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The New York Times today described a vast Social Security Disability fraud scheme among retired New York City police officers and firefighters. The retirees were collecting tens of thousands of dollars per year in fraudulent SSDI payments by faking various illnesses. Many of the claims stemmed from false allegations of disabilities caused by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Downsizing Blog
Disability Overpayments
CNN.com has an article today on disability overpayments made by the Social Security Administration ($1.3 billion over two years according to a recent Government Accountability Office report). Although people often associate government overpayments with fraud, often times it's just bureaucratic bungling.
Senate Committee Hearing on Disability Fraud
On Sunday, CBS's 60 Minutes profiled Sen. Tom Coburn's (R-OK) on-going investigation of fraud and abuse in the federal government's two main disability programs: Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income (see Chris Edwards' discussion here). Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs (Coburn is the ranking member) held a hearing on a particularly egregious example centered on the Social Security Administration's Huntington, WV office.
60 Minutes Disability Investigation
The abuse and overspending in government disability programs is so bad that even National Public Radio and 60 Minutes have taken notice. On the heels of this excellent NPR examination of the "disability industrial complex," the venerable CBS news show last night profiled Senator Tom Coburn's efforts to uncover fraud in the two big federal disability programs.
SSDI (Problems) in the News
My recent paper on the rising cost of Social Security Disability Insurance is proving to be timely.
Surge in Disability Claims is a Gold Mine for Law Firms
Combined outlays on Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income have roughly doubled over the last decade and will cost taxpayers almost $200 billion this year. The complex and often subjective disability determination process, which is essentially the same for both programs, has created an opportunity for specialty law firms to grab a piece of the action.
Discussing Social Security Disability Insurance on C-SPAN
This morning, I discussed Social Security Disability Insurance on C-SPAN's Washington Journal:
Social Security Disability Fraud in Puerto Rico
In 2011, the Wall Street Journal's Daniel Paletta reported on the rapid growth in individuals applying for and receiving Social Security disability benefits. Paletta found that Puerto Rico had become a particularly easy place to obtain benefits. Officials with the Social Security Administration (SSA) absurdly claimed that nothing was amiss.
Liberalization of Standards for Disability Benefits Is Turning Able-bodied Workers into Government Dependents
Several weeks ago, I witnessed an able-bodied individual who had parked in a handicapped-only space proceed to put in a strenuous workout at my gym. Indeed, a casual internet search reveals that abuse of handicapped parking spaces is a real problem — so much so that cell phone apps have been created to help catch abusers. It shouldn't come as a surprise then that federal programs intended to help the truly disabled are also being abused.
Why Economic Growth Depends on Reforming Social Security
Rivers of red ink continue to flow from the federal budget, and we still face an entitlement spending crisis. But you wouldn't know it from the priorities of the two political parties: President Obama has been busy pushing for more "investment" spending, and the Republicans have been consumed by the administration's scandals.


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By: Andrea Rizkallah, Editorial Intern
Volunteering is a rewarding activity, which is why I love my position as editorial intern in the Corporate Communications department at the University of Maryland Medical Center. I thought that I had to be a medical student in order to volunteer at a medical center, but luckily I was wrong. I was able to get an administrative position that still makes a difference and offers me great experience.
The Corporate Communications department coordinates blood drives that help save lives, updates the website with valuable information for patients and families, keeps Medical Center employees updated on training events and interviews patients to communicate their stories. Even though we are not transplanting lungs or performing surgery, we are still deeply involved with the hospital. I have completed projects that really make me feel like I am part of the team, and these contributions make me feel accomplished and useful.
The volunteer program here at the University of Maryland is great because I am getting hands on experience. I get to learn how the hospital works and what goes into the everyday functions of a medical center. Although my role is an administrative one, I feel that I am making a difference, and that is a lot to take away from a volunteer position.
Volunteers work in all areas including the Emergency department, Shock Trauma Center, Medical Records department, Dental Clinic, Psychiatry department, and many more. There are some requirements to volunteering at the hospital:
- You must be at least 13 years old and be able to commit to four hours a week.
- To receive credit, recommendations or certificates, you must volunteer at least 75 hours of time.
- All prospective volunteers must return the required paperwork to the volunteer office prior to interviews.
Learn more about how to have a rewarding volunteer experience.

subset: commoncrawl


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OS: Win98, WinME, WinNT 4.x, Windows2000, WinXP, Windows2003, Windows Vista


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Oh my are the demons ever colorful this season. Clad all in pink and wrapped up in bizarre incestuous serial torturer pair bonds in ways shows like DEADLY WOMEN on Investigative Discovery dream about. It makes me understand the frailty of demons and the necessity of pot for modern survival and to blazes with anyone who'd tell you different. To blazes with those not blazin'...
You know how it is, those soggy six AM Sundays after the bars are closed and only stupid college kids and burnouts take shrooms to get over the hump, 'cuz they're young and optimistic and drugs managed to lift them out of depression... once. And the goddess of the fungus takes one peek down your flooded basement souls, sense your weakness and decide to lay into you like a bitchy girlfriend-mom hybrid... for eight miserable hours. And even after their bitching leaves you and your closed eye hallucinations fade back to normal blurry bands of gray, even then you can't sleep because the third eye visuals, sink-holes and leprous faces keep picking at the scabs of your soul.
But hey, there's a film called SHROOMS, and no, here the shrooms don't really cause evil in and of themselves, in fact they're kind of a red herring. But they're there. They're not going away. The trouble is, maybe these campers should have been smoking pot instead, and passing around some whiskey and just calling it a day. Shrooms can be hit or miss, pummeling you or protecting you depending on the spore's magic mood, and of course set and setting are so important. A sunny day with your favorite people at, like, three PM, at least two hours after your last meal, with good music and incense? That's ideal. But pot never fails us... just as it never quite succeeds. That's just part of the deal. Pot's hangover is included in the high, there's no misery deferred and returned with interest at a more convenient time.
The signifiers and signs of horror meanwhile (masks, knives, corridors, POV steadicams, phone calls, Martin Balsam in PSYCHO-style unmaskings) are now so beyond cliche they don't even need to be tied to anything substantial; having a stoned hipster gesture towards them with his thumb is enough. The hipster's thumb is the new black and CABIN IN THE WOODS (2012) has taken this idea farther than anyone yet this year. Metatexually refracting the cliche of attractive high school seniors heading off to the woods for R&R, T&A, death and Lovecraftian abstraction, cometh the humble stoner--the inevitable fifth or seventh wheel in gangs of young people heading off into the wilderness since that obnoxious brother in the wheelchair in TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1977). In this sea of cliche, this stoner shall rise. As the smoke rises, man, so the stoner...
And instead of a fifth wheel, lo! The unicyclist.
Yes, in exploring this character, horror has recognized in its target audience a common thread that runs counter to general programming, the insider realization that pot protects you from evil. All along we were right to be paranoid, man, things are all... weirder and more perverse and vile than we imagined in our trippiest delusions. And Mary Jane's loyal sheepdog sanity never abandons.
And as so often happens, this concept is literally true as recent studies show.
What is even more troubling is that the United States Government actually did a secret follow up-study on the Virginia findings, in the mid '90's. When it only served to confirm the results of the 1974 research, and showed that THC (one of the main active ingredient in cannabis – and the one the government loves to hate), when administered to mice, protected them against malignancy, true to form, our government attempted to bury the results. Fortunately, a draft copy of the study was leaked to the journal, AIDS Treatment News, and the media covered the story. An excellent article by Paul Armentano, Deputy Director of NORML, covers this part of our shameful history. (more)I can't really reveal what happens in THE CABIN IN THE WOODS since 'holy shit! no way! Really? O man!' reactions are so essential, but I will quote Gregory Cwik's article on it in the current issue of Acidemic's Journal of Film and Media:
"... after Halloween was labeled a morality play, its character's seemingly punished for acting immorally, smoking became a death sentence for horror characters. Instead, Whedon's pothead uses his bong as a weapon against the enemy. Maybe its a sign of changes to come."Maybe it is, if we kill enough old people first, by which I mean those who think it should be illegal and yet have never tried it. Maybe their personal embargo serves us not them. Unable to keep food down after chemo, they nonetheless refuse to smoke the pot that might help with that since it's 'the devil's weed' when all along it was their only truly safe and effective remedy. Part of growing up should be the realization you can't believe a word Uncle Sam tells you, and that doctors sometimes are barred from recommended holistic and herbal remedies, as the AMA won't acknowledge their effectiveness (having never tested them, because tests are too expensive and herbs can't be patented so there's no return on investment). Fail to realize this and Darwinian nature shall take its course.
Ignorance of a law doesn't make you immune, only weed. Is there any better reason why the law is so ignorant about it?
In the recent Aussie tor-por prom-com THE LOVED ONES (2009) pot brings a hot Goth girl Mia (Jessica McNamee) and a nervous hipster together for prom. I shan't discuss the 'main attraction' of the film, a protracted torture sequence, but suffice it to say that torturer Lola (Robin McLeavy) is a stunning psychotic presence, bringing so much whacked-out gusto she single-handedly elevates the whole production to near-cult status. If HEAVENLY CREATURES' Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey were Horace and Rebecca Fem in THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932), McLeavy would be the locked upstairs brother, Saul. Maybe you don't get that reference, but if you don't you should see both films fast, before it's too late.
Lola's unwilling prom date-torture boy is the beautiful boy Xavier Samuel, whose best bud is the smart aleck stoner Jamie (Richard Wilson), a hipster nerd with fearful, darting eyes who snags Mia for the prom. She proceeds to smoke all his pot, embarrass him in front of distrustful teachers. and look askance upon his chosen corsage... but she also "puts out," even if it's kind of a train wreck version. For better or worse, hotness and reefer heal all wounds. Having dated a girl who not only looked a lot like Mia but was just as bi-polar and brilliant and sexy and crazy and burning every bridge I ever built just to watch the fire (then crying that it was so sad, then laughing, etc... but who cares because she was so damned hot yeah you tell yourself that but gradually your own emotions start to buckle under the strain of her DSM-IV), I can vouch for the realism of McNamee's fearless portrayal. I had a week or two with that my own Mia that ranks as the most romantic, swooning, delirious of my life, even if it was 10 years ago.
I was all good but then her polar cap shifted. And torture commenced.
|The eyes, Manolo. They never lie.
|Top: Shrooms / Bottom: Cabin in the Woods
It was in the summer of 1997, when I was still drinking, and so very social, and constantly amidst a sexy posse and one particularly colorful LSD trip in Sheep's Meadow (Central Park, NYC) back when you could still smoke outdoors and enterprising homeless guys regularly patrolled between the blankets selling waters ($1) and cold Heinekens bottles ($2) from rolling coolers. As we consumed the Heinekens and the acid made the trees glow like a beautiful Shakespearean jigsaw classical painting I'd dimly remembered seeing at the Met, which was right behind us... Because this was Central Park, where everyone from George Washington to Treat Williams in HAIR had hung out, getting toasted, in a flash the thing came to me: Every homeless guy selling beer looked like Harry Belafonte. Within minutes I could see the way Sheep's meadow selling Heineken in the meadow was an operative and the Meadow itself, with its glowing blue and green Kentucky grass, was an experimental grid, the blazing reflection of the grass blades in the sun hiding the cracks of the secret trap doors where the Belafontes, as we called them, retreated when their coolers were empty. They went down long stairs to get more beer, and check in with their overlords, and monitor us from dozens of cameras hidden in the grass.
How else did they get the beer so cold and sell it so cheap, and why else would they all look so Belafonte-ish if they weren't ghostly clones of Belafonte who probably has some great beer-broker DNA? See? You can't answer.
Just as in SHROOMS, the world kicks in around you when your senses are enhanced. The landscape seems designed to heighten whatever your brain tells your eyes and ears to see. And the bastards down there finally decided to make it plain to the rest of the world, via the film THE CABIN IN THE WOODS. This film is my proof about the Belafonte system.
End of meaningless anecdote.
Killing is one thing, but burning away a human's pineal gland, their third eye? Who could be so cruel? Who could deny a person the ability to dream and see the world beyond 3-D space? I mean, aside from our own government and its absurd anti-drug hysteria, of course, for their fear of anything consciousness-raising is the great tragedy of our modern age. Lumping psychedelics in with neighborhood scourges like heroin and crack? Dumb, man. Because we take those drugs and KNOW they're scuzzy - but a scumbag gives us LSD and our minds expand, we follow them into the meat-grinder, not your dumb naysaying church, because if you're that wrong about one drug, maybe you're wrong about crack, too. This is what Graham Hancock calls The War on Consciousness, a war so insidious he was scheduled to speak about it at TEDtalks, but they waffled and pulled him last minute (1). This shit's real. Science is scared of its own shadow. This is your brain on drugs, smelling hmmmm-mmm good in their frying pan home. This is your brain slowly dying in jail for trying to save your grandmother's life by spiking her brownies. Better she be vomiting a slow agonizing post-chemo death than getting the munchies and spending too much time on the couch, right, "America"?
Final Score:
PS -11/13 The marijuana laws are slowly being reformed! Was it this blog post that brought people around? (no). Swaaanneee, how I love ya how I love ya...
(1) this happened after the original date of this post, but I'm doing some rewrites as is my wont here in 4/13)


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What do you think of when you hear of the Yamaha company? Is it motorcycles? Maybe guitars and pianos? Or is your first thought about one of Yamaha's outdoor/sport vehicles?
Yamaha began more than a century ago when trained watchmaker and medical equipment repairman Torakusu Yamaha turned his attention to a reed organ while visiting a school. While repairing the organ, Torakusu taught himself the inner workings of the instrument and later began making his own organs under the Nippon Gakki Co. (Japanese Musical Instrument Co.) brand name.
By the time of Torakusu's death in 1916, the Nippon Gakki Co. was world-renowned for its instruments, including organs, pianos and harmonicas. The company was renamed the Yamaha Corporation in 1987 on the anniversary of the company's founding by Torakusu. During its storied history, Nippon Gakki/Yamaha has produced a number of different items, so it isn't strange if five people think of five different things when they name the first Yamaha product that comes to mind.
But here are the six main categories of products Yamaha has produced throughout the years:
– Motorcycles: Yamaha Motor Company was established as a subsidiary to Nippon Gakki in 1955 when they produced Yamaha's first motorized vehicle — a YM-1 Motorcycle, a 125cc, 2-stroke street bike available in Japan. Since then, Yamaha has gone on to produce a wide variety of motorcycles from speedy sport bikes to their classic, big bodied Star cruisers.
– Outdoor Vehicles: Since being established, the Yamaha Motor Company has produced more than just motorcycles. Yamaha is one of the world's leaders in producing outdoor vehicles. Through the years, snowmobiles, boats, ATVs, motocross/dirt bikes, golf carts and Waverunners have all bore the Yamaha name.
– Engines: To run the variety of outdoor vehicles it has produced during the past half century, Yamaha could have easily outsourced the engine production to another company. Instead, Yamaha has become known for its engines, even in items it doesn't produce (go-carts) and items the company only has limited models (boats).
– Music: Torakusu Yamaha's legacy started with musical instruments and it continues still today. Yamaha has produced everything from organs and cellos to harmonicas to drums and guitars. Musical instruments are the backbone of Yamaha and that is evident when you look at all the instruments they currently offer.
– Music Production: Besides just making instruments, Yamaha makes a number of products that help make any musician sound even better. Whether it's synthesizers, mixers or digital recorders, Yamaha produces it. They also have a number of audio/video items that help make any home system or home studio even better.
– Sporting Equipment: In 1992, Norwegian Fin Christian Jagge stood atop the podium with a Winter Olympics gold medal in one hand and a pair of PROTO-SL Yamaha skis in the other. Since 1959, Yamaha has been producing fiberglass sporting equipment, including tennis rackets, golf clubs, skis and archery equipment.


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CHESTER — A partner in a proposed Orange County brewery seeking millions in tax breaks is also a part-owner in a New Jersey hospital that has faced a litany of complaints by the Internal Revenue Service, health officials, an insurance company and the union representing many of the hospital's employees, the Times Herald-Record has learned.
CHESTER — A partner in a proposed Orange County brewery seeking millions in tax breaks is also a part-owner in a New Jersey hospital that has faced a litany of complaints by the Internal Revenue Service, health officials, an insurance company and the union representing many of the hospital's employees, the Times Herald-Record has learned.
Anastasia Burlyuk is a partner of MHA LLC, an investment group that bought the Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center in Secaucus, N.J., in 2010. She's also one of four owners of the hospital and serves on its board of directors, according to the application for tax relief that the proposed brewing company, Kikkerfrosch LLC, filed with the Orange County Industrial Development Agency.
The application, which is in a preliminary stage of review, seeks relief from property, mortgage, sales and use taxes. It also asks the IDA's Orange County Funding Corp. to issue $20 million in tax-exempt industrial development revenue bonds.
Meadowlands, a for-profit hospital, was accused of fraud in a lawsuit filed in April by the Travelers Indemnity Co. One instance cited in the lawsuit claimed that Travelers was billed $19,500 for a medical device costing $825.
"The excessive fees Meadowlands charges for the P-Stem device (a pain relief aid) and for the implementation of the device are so outrageous that they constitute fraud," the lawsuit states. It also names numerous medical and chiropractic groups as defendants who, the lawsuit charges, diverted patients from less expensive ambulatory surgery centers "solely to generate an income stream for Meadowlands at costs to Travelers that far exceeded those which would be normally charged."
Meadowlands has also drawn criticism from New Jersey's Department of Health for being more than a year late in filing financial reports mandated by the state. Its most recent financial report, for 2011, was filed in July. It showed the 230-bed hospital had $71,719 in cash on hand as of Dec. 31, 2011, down from $237,272 at the end of 2010.
Meanwhile, the hospital paid more than $8 million to its owners in 2011. The owners also pulled out nearly $6 million in 2012 and the first half of 2013, according to the report.
In April, the hospital satisfied federal tax liens for 2011 and 2012 totaling more than $4 million, according to the report. The liens were filed after payroll taxes deducted from employee checks were not paid to the government.
Burlyuk, 42, of Closter, N.J., acknowledged on Thursday being a partner and a director of the Secaucus hospital, but said, "I'm not authorized to talk about the hospital."
Hospital spokesman Marat Rysmendiev also said he couldn't discuss the issues. The hospital has previously denied the Travelers charges in published reports. It has also agreed with the state to hire an independent consultant to examine its financial statements, projections and strategic plans.
Orange County IDA Chairman Robert Armistead said Thursday his board would investigate Burlyuk's role at the hospital and with Kikkerfrosch.
"This is all startling news to us," Armistead said of the hospital's issues. "We'll have to do more looking into this. We don't want to have someone who plays games with the IRS. We'll be looking into this right away, and see where we'll go with it."
The IDA application identifies Burlyuk as Kikkerfrosch's manager, but Michael Politopoulos, her longtime friend and partner in the brewery project, said that wasn't really the case. It was just a "preliminary, interim" title until the brewery hires staff, he said Thursday.
"Anyone can be associated with something that has a blemish, and those are blemishes," Politopoulos said of the hospital's recent history. "She's only an investor in the hospital. I can assure you that the management (of the brewery) will be in my hands and my brother's, and we have excellent records."
Chester Supervisor Steve Neuhaus said Friday he was unaware of the controversy swirling around the Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center and Burlyuk's connections to it.
"I never heard of it before," said Neuhaus, who met with Burlyuk and Politopoulos on Thursday. "I don't want to speculate on the operation of the hospital."
Neuhaus said his interest was in the brewery that Politopoulos intends to bring to Chester.
"All I can say is that he's been on the up-and-up," Neuhaus said of Politopoulos. "We speak every day, and everything he's promised to do, he's kept his word. As supervisor, he's met all the benchmarks I have."
Burlyuk appears not to have a day-to-day role at the hospital, said Jeanne Otersen, public policy director of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees union, the largest nurses' union in New Jersey. Yet Otersen believes Burlyuk can't shirk responsibility for the hospital.
"I think all of them bear responsibility for taking a community hospital and using it as a private piggy bank," Otersen said of the owners. "That's what's happened here with little oversight by the state."
The union's complaints against the hospital have included paychecks that bounced and employee medical bills that went unpaid by the hospital's self-insurance program.
"They move money around, they don't pay their bills, and they don't live up to their obligations," Otersen said.
Ukranian-born Burlyuk and her sister, Tetyana Ryazanova, also of Closter, each have a 25 percent stake in Kikkerfrosch, as do Politopoulos and his brother, Demetri Politopoulos. The brothers are also partners in the Macedonian Thrace Brewery in Greece. Michael Politopoulos is also president of GP Chemicals in North Bergen, N.J.
The IDA application states that Burlyuk's share of the brewery will be held in trust for her son, Evans Stepanov, who's listed as a partner in the company in the same document that identifies his mother as the manager.
Ryazanova is identified in the IDA application as a shareholder in Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center and a partner in other medical businesses with Burlyuk.
The four investors will each put $2,250,000 into the brewery, which would initially produce 200,000 barrels of a German-style beer annually. That could grow to 350,000 barrels, Michael Politopoulos said Thursday, when he and Burlyuk were in Chester to review water-supply tests at a likely building site.
"We're doing our due diligence," Politopoulos said.


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A while back a number of MTN Pulse customers subscribing to the Pulse Weekly Data Bundle subscription complained of issues with the plan. Specifically of getting 750MB instead of the applicable 1GB.
To address this, some new changes have been implemented on the subscription. Namely one, that if a customer on another tariff plan besides Pulse attempts to subscribe to the plan using P500 or via USSD, s/he will receive an error message.
Secondly, if the customer subscribes via 103 to 131, that customer will receive 750mb and not 1 GB. It should be noted however that all times the applicable code to dial in order to subscribe is *406*2*1# or *406# and to then follow the prompt.
Again it should be noted that all other business rules including the 7 days validity period for the 1GB remains applicable.


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Spam Promising Video of Eclipse Installs Trojan
Websense Security Labs has warned that spam mails are being distributed to trick recipients into downloading content from the Internet and possibly installing a malicious video film of a lunar eclipse.
Around 4,000 state employees received the e-mail and hence, some officials from the Division of Enterprise Technology were sent to ensure protection of the state computer systems.
The malicious eclipse messages have been using subject lines such as "Total Moon Eclipse Video on NASA TV" "Shocking video with Total Moon eclipse" "Your guide to the total lunar eclipse" and "Lunar Eclipse Video".
Users are cautioned about the download that it actually contains a Trojan horse by which a hacker could gain full control on or compromise the target computer.
However, according to officials, only 12 state employees actually opened the link but the Trojan was brought under control before any information could be compromised.
The attackers were very enthusiastic about the event of lunar eclipse, appeared in the fourth week of February 2008, and wanted to take benefits by duping the people. So they are sending out messages, which have subject lines in connection with the total lunar eclipse, but actually they contain an HTML window that touts for the video, "Solar eclipse stock video from all around the world... Get Eclipse Video now!"
Security experts said that people can easily avoid becoming victim to such e-mails by following a simple method.
Mike Lettman, Director of Information Security with the Division of Enterprise Technology, said that first and foremost recipients should never click links in unsolicited e-mails for no one can tell beforehand what would appear from the download. Lettman also explained why spammers send out the maximum possible e-mails. They hope that even if 1% of the recipients click on the link they will be able to harvest sufficient information and it will be a win win situation for them, as reported by CHANNEL3000 on February 23, 2008.
Lettman also said that a typical malicious e-mail or a malware-laced e-mail tries to collect account usernames and passwords or Social Security numbers. But, as the state has its own way for storing and protecting passwords, they aren't in danger.
Related article: Spam Scam Bags a Scottish Connection
» SPAMfighter News - 27-02-2008
Dear Reader
We are happy to see you are reading our IT Security News.
We do believe, that the foundation for a good work environment starts with fast, secure and high performing computers. If you agree, then you should take a look at our Business Solutions to Spam Filter & Antivirus for even the latest version of Exchange Servers - your colleagues will appreciate it!


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Council faces financial crisis
Longford County Council won't have enough money to pay its staff unless more money is made available from central government level.
Cathaoirleach Cllr Mark Casey said the anticipated €2m finance chiefs expected to recoup from this year's property tax was simply not enough for it to continue.
In a bid to broker a resolution, the Independent councillor has personally written to a dozen other local authorities about the crisis.
And in a thinly veiled swipe at new Environment Minister Alan Kelly, Cllr Casey warned time for small-sized counties like Longford, was starting to run out. "It takes €8m a year to run the council and the property tax is supposed to bring in €2m. The numbers just don't stack up.
"The council won't be able to function because there won't be enough money to pay its staff let alone anything else. We could all be out of a job," he warned.
Cllr Casey's gloomy prognosis are just the latest in a long line of cautionary threats which have been made in relation to Longford Co Council's long term future.
In July, CEO Tim Caffrey said the local authority's financial prospects looked bleak unless there was a fairer distribution of revenues generated from property tax receipts.
The fact up to €500,000 of the projected €2m Longford County Council hopes to collect from the property tax will go into a centralised pot has prompted angry responses locally.
Mr Caffrey said the 80:20 arrangement of LPT returns meant smaller councils like Longford were likely to suffer as a result.
Some councillors, headed by Fine Gael's Micheal Carrigy have called for reductions of up to 15 per cent in the Local Property Tax.
However, it's anticipated only nine councils, including Dublin, will be able to cut the rate because they will have a surplus of funding next year.
It's a situation which caused Cllr Casey to hit out this week.
"This talk of cuts of up to 15 per cent is political opportunism," said Cllr Casey.
"There should be a 100 per cent cut because it's a charge that should never have been brought in in the first place."


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Former Colombia goalkeeper Miguel Calero passed away on Tuesday in Mexico City, a day after being declared brain dead.
Calero had been hospitalised since November 26, due to thrombosis in his arm causing a blood clot to reach his brain, which forced the ex-player to be put onto life support.
Club Pachuca, the 41-year-old's former team who he won three titles with, released a statement to the press regarding Calero's death.
"Grupo Pachuca deeply regret reporting here that on the day December 4 2012, the biggest symbol of Tuzos, Miguel Angel Calero Rodriguez, has passed away.
"Miguel Calero was a football player who left his mark on a great era in the history of Club Pachuca.
"We would like to thank everyone for showing love, support and solidarity towards him and his family."


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The Word: Is Katherine Heigl too demanding for Hollywood?
Hollywood execs are reluctant to work with Katherine Heigl because of her demanding attitude, insiders say.
Remember when Katherine Heigl was the new Meg Ryan? Yeah, that seems to have come to an end. Her last film, "The Big Wedding," bombed, and now Hollywood execs are reluctant to work with her because of her demanding attitude, insiders say.
"She can cost you time every single day of shooting," a source who worked with Heigl and her momager Nancy Heigl on Katherine's 2010 film "Life as We Know It" told the Hollywood Reporter. "Wardrobe issues, not getting out of the trailer, questioning the script every single day. Even getting her deal closed at Warners was hard. She hit that point of 'no.' "
However, the former "Grey's Anatomy" star is soon to return to television — NBC is developing a spy drama with Heigl in a starring role. So maybe she'll hit that point of "Eh, OK."
Eddie Murphy has earned the dubious honor of the Most Overpaid Actor in Hollywood, according to Forbes magazine's annual list. For every dollar that a studio paid Murphy for his last three movies, the studio earned $2.30, the worst rate of return for a star in the business. His only film released this year, the poorly reviewed "a Thousand Words," pulled in roughly $20 million worldwide but cost an estimated $40 million to produce.
Second on the list is Katherine Heigl, earning studios an average of $3.40 for every dollar she's paid.


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I am going to attempt to broadcast the passage of a bright satellite, quickly across the moon tonight. The satellite is called Meteor 1-21 r. The transit occurs at 0:06:03 UTC ( Mar 5 ) The satellite is predicted to be around Mag 6, so nice and bright. I be recording it, so I can post the video on my website http://www.kfetter.com/satvideo Then at 0:38 UTC, the moon will occult a Mag 8.2 star. I be showing that to. Kevin __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sat Mar 04 2006 - 15:33:55 EST


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Wych Genealogy
Family History
|Home | Family Research Packages | Set Your Own Budget | About Me | Contact Me
Would you like to find out more about your family history? Who were your great-grandparents? Where did they live? How did they earn their living? Were they rich or poor?
Perhaps you would like to find out whether a story handed down the family has any truth in it.
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My family tree package is a fixed price research project tracing one line of your family back to the early 1800's.
Alternatively, you may prefer the flexibility of setting your own budget for research.
Wych Genealogy Family History 2017


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Courtyard By Marriott Hancock hotels are listed below. Search for cheap and discount Courtyard By Marriott hotel prices in Hancock, NY for your personal or business trip. We list the best Courtyard By Marriott Hancock lodging properties so you can review the Hancock Courtyard By Marriott hotel list below to find the perfect place.
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Build Guide by squigle
Not Updated For Current Season
This guide has not yet been updated for the current season. Please keep this in mind while reading. You can see the most recently updated guides on the browse guides page.
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Kennen Build
Ability Sequence
Not Updated For Current Season
The masteries shown here are not yet updated for the current season, the guide author needs to set up the new masteries. As such, they will be different than the masteries you see in-game.
After playing kennen for a while and seeing that these builds dont always work for you i made my own variation. Please do not just give up on it if you cant get Deathcaps. Kennan is not listed as a carry but he does the damage you need without the cost of that pesky mana.
Pros / Cons
Kennen is an amazing harasser for the whole game.
He does High amounts of damage with hardly any cooldowns.
Pro farmer with lightning rush into electric surge.
Very squishy
after they know how hard you can hit they will focus you first
very slow at the begining
CC is very good on Kenny
i am not the best with these runes yet there are so many different ways to try them out.
I find that this works the best because you are a glass cannon so get as mush damage as you can get in there and the health is very helpful for that little extra edge to the fight.
dorans and health are for the begining if you need more potions buy them but if you don't then don't. sorc boots are a must for that loverly penatraion then get your crystal scepter so they can't ever run from you and when you are being chased throw your shuriken back and slow them down for you to escape.
your void staff this later in the game will get you back to shape now that they have probably gotten som resists against you. the hats are self explanatory get yourself to do 900 damage with that shuriken.
The lichbane may seem weird but you have so mush AP that the lich bane will help you do that extra damage to finish them with.
Skill Sequence
lighting rush is good but you only need one point until farther into the gaemits your shurekin that will be dominating them and your electric sure has surprisingly good range that can pick off people escaping.
Summoner Spells
exhaust is very good for getting you first blood and later game it will help you live when escaping ganks.
ghost is amazing when you combine it with either you lighting rush or your ultimate. no one escapes Kenny.
these two in combination just ensures that your opponent has no chance of survival.
Harassing/Finishing Combos
Early Game
just throw that shuriken at them all you want you never need to go back for mana
Mid Game
E->Q->W get back behind creeps wash and repeat
to finish them rush than you ultimate then shuriken and surge them to stun for the second time. if not finished then more rush and surge.


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On Fox & Friends, the crying over higher taxes for people making over $400,000 a year and couples making over $450,000 was on. Brian Kilmeade opened by asking "Is it possible we could see riots in the streets?" He never said what riots or where. Beverly Hills?
Stuart Varney came on to say:
I came here 40 years ago to escape what's going on over there. I now found that my adopted country is becoming more and more like over there. Senator Graham is right. America, this fiscal cliff deal puts America more firmly on the road to becoming like Europe. In every aspect, we are becoming Europeanized. Our economy, our morality, even our culture is becoming more and more like Europe. Just look at this fiscal cliff deal for a second. There's no control of spending, just like Europe. Tax the rich, just like Europe. Bigger role for government, just like Europe. Cradle to grave social services preserved, maintained and enhanced, just like Europe.
Varney and Kilmeade each added, "But not paid for."
If Varney wants to leave us, there will be people, I'm sure, who are willing to pay part of the bill to see him go. But the thing is, he'd be hard-pressed to find a country more favorable to the rich than the USA. According to Reuters, wealthy people enjoy the lowest tax rates here and in the U.K.
Video below from the 1/2/13 Fox & Friends.
If you think Varney and the others are done complaining about taxes, just wait until the next shoe drops for Social Security. The GOP will argue to reduce benefits and to raise the retirement age, both of which approaches they've already been discussing. And raising the age isn't completely unreasonable, in that we are living longer than people did 50 years ago. I fully expect that by the time I hit retirement age, it will be closer to 70 before SS can be collected. The GOP will also argue for means-testing, which on its face is reasonable, until you realize that this means that people are paying into the system but then are told that they don't qualify. That would be one thing if the retiree is a multimillionaire with three homes – in that case, the retiree is unlikely to apply. It's another if the retiree has a modest pension and the SS payment allows them to live without making dire choices.
But the big SS shoe that's coming is the step that would silence the SS naysayers. Which is to lift the cap on the SS payroll tax. As it is now, once you earn 114K, no more SS deductions are made from your paycheck. When the cap is lifted, a considerable amount more revenue should come into SS, which would stop the discussions of its imminent demise.
We shouldn't kid ourselves about this – the GOP's intention is to try to reduce and limit programs like SS and Medicare. If people like Grover Norquist had their way, programs like SS would have been privatized in 2004 (which would have left millions of seniors destitute in the wake of the recession).
Yeah — Donald Trump said the same thing after President Obama won reelection . . . and a former Michigan GOP spokesman "just asked" if it was "time for armed resistance against the government", when the health care law was upheld by the Supreme Court.
Funny how rightwingnuts have the sudden desire to riot over things that are LEGAL . . . but, couldn't get heated up over starting two wars over faked intel, being wiretapped without warrants, having the writ of habeas corpus revoked, or a covert CIA agent being outed . . .
America, this fiscal cliff deal puts America more firmly on the road to becoming like Europe. In every aspect, we are becoming Europeanized. Our economy, our morality, even our culture is becoming more and more like Europe.
And Stu, what's wrong with that?
Europe has
- free nationalized health care
- free university education
- much lower rate of gun ownership
- lower murder/violent crime rate
-Frank Zappa
Your adoption of the U.S. has been terminated. Go home and take Rupert with you.
Are you sure you haven't sent a resume to work for FoxNoise? LOL
The 1% are Special – Uber Special! They worked hard trading imaginary, computer generated financial instruments at no risk to themselves, had themselves bailed out and did very well thank you! From their vantage point in the Nation of Fraudulent Finance your penury is their pleasure. Their teeth are white and very sharp. Best leave them alone!
I mentioned this before and it bears repeating because, in my opinion, President Obama didn't have to negotiate this. I mean, lifting the threshold from $200K to $400K. Anyway. It is done.
Them wingnutz placing their bets on Mittens should have high tailed the minute Karl Rabbies was losing his chit on the air on Fox.
Because President Obama campaigned on this issue.
We on the LEFT, We the Progressives, We the 47% derided by Mittens voted against the 2% Mittens was defending.
Back to the morons and friends on Fox.
The election was on November 7th.
Anyone in the top earning brackets NOT knowing their taxes were going up, kindly STFU or LEAVE.
Then we have the goobers in Texas also talking about secession, BECAUSE President Obama was DEMOCRATICALLY, LAWFULLY, re-elected.
So, here is my advice to Mr. Barney.
Move down to Texas and take Billdo, and Limpo, and Rupert and Roger, and The Donald, and Sarah Palin, and Joe The Plumber, and every other sore loser along with you.
Trust me. Texas is nothing like Europe.


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Eurohotel Paris Nord
Select your stay dates to check availability
Eurohotel Paris Nord
About the hotel
Property Location
When you stay at Eurohotel Paris Nord in Saint-Denis, you'll be convenient to Stade de France. This hotel is within the vicinity of Galeries Lafayette and Arc de Triomphe.
Stay in one of 108 guestrooms featuring LCD televisions. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms with showers are provided. Conveniences include desks and complimentary newspapers.
Make use of convenient amenities, which include complimentary wireless Internet access and concierge services.
Enjoy a meal at a restaurant, or stay in and take advantage of the hotel's room service (during limited hours). Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include complimentary newspapers in the lobby, a 24-hour front desk, and multilingual staff. Planning an event in Saint-Denis? This hotel has 1614 square feet (150 square meters) of space consisting of a conference center and a meeting room. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.
Hotel Facilities
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Elevator/lift
- Luggage storage
- Multilingual staff
- In-room accessibility
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Library
- Concierge services
- Bar/lounge
- Total number of rooms - 108
- Accessible bathroom
- Conference center
- One meeting room
- Conference space size (feet) - 1614
- 24-hour front desk
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Restaurant
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Number of floors - 4
- Roll-in shower
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Free WiFi
- Conference space size (meters) - 150
- Number of meeting rooms - 2
Room Facilities
- Room service (limited hours)
- Desk
- Private bathroom
- Soundproofed rooms
- Free WiFi
- Free newspaper
- Shower only
- Cable TV service
- Yard
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Access via exterior corridors
Hotel Policy
National Rating
This property has received its official star rating from the French Tourism Development Agency, ATOUT France.
Know Before You Go
- Up to 10 children 1 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Fee for buffet breakfast: EUR 8 per person (approximately)
- Self parking fee: EUR 8 per day
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.Show all hotel policy Show less hotel policy


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Maine Inns and Arts Spring Festival Weekend
One of the reasons I love Spring so much, is that all of a sudden there are dozens of house and garden tours, artist open studios and antiques festivals to temp me away from my ho hum winter routine. This year I've found a new offering (well new to me anyway) in beautiful Kennebunkport Maine.
From June 4-8, 2008, Kennebunkport is celebrating it's 4th Annual "Arts In The Inns Festival". If you're not familiar with Kennebunkport, you haven't been paying attention – it's where the Bush family has their summer home, and it is a quintessentially stunning New England coastal community with grand Victorian weathered gray homes and Inns. The festival begins on Wednesday with dinners at featured Inns with Chefs and Artists, which continue throughout the festival weekend. Saturday, June 7th, is the highlight with a tour of 16 Inns and Hotels which have artist's works on display. There are Artist in Residence Cocktail Parties, and my favorite…Lobster Rolls and Blueberry Pie at The Seaside Inn and Cottages. Famous Hinckley Yachts (even Martha has one) has engaged top Chef Sam Talbot to create his version of a traditional Maine clambake. Get all the information you'll need to have a spectacular spring weekend on the coast of Maine at the Arts In The Inns website.
Anyone want to run away to Maine in June? Send me an email and we'll all have a great time together.
Category: Cultural, Maine Travel Tips, New England, Trip Reports, USA


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Movies: Historical/ Documentary/ Military/ Etc.
Showing 1–10 of 16 results
Victory By Air: History of the Aerial Assault Vehicle
Victory By Air: A History of the Aerial Assault Vehicle: Steel tin
DVD Documentary, 4 hrs 19 min. Color & B/W, Not Rated
The Steel Tin has minor scratches. The DVD movie itself is in excellent 100% brand new condition. The DVD is broken down into 5 parts:
- Pioneers
- Monoplanes
- WWII- Struggle for Airspace
- WWII- Technological Improvements
- New Aircraft, New Weapons, New Frontiers
$14.951.000000 in Stock
Crusade in the Pacific Vol. IV: Documentary
Crusade in the Pacific Vol. IV: Documentary
This documentary solidly covers all aspects of the WWII Pacific theatre. Relying on Defense Department footage, both the US and the Japanese position of this pivotal campaign are looked at. Along with actual battlefield photos a fun quiz is included in the DVD informative extras. The post WWII Korean war is also covered.
DVD, Black & White, 150 minutes, unrated
$12.951.000000 in Stock
Lord of the Rings Trilogy: 3 movie set
Lord of the rings Trilogy: 3 movie set:
Full Screen Edition + Special Features
- The Return of the King (200 minutes)
- The Fellowship of the Ring (178 minutes)
- The Two Towers (179 minutes)
- DVD movies: Rated PG-13
$5.99 per movie, $17.97 total. Not sold individually. Dolby sound
$27.991.000000 in Stock
Soldiers of Change
Soldiers of Change: Riots. Rebellion. War. The Battlelines Were Drawn.
In the midst of the 1960's, a reluctant soldier finds himself in the center of two wars. Ripped from the civil rights struggle at home and thrust into the war in Vietnam, Randy is forced into a heroic struggle for his life and his love. Soldiers of Change tells the explosive story of one man's coming of age during the turbulent 1960's.
DVD/ Rating "PG-13″/ Play time 97 mins/ 2.0 Dolby digital Stereo
$12.991.000000 in Stock
Hamburger Hill
Hamburger Hill: War at its Worst; Men at Their Best
Vietnam, 1969, Hill 937, 10 Days, 70% Casualties. Those are the Facts – This is the Story. The men of Bravo Company are facing a battle that's all up hill… up "Hamburger Hill". They are fighting for their country, their fellow soldiers, and for their lives. War is Hell, but this is worse. Hamburger Hill is a raw, gritty, and totally unrelenting dramatic depiction of one of the fiercest battles of the Vietnam War.
DVD/ Rated "R"/ Color/ Playtime 110 minutes
$13.991.000000 in Stock
50 Classic Combat Movies
50 Classic Combat Movies: Over 70 explosive hours of Hollywood's finest depictions of combat. This 12 DVD boxed set comes with a guide so the viewer can locate the exact movie they want to watch.
Some of the movie stars: Van Johnson, James Cagney, Lee Van Cleef, Ronald Reagan, Richard Arlen, Randolph Scott, Sidney Poitier, Montgomery Clift, Richard Arlen, Anna Mae Wong, Boris Karloff, David Niven, Guy Madison, Otto Kruger, Robert Donat to name a few
movie title / release date / movie type:
- The Adventures of Tartu (1943) Color
- Aerial Gunner (1943) B&W
- The Battle of El Alamein (1969) Color
- The Big Lift (1950) B&W
- Black Brigade (1970) Color
- Bombs over Burma (1943) Color
- Commandos (1968) Color
- Corregidor (1943) B&W
- Gung Ho! (1943) B&W
- Hell in Normandy (1968) Color
- Hitler's SS:a Portrait in Evil (1985) Color
- Iron Angel (1964) B&W
- Kansas Pacific (1953) Color
- Submarine Alert (1943) Color
- Submarine Base (1943) B&W
- Spitfire (1942) B&W
- One of our Aircraft is missing (1942) B&W
- Then There Were Three (1961) B&W
- Mutiny (1952) Color
- The Steel Claw (1961) Color
- This is the Army (1943) Color
- Minesweeper (1943) B&W
- British Intelligence (1940) B&W
This is just a short list of some of the 50 movies in this boxed set. This 12 DVD set is a special addition for any military history buff, modeler, movie collector or anyone in search of quality entertainment. A great buy!
$49.991.000000 in Stock
The Aviator
The Aviator: staring Christopher Reeve, Rosanna Arquette, Jack Warden
As a solo pilot for the US postal service's newly formed airmail service, Edgar Anscombe (Christopher Reeve), a man haunted by his past has made a career of being a loner. One fateful day he is unexpectedly assigned an involuntary passenger, the rebellious Tillie Hansen, ( Rosanna Arquette). Her unrelenting impudence drives Edgar crazy! When the plane Edgar is flying is forced to crash land in a rugged and desolate mountain canyon, these two unlikely companions find that they only one source of hope: each other. Truly a romance taken from the pages of yesteryear.
Color DVD/ Rated PG/ Original Theatrical Trailer/ 1 hr 37 minutes
English: stereo sound, French: mono sound, Spanish: mono sound
$14.991.000000 in Stock
4 Movie Marathon: Classic War Collection
4 DVD WWII Movie Marathon: Classic War Collection- Not Documentaries
- "WWII" – Wake Island: 1hr 29 minutes – black & white/dual layer- Not Rated
- "WWII" – To Hell and Back: 1hr 47 minutes – color/dual layer- Not Rated
- "WWII" – Battle Hymn: 1hr 49 minutes – color/dual layer- Not Rated
- "WWII" – Gray Lady Down: 1hr 51minutes – color/dual layer- Rated PG
All DVD Movies are in Dolby digital sound 2.0 Mono/ Military situations
Starring: Charlton Heston, Rock Hudson, Audie Murphy, David Caradine and More!
$14.991.000000 in Stock
Battle of the Eagles/ Eagles Attack at Dawn: 2 Feature Films
Battle of the Eagles/Eagles Attack at Dawn: 2 feature films
Battle of the Eagles: Set during WWII this film is a tribute to the courageous airmen of Yugoslavia. These soldiers and airmen were known as Partisans. The pilots took off from England and neutral territory to defend their occupied homeland against the Nazis. The WWII partisans have always been a subject of controversy (some historians call them Fascists but by another stripe). Runtime 102 minutes /Military Situations / No rating
Eagles Attack at Dawn: Israeli commandos attack a heavily guarded arab prison where a number of prisoners are being held. Runtime 96 minutes /Military Situations / No rating
$11.991.000000 in Stock


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The new Soviet Communist Party leader, who held ''substantive'' talks with top Reagan administration envoys Monday, appears to be taking early command of the nation's foreign policy.
In a day that began with a hero's funeral for Mr. Brezhnev attended by dozens of foreign dignitaries, Party General Secretary Yuri Andropov met United States Vice-President George Bush and Secretary of State George Shultz for ''about 45 minutes to an hour,'' an American source said. It was the highest-level US-Soviet encounter since President Reagan took office nearly two years ago.
And early signs are that Mr. Andropov - a one-time diplomat and a specialist in Soviet relations with Eastern Europe - has moved much more quickly than did Leonid Brezhnev to claim the central role in foreign policy. Although Mr. Brezhnev took over as party leader in 1964, it was only in about 1970 that he emerged as the leadership's uncontested international affairs spokesman.
Besides Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, none of Mr. Andropov's Politburo colleagues was present at the meeting with the US envoys. An account from the Soviet news agency Tass portrayed the new party chief as the principal participant on the Kremlin side. As for Mr. Gromyko, he is by far the most experienced foreign policy hand on the ruling party Politburo but is viewed by most foreign analysts essentially as a technocrat. Also said by the Soviets to have been present was the late Mr. Brezhnev's foreign policy aide, Andrei Alexandrov-Agentov.
The precise division of foreign policy responsibilities among the post-Brezhnev leadership will take time to become clear. One hitch is that Mr. Brezhnev, once having secured center stage on international issues, assumed along with his party leadership the traditionally ceremonial post of Soviet president.
Mr. Andropov has become party leader. But the presidential slot has yet to be filled, and its post-Brezhnev significance has yet to be defined. In addition, the makeup of the Politburo itself is likely to change over the coming days or months as replacements are found for Mikhail Suslov (died in January), Brezhnev, Arvid Pelshe (reportedly died Nov. 12), and Andrei Kirilenko (reported to have resigned due to ill health).
In the US-Soviet talks here, there was no visible sign of a breakthrough on any of the substantive issues that increasingly chilled superpower relations during the final months of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Instead, the very occurrence of the meeting Nov. 15, days after Mr. Brezhnev's passing, was seen as one indication the new Soviet leader wants cautiously to reciprocate the stated US hope for better relations in the period ahead.
There were also indications of a renewed Kremlin bid to warm the atmosphere of its relations with China. Earlier this year, Brezhnev, citing an unfriendly Reagan administration attitude as one catalyst, had embarked on a move to narrow the split with China.
The prominence of Soviet news media coverage of the condolence visit here by Chinese Foreign Minister Huang Hua suggests under Mr. Brezhnev's successor the Kremlin is, at least for now, decided on pursuing this course. East European sources say Mr. Huang, meanwhile, broke with the practice of other envoys when paying a formal condolence call on Soviet leaders. While even East European Communist chiefs spoke only briefly with Mr. Andropov, Mr. Huang is said to have tarried a full three minutes or so in conversation with the new party leader. The sources say Mr. Huang plans to stay on in Moscow until Nov. 17 and is scheduled to meet with his Soviet counterpart, Gromyko.
What sketchy information had emerged at time of writing on the Soviet-US meeting - with neither US nor Soviet officials willing to venture any immediate elaboration - suggested Mr. Andropov both wants to encourage whatever genuine softening toward Moscow the Americans may be contemplating, but is determined not to play the role of supplicant in any superpower thaw.
A statement from the American side said the meeting was ''frank, cordial, and substantive. It gave both sides an opportunity to exchange views on the state of their relations.''
Most foreign analysts here suspected the meeting's major immediate significance was that it had occurred at all. The Americans had been not at all certain the new party leader would oblige, particularly so soon after taking over, despite the omission in Vice-President Bush's arrival statement here of the kind of policy criticisms and harsh rhetoric that had come to characterize many Reagan administration statements about the Soviets.
The Soviet news agency account said Mr. Andropov had ''emphasized that the Soviet Union . . . is ready to build relations with the USA on the basis of full equality, noninterference, (and) mutual respect.''
In a development focusing attention on one substantive area of US-Soviet discord - the Afghan question - it was learned late Nov. 15 that Mr. Andropov had also received Pakistani President Zia ul-Haq.
Initial indications from Asian diplomats in touch with the Pakistanis were that the Afghanistan issue had been discussed in the meeting, which lasted about 40 minutes, but that Mr. Andropov had signalled no changes in Soviet policy.
In the view of some diplomats, however, the fact that the new party leader had chosen to meet with President Zia might signal a longer-term search for a palitable political resolution of the Afghan crisis. The diplomats said Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko had also been present at the meeting, but that Mr. Andropov had done most of the talking for the Soviet side.


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GC Home | Register | Shop | Learn | Business | Around Town | Info
If I Ruled The World...
Guest editorial by Gail Brown
Robbie asked, "Gail, if you were in charge of the world, how would you bring more people into sewing? ( Remember, I define 'sewing' in the broadest sense-- anything you can do with a sewing machine or serger.)"
Under my world reign:
I would change the common perception of sewing from un-cool and simple-minded to hip and intellectual. Yes, you already know that it is, but I am shocked by the number of people who try to convince me otherwise. I think it is pretty darn hip to know how to create or customize your own fashions and furnishings. Sewing has also taught me more about creative problem solving as it applies to all challenges in life than any academic course I have ever taken. I'm no intellectual giant, but put me in a corner, metaphorically speaking, and I'll match my wits against anyone's. Sewing has taught me that kind of problem solving; knowing that there are many solutions, rather than the solution.
In college, I fell for a tall, handsome medical student. I noticed, however, that he was embarrassed to admit to others that I was a Home-Ec major, working my way through school as a dressmaker. He made excuses for what was, in his estimation, my intellectual inferiority and relatively insignificant talent ( in light of his higher pursuit of saving lives). To him, sewing was un-hip. (Yikes! My parents and I are relieved that I didn't marry him).
I would decree that celebrities show and talk about sewing on television and in popular periodicals. (That is, sewing that is hip, therapeutic, and productive). As much as I hate to admit it, ours is a celebrity-driven culture. Consider what is happening no with hand-knitting: Goldie Hawn and company have made it cool.
I would buy a sewing machine and serger for every person even remotely interested in sewing. I live in a poor community, with a fast-growing Hispanic population. I see so may Hispanic women here, young and old, home with children, unable to drive and speak English. I know they would love to sew and could learn with minimal instruction. (Sewing is a universal language). They would be able to share their talents with their family and possibly earn a living from their newfound skill and equipment.
I would slow peoples' lives down a bit. You can't sew while working, driving, (don't try it!), eating out, shopping, watching ball games, and attending meetings. Don't we all need more time at home? (I realize "home" can be an RV, summer cabin, even a hotel room or cruise ship cabin). I'm not a huge "simplify your life: fanatic, but there's not a person I know who doesn't crave more down time. I'm working on this and fail miserably but see slow progress. Because of a more relaxed work/travel schedule. I had time to teach my daughter to sew for the first time in way too many years. My premise has always been: The more down time at home, the more time available for sewing. Maybe the gasoline prices will help?
I would schedule "unplug" hours. We all need to unplug from electronic screens, and when we do, we can pursue hands-on activities, such as sewing. I remind myself: I don't need to answer my e-mail every 15 minutes. I've given away the videogames my boys once glued themselves to. The result? Lots of grumbling, and magically, more reading and making and playing things -- camps, model kits, remodeling of skateboards and bikes. They are even talking to each other and their parents more. (No sewing yet, but both of my adult brothers sew, so who knows?)
I would realistically portray homes in magazines and on television. I must confess that totally uncluttered living and working environments look terrific, but are they real? I make a mess when I sew, don't you? I don't apologize for it any more... I'm tired of pretending what I do is a neat little package. This is what I do, and this is what happens when I do what I do. No more apologies. Let's lighten up. Don't wait for a sewing room addition so you can pursue your passion. Do it now. My latest quote: "It's a mess around here, and it's always this way. Welcome!"
I would schedule an alterations day before every prom at every high school. Talented seamsters would offer their services to take in, let out, and hem prom dresses, with this one "fee": the wearer of the dress ust watch hand help. That's what I do with my daughter's friends who seek me out just days (hopefully not hours) before the big prom. I think I've actually inspired one or two to start sewing. ( These are the same young women who tell me "My jeans don't fit". Translation: The jeans are too long).
I would multiply opportunities for "social sewing". Enthusiasts feed off one another, so gather for quilting, charity sewing needs, classes, in schools, community centers, and churches. And for some, especially those with young children, this may be their only time to sew for longer than 15 minute sessions. (The American Sewing Guild in the Seattle area will gather soon to sew and serge scrubs for Northwest medical teams traveling worldwide).
I would substitute the verbs "quilt", "decorate", "alter", "costume", "recycle", "customize", "appliqué", or "embroider" whenever the word "sew" turns people off. Let's also prom0te adopting whatever aspect of sewing you love... specialize, rather than abandon sewing altogether.
Because of umpteen potential pursuits, our free time has been fragmented, Focus on your favorite aspect of sewing. (For instance, i don't pretend to be a machine-embroidery expert. There's just not enough time in my life yet).
I would inform all potential sewing machine and serger buyers that there is a full range of price points. from inexpensive to spendy, used to new.
I would encourage the expansion of our definition of sewing to incorporate high-tech advancements. Yes, it is OK to fuse interfacing rather than pad-stitch. And those computer printed photo transfers? Riding the mammoth "memory" wave, people are diving back into sewing just to save photos as pillows, quilts, or wearable designs.
I would offer sewing machine and serger rentals at hotels and resorts. computers, printers, and fax machines are made available, so why not machines for sewing enthusiasts? I would gladly rent them. Wouldn't you.?
I would never ever allow abandonment of teaching sewing, promoting it through 4-H, sewing organizations (ASG, Custom Clothiers, etc.), and other community programs, in schools (all levels), at stores, on television, and on the Internet. (Take that from someone who grew up with a Mom who encouraged sewing, but didn't touch a needle or thread herself. Thank you, 4-H, Home-Ec, retail sewing classes, and sewing books and magazines).
The Cosmic Ruler declares: Unplug and sew!
About the author: Gail's most recent book with Nancy Zieman is "Quick Gifts and Decor", which can be seen at fabric stores in the Nancy's Notions catalog, and at www.gailbrown.com.
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text:
Volume 47 Number 5, 2010
Pages xv — xxii
Marc I. Rosen, MD
Veterans who undergo compensation examinations to determine eligibility for service-connected compensation have strong feelings about the process. A recent story aired by 60 Minutes on the compensation and pension evaluation process was titled, "Delay, Deny and Hope That I Die," capturing the anguish compensation evaluations can evince [1]. A veteran at a recent hearing sponsored by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) vividly described the anger he felt about the compensation evaluator: "The guy is getting a check to deny our services" [2].
When the response to a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) claim is an evaluation without a concurrent offer of treatment, a potentially adversarial situation is made worse. The compensation examiner has a responsibility to the VBA to obtain information to adjudicate a claim, and as such, the examination serves a societal need rather than a treatment need. In fulfilling this societal need, compensation examiners are put into an evaluative role that can alienate the veteran being evaluated [3]. For example, the compensation examiner may have to collect information about traumatic issues that the veteran is unprepared to address therapeutically. A compensation examination focuses on data collection rather than addressing veteran distress. In addition, a compensation interview often has more time constraints than multisession clinical treatment, and the veteran may feel rushed. Limited time is available to focus on helping the veteran process his or her subjective experience. An examiner must consider not only the veteran's perspective but also alternative sources of data and may ask questions that challenge the veteran's version of events.
Even the expression of empathy during an evaluation can be complicated [4]. The empathic listening that mental health clinicians are trained in may trigger unrealistic wishes for help from veterans asked to describe private thoughts and traumatic events. Such wishes may be evoked by the evaluation setting. Evaluations are usually performed in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinicians' professional offices, by VA clinicians in their professional garb, with clinicians identified by their titles (social worker, doctor, etc.)-all of these features are associated with being offered succor. At the end of the encounter, the compensation examiner concludes the evaluation and writes a report that may lead to a denial of benefits. The empathy may be seen as artificial and worsen veterans' frustration with the compensation process. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) suffers collateral damage by administering examinations that may result in the denial of benefits by the VBA.
In my opinion, OIF/OEF (Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom) veterans applying for service-connected compensation for PTSD should routinely be offered an on-site treatment referral immediately following the compensation examination. I focus on OIF/OEF veterans because their eligibility for treatment does not depend on the results of their compensation examination-all OIF/OEF veterans are eligible for VA treatment for 5 years after their discharge from the military. In addition, many recently discharged OIF/OEF veterans' first contact with the VA is through a compensation examination. In this editorial, I describe the steps from deciding to apply for service-connected compensation through the immediate postexamination period and then consider the effect of linking evaluation and treatment referrals during the compensation evaluation.
Through the end of 2009, approximately 1.1 million OIF/OEF veterans had left Active Duty out of a total of 1.7 million veterans who had served [5]. A significant proportion of them will develop PTSD. In the New England Journal of Medicine, Hoge et al. indicate that between 12 and 20 percent of returning OIF/OEF combat troops met screening criteria for PTSD [6], and an analysis of a broader sample of returning OIF/OEF personnel identified 9.8 percent who met the screening threshold for PTSD [7]. It is of concern, but not surprising, that a comprehensive analysis of veterans treated at the VA between 2004 and 2008 suggested that the rates of mental illness have increased with successive cohorts [8].
Based on the number of compensation claims that have been filed to date and the number filed in past wars, a conservative estimate is that a full 50 percent of OIF/OEF veterans will apply for some service-connected compensation, which is only slightly higher than the 44 percent of Gulf War veterans who applied [9]. It is likely that a majority of those who apply are actually those who are at least partially disabled. In studies describing pre-OIF/OEF cohorts, award rates ranging from 33 to 72 percent for PTSD have been reported [10]. More recently, a review of 2,400 PTSD claims decided during 2007 and 2008 indicated that 42.5 percent were denied and an additional 2.9 percent were rated at 0 percent (veterans had the diagnosis but were not disabled by it); 1.54 percent were rated at 100 percent and the rest fell in between as shown in the Figure (unpublished data).1
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Qualitative data and surveys of veterans from other conflicts who applied for service-connected compensation for PTSD indicate that for the majority, the motivations for seeking service-connected compensation are complex, with financial gain being only one of many motivations [11]. A substantial proportion of applications are filed many years after discharge from military service, not at the earliest opportunity, and many veterans apply after triggering issues other than the first onset of symptoms. In a survey by Sayer et al., 439 veterans presenting for compensation examinations were asked to rate their agreement with presented reasons for seeking service-connected compensation for PTSD [11]. Although no item concerning financial reasons was endorsed by a majority of the veterans, majorities endorsed items suggesting that the application was motivated by a desire for validation: "It will show that there is a reason for my problems," and "If I get service-connection for PTSD, I will feel that justice has been served for what I went through." Another class of items that was less frequently endorsed related to being accepted by others, such as "My family wants me to become service-connected for PTSD." The authors' abstract summarizes the implications of these findings: "Overall, findings suggest that individuals seeking disability benefits may have unmet mental health care needs" [11].
Items describing financial considerations were endorsed by substantial minorities of veterans, especially those who were indigent. Veterans who did not endorse financial reasons may have been influenced by the stigma associated with seeking disability benefits. Qualitative studies of applicants for Social Security disability benefits for psychiatric conditions describe a period of resistance to admitting disability and considerable ambivalence about seeking benefits [12]. A purely evaluative stance by a compensation examiner is ill-suited to exploring these complex feelings about seeking disability. The benefits evaluation process may overemphasize the financial motivations of veterans seeking disability and under-address the psychological aspects of the application for disability. Successful treatment for veterans at this stage can have far-reaching benefits.
To apply for benefits, a veteran sends a claim to the VBA, where staff ask the local VHA treatment facility to arrange a compensation examination. The compensation examiner reviews the existing records (armed service personnel, combat, medical, and psychiatric); conducts a face-to-face psychiatric interview; and writes a report outlining the examiner's conclusions concerning diagnosis, functional impairment, and relationship of impairment to military service. The examiner's report is reviewed by a VBA claims officer who determines whether an award is warranted and, if so, the percentage of full disability benefits that should be awarded. Overall, the application process is arduous and involves describing the traumatic symptoms (and usually the trauma itself) in considerable, and potentially painful, detail.
In a prospective study, Spoont et al. evaluated 109 veterans at the time they applied for service-connected compensation for PTSD and again at the time of the examination [13]. Veterans' PTSD symptoms and functional impairment had significantly worsened between the time of their initial application and their examination [12]. Unemployed veterans had significantly greater increases in their PTSD and functional impairment than those who were employed, perhaps reflecting the examination's greater financial importance to them. This study had no control group, so it is possible that symptoms worsened for reasons unrelated to the compensation examination. However, the veterans in this study were completing research assessments and were assured that their ratings would not be used in their compensation applications, so it is unlikely the distress was feigned. In other studies with psychological tests collected as part of the compensation examination, veterans apparently exaggerated their distress during the examination itself [14-15].
Veterans' reports that the compensation application process is stressful [16] have been corroborated by the Veterans Service Organization staff who help them with the application process [17]. Veterans Service Officers agree with statements indicating that veterans often have these negative experiences. For instance, 70 percent of surveyed Veterans Service Officers agree with the statement "Veterans become very upset discussing military experiences as part of the claim" and 57 percent agree that "Veterans are often not able to handle denial of service-connection for PTSD." Significant proportions of Veterans Service Officers chose ratings that were critical of examiners. For example, 42 percent disagreed with the statement that "Veterans' problems are generally understood by people involved in the Compensation and Pension process" and a full 36 percent disagreed with the statement "Veterans can trust the PTSD evaluators."
A substantial proportion of veterans presenting for compensation examinations have not received VA services before. In a review of administrative records from 452 veterans who obtained service-connected compensation for PTSD, only 112 had been using mental health services before initiating their claim [18]. Another study of veterans filing PTSD claims found that those receiving mental health services when they applied were disproportionately younger, married, and dependent on public insurance. Surprisingly, service use was not associated with having more severe self-reported symptoms of PTSD [19]. It is not known whether the studies of service use also apply to OIF/OEF veterans because few OIF/OEF veterans were enrolled in those studies. Large majorities of veterans in those studies were Vietnam-era veterans with chronic PTSD who had accumulated long-term comorbidities [20-21].
It has been asserted that veterans who receive service-connected compensation are not motivated to benefit from PTSD treatment [22], but the preponderance of data have demonstrated that veterans with PTSD, including substantial proportions who are service-connected, benefit from targeted psychotherapies [23-25]. There have been reports of veterans engaging in mental health treatment around the time they filed disability claims and subsequently disengaging from treatment after the claim was awarded, with the inference being that these veterans engage in treatment in a perfunctory way solely to enhance their claims for service-connected compensation [26]. Such a pattern would suggest the futility of engaging veterans in treatment at the time of compensation applications, but the weight of retrospective evidence is that treatment engagement and gains are not time-limited benefits that fade after awards of service-connected compensation for PTSD are made. Awards of service-connected compensation for PTSD have not been associated with poorer treatment outcomes or less treatment engagement in several retrospective analyses [27-29].
Our group reviewed the VA charts and compensation reports of 62 consecutive OIF/OEF veterans who underwent compensation examinations at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System for initial service-connected compensation for PTSD during the 6-month period following July 1, 2008, to estimate use of substance abuse and mental health services. Of the 61 percent (38/62) who were diagnosed with PTSD on the compensation examinations, 50 percent (19/38) had had psychiatric treatment at VA within the previous 3 months and virtually the same percentage (53%, 20/38) had a mental health visit in the 3 months following the compensation exam. Of the examinees, five had at least a rule-out substance abuse diagnosis made (other than alcohol use) but only one had received any substance abuse treatment at the VA during the 3 months before the evaluation. These results are consistent with findings in veterans from earlier conflicts, suggesting that large proportions of veterans are not receiving VA treatment for the claimed disability, and they suggest that treatment engagement is not facilitated by completing a compensation examination.
Evidence exists that OIF/OEF veterans have particular difficulty engaging in mental health treatment. A survey of combat troops returning from OIF/OEF indicated a large gap between veterans' perceived needs for mental health treatment and their having received it; only 23 to 40 percent of those whose responses suggested a psychiatric disorder had sought mental health care [6]. A corroborating, more recent article found significantly lower rates of session attendance and higher rates of treatment dropout in a cohort of OIF/OEF veterans compared with rates in Vietnam-era veterans [30].
VA compensation examiners complete online training to become credentialed to conduct compensation examinations. In this training videotape, the compensation examiner explains to a veteran that the purpose of the examination is not to conduct counseling but to "document your experiences." VA regulations further reinforce this boundary between the evaluator and the clinician by noting that the evaluation should be conducted by someone who is not providing clinical care to the claimant. The Automated Medical Information Exchange worksheets for conducting the compensation examination require a directive interview to elicit the plethora of specific information that is requested, and there is no recommendation in the worksheets that treatment be offered.
These procedures are consistent with the tradition in psychiatry that "clinical" and "forensic" functions be performed by separate clinicians, and disability evaluations have been considered to be a particular type of forensic evaluation [31]. The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Ethics Guidelines recommend this explicitly: "At the beginning of a forensic evaluation, care should be taken to explicitly inform the evaluee that the psychiatrist is not the evaluee's `doctor.'" Acknowledging the fact that evaluees may fall into the patient role anyway because of setting, wish, and having vented, the guidelines continue, "Psychiatrists have a continuing obligation to be sensitive to the fact that although a warning has been given, the evaluee may develop the belief that there is a treatment relationship" [32].
The agency affiliation of the examining clinician may not be clear to veterans filing claims. Qualitative data suggests that veterans who undergo compensation examinations report not understanding the distinction between an evaluative examination and a treatment examination-after all, both are conducted by mental health professionals.2 Veterans may not make the distinction between the VHA staff who conduct examinations and the VBA staff who decide claims and dispense benefits. Both are "VA staff."
Compensation and pension examination reports are available to VA clinicians but are in a different portion of the VA's electronic medical record than most other clinical information and, in my experience, are infrequently consulted by clinicians. Compensation examiners have access to clinical records for the period preceding the examination and are expected to dictate a report soon after interviewing the veteran. Thus, appointments made or kept after the interview are not typically part of the examiner's report. However, attendance at subsequent treatment might be an issue if the veteran's claim is reevaluated (e.g., if a denied claim is appealed).
I propose that the institutional and procedural steps that convey that compensation examinations for veterans with PTSD claims are purely evaluative be amended to add that all OIF/OEF veterans who undergo these examinations be offered VA treatment. Ideally, this would involve the following:
It is important that the treatment be seen as voluntary. To prevent veterans from feeling coerced into treatment, examiners could explain that the treatment referral is separate from the evaluation and the report of the interview will be completed without feedback to the examiner concerning whether the veteran attended treatment or not. It is also important that treatment not be seen as a way to gather further information to disprove the veteran's compensation claim, a distinction that can be made by the treating clinician and examiner.
One concern is that veterans will engage in treatment in order to further compensation claims. However, there have only been scattered reports of such financially motivated treatment seeking and little available data document the prevalence of the belief that seeking psychiatric treatment buttresses a compensation claim. Another concern is that veterans seeking treatment after a compensation examination will avoid issues in therapy that he or she believes might weaken the service-connected compensation claim. Anecdotal evidence to the contrary comes from an ongoing study by our group in which 25 veterans presenting for compensation evaluations of mental health claims have participated in subsequent occupational counseling. Despite a warning on the study consent form that there is a risk that information discussed during counseling may be entered into their VA charts and eventually be seen by someone rating the veteran's disability, there has not been any apparent avoidance of sensitive topics by veterans worried about the effect on a service-connected compensation claim.
The fact that not all veterans evaluated for PTSD will ultimately be service-connected for it is not a reason to not offer treatment. Veterans who are not judged to be service-connected for PTSD may nevertheless have a treatable cause of distress. Clinical treatment involves a period of history-taking and negotiation of a treatment plan between patient and clinician. During this time, the veteran can begin treatment for the causes of distress, be they PTSD or a diagnosis with symptoms that overlap those of PTSD, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and personality disorders.
The VHA's mission is to improve veterans' health. Identifying and evaluating PTSD claims among OIF/OEF veterans and not treating them is inherently problematic. Compensation examinations are a common point of contact with the VA for OIF/OEF veterans and an opportunity to invite veterans reporting distress to obtain effective treatments to which they are entitled by law. Virtues of this approach include (1) that it targets a high-priority, high-risk group of veterans and (2) that veterans' early experience with the VA is treatment-oriented and not solely evaluative. Providing PTSD treatment at the time of evaluation is not likely to eliminate all the problematic aspects of the compensation evaluation, but it is far more likely to help than to cause harm [10,33]. Ultimately, whether offering PTSD treatment at the time of the compensation examination is cost-effective is an empirical question, but sufficient evidence exists of OIF/OEF veterans' PTSD symptomatology and distress at the time of compensation examination to justify offering available mental health treatments after all compensation examinations.
Considerable public pressure exists to improve the process of evaluating compensation claims and engaging veterans in treatment. Combining the disability evaluation with treatment was a theme voiced by the Department of Defense's Senior Medical Advisor, Noel Howard, MD, at a public meeting to review the criteria for service-connected PTSD: "Marrying the disability evaluation up with treatment and rehabilitation-I think that's been also a theme of today's session, and I would emphasize the need for transition to ego-building occupational and social functioning" [2]. In testimony to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Linda Bilmes called for something very much like the proposed approach for returning OIF/OEF veterans: "VBA should shift its focus away from claims processing and onto rehabilitating and reintegration of veterans" [34]. Engaging veterans in treatment should be part of the compensation examination process.
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Last Reviewed or Updated Monday, August 16, 2010 2:20 PM


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We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives
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In at least three sentences, explain what the quote means to you. What does this quote have to do with being a hero? Feel free to use an appropriate anecdote. *You may change the names of people involved, if you want.
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Bachelor's in Design
Bachelor's in Design
Bachelor degree programs in Design offer a broad curriculum that covers the varied aspects of quality design today. Students gain a strong background in the theory of design and visual analysis. Many Design programs also allow students to choose a specialisation track centering on a particular aspect of design. The curriculum aims to address the various factors that influence design, including social and psychological issues, environment, materials, techniques and art theory.
What Is a Bachelor's in Design?
The Bachelor's in Design is a college degree program that provides a sweeping overview of the field of design along with specialisation choices for those who want to concentrate on a particular area. Throughout multiple courses in design theory, art history and visual analysis, students gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of design as communication. As part of the program's holistic approach to design and function, many colleges provide design students with the opportunity to take courses in other related disciplines, such as:
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Many programs also encourage students to become proficient in the latest technological advances that impact design, including computer modeling software, lighting technology and industrial processes for furniture and textiles.
The field of design is extremely broad. Once they have become familiar with the underlying history and theory, students may specialise in one of the many concentration tracks within the discipline. Some typical focus areas include:
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What Are the Benefits of Getting a Bachelor's in Design?
The Bachelor's in Design program imparts a broad and deep understanding of the field of design as it applies across the board. While the field of design contains many sub-specialties, the broad education provided by this Bachelor's curriculum enables graduates to think critically and creatively in any of these areas.
The Bachelor's in Design also provides a quality education in hands-on design skills. For example, in addition to learning the principles of good lighting design, students learn how to use today's lighting technology to create the effects they want. Communication and critical thinking skills are also part of the Design skill set. Learning to convey ideas through visual media helps students develop clarity of thought as well as creative problem solving.
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Some graduates may go on to pursue further education in design or in one of its sub-specialties. The broad curriculum of the Bachelor's in Design is an excellent preparation for more advanced coursework.
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States
University of Pennsylvania's, 302 acre campus located in West Philadelphia, reflects its rich heritage with more than 200 buildings and many notable landmarks. Penn is one of the world's most powerful research and teaching institutions; it has four undergraduate schools of Engineering and Applied Science; Nursing; Arts and Sciences and The Wharton School. Additionally it has twelve graduate and professional schools of Arts and Sciences; Dental Medicine; Engineering and Applied Science; Design; Nursing; Social Policy & Practice; Veterinary Medicine; Law; Medicine; Communication; Graduate School of Education and The Wharton School.... learn more
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Imperial College London
London, United Kingdom
Imperial College London is a science-based university located in the heart of London. The College focuses on the four main disciplines of science, engineering, medicine and business and is renowned for its application of these skills in industry, commerce and healthcare.... learn more
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University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, United States
University of Michigan, located in Ann Arbor, has 19 schools and colleges covering the liberal arts and sciences as well as most professions. Over 5,500 undergraduate courses are taught each term in over 100 programs. UMich receives over $374 million in research expenditures annually, the largest research expenditure for any university in the country. Moreover UMich's teaching and research staff is considered one of the top five faculties in the country.... learn more
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University of California - Los Angeles
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The University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
University of Edinburgh is the sixth oldest university in the English-speaking world. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city of Edinburgh, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university. The University of Edinburgh's academic structure is based on three Colleges: College of Humanities and Social Science; College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine and College of Science and Engineering; within these colleges there are 20 schools.... learn more
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