Capital CO

SOURCE: Associated Press

With Black Friday and Monday behind them, the feds are once again cracking down on websites dealing in bootleg goods.

The Department of Justice said Monday that it moved to seize 82 domain names of websites “engaged in the illegal sale and distribution of counterfeit goods and copyright works.”

The illegal goods include sports equipment, shoes, handbags and sunglasses, as well as the usual merchandise: illegal copies of copyrighted DVD boxed sets, music and software.

Federal law enforcement agents made undercover purchases from online retailers suspected of selling counterfeit goods, which in many cases were shipped to the U.S. directly from suppliers in other countries using international express mail.

“Intellectual property crimes are not victimless,” said Atty. Gen. Eric Holder in a statement. “The theft of ideas and sale of counterfeit goods threaten economic opportunities and financial stability, suppress innovation and destroy jobs.”

The operation, which involved several federal agencies, comes six months after authorities seized domain names of eight websites offering pirated copies of first-run movies. One of those sites, TVShack.net,  shut down only to pop up under a similar name, TVShack.cc.

That U.K. domain site was among those seized on Monday, said John Morton, director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“We are not going to go away,” Morton said.

Naturally, the film industry’s leading trade group was happy with the crackdown. Bob Pisano, chairman of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, called the Internet sites ” ‘the worst of the worst’ rogue websites, which cloak themselves in respectability and yet traffic in counterfeit and stolen goods.

______________________________________

MY TAKE:

Crackdowns on cyber stealing are well-received by me and most of my friends. In fact, we wish the laws would extend to cover shady deals made by construction companies out there who compete with us. We know of plenty of people who have been defrauded by Denver CO construction attorneys who promise to do a job for certain fees and never finish it or don’t do it up to code. This can be particularly prevalent with basement finishing Colorado jobs.

I’m not sure why, but a lot so-called expert basement refinishers may as well call themselves an personal injury attorney, that’s how little they know about the job. Probate lawyers would know more about some of the construction work I’m talking about compared to the swindlers out there who are making it difficult to compete and giving our industry a bad rap.

—————————————————————-

Other Resources

Sheer Fabric Issues

There are many delicate types of fabric out there that require some care when they are integrated into something that is sewn and things like lace trimmings and sheer fabrics that are very thin are something that can be used to create a beautifully feminine type of look but which do require some careful planning before they are integrated into the design. Those items can definitely be used within a design and not end up being too fragile for the final piece but during the creation stage a lot of care must be taken to ensure they’ll come out okay.

Tips for Memorizing Music

While practicing the piano it is often fine to have a book sitting on the piano that’s open to whatever song a person might be playing, but it’s not always the easiest thing to do to perform in front of people without the security of a Piano Adventures on deck that someone can read. Memorizing songs on the piano isn’t always easy, but some of the best ways to go about it will always include playing the pieces consistently and without variation. By learning how to play properly at the beginning of the learning process, memorization becomes easier through proper technique.

Height of Play Equipment

A parent will very often want to put a playground or some play equipment in the backyard of their home for the kids to play on but it’s important that the equipment isn’t too high and doesn’t present a danger to a child. For the most part commercial playground equipment will always be made to standard specifications and the design of such systems is specifically to enhance the potential safety level of the children playing on such equipment. But a home set that’s homemade might not exactly have the same safety features and this is why it’s usually best to buy a professionally crafted piece of equipment.

Utilizing Natural Light on Exteriors

Depending on the direction in which a home faces, there are often some decisions to be made on how best to light the various walls of a home because the exterior lighting might need to be different on each side of the house depending on how much light is available on a regular basis on that side. For anyone who is interested in lighting a side of the house that doesn’t get a lot of natural sunlight, there are some lighting options available that will approximate the same sort of color that sunlight provides a person.

Inviting People to a Baby Shower

When a person holds a baby shower for a dear friend they might wonder who is to be invited to the shower and generally most female family members but it’s always a good idea to talk with some relatives before the official invitations go out because it’s important to make sure everyone is on good terms. Once the guest list has been accomplished it would be time to figure out whether everyone was going to give an individual gift or if work on personalized baby gifts would need to be done in the spirit of coordination.

Basic Baseball Details

When a game of baseball is played on a modern baseball diamond, there are two teams that each has nine players on the field at any given time. There are usually a few coaches standing close to the edges of the baseball diamond and there are always players waiting just off the field to get their chance to be played. The baseballs that are used in very special games are often put in a baseball case on display after an important game as are the bats that are used for very significant home runs that come from famous players.

Traveling Far Away

The family vacation where everyone piles into the car and the family drives off into the sunset several times before they reach their destination is still very strong in practice and many people will look into vacation properties that are quite far away from their current residence. This usually means that anyone who is looking for a vacation that is very far away won’t have any problems as long as they search spots that are well known for tourism. Even if a place isn’t otherwise a tourist hotspot, the internet can usually help a person find potential places to stay.

Some Vehicles Turn into Trucks

An interesting rule regarding the government’s MPG rules might have certain vehicles being considered light trucks in the future as the laws surrounding Virginia used cars for sale will be changing as far as how the vehicle is considered by the government for its standard labeling purposes. Some vehicles will become light trucks because they are to be labeled “non passenger transport” and this means that they aren’t used in an activity like that of ferrying someone around from place to place or just going to the grocery store or something very normal like taking the kids to school.

Why Use Public Relations?

Just about everyone is familiar with public relations firms but for businesses who have not yet considered this type of communication and strategic growth, listing the top reasons why someone might contact a top PR firm Chicago can easily present the benefits of a great PR campaign. Public relations work is generally a very cost effective method of getting information out to the public so for any company with a tight budget, it makes sense to consider a PR firm. Utilizing PR also helps to spread brand awareness and as most companies know the simple awareness of a brand or product is valuable advertising.

Replacement Lamps and Color Wheels

With the many improvements and enhancements made to today’s televisions, finding the proper DLP replacement lamp or other replacement part for your product may include finding a Samsung color wheel or BP96 item. As an electronics parts store may provide such replacements as lamps, cables, and cartridges, you may be able to locate products for your machines from one single supplier. Electronics replacement suppliers may provide additional enhancements for your pieces such as wall mounts and other visually appealing accessories. An additional benefit of utilizing an electronics parts store is the availability of hard-to-find items and rare replacement parts for your machine.

Teacup Yorkies for Sale and the Tiniest Dogs

As Teacup Yorkies for sale will often be of the most tiny and adorable size, it’s not surprising that Yorkshire terriers hold some records in the area of small dog measurements. In fact, the smallest dog in recorded history was a Yorkshire terrier that lived in Blackburn, England named Sylvia. The dog was only 2.5 inches tall at the shoulder, 3.5 inches long and weighed an astonishingly light 4 ounces. In later years, a Yorkie named Thumbelina was classified as the smallest dog in the world and was 5.5 inches tall and 8 inches long.

SOURCE: Associated Press

How small can you go and still live comfortably?

As Americans downsize in the aftermath of a colossal real estate bust, at least one tiny corner of the housing market appears to be thriving. To save money or simplify their lives, a small but growing number of Americans are buying or building homes that could fit inside many people’s living rooms, according to entrepreneurs in the small house industry.

Some put these wheeled homes in their backyards to use as offices, studios or extra bedrooms. Others use them as mobile vacation homes they can park in the woods. But the most intrepid of the tiny house owners live in them full-time, paring down their possessions and often living off the grid.

“It’s very un-American in the sense that living small means consuming less,” said Jay Shafer, 46, co-founder of the Small House Society, sitting on the porch of his wooden cabin in California wine country. “Living in a small house like this really entails knowing what you need to be happy and getting rid of everything else.”

Shafer, author of “The Small House Book,” built the 89-square-foot house himself a decade ago and lived in it full-time until his son was born last year. Inside a space the size of an ice cream truck, he has a kitchen with gas stove and sink, bathroom with shower, two-seater porch, bedroom loft and a “great room” where he can work and entertain — as long as he doesn’t invite more than a couple guests.

He and his family now live in relatively sprawling 500-square foot home next to the tiny one.

Shafer, co-owner of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, designs and builds miniature homes with a minimalist style that prizes quality over quantity and makes sure no cubic inch goes to waste. Most can be hooked up to public utilities. The houses, which pack a range of amenities in spaces smaller than some people’s closets, are sold for $40,000 to $50,000 ready-made, but cost half as much if you build it yourself.

Tumbleweed’s business has grown significantly since the housing crisis began, Shafer said. He now sells about 50 blueprints, which cost $400 to $1,000 each, a year, up from 10 five years ago. The eight workshops he teaches around the country each year attract 40 participants on average, he said.

“People’s reasons for living small vary a lot, but there seems to be a common thread of sustainability,” Shafer said. “A lot of people don’t want to use many more resources or put out more emissions than they have to.”

Compared to trailers, these little houses are built with higher-quality materials, better insulation and eye-catching design. But they still have wheels that make them portable — and allow owners to get around housing regulations for stationary homes.

Since the housing crisis and recession began, interest in tiny homes has grown dramatically among young people and retiring Baby Boomers, said Kent Griswold, who runs the Tiny House Blog, which attracts 5,000 to 7,000 visitors a day.

“In the last couple years, the idea’s really taken off,” Griswold said. “There’s been a huge interest in people downsizing and there are a lot of young people who don’t want to be tied down with a huge mortgage and want to build their own space.”

Gregory Johnson, who co-founded the Small House Society with Shafer, said the online community now has about 1,800 subscribers, up from about 300 five years ago. Most of them live in their small houses full-time and swap tips on living simple and small.

Johnson, 46, who works as a computer consultant at the University of Iowa, said dozens of companies specializing small houses have popped up around the country over the past few years.

Before he got married, Johnson lived for six years in a small cabin he built himself and he wrote a book called “Put Your Life on a Diet: Lessons Learned from Living in 140 Square Feet.”

“You start to peel away the things that are unnecessary,” said Johnson, who now lives in a studio apartment with his wife. “It helps you define your priorities with regard to your material things.”

Northern California’s Sonoma County has become a mini-mecca for the tiny house industry, with an assortment of new businesses launching over the last few years.

Stephen Marshall, 63, worked as a building contractor for three decades before the real estate market tanked three years ago. That’s when he jumped into the tiny house business, starting Petaluma-based Little House On The Trailer.

His company builds and sells small houses that can serve as stand-alone homes equipped with bathrooms and kitchens, and others he calls “A Room of One’s Own” that can be used as a home office or extra bedroom. Many of his customers are looking for extra space to accommodate an aging parent or adult children who are returning home, he said.

He said his small houses, which sell for $20,000 to $50,000, are much cheaper than building a home addition and can be resold when the extra space is no longer needed. His company has sold 16 houses this year and aims to sell 20 next year.

“The business is growing as the public becomes aware of this possibility,” Marshall said. “A lot of families are moving in with one another. A lot of young people can’t afford to move out. There’s just a lot of economic pressure to find an alternative way to provide for people’s housing needs.”

_________________________________

MY TAKE: I can certainly see the attraction to downsizing a home. You’d know longer have any garage storage so your wouldn’t need that old dolly truck and box of antique comics. You really would have to put your collecting and your personal life on a diet, as the writer suggests. I wonder what the responses would look like on questionnaire software asking people if, given the opportunity, they would downsize to a tiny home to save money and time and to simplify their lives. I can’t imagine the survey tools revealing anything less than a large number of people who would, because I think the fact is most of us know we are over-stimulated by technology and living well above our means in order to feel comforts we don’t necessarily need, including big spaces.

———————————————-

Other Resources

Kitchen Fit for a Chef

One of the best things about designing kitchens is that it’s one area of the home where a home owner can truly design a type of space that might be considered a professional kitchen and that the array of luxury kitchen fixtures and professional grade kitchen implements are actually available not just to professional chefs but to anyone with a healthy bank account and a love of cooking. And a professional style kitchen can also look fabulous as well and be a luxurious compliment to the rest of the home, especially if there are other areas of the home offering professional grade machines.

Upgrading Bathroom Fixtures

Getting to redo a bathroom can be a lot of fun, but it’s important to understand that a bathroom is often one of the most expensive areas in the home that can be done along with the kitchen. And so when redesigning the bathroom vanities, careful choices need to be made regarding which fixtures are chosen and how much time someone might have to spend on cleaning such fixtures each week since failing to maintain an expensive number of installations could get rather costly. Some fixtures definitely take less time to install and maintain than others.

Various Types of Automation Tools

When deciding to employ a type of program that is designed to work with various data analytics, there are some types of efficiencies that can be swiftly implemented while others may take some time to identify and change. Various types of options such as time study software can be utilized over a period of time to gauge the different values of various company resources and whether those aspects of the business are being employed with as much vigor as possible. It is important for businesses to make sure they are able to identify as much as they can swiftly so that initial changes can be made.

Machine Safety

One of the reasons why a daily inspection of the skid steer machinery must be done is that small changes over time in the architecture of the machine can add up over time and this usually means that a daily inspection of skid steer loaders attachments each day they’re used is recommended. One of the first things to do is ensure that the entire machine is being investigated each day for any unusual wear and tear such as the hydraulic system that is in place and the various moving parts associated with such a set-up. Even looking at the machine with a good pair of eyes is valuable.

Airport Security Checks Won’t Go away

Think the days are numbered for the walk through metal detector and airport cargo handling screening? Think again: new regulations concerning air cargo secuirty and passenger metal detection equipment in terminals are just beginning to be drafted and if you think taking off your shoes was a hassle you are in for a rude awakening. Soon, it won’t matter whether you’re a high-priced criminal defense lawyer or a low-paid aid to a DUI laywer. You and everyone else will either be subject to increased security rules or be forced to get your own plane. Click here to track TSA changes.

Los Angeles Private Jets

Executive jet charter services offer a variety of traveling benefits that commercial aircraft may not provide and choosing a Los Angeles air charter will have you in the company of several governors, US Senators, and Fortune 1000 CEOs. A Los Angeles private jet charter should be run with the expectation that the pilots and aviators are truly committed to providing the best comfort and safety for clients. Employing a Los Angeles jet charter can enhance the face of your business and can also provide additional luxury for a vacation where relaxing and quiet travel is of the utmost importance.

Iron Door Construction

The security doors are made of 12gauge steel construction with 5/8″ solid iron hand crafted scroll work. The door panel is 2 inches thick and its thicker panel means you will have better insulation. The wrought iron door panels and jams are injected with a high density, closed cell polyurethane foam and have heavy duty greased door hinges with ball bearings. These doors can be either 36″ x 96″ and weigh 300-400 lbs. or the 72″ x 96″ doors and weigh 800-900 lbs. Double doors have a plush old install to lock into the inactive door.

NJ Divorce Attorney

When a couple decides to divorce, the process of beginning a separation of two lives so closely joined can be a difficult one. A Bergen County New Jersey divorce attorney can help when it is necessary to begin litigation or mediation for a couple intending to divorce. As it is necessary for a Bergen County New Jersey divorce lawyer to be well aware of the rules and practices of the state, choosing a lawyer with experience is important. A Bergen County New Jersey family law attorney can also assist with matters such as collaborative law, domestic violence and other issues of family law.

Tree Service and Removal

There are many foliage issues for which a Commerce MI tree service is might be required. For example, with overgrown lawns and yards, commerce MI tree removal can turn a crowded space into a clean and safe area for a home and family or a business owner. Not only can commerce MI tree trimming improve the look and aesthetics of an outdoor area, but tree removal services can also improve safety through tree stump removal, dead tree removal, land clearing, and shrub removal. A tree service can also provide damage control and emergency foliage removal in the event of a storm or other damaging event.

Rustic and Reclaimed Furniture

Decorating your home with rustic furniture, wicker seating, barnwood bedroom furniture, or painted wood furniture can add an authentic flavor and beauty to your home. Not only can rustic furniture add an genuineness to your home’s interior, but this sustainable method of decorating also gives home owners long-lasting furniture that can be enjoyed for generations. Barnwood and reclaimed wood can also serve as a personal and meaningful gift to anyone wanting to improve the feel and spirit of their home. In addition to providing beautiful farm tables and other rustic kitchen enhancements, reclaimed wood furniture is an eco-friendly concept which helps to conserve the planet’s resources and keep Earth green.

Indoor Tennis Courts

Efficient and energy efficient indoor tennis court construction starts with choosing the right sports complex design firm who can offer professionally designed architecture for your indoor sports facility. As an indoor courts construction design building can offer protection from the elements and year-round training options, residents of locations where the weather may impact an athlete’s ability to train in the winter or wet season is a significant perk of deciding upon an indoor training facility. Indoor tennis courts may also offer less time spent on repair and maintenance since rain, snow, and other weather elements will not impact the court’s surfaces.

SOURCE: Associated Press

Job-based health care benefits could be in danger if Republicans and President Obama have their way,

Budget proposals from leaders in both parties have urged shrinking or eliminating tax breaks that help make employer health insurance the leading source of coverage in the nation and a middle-class mainstay.

The idea isn’t to just raise revenue, economists say, but finally to turn Americans into frugal health care consumers by having them face the full costs of their medical decisions.

Such a re-engineering was rejected by Democrats only a few months ago, at the height of the health care overhaul debate. But Washington has changed, with Republicans back in power and widespread fears that the burden of government debt may drag down the economy.

“There is no short-term prospect of enactment,” former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a leading Democratic adviser on health care. “However, in a tax reform (and) deficit reducing context in the long term, the prospects are much better,” said Daschle. He opposes repealing the tax break by itself, but says he would be “willing to look” at it with other changes that improve access to quality health care while reducing costs.

Labor unions believed they had squelched any such talk. Now, they’re preparing for another fight.

Tampering with health care tax breaks is “a terrible step in the wrong direction,” said Mary Kay Henry, the new president of the Service Employees International Union, which represents many hospital workers. “We want the middle class stabilized, not destabilized.”

Employer-provided health insurance is part of a worker’s compensation. Unlike wages, it isn’t subject to income and payroll taxes.

Repealing the tax break would raise several hundred billion dollars a year, depending on how it’s done. Many economists believe employers would boost pay if they didn’t provide health care. Proponents of repeal usually call for a tax credit to offset part of the cost of individually purchasing coverage.

The leaders of Obama’s deficit commission — Democrat Erskine Bowles, a former Clinton White House chief of staff, and Alan Simpson, a former GOP senator from Wyoming — have proposed to limit the tax break or eliminate it along with other cherished deductions, such as the one for mortgage interest. That would allow for a big cut in tax rates.

The commission is supposed to report its plan on Wednesday. It’s unclear if leaders have the votes to back their sweeping changes.

A separate group, the Bipartisan Policy Center, is proposing to cap the health care tax break in 2018 and eliminate it over the next 10 years. That’s part of a deficit reduction strategy from Democrat Alice Rivlin, a former Federal Reserve vice chairman, and former Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N-M., who once led the Senate Budget Committee.

“The problem of rising debt is so serious that Republicans and Democrats are going to have go back and look at almost everything to see how we solve this,” said Rivlin.

Simpson calls the health care tax break a “tax earmark.” He said that “you cannot get anything done in this game unless you deal with every single aspect of the federal budget, and the biggest thing to wrap our arms around is health care.”

Democrats struggled with proposals to curb the tax break during the health care debate, but strong opposition from organized labor won out. The compromise was a tax on high-cost health insurance plans, which won’t go into effect until 2018.

In a twist, the health care law eventually may make it easier to pry people away from employer insurance, a system that dates to World War II and has sustained three generations.

This could apply whether you are the manufacturer of an intrusion detection system, sell network security software, operate a string of West Hollywood DVD duplication companies or simply providing AZ hair replacement therapy. Any business providing health care coverage for its workers could be included.

Starting in 2014, new insurance markets will make it easier for people to buy coverage on their own. These state-based “exchanges” would work like the federal employee health plan. Taxpayer subsidies will help individuals and families with low to moderate incomes pay premiums.

“Before health reform, a declining role for employers would have raised concerns,” Rivlin and Domenici said in their proposal. But well-run exchanges “will provide a viable — perhaps even superior — alternative.”

One Democratic member of Obama’s deficit commission is wrestling with the idea.

California Rep. Xavier Becerra says it’s a very different situation from the health care debate. Back then, policymakers were looking for money to pay for covering the uninsured. Now, they’re looking at rebalancing the role of government in the economy. He’s not considering health care tax breaks in isolation.

“What we are saying is that we are going to examine every tax earmark,” Becerra said. “They are all on the table. If you want to keep one, then show us how you are going to come up with the money. That’s where you really have to put your money where your mouth is.”

______________________________________

MY TAKE: I guess I don’t have anything to worry about since I neither run a hair transplant service or need it. I am a family law attorney however, and I do have two employees. Does the divorce attorney have to comply with these changes? As usual, the Fed is clear as mud on this issue and they’ll likely leave it up to us to figure out last minute after a year or so of wrangling and inside politicking. The more I know, the closer I become a fan of publicizing health care so that I can wash my hands clean of having to provide it or worry about the costs.

————————————————————————

Other Resources

Responding to Negative Comments

There are usually a decent number of methods a company can utilize to ensure that their efforts to enhance a reputation online are being completed in a respectable manner, but one of the issues for proper reputation management is that it’s vital that when a negative comment is posted somewhere, that it is dealt with immediately and that a dialogue is started between the company and the complainant. The worst thing a company can do is ignore negative comments as this doesn’t allow the company to improve upon its products and obtain real, honest opinions from customers.

Magic Fix Not Immediate for Economy

Many people have become quite encouraged that there have been repeated suggestions that the unemployment rates are down in the United States and that a number of staffing agency locations are suggesting that they are actually having to search more than ever for qualified candidates, but some economists are quick to point out that just because jobs have been added to the economy, the recovery isn’t quite through yet. For anyone who is interested in seeing how the economy is actually doing, looking at a long segment of time is usually better practice than just analyzing one month’s worth of data.

Friends and Fitness Goals

Although every woman who wants to lose weight isn’t exactly blessed as far as having friends who want to exercise as well, it can still be worth mentioning that engaging in women’s health Pilates with a friend can be one of the best ways to experience the joys of getting healthier. It’s also worth mentioning that statistically speaking, if a woman decides to exercise with a friend, she will likely be much more apt to keep up with her fitness plans because if she doesn’t attend a class or a run then she will be letting down her friend.

Online Cash Loan

Obtaining cash for cars though an online medium is a simple process that includes first getting in touch with an expert or individual interested in buying directly from an owner. There are a great many professionals who specialize in trading cash for car and a website can help facilitate contact between buyer and seller. After the contacts between parties have been made, with some easy paperwork, a quick cash loan can be handled without any complications or lengthy procedures. As long as the company providing a cash for cars service is reputable and ethical, the process can be fast and worry-free.

Florida Wrought Iron

Iron doors are suitable for a number of different business and home facades and can be fashioned to be appropriate for many levels of sophistication from a polished business to a residential home. A wrought iron door carries with it the benefit of never requiring costly resurfacing or repainting and can last for more than a generation before requiring any maintenance in addition to greatly improving the curb appeal of a property. Wrought iron doors can also assist with the security and safety of a residence or business by providing a stylish and classy barrier to outside intrusions.

Stainless Fasteners and Screws

Purchasing stainless fasteners for your work project may include any number of types of supplies including fender washers, rack mounting nuts, self-tapping screws, and tee nuts. A reputable source for stainless screws or fastener assortments should also be able to provide advice on just which type of fastener is appropriate for your project and how you can save over traditional manufacturers such as Fastenal, Grainger, and McMaster. As the best suppliers will offer stainless steel bolts for greatly reduced shipping costs, other benefits may include extended service hours and expedited shipping for a great many tools, bolts, and pins for your project.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles jaywalkers face a $191 fine now if they break the law in downtown Los Angeles.

During the busy holiday shopping season, the Los Angeles Police Department is ramping up a zero-tolerance policy for jaywalkers downtown, particularly the Historic Core area, as part of an effort to reduce accidents and prevent crime, officials said.

A citation won’t be cheap, now costing $191.

“This is about more than reducing accidents during the holidays,” said LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon. “This is about preventing thefts and robberies. Jaywalking is often done by thieves, purse snatchers and robbery suspects to target their victims.”

Vernon said such criminals often suddenly see a potential target and run across the road mid-block. To be better able to spot such suspects, the department wants to deter law-abiding citizens from such behavior, he said.

“We will be watching; that is the message we want to get out there,” Vernon said. Authorities said officers will paying particular attention to Spring and Main streets.

With the jump in pedestrians, the holiday season can be a deadly one. In 2009, Vernon said, there were three accidents involving a vehicle and a pedestrian in the downtown area between Nov. 25 and Dec. 31.

Two of those incidents were blamed on the person on foot and resulted in serious injury to the pedestrian, Vernon said. The third incident, which resulted in a pedestrian’s death, was due to a speeding driver, he said.

The cost of tickets in Los Angeles has become an issue as officials increasingly turn to parking and traffic violations as a way to boost their depleted coffers. The ticket for an expired meter in Los Angeles jumped from $40 in 2008 to about $50 last year, and “fix-it” tickets for minor moving violations such as broken tail lights more than doubled.

News of the jaywalking crackdown was first reported in the Downtown News.

______________________________________

MY TAKE: FCRA attorneys, truck driving school operators and New York computer repair don’t get much out of this. FCRA lwayers don’t represent these kinds of cases. The folks who will benefit the most from this are the municipalities themselves who will collect significant amounts of money via the fines, and in Los Angeles, where everyone is in a hurry, and as the downtown area becomes more populated again with walkers, these tickets are bound to be issued at greater levels going forward.

————————————————————-

Other Resources

Having Problems with Titles

The housing industry and sales within it are shaky enough without home owners having to deal with additional issues and one problem that some industry members are dealing with currently is issues that regard the inability of some property owners to actually get any traction with a sale because they are having a dispute with their New York residential title insurance. Interestingly, not all title issues actually require the intervention of legal counsel and sometimes issues can be solved with clear and constant communication that exists between all of the parties involved so that everyone can get things done they need to.

Fitting in Abroad

It is often much easier for a person who is an adult to fit in with another culture because that person will be cognizant of the fact that there will be differences between the way Americans do things and how people in another country might do them and this is why when a couple has children and moves to another country, it can be valuable to utilize a Panama American school because this will ensure that the children not only have people around them who they recognized culturally, but they will also be able to assimilate more easily into the local society.

Server Costs and Hosting

Not every business requires a server farm inside a dark, cold room somewhere in a business but one of the things that can indeed help a small business who wants to expand their website beyond what might be available from very minor or general hosting services is to consider looking into dedicated hosting servers, which does cost more but does have a significant number of better options as far as the ability for people to maintain a much higher rate of control on such options as how many people can access the site and who can make changes to it.

Divorcing Pain-free

Austin divorce lawyers are not your only choice for working out custody or visitation issues. If you’ve been vetting Austin divorce attorneys and have yet to be satisfied with your interviews, consider mediation as an alternative. Mediators can help you and your spouse work out your differences without going to court and a lot of drawn out acrimony.

Personal Injury and Malpractice Law

When you’ve been hurt or injured and are interested in obtaining legal assistance for a personal injury lawsuit, finding a Maryland personal injury attorney with the expertise and reputation for winning tough cases is the first step in reclaiming your life after a workplace injury or car accident. Likewise, a Washington DC medical malpractice lawyer can help when you’ve been the victim of hospital malpractice or doctor error. In addition, a Washington DC auto accident lawyer can be at your side when you need to find someone to help you recover from any one of several vehicle accidents including boating, airplane, all-terrain vehicles, and motorcycle.

Lebanon Salon and Spa

A beauty spa can offer many luxuries to its clients including body and face rejuvenations, minor medical treatments like chemical peels, and eye care. A Lebanon beauty spa should be chosen on the strength of its aesthetics and whether the spa provides the procedures and indulgences in which the client is interested. A Lebanon health spa may include both superficial and minor invasive skin treatments or it may specialize in the relaxation and rest of its clients. A Lebanon day spa salon may also focus solely on day trips and short daily stays at its facility, offering such beauty treatments as alternative and holistic treatments or relaxation baths and therapeutic attention.

Lawyers in Union County NJ

Locating a Union County New Jersey divorce attorney should include a careful study of local family lawyers, their experience, and philosophy regarding issues like child support, alimony, visitation, and equitable distribution of assets. Choosing a lawyer who specializes as a Union County New Jersey family attorney is the best first step in beginning the divorce or family court process. It is also important to locate child abduction lawyers who practice locally as Union County New Jersey matrimonial lawyers so you can be sure your chosen firm is knowledgeable about state procedures and policies as they regard family law.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times

President Obama is moving forward on plans announced this month to freeze pay for federal employees for the next two years, a move his team cabinet says could save more than $5 billion through 2012.

“The hard truth is, getting this budget under control is going to require some broad sacrifice, and that sacrifice must be shared by employees of the federal government,” the president said. “After all, small businesses and families are tightening their belts…. Their government should, too.”

The freeze would not apply to military personnel but to all other civilian employees on the federal payroll. Congress would have to approve the proposal in order for it to take effect.

The plan is part of Obama’s effort to contain the $1.3-trillion federal deficit, and will be followed by more proposals for spending reductions over the next few months, White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said Monday morning.

The president’s announcement lands as a pre-emptive strike on congressional Republicans, who are preparing a plan to slash federal pay and workforce next year. It comes in advance of a meeting between the Democratic president and GOP leaders at the White House on Tuesday.

“Clearly, this is a difficult decision,” said Jeffrey Zients, Obama’s chief performance officer and the Office of Management and Budget’s deputy director for management.

Federal employees are hard-working, he said, and “central to delivering services to the American people. We believe it’s the first of many difficult steps ahead … to put our nation on sound fiscal footing.”

In other steps aimed at reining in the deficit, Obama has previously frozen salaries for senior White House officials and proposed doing the same for all political appointees across the government.

His administration is also working on cleaning out what it calls “excesses” in federal contracting and on reducing loss through improper payments. Obama has also directed federal agencies to dispose of excess real estate.

______________________________________

MY TAKE: Well, it’s about time, that’s all I have to say. If the little guys from the small grocery stores out there to the highest-paid Wellington FL injury attorneys have had to make cuts and budget adjustments to deal with the economic crisis we’ve been in, why shouldn’t ever federal employee be expected to do the same? Granted, most West Palm Beach FL business litigation attorneys have the funds to weather this storm, but not the little guys out there, and certainly not the average self-employed worker, many of whom are having to now grapple with the choice of bankruptcy vs. debt settlement. Trying to eliminate credit card debt is going to be a serious issue going forward as more individuals hope to pay off or eliminate credit card debts they racked up to pay for things they couldn’t afford.

———————————————————————-

Other Resources

A High Risk Merchant Account

One issue that some companies must deal with when they are setting up the various types of accounts that must be obtained for things like credit card processing and merchant accounts is that a business might be considered a high risk merchant and this often means that a bank or financing company might end up tacking on some extra fees and conditions if a company is something like an online casino or a company that takes care of bad debt as sometimes these companies have a high rate of failure and can also lose a lot of money very quickly.

Historical Patterns Not a Guarantee of Success

One of the elements of investing that people often quote as being a good idea for research is how economies have behaved in the past which have been under the same type of circumstances. Although there have been a number of people who have looked to buy gold and purchase silver in less favorable conditions than currently present themselves in today’s economic climate, a number of people have said that it’s a good idea to also do research on how the market is behaving today instead of simply how it tended to behave in the past.

Available Rooms for Basement Refinishing

As is often the case with an unfinished room, deciding on the best use for a refinished basement often entails looking into considerations of what type of rooms a home may be lacking and how a new space might best serve the whole family. For example, if a basement is large enough it might be possible to redesign a room to accommodate both an entertainment area with a large television for adults and another area that caters to children like a playroom. The best way to come to a decision on Castle Rock Colorado basement finish is to decide what would be used most.

Advantages of an Offshore Bank Account

While the political unrest in a country can call into question the safety of one’s assets, an offshore bank account carries with it the advantage of the user being able to benefit from a more stable economy or political environment. For residents in countries where potential for political unrest exist, and offshore account can be a safe haven for one’s assets. Occasionally offshore accounts are available with lower rates of operation and higher interest rates which can greatly increase their value. Offshore accounts can also provide citizens of the nations where offshore accounts are common a method for developing economic growth in their own country.

Cutting Business Costs

Retail lighting can be an expensive part of your operating costs, particularly if you are in retail. You can cut costs on case and display lighting by installing energy efficient lighting. Just like in the home, you can save money by using low-voltage, green lighting.

Employment Debates Settled

New York sexual harassment lawyers know how to deal with a vast range of laws impacting workers’ rights. Chief among these cases for New York employment lawyers are accusations by employees of sexual harassment, religious, sexual or racial discrimination. If you feel you’ve been victimized by an employer under one of these categories you could very well benefit from the services of a qualified attorney.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times

Leslie Nielsen, the comedic actor from “Airplane!” and the “Naked Gun” comedies, died this month in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84.

Nielson died of complications from pneumonia at a hospital near his home, surrounded by his wife, Barbaree, and friends, his agent, John S. Kelly, said in a statement.

In “Airplane!,” the 1980 send-up of just about every disaster movie plot imaginable, Nielsen as Dr. Rumack was “an essentially serious actor taking essentially preposterous material very straight,” wrote Times Arts Editor Charles Champlin in his review.

Just how preposterous was it?

As the crew and passengers became ill, Nielsen said they needed to get the sick to a hospital.

“A hospital? What is it?” a flight attendant asked.

Nielsen: “It’s a big building with patients, but that’s not important right now.”

And when Nielsen was told, “Surely you can’t be serious,” he answered: “I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.”

Nielsen followed up “Airplane!” with another goofy role delivered with deadpan conviction as Frank Drebin in the “Police Squad!” television show and “Naked Gun” movies.

It was quite a career shift for an actor who seemed perfectly cast as a handsome leading man when he came to Hollywood in the 1950s, already a veteran of live television appearances.

A typically serious early role was as the spaceship commander in “Forbidden Planet, ” the 1956 science-fiction classic. “It’s the reason I was never asked to do ‘Star Trek’ or ‘Twilight Zone’ for TV,” he told the Toronto Star in 2002. “I carried too much baggage with me from that movie.”

Nielsen played Debbie Reynolds’ sweetheart in the 1957 film “Tammy and the Bachelor,” was the Revolutionary War fighter Francis Marion in the Disney TV adventure series “The Swamp Fox” and had roles in such TV series as “The New Breed” and “Bracken’s World.”

“I just always worked,” he said. “I played a lot of leaders, autocratic sorts. Perhaps it was my Canadian accent.”

Nielsen also was captain of the doomed ocean liner in the 1972 disaster movie “The Poseidon Adventure.”

All the while he “was a closet comedian,” he told The Times in 1991.

Then “Airplane!” changed his career.

Producers-directors-writers Jim Abrahams and David and Jerry Zucker hired Nielsen and other veteran actors Robert Stack, Peter Graves and Lloyd Bridges, all perfectly cast to spoof their own heroic and very serious images.

“I will be forever grateful to them,” Nielsen told The Times in 1991. “It is just an amazing roll of the dice. I am so lucky to be a representative of their humor.”

Nielsen then was cast in “Police Squad!,” which aimed to do to cop shows what “Airplane!” did to disaster movies.

It lasted all of six episodes on ABC, but Nielsen moved on as Drebin to the 1988 movie “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!,” with George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson and Priscilla Presley among his co-stars. Its success led to two sequels.

“Leslie has the idea to play it maybe not straight but deadly serious,” David Zucker told the L.A. Daily News in 1994. “You can take any one performance and just transfer it from a comedy to a drama. There’s just no difference — that’s what he can do.”

Nielsen was born Feb. 11, 1926, in Regina, Saskatchewan. His father was a Royal Canadian mounted police officer and one of his brothers became a deputy prime minister of Canada.

He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force after graduating from high school and after the service studied at a Toronto radio school operated by Lorne Greene — who would become a TV star with the series “Bonanza”— before moving to New York to start working in television.

Nielsen’s later movies included “All I Want for Christmas” in 1991, “Dracula: Dead and Loving It” in 1995, “Spy Hard” in 1996 and “Mr. Magoo” in 1997.

He also toured with his one-man show on the life of defense lawyer Clarence Darrow.

Nielsen had two daughters and was married three times previously, according to the Associated Press. A complete list of survivors was not available.

______________________________________

MY TAKE: Leslie Nielsen had me and my friends rolling out on the garage floor so many times, as we’d sit there watching Airplane and Spy Hard, among other movies he did. He was such a natural for comedy and you took him so seriously because he had all that beautiful white hair and no matter how he aged he always seemed to look so debonair. He likely never once visited a Crestview FL plastic surgeon. And he most certainly never had the need for hiring a Destin FL hair loss specialist. He kept his looks and his grace in tact and whether he was playing an impaired auto driving Ottawa pilot or a fake cop, he was hilarious and always entertaining.

———————————————————————–

Other Resources

Touring the Vatican Museum

As anyone who is slightly familiar with the Vatican in Rome knows, the area is quite significant as far as the history and art that its walls contain and for anyone who is otherwise looking for one of the most beautiful Vatican tour sites, the Vatican Museums area is definitely one aspect of a visit to the Vatican that shouldn’t be missed. The museums area is such that they were first conceived in the early 1500s by the Pope of that era. One of the interesting things is that the Pope and his successors were some of the first people to open museums to the public.

Difference in Smaller Minecraft Game

One of the interesting elements of playing Minecraft is the fact that a player has to watch out for dangerous things and has to mine for lots of materials to make what they want to build in the game. The amount of strain on a computer server that this activity places on the computer means that a lot of people look into Minecraft server hosting so they can figure out a good way to play the game with lots of options. But this is different from the Android version of the game where a player doesn’t actually have to mine for materials because they have an infinite supply.

New York City Discount Broadway Tickets and Schedules

With discount Broadway tickets available for a wide variety of currently running shows, you might be interested in when particular types of shows generally run. Although the rules cannot be applied to every single show on Broadway, the vast majority of open-ended runs are reliably performed Tuesday through Saturday in the evening with afternoon performances added to the weekend. Monday is considered Broadway’s “dark” day and as such, the cast and crew of shows treat Sunday evening to Tuesday evening as their weekend. Interestingly, the Tony Awards are usually held on Sunday so all performers can attend without canceling a show.

Pimp Your Garage

Need extra space? You can lay down relatively inexpensive garage floor tile and hang up some historical flags for a great new look to your garage or basement. If you have a vet in the house, you can hang up POW MIA flags, or get a poker table and decorate the walls with casino themed posters and other items.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times

Paper or plastic has a whole new meaning for workers these days, and it’s not about what to put your groceries in. Now some employers are asking this question of their workers when figuring out the most efficient way to pay them.

These companies are trying to eliminate paper paychecks for employees who don’t do direct deposit, and instead issue them payroll debit cards, also called paycards.

The cards, which are loaded electronically with workers’ pay, are designed for employees who don’t have bank accounts. About 8% of U.S. households don’t have accounts in financial institutions, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Distributing wages on paycards is often cheaper for a company than buying, processing and distributing paychecks. Employees who get the cards, which come with personal identification numbers, can use them at many bank ATMs.

In Irvine, Helpmates Staffing Services — which has 60 employees but can have more than 1,000 temporary workers on its payroll depending on the contracts it gets — initiated a paycard program four months ago. The larger the number of potential paycard users, the lower the cost can be for an employer.

About 17% of Helpmates’ temporary workers chose the paycards for payment, which is more than the company expected, Controller Scott Leighton said. An additional 63% use direct deposit, leaving only 20% who get paid by check.

“Moving paperless is going to save costs and make us more productive,” Leighton said. For example, it cuts back on staffers having to make special trips to worksites with paychecks.

New hires at Helpmates are offered direct deposit and paycard options. But California employers must still issue paper checks to workers who want them, Department of Industrial Relations spokeswoman Erika Monterroza said.

Paycard vendors tout the advantages of the cards for employees who don’t have bank accounts. They enable workers to avoid excessive fees charged by check-cashing companies. And in addition to being accepted at ATMs, paycards in most cases can be used like bank debit cards to make purchases from retailers and even pay bills online.

But users can be hit with a variety of fees.

In California there are no laws that specifically regulate paycards, but according to an opinion issued in 2008 by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, a card user must be allowed to make one free withdrawal of his or her pay per pay period.

That’s because there are laws preventing employers from requiring workers to pay a fee just to receive wages.

But there’s nothing to prevent the assessment of fees by paycard companies for uses, such as ATM withdrawals after the initial free withdrawal or paying bills online. There can also be monthly fees and other charges.

Also, there can be inconveniences. If a paycard is used at a gas pump, a $50 or $75 temporary hold on could be placed on the funds. (Using the card inside the station to pay for gas usually eliminates that problem.)

Checking the amount of money left on a card usually requires a phone call. And using the card along with another form of payment — such as cash or a credit card — to buy something for more money than is left on the card can be tricky too.

Angie Wei, legislative director of the California Labor Federation, said employers should be upfront with workers about the fees that might be assessed.

“We don’t want to stand in the way of modernity for workers, but we want people to be ‘eyes wide open,’” she said.

Some states already have laws that specifically regulate paycards. Wei said her organization was pushing for California to join them.

The cost to employers can vary. Some card providers charge $1 each for the cards plus monthly fees, although they can be discounted. Generally, the more cards an employer issues, the lower the fees.

“You try to keep it so it’s a definite cost advantage to the employer so they can easily see ‘Wow — this is a lot cheaper than checks, and I don’t have to worry about replacing lost checks,’ ” said Don Ault, a vice president at Brentwood, Tenn.-based card provider Comdata Corp.

There are also implications for the way taxes are handled and you can bet NY Quickbook services and New York income tax accountants alike, and their counterparts across the country will have to deal with these payroll issues differently.

A study showed that only 40% of employers have heard of payroll cards, but the card industry expects that to change. Last year, the dollar value loaded on to major brand name paycards was $18.9 billion, or 24% of all types of prepaid cards that carried names such as Visa, MasterCard or Discover, according to a May report by Aite Group of Boston.

The compounded annual growth rate for payroll cards is expected to be 29% from 2010 to 2014, the report said.

Because the costs to employers can vary, doing some research can go a long way toward saving money. The American Payroll Assn. has a website that can be a good starting point.

______________________________________

MY TAKE: I can see this working. Let’s say you work for a company that manufacturers sports pads or smoke free cigarettes, for example, and they pay you in a monthly debit card that you keep getting refilled. You don’t have to worry about depositing checks. You can let the money you earn working for the wall graphics company sit on your card and just Njoy the easy process of whipping out a card to pay bills, gas, grocery tabs and more.

—————————————————————-

Other Resources

Balancing Life and Work

One of the amazing advances granted by the internet involves the ability of anyone who wants to the prospect of working from home or even training at home and for the most part it’s not unheard of for people to obtain work at home job training and then find a rather comfortable living working out of their own home office. One of the fun things about working from home is obviously the convenience, but it’s also a great way to be able to work at alternative times if someone otherwise has a particular schedule that they have to keep because of family obligations.

Business Cash Advance

There are a variety of reasons why you might want to employ a business cash advance, but the best way to go about getting one is through a lender who won’t hassle you with unneeded asset documentation or lengthy applications. Without complex paperwork and tax returns making the process more complicated than it needs to be, you can qualify for an authentic business loan without much of the hassle traditional lenders might put you through. Being denied a business loan after having been put through hours of paperwork and days of waiting doesn’t have to happen.

Laws for Drug Offences

As any drug lawyer Philidelphia will attest to, beating a drugs charge is not easy. You need a qualified Bucks County criminal lawyer to help guide you through the process from arrest to arraignment and all that follow. Do not rely on a public defender or decide to represent yourself. These cases take a lawyer with years of experience to effectively provide you with the kind of representation you deserve and get you the best possible outcome in court.

NY B&B

The main attraction of staying in a New York bed and breakfast is the feeling of staying at cozy home while getting to travel, which is a benefit that a hotel may not be able to provide. Furnishing different levels of comfort and privacy, a New York bed and breakfast inn may also offer travelers such amenities as large closets, well appointed bathrooms and large LCD-TVs, allowing for a luxurious yet home-like residence. As one of the biggest metropolises in the world, experiencing New York City through the elegance and privacy of a B&B rather than standard New York hotel accommodation may lead to a much more personal and relaxed experience.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times

Beginning in March, consumers will for the first time be able to check a government database that will compile safety complaints about a wide array of products such as toys and electrical appliances.

The public database, approved Wednesday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, is almost unprecedented for a government agency.

Companies will be given a brief period to block complaints that are untrue or involve confidential information, but the database appears likely to become the massive equivalent of the Internet bulletin boards on which consumers can post personal safety reviews of products.

That’s a marked change from the previous system in which consumers could file complaints with the commission, but the alleged problem would not be disclosed officially unless the agency ordered a recall.

The 3-2 vote by commissioners to change the system came on party lines, with Democratic members voting to establish the database at SaferProducts.gov, an existing commission website.

The database will allow the commission to “share more information about dangerous products than we have been allowed to in years past — a change that we believe will lead to safer products and, therefore, safer consumers,” Democratic commissioners Thomas Moore, Robert Adler and Chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum said in a joint statement.

The commission’s two Republican members, Anne Northup and Nancy Nord, and other critics said the system was open to abuse, including negative posts by competitors.

They charged that the decision expanded the categories of people who can lodge a complaint beyond what Congress had intended in a 2008 law authorizing the public complaint database.

“As a result, the database with be filled with bogus reports inspired by political or financial motives rather than safety,” Rosario Palmieri of the National Assn. of Manufacturers said in a blog post.

But from a consumer perspective, “I can only see benefits,” said Prashant Malaviya, a marketing professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. “Any little effort to increase the awareness of consumers about defective products is going to help.”

About two-thirds of the U.S. population has Internet access, and online research for product purchases has become commonplace, making the new database a potentially powerful tool for consumers and a loud megaphone for important announcements such as recalls, Malaviya said.

Starting March 11, consumers can contact the commission either via an online complaint form, or a telephone hotline with complaints about products within its purview — basically everything except cars, tires, food, tobacco, drugs and cosmetics.

Companies that register with the commission will be given access to a Web portal in which they can view complaints against their products and have 10 days to object if the information is false or involves confidential business information.

The decision about whether to honor the objection rests with the commission.

A similar website for cars is operated by the Transportation Department at Safercar.gov.

The commission’s database will not include complaints currently on file.

In the case of older complaints, there would be no way to ensure fair comment by product makers, commission spokesman Scott Wolfson said. Besides, the agency lacks the manpower to convert the information into a consumer usable format, he said.

In what could yet develop into an obstacle for the information bank, a Republican House member who is in line to become the chairman of the committee that spawned the database legislation said Tuesday that the rules for the new database were tilted against business.

“Several provisions of the staff-proposed final rule run contrary to the intent of Congress and the clear and unambiguous language of the act,” Rep. Joe L. Barton (R-Texas) said in a letter to Tenenbaum.

With the House soon to be in Republican hands, Barton is a contender to head the Energy and Commerce Committee.

———————————————————

MY TAKE: Ok so let me get this straight: we can complain about anything we like but not cars, tires, food, tobacco, drugs and cosmetics? Well, what does that leave exactly?  Imprinted T shirts, NJ IT consultants and vinyl wall lettering? But the things that might be affecting our health, we can’t complain about? What promotional products or NJ IT management services can provide for us are services, so I guess the theory is we can complain about services but not real products? What about services from a computer repair company? Can we call in and complain? For instance, if we have a bad experience with a computer service? I’m just not sure I’m getting how this new registry is supposed to really help us out.

———————————————————

OTHER RESOURCES

Better for the Environment

One of the reasons why electronic fuel injection systems have been pushed in newer vehicles for being better for the environment is because of the significantly better fuel efficiency enjoyed by such vehicles but more importantly, the exhaust and emissions associated with what comes out of an internal combustion engine is such that the response has been rather positive regarding the reduction in environmental impact that the introduction of fuel injected systems has brought. The reason that the emissions are less toxic is because the right amount of fuel is more likely to go through the engine without waste.

Helping After a Robbery

When a company has been burglarized, one of the things that must be accomplished by the police team working on the case is that the events that took place during the burglary need to be considered as it’s important to figure out where the security system may have broken down and whether a more advanced CT commercial security system might be needed in the future to prevent another similar burglary from occurring. All businesses run the risk of being impacted by theft but the good businesses will learn from those thefts to prevent them in the future.

Allen TX Pool Service Plans

There are many levels of pool maintenance and service and when you choose to employ an Allen TX pool service you might be able to take advantage of several cleaning options. Many maintenance packages will include such items as an adjustment of water levels, checking of water chemistry, application of chemicals, and the emptying of skimmer baskets. Further maintenance might include a netting of your pool, scrubbing pool tiles, pool vacuuming, and an inspection of all moving or mechanical parts in the pool. Rates for a bundle of services may range from around sixty dollars to close to a hundred and forty.

Home or Business Security

North Highlands private security firms are available to help you protect your home or business. Call an Elk Grove private security firm today and find out how easy and affordable it is to provide 24/7 peace of mind.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times

On a day of plenty, there are still many in need.

As the nation attempts to recover from recession, many remain out of work, or are struggling to get by on part-time jobs. In Los Angeles County alone, more than 1.56 million residents lived below the poverty level last year, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

“You think there’s signs of a turnaround, but there’s no sign of a turnaround here,” said the Rev. Andy Bales, who heads the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles’ skid row. “There’s a lot of people barely making it.”

At the same time, contributions to charitable organizations are dropping as donors become stretched.

Many families will be sitting down to a chicken dinner this Thanksgiving because food pantries decided they could help more people by forgoing the traditional turkeys.

“L.A. at times gets a bad rap, but this is a giving community,” said Michael Flood, president of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. “I would just appeal to people who are doing OK financially to do what they can to help people who are struggling.”

There are many ways to give. You could buy a gift for a needy child, hand out food to people living with HIV, donate your legal expertise to female offenders who are rebuilding their lives, or foster an abandoned pet for the holidays.

Here are a few of the many places where you can contribute:

AIDS Project Los Angeles provides care and support to about 10,000 people affected by HIV, most living on less than $10,000 a year. Needs financial contributions, non-perishable food items and volunteers for its food pantries and special events. By mail: The David Geffen Center, 611 South Kingsley Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90005. (213) 201-1600. http://www.apla.org

A New Way of Life Reentry Project provides housing and support to female offenders transitioning back into the community. Needs women’s undergarments, baby clothes, diapers, toiletries, cleaning supplies, grocery store gift cards, a cargo van, financial contributions and volunteers who can donate counseling, dental care, household maintenance and legal services. Box 875288, Los Angeles, CA 90087. (323)-563-3575. http://www.anewwayoflife.org

Animal shelters and rescue groups are seeing an increase in abandoned pets and a decline in adoptions because of the economy. Need families willing to foster a pet for the holidays, which could help them decide if they are ready to adopt. To find a participating shelter in your area: http://www.petfinder.com/fosteralonelypet

Firefighters from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties and the city of Los Angeles collect gifts for needy children. Need new, unwrapped toys or sports equipment. Drop off donations at any local fire station until Dec. 24. To donate: http://www.calfund.org/give/giving_sparkoflove.php

Fred Jordan Missions serves about 600,000 meals a year to homeless people living on skid row and in nearby communities. Needs new or gently used warm clothing, meat and nonperishable food items, financial contributions. Box 12345, Covina, CA 91722. (800) 964-3663. http://www.fjm.org

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles has helped hundreds of families move out of substandard housing since 1990. Needs financial contributions and volunteers to build homes. c/o Development Department, 17700 S. Figueroa St., Gardena, CA 90248. (310) 323-4663. http://www.habitatla.org

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles offers services for disadvantaged residents, senior citizens and a volunteer literacy program. Needs financial contributions and volunteers. Goldsmith Center, 6505 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048. (866) 968-7333. http://www.JewishLA.org

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank supplies food to more than 550 pantries and other charities. The group needs nonperishable food items and financial contributions, or go to its website to find a pantry near you that needs volunteers. 1734 E. 41st St., Los Angeles, CA 90058. (323) 234-3030. http://www.lafoodbank.org

MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity) assists as many as 31,000 people in need in the San Fernando Valley each month. The group needs volunteers to help collect, sort and distribute holiday donations; new, unwrapped gifts for children ages 10 -14; new blankets; frozen turkeys; apples and oranges; baking supplies; store gift cards; financial contributions. 10641 N. San Fernando Road, Pacoima, CA 91331. (818) 897-2443. http://www.mendpoverty.org

The Salvation Army Southern California Divisional Headquarters distributed more than 100,000 toys and provided more than 250,000 meals last holiday season. Go to http://www.jcp.com/angel to find needy children and senior citizens by ZIP Code and send them a gift from their wish lists. The group needs volunteers to pack and distribute donations; new, unwrapped toys for children up to age 16; new clothing; food items; financial contributions. 180 E. Ocean Boulevard, Suite 500, Long Beach, CA 90802. (800)-725-2769. http://www.salvationarmy-socal.org

Umma Community Clinic provides free and low-cost primary care medical services to about 170 patients a week in South Los Angeles. The group needs financial contributions and volunteers to do office work. Box A52, Los Angeles, CA 90044. (323) 967-0375. http://www.ummaclinic.org

Union Rescue Mission houses about 1,800 people and serves about 5,000 meals a day over the holiday period. The group needs new, unwrapped toys; wrapping paper and ribbon; nonperishable food items; financial contributions. 545 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. (213) 347-6300. http://www.urm.org

_____________________________________________

MY TAKE: There are so many non profits and charities out there who were hit hard by the commercial real estate loans and housing market crash. They are doing all they can to raise extra funds in order to recover, including refinancing their own commercial mortgage financing loans, if they own their buildings, looking for donations of old cars and trying to sell damaged cars, and clamping down on how they spend their time and attendance. But let’s face it: cars for cash and small donations are not enough. And with philanthropy dried up due to the recession, giving to charities is not foremost on most people’s minds.

—————————————————————-

MORE RESOURCES

Cut Costs and Boost Your Bottom Line

It doesn’t matter whether you’re Paramus NJ divorce mediator. Philadelphia divorce lawyer Payroll service solutions providers can help your business save money. By outsourcing your employees payroll you save time, and in any business time is money.

SOURCE: Associated PressAn Idaho judge has set bond at $100,000 for a Boise woman police say posed as a physician and duped at least two other women into having their breasts examined by her at Boise-area nightclubs.

Kristina Ross, 37, remains in Ada County Jail in Boise on two felony counts of practicing medicine without a license.

Police say Ross introduced herself to victims — one at a downtown Boise bar and the other at a nightclub in a Boise suburb — as a plastic surgeon named Berlyn Aussieahshowna, a name that turned out to be bogus.

The two women told Boise officers they believed Ross was a physician because of her apparent medical knowledge, and they agreed to undergo what they thought were breast exams, which happened at the bars.

As part of her ruse, Ross gave the women the telephone number of a real licensed plastic surgeon in Boise, the state capital, authorities said.

Staff at that medical office became alarmed at the number of calls they received from women in recent weeks attempting to confirm appointments or surgeries with a Berlyn Aussieahshowna, according to charging documents.

Medical workers on Tuesday alerted Boise police about the pattern, and they later arrested Ross.

The suspect’s gender is unclear. Idaho court records show that Ross was arrested for petty theft in the spring and that the arrest warrant was issued to a Kristoffer Jon Ross.

The Idaho Statesman website reported that Ross has a previous criminal record as a man but identifies herself as a woman and was booked into Ada County Jail as a female.

Cosmetic surgical procedures Ross discussed with victims after she touched their breasts under the guise of a medical evaluation included breast augmentation and liposuction.

The court on Wednesday found Ross was eligible for a public defender and set a preliminary hearing on the two felony charges for December 1. If convicted, Ross could face a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 for each count.

————————————————————–

MY TAKE: So, it’s one thing if you pose as a cleaning in Silverspring MD housekeeper or a manufacturer of a sports nutrition supplements line. But lets face it: this is pretty unusual. A man posing as a woman posing as a breast augmentation “doctor” just to cop of a feel? I can’t think of anything more hilarious. Rockville MD homecleaning and sports nutrition fakes couldn’t hold a candle to this woman, or man, which ever the case may be.

————————————————————–

Other Resources

Areas of Criminal Law

Criminal law encompasses a wide variety of offenses, all of which are in violation of a public law. This differs from civil law which impacts a person’s right to civil liberty. Some types of criminal offenses where a Marysville WA criminal attorney may be required of the accused include such crimes as burglary, robbery, theft, murder, shoplifting, reckless driving and illegal possession of firearms. Each of these crimes carries with it various penalties and those punishments may vary depending on the circumstances of the particular criminal offense. Punishments may include jail time, fines, or community service.

Holding the Calls

If you need to hire a call answering service to handle customer inquires during off hours you need to tread carefully. There are many different types of answering services out there and you want to be sure to hire a company that will have your business’s best interest at heart at all times.