60 Minutes Story ... The BIG 3 Credit Bureaus and Institutional Terrorism

A major contributor to relationship and marital discord is financial difficulties.  If a couple or family is having money problems or disagreements about financial arrangements or decisions within the relationship, there are bound to be problems.  Money and money problems are the number one cause of unhappiness and arguments within relationships in the United States.  Money problems can result from one or both being financially irresponsible or, in some cases, may come from outside the relationship with neither person being to blame.  It is that outside influence, specifically credit reporting fraud or mistakes, which is the focus of this story.

I was watching 60 Minutes on CBS recently and there was a story on the three national credit bureaus, Trans Union, Equifax, and Experian, and the fact that ten percent (10%) of Americans, one in every 10, have errors on their credit reports.  I was even more shocked to learn that one out of five of us, five percent (5%), have errors on our credit reports BAD ENOUGH TO HURT OUR CREDIT SCORES!  I will get back to these problems, huge problems in-fact, a little later, but first I want to understand the credit reporting process a little better.

I am one of a minority of Americans who check their credit reports and FICO scores regularly.  I visit one of the “BIG 3” every four months for a free credit check through AnnualCreditReport.com. DO NOT CONFUSE AnnualCredit Report.com, where you can get a FREE credit report once a year from each of the BIG 3 credit reporting agencies, with FreeCreditReport.com, a website that will charge you for services and mimics the free site in order to sway you into purchasing “credit monitoring”.  

Most people do not need credit monitoring and can monitor their own credit by doing what I do, checking my credit on one of the BIG 3’s websites every four months, in doing so, checking three times a year FOR FREE and ensuring there are no errors or identity theft occurring.  For example, I will check Experian in March, Trans Union in July, and Equifax in November each year.  I normally enter a recurring reminder on my Microsoft Outlook calendar or Google Calendar, making it easier to remember.  The only problem you may encounter is trying to check a report to soon and wasting a little time, so make sure you wait at least a year before trying to check your credit with each agency.

There is a new rating system replacing the old “FICO” score, which ranged from 300 to 850, called the “VantageScore”, which is based on information from your credit report.  Your credit information may differ among the BIG 3 national credit reporting agencies and, as a result, your VantageScore based on each of those reports may vary.  A VantageScore ranges from 501 (being very bad) to 990 (being very good) and, from Experian at least, you also receive a RISK GRADE in the following ranges:

A: 900–990

B: 800–899

C: 700–799

D: 600–699

F: 501–599

You are also assigned one of five applicable CREDIT CATEGORIES based on your risk grade, including “High Risk” (F); “Non-Prime” (D); “Prime” (C); “Prime Plus” (B); and “Super Prime” (A) and given a percentile score, indicating where your credit rating ranks, on a scale of 1 to 100 among U.S. consumers.  According to Experian:

“VantageScore is the credit industry’s first credit score developed jointly by the three national credit bureaus. This innovative new approach to credit scoring simplifies the credit granting process for consumers and creditors by providing a consistent, objective score to the marketplace. Credit scoring is used to help potential lenders and users of credit reports quickly measure your credit worthiness and decide the type of risk they are taking by doing business with you. In addition to your credit score, lenders may also consider other factors such as your income, assets, length at current residence and employment history. There are many different scoring models used in today’s marketplace and different criteria used by different lenders. Regardless of what scoring model is used, they all have one purpose: to summarize your credit worthiness.”

Your credit score, now called VantageScore, is used for a variety of things, things you may not be aware of.  Most of us know that your score not only influences, it determines whether or not you will get a loan (home mortgage, car/consumer loan, etc.) and the interest rate that goes along with it.  The better your VantageScore, the lower the interest rate.  With the “prime” interest rate hovering around 3.25% for the past year, one of the lowest in history, those with the best credit will normally be able to get a loan with an interest rate close to prime.  If you have negative entries (late payments, loan defaults/collections, bankruptcy, or foreclosure) on your report, your Vantage Score will drop and the interest rate you receive on your loan will rise exponentially depending on how bad your score is.


Other things affect your VantageScore beside poor payment history and bankruptcy, including how long your credit history is, how many credit accounts you have, the credit limits on those accounts, and the debt to credit limit ratio.  Other things affecting your score negatively are closing accounts and having too many accounts at any given time.  The logarithm used by the BIG 3 to determine your score is a closely held secret and trying to figure it out is not an exact science, but some things you can do to maintain a good credit score are:

1. Make payments on-time

2. Keep a good balance of accounts and credit limits (higher is better)

3. Maintain a reasonable debt to credit limit ratio (not too high and not to low)

4. Use your accounts and credit cards regularly (at least once a year)

5. DON'T close accounts if possible, particularly before shopping for a loan!

Many people do not understand that your VantageScore also influences other areas of your life.  According to Forbes magazine, things, other than loan interest rates, that can be affected by your credit score include your home and car insurance rates, renting a home, getting hired or not, getting utilities for your new home, professional licensing, and even whether or not you will be investigated as a possible TERRORIST … seriously!

Now that you understand the system we are working with, I would now like to get back to the problems with the credit scoring process reported by 60 Minutes and discussed earlier.  Because your credit score has such a large and significant impact on your life in so many areas, there is a failure in the system when five to ten percent of citizens are affected negatively because of errors that ARE NOT THEIR FAULT!  

60 Minutes highlighted the story of one woman who attempted to fix errors on her reports with the BIG 3 for SEVERAL YEARS.  A person with bad credit, with a name and social security number totally unlike hers, was mistakenly being included on HER CREDIT REPORTS!  When she tried to fix the problem, the BIG 3 ignored her request or refused to believe her, EVEN AFTER THE OTHER WOMAN AND HER CREDITORS SIGNED AFFADAVITS SUPPORTING HER CLAIMS!  People lose jobs and houses over things like this and the BIG 3 were totally unresponsive.  60 Minutes indicated that this was not an isolated incident and reported that it appears to be a systemic problem, a problem the BIG 3 refuse to address or fix … another example of Institutional Terrorism ™ at work in America.

My own credit history was flawless, without a late payment or other blemish for over 30 years and a FICO Score very close to a perfect score of 850.  We regularly shopped at Kohl’s, a discount department store chain, for clothes and household items three or four times a year.  Kohl’s offers special discounts for the credit card customers, so we applied for a card and used it every few months.  We have most of our credit card, utility, and other recurring payment accounts on “auto pay”, having the statement balance taken out of our bank account automatically every month.  Because we only shopped at Kohl’s every few months, that option was not possible, so I relied on their email “payment due” reminders and, as a backup, statements mailed to our home to remind me to make a payment.

While paying our bills one weekend, I suddenly remembered that we had shopped at Kohl’s a while back and I had not received an email or statement, so I logged in to their website to see when the payment was due.  I do not know about you, but time flies by and when I saw that our account was over 60 days past due, I was flabbergasted!  I knew it had been a while, but did not realize it had been 60 days.  

I immediately called Kohl’s and told them I was sorry for the late payment, asking to make a payment immediately over the phone.  After doing so, I asked the woman if Kohl’s had reported our late payments to the BIG 3 and she indicated that they had.  I told her that I had not received a reminder email or statement in the 60 days since making the purchases and asked her if she could PLEASE remedy the discrepancy with the credit bureaus, having had “golden” credit for 30 years.  She rudely told me “I guess you are the only customer out of thousands of Kohl’s customers not to receive a statement!”  I told her “yes, I guess I am” and asked her again, very nicely, if she could help us out.  She told me, in no uncertain terms, that I was a liar and that she would do nothing to help me, so I asked her to close our account.  She told me that Kohl’s had already closed our account, again without even notifying us!  

What kind of business reports negative information to the BIG 3 and closes a (very good) customer’s account without ever sending an email, statement, late notice, or calling to find out what was going on?  We shopped almost exclusively at Kohl’s, spending from $2,000 to $3,000 a year at their stores and had a perfect payment history, 53 straight months without a late or missing payment, a pretty good customer by most standards, and Kohl’s closes my account for a simple oversight?  I admitted and continue to assert that, in the end, I AM RESPONSIBLE and should have paid much closer attention to our obligations, but Kohl’s not only failed to help us succeed, THEY INSULTED MY CHARACTER!

As a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, I take great pride in my core values and character, so if you really want to upset me, question my character!  Kohl’s has lost two very good customers, customers who spent in excess of $10,000 over a 5-year period, paying on time in all but the last two months.  So who is the loser here?  Kohl’s and their shareholders … NOT US … we still buy clothes, from J.C.Penney!

The moral of this story is that a small error, particularly one you caused yourself, can cost you BIG TIME when it comes to your credit score.  After Kohl’s reported our two late payments to the BIG 3, our FICO scores dropped from the low to mid-800s to 620!  Thankfully, we were not refinancing our mortgage or buying a car at the time because we would have been turned down or forced to pay an interest rate far above prime … all for a simple mistake and two late payments in 30 plus years.

Because credit scores play such a significant role in our everyday lives, making the difference between success and failure, owning a home or living on the street in some cases, it is critical that the BIG 3 get it right and when they do not, they need to respond quickly and with compassion … but they do not and probably will not UNLESS FORCED TO DO SO.

If my constituents decide to support me for political office, I will go after the BIG 3 and ensure that no more citizens are terrorized by ignorance, incompetence, or lack of concern for customers.  I will fight Institutional Terrorism, as my family experienced with Kohl’s (and other large companies/organizations) and like the poor woman in the 60 Minutes story experienced with the BIG 3.  Why? Because it is the right thing to do and because American citizens deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.   Citizens in general and customers in particular should be given the benefit of the doubt instead of automatically being assumed a liar or con artist.  Innocent until proven guilty?  Maybe in the courts, but not by large organizations like Kohl’s, Experian, Trans Union, Equifax, and others, perpetrating Institutional Terrorism on innocent Americans.

Americans are all struggling financially in this economy, even the richest of the rich have suffered losses ... not that we feel too sorry for the millionaires and billionaires who are "suffering" out there. Financial problems invade many if not most homes across the country, so it is important to communicate effectively with your partner about financial issues, ensuring that both parties are at least informed about the current situation, even if it happens to be bleak.  Relationship success is based on communication and teamwork, particularly when it comes to finances. Four eyes are much better than two are, especially when large organizations, like the BIG 3, think they can act with impunity, ruining lives without a thought about it.  So keep a regular eye on your credit reports by visiting either Experian, Trans Union, or Equifax once every four months at this FREE SITE: 

AnnualCreditReport.com

Key Words: Trans Union, Equifax, Experian, Kohl’s, credit reports, FICO, VantageScore, credit, score, bureau, consumers, creditors, lenders, risk, business, payment, bankruptcy, history, accounts, limits, debt, payments, balance, credit card, blemish

Copyright 2013 – C.T. Sorrentino and 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC – All Rights Reserved

Letter to the Editor, Air Force Times - HAGEL'S OPPORTUNITY (March 11, 2013)

I am assuming that an "editorial" is written by or for (in this case my guess would be Mr. Dorr) "the editor", Ms. Ianotta. In terms of JOINTNESS and BASE CLOSURES, I could not agree more. That is where our like-minded opinions end.

PEOPLE: Even though only 19% of the force stick around for retirement, I disagree with a strictly 401(k)-style retirement. We already have a 401(k)-style option in the Thrift Savings Plan, even if there are no matching contributions. A significant recruiting and retention tool is one of the few pensions still available in America today. Could there be a hybrid retirement, like the type proposed by several sources, where troops could qualify for reduced retirement at the ten year point, drawing the pension beginning at age 60? A combination of the two could help retention and provide a reasonable retirement for those who put their lives on the line for their country.

TOOTH TO TAIL RATIO: Are you assuming Afghanistan will end in 2014 and there will be no more war for the foreseeable future? Wishful thinking! A one-to-two ratio would never allow enough recovery time between deployments if at war, which between the instability in the Middle East, a nut at the helm in North Korea, and China spreading its wings and building aircraft carriers, is highly likely. Our forces are worn out and drastically reducing the force is a temporary solution to a long-term problem. We have seen the cycle over and over, so do not be naive.

EFFECTIVE USE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE: Most would agree, particularly the Guard and Reserve, that they have been used VERY effectively over the past 20+ years. Probably TOO effectively. There is nothing more there to give if you think they are going to make up the difference for your "tooth to tale ratio". Bless you all!

HEALTHCARE: Is Air Force Times really going to go there? Are you seriously proposing that "those who can afford to pay more" pick-up the slack? We all made the same sacrifices and were promised the same benefits, so I think it is ABSURD to expect higher wage earners pay more for a benefit we were told was "free" and "for life" during recruitment. Maybe Ex-Secretary Panetta could pay back the $1 million in plane trips home during his SECDEF tenure (and only God knows how much he wasted BEFORE becoming Secretary). Maybe we could take all the money wasted on end-of-year "spend-downs" and plow it back into the budget EVERY YEAR. Maybe we could end government and contractor fraud, waste, and abuse instead of giving it lip service. I have seen enough money wasted on just one government contract (the contractor currently has a class action lawsuit also pending against them and an IG complaint from me) to fund Tricare for at least a few months ... ONE CONTRACT!

Air Force Times loses credibility with those kinds of shortsighted suggestions. Where is your loyalty? Who do you think pays your salary? Your readers, active-duty and retired military! Do you think your "suggestions" are popular with other readers?

Maybe you should stick to reporting the news rather than telling the new SECDEF how to run the show. I think he has much smarter, military-savy people on his staff than Military Times does.

Chris Sorrentino, LtCol, USAF (Ret) aka CombatCounselor

Anger Management ... Can You control Your Anger?

It is difficult, if not impossible, to manage or control anger. Control is the problem, not the solution. You can control many things in the world, but when you try to control what is between your ears, you will fail miserably. 

Dealing with anger issues can be very simple, yet extremely difficult, because you have learned to react the way you do. You cannot "unlearn" it because the mind is a one-way street of sorts, once "it" is in there, "it" is there for good. However, you can learn new ways of responding to angry thoughts, changing the context rather than the content. Let me briefly explain. 

You could practice accepting angry thoughts, which cause angry emotions, just as they are, non-judementally, in the present moment. Those thoughts, which may be true or valid, or may not be true or valid, are most likely not productive. So, by accepting the thoughts for what they are, merely thoughts, you can let yourself experience any valid anger rather than pushing it away or you can simply observe the thoughts and not attach any judgment or importance to them. In either case, you now have control over the process (context) and how you react to the thoughts.

I said it is simple because it is. It is as simple as accepting thoughts, sensations, behaviors, memories, and emotions for what they are and without judgement. Becoming competent at doing that is the difficult part. It takes practice, mindfulness practice, every day of the week for the rest of your life. Would you trade a life complicated by anger, anxiety, depression, shame, guilt (etc, etc) for one of calmness and tranquility if I told you it would take only 5 to 30 minutes a day?

The mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapies (DBT, ACT, MBMT) are not just for "crazy" people, but for anybody who is tired of letting their thoughts and emotions run their lives. It is a positive psychology in the sense that we train ourselves to look at negativity as a transient state and is based on the traditions of Zen Buddhism while incorporating modern, effective cognitive behavioral techniques based on the latest scientific research.

There are 15 episodes of BODY-MIND-BEHAVIOR (BMB) BASIC TRAINING on my YouTube channel: CombatCounselor Channel can read more on our website, www.KCCBT.com and my blog, The CombatCounselor Chronicle. You can also follow me on Twitter @CombatCounselor or LIKE my Facebook page: Like CombatCounselor on Facebook . You can also search using the terms mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Don't forget to follow @CombatCongressman on Twitter, subscribe to his blog CombatCongressman Connection, visit his website CombatCongressman.com AND VOTE FOR THOMAS C. SORRENTINO IN THE 2014 MIDTERM ELECTION - MISSOURI'S 6TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT!

Client Beware: Protecting Yourself from Un(der)qualified “Therapists”

By Chris Sorrentino, MS, LPC, NCC

Chris Sorrentino is a combat and disabled veteran, retired military officer, and licensed professional counselor with over 30 years of experience and education in clinical psychology and cognitive-behavioral therapy.  Chris was an Assistant Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership and Counselor at the United States Air Force Academy from 1988 to 1993.  He is the author of the future New York Times Best Seller Get Off Your Buts And Live A Value-Driven Life ... That's A Freakin' Order".

Many people seek the expertise and advice of “professionals”, paying top-dollar for, what they believe, is psychotherapy.  I have been a licensed psychotherapist (licensed professional counselor, or LPC, actually) for 20 years, having seen literally hundreds of clients, but very few ever asked me about my qualifications.  Of course, I am obligated, morally, legally, and ethically, to inform my clients about my education, experience, licenses, and approach to treatment (legally known as “informed consent”), and do so consistently.  However, there are multitudes of individuals and groups out there advertizing themselves as “therapists”, “life coaches”, “healers”, and other creative titles, hoping the public (you) will believe that they are qualified to help you with your psychological baggage.  Client beware!

This is the first in a series of articles I will write that will take some of the mystique away from psychotherapy.  Many people understand therapy based on what they have seen in movies, on HBO, in books, and on TV (e.g. Dr. Phil) and have no idea of what goes on behind closed doors.  My goal is to help you understand what psychotherapy is and is not, so you can make an informed decision about whom you can trust with your deepest, darkest secrets and pay hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to in the process. The purpose of this first article is to inform you about who is qualified to provide psychotherapy and who (in my opinion) is not.

At the most basic level, there are specific requirements in each state for practicing psychotherapy and therapists are regulated by the state in which they practice.  There is a governing body for each specialty (e.g. LPCs, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists) which specifies the requirements to practice in that state and we (therapists) are required to meet those requirements prior to seeing a single client.  For example, an LPC (like myself) in the State of Missouri is required to hold a master’s degree from an accredited institution with an emphasis in ten core areas (counseling theory, human development, diversity, testing, etc.) completing a supervised practicum and internship as well as 3,000 hours (over a two year period) of supervision under a qualified, licensed clinician (therapist).  Additionally, an LPC must take and pass the National Counselor Examination, an extremely difficult, comprehensive, nationwide exam in addition to passing a background check (to make sure we are not murderers, child molesters, or rapists).  Only then, if the board sees fit, do you receive a license to provide psychotherapy in the state.  Most states have similar requirements for each profession, but some variation exists from state to state.  You can check the requirements for each profession in your state by going to your state’s website.  In the case of Missouri, the Missouri Division of Professional Registration oversees licensure for all of the psychotherapy professions and you can find the requirements for yourself by visiting  http://pr.mo.gov/default.asp.  This brings me to my next topic, the professions.

Titles vary slightly from state to state, so I will focus on Missouri guidelines to simplify the discussion.  Again, you can check with your state’s regulatory body for the specifics of the state in which you reside.  In  Missouri, individuals qualified and licensed to provide psychotherapy are called licensed professional counselors (LPC), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), psychologists, or psychiatrists.  Let me explain briefly the differences between them.  LPCs and LCSWs are master’s-level (normally, a two-year post-baccalaureate degree) clinicians having completed their graduate degree in the field of study in which they are getting licensed from an accredited institution (not a diploma mill), completed supervised practicum, internship, and clinical supervision (3,000 hours – 24 months), successfully passed the required national or state exam(s), not be a felon (remember the background check? – this will be important later), and be approved by the state board governing their specialty.  Finally, we are all professionally and ethically required, above all else, to “do no harm” and to protect your confidentiality.

So what is the difference between an LPC or LCSW and a psychologist?  I am glad you asked!  A psychologist goes through an almost identical, if not more rigorous, qualification process, with the difference being that they have completed a doctoral program instead of a master’s, normally consisting of three to four years of post-baccalaureate education in a School of Psychology (PhD), School of Education (EdD), or Professional School (PsyD).  Doctoral-level clinicians, beside the additional 1-2 years of school, have more course work and experience in research design and psychological testing than master’s level clinicians do.

Many people get psychologists and psychiatrists confused and I often get the question, what is the difference?  In a nutshell, psychiatrists are physicians (medical doctors – MD) who have completed a three to four year specialization in psychiatry whereas a psychologist calls him/herself “doctor” (because they have a “doctorate” degree), but cannot prescribe medicine.  Psychiatrists are an excellent choice if you believe you need medicine (anti-depressants, mood stabilizers, anti-psychotics, etc.), but, in many cases (and in my experience) have limited “clinical” expertise (think “talk therapy” like CBT) because they were trained using the “medical model” and believe drugs are the answer to most problems (more about that in a minute).

It really does not matter whom you choose (LPC, LCSW, psychologist, psychiatrist) as long as you can verify that they are licensed to practice in your state and you believe they can help you based on their individual training and expertise.  Fees obviously vary with LPCs, LCSWs being the least expensive in general, and psychiatrists being the most expensive.  All things being equal, the most important things to consider are: does the clinician’s approach make sense; is their approach compatible with your beliefs and values; and do you think you can get along with the person (can they be trusted)?

You might ask yourself, what is the difference between being licensed (e.g. licensed professional counselor) and being certified (e.g. NCC – National Certified Counselor)?  Licensure is a legal requirement mandated by the state.  Certification is a process in which a governing body (sometimes a state, county, or city and sometimes a private organization) develops requirements to give additional oversight and credibility to an individual or profession.  For example, I am required by the State of Missouri to be licensed (LPC) in order to provide psychotherapy to clients, but I have chosen to seek additional certification (NCC) through the National Board of Certified Counselors (aka NBCC - which, by the way, requires an additional 100 hours of continuing education every five years).  Each certifying body has their own requirements and processes, some very stringent (like NBCC) and others not so stringent, as I will highlight for you now.

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, there are many people, some well-meaning, some not, who call themselves therapists or something similar, making you believe they are qualified to help you with your psychological problems.  Client beware!  These individuals go by titles such as “life coach”, “intuitive life coach”, “energy healer”, “psychic healer”, “hypnotist”, “spiritual counselor”...the list goes on and on.  There are individuals hosting radio shows and writing magazine columns, giving relationship and other advice to strangers with their only qualification being having been married for five years.  Another example are “certified” life coaches or spiritual counselors, who take as few as two or three courses (and pay a few thousand dollars) or complete as few as 16 hours of training, sometimes even less!  Some of these titles may sound impressive (what exactly is an “intuitive” life coach anyway?) and lead you to believe the individual has received the training to help you, but there is no state licensing body overseeing their “practice”, no stringent internship or supervision requirement (think 16 hours versus 3,000 hours), no continuing education requirement, and (remember what I said earlier?) NO BACKGROUND CHECK!  Many of these individuals may have good intentions, please do not get me wrong, but do you really want to pay someone with 16 hours of training hundreds or even thousands of dollars, confiding in them and sharing your deepest feelings and concerns?  I know that I do not.

There are some properly trained professionals (LPCs, LCSWs, psychologists, etc.) who may use titles such as those described above (e.g. hypnotist), the key difference being that these individuals have attained licensure in their state, completing the rigorous requirements defined by law (think LPCs, LCSWs, etc.).  So, when you decide you want help sorting out your problems, do not let titles and fancy names fool you and make sure you ask many questions, do a little research, and ensure you hire someone qualified to give you the help you so richly deserve.  Even among professionally licensed clinicians, there are good ones and bad ones, so make sure you understand the process, ask the right questions, and ensure you are getting what you are paying for, sound, professional assistance in helping you manage your life.  Notice I did not say anything about “advice”, because if they are giving you advice, even a licensed professional, turn and run as fast as you can.  More about that in a future article.

C.T. Sorrentino is currently writing a series of articles entitled You Think, You Are.  These articles take readers through ten steps toward better mental health, incorporating Kansas City Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy's proprietary, holistic, cognitive-behavioral approach to the treatment of anxiety and depression: Body-Mind-Behavior Therapy (BMBT).  These articles will also serve as the building blocks for his new book, also entitled Get Off Your Buts And Live A Value-Driven Life ... That's A Freakin' Order", a book that Chris hopes to publish in 2014.   He plans on writing a series of books focusing on the role of cognition, physiology (e.g. diet, exercise, and sleep), behavior (positive and negative), emotion, and values in maintaining a healthy mind and positive lifestyle.

COPYRIGHT 2013 – CombatCounselor and Kansas City Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, LLC  ©

Beware of TweetAdder and Other Twitter Time Management Programs...Your Twitter Account Could Be Suspended!

Already having nearly 550 followers on Twitter @CombatCongressman after only two weeks and thousands more on my alter egos, @CombatCounselor, @CombatCritic, @3rdWaveMediaGroup and others (I am a very busy and diversified guy), I needed a time management tool to help me.  I believe it is important to connect personally with each person who follows me, sending them a personalized tweet or direct message (DM), whenever possible, to thank them for taking the time to listen to what I have to say.  I really appreciate the fact that complete strangers enjoy the things I talk about and take the time to follow me, retweet (RT) my posts, and "favorite" my tweets.

Well, it had become extremely time consuming to send personalized messages to close to 100 new followers, retweeters, and direct messengers each day, so I decided to look for a way to save time.  While doing a search on Google for ways to improve time management, I came along a website called Squidoo, http://www.squidoo.com/twitter-auto-follow-tools, and an article entitled:

7 Auto-follow Tools for Twitter Marketing

I simply wanted to find a way to automatically #followback those who followed me and send them a personal message when they did.  Of the seven tools, a site called TweetAddder seemed like just what I needed, http://www.tweetadder.com/, so I signed up for the FREE service to try it out.  All I did was set it up to auto-follow new followers and send them a DM, thanking them for following me...that was it, or so I thought.

I normally do most of my social media catching-up while on the elliptical at the YMCA and the day after I started TweetAdder, I noticed that when I tried to access my @CombatCongress account, Twitter took me to the sign in screen and would not accept my log-in information (on my Android phone), something that has never happened before.  I thought it was strange, but went on about my business with my other accounts.  It was not until the following day that I tried to login to my @CombatCongress Twitter account from my computer when I received a message "Your account has been suspended for aggressive following", something apparently against their rules of engagement.  

Twitter never bothered to warn me before taking action, they simply suspended my account, removing all of my 500+ followers and the hundreds I had already followed myself.  I had to check two boxes, promising not to do "IT" again, whatever "IT" is, and the one telling me that if I did it again, my account "COULD BE TERMINATED". If I did something wrong, may Twitter should tell me EXACTLY what it was so it will not happen again.  I was smart enough to figure out that the new program I installed two days before was generating problems that Twitter did not like, so I shut it down immediately.

As a word of caution to other unsuspecting Twitter users and computer users in general, be very careful about what you load on your computer and which permissions you allow the program to access, including performing processes that you did not intend to permit.

I know Twitter's basic following and unfollowing, spam, and other rules, but many do not. So be very careful or you could have your account "SUSPENDED" without notice.  Mine is a new account, established on February 1st, 2013 and I already have 544 followers.  I was averaging around 35 followers each day before the suspension, when Twitter too all of my privileges, followers, and the people I was following away.  In the two plus days it took to figure out, then have Twitter reinstate my account and replace my data, a process they said would take an hour , but took well over one day, I gained only four (4) followers.

I am a candidate for congress in Missouri's 6th Congressional District and one vote could make or break my chance at election.  Did Twitter's over aggressive policies hurt my ultimate chances?  Did Twitter irritate some of my followers who had no idea what was going on, as if I did, and sway them to look elsewhere or unfollow me for not responding to a comment or question submitted during my account's suspension?  We will never know.

Copyright 2013 - CombatCounselor and KCCBT, LLC - All Rights Reserved

"The Stigmas Killing Young American Heroes" Now Available in De Oppresso Liber magazine

My article, The Stigmas Killing Young American Heroes, has been published in De Oppresso Liber magazine and is now available in print and eVersion on Magcloud:  http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/498772

CombatCounselor Becomes CombatCongressman in Bid for 2014 6th Congressional District (MO) Race ... "INTEGRITY FIRST, HONOR ALWAYS!"

CombatCounselor Becomes CombatCongressman in Bid for 2014 6th Congressional District (MO) Race ... "INTEGRITY FIRST, HONOR ALWAYS!"

http://www.CombatCongressman.blogspot.com

http://www.kccbt.com/CombatCongressman.html

As candidate for United States Representative in Missouri's 6th Congressional District, my platform shall be based on the following eight (8) principles:

1. Gather information about constituent priorities by effectively and efficiently utilizing technology (email, websites, Survey Monkey, pollsters), social media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Blogger), telephone, and good old-fashioned leadership by walking around.

2. Dedicate my tenure strictly to constituents, ensuring Kansas City's Northland thrives economically, physically, politically, and emotionally, becoming a leader in benchmarking programs and fostering equality, diversity, compassion, dignity, and respect among constituents and between political parties.

3. Focus on attracting customer-friendly businesses and rewarding those who procure and hire locally, with proportional inclusion of Veteran-owned businesses as well as a focus on hiring Veterans, the disabled, and older workers. Caucasian males will have equal treatment commensurate with those benefits enjoyed by any and all EQUAL U.S. CITIZENS, no more, no less.

4. Create a team with enough resources to address bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, and retaliation in our homes, schools (pre-school through university), and workplace with a focus on prevention (proactive), not penalties (reactive). Make the Northland the kind of place where family members, neighbors, co-workers, and even complete strangers can live without fear and are able to thrive in a community that pulls together to defend our own and DOES NOT TOLERATE hurtful acts against our brothers and sisters. Criminalization of acts of abuse (bullying), discrimination (regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, sexual preference, disability, veteran status, or other category currently protected by law), and retaliation while continuing to allow "civil" claims and legal pursuits against the perpetrators, "criminals", in order for victims to be "made whole", an nearly impossible task for someone who has experienced such evil, hostility, and ignorance at home, in school, or in the workplace.

5. Donate AT LEAST half of my government salary to charity and support deserving non-profits through the creation of an office offering education on "best practices" from skilled experts in the non-profit community, helping organizations thrive in their quest to help others.

6. Make myself available to constituents both in Washington D.C. and in Kansas City's Northland where I will maintain an office with an "open door" policy and helpful, respectful, constituent (customer) friendly staff where the words "no", "I can't", or "I don't know" are not in our vocabulary.

7. Protect the interests of our district to the maximum extent allowed by law while fostering teamwork and esprit de corps among fellow elected officials and government employees, working together, democrat - republican - independent alike, for the betterment of mankind, the Earth we live and depend on, and our district ... a place we are proud to call home and a community others admire and aspire to join.

8. I will accomplish these simple objectives through adherence to and a continuous focus on my personal CORE VALUES (in no particular order):

   SELFLESSNESS
   LOYALTY
   INTEGRITY
   COMPASSION
   EXCELLENCE
   DIGNITY AND RESPECT

If you have questions, opinions, constructive criticism, concerns, or ideas, feel free to contact me at CombatCongressman@gmail.com or write to:

Thomas C. Sorrentino
aka CombatCongressman
105 East Street, Suite 14011
Kansas City, MO 64152

Bless you all and thank you for your support!

Please join me "ON THE FRONT LINES IN THE BATTLE AGAINST CORRUPTION, INSTITUTIONAL TERRORISM, APATHY, DISRESPECT, THE STATUS QUO, POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE, HATRED, AND BUREAUCRATIC BULLSHIT" ... FOLLOW ME TO VICTORY IN 2014!

Chris Sorrentino, LtCol, USAF (Ret)
aka CombatCongressman

"Integrity First, Honor Always!" - T.C. Sorrentin

Copyright 2013 - CombatCongressman, LLC & 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC  - All Rights Reserved

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Letter to The Honorable Patty Murray (D - WA) Regarding Military Suicides

January 21st, 2013

The Honorable U.S. Senator Murray,

First of all, thank you for your concern and efforts to help reduce military suicides through your support and leadership in passing the Defense Authorization Act of 2013.

Unfortunately, an office and/or education are going to do little to solve a problem that is caused by ignorance and a flawed system. The primary solution in reducing suicides will be by providing confidentiality to our military when seeking mental health treatment as well as education for leaders so that they understand the importance of therapy/counseling for their troops over the promotion of their own careers.

I am a retired military officer, disabled Veteran, and expert in the treatment of mental health problems with a focus on active-duty military and Veterans.  I have also written and spoken extensively on this topic in my blog - http://www.CombatCounselor.blogspot.com - and YouTube channel - http://www.YouTube.com/combatcounselor. My article, "The Stigmas Killing Young American Heroes", will be published in De Oppresso Liber magazine later this month. You can also find an earlier version on my blog.

With more troops being lost to suicide than combat, we must do something soon. One active duty military and 18 Vets die EVERY DAY by their own hand, 6,900 each year, so something MUST BE DONE...SOON! Our heroes deserve no less. 

I recently sponsored a petition on this topic on the White House Petitions website, but only managed to collect 70 signatures even though my pleas reached tens of thousands of my followers and subscribers. Apathy and ignorance are rampant in this country and I will do whatever I can do to eliminate both, particularly when it comes to the well being of our military and Veterans, in my lifetime.

Thank you again for your service country and your concern for our military men and women. 

Respectfully,

C.T. Sorrentino, LtCol, USAF (Ret)

MS, LPC, NCC

"WORLD ENDS...NEWS AT 11!"

The world really did come to an end yesterday, at least in my mind. I have a hard time believing how absurd, self-centered, ignorant, and just plain rude people have become in recent years.

As a clinician, I am supposed to be upbeat, positive, supportive, and understanding. As a human, I am trying to make sense of what I am seeing in others. Let me give you a few examples...

Recently, the tragedy at Sandy Hook in Connecticut comes to mind. Soon after 27 innocent souls were lost in Newtown, the con- artists and self-promoters took action, jumping in to get their two-cents worth and much more.

First there was the media circus that started before those 20 little bodies were even cold. Do not tell me that the media devoted 24-hour coverage for days after the tragedy because they care or because they want to provide a good product to their customers, the viewing audience, America, the World. No, they did it for the bottom line...ratings and cold, hard cash! That is the bottom line.

I personally believe that the media is a major contributor to large increase in mass murder in recent years, be it "copycat" killers or those looking for their 15 minutes of fame as they go out in a blaze, too cowardly to take their own lives, committing "suicide by cop" after ruining countless other lives along the way.

If I had the authority, and maybe it is a good thing that I do not, I would prohibit the media from anything other than a short announcement of the tragic event immediately following events like these, allowing a maximum of one hour of coverage AT LEAST two weeks after the event in order to gather the facts and provide an accurate, unbiased report. That would ensure that all of the unnecessary and many times harmful speculation and inaccurate reporting does not occur as it did at Sandy Hook and has in other mass tragedies.

The media will put as much as the public can tolerate on the air and people, unfortunately, are curious, sadistic creatures. How many traffic jams have you been in because of the rubber-neckers gawking at a horrendous accident, hoping to see a mangled corpse or charred body? Violence and death sell! If you do not believe me, look at the top-rated, top-selling movies and video games. The vast majority of them have more death, blood, and destruction than I ever saw in four combat tours and a 20 year career in the military.

"Oh, how wonderful you are" and other ass-kissing comments flooded the internet after a post of, what I and many others perceived as, a very creepy and unnecessary "poem" mimicking the flow of "The Night Before Christmas" on Facebook. Then there were the poster's groupies, making sure everyone knew how "Christian" they were, and how much they were "crying", and what a "wonderful man" this person is. Sorry, I think I just vomited a little in my mouth. The "poem" insisted that the 20 little souls from Newtown were going to heaven, which is fine, and embraced by "Jesus"! That is when I got upset.

Granted, I am a Catholic and a Christian, so I obviously have nothing against Jesus or Christian beliefs, but who the hell empowered the Facebook account holder, giving him the authority, the audacity, to suggest that everyone who died that day were Christians? How hurtful it must have felt to the families and friends of the "non-Christian" victims, and I am not even sure there were any, but how freakin' insensitive is that? Those self-proclaimed good, devoted, Christian groupies jumped all over anybody who posted any opinion opposing the poem, and apparently them, insulting, even personally attacking those individuals who had the nerve to post an alternate reaction to the poem. How self-centered and self-serving was that? Apparently, if you do not love, agree with, and shed tears for this very questionable poem, you are inherently "bad", "un-Christian", and "insensitive" to the Sandy Hook victims? What a bunch of pious, self-serving hypocrites!

Then there are the scumbags, that is the clean version of what I think of them, who created fake websites, Twitter and Facebook accounts, and bank accounts, taking advantage of the naive public by using the names of the dead children to prosper unethically, immorally, and illegally from the tragedy. The things humans are capable of sometimes appall me, how disgusting!

I could go on and on with dozens of examples of ignorance, rudeness, arrogance, selfishness, and hypocrisy in recent months. The people who park in handicap spaces or take up two or three prime parking spaces so they will not get their car "dinged", more likely "keyed". Or the ones we hold the door open for at the store while they walk by without a word, as if they expect us to wait on them...where is my tip? How about the people who cut you off while driving then yell at you and flip you the bird as if you had done something wrong. Or the bully boss who yells and screams to get what he wants, then is supported by management when we DARE TO COMPLAIN! You get the idea. I am sorry for making the Sandy Hook tragedy the main example of this post and I really did not mean to elaborate so much about that particular crisis, but it obviously struck some sensitive cords.

The world did not really end yesterday, but we are well on our way to destroying it, either through hatred and thermonuclear war or destruction of our ozone and global warming, our world will likely end before our star, the Sun, naturally extinguishes our planet and species millions of years from now.

Maybe the time has come to finally work together, to love and respect one another, Christian or otherwise, to live together in peace and harmony, thinking of others before or as much as we think of ourselves.  Can we do that? Are humans capable of such kindness, compassion, empathy, and altruism? I sure hope so because the alternative is not very enticing. Hey, maybe I am an optimist after all!

If you want to learn more about how you can be more selfless and less anxious or depressed by living a value-driven life, read other posts in this blog, The CombatCounselor Chronicle, or watch my series, BMB BASIC TRAINING with CombatCounselor, on YouTube: http://www.YouTube.com/CombatCounselor

Wishing you and your loved ones Happy Holidays, I cannot name all of the different religions holy days and do not want to insult anyone, and a safe and proseprous 2013! 

CombatCounselor ... OUT!

The Tragedy at Sandy Hook: Goin' Postal in America - A Phenomenon Dominated by White Males

U.S. Mass Shootings since Columbine:

1. April 1999 - Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado
2. July 1999 -Atlanta, Georgia
3. September 1999 - Fort Worth, Texas
4. October 2002 - Washington DC
5. August 2003 - Chicago, Illinois
6. November 2004 - Birchwood, Wisconsin
7. March 2005 - Brookfield, Wisconsin
8. October 2006 - Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania
9. April 2007 - Virginia Tech - Blacksburg, Virginia
10. August 2007 - Delaware State University - Dover, Delaware
11. September 2007 - Delaware State University - Dover, Delaware
12. December 2007 -  Omaha, Nebraska
13. December 2007 - Carnation, Washington
14. February 2008 - Chicago, Illinois 
15. February 2008 - Northern Illinois University - DeKalb, Illinois
16. July 2008 – South Mountain Community College - Phoenix, Arizona
17. September 2008 - Alger, Washington
18. October 2008 - University of Central Arkansas - Conway, Arkansas
19. December 2008 - Covina, California 
20. March 2009 - Several towns in Alabama
21. March 2009 - North Carolina
22. March 2009 - Santa Clara, California
23. April 2009 – Hampton University, Virginia
24. April 2009 - Binghamton, New York
25. July 2009 - Texas Southern University - Houston, Texas
26. November 2009 - Fort Hood - Killeen, Texas
27. February 2010 – University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa, Alabama
28. January 2011 - Tucson, Arizona (Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords)
29. July 2012 - Aurora, Colorado
30. August 2012 - Oak Creek, Wisconsin
31. December 2012 - Sandy Hook Elementary - Newtown, Connecticut

A friend of mine, who happens to be Italian, reminded me that mass murder seems to be an “American” phenomenon. Terrorism is rampant in other parts of the world while the U.S. remains, fortunately and relatively, untouched. Mass shootings like the one yesterday in Connecticut appear to be primarily an American phenomenon.  Incidents like the horrible one that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary are not strictly an American problem, but the majority of mass murderers HAVE BEEN AMERICAN, WHITE-MALE AMERICANS. 

Why do mass murders happen and why have there been so many recently? Murder, in which a single person is usually killed, is normally executed by someone the victim knows and based on emotion, routinely hate, revenge, or anger.  Mass murder is a different animal and, compared to murder, which is on the decline, is on the rise in the United States. White, middle-class, males are also reported to be the most frequent perpetrators demographically speaking. However, why are the vast majority of perpetrators white males? 

The individuals committing these horrific crimes, those who "go postal" and arbitrarily, it may seem, kill many individuals in a single incident, are sometimes "psychotic", delusional, believing the people they pursue are "out to get them". But many times, the shooter, the weapon of choice being large caliber, automatic or semi-automatic weapons, is described to be "a nice guy", "someone I would never believe could do something like this", or other after-the-fact perception by family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. What could drive a seemly nice, normal, individual to kill indiscriminately as was apparently the case on December 14th, 2012? 

I believe, as does my friend, that it has to do, at least partially, with the culturally ingrained inability to show or channel emotions in a healthy manner. Many men in this country are taught from an early age "big boys don't cry" and told "shut up or I'll give you something to cry about". Sound familiar guys? 

The proliferation of and addiction to violent video games and movies most likely contribute to the problem.  When a boy grows up watching violent movies and playing games where they indiscriminately "blow people away" with high-powered automatic weapons surely desensitizes those vulnerable young minds.  I was interviewed by Kansas City's ABC News affiliate KMBC's Diane Cho last year on the subject of video game and computer addictions, telling her that ten percent of those individuals will become addicted.  When an individual spends hours upon hours, day after day, in an alternate universe where people are targets and the value of life meaningless, what else could it lead to in an already vulnerable mind?

Another problem we are seeing has to do with the fact the white, American, males are many times not taken seriously, unprotected against harassment, bigotry, racism, discrimination, and retaliation. There is a name for that phenomena and it is called "reverse discrimination".  When a person has been exposed to injustice, be it at school, in the workplace, on the internet, and elsewhere, and NOBODY CARES - MUCH LESS LISTENS, the frustration builds and builds until, unless they are extremely RESILIENT, they almost literally explode, sometimes killing themselves and, on rare occasions, others, sometimes many others. 

Oddly enough, I can relate to how these individuals, mass murderers, feel, having recently experienced multiple aversive events in my own life. Having pleaded for help from administrators, state and federal regulatory agencies, state and national-level elected officials, and dozens of attorneys, not a single one cared enough to sit down with me to find out what actually happened.  Sadly enough, if I was not white and male, and was a minority instead - a woman, Muslim, person from another country, homosexual, or other more well known "protected categories", I would likely have had officials and lawyers rushing to my aid.  However, because I am only a disabled-veteran (both protected categories at the institution where the incidents took place) and a white male in particular, I have been ignored.  You cannot imagine how demeaning and frustrating it is to not just lose a career, but to know that not a single person cares enough to assist me, likely because I happen to be both Caucasian and male.

Fortunately, I am able to separate the all too common thoughts of retribution synonymous with victimization as anomalies rather than guideposts, thanks to the resilience skills I have been able to build and maintain over the years. I am human and have suffered severely at the hands of others over the past few years, and have even had fleeting bizarre thoughts involving those who have done me harm. That is normal. What is not normal is for a person to believe that thoughts such as those are true and to be acted upon. The ability to see a thought as a thought and not a directive, is a skill that a "less resilient " individual unfortunately has not developed. 

What it boils down to is resilience, skills inherited to a certain extent, but mostly learned over the course of life. If you have built resilience skills, the ability to see right from wrong in difficult situations, acting in accordance with societal standards, values, mores and the like instead of aggressively, you are in the majority. Rather than believing the thought "I have been wronged, I need to take action against that person", a resilient person can see the thought as just a thought and can choose to act in accordance with their and/or society's values instead. 

I have talked and written about resilience and values at length recently on The CombatCounselor Channel, www.YouTube.com/CombatCounselor, and elsewhere in this blog, The CombatCounselor Chronicle. Resilience skills and well-defined, positive values are core to a healthy personality and frame of mind, skills obviously lacking in many people, particularly people like the young man who killed 20 innocent children and several adult strangers yesterday in Newtown, Connecticut

I am currently researching a book on this phenomenon, a book that will follow the life of one individual as he struggles with abuse, harassment, humiliation, discrimination, and retaliation, leading to a conclusion that will surprise many readers, being fiction and based on real events. I do not want to spoil the ending, but I can tell you that I will be interviewing one or more of the very few white, male, mass murderers who have remained alive to tell their story. 

My thoughts and prayers are with the community, families, and friends of the victims of this senseless tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. I wish I could tell you something of this nature will never happen again, but unfortunately, the stresses we are facing as a nation and as individuals makes a recurrence of events like the one at Sandy Hook inevitable.

There have been 40 mass shootings since the Columbine tragedy on April 20, 1999, 31 in the United States, that is an average of nearly 3 each year.

There have been 13 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2012 alone!


StayPresent - BeResilient - StayTheCourse

CombatCounselor ... OUT!

PETITION TO PRESIDENT OBAMA - END THE NEGATIVE STIGMAS AGAINST PTSD AND MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT IN THE MILITARY BEFORE ONE MORE HERO COMMITS SUICIDE!

PETITION TO PRESIDENT OBAMA - END THE NEGATIVE STIGMAS AGAINST PTSD AND MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT IN THE MILITARY BEFORE ONE MORE HERO COMMITS SUICIDE!

You can read my recent article on this issue elsewhere in The CombatCounselor Chronicle if you require additional information:

http://combatcounselor.blogspot.com/2012/12/article-stigmas-killing-american-heroes.html

PLEASE SIGN MY PETITION TO THE PRESIDENT! We need 150 signatures JUST TO GET THE PETITION SEEN ON THE WHITE HOUSE WEBSITE and 25,000 signatures before January 10th, 2013 ... THAT'S ONLY 30 DAYS ... in order for President Obama to take action.

PLEASE CLICK THE LINK AND CREATE AN ACCOUNT (It's easy - only email address, first and last name), then return to The White House site and SIGN THIS PETITION!

Petition:

"On average, 1 military member and 18 Veterans commit suicide each day and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant factor in many of those deaths. The negative stigma surrounding PTSD and military mental health treatment exist because military members are hesitant to seek treatment from military practitioners, fearing the loss of their career and/or security clearance. We need leaders who are willing to give our men and women in uniform the confidentiality they need when seeking treatment for their problems, be it PTSD, depression, anxiety, or other disorder. We need leaders who are going to do the right thing and end the negative stigmas against PTSD and seeking mental health treatment in the military now, today, before one more American hero dies by his or her own hand!"

PLEASE SEND TO EVERY VETERAN, MILITARY MEMBER, AND AMERICAN PATRIOT YOU KNOW ... 25,000 SIGNATURES IN 30 DAYS ... LET'S DO IT!

Please click on this link and SIGN THE PETITION NOW!

White House Petition - End The Stigmas!