John1 We had a very exciting week at Chez Cher Scholar. My now-husband  was asked by his national union to speak yesterday on behalf of all claims processors for the US House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

And I'm proud to say he did swell. First of all, he’s a writer and so was able to deliver some well-made speech. And then he’s got this thing that I completely do not have: charm.

What an amazing experience.

Here's the video: http://veteransaffairs.edgeboss.net/wmedia/veteransaffairs/2010/100203b.wvx

Orleans It’s still pretty boring stuff if you don't have a lot of feeling about claims processing. But if you really love the subject, here are the written statements and the congressional names on the subcommittee, of which the 70s band Orleans guitarist and co-founder is the chair. (If you have this picture in your history and you still manage to get elected for congress…America is truly great!) http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/hearing.aspx?NewsID=524

Abc_cher02_060615_sp This week reminded me of Cher’s 2006 summer visit to the House Armed Services Committee in support of Operation Helmet. Although she didn’t speak, she raised awareness behind the testimony of Operation Helmet’s founder Bob Meaders. Here is one of Cher’s favorite shows, Washington Journal, talking about Operation Helmet and the congressional hearing that would follow the next day (http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/192937-6) and news coverage about the hearing itself  (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2082716).

Watching a congressional panel, I think how funny the people sitting behind testifyers always look. Who is the guy with the gray beard behind Cher?

Keep giving to Operation Helmet. It may help prevent a future backlog of head injury claims to the VA in the future.

And apropos of nothing…

here are some people with Cher's name tattooed on them. http://spugwit.blogspot.com/2010/01/tattoos.html
(you may need to scroll)