It's sort of essential to have mold inspection done every once in a while to ensure total abstinence from health issues that you may invariably draw upon you unknowingly. Adding to worse is most hidden health related issues remain untreated despite so much latest availability of technologies. You can imagine your chances of not being infected of mold borne diseases. Obviously, chances are slim.
As you may already know, mold is a form of fungus that's often found growing almost anywhere around you. Just anywhere is fine until it doesn't include your home and its premises. Not to mention, it's highly associated to many health problems such as dermatitis, allergies, headaches, asthma, sinus, fatigue, emphysema, eye irritation, dizziness, and, sometimes, confusions. It's a common myth that mold is mostly found at the kitchen or bathroom due to excessive use of water and so. But that's not entirely true. There are other hidden areas in your home which might be highly infected of mold not seen by your naked eyes.
If you want to handle it on your own then you are likely to miss important areas most prevalent to mold growth. Most old buildings are prone to mold growth than newer ones. In this context, the best option is to better choose professional mold inspection services.
Features and Solutions
Not just detecting areas will help, it's important to figure out the type of mold growing at your home. This is the finest way to understand the kind of treatment to be implemented for the job. Visual inspection is necessary however you can't solely rely on it for complete removal programs. There are several procedures carried out to ensure absolute removal of mold. Areas such as behind walls, leaky roofs, and windowsills or under sinks that are generally not seen by naked eyes are most affected. In fact the key to mold growth removal lies in dealing with dampness issues. It will keep coming back if dampness isn't dealt the right way. Repairs should also be conducted to get rid of dampness the right way.
In many cases, molds at home are found to be toxic that may result in respiratory illness among family members. Spores can lead to a variety of diseases and the treatment demands specialization and possibly the nature of toxic can show a significant way to right treatment. Black Mold is notorious for making people sick of asthma and emphysema. Black mold is easily detectable by the professional services hired. The professionals will first detect the problem areas and then offer the solutions to the clients. Then upon discussions, professionals will use methods to offer quality solutions. Professionals also use disinfectants. Mold and air quality testing is essential for homes. And if you are up to buying a new home then ensure these testing.
Professionals ensure that all types of dangerous molds are removed by allowing no room of their return.
M.S.I provides efficient and effective services of the Mold Inspection Media PAto its clients. You can get lots of benefits by taking its services.
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A U.S. Air Force plane drops munitions. (Department of Defense/AP)Lieutenant Colonel Jenns Robertson, 45, has spent the past six years working on one of the most unusual historical projects in modern times: compiling a database of every bomb dropped by U.S. forces dating back to World War I.
"It has proven useful in the real world, in real time," Robertson told the Boston Globe. "You can pick any place you want and look at it in detail."
The project is called THOR: Theater History of Operations Reports and allows people to use their computers to literally point and click to nearly any location on the globe and receive a near-instantaneous assessment of when and where U.S. bombs were dropped over the past century.
Beyond the fascinating historical implications, Robertson's bomb project is being used by the U.S. and other countries to save lives. In places like German, Vietnam and Iraq, the database is being examined to identify locations where there may still be unexploded ordinance.
Working from Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, Robertson has been working full-time on what started out as something of a hobby, combing through thousands upon thousands of documents.
For examples, the Globe notes that Robertson has discovered about 1,000 original World War I raid reports, all entered by hand.
And with each subsequent war, the sheer volume of documents continues to grow. For World War II alone, Robertson has scanned a reported 10,000 handwritten and typed pages of bombing records.
For the Vietnam War alone, Robertson has examined records showing that from October 1965 to May 1975 at least 456,365 cluster bombs were dropped on Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. And since not all of the bombs actually exploded, the governments of these countries are working with the U.S. to examine the database in order to prevent civilian accidents and deaths.
Overall, Robertson says he is still combing through more than a million records from Vietnam alone.
The database is being used in ongoing conflicts as well. Bombing records are being used to investigate civilian deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq.
And Robertson's efforts may even help bring closure to the cases of missing soldiers, as the military examines the records and cross-references them with reports from pilots and air crews who went missing during battle.
"This collection contains a great trove of information that has greatly accelerated our research," Chris McDermott, chief historian of the Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command, tells the Globe. "Many of the cases where we have success are in far-flung locations with hazy loss circumstances. Each clue that we can compile from the official records could be the key that assists our team to locate a site.''
Actor Slim Pickens on the set of "Dr. Strangelove." (AP)
Your business needs to send key personnel to the excellent business courses offered, which include p3o training, business analysis training and change management training. With the p3o training the personnel who complete this course will make decisions without bothering upper management. The p3o training will give you better employees, with a renewed sense of confidence. P3o training makes your deployment of staff more flexible.
Business analysis training is geared to educating employees in how to determine the customers needs and the goals your company wants to reach. The business analysis training is course packed with powerful information that will help your company compete in your industry. The business analysis training is something to be considered, if improvement in your staffs capability is one of your goals.
Change is something that should not be feared. Employees who take the change management training seminar will deal with change instead of putting off decisions. The more time wasted on methods that are not working, the more time lost, which can be better utilized. Change management training helps determine the needs of your company in relation to the workforce. The number of employees might have to be decreased or increased. Transfers to different departments or divisions could be necessary. Change management training covers topics such as deployment of personnel and covers the options open to management in order to deal with the issue.
Learn more about Computer Training or business analysis
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Do not drown within your Nike Store debts, manage them instead! Instead of paying off several individual expenses each and every month, you can use financial debt strategies to combine your month-to-month repayments into one easy-to-manage bill each month. Debt consolidation provides you the power to acquire from debt using the assist of a certified financial debt consolidation agency. To be able to properly handle your financial debt and allow you to to obtain rid o your financial debt in timely fundamentals, a Nike Air financial debt consolidation always goes having a financial debt conduite program.
Your debt counselor from debt consolidation company will generally inquire you to enroll into one of their financial debt administration plan. In case you determine to enroll inside a Financial debt Conduite Program, do your homework prior to signing anything. Here are some guidelines for your reference just before you place your signature on for the financial debt management contract.
1. Check using the Far better Enterprise Bureau
You must short outlined some financial debt conduite programs offer by different financial debt consolidation firms; then, check these company?s score and their past efficiency records from Much better Organization Bureau (www bbb). Get rid of from individuals organizations which have an ?unsatisfactory? score at BBB. Serious and unresolved grievances is going to be noted, and it is possible to learn what other names the organization operates below so it is possible to appear them up as well. Realize how they solve complaints and whether they are going to spend your creditors promptly.
2. Understand the Fees
Financial debt consolidation just isn?t free of charge. Charges may possibly consist of account setup charge and monthly processing charge. Request all of the charges concerned, which includes the potential concealed fees before you make a decision to enroll towards the proposed financial debt administration strategy. Keep away from services that need to have up front charge; the rule of Nike Air thumb, If you are paying more than $50 per month, you happen to be paying an excessive amount of.
3. Select a Financial debt Consolidation Company that could Manage All of your Accounts
Ahead of you signal an agreement, let the debt consolidation business know all your accounts to be consolidated and request to verify that they can function with all your lenders and consolidation all of your accounts, not just a couple of.
4. Be Wary of Company That Enroll You in thirty Minutes of Less
A counselor must invest time with you to understand your current financial circumstance and will be sure the proposed financial debt conduite program very best match you. Generally rule, if a counselor enrolls you into their debt administration strategy with no comprehension your real debt dilemma, they won?t work for the interests in the future either. Be wary of those organizations that just want you to become their consumer and do not care about your genuine financial concerns.
In Summary
Financial debt consolidation with a Nike good financial debt management plan will is in a position to help you to solve your financial debt concerns. Even though there are various reputable financial debt consolidation organizations about inside the market place that truly supply a good services to assist their consumers in resolving their financial debt issues, numerous are around just to make profit and ignoring your financial debt problem. Should you make a decision to enroll within a Debt Management Strategy, do Nike your research ahead of signing something.
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The Woman Lifestyle.com and Joanne, site owner, offer a variety of tips and details of interest to women. The basis of the blog is health, natural practices, beauty and fashion.
July 2012 ? The Women Lifestyle and Joanne, site owner, are pleased to announce a website where health tips for women and natural beauty tips are presented in an interesting and informative manner. In addition to fashion tips for women, the website offers health and beauty topics and details about women and their interests.
Women want the latest information about techniques, products and details. The website supplies each of these categories with fresh content. If the topic is related to beauty, fashion or women?s studies, the story can be found on the website.
Health tips and natural beauty tips are presented in clear and interesting terms. Readers don?t need a medical degree to understand and benefit from these topics. Access to the website is free. Women can benefit from the current day?s tips or by checking out archives.
Speaking in a recent interview, Joanne stated, ?My blog draws information from around the globe and from every field of endeavor that affects women. Some of the topics are gossip, others are valuable for health promotion or a better quality of life.?
Those who check out the fashion tips for women will quickly see what types of accessories are perfect for the upcoming season. Choosing the health section of articles on the blog might serve as cancer fighters, or depression combating techniques.
Learn more about how to stay abreast of topics that interest women by visiting the web pages at http://thewomenlifestyle.com today. Members of the press and others who have additional questions about the content of this press release are encouraged to contact the owner at the location presented below.
Press Contact: Person Name: Joanne Company Name: The Women Lifestyle.com Address: by request Contact Telephone Number: by request Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
North Korea warned that more rainstorms will hit the country's north and western coastal regions this week, after recent flooding killed 88 people and left tens of thousands homeless.
Heavy rains are expected in most parts of the country on Sunday and Monday, state-run KCNA said, particularly warning of downpours set to deluge the west coast and the northern province of Jagang.
"In the period there will be rainfalls of 100-150 millimetres (5.9 inches) or more than 200 millimetres in some areas," KCNA said, citing a forecast by the country's weather service.
The warning comes a day after the North said that deadly floods which started on July 18 had left 88 dead, injured 134, made almost 63,000 people homeless and destroyed swathes of farmland.
More than 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of crop fields were "washed away" or submerged, with roads and factories destroyed, KCNA said Saturday, in a blow for the state which has long been beset by persistent severe food shortages.
After decades of deforestation the impoverished North is particularly vulnerable to flooding.
Dozens were killed or injured by a storm and torrential rains in June and July last year, which left thousands homeless and large areas of farmland flooded.
With rugged terrain and outmoded agricultural practices, the communist state faces serious difficulties in feeding its 24 million people. Hundreds of thousands died during a famine in the mid to late 1990s.
Following a visit to the country, UN agencies estimated last November that three million people would need food aid in 2012.
The United States reached a deal in February this year to offer the North much-needed food in return for a freeze on nuclear and missile tests.
But the plan was scrapped after Pyongyang's failed rocket launch in April, seen by the US and its allies as an attempted ballistic missile test banned under UN resolutions.
Before you think about downsizing your home, think long and hard about it. Although downsizing may be wise in certain situations, it also means you will have to get rid of many of your belongings and pieces of furniture. Also, downsizing means there is less room for people who may visit you.
When selecting a contractor for a home renovation, be sure to find someone you trust. Perform interviews as if you were hiring a personal assistant. You will have to let this contractor into your home and work with them on a daily basis. It?s better to select one you trust from the beginning than to face personality clashes later.
When thinking about outdoor home improvements, you should take a look at your fence. Many tend to overlook this aspect of our property more often than not, but an addition of a high quality and great looking fence can go a long way towards increasing the value of your back yard and outdoor entertainment areas.
Create extra seating in your kitchen. If you don?t have the space for a full sized kitchen table and chairs, think about using barstools around a kitchen island. This creates a casual area, perfect for eating a quick bite or simply chatting with family and friends. If your kitchen is too small for an island, consider using counter stools.
Home improvement should always start with the plumbing and the bathrooms. Bathrooms are a key room in a household and will make a house feel like brand new. It?s also one of the most profitable improvements to do to a house if a person ever decides to sell it.
If your rooms are looking rough because of nicks and dents in your wall, then you should try putting toothpaste in the hole to patch it up. Toothpaste can fill small nicks easily and can keep your room looking great. This is a cheap alternative and a quick fix.
If you find the home improvements you want to make overwhelming, only do one at a time. This can help you to finance the project yourself by allowing you time to amass some savings and can make the situation a lot less stressful. Take your time and enjoy your home as each upgrade is completed.
Try a mural painted on the wall to resemble a window in order to open up a room without the costs and work of taking out a wall or adding a window. If you get a high quality mural painted on the wall to resemble a window, you will find that it opens the room up quite well without causing you to go through the costs, effort, and stress of actually putting in a window.
To increase the value of your home, make some home improvements. The projects do not have to be time consuming or expensive. Start small with a job like laying new tile or vinyl in the bathroom. Once you are finished, you will think you have a whole new bathroom.
These simple tips should have helped you see some new perspectives on home improvement, which will get you thinking creatively about what will work and won?t work in your own home. Learning to think cleverly about how you make improvements will be a valuable skill as you gain experience and tackle more complex home improvement jobs.
If you want the best builders springfield mo you?ll want to take your time and choose the best company for you.
My site ?blew up? a couple days ago. It was kind of exhausting to deal with getting it back up while trying to deal with work too. I said I was not going to complain for the rest of pregnancy, but I need to. That was not cool or fair! Hopefully I?ll get my site fully restored over the weekend.
I?ve been fortunate to have 3 baby showers. Well? 2 baby showers and an open house. I am very grateful to all the people who have ?showered? us with gifts and love as we prepare for this impending invader blessing.
I LOVE the opportunity to be able to spend time with friends and family. I love that I received gifts. Yes, that makes me sound greedy? huh? But it?s more that I appreciate seeing what other people feel babies need and the help that this provides. I truly struggle with buying baby stuff. (We bought a crib mattress the other day at Babies R Us. They asked if we had a rewards card and I begrudgingly got one, because I know I have more purchases to make there in the months to come It?s just overwhelming!)
I HATE having my body on display. I kind of appreciate the way everyone has told me how beautiful and glowing I am, but there is a level of discomfort underneath for me as well. There?s a part of my ED brain that tells me everyone is judging everyone else?s bodies all the time. I always tell myself that can?t be true, because I don?t walk around thinking about everybody?s figures, and I definitely don?t think about my friends in terms of their bodies because I love my friends/family for the whole them. It?s not like ?friend-so-and-so is awesome, but their thighs suck? or ?friend-x is great because her boobs are amazing.? Yet when people comment on my shape right now, it feels like confirmation that appearance and body types are all the world thinks about.
The worst: My grandmother hugged me and said, ?Look at you, I thought for sure you were going to be as big as a barn!? Um? thanks? Most people just tell me that I?m ?all baby? or something like that. I definitely did not blow up everywhere with pregnancy, which was kind of my biggest fear in terms of body concerns.
Shower #1 ? Colorado
My in-laws threw a surprise baby shower for me while we were in CO for a family reunion. At this reunion we played a couple of goofy shower games, one was a Memory type game where there were a bunch of pregnancy-related terms on the back of numbered index cards. We flipped cards over and and if someone got a match, they won a prize. (Candy? planned out to relate to the term on the card. I don?t remember them all, but think along the lines of ?Premature? and ?Runts?.) Nearly everybody won a prize (except me, which is fine). The next ?game? was kind of a game, but kind of not. Everyone had a card and they were supposed to write down the best thing about being a mother and I was supposed to guess who wrote it down. Since not everyone there was a mother (nieces) they were supposed to write down what they thought was the best thing about being a mother. One of my nieces put ?being in total control of someone else.? I immediately knew that wasn?t coming from an actual parent, I know enough to recognize you?re not in control of the kid completely. But I didn?t really have to guess on all of them, some of them might as well have their name written on them and others the person just volunteered that it was them. Overall, it was fun except I felt like I was going to melt or die from heat stroke by the end. This was about the point where maternity pants were getting too uncomfortable to wear.
Shower #2 ? Las Vegas
This shower was thrown for me by my friend Charlene (Running with Charlene) and was a bunch of my lovely friends here in Las Vegas. A bunch of people that I?ve met through coaching Team Challenge were there, some came from Team In Training involvement, some just random other friendships I?ve made here. This was more informal where we ate lots of yummy goodies and chatted a lot. No organized games, that?s a relief. I can only handle so many corny games and if someone had tried to melt candy bars inside of diapers at a party, well? they might not be my friend anymore.
Shower #3 Open House ? Utah
My mom held a small open house for Kevin and me where co-workers, former neighbors, childhood friends, etc. could stop by and say hello. It was awesome to see people like my second grade teacher and people that I work with but rarely see now due to telecommuting. This was very informal, people could stop by between 6 to 7:30 pm and stay as long as they?d like. One fun thing is a guy that Kevin went to high school with has moved into the same neighborhood as my mom and Kevin?s parents (no? we didn?t know each other growing up. Kevin?s parents retired to the same town and moved into the same neighborhood as my mom.) so he stopped by. Kevin hadn?t seen him in a long time, so it was good that it wasn?t all strangers that only I knew! Actually, he has met the people that were there, but they know me better. I ate too many sweets at this party, there were so many options! But for a bit after that party, just the thought of a cookie or candy made my stomach roll.
Jade The Boxer is super-impressed with all of the stuff arriving in our home. Can?t you tell?
Thank you to everyone!
Minuscule?updates on the pregnancy: - The Group B Strep test came back negative. - Still not dilated, but still chance baby can come at anytime. Cervix is showing some ?dimpling?, I guess preparing for birth. - At 37 weeks now, I am considered ?full term?.
The federal inheritance tax rate will jump to 55 percent in 2013 unless Congress acts. ?Republicans and Democrats disagree on the best plan. ?But a stalemate will result in higher inheritance taxes than either party wants.
By Ron Scherer,?Staff writer / July 26, 2012
The way Congressional Republicans see it, farmers will have to sell their land and small businesses will have to put their firms on the auction block if nothing is done to prevent the inheritance tax from rising next year.
Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition
Their solution: completely end what they call ?the death tax.?
But, on the other side of the aisle, Congressional Democrats view eliminating the tax as yet another gift to the ultra-wealthy. Under President Obama?s plan, the rate would actually rise from current levels.
Unless the two sides can find a common ground, the estate tax will rise far higher than either party's proposal. The change in estate tax rates is one of several tax law changes slated to occur in January, when the Bush era income tax cuts will expire.?
Currently, the inheritance tax is 35 percent with a $5 million exemption per estate. On January 1, the rate jumps to 55 percent with a $1 million exemption.
According to Republicans, citing the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation, this would increase the number of estates that would pay the tax from 3,600 to 55,200.
?Remember, Americans work all their life paying income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes?only to have the government raid their farms, ranches and small businesses when they pass away,? said Utah?s Sen. Orin Hatch (R), the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee in a statement.
President Obama has proposed moving the top rate to 45 percent with an exemption of $3.5 million per estate. That would be same formula that was in effect in 2009.
However, analysts who follow the issue say not all Democrats support Obama. ?The Democrats are all over the map,? says Pete Davis of Davis Capital Investment Ideas, which supplies Washington intelligence to Wall Street firms. ?Some are silent or in favor the Republican position, some Democrats would like to see a lower rate,? he says.
Whether you?re an experienced web enthusiast or a relative newcomer to the internet, building a family tree online can be tricky. That?s because you need to combine the knowledge of your own family with the tools available to you on the internet, in order to create an engaging and comprehensive family tree that you, your relatives and ? if you wish ? members of the public can explore. If you?re not sure how to start building a family tree online, here are a few simple tips to follow.
Initially, you might find it easiest to write down all the information that you currently have: for example, names of your family members, their birth dates and birth places, and (if applicable) their death dates and locations of death. If there are gaps in your own knowledge, turn to family members first to fill in the blanks. Older relatives or members of the family who now live abroad may be able to give you the information you need. Once you?ve exhausted these contacts, then you can turn to online records and genealogy databases to complete your family tree.
When researching your family history online, there are certain details you will need to keep in mind when looking at records. For instance, perhaps you?re aware that your great-grandfather had three children from a first marriage and you are trying to trace the details of these offspring to include in your family tree. Make sure you know your great-grandfather?s full name and preferably his occupation as well. It will also help to know the details of his first wife, including her full name and occupation, as well as her maiden name. It may also be of assistance to know their place of residence, as this can help narrow down family history results.
Once you?ve filled in any holes that exist in your family tree, make a draft on paper before publishing an online version. The easiest place to start when creating a family tree is with yourself. Work outwards to include your immediate family, then include grandparents and keep on expanding with the information that you have. Even if the information you have seems overwhelming, simply writing down your family tree on paper can make things much clearer and can feel very productive.
When you?re happy with your draft version, it?s time to take it online. Whatever you?re working on ? whether it?s an Irish family tree or a Dutch one ? a little online research is sure to yield a template that will suit your individual family. Genealogy enthusiasts have a reputation for being friendly and approachable people, so if you?re unsure which online family tree provider to go with, post a message on a forum and see what feedback you receive.
Once you?ve made your choice, make sure you?re able to control the privacy settings on your family tree. For example, perhaps you?d like to set a password so only members of your family can view the online family tree. Alternatively, your family tree can be public for any internet user to see. If you?re going down the latter route, ensure that you have the general approval of your relatives before publishing the family tree.
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About the Author
Regina Foster writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
It isn?t surprising that everyone wants a piece of the pie called online business. The dynamic, interactive, flexible medium is perfect for marketing or branding any business, any cause and any event. Internet is growing so is the technology that supports it. You can think of almost any design and it will be possible to create it online. Custom web design further increases the standard of the medium allowing businesses to stamp their presence with their own unique statement.
Whether it is a social networking site you want to create or an ecommerce platform, developing and designing it according to your need isn?t really difficult with the help of custom web design. Since you get the chance to create something different from the rest, you can easily see a surge in your online business popularity.
However, before you get overwhelmed by the entire prospect of having a unique website, here are a few things you need to know about custom web designing.
Advantages
From color selection to font selection, you have the liberty to do whatever you want when you go for a customized look for your website. You will no longer need to rely on whatever the template has and you will not need to compromise with its features too. You can place anything anywhere according to your understanding and judgment. Since custom web designing lets you be your own boss, you do not have to worry about getting clich? with your designs. On the back-end, you can use effective codes that make the site robust as well as search engine friendly.
With a template, you do not get this liberty which hampers your traffic significantly.
If you are aiming for branding your company, stress on a tailor-made website and see what else it can do for you. For better results you can use a content management system so that once the designing is done, you can easily make changes in the website without touching the design elements. There are several CMSs in the market, you should choose based on your need.
Selecting the Developers
If you want to save a few bucks and yet not compromise with custom website designing, outsourcing the project will be helpful. While you select the developers, keep in mind to go for firms that have a good reputation in the market, have been around for a while and who can boast of their portfolio without blinking their eyes. The developers who have additional knowledge on viral marketing, search engine optimization is also better. Such developers not only help you get a good looking website but also ensure that your website generates revenue and traffic. A good developer will also know the importance of branding and will take care of it.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Stepping up their game against health care fraud, the Obama administration and major insurers announced Thursday they will share raw data and investigative know-how on a scale not previously seen to try to shut off billions of dollars in questionable payments.
At a White House event with insurance executives, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the new public-private partnership will allow government programs and the insurance industry to take the high ground against scam artists constantly poking the system for weaknesses.
"Lots of the fraudsters have used our fragmented health care system to their advantage," Sebelius told reporters. "By sharing information across payers, we can bring this potentially fraudulent activity to light so it can be stopped." State investigators are also part of the effort.
Fraud is an endemic problem plaguing giant government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and a headache also for private insurers. But many of the details of the new partnership have yet to be worked out. It doesn't even have a budget, officials said. However, the goal is to start producing results in six months to a year. Extensive sharing of claims data will take longer because difficult legal and technical issues have to be worked out.
The agreement is unusual because it brings together longtime foes to tackle a common problem. Insurers are grudgingly carrying out the many requirements of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law, even as they continue lobbying to roll back some of its provisions, such as new taxes on the industry and cuts to private plans offered through Medicare. Obama continues to rail against industry "abuses."
Industry leaders stressed that combating fraud is in everyone's interests.
"What's in it for us is that if you have more data, you are going to be able to recognize aberrant patterns more reliably," said Dr. Richard Migliori, an executive vice president of UnitedHealth Group, the nation's largest insurer. "These perpetrators are moving around from one place to another. You are going to have more eyes on them and they are going to feel surrounded.
Attorney General Eric Holder, who took part in the announcement, said insurers and government will "come together as never before to share information while protecting patient confidentiality."
Fraud is estimated to cost Medicare about $60 billion a year, and the Obama administration has beefed up the government's efforts to stop it, bringing in record settlements with drug companies for marketing violations as well as using new powers in the health care law to pursue low-level fraudsters with greater zeal.
Yet, although Medicare is becoming a harder target, it's too early to say if the tide has turned.
Some anti-fraud efforts launched with great fanfare have not delivered convincing results. For example, in the summer of 2011 Medicare unveiled a $77-million computer system designed to head off fraud before it happened. By last Christmas, it had stopped just one suspicious payment from going out, for $7,591.
Likewise, the new public-private collaboration could face problems. Privacy advocates may object to extensive scrutiny of claims data, and doctors have traditionally pushed back against routine computerized monitoring of their practice patterns. Dr. Jeremy Lazarus, president of the American Medical Association, said doctors must be involved in any analysis of billings.
Many details of the new effort are still unclear, but the possibilities include sharing information on new fraud schemes as they pop up, using claims data to catch bogus payments, and computer analysis to spot emerging patterns of fraud.
White House officials said a "trusted third party" would comb through data from Medicare, Medicaid and private health plans and turn questionable billing over to insurers or government investigators. That third party organization has yet to be selected.
Fraudsters often simultaneously target both government programs and private insurance plans. Separately, such claims might not raise suspicions, but taken together they could raise a red flag, such as when a doctor bills for more than 24 hours in a day.
An industry official familiar with the discussions said the partnership will involve sharing of such information as billing codes associated with fraud for different insurers. Extensive sharing of claims data will take longer to work out because of privacy and legal concerns. The official declined to be identified because he was not authorized to discuss the subject in public.
A former top Justice Department health fraud prosecutor cautioned that the campaign could become unwieldy, since some participants may have conflicting interests. "The government has great intentions but I am concerned when I see so many involved companies," said Kirk Ogrosky, now with the law firm Arnold & Porter. Ogrosky said broad support is valuable but sometimes the best way to handle fraud is by listening "to people who know what they are doing and letting law enforcement work."
Industry support for the partnership includes America's Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, the two major trade groups, as well as individual companies like United and WellPoint, Inc. Formal working meetings are scheduled for September.
Law enforcement organizations taking part include the FBI, the Health and Human Services Inspector General's Office, the Justice Department, and state fraud control units.
___
Associated Press writer Kelli Kennedy in Miami contributed to this report.
MMA inspires arts, crafts, and several other handmade goods that don't fit in any easily discernible category. If there's something MMA-related you desire, there's a good chance you can find it somewhere on the internet. For example, look at the vast array of stuff available on Etsy, the online marketplace devoted to handmade stuff.
You know what MMA needs more of? Sparkly bows. This one can be yours for $9.25.
Never Forgotten Design will make you pretty cool invitations. They'll turn a UFC poster -- in this instance, UFC 107's poster with B.J. Penn and Diego Sanchez -- into an invitation. Tell me you wouldn't love opening up that kind of invite. For $15, Never Forgotten will do the design for you to get printed.
Dan Hardy fans can show their love to the British fighter with a feather replica of his mohawk. Buy it for $55, then wear it when reading how Matthew Riddle has been calling him out. Put it on again when heading to Hardy's bout with Amir Sadollah at UFC on Fuel 5. Pair it with a bandana, and you've got a ready-made Halloween costume. When headed to the grocery store and bank, wear it to fancy up your day. Really, there's no end to its uses.
And this next painting depicts Fedor Emelianenko as an angel speaking a language that is not Russian. I ... I don't know. Just look.
Buried near the bottom of Ken Rosenthal?s latest column on FOXSports.com is this tidbit: ?The Phillies continue to signal to clubs that they are eager to move right fielder Hunter Pence.?
Philadelphia traded prospects Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, Josh Zeid, and Domingo Santana to get Pence from Houston at last year?s trade deadline and he?s played well since then, hitting .288 with 28 homers and an .848 OPS in 150 games.
He also has just one season of team control remaining and figures to earn at least $12 million in 2013 via arbitration, so Pence certainly isn?t going to be a bargain at age 30. Would the Phillies be willing to take significantly less than they gave up to get Pence in order to save that money, add a prospect or two, and clear right field for Domonic Brown?
Posted by Admin on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 ? Leave A Comment?
Introducing an erotic product into your relationship such as a vibrator or bondage kit can improve your sex life and keep the sparks flying. You may have toyed with the idea of using one with your partner, but not know how approach your?partner about this new level of intimacy. If you and your partner are comfortable with one another, but are?not sure how he or she would react to the idea of using a sex toy, here are some ways that may help you introduce sex toy play into your relationship.
If you have never purchased a sex toy before, I would suggest browsing through several adult toy web sites. Many of?the adult toy web sites offering product reviews from customers such as yourself. Looking at adult toy sites can also?help you understand the different types of toys that are available and may even have an entire section devoted to sex toys?for couples. For example, there are vibrating erection rings with a clitoral stimulator attached that are worn by the male?to enhance the sensations for both partners during sexual intercourse. If a vibrating erection ring does not seem right?for you, check out some of the more traditional vibrators that are simple to use such as the Erotic Explorer. If you want?more assistance, but do not feel comfortable enough to go to a physical store, contact customer service.?The customer service department are accustomed to helping customers that are new to purchasing?adult toys and can provide helpful suggestions on what sex toy is right for you and your partner. Make sure you purchase?from a web site that has a phone number available as opposed to just an email. Therefore, you can also contact customer?service directly and avoid waiting for email replies.
Once you become more knowledgeable about different sex toys, bring up the topic to your partner when you are in a?comfortable atmosphere. Sit down with your partner and bring up the idea of taking your relationship to a different level.?Let him or her know how you would like to know how he or she feels incorporating a sex toy into the relationship. Make?sure him or her does not feel offended and reassure them that it is not about them not being a good lover. It is about?sharing something intimate and special together. If he or she has any questions, let them know you have been doing some?research on some products.
If your partner is willing to try it out, build the excitement of the experience by shopping for one together. Look on the?computer with your partner and browse the different products that you have done research on. Make sure you let your partner?have some input on what products they would like to try. You may want to try several different types. Maybe try a?traditional vibe, a small clitoral vibe such as a i vibe pocket rocket, and an erection ring. I would also suggest buying a?personal lubricant to use with your sex toys to make sure the experience is a pleasurable and comfortable one.
Once you have placed your order for the sex toys, plan a special night together when you have time to try out your new?purchase. Create a comfortable atmosphere in which you and your partner can fully relax. Bringing a sex toy into your?relationship can strengthen the bond in your relationship and bring you and your partner closer together.
Paying for college is one of the largest bills a dad or mum will face in their lifetime, aside from paying for a house. Due to this, care needs to be taken in addition to special planning and allocations of funds with the intention to take the burden away from this expense. Starting early is the best option, even when your child is a toddler will not be too soon. Think about the following timeline for saving in your child?s school education.
When faculty is 15 years or extra away, then it?s best to open and training IRA that will assist you to save conservatively in your kid?s college. Also, since there may be numerous time earlier than your child will want the money that is the time to spend money on aggressive funds or stocks. As the time for school nears, it would be best to get monetary savings in conservative ways, but now is ok to be aggressive for those who wish.
When college is 10-15 years away for your baby, then there are some further things you?ll be able to do. First, take into account prepaid tuition plans that mean you can pay for school over a period of time before your youngster ever reaches the first day of school. The problem with that is you are taking the decision away from your child of which faculty they need to attend. Additionally, discuss to your accountant about totally different savings plans your state presents for college savings. More than possible, there are some plans that will assist you meet your savings wants or obtain tax breaks. Also, ensure that your portfolio is safer and stabilized. Attempt to get your investments so as and begin saving more conservatively. On the 5 to 10 12 months mark, you have to to start out moving your cash into completely different accounts or bonds. For example, bonds are a very good possibility as well as mounted income. In case you are uncertain, discuss to a monetary planner that can assist you make the decision. When there are only five extra years until your baby enters college, be certain that your investments are secure and safe and never in any aggressive funds. This is the time to guard the money reasonably than danger it on aggressive markets.
In case you realize that although you will have been saving for greater than 15 years, you?ll not manage to pay for to pay to your child?s tuition, you?ll be able to take into account completely different student loans that don?t need to be paid again while the kid is enrolled in school and which have low curiosity rates. There are loans obtainable for the guardian in addition to the child, so no matter works for your loved ones is the best option.
Also, once your youngster is actively enrolled in faculty there are different tax breaks that you can file on your tax return that can assist out significantly.In terms of paying for college, beginning early and making a plan is one of the best ways to go about it.
If you want additional points about cna practice exam check out Vernell W. Destasio?s site there is loads of details not outlined in this article, take a look at Author?s website to uncover more.
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You are here: Home ? Financial Institutions ? Corporatism and Fraud are Why We?re Screwed:
By L. Randall Wray
A version of this post first appeared at "Great Leap Forward?, my EconoMonitor blog.
As the Global Financial Crisis rumbles along in its fifth year, we read the latest revelations of bankster fraud, the LIBOR scandal. This follows the muni bond fixing scam detailed a couple of weeks ago, as well as the JPMorgan Chase trading fiasco and the Corzine ? MF Global collapse and any number of other scandals in recent months. In every case it was traders run amuck, fixing ?markets? to make an easy buck at someone?s expense. In times like these, I always recall Robert Sherrill?s 1990 statement about the S&L crisis that ?thievery is what unregulated capitalism is all about.?
After 1990 we removed what was left of financial regulations following the flurry of deregulation of the early 1980s that had freed the thrifts so that they could self-destruct. And we are shocked, SHOCKED!, that thieves took over the financial system.
Nay, they took over the whole economy and the political system lock, stock, and barrel. They didn?t just blow up finance, they oversaw the swiftest transfer of wealth to the very top the world has ever seen. They screwed workers out of their jobs, they screwed homeowners out of their houses, they screwed retirees out of their pensions, and they screwed municipalities out of their revenues and assets.
Financiers are forcing schools, parks, pools, fire departments, senior citizen centers, and libraries to shut down. They are forcing national governments to auction off their cultural heritage to the highest bidder. Everything must go in fire sales (pun intended) at prices rigged by twenty-something traders at the biggest and most corrupt institutions the world has ever known.
And since they?ve bought the politicians, the policy-makers, and the courts, no one will stop it. Few will even discuss it, since most university administrations have similarly been bought off?in many cases, the universities are even headed by corporate ?leaders??and their professors are on Wall Street?s payrolls.
We?re screwed.
Bill Black joined our department in 2006. At UMKC (and the Levy Institute) we had long been discussing and analyzing the GFC that we knew was going to hit, using the approaches of Hyman Minsky and Wynne Godley. Bill insisted we were overlooking the most important factor, fraud. To be more specific, Bill called it control fraud, where top corporate management runs an institution as a weapon to loot shareholders and customers to the benefit of top management. Think Bob Rubin, Hank Paulson, Bernie Madoff, Jamie Dimon and Jon Corzine. Long before, I had come across Bill?s name when I wrote about the S&L scandal, and I had listed fraud as the second most important cause of that crisis. While I was open to his argument back in 2006, I could never have conceived of the scope of Wall Street?s depravity. It is all about fraud. As I?ve said, this crisis is like Shrek?s Onion, with fraud in every layer. There is, quite simply, no part of the financial system that is not riddled with fraud.
The fraud cannot be reduced much less eliminated. First, there are no regulators to stop it, and no prosecutors to punish it. But, far more importantly, fraud is the business model. Further, even if a financial institution tried to buck the trend it would fail. As Bill says, fraud is always the most profitable game in town. So Gresham?s Law dynamics ensure that fraud is the only game in town.
As Sherrill said, without regulation, capitalism is thievery. We stopped regulating the financial system, so thieves took over.
A century ago Veblen analyzed religion as the quintessential capitalist undertaking. It sells an inherently ephemeral product that cannot be quality tested. Most of the value of that product exists only in the minds of the purchasers, and most of that value cannot be realized until death. Dissatisfied customers cannot return the purchased wares to the undertakers who sold them?there is no explicit money back guarantee and in any event, most of the dissatisfied have already been undertaken. The value of the undertaker?s institution is similarly ephemeral, mostly determined by ?goodwill?. Aside from a fancy building, very little in the way of productive facilities is actually required by the religious undertaker.
But modern finance has replaced religion as the supreme capitalistic undertaking. Again, it has no need for production facilities?a fancy building, a few Bloomberg screens, greasy snake-oil salesmen, and some rapacious traders is all that is required to separate widows and orphans from their lifesavings and homes. Religious institutions only want 10%; Wall Street currently gets 20% of all the nation?s output (and 40% of profits), but won?t stop until it gets everything.
There is rarely any recourse for dissatisfied customers of financial institutions. Few customers understand what it is they are buying from Wall Street?s undertakers. The product sold is infinitely more complicated than the Theory of the Trinity advanced by Theophilus of Antioch in 170 A.D., let alone the Temple Garments (often called Magic Underwear by nonbelievers) marketed today. That makes it so easy to screw customers and to hide fraud behind complex instruments and deceptive accounting.
A handful of thieves running a modern Wall Street firm can easily run up $2 trillion in ephemeral assets whose worth is mostly determined by whatever value the thieves assign to them.
And that is just the start. They also place tens of trillions of dollars of bets on derivatives whose value is purely ?notional?. The thieves get paid when something goes wrong?the death of a homeowner, worker, firm, or country triggers payments on Death Settlements, Peasant Insurance, or Credit Default Swaps. To ensure that death comes sooner rather than later, the undertaker works with the likes of John Paulson to handpick the most sickly households, firms and governments to stand behind the derivative bets.
And the value of the Wall Street undertaker?s firm is almost wholly determined by euphemistically named ?goodwill??as if there is any good will in betting on death.
With these undertakers running the show, it is no wonder that we are buried under mountains of crushing debt?underwater mortgages, home equity loans, credit card debt, student loans, healthcare debts, and auto-related finance. Simply listing the kinds of debts we owe makes it clear how far along the path of financialization we have come: everything is financialized as Wall Street has its hand in every pot.
Thirty years ago we could still write of a dichotomy? industry versus finance?and categorize GE and GM as industrial firms, with Goldman Sachs as a financial firm. Those days are gone, with GM requiring a bail-out because of its financial misdealings (auto production was just a sideline business used to burden households with debt owed to GMAC, the main business line), and Goldman Sachs buying up all the grain silos to run up food prices in a speculative bubble. Obamacare simply fortifies the Vampire Squid?s control of the healthcare industry as it inserts its strangling tentacles into every facet of life.
Food? Financialized. Energy? Financialized. Healthcare? Financialized. Homes? Financialized. Government? Financialized. Death? Financialized. There no longer is a separation of the FIRE (finance, insurance, and real estate) and the nonFIRE sectors of the economy. It is all FIRE.
Everything is complexly financed. In the old days a municipal government would sell a twenty year fixed rate bond to finance a sewage system project. Now they hire Goldman to create complex interest rate swaps (or even more complex constant maturity swaps, swaptions, and snowballs) in which they issue a variable rate municipal bond and promise to pay the Squid a fixed rate while the Squid pays them a floating rate linked to LIBOR?which is rigged by the Squid?s banking brethren to ensure the municipality gets screwed. Oh, and the municipal government pays upfront fees to Goldman for the sheer joy of getting screwed by Wall Street?s finest.
The top four US Banks hold $171 Trillion worth of derivative deals like this. Derivatives are really just bets by Wall Street that we will get screwed?it is all ?insurance? that pays off when we fail. Everything is insured?by them against us.
What is healthcare ?insurance?, really? You turn over your salary to the FIRE sector aka Wall Street in the hope that should you need healthcare, they will allow your ?service provider? to provide it. But when you need the service, ?Wall Street? will decide whether it can be provided.
Oh, and Wall Street?s undertakers have also placed a bet that you will die sooner than you expect, so it wins twice by denying the coverage.
Finally, US real estate?the RE of the FIRE?underlies the whole kit and caboodle. That is the real story behind the GFC: given President Clinton?s budget surpluses and the simultaneous explosion of private finance, there simply was not enough safe federal government debt to use to repo against the explosion of collateralized OTC derivatives positions taken on by financial institutions with one another starting back in the mid 1990s. Wall Street needed another source of collateral for financial leverage.
You see, all the top financial institutions are dens of thieves, and thieves know better than to trust one another. So (derivatives) transactions between fellow thieves have to be collateralized by safe financial assets ? which is the traditional role played by Treasuries. But there were not enough of those to go around so Wall Street securitized home mortgages that were sliced and diced to get tranches that were supposedly as safe as Uncle Sam?s bonds. And there were not enough quality mortgages, so Wall Street foisted mortgages and home equity loans onto riskier borrowers to create more product.
Never content, in order to suck more profit out of mortgages, Wall Street created ?affordability? products?mortgages with high fees and exploding interest rates?that it knew would go bad. Even that was not enough, so the Squids created derivatives of the securities (collateralized debt obligations?CDOs) and then derivatives squared and cubed?and then we were off and running straight toward the GFC.
Wall Street bet your house would burn, then lit a firebomb in the basement.
Mortgages that were designed to go bad would go bad. CDOs that were designed to fail would fail.
Suddenly there was no collateral behind the loans Wall Street?s thieves had made to one another. Each Wall Street thief looked in the mirror and realized everything he was holding was crap, because he knew all of his own debt was crap.
Hello Uncle Sam, Uncle Timmy, and Uncle Ben, we?ve got a problem. Can you spare $29 Trillion to bail us out?
And that is why we are screwed.
I see two scenarios playing out. In the first, we allow Wall Street to carry on its merry way, as the foreclosure crisis continues and Wall Street steals all homes, packaging them into bundles to be sold for pennies on the dollar to hedge funds. All wealth will be redistributed to the top 1% who will become modern day feudal lords with the other 99% living at their pleasure on huge feudal estates.
You can imagine for yourselves just what you?re going to have to do to pleasure the lords.
This will take years, maybe even a decade or more, but it is the long march Wall Street has formulated for us. To be sure, ?formulated? should not be misinterpreted as intention. No one sat down and planned the creation of Western European feudalism when Rome collapsed. To be sure, the modern day feudal lords on Wall Street certainly conspire?to rig LIBOR and muni bond markets, for example?and each one individually wants to take as much as possible from customers and creditors and stockholders. But they are not planning and conspiring for the restoration of feudalism. Still, that is the default scenario?the outcome that will emerge in the absence of action.
In the second, the 99% occupy, shut down, and obliterate Wall Street. Honestly, I have no idea how that can happen. I am waiting for suggestions.
About Randall Wray
L. Randall Wray is a professor of economics and research director of the Center for Full Employment and Price Stability at the University of Missouri?Kansas City. His current research focuses on providing a critique of orthodox monetary policy, and the development of an alternative approach. He also publishes extensively in the areas of full employment policy and the monetary theory of production. Wray received a B.A. from the University of the Pacific and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Washington University, where he was a student of Hyman Minsky.
FILE - This Feb. 16, 2012 file photo shows a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee on display at the 2012 Pittsburgh Auto Show. A government agency is investigating safety problems with two vehicles made by Chrysler, the Ram pickup truck and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV. The rear wheels can lock up in Rams from the 2009 and 2010 model years, potentially causing crashes, while power steering fluid hoses can leak in 2012 Grand Cherokees, possibly causing engine fires, according to documents posted Monday, July 23, 2012, on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file)
FILE - This Feb. 16, 2012 file photo shows a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee on display at the 2012 Pittsburgh Auto Show. A government agency is investigating safety problems with two vehicles made by Chrysler, the Ram pickup truck and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV. The rear wheels can lock up in Rams from the 2009 and 2010 model years, potentially causing crashes, while power steering fluid hoses can leak in 2012 Grand Cherokees, possibly causing engine fires, according to documents posted Monday, July 23, 2012, on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file)
FILE - This undated file photo originally released by Chysler shows the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500. A government agency is investigating safety problems with two vehicles made by Chrysler, the Ram pickup truck and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV. The rear wheels can lock up in Rams from the 2009 and 2010 model years, potentially causing crashes, while power steering fluid hoses can leak in 2012 Grand Cherokees, possibly causing engine fires, according to documents posted Monday, July 23, 2012, on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.(AP Photo/Chysler, file)
In this Jan. 31, 2012 photo, a row of 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokees sit on a lot in South Burlington, Vt. Federal safety regulators are investigating complaints that the engines can catch fire on Jeep Grand Cherokees. On the 2012 Grand Cherokee, officials says a hose can leak power steering fluid and cause engine fires. The probe affects nearly 107,000 vehicles. The investigations could lead to recalls. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)
DETROIT (AP) ? Chrysler's two top-selling vehicles, the Ram pickup and the Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV, are under investigation by a government agency for safety problems.
The rear wheels can lock up in Rams from the 2009 and 2010 model years, potentially causing crashes, while power steering fluid hoses can leak in 2012 Grand Cherokees, possibly causing engine fires, according to documents posted Monday on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.
The investigations affect up to 230,000 Ram pickups and nearly 107,000 Grand Cherokees. The pickup is Chrysler's top-selling vehicle this year, while the Grand Cherokee is No. 2. The government could make the company recall the vehicles, although no recalls have been required yet. Chrysler says it's cooperating with NHTSA and takes customer complaints seriously.
The safety agency said it opened the investigation after getting a dozen complaints from Ram owners about locking wheels. Gears that allow the wheels to turn at different speeds can fail, causing the wheels to freeze while the trucks are moving, the agency said.
In eight of the complaints, drivers reported they were traveling 35 mph or faster. In four others, drivers were traveling at higher speeds when the wheels locked, causing them to lose control, the agency said. In one case, a truck crashed into a concrete barrier. In another, the problem caused a truck's drive shaft to come loose and puncture the gas tank. No injuries were reported, the agency said.
The Ram is an important money maker for Chrysler Group LLC. The company sold almost 377,000 of the trucks in 2009 and 2010, but some of those sales were from other model years.
Chrysler spokesman Eric Mayne said any customers who are concerned about their vehicles should visit their dealers. He said the Ram and Grand Cherokee are extensively tested to ensure durability and safety.
On the Grand Cherokee, the agency says a hose can leak power steering fluid onto the engine, possibly causing fires. NHTSA said it opened an investigation that could involve nearly 107,000 of the SUVS.
The agency has received one report of power steering hose failure, and two reports of engine compartment fires while the Grand Cherokees were being driven. The fire complaints came in the past month, alleging severe engine blazes that destroyed the vehicles. The cause of the fires has not been determined, although in one case, a driver reported fluid dripping beneath the SUV during the incident, NHTSA said.
No one was hurt in the fires.
The Grand Cherokee, which was redesigned for the 2012 model year, has been a huge seller for Chrysler. Through June, the company sold more than 75,000 of the SUVs. Some 2012 models also were sold last year.
![](http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Y2K3IEQlwe.s7n8kEwv1jA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/thesideshow/SlimPickens.jpg "Actor Slim Pickens on the set of "Dr. Strangelove." (AP)")
Never Forgotten Design will make you pretty cool invitations. They'll turn a UFC poster -- in this instance, UFC 107's poster with B.J. Penn and Diego Sanchez -- into an invitation. Tell me you wouldn't love opening up that kind of invite. 
And this next painting depicts Fedor Emelianenko as an angel speaking a language that is not Russian. I ... I don't know. Just look.
It -- whatever it is -- 
About Randall Wray