tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47329210110923291362024-03-19T20:35:23.805-07:00Jeana's World of LawAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-10505689819997908392013-02-28T06:17:00.000-08:002013-02-28T06:17:03.512-08:00The Next Three MonthsWell today is the big day: the start of my LSAT class and the end of my life as I know it. Running February 28 to May 30, I am enrolled in the Kaplan Advantage online/on site LSAT prep course.<br />
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As soon as the class ends, the actual LSAT and law school applying phase begins. After two years "off" from college, it all seems super intense...but definitely worth it. I've been telling myself since I can remember that I wanted to become a lawyer, and now it's actually (almost) on the road to happening.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I will be as obsessed with the LSAT as Russell is with saving his wife.</td></tr>
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Before it all goes down, I'd like to send thanks to all my friends and family who helped my pick (and fund) the right course for me. I've taken the practice LSAT, but - like most pre-law schoolers - liked, not loved, my score. Luckily, I have enough time and motivation to study to get my grade up. This is me pre-course. Let's see how I feel in three months.<br />
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"I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'" - Mohammad Ali.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muhammed = Me. Sonny = the LSAT.</td></tr>
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This all being said, I will be taking a break from my blog. I will update it as much as possible, perhaps as a procrastination method, but if not - at least you will know the reason why!<br />
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I would like to keep my blog as relevant as possible in my hiatus, so here is my call to guest bloggers. If anyone has any material relevant to law, law school, the LSAT, being a lawyer, politics, business, etc; that they would like to submit as a guest blog post then please don't hesitate to send it my way! Either message me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeanas-World-of-Law/244881422277595" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Facebook</span></a> or shoot me an <a href="mailto:jeananw@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">email</span></a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIA3ByesMsdATkmG-KS5hdMyY699EULEL82Emc4bn8SQQAw5FhOEe6pQ_hjIonr5K-zUdZVqGogBcf3uakJNudAM9aJ0qVmPFaXi6tR_M8OBla_B_BI5fv3MH29rdCuphDKmtymK-b9w/s1600/scared.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIA3ByesMsdATkmG-KS5hdMyY699EULEL82Emc4bn8SQQAw5FhOEe6pQ_hjIonr5K-zUdZVqGogBcf3uakJNudAM9aJ0qVmPFaXi6tR_M8OBla_B_BI5fv3MH29rdCuphDKmtymK-b9w/s320/scared.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't be scared to send me your guest post !</td></tr>
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As my law life progresses, I hope to keep this blog so that it may one day turn into a resource for others who share the same interests. I acknowledge that this is a pretty big dream, but hey, might as well give it a shot. Wait, am I still talking about my blog, or my life? I guess they're about the same!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYtDWNlE9eSvCEi6026O1qWZ52TwUrwHjDjZhwKmeU84HiYKQXSX1gFt7yrQR8exc_-sz4-yiwGfOqy6aXRZHMOg5COfviH9oaPWTBXPgRvfM0_RlmHBQlEV4JS1B6V3BmiDI6oKQrUg/s1600/me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYtDWNlE9eSvCEi6026O1qWZ52TwUrwHjDjZhwKmeU84HiYKQXSX1gFt7yrQR8exc_-sz4-yiwGfOqy6aXRZHMOg5COfviH9oaPWTBXPgRvfM0_RlmHBQlEV4JS1B6V3BmiDI6oKQrUg/s320/me.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soon to be me. Okay so I may be getting ahead of myself.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0Washington, DC, USA38.8951118 -77.036365838.697372800000004 -77.3590893 39.0928508 -76.7136423tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-61886959827638534612013-02-14T08:19:00.001-08:002013-02-27T16:27:49.764-08:00Happy Valentine's Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ok_yCkXij_z7NbwJPi0ETLp1zT3Ii4vIb0y5TwkC3NkqDRPxh-cw3WIaBOH6FRwEOOkwQfxfG18f_5ER8LhYthUpJWR5EbFbqjK632QnDzuwFfHm58YdxpGSNXnLWn9Si0qrCFrcZrs/s1600/love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ok_yCkXij_z7NbwJPi0ETLp1zT3Ii4vIb0y5TwkC3NkqDRPxh-cw3WIaBOH6FRwEOOkwQfxfG18f_5ER8LhYthUpJWR5EbFbqjK632QnDzuwFfHm58YdxpGSNXnLWn9Si0qrCFrcZrs/s320/love.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy Valentine's Day! Forgot to send that special someone a message of your love? Then check out these hilarious <a href="http://www.worldbook.com/presidents-of-love"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">President's of Love</span></a> e-cards before it's too late.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-1210370604463981102013-02-13T08:27:00.001-08:002013-02-13T08:27:20.522-08:00Renewable Energy Guest Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQIiuQsdFhOc5pbfPxH6w_vKmLmkGh3qUSI4BKIEUKn9cn1wjh84vzrcld11gGfzqd-G3rVgrRZLsGQfUAEC3bcDoyUtsDh3_Q4hAR3zt60o08-1KdnBVjVkkkPlGuKNHihdnKhKvDow/s1600/lease.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQIiuQsdFhOc5pbfPxH6w_vKmLmkGh3qUSI4BKIEUKn9cn1wjh84vzrcld11gGfzqd-G3rVgrRZLsGQfUAEC3bcDoyUtsDh3_Q4hAR3zt60o08-1KdnBVjVkkkPlGuKNHihdnKhKvDow/s1600/lease.jpg" /></a></div>
The high, up-front cost of solar panel installation causes many people to reconsider utilizing this renewable energy source, despite the fact that it not only lessens monthly electricity bills but also reduces our carbon footprint. However, the new option of "solar leases" are a great alternative and are expected to lead to more installations nationwide.<br />
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Want to learn more about solar leases? Check out my <a href="http://thebitbot.com/alternative-energy/2013/02/solar-leases-expected-to-increase-residential-solar-energy/">guest blog post</a> about them!<br />
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Does your state offer solar leases? Check <a href="http://www.residentialsolar101.org/financing/solar-lease/">here</a> to find out.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-2130136532779479772013-02-09T04:22:00.000-08:002013-02-09T04:40:29.052-08:00You Took the LSAT, Now What?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhn9jryuXISwcfvgB3p7LmrKaliVtXgfq3gWb6vFtgxkeDg1SKMpwUz_NJlc83kk-v18t6AAuaKqf2g0nKQea5czjwQm9wk96L-vO2RYFumdl8vwYw0i0Isjiz0Tm9oYm3tzuLTwIMLA/s1600/blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhn9jryuXISwcfvgB3p7LmrKaliVtXgfq3gWb6vFtgxkeDg1SKMpwUz_NJlc83kk-v18t6AAuaKqf2g0nKQea5czjwQm9wk96L-vO2RYFumdl8vwYw0i0Isjiz0Tm9oYm3tzuLTwIMLA/s320/blog.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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Good luck to everyone who rocked the February LSAT today! Although I am not taking the LSAT for another four months (hello June LSAT), I think about it quite often. For most of us who have always known that we wanted to become a lawyer, the LSAT is the mighty gatekeeper. I think about all the preparation that went into today, all the time and money spent, just for this test.</div>
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he February LSAT scores are scheduled to be released via email by Wednesday, March 6, 2013, so you'll have to wait about one month for your LSAT score. Your future could very well rest on these results, and they make you wait? That being said, now what? T</div>
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Your first priority, provided you’re applying this year, should be to finish your law school applications. Polish your personal statement, check to make sure that The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) has all the necessary documentation, and generally prepare everything so that you can submit your applications the instant your LSAT score drops.</div>
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In case you didn't know, the <a href="http://www.lsac.org/jd/apply/cas-law-school-reports.asp">CAS</a> creates your law school report by combining:</div>
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<li>LSAT score(s) and writing sample(s)</li>
<li>an academic summary report</li>
<li>all undergraduate, graduate, and law/professional school transcripts</li>
<li>letters of recommendation/evaluations, if applicable</li>
<li>other relevant information, such as prior matriculation</li>
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But wait, you’ve done all that haven't you. And it's all there in a neat little pile - or its already at your beloved potential law school waiting for the LSAT score to come join its friends. And now the uncertainty of not knowing your LSAT score is driving you up the wall.</div>
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In that case, you have two options. 1) Think about all the questions you were unsure of. You know, that one logic question you thought you nailed, but now you're not sure. 2) Login to your Law School Admission Council (LSAC) account page and click 'refresh'. Keep doing this until you see your LSAT score - that's right - a good 10 seconds or so before you would have received it by email. </div>
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Not interested in those plans? I didn't think so. Instead, a better, saner plan would be to distract yourself. Don't become inactive, because when you do, your mind will go right back to your February LSAT score and its affect on your not-so-distant future. Need help? Here are some ideas:</div>
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<b>1. Train. </b>Now that you have all this free time, pick an athletic event and start training. Find something, make a schedule. At this point it’s likely to be something that’ll come after your LSAT scores come out, but that’s fine; after all, the nervous anticipation isn’t going to end when you submit your law school applications. Get to work at getting in shape, and reap the benefits: you’ll be distracted, you’ll be tired, and you’ll probably have an easier time getting your mind off the LSAT and sleeping at night. Also, those feel-good endorphins can really help overcome anxiety!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmu1kfGY0dQ714zLtroMJpkl4UvDf5EIsf2WQjm8DQDyA3osJt_meo5MN6TEqB5Iw-elf0m7eehEkDBnFMb8dg1KEf4sExX6BHt08y2uBF69iigEgTk5xvd9o1tVhsvBwaDrvWb-YB6tk/s1600/5k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmu1kfGY0dQ714zLtroMJpkl4UvDf5EIsf2WQjm8DQDyA3osJt_meo5MN6TEqB5Iw-elf0m7eehEkDBnFMb8dg1KEf4sExX6BHt08y2uBF69iigEgTk5xvd9o1tVhsvBwaDrvWb-YB6tk/s320/5k.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In just 1 month you can easily train for a 5k</td></tr>
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<b>2. Obsess. </b>No, not about your future - about something fictional. Find some form of entertainment that will obsess you. It could be a series of books, a TV series, or anything else. The important thing is that it be something that captivates you to the point of absolutely needing to see what comes next. Channel your obsession into reading the next chapter, or watching the next episode, not into thinking about your LSAT score. My personal recommendation? TV series: Homeland and/or Breaking Bad. Books: Game of Thrones (which coincidentally is a series too, but not as good as the book). You'll thank me later.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrs4_FasqTiNbuUMgLDx9MsTJkUpwGnu4OcPxCQgAntAgocElMNJi0UCSrxnkldJp-QXSqYjnj_w1JoBRPALls9_XdBgFj3AU-RLjo1xTQ2FyrPU0zVdWVD_cCxQM4IuJrEvFUmQVOV8/s1600/homeland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrs4_FasqTiNbuUMgLDx9MsTJkUpwGnu4OcPxCQgAntAgocElMNJi0UCSrxnkldJp-QXSqYjnj_w1JoBRPALls9_XdBgFj3AU-RLjo1xTQ2FyrPU0zVdWVD_cCxQM4IuJrEvFUmQVOV8/s320/homeland.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As time consuming as studying for the LSAT, but way more addicting</td></tr>
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<b>3. Hobby. </b>Okay so that's not an action verb, but you get it: pick up a new hobby. It can be an activity, interest, or pastime. Whether it's knitting a sweater, learning how to cook, playing tennis (or ping pong), or researching the World War II, get to it! Your newfound skills and knowledge will not only keep you occupied until your scores are released, but they can last a lifetime if you want them to.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sSI32xMBPdEohzMSgbBfr7E4p0NHxX-o4wp5RDNOROHa8EZ0UiFMWN9AX829C0WS9t6VfKZZ8n2Ftm_U09bPE7zMznOGBi8GlFP6h0YC7eL6rBh4h647GA_beeEogznvoEBvwfYKEqw/s1600/skit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sSI32xMBPdEohzMSgbBfr7E4p0NHxX-o4wp5RDNOROHa8EZ0UiFMWN9AX829C0WS9t6VfKZZ8n2Ftm_U09bPE7zMznOGBi8GlFP6h0YC7eL6rBh4h647GA_beeEogznvoEBvwfYKEqw/s320/skit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This could be your new sweater!</td></tr>
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<b>4. Work.</b> Get a job! You may not be able to find your dream job within a month, but perhaps at a local business, restaurant, or retail store, or for a family needing a babysitter. If you're up front about your time frame, many jobs may be happy to have a short-term hire to give a hand. This is not only a great way to pass the time, but an amazing opportunity to make new connections and some cash along the way! If a job is not for you, then volunteer your time. No matter where you live, there is always a cause you can devote your time to. If not a local shelter or charity, there are many politicians up for re-election that would never turn down a (free) helping hand. And while altruism is great and all, this time spent can go on your resume. And if you enjoy it, you can keep it up!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-1zIKdQW_2PSRFe7pBG3ihnbgSo-fNJolhpKhlQRi-sWihuph8DG1D4-0BfHoM8Lf69sE1gl75LnVhpJJQ67Ietrpq4Ga9eHHDu9wZL1T0CZIryoIZ_SC927K6OsC_FIECOUb_QoWr0/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-09+at+9.02.24+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-1zIKdQW_2PSRFe7pBG3ihnbgSo-fNJolhpKhlQRi-sWihuph8DG1D4-0BfHoM8Lf69sE1gl75LnVhpJJQ67Ietrpq4Ga9eHHDu9wZL1T0CZIryoIZ_SC927K6OsC_FIECOUb_QoWr0/s320/Screen+shot+2013-02-09+at+9.02.24+AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With practice, even you can carry two plates at once!</td></tr>
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Whatever you end up doing with your time, good luck. Keep your eyes off your LSAC page, get out and enjoy the world. After all, in law school you won't have that much free time! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-60578457410442134702013-02-04T08:26:00.000-08:002013-02-06T10:51:13.994-08:00Aspiring Bitter Lawyer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCsx31-7q4UdTIlfTTMQtTNMYv9E53z9SZt4o7SkTHGLjhJiVmNayt7Hyideu1-e-HlIdiNpa9XamTs1AkkS3ZpETWJLrwovHG4i4WgLQOfwyKVhGFoyXNrzO-KP5p6IQKz-9IKvmTtg/s1600/Guest-Post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCsx31-7q4UdTIlfTTMQtTNMYv9E53z9SZt4o7SkTHGLjhJiVmNayt7Hyideu1-e-HlIdiNpa9XamTs1AkkS3ZpETWJLrwovHG4i4WgLQOfwyKVhGFoyXNrzO-KP5p6IQKz-9IKvmTtg/s320/Guest-Post.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Check out my latest two guest posts featured on Bitter Lawyer - one of my all time favorite law humor blogs.<br />
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Although I've been busy studying for the LSATs (while balancing my work internship and my social life) I still managed to pop out some guest posts.<br />
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Check them out here:<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.bitterlawyer.com/law-school-applications-from-potheads-up-350/">Law School Applications From Potheads Up 350%</a><br />
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2. <a href="http://www.bitterlawyer.com/krazy-glue-may-not-really-be-all-purpose/">Krazy Glue May Not Really Be “All Purpose”</a><br />
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Are you an aspiring bitter lawyer interested in guest posting? Then contact me at jeananw@gmail.com for a chance to guest post on my blog!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-91613305091246770822013-01-31T12:46:00.003-08:002013-02-01T06:18:15.429-08:00Chris Christie: A Self-Loathing Republican?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFHf6m4hqPFnKksjIKrWXnCxAwVW-Zy4ZybmYb71E-Y9tLpyAUbBH5KDHVVJLzDryIf1sU1y-ObuUBShVO5Ly3u6oLxgYrPvMGJnvzf7bJpKG8HE434BXwDXGhCDyS9quY74jZ9fCVu8/s1600/chris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFHf6m4hqPFnKksjIKrWXnCxAwVW-Zy4ZybmYb71E-Y9tLpyAUbBH5KDHVVJLzDryIf1sU1y-ObuUBShVO5Ly3u6oLxgYrPvMGJnvzf7bJpKG8HE434BXwDXGhCDyS9quY74jZ9fCVu8/s320/chris.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Usually I try and remain as un-biased as a recent college graduate living in Washington D.C. interning for an environmental law firm can be, but today I wanted to write about Chris Christie. I like you, Christie. You do it for me.<br />
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I started thinking about the Republican Governor of New Jersey this afternoon when I came across a Huffington Post article detailing his interview with the Washington Post in which he condemned of the GOP by calling their decision to lengthen the nomination process in 2012 the "<a href="http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/christie-on-lengthening-nomination-process-stupidest-thing-republican">stupidest thing the Republican Party ever did.</a>" A party, keep in mind, that he is very much a part of. </div>
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Last February he made a similar remark in an interview with Fox News (gasp), in which he called the Republican National Committee's decision to award delegates in most states proportionally "the dumbest idea anybody ever had."</div>
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I can't help but be brought back to the controversial Hurricane Sandy. You know, that annoyance that disrupted the 2012 campaign trail. When Sandy quite literally ripped open the east coast, both presidential candidates took barely a moment to comment before jumping back on the trail. But not Christie. In my opinion, this was the game changer.</div>
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Here was Christie with his state, his people, his beaches, destroyed. He praised Obama for his "outstanding" action post-disaster and politely declined the Republican's request to attend a pro-Romney event. Isn't this exactly what a leader is supposed to do? Put party sides away, and fix the problem? But of course this drew out the peanut gallery, proclaiming that Christie was throwing Romney under the proverbial bus. Why? Because he was there to support the people of the state he governs?</div>
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When asked on Fox & Friends about his oh-so-questionable actions, he replied that he doesn't "give a damn about presidential politics" right now. </div>
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Continuing on with Sandy, more recently, Christie pushed for Congress to pass a bill for disaster relief aid. We all know now that in the eleventh hour...the bill was not passed. Pulling no punches, Christie stated: "[Last night,] the House majority failed most basic test of leadership and they did so with callous disregard to the people of my state. ... It was disappointing and disgusting to watch." He also unapologetically named names: "There's only one group to blame ... the House majority, and their Speaker, John Boehner." He added that the relief bill "just could not overcome the toxic internal politics of the House majority."</div>
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Burn! And in case you didn't know, John Boehner is a Republican. Christie also took the high road in terms of decrying the overall atmosphere of hyperpartisanship in the government, arguing very correctly that "Americans are tired of the palace intrigue and political partisanship of this Congress ... this used to be something that was not political. Disaster relief was something that you didn't play games with."</div>
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His strong statements of non-conformity are more than anomaly in today's polarized world of Democrat vs. Republican. Why does a Republican <i>have </i>to be one way and a Democrat another? Can't we all be a bit self-loathing to our registered parties? Can't some people be pro-gay rights and anti-abortion? </div>
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Although I do not agree with everything Christie stands for, I believe he is a model politician. In brief...here are some of this beliefs:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Abortion: Pro-life, but supports the exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother. He opposes public funding for abortions.</li>
<li>Homosexual rights: For same-sex rights in form of civil union. Believes homosexuality is not a sin; people are born that way.</li>
<li>Energy: Pro-renewable/green energy. Currently considering a windfarm off the coast of NJ. Does not oppose NJ's state-wide cap-and-trade legislation.</li>
<li>Environment: Acknowledges the reality of climate change.</li>
<li>Immigration: Supports amnesty for illegal aliens, has expressed support for a pathway to citizenship.</li>
<li>Education: For the protection of teacher pensions and collective bargaining.</li>
<li>Gun control: Governor Christie supports gun conrtrol laws. He has supported the assault weapons ban, opposes concealed carry laws, and supports the New Jersey one gun per month law. Would expand 'gun control' into broader 'violence control'.</li>
<li>Government: Stricter limits on PAC campaign donation, cut wasteful spending, improve transparency. His Ethics Reform plan in 2010 sought to increase transparency in government, accountability to the public from elected officials and strengthen New Jersey's existing laws to ensure that the electoral process is conducted with integrity – a critical step in gaining and keeping the public's trust in their government.</li>
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I am very interested to see how Christie's future pans out. Although he has not directly come out and said it, there have been many indications that he is considering a run at the 2016 president elections. Either way, it's refreshing to see a politician who doesn't fit the cookie cutter mold his or her party has created.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-32262616638007688132013-01-23T11:00:00.001-08:002013-01-23T13:06:11.442-08:00What Happened in Benghazi?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today (Wednesday, January 23) took on Republican critics of her department's handling of the Benghazi incident.<br />
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Headlines since September 11, 2012, have been circulating regarding the situation, leaving many Americans wondering, "Where is Benghazi" and "What happened in Benghazi" and "Wait, didn't the September 11th attacks happen in 2001?"<br />
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<b>Where is Benghazi?</b><br />
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Let's start with a geography lesson. Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya. Libya is located in Northern Africa, sandwiched between Algeria and Egypt. To it's north, is the Mediterranean Sea. Libya is included in the generalization of the 'Middle East.'<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHod7kpmvrqMpJ_T188TwHpwxhndbiAx2oxDKdM5vsDcK0w_zHAV7HP7tZrqHw9RRA-5S7kA9X9AeIfWsM-wnVERBliv1gFcxf0lG9Yf-fTln7JH1mUpYtyR7blzXT_W851INvT0M0hU/s1600/beng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHod7kpmvrqMpJ_T188TwHpwxhndbiAx2oxDKdM5vsDcK0w_zHAV7HP7tZrqHw9RRA-5S7kA9X9AeIfWsM-wnVERBliv1gFcxf0lG9Yf-fTln7JH1mUpYtyR7blzXT_W851INvT0M0hU/s320/beng.jpg" title="map of benghazi" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>What has been happening in Benghazi?</b><br />
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Now a history lesson. In 1951, the United States supported the United Nations resolution that provided Libya its independence. Oil was discovered in 1959 and the country began to take advantage of this commodity. To make a long story short, in their attempt to make the oil industry as profitable as possible, the government (led by King Idris) replaced the federal system with a centralized one, causing problems in a country that was deeply divided along regional, ethnic and tribal lines.<br />
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This lead to Muammar Gaddafi's 1969 coup d'etat - the revolution he lead to overtake the King and government. Since then, the US-Libyan relations became increasingly strained when Gaddafi nationalized the oil companies. In 1972, the United States recalled its ambassador. Export controls on military and civil aircraft were imposed during the 1970s, and US embassy staff members were withdrawn from the after a mob attacked and set fire to the embassy in December 1979. The US Government designated Libya a "state sponsor of terrorism" on December 29, 1979.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2q5BvBSnYL1Ho_gFYe7CRfrEja7YSDarhSg49Acfgxnz-8gUjt3bEgVUEkBnCCrJrD8CioPPaTYSxR-bKrI_E1h-ESOT6q-iaoPUNCPkkBYQNE75QmKEhagS2QmplA_MfpMp9nIdHvo/s1600/gada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2q5BvBSnYL1Ho_gFYe7CRfrEja7YSDarhSg49Acfgxnz-8gUjt3bEgVUEkBnCCrJrD8CioPPaTYSxR-bKrI_E1h-ESOT6q-iaoPUNCPkkBYQNE75QmKEhagS2QmplA_MfpMp9nIdHvo/s320/gada.jpg" title="gaddafi led libya from 1969 until his death in 2011" width="212" /></a></div>
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Gaddafi led the country, and its oil exports, until February/March 2011, when anti-government protests broke out in Tunisia and Egypt, marking the start of the Arab Spring - and when the Libyan civil war occurred. At this point, the US had cut ties with Gaddafi. The US, along with several European and Arab nations, called for the UN to authorize military intervention in the conflict. In the end, Gaddafi lost (he died) and his opposition (National Transitional Council) won.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpIqxTXY2dcxunoZfzGKEw1oBAxY3V6GSKR3VyNl20SVP0SiQ0OyavK_4n2gFzaN9wo45XY8lFBkmvD0_qfaCbj8b1rUENysbdqwY2UUGTYCLWqS1ASMzPVNPiyrDXVJrbFft-nsJjYk/s1600/arab-spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpIqxTXY2dcxunoZfzGKEw1oBAxY3V6GSKR3VyNl20SVP0SiQ0OyavK_4n2gFzaN9wo45XY8lFBkmvD0_qfaCbj8b1rUENysbdqwY2UUGTYCLWqS1ASMzPVNPiyrDXVJrbFft-nsJjYk/s320/arab-spring.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Shortly after the fall, on March 14, 2011, Hilary Clinton made first direct contact with the anti-Gaddafi opposition leader and then on July 15 recognized this as Libya's legitimate authority. The US then led an effort at the UN to repeal parts of UN Security Council Resolution 1970 in order to allow unfrozen Libyan assets to be transferred to the interim government. In October 2011, President Obama pledged to work with the new Libyan government as a partner, and said the US was "committed to the Libyan people". Up to this point, all seemed okay.<br />
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<b>September 11, 2012</b><br />
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Now we can continue onto what happened on September 11, 2012. On this day, the American diplomatic mission at Benghazi was attacked by a heavily armed group. Four Americans were killed, including US Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, and ten others were injured. Note: this attack was completely separate than the attacks on New York City on September 11, 2012. The groups behind the attacks were not associated with one another.<br />
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The 2012 attack was strongly condemned by the governments of Libya and the US, and an investigation into who the attackers were is ongoing. Obama went as far as to call it an 'Act of terror' (does that bring a certain Mitt Romney debate fail to mind?),<br />
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<b>So where does Clinton fall into it all? </b><br />
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Well, since the attacks she has repeatedly distanced herself from a direct role in specific situations. Critics of Clinton (mostly Conservative Republicans, go figure) challenged her on two things: 1) the lack of security at the diplomatic compound in Benghazi, and 2) the erroneous account provided four days later by UN Ambassador Susan Rice that the attack grew spontaneously from a protest over an anti-Islam film produced in the United States.<br />
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So today, Wednesday January 23, Clinton testified and defended her handling of the attack and denied any effort to mislead people.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXx4JuqMPS_WAQ4u0hsf9IPgZ80vDPX-v_h8gcRKVpcaqVSg7BAeO0L9MmZL6f042705VbPalxe1OGHjR3JEUx-cTBCGdwb_ni1wm0AZA5BV3wDeiP1IYLm4GMgdQ_6AQdvwjFIjsnSg/s1600/cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXx4JuqMPS_WAQ4u0hsf9IPgZ80vDPX-v_h8gcRKVpcaqVSg7BAeO0L9MmZL6f042705VbPalxe1OGHjR3JEUx-cTBCGdwb_ni1wm0AZA5BV3wDeiP1IYLm4GMgdQ_6AQdvwjFIjsnSg/s320/cc.jpg" title="clinton testified regarding her role in the benghazi attack" width="320" /></a></div>
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Clinton took responsibility for the failures that led to those deaths, citing a "personal" commitment to improving diplomatic security abroad. Although she accepted responsibility, she still defended the actions of herself and her department.<br />
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A Senate committee report said the State Department made a "grievous mistake" in keeping the Benghazi mission open despite inadequate security and increasingly alarming threat assessments in the weeks before the attack. She placed the incident as part of a long history of such violence as well as the result of regional instability since the Arab Spring in 2011.<br />
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In addition, Clinton acknowledged the "systemic breakdown" cited in a report by an Accountability Review Board she appointed and noted that she had accepted all 29 of its recommendations. She also said that her department was taking additional steps to increase security at US diplomatic facilities around the world.<br />
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The independent report from the review board said it did not find "that any individual U.S. government employee engaged in misconduct or willfully ignored his or her responsibilities" leading up to the attack. However, one State Department official resigned and three others were placed on administrative leave after the report was released in December 2012.<br />
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This is a particularly big deal for Clinton, who ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2008 and was considering running again in 2016, as this may tarnish her chances.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-54407992483369163582013-01-16T06:46:00.000-08:002013-01-16T07:24:46.012-08:00Obama Proposes Gun Control Plan<h3>
President to propose assault weapons ban, tougher background checks </h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wMe_PziGE0-rl3D9lpRbDB4Ru7FKXDADR0tjzClXy_C_ST9MahADEGkf7yGfuvDG6Ss1Z4ZivbwVyJVPJMkkmLqiba5qzw9lgjC8BcphdkTfU31u007cpDMTruedBmB2SVRonjj6Fnc/s1600/gun-control.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wMe_PziGE0-rl3D9lpRbDB4Ru7FKXDADR0tjzClXy_C_ST9MahADEGkf7yGfuvDG6Ss1Z4ZivbwVyJVPJMkkmLqiba5qzw9lgjC8BcphdkTfU31u007cpDMTruedBmB2SVRonjj6Fnc/s1600/gun-control.jpg" /></a></div>
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President Barack Obama will propose an assault weapons ban and better background checks for gun buyers on Wednesday as part of a package of proposals to curb gun violence one month after the Newtown school massacre, according to the <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-obama-gun-control-20130116,0,3325027.story">Chicago Tribune</a>. </div>
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The proposals will include executive and legislative measures, with the latter sure to face an uphill battle in Congress, where appetite for renewing an assault weapons ban is low.<br />
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Gun restrictions are a divisive issue in the United States, which constitutionally protects a citizen's right to bear arms.</div>
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Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, who led a task force that made recommendations on the issue, will present the measures at a White House event attended by children from around the country who wrote letters to the president about gun violence and school safety.</div>
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Obama will urge lawmakers to act quickly, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters:</div>
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"There are specific legislative actions that he will continue to call on Congress to take, including the assault weapons ban, including a measure to ban high-capacity magazine clips, including an effort to close the very big loopholes in the background check system in our country,"</blockquote>
Biden delivered his recommendations to Obama after a series of meetings with representatives from the weapons and entertainment industries requested by the president after the December 14 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in which 20 children and six adults were killed.<br />
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A White House official said Obama had not endorsed all of the ideas put forward by Biden's team but declined to lay out specifics on what would be announced. Obama has signaled his plan would include elements that did not require congressional approval. The president could take action to ban certain gun imports and bolster oversight of dealers.<br />
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Though the chances of getting a ban on assault weapons appear low, the White House seems set on getting Obama's support of such a ban solidified in a legislative draft.<br />
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<b>What exactly is being proposed?</b><br />
1. Assault weapons ban<br />
2. Ban on high-capacity magazines capped at 10 bullets<br />
3. Universal background checks<br />
4. Federal funds for national background checks<br />
5. Research on gun violence<br />
6. Better mental health training<br />
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<b>What does the NRA have to say about it?</b><br />
The proposals are likely to draw ire from the National Rifle Association, a powerful lobbying group that is traditionally associated with Republicans. The NRA proposed having armed officials in schools throughout the country and has said the media and violent video games shared blame for the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.<br />
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<b>What about the public?</b><br />
New national polls indicated a majority of Americans support some or most gun control measures.<br />
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By a 51 to 45 percent margin, Americans questioned in a new Pew Research Center poll said it was more important to control gun ownership than to protect gun rights. And by a 52 to 35 percent margin, a new ABC News/Washington Post survey indicates the public says it is more likely to support some forms of gun control after last month's massacre. However, the polls showed continuing divisions on political and gender lines.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-53862055627882983582013-01-08T08:11:00.000-08:002013-01-08T08:21:09.471-08:00Tips for Conquering the LSAT <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifij7yeu_8iSYKJBMCZ9lhOL2DigdWmYjTZXZRmcmnJYqZY-971o1esNTLHT2KC8NNypJNp9cAiPBvmRwQMn4C91kkOYYj4zMALbcVfWw6v6Wc1TfpLW3etZ1GqX1lhvZi7PVpfCAIRxQ/s1600/lsat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifij7yeu_8iSYKJBMCZ9lhOL2DigdWmYjTZXZRmcmnJYqZY-971o1esNTLHT2KC8NNypJNp9cAiPBvmRwQMn4C91kkOYYj4zMALbcVfWw6v6Wc1TfpLW3etZ1GqX1lhvZi7PVpfCAIRxQ/s320/lsat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A good score on Law School Admission Test, or the LSAT, is viewed by many to be the most important part of getting into a top-tier law school. Rather than testing what you've already learned, it's designed to measure and project your ability to excel in law school.<br />
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The test is broken into five separate sections: analytical reasoning, two logical reasoning sections, reading comprehension, and a writing section. The writing section is unscored, but it's provided to each law school to which a given student applies.<br />
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Given that the LSAT is considered by many law schools to be the most accurate measure of your ability to perform in law school, it is given a tremendous amount of weight in the application process. Admissions officials feel that solid performance in undergraduate classes might not necessarily correlate to success in law school. So, it's important to invest significant time and energy prior to taking the LSAT. Use these seven tips, brought to us by <a href="http://www.USNews.com/">US News</a>, to get started (I know I will):<br />
<ol>
<li><b>It's a marathon, not a sprint. </b>Oftentimes aspiring law students will let LSAT preparation slip by the wayside during their busy weeks in school or at work, only to spend hours on the weekends cramming and taking an endless number of practice tests. While practice tests are important, it's best to keep your mind LSAT-ready at all times, practicing a new section each day with the occasional or weekly practice test thrown in the mix, experts say. Andrew Brody, national content director for LSAT programs for the Princeton Review, compares preparing for the LSAT to training for a marathon. He encourages students to keep their minds sharp at all times, but not to overwork them. <b>I'm taking this advice, and am planning on taking the LSATs in June 2013. I thought about February, but realized that would not give me adequate time to prepare myself, which could potentially lead to not getting into the law school of my choice.</b></li>
<li><b>Help yourself, not your buddy.</b> While there are benefits to studying anything with a friend, the LSAT exposes your personal strengths and weaknesses more clearly than any other standardized test, experts say. Given the analytic nature of most questions, what comes easily to one person may prove to be a challenge for their friend. Studying in a group can be detrimental, given that it might make you prone to review the test in a general fashion rather than focusing on your specific weaknesses. Because the test does not quiz you on content but rather how you use logic and think analytically, cramming with a friend is of little benefit. It's best to learn what gives you the most trouble and drill yourself on those questions alone or with the help of a tutor or LSAT instructor. <b>I agree with US News on this one. I opted for a LSAT tutor, and he said the same thing. My focus is me, not anyone else.</b></li>
<li><b>Don't just practice. Analyze. </b>Because of the unfamiliar nature of many of the questions you'll encounter on the LSAT, you must practice them regularly to get accustomed to their format. The first time, it is advised to take a test "cold" - without studying. From there, mere practice isn't enough, however, testing experts say. After you work through a timed practice section or timed practice test, don't just tabulate your results and record your score. Instead, look closely at each question you missed and try to discern what led you to the wrong answer. Students who have received high scores on the test note that practice without analysis leads to little improvement. <b>This unfortunately is my least favorite part of studying for the LSATs. When I complete a practice test, I want to be done. Going back and looking over wrong answers can be daunting, but it is true that learning from mistakes can lead to improvement.</b></li>
<li><b>Save some time to play.</b> Testing experts agree that the test's analytical reasoning, or "logic games" section, is one of the most difficult sections for students to wrap their minds around initially because it's vastly different from anything else they've seen on standardized tests. The four games in the section each pose five to seven questions that require students to understand complex hypothetical relationships between multiple parties or objects. The easiest way to solve these is to diagram the relationships so they can be more easily visualized and understood than what can be garnered from simply reading the text and answering the questions. <b>Luckily for me, I love logic games. But the LSAT ones are a whole different ballgame. I bought a LSAT logic games practice book, and try to work through them one at a time.</b></li>
</ol>
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Other self-made tips that I've found to help, which others have seem to found as well according to my google searches of LSAT tips, have been to study in chunks (one section at a time), take timed practice tests (several if not infinite), and to be on top of the studying schedule. I have created my own study schedule, with an official practice LSAT test scheduled for March. Unlike several college students prepping for the LSAT, I am out of college and working full time, which makes studying difficult. February would be to soon, but would you believe it, Monday, June 10th can't come soon enough! </div>
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So, when should you take the LSAT? Check out this <a href="http://abovethelaw.com/career-files/when-should-you-take-the-lsat/">Above the Law article</a> for more help.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com1Washington, DC, USA38.8951118 -77.036365838.6973898 -77.3590893 39.0928338 -76.7136423tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-10361404929952461672013-01-04T08:59:00.002-08:002013-01-04T13:29:11.788-08:00What Happened With The Fiscal Cliff?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSNU34EKYfKcLGwrYHoZZzOA4kHk6HjKnpyqBl2iG5ER4W1sIi9-Y3qWCkwJkp-NeXy4_m0NHQllc-o4VQ-MVeSvanN3zNf_etCpCXxJBDEJ1mh5C2EEdYmDOzChIB9cJGc_J40EheBA/s1600/fiscal+cliff2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSNU34EKYfKcLGwrYHoZZzOA4kHk6HjKnpyqBl2iG5ER4W1sIi9-Y3qWCkwJkp-NeXy4_m0NHQllc-o4VQ-MVeSvanN3zNf_etCpCXxJBDEJ1mh5C2EEdYmDOzChIB9cJGc_J40EheBA/s320/fiscal+cliff2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>Originally posted on <a href="http://www.modernfaqs.com/business/what-happened-with-the-fiscal-cliff-113-323/" target="_blank">ModernFAQs</a>.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 19px;">The fiscal cliff has been averted -- at least for the time being -- after a year of worrying, debating, and discussing. Congress and President Obama decided to raise taxes a bit, delay the scheduled budget cuts that promised to crush the economy, and create a plan that will delay (for now) a total economic meltdown.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The “fiscal cliff” is the term used to describe the situation our government faced at the end of 2012, when the terms of the Budget Control Act of 2011 were scheduled to go into effect (December 31 at midnight). In the beginning of the 2013, about $500 billion in tax increases and $200 billion in spending cuts were scheduled to take effect. Now that the House has passed a Senate deal to avert the fiscal cliff, it will become law when President Obama signs it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to CNN, there are five things to know about the complex bill, and what it does and doesn't do:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>1. No side won: </strong>Republicans accepted higher taxes for the wealthiest Americans. Democrats accepted a higher threshold for how much income will face a higher tax rate. President Obama broke a vow to raise tax rates on annual household income over $250,000 and individual income over $200,000.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>2. We may have a new definition of the 'wealthiest': </strong>President Obama made raising tax rates on the top 2% of earners in America a centerpiece of his re-election campaign. The 2% figure includes those with income over $250,000. The compromise bill changes that figure. Tax rates will go up only for individuals with income over $400,000 and families earning more than $450,000. The deal does, however, cap some deductions for individuals making $250,000 and for married couples making $300,000. That allows the president bragging rights to say the deal raises taxes on people at those income levels. But he said just weeks ago that capping deductions at the $250,000 level would not be enough and that tax rates would rise.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>3. Three more fiscal cliffs are on the way: </strong>The deal delays the sequester, a series of automatic cuts in federal spending, for two months. In the meantime, the Senate plan calls for $12 billion in new revenue and another $12 billion in spending cuts. The spending cuts are to be split between defense and nondefense spending. The other two: the debt ceiling and a continuing budget resolution.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>4. The majority of House Republicans opposed it: </strong>Although House Speaker John Boehner supported the bill, the No. 2 Republican in the chamber, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, opposed it, as did most Republicans in the House. So while the Senate vote was an overwhelming 89 to 8, the House vote was 257 to 167. The vast majority of House Democrats supported the bill.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>5. Your paycheck is still likely to shrink: </strong>The deal does not address an increase in payroll taxes. No legislation to address the fiscal cliff is expected to. Now, the cut on <em>those</em> taxes has expired. In monetary terms, those earning $30,000 a year will take home $50 less per month, and those earning $113,700 will lose $189.50 a month.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-73693556289777460252012-12-31T05:11:00.000-08:002012-12-31T06:06:10.384-08:00Top 2012 News Stories, in Brief<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_2414AT_c7J24eg2c8sp_CiU6ZgQiTvWbCxsWSGuHKIpscJ0HY_6uHpHjsCMPD06S9tcaktcoNox4MRnZp5geshTltqSsF0JwRxBwB9SeWxC4WBDJFjTBAw7XkA0AeXDTPkHT9OwXVU/s1600/2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_2414AT_c7J24eg2c8sp_CiU6ZgQiTvWbCxsWSGuHKIpscJ0HY_6uHpHjsCMPD06S9tcaktcoNox4MRnZp5geshTltqSsF0JwRxBwB9SeWxC4WBDJFjTBAw7XkA0AeXDTPkHT9OwXVU/s320/2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In 2012, the United States faced many newsworthy events - both of tragedy and joy. Below, are the top ten news stories that stick out in most minds:<br />
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<b>1. Obama re-elected. </b>President Obama won the re-election for his second term this year for US President, beating Governor Romney 332 to 206 electoral votes. This election relied more heavily on swing states than ever before, and with most of them choosing Obama, the win went to him. This election showed the polarization of the parties that has occurred in our country.<br />
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<b>2.</b><b> Marijuana legalized. </b>This year, not one, but two states voted to legalize recreational use of Marijuana in the 2012 Presidential Election. Eighteen states and Washington D.C. have already voted to legalize medical marijuana, but Colorado and Washington passed a law to end its prohibition. The laws are similar and different in many ways, the the main similarities being that marijuana is only permitted only for adults over 21 in small amounts.<br />
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<b>3. Gun control re-looked. </b>As President Obama as stated, December 14 was the worst day of his life. The President has since pledged to support legislation that would attempt to curb mass shootings, similar to the one at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT, that took the lives of 20 children and six adults. Vice President Biden has been put in charge of the task to come up with proposals for gun control.<br />
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<b>4. Keystone XL advances. </b>In January, Obama rejected the proposal to build the Keystone XL pipeline on federal land. In March, a GOP-led bill sought to speed up the construction, but that to was rejected. However, in December, an appeals court in Texas ruled that TransCanada Corporation, the company behind the Keystone XL pipeline, could use eminent domain to seize land for the construction of the pipeline. Via eminent domain, TransCanada has been able to etch out the pipeline’s path, settling with private landowners and their <a href="http://www.zeitlinlaw.com/" target="_blank">condemnation lawyer</a> specialists along the way. Obama, however, has yet to state his decision on whether or not the pipeline can connect to Canada, going over country borders, to bring oil from Alberta to the Gulf region.<br />
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<b>5. Hurricane Sandy hits. </b>Hurricane Sandy landed in the US in late October 2012, and was the largest Atlantic hurricane in diameter on record. For the Mid Atlantic and Northeast US, the damages caused by Sandy reached over $20 billion - making this hurricane the more expensive hurricane in history. Out of the storm, came Mayor Bloomberg's endorsement of Obama, and NJ Governor Chris Christie showed his true colors when he put aside the election to focus on his NJ citizens - making him both a 2016 possibility and an object of criticism within his own GOP party. Hurricane Sandy put climate change in the forefront of politics, as many scientists believe that climate change helped the storm become what it was. In his re-election speech, Obama listed climate change as one of his top priorities.<br />
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<b>6. </b><b>General Petraeus Resigns.</b> David Petraeus, Former CIA Director General, stepped down from his position on November 9, following the release of information that revealed that he was involved in an affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. Petraeus confirmed the affair publicly before resigning.<br />
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<b>7. Eminent domain in VA altered. </b>In another outcome of the 2012 elections, VA voters agreed to limit eminent domain and give property owners more rights. The new law makes it so that the state will have to pay more for what they claim are appropriate eminent domain uses and force them to hire an <a href="http://www.zeitlinlaw.com/" target="_blank">eminent domain lawyer</a> to review the possible outcomes of any proposal.<br />
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<b>8. The Benghazi attack. </b>On September 11, unidentified assailants led an attack on the US embassy in Benghazi, killing the US Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. The attack was deemed a terrorist act by<b> </b>The White House. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that her office was responsible for security at the consulate in the Benghazi - which could very well impact the 2016 presidential race if Clinton decides to run.<br />
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<b>9. ObamaCare signed in. </b>On June 28, the US Supreme Court ruled Obama’s signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act (more commonly known as ObamaCare) was constitutional - a major victory for Democrats. The act is set to go into effect by the end of 2013, despite several GOP oppositions.<br />
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<b>10. The Fiscal Cliff.</b> The “Fiscal cliff” is the term used to describe the situation the US government faced at the end of 2012, when the terms of the Budget Control Act of 2011 are scheduled to go into effect (December 31 at midnight, to be exact). In the beginning of the 2013, about $500 billion in tax increases and $200 billion in spending cuts are scheduled to take effect. How to stop it, and its profound effect on the struggling economy, has been the subject of negotiations between both parties. The political and financial issues coming out of the Fiscal Cliff will be felt far into 2013.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkk8xcle64v3PEHiwB8wnDNChLLywNlp_d9mjnr3QlrsCgeFaeR3RtyfAZHh6JJaACCu8e8oMN6cTn6nB33gKNO9jtEjtPOMxKLMwQZS7EeC3-kIQWGwp9acUmIxy_8FowjaOCXNCdSo/s1600/obama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkk8xcle64v3PEHiwB8wnDNChLLywNlp_d9mjnr3QlrsCgeFaeR3RtyfAZHh6JJaACCu8e8oMN6cTn6nB33gKNO9jtEjtPOMxKLMwQZS7EeC3-kIQWGwp9acUmIxy_8FowjaOCXNCdSo/s200/obama.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
As 2012 comes to an end, one can only wonder what 2013 holds in store for our country. Although their effect 2013 is yet to be seen, as President Obama starts his second four year term, and several laws and acts go into effect, these top stories and events will no doubt affect the economy and political situation of the US.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-41992668673547363222012-12-28T08:21:00.000-08:002012-12-28T08:51:01.583-08:00Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOJWS-k6QB72jFEADXXDV49Kpl-7Ib_yEFBxHTyORE2e6-vKdxKm7jMCFaqzMn5PZDw85oPFITH6TDfhyphenhyphen9AJM7H0CGvDV-bsTNUfbtk0p4vGAhpSLjjeaTEWM9dFAwxVbZvkODH9fbBo/s1600/law+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOJWS-k6QB72jFEADXXDV49Kpl-7Ib_yEFBxHTyORE2e6-vKdxKm7jMCFaqzMn5PZDw85oPFITH6TDfhyphenhyphen9AJM7H0CGvDV-bsTNUfbtk0p4vGAhpSLjjeaTEWM9dFAwxVbZvkODH9fbBo/s320/law+tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I have been so busy this holiday season visiting friends and family that I totally forgot to tell my readers Happy Holidays!! Well, here it is! Season's greetings everyone.<br />
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What a year it has been! As with most years, it's had it's triumphs and tragedies. The new year is just around the corner and most everyone is ready for it, especially me. This year I plan on taking the LSATs and starting the application process for law school!! Don't worry, I will keep you all updated on my progress!<br />
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I look forward to keeping my readers informed in law, politics, and government in the coming year. I hope everyone had a have a safe and happy holiday and I wish you all a wonderful New Year!<br />
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P.S. How funny is this law book Christmas tree - courtesy of Phoenix Law ? This is what the next few months will look like for me!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-410392186412385192012-12-19T09:45:00.001-08:002012-12-19T09:47:02.804-08:00Obama Pushes for Stricter Gun Control<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2DgOi1zKSXj-U6zRsQ1uB5Sw1uihiJwTt_gqjbZjAd2Wj4yfV2TYdcr1XLruAqlhi_gs8MDFUvgqKpWu6NsZGOYavEEOhMpGPucWI4q1BihmSdC6pF6u73xMknnuQrLEcu4zvvEakp8/s1600/gun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2DgOi1zKSXj-U6zRsQ1uB5Sw1uihiJwTt_gqjbZjAd2Wj4yfV2TYdcr1XLruAqlhi_gs8MDFUvgqKpWu6NsZGOYavEEOhMpGPucWI4q1BihmSdC6pF6u73xMknnuQrLEcu4zvvEakp8/s320/gun.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
According to <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=8925652" target="_blank">ABC news</a>, President Barack Obama addressed curbing gun violence Wednesday, as more victims of the Newtown school shooting are laid to rest.<br />
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President Obama did not make any major policy announcements during this address, but he did announce the creation of a new inter-agency task force on gun policy. It will be headed up by Vice President Joe Biden and will tackle what has now turned into a major gun control debate in the wake of the tragedy in Connecticut.<br />
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The president asked the new team to offer "concrete proposals" to reduce gun violence no later than January. He said after he receives recommendations from Biden's group, he will push legislation "without delay." The president is urging Congress to hold votes on the bill. The team will include members of Obama's administration and outside groups.<br />
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"The fact that this problem is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing," Mr. Obama said. "The fact that we can't prevent every act of violence doesn't mean we can't steadily reduce the violence." <br />
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Here is a summary of President Obama’s speech on gun control from <a href="http://247wallst.com/2012/12/19/obamas-gun-control-efforts-set-deadline-by-end-of-january/" target="_blank">24/7 Wallstreet</a>:<br />
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"More Americans have died from gun violence since the massacre last Friday… Challenging old assumptions and this needs to lead to action… There is no law that can protect against all violence… Medical care efforts need to be pursued… The fact that the issue is complex cannot be an excuse… Obama asked VP Biden to come up with a set of concrete proposals no later than January… Not a study that is a report in 6 months… Biden wrote the 1994 crime bill that included an assault weapons ban… there is a growing consensus to build from to support banning sales of assault rifles and high-capacity ammo clips and background checks… the ATF is also bein encouraged to participate… the Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms… the vast majority of gun ownership is responsible, but the vast majority is likely to support law-breakers from buying a weapon of war and for people to get military-style weapons so easily… I will use all the power of this office to help prevent tragedies of this sort even if not all can be prevented… This effort requires the help of the American people… need to stand up and say “enough!” on behalf of our kids…"<br />
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For the first time since the tragedy, the National Rifle Association is responding to calls for more gun control. The organization says it will offer meaningful contributions to make sure something like this never happens again. The group will be holding a news conference on Friday.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-21559267709242384932012-12-17T08:58:00.000-08:002012-12-17T11:17:58.810-08:00Woman Get's Worker's Comp for Injuries During Sex. No, She's Not a Prostitute.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMudYQWhuw1zC1OiYN7rJF5DIu5YJoZgr8vlsLU1eDGQ2jWwfXy9c5wiMLe794r72mVHRrSebZ1DWr1666K_P5FHy4Rbc8fW-SrOMy_3iGVeiwY6dy9y32bv8vLP8W6TbRxl9_J1NDFY/s1600/sex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMudYQWhuw1zC1OiYN7rJF5DIu5YJoZgr8vlsLU1eDGQ2jWwfXy9c5wiMLe794r72mVHRrSebZ1DWr1666K_P5FHy4Rbc8fW-SrOMy_3iGVeiwY6dy9y32bv8vLP8W6TbRxl9_J1NDFY/s320/sex.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
An Australian court has ruled that a female bureaucrat who was injured while having sex on a business trip is eligible for workers' compensation benefits. According to <a href="http://www.carefirstmed.com/personalinjurydoctor.php" target="_blank">personal injury Longview Texas</a> specialists, workers compensation for sex related injuries is a quite uncommon claim.<br />
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In 2007, the woman - unidentified in the press except for the fact that she was in her late 30s - was hospitalized after being injured during sex with a male friend while staying in a motel in Nowra, a town 100 miles south of her hometown of Sydney, for a business trip.<br />
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While having sex, a glass light fitting was torn from its mount above the bed and landed directly on her face, injuring her nose and mouth. She later suffered depression and was unable to continue working for the government. She claimed facial and psychological personal injuries for workers compensation.<br />
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Her claim for workers' compensation for her physical and psychological injuries was initially approved by the government insurance company Comcare, but then was rejected after further investigation. <a href="http://www.carefirstmed.com/painmanagement.php" target="_blank">Pain management Tyler Texas</a> specialists agree that suffering pain and physical damage to the face can affect ones emotional and psychological well-being.<br />
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An administrative tribunal agreed with Comcare that her injuries were not suffered in the course of her employment, saying the government had not induced or encouraged the woman's sexual conduct. The tribunal also found the sex was "not an ordinary incident of an overnight stay" such as showering, sleeping and eating.<br />
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However, that was their opinion. That ruling was then overturned in the Federal Court this year, when Judge John Nicholas rejected the tribunal's findings that the sex had to be condoned by the government if she were to qualify for compensation.<br />
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Nicholas wrote in his judgment in favor of the woman receiving compensation.<br />
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"If the applicant had been injured while playing a game of cards in her motel room, she would be entitled to compensation even though it could not be said that her employer induced her to engage in such activity," </blockquote>
In the Full Bench decision upholding Nicholas' decision, Judges Patrick Keane, Robert Buchanan and Mordy Bromberg also agreed that the government's views on the woman having sex in her motel room were irrelevant.<br />
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"No approval, express or implied, of the respondent's conduct was required,"</blockquote>
Comcare is considering an appeal to the High Court, Australia's highest legal authority. Comcare spokesman Russ Street released a statement.<br />
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"The issue is a significant one...Workers need to be clear about their entitlements and employers should have an understanding of their responsibilities and how to support their staff."</blockquote>
It is not yet known how much compensation the woman will be paid.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-37052114580898195582012-12-17T06:23:00.000-08:002012-12-17T06:23:40.656-08:00Check Out My Guest Post!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQs6shnSvlb9VXgcfQjWiEPPqGNeCpUWGSWlNqViUyOnITbEL2AfchRRseKu_11xsYDInSr8JEMa2EV_6SQNs8BBC9iUdz0kZaUI7oqsRrODtOm3L3WNDjZFV4b3nxFL4ShuWrueysAQI/s1600/Solar-and-Wind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQs6shnSvlb9VXgcfQjWiEPPqGNeCpUWGSWlNqViUyOnITbEL2AfchRRseKu_11xsYDInSr8JEMa2EV_6SQNs8BBC9iUdz0kZaUI7oqsRrODtOm3L3WNDjZFV4b3nxFL4ShuWrueysAQI/s320/Solar-and-Wind.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
What a great way to start the week. Check out my guest post on <a href="http://blog.cleantechies.com/2012/12/17/wind-and-solar-could-power-99-9-of-grid-by-2030/" target="_blank">CleanTechies</a>, posted this morning.<br />
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One of the main critiques of solar and wind energy is that these are intermittent sources of energy, generating electricity only when the wind is blowing or the sun is shining, respectively. This would thus create potential problems for utilities and grid operators who must keep the supply and demand for electricity in balance to meet the demands of the population.<br />
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However, a combined wind and solar plant may be the answer to this problem. Combining the the two resources in a single plant allows for a more efficient use of transmission lines and a more cost-effective way of generating electricity.<br />
<br />
According to the joint University of Delaware and Delaware Technical Community College study, wind + solar power could soon supply 99.9 percent of the electricity we need, decreasing utility costs, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, and lowering our greenhouse gas emissions. A true triple threat!! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-80796694318905892562012-12-14T05:27:00.001-08:002012-12-14T05:58:20.035-08:00Northeast Needs Congress to Help Rebuild After Sandy<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtRmoa4EKm4T7pYD3BZ0szXcsGWFiQe9365RcoJqbzPE3u10INGxBpBtAXlE9CbqrxGXb-mSnPvqoYh0EiqZ5bKUgd_tl5qa8jHh3XBlqphJ89DLWZOtSub0vzxGFbIpObcCWBzmQe5g/s1600/hurricane2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtRmoa4EKm4T7pYD3BZ0szXcsGWFiQe9365RcoJqbzPE3u10INGxBpBtAXlE9CbqrxGXb-mSnPvqoYh0EiqZ5bKUgd_tl5qa8jHh3XBlqphJ89DLWZOtSub0vzxGFbIpObcCWBzmQe5g/s320/hurricane2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following the aftermath of
Hurricane Sandy, several governors and CEOs are asking that Congress pass a $60.4
billion aid package for the hurricane relief.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although Hurricane Sandy has
come and gone, the restorations and rebuilding following the damage are still
underway. For this reason, the governors of New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut - in addition to over 125 big corporation CEOs based in New York - are
urging Congress to pass the aid package for Sandy relief.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The northeastern states still have a lot to do, and don't have the necessary funds. Some projects include taking a tip from <a href="http://www.gosolaire.com/" target="_blank">San Diego solar</a> projects and securing grid independence for homes and businesses by installing solar panels. In case of another disaster, this would be able to provide residents with some back-up power. This even goes as far as solar powered street lights! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Govs. Chris Christie (R-NJ), Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) and Dannel Malloy (D-CT) all requested funding from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">President Barack Obama, and a week ago proposed $60.4 billion for the states affected, which actually is about three-quarters of what they requested. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The CEOS, including top
executives of Time Warner, NBC Universal, Bloomberg, Morgan Stanley, Madison
Square Garden and the National Basketball Association, are joining the
governors in their plea to urge Congress to act quickly on the aid before
lawmakers take their break for the holiday. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In an opinion piece published in the The Washington Post, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the governors state that no region or state should have stand have to alone after a disaster.
They say Congress hasn't acted in these seven weeks following Sandy, taking
longer to provide aid than in previous disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The governors said their
states’ legislators had supported aid after previous disasters. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"They did so in the spirit of compassion, recognizing that in times of crisis no region, state or single American should have to stand alone or be left to fend for themselves," they wrote.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The govenors wrote “Storms and disasters lay waste
to communities and deliver damage far beyond the resources and capacity of any
single state to recover on its own...This is why Congress has always come to
the assistance of Americans facing a recovery effort of this scale.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Americans come together
in times of crisis," they wrote. "Our states have stood with your
communities when they suffered and faced devastation. It's time for Congress to
stand with us."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The decision on the aid, now that Obama has approved and proposed it, it now in the hands of
Congress, which is already in a budget battle to cut spending by January 1, 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gosolaire.com/solar.php" target="_blank">Solar panels San Diego</a> iniatives have made the city, as well as state, a leader in using solar power technology to recude dependence to local grids. New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut hope to take a step in the similar direction and rebuild in the most efficient way in order the states are up against an disaster like Hurricane Sandy in the future, but that may not be possible if the aid isn't passed.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLv1uI2WqK7knkUTJYTZSJNAjLplR7o12HissnRHKsmIiv8aXCZtTtq3WvpwRV6R05ZI8wGynTtPFsFMrQw1UvtoW2ZIxHFJRngNeiqeUqee9o8RSFN91x62iPUaTzrf3JBc5cMm2lglQ/s1600/hurricane+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLv1uI2WqK7knkUTJYTZSJNAjLplR7o12HissnRHKsmIiv8aXCZtTtq3WvpwRV6R05ZI8wGynTtPFsFMrQw1UvtoW2ZIxHFJRngNeiqeUqee9o8RSFN91x62iPUaTzrf3JBc5cMm2lglQ/s200/hurricane+1.jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other politicians are speaking up as well. Rep. Peter King (R-NY) is pushing the aid request in the Republican House and told The Associated Press in an interview that the high-stakes budget negotiations already under way when Sandy hit made the requests more challenging. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt;">
<div style="color: black; font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Natural disasters shouldn't have to pick sides. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">S</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">en. Charles Schumer (D-NY), said the aid package should be a bipartisan priority. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Before we leave this year, we must act to provide emergency disaster aid to fund the response to Superstorm Sandy," Schumer said. When it comes down to it, Americans need Congress's help - and all they're asking is for them to pass the bill before they go on their holiday breaks.</span></div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-37445168969706471482012-12-12T07:59:00.003-08:002012-12-12T08:01:50.164-08:00Michigan Right-to-Work Bill Passed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/michigan-governor-signs-work-bill-law/story?id=17934332">ABC News</a>, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has
signed a right-to-work bill limiting union power into law in his state. He
announced this in a press conference yesterday evening.</span></div>
<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the protests leading up to the vote, the GOP
controlled state house approved a law that would make the payment of union dues
voluntary for private-sector unions and most public-sector unions (police and
firefighters would be exempt.) The bill was approved by a vote of 58-51.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to the Huffington Post, Right-to-work laws forbid
contracts between companies and unions that require all workers to pay the
union for bargaining on their behalf. Although business groups and
conservatives cast the issue in terms of workplace freedom, unions note that
the laws allow workers to opt out of supporting the union although they reap
the benefits of the collective bargaining. Because the laws tend to weaken
unions generally, unions, as well as President Obama, call the legislation
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Supporters of the bill say the laws give workers freedom of
association and promote job creation, while critics insist that the real intent
is to drain unions of funds need to bargain effectively.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I view this as an opportunity to stand up for
Michigan's workers—to be pro-worker," Gov. Snyder said. "I don't view this
as anti-union at all...I believe this is pro-worker." He also said that
"Workers deserve the right to decide for themselves whether union
membership benefits them," and "Introducing freedom-to-work in
Michigan will contribute to our state's economic comeback while preserving the
roles of unions and collective bargaining."</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-62865181197285587532012-12-06T13:13:00.001-08:002012-12-06T13:19:46.123-08:00Marijuana Growers "Go Green"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVG4EhGqovwAEMmvKAiWXIf-LFAPt-Hgi1ygdbCnK2_d6uvmHzw2n9qDVJZi9XmLWmXZyLwERSf52JQgRDYf9H2fhN6v1BHkYk6mi44bv3TrHDxgI8nNYnXqd81nPS8YNV6zZo4F0R2FI/s1600/marijua.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVG4EhGqovwAEMmvKAiWXIf-LFAPt-Hgi1ygdbCnK2_d6uvmHzw2n9qDVJZi9XmLWmXZyLwERSf52JQgRDYf9H2fhN6v1BHkYk6mi44bv3TrHDxgI8nNYnXqd81nPS8YNV6zZo4F0R2FI/s320/marijua.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It looks like California's green initiatives and gusto have spilled over state-lines into New Mexico, but not in the way you'd think it would have. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Illegal marijuana growers in NM have increasingly been using solar panels as a power source for their plants, both to stay off of the local grid and avoid detection by law enforcement officials.</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">A 2012 </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Lawrence Berkeley National </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Laboratory</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> study reported that $6 billion worth of electricity is being spent on indoor marijuana-growing in the US each year. This is about 1 percent of national power consumption - </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">enough electricity to power two million homes.</span></span><br />
<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Solar panels may cost a lot of money, but they allow marijuana growers to avoid using huge amounts of electricity from nearby power sources, which can tip off the police to their illegal activities. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The NM state police recently broke up a marijuana operation that used solar-powered water pumps. But this is no new feat. I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n 2010, New Mexico police pulled over than 1,500 plants from what they called a “very elaborate and sophisticated” marijuana operation that used “solar panels, water pumps, batteries, and hundreds of yards of hose that functioned on timers.” </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This increase in demand for solar power has also resulted in many thefts of solar panels from residential homes and businesses, particularly in the CA wine country. In 2010 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">several solar panel thefts occurred at Napa Valley wineries and vineyards. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">California state authorities have in result increased their watch against solar panel thefts. The authorities believe the thefts were directly related to a criminal ring that sold the panels to illegal marijuana growers, and that <a href="http://www.gosolaire.com/">solar panels San Diego</a> to San Francisco may be at risk of theft.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<!--EndFragment--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.gosolaire.com/solar.php">Solar San Diego</a> projects have given the city it's title of most solar city in not only the state but in the US, but I have a feeling that this influx of solar power won't give NM anything to boast about. </span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-45191097335849016562012-12-03T08:11:00.000-08:002012-12-03T08:32:53.650-08:00What is Eminent Domain?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">In addition to the Obama win, there was another
outcome of the 2012 Elections that caused much debate in the press: Virginia
passed a law limiting the power of eminent domain. This led to many people
asking, "<a href="http://www.zeitlinlaw.com/eminent-domain-lawyer/"><span style="color: #2900f1;">What is eminent domain</span></a>?"</span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Eminent domain is "the power to take private
property for public use by a state, municipality, or private person or
corporation authorized to exercise functions of public character, following the
payment of just compensation to the owner of that property." It is an
action of the state to seize private property without the owner’s consent by
providing just compensation. The rule is normally applied when building
highways, train tracks or public property for the benefit of a community and
the action is protected by the US Constitution.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">In general, to exercise the power of eminent domain, the government must prove that the four elements set forth in the Fifth Amendment are present: (1) private property (2) must be taken (3) for public use (4) and with just compensation. These elements have been interpreted broadly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">However, the United States Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that
the Constitution grants the government the right to take private
property – homes, businesses, and other property – and sell or give it to
another private entity if jobs and taxes could be generated (Kelo versus City
of New London, Connecticut, 2005). The <a href="http://www.zeitlinlaw.com/"><span style="color: #2d00ff; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">eminent domain attorney</span></a> for the case
pressed the high court to vote in favor of economic development projects
that create jobs, increases taxes and other revenue, and revitalizes a
depressed or blighted area that qualifies as “public use.” The courts
ruled that private economic development is a public use under the Fifth
Amendment.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The VA amendment makes it so that private property
can only be taken for a public use - it cannot be taken and given to another
private landowner, even if the transfer would spur economic development. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Supporters
of the amendment claimed that that changes are necessary because the 2005 ruling gave the government too much power to use eminent domain for private
economic development projects. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Opposers, both </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Republicans and Democrats alike, were against the amendment as it may force
the state government and municipalities to pay more money for what they claim
are appropriate uses of eminent domain. The amendment may cost both over tens
of millions of dollars for both the local and state governments. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Even with the opposition, the amendment passed with flying colors,
passing with 75 percent of the voters for the limits on eminent domain - the law will go into effect on Jan 1, 2013.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; letter-spacing: .3pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">The 2005
Kelo decision informed the public about eminent domain abuse. Since the
decision, 44 other states have made amendments to
their constitutions to reduce the government’s power to take private property
though eminent domain.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-8302235179351752922012-11-30T08:22:00.000-08:002012-11-30T08:22:09.337-08:00Does removal of the anonymity of egg donors decrease egg donations? <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzSis42NS4NjdE5AEokl8EIfFSGHINlZZuo2YszU3Scb1vb3K1zJHdM6tG5qr9sdEicZuqdQh1XXK3mz3Ch7IfVtJ9brNGbZVeE6hMUi6mrqxo8D8w7CN0MeN9cS_K0EUhDqpp6Q0RARy/s1600/eng+us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzSis42NS4NjdE5AEokl8EIfFSGHINlZZuo2YszU3Scb1vb3K1zJHdM6tG5qr9sdEicZuqdQh1XXK3mz3Ch7IfVtJ9brNGbZVeE6hMUi6mrqxo8D8w7CN0MeN9cS_K0EUhDqpp6Q0RARy/s320/eng+us.jpg" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Guest post by Lucy Cripes</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
A U.K. study, 2007 has researched and reported
on how to keep the number of <a href="http://www.centerforhumanreprod.com/egg_donor.html" target="_blank">egg donors</a> constant after a change in U.K. legislation
in 2005, which withdrew egg donor’s anonymity.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Before the year 2005 in the United Kingdom,
both egg donors and sperm donors were, by law granted anonymity. However a change
of U.K. legislation in 2005 modified the rights of donors. Offspring’s of the
donors at aged 18 would now have access to their donor’s identity. There would
also be a cost neutrality law. This means that donors would neither make profit
nor lose from their donations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">There was concern that this change in legislation
could alter the numbers of people willing to make <a href="http://www.centerforhumanreprod.com/egg_donor_faq.html" target="_blank">egg donations</a> and sperm
donations. Would the levels of eggs available in the <a href="http://www.centerforhumanreprod.com/egg_donors.php" target="_blank">egg donor bank</a> fall?
Therefore in 2004, before the change in legislation took place, the U.K.
department of health conducted a study. This study helped steer decision
making. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The study took place in the form of a
questionnaire, circulated to fertility clinics throughout the U.K. It asked
questions ranging from what was donors responses to the proposed change, did
they think it would alter willingness to donate and any suggestions they may
have to improve egg donations rates. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">One third of the donors expressed concerns
about the removal of anonymity. Their concerns ranged from unfounded concerns
as would they be made legally and financially responsible for the offspring and
would the law be applied retrospectively. They also expressed concerns about
how their donors’ rights would be affected, and the emotional future turmoil that
may occur if the offspring would choose to make contact. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">However, even though concerns about the changed
in legislation were very broad, there was a general consensus on how to keep
donors interested and to improve recruiting if this legislation was passed. The
egg donors agreed that education was the way forward. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">It was agreed that education would increase
awareness of what exactly egg donation required of the donor. The role of gamete
donation could be explained, as its altruistic nature. The benefits of non-anonymous
donation could be highlighted along with its disadvantages. Also any un-founded
apprehensions towards egg donations could be ruled out. Better educated donors
would make more informed decisions and not have any false beliefs about what
non-anonymous donating could curtail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The job of education, it was agreed should fall
mostly to the clinics that provide treatment to future donors. In interest of
good practice, each clinic should have a sound policy and practice that is
audited on a regular basis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">This legislation was passed 7 years ago,
therefore did the department of health carry out these suggestions to keep
donor numbers high, or the same as before 2005? It would appear so. According to
statistics from the Human Fertilization Embryology Authority. In 2005 the sperm and egg donation collective
number was 1222, in 2010 it was 1564. There does not appear to be any evident drop
in the number of donations. Actually there seems to be an increase. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-align: justify;">Is it time the U.S. took a look at these
figures and implemented similar legislation? Would it improve the ethical problems
associated with “shopping” for egg donors and sperm? Hopefully this study will
at least raise some awareness of ethical issues around egg donation that need
to be addressed in the U.S.</span></div>
Lucy Cripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13291272319751201752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-24962430575236286372012-11-27T12:49:00.000-08:002012-11-27T13:03:13.531-08:00Gay Men Sue Counselors After Failed Conversion Therapy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdjtfS9RgFJRgE-apD445xLakh9cs7s70JxsT3iNDUWMGgd14gnydGJCvg5fgpbJ-PUuBhDNRcOHloGBpCSDdvGO_Sp2j-VsEMGH3WYYOPJd9FvCPM24mVnlnqWVwzIFyjnVrgAZf0sM/s1600/gay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdjtfS9RgFJRgE-apD445xLakh9cs7s70JxsT3iNDUWMGgd14gnydGJCvg5fgpbJ-PUuBhDNRcOHloGBpCSDdvGO_Sp2j-VsEMGH3WYYOPJd9FvCPM24mVnlnqWVwzIFyjnVrgAZf0sM/s320/gay.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/28/us/gay-conversion-therapy-faces-tests-in-courts.html">New York Times</a> reports that for the first time ever, Gay "conversion therapy" has been brought into the courtroom.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Gay “conversion therapy” claims to help men overcome unwanted same-sex attractions. It has been widely attacked as unscientific and harmful. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Since the 1970s, when mainstream mental-health associations stopped branding homosexuality as a mental disorder, a small network of renegade therapists, conservative religious leaders, and self-identified “life coaches” decided to continue arguing that being Gay is not inborn, but an aberration rooted in childhood trauma that can be reversed by conversion therapy. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">According to these therapists, homosexuality is caused by a stifling of normal masculine development, often by distant fathers and overbearing mothers, or by early sexual abuse. These therapy clinics hold private sessions as well as retreats for those struggling with homosexuality.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">In New Jersey this week, four gay men who tried the therapy filed a civil suit against a prominent counseling group, </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">JONAH -- Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing, </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">charging it with deceptive practices under the state’s Consumer Fraud Act. </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The former clients said they were emotionally scarred by false promises of inner transformation and humiliating techniques that included stripping naked in front of the counselor and beating effigies of their mothers. After they paid thousands in fees over time, they were told that the lack of change in their sexual feelings was their own fault and they could not be helped.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Leading scientific and medical groups say the theories are unfounded and that there is no evidence that core sexual urges can be changed. They also warn that the therapy can, in the words of the American Psychiatric Association, cause “depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior” and “reinforce self-hatred already experienced by the patient.”</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Several confused adolescents seek guidance from conversion therapy, especially as many </span></span></span></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> practicing religions believe that only those in a heterosexual marriage could achieve eternal bliss.</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> Therapy sessions and retreats could cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000, with many paying around $10,000 per year. The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified over 70 conversion therapy clinics within the US.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-25087010116820513502012-11-19T14:18:00.000-08:002012-11-19T14:28:20.941-08:00California Cap-and-Trade Deemed a Success<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">California kicked-off it's long awaited cap-and-trade auction of greenhouse gas permits last week, and state regulators are deeming it a success.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The state's carbon marketplace had over 23 million allowances up for grabs, and all of them were purchased at $10.09 per permit.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">97 percent of the said allowances were bought by "compliance entities," which are companies that must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions according to CA state regulations.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">California's global warming law - AB 32, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2007, requires the state to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050, and generate 33 percent of energy through renewable sources (such as projects in wind and <a href="http://www.gosolaire.com/">solar power San Diego</a> to San Francisco) by 2020. This law makes CA the first state to require a broad range of businesses to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The idea of cap-and-trade is simple: there is an overall "cap" for CA's greenhouse gas emissions, and companies within the state must buy or sell credits to account for how much they pollute. Those that pollute more must either clean up or pay more. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this most recent auction, one permit for a ton of carbon sold for $10.09 - which is just a bit more than the $10 minimum set by state regulators, and a lot under the ceiling that was set at $91.13. All in all, approximately $233 million was generated for the state.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those for the cap-and-trade system, mostly e</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nvironmentalists, claim that the auctions marks the moment when the US finally addressed climate change.CA has set regulations and financial incentives to pressure industries to reduce their use of fossil fuels, which most likely contribute to climate change and global warming.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Opponents of the system, mostly businesses - in particular those working in oil and power plants and large factories that burn large amounts of fossil fuels, claim that cap-and-trade is a "hidden tax" that will lead to higher utility bills and gas prices.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are three additional policies to cap-and-trade that set CA apart from other states as a leader in green
economy: 1) a low-carbon fuel standard that limits the sale of
carbon-intensive fuels, 2) the 33 percent renewable electricity standard by
2020, and 3) the clean-car mandates for automobile producers.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">President Obama has also put in place several policies to address climate change, including increasing the national gas-mileage standards to 54 mpg by 2025 and requiring the EPA to create greenhouse gas emission standards for power plants by 2013. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although Congress has refused to pass any climate change related laws, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the federal government will now have the chance to watch CA and see if the rest of the country can learn from their so-far-successful system.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-58772472949426544842012-11-15T08:55:00.001-08:002012-11-15T08:57:05.836-08:00Texas Woman Duped Into Surrogacy<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #262626;">This month, Texas courts reached a decision in an unusual custody battle between a gay man and a surrogate woman who claimed she was never a surrogate to begin with. The judge ruled that the woman who gave birth was in fact the legal mother. <o:p></o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;">The case has drawn national attention because the basic argument rests on what the definition of a "mother" is.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;">Only July 27, 2012, Cindy Close, 48, gave birth for her first time to twins at the Texas Children’s Hospital. Shortly after successfully delivering the children, she was visited by a social worker regarding the “surrogacy situation”. Close was taken aback, as this was the first time she had heard that she was a surrogate. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, this is not a case of mild amnesia or a cruel prank. Rather, Close had been duped by her “friend”, Marvin McMurrey.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">McMurrey had covered the costs of infertile Close’s in vitro fertilization (IVF) and used his own sperm in addition to the anonymous <a href="http://www.centerforhumanreprod.com/egg_donor.html">donor egg</a>. He promised that they would raise the children together as partners. Although Close and McMurray were not in love, or even in a romantic relationship together, her understanding was that they would parent the children together. She was under this assumption up until the day she delivered.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, McMurrey's promise was just in words, and there was never a written contract. When the children were born, McMurrey quikcly claimed custody of the twins with his male partner. That’s right, he’s gay - another fact he kept secret from Close.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;">Since Close was not linked to the children genetically, as the twins were a product of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"><a href="http://www.centerforhumanreprod.com/egg_donor_expect.html">female egg donation</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"> and his sperm, McMurrey alleged they were not legally hers. He rapidly filed a suit for adjudicate parentage outside of the Texas family code in addition to a temporary restraining order that was used to deny Close maternal rights. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #262626;">The twins were sent home with McMurrey, and up until the court case,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"> Close has been granted visitation rights for only two hours a day, six days a week.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;">Close made a statement that the ruling in her case could have implications for other women who use donor eggs in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"><a href="http://www.centerforhumanreprod.com/ivf.html">IVF treatment</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;">. If McMurrey had won the case, then the situation could have made it so that any woman who uses donor eggs to have children would have to have her maternity proven by law.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lucky for Close, the judge ruled that she - along with McMurrey - was the legal parent of the twins and the two will share custody. The conditions of the joint custody are yet to be determined, but one thing is for sure, it will be awkward. </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-73147828912809484372012-11-12T07:52:00.002-08:002012-11-12T07:55:44.123-08:00Check Out My Guest Post (Again)!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">What a great way to start a week! Check out my <a href="http://www.bitterlawyer.com/heres-your-sign-idiot/">guest post</a> on Bitter Lawyer about a woman who was forced to wear an 'Idiot' sign for disobeying traffic laws. What do you think about using humiliation as punishment? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">And don't forget to check out other articles on <a href="http://www.bitterlawyer.com/">Bitter Lawyer</a> for some great law-related laughs!! </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13544285006565600906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732921011092329136.post-38714572859619063712012-11-08T09:06:00.000-08:002012-11-08T09:13:15.250-08:00Colorado and Washington First States to Legalize Marijuana<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The 2012 Presidential Elections brought more to celebrate than just four more years or President Obama in the White House. Those in Colorado and Washington are rejoicing over the majority vote to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults over the age of 21. These states are the first in the country to successfully legalize marijuana.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The prohibition supporters claim that marijuana research is inconclusive, unfinished, and has yet to be proven safe for recreational use. They stand behind that studies that have shown that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">marijuana</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> can be addictive and habit-forming. The long-term effects of marijuana, such as its effects on mental disorders, memory, intelligence, and respiratory functions, are still being conducted.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span">Those supporting the legalization of marijuana support the initiative because </span>marijuana<span class="Apple-style-span"> has certain pain-relieving benefits. It can help people suffering from chronic pain and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments. Supporters state that marijuana prohibition has done more bad than good.</span></div>
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In Colorado, Amendment 64 made the legalization of marijuana for recreational use by adults 21 years of age and older. This is the not the first time the state has voted to legalize marijuana. In 2006, the first time, the measure was voted down. The former initiative aimed at removing punishments for the possession of marijuana for adults 21 years of age and older. The 2012 initiative, however, not only removed penalties, but also proposed a state-regulated system for the production and sale of marijuana. This would rid of the underground black-market marijuana sales and generate new revenue from taxes and criminal justice savings. The drug will be regulated similar to tobacco and alcohol.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">In Washington, Initiative 502 will regulate and tax the sale of marijuana in small amounts for adults 21 years of age and older. It states that adults can buy up to one ounce of marijuana or one pound of marijuana enriched products (such as "pot brownies" or "pot cookies"). The initiative sets up a state-licensed marijuana production system and puts in order a standardized blood test limit for those who are driving under the influence of the drug. Legalization in </span>Washington<span class="Apple-style-span"> will generate new revenue from taxes and reduce marijauna-related criminal justice spending.</span></div>
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The legalization of marijuana in both states marks a landmark in US history. In those two states alone, the government can tax, monitor, and regulate marijuana growth and production. However, nothing will happen until state officials create legislation and rules that would govern the now legal marijuana industry - which could take several months up to a year.</div>
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According to Federal Law, marijuana is an illegal drug. It is unclear how the federal government will act once the regulated marijuana markets begin to set up shop. The historic measure to regulate and tax marijuana similar to alcohol and tobacco may be a model of how legalization should be throughout the country. Colorado and Washington have been given the chance to show the Federal Government whether legalization and decriminalization of marijuana is a viable strategy.</div>
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