Written by: Heather Clemenceau If you’ve ridden a horse at organized trail riding events as I have, you’re probably familiar with the coloured ribbon system on the tail for horses – red for potential kicker, white for sale, green for a horse in training, and generally yellow for a stallion. The system is pretty universally reproduced in trail riding handbooks too. The ribbons are a great visual aid that helps people following horses to know how far back they should keep their horse, to avoid sudden unexpected responses from the horse in front, and to ride safely in a large group. Most every dog owner considers themselves astute to the moods of dogs. I’m probably no exception, since I don’t automatically reach down to pet an unknown dog, nor do I generally allow strangers to try to pet my dog, a 15 lb, “Lhasa-Shih Tzu-Peke.” But Coco, rescued from a Quebec puppymill in 2008 and adopted in 2009, has some “issues.” Yeah, she’s got quirks. She was afflicted with dry-eye and while in the puppymill, it was never addressed. When she and other dogs were rescued in a public raid, she went to a dog rehabber, and I found her on Petfinder in 2009, after she’d had a litter of puppies, who were also placed by the rescue. Her eyes were severely damaged as a result of the lack of care, and looking into them is like looking into a stained glass window – they are full of strange dark “creases” and “crinkles.” We give her eye drops to prevent them from worsening, but the vet says that there is almost zero reflection back out from the retina, meaning that she is almost totally blind. I think she navigates out on walks by smell, some light and dark sensitivity, and by feeling the change in textures under her feet. She finds her food bowl mostly by smell. She won’t get better, but hopefully she won’t get worse either. Dog socialization and play classes only cause her anxiety – she cowers after only a few minutes of being inundated with playful dogs, growls and snarls at them, and retreats to my lap with her head in my armpit. At these events she’s generally looked upon as the sad misfit who will never be able to mix with the cool kids.

It’s time to share the next ice cream flavour in my Sesame Street ice cream series! Coming up today is Oscar the Grouch! He’s a grump, he’s stinky and lives in a trash can but that doesn’t mean this ice cream can’t be delicious. My son was excited (again) to make ice cream that represented a Sesame Street character and more than happy that it was Oscar the Grouch. My husband on the other hand… well he was worried the ice cream would be too gross looking and he wouldn’t want to eat it. I totally get that and I’m the same. Therefore, I can’t do that… it still has to look appetizing! With flavours of white chocolate, peanut butter and a ribbon of caramel, this ice cream should turn any grouch into one happy fur ball. It made my son and hubby happy. Of course, this ice cream has been dyed green. Use however much food colour you are comfortable with. I use gel food colouring, but there are other options available for those of you opposed to conventional food dyes. You can purchase natural dyes from brands such as India Tree or Color Garden, or make your own. Remember to tune in tomorrow for the next flavour in this fun series! Who could it possibly be…..? oscar the grouch ice cream Ingredients 1 cup whole milk 2/3 cup cane sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 pinch salt 5 egg yolks 8 ounce white chocolate chips 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/8 cup caramel ice cream topping (chilled) 3/4 cup peanut butter 1/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (chilled) Method Fill a piping bag (or a strong disposable freezer bag) with the peanut butter. If using a disposable bag, cut tip to 1/2 inch opening approximately. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. Pipe the peanut butter into dots or blobs onto the sheet. Aim for each dot to be approximately the size of a big blueberry. Put sheet in freezer. Heat milk, sugar, vanilla and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until warm, about 5 minutes. Put egg yolks into a medium heat proof bowl and lightly beat. Whisk egg yolks constantly and slowly pour in hot milk mixture. Return to saucepan and continue to cook and stir until custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in white chocolate chips until melted. Pour custard through a mesh strainer, into a large bowl. Stir in heavy cream. Add green gel food colour until desired result is achieved. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, 2-3 hours. Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions or until it reaches soft-serve consistency. Add cookie crumbs and frozen peanut butter pieces during last two minutes of churning. Gently swirl caramel into the soft ice cream creating ribbons. Transfer ice cream to a container; cover surface with plastic wrap and seal. For best results, ice cream should ripen in the freezer for at least 3 hours.

Purpose of the Yellow Ribbon Program (per FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, Public Law 110-181 , Section 582): “The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program shall consist of informational events and activities for the members of the reserve component of the Armed Forces, their families, and community members to facilitate access to services supporting their health and well-being through the phases of the deployment cycle.” Pre-deployment Deployment Demobilization Post-deployment/Reconstitution A military deployment can be a stressful time for our Service members and their loved ones. Separation during these events bring up many questions, leading to anxiety and unmet expectations. It is the role of the Florida National Guard Yellow Ribbon Program to help guide families through the deployment process, supplying valuable information and services along the way. The Yellow Ribbon Program provides information, services and outreach opportunities to Service members, their families and employers that we hope will help families deal more adequately with these separation challenges. Among the services the Yellow Ribbon Program offers are one- and two-day events for families designed to provide a venue for learning about the numerous benefits and entitlements provided the Dept. of Defense, Veterans Administration, and state of Florida in an atmosphere that is relaxing, pleasant, and is conducive for receiving the vital information that will make your Soldier’s deployment and reintegration easier on the who family. The Yellow Ribbon Program has strong partnerships with many military and veterans service organizations established to assist military families. They include the following resources: VA Benefits TRICARE services Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS) Dental Care Programs and Services Suicide Awareness and Prevention Services Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services Employer Support of Guard and Reserve Family Assistance Centers Transition Assistance Advisers Financial and Unemployment Assistance Military OneSource Military Family Life Consultants Education and Employment services Legal Affairs Counseling

VA and Military Loans Those who have served, past and present, should make informed decisions when it comes to borrowing money. Your military service entitles you to a number of benefits, among them the ability to purchase a home while taking advantage of the VA’s no-down payment home loan program. Read More Jobs Employers throughout the country and around the world value your military service for reasons you already know- those who serve learn quickly, know technology, understand teamwork, and have a work ethic second to none. We are the liaison between employers and world-class job seekers. Read More Recognition If you’re a Veteran friendly school that goes above and beyond for your Veteran students, you could be deserving of recognition for doing so. Read More

WASHINGTON (10/6/09) - An Army National Guard program is credited with helping tens of thousands of Soldiers and their families cope better with deployment in the two years since it started in Minnesota. Sgt. Maj. Robert Brown, Yellow Ribbon Program coordinator for the National Guard Bureau, touted the program's success to an audience attending a Sergeants Corner presentation at the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting here last week. The program was started in 2007 to help members of the 34th Infantry Division of the Minnesota Army National Guard, which had been deployed for 23 consecutive months, Brown said. The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act then mandated a national combat veteran reintegration program for the National Guard and Reserve, Brown said. “In 2008, the National Guard had over 110, 000 attendees at events, ” he said. “Fiscal year 2009 to date we’ve done over 1, 000 Yellow Ribbon pre-, during- and post-mobilization events and … we’ve had over 140, 000 attendees. [For] 2010, the way ahead is to break the 200, 000 mark.” The Army National Guard Yellow Ribbon Program is a cooperative network of military services, veteran service organizations, state government departments and other agencies that provide information, resources, referral and outreach to Soldiers, spouses and children throughout all mobilization phases, Brown said. “Yellow Ribbon is to make Soldiers and their families self-reliant and resilient through the entire deployment cycle, ” Brown said. “[NCO] involvement is the key to success. Nobody knows our Soldiers and their families better than the noncommissioned officers.” Suicide prevention, medical benefits, counseling, school support, youth programs, reintegration and employer support are among numerous issues addressed by the Yellow Ribbon Program. The program includes events for Soldiers and their families before, during and after deployment. It particularly targets geographically dispersed Army National Guard families for support, Brown said. At a minimum, Soldiers and family members who attend events leave briefed on their benefits and connect with family readiness groups and family assistance centers, Brown said.

This is the FA Cup Preview - and like Mesut, I am counting down the minutes! He's even changed his banner on FB to the one above! And is just being adorable with Lukas Podolski, all the time: . The FA Cup is the oldest cup competition in the world. Should Mesut win it, it will be his third cup win in a third league. He also has the Bundesliga Pokal (for which he scored the winning goal) and he won the Copa del Rey in his first year with Real Madrid. It would be Arsenal's first trophy win in 9 years, since the 2005 final, which was decided by then-captain Patrick Vieira's penalty kick. The title of this post is a reference to the famous Arsenal song "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" (For "The famous Arsenal, because we're going to Wembley!") Please enjoy this video of the boys singing the song - with Per, Jenks and the Ox doing the best job and Flamini looking like someone is holding a gun to his head. And a video behind the scenes at London Colney of the players and staff behind the scenes doing the final media appearances before the event. In house media to Mesut (joking): "We'll give you the first three interviews in German for free. But after that you pay for your own translation!" Good luck to Arsenal! #COYG And remember: .

Sean O’Keefe and John McCleland, GS student-veterans, sport their army boots in Washington, D.C., to lobby for the Yellow Ribbon program. Image credit: Sean O'Keefe The program, a latter-day GI Bill known as the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, is part of a new federal initiative and will make participating private institutions like Columbia more accessible to student-veterans. These enhanced benefits were authorized under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 and have the potential to be as significant and influential as the original GI Bill of 1944, which sent millions of World War II veterans to colleges and universities. “Columbia’s participation demonstrates its longstanding appreciation of the military service activities of its students and alumni, ” said Elizabeth Hicks, associate vice president of student and administrative services. “The experience and talent brought to campus by student-veterans vastly enhances academic discourse in our classrooms.” Columbia is the first Ivy League institution to participate in the Yellow Ribbon program. More than 100 student-veterans currently study at Columbia, and they will automatically become eligible to take advantage of it. Each Columbia school is still determining how best to implement the plan and how many new students it can admit under the program. Administrative procedures are still being finalized, and more specific information will be made available after June 15. “Many schools and departments are working diligently to compile the services and expertise necessary to receive the expected increase in veteran enrollment, ” said Laurie Schaffler, executive director of student financial services. “Members of the U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University student group (Mil-Vets) have been instrumental in providing information to us so we can provide the best accommodations possible.” The group, founded in 2002, is a non-partisan social group that promotes networking among U.S. veterans on campus. Indeed, members of MilVets contacted their Congressional representatives to lobby them in person and by mail in support of the Yellow Ribbon program. Sean O’Keefe, a 25-year-old junior at the School of General Studies and a former Green Beret in the Army’s Special Forces, will be the MilVets president for the 2009-2010 academic year. Last summer, he worked with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on defense and veteran affairs legislation. “I pushed to get the bill retroactive to help the proportion of the veterans who will be missing out on the bill since they attend school before [the bill] was passed, ” he said in an email message. At General Studies, when the Yellow Ribbon program award is combined with benefits of the Post-9/11 Assistance Act, the entire cost of education for eligible enrolled students would be covered. The scope of benefits provided by the program makes a Columbia education accessible to eligible veterans regardless of socioeconomic status.

Beginning the fall 2012, Columbus State University is participating in the VA Yellow Ribbon Program term. In order to participate in the VA educational benefits Yellow Ribbon Program, you must be eligible for Chapter 33, Post 9/11 educational benefits at 100% entitlement and being charged out of state tuition rates. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs: “Institutions of Higher Learning (Degree Granting Institutions) may elect to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program to make additional funds available for your education program without an additional charge to your GI Bill entitlement.” At Columbus State University the additional funds will cover some the cost of out-of state tuition if you are currently attending Columbus State and being charged out-of-state tuition. Columbus State will make available $500.00 for the fall semester and $500.00 for the spring semester and VA will match this amount for fall and spring semester. Each semester you will receive $1, 000 towards the out of state tuition charged. This is not for summer semester terms. The Yellow Ribbon Program is awarded on a first come basis and limited to 15 students. If you would like to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, please stop by the CSU Veterans Affairs Office.

One of the features of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill is that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays your tuition and fees directly to the school. This payment rate for public colleges and universities is set at 100% of the in-state tuition rate. This means that if you are attending a public college or university you can get up to 100% coverage of your tuition and fees. The actual amount you receive is determined by the number of months you served on active since Sept. 11, 2001. (View the chart which determines your percentage below.) Tuition and fee rates for G.I. Bill eligible students who enroll in private colleges or universities are annual set at a determined rate. Beginning August 1, 2013 students attending private colleges and universities may receive up to $19, 198.31 during the 2013-2014 academic year. There are special provisions for students who are attending a private college in selected states and have been enrolled in the same program since January 4, 2011. The maximum rates for these states during the 2013-14 school year are as follows: State Maximum Charge per Credit Hour Maximum Total Fees per Term Arizona $725.00 $15, 000.00 Michigan $1, 001.00 $19, 374.50 New Hampshire $1, 003.75 $5, 197.00 New York $1, 010.00 $12, 293.00 Pennsylvania $934.00 $6, 110.00 South Carolina $829.00 $2, 798.00 Texas $1, 549.00 $12, 130.00 If you are attending a public college or university as a non-resident student or a private school that is more expensive than the annual cap you may be eligible for extra payment under the Yellow Ribbon program. To qualify to receive the Yellow Ribbon benefits you must meet the following criteria: Served an aggregate period of active duty after September 10, 2001, of at least 36 months; Were honorably discharged from active duty for a service connected disability and have served a minimum of 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001; Are a dependent eligible for Transfer of Entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill based on a veteran’s service under the eligibility criteria listed above.

Yellow ribbons hang from the Southbank pedestrian bridge. Source: HeraldSun PEDESTRIANS may have noticed a touch of yellow on the “lovelock” bridge at Southbank this morning. Members of the Korean-Australian community put up yellow ribbons in Melbourne’s CBD to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the tragic South Korean Sewol ferry disaster, in which 304 people were killed, most of them schoolchildren. Patrick Park, Shin Lee and others stood vigil on the bridge and handed out flyers to passing pedestrians. “This is not about politics, we just want to share the sadness that our country went through, ” Mr Park said. The pair are concerned that not enough has been done to learn from the tragedy, and that more young lives could have been saved. “The children could have been saved but the government made a really wrong decision, ” Ms Lee said. “We worry it will happen again.” Mr Park agreed. “We still don’t know what exactly happened there, ” he said. “The government would not give a 100 per cent effort to solve why it happened, or even salvage the ferry.”