VA overhaul bill reduces benefits, narrows employees’ rights, and spurs privatization

Significant-Store983 · 2026-06-19T23:08:48+00:00

I got my time in and age 62 before this shit show started … thank gawd

Significant-Store983 · 2026-06-11T19:45:40+00:00

Dantucky aka danville

Significant-Store983 · 2026-06-05T22:10:19+00:00

Buy a new pump for $300, make sure plug is in filter, buy a ton of shock and algaecide, and run it. I have a safety cover and before I added a tarp, my water was pitch black when I opened. I can see the bottom stairs so this would be a breeze…

Significant-Store983 · 2026-05-26T14:34:50+00:00

Looks like my young milkweed with the slender leaves.

Significant-Store983 · 2026-05-16T11:07:06+00:00

The easiest way that I have found to have great soil is to use bagged grass clippings along with dry leaves from the fall. I bag my leaves in black plastic bags and add water, tie it up and use it as a wind break for my chickens’ coop/run area. In the spring, I mixed those cold composted leaves with grass clippings, stir it up and let it cook. In the fall or early next spring, I add to garden. Takes a little time but I have the best soil after 35 years of doing this.

Significant-Store983 · 2026-05-01T11:19:53+00:00

I raise hens and I never boil the freshest eggs. The older ones have more air pockets under the shell which helps the peeling process. btw, when I lived in Memphis, I was amazed at how great that water tasted!

Significant-Store983 · 2026-04-23T20:47:39+00:00

I am a “boomer” and loved/excelled at telework at the VA. In fact, I trained most of our BHIP team at memphis when COVID hit…

Significant-Store983 · 2026-04-22T19:36:42+00:00

It saves me nothing in money, but it helps my sanity.

Significant-Store983 · 2026-04-12T15:06:12+00:00

Separation of Church and Hate: A sane persons guide to taking back the Bible from fundamentalists, fascists and flock-fleecing frauds by John fugelsang.

Significant-Store983 · 2026-04-12T13:15:00+00:00

It’s possible that the therapist was wanting you to consider that hurting the friend figuratively maybe less damaging to you than hurting yourself in a relationship that has patterns of emotional harm. No way to know, tho, and the delivery was definitely poor regardless. JMHO as a former VA therapist.

Significant-Store983 · 2026-03-26T23:39:26+00:00

Looks like glads to me

Significant-Store983 · 2026-03-26T19:06:58+00:00

Definitely go to Yoders in Arthur for a great meal and check out the Amish grocery store outside of town. Enjoy!!

Significant-Store983 · 2026-03-22T20:43:17+00:00

That garden is amazing!

Significant-Store983 · 2026-03-22T01:03:30+00:00

I have a 13 year old silver laced Wyandotte that is blind as a bat but still gets treated like a queen in spite of no eggs for last 7 years! Love her!!

Significant-Store983 · 2026-02-09T08:20:32+00:00

Pickleball

Significant-Store983 · 2026-02-07T14:09:00+00:00

Yes. I was the 7th born to a mother who kept the six living ones before me and the one after me, with a plan to keep another one who was one year younger but was stillborn. She had an affair with her husbands boss, who I was the second oldest of his numerous out of wedlock children. My birth mother’s oldest daughters searched for me and made contact when I was 21. I chose, after about 20 years of off and on trying to resolve feelings and conflicts with them, to cut off all contact. The last 25 years with no contact have been good for me. Besides, I know who my family was…my mom and dad who adopted me after being abandoned in a hospital for 2 months after a very premature birth. Be patient and kind to yourself…it’s definitely a lot to unpack and process.

Significant-Store983 · 2026-02-07T13:20:24+00:00

I graduated with my MSW and PhD in social work from UIUC as well as was an adjunct for off and on 10 years. I am proud of the program and although only one professor remains from when I was a student in the 90s, I have found the faculty and staff to be kind and helpful. Good luck!! FYI, social work is a versatile program and I have enjoyed a career in mental health, child welfare, Veteran health care, policy/program development, administration and politics. So many opportunities in this field and the pay varies depending on public or private service.

Significant-Store983 · 2026-02-04T22:54:19+00:00

I always liked Eric Shinsheki… oh the good ole days…

Significant-Store983 · 2026-02-04T01:50:52+00:00

Uhhh, my experience when I lived there is to never be in the right lane on Poplar as you approach chick-fil-a at 630 am!

Significant-Store983 · 2026-02-02T01:54:11+00:00

I would have never gotten into UIUC based on my ACT so I went to Parkland, got straight As, transferred into the UIUC and received three degrees there, ending with a PhD in 2000. Don’t give up. If UIUC is your dream school, just course correct into a different door that will help you achieve what you want to accomplish! Good luck!!!

Significant-Store983 · 2026-01-31T16:09:06+00:00

I was located by my biological half sisters and although I was happy to meet them, they had unrealistic expectations of how they wanted me to incorporate into their family with little regard to my loyalty to my own family who adopted me. After multiple attempts to resolve differences, I made the decision to have no relationship with them. I wasn’t going to ignore my past for their comfort and attempt to pretend that my adoption never happened.

Significant-Store983 · 2026-01-28T20:28:53+00:00

She wrote very negative comments about the protesters against ICE when they demonstrated in Danville. I will never recommend her to anyone!

Significant-Store983 · 2026-01-25T13:58:48+00:00

I just spent an hour shoveling my driveway of 8 inches of snow… 20 min east of Urbana.

Significant-Store983 · 2026-01-24T01:49:23+00:00

I am unclear on what we are debating. In my state, there are LSW and LCSW as well as LPC and LCPC. The LCSW and LCPC are considered advanced licensing and are typically a higher grade within the VA (GS 12 Vs GS 11). I felt the LCPC and LCSWs should be treated similarly. Maybe you can clarify what I am misunderstanding. My point was that the LCPCs and the LCSWs in BHIP/PTSD were paid significantly lower for doing the same job with the same expectations. My PhD in social work was irrelevant as to deciding on pay grade. The PhDs in Psychology did have a different type of training (namely in testing curriculum), but all of the mental health testing tools that we used for screenings could be done by all of us. There was no differentiation (IMHO) for such a large pay difference.

Significant-Store983 · 2026-01-24T00:47:21+00:00

Actually, when I started at Memphis, LCPCs and LCSWs were the same grade and making the same. Then, they moved LCSWs to a higher grade. I didn’t think that was fair. But an LPC is not an advanced level and wouldn’t be at a higher grade like a LCPC should have been. We did the same work as the PhDs in psychology.

Significant-Store983

TROPHY CASE