This video has to go Viral! A must see!

https://www.facebook.com/#!/NeserInsurnaceAgency?bookmark_t=page

Shocking video: What’s wrong with Diane Sawyer?
#drunkdianesawyer, 'Drunk Diane', ABC News, Diane Sawyer, drink, drunk, drunk news, news coverage, Obama 2012, presidential election, slur, slurring, too drunk, video

On election night my husband and I along with so many others watched the returns with Diane Sawyer co hosting. She was slurring and strugling to pronouce her words. Was she drunk or tired? Personally I did not think she was drunk but overly exhausted, and if she was drinking then I would expect ABC to replace her that evening to show respect for us as viewers. It reminded me of a time when another Woman news anchor lady had a problem and her name was Jessica Savitch.  Peoples life are their business and when the are in the public eye they should lead my example. Stay professional and practice what you preach. If it is a moment in your life where you have some issues please take the time off and do what you have to do. We all understand her schedule and how tiring it can be because it happens to all of us. If you can not perform at your top performance then take a break before you are forced to. You have always appear to be a professional woman and hard worker. As a woman and business professional I strive to remain professional and hard working for all my customers.














 

Thank you Dad and My Father in Law for seriving our Country and teaching us the value of the Military! Happy Verterans Day! History of Veterans Day-

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

Soldiers of the 353rd Infantry near a church at Stenay, Meuse in France, wait for the end of hostilities. This photo was taken at 10:58 a.m., on November 11, 1918, two minutes before the armistice ending World War I went into effect

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"
The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.
The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and
Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and
Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first "Veterans Day Proclamation" which stated: "In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible."

President Eisenhower signing HR7786, changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day. From left: Alvin J. King, Wayne Richards, Arthur J. Connell, John T. Nation, Edward Rees, Richard L. Trombla, Howard W. Watts

On that same day, President Eisenhower sent a letter to the Honorable Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans' Affairs (VA), designating him as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee.
In 1958, the White House advised VA's General Counsel that the 1954 designation of the VA Administrator as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee applied to all subsequent VA Administrators. Since March 1989 when VA was elevated to a cabinet level department, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has served as the committee's chairman.
The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.
The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.
Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Please Mr. President sign away!


Washington (CNN) -- Flush with re-election vigor, President Barack Obama called Friday for House Republicans to immediately pass a bill already approved by the Senate that would maintain current tax rates for middle-class Americans while increasing taxes of wealthier citizens.

In his first public comments since winning Tuesday's vote, Obama expressed openness to negotiate with Congress on how to deal with pending tax hikes and spending cuts that create the so-called fiscal cliff facing the economy at the end of the year.

However, he also repeated his longstanding demand that Republican opponents to any kind of tax increase relent to the will of the White House and the Senate -- and now the American people -- in letting tax rates increase on income over $250,000.

Nobody in either party wants the middle class, identified as families making less than $250,000 a year, to see taxes increase at the end of the year when lower rates set during the administration of former President George W. Bush will expire, Obama said.

"That makes no sense. It would be bad for the economy," he told a White House gathering of what aides described as middle class Americans. "Let's extend middle class tax cuts right now. Let's do that right now. That one step would give millions of families, 98% of Americans, 97% of small businesses, the certainty that they need going into the new year."

Noting the Senate previously passed a bill to extend the tax cuts to the middle class, but not income over $250,000, Obama said: "All we need is action from the House."

"I've got the pen," he said, reaching into his pocket to hold one up as the crowd applauded. "I'm ready to sign the bill right away. I'm ready to do it."

Posted by a friend on facebook. Priceless

Lawyers should never ask a Mississippi grandma a question if they aren't prepared for the answer.

In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand. He approached her and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know me?' She responded, 'Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you'll never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.'

The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?'

She again replied, ' Why yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him.'

The defense attorney nearly died.

The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said, 'If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll send you both to the electric chair.'

Dear Mr. President,

     Now that the election is over please remember us, the small business owners, when it is time for taxes. Please remember your words to tax the higher income group instead of the middle class paying the bill for America! We need you to help us and cut spending so our children will not have to foot the bill for our generations and past generartions mistakes. Please help us lower our gasoline bill so we can afford to get to work. Now more than any other time in my life do we need a strong military force, lower taxes, more jobs, and social security and medicare to be there when I need it. Help us get great health care. Go down in History as a strong leader who made a difference and helped America get back on her feet.

Sincerly,

The small business owner

At Neser Insurance we care about you! Please find a list of our Companies Claims Numbers at our website. www.NeserInsurance.com and please call us if you need us.
757-483-2376. We hope and pray for all of you in the path of Hurricane Sandy that you are safe.

There is never a time when we face bad weather that Eddie and I don't worry about our family, friends, and our customers. We pray for the next few days that we hear everyone is ok. Being in the business we are in there are times we have to deal with hearing about accidents where people do not survive, serious injuries, and children who are hurt or pass. It is the worst part of our jobs. Please trust your instincts when heading out in bad weather, do not drive when you are tired, or drive if you are impaired. Not only can you be injured but you may hurt someone else. 

Sue Neser at Neser Insurance: Free and Inexpensive Things to Do in Hampton Roads Virginia

Sue Neser at Neser Insurance: Free and Inexpensive Things to Do in Hampton Roads Virginia

http://www.cnic.navy.mil/navycni/groups/public/documents/document/cnicp_a267741.pdf

 

Free and Inexpensive Things to Do in Hampton Roads Virginia

 

Click on Link Below

http://www.cnic.navy.mil/navycni/groups/public/documents/document/cnicp_a267741.pdf

Top Stolen Vehicles

1. 1994 Honda Accord midsize
2. 1998 Honda Civic compact
3. 2006 Ford F-150 pickup
4. 1991 Toyota Camry midsize
5. 2000 Dodge Caravan minvian
6. 1994 Acura Integra compact
7. 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup
8. 2004 Dodge Ram pickup
9. 2002 Ford Explorer SUV
10. 1994 Nissan Sentra compact

Virginia's Insurance Requirements

Insurance Requirements

To purchase license plates or decals, you must certify that the vehicle is covered by the minimum insurance requirements or pay the uninsured motor vehicle fee. Insurance requirements also apply to antique motor vehicles. Your insurance carrier must be authorized to conduct business in Virginia.
Virginia requires the following minimum coverage:

• Bodily injury/death of one person $25,000
• Bodily injury/death of two or more persons $50,000
• Property damage $20,000

The $500 Uninsured Motor Vehicle (UMV) fee, which is paid to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), does not provide any insurance; it only allows you to drive an uninsured vehicle at your own risk. It expires with your registration and must be paid at renewal.
Note: If liability insurance coverage on a vehicle terminates or cancels during the registration period, either reinsure the vehicle, pay the uninsured motor vehicle fee, or surrender the license plates to DMV.
Self-insurance or Surety Bonds are special options for owners of business vehicles. Details are available at any DMV office.

Penalties

Vehicle owners who are uninsured or have not paid the UMV fee will have their driving and vehicle registration privileges suspended. To be reinstated, they must pay a $500 statutory fee, file a Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate (SR-22) with DMV for three years, and pay a reinstatement fee, if applicable.

Verification of Insurance Coverage

DMV monitors insurance coverage through our Insurance Verification Program.
Insurance carriers provide DMV with electronic updates of insured information and vehicle description when they cancel, add and write new coverage for motor vehicles registered in Virginia.
DMV verifies that motor vehicles are properly insured by comparing vehicle registration information on file at DMV with liability information on the owner and vehicle transmitted to DMV by the insurance carrier. If no insurance is found, DMV requires the motor vehicle owner to furnish the liability insurance information to DMV for verification.

VIRGINIA'S CHILD RESTRAINT DEVICE LAW

VIRGINIA'S CHILD RESTRAINT DEVICE LAW
(Code of Virginia Article 13 - Section 46.2)

The major requirements of Virginia's Child Safety Seat Law:

• Child restraint devices are required for children through the age of seven (until 8th birthday). Safety seats must be properly used and approved by Department of Transportation standards. There is no height or weight requirement associated with this law. The Virginia law is based solely on age.
• Rear-facing child restraint devices must be placed in the back seat of a vehicle. In the event the vehicle does not have a back seat, the child restraint device may be placed in the front passenger seat only if the vehicle is either not equipped with a passenger side airbag or the passenger side airbag has been deactivated.
• Children can no longer ride unrestrained in the rear cargo area of vehicles.
• The law applies to anyone (i.e. parents, grandparents, babysitters, friends) who provides transportation for a child in any vehicle manufactured after January 1, 1968. Public transportation (taxis, buses), regulation school buses, and farm vehicles are exempted.
• The child restraint law is primary enforcement -- no other violation need be committed prior to ticketing for failure to have a child in an approved seat.
• A $50 civil penalty fine is imposed for failure to have a child in a child restraint device. Any person found guilty a second or subsequent time, on different dates, will be fined up to $500. An additional $20 civil penalty fine is assessed when persons transporting a child exempted from this law due to medical reasons do not carry a written statement of the exemption. All fines collected go into a special fund to purchase safety seats for low-income families.
• There are assistance programs for low-income residents who cannot afford a safety seat. Contact Virginia Department of Health, Division of Injury and Violence Prevention at 1-800-732-8333 for more information.

VIRGINIA'S PASSENGER SAFETY BELT LAW
(Code of Virginia Article 12 - Section 46-2)

The major requirements of Virginia's Child Safety Belt Law:

• Children age 8 through age 17 (until age 18) must be belted correctly in vehicle safety belts, in vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1968. Exemptions are taxicabs, school buses, executive sedans and limousines.
• This safety belt law is primary enforcement -- no other violation need be committed prior to ticketing for failure to have a child correctly buckled up.

VIRGINIA'S PICKUP TRUCK LAW
(Code of Virginia Section 46.2 - 1156.1)

• No person under age 16 shall be transported in the rear cargo area of a pickup truck.
• There are exemptions for certain parades and farming operations.

Checklist to help you prepare for severe Weather

 

 

Our safety checklist includes some of those items you may not have thought of.

• First-aid kit
• Water bottles and some sealed nonperishable food that won’t need cooking
• Heavy blanket or tarp. Use it as protection and cover during the storm and to help cover up damage afterward.
• Battery or crank-powered flashlight for each person, with fresh extra batteries (no candles or matches in case of a gas leak)
• Battery or crank-powered radio, ideally with the official weather bands
• Bike helmets for each person
• Car charger for each kind of cellphone you own. If the power is out and your car is lost, you can plug into another vehicle.
• If you back up your computer to an external hard drive, store the drive in your safe room and not in the room with your computer.
• Box of large heavy-duty plastic garbage bags
• Roll of duct tape
• A set of dry clothing for each person, stored in sealed plastic bags
• Bug repellent and sunscreen
• Personal hygiene items such as hand wipes and toilet paper
• Leashes or containers for pets
• Key personal documents in a watertight container
• As needed: spare set of glasses, contact lens solution, a couple of days’ worth of prescription medication, hearing aid batteries
• If you have kids, add one durable, small, nonelectronic toy or activity for each to use after the storm. Think a coloring book and crayons.
• If you own a smartphone, load apps or bookmarks for your bank, insurance company, Red Cross, FEMA, the website of the local office of the National Weather Service and local news outlets including The Dallas Morning News.

Stay on top of News and Current Events

Linked here to keep you posted on important events. Please save this link under your favorites

Sue Neser at Neser Insurance: Sue Neser at Neser Insurance: Key Hurricane Irene Resources from Randy Forbes

Sue Neser at Neser Insurance: Sue Neser at Neser Insurance: Key Hurricane Irene Resources from Randy Forbes

Sue Neser at Neser Insurance: Sue Neser at Neser Insurance: Key Hurricane Irene Resources from Randy Forbes

Sue Neser at Neser Insurance: Sue Neser at Neser Insurance: Key Hurricane Irene Resources from Randy Forbes

Sue Neser at Neser Insurance: Key Hurricane Irene Resources from Randy Forbes

Sue Neser at Neser Insurance: Key Hurricane Irene Resources from Randy Forbes

Neser Insurance: Neser Insurance on WNIS and WTAR

Neser Insurance: Neser Insurance on WNIS and WTAR

Key Hurricane Irene Resources from Randy Forbes

Friend - This weekend, as Virginians are preparing for Hurricane Irene to make landfall, there are practical steps you can take before for the storm and afterwards to secure your home to ensure adequate safety. The Virginia Evacuation Coordination Team for Operational Response, along with the Virginia Department of Transportation, has created preparedness videos on hurricane evacuations and emergency supplies that can be viewed on YouTube or at www.ReadyVirginia.gov. You can keep Dominion Power's number (866) DOM-HELP or (866) 366-4357 on hand to report outages or downed lines. For general information about the storm, you can dial 211. In addition, I have compiled a list of resources to help you this week before, during, and after the hurricane. Be sure to print this article, and the following web resources, in the case you cannot access it due to a power outage. BEFORE AND DURING THE STORM Hurricane Safety Checklist. Review this Hurricane Safety Checklist from the American Red Cross to prepare for the dangers of a hurricane. Compile an Emergency Kit.  Use this downloadable checklist to ensure you have necessary supplies on hand. Evacuate or Stay Put. Listen to the local authorities via your local radio or television and follow their guidance. If you have not been asked to evacuate, determine whether your home or work is safe. You can follow these guidelines from Ready.gov.  Subscribe to alert services. Many communities have developed systems that will send text messages or emails alerting you to local emergencies or bad weather. Check the community information page to find ways that you can be alerted for hurricane situations or sign up for local alerts: Amelia County Phone: 804-561-3914/ 804-561-3039 Emergency Website: http://www.ameliacova.com/department/view/24/ Sign-up for Emergency Alerts: http://twitter.com/powhatanva Brunswick CountyPhone: 434-848-3107 Emergency Website: http://www.brunswickfireandrescue.org/hurricanes.html Sign-up for Emergency Alerts: https://www.brunswickalert.com/index.php?CCheck=1 Chesterfield CountyPhone: 804-751-9022 Emergency Website: http://www.chesterfield.gov/EmergencyManagement.aspx?id=2586 City of Colonial HeightsPhone: 804-520-9300 Emergency Website: http://www.colonial-heights.com/EmergencyCommCenter.htm Sign-up for Emergency Alerts: http://www.colonial-heights.com/EmergencyCommCenterCodeRed.htm Dinwiddie CountyPhone: 804-469-5388 Emergency Website: http://www.dinwiddieva.us/Emergency%20Notification%20System/index.asp Sign up emergency alerts: https://portal.blackboardconnectcty.com/welcome.aspx?eiid=1207B6088C3770A26B7E City of EmporiaPhone: 434- 634-4500 Website: http://www.ci.emporia.va.us/dc.html City of FranklinPhone: 757- 562-8581  Website: http://www.franklinva.com/index.php?option=com_contact&view=category&catid=40&Itemid=71  Greensville CountyPhone: 434-348-4205 Website: http://www.greensvillecountyva.gov/Public%20Safety/publicsafe.html City of HopewellPhone: 804-541-2298 Emergency Website: http://www.hopewellva.gov/data/publish/codered.shtml Sign-up for Emergency Alerts: https://cne.coderedweb.com/Default.aspx?groupid=sUVLTJ7H04b6b%2bcahCtlcw%3d%3d Isle of Wight CountyPhone: 757-365-6308 Emergency Website: http://www.co.isle-of-wight.va.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=622&Itemid=84 Sign-up for Emergency Alerts: http://www.co.isle-of-wight.va.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=624&Itemid=84 Nottoway County Phone: 434-645-9044 Emergency Website: http://www.nottoway.org/emergencies.shtml City of Petersburg Phone: 804-733-2300 Emergency Website: http://www.petersburg-va.org/index.asp Powhatan County  Phone: 804-598-9301 Emergency Website: http://www.powhatanva.com/emergency.htm Sign Up for Emergency Alerts: http://www.powhatanva.gov/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7BCB454DDC-CFE5-4963-95FB-83C07A4292AD%7D Prince George CountyPhone: 804-722-8614 Emergency Website: http://www.princegeorgeva.org/index.aspx?page=107  Sign Up for Emergency Alerts: http://www.princegeorgeva.org/Index.aspx?page=704 Southampton County  Phone: 757-653-3015 Emergency Website: http://www.southamptoncounty.org/ Sign Up for Emergency Alerts: http://www.southamptoncounty.org/codered.asp City of Suffolk Phone: 757-514-4536 Emergency Website: http://www.suffolkva.us/em/  Sussex CountyPhone: 434-246-1044 Emergency Website: http://sussexcounty.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B81880870-2ABE-413B-9909-6ECC6D90EA85%7D Preparing for Power Outages. Dominion Power suggests updating your account with the phone number you plan to use when reporting your outage. This step will ensure immediate access of your account for faster reporting without having to speak to someone. Phone numbers can be updated on-line or by calling the special phone number update line - 1-800-222-0401. Charge Cell Phones and Laptops. Make sure cell phones and laptops are fully charged so they can be used in the event of a power outage. During the storm, if electricity is interrupted. Dominion Power offers these practical tips for dealing with power outages during the storm. -Turn off major appliances such as heat pumps, water heaters and stoves. Unplug other appliances such as TVs, stereos, microwaves and computers. This will prevent damage to appliances and possible overloads to the company's system when power is restored. -Post a list of contents on your freezer door to minimize the number of times you open it. -Leave one lamp or light on so you will be able to recognize when power is restored. -Frozen food can last up to three days. It is safe to eat if it still has ice crystals at the center. -If using portable or camp-type stoves or lanterns for cooking and lighting, ensure that the area is adequately ventilated. AFTER THE STORMCoping with power outages. This site from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights healthy steps you should take to ensure food, water, and home safety after an extended power outage. Tips on the site address everything from guidelines on what to do with food in your freezer or refrigerator, to water purification procedures, to carbon monoxide poisoning protection. Get Up-to-the-Minute Updates on Twitter. Follow Dominion Power (@DomVaPower) and Southeastern Virginia’s Red Cross (@RedCrossSEVA) for regular updates and alerts after the storm. Servicing your septic system. Once storm waters have receded, there are several things homeowners should consider regarding their septic systems. This site from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers frequently asked questions and answers on servicing septic systems after flooding. The site also includes links to contact information if assistance is needed from local health departments. Managing flooding and mold. This site from the Environmental Protection Agency is dedicated to providing information on cleaning up your home or office after a storm that has resulted in flooding, including addressing standing water and wet materials. The site offers basic information on addressing viruses, bacteria, and mold that can occur in the wake of a flood. Removing fallen branches and trees. The CDC provides tips to help safeguard against injury as a result of removing fallen or partially fallen trees and tree branches, including information on properly using chainsaws in hazardous conditions. Saving family treasures. These guidelines from The National Archives will walk you through preserving some of your family’s most treasured items that may have been damaged by flood waters. The guidelines range in topics from what do to with wet records, to salvaging family papers, to properly air-drying books, to caring for water damaged heirlooms.

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GOD, OUR COUNTRY, OUR FLAG, AND OUR MILITARY DESERVE RESPECT!!!

Everybody, let's do this (and NBC - this one's for you!)...We should flood Facebook with this...."I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under GOD, indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all". RE- POST IF YOU THINK GOD, OUR COUNTRY, OUR FLAG, AND OUR MILITARY DESERVE RESPECT!!!

Budget cut ideas

Salary of the US President .....................$400,000
Salary of retired US Presidents ...............$199,700
Salary of House/Senate .........................$174,​000
Salary of Speaker of the House ..............$223,500
Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders .........$193,400
...Average Salary of Soldier DEPLOYED IN IRAQ and Afghanistan...$38,000
I think we found where the cuts should start! If you agree RE-POST

TRY YOUR NAME IN JAPANESE

TRY YOUR NAME IN JAPANESE: A= ka, B=tu, C= mi, D= te, E= ku, F=lu, g= ji, H= ri, I= ki, J= zu, K= me, L= ta, M= rin, N= to, O= mo, P= no, Q= ke, R= shi, S= ari, T= chi, U= do, V= ru, W=mei, X= na, Y= fu, Z= zi.......then paste ur Japanese name below... :))

Joining our local radio station-TImes will be announced later

From: Sue- We will be on WNIS and then also on the Comedy Station. We will run 20 spots one week on each station and then off a week- this will be the pattern for 6 months. We will do the ask the expert (I am not an expert just a professional) sometime in the middle of the 6 months so people will be a little more familier with our business and they will run a add'l 10 or 20 commericals that week announcing our show.  We will make about 10 different spots so they are not all the same. We are writing our own script and some spots will be 30 seconds long and others will be 60 seconds.We are very excited to work with WNIS and the Comedy station. Our business is growing leaps and bounds and we are Thankful for such wonderful customers and busineses that helped as get where we are today.....

Neser Insurance goes out to the people

ok we took a big step today and signed up for 6 months of radio adds. Eddie and I both will record commericals and we will present a script to the producer. We also will do a hour show where people call in with questions about their insurance. We are going to be the next Frasier Crane of Neser Insurance. 1st radio then televison look out little green Geicko Neser Insurance is coming. YEA

Saying good buy to an old friend

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE STATEMENT FROM NAIC PRESIDENT SUSAN E. VOSSNAIC Remembers Former Virginia Insurance Commissioner Alfred Gross "We are saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend and former colleague, Al Gross. In his fourteen years as commissioner of the Virginia Bureau of Insurance before retiring last fall, Al was an invaluable asset to the NAIC and a mentor to many fellow regulators. He was a leader in financial regulation and highly regarded internationally for his contributions. State-based regulation is better because of him. While he was lauded for his tremendous regulatory expertise, Al was equally appreciated for his service and friendship. On behalf of the NAIC, we extend our deepest sympathies to his family."

About the NAIC Formed in 1871, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is a voluntary organization of the chief insurance regulatory officials of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. The NAIC has three offices: Executive Office, Washington, D.C.; Central Office, Kansas City, Mo.; and Securities Valuation Office, New York City. The NAIC serves the needs of consumers and the industry, with an overriding objective of supporting state insurance regulators as they protect consumers and maintain the financial stability of the insurance marketplace. For more information, visit www.naic.org.

From: CongressmanForbes@housemail.house.gov

Please Write your rep to get our great country back on track. I did and here is his reply:
 

Dear Mrs. Neser:

Thank you for contacting me to express your frustration with the progress of budget talks and the pace at which our federal government is addressing our serious financial challenges. We have a serious national challenge before us, and people want to hear ideas and solutions from their federal representatives, not partisan politics. I believe that we need to return to the foundations and principles upon which this country was founded. We also must follow a very fundamental principle of accounting: We cannot spend more than we bring in. No nation, business, or individual can long escape the pain of spending more than it makes.  While today we feel the pain of past decisions, let us have the resolve to protect our nation's future from the deception that comes with the belief that the principles of economic reason apply to everyone but ourselves.

The increasingly rapid rise of government spending, and severity of our public debt situation has brought our nation to this "boiling point" of debate over how best to move forward. The federal debt held by the public as a share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 40.3% in 2008, 53.5% in 2009, and 62.2% in 2010. For this fiscal year, it is estimated at 72%. I believe that everyone can agree that we cannot sustain this path and must address our policies going forward.

I also believe that we can all agree the debt ceiling needs to be raised and that we cannot default. While there are different numbers being offered for "cuts" in spending, we cannot immediately cut enough money to stay under the current debt limit. Additionally, we must do all that we can to prevent the United States from losing our triple-A bond rating. One smaller ratings company has already downgraded the U.S. sovereign debt from triple-A to double-A, stating the lack of spending control as the essential challenge to our economy in the future.

While no plan may be perfect, the Cut, Cap and Balance Act (H.R. 2560), is the only plan that has been brought forward for a vote as of this date. This legislation makes immediate spending cuts, sets enforceable spending caps, and requires passage of a balanced budget amendment in order to raise the debt limit. The Cut, Cap and Balance Act is a constitutional solution to put an end to the spending-driven debt crisis and save our children and grandchildren from a bankrupt future.

On July 19, H.R. 2560 passed in the House with my support by a vote of 234 – 190. However, on July 22, 2011, the motion to proceed to consider the measure failed in Senate by a vote of 46-51.

Below are just five important items from the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act as passed by the House:

• Make necessary cuts and reforms to get the debt under control. Cut, Cap, and Balance cuts total spending by $111 billion in FY 2012, reducing non-security discretionary spending below 2008 levels.  Enforceable caps on spending will bring the size of government back below 20% of GDP to its average level over the last 30 years.

• Ensure the debt limit isn't raised without a credible plan for addressing our debt problem. Raising the debt limit without a credible plan to balance the budget ignores the real spending problem and will make our debt problems even worse.

• Protect seniors and our veterans. While addressing wasteful spending, the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act makes absolutely no changes to Social Security, Medicare, or veterans spending.

• Encourage tax reform rather than higher taxes to address our national debt. This year, the Federal government will spend twice as much as it spent just ten years ago, and more than 40% of it is borrowed money. While we do need to reform our tax code to make it fairer and simpler, the reality is we have too much debt because Washington spends too much, not because it taxes too little.

• Pass a Balanced Budget Amendment.  It provides that the President can request a debt ceiling increase only if a qualifying Balanced Budget Amendment passes Congress and is sent to the states for ratification.

While the Senate failed to act on this important legislation, they have yet to put forward their own plan for a vote. While the President has talked about a plan he would like to see enacted, the White House has not as yet put forward an actual plan. The House Republicans are expected to bring a new plan to the floor for a vote as early as Thursday.

I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to chart a course towards a nation not burdened with the crushing weight of its national debt. For each and any plan that comes before me for a vote, please be assured that I will give each of them serious consideration and cast my vote for what I believe is in the best interest of the country.

Thank you again for being a part of the debate about how we meet this challenge before us and how we build a stronger, smarter, more efficient America. Please visit my website, www.forbes.house.gov to learn about the work I am doing to address our Federal budget issues and to join this important discussion. With kind personal regards, I am

Yours truly,

J. RANDY FORBES

Member of Congress

Why your accounts are vulnerable to thieves-From Consumers reports

House of cards

Why your accounts are vulnerable to thieves

Last reviewed: June 2011

This article appeared in
June 2011 Consumer Reports Magazine.

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VIDEO:

Thieves target bank cards

 

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The bank customer was getting suspicious while trying to withdraw cash from a drive-up bank ATM in New Port Richey, Fla., last year. The blinking LED lights around the card slot were flashing faster than usual, and the slot seemed oddly slow to take his card, he told sheriff’s department officers.

Then he reached out and jiggled the card slot. It came off right in his hand. He notified the bank, and police started their investigation.

They discovered that a fake card reader, or skimmer, had been placed over the real card-entry slot and that a pinhole camera had been recording customers entering their personal identification numbers. “We have the bank surveillance tape showing the suspect installing the skimming equipment,” Sgt. Jeffrey Peake of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office says, but the suspect couldn’t be identified.

The customer avoided becoming a fraud victim, but other Americans have not been as lucky. In the U.S., 32 percent of consumers reported card fraud in the past five years, according to a 2010 survey released earlier this year by ACI Worldwide, which supplies payment systems to financial institutions, processors, and retailers. That was up from 27 percent in 2009.

That number is likely to grow because the credit and debit cards most Americans use are surprisingly vulnerable to fraud, relying on decades-old technology that makes them more susceptible to being skimmed and counterfeited.

Even some contactless credit cards, which use radio frequency identification (RFID) chips that allow you to make purchases without having to swipe your card through a card reader, are vulnerable to virtual skimming, Consumer Reports found in its investigation. We witnessed how they can transmit data such as your card’s account number, expiration date, and security data that thieves could intercept and use to make counterfeit cards.

American credit- and debit-card data are usually stored unencrypted on a magnetic stripe on the back of each card, which thieves can easily and cheaply copy. The U.S. and some nonindustrialized countries in Africa are among the only nations still relying on magstripe payment cards, which came into wide use in the 1970s. China has announced that it will no longer produce or accept such cards after 2015; American travelers are already finding that their cards aren’t accepted at some gas stations, parking facilities, subways, and merchants in Europe. The European Central Bank has recommended that banks stop issuing magstripe cards after 2012.

Most other countries are shifting to what are known as EMV “smart cards” (the acronym comes from Europay MasterCard Visa). Smart cards use multiple layers of security, starting with a computer chip in each card that stores and transmits encrypted data and a unique identifier that can change with each transaction.

In some cases, cardholders also enter a PIN to authorize credit as well as debit transactions. Total fraud losses dropped by 50 percent, and card counterfeiting fell by 78 percent in the first year after EMV smart cards were introduced in France in 1992. Other countries that have switched have also seen card fraud decline.

So why is the U.S. so far behind? It seems to come down to money. The losses for banks do not yet exceed the costs of a switch-over, although merchants say that’s because they usually shoulder much of the cost burden from fraud.

Most cards limit liability for consumers, but the disruption in time and loss of privacy can be considerable.

“We’re falling behind the rest of the world in fraud protection, and I’m afraid American consumers are getting the short end of the stick,” says Richard Oliver, executive vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and director of the Fed’s Retail Payments Risk Forum, a group that focuses on better ways to detect and reduce fraud.

Skimming is big business

Fraud patrol
Sgt. Jeffrey Peake of the Pasco County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office shows officers how a card-skimming device can steal bank-account information from customers using an ATM.
Photograph by Jay Carlson

The theft of card data in the U.S. is increasingly carried out by organized groups of thieves from other countries. In Eastern Europe particularly, thriving black-market forums exist online to buy and sell skimming equipment and stolen credit- and debit-card information.

“Losses are comfortably in the multimillion- dollar range each year but are incredibly hard to authenticate because of the discreet position that most financial institutions take when asked to assess a loss figure,” says John Buzzard, an executive at FICO, the credit-scoring company. Banking-industry data indicate that debit-card skimming in particular is rising as criminals focus on obtaining debit-card data complete with PINs to get their hands on cash more quickly. “The figures reported by some U.S. banks show losses from fraudulent debit-card transactions using PINs have quintupled at stores in the past five years, and they’ve also risen sharply at ATMs, so it’s clear crooks are succeeding in getting people’s PINs, most likely through a combination of skimming and recording PINs,” says Avivah Litan, a Gartner Research analyst specializing in fraud detection and prevention.

Gas pumps are a popular target for skimmers, especially during vacation season, when more Americans are on the road. Skimmers can be inserted inside a pump without any telltale signs. Last summer, skimming attacks at gas stations in one northern Florida county surged so much that local law-enforcement officials suggested consumers use only cash to pay for gas, according to reports provided to BankInfoSecurity.com, an industry publication.

Crooks are increasingly targeting bank branch ATMs, sometimes installing skimmers in devices near the doors where customers swipe their cards to gain access. Shelby Shearer, a police detective in Bellevue, Wash., says that ATM skimming there has exploded recently, causing more than $300,000 in losses in Seattle’s eastern suburbs in the past eight months.

To obtain the PINs, thieves might attach a keypad overlay that captures your number as you type it in, but more often they’ll install a pinhole video camera aimed at the keypad to record what you’re typing, says Kenneth Jenkins, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s criminal investigations division. He says a recent probe of an Eastern European skimming group brought arrests of 175 people involved in skimming at ATMs in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, with $25 million in losses.

Criminals can quickly use the skimmed data to create a counterfeit card to withdraw the maximum allowed from each cardholder’s account at an ATM. Card issuers generally extend zero-liability protection to consumers for fraudulent use of credit and debit cards. But victims of debit-card skimming can still face financial hardships because they are without the cash while the bank investigates, which sometimes takes weeks, says Inspector Gregory Antonsen, commanding officer of the New York City Police Department’s Financial Crimes Task Force.

And the scams can have multiple victims. In December 2010, in Butte, Mont., at least 300 fraud victims reported unauthorized charges made on their cards, most of which were debit cards. Among the victims was a local sheriff. For six to eight months at an unsuspecting retailer, a cash register skimmed data from everyone whose card was swiped. Authorities say the data were sold to other criminals to make counterfeit cards used throughout the U.S. Fraudulent charges on the Butte victims’ cards ranged from $500 to $1,500.

“We’ve recommended to several of the large financial institutions that the biggest deterrent to skimming would be using the kind of cards that are issued in Europe and Canada with a chip that makes them pretty much impossible to skim, but so far they seem unwilling to do that,” says Antonsen at the NYPD.

Americans still receive magstripe cards because banks and other financial players in the card industry claim that losses due to fraud in the U.S. have not been high enough to justify the costs involved in switching to EMV smart-chip technology.

Replacing all payment cards in the U.S. could require issuers to spend as much as $2.85 billion, plus $310 million more to update ATMs to accept the new cards, according to a recent report issued by George Peabody, principal analyst at Mercator Advisory Group, consultants to the banking and payments industries. For merchants, he estimates that replacing sales terminals could cost up to $2.64 billion. But many of the nation’s big-name retailers, including Kroger, McDonalds, Sears, and Walgreens, are pushing for an upgrade to the likes of EMV. And a few, such as Best Buy, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart, are in the process of deploying terminals that can read contact and, in some cases, contactless chip and pin technology, Oliver says.

The Mercator report estimates U.S. card issuers’ total losses from credit- and debit-card fraud at $2.4 billion. That figure does not include losses that are borne by merchants, which probably run into tens of billions of dollars a year.

Merchants usually have to absorb losses for fraudulent transactions conducted by mail, phone, and online, and card issuers generally are supposed to take the financial hit for fraudulent transactions conducted in walk-in stores. But retailers report that banks also often charge those losses back to them.

Despite magstripe cards’ vulnerabilities, card issuers say they have developed effective methods to fight fraud. “We use sophisticated systems to monitor and detect fraudulent activity and employ over 1,000 people dedicated to protecting our customers against fraud,” says Paul Hartwick, a spokesman for Chase Card Services. Visa says it relies on an advanced system that detects fraud in real time.

A turning tide?

When the Federal Reserve Board analyzed fraudulent debit-card transactions that occurred in 2009, it found that merchants absorbed 43 percent of all losses reported by debit-card issuers. For credit-card losses, merchants end up eating more than half of losses from fraudulent transactions, says Doug Kantor, counsel to the Merchant Payments Coalition, a trade group representing restaurants, grocers, gas stations, convenience stores, and other retailers.

“If card issuers can make merchants absorb half of their losses on top of paying them interchange fees for each transaction to supposedly help cover fraud-related costs,” Kantor says, “why should they worry about making investments in new technology to better protect against fraud?”

But the tide might be turning. The Smart Card Alliance, an industry trade group, has issued a report on EMV, developed with the support of players including American Express, Capital One, and Chase Card Services. The report notes that “although the enormous size of the U.S. payment industry makes widespread change costly and difficult, the true cost of fraud is increasing and threatens to damage the industry’s reputation.” It says that damage “could accelerate as criminals move to the U.S. as the weakest link.”

Adopting the smart-chip standard also could provide a more secure basis for mobile payments using smart phones, which analysts expect will rapidly replace plastic cards as a form of payment. And it has been suggested that a federal mandate might be the stick required for a switch.

A carrot to entice banks and credit unions away from magstripe debit cards already exists. It’s in the hotly debated rules the Federal Reserve proposed in December 2010 to limit fees that merchants pay card issuers for debit-card transactions, Mercator analyst Peabody says.

Fiercely fought by banks, the new rules would cut the fees from a current average of 44 cents per transaction to a maximum of 12 cents. But card-reform legislation also gives the Federal Reserve an option to allow higher fees for card issuers that adopt more rigorous antifraud technology standards as set by the Fed.

No form of security technology is foolproof, of course. Researchers at the University of Cambridge in February 2010 uncovered a vulnerability in EMV smart cards that could allow a criminal armed with certain electronic equipment to make a purchase using a stolen smart card without having the correct PIN, though Gartner’s Litan says that attack method would be relatively easy to guard against.

But exposing such potential flaws and correcting them is an important part of ensuring that any security system used to safeguard consumers’ financial data is continually evolving to stay ahead of the latest schemes crooks devise to break it.

“We can’t be working eight-hour days on this when the bad guys are working 24/7,” Oliver at the Federal Reserve says.

From: Consumers reports-Beware of these scams

Beware of these scams

10 common tricks and what to do about them

Last reviewed: February 2011

Whether it's fake checks, bogus products and services, or identity theft, it seems as if there's always someone out there trying to make suckers out of us. In the first six months of 2010, scams reported to the fraud center at the National Consumers League cost victims an average of $810.

It's not always easy to spot a scam, even for savvy consumers. That's why you should always be vigilant and take general precautions. Here are some common schemes.

Merchandise fraud

Say you find a really great deal on a digital camera at an online retailer. But shortly after placing your order, you get a phone call from a company representative trying to sell you extra lenses, a fancy case, and other pricey add-ons. You refuse the high-pressure sales pitch, and later you're notified that the camera is no longer in stock. Or it never arrives.

Nonexistent or misrepresented merchandise on the Internet was the fraud center's top complaint in the first half of 2010, with an average loss of $931. That doesn't include fraud involving online auctions, which ranked eighth.

What to do

Check out sellers you're unfamiliar with before buying anything from them. To start, find out whether a company has a report and rating with the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org/).

If you're victimized after paying with cash or by check, you could be out of luck. So use a credit card, especially when buying online or over the phone. If the order doesn't arrive, you can challenge the purchase under federal credit-card rules. Debit-card purchases offer less protection, although some banks voluntarily provide additional safeguards.

Incidentally, to reduce the risk of unauthorized charges, you might want to consider using a temporary "virtual" or "online" credit-card number, if your bank offers one, for purchases on the Web. In most cases you can request one on the issuer's website. Citibank offers virtual-card software you can install on your computer. You can limit the time the virtual number is active and the maximum amount that can be charged.

Fake checks

These schemes come under many guises. Bogus checks can be used to pay for something you're selling, such as a used car. Or someone might contact you about a "work at home" opportunity or sweepstakes that you supposedly won. He or she might use a fake check to pay you, with instructions to deposit it and then wire a portion of the proceeds to another party, perhaps to pay "required" fees or taxes. In many cases, these scams involve what appear to be certified or bank checks—but that's no guarantee that they're legitimate. If you deposit or cash a phony check at your bank, it will bounce and your bank will come after you to settle up.

Fake check fraud was the National Consumers League's top scam in 2009; it's now No. 2, representing one in four of the complaint reports that the group receives. The trick costs victims an average of $371.

What to do

Before depositing a check from an unfamiliar source, check with the institution whose name appears on it. And because the bank's contact information on the check could belong to the scammer, search for the institution's phone number and address separately.

Phishing, spoofing, and identity theft

Scammers use e-mail messages, phone calls, and other ways to trick people into revealing their passwords, credit-card and Social Security numbers, and other personal information they can use to steal identities, open credit lines, and the like.

What to do

Don't respond to e-mail messages or phone calls asking for your passwords or other personal information, no matter how urgent the appeal. Instead, contact your bank or other party to see if it made the request. Don't click on hyperlinks you receive in e-mail messages, and carefully type web addresses into your browser to avoid typos. Scammers sometimes set up bogus sites using common misspellings of legitimate web addresses, a practice known as "typosquatting."

Keep your computer's antivirus and antiphishing software up-to-date. And consider using a browser plug-in, such the free McAfee SiteAdvisor (http://www.siteadvisor.com/), which warns about phishing websites and those that transmit viruses.

The grandparent scam

This one comes as a call from a family member, perhaps someone who identifies himself as your grandson, saying he needs help. The story might be that he was in an accident or arrested while traveling outside the country and needs you to wire emergency money, often to Canada. Such calls have cost victims thousands of dollars.

What to do

Don't give money to anyone without verifying his or her identity. If you get a call from a friend or relative asking for help, politely hang up and call the person's home or cell-phone number to find out if they made the call and the emergency is real. You can also call relatives to help determine that the call is legit.

Travel deals with catches

These vacation offers can often be found at fairs and trade shows, or they might come in unsolicited phone calls, faxes, e-mail, or postcards. They're often used to entice you to attend sales promotions, say, for a vacation time-share. But some are simply stand-alone offers for trips. Despite the hype, the vacations are usually anything but free or even bargain-priced.

After attending the sales pitch, you might find that you're ineligible for the promised trip because you didn't comply with hidden or hard-to-understand terms and conditions. Available travel dates might be limited and accommodations awful unless you pay for upgrades.

What to do

Forget about this type of vacation. If a business has to offer free trips to generate interest, its products or services probably aren't worth considering.

Poorly disclosed extras

After buying a product or service, you find that you're being charged for something you never meant to order. Maybe it's rustproofing for a new car at a dealership, or a club membership or subscription.

Details about extras might be buried in a contract or a website's fine print. Some companies pass credit-card information to third-parties who are ready to charge the minute customers click an "OK" button online or unknowingly give consent.

What to do

Read everything carefully before you sign or click. Question anything that's unclear, and don't proceed until you're satisfied with the answers.

Phony charities

It could come as e-mail or a phone call urging you to help some cause that might be in the news or tugs at your heartstrings. Some charities are outright frauds; others do little, if anything, to help a cause.

What to do

Don't respond immediately to a solicitation. Instead, check out the group with the major charity watchdogs: the American Institute of Philanthropy (http://www.charitywatch.org/); the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance (www.give.org); and the Charity Navigator (http://www.charitynavigator.org/). And make sure you're dealing with the right group. Many con artists use names similar to legitimate charities. For local groups that don't appear on watchdog reports, ask the charity for further information, or donate through a local fundraising federation, such as the United Way, that screens groups.

If you want to help during an emergency, such as a flood or famine, stick with major established charities such as the Red Cross. Charity watchdogs often post names of legitimate groups that help victims.

Health-products fraud

Scammers are always ready to strike after reports of promising dietary supplements and other "medical breakthroughs" hit the news. Websites spring up overnight hawking products—acai berry supplements, for example—even though there's scant evidence of their benefits. The sites might feature celebrity "experts" or phony "reader" comments. Many offer free trials in order to get your credit- or debit-card number and then enroll you in ongoing fee-based programs.

What to do

Buy health products only from companies you know and trust. Double-check the terms and conditions if you're signing up for a free trial that requires you to give payment information.

Sweepstakes scams

Who doesn't want to win a big prize? But if you respond to mail declaring that you're a finalist, or even a winner, the only ones who'll be stuffing their pockets will be the scammers who sent it to you.

Many of these mailings or prize-related phone calls imply that buying something increases your chances of winning. In another variation, you might be told that you have to mail an advance payment to cover taxes, shipping and handling, or other incidental costs of processing or delivering your fabulous prize. Of course, you'll get nothing in return.

What to do

By law, buying services or merchandise can't increase your odds of winning a sweepstakes. Just saying no if you're asked to respond to a prize or sweepstakes promotion will increase your odds—of not getting ripped off.

Advance-fee loans

This one involves companies promising to get you a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit. But after paying the required fee, you might not hear from the company again, or you might be offered a debit or stored-value card. Such offers appear in ads or on websites run by companies that engage in this type of "service." It's illegal for a company doing business by phone to promise a loan and require a fee before it's delivered.

What to do

Avoid companies that promise to get you a loan but don't seem interested in your credit history, the Federal Trade Commission warns. And never pay an advance fee for a loan, even if it's for "insurance," "processing," or "paperwork."

This article appeared in Consumer Reports Money Adviser.

Posted: February 2011 — Consumer Reports Money Adviser issue: February 2011