October 2007 Archives
In order to ensure the most efficient collection
and distribution of large quantity donations for Southern California
fire victims, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a toll-free line
that businesses nationwide can use to make in-kind donations of goods.
"This hotline makes it easy for businesses to
donate the many things that displaced fire victims need,"
Schwarzenegger said. "By coordinating donations, we can help ensure
that the right supplies get to the people who need them most."
The toll free number is 1-800-750-2858. The line
will be staffed from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. by the Governor's Office of
Emergency Services. Operators will match donations to local disaster
efforts across Southern California.
- Report your claim to your insurance company right away.
- Get a copy of your insurance policy and read it carefully.
- Start
to assemble a list of your contents. Where possible, track down
receipts and try to remember where you purchased each item and its cost.
- Keep receipts for every expense and cost you have incurred as a result of the evacuation and/or loss of your home.
- Try
to determine the replacement cost of each of the items in your home;
sometimes a department store catalogue is a quick method for standard
household items.
- Continue to make your mortgage payments, unless other arrangements are made with your lender.
- Keep copies of everything you give to your adjuster.
- Confirm
important discussions you have with your adjuster in writing (ie. by
email or by letter). This would include any extensions or time periods
within which replacement must be in effect, confirmations to proceed to
purchase certain replacement items, etc.
- Keep a log of
all telephone calls and correspondence, and make copies of all
correspondence you send to, or receive from, your insurance company.
- Prepare for all of your meetings with your adjuster. Determine, in advance, what is to be discussed at the meeting, and ensure that you are organized. For example, if you are meeting with your adjuster to determine the value of some of your house contents, it is a good idea to have all of the back-up documentation available for your meeting. The more organized you are, the quicker things will get done.
iForem is dedicated to be here when disaster strikes.
These fires are close to home and personal. We have friends and family
who, like many, have been affected in this horrible natural disaster. We in California are used to natural
disaster but this is a truly devastating event. iForem wishes the families who have lost so much, peace of
mind, and the hope you can rebuild soon.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sought help from other states as wind-fueled fires burned 356,000 acres (142,400 hectares) across Southern California, consuming hundreds of houses, killing two people and uprooting more than a quarter- million more.
About 68,500 homes and 2,200 businesses are threatened by fires, and 321,000 residents have fled, Rochelle Jenkins, a spokeswoman for the state's emergency response team, said in an interview today.
``I'm heartbroken to see those things,'' Schwarzenegger said in a news conference after touring burned houses in San Diego. ``These are people that have saved all their lives to pay for those homes. We have to do everything we can to help these people.''
iForem is not about medical records alone - but we are made to capture them with you . Keep them for life safe and secure - its not just about you now is it? Its about what generations will need or want to know about you - and no one should be trusted with those records other than you. iForem was made to insure you have control. You own the service. So look at others - and even use them - but when its something you want to make sure your grandkids will have access too - then use iForem.
Because of this, it will be difficult for most healthcare professionals to take the service seriously. And without doctors using it, there will be little reason for patients to do so either. Google may be able to address these concerns in the coming months--perhaps by making the system accessible to doctors, while only granting patients read-only access, with the ability to request changes if they find something incorrect. If Google can solve the problems inherent in Microsoft's model, it could come out on top once again--despite having the late start.
Because of this, it will be difficult for most healthcare professionals to take the service seriously. And without doctors using it, there will be little reason for patients to do so either. Google may be able to address these concerns in the coming months--perhaps by making the system accessible to doctors, while only granting patients read-only access, with the ability to request changes if they find something incorrect. If Google can solve the problems inherent in Microsoft's model, it could come out on top once again--despite having the late start.
Google to follow Microsoft to market with health records repository next year
By Jacqui Cheng
We get this question all the time, how secure is your service? The answer is simple - as good or better than an online bank...but that is NOT where theft happens. Check out this article on why your less safe in the "good old days" than you are with a service like iForem.
The CIMIP used the Secret Service data to examine several facets of identity theft that aren't often studied, such as the demographics of thieves and what methods they used to carry out their crimes. It found that, by and large, much of today's identity theft is still carried out using old-school methods, such as mail theft and dumpster diving. Thieves also used information from public records to piece together an individual identity, and many stole information from retail outlets like stores and gas stations.
Read more here - and think about just how safe you THINK you are - then come back and buy iForem.
Reasons for an Advance Directive (A case for iForem and our sharing of important and critical information)
An advance directive is purely optional. All health care facilities such as hospitals that accept federal funding are required by law to ask if you have one and offer you the appropriate information and documents to sign one, if you so choose. Of course, the fact that you are reading this puts you one step ahead of the game.
You should consider an advance directive if any of the following are true:
No doctor or health care provider can force you to complete an advance directive.
If you do not complete an advance directive, then you will receive medical care to the fullest extent appropriate for your condition. However, a greater chance exists that you will receive more treatment or more procedures than you would want performed.
If you cannot speak for yourself and you do not have an advance directive, then health care providers will look to the following people, in the order listed, for guidance with your care:
An advance directive is purely optional. All health care facilities such as hospitals that accept federal funding are required by law to ask if you have one and offer you the appropriate information and documents to sign one, if you so choose. Of course, the fact that you are reading this puts you one step ahead of the game.
You should consider an advance directive if any of the following are true:
- You want to be sure your voice is heard when you can no longer speak.
- You want to be sure that your wishes are respected and followed in the event that you are unable to make medical decisions for yourself.
- You want to be sure that you are not placed on life support machines or receive other life-prolonging treatment if you suffer from a terminal condition.
- You want to be sure that, if you fall victim to a cardiac arrest after you have suffered with a long-term, end-stage medical condition, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or other heroic measures will not be performed.
No doctor or health care provider can force you to complete an advance directive.
If you do not complete an advance directive, then you will receive medical care to the fullest extent appropriate for your condition. However, a greater chance exists that you will receive more treatment or more procedures than you would want performed.
If you cannot speak for yourself and you do not have an advance directive, then health care providers will look to the following people, in the order listed, for guidance with your care:
- Your guardian (if court appointed)
- Your spouse
- Your adult child (or the majority of adult children who are reasonably available)
- Either of your parents
- Your adult brother or sister (or the majority who are reasonably available)
- Other adult relatives
- A close friend who is familiar with your activities, health, or religious or moral beliefs
This is how data is managed to keep costs down in the world today - would have been allot safer with iForem.
olumbus (OH) - The man responsible for the biggest data theft in the state of Ohio has received his official punishment - five days of lost vacation.
This summer, a tape containing tens of thousands of government data records was stolen from the car of an Ohio intern. According to reports following the incident, it was common practice to send sensitive discs home with employees as a "safety measure" to ensure critical government data was not left entirely in the state offices overnight. The practice was put to an end after the July incident following an executive order from Governor Ted Strickland.
Jerry Miller, Ohio Department of Administrative Services payroll team leader, was deemed responsible for the data theft. He was ordered to surrender a week of paid vacation for his role in the data breach.
Social security numbers and other sensitive data of over 120,000 Ohio taxpayers and state employees were on the tape, according to computer forensics research. The cost of replacing the data and providing free credit monitoring to all those affected, along with other costs, will total around $3 million.
A spokesperson for the state's Department of Administrative Services called Miller a "stellar longtime DAS employee", saying he was forthcoming about the incident. The punishment was recommended by a state board that investigated the incident.
The government spokesperson went on to say, "One lesson that the state learned is that we need to throw more resources at security and privacy when we have an issue like that."
olumbus (OH) - The man responsible for the biggest data theft in the state of Ohio has received his official punishment - five days of lost vacation.
This summer, a tape containing tens of thousands of government data records was stolen from the car of an Ohio intern. According to reports following the incident, it was common practice to send sensitive discs home with employees as a "safety measure" to ensure critical government data was not left entirely in the state offices overnight. The practice was put to an end after the July incident following an executive order from Governor Ted Strickland.
Jerry Miller, Ohio Department of Administrative Services payroll team leader, was deemed responsible for the data theft. He was ordered to surrender a week of paid vacation for his role in the data breach.
Social security numbers and other sensitive data of over 120,000 Ohio taxpayers and state employees were on the tape, according to computer forensics research. The cost of replacing the data and providing free credit monitoring to all those affected, along with other costs, will total around $3 million.
A spokesperson for the state's Department of Administrative Services called Miller a "stellar longtime DAS employee", saying he was forthcoming about the incident. The punishment was recommended by a state board that investigated the incident.
The government spokesperson went on to say, "One lesson that the state learned is that we need to throw more resources at security and privacy when we have an issue like that."
This is a great part of a larger piece from Jill Fallon,
Some things ARE priceless. The sound of a loved one's voice, the smile of your first dog, your
grandfather's stories, your daughter's graduation, your mother's peanut brittle, your greatest triumphs,
your biggest regret, what you love, who you love, who you are. If you fail to capture them in a way
that they can be given away or passed on, they lose their value. Worse, you'll probably forget them and
no one will ever know. One of the most haunting quotes I've ever read is by Joan Didion, "We forget all
too soon the things we thought we could never forget; we forget what we whispered and what we dreamed; we
forget who we were"
That's why I think it's so important to make a legacy plan. Yes, it's for your family, your children and
grandchildren yet unborn; but, it's also for yourself. It's how you keep in touch with your former selves
- who you were at 20 and who you were when your first child was born, and after you lost your father,
what you learned and what you thought was most important. So the sooner you can start on your
legacy plan, the better and richer it will be. It's how you'll see how far you've come.
"Jill Fallon is a lawyer, a personal historian and the founder of Estate Legacy Vaults"
Some things ARE priceless. The sound of a loved one's voice, the smile of your first dog, your
grandfather's stories, your daughter's graduation, your mother's peanut brittle, your greatest triumphs,
your biggest regret, what you love, who you love, who you are. If you fail to capture them in a way
that they can be given away or passed on, they lose their value. Worse, you'll probably forget them and
no one will ever know. One of the most haunting quotes I've ever read is by Joan Didion, "We forget all
too soon the things we thought we could never forget; we forget what we whispered and what we dreamed; we
forget who we were"
That's why I think it's so important to make a legacy plan. Yes, it's for your family, your children and
grandchildren yet unborn; but, it's also for yourself. It's how you keep in touch with your former selves
- who you were at 20 and who you were when your first child was born, and after you lost your father,
what you learned and what you thought was most important. So the sooner you can start on your
legacy plan, the better and richer it will be. It's how you'll see how far you've come.
"Jill Fallon is a lawyer, a personal historian and the founder of Estate Legacy Vaults"
Many people say that free is the way! And so do I! Yes, even the founder of iForem says - use free services. Email, storage, shareware, and so many other things, go get em! Why you ask?
Its simple! iForem is for the IMPORTANT and CRITICAL items. Things you want to leave for your family to find. Something you don't want to manage all the time. A place that is not giving your aggregate data up for sale. A secure and reliable place to recover your compliance data.
Free services have changed our life, but like "free" television, there is HBO and cable. For the bulk of the items you can not, do not, or will not sort - use a free storage system. Email yourself files to Gmail. Backup your entire computer, and other computers on Carbonite. But when you have files and items you MUST have access too! Files you can not lose, files you rely on to make sure your wishes or compliance are carried out, then consider iForem.
Business Continuation or Lifestyle choice. iForem is here today, and will be here tomorrow. $20 starts you off. What can you lose? You own it for life!
Its simple! iForem is for the IMPORTANT and CRITICAL items. Things you want to leave for your family to find. Something you don't want to manage all the time. A place that is not giving your aggregate data up for sale. A secure and reliable place to recover your compliance data.
Free services have changed our life, but like "free" television, there is HBO and cable. For the bulk of the items you can not, do not, or will not sort - use a free storage system. Email yourself files to Gmail. Backup your entire computer, and other computers on Carbonite. But when you have files and items you MUST have access too! Files you can not lose, files you rely on to make sure your wishes or compliance are carried out, then consider iForem.
Business Continuation or Lifestyle choice. iForem is here today, and will be here tomorrow. $20 starts you off. What can you lose? You own it for life!
We're drowning in the sea of papers, snapshots, receipts, recipes, legal agreements, contracts, and other documents we've inherited and accumulated, but have rarely organized and prioritized. Some of these documents are invaluable and irreplaceable - and the only way to keep these vital records safe, secure and accessible is to make digital copies impervious to fire, flood or other catastrophe.
You might think that relying on USB drives and free (or almost free) online storage is the answer - but it's not. How many USB drives and tiny memory cards can you keep track of? What happens when (not if) they're lost or stolen? Even if you somehow manage to hang on to all of them, they'll be obsolete or useless a few years! When your "free" online storage services folds or your online storage fee doesn't get paid, your data disappears.
Finally - and most importantly - how will your descendents find a specific document exactly when it's needed if it's stored somewhere in those USB drives, portable hard disks, online storage bins, and other digital dumping grounds?
We all have memories and life-defining documents that need to be permanently preserved and available - even they're needed decades from now.
And that's why your iForem Digital Legacy is not a luxury, but an absolute necessity.
Now and Forever
You might think that relying on USB drives and free (or almost free) online storage is the answer - but it's not. How many USB drives and tiny memory cards can you keep track of? What happens when (not if) they're lost or stolen? Even if you somehow manage to hang on to all of them, they'll be obsolete or useless a few years! When your "free" online storage services folds or your online storage fee doesn't get paid, your data disappears.
Finally - and most importantly - how will your descendents find a specific document exactly when it's needed if it's stored somewhere in those USB drives, portable hard disks, online storage bins, and other digital dumping grounds?
We all have memories and life-defining documents that need to be permanently preserved and available - even they're needed decades from now.
And that's why your iForem Digital Legacy is not a luxury, but an absolute necessity.
Now and Forever
iForem is built to avoid just this kind of problem...
Fourteen years after she found 68 yellowed, tattered pictures squirreled away in her Oakland house, Gailen Runge finally got to hand them to their rightful owner this week - and to learn the answers to the secrets they had held for so long, so frustratingly, as she peered at the images for clues.
Link Here for full story
Fourteen years after she found 68 yellowed, tattered pictures squirreled away in her Oakland house, Gailen Runge finally got to hand them to their rightful owner this week - and to learn the answers to the secrets they had held for so long, so frustratingly, as she peered at the images for clues.
Link Here for full story
