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Critical Essay by David Streitfield
SOURCE: "McGuane Mellows," in Washington Post Book World, Vol. XXII, No. 43, October 25, 1992, p. 15.
In the following essay, Streitfield discusses McGuane's current lifestyle on his Montana ranch with his wife and children, contrasting it with his long-time reputation as a drinker and womanizer.
Sometime in the past couple of years, Tom McGuane completed the transition from aging Bad Boy to youngish Grand Old Man. You can chart the transition by looking, first, at the back of his old 1978 novel, Panama: It's a photo of McGuane at the tiller of a boat, long hair askew, hunting for something, looking manic. Then examine the back of his latest, Nothing But Blue Skies. There the 52-year-old author is at rest, head propped on his arm. It's a portrait of a mature rancher in his Sunday best.
Panama was, as it happens, a key book for McGuane, the end of his early period. He had written three other novels by then—The Sporting Club, The Bushwhacked Piano and Ninety-Two in the Shade—three hat tricks that won him considerable fame in the early '70s.
The celebrity culture in this country was then still in its infancy, which was a good thing: A little more attention and McGuane might have been destroyed as a writer. As it was, his exploits with various women—actresses Elizabeth Ashley and Margot Kidder, for two—and taste for hijinks made for sensational copy.
"I had vivid good times then, and still do in other ways. But I'm not as newsworthy," says the writer. The reality never quite matched the reputation anyway. "I got a lot of work done then I was writing all day everyday as I've been doing since I was a teenager.
"I had a spell of really being out in the streets, but I thought I noticed everybody else was out there, too," says McGuane. "I've never been that bold differentiating myself from the quotidian. It was just what everybody was doing, everyone I knew. Admittedly, I wasn't in Cleveland…. There was this thing called 'hanging out.' People don't really do that anymore, but then it was an official activity."
McGuane long ago got tired of talking about his past. For a while, it seemed all anyone wanted to know about. "I've been married to my wife for 16 years, and no one ever asks about her," he comments. "They want to pry about my eẋwife [Kidder], women I used to go out with. My poor old wife is never even inquired about."
So how is Laurie, anyway?
"She's fine."
Middle-period McGuane—four novels published over the last decade—takes place in the state he's been living in for the last two decades, Montana. "This has been a good milieu to a point," he says. "Sometimes I wish we had greater diversity of people where I live. Everyone's so laconic up there. When you get out, it seems pretty exciting because people are so wound up."
Why are they so quiet?
"They don't have conversational skills. It's not a valued thing. In fact, they're very suspicious of people who talk much. That's a problem for people who go out West from town to town with some new plan. The locals see some yammering guy from the East Coast and they're immediately suspicious."
Which must mean they're suspicious of writers, too.
"Yeah. They certainly don't think it's a real job. I'm always making excuses."
Montana, like most everywhere in the West, is the scene of a fair amount of environmental combat these days. McGuane has joined the fray, both in fiction (a key character in Nothing But Blue Skies wants to prevent all the rivers from leaving the state) and in real life. He's a member of the board of American Rivers, a D.C.-based organization dedicated to the wild and scenic rivers system as well as urban rivers, and to the preservation of riverine species.
"Aquatic species are crashing at much deeper rate than nonaquatic species. Rivers are really collecting all the bad things we're doing and intensifying them. It seems to be a real good place to focus on environmental issues. Plus, I'm just a river lover."
Nothing But Blue Skies is less, however, about the environment than an older war—the one between the sexes. The hero is a familiar McGuane type, a guy who can't co-exist with women and won't live without them.
"I don't think this relationship has ever been stable," McGuane says. "Certainly not in my experience, or my parents' or my aunts' or uncles'. It's always very charged. There are so few complacent relationships between lovers on any level—and if there were, they'd be inappropriate for fiction. Fiction is not about stability."
McGuane notes that "I have friends whose love lives are excruciatingly entropic. They're like people that have a vintage Jaguar that never really runs—it's a pretty idea, but you can't get to the store in it. They're always trying to fix these relationships, or being counseled, or trying separation, or trying a vacation. There doesn't seem to be any yield without a tremendous amount of energy input."
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Civilian social work: serving the military and veteran populations.
Although U.S. military operations in the Middle East began in October 2001, clear leadership has not emerged for civilian social workers regarding their role in supporting the needs of returning service members, veterans, and their families. NASW's (2003) Peace and Social Justice policy statement includes a call to "continue using qualified professional social workers to serve the armed forces and military dependents to ensure that a high priority is given to human values and social welfare needs in those settings" (pp. 268-269). Nevertheless, the social work literature provides little practical guidance to civilian social workers on how best to serve the military and veteran populations. Social work organizations have failed to emphasize or disseminate information and tools to aid social workers in assisting a population in need of social work services. Finally, universities preparing social workers have done little to integrate content on this special population into the social work curriculum. Given that our country has been at war for nearly eight years, the deficit in guidance and paucity of research promulgated by the social work profession is alarming. As practitioners bound by a set of core principles emphasizing service, social justice, and competence, social workers must acknowledge the factors affecting the health and well-being of military and veteran families and integrate this knowledge into practice. This article describes some of the current challenges facing military and veteran clients and their families, highlighting opportunities for civilian social workers to address these challenges.
Since September 11,2001, more than 1.5 million troops have been deployed in support of the OEF and OIE Of those deployed, a large percentage has served multiple tours of duty, with some service members experiencing as many as five deployments (American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Military Deployment Services for Youth, Families and Service Members [APA], 2007, p. 9).
The reserve components of the U.S. military have played an integral role in deployed operations, and they continue to be called on to augment the fighting forces (Alvarez, 2007). In 1973, the Department of Defense (DoD), which had previously relied on an active duty force, embraced a "total force" policy, demanding reliance on and mobilization of six military reserve components (Reserve Forces Policy Board, 2004).The total force policy signified a departure from the traditional military structure in which almost all military families resided on or near military installations. Instead, members were now broadly distributed throughout the United States, with significant numbers living and working in civilian communities (Knox & Price, 1999). As of 2005, there were approximately 2.5 million active duty and reserve component military personnel, with reservists and National Guard members representing roughly 45 percent of the DoD's total military force (DoD, 2006a).
The military has also become increasingly diverse. Over 25 percent of active duty personnel are members of an ethnic minority group. Women represent 16 percent of the total force and are represented in 90 percent of all military job categories (APA, 2007).
More than 160,000 female soldiers have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, as compared with 7,500 who served in Vietnam and the 41,000 who were dispatched to the gulf war in the early '90s. Today one of every 10 U.S. soldiers in Iraq is female. (Corbett, 2007)
Deployment describes a service member's time spent away from his or her home base in support of a military operation, and it involves three phases: predeployment, deployment, and postdeployment. From notification of an impending deployment to homecoming and reintegration, deployment entails physical, emotional, and mental distress in the form of physical and environmental stressors, high operating tempo, long work hours, and separation from family (Hosek, Kavanagh, & Miller, 2006). Because of overall decreases in military manpower following the end of the ColdWar, multiple deployments, decreased time between deployments, and extended deployments have become typical features of military deployment, which can cause increased stress on service members and their families (Hosek et al., 2006). Each phase of the deployment cycle is characterized by a collection of unique stressors for both the individual service member and the family system.
This is a time of preparation, during which the service member is engaged in mission training. Although family members may want to spend time with the service member, their expectations may be unrealistic in light of training demands. The anticipation of deployment may create anxiety and begin to disrupt family functioning.
While deployed, service members face the stress of a combat zone in addition to worries about the well-being of their families. Deployment requires the spouse at home to manage most family matters in addition to helping children to cope with the absence of the deployed parent and the threat of injury to or death of that parent.
Postdeployment, families must adapt to the change in family structure by renegotiating roles and responsibilities, which can be a complex and anxiety-provoking task. Injuries may exacerbate the complicated stressors that service members and their families experience. In addition to obvious physical injuries, the family must cope with those injuries that are less readily apparent, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), depression, or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Although various forms of counseling and behavioral health services are provided by military and veteran systems to service members to assist with the impact of deployment, services may not always be easily accessible. Whereas an active duty contingent typically returns to an area replete with support units, National Guards and Reservists are widely dispersed, often in areas without sufficient military infrastructure to support adequate reintegration. Often, the only military support facility available to reservists is the drill center, whose primary purpose is to provide logistical support for training and mobilization. In some cases, a reservist may not live in the state in which his or her unit drills. Consequently, continuity of services and ability to connect with others who have had similar experiences are compromised (DeAngelis, n.d.). Isolation is the enemy of healthy reintegration, and for many members of the National Guard and Reserves, the risk of isolation is considerable.
Military life is characterized by mobility and an emphasis on mission readiness. Service members are expected to be prepared to do their job at any time, in any location. Military families are charged with the difficult task of balancing military demands with family needs, a process that amplifies family stress when a service member is deployed to a dangerous area. In contrast to the civilian sector, the military, in the name of mission readiness, is highly involved in the personal lives of those who serve and is often concerned with intimate details, such as marital discord, substance use, and mental and physical health. These factors can be considered in determining a service member's fitness for duty.
The military provides programs and services specifically for service members and their families, and many of these are located on military installations. Although installation services may enhance connection to the military community, they may also promote isolation of military service members and their families, who may be unfamiliar with the resources in the surrounding civilian community. In some cases, service members may not access military support services because of fear of career consequences. For these members, the risk of isolation is even greater. Frequent relocation may also inhibit service members and their families from accessing community resources, developing civic commitment, or fostering social ties within the civilian community (Bedics & Doelker, 1986).
Among the unique factors affecting the military family's biopsychosocial functioning are long periods of separation, which may involve intermittent single parenting and reintegration challenges; service members' physical injuries or mental health problems; frequent relocation; financial strain; children's emotional and behavioral reactions to a deployed parent's absence, injury, or death; and possible limited access to resources, depending on the family's geographic location. A military family's ability to cope with these challenges will vary. In some cases, the challenges may lead to maladaptive responses, including domestic violence, child abuse or neglect, and children's social and academic decline.
Domestic Violence
In fiscal year 2005, there were almost 16,000 reports of spousal abuse made to the DoD Family Advocacy Program (FAP), which coordinates the military's response to family violence (DoD, 2006b). Military couples' relationships may be threatened by the effects of combat experiences, which pose challenges to family cohesion, expressiveness, intimacy, and relationship adjustment and may increase the risk of interpersonal violence (Jordan et al., 1992). In Taft et al.'s (2005) study of military veterans, PTSD was associated with partner violence for one-third of the study participants.
According to the U.S. Army, Battlemind is the "soldier's inner strength to face fear and adversity with courage" (Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 2006, p. 2), requiring targeted aggression and key skills such as discipline and cohesion. Although Battlemind is critical in a combat zone, inability to moderate aggression postdeployment may result in misplaced, inappropriate aggression and lead to family violence (Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 2006). Social workers should be familiar with the impact of Battlemind and military culture on families, and with the policies that govern the military's response to domestic violence.
In 2000, Congress established the Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence (DTFDV), which was charged with examining DoD'S response to domestic violence and providing recommendations for improvement. Implementation of the vast majority of DTFDV recommendations has improved victim services, offender accountability, and violence prevention efforts in the military. Civilian social workers who provide services to victims of domestic violence should be cognizant of the military's domestic violence policy changes and the opportunities to promote a coordinated community response to domestic violence (DoD, 2003).
Implementation of the DoD restricted reporting policy for incidents of domestic abuse, which provides victims of domestic abuse with confidential reporting options, was a key outcome of the DTFDV report. Whereas reporting domestic violence once automatically prompted command notification and a law enforcement investigation, victims now have the option to report abuse confidentially and obtain victim advocacy and safety planning services (DoD, 2007). Confidential reporting options represent a significant cultural change in the military environment, providing victims with the time to make a decision about whether they want to report abuse. Social workers should be familiar with the military's restricted reporting policy to be able to inform and more effectively serve victims who seek services or shelter in civilian agencies.
In addition to confidential reporting options, DoD also implemented several other significant domestic violence policy changes. Present DoD (2007) policy requires military law enforcement agencies to formally coordinate their response to domestic violence with civilian law enforcement agencies and legal authorities through memoranda of understanding (MOUs). Because many military families live in civilian communities, local law enforcement is often charged with responding to domestic violence calls, and the local district attorney's office is often involved in the prosecution of alleged abusers. In the absence of formal agreements that clarify jurisdictional responsibilities and matters of information sharing, the criminal and legal processes may become disjointed, and the involved parties may not be referred to appropriate resources. Social workers involved in the domestic violence practice area should be aware of any MOUs with the military that exist in their communities. Social workers can also capitalize on the coordinated community response movement by advocating for additional collaboration between military and civilian communities, such as MOUs that address the emergency shelter needs of military-affiliated victims of abuse.
Social workers working with victims of domestic violence who are affiliated with the military system should also be familiar with transitional compensation, which provides financial benefits to the families of service members who have been discharged for child abuse or domestic violence (DoD, 1995). It is important to note that the service member abuser's separation documents must indicate "child abuse" or "domestic violence" as a reason for separation for family members to receive this benefit.
Child Abuse and Neglect
Deployment of a service member can lead to increased parenting stress and, in some cases, compromise parents' ability to appropriately care for their children. Gibbs, Martin, Kupper, and Johnson (2007) found that the overall rate of child maltreatment by Army wives during their husbands' deployments was more than three times the rate of child maltreatment by wives while their husbands were not deployed. The elevated rate of child maltreatment during times of deployment was particularly pronounced for child neglect. This research represents the first national study of child maltreatment perpetrated by the wives of soldiers during the soldiers' deployment, and it highlights the specific effect of deployment on the civilian spouses and children of deployed soldiers.
Although all suspected cases of child maltreatment require a report to Child Protective Services (CPS), military installations also use FAP to prevent child abuse and respond to allegations of child abuse in military families. Whereas CPS has jurisdiction over the civilian investigation of cases and custody decisions, FAP remains involved with families suspected of abuse and works with military leadership to address the intervention needs of families. Military commanders have jurisdiction over service members and may impose their own treatment requirements and disciplinary actions. If FAP and CPS disagree about the severity of a case, the military community can use its own strategies to respond to suspected maltreatment. If, for example, CPS does not remove a child from the home but FAP has assessed the case as high risk, military leadership can force separation by removing an alleged service member abuser from the home. In addition, FAP provides primary and secondary prevention programs and treatment to victims and abusers, resources that may be used by and integrated into the civilian infrastructure.
Several opportunities for military--civilian collaboration exist within the area of child abuse. Child welfare social workers should seek collaborative relationships with local military FAPs, which have valuable information about military families that may better inform child welfare decisions. CPS social workers should also understand and capitalize on the resources available to FAP on military installations. In particular, CPS workers should be familiar with the role of command and its authority over service members. Finally, collaboration in the review of child abuse-related fatalities can enhance prevention and intervention efforts.
Children's Mental Health
There are approximately 1.2 million dependent children associated with the active duty force and 700,000 associated with the National Guard and Reserve forces (APA, 2007). In addition to the risk of child abuse and neglect, the military lifestyle may also lead to other challenges for children, including behavioral and academic problems, stress from potential relocation as often as every three years, anxiety related to the deployment cycle, and problems coping with a parent's death or combat-related injuries. Each phase of the deployment cycle has a specific effect on children's emotional state, and children's responses may vary by age and developmental stage (APA, 2007). Civilian social workers should understand the constellation of factors affecting the mental health of children of military families and be prepared to address the effects of these factors in a variety of settings. In addition, there are a number of resources available to children of military families, and these may be accessed by civilian social workers serving these children.
School Social Work
Civilian school social workers, in particular, play a vital role in addressing the needs of military children, for approximately 80 percent of the children of active duty service members are educated in civilian schools. The unique stressors facing children in military families can significantly affect academic performance and social functioning (National Military Family Association, 2006). Relocation and school transition require rapid adjustment to new environments, routines, curriculums, teachers, and friends. In some cases, differences in academic requirements may cause military children to be retained in the same grade (Strobino & Salvaterra, 2000). The deployment cycle may further stress children, who may experience fear and adjustment issues because of the prolonged absence of a parent, especially when deployment is to a combat zone.
Civilian school social workers, who interface between students' school and family lives, can improve the experience of military children by recognizing the unique challenges these children face while helping to strengthen their sense of connection to the school. Social workers are in a unique position to establish or make available resources in the school and community that will facilitate adjustment without academic detriment and to educate school personnel about the issues military children face (Strobino & Salvaterra, 2000). Social workers can also capitalize on the expertise of military school liaison officers, who are charged with reducing the impact of the mobile military lifestyle on children and providing support services to military families to facilitate transitions. Military school liaison officers are available at military installations throughout the United States.
The DoD reports that over 25,000 service members have been injured in combat since the onsets of OEF and OIF (DoD, Statistical Information Analysis Division, 2007). When nonhostile injuries (that is, vehicular and in-country training accidents) are included, this number more than doubles to nearly 53,000 (Gamboa, 2007). Many of these injuries would have been fatal in earlier combat situations, but contemporary helmets and body armor, advances in battlefield medicine, and swift evacuations to hospitals have prevented death. The 98 percent survival rate among service members injured in Iraq is higher than that in any previous war (Kilbride, 2007).This progress, however, means that more service members return home with grave injuries that transform their lives: damaged brains and spinal cords, vision and hearing loss, disfigured faces, amputated limbs, and psychological problems such as depression and PTSD. These injuries often require comprehensive inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services, and the steady support of medical and social service professionals throughout each step of the recovery process is critical.
Since 2004, the U.S. Government Accountability Office has issued numerous reports documenting the conditions facing OEF and OIF service members and veterans. This work has shown that service members injured in combat face "an array of significant medical and financial challenges as they begin their recovery process in the health care systems of DoD and the [VA]" (Bascetta, 2007). The media coverage of conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center revealed that service members are experiencing a host of health care challenges when they return from war: The medical disability rating process does not meet the needs of injured service members and veterans, case management throughout the DoD and VA is uncoordinated and understaffed, and access to benefits is often hindered by bureaucratic and lengthy claims processes (Priest & Hull, 2007a, 2007b, 2007c; Span, 2007). Although the survival rate of this war represents advances in military medicine, medical and social service systems are saturated and struggling to meet the needs of the injured population.
Movement from the point of battlefield injury (whether physical, psychological, or a combination of the two) through levels of care abroad and within the United States is a "complex process involving the interplay of personal endurance, military and medical leadership, technology and communications and networks of civilian and military caregivers, supporters, and communities" (Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, n.d.-a). In December 2003, the Secretary of the Army approved a plan to expand medical services for National Guard and Reserve personnel to their communities. Known as Community Based Health Care Organizations (CBHCOs), the goal of this initiative is to expedite the return of service members while leveraging medical capacity within soldiers' communities. There are currently eight regional CBHCOs operating throughout the United States, providing case management to over 3,300 service members (Baker, 2007). Approximately 50 percent of service members receive care through local military and VA treatment facilities, whereas the other 50 percent receive care through military health system (TRICARE) network providers. During a service member's recovery within a CBHCO, active duty registered nurses remotely manage his or her medical care in conjunction with medical providers and social workers.
Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are largely responsible for the signature injury of the Iraq war: TBI. In 2005, the DoD reported that approximately 65 percent of OEF and OIF service members wounded in action sustained injuries from blasts and fragments from IEDs, land mines, and other explosive devices (Bascetta, 2007). "For the first time, the U.S. military is treating more head injuries than chest or abdominal wounds" (Glasser, 2007, p. B1). Approximately 28 percent of troops medically evacuated from combat are sustaining TBIs (McIntire Peters, 2007). Moreover, "88 percent of patients who sustained traumatic brain injuries did not have penetrating head wounds, meaning their injuries were not always apparent to others or even to themselves" (McIntire Peters, 2007, p. 30). The complexity of treating brain-injured troops is taxing an already overburdened military and veteran health care system, and the cost of these injuries to society is staggering. Bilmes and Stiglitz (cited in McIntire Peters, 2007) have estimated the cost of treatment for brain injury at $14 billion if U.S. troops are withdrawn from Iraq by 2010.
Military and VA health care providers are learning that significant neurological injuries should be suspected in any troops exposed to a blast, regardless of their proximity. As soldiers who walk away from IED blasts discover, they often suffer from "memory loss, short attention spans, muddled reasoning, headaches, confusion, anxiety, depression, and irritability" (Glasser, 2007, p. B5). Significant behavior and personality changes resulting from TBI also have a significant impact on family members and caretakers. A study of returning veterans with TBI found that families of service members need more support than they are receiving (VA, Office of Inspector General, 2006). As a result of TBI, symptoms of aggression, irritability, and emotional instability also frequently contribute to family turmoil, which may interfere with therapy and recovery. Although families assisting in the recovery of a wounded service member are likely to deny their own needs, it is essential to acknowledge and address these less visible wounds. A strong, healthy support system, reinforced by the community, creates an environment that is conducive to healing and effective reintegration (Cantrell & Dean, 2005). Civilian social workers must be aware of the military experiences of their clients to appropriately consider the impact of these experiences on biopsychosocial functioning.
Although physical injuries may be easily identified for treatment, mental and emotional damage is often invisible until it manifests in an associated behavior. However, the stigma associated with mental health treatment is a deterrent to military members seeking care. Regrettably, a landmark study published in the New England. Journal of Medicine demonstrated that fear of being stigmatized was "disproportionately greatest among those most in need of help from mental health services" (Hoge et al., 2004, p. 20). Subsequently, the Army has become more aggressive in its attempts to destigmatize treatment and make it more accessible to soldiers (Army Mental Health Advisory Team, 2005). The other military services have also taken steps to ensure that service members perceive feasible options for addressing the strain of combat and other deployment pressures. Although progress has been made, Medicare and TRICARE actually reduced provider reimbursement rates in April 2007, which may force mental health providers to discontinue care for individuals with Medicare or TRICARE benefits, further limiting access to care for a population in critical need of services (Norman, 2007).
When mental health issues are not addressed, the results may be deadly. In December 2006, the Army released the results of the Mental Health Advisory Team III Report (MHAT III). The MHAT III examined the behavioral health care requirements of the then most current deployment of soldiers (2004-2006). Of note in this report was the suicide rate, which showed a moderate increase to 19.9 per 1,000,000 from 18.8 per 1,000,000. The leading suicide risk factors were problems with relationships at home and in combat, followed by legal actions, issues with fellow soldiers and commanders, and dissatisfaction with duties (Army Mental Health Advisory Team, 2005). The latest suicide prevention effort deemed "safe" by service members is a Web-based program that allows them to ask questions regarding mental health anonymously (Berton, 2007).
Of the 103,788 OEF and OIF veterans seen at VA health facilities for the first time following their service in Iraq, approximately 25 percent received a mental health diagnosis, and more than half of those were dually diagnosed. The percentage increased to 31 percent when psychosocial diagnoses were included in the sample. The diagnosis most prevalent in the VA cohort was PTSD, which accounted for more than half of the diagnoses (Seal, Bertenthal, Miner, Saunak, & Marmar, 2007). The connection of military conflict with mental health issues has been extensively researched since the Vietnam conflict, and connections have been made between exposure to combat and an increased risk of "PTSD, major depression, substance abuse, functional impairment in social and employment settings and the increased use of healthcare services" (Hoge, Auchterlonie, & Milliken, 2006, p. 1023). Without treatment and support, PTSD-related stress may lead to divorce, substance abuse, family violence, unemployment, behavioral problems in children, and other related issues that can have a lasting, detrimental effect on family life and society.
Findings suggest that women who have suffered military sexual trauma (MST) are at an even greater risk of developing PTSD (Street & Stafford, 2004; Yaeger, Himmelfarb, Cammack, & Mintz, 2006), major depressive disorder, and increased substance use (Street & Stafford, 2004). Wartime stress has been associated with increases in sexual harassment and assault rates (Street & Stafford, 2004), and a 2003 DoD report examining women seeking care through the VA indicated that one-third of the female veterans had experienced rape or attempted rape during their time in service (Corbett, 2007). Although MST is more prevalent among women, men have also reported rape and attempted rape (Street & Stafford, 2004). The Iraq War Clinician Guide suggested that social workers include specific questions related to MST on assessments to ensure appropriate identification and treatment (Street & Stafford, 2004).
When providing services to those who have deployed to combat zones, it is important to look for signs of distress, such as "nightmares or other forms of sleep disorder; hypervigilance, jitteriness or overexcitement; and avoidance or social withdrawal" (Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, n.d.-a). Traumatic events that contribute to the development of PTSD include sexual trauma, seeing dead bodies, being injured, killing others, seeing others killed, and having friends killed (Hoge et al., 2004). Comprehensive assessments of clients, both men and women, should include questions regarding military service and trauma prior to military service.
Healthy reintegration can be a daunting task, and some veterans succumb to the stressors of their military experience. When service members come home, many face significant financial, professional, and personal hurdles .These returning service members, many already low income by virtue of their modest military pay, are at risk of poverty and homelessness. A percentage of these individuals may be found in jails, shelters, and treatment programs across the nation.
Although the data available on incarcerated veterans predate OEF and OIF, they do provide insight into the risk of incarceration for returning service members from OEF and OIF conflicts. Approximately 20 percent of veterans in prison or jail have reported seeing combat duty. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) (2000) reported that veterans incarcerated in federal prisons (13.2 percent) are more than twice as likely as nonveteran federal prisoners (6.4 percent) to report mental illness problems. Veterans are also more likely than nonveterans to report traits of alcohol abuse and dependence. The crimes committed by veterans that led to their incarceration were more violent in nature, overall, than those committed by nonveterans. About 35 percent of the veterans in state prison were convicted of homicide or sexual assault, compared with 20 percent of nonveteran offenders. Veterans (30 percent) were more likely to be first-time offenders than were nonmilitary offenders (23 percent), suggesting the possibility of combat-related triggers as a factor contributing to criminal activity (BJS, 2000).
Substance Abuse
The stigma that inhibits treatment-seeking behavior may lead some veterans to attempt to cope independently with their fears and trauma (Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, n.d.-b). In the absence of treatment, drugs and alcohol may provide respite from the nightmares and flashbacks that are vivid reminders of the horrors of combat. However, although drugs and alcohol may temporarily distract some veterans from frightening memories, substance abuse can exacerbate the severity of a mental health condition or lead to other consequences, such as financial and legal problems. For those still on active duty, the process of "self-medicating" and resulting instances of misconduct (for example, driving under the influence) can have disastrous effects. The impact of substance abuse has been cited as a possible factor in the less than honorable discharges of 1,019 combat Marines from active duty since the Iraq War began (Zoroya, 2006). It is important to note that military discharges due to misconduct render service members ineligible for medical and other VA benefits. When working with individuals discharged under these circumstances, social workers will need to draw on local resources to provide services.
Although veterans make up 12.6 percent of the U.S. population, they make up 18.7 percent of the homeless population, 33 percent of which served in a war zone (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development, 2007). The risk of homelessness is two to four times greater for female veterans than it is for nonveteran females (Gamache, Rosenheck, & Tessler, 2003). The VA has reported that 45 percent of homeless veterans suffer from mental illness, and 70 percent of the homeless veteran population wrestles with substance abuse problems (VA, n.d.).With the extended duration of OEF and OIF and the prevalence of reported mental health concerns, the veteran homeless population will likely continue to grow. The VA currently estimates that almost 200,000 veterans are homeless nightly, and approximately 400,000 will be homeless at some point during the course of a year. In addition to mental illness and substance abuse, lack of affordable housing, lack of livable income, lack of access to health care, war injuries, unemployment, and breakdown of family and social support also contribute to homelessness (Stewart, 2004; VA, n.d.). Proactive programs that identify individuals and their families who may be at risk may help to arrest the rising rate of homelessness among veterans. Collaborative programs between the VA and local providers can help to expand the range of services available to this population. It is likely that civilian social workers will encounter homeless individuals who have a military background, which will necessitate an understanding of the experiences that contribute to their homelessness and the resources available to such individuals from both military and civilian systems.
Although the vast majority of service members are able to meet their financial obligations, 10.2 percent of the total enlisted force receives some form of government assistance, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2000). Deployment demands special financial considerations, such as the stateside spouse's assumption of responsibility for financial management, including banking, bill paying, and tax preparation, tasks with which the spouse may be uncomfortable or ill-prepared to manage. Furthermore, military families are often targeted by payday lenders. There is evidence to suggest that these lenders select locations with high concentrations of military personnel, clustering near military bases. Predatory lenders trap borrowers in a cycle of debt by charging exorbitant fees; annual interest rates can be 400 percent or higher. Predatory lending results in $80 million in abusive fees to military families each year (Tanik, 2005). Although a 2007 federal regulation prohibits payday loans and car title loans to service members and limits the amount of interest that may be charged to military borrowers, the financial strains on military families remains a challenge. It is important that social workers understand this regulation and connect families with financial counseling and budgeting assistance prior to and during deployment to help prevent financial hardship and undue stress.
The accounting systems for the National Guard and Reserve forces are complicated and at times unable to track the duty status of injured members. Injured service members have been dropped from active duty rolls, resulting in a loss or gap in pay and benefits (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2007). In some families, deployment means a pay cut, because junior enlisted pay may fall well below a reservist's civilian pay (APA, 2007). For service members who own businesses, multiple deployments may result in loss of clients or inability to sustain the business.The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-353), a policy with which civilian social workers should be familiar, provides specific guidelines governing employment, reemployment, and retention for deployed reservists to prevent discrimination (see Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, n.d.).
Military members who struggle with multiple deployments and resulting mental health problems may be unable to maintain employment once they return from combat. They may become isolated, begin using alcohol and drugs, or have a difficult time finding meaning in a predeployment job. If the primary wage earner for a family is unable to work, financial strains become paramount. While the service member is seeking treatment, these families may need to apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, WIC, or Medicaid. Veterans should also explore programs provided by the VA and nonprofit agencies focused on assisting the transition to civilian life through vocational rehabilitation, job placement, and financial management assistance.
Civilian social workers in all practice areas should be aware of benefits and services available to military service members and their families and the regulations governing access to services. Both the military, through DoD's TRICARE insurance network, and the VA, through nationwide Vet Centers, have well-established systems in place to address health care and transition issues. In addition, numerous professional and charitable organizations provide specific benefits for veterans and their families that supplement those provided by the DoD and the VA.
Veterans Health Administration Directive 2002-049 delineates specific VA health care privileges for combat OIF and OEF veterans. "Many activated reserve and National Guard personnel lose routine access to military health care and assistance as soon as they leave active duty, and may require VA services immediately" (VA, Veterans Health Administration, 2002, p. 1). The window of opportunity to access these benefits is limited to two years from the date of discharge from the military. However, symptoms of some mental health conditions such as PTSD may not always present within the period of eligibility stipulated by the VA. Veterans may also be experiencing feelings of stigma, denial, or anger toward the military that will prevent them from seeking care from government agencies (Clay, 2006). When working with the veteran population, community providers must consider veteran eligibility requirements. The burden of responsibility falls on the veteran to apply for benefits, and many veterans may not be aware of the eligibility requirements or the implications of enrollment rules (for example, the need to enroll within a specific period).
A family focused on a wounded service member's recovery may neglect their financial well-being, which may be strained by injury-related expenses. However, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) may alleviate financial distress. Children are also eligible for benefits amounting to approximately 150 percent to 180 percent of the guardian's benefit (U.S. Social Security Administration, 2007). Military personnel are the only professionals eligible to receive SSDI benefits while still employed. Service members should submit claims as soon as possible to activate the benefit.
No single organization can meet all of the needs of service members and veterans. Community outreach programs, town hall meetings, and formal partnership agreements have prompted organizations such as DoD to emphasize the critical role of nonprofit agencies, veteran service organizations, and other nongovernmental organizations in providing assistance to military families and veterans.
In March 2006, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in partnership with Therapeutic Communities of America, hosted the National Behavioral Health Conference on Returning Veterans and Their Families in Washington, DC. The goal of the conference was to provide federal, state, and private-sector providers with information on and strategies for assisting veterans and their families with reintegration issues and evidence-based approaches to preventing and treating mental health disorders, substance abuse, suicide, and co-occurring disorders. Private-sector professionals were identified as playing a key role in the effort to address the needs of returning veterans, and conference proceedings placed significant emphasis on promoting awareness and increasing the participation of community mental health providers with regard to veterans' issues (Clay, 2006).
Heroes to Hometowns, a DoD-sponsored transition program, facilitates the reintegration of severely injured service members throughout the United States by establishing state and national networks that identify and coordinate resources before service members return to their local communities. Recently, Heroes to Hometowns established and identified charter committees for every state to mobilize local support in a more consistent manner. These charter members include the American Legion's State Adjutants, State Directors of Veterans' Affairs, and the National Guard Joint Force Headquarters' State Family Program Directors. Each charter member is
uniquely able to contribute to overall support with the ability to tap into their national, state, and local support systems to provide essential links to government, corporate and nonprofit resources at all levels and to garner the all important hometown support. (Heroes to Hometowns, n.d.)
It is insufficient to assume that the care of service members, veterans, and their families will be adequately provided for by military and governmental systems. This article highlights key opportunities for civilian social workers to engage with and better serve military and veteran clients within the context of some specific social work practice areas. In the name of social justice, it is imperative that civilian social workers recognize their role and responsibility to serve these clients. Civilian social workers should be prepared to provide direct services to service members, veterans, and their families, particularly in geographically isolated communities where military or VA services may not be accessible. Accordingly, we make three key recommendations for civilian social workers who seek to more competently serve service members, veterans, and their families.
A critical first step for civilian social workers is to obtain appropriate education and training about military culture, military and government systems of care, the issues currently affecting military and veteran populations, and appropriate policy and practice interventions. Although this article serves as an overview of the issues facing this special population, it only begins to address the knowledge base needed by civilian social workers. Civilian social workers must recognize and seek to understand the challenges facing military and veteran clients and the resources available to support them. Training may involve formal educational opportunities in which social workers learn, for example, how to treat the mental health consequences of combat operational stress, or it may entail informal efforts, such as meeting with one's military or government counterparts to better understand military systems of care. Schools of social work, in particular, must also recognize their responsibility in preparing the next generation of social workers to serve this population by addressing their needs in the development of curriculums, for the needs of service members, veterans, and their families will be pronounced for years to come.
To enhance civilian social workers' practice with military and veteran populations, we also recommend that the social work field develop and maintain a comprehensive directory of resources and programs available to service members, veterans, and their families. This directory would enable civilian social workers in all locations to link clients to information and resources designed to meet their needs. As professionals responsible for making appropriate referrals and connecting clients with available resources, social workers are appropriately charged with this task. Given the abundance of organizations and agencies offering services to these populations, the effort will clearly demand a collaborative, and perhaps regionalized, approach.
Finally, this article underscores the importance of collaboration across military and civilian systems, a responsibility well suited for social workers, who are trained to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to practice. Civilian social workers must acknowledge their responsibility to reach out to their military counterparts in an effort to achieve the most streamlined system of care possible. When military and civilian systems operate in isolation, an opportunity to coordinate well-informed and effective intervention is lost.
Military service members and their families are no different from the general population in seeking social services to deal with life's issues, though the military lifestyle may amplify the complexity of their situations. However, social workers using a strengths-based perspective can capitalize on the potential benefits of deployment, which may include a sense of accomplishment from supporting the mission and cohesion with other service members. Spouses and children may also gain new skills and a sense of accomplishment from successfully managing deployment tasks. Service members, veterans, and their families will continue to have deployment-related challenges for many years to come, even if troop withdrawal begins tomorrow. Social workers have a critical responsibility to support this population, though the window of opportunity to affect these individuals and their families is small. We must attend to their wounds while they are still fresh, before the development of unhealthy behaviors and coping mechanisms compromises their resiliency. As a profession, social work must adopt a proactive approach regarding its engagement with this population through military and civilian partnerships, dissemination of useful resources and clinical tools, and appropriate education and training. Social workers must lead the campaign to identify and connect service members, veterans, and their families to the services they need.
Original manuscript received June 28, 2007
Final revision received April 11, 2008
Accepted July 16, 2008
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Laura Savitsky is a student in the MSW program, School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University. Maria Illingworth, MSW, is a social worker with the Washington, DC, Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Megan DuLaney, is an employee with the U.S. Department of Defense. Address correspondence to Laura Savitsky, email@example.com.
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A single point decided the PC class in the final ALMS race ever.
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CORE takes second PC win of the season and is quickest Porsche in GT
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Young Canadian wins his first sports car endeavor.


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1438-Paphos Villa
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Villa / 4 bedrooms / sleeps 8
|Key Info
The small fishing harbour of St. George and the Akamas peninsula are only 3 minutes by car. Villa Fotiana is surrounded by a large garden with flowers, bushes and fruit trees. The house is very spacious with an open plan living/dining area and kitchen on the ground floor. There are two living area, one with a set of sofas, coffee table, SAT-TV and DVD and another one with sofas and coffee table and view through the patio doors to the garden. Even the kitchen is very large with dining table and chairs, washing machine, dishwasher, microwave and more. One bedroom with a bathroom en-suite is also situated here.A staircase goes to the upper level where you find another three bedrooms, each with a bathroom en-suite. Here is a very large veranda with view over the pool and to the sea. Outside you find a spacious, covered terrace with garden furniture. In the beautiful garden is a kidney shaped pool with roman steps, surrounded by a terrace with sun lounges and umbrellas. Villa Fotiana is nicely furnished and very comfortable and offers enough space for two families. Area Description: Renowned for its superb sandy beaches, Coral Bay is a delightful resort situated 12kms from Paphos. The main road is lined with a small but ample selection of shops, restaurants, banks and bars giving you everything you need for a relaxing holiday without losing any of its local charm. Life here tends to be based around the sandy bay with calm shallow waters making it ideal for children. Also offering a wide selection of water sports it is perfect for all the family.Excellent restaurants, bars and café surround Coral Bay where you can really enjoy Cyprus hospitality. Renowned for its sandy beaches and blue Mediterranean waters, Coral Bay is no more than 12km from Paphos centre. This popular resort is close to the Akamas peninsula and Lara Bay where the endangered Loggerhead turtles nest, makes it a revitalizing break, whilst still being able to experience Cyprus. The famous seacaves, ideal for snorkeling, is only a short drive away.
|Sleeps up to 8, 4 bedrooms
|Will consider
|Corporate bookings, Long term lets (over 1 month)
|Family friendly
|Great for children of all ages, Suitable for people with restricted mobility
|No pets allowed, No smoking at this property
Features and Facilities
|Sea view
|Private outdoor pool (unheated)
|Air conditioning, TV, Safe
|Kettle, Toaster, Iron, Hair dryer
|Clothes dryer, Cooker, Microwave, Fridge, Freezer, Washing machine
|4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms of which 2 Family bathrooms
|Double beds (2), Single beds (4), Dining seats for 6, Lounge seats for 6
|Linen provided, Towels provided
|Private outdoor pool (unheated), Balcony or terrace, Private garden
The Paphos District
St George
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BR SC (Property Manager Buy Rent Sell Cyprus)
- 1 Years listed
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Based in Cyprus
- English


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At Nicalis, we love making video games. Right-sized, affordable, wildly creative and endlessly entertaining — games rock! We love making them and our goal is to ensure that fans everywhere enjoy playing them (we're gamers, too).
After a rocky start, Indie Royale rolls on with another 4 (now 7) games! Get it while its hot.


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How do I remove Black Magic
Our clients always ask us these questions:
How do I remove black magic
How can I remove black magic
remove black magic
How to remove black magic
Our answers to them are : always through karmic remedies prescribed thousand of years ago by Sages in india
Black magic is the negative use of energies and power by the evil and wicked humans in this age which is also known as Kali Yuga. The main purpose in these peoples lives is to harm or destroy others using black magic and dark energy. They can also influence them to do wrong or negative things. It is the evil side of the celestial cycle or dark energies.
Black Magic can be used to harm or hurt people by performing rituals anywhere in the world - the effect of this ritual can be felt many thousands of miles away. Withthe increase of jealousy, frustration, greed, selfishness, negativity and inability to accept others happiness & growth, the use of Black magic has become the most common way to harm and hurt people. This problem of using Black Magic has intensified in the last few years, and many are suffering all over the world, totally unaware of the attacks made by no other than their closest friends, acquaintances and relatives. Many prosperous and happy families are ruined by Black magic.
Symptoms of Black Magic
Black magic puts a block on a person's wisdom and intelligence and all efforts to solve the problem go fruitless. One feels a mental block, gets disturbed sleep with bad dreams, and negative thoughts. The person or persons might do something or go through many actions and cannot give reason why they have done what they did. There is no reasoning behind their actions. They will get angry without reason or justifications with people they love and care for.
These people on whom the black magic spell is put will feel that they are not getting their due and can achieve much more. They will feel suffocated & restless in all circumstances. They are never at peace and they will remain depressed, with lack of enthusiasm or desire to live & rise in life. These dark energy caused by black magic becomes stronger day by day.
Effects of Black Magic
Black Magic and Dark energy can really play havoc with the life of the target person by destroying any aspect of life may it be career/business or wealth/prosperity, creating family problems or unnecessary tensions/phobias, adversely affecting children & family, creating chronic health problems, destroying mental peace, intelligence & happiness, cause inner turmoil, unrest & uncharacteristic/abnormal behavior and even cause unnatural deaths in extreme circumstances.
Black Magic and Dark energy not only affects the circumstances and future prospects of a person, but also deprives him materially of everything he was destined for, but also affects the psyche of the victim in such a way that he loses the willpower & mental energy to get out of the dark situation he is in, and has no desire to live or rise in life.
The effects of Black Magic become more chronic, dangerous and fatal with time, if untreated, like a horrible disease. It starts spreading like a contagious disease, affecting the person's mind, brain, body, relationships, attitudes, work, money, marriage, career and everything in life.
Casting a Black magic and Dark energy spell on someone is very easy for those knowing even a little bit of Tantrik siddhis/ voodoo. But to remove the spell and eliminate it's sinister effects needs lot of expertise, continuous & rigorous pooja/worship and a combination Siddhis & Sadhna.
Contact Bharat and Sheela Gandhi on 0208 150 0070 or 0203 713 9492 for further information or to book readings by debit and credit cards. We accept all major debit and credit cards. We do not accept cash payments and you can make a bank transfer before confirmation of appointment is given.
Information on how to remove and protect against Black Magic and Dark Energy is given below for people who want to remove Black magic spells.
Remove and Protect against Black Magic
Dark energy and Black magic is prevalent and even more rife now than many years ago . The reason for that is we are going through Kali Yuga which is like a dark age. In these environment it is important to be aware if one is affected by dark energy or black magic. The normal symptoms of black magic or dark energy are given on our web site or you can check on the internet.
We would also like to advise one that proper Vedic Astrology consultation is done to establish that there is dark energy and black magic present. Normally to invoke dark energy or black magic it can only be done if something belonging to you is with the people who starts these process. It can be your photo, some clothing belonging to you, even a small piece of your hair or even your name can be used. So it will be very difficult for someone who does not know you to do the above. Normally Dark energy or black magic is invoked through process which takes place in a graveyard. We will not tell you the process in case it is used.
There are talismans which are made to individual specifications (name, date and place of birth) with very powerful and potent energised mantras and pujas done for Kali, Durga, Hanuman, Narasimha, paravidya bhedana which can protect one from being affected by Dark energy and Black magic. These talismans are extremely powerful and should help one from getting affected.
It is important to get a horoscope done using Vedic Astrology to make sure you do not have Shani, Rahu, Ketu as your karmic and malefic planets or also that you are not going through the dasa or periods of these planets. Normally when these planets are afflicted in your horoscopes then it it makes it easy for one to get affected by these dark energy.
For one who is badly affected by dark energy there are very strong yantras which are specifically made for dark energy and Black magic. For details of these please refer to our web site details given above.
Mantras to remove and protect from Black Magic
Lord Mahamritunjaye Shankar is the winner of death. On reciting the mantras given below and together with the yantra one can escape from miseries and troubles of this materialistic world as well as problems related to the inner soul. This yantra which when energised by the mantra can bestow the person with wealth, health and happiness. It can even bestow good fortune and fame. Even more important it can dispel all sorts of evil energy around one including any form of dark energy or black magic, fear of ghosts, accidental death and diseases. This yantra is very effective and potent in removing the above dark energy and black magic.
Normally diseases and any issues in ones lives are manifested through ones karma and this yantra can help with the above but does not eliminate ones karmas completely. It only lessens the malefic effects and I can say that i have used this myself and although I went through severe trauma and a near death experience I came out of it and it has made me stronger within myself. Now I can say that if done properly and with good intentions it should work.
This yantra and mantra can be used to eliminate any negative forces or issues without having to spend a vast fortune as one can do most of the work and input to energise the yantra. This is worthwhile and economical way of doing the remedy.
The mantra is "Om Haum Om Jum Sah Bhurbhuvah Svah Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pustivardhanam Urvarukamiva Bandhanam Mrtyormuksiya Mamrtat Bhurbhuvah Svah Jum Sah Haum Om".
The sages of this mantra are Vamadeva, Kahola and Vashisth.
The deites of this mantra are Sadasiva, Mahamritunjaye and Rudra.
The mantras must be recited 125000 times and then the yantra must be energised through fire and the ash from the fire must be cooled down and used to top it every monrth to keep it energised and effective.This ash is sometimes known as bhasma.
The mantras must be pronouced correctly and this work must be done at an auspicious time and with correct mind set to get maximum effect and benefit.
Mantras to protect against Black Magic and Dark Energy
In Vedic Astrology there are specific mantras prescribed by Sages thousands of years ago that will not only prevent any Dark Energy or Black magic but put circle of protection around you.
Protective Mantras
"Om Namo Arhanthaanam Shikhaayaam." This mantra needs to be recited 1008 times after which you turn your right hand over face as if you are washing your head.
Then recite the following mantra "Om Namo Siddhaanam" 1008 times. Then turn your right hand over your face as if you are washing your face.
Then recite the following mantra and turn right hand all over your body "Om Namo Aayariyaanam".
Then recite the following mantra " Om Namo Ujajyaanam" and do the imaginary sword fighting movement.
Then after reciting this mantra "Om Namo Loye Savva-Saahoonam" 1008 times you need to smear ash with your hands. This ash is from fire using wood of seven types in a special havan. Put a seat and draw a circle with your fingers. This will give you complete protection from any evil force trying to pentrate into the circle. This circle can also be put around the area where you need protection which could be your home, bedroom, other members of family. Another way is to light a havan which is wood burnt on the fire in a havan (special container). Then these mantras are recited 1008 times and the ash from the fire sprinkled around the house which will form a shield and deflect any negative forces.
Also you recite the following mantras 1008 times and using the ash will remove any evil forces which cause obstructions and problems in your life " Mangalaanam Cha Savessim- Shikhaadi Sarvatha Prakhaathika."
Finally recite this mantra "Padamamhavayee Mangalam Praakaaropari Vajramaya Tankanikam Ethi Mahaa Rakhaa Sarvopadhravavidraavini" 1008 times and using ash from the fire sprinkle around you and all obsrtuctive evil forces are kept away from you. This is called Sakalikaran (Protective) Mantra.
The Rishis( spiritual souls) use these mantras in the forest when they are in deep trance and even if there are wild animals about they will not be harmed or even touched.
Mantras to remove evil spirits
There are several types of mantras prescribed by Ancient Sages and Scholars of Vedic Astrology going back to thousands of years ago. These mantras are very effective in removing Dark energy, evil spirits and even ghosts. The mantras and the process to energise is given below.
Dark energy is more prevalent now then many years ago. The reason is that we are in Kaliyuga which is similar to Dark age.
There are several types of mantras which one can recite themselves and energise their surroundings to get rid of the dark energy, even evil spirits and ghosts.
To remove evil spirits from one or inside the house:
Take a bowl of whole rice which must be raw and recite the mantras given below. Then put some of the rice which is energised through the above mantras and throw it around the boundary of the house, some can be sprinkled inside each of the rooms, some underneath the bed and even some can be eaten raw to remove and negative and evil energy. The rest can be added to other rice and kept in a large jar and constantly energised daily. The more you energise it the more powerful it gets. Normally 1008 mantras must be done daily until the evil spirits are gone. The mantra is:
"Om Namo Bhagavao Goyamassa Siddhassa Buddhassa Akkeeyaa Mahaanasassa Thara Thara Om Akkeena Mahaanasa Swaahaa Om Ksheem Ksha: Ksha: Ksha: Ya: Ya: Ya: La: Hum Phat Swahaa ". This is one mantra and this needs to be repeated 1008 times daily on raw rice.
If there are ghosts or other supernaturals present in the house:
The mantra given below can be recited and then light an incense and then spread the smoke in each corners of all the rooms. This must be repeated daily until this is removed. Normally presence of ghosts makes the particular area very cold compared to other parts of the house. Once the ghost departs the house will have different type of positive and vibrant energy compared to dead energy before. The mantra is:
"Om Namo Bhagavao Araho Santhijinassa Sijhashyao Me Bhagavayi Mahaavidyaa Santhi Santhi Pasanthi Uvasanthi Savvapaaavam Pasameo Thao-savva Sathaanam Dwapaya Chaoppayaanam Santhi Desegaamaagara Nagara Pattana- khedevaa Purisaanam Etheenam Napumsaganee Vaa Sawahaa". This mantra must be recited correctly 1008 times daily until the entity or entities departs. This can even be continued regularly to protect the house and any further ghosts coming in or the original one coming back. If done correctly this protective mantra will protect against any dark, evil and sort of enemies.
Remove Black Magic using Hanuman mantras and yantras
There is a Yantra called the Hanuman Yantra which is very effective in removing Dark Energy, Black Magic and Evil spirits if the correct process is carried out in energising the yantra and using the ash from the fire for protection and removal of these negative energies and forces.
Lord Hanuman is very strong and when certain rituals are done for him it can keep dark energy, black magic and evil spirits away from the area where the rituals are done and the yantras are kept. Also it is very good for health, beauty and vigour in the person who does the rituals. it can help one who does the rituals acquire strength and confidence in themselves.
It is very important to do these rituals when your karmic planets are Mars and Saturn.
Normally Malefic Mars can cause injuries, illnesses, accidents and harm from other people. Lord Hanuman is a very good protector of these misfortunes.
Normally Saturn is a very slow planet and the effects of Saturn are such that they can take you very high during the benefic period and drop you like a stone during the malefic period. You can see these effects if you look at various successful people who faced serious issues when they were going through the malefic Saturn period or cycle. These rituals will help in minimising the negative effects.
Please remember that to get any benefits from any rituals mentioned in our articles one has to be of a good character, do not talk ill of any body, keep your mind calm, avoid any vices which creates only more karma. Also it might be a good idea to fast on tuesdays and avoid meat on that day. The reason for that is even aimals carry karma and by eating that meat you are taking on their karma.
Hanuman yantra can be made or purchased and then the the following mantras recited on the yantra.
The mantra is " Haum Hsprem khprem Hsraum Hskphrem Hsaum Hanumate Namah"
This mantra must be recited 1008 times after which a fire must be lit using seven different types of wood in an a havan. The wood can be rosewood, sandalwood, and few others but it can also depend on your location as certain types of wood may not be available in Europe or North America. The ash from the fire which is known as bhasma can be put on the yantra, around the house or location where you want the protection and even on one to remove any dark energy, black magic or evil spirits. It is possible you might have to do this ritual many times in order to decimate these energy but eventually it will clear.
It is more potent when the ritual is done by yourself in the location or area where the protection is required as the cost is minimal, the satisfaction of knowing that you have cleared this issue will boost your confidence as well. Also together with this ritual it would be helpful to feed needy people. This cycle will reduce your karma and make you less prone to be affected by these negative energy. It is the weakness in your planets which makes you prone to be attacked by these negative energies and dark forces.
Our content on this web site is intended for entertainment purposes only. We shall not be liable for any errors or omissions or for any damages whatsoever arising from your use of this website. The materials in this website are provided without warranties of any kind including express or implied warranties, to the fullest extent permitted by law, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability or information for a particular purpose.


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With the Affordable Health Care Act, there are still many questions. Today we have answers for you, whether you're already signed up or if you are still shopping for plans.
The Community Health Plan of Washington's Manager of Business Development, Josua Showers stops by to answer question and talk about the Apple Health Plan.
Individuals can make changes to their health care plan at www.waproviderone.org/client.
Compare plans at https://www.wahealthplanfinder.org
For more general information about Community Health Plan of Washington, visit their website.


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Teacher suspended for immoral conduct
A PUBLIC school teacher was meted an eight-month suspension for living with another woman aside from his wife.
The Ombudsman-Visayas said it found sufficient basis to hold Rogelio Tines guilty of "disgraceful and immoral conduct."
Regional Director Recaredo Borgonia of the Department of Education in Central Visayas (DepEd-7) was ordered to enforce the suspension against Tines who works in the Lawa-an Elementary School in Dumanjug town, Cebu.
"His actuations are contrary to prevailing community standards of conduct and this violated the trust reposed in his office," said anti-graft investigator Ma. Regina Fernandez said.
The suspension stemmed from the complaint filed by Tines' wife Edna who claimed to be married with the respondent on Nov. 17, 1992.
Edna said Tines maintained a relationship with another woman.
Tines and his alleged paramour lived together in Dumanjug, Cebu with their child despite having five children with her, Edna said.
Edna said Tines should be held liable for concubinage because he is "cohabiting and maintaining a scandalous relationship with another woman."
The anti-graft office gave Tines a chance to refute the allegations but he failed to waive his right to submit his defenses.
Disgraceful and immoral conduct is defined as "willful, flagrant, or shameless behavior which shows a moral indifference to the opinion of the good and respectable members of the community." Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol
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PSC 31 Arch for solar and wind generator
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Originally Posted by
Does anyone have ideas/ photos of an arch on a 31. We would like to mount solar panels and a wind generator on the "Patty Ann" for our winter cruises to the Florida Keys and Bahamas. Boat is now in Daytona Beach.
One issue we have is that our radar is mounted on a custom pole in the starboard aft corner of the vessel. That pole is bolted to the teak cap rail and also clamped to the stern rail corner. I'm sure the designer of the arch can work around that or even move the radar dome unto the arch.
We also want to preserve the port side stern archor pipe and stern anchor roller. I would think that the forward arch legs could fit in front of that anchor pipe and that the aft arch legs could be bolted to the transom because there is not a canoe end on the 31.
We'd like to have any comments and of course photos would be much appreciated.
Many thanks.
PSC 31 " Patty Ann"
Here is a pix of a 37 with an arch:
View Boat Photos - YachtWorld.com
Check out the pix from the rear, yuk!
You will also need to work around the problem of where the front legs
are mounted, especially on the SB side, you need to work around the
propane locker, fill ports, electrical hookup, genoa sheet setup, etc.
Maybe you could piggy back off the rear rail, much like a Bimini frame would be handled.
PS31#111 Cielo Azul
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Understandably, President Barack Obama is eager to keep the IRS at arm's length -- but he went too far in describing it as an "independent agency," writes D'Angelo Gore. The IRS is a bureau of the Treasury Department, which gives the president much greater powers to oversee its operations and to remove or replace its leaders at will.
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