August 31, 2009

Questions and Answers about Pregnancy.....



Q: Should I have a baby after 35?

A: No, 35 children is enough.

Q : I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A: With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q : What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
A: Childbirth..

Q: My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she's
borderline irrational.
A: So what's your question?

Q : My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during
labor, but pressure. Is she right?
A: Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q: When is the best time to get an epidural?
A: Right after you find out you're pregnant.

Q : Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my
wife is in labor?
A: Not unless the word "alimony" means anything to you.

Q: Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
A: Yes, pregnancy.

Q : Do I have to have a baby shower?
A: Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.

Q : Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and
act normal again?
A: When the kids are in college.

August 17, 2009

Supportkids Update

Dallas company buys SupportKids of Austin
ParentFinancial to relocate to Austin.

By Tim Eaton
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, August 15, 2009

An Austin-based child-support collection company has been sold to a smaller Dallas-based company that operates the same type of business.

SupportKids Inc.'s caseload, computers, intellectual property, Web site and other assets now belong to ParentFinancial Services Inc., said Rob Feito, president and CEO of the Dallas company, on Friday.

Feito declined to disclose the terms of the deal, which closed Aug. 7.

SupportKids was purchased to expand the 8-year-old Dallas company, Feito said.

"Our intention moving forward is to operate in 35 states," he said.

But the immediate goal is to ensure that there is no negative effect on clients, he said. The Austin company once operated in 47 states.

"This is a positive transition for SupportKids, for its clients," Feito said. "We don't anticipate any disruption in services."

SupportKids encountered financial difficulties earlier this year. After defaulting on a loan, it was forced to turn over 20,000 of its 38,000 child-support collection cases to a New Hampshire-based law firm. The cases had been used as collateral on the loan.

ParentFinancial will continue to honor that contract, Feito said.

ParentFinancial, which will move its headquarters to Austin, expects to hire 25 to 30 former SupportKids employees, Feito said.

The Austin company once had 200 employees but laid off an undisclosed number when it lost the 20,000 cases earlier this year.

Some of the first rehires will include workers who have been working without pay, Feito said.

SupportKids CEO Bryon Sehlke and some other executives also will work for Parent-

Financial, Feito said.

Sehlke was unavailable for comment.

Depending on growth, more people could be brought on board next year, Feito said.

teaton@statesman.com; 445-3631


I didnt see RJBA in there anywhere?? I wonder what happens to the parents that signed their contract? Did they go out of business? OMG, what a mess!! Thanks Tim for the information and Andrea for the heads up.

August 16, 2009

How to get out of your Supportkids/RJBA contract

I just received an e-mail from a former Supportkids employee. There is some interesting information you all need to know that may help in your fight to gain control of your child support. Here is a quote directly from the letter I received:

The fastest and easiest way to stop Supportkids is by pulling your change of address with the state. Almost every state, except TX hates SK and will do this over the phone. This also makes them crazy because it takes time for them to reinstate it. As long you continue to change it to your address there isn't much SK or RJBA can do about it.

That is easy to do. I did it by going directly thru my State's government website. It took about 5 minutes. This person also had some informative information about RJBA:

RJBA has never had any experience with child support in any way shape or form. They bought paper, with no clue what to do with it or how to enforce it. They are clueless with customer service, payment processing and enforcement and at the time I was there had no intentions of setting any of those departments up. They didn't even know what computer software SK was running or how to operate it. RJBA is a basic credit card collection agency, specilizing in 3rd party debt in a warehouse type office. There is not one employee who has any clue about Child Support and the laws!! They didn't hire me, thankfully, and I have experience with the very paper they bought, so who did they hire? They couldn't have had many who applied who actually worked with SK and had my experience. I doubt they had any. I interviewed with them and in the interview, red flags were waving in my head.

The person that contacted me said she/he will answer questions about SK. I'm waiting to get an OK from this person to release the e-mail address.

I knew RJBA was a hoax. They didn't have a permit to collect child support when they took over. Its a shame that so many have fallen victim to their inexperience and lack of compassion for the cause. Not to mention, they are collecting 34% for a job that they have no idea how to do. I hope this enlightens the struggling custodial parents out there. Act fast and change your address. I wouldn't tell the DA that you were with SK. Tell them you are filing a change of address and see how it goes. They didn't ask me anything when I changed mine. I will keep you posted.

Thank you to the person that sent me the e-mail and requested to remain anonymous for legal reasons. Your e-mail was quite educational.

August 14, 2009

Premature Ventricular Contractions or PVC's

Among the many different types of irregular heart beats, few have created as much confusion and frustration among both doctors and patients as premature ventricular comtractions (PVCs). In various doctors’ offices, and at various points in history, PVCs have been regarded as either precursor of impending death, or as completely benign phenomena that require no attention whatsoever.Patients who feel entirely well tend to think their doctors are a little nuts when they recommend aggressive measures in response to finding PVCs on a routine ECG. Patients who are plagued by PVC-induced palpitations regard their doctors as being cruel and heartless when they refuse to entertain therapy for such a benign condition. What's a patient to do?

I started having PVC's almost 3 months ago. They showed up out of nowhere and have yet to go away. What happens when a PVC's hits? Your heart skips a beat. With me, I can tell when they are going to start. Its hard to explain but I have a strange sensation in my chest. Almost like a pressure. Then, its like a very strong palpitation. Almost like you had too much caffeine. When you feel your pulse, you can tell when your heart stops and starts again. Its pretty scary. My EKG was normal and the holter monitor showed PVC's but I already knew that. What did my doctor do about it? She told me to drink plenty of water (I drink 6 to 8 glasses a day), get lots of rest (I sleep 7 to 8 hours a night), and cut down on the caffeine (I only have 1 cup of coffee a day). I dont know how a person that was normal 3 months ago can suddenly be plagued with such a scary, irritating, and confusing condition.

There are many people out there going thru the same thing that I am. How do I make them stop forever? When they aren't happening, I'm normal and have no other issues. When they happen, I'm waiting for my heart to stop forever. The cardiologists weren't concerned enough to see me after my holter monitor. They referred me back to my primary physician. I don't understand. How can they say there is nothing to be concerned about when your heart stops and restarts itself? That cant be normal. The only thing this has made me think about is making a living trust so that if something happens, my family will know my wishes. I'm only 42 years old. I recently lost 55 pounds. I exercise on a regular basis. Why did this happen? True, I have a high stress level but that is a part of every day life. I feel hopeless. I recently ordered a book to help me deal with this problem as it appears to be here for good. If it helps, I will give you a full review. Until then, if anyone has any suggestions or experience with PVC's, please share what you know.