Tuesday, January 26, 2016

"MI Bridges" is the name of the programs that help people in Michigan.

This is the site where any Michigan resident can apply for the Medicaid expansion. It is a general site where a Michigan citizen can apply for needed assistance. 

Link: https://www.mibridges.michigan.gov/access/

If for some reason it is too difficult to fill out this application online, go to the local social services office and they will help fill out applications for anything Michigan.

TELL THE TRUTH ON APPLICATIONS.

Now, don't let anyone tell you it is okay to lie. It is not okay to lie and as the parent, if you lie there will be all kinds of trouble. So honor your child and make application with completely truthful information.

Good luck.
I don't know all the details about the federal disability programs, but, I do know once a child qualifies they receive medical coverage of Medicare A, Medicare B, Medicare D (optional medication coverage) and/or Medicaid. Medicaid can be applied for now if there is a low income to the family.

I am fairly sure Michigan took the expanded Medicaid program of the ACA. 

The parents just have to start applying. They should keep a file if they can.

"Lead and a Healthy Diet" (click here).  It is written by the EPA.

The build up was starting. This was yesterday. He stated he was going to kill police.

January 26, 2016
By Alice Reid 

Harney County, Ore. -- A supporter of the Bundy group (click here) at the 
wildlife refuge was arrested Monday.
The Harney County District Attorney says 54-year-old Joseph Stetson was stopped at a gas station Monday morning off of Highway 20.
Authorities say they got a report of an armed man who talked about joining the Bundy group at the refuge and that he wanted to help kill federal agent.
The sheriff's office says Stetson had a pellet gun in a belt holster. He told officers he wanted to be the personal guard for the Bundys.
Officers say they smelled alcohol on his breath, and arrested him for driving under the influence. Stetson was taken to the Harney County Jail and charged with DUII and resisting arrest.
The Harney County Sheriff's Office released a recording from an Oregon State Police trooper's body cam. The video shows Stetson struggling with officers and swearing and making multiple death threats.
The video can be found here (warning: strong language)

I did not listen to the recording. I have no interest in it. They are crude, mean and self-righteous people. They need to be put in prison to make them realize there are laws to respect.
HARNEY COUNTY, Ore. -- A supporter of the Bundy group at the wildlife refuge was arrested Monday.
The Harney County District Attorney says 54-year-old Joseph Stetson was stopped at a gas station Monday morning off of Highway 20.
Authorities say they got a report of an armed man who talked about joining the Bundy group at the refuge and that he wanted to help kill federal agents.
The sheriff's office says Stetson had a pellet gun in a belt holster. He told officers he wanted to be the personal guard for the Bundys.
Officers say they smelled alcohol on his breath, and arrested him for driving under the influence. Stetson was taken to the Harney County Jail and charged with DUII and resisting arrest.
The Harney County Sheriff's Office released a recording fr
- See more at: http://www.kdrv.com/news/Bundy_Supporter_Caught_on_Camera_I_Will_Kill_You_All.html#sthash.uMcsYVlf.dpuf

I hope there were NO federal officers injured. It is about time this occurred.









Ammon and Ryan Bundy, (click here) the brothers leading anti-government protesters occupying Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, and four other people were arrested Tuesday in a confrontation with authorities, the FBI said. One person was dead, the FBI said.
Shots were fired about 4:25 p.m. (7:25 p.m. ET) when the FBI and Oregon State Police began an "enforcement action" at the wildlife refuge, the FBI said. It didn't identify the victim.
Three other people were in custody in addition to the Bundys in the initial incident, authorities said:

  • Brian Cavalier, 44, of Bunkerville, Nevada
  • Shawna Cox, 59, Kanab, Utah
  • Ryan Waylen Payne, 32, of Anaconda, Montana...

Parents need to start a file on their children's exposure to lead. The file will be helpful to apply for SSI or SSDI.

The only way special health programs exist in the USA, such as Black Lung, is through federal legislation. It may be the Mayor may have to ask to speak directly to Congress.

But, the problem extends beyond Flint, unfortunately. Children can receive disability payments.

Disability payments for children are based on their parents income. Considering the children effected by lead poisoning are low income or impoverished, their determination would be more or less a SSI payment, not necessarily an SSDI payment.

This is the online link: https://www.ssa.gov/disabilityssi/

I'd get started now. The parents don't have to make special trips to the Social Security Offices, they can fill out the forms online or by interview over the phone as soon as the SSI office receives the request. The application cannot be denied. It is the monetary and health insurance that can be denied. If a child is rejected and with a known history of lead poisoning I am sure lawyers specializing in SSI or SSDI can help. But, I would not wait for a special legislative measure. I have absolutely no confidence in Congress. This nightmare, especially the way it occurred in Flint, is a national disgrace. Where has everyone been? 

The way this is all manifesting, it is looking like racism. Profound racism. These are children. Poor children and they are handicapped now. It is unconscionable. 

Bernie Sanders was the only candidate that accepted the Steelworker Unions invitation to speak.

This video by Vox was on their website. A former Flint mayor is involved with this as well.

United Steelworkers Union (click here). They have a local in Iowa. Who knew?

The State of Michigan has been lying to it's citizens. The actions of the Snyder administration has been deliberate and with disregard to the health and safety of the people of Flint. This is Snyder's Michigan. He has the power and god help you.

There is something wrong in the USA.

This is oppression of the poor. These are poor communities and no cares about them. They don't have resources to for a lawsuit.

This is from the CDC.

Today at least 4 million households (click here) have children living in them that are being exposed to high levels of lead. There are approximately half a million U.S. children ages 1-5 with blood lead levels above 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL), the reference level at which CDC recommends public health actions be initiated....

The Mother Jones article points to the lack of interest in the health of the poor.

February 2013
By Kevin Drum

New research (click here) finds lead is the hidden villain behind violent crime, lower IQs, and even the ADHD epidemic. And fixing the problem is a lot cheaper than doing nothing....

This fact is not an excuse for the money juggling by Snyder with complete disregard of Flint's people. Flint did not have this problem until Snyder was playing with money and a water supply to Flint. This was a deliberate action that changed the health of the people of Flint.

Flint went from being safe from lead to high levels of exposure. It is criminal.

The lead levels across the country is due to negligence, but, it didn't occur overnight as it did in Flint when the water system was completely disrupted. Snyder made the decision to take millions of dollars into the treasury while asking for more now that Flint has a problem with lead. This didn't happen in the rest of the country. There is no excuse for the complete disregard by Snyder of the health of Flint.

The wide spread negligence of the country needs to be addressed. It is another infrastructure problem.

Number of Children Tested (click here) and Confirmed BLL's ≥10 µg/dL by State, Year, and BLL Group, Children < 72 Months Old

October 12, 1991
By Philip J. Hilts

Washington, Oct. 11— California has agreed (click here) to test at least 500,000 poor children for lead poisoning, after three years of failing to do so in its Medicaid clinics, it was state officials announced today.
Immediately after the agreement was reached, settling a lawsuit, Gov. Pete Wilson announced three bills that would carry out the court settlement and go beyond it to test other children and workers who may be exposed to high levels of lead at work.
The State Director of Health Services, Dr. Molly Coye, signed the settlement Thursday night after negotiations with the five groups who sued the state on behalf of its poor children: the Natural Resources Defense Council, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the National Health Law Program, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Legal Aid Society of Alameda County. Cause of Nerve Damage
"The state will immediately authorize payments for blood lead testing of more than one-half million California children who are eligible for Medi-Cal or other state-sponored health care programs," Dr. Coye said today....
...In 1989 the Federal Government required all states participating in the Medicaid program, which provides medical care to the poor, to test the blood of children for traces of lead, along with other tests of health and development, as a condition of getting Federal Medicaid money....

It is all socio-economic.There is no excuse in any of these states. It looks like there will be many class action lawsuits across the country.

Anyone want to guess why people are hoping mad?

They have no conscience.

BLL is blood lead level. 

January 21, 2016
By Frostenson

The city of Flint, Michigan, (click here) is in the midst of a terrible and ightly shocking lead poisoning crisis. The number of kids testing positive for elevated lead levels in their bloodstreams has doubled in the past few years, after the city switched to a new, cheaper water source.
This is an extreme case, but the problem of lead exposure among children is not a local Flint story. If you look at public health data, you begin to realize two things. The first is that it's actually really hard to get good data on which kids do and don't experience lead exposure, and which parents should worry about the issue.
Second: The data that is available shows that lead exposure is a pervasive issue in the United States. In some places outside of Flint, more than half of children test positive for lead poisoning....

How many? How many American cities have contraminated water? There has to be more.

January 26, 2016
By AFP

...It issued a notice of violation (click here) to the village on Thursday after learning officials "had failed to properly notify its customers" and repeatedly failed to "provide timely and accurate information to the department's field office."
"It has become apparent that our field office was too patient in dealing with the village of Sebring's 'cat and mouse' game and should have had closer scrutiny on the water system meeting its deadlines," Ohio EPA Director Craig Butler said.
"We are in the process of developing new protocols and appropriate personnel actions to ensure that our field staff takes action when it appears that a water system is not complying and taking their review seriously."
Changes already made to the way the village treats its water have helped reduce corrosion in the pipes, the agency said. However, the water advisory will not be lifted until the village achieves two rounds of lead-free sampling in consecutive six month periods.
Pregnant women and children were asked to have their blood tested for elevated lead levels on Sunday and officials have also begun distributing bottled water and filtration systems.

Buddist Monks thinks it is okay for elephants to become extinct? I would never have guessed this one.

Reincarnation of elephants? Isn't there some kind of divine law preventing such acts?
Colombo, Sri Lanka (AP) " Sri Lankan authorities (click here) have begun destroying a shipment of African ivory seized three years ago, following a ceremony at which Buddhist monks gave the slaughtered elephants blessings for a better rebirth.
The ivory was traced to northern Mozambique and Tanzania and has been valued by Sri Lankan customs at 368 million rupees (more than $2.5 million). Officials said the ivory, which was seized at Colombo's port, was being transported to Dubai through Kenya and Sri Lanka.
The destruction took place in an elaborate ceremony in Colombo on Tuesday attended by politicians, officials and diplomats.
The ivory was crushed by machines into smaller pieces that will later be burned to ash in high temperature ovens at a cement factory.

Russia is correct. Turkey has too much hate for the Kurds.

Someone needs to set it straight. If Turkey had it's way it would commit genocide of the Kurds. That level of hatred has to stop.

January 28. 2016
Moscow (AP) - Russia (click here) is arguing strongly against Turkey's demand to keep a leading Kurdish group out of Syria's peace talks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that the group, the Democratic Union Party, plays an important role in fighting the Islamic State group and is an essential part of political settlement in Syria.
Lavrov's statement at a news conference comes amid tough posturing ahead of Syria peace talks set to start Friday. U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura will be sending invitations amid intense jockeying between countries like Russia and Turkey about who should be invited.
Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, has called for the inclusion of Kurdish representatives, and the U.S. and others have supported the Kurds in the fight against IS....

This is a very tragic story. I can't believe he ventured out on his own.

January 26, 2016
The diary of British explorer Henry Worsley (click here) has revealed the heart-wrenching moment he realised he would not finish his journey after battling weeks of extreme exhaustion and dehydration.
The 55-year-old former Army officer, from London, died after succumbing to infection 71 days in to his attempt to become the first adventurer to cross Antarctica unassisted.
His poignant journal entry explained he could see the summit where he was to finish his trek, but he was unable to continue after several days spent fighting blizzards and -44C temperatures....

It looks like Moldova is going to get help with it's unrest. Thank you, Romania.

January 24, 2016
Bucharest, Romania (AP) " The Romanian government (click here) has offered Moldova a loan of 60 million euros ($65 million) to prevent economic collapse in the impoverished ex-Soviet republic.
But Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said Tuesday that Moldova will have to fight corruption and make other reforms if it is to get the money.
Ciolos made the announcement during a visit by Moldova's Prime Minister Pavel Filip.
Moldova, a small country wedged between European Union-member Romania and Ukraine, is Europe's poorest nation. It Moldova has been riven for months by political turmoil sparked by the disappearance of more than $1 billion from three Romanian banks, fraud in which a former prime minister, Vlad Filat, has been implicated.
Moldovans furious at corruption have been waging protests recently, even storming Parliament earlier this month.
No one loved to drive a car more than me. Then I couldn't live with myself anymore. I went to work in Boston and lived in a high rise and it provided a lifestyle I could easily call my life.

In Boston I didn't have a car and the mass transit system, including Amtrak, became my connection to my life and I had no problems. I traveled out of town to distant places and friends would come to pick me up on motorcycles or their homes were in short driving distances. My lack of a car didn't mean a darn thing. It set me free. I still owned a car, but, it was parked with my sister about 1000 miles away. I found myself looking at the car costs and realized that would be nice if I could use that for theater tickets.

Today, I live in a nice little town with very upscale values. I have a four wheel drive Jeep because it is a matter of safety. People have to get around in the snow. I bought the Jeep in 2012. Four years later, there is an additional 9000 miles on it. That was nine thousand and not ninety thousand. My average trip into town and running errands is about 25 miles and I'll be gone from the house most of the day. Most of the day because there is a lot of interesting things to do.

It is called a local economy. Young people are talented and put on holiday shows. There are theater groups that volunteer their services while charging a fair price for their tickets so the theater can be maintained up to date. There are sport events and if the real life games don't interest you, there are eateries and taverns that have great screens and LOTS of company to cheer. It makes no sense to me anymore why I would watch any live event at home alone. That is silly.

Am I lecturing? You betcha.

In my young years I was once a over the road long distance truck drive. As a woman as lead driver on a gypsy rig that ran produce coast to coast I got lots of attention. I loved to drive. No accidents. No drinking, no drugs. It is where I found my juices again. It was the best emotional rehab I ever could have. I do not recommend it for everyone. Trust me on that. Today, I am happy with my choices and new life.

Life can be interesting and very comfortable when monies are invested in life rather than rubber on the road. It is about choices. I think cars are an important part of an American's life, but, if driving 20 miles to family and friends rather than 200 or 2000, it gets interesting. Arrival at a destination lasts longer and memories more abundant in spending more time with people rather than traffic.

Think about it.

The climate crisis is real. It takes a country.

This is gas buddy. (click here) It is as though they are giving it away. It is just down to the price of about ten years ago. It is nice people can have a reprieve. This isn't the future. A conscience matters. 


I don't think any environmentalist actually expects Americans to be martyrs. There are many disadvantaged parents. No one expects them to give up food and medicine for more expensive transportation alternatives, but, it's coming along. 

We know a significant emission problem was coal fired electric plants. They are disappearing if not gone by now. That does mean the American public can relax, in reality this is only the beginning. And no one should think environmentalists hate coal. That isn't the truth, but, the facts are in and Earth cannot handle high greenhouse gas emissions. So, there has to RESPONSIBLE changes, this is some of them.  

January 25, 2016
By Clifford Krauss and Diane Cardwell 

...For the climate accord to work (click here) governments must resist the lure of cheap fossil fuels in favor of policies that encourage and, in many cases, require the use of zero-carbon energy sources. But those policies can be expensive and politically unpopular, especially as traditional fuels become ever more affordable.
...“This will be a litmus test for the governments — whether or not they are serious about what they have done in Paris,” said Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency.
So far, there is no sign that the world’s two largest energy consumers — the United States and China — are wavering. With those two countries staying the course, albeit in the early days since the signing, there is optimism among backers of the accord that the momentum is too strong to stop. And despite the recent turmoil in energy markets, renewable industries are prospering.
“The trend toward much greater penetration of low-carbon energy driven by policy and technological advancements is going to continue,” said Jason Bordoff, director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University and a former top aide to President Obama. Despite the lower fuel costs, he added, “technological alternatives and policy drivers that are reducing demand for fossil fuels are already really starting to take a bite.”...

I don't think there is a litmus test. This agreement is a matter of getting it right. All 196 countries are making commitments. They are looking to make their commitments real. I think this agreement has more of a "Quality Improvement" methodology. The idea is to find the best ideas and spread them around the world while recognizing methods that don't work.

Look, this is a planet. People live hear. The biotic content of Earth has been taking a beating and all everyone can think about is money from natural resources. It's crazy. This is our common home. What's every one doing? 

Maybe providing a new carbon footprint equation might be helpful, but, the ideas haven't changed. 

By the way, did every see what a Wind Turbine Technicians is making these days? Have a little respect. Maybe even admiration, right?

,,,In China, the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, the government implemented a new rule that no matter how low world crude oil prices may fall, the price of gasoline and diesel will continue to be set as though the world price of oil were still $40 a barrel. The goal is to prevent gasoline and diesel from becoming so cheap that China’s citizens would start consuming it indiscriminately....

That is absolutely heroic by China. It really makes an interesting comparison of different types of governance. China can make a policy and it matters, but, look at the USA's capitalism. If the USA Congress actually did something like that it would be very helpful, but, that won't happen and the market pressures are allowed to work. 

Case in point:

...In Spain, the development of renewables has slowed to a crawl since the government started weakening support in 2009 because of an economic downturn. In Britain, analysts warn that the wind and solar industries could collapse as the government shifts subsidies away from renewables; two global wind developers recently canceled projects there. And in the United States, when an important tax credit lapsed briefly in 2013, installations of new wind farms all but ceased, falling 92 percent for the year....

What are people suppose to do when there are not realistic options? How many Americans would drive a better car if they could afford it and yes, I think electric cars are better cars. And then it gets to be ironic to realize the electric plug is powered by fracked gas. It is still better than using gasoline, but, it is not zero emissions.
It is getting warmer. Even overnight the air in the middle of the country is warmer. It's still cold, but, it is moving up in temperature. It is above freezing. 

That is impressive. It looks like New Jersey made good use of the Sandy money. There won't be more flooding ocean front. That is all about tides. The inland areas might flood.

I don't recall ever seeing this kind of preparedness. 
Emergency beach (click here) replenishment is underway in Long Beach Twp. 1/25/16 Long Beach Twp, NJ (John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Ortley Beach — Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno on Monday defended Gov. Chris Christie's claim that Shore communities sustained "no residual flood damage" and "no residual flooding" the day after Saturday's blizzard.
Just hours after Christie delivered those comments on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Guadagno said the governor was referring to towns experiencing no new flooding from high tides after Sunday.
"I think what the governor said was 'no residual flooding. The flood cycles are over,'" she said while touring the severely eroded beach in the Ortley Beach section of Toms River. "The force of the flooding is over and we're gonna go down and take a look at what the damage was over those two or three cycles.",,,

The Boston Herald is no slouchy endorsement for Republicans. It is considered primarily a conservative paper. Congratulations, Governor Christi. I think his resume matters.

January 25, 2016
By Boston Herald Staff

The world changed on Nov. 13 (click here) when terrorists slaughtered 130 people in Paris. Then at a holiday party in San Bernardino terror came to our homeland — again.
And while all of this was shaking our world, the Republican presidential campaign was becoming an increasingly 
bizarre sideshow.
The more the need for real leadership — at home and on the world stage — became obvious, the more our politics descended into farce....
... And while we respect and admire all three of those who have served as governors who are now running for the
 GOP presidential nomination, our endorsement goes to 
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
A former U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, Christie knows something about being on the front lines of the ongoing war on terror. And he’s certainly not reluctant to talk about where this nation has gone astray on the international front.
But as governor of a largely Democratic state he also knows well that you don’t get anything done on the homefront without cooperation.
He has been gutsy on the campaign trail — and yes it takes guts to talk about entitlement reform, which he has....
2 Corinthians is not about two individuals. 

Corinthians are books in the New Testament of the Christian bible.





There is:

1 Corinthians is first book of 

and

2 Corinthians is the second book of

I've mentioned the Corinthians of Corinth on the blog before. Paul. The convert Roman, Paul was a teacher of the bible teachings in Corinth. I give up on you guys.