It takes your own web site... and a lot of conceit to think that anybody is interested in your thoughts and ideas.   Those of you who know me, know that I have both.   So I have created this eclectic page to explore, entertain, editorialize, enlighten, embellish, expose, educate, enchant, expound, encourage, endorse, examine, enliven, exasperate, enrage, exhilarate, enrich, entangle, explain, enthuse, extol, eulogize, evoke, exalt, excite, exhort, express, and embarrass anyone foolish enough to read it. Who could ask for anything more?

Submarine Veterans of WWII

The United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. (USSVI) base in Charleston, SC just released this announcement:

*  *  *  Diesel Boats Forever  *  *  *

I want to reassure all the "Goat Boat" sailors that as long as this Quartermaster is able to navigate, we will continue to hold "All Hands" CHIVO Reunions.   

Stan (June 2008)

Social Security Provides Extra Earnings for Military Service

STS3(SS)   Mike Rainwater   (69-71) sent me this information.   It seems to apply to all of us, and it may put some extra jingle in your pockets, so read on.   Mike said, "I called the local SS folks, and they said all that I had to do was bring down my DD 214 when I officially retire and present it to them so that they may recalculate but there were imposing restrictions.   It had to do with timing, as I recall.   I don’t think they’ll permit registration after the fact and I suspect that it must be taken care of when you file for your official bid to receive SS payments." You can read more about this in a Social Security publication on line at http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/1007.pdf.   A small part of that text is quoted below.

Military Service and Social Security Extra earnings Your Social Security benefit depends on your earnings, averaged over your working lifetime.   Generally, the higher your earnings, the higher your Social Security benefit.   Under certain circumstances, special earnings can be credited to your military pay record for Social Security purposes.   The extra earnings are for periods of active duty or active duty for training.   These extra earnings may help you qualify for Social Security or increase the amount of your Social Security benefit.   Social Security will add these extra earnings to your earnings record when you file for benefits. If you served in the military from 1940 through 1956, including attendance at a service academy, you did not pay Social Security taxes.   However, we will credit you with $160 a month in earnings for military service from September 16, 1940, through December 31, 1956, if: You were honorably discharged after 90 or more days of service, or you were released because of a disability or injury received in the line of duty; or You are applying for survivors benefits based on a veteran’s work and the veteran died while on active duty. You cannot receive these special credits if you are receiving a federal benefit based on the same years of service, unless you were on active duty after 1956.   If you were on active duty after 1956, you can get the special credit for 1951 through 1956, even if you are receiving a military retirement based on service during that period. If you served in the military from 1957 through 1977, you are credited with $300 in additional earnings for each calendar quarter in which you received active duty basic pay. If you served in the military from 1978 through 2001, you are credited with an additional $100 in earnings, up to a maximum of $1,200 a year, for every $300 in active duty basic pay.   After 2001, additional earnings are no longer credited. If you began your service after September 7, 1980, and did not complete at least 24 months of active duty or your full tour, you may not be able to receive the additional earnings.   Check with us for more information. NOTE:   In all cases, the additional earnings are credited to the earnings that we average over your working lifetime, not directly to your monthly benefit amount. When you apply for Social Security benefits, you will be asked for proof of your military service (DD Form 214) or information about your reserve or National Guard service.

Many thanks to Mike Rainwater for this valuable information.

Stan (September 2007)

Saluting our Flag

LCDR Brent Taylor, CHIVO's Executive Officer 68 - 70, and several other CHIVO shipmates sent me this Washington DC press release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today praised the passage by unanimous consent of his bill (S.1877) clarifying U.S. law to allow veterans and servicemen not in uniform to salute the flag.   Current law (US Code Title 4, Chapter 1) states that veterans and servicemen not in uniform should place their hand over their heart without clarifying whether they can or should salute the flag.

"The salute is a form of honor and respect, representing pride in one's military service, " Senator Inhofe said.   "Veterans and service members continue representing the military services even when not in uniform.   Unfortunately, current U.S. law leaves confusion as to whether veterans and service members out of uniform can or should salute the flag.   My legislation will clarify this regulation, allowing veterans and servicemen alike to salute the flag, whether they are in uniform or not."

"I look forward to seeing those who have served saluting proudly at baseball games, parades, and formal events.   I believe this is an appropriate way to honor and recognize the 25 million veterans in the United States who have served in the military and remain as role models to other citizens.   Those who are currently serving or have served in the military have earned this right, and their recognition will be an inspiration to others."

The bill was passed July 25, 2007.

Stan (August 2007)

There Ain't No Free Lunch!
I am talking about those wonderful invitations that we, as seniors, frequently get to a free lunch and investiment seminar.   For the first time this year, "Investiment Seminars" made the annual list of "Top 10 Traps" compiled by state securities regulators. (The list, in alphabetical order, is available at the web site of the North American Securities Administrators Association, http://www.nasaa.org.

"The issues related to these "lunch programs" have been around for a while," NASAA president Joseph Borg said, referring to the sale of unsuitable investiments to seniors.   "But these seminars have taken on a life of their own."   Regulators in seven states have been examining sales practices by seminar presenters, sometimes attending the lunches unannounced to see what goes on.   What goes on is a well-orchestrated effort to prey on seniors' fears and pressure them into high commission products that, while appropriate for some, may be unnecessary and at worst totally unsuitable for most.   The speakers at these seminars keep scaring and pressuring the mostly elderly audience with half-truths and distortions.   With their audience sufficently scared, they push on with "procrastinator warnings - Information is only good if you use it, and what's the best day for your appointment to sign up."   When that doesn't work, they get out the hammer and try to browbeat you into their product.   The bottom line is, too many seniors are ending up buying something they don't understand, need or want.

So, shipmates, think twice before you accept that invitation to a "free lunch" and investiment seminar.   It could be very expensive.

For my part, No Thanks - I'll just skip the lunch and save my money.

Stan(July 07)

The Submariner

I first read this article by the noted psychologist, Dr. Joyce Brothers, about 20 years ago.   It was true then and is still true now.

The Submariner The tragic loss of the submarine Thresher and 129 men had a special kind of impact on the nation....a special kind of sadness, mixed with universal admiration for the men who choose this type of work.   One could not mention the Thresher without observing, in the same breath how utterly final and alone the end is when a ship dies at the bottom of the sea......and what a remarkable specimen of man it must be who accepts such a risk.   Most of us might be moved to conclude, too, that a tragedy of this kind would have a damaging effect on the morale of the other men in the submarine service and tend to discourage future enlistment.   Actually, there is not evidence that this is so.   What is it then, that lures men to careers in which they spend so much of their time in cramped quarters, under great psychological stress, with danger lurking all about them? Bond Among Them Togetherness is an overworked term, but in no other branch of our military service is it given such full meaning as in the so called "silent service. "   In an undersea craft, each man is totally dependent upon the skill of every other man in the crew, not only for top performance but for actual survival. Each knows that his life depends on the others and because this is so, there is a bond among them that both challenges and comforts them.   All of this gives the submariner a special feeling of pride, because he is indeed a member of an elite corps.   The risks, then, are an inspiration rather than a deterrent.   The challenge of masculinity is another factor which attracts men to serve on submarines.   It certainly is a test of a man's prowess and power to know he can qualify for this highly selective service.   However, it should be emphasized that this desire to prove masculinity is not pathological, as it might be in certain daredevil pursuits, such as driving a motorcycle through a flaming hoop. Emotionally Healthy There is nothing daredevil's about motivations of the man who decides to dedicate his life to the submarine service.   He does, indeed, take pride in demonstrating that he is quite a man, but he does not do so to practice a form of foolhardy brinkmanship, to see how close he can get to failure and still snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.   On the contrary, the aim in the submarine service is to battle danger, to minimize the risk, to take every measure to make certain that safety rather danger, is maintained at all times. Are the men in the submarine service braver than those in other pursuits where the possibility of sudden tragedy is constant?   The glib answer would be to say they are.   It is more accurate, from a psychological point of view, to say they are not necessarily braver, but that they are men who have a little more insight into themselves and their capabilities. They know themselves a little better than the next man.   This has to be so with men who have a healthy reason to volunteer for a risk.   They are generally a cut healthier emotionally than others of the similar age and background because of their willingness to push themselves a little bit farther and not settle for an easier kind of existence. We all have tremendous capabilities but are rarely straining at the upper level of what we can do, these men are. The country can be proud and grateful that so many of its sound, young, eager men care enough about their own stature in life and the welfare of their country to pool their skills and match them collectively against the power of the sea. by Dr. Joyce Brothers

(May 07)

National Do Not Call Registry for Cell Phones
If you've received an email telling you that your cell phone number is going to be released to telemarketing companies or that you must call a National Do Not Call list for cell phones to register your cell phone number, rest assured this is not the case.
Federal Communications Commission regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers.   Even though the federal government does not maintain a national cell phone registery, cell phone users have always been able to add their numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry.   This is the same registry you use to register your land lines.   You may add your telephone numbers to the registry either online at www.donotcall. gov or by calling toll-free 1-888-382-1222 from the telephone number you wish to register.   Registrations become effective within 31 days of signing up and are active for five years.   There is no cut-off date or deadline for registrations.
To learn more about the National Do Not Call Registry and the rules that enforce it, visit the FTC at www.ftc.gov or the FCC at www.fcc.gov

(November 06)

How to Properly Forward Emails and Reduce Junk Mail
One of my SENNET shipmates, ETR3(SS) Dick Gorman (62-65) sent in these important notes about forwarding emails.

A friend who is a computer expert received the following directly from a system administrator for a corporate system.   It is an excellent message that ABSOLUTELY applies to ALL of us who send e-mails.   Please read the short letter below, even if you're sure you already follow proper procedures.

Do you really know how to forward e-mails?   50% of us do; 50% DO NOT.   Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail?   Do you hate it?   Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses and names.   As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every E-mail address that has come across his computer.   Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them.   How do you stop it?   Well, there are several easy steps:

1. When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top).   That's right, DELETE them.   Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do.   It only takes a second.   You MUST click the "Forward" button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message.   If you don't click on "Forward" first, you won't be able to edit the message at all.
2. Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc: fields for adding e-mail addresses.   Always use the BCC:(blind carbon copy) field for listing the e-mail addresses.   This way the people you send to will only see their own e-mail address.   If you don't see your BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear.   Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that easy.   When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say Undisclosed Recipients in the "TO:" field of the people who receive it.
3. Remove any "FWD" in the subject line.   You can re-name the subject if you wish or even fix spelling.
4. ALWAYS hit your Forward button from the actual e-mail you are reading.   Ever get those e-mails that you have to open 10 pages to read the one page with the information on it?   By Forwarding from the actual page you wish someone to view, you stop them from having to open many e-mails just to see what you sent.
5. Have you ever gotten an email that is a petition?   It states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to forward it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book.   The email can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses.   A FACT: The completed petition is actually worth a couple of bucks to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and email addresses contained therein.   If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient.   Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email address on a petition.   Actually, if you think about it, who is supposed to send the petition in to whatever cause it supports?   And don't believe the ones that say that the email is being traced, it just aint so!   One of the main ones I hate is the ones that say that something like, Send this email to 10 people and you'll see something great run across your screen Or sometimes they'll just tease you by saying something really cute will happen.   IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN!!!!!   (Trust me, Im still seeing some of the same ones that I waited on 10 years ago!)   I don't let the bad luck ones scare me either, they get trashed.   (Could be why I haven't won the lottery??)
6. Before you forward an Amber Alert, or a Virus Alert, or some of the other ones floating around nowadays, check them out before you forward them.   Most of them are junk mail that's been circling the net for YEARS!   Just about everything you receive in an email that is in question can be checked out a Snopes.   Just go to www.snopes.com.   It's really easy to find out if it's real or not.   If its not, please dont pass it on.

So please, in the future, let's stop the junk mail and the viruses.
(August 06)

DD-214's for Veterans
EM1(SS) Robert Machen (68-69) sent in this valuable information:

Its official, DD-214's are NOW Online.
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214s online: http://www.vetrecs.archives.gov/   This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of his DD-214 for employment purposes.   NPRC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files.   Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents.   Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the Standard Form 180, which can be downloaded from the online web site.   Because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to process the request, delays tha normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized.   The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records center's mailroom processing time.
(July 06)

Some Interesting Web Sites
Michael "Indian" Rainwater 69-71 wanted to share some of his favorite web sites with the crew.   So here they are:

• www.truthorfiction.com is a great site to search for new virus', scams, rumors, truths or fictions, sent by everyone and anyone.
• www.free-av.com is a free anti-virus download with free updates that I feel, are better than Norton.
• www.lavasoft.com click on Ad-Aware Personal, takes you to c/net Download.com for a free spyware program you can update free, and helps keep you PC free of all those data miners/trackers that send you popups.
• Also www.google.com has a free toolbar that has one of the best popup blockers out there.   It also has a bunch of neat search engines.
• And, last but not least, www.mozilla.com/firefox/ has a new search engine that virtually eliminates popups, and has built-in security search features you would find in expensive firewalls.

Just some fun stuff to pass along.   Hope to see you soon.

Rain   aka Indian   aka Maggot's brother-in-law   aka Bilge Twidget (Apr 06)

Is this real?
I am constantly receiving emails alerting me to the next serious computer virus, identity threat warning, car theft scam, hotel security card dangers, and almost anything else that can be imagined.   This list also includes numerous emails about chain stores with unfair practices and derogatory statements by famous personalities.   A few are real, but most of them are not true!

The real game here is to start a rumor and watch it spread.   David Grey and I understood that.   All we needed to do was let someone see us pulling out a few charts on Cuba or Puerto Rico, and suddenly the boat was alive with rumors.   It was great fun on quiet afternoons in port to sit in the conning tower and listen to those rumors surge back and forth throughout the boat.

Unfortunately, the Internet has changed this innocent fun to an exremely negative distraction that wastes everybody's time, and is in itself, a threat to your privacy.   If an email is simply forwarded, all the previous email addresses are forwarded too.   Each time the email is forwarded, all the addresses are sent along.   In other words, your email address is being forwarded to hundreds, even thousands, of other Internet subscribers.

Bogus threats and warnings seriously overload the Internet.   It is not unusual for me to receive the same false warning three or four times.   Multiple that by the millions of Internet subscribers, and the number of bogus messages becomes staggering.   There have already been problems with systems "crashing" from this type of over-loading, and it is not getting any better.

When you receive an email warning, check it out.   This is very easy.   Just go to any reliable Internet search engine like www.yahoo.com or www.google.com and do a simple search for the key words in the subject line of the message.   You'll get numerous instant responses with the "real" story about your warning message.   Obviously, if it's a hoax, don't forward it.   You can also search anti-virus sites like Norton and McAfee or software sites like Microsoft for more information.

If the message is legitimate and you want to forward it, then take these simple steps first.   After you click the forward button, put you cursor in the text box, high light all the internal addresses, and delete them.   This eliminates all the extra addresses and greatly shortens the message. Stan (Mar 06)

Identity Theft...
Identity theft has risen faster than any other white-collar crime in America.   Over 50 million cases of identity theft have been documented, and some law enforcement experts predict that more than 25 percent of the population will fall victim to the crime.   That's the bad news, however there is some good news for us.   People aged 60 and over represent the smallest group of identity theft victims, only about 9 percent.   None-the-less, the crime can befall anyone, so here are some steps you can take to protect yourself:

• Only carry credit cards if they are going to be used that day.
• Do not let strangers (waitresses, clerks, etc.) walk away with your credit card.
• Pay for items with cash at mall kiosks and booths.
• Cancel all unused credit card accounts.
• Consistently examine every credit and banking statement you receive, making sure to look over each transaction for inaccuracies and discrepancies.
• Keep a list of all your credit cards, account numbers, expiration dates and telephone numbers of the customer service and fraud departments in a secure place.   Do the same with bank accounts.
• Check your credit report at least once a year from each of the three credit reporting agencies. You are entitled to a free report annually from each agency. This is easily ordered at www.annualcreditreport.com. You can also order direct from Equifax at (800) 685-1111 or www.equifax.com; Experion at (888) 397-3742 or www.experion.com; and TransUnion at (800) 916-8800 or www.transunion.com.
• Shred or destroy banking and credit statements, pre-approved credit offers, and any receipts instead of throwing intact pages away.
• Use random names and numbers, rather than a birth date or mother's maiden name, as pass codes for credit and banking cards.
• Drop bills and other financial correspondence in post office mailboxes rather than in your own mailbox for the mail carrier to pick up.
• Do not give personal information to anyone over the telephone.
• Do not respond to e-mail spam or "phishing" asking for any personal information or donations.   If in doubt, contact the financial institutions or organizations by other means first to see if the e-mail is legitimate.   Do not use e-mail links to do this, since these may also lead you to a phony site.
• Secure items that contain personal information, like purses and wallets, in a safe while at home.
• Remove your name from the marketing lists of the three credit-reporting agencies by calling the free Credit Reporting Industry opt-out phone number at (888) 567-8688.
• Take steps to reduce the amount of national nonprofit or commercial mail you receive at home by contacting Mail Preference Service, Attention: Dept. 9301235, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 643, Camel, N.Y. 10512
• To reduce the amount of unsolicited e-mail you receive, contact Direct Marketing Association, E-mail preference Service, www.e-mps.org

If you are, or become a victim of identity theft, your initial steps should be: contacting creditors of accounts that have been tampered with; filing a police report and sending copies of it to bank, credit card companies and the insurance company; canceling credit cards and bank accounts and re-activating them with new passwords and numbers; and reporting lost or stolen cards to the three national credit-reporting agencies in writing (Experion, Trans Union, and Equifax).(Jan 06)

These are some web sites that I find interesting and you might enjoy.   They are in no particular order.

• www.submarinesailor.com - In my estimation this is probably the best submarine site on the Internet.   It contains lists of boats and crews, links to their home pages, reunion information, stories, humor, links to hundreds of submarine related items, and much, much more.   Be sure to put your name on SENNET's crew list.
• www.maritime.org/fleetsub/ - If you want to get qualified on fleet boats, this is the place to go.   This site contains copies of all the diesel boat qualification manuals and drawings.
• www.historychannel.com - This site has almost everything from listings of upcoming programs on the history channel to the news that happened on your birthday.   I check out their "Global Listings" often just to see what submarine and war documentaries are coming up.
• www.submarinestore.com - Although this site primarily sells submarine related items like shirts, caps, rings, souveniers, etc., they also have some good information and links on reunions and submarine events.
• www.subshipstore.com - All types of submarine items for sale.
• www.lonesailor.org - The U.S. Navy Memorial web site dedicated to all Sea Service veterans.   Be sure to register your own military service and medals.
• www.sennet.org - The webmaster of this site must be very intelligent and good looking.

Green Board

Stan