tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88563416312761873902024-03-14T03:13:18.967-07:00SocialpreneurAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-51638297233627009452015-01-01T16:07:00.000-08:002015-01-01T16:33:21.001-08:00Business Ethics: Maintaining a Moral Compass Despite the Pressures of Commerce<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOx2NbaPhBFf-MDc-blIel-l7SNAMkRkB-eUSK3WpMor1J-E1XBRyChC5fVaUCJ3CFdbUlw0OiTDXjUkRtcb52toJcIsGiW16xFq_2DHfGQuOmO_uYhET9xWNyqKAlM2aXM3Gi6QKPXOY/s1600/business_ethics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Business Ethics" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOx2NbaPhBFf-MDc-blIel-l7SNAMkRkB-eUSK3WpMor1J-E1XBRyChC5fVaUCJ3CFdbUlw0OiTDXjUkRtcb52toJcIsGiW16xFq_2DHfGQuOmO_uYhET9xWNyqKAlM2aXM3Gi6QKPXOY/s1600/business_ethics.jpg" height="224" title="Business Ethics" width="320" /></a></div>
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The world of commerce is often a difficult one to navigate.
Whether the position you hold is that of CEO, CFO or any other higher-level
executive, maintaining a moral compass is one of the only ways you can help
your company overcome the ethical obstacles, challenges and distractions the
business world is bound to present. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You have to know, with certainty, the difference between
right and wrong. You have to be able to maintain your integrity and be willing
to be <a href="http://www.beltlawfirm.com/legal-services/business-lawyer/business-fraud" target="_blank"><span class="InternetLink">held accountable for the actions you take</span></a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The CEO of Booher Research had it right when she stated in a
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dianna-booher/leaders-legal-ethical-or-_b_5729872.html" target="_blank"><span class="InternetLink">recent Huffington Post article</span></a>, "When people
decide to disregard their moral compass as the official business handbook, they
begin to make up the rules as they go." <o:p></o:p></div>
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This, in turn, can then present problems for the business
itself, and become an additional source of conflict. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Attempting to Find Ways to Skirt the Law Can Be Very Dangerous<o:p></o:p></h2>
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A business cannot hope to achieve long-term success if its
officers and executives are busy trying to find ways to skirt the law, rather
than adhere to it. When executives start looking for loopholes to get around
standard accounting methods, it is usually a sign there is a serious,
underlying problem that needs to be addressed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Companies that are complacent about discrepancies and
unethical practices are simply tempting fate. Those who seek out professional
or legal advice, in an effort to "confirm" that the actions they are
taking do not violate any business laws, are walking along a dangerous path. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the most highly publicized examples of what happens
when <a href="http://smallbusiness.chron.com/workplace-ethics-behavior-5239.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="InternetLink">business ethics </span></a>disappears from the workplace is
what happened with Enron and its executives. <o:p></o:p></div>
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According to <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/blog/morning-edition/2014/11/former-enron-cfo-i-wasn-t-thinking-this-was-fraud.html?page=all" target="_blank"><span class="InternetLink">recent remarks</span></a> of former Enron CFO, Andrew
Fastow, he never set out to commit fraud. At the same time, he was well aware
of the "sketchy accounting methods" he was using, yet justified their
continued use. Fastow goes on to say, "You can always find an attorney to
give you the answer you want. You can always find an accountant to give you the
answer you want. You can always find a board member who wants that answer.
"<o:p></o:p></div>
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While this may be true, ethics in business is not about
finding ways around the law. It is about commitment to excellence, integrity,
accountability and doing what is right, even under the pressure to turn a
profit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Executive Responsibilities: Hold Your Position and Stand Your Ground<o:p></o:p></h2>
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Individuals who cannot maintain their own moral compass have
no business being executives. Being able to hold your position against
argumentative superiors, and stand your ground even in the face of threats or
disciplinary actions, is part of your responsibility as an executive. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you refuse to give in to "shady" business
practices, and insist on proper documentation and accountability, the future of
your business will be much better off. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-36057856633559142332013-12-31T09:08:00.000-08:002015-01-01T16:12:00.067-08:00Offbeat Jobs at Startups<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Does innovation and variety inspire you? Are you the type of
person who thrives around driven, intelligent, creative, passionate people?
Then a job at a startup just might be in your future. Be warned though. If
you’re going to help build a business from the ground up, you’ll most likely be
part of the team building the foundation. In other words, be prepared to get
your hands dirty.</div>
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It’s not likely that you’ll be hired on as ‘Engineer #1’ and
walk out of the office after your first day with a <a href="http://www.lawyernc.com/practice_areas_workers_forklift.html"><span class="InternetLink">forklift injury</span></a>, but when you sign on with a
startup, be ready to tackle the ”other duties as assigned” part of the job. New
companies, especially those with little to no capital, don’t have the means to
hire multiple people right out of the gate. So, they rely on the sparse work
group they can bring on board to come to work with their A-game every day. As
the sayings go, you will have to wear many hats and become a
jack-of-all-trades, but the tradeoff can be immeasurable. </div>
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<b>Advantages of Working
at a Startup</b> </h3>
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The diversity of tasks required of you as a startup employee
will have you configuring cubicles one minute and drafting venture round
strategies the next. But, that’s one of the big draws of a startup – to grow as
an employee far beyond what you could at a big company. Getting paid to learn
and buildup your resume is a dream job. There are, of course, a few more
benefits to working at a startup.</div>
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Aside from the wealth of experience you’ll gain by working
at a startup, there’s also the huge draw of a potentially life changing
financial payoff. If the company you work for becomes successful or is
purchased by a larger company, as a new employee who received stock as part of
his hiring package (right?), you could potentially become a multi-millionaire.
Think about it. Wherever you live, whether it’s Rochester, Reno, or Raleigh,
SSD terms and SSI benefits are hurdles that you’ll never have to struggle with.
In other words, you’ll be financial secure for the rest of your life. </div>
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Additionally, you will be working with true innovators, you
will be recognized for your successes, you’ll be given much more
responsibility, the atmosphere in which you work will be dynamic, and you’ll
never get bored because there’s something new every day. Of course, to every
yin there is a yang, so there are a few disadvantages to working for a startup,
too.</div>
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<b>Disadvantages to
Working for a Startup</b></h3>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8856341631276187390" name="_GoBack"></a>Some of the disadvantages of working
for a startup mirror the advantages and some reflect just the opposite. For
example, as a startup employee, you may have big dreams of striking it rich,
and you may do just that. However, startups generally don’t have much funding
up front, so you will be required to work harder than you ever have for what’s
probably one of the smallest pay checks you’ll ever earn.</div>
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Something that can be considered both an advantage and a
disadvantage of working for a startup is the fact that you’ll be doing so many
different jobs. The negative side of the advantage is that you won’t be able to
pick and choose the ‘extra’ assignments. Being hired as ‘Engineer #1’ doesn’t
mean you won’t be expected to do some hard labor. Setting up cubicles is one
thing, but cleaning the bathroom, moving furniture, and unloading boxes? You
can count on it. </div>
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At a startup, it seems like no task is off limits. Just know
that going in, know your physical limitations, and be vocal about them. If you
are physically incapable of performing a task, speak up. Otherwise, you just
may end up having that conversation about Raleigh <a href="http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10029.pdf"><span class="InternetLink">SSD
terms</span></a>, after all.</div>
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Working for a startup has both short term and long-term pros
and cons. You’ll likely have to accept low pay with the hope of a long-term
gold mine headed your way. You’ll have to work harder than you ever have before
(performing tasks you’d rather not be doing), but you’ll leave the job with a
killer resume. However it turns out, it’s bound to be one crazy ride.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-32175216258328189702013-12-30T09:55:00.000-08:002015-01-01T16:18:11.013-08:00Your Government vs. Your Bank: Estate Planning & Eminent Domain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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You’d think that banks might be happy for a solution to the mortgage crises. Especially in areas of the country where a majority of homes are underwater, mortgages are delinquent, and homeowners are abandoning their homes in droves. But one recent proposal to help with the problem has big banks up in arms. The solution involves the government obtaining <a href="http://www.michiganlawreview.org/assets/pdfs/112/Roller.pdf">underwater mortgages</a> under its power of eminent domain. <br />
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A company called Mortgage Resolution Partners (MRP) developed this proposal, and is working to get county and city governments on board. The idea is that if banks fail to sell the loans to the government when offered fair market value, the government can force the sale under its power of eminent domain. Once the government owns the mortgages, MRP refinances the smaller (fair market value) loans, resulting in much more affordable payments for the homeowners. <br />
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The solution works because in the areas hardest hit by the burst of the real estate bubble, today’s fair market value is well under the amount financed (thus the rash of “underwater” mortgages). For example, a home in Richmond California that was worth $300,000 when financed might only be worth $200,000 today. In this case, a homeowner’s payments on the refinanced loan would decrease from $800 per month, to a much more realistic $300 per month. (<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/01/eminent-domain-mortgage-gluckstern">Mother Jones</a> Sept 10, 2013).<br />
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If the proposal is implemented, ideally the homeowners’ get to stay in their homes, the county solves the economic problems that result when fleeing owners leave neighborhoods full of empty homes, and MRP makes a few bucks in the process (keep that in mind during your <a href="http://www.thewootenlawfirm.com/estate-planning/">estate planning</a> meetings).<br />
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<b>Why the Big Banks Are Balking</b></h3>
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So, what’s the problem with the proposal? In short, the displeasure of the nation’s four biggest banks– Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo. Under the eminent domain scenario, the big banks must realize the losses suffered when the real estate bubble burst. Currently, due to accounting practices which allow loss deferment, many banks have delayed recognizing these losses. On paper, it’s as though the losses have not occurred. Upon the forced sale of the loans at actual fair market value, however, the banks will be forced to actually report their losses and leave this comfy fantasy world. (http://foreclosurenation.org/bank-of-america/no-wonder-eminent-domain-mortgage-seizures-scare-wall-street/.)<br />
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To avoid this, the big banks have done their best to put up roadblocks to dissuade governments from commencing the eminent domain solution. They have threatened legal challenges and injunctions against any government that proceeds with eminent domain. So far, governments have been slow to get on board with the eminent domain solution in the face of all this big bank saber rattling. However, legal scholars agree that the arguments the banks are putting foth against eminent domain likely won’t hold water. <br />
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Requirements for Eminent Domain Action</h3>
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<a href="http://video.sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/"></a> People typically think of eminent domain as a method for the government to obtain land (for example to purchase homes in the way of a planned super highway route). However, eminent domain is not limited to real property. Governments have also successfully used eminent domain to obtain intangible property (such as trade secrets). So long as fair market value is paid, there is no legal prohibition against a government using eminent domain to obtain mortgages. <br />
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The <a href="http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/eminent+domain">law of eminent domain</a> basically requires the government to meet two main criteria: it must pay fair market value for any property obtained, and it must be acting in the public good. To determine the fair market value of a mortgage, the government need only look at comparable foreclosure or current market sales. As far as showing a public purpose, fixing the foreclosure crises in order to keep homeowners in their homes and keep hard-hit areas’ economies rolling should surely suffice. <br />
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Will Eminent Domain Work? Wait and See…</h3>
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So far, one brave city, Richmond, California has started procedures that could result in eminent domain purchases of mortgages. Depending on the success in Richmond, other cities or counties might soon follow suit. No doubt threats and legal challenges from the banks will be unavoidable and cause delays in any solution. Can government win in this battle against the big banks? We can only wait and see. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-55531026502423815992013-12-30T06:19:00.000-08:002014-01-06T06:23:40.173-08:00Decreasing Labor Force & Increasing Disability Benefit Payments: Correlation?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWXIAe9VTjqiD15YbqipnHfYQ7_F6MiPZTyfUYkpOc_JX5TPmuil27b_vedIcG6jhnmbHU6RVpWogTaxzjlhjJUQFvckuzTaaJPRreleL1Y97sAx4flUp5vX7UVyQ_qe-KEyJHti2YNk/s1600/152027125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="decreasing labor force" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWXIAe9VTjqiD15YbqipnHfYQ7_F6MiPZTyfUYkpOc_JX5TPmuil27b_vedIcG6jhnmbHU6RVpWogTaxzjlhjJUQFvckuzTaaJPRreleL1Y97sAx4flUp5vX7UVyQ_qe-KEyJHti2YNk/s1600/152027125.jpg" height="213" title="decreasing labor force" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“Jobs
are down!”; “Benefit claims are up!” Alarmists can be heard shrieking and
freaking- claiming this is sure evidence that lazy people are fleeing the
workforce in order to sit on their butts collecting benefits! – But are they
really?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A
number of pundits have claimed a direct correlation between the recent upward
trend in American’s Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) enrollment and
the downturn in the number of people participating in the labor force. For
example, according to the Wall Street Journal, the Chief US economist for J.P.
Morgan, Michael Feroli, estimated that a quarter of all the people leaving the
labor force are enrolling in SSDI. (<u><a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323511804578298151374531578">The
Wall Street Journal</a>,</u> 4/10/2013), Adding to the speculation, Fox &
Friends commentators claimed the poor numbers shown in a recent jobs report
were due to workers choosing to sit on the couch collecting benefits instead of
going out to find a job and participating in the labor force. (<a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2013/06/07/fox-rehashes-myth-that-unemployment-and-disabil/194385">http://mediamatters.org/research/2013/06/07/fox-rehashes-myth-that-unemployment-and-disabil/194385</a>.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">SSDI Benefits Are Not Causing
Declining Labor Numbers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It is true
the two trends coincide. Since 2009, about 3 million <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> workers have left the labor
force. During the same time period, <a href="http://www.underwoodlawoffice.com/legal-services/social-security-law/">SSDI</a>
has seen unexpectedly high enrollment. But can the SSDI program really be
blamed for pulling people out of the labor force? Despite the claims of the
pundits, there’s no real evidence that people are choosing to collect SSDI benefits
rather than go out to work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Harold
Pollack, an expert on disability policy at the <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">Chicago</st1:placename>'s <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Social Service
Administration</st1:placename></st1:place>, explains that if SSDI was truly pulling
people out of the workforce, employment rates for people who applied for but were
denied SSDI would be high. Statistics, however, show they’re quite low; below
50%. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Pollack also
points out that the benefits people on SSDI receive add up to only about
$13,000 per year (plus health care)- which isn’t an amount that an able worker
would likely find appealing.<span style="color: #424242;"> </span>(<u><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/28/harold-pollack-what-this-american-life-missed-on-disability-insurance/">The
Washington Post</a></u>, 3/28/13)<span style="color: #424242;">. </span>It’s more likely that labor force
participation has seen a downward trend, and the SSDI program an upward one,
due to simple demographic changes. <span style="color: #424242;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Demographic Shifts Can Account for
SSDI Growth<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The fact is,
our population is getting older. As people age, disabilities are more common. This
is especially true for people working in manual labor. These folks are more likely
to get injured and disabled, and less likely to be able to continue performing
the physically demanding jobs they were previously qualified for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Another
factor at play is the government’s increase in the qualifying age for
collecting Social Security. People who are no longer able to work and might
previously have collected Social Security now must rely on the SSDI program. In
fact, about five percent of the current SSDI recipients would be on Social
Security prior to the qualifying age increase. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Another
demographic shift is that more women are in the workforce than in years’ past.
Since the 1980’s many more women have qualified for SSDI benefits. This is
solely accountable to the increased number of women in the workplace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Blame the Boomers for the Shrinking
Labor Force<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Many economists agree that the depletion of the labor force is also
due to a demographic shift- namely, baby boomers retiring. (<u>The Wall Street
Journal</u>, 4/29/2013).This ageing out of a huge population segment has been
anticipated in economic models for years, and naturally means fewer people are available
to participate in the workforce. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So, the truth is that much of the recent labor force shrinkage probably
has nothing to do with SSDI increases. Actually, it might not even have much to
do with the state of the economy. The Federal Reserve Bank of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Chicago</st1:city></st1:place> expects that even if the economy
speeds up, demographic shifts will cause the labor force to decrease until at
least 2020. (<em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state></st1:place>
Post</span></em>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/post/the-incredible-shrinking-labor-force/2012/05/04/gIQANXAy1T_blog.html"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">5/4/12</span></a>).
So, don’t blame the SSDI program for fewer workers—blame the boomers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-65024281677498794922013-11-28T02:50:00.000-08:002013-12-02T02:51:06.526-08:00What the “Fiscal Cliff” Resolution Means for Personal Estate Planning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTxIuDKVXESB3H9GELGr70bTuJiMD5ct4kqs9QS8ifSkqxXTWAWguf2gQezzq6nWFdOrQFk8GGr5uS8o8Sq4Ud6HW6CJeCD7BPnuZiA0d1Aaw_V-F5hyh9_p6bjJq8tKQacBJ2hGLCPY/s1600/150892168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fiscal Cliff" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTxIuDKVXESB3H9GELGr70bTuJiMD5ct4kqs9QS8ifSkqxXTWAWguf2gQezzq6nWFdOrQFk8GGr5uS8o8Sq4Ud6HW6CJeCD7BPnuZiA0d1Aaw_V-F5hyh9_p6bjJq8tKQacBJ2hGLCPY/s320/150892168.jpg" title="Fiscal Cliff" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the end of 2012 one of the most popular media and water cooler
topics was the so-called "Fiscal Cliff." The Fiscal Cliff was such a frequent topic of
discussion and debate because it referred to the serious financial
ramifications that the United States would face if the Budget Control Act of
2011 went into effect on December 31, 2012.
These financial changes would have meant an end to the temporary payroll
tax cuts, resulting in a 2% tax increase for employees, the end to several tax
breaks for businesses, a change to the alternative minimum tax, a rollback of
the "Bush tax cuts", and the beginning of taxes related to the
Affordable Care Act. However, mere hours before midnight on December 31st, a
deal was struck to avoid a financial crisis, and President Obama signed the <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr8/text">American Taxpayer
Relief Act</a> of 2012 (the "Act").
Among other things this resolution impacted taxes related testamentary
and inter vivos gift-giving that may impact estate planning for some. </div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<b>Annual Exclusion from
Gift Tax<br />
</b>Under the new law for 2013<b> t</b>he
annual exclusion from gift tax increased from $13,000 to $14,000 per recipient
per year. Under this rule a married
couple can combine the exclusion and give each recipient $28,000 per year
without being hit with a gift tax. A
Raleigh estate planning attorney gives the following example of how a family
could apply the gift tax rule when <a href="http://www.thewootenlawfirm.com/estate-planning/">estate planning</a>. A married couple could give the family of
their married child who has a two children a total of $112,000. The child could receive $28,000, the child's
spouse could also receive $28,000, and each of their two grandchildren could
receive $28,000. </div>
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<b>Generation-Skipping
Transfer Tax Law</b><br />
Originally imposed in 1976, the generation-skipping transfer tax imposes a tax
on gifts to beneficiaries who are a generation removed from the testator. It is
now only imposed on gifts of over $5 million, and typically applies to gifts to
grandchildren. However, the law also
specifies that the tax applies to gifts to recipients who are 37.5 years or
more younger than the testator.</div>
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Prior to the Act the estate, gift and generation-skipping
transfer tax law expired and had to be renewed.
Now Congress has permanently set the exemption amount at $5 million,
meaning $10 million for a married couple, adjusted annually for inflation. For 2013 the amount is $5.25 million. Gifts in excess of the exemption amount are
taxed at a 40% rate. However, with careful
estate planning, wealthy families will be able to avoid or minimize taxes on
gifts to children and grandchildren.</div>
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<b>Charitable
Contributions from IRAs<br />
</b>The IRA charitable contribution rollover rule was first introduced in
2006. It allows people 70½ and older to make
a direct charitable gift of as much as $100,000 per year from their traditional
IRAs. However, the provision expired at the end of 2011. As part of the Fiscal Cliff
resolution Congress extended this provision through <a href="http://www.irs.gov/Retirement-Plans/Charitable-Donations-from-IRAs-for-2012-and-2013">2013</a>.
This option is attractive to people who must take minimum distributions and who
also wish to make gifts to their favorite charities. People who take advantage of this option can
make a charitable gift without increasing their adjusted gross income. </div>
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<br />
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Every year there are changes to the rules that may impact
tax planning and estate planning. What
changes would you like Congress to consider that would help make tax planning and
estate planning less complicated?</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-4599392915367268252013-11-14T03:04:00.000-08:002013-12-02T03:08:20.960-08:00Injured on the Job: Can You Be Replaced by a Seasonal Employee?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXABZ2eSOAfZC69ocj7GRLXoyrCQ0tQNftsa-jdmDAbiZr-eUHeHW-hJUfzGHyt2RcsJyfWQnC5smvo085bPwextRKQR8khPNTamLEoHmK5LoW6O2PdXM3T1SQw3XcHwIvipEaY7iyOAo/s1600/104241348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Seasonal Employee" border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXABZ2eSOAfZC69ocj7GRLXoyrCQ0tQNftsa-jdmDAbiZr-eUHeHW-hJUfzGHyt2RcsJyfWQnC5smvo085bPwextRKQR8khPNTamLEoHmK5LoW6O2PdXM3T1SQw3XcHwIvipEaY7iyOAo/s320/104241348.jpg" title="Seasonal Employee" width="320" /></a></div>
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Janet works as a server and an assistant chef at a catering company. During a big<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8856341631276187390"></a> event, she slipped on the wet tile floor in the kitchen while carrying a tray of dishes. When she fell, she hit her head on the corner of the sink and was immediately sent to the Emergency Room where she was diagnosed with a concussion. The neurologist told Janet that she should take a week off from work and discuss having a lighter work load and shortened shifts with her employer. Her employer, understanding that her injury was work related, agreed to shorten her shifts and make her work load lighter when she returned after a week. Before Janet was scheduled to return back to work, her concussion symptoms worsened and the neurologist told her she should return to work at a later date. Worried about her job and a pile of bills, Janet filed for <a href="http://www.parsonslawgroup.com/legal-services/workers-compensation/">workers’ compensation</a> to cover her lost wages; her boss told her that a newly hired seasonal employee could pick up her shifts. <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Right before some big Thanksgiving events, Janet was given the “ok” to return back to work, but on limited hours. Although she was nervous about her recent injury, Janet thought she did well and kept up with the rush. Her co-workers were happy to see her return to work, but said wonderful things about the seasonal employee, Lisa. At the end of the night, Janet’s boss told her that he was worried that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the rush of the upcoming holiday events and that he was going to put Lisa on as a full-time employee. He explained to Janet that he wasn’t terminating her position, but would put her as an “on call” until she fully recovered from her work related injury. Janet had a sinking suspicion that that was his nice way of telling her that she was done, as she had seen past employees put “on call” never to be called to work again. Feeling overwhelmed by the stress of upcoming holidays and feeling financially and emotionally distraught, Janet talked to a workers’ compensation attorney, as she wanted to know if her employer had made a “legal” decision. Her attorney told her that while she was technically not fired yet, she would need to wait to take action. <br />
<br />
Within a week from the last day she worked, Janet received a last minute call from her boss to see if she could work a 12 hour day, following her doctor’s orders she had to decline and her boss promptly terminated her position.<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Can You Be Fired if You Were Injured on the Job?</h4>
Janet had done everything right. As soon as she was injured, she reported the injury to her employer and went to the emergency room. She chose a doctor from the posted Panel of Physicians and kept in contact with her employer as soon as her diagnosis was given. After missing over a week of work (or 7 days), Janet filed for <a href="http://sbwc.georgia.gov/law">workers’ compensation benefits</a>, as her employer did not offer any sick pay. When she was medically allowed to return to work, she did and she performed her tasks as expected. While Janet’s boss did not technically say that she was fired because of her injury, she was fired because she was not authorized by a medical professional to take a shift that was beyond her “prescribed” shift. With the help of her attorney, Janet can sue her employer for “retaliation”, when she filed for workers’ compensation. <br />
<br />
<br />
Chances are that if you are injured on the job, you will not be replaced by a temporary or seasonal employee. Many employers are not willing to go through the legal battle of being sued by an injured-on-the-job employee; besides, many companies value their employees and are willing to work with them if an unfortunate injury occurs. If you have been injured at work, right before the holiday season, make sure to file for workers’ compensation benefits, as they are rightfully yours and can help you get through the holidays.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-1342459625191072832013-11-11T05:21:00.000-08:002013-12-03T05:23:46.984-08:00The Wage Gap - Only 13% of Food Workers Earn a Living Wage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeR_-fgOjp5OkZ5E0j93XnOq4Oqh2OvurQ_USdLeioJkmSpMLtOrskIVfpgLerpvihfUtzaZr_jy6DGh91yPEZb44Iuj7kei4NcsRUHWTi0-jP6fiFlpRLBRD5JdB_ZPRijZCX35TSK0/s1600/179002946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living Wage" border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeR_-fgOjp5OkZ5E0j93XnOq4Oqh2OvurQ_USdLeioJkmSpMLtOrskIVfpgLerpvihfUtzaZr_jy6DGh91yPEZb44Iuj7kei4NcsRUHWTi0-jP6fiFlpRLBRD5JdB_ZPRijZCX35TSK0/s320/179002946.jpg" title="Living Wage" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Using the 5 most populous states (Illinois – 12,875,255;
Florida – 19,317,568; New York – 19,570,261; Texas – 26,059,203; and California
– 38,041,430) and comparing the living wage (as calculated by <a href="http://livingwage.mit.edu/">MIT's
Living Wage Calculator</a>) to the minimum wage as reported by <a href="http://www.minimum-wage.org/">Minimum-Wage.org</a>, it's easy to see the
wage gap – only 13% of food workers earn a living wage.</div>
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</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Illinois</h4>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
The living wage in Illinois for 1 adult is 9.66/hour when
working 40 hours per week, or 2080 hours per year. Illinois' minimum wage is
$8.25/hour, which excludes tipped employees. Assuming deductions of 20% for
taxes taken out of her check, she would bring home just under $14,000 per year. For a family of 2 (worker and child), that's
more than $1500 below the poverty level. At more than a dollar per hour below
the living wage, it's not hard to see how food workers in Illinois aren't
earning a living wage. More than 11% of Illinois residents live below the poverty
level.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Florida</h4>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Florida's living wage is at $10.12 per hour for one adult
working full time (40 hours/week, 2080 hours/year). $7.79 is the minimum wage
for regular employees. The discrepancy of more than $2/hour between minimum and
living wage illustrates why Florida also has more than 11% of its residents
living below the poverty level.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
New York</h4>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
$11.50 per hour is the living wage for residents of New
York. Unfortunately, the state's minimum wage is the same as the Federal, at
$7.25/hour. No wonder 14.5% of residents
are living in poverty.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Texas</h4>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Everything's bigger in Texas, right? Including the poverty
rate, at 16.2%. It may be because the minimum wage is $7.25 (same as the
Federal Minimum Wage), while the living wage is $8.76. More than $1.50 per hour
keeps minimum wage employees from earning a living wage.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
California</h4>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
California's minimum wage is at $8.00/hour. Unfortunately,
the living wage for the state is $11.20 … leaving minimum wage employees only
2/3 of the way to a living wage. This had undoubtedly contributed to the
state's 13.2% poverty rate.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<object height="315" width="560"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/GJnpyFJUbb4?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param>
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<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Workers' Compensation</h4>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Now imagine that any one of these minimum-wage employees
is injured at work. While off work, the employee is entitled to receive around
80% of their normal pay. If they were living at or below the poverty level on
the full amount, how can they be expected to survive – let alone get the
medical treatment they need – while on workers' compensation? </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText">
If you – or someone you know – is injured in the
workplace, steps should be taken to ensure that he or she will be eligible for
workers' compensation. Since the <a href="http://www.parsonslawgroup.com/legal-services/workers-compensation/workers-compensation-rules/">workers
compensation rules</a> vary depending upon the state, you should contact
your HR department to discover the specific rules for your area. In general,
though, it is important to document the injury with a supervisor or manager. In
addition, you should let any medical personnel you are treated by know that it
is related to an accident sustained at work. </div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-75235318244812094842013-10-28T13:43:00.000-07:002013-11-01T14:07:47.657-07:00Your Shrinking Social Security Check After the Government Shutdown<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnwUVa3P47IAN59lzjT7z7oA4CRoDqGhm9Lc7YzEcxSILNv2Im3TNViOlgy1Rl-XCnrDd0GdcbJ3qem9LebQyyDx-CLlU4SkJBqW3jktDu9L4G8x0xITp88IUeswvOkDAeWD3seMzu_U/s1600/Government+Shutdown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="government shutdown" border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnwUVa3P47IAN59lzjT7z7oA4CRoDqGhm9Lc7YzEcxSILNv2Im3TNViOlgy1Rl-XCnrDd0GdcbJ3qem9LebQyyDx-CLlU4SkJBqW3jktDu9L4G8x0xITp88IUeswvOkDAeWD3seMzu_U/s320/Government+Shutdown.jpg" title="government shutdown" width="320" /></a></div>
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Millions of Americans, who have inadequate or no income,
rely on monthly Social Security payments to pay for their basic living needs. When the government faced a shutdown, earlier
in October, new applicants faced the reality of a delayed process. According to a Providence Social Security
Disability Attorney, more than half of all <a href="http://www.gemmalaw.com/practice-areas/social-security-claims/">Social
Security</a> cases are denied due to a tough application process. With the government shutdown, many hopeful
applicants, in desperate need of assistance, feared that they may never receive
the assistance when they needed it.
However, prospective applicants were not the only ones worrying about
the fate of Social Security. Active
recipients of government benefits worried that their assistance would be
delayed while the government fought to come to an agreement on federal
spending. Fortunately, Americans who
receive Social Security continued to receive their month checks on time. With the shutdown over, many questions are
still left unanswered, including the amount of next year’s Social Security.</div>
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b>What’s in the Future
for Social Security?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On October 16, a day before the government resumed normal
function, Social Security was slated to reveal the cost-of-living adjustment
(COLA) for 2014, but recipients are still left waiting for an exact amount of
increase. Over the last couple of years,
the increase has been small, barely budging an already small (and for some a
barely liveable) payment. According to
an analysis by the AP, preliminary figures suggest next year’s benefit will
increase about 1.5 percent. Currently, approximately
58 million retirees, disabled workers, spouses, and children receive an average
monthly <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/social-security-raise-lowest-years-20556102">Social
Security payment</a> of $1,162. The
small, estimated increase would only raise the payment of about $17.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Can One Live Off of
Social Security?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, the 2013 Poverty Guidelines for a household of one is $11, 490. A year of Social Security payments just
barely rises above the federal individual poverty line. Seniors, in particular, feel the stress of
living check to check, throwing out the idea of having any “luxuries”. Depending on living situations and other
needs, there may be little to no money left at the end of the month. Many recipients can’t even afford to pay for
yearly “essentials” such as vehicle tabs, license renewals, or other state
required updates, not to mention any sort of emergency fund for things like car
repairs.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What Does the Future
Hold?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
While Social Security recipients continued to receive their
payments during the partial government shutdown and their payments should
continue to arrive without delay, it’s difficult to say what is in store for
the new year and years to come. Will the
<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a>COLA continue to make small increases or with the
government facing ongoing debt, will Social Security benefits completely
plummet, leaving recipients without money or a roof over their heads? While the government was able to get back
into “working order”, will they ever be able to increase benefits to help
recipients live more comfortably? </div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-40625532832573471212013-10-02T06:37:00.001-07:002013-10-02T07:26:40.483-07:00The Dot-Com Boom: Perils and Promise of Rapid Growth through Incorporation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEkDHE9NNI87K_Av0hAMG-ED_Na57GWHh7I9mb12v-3utSSw_ChjgICPNF3pu_y0wZGM5e3EFjX6aLDodETpyJsww8Y7bvmVPOErN0oRJ69zKn-sVtibIqzozhvwliIPserURzX00hIc/s1600/179510259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Incorporation" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEkDHE9NNI87K_Av0hAMG-ED_Na57GWHh7I9mb12v-3utSSw_ChjgICPNF3pu_y0wZGM5e3EFjX6aLDodETpyJsww8Y7bvmVPOErN0oRJ69zKn-sVtibIqzozhvwliIPserURzX00hIc/s320/179510259.jpg" title="Incorporation" width="320" /></a></div>
The year was 2008 and a new startup called Groupon took the Web by storm. <br />
Groupon’s introduction into the marketplace spawned countless copycats and
by 2011 it had already raised more than $1 billion in funding. However, as
quickly as it grew … it just as rapidly fell.<br />
The rise and fall of Groupon is but one of the many instances of a business
growing too quickly in this dot-com era. Rapid expansion without a firm revenue
method has seen the demise of many exciting tech startups but troubles in
profitability are but one element of the equation.<br />
<br />
Rapid growth often leads to quick, brash decisions in areas such as:<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Incorporating too early</li>
<li>Hiring too many employees in a short amount of time</li>
<li>Accepting funding without a thorough legal examination</li>
</ul>
<br />
More often than not, small businesses jump the gun to incorporate in a ready
fashion because they feel it’s essential for protecting their assets. The point
of incorporating, after all, is to protect personal liability in the financial
obligations of the business.<br />
<br />
A peril that comes about from quick incorporation is the sheer amount of
paperwork required to protect the IP, ownership, and assets of the business.
Introduction of shareholders and boards may take away the vision of the
original business owner if there is a lapse in legal due diligence.<br />
<br />
However, despite the perils, <a href="http://www.sba.gov/community/blogs/top-10-questions-about-small-business-incorporation-answered" target="_blank">incorporating a business</a> gives it a chance to
procure capital.<br />
<a href="http://segment.com/elite-business-finance-on-merits-of-incorporation/">Elite
Business Finance</a>, a company that provides financial services to small
businesses, has this to say about initial capital gained through incorporating:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“By incorporating, these businesses gain a certain level of credibility
that they perhaps lacked before in the eyes of most banks. This extra showing
of legitimacy then plays into the small business owner’s favor when applying
for business loans, especially when these loan requests are in larger sums
totaling more than $350,000.”</i></blockquote>
<i><br /></i>
There are many additional benefits that come to motion once capital has been
raised via incorporation:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>It eases the process of becoming a publicly traded company</li>
<li>It allows the company to increase capital by selling securities</li>
<li>It gives the corporation tax benefits and breaks</li>
<li>It increases the chance of additional funding from sources</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/W2FybpdrlYM" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
With funding in hand, a business can begin work without <a href="http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/08/17/most-common-early-start-up-mistakes/">falling into common mistakes</a>. The funding will provide the business with an appropriate budget to conduct
robust market research, product and service development, talent sourcing, and
intellectual property rights.<br />
<br />
Of all this, the underlying benefit of gaining legitimacy is one of the most
powerful. <br />
The Dot-Com era has allowed any business with access to programmers and developers
to create an online presence; sometimes these are shell companies masquerading
as legitimate businesses because the Web gives such a rapid platform for
growth.<br />
<br />
An individual can quickly create an online presence, inject their
product/service into the marketplace, rattle the consumers, and bail on the
operation before many take notice.<br />
Having official documentation, through incorporation, brings stability and
peace of mind to investors and consumers.<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Despite a few perils associated with rapid growth and early incorporation
it’s apparent that small businesses taking this leap into legitimacy has
profound benefits when procuring funding.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<b><i>This Guest post was contributed by: <a href="https://plus.google.com/114013560797228602786/posts" target="_blank">Rachel Matthews</a> </i></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-17884816477712065892013-08-28T03:35:00.000-07:002013-09-04T03:36:47.121-07:00Killing Them Softly: Assisted Suicide <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3hgzep2NtDuLywJbLgSCIWUash-rqFdk751p9I_hWVRGLdD9zZjyls3zqG2Rzgy03T5MNg0esszWZb31TwbVv1P4DMPlnwseHCQinSgbkq7r2kei9d-cSdP3QeqqtUk0yqgkG0B0o-o/s1600/92040115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Assisted Suicide " border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3hgzep2NtDuLywJbLgSCIWUash-rqFdk751p9I_hWVRGLdD9zZjyls3zqG2Rzgy03T5MNg0esszWZb31TwbVv1P4DMPlnwseHCQinSgbkq7r2kei9d-cSdP3QeqqtUk0yqgkG0B0o-o/s320/92040115.jpg" title="Assisted Suicide " width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Is Assisted Suicide the
Most Humane Way to End Unwanted Life?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Even though suicide is against the law in most of the <a href="http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000132">United
States</a>, there are a few places – Oregon, Vermont and Washington – where
that law has been turned on its head, providing for physician-assisted suicide (AS)
for those victims of terminal and highly painful diseases.</div>
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One state, Montana, currently allows AS via a court ruling –
what some would consider a legal precedent known as the Baxter decision. The
physician responsible for this precedent-setting decision is Dr. Eric Kress, a
family practitioner for 26 years. The incident itself, which ended the life of
a terminally ill but mentally alert adult via prescription, has passed into
history. <br />
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Dr. Kress, who continues to practice, has provided similar
relief for patients suffering from A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig’s syndrome) or esophageal
cancer, and plans to continue doing so.</div>
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Riding the ebb and swell of the law in Montana, whose House
of Representatives in February of this year passed <a href="http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/15/a-montana-doctor-defends-physician-assisted-suicide/?_r=0">H.B.
505</a> – a law forbidding physicians terminating, or aiding someone to
terminate, a patient’s life – Kress seems equally sanguine about the April 15
vote to rescind H.B. 505. One wonders how he manages this equilibrium, when the
law formerly provided for 10 years in jail and fines up to $50,000 per
incident.</div>
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This is likely because Kress practices medicine in Montana,
a place where he says he would gladly take a chance with a jury of his peers. “This
is a state where people really value their freedom.” Including, presumably, the
freedom to die. </div>
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<b>Places Where the
Legality of AS Remains Open to Debate<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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In some states, there is no clearly defined procedure or
penalty for physician-assisted suicide. For example, in Nevada, North Carolina,
Utah and Wyoming, the lack of any written law or even common-law practice puts
AS in a shadowy realm similar to the 20-year-old “Don’t ask, don’t tell” rule
which prevailed in the U.S. military until a few years ago.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The Senate on <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/dont-ask-dont-tell-timeline/">Dec.
18, 2010</a> put an end to that charade, finally allowing gays to serve openly
in the armed services. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Is There Hope For AS
In the Future?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Assisted suicide has traveled the same rocky path as
homosexuality in America’s armed services, and is making inroads everywhere
else, but on a considerably delayed timeline. Or perhaps not, because just as Alabama
and <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/21/gay-west-virginia-coal-miner-calls-legislative-action/">West
Virginia</a> are death on homosexuality – figuratively if not literally – those
two Southern states also forbid AS. It remains to be discovered how
Massachusetts, clearly a Northern state, fits into this equation, but fit it
does.</div>
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Not surprisingly, in states where AS is forbidden, the
charges (i.e., manslaughter, Class IV felony, etc.) are as varied as the
penalties. But none is a walk in the park. </div>
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Many people may not even realize that AS started out not as
a civil law but as a religious prohibition. Since God created all life, people
who take their own lives, or the people who help them do so, are taking
something away from God without his permission. </div>
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Fortunately, respected religious people like Billy Graham
have come, in their later years, to moderate this presumably Biblical teaching
(that suicide is a sin) by stating that the only unforgiveable sin is rejecting
God.</div>
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It is this kind of charity, thrown over what must be an
appalling lack of hope or an unbearable amount of physical and/or mental
anguish, that may actually keep some people from suiciding, or from asking
others to help them (an act which is called euthanasia). It does not, however,
offer much to atheists, but presumably they are self-sufficient enough not to
need moral assurances. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>The Downside of
Assisted Suicide <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The real problem with AS is that some people might tend to
abuse what is otherwise intended to be merciful. That is, instead of helping
someone who is in dire pain to leave their body behind, a less ethical person
might help someone out of life <i>and</i>
out of a fortune. It has been done before and will no doubt be done again, and
the so-called “<a href="http://www.dispartilaw.com/practiceareas/disabling-injuriesdiseases/">disabling
injuries</a>” don’t have to be any more significant than quadriplegia. </div>
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In fact, some charlatans are so sly they can mold a living
will to their own ambitions, especially where the patient’s family has seen
their loved one suffer very badly for a very long time. This is particularly
applicable when people understand that subconscious instincts – what pioneering
psychologist Carl Jung called “<a href="http://www.cgjungpage.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=852&Itemid=41">genetic
memory</a>” – prompt most humans to help those who can’t be helped by “killing
them softly”. </div>
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Others argue, possibly quite correctly, that there is no
point in having a code of ethics regarding life and death if some will twist it
to meet <i>their</i> needs rather than the
needs of the patient. In other words, making assisted suicide legal will
ultimately, and perhaps inevitably, lead to putting the mentally or physically
damaged – of any age – “out of their misery”. This has already been seen where
great sums of money are willed to individuals who have never done without; that
is, individuals who never had to develop a perspective, a conscience (or a
soul). </div>
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<br />
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It has also been seen, though to a lesser extent, among
presumed adults who are incapable of taking care of their children even though
the damage, in physical or mental terms, is mild. </div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-71431722599052411152013-08-27T04:20:00.000-07:002013-09-04T04:22:11.808-07:00Unfair Labor Practices: Starbucks Lawsuit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Starbucks, one of the world’s most successful and largest
coffee chains, is a customer favorite from the West to East Coast. A corporation that started out in Seattle as
a single retail store in 1971 expanded by great leaps and bounds in 40 plus years
looks like a true success story for many business minded individuals. The multi-million dollar corporation, with
over 17,000 stores located internationally, offers numerous work opportunities
for budding baristas and coffee aficionados, alike. Many might think that Starbucks, keeping
their small beginnings in mind, may make their employees their number one
priority. However, many Starbucks
employees feel the brunt of a money hungry corporation rather than the
“employee comes first” approach.
Employees, eager to fight for the respect they deserve are filing
lawsuits against Starbucks to receive the <a href="http://www.dsslaw.com/available-workers-compensation-benefits/#axzz2cMqa3TPw">workers’
compensation</a> they are owed and rightly deserve; without baristas, Starbucks
would not be what they are today.<br />
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<b>Starbucks Workers
Union: Fighting For Corporate Baristas<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.iww.org/unions/dept600/iu660/starbucks" target="_blank">The Starbucks Workers Union</a>, works like any other union to
protect the employees who feel like they have no voice or rights against
corporate heads. In 2006, the Workers Union
successfully won a lawsuit against Starbucks and gained protection to keep
their voices heard. As declared by
Federal Law, union members have the right to form and join a union. Additionally, union members have the right
choose representatives to bargain with members on their behalf and act together
with other members for protection.</div>
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<br /></div>
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In the successful settlement, Starbucks promised that they
would not prohibit union members from wearing pro-union buttons, prohibit
employees from taking extra shifts at other Starbucks locations (when hours at
their workplace were not available), and promised to stop offering “free”
incentives to encourage or bribe employees to withdraw from union membership. Union members, who were once let go from
their job, for being involved in a union were offered reinstatement and
monetary compensation for lost wages.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Workers Union Inspire
The “Powerless” Baristas<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Before the successful settlement of 2006, many baristas
facing unfair labor practices remained quiet simply due to the fact that they
were unable to afford not having a job.
Baristas, who generally make low wages, rely on the tips they make after
making numerous specialized drinks. In
2008, two former Starbucks baristas, filed a lawsuit against their former
employer because they had to share tips with shift supervisors; an unlawful
practice under section 196-d of New York’s Labor Law. The law prohibits “higher ups” such as
managers and supervisors, from sharing tips with baristas. Because shift managers make more money than
the average barista, hardworking coffee slingers need every cent they
rightfully earn. </div>
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The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New
York ruled in favor of Starbucks claiming that shift supervisors deserve a cut
of the tip pool due to their overwhelming amount of responsibilities. Years later, baristas are still voicing their
displeasure against <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Business/york-starbucks-baristas-fight-tips/story?id=19508120">unfair
practices</a> and as a result, the case is returning to federal court of
appeals. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Give Those Busy
Baristas a Break!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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More recently, in May of 2013, Starbucks agreed to pay $3
million to resolve a class action lawsuit in regards to wage and hour
violations. Starbucks went to court when
many California employees were denied required meal breaks and received
inaccurate wage statements. Starbucks
employees were denied the company’s mandated breaks when the coffeehouse was
too busy and/or if the coffeehouse was inadequately staffed. According to California law, where the
lawsuit took place, employees who work more than five hours at a time are
entitled an uninterrupted, work-free 30 minute meal break. If, for any reason, an employee misses their
meal break, has to make work-related phone calls, or run work-related errands
is entitled to one hour of extra pay.
Additionally, employers must have written record that employees were
given their much earned break.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Corporations, Big or
Small, Should Treat Employees Fairly<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
For anyone who has never worked in a food service position,
being a barista might seem like a dream job full of easy tasks and fair
wages. Baristas, on the other hand, who
know how hard a job can be while standing for hours, creating drinks, and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8856341631276187390" name="_GoBack"></a>working with customers, fight for the fair wages and working
conditions. The next time you order a
venti latte, think about the person who makes it. Is he or she in an environment that enforces
fair labor practices?</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-46435442845694789982013-08-26T06:13:00.000-07:002013-09-04T06:15:31.458-07:00Weird and Strange Laws<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /><br />Did you know that in Illinois it is illegal to have sex with a corpse? Or that in <a href="http://www.tafelskilaw.com/">Michigan it is illegal</a> to sell a duckling that has been dyed? Or that in New Mexico idiots are not allowed to vote, while in South Carolina a man can go to jail for a year for breaking a promise to marry a woman? There are hundreds of state laws that many might find to be weird, causing some to wonder about the story behind their passage. Every law was passed to solve a societal concern. In some cases that concern is shared by a large part of the population, while in other cases the law addresses an issue known to only a few. In still other cases the law was passed to address a concern once shared by many, but now shared by few.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />The <a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=097-1072">Illinois law</a> that prohibits sex with a corpse was enacted on August 24, 2012. One might expect that the Illinois legislature visited this issue because of a recent uptick in Illinois of incidents of necrophilia which is the sexual attraction to or sex with a dead person. Illinois Representative Dan Beiser of Alton sponsored the bill. <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/sex-with-the-dead-illinois-bill-would-make-it-illegal/article_df0bfc9f-7811-5606-bc1d-4a7e85387703.html">Outlawing necrophilia</a> was added to a bill that sought to outlaw the unauthorized moving of corpses. There had been a number of cases where someone moved the bodies of people who died of drug overdoses before authorities could properly examine the scene, affecting criminal investigations. Rep. Beiser decided to add the language outlawing sex with corpses because he had heard that some time ago there was a case of a person having sex with a corpse. The person could not be prosecuted because there was no law prohibiting sex with a corpse. While many might agree that necrophilia should be against the law, when this law was passed there was no evidence that sex with corpses was a problem in Beiser's district or anywhere else in the Illinois.<br /><br />There are some laws that are strange, but were enacted to address a real problem. In <a href="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/%28S%28n25ea0mxssxsdw55lqq3t3jn%29%29/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-Act-163-of-1945">Michigan</a> as in several other states it is illegal to sell chicks, ducklings or bunnies that have been dyed. At first glance this law seems strange. However, strange as it may seem jurisdictions passed this type of law in response to a real problem. Many <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/02/us/dyeing-easter-chicks-raises-concerns.html?partner=rss&emc=rss%3f&_r=0">pet stores</a> dye baby chicks, ducklings and bunnies in the weeks leading up to Easter as a marketing ploy. Toxic dyes are sometimes used and the dying process is stressful to the animals. Animal rights advocates and others lobbied against this practice resulting the passage of similar laws in several states.<br /><br /><div>
In the twenty-first century <a href="http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t16c015.php">South Carolina's law</a> that makes it illegal to break a promise to marry may seem quite odd. However, in 1905 when this statute was originally enacted all across the country there existed numerous laws that addressed issues of "decency" and "morality." This law like many other laws that were passed decades ago does not jibe with societal norms as it once did, but has not been repealed. Likewise, today's citizen may find it a bit strange to prohibit "idiots" from voting. However, according to Article VII, Section 1 of the New Mexico Constitution which was adopted in 1911, idiots cannot vote. The rationale behind this prohibition may have been that back in 1911 psychologists used the term <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/idiot">idiot</a> to refer to a person who had an extremely low I.Q. or perhaps suffered from a diagnosed mental incapacity, whereas today the word is used much more casually as an insult.<br /></div>
<div>
Laws that are strange to some have supporters who find them both reasonable and necessary. Perhaps the sponsor of such a law received support from his or her colleagues simply because there was no harm in passing the law. Even without statistical data to support the existence of a necrophilia problem, for example, it is probable that many members of the Illinois legislature became squeamish at the notion that since there was no law against it, having sex with a corpse was in fact legal. Further, passing the law likely had no economic component to it. So why not support it? Similarly, statutes like South Carolina's law prohibiting breaking a promise to marry that had been on the books for years but have long ago ceased being relevant are typically not being enforced. It is likely that most citizens as well as law enforcement personnel are not even aware of many of these outdated laws. Thus, there is no effort to repeal them. What do you think about these weird laws? Should legislatures make an effort to purge state codes of laws that have outlived their usefulness?</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-50338516600091085132013-08-21T06:04:00.000-07:002013-08-21T06:04:24.558-07:00Temperature In Relation To Coal Mining Accidents<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT42onuJPqTZ2LYcfPqP7ko3X4FNhZwHLxs8O3rtNDiF-dzeTJVwEf5n_Ec5BZ8_LgLoNcZ-J_cde4QBlW1GncNLJxhzjRsKTFP4Q_QSHsacG8NX6byKCck6dtUYMO-XRv_AnK2D8myPw/s1600/coal+mine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT42onuJPqTZ2LYcfPqP7ko3X4FNhZwHLxs8O3rtNDiF-dzeTJVwEf5n_Ec5BZ8_LgLoNcZ-J_cde4QBlW1GncNLJxhzjRsKTFP4Q_QSHsacG8NX6byKCck6dtUYMO-XRv_AnK2D8myPw/s320/coal+mine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>Coal Mining History</strong></div>
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Coal mining used to be a dirty, dangerous, soul-destroying job. It has since morphed into a dirty and dangerous but rather well-paid job whose toll on the environment has increased even as its toll on the health and well-being of miners has decreased. </div>
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The American coal-mining industry began in the latter half of the 18th century, in Pennsylvania, which was even as late as 1995 the fourth largest coal-producing state in the United States. Miners were typically immigrants, though commonly from countries which also had mining operations, like Wales or Germany. Men who did not know how the mines worked were not welcome because their lack of experience usually ended up killing others in addition to themselves. The only certainty in a coal miner’s life was the ubiquitous presence of coal dust and “<a data-mce-href="http://www.epa.gov/cmop/docs/gmi_world_mine_sept_2011.pdf" href="http://www.epa.gov/cmop/docs/gmi_world_mine_sept_2011.pdf">gob</a>”; that is, high-potency methane gas. Both, though mitigated by various modern ventilation and filtering methods, remain a constant.</div>
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In their homes, which were generally owned by the mining company and boasted four walls if no running water or toilet, miners’ wives struggled constantly to keep coal dust to a minimum while husbands struggled to make enough “scrip” to buy food from the company store. It should not be assumed that all coal mining company owners were exploitative, however. Manipulative, misleading overseers were more common, and provided a buffer between what might have otherwise been benevolent owners and happily employed workers.</div>
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Coal, mined as either “hard” (anthracite) or “soft” (bituminous), had many uses in the U.S. during the Industrial Revolution. It was <a data-mce-href="http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/adams.industry.coal.us" href="http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/adams.industry.coal.us">used</a> to make steel and burned to create electricity. In fact, its use producing electricity was so popular that, by 1830, Pittsburgh used more than 400 tons per day to light the homes of the growing middle class and to power light industrial applications like the manufacture of steel parts, machine tools, light bulbs, telephones, typewriters, sewing machines, batteries and miner’s headlamps.</div>
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<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Types of Coal Removal</strong></div>
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Mining, both then and now, was often conducted using the room and pillar method. In Pennsylvania, it was (and is) the exclusive method used in underground bituminous mining, including longwall mining operations. This involved cutting and carrying out the coal in a “room-sized” area, and leaving untouched the “walls” that held up the ceiling in this room; walls comprised of the same coal as was being hauled to the surface. Miners would then move on to another “room”, leaving horses or donkeys to carry the coal the rest of the way. </div>
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Longwall mining, now mechanized, takes a swath of coal about 1200 feet deep and between 2 and three miles long in a single sweep. This method destroys good farmland by turning a field into a series of hills and swales up to six feet deep. Along the way, longwall mining also destroys building foundations, wells, and septic systems.</div>
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<strong>Mine Management, Excessive Heat Hazards</strong></div>
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Thanks to American miners’ hardiness and integrity, modern mines in the coal-laden Appalachian region are carefully managed. Longwall operations mandate braced and vented spaces to keep methane gas to a minimum. Deep mines (i.e., more than 3900 feet (1200 meters) are the most dangerous because they have a higher-than-average ambient air temperature which can lead to spontaneous coal combustion even in the absence of methane concentrations.</div>
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A depth of 2900 feet (900 meters) is considered the average depth for deep-level mining operations, yet even at this depth air temperatures in the ventilation shaft can rise so high that they block the release of trapped gases to the surface, in imitation of a thermal inversion layer. In fact, at this depth, rock itself is expected to be more than 116 degrees F (47 degrees Celsius). </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">
This heat, in the presence of the almost inevitable spontaneous combustion of coal dust and carbon monoxide, can cause such a tremendous conflagration that, to those above ground, it sounds and acts like a bomb. It can result in collapsed caverns, trapped miners and highly contaminated air, not to mention those who get terribly burned from the initial gaseous explosion or get trapped under falling “room” walls. </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">
Where mining companies have insisted on more-than-adequate ventilation, temperatures at a half-mile underground can still rise so high that miners who are older, permanently affected by lifelong ailments like silicosis (Miner’s lung) or twisted limbs from slip-and-fall accidents, or inadequately hydrated, can faint and even die from heatstroke.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">
<strong>The United Mine Workers of America</strong></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">
If death in the mines was not uncommon, <a href="http://www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com/legal-services/premises-liability-lawyer/slip-and-fall-lawyer/" target="_blank">crippling accidents</a> were even less rare, leaving miners to the generosity of their employers and – where that was absent – the benevolence of their fellow miners. It was this ever-present danger and constant uncertainty that led miners in the late 18th and early 19th centuries to try to unionize. They succeeded, and by 1903, the United Mine Workers of America, or UMWA, boasted 250,000 members. </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">
These miners, many of whom have watched relatives die of lung diseases or mining injuries, have earned and deserve wages that basically double all industries across the U.S. For example, in Alaska, where the average worker makes about $48,000, the coal miner makes $75,000 and earns every penny of that. </div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-63047288810327743322013-07-31T09:57:00.000-07:002013-08-02T09:59:16.326-07:00U.S. Lacks Alternative Power Compared to UK<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEHOkOg8Mt5sNpqwi3EWSB2YFoDLbL60xoDOBCtia1dDmmrvRovq7Vq9yHMvqczW2wMY84Ko_zW8lW-wRh9ryMUpyBed36R2lW0hi-Fi0u0CXMRMGpcuWwKHAzzi8pP7g49gx50K4JLw/s1600/174421520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="alternative energy resource" border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEHOkOg8Mt5sNpqwi3EWSB2YFoDLbL60xoDOBCtia1dDmmrvRovq7Vq9yHMvqczW2wMY84Ko_zW8lW-wRh9ryMUpyBed36R2lW0hi-Fi0u0CXMRMGpcuWwKHAzzi8pP7g49gx50K4JLw/s320/174421520.jpg" title="alternative energy resource" width="320" /></a></div>
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As the climate
continues to warm, and normally cool or even cold places like Alaska <a href="http://www.weather.com/safety/heat/baked-alaska-record-heat-20130618">break records</a> during what is only the
first month of summer, U.S. policy makers turn – belatedly – to the idea of
alternative power. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s far too
late to prevent some of the devastating effects of global warming, also known
as climate change. In fact, it’s very likely that the planet will not only
reach the unimaginable 2-degree increase in temperature predicted by the IPCC
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), but exceed it. This, at least, is
the message from James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space
Studies and a highly reputable (if singularly disturbing) scientist in his own
right. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
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Hansen made his
prediction at the end of 2011, bluntly calling the 2-degree warming limit which
national leaders had agreed on at Doha, Qatar “…a prescription for disaster.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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His words were unsettling,
to say the least, and his prediction was bolstered by comments from the Union
of Concerned Scientists Director Alden Meyer. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“World leaders
set a goal of … 2 degrees, but the commitments they’ve made to meet that goal
are inadequate.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We could almost
ignore Hansen’s dire prognosis. We might even be able to tune out Meyer. But
what about the United Nations Environment <a href="http://www.unep.org/newscentre/Default.aspx?DocumentID=2698&ArticleID=9335&l=en">Report</a>, which states that – even if
national leaders meet their most zealous climate goals – the world as a whole
is likely to contribute 52 gigatons (Gt) of greenhouse gases to the environment
in 2012 – a figure which is 8 Gt greater than is needed to confine warming <i>at or below 2</i> degrees. </div>
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The International Energy Agency adds its <a href="http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/publications/weo-2012/#d.en.26099">own
chorus</a>, noting that the 2-degree goal can <b><i>only</i></b> be kept if 66
percent of fossil fuels (oil, gas, etc.) are <i>left in the ground.</i> </div>
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<br /></div>
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For most of the world, this means alternative energy, or renewable
energy; that is, anything that doesn’t involve burning fossil fuels like coal,
oil or natural gas. Some “green” energy advocates even rule out nuclear power. These
forms of renewable energy are typified by solar and wind, with geothermal,
hydro and biofuels running close seconds. In fact, so intense has the race
become for alternative sources of energy that scientists are currently looking
into:</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Fecal power, from cow flatulence to adult diapers,
which are repurposed into burnable pellets</span></li>
<li><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Urine, which is chemically reactive and ideal
for microbial fuel cells</span></li>
<li><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Alcohol, confiscated (in Sweden) by customs
services and used in biogas</span></li>
<li><o:p> </o:p><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">People power, using piezoelectric floor pads to
capture the energy of human footsteps (and an equal or greater amount of
kinetic energy from “green” gyms, as well as paved surfaces)</span></li>
<li><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Landfill gas, primarily methane, purified and
piped in to provide heat and electricity</span></li>
</ul>
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The two top contenders are solar power and wind power. Regarding the
latter, the UK isn’t
doing too badly, at least in Scotland, which has 203 onshore wind farms. Unfortunately,
this level of commitment to renewable wind energy is underwritten by subsidies
– in effect, perks which supposedly support wind energy jobs. And they do, sometimes
to the extravagant tune of <i>£1.3 million</i>!
That is, instead of generating 60 jobs at £20,000, wind in the UK adds only a
few jobs at phenomenal salaries. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ZE3LojVWkrQ?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>
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In fact, the
only saving grace of this initiative is that it provides alternative, or
renewable energy. In the UK, this amounts to 23.5 million megawatt-hours (MWh)
of energy from both offshore and onshore wind, serving 5.4 million homes.
Because wind energy represents a large part of renewable energy in the UK – a
small country in terms of acreage but surrounded on all sides by water – solar
energy is barely a fraction. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Bioenergy is
another huge UK energy solution, with wave and turbine energy creeping up on
wind. Overall, the UK’s renewable energy <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/27/uk-renewable-energy-output-jumps">output</a> in Q2 2012 is up to 8130
gigawatts (GW). This compares favorably with an overall energy output of 319,000
GW for all four quarters of 2011. The two figures break down into 9.8 percent
of energy from renewables. In the UK, as across the EU, utilities are backing
off investments in fossil-fuel burning generation and pouring that money into
both renewables and energy efficiency, in effect burning the candle from both
ends. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the United
States, wind turbines added 13.2 percent to the total of renewable energy
generated in 2012. In 2011, this figure was 11.7 percent. 2011 was also the
year in which renewables produced more energy than nuclear power for the first
time. This was also the first year in which the total of renewable energy
sources passed 520,000 gigawatt hours (GWh), delivering 7.8 percent of total
power supplies, 119.75 of them solely from onshore wind. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As compared
with the UK’s renewable output (9.8 percent of the total), U.S. output is only
7.8 percent. This doesn’t look good for a nation that prides itself on being
first in new technology (as represented by renewable energy techniques). Then, too,
the U.S. has a very large, extremely powerful and enormously wealthy fossil
fuel energy sector – a sector that is reluctant to leave what it persistently
calls “<a href="http://www.coal-is-dirty.com/200-hundred-years-coal-us-think-again">200 years of coal</a>” in the ground in
Appalachia, the Heartland, and the Powder River Basin of Montana, Wyoming,
Nevada and the Western slope of Colorado. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The biggest
problem, after the fossil-fuel sector’s immense lobby, is the dilemma of
storing renewable energy. The largest <strong>utility-scale electricity
storage</strong> developed to date is a 4-megawatt sodium-sulfur (NaS) battery
system in Presidio, Texas, but newer storage technologies are starting to prove
themselves, from molten salt to hot water storage. For homeowners unable to
afford these 2.0 storage technologies, ranked and shelved deep-discharge
(marine or offsite power) batteries fill the bill. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Going forward, however, it’s important that the U.S. uses the
technology tied up in its 17 laboratories, 10 of which operate at the behest of
the Office of Science, a division of the U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE. These
labs are charged with finding better, cheaper and more efficient ways of
storing energy – a must-have if renewable technologies like wind and solar are to
continue to grow. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-63972212251048304742013-07-30T11:16:00.000-07:002013-08-02T09:58:53.714-07:00The Mind of a Serial Killer: Dexter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nWR5soxPvPUCWVHqCCJY4DKhdXgrmC2OJ5URf3WVx0IJOeVEn1B9Oxif6bKzeRBmLeEDONkQQNG7jQh21vnv6T5ZQLFYyTYKvJdDYffnJ1Z0B9Y64PfSkiVr3jYiDU5gxbEUMJr4vCQ/s1600/Dexter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nWR5soxPvPUCWVHqCCJY4DKhdXgrmC2OJ5URf3WVx0IJOeVEn1B9Oxif6bKzeRBmLeEDONkQQNG7jQh21vnv6T5ZQLFYyTYKvJdDYffnJ1Z0B9Y64PfSkiVr3jYiDU5gxbEUMJr4vCQ/s320/Dexter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Showtime’s “Dexter”, one of the network’s most popular long
running shows, has Dexter Morgan fans starting to mourn the show as its rumored
“final” season 8 aired in late June.
Hundreds of thousands of viewers tune in each week to watch the
self-proclaimed monster, serial killer Dexter Morgan, carefully select his
victims. Viewers are drawn to Dexter
because, while he is a serial killer, he is ridding the world of bad people. Dexter’s killings play into morality; the good
or the bad of another human being. His
victims are never innocent, but instead are guilty of murder, emotional,
physical and/or sexual <a href="http://www.millarandmixon.com/violent-crime.php#axzz2ZKpU5xWG">assault</a>
and other crimes involving innocent people.
Dexter’s killings attempt to create a balance in an unjust society, but
taking a look at Dexter, is he really any better than his deserving victims?</div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<b>The Profile of a
Serial Killer<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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When we hear the words “serial killer” numerous, varying
images may come to mind. While one
individual may think of the “Ladies Man” Ted Bundy, another person may think of
the “Awkward and Lonely” Jeffrey Dahmer.
There is no one type of serial killer nor does a serial killer look a
certain way. Dexter Morgan, the blood
splatter expert for the Miami Police Department, is a “normal” looking family
man, whose big secret are the murders he has successfully conducted for years. According to <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8856341631276187390" name="_GoBack"></a>Macalester
College, the profile of a serial killer could include any type of person:</div>
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<i>He
is usually male, between the ages of 25-35, and he is usually white. His intellect ranges from below average to
above average. He is from all walks of
life, as are his victims. The majority
of the time, he will kill within his own ethnic group. The ages of his victims will vary greatly,
depending on his particular “interest”.
He doesn’t usually have any prior contact with his victims, and thus no
particular hatred for them; though, the victims may be symbolic to him in some
way. He may be married with children,
have a job, and be just like the guy next door…Or, he may be socially inept,
unable to maintain relationship, and be a complete loner. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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Additionally, there are typically 4 types of Serial Killers:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> The
Visionary Motive Type:</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">This type of
serial killer is usually considered to be insane and even psychotic.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Often times, the Visionary Killer will kill
because “the voices in their head” told them to do so.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Think of “Son of Sam”.</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> The
Missionary-Oriented Motive Type:</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
Missionary Type’s main objective behind killing is to rid the world of those
who they deem unacceptable for whatever reason.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Dexter Morgan is a prime example of a Missionary-Oriented Type.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">He carefully chooses his victims based on the
psychological and physical pain they brought to others.</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> The
Thrill-Oriented Motive Type: </b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">This type of serial killer kills for the “fun
of it”.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">As the killer’s excitement
builds with each kill, the killer gets a “high” and often times gets “better”
at the crimes, as they escalate.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The Lust
Killer:</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> This type of killer usually kills for the sexual thrill.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Often fitting well into “normal, everyday”
society, the Lust Killer type is harder to distinguish and is also one of the
most common types of serial killer.</span></li>
</ul>
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<b>Was Dexter Meant to
Kill?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Many experts analyze the childhood of serial killers. Some had unhealthy relationships with their
parents while others exhibited early disturbing and destructive behaviors (such
as cruelty to animals and peers). When
Dexter was a young child, he witnessed the violent murder of his mother, which
was the catalyst for his violent urges and outbursts. Harry Morgan, Dexter’s adopted father, who
also worked for the Miami Police Department, taught Dexter how to channel his
homicidal tendencies and allowed Dexter to kill animals. Realizing that Dexter’s tendencies were not
subsiding, but rather serious, Harry trained Dexter to be a “vigilante”; only
hunting and killing murderers. Dexter
fans may cheer on his Missionary-Oriented killings, but despite his constant
struggle between the “Hero” and the “Dark Passenger”, Dexter’s childhood shaped
him into a lifetime of killing. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Is Dexter a Hero?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Why<i> is</i> Dexter so
wildly popular? Why do fans find
themselves agreeing, even cheering on, his decisions? Is it because he’s a nice guy with a real
job, a house, a family, and only chooses to kill society’s bad guys? Regardless of the reasons, Dexter is still,
by description, a <a href="http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder/serial-murder-1#two">serial
killer</a>. A serial killer has committed
three or more killings and having common characteristics suggesting that the
crimes were committed by the same person.
Additionally, unlike mass murderers who often kill their victims at one
time, a serial killer needs a “cooling off” period. This period of time allows the killer to take
an emotional and physical break. In some
cases that may mean going to work (like Dexter), coming home to a family, or
trying to live a seemingly “normal” life.</div>
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<br />
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When you tune into Dexter, do you see him as a serial killer
or just a “ do gooder”, ridding the world of bad?</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-83079004240605297262013-07-28T11:42:00.000-07:002013-07-31T11:43:08.452-07:005 Deadliest Workplace Disasters <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQodhQoAFLP6NM2YqVPXFKR_KWnhAd7AaqNXmpQQrLn03dDBaxlvYhLQQZ5pqcXOxPPTehDBEYoYE0vYOt6UmHKHOqL8He-u6iKQ3RCPL5xnZdnNRbqqc7l_s_2fniFHLqQcGVgoAR4k/s1600/174548248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Workplace Disasters " border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQodhQoAFLP6NM2YqVPXFKR_KWnhAd7AaqNXmpQQrLn03dDBaxlvYhLQQZ5pqcXOxPPTehDBEYoYE0vYOt6UmHKHOqL8He-u6iKQ3RCPL5xnZdnNRbqqc7l_s_2fniFHLqQcGVgoAR4k/s320/174548248.jpg" title="Workplace Disasters " width="320" /></a><b>No. 1, the Most Recent<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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In
the wake of the 2013 clothing factory collapse in Bangladesh, at Rana Plaza,
people in the developed world are beginning to turn their eyes and minds to the
real cost of the clothing they buy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And
not a moment too soon. The more than 1,100 who died on April 24, and the
thousands more who survived, are a haunting lesson in Third World economics. It
was only when the larger world outside Bangladesh learned that garment workers
were forced back into the building in spite of warnings surrounding the huge
crack that had developed, that the incident developed moral overtones.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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It
took the photo of a husband and wife who had died together beneath the rubble
to make the West measure its moral responsibility. That culpability, which
elicited global outrage and a promise to do better – has evolved into a promise
to eradicate <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/maquiladora">maquiladoras</a> and the attitudes
that make them viable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Unfortunately, the only effective way to get
rid of these forced labor sweatshops is to boycott companies like Wal-Mart,
which refuses to source clothing above its vaunted “price point”. This strategy
makes Wal-Mart rich and its real suppliers – the thousands of working poor in
developing nations – abysmally poor. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
The
question is: how poor does one have to be to face death in a ramshackle
building rather than losing one’s job? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b>No. 2, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
America
has not always been exempt from these <a href="http://www.parsonslawgroup.com/legal-services/workers-compensation/">workplace disasters</a>. On March 25,
1911, a fire on the upper floors of a New York building known as the <a href="http://www.csun.edu/~ghy7463/mw2.html">Triangle Shirtwaist Factory</a> quickly engulfed
workers, most of them girls and young women between the ages of 13 and 23. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
It
was the end of shift, or the loss of lives might have been even greater. As it
was, 146 females, finding that they could not leave the building until the
manager unlocked doors to the stairwell (which were kept locked to insure workers
didn’t sneak out of work). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
The
approximately two dozen buckets of water were useless against flames fueled by
lint and fabric scraps; one fire escape was so rotten that it literally fell
apart when some workers tried to use it. The fire department came, but its
hoses were not able to spray beyond the 7<sup>th</sup> floor; its ladders were
even shorter. Nothing reached the 9<sup>th</sup> floor. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
The
most disturbing aspect of this tragedy was the fact that these girls,
smelling their hair, clothes and skin beginning to burn, chose to jump out the
windows rather than waiting to see if anyone could reach them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
People
on the street watched in horror as the building began, literally, to rain bodies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
The
single, greatest good to come from this disaster was increased government
scrutiny of businesses in general – leading ultimately to today’s Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a division of the U.S. Department of
Labor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Another plus was the strengthening of unions, as employees became aware
that their bosses, for the most part,
would not do what was necessary to protect them if that protection devalued t
heir bottom line. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b>No. 3, the Pemberton Mill Fire<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
On
January 10, 1860, the Lawrence, Massachusetts-based Pemberton Mill building, 117,000
square feet on five stories, collapsed a mere 7 years after construction. The
cause appeared to have been faulty iron pillars supporting each floor, and
improperly mixed mortar holding the brick walls together. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Eight
hundred individuals were working at the time. Some of them were trapped in and under the collapsing
walls. Rescue efforts commenced, but it was slow work, much of it by hand, and
rescue was made even more tentative when a fire broke out about four hours
later. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
One
hundred fifteen people perished. A further 165 were injured, many so badly they
would never work again. It was perhaps America’s first taste of developers and builders who
cut corners to increase their profits, but not t he last. The most tragic part?
As many as 14 men were reportedly burned to death in full view of their loved
ones. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b>No. 4, the S.S. Grandcamp<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
April
16, 1947, in the boom years after WWII, a vessel called the S.S. Grandcamp,
registered in France and docked at the port in Texas City, Texas caught fire
while carrying 2,100 metric tons of ammonium nitrate, a compound used to make
fertilizer and explosive devices. Alongside it were a large number of bales of
sisal twine, which could serve in a pinch as blasting cord. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
The
initial blast ignited a chain of fires and explosions all up and down the docks
and even into nearby oil-storage facilities. In all, 581 people died, including
all but a single member of the city’s fire department. Of the 581, 63 were
never identified. Another 5,000 were injured, some seriously enough to need
medical care. These 1,784 filled 21 area hospitals. The damage was so far-reaching
that one of the ship’s anchors fell to
ground more than 1.5 miles from the source of the explosion. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
The
S.S. Grandcamp is considered the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b>No.5, the Piper Alpha<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
The
BP oil spill might have been the worst oil spill in history, but the Scottish
oil rig <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-23185487">Piper Alpha</a> was the worst rig disaster in the world in terms of human
lives lost. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
On
July 6, 1988, this rig exploded, killing 167 men, two of them from a rescue
vessel. Plunging some 120 feet into the icy waters of the North Sea, 61 men
survived, some so scarred they would never work again. Like the Shirtwaist
Factory debacle, it changed t he way politicians and regulators looked at
workplace safety. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
There
are hundreds more disasters, many in the mining and minerals industry. Most are
far in the past; the U.S. has cleaned up its act in terms of employment safety
and equity. But too many of those advances have been made by shipping the
problems overseas, and too few by genuine efforts on the part of U.S. corporations to insure
worker safety and satisfaction.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-91017375569760255252013-07-18T13:49:00.001-07:002013-07-22T08:07:39.260-07:00Is Your Sunscreen Dangerous?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxSNJ6yH-hAmm-ELfbd4dQIkyEk60Jpdw9wOxGTKCJqE7G_WjqvEVAWfymW_GlEViury_C3x8ZBZKifgtnjv1NgsiDEvSF4Pg0sWaXQppWp8f2k9EaTaOW_EGDAr1h_y3jIylcxk5WP8/s1600/wear+sunscreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="wear sunscreen" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxSNJ6yH-hAmm-ELfbd4dQIkyEk60Jpdw9wOxGTKCJqE7G_WjqvEVAWfymW_GlEViury_C3x8ZBZKifgtnjv1NgsiDEvSF4Pg0sWaXQppWp8f2k9EaTaOW_EGDAr1h_y3jIylcxk5WP8/s320/wear+sunscreen.jpg" title="wear sunscreen" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What Is a Sunscreen</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just in time for a really hot summer comes this report from
the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, about how sunscreen choices impact
your life and, perhaps more importantly, the life of your perpetual motion
machine, otherwise known as your offspring. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The EWG is arguably the premier resource in toppling old health
myths and exposing new ones. Sunscreen, a topical application formulated with
various ingredients, was almost unheard of in 1970. As the ozone layer thins,
however, it becomes increasingly important that individuals use it, and use it
wisely, to prevent skin cancer. This is particularly true for the under 5
group, whose skins are very sensitive to all kinds of environmental and
chemical harm. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Skin Cancer Stats <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, diagnosed in
more than 3.5 million individuals seeing their doctor for skin problems and
complaints. During the period 1992 to 2006, the incidence of non-melanoma
(malignant) skin cancers rose by 77 percent, and resulted in more new cases of
cancer than all the combined instances of breast, prostate, lung and colon
cancers combined. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is also the easiest form of cancer to treat and cure, providing
it is addressed early and vigorously. Failure to do so can lead to disfigurement
and even death, particularly among those with fair skin. To determine how
likely <i>you</i> are to get skin cancer,
read the Centers for Disease Control list of <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/risk_factors.htm">risk factors</a>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>A family
history of skin cancer</li>
<li>A personal
history of skin cancer</li>
<li>A history of
indoor tanning</li>
<li>A history of
sunburns early in life</li>
<li>Naturally
pale skin, even among brunettes</li>
<li>Skin that
burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun</li>
<li>Blond or red
hair</li>
<li>Blue or
green eyes</li>
<li>Certain
types of moles and their prevalence on your skin</li>
<li>Extreme or
extended exposure to the sun whether working or playing</li>
<li>Skin that
burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>FDA Regulations Fails to Improve Products<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Unfortunately,
even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, drafted new rules
covering sun screen formulas in December of 2012, the actual impact on sunscreens
is nil. In fact, under these new rules, consumers could actually be getting <a href="http://www.kevinkristlaw.com/practice-areas/defective-products">more
dangerous products</a> than before. This is because the FDA now allows
sunscreen manufacturers to claim that their products offer “<a href="http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/">broad spectrum</a>” shielding against
harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, when in fact only a vanishingly small percentage
actually do. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This latter
group – 25 percent – <i>does</i> block
harmful rays, but doesn’t always contain products that are safe for use, and
the SPF number is not a reliable guide to how well a certain sunscreen works. Again,
according to the CDC, even where sunscreens or sun lotions work well, there is
a possibility of developing photosensitivity with medicines you or a loved one
may be taking. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
These
medications, available almost entirely by prescription, include: acetazolamide,
amiodarone, certain antibiotics (fluoroquinolones like Cipro, sulfonamides – which have been around since
the 1930s – and tetracyclines, especially demeclocycline and doxycycline for
treating infections and acne). This list of possibly incompatible medicines
also includes furosemide, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),
phenothiazines, sulfonylureas, thiazide diuretics, and the fungal drug
voriconazole. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>How to Pick a Winner (Sunscreen, That Is)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The EWG has
a list of approved sunscreens and offers several caveats for choosing “safe”
sun tanning lotions. First, look for formulations that have fewer, rather than
more, ingredients. Corporate America still has not woken up to the fact that
consumers are no long engaged in feeling that they get more if the manufacturer
puts <i>in</i> more (ingredients, that is).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Second, the SPF
(sun protection factor) rating is not an indication of how well a sunscreen
works. An SPF of 15 blocks approximately 94 percent of the sun’s harmful rays;
SPF 30 blocks about 97. Even an SPF rating of 45 only blocks 98 percent of UVB
radiation, and none block UVAs – which many dermatologists and oncologists feel
are a leading cause of skin damage, immune system malfunctions and perhaps even
melanoma. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Above all,
avoid sunblocks that contain oxybenzone, a suspected hormone disruptor and one
of the chemicals increasingly found in municipal wastewater treatment plants.
This means, in the long view, that fish and other aquatic species are enjoying
your sunscreen. What they probably don’t enjoy is its tendency to make species
sterile. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
What it does
to coral reefs, a vital part of the aquatic food chain – well, you probably
don’t want to know. </div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-38819602080584442042013-06-27T18:22:00.000-07:002013-07-22T08:07:27.519-07:00Will Stricter Gun Laws Decrease Violence and Death<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJ7qL187zyAOShafLQHKBtaodt0FGh3HibB62h1tLzjc4_Jg2eVjlOqcX3ljZmSNKQHT7SlWloXQ5uxjf_lbfnReWwVi9ZY3HwQeBxwFIomMQycY3kuJwLIzVIKHzBn5qHjhL6UPUpsE/s1600/gun+laws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="gun laws" border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJ7qL187zyAOShafLQHKBtaodt0FGh3HibB62h1tLzjc4_Jg2eVjlOqcX3ljZmSNKQHT7SlWloXQ5uxjf_lbfnReWwVi9ZY3HwQeBxwFIomMQycY3kuJwLIzVIKHzBn5qHjhL6UPUpsE/s320/gun+laws.jpg" title="gun laws" width="320" /></a>With so many shootings in the news lately, it’s no surprise
that Mother Jones is calling 2013 “…the worst year of mass shootings in modern
US history.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mother Jones is one of the oldest, social-justice oriented,
independent nonprofits in the United States according to Sourcewatch, the
publication for the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Center, an online nonprofit investigative reporting
consorteum which includes ALECexposed.org and PR Watch, is not <a href="http://www.judicialhellholes.org/2012/01/31/sourcewatch-exposedwebsite-backed-by-organic-food-industry-scrambles-to-take-down-court-documents-after-being-caught-in-the-act/?gclid=CN31yqar2rcCFdJQOgodAFwAqg">blameless</a>,
but still stands head and shoulders above such entities as the Heritage
Foundation, the Heartland Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute,
who appear aligned in their libertarian and/or rightist stance. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mother Jones and the CMD both lean in the opposite
direction. For example, CMD has prepared a special report on US counterterrorism,
which it confirms was used to keep track of America’s Occupy movement with the
same tools (and under the same name, PRISM) that the NSA recently admitted it had
used on every single American (over the age of 18, presumably, though who knows
for sure?).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Does Your 5 Year Old Enjoy His Gun?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It will come as no surprise to some that the US, whose
military might and will make it the world’s watchdog, is also the owner of 300
million firearms, or <b><i>one for every person over the age of five</i></b>. This wealth of
weapons is one that Mother Jones attributes to extensive and well-funded National
Rifle Association-supported (NRA) gun laws. What the publication does not note
is the number of states which have concealed-carry or open-carry gun laws for
handguns. The concealed-carry is a situation which one Wiki describes as being
permitted in “most states”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Based on data compiled over three decades, a graph shows yearly
shooting fatalities, which were never less than 7 and – in three cases – more
than 40. During two of those years, 1999 and 2007, correlations can be made
with millennial fever and the global economic meltdown that resulted in a
lingering recession still being felt in fewer job numbers both nationwide and
worldwide. Millennial fever probably doesn't need explaining. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Only in 2012 did those numbers rise to almost 80, or nearly
double the number of shooting fatalities in any year back to 1982. Moreover,
most of these casualties resulted from mass shootings; that is, one or two
individuals killing two or more people, sometimes for no immediately apparent
cause. These 7 incidents include a Colorado movie theater, a Sikh temple in
Wisconsin, and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By the numbers, 25 mass shootings have taken place since
2006, 7 of them in 2012 alone. More importantly, more than half the mass
shootings occurred because shooters owned assault weapons and high-capacity
magazines, or what police officers and the public call assault weapons. These
shootings have engendered tremendous sorrow among the survivors and a sense of
displacement and guilt among those left to carry on. Some have even resulted in
<a href="http://www.kevinkristlaw.com/practice-areas/wrongful-death/#axzz2VR1LUaJb">lawsuits</a>
via personal injury lawyers. The awards that may arise do nothing to bring back
the dead, but they do rescue the living from a sense of impotence in the face
of mindless hate. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Two Schools of Thought</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are two schools of thought re the ownership of
weapons, notably assault weapons – whose definition defies anything approaching
accuracy. The NRA says that every American should be armed: the current
administration is all for banning all weapons that shoot bullets. A middle
ground, banning only assault weapons, rapid-fire weapons, military-grade weapons
(machine guns) and other weapons that have been adapted to accept a clip of
more than one bullet, doesn’t seem feasible, since no one (including President Barack
Obama) understands or can agree upon what makes a gun an “assault” weapon. For
Obama, it is either an AK-47 or an “automatic” weapon. The same <a href="http://reason.com/blog/2013/01/30/52-percent-of-americans-say-sandy-hook-i">misconceptions</a>
are extensive among the U.S. population at large. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The NRA truly believes that if all US citizens were armed,
none of these shootings would have occurred. This is patently false. In no
instance has a mass shooter been stopped by an armed citizen. In fact, the
closest any citizen has gotten to shutting down a mass shooter occurred in
Portland, but even that individual failed to fire his weapon for fear of
shooting an innocent bystander. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What will stop these unfortunate and often highly lethal
shooting incidents? A ban on assault weapons – if Congress and the gun industry
can agree on a standard – might reduce the incidence by about half if written
with the same inclusions as Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s proposed bill. These are:
handguns with magazines containing more than 10 rounds of ammunition;
military-type weapons; and semi-automatic rifles. No game hunter worth his or
her salt is likely to carry a semi-auto into the woods. Even stricter gun laws
will no doubt decrease the number of mass shootings, but will also – as many
gun owners correctly note – put US citizenry at the mercy of the <i>real</i> criminals (drug dealers, gang
members, et al).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If and when gun bans fail to reduce mass shootings, we
Americans might turn our eyes to several other areas that precipitate this kind
of mindless rage. We might, for example, extend our social safety net to catch those
unfortunates who fall outside sociometric norms and have at one time or another
called attention to themselves – in school, in business or in other group
settings – as being deeply angry, mentally unbalanced or victimized. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLqiNaTmxflVMhnQxaTjOKnYCdjXPKlO7eMxUNwZbcSbwCk6dXJVyCFPLKCW2ojcl5RNBWAZNMGmpXsH3fPP29alX7XjLNlnchQMFf3Ptopy66EIC66kcCHphKii0acL4GG8IgUtZ0es/s1600/guns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="guns" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLqiNaTmxflVMhnQxaTjOKnYCdjXPKlO7eMxUNwZbcSbwCk6dXJVyCFPLKCW2ojcl5RNBWAZNMGmpXsH3fPP29alX7XjLNlnchQMFf3Ptopy66EIC66kcCHphKii0acL4GG8IgUtZ0es/s320/guns.jpg" title="guns" width="320" /></a>It’s a tall order, and infringes on privacy, so Americans
are unlikely to subscribe to it. Other than that, we can take the initiative as
parents, teachers and mentors to see that those already disturbed not get their
hands on violent video games. These, according to Brown v. Entertainment
Merchants (June 2011) cannot legally be removed from commerce since they show
no definitive or “persuasive” psychological link to violence. Even among very
liberal, no-gun advocates, it is generally agreed that violent video games <i>attract </i>violent individuals rather than
the other way around. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, until society recognizes the inherent injustice of
the top 1 percent owning 40 percent of US wealth (a situation that Vanity
Fair’s Joseph E. Stiglitz<a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/05/top-one-percent-201105">
noted</a>, as far back as mid-2011, as an “inequality even the wealthy will
come to regret”), we will always have the disgruntled, dispossessed and
discarded among us, ready to snap at the slightest provocation. </div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-56972799683711162532013-06-27T13:01:00.000-07:002013-07-06T13:07:09.441-07:00Business Owner Responsibilities, Five Common Injuries from Slip and Fall Accidents <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyiuCuuERPSXK6CEvYBJW9W-QuDENjFMcARfPaf2NtDD9n3wwVmGnW4RDHmTVCHl6P7gjxB1aZFYGJoA4gKSxd-tUo-laRLfFvlsgqlFkDfEB-kj5ZSN1TOc2sr_adgxR7CiyHFWZwDY/s1600/business+owner+oversight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="business owner oversight" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyiuCuuERPSXK6CEvYBJW9W-QuDENjFMcARfPaf2NtDD9n3wwVmGnW4RDHmTVCHl6P7gjxB1aZFYGJoA4gKSxd-tUo-laRLfFvlsgqlFkDfEB-kj5ZSN1TOc2sr_adgxR7CiyHFWZwDY/s320/business+owner+oversight.jpg" title="business owner oversight" width="217" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Slips
and falls are not only the largest source of injuries in the home; they also
occupy the lion’s share of reported injuries in public venues like grocery
stores, shopping malls and restaurants. They are also prominent in the
construction trades. More important,
they are most often reported in relation to day workers, temporary workers, or
seasonal workers, who are at best semi-skilled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Slips,
trips and falls, notes OSHA (the Occupational Health and Safety Administration,
a division of the Department of Labor), comprise the majority of general
industry accidents as well; “general industry” meaning all the across-the-board
enterprises which make, refine, or ship and deliver industrial, consumer and
business products around the nation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Workers
slipping, tripping or falling while in the workplace performing a salaried or
by-the-hour job contribute 15 percent to the total of all accidental deaths in
the United States. This is true in spite of OSHA standards which dictate the
quality and nature of walking or working surfaces, excluding only domestic
care, mining, and agricultural labor, where application of such safety
standards would be difficult or impossible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
most common injuries from slip-and-fall scenarios are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Broken bones, particularly leg and foot bones, and
secondarily hip bones in older individuals</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Cuts, if the slip causes an individual to fall on a sharp
object</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Contusions, or bruises, which can be both disfiguring and
quite painful, but rarely lethal unless the contusion involves the head</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Head injuries, which can lead to confusion, neurological
disturbances, concussions, comas or complete amnesia for a certain period</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Death, which comprises 20,000 of the fatalities reported in
the United States each year </span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These
standards, besides being specific for overall industrial production under
OSHA’s rulemaking standard, </span><a href="https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/walkingworkingsurfaces/index.html"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">29 CFR 1910</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, also define proper walking or working
surfaces at ship yards and ports where marine passengers or cargo deliveries
debark or disembark. Longshoremen, or workers who remove or load cargo
containers from ships, are provided the same safety standards, as are
construction workers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
addition to federal standards, 25 states plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Islands have their own, OSHA-approved requirements, and one would think this
dual layer of protection for workers would cut slip, trip and fall accidents to
the bare minimum. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
is simply not so, especially in the construction trades, largely because the
range of hazards – starting with general clutter and including damaged ladder
steps; faulty scaffolding; dangling or foot-grabbing electrical cords;
substandard cords; grease, water or ice on the floor; loose tile or carpeting;
open desk drawers, filing cabinet drawers and other access doors; and heavily
polished floors or uneven flooring surfaces (including floors that abruptly
change levels via a single step, for example) – is so much greater and more
complex than any agency’s ability to elucidate them or any individual’s ability
to remedy them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For
example, in cold climates the possibility of snow or ice, hail, or snowstorms
rapidly followed by sunlight and temperatures warm enough to melt snow (which
re-freezes again after nightfall) are an unremitting, 24-hours-per-day job. For
small companies with only one or two maintenance workers, or for large
companies with many properties, it is inevitable that </span><a href="http://www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com/legal-services/premises-liability-lawyer/slip-and-fall-lawyer/wet-and-slippery-floors/#axzz2UbVNWYGG"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">some slippery surfaces</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> will not be remedied before someone
falls. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At
construction sites, that someone is likely to be underskilled, ESL (English as
a Second Language), and likely from a much warmer climate. Thus even when
things like substandard extension cords – often rated by Underwriters
Laboratories (UL) for nothing more than 120-volt service yet used to operate
heavy equipment – are labeled “peligro (danger)!”, the danger is not defined,
so workmen ignore it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Additional
dangers, according to OSHA, involve cutouts in the floor for plumbing
connections, electrical connections or other building service elements. When
these are left open instead of being covered with the industry-standard
toe-board (a cause of trips in itself), the result is inevitable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A
lack of toe-boards and guard rails to protect workers from hazardous machinery
or equipment – even where said equipment is taller than the average male – is
another commonly overlooked safety hazard. Final hazards include the failure of
companies, managers or crew bosses to hand out essential safety equipment like
anchored safety harnesses, nets, or railings. The other hazard is workmen
failing to ask for them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some
employers, supervisors and job foremen do their best to educate workers about
job dangers, but many don’t speak Spanish or any Asian or African dialects, which
means the workers who are most vulnerable don’t get <i>any</i> instruction, including printed materials. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you (or a friend) are aware of existing safety violations, or if someone you
know has been injured as a result of the company failing to observe even
minimal safety standards, you can contact OSHA and a representative will visit
your place of work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
downside for you, the worker, is that if you sign the complaint form, an angry
boss or foreman may fire you, whereas if you don’t, the agency may not take you
seriously and fail to send anyone. There
are remedies for getting fired under these “whistleblower” circumstances, but
they take time, so be sure you are ready to go the distance before you mail or
fax your written and signed complaint. In the end, your best bet may be to
consult a lawyer, who will handle the more subtle nuances of personal injury
law. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-24035864696450256872013-06-11T14:42:00.000-07:002013-07-04T14:46:41.433-07:00Financial Calculator: Avoid Bankruptcy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWUlmeWmvgCqc4gqb54Ce3tGKe-G4poTcJm9YAxSImKVPJb47oWrJ_A6Wc8Ms5NBv_Z6bAbYBsNYy8VBN_e2yMNpRrYkFkClDlkXVsjxFUBXvBEyA9D8VbFWOt7j0nwklWLM0Oal22mw/s508/Bankruptcy+Stats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="avoid bankruptcy" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWUlmeWmvgCqc4gqb54Ce3tGKe-G4poTcJm9YAxSImKVPJb47oWrJ_A6Wc8Ms5NBv_Z6bAbYBsNYy8VBN_e2yMNpRrYkFkClDlkXVsjxFUBXvBEyA9D8VbFWOt7j0nwklWLM0Oal22mw/s320/Bankruptcy+Stats.jpg" title="avoid bankruptcy" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even in the worst
times, it is possible to <a href="http://www.nylegalhelp.com/resources/consumer-bankruptcy/#axzz2TqyuZlYT">avoid bankruptcy</a>. There are, of course, some cases when it is virtually
impossible. For instance, many people end up going bankrupt because
they suffer a severe illness and, even though they may have a very good job and
plenty of savings, they soon find all of their money drained away paying for
medical expenses.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Avoiding bankruptcy
is an attainable goal, however. It does require that you pay attention to your
finances and that you learn to live within your means. Contrary to what you
might be thinking, even if you don’t have a very high income, it is possible to
live very well within your means. The reduction in stress in and of itself is a
benefit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Get Educated<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first thing you
need to do is to understand how much money you have coming in, how much you
have going out and any deficiencies between the two. One way to do this is to
determine whether or not you could survive financially if you missed a single<a href="http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/07/on_the_edge.asp"> paycheck</a>. If you could not, it’s imperative that you reduce the amount of
spending you do – if possible – and that you start trying to put money away.
You should be able to survive for at least a couple of months on your savings,
if you should lose work.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second part of
getting educated means learning a bit more about finances than you do already.
While most people understand the basics of finances very well, many people stop
learning about them<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a> as they age and, as you age, money
becomes more important. Taking a class at a community college or even online
might give you some insight into how you could better manage your finances.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Talk to Creditors</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the worst
situations you can get yourself into his when you have people to whom you owe
money who have no idea why they’re not getting paid or what’s going on with
your situation. Talk to your creditors. If you follow a <a href="http://bankruptcy.about.com/od/Avoiding-Bankruptcy/a/Negotiating-With-Creditors.htm">smart strategy</a> you may very well be able to persuade them to give you extra time
to pay off debt, to reduce your payments or to help you by taking other
measures that may alleviate some of the financial pressure.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Dump Your Cards</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you have a wallet
full of credit cards, you’re going to want to get rid of the ones that have
high interest rates. Credit cards can easily put you into bankruptcy, all the
while making you feel like you have enough money to spend. Another smart
strategy with credit cards is to only use them for emergency expenses, so that
you can lessen the impact of an unexpected bill, and avoid using credit cards
for frivolous things.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-57218062026974210212013-05-29T04:48:00.001-07:002013-05-29T04:48:52.712-07:00Social Media Gifts for Fundraising: 3 Methods to Boost Your Strategy with Promotional Gifts.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRSly0qc98fi-9mhRi_H9W3tdDW2q29nRCIvJH0ZWklP-0dvDMmoNnhnCCg_d8xKfpprtufepEBogv4VPf7O9K4r70SDlF4iyMDKNNkIRHcV5BCubvU-N3Hf1sMdVRwRe4ybm2KNHOyc/s1600/social+media.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="social media" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRSly0qc98fi-9mhRi_H9W3tdDW2q29nRCIvJH0ZWklP-0dvDMmoNnhnCCg_d8xKfpprtufepEBogv4VPf7O9K4r70SDlF4iyMDKNNkIRHcV5BCubvU-N3Hf1sMdVRwRe4ybm2KNHOyc/s320/social+media.jpg" title="social media" width="307" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Social media is the taking over as the
place for fundraisers looking to generate interest, conversation and increase
engagement with their cause. It is the ideal platform for communicating with
supporters, potential and existing. Twitter, Facebook and Google+ are among
many of the online tools now at your disposal. However, social media is yet to
make other forms of traditional marketing obsolete and focusing your efforts on
an interconnected strategy is imperative to success. The promotional gifts
industry is well recognized in the fundraising sector but there are new ways it
can be utilized with modern marketing tools. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">In a <a href="http://www.bpma.co.uk/CommonPages/News/NewsDetails.aspx?NID=434">study by
the BPMA</a> they found that promotional gifts can increase visibility more
than most other forms of promotion. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span lang="EN-GB"></span></i></div>
<a name='more'></a><i><br /></i><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span lang="EN-GB">84% of respondents agreed that a branded promotional
gift increased brand awareness with 66% saying they could remember the brand
printed to a product from a previous year”</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span lang="EN-GB">“87% of recipients stated they have kept a promotional
gift for longer than a year”</span></i></blockquote>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">So, how can this enhance your fundraising
strategy? Here are 3 unique benefits that promotional gifts can offer a social
media campaign:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB">1: Engage Your Campaign Managers</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Social media can
help you personalize your charity or cause. It gives it a face and humanizes
the people behind the project. People are intrinsically found to react more
favorably if they feel they have developed a more personal relationship. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter give you
the opportunity to do this by interacting on a social level.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Develop
additional Twitter and Google+ accounts for your campaign managers and
encourage them to interact on your Facebook page. It is a way for supporters to
engage directly with the people behind the cause, ask questions and get
valuable conversations started about what you stand for. Raise awareness of
this service by printing the social media handles to business cards, email
signatures and letterheads.</li>
<li>Use online
search facilities like Twilerts and Google Alerts to find out who is talking
about your charity. Find out who is engaging and get in contact with them. If
they are talking about you; the odds are they might want to donate or get
involved.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB">2: Hashtag Promotion <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Hashtags are used
to track topics and trends on social media platforms. They were commercialized by
Twitter, but are also found on Google+ and Instagram. By clicking on words or
phrases proceeded by the # sign you can find what other users are talking about.
They are great for finding out who is directly engaging with your campaign.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Choose
imaginative hashtags to generate discussion about your campaign. Puns and alliteration
work particularly well; ensure they are a phrase that is easy to remember and
people will keep using it.</li>
<li>Hashtags are great
for generating engagement with fundraising events. Use them in the lead-up to
inform people about what is happening on the day, and during the event to
announce trending concerns and discussions.</li>
<li>Include the
hashtag on your promotional giveaways. These can be printed to items for
mail-outs, saleable gifts and uniforms; a visual prompt for people to join the
debate. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB">3: QR Codes <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">QR codes are a
square barcode which direct users to a website, social media page or blog. They
can be printed to an abundance of materials. A user has to scan a QR code with
a modern smart phone using one of the many apps available.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>These useful
codes can be printed alongside your fundraising details to promotional gifts
for your campaign. They can be printed to plastic, paper and more with popular
items including pens, t-shirts and mugs.</li>
<li>Encourage
recipients to donate online, by directing them to websites like Just Giving.
This increases the length of your campaign as people will be able to use the QR
code long after any event you host.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB">Bio<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.steel-city.co.uk/"><i>Steel
City Marketing</i></a><i> is a promotional
gifts company situated in the heart of Sheffield. They provide inventive
marketing packages to small and large clients across the UK. With over ten
years in the business, they are confident in their ability to infuse your
marketing campaign with fresh ideas and drive forward your intended aims to
success. They can be found tweeting such advice </i><a href="https://twitter.com/steelcitym"><i>@SteelCityM</i></a><i>.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-4908336292121039432013-05-27T15:54:00.000-07:002013-05-27T15:54:36.485-07:00Turn Your Old Car Green<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUez8Sbb0y9adBKdOtlE760XyNDumDfTBBfrqdWcRy7PxRFlIGfWRqxcfa-ME8wF47UWWcCwRjlsnplsOp0zEANSko0P50wAKNmBicJt_vV6OMIhbbkUsfbOmCtNXm14Ss2TSmtwT5k88/s1600/green+cars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="green cars" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUez8Sbb0y9adBKdOtlE760XyNDumDfTBBfrqdWcRy7PxRFlIGfWRqxcfa-ME8wF47UWWcCwRjlsnplsOp0zEANSko0P50wAKNmBicJt_vV6OMIhbbkUsfbOmCtNXm14Ss2TSmtwT5k88/s320/green+cars.jpg" title="green cars" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most people don’t realize that manufacturing a new vehicle generates
a huge amount of carbon dioxide, or CO2, that ubiquitous gas largely associated
with global warming and climate change. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The most accurate set of calculations, as worked out by the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/">Guardian</a> (a news source operating in the
United Kingdom, or UK), is 720 kilograms (kg; or 1,587 pounds) for each £1,000 ($1,587) spent. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Extrapolating from that equation, your new car – costing on
average $26,000 – has a built-in, coal-generation carbon footprint of 18,720 kg,
or very nearly a short ton (which is 20.6 kg). By comparison, even Big Foot comes
off looking less like a shaggy hermit and more like Tinker Bell. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
How can you help reduce your carbon footprint, which just
expanded exponentially with the purchase of your new vehicle (and is now almost
double the average American’s footprint of slightly more than 28 tons)? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As our UK reporter notes, auto manufacture – more than any
other type of consumer product – has tentacles that reach into every sector of
the U.S. economy. Measured as input-output, this metric should startle the
average new-car buyer into considering if he (or she) can afford a dual burden
– a loan lasting at least five years and at a rather high interest rate, and a
footprint to rival that of Yao Ming, who wears a custom-made size 18 shoe. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you, as the new-car buyer, are determined to buy that
2013 floor model Toyota, choose the Toyota Camry hybrid over the standard model
Camry. Better yet, go for the Prius, about the same price but with a remarkable
mpg (miles-per-gallon) rating of 44/40. That is, 44 mpg freeway driving, and 40
mpg around town, and the 2013 Prius also comes in a totally “green” plug-in
model electric vehicle (EV). This model is specifically designed for city
dwellers who find themselves jaunting only a few miles from the grocer to the nearest
Target retail store, and from there to the Winery for a bottle of Chablis.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the other hand, if you can resist that new-car smell but
still have a little money to burn, consider converting your older (classic?)
car to an EV. At a shop, the transformation will likely cost you about $17,500
on average. Do it yourself and costs drop to about $7,500, while delivering a fully
ecofriendly vehicle that gives you a range up to 80 miles at a maximum speed of
90 miles per hour with good to excellent acceleration and somewhere between 6
and 12 hours charging time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A Bottle of Wine for Good Measure<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If that doesn’t work, think about buying a gently used older
car, says Wired Magazine’s Matt Power. By sacrificing the new-car smell of a
Prius hybrid (which uses 113 million BTUs of energy before reaching the sales
floor), you can afford several bottles of wine. At 1,214 kg per bottle – and
with most of the footprint tied up in the bottle and packaging – you could even
throw a wine-tasting party. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This conversion strategy is great for those who realize that
buying the Prius – even if it is fully electric – delivers enough up-front carbon
emissions to make keeping your old car an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_vehicle">environmentally safe</a>
strategy. If your old car is close to becoming a classic (e.g., 25 years old),
you not only have a vintage working vehicle but close to a negative carbon
footprint, which you burnt off during the first ten years of the car’s life. Of
course, there is no footprint going forward.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once you’ve rescued your classic car from the anonymity of
the garage, enjoy! On the other hand, if your pride and joy is involved in an accident
you have every reason to cry. Just repeat these <a href="http://www.joyelawfirm.com/practice-areas/south-carolina-auto-accident-attorney/#axzz2UXIhb6HW">accident
terms</a> after me – actual cash value, burden of proof, joint fault,
liability, negligence and settlement of a total loss – until you feel more
grounded and less likely to engage the other driver in fisticuffs. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Converting your car into an eco-friendly machine is well worth
the effort. Just make sure that you keep your eyes on the road and not at all
the people starring at your new “refab” ride.</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-55803925245884574322013-05-27T15:37:00.000-07:002013-05-27T15:37:31.829-07:00Business Owners Hiring Responsibilities : Immigration Law<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyGCkVq-2uywIOgbg0Wsni8XyV47HiOv4Je-m5feJ619uTl8MyAVZ-t7bTZRUd_8ANnFzft5vBtINf4ybmAJYlZdnzqexPiamf7hrop5WN2b1r84o2_vh2x9DmYjA6a1f62mWaW5DNoM/s1600/immigration+law.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="immigration law" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyGCkVq-2uywIOgbg0Wsni8XyV47HiOv4Je-m5feJ619uTl8MyAVZ-t7bTZRUd_8ANnFzft5vBtINf4ybmAJYlZdnzqexPiamf7hrop5WN2b1r84o2_vh2x9DmYjA6a1f62mWaW5DNoM/s320/immigration+law.jpg" title="immigration law" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>James, a small
business owner, specializes in guitar repairs and general musical instrument
sales, as well as offering guitar lessons.
James met Javier, an immigrant from Mexico, when Javier became a regular
in the guitar shop. While the two men
got to know each other more, James learned that Javier makes his own acoustic
guitars and is a self-taught musician. Javier
came to the United States, with his family, in hopes of having a better quality
of life full of employment and educational opportunities. In the 6 months that Javier has been in the
U.S., the only jobs he has been able to get were construction jobs. Javier wants to quit because the working
conditions are unfair and unsafe, but he cannot afford to quit. James would like to hire Javier to assist
with guitar repairs and to give lessons, but James is not sure if he is able to
hire Javier, due to the Federal </i><a href="http://www.kanulaw.com/legal-services/immigration-law/"><i>Immigration Law</i></a><i>.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i></i></div>
<a name='more'></a><i><br /></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Hiring and
Immigration Law<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The federal immigration law requires that businesses, big
and small, only hire individuals who are legally allowed to work in the United
States. According to the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services division of the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, legal U.S. employees include U.S. Citizens, permanent
residents (who have “green cards” ) and
individuals who are authorized to work as a result of their nonimmigrant status
or a person who has been granted permission to work (who have visas). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Small business owners, like James, may learn a plethora of
valuable information when looking at the <a href="http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-ina.htm">Immigration and
Nationality Act</a> (INA), which governs immigration and citizenship in the
U.S. The INA is especially important to
smaller business owners because it addresses such issues as employment
eligibility, employment verification and non-discrimination. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, upon
hiring a new employee, you must verify that the employee is eligible to work in
the United States. A small business
owner, within three days of hiring the employee, must complete an Employment
Eligibility Verification Form or an I-9 form.
Business owners may only request documentation as specified on the
I-9. Asking for another other forms of
documentation can subject a business owner to discrimination lawsuits.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once the form has been filled out, the business owner is
required to keep the I-9 on file for three years after the date of hire or one
year after the date the employment ends, rather than filing it with the federal
government. It is important that the
form is filled out properly and filed away as the U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) agency conducts workplace audits to ensure that employers are
obtaining I-9 forms and that the information matches government records.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a business owner, it is important to protect your
business as well as your employees. In
addition, you can become a certified business through the Department of Labor
so that you are able to hire temporary or permanent foreign workers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some business owners take advantage of illegal immigrants
(and their need for employment), by offering lower wages, poor working conditions,
and unsafe practices; just so they can save some money. However, many business owners may see
specific job potential in immigrant applicants rather than U.S. applicants and
employees. As much as business owners
want to be seen as an equal opportunity employer, they must first make sure
that they are employing legally. Keep
your business and your employees safe and happy; hire legally and run a fair
and honest business.</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-45467276683837756622013-05-02T03:51:00.000-07:002013-05-28T03:57:04.745-07:00Time to repair your roof? Top tips on when you should invest:<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYHz9vD8Of0eN1x58H3pQzDsxr5pDJGsW-ZTB5R8c99KIrw7zI6yQqIUHqEvL3NieufvcF91jSYMxt4T3ihyOnlrqF9E8eAqo0WELUB-SP9IhCNWTyabcQKXKf0COp0QhVO6zTULXuH8/s1600/home+investment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="home investment" border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYHz9vD8Of0eN1x58H3pQzDsxr5pDJGsW-ZTB5R8c99KIrw7zI6yQqIUHqEvL3NieufvcF91jSYMxt4T3ihyOnlrqF9E8eAqo0WELUB-SP9IhCNWTyabcQKXKf0COp0QhVO6zTULXuH8/s320/home+investment.jpg" title="home investment" width="320" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB">Repairing your <a href="http://leafieldprojects.co.uk/our-services/industrial-roofing">roof</a>,
no matter how small or large the work is, is an investment! Protecting my
family and the value of my home seems like a sound investment to me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> Do
you know the current condition of your roof? It is an aspect of our homes that
most of us pay very little attention to, unaware as to whether there are any
signs of damage. We’d be concerned if there was a crack in our wall, or a
missing brick, so why are we less concerned when the damage is happening on our
roof?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Your roof is your first line of defense
against the elements. A small leak can very quickly escalate in to a major
project. You can assess your roof internally and exter<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8856341631276187390" name="_GoBack"></a>nally</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Grab a torch and a ladder and head up to
the attic. There are 4 things you do not want to see:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Dark spots on the interior of the roofing</li>
<li>Signs of leaking or water damage</li>
<li>Any light from outside shining through</li>
<li>Places where the roof is low or sagging</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">On the outside of your roof, you should be
looking for:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Cracked, ripped, torn or missing shingles</li>
<li>Signs of moisture rot and mould. Although
sometimes difficult to spot, the area should have a distinctive change of
colour, fungi or an area where water collects.</li>
<li>Check drainage. If the water can’t flow off
your roof, there is only one place it will end up going, in your house.
Drainage should be attached properly and clear of blockages (not the nicest of
jobs but better than having an unwanted pool in your house).</li>
<li>Any vents in your house should lead to
outside. Vents collect water and condensation and if not directed properly can
be the cause of leaks.</li>
<li>Scan the roof for loose material,
particularly around chimneys or vents.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Anyone with wooden material in their roof
should look out for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termite">termites</a>,
rot and sagging. Wood can be a beautiful feature in a home but is often the
most vulnerable to damp and other damage.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I’m not for one minute saying that your
attic should become the most used space in your home, or that you need to
justify to neighbors why you are constantly standing outside staring at your
roof, binoculars in hand. A good guide is to take a quick inspection; it only
has to be 10 minutes, at the end of every season. This way the inspection is
regular enough and will allow for any damage harsh weather might have caused.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">If any of the above applies to you and your
home, don’t panic. Get a professional in ASAP! Most roofing repairs are fairly
inexpensive if found early enough, the costs only begin to amount when the
problem has been left to cause damage to your home and the interior build.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I guess the moral of the story is, ‘<i>prevention is better than the cure’. </i>Hopefully,
by catching any damage early you can protect your home and the loved ones that
live in it while keeping any expense to a minimum.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-GB">Guest
Author By-line: <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-GB">Hillary
Ealey is a unique blogger with an interest in anything Home Improvement or Home
Decoration. This article was contribute on behalf of <a href="http://leafieldprojects.co.uk/our-services/industrial-roofing">LEAFIELD
PROJECTS</a><span class="MsoHyperlink">.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856341631276187390.post-28642542657377674592013-04-24T15:59:00.001-07:002013-04-24T15:59:18.199-07:00Deaths Caused by Granuflo and Naturalyte Treatments<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPrsqvq17O6gbLVvmW-1qIxswltg98-yNjXvO6S88t5v5P4ClLRraaOfXe3yoa2b4yrHRmFVOYZO18rERYJ0FoSezr87fG4a3F4OSs2DI6wBqwIPc7VWLSA-wlnUSt7P1BSf3o3nPTms/s1600/Granuflo+lawsuits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Granuflo lawsuits" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPrsqvq17O6gbLVvmW-1qIxswltg98-yNjXvO6S88t5v5P4ClLRraaOfXe3yoa2b4yrHRmFVOYZO18rERYJ0FoSezr87fG4a3F4OSs2DI6wBqwIPc7VWLSA-wlnUSt7P1BSf3o3nPTms/s320/Granuflo+lawsuits.jpg" title="Granuflo lawsuits" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />Being diagnosed with a chronic health condition can be very difficult. Individuals who are placed in this situation must not only deal with the psychological stressors of illness, but must also face long months of doctors visits, invasive procedures, and on-going therapy. This is especially true for renal patients, who must often undergo dialysis treatments for years before organ replacement becomes an option. Unfortunately, many dialysis patients—such as those who were treated with granuflo and naturalyte—died as a result of their care. Understanding the basics behind the prescribed medications, and the causes and frequency of death can be beneficial for those currently undergoing treatment. <br /><a name='more'></a><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">
What are Granuflo and Naturalye? </h4>
Before one can learn more about the deaths caused by granuflo and naturalyte treatments, they must learn more about the products themselves. According to<a href="http://www.drugwatch.com/granuflo-naturalyte/"> Drug Watch</a>, granuflo and naturalyte are both commonly used in the dialysis process—and specifically, assist in the cleansing of the blood and neutralization of acid buildup. While dialysis treatments have been done successful for decades, the recent introduction of these two components sparked many complications and concerns. Fortunately, granuflo and naturalyte are used by just their parent company, Fresenius, thus substantially limiting the number of exposed patients. <br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">
Causes of Death</h4>
So what, exactly, are the risks of granuflo and naturalyte use? Did patients who received treatment with these products suffer from specific conditions? According to some research, the answer to this question is a resounding “yes.” In fact, individuals who underwent dialysis treatment with granuflo or naturalyte use were at the greatest risk for the development of heart attack, stroke, heart arrhythmias, or even sudden death. While some of the people who suffered from these conditions were able to survive the event, many others died as a result of granuflo or naturalyte use. <br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">
Frequency of Death </h4>
Current estimates vary on the total number of deaths related to granuflo and naturalyte use. While there are currently around 2,000 lawsuits pending against the makers of granuflo and naturalyte for untimely death, some experts believe that the true number of deaths can be much higher. Frequency of death is often difficult to estimate—especially in this situation—as the patients were already suffering from serious health conditions, and were thus in a precarious state of health. Obviously, this can make the identification of medication-related death versus natural death quite difficult.<br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">
Obtaining Assistance </h4>
<br /><a href="http://www.lawsuits-granuflo.com/naturalyte/">Granuflo and naturalyte</a> are dangerous products that have severe, life threatening complications. Those who suffered as a result of granuflo or naturalyte use—regardless of the severity of their complications—may want to consider seeking legal assistance. In most cases, legal experts can provide tips, recommendations, and advice when it comes to dealing with the after effects of a granuflo or naturatlyte-related death or complication. Speaking with friends, family members, or co-workers who have also gone through this process in the past can also be beneficial when it comes to getting benefits from granuflo and naturalyte therapy.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904595771078624913noreply@blogger.com0