Social Security Disability And Fibromyalgia
Jan 14
09:15
2011
Jeffrey A. Rabin & Associates, Ltd
Article provided by Social Security Disability Attorney in Chicago Illinois – Jeffrey A. Rabin & Assoc
For those suffering from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Social Security Disability Insurance may be able to help. If you or a loved one is suffering from one of these disabling diseases, call an experienced Illinois SSI benefits lawyer from Jeffrey A. Rabin & Associates, ltd. at 847-268-3304.
Establishing “Disability” For Claimants With Fibromyalgiaand Chronic Fatigue SyndromeSocial Security disability benefits are often the ultimate safety net for persons suffering from medical impairments that make it impossible for them to work. For many people, however, struggling through the Social Security Administration’s bureaucracy is frustrating, confusing and slow. For people suffering from conditions such as Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the requirements of the Social Security Act can become overwhelming. This article will explain and simplify in general terms the requirements of the Social Security disability program and describe the application and appeals process.Two Different Programs – SSDIand SSIThere are two programs under the Social Security Act providing benefits for persons who are unable to work. The first is the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program found in Title II of the Social Security Act. The second is the Supplemental Security Income program contained in Title XVI of the Social Security Act. The medical test for both programs is identical. The differences are in the non-medical eligibility requirements.Non-Medical RequirementsSSDI benefits are paid to totally disabled individuals who have worked and paid into the Social Security system with the FICA taxes that are deducted from paychecks. These FICA taxes are analogous to insurance premiums paid for automobile, homeowners or other private insurance. The FICA payments, which are matched by employers, buy coverage under the Social Security Retirement, Disability and Medicare programs. For SSDI, there are two requirements: a worker must have worked and paid FICA taxes for at least 40 quarters lifetime (10 years) and, also 20 quarters had to have been paid in during the ten years prior to the date of becoming totally disabled. For example, a 40 year-old Claimant who became disabled in 2003 would have had to have worked and paid FICA taxes for at least 10 years during his lifetime, and for at least 5 years between 1992 and 2002.If approved for SSDI the Social Security Administration pays a monthly benefit based upon how much was earned and paid into the Social Security system. Benefits are also paid to dependent children who are under 16 years old, or who are under 18 years old and still in high school. Medicare eligibility begins twenty-nine months after the onset date of total disability.The SSI program requires that an individual be totally disabled and “indigent.” “Indigent” basically means that a single Claimant has little or no income and less than $2,000.00 in non-exempt assets. A home and furniture are not counted. One car is exempt. Bank accounts, IRAs, profit sharing plans, cash value life insurance and similar assets are all included in determining assets, even if penalties and taxes would be incurred if the asset were converted to cash. In addition, a spouse’s assets and income are “deemed” to the disabled Claimant – this deeming rule wreaks havoc on many disabled persons, particularly the stay-at-home parent.In 2004 SSI will pay a basic monthly benefit of $564.00 which may be supplemented by some states. A disabled person receiving SSI will also be eligible for food stamps and a Medicaid card from the state.The Social Security disability program is designed to pay benefits to claimants suffering from medical problems causing symptoms so severe that it becomes impossible to sustain function at any type of work. Issues of employability, job existence, insurability and location or desirability of alternative work will not be considered, although age and education are often important factors. The fact that a person can not do the work performed in the past is usually not determinative. This is a medical program that focuses upon medically proven symptoms and their impact on the ability to perform work activities.Therefore, the focus in on function, not on diagnosis; SSA often admits that Claimants have medical problems and are “impaired,” but denies that they are “totally disabled.” The debate is over what the Claimant can “do” despite the medical problems.The Social Security Administration’s Regulations require determination of disability be based upon on “objective proof” of both the medical problem and of the severity of the symptoms. “Objective proof” means the findings contained in medical tests that are not dependent on the patient’s subjective responses. A MRI, a cardiac treadmill test, an x-ray and a pulmonary function test are all “objective” tests. Asking a patient if she is in pain is “subjective.” In Fibromyalgia and CFS claims, it is often difficult to objectively prove either the existence of the disease, or the severity of the symptoms. This has caused many claims based upon these conditions to be denied – especially at the first two levels of review.The focus in all disability claims is upon the medical evidence, i.e. the treating physicians’ clinical findings, office notes, reports, and medical test results. This evidence is primary and is often more important than the testimony of the Claimant. While a Claimant’s description of the impact on daily activities, social functioning and concentration must be considered by SSA, the content of the medical documentation is the most important source of evidence in deciding the claim.In Fibromyalgia claims the clinical notes and a report of the treating rheumatologist are most important. A 1996 decision by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals established that a rheumatologist is the primary source for proof of this disease. Office notes from the rheumatologist should consistently document the positive findings for the tender points which are diagnostic for this disease. In addition, the patient should be complaining at each office visit of the fatigue and pain that are consistent with this condition. A report that establishes that all other causes for the symptoms have been ruled out helps establish the existence of the disease.Since the extent of fatigue and pain can not be measured, consistency of complaints in the various medical records will be important. The use of pain medications, even if just for trial periods is an important consideration in evaluating the severity of pain. Use of mild analgesics indicates less severe symptoms; prescription of stronger narcotics indicates that the treating specialist felt the pain problems more severe. Also, documentation by the physicians of concentration impairments, and the inability to perform routine daily activities such as housework, shopping, and social functioning, are also factors considered by Social Security Administration decision makers.Chronic Fatigue Syndrome claims have been made clearer by the adoption of Social Security Ruling 99-2p. This Ruling finally acknowledges that CFS is a medically determinable impairment and describes the various findings that can establish the diagnosis. This Ruling is quite useful and can be found at the SSA’s web site, www.ssa.gov. Generally, the focus is on a longitudinal view of the medical evidence and the extent and nature of the treatment provided by the various physicians. The clinical findings and summaries of the patient’s complaints in the office notes are critical in terms of establishing the existence of a medical impairment. As to whether the symptoms are totally disabling, SSA will consider the medical opinions, as well as the statements of the Claimant and third parties, as in any other disability claim.Claimants who suffer from depression should also seek treatment from a mental health professional. Whether the depression is a symptom of the disease, or results from the significant impact on a Claimant’s lifestyle, or is a separate disabling medical condition, the treatment notes and histories often lend credibility to the claim. However, SSA will generally not give significant weight to depression treated by a family doctor or social worker – emphasis will always be given to the records and reports of an M.D. psychiatrist or Ph.D. psychologist. Depression does not usually negate the existence of other underlying impairments but instead confirms the severity of their impact. On occasion, this diagnosis provides an alternative theory for an Administrative Law Judge who wishes to award benefits but will not approve a claim based on CFS or Fibromyalgia.The Application ProcessThere are multiple levels of review of an application filed under the Social Security Act. In an effort to increase productivity, and decrease processing time, the Social Security Administration is testing different review models across the country. This article will describe the basic system which is still in place throughout most of the United States.A claim is initiated by filing an application. This can be done over the telephone, on SSA’s web site at www.ssa.gov (for SSDI claims only) or, preferably, in person at the local Social Security Administration District Office. The application will require a list of all of the jobs performed during the last 15 years, a list of all medical providers, a list of current medications, names and dates of all prior marriages and divorces, and a copy of the Claimant’s birth certificate. Generally our practice is to recommend as much be done with Social Security face to face at the District Offices – this decreases the chance for errors. At the time of this writing, only SSDI claims can be filed over SSA’s web site.After the application is filed, the Social Security Administration will send the file to a Disability Determination Service (DDS) administered by that State. Each state has a contract with SSA to perform the first two levels of review. At the DDS the file will be assigned to an adjudicator who will be responsible for gathering medical documentation, getting any additional information from the Claimant, arranging for consultative examinations and obtaining medical and vocational opinions from the DDS’s internal experts. A written decision is issued in about 90 days on average, although the time frame can vary widely. Historically only about 36% of claims are paid at this level.If denied, the second step is the filing of a Request for Reconsideration at the SSA District Office. A Claimant is allowed 60 days from the date of the initial denial to file this appeal, although there is usually little to gain by waiting. The Request for Reconsideration is also processed by the state DDS. Historically only about 17% of claims are approved at this level and SSA is testing elimination of this step.The third level of review, for those claims denied at Reconsideration, is the hearing before the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). These are informal administrative hearings held before independent judges who hear testimony, review the medical records and issue written decisions. While progress had been made in reducing the backlog in setting hearing dates, the delays have been increasing once more. Time frames vary widely across the nation, many hearing offices now take at least twelve months from the date the Request for Hearing is filed to set a hearing date.The hearing is critical to the review process because it is the only time that a Claimant has the opportunity to see, and talk to, the decision maker. Up until this time all decisions are based upon paper, i.e. medical reports and written questionnaires. This is the only time in the process where the decision maker gets to see and question the Claimant. That face to face observation is critical and in this author’s experience is one of the factors causing ALJs to reverse many reconsideration denials.While all Social Security cases first focus on medical proof, the testimony at an administrative law judge hearing may tip the scale in favor of a sympathetic and credible Claimant. It is important that a Claimant fully explain the limitations and the effects of the disease on their daily activities. Testimony, which is consistent with the medical evidence and credible, can persuade a Social Security judge to award benefits in a claim based upon Fibromyalgia or CFS.The final two steps in the review process are the Appeals Council, and if unsuccessful, the United States District Court. These reviews are primarily based upon the medical evidence and testimony from the ALJ hearing. Since there is no additional testimony, and very little additional medical evidence can be supplied, these two levels of review are helpful in only a small percentage of claims. The backlog at the Appeals Council is now almost two years.NOTE: SSA has begun testing different application processes in different parts of the nation. Some Claimants will not have a reconsideration stage; some will not have Appeals Council review. All Claimants will have an opportunity for an Administrative Law Judge hearing.RepresentationThis Social Security disability application and appeals process was designed so that Claimants are not required to obtain representation. However, people with representation have much higher success rates. Familiarity with SSA’s Regulations, Rulings, the federal caselaw interpreting the Act, and with SSA’s internal guidelines called the POMS and HALLEX, help guide preparation of a claim. Representatives do not have to be licensed attorneys and there are paralegals and other non-attorneys who do provide representation.This author’s strong preference is to become involved in a claim as early in the process as possible. The earlier a Claimant understands the issues in her particular situation, and the earlier the review of the existing available medical proof, the greater the chance the assistance will be granted at some point in the process. In addition, care needs to be exercised in the completion of many of the early questionnaires sent by the DDS adjudicators – many answers on these forms end up being twisted and serving as the basis for denials by adjudicators and ALJs.Almost all attorneys who focus in this area of the law will agree to representation on a contingency fee basis – that means that fees are only awarded in the event of a favorable outcome. In addition, the Social Security Administration always retains the right to review attorney fees.ConclusionMany claims for SSDI and SSI benefits are approved for persons with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Claimants must have the support of their treating specialists – especially the rheumatologist and/or pain specialist and must maintain good communication regarding their symptoms and limitations. If depression has become an issue then treatment with either a Ph.D. psychologist or M.D. psychiatrist is important. The earlier a Claimant obtains experienced representation the greater the chance for success, and the less stressful the battle through the various levels of appeal and review. Perseverance will prevail and disabled persons can obtain this much needed assistance.Nothing in this article is intended to be specific legal advice or to create an actual or implied attorney-client relationship. This article has been a brief summary of the basic law and persons seeking benefits should contact experienced representatives for advice upon which they can rely. Hopefully, however, this brief analysis will provide some insight into the disability system.
Article “tagged” as:
A. Below is the message, which I sent to the fax number 972-2-6738551:
11.10.2023
Greetings to the promenade clinic:
Subject: questions for the doctor.
Dear Madames/ Sirs.
I am being treated at your clinic by family doctor Dr. Brandon Stewart.
I would like to ask the doctor:
1) Should I get a flu shot? And if so, what is the necessary procedure for that?
2) I heard that there is a vaccine against the new strain of the corona virus. Should I get this vaccine?
3) After being examined in the emergency room of the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital on September 29, 2023, I received a recommendation to start treatment with an ointment called Rectogyzak.
But this drug is not currently available in the pharmacies, and it is also missing from the manufacturer – and it cannot be obtained.
Is there another ointment that I can use instead of Rectogyzak that is currently unavailable?
Best regards,
assaf benyamini- a patient at the clinic.
post Scriptum. 1) My ID number: 029547403.
2) My phone numbers:
In a secret home due to harassment and a complaint to the Israeli police that was not addressed.
Mobile-972-58-6784040. Fax-972-77-2700076.
3) My e-mail address:[email protected]
4) I am sending you this message by fax, since it is not possible to send it through the “Klelit Online” website system.
B. Below are posts I shared on the social network Facebook:
1)
assaf benyamini
Shared with public
https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5414989,00.html
“One minute clinic”-
The first automated clinic in the world. Founded about 5 years ago in China. According to them, the clinic can diagnose more than 2000 medical conditions.
When will it also be in Israel?
2)Siblings symbolize
With the outbreak of Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, we faced an explanatory crisis to the world.
We decided with the help of some volunteers who simply did not see eye to eye, to show our side to the world!
Today, 11 years later, we are shocked that there is anyone in this world who still supports the Hamas side.
But this is the reality and we will win the reality at the front, in the rear, by commemorating the fallen and by providing quality information.
We return our advocacy efforts with all our might!
The entire page is intended for global information and does not contain mentions of Maccabi, but it has 35 thousand followers who need to know and spread the truth to the world!
The link is in the first comment, we invite you to follow, like and most importantly share
3)Nicol Shaked(The official group) Friends who loveBenjamin Netanyahu – Benjamin Netanyahu
8 in October B-9:27
Spread to the world to share with all your might
A despicable terrorist abuses a Holocaust survivor
Please share with all your might!!
Karin is still missing and there is no information about her until now!!! The family is shattered. Let’s help the missing families get information about their loved ones!
5)
Videos
7
Asaf Benjamin
shared with the public
A traumatized person comes to the clinic for treatment.
The psychiatrist says to the patient, after listening to his mental distress:
“I have some suggestions for you to solve your problems:
1. Beyond the care of the North Korea Police.
2. Beyond the care of the Russian police.
3. beyond the care of the Chinese Communist Party.
4. Beyond the Gaza Strip.
5. Beyond Syria.
What do you choose?”.
The patient: “None of these offers is an offer for treatment. Beyond North Korea, Russia or…”.
At this moment the psychiatrist interrupts the patient’s words: “You are not cooperating with the treatment!! It is simply impossible to work like this!!! Since you did not agree to choose your preferred method of treatment, we at the clinic will draw a lottery to determine where you will be sent!!”.
The patient is furious and shouts: “What are you doing to me?? North Korea, Russia or the Gaza Strip will kill me!!! This is not how people are treated!!”.
The psychiatrist yells at the patient: “Don’t you dare raise your voice!! I’m just trying to help you!”.
The patient does not calm down, and starts cursing the doctor.
The security guards arrive at the scene and forcibly remove the patient from the clinic.
The psychiatrist concludes: “What an ungrateful patient. I offered him so many options – and nothing is enough for him. We at the clinic are ready, before the law, to also finance his travel to these places, and he? He just doesn’t know how to appreciate the efforts we make for him – So we will simply draw a lottery, and based on the results of the lottery, the continuation of treatment and follow-up will be determined. This is the most I can do.”
The neighbors of a disabled person are angry with him:
“We expect you to walk properly. You are in a wheelchair all day – get out of it immediately!! start walking like a human!!!”.
“Know that if you don’t start walking properly we won’t let you live near us!!
Please take it to your attention – there will be no compromise on this matter!! It is fundamental for us!!
Oof-another annoying cripple…”.
An Israeli business owner calls a government office and is angry:
“I am tired of this country. Every time I am hurt by something, the State of Israel does not help me”
A government official answers: “So are you thinking of leaving the country? And if so, where?”.
The business owner replies: “I’m not going to leave the country. This is our country – for better or for worse. What a shame that Moses led us here, to the Land of Israel and not to the American continent. After all, he could have torn the Atlantic Ocean for us instead of the Red Sea – and I would have lived I was much better off in America and there.”
A government official replies to the business owner: “Forget it. I wouldn’t consider your situation there either, asking you to fill out many forms and harassing you in the best of traditions – just like here.”
Shared with public
As you know, big social networks in China like BAIDU or WECHAT are blocked to surfers who are outside of China – and apparently even when they are in China they do not have access to all the content because of the severe censorship imposed by the Chinese government on social networks.
I tried to connect to these networks and of course I was unable to open an account on any of them – and also after I opened an account on the Chinese mail server 163.com I came to know how difficult and problematic the access to the system is.
Are there methods (for example using networks of vpn) through which you can connect to these networks even outside of China – or do the Chinese companies recognize these attempts in advance and block them?
9)
Shared with public
Russian app store of the social networkvk.com – a network called “V-Contact”.
Some call this network the “Russian Facebook” (will Facebook be angry with me now and close my account? I’m shaking with fear…)
I dont know Russian.
I upload to this network posts in Russian that I obtained from translation companies.
Shared with public
One man goes to visit his friend in the neighborhood.
In their conversation the man says to his friend:
“You know, last night it rained heavily and caused flooding. In one night, an amount of rain fell that is typical for an entire year.”
The friend replies to him: “Well – it’s climate change – not the end of the world.”
The man replies to his friend: “I think that it could indeed lead to the end of the world.”
The friend replies: “It’s an expression.”
Conclusion: there are many such “expressions” that we sometimes use automatically – which sometimes do not fit the context, or are not even correct.
That is why it is recommended to think in such cases – the expression “it is not the end of the world” is indeed not appropriate in this case.
Wait, and in the meantime Greta Tonbury Angry at us – what do we do?
And here is another problem: I just read that she ignored the criminal terrorist attack by Hamas and takes a pro-Palestinian position in the “Iron Swords” war that is currently underway.
So was I allowed to write this?
11) One man is walking down the street and unexpectedly runs into relatives whom he did not expect to meet.
The man’s relatives are excited for him and hug him tightly.
As a result of the force of the hug, the man loses his ability to breathe, his ribs are broken and he collapses and dies.
I keep hearing on the news about broadcasters sending “big hugs” to people with good intentions to express love and support.
I have one request for you: don’t forget that it can also be dangerous – hugs can also kill.
The following post is a guest post by Shirley Paz, which describes difficult experiences of harassment experienced by an autistic person in the public sphere, due to the fact that she is assisted by a service dog and exempted from curfew.
(trigger)
Hope that doesn’t sound whiny
But why do people always have to curse me when I take the exemption out of my queue or when I go into places with my service dog as if I don’t hear them, they have to talk like that venomously about me and others next to me (I now have the son of the hero dog who is a service dog adapted for autism and post-traumatic stress disorder) etc., I called him Peanut instead of Ilan and he’s really cute).
I feel that I just can’t be myself outside, it’s enough that alone it’s so hard for me to leave the house, even with a service dog it makes it even more difficult for me.
I don’t want to go out anymore.
I had another incident on the bus where the driver stopped the bus and yelled at me and my dog Peanut to get off the bus because he didn’t want him on his bus.
And only when I argued with him for two minutes and explained to him that he was a service dog did he answer that he was not interested and that I should go outside.
So I answered him back that what he was doing was illegal and he could be sued for it, and only then he kept quiet and drove away.
On the way to the mall, an older man sexually harassed me, but that’s not related to the story, it just put me in even more of a shitty mood and fear.
When I entered Shufersal with a peanut, one employee asked me “What are you doing?? Go outside with your dog, dogs are not allowed in here”
Once again I explained to her that it was a service dog
She still told me to get out and then I explained to her that it literally says on the door that you can enter with service animals and then she got upset and left.
I continued my shopping and this time an elderly woman came to me with her husband and shouted at me.
“What is this??? How did you come in here with a dog??? Have you no shame??? Get out of here now or they’ll kick you out!!!!”
Her husband also started yelling but I already broke down and answered her loudly in tears that I am autistic and post-traumatic and why don’t I go out with my service dog??
There were other people who looked but did nothing
They continued to argue loudly with me
And I already went into meltdown and really cried and tore out a big chunk of my hair in front of her and I couldn’t breathe.
Then she told her husband in front of me that I was mentally ill.
I walked out of the supermarket in tears with Peanut and the older woman and her husband kept talking and pointing at me from a distance.
Then I sat on the side and called my mother crying and yelling that I can’t take it anymore and I’m being kicked out from everywhere, and I don’t want to leave the house anymore and for you to come pick me up.
But she was at work and told me to walk home or I would wait for her, but I couldn’t move so I waited for her for half an hour and tried to relax as I bought me food from the cafe next door.
At least that’s why they let me in because I was sitting outside.
It always ends in a meltdown when things like this happen to me, even if it’s something small, it feels more intense to me.
It’s hard for me to breathe and I start crying in front of people, tearing my hair and finally I lose feeling in my lower body and fall on the floor.
I feel like I’m embarrassing to everyone around me
And I hate myself so much.
These meltdowns are so embarrassing especially when it’s around strangers and I do it around the ones I love too.
I hate that no one wants to be in my company because I’m autistic and no one likes me because of it and people will always always laugh at me and be mean to me.
Please share and spread the word. And the next time you encounter a person with a service dog, remember that he needs it very much, and that he probably has enough struggles in life even without the addition of comments from strangers (perhaps from which he also needs the protection and presence of the dog).
Service dogs help people and children with a wide range of physical and mental disabilities, improving their quality of life significantly. Often it is a real lifeline.
The field of service dogs in Israel is unfortunately still not well known, accessible or regulated, but it is developing. In June 2022, a bill was passed in an attempt to correct the discrimination experienced by people with various disabilities who are assisted by service dogs (until then the law only referred to guide dogs for the blind).
In the comments – more information about the law.
13)Matan Zafrir Found with son Simon.
and who is the person,
May he return to hell,
A moment after he managed to escape from him,
and that love returns later,
greater than his greatest fears.
and who is the person,
that in a moment of terror,
looked up from the ground,
and chose to leave the beach
To save a soul from turbulent waters.
and there is bad and there is bad,
It’s all in the score inside,
And who is the person who rewrote the song of evils,
At a party near Kibbutz Reim.
And thanks to the person he loved,
more than everything,
more than his fears,
thanks to him we will know who we are,
We are the leaves that will not fall with the fall.
the champion –Gilad Segev He wrote a song in memory of Ben Binyamin Shimoni the 14th, 31 years old from Ashkelon, who managed to escape from the party near Kibbutz Reim, while rescuing people he did not know, arrived in Be’er Sheva, and returned to the inferno to save more people. managed to rescue 8 more people, then returned again to rescue his friends. After picking up 3 more people, one of which is Gaya Khalifa who worked with him, encountered terrorists and was murdered.
We will be happy for shares to commemorate Ben’s heroism.
14) A new government office is established: the Ministry of National Moods named after him.
The managers of the office formulate a temporary order, according to which during the period of war in which we are, smiling and laughing are absolutely prohibited.
Cameras with facial recognition systems will be placed throughout the country. Citizens whose facial expressions deviate from the permitted angle and raise the suspicion of laughter or smiling of any kind will be severely punished.
No information about the location of the cameras will be provided.
Wait – I posted jokes here on Facebook – what will happen to me?
Or do the new regulations apply only from now on and not in relation to the past?
I will look for lawyers who can answer that…
15) A development team at an Israeli hi-tech company comes up with the idea of developing an application called “Jewish and Zionist productivity” – an application whose purpose is to determine, based on numerical data, the degree of success of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement, as well as Jewish communities in different periods of history. The development team addresses the public regarding some questions that arise before starting work:
1. What are the criteria by which it will be possible to measure the success of Jewish communities in different periods of history? And what will be the measurement method?
2. Will the measurement method be uniform, and include a formula that will be suitable for every period in history – or will there be a need for several measurement methods that will be used at the same time?
3. In the event that during the development, several measurement methods will be determined, and there will be a conflict or contradiction between them – how will it be possible to overcome such a malfunction in the system?
4. Does the public have any ideas regarding additional points to pay attention to, or ideas for additional categories and/or additional information systems that should be used?
5. Does the public have additional ideas that could help in the development of such an application? Any ideas are welcome.
For now, the development of the application is delayed, until the public’s answers are received…
16) a day in history
Today 19 years ago (September 11, 2001):
September 11, 2001
September 11, 2001, began as a normal Tuesday on the East Coast of the USA. In New York City, the polls were about to open for the primaries for the position of the next mayor to replace Rudolph Giuliani. Nothing indicated the inferno that was going to visit the city in a very short time.
In the morning of that day, al-Qaeda members, in a coordinated operation that had been planned for many months, took over four passenger planes that took off for domestic flights across the US. In total, about 19 terrorists, most of them of Saudi or Egyptian origin, who were apparently armed only with knives, participated in the attack After taking over the planes, the terrorists took the place of the pilots and disabled the planes’ identification transmitters, thus effectively preventing the ability of the air traffic control system to detect their location. Some of the terrorists were trained during the preparation for the attack in flying light planes, and with the help of the skill they acquired, they navigated the planes to the targets of the attack.
At 8:45 (New York time) American Airlines flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center (Twin Towers) in New York. 18 minutes later, a “United Airlines” plane collided with flight #175 in the south tower. At 9:43 a.m., American Airlines flight #77 crashed into the Pentagon building in Washington, where the headquarters of the US Department of Defense is located. At 10:10 a.m., the fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in an open field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Apparently the terrorists intended to crash the White House compound, the residence of the US President. The reasons for the early crash is a conflict between the passengers and the hijackers, which resulted in the crash.
Following the plane crash in New York, a fire broke out in the two twin towers. Although they were designed to withstand extremely heavy loads, the flames caused the building’s skeleton to melt; About two hours after the collision, the two towers collapsed one after the other. Between the moment of the collision and the collapse, many of those in the towers managed to escape from the scene. Many others remained trapped or jumped to their deaths from the upper floors. The collapse of the towers also injured many of the rescuers who arrived at the scene after the clashes. The collapse raised a heavy cloud of dust that made it difficult for the rescue forces to operate, and the residents of the nearby neighborhoods were evacuated due to it.
The images of the two planes crashing and the towers collapsing were broadcast on television over and over again, heightening the feelings of shock and confusion. For many hours it was not clear how many planes had been hijacked, and an order was given to ground all planes in US airspace and shoot down planes that did not immediately turn to land.
About 2,980 people (among them five Israeli citizens) perished during that day, and many others were injured. Since Pearl Harbor there has not been a significant attack on US citizens on their soil, so the events of September 11, 2001 left American society shocked, hurt and confused. These traumatic reactions gave rise shortly afterwards to a wave of patriotism and demonstrations of national unity.
The center of the ruins in New York has become a memorial site for the victims of the disaster. The media immediately gave him the nickname “Ground zero” – a military term indicating the point on the surface of the ground above which a nuclear bomb explodes.
The American government’s response to the events was particularly strong. Nine days after the attack, President Bush announced in a speech to Congress the opening of a campaign against terrorism, which he set as the number one goal of his term. As part of this campaign, a special office for internal security was established, security practices across the US were tightened to the extreme (a policy that drew criticism for violating human rights) and the intelligence and law enforcement agencies in the US were all mobilized for a special effort to locate those responsible for the attack, and to prevent similar attacks in the future. The results of the investigation revealed a clear connection between the perpetrators of the attack and the Al-Qaeda organization. In his speech to Congress, Bush stated that the war against terrorism will not only be directed against terrorists or the Al-Qaeda organization, but against any terrorist organization or country that supports terrorist activity. This policy was implemented in October 2001 when US military forces, as part of an international coalition, invaded the territory of Afghanistan, where the Al-Qaeda organization received support from the Taliban regime. The occupation of Afghanistan was the first step in a chain of military and political operations undertaken by the Bush administration since the September 11 attacks. , the most prominent of which is the occupation of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime.
Despite the strenuous activity of various American security agencies, the leader of
Al-Qaeda organization, Osama Bin-Laden, repeatedly eluding his pursuers. Only almost 10 years later, in May 2011, a special force of the US Army was able to eliminate bin Laden who was hiding in a house in the suburbs of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
The magnitude and power of the terrorist attack against the greatest power in the world engraved the events of September 11 in the collective memory of the citizens of the world in general and the citizens of the United States in particular.
17) I just heard in the news that they are promoting a law that prohibits the consumption of content related to terrorist events.
I occasionally watch broadcasts from the scenes of attacks or from various combat zones.
So I have a request: send me links to videos or articles that are, and only they are allowed to be viewed – and I will undertake to watch them, and only them day and night, until my last day.
C. Below is the e-mail I sent to the members of the Jerusalem Municipality Council on October 17, 2023:
To: Members of the Jerusalem Municipality Council.
Subject: Our urgent appeal.
Dear Madames/ Sirs.
On Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 10:59 a.m. a neighbor in the building where I live (115 Costa Rica Street in the Kiryat Menachem neighborhood) drew my attention to the problem:
At the entrance where my neighbor and I live (entrance A of the building) there is a shelter to which we go if and when there are alarms or rockets falling in the Jerusalem area.
But in the second entrance (entrance B) there is now an unbearable reality during wartime: the shelter at their entrance is now a rented apartment, and the tenants who live there have built a wall that is a barrier that cannot be passed through.
The damage here is twofold: the residents of the second entrance are forced to come to our shelter when there are alarms – which extends the time it takes them to get to the shelter and as a result puts their lives at risk. It is also clear that in such a situation the density in our shelter is much greater.
According to the neighbor, inspectors from the Jerusalem Municipality have already come several times – but nothing helped.
We would like to know what can be done to also use the shelter at the second entrance of the building – all this, of course, as long as the war continues.
Of course, after the end of the war, it will be possible to think of a long-term solution to the problem, but now the problem of the shelter, which cannot be accessed due to the fact that it has been converted into a residential apartment that is now rented by people, must be urgently solved.
Best regards,
assaf benyamini,
115 Costa Rica Street,
Entrance A-flat 4,
Kiryat Menachem,
Jerusalem,
ISRAEL, zip code: 9662592.
Phone numbers: in a secret home due to harassment and a complaint to the Israeli police that was not handled.
Mobile-972-58-6784040. Fax-972-77-2700076.
post Scriptum. 1) My ID number: 029547403.
2) My e-mail addresses: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected]
D. Here are website ideas I thought of:
1) Establishment of a website called “Third Handicapped” – and I mean: a website that will gather information (and also recommendations regarding methods of action or assistance) in everything that concerns the disabled or those with disabilities in third world countries.
The meaning is, of course, for disabled people who live in places like Nepal, Madagascar, Congo, etc. – countries where it is not possible to receive basic health or welfare services due to the lack of appropriate technological infrastructure.
On such a site it is possible, for example, to present creative or interesting solutions that disabled people nevertheless managed to find – ideas that would probably never come up in the developed countries where the health and welfare services exist and function at one level or another.
Also, the site can deal with a host of other questions such as: do international aid organizations that reach these places manage to also reach disabled people who live there, what is the social status of disabled people in these societies, etc.
2) As you know, when patients arrive at a large medical center they often have difficulty finding the appropriate department they are looking for.
The idea is to develop an application, which will operate according to the same principles as an applicationwaze, which will be able to help the patient or the staff member reach those department, wing or even a very specific room in the medical center that they are looking for – and all this in an easy and simple way as possible.
Of course, it is highly desirable for such an application to support as many languages as possible, and be operable in as many medical centers as possible around the world.
E. Below is the e-mail I sent to Facebook’s technical support:
My Facebook account was blocked suddenly – just like that and for no reason.
I would like to point out that on my Facebook account I do not write curses, hate speech, threats or any kind of slurs or incitement that can really justify a sanction of this kind.
I am attaching a screenshot of the error message blocking access to my Facebook account.
Best regards,
Asaf Binyamin,
115 Costa Rica Street,
Entrance A-flat 4,
Kiryat Menachem,
Jerusalem,
Israel, zip code: 9662592.
Phone numbers: in a secret home due to harassment and a complaint to the Israeli police that was not handled.
Mobile-972-58-6784040. Fax-972-77-2700076.
post Scriptum. 1) The blocked Facebook account is linked to the e-mail [email protected]
2) My additional e-mail addresses: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected]
F. Below is my correspondence with the website system “2checkout.com”:
2 Checkout Merchant Support< [email protected] >
to:
Monday, October 23-14:16
Hello,
Please note that we do not offer maintenance services for third-party plugins.
Let us know if you have any other questions.
kind regards,
Ion T.
Technical Support Specialist
As I wrote, I would like to point out that I receive maintenance services from the site’s hosting company – however, their maintenance services do not include assistance with regard to the functionality of plugins.
Therefore, I am looking for companies that offer assistance in the maintenance of WordPress sites, that help for a fixed monthly fee with problems related to the functionality of plugins.
I am not writing about a specific issue – every time it is something else, and because of my low income I cannot pay for wordpress blog fixing – when it is needed. I am searching for a solution to it.
assaf Benyamini.
RE: my letter to “2checkout.com”. [ ref:!00D4P010NXY.!500Do0DoOA9:ref ]
Yahoo/Inbox
2 Checkout Merchant Support< [email protected] >
to:
Monday, October 23-13:20
Hello,
Thank you for contacting 2Checkout!
Based on the information you sent us via e-mail we are unable to determine the reported issue.
Could you provide us with more information about the issue including screenshots, videos, and how it can be reproduced?
Looking forward to your reply!
kind regards,
Ion T. Technical Support Specialist
————— Original Message —————From: Assaf Binyamini [ [email protected] ]Sent: 10/23 /2023 12:33 PM To: [email protected] : my letter to “2 checkout.com“.
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of our organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
author
2 Checkout – now Verifone
assaf benyamini
Hello, assaf! Thank you for reaching out to us! Please note that we do not offer extensive support via social media. You seem to need technical support from one of our qualified team members. For us to be able to help you, please send us an email to [email protected] , and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding!
Like
To: “2checkout.com“.
Subject: Functionality in WordPress.
Dear Madams/Sirs.
I own the website disability55.com– built on the wordpress.org system.
This is a multilingual site in 67 languages: Uzbek, Ukrainian, Urdu, Azeri, Italian, Indonesian, Icelandic, Albanian, Amharic, English, Estonian, Armenian, Bulgarian, Bosnian, Burmese, Belarusian, Bengali, Basque, Georgian, German, Danish , Dutch, Hungarian, Hindi, Vietnamese, Tajik, Turkish, Turkmen, Telugu, Tamil, Greek, Yiddish, Japanese, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mongolian, Malay, Maltese, Macedonian, Norwegian, Nepali, Swahili, Sinhalese, Chinese, Slovenian, Slovak , Spanish, Serbian, Hebrew, Arabic, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Filipino, Finnish, Persian, Czech, French, Korean, Kazakh, Catalan, Kyrgyz, Croatian, Romanian, Russian, Swedish and Thai.
I would like to point out that I receive maintenance services from the site’s hosting company – however, their maintenance services do not include assistance with regard to the functionality of plugins.
Therefore, I am looking for companies that offer assistance in the maintenance of WordPress sites, that help for a fixed monthly fee with problems related to the functionality of plugins.
Do you know any companies that offer such a service?
Best regards,
assaf benyamini,
115 Costa Rica Street,
Entrance A-flat 4,
Kiryat Menachem,
Jerusalem
ISRAEL, zip code: 9662592.
post Scriptum. 1)2 Examples of the (among many) problems I have encountered, as far as the field of add-on functionality is concerned:
1. I installed a few months ago (I am writing this on September 29, 2023) the magenet.net plugin whose activity is to help monetize WordPress websites.
A few days ago I received a message from them about a problem with the plugin’s settings – a problem that I don’t know how to solve.
2. I have a multilingual website on the wordpress.org system.
The site is in 67 languages - and I use the polylang plugin for this purpose.
I am looking for a method by which I can add a line at the end of each post in the middle of the page in a certain language – without having to add the line intended for each post separately.
for example:
Automatically add the line:
מצאתם טעות? ספרו לי על כך
At the end of each post in Hebrew.
Automatically add the line:
“Did you find a mistake? Tell me about it”
At the end of every post in English
and automatically add the line:
“Səhv tapdınız? Mənə bu haqda danış”
At the end of each post in Azeri
(I don’t know Azeri – I used Google Translate to write this line)
Is there a method by which this can be done – or there is no choice and I have to add the end line to each post separately manually?
I would like to point out that my blog has, as of the time of writing these lines, about 2056 posts.
assaf benyamini.
2) Link to the website: https://disability55.com/
3) I will state that I live on a very low income – a disability allowance from the National Insurance Institute. For this reason maintaining a website for a high fee is in any case very problematic for me.
Since I’m not a computer programmer, I don’t know how to solve problems on the site on my own – and many times I’m careful not to overdevelop my site – knowing that it won’t be possible to deal with problems , if and when there are any.
4) My additional links:
5) my first language is Hebrew.
ref: !00D4P010NXY.!500Do0DoOA9:ref
G. Below is the e-mail I sent to Assuta Ashdod’s innovation center:
Letters to the innovation center of Assuta Ashdod.
Yahoo/sent
assaf benyamini< [email protected] >
to:
Monday, October 23 at 20:07
To: Assuta Ashdod Innovation Center.
Subject: software/system for those with dementia.
Dear Madames/ Sirs.
I thought of the following idea of developing an application for people who suffer from diseases that are accompanied by cognitive decline and conditions of dementia such as Alzheimer’s:
As we know, the patients with diseases whose main characteristic is cognitive decline (such as Alzheimer’s or other diseases in which there is a state of dementia) are gradually losing many abilities such as short-term memory or day-to-day functioning that is gradually deteriorating. The idea is to establish software, or a system that will be designed for people who are in this situation. The challenge is to gather in such a system all the programs or systems that the person uses – and through an artificial intelligence system the operating mechanism will become simpler and simpler as the disease progresses. Of course, in order to build the system in a way that adapts itself as accurately as possible to the situation of the person using it, during the development it will be necessary to consult and cooperate with brain researchers, researchers in the field of cognition, as well as cooperation with neurologists. The goal of the system is, of course, to allow people who are used to using a computer for different purposes and in line with dementia not to completely lose access to the systems they were used to using for many years of their lives – and thus to some extent improve their quality of life which is already significantly damaged as a result of the symptoms of the disease itself.
So much for the idea itself. Although it is an idea that I have thought about, I have nothing to do with dementia care in my personal life. I would like to point out that in everything that concerns me personally, there are a number of things that need to be taken into account:
1) I am not a professional in the field of programming, nor a professional in the fields of brain research, cognition or neurology – and for this reason I cannot accompany such a project step by step.
This is an idea I thought about – and apart from providing the initial idea I will not be able to assist in any other phase of the project.
2) I live on a very low income – a disability allowance from the National Insurance Institute. Therefore, I have no ability to invest any budgets in realizing the idea. And what’s more: due to the seriousness of my situation, even very high discounts simply won’t help.
3) I live in the Kiryat Menachem neighborhood in Jerusalem, and I do not have a car or a driver’s license. Due to my health and financial situation, there is also no chance that I will be able to get a driver’s license or buy a car in the future.
Therefore, my ability to come to consulting meetings in the offices of companies that are considerably far from my place of residence does not exist.
Do you think there could be some address here in an attempt to promote such a project, or should I abandon it and forget about the whole thing?
My personal details:
First name – assaf. Surname – benyamini.
Identity number-029547403.
Full address for mail delivery – assaf benyamini, 115 Costa Rica St., Entrance A – Apartment 4,
Kiryat Menachem, Jerusalem, ISRAEL, zip code: 9662592.
Phone numbers: in a secret home due to harassment and a complaint to the Israeli police that was not handled.
Mobile-972-58-6784040. Fax-972-77-2700076.
My e-mail addresses: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected] or: [email protected]
My website: https://www.disability55.com/
H. My links:
1)culture Equal-contents egalitarian and high quality for girls and for the children
2)rssground.com – Optimize your content discovery and sharing
5)Life with no plastic-products friendly to the environment
6)“dense”-forum to the population,around the and a friend in Israel”
- Did you find a mistake? Tell me about it -
