Voted for Obama - Not Even Embarrassed Yet - Is There No Shame for Socialists?

A few weeks back I was cruising down the highway and saw a billboard that startled me, I thought to myself; can they actually say that now in public? It was the proverbial anti-Obama Administration message, and quite frankly I was shocked to see it. Nevertheless, it made me think that we've certainly done a complete 180 on the public's approval of this particular president.

What did the billboard say you ask?

Well, the bill board read; "Voted for Obama - Embarrassed Yet?" Now then, I suppose all of us know at least one person who may have voted for this gentleman, and I have to admit I too know of such an individual, and although I am not necessarily good friends with this person, I had to ask him the question, the same one as the billboard. And you know what he told me?

He said no, he was not ashamed, because he felt the other choices were no good either and he voted for the less of three evils.

In essence, he voted for Change and he'd "hoped" Obama would bring that to America. Oh, I'd say he has, in the form of the ever advancing march of socialism in my opinion. And that brings me to a few questions of my own;

Is There No Shame for Socialists? Is there no shame for Democrats? Is there zero shame at all on the left side of the political spectrum?

Well, is there or isn't there?

You see, our electorate cannot change, and there is no Hope for such Change until they will come to terms with their own political correctness which obviously is severely clouding their judgment. Do I think that will happen? I do not think it will happen anytime soon, and I'm not going to sit around and hope for it. Hope is not a strategy, and change of its own is worthless unless it is a positive change. I hope you will please consider this, but I'm not going to wait around to see if you do. Think on it.

Online Game Rentals

There are a lot of choices these days in popular video games, so if the classic Super Mario outwore its welcome some odd years ago, don't fret. Online game rental services equip the most seasoned gamers or newbies with a huge variety of game titles. Reminiscent of how Netflix invented the Internet DVD rental service, the niche-following of gaming has been revolutionized.

Video game rentals make up around $700 million of market share, boasting ever-growing consumer interest in this new gaming trend. However, many video game rental services still struggle to convert the more traditional bunch, who argue that it's just as easy to stop by the video store and rent out Resident Evil 4.

6Star Reviews.com reported that one online game rental site, Gamefly, understands this typical train of thought and is molding their pricing schemes and features to fit all kinds of customer needs. The great thing about the Internet is the ability of businesses to offer special perks and bonuses with relative ease. Many services like Gamefly offer introductory pricing, with add-ons like complimentary gamer magazine subscriptions included in the cost of a plan. You can also choose a plan that matches your rental habits-like one out a time or even five or more.

A huge plus in renting video games online is the ability to sort through extensive databases by game console, genre, or even by rating. Popular rental service GottaPlay even has 'Mom Approved' games for you parents out there questioning your child's interest in video games period. For you adult gamers, you'll appreciate the flexible membership plans and two-way mailers that many sites provide. Entertainment has never been easier.

Double Dipping - Unemployment Compensation and Other Benefits

In the episode of the Seinfeld television series called "The Implant," George is spotted dipping the same potato chip into dip more than once after taking a bite out of it. Annoyed, his girlfriend's brother, Timmy, approaches him, interrogates him about his "double dip," and scolds him sharply, saying "just take one dip and end it!" Timmy's admonition to George may not just apply to those attempting to enjoy a second bite of a dip-covered potato chip, but also to those who collect some other sort of disability benefit while also attempting to collect unemployment compensation (hereinafter "UC") benefits.

Before moving forward, for the sake of clarity, any references to social security benefits ("SBB") herein will not refer to the collection of the social security pension benefits (hereinafter "SSPB") due to one reaching a certain age. There is no conflict between collecting a SSPB and UC at the same time as long as each agency is appraised of the income received from the other.

When comparing UC and SSB, a baseline principle was enunciated by the court when it declared "[u]nemployment compensation is not health insurance and does not cover physically or mentally ill persons during periods they are unemployable." Carter v. Com, 442 A.2d 1245. In other words, in order to collect UC one must be able and willing to work. However, when applying for SSB, one must allege to the Social Security Administration (hereinafter "SSA") that s/he is completely disabled as to not be able to work at all to be eligible for benefits. Obviously, a conflict arises between the requirements for UC and SSB: if someone is completely disabled as to render him/her unable to do any work s/he is, by definition, not eligible for UC benefits, although s/he may be eligible for SSB benefits of some sort. In saying that, in practical terms, it is highly doubtful that an employer in a UC matter will request discovery or cross-examine a claimant on the issue of what s/he indicated on an application for SSB benefits. Therefore, many cases may be slipping through the cracks simply because there is incomplete analysis into a claimant's dealings with the SSA.

Although in the typical case one cannot lawfully collect both UC and SSB simultaneously due to the fact that the requirements for each diametrically conflict, there is an exception where someone can collect both UC and SSB. The exception centers on the definition of "substantial gainful activity" ("SGA"). Under the rules of the SSA, someone can work and receive an income and still be eligible to receive SSB as long as his/her work and income are not SGA due to the claimant's disability. Much case law has developed over time to determine what SGA exactly is and is not, but at least in terms of income, it is clear. The maximum income one can receive at one's job before it becomes SGA is determined per the national average wage index, which currently stands at +/-$980/mo. Therefore, by way of example, a person legally determined to be disabled can work part-time at his/her local McDonald's earning $750/mo. That same person may also be eligible for SSB because s/he makes less than the SGA minimum of $980/mo and can prove s/he has a disability which prevents him/her from being able to do work that qualifies as SGA. If s/he loses his/her McDonald's job due to no fault of his/her own, and is ready and able to work again at the same or similar job, s/he can apply for and receive UC benefits. S/he may then receive both UC and SSB presuming s/he meets the requirements for UC. As always, s/he will have to inform SSA of his/her UC benefits.

In terms of private disability, one can collect UC and private disability at the same time. Again, UC must be informed of the disability income and the claimant must still be ready and able to work. As with SSB, the possible issue that arises is whether the claimant is disabled. Each private disability insurer has a different definition/standard of what disability is; therefore, not all private disability insurers have definitions/standards for disability that would conflict with the UC definition/standard of being ready and able to work. As with SSB, it is unlikely that an employer in a UC matter would delve into what the claimant indicated on his/her private disability application. However, if UC rules that the claimant's disability is such that s/he cannot work any job, then s/he will be ineligible for UC benefits. By contrast, if the claimant can work at some sort of job, just not necessarily the same one s/he left, then UC benefits may be awarded absent any other reason for ineligibility.

When it comes to sick leave and/or having to quit a job due to a health reason (physical or mental), a claimant must first inform his/her employer of the condition to allow the employer to make an attempt at an accommodation (as a brief aside, it should be noted that how exactly one goes about informing one's employer of one's condition, and who has the right to see the information provided, is a process that is heavily regulated by the Family Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act and will not be discussed herein). If the employer refuses to accommodate or cannot sufficiently accommodate, a claimant will be deemed to have been constructively discharged against his/her will and, therefore, eligible for UC if that same claimant can show s/he is still ready and able to work at some other job as long as his/her disability is or can be accommodated. Sometimes an employer can offer sick leave. If the sick leave is paid at normal salary, then UC benefits will be denied as the claimant's income is stable.

If unpaid or paid at less than normal salary, a claimant will only be eligible for benefits only if s/he maintains a relationship with his/her employer and intends to return to work at the end of the leave interval. In addition, Claimant would have to demonstrate s/he was given leave because of a health condition, which essentially constructively discharged him/her from his/her employment. In other words, the leave would have to be the employer's method of accommodation of the disability which claimant accepts. The leave can be either under FMLA or any other sort of leave offered by employer. At the end of the leave, claimant would have to resume work or show that the accommodation was insufficient. In showing whether the accommodation was insufficient, Claimant must still be ready and able to find alternative employment to be UC eligible. If s/he cannot work any job, UC will deem him/her ineligible as not being ready and able to work. If, while out on leave, the position one expected to re-assume is eliminated, then the claimant will be considered to have been involuntarily discharged, making him/her eligible for UC, presuming s/he is ready and able to work.

In the current precarious economic climate, it is important to know one's rights relative to what benefits one may be entitled to when unemployed. If one can receive more than one stream of benefits, the opportunity should be pursued. Perhaps Timmy was wrong; maybe one does not have to "end it" after dipping once.

How Are Crimes Categorized Under The Law?

In the United States, each state and the federal government has its own system for classifying crimes under its own legal code. However in most instances, crimes are generally broken down along similar lines.

The first classification is between misdemeanors and felonies. Felonies are more serious offenses that are punishable by incarceration in the state penitentiary for more than one year, or for very serious felonies, death.

Misdemeanors are less serious crimes that are punishable by incarceration of less than one year in the county jail.

Within the two categories of felonies and misdemeanors, crimes are further broken down by the severity of the crime.

For example, a Class A misdemeanor is the most serious type of misdemeanor, and is punishable by a jail term not to exceed one year and a fine of a certain amount that varies from state to state.

Class B misdemeanors vary widely, but generally they are not punishable with jail terms that exceed 180 days.

Class C misdemeanors are generally not given jail terms but instead carry fines.

In the felony category, the most serious crimes, such as first-degree murder, are called capital felonies. Capital felonies, in jurisdictions that have the death penalty can carry with them the penalty of death or life in prison.

First-degree felonies are punishable with prison terms ranging from not less than five years to life.

Second-degree felonies are punishable by imprisonment of not more than 20 years and not less than 2 years.

Third degree felonies are punishable by imprisonment of not more than 10 years and not less than 2 years.

The obvious question arises, what determines whether a particular crime fits one category or another? The answer is a combination of the state law forbidding such crimes, previous offenses and mitigating or aggravating factors.

The penal code of that jurisdiction for example may classify causing the death of another into various types of crimes depending upon whether there was premeditation or whether the death was caused in the heat of passion. Theft and robbery may be classified depending upon the amount stolen and whether deadly weapons were used in the commission of the crime.

The defendant's criminal defense lawyer may present such factors that may mitigate the severity of the crime by showing things like a horrible childhood characterized by abuse and neglect, for example. If these factors are accepted, the crime might be lessoned or moved down from a higher class to a lower class.

Other mitigating factors could be to show that the victim had previously caused harm to the defendant, that the defendant's judgment was impaired through no fault of his own, or that defendant's actions were completely outside her normal personality (this is what is attempted when the defense presents character witnesses to show that the defendant was normally a peaceful and law abiding citizen).

On the other hand, the prosecution may present evidence to show aggravating factors, which could increase or move the crime up a class. Such aggravating factors might be to show that the victim was a minor, that the defendant used a deadly weapon in the commission of the crime, that the defendant intended to commit sexual assault along with the robbery, or that the defendant's actions were particularly heinous or depraved.

The defendant's previous criminal history is also taken into account. A first time offender may receive a lower classification, whereas a habitual criminal convicted of the same crime, may receive a more severe sentence as a result of having his crime classified as a more serious offense.

Basketball Sports Gambling Strategy

Basketball sports' gambling is a game of skill and relies on a great deal of strategy, which must be used in order to win. The challenge is to gather and analyze as much information as you can about a game, weigh the probabilities of each team winning, and subsequently compare your opinion to the odds makers. Make the right judgment and you win. To keep the sports gambling simple and fun I am only going to cover straight bets. When gambling on a basketball game, there are two ways to place a straight bet within that same game. You can either bet the line also known to as the side, or how many points will be scored in the basketball game also known as the total.

The Straight Bet is betting in its most basic form, which allows you to bet at given odds, upon a winner. The Point Spread can bet on one of two selections that have been equated through the allocation of suitable points. In the Point Spread the number of allocated points are shown with a + sign for the favorable side and a - sign for the underdog. In order that the better wins, the favored team must win by more than the Point Spread. On the flip side, if a bet has been placed on the underdog, that team has to lose by less than the Point Spread for the better to win.

Example:

Detroit

-8.0

Seattle

196

In this example, Seattle is the favored team to win the basketball game by at least 8 points. The underdog team is Detroit, where the listed total for the contest is placed at 196. If you take a straight bet on Seattle, you are betting that Seattle will win by at least by 8 points. Conversely, if you bet on Detroit, you are betting that even if they do not win the game, Seattle will not win by as many as 8.0 points. Say the final score was:

Seattle 100

Detroit 98

If you bet on Seattle, you would have lost, because they did not win by at least 8 points. All of these sports gambling sites offer some sort of bonus for you to do your betting online with them. They are not the outrageous bonuses that you may hear about, but are adequate to start you out. You have to be careful about sportsbooks that offer the unbelievable bonus deals because they may not be able to stay around for the long haul. In most of the sports gambling sites, if you wagered $100 on Seattle, your loss would be $100. On the other hand, if you wagered on Detroit, you would have risked the same $110 to win $100. In other words you are laying 11 to win 10. The odds in the sportsbooks are listed in this manner: 10/11. The left-hand side of the backslash is what you stand to win and the right-hand side is the number you risk losing.

In this basketball game, there was a total of 198 points scored. This exceeded the total of 196 that was predicted by the lines makers, so the game went Over. If less than 196 combined points was scored in the game, the game will have gone Under. On total points at most sportsbooks, once again, the odds are 11/10.

The loser pays more than the sportsbook pays to the winner is the net profit that the sportsbook would make. This is called the juice. When looking for a sports gambling site you should look for a small juice. A line movement in any direction indicates which team that the people are betting more on. Sports gambling sites will move the line in either direction to try and entice a bettor to bet on the side that is needed to even out the amount wagered on both sides of the game. This is way the sportsbook makes its money on the juice and do not let movements in the line influence your betting. You do not want to place your wagers with a sportsbook that does not move its line, because you would then be dealing with a sportsbook that is gambling and that is poor money management by that sportsbook.

The sports gambling sites at http://www.SportsGambling4Fun.com are some of the best sports gambling sites to place a basketball bet with.

So Glad We Waited: A Hand-Holding Guide for Over-35 Parents (Book Review)

About thirty-seven years ago when a friend of mine gave birth to a baby boy, she called herself Grandma Moses. That sounded far from the truth, because she was only forty-two and her baby and her family came along just fine through the child-raising process. It has been quite a few years now since her very brilliant son has become a successful medical doctor.

When I came across this astute and practical book, "So Glad We Waited: A Hand-Holding Guide for Over-35 Parents," I remembered my friend and smiled. So much has changed over the last few decades and for the better. Luckily, educators like Lois Nachamie have come along with books on the subject and have founded classes and therapy groups for older parents. This book makes parenthood in later ages something to aim for, because during the more mature ages, the babies are created by design and desire.

In the author's words: "As with every other family issue, we older moms have the same concerns as everyone, but our age intensifies the experience. We have more options--yet more at stake."

"So Glad We Waited" is divided into three parts.

In the first part, "Who We Are and How We Got Here," the first chapter addresses who the older parents might be, and the second chapter lets the mature mothers speak their minds on the subject with their own words.

In the second part, "Rearranging Our Lives," are the chapters three to ten as the true meat of the book or its how-to resources, dealing with domestic duties, reconnecting as a couple, one adult families, mothers coming to an understanding with their own mothers, working, careers, nannies, aging bodies, hormones, relationships, and sex. The author gives down-to-earth advice to parents of advanced age with conviction and persuasion. Her interviews with the contented mothers prove the thesis that being an older parent is just as blissful and may not be as difficult as surmised by most.

The third part of the book, "Raising Our Children: Tailor-Made Parenting Tips," has three chapters, bringing the book to thirteen chapters in total. In the last chapters, the author alerts the parents to possible pitfalls of child raising during the advanced ages like overindulgence and dealing effectively with discipline problems.

The final chapter, "Assuming the Mantle of Parenthood," is my favorite chapter. Feeling a slight envy, I wish this book had existed--in addition to Dr. Spock's--and I had read this chapter thirty some years ago when I was raising my children, although I was barely thirty at the time. This goes to show that, while this book may be addressing mature mothers, any parent of any age can benefit from it because of its very sound parenting advice.

The author's writing style is direct, warm, and convincing throughout the book's 272 pages. A reading list and selected web sites are recommended at the end of the book. "So Glad We Waited" is in paperback with ISBN: 0609803468.

The author, Lois Nachamie, MFA, CSW, LMSW, is a psychotherapist in Manhattan, specializing in family and parenting issues, and also, the founder and director of the So-Glad-We-Waited Network. Aside from her contributions to newspapers and magazines, her other book is "Big Lessons for Little People: Teaching Our Kids Right from Wrong While Keeping Them Healthy, Safe and Happy."

In my opinion, most parents and parents-to-be will find this book very helpful. "So Glad We Waited: A Hand-Holding Guide for Over-35 Parents" may make a valuable addition to any library.

How to Increase Your Medical Billing Collections With These Six Important Steps

Medical billing collections use is growing, as many doctor's offices, medical facilities and hospitals confront ever-increasing past due debts from slow paying patients and back-logged insurance claims. Along with over 40 million Americans without any health insurance, a slow economy due to recession, and growing unemployment, means shrinking positive cash flow for medical professionals. Given that prognosis, there are a number of things you can implement to increase your internal medical billing collections. By putting these six tactics into place, you can greatly improve your financial bottom line.

1. Be sure you have a clear payment procedure, placed visibly at the front of your office. New patients need to understand clearly what, if any, payment is expected upfront, in regards to co-pays, etc. This should be understood BEFORE rendering service.

2. It's very important that you get accurate patient information during that first doctor visit. Get the patient's full name, address, date of birth, home, work and cell phone numbers. Get their work information: address, phone number(s), position/title, manager/supervisor, etc. Clearly, the more information you can get here, the better. While some patients may balk at giving their social security number, its still a good idea, especially if the account has to be turned over later to a collection agency.

3. If the patient has health insurance, its important to verify at this point. While a doctor's office can get quite hectic, this crucial step shouldn't be overlooked. Verifying coverage will avoid headaches later on.

4. In the initial patient application, be sure to clearly detail the patients' responsibility for payment. You might also consider including language that should the account have to be turned over to a collection agency for non-payment, the patient will be responsible for collection costs. In some states, the business can recoup their costs for hiring a collections agency, if it is stated in the patient-signed application upfront. (Check with your attorney about this, as state laws vary)

5. Allow patients to make payment arrangements for those going through financial difficulties. Because so many are either uninsured or under-insured, making reasonable payment arrangements via installments gives them more options, and greater peace of mind. It will also help generate cash flow to your practice.

6. Know when its time to relinquish those difficult problem accounts, and turn them over to a debt collection agency. As discussed earlier, many patients are facing greater financial burdens, because of higher unemployment, a slow economy and recession, making it increasingly difficult to pay for the high costs of health care.

Most people intend to do the right thing and honoring their debt obligations. But the reality is that some others are less responsible. By using the before-mentioned procedures, consistently and early on, you can better identify the patients experiencing temporary financial problems from the "problem" delinquent accounts. Payment arrangements, and continued communications can better address those problems. With that, the more problem, non-paying clients have to be identified earlier as well. These are the ones to be outsourced to professional collection agencies who are better equipped to handle these types of accounts.

Failing to do so means wasting valuable time, labor and money dealing with difficult accounts. You can't afford to waste time here, because the longer an account goes unpaid, the lesser the likelihood of getting paid at all. By placing these accounts earlier, you greatly increase your opportunity for getting a great deal, or at least some of your money. As a general rule, after 90 days of non-payment, medical billing collections should be turned over to a collection agency. These simple, but very important tips are very effective in shrinking your medical billing delinquencies. Put into consistent practice, you can greatly improve your medical billing collections.

JL Audio Car Subwoofers - A Trusted Audio Brand

JL Audio produces some of the best car subwoofers on the market. The company, founded in 1975 by James Birch and Lucio Proni, began dominating the car audio industry starting in the late 1980's, during one of the booming times for the field. Many recommend it as the place to go for high quality subwoofers because these have led the competition for years and will continue to do so. Here's a brief overview of a few lines that it has released that demonstrate just how pioneering the company is.

The first popular products by them were the PowerWedges, which were the first enclosed speaker systems available at the time. PowerWedges are famous for being compact yet providing some of the newest technologies for the time. The 8W2 woofer was released to be used with the PowerWedges. Being successful as an 8-inch woofer, the 8W2 was also released in 10-inch and 12-inch versions, both just as successful.

JL Audio then released the W5 speakers series in 1987. This series was built on the premise that speakers could be much more powerful than they were at the time, and the W5 line surely raised the bar on future products. These speakers replaced the older ones that failed to give strong sound that maintained a certain level of quality. JL Audio could barely keep up with their orders during this period, demonstrating just how innovative this company was in developing advancements in the car audio industry.

The next notable JL Audio line was the W6 series. This time, the company focused on improving sound quality. Obviously, the W6 line was able to do so, because it was received very well in the market. However, it appears that this JL Audio series demonstrates a slight problem, as volume now becomes an issue. Regardless, the new innovations packaged as the W6 series have now also appeared in many other products released by other companies.

Considered the most technologically advanced and top of the line in the JL Audio arsenal, the W7 series introduces six new technologies bound to pack more power into the subwoofers. It's no wonder, because compared to the other products, like the W5 and W6 series, the W7 series is completely different. JL Audio built a subwoofer from scratch rather than improve on an existing one. These speakers fulfill the two major considerations: volume and sound quality. While the W5 focused on improving volume, and the W6 on quality, the W7 focuses on both.

As you can see, JL Audio's 35 years of experience materialize in the innovations of their speakers. Their products have consistently been the best of the best, and there's no doubt that their future products will continue to do so.

Review of 50 Self-Help Classics by Tom Butler-Bowdon

This book, heralded as the first and only 'bite-sized' introduction to the classic works of 'life transformation,' is long overdue. Samuel Smiles wrote "Self- Help" in 1859, but the term only became widely used in the twentieth century. The idea of self-help, however, has been around for centuries. From religious works dating from thousands of years before Christ, such as the The Bhagavad-Gita, to modern American books such as Martin Seligman's "Learned Optimism," Butler-Bowdon covers what he calls the theme of 'refusal to accept common unhappiness.'

Butler-Bowdon reveals the popularity of the self-help book: he claims his selection of 50 classics has sold over 150 million copies, and the total number for the genre has reached more than half a billion copies. The book is divided into six themes, from The Power of Thought to Making a Difference. Such divisions are of course highly arbitrary. David Burns' "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" is listed in The Power of Thought category, while Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" is listed under Secrets of Happiness. Broadly speaking, all the books are about our search for happiness. 50 Self-help Classics deserves to be a favorite among the millions of self-help enthusiasts who are still looking for the book that will explain the keys to happiness, but are overwhelmed by the avalanche of new titles every year that claim to do just that. Butler-Bowdon has done everyone a service by providing a three or four page synopsis of each of the most influential self-help volumes and biographical details of the authors. Furthermore, each book section also has an 'In a Nutshell' section that distills the book's message down to a couple of sentences. Very handy.

My interest was first drawn to Butler-Bowdon's views on the books that first introduced me to self-help and that I still hold in high esteem: Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" and Maxwell Maltz's "Psycho-Cybernetics." He also holds them in high esteem. In fact, Butler Bowdon, respecting the theme of positive thinking that pervades the self-help field, has very few negative comments on any of the books. After all, he chose them as the outstanding works in the field. But the joy of reading this book comes from not only being reintroduced to books one enjoyed years ago, but also from the chance to read about less mainstream works, from ancient volumes such as The Dhammapada, Buddha's teachings, to recent books such as Alain de Botton's "How Proust Can Change Your Life."

The self-help field is so large that you soon realize that without this book you could spend so much time reading that you would not have time to put all that good advice into practice. Another realization--many of the authors repeat the same ideas: be positive, realize that change means action rather than just thought, develop goals, be optimistic, yet realistic, and don't worry about trivial matters. However, the examples the authors give often give their books a unique perspective. After reading this book, you should be in a happy, positive frame of mind. If not, read it again. It really does contain the keys to happiness.