“While often referred to as if it were a single disease, arthritis is actually an umbrella term used for a group of more than 100 medical conditions that collectively affect nearly 46 million adults and 300,000 children in America alone.”(Arthritis Foundation) The most common forms of arthritis and the most well-know are Rheumatoid (RA), Osteo-Arthritis (OA) and Juvenile-Rheumatoid Arthritis(JRA), which is what children with arthritis suffer from.  Although many of us know about these diseases the cause is still unknown and there is no cure. With so many people suffering young and old, the Arthritis Foundation has put together an event to help fight this horrible disease.

…and what can it do for you?

Thermography, also known as digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI), is a totally non-invasive clinical imaging procedure that detects thermal differences within the body, which may indicate the presence of disease or physical injury. It can be used as an aid, in conjunction with other diagnostic tools, for diagnosis and prognosis, as well as monitoring therapy progress, for conditions and injuries, including: back injuries, arthritis, headache, nerve damage, unexplained pain, fibromyalgia, RSD (CRPS), dental problems and TMJ, artery inflammation, heart disease, vascular disease, breast disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, disc disease, inflammatory pain, skin cancer, referred pain syndrome, sprains and strains, stroke screening, whiplash, digestive disorders and many more diseases and dysfunctions in the body.

Images, known as thermograms, can be taken of the whole body or just specific areas, such as a breast scan or a half body scan that scans for disease in all the major organs of the body. (more…)

The 10th Annual Hike with Hope is this Saturday!

Friends of Loudoun Mental Health has been supporting folks who struggle with mental health problems – since 1955. That’s their mission: to raise money and provide direct financial aid for Loudoun programs that clearly empower people to get healthier through recovery.

You can help!

How? Come hike with us and/or give tax deductible dollars, and/or get sponsors to pay
you to take our 5- mile hike. We need your energy and happy spirit.

Where? We begin at Fox Ridge Park in Leesburg, move west along the W & OD bike trail 2.5 miles to a marked point on the trail, then turn around and come back. Food provided by Red Hot & Blue. We supply water. Please check in at the pavilion.

When? October 27, 2007. Activities start at 12:30 - the hike is from 1-3 pm.

Why? Because we are a “goosey group of caring folks” that believe in our community. This is just one way of “helping our neighbors.” Come Hike with us!

What? We Hike Rain or Shine! Prepare yourself for the adventure!

For information, email Amber Ernst at
arernst@loudounfriends.org
or call (202) 351-8612,
or Judy Hines at (703) 443-0524.
www.loudounfriends.org

Their website is being renovated, but here’s the full flyer on PDF, complete with a donor form.

PLUS, their mascot is a goose…I think. So how can you beat that?

How to determine the amount of a casualty loss deduction

Fire, flood, tornado. Violent weather can wreak emotional and financial havoc. If your home, vehicle or other personal property is damaged or destroyed by a sudden, unexpected casualty, an itemized tax deduction may help ease the financial burden.

In most cases, you claim a casualty loss in the taxable year the calamity strikes. However, if you’re in a presidentially declared disaster area, you have the option of amending your prior year return, thereby getting tax relief sooner.

Either way, to receive the maximum benefit you’ll need to calculate the amount of your loss. Here’s how.

1. File an insurance claim. If your property is insured, file a timely claim. Otherwise, you’ll only be able to take a deduction for the part of the loss that isn’t covered by insurance.
2. Get an appraisal. An appraisal determines the decline in fair market value caused by the casualty. Tax rules require that you measure the difference between what your home or property would have sold for before the damage and the probable sales price afterward. Your loss is the lesser of this decline or your adjusted basis in the property.
3. Establish basis. Generally, your home’s adjusted basis is what you paid for it, plus improvements. If your records were lost in the casualty, recreate them using reasonable estimates or the best information you have.
4. Keep receipts for repairs. In some situations, repairs you make to restore your property to its pre-casualty condition can be used as an indicator of the decline in the fair market value.

The aftermath of a casualty is often a stressful time. We’re here to help you resolve the tax issues. Please give us a call.

contact: info@accountingassociatesva.com

http://nymag.com/news/sports/38001/

Still think exercise and activity burn fat? Still think more is better? This article will show you why that is not necessarily true and probably the biggest misconception when it comes to exercise’s role in fat loss. The truth is, exercise is a weak weapon for fat loss, but crucial that it be done during the process of fat loss. The supposed authorities on exercise are touting ever more activity, but that’s only in hopes the public will do anything. Realistically all it takes is a couple of hard workout sessions (20-30minutes at most) per week and good calorie control while not working out. To understand this further or to find out how you can lose fat efficiently without endless physical activity, contact me at SuperSlow Zone 703-421-1200.

A premier Dentist in Historic Ashburn.

There was an article a few months back in the Washington Post business section about the precarious existence of the neighborhood pharmacy, and about the particular plight of the Leesburg Pharmacy. First the gloomy picture:

…The pharmacist with remedies for everyone is not at all sure she can heal herself. Nationwide, more than 1,100 independent pharmacies went out of business last year squeezed by shrinking reimbursements from insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid.

From behind the pharmacy counter, Garvin says she can feel the forces of competition turning the economy into one giant distribution chain, moving ever more products to ever more people at ever lower costs, mowing down everything in between. Amazon.com did it to bookstores, Home Depot did to hardware stores, and now so many forces are converging on community pharmacies that it feels like a tornado at the door–with nothing pushing back but a slight and hyperkinetic Garvin in her white pharmacist’s coat.

But, thankfully, there’s a higher purpose to a neighborhood pharmacy, and a more importantly a real need for them:

…Hospice patients who can’t swallow can have the active ingredients in their medicines compounded into drops or creams. Parents of pediatric reflux patients come from and alcohol-free version of the adult medicine. Those allergic to the dyes in many drugs can get a compounded version of their medicine free of artificial coloring.

Lynn Gibson, a retired Army employee visited the pharmacy last week. He said his head felt like a bowling ball from a sinus infection that had proved impervious to the most powerful antibiotic pills. His doctor had had a long phone conversation with Lisa Strucko, and she mixed antibiotic nose drops to attack the sinuses directly. Gibson drove here, 10 miles from her home, to get them, paying $12 more than he would have for pills. He said that he had called CVS, Giant and Safeway looking for a compounding lab and that “everyone said, ‘We don’t do it.’” A week later, he said he was finally feeling relief. “I told Lisa if this works I’m going to take her out and get her drunk,” he said.

Little doubt there are challenges, but there is even less doubt our community is better off for having a dedicated local pharmacy.

For the whole article, click here for page 1, and here for page 2.

The newest issue of the Financial Times is out. Here’s a summary:

Antidote to the Sub-Prime Mortgage Crisis: What impact will the sub-prime mortgage crisis have on your financial life? A brief discussion of the problem and the possible ripple effects – along with a proven approach to riding out the inevitable ups and downs in your financial life.

Disability Insurance – A Common Foundational Weakness: Even though most Americans acknowledge a single incident of disability would severely impact their financial lives, very few own disability insurance. Why? A short commentary on the realities of disability, and the financial fall-out that often follows.

What is BOLI? Find out why banks give permanent life insurance a significant place in their financial operations, and how some of the same financial principles can be applied for individuals.

The Opportunity Cost of Season Tickets. If you are a football fanatic, keep this information under wraps! Your obsession could cost you more than a million dollars!

Retirees Don’t Want A Mortgage Payment. Some financial commentators might argue that owning a home free and clear is unprofitable because all that equity is just sitting there. But most retirees see it differently.

For the full issue on PDF, click here.

Clinical psychologists in Ashburn, VA

Check the link below on how to properly prepare yourself in case your return is chosen for a random audit.
Weekly Tax Tip