Agent Orange Legacy - Living with Agent Orange

I would like to spotlight a wonderful group - Agent Orange Legacy-Living With Agent Orange.


Today I was added to a group on Facebook that supports anyone who is living with the affects of Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange Legacy is a very well know website for advocating on the behalf of Vietnam Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during their tour in Vietnam serving our country in war.

They have extended their support to the Facebook groups pages as "Living With Agent Orange" with more than 550 members all of whom are very supportive, understanding and comforting. I had emailed Kelly one of the Administrators of AO Legacy today asking her a questions regarding symptoms of a couple of diseases that are linked to AO. I made the right choice by asking her, before I knew it I was added to the support group and welcomed by so many very nice people that were all open to my questions and ready to help.

If you or someone you know is suffering from exposure to Agent Orange or is the caregiver, spouse, child, grandchild or friend of a victim of AO I would recommend that you look into joining this group either on Facebook or at their main site agentorangelegacy.com today. You will be very happy you did and you will feel relief of so much stress, comfort, support and know that you are not alone.

This group and website shows that there are so many other going through the same feelings and worries you may be going through and they are feeling all the hurt feelings as you. It helps to know that someone cares and it really helps to just be able to talk about how your feeling. This is the place for all the information and support you need. Please don't hesitate, go to the group and site now, I am so glad I did.

Below are the links to the Facebook group page and the main website just click on one and it is all easy from there. They are an amazing group of people and are welcoming anyone who needs them to join now.

Thank you to the Living with Agent Orange Group and to agentorangelegacy.com for making me feel at home with an extended family who does really care and is always there.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/62034576168/10150461433021169
http://agentorangelegacy.com/

New logo for Life Spot...

I created a new logo for my blog, Life Spot by... Angie!

I would like to know what you think of it? Do you think it represents my blog in the right way? I used the globe to signify my wide range of issues and events that I post on my blog. I chose the heart shape in the middle for the life part of the intent of my blog and I chose photo inside the heart of an adult hand holding a baby's hand to represent the bond in families as well as life itself.

My goal was to represent my blog as I intend for it to be: a place that highlights the little things in life that need attention. I post about events going on around the world and that affect every age group as well as families. I try to touch on many topics and break them down and word them so people like me can see how they affect us at our level.

I do alot of activism online and petitions, support Vietnam Veterans and their rights especially those exposed to Agent Orange.

I do many postings on parenting and growing with children. I support planned parenthood and young families up to great grandparents.

I can't list every topic I post about, it can be summed up as "Life Spot by... Angie" is shining a light on each of our little spots in this world how ever they may be or where ever they may be and helping to make sense of all of the senseless in life.

I welcome your feedback and comments, please let me know what you think.

Thank you,

Angie

List of New California Laws 2012.

The State of California has many new laws for 2012.

Handgun open-carry, LGBT rights, online privacy, child abuse, social media, identity theft, criminal records, Internet sales tax, employment credit checks, human trafficking and slavery are all in the mix of 2012 California laws. Here are some of the things Californians can and cannot do in 2012:

Employment Credit Check Law
Employers can no longer request credit reports for Californians unless they are working or seeking work in a financial institution, law enforcement or the state Justice Department. 

The law also exempts anyone who

(1) has access to people's bank or credit card account information, SSN number and date of birth,
(2) has access to an employer's proprietary information or trade secrets, (3) signs a check, credit card, financial contract, or transfers money for an employer,
(4) has access to more than $10,000 cash, or (5) is a manager in 'certain industries'.

Law effective January 1, 2012.

California Handgun Open Carry Law
Open-carry citizen handgun ban. Supported by cops who cannot tell whether openly carried weapons are loaded or not. Violators pay $1,000 plus 6 months in jail (misdemeanor). Gun rights advocates vow to carry rifles and shotguns instead. Californians can still get permits forconcealed weapons. Law effective January 1, 2012.

California Human Trafficking Law
Enforces mandatory disclosure of efforts that companies take to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their entire supply chains. Being watched as a prototype of future legislation in other states and nations. Law effective January 1, 2012. 

California Gay Bullying Law (Seth's Law)
Combats bullying of gay and lesbian students in public schools by requiring school districts to have a uniform process for dealing with gay bullying complaints. Mandates that school personnel intervene if they witness gay bullying. Law effective July 1, 2012.

LGBT Equality and Equal Access in Higher Education Law
State universities and colleges must create and enforce campus policies protecting LGBTs from harassment and appoint employee contact persons to address on-campus LGBT matters. The law includes community colleges statewide. Law effective 2012.

Domestic Partnership Equality Law
Corrects inequalities between domestic partnerships and heterosexual marriages, including domestic partner health benefits sharing. Law effective 2012.

Protection of Parent-Child Relationships Law
Allows courts to consider the relationship between a child and a non-biological parent when considering child rights cases involving birth parents, adoptive parents, and gay or lesbian guardians. Law effective 2012.

Transgender Non-Discrimination Law
Provides public accommodation and protection in education, housing and employment for gender identity and expression. Law effective 2012.

Transgender Vital Statistics Law
Makes it easier for transgender Californians to get a court petition to change their gender on official documents. Law effective 2012.

LGBT Equal Benefits Law
Requires an employer with a state contract worth more than $100,000 to have non-discrimination policies in place for LGBT workers and their partners. Law effective 2012.

Judicial Applicant and Appointment Demographics Inclusion Law
Includes gender identity and sexual orientation of potential judges into the state's Judicial Applicant Data Report to ensure that state courts are diverse. Law effective 2012.

Gay Divorce Law
Provides that if a gay couple got married in California but lives in a state that won't grant them a divorce, the California court will have jurisdiction to grant them a legal divorce. The case will be filed in the county where the gay couple got married. Law effective January 1, 2012.

California Gay History Law
Governor Jerry Brown signed the Gay History Law, which mandates that school textbooks and social studies include gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender accomplishments. Law effective January 1, 2012.

Internet Sales Tax
Governor Brown signed into law that out-of-state Internet retailers must collect California sales tax on transactions if the retailer has a presence in the state. Law effective Summer 2012.

California Renters Right to Recycling Law
Apartment building landlords will have to start providing recycling services for 7 million California tenants. Law effective 2012. Read "California Renters Recycling Law".

California Reader Privacy Law
Government and third-party snoops can no longer gather information on Internet users' reading, book shopping or ebook using habits without a legal court order. Read "California Reader Privacy Law".

There were more than 700 new California laws in effect just for 2011.

Many more new laws for 2012.

Track Santa's Trip Christmas Eve!

NORAD tracks Santa's trip around the world delivering gifts to millions of boys & girls on Christmas Eve.

Why NORAD tracks Santa...

For more than 50 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa’s flight.

The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement for children to call Santa misprinted the telephone number. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief’s operations "hotline." The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.

In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, which then took on the tradition of tracking Santa.

Since that time, NORAD men, women, family and friends have selflessly volunteered their time to personally respond to phone calls and emails from children all around the world. In addition, we now track Santa using the Internet. Millions of people who want to know Santa’s whereabouts now visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website.

Finally, media from all over the world rely on NORAD as a trusted source to provide updates on Santa’s journey.

How NORAD tracks Santa...

NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa – radar, satellites, Santa cams and fighter jets.

Tracking Santa starts with the NORAD radar system called the North Warning System. This powerful radar system consists of 47 installations strung across the northern border of North America. On December 24th, NORAD monitors the radar systems continuously for indications that Santa Claus has left the North Pole.

The moment that radar indicates Santa has lifted off, we use our second detection system. Satellites positioned in geo-synchronous orbit at 22,300 miles from the Earth’s surface are equipped with infrared sensors, which enable them to detect heat. Amazingly, Rudolph’s bright red nose gives off an infrared signature, which allows our satellites to detect Rudolph and Santa.

The third tracking system is the Santa cam network. We began using it in 1998, which is the year we put our Santa Tracking program on the internet. Santa cams are ultra-cool, high-tech, high-speed digital cameras that are pre-positioned at many locations around the world. NORAD only uses these cameras once a year. The cameras capture images and videos of Santa and his reindeer as they make their journey around the world.

The fourth system is made up of fighter jets. Canadian NORAD fighter pilots flying the CF-18 intercept and welcome Santa to North America. In the United States, American NORAD fighter pilots in either the F-15, F-16 or the F-22 get the thrill of flying alongside Santa and his famous reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and, of course, Rudolph.

Once data is collected on December 24th, it is then pushed into the Google Maps and Google Earth so that families all over the world can also follow Santa.

For more information on NORAD and to learn new & funny things about Santa click on the link below:

http://www.noradsanta.org

PLEASE HELP & SHARE!!!

We are trying to get Christmas cards for Lucas and Juno!

You remember Lucas & his faithful service dog, Juno? Lucas is the 4 year old little boy with the terminal illness MPS. There is no known treatment...there is no cure...and Lucas's life expectancy is only 10 -15 years (go to his FB page Lucas Hembree to see more).

His service dog, Juno, is always by his side. Juno was trained by Lucas's father, after he rescued her from a shelter, where she literally was to be put down in a matter of another few hours. Together, they have formed an inseperable bond.

Life is not the easy, carefree thing it is for most children. The family has gone thru many ups and downs, in fact as Chester Hembree wrote in a note to me, "It seems like for every ounce of good news we get it's followed by a pound of bad news...lol. We've just learned to take what ever happens and make the best of it."

We at the GSDC would like to bring a bit of cheer to this family.

Instead of finding bills in their mailbox, we'd like to fill it with CHRISTMAS CARDS! Holiday greeting and well wishes from around the globe! .... and we need YOUR help!

PLEASE...could you send the family a Christmas card? Let them know, that they are NOT alone in this. Tell them that there are people who truly CARE, this Christmas season. A card and a postage stamp, could make such a difference. So please, when you are sending your cards out, could you address an extra one to a little boy, & his Dog?

It would mean so very, very much.

Cards can be sent to:
Lucas Hembree & Juno
204 McKinley St.
Alcoa, TN 37701

THANK YOU!!!!
By: The German Shepherd Dog Community

Agent Orange Legacy: SUPPORT S.1798

Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 2011...

Agent Orange Legacy: SUPPORT S.1798 Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 2011...: Take Action NOW!!! PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT OPEN BURN BITS CREATE DIOXIN FOR OUR MILITARY. EXPOSURE IS SAID TO BE "THE NEW AGENT ORANGE...




Please take a minute and vote yes on S.1798!