Monkey Musings Daily Open Discussion #8 10/24 - 11/19/2007

[2NJSons_Mom]

GreatOwl is a wise owl and always expresses things so well in his posts. 

He mentioned karma catching up and he's right.  The experience (s) I mentioned to Mrs. Red last night came to mind, again.

Worked for a small start up company where many of the co-workers had worked together at a previous business.  I was referred by a family member and most of us knew one another because we all lived in the same area.  There was a guy who was close with the owners who was in a mgmt position.  There were times we all were being paid extra to bring home work.  We found that he was not really doing the work, so we started to log who had what in their folder.  We then found that if he didn't complete his workload, he started slipping the unfinished paperwork in the folders of others.  It was reported, in confidence to one of the owners, the guy was spoken to and things continued on.  New employees eventually would notice that this guy had a knack of delegating and not doing much during the day to earn his salary.  Wife on the payroll who did nothing, made personal calls, used office equipment for personal use, postage machine....on and on...Some mgrs & employees left in disgust because it seemed the owners just turned their heads.

When the company sold, the guy went to work at another business venture the owners had.  Within a year or two, I heard he was no longer there.  They found he was using company funds to pay personal bills....he bit the hand that fed him, and lost the friendship, at that point.   It took a while for them to see....but yes, karma does show up, but I have no doubt his feathers have not changed.

[Maggie]

I was reading here last night and was interested in sleddogs and others comments. I kept in touch with a veteran (actually the last remaining member of the horse patrol) at the Old Soldiers' Home in Washington DC. On one of our visits, he was lamenting the plight of all the homeless men he had met. He told me many of them were vets, but had no way of proving it, thus being inelegible for medical (and mental) benefits. He said the only proof he was able to produce was a certificate from his nephew's wall. The problem? The St.Louis fire of 1973.

Fact Sheet: Facts About the 1973 St. Louis Fire and Lost Records
October 2006                http://www1.va.gov/opa/fact/stlouis.asp

The Fire
A fire at the NPRC in St. Louis on July 12, 1973, destroyed about 80 percent of the records for Army personnel discharged between November 1, 1912, and January 1, 1960. About 75 percent of the records for Air Force personnel with surnames from "Hubbard" through "Z" discharged between September 25, 1947, and January 1, 1964, were also destroyed.
What Was Lost
It is hard to determine exactly what was lost in the fire, because there were no indices to the blocks of records involved. The records were merely filed in alphabetical order for the following groups:
World War I:   Army   November 1, 1912 - September 7, 1939
World War II:   Army   September 8, 1939 - December 31, 1946
Post World War II:   Army   January 1, 1947 - December 31, 1959
   Air Force   September 25, 1947 - December 31, 1963

Millions of records, especially medical records, had been withdrawn from all three groups and loaned to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) before the fire. The fact that one's records are not in NPRC files at a particular time does not mean the records were destroyed in the fire.
Reconstruction of Lost Records
If veterans learn that their records may have been lost in the fire, they may send photocopies of any documents they possess -- especially separation documents -- to the NPRC. The address is National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records, 9700 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. The submitted documents will be used, when necessary, to aid in finding alternate sources supporting the requester's claim. The NPRC will add those documents to the computerized index or to the existing recovered/reconstructed record and file them permanently.
Alternate Sources of Military Service Data
When veterans don’t have copies of their military records and their NPRC files may have been lost in the St. Louis fire, essential information about their military service may be available from a number of other sources.
•   The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) maintains records on veterans whose military records were affected by the fire if the veteran or a beneficiary filed a claim before July 1973.
•   Service information may also be found in various kinds of "organizational" records such as unit morning reports, payrolls and military orders on file at the NPRC or other National Archives and Records Administration facilities.
•   There also is a great deal of information available in records of the State Adjutants General, and other state "veterans services" offices.
By using alternate sources, NPRC often can reconstruct a veteran's beginning and ending dates of active service, the character of service, rank, time lost on active duty, and periods of hospitalization. NPRC can issue NA Form 13038, "Certification of Military Service," considered the equivalent of a Form DD-214, "Report of Separation From Active Duty," to use in establishing eligibility for veterans benefits.
Necessary Information for File Reconstruction
The key to reconstructing military data is to give the NPRC enough specific information so the staff can properly search the various sources. The following information is normally required:
•   Full name used during military service
•   Place of entry into service
•   Branch of service
•   Last unit of assignment
•   Approximate dates of service
•   Place of discharge
•   Service number or Social Security number

[Maggie]

The sad thing is that these vets do not have the assistance needed to research all of the other sights-or may just not be informed of his options. If you are ill, what recourse do you have?

[2NJSons_Mom]

Maggie, thank you for posting that info.  I was not aware. 

Sleddogs, my husband thoroughly appreciated those links.  We spoke a little about the boat, the cargo and the missing, as well as the homeless & lost vets, which he believes there are a great number of across the country.

[klaasend]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,311878,00.html

Homerun Superstar Barry Bonds Indicted on Perjury, Obstruction of Justice Charges
Thursday , November 15, 2007





 SAN FRANCISCO  —

Baseball superstar Barry Bonds was charged Thursday with perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying when he said he did not use performance-enhancing drugs.

The indictment, unsealed Thursday by federal prosecutors in San Francisco, is the culmination of a four-year federal probe into whether he lied under oath to a grand jury investigating steroid use by elite athletes.

The indictment comes three months after the 43-year-old Bonds, one of the biggest names in professional sports, passed Hank Aaron to become baseball's career home run leader, his sport's most hallowed record. Bonds, who parted ways with the San Francisco Giants at the end of last season and has yet to sign with another team, also holds the game's single-season home run record of 73.

While Bonds was chasing Aaron amid the adulation of San Franciscans and the scorn of baseball fans almost everywhere else, due to his notoriously prickly personality and nagging steroid allegations, a grand jury quietly worked behind closed doors to put the finishing touches on the long-rumored indictment.

"I'm surprised," said John Burris, one of Bonds' attorneys, "but there's been an effort to get Barry for a long time. "I'm curious what evidence they have now they didn't have before."

Burris did not know of the indictment before being alerted by The Associated Press. He said he would immediate call Bonds to notify him.

The indictment charges Bonds with lying when he said that he didn't knowingly take steroids given to him by his personal trainer Greg Anderson. He also denied taking steroids at anytime in 2001 when he was pursuing the single season home-run record.

"During the criminal investigation, evidence was obtained including positive tests for the presence of anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing substances for Bonds and other athletes," the indictment reads.

He is also charged with lying that Anderson never injected him with steroids.

"Greg wouldn't do that," Bonds testified in December 2003 when asked if Anderson ever gave him any drugs that needed to be injected. "He knows I'm against that stuff."

Bonds is by far the highest-profile figure caught up in the wide-ranging government steroids investigation launched in 2002 with the raid of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative — now infamously known as BALCO — the Burlingame-based supplements lab at the center of a large steroids distribution ring.

Allegations of steroid use long have dogged Bonds, the son of an ex-Major Leaguer who broke into baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 as a lithe, base-stealing outfielder. By the late 1990s he'd grown to more than 240 pounds, with his head, in particular, becoming noticeably bigger.

Bonds' physical growth was accompanied by a remarkable power surge. During the 2001 season he broke Mark McGwire's single-season home run crown, and by 2006, he'd passed Babe Ruth to move into second-place among the sport's most prolific power hitters. He will soon in all likelihood surpass Aaron's career mark of 755 homers.

Speculation of his impending indictment had mounted for more than a year. In July 2006, the U.S. attorney in San Francisco, who led the investigation, took the unusual step of going public with the probe by announcing he was handing it off to a new grand jury when the previous panel's 18-month term expired. Prosecutors are typically secretive about grand jury proceedings.

At the center of the investigation is Bonds' childhood friend and personal trainer, Greg Anderson, who spent most of the past year in a federal detention center for refusing to testify to the grand jury investigating Bonds' alleged perjury.

According to testimony obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle, Bonds testified in 2003 that he took two substances given to him by Anderson — which he called "the cream" and "the clear" — to soothe aches and pains and help him better recover from injuries.

The substances fit the description of steroids peddled by BALCO founder Victor Conte. But when questioned under oath by investigators, Bonds famously said he believed Anderson had given him flaxseed oil and an arthritic balm.

Investigators and the public had their doubts.

Aiming to prove Bonds a liar, prosecutors tried to compel Anderson to testify. When he refused, they jailed him for contempt.

Bonds joins a parade of defendants tied to the BALCO investigation, including Anderson, who served three months in prison and three months of home detention after pleading guilty to steroid distribution and money laundering.

Conte also served three months in prison after he pleaded guilty to steroids distribution.

Patrick Arnold, the rogue chemist who created the designer steroid THG, BALCO vice president James Valente and track coach Remi Korchemny also all also pleaded guilty. Korchemny and Valente were sentenced to probation and Arnold sent to prison for four months.

Kirk Radomski, a former New York Mets clubhouse attendant, pleaded guilty April 27 to drug and money laundering charges after federal officials said he became Major League Baseball's biggest steroids dealer after BALCO shut down.

Elite cyclist Tammy Thomas and track coach Trevor Graham have each pleaded not guilty to lying to a grand jury and federal investigators about their involvement with steroids.

Troy Ellerman, a defense attorney who represented two of the BALCO figures, pleaded guilty to leaking confidential grand jury transcripts to the San Francisco Chronicle and then denying he was the leak in court documents filed under penalty of perjury.

Dozens of other prominent athletes have been connected to BALCO, including New York Yankees slugger Jason Giambi who told the grand jury he injected steroids purchased at BALCO and Detroit Tigers outfielder Gary Sheffield who testified that Bonds introduced him to BALCO.

[oldfart]

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c100/crazybabyborgs/OFT-1.gif

Hey OldFart! Happy Thanksgiving! 

CBB



all I can say is 'S  and 'S to YOU

[MuffyBee]

CBB did a great job on OldF's Thanksgiving avi.  Way Cool!   

[crazybabyborg]

LOL! OldFart? I'm glad you like it! 

Muffy? Are you OK with your Christmas avi? You look so cute under Klaas' SM tree! I hope it's ok that I post a few avatars that haven't been found yet on this thread in hopes the owners will claim them!

[crazybabyborg]

A'S FEVER:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c100/crazybabyborgs/caf.gif

BUCKEYE:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c100/crazybabyborgs/cbu.gif

DUGGA: 
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c100/crazybabyborgs/cd.gif

JUSTICE FOR NATALEE:   
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c100/crazybabyborgs/cjfn.gif

MSVADA: 
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c100/crazybabyborgs/cMV1.gif

MUFFYBEE: 
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c100/crazybabyborgs/mc-1.gif

RED: 
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c100/crazybabyborgs/cr.gif

TAMIKSON: 
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c100/crazybabyborgs/TCS.gif

[Patti]

Klaas:

I'm going to be making a donation to pay for the shipment
of the banners to the Pennsylvania event.  If Justice for
Natalee or Jamie ask for my e-mail, you have my permission
to give it to them.

I e-mailed Vickie but haven't heard anything back.  I'm
hoping to take care of this in the morning.  I know it's
late on the East Coast and I'm exhausted so I'm going
to hit the sack.

l

Hi C.B.B.

You're doing a great job

Thanks for making it look so cheerful around here.

Night All....

[A's Fever]

Oh my gosh, CBB, thanks for remembering me!  My Christmas avi is adorable!

[klaasend]

[klaasend]

Not quite done yet 

[Observer]

CNN  Woman crashes into salon, has hair done

SOLDOTNA, Alaska (AP,November 15,2007) - Soldotna police say there was a mishap yesterday at a hair salon.

Police say one customer was knocked across the room when 73-year-old Della Miller failed to stop her vehicle before it crashed through the windows of the salon.

The mishap occurred as Miller arrived at Tina's Hair Pros salon for her appointment.

Police officer Marvin Towle says a customer who was sitting just inside the windows waiting for her appointment was struck and thrown six feet.

The victim was taken by Central Emergency Services ambulance to Central Peninsula Hospital for examination.

Miller, who was not injured, proceeded with her hair appointment.  

Well,at least Della didn't miss her hair appointment  Have a good friday you caring,loving,investigating justice seeking monkeys   

[Dugga]

CBB, you are so awesome! I'm feeling very Christmassy already. I drove my daughter to school today and frost was on my car!

Brawndo has got Electrolytes!

A nickel to anyone who knows where my avatar is from. And no cheating from Google 

[NYC_lover]

Good morning all!!
How is everbody doing?

I went back from school and was see De Telegraaf with news in McCann case around Robert Murat.
Murat in picture in Maddie-case. I want translate the article later. I have to go to skiing training,
before I come to late again, on the training! I am back around 3,5 hours.

[Maggie]

Klaas,
Thank you for putting my avi on the Christmas tree. The tree is lovely!

[BTgirl]

A rare newborn woolly monkey, weighing just 14oz (400g), at a primate sanctuary in Dorset, England. He is being hand reared after he was unable to suckle from his mother

[NYC_lover]

Today Domino day in the Netherlands.
They want make a new world record with 4,5 miljoen domino-stones.
http://www.mediacourant.nl/?p=4339
Let we see or they get the new world record of 4,5 miljoen domino-stones.

[2NJSons_Mom]

Klaasend,

Just watched Greta Live Wire (saw your post on the SP thread) and shame on Greta & company for not knowing who you are!!!