Long Time, No Post

It has been almost a year since my last post to the blog. Guess I am falling down on the job but this really is difficult being a creative writer. Obviously, I’m not a creative writer and have to force myself to get at the machine.

I was having a lot of pain last year which I related to my broken hip but a CAT Scan at the VA showed that I had some discs in my back that were slipping. That is what caused the severe pain when I stopped at the stop sign and could not hold the motorcycle up. I thought it was the hip but I guess it was something worse. No surgery, I just have to take it more careful on what I lift and how I bend.

We had a great time on our trip to Colorado last year and saw some beautiful scenery. The Air Force Academy is a beautiful campus set on the side of a little mountain. We stayed in Mountain View (which is near Colorado Springs) for about a week. From there we could easily cover most of eastern Colorado. Heading north we went to Rocky Mountain National Park and south we went to the Garden of the Gods. Both are beautiful rock formations. We also took the train ride through the Royal Gorge. Very nice train ride. It truly was a great trip and Joanne even got to visit a Wizard of Oz museum and winery in Kansas. The names of the wines were named after characters from the Wizard of Oz. They probably will never get used.

Still attending group therapy on a regular basis but I also miss the great EMDR sessions at Henry Ford Behavioral Services. The VA is not into EMDR that much. I think it really works and would like to see it used more.

We have a new 5th wheel this year. As I get older, Joanne and I figured it was time to downsize a little. We went from 40 footer with three axles to 37 footer with just two axles. It is also a lot lighter but weight is not a problem for my truck. The new unit will be easier in the small campgrounds. Unless the weather takes a major turn, we will not be camping anytime soon. Rain and cold is all we are getting right now. You don’t realize how much junk accumulates in an RV after seven years. We unloaded the old unit and put the stuff in the garage. Then when we got the new RV in the driveway, we began moving things in from the garage but not before doing a major sort. Why would two people need fifty coffee cups and plastic glasses? As I said before, we downsized.

Remember how I was complaining about the VA never being able to keep shrinks on staff. Well the Benton Harbor VA has finally gotten one that is excellent and seems to want to stay at this center. His name is Dr. Zamor and he is from Haiti. He really cares and all in our group really respect how he deals with us. Mark that down. Something positive to say about the VA.

Guess that is kind of a compacted version of what has happened in the last year but this blogging is difficult. Don’t forget that Memorial Day is next month.

Memorial Day

Decoration Day (Memorial Day) is the most beautiful of our national holidays…. The grim cannon have turned into palm branches, and the shell and shrapnel into peach blossoms. — Thomas Bailey Aldrich

It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived. — General George S. Patton

We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them. — Francis A. Walker

And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood

It is yet another Memorial Day. Time to remember the ones we lost in combat. I lost a lot of friends in Nam and I think about them everyday of my life. Guess that is part of survivor guilt but I never want those men to be forgotten. I hope everyone can get out to a parade this weekend and truly remember the real reason for this holiday. I really like the words in Lee Greenwood's song.

Guess I should update everyone on my motorcycle adventures. My adventure is over as fast as it began. The technical aspects of riding were not really my problem. The mental was the big road block. It was taking me out of my “safe zone” and it raised the anxiety level just as it did when my PTSD first started. With the help of my therapist I probably could have gotten past that point. My pinned hip was giving me problems with support at stops and mentally it was creating problems on right hand turns. I did not want to fall on the hip again. But I did.

Nothing was hurt except my pride and when I got back from that ride I decided right then and there that at 65 it was not a good idea to try and ride again. The bike is going up for sale this week and I did enjoy it for a short period of time. If I could just ride without stopping and turning corners then it would be great. Or if I just rode counter clockwise all the time and only made left hand turns it would be okay.

I know a lot of guys with PTSD ride motorcycles but they have been riding for years and it probably has little effect on them. Guess I have passed the thrill stage in my life cycle. I raced cars after Nam and loved the thrill of high speed. I had a 57 Porsche Speedster and raced E Production in SCCA. I loved that and it was mentally relaxing after a busy workweek. Guess at 65 the same thrills are no longer there. Or we know what real pain is like and don't want to go through it again.

Be sure and shake the hand of a Veteran this weekend and thank him for his service to our country. Or visit a Veterans grave and leave flowers, or take the kids to a Memorial Day parade and let them know the real reason for Memorial Day. It is not just a holiday for hot dogs and beer. Remember our Veterans from all wars and again thank them for keeping us free. God Bless You All.

Damn, I Got Old Quick

“Damn, I got old quick”. Time is sure flying by lately. They say that time goes quicker as you get older and it sure seems to be moving at a fast rate lately. I has been awhile since my last post but seems like just yesterday.

I have found something that does tend to take up a lot of my time on the internet. It is a series of mindless games on Facebook. I play Farkle, Bejeweled Blitz, Jungle Jewels and a few different farming programs. Those being Farm Town, Farmville and Lil Farm Life. I also do those on my sisters Facebook for a total of five farms I'm maintaining. They are mindless games but they do keep your mind off of bad memories. I've seen it mentioned on a couple of different PTSD websites as to how it is therapeutic. Farm Town is my favorite because it is the most realistic. And it is a lot easier than real farming.

I got through the holidays fairly stress free and the New Year got here so quickly. Now we are into February and are starting to plan vacations. “Plan vacations...there is still snow on the ground”. We are going to Colorado this year for our long vacation and that will probably be in June or July depending on scheduling. We may also do a four day trip to Cambridge Ohio and some shot trips to Shipshewana, Frankenmouth, and Manistee.

April is going to be a busy month. That month has the Hall China Convention in Columbus OH, Great Lakes Depression Glass Show in Madison Heights, MI, and I start my motorcycle safety classes. Yes, I said motorcycle class. I bought a 2007 Honda Shadow Spirit 1100 motorcycle off of eBay in November. The seller was a retired Police Chief up in the Muskegan area and had two Honda's and sold the smaller of the two. He delivered it via trailer and it is in great condition with very little miles. It has been over 40 years since I have been on a motorcycle so it will take some getting used to riding again.

I was a fearless young man then and now I know what pain is like so I'm sure I will be a fearful old coot rider. There will be two days of classroom work and two days of parking lot riding to complete the class. Upon successful completion of the class, you are certified to get a motorcycle license. I probably will only tide for a couple of years but I just have the feeling that I want to get back in the saddle. I was so much fun as a youth and hopefully it will still be just as much fun.

I'm still attending the weekly group therapy sessions and that is going well. The local VA still does not have a permanent shrink but they may be getting one next month. Talking to a shrink over a TV connection just does not get it. Usually they are so interested in looking at their computer and what they are typing that they never spend much time observing how you are reacting to the questions. Observation is part of how you understand the patient. Almost all of the VA shrinks seem to be foreign doctors. It is probably just a stopping off point until they can get a regular practice started on the outside.

This is the kind of Health Care the government wants to shove down our throats. Poorly paid and poorly run. The VA is getting better in some areas but is still inferior to most regular hospitals and physicians. The Ann Arbor VA is excellent because they are connected to the University of Michigan Medical Center.

Let's hope I can post again soon.

I'm Back For Now.

My friend and relatives have been complaining that I haven’t posted all summer and fall. Yes…it has been a long time but we have been busy and I wasn’t motivated enough to write anything. The mind has to be in the correct state to put how I feel on paper. I probably should do a little catching up for everyone.

We took a two weeks vacation in June and went out to the Black Hills of South Dakota. It was a long drive but we had a great time. I think Joanne really loved it. We went to the Mt Rushmore park two times and got some great pictures. Mt Rushmore is very impressive as are the Badlands and Devil’s Tower. We also spent some time in Deadwood, SD where there are quite a few casinos. Deadwood is quite a unique town.

We stayed one night in Mitchell, SD and that is the home of the famous Corn Palace. The Corn Palace is quite a site if you like tacky stuff. If you are really into tacky, stop by Wall Drug in Wall, SD sometime. That place will keep you busy for half a day.

The rest of the summer was spent going to baseball games and soccer games that our Grandkids play in all the time. They play soccer rain or shine so we are selective on which games we go to. We also don’t go the away games unless it is in a local town close by.

Otherwise, it was a typical summer with yard work, going for walks and just enjoy our selves and doing activities with my sister. She is getting used to it up here now but kept complaining about the cool weather here. It wasn’t hot and humid like it gets in Atlanta. To me it was a perfect summer but much too short.

PTSD wise, I do pretty well when we camp. I guess I feel fairly safe in the RV. We were around some big crowds at Mt Rushmore and I did okay then. The only problem I had was traveling through Iowa. That was too long of a driving day and is very tiring and my butt can’t handle it even with the air ride seats. I don’t know how truckers can do long trips. They must have concrete butts.

Still attending group therapy weekly and that does help even though some days are just BS sessions. Just being in a group of guys that understand what combat is like is helpful in itself. The therapist does interject thought provoking ideas occasionally that keep us on track about our problems.

Our two oldest Veterans finally got 100% disability. That is our WWII and Korean Vet. The one really needed the money and I’m so happy that it finally came through for him. He has struggled for so many years and did not really understand what his problem was from.

Veterans Day is soon approaching and I will again attend the dinner and program at the Eau Claire High School for Veterans. Last year I took my sister because my wife was at a meeting. This year my wife gets to see the great program they put on for the Vets. It is a difficult thing to attend for me but I got through it fairly well last year so maybe it will be easier this year. Ooh Rah.

Memorial Day

Dear Proud American,

Thank you to all those who have worn this country's uniform and have served in our Armed Forces. We especially pay tribute to those whose lives were lost in defense of this country.

Memorial Day,which is today, is a special time for all of us to remember that America enjoys freedom today because of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Guardsmen and Marines who have sacrificed their lives for the defense of our nation.

LtCol Oliver North, USMC (Ret.)

Happy Easter

I know, I know it has been awhile since my last post but I have been busy. Doing what I have no idea but I am sure I have been busy. PTSD tends to confuse the mind and causes a lack of concentration. I jump around a lot. Not literally but mentally my mind goes in many directions and jumps from one subject to another.

I have discovered a unique website for various mental and physical conditions called Daily Strength. They have discussion groups on many different subjects and the one I have been visiting is the PTSD support group. It is located at http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder/support-group. I have found it to be very helpful in that I can help others with their problems. Many are new to PTSD and are concerned about therapy, EMDR and a multitude of different questions. Having gone through this for many years, I can give some in site in what they can expect when they go for treatment. Maybe I can help someone else and help myself at the same time.

It does feel good but I can only do it for a few days at a time. Many of the folks on the site are women and have gone through rape, sexual and physical abuse. Some of their stores can really get you down if you let it. That is why I take breaks from the website periodically.

Last year about this time, I broke my hip just before going to a convention. I hope that this year I can get to the convention without something happening to me. I will miss one group therapy session but I can get through that okay. Things are improving but I admit I probably do spend too much time in my cave. With summer coming I will probably get out more and try to do things in the yard. Exercise is always good for PTSD.

I hope everyone has a good Easter with the family and do not eat too much candy from the kids Easter baskets. That is one of my problems. I am back on a diet and getting the weight back down again. The weight went up after I broke my hip due to lack of exercise so I am trying hard to get back to my fighting weight. Ya right, that will not happen but at least I need to take off quite a few pounds.

Happy Easter Everyone.

Guest Blog - Part II

This is the second installment for Michele Rosenthal’s wonderful site about PTSD. She is an excellent writer and is a joy to read. Hers is much better than my ramblings and ranting of a mad man. Her website is http://parasitesofthemind.blogspot.com. Please check out her site because it has tons of helpful information about PTSD.

Guest Blog – Part II

Dealing with the VA is my subject this time around. The problem with informing you on how to deal with the VA is the VA varies so much from state to state. The VA within each state is a separate entity from the Veterans Administration in Washington D.C... What you say? I know this sounds stupid but appears to be how the system operates. To get care, you have to be registered in that state where you live. Therefore, that means if you live in Michigan and spend the winter in Florida then you need to register in both states. In addition, the medical records cannot be accessed from state to state. Each system seems to be independent from each other.

This may sound really messed up but trust me the system is greatly improved from what it was years ago. President Bush put a lot more funding into the system from the previous president. The former head of the VA, James Peake, really made some great changes to the system. He also increased our mileage reimbursement up to the present 41.5 cents a mile. The previous amount had not changed for 30 years. The old reimbursement would not even cover gas for half my trip. Now it covers my gas and leaves a little extra.

I hope that the new VA Secretary Shinseki will keep up the improvements and make life a little easier for us Vets. As I stated in the first blog, veterans who recently returned from a combat zone are eligible for no-cost VA care. They are entitled to five years of free VA care. The five-year “clock” begins with their discharge from the military, not their departure from the combat zone.

Each VA medical center has an enrollment coordinator to provide veterans information about these programs. Veterans may also contact VA’s Health Benefits Service Center at 1-877-222-8387 or visit the VA health eligibility Web site at www.va.gov/healtheligibility.

If you feel you deserve a VA compensation for injuries or PTSD, it is best to get a representative to submit your paperwork and represent you to the VA. The VFW, American Legion, DAV (Disabled American Veterans) and others have representatives. I personally believe the DAV can represent you the best because they are paid employees and not just volunteers that may or may not know the system well. The DAV represented me for my PTSD. I had already had a 30% disability for injuries in Nam since my discharge. Once the paperwork is submitted, HURRY UP AND WAIT. It can take as long as two years for older veterans but I believe the current veterans are getting through much quicker. At some point in this process, they will send you to a Compensation and Pension examination. You are getting close at this point.

Usually you will be rejected the first time so keep pushing for another review. If you are suffering with PTSD, try to get into one of the Post Traumatic Stress Recovery Tracks they run at the VA hospitals. These tracks run from 28 days to two months. It is intensive therapy along with medication adjustments and group therapy. Going through a track will help you get VA compensation. You will also be paid when you go through a track.

You can get up to 75% disability and if you cannot function enough to work, an additional 25% will be added for unemployables. I have an 88 years old WWII veteran in my group therapy that has tried to get unemployables (the word we use is unemployability but I do not think that is a real word). At 88 years of age, he should have unemployability. Sometimes we feel the VA figures, “kill a vet, save a check”.

One thing I forgot to mention in my first blog was about brain injury. They have discovered that big explosions close to you might cause a jarring of the brain. You will not have any external injuries but your brain is injured. These injuries will appear similar to PTSD but can only be detected via an MRI exam. Both PTSD and explosive brain injury can be present in combat veterans. Just something else to consider.

It is a quick overview but I hope some of it helps. Just do not suffer with the problems. Get the help you need and deserve from the VA.

Semper Fi

Guest Blog

Another blogger, Michele Rosenthal, has a wonderful site about PTSD with lots of helpful hints in dealing with the condition. She commented on my site and requested I do a guest topic on her site. I am posting what I sent to her. Her website is http://parasitesofthemind.blogspot.com. Please check out her site because it has tons of helpful information about PTSD. It will take me days to go through all her information.

Guest Blog

Hi,…I am a Vietnam Veteran suffering from PTSD and Michele asked me to write something on her blog. If you are recently back from Iraqi or Afghanistan and you do not feel right mentally, seek help. If your wife, husband, or family thinks you have changed for the worse, seek help. You probably have the beginnings of PTSD so get help ASAP. When you get back from war, you should notice positive changes in your character. However, if the negatives out weight the positives, then seek help.

The VA is offering you returning vets 5 years of fast care in the system. Now what you and I think is fast is not the VA form of fast. At least, do not be afraid to try, and make an appointment to be seen by one of their many Social workers and Shrinks. They will very easily, in most cases, identify if you do or do not have symptoms of PTSD.

I believe that most forms of PTSD from combat manifests itself fairly soon after coming back from combat. We Vietnam Vets did not have that luxury because the mental illness did not exist in the books. The Vietnam Vet brought this problem to the forefront and now it is recognized.

The other form of PTSD manifests itself later in life. Mine took this form. Sure, there were little things that began fairly soon such as the inability to remember peoples names and a heightened sense of awareness of my surrounding. I was able to function in a job and keep jobs. Twenty-seven years later the flashbacks started to occur. Mine started while driving which in itself was a scary adventure. It turns out the reason was certain music from the Vietnam period would trigger my flashback. I would have one a month, and then a couple a month until near the end, I was experiencing two to three per day.

I was seeing body bags and faces of my friends that died. I would dream of “incoming” at night and end up on the floor to be low to the ground. Good sleep turned to bad sleep. The worst thing for me was the fear that I would hurt one of my employees during a flashback.

When I finally sought help, the shrink (she luckily did her internship at the VA) immediately identified it as PTSD. The facility where I worked and was Manager of a large department put me on long-term disability. Behavioral Services put me on medications and began therapy and EMDR treatment. I quickly started to show improvement but not enough to function in a normal world. Hyper-awareness, agoraphobia (fear of leaving your safe zone), depression, anxiety, were all part of the symptoms.

I stepped on a booby-trapped grenade in Nam and developed a fear of even walking in the yard for fear of another explosion. You literally cannot function the way you did before.

Do not let it get to this point. Seek help and get on medications, therapy, group therapy and EMDR. Get a good experienced EMDR therapist but I am sorry to say they are currently rare in the VA system.

Because it was not a recognized diagnosis until late after the Vietnam War, many WWII and Korean War vets developed and have PTSD. In my group therapy, we have one of each from those wars. One of these men had almost 50 jobs in 50 years. He is much better now with meds and therapy. My therapist calls my office in the basement, my cave or safe zone. Do not get stuck in your cave. Seek treatment from the VA immediately.

Next time I will talk about dealing with the VA and what a mess that system is or has been. It is getting better but needs a lot more work.

Semper Fi

Just A Little Cranky

It has been soooooooooo long since my last post. Guess I have been busy with doctor’s appointments, dental visits, helping my sister, playing games on Facebook, and other oddball things.

I developed a rash on my chest and back and the doctors could not identify the cause. Probably Agent Orange raising its ugly head. Two and a half months later, it is getting better but still itches like a son of a gun. The doctor will send me to Ann Arbor VA if it doesn’t improve soon. I just hate that long drive just to have some bumps checked out.

I guess the Benton Harbor VA will finally be getting a regular shrink so we will not have to deal with meeting with him via the TV. It is not a very personal way to deal with a patient via a little TV screen. Of course, the doctor that will be seeing us does not have a very good history with veterans. Some of these guys have been around too long in the VA system and do not have a caring attitude. We need doctors with good bedside manners.

Okay, now is my time to get on my soapbox and spout off. If the VA truly cared about the veterans, they would totally revamp the system. They need to let us go to local doctors, dentists, and hospitals. I have a state of the art hospital only 14 miles away but can only get treatment if it is a life or death situation. To go to the dentist, ophthalmologist x-rays and urgent care, I have to travel 85 miles one way. If I go for my asthma or dermatology then I have to travel 165 miles one way. Now if I need oral surgery, I have to go 225 miles one-way. Look how much they have to pay out just in mileage reimbursement (41 cents/mile).

One person in my group has three appointments this week so that is three full days shot out of his week. Some of us are lucky, we can drive but if you have to use the VA van for Ann Arbor VA that is a two-day trip. In addition, the government has to put you up in a motel for the night. What a waste of money by our government.

Do not get me started on the stimulus package. I will save that for another soapbox day.

Our Korean vet in the group is doing much better on his medication change. I was really getting concerned about his welfare. The new Iraqi vet is really having problems with the Army. He officially is not discharged but has a very high percentage disability from the VA. They made him re-up for another year and report to a base 700 miles away to be evaluated as to whether or not he can stay in the military. He is not able to function anymore in the military so why do they make him go thru hoops just to give him a discharge.

I know, I know, I am a little cranky today but guess I have been in the doldrums of late. All this changing of meds and dealing with the rash kind of gets me down. Do not worry, the guns are safely locked away and the wife has the key.

Late Update

Yes, I have been remiss in posting to the blog. Seems like we have been very busy after the holidays and have not found the time to blog. I did get the first two seasons of “The Sopranos” for Christmas and have been watching most of the 26 episodes. I enjoy that because I get to stay in my safe zone (the basement). As my therapist calls it, “my cave”.

The shrink doubled one of my drugs and that was not a good thing. After a couple of weeks at that dosage, I cut back to my old amount. The higher dosage was making me agitated and not really helping the depression. Now he wants me to increase it by fifty percent. That starts tonight so we will see how that works.

Another item that has been keeping me busy is I joined Facebook. I was hoping to find old classmates on it but most of the folks using Facebook are the younger generation. There were only about seven from my High School class on Facebook. Guess the older generation is not used to using computers. Some of them said their kids set them up on Facebook and they just use it to communicate with their kids. Come on you old coots, get with the computer age.

Not much more to update. Group therapy is still going well and we got another Iraqi vet in our group. That makes it now one WWII, one Korea, seven Vietnam, and two Iraqi vets in the group. The group has different percentages of disability from 40% to 100%.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Stan and Joanne.

Happy 233rd Birthday to the Green Side!

I'm a little late with these pictures but still wanted to post them on my blog.

Happy Birthday Dear

Happy Birthday to my dear wife Joanne. I will not tell you her age because then I might not see my next birthday. We went out to dinner with the kids and grandkids and my sister. Then Joanne and I went north to the Little River Casino in Manistee Michigan for the weekend. I think she had a great birthday. Love you dear.

Almost Thanksgiving Day

Well, I made it through Veterans Day and I did attend the dinner in Eau Clair. It was quite a shindig and well represented by all branches of the service. This is a fine example of small towns clinging to their guns and religion. They treat the Veterans the way they should be treated. It made me feel proud to be an American Veteran. There were a few tears but I got through it okay. My wife had to go to a meeting so I went with my sister. She also enjoyed the evening.

Joanne and I just got back from a weekend in Manistee, MI celebrating Joanne’s birthday at Little River Casino. I will not say which birthday we celebrated but it was traumatic for her. We came out about even for the weekend and had a great time. It started snowing heavily on the way back but the further south we got the better the driving conditions.

Went to Battle Creek VA last week to have me hip checked out. Guess it is doing okay according to the doctor. That leg is one quarter inch longer than the other is and my limp does cause a few problems with the hip. He said it will take time and that I should not be concerned with some pain. Only be concerned about a lot of pain continuously. I do not have the patience to wait. I want it better now.

The Benton Harbor VA is now officially a full fledge VA facility and not run by a contractor. I do not know if that is good or bad. We will wait and see. The one individual that I liked is not staying with the VA. Paul really seemed to care and I thought he was very good at his job. They have replaced him with a doctor via video conference. I do not think it is right for a physician to be able to analyze you via a TV monitor. Not sure how long this will go on with the TV. Maybe they will find an on-site individual.

Getting ready for Thanksgiving and then it will be time to start thinking about putting up trees for Christmas. Time sure is flying by.

Long Time, No Post

Long time, no post. Well…I have been very busy moving my sister up to Michigan from Georgia. My wife and I drove down to Atlanta and helped my sister pack up all the dishes and glass. We rented a 26-foot U-Haul truck and hired Two Men and a Truck guys to load the truck. It is best to let the professionals load a truck because they can really pack it tight. As far as we know, nothing got broken on our 14-hour trip north.

26 feet was not large enough for everything so some things had to be left behind. The realtor will try to sell a few things and the rest will be given to charity groups. Some of the stuff we talked her out of bringing to Michigan. I would have loved to brought everything with us but there wasn’t the room. It would have been better to have a garage sale up here rather than leave it behind but you do what you have to do.

I believe she really likes the new house she bought “sight un seen”. Her large furniture fit nicely and looks homey in the house. She did go out and buy a few things to fill in a few places such as a smaller kitchen table and another chair for living room rather than a large couch.

It has been a tough couple of weeks for me with all the activity but I am slowly getting back to normal and mentally calming down. Dealing with all that activity and being out of my safe zone was stressful but I got thru it without too much anxiety. Now that I am back in my basement office, I feel much more secure and relaxed. Every Thursday, I can go visit my sister for lunch after Group Therapy. I think that will be fun and I am sure she will enjoy that also.

I had a few flashbacks during that period but I believe that the physical activity of packing and getting ready to move helped a little to relieve the stress of being out of my safe zone. We have a new member to our Group Therapy and I have only been to one meeting while he was their. New members tend to change the dynamics of a group so we will see how it does. My initial reaction was that he probably was not a good soldier and tends to hate the military and its rules. However, first impressions can be deceiving so I will wait and see how he turns out.

Big Veterans Day activities coming up in the area but I am not sure if I will partake. Stuff like that brings back memories that I try to forget. A couple of the guys in the group told me to try it so maybe I will. One of the activities includes a free dinner for two with a military program. Betty Bennett is a speaker and I have heard her speak before and really enjoyed what she had to say. She was a Wave Code Breaker in Washington D.C. during WWII. It was amazing what she had to go thru to keep her activities a secret during that time and she had to sign a paper not to reveal for 25 years what she had been doing. She confirms that Roosevelt knew about the attack at Pearl Harbor 4 days before the Japanese hit. I may go just to hear her talk.

Coming Out of the Dark

A couple more excellent videos dealing with PTSD.

PTSD Video

If you are a Nam Vet, be careful when you watch this video. It may bring back some bad memories or reactions.

Tax Plans

This is a VERY simple way to understand the tax laws. Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand.

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this.

The first four men, the poorest would pay nothing; the fifth would pay $1; the sixth would pay $3; the seventh $7; the eighth $12; the ninth $18; and the tenth man, the richest, would pay $59.

That's what they decided to do. The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day; the owner threw them a curve (in tax language a tax cut).

"Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20." So now dinner for the ten only cost $80.00.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what about the other six, the paying customers? How could they divvy up the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share?"

The six men realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would end up being PAID to eat their meal. So the restaurant owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

So the fifth man paid nothing, the sixth pitched in $2, the seventh paid $5, the eighth paid $9, the ninth paid $12; leaving the tenth man with a bill of $52 instead of his earlier $59.

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free.

But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. "I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man, but he, pointing to the tenth. "But he got $7!" "Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man, "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got seven times more than me!" That's true!" shouted the seventh man, why should he get $7 back when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!" Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison, "we didn't get anything at
all. The system exploits the poor!"

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night he didn't show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered, a little late what was very important.

They were FIFTY-TWO DOLLARS short of paying the bill! Imagine that!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college instructors, is how the tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up at the table anymore.

Where would that leave the rest? Unfortunately, most taxing authorities anywhere cannot seem to grasp this rather straightforward logic!

T. Davies Professor of Accounting & Chair, Division of Accounting and
Business Law
the University of South Dakota

Happy Birthday Jo Ann

Well…my sister celebrated a milestone of a birthday yesterday. I won’t say which one but she is an old coot now. I have included a couple of recent pictures of her at her part time job at a Hallmark store. The one picture is also of her good friend Marie who she flew with for many years at Delta Airlines. The picture with the flowers is from a pilot that she flew with many times over the years. (Click picture for larger view) I am looking forward to next month when we move her up to Michigan. I sure hope this winter is not too bad. As a Southern girl, she is used to easy winters with a few chilly days. We live in an area that has “Lake Effect” snow. It blows in off of Lake Michigan and dumps the snow on our area. Happy Birthday Sister.

Labor Day Weekend

We had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend and the weather was perfect. Saturday, we drove 100 miles to Barlow Lake to visit my cousins. Uncle Hugo had a cottage at the lake for as long as I can remember and we spent many a summer day out at the lake. Now the kids have the cottage and they spend many of their summers there. I think Cousin Vincent is about four years older then me and Georgia is probably two years older. We have not seen them for many years so I just had to go to the lake to visit. Labor Day is the weekend that they bring in the boats and dock to store away for the winter.

Vince’s wife is Suzy and their son (Erik) and daughter-in-law were at the lake. In addition, Georgia’s husband Steve and their daughter and granddaughter (Samantha) were at the lake. Here is another case of my not remembering names. I should know their names but forget names so easily. I somehow missed getting a picture of Samantha.

The first picture is of Georgia, her daughter, Erik, Erik’s wife, and then Suzy. The next picture is of Erik, Erik’s wife, Suzy and then Steve (Georgia’s husband). The third picture is Suzy, Erik, Georgia’s daughter, and Erik’s wife. The fourth picture is of Steve and Vince (he graduated from Michigan). The last picture is of Joanne and me on the swing that has been part of the cottage for as long as I can remember. I was just as if I had never been away. (You can click on the pictures for a larger view.)

On Labor Day, the kids and grandkids took us out to dinner for our Anniversary. It was a fun time with the kids and little ones both at the restaurant and out on their patio at home.