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My computer takes ten minutes to boot up. It must have a virus or something. It needs to be completely restored. System Restore closes about one quarter of the way through. How much will it cost to restore the computer?
The Cost of Restoring a Computer to Factory Condition
Here at Filetonic.com, we don't offer hands-on technical support or actual repairs, so I can't give you an estimate. As far as cost in general, it's hard to say. Your local computer shop may charge by the hour or have fixed prices for specific services. In addition to paying for a computer technician to perform the repair, you may need to pay for a recovery disc if your computer does not currently have one. If data recovery is needed in order to retrieve data on your computer, that will add to the cost as well.
Do-It-Yourself Computer Restoration
If you have the original CDs that came with your system, restoring your computer to its factory original condition is fairly simple. Really, it's a matter of inserting the CD and following the prompts. Of course, since it restores the PC to its original condition, it's going to wipe away all of your data and any software or devices you have installed since you first purchased the computer. Since your computer does function, albeit slowly, you have a huge advantage in that you can copy your data files to a USB drive, CD-ROM disc, or some other backup media. After restoring your computer, you can then copy your data back onto the system.
Reinstalling Software and Hardware
You will also need to reinstall all software and hardware devices that didn't come with the system from the factory. Hopefully, you have the original installation discs for these items. If you purchased and downloaded software online, before you restore the computer, write down the product numbers, license numbers, or serial numbers related to the purchase. This information is usually found in the About tab of the software. You may need to contact the vendor to re-download the software. If the software is older, the program may no longer be available, so be aware of that possibility.
Whether you restore the PC yourself or have a computer repair shop do it, you'll still face these data and software reinstallation issues, so do as much as you can before the restoration to make the reinstallation process as smooth as possible.
Alternatives to Computer Restoration
Because of the hassle factor, consider other options before resorting to a full restoration. Again, go ahead and backup your data as anything could happen and you'll want to ensure that your data is safe. Since you suspect a virus, removing the virus could very well solve your problem once and for all without the hassles of a factory reset. Consider investing in a comprehensive antivirus/antispyware solution and thoroughly cleaning your computer. Several good free programs exist as well as excellent commercial products. We recommend:
- Microsoft Security Essentials (free)
- MalwareBytes (free and commercial versions)
- ParetoLogic AntiVirus Plus (free trial, reasonably priced commercial version)
- Trend Micro Free HouseCall (online scan)
Another option to consider is launching System Restore while in Safe Mode from a command prompt. This may or may not work. However, since Safe Mode launches the bare minimum of processes, this may be enough to eliminate the interference that's disrupting System Restore right now.
Hopefully, a virus cleaner or system restore from Safe Mode will do the trick. If not, check with your local computer repair shop or a service like the Best Buy Geek Squad for a quote on recovering your system.
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TerraSAR-X's radar technology can see through clouds and smoke to deliver striking imagery of the now infamous Icelandic volcano
Aircraft could not fly over (or anywhere near!) the active volcano. And optical satellites have been severely hampered by the ash screen. But TerraSAR-X was able to safely observe the eruption site and its surroundings with great clarity from afar.
In this image two TerraSAR-X StripMap acquisitions (3 m resolution) taken on two different dates and a change layer are combined to produce a colour composite. This enables changes in the area to be highlighted in different colours. The first image acquired on 25 March 2010 is represented by the red channel, the second image acquired on 16 April by the green channel and the difference between both images by the blue channel.
In the eastern part of the map (east of the volcano's caldera) light blue structures are visible. These are features caused by the first eruption on 20 March, which took place a few kilometres east of the glacier on the northern slopes of the Fimmvörðuháls mountain pass.
In the centre of the map the volcano's caldera is shown in red, green and yellow. The bright red is caused mainly by the eruptive column, which formed due to the second eruption at the top caldera of the volcano. In the image acquired on 16 April the radar signal in this area shows a very low return, which might result from water vapour within the plume. The orange, dark red, yellow and greenish colours are caused by changes of the backscatter values for the areas covered by snow, which have been affected by the eruption (coverage by ash, melting of snow etc.).
In the north of the crater a round light blue structure is visible. On the first acquisition this was a lake. Following the eruption, which started on 14 April, it was filled with debris. West of the former lake, red structures indicate the newly formed melt water flows of the melted ice, which previously covered the central crater.
The image shown here is an individual TerraSAR-X StripMap Acquisition (2.9 m resolution) of Eyjafjallajoekull Volcano, Iceland, recorded on 15 April 2010 following the volcano's eruption the day before.
The acquisition shows that all the snow surrounding the caldera of the volcano melted away and that three black craters were formed by the volcanic activities. A crack connects the northeastern and southern craters formed by the new eruption. The fine ash from the eruption was caught by the wind and carried to the east, where it was deposited on the ice as a dense and smooth surface coating. In these areas, the microwave radiation from the radar satellite is only weakly reflected, and this appears dark in the image.
This acquisition can be compared to an image of the same area recorded prior to the volcano's eruption. Another StripMap Acquisition (2.9 m resolution), this was recorded on 31 March 2010. At that time the caldera of the volcano was covered with about 200 m of ice, which is clearly visible as a bright spot in the satellite image.

subset: commoncrawl


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Yay! An extra day off in August. That's what probably went through many minds this past weekend thanks to Saskatchewan Day.
Some may view Monday's day off as just another long weekend, but the day holds so much more importance than that.
To celebrate the holiday properly, one must be amongst family or friends. And because it's Saskatchewan, it almost feels necessary to be one with nature.
The outdoors play a huge role in the province, and hopefully the weekend days were celebrated under the big open skies. Or spending Saturday night cheering on the Roughriders while drinking a cold beverage, which probably was Pilsner for a lot of people over the long weekend. How can anyone get more patriotic than that?
The holiday originated as a way to encourage families across the province to spend more time together and focus on the importance of family life in communities.
Everyone has their own take on Saskatchewan Day, each person celebrating it differently. Some might spend the day cherishing the time spent with family, while others use the opportunity to form traditions.
But family goes beyond siblings, parents and other relatives.
Family is also a community. The day gives people the opportunity to hang out and spend time with each other by attending free activities. Getting to know one's family and neighbours can have a huge impact on the quality of one's life because one can pick up values and have a support system on which to lean.
One can hope Saskatchewan residents took this day to embrace family and friends, and hopefully use future family days as a way to strengthen bonds and show provincial pride.
All Times-Herald editorials are written by the editorial staff.


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I have noticed that the large downloads with TOR tend to stop in the middle of the download. I have researched for a while and found that this may have something to do with Polipo, the default proxy that the Tor Browser bundle comes with. So, there a simple way to replace Polipo and have better chances of downloading files from TOR. What we are going to use is Privoxy, an alternative to Polipo.
Tor installed. Read about how to do it here.
Privoxy installer. Download it here.
1. Install Prixoy. Just double click the installer you just downloaded and click Next, Next, Next...a typical Windows installation.
2. Open Privoxy. You probably will find it in "All Programs" if you're using Windows 7. In Windows 8, you can find it in the Start screen
6. Start TOR again.
Now you are using TOR with Privoxy, which is better to download things when connected to TOR. Have fun!


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While watching the Oscars last evening, broadcasted live from Los Angeles, it was interesting to see all the glitz and glamour that Hollywood has to offer. From the Red Carpet arrivals, to the packed seats at the Dolby Theater, it was an event that was brimming with achievement in film and fashion. The nominees of the academy awards, celebrity presenters, and guests know how important it is to look as fabulous as the event itself.
One thing that I couldn't help but notice is that many of the men at the Oscars were sporting beards. Facial hair on men seems to wax and wane with fashion, but this year it is definitely more "in" than "not". For example, one trio who seemed to have gotten the Beard Memo was George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, and Ben Affleck. We are used to seeing Bradley Cooper with some trendy facial hair, but George and Ben are usually the "clean cut" guys. Maybe the sporting is because they've all been traveling to less-than-LA warm places and need the extra insulation? While that's a legitimate, even practical, reason to grow out whiskers, gents such as these thespians could also just rock a navy flight jacket or a fur parka.
For this event, George Clooney had more of a fuller beard, which was not so full that it looked unkempt or "Grizzly Adams-like", but just enough to compliment his salt and pepper hair. Bradley Cooper had more of a modern look with his closely shaved facial hair and slicked back hairstyle. Ben Affleck's look falls somewhere in the middle between the two. His closely trimmed beard and shortly cropped hair are a handsome look for him.
Whether the "sea of beards" at the 85th Academy Awards Ceremony this year was simply part of a men's fashion trend, strictly for luck, or a little of both, we probably will never know. However, since George and Ben were both up on stage at the end of the night with Oscar gold in their hands for the Best Picture "Argo", why leave it to chance?


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June 11, 2014Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Location: Bits & Pieces Room Sansom Place West
Location: Bits & Pieces Room Sansom Place West
Scripting AWS 101
An introduction to using scripting techniques to automate simple tasks at Amazon Web Services. This session is intended for people who would like to understand more about AWS and its APIs, and how to use these from the command line. Although this talk is using mostly Linux, most of the information presented is applicable to Windows as well.
iCalendar: http://www.upenn.edu/computing/group/sigcal/ScriptingAWSJune11.ics
Sponsored by Cloud SIG
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NEW YORK – Con Edison crews continue working around the clock restoring power to Westchester County customers affected by Friday's snowstorm. Of the 50,200 customers with service interrupted by the storm, over 44,000 have now been restored. Approximately 6,000 were without power as of 8 p.m. tonight. Con Edison said that many of the remaining outages involve downed power lines serving only one customer.
Over 300 utility repair crews, including more than 180 crews from utilities as far away as Ohio, are working on the restoration efforts. The western-to-central part of the county was the hardest hit, especially Cortlandt, Croton, Greenburgh, Briarcliff Manor, Yorktown, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, North Castle, Scarsdale and Pleasantville.
Customers can also report power interruptions or service problems, as well as view service restoration information online at www.conEd.com, and on their cell phones and PDAs. When reporting an outage, customers should have their Con Edison account number available, if possible, and report whether their neighbors also have lost power.
Safety remains an especially important concern. Treat all downed wires down as if they are live and dangerous. Be careful of power lines that may be hidden under snow, tree branches or other debris
Con Edison is in contact with local and municipal officials, as well as the appropriate Office of Emergency Services to keep them apprised of all restoration efforts.For more storm tips, go to www.ConEd.com.
contact us | search | careers | site map | consolidated edison, inc. | privacy policy


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As print magazine work dried up and print publishing faltered over the last few years, one author turned to new forms of storytelling to help his career.
Today's guest on the Morning Media Menu was media critic and author Douglas Rushkoff, exploring his newest project, "X"–a conspiracy-driven graphic novel that will be used to build a video game. In addition, Rushkoff talked about layoffs at major magazines, the lifestyle of a 21st Century writer, and "Life, Inc.," his critical analysis of corporate culture.
Here's an excerpt from the interview: "My real strategy now is to survive by any means necessary. There's less money out there [for writers]. In the old days, between books, you'd call Playboy or GQ and pick up a $3-a-word article for something … Now you're lucky to get a buck or buck-fifty from a major magazine. All you can really do is diversify and focus at the same time."


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Five Star Quality Care, Inc. (NYSE:FVE)
Q4 2009 Earnings Call Transcript
February 18, 2010 10:00 am ET
Tim Bonang – VP, IR
Bruce Mackey – President and CEO
Paul Hoagland – Treasurer and CFO
Kevin Ellich – RBC Capital
Joel Ray – Davenport
Michael Demaray – Elevated Capital
George Walsh – Gilford Securities
Good day and welcome to the Five Star Quality Care fourth quarter 2009 earnings result conference call. All participants are currently in a listen-only mode. You will have an opportunity to ask questions during the Q&A session. (Operator Instructions) Please note the call is being recorded.
And at the time for opening remarks and introductions, I would like to turn the call over to Vice President of Investor Relations, Mr. Tim Bonang. Please go ahead, sir.
Tim Bonang
Thank you, operator. Good morning, everyone. Joining me on today's call is Bruce Mackey, Five Star's President and CEO and Paul Hoagland, Five Star's CFO. The agenda for today's call includes a presentation by management followed by a question-and-answer session. I would also like to note the recording and retransmission of today's conference call is strictly prohibited without prior written consent of Five Star.
Before we begin today's call, I would like to state that today's conference call contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Federal Securities Laws. These forward-looking statements are based on Five Star's present beliefs and expectations as of today, February 18, 2010. The company undertakes no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revisions to the forward-looking statements made in today's conference call other than through filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the supporting period. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning factors that could cause those differences is contained in our filings with the SEC. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.
And now I would like to turn the call over to Bruce Mackey.
Bruce Mackey
Thanks, Tim and thanks to everyone for joining us this morning. For the three months ended December 31, 2009, net income from continuing operations was $0.02 per basic and diluted share compared to net loss of $0.21 per basic and diluted share, respectively, for the same period last year. However, the fourth quarter of both 2009 and 2008 included certain non-operating items.
The 2009 results included several items that in aggregate resulted in the positive impact of $412,000 or $0.01 per diluted share. These items included, one, a $317,000 gain due to the early extinguishment of our convertible senior notes. Two, a $73,000 unrealized gain on our UBS put right related to our auction rate securities. And three, a $22,000 unrealized gain on our holdings of auction rate securities.
By comparison, the fourth quarter of 2008 included several items that in aggregate had a negative affect of $7.9 million or $0.5 cents per basic and diluted share.
As a reminder, these items included, one, a $5.4 million loss on impairment of our investments in certain marketable securities held by our captive insurance companies. Two, a $5.9 million unrealized loss on our holdings of auction rate securities. Three, a $1.8 million loss due to impairment of long lived assets and four, a $5.9 million loss due to impairment of goodwill, offset by an $11.1 million gain resulting from UBS AG's agreement to repurchase our auction rate securities at par at our election between in June 2010.
Excluding these items, net income from continuing operations per diluted share was $0.01 in the fourth quarter of 2009 versus $0.04 in 2008.
I would like to point out some additional items that on a sequential basis negatively affected our results this quarter. On October 1, our skilled nursing Medicare rates affectively were decreased by 1.1%. This decrease amounted to approximately $400,000 of lost revenues.
In addition, our state Medicaid rates have not kept pace with inflation. Many states are under enormous budgetary pressures right now due to the weak economy and have either cut their Medicaid rates from prior years or reduced the increases they have historically given.
At year end, we pay out accrued vacation time. This year end was no different and we paid out approximately $13.9 million of accrued vacation time. There are many benefits to paying out vacation time such as lower overtime and third-party staffing costs. However, we incurred an additional $725,000 of payroll taxes related to these payouts.
We incurred about $500,000 of extra cost related to holiday activities that took placed during the fourth quarter. Most of this was related to higher food costs that we expect to come back to a normal level during the first quarter of 2010. These extra costs are used to help out in our marketing and resident retention efforts.
And lastly, we took an additional charge of $500,000 related to bad debt expense. Some of this expense is related to our private pay business and the remainder of this charge is related to government reimbursed skilled nursing business. We have seen many states cut the staff and departments responsible to process state payments and this has dragged out our collection efforts. We are hopeful that even though we have taken then charge that we will still recover some of these amounts. In total these additional items account for 5/10 per fully diluted share.
As we told you for the past two years, occupancy remains the key for Five Star and the Senior Living industry. At Five Star, we saw continued signs of stabilization in our occupancy.
Occupancy for the fourth quarter of 2009 was 86.1% compared with 86.1% a quarter ago and 87.7% a year ago. Same-store occupancy for the fourth quarter 2009 was 86.5% compared with 87.9% a year ago. Occupancy as of this past Friday has actually increased by 20 basis points to 86.3%.
For those who listened to the NIC MAP [ph] conference call earlier this week, NIC reported sequential industry occupancy decreases across all Senior Living product types.
While our occupancy is flat with the third quarter, when we break it down a bit we saw the following. We had net increases in our assisted living and independent living units. We had a small decrease in our Alzheimer unit. This decrease is primarily related to resident debts and moves to higher levels of utility.
We had sizable decrease in our skilled nursing occupancy. We have noticed that many of our referring hospitals are having occupancy issues related to the overall economy. Even people with Medicare and healthcare coverage are putting off getting the care they need because they aren't willing to make the co-pays associated with the coverage due to the poor economic climate.
Another reason for the decrease in our skilled nursing occupancy in the fourth quarter is due to the Thanksgiving and year-end holidays. This was expected. Many people defer planned surgeries until after holiday season. To highlight this, in the fourth quarter 2009, we averaged 891 Medicare A patients in our skilled nursing units. So far in 2010, through this past Friday, we averaged 1,009 Medicare A patients.
It is apparent that the efforts we have been putting into our sales and marketing efforts are having a positive impact. Our web traffic has increased significantly over the past year. In the first quarter of 2000 -- I am sorry, in the first quarter of 2009, we averaged just under 20,000 monthly visits to our website.
In the fourth quarter of 2009, our average monthly visits increased to just over 50,000. That is an increase of 150%. I expect that increase to keep climbing in 2010.
In January 2010, we rolled out several test Pay Per Click campaigns with Google and Yahoo. While it is too early to tell the impact from these campaigns, we have already seen our web traffic increase even further.
We are also seeing increased traffic to our buildings. By utilizing the lease tracking system we put into place in late 2008, we can see that inquiries are up. For example, on a same-store basis, our inquiries in January 2010 increased 3.2% over January 2009. This increased traffic is leading to increased deposits.
In the fourth quarter 2009, we averaged 255 deposits per month and we took 92 more deposits in total than in the third quarter of 2009. January 2010 deposits were very strong. We reported 383 deposits for the month which is a 60% increase over our fourth quarter 2009 monthly average.
We have continued to do a good job of pushing rate where possible. Our average daily rate increased 1.9%, year-over-year overall and more importantly, 2.3% on a same-store basis. On average, Five Star has increased its same-store average daily rate by over 4% over the last 8 quarters.
As we highlighted on recent calls, we are discounting selectively in some markets. We are targeting specific rooms and challenged communities that have been tough to sell and have been vacant for some time. This will have some negative pressure on our rates, but overall, we expect our private pay rates to increase in 2010 between 3 and 4%.
Moving on to other metrics. Wages and benefits, as a percent of Senior Living revenues were 51.7% in the fourth quarter, up from 50.3% a year ago and up slightly from 51.3%, in the last quarter. This year-over-year increase is primarily related to operating new communities and higher than historical compensation and workers -- I am sorry, health insurance costs at our same-store communities.
G&A as a percent of revenues was once again 4.5% as we maintain the leanest operations in the industry. This level is a good run rate for 2010.
Our core senior living business continues to be profitable. More than 85% of our total company revenues come from this business. Almost 70% of our senior living revenues are coming from private pay sources.
In the fourth quarter of 2009, Five Star Senior Living produced $18.3 million of EBITDAM, compared to $18.6 million for the third quarter. The decrease is primarily related to the items I mentioned earlier, offset by expected reductions and utility costs as well as some reductions in our health care insurance costs.
The rehabilitation hospitals which account for 8% of our total revenues, made about $100,000 of EBITDAM during the fourth quarter. Our hospitals generated about $1.1 million more in EBITDAM in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared to the fourth quarter of 2008.
Our renovations continue to progress. We are getting ready to begin working on our third wing at the New England Rehabilitation Hospital which will be a traumatic brain injury unit. This unit will help fill a need in the area, will help with the hospitals compliance with a 60% rule and will allow the hospital to take on additional non-CMS 13 compliant patients.
We are also close to signing a lease with a third party hospital in the Greater Boston area that allow us to move forward with the our fourth inpatient satellite unit.
I am hopeful that Five Star will see the benefit from this additional unit in early 2011. Braintree recently completed its second wing and began admitting patients in that wing just last week.
The pharmacy operations, which make up 6% of our total revenues, made $40,000 on EBITDAM basis during the fourth quarter. While this is an improvement of almost $575,000 of EBITDAM in the fourth quarter of 2008, this was a step back from the third quarter of 2009.
Revenues were up over the third quarter by $161,000, but we did incur several expenses that were related to prior quarters, that negatively impacted this quarter's pharmacy results. As of the end of December, we are currently servicing approximately 12,200 customers and have expectations to add almost 1000 additional customers during the next several quarters.
The majority of those customer additions will be third party customers.
I would now like to update you on our recent acquisition activities. In December, we began to lease from senior housing, one senior living community located in Georgia with a total of 53 assisted living units. Occupancy at this community is approximately 90%.
This community is very close to an existing Five Star community and will benefit from some ability to share costs.
In total, during 2009, we acquired 11 senior living communities with 952 units. After taking into account these acquisitions, Five Star now operates 217 senior living communities in 30 states. We have the capacity to take on additional acquisitions, while adding very little to our corporate and regional personnel.
One of Five Star strengths is its financial position. Five Star ended the quarter with $11.3 million of cash. At year end, Five Star had an uncapped line of credit with Wells Fargo for $40 million. Five star has a put right to sell approximately $75 million of option rate securities to UBS in June 2010, from which we will net $35.1 million inside of additional cash after paying off the credit facility we have with UBS.
Five Star has no near-term debt maturities for our senior notes or mortgages. The closest maturity we face is in October of 2013, when our senior notes can be put to us. We have $49.7 million of convertible senior notes, currently left that can be put to us in October, 2013.
In 2009, we have purchased and retired $76.8 million par value of our outstanding convertible senior notes with $39.9 million plus accrued interest. And last, we own 25 communities that we operate.
22 of these communities unencumbered and have a net book value of approximately $129 million. Our four keys to success remain the same. Increase occupancy and average daily rate, while holding labor and G&A costs in check. Throughout the past year performed consistently on the last three.
While we believe that occupancy improvement is the most important key to improving our bottom line and we have seen consistent science of occupancy stabilization over the past two quarters. It is our belief that occupancy growth in the industry going forward will come through steady and measured improvement.
In order to recognize the full benefit of future occupancy improvement, we felt the need to closely scrutinize those areas on the cost side where we have historically performed well.
We are taking a fresh look at ways to operate more efficiently and provide more predictability to our operations. This effort is being led by Paul Hoagland In January, Paul assumed the position of Chief Financial Officer. He brings more than 15 years of public company experience to the CFO to Five Star. Paul joins us most recently from Friendly's Corporation, a publicly traded restaurant company with over 600 restaurants, 15,000 employees and 5000 grocery outlets on the east coast. Previously Paul was CFO at NE Restaurant Company, a publicly traded operator of 120 brand restaurants including recognizable names such as Bertucci's and Chili's.
We specially targeted Paul because of his hospitality experience, because of the similarities it has with the senior living industry. Paul has an extensive background running large complex financial departments at service focused organization. He also has a great track record of working hand-in-hand with operations to improve financial results.
Paul has been on board with Five Star in its new role for just over a month now. I'm excited with the attitude and fresh approach that Paul has brought to the table.
At this point, I would like to turn the time over to Paul Hoagland, our Chief Financial Officer.
Paul Hoagland
Thank you, Bruce and Good morning everyone. For the fourth quarter our senior living revenues increased $12.8 million, or 5.2%, to $260.4 million, as compared with the fourth quarter of 2008.
Revenues from communities acquired or leased after October 1, 2008, or our new communities accounted for most of the change for a total of $11 million. In addition, a 7/10 of a point increase in same store senior living revenues accounted for the rest of the increase, rising on a 2.3% increase in average daily rates, offset by 155 basis point decline in occupancy.
Senior living operating expenses increased $12.3 million or 6.6% to $198.7 million when compared with last year. Again, most of the increase or $8.8 million was from our new communities.
Higher same-store operating expenses especially in health care, insurance, explains the remaining increase, increasing 1.7% from the prior year's levels to $187.5 million. However, as you may recall from our previous call, we did make a change in our health benefit provider early in the fourth quarter and are optimistic that our cost increases will moderate going into 2010.
For the fourth quarter of 2009, our same-store senior living operating margins before rent or EBITDAM as a percentage of revenues declined to 23.8% from 24.6% in 2008 due to increases in wages and benefits. EBITDAM and our new communities was $3.2 million or 28.9% of related revenues.
Turning to our ancillary businesses, the rehabilitation hospitals generated a fourth quarter EBITDAM of $100,000. Hospital revenues were up $125,000, or 0.5%, when compared to last year due mainly to 2.5% Medicare price increase that took affect October of 2009.
However, hospital expenses did decrease by 300 basis points during the quarter due to strong cost management. In our pharmacies achieved a $40,000 dollar EBITDAM margin in the quarter, which is an increase of $575,000 from the prior year.
Pharmacy revenues were up 5.3%, compared with last year due to impact of adding new customers, which was partially offset by lower average revenues per prescription due to higher sales of generic drugs.
Pharmacy expenses increased only 2% from the prior year because of higher costs associated with our rising customer base, but our revenue increase allowed us to capture efficient EBITDAM flow through.
During the fourth quarter, general and administrative expenses increase 5% or $650,000 dollars from last year, due to higher corporate and regional costs associated with communities we began to operate in 2008.
Our G&A cost as a percentage of revenue are even with last year at 4.5% and are within range of our expectations. Rent expense for the quarter increased $2.6 million or 5.9% compared to last year. Most of this increase was due to the new acquisitions having rent expense of $1.5 million. Taxes $122,000 in the fourth quarter and absent any unusual gains or losses, we expect next quarter a taxes to be approximately $400,000 in the first quarter.
And before concluding today, let me review liquidity, cash flows and selected balance sheet items. As of December 31, we had unrestricted cash and cash equivalence of $11.3 million and total current unrestricted cash and investments including our UBS put right and auction rate securities of $94.7 million.
At December 31 and as of today, we had nothing drawn on our $40 million revolving line of credit with Wells Fargo and $40 million drawn on our UBS line year end. Today our balances remain undrawn at Wells Fargo and by $44.7 million at UBS. There by netting us approximately $30.3 million of ARS proceeds today.
Consolidated EBITDA excluding certain items noted in our press release was $4.7 million during the quarter, compared to $6 million last year. And operating cash flow for the quarter was negative $4.3 million, due to a number of working capital considerations such as $6.1 million associated with the prepaid expense runoff and deposits associated with our healthcare provider change in the fourth quarter. And $6.5 million of payments in reduced accruals for year-end due to PTO vacation and property tax accruals and payments.
We made $16.6 million of capital investments during the period and sold $6.3 million of CapEx to Senior Housing. Our accounts receivable management remains strong as the number of days sales outstanding for consolidated operations was exceptional 20.4 days at the end of the December.
At the end of the year, we had $192.7 million of net property and equipment, which included 25 properties that are directly owned by Five Star, 22 of which are unencumbered by debt.
In addition to the debt on our UBS line previously mentioned we had $49.7 million of convertible Senior Notes and $12 million of HUD mortgages outstanding. We believe we are in compliance with all material terms of our credit, note and mortgage agreements. I appreciate the opportunity to share this information with you today and do look forward to actively partnering with Bruce and the team at Five Star as we improve the performance and value of our company.
That concludes our prepared remarks for the day. We would now like to open it up for questions. Thank you.
Question-and-Answer Session
(Operator Instructions) And we will take our first question from line of Kevin Ellich from RBC Capital. Please go ahead, sir.
Kevin Ellich – RBC Capital
Good morning, guys. Thanks for taking my questions. Bruce, starting off with some of your commentary about average daily rate growth and some promotions that you are using, how much of the promotions impacted pricing growth this quarter?
Bruce Mackey
It has impacted it a little bit Kevin. Historically, if you look we averaged like I said in my prepared remarks over 4% over the last eight quarters up for the quarter on same-store basis were up about 2.3%. So you can see a little bit as some of that is a result of the Medicare rate decrease is well, but some that is a result of the year the pricing promotions that we have been doing?
Kevin Ellich – RBC Capital
And you said the sniff Medicare rate decrease was to that 1.1%?
Bruce Mackey
Kevin Ellich – RBC Capital
Okay. Got it. And then have you guys always paid out the accrued vacation time. I guess I missed that previously?
Bruce Mackey
No. We have. I think what I was trying to do was talk a little bit sequentially between Q3 and Q4. I think the payments and Paul you can a little bit, which we are pretty sequential where we were last year.
Paul Hoagland
Yeah. I mean ultimately last year in the month of December, we paid out 8 million change in the vacation and PTO this year was 9 million in change primarily because of the increasing communities. And then in the actual fourth quarter last year, we paid out 12 million change this year we paid out 13 million. So as to why -- it wasn't mentioned in previous calls, I certainly can't speak to that. But I think he is doing some…
Bruce Mackey
There is a big thing come out. But Paul, we had additional payroll taxes and result of those payouts in the fourth quarter that went around in Q3.
Kevin Ellich – RBC Capital
Okay. That was 725,000.
Bruce Mackey
Kevin Ellich – RBC Capital
That you mentioned?
Bruce Mackey
Kevin Ellich – RBC Capital
Okay. And then did you see any issues with seasonality this quarter. I think last year you had some delay and just wondering if that had effect on occupancy?
Bruce Mackey
It did. Sure. Again the prepared remarks, I think a lot of our skilled nursing results or the decrease I talked about was clearly a result of seasonality. And when I look at the Medicare A patients, were up well over 10% so far in 2009 than where we were in the fourth quarter of 2009 down '10. Now moving on fourth quarter of 2009 definitely seasonality. And Traffic can be slow during the month of December. People aren't really looking for a place to move mom-into during that the holiday time or between end of thanksgiving and year-end.
Kevin Ellich – RBC Capital
Bruce Mackey
We're definitely seeing traffic increase, traffic really picks up in January. And we are seeing that.
Kevin Ellich – RBC Capital
Okay. And then I did want to say, congratulations Paul and I look forward to a sitting down at some point. But just going back to comments on operating cash flow, it was negative this quarter I was just wondering what's your thoughts are on cash flow generation for 2010? Do you expect that to rebound and do you have any sort of color you can provide on that front for expectations?
Paul Hoagland
Yes. Well, obviously our fourth quarter is usually our lowest quarter but as you look even last year first quarter, we had a very strong cash generation quarter, which was over $20 million in the first quarter of 2009. So again, some of it is seasonality, some of it is the change in healthcare provider, which again in and of itself consumed over $6 million of cash.
Kevin Ellich – RBC Capital
Paul Hoagland
And again, the early reading by the way, on the healthcare provider change. We're cautiously optimistic that we are going to be able to moderate healthcare costs as we enter 2010.
Kevin Ellich – RBC Capital
Okay. That's helpful. Then just one last question or can you talk about, Bruce you talked about the web traffic and kind of your new marketing strategies. Just wondering how you guys are going to measure that success rate and if you could give us any color behind the patient demographic of who is actually visiting your website? I mean I have a tough time seeing a lot of senior citizens going -- checking out Five Star's website, but maybe I might be wrong on that?
Bruce Mackey
No. Wrong, but the senior population is becoming more web savvy. I will say in almost every one of our communities where we have some type of Internet cafe, we have actually got wireless portals in a lot of our Senior Living communities and it's something our residents are demanding more and more. It's a great way to talk to grandkids, view pictures online of the family. But that's a resident retention tool, but in terms of actually doing research, et cetera. It's generally the oldest daughter doing research for mom finding a place for her. And in terms of tracking that, I think through our leads tracking data base that we put into place in late 2008. We will definitely have a lot of -- we are seeing more visibility than we had over years past.
Kevin Ellich – RBC Capital
Okay. That's all I have. Thanks, guys.
Bruce Mackey
Thank you, Kevin.
Paul Hoagland
Thank you.
(Operator Instructions) And we will take our next question from the line of Joel Ray from Davenport. Please go ahead.
Joel Ray – Davenport
Good morning, folks.
Bruce Mackey
Good morning, Joel.
Joel Ray – Davenport
I would really like to focus the discussion little bit more on the cost side of the equation. In your comments Bruce you pointed to variety of cost issues that cropped up in the fourth quarter, which equated to about $0.05 in earnings per share impact. My sense is that for the most part those are not one-time in nature. Yes, we did have a little bit more in the way of payout on vacation, but we have that year and year out, though it was up some this year.
Bruce Mackey
I think you're right, Joel. I think a little bit more -- it's more seasonality than anything else on those costs.
Joel Ray – Davenport
Right. And then I heard you and Paul mention how we are going to increasing our focus on cost control and again I'm hearing that health insurance hopefully that starts to abate a bit. What other areas can we attack or focus on to try to go and keep that under control because until we can go and really see some rebound in the real estate markets and occupancy really rebuild, to have much in the way of cash flow generation and earnings momentum. We really need to focus on the labor cost and particular, which was surged a bit in the fourth quarter?
Paul Hoagland
I think obviously, a good question, topic of major concern and focus here and certainly as I come into the company, I want to improve the visibility and metrics with regards to labor efficiency and certainly the benefit area perfect example, we did talk a little bit you mentioned health care, health care I do think will work to our advantage but ultimately it will be my intent to not only look at things like health care but workers compensation, professional liability from a stand point of the measurement, the tracking and our abilities to be able to not only evaluate what has taken place but equally as important to be able to put in programs and systems that will help us alleviate prevent and reduce it going forward where again I had good success in the past.
Things as simple as even looking at a consolidated program to help us evaluate the purchase of utilities and energy I think as the company has grown so dramatically, some of those finer details have not caught up with us. So again in the process of interviewing companies that will help us evaluate energy costs, college costs and be able to consolidate and hopefully find efficiencies that as occupancy grows our flow through will increase more dramatically.
Joel Ray – Davenport
Okay. Are there any new programs in particular Bruce, that you think have the potential to cause a little bit more of a surge in overall occupancy as we think about the next few quarters at Five Star.
Bruce Mackey
We had special marketing programs in the past. Seems like, it's saying to pay off a bid. I didn't know if there was anything in particular we should be focusing on at this point.
Francis Murphy
Yeah. We've got nothing significant in the pipeline, my hope Joel is over the next of course that we can – we know our way off -- from the special program as the economy sort of rebound a little bit, I know it's been slow to get going but with the increased traffic that we are seeing, the very lack of new supply, the demographics in the industry, growing at 3% per year.
Several hundred thousand more people will want this type of service, I'm hopeful that there is been need for those special programs will await a little bit. We'll selectively still do some discounting at those properties. I mean, all of our communities have a tool box essentially set by the original people so they can choose from.
It might be a half a month free rent to that of six months to some one on those line to may be include a little bit more again depending over their occupancies and what they are competing with in their local community, but I'm hopeful that we set back a little bit from this programs.
Joel Ray – Davenport
Okay. Thanks very much.
Francis Murphy
Right. Thanks, Joel.
And we'll take our next question from the line of Michael Demaray from Elevated Capital. Please go ahead.
Michael Demaray – Elevated Capital
Good morning, guys.
Bruce Mackey
Good morning.
Michael Demaray – Elevated Capital
I was hoping you could give us a little bit of color on the returns on invested capital you guys are seeing on the Hospital side of the business?
Bruce Mackey
Yeah. That's a good question. In terms of return. The potential is significant. I realize we haven't really seen that yet, but if we can increase occupancy as a result of the capital improvements we have put into a place, the returns are going to be well over double digit.
In addition, I'm looking at the returns for the -- I mentioned that satellite, the fourth inpatient satellite unit, again the returns on that investment will be over double digit. But, these are tough to measure, we've been putting capital in, in a tough regulatory environment. We haven't seen that yet. We are expecting double digit. That's been the whole goal all along. We clearly haven't achieved that so far yet to date.
Michael Demaray – Elevated Capital
What's the time frame you are thinking there for those to ramp up?
Bruce Mackey
I know, I mentioned in repaired remarks the additional satellite unit is the fourth -- hopeful it's early 2011. I think that's realistic. The state of Mass can be difficult. Other states could be a lot quicker. But --
Michael Demaray – Elevated Capital
But in terms of the existing facilities ramping to the double digit return numbers. Are those – I mean, how many months does that take do you think?
Bruce Mackey
I think it's quarters, not months.
Michael Demaray – Elevated Capital
Quarters. Okay. Al right. Well, I think that's it. On the Pharmacy side of the business can you give us some color on what is going on there and what your thinking is?
Bruce Mackey
Sure. It's a piece of our business that's under our microscope. I have talked about that in the past. We did have some expenses. I really didn't highlight the numbers, but several hundred thousand dollars related to prior quarters. But, it's still even if you take those into account this quarter, the Pharmacy did not meet our expectations.
We have got about a thousand customer that we want to put on. We still think it's an efficiency to squeeze out on the operating expense side. If we don't hit those we will take a look that business in terms of whether we think it makes sense down the long run.
Michael Demaray – Elevated Capital
Okay. All right. Thanks very much.
Bruce Mackey
Thank you, Michael.
And we'll take our next question from the line of George Walsh from Gilford Securities. Please go ahead.
George Walsh – Gilford Securities
How was the healthcare utilization by employees trends this quarter versus previous quarters?
Bruce Mackey
Well, from a standpoint of pure dollars and cents we do -- recognizing that we made the change in carriers on October 1, we do have a bit of what I'm going to call green data, but the green data was again optimistic from a standpoint of, from an actuarial standpoint what we view the trajectory to be. The utilization itself, I can't speak to the percentage coming out of Q3 into Q4. I can just tell you that the dollars did moderate in Q4 from the trajectory it had been peaking at.
I mean, when you look at the second and third quarter, the company had, second quarter in particular, a pretty difficult delta of expense year-on-year with healthcare. We did not see that in the fourth quarter.
George Walsh – Gilford Securities
Okay. And also the energy cost, the previous quarter, the third quarter, you itemized a $1.7 million increase because of the summer related heat costs, but we have had a rather cold fourth quarter and winter start, so what was the -- did those stay about the same at the elevated level or was there some mitigation there?
Bruce Mackey
No. There was some mitigation and I spoke to that a little bit George. The mitigation was -- several -- I wouldn't say several, a little over $1 million. I am expecting those costs to kind of go back up against seasonality. Those costs generally go up in the first quarter of 2010 and you're right. It has been a much colder first quarter so far in 2010 than we have historically seen. In addition, you have got all the snowfall removal. That's probably another significant cost that we will probably see in the first quarter of 2010 that I think is going to be high over even prior quarters.
Paul Hoagland
The dollars were down fourth quarter of '09 to third quarter of '09 and then versus fourth quarter of '08, they were up only 3% or 4%. So, it was pretty moderate.
George Walsh – Gilford Securities
Okay. The other -- just in general, it seems there are various factors that come up each quarter that have their impact and they could be itemized, but if the net at this point that with these occupancy levels it's pretty much a breakeven or is there really room to move on the cost side to make that much of a difference here?
Bruce Mackey
I think there is some room on the cost side. One of the questions that Paul took a stab at from Joel -- how much it is, is still something to figure out. I don't think it's a huge amount, but I do think there are opportunities on the cost side. But again, we are seeing right with the increased traffic hopeful that the bottom is where we are at and we are starting to move our way back up.
George Walsh – Gilford Securities
Okay. And once again, just to be clear for myself, the use of your 26 million in cash to previous quarter it's about 11 now, so that use of cash was primarily for those -- I'm looking at my notes again, what was that again?
Bruce Mackey
The biggest piece was accrued vacation.
George Walsh – Gilford Securities
Bruce Mackey
And if you started looking at us last year, again though fourth quarter is always our lowest cash flow quarter. And we usually look at our balance sheet last year we ended the quarter with about $16.2 million to 16.1 million of cash. Again, it's generally our lowest cash position.
Paul Hoagland
And then the other big item is we have mentioned was over $6 million in the transition of healthcare providers between deposits in run off payments that were a combination of expense and prepaid.
George Walsh – Gilford Securities
Okay. Now are each of those items expensed?
Paul Hoagland
Bruce Mackey
Some of that is -- most of it is balance sheet and the other thing we really haven't talk about -- it is a much smaller amount, but it is still over seven figures, is we transferred a new carrier for workers compensation in June. So, again you have one being run off right now and run off from workers comp can take two to three years and you have one building up. So, I expect some cash out of that in next year or so.
George Walsh – Gilford Securities
Okay. So that's vacation expense is not -- that vacation item is not expense.
Bruce Mackey
We expense it as -- it's an accrual method. It hits every month. In December you pay out significantly.
George Walsh – Gilford Securities
Okay. Very good. All right. Thanks a lot.
Bruce Mackey
Thank you, George.
Thank you. That does conclude today's question-and-answer session. I would like to turn the call back to Mr. Bruce Mackey. Please go ahead sir.
Bruce Mackey
Great. Thank you. And thank you all for joining us on today's call. I would like to remind everybody that we will be presenting at RBC Capital Market Healthcare Conference in New York on March 3. I hope to see many of you there. Bye, now.
This concludes today's conference. You may disconnect at this time.
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The local American Cancer Society's Relay For Life Volunteers and Staff would like to offer a huge thank you to the staff and leadership of the Otto Kaiser Memorial Hospital which hosted Karnes County's (now annual) "American Cancer Society, Great American Smokeout Rally."
This event, which was open to the public at large, was a chance for a sharing of resource materials with one common theme… the effects of smoking on the body. Specifically invited were our local cancer Survivors and their Caregivers. As members of a group that is way too familiar with the cancer battle, these folks were greatly encouraged to take part in this lifesaving messaging campaign.
At the rally all were able to enjoy –through the generosity of the Hospital, our local Wal-Mart, and our local HEB- sandwiches, cake and beverages, as well as a variety of Society literature that helped spread the lifesaving message of smoking cessation. Also available was the chance to learn about (and sign up for) the 2014 American Cancer Society's Relay For Life of Karnes County - not to mention the chance to win several door prizes.
Again, we offer our sincerest thanks to our local Hospital and merchants for all they did to ensure a good time was had by all.
If you would like more informational about volunteering on the Relay For Life Committee, or to serve as a Team Captain, contact local Event Chairperson, Tina, at (830) 299-9453. For more information on cancer, call the American Cancer Society's 24-hour help line at (800) 227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
John Pish


text:
Benefits for Families
- Death Pension
- Education Assistance Program
- Home Loan
- Medical
- Burial Benefits
- Burial Flags
- Claim VA Life Insurance
- Bereavement Counseling
What is Death Pension?
Death Pension is a needs based benefit paid to an unremarried surviving spouse, or an unmarried child of a deceased wartime veteran.
How do I know if I'm eligible?
You may be eligible if:
- the deceased veteran was discharged from service under other than dishonorable conditions, AND
- the deceased veteran served at least 90 days of active military service 1 day of which was during a war time period. If he or she entered active duty after September 7, 1980, generally he or she must have served at least 24 months or the full period for which called or ordered to active duty. (There are exceptions to this rule.) AND
- you are the surviving spouse or unmarried child of the deceased veteran, AND
- your countable income is below a yearly limit set by law (The yearly limit on income is set by Congress).
As you can see, there are a number of criteria that may affect your eligibility to pension benefits. If you are unsure if you meet all criteria, we encourage you to go ahead and file an application, particularly if your countable income appears to be near the maximum. VA will determine if you are eligible and notify you. If you do not initially qualify, you may reapply if you have un-reimbursed medical expenses during the twelve month period after VA receives your claim that bring your countable income below the yearly income limit. (These are expense you have paid for medical services or products for which you will not be reimbursed by Medicare or private medical insurance.)
Are there age requirements, or restrictions?
- An unremarried spouse can be any age.
- A childmust be:
- under 18, or
- in school and under 23, or
- was incapable of self support before the age of 18.
What is "countable income" for pension eligibility?
This includes income received from most sources by the surviving spouse and any eligible children. It includes earnings, disability and retirement payments, interest and dividends, and net income from farming or business.
There is a presumption that all of a child's income is available to or for the surviving spouse. VA may grant an exception in hardship cases.
Certain expenses like medical expenses may be excluded from your annual income to lower the total countable income.
What about net worth?
Net worth means the net value of the assets of the surviving spouse and his or her children. It includes such assets as bank accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and any property other than the surviving spouse's residence and a reasonable lot area. There is no set limit on how much net worth a surviving spouse and his or her children can have, but net worth cannot be excessive. The decision as to whether a claimant's net worth is excessive depends on the facts of each individual case. All net worth should be reported and VA will determine if a claimant's assets are sufficiently large that the claimant could live off these assets for a reasonable period of time. VA's needs-based programs are not intended to protect substantial assets or build up an estate for the benefit of heirs
Are there any exclusions to income or deductions that may be made to reduce countable income?
Yes, there are exclusions. The following are examples of the types of exclusions or deductibles to countable income:
- Final expenses of the veteran's last illness and burial paid by the surviving spouse or eligible children.
- Public assistance such as Supplemental Security Income is not considered income.
- Many other specific sources of income are not considered income, however all income should be reported. VA will exclude any income that the law allows.
- A portion of un-reimbursed medical expenses paid by the claimant after VA receives your pension claim may be deducted.
- Certain other expenses, such as a surviving spouse's education expenses, and in some cases, a portion of the educational expenses of a child over 18 are deductible.
What are Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits? How Do I Apply?
- Aid and Attendance is a benefit paid in addition to monthly pension when:
- The claimant requires the aid of another person in order to perform personal functions required in everyday living, such as bathing, feeding, dressing, attending to the wants of nature, adjusting prosthetic devices, or protecting himself/herself from the hazards of his/her daily environment, OR,
- The claimant is bedridden, in that his/her disability or disabilities requires that he/she remain in bed apart from any prescribed course of convalescence or treatment, OR,
- The claimant is a patient in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity, OR,
- The claimant is blind or so nearly blind as to have corrected visual acuity of 5/200 or less, in both eyes, or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less.
- Houseboundis paid to a claimant when:
- The claimant is substantially confined to his/her immediate premises because of permanent disability.
The survivor may not receive Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound benefits at the same time.
How to Apply for Aid and Attendance and Housebound:
- You may apply for Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits by writing to the VA regional office having jurisdiction of the claim. That would be the office where you filed a claim for pension benefits. If the regional office of jurisdiction is not known, you may file the request with any VA regional office.
- You should include copies of any evidence, preferably a report from an attending physician validating the need for Aid and Attendance or Housebound type care.
- The report should be in sufficient detail to determine whether there is disease or injury producing physical or mental impairment, loss of coordination, or conditions affecting the ability to dress and undress, to feed oneself, to attend to sanitary needs, and to keep oneself ordinarily clean and presentable.
- In addition, it is necessary to determine whether the claimant is confined to the home or immediate premises.
- Whether the claim is for Aid and Attendance or Housebound, the report should indicate how well the individual gets around, where the individual goes, and what he or she is able to do during a typical day.
How much does VA pay for Death Pension?
VA pays you the difference between your countable income and an annual rate of payment established by Congress. VA provides an on-line table of annual incomes that would qualify you for pension. This difference is generally paid in 12 equal monthly payments rounded down to the nearest dollar. Click here to see an example of how VA arrives at your death pension amount.
Education Assistance Program
Dependents' Educational Assistance provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of certain veterans. The program offers up to 45 months of education benefits. These benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training. If you are a spouse, you may take a correspondence course. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.
You must be the son, daughter, or spouse of:
- A veteran who died or is permanently and totally disabled as the result of a service-connected disability. The disability must arise out of active service in the Armed Forces.
- A veteran who died from any cause while such service-connected disability was in existence.
- A servicemember missing in action or captured in line of duty by a hostile force.
- A servicemember forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power.
A servicemember who is hospitalized or receiving outpatient treatment for a service connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged for that disability. This change is effective December 23, 2006.
Period of Eligibility
If you are a son or daughter and wish to receive benefits for attending school or job training, you must be between the ages of 18 and 26. In certain instances, it is possible to begin before age 18 and to continue after age 26. Marriage is not a bar to this benefit. If you are in the Armed Forces, you may not receive this benefit while on active duty. To pursue training after military service, your discharge must not be under dishonorable conditions. VA can extend your period of eligibility by the number of months and days equal to the time spent on active duty. This extension cannot generally go beyond your 31st birthday, there are some exceptions.
If you are a spouse, benefits end 10 years from the date VA finds you eligible or from the date of death of the veteran. If the VA rated the veteran permanently and totally disabled with an effective date of 3 years from discharge a spouse will remain eligible for 20 years from the effective date of the rating. This change is effective October 10, 2008 and no benefits may be paid for any training taken prior to that date.
For surviving spouses (spouses of servicemembers who died on active duty) benefits end 20 years from the date of death.
The unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran who died on active duty or as the result of a service-connected disability is eligible for the home loan benefit.
If you wish to make application for the home loan benefit as a surviving spouse, contact one of our VA Eligibility Centers.
In addition, a surviving spouse who obtained a VA home loan with the veteran prior to his or her death (regardless of the cause of death), may obtain a VA guaranteed interest rate reduction refinance loan.
Eligibility Definitions
|A CHAMPVA-eligible spouse, widow(er), or child.
|Includes birth, adopted, stepchild, or helpless child as determined by a VA regional office (see the Rules that Impact CHAMPVA Eligibilty section of the CHAMVPA handbook).
|A child, spouse, or widow(er) of a qualifying sponsor.
|Qualifying Sponsor
|A veteran who is permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition, died as a result of a service-connected condition, was rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition at the time of death, or died on active duty and whose dependents are not otherwise entitled to DoD TRICARE benefits.
|A VA regional office determination that a veteran's illness or injury is related to military service.
|The wife or husband of a qualifying sponsor.
|The surviving spouse of a qualifying sponsor.
The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) is a comprehensive health care program in which the VA shares the cost of covered health care services and supplies with eligible beneficiaries. The program is administered by Health Administration Center and our offices are located in Denver, Colorado.
Due to the similarity between CHAMPVA and the Department of Defense (DoD) TRICARE program (sometimes referred to by its old name, CHAMPUS) the two are often mistaken for each other. CHAMPVA is a Department of Veterans Affairs program whereas TRICARE is a regionally managed health care program for active duty and retired members of the uniformed services, their families, and survivors. In some cases a veterans may look to be eligible for both/either program on paper. However, if you are a military retiree, or the spouse of a veteran who was killed in action, you are and will always be a TRICARE beneficiary, you can´t choose between the two.
To be eligible for CHAMPVA, you cannot be eligible for TRICARE/CHAMPUS and you must be in one of these categories:
- the spouse or child of a veteran who has been rated permanently and totally disabled for a service-connected disability by a VA regional office, or
- the surviving spouse or child of a veteran who died from a VA-rated service connected disability, or
- the surviving spouse or child of a veteran who was at the time death rated permanently and totally disabled from a service connected disability, or
- the surviving spouse or child of a military member who died in the line of duty, not due to misconduct (in most of these cases, these family members are eligible for TRICARE, not CHAMPVA).
Burial Benefits
Burial in a National Cemetery
Burial benefits available include a gravesite in any of our 131 national cemeteries with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a Government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, at no cost to the family. Some veterans may also be eligible for Burial Allowances. Cremated remains are buried or inurned in national cemeteries in the same manner and with the same honors as casketed remains.
Burial benefits available for spouses and dependents buried in a national cemetery include burial with the veteran, perpetual care, and the spouse or dependents name and date of birth and death will be inscribed on the veteran's headstone, at no cost to the family. Eligible spouses and dependents may be buried, even if they predecease the veteran.
Burial in a Private Cemetery
Burial benefits available for veterans buried in a private cemetery include a Government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, at no cost to the family. Some veterans may also be eligible for Burial Allowances. There are not any benefits available to spouses and dependents buried in a private cemetery.
Eligibility of Burial Benefits
To confirm your eligibility for burial benefits, please call a Veteran's Benefits Counselor at:
Persons Eligible for Burial in a VA National Cemetery
VA national cemetery directors have the primary responsibility for verifying eligibility for burial in VA national cemeteries. A determination of eligibility is usually made in response to a request for burial in a VA national cemetery. VA Regional Offices will also assist in determining eligibility for burial in a VA national cemetery. The toll-free number for the nearest VA Regional Office is 1-800-827-1000.
a. Veterans and Members of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard)
- Any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who dies on active duty.
- Any veteran who was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. With certain exceptions, service beginning after September 7, 1980, as an enlisted person, and service after October 16, 1981, as an officer, must be for a minimum of 24 continuous months or the full period for which the person was called to active duty (as in the case of a Reservist called to active duty for a limited duration). Undesirable, bad conduct, and any other type of discharge other than honorable may or may not qualify the individual for veterans benefits, depending upon a determination made by a VA Regional Office. Cases presenting multiple discharges of varying character are also referred for adjudication to a VA Regional Office.
- Any citizen of the United States who, during any war in which the United States has or may be engaged, served in the Armed Forces of any Government allied with the United States during that war, whose last active service was terminated honorably by death or otherwise, and who was a citizen of the United States at the time of entry into such service and at the time of death.
b. Members of Reserve Components and Reserve Officers' Training Corps
- Reservists and National Guard members who, at time of death, were entitled to retired pay under Chapter 1223, title 10, United States Code, or would have been entitled, but for being under the age of 60. Specific categories of individuals eligible for retired pay are delineated in section 12731 of Chapter 1223, title 10, United States Code.
- Members of reserve components, and members of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, who die while hospitalized or undergoing treatment at the expense of the United States for injury or disease contracted or incurred under honorable conditions while performing active duty for training or inactive duty training, or undergoing such hospitalization or treatment.
- Members of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps of the Army, Navy, or Air Force who die under honorable conditions while attending an authorized training camp or on an authorized cruise, while performing authorized travel to or from that camp or cruise, or while hospitalized or undergoing treatment at the expense of the United States for injury or disease contracted or incurred under honorable conditions while engaged in one of those activities.
- Members of reserve components who, during a period of active duty for training, were disabled or died from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty or, during a period of inactive duty training, were disabled or died from an injury or certain cardiovascular disorders incurred or aggravated in line of duty.
c. Commissioned Officers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- A Commissioned Officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (formerly titled the Coast and Geodetic Survey and the Environmental Science Services Administration) with full-time duty on or after July 29, 1945.
- A Commissioned Officer who served before July 29, 1945, and,
- Was assigned to an area of immediate military hazard as determined by the Secretary of Defense while in time of war, or in a Presidentially declared national emergency; or,
- Served in the Philippine Islands on December 7, 1941, and continuously in such islands thereafter.
d. Public Health Service
- A Commissioned Officer of the Regular or Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service who served on full-time duty on or after July 29, 1945. If the service of the particular Public Health Service Officer falls within the meaning of active duty for training, as defined in section 101(22), title 38, United States Code, he or she must have been disabled or died from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
- Commissioned Officer of the Regular or Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service who performed full-time duty prior to July 29, 1945:
- In time of war;
- On detail for duty with the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard; or,
- While the Service was part of the military forces of the United States pursuant to Executive Order of the President.
- A Commissioned Officer serving on inactive duty training as defined in section 101(23), title 38, United States Code, whose death resulted from an injury incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
e. World War II Merchant Mariners
- United States Merchant Mariners with oceangoing service during the period of armed conflict, December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946. Prior to the enactment of Public Law 105-368, United States Merchant Mariners with oceangoing service during the period of armed conflict of December 7, 1941, to August 15, 1945, were eligible. With enactment of Public Law 105-368, the service period is extended to December 31, 1946, for those dying on or after November 11, 1998. A DD-214 documenting this service may be obtained by submitting an application to Commandant (G-MVP-6), United States Coast Guard, 2100 2nd Street, SW, Washington, DC 20593. Notwithstanding, the Mariner's death must have occurred on or after the enactment of Public Law 105-368.
- United States Merchant Mariners who served on blockships in support of Operation Mulberry during World War II.
f. The Philippine Armed Forces
- Any Philippine veteran who was a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States at the time of their death; and resided in the United States at the time of their death; and,
- Was a person who served before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, while such forces were in the service of the Armed Forces of the United States pursuant to the military order of the President dated July 26, 1941, including organized guerilla forces under commanders appointed, designated, or subsequently recognized by the Commander in Chief, Southwest Pacific Area, or other competent authority in the Army of the United States, and who died on or after November 1, 2000; or,
- Was a person who enlisted between October 6, 1945, and June 30, 1947, with the Armed Forces of the United States with the consent of the Philippine government, pursuant to section 14 of the Armed Forces Voluntary Recruitment Act of 1945, and who died on or after December 16, 2003.
g. Spouses and Dependents
- The spouse or surviving spouse of an eligible veteran is eligible for interment in a national cemetery even if that veteran is not buried or memorialized in a national cemetery. In addition, the spouse or surviving spouse of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States whose remains are unavailable for burial is also eligible for burial.
- The surviving spouse of an eligible veteran who had a subsequent remarriage to a non-veteran and whose death occurred on or after January 1, 2000, is eligible for burial in a national cemetery, based on his or her marriage to the eligible veteran.
- The minor children of an eligible veteran. For purpose of burial in a national cemetery, a minor child is a child who is unmarried and:
- Who is under 21 years of age; or,
- Who is under 23 years of age and pursuing a full-time course of instruction at an approved educational institution.
- The unmarried adult child of an eligible veteran. For purpose of burial in a national cemetery, an unmarried adult child is:
Of any age but became permanently physically or mentally disabled and incapable of self-support before reaching 21 years of age, or before reaching 23 years of age if pursuing a full-time course of instruction at an approved educational institution. Proper supporting documentation must be provided.
h. Others
Such other persons or classes of persons as designated by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (38 U.S.C. § 2402(6)) or the Secretary of Defense (Public Law 95-202, § 401, and 38 CFR § 3.7(x)).
Persons NOT Eligible for Burial in a VA National Cemetery
a. Former Spouses
A former spouse of an eligible individual whose marriage to that individual has been terminated by annulment or divorce, if not otherwise eligible.
b. Other Family Members
Family members of an eligible person except those defined as eligible in Section III, paragraph g.
c. Disqualifying Characters of Discharge
A person whose only separation from the Armed Forces was under dishonorable conditions or whose character of service results in a bar to veterans benefits.
d. Discharge from Draft
A person who was ordered to report to an induction station, but was not actually inducted into military service.
e. Person Found Guilty of a Capital Crime
Under 38 U.S.C. § 2411, interment or memorialization in a VA national cemetery or in Arlington National Cemetery is prohibited if a person is convicted of a Federal or State capital crime, for which a sentence of imprisonment for life or the death penalty may be imposed and the conviction is final. Federal officials may not inter in veterans cemeteries persons who are shown by clear and convincing evidence to have committed a Federal or State capital crime but were unavailable for trial due to death or flight to avoid prosecution. Federally funded State veterans cemeteries must also adhere to this law. This prohibition is also extended to furnishing a Presidential Memorial Certificate, a burial flag, and a headstone or marker.
f. Subversive Activities
Any person convicted of subversive activities after September 1, 1959, shall have no right to burial in a national cemetery from and after the date of commission of such offense, based on periods of active military service commencing before the date of the commission of such offense, nor shall another person be entitled to burial on account of such an individual. Eligibility will be reinstated if the President of the United States grants a pardon.
g. Active or Inactive Duty for Training
A person whose only service is active duty for training or inactive duty training in the National Guard or Reserve Component, unless the individual meets the eligibility criteria listed in Section III.1.b. of this information sheet.
h. Other Groups
Members of groups whose service has been determined by the Secretary of the Air Force under the provisions of Public Law 95-202 as not warranting entitlement to benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Burial Flags
Why Does VA Provide a Burial Flag?
A United States flag is provided, at no cost, to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased veteran who served honorably in the U. S. Armed Forces. It is furnished to honor the memory of a veteran's military service to his or her country. VA will furnish a burial flag for memorialization for each other than dishonorable discharged
- veteran who served during wartime
- veteran who died on active duty after May 27, 1941
- veteran who served after January 31, 1955
- peacetime veteran who was discharged or released before June 27, 1950
- certain persons who served in the organized military forces of the Commonwealth of the Philippines while in service of the U.S. Armed Forces and who died on or after April 25, 1951
- certain former members of the Selected Reserves
Who Is Eligible to Receive the Burial Flag?
Generally, the flag is given to the next-of-kin, as a keepsake, after its use during the funeral service. When there is no next-of-kin, VA will furnish the flag to a friend making request for it. For those VA national cemeteries with an Avenue of Flags, families of veterans buried in these national cemeteries may donate the burial flags of their loved ones to be flown on patriotic holidays.
How Can You Apply?
You may apply for the flag by completing VA Form 21-2008, Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes. You may get a flag at any VA regional office or U.S. Post Office. Generally, the funeral director will help you obtain the flag.
Can a Burial Flag Be Replaced?
The law allows us to issue one flag for a veteran's funeral. We cannot replace it if it is lost, destroyed, or stolen. However, some veterans' organizations or other community groups may be able to help you get another flag.
How Should the Burial Flag Be Displayed?
The proper way to display the flag depends upon whether the casket is open or closed. VA Form 21-2008 provides the correct method for displaying and folding the flag. The burial flag is not suitable for outside display because of its size and fabric. It is made of cotton and can easily be damaged by weather.
To Claim VA Life Insurance
VA Life Insurance
Filing a Death Claim (except SGLI/VGLI)
Where to Mail or Fax Your Claim
Mailing Address:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Regional Office and Insurance Center
P O Box 7208
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101
Toll Free Fax Number: (888) 748-5822
How to File A Claim
|If you are the:
|You should send us:
|Principal Beneficiary
|A VA Form 29-4125, Claim for One Sum Payment. Download this form, complete it and mail or fax it to us (address and fax # above). You must also send a death certificate (or photocopy) showing date and cause of death of insured.
|Contingent Beneficiary
|A VA Form 29-4125, Claim for One Sum Payment. Download this form, complete it and mail or fax it to us (address and fax # above). You must also send death certificates (or photocopies) showing date and cause of death of the insured and of the principal beneficiary or beneficiaries.
|Representative of the Estate
|A VA Form 29-4125, Claim for One Sum Payment. Download this form, complete it and mail or fax it to us (address and fax # above). The claim form must be signed by the executor or administrator of the estate. You must also send a death certificate (or photocopy) showing date and cause of death of the insured. In addition, copies of letters testamentary, letters of administration, or a court order of distribution must be submitted. If these are not available, a statement that there will be no administration of the estate, and VA Form 29-541, Certificate Showing Residence and Heirs of Deceased Veteran, must be filed.
|A Minor or an Incompetent Person
|A VA Form 29-4125, Claim for One Sum Payment. Download this form, complete it and mail or fax it to us (address and fax # above). The claim form must be signed by the next of kin, personal representative (guardian, custodian, etc.) or logical person to receive payment for the minor or incompetent. Also, include letters of guardianship, conservatorship, etc. (if any) and address of minor or incompetent. You must also send a death certificate (or photocopy) showing date and cause of death of the insured.
|Veterans Mortgage Life Insurance Claims
|A payoff statement from the veteran's mortgage lender showing the outstanding mortgage balance owed as of the date of the veteran's death. You must also send a death certificate (or photocopy) showing date and cause of death of the insured.
|If monthly payments are desired instead of one lump sum
|If the beneficiary desires monthly payments instead of one lump sum, additional information is needed. Please call us toll-free at 1-800-669-8477 for instructions.
Bereavement Counseling
What is Bereavement Counseling?
Bereavement counseling is assistance and support to people with emotional and psychological stress after the death of a loved one. Bereavement counseling includes a broad range of transition services, including outreach, counseling, and referral services to family members.
Does VA Have Bereavement Counseling for Surviving Family Members?
The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) offers bereavement counseling to parents, spouses and children of Armed Forces personnel who died in the service of their country. Also eligible are family members of reservists and National Guardsmen who die while on duty.
Where Is Counseling Offered?
VA's bereavement counseling is provided at community-based Vet Centers located near the families. There is no cost for VA bereavement counseling.
How Can You Obtain These Services?
Services are obtained by contacting Readjustment Counseling Service at 202-273-9116 or via electronic mail at firstname.lastname@example.com both of which are specific to this specialized service. RCS staff will assist families in contacting the nearest Vet Center. Often counseling can be made available in the family's home or where the family feels most comfortable.


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Here is another book preview video featuring novels by Bestseller Bound authors. You'll want a pen and paper, so you can jot down some titles for your to-read list. Among the many titles, this video includes a peek at my patriotic children's picture book The Flag Keeper.
You can find all of the Bestseller Bound videos to date on our You Tube Channel. All of the videos are produced by Darcia Helle, author and publisher of Quiet Fury Books.


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New York Gift Fair named a top show
October 2, 2009-- Home Textiles Today,
White Plains, N.Y. – The New York International Gift Fair was recently ranked among the top shows in the United States by Trade Show Executive and Tradeshow Week, two leading exposition industry trade publications.
NYIGF was named one of Trade Show Executive's 2009 "Gold 100" honorees, based on the magazine's selection of "gold standard-setting" events within the $85 billion exposition industry.
Tradeshow Week, which is owned by HTT parent company Reed Business Information, ranked NYIGF 28th out of the 200 largest U.S. trade shows based on net square feet of paid exhibit space. Last year, the show had ranked 30th.
Next year's shows will take place Jan. 30 through Feb. 4 and Aug. 14-20 in New York at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Pier 94.
Related Content By Author
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Previewing Heimtextil 2017


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Race Office
The Statesman Capitol 10,000 race welcomes your questions and comments. Please take an opportunity to review the Questions Frequently Asked section for common race inquiries.
Please direct your questions and comments to one of the following:
Statesman Capitol 10K Race
P.O. Box 2936 Austin, TX 78768-2936
Race Headquarters
Austin American-Statesman
305 South Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
Phone: (512) 445-3598
General Information or Questions
Media Relations
Volunteering Information
Sponsorship Opportunities
Exhibitor Services
Road Closure Information


text: RSS Events Feeds Hackathon for Autism 3/22/2013 7:00 PM - 3/24/2013 9:00 PM hackathon forautismMarch 22nd - 24thThe Microsoft Bing Fund is creating a series of Hackathons around Autism, where we will invite technologists, designers, subject matter experts, and people living with Autism (both families and individuals) to participate and help us produce prototypes which we will continue to build on at subsequent Hackathons. Depending on the feedback from the first event we will likely modify the themes at each subsequent events to focus on specific areas. If you have any comments or questions about our Hackathon for Autism or you would like to volunteer please reach out to us here.whereSURF IncubatorExchange Building821 Second Ave., Suite 800Seattle, WAregisterEventbritespeakers Learn More: Hackathon for Autism


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Living like you're on vacation is within your reach! Resort-style living has never been more affordable than at Emerald Greens Resort.
Our condos include all of the major appliances, fridge, stove, dishwasher, garbage disposal, washer and dryer, and basic cable.
Pets less than 20 lbs. are permitted with an applicable pet fee (no aggressive breeds please). Each of these are unfurnished condos but still include all major appliances such as a dishwasher, garbage disposal, side-by-side refrigerator with ice maker, stove, built-in microwave, washer and dryer, basic cable, garbage pick-up and pest control.
The long term rentals require an application to be completed. Please complete the application to begin planning your extended stay at Emerald Greens.
Application fee is $50.00.
Security deposit is $300.00.
Pet fee is $300.00.
One Bedroom - starting at $645
Two Bedroom - starting at $745
Three Bedroom - starting at $845


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By PT Staff, published on May 1, 1998 - last reviewed on June 9, 2016
PT: Many people believe it's healthy to just express your emotions: do whatever you need to do to get them out. What's your take on this?
EPSTEIN: The Buddhist approach is that you can't empty out feelings by acting them out. You don't necessarily make things better by expressing everything; you might actually inflate the situation. Instead, it's helpful to learn how to be with what you're feeling before choosing whether to act it out. Recognizing an emotion as it happens is what I have learned from both Buddhist mediation and from my own experiences in therapy.
PT: What sort of Buddhist meditation do you practice?
EPSTEIN: From the age of twenty-one, I've practiced a form of Buddhist meditation rooted in Southeast Asia and called Vipassana. This kind of meditation emphasizes a practice of what's called bare attention. You just watch your mind. You give impartial attention to your thoughts and your emotions without judging them. When I sat down and began my work as a therapist, I automatically went into this state of mind that I had cultivated in meditation.
PT: When you started meditating, what was your experience?
EPSTEIN: I had a lot of held-back anger. And one of the emotional lessons I had to learn was to understand my right to be angry. I had to learn how to feel it and then learn to make use of the energy rather than just being spiteful or turning it against myself or anyone else.
PT: It seems like the biggest obstacle to facing difficult emotions is that people are afraid of what they're going to feel.
EPSTEIN: Or of what they're going to find. But you can face this fear bit by bit, by biting off really small amounts. When you meditate or have a therapy session, it's rare that the feelings come surging up like some volcano that overwhelms you. It's much more usual that you'll have just enough frustration or fear about "what's going to happen after I exhale on this breath before I can draw in the next breath." Meditation provides little tiny opportunities for getting to know your own fear.
PT: In your book Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart, you discuss your long meditation retreats. To really learn to tolerate emotions, do you think you need to go off on retreats?
EPSTEIN: I think to really understand the potential or the power of meditation, it's very, very useful to go off on a retreat for a period of time. You can definitely experience some things that you won't experience sitting and meditating at home for half an hour.
PT: Like what?
EPSTEIN: The first thing you discover is how you're thinking all the time. There's this internal chatter that's just going, thinking the same thoughts, one after another, over and over and over again, always commenting on what's going on and getting in the way of a more direct experience of life. If you can patiently sit for an hour or walk for a half hour, eat your meals slowly, not talk, try to pay attention as best you can to what you're doing, your mind starts to get quieter. There are little windows in which the chatter is not going all the time. And then you really start to have a different experience of the world because the veil of your own thoughts has been parted. For the uninitiated, it's like trying to talk about sex before you've experienced it. You can only describe little whiffs of it.
PT: And what happened to you when you started to meditate? How did you change?
EPSTEIN: Early on in my meditation practice, I had a few experiences of being filled with happiness and relieved of any sense of burden. Then, I spent an extraordinary amount of time trying to recapture that feeling in meditation. I kept judging my experience, pulling myself away from it ever so slightly, comparing it to that blissful moment that I had last time, and in a subtle but pervasive way, I was perpetuating my own unhappiness. Then I realized that the real lesson from meditation was not about the bliss. It was the same lesson that the child psychiatrist D. W. Winnicott was talking about when he wrote that the mother's responsibility is to fail the child adequately. You're inevitably going to be disappointed by life, or by people whom you love, or by meditation, but the point is to learn how to bear that disappointment and not to hide behind it, but to come back with the love. For me, meditation took away the fear of getting attached to the world while knowing how fleeting it all is.
PT: How people will disappoint us, leave, die...
EPSTEIN: That's right. And meditation, ultimately, is about surrender to that process, and the joy that comes out of completely immersing yourself in this changing world. Sometimes, to learn how to completely immerse yourself into this world, you have to renounce it, you have to pull yourself back and practice just with your own mind. The point of that retreat is to free you up enough to engage more with the world. And at its best, that has to be the aim of psychotherapy. You let someone become attached to you in a real way and then let them leave.
PT: As the psychiatrist Jean Baker Miller said about how we don't grow into independence or autonomy, we grow into relationship.
EPSTEIN: Instead of heading toward separation and individuation, we're growing toward love and death. And to successfully engage in either of those realms requires this ability to quiet yourself and give yourself over to the process. I feel enriched by having been clued into this early in my life.


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Coming Soon to a Location Near You
I don't know about you, but I have recently rekindled my thought process about the "franchising of churches." I say rekindled because once the FBC Jackson "takeover" of Calvary was thwarted last summer, I have really made an intentional effort not to be critical or cynical of other churches. I must say, I have done better than I thought, maybe that is because I realize I can do "nothing" about this method of church growth. Still, I get gagged every now and then when I see what churches are doing. It almost appears as if these "franchising churches" act a little like Ray Kroc.
One reason this subject has resurfaced is due to the new church start in the town of Clinton, where I reside. Pinelake Baptist Church in Brandon, (which tried to takeover FBC Ridgeland about a year ago, then subsequently moved their first "franchise" down the road from FBC Ridgeland when the members of FBC Ridgeland voted against the takeover), has now renovated a storefront ($250,000) near my neighborhood in order to "franchise" their brand of church/theology/worship in Clinton.
Can someone PLEASE tell me why people allow church leaders to do this?
I have recently driven around the area of where this "new church" will be. There are 9 Baptist churches already within a 2-mile radius of this new McPinelake. Three of these Baptist churches have a membership of more than 500 people. The "Big 3," as I call them, are all different in preaching style, worship style, etc. So, to say the reason to start a "new franchise" for "diversity" is ridiculous.
Now, I do realize that the Kingdom of God is way bigger than I can fathom and maybe I am reading more into this than I should. Yet, I want to say to Pinelake the same thing I wanted to say to Stan Buckley and FBC Jackson when they tried to takeover Calvary. And that is, "What makes you think we are doing church "wrong" or that we are "dead?" If these churches were really interested in improving the spiritual conditions of the people at Calvary or in Clinton then why not "partner" with the already existing churches?
I mentioned Ray Kroc earlier. I am not sure how many of you know him or his story. So, here's a brief history. Ray Kroc was a milkshake salesman. One day he visited a store where the owners had been purchasing vast amounts of his milkshake products. Shortly after seeing first hand the booming business these "burger joints" were enjoying, he made a deal with the owners and bought them out. The name of his new chain of franchises, McDonald's. Oh yeah, one more thing, when those guys who sold to Kroc began opening new burger places, he would open a McDonald's nearby and eventually drove them out of business.
I am not naive enough to think that these new "franchises" aren't part of some great egocentric desire to say "look at us and what God is doing." And, I am sure that these "mother" churches are doing a fine job of meeting peoples spiritual needs in their "original" locations. But why franchise? Isn't there enough to do and be as a church where you first came into existence? Why not help other churches that are struggling?
So, I suppose the question I would ask, "What would Jesus say about "church franchising?" I doubt He would say, "How can I help you today? Would you like to try our new Sunday school worship combo? You can get it light with water if you want!"
Boom like that,
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