Maobi

Asean Needs Human Rights Enforcement Arm, Rights Group Says

2007-11-16T21:25:00.001-08:00

The Association of Southeast Asian
Nation's new legal charter necessitates an independent enforcement
mechanism for human rights abuses, Person Rights Watch said,
adding that the group's reaction to Myanmar's pro-democracy
crackdown will be a diagnostic test of the charter.

''The charter misses any processes to implement its
principles and incorporates weak conformity provisions,'' the
New York-based organisation said today in an unfastened missive to
Asean secretary full general Ong Keng Yong. ''There is no clear
mechanism to take action against states, such as as Burma, that
simply disregard the charter's human rights provisions.''

Association Of Southeast Asian Nations leaders, meeting next hebdomad in Singapore, are put to
sign the charter Nov. 20, its first legally binding document
since the group's initiation 40 old age ago. Members establish to be in
violation of its regulations will be referred to the leadership for
action. A bill of exchange of the charter shows that the 10-nation group
will still govern by consensus, rejecting proposals to add voting,
expulsion or countenances on its members.

''Much More is needed if the charter's purposes of protecting
and promoting human rights are to be achieved,'' Person Rights
Watch said. ''The charter's listing of rules are quite vague,
and only perpetrate Association Of Southeast Asian Nations member states very broadly to make what they
are already jump to make under international law and the UN
charter.''

The rights group's missive also said Association Of Southeast Asian Nations should take
action once Union Of Burma Prime Curate Thein Sein marks the
document.

Civilian Transition

''Since its admittance in 1997, Myanmar have continuously
embarrassed Association Of Southeast Asian Nations by breakage 1 pledge after another to make
progress on national rapprochement and the passage to
civilian government,'' it said.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, have been under military
rule since 1962 and instituted a ''seven-point roadmap'' to
restore democracy in 2003.

General Than Shwe's government have faced international
condemnation since it deployed soldiers Sept. Twenty-Six to oppress the
biggest anti-government protestations in almost 20 years. As many as
110 people were killed and 100s detained in the crackdown.

United Nations Particular Envoy to Union Of Burma Ibrahim Gambari is scheduled to
be in Capital Of Singapore adjacent hebdomad to brief top Association Of Southeast Asian Nations functionaries and their
regional partners.

Association Of Southeast Asian Nations includes Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia,
Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar
and Vietnam.

To reach the newsman on this story:
En-Lai Yeoh in Capital Of Singapore at

Electronic Company Formation Saves Time, Money and Energy

2007-11-15T06:42:00.001-08:00

There are certainly some benefits to be tech-savvy. You can make a batch of things just at the driblet of a hat. It salvages your time, money and energy. Also gives you freedom from hassles. The lawsuit of electronic company formation can be taken as an example. Forming a company in this manner is far easier, quicker and cheaper than the traditional manner of incorporating a company.

In the traditional manner of company formation, you pass on with the concerned authorization (the Companies House in lawsuit of the company being formed in the UK), cod information on what are the things you have got got to supply them and cognize what else you have to do. All this is done in a very slow, laidback mode and takes batch of clip to be over. Thus, it takes long clip to acquire the company formed.

Things are totally different in lawsuit of electronic company formation. Here every thing is done over the Internet. The Companies House in the United Kingdom have online company formation process. They have got peculiar software system for the purpose. With the aid of this software, any prospective man of affairs can integrate a company completely over the Internet with the consequence that the company is formed within a few hours.

However, if the impudent side of electronic company formation is considered then it must be agreed that all the people are not tech-savvy. If some people are highly adept in the usage of computing machine and other electronic appliances and gizmos, so many others are there who even make not cognize the nitty-gritty of operating them.

If you are not among those who are good techie, you can take aid of a company formation service provider. The undertaking of electronic company formation will be taken attention of by them. All you have got to make from your side is to pay them fees that are never too high. If you believe one agnet is charging too high fees, you can near person else.

Developing Self Esteem and Confidence The Easy Way

2007-11-12T08:12:00.001-08:00

Why make some people have got low self-esteem? Why make they linger in the background and run when given the opportunity to talk up in presence of a grouping of people? Why make they stammer when they are asked to state their piece?

Most often, people have got low self-confidence because the idea that tally through their caputs is all about me, about self-exploration and about selfishness. This is the chief ground why sometimes they acquire edgy, nervous and agitated. To conflict low pressure self-confidence, here are some ways to foster and develop self-esteem that would demo not only who you are but would demo your core and interior values as well.

1) Discover who you are. Find the root why you often experience the manner you do. Are it because of a childhood injury or some grim past times experiences? After determination out the root, trade with it by facing this struggle. If necessary, seek professional help.

2) Figure out the things that you can and can't control. Change the things that you can command and just accept the thing you can't control.

3) Find duty in your actions. Developing self-confidence intends that you are responsible for your ain happiness, and therefore, it is up to you to make up one's mind if you desire to be happy doing this activity or not.

4) Bend all the anxiousnesses that you have got into positive reinforcement. If possible, compose down all the anxiousnesses that you have got on a piece of paper, for 30 days. Tensions and anxiousnesses are usually released when being written down on a piece of paper, and then just allow it go.

5) Keep in head that errors are chances in disguise. Always retrieve that errors are just an chance to do good, and to make you recognize that this is something that never should have got happened. Mistakes are just there to remind us of the things that we necessitate to change.

6) Spend some clip with people who act upon you greatly, and who always convey a positive cheer to the environment. That way, this positive feedback will rub off on you.

7) Don't be afraid to make errors and maintain on being a risk-taker.

8) Make something that is out of your league, and do something that is extraordinary. Learn a hobby. Bash an activity that you don't normally make - cook, write, draw, paint, sing or even dance.

9) Filter out from your head messages that mightiness destroy your self-esteem. Only hear words of encouragement and reinforcement.

Company Formation and Registered Office

2007-11-07T00:21:00.001-08:00

One of the four of import written documents of company formation is Memo of Association. The clauses included in this written document are: the company's name, where the registered business office of the company is situated (in England, Cymru or Scotland); and what it will make (its objects). The physical object of a company may simply be to transport on concern as a general commercial company. This article trades with registered office.

As mentioned above, company formation in the United Kingdom necessitates 1 to have got a registered office. This business office is basically an computer address that is used for functionary correspondence. This business office stays registered with the Companies House. All the stations meant for the company are sent to this office. The company sectary is supposed to run the business office and react to the stations sent to him. Company law in the United Kingdom have put a few DOS and don'ts connected with this office.

Company formation law in the United Kingdom states that the registered business business office of a company should be within the topographic points that are approved for the purpose. It is not that one can have got the concern office anywhere in the UK, if he is running his business there. In lawsuit the concern is run in England, the business office should be somewhere there. On the other hand, if the concern in tally in Wales, the registered business business office should be within the legal power of this places.

Those who are engaged in company formation should also be informed about the fact that the name of the company should be displayed in presence of the office. All the letter papers of the company should have got the computer address of the registered business office labeled on them. Moreover, if any alterations made in the computer address of the office, the companies House should be informed about it. These are the formality connected with registered office. In order to constitute a company, one should take attention of all these formalities.

Court Records - What Are They?

2007-11-05T18:19:00.001-08:00

These included stationery, newspaper, deeds, contracts, measures of sale, tribunal records, depositions, wills, matrimony licences -- and the negligees on decks of playing cards. Information such as as captivity history, sexual activity wrongdoer position and even tribunal records. Another manner is to reexamine to the point tribunal records, since experts have got to let on their rates as portion of their Rule 26 or equivalent reports.

They also check up on your drive records, recognition history, military records and tribunal records. Please short letter that many of these beginnings are created by governmental federal agencies and are, in fact, public records: Bankruptcy Fictional Character mentions Court records Recognition records Criminal records Driving records Drug diagnostic test records Education records Captivity records Checkup records Military records Neighbor interviews Past employers Personal mentions Place ownership Sexual Activity wrongdoer listings Sociable Security No. Besides verifying the place of an individual, a study usually includes: vehicle registration, recognition records, criminal records, instruction records, tribunal records, medical records, military records, state licensing records, and drug diagnostic test records.

The lone manner to transport out a reasonably accurate comprehensive criminal background bank check up on is to check out the individual county tribunal records. Searching through bankruptcy tribunal records also gives you a elaborate image of the company or individual's honesty and creditworthiness as well as allows you have got a larger image of their fiscal situation. Information on a person's background can also be obtained from local tribunal records.

In a criminal record check, one can seek through criminal tribunal records, while in a civil check; one can seek through criminal and civil tribunal records. Most states make not offer the same degree of handiness to tribunal records as the US. You will also desire to unclutter your name within the tribunal records.

Depending on the type of concern you are in, searching through bankruptcy tribunal records can even assist you to happen new clients. Searching through bankruptcy tribunal records also is a great manner to verify that the information you have got obtained about an individual or company is correct.

Could It Be A Self-Esteem Problem?

2007-11-01T09:13:00.001-07:00

How many people make you cognize that take to be economical and don't
value themselves enough? These type of people happen it hard to
accept a simple compliment or comment. Why is that? Could it be
a ego regard problem?

Low ego regard is a job so elusive that most don't realize
that it's a problem. The ground for that is they simply don't
cognize how to dwell life without it.

Maintaining a healthy self-esteem is critical for any type of
accomplishment or any success worth while in life. An unhealthy
self-esteem is one of the greatest grounds why so many people are
not reaching the success degree desired for themselves.

Research demoes that over 85 percentage of people endure or lack
ego regard in some country of their life. Although, there are many
countries in which one can have got low degrees of esteem, here are the
top chief areas.

Health-In this country you will happen person that have a low
self-esteem degree are always doing things to undermine their
health. They will constantly set things into the organic structure that they
cognize will bust up their health.

Relationships-In this sphere a individual will most likely have
uncontrollable emotional issues. You will also happen them taking
on all sorts of maltreatment because they experience unworthy of love.

Finances or Wealth-People who have got got a difficult clip getting ahead and
reaching success, usually have an issue with deserving. They
don't believe they rate to have got got wealth, even though they
would wish to have it.

Spiritual-Low self-esteem can be establish when person experiences they
are not worthy of God's love. They experience like they have got got done
something so atrocious in life, "how can Supreme Being ever see them fitting
adequate to have what they want?"

Another country is Recreation-These people experience guilty for having
fun. They don't let clip for merriment things for fearfulness and believing
they should always be working and not playing.

It is not uncommon to see person that may look to stand out in one
or more than of these countries while they demo marks of sabotage in
other areas. It's a fact that having a solid healthy degree of
assurance and ego regard in your life will convey you more
fiscal and human relationship success, as well as wellness and social
success.

Having high ego regard assists you to experience better. It assists you
to be happier and so much more than than resourceful, which in bend you'll
experience more at peace every minute of your life.

Take an rating of your life and success. If you are not
where you believe you should be, it could be a ego regard problem
because we all deficiency in one country or another.

Great ego regard lets you the success in being yourself and
gives your life new meaning. It also assists you to recognize your
true potentiality in life.

Company Formation Agent - Fulfil Your Dream Without Fear

2007-10-23T08:32:00.001-07:00

As any successful work or societal accomplishment have an component of inspiration or a helping manus to hike it up to the phase of recognition, corporate ventures are no exclusion in this regard. Since quite some clip now, the scenario in the United Kingdom have portrayed an environment of a healthy engagement of professional service suppliers called company formation agents to play the elemental roles. Statistics have got got got shown that a big figure of companies who have made their presence felt today have, in some manner or the other, gained from the services of these agents.

The tendency of applying the services of these professional assistants, however, had not always been there as the undertaking of establishing a company put entirely on the shoulders of the spouses in the venture. With the transition of time, the enlargement of the procedure of registering a company brought about more than than and more formality to be taken attention of. As it was that the formation of a company was a large investing in itself, there was no room to do any burdensome mistakes, which ultimately led to the birth of company formation agents to take the obstructions from the way.

The company formation agents in the United Kingdom have got a squad of qualified people to take attention of all the functionary formality for people who desire to set up their ain concern unit. Right from representing the owners before the several state departments, managing the depository fiscal institution concern relationships of all the employees to the handling of the financial issues, the agents promise to take the load right off your head.

If you are desirous of forming your business constitution and desire to help the qualified services of Company formation agent for that matter, then a thorough online study is in order. Scan all the offerings in a comparative run and infusion the trade that supplies you maximal profit. Once you have got taken your pick, everything will look as easy as pie, as you will soon happen out.

What is a Contract?

2007-10-16T18:55:00.001-07:00

I remember very vividly, a scene from a 1970's comedy where the miserable hero of the piece, accidentally acquires engaged to a immature lady and passes the whole programme plotting screaming ways to get away from this engagement. At the decision of the sketch the fellow interruptions off the engagement, have a sound smack from the distraught lady and is promptly told that she will litigate him for breach of promise.

During the 1970's, for those not old adequate to remember, getting engaged was a very serious concern as an battle was deemed to be a legal contract and one could indeed be sued for a failure to transport an battle to its logical end. The legality of this word form of contract was eventually rescinded, but what exactly represents a contract?

Firstly allow us define a contract. A contract is an understanding between two or more than political parties which is enforceable by law.

This makes not really assist us much, as all contracts are understandings but not all understandings are contracts. Let's expression at an example...if two people hold to ran into at a public house at seven O'clock this makes not represent a contract...so there must be some other criteria in topographic point to constitute a contract...for a contract to be valid, three inquiries have got to be asked.

1. Have a contract been formed? For a contract to be in topographic point and legally binding these elements necessitate to be satisfied.

• Offer and acceptance. One of the political parties must have got made an offering which is accepted without makings by the other party. Associate In Nursing illustration would be where Geoff offers to sell his racing yacht to Mark for £5,000 and Mark accepts this verbal offer...providing other criteria are satisfied, a contract would be deemed to exist.

• An purpose to make legal relations. There must always have got been the purpose behind the understanding that if a difference arose, the understanding should be subject to a tribunal of law.

• Purchase or exchange of assets. In its simplest footing there must be a debit entry and recognition component for both parties; for case in the sale of a yacht, the marketer will endure the 'loss' of his racing racing racing yacht but addition a benefit of £5,000...conversely the purchaser will endure the 'loss' of £5,000 but have the benefit of the ownership of a yacht.

• Capacity. Each political party must be legally able to come in into the contract, for example, minor league and people of 'unsound mind' are limited in their powerfulnesses to come in into contracts.

• Format. In some instances, a contract must have got a specific formatting e.g. some contracts must be in written form.

2. Are the understanding recognisable and enforceable by law? Some contracts will go invalid because of factors such as as errors or not due influence. Examples might be mistakes on an bill that is marked 'E & OE' or the illustration of a 'shotgun wedding'. 3. When are the duties of the political parties terminated and what redresses are there for breach of contract?

So there we have got the all the criteria required of a contract. The existent drawing up of a concern contract, as you might expect, would almost certainly necessitate the services of a solicitor, but conceive of that a contract was with an abroad party. In that lawsuit the services of a specializer legal interlingual rendition federal agency would certainly be required in order to avoid any mistakes or skips that mightiness invalidate it.

Amending a Complaint in a Lawsuit

2007-10-15T08:40:00.001-07:00

A lawsuit is started by filing by a Complaint. The political party filing the Ailment is called the Plaintiff. In certain cases, a Plaintiff may make up one's mind to change his initial Complaint. There are many possible grounds that a Plaintiff may change or "amend" the Ailment (ie. the find of new evidence, a alteration in law, or even correcting a simple mistake). Federal Soldier Courts have got specific regulations for amending a Complaint. A Plaintiff may amend her Ailment once any clip before an Answer or "responsive pleading" is served. Fed. R. Civ. P.15(a). However, if the amendment is sought after the Answer is filed, the Plaintiff must either obtain (i) written consent from the opponent political party or (ii) permission from the Court.

Fortunately, that permission or "leave", as it is referred to in the rules, is usually freely given. In fact, under the rules, it would be inappropriate for the Court to deny the petition so long as there have been no not due delay, bad faith, or dilatory motivation on the portion of the movant, nor not due bias to the non-moving party. An illustration of "undue prejudice" would be if the Court concluded that the Plaintiff was seeking to amend the Ailment merely to detain the trial or add claims that the suspect would not have got got clip to prove in discovery.

Federal Courts have recognized the generous criterion in Rule 15 (a). In fact the United States Supreme Court have declared that the intent of this policy is primarily because the Courts prefer giving a Plaintiff the chance to "test his claim on the merits" Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178, 182 (1962). In other words, a political party should be given his "day in Court", rather than limiting Plaintiffs claims through overly restrictive pleading rules.

DUI Law

2007-10-12T11:16:00.001-07:00

With the increasing figure of accidents associated with drive while under the influence of alcoholic beverage or DUI's the DUI law have changed and there are now many lawyers who pattern DUI law in order to stand for the people accused of DUI's. If you are unaware of the laws in your state regarding DUI law you will necessitate to research the laws a little. For case in most states the blood alcoholic beverage degree have now been changed to where one suds could be considered a DUI. When you are trying to understand what the DUI law is you have got to look at the consequences of drive while intoxicated.

You can now endure jail, fines, loss of driver's license, ignition mesh devices, alcoholic beverage instruction programs, and community service depending on the laws in your state. When you are pulled over for intuition of being intoxicated the military officer will supply a blood alcoholic beverage concentration test. If you are establish to be above the degree for your state you may happen yourself facing jailhouse and towing fees for your level. In most lawsuits it will ensue in having the other driver, if there is one beingness tested and shift drivers if the degree is establish to be satisfactory. You can also name an individual to come up choice up you and your auto if the business office makes not see jailhouse as a necessity. If you are not taken directly to jailhouse you will at least be given a ticket with mulcts and possibly the alcoholic beverage instruction programme depending on the officer.

If you happen yourself breaking the DUI law and in jail, you will necessitate to engage a qualified DUI lawyer. The lawyer will take a expression at your case, find if you necessitate to plea deal or fighting the charges. The DUI lawyer will be able to assist find how you broke the DUI law, the per centum of your blood alcoholic beverage degree in sees to the law, and how to proceed. In most lawsuits if it is a first discourtesy you will happen yourself with a probationary time period if the degree was not exceeding the boundary by great bounds. It will also depend on how unsafe you were considered by the officer, such as as weaving in and out of lanes, driving over the velocity limit, and other traffic violations. In most lawsuits you will happen the ignition mesh device is required when you have got broken the DUI law. This device will prove your blood alcoholic beverage degree before you can begin the ignition. If you are establish to be over the legal bounds the auto will not start. If you have got been establish all right you will be able to drive the auto home, but you will be tested every few proceedings to do certain a driver have not switched to let a more than drunk driver from taking over. You will also happen the DUI law utilizes this tool to forestall a full licence suspension of the DUI offenders. The DUI law have been increased to supply safety on the roads.

Sole Custody - Should You Try to Win It?

2007-10-10T08:37:00.001-07:00

If you are undergoing an angry divorcement or ending of another human relationship involving children, you may see filing for exclusive detention so that you don't have got to share parenting with your ex. Before making the determination to prosecute full custody, you necessitate to see the fiscal and emotional facets involved.

Two sorts of detention are referred to as exclusive custody. Sole legal detention intends that one parent have full duty for any parenting decisions. Sole physical detention mentions to the kid life with one parent while generally having trial with the other parent. You may desire one or both of these types of custody.

Courts prefer a word form of detention known as joint legal custody. This agency that both parents are able to jointly do determinations on behalf of the child. The other type of joint detention is joint physical detention which affects the kid life one-half of the clip with one parent and one-half of the clip with the other parent. The chief ground why tribunals usually awarding articulation legal detention is owed to the given that both parents should be involved in the child's life. Noncustodial parents who acquire to parent their children be given to stay more than involved that those that make not have got got joint legal custody.

For a tribunal to present exclusive legal detention to a parent, there will have to be cogent evidence that the other parent is not able to co-parent effectively. Bear in head that even if you win exclusive custody, your ex volition still more than than likely stay in the children's lives through visitation. And, you will still be required to share information regarding your child's schooling, medical concerns, and extracurricular activities. It is often very hard to completely take another parent from a child's life if that parent desires to stay involved, even in lawsuits of kid abuse. If the parent is unfit, he or she may acquire supervised trial along with orders to take part in treatment with the program of increasing parental engagement and trial if the parent complies with the orders and do progress.

Sole detention is not a given in any situation. The justice is supposed to govern based on the best involvements of the children. But, your definition of best involvements and the court's may change widely.

There are some lawsuits where a exclusive detention awarding would be possible. Sexual or physical maltreatment of a kid could ensue in full detention being granted to the other parent. But, some parents do false accusals of maltreatment in order to derive custody. Knowing this, tribunals may necessitate significant grounds that maltreatment have occurred before awarding sole detention to the other parent. Unfortunately, there are lawsuits where maltreatment accusals have got been real, and Judges awarded detention to the maltreaters because they thought that the accusing parent was malicious.

If your ex is in jail, this may be seen as a ground to allow exclusive detention to you, especially if the jailhouse term is long. Substance maltreatment or other mental wellness issues could also ensue in a full detention awarding for the other parent.

A domestic force history can sometimes be seen as ground to allow detention to the victimized parent. The tribunal will be considering the personal effects on the children more than what moves were done to you. Some Judges don't see maltreatment of the female parent to be sufficient ground to take away decision-making corrects if the children were not involved or abused themselves.

If your ex makes not see the children, you may have got a opportunity to acquire exclusive custody. But, many ex-husbands suddenly make up one's mind they desire to be involved when they have tribunal papers, which will more than likely consequence in joint legal custody.

Consider what departure for exclusive detention is going to be you. Financially, the measures could easily run into the five-figure range. The emphasis of a drawn-out tribunal fighting is utmost and could permanently harm your health. Your children may be set in the center and used as pawns to descry on you and perpetuate the ex's agenda. You may even be threatened or harmed physically by the ex or one of his or her friends. Kidnapping or other injury to the children beyond emotional maltreatment could take place.

Remember that if you acquire joint legal custody, there may be some ways to protect yourself and bounds the confrontation over decisions. One parent could be granted complete authorization to do determinations about medical attention while the other may be in complaint of educational concerns. Restraining orders could be granted to hopefully cut down the opportunity of you being a victim of violence. Parenting coordinators may be used as a go-between sol that the two of you don't have got to pass on directly with each other.

Think carefully before making a determination to register for exclusive custody. Unless you are in one of the states of affairs described above where you have got a good opportunity at winning full custody, the clip and disbursal of a detention conflict probably won't be deserving it to you.

How Social Security Benefits Help the Disabled

2007-10-09T00:50:00.001-07:00

The Sociable Security Administration pays disablement benefits in two different ways. The first manner is through the Sociable Security disablement coverage and the 2nd 1 is through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program.

Social Security pays benefits to people who can't work because they have got a medical status that is expected to last at least one twelvemonth or consequence in death. The federal law necessitates such as hard-and-fast definition of disability, while some other programmes give people benefits who have got got a partial-disability Oregon have short-term disability, Sociable Security doesn't. An individual must ran into certain net income demands in order to be eligible for benefits. Individuals must ran into two different net income diagnostic tests to be eligible for disablement benefits. The first diagnostic diagnostic diagnostic diagnostic test is a "recent work" test which is based on the individual's age at the clip they became handicapped and the 2nd test a "duration of work" test to demo that they worked long adequate under Sociable Security. An individual should use for disablement benefits as soon as they go handicapped because it can take a long clip to procedure the application for disablement benefits. It typically takes about 3 to 5 months. After the application is sent the Sociable Security Administration will reexamine their application and do certain they ran into some basic demands for benefits such as as whether they worked long adequate to measure up and they will measure any current work activities. If these demands are met then they will then direct your application to the Disability Determination Services business office in their state. This federal agency do the determination for the SSA, they utilize their docs and disablement specializers to inquire their physician information about their condition, all facts in their lawsuit will be considered. They will also utilize grounds from any hospital, doctor's office, clinics or establishments that the individual have been treated in order to obtain all other information.

The Supplemental Security Income programme do monthly payments for people with low income and few resources who are also disabled. They also do monthly payments for people who are 65 and aged and people who are blind. In order to be eligible to obtain SSI benefits, the eligibility is based on income and resources which are the things an individual owns. According to the Sociable Security Administrations income is defined as money you have such as as wages, Sociable Security benefits, and pensions. Income can also include such as things as nutrient and shelter. The amount of income an individual tin have each calendar month and still acquire SSI depends partly on where the individual lives. In order to obtain information pertaining to how much an individual volition have based on the state they dwell in, they should name the Sociable Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213. Sociable Security doesn't number all of an individual's income when crucial whether or not they measure up for SSI benefits. Things that Sociable Security doesn't number are; the first $20 a calendar calendar month of most income an individual receives, the first $65 a month an individual gains from working, and one-half the amount over $65, nutrient stamps, shelter they have from a non-profit-making organization(s) and lastly most place energy assistance. If an individual is married the Sociable Security Administration also includes a portion of their spouse's income and resources when crucial whether they measure up for SSI, and if an individual is under the age of 18 the SSA includes portion of their parent's income and resources and if an individual is a sponsored foreigner they may include their sponsor's income and resources. If the individual is a pupil then some of the reward or scholarships they have may not count. If an individual is handicapped but plant Sociable Security doesn't number reward an individual usages to pay for points or services that may assist them work, for illustration if an individual bargains a wheelchair to be able to work, Sociable Security doesn't number those disbursals when crucial whether they measure up for SSI benefits. Sociable Security also doesn't number any reward a unsighted person utilizes for work expenses, for illustration transportation system to and from work are not included in determining eligibility for SSI. Lastly, if an individual is handicapped or unsighted some of the income they utilize or salvage for preparation or to purchase things they necessitate to work may not be counted. Resources that are counted in determining eligibility for SSI benefits are; existent estate, depository financial institution accounts, cash, pillory and bonds. An individual may be able to acquire SSI benefits if their resources are deserving no more than than than $2000, and a couple may acquire benefits if their resources are deserving no more than $3000. Also if an individual have place that they are trying to sell, they may be able to acquire SSI while they are trying to sell it. Sociable Security makes not number the followers in determining an individual's eligibility for benefits. First the place they dwell in and the land it's on, life coverage policies with a human face value of $1,500 or less, an people auto (usually), entombment secret plans for an individual and members of their contiguous household and lastly up to $1,500 in entombment finances for the individual and up to $1,500 in entombment finances for their spouse. Other regulations that an individual must ran into for eligibility are; to obtain SSI they must dwell in the U.S. Oregon the Northern Mariana Islands and be a U.S. citizen or national. In some cases, foreigner occupants can measure up for SSI. For the remainder of the regulations an individual must ran into in order to be eligible for SSI benefits delight visit the societal security web land site .

It should be noted that the basic SSI amount is the same countrywide however many states add to the basic benefit. In order to happen out whether an people state adds other benefits name the Sociable Security Administration. Lastly the Sociable Security Administration pulls off the SSI programme however even though Sociable Security pulls off the program, SSI is not paid for by Sociable Security taxes. SSI benefits are paid for by the U.S. Treasury full general funds, not the Sociable Security trust funds.

Employment Law - Maternity Leave - Nature, Capacity, Place

2007-09-28T13:42:00.001-07:00

The lawsuit of Blundell volt Government Body of St Roy Chapman Andrews Catholic Primary School and Another [2007], concerned a adult female who claimed that she was discriminated on the evidence of her pregnancy. Regulation 18 of the Motherhood and Parental Leave (etc) Regulations 1999 ("the Regulations") provides:

'(2) An employee who go backs to work ... is entitled to go back from leave of absence of absence to the occupation in which she was employed before her absence, or, if it is not reasonably operable for the employer to allow her to tax return to that job, to another occupation which is both suitable for her and appropriate for her to make in the circumstances'.

Regulation 2(1) provides:

'"Job" in relation to an employee returning after ... motherhood leave ... intends the nature of the work which she is employed to make in conformity with her contract and the capacity and topographic point in which she is so employed'.

The claimant was a instructor at the first respondent school. In the school twelvemonth 2002 to 2003 she was given the duty of being a instructor for the yellowish response class. In June 2003, she told the 2nd respondent, who was the caput teacher, that she was pregnant.

The caput teacher's criterion pattern towards the end of the school twelvemonth was to inquire each instructor what their penchants were on social class allotment for the approaching academic year. She usually tried to maintain each instructor in a peculiar function for two years. Having been told of the at hand motherhood leave, the caput instructor asked the claimant if she would set about "floating duties" in the followers year.

The claimant originally agreed, however, the adjacent twenty-four hours told the caput instructor that she did not wish to have got a "floating role". The caput instructor then told the claimant that she had decided, reluctantly owed to her concern about the break to the children, to let the claimant to learn response yellowness again.

Subsequently, on the 5th of December, before the end of the school term, the claimant took ill leave of absence because she was suffering from a gestation related condition. She then had her babe in January 2004. She was not owed to go back to work until the start of the fall term and the caput instructor did not inquire her for her penchant as to social social social class allotment in June 2004.

Shortly before her tax return to work the caput instructor offered her the option of a "floating role" or class instructor of class two. The claimant opted for the latter, although she had never taught twelvemonth two previously and, on her case, twelvemonth two involved heavy responsibility.

The claimant subsequently presented a claim for sexual activity favoritism in the employment tribunal, complaining that she had suffered a figure of hurts by ground of her pregnancy. The court dismissed the claim and so the claimant appealed to the Employment Appeals Tribunal.

On appeal, an issue arose as to the significance of "job" in the phrase "the occupation in which she was employed before her absence" in ordinance 18(2) of the Regulations.

The entreaty court held as follows:

The purpose of the Regulations was to supply that a returnee came back to a work state of affairs as close as possible to that she left. The intent of the Regulations was continuity, preferably avoiding dislocation. The contract was not definitive. The phrase "in conformity with her contract" qualified only the 'nature' of the work. The court felt that capacity was more than than 'status', although mightiness embrace it. It was deemed a factual label and so was descriptive of the mathematical function which the employee served in doing work of the nature she did. The fact that it was a factual label, and so not determined purely by the contract, was most readily demonstrated by considering the word 'place', which was also not purely contractual.

The degree of specificity with which the three substances 'nature', 'capacity' and 'place' were to be addressed was critical and the cardinal inquiry was how the degree of specificity should be determined and by whom.

The inquiry was essentially one of factual finding and judgement and hence for the court at first instance.

In approaching the question, the court had to have got in head both the intents of the statute law and the fact that the Regulations themselves provided for exceeding cases. These exceeding lawsuits being where it was not reasonably operable for the employer to allow her to tax tax return to her former job, the employer might supply for her return to another occupation which was both suitable for her and appropriate for her to make in the circumstances.

The statute law sought to guarantee that there was as small disruption as reasonably possible in her workings life, and given that the intent of the statute law was to protect the employee there was no demand to interpret 'the same job' as covering a wide spectrum of work in order to guarantee an appropriate balance between employer and employee.

The term "Job" could be quite specifically defined. Leeway was provided by an employer being able to supply a occupation which was not the same job, but was still suitable. Where a precise topographic point was variable, a court was not obliged to freeze clip at the precise minute its resident took motherhood leave, but might have got respect to the normal scope within which fluctuation had previously occurred.

In this case, the court had given the right reply on the determinations of fact it had made.

Throughout its determination was the subject that the claimant could be required to learn any social social class as asked by her head, and that was a real, not simply a theoretical demand deriving from the contract alone.

§ The nature of her work, according to her contract, was as a teacher.

§ Her capacity, as a substance of fact, was viewed more than realistically as a class instructor than as a instructor of response yellow.

§ The place of work could not be said to be the response classroom, but the school.

The station the claimant returned to was the same post, if the degree of specificity was properly to be regarded as 'teacher'. If it was temporarily more than specific, because the precise station varied, the inquiry was whether the occupation on tax return drop outside the bounds of what was permissible. It was clear that the court establish that it was not outside the normal scope of variableness which the claimant could have got expected.

It was therefore held that the entreaty would be dismissed on all evidence save that in relation to the failure to inquire the claimant in June 2004 to state a penchant as to the social class she wished to take in the followers year.

If you necessitate additional information delight contact us at enquiries@rtcoopers.com Oregon Visit http://www.rtcoopers.com/practice_employment.php

© RT COOPERS, 2007. This Briefing Note makes not supply a comprehensive or complete statement of the law relating to the issues discussed nor makes it represent legal advice. It is intended only to foreground general issues. Specialist legal advice should always be sought in relation to peculiar circumstances.

Self Esteem - Keys To Building Healthy Self Esteem

2007-09-24T13:04:00.001-07:00

What makes self-esteem? Self-esteem stems from what you believe and believe about yourself. If you have got negative beliefs about who and what you are, you will fight with low self-esteem.

You won't experience better about yourself when you

Make tons of money
Find your life partner
Have people's approval
Have a baby

You might experience a small better for a piece but it won't last because healthy ego regard isn't dependent on these things. You could have got got every 1 of the above and still not have a deep sense of self-esteem. That's because self-esteem doesn't have got anything to make with external things, such as as looks, approval, money, human relationships or having children.

People alteration their opinions. Jobs come up to an end. Accidents go on without any warning. Externals can change in an instant.

Self-esteem is the consequence of what you believe about yourself and how you handle yourself.

Your beliefs and actions don't have got to be governed by your past. However badly you were treated as a child, or whatever people have got said about you, you can develop healthy self-esteem. You don't have got to hold with the messages you've received from others about yourself. You don't have got to fall in with those voices and be your ain worst critic.

How can you counter these negative influences?

You can counter these negative voices by agreeing with Supreme Being about what He states about you. You can have got assurance and strong ego belief when you root yourself firmly in the unchangeable truth of God. If you are rooted in anything else your ego regard will fluctuate and plumb bob once they melt away.

God is changeless. His word is truth. Choose to believe what Supreme Being states about you. You are cherished to Him.

Jesus didn't dwell in the perfect environment. He was ridiculed and misunderstood. Yet He was supremely confident because He knew who He was in God.

Your personal identity doesn't depend on something you make or have got done. Your true personal identity is who you are in Christ.

Remember who created you and who you are in Jesus. Agree with what Supreme Being states about you. Eliminate the prevarications that have got taken root and renew your head with the word of God. Knowing the truth of who you are in Supreme Being will transform your life and cause your ego regard to soar. Try it and see for yourself.

Stop Getting Overcharged At The Checkout!

2007-09-18T09:15:00.001-07:00

If you dwell in the state of Michigan, there is a law that protects the consumer that you may not be aware of; not too many people are, so I would wish to share it with everyone so that as a consumer, you can protect yourself. It's called the scanner law.

If you buy an point that is marked with a terms tag, and then at the check-out procedure you are overcharged for the item, you are entitled to the difference that you were overcharged plus 10 modern times the difference up to $5.00 which is usually referred to as the 'bonus'.

Let's say for illustration you purchased a battalion of batteries that was marked $3.85 with a terms tag. You then continue to take the point to the hard cash registry where the teller scans the point and it scans for $4.35. Wage for item. Now continue to the client service desk to acquire your money back. For this illustration you were overcharged 50 cents so you will acquire that back automatically. State the client service rep "doesn't this measure up for the bonus?" or something to that effect, to allow them cognize you cognize about the scanner law. They will quietly state "yes" and start filling out the paperwork to give you your bonus. In this case, you will acquire $5; (50 cents x 10). So, for this purchase you actually got the batteries for free asset $1.12 in your pocket!

In order to accumulate 'the bonus' you must continue through the check-out procedure and pay for the point at the scanned price. Then take the point and your reception to the client service desk. If you advise the teller at the clip she is scanning the point you will not be awarded the fillip because you are giving the shop the chance to rectify the error. Be aware that the shop will not voluntarily give you the money you are entitled, you have got to allow them cognize that you cognize about the scanner law.

For more than specific information about this law and how you can protect yourself, visit Michigan.gov.

Building Self Esteem - The 3 Steps to Develop a Positive Self Image to Strengthen Your Self Esteem

2007-09-13T09:36:00.001-07:00

Self-esteem is a combination of different feelings that you may have got about yourself and who you are. Low or high ego regard usually ensue from good or bad experiences you had in your early childhood. As an adult, you can repossess your powerfulness and self-esteem, not by changing your past but by adopting a new position of your past.

Here is a technique you desire to use now to construct a positive self-image-honored. This conception of positive self-esteem-honored May be complicated but it is actually very easy to implement. Here are the 3 stairway you're going to follow to make a positive self-image-honored.

First, believe about yourself and notice your feelings. You can compose them down if you want. It will assist you, at least at the beginning. It can be positive, somewhat positive, somewhat negative or even negative if you have got very low ego esteem. Ask yourself; is there anything positive about myself? If your reply is no, inquire yourself: are you sure?

Second, I desire you to believe about something positive. Anything. You can believe about person stopping point to you who is positive, an aspiration or a hope you have, an inspiring quotation mark that you learned, a smiling of a child. Now experience this feeling of positiveness inside your body. I desire you to environ yourself of this feeling of positiveness. Now use this feeling of positiveness on the feelings you noticed about yourself. Bash this similar you would set on a jacket on a cold day. Put on a jacket of positiveness now.

Third, I desire you to believe about the word "honor". What makes it intend to you? Bash you believe about person or something in particular? Write that down. And now, exactly as you set on the jacket of positiveness on you, set on the jacket of this feeling, impression or conception of "honor". Put it on "yourself" and on "the jacket of positiveness"

Now after applying the feeling of positiveness and honor, believe about yourself and your feelings about yourself. Are it different than before? How? Write down the differences. Are your self-image improved? Are it more than positive, or maybe "warmer" or maybe you are feeling "honored".

The metaphor of the jackets helped me explicate to you how to simply use a feeling on another feeling and premix them. By doing that, you can change a feeling, texture it and modify it. Bash the same thing with Love and use the jacket of Love to yourself. The possibilities are endless… the coat of compassion, justice, humour, strength, humility. Now, you really understand that you're limited only by your imagination

The Role Played By A Social Security Attorney

2007-09-08T13:40:00.001-07:00

Usually, bulk of the Sociable Security claims brought to the SSA business offices are rejected after their initial filing. Generally, most of these claims acquire rejected owed to grounds such as as as deficiency of proper documentations, trifles etc.

In such cases, the claimants acquire their disablement hearings scheduled by the Administrative Law Judge. In the lawsuit of claim rejections, disablement hearings function as an appellant court.

A Sociable Security lawyer plays a very of import function at this stage. He guarantees that the claim lawsuits handled by him are finally approved. The function of the lawyer is to stand for the suppliants in order. In this way, the disablement advocator do certain that a claim lawsuit betters as the hearing forces through.

The SSI and SSD claimants cannot set up a disablement lawsuit in an appropriate manner. A legal advocate stands for them accordingly, and thus, plays a critical role.

As the societal security lawyer is aware of all the ordinances and regulations, he should be hired in order to obtain a positive consequence for a case.

Disability representatives have got a batch of past experience in dealing with lawsuits of societal security claims. Moreover, they have got done formal studies, and explores about this field in their past. Therefore, SSI lawyers are of great aid in the legal proceeding of the lawsuit hearings.

Following are the duties and duties of a societal security attorney:

• Preparing all the needed documents

• Collection important evidences

• Gathering the up-to-the-minute medical records of the claimant

• Obtaining comprehensive statements from the docs attending the petitioner

There are many claimants who prefer to prosecute the lawsuit by themselves. They make this just to minimise the amount of money spent during a claim case. However, they stop up putting themselves in a hazardous situation.

The fact is that the disablement advocator will not only utilize his accomplishment and cognition to acquire the claim approved in less clip but will also obtain a large amount for his clients. This amount is much higher than what a suppliant can acquire if he pulls off the project alone.

Nursing Home Neglect - What to Do if You Suspect Negligence in a Nursing Home

2007-09-06T12:31:00.001-07:00

Sadly, nursing place disregard is not uncommon. Even the best nursing places can engage person who shouldn't be protective for patients, while other nursing places don't supply or anticipate the appropriate preparation for their attention attendants. Learning to acknowledge the marks of neglect...and then doing something about it...is indispensable if you desire to protect your household members.

Because many nursing place patients cannot communicate, you necessitate to be able to acknowledge the symptoms of neglect, including both physical and medical neglect.

One of the most obvious marks of nursing place disregard is a failure for attention suppliers to help in personal hygiene, including unsanitary or dirty conditions. If you would not desire to dwell in the statuses you happen your household member in, you necessitate to do a ailment and allow the nursing place direction cognize that the statuses you see are not acceptable.

If your household member is not bedridden, you also necessitate to do certain they are protected from wellness and safety hazards. As an example, if they have got a mobility problem, there should not only be catch parallel bars in the bathroom, but also assistive devices to assist them acquire out of bed, out of their chair, and so forth.

Sometimes disregard is harder to detect. For example, your household member may have got developed bedsores. In almost all cases, pressure sores can be prevented by frequently turning the patient, and you should be concerned if your household member develops bedsores. On the other hand, sometimes pressure sores occur, no substance how painstaking the caretaker.

As a result, in improver to noting how often your household member is moved to a new position, expression for other things such as as desiccation or wet diapers...these are indexes of neglect.

Obviously, if you are concerned about the attention your household member is receiving, you can speak to the physician in charge. However, make not acquire caught up in the "a physician is a god" routine. If you are concerned about the attention your household member is receiving and the physician disregards your concerns without giving you sensible explanations, make not accept that. Checkup disregard is no better than physical neglect...indeed, it can be worse...and mediocre entree to nice medical services is simply not acceptable.

Should you surmise nursing place disregard of any sort, attack the nursing place disposal first and show your concerns and your outlooks for improvement. Should you see no improvement after having done so, then describe the neglect. After all, it is a misdemeanor of both state and federal law to disregard a nursing place patient.

Reports can be made to the state wellness department, your state or local ombudsman for nursing place care, law enforcement, grownup protective services, or a nursing place advocacy group.

Spiritual Growth and Spiritual Transformation - Why It Is More Important to Please God Than Self

2007-08-28T09:41:00.001-07:00

You have got had to delight others all your life - parents, teachers, grownups in authority, and friends. Now that you're grown and on the threshold of freedom, you're cook to delight yourself. Ahh, you can finally make what you want, when you want. Freedom! Then you travel to Christian church and hear that pleasing Supreme Being is more than of import than pleasing self. How make you react to this awful news?

"Not fair," you may say. But then you're reminded of the old saying, "Who states the human race is fair?" There's no demand to reason with yourself or warrant your actions. It's decision time. Either you take to delight Supreme Being or delight self. That's the lone two picks you have.

Let me re-state that, if you believe in Jesus Of Nazareth Jesus as Godhead and Savior, you have got got two choices. If not, you only have got one choice, and that's pleasing self. The ground you have got two picks if you believe in Jesus Of Nazareth is that He is the One who do it possible for you to delight Supreme Being instead of yourself.

Galatians 1:10 says, "Am Iodine now trying to win the blessing of men, or of God? Or am I trying to delight men? If I were still trying to delight men, I would not be a retainer of Christ." Pleasing yourself falls in the same domain as pleasing work force because the focusing is on something or person other than God.

"Why makes the focusing always have got to be on God?" you might ask, especially if you travel to church, go to Book survey when you can, lend financially, and even go to Christian Christian church societal functions. It's not, unless your true desire is to function Supreme Being above all else.

Romans 14:17-18 says, "For the land of Supreme Being is not a substance of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joyousness in the Holy Place Spirit, because anyone who functions Jesus in this manner is pleasing to Supreme Being and approved by men." Only a bosom that is not divided between pleasing ego and pleasing Supreme Being is capable of putting Supreme Being first. Seeking to delight Supreme Being also delights you if your desire is to delight Him. It's a win-win situation.

However, pleasing ego may not delight God, especially if pleasing ego travels against God's Word. You may be pleased, but Supreme Being is not.

When the desire to delight Supreme Being is stronger than the desire to delight ego or others, you've made your choice. Gradually, you will turn your dorsum on doing what pleased you and others. You will also have got peace because the internal battle within you discontinues when you take to delight God.

Scripture assures that anyone who functions Jesus in this manner is pleasing to Supreme Being and approved by men. Are you willing to use this promise to your life?

Becoming God's Vessel of Honor will give you more than penetration on Negro Negro spiritual growth, spiritual transformation, and pleasing God.

Options For Forming Corps and LLCs

2007-08-23T13:09:00.001-07:00

Given the fact that the menace of getting sued is on just about every concern owner's mind, it is hardly surprising that most concerns are held in the word form of a corporation or limited liability company. While this do sense, how to actually constitute an physical thing is an issue to.

You can constitute a corporation or a limited liability company in three basic ways. You can make it yourself. You can utilize a inexpensive online service. You can engage an attorney. The "best" pick is primary a reconciliation enactment of two factors – terms and risk.

Price is often the first thing that most people believe of when forming concern physical things come ups to mind. Let's human face it, most new concerns are thought rich and hard cash poor. You just cognize it will be the adjacent large thing, but the old depository financial institution concern relationship is not exactly bubbling over at the moment.

To salvage a short ton of money, you can constitute your business physical thing yourself. Of course, you necessitate to calculate out how to make it, and hope you acquire it right. A spot more expensive option is to utilize an online service. Such services will usually register the necessary paperwork with the Secretary of State in question, but that is about it. The 3rd option is the most expensive, to wit, hiring an attorney. Basing the determination just on price, however, can take to trouble.

Risk is the 2nd factor when making your determination to incorporate. In this case, we are talking about the hazard of doing something incorrect and having the corporate physical thing set aside should person litigate the business. With all the online incorporation services popping up, this is becoming a new focusing for complainant attorney's that litigate businesses. Why?

Forming a concern physical thing is a surprisingly formal affair. Certain stairway have got got to be taken and the inside information have to be focused on. People trying to make it themselves almost always neglect to make certain things such as as issue stock and correctly put up the initial board of directors. Online services are ill-famed for filing written documents with the relevant Secretary of State as "incorporators", and then failing to shift the corporate physical thing to the concern owners. This Pbs to the eccentric state of affairs in tribunal where the physical thing is put aside because the stockholders can't turn out they actually ain the entity. Incorporation attorneys, on the other hand, cognize how to manage all this. Of course, they be a batch more.

So, what is the best pick for your situation? It depends on your comfortableness level. If you desire to minimise risk, travel with the attorney. If you are good at working out things on your own, you might take a shot at doing it yourself. It just depends.

What Is a Debt Settlement Attorney?

2007-08-20T14:51:00.001-07:00

A debt colony lawyer specialises in negotiating with creditors to cut down the amount of debt the individual must repay. They will reach each 1 of your creditors and each aggregation federal agency to halt the late fees, penalties, and insurance premiums edifice up on all accounts. The debt colony lawyer will set up understandings so that the recognition card companies and aggregation federal agencies will reach the lawyer instead of the consumer. It is also the duty of the debt colony lawyer to obtain the consumers recognition study and work to take any misleading, unsubstantiated, or wrong items. This is a very of import service that should be utilized by the consumer to reconstruct recognition evaluations and make a program for future fiscal management.

Using a debt colony lawyer is vastly different from recognition counseling. It can be hazardous to your credit, but if your recognition is already destroyed you may have got small to lose and more than to derive by settling outstanding debt. Debt colony is much more than aggressive than recognition counseling, and it can acquire you out of debt in one-half the clip of recognition counseling. Many states have got laws regulating debt dialogue companies. To see if your state licenses debt settlement, contact your state Lawyer General.

If you disregard the debt long enough, you stand up a good opportunity of never hearing from the creditor again. Seven old age after the debt is written off, the negative listing vanishes from your study altogether. But if you pay the debt sometime before the end of that period, the seven twelvemonth rhythm starts all over again, not exactly what one would name an incentive. It's wish getting clip added to your sentence for good behavior.

Fortunately, creditors do their money by collecting the debts, not by coverage negative recognition information. Creditors acknowledge this catch-22, and are therefore often willing to cancel the negative listing upon settlement. If you are going to settle down with a creditor, be certain to have got your debt colony lawyer negociate remotion of the listing from your report.

Keep in head that using a debt colony lawyer usually uses to unbarred debts like recognition cards, medical measures and section shop cards. Things like mortgages, pupil loans, maintenance and kid support autumn into the class of barred debts and there is usually not much that a debt colony lawyer can make with these types of debts.

In debt mediation the consumer confabulates his go-between with a limited powerfulness of lawyer to work out hunk sum of money colonies on specified debts at decreased amounts. The consumer discontinues their recognition card payments and instead pays the go-between an agreed amount monthly to fund settlements.

Debt mediation computer addresses the amount owed (principal) as well as involvement and fees, sometimes reducing the sum duty to as much as 40% of the original debt. Creditors prefer such as as colonies to the hazard of bankruptcy and study such colonies "paid as agreed" on the consumer's recognition record.

Your recognition could, however, be affected in a negative manner. Some creditors will not tag their debt paid as agreed, and it will stay on your recognition study for a figure of years. Consumers still choose for debt colony because they happen it preferable to bankruptcy. Usually, the manner it is reported on your recognition record affects the words "Settled" or "Settled as Agreed" or "Paid as Agreed". However, all the late payments may stay on your recognition study until the legislative act of restrictions runs out. At that point, recognition fix might assist to take the negative Marks if the coverage creditor neglects to supply documented cogent evidence to the coverage agency

Motions to Modify Child Support in Rhode Island-Modification of Child Support by a RI Family Lawyer

2007-08-16T13:44:00.001-07:00

How is Child support modified in Rhode Island divorcement and household law cases?

Child support in Rhode Island is not automatically modified when there is a alteration in circumstances. The parent must register a movement to modify kid support. When a movement for alteration of kid support is filed a tribunal day of the month will be put by the clerk of the Rhode Island Family Court. In order to modify kid support there must be a significant alteration in circumstances. Under Rhode Island Law, a new kid support amount makes not run retroactive to when the fortune actually changed! The new kid support order should run retroactive to the day of the month of the filing of the motion. Article by Lawyer Saint David Slepkow (401-437-1100)

Therefore, you should not wait too long after fortune alteration until you register for a alteration of Rhode Island Child Support. There must be at least a 10 percentage alteration for a alteration to happen unless the political party holds otherwise. You should reach a Rhode Island Divorce or Family law lawyer / lawyer to see whether you are eligible for a alteration of kid support.

What may represent a significant alteration in Fortune pursuant to Rhode Island household / kid support law?

1. unemployment

2. disability

3. new dependent child

4. lessening in income of either party

5. addition in income of either party

6. addition in cost of daycare

7. addition in cost of medical insurance

8. a alteration in the fiscal fortune of the either parent such as as inheritance, acquiring assets

9. either political party obtaining societal security benefits (SSI or SSDI) or afdc benefits

10. new Rhode Island Child Support Guidelines promulgated.

11. loss of overtime income

12 a significant fillip of either party

13 any other alteration in fortune that is recognized by the Court.

Judgment Recovery, A Drudgery?

2007-08-13T15:02:00.001-07:00

So, you emerged as a master in one of the lawsuits you filed to retrieve the money that was long owed to you. Having won, the justice comes in a judgement into your goodwill. Now, it's been eons, and the suspect still declines to pay what is owed to you. What make you make now? How make continue with your judgement recovery process? How long volition it take for the judgement recovery? Volition you have got to use other illicit methods for you judgement recovery process?

These are the most frequently asked inquiries that a law office, may be in business district California, may receive. First things first, Now that you have got sued someone, you are not going to acquire your money by just waiting and expecting the suspect to pay without doing anything. Even after the Judgment have been made in your favor, you may necessitate to take certain stairway to do the suspect wage your dues.

Most lawyers that stand for such as cases, data file them in the District courts, this is especially true in the state of Golden State and Texas. Technically speaking, there is is nil incorrect with your lawyer filing your lawsuits in the territory courts, but as far as judgement recovery is concerned, after the judgement have been passed by the tribunal it cannot be enforced strongly adequate by territory courts, or in other words, the territory tribunals deficiency dentition to seize with teeth and are only good to bark.

The first measure to words judgement recovery, is to inquire your lawyer to register the lawsuit in the Court of Park Pleas, located in the county where the lawsuit was filed. In case, the judgement have already been made, you can always shift the judgement to the tribunal of common pleas. Rest assured this worth the clip and the cost, since the Court of Commons, makes have got got some purchase over the defendant, especially in judgement recovery cases.

The adjacent definite action to take would be to you could travel the tribunal to shift a selected amount every calendar month from the suspects depository financial institution business relationship to yours, if the suspect makes have one. This is taken attention of by the tribunal and the bank, the suspect cannot make anything but sedimentation money in the depository financial institution account. This is usually referred to as "garnishment", and it affects freeze the depository financial institution business relationship of the defendant. You could also travel the tribunal of common supplications to begin the procedure of executing and levy, which usually affects auctioning of the suspects assets, leading to some sort of judgement recovery. The lone downside affect in taking this course of study of action, is that the cost usually associated with an executing and levy order is quite high.

There bes no difficult and fast warrant of any judgement recovery, in your judgement recovery lawsuit. By default, in some states, the tribunal makes by default do you the holder of the defendant's lien. Judgment recovery makes not necessitate to be a drudgery, and if carried out by finesse, the procedure of judgement recovery makes not take clip and you would not necessitate any 3rd political party for your judgement recovery.

Criminal Inadmissibility and the "Petty Offense Exception"

2007-08-01T17:07:00.001-07:00

MYTH: If you have got ever been convicted of a any criminal offense, you are automatically inadmissible to the United States and must use for a waiver.

"Hello, Lawyer Ortega, I necessitate a release and I necessitate it fast. Iodine am booked on a flight to Miami that leaves of absence in a hebdomad to go to a convention, and I just establish out that I am inadmissible."

"Have you already been refused entry to the United States?"

"No, but?"

"Then what make you believe you are inadmissible?"

"Well, I have got a criminal conviction."

"All right, we will acquire to that in a second; why do you believe that you're inadmissible?"

"A friend of mine told me that having a criminal strong belief do me automatically inadmissible. So I called the U.S. embassy, and they confirmed it and said I would definitely necessitate a waiver. They told me it would take 20 hebdomads to process, but I can't wait that long!"

"What was the strong belief for?"

"Drunk driving."

"Is that your lone conviction?"

"Yes."

"What was the sentence?"

"Three old age probations, plus I had to pay a mulct and travel to traffic school."

"Anything else?"

"No. That's it."

Our business office have got frenetic telephone set phone calls like the 1 quoted above on almost a day-to-day basis, from people about to ship on a trip to the United States who have been told that they are inadmissible to the United States because of a past criminal conviction. By the clip we talk with them, many of these people are almost resigned to canceling their traveling plans.

These people have got been told by their employers, their colleagues, or even the U.S. embassy that their single criminal strong belief do them inadmissible and that they must use for a release -- which could take from 6 calendar months to a twelvemonth to process. That's when the terror sets in. Airline tickets have got already been purchase, and hotel suite reserved; friends and household are eagerly awaiting at the other end. "Isn't there a faster manner to acquire a waiver?" they ask.

In fact, many people may not be inadmissible at all regardless of their conviction. Or if they are, they may measure up for what is known as the "petty discourtesy exception" put out in subdivision 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("the Act').

According to the Act, a foreigner who have been convicted, or who acknowledges the indispensable elements, of a law-breaking involving moral depravity ("CMT") is inadmissible. Thus, the first thing to see is whether 1s strong belief falls under the CMT class or not. By manner of example, a single drunkard drive strong belief makes not fall under this category, and makes not render one inadmissible. In other words, a release is not required in this circumstance. However, the inquiry of whether a peculiar discourtesy is or is not a CMT necessitates some research.

If research uncovers that one have been convicted of even a single CMT, then one is clearly inadmissible under the Act. However the Act put out an exclusion that have come up to be known as the "petty discourtesy exception". To measure up for the "petty discourtesy exception", an applier for admittance to the United States must show:

a.) helium or she committed only one crime;

b.) the upper limit punishment possible for the law-breaking did not transcend imprisonment for one year; and

c.) the non citizen seeking admittance was not sentenced to a term of imprisonment longer than 6 months.

Clearly, the lone manner to find whether one rans into the above elements of the exclusion necessitates an scrutiny of both the strong belief written documents and the implicit in law of the offense.

The good news is that if one satisfies the demands of the "petty discourtesy exception", one may come in the United States without first visiting the embassy or abiding the drawn-out and burdensome load of applying for a waiver.

Ultimately, the determination to acknowledge or not to acknowledge in such as a lawsuit lies entirely in the custody of the inspecting military officer at the U.S. port of entry. This military officer is the individual that must be convinced whether or not one is admissible under subdivision 212 of the Act. Thus, to properly claim the "petty discourtesy exception" it is indispensable that one be armed with the grounds and (preferably) the applicable legal authority.

Lemon Law North Carolina Offers Protection For Car Buyers

2007-07-31T10:21:00.001-07:00

Car purchasers of North Carolina no longer have got to worry. On October 1, 1987, Lemon Law North Carolina was enforced in the state. Lemon Law North Carolina necessitates a maker or marketer to mend the faulty motor vehicle, replace it, or refund the buyer's money.

Lemon Law North Carolina listings the privileges of a consumer who inadvertently purchases a faulty vehicle. No substance what sort of vehicle is in question, Lemon Law North Carolina do certain that the purchaser is not on the losing side of things.

If ever a purchased vehicle is flawed, Lemon Law North Carolina gives the duty of repairing the vehicle to the manufacturer. Under the Lemon Law North Carolina, the company is given a certain amount of clip to supply the necessary repairs.

If fix is not possible, Lemon Law North Carolina do certain the maker replaces the vehicle with one that is like in value. There are no exact statuses as to what an equivalent auto is under the Lemon Law North Carolina, but usually, an indistinguishable substitution is adequate.

The vehicle's purchaser also have the option of asking for a full refund under Lemon Law North Carolina. The law supplies the client four ways on how to acquire refunds:

The first is a complete refund on the retail cost of the vehicle. This also takes into business relationship the service contracts, vehicle options, warranties, etc.

The 2nd refund is for collateral charges. Lemon Law North Carolina states that this includes taxations and fees paid by the buyer, such as as enrollment and licensing.

The purchaser may also demand reimbursement of all fiscal complaints that were paid on all days of the month following the coverage of the car's faults to the manufacturer.

Finally, Lemon Law North Carolina awardings amends to the vehicle's owner. The sum amends are decreased by a certain amount depending on how much the auto have been used by the owner.

For leased vehicles, Lemon Law North Carolina lets the leaseholder to have the followers reimbursements:

- entire amount of money already paid under the footing of the lease;
- taxations and other fees paid by the leaseholder like enrollment and licensing; and
- pecuniary consequential and incidental damages.

There are some auto makers that diminution to make any of these things. In these situations, the lawsuit might travel to court, and Lemon Law North Carolina will necessitate the maker to pay three modern times the amount of amends to the consumer. Lemon Law North Carolina also compels them to cover all attorney's fees.

According to Lemon Law North Carolina, these regulations use to any vehicle purchased on October 1, 1987 or any future date. The vehicle could be anything from a bike to a house trailer, as long as the weight of the vehicle is not more than than 5 tons.

Consumers who have got had the bad luck of purchasing a faulty motor vehicle can profit from the privileges offered by the Lemon Law North Carolina. There are respective lawyers specializing in Lemon Law North Carolina legal proceeding that tin aid with these cases.

Rhode Island Divorce Tip - A Checklist Helps

2007-07-27T05:11:00.001-07:00

A Rhode Island Divorce filing have it's have word forms and its ain procedure. It can assist to have got all the word forms you need. All the word forms you necessitate to register your Rhode Island Divorce Action from any of the Family Court Clerk's Offices.

So what are the typical Rhode Island Divorce Forms you'll need?

1. Bidding Form (in Duplicate)

2. Ailment Form

3. Nominal Path Notice Form

4. Notice of Automatic Rifle Orders

5. Family Court Statement List Children of the Marriage (in Duplicate)

6. Family Services Guidance Unit Of Measurement Form

7. Rhode Island Department of Health Report of Divorce Form

8. Family Court Statement of Assets, Liabilities, Income and Expenses (DR-6)

9. Affidavit of Non-Military Service (if the Defendant Makes not Appear).

There are other word forms that are necessary in your checklist depending upon the length of the process. Hopefully your divorcement procedure will be short. Let's presume for the interest of statement that you have got a very congenial divorcement that Pbs up to a 10 minute Nominal Hearing where everything is agreed to and is just formally placed upon the record of the court. In that case your checklist spreads out as follows:

10. You must set up an Interlocutory Decision Pending Entry of Concluding Judgment that must be checked by one of the clerks of tribunal for the critical lawsuit information and then ordered (signed) by the Judge and Entered by the Clerk. This is the impermanent order of the tribunal that governs the political parties before the entry of the Concluding Judgment of Divorce and should mirror what the justice orders at your nominal hearing.

11. After the termination of the 91 twenty-four hours waiting time period by legislative act the Judge may then subscribe a Concluding Judgment of Divorce which again is checked by the clerk, ordered by the justice and then entered by the clerk to finalize your divorce. The concluding judgement would, with minor exceptions, mirror the impermanent order.

Keep in head that this is just a basic checklist and inside information alteration with each case. Most assuredly Paragraphs #10 and #11 present the top challenge to those people who are representing themselves as well as lawyers who are not well versed in verbage necessary to protect their clients, to include on the record, and see are in the impermanent order and concluding decree.

How To Choose A New York Traffic Lawyer

2007-07-25T15:39:00.001-07:00

This article will assist automobilists with a New House Of House Of York traffic ticket take the right New York traffic lawyer to support them. Traffic tickets, such as as speeding, can ensue in points on your New York driver's license, car coverage tramps and fines, surcharges and fees. Therefore, picking the right New House Of House Of York traffic ticket lawyer is important.

More and more than automobilists are hiring a New York traffic ticket lawyer when they have a New York traffic ticket. In improver to receiving professional advice from an experienced traffic ticket attorney, automobilists are apprehensive to go through on this nerve-racking and time-consuming task to person else.

The first thing that you should do is make certain you are calling or emailing an existent New House Of House Of York traffic ticket lawyer or New York traffic law firm. While this sounds obvious, the cyberspace is full with non-lawyers trying to do a speedy buck. The most obvious tell-tale mark is when the land land site Oregon the site's advertisement states something like "If We Don't Win, You Don't Pay 100%" or "Guaranteed or your money back". It is entirely unethical for an lawyer to vouch consequences and, therefore, you should remain clear from such as speedy vaulting horse artists. No honest, self-respecting lawyer would ever do such as a representation. In fact, common sense orders that no 1 can vouch what some 3rd political party (a justice or prosecutor) will do. If you are lucky, the mulct black and white will explicate what is actually being "guaranteed". Either way, however, is caution purchaser - buyer mind - for those fooled by such as promises.

Similarly, I urge avoiding any web land site that listings itself as a directory of traffic lawyers or offerings to happen you the "right" lawyer. Those land sites are simply middlemen often looking to add something to your fee for generating a Pb to a existent traffic lawyer. You should desire to be dealing directly with a law house (not some middleman) especially if a inquiry or job arises.

If you have got any doubt, bank check the physical location of the "firm". If they make not have got a New House Of York State computer computer address (or make not even listing an address), there is a good opportunity that you are not dealing with an existent lawyer or law firm. A New House Of York traffic lawyer is required to listing his business office computer address on all advertisement which includes his or her web site.

Once you have got eliminated the non-lawyers, the adjacent measure is to happen a traffic lawyer who is experienced in vehicle and traffic law matters. Start by asking the lawyer or the firm's legal assistant about the firm's traffic law experience and, in particular, their former experience at the tribunal where you lawsuit is scheduled. Rich Person they appeared in this tribunal before? What was the result? Of course, you may not acquire an honorable or direct reply but that is a good start.

You then can inquire about any articles the lawyer have written on that topic and inquire to see one of them. Chances are an lawyer who have taken the clip to compose one or more than vehicle and traffic law articles is person who you can trust on to be experienced and knowledgeable.

Yet another of import point to check up on is the attorney's background. Did he or she postgraduate from a quality law school, were they on Law Review, have got they won any awards, did they previously work at a tribunal and/or big law firm. The more than impressive the attorney's background the better.

Be wary of an lawyer who makes not put forth his or her instruction and anterior experience. It is safe to presume that in such as lawsuits the attorney's background is less than impressive.

Another of import consideration is the comfortableness degree you acquire when speech production with the law firm. Did they reply your questions? Were the replies responsive? Were they knowledgeable? Were they honorable with you about the prospects for success? Were they patient? If you do not experience comfortable, then its clip to make another telephone set call.

A good and honorable traffic ticket lawyer will inquire whether it even do sense for you to struggle this ticket and/or engage an attorney. For example, if the ticket transports no points or you have got an out-of-state license and points make not transfer. Under such as circumstances, hiring a New House Of York traffic lawyer likely is not worthwhile.

The concluding consideration is price. You should look for an lawyer that volition take your lawsuit for a level fee. This manner there is no surprises for you when the lawsuit is over. Many New House Of York traffic lawyers will offer a level fee so you make not have got to settle down for person who bear downs by the hr or cannot give you a fee upfront. Also, just because one lawyer is a $100 (or so) cheaper makes not intend you should choose that one. Your driver licence is an of import privilege and you make not desire to manus this duty to just anyway, especially when you likely will not be in tribunal when the lawsuit is resolved.

I would state you generally make not desire the cheapest lawyer to manage your lawsuit although that makes not intend you should engage the most expensive either. Look for person whose fee is reasonable. Otherwise, the old proverb "You acquire what you pay for" may rear its ugly head.

Choosing the right New House Of York traffic ticket lawyer is an of import decision. I trust this article is helpful in making it.

What's The Differences Between Probation And Parole

2007-07-14T14:59:00.001-07:00

A reader asked this good inquiry and I'll seek to give you the facts between the two.

First, word is only given to an individual that is serving clip in a prison. If your original sentence is two years, it could be cut short. State you served one twelvemonth of your sentence with no behaviour problems. Then you might travel before the word board and be eligible to function your last twelvemonth as a semifinal free person. The ground why I state semifinal free is because you must function that free clip law-breaking free. If you perpetrate a misdemeanor or crime, you'll have got to travel back to prison house and function that last year, plus whatever sentence you received for the law-breaking that put option you back there!

Probation is usually clip given to a individual in stead of jail. State you committed a law-breaking that transports a sentence of two years. The justice could then suspend sending you to jailhouse for two old age and instruct you to function that clip a semifinal free person. This agency no criminal action during those two years. If you perpetrate a crime, off to jailhouse you travel for the original two years. It's usually given to people who committed no violent crime, have no criminal record, or if the justice simply have compassionateness for you.

Oh, before person asked what's a word board. A word board is a grouping of functionaries ( usually consisting of 3-7 people) that reappraisals captives profiles to find which are a hazard to society and which might be trusted to faithfully execute the 'parole'. They are usually appointed by the governor of the state they represent.

I trust this explicates the differences between the two actions. Take attention all!

Litigation PR: Everything You Need To Know, You Can Learn From Worms

2007-07-13T07:48:00.001-07:00

Want cogent evidence that good praseodymium accomplishments are just as of import as legal acumen when facing a lawsuit?

TerraCycle is using a blog as portion of its response to a lawsuit brought by Scotts Miracle-Gro. The Trenton, N.J.-based company, which do fertilisers from worm droppings, supplies a great lawsuit survey in the usage of public dealings as portion of a judicial proceeding strategy.

According to The Wall Street Journal:

"[O]verall company gross sales for the four hebdomads since the online political campaign launched surged 122% from the immediately former four hebdomads ... Meantime, TerraCycle's chief Web site, which averages out about 1,000 visitants a day, have spiked to as high as 13,000, according to the company—and 2% to 4% of the visitants to suedbyscotts.com chink the 'purchase online' or 'store locator' links."

(Of course, involvement in the website and the company should only increase now that they've gotten a reference in the Journal.)

Score 1 for transparence and unfastened dialogue.

The TerraCycle lawsuit exemplifies that judicial proceeding praseodymium is indispensable for any concern facing a high-profile lawsuit. Even if a company anticipates to win its case, it stand ups to lose a great trade more if it doesn't pay attending to the Court of Populace Opinion.

Sixteen old age ago, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antony Jack Kennedy suggested in Gentile v. State Barroom of Silver State that lawyers have got not only a right, but perhaps a duty to publicly advocator for clients. Now more than than ever, the convergence of law and the news mass media is clear.

With a 24-hour news rhythm and a popular captivation with legal controversies, a company must protect its reputational assets. Many lawyers worry about publicly telling any information because it could be used against their client or tip the other side about their judicial proceeding strategy. Certainly, attention necessitates to be exercised when speech production with the press. But a "no comment" simply won't suffice. The public volition presume the worst – that the company is hiding something. Bad promotion can drive down stock prices.

Additionally, surveys demo that mass media insurance influences prospective jurors. It can also raise the bet of a trial from the position of the state. Judges are not immune to the influences of publicity, and neither are lawmakers.

Plead the Fifth in the Court of Populace Opinion at your ain peril.

Quick Reference Guide For Breach Of Contract

2007-06-25T12:16:00.001-07:00

QUICK LESSON IN BREACH OF CONTRACT

Paul P. Cheng, Esq.

This quick summary is being sent as a memorandum to help other attorneys in understanding what a breach of contract is. Please continue to contact us with your questions or issues. This analysis is what we use in our offices when we approach any breach of contract case. The elements for breach of contract are strictly construed. It is imperative that you do not skirt around the elements when analyzing your client's case.

ELEMENTS OF A BREACH OF CONTRACT

1) INITIAL INFORMATION

In a breach of contract action, the plaintiff must plead the existence of a contract and its terms that establish the obligation at issue. The complaint must indicate on its face whether the contract is written, oral, or implied by conduct. If the action is based on an alleged breach of a written contract, the terms must be set out verbatim in the body of the complaint, or a copy of the written contract must be attached to the complaint and incorporated by reference.

2) PLAINTIFF'S PERFORMANCE OR EXCUSE FOR NON-PERFORMANCE

The plaintiff must prove that he has fulfilled his obligations and complied with any and all conditions and agreements of the contract that he is required to perform. If plaintiff was unable to perform because defendant prevented him from doing so, plaintiff must allege such excuse for non-performance in the complaint.

3) DEFENDANT'S BREACH

A breach is defined as defendant's unjustified or unexcused failure to perform. BAJI 10.85(3). The plaintiff must plead the facts constituting the breach in unequivocal language.

4) RESULTING DAMAGE

Any breach, total or partial, which causes a measurable injury, gives the injured party a right to compensatory damages.

SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CAN PROVE THE ABOVE ELEMENT AND IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT THERE IS A BREACH OF CONTRACT?

Answer:

Generally, Compensatory Damages - the measure of damages for breach of contract is the amount which will compensate plaintiff for all detriment proximately caused by the breach or which, in the ordinary course of things, would be likely to result from the breach.

Other factors that need to be considered are:

• Certainty - damages must be clearly ascertainable in both nature and origin; but the fact that amount of damage is not susceptible of exact proof or is uncertain, contingent, or difficult to ascertain does not in and of itself bar recovery.

• Restoration - damages for breach of contract ordinarily include all amounts necessary to place plaintiff in same position as if breach had not occurred.

• Lost Profits - Note future profits can be recovered to extent they can be estimated with reasonable certainty; lost profits are recoverable to extent they are natural and the direct consequence of the breach.

• Rescission and Restitution - rescission and restitution are alternative remedies in action for damages where there has been repudiation or material breach of a contract, transfer of unique goods is involved, other remedies are inadequate, subject of contract still exists and interests of innocent purchasers for value and defendant's creditors will not be unjustly affected.

• Specific Performance - Note: specific performance is granted only when money damages are inadequate.

• Real Property - specific performance is given in land sale contracts on the assumption that every piece of property is unique and money damages are therefore inadequate.

• Injunction (Very Limited Availability) - injunctive relief is largely within discretion of the trial court, considering inadequacy of damages to plaintiff, as well as harm to defendant.

**************************

Life Insurance Claim Denial- Don't Let it Happen to You

2007-06-21T06:05:00.001-07:00

Insurance, especially life insurance, can be a very confusing topic for most Americans. We often pay various insurance premiums our whole lives. Understanding the nuts and bolts of your life insurance policies can benefit you and your family greatly in the unfortunate event of your death or the death of a family member.

Life insurance comes in a bewildering array of variations. There's whole life insurance, variable life insurance, and universal life insurance, all of which are collectively known as cash value life insurance policies. With these policies, a portion of the premium you pay goes to purchase insurance coverage, while another portion is used as an investment. Taxes on the investment portion of the policy are generally deferred until you collect the proceeds.

If you are married, especially if you have dependent children, or if you have debts such as a mortgage, car payment, or credit card balances, your family could be at serious financial risk if you should die suddenly and your income were suddenly no longer available. Spouses are often left unable to make all the payments, raise the children, educate them, etc. on a single income. Life insurance is your family's protection against the drastic lifestyle changes that occur in the event of your death.

We tend to think that if we buy life insurance and pay the premiums, then upon our death, collecting the life insurance will be easy for our beneficiary, but that is not always the case. Life insurance companies review each claim carefully before parting with their money and some life insurance claims are denied. Apart from fraud in the policy on the part of the policy holder, the most common ground life insurers use to deny claims is that there was a "material misrepresentation" on the life insurance application. That misrepresentation may occur in the original application for insurance or in a later amendment to the application.

A material misrepresentation sufficient to deny a claim cannot be just any misstatement. Under many states' laws, a material misrepresentation is one that, if fully and truthfully disclosed, would have led to refusal by the insurance company to issue the life insurance policy. Material misrepresentations accusations are commonly made about just about anything on the life insurance application including the person's employment history, age, income, other insurance in force, whether or not they smoke cigarettes, driving record, drinking history, hobbies, etc. The most commonly alleged misrepresentations involve the applicant's heath and medical history.

Recovering money from an insurance company that denies a life insurance claim is no easy task. Many life insurance claims are paid without much fuss on the part of the insurer, but there are times when claims are delayed and denied. The claims that are subject to the most suspicion are the ones filed in the first two years the policy is in force. In many states, the insurance company can deny the claim by retroactively rejecting the application if it finds that the application contained a "material misrepresentation".

Like most insurance companies, life insurance companies are regulated on the state level. If you have questions regarding your claim, its delay or its denial, contact your state department of insurance and an experienced life insurance claim denial attorney.

All About An Asbestos Mesothelioma Lawsuit

2007-06-12T13:20:00.001-07:00

People who discover that they have developed mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure may be very angry, frustrated and confused. People feel the pain of the disease and the hurt of something deeper still. They ask themselves why they have been chosen for this fate. People who have worked hard all their lives to remain healthy find that something they did 20 years ago has negated all of their efforts to live comfortable lives. Because of this, they begin to lash out at the world in general, thinking that they are impotent to correct their situation. However, what if people used all this pent-up energy and emotion to bring those responsible to justice? We're not talking about a Batman-style vigilante justice, mind you. We are talking about a concentrated counterattack in the form of an asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit.

What exactly is involved in an asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit? In a sense, it would be like causing the people responsible for your ailment to own up to their responsibility to you. Although we all know that no one can truly pay for your health, an asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit would at least try to get the companies responsible for the full extent of the damages they caused. An asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit would show people that those who made you expose your health to asbestos are the ones responsible for the loss of your health, peace of mind, and productivity. In a sense, it would be like making the company pay for everything that their actions have been responsible for. However, how does one go about an asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit?

Well, the first requirement is that there should be the damage. Of course, in this case, the damage would be mesothelioma. Having mesothelioma doesn't automatically qualify you to litigate, however. You need to be able to show some proof that the asbestos exposure you obtained through the product or through working for one company led to your condition. With a great lawyer, you might be able to do this easily. The task is made even easier by the fact that almost all cases of mesothelioma are caused by asbestos exposure. Once you have this initial factor, you can go about preparing your asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit.

What are the things that you should do?

You have to do your research. Try to find information regarding exactly what happened to your body. Most people find that knowing exactly what is causing their conditions can be very calming. This is because people are more afraid of the unknown than anything else. Sure, you know that your illness is caused by asbestos fibers, but do you know what's really going on inside your body? Dread can quickly take over when ignorance is permitted to continue. You should also research the different laws surrounding asbestos mesothelioma lawsuits. Try to familiarize yourself with the terminology so that you won't get confused by your lawyer. Read up on different asbestos mesothelioma lawsuits and learn what made them fail or succeed. This will help you have a hand in planning the strategy of your own asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit.

The next step is to find a lawyer. If you want your asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit to succeed, you have to get great help. This means that you need to get a great lawyer. In order to look for a lawyer to help you handle your asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit, you should look for experience, creativity and knowledge.

Knowledge is the primary reason why you hire an attorney to handle your asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit. You hire a lawyer because he or she has more knowledge concerning the law than you do. Think of a lawyer as a pilot. Since you do not know your way around the law, a lawyer can guide you and help you find your way around the different paths, loopholes and sidetracks of laws which involve your suit. This is a most basic requirement for you to get the smallest of chances with your asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit.

Your asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit should also be handled by someone with experience. This is because only a lawyer with experience will be able to truly apply his or her knowledge in the right situations. Your asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit should have a higher chance of success if it is handled by someone who has already encountered a lot of cases like yours.

You should also know about the hidden art practiced by lawyers and that is interpretation. The law depends upon the interpretation of the people observing it - a fact unknown to many people. Getting a lawyer who can creatively interpret the law in order to get the best results for you is surely what you need.

A Lawyer Is Not God- Protect Yourself From Legal Malpractices

2007-06-11T04:36:00.001-07:00

If you think a lawyer is above the reach of the law and you cannot do anything against him, you are highly mistaken! Let me tell you that your lawyer is not God!

It is very necessary to protect yourself from legal malpractices. Just like the US, many other countries have introduced laws that declare that lawyers are accountable for the actions they take.

The fact is that being a professional, every lawyer must behave professionally, responsibly, and ethically.

If you realize that the lawyer hired by you is not trustworthy or is not ethical or squeaky clean, you have the right to protect yourself from legal malpractices by suing your lawyer. That is it is your right to sue your lawyer in case of any malpractice.

Here are some basic facts regarding the same:

• You can sue your lawyer if he is engaged in malpractice, misrepresentation, inappropriate billing, negligence, breach of fiduciary duties, breach of contract etc.

• The procedure of suing a lawyer has to be very quick. The state bar association or court can assist you regarding the time limit of the same.

• Bear in mind that suing a lawyer is extremely expensive. Therefore, try to solve the dispute with the lawyer and think twice before you take the final decision.

Unfortunately, most of the lawyers seem to have forgotten the wows they took before taking the responsibility.

In the present scenario, law and malpractice go hand in hand. The people who claim to be the guardians of law have started to practice law unethically and unlawfully.

To conclude, being a responsible citizen, it is not only your right to ask for justice but also your duty to punish people who are involved in legal malpractices.

Mediation, Arbitration, and the Role of an Experienced Litigation Attorney

2007-06-07T11:43:00.001-07:00

Mediation and Arbitration are also referred to as Alternative Dispute Resolution. Mediation and Arbitration can be used to assist parties reach a resolution without having to spend the time and money involved with going to court.

"There are many businesses and individuals that come to me to act as an arbitrator or mediator for a few different reasons," says Philip R. Brown, a litigation attorney in Honolulu, Hawaii. "Not only am I an experienced litigation attorney, but rising court costs and the time a lawsuit takes both make Arbitration and Mediation very attractive to people who are looking for a way to reach a resolution."

While both Arbitration and Mediation resolve issues between two or more parties outside the court, they are different in how the resolution is reached:

- Arbitration – During Arbitration, an experienced litigation attorney is appointed as the arbitrator. Then, both sides present their issues and arguments, and the neutral arbitrator makes a decision. The litigation attorney acting as the arbitrator decides on the resolution in a similar capacity to a judge. Arbitration can either be binding or non-binding. Binding Arbitration has the same result as a legal judgment, while non-binding Arbitration is used merely as an advisory opinion.

- Mediation – Mediation is another alternative to traditional litigation in the courtroom, and it is less formal than an arbitration proceeding. During Mediation, parties are able to discuss possible solutions without the confines of the litigation. With Mediation, a litigation attorney is appointed as the mediator and facilitates discussion of the problem between the two parties. After the Mediation process of discussing the issue, negotiations are made to reach a resolution, and the mediator offers their opinion about the best course of action. Unlike Arbitration, Mediation is not legally binding.

If you are looking for a way to resolve a conflict with another person or business, but would like to avoid the hassles of a drawn out legal process in the courtroom, you may want to consider Arbitration or Mediation from an experienced litigation attorney in your area.

Self-Esteem, Depression and Low Energy-Tips to Increase Your Self Esteem (Part 1)

2007-06-01T14:14:00.001-07:00

Low self-esteem and depression create a cycle that can lead to a sense of hopelessness. Even a mild depression can cause feelings of inadequacy, low energy, and a sense of being overwhelmed, even by small tasks. Obviously, if you need medical help get it. But recognize other factors. For example, when our energy is low and we get less done it can contribute to our sense of worthlessness. Most of my life I've experienced cyclical times when my energy gets low. I've come to recognize the interplay it has on my self-esteem. Here are a few tips that have helped me.

1.Limit TV time. Television promotes images of "beautiful" people, who are all highly successful or extraordinarily dysfunctional. Most of these "beautiful" people have unlimited wealth, perfect health, a choice of desirable partners, and portray a work life that is full of excitement. This is fiction! Too much tv viewing can cause a person with low self-esteem to feel like they will never be enough. Additionally, tv viewing can be addictive and cause us to withdraw from life. That's the worst thing to do when you are feeling blue. Personally, I find tv, very addictive. I actually am entering a third period of my life where I'm giving up my television. Every time I give up my tv I lose weight, increase earning, and make more friends.

2.Find a nice way to easy into your day. Make a plan to spend a few minutes each morning doing something you love. If you love to read, wake up 30 minutes earlier than you need to and read a chapter of a novel. Maybe you like to be outside; spend 10 minutes weeding your garden, playing with your dog, or walk a couple blocks around your neighborhood before you get ready for work. Go to bed a half hour earlier if you need to.

3.When you are tired, rest. We live in a culture that is on 24/7. This is not natural. Many people take anti-depressants and other meds, when they may just need more rest.

4.Do one "chore" shortly after waking up. Something as simple as making your bed can make you feel like accomplished something. If you buy the right bedding material, it takes 2-3 minutes.

5.Break down tasks into smaller projects. Rather than saying, I'm going to clean my office, learn to clean out one drawer. This will give you something more manageable. The more manageable, the easier it is to complete a project. This helps bolster our self-esteem.

Six Pillar Of Self Esteem - Can You Recognise Self Esteem?

2007-05-29T12:16:00.001-07:00

How would you recognise self esteem in someone else? What does self esteem look like? Understanding how self esteem manifests itself in your behaviours can help you to evaluate your own self esteem and work out where you might need to improve.

When you understand the behaviour of a person with true self esteem rather than false self esteem hiding a deep inner insecurity you will realise that the qualities of self esteem are positive and supportive of mutually beneficial relationships.

The face of self esteem

Someone with high self esteem is really enjoying their life, they take pleasure in being alive and they radiate this joy. After all, they are confident that they deserve to enjoy being alive and they can cope adequately with everything that life throws at them.

If you have high self esteem you will be able to talk about your achievements and successes and also you will be able to easily admit mistakes and failures. You are comfortable with the facts of your circumstances and you know that mistakes and failures are things that happen. You will know that you are not a mistake or a failure.

High self esteem means that you do not need to be defensive when someone criticises you. You can evaluate the criticism in a rational way and decide whether it is just or unjust before responding. When you have high self esteem you are able to learn from past events without the need to distort what happened to protect your self esteem.

If you have high self esteem, you are not at war with yourself internally. Your speech and your movements are free, flowing and spontaneous, reflecting the ease that you feel with yourself.

All your communications with the outside world are consistent with each other. Your words, your tone of voice, your body language and your actions all tell the same story. You have no need to disguise or try to repress anything which means that your non-verbal communications match your verbal communications.

You are not afraid to assert yourself when you need to and you are not initmidated by assertive behaviour in others. You need to distinguish assertive behaviour from aggression. Assertive behavious can be characterised as seeking a win-win results whereas aggressive behaviour is seeking a win-loose result.

High self esteem means that you have the internal security to be curious and explore new ideas, new places, meet new people and form new relationships easily. You can be open to new possibilities and new ideas and you will respond to challenges with flexibility and confidence.

Of course even if you have high self esteem, you will have times when you feel self doubt, intimidation or overwhelm. You are not superman and you will encounter circumstances that you simply can't cope with. However, with high self esteem you will be able to accept these feelings and deal with them with dignity. You are more likely to rise above them and as a consequence, such negative feelings will not trouble you for too long.

High self esteem is an important part of a successful and fulfilled life. High self esteem frees you to exhibit positive behaviours that reinforce mutually beneficial relationships. Learn the tell-tale signs of high self esteem and use them as a model to aspire to on your journey to a more fulfilling life.

Would you like to learn more about the six pillars of self esteem?

How to Increase Your Self Esteem

2007-05-18T10:18:00.001-07:00

Self esteem along with what I call the other 4 key internal factors namely self belief, confidence, worth, and image play a big part in getting you your ideal life so it's important to keep them in check. Even some of the most successful people you know may be grappling with one of these internal factors. It might be that your self esteem has always been high but over the last couple of months or years you've started noticing a difference in yourself. For example, you may be finding that tasks you have done in the past at work or the way you handle social situations have become increasing difficult to handle.

It can be a lot of hard work to get your self esteem back up to the top levels it should be at. The first thing is that you have to believe that it's possible to increase your self esteem and recognise that you wont allow it to hold you back any longer. Here are a few of my top tips to getting you started on increasing your self esteem:-

1. Give Yourself A Daily Pat On The Back

Become aware of how you speak about yourself and react to people. Note down if you put yourself down and make a list of these comments about yourself. Remember people's perceptions of you will be based on what you think about yourself and how you talk about yourself.

Start boosting your self-appreciation by writing a list of all your best qualities and carry this list everywhere and read it on a daily basis. Also keep a tally of how many times you apologise and put yourself down and aim to decrease this each week.

2. You're The Woman!

If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts about yourself – STOP! Replace these thoughts with positive affirmations like "I'm a confident person", "I'm capable of achieving anything I set my mind to", etc.

This is a powerful technique as it means you're literally talking to your subconscious where ingrained perceptions of yourself are stored.

3. Be Who You Want To Be Like

Don't surround yourself with people that make you feel negative about yourself and don't compare yourself to others. Instead focus on confident people who inspire you. Study their words and body language and adapt these characteristics to use for yourself.

4. Image Is Imagination

Imagine yourself as confident. See yourself moving around in situations as this confident person. Do this on a daily basis and before you are about to embark on big tasks, as this will prepare you and help you to start seeing yourself as the person you really want to be.

This is a great start to improving your self esteem and a powerful one.

Finding a Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

2007-05-16T06:47:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, people are injured and killed on American roads all too frequently. While many of the grisly reports that we hear on the news involve the driver or passengers of a vehicle, incidents involving pedestrians are also far too common. Recent statistics reveal that pedestrian deaths occur as frequently as every two hours in the United States. If your life has been painfully touched by an accident like this, it is your right to pursue legal action, and while this cannot rectify what has gone wrong, it might bring to you some small sense of justice, and perhaps a monetary settlement that can help with any medical or other bills you have encountered. Here are some tips of locating the right Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyer should such an event have befallen you in this city.

It can be difficult to find the right lawyer for you in a large, and often impersonal, city. A metropolis like Los Angeles will have a multitude of providers of all the services, and it can be impossible to determine which one might be the best to assist in your situation. The aftermath of an accident is the last time that you have the emotional resources to begin the difficult search for a Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyer, so don't be afraid to enlist the help of a friend or relative. A personal recommendation is often the best way to find an experienced and personable lawyer, traits that are both important in your choice of professional. You will need to find a lawyer that has a deep understanding of this area of law, and one that will give you the personal attention you deserve - this is a difficult time in your life, and you need to work with someone you can trust.

If you are unable to pin down a personally recommended Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyer, do not simply turn to the yellow pages for direction. These listings are often simply advertisements that are inevitably biased, and it is impossible to glean a true sense of which firm might be best for you from them. If you can, it is best to perform a little research before contacting a firm to ensure that they are what you are looking for.

It is wise to contact a lawyer as soon as possible after your accident, to ensure that your legal rights are upheld. Certain claims must be filed within a particular period of time following the accident; also, evidence and witnesses will be easier to find the sooner you react. Find a pedestrian accident lawyer who will act quickly and compassionately, so that out of this tragedy you will at least find some peace.

Why Divorce Mediation Instead of Litigation

2007-05-14T11:48:00.001-07:00

For parents of minor children who want to know what ALL the options are when thinking about divorce, hear this. A mind works best, like a parachute, when it is open. There are very creative ways to divide property and to share children if both parties keep their eye on the prize – the well being of the children. They didn't ask for this drama and it is possible to shield them if the two of you work at it. The idea of "working at it" may sound odd to a couple who is about to break up just because their relationship isn't "working" but if you have children together your job will never end. There will be weddings and grandchildren and holidays for the rest of your life. If you start World War III now, with the kids caught in the middle, they are going to have to do a lot of duck and cover as your verbal bullets whiz over their heads.

Take a step back and focus on the children. No matter what perceived wrongs may or may not have happened to you, this is where you are right now and playing the blame game may make you feel better but it is not productive. A little rational thought instead of playing victim to your own feelings is what is needed most right now. The more you focus on anger, the more anger you will feel. Focus on the children now instead. Who has been the primary caretaker? If you have been a stay at home mom or dad, guess what, you will probably have to go back to work because you won't collect enough support to keep you living the life to which you have gotten accustomed. So if both of you are working then you really get a chance to look at a shared custody situation. It is hard to raise a child alone. Sometimes you really need a break for your own sake.

5/2 2/5. This is a very popular child sharing plan that gives the children a consistency that is dependable. One parent always takes Monday and Tuesday while the other parent always takes Wednesday and Thursday with weekends going back and forth. This means that you will never be away from the child more than 5 days at a time. Some times the weekend runs into Monday/Tuesday and sometime it runs into Wednesday/Thursday. Having big chunks of time with and without the children lets you plan a personal and work life that a lot of people enjoy.

On the financial side, if you have a bitter, uncooperative, self employed spouse, try collecting support. It is impossible unless they feel like paying you. This is going to be a fight to the end and you probably will never collect what you are owed. The last thing you want is to go to war with a person like this. So now we talk about the most important decision you will make. What kind of divorce do you want? Some people want to go in guns blazing. There are a LOT of attorneys who just love clients like that because they know they can make a lot of money off of you. But if you have a self employed spouse, you NEED them to cooperate. You know what your grandmother used to say about catching more flies with honey. A long, expensive, adversarial divorce will not produce a workable result when the side who owes the support is self employed. They will dig in their heals and do so much creative accounting, you will end up paying them.

We create our lives out of our intention. That may sound counter intuitive. You didn't intend for your marriage to end, did you? Well intention is like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets. If the two of you intend to break up with as much cooperation and generosity as possible BOTH of you will be better off, financially and emotionally. I always say the same thing to people, you can divide the pie two ways or four ways. Which way do you get the most? When you use divorce mediation, you cut out the lawyers. The average fees in California, when both sides have their own lawyers is $20,000 each, but the truth is that the more you have to lose the more your fees will be. California divorce attorneys are the only kinds of lawyers whose fees are protected by the equity in your home. They KNOW they are getting paid. Do you think the case will take longer or resolve itself quickly when you have a lot of assets? Human nature being what it is, certain attorneys will make sure the case does not settle until there is nothing left to fight about. If you want more details, read Charles Dickens' Bleak House. Nothing has changed since the 1800s.

The overwhelming majority of people know what they have. There are no hidden Swiss bank accounts in most divorce cases yet attorneys will spend thousands of dollars doing discovery, taking depositions and serving subpoenas. Why buy more than you need? Would you do that with a house or car? Why would you do it with a divorce? I am not saying mediation is for everyone but if the two of you are decent people who just want out, no one is trying to hurt the other one and both of you are honest and reliable about money with enough honor to keep your word, then you are the perfect client for mediation.

Divorce is a transition that has its challenges but an experienced mediator will help you in a way that is peaceful and respectful to both of you. Prices for mediation are determined by expertise and where you are located so make several calls, interview several mediators to make sure you are fully informed. In my own practice the whole process, on average, takes between 4-7 hours but there is certain homework that must be done prior to working with me. Ask the mediator what percentage of their cases settle and how many meetings did it take. In California the average cost when both sides have their own attorney is $40,000 so whatever the mediator charges will be a tiny fraction of that. The financial benefits of mediation are obvious but more importantly, you will be comfortable enough with your spouse to co-parent your children. This is the best gift you can give to your children. I ought to know, I was one of those kids caught in the middle. This is why I do what I do. Using mediation instead of litigation brings some sanity back into the divorce process because the adversarial system destroys families. So ask yourself, what kind of divorce do you want? Peaceful divorce is an idea whose time has come.

Lina Joy

2007-05-05T02:24:00.000-07:00

Oh no, Maobi is going to rant again. Actually no, Maobi was going to Rant again but so many others have already done it and done a fine job that I don't need to do anything.

Let's start with Michelle Malkin. She has written a fine piece on the Lina Joy case. The thing I find most interesting is that the lawyer defending Lina Joy is a Muslim.

As Ms Malkin has pointed out the WSJ and the NYT have both covered it. Bear in mind that these papers are on opposite ends of the political spectrum, yet neither of them agree that restricting the right of Mdm Joy to worship as she chooses is right.

Let me be very fair to our Muslim friends in Malaysia. Their side of the argument as I have seen in the press is as follows:

"Allowing Malays to leave Islam automatically will erode the status, the rights and the privileges of Malays"

I'm not even going to point out what a piece of shit the rights and privileges of Malays is as an argument. There is no inherent right or privilege of being Malay. It's just that the government accepts that Malay people were born (as a group) backward and stupid so they need time to catch up. To buy this time, they are given certain handouts. It's like being the guy who goes for dinner but cannot afford to pay. The rest of the diners say "ok, since you are poor we pay for you this time". After a while there seems to be no shame in claiming rights and privileges. I hope they don't mind if the rest of us feel ashamed for them on their behalf. The day you don't need quotas and handouts and preferential treatment is the day you are the same as the rest of us. Until then, please consider yourself a lesser race.

If Islam were to grant permission for Muslims to change religion at will, it would imply it has no dignity, no self-esteem. And people may then question its completeness, truthfulness and perfection.

In other words the only truthfulness and perfection to be found in Islam is via co-ercing others to stay in the fold and pretend to belief? Do any of these fools think that Lina Joy has one iota of desire in her heart to be Muslim? If she did then she would not stomach this lengthy court battle and the death threats. It would be so much more convenient to capitulate.

So it's clear to everyone that she wants to leave yet the Muslim view is that this would affect their dignity and self-esteem. First of all self-esteem is the way you look at yourself. No one and nothing can take that from you or give it to you. Dignity on the other hand is something that you can throw away. Some people who are poor yet work hard every day are the ones who have dignity despite not being rich. Small companies that choose no to cheat on taxes have dignity in spite the obvious incentive to cheat. Well, a faith has dignity in that it says "we believe this to be true" whatever anyones wants to belief themselves. It's only when a faith has no dignity that it will claw out to keep every person it can in the fold. Well done. You've sold your own dignity for one more believer who you and I know doesn't believe anymore.

So besides Ms Malkin, the NYT and the WSJ, who else has covered this case? I will be keeping this list. It is far from exhaustive but I am sure one or two of my five readers will help me by sending any more potential entries.

By the way: Google returns 116,000 links for Lina Joy but only 34,600 for Proton Saga. If the Malaysian government wants to increase the visibility of the local car industry then please get the Proton Saga to marry a Roman Catholic and renounce Islam.

Let me quickly thank everyone for giving a shit about one woman's desire to worship as she chooses out here in Malaysia.

Daily Mail tarring all Asians with the same brush

2006-08-21T03:10:00.000-07:00

I resent being equated with a fucking Muslim terrorist. This is what the Daily Mail has done today...

The Daily Mail wrote an article about passengers fearing for their lives and having two Arabs speaking gents escorted off the plane. Some passengers just decided that either way any airline who would fly Arabs would not have their business and walked off.

The extraordinary scenes happened after some of the 150 passengers on a Malaga-Manchester flight overheard two men of Asian appearance apparently talking Arabic. Passengers told cabin crew they feared for their safety and demanded police action. Some stormed off the Monarch Airlines Airbus A320 minutes before it was due to leave the Costa del Sol at 3am. Others waiting for Flight ZB 613 in the departure lounge refused to board it. Half an hour later, police returned and escorted the two Asian passengers off the jet.

Go Google the article if you must find it, this blog will not link to craven cowards. Ok, lets examine the term Asian they used. Did they mean Jewish looking individuals? Perhaps. Did they mean Chinese looking individuals? Or perhaps the passengers were Mongolian looking, or Japanese looking or even Sikh with large turbans? Or did they mean Arab?

See, even the newspaper is afraid to name Arabs for what they are. If there was no fear of Arabs then they could have just came out and said it. So if the newspaper is so afraid of Arabic people then why the heck are they pretending to be surprised that the folks in Malaga were afraid?

To the passengers of flight 613, you were afraid and the press may villify you. At least, unlike the passengers of Flight 93, you live to fly another day. This blogger salutes you.

The Golani Brigade

2006-07-29T03:10:00.000-07:00

In 1976, the Golani Brigade sent its best to Entebbe were they would launch a daring raid on terrorist hijackers to recover hostages. In the end 3 hostages were dead, 45 terrorists and sympthisers and only 1 Israeli soldier. Total ratio in limited hostage recovery exercise? 1:45. Operation Thunderbolt would give many would-be terrorists and their sponsors pause. Chaim Herzog had this to say to the UN...

'We come with a simple message to the Council: we are proud of what we have done because we have demonstrated to the world that a small country, in Israel's circumstances, with which the members of this Council are by now all too familiar, the dignity of man, human life and human freedom constitute the highest values. We are proud not only because we have saved the lives of over a hundred innocent people — men, women and children — but because of the significance of our act for the cause of human freedom.'

The people who stood to condemn Israel on that day were Uganda under Idi Amin. That the UN considers any accusation of Idi Amin worth replying to shows us what a crock of shit this talk shop is. The amount of moral confusion it takes to reach such a position is astounding.

Now the Golani Brigade stands on the border to roll into Lebanon. My hope is that they do not hold back. The rabid Muslims in Lebanon support dogs like Hezbollah as a valid political party. Yes they wear the faces of humans, have the same general anatomy and perhaps ellicit the same sympathy as your neighbours would. Yet my personal appeal to the soldiers of the Golani Brigade is not to waver and not to give quarter. You act is not just to keep your own families safe but also in the interest of the safety of the rest of humanity against these rabid Muslims.

The words of their commander, Uri Lavie before crossing the border is so telling (thanks Blackfive)

This is our time to rise to the challenge, put on the helmets and the bullet proof vests and make sure that the northern border is secure.

We shall fulfill any mission in a most effective manner, in face of any challenge.

If we shall not fulfill our mission we shall forfeit the right to exist.

We shall not lose this war, which we did not start.

Our duty is to serve as a defense force of the Jewish People, and to secure the peace of mind of the civilians in northern Israel.

If we shall not do it, no one will do it in our place.

For two thousand years we waited for the establishment of the Jewish State, and we are not going to roll back because a bunch of terrorists assume that they can scare us.

He who cannot defend Liberty does not deserve Liberty.

If we will not be able to fight until our last drop of blood, in order to secure the Liberty of our People on its own soil, our People will not enjoy Liberty.

There is time to talk and there is time to act. At this time, when missiles and Katyushas afflict the North all the way to Haifa, in addition to the two kidnapped soldiers, the ten soldiers killed and the dozens injured, it is time to fight and not to talk. We are the force, which has been chosen to fight, and we shall perform in the most effective manner.

I will be the first one to enter the battle and the last one to come out, and will do everything in my power to get you out alive and well. On Friday, with God's help, we will rejoin with our families. However, I cannot do it alone. Once we cross the northern border, you should exercise full alert and full responsibility toward your fellow soldier.

'I will be the first one to enter the battle and the last one to come out.' In the operation on Entebbe, the only Israeli casualty was the battle leader, Colonel Yoni Netanyahu. He took a burst of AK fire to the chest and died of blood loss. His soldiers were commanded to recover the hostages first and take care of casualties second.

The brother of Yoni? Binyamin Netanyahu. The same man who resigned from the Israeli cabinet after they voted to unilaterally give up land to terrorists from which they could attack civilians.

Your tax dollars at work

2006-07-20T03:10:00.000-07:00

The government says that for Malaysia to be prosperous we need a well educated workforce. For this to happen we need universities. So your tax dollars go to pay for universities. End up universities got not enough Malay students. Why? Who the hell knows. They attend the same schools as non-Malay children, study under the same teachers and use the same books. Maybe is that they are born fucking-stupid but I don't think so, this is just an excuse.

So since they fail under the same system, using same teachers and same books, in same school, the government have to introduce quota. Quota make sure got Malay student in university. If no Malay student in uni then what will happen to the fucking Islamic study department. Who will sponsor the preachers of jihad. Without these preachers of jihad filling young impressionable minds with rubbish we have no future prime minister. To be prime minister no need to graduate in law or economics even though you decide what is law and how to spend countries money. Be Islamic Studies graduate is far better. No wonder Muslim countries usually quite poor and the laws are quite stupid also.

Quotas, as in turns out, also not a good solution. After all the fella who goes in on a quota suddenly feel like he is stupid. Good, he should. When you don't want to study and want to make trouble only then is only right that you feel like you little bit stupid. Put shark in goldfish pond sure the goldfish get eaten. Turn up the quota students do the worse in university.

Suddenly seems like bad idea. Malay people make the rules of the game and they still can lose. Government need to rethink strategy. Never mind, set up new university called Islamic university and invite students from country where people study even less. How about Africa. Good idea. They very busy to kill each other and start war and have AIDs. No nobel prize from that part of the world. Our goldfish should be safe from these students. Oh shit, end up our Malay student still do worse than the African.

Need to think again. This time the decision is not to make the student work harder. That solution would be too logical. The solution is to boost his self image by introducing a second parallel education stream known as matriculation. To name the stream 'Stupid student can get A to enter uni stream' was felt to be unwise.

Now we got movie for you all to see why Malay student go to university. Other people go there to study but they go there to make riot. Go here to see your tax dollars at work.

Tak Tahu Kira Kah?

2006-06-06T03:10:00.000-07:00

Sdr. Lim Kit Siang hopes to be PM someday. Maybe in his dreams it can happen. Since he hopes to be PM, he clearly can't be the Cassandra who tells Malaysians how bad shit is in Malaysia. You see, to be PM people must believe things are ok otherwise they go vote for the guy who tells them 'go back to sleep, it's all going to be ok'.

Here is Sdr. Lim's estimate on what things cost in Malaysia. Please don't leave me comments on how someone else wrote it. If you don't believe it then don't publish it or forward it. That someone else wrote it is not an excuse.

I'm going to list down what the prices are listed there and then list down what the prices are in KL. If you want to live in someplace like Sungai Siput then you got no job anyway so the prices there could be RM 1 and it would still be RM 1 more than you had.

Electricity bill - RM 100. Bullshit. Electricity bill for a family of four would be closer than RM 250 assuming they cut down on air cond use and use water heater only for morning bath. Kids need to go to school before the sun comes up. Solar doesn't help you and fogrget wind power. You can put up a windmill and the next thing the blahdy government does is they let a developer build a condo in front of your windmill...ooops, your f***ing wind power just got screwed. We assume water bill is negligible. Therefore this one is RM 250.

Astro bill - We are trying to save money so assume cannot buy DVD, VCD, or go for movie. Assume Ass-tro bill is around RM 100. It would be cheaper if the bloody government would allow competition but we need to pay an arm and a leg through our noses so that some Indian can make a profit. Watch government Tele? Are you kidding. One channel is a full stream of 20 forms of Quran reading a day and the other one is filled with brown fools jabbering in some language only they understand. The rest of us don't need to speak it so most of us forget it once we get out of school.

Handphone bill - Steal a handphone since you cannot afford to buy one. Then sign up for a plan. Use sparingly and try to get by on a bill of RM 50 a month. Oh shit, wife also need phone. So double that.

Total Utilities - RM 450

Meals for the family. Lets assume breakfast is negligible. Eat bread or somethin lah. No ham/bacon/franks/etc . Malaysia no John Morell which is one of my pleasures in life so we assume breakfast is near free. No dim sum, no nasi lemak, no nothing. Bread and a little bit of Malaysian home grown palm oil. Imported butter, out. Cheese, out. Preserves, out. Assume meals at RM 50 per day for all 4 people. This also assumes that no one eats out or that any eatting out (example working lunch) comes out of that daily budget. One good meal I have at Tony Romas is already more than RM80. Ok for 30 days the total is 1500

Total meals - RM 1500

Car Payments - Sdr Lim would like us to believe RM 400 buys a Proton. WRONG. A Proton lasts for around 5 years at best. Actually from what I hear it lasts 3 years. Beyond 3 years you need to start replacing the parts so that the Total Cost of Ownership at the end is higher the longer you keep the Proton. Let's assume that you pay RM 800 a month for your Proton Saga.

In addition to car payments you need to pay for servicing. Assume you service once every 3 months and it costs approx. RM 150. This equals out to RM 50 a month. You also need to pay road tax and insurance. Assume its 600 a year for both. (Update:I hear from readers it's much more). End up another RM 50 into car payment.

A Proton runs about RM 70 per tank. This works out at one tank a week to RM 300 a month. If you need to refuel more than once a week then you are screwed big time. By the way, wake up at 6 AM and send your kids to school and only come home at 8 because you have to pick your wife up. You can only afford ONE car and you cannot afford school bus.

Total Car costs: RM 1200

Housing - Assuming you buy a house at RM 150K (you get a flat for that price I guess). Assume a rate of 7.5%. Your repayment should be around RM 1200 a month assuming a 30 year loan. The bank will want you to buy insurance on the mortgage. Tell them you cannot afford it. If you die then your wife and kids sleep on the street. You have no money for insurance. Pray that your house doesn't need repairs over the 30 years. Let's say you put aside RM 30 a month for fixtures. You still need to pay your quit rent and land assesment. Assume RM 70 a month. Yes you pay annually but we assume you put aside some money every month.

Total Housing RM 1300.

So let's see where we are so far.

Total Utilities - RM 450

Total meals - RM 1500

Total Car costs: RM 1200

Total Housing RM 1300.

So far our costs are already RM 4450.

Still not counted is children's education. Maybe is better you don't send your kids to school. Then they grow up ignorant and stupid. Hopefully life is better when they are stupid enough to believe the lies that people like Najib tells them. Clothes? Groceries, like toiletries, toilet paper (Malay don't use this so we didn't add it to our cost of living survey), cooking utensils and so on.

At 10% EPF and the local tax rates you end up have to make around RM 5500. Sigh, at the rate both you and your wife got to work. Now ask yourself why Najib's wife don't need to work.

Hit em where it hurts and when it hurts

2006-05-29T03:10:00.000-07:00

When the most Islamic of places in South East Asia was hit by a tsunami we did not sit around whinging about the judgemental wrath of God like the Muslim clerics. We helped. We were there. However once the help was taken, once the rice was eaten, once the money was spent it appears that the Achenese have gone back to their bad old ways.

Religious fundamentalists will not change and it appears that the people of Indonesia have neither the backbone nor the balls to make a change occur. Now there's been an earthquake. Guess what Indonesia is doing? Yes. Poor little nation is again holding out its hand for money. I say to every reader that its their right to spend their money as they wish. For me? I have better places to spend my money rather than on people who support trashing their neigbhours. Maybe their fundamentalist brothers will extend some aide, assuming they haven't already spent all their funds on plastic explosives for churches.

TGIF

2006-05-19T03:10:00.000-07:00

First, I followed a trail of links and wound up at Patrick Teoh's blog. Back in my day this man

was a radio blow hard but he was a blow hard who bloviated on behalf of the common man. After he was booted off the air (this was back in the day when there was no public radio) I stopped listening to the radio in the mornings. I guess it contributed to the tape, CD and, now MP3 industry.

Present day shock jocks are a lot of bluster without substance. This was a man who was rude and crude on the air but had a point to make at the end. Glad to see he's blogging and still full of piss and vinegar. Somethings never change, for which I am glad.

However, his post is on some other things which never change and in this case, that's a shame.

Islam Hadhari Baaaaaa

2006-05-09T03:10:00.000-07:00

This article speaks for itself.

This guy wants nukes?

2006-01-23T02:10:00.000-08:00

Ahmnadinejad the Iranian, who wants nukes was reported to have said this.

'On the last day when I was speaking, one of our group told me that when I started to say 'Bismillah Muhammad', he saw a green light come from around me, and I was placed inside this aura,' he says. 'I felt it myself. I felt that the atmosphere suddenly changed, and for those 27 or 28 minutes, all the leaders of the world did not blink. When I say they didn't move an eyelid, I'm not exaggerating. They were looking as if a hand was holding them there, and had just opened their eyes - Alhamdulillah!'

If the leaders of the free world have any sense, the only green glow this guy will see around himself is the one imparted by radioactive fallout. How can anyone think a guy like this should get nukes?

Why do our Muslim neighbours hate our children?

2006-01-16T02:10:00.000-08:00

Muslims stole someones dead body and deprived his wife of any recourse to reclaim his remains. Remains of a man she stood by until he drew his last breath. She's a heroine however you see it and the Muslims in Malaysia have shown themselves to be vultures for there is no other name for a creature that swoops in after death and claims a corpse.

In response the interfaith organisation MCCBCHS organized a candle light vigil outside the court where this denial of justice occured. We would call it a traversty of justice but there was no justice to speak of, just a Muslim judge partnering with his Muslim brother who was the agent of a Muslim court denying recourse to a non-Muslim woman in a secular court financed by all Malaysians regardless of race or creed.

It appears that the MCCBCHS has lost faith in its ability to change things. This is worrying in extreme for the simple reason that if we no longer have recourse through the courts then we must seek to find recourse in spite of the courts. The step of asking people to be silent has begun.

In the time of the apostle Peter the courts of his day forbade them from speaking of Christ. They did this for only one reason which is listed in Acts 5 'You seek to bring the blood of this man on us'. Yes and today we seek to lay the blood of this stolen corpse upon the courts of the land too. Not much has changed.

The reason for doing this msut always remain foremost in our minds. It is better to obey God than men. That God seeks justice is clear.

This was an opportune moment for our Muslim neighbours to show us good faith and indicate that they stand with us in demanding that justice is done and all get a fair hearing. Yet this is sadly not the case. Show me eight Muslim blogs who are standing with us.

Why eight? To stand in opposition to these eight

eight Muslim organisations on Thursday which urged the Government not to amend or repeal Article 121(1A) of the Federal Constitution which deals with the powers of the civil and Syariah courts.

The organisations, such as the Malaysian Muslim Scholars Association and the Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement, were opposed to amending that article as it would allow the civil courts to hear cases involving Syariah. An alternative, they said, was to amend the Constitution to allow non-Muslims access to the Syariah Court.

Yes these eight Muslim organisations want the Syariah enlarged in response to their grave-robbing. That they have betrayed and attacked the rights of their neighbours is already in enough bad taste. That they have acted in bad faith is already a reflection of what they truly are when they pretend to be your friends.

Now they hope to be rewarded for this obscene act with more power for their courts. Where's the outrage in the Muslim world? The silence is defeaning. We can no longer afford to wait until our Muslim neighbours join us on the barricades to respond to the hoards of barbarians who would over run our shared civilization. Wait a minute, they ARE the unruly barbarians baying at the gates for blood and it is now our blood they cry for.

Candlelight Vigil for the nation

2006-01-15T02:10:00.000-08:00

A candle light vigil outside the Kuala Lumpur court was started to push for more reponsiblity from the system in regards to respect for all faiths. Bloggers were there. Other bloggers have sicne posted about it such as carboncopy and xpyre. Quackyogi was also out there.

At it's peak 600 people were there. Yesterday night (I wasn't there), I hear things tapered off . Apparently there was some concern that being a Saturday night an unmanageable crowd would descend on the place and the shit would hit the fan post-haste yet this did not materialise or at least it didn't appear in this mornings hamster cage liner (also called the newspaper). Ends up there were hoards of special branch (secret police) people there but not many vigil observers. Apparently the press was also there.

So far the press has not ignored this event

IPS

The protest has, thus far, been peaceful -- candlelight vigil at Sharif's office, a signature campaign, and a memorandum to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.

Today it was forwarded to everyone's email boxes (followed by calls) that the vigil is put off indefinitely as the government has contacted the council involved to say that matters will be set to rights for everyone in the land. As such, in good faith, I will ask all readers to refrain from attending the vigil to give the government room to act. Let's not pre-judge anyone and jump to conclusions.

A wrong was done by a Muslim judge bending over for a Muslim agent from the Muslim court in what was supposedly a secular courtroom. One disastruous decision but it is not the end of civilization as we know it.

It is now time for the government to come out and tell us how they're going to ensure it doesn't happen again. Should we find out later that this was in bad faith then there's still time to take to the street corner again. We already know that street corner can hold 600 candle toting watchers. It would do the government well to consider if they want to let us all find out whether the street corner can hold 6,000.

Update: Bobjots has more on the situation here. It's seems very disheartening at this point but there's two issues I will try to get clarified tomorrow:

1) Has the government indicated that they are making efforts to change.

2) Did any component member of the MCCBCHS knowingly obfuscate the reason for calling off the vigil?

Please look for tomorrow's posting on the situation and be patient. I commit to dig this out by noon tomorrow so that any fellow members keen on the vigil can check back for the information. Failing any confirmation, it is back to the barricades at 8 PM tomorrow. Every night we have to head out means that everyone pays a higher price for this at the end. That's just plain silly.

Feast of sacrifice

2006-01-09T02:10:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Eid Al Adha in Malaysia. More than 2 million Muslims will perform the Hajj in Mecca in recognition of this feast. The term Adha means sacrifice but the only thing that is sacrificed regularly is our humanity.

Normally I would not be classified as an animal rights advocate. After all, I eat flesh regularly and see nothing wrong with this act. Yet in eatting the flesh we do not dishonour it by torturing the animal which is to die for the manner by which the beast meets it's death is not a reflection on the nature of the beast but on the depth of our humanity. Generally the slaughter of meat should be as painless and as clean as possible for the animal as God has given us dominion over beasts but with any power must come responsibility to be caretakers and stewards.

However, during the feast of Adha I take greviance with the slaughter of animals. During the feast of Adha (at least in Malaysia) a cow is usually tethered in a position where it cannot move pending its terrible slaughter. Imagine being tied up in a position where you cannot move while those who would kill you dig a pit near your head (to capture blood) and then haggle over the price they are to pay. Each Muslim whoc an afford it can sacrifice one sheep or a minimum of a seventh of a cow.

The butcher then approaches the tethered cow and slits it's neck with one blow while invoking the name of god. Somehow this invocation of the name of god during such a gory slaughter echoes 'kali ma shacti dei' in my mind but it could just be my personal sensitivities. The cow then lies there draining of blood for anything from ten to twenty minutes, often times still alive and quite literally kicking.

Kosher killing at least demands that the animal die from the initial blow. Any doubt renders such killing as non kosher. The Malaysian Muslim standard for Halal (the Islamic form of kosher) acknowledges that the animal may be alive for anything up to two mintues after slaughter in a slaughterhouse.

'Jakim's MS1500 halal standard requires a slaughtered cow to be left for two minutes before the thoracic sticking takes place,' Mustafa told the daily.

Obviously alive for up to two minutes in a slaughterhouse could mean alive for up to a much longer time when performed in the middle of a field near a mosque when the butcher has to go through many animals on the same day.

No other faith in the world today butcher's animals any more. In the past the Jews did it but during those times their neighbours sacrificed their children to gods like Moloch and Baal. Tribal Incans also had a field day sacrificing humans. These days, it may be nice to think we are more englishtened and have moved beyond this type of thing.

Besides, the Quran (22:37) states that it is not the meat or blood of the sacrifice that reaches Allah, it is one's piety. In the same verse it goes on to state that god has given humans dominion over animals for his own glory.

So tomorrow millions of animals will die gratuitiously around the world, sacrificed in the name of a god who says that the slaughter isn't what counts. It's as if millions of voices moo'ed out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

KFC fails to be like MC Donalds again

2006-01-05T02:10:00.000-08:00

KFC has locally launched a fish sandwich product. They say it's to give their customers more choice. I say it's a Mc Donald's wanna-be ploy. Some ditto head in KFC corporate probably looked at the situation and came up with the idea that copying the menu would copy the success. I personally hate eating at either outlet but when the younger cousins and children of friends are involved.....

Here's why Mc D's beats KFC any day of the week (at least in Malaysia).

1) Mc Donald's has a clean feeling to it. Someone in the outlet is always mopping up and cleaning up. I don't know whether this is intentional but there's always someone cleaning up. Furthermore seats are always sterile plastic type setups and theres no wondering who oozed over the upholstery before you sat down.

2) French fries. A Mc D's strip of potato fried in the melted fat of a thousand guinea pigs is infinitely better than any other fast food french fry out there. Sure they tell you it's 100% vegetable oil but who the heck believes that.

3) Toys. The only reason adults go to a fast food outlet is because they have children with them. The toys given out at KFC are plain dumb. The toys given out at Burger King are worse and feature some kind of BK kids or something. Yawn. Who cares. Mc D's merchandises the current hot kid movie in the market and delivers the goods on toys. Kids will eat the fries, play with the toys and toss the nuggets/burger all over. Worse, they may try to stuff it into your mouth when its all drooly...ewwww.

4) Lighting. Now listen closely. Is it just me or does every Mc D's have lighting that's just a little bit brighter. I once saw a person studying at a Mc D's and we had a bit of a chat. Asked why and the person said that lighting was good there. This was the Mc Donalds in Jalan Silang opposite the old Metro Jaya. A multi storey building on the corner. Additionally the first floor is quiet and it helps if the student happens to live around Petaling Street.

5) Workers. You get the same surly drop-out workers in Mc D's but at least they are local drop outs. At one point the guy looking back at you from across the counter in KFC was more likely than not a Bangla. I have nothing against Banglas but couldn't they at least get someone who understands English since I don't speak Bangla? Asking for the meal number 3 to go should not be an exercise in linguistics.

Secretly I've been brainwashed by Mc Donalds. There's one downstairs from the gym where I go and after a good workout it's always a secret sin to go buy a small ice cream cone. Where else can you get such oozy goodness for just one measly ringgit.

First Thai beheading for 2006

2006-01-03T02:10:00.000-08:00

Number 16 beheading since Muslims decide that they want to commit violence in South Thailand. No word yet on what the heck they want. Maybe they just want to behead folks. Who knows?

Either Al-Reuters has forgotten how to count or the dhimmis there are trying to whitewash the numbers:

The attack marks the latest in a string of violent incidents in the far south, which has seen nearly two years of unrest in which more than 1,000 people have been killed. At least 10 of those deaths have come from beheadings.

Yeap. that's like knowing eight people died in a fire and saying 'at least five people were burnt to death'. Nice try Reuters. For those playing from home you can follow this link and count back from fifteen.

Technorati Tags: Thailand, Islam, Muslim, Buddhist, Beheading

What's at stake in the Moorthy case

2005-12-30T02:10:00.000-08:00

Before we go on let me pause for a moment and recognize that perhaps we have lots of bloggers writing about the Moorthy case. Can we all take one step back and take a deep breath. Perhaps the issue here is not whether Moorthy was a Muslim or a Hindu. The issue here is that we have someone who is dead and two parties claim him. As far as I know his wife, yes the lady who was by his side till the day he died, claims he died a Hindu. The religious authorities claim he was Muslim.

The wife has nothing to gain by claiming that Moorthy died Hindu and the religious authorities stand to gain by claiming he was Muslim. After all they gain the corpse of a nationally renowned climber and they stand to disinherit his wife from his legacy, both financially and culturally.

So why do the rest of us take issue in this case of Islamo fascists versus Moorthy's next of kin? Well here's why.

1) The courts have no place deciding the religion of a person. The secular courts exist to enforce the secular laws of a country. A religious court exists to rule over Muslims. The secular courts must judge with the consent of the judged or else they must compel using force, which is why we have a police force and so on. Yet their jurisdiction is over Malaysians only or those who fall under the sway of Malaysian rule such as foreign drug dealers. the religious courts similarly rule over those of the religion. In determining whether Moorthy was Hindu or Muslim the religious court would have had no sway if Moorthy was Hindu and that was a question not for the court (even the secular) to decide. The court has, at best, the role of determining what his religion was. In this determination they should study the evidence as they best can to see what it was that occured. The courts have clearly usurped the right of every free man to decide for himself what his conscience will permit in the way of believe, be it whether he chooses to worship the moon, a cow or a stone .

2) That the man was clearly a Hindu at one time is self apparent. The religious authorities claimed he converted. Claims require proof and claims of such magnitude require proof of such magnitude. That no proof was produced before the court in the way of documentation and so on is appalling. That any lawyer can stand before a court and state that the syariah court has decided on something so no evidence is necessary is not compelling enough. The syariah court is neither responsible to us nor are we responsible to the syariah court. It's an internal Muslim club and what your club has decided stays in your little sector of society. The rest of us don't really give a damm. That a man could be robbed of his heritage without any evidence shows that the courts have lost their way. A judge cannot say it's like this because I feel it, the evidence has to be there to support it.

3) That our national religion would tussle over a dead man is troubling. If a national religion cannot act with dignity and treat the weakest in the society with magnamity then perhaps its time for it to retire and let someone else take a turn, assuming we need a national religion.

4) That a Muslim judge could be allowed to ehar a case like this is equally troubling. A judge should have been found who was neither Muslim nor Hindu. After all the role of any court in any land is to be an impartial arbiter in any situation. Was justice done?

All the issues together are very troubling. What's msot troubling is that the majority in Malaysia who claim the name of Muslim are not outraged that, on their behalf, the Islamic authorities have taken to body snatching. Is there no more space in Islam Hadhari for a sense of shame at doing wrong or are we supposed to consider this as an inshala (will of god) moment?

Technorati Tags: Malaysia, Islam

Google News Pressure

2005-12-16T02:10:00.000-08:00

When you visit a doctor, they take your blood pressure and that number helps to say something. Google News has an automagical way of telling you how much news pressure a story has.

So looking at Google News today we can see (screen shot)

That the Iraqi Elections have immense News Pressure. 2,716 is a lot of related articles for one news story. Being a news junkie I will usually click on a story I lack interest in if it has a news pressure of around 1,500. 1,500 is a level which already shouts that this story is circling the world. 2,716 is probably something like a tsunami type article or maybe if the leader of a major nation takes a bullet to the head.

That Google did not make it a leading story is already suspicious. Next we go to CNN:

CNN would like to tell us about a snow storm. Makes sense since a snow job would quite obscure the biggest news event of the day...News pressure? 331

Ok ok, maybe I'm reading too much into this. After all, CNN has a 'CNN International' (sounds like something from the ex-USSR...internationale) - News pressure? 694

Come on guys. News junkies need a fix of whats really in the news. Start giving us the news and stop trying to tell us what the news is....

Even Aljazeera puts it on the front page (with a suitable anti-US spin)

Sportsmanship

2005-12-12T02:10:00.000-08:00

Now this is what I call sportsmanship. There are some weblog award things going on. Funny thing is for the humour/comics caterogy Cox&Forkum and Day by Day both featured a vote for the other guy comic. It's a tough category to vote since lots of the entries there are so deserving. The sportsmanship is surprising.

Cover up going strong

2005-12-07T02:10:00.000-08:00

14 days (2 weeks) ago the Prime Minister stood before the Malaysian people and clearly stated 'there will be no cover ups' in the investigation of the prison case where a girl, whom we presume is a China national, is forced to do squats for no reason by a tudung clad poliecowman.

In the last 14 days I sum up what has been done to ensure there are no cover ups.

So far we have had a lot of excuses made and his deputy minister has taken a lot of heat by being a buffoon.

Till today we still know nothing more than the first day except that now we know the police are incapable of policing themselves. Tragically enough, apparently neither are those who are supposedly in control of the police force.

Let me repeat what a no cover up situation is:

1) Who was the blue tudung woman?

2) Who authorised this form of treatment of prisoners?

3) Who was in charge of the blue tudung woman all the way to the top?

4) Where does the buck stop?

5) How widespread is this practice

6) What's going to be done to ensure it doesn't happen again?

Until now there has been a defeaning silence. When the present prime minister came to office I was optimisitic that it wasn't a case of same shit different day. Apparently it is. It's the worse form of business as usual where the rights of the little man are trampled so that those at the top don't have to get their hands dirty with such things as accountability and hard work.

It's end of the year and one of the things we do is evaluations of the previous year. There is a Malay saying which states that the son is a lot like the father. In this case if those who are in charge of the police refuse to be accountable then how the hell can you expect the last cop down the line, the guy taking bribes from motorists, to show any accountability?

Update:

When you have nothing left to say in your defence then start doing random attacks since hopefully you'll create enough noise to confuse the issue.

BARISAN Nasional MPs questioned the rationale behind DAP making public a video clip showing a woman doing ear squats in the nude at a police station.

Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Noh Omar said the police had already been probing the case before the DAP showed the clip to parliamentarians.

So much for 'no cover ups'. Clearly this is a cover up of the worst kind.

Noh Omar, spend your time finding out the answers to the questions the public has rather than being a buffoon in parliament.

Right vs Legal

2005-12-05T02:10:00.000-08:00

I am very troubled. A girl was stripped naked and made to do ear squats. She had to do this where someone could see her. This is apparent since a video was made of the process and transmitted via cellphone. It shook the country.

Now those who are trying to make excuses are out in full force.

The first excuse was that the one guilty was the person who took the shots since its illegal to make such videos. Beside the point. Whether the person taking the video was guilty or not has no bearing on the horror of what was done.

Then they tried to say that this is standard practice in order to reveal concealed items. Yet we need to think very hard on that.

This is what Canada has to say about such searches.

14. Where a staff member believes on reasonable grounds that an inmate is carrying contraband in a body cavity, the staff member may not seize or attempt to seize that contraband, but will inform the Institutional Head.

15. Where the Institutional Head is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe that an inmate is carrying contraband in a body cavity and that a body cavity search is necessary in order to find or seize the contraband, the Institutional Head may authorize in writing a body cavity search to be conducted by a qualified medical practitioner, if the inmate's consent is obtained.

Why the heck do they need a qualified practitioner? Here's a good experiment. Shove some contraband up your butt and then do ten squats. Chances are unless you are trying to smuggle a grand piano into the lock-up it will not fall out. Well it could possibly fall out if you are aggresively gay with a very aggresive partner but this is not the kind of blog where we discuss that kind of thing.

After that, they told those who were unhappy that they could go home. Incidentally the deputy minister who uttered this has since been censured by the prime minister. He then said he accepted the verbal smackdown with an 'open heart'. Yeah an open heart like the dude in Indiana Jones who was sacrificed. Remember the guy who chants and then rips the guys heart out? Yeah an 'open heart' indeed.

Anyway that excuse doesn't hold. It's not about whether the victim was foreign or local. It's about how a public servant who earns public funds carried out their job or abused their position.

So the media tried to cast doubt on whether she was a foreigner and said she was a local arrested for a drug offence. Here's the news fools, it doesn't matter if she was local or foreign, and it sure doesn't matter what she was arrested for. The act was wrong.

Now apparently the discussion is heading to whether it was 'legal'. Without putting too fine a point on it let's just say that killing Jews in Nazi Germany and slavery were perfectly 'legal' at various points in history.

Why is it that we refuse to answer the fundamental questions:

1) Was this act right?

2) If it wasn't then what the heck are we as a nation going to do about it?

Technorati Tags: Malaysia, Police

Racist police

2005-11-27T02:10:00.000-08:00

A Chinese woman (I'm not sure of what nationality) was stripped naked in a police lockup and forced to do ear squats. She was forced to do so in a place where some stranger (yet to be determined) was able to take naked picutres of her. The police officer who did it to her was a Malay woman. Not only a Malay woman but a devout Muslim. She wore a tudung after all and wearing the tudung is optional in Malaysia. Generally those who consider themselves devout Muslims wear the tudung.

Now Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Musa Hassan has said that she has done no wrong.

“It is the perpetrator behind the video clip whom we are after and not the policewoman, who was carrying out a routine check,” said Musa.

There is clearly a racist response here. Would Musa have said the same thing if the ear squat woman had been Malay and the policewoman had been a Chinese woman wearing a big gold cross?

The truth of the matter is that the police persecute those who are not Malay. Look at those on the extra judicial death in custody list. 10% of Malaysians are ethnically Indian yet so many on that list are Indian.

The truth of the matter is that the police are prepared to look the other way when Malay people commit crimes. I invite any blogger reading this to join me at Damansara Uptown on Tuesday 11.30PM. Let's see the illegal Malay stall holders setting up shop as usual while the police less than 200 metres away in their quarters pretend not to know anything. Already one murder has occured in this illegal night market and yet they want to pretend.

If the police cannot be trusted to look after the interest of ALL Malaysians regardless of ethnic heritage then it will lead to situations whereby Malaysians make their own way.

Remember, the Malay person tried to Malay-ise the education system and screwed it up. As a result the Chinese built an education system that rivals and regularly outperforms the government system. Even Malay people send their children to Chinese schools. Now the government wants to co-opt these schools by using a vision school chimeara that is neither here nor there.

Similarly with communal security. If the police can not be trusted anymore to take care of everyone then the day will come when steps will be taken. Unfortunately education is a personal choice affecting only the diameter of one personal space. Policing affects the community around it. If a parallel policing system were to come about it would be extremely traumatic for the nation as a whole. Better that the police look into how a good job can be done now before chaos descends.

Vatican attempts to trump Islam

2005-11-09T02:10:00.000-08:00

Years after the nonsense about Islamic science started, the Vatican is trying to get in on the same act.

Cardinal Paul Poupard, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, said the Genesis description of how God created the universe and Darwin's theory of evolution were 'perfectly compatible' if the Bible were read correctly.

Read correctly means doing it at the crossroad on a full moon midnight while holding the leg of a male frog in one hand and stump water in the other. It is preferred that this is done while standing on one's head.

Meanwhile the Vatican has yet to call a crusade after the burning of churches in France. What's the point of paying for the Vatican if they aren't going to be doing anything worthwhile.

Where you came from

2005-11-03T02:10:00.000-08:00

Fong Po Kuan, gutsy lady, was suspended from parliament some time ago in a government bench power play.

Now she's sharing on her blog where she started out. This is part one and it certainly adds a face to the person, which augurs well for the opposition.

The opposition in Malaysia has always bemoaned lack of airtime. Well here it is so now they are trumping the faceless people in the government. It's like Star Wars. Wedge Antilles was a second string role but we know his name. None of us knew the name of the two wingmen who flew into the Death Star trench with Darth Vader. As long as the opposition can put a 'face' to its people then it will have gained an edge in Malaysia.

Australia: It's ok to beat your wife if you're a Muslim

2005-10-31T02:10:00.000-08:00

Used to be the most politically inccorect joke I knew was 'What's the difference between your wife, your dog and good sex?' the answer being 'You can beat your wife, you can beat your dog but you can't beat good sex'.

Apparently the Australian police are being told that this is true (except for the dog beating part).

POLICE are being advised to treat Muslim domestic violence cases differently out of respect for Islamic traditions and habits.

Officers are also being urged to work with Muslim leaders, who will try to keep the families together.

The glossy guides would have cost at least $300,000 to produce, a printing industry expert said.

If they had given me the 30,000 I would have printed a one page easy to keep guide. It would read:

We have one set of laws for everyone. If they break the law, book 'em.

In order to be consistent in terms of quality it would be printed on glossy card that every cop could keep in his wallet. In fact, we would give each and every one of them a box to give out to other folks.

Indians not important

2005-10-28T03:10:00.001-07:00

In the grand scheme of things, it appears that the government of the country takes the Indian community as a grand joke. A government MP used a very derogatory word in parliament and now it's 'no big deal'.

Ramli, who had been trying in vain to calm the MPs down earlier, finally got the parliamentarians to sit quietly.

“Every Yang Berhormat speaks a lot and sometimes, there is a slip of the tongue.

“But according to the rules, the matter is deemed resolved when an offending word is retracted,” he said.

May I suggest strongly that Kulasegaran call either Badruddin or Ramli (house speaker) an 'anak babi' (son of a pig) and promptly retract those remarks?

After all, they claim that once a remark is retracted everything is ok again. For shame.

Whether it is legally fine or not is one matter. Whether the Barisan Nasional, defenders of a representative coalition in a multi racial context will stand to have such representatives is another matter altogether. Whether the people of Jerai want such a racist to be their representative is another matter.

My personal views on the bufoon aside, I think the people in the BN and Jerai should not put up with such things. If this is the best represntative Jerai can find then maybe Jerai should volunterily decide not to have a rep in parliament.

The Friday before Eid

2005-10-28T03:10:00.000-07:00

It's the Friday before Hari Raya (which is called Eid elsewhere). Muslim men celebrate one month of fasting during the holy month, Muslim women are not allowed to fast when they are having their period so I'm not entirely sure what they are celebrating. Maybe since the guys are celebrating they are good sports and tag along.

Anyway since most Malay people come from rural backgrounds in the last two generations most of them will be exiting the city and returning to their villages. It's a good sign to be able to return in affluence and show off new automobiles or new furniture. Rich or poor, some will spend to excess and then regret it later.

The wiser ones will spend in moderation.

Part of Ramadhan is to refrain from temptations. Splashing out hard earned cash to 'look good' during Raya may not be a wise move in the long run. I saw numerous individuals swiping their credit cards, for amounts going into the thousands!

Perhaps being Chinese I never quite understood the need to buy new furniture. During the Chinese New Year the basic minimum is a set of new clothes. Some food and drinks for friends who dropped by and a very clean home. You cleaned house with a vengence so as not to 'lose face' particularly in front of less welcome relatives.

Anyway this year the celebration is on Thursday and Friday next week. Yes, they say they have to wait for the sighting of the moon but the rest of us count it off on our fingers and so far we haven't been wrong. Tuesday is an Indian festival so that's a public holiday too. All in all three days in one week means offices may close for the entire week anyway.

The roads will probably be congested tonight with folks battling to get a jump on other travellers. Happens every year.

Well to all Muslim and Hindu friends who will be celebrating Eid and Deepavali next week, have a good trip home and get back here safely. Cheers.

Scientist and Engineer

2005-10-12T03:10:00.000-07:00

In Malaysian schools they apparently ask children to tell them what their career aspirations are when they don't have a clue. Here's someones card.

Now, how the heck can you want to be both a scientist and an engineer. Scientists are people who look for perfect solutions and models and explanations and all that crud. Basically they have their heads in the clouds while their butts are sinking beneath the waves like the rest of us.

I'm an engineer. If chewing gum/duct tape/a rubber band will hold it together then that's what we go with. Remember, there's only two things you need in your tool box....WD 40 and duct tape. If it should move use the WD 40, if it should use the duct tape. Screws can be opened with finger nails, coins, car keys, credit card (it costs you money to get an instant replacement by the way). Bolts? Well only scientists use thigns like bolts, after all why bolt something when you may have to open it when it's broken?

Eat Dirt

2005-10-06T03:10:00.000-07:00

Ok. Eatting dirt is apparently no longer just for scumbags....sigh somuch for 'Eat Dirt, Scumbag'

On the positive side I learnt a new term today...'Geophagy'

International Old Day

2005-10-03T03:10:00.000-07:00

Apparently October the 1st was International Old People's Day. You need to be 60 and above to qualify.

It was also International Alzheimer's Day during the same week. Must have been a busy week for some people if they could have remembered it.

Malaysian the the UN summit

2005-09-19T03:10:00.000-07:00

The Malaysian PM made a speech at the UN summit.

We must also maintain a distinction between acts of terrorism and the right of peoples fighting for self-determination. It is equally unjustifiable to associate terrorism with any particular race or religion. Terrorists must be singled out only by their acts of terror and nothing else.

In other words, we cannot equate Islam with terror. I have always maintained that not all Muslims are terrorists. In fact not even most Muslims are terrorists. Yet the question still remains why is it that most terrorists are Muslims? Badawi, Islamic scholar that he is, does not provide us an answer and I am still in the dark.

In World War Two, Japan invaded our nation. Guess what? We shot anyone who was Japanese. Were most of the Japanese aggresors? Nope. Did most of the aggresors happen to be Japanese? Unfortunately yes. So what did we do? We shot and disabled as many Japanese as we damm well could get away with. Islam today faces that same problem but we only have folks saying 'we must not associate terrorism...'

Still no solutions.

Update:

Note that this is not to advocate shooting, maiming or disabling anyone yet we see that a solution lies somewhere in the group where the problem is. Similarly as we do not look for a cure to breast cancer by examining men we have to look for a cure to terrorism by looking at its biggest constituency.

The lesson of the tea shoppe

2005-09-13T03:10:00.000-07:00

An Indian blogger posts about the tea shop.

Here in Malaysia we have tea shops too. People hang out there and a cup of coffee costs about 10 times less than at starbucks. Some of them are air conditioned wonders too in which case the coffee may be twice as expensive, but even then it's cheap.

These are market driven wonders and if every advocate of affirmative action wanted to truly 'uplift' the fate of a people they would get them to open something like a tea shop.

Tea shops can be as humble (one counter with a stove) or opulent (fountains and plaster mouldings - check out Restaurant Kayu at ss2) as the owner can afford. It doesn't require government subsidies at all. Find a spot somewhere and set up. Work hard, keep the costs low, work even harder and with a little bit of luck you get rich.

Best part for me is that my tax dollars won't be used subsidizing anyone's learning curve.

Indonesia Sucks Part 3

2005-09-08T03:10:00.001-07:00

Indonesia has done it again. Three women are going to jail for three years just because they actually cared enough to organise a fun weekend for children.

Games, food and prizes just like kids everywhere in the world get when they are kids. That's a jailable offence. Oh, but wait one minute, guess what? In countries where kids get these things you will realise that Jihadism tends to not get much play since the kids are actually busy playing and developing.

It's only in horrible parts of the world where children grow up with old sticks to beat each other with that Jihad tends to take hold. After all, what fun is an old stick. You can only re-enact 'Uncle Achmed beheads the kafeer son of a pig and ape' so many times before it gets old and you wish you had Grand Theft Auto or Halo to play.

It's in horrible parts of the world where the family goat looks like the mullah who in turn looks like Uncle Achmed from Esfahan that Jihad takes hold. No one is sure what Mum looks like since she hides under that burqa all day.

I betya there's a correlation between happy meals and the likelihood with which people will advocate blowing themselves up. In addition to the big mac index we should have a happy meal index. We correlate the number of happy meals sold in a country against the percentage of seats held by Muslim parties. We can then sub-divide the country.

Besides the happy meal index we could also try the Hot Wheels or Matchbox or Nintendo or Playstation (you get the trend) index.

It's a shame that people who are too busy preaching hate to take care of their own children and provide them entertainment get all pissed off when someone else gives a shit enough to do it for them.

How did Arafat die

2005-09-08T03:10:00.000-07:00

In a more closely guarded secret than who did Kennedy (John F that is) we are still unclear on how Yasser died. Note that I would say Arafat but given the number of Arafat's dropping like flies these days, it would be confusing. However here's an article that has something to add.

Dr. Ashraf al-Kurdi, Arafat's personal physician who played no part in the late PA chairman's medical care during the final weeks of his life, said that he knows that the French doctors found the AIDS virus in Arafat's blood. Al-Kurdi refuses to divulge the source of this information, but claims that the virus was put into Arafat's blood in an effort to blur the traces of poisoning, which was the cause of death.

So the doctor who was Arafat's personal doctor said

1) He had AIDS in his blood

2) It was a Jewish plot

The second statement is the normal pap they spout anyway so we can probably ignore it. The Israelis generally take out rats with helicopter gunships and rockets. Poison is more a womans tool.

So all we really do know from this doctor is that, somehow, Yasser had got a serious case of AIDS. So as with the entire Middle East process, for all those keeping score at home, we now need to ask 'who screwed who?'

The curse of natural resources

2005-09-01T03:10:00.000-07:00

Imagine a country with tin, lots and lots of tin. Imagine it has tons of arable land where it grows cash crops such as oil palm and rubber. Then imagine it pumps out so much crude oil (light and sweet too) from its waters and lands that it pumps more than it uses. Add to that forests chock full of good quality hard wood. Then imagine it also has gold, bauxite, titanium and other strategic resources. Then why does the country have people living below the poverty line?

Now imagine this country randomly took 10% of its population and set them adrift on an island (48 kilometres wide at its longest point). This island has no resources at all.

This is the Malaysian conundrum for me. How come we have so much in the way of natural resources yet we are not ten times or a hundred times richer than Singapore?

Was reading this post which offers a great summary of a book. I read the authors other book (the lexus and the olive tree) which was worth reading.

Friedman’s theory is that government and the oligarchy which owns it will always find some way to take care of themselves. If there are easily exploitable natural resources, there is no need for the rulers to involve their subjects in the project. Not needing help from their subjects, the rulers don’t have to give them anything in return. So they don’t. No share in the loot. No democracy. No effective government. Nothing.

Will probably go to MPH this weekend to look for the book.

Ex PM Repents

2005-08-30T03:10:00.000-07:00

The Ex Prime Minister of Malaysia has returned 7 vehicles to Proton. Proton is the national auto maker and under the tenure of the ex PM was given protected status which meant exorbitant tariffs on imported vehicles. It was also given a lot of startup money from public funds and favourable treatment. Let's see now. Imagine if Toyota was given all this favourable treatment and then gave away cars to Japanese law makers. Included in the cars returned was a VW Phaeton (a luxury car which is actually quite a good looker) and a Taureg. The value of the Phaeton alone is around USD 67K in the US. And this is just one of the 7 cars given to him. In a nation where the per capita GDP for 2004 was around USD 10,000.

By the way this was not a gift to the people of Malaysia or to the office of the PM. It was a gift to the person who happened to be Prime Minister at the time and apprently it was for a 'test drive'. Imagine if Boeing gave a free corporate jet to GW Bush, even if it was for a 'test'. Imagine if Ferrari gave a free car to Berlusconi for a 'test drive'. Do our local newspapers have no idea what corruption is or must we look the other way every time something like this happens?

So has he repented? Only time will tell.

Boy auctioning first kiss

2005-08-15T03:10:00.000-07:00

Powerline talks about a boy auctioning off his first kiss. Amazing that an 18 year old has never been kissed. Of many minds about this and what it means, especially whether its a good thing or not.

The Catholic Church stands againt Terrorism

2005-08-09T03:10:00.000-07:00

Unless you are a dirty Jew who is part of the international zionist conspiracy. Alan Dershowitz ladies and gentleman.

Let us now try to understand the Vatican’s bizarre policy on terrorism. Recently Pope Benedict XVI condemned terrorist attacks against civilians in Great Britain, Egypt, Iraq, and Turkey. In a pregnant omission – very pregnant in light of the Vatican’s long history of silence in the face of attacks against Jews – the Pope omitted any mention of the country that has suffered the largest number of terrorist attacks against civilians since 9/11, namely, Israel. When the Israeli government understandably protested the omission, the Vatican’s position became even more troubling. It singled out Israel for criticism, saying that that beleaguered nation’s responses to attacks against its civilians was “not always compatible with the rules of international law.” It then went on to say that the Vatican could not protest every Palestinian attack against Jewish civilians if Israel did not always follow international law.

The Roman Catholic understandably wants us to not tar the entire church when a small group of clergy molests children. So if every member of the clergy does not follow norms on the standards of dealling with children then clearly by their own standards we must judge everyone by these same acts?

When Christ was crucified the Roman Pilate washed his hands of the situation. It appears that these Romans are once again washing their hands as Jews die. Shame......

Technorati Tags: Roman+Catholic

Sky Kingdom to sue

2005-08-02T03:10:00.000-07:00

The Sky Kingdom (covered here, here, here, and here) is going to sue the Besut land office for destroying the compound of the Sky Kingdom (saw it on Politics 101).

In addition the police have to investigate why policemen were there making up their own orders rather than taking orders from the courts. The court said do not destory and they went ahead and protected those who contravened the rule of law.

Remeber Ayah Pin has renounced his Muslim faith. As such how can the religious courts charge him? If the religious courts can charge anyone THEY claim to be Muslim then I am in trouble because tomorrow they could proclaim me a Muslim and charge me for eatting pork and drinking beer. I for one will declare now that should I ever be declared a Muslim and asked to appear before the syariah court, I will go wearing a pig skin jacket and tote along a bottle of either Black Label or Absolut Vodka. I trust that fellow bloggers will turn up carrying orange and coca-cola to any such trial. A good time should be had by all except the self proclaimed 'gods' who run this dog and pony show.

They claim to worship an omnipotent god. Can't be too omnipotent if he ran out of lightning and needed a few backwater keystone kops to demolish a stone teapot. Ayah Pin, ladies and gentlemen. A man hoping to be left alone to belief what he believed. Never attacked a Muslim, never vandalized a mosque, never flushed a koran, never did nothing to no one. Just set up a compound and helped folks. Yet that wasn't good enough for his neighbours.

Somehow their Islam was threatened by his life and they attacked. So the next time suicide bombers claim to be motivated by Iraq war/the crusades/Israel or anything else....well it don't take much to get them worked up. Sometimes just wanting to be left alone to belief what you belief and building a stone teapot will set them off...

Technorati Tags: Ayah+Pin, Malaysia

Contestant Number 13

2005-07-27T03:10:00.000-07:00

South Thailand beheading now has contestant number 13, our new challenger is Eakasak Visetsuwannaphum, 29. Apparently his 'sin' to the Islamo-Facist rat bastards who did this was that he was the SON OF A POLICEMAN. Remember if you go out and spit on the son of a suicide bomber (damm most of them don't have kids do they.......natural selection maybe) it's a 'hate crime'. Heck according to blown-hair-affirmative-action-poster-child Condi Rice, it's not even ok to target active terrorists, at least not if you're Israel....it's perfectly ok for her boss.

So here we now have the sons of Mohamad targetting the sons of policemen, duly constituted authority in a land they live in.

By the way the article is wrong. This is not number 11, it's number 13. And here's the whole gory list. The stupid western press is giving the Muslims a discount again, behead 13 but only report as 11. BAH HUMBUG!!!!

12 Sampan Onyala - policeman

11 Surin Somchit - water company employee

9 & 10 Jad Suwanchatree, 52, and his wife Serm, 51 - farmers

8 Lek Pongpa, 34 - clothes vendor

6 and 7 Unknown Lao farm workers.

1 to 5 with number 5 being Kamol Chuneth and when I started counting.

By the way to make this list you need to be beheaded. Shootings, bombings, church burnings, strangulation etc do not count. The rules are simple. Head seperated from rest of body and you make this list....

Technorati Tags: Thailand, Islam, Muslim, Buddhist, Beheading

Neologism of the day

2005-07-07T03:10:00.000-07:00

Deja moo: the feeling that you've heard this bull before.

[Courtesy of GOC]

Walkabout

2005-07-06T03:10:00.000-07:00

Been wandering around the last couple of days without a network connection. So far Jakarta has welcomed a new vistor well. Will try to push out a few thoughts as and when the limited connectivity I have allows me to do so.

Priceless

2005-06-28T03:10:00.000-07:00

Cost of blogger or wordpress: 0

Cost of domain name: USD 30 /year

Cost to brand image of threatening the little guy: Priceless

Which is why for everything else there's Mastercard.

Visa is trying to steamroll some poor Malaysian blogger who is trying to keep his domain name here. I strongly urge all Malaysian bloggers to post about this. In a connected world there is no reason to not do a 'name and shame' except that you clearly couldn't be bothered to get off your ass, put down those cheetos and type out 3 minutes worth of words.

Remember, if you are on the internet from your home (internet connection plus computer), you can speak at least one language and you are literate enough to read and write, you are a potential customer for Visa. Your views matter.

Also, for those of you who have a visa. Call up the bank NOW and switch it to a mastercard. Tell them politely but firmly that this is going down and you are upset. For those who have two cards, cancel the visa. You can always get a mastercard from another bank.

Yes, I know that both cards are owned by a massive common pigopoly but this is the only way to show them that it sucks and to hit them where it hurts. The time to act is NOW.

Saw this via Mack at Brand New Malaysian.

Until this is resolved one way or another I am offering a link on this post to any blog which is willing to publicize this. Heck, it may bring you one of the 5 readers I have on this blog to your blog. Besides, its good for you to help another blogger.

Posts so far

Bene Diction

Messy Christian

Asia Business Consulting

Technorati Tags: Malaysia, Visa, Blogger, Free+Speech

Bulldozers

2005-05-30T03:10:00.000-07:00

Even the Israelis bulldozing the homes of homicide-bombers have never bulldozed entire neighbourhoods. This is what Zimbabwe is doing.

80% unemployment, supression of opposing voices, violence against your own citizens....it just gets better and better.

This guy can't even feed his people but can spend millions to build his own mansion.

By the way, Malaysia sent him tropical logs to build that mansion because the last PM said he was a leader of the nation. With friends like these Malaysia does not need enemies.

Technorati Tags: Malaysia, Zimbabwe, Mugabe

Injured?

2005-05-25T03:10:00.000-07:00

Apparently Al Zarqawi is injured.

The posting's authenticity could not be verified, but it was posted on a Web site known for carrying prior statements by al Qaeda in Iraq and other militant groups.

Pendio Slippery

2005-05-05T03:10:00.000-07:00

Sigh....not sure how to say slippery slope in Italian.

The Italian government is moving to ban a web site for showing an offensive picture of the pope. For the record I think they should be allowed to publish whatever they want. Censorship of their views today would mean that censorship is a legitimate option. It's not.

Florists Galore

2005-04-26T03:10:00.000-07:00

A girl's birthday is coming up and since she's not my girlfriend and a close friend she gets flowers. To bring someone out for a private dinner may be misconstrued by idle eyes, minds and tongues.

My favourite florist in KL is the Wishing Tree. When I was in Hawaii we received a garland at the hotel (lovely practice may I add) which is a lot like the practice of them leaving some flowers in your room in Thailand. The garlands are left in packets of large leaves before being taken out and presented.

That was forgotten for a long time. Then one day I had to send some flowers locally. Imagine how pleasant it was to see flowers come all wrapped up in a cone shaped leave rather than paper, gauzy cloth or plastic (plastics the worst). After that this is the only place I get my flowers from.

I remember one particular persons comments about the flowers received. 'Even if I remove the flowers, the decorations are nice enough to be a bouquet'.

By the way I work in software so my taste in flowers may not be up to the par of more discerning punters....[add all other standard disclaimers here]

Gun vs Gun

2005-04-19T03:10:00.000-07:00

Jeff has this piece of humor. Then they came up with the M-16. Good but a cleaning horror. And the Viet Cong had the AK-47. A beast but easy to clean.

'Hey GI, whatcya doin?' budda-budda-budda.........

The evils of colonialism

2005-04-04T03:10:00.000-07:00

A long time ago there was a man named Cecil Rhodes who was an evil colonialist. He took over the lands of the poor oppressed people. thankfully he was eventually kicked out and now they are free to be oppressed by their own people.

Of course our last prime minister sent timber to build this guys private mansion but whats a few sticks among despots eh!

Mr. Mugabe will be immune of any repercussions from his acts of oppressing his own people. After all, you can be a white minority leading the richest nation in Afria but you would be doing something wrong. You could be a black man starving your own people but that would be ok.

Crap.....it's only Monday and I am starting to rant already. It's going to be a long week.

Cool new toys

2005-03-31T02:10:00.000-08:00

Face it, everyone likes cool new toys. One of the things is that when it comes to cool new toys (CNTs) everyone likes to show theirs off to get an 'ooooh' or 'aaaah' from the person listening. Problem is that its embaressing (yes it's also embaressing I cannot spell this word :) for the listener if its not cool or new.

It's like your mom telling her ladies meeting that she got a funny email attachment. Then everyone there is delighted that she has email and they start to twitter over 'new technology'.

Well in many ways Americans have access to cool toys we don't have. Blackberry is one and probably tivo. Generally speaking their toys involve adding batteries and lots of other expensive gizmo infrastructure in the background.

We get many toys here they don't have which don't involve the two. Let's start with this. Back in the OLD days (more than 10 years ago) I worked fast food here (for all of three days until I quit because preparing massive amounts of peppers gave me a rash and made my hands bleed). When I was working fast food they already had these covers.

Then I wondered why I never got one for my PC at home...ooooh maybe because a keyboard here costs around RM 20 for a disposable one and RM 50 for a better one (approx RM4=1USD). Then I saw it was a Mac. I guess people who will pay for overpriced crap ......ooops said wrong word. Let's look here for data on the Imac. The site asks how fast do you want to go today. Possibly you need to ask when you can't give a person all the speed they could want and then some.

Comparisons here are against my RM2000/USD500 AMD (non-overclocked) machine. Since its unfair to compare it against a notebook I chose the desktop edition here. Okey, the top of the line monster they got here is come's in at USD 2,999. Wow, I could get a lot of bananas for the difference in price. Heck I could have 3 PCs for the price of that baby.

First of all, we can forget the actual processor since most bottlenecks now occur at 3 strategic points (1) storage IO, (2) memory and (3) graphics card.

Heh, comes standard with 512MB RAM. Look at the bottom of the page. Someone is advertising a 2 gig kit for USD 300++. Ermmmmm that's the cost of my machine without the monitor. sorry babe, I came with standard 2 gig dual channel.

Graphics card? ATI Radeon 9600XT. Look here for a video card comparison...I use a FX 5700 but that's after I disabled the on board video. Ok, it's not the ultra and I did spend around RM 700 (USD175) on it. Incidentally if you need more graphics rendering mojo then you can stick a second card in there.

2 hard drive bays and 1 cd rom bay? gimme a break people. 1 CD rom, 1 CD burner (standard cost), 3 hard drives (1 SATA inherited from other machine). You don't even have room for what I am using in my cheap dinky machine.

I have the nework card they have and I raise by having an MDI-X type port for the network card. Apple should put these in their machines. Most of their users are clueless so straight cable and cross cable would be meaningless terms leading some long haired, body pierced hippy to go 'huh?'. I like it mainly because I have tons of cables lying around after a data centre job I did for a friend. Never been organised enough to bother about marking the cables.

I will grant that the firewire ports they have are better than the one piddly firewire port I have but then again its not really something you miss all that much anyway. Since no monitor is listed I am going to assume thats the price without monitor. My price includes a monitor (which I replaced since I don't have enough desk real estate).

Overpriced and sucks badly. Ok, granted they have pretty casings but check out the casings for PCs these days....Speaking of which I should probably go get new power supply.

Inaugration Day - When you stand for your liberty we will stand with you

2005-01-21T02:10:00.000-08:00

Disgrace disgrace disgrace

Out here in KL, we only have CNN, MSNBC and the BBC to provide wall to wall news. That's assuming you don't want to watch terrorist news network. Al-Jazeera is lagged anyway since the local terrorists only speak Malay. Sure the recite the book really well in Arabic but here's a big open secret, most of 'em don't understand what they're mumbling. Must be a big downer when god eternal who created everything doesn't speak your language. Sort of like how a student caught for plagarism tells you he didn't know what was in the paper :)

Anyway in terms of speed of the transmission it was in the order of BBC, CNN, MSNBC. Imagine that the Beeb actually faster on the news than anyone. Plus its 4PM in London (tea time). Tsk tsk tsk.

I started off turning to CNN (its the logical progression on my remote so live with it). There was a pre-inaugration smear show which basically went on about how the president protected Israel and screwed the Palestinians. Also it went on about how the other nations were dumping the US dollars due to GWB being re-elected. Well, such is life.

Anyway it was dump dump dump all the way. When Dick Cheney appeared they went on about how he was not running for president unlike other vice-presidents. Imagine Dick Cheney growling in his deadpan about how the elections were stolen by hanging chad.....PHHBBBTTTTT!!!!

When the pres appeared it sucked when they went on about how Trentt Lott made a bad speech. Betya they didn't mention the BJ word during Clinton's inaugration.

Then they went on about Micheal Newdow but we will talk about this later. This was the only thing they found worthy to mention about Rehnquist? PHHHHBTTTT!!!!

By the way Rehnquist's voice rules. I think he has some kind of respirator because it hisses when he speaks. All they needed was to voice over him with James Earl Jones and he would be Darth Vader....do you swear to defend the empire? har har!!!

Then they talked about how the pres took loads of cash from loads of companies for this inaugration. So what? It's their money and they can spend it. Apparently they started by mentioning that they spent $40 million. Apparently each company was only allowed to donate $250,000. CNN mentions how some companies circumvented these by donating and then having various officers donate. At least they mention that Time-Warner gave $250,000. Imagine that, $40 million at 250K per entity. 160 entities anteing up at the maximum amount? Difficult? Doubt it.

They then dropped the other shoe. Apparently the 40 million was equal to X number of humvees in Iraq. Ouch!

Notice how the CNN never mentioned anything unfriendly about anyone else in the crowd. Such as a John Kerry who looked like he was skulking in a corner. Actually Ex Singaporean PM Goh has the same problem. We speculate its due to height. Tall people get used to bending slightly to hear everyone else. It becomes so normal that it looks like they're skulking around.

Ok, let's talk about the two prayes. Notice that while the Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation broadcast the prayers wholesale, CNN decided to voice over the thing with commentary :P Where Micheal Newdow failed TWICE in the supreme court, CNN - immunity idol to Micheal Newdow. As a result, prayer got voted off the air. Even MSNBC aired the prayers.

They did however, not voice over the singers. Guess what? Flipped back to the Beeb.

Cool!!!! Frum is on the Beeb. He's talking about how this is the first president to win so much of a margin (in relation to some bood on the beeb) and win so many seats in the house and congress.

Now the Beeb is setting up the next four years of attacks. They are saying that controlling both houses and the oval office leaves the republicans no excuse for mistakes. Look out for heavy blamestorms.

Frum's saying that this means more pressure on the sand exporters (once the oil runs out) to reform since the US will not allow them to wallow in their present state. Change may no be railroaded but it will come.

Some woman talking head went to Iraq with Jimmy Carter and Christy Todd Whitman is saying that America is going to 'fix' the elections. She's saying that he'll be judged on the consistency of his survivability.

Heh!!! They said the pres had a block of four lines in his speech where he mentions 'liberty' four times and he mentions slavery and so on. This is probably to get his address in stone somewhere just as Lincoln did :) Perhaps, perhaps. Else it's a good back handed compliment for whoever the speech writer was.

Frum's right the pres comes in with two houses behind him but the other two feel that the folks in the house are not going to line up since some are going to face the ballot in two years. They have their jobs on the line but the pres is on the way out (by the way CNN used the term 'lame duck').

Don't underestimate the potential of American force for good and for peace. If GIs had not went up agaisnt the emperors troops during the second world war, I would be speaking Japanese and bowing to the rising sun or still fighting in the jungles, as part of the family traidition.

Beeb coverage over. Now back to CNN.

Ouch!!! CNN is talking about the price tag again. Get over it guys.

CNN says the president mentions the word freedom and liberty 36 times in his speech.

They're also talking about casualties in Iraq. Oh, by the way did you know the pres doesn't care about the troops dying out there. CNN says his speech says he will spend the next four years looking inwards.

Back to the Beeb. Hmmm still more talking heads.

The guy is talking about how the pres has the lowest opinion polls of anyone to be re-elected. And he says in the same breath that the party won all houses, most governerships and so on and so on. Disjoint anyone?

Heh, someone saying grace before the meal. Imagine that. That's really compelling folks to believe in God. You don't pray, you don't eat....har ar ar ar!!!!

What? The Beeb says that the pres will fail because people in his own party are going to balk at his 'excess of vision'. Social security, the war in Iraq etc. So they predict this will lead the pres to go hat in hand to the capitals of Europe and 'tear down the rhetoric' of the first term :) Fat hope. This small 18 inch circle in a corner of the world appreciates a global police force paid for by American tax dollars.

Ok, the Beeb is covering tsunamis now. Apparently the UN will come up with a framework for a mechanism for regional tsunami warning in one year. The target is that within 18 months there will be the capacity to provide warning (sorry someone translate this for me). Apparently one of the problems is that this provides a 'rare opportunity' to consider other disasters and not just tsunamis. Such as floods and storms. Wonder if it should control the weather and become self-aware and call itself Skynet :)

Heh...CNN is covering an EU conference on the 'impact' of another four years of GWB. The Beeb is covering the US. Weird and weird. According to this French guy 'compromise is a two way street, it means we respect each other, it means we listen to each other'. Apparently this is the French reaching out at the threshold of the next four years.

Ok, CNN covering tsunami conference too....sigh...off to do other stuff. CNN is talking about how the WHO needs $67 million to cover 'psychological trauma' suffered by the victims of the tsunami. Crap! In a region where folks sometimes go to bed hungry, suffer from dengue, suffer from tooth decay (the poor cannot afford dental reconstruction), suffer from all other kinds of crap and they want so much money to handle 'psychological trauma'....PAH! This is depressing.

Let's trade. We give tired masses to get sweat shops

2004-12-22T02:10:00.000-08:00

The term sweat shop is a very uniquely American term. Notice that a bit of sweat isn't a bad thing in parts of the world where people starve to death in the noonday sun.

Was chatting with a friend on line about Christmas presents. We went to uni in the states together. She was of the view that she would improve the world by taking a stand against retail outlets who manufactured their clothings or toys in sweat shops.

This is one discussion that always gets me going so I will write it out here and link future recipients to this post.

In the first place one has to understand that living conditions and the 'local context' have a different flavour and odour in different parts of the world. For example, I live in a middle class neighbourhood in a suburb of Kuala Lumpur. It seems comfortable to me and it seems convenient.

Yet during my student days in the US we had other conveniences such as 24 hour super markets, broadband internet access and so on. Broadband is available in Malaysia (adoption around 1%) but it hasn't quite become as pervasive so living without broadband is pretty ok still. No one looks at you like a three legged chicken or a square egg.

The reverse is also sometimes true. Cellular phones here are so much 'cooler' than the clunky ones I see my American friends using. Heck cellular phones are so pervasive here that there are rumbles in the government about cellular competing too hard against wireline infra. The cellular life just seems so much more pervasive here.

So back to sweat shops. I think it's swell that some folks belief that work conditions should be a certain way in their country. For example, let's say we believe a work place should be well lit, air conditioned and provide clean drinking water. This may be your idea of the minimum level of a workplace.

Then we go somewhere more affluent. Perhaps a work place there has a minimum level which adds to these and says you need to have exercise facilities in the building and so on. At what point do we decide that this is indeed the bare minimum?

May I suggest that this is best left to the person who is actually doing the work.

Let me give you an example. A big name shoe maker produces shoes in Malaysia. Since they would be accused of all kinds of nonsense, they came up with a great idea. Hire the workers as contractors.

Every day a truck goes around and drops off a certain amount of materials for these women to glue and stitch. Most village women here can sew to a certain extent or are at least capable of learning. Training is minimal and every worker is paid by pieces of work completed. Finished products are picked up on the next day and more material is provided.

Let's look at a hypothetical Sally who is a village woman. Sally's home in Malaysia would probably qualify as worse than a sweat shop. However, it's better than what their neighbours have. Since she started making shows she has been able to afford to put a stone skirting around her wooden home. This stops the flood waters from coming in. It also allows them to have a small refrigerator. She dreams of having a washing machine next which would certainly help. It hurts to stitch when your hands are soft after soaking them in soap. They have also managed to buy a few cans of paint and painted their home.

Its quite a cheerful place and the neighbours drop by for biscuits and tea from time to time. No one really cares to make an appointment and folks just drop by to say hi. Sometimes they chat about when they were younger.

Next door to Sally is another woman who runs a stall at the market (no air conditioned hyper markets either, just a tarp on the ground there). Slowly as Sally starts to have some purchasing power, meaning they now skip two meals a month instead of twenty, things also begin to improve for the community around them as they buy more and money flows.

This 'sweat shop' model works amazingly well in the absence of corruption and interference.

Then along comes some 'social activist', let's call him Bob. Bob comes from a rich country and enjoys the privileges of social activism simply because his neighbours are rich enough to support his lack of industry. Or perhaps he had wealthy parents who managed to earn enough money in a land of plenty to subsidize his 'activism'. Or perhaps enough people in his society feel enough guilt to fund his ways. Who knows, who cares.

Bob comes to developing country. Generally speaking these folks have never 'walked a mile' in the shoes of the 'poor victims'. Note, most of the poor victims would not have shoes if not for their jobs but thats another story. So under the cover of protecting these people they use all kinds of means to gather 'shocking news'.

A favourite tactic is to recruit a local bunch who then will carry a big fat proud label 'NGO'. Not surpisingly, this particular NGO will be funded by people abroad since lcoals would see a square egg situation. They then go take some 'secret camera' pictures of women working in horrible conditions and send it to their sponsors who splash it on the network news.

Note that the point of these ambush attacks is not the welfare of the worker. It's the fact that the particular large corporation 'exploited' the workers. Of course Bob would not be exploiting the worker. Without the worker he would have some reason to exist wouldn't he.

Anyway one news storm later the company decides to have 'better working conditions'. Now it builds a spanking new factory with all kinds of facilities. Once you have a factory the bare minimum you need to provide in Malaysia is a prayer room, a canteen, and (i believe but may be wrong) some kind of industrial nurse.

Since the factory is probably not going to be in the village where Sally lives (what foreign or foreign educated local management type would want to drive all the way out to the boondocks) you are going to need to provide a factory bus or buses. Oh yeah and workers will demand unions (courtesy of Bob again) who will lobby for benefits and so forth. Pay scales will have to be standardized like pay scales (but less) in the home country of the various social activists. It doesn't matter how many pieces you produce. We pay by promotion.

At some point the working conditions in this factory become better, even better than those at local factories such as, for example, the biscuit factory down the road. Suddenly the biscuit factory finds that it can no longer find employees......they would rather work in the shoe factory where there is days off, prayer times etc.

Yet even the dismal local factory (at least by Bob's standards) seem to attract foreign labour. Since there is unemployment in the country, the government cannot officially allow so much foreign labour in. So once in a while the biscuit factory finds it premises raided and its workers carted off. Not surprisingly a little money slipped to the right hands ensures that all is forgiven. Foreign workers? Who cares, there's tons more where they came from.

Since these workers who come over are 'better' perhaps in skills or whatever. Sally now loses her job. Bob is of course still a happy camper since he has helped improve the lot of the sweat shop workers. It doesn't matter that the original workers he was so passionate about don't work there anymore. After all, these little Asian women all look the same to him.

Sally goes back to her old way of life where she is married to suffering and has no job to do even if she wanted to work. She dreams of the days when her home (yes the one which is worse than the sweat shop) will see the much needed money that her old job stitching shoes brought in. RM 100 for the school books of her child, RM 30 for his annual school fees, maybe RM 2 a day which would have bought him a simple meal in school. (1 USD = approx. 4 RM). Those were simple things when she had an honest job stitching shoes. Yes, the company did not let children work in the factory but at home, they helped her glue shoe parts together. It sure beat going out on the village streets. Things sure seemed better then. Her husband doesn't see the value of education since no one around them ever could get anywhere by going to school. Yet, when she had money he was fine with her spending it on the kids going to school.

When the company moved everything into a factory she couldn't really work there anyway. Who would take care of her children at home? She could keep an eye on them while stitching. Who would cook for her husband? She could cook and work in between. Food prices were also going up now because the government was convinced that people were getting richer.

They used to eat biscuits in the morning but somehow the prices of those had gone up too. Apparently biscuits now had to be bought from other countries because locals could no longer produce them. The last biscuit factory got closed down as the result of tougher immigration laws. The children now go to school without eating. Hopefully they get some free food from the school feeding program but that's hit and miss.

At least her life wasn't as bad as her neighbours. Her husband had run off with a foreign illegal (now legal since she's married). There seemed to be more foreigners these days even though they are being arrested every day

They worked for a lot cheaper than she did so she couldn't get back her old job washing dishes in the roadside stall.

Meanwhile the shoe company has decided that Malaysia is no longer cost justifiable. Bob has gone on to become a 'researcher' who works for an analyst who watches the shoe company. they provide research for ethical investors who feel particularly about labour conditions.

The NGO has gained many international awards for highlighting the plight of labour conditions in a third world nation. It is now moving on to highlight the plight of foreign illegals and their treatment in Malaysian detention.

Meanwhile Sally is preparing to celebrate the 15th Birthday of her son. At 15 all students take an examination. They have to decide soon if he should continue to go to school. After all, he can be a great help in his father's work which is to carry bricks at constructions sites. Apparently the economy is in trouble, many investors have left the nation. Work is scarce and another set of hands earning money is always welcome.

For Sally, there is no happy ending. A home where she worked, worse than a sweat shop. A sweat shop where she could have worked upgraded to become a now vacant factory. The rest of us meanwhile congratulate ourselves on how the world we live in is just all that much better.

Thanks again

2004-12-19T02:10:00.000-08:00

Have a link over at barnabasplace.typepad.com.

Thanks folks.