Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Ask the Drill Sergeant
soldier information http://ping.fm/NCpCs
White House Move to Collect ‘Fishy’ Info May Be Illegal, Critics Say
FOXNews.com
Friday, August 07, 2009
President Barack Obama pauses President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks about the economy, Friday, Aug. 7, 2009, in the Rose Garden of The White House in Washington. (AP) 27006560
*
*
*
The White House strategy of turning supporters into snitches when they see “fishy” information about the health care debate may run afoul of the law, legal experts say.
“The White House is in bit of a conundrum because of this privacy statute that prohibits the White House from collecting data and storing it on people who disagree with it,” Judge Andrew Napolitano, a FOX News analyst, said Friday.
“There’s also a statute that requires the White House to retain all communications that it receives. It can’t try to rewrite history by pretending it didn’t receive anything,” he said.
“If the White House deletes anything, it violates one statute. If the White House collects data on the free speech, it violates another statute.”
Napolitano was referring to the Privacy Act of 1974, which was passed after the Nixon administration used federal agencies to illegally investigate individuals for political purposes. Enacted after Richard Nixon’s resignation in the Watergate scandal, the statute generally prohibits any federal agency from maintaining records on individuals exercising their right to free speech.
The White House has been under fire since it posted a blog on Tuesday that asked supporters to e-mail any “fishy” information seen on the Web or received electronically to flag@whitehouse.gov.
“There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there,” the blog said, adding that “since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help.”
The blog was posted partly in response to a video posted on the Web that claimed to show Obama explaining how his health care reform plans eventually will eliminate private insurance.
The video, featured on the Drudge Report, strung together selected Obama statements that the White House said were taken out of context.
The White House said it wanted to be made aware of “fishy” comments about its health care plan because it wants to set the record straight. But critics called White House move an Orwellian tactic designed to control the health care debate.
“This is a very troubling attempt to stifle the free speech of Americans who have the constitutional right to express their opinion and concerns about health care,” said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice. He called on Obama to repudiate his blog.
“This move is an attempt to intimidate those who have legitimate concerns about the health care plan,” Sekulow said. “And, worse, it turns the White House into some sort of self-appointed ’speech police.’ This new White House reporting program strikes at the heart of the First Amendment and has no place in this important debate about health care.”
Sekulow said he imagines that opponents of mandatory abortion coverage are engaging in what the White House considers “fishy” speech and should be reported.
“What the White House is touting is absurd,” he said.
But Napolitano said the White House probably cannot be sued because of sovereign immunity, unless someone was harmed by what the government did with the records. But that’s unlikely, he said, because the person would probably be unaware of the harm.
“That’s a silent violation of your right to privacy,” he said.
The ACLU said in a statement to FOXNews.com that the White House blog is a “bad idea that could send a troublesome message.”
But the organization added, “While it is unclear at this point what the government is doing with the information it is collecting, critics of the administration’s health care proposal should not fear that their names will end up in some government database that could be used to chill their right to free speech.”
The White House Thursday denied that it was playing “Big Brother.”
“Nobody is collecting names,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. “We have seen, and as I’ve discussed from this podium, a lot of misinformation around health care reform, a lot of it spread, I think, purposefully.”
Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who has called on Obama to end the program, rejected the White House explanation.
“Of course the White House is collecting names,” he said, arguing that anyone with access to the e-mail account has access to private information.
“The question is not what the White House is doing, but how and why,” he said. “How are they purging names and e-mail addresses from this account to protect privacy? Why do they need the forwarded e-mails, names, and ‘casual conversations’ sent to them instead of just the arguments that they want to rebut?
Asked by FOX News whether the White House was using the blog post as a way to expand the e-mail list for the administration and Obama’s political arm, Organizing for America, Gibbs said the two are “not in any way connected” and repeated that the White House is not collecting names.
Pressed about the program’s goal, Gibbs said it was to clarify for everybody what the misinformation is, adding that’s not a new tactic.
“When you make a mistake in your report, sometimes I e-mail you,” Gibbs said to FOX News’ Major Garrett. “Occasionally, I call. Sometimes I just throw something against the wall. Occasionally, it’s all three.”
Garrett asked why it’s necessary to ask so many people to e-mail the White House.
“All we’re asking people to do is, if they’re confused about what health care reform is going to mean to them, we’re happy to help clear that up for them. Nobody’s keeping anybody’s names. I do have your e-mail. …Maybe that’s because I assume future mistakes. But I’m not going to say that,” Gibbs said, drawing laughter.
“But nobody’s collecting information,” he added. “Everybody is trying to give people only the facts around what we all understand is a very complicated issue.”
soldier information http://ping.fm/NCpCs
White House Move to Collect ‘Fishy’ Info May Be Illegal, Critics Say
FOXNews.com
Friday, August 07, 2009
President Barack Obama pauses President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks about the economy, Friday, Aug. 7, 2009, in the Rose Garden of The White House in Washington. (AP) 27006560
*
*
*
The White House strategy of turning supporters into snitches when they see “fishy” information about the health care debate may run afoul of the law, legal experts say.
“The White House is in bit of a conundrum because of this privacy statute that prohibits the White House from collecting data and storing it on people who disagree with it,” Judge Andrew Napolitano, a FOX News analyst, said Friday.
“There’s also a statute that requires the White House to retain all communications that it receives. It can’t try to rewrite history by pretending it didn’t receive anything,” he said.
“If the White House deletes anything, it violates one statute. If the White House collects data on the free speech, it violates another statute.”
Napolitano was referring to the Privacy Act of 1974, which was passed after the Nixon administration used federal agencies to illegally investigate individuals for political purposes. Enacted after Richard Nixon’s resignation in the Watergate scandal, the statute generally prohibits any federal agency from maintaining records on individuals exercising their right to free speech.
The White House has been under fire since it posted a blog on Tuesday that asked supporters to e-mail any “fishy” information seen on the Web or received electronically to flag@whitehouse.gov.
“There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there,” the blog said, adding that “since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help.”
The blog was posted partly in response to a video posted on the Web that claimed to show Obama explaining how his health care reform plans eventually will eliminate private insurance.
The video, featured on the Drudge Report, strung together selected Obama statements that the White House said were taken out of context.
The White House said it wanted to be made aware of “fishy” comments about its health care plan because it wants to set the record straight. But critics called White House move an Orwellian tactic designed to control the health care debate.
“This is a very troubling attempt to stifle the free speech of Americans who have the constitutional right to express their opinion and concerns about health care,” said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice. He called on Obama to repudiate his blog.
“This move is an attempt to intimidate those who have legitimate concerns about the health care plan,” Sekulow said. “And, worse, it turns the White House into some sort of self-appointed ’speech police.’ This new White House reporting program strikes at the heart of the First Amendment and has no place in this important debate about health care.”
Sekulow said he imagines that opponents of mandatory abortion coverage are engaging in what the White House considers “fishy” speech and should be reported.
“What the White House is touting is absurd,” he said.
But Napolitano said the White House probably cannot be sued because of sovereign immunity, unless someone was harmed by what the government did with the records. But that’s unlikely, he said, because the person would probably be unaware of the harm.
“That’s a silent violation of your right to privacy,” he said.
The ACLU said in a statement to FOXNews.com that the White House blog is a “bad idea that could send a troublesome message.”
But the organization added, “While it is unclear at this point what the government is doing with the information it is collecting, critics of the administration’s health care proposal should not fear that their names will end up in some government database that could be used to chill their right to free speech.”
The White House Thursday denied that it was playing “Big Brother.”
“Nobody is collecting names,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. “We have seen, and as I’ve discussed from this podium, a lot of misinformation around health care reform, a lot of it spread, I think, purposefully.”
Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who has called on Obama to end the program, rejected the White House explanation.
“Of course the White House is collecting names,” he said, arguing that anyone with access to the e-mail account has access to private information.
“The question is not what the White House is doing, but how and why,” he said. “How are they purging names and e-mail addresses from this account to protect privacy? Why do they need the forwarded e-mails, names, and ‘casual conversations’ sent to them instead of just the arguments that they want to rebut?
Asked by FOX News whether the White House was using the blog post as a way to expand the e-mail list for the administration and Obama’s political arm, Organizing for America, Gibbs said the two are “not in any way connected” and repeated that the White House is not collecting names.
Pressed about the program’s goal, Gibbs said it was to clarify for everybody what the misinformation is, adding that’s not a new tactic.
“When you make a mistake in your report, sometimes I e-mail you,” Gibbs said to FOX News’ Major Garrett. “Occasionally, I call. Sometimes I just throw something against the wall. Occasionally, it’s all three.”
Garrett asked why it’s necessary to ask so many people to e-mail the White House.
“All we’re asking people to do is, if they’re confused about what health care reform is going to mean to them, we’re happy to help clear that up for them. Nobody’s keeping anybody’s names. I do have your e-mail. …Maybe that’s because I assume future mistakes. But I’m not going to say that,” Gibbs said, drawing laughter.
“But nobody’s collecting information,” he added. “Everybody is trying to give people only the facts around what we all understand is a very complicated issue.”
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Soldiers it may be time to Refinance your Home
Refinancing is the best way to pay your home loans and debts. Loans are not of same kind you can have different types of loans for different purchases and different home equity loans. Refinancing means paying off your current mortgage or reverse mortgage by obtaining a new one. Your home is used as collateral to secure this loan. Home equity lines of credit typically involve variable rather than fixed interest rates. Even if you have less-than-perfect credit, mortgage consultants understand.
Refinancing is the best way to pay your home loans and debts. Mortgages are available worldwide to pay your loans and you have to lend your property to them and they pay your loans with easy refinancing. You can also purchase your home if you your loan back there rates are affordable as compare finance companies. Home equity is the value of a homeowner's unencumbered interest in their property, i.e. the difference between the home's fair market value and the unpaid balance of the mortgage and any outstanding debt over the home. But you don't need to be afraid you can use tools like loan tool kits to get complete information and define your terms and conditions. Loans are not of same kind you can have different types of loans for different purchases and different home equity loans.
Refinancing means paying off your current mortgage or reverse mortgage by obtaining a new one. People refinance for many reasons, some include to lower monthly payments, to remove a prepayment penalty, or to get a different loan type or length. Customers may also wish to get cash out of their home. They do this by borrowing against the equity in their home and receive cash in exchange. People can use this cash to pay off credit cards, to pay for college tuition, to pay medical expenses, other debt consolidation or even purchase another home. If you own your own home, and if your home is worth more than you owe on it, then you have some equity. If, in addition, your monthly payments on your debt obligations (e.g. mortgage payment, credit card payments, car payments, etc.) are hard to make each month, (or they can handle, but would prefer your monthly output to be lowered) then refinancing may help. Also, if you need money for a specific purpose (e.g. college tuition, wedding, medical expenses, etc.), your home equity may be able to help you out.
To find out if you are eligible for refinancing, call and speak with a Mortgage Consultant. You can explain your current situation and tell us what you wish to accomplish. We'll let you know if we can unlock some of the equity in your home to help attain your financial goals. Most importantly, we'll cut through the loan clutter and eliminate unnecessary confusion.
Second mortgages are essentially the same as your primary mortgage. Your home is used as collateral to secure this loan. While most borrowers are better served by Cash Out Refinancing, the advantage of a second mortgage is that in some cases, you can get payment terms and rates that may not be available in other types of loans.
A home equity line of credit works similar to a credit card or revolving line of credit. Your bank provides you with a checkbook that is used to draw against your line of credit. You can write checks for major purchases, such as a car or medical expenses, or just draw out some cash and go on vacation. Advantages of obtaining a home equity loan in this manner include: (1) the flexibility to borrow only as much money as you need at the time and (2) the potential to receive a lower interest rate versus a second mortgage loan. Please consult your Mortgage Consultant for more detailed information.
Home equity lines of credit typically involve variable rather than fixed interest rates. The variable rate is based on publicly available index (such as the prime rate or a U.S. Treasury bill rate). Thus, as the index changes, the interest rate you pay may increase or decrease. The effective rate of interest you pay over the course of this loan may be higher or lower if you had obtained a fixed rate second mortgage. Thus, you should carefully consider the risks and rewards of this type of loan.
At Home123®, we've done a lot of work to make the entire process easier for you, by creating a simplified approach to the loan process. Every homeowner has a story and that is why our mortgage consultants take the time to know your situation personally. It helps us paint a clearer picture so we can better understand the loan you need. Even if you have less-than-perfect credit, mortgage consultants understand. They will do everything they can to offer you the best loan available.
Our mortgage consultants know that obtaining a loan is not an easy process, but our goal is to make it easier. We provide personalized service and resources like the Home123 Loan Tool Kitsm, to make your experience as smooth as possible and give you the confidence you need to better understand the process. The network of expert mortgage consultants will help guide you through the process and decrease the chances of any surprises. You will be clear on what is going on at each step along the way. Approved by http://ping.fm/qUi26
Refinancing is the best way to pay your home loans and debts. Loans are not of same kind you can have different types of loans for different purchases and different home equity loans. Refinancing means paying off your current mortgage or reverse mortgage by obtaining a new one. Your home is used as collateral to secure this loan. Home equity lines of credit typically involve variable rather than fixed interest rates. Even if you have less-than-perfect credit, mortgage consultants understand.
Refinancing is the best way to pay your home loans and debts. Mortgages are available worldwide to pay your loans and you have to lend your property to them and they pay your loans with easy refinancing. You can also purchase your home if you your loan back there rates are affordable as compare finance companies. Home equity is the value of a homeowner's unencumbered interest in their property, i.e. the difference between the home's fair market value and the unpaid balance of the mortgage and any outstanding debt over the home. But you don't need to be afraid you can use tools like loan tool kits to get complete information and define your terms and conditions. Loans are not of same kind you can have different types of loans for different purchases and different home equity loans.
Refinancing means paying off your current mortgage or reverse mortgage by obtaining a new one. People refinance for many reasons, some include to lower monthly payments, to remove a prepayment penalty, or to get a different loan type or length. Customers may also wish to get cash out of their home. They do this by borrowing against the equity in their home and receive cash in exchange. People can use this cash to pay off credit cards, to pay for college tuition, to pay medical expenses, other debt consolidation or even purchase another home. If you own your own home, and if your home is worth more than you owe on it, then you have some equity. If, in addition, your monthly payments on your debt obligations (e.g. mortgage payment, credit card payments, car payments, etc.) are hard to make each month, (or they can handle, but would prefer your monthly output to be lowered) then refinancing may help. Also, if you need money for a specific purpose (e.g. college tuition, wedding, medical expenses, etc.), your home equity may be able to help you out.
To find out if you are eligible for refinancing, call and speak with a Mortgage Consultant. You can explain your current situation and tell us what you wish to accomplish. We'll let you know if we can unlock some of the equity in your home to help attain your financial goals. Most importantly, we'll cut through the loan clutter and eliminate unnecessary confusion.
Second mortgages are essentially the same as your primary mortgage. Your home is used as collateral to secure this loan. While most borrowers are better served by Cash Out Refinancing, the advantage of a second mortgage is that in some cases, you can get payment terms and rates that may not be available in other types of loans.
A home equity line of credit works similar to a credit card or revolving line of credit. Your bank provides you with a checkbook that is used to draw against your line of credit. You can write checks for major purchases, such as a car or medical expenses, or just draw out some cash and go on vacation. Advantages of obtaining a home equity loan in this manner include: (1) the flexibility to borrow only as much money as you need at the time and (2) the potential to receive a lower interest rate versus a second mortgage loan. Please consult your Mortgage Consultant for more detailed information.
Home equity lines of credit typically involve variable rather than fixed interest rates. The variable rate is based on publicly available index (such as the prime rate or a U.S. Treasury bill rate). Thus, as the index changes, the interest rate you pay may increase or decrease. The effective rate of interest you pay over the course of this loan may be higher or lower if you had obtained a fixed rate second mortgage. Thus, you should carefully consider the risks and rewards of this type of loan.
At Home123®, we've done a lot of work to make the entire process easier for you, by creating a simplified approach to the loan process. Every homeowner has a story and that is why our mortgage consultants take the time to know your situation personally. It helps us paint a clearer picture so we can better understand the loan you need. Even if you have less-than-perfect credit, mortgage consultants understand. They will do everything they can to offer you the best loan available.
Our mortgage consultants know that obtaining a loan is not an easy process, but our goal is to make it easier. We provide personalized service and resources like the Home123 Loan Tool Kitsm, to make your experience as smooth as possible and give you the confidence you need to better understand the process. The network of expert mortgage consultants will help guide you through the process and decrease the chances of any surprises. You will be clear on what is going on at each step along the way. Approved by http://ping.fm/qUi26
Monday, August 3, 2009
Military One Source
Sometimes we all need help!
Military One Source is free to service members and their eligible family members. Your work will help them build on their strengths, teach them to maximize their support systems, and help them find community resources to meet their needs. Military life comes with unique challenges. At Military One Source our goal is to provide expert information - articles, booklets, CDs, DVDs and links to other resources - on how to deal with the challenges and issues you face every day. Military One Source By phone, online, and face-to-face
You name it. We can help-24/7!
1-800-342-9647
Overseas: xx-800-3429-6477 (Country
access codes can be found online)
Collect from Overseas: 484-530-5908
(Dial an international operator fi rst)
En español llame al: 1-877-888-0727
Supported by http://ping.fm/k2v5J
Sometimes we all need help!
Military One Source is free to service members and their eligible family members. Your work will help them build on their strengths, teach them to maximize their support systems, and help them find community resources to meet their needs. Military life comes with unique challenges. At Military One Source our goal is to provide expert information - articles, booklets, CDs, DVDs and links to other resources - on how to deal with the challenges and issues you face every day. Military One Source By phone, online, and face-to-face
You name it. We can help-24/7!
1-800-342-9647
Overseas: xx-800-3429-6477 (Country
access codes can be found online)
Collect from Overseas: 484-530-5908
(Dial an international operator fi rst)
En español llame al: 1-877-888-0727
Supported by http://ping.fm/k2v5J
Link to this page
2nd Ky. widow settles suit over husband's VA death
Uncovered, 2nd Ky. widow settles suit over husband's VA death
The second of two Kentucky widows has settled her federal lawsuit over surgical care they say killed their husbands at an Illinois Veterans Affairs Veterans Affairs is a term of the business that deals with the relation between a government and its veteran communities, usually administered by the designated government agency. hospital where major surgeries have been halted for nearly two years after a spike in patient deaths.
Terms of Darla Marshall's April settlement over 61-year-old James Marshall's July 2007 blood infection death six days after his lymph node biopsy Lymph Node Biopsy Definition
A lymph node biopsy is a procedure in which all or part of a lymph node is removed and examined to determine if there is cancer within the node. at the VA hospital in Marion were not disclosed in online court records. The Benton, Ky., widow had sought $10 million in her wrongful-death lawsuit, filed here in April of last year.
Wife of Murray, Ky., last year settled for $975,000 her lawsuit involving Robert Shank III, an Air Force veteran who was 50 when he bled to death in 2007 a day after undergoing gallbladder surgery at the Marion site. Katrina Shank had sought $12 million in damages.
Both were patients of surgeon Jose Veizaga-Mendez, who resigned in August 2007 three days after Shank died.
Within a month of Shank's death, surgeries at the Marion site — which serves veterans from southern Illinois, southwestern Indiana and western Kentucky — were halted after the VA found that at least nine deaths between October 2006 and March 2007 were "directly attributable" to substandard substandard,
adj below an acceptable level of performance. care there.
Those deaths did not include Robert Shank and James Marshall James Marshall, or Jim Marshall could be
* James W. Marshall, who discovered gold in California in 1848
* James Marshall the soldier
* James Marshall the director
* James Marshall the children's writer
* James Marshall the actor
, who died months later.
The VA's findings did not put the sole blame on Veizaga-Mendez, but Shank's lawsuit said many or all of those who died were his patients.
Of an additional 34 cases the VA investigated, 10 patients died after receiving questionable care that complicated their health, officials said. Investigators could not determine if the actual care caused those deaths.
The VA's own investigations of the surgical deaths often have been blistering blis·ter·ing
n.
See vesiculation. , at times labeling the hospital's previous management as "dysfunctional and inefficient."
The lawsuits named only the U.S. government, which runs the VA system that includes the Marion hospital. Messages left Tuesday with Marshall's attorney and the VA were not immediately returned.
Minor surgical procedures Surgical procedures have long and possibly daunting names. The meaning of many surgical procedure names can often be understood if the name is broken into parts. For example in splenectomy, "ectomy" is a suffix meaning the removal of a part of the body. "Splene-" means spleen.
..... Click the link for more information. resumed at the Marion hospital in May of last year, but the VA has not said when major operations would return.
Both lawsuits accused the government of negligence for allegedly not adequately checking Veizaga-Mendez's background before hiring him in January 2006. The widows claimed a better check would have uncovered Veizaga-Mendez's "history of providing substandard care to his patients" in Massachusetts, where he was under investigation for allegedly botching seven cases in 2004 and 2005, including two that resulted in deaths.
Veizaga-Mendez's Illinois license was indefinitely suspended by regulators in October 2007. He was permanently barred from practicing medicine in Massachusetts the next month, a move that also required him to resign any other state medical licenses he held and to withdraw pending license applications. He has also made payouts in two Massachusetts malpractice malpractice, failure to provide professional services with the skill usually exhibited by responsible and careful members of the profession, resulting in injury, loss, or damage to the party contracting those services. lawsuits.
Veizaga-Mendez, who is not listed as a defendant in the lawsuits, has no listed telephone number and has not responded to repeated messages left by the AP at a Massachusetts home listed as an address for his wife.
The Veterans Affairs Department has come under harsh criticism by veterans, some of whom were severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, who have continued to endure financial hardship while their claims are processed. In June, lawmakers in Washington also criticized the department about why a scare over botched botch colonoscopies earlier this year didn't prompt stronger safeguards at the agency's medical centers.
This and much more at "Ask The Drill Sergeant".
2nd Ky. widow settles suit over husband's VA death
Uncovered, 2nd Ky. widow settles suit over husband's VA death
The second of two Kentucky widows has settled her federal lawsuit over surgical care they say killed their husbands at an Illinois Veterans Affairs Veterans Affairs is a term of the business that deals with the relation between a government and its veteran communities, usually administered by the designated government agency. hospital where major surgeries have been halted for nearly two years after a spike in patient deaths.
Terms of Darla Marshall's April settlement over 61-year-old James Marshall's July 2007 blood infection death six days after his lymph node biopsy Lymph Node Biopsy Definition
A lymph node biopsy is a procedure in which all or part of a lymph node is removed and examined to determine if there is cancer within the node. at the VA hospital in Marion were not disclosed in online court records. The Benton, Ky., widow had sought $10 million in her wrongful-death lawsuit, filed here in April of last year.
Wife of Murray, Ky., last year settled for $975,000 her lawsuit involving Robert Shank III, an Air Force veteran who was 50 when he bled to death in 2007 a day after undergoing gallbladder surgery at the Marion site. Katrina Shank had sought $12 million in damages.
Both were patients of surgeon Jose Veizaga-Mendez, who resigned in August 2007 three days after Shank died.
Within a month of Shank's death, surgeries at the Marion site — which serves veterans from southern Illinois, southwestern Indiana and western Kentucky — were halted after the VA found that at least nine deaths between October 2006 and March 2007 were "directly attributable" to substandard substandard,
adj below an acceptable level of performance. care there.
Those deaths did not include Robert Shank and James Marshall James Marshall, or Jim Marshall could be
* James W. Marshall, who discovered gold in California in 1848
* James Marshall the soldier
* James Marshall the director
* James Marshall the children's writer
* James Marshall the actor
, who died months later.
The VA's findings did not put the sole blame on Veizaga-Mendez, but Shank's lawsuit said many or all of those who died were his patients.
Of an additional 34 cases the VA investigated, 10 patients died after receiving questionable care that complicated their health, officials said. Investigators could not determine if the actual care caused those deaths.
The VA's own investigations of the surgical deaths often have been blistering blis·ter·ing
n.
See vesiculation. , at times labeling the hospital's previous management as "dysfunctional and inefficient."
The lawsuits named only the U.S. government, which runs the VA system that includes the Marion hospital. Messages left Tuesday with Marshall's attorney and the VA were not immediately returned.
Minor surgical procedures Surgical procedures have long and possibly daunting names. The meaning of many surgical procedure names can often be understood if the name is broken into parts. For example in splenectomy, "ectomy" is a suffix meaning the removal of a part of the body. "Splene-" means spleen.
..... Click the link for more information. resumed at the Marion hospital in May of last year, but the VA has not said when major operations would return.
Both lawsuits accused the government of negligence for allegedly not adequately checking Veizaga-Mendez's background before hiring him in January 2006. The widows claimed a better check would have uncovered Veizaga-Mendez's "history of providing substandard care to his patients" in Massachusetts, where he was under investigation for allegedly botching seven cases in 2004 and 2005, including two that resulted in deaths.
Veizaga-Mendez's Illinois license was indefinitely suspended by regulators in October 2007. He was permanently barred from practicing medicine in Massachusetts the next month, a move that also required him to resign any other state medical licenses he held and to withdraw pending license applications. He has also made payouts in two Massachusetts malpractice malpractice, failure to provide professional services with the skill usually exhibited by responsible and careful members of the profession, resulting in injury, loss, or damage to the party contracting those services. lawsuits.
Veizaga-Mendez, who is not listed as a defendant in the lawsuits, has no listed telephone number and has not responded to repeated messages left by the AP at a Massachusetts home listed as an address for his wife.
The Veterans Affairs Department has come under harsh criticism by veterans, some of whom were severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, who have continued to endure financial hardship while their claims are processed. In June, lawmakers in Washington also criticized the department about why a scare over botched botch colonoscopies earlier this year didn't prompt stronger safeguards at the agency's medical centers.
This and much more at "Ask The Drill Sergeant".
Saturday, August 1, 2009
HELP OUR SOLDIERS
Here at http://ping.fm/vjBKd we need your input to help other heroes. Many times soldiers come home and fall in between the cracks, and don't get the help they need. Please talk about 1 of the top 10 subjects below.
1) How do I get VA and Medical issues that I need to known?
2) What Paperwork is needed to get VA benefits?
3) How do I Bring up my VA raiting?
4) How do I apply for Social Security?
5) Why do I only get travel pay to and from the closest VA to me?
6) How do I apply for disability from the VA?
7) What is the healthyvet website and how does it help me?
8) What is T-180 and what does it do?
9) How long do I have to apply for dental care after i return from deployment?
10)How do i get a government job after i return from deployment?
Here at http://ping.fm/vjBKd we need your input to help other heroes. Many times soldiers come home and fall in between the cracks, and don't get the help they need. Please talk about 1 of the top 10 subjects below.
1) How do I get VA and Medical issues that I need to known?
2) What Paperwork is needed to get VA benefits?
3) How do I Bring up my VA raiting?
4) How do I apply for Social Security?
5) Why do I only get travel pay to and from the closest VA to me?
6) How do I apply for disability from the VA?
7) What is the healthyvet website and how does it help me?
8) What is T-180 and what does it do?
9) How long do I have to apply for dental care after i return from deployment?
10)How do i get a government job after i return from deployment?
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Ironman Triathlon--Ten Common Mistakes
There''s lots of trial and error involved when athletes attempt there first Ironman. These days there''s lots of advice about athletes floating around out there and it can get confusing at times. After over 20 years on the Ironman scene, I''ve seen some of the same mistakes made over and over again by first time Ironman triathletes.
Here are the top ten mistakes that I feel you should really try and avoid. Just possibly it will give you a better shot at achieving your Ironman goal.
(1) OVERTRAINING
Almost without fail, the first time Ironman will go into the race overtrained. The hardest thing to learn about your training, is when to rest. Its really difficult to convince some athletes that rest is an essential component of their Ironman preparation. Some will insist on training no matter how tired they are or how sore they are. They will completely forget to factor in the physical and mental effort they expend at work every day. Worse yet, as the big day approaches, they will start their taper far too late. They continue to pound out the mileage for fear they''ll lose the conditioning they worked so hard to achieve.
Here are a few tips: If you begin a workout, and just know its going to be a struggle--you just have no energy--stop the work-out and go home. You obviously need more rest. When it gets really bad, take an entire week-end and do "nothing" associated with Ironman training. Go away for a few days. You won''t lose a thing and will resume your training rested and refreshed. As far as tapering, your longest workout day should be "4 weeks" before race day. Begin your taper there.
(2) POOR DIET
ITs almost sad to see the effort some people put into their ironman training only to stall their strength and endurance growth with an improper diet.
Avoid the junk food, eat a proper balance of complex carbs, protein and fat. Enhance a proper diet with vitamin supplements.
(3) IMPROPER FINAL WEEK PREPARATION
Its so easy to get caught up in the hype on ironman week. Too much time is spent in restaurants eating food you don''t normally eat.
Far too many athletes will do the swim course several times or hammer out long bike rides or pound through ten mile runs in the blazing heat. None of this helps you. You must stay relaxed and get lots of rest that final week. Before you arrive at the venue, make sure you have a plan set out for the entire week, right up to race morning.
(4) IMPROPER PRE-RACE HYDRATION
Either athletes will drink too much or not enough leading up to the race. You should start hydrating several days before the race. The rule of thumb is, when urine is clear and copious, you are properly hydrated. Too much drinking will flush too many nutrients out of your system and could lead to hyponatremia. More is not better. "Don''t" drink too much on race morning. You don''t want fluid sloshing around in your stomach during the swim.
(5) IMPROPER RACE-EVE PREPARATION
The day before the race is crucial! You shouldn''t be doing much of anything. Rest is the order of the day. Stay out of the sun. Eat your final large meal early in the day.(I never ate after 4 p.m. on that last day). This gives your digestive system time to work. Do what you must do. For instance--bike check-in, pre-race meeting and then go back to your room and relax.
(6) POOR SWIM STRATEGY
It''s an Ironman tradition to have mass swim starts and I can''t see that changing anytime in the near future. Most races have upwards of 2000 starters in a congested swim area. To convince yourself that the best strategy is to follow the course markers is a recipe for disaster. To decide to wait a minute or so, and then follow the markers is still a disaster. When you look around, their will be hundreds of others waiting as well. Go in with a workable strategy. Avoid the crush. I have an excellent swim strategy on my website.
(7) MISTAKES IN TRANSITION
The last place you should be running, is in the transition area. If this is your first Ironman, there is absoulutely nothing to be gained by it. It will drive your heart rate up. It will cause you to make mistakes. Take your time. In the chaos that surrounds you, keep in your own relaxed space.
(8) GOING OUT WAAAAY TOO FAST ON THE BIKE
Relax!! Don''t eat or drink for twenty minutes or so. Let your body adjust to the new demands you''re placing on it. Then begin to fuel up for the bike ahead and keep nutrition and fluid on an even keel for the entire bike ride. Spin at a nice relaxed pace for the first 40 km or so and then pick it up a little to the pace you feel you can maintain for the bulk of the ride.
(9) ABSOLUTELY NO RUN PLAN
Don''t just go out and wing it. Have a well-conceived run plan. Train months ahead for how you plan to handle the marathon. Its likely that not even 1% of first time ironman hopefuls will run the entire marathon. So train for this. Do long run-walks in training. In other words, try a three hour training run like this.
Run for the first 30-45 minutes and then begin walking for two minutes and running for 12-15 minutes and a steady workable pace. Keep repeating this for the entire run. In effect, what you''re doing, is practicing walking the aid stations and running in between as much as possible. When you leave the bike-run transition try and get in as much mileage as you can before you begin walking.
(10) ABSOLUTELY NO EATING-DRINKING PLAN FOR THE RUN
As the marathon progress and your energy and endurance are being challenged to the max, the normal reaction is to try eating a bit of everything available at the aid staions. This is another disaster in the making. The last thing you need is cookies, fruit, coke, etc., etc. trashing your stomach. If you trained all year with gels and a certain type of replacement drink, then that''s what you should stick with. Don''t make the mistake of searching everywhere for a miracle cure. Is isn''t there. The Ironman hurts. That is the nature of the beast. Don''t let it get the best of you. Fight through it with an eating and drinking plan that you''ve thought out long before race day.
Everything I''ve mentioned here is covered and discussed on my "Ironstruck" website. I would be particulary concerned with having a proper diet and overall-race plan. Take the guess-work out of race-day. Know exacly what your swim plan will be. Proper diet and vitamin supplements are a must. Make sure your Ironman plans cover everything up to and including the race.
My name is Ray and I have competed in endurance events for over a quarter of a century, including 14 Ironman Triathlons, and over 35 marathons. I created a website..."Ironstruck" full of racing and training tips for the novice triathlete. http://triathlon-ironman-myfirstironman-ironstruck.com or Click " http://www.askthedrillsergeant.com "
There''s lots of trial and error involved when athletes attempt there first Ironman. These days there''s lots of advice about athletes floating around out there and it can get confusing at times. After over 20 years on the Ironman scene, I''ve seen some of the same mistakes made over and over again by first time Ironman triathletes.
Here are the top ten mistakes that I feel you should really try and avoid. Just possibly it will give you a better shot at achieving your Ironman goal.
(1) OVERTRAINING
Almost without fail, the first time Ironman will go into the race overtrained. The hardest thing to learn about your training, is when to rest. Its really difficult to convince some athletes that rest is an essential component of their Ironman preparation. Some will insist on training no matter how tired they are or how sore they are. They will completely forget to factor in the physical and mental effort they expend at work every day. Worse yet, as the big day approaches, they will start their taper far too late. They continue to pound out the mileage for fear they''ll lose the conditioning they worked so hard to achieve.
Here are a few tips: If you begin a workout, and just know its going to be a struggle--you just have no energy--stop the work-out and go home. You obviously need more rest. When it gets really bad, take an entire week-end and do "nothing" associated with Ironman training. Go away for a few days. You won''t lose a thing and will resume your training rested and refreshed. As far as tapering, your longest workout day should be "4 weeks" before race day. Begin your taper there.
(2) POOR DIET
ITs almost sad to see the effort some people put into their ironman training only to stall their strength and endurance growth with an improper diet.
Avoid the junk food, eat a proper balance of complex carbs, protein and fat. Enhance a proper diet with vitamin supplements.
(3) IMPROPER FINAL WEEK PREPARATION
Its so easy to get caught up in the hype on ironman week. Too much time is spent in restaurants eating food you don''t normally eat.
Far too many athletes will do the swim course several times or hammer out long bike rides or pound through ten mile runs in the blazing heat. None of this helps you. You must stay relaxed and get lots of rest that final week. Before you arrive at the venue, make sure you have a plan set out for the entire week, right up to race morning.
(4) IMPROPER PRE-RACE HYDRATION
Either athletes will drink too much or not enough leading up to the race. You should start hydrating several days before the race. The rule of thumb is, when urine is clear and copious, you are properly hydrated. Too much drinking will flush too many nutrients out of your system and could lead to hyponatremia. More is not better. "Don''t" drink too much on race morning. You don''t want fluid sloshing around in your stomach during the swim.
(5) IMPROPER RACE-EVE PREPARATION
The day before the race is crucial! You shouldn''t be doing much of anything. Rest is the order of the day. Stay out of the sun. Eat your final large meal early in the day.(I never ate after 4 p.m. on that last day). This gives your digestive system time to work. Do what you must do. For instance--bike check-in, pre-race meeting and then go back to your room and relax.
(6) POOR SWIM STRATEGY
It''s an Ironman tradition to have mass swim starts and I can''t see that changing anytime in the near future. Most races have upwards of 2000 starters in a congested swim area. To convince yourself that the best strategy is to follow the course markers is a recipe for disaster. To decide to wait a minute or so, and then follow the markers is still a disaster. When you look around, their will be hundreds of others waiting as well. Go in with a workable strategy. Avoid the crush. I have an excellent swim strategy on my website.
(7) MISTAKES IN TRANSITION
The last place you should be running, is in the transition area. If this is your first Ironman, there is absoulutely nothing to be gained by it. It will drive your heart rate up. It will cause you to make mistakes. Take your time. In the chaos that surrounds you, keep in your own relaxed space.
(8) GOING OUT WAAAAY TOO FAST ON THE BIKE
Relax!! Don''t eat or drink for twenty minutes or so. Let your body adjust to the new demands you''re placing on it. Then begin to fuel up for the bike ahead and keep nutrition and fluid on an even keel for the entire bike ride. Spin at a nice relaxed pace for the first 40 km or so and then pick it up a little to the pace you feel you can maintain for the bulk of the ride.
(9) ABSOLUTELY NO RUN PLAN
Don''t just go out and wing it. Have a well-conceived run plan. Train months ahead for how you plan to handle the marathon. Its likely that not even 1% of first time ironman hopefuls will run the entire marathon. So train for this. Do long run-walks in training. In other words, try a three hour training run like this.
Run for the first 30-45 minutes and then begin walking for two minutes and running for 12-15 minutes and a steady workable pace. Keep repeating this for the entire run. In effect, what you''re doing, is practicing walking the aid stations and running in between as much as possible. When you leave the bike-run transition try and get in as much mileage as you can before you begin walking.
(10) ABSOLUTELY NO EATING-DRINKING PLAN FOR THE RUN
As the marathon progress and your energy and endurance are being challenged to the max, the normal reaction is to try eating a bit of everything available at the aid staions. This is another disaster in the making. The last thing you need is cookies, fruit, coke, etc., etc. trashing your stomach. If you trained all year with gels and a certain type of replacement drink, then that''s what you should stick with. Don''t make the mistake of searching everywhere for a miracle cure. Is isn''t there. The Ironman hurts. That is the nature of the beast. Don''t let it get the best of you. Fight through it with an eating and drinking plan that you''ve thought out long before race day.
Everything I''ve mentioned here is covered and discussed on my "Ironstruck" website. I would be particulary concerned with having a proper diet and overall-race plan. Take the guess-work out of race-day. Know exacly what your swim plan will be. Proper diet and vitamin supplements are a must. Make sure your Ironman plans cover everything up to and including the race.
My name is Ray and I have competed in endurance events for over a quarter of a century, including 14 Ironman Triathlons, and over 35 marathons. I created a website..."Ironstruck" full of racing and training tips for the novice triathlete. http://triathlon-ironman-myfirstironman-ironstruck.com or Click " http://www.askthedrillsergeant.com "
Veteran Services, DAV & Harley-Davidson rally for a disabled veteran.
Machine gun at the ready, U.S. Army Pfc. David A. Straza moved along the path that snaked through a flooded area known as "pineapple grove." It was late morning on Oct. 30,1968, and quiet, as his squad patrolled alongside a brush line. Suddenly, gunfire erupted. Straza was about to become a casualty of the Vietnam War.
"The point man went down, and my sergeant got hit and killed in front of me," Straza said. "I started firing and my machine gun jammed. I knelt thinking the M60 may have been hit. When I opened the breach, my leg was knocked from under me, and I went down. I pulled my .45 and fired from the prone position."
According to Straza, the firelight lasted about five minutes. Within a half hour, he was on a helicopter on his way back to a field hospital. He had suffered a gunshot wound through his lower left leg, just above the ankle. The wound was treated, and he spent two days in the field hospital before he was transferred to an Army hospital in Japan for a week. Then he was sent to the Great Lakes Naval Hospital in Illinois. He spent approximately four and a half months in treatment at Great Lakes before returning to duty at Ft. Benning, Ga., where he remained until his honorable discharge at the rank of sergeant on Oct. 7, 1970. He left the military with a service-connected disability rating of 10 percent and an injury that became worse over time.
In 2001, Straza contacted the DAV, and a National Service Officer reviewed his file and submitted a claim for reconsideration of a clear and unmistakable error to establish a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent retroactive to Oct. 8, 1970. However, a VA rating decision of March 27, 2002, assigned a 20 percent evaluation for a moderately severe muscle disability, not 30 percent for a severe injury based on the information furnished by the DAV.
Straza's wife, Colleen, died in 2003, and the claim went uncontested as he worked through grief and put his life back together.
In 2008, Straza attended a reunion of the 82nd Airborne Division in Texas. During the reunion he got into a conversation with a DAV member from Maryland. When he recounted the story about his disability claim, the DAV member strongly advised him to have an NSO look into the matter. Straza decided to take the advice, after he and his new bride, Lana, returned from their honeymoon.
"We had just returned from our honeymoon, when I read a notice that a DAV Mobile Service Office (MSO) would be visiting at a local Harley-Davidson dealership," Straza said. "So, I went and talked with NSO John Rodriguez. I told him I was having difficulty walking, had lost feeling in my foot and leg and was experiencing pain in the area. I also told him it was getting progressively worse."
"We were on site at the Zylstra Harley-Davidson/Buell, when Mr. Straza came by to discuss his claim," NSO Rodriguez said. "He wanted to discuss his claim which had previously sought to establish a clear and unmistakable error for failure to establish service-connected compensation at 30 percent for the gunshot wound he had suffered in the Vietnam War. Mr. Straza felt the VA did not properly address his injuries and requested a review of his file."
In reviewing the claim, Rodriguez, a Senior NSO at the DAV National Service office in Chicago, discovered that the VA had, in fact, granted service-connected disability compensation for the gunshot wound to the lower left leg retroactive to Oct. 8, 1970, but only for 20 percent.
NSO Rodriguez was convinced a further error had been made.
"Based on my review, on July 25, 2008, I submitted a request for corrective action based on the clear and unmistakable error made by the Rating Board Decision on April 2, 2002," Rodriguez said. "Our memorandum dated Aug. 16, 2001, argued that Mr. Straza warranted a higher rating based on the severity of his injury. The rating board did not comply with the request, which was correct. Since the error was still in effect, we wanted it corrected."
In a letter dated Oct. 9, 2008, Straza received the VA decision stating that a clear and unmistakable error was found in the evaluation and a retroactive increased evaluation to 30 percent disabling was established from Oct. 8, 1970. His claim had been corrected.
NSO Rodriguez views the success of Straza's claim as an example of the effectiveness of the MSO outreach program and the partnership between the DAV and Harley-Davidson.
"The Mobile Service Office program is a great way to bring service to veterans nearly anywhere," Rodriguez said. "The combined partnership of the DAV and Harley-Davidson is cemented in service to our disabled veterans through the MSO program. Reaching out to veterans at Harley-Davidson dealerships provides an opportunity to expand our contact with veterans beyond a typical MSO stop. Many of the veterans who visit us at Harley-Davidson dealerships don't know they are eligible for membership or services from the DAV."
"NSOs are litigators, mediators, technicians and detectives all in one," National Service Director Randy Reese said. "The goal of an NSO is to provide superior, quality representation to disabled veterans and their families to ensure they receive all of their benefits. Whether the disability compensation is rated at 10 percent or 100 percent, every veteran is important."
David Straza couldn't agree more.
"The service the DAV provided was exemplary," Straza said. "NSO Rodriguez paid attention to what I was saying and was genuinely concerned. He followed up on the claim in a timely fashion and accurate manner. And he got results."
"From their own experience as disabled veterans, they know the rules and regulations and can help without you having to go it on your own," he said.
"I was talking to one of the guys I served with recently, when he brought up an issue he was having difficulty with. Like the DAV member at my reunion in Texas, I recommended that he contact the DAV--I strongly recommended it," Straza added.
Click
" http://ping.fm/GUQh9 " for more information.
Machine gun at the ready, U.S. Army Pfc. David A. Straza moved along the path that snaked through a flooded area known as "pineapple grove." It was late morning on Oct. 30,1968, and quiet, as his squad patrolled alongside a brush line. Suddenly, gunfire erupted. Straza was about to become a casualty of the Vietnam War.
"The point man went down, and my sergeant got hit and killed in front of me," Straza said. "I started firing and my machine gun jammed. I knelt thinking the M60 may have been hit. When I opened the breach, my leg was knocked from under me, and I went down. I pulled my .45 and fired from the prone position."
According to Straza, the firelight lasted about five minutes. Within a half hour, he was on a helicopter on his way back to a field hospital. He had suffered a gunshot wound through his lower left leg, just above the ankle. The wound was treated, and he spent two days in the field hospital before he was transferred to an Army hospital in Japan for a week. Then he was sent to the Great Lakes Naval Hospital in Illinois. He spent approximately four and a half months in treatment at Great Lakes before returning to duty at Ft. Benning, Ga., where he remained until his honorable discharge at the rank of sergeant on Oct. 7, 1970. He left the military with a service-connected disability rating of 10 percent and an injury that became worse over time.
In 2001, Straza contacted the DAV, and a National Service Officer reviewed his file and submitted a claim for reconsideration of a clear and unmistakable error to establish a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent retroactive to Oct. 8, 1970. However, a VA rating decision of March 27, 2002, assigned a 20 percent evaluation for a moderately severe muscle disability, not 30 percent for a severe injury based on the information furnished by the DAV.
Straza's wife, Colleen, died in 2003, and the claim went uncontested as he worked through grief and put his life back together.
In 2008, Straza attended a reunion of the 82nd Airborne Division in Texas. During the reunion he got into a conversation with a DAV member from Maryland. When he recounted the story about his disability claim, the DAV member strongly advised him to have an NSO look into the matter. Straza decided to take the advice, after he and his new bride, Lana, returned from their honeymoon.
"We had just returned from our honeymoon, when I read a notice that a DAV Mobile Service Office (MSO) would be visiting at a local Harley-Davidson dealership," Straza said. "So, I went and talked with NSO John Rodriguez. I told him I was having difficulty walking, had lost feeling in my foot and leg and was experiencing pain in the area. I also told him it was getting progressively worse."
"We were on site at the Zylstra Harley-Davidson/Buell, when Mr. Straza came by to discuss his claim," NSO Rodriguez said. "He wanted to discuss his claim which had previously sought to establish a clear and unmistakable error for failure to establish service-connected compensation at 30 percent for the gunshot wound he had suffered in the Vietnam War. Mr. Straza felt the VA did not properly address his injuries and requested a review of his file."
In reviewing the claim, Rodriguez, a Senior NSO at the DAV National Service office in Chicago, discovered that the VA had, in fact, granted service-connected disability compensation for the gunshot wound to the lower left leg retroactive to Oct. 8, 1970, but only for 20 percent.
NSO Rodriguez was convinced a further error had been made.
"Based on my review, on July 25, 2008, I submitted a request for corrective action based on the clear and unmistakable error made by the Rating Board Decision on April 2, 2002," Rodriguez said. "Our memorandum dated Aug. 16, 2001, argued that Mr. Straza warranted a higher rating based on the severity of his injury. The rating board did not comply with the request, which was correct. Since the error was still in effect, we wanted it corrected."
In a letter dated Oct. 9, 2008, Straza received the VA decision stating that a clear and unmistakable error was found in the evaluation and a retroactive increased evaluation to 30 percent disabling was established from Oct. 8, 1970. His claim had been corrected.
NSO Rodriguez views the success of Straza's claim as an example of the effectiveness of the MSO outreach program and the partnership between the DAV and Harley-Davidson.
"The Mobile Service Office program is a great way to bring service to veterans nearly anywhere," Rodriguez said. "The combined partnership of the DAV and Harley-Davidson is cemented in service to our disabled veterans through the MSO program. Reaching out to veterans at Harley-Davidson dealerships provides an opportunity to expand our contact with veterans beyond a typical MSO stop. Many of the veterans who visit us at Harley-Davidson dealerships don't know they are eligible for membership or services from the DAV."
"NSOs are litigators, mediators, technicians and detectives all in one," National Service Director Randy Reese said. "The goal of an NSO is to provide superior, quality representation to disabled veterans and their families to ensure they receive all of their benefits. Whether the disability compensation is rated at 10 percent or 100 percent, every veteran is important."
David Straza couldn't agree more.
"The service the DAV provided was exemplary," Straza said. "NSO Rodriguez paid attention to what I was saying and was genuinely concerned. He followed up on the claim in a timely fashion and accurate manner. And he got results."
"From their own experience as disabled veterans, they know the rules and regulations and can help without you having to go it on your own," he said.
"I was talking to one of the guys I served with recently, when he brought up an issue he was having difficulty with. Like the DAV member at my reunion in Texas, I recommended that he contact the DAV--I strongly recommended it," Straza added.
Click
" http://ping.fm/GUQh9 " for more information.
Chicago Bear receives probation for fraud
Former Chicago Bear Roland Harper. Roland Harper (born February 28, 1953 in Seguin, Texas) is a former professional American football player who played running back for eight seasons for the Chicago Bears. was sentenced to a year of house arrest Tuesday for acting as a front man in a $1.5 million fraud involving a landscaping contract for Chicago public schools Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians, is a school district that controls over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois. .
U.S. District Judge John W. Darrah also required the 56-year-old former fullback to perform 200 hours of community service and pay $25,000 in restitution and forfeit To lose to another person or to the state some privilege, right, or property due to the commission of an error, an offense, or a crime, a breach of contract, or a neglect of duty; to subject property to confiscation; or to become liable for the payment of a penalty, as the result of a $50,000. He'll also serve two years of probation, including the year he is confined .
Harper, who was in the same backfield with Walter Payton. Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954 – November 1, 1999) was an American football player, who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football. , pleaded guilty last year to mail fraud. Defense attorney Patrick J. Cotter
[Origin unknown. said Harper is now broke and faces an array of civil lawsuits stemming from the failure of a trucking business he had owned.
"Roland Harper may have been a great football player but he is a terrible businessman," Cotter said.
Harper, who is black, was hoping to learn the landscaping business but soon found himself the front man in a plot by a white landscaper to get a contract set aside for a minority firm, Cotter said. Harper went into the contract with honest intentions, his attorney said.
Landscaper Aiden Monahan was sentenced in April to three years and five months in prison after pleading guilty as the mastermind of the fraud.
Prosecutors said Monahan owned the equipment and the workers used on the contract and that Harper would go to the office about twice a week, say hello to employees, meet briefly with Monahan and leave. He received only about $80,000 of the $1.5 million in contract money.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Miller.said Harper immediately cooperated with prosecutors after they confronted him, but that contract fraud is a serious problem in Chicago and he needed to be punished.
Prosecutors asked Darrah to sentence Harper to 16 months — below the federal guideline range and as such a reward for helping prosecutors convict Monahan.
"This city is fraught with corruption," Darrah said, adding that Harper's cooperation could be an example to others who know about federal crimes.
Harper apologized to the court and the city.
"I'm sorry that so many people who look up to me I've let down," he said.
As he left the courthouse, Harper told reporters that he had been caught up in "unfortunate circumstances."
For More Blogs Click " http://ping.fm/6CAFG "
Former Chicago Bear Roland Harper. Roland Harper (born February 28, 1953 in Seguin, Texas) is a former professional American football player who played running back for eight seasons for the Chicago Bears. was sentenced to a year of house arrest Tuesday for acting as a front man in a $1.5 million fraud involving a landscaping contract for Chicago public schools Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians, is a school district that controls over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois. .
U.S. District Judge John W. Darrah also required the 56-year-old former fullback to perform 200 hours of community service and pay $25,000 in restitution and forfeit To lose to another person or to the state some privilege, right, or property due to the commission of an error, an offense, or a crime, a breach of contract, or a neglect of duty; to subject property to confiscation; or to become liable for the payment of a penalty, as the result of a $50,000. He'll also serve two years of probation, including the year he is confined .
Harper, who was in the same backfield with Walter Payton. Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954 – November 1, 1999) was an American football player, who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football. , pleaded guilty last year to mail fraud. Defense attorney Patrick J. Cotter
[Origin unknown. said Harper is now broke and faces an array of civil lawsuits stemming from the failure of a trucking business he had owned.
"Roland Harper may have been a great football player but he is a terrible businessman," Cotter said.
Harper, who is black, was hoping to learn the landscaping business but soon found himself the front man in a plot by a white landscaper to get a contract set aside for a minority firm, Cotter said. Harper went into the contract with honest intentions, his attorney said.
Landscaper Aiden Monahan was sentenced in April to three years and five months in prison after pleading guilty as the mastermind of the fraud.
Prosecutors said Monahan owned the equipment and the workers used on the contract and that Harper would go to the office about twice a week, say hello to employees, meet briefly with Monahan and leave. He received only about $80,000 of the $1.5 million in contract money.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Miller.said Harper immediately cooperated with prosecutors after they confronted him, but that contract fraud is a serious problem in Chicago and he needed to be punished.
Prosecutors asked Darrah to sentence Harper to 16 months — below the federal guideline range and as such a reward for helping prosecutors convict Monahan.
"This city is fraught with corruption," Darrah said, adding that Harper's cooperation could be an example to others who know about federal crimes.
Harper apologized to the court and the city.
"I'm sorry that so many people who look up to me I've let down," he said.
As he left the courthouse, Harper told reporters that he had been caught up in "unfortunate circumstances."
For More Blogs Click " http://ping.fm/6CAFG "
Friday, July 24, 2009
10 ways to Earn Money Through Blogs at http://ping.fm/hGIEc
Automated blogging is clearly something which is only of interest in terms of making money or creating an online business. Anyone who blogs for the fun of it would wonder what on earth the point of automating it could be, as this would take all the fun out of it.
Automated blogging is clearly something which is only of interest in terms of making money or creating an online business. Anyone who blogs for the fun of it would wonder what on earth the point of automating it could be, as this would take all the fun out of it.
The blogosphere is indeed increasing its scope of coverage from being just a personal electronic journal to being an online marketing tool for most online marketers. With its enormous functions, no wonder marketers on the net have seen its potential to forward their business. Blogosphere's popularity is simply unstoppable.
Running a blog, is one of the easiest websites to own for any individual. Also, blogs are very popular and are very user friendly to all people. There are many blog promoting sites that will promote your blog if it contains awesome information. The Internet is full of valuable information nowadays about so many topics, so writing about anything will do.
Creating a blog can be easy but creating a popular blog which has the potential to be visited by hundreds or even thousands of people can be difficult. Success will not come so easily without any effort put in. If you really want to work online from home using blogs, you have to be prepared to make it your business to create good blogs.
Traffic is important when earning money through blogs. The higher your traffic is, the higher your income may get. While working your traffic way up, take some time to also study and analyze certain blogging tools. Be familiar with these, such as RSS, feeds, search engine optimization, and others.
The postings on business blog should be open and should portray personality of the writer and the company. The postings on business blogs should be very informal, and should be written in first person voice. Posts should be informative and relevant with an expert touch to it.
Setting up a blog is pretty simple. You can choose to design your own blog format on your existing site or you can use a free blog from free blog hosting services like Wordpress or Blogger. You can publish your own articles on any topics related to your business and provide information about your products or services to people.
While it is very important for the search engines to see outside links coming into your blog, you might also consider building an effective internal linking strategy also. Why is this important? It encourages visitors to stay on your blog longer, thus increasing page views, thus improving your search engine rankings. And if you have any products you are promoting, you will more likely to get some interested clicks
Another way that you might choose to make money with your blog is to use it as a space to launch an affiliate business. Have you considered having an affiliate business? An affiliate business is basically where you get paid every time you recommend a customer to a product and that customer makes their purchase through your personal affiliate link.
Tips to Earn Money through Blogs
Automated blogging is clearly something which is only of interest in terms of making money or creating an online business. Anyone who blogs for the fun of it would wonder what on earth the point of automating it could be, as this would take all the fun out of it.
The blogosphere is indeed increasing its scope of coverage from being just a personal electronic journal to being an online marketing tool for most online marketers. With its enormous functions, no wonder marketers on the net have seen its potential to forward their business. Blogosphere's popularity is simply unstoppable.
Running a blog, is one of the easiest websites to own for any individual. Also, blogs are very popular and are very user friendly to all people. There are many blog promoting sites that will promote your blog if it contains awesome information. The Internet is full of valuable information nowadays about so many topics, so writing about anything will do.
Creating a blog can be easy but creating a popular blog which has the potential to be visited by hundreds or even thousands of people can be difficult. Success will not come so easily without any effort put in. If you really want to work online from home using blogs, you have to be prepared to make it your business to create good blogs.
Traffic is important when earning money through blogs. The higher your traffic is, the higher your income may get. While working your traffic way up, take some time to also study and analyze certain blogging tools. Be familiar with these, such as RSS, feeds, search engine optimization, and others.
The postings on business blog should be open and should portray personality of the writer and the company. The postings on business blogs should be very informal, and should be written in first person voice. Posts should be informative and relevant with an expert touch to it.
Setting up a blog is pretty simple. You can choose to design your own blog format on your existing site or you can use a free blog from free blog hosting services like Wordpress or Blogger. You can publish your own articles on any topics related to your business and provide information about your products or services to people.
While it is very important for the search engines to see outside links coming into your blog, you might also consider building an effective internal linking strategy also. Why is this important? It encourages visitors to stay on your blog longer, thus increasing page views, thus improving your search engine rankings. And if you have any products you are promoting, you will more likely to get some interested clicks
Another way that you might choose to make money with your blog is to use it as a space to launch an affiliate business. Have you considered having an affiliate business? An affiliate business is basically where you get paid every time you recommend a customer to a product and that customer makes their purchase through your personal affiliate link.
Read about questions answers script, and also read about blog content writing and blog submission services
Automated blogging is clearly something which is only of interest in terms of making money or creating an online business. Anyone who blogs for the fun of it would wonder what on earth the point of automating it could be, as this would take all the fun out of it.
Automated blogging is clearly something which is only of interest in terms of making money or creating an online business. Anyone who blogs for the fun of it would wonder what on earth the point of automating it could be, as this would take all the fun out of it.
The blogosphere is indeed increasing its scope of coverage from being just a personal electronic journal to being an online marketing tool for most online marketers. With its enormous functions, no wonder marketers on the net have seen its potential to forward their business. Blogosphere's popularity is simply unstoppable.
Running a blog, is one of the easiest websites to own for any individual. Also, blogs are very popular and are very user friendly to all people. There are many blog promoting sites that will promote your blog if it contains awesome information. The Internet is full of valuable information nowadays about so many topics, so writing about anything will do.
Creating a blog can be easy but creating a popular blog which has the potential to be visited by hundreds or even thousands of people can be difficult. Success will not come so easily without any effort put in. If you really want to work online from home using blogs, you have to be prepared to make it your business to create good blogs.
Traffic is important when earning money through blogs. The higher your traffic is, the higher your income may get. While working your traffic way up, take some time to also study and analyze certain blogging tools. Be familiar with these, such as RSS, feeds, search engine optimization, and others.
The postings on business blog should be open and should portray personality of the writer and the company. The postings on business blogs should be very informal, and should be written in first person voice. Posts should be informative and relevant with an expert touch to it.
Setting up a blog is pretty simple. You can choose to design your own blog format on your existing site or you can use a free blog from free blog hosting services like Wordpress or Blogger. You can publish your own articles on any topics related to your business and provide information about your products or services to people.
While it is very important for the search engines to see outside links coming into your blog, you might also consider building an effective internal linking strategy also. Why is this important? It encourages visitors to stay on your blog longer, thus increasing page views, thus improving your search engine rankings. And if you have any products you are promoting, you will more likely to get some interested clicks
Another way that you might choose to make money with your blog is to use it as a space to launch an affiliate business. Have you considered having an affiliate business? An affiliate business is basically where you get paid every time you recommend a customer to a product and that customer makes their purchase through your personal affiliate link.
Tips to Earn Money through Blogs
Automated blogging is clearly something which is only of interest in terms of making money or creating an online business. Anyone who blogs for the fun of it would wonder what on earth the point of automating it could be, as this would take all the fun out of it.
The blogosphere is indeed increasing its scope of coverage from being just a personal electronic journal to being an online marketing tool for most online marketers. With its enormous functions, no wonder marketers on the net have seen its potential to forward their business. Blogosphere's popularity is simply unstoppable.
Running a blog, is one of the easiest websites to own for any individual. Also, blogs are very popular and are very user friendly to all people. There are many blog promoting sites that will promote your blog if it contains awesome information. The Internet is full of valuable information nowadays about so many topics, so writing about anything will do.
Creating a blog can be easy but creating a popular blog which has the potential to be visited by hundreds or even thousands of people can be difficult. Success will not come so easily without any effort put in. If you really want to work online from home using blogs, you have to be prepared to make it your business to create good blogs.
Traffic is important when earning money through blogs. The higher your traffic is, the higher your income may get. While working your traffic way up, take some time to also study and analyze certain blogging tools. Be familiar with these, such as RSS, feeds, search engine optimization, and others.
The postings on business blog should be open and should portray personality of the writer and the company. The postings on business blogs should be very informal, and should be written in first person voice. Posts should be informative and relevant with an expert touch to it.
Setting up a blog is pretty simple. You can choose to design your own blog format on your existing site or you can use a free blog from free blog hosting services like Wordpress or Blogger. You can publish your own articles on any topics related to your business and provide information about your products or services to people.
While it is very important for the search engines to see outside links coming into your blog, you might also consider building an effective internal linking strategy also. Why is this important? It encourages visitors to stay on your blog longer, thus increasing page views, thus improving your search engine rankings. And if you have any products you are promoting, you will more likely to get some interested clicks
Another way that you might choose to make money with your blog is to use it as a space to launch an affiliate business. Have you considered having an affiliate business? An affiliate business is basically where you get paid every time you recommend a customer to a product and that customer makes their purchase through your personal affiliate link.
Read about questions answers script, and also read about blog content writing and blog submission services
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
VA Tightens Protections for Veterans Paperwork
October 16, 2008
Peake: Lapses “Unacceptable,” Procedures and Accountability Tightened
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake vowed swift action after a handful of documents related to veterans’ applications for financial benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) were found among documents identified for shredding. The documents, which were not duplicated in government files, could have affected veterans’ eligibility for benefits.
“I insist on the highest possible standards for processing and safeguarding information in VA’s custody,” Peake said. “It is unacceptable that documents important to a veteran’s claim for benefits should be misplaced or destroyed.”
Peake said VA’s Office of the Inspector General (IG) is investigating the misplaced documents, and anyone who violated Department policy on protecting documents will be held accountable.
The documents were discovered by employees of VA’s IG office during an audit at three of VA’s 56 regional benefits offices, which process applications for disability pay, VA pensions, educational assistance, home loans and similar financial benefits.
IG auditors found a handful of documents waiting to be shredded, which might have affected the fate of veterans’ applications. The documents were returned to the proper offices for processing.
Retired Rear Adm. Patrick W. Dunne, VA’s Under Secretary for Benefits, immediately directed all of VA’s regional offices to suspend all document shredding while IG and VA officials determine whether the problem is more widespread. Directors of the regional offices will have to certify in writing that no original copies of key documents or records from veterans’ cases under consideration are being destroyed.
VA has procedures for determining the disposition of paperwork. Original copies of discharge papers, marriage certificates and death certificates are returned to veterans or families when no longer needed. Duplicate copies of paperwork no longer needed are appropriately destroyed to protect the privacy of veterans and their families.
# # #
People wishing to receive e-mail from VA with the latest news releases and updated fact sheets can subscribe to the VA Office of Public Affairs Distribution List.
October 16, 2008
Peake: Lapses “Unacceptable,” Procedures and Accountability Tightened
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake vowed swift action after a handful of documents related to veterans’ applications for financial benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) were found among documents identified for shredding. The documents, which were not duplicated in government files, could have affected veterans’ eligibility for benefits.
“I insist on the highest possible standards for processing and safeguarding information in VA’s custody,” Peake said. “It is unacceptable that documents important to a veteran’s claim for benefits should be misplaced or destroyed.”
Peake said VA’s Office of the Inspector General (IG) is investigating the misplaced documents, and anyone who violated Department policy on protecting documents will be held accountable.
The documents were discovered by employees of VA’s IG office during an audit at three of VA’s 56 regional benefits offices, which process applications for disability pay, VA pensions, educational assistance, home loans and similar financial benefits.
IG auditors found a handful of documents waiting to be shredded, which might have affected the fate of veterans’ applications. The documents were returned to the proper offices for processing.
Retired Rear Adm. Patrick W. Dunne, VA’s Under Secretary for Benefits, immediately directed all of VA’s regional offices to suspend all document shredding while IG and VA officials determine whether the problem is more widespread. Directors of the regional offices will have to certify in writing that no original copies of key documents or records from veterans’ cases under consideration are being destroyed.
VA has procedures for determining the disposition of paperwork. Original copies of discharge papers, marriage certificates and death certificates are returned to veterans or families when no longer needed. Duplicate copies of paperwork no longer needed are appropriately destroyed to protect the privacy of veterans and their families.
# # #
People wishing to receive e-mail from VA with the latest news releases and updated fact sheets can subscribe to the VA Office of Public Affairs Distribution List.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Good Info
AnxietyAre you experiencing anxiety that exceeds the normal reaction to stress? When your anxiety becomes excessive to the point you have an irrational dread of everyday situations, it then has become a disabling disorder. There are five major types of anxiety disorders including, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Social Phobia. Agoraphobia, or fear of unfamiliar or public places, is also included among these types of anxiety-based disorders. Each type of disorder associated with anxiousness has symptoms in which a qualified psychiatrist can assist you in diagnosis and suitable treatment applications.
While many patients attempt to alleviate the symptoms on their own without professional help, the nature of anxiety compounds and worsens their anxiety as these efforts increase. Seeking professionally guided and clear-minded help for an irrational and anxious mind frame is necessary for a large numbers of individuals suffering silently from anxiety. There is help available for you and many others. All you need to do is to seek the help of a professional psychiatrist to improve your life today. With the help of a psychiatrist, treating any degree of anxiety is possible and effectively done over time. The first step in starting this process is seeking the help of a psychiatrist. There are a number of treatments and therapies available for these types of disorders. Some of these include medication, talk therapy, group therapy, introspective reading and worksheets, journaling, and meditations. In most cases, a structured and professionally guided combination of these items is necessary to achieve desired results. In fact, with the proper treatment, most people can expect to live productive and fulfilling lives. If you wish for an anxiety-free lifestyle, seeking and pursuing the help of a psychiatrist is necessary. If you feel you are suffering from an anxiety related disorder, a qualified psychiatrist can help provide diagnosis and begin a treatment plan best suited for you and your lifestyle. Debating seeking treatment will only worsen anxiety symptoms and draw sufferers away from the potential solutions a psychiatrist can offer. Treatments that can be explored include a number of traditional or alternative therapies, medication, self-help, or a combination of methods. Only a professional psychiatrist can accurately or can ethically decide which treatment is best for each individual patient. Anxiety does not have to paralyze your ability to live a productive normal life. If you are suffering from anxiety, contact a qualified psychiatrist for help in diagnosis and treatment. |
Here is some good Info
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Tuesday, May 5, 2009
PTSD: What You Need to Know
By:
Brad Johnson | November 03, 2005
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0071429565/militarycom/
As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wear on, hundreds of thousands of veterans are at significant risk for a particularly distressing and impairing mental health syndrome: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. First documented in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1980, PTSD becomes a serious risk when a service member experiences, witnesses, or is confronted with an event involving actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others -- welcome to any day in the Global War of Terror.
What does PTSD look like? As members of the military community, each of us should be alert to the following key symptoms among the combat veterans we care for:
* Recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event, including images, thoughts and perceptions (seeing a comrade's dead body or experiencing flashbacks of the sounds of explosions and screaming)
* Recurrent and distressing nightmares of the traumatic event
* Intense psychological distress when exposed to cues or reminders of any aspect of the trauma
* Extreme physical reactivity (e.g., racing pulse, sweating, intense fear) when exposed to any cues or reminders of the trauma
* Persistent avoidance of any reminder (e.g., conversations, thoughts, activities, places, and people) of the traumatic event
* A general numbing in responsiveness; the person feels detached and estranged from others and may have little range in emotion and few strong feelings
* A sense of a foreshortened future; having come close to death, the person sees it as immanent
* Hypervigilance (constantly scanning the environment for danger)
* Exaggerated startle response (especially to sudden movement or loud noises)
* Poor concentration
* Irritability/anger
* Disturbances in one's ability to sleep
Keep in mind that not all of the symptoms will be present in every case, and veterans may mask the symptoms through nondisclosure or self-medication with alcohol and other drugs. Further, some service personnel are at greater risk for developing PTSD than others. Beyond the severity of the traumatic event itself, key risk factors include poor social support after the trauma, additional life stressors, adverse childhood events, lower education, prior traumatic exposure, and gender -- women are at greater risk. One particularly malignant feature of PTSD is a sense of shame or guilt associated with beliefs that one should have or could have done more during the traumatic period. If comrades died, then survivor guilt can add powerful fuel to PTSD fire.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
PTSD SOLDIER
here is a few web sights that can help:
hope this helps some and feel free to comment on any help you can give.
http://suporttroops.blogspot.com/
http://PTSDHelp.synthasite.com
http://www.myspace.com/ptsdsoldierhelp
http://pounderthis.synthasite.com
http://iamasoldier.synthasite.com
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/post_traumatic_stress_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htmhope this helps some and feel free to comment on any help you can give.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Help for soldiers having PTSD
Hi i am SFC Linam a soldier that just returned from Iraq I was not able to sleep for more than 4 or 5 hours. I couldn’t keep from remembering past events. The doctor said that I was just stressed out and told me to wait for about 3 weeks and if I still had these symptoms to return. So I did just that (luckily) I was still on leave. During this time I started not being able to remember short term things and some long term things. Sometimes I would be in the middle of a sentence I would forget the subject I was on. My attitude started to change I was angry about everything. My wife and children started walking on egg shells afraid I would blow up. I stayed away from everyone to include my children. I was startled by loud noises or fast moving people. I had overwhelming guilt feelings for things done in Afghanistan and Iraq. I was depressed all the time and felt I could do nothing right. I went to my doctor and she put me on anti-depressants. Two weeks later I decided to go to the VA and get signed up. I did just that and had my 1st appointment 5 days later. To my surprise things ran very efficient. 0900hrs psychologist and 1100hrs primary care doctor. After the 0900 appointment I felt scared that something could be wrong with me mentally. The 1100 appointment didn’t go well either. They found disk problems in my back and said I could have TBI. Yes, x-ray, x-ray, x-ray, and a MRI. I felt helpless and scared that I couldn’t support my family anymore. This helpless feeling mad me mad with myself and anyone in the way. A week later I went back to my psychologist and was told I had PTSD and mild TBI. I went to the federal VA rep and filed for disability. The next week I was sent to 3 outside doctors and evaluated. The doctors all said that I had PTDD Mild TBI and back degenerative disk problems. 3 weeks later I received a letter from the VA and it stated that my disabilities needed more investigation and they would let me know when it was finished. So, here I am can’t work and no job and no disability. I started to find other people that would help me to get on my feet again. Sometimes I feel week for being this way. I use to be the guy that said suck it up and finish the mission. Guess that bit me on the ass.
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