Worries Of Guam ‘Capsizing’ – No Joke
Posted by Michelle Moquin on April 1st, 2010
With all of this talk about Guam, I thought I’d jump in.
Democrat Rep. Hank Johnson worries loading too many people onto Guam could capsize the island
April 1, 2010 | 3:22 am
First, before you watch this short but remarkable video, a little background on Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson.
He’s from Georgia’s Fourth District. A Washington, D.C. native, he’s the fellow who took office in 2007 after knocking off former five-term Democratic Rep. Cynthia McKinney.
A former county judge, the 55-year-old is an attorney, a standard liberal Democrat, receiving 100 ratings from the ADA and ACLU.
In this House Armed Services Committee hearing last Friday (no, it wasn’t April Fool’s Day), Johnson was questioning Admiral Robert Willard, head of the U.S. Pacific fleet, about the stationing of 5,000 additional U.S. Marines and their families on the western Pacific island of Guam, a 212-square-mile American territory that is 30 miles long and from four to 12 miles wide.
President Obama will visit there this summer.
Of course, since Johnson is one of 535 members of the United States Congress, everything he says is important. But pay particular attention to the congressman’s comments starting at the 1:16 mark and the pregnant pause after his stated concern and hand gestures.
Followed by the admiral’s admirably measured military response.
Also, remember you are paying Congressman Johnson’s salary this year — $174,000.
Ahahaha! Not April Fool’s Day? Could’ve fooled me.
Anna, Peter: Be careful. Like in the movie Titanic, make sure you crawl for higher ground so you hit the water last when your island tips over and capsizes. :)
Readers: On a serious note, this is scary – this person is representing us.
Zen Lill: I loved that line too – had me cracking up – no pun intended.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the ‘Donate’ button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my ‘Donate’ page)
April 1st, 2010 at 9:30 am
Michelle, I could not stop laughing. That is funny. But as you commented those are the people running our country. In the spirit of your blog article today I submit this:
I am a court reporter. I thought you would like to hear just how stupid those lawyers you hire and put so much trust in are.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This is from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are supposedly things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters.
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
______________________________ ________
And the best for last:
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No .
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.
And that my friends is a good example why, most politicians in our government and courts are lawyers and our nation is so screwed up.
April 1st, 2010 at 9:33 am
Dear God, No! Guam to Tip Over! [Jonah Goldberg]
In the old Batman TV series, one of the fiendish plots hatched by the Penguin or maybe the Riddler, I can’t remember, involved preventing all of America’s milking cows from being milked.
If this was allowed to happen, the cows would explode (Holy Cow! Batman!). Even when I was 7 years old, I was dumbstruck by how stupid that was. I have a similar feeling watching Rep. Hank Johnson talk about Guam.
April 1st, 2010 at 9:33 am
My son is stationed on Guam, I just sent him the video and told him to run to the other side of the island. He said one of his shipmates showed up to work with a life vest on!
April 1st, 2010 at 9:49 am
With all the excitement around the passage of health care, you might have missed this: a big story in The New York Times showing how the bold leadership of progressives in Congress, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is a key reason health care reform is a reality today.1
After the Massachusetts election, the article says, Democrats were in disarray. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was pushing a plan to severely scale back reform.
But led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, progressives stood up to fight.2 When MoveOn members looked to Democrats to “fight, not fold,” Pelosi was right there with us.
Speaker Pelosi’s leadership was critical—and with the recent right-wing health care backlash, it’s important that progressives show we’ve got her back. Can you add your name to our thank you card to Speaker Pelosi today?
April 1st, 2010 at 10:06 am
Statin Crazy: Don’t Be Duped by Their Newest ‘Benefit’
Mark A. Stengler, NMD
La Jolla Whole Health Clinic
Statins have gotten a lot of press. Researchers made headlines when they found that rosuvastatin (Crestor), a cholesterol-lowering drug, reduced the risk for heart attack and stroke in people who had normal cholesterol and high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a sign of inflammation.
The recent JUPITER trial (which stands for Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: An Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin) was lauded as a breakthrough.
The findings were found to be so positive that the trial was cut short — to allow even the placebo group to receive the purported cardiovascular benefits of the drug.
We are accustomed to thinking about statins in terms of lowering cholesterol, but this study caused some cardiologists to think statins — already a best-selling class of drugs — should be prescribed even more widely.
Ready to get a prescription? Hold on. In my opinion, the researchers duped other doctors and their patients. In terms of statistics, Crestor did reduce the risk for a heart attack or stroke by half, but in terms of real-world risk, only one person out of 120 actually would benefit from the drug as the trial indicated.
Worse, 25% more patients taking Crestor developed type 2 diabetes compared with the placebo group, a fact that was not widely reported.
If there is anything useful resulting from this study, it is that mainstream medicine recognized the importance of CRP and the role of inflammation in heart disease.
This is a topic that holistic physicians have been talking about for years. I wrote about inflammation and heart disease in the very first issue of Bottom Line Natural Healing back in 2005.
Statins may reduce symptoms of heart disease by lowering cholesterol and inflammation, but they do not address the source of the inflammation, as natural therapies do.
Although statins have a place in the conventional treatment of patients, including those with a history of heart attack or very high CRP levels, they are expensive — costing hundreds of dollars a year — and can cause serious side effects, such as muscle pain and damage, fatigue, liver and kidney damage, diabetes and memory impairment. They may even increase cancer risk.
Important: Most of us can lower CRP levels naturally by losing weight if we need to and by exercising if we don’t already do so. But perhaps the most powerful factor influencing inflammation is what we eat. We also can supplement with specific nutrients to further reduce inflammation.
THE INFLAMMATION CONNECTION
About 10 years ago, Harvard University physicians demonstrated that chronic low-grade inflammation throughout the body could damage blood vessels and was a better indicator of risk for cardiovascular disease than cholesterol.
The researchers developed a laboratory test for CRP to measure low-grade inflammation in the body. An elevated CRP level doesn’t just affect the heart. It hurts the whole body.
Several years ago, a health author whom I know and respect, Jack Challem, wrote The Inflammation Syndrome. He described how “every disease, every ache and every pain… revolves around inflammation… ” and how many inflammatory diseases are related to one another.
For example, having periodontal disease (which inflames the gums) or rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis increases heart disease risk. Similarly, being overweight or having type 2 diabetes increases CRP levels and heart disease risk.
DIET COMES FIRST
To reduce inflammation, it’s best to start with what you eat.
Your body makes both inflammation-promoting and inflammation-fighting substances called eicosanoids, compounds derived mostly from the fats you eat.
Consuming a lot of sweets and unhealthful oils, such as corn, safflower and soybean oils, and trans fats found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils ramps up the body’s inflammatory eicosanoids. In other words, junk food increases inflammation.
However, if you consume fish (the best choices are cold-water types, including salmon, trout and sardines), free-range meats and health-promoting cooking oils (such as extra-virgin olive oil, macadamia nut oil and avocado oil), you can increase your body’s production of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids.
Eating a lot of vegetables, such as romaine lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower, and fruits, such as blueberries, raspberries and kiwifruit, also helps maintain normal CRP levels. These foods are high in fiber and rich in antioxidants, nutrients that neutralize harmful molecules called free radicals.
Make sure that the vast majority of foods you eat are fresh — not out of a box, can or jar. You’ll be avoiding packaged foods, most of which have been adulterated with added sugars, salt, refined carbohydrates and unhealthful fats.
SUPPLEMENTS THAT HELP
For many people, healthful eating habits are not enough to lower CRP levels. Some of my patients have greater needs for specific anti-inflammatory nutrients.
First step: Insist that your doctor measure your CRP level annually. Ask for the high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) test, the newest form of the test. It’s a simple blood test and relatively inexpensive (about $25 to $50). Some insurers will cover the test.
Multivitamin. Several studies have found that taking a multivitamin can lead to impressive reductions in CRP. One study conducted at the Cooper Institute in Dallas showed that a daily multivitamin lowered CRP by 14% after six months.
Many individual vitamins, including vitamins C and E, have been shown to reduce CRP. Niacin (a form of vitamin B-3) also lowers CRP.
Important: While many individual vitamins are beneficial, I recommend a multivitamin because it contains numerous vitamins that can reduce inflammation.
Omega-3 fish oils. The omega-3s form the biochemical basis of some of the body’s anti-inflammatory eicosanoids.
They benefit cardiovascular health in a number of ways, including mildly thinning the blood, slowing the heart rate, lowering levels of triglycerides and improving blood vessel flexibility. Look for fish oil that contains both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
One good choice: Krill oil, a type of fish oil made from shrimplike crustaceans. Krill oil contains the antioxidant astaxanthin, which also is good for the heart.
Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). This essential fatty acid in plant oil is the principal anti-inflammatory compound in the omega-6 family of fats. It works by shifting a major part of the omega-6 biochemistry from inflammatory to anti-inflammatory activity.
In the process, it increases production of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids. GLA and fish oils are synergistic — they work better together than either on its own.
Curcumin. This extract of the spice turmeric, common in South Asian cuisines, blocks inflammation. More than 2,000 studies have documented the benefits of curcumin for such inflammatory diseases as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.
It also may prevent cardiac hypertrophy, a type of enlarged heart. Given the anti-inflammatory nature of curcumin, research is likely to uncover more heart-healthy benefits.
Pycnogenol. This proprietary ingredient, extracted from the bark of French maritime pine trees, has powerful anti-inflammatory effects.
It has been shown to improve circulation, to work as a mild blood thinner and to reduce the need for angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor drugs that are used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.
Vitamin D. Half of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. A recent study in Archives of Internal Medicine found that men with low vitamin D levels were two and one-half times more likely to die during the next eight years than those with the highest levels.
Red yeast rice extract. This is one of my favorite supplements because it can lower levels of CRP and LDL (bad) cholesterol.
It is sold at most health-food stores and contains trace levels of a naturally occurring statin compound. In these small quantities — a fraction of what’s in drugs — statins are safe. Studies have found that red yeast rice extract can lower CRP levels by up to 50%.
Statins (perhaps even natural ones, such as red yeast rice extract) are known to deplete coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant necessary for heart health. If you take red yeast rice extract, supplement daily with 100 mg of coenzyme Q10.
Mark A. Stengler, NMD, a naturopathic medical doctor and leading authority on the practice of alternative and integrated medicine. He is editor of Bottom Line’s Natural Healing newsletter, author of The Natural Physician’s Healing Therapies (Bottom Line Books), director of the La Jolla Whole Health Clinic in La Jolla, California, and adjunct clinical professor at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. To learn more about his work, visit http://www.drstengler.com and http://www.lajollawholehealth.com.
April 1st, 2010 at 10:16 am
Hafa adai
Howie, sorry you took offense to my familiar address. I mistakenly thought you accepted the family atmosphere Michelle has cultivated here on her blog. I will in the future refer to you as Mr. Howie. And I will address you accordingly with all do decorum should I request any information from you. I didn’t mean to offend.
Michelle, I hope I haven’t offended any of your other regulars with my casual reference to their contributions to your blog. No insult was intended.
I loved the article. It was published here on Guam in several articles. The ignorance of some of our representatives in Congress is one of the scary things about trusting them to get sending all these marines to Guam.
Here is another example of those leaders not taking into account the effect all those additional people will have upon the sanitary issues they will bring to Guam.
____________________________________________
Guam – Guam News
Guam – CCU Chairman Simon Sanchez Wednesday told PNC News that the military buildup will force the need for secondary treatment at Guam’s wastewater Sanchez said that the U.S. EPA ” believes that the military buildup clearly forces the secondary treatment issue onto Guam. If there was any debate before, there is clearly no debate now. We both agree, U.S. EPA and GWA, that when we talk about the waste water facilities going forward we need to take into account the issue of the buildup.”
When asked if he agrees whether secondary treatment is needed in light of the buildup Sanchez said “Yes. There is a point when volume is increased to a certian level, you can’t get a waiver for secondary treatment which is what we’ve had all these years.” And “The buildup is going to create enough new demand that at that volume you must move to secondary treatment.”
But he said, if that demand is created by DOD “than we would look to DOD to help pay for the impact of forcing GWA to secondary treatment.”
Secondary treatment may cost from 200 to 250 million dollars said Sanchez and coming up with those funds will be a key focus of the negotiations over a new settlement agreement with the U.S. EPA.
Tuesday, in a joint quarterly report filed, as required, with the District Court, both parties announced that they are re-negotiating their previous settlement to ensure that it takes into account the requirements of the military buildup.
Sanchez said he was encouraged by the visit last week of a high level White House delegation that included Nancy Sutley, the Chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, as well as officials from U.S. EPA and other federal agencies.
“There is some discussion with U.S. EPA” said Sanchez, “about bringing DOD into the conversation” to pay for the secondary treatment and other aspects of the consent decree that GWA has been under since 2002.
He said “The bigger picture for us is the kinds of conversations we had with the senior members of the U.S. EPA, Chairwoman Sutley here a week ago, that says we need to recognize the difference between the GWA of 2010 and what GWA has to do in the next 5 years … and that’s why we have to create a new agreement.”
Sanchez said GWA just received the U.S. EPA’s draft of their proposed new settlement agreement last week. It’ll be months he said before the draft turns into a final agreement.
_________________________________
Makes one wonder who’s in charge.
Peter
April 1st, 2010 at 10:21 am
Subject: Take two aspirin…
Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays.
These excerpts are published each year for their amusement.
Here are last year’s winners…
3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy
who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those
boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high
schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of
those boxes with a pinhole in it.
April 1st, 2010 at 11:50 am
Michelle
Here is another example that refutes those that say conspiracies don’t exist. The American Boy Scouts have had files showing more than twenty years of pedophilia, homosexuality, and sexual abuse.
My husband says the true files go back to the 1920′s. He says that there are many names and current reputations that could be hurt.
Stay tuned.
Debra
April 1st, 2010 at 11:54 am
Thanks Zen Lill
I have just started (three weeks ago) getting in on the advice you have been giving the readers. A friend introduced me to it after I commented on how great she looks now.
I am presently researching the archives to get more advice. These are so great! Thanks a lot.
Jenny
April 1st, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Thanks Michelle for keeping Guam in the forefront. We on the island should really be concerned about our water. Here is a report I came across.
++++++++++++++++++++
Guam – The Guam Waterworks Authority and the U.S. EPA plan to negotiate a new settlement agreement to bring GWA into compliance with the Federal Clean Water Act.
GWA was sued by the Federal EPA 8 years ago and has been working under a federally monitored Consent Decree to upgrade the islands drinking and waste water systems.
A Joint Status Report filed in District Court Tuesday explains that a renegotiation will “ensure that the settlement agreement takes into account the requirements of the proposed military buildup.”
Read Joint Status Report
On the K-57 Breakfast Show CCU chairman Simon Sanchez said GWA has completed 90 percent of the 70 projects EPA required. There are only 4 projects that remain to be completed. Sanchez said the renegotiated agreement will help GWA prepare for the military buildup.
U.S. EPA says that they will closely coordinate with the Department of Defense to ensure that the final settlement takes into account the requirements of the buildup.
“Both GWA and EPA view the military buildup as a potential opportunity to assist GWA’s efforts to bring its wastewater and drinking water systems into full compliance with federal law.”
The report notes that U.S. EPA has already provided a draft settlement to GWA which “identifies projects that, in EPA’s estimation, will both improve GWA’s compliance status … and establish a sound footing … for compliance measures that will be needed thereafter.”
The Quarterly Status Report was filed, as required, ahead of the next scheduled hearing set for next week Wednesday, April 7.
===========================
Few things are more important to a people than the water it drinks. Our leaders have to work to make this right.
Larry
April 1st, 2010 at 12:25 pm
I am the wife of a staunch republican. I used to believe everything he uttered until Obama was elected. I voted for MeCain. But I am now read and make my own decisions about what I think about this country.
I read Huffington Post a lot and I would like to share this article.
=========================
Arianna Huffington: Once upon a time, the United States was the world’s dominant innovator — partly because we didn’t have much competition.
As a result of the destruction wreaked by WWII, the massive migration of brainpower to the U.S. caused by the war, and huge amounts of government spending, America had the innovation playing field largely to itself.
None of these factors exist as we enter the second decade of the 21st century. America now has plenty of countries it’s competing with — many of which are much more serious about innovation than we are.
Indeed, a report on the progress made by industrialized countries over the last decade in the area of innovation ranked the U.S. dead last. When it comes to our approach to innovation, we desperately need some innovation. Here are three good places to start.
========================
I believe that it should not be about what party we belong to but what is right for America.
Zen Lill
I wish I could have met an Anonz. But I did get to experience it vicariously through you. I am not a woman who makes her mind up on her own. I love and respect my husband, but he sees the world from a different pair of glasses.
Thank you Michelle for a blog that allows any and all opinions to express themselves.
Hannah
April 1st, 2010 at 12:28 pm
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me
> to tears with their tedious
> diatribes about how hard things were. When they were
> growing up; what with
> walking twenty-five miles to school every morning….
> Uphill… Barefoot…
> BOTH ways. yadda, yadda, yadda
>
> And I remember promising myself that
> when I grew up, there was no
> way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on
> my kids about
> how hard I had it and how easy they’ve got
> it!
> But now that I’m over the ripe old age
> of at least thirty, I can’t
> help but look around and notice the youth of today.
> You’ve got it so easy!
> I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn
> Utopia!
> And I hate to say it, but you kids
> today, you don’t know how good
> you’ve got it!
>
> I mean, when I was a kid we didn’t have
> the Internet. If we wanted
> to know something, we had to go to the damn library and
> look it up
> ourselves, in the card catalog!!
>
> There was no email!! We had to
> actually write somebody a letter -
> with a pen! Then you had to walk all the
> way across the street and put it
> in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get
> there! Stamps were 10
> cents!
>
> Child Protective Services didn’t care if
> our parents beat us. As a
> matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had
> permission to kick
> our ass! Nowhere was safe!
>
> There were no MP3′s or Napsters or
> iTunes! If you wanted to steal
> music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and
> shoplift it yourself!
>
> Or you had to wait around all day to
> tape it off the radio, and the
> DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all
> up! There were no
> CD players! We had tape decks in our car.. We’d play
> our favorite tape and
> “eject” it when finished, and then the tape would come
> undone rendering it
> useless. Cause, hey, that’s how we rolled, Baby! Dig?
>
>
> We didn’t have fancy crap like Call
> Waiting! If you were on the
> phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal,
> that’s it!
>
> There weren’t any freakin’ cell phones
> either. If you left the
> house, you just didn’t make a damn call or receive one. You
> actually had to
> be out of touch with your “friends”. OH MY GOD !!!
> Think of the horror…
> not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then
> there’s TEXTING. Yeah,
> right. Please! You kids have no idea how
> annoying you are.
>
> And we didn’t have fancy Caller ID
> either! When the phone rang, you
> had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your
> parents, your boss,
> your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent… you
> just didn’t
> know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances,
> mister!
>
> We didn’t have any fancy PlayStation or
> Xbox video games with
> high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari
> 2600! With games like
> ‘Space Invaders’ and ‘Asteroids’. Your screen guy was
> a little square! You
> actually had to use your imagination!!! And there
> were no multiple levels
> or screens, it was just one screen… Forever! And
> you could never win.
> The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and
> faster until you
> died! Just like LIFE!
>
> You had to use a little book called a TV
> Guide to find out what was
> on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing!
> You had to get off
> your ass and walk over to the TV to change the
> channel!!! NO REMOTES!!!
> Oh, no, what’s the world coming to?!?!
>
>
>
> There was no Cartoon Network either! You
> could only get cartoons on
> Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I’m saying? We had
> to wait ALL WEEK for
> cartoons, you spoiled little rat-finks!
>
> And we didn’t have microwaves. If
> we wanted to heat something up,
> we had to use the stove! Imagine that!
>
> And our parents told us to stay outside
> and play… all day long.
> Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if
> you came back
> inside… you were doing chores!
>
>
> And car seats – oh, please! Mom
> threw you in the back seat and you
> hung on. If you were luckily, you got the “safety
> arm” across the chest at
> the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your
> head hit the
> dashboard, well that was your fault for calling “shot gun”
> in the first
> place!
>
>
> See! That’s exactly what I’m
> talking about! You kids today have got
> it too easy. You’re spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn’t
> have lasted five
> minutes back in 1980 or any time before!
>
> Regards,
> The Over 30 Crowd
> (Send this to someone you’d like to make
> smile)
>
April 1st, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Michelle would have been great if it was an April Fool’s Joke. But alas it is a true statement of the quality of leadership at the helm. Here is a prime example.
==========================
Dear Fellow Conservative,
The values and freedoms that made our country great are under attack.
From granting the terrorists who attacked our nation the same constitutional rights you and I enjoy as American citizens to the reckless spending and debt that is bankrupting our nation to the reordering of one-sixth of the economy through nationalization of our health care system, the Obama Democrats are remaking America in their own elitist, liberal vision.
Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and their leftist allies believe that turning America into a European social welfare state is the solution to the trials we face as a nation.
There is another way to meet the challenges facing our country and it begins with strong Republican leadership and ideas. But first, we must stop the Democrats’ radical assault on America by defeating them at the polls in 2010.
Americans like you — who believe in limited government, fiscal discipline, a strong national defense and individual freedom — are essential to this effort. Your commitment is one of the reasons why the Republican Party won historic victories in the 2009 elections and elected Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate in the Democrat stronghold of Massachusetts this year.
Now, by electing Republican majorities to the U.S. House and Senate in 2010, we can put an end to the Obama Democrats’ higher taxes-big spending ways, halt the expansion of government intrusion into our daily lives, and protect the cherished freedoms our forefathers fought so hard to secure.
That is why I am asking you for a favor: Will you make a secure online contribution of $500, $250, $100, $50, $35 or $25 to show your strong commitment to our Party and our principles?
Make no mistake: Republicans will only be successful on Election Day 2010 if you show your commitment to our Party’s core principles by joining the RNC now.
Your generous support is crucial to helping the RNC provide the candidate assistance, campaign programs, registration drives and voter outreach that are absolutely essential for electing more Republicans to your State Legislature, to Congress, and to Governor’s and Mayor’s offices.
I can tell you from my personal experience, the RNC is a tremendously valuable resource. When I first ran for Mayor, no one really believed a Republican could win.
It seemed we were hopelessly outnumbered by Democrats in New York City. But with help from members like you we were able to win a stunning victory and then re-election four years later.
The RNC will not be able to provide that kind of much-needed assistance to Republican candidates in the upcoming races without your commitment.
There is no time to lose. The fast approaching 2010 mid-term elections could mark a crucial turning point in American history.
Your secure online gift of $500, $250, $100, $50, $35 or $25 today will help mobilize Republicans across the nation and ensure the RNC has the resources to elect Republican majorities to the U.S. Congress — effectively cutting Obama’s term in half. Thank you in advance for your commitment to our cause.
Sincerely,
Rudy Giuliani
P.S.: This is your chance to take a stand for your Party and your principles — and against the Obama Democrats’ assault on our country’s most cherished values and freedoms.
Please do me a personal favor by making your most generous financial commitment of $500, $250, $100, $50, $35 or $25 to join the RNC today. Your gift will help the RNC provide Republican candidates with the resources they need to run strong campaigns and win in 2010. Thank you.
==========================
These guys are still trying to sell us on the same old stuff. Deregulating the Insurance Industry and allowing them to raise rates and not cover whoever they wish.
Mike
April 1st, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Here at Scambusters.org, when we write about identity theft, we usually focus on prevention; how to protect yourself and make sure your identity is never stolen.
However, today we’re going to focus on what steps to take if you do become the victim of a stolen identity.
So, we’re excited to introduce our excellent attorney and special guest, Claudia Rast. Claudia is a principal at the Ann Arbor, Michigan, law firm of Pear Sperling Eggan & Daniels, P.C.
Claudia recently spoke at a seminar sponsored by The Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and she and they have graciously allowed us to share her talk with you.
<>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>
What to Do if You Become the Victim of a Stolen Identity
<>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>
This article is copyrighted by and reprinted with the permission of The Institute of Continuing Legal Education. These materials originally appeared in the seminar materials for Identity Theft: Prevention & Cure, offered April 14, 2009,
by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/ l=8JUKO&m=1gG7VZ82i0tWfo&b=_p6DO.UvCGGg_47CLXAyBA
First Steps as a Victim of ID Theft
When all the preventative measures have failed, take the following steps right away. Speed is important here.
1. Disconnect your Computer from the Internet. You probably have more personal information than you imagined on your computer. This advice is especially important if you store any financial records electronically or use your laptop for online financial transactions.
Use a Different Computer to do the Following:
2. File a Complaint with the FTC. Prior to filing a police report, go to the FTC Identity Theft website and complete the online questionnaire.
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gG7VZ82i0tWfo&b=F5rUAyW3hCioOQozwHw_Hw
The questionnaire will generate a customized report for you to complete.
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gG7VZ82i0tWfo&b=HzXopZGDHcWgzevGtVeFsw
You can also complete an ID Theft Affidavit.
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gG7VZ82i0tWfo&b=UUPoRlDO9AW7OGOFZuhW9w
3. File a Police Report. This is really important. Your friends may say you are over-reacting, but this one simple step will help you big-time down the road.
So, report your identity theft to the local police or sheriff’s department where you live AND the police department in the community where the theft took place.
Bring a printed copy of your FTC ID Theft Complaint form that you have previously completed online.
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gG7VZ82i0tWfo&b=Sk53zwSQw4h479gNH8Xu8g
Also bring a copy of the FTC cover letter in support of the ID Theft Complaint stating why the police report is critical to protecting your rights and the documentation verifying the theft of your identity. You can print this out here:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gG7VZ82i0tWfo&b=FAsAZj.OHQH3bgOWbe1wjA
Ask the police to issue a report and request a copy of that report. (If the police refuse to issue a report, ask if they will issue a “Miscellaneous Incidents Report” instead or contact the state police.)
The FTC cover letter explains why a police report and an ID Theft Complaint are so important to victims of identity theft and includes the relevant statutory provisions.
Ask the officer to attach or incorporate the ID Theft Complaint into their police report, and tell them that you need a copy of the Identity Theft Report (the police report with your ID Theft Complaint attached or incorporated) to dispute the fraudulent accounts and debts created by the identity thief.
(In some jurisdictions the officer will not be able to give you a copy of the official police report, but should be able to sign your Complaint and write the police report number in the “Law Enforcement Report” section.)
4. Report the Theft to the Institution. Don’t forget to call the originating institution for the credit card or ID card that was stolen. For example, if your driver’s license was stolen, call the Department of Motor Vehicles in your area.
It’s also a good idea to call your banks and/or credit unions. The FTC has posted a sample letter that can be used as a template to contact institutions with regard to ID Theft on this page called “Sample Letter to Request Fraudulent
Transaction or Account Information.”
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gG7VZ82i0tWfo&b=heojXL6XWPIeqFGp9C9ijQ
5. Place a “Fraud Alert” on your Credit Reports. Contact one of the credit reporting agencies listed below to place a fraud alert or credit freeze on your credit cards. A “fraud alert” will be placed on your credit reports, and the agency you contacted will notify the other credit reporting agencies.
These agencies are:
EQUIFAX
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gG7VZ82i0tWfo&b=rEw5.GonkIl4dKUqPf3ojQ
Equifax Information Services, LLC
PO Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374
Phone: 800-525-6285
EXPERIAN
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gG7VZ82i0tWfo&b=Ki8NcBGSHpS8xVL7NNmQZQ
Experian
PO Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013
Phone: 888-397-3742
TRANS UNION
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gG7VZ82i0tWfo&b=M8JfJH8m1yp0vFACcwdYcg
TransUnion
PO Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022
Phone: 800-680-7289
6. Compare your Pre- and Post-Theft Inventories. Hopefully, you’ve created an inventory of all your ID cards and any magnetic strip cards such as credit cards, or frequent [flyer, latte, drug store, etc.] cards.
Again, we hope you’ve included the contact telephone numbers for each card. Compare the inventories before and after your identity was stolen.
7. Obtain and Read the Terms of Services for Every Stolen Card. Different institutions may have different requirements, so get the contract and follow the steps they have outlined.
8. Close all Accounts you Believe have Been Tampered with. It may be annoying and inconvenient, but it is much, much easier to close an account and open a new one than it is to chase after your identity thief.
9. Review Your Credit Reports Immediately. Once you have placed a fraud alert on your credit reports, you will be given an opportunity to access your reports. Do it, and review them carefully.
10. Continue to Monitor Your Credit. ID theft issues can last for years, so make this a regular part of your financial routine.
Common ID Theft Terms and Definitions
Fraud Alerts. There are two types of fraud alerts: an initial alert, and an extended alert.
An initial fraud alert stays on your credit report for at least 90 days. You can request an initial fraud alert if you suspect that you are — or soon might be — a victim of identity theft.
An initial alert is appropriate if you’ve lost or misplaced a credit card or some form of ID or if you’ve inadvertently succumbed to a phishing scam.
When an initial fraud alert is posted on your credit report, potential creditors must use what the law refers to as “reasonable policies and procedures” to verify your identity before they can issue credit in your name.
The steps potential creditors may take, however, are not necessarily guaranteed to verify that the potential applicant is not you.
This is one reason why you should take advantage of the free credit report available to you from each of the three consumer reporting companies (identified above).
Tip: Be sure to request that only the last four digits of your Social Security number appear on the credit reports they send to you.
An extended fraud alert stays on your credit report for seven years.
An extended fraud alert is appropriate when there is no doubt that you’ve become a victim of identity theft. In this case, you have presumably filled out the application to receive an Identify Theft Report from the FTC website and have requested and received a written police report.
Either of these reports should be sufficient to obtain an extended fraud alert.
Once in place, potential creditors must actually contact you, or meet with you in person, before they issue you credit. It’s cumbersome to be sure, but better than the alternative.
Many victims of identity theft find themselves victimized again and again when they don’t take these protective measures. An extended fraud alert entitles the ID theft victim to two free credit reports within twelve months from each of
the three consumer reporting companies.
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gG7VZ82i0tWfo&b=6PAA5hBbceAkUupU3IIWmg
Credit Freeze. Forty-seven states in the Union have mandatory credit freeze laws in response to individual identity theft.
These laws require a credit freeze when an individual becomes the victim of identity theft. Michigan is one of three states (the other two are Missouri and Alabama) that has not passed such mandatory legislation.
Since September 2007, however, Michigan identity theft victims may contact the three credit agencies to request a credit freeze. For victims of ID theft, there is no fee, but all others must pay $10 to place, temporarily lift, or remove the credit freeze.
ID Theft Complaint. Victims of identity theft should use the tools available at the FTC website. The ID Theft Complaint is the complaint form used to file a complaint with the FTC and is found here.
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gG7VZ82i0tWfo&b=O3t8jwQIPeuo64kXvGgIbA
The FTC makes the complaint you file available to other federal, state and local law enforcement officials nationwide. This complaint form can be used in conjunction with the police report you receive to create an Identity Theft Report that is critical to providing you with certain legal rights and which will help you recover more swiftly from the ID theft.
Identity Theft Report. The Fair Credit Reporting Act provides the ID theft victim with more legal rights when you have completed an Identity Theft Report than when you have not.
Preliminary to completing the Identity Theft Report is the filing of a police report.
An Identity Theft Report is a very useful tool that can be used to permanently block fraudulent information from appearing on your credit report. As we’ve indicated above, too, an Identity Theft Report is necessary if you need to
place an extended fraud alert on your credit report.
ID Theft Affidavit. The ID Theft Affidavit is a simpler form of an Identity Theft Report, but keep in mind that it does NOT provide the legal rights available when filing an Identity Theft Report. All this takes us back to the very important
first step: File a Police Report!
In summary, follow these ten steps to help you effectively deal with the issues of being a victim of a stolen identity.
About Claudia Rast: Claudia is a principal at Pear Sperling Eggan & Daniels, P.C., where she specializes in Business, Technology and Environmental Law.
Since 1994, she has lectured on the law and regulation of Business, Privacy, and Information Technology Law issues at conferences and seminars sponsored by the American Bar Association, the AICPA, the Michigan Bar Association, and many others.
Claudia has been our attorney for the past eleven years and she has earned our highest recommendation. You can find out more about her publications, background and expertise here.
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gG7VZ82i0tWfo&b=WV.Hp4LVTgDltRyvIzhdFw
April 1st, 2010 at 1:07 pm
I’ve always been an acupuncture fan so this is something I am happy to share.
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Acupuncture can help beat depression during pregnancy
There are some pretty good reasons to avoid antidepressants: They’re dangerous, and they don’t work– just to name two. But for pregnant women, there’s an even bigger reason: the potential for damage to the unborn baby.
But now, pregnant women suffering from depression don’t have to face that risk. According to a new study, acupuncture can help pregnant women overcome depression. No drugs, no side effects–for mom and baby alike.
In the largest study of its kind, researchers assigned 150 pregnant women with clinical depression to one of three treatments for eight weeks: acupuncture for depression, acupuncture that was not designed for depression, and massage.
The acupuncture designed for depression provided relief for 63 percent of women, versus just 44 percent for the patients getting the other treatments, according to the study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
There are powerful meds on the market that aren’t nearly as effective. Some of them offer no relief at all–yet doctors keep dishing them out.
These drugs are bad enough for the adults who take them, even leading to suicide in some cases… but they can also do awful things to unborn babies.
One new study found that babies, especially boys, born to mothers who use antidepressants during pregnancy are more likely to face developmental delays in their first 19 months.
They have more trouble sitting up, more problems with gross motor function and shorter attention spans, according to the study in Pediatrics.
A 2004 study found babies born to mothers who used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) meds during pregnancy were more likely to face problems like tremors, abnormal heart rhythms and troubling sleep patterns in their first days. Other studies have linked some antidepressants to an increased risk of heart defects.
Researchers say animal studies have found longer-term and even permanent damage after exposure to these meds during pregnancy… and are calling for longer-term studies in humans.
Women who fight depression during pregnancy shouldn’t ignore it because they also have a higher risk for postpartum depression.
And even that can have a direct impact on the baby’s health. Studies have found that babies face problems with both cognitive and emotional development when mom battles the postpartum blues.
Fortunately, you don’t have to put up with the drugs OR the depression. As the latest study shows, all you really need is the ability to withstand the almost painless pinch of the acupuncture needle.
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Those of you who are afraid of needles should take a second look at this option of medicine.
Ellen
April 1st, 2010 at 1:09 pm
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A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they
Were on the way to church service,
‘And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?’
One bright little girl replied,
‘Because people are sleeping.’
April 1st, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Congress said it spent. $700 billion dollars to help the bailout. But it was actually 3.8 Trillion dollars from the Federal Reserve plus $700 billion from TARP.
President Bush signed this bill. He gave away 32% of the country’s GNP. Obama is now trying to reign in those crooked banks and financial institutions. The republicans will be fighting to continue to give them more deregulated status.
Who are the people who support politicians that are obviously in the pocket of the financial institutions.
Lois
April 1st, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Late last night, the largest opposition party in Sudan (the southern based Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement) announced it was withdrawing its candidate for president of Sudan from the national elections scheduled for April 11-13. The leaders of SPLM did so reportedly because they were convinced that elections were too flawed to move forward and they did not want to legitimize a process that led to the re-election of President Omar-al Bashir, the architect of the Darfur genocide.
This morning, the remaining major opposition parties (with one exception) followed suit and withdrew their candidates from the presidential ballot. Save Darfur has long said that we do not believe free and fair elections are possible in Sudan given the oppressive political environment that has preceded them. And in the last two days, the decisions by the major opposition parties to withdraw underscore that fact.
We have called on President Obama not to legitimize the results of a fraudulent poll and, now that President Bashir’s challengers have determined the process is too damaged for there to be a real contest, it is more imperative than ever that President Obama rejects the results of the presidential election as fixed. Please, forward this message to your friends and family asking them to join you in urging President Obama to refuse to legitimize this genocidal regime by clicking the link below:
http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/sudanelections/
Thank you for standing with the people of Sudan.
April 1st, 2010 at 4:53 pm
This is really important to know if you download music from the web.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
DANGER! DANGER!
Searching for music online is something you would think is safe, and something you’ve probably even done.
But believe it or not, it’s twice as risky to your computer’s safety than something you might assume is more dangerous, like viewing online pornography. Doing searches, no matter how innocent they seem, can bring unwanted results that include spyware, adware and spam.
Also dangerous are searches for screen-savers, wallpapers and certain celebrities. Find out what you can do to help protect your PC when you do searches.