Friday, August 23, 2013

Corpocracy, Corporatocracy and Corporatism


 A society dominated politically and economically by large corporations.
 
Corporatocracy, not to be confused with Corporatism, is a term used as an economic and political system controlled by corporations or corporate interests. Wikipedia
 
 
Think about it! After you've thought about it and if you still think that we have a free society and government by the consent of the people get cancer and die because you are too stupid to live.
 


 

Miami Florida And Why You Should Not Go There

It's a given; Florida is a fucking Republican sewer and where you have Republicans you have crime. Miami is a dangerous place as is most of Florida. The reasons for why Miami has become a war zone are many and varied but for now let is suffice to say that if you re thinking of visiting Florida, think again.

Here are some shocking and sobering facts about Miami Florida and why it sucks there.

CRIME INDEX FOR MIAMI
Miami is a 3 (100 is safest) Miami is safer than only 3% of the cities in the US
Your chances of becoming a victim of violent in Miami are a staggering 1 in 84 in Florida 1 in 194. 

Here are some more shocking facts about Miami 

Author Frank Abrams Esq.
The story and history of how Miami and the state of Florida became a criminal version of Bedlam is actually interesting but very disturbing. What has happened there may serve as a warning and example for all American cities suffering from politically induced urban decay and blight such as Detroit and Newark NJ. Attorney, author and Miami survivor Frank Abrams has written the definitive and authoritative book chronicling his days growing up in Miami. Miami: A Survivor's Tale is much more than a history book. It is a poignant and personal story that you won't be able to put down. I hate the term "must read" but this book truly is a must read for anyone living in, visiting or planning on moving to Miami because forewarned really is forearmed.


For  pre-release copy of  Miami: A Survivor's Tale published by Black Mountain Press click here

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Commonsense and the Gluttonous Lifestyle

I was surfing the the fatosphere and I came across a thread by one of our readers that pretty much sums up the state of the gainer/feeder and fat acceptance movement. The title of the thread is Getting Fat On the Cheap which accurately paraphrases an article that Proud FA the Dean of Feederism wrote. This thread was found on Fat-Forums a slutty BBW community.

Image result for Nasty fat woman

"The level of lying, denial and hypocrisy here is astonishing.

Fat people are gluttons whether they admit it or not. This is a porn/feeder/gainer site mostly and you liars are invoking phony Christian morality and using lies to justify something that deep down you think is wrong which isn't wrong ie, GLUTTONY!

Maybe the truth is is that you fatlings CAN'T HANDLE THE FAT and that is why you are lying and denying your gluttony and claiming the laws of physics don't apply to your bodies.

You also deny the medical facts of your gluttony. FAT PEOPLE DIE SOONER because of their lifestyle choices. They will deny that obesity is  the result of a choice because they think it's a bad choice. Gluttony is neither a good or bad choice. It is simply a choice. Deep down you people are fat haters because you are denying and therefore condemning the very behavior that made you fat and keeps you fat. Again... YOU CAN'T HANDLE the FAT! Either be fat and take the good with the bad or be lean and take the good with the bad because until we can manipulate gravity, and adress the medical challenges associated with gluttony/obesity you either take the good with the bad or you don't but don't lie about it.

Gluttony is pure Ayn Randian objectivism. Greed self-indulgence is the new morality.  You fatties need to shit or get off the pot and not only embrace the fat but embrace the gluttonous lifestyle that goes with it. Embracing that lifestyle means accepting the reality of that lifestyle. Maybe this will help... You can live a long time with a Spartan life style or you can have a shorter but more abundant life as a greedy and hedonistic glutton which is what your are doing now.  My only popint is is that your should be proud of the fact that with your greedy mouths you are digging your graves one delicious bite after one delicious bite. We all have to die from something so it might as well be something we like.

I stay lean because I like porking fat girls better than eating food and besides us skinny guys can really throw the dick. Fat men in many cases simply cannot pork a fat girl or pork were with the duration, ferocity and endurance of a fit lean guy with good cardio vascular health. When men like me do is a service to these fat girls since fat men have a tough time mechanically porking them. That is why we need slender women for fat boys to bone.  Let these waif's do all the work and besides when it come to eating pussy fat men excell in that area and slender women don't have all that funkiness that fat girls have like chronic yeast infections."



Wednesday, August 21, 2013

How To Deal With Pesky Telemarketers

I like fucking with telemarketers and wasing their time. When they ask to a credit card number I give them a few numbers and then pretend the call cut out but really I'm simply mutining the phone and un-mutining it. You can do this for up to a 1/2 hour. This wastes thier time and when you are fucking with them they are not ripping of some niave or vulnerable person like your granny.

I Fat Bastard hate telemarketers with a passion. Not only are these cocksuckers scammers, the worst part is they call around meal time and for a fat ass like me it's always meal time. I found the following strategy from a DC lawyer. Hopefully you can emply some of his methods to fuck with these criminal parasites.

http://www.panix.com/~eck/telemarket.html
In November 2002, a telemarketer called my home in D.C. at 5:24 a.m. This is the story of how that call cost him $500.


Rude Awakening

When the call came in the pre-dawn hours of November 12, it awoke me and my wife from a sound sleep. After groggily picking up the phone – my heart suddenly pounding as I dimly expected news of a death in the family or other emergency – I was appalled to hear a pre-recorded advertisement for a local handyman/landscaping service. I hung up without listening to the rest of the message.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't get back to sleep because of the jolt of adrenalin. As I lay there cursing myself for not getting the company name and callback number, I decided to get even. Since I don't have Caller ID, I invested 75 cents in Verizon's *69 service to get the last caller's number. When I tried calling that number (240-453-XXXX), I got repeated busy signals; eventually, my call went through to what was obviously an autodialer trying to make outgoing calls.

I decided to plug the number into the reverse-lookup tool at anywho.com. (I could just as easily have used any of several similar tools.) Anywho gave me the caller's name – I'll call him "ARS" – and an address in Rockville, MD. Doing a forward lookup on the name turned up 4 more lines serving the same address; calls to those numbers resulted in busy signals all day long.

For good measure, I also checked Maryland's online real property records, and determined that ARS was the owner of record for the address in question. (FYI, there are similar free online real property search tools for numerous jurisdictions both near and far.) Hmm ... assets ...

Lawyers, Guns & Money

Unfortunately for ARS, not only did I know how to track down telemarketers and other lower life forms; I am also an attorney. Moreover, I knew a little about the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA), having published a 1996 article in NetGuide magazine on the TCPA's (in)applicability to unsolicited email, aka spam.
The TCPA forbids a variety of annoying practices, such as the sending of junk fax ads. (For more on this aspect of the TCPA, see below.) Most importantly, the TCPA prohibits making a "telephone call to any residential telephone line using an artificial or prerecorded voice to deliver a [commercial advertising] message without the prior express consent of the called party," 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(1)(B), with limited exceptions applicable to non-profit entities. In addition, the FCC has issued regulations interpreting the TCPA. Those regulations
  • require pre-recorded messages to "(1) [a]t the beginning of the message, state clearly the identity of the business, individual, or other entity initiating the call, and (2) [d]uring or after the message, state clearly the telephone number (other than that of the autodialer or prerecorded message player which placed the call) or address of such business, other entity, or individual" (47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(d))
  • prohibit making a "telephone solicitation to a residential telephone subscriber ... [b]efore the hour of 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. (local time at the called party's location)" (§ 64.1200(e)(1))
Of course, you can register a complaint with the FCC, which has authority to cite violators. But the truly happy news here, Dear Reader, is that the TCPA gives you and me the right to sue if the telemarketer calls us in violation of these statutory or regulatory restrictions:
A person or entity may, if otherwise permitted by the laws or rules of court of a State, bring in an appropriate court of that State-- (A) an action based on a violation of this subsection or the regulations prescribed under this subsection to enjoin such violation, (B) an action to recover for actual monetary loss from such a violation, or to receive $500 in damages for each such violation, whichever is greater, or (C) both such actions.
If the court finds that the defendant willfully or knowingly violated this subsection or the regulations prescribed under this subsection, the court may, in its discretion, increase the amount of the award to an amount equal to not more than 3 times the amount available under subparagraph (B) of this paragraph.
47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(3). Note, however, that such suits cannot be brought in federal court, even though these are federal laws. (For an explanation, see this very detailed article.) Instead, they must be brought in the court of a "State," which includes D.C.: "The term 'State' includes the District of Columbia and the Territories and possessions." (47 U.S.C. § 153(40))
In my research in preparation for suing the pantaloons off of ARS, I learned that D.C. has its own anti-telemarketing law, which says this:
It is an abusive telemarketing act or practice and violation of this subchapter for a seller or telephone solicitor to engage in the following conduct: (1) Cause a telephone to ring more than 15 times in an intended telephone solicitation call;
(2) Initiate a telephone solicitation call to a consumer after the same consumer has expressly stated that he or she does not wish to receive solicitation calls from that seller; or
(3) Engage in telephone solicitation to a consumer's residence at any time before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m., local time at the place of the consumer called.
D.C. Code § 22-3226.08. While D.C. law also provides for a private right to sue for violations, unfortunately it does not set a minimum amount of statutory damages (unlike the TCPA's minimum of $500 per violation).

Does This Lawsuit Make Me Look Fat?

Having researched the law to death, I turned to the next question: where to sue? It turns out that D.C.'s Small Claims Court has jurisdiction over disputes up to $5,000; even better, claims for up to $500 – the liquidated damages for a TCPA violation – incur the lowest filing fee. The D.C. Bar Association has a good introduction to D.C. Small Claims available here. A very similar but slightly more detailed write-up is over here.
In drafting my complaint (redacted versions available in WordPerfect 9 and Adobe PDF formats), I decided to assert a single claim under the TCPA for $500 even though ARS had violated multiple provisions. I was pretty confident that no judge would award $500 for the too-early hour of the call, and then award another $500 for the unsolicited recording used in the same call. (Setting out two separate claims would also have pushed my "amount in controversy" over $500, increasing my filing fee to a whopping $10.) A go-for-broke litigant would instead have split out the violations into two separate counts, and asked for treble damages.

The next day (Nov. 13), I paid a call on the H. Carl Moultrie I Courthouse at 500 Indiana Ave. NW in Judiciary Square. Small Claims is located on the John Marshall (translation: basement) level in room JM-260, at the far east end of the building. I showed up around 8:30 a.m. and waited no more 5 minutes to see a clerk at the intake window. The clerk was pleasant and helpful.

Having over-prepared, I had a completed Small Claims Form, which looks like this in blank, and a printout of my complaint. Practice tip: Don't bother printing and filling out a copy of the downloaded claims form. The clerk will only ask you to use their multi-copy, prenumbered form instead. Also, make sure you have your personal calendar with you, as the clerk will ask when you want to schedule your hearing; a typical time frame is about 4 weeks later. I picked December 12 for my hearing.
By the way, you'll never get a better bargain on revenge than at Small Claims Branch. It cost me $5 to file, plus an additional $5.62 to have ARS served by "restricted mail", i.e., certified mail with restricted delivery. I could have opted for standard certified mail ($4.42) instead, but the clerk recommended the restricted delivery option. Either way, save your receipts; if you win the case (and were smart enough to ask for "costs" on top of your damages in the complaint), the defendant will be required to reimburse you.
Back to the hearing date.... The night before the hearing (Dec. 11, 2002), I called 879-1120 to listen to the calendar for the next day. When my case wasn't on the list, it meant that something had gone wrong with service of process by mail. A call to the clerk the next day confirmed the unhappy news: ARS hadn't accepted the certified mailing after 3 attempts. At this point, with the holidays coming up I more or less put the case out of my mind for several weeks. (Some preliminary investigation on the cost of using a process server – $50 and up – also led me to conclude quickly that this was not a sensible option, given the uncertainty of ever recovering that cost.) As a result, in early February the court mailed me a computer-generated notice advising that unless I took action, my case would be dismissed on February 26 for failure to prosecute.

Pushing the Envelope

At this point, I had to decide whether to drop this quixotic project or to ratchet it up. I went back to Small Claims on February 25, which charged me another $5 (essentially a second filing fee with the curious designation "alias") plus $4.42 for a second try at service by mail. The new hearing date was March 25. This time, though, I made sure ARS would receive notice of the lawsuit: in addition to having the court send an official summons, I made copies of the papers, put them in an unmarked envelope, and mailed them to ARS first class.

My diabolical scheme worked like a charm. On the Saturday before the hearing my phone rang, and when I picked up it was ARS asking for me. Instead of being obnoxious and accusatory, he was surprisingly sheepish and apologetic. He explained that his secretary had misprogrammed the dialer, causing it to dial out too early in the morning. (Naturally, I pointed out to him that placing unsolicited pre-recorded calls to a residence is illegal at all times of day.) Most importantly, though, he asked if we couldn't just settle the case by having him pay me $500.
Well, duh.

Apparently, ARS either didn't want to face a judge and admit what he'd done, or simply was too busy MAKING MONEY FAST!!! via telemarketing to waste time traveling to downtown DC. Either way, I was only too happy to reach an agreement with him. I made him promise to mail the check from a post office that same day so I'd have it Monday. ARS also faxed me a copy of his check (which he had already prepared!) and a blank "praecipe" (rhymes with "recipe"), a form he had gotten from the clerk that parties use to make a joint request to the court, often in view of settlement. (Intriguingly, his check was written on the bank account of his own landscaping company, suggesting that he was telemarketing his own services and not someone else's.)

On Monday, I called the Small Claims clerk to ask for pointers on drafting the praecipe. Eventually, I settled on language that a) postponed the March 25 hearing in light of the pending settlement agreement and b) agreed to dismissal of the case in 21 days absent further action by the plaintiff (me). This approach left plenty of time for the check to arrive and, more importantly, for it to clear. ARS agreed to the terms, and I faxed the praecipe – which ARS had rather naively signed in blank; lucky for him I'm honest – to Small Claims at 879-8349. His check was waiting for me in the mail when I came home that evening.

If I were really a mean bastard – yeah, I hear you muttering "Didn't he say he's a lawyer"? – I'd have tried to force ARS to agree to a judgment against him, in which case I could have filed a bill of costs to recoup my filing and service fees. Partly because ARS was obsequiously agreeable throughout the endgame, but primarily because I didn't want to make another trip over to the courthouse, I decided to let it go. I'm gracious that way when I sue people.

Summing Up

The Small Claims process in D.C. – at least what I saw of it – was remarkably painless. While the decor in the clerk's office leaves a lot to be desired, the staff were consistently helpful and professional during my phone calls and in-person visits, and you can’t beat the results if your case has merit. (While sharing news of my success, I learned from a work colleague that she had used Small Claims previously to recover $5,000 from a crooked used-car dealer.)
Total costs: Approximately $20.79 out of pocket, including *69 charge and filing & service fees, plus 2 trips to the courthouse and the occasional phone call (and keep in mind I could have gotten my out-of-pocket costs down to 75 cents with a little obstinacy) Return on investment: $500 cash; a heaping serving of Revenge, The Dish Best Served Cold™; and one telemarketer who I am certain will never call me again

Coming Attractions!

July 23, 2003: I recently sued Jeeves Handyman Services, a chronic TCPA scofflaw based in the DC area. (If you live in Metro DC, you've probably gotten multiple prerecorded calls from them.) The complete saga -- including intriguing facts about Jeeves's corporate status and owner Sam Alameddine (aka Sam Almeddine, aka Sam Dean), its close ties to other annoying local telemarketers (Computer Geeks [run by Sam's gal pal Heddy Carr]; Help In Crisis International [a shady charity run by Mark/Mariusz and Iwona Grodecki, both of whom happen to work for Jeeves]), and an account of the successful outcome after a full trial -- will be posted here when I find time to write it up. Check back periodically. In the meantime, if you came here looking for feedback on whether to use Jeeves Handyman Service, have a look at this comment.

Collected Resources

The TCPA and Telemarketing in General

At least one outfit (based, amusingly enough, in Rockville, MD) has a website offering a $30 "how to" guide for bringing suit under the TCPA. Go ahead and squander your simoleons if you want, but I believe there's plenty of clear, informative advice available gratis. If you think you can't figure this stuff out by yourself and want to pay someone, then you ought to hire a real lawyer who – unlike the "how to" guide sellers – will be on the hook to render actual legal advice. (A list of TCPA-experienced attorneys across the U.S. is available here).
link to absurdly long URL at uscode.house.gov
link to long URL at the Government Printing Office

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/47/227.html
http://www.stopjunkcalls.com/227.htm
http://www.junkfaxes.org/47usc227.txt
Text of the TCPA from various sources
another link to a long URL at the GPO site
http://www.junkbusters.com/fcc.html#subpL
http://www.stopjunkcalls.com/64120.htm
Copies of the FCC regulations implementing the TCPA
link to long D.C. Code URL
The chapter of D.C. law dealing with telemarketing
http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs5-tmkt.htm
Detailed fact sheet from Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
http://ftp.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/tcpa.html

http://ftp.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/unwantedfaxes.html
http://www.fcc.gov/eb/tcd/tsol.html
http://www.fcc.gov/eb/tcd/ufax.html
FCC fact sheets on telemarketing and junk fax issues under the TCPA, plus lists of FCC citations for unsolicited pre-recorded calls and faxes. For good advice (not listed on the fact sheets) on how to report illegal pre-recorded calls, plus a sample letter, go to this page.
http://ftp.fcc.gov/cgb/policy/telemarketing.html
FCC collection of background documents on the rulemaking process for the TCPA regulations
http://docs.junkcalls.org
A treasure trove of hard-to-find materials, including helpful FCC opinion letters on the meaning of "willful" (for purposes of imposing treble damages); on the requirement to provide a written do-not-call policy to a requesting consumer (here and here); and on the applicability of the TCPA to intrastate calls.
http://www.epic.org/privacy/telemarketing
Extensive info from EPIC, with lots of links to other resources
http://www.junkbusters.com
Another exhaustive resource, which is slightly marred by some minor errors. For example, it says that the telemarketer has to violate the law twice in one year to be liable to you. That's correct as to violations of the "do-not-call" list and related regulations – for which you can sue under 47 U.S.C. § 227(c)(5) – but it's dead wrong on TCPA violations arising under subsection (b): thus, a single pre-recorded, unsolicited telemarketing call to your home is enough to incur liability under the separate right of action set forth at 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(3).


On the other hand, JunkBusters has a wonderful set of scripts to use when telemarketers call.
http://www.stopjunkcalls.com/script.htm
Clever scripts & suggestions for putting the screws on a telemarketer. A sample:
Listen carefully to how the telemarketer introduces himself. If he says that he is calling "for xyz company" or "on behalf of xyz company," then it is a sure bet you are talking to a telemarketing service (service bureau). Get friendly with the telemarketer. I say something like this: "John, you told me you were calling on behalf of Megabank Visa. I am involved in the telemarketing industry. Are you an employee of Megabank, or are you a third party service bureau?" Most will tell you the name of the bureau. This is valuable information. If you later decide to sue, contacting the service bureau and telling them that you are going to sue their client (Megabank Visa) may result in a settlement. After all, if you were a telemarketing company, would you want your client sued because one of your minimum wage telemarketers screwed up?
http://www.junkfaxes.org
http://www.junkfax.org/fax/basic_info/junk_fax_qa.htm
How to inflict pain and suffering on junk fax senders
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/donotcall/index.html
FTC site about the national do-not-call registry launched in mid-2003 (taking effect Oct. 1)
http://www.edcombs.com/CM/Actions/actions146.asp
http://www.jtexconsumerlaw.com/Telephone.pdf
Detailed legal discussions of various aspects of the TCPA
http://caeaudio.com/callsystem.html
Excellent technical discussion on automated & predictive dialers, and how they can be defeated. Sample SITs (Special Information Tones) like the one used by the TeleZapper device can be downloaded from here or here. Putting these tones at the start of your answering machine message may trick autodialers into taking your number off the telemarketer's call list.

Tips & Tools for Identifying Telemarketers

To sue a telemarketer (or send a pre-litigation demand letter), you first have to figure out who or where he is. Technically, all telemarketers are supposed to provide identifying information about themselves during the call, but if you've read this far then maybe you know that telemarketers don't always obey the law.

If a telemarketer leaves a message on your answering machine, you have 2 separate ways to run him to ground. First, there's the phone number he called from, which you may be able to obtain via Caller ID or *69. (Note that in 2004, the FTC's amended Telemarketing Sales Rule will require telemarketers to transmit their telephone number, and if possible, their name, to consumers' caller ID services.) Second, there will typically be a callback number, usually either local or toll-free.

Once you have a number, try running it through a few of the reverse-lookup services. For good measure – especially when investigating toll-free numbers – also run searches through Google and Google Groups. (The latter, a database of Usenet postings, may turn up Usenet spam from your telemarketer, or perhaps a "spam-sightings" report from a recipient of email spam containing the phone number.) And, of course, you can call the number to try to find out. Playing the role of a slightly dim, but interested, potential customer goes a long way here; you'll do better if you slowly cajole info out of the telemarketer ("I'd love to spend money on your wonderful product, but I like to know who I'm giving my credit card number to") than if you call up in a lather and start demanding info, which generally gets you an unceremonious hang-up. Tip: Unless you're calling to have yourself put on their DNC list (in which case you'll have to disclose your number), you should probably take steps to avoid revealing the number you're calling from. If you're calling a local or toll number, dial *67 first to block your number. Since number blocking does not work when you call a toll-free number, I recommend calling from a payphone; this has the extra benefit of costing the called party about 24 cents on top of their usual costs for the call.

If you can get a person or company name or address, you're good to go. At this stage, you can run forward phone directory lookups; more Google searches; searches on real property records; and even free searches on state corporations databases. (For corporate registration records, see this handy compilation or this one. Individual links for Maryland and Virginia appear below.) Keep in mind that to sue a corporation, you'll need its exact name (which may be different from the "trade name" it uses publicly) and, in most cases, the name of its agent for service of process (i.e., the person legally designated to accept legal papers such as a summons and complaint).

Also useful is the preliminary free info available from this Dun & Bradstreet search engine and the accompanying reverse lookup on U.S. business phone numbers. The latter seems to turn up info even when the usual reverse-lookup phone services and Google have nothing. (If you get an odd "session expired" message, click on the "search options" link.)

If the telemarketer call is on behalf of a tradesman (e.g., home repair contractor), you may also be able to dig up dirt on him or the business by checking for a state license via the links on this incredibly convenient collection of nationwide resources.
http://anywho.com/rl.html
http://www22.verizon.com/utilities/reverselookup
http://www.phonenumber.com/10006/reverse_phone.xhtml
Reverse phone lookup on U.S. businesses
Telephone number reverse-lookups
http://www.taxpayerservicecenter.com/RP_Search.jsp?search_type=Assessment
http://sdatcert3.resiusa.org/rp_rewrite/
http://ci.alexandria.va.us/city/reasearch/rea_search_by_address.pxe
http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/dta/re/propadd.asp
http://www.co.arlington.va.us/REAssessments/Scripts/DreaDefault.asp
Online real property databases for DC; Maryland; Alexandria, VA; Fairfax County, VA; and Arlington County, VA. Also potentially useful is this collection of links to databases for numerous jurisdictions across the U.S.
http://sdatcert3.resiusa.org/ucc-charter/CharterSearch_f.asp
http://www.state.va.us/scc/division/clk/diracc.htm
Searchable databases for Maryland and Virginia corporations/trade names/limited partnerships. (I strongly recommend reading the Virginia user documentation before querying their system; the interface is extremely quirky.) Alas, I know of no online source for DC corporate registrations.
http://antitele.home.texas.net/tools.html
Impressive collection of tips & tools for tracking down telemarketers; although the site is aimed at a Texas audience, some elements (such as this lengthy list of lawbreakers, where I found info on an Arizona outfit that phone-spammed me in DC) will be useful nationwide

D.C. Small Claims Court

http://www.dcbar.org/for_lawyers/courts/superior_court/civil_division/smclaimconcil.cfm
http://www.justiceonline.org/consum/small_claims.html
Useful guides to litigating in D.C. Small Claims Court
http://www.dcbar.org/for_lawyers/courts/superior_court/forms.cfm
More DC Superior Court forms than you can shake a stick at, even if you are very good at shaking sticks

Miscellaneous

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/dave_barry/6649728.htm
Dave Barry column about telemarketing "services"
http://www.dmnews.com/cgi-bin/artprevbot.cgi?article_id=24946
Telemarketers unhappy about unsolicited phone calls provoked by Dave Barry column
http://ataconnect.org/contact.htm
Contact info for the unhappy telemarketers in question, who have disconnected the number printed in Barry's column. As of 9/25/03, the alternate number (866) 500-4272 has been removed from the ATA website. However, it still works. Be sure to tell the ATA what you think of their First Amendment claims.

Great Big Disclaimer

I'm sure you're a nice person and all – unless you're a telemarketer/junk-faxer/spammer, in which case you should be horse-whipped, flayed, disemboweled, and roasted on a spit over an open fire, or possibly subjected to other gruesome telemarketer torments – but I'm not your lawyer and this page isn't legal advice. If you want legal advice, you need to pay someone for the privilege. Pointing your web browser at this site is not an especially good way to establish a confidential attorney-client relationship, if you get my drift.

Send comments, criticisms, adulation, or brickbats about this page – or vainglorious accounts of your own successful and remunerative efforts at putting the Big Legal Hurt on a telemarketer – to tcpa[at-sign]eckenwiler.org. If, on the other hand, you are a mindless email-address-scraping bot being run by a bottom-feeding spammer, please feast on this delicious page or this one instead.
For those of you who keep finding this page by searching Google for "how to be a telemarketer," "how to telemarket from home," or "successful telemarketing," welcome! I'm sure you'll find this page very educational. (Best search-engine-referred visit: 156     WWW     34290     2003:08:16:19:18:46     /htdocs/panixhome/userdirs/eck/telemarket.html     68.83.53.215     200     http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=how+do+you+make+out+with+a+guy&ei=UTF-8&fr=fp-top&vm=i&n=20&fl=0&x=wrt. Send me email, Miss Comcast User in Carlisle PA, and I'll explain.)
Here, in all its illiterate glory, is a piece of fanmail from a supposed telemarketer, Lst1sSoL@aol.com.

Thanks to Tony Whitledge and Mica Calfee for their helpful suggestions on improving this page.
Originally posted on April 19, 2003; last updated on May 30, 2005.
Copyright 2003 Mark Eckenwiler.
My new HTML coding technique is unspeakable


Here are some other ways of fucking with them.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Will Another Criminal Doctor Will Get A Slap On The Wrist?

Criminal Cardiologist Jose Katz

This criminal cock sucker has yet to be sentenced in spite of the fact that he has pleaded guilty several months ago to massive medical fraud that put patients in danger and medical billing fraud. This one is a no brainer. Life in prison and not at Club Fed but in a prison with hardened criminals who will beat the crap out of him on a daily basis.


http://www.fbi.gov/newark/press-releases/2013/prominent-tri-state-cardiologist-admits-record-19-million-billing-fraud-scheme-that-exposed-patients-to-unskilled-and-unnecessary-medical-treatment

Prominent Tri-State Cardiologist Admits Record $19 Million Billing Fraud Scheme That Exposed Patients to Unskilled and Unnecessary Medical Treatment

U.S. Attorney’s Office April 10, 2013
  • District of New Jersey (973) 645-2888
NEWARK, NJ—A well-known cardiologist and the founder, CEO, and sole owner of a pair of large medical services companies in New Jersey and New York admitted today to conspiring in a multi-million-dollar health care fraud scheme that subjected thousands of patients to unnecessary tests and potentially life-threatening, unneeded treatment, as well as treatment by unlicensed or untrained personnel. The guilty plea was announced today by U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Paul J. Fishman.

Jose Katz, 68, of Closter, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares in New Jersey federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of Social Security fraud arising from a separate scheme to give his wife a “no show” job and make her eligible for Social Security benefits.

As part of his plea agreement with the government, Katz agreed that the loss amount sustained by Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurers victimized by the fraudulent billings was $19 million. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and FBI records indicate the loss amount suffered by the victims is the largest recorded in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut for an individual practitioner convicted of health care fraud.

“After years of prominence in his field, Jose Katz will now be remembered for his record-setting fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Fishman. “Katz was so focused on illegal profits that he directed unlicensed and unqualified providers to treat his patients, ordered unnecessary tests, and cavalierly ordered treatments that could have caused patient harm. Ripping off the government and insurance companies is bad enough; risking patient health in the bargain is inexcusable.”

“Health care fraud is not a victimless crime. It is a plague on American society and could put the health of people who need medical care at risk,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford. “The FBI, together with its law enforcement and regulatory agency partners, will vigorously investigate these crimes and hold those responsible accountable.”

“I am proud to be part of the federal team that brought Dr. Katz to justice after a complicated investigation,” said Tom O’Donnell, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General’s New York Regional Office. Dr. Katz had very little regard for his patients and the Medicare program, as evidenced by his blatant behavior. Criminals can be assured that if they attempt to defraud Medicare and their patients, they will be brought to justice.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Katz was the founder, CEO, and sole equity-holder of Cardio-Med Services LLC (Cardio-Med) and Comprehensive Healthcare & Medical Services LLC (Comprehensive Healthcare). From 2004 through 2012, Cardio-Med had offices in Union City, Paterson, and West New York, New York, and Comprehensive Healthcare had offices in Manhattan and Queens, New York. Both Cardio-Med and Comprehensive Healthcare provided cardiology, internal medicine, and other medical services to individual patients. During that time period, Katz conspired to bill Medicare Part B, Medicaid, Empire BCBS, Aetna, and others for unnecessary tests and unnecessary procedures based on false diagnoses and for medical services rendered by unlicensed practitioners.

Between July 2006 and February 2009, Katz spent more than $6 million for advertising on Spanish-language television and radio stations. The ads attracted hundreds of patients to Cardio-Med and Comprehensive Healthcare every day. Overall, Katz was able to bill Medicare and Medicaid more than $70 million for his services from 2005 through 2012.

Over the course of the conspiracy, Katz ordered and performed essentially the same battery of diagnostic tests for nearly all the patients he treated, regardless of their symptoms. Katz also instructed his non-physician employees to order and perform diagnostic tests for patients of other doctors working at his offices, even though he had not examined those patients and the other physicians had not ordered the unnecessary tests.

Most significantly, Katz admitted that he falsified patient charts with fictitious and boilerplate symptoms and falsely diagnosed a majority of his Medicare and Medicaid patients with coronary artery disease and debilitating and inoperable angina. He also admitted to making the diagnoses to justify prescribing and administering an unnecessary treatment for those patients called enhanced external counter pulsation, or EECP. Katz even prescribed EECP treatments for some patients with contraindications for the treatment, therefore subjecting those patients to a substantial risk of serious injury or death.

From 2005 through 2012, Medicare and Medicaid paid Katz more than $15.6 million just for his EECP treatments, most of which were fraudulent.

In addition, Katz ordered conspirator Mario Roncal, 62, of Woodland Park, New Jersey—who had a medical degree from San Juan Bautista School of Medicine in San Juan, Puerto Rico but did not have a license to practice medicine in any of the 50 states—to treat patients, knowing he was not licensed. At Katz’s direction, Roncal held himself out to fellow employees and to patients as “Dr. Roncal,” examined new patients as well as Katz’s follow-up patients, ordered diagnostic tests, diagnosed patients with medical conditions and diseases, and recommended and prescribed courses of treatment and surgery—including falsely diagnosing patients with angina and prescribing EECP treatments for those patients.

To conceal this illegal and unlicensed practice of medicine, Roncal forged Katz’s signature on paperwork associated with Roncal’s unlawful medical services, including on patient charts. During the conspiracy, Katz used his own billing numbers to bill Medicare Part B and Medicaid for the illegal services Roncal provided as though they were provided by Katz.
Roncal was indicted on March 2, 2012, for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He entered a guilty plea on January 4, 2013, and awaits sentencing.

Katz also admitted to a Social Security fraud scheme in which, from 2005 through 2012, he kept his wife on Cardio-Med’s payroll though she performed little or no work. During the course of the scheme, Katz sent false W-2 forms for calendar years 2005 through 2011 to the U.S. Social Security Administration purportedly reflecting $1,251,604 in earnings for his wife, making her eligible for an estimated $263,000 in Social Security benefits to which she was not entitled.

The health care fraud conspiracy and fraud counts with which Katz is charged carry a maximum potential penalty of 10 and five years in prison, respectively. Each count also carries a maximum $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. At sentencing, currently scheduled before Judge Linares on July 23, 2013, Katz will also be ordered to pay restitution to victims of his offenses. Katz was granted $200,000 bail pending sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge O’Donnell; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Maria Kelokates; the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Ryan; IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Shantelle P. Kitchen; and criminal and civil investigators with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott B. McBride of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark.

Read more about criminal doctor Jose Katz.

Are you thinking that massive medical billing fraud and patient abuse is rare? Think again!

July 30, 2013
Brooklyn Clinic Employee Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison in Connection with $77 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeYuri Khandrius, 50, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was sentenced today to eight years in prison for his role in a $77 million Medicare fraud scheme.
July 17, 2013

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Charges against Eight Individuals in Connection with $2.3 Million Bribery and Kickback Scheme to Secure Business from a Medical Cost-Management CompanyPreet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Thomas O'Donnell, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Steven G. Hughes, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Secret Service today announced charges against eight individuals for their alleged involvement in a lucrative scheme in which information technology vendors paid over $2.3 million in bribes and kickbacks to secure business from executives of a Manhattan-based medical cost management company.
July 17, 2013

Rx Trafficking Ring Controlled Brooklyn Medical Practices: Nearly $3.4 Million in Pills Diverted
Manhattan, NY -  Brian R. Crowell, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, Bridget G. Brennan, New York City's Special Narcotics Prosecutor, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, Tom F. O'Donnell, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General New York Region (HHS-OIG), and New York State Commissioner of Health Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H., announced today the indictment and arrest of five members of a prescription drug trafficking ring that illegally collected and distributed over $3.4 million in oxycodone and other prescription drugs through medical offices they controlled in Brooklyn.
July 16, 2013

Brooklyn Money Launderer Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison in Connection with $77 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
Earlier today, Anatoly Kraiter, 35, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for his role as a money launderer for a $77 million Medicare fraud scheme.  In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon of the Eastern District of New York sentenced Kraiter to three years of supervised release and ordered him to forfeit $100,000.  Kraiter's surrender date is September 16, 2013.
July 11, 2013

Former Chief Executive Officer Of Hospital For Special Surgery Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court To Fraudulent Kickback Scheme
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOHN R. REYNOLDS, the former Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") of the Hospital for Special Surgery (the "Hospital"), pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to participating in a fraudulent scheme in which he was paid nearly $300,000 in undisclosed kickbacks from a subordinate Hospital employee. REYNOLDS, who was arrested in September 2012, also pled guilty to making false statements to a law enforcement agent. U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman presided over today's plea proceeding.
June 19, 2013

NYC Pharmacy And Clinic-Based Criminal Enterprise Charged With $16 Million Theft And Fraud Perpetrated On Medicaid
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the indictment of six individuals and three corporations in a $16 million, multi-year scheme to steal from Medicaid. The scam targeted vulnerable HIV patients, mainly in the Bronx, putting their lives in jeopardy by paying them not to fill their HIV prescriptions and then billing Medicaid for those unfilled prescriptions.
June 13, 2013

Eighth Person Charged in Illegal Drug Scheme
A former New Britain resident was arrested today and charged with scheming with a former doctor to obtain prescription drugs that were paid for by a government health program and then sold illegally on the streets.
June 12, 2013

A.G. Schneiderman Recovers $2.5 Million In Nursing Home Medicaid Kickback Scheme
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a settlement with the estate of a late Bronx nursing home owner who was previously indicted on charges of paying thousands of dollars in kickbacks to a hospital social worker to steer patients to Kingsbridge Heights Rehabilitation and Care Center, Inc. The agreement with the estate of Helen Sieger returns more than $2.5 million to the New York State Medicaid program.
April 23, 2013

Prominent Tri-State Cardiologist Admits Record $19 Million Billing Fraud Scheme
Jose Katz plead guilty to fraud that subjected thousands of patients to unnecessary tests and treatment by unlicensed or untrained personnel.
April 12, 2013
Participant in $100 Million Medicare Fraud Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 135 Months in PrisonHerayer Baghoumian was sentenced to 135 months in prison for his role in a $100 million massive Medicare fraud scheme.
April 10, 2013
Long Island Health Care Provider Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for $10 Million Medicare Fraud and HIPAA Identity TheftHelene Michel was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and HIPAA identity theft crimes. Michel was ordered to forfeit $1.3 million that was seized by the government at the time of her indictment.
April 8, 2013
Brooklyn Doctor Convicted in $77 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeGustave Drivas, a medical doctor licensed in the State of New York, knowingly authorized his co-conspirators at a medical clinic in Brooklyn, New York, to use his Medicare billing number to charge Medicare for more than $20 million in medical procedures and services that were never performed. In return he received more than $500,000 for his role in the scheme.
March 5, 2013

Park Avenue Medical Associates Sued For Medicare Billing Fraud
The United States has filed a lawsuit against Park Avenue Medical Associates (PAMA) and Park Avenue Medical Associates, P.C. (PAMA PC), and related entities for thousands of claims that were not eligible for payment, resulting in over $1 million in damages.
February 25, 2013

Manhattan Doctor Pleads Guilty To $8.5 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
Dr. Roberto Aymat and others billed Medicare for medications that were never administered or that were administered but were medically unnecessary.
February 25, 2013

Doctor Charged with Overcharging Medicaid and Medicare Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars
Dr. Naveed Ahmad is charged with billing Medicaid for more than $455,000 in unnecessary procedures and prescriptions and Medicare more than $10,000 in unnecessary procedures and proscriptions.
February 8, 2013

Leader Of Armenian Organized Crime Ring Sentenced To 37 Months In Prison For $100 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
ARMEN KAZARIAN pled guilty in July of 2011 to racketeering conspiracy for the operation of a $100 million dollar Medicare fraud billing ring.
February 7, 2013
 
Hospital Admits Filing Duplicative Claims and Claims for Non-Reimbursable Costs and Agrees to Pay $2.325 Million
St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Continuum Health Partners, Inc., And SLR Psychiatric Associates improperly billed Medicare and Medicaid for out-patient services provided at its mental health clinics
Here's the kicker the above represents only the fraudsters that got caught, only the fraudters in NYC, and  only since February. 

Here's another kicker. The New York State Attorney General is a no bullshit tough son of a bitch so imagine all the fraud that never gets caught in New York State where they crack down on it and in other states like Florida where all the politicians are criminals. Theft through medical fraud probably steals more money from Americans than the banksters could ever imagine in their wildest dreams.

Do you know what would happen to these arch criminals is China? They'd be executed.

How Obesity Stimulates the Economy

Last year, Reuters reported that the annual medical costs of obesity were double earlier estimates, clocking in at $190 billion for the U.S. And the Mayo Clinic found that obese workers cost employers exponentially more as their weights go up: For those between a BMI of 30 and 35, each person uses up $1,850 more per year in medical costs, while those with a BMI of 35 to 40 cost an additional $3,086. For those with a BMI of 40 and above, the annual added cost is $5,530, according to the estimates.

 As you can plainly see if everyone was a thinling the medical industry would be a shadow of what it is today. Thankfully patriotic American gluttons are keeping members of the medical industry rich and as any true Republican knows, the rich know what's best for us.

Monday, August 19, 2013

US Drops to Number 2: Mexico Is Now Officially the World's Fattest Country

Fat Mexican Guy Celebrating Mexico's Number One Rank As The World's Fattest Country
 We're number two! We're number two! We're number two!  We're number two!

It's not as bad as it sounds. The US held the honor for a very long time but now the data is saying that Mexico is the world's fattest country but that could be decieving. Here's how I got there.

Diet? We don't need no stinking diet!
The population of Mexico is 112 million and it would be much higher if the Mexicans stayed in Mexico but as we know millions have left Mexico to come to the US. The Mexicans who come to this country are hard working and ambitious people and it's a no brainer that hardworking and ambitious are non fatlings. As a result the thinling population of Mexico decreases and the thinling population of America increases. This skews the numbers in both countries.

When I, Fat Bastard, first read the number I was disheartened to say the least but when I thought about it and talked to the Chef he talked me down and pointed out how immigration has skewed the numbers so while technically Mexico is the fattest country on earth, the numbers are in a sense artificial. Still, we are officially number two but there is a way to regain our prestegious number one position. EAT and EAT like you mean it!