Got a letter yesterday from the VA. I had been hoping for one saying that they had completed the investigation on my reconsideration for service connected status of my disability. I didn’t hold out any real hope that this letter was that letter, but it was the large size and full of pages so I guess I did hope a little. When I got back to the house from the mailbox I opened the letter and found a long missive telling me that I make to much money to get free medical care from the VA and that they were going to make me pay $50.00 a doctor visit and $8.00 a prescription retroactive for a year.

The only money I get is a small check each month from social security for being 100% disabled. This puts me over the limit so I have to pay for the care of the VA. Gosh, I sure am glad I put 11 years of my life into serving my country and now that the damage done to my body while performing that service has made me unable to work, the VA is right here ready to take a couple more pints of blood.

When I got inside the house I found I had a message from the congressman’s aide who was trying to find out why the VA was taking so long with my case. When I called him back, he told me the VA said I had no case pending with them, they weren’t reconsidering my claim, no paperwork had been submitted asking for such a thing. Seems my Advocate, Mr. Rosenburger had never sent it in back in June when he said he had.

Although it is a mental condition, depression has physical manifestations, like loss of appetite, insomnia, an overriding need for sleep, physical weakness, despair.

I’m going to bring up a couple of Kris Kristofferson albums on the computer and listen to some sad music for a while.

I am quickly running out of reasons to keep on living.

Is the world a safe place to live?

I take this as proof positive that I probably have way too much time on my hands.

I was just reading about and thinking about the fact that the North Koreans now have the "Bomb." At first I thought that nobody on the planet could possibly think this is a good thing. Of course I almost immediately realized the error of that thought. First of all there is Kim Jung Il. He’s dancing around like a little Asian Leprechaun who has found his pot-of-gold. But you know their are others as well who must see this as a positive.

Mr. Almadinajad is probably doing the Iranian version of the Irish Jig with the triple positive of 1. Redirecting some of the anger that has been directed towards Iran. 2. Providing a possible source for Nuclear materials and technology. and 3. Causing us Americans so much discomfort.

And there is always Osama Bin Laden, the ultimate stirrer-of-the-pot. He has got to be laying there in his hospital bed beside his American made Dialyses machine just giggling about how the Americans have their panties in such a twist. This is of course because that wacky little troll in Pyongyang now has Nukes to put on those missiles that can reach the West Coast of the United States. He’s probably on the phone to Il every day trying to goad him into firing one off.

Let me see. Who else is gleeful at this turn of events? Hugo Chavez, all the Pirates posing as Islamic Jihadist in Somalia, Fidel Castro and all the malcontents in the world who find it convenient to blame the U.S. for their woes.

I have no magic answers on what to do to make this situation better, but it is probably good to recognize who your true enemies are.

Uncle Dave