ompared with hamburgers, veggie burgers win hands down when it comes to nutritional value. Veggie burgers have far less fat, fewer calories and little or no cholesterol. While ground beef has no fiber, most veggie burgers have 3 g to 5 g per serving.
Even many nonvegetarians love veggie burgers because they are easy to prepare (microwave or broil), add variety to the diet and are quite tasty. My favorites…

DR. PRAEGER’S
CALIFORNIA VEGGIE BURGER

Per 2.8-ounce burger: 110 calories… 4.5 g of fat… less than 0.5 g of saturated fat… 0 g of trans fat… 250 mg of sodium… 4 g of fiber… 5 g of protein. Why I like it: Contains a blend of carrots, spinach, red pepper and other healthful veggies — as well as oat bran, a good source of fiber.

GARDENBURGER
BLACK BEAN CHIPOTLE

Per 2.8-ounce burger: 80 calories… 2.5 g of fat… 0 g of saturated fat… 0 g of trans fat… 250 mg of sodium… 5 g of fiber… 5 g of protein. Why I like it: Contains a blend of veggies, brown rice and black beans — and has a spicy taste.

MORNINGSTAR FARMS
GARDEN VEGGIE PATTIES

Per 2.4-ounce burger: 110 calories… 3.5 g of fat… 0.5 g of saturated fat… 0 g of trans fat… 350 mg of sodium… 3 g of fiber… 10 g of protein. Why I like it: Contains a mixture of veggies and soy protein.

David Houppert, Esq.
Vietnam Veterans of America

Although the military is required to tell active-duty personnel about veterans benefits before they leave military service, the amount of information is massive and the application process often is complicated.
Result: Many veterans don’t take full advantage of available benefits. In fact, an estimated half million veterans are not receiving the benefits to which they are entitled.

These benefits, which are administered by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), are available to eligible veterans and their dependents — spouses, children — as well as their parents.

Here’s how veterans can get the benefits that they’re entitled to…

Service-connected disability compensation. These monthly, nontaxable payments are based on disability incurred during or aggravated by active military service. Generally, eligibility requires that the veteran’s military service was honorable. There must be evidence of the onset of disease, injury or disability during service, a current medical diagnosis and, in most cases, a connection (called a “nexus”) between military service and the current disability. (There are some disabilities for which the law presumes a nexus, such as exposure to radiation or toxic agents during service.) The monthly payment amount depends on the severity of the veteran’s disability and current condition.

Non-service-connected disability pension is available when the veteran’s service was honorable and included at least 90 days of active duty during a period of war, and the veteran is permanently and totally disabled as a result of a non-service-related condition. Eligibility is subject to annual household income thresholds set by the VA.

Other VA benefits offered to eligible veterans include vocational rehabilitation and employment training, educational assistance, home loan guaranties, life insurance and burial benefits.

Benefits for eligible family members include payments to veterans’ natural children who have certain birth defects, educational assistance and survivor’s benefits.

The VA also provides health care to eligible veterans and their dependents.

To learn more about veterans’ benefits, check the VA Veterans Benefits Administration Web site, vba.va.gov. Click on “Benefits” and select “Compensation and Pension” to find the publication Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents, which lists all available VA benefits, helpful telephone numbers and Web sites and current payment rate tables. The VA site also lists veterans’ benefits available from state governments. Or call 800-827-1000 to reach your nearest VA regional office.

Helpful: Because the claims adjudication process is so complex, many veterans’ service organizations (Vietnam Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Paralyzed Veterans of America, etc.) offer help free of charge.

Ask a qualified veterans service representative to assist you with your application and/or to help you appeal a denial of benefits. You can access veterans’ service organizations’ Web sites for information. For a list, go to va.gov/vso.

Bottom Line/Personal interviewed attorney David Houppert, Esq., director of the veterans benefits program for Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), a veteran’s services organization in Silver Spring, Maryland. 800-882-1316. vva.org

I agree with Larry. Howie reminds me of an old Star Trek episode. The one where the Enterprise picked up this young man who had the power to change things into anything he wished with his mind. He fell for the blond crew member that liked Capt. Kirk.

He followed her around and demanded attention from her much like Howie demanded attention from the TAO. He turned the other young women his age that tried to engage him into salt or small animals.

Lt Spock told Kirk that one day the boy would not back down to him so that it was logical that Kirk kill him or get him off the ship. In the end his alien handlers

IN the end the alien handlers came and took him screaming and hollowing back. Since I don’t think that Carr will be taking this immature selfish person back, you should get him off your blog.

Freda

Some one gave you the advice to shut out the wimp. If you can’t figure out that he is only concerned about his own interests, you are going to lose most of your readers.

Howie just wants to be important. He wants to force the TAO to show “respect” to him. By that he means deference to him. He just wants the blog’s readers to admire his lofty position of being special to Carr.

So he brags about what Carr can do. Then he gets Carr to do horrible things to others so he can bragg about his power through Carr.

He then cries crocodile tears and apologizes. all the while bragging about the power of what Carr did.

He is a person who only cares about what he feels. The feelings and sufferings of others mean nothing to him. He is only concerned with his own aches and pains. He has probably been that way all his life so you can not expect him to change.

By now the TAO knows that he will promise anything to get what he wants. But he has demonstrated to them that as soon as things don’t go his way, he will be calling on Carr,

So you can be assured he will not be allowed aboard any ship of theirs. Now you need to get wise and ban the selfish bastard from you blog.

Let the asshole send in any thing he wants just don’t print it. No one is going to miss the braggart.

Larry

About 4 and a half years ago the USS San Francisco was stationed on Guam. We worked on it in a civilian capacity. The rumor was that it had a run in with an alien underwater craft in the Carline Islands. The conflict left a gaping hole in its bow.

The January 8, 2005 run in with the aliens injured more that 100 and killed three. The rumor was that a few of the injured and two of the dead were taken by the aliens.

Have you or anyone heard anything more about this incident?

Leha