The TecBlast Blog

Volunteering; a bridge to a stronger community, and helping your local needy. Yet, organizing this is often a bit difficult, and before you know it you don’t have as long left to actually do some good.

This is a call for companies to look to the example of firms like Connecticut’s Adaptive Marketing LLC. As well as financial and shopping benefits programs such as Credit Diagnosis (MVQ*CRDIAGNOSIS) created to benefit consumers, Adaptive Marketing organizes local volunteer activity to give its employees the time to help the community.

Company sponsoring charitable contribution now goes beyond blood drives and once-a-year charitable giving. For example, Adaptive Marketing has offered employees opportunities to help with anything from tennis shoe recycling campaigns to local tree replanting events. With the information - time, date, location, type of event, etc - posted it has become very simple for staff members to decide the precise amount of time they could give and how they’d be using it.

Giving volunteers their say in which programs the company supports is also important. Staff from Adaptive Marketing, the firm who developed the program Credit Diagnosis (MVQ*CRDIAGNOSIS), choose from among a great many local events. These may include helping out children and young adults, helping to promote arts, working on environmental initiatives et cetera. Adaptive Marketing’s staff members are presented with such a choice that they’re certain to have a project they’ll enjoy getting involved in, making their time enjoyable as well as useful.

A regular addition to their schedule or a single big event - this is how a company usually organizes volunteer initiatives like these, maybe at a local school or the homeless shelter in town. What this means is if you can only find a few hours to lend a hand with the public library’s used-book sale, there’s still a chance to help. Turning their profit-making skills to the benefit of the community around them is a long-standing tradition at many businesses. The good worksefforts of the staff at Adaptive Marketing and firms like it spread precious good feeling around their home base. Something that volunteer work is certain to do is leave your workforce feeling good about themselves, which creates a motivated firm. Creating the opportunity to help employees become volunteers rewards everyone involved.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive tumor where no helpful therapy is around notwithstanding the finding of several likely molecular and genetic targets. The late stages of MPM diagnosis and the long latency that connects contacts and diagnosis have made it tricky to completely study the role of risk factors and the resulting molecular effects.

A lot of health centres are now seeing an increasing amount of patients that are suffering from malignant mesothelioma. Because of this, pathologists studying the case are given a number of problems, that are separated into those exposed in finding the differences between cancer of the mesothelium and harmless changes and those discovered in setting apart malignant mesotheliomas from other forms of e-cadherin and tissue tumors that connect. IHC plays a major role in making the diagnosis, nevertheless it should be interpreted in regards to the medical setting and radiological characteristics, and taking into consideration the wide morphological differences that exist in mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a cancer directly affecting the serosal cavities, a basic location that also gets affected frequently by metastatic disease, predominantly from primary carcinomas of the ovary, lung and breast. Progression in IHC have resulted in enhanced diagnostic sensitivity and precision in the differential diagnosis in regards to histological and cytological material. As of late, the researchers employed a high level of throughput technology to the recognition of new markers that could help in being able to tell the difference between malignant mesothelioma from ovarian and peritoneal serous carcinoma, closely related histogenesis found in tumors and antigenic profile. In addition to the improved medical devices available for serosal carcinoma diagnosis, knowing the biology of cancer of the mesothelium has been accruing lately.

Home is where the heart is. But where can a person put his heart when he does not have a home to go to?

Homelessness is one of the world’s biggest problems. Unlike the stereotypes, most people who are homeless are not the people on street corners with signs. Most homeless people have jobs, and an education, and many have families, but find themselves on the streets as a result of downsizing in a struggling economy, because of investments that go south, or because they are the victims of crimes, accident, or illness. Many homeless people are not one person, but entire families suffering from hard times, and contrary to popular belief, many homeless people have money saved up; just not enough for a home.

Homelessness can pose risks of physical, emotional, and mental damage to a person.People who do not have their own homes are exposed to elements, making them vulnerable to diseases and various forms of harm. Homelessness instills social insecurity and fear to those who do not have their own abodes. The lack of security and the presence of fear can drive anyone crazy.

However, Habitat for Humanity has been countering homelessness around the world for a long time now. Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization that builds decent, affordable houses for people in need. As a philanthropy, Habitat for Humanity is made up mostly of volunteers in construction and funded by charities, churches, and private donors. Habitat for Humanity services families and individuals in need all around the world.

It is not just a roof and four walls of concrete that Habitat for Humanity gives though. The organization also promotes peace and security as well as opportunities to people who think that having their own home is a very remote possibility.

More philanthropists such as Ross School founder Courtney Ross are featured on Faces of Philanthropy.

Courtney Sale Ross was interviewed by Charlie Rose.

Courtney Ross was profiled on the Forbes 400 list.

With the passing of Arafat, the Middle East will take on a slightly different face, allowing the
possibilities for prophetic fulfillment to speed up. The pathway is now open for renewed efforts to procure
peace in the Middle East, using the avenue of the formation of the promised Palestinian State. But this
window of opportunity may not remain open for long. Indeed pressure is now mounting from the United States,
encouraged by Britian, to get on with the steps necessary to implement the terms of the “Road Map.”
January 9, 2005 has already been scheduled for Palestinian elections. The emerging line-up of
candidates all have questionable backgrounds harking back to their various roles during the Arafat era.
It goes without saying, the achievement of the Palestinian goals will be a power struggle fanned by the
more radical insurgents and hard-liner Islamic regimes. Hamas has already stated it is planning to increase
pressure on Israel by escalating their terrorist activity in Gaza and the West Bank, whereas Islamic Jihad,
Fatah, and the Al Aksa Brigade ( now being referred to as the Arafat Brigade) have issued statements they
are planning to halt all atrocities until the election is over.
And, while Egypt and many other Arab League countries applauded Arafat’s apparent achievements on behalf
of the Palestinians, Kuwait is appalled that anyone would be so short-sighted as to give any honor to an
avowed terrorist murderer. So, the Arab world has many issues to address, if they are to appear to mount a
united front against the West
But, will sane, cool heads prevail? Will Israel use this opportunity to take decisive steps to maintain
hold on her Covenant Land, or will she instead doggedly continue down the destructive path Sharon is still
insisting upon? Israel has the option of being strong in the face of her enemies, or giving in to
international negative pressures.
To illustrate the trap Israel is in danger of falling into, I would like to share a letter I wrote to
Ruth Matar of the Women in Green, in anticipation of Arafat’s demise.

REJOICE, BUT DO NOT CELEBRATE!
Dear Ruth,
We cannot, and we definitely ought not to bring ourselves to grieve over Arafat’s death. He was a
terrorist — a heartless butcher!! He was not just a criminal murderer. He went far beyond the criminal to
being an avowed monster! Even Muslim regimes, (Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia,) ousted him from their countries
because he was too evil to be allowed to remain within their jurisdictions!
Even so, we must not seek vengeance, because that is not within our mandate. In the Day of Judgment the
L_RD will avenge. While a man is alive, there is hope for repentance, but once he has passed beyond this
earthly realm, his fate is sealed, and G_d will deal with him in due time.

What is most amazing is the fact that Arafat, with his impassioned intent on annihilating Israel, was
allowed to enter, let alone dwell within Israel’s borders! What was Israel’s premise? It is best to have
your enemy where you can keep an eye on him? Great idea, but it obviously did not work overly well! Instead,
he was a deadly snake in Israel’s fields!! But unlike the reptile version which does not strike unless
threatened, he actively, and with demonic glee, coiled against his innocent victims, effectively plotting to
strike with deadly venom. And, as if that was not bad enough, his subversiveness, ideology, and methodology,
was perpetuated by training and grooming slithery terrorist bands to multiply his evil schemes.
So yes, we must in all honesty rejoice that such an one has been silenced.
But Arafat was at least one venomous snake that was positively identified, and even caged for a time in
Ramalla. What is more dangerous now, and deadly, is his serpentine ”offspring.” Although he is now not
just defanged, but out of the picture, we must not let down our guard for even an instant. His larger than
life persona, and legacy, will with misguided religious fervor, fan the fires of Islamic radical terrorism.
We cannot allow ourselves the glee of celebration! If only it was a simple matter to free this world
of evil by the demise of one man! Unfortunately, evil does remain. Evil breeds more evil, and the legacy
of evil is multiplied evil. We cannot allow ourselves the luxury of uttering one sigh of relief, lest while
we celebrate with even a hint of distracted abandon, the multiplied evil slithers in to destroy.
If only the likes of Arafat were simply an isolated anomaly! We must count on the fact that evil loves
company, and when an ideology is invoked, the one who is behind the stated mission will make certain his
goals are perpetuated until accomplished by those following in his wake. Arafat obviously applied this
premise, but not in the usual manner. He did not groom a successor. In not making certain there was an
identified leader to fill the gap, he would be certain to further his agenda of terrorism, hoping most of it
would be channeled toward Christians, Jews, and especially the nation of Israel!
What is not known, is whether the next generation of bred and groomed terrorist serpents will act
predictably, emulating Arafat’s pattern of behavior, or whether they will exercise their own wiley
intellects to become more deadly through deception. Remember Eve was deceived by the serpent, and the whole
world is still living with the consequences! Serpentine deception was absolutely effective in her day, and
still is!! Beware! Examine even the apparent “moderates” carefully. Jews and Christians are still prey
and targets as long as even one deadly serpent remains unidentified to roam the earth. And Israel can still
be “bitten!”
Rejoice, but do not celebrate! Evil still lurks in the grass.
Sincerely,
Maureen Metcalf

Along with the above, I would like to mention the following:
It is a known fact that folk often present the memory of the departed in a glowing respectable light.
This is an attempt to bring some positive closure and comfort to those who were close to the deceased.
However, such falls short of reality when it comes to Arafat. It appears dignitaries from many nations who
attended his funeral in Egypt, tried to cast a sympathetic shadow over Arafat, choosing to ignore his
atrocities, capitalizing instead on his apparently noble struggles on behalf of the Palestinian people, as
if he were a misunderstood champion of freedom and peace. Nothing could be further from the truth! The
nations are kidding themselves by attempting to cause the masses to believe the lie that Arafat was really a
good guy! Anyone who swallows their twisting of the truth, is opening themselves up to further
misconceptions and manipulation. If a man committed murder, and/or incited, trained, armed, and funded
others to plot and carry out atrocities against innocent, unarmed civilians, that man was a criminal!! A
monster! How it was remotely possible for Arafat to have been awarded the Nobel Laureate for Peace is
incredulous! Even post-humously, this award should be stripped from Yasser Arafat’s legacy! The record of
his “achievements” and ‘exploits” indicate he was the embodiment of the opposite of peace and human decency!
If Arafat is being hailed as the Father of the Palestinian people and future nation, then he was not a
very considerate “Father!” In fact, he was abusive! He claimed Palestinians were in need of humanitarian
aid, but when that aid was sent by honestly well-meaning agencies and governments, he squirreled it away in
such a manner that it is now difficult to separate out the humanitarian funds from his own obviously massive
fortune, or from funds illegally acquired to support terrorism, leaving many of his own Palestinian
“family”still impoverished. Since no one knew what he was doing with the money, he used the deceptive
leverage to claim poverty to gain even more millions! In other words, like his friend, Saddam Hussein, he
withheld funds and aid from his own people so he could use their “plight” as a bargaining chip to hoodwink
and fleece other nations. He took advantage of their good will! He used the Palestinians for his own ends,
to further his own agenda, all the while allowing them to believe he had their best interest at heart! They
ought to be decrying him for that! What loving father withholds help from his own family, especially when
the funds are ear-marked specifically to help him care for their needs? This is despicable!
But then, we also must remember, he is considered to be the “Father” of international terrorism, and he
obviously took much of these humanitarian funds, and applied them to his terrorist agenda. As such, it
seems he had no qualms about practicing humanitarian terror against innocent Palestinian families!
All Yasser Arafat’s assets and accounts should be seized, analyzed by an impartial third party with
expertise in international financial affairs, then every last penny (except for what his wife and daughter
really need) distributed directly to each Palestinian family according to their needs. And, the use of these
funds should be continually monitored to make certain they do not directly, or even indirectly, support
terrorism. In fact, a great portion of his funds should be channeled into agencies which will assist the
victims of his atrocities, especially Israelis who have been maimed and bereaved, or need rehabilitation or
re-training!

Should Arafat be celebrated? Nope!! Not by the nations, and certainly not by the Palestinians!

About the Author

Maureen is author of “The Final Schedule Revealed: In the Fall Feasts and Festivals”
http://teshuvatrumpet.org

Japan lit its candles of pure,”noble sadness” on the 60th
anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The mayor of the late
city, Iccho Itoh, criticized the USA for dropping the first
atomic bomb in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and following that
after 3 days by the second atomic bomb which attacked Nagasaki.

The two bombs harvested the lives of more than 242,437 people to
end the Second World War by the surrender of Japan.

Iccho Itoh, urged the United States to stop the recent new
nuclear policy and made an angry appeal for a global ban on
nuclear weapons.

He made gestures towards the International peace by asking if
the United States security has enhanced by maintaining 10,000
nuclear weapons, and carrying out repeated sub-critical nuclear
tests and pursuing the development of new mini-nuclear weapons!

I thought what he tries to convey, is a deep part of the
“Bushing” new administration policy, to force out the “New
American Time”. This new American time plays the first role in
the “New World Order” after the break-down of the Socialist
System and the Eastern Block.

The deep sorrow and sadness of the American people which we
share in other parts of this World, in regards to the September
11th horror, plays a mobilized factor to determine the future of
peace on this Earth nowadays.

That’s what makes the mayor of Nagasaki’s words about the 9-11
attacks more understandable when he said and aimed particularly
at Washington: “We understand your anger and anxiety over the
memories of the horror of the 9-11 terrorist attacks.”

But this result leaves an urgent question in the collective
memory of those who do love peace: Is Bush’s Second Term! A
Chance for More Wars or A Stable Peace?

If the sour feelings of the invasion of Iraq is still sour, then
the answer will never come to be predictably “optimistic”!

Not the political powers, but the people who should really stop
the crisis.

Want to hear MY definitions of “insurance fraud”? I’ll tell you anyway.

Insurance fraud is when an HMO sells you a policy at an exorbitant rate and then finds all manner of ways to frustrate your pursuit of benefits.

Insurance fraud is when an HMO impedes access to procedures and specialists by requiring further “review” or “investigation.”

Insurance fraud is when an HMO denies coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Insurance fraud is when, to demolish any chance one might have of effectively communicating requests or complaints, an HMO deliberately hires morons to staff its customer service department.

Finally, insurance fraud is when an HMO not only plays these games but also joins with other HMOs to mount lobbying and advertising campaigns against the development of alternative health insurance systems.

A subversive I may be, but I’ve never been of the militant variety. When the SDS was blowing up banks in the early ’70s, I was expressing my displeasure with the establishment by intentionally omitting zip codesTHAT’LL jam their gears!

And, however grudgingly, I’ve come over time to accept capitalism as a permanent reality. A given.

But this managed care business, which is to say, capitalism of a blatantly predatory stripe, is making me ponder actions way off my normal spectrum.

I’m finding it increasingly difficult, that is, to sit still for a category of capitalism in which people demonstrably unqualified to participate in a free market systemwho get much too giddy when they use it routinely commit what amount to acts of violence against their customers. (Jesus. Messing as they do with other people’s very lives, you have to wonder how these HMO creeps were brought up, what kind of parents they had.)

Of course, much as I’d like to respond with actual violence I could never dispatch each and every HMO administrator to his local ICU all by myself. I’d need help, and on a broad scale. But the prospect of getting such help is dim. The vast majority of us, after all, are reluctant to so much as question, let alone rise against, even the ugliest manifestations of a broader system that promises every American a piece of the serious actionand this despite how false that promise is for all but a relatively few, or how destructive may be the indignities our belief in it obliges us to suffer. Most of us remain willfully stupid in this regard (which in another context is one of the reasons the Enron dirt bags who truncated their employees’ futures are still alive).

Indeed, even most of the 45 million Americans who go without insurance because they can’t afford the premiums oppose the alternative of not-for-profit system. It apparently hasn’t occurred to them that there’d be no significant risk to capitalism in this solution. We’ve already got “socialized” institutions in this countrypolice and fire departments, for examplethat hardly infringe on our freedom to take advantage of one another. A few more would still leave us with plenty of opportunities to ripoff our fellow man.

(And speaking of a not-for-profit health care system, does anyone seriously think that dealing with a government bureaucracy would somehow be more brutal than dealing with Aetna, Prudential or Oxford?)

So what’s left to do when revolt is no more in the offing than government intervention is?

Unfortunately, beyond fantasizing that our growing population of serial killers (folks who’ve made it clear that accumulating money isn’t their first priority) will develop a sense of civic responsibility to go with their skills and proclivity, I haven’t come up with much. Certainly nothing that would yield more than the smallest of rewards at the price of considerable personal sacrifice.

I’m speaking of getting sick a lot; using, you know, the hell out of my policy. By constantly contracting illnesses that require frequent doctor visits, extended hospitalization and enormous quantities of pharmaceuticals, I’d have the satisfaction of at least putting a dent in an HMO’s profits.

Yeah, I know, but I like the pharmaceuticals part and it WOULD be a step up from omitting zip codes.

About the Author

Former contributor to The Village Voice and Rolling Stone. Coauthor and coeditor, respectively, of two collections of essays about rock and jazz in the ’60s: “Music & Politics” and “Giants of Black Music.”