What Is Intelligence, Anyway? by Isaac Asimov
http://www.haverford.edu/writingprogram/Asimov.html
Sunday, March 18, 2007
AMAZINGLY SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES :
1. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.
2. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.
3. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.
4. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. About lifting the toilet seat by simply using the sink.
5. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a three minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.
6. Have a bad headache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget about the headache.
7. Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are: You only need two tools:WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape. When all else fails, toss down a good shot of whiskey and take a nap.
Remember:
Everyone seems normal until you get to know them. Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom. If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You get another chance.
And finally, be really nice to your family and friends; you never know when you might need them to empty your bedpan.
1. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.
2. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.
3. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.
4. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. About lifting the toilet seat by simply using the sink.
5. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a three minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.
6. Have a bad headache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget about the headache.
7. Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are: You only need two tools:WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape. When all else fails, toss down a good shot of whiskey and take a nap.
Remember:
Everyone seems normal until you get to know them. Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom. If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You get another chance.
And finally, be really nice to your family and friends; you never know when you might need them to empty your bedpan.
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Cat Food:
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Dog Food:
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Cat Food:
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_cat.html
Dog Food:
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Friday, March 16, 2007
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: AGNews <AGNews@oag.state.fl.us>
Date: Mar 16, 2007 1:38 PM
Subject: Attorney General Consumer Alert
An Attorney General Consumer Alert has been issued.
Please click the web address below to view the alert online.
http://myfloridalegal.com/NewsBrie.nsf/OL/SCOS-6ZCMY3
Please do not hit Reply to send a message to Attorney General
McCollum or the Attorney General's Office. This email address cannot
receive incoming messages. If you wish to contact the Attorney
General's Office, please go to
http://myfloridalegal.com/contact.nsf/contact?Open&Section=NL&Subject=NB
and use the convenient Contact Form provided there. Thank you.
The text version of the Consumer Alert is below.
Beware of Insurance Policies that Don't Pay Claims, McCollum Cautions
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced
that his office has launched a formal investigation into a company
selling insurance-like products to seniors in Florida, but failing to
pay for services. McCollum simultaneously issued a consumer alert,
warning Floridians about the business practices employed by Homeward
Bound, a Pennsylvania-based company already banned from selling its
products in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Homeward Bound targets senior citizens, selling policies with
waiting periods of six months to a year. The policies are intended to
pay for a specified number of hours contracted for assistance services,
including cleaning, meal preparation and basic care services. Although
the company has been selling policies in Florida since 2004, it has
routinely failed to pay for the promised services.
The Attorney General's Economic Crimes Division launched the
investigation after receiving complaints from several health care
providers. The investigation also includes Personalized Home Services,
a company with similar business practices and some common ownership
with Homeward Bound.
Complaints about Homeward Bound can be filed by calling the
Attorney General's fraud hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226)
or online at http://myfloridalegal.com.
Thank you.
--
========================
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Social Security Disability Reform Petition
Sign the Petition
To: US Government
Money is taken out of your paychecks every week for Social Security, and SSD and as of January 2003 the US government GAO has designated Social Security Disability a HIGH risk area for 2003. You could face homelessness, bankruptcy and even death trying to get your benefits when you need them the most. Anyone could suddenly find themselves in a situation where they need to access this fund – such as an accident, catastrophic illness, a victim of a crime, military personnel, veterans and now we have the threat of terrorist attacks – these are unfortunate realities of life. Millions of people across the country become disabled unexpectedly - 12,000 per week in this country apply for long-term disability benefits. What happens if your work disability insurance runs out, if you don’t have it, or worse yet become unemployed? You will then need to turn to the most mismanaged system in the country – the Social Security Disability System. What you will find is that the current system is set up to kill you so they don’t have to pay you. Billions of dollars are being spent in foreign lands and on pork barrel programs, and we want the government to focus on and fix this growing problem here at home now. Here are just a few of the major issues we would like to see addressed:
We are concerned about what transpires from the first point of contact, the filing for benefits, and the final outcome or status. Disability benefits determinations should be based solely on the physical or mental disability of the applicant. Neither age, education or any other factors should ever be considered when evaluating whether or not a person is disabled. Discrimination of this form is highly illegal in this country, yet this is a standard practice when deciding Social Security Disability determinations and should be considered a violation of our Constitution. This practice should be addressed and eliminated immediately. Many people who apply for disability don’t “look” sick - you can’t tell if a person has cancer, heart disease, diabetes or any other debilitating diseases just by looking at them. We did not chose this fate it was forced upon us! Yet we are treated as “disposable people” and often viewed as lazy or frauds. The extraordinary time it takes to process a claim from the original filing date should be eliminated. Why should we have to become homeless, bankrupt, starve, lose our healthcare coverage, suffer untold stress on top of our illnesses, and even die trying to get our benefits? We are now being told that because of the backlog that these are the only circumstances that anyone will even look at our paperwork now no matter how sick we are. Why should we have to file for welfare, food stamps and Medicaid after we have lost everything due to this backlog - another horrendous process - because of the inadequacies in the Social Security Disability offices and then have to pay Social Services back from our measly benefit checks? Nobody else who files for public assistance has to do that – why are disabled people being discriminated against?
If we provide sufficient medical documents when we originally file for benefits why should we ever be denied at the initial stage, have to hire lawyers, wait years for hearings, go before administrative law judges and be treated like criminals on trial? Too much weight at the initial time of filing, is put on the independent medical examiner’s opinion who only sees you for a few minutes and has no clue how a patient’s medical problems affect their lives after only a brief visit with them. An even worse problem is the poor review of cases by DDS caseworkers which causes too many unjustified delays and denials. Decisions should be based more on the treating physicians opinions, and medical records. The listing of diseases that qualify a person for disability should be expanded and updated more frequently to include newly discovered crippling diseases such as the many autoimmune disorders that are ravaging our citizens.
We have contributed our hard earned money to this system hoping we would never need it until we were ready to retire. Where is the money going that has been robbed from our paychecks every week? Disease and tragedy does not discriminate based upon age, race, sex or any other factor. The disabled citizens of this nation have been forced to tackle a very daunting system . We challenge you to do the same and expose and correct this problem on a national level. The Social Security Administration, a Federal program, administered by the states will admit that our elected officials have the power to reform the system. Why should we have to become homeless, bankrupt, starve, lose our healthcare coverage, suffer untold stress on top of our illnesses and even die trying to get our benefits? We the undersigned say to all members of the US Government:
For everyone of us that starves, becomes homeless or loses our healthcare during this process – we blame you!
For everyone of us who files for bankruptcy during this process – we blame you!
For the unfathomable stress and suffering we have inflicted upon us during this process – we blame you!
For everyone of us who becomes more ill or worse yet dies during this process – we blame you!
We want to know why our elected officials seem to be ignoring this crisis and doing nothing to reform it? We want to know what, if anything is being done to correct this critical issue that affects millions of sick and dying Americans. Please start taking care of the US citizens living in this country whom elected you into office. It is your duty as elected officials to serve all those that voted you into that office and even those of us who didn't. When the next election comes around we will not forget those who have forgotten us. The government may be trying to rob millions of disabled people from their money, and also neglect us, but remember we millions of citizens still have, and will use our right to vote. A country is only as strong as the citizens who live in it. On behalf of the Social Security Disability Coalition we ask, disabled and healthy Americans alike, that you please do something to fix this serious problem now!
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Sign the Petition
To: US Government
Money is taken out of your paychecks every week for Social Security, and SSD and as of January 2003 the US government GAO has designated Social Security Disability a HIGH risk area for 2003. You could face homelessness, bankruptcy and even death trying to get your benefits when you need them the most. Anyone could suddenly find themselves in a situation where they need to access this fund – such as an accident, catastrophic illness, a victim of a crime, military personnel, veterans and now we have the threat of terrorist attacks – these are unfortunate realities of life. Millions of people across the country become disabled unexpectedly - 12,000 per week in this country apply for long-term disability benefits. What happens if your work disability insurance runs out, if you don’t have it, or worse yet become unemployed? You will then need to turn to the most mismanaged system in the country – the Social Security Disability System. What you will find is that the current system is set up to kill you so they don’t have to pay you. Billions of dollars are being spent in foreign lands and on pork barrel programs, and we want the government to focus on and fix this growing problem here at home now. Here are just a few of the major issues we would like to see addressed:
We are concerned about what transpires from the first point of contact, the filing for benefits, and the final outcome or status. Disability benefits determinations should be based solely on the physical or mental disability of the applicant. Neither age, education or any other factors should ever be considered when evaluating whether or not a person is disabled. Discrimination of this form is highly illegal in this country, yet this is a standard practice when deciding Social Security Disability determinations and should be considered a violation of our Constitution. This practice should be addressed and eliminated immediately. Many people who apply for disability don’t “look” sick - you can’t tell if a person has cancer, heart disease, diabetes or any other debilitating diseases just by looking at them. We did not chose this fate it was forced upon us! Yet we are treated as “disposable people” and often viewed as lazy or frauds. The extraordinary time it takes to process a claim from the original filing date should be eliminated. Why should we have to become homeless, bankrupt, starve, lose our healthcare coverage, suffer untold stress on top of our illnesses, and even die trying to get our benefits? We are now being told that because of the backlog that these are the only circumstances that anyone will even look at our paperwork now no matter how sick we are. Why should we have to file for welfare, food stamps and Medicaid after we have lost everything due to this backlog - another horrendous process - because of the inadequacies in the Social Security Disability offices and then have to pay Social Services back from our measly benefit checks? Nobody else who files for public assistance has to do that – why are disabled people being discriminated against?
If we provide sufficient medical documents when we originally file for benefits why should we ever be denied at the initial stage, have to hire lawyers, wait years for hearings, go before administrative law judges and be treated like criminals on trial? Too much weight at the initial time of filing, is put on the independent medical examiner’s opinion who only sees you for a few minutes and has no clue how a patient’s medical problems affect their lives after only a brief visit with them. An even worse problem is the poor review of cases by DDS caseworkers which causes too many unjustified delays and denials. Decisions should be based more on the treating physicians opinions, and medical records. The listing of diseases that qualify a person for disability should be expanded and updated more frequently to include newly discovered crippling diseases such as the many autoimmune disorders that are ravaging our citizens.
We have contributed our hard earned money to this system hoping we would never need it until we were ready to retire. Where is the money going that has been robbed from our paychecks every week? Disease and tragedy does not discriminate based upon age, race, sex or any other factor. The disabled citizens of this nation have been forced to tackle a very daunting system . We challenge you to do the same and expose and correct this problem on a national level. The Social Security Administration, a Federal program, administered by the states will admit that our elected officials have the power to reform the system. Why should we have to become homeless, bankrupt, starve, lose our healthcare coverage, suffer untold stress on top of our illnesses and even die trying to get our benefits? We the undersigned say to all members of the US Government:
For everyone of us that starves, becomes homeless or loses our healthcare during this process – we blame you!
For everyone of us who files for bankruptcy during this process – we blame you!
For the unfathomable stress and suffering we have inflicted upon us during this process – we blame you!
For everyone of us who becomes more ill or worse yet dies during this process – we blame you!
We want to know why our elected officials seem to be ignoring this crisis and doing nothing to reform it? We want to know what, if anything is being done to correct this critical issue that affects millions of sick and dying Americans. Please start taking care of the US citizens living in this country whom elected you into office. It is your duty as elected officials to serve all those that voted you into that office and even those of us who didn't. When the next election comes around we will not forget those who have forgotten us. The government may be trying to rob millions of disabled people from their money, and also neglect us, but remember we millions of citizens still have, and will use our right to vote. A country is only as strong as the citizens who live in it. On behalf of the Social Security Disability Coalition we ask, disabled and healthy Americans alike, that you please do something to fix this serious problem now!
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Subject: Social Security Disability Coalition Announcement - Examiner.com Reporter Slams SSDI Applicants
Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2007 23:10:29 -0800
From: Managers of Social Security Disability Coalition
To: Members of Social Security Disability Coalition
Announcement from Managers of Social Security Disability Coalition
Hi Everyone, I am sending you this very important message off the boards as I do not want to get into a huge discussion about this article. I ask that EVERYONE here please take the time to read it. This type of reporting is why we have such a hard time getting our disability benefits. As sad as this is, the reality is that the majority of the population tends to think like this out of touch reporter. The reason I am even taking the time to share this garbage with you is to stress again how important it is for ALL of you to contact the media and Congress with your stories and tell them about this group and the petition. They need to see the REAL truth and only we can tell it to them. Unless you straighten these people out, this bad side is all the public is going to believe. Warning - this article can be detrimental to your health since it will make you want to scream! Social Security Provides Tax-paid Golden Disability For Job Slackers – Melanie Scarborough – Examiner.com – 3/5/07 Now take that anger and get the word out to all your Congresspeople and the media now so we can get this issue in the public eye in the proper way. You can contact all your elected officials at: Congress.org Congressional E-mail Directory You can contact the all media outlets in your area and around the country through Congress.org at: Find and contact national and local media: Again there will be no discussions on our board about this as I do not want to waste anymore time on this garbage and do not wish to showcase it on our board as our focus is helping people get their benefits. If you wish to contact the paper this reporter works for here is their info: Examiner.com 202-903-2000 editor@examiner.com I have already written to the editor on behalf of our group and still have not heard back. You may also find this article to be of interest and pretty scary as well: US Heading For Financial Trouble? – CBS News – 60 Minutes – Steve Kroft – 3/4/07 If you wish to discuss this with me personally you can contact me at the e-mail address below. Thanks as always for your support - be well! Sign the Social Security Disability Reform Petition – read the horror stories from all over the nation: Linda Fullerton President/Co-Founder – Social Security Disability Coalition ssdcoalition@hotmail.com Please check out my website “A Bump On The Head” “Don’t be a victim; become victorious!” “I am disabled and my vote counts too!”
Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2007 23:10:29 -0800
From: Managers of Social Security Disability Coalition
To: Members of Social Security Disability Coalition
Announcement from Managers of Social Security Disability Coalition
Hi Everyone, I am sending you this very important message off the boards as I do not want to get into a huge discussion about this article. I ask that EVERYONE here please take the time to read it. This type of reporting is why we have such a hard time getting our disability benefits. As sad as this is, the reality is that the majority of the population tends to think like this out of touch reporter. The reason I am even taking the time to share this garbage with you is to stress again how important it is for ALL of you to contact the media and Congress with your stories and tell them about this group and the petition. They need to see the REAL truth and only we can tell it to them. Unless you straighten these people out, this bad side is all the public is going to believe. Warning - this article can be detrimental to your health since it will make you want to scream! Social Security Provides Tax-paid Golden Disability For Job Slackers – Melanie Scarborough – Examiner.com – 3/5/07 Now take that anger and get the word out to all your Congresspeople and the media now so we can get this issue in the public eye in the proper way. You can contact all your elected officials at: Congress.org Congressional E-mail Directory You can contact the all media outlets in your area and around the country through Congress.org at: Find and contact national and local media: Again there will be no discussions on our board about this as I do not want to waste anymore time on this garbage and do not wish to showcase it on our board as our focus is helping people get their benefits. If you wish to contact the paper this reporter works for here is their info: Examiner.com 202-903-2000 editor@examiner.com I have already written to the editor on behalf of our group and still have not heard back. You may also find this article to be of interest and pretty scary as well: US Heading For Financial Trouble? – CBS News – 60 Minutes – Steve Kroft – 3/4/07 If you wish to discuss this with me personally you can contact me at the e-mail address below. Thanks as always for your support - be well! Sign the Social Security Disability Reform Petition – read the horror stories from all over the nation: Linda Fullerton President/Co-Founder – Social Security Disability Coalition ssdcoalition@hotmail.com Please check out my website “A Bump On The Head” “Don’t be a victim; become victorious!” “I am disabled and my vote counts too!”
[Fwd: Social Security Disability Coalition Announcement - My Response to SS Disability Article in Examiner.com]
Announcement from Managers of Social Security Disability Coalition
Hi Everyone,
Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to write me and the Examiner in response this article. Again please contact all the media in your area so they get a clear picture of what is happening in this country instead of the false impression that this article portrays. I contacted the Examiner this morning and here is what I just sent to them. I hope they have the decency to print the truth. If you wish to contact me on this please do not use our website to do it as I cannot respond back to you if you e-mail me through there. Always e-mail me directly at:
ssdcoalition@hotmail.com
Again there will be no discussions of this on our messageboard so please do not try to submits any posts in regards to it there. Thanks as always for your support - be well!
Social "Insecurity" Disability - Warning To All Americans – This Could Be You!
My name is Linda Fullerton and I’m President/Co-Founder of the Social Security Disability Coalition. I’m writing in response to the article published 3/5/07, by Melanie Scarborough entitled “Social Security Provides Tax-paid Golden Disability For Job Slackers.” It’s obvious to me that Ms Scarborough is totally out of touch with reality here, and failed to do the proper research on the subject that she chose. Sadly, I must also say that the majority of the people in this country think like Ms Scarborough, because the media for the most part only chooses to print pieces like hers, and fails to tell the American people what is really going on, since it would be too scandalous to do otherwise. I only hope that Ms Scarborough and those who think like her, never have an accident or become ill themselves, and have to apply for this help, because I assure you, they will be writing a different story! I think the time has come for the American people to get educated on this topic since it affects almost every citizen of this nation, and yet they know almost nothing about it, as evidenced by Ms Scarborough’s article.
You may be wondering how I know about these things. I was very unaware of this problem myself, like most people, until it suddenly happened to me. Many years ago I almost died, and continue to battle several incurable diseases, which have caused me to be permanently disabled and unable to work. Due to the government fraud, negligence, incompetence and backlogs I encountered, I lost all my life savings and pension money, and will never be able to recover from the financial, physical and emotional devastation that was caused by the process of filing for my own SSDI benefits in addition to battling my illnesses. My personal horror story can be found here:
A Bump On The Head
http://www.frontiernet.net/~lindaf1/bump.html
Social Security Disability Insurance/SSDI is a disability insurance plan administered by the Federal Government. If you should become sick/injured and can no longer work, it provides a financial resource to help you survive until you reach retirement age, at which point SSDI benefits automatically turns into regular Social Security retirement benefits. This is a Federal insurance policy, not a hand out like Ms Scarborough would like you to believe. It is not a reward, golden parachute or jackpot by any means and I would bet that Ms Scarborough would be hard pressed to survive on it. It’s supposed to be a safety net for millions of disabled Americans. Unlike her article states, it is not easy to get these benefits at all and I firmly believe (while nobody from the SSA or Congress will ever admit this), the SSDI program is purposely structured to be very complicated, confusing, nebulous, and with as many obstacles as possible from beginning to end, with the deck stacked against the claimant from the very start. This is in order to discourage you, hoping you “give up or die” trying to get benefits you’ve paid for all your working life! That’s how the government systematically robs your money and uses it for other purposes.
This program originally set up to help the disabled, in fact, is causing devastating, irreversible harm to both their health and financial wellbeing. The SSA instead, has been systematically destroying disabled Americans for decades, and Congress as a whole has failed miserably to do anything about it. This major ongoing problem within the State and Federal government is so scandalous, it should be on the front page of every newspaper, and on every TV/Radio news channel in the country. This is a very well kept secret in this country, that our government doesn’t want you to know about, yet they are taking money out of your paychecks every week for it. Unfortunately what you don’t know in this case, could be very detrimental to your health and financial wellbeing.
While the majority of Americans were shocked at the reaction of the Federal government in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, I wasn’t surprised at all. I have seen the horrifying results of their incompetence on a grand scale for the past few years. Nowhere is this more evident, yet rarely mentioned, than in the way the Federal government/Social Security Administration treats the disabled population of this country. Americans saw in a major way since hurricane Katrina struck, how the poor and disabled were left to die in the streets when they needed help the most. I shudder to think of how many more lives will be further ruined or lost, when the mentally and physically disabled victims of Katrina, other natural disasters, 9/11 victims who survived that day but are now disabled and facing a similar fate, Veterans and the millions of other disabled Americans, encounter their next experience with the Federal government as they apply for their SSDI/SSI benefits. There are cases of Veterans rated 100% disabled by the VA who get denied their SSSDI benefits and end up living in poverty or even homeless on the streets. Horrible treatment for those who protect and serve our country.
In fact disabled Americans who apply for SSDI benefits, at a time when they need help the most, are often treated like criminals. The general feeling, which Ms Scarborough has mistakenly helped to further generate, is that they’re frauds trying to scam the system. In fact the percentage of claims that in the end, aren’t legitimate is very miniscule. Nobody in their right mind would want to go through this process, and then live in poverty on top of their illnesses, if they could in fact work. In our country you’re required to have auto insurance in order to drive a car, you pay for health insurance, life insurance etc. If you filed a claim against any of these policies, after making your payments, and the company tried to deny you coverage when you had a legitimate claim, you would be doing whatever it took , even suing, to make them honor your policy. Yet the government is denying Americans their legitimate SSDI claims everyday, and everyone should be outraged!
Disability benefits determinations should be based solely on the physical or mental disability of the applicant. Neither age, education, or type of work experience should ever be used when evaluating whether or not a person is disabled, as long as they meet the medical and non-medical requirements for receiving benefits (work credits, citizenship etc.) If a person cannot work due to the severity of their medical conditions – they CAN’T work no matter what their age, or how many jobs or educational degrees they had, yet these are factors used to deny a claimant their right to collect disability benefits.
Ms Scarborough is very judgmental when it comes discussing the impairments that qualify a person for disability benefits. She fails to mention anywhere in her article, that she has any sort of medical degree, making her an expert in that field. She, nor anyone else has the right, or knowledge to judge another person’s health problems. Only those who actually suffer from these ailments, and their physicians, can possibly know what it is like to deal with these conditions. She chooses to insult the disabled citizens of this country further by claiming that they are frauds, when she states “more than 1.3 million claims — indicate how many people are trying to take advantage of the system.” I actually submitted written testimony to the Congressional hearing on disability backlogs that Ms Scarborough refers to. Her comment that “genuine disabilities are relatively rare,” holds absolutely no merit, and again shows that she has failed to do her homework as a journalist.
Yes I’m also well aware as I write this, that there’s some who’ve abused the system and that’s a shame, because it casts a bad light on those who really need this help. It is an extremely small percentage, and there are ways to “filter” them out, without causing harm to legitimate claimants. Social Security, SSDI, SSI and Medicare are great programs when they function properly, and have helped millions of Americans who may never have survived without them. It’s time that the government fixes the problems, so that those who really need this help can access it as soon as possible, instead of being treated as frauds, and criminals on trial, when they need to file a claim for benefits. Nobody in their right mind would want to live under the conditions that the majority of SSDI/SSI claimants and recipients are forced to endure. The majority would much rather have their health back and the jobs that once had before their lives were changed by illness or accidents. I am sure that any corporation in this country who ran their business this poorly, would be out of business in it’s first year!
If you have any doubt what I am saying here, you can read the horror stories of thousands of disabled Americans from all over this country on my organization’s website and on our petition to the US Government at:
Social Security Disability Coalition – offering FREE information and support with a focus on SSD reform:
http://groups.msn.com/SocialSecurityDisabilityCoalition
Social Security Disability Reform Petition – read the horror stories from all over the nation:
http://www.petitiononline.com/SSDC/petition.html
I think our sites prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, what is really going on, rather than anything that Ms Scarborough has to say. SSDI claimants were once hard working, tax paying citizens with hopes and “American dreams” but due to an unfortunate accident or illness, have become disabled to a point where they can no longer work. Because of that, they’re often considered "disposable" people by general and government standards. In addition their cries and screams are often ignored, many preferring that they just shut up or die. Does that mean they’re not valuable to our country, or give the government/society the right to ignore or even abuse them? A country is only as strong as it’s most vulnerable citizens, yet this program preys on the weak, decimating the disabled population even further. I ask that you please urgently contact all your elected officials and the media on this issue, as millions of American’s lives depend on it. We are your mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, friends and acquaintances and remember that disease and tragedy do not discriminate on the basis of age, race or sex. Wake up America! If you think this couldn’t happen to you – you could be DEAD wrong!
NOTE: This article is dedicated to Dane Edwards, who applied for Social Security Disability benefits in October 2006, because of terminal lung and brain cancer. When he’d call to check on the status of his claim he was told that he must wait like everyone else, and that he should stop calling to inquire about the status. He obviously didn’t have the luxury of time. Dane will no longer be calling and he never received his benefits. He was 53 years old when he died on February 13, 2007 - his SSDI disability claim still waiting for approval. Unfortunately I must report that stories like his are becoming more and more common.
Linda Fullerton
President/Co-Founder - Social Security Disability Coalition
ssdcoalition@hotmail.com
Announcement from Managers of Social Security Disability Coalition
Hi Everyone,
Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to write me and the Examiner in response this article. Again please contact all the media in your area so they get a clear picture of what is happening in this country instead of the false impression that this article portrays. I contacted the Examiner this morning and here is what I just sent to them. I hope they have the decency to print the truth. If you wish to contact me on this please do not use our website to do it as I cannot respond back to you if you e-mail me through there. Always e-mail me directly at:
ssdcoalition@hotmail.com
Again there will be no discussions of this on our messageboard so please do not try to submits any posts in regards to it there. Thanks as always for your support - be well!
Social "Insecurity" Disability - Warning To All Americans – This Could Be You!
My name is Linda Fullerton and I’m President/Co-Founder of the Social Security Disability Coalition. I’m writing in response to the article published 3/5/07, by Melanie Scarborough entitled “Social Security Provides Tax-paid Golden Disability For Job Slackers.” It’s obvious to me that Ms Scarborough is totally out of touch with reality here, and failed to do the proper research on the subject that she chose. Sadly, I must also say that the majority of the people in this country think like Ms Scarborough, because the media for the most part only chooses to print pieces like hers, and fails to tell the American people what is really going on, since it would be too scandalous to do otherwise. I only hope that Ms Scarborough and those who think like her, never have an accident or become ill themselves, and have to apply for this help, because I assure you, they will be writing a different story! I think the time has come for the American people to get educated on this topic since it affects almost every citizen of this nation, and yet they know almost nothing about it, as evidenced by Ms Scarborough’s article.
You may be wondering how I know about these things. I was very unaware of this problem myself, like most people, until it suddenly happened to me. Many years ago I almost died, and continue to battle several incurable diseases, which have caused me to be permanently disabled and unable to work. Due to the government fraud, negligence, incompetence and backlogs I encountered, I lost all my life savings and pension money, and will never be able to recover from the financial, physical and emotional devastation that was caused by the process of filing for my own SSDI benefits in addition to battling my illnesses. My personal horror story can be found here:
A Bump On The Head
http://www.frontiernet.net/~lindaf1/bump.html
Social Security Disability Insurance/SSDI is a disability insurance plan administered by the Federal Government. If you should become sick/injured and can no longer work, it provides a financial resource to help you survive until you reach retirement age, at which point SSDI benefits automatically turns into regular Social Security retirement benefits. This is a Federal insurance policy, not a hand out like Ms Scarborough would like you to believe. It is not a reward, golden parachute or jackpot by any means and I would bet that Ms Scarborough would be hard pressed to survive on it. It’s supposed to be a safety net for millions of disabled Americans. Unlike her article states, it is not easy to get these benefits at all and I firmly believe (while nobody from the SSA or Congress will ever admit this), the SSDI program is purposely structured to be very complicated, confusing, nebulous, and with as many obstacles as possible from beginning to end, with the deck stacked against the claimant from the very start. This is in order to discourage you, hoping you “give up or die” trying to get benefits you’ve paid for all your working life! That’s how the government systematically robs your money and uses it for other purposes.
This program originally set up to help the disabled, in fact, is causing devastating, irreversible harm to both their health and financial wellbeing. The SSA instead, has been systematically destroying disabled Americans for decades, and Congress as a whole has failed miserably to do anything about it. This major ongoing problem within the State and Federal government is so scandalous, it should be on the front page of every newspaper, and on every TV/Radio news channel in the country. This is a very well kept secret in this country, that our government doesn’t want you to know about, yet they are taking money out of your paychecks every week for it. Unfortunately what you don’t know in this case, could be very detrimental to your health and financial wellbeing.
While the majority of Americans were shocked at the reaction of the Federal government in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, I wasn’t surprised at all. I have seen the horrifying results of their incompetence on a grand scale for the past few years. Nowhere is this more evident, yet rarely mentioned, than in the way the Federal government/Social Security Administration treats the disabled population of this country. Americans saw in a major way since hurricane Katrina struck, how the poor and disabled were left to die in the streets when they needed help the most. I shudder to think of how many more lives will be further ruined or lost, when the mentally and physically disabled victims of Katrina, other natural disasters, 9/11 victims who survived that day but are now disabled and facing a similar fate, Veterans and the millions of other disabled Americans, encounter their next experience with the Federal government as they apply for their SSDI/SSI benefits. There are cases of Veterans rated 100% disabled by the VA who get denied their SSSDI benefits and end up living in poverty or even homeless on the streets. Horrible treatment for those who protect and serve our country.
In fact disabled Americans who apply for SSDI benefits, at a time when they need help the most, are often treated like criminals. The general feeling, which Ms Scarborough has mistakenly helped to further generate, is that they’re frauds trying to scam the system. In fact the percentage of claims that in the end, aren’t legitimate is very miniscule. Nobody in their right mind would want to go through this process, and then live in poverty on top of their illnesses, if they could in fact work. In our country you’re required to have auto insurance in order to drive a car, you pay for health insurance, life insurance etc. If you filed a claim against any of these policies, after making your payments, and the company tried to deny you coverage when you had a legitimate claim, you would be doing whatever it took , even suing, to make them honor your policy. Yet the government is denying Americans their legitimate SSDI claims everyday, and everyone should be outraged!
Disability benefits determinations should be based solely on the physical or mental disability of the applicant. Neither age, education, or type of work experience should ever be used when evaluating whether or not a person is disabled, as long as they meet the medical and non-medical requirements for receiving benefits (work credits, citizenship etc.) If a person cannot work due to the severity of their medical conditions – they CAN’T work no matter what their age, or how many jobs or educational degrees they had, yet these are factors used to deny a claimant their right to collect disability benefits.
Ms Scarborough is very judgmental when it comes discussing the impairments that qualify a person for disability benefits. She fails to mention anywhere in her article, that she has any sort of medical degree, making her an expert in that field. She, nor anyone else has the right, or knowledge to judge another person’s health problems. Only those who actually suffer from these ailments, and their physicians, can possibly know what it is like to deal with these conditions. She chooses to insult the disabled citizens of this country further by claiming that they are frauds, when she states “more than 1.3 million claims — indicate how many people are trying to take advantage of the system.” I actually submitted written testimony to the Congressional hearing on disability backlogs that Ms Scarborough refers to. Her comment that “genuine disabilities are relatively rare,” holds absolutely no merit, and again shows that she has failed to do her homework as a journalist.
Yes I’m also well aware as I write this, that there’s some who’ve abused the system and that’s a shame, because it casts a bad light on those who really need this help. It is an extremely small percentage, and there are ways to “filter” them out, without causing harm to legitimate claimants. Social Security, SSDI, SSI and Medicare are great programs when they function properly, and have helped millions of Americans who may never have survived without them. It’s time that the government fixes the problems, so that those who really need this help can access it as soon as possible, instead of being treated as frauds, and criminals on trial, when they need to file a claim for benefits. Nobody in their right mind would want to live under the conditions that the majority of SSDI/SSI claimants and recipients are forced to endure. The majority would much rather have their health back and the jobs that once had before their lives were changed by illness or accidents. I am sure that any corporation in this country who ran their business this poorly, would be out of business in it’s first year!
If you have any doubt what I am saying here, you can read the horror stories of thousands of disabled Americans from all over this country on my organization’s website and on our petition to the US Government at:
Social Security Disability Coalition – offering FREE information and support with a focus on SSD reform:
http://groups.msn.com/SocialSecurityDisabilityCoalition
Social Security Disability Reform Petition – read the horror stories from all over the nation:
http://www.petitiononline.com/SSDC/petition.html
I think our sites prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, what is really going on, rather than anything that Ms Scarborough has to say. SSDI claimants were once hard working, tax paying citizens with hopes and “American dreams” but due to an unfortunate accident or illness, have become disabled to a point where they can no longer work. Because of that, they’re often considered "disposable" people by general and government standards. In addition their cries and screams are often ignored, many preferring that they just shut up or die. Does that mean they’re not valuable to our country, or give the government/society the right to ignore or even abuse them? A country is only as strong as it’s most vulnerable citizens, yet this program preys on the weak, decimating the disabled population even further. I ask that you please urgently contact all your elected officials and the media on this issue, as millions of American’s lives depend on it. We are your mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, friends and acquaintances and remember that disease and tragedy do not discriminate on the basis of age, race or sex. Wake up America! If you think this couldn’t happen to you – you could be DEAD wrong!
NOTE: This article is dedicated to Dane Edwards, who applied for Social Security Disability benefits in October 2006, because of terminal lung and brain cancer. When he’d call to check on the status of his claim he was told that he must wait like everyone else, and that he should stop calling to inquire about the status. He obviously didn’t have the luxury of time. Dane will no longer be calling and he never received his benefits. He was 53 years old when he died on February 13, 2007 - his SSDI disability claim still waiting for approval. Unfortunately I must report that stories like his are becoming more and more common.
Linda Fullerton
President/Co-Founder - Social Security Disability Coalition
ssdcoalition@hotmail.com
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Mystery Cell Phone Charges
Cell phone customers increasingly complain--and sue--over mysterious, hard-to-cancel charges on their monthly bills.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,129285/article.html?tk=nl_wbxnws
or:
tinyURL = http://tinyurl.com/27semv
--
========================
Cell phone customers increasingly complain--and sue--over mysterious, hard-to-cancel charges on their monthly bills.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,129285/article.html?tk=nl_wbxnws
or:
tinyURL = http://tinyurl.com/27semv
--
========================
Saturday, March 03, 2007
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: marilyncle@earthlink.net < marilyncle@earthlink.net>
Date: 2 Mar 2007 15:01:19 GMT
Subject: [Healthcare-now] A friend has sent you a video from The New York Times
To: healthcare-now@lists.healthcare-now.org
The New York Times has put out the info wew need to help push forward for a national single payer healthcare system. Please be in touch with Robin Toner at the NY Times ( rotone@nytimes.com) to let her know that, with a single payer system, we could provide healthcare for all without people having to pay more money. Urge her to be in touch with Healthcare-NOW for more details. Thanks, Marilyn | Majority Back Health Care for All Robin Toner Reports Click to watch the video |
| For more New York Times video, go to nytimes.com/video This service is not intended to encourage spam. Your personal details have not been added to any database or mailing list, and the authenticity of the sender's email address has not been verified. The information was used for the sole purpose of facilitating this e-mail communication and has not been retained by New York Times. | |
_______________________________________________
Healthcare-now mailing list
Post: Healthcare-now@lists.healthcare-now.org
List info: http://lists.healthcare-now.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/healthcare-now
========================
1. SUBSTITUTIONS FOR DRY INGREDIENTS
by Susan Doyle
Your tip for February 13, 2007
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR DRY INGREDIENTS
For 1 teaspoon baking powder, use 1/3 teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon
cream of tartar.
For 1 ounce chocolate chips, use 1 ounce sweet baking chocolate.
For a 6-ounce package of chocolate chips, melted, use 2 squares
unsweetened
chocolate, 2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening and ½ cup sugar.
For 2 ounces of semisweet baking chocolate, use 1 ounce unsweetened
chocolate and 4 teaspoons sugar.
For 1 square or ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate, use 3 tablespoons
unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening.
For 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, use 1 ounce baking chocolate and
decrease fat in recipe by 1/2 tablespoon.
For 1 cup powdered sugar, use 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon
cornstarch, mixed well.
For 1 cup granulated sugar, use 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar.
For 1 cup cake flour, use 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour.
For 1 cup self-rising flour, use 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose
flour
and 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
For 1 cup miniature marshmallows, use 10 large marshmallows.
Substitutions for liquids and fats
For 1 cup corn syrup, use 1 cup honey or 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup
additional
liquid.
For maple syrup, use equal amount of corn syrup.
For 1/2 cup salted butter, use 1/2 cup unsalted butter plus 1/2 teaspoon
salt.
For 1 cup half-and-half cream, use 7/8 cup milk and 1/2 tablespoon
butter or
margarine or 1 cup undiluted evaporated milk.
For 1 cup heavy whipping cream, use 3/4 cup milk and 1/3 cup butter or
margarine.
For 8 ounces of cream cheese, use 8 ounces cottage cheese blended with
1/4
cup margarine.
For 1 cup sour cream, use 1 cup plain yogurt.
For 1 cup buttermilk, use 1 cup plain yogurt or use dry buttermilk powder
and water following instructions on package.
For 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, heat the following ingredients
until
sugar and butter are dissolved: 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons evaporated
milk,
1 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons butter.
For 1 cup plain yogurt, use 1 cup sour cream or 1 cup buttermilk.
For 1 cup mayonnaise, use 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup mayonnaise
or 1
cup sour cream or pureed cottage cheese.
For 1 cup beef or chicken broth, use 1 bouillon cube or 1 envelope of
powdered broth base dissolved in 1 cup boiling water.
For 1 cup ketchup, use 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 cup sugar and 2
tablespoons
vinegar.
Substitutions for spices and seasonings
For 1 teaspoon ground allspice or cardamom, use 1/2 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.
For 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, use 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/4
teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom.
For 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, use 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
1/4
teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon
ground nutmeg.
For 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, use 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
For 1 teaspoon dried basil, use 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2
teaspoon
dried thyme.
For 1 whole bay leaf, use 1/4 teaspoon crushed bay leaf.
For 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, use 1/2 teaspoon paprika plus 1/2 teaspoon
chili powder.
For 1 teaspoon dry mustard, use 1 tablespoon bottled mustard.
For 1 teaspoon chives, use 1 teaspoon green onion tops, finely chopped.
For 1 clove garlic, use 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder.
For 1 tablespoon fresh horseradish, use 2 tablespoons bottled.
For 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, use 1/2 teaspoon vinegar.
For 1 small fresh onion, use 1 tablespoon re-hydrated instant minced
onion.
For 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, use 1 teaspoon bottled steak sauce.
Susan Mills-Gray,
Regional Specialist, Nutrition and Health Education
Cass County, Missouri
University of Missouri Extension
Like these tips?
Please forward Susan's "Tip of the Day" to your friends.
If you have a favorite tip, idea or request you would like
to share with our readers, please send them to
Visit our Website at <http://www.kitchenproject.com>
http://www.kitchenproject.com
~~~~~~ Our Other Lists ~~~~~~~
Country Life and Homesteading is all about country living.To subscribe by web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CountryLifeandHomesteading/
To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/does-it-work/
========================
by Susan Doyle
Your tip for February 13, 2007
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR DRY INGREDIENTS
For 1 teaspoon baking powder, use 1/3 teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon
cream of tartar.
For 1 ounce chocolate chips, use 1 ounce sweet baking chocolate.
For a 6-ounce package of chocolate chips, melted, use 2 squares
unsweetened
chocolate, 2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening and ½ cup sugar.
For 2 ounces of semisweet baking chocolate, use 1 ounce unsweetened
chocolate and 4 teaspoons sugar.
For 1 square or ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate, use 3 tablespoons
unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening.
For 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, use 1 ounce baking chocolate and
decrease fat in recipe by 1/2 tablespoon.
For 1 cup powdered sugar, use 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon
cornstarch, mixed well.
For 1 cup granulated sugar, use 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar.
For 1 cup cake flour, use 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour.
For 1 cup self-rising flour, use 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose
flour
and 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
For 1 cup miniature marshmallows, use 10 large marshmallows.
Substitutions for liquids and fats
For 1 cup corn syrup, use 1 cup honey or 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup
additional
liquid.
For maple syrup, use equal amount of corn syrup.
For 1/2 cup salted butter, use 1/2 cup unsalted butter plus 1/2 teaspoon
salt.
For 1 cup half-and-half cream, use 7/8 cup milk and 1/2 tablespoon
butter or
margarine or 1 cup undiluted evaporated milk.
For 1 cup heavy whipping cream, use 3/4 cup milk and 1/3 cup butter or
margarine.
For 8 ounces of cream cheese, use 8 ounces cottage cheese blended with
1/4
cup margarine.
For 1 cup sour cream, use 1 cup plain yogurt.
For 1 cup buttermilk, use 1 cup plain yogurt or use dry buttermilk powder
and water following instructions on package.
For 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, heat the following ingredients
until
sugar and butter are dissolved: 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons evaporated
milk,
1 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons butter.
For 1 cup plain yogurt, use 1 cup sour cream or 1 cup buttermilk.
For 1 cup mayonnaise, use 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup mayonnaise
or 1
cup sour cream or pureed cottage cheese.
For 1 cup beef or chicken broth, use 1 bouillon cube or 1 envelope of
powdered broth base dissolved in 1 cup boiling water.
For 1 cup ketchup, use 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 cup sugar and 2
tablespoons
vinegar.
Substitutions for spices and seasonings
For 1 teaspoon ground allspice or cardamom, use 1/2 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.
For 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, use 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/4
teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom.
For 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, use 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
1/4
teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon
ground nutmeg.
For 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, use 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
For 1 teaspoon dried basil, use 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2
teaspoon
dried thyme.
For 1 whole bay leaf, use 1/4 teaspoon crushed bay leaf.
For 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, use 1/2 teaspoon paprika plus 1/2 teaspoon
chili powder.
For 1 teaspoon dry mustard, use 1 tablespoon bottled mustard.
For 1 teaspoon chives, use 1 teaspoon green onion tops, finely chopped.
For 1 clove garlic, use 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder.
For 1 tablespoon fresh horseradish, use 2 tablespoons bottled.
For 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, use 1/2 teaspoon vinegar.
For 1 small fresh onion, use 1 tablespoon re-hydrated instant minced
onion.
For 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, use 1 teaspoon bottled steak sauce.
Susan Mills-Gray,
Regional Specialist, Nutrition and Health Education
Cass County, Missouri
University of Missouri Extension
Like these tips?
Please forward Susan's "Tip of the Day" to your friends.
If you have a favorite tip, idea or request you would like
to share with our readers, please send them to
Visit our Website at <http://www.kitchenproject.com>
http://www.kitchenproject.com
~~~~~~ Our Other Lists ~~~~~~~
Country Life and Homesteading is all about country living.To subscribe by web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CountryLifeandHomesteading/
To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/does-it-work/
========================
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Looks like a good ( and free ) reminder service:
http://hassleme.co.uk/
HassleMe
--
========================
http://hassleme.co.uk/
HassleMe
--
========================
Subject: Pass it on if you know of anyone
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_health.jhtml http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_health.jhtml
10) UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation to Offer Medical Assistance Grants Deadline: Open The UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation ( http://www.uhccf.org/ ) is offering support to meet the needs of children across the United States fully covered by health insurance. Parents and caretakers across the country will be eligible to apply for grants of up to $5,000 for healthcare services that will help improve their children's health and quality of life. Examples of the types of medical services covered by UHCCF grants include speech therapy, physical therapy, and psycho- therapy sessions; medical equipment such as wheelchairs, braces, hearing aids, and eyeglasses; and orthodontia and dental treatments. Any child 16 years old or younger living in any UnitedHealth- care region of the United States assistance for healthcare services will be considered eligible for a grant. Families must meet economic guidelines, reside in the United States insurance plan. For program guidelines and eligibility requirements, visit the UHCCF Web site. RFP Link: http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10006300/uhccf http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_health.jhtml http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_health.jhtml
Friday, February 23, 2007
Utilities -- Windows Freeware
http://www.math.vanderbilt.edu/~schectex/wincd/list_utilities.htm
Utilities -- Windows Freeware ======================== http://todddaniels.blogspot.com/ http://odinslair.blogspot.com/ http://odinslair.blogspot.com/2006/05/short-story-last-night.html http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/598773 ""Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."" by Dr. Seuss. http://www.learningplaceonline.com/spirit/forgive/yourself-others.htm
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Friends, if you don't know how to do this, please read & learn how, as it would save many problems with all our computers.
E-mail safety
A friend who is a computer expert received the following directly from a system administrator for a corporation. It is an excellent message that ABSOLUTELY applies to ALL of us who send e-mails. Please read the short letter below, even if you're sure you already follow proper procedures.
Do you really know how to forward e-mails? 50% of us do, 50% DO NOT.
Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail? Do you hate it? Every time you forward an e-mail, there is information left over from the people who got the message before you -- their e-mail addresses and names. As the messages get forwarded along, the list builds and builds and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus and his or her computer can send that virus to every E-mail address that has come across his computer.
E-mail safety
A friend who is a computer expert received the following directly from a system administrator for a corporation. It is an excellent message that ABSOLUTELY applies to ALL of us who send e-mails. Please read the short letter below, even if you're sure you already follow proper procedures.
Do you really know how to forward e-mails? 50% of us do, 50% DO NOT.
Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail? Do you hate it? Every time you forward an e-mail, there is information left over from the people who got the message before you -- their e-mail addresses and names. As the messages get forwarded along, the list builds and builds and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus and his or her computer can send that virus to every E-mail address that has come across his computer.
Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them, or send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and that person will make five cents for each hit.
How do you stop it? There are several easy steps:
1. When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top). That's right, DELETE them. Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do. It only takes a second. You MUST click the "Forward" button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message. If you don't click on "Forward" first, you won't be able to edit the message at all.
2. Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the "To" or "Cc" fields for adding e-mail addresses. Always use the "BCC" (blind carbon copy) field for listing the e-mail addresses. This way the people you send to will only see their own e-mail address. If you don't see your "BCC," option click on "To" and your address list will appear. Highlight the address and choose "BCC." It's that easy. When you send to "BCC" your message will automatically say "Undisclosed Recipients" in the "To" field of the ones who receive it.
3. Remove any "FW" in the subject line. You can re-name the subject or even fix spelling.
4. ALWAYS hit your "Forward" button from the actual e-mail you are reading, not from the one who sent it to you!! Ever get e-mails where you have to open ten pages first to read the one page with the wanted information on it? By Forwarding from the actual page you wish to be viewed, it eliminates extra e-mails people have to wade through.
5. Have you ever gotten an e-mail that is a petition? It states a
position, asks you to add your name and address and then requests that you forward it to ten or 15 people or your entire address book. As it is forwarded on and on it can collect thousands of names and e-mail addresses.
FACT: That petition is worth a couple of bucks to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and e-mail addresses on it. If you want to support the intent of the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the most effective source. Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than does a laundry list of names and e-mail address on a petition. ( Real petitions have to have original signatures anyway.)
And think about this -- Who is supposed to actually send the petition in after the names are collected? And don't believe the ones that say that the e-mail is being traced. It just ain't so!
6. One of the emails I hate is the one that says something like, "Send this e-mail to ten people and you'll see something cute run across your screen," or sometimes they just tease you by saying something really good will happen soon. IT AIN'T GONNA!!!!! Trust me, some of the same ones went around ten years ago!
I don't let the bad luck ones scare me either, they get trashed (could be why I haven't won the lottery??)
7. Before you forward an Amber Alert or a Virus Alert, or some of the other ones floating around nowadays, check them out before you forward them. Most of them are junk mail that have been circling the net for YEARS!
Is it real or not? Almost everything that is questionable can easily be
checked out at Snopes.com. Take that moment. If it's not real, don't pass it on.
Please, let's stop the junk mail and the viruses!
Now here's an idea!!! Let's send this to everyone we know, but strip my address off first, please. This is something that SHOULD be forwarded!
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Saturday, February 10, 2007
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