Boston, Terrorism, the Media, and Human Nature

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Boston ... Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved-ones of the two victims who lost their lives as well as those who were injured and the first responders who put their lives in peril to save others. Decoy devices are quite common among terrorists, so let's hope they have successfully cleared the area of additional IEDs.

As was the case with Sandy Hook, this event is and will receive a great deal of attention for days, if not weeks, not to mention many anniversaries to come. That is EXACTLY WHAT THE PERPETRATORS AND TERRORISTS WANT AND NEED TO EXIST!

The purpose of terrorism is, obviously, "to terrorize" and you cannot terrorize without the mass media. The mass media (TV, radio, internet) profit from these events because humans have a sick need to be entranced by trauma and gore. So disasters such as these are extremely profitable for the networks, stations, and websites because humans are innately sadistic.

Think about the times you've arrived at the source of a traffic jam only to find people rubber-necking to see if the can view some blood and gore ... even on the opposite side of the highway! I cannot tell you how many times I have been delayed on LA freeways only to find a fender fender or a flat tire miles away that people could not resist gawking at.

"Sadistic" may be a strong word, but characterizes rather succinctly the need people have to view traumatic, bloody scenes. Other examples of this phenomena are the people who hear of a tragedy (fire, earthquake, hurricane, etc.) and feel compelled to go to the scene, PUTTING THEIR LIVES, AND THOSE OF THEIR FAMILIES IN SOME CASES, IN PERIL!

Bullfights, car races, boxing, ultimate fighting, running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain and other events where there is a high probability of blood and guts being exposed are extremely popular. You have to be "a little slow" (to put it nicely) to watch 33 cars go round and round and round and round until somebody FINALLY crosses the finish line hours later, usually a rather anti-climactic event and the lowlight of the race...hopefully there were a few crashes!

Why do we humans act this way?  One reason is that people are inherently curious creatures. Beyond that, there is some subconscious satisfaction in seeing others suffer. The suffering of others gives us a momentary feeling of superiority or a sense of "wow...I'm sure glad that wasn't me!". In either case, it makes it feel, on a level we are not necessarily aware of, that we are better off or safer than others and that can be very comforting. Another reason people may rush to a disaster scene is to be able to say "I was there!" ... BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, GOT THE T-SHIRT!

A woman actually canceled her Hawaiian vacation to go to Arizona TO WATCH THE JODI ARIAS MURDER TRIAL ... Are you serious ... Jodi Arias over Hawaii? Now that is sick!

I have done it myself, so even perfect people like me are not immune! I was in Paris the weekend Princess Diana was killed. We had walked by the Ritz Hotal that very afternoon on our way back to our room from the Eiffel Tower. The next morning, we woke up to a French NEWSFLASH claiming that Princess Diana had been killed early that morning. We we're planning on visiting that area along the Seine later that day (that's my story and I'm sticking to it) to visit the Hard Rock Cafe (I collect Hard Rock sweatshirts, having visited the Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo, Budapest, Rome, Seoul, London, Edinburgh, Brussels, Munich, and many other franchises). It was two in the afternoon when we arrived at the hill next to the entrance of the tunnel and could see the doomed Mercedes as the police continued their investigation. A rather large makeshift memorial had already been erected on that very hill being comprised of hundreds of bouquets of flowers, stuffed animals, balloons, and cards from people communicating their grief and condolences. She truly was the "People's Princess" as I had observed during my three years in England. I was also in London the following weekend, visiting Buckingham Palace where the memorial extended for hundreds of yards along the fence, 50 feet deep in some places, with the same flowers, balloons, signs, and stuffed animals. It was quite a spectacle and something I will not forget soon. Even more memorable was the funeral coverage (no, I was not there) and the true heartfelt grief and sadness the people of England were feeling. It was very sad and an incredible experience...I WAS THERE!

Again, my blessings go out to the dead and many injured, physically AND psychologically, by this horrific event. We as a nation have been very lucky since 9/11/2001 and need to be prepared and vigilant for.future attacks ... IT IS INEVITABLE. And humans being humans, some will die, many will flock to the scene, and even more will find a way to profit from the tragedy. Whether it is a con artist setting up a fake website in one of the victim's names to solicit donations (to him or her) or ABC programming untold hours of coverage from every perspective imaginable. Can we really blame ABC for trying to profit from the misery of others? No, not really, because that is the business they are in and owe it to their shareholders and viewers to give them what them want or need. What the media, ABC is only an example, can and should be chastised for is giving the perpetrator or terrorist organization the publicity, the coverage they need to be successful. Whether it is for their 15 minutes of fame, satisfaction of a long held grudge, or instilling terror in the populace. Terrorism could not exist without the worldwide media where disasters can be televised around the world literally seconds after it happens and sometimes AS IT HAPPENS in the case of smartphone camera that make capturing news AS IT HAPPENS, then going viral on YouTube as all of us sadistic humans click on the Facebook link.

In conclusion, I truly mourn for the dead, wounded, and their families involved in the Boston Marathon Attacks. I have provided a psychological perspective of human nature because it seemed to be a compelling story on which to discuss the topic. I hope I have not detracted from this sad turn of events and pray I did not offend anyone because that was not my intention. I am a compassionate person, but there are times to get your message across and this seemed like one of them. I hope you learned something from this discussion because that is my only intent ... AND NO, I DO NOT MAKE ANY MONEY DOING THIS!

#PrayForTheVictims... BeResilient!

CombatCounselor Q&A IS BACK ... ON BLOGTALK RADIO!

My NEW RADIO SHOW ... CombatCounselor Q&A ®, on BlogTalk Radio premiered today! Have a listen ... what could be so bad! CombatCounselor ... On the Front Lines in the Battle Against Anxiety and Depression ... Sometimes we have to lose a few battles to WIN THE WAR. The important thing to remember is ... NEVER GIVE UP .... and

... StayPresent  BeResilient  StayTheCourse ... CombatCounselor ... OUT!

Tune in to CombatCounselor on blogtalkradio Wednesdays at NOON (CST)

Tax Scams and Tax Robbers...Bilking America(ns) BIG TIME!

I do not know about you, but I stress over money more than anything.  As I discussed in last week's post, one of the primary causes of conflict in relationships today is financial ... MONEY ... or lack thereof. I discussed credit and credit scores as a source of conflict in my last post, educating you on some pitfalls and secrets, and telling you how to stay on top of your credit score (Vantage or FICO) and avoid potential problems down the road.

I saw a story on "Rock Center with Brian Williams" last night about tax refund fraud and the IRS. Apparently, this has become a very lucrative crime with scumbags stealing identities (very easy) and filing made-up tax returns IN YOUR NAME ... TO THE TUNE OF $5 BILLION LAST YEAR!

If you have worked with or for the federal government, you have witnessed WASTE in unfathomable proportions, fraud and abuse as well, but waste is rampant! Government departments and contractors waste HUNDREDS OF BILLION$ EVERY YEAR and this $5 billion scam is just the tip of the iceberg!

Medicare fraud, social security and disability fraud, and now tax fraud, if there is a way to defraud the government or waste taxpayer dollars, someone has figured it out.

There was another story on the same program about Carnival Cruiseline and the fact that they pay only 0.6%, that is less than one percent, in international, federal, state...etc. taxes! Not only that, they have bilked the US Coast Guard and Navy  out of over $2 million over the past year in recovery operations for their poorly maintained fleet alone. That does not include the millions being spent on the Costa Concordia (one of their ships) clean-up effort. Their CEO is the proud owner of the Miami Heat basketball team and one of the richest men in Florida, yet his company (Carnival) rips-off billions from United States citizens every year ... what a great American!

Bank of America, Pfizer, and hundreds of other behemoth corporations pay 0.0% in tax to our government to the tune of over $70 BILLION every year by taking their accounts offshore and exploiting tax laws that are so complex and detailed the IRS has difficulty understanding them.  Really?  $70 million gone and nobody cares?  I pay more in taxes than Bank of America?  What a great country!

I have witnessed, first-hand, government/contractor waste on a huge scale recently.  I cannot go into detail because of pending litigation, but this one contractor AND THE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING OFFICER supposedly "overseeing" the contract, are wasting many millions of dollars annually and this is just one relatively SMALL contract! If the Department of Defense would join us in the 21st Century and take the steps necessary to give our military confidentiality when seeking mental healthcare, this particular contract would not even be necessary! A contract a few simple policy changes would eliminate all together wastes tens, if not hundreds, of millions each year. How absurd is that?

With all of that being said, why the hell do the White House, Congress, Pentagon, and many other federal entities primarily target personnel and benefits when things get tight? Why do they not focus on the massive amounts of fraud and waste within our own government, bilking American taxpayers out of HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ANNUALLY and running up our deficit INTO THE TRILLIONS!

We should not stand for this ANY LONGER! If you are sick and tired of government/contractor fraud, waste, and abuse, LIKE and SHARE THIS POST with all of your friends.

Until we citizens, the American taxpayers, the people who elect these morons and pay their salaries, say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH and unite in defiance, these frauds, wastes, and abuses will continue unabated.

END THE APATHY...UNITE...GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND STAND-UP FOR OUR COUNTRY...BEFORE WE DO NOT HAVE ONE TO STAND-UP FOR!

ENSURE every citizen, every Service Member & Veteran, you know SEES THIS POST! LET'S START A NON-VIOLENT UPRISING, DEFIANCE AGAINST INSANITY AND SUPPORT WHAT IS RIGHT, BY UNDERSTANDING JUST ONE PROBLEM AND SIGNING THIS  WHITE HOUSE PETITION: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/help-end-military-suicides-and-negative-stigmas-surrounding-ptsd-and-mental-health-treatment/DTjdBHdY

God bless you and our great nation, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

Tuition Assistance (TA) Suspension Versus Military Suicides...Let's Get Our Priorities Straight!

by
C.T. Sorrentino, LtCol, USAF (Ret)
aka CombatCounselor
Air Force Tuition Assistance (TA) suspension is a TEMPORARY SOLUTION to a short-term problem ... SUICIDE is a PERMANENT SOLUTION to a temporary problem.  TA is a very popular program, recruiting and retention tool, and valuable entitlement to our military men and women.
With sequestration comes program cuts, usually "soft" programs like TA over weapon system programs like to beleaguered F-35 program. So the temporary "suspension" of TA has troops up in arms and rightfully so. The White House Petition asking the president to save the TA program has garnered over 80,000 of the 100,000 required signatures to force Obama to address the issue. I started a White House Petition several months back when the criteria for presidential action was just 10,000 signatures and few petitions came close to that mark, so 80,000+ signatures is quite a milestone...congratulations!
My previous petition was similar to the one I recently started and even though tens of thousands saw my pleas for action, we received only 71 of the required 150 signatures to even get the petition viewable on the website, and WAY SHORT of the 10,000 signature requirement. What does that tell you about the priorities of our citizens? 71 signatures out of 25,000+ possible ... NOT A VERY GOOD CONVERSION RATE.
More men and women in uniform COMMITTED SUICIDE last year than were KILLED IN COMBAT! 6,900+ Military and Veterans die by their own hand each year and the negative stigmas against anxiety, depression, PTSD, and mental health treatment in the military are the cause.
We (military men and women and Veterans) learn NOT TO ASK FOR HELP for these very real and debilitating psychological problems because we fear being ostracized by superiors and peers, losing our security clearances, and/or possibly losing our careers.  Until military men and women are GIVEN CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT and the IGNORANCE OF OUR LEADERS are addressed, our heroes will continue to take their own lives!
Please read my articles on these stigmas, one of which (THE STIGMA KILLING AMERICAN HEROES) was recently published in De Oppresso Liber magazine. There is also a recent post on our WHITE HOUSE PETITION, asking President Obama to address this extremely important issue and allow our troops to receive CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT, thereby reducing the stigmas, I have discussed very briefly here, over time.
Please sign our WHITE HOUSE PETITION and read more about the issue elsewhere in this blog: http://www.CombatCounselor.blogspot.com
Tuition Assistance WILL RETURN ... LAST YEAR'S 7,000 DEAD HEROES WILL NOT!  Be selfless, THINK ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE FOR A CHANGE, PUTTING ANY SELFISH CONCERNS TO THE SIDE FOR NOW.
If our military men and women put as much effort into saving 7,000 lives each year as they do trying  save an ENTITLEMENT that will only benefit them personally, our petition would succeed in record time. It is time to start thinking about someone other than yourselves, character traits like "empathy" (being able to put yourself in sometime else's shoes, feeling their pain, etc) and "selflessness", which is one of the Air Force Core Values by the way, and put your effort into more critical activities.  It is time to be selfless and end these absurd yet deadly stigmas, empathizing with those afflicted by painful memories and emotions instead of ensuring that YOU have that AA Degree by the time you jump ship for the private sector.
BLESS YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOYAL SERVICE!
Key Words: PTSD,suicide,military,stigma,stigmas,troops,co confidentiality,confidential,mental,health,treatment,ignorance,career,security,clearance,CombatCounselor

Help end military suicides and the negative stigmas surrounding PTSD and mental health treatment in the military

More of our men and women in uniform die by their own hand than are killed in combat! Nineteen (19) military/veterans commit suicide each day and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a factor in many of those deaths. Miltary men and women DO NOT HAVE THE CONFIDENTIALITY available in the private sector when seeking treatment for their problems (e.g. PTSD, depression, anxiety), causing negative PTSD and mental health treatment stigmas. Because troops fear losing their career or security clearance, they REFUSE TO SEEK TREATMENT, many killing themselves instead. END THE STIGMAS NOW, today, by giving confidentiality to our military, before one more hero dies by his or her own hand! 

Read more in The CombatCounselor Chronicle:  http://combatcounselor.blogspot.com/2012/12/article-stigmas-killing-american-heroes.html




To put things in perpective and give you an idea of how lost our citizens are, how apathetic Americans have become, how ignorant some can be, read this:

Movie studio Warner Brothers Pictures +WBPictures ID has generated nearly $4,000,000 in donations from thousands of Veronica Lake fans through Kickstarter to fund a movie based on the popular series.  "The Veronica Mars Movie Project", launched on March 13, 2013, has attracted 59,209 contributors in less than 2 weeks and has generated $3,855,258 in funds FOR WARNER BROTHERS STUDIOS!

March 25th, 2013 

What does this say about our priorities as a nation, our values (or lack thereof), when over 59,000 people donate their hard earned money and valuable time, to visit the Kickstarter website and donate $4 million, that is $4,000,000, to a movie studio just so they can see a stupid TV show on the big screen ... give me a break!  

In the time it took for Warner Brothers to generate $4 million from 59,000 Veronica Mars fans to fund a movie, over 275 military and Veterans have committed suicide. Would you not think that signing a petition to end suicide in the military would garner more support than a movie?  We are not even asking for money, just a signature to bring this tragic cause to the attention of our president, a man not well known for his concern for our military or Veterans. 

Unfortunately, our recent White House Petition came 99,937 signatories short of the 100,000 required to get presidential visibility, but WE WILL NOT GIVE UP! Stay tuned for more updates, more activism, AND MORE PETITIONS! 

Bless all of you who signed and campaigned so hard for our cause ... ESPECIALLY YOU HUNTER! 

StayTheCourse!

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