American Red Cross Polk County Chapter learned at 7:58 p.m. Thursday about a one half of a duplex catching fire on New Tampa Highway on Lakeland. Fortunately, their apartment complex was able to relocate the two adults and two children to another apartment. Red Cross volunteers responded by 9:15 p.m. and provided the family with emergency assistance for groceries, clothing, and shoes; comfort kits (personal hygiene kits) and two Mickey Mouse stuffed toys to comfort the children.

Since July 1, 2008, Polk Red Cross volunteers have helped 13 families: 31 adults and 29 children. Whenever called, day or night, considerate and compassionate volunteers respond to help people in need. Over the previous 12 months, from July 2007 to June 2008, the Polk County Chapter assisted 209 Polk County families affected by local disasters. Almost all of those were fires in houses and apartment buildings.

Home fires are the most common disaster seen by Red Cross volunteers. The Red Cross urges families to follow fire prevention tips and practice fire escape plans to ensure every family member escapes fire safely. Information is available at http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_242_,00.html.

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Repair Your Furniture That Is Damaged From A Flood

 

 

Homeowners drop a lot of energy and dollars over a lifetime buying furnishings for their homes. They purchase items old and new and a great deal of this has consequence both monetarily and sentimentally. With all the flooding in the last few years due to natural disasters there have been countless families all over the earth who have lost most of their precious effects to flood waters. Many individuals were forced to deal with the loss of everything they owned when their homes were absolutely washed away. Those who could be thought of as blessed and managed to save their homes and whatsoever of their things, had to bear the interminable, severe, and tiresome endeavor of seeking to figure out what was salvageable and what was not.

In numerous cases householder's insurance organizations did not underwrite the shortfalls endured by these flood victims and their families. Many of these people had no other option but to reclaim most of their possessions as feasible. When these individuals utimately got to reenter their houses they were commonly overwhelmed by  the devastation they saw. Photographs and treasured memories mutilated, mud, muck, glop, and fungus all over.  It can take them months to have it all sanitary,  mended and made fit to inhabit again. Since many of these victims had a small amount or no means to get new things they had no other choice but to refurbish as many of their things as viable.

Pieces of furniture are costly and  a lot of families are not in a state to procure new pieces of furniture.  So it is advantageous that in some cases pieces of furniture that has been h2o sullied by a flood can be repaired.  This is especially correct if the harm is not too vast.  The starting place  is to get the furnishings out -of- doors so it can be totally washed and disinfected. Withdraw the drawers carefully.  If they are caught, pry them out carefully. Taking off the back and slowly moving them out may possibly work.  After they are disinfected, the pieces of furniture should be returned somewhere inside so it can be dried out gradually. Drying by way of the sun is not a suitable drying method because it will  probably create bending.

When the furniture has dried up, unfirm parts can be adhered back in the right place. Remove  the old bonding substance.  Clamps may be utilized to clasp the pieces in the correct position while they dry. To eliminate a bunch of the white water spotting as possible, you can wipe the furnishings thoroughly with a rag saturated with camphorated oil or mineral spirits. For more extensive injury, mix 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup of ammonia and clean it suitably.  The subsequent step is to let the pieces dry thoroughly.  After the furniture is dry they need to be carefully finished. A polishing complex using beeswax is a favourable choice for this step. Doing these repairs may not remake the pieces of furniture as great as new.  At  the least, these loved items could possibly be reclaimed until they can be acceptably restored and they can nonetheless be made to to fulfill a purpose for the minute.

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The optimal way to deal with the management of  water damage in your house is to prevent it before it starts.  This is not a difficult project. You really just have to be keen to determine the instance to create a checklist of all the H2O enters or exits yourdomicile.  Then you will have to be ready to go through and watch these sites frequently to make sure they are kept in superb condition.  This tiny total of time and trouble will preclude deluge and H2O harm and the patching up to your home that could take place if any of the plumbing, hoses, or connections were to start a break.

 Begin in the kitchen to review all the hoses, pipes, and connectors that pertain to running water. Have a look for any outflow or moisture on or around these things.  Peek at the plumbing below the sink, the hoses from the dishwasher,  and the line that runs H2O for the icemaker in your refrigerator.  If there is any wetness on or in the proximity of these things expend the time to mend them at that instant. This will make any problems from being made into a big job. 

 The wash room can be a sound area to move on to after the kitchen search has been accomplished. Be certain to examine the hoses for the hot and cold water that runs to the clothes washing machine. Once more if there is any moisture forming on or near these hoses, exchange or refurbish them without delay.  You ought to also scrutinize the drainpipe for the washing machine to be sure the H2O is emptying out appropriately and the tubing is not dripping anywhere.  It is  an acceptable intention to put a liquefied drain cleaner down the pipework when you do these inspections to protect the pipe from having any difficulty or back up predicaments.

 The bathroom is an additional room that ought to be looked at for H2O changes.  Analyze the plumbing for the john, sink, and bathtub. Put a liquid drainpipe cleansing mix down through the sink, commode, and #tub#bath#bathtub#shower#} drains to preclude any backing up issues. Look at the tile on the floor and walls in the lavatory to see if there are any mutilated tiles or bad grout. Repair any impairment you find right away to preclude damageto the drywall or sub-floor.  Make certain that each restroom in your interior is outfitted with an aeration fan.  These fans will separate out the humidity set off bythe bath flow. The unneeded humidness in a restroom can wind up bringing about fungus if there is not satisfactory ventilation.

 Make sure that examining for wetness in proximity of all of your windows and doors is on the program.  If there are any signs of dampness in proximity of the windows or doors dry it thoroughly and seal the cracks that have let the dampness in.  This should keep drywall, structural, and mold change to your interior.

 When all of these things have been inspected and fixed , go to the lowest level and analyze the cellar for anyseepage in the plumbing or humidity on the cement walls. deal with any difficulties right then and there.   Keeping up with the program repeatedly will preclude water change and the burdening repairs that arrive with it.

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Suffolk, NY water damage service
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Long Island, NY Water Damage

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Cell phones have turned out to be an elaborate part of our day by day life in today's very hi-tech civilization. We count on our cellular phones as often as or even more often than we rely on our personalised or laptop computers. They come in all shapes and sizes with all types of neat and adventageous equipment put right into them. We can buy them with internet and downloading access, emails, address books, instant messaging. They can do useful things. If we were to forget where we put our cell phone, or if our cell telephone were to be pick- pocketed, or smashed, we can feel so out of what's happening. The idea of needing to seek out and use a pay phone is all but impossible. If we have to be without the constant connection to the remainder of humankind through chattering or texting on the cellular phone it is unnerving and feels detachingto us.

H2o injury is one of the most frequent accidents that occur with mobile phones. The warranties that furnished with the purchase of a new cell phone can take in a number of things, but much of the time water immersion is not one of them. This is likely because this particular problem is through no imperfection of the manufacturer. When h2o damage happens to your mobile phone it is troublingto see that your phone will not be replaced on the house . An added disconcerting upshot of having a h2o immersed telephone is the fact that all your data maintained in it may be ruined. At least, that's what we conceive, correct? This may not actually be the circumstance.

Often times when someone's phones fall into h2o or if it had a thing dropped on it, they imagine that it is damaged. It is common that individuals will simply throw their water damaged mobile phones in the waste basket. This is not what you should do. If your cellular telephone got wet with water and not any additional wet substance, there is the chance that if you let it alone and allot it a couple of days, it will dry out and will operate properly. This is not for sure in every example. If your cellular telephone got wet by any other solution, akin to soda pop or fruit juice that can be sticky when it dries, letting the phone solely dry out may not work perfectly or at all.

When you have tried to dry it out and it does not work, all prospect may not be lost. Along with the improvements in moblie telephone expertise, the reparation techniques have expanded considerably. There are many manufacturers that can fix your cell telephone and salvage it from h2o injury. In some instances they may additionally be skilled enough to rescue your precious contact information. This can save you from having to waste a lot of valuable time putting all your information into your phone. It can be a little high priced for the repair, but in the long haul it can be less expensive than getting a brand new phone. Repairing your cell phone is more intelligent than tossing it in the dumpster because with that alternative there is no way of reclaiming your information.

Long Island, NY Water Damage Repair
Long Island, NY Water Damage Repair
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It is a known fact that Sonia Gandhi distrusted R&AW, and Indian intelligence in general. When her children were travelling in Europe, it was an Italian security agency that provided the needed security cover for the children of the then PM. When Raul and Bianca (apparently that's what they were christened... can anyone confirm the (un)truth of this statement? While it sounds probable and not really something you can crucify Sonia on, it sounds suspiciously like the product of a Sonia-is-Italian-to-the-tips-of-her-toes person's imagination) were crossing from one European country to another, one of the European agents there considered it his duty to inform his Indian opposite number of the same... when he was met with surprise and disbelief - the Indian secret agent had no knowledge of the PM's kids being in the vicinity. And the European then quipped, "The movement of the Indian PM's children are known to the Germans, the Italians and the Spaniards, known to all other than the Indians".

Sonia Gandhi later went on to dismiss Indian security forces and bodyguards of the PM as ineffectual, and went on to embarass them for the same. She rubbed salt in their wounds when she made them train under Italian security personnel - a double snub as not only were Italian agents considered so inferior that their Indian counterparts didn't even consider them worthy of even exchanging tips with, but our men were forced to train under them, be snubbed and bossed over and abused by them.

All that pales into insignificance when we come to the incident of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. After an incident where he was hit over the head with an unloaded rifle by a Sinhalese naval cadet after signing the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord, it was obvious the Tigers brooked no friendly intentions to him. Thus when R&AW warned Rajiv Gandhi against going to Sriperumbudur as no force on earth could protect him against a suicide bomber, Sonia suggested he go on with his plan and have Italian security.

And we all know what happened after that.

A while later, Nalini, the backup bomber got her sentence reduced from Death to Life Imprisonment. And now Priyanka has a private meeting with the same Nalini. She also says she pardons Nalini, and that it is her way of coming to terms with her loss. Only, Priyanka has no right to pardon her... it was a crime not against an individual, but against the country. Now there are talks of releasing Nalini to "better Indo-Lanka ties".

Sonia also accused the DMK of being hand-in-glove with her husband's assassins. And now she doesn't hesitate to have an alliance with them for the polls.

Also, the enquiry commission appointed to probe into Rajiv Gandhi's assassination which moved fast under the previous government is now moving much slower than before, when intuitively it should be the other way 'round.

This, along with a lot more instances, have caused an increasing number of people to wonder if there is a connection between LTTE and Sonia Gandhi. Or if Rajiv's assassination was engineered by Sonia Gandhi.

If we choose to give credence to this theory, maybe the imagination wouldn't have to leap too much to visualize the prediction I put forward here.

So there's simply no chance of the UPA winning the next election, what with the backlash from both the Left and the Right. Now if Manmohan is mauled by a Tiger, maybe Madam can cash in on the sympathy wave that will result on the brutal assassination of an erudite scholar and statesman?

Or maybe this is simply too fantastic a route to take with no easy explanations to give for the assassiantions, and with too many questions asked with no easy answers... and you can't foist blame too easily on the LTTE unlike the way you can on Al Qaeda.. the Qaeda has no mailing address, while the LTTE has its own website.

So maybe Madam will simply take the easier, tried-and-tested way out by declaring internal Emergency.

Or maybe all that hype will boil over and they'll just concede defeat and take their seats as Opposition.

Or what the heck.... they might just return to power on their own "secular" steam.

I'm dying waiting for election season. News channels as well as the Blogosphere are never so alive and interesting and full of emotion as it is then.

PS: This one by Subramaniam Swamy makes for interesting reading - Know Your Sonia.

Finding an Belgian electrician in July is slowly becoming the archetypical nightmare (the real pros all seem to fly off to Spain together, like a flock of birds).

Part one of what may become a long story (brace yourselves, here we go). I got up real early today, browsing the online yellow pages for a qualified electrician. So I let my fingers do the walking/talking, only to notice that most were on vacation, too busy, 'did not understand what I was talking about' (this country is multilingual with an influx of labor from East European countries) or politely reminded me that Monday July 21 was Belgium's national holiday. Finally, I found my pink elephant: "sure", a 'qualified electrician' said on the phone, "I'll be there asap". 'Asap' turned out to be 7h later.

My pink elephant was kind of rude, pulled all the AC sockets out of the walls (without bothering to put them back) and finally claimed he 'found the culprit': the main AC power lines under my bed (buried deep in concrete and as dry as they come) were short-circuited. So he claims. No clue what caused it, but yes, he would call me back to schedule 'repairs', obviously 'asap', meaning 'after July 21'. Repairs might involve trying to pull out all the damaged wiring, or just cut into the concrete, under my bed. Eh, wait a minute, did someone actually say 'cut into the concrete under my bed'? Oh yes, he sure did.

OK, care to join me while I pour myself a great Spanish wine? I'll turn on an old-movie cable channel (yes! the TV still has power!) and we'll pretend we don't need AC power at all. Bare with me, and feel free to share your "juice"/AC power stories: they will make me feel better. For the time being, I still have internet access (and a sense of humor). Both may evaporate, and there's no telling when

According to a recent AFP article, a company called the Blitz Gaming Group has put together a series of video games depicting emergency scenarios that require a player to make a multitude of decisions in a high stress situation.

Developed by the group in Coventry, England, this ‘virtual crisis’ game is used to train emergency service workers. A growing sector in the video game industry, “Triage Training” is another logical step in the technological revolution and the game could helps save lives in the future.

I can remember dropping in on one of the college classes my mother taught in 1984 and coming across a game they used to teach their journalism students how to cover a disaster. Although it didn’t have graphics, it was a pretty cool game that helped get me interested in writing. I hope that this new game can pique some kids interest and help them save the world.

I was at a light when I noticed a fire truck coming in my rear view window. I watched as the driver kept switching lanes to get around cars that refused to move over. As the the fire truck reached me I was still at the light and was amazed that the people who had the green light did not clear the intersection. The fire truck had to actually wait for rude drivers to get out the way. Now I saw the fire truck coming at least 3 blocks way, complete with blaring sirens and lights flashing. It isn't like these annoying people were surprised by the fire truck. After it passed me I even watched more than one reckless driver cut the fire truck off.

This is not the first incident I have observed. One day I pulled over for an ambulance only to be passed by the bad driver who had been tailgating. He proceeded to honk and make rude gestures. I guess the thought I was somehow acknowledging his greatness, yeah right.

Come on people use your brain. There is a reason that traffic laws state drivers must move over, yield or get out of the way of an emergency vehicle. It may be surprising to some annoying people that the world revolves around the sun not them. No matter how important they in their own minds others may have more pressing issues.  Ugh, well I guess that is enough ranting for one day.

The next time you meet a fire truck, ambulance or other emergency vehicle in with lights flashing and sirens blaring move over. A few seconds could make the difference between life and death. Do not make firefighters or police officers jobs any more dangerous than they already are.  Remember treat others the way you want them to treat you.

We returned from the drive-through burger joint and, as usual, I asked him to shut the door from the garage into the house when he was inside. I walked about ten yards from that door to the kitchen counter, placed the bag of food down, and heard a clinking thud which I learned later was his walker hitting some empty clay pots. I got to the door and there he was, laying on the floor and blood was everywhere. I called for my Mom, phoned 911, and got some paper towels to stop the bleeding.

He told me he thought he was stupid. I said falling wasn't stupid and consoled him as best I could while we waited for the paramedics. Not only did I need help with the bleeding, but at six feet tall, there was no way I was going to be able to pick him up.

What jewels the firemen are! Their expert care and casual friendship is quite a package for people in distress...not only did my Dad need them...I did too.

His blood pressure was 220/120...some of that most certainly from the trauma of falling...but it was clear he needed stitches and monitoring of his health. I opted to transport him to the closest hospital only five miles away.

In the Emergency Room I was asked if I had Medical Power of Attorney. This has been a sore topic of discussion for many months since they moved in with me, and I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach. Why did I allow them to push this issue to the back burner? What if something happened right then and there and I couldn't legally make decisions about his care? Would they allow a call to my Mother? Would the State step in? What would happen then? So many questions were running through my mind, but mostly I was angry that we simply hadn't made this a priority.

This morning I went online and purchased state-specific forms for a Living Will, a Will, a Durable Health Care Power of Attorney (http://www.azag.gov/life_care/POA_HealthCare.pdf), a General Durable Power of Attorney (http://www.uslegalforms.com/dave/), and also downloaded the forms to donate their bodies (and mine) to the University of Arizona Medical School (http://www.bodydonation.med.arizona.edu/). Last night we filled out all of the forms and today we go to the bank to get witness and Notary Public signatures.

Are you ready? Don't wait another day...you never know when you'll need to be prepared.

By the way, he got to come home last night with three staples in his head, a slowly decreasing hematoma, originally the size of a grapefruit, and some open wounds where the skin tore off. His blood pressure is close to normal again and he didn't break anything. He flirted with my girlfriend this morning. He's fine for now.

DBM money for faxes, electric fans, and Disaster Assistance etc.

First,  even if the Pag-Asa is under the Department of Science and Technology, it is Sec. Gilberto Cojuangco Teodoro, Jr. who is the chief whip of the inter-agency task group that coordinates disaster assistance.

I was extremely surprised when I was told that suddenly Pag-Asa faxed an unsolicited message from a Quezon City number to selected government offices.  Even if the fax contained near-microscopic letters and minute drawings of clouds, rains, suns, it provided a good view of the coming weather conditions and what kind of preparations one should make.

It makes Teodoro a good leader, a very good secretary and cabinet man.  There aren't many good Queen's and King's Ministers all round us.  But Teodoro is a candidate for an Olympic gold medal for being fast on the job.  So kudos Mr. Secretary!

May your tribe increase!!!

*  *  *  *  *

On the other hand, Sec. Rolando Andaya of the Department of Budget and Management -  DBM,  should now look for ways to fund the purchase of more fast, heavy duty fax machines for Pag-Asa or else, more computers with fax modems.

Of course, Sec. Andaya should investigate ground floor, DOST and consider buying the laboratories thereat new electric fans, feather duster, Pledge and wiping cloth (they always seem untidy, exceedingly mummific dusty), among other kakulangan at that department.  Even the brain of the DOST secretaries, always seem to lack turnilyos.  Tsk, tsk, kawawa naman.  Mr. Andaya, please give them some pity and buy them the necessary turnilyos.  The  worst is still to come;  if the other turnilyos from the DOST secretary's head will also fall, that will be damnation for our national science and technology, that awa ng panginoon ay masayang nasa putikan na ngayon.  OMG!

Sec. Andaya and the President should also look for ways to support Teodoro build a state-of-the-art disaster monitoring and assistance coordination system with a complete war room and the latest GIS software.

The same GIS is expandable later to becoming a monitoring system for hotspots during crisis situations, flashpoint areas, logistics movement and management, as proposed as early as 1990-1992 -- but the significance of which Cory, Ramos, Erap were not able to fathom.

Andaya and the President should also be able to do the same for Sec. Jose Atienza in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources -- DENR so that the agency can build GIS based mapping of the country's water, forest, soil, mountains, underground formations like caves, etc. and be able to create environmental hazard maps accordingly.

The SONA is about to be delivered by Madam Gloria but these things need not be mentioned if they cannot be done anyway.

But the most critical assistance that DBM can render the concerned agencies, is providing support for forecasting.

So far back in the past, Pag-Asa and Phivolcs for instance have always been crying for newer and better forecasting equipment, that are truly very expensive.

The United Nations, for instance can help provide funding for NDCC member departments or agencies (not through the DND since fund sponsors, such as, but not limited to World Bank are prohibited from giving money to military and other armed institutions).

If not the UN, at least that organization can help point the NDCC to potential sponsors that could help fund the projects.

Organizations based in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands are prospective sponsors and if the aid will have strings attached, at least the supply market in those countries are all attuned to the newest developments in the trade.

The Germans have always for instance been up-to-date in Disaster Public Warning Systems (PWS).  Simple public announcement speakers for instance, during disaster, are able to utilize radio waves and reach households through radios and even television sets (at least these must be turned on, idiot).  Nothing of the sort was appreciated by the higher ups in 1992 when this kind of German technology was offered.  To think that Germany has huge clout in the Asian Development Bank -- ADB that  bank could have approved a grant for the country.

Even if the gestation period for approving a funding request is long, the time frame between 1992 up to the present would have been too long for ADB not to have considered providing financial and technical assistance to the country in disaster assistance.

The problem was with nincompoops and fools in the Cory government who squandered time, resources and efforts in the highly critical emergency assessment, assistance and coordination front.  Of course Cory herself is stupid, so what more can we say?  She would never have understood the import and real worth in terms of human lives, properties, opportunities of what we are discussing here today.  She always had her mahjong sessions and her ka-chikas then and she will always have them now anyway, so what the heck!  Fucking presidenteng sugarol!  Sounds like it's nice to eat no?  But some people are fucking loads of shit and crap that their behinds get cancer just because.

And Ramos?  Ask the Pangasinenses and they will ask you back, sino yan?  Wala naman kami naramdaman na may naging presidente na taga Pangasinan!!!  That says a lot of his accomplishments, doesn't it?  Imagine the East Pangasinan ash that trampled huge areas of that province, destroyed riverine systems, ricelands and Ramos the President forgot about it all and up to now, lives, rice and other cash crops go down the drain with flash floods that heretofore were not known in Pangasinan before the Pinatubo eruption.  Jesus f_g Christ!!!  And the old boy keeps shitting Gloria about his genius ideas about how to solve our national crises, OMG!!!

And his asungot, Mr. de Venecia nee Perez, will be his stariray during the coming movie of Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola (Julia Roberts and Joe Perez in the billing), The Great Flasher while he, Ramos, the demonyong puppet master will stay unseen behind, pulling the strings as the Flasher and the throng mount and stage their next big attack against city hall.  Well, helloooo!!!  Excuse us, sirs and madams, aren't you out of your fucking minds?  Aba, patahimikin niyo naman kami, marami pa kaming kalamidad na sasagupain!

The Arroyo government should not follow the Cory, Ramos and Erap models.  All play, money making and no work.  All because Juan was a dull boy!

At least La Gloria is a real, working president and people like Teodoro are truly worth their mettle.  Unlike Cory who always managed to slip to the late Joe Quirino's house in Pasig to play her favorite sugal with her rich (kuno) and notoriously stupid (not famous) confreres.  You can ask the wife of Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, if she is still alive.  She is one of them mad mahjongeras and Mrs. Biazon's mahjong sessions with Cory is the reason why Pong became chief of staff and later a  senador.  Imagine!!!  The fate of our country over a few games of that unspeakable game of plastic chips!  Caramba!!!  Dios mio!!!  (At least Biazon owes his mahjongera wife the chief-of-staffship and the suggestion from her to hire an English tutor so that de poor Pong weel no longger spik karabaw ingglis.  Susmaryosep!!!)

So there, it is hoped that more action will come from NDCC in the days to come.  That DBM's Andaya will not repeat the example of Erap of buying huge teevee screens to make it look like that DND has finally built the state-of-the-art command, control, communications, computers and intelligence system to confront real disasters, specially in these times of global warming.

Godspeed to these people, and to hell with Cory and the rest of the demonyos who nearly buried us all in the pits by being heartless and unfeeling about the subject of national catastrophes and cataclysms.  As if the greatest countrywide calamities that both threatened and actually hit us, were just like having a boiling stomach and making a simple trip to the toilet for them!  Aaaaand,

Shit!!!

Voila!!!

Look Virginia, the disaster's oooohhveeeeeeer!!!!!

No Mississippi Flooding in RP only Kalibo mudshit!

No China earthquakes, only Baguio killer tremor and Pangasinan liquefaction and earth cracking!

No maritime natural disaster!  Only murder by Sulpicio.  (Pag ang intsik nagipit, bato bato sa langit, ang malunod at masunog wag magalit hhaaaa…)

Hay naku, tanqhna niyo talaga!!!   Animál!!!

Soldi e potere
L’altra faccia della beneficenza
Bilanci con troppe cifre e strani corsi
Così molte onlus vivono grazie a chi soffre
di Giacomo Galeazzi
da: "La Stampa" del 21/10/2006

ROMA. Solidarietà a caro prezzo. La Fondazione Nando Peretti, collegata all’associazione «Insieme per la pace» presieduta da Mariapia Fanfani, non è l’unica Onlus nel cui bilancio gran parte dei fondi destinati alla beneficenza servono in realtà a sostenere la struttura. «I nostri costi interni non superano il 9% del totale - assicura Sergio Marelli, presidente dell’associazione delle organizzazioni non governative (170 Ong, 10 mila volontari, 4 mila progetti in 90 Paesi, 400 milioni di euro mobilitati all’anno), ma non è così per tutti gli operatori del Terzo settore e della cooperazione».

Le mele marce
La mappa «oscura» delle sigle non-profit spazia dall’assistenza ai malati svolta in Italia da organizzazioni non lucrative di utilità sociale a enti impegnati a distribuire viveri nel Terzo Mondo. Un giardino fiorito nel quale non mancano mele marce. L’associazione «Anni verdi» (gestisce sei centri che si occupano di un migliaio di persone disabili) è finita sotto inchiesta per fatture gonfiate alle Asl del Lazio. E i vertici di un’altra importante Onlus, con sede nella capitale e quindici sezioni provinciali, sono sott’accusa per aver distratto nell’ultimo quinquennio quasi due milioni di euro di fondi destinati alle finalità solidaristiche dell’ente. Cifre alla mano, poi, ci sono Onlus come il Cuam (fondazione creata per preparare il personale sanitario in Africa) che nell’ultimo bilancio registrano uscite maggiori per la comunicazione (444.344 euro), cioè «pubblicazioni, relazioni con i mass media, campagne ed eventi», e per le strutture (665.657), ossia «costi del personale, servizi, oneri finanziari, ammortamenti, acquisto materie prime», che per la formazione vera e propria (115.505).

Corsi fantasma
Altro terreno scivoloso per il volontariato sono i corsi di qualificazione professionale organizzati con i soldi del Fondo sociale europeo (Fse), messo a disposizione dall’Ue per finanziare «iniziative tese alla promozione dello sviluppo economico e sociale locale». Non è facile accedervi perché le procedure burocratiche sono piuttosto complicate, ma, una volta ottenuto il finanziamento, le erogazioni sono cospicue. Consorzi e istituzioni senza fini di lucro, perciò, sono da anni in prima fila nella corsa alla ripartizione degli stanziamenti. A suscitare le perplessità dello stesso Terzo settore, però, è la proliferazione di corsi di dubbia utilità come quelli per «operatore sociale telefonico», «animatore teatrale», «operatore sociale nautico». Una nota cooperativa sociale di Roma ne ha progettati a decine. Il sospetto è che si tratti di professioni fittizie per poter imbastire corsi inconsistenti che non riusciranno mai a procurare un lavoro a chi li frequenta. «Cos’è un animatore teatrale? E’ un attore, una maschera o piuttosto un pretesto? - si chiede polemicamente Paola Tubaro, esperta di Terzo settore e autrice del libro “Critica della ragion non profit” -. Questi corsi, inadeguati a trovare una sistemazione professionale agli studenti, sono invece una manna per gli organizzatori. Quindi per incassare denaro pubblico ci si inventa i mestieri più improbabili, in modo da moltiplicare gli incassi».

Uffici e burocrazia
Le ombre sono talmente fitte che spesso, a causa delle proteste della base verso la dirigenza, i bilanci sono affidati per la certificazione a società esterne di revisione contabile. Nelle spire della «mala-beneficenza» (gestione allegra delle risorse e gravi inadempienze rispetto alla propria «mission») sono finite recentemente pure delle autentiche multinazionali della solidarietà come l’organizzazione per l’educazione infantile «Casa Pia», che dal Portogallo si è diffusa in tutta Europa. «Nel Terzo settore non è tutto oro ciò che luccica - osserva don Vitaliano Della Sala, promotore di numerose iniziative di volontariato in Italia e di cooperazione all’estero -. Sono attive associazioni inquietanti, attrezzate come apparati: chi sta dietro la scrivania difende il potere conquistato e strumentalizza i volontari.
Nei Balcani e in Iraq ho incrociato Ong potenti come “Equilibrio” e mi hanno impressionato per la ricchezza dei mezzi, l’efficienza quasi militare e la capacità di negoziare strane intese sul campo. Poi, però, quando diventa pericoloso scompare».

Carriere politiche
Il «non-profit», inoltre, è divenuto fucina di carriere politiche e vetrina per una sicura visibilità mediatica. «Pure al chirurgo di guerra Gino Strada, fondatore di Emergency, hanno proposto di candidarsi...», aggiunge Della Sala. A denunciare il rischio di Onlus che aiutano soprattutto se stesse è anche Franco Gesualdi, già allievo di don Milani, promotore della Rete Lilliput insieme a padre Alex Zanotelli e coordinatore del Centro nuovo modello di sviluppo di Vecchiano, vicino a Pisa. «Si tratta di una deriva allarmante, già vissuta da carrozzoni internazionali come la Fao e la Banca Mondiale - avverte Gesualdi -. Certe associazioni si strutturano in modo imponente e sono persino costrette a inventarsi progetti per ottenere fondi pubblici». Lavorano, dunque, per mantenere l’organizzazione: «E sui bilanci incidono sempre più i compensi fuori misura ai cooperanti nel Terzo Mondo». Non meno gravate dalle uscite le sigle domestiche. L’Afn (Azione per famiglie nuove), per esempio, deve sborsare all’anno 80 mila euro per congressi ed eventi, 72 mila di spese generali, 120 mila per il personale dipendente e 32 mila per ammortamenti e svalutazioni.

If there is one thing that can save people from a rabid government, it is a functioning judiciary and its unswerving belief in the most important guardian of individual freedom - the writ of habeas corpus. On 28th April, 1976, however, the Supreme Court of India abdicated its responsibility and threw the citizens of the country to the wolves, all in the name of upholding the constitution. It struck down the habeas corpus by declaring that no court could entertain any writ of habeas corpus as long as the Emergency was in effect. Y.V. Chandrachud was one of the five judges on the bench which passed this judgment. As is probably known, there was only one dissenter and that person was Justice H.R.Khanna who passed away a few months back.

Jos. Peter D 'Souza had this to say in the PUCL Bulletin of June 2001-

28th April, 2001, we complete twenty-five years of this horrific day when four of the five senior most Judges of the Supreme Court of the world's largest democracy could unabashedly declare that under those circumstances no one could seek the assistance of any court in India to try and save his liberty, life or limb threatened to be taken away by the State. A day, which produced a judgment so shameful that even Hitler would have blushed, had he the opportunity to peruse it!
- A.D.M. Jabalpur vs Shukla - When the Supreme Court struck down the Habeas Corpus

Chandrachud was not the Chief Justice at that time and he might have done a lot of good work before and after this judgment. Regardless of these facts, the judgment that killed freedom will always be attached to his name and will forever remain a black mark on the history of India's Supreme Court.

I don't normally write technical stuff, but I read something in the Orlando Sentinel, June 21, 2008, that I would consider a public service message for all Florida residents with either a driver license or Florida identification card. The state's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has set up a secure online site where you can enter contact names and phone numbers, in the event of a serious accident or some kind of tragic event and law enforcement officials need to notify someone close to you. I think this is a great idea and it certainly makes life a little easier for police and family members if something happens and you aren't able to communicate. I keep a medical alert bracelet for diabetes on my key chain, not that I expect to go into a diabetic coma or anything; it's merely a simple precaution to ensure I am never given medications that might interfere with what I take now. Contacting someone who is familiar with my condition and prescriptions could be a lifesaver.

After filling out all of the information at the website, the data becomes available, so when a law enforcement officer scans your license, he/she can call any of your emergency numbers. You can enter 2 people with 3 numbers each. I think this is something all states should offer and if you live outside the state of Florida, you might want to find out if this service is available where you live. Fortunately, I found Rick's sister, but are you and your loved ones easy to find?

For Florida residents, please click HERE to go to the Florida Emergency Contact Page. There is no charge for this service.

• More than 2 million people in the U.S. have had seizures and/or been diagnosed with epilepsy
• The term seizure is a symptom
• If a seizure is not epileptic, or if a diagnosis is uncertain, it should be described as paroxysmal
• There are about 32 types of seizures
• aprox. 50% of seizures never have an identified cause; the other 50% are usually due to underlying diseases or injury of the brain
• Seizures limited to one portion of the brain are called partial seizures
• Most seizures last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes

For a fairly common 'symptom' very little is known about seizures. Understanding seizures better could improve the lifestyle of thousands of people. Equally important, it could decrease the amount of fear in people who suffer a seizure and are unsure of why it happened, if it will happen again, or when it could happen. Tests to search for underlying causes can also be quite time consuming and expensive, often including an EEG, CT scan, and an MRI. Each test can be very important in indentifying problems, but the quality of the tests do not seem to meet the needs of epilepsy/seizure patients since only 50% of the time a cause is identified.

And I am left with on default position: "Your failure to plan ahead can no longer constitute an emergency on my part."

When planning Podcamps for example, schwag like T-shirts have to be ordered weeks in advance. Catering menus need to be set at least a week or more in advance. Yet, at almost every podcamp, there is a mysterious increase in the number of people deciding at the last minute to attend or not attend. This includes speakers cancelling at the last minute, not just attendees, after a schedule has been set, and there is no time to get someone to take their place nor disseminate that information adequately.

I've come to expect a certain amount of this last minute stuff with our internet/social media crowd. But I still don't think it's really okay. And I think unless planners are willing to put their foot down at some point and say no, no matter how much we would rather say yes, we will continue to get people expecting last minute accommodations because they are unwilling to commit, one way or another, in advance.

We all have last minute emergencies. People get sick. Life happens. But if I buy tickets to a concert and find I am unable to go, that is not the performer's problem, nor the venue. It is up to me to find someone to go in my stead, or simply "eat" the ticket. If I fail to make dinner reservations in advance, I might not be able to eat at the time or place I wanted to. That's life, pure and simple.

For Podcamp in particular, every additional person means providing an additional bag/shirt/coffee/chair well after the plans have been solidified and put to bed, and if we haven't been able to "guess" appropriately in advance, we end up with either too many or too few shirts/food/rooms etc. to meet demand. We can't do our jobs as well as e would like or have planned, because the last minute folks want to come play.

Don't get me wrong- I am thrilled when Podcamps seem to develop a buzz and people get excited to attend. I love hosting an event that people find engaging and sometimes even life changing. There's nothing better. But i do hope people understand as well that their last minute changes cost the organizers lots of extra time and energy just when they are most stressed. When you are in the run-up to an event, there are many details to pin down, and all the last minute changes can make you crazy. The more people fail to plan ahead, the more difficult the job.

So I ask for your cooperation. Please plan ahead as far as possible. Be considerate of the organizers, who are doing this as volunteers. Please be patient, and understanding if things aren't perfect. And please understand, before changing plans at the last minute, how your changes impact others. And please understand if your last minute change is not the only thing on our lists to handle. We love you and want to help, but so does everyone else. And please understand your last minute need can't always be my emergency. The tickets for that show have been sold out for days.

First, I get a call from a cashier saying that a customer said we had a leak behind the building. I asked what she meant and she said we had water shooting from the ground. I went out there and realized it was our sprinkler system! There was no leak, I died laughing. How could someone mistake a sprinkler for a leak? So funny.

So then I call back up to the cashier just to make sure that was the area that she was talking about. While I was on the phone with her I could here an old lady talking. I couldn't make out what she was saying but all I heard was"Emergency.............Restroom.............PEE!!!!"

Then the cashier said OK and quickly said bye and hung up the phone. I went to see what was going on and got all of the hilarious details.

This old lady came in the store looking all frantic saying "Medical Emergency! Where's the restroom?" The cashier then said "What?" The lady gripped her by the arm and said "I REALLY NEED TO GO PEE!!!" So the cashier said OK and took her to the restroom. I thought that was pretty funny. The cashier said that the lady didn't walk very fast, but sure did grip her arm pretty tight.

McKenneth Atkinson, 19, an apprentice mechanic from Pinjarra, was brought to RPH by ambulance about 3pm on Thursday.

He waited in the emergency department with parts of his severed fingers on ice until Friday night.

And after more than a day he was finally given a ward bed and prepared for surgery, only to have that delayed.

He was finally transferred to the Mount Hospital for surgery at about midday on Saturday.

The teenager's father, Colin Atkinson, told The Sunday Times he was upset by the delay. (news)

Been nursing a nasty toothache this past weekend. It hurts so much, its been giving me a all sorts of problems. The left side of my face is swollen, I'm having problems with chewing and to top it all, the headaches, ooh the headaches. Gonna do a bit of self medication with Mesulid and some gargle. Should lessen the swelling and the pain... hopefully.

In other news, I went to the local Central Post Office to get my Free copy of Ubuntu 8.04 (did it for the Stickers :)) and I must say, It looks like a dump. I think its my second time visiting the CPO and I can't see any changes. Sad sad CPO. Well, at least the local SSS branch is faring better. Now, that reminds me, I gotta find my SSS ID. Its probably at the office.

On to sports. The Tour de France has been enjoyable this weekend. Well aside from that, Vladimir klitchsko (can't be sure on the spelling) won in Hamburg. He was pretty shaky in the first 2 rounds but was able to put the Tiger (Thompson) on the canvass by the 11th round. Kudos to Vladimir. On a related note ABS-CBN sports will be airing the "Holy War" (Laban na Banal) where AJ "Bazooka" Banal and two other boxers will face foreign opponents. Can't wait for that :)

We'll gotta go to work tomorrow. Hope the rain holds up :) (I love the rain :))

you guys have a great week.

Ja mata,

RS