementia and fell, breaking her pelis two weeks ago.
Jimbo will go to a bowl. You don’t score 28 points on Alabama without going to a bowl. It will just be podunk bowl. Plus the Aggies will sell 50,000 seats and that means a lot.
The Cheez-Itz Bowl? 🙂
At first, I thought they were kidding about that name. Camping World Bowl was bad enough.
At Camping World Stadium … in Orlando … of course! That makes sense.
Getting infirm (I refuse to say “old”) makes that runaway bus seem a good alternative 🙂
From @brad yesterday:
I’ve come to realize that’s how it always is. History is not only written by the winners, it is later re-written by everyone with an agenda. I remember experiencing the change during my schooling, regarding Native Americans (whom we then called “American Indians”: over the course of a few years, all of the school books started guilt-tripping all of us descendents of the Europeans who destroyed the tribes.
Yes, the powers that be are now wanting to rewrite Texas history books stating that the Texas revolution was a war on the native Hispanic settlers.
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/texas-schoolchildren-taught-alamo-defenders-heroic/
Apparently Davy Crockett was a native murderer.
Well, he certainly murdered some native “bars”.
William Barret Travis’ 1836 Letter from the Alamo
Well, we certainly don’t want to expose impressionable young minds to something like that!
Ordered the Christmas cards today. Yes, it’s early. One of my Uncle’s favorite things was ensuring his was the first card you received for the season. It always arrived no later than the day after Thanksgiving. He died a couple years ago, so I’ve picked up the mantle.
I don’t do anything fancy. No custom family portraits, witty pictures, or elaborate cards. I ordered a box of 48 generic cards from Amazon for $14. I’ll pay more for postage than cards.
Put the recipients address in the return address spot, mail the cards without stamps. No better way to say Merry Christmas than a postage due card.
Is it bad that I laughed way too hard?
The 200 one gallon bags for the FoodSaver arrived today. $52-ish with sales tax.
That’s enough prepping for the week. Maybe.
I don’t do anything fancy. No custom family portraits, witty pictures, or elaborate cards. I ordered a box of 48 generic cards from Amazon for $14. I’ll pay more for postage than cards.
Remember the lessons of “Seinfeld”. Don’t lick the glue on cards that cheap.
I guess I should make a post just to see what my avatar looks like.
The talk about work related injuries and disabilities recalled a story my sister told from when she worked in insurance. An hydraulic press operator took off the top centimeter or so of a finger. He was duly compensated something like $10k by the insurance company and new safety equipment was installed. The same guy then took the top centimeter off of another finger on the same device and demanded compensation. While that claim was being processed the company put in more safety equipment (hands had to be far from the machine to activate it) but also put in a hidden camera. The camera caught the guy trying to take off another finger tip by contorting himself to put a finger in jeopardy while pushing the activation button with a foot. I don’t remember if she said they prosecuted the person or just denied the claim. I’m sure the person was fired.
I did try to buy new remotes for the TV. Everything that seemed reasonable was “used”. “New” was too expensive. All options come from China.
Why buy used remotes? I have used remotes! So I cracked apart the remote I use (for practice) and cleaned the oily stuff between the carbon piles and the circuit board with 91 rubbing alcohol.
Works like new. Then I did the other remote and it works like new.
I practice on my remote because I don’t mind the gouges I make with the screwdriver while trying to pop the case apart. I have to re-learn this every few years. The second remote just came apart. 🙂
Edit. In a drawer under the TV I have two more remotes. I need to clean them. The “soft texture” stuff is sticky enough to pick up a remote with a flat palm. I don’t have hairy arms but I can stick a remote to my arm. More alcohol….
whine
I miss the Up arrow. I wasn’t a fan at first.
Now I have to go back to reaching for the Home button on the keyboard.
/whine
The same guy then took the top centimeter off of another finger on the same device and demanded compensation.
Gee. It’s not all that hard to trim fingernails. Or just chew them down.
A cm on my fingers is taking off bone.
People are strange.
The same guy then took the top centimeter off of another finger on the same device and demanded compensation.
Gee. It’s not all that hard to trim fingernails. Or just chew them down.
A cm on my fingers is taking off bone.
People are strange.
Larry the Cable Guy says that sometimes you gotta wreck the truck to get the insurance money to make the truck payment.
ADD: My new avatar looks like a sumo wrestler squatting over a toilet.
@paul: I originally put the up arrow so I could scroll to the top faster and click the link for the next day’s post.
But then I added the next/previous links at the bottom (under the comment box), and I use that to get to the next post when I am finished catching up with the previous day’s comments.
I suppose I could do some CSS trickery and only show the up arrow on desktops, not smaller screens. Whatcha think?
(Hard to please everyone…. 🙂
Up arrow: Sorry I weighed in earlier. Please, do whatever you want.
Added, I think you reversed that: don’t small (mobile) screens need the up arrow because there is no Page Up key? Isn’t it easy to detect a mobile device?
It’s easy to apply CSS to a particular screen size (‘media queries’, in geek-speak). So I can display (or not) depending on the size of the screen.
But the initial reason for the up arrow was for me, to get to the top of the page so I could hit the link for the next day’s post. This new theme doesn’t require that, since the next/prev post links are now at the bottom.
I always access this place with my desktop, so the up arrow didn’t get in my way. I suspect that desktop people wouldn’t care, but smaller screen people might like the arrow to not display.
I suppose I could put a very tiny one for smaller screens. Or just a link. Or maybe even a go-to-top link in the next/prev links down at the bottom.
Being a web geek, I like to tweak web pages…
I admire your tweaking, but am not a web geek. Just curious, how do you know what size monitor I have plugged into my desktop, particularly older analog interfaces? Does the computer know?
“Does the computer know? ” The shadow knows. [couldn’t resist]
Actually, the browser knows. And it will load additional CSS depending on the size of the screen. The CSS has commands that load specific CSS blocks based on the ‘media query’ value.
Sort of works like this: Browser loads the page, which includes CSS commands for all sorts of styling settings on the page. A CSS ‘media query’ can query the browser for various settings (display width among many). If the browser says “I’m a small screen of a width of 700 px”, then the browser will process any CSS commands that are in a block of that media query display size.
So, a media query like this
@media screen and (max-width: 600px) {
body {background-color:green;}
}
will set the background color to green on smaller screens, overriding any previous background color setting.
There are many settings that can be determined by a media query; see the “Media Features” section of https://www.w3schools.com/cssref/css3_pr_mediaquery.asp . You can get quite complex in how you adjust for different screen sizes, or set some elements to not print when printing.
So, the browser, which processes all html and css code and everything else, is ‘The Shadow”. And he knows everything…
JimB, your browser will tell the website what browser you are using. See https://www.marketeam.com.au/blog/web-design/how-do-websites-know-if-someone-is-using-mobile-tablet-or-computer
To get the screen resolution, the host site will send some JavaScript along with the basic page content and the JS will determine the browser size and relay it back to the host. On a phone or tablet this will be the actual size of your device. On a computer this will be however big you opened your browser window to, whether full screen or just a corner of the screen.
(Most of the assertions above should be prefaced with “usually” or followed by “or equivalent”. There’s lots of ways to do most things.)
Whelp, I’m on the plane and headed home.
N
RickH and SteveF, I was confusing screen size in inches with screen size in pixels. E.g., both my phone and my desktop computer have screens 1920×1080 pixels, but vastly different sizes in inches. There must be some additional scaling.
The facts that I (usually) run app windows full screen on my phone but less than full screen on my desktop comouter are additional matters.
Wow, things can get complicated. I’m relieved the Shadow knows 🙂
“Lynn,
Did you see Sen. Cornyn’s note?
If you didn’t, you’re in luck, you still have a chance to win TWO VIP tickets to President Trump’s rally in Dallas this week, but you have to act now.
THURSDAY TRUMP RALLY
ENTERED FOR A CHANCE TO WIN: NO
GET YOUR VIP TICKETS
ENTER NOW”
I know where I am not going to be Thursday. I would like to go but, you know.
@Lynn
I see a farmer in overalls, not a sumo wrestler.
I see a batman type avatar in SteveF’s.
@Nick. Oh boy. I have a filthy mind and what has been seen cannot be unseen. Best not to say what your avatar looks like under the influence of sleep deprivation.
I’m here procrastinating instead of getting my homework done. Last few weeks have been hard work. A LOT of reading. A LOT of writing. I would have been smarter to take 1 or 2 tech courses instead of 3. The Marsic book and Dordal book have been very good. I’m enjoying the Networking class the most. I have been producing more words per week for homework assignments than I’ve ever written before, most weeks 4,000, some weeks as high as 6,000. I don’t have any particular aspiration to write for a living but I’m beginning to believe there’s a lot of truth to ‘if you want to be a writer – WRITE’ and that writers block is a myth. Granted there is a substantial difference between writing to sell versus writing to pass a class…
Okay, back at it. Week 6 wraps up tomorrow night, slog through week 7 and 8, then a four day finals period. Whuf. I’m tired.
Finally figured out the mystery of the dead front porch lights at the new used house. I got a two for one light fixture package from Home Depot Sunday. Opened it up tonight and found the glass shattered on one of the fixtures. Went back to Home Depot and got a replacement package. Opened it up at Home Depot to make sure that all is ok with both new fixtures and it was.
Got back to the new used house and installed the new fixture. Flipped the switch. Huh, no workie for the new fixture. BTW, the old front porch light fixtures have integrated LED circuits, one of my hated situations. I got my volt meter out and found it dead again. Replaced battery, still dead. Went back to Home Depot and bought a new volt meter. Also bought a couple of light switches because you know, suspicious.
Back to the new used house and found the light switch was dead on both sides. Played the which breaker is the right breaker for a while since half of the breakers in the 200 amp breaker box are labeled L/P (lights and/or plugs). Found the right breaker on the sixth try. That 20 feet between the house and garage got longer each time. Found that the light switch was broken in half and the wire was loose from the power terminal. Replaced the light switch, turned on the breaker, and flipped the light switch. We have light on the front porch !
There was another mystery though. The other light switch in the box was hot on both sides. Why is it hot on both sides ? What does that light switch control ?
And another question, who broke the light switch in half ? What baboon got on it and cracked it ?
Both of these questions are for another day. I am tired and want to watch the Astros beat up on the Yankees.
Ah, the joy of buying a used house. You might figure it out. Is it possible the switch failed shorted? In such situations, disconnect one wire from the switch and go from there. Patience and perseverence pay.
Jenny, keep on keepin’ on! I know it’s tough, but you have overcome a lot, as reported here. You can do it.
Ah, the joy of buying a used house. You might figure it out. Is it possible the switch failed shorted? In such situations, disconnect one wire from the switch and go from there. Patience and perseverence pay.
I replaced that switch also. Both sides still hot. Duh, I could have just pulled the top wire and tested it.
I suspect that the light switch controlled a double plug inside or outside the house. And somebody did not want that plug to be controlled by a light switch so they bypassed it.
“A.F. Branco Cartoon – Overloads”
https://comicallyincorrect.com/a-f-branco-cartoon-overloads/
“NBA has bowed to communist China’s oppressive anti-free speech policies rather than risk losing the lucrative Chinese market share. Political cartoon by A.F. Branco ©2019.”
Possibly. If so, fix one end and isolate the other. Seems like a disaster in the making. Or, probably not, but why take chances?
“Remains Of USAF Maj. Clint Ward ’67 Recovered In Laos”
https://www.aggienetwork.com/news/152642/remains-of-usaf-maj-clint-ward-67-recovered-in-laos/
“The remains of an Aggie veteran who disappeared in the jungles of Laos during the Vietnam War will soon be returned to his family.”
Wow, these wars never end.
Jerry Pournelle thought that we fought in Vietnam in order to prove to the Soviet Union that we were not afraid to fight. I have often wondered if he was correct.
Home safe, tired and headed to bed.
n
I see I am signed in to Gravatar, so I assume my cat’s “kitten” picture will show up as my avatar.
Anyhow, frustrating course yesterday. I have a course with a lot of international students (including a couple of Americans, FWIW). Basically all of the international students are really weak. Poor education, unable to understand even the most basic things. Some of the Swiss students are – out of boredom – already weeks ahead of the curriculum. Worked extra with one woman, then suggested an an exercise simple enough that she could get some sort of “success”. She walked out without trying the exercise – WTF?
It’s amazing how classes differ. I have another group on Saturday mornings that is just incredible. Mostly very good, all of them highly motivated. I dislike teaching on Saturdays, but they are worth it.
Mr. Belt and Suspenders here.
@Lynn’s experience with a voltmeter is a learning opportunity. I have 2 voltmeters (actually 4, but who is counting).
Before using a voltmeter to check for voltage on something you are going to touch, us it on a known voltage source of the voltage you will be testing.
Also, double-check that the meter is selected to the proper voltage type, AC or DC. They do not mix. Also be sure you are not selected to check resistance (ohms, not the chant).
When trying to find the right breaker, without help, I plug an old-fashioned electric radio in (I have adapters for light sockets) and turn it up so loud that I can hear it at the breaker box.
And for a few bucks you can buy a voltage sensor for AC. No contact, just proximity. Highly recommended.
What the hell is that avatar? Looks like a rasied finger. I do have a gavatar account but it never shows here.