Attig Law Firm P.L.L.C

 Here’s a link to a video that shows that Benazir Bhutto was shot, not killed by a suicide bomber.  The report shows the shooter, the shots, which you can clearly hear.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/72350/

It also discusses the likely possibility of the Pakistani government’s involvement, given the potential cover-up and Musharraf’s denial of Bhutto’s earlier request to allow private British and American bodyguards to protect her.

I’m not sure why a government would want to perpetuate the idea that Bhutto was not killed by an assassin’s bullet, unless….they have something to hide (or gain) from a death by a suicide bomber.

I had mixed feelings when A-Rod showed up in the Bronx after the 2003 season.   On one hand, he is arguably the best active player in the game.  On the other hand, I always agreed with Dave Winfield that a team with too many superstars can’t win.  After this last post-season, I have no problem saying “So long, A-Rod”.

Now that he’s gone - for good, I hope - I’m ecstatic. Yes, he added a lot of runs, RBI’s and homers to the Yankees offense.  But the run generation never seemed to carry over into the post-season.  Yes, except for 2006, he was a steady glove at the hot-corner.  But we won more post-season games with Brosius and Hayes at 3B than we did with A-Rod.

I don’t know how to articulate why I’m glad he’s gone - except to say that I think that it was too easy for the front-office to rely on his run generation as an  excuse not to bolster the starting pitching and the bullpen.  Taking his bat out of the Bombers’ lineup means that we’ll have to find better pitching to keep the scores lower.

It may take a season or two, but the loss of A-Rod might actually give us a chance to see something other than Kyle Farnsworth-less, Myers, Proctor or Sturtze come out of the bullpen.  It may give us a chance to see a better back end of the rotation than the parade of no-names, has-beens and wanna-bes that have filled the number 4 and 5 slots since 2004.  And it may give us a chance to see a 3B’man that focuses on winning in the post-season instead of winning in the stats.

For those chances, I’m more than ecstatic about seeing A-Rod go and bleed Dodger Blue (or, given his salary demands, Bleed the Dodgers’ Green).  So long, A-Rod.

We came across another article highlighting some of the mental health issues facing veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The study on which the article is based evaluated only those who visited a a VA Medical Center within a specific time period and may not correlate to all soldiers who served or are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan

However, the study is consistent with an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in March 2006.

One thing that appears to be unarguable - the VA is probably not equipped to handle the volume of claims that is likely to result over the next 20-25 years for mental health illnesses that were caused by a soldier’s service in Iraq or Afghanistan. PTSD and other mental health issues do not often surface for years, sometimes decades. When they do, they are just as debilitating as any other long-term injury a soldier or service-member suffers.

Soldiers and service-members (from all periods and eras) who have service connected mental health issues often find it harder to get the benefits they deserve. Some of this is due to the social stigma associated with mental health illnesses, and some of it is because you can’t always “see” the visible signs of a mental health impairment.

If you are a US Veteran, and are having difficulty securing disability benefits for your service-connected mental health disability, it is advisable to contact a Veterans’ Service Organization or a VA Benefits Attorney for assistance.  You can also read this Series in our Veterans’ Benefits Blog: “How to Prove your Claim for Veterans’ Disability due to Service-Connected PTSD”.

Chris Attig, attorney with the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, will provide a free consultation to veterans who may need legal assistance for the VA disability benefits. Contact the Attig Law Firm, today.

After significant consideration and evaluation, the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, will begin representing US Veterans in their disability benefits claims before the VA and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

After researching the ins and outs of the VA disability benefits systems, it became clear that a represented Veteran can have an entirely different experience before the VA and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims than a non-represented Veteran typically has.

Given the high volume of disabled veterans returning from the current war, and the high volume of veterans from prior wars who are neglected or ignored or simply lost in the VA’s system, the need for legal representation of Veterans is greater than ever. There are some limitations on when an attorney can represent a Veteran in claims such as this, but in June 2007, the rules were relaxed slightly to enable more Veterans more access to legal counsel. (As an aside - can you believe this - the Veterans who put their life on the line for their country are not allowed to hire attorneys for a portion of the claim process? It’s a ridiculous rule, isn’t it?)

The Firm will charge no consultation fee to review a Veterans’ claim for benefits. If we offer to represent a Veteran, we will work entirely on a contingency basis in the Veterans’ case.

Over the coming weeks and months, the Firm’s website will be redesigned to incorporate the addition of the new practice area. In the meantime, if you are a veteran in need of assistance with your disability benefits claim, please contact an attorney with the Attig Law Firm, today.

When new Pirates owner Bob Nutting fired long-time Pirates GM David Littlefield, he made comments that he intended to create a culture of success in the Pirates organization.  Not a moment too soon, either.

Here’s a team that has squandered every penny it has received in revenue sharing - the former owner chose to line his own wallet rather than open his wallet to strengthen the team’s lineup.   If the Brewers are any indication, then the Pirates will reap great rewards by ditching the small-market, small-minded, parity-driven management teams.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on the Pirates this winter.  As long as they don’t choose Jon Daniels as their new GM, they might actually make some bold and aggressive moves to build a franchise that Bucs fans can be proud of.

Hear what the Son of George Bush’s V.P. said about the Iraq War in 1994:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YENbElb5-xY

Absolutely amazing - what changed his opinion? Could it possibly have been the substantial financial interest he held (holds?) in Halliburton?

756 homers in a career is an amazing accomplishment, and it was amazing to see the home run (from my hotel room) and watch history in the making.

I hope - though I know he won’t - that Barry goes on to hit 856 home runs, to silence all the critics (many of whom never played the game) that think that anyone or anything besides Barry’s exceptional skill and talent is the cause of this record.

Congratulations, Barry!

Many federal employees find it necessary to enter a period of leave without pay (LWOP) to recover from a partial or total temporary disability. But what happens after the employee has fully recovered from that temporary disability?

Employees who have fully recovered from disability and can perform the duties of their prior position may have what are called “restoration rights”. That is, a federal employee has an absolute right of restoration to a former (or equivalent) position if that employee totally recovers from a temporary disability within 1 year of the injury. If the recovery takes longer than a year, the employee can get “priority consideration” in applying for a former position (or its equivalent).

The employing Agency must restore a federal employee who recovers within one year after beginning compensation. The Agency will need to verify that the employee received worker’s compensation payments during the absence, and the period that the compensation was paid, so that th employee may receive any rights or benefits that accrue based on length of government service.

If the employee has been terminated, and wishes to reclaim his or her job, they should contact the hiring Agency first, and then if that fails, OWCP will assist the employee in getting their old position back.

If the employee and OWCP are unsuccessful, then the federal employee may have an appeal right to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).

No post on this website is legal advice, is meant to be legal advice, and certainly does not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Information is power, and we are providing this information to give you, the federal employee, with some power. This information is not widely or easily accessible to Federal Employees.

It is best to consult with a attorney familiar with Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals to discuss the facts and law of your particular case.  If you feel you have been denied your restoration rights, contact an MSPB lawyer at the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, to schedule a telephone consultation.

Here is another tool to help you finance your small business: Prosper.com

The premise of the site is straightforward - it cuts out the middle man (banks) and puts lenders directly in contact with borrowers.  Simply join a group and post your borrowing (or lending) needs or goals. If you “sell” your business and business plan well - and have a good credit rating - you might be able to get some additional startup capital at interests rates well below those of big banks.

The Attig Law Firm recommends that a startup business enterprise consider all other sources of financing before taking out loans.   As always, before signing any loan agreement, investment a small amount of time and money to protect your business interests: have a small business attorney look over the loan documents before you sign.

Seriously - this guy can’t be hurt again. But alas, he appears to be headed for an MRI on his foot. From what I can tell, Pava-No-Pitch was hit on the foot by a batted ball during batting practice.

Joe Torre’s comment was insightful: “He had a shoe on, all that stuff is a good sign,” Torre said. I’m sure that if Pava-No-Pitch was pitching without a shoe, he most certainly would be back on the DL.