Tricare Going To Take Another Hit

Not too long ago my blogging mentor, good friend Blackandgoldfan posted some info concerning one raise to military Tricare benefit costs. Well here we go again.
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/01/groups-warn-21-percent-cut-medicare-tricare-payments

This administration seems to want nothing more than to stick it to us(veterans) and the elderly. For anyone out there that has Tricare you know what I mean when I say it is already so hard to find doctors that will accept what Tricare pays. We could go to military clinics if you have one close and it has open slots. Active duty and their dependants come first in those as it should be but those of us that are retired and have high disability ratings need somewhere to go as well.
They want to continue to make it hard on us. Maybe they are hoping we will die young so they can stop our disability payments or retirement checks. That way they could always put that money to better use paying for the welfare case that has 10 kids to 10 different guys that does nothing but sit on the couch all day.

We have 2 senators down here in VA that claim to be champions of veterans, Webb and Warner. They have the military logos on their office doors and show up to all the veterans events but when we really need them to stand up for us and fight they back down.

Not once during all the health care debates did either of these guys raise any concerns about how it was going to affect vets. Its because they really don't care about us. I just love the way Warner has his staffers trained to say "The senator thanks you for your service" when you call their office if you mention that you are a veteran. Senator you can keep your thanks pal.

Well I know this posting probably sounded just like an angry rant. Well actually it was lol. When I read the above article it just made me so mad. I heard a very brief story on it on one of our local TV stations but that was right after the feel good puppy dog story they always throw in to a broadcast. It lasted about a minute. I know everyone is being impacted by the garbage this administration is doing but I just had to share this and then get the yelling out of the way. If I let it build up I may get high blood pressure and have to try to find a doctor that will accept Tricare. If I find one I will probably have to wait 2 months to get an appointment. Then the pharmacy that i go to to fill my high blood pressure medicine will probably be out of it due to the fact that its one of the few that will accept what Tricare pays for drugs. By then I'll be dead. So I figure just blogging about it is alot easier. Ok time to go kill bad guys on Warcraft. (also very therapeutic)
I offer a prayer tonight for a team of soldiers, sailors, and airmen that I provide technical support to that very recently got deployed. Get back soon and break more computers. My trouble ticket count is low:)

Couple of Politicians That Really Seem To Care

I heard on the radio this morning about our Governor Elect Bob McDonnell doing some charity work then read about it in one of our local papers here in Hampton Roads. http://www.dailypress.com/news/politics/dp-local_mcdonnell_0112jan12,0,1759421.story

Now normally a politician doing charity work would not really peak my interest. They do it for face time and publicity. Especially when it affiliates them with the military. While I have never actually met Bob McDonnell I have spoken to some army brothers that had a chance to meet the guy. One of them told me when you speak to him he seems genuine. Especially to the military. I have a feeling this may be enhanced by the fact that his daughter served. Hopefully I'm reading this guy "Right". These days its hard to say lol. I guess we will see, but I'm putting some hope in him that he can fix what our current Richmond resident has screwed up.

The second guy is one I have had interactions with on a few occasions. Congressman Rob Wittman. I don't have any recent article about his actions but I wanted to share some personal comments about this man. I have become one of those people that call my senators and congressman on a regular basis about issues. God help them now because I have a Blackberry and when I sit in one of our daily hour long traffic jams I get bored. I have a passion about veterans issues. Hmm wonder why lol.
I called him around a year ago to complain about the fact that the retiree dental plan Delta Dental is the exact same plan my company offers at 3 times the price. I really don't want to give a ton of info about my company because I don't know all the legal caveats and don't want to get fired or in trouble for talking about them online. They treat me well and I like where I work. Well the aide that spoke to me it turns out was a retiree and a really great guy. I told him my issues and the next thing I know I was invited to a veterans council meeting. When I got there I'll admit I was a bit intimidated. I had my suit on and I looked spit and polish but the folks in the room as they introduced themselves were high ranking retirees and a few locally important people. After a few other topics were discussed Congressman Whitman gave me the floor and I had my say. His aides and the other people in the rooms took real notes about what I was saying!!! I have seen enough briefs with high ranks in them to know the difference between "doodle notes" and real notes. These were by God real notes about what I was saying. Then afterward I has some time with the Congressman one on one. This man really gives a crap about the military.
Since then I have stopped in his Yorktown office on a few occasions to get some advice for a couple of young troops that had some big problems and one old wardog that was getting a run around. If he allows me at a later date I will relate the story of the old war dog with 25+ years of honorable service is having to fight to finish his career. Because of legalities that congressmen have to follow concerning their abilities to work issues in other Congressman's districts my Congressman could not get directly involved but the advice his aides passed to me (his legal constituent) concerning the best approaches for such issues was extremely valuable. As of this writing War Dog has yet to get one iota of assistance from his democrat congressman in a nearby district. His calls haven't even been returned. Hopefully he will let me blog his story but out of great respect I have for this man the few details I have given about him is all I will give for now.

The point of this whole posting was to share what I believe are a few points of hope. With all the bad politicians out there when I see these 2 men I have to put some hope in them. I pray later on down the road they don't dash that hope but here's praying for them. If they do fail me.....At least I Got Chicken!!!!!!

I offer a prayer tonight again for all my deployed brothers and sisters but especially for a young man I have known since birth who is currently serving in Iraq. Louie be safe brother and keep your head down.

Still Learning To Blog

I want to thank Blackandgoldfan for letting me know I didn't have some of my settings right. I may be experienced at fixing computers, servers, and stuff like that. Heck I was even a pretty good sailor....I think. Your never know cause they always make you feel good on your evals unless your a real scumbag. If your a borderline scumbag they always put foofoo comments in to build your self esteem and so you don't cry.
Anyway, back to the issue at hand. I'm a noob as we say in gaming when it comes to social network sites, blogging etc etc. I noticed when I logged on that I suddenly have several blog followers. Again I thank my blogging mentor, blackandgoldfan for the shout out. Thanks for joining. I hope I don't end up boring the heck out of you all and I hope my experiment in blogging succeeds. If any of you fine folks see anything I should be doing differently or have any tips please feel free to let me know. I will try to post as much as I can but sometimes my work schedule restricts my personal time. Being one of 3 techs supporting roughly 150 users, some of which are deployed can really suck the life out of you lol. Great group of sailors, soldiers, marines and various civilian type government employees, but they keep me running:) I may even share a few bits of humor I experience as a tech support guy later on. Well thanks for joining my blog everyone.

My First Post In My First Blog

I never thought I would be creating a blog but here it is. To anyone that takes the time to read this let me explain what prompted me to create a blog. Oh first let me explain my saying and what it means for those non World of Warcraft players. Go to Youtube and search for Leroy Jenkins. Watch the video. After you watch him get his team killed and they all basically curse him out he can't think of anything else to say so he says simply "At Least I Got Chicken" That my friends is a great philosophy. He totally screwed up and made a mess but on the bright side he has the food he left to make. He got his chicken. No I'm not crazy, I don't do drugs and I don't drink. I just maybe look at things a little differently. I am just a regular every day guy going through a regular everyday life. For years I payed very little attention to politics and what our leaders were doing in Washington. Well during about the last 10 years I have become more and more interested in what is going on in the world. Mainly because being in the military alot of it affected me. I had friends that were going into harms way and as I watched what politicians were doing on military issues I started watching what they did on other issues. I started not just believing what I heard on TV but started doing some research. Getting my news from other not so main stream people like Hannity, Limbaugh, Bortz, etc. etc. Now just like I did with the news I didn't and still don't just believe what they say. If something peaks my interest I try to get several different angles on it and form my own opinion. Thus my reason for starting a blog.
I don't know if anyone will bother to read what I have to write but I look at it as a way of venting and sharing. Maybe what I say and how I say it will make someone look at something differently. Maybe someone will learn something they don't already know. Maybe my comments will be scorned or slammed by trolls but either way I'm gonna try out this blogging thing and see what happens.
I just feel so frustrated by what I see going on in our country right now that I have to say something to anyone that will listen. Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and all the other far left liberals are taking this country down a path that I believe will lead to ruin. Our country is headed so far from what the founding fathers intended. I know many democrats and very few of them have the socialist mindset that the above mentioned people do. Most of the democrats I know are hard working people that lead simple conservative lives. Steel mill workers, auto workers, mechanics, men that make toner. They have listened to the promises of our leaders and the coaching of some of their union officials and cast a well meaning vote. Only to discover that the people they have put in office are nothing like what they seemed.
The president, congress and senate have taken it upon themselves to pass what they want and do what they want. They think they know whats good for us without asking us. If they do ask they don't pay attention to the answer if its not what they want to hear. They want to "take care of us". Well by God I don't need taken care of. And as for your opinion senator or congressman.....you were not elected to have an opinion. You were elected to express my opinion. The opinion of the voters is what you voice. The only portion of your voice that can echo your opinion is one votes worth. Come November your going to see how much your opinion means when you find yourself voted out of office.
Wow that felt good. Not sure if anyone else will read this but if you are. Thanks for letting me vent. I will close my first post on my first blog with an offering of prayer for my brothers and sisters on the sea and on lands far away keeping us safe.