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Hurricane Alex: What's in a Name We Ask?

Author: World Market Media
What is in a name?  Well if you live near water these names meant something to you  Betsy, Inez and Beula  in the 60's - Celia, Agnes and Frederic in the 70's - Allen, Gloria and Hugo in the 80's -  Opal, Fran, Andrew in the 90's - Katrina, Rita and Ike in the 2000's. 

This is 2010 and we start a new decade of Hurricanes we are on alert because of the devastation they can bring.  It seems readiness and preparation are buzz words now versus the casual interest the Global economy had regarding Hurricanes before Katrina .  There is BC and an AD in the Hurricane world and it is BK and AK now.  Before Katrina and After Katrina........

(AP) Hurricane Alex flooded roads and forced thousands of people to evacuate fishing villages as it bore down on the northeastern Mexican coast.

Braving horizontal sheets of rain, Mexican marines went door-to-door in the small fishing community of Playa Bagdad, trying to evacuate villagers from rickety wooden shacks.

At least 50 people were easily persuaded to get aboard buses to shelters, but holdouts could be seen peeking through windows. One man rebuffed the navy's offer and quickly shut his plywood door.

"We're worried it's going to come hard," said Macedonia Villegas as she and her son readied their house before leaving with the marines. Surf pounded the nearby shore, and a lagoon swelled behind her home.

Emergency-preparedness workers also planned to evacuate 2,500 people from coastal areas east of Matamoros, said Civil Protection Director Saul Hernandez, who added that he was most concerned about 13,000 families in low-lying areas where there are few public utilities or city services.

The storm was far from the Gulf oil spill, but cleanup vessels were sidelined by the hurricane's ripple effects. Six-foot waves churned up by the hurricane splattered beaches in Louisiana, Alabama and Florida with oil and tar balls.

Alex, which had winds of 85 mph (135 kph), was the first June hurricane in the Atlantic since 1995, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida.

Bands of heavy rains quickly inundated roads in Matamoros, a worrisome sign with Alex expected to dump as much as 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain in the region, with perhaps 20 inches (50 centimeters) in isolated areas.

The hurricane could become a Category 2 storm with winds of 96 mph (154 kph) before slamming into the coastline Wednesday evening or early Thursday about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Matamoros and Brownsville, Texas, the Hurricane Center said. The flat, marshy region is prone to flooding.

Many in the border city braved the growing rains: Commuters struggled to get to work, pedestrians crossed the bridge connecting Matamoros and Brownsville and newspaper hawkers manned the less-flooded intersections.

One flooded stretch of road nearly kept Mari Ponce from getting to her job at the Mundo Shelter, which was preparing for 800 people evacuated from fishing communities along the coast.

"It's not going to hit us (directly), but Matamoros is a place that really floods," she said.

Government workers stuck duct tape in X's across the windows of the immigration office at the main downtown bridge in Matamoros on Tuesday. Trucks cruised slowly down residential streets carrying large jugs of drinking water and cars packed supermarket parking lots.

Texas also watched Alex's outer bands warily. Alex was expected to bring torrential rains to a Rio Grande delta region that is ill suited — economically and geographically — to handle it.

Texas residents had been preparing for the storm for days, readying their homes and businesses and stocking up on household essentials. But concerns eased as the storm headed farther south toward Mexico.

Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos said Brownsville and surrounding areas had "dodged a potentially violent storm," though flooding was still a worry. At least 70 residents had already taken shelter at a Brownsville high school.

On nearby South Padre Island, the mood was less anxious. Although hotels and restaurants looked deserted compared to the crush of vacationers who normally pack the popular vacation spot in the summer, those who stuck around didn't size up Alex as much of a threat.

One couple renewed their wedding vows on the beach as a few campers reluctantly moved their trailers out of the park hours before a mandatory evacuation deadline.

"It's June. It's too soon for hurricanes," said Gloria Santos, of Edinburgh, after hitching her trailer back to her truck.

Jerry Wilson, 50, also didn't think much of Alex, though he struggled in the fierce gusts to hoist a cloth-tipped pole to clean high-mounted cameras across the island that will let Internet viewers watch Alex's arrival live online.

"We got two generators and lots of guns and ammo, so we're not worried about it," Wilson said.

Oil rigs and platforms in the path of the storm's outer bands were evacuated, and President Barack Obama issued a pre-emptive federal disaster declaration for southern Texas counties late Tuesday.

The three oil rigs and 28 platforms evacuated are not part of the Gulf oil spill response.

In Louisiana, the storm pushed an oil patch toward Grand Isle and uninhabited Elmer's Island, dumping tar balls as big as apples on the beach. Cleanup workers were kept at bay by pouring rain and lightning that zigzagged across the dark sky. Boom lining the beach had been tossed about, and it couldn't be put back in place until the weather cleared.

"The sad thing is that it's been about three weeks since we had any big oil come in here," marine science technician Michael Malone said. "With this weather, we lost all the progress we made."

The National Weather Service said a hurricane warning was in effect Tuesday for Cameron, Willacy and Kenedy counties. The coastal warning covered Baffin Bay and 100 miles south to the mouth of the Rio Grande.

 


Disclosure: no positions

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/day-trading-articles/hurricane-alex-whats-in-a-name-we-ask-2760237.html

About the Author

 

About World Market Media:
WorldMarketMedia.com (The Global Online Investment Community) is a high traffic stock market, news data website providing cutting edge new media products and services to publicly traded companies worldwide. Our Editor's Desk authors insightful real-time coverage on the economy, the capital markets and their listed companies.

Michael & Diandra Douglas: Why Greed, Anger and Revenge Have No Place in Oakland County Divorce Courts

Author: Cameron Goulding

I read in the New York Post online edition that Michael and Diandra Douglas are once again back in a family law court, this time in New York.  This unfortunate couple filed for divorce in California over ten years ago, however, this week, Diandra filed a motion in the New York divorce courts seeking half of Michael's share of the proceeds of his most recent film which is set to release in September.  Ten years later and she still wants half, how can this be?

Legally, it is simple.  Basically, in California (as in Oakland County Michigan, even though we are not a community property state) any income earned through the actions of one spouse during the marriage is considered joint income of the married parties.  In addition, any property rights obtained through the work of either parties during the marriage is considered to be a marital property right.  In the Douglas's case, it appears that Michal Douglas entered into the contract for the movie "Wall street" (a classic) and performed the role of "Gordon Gekko" while he was married to Diandra.  Therefore, she was entitled to fifty percent of the proceeds from that movie.

The judgment of divorce then dictates how parties to a divorce will divide all of the income, assets and property rights earned during the marriage.  This is the tricky part.  Apparently, Diandra's attorneys must have included in the judgment a fifty percent share of Michael's contractual right to any "residuals, merchandising and ancillary rights" to the original movie "Wall Street".  The new movie is a sequel and that's the rub.  The judge in New York must now read the judgment, listen to argument and determine whether Michael and Diandra intended to include a sequel in the list of rights that she obtained to "Wall Street".

There are two lessons to be learned in this sad tale.  First, the importance of a well crafted judgment of divorce that includes all foreseeable possible future issues cannot be underestimated.  It is imperative to have an attorney draft this document in an exhaustive and meticulous manner, because often, as in the Douglas case, when parties continue to antagonize one another after the divorce, the decision will ultimately come down to the wording of the judgment.

The attorneys may have been able to avoid this issue by stating exactly what rights she has and what rights she does not have regarding each of his projects.  For instance, according to the article, the parties argued about "spin-offs"  in court as opposed to "sequels".  If this is true, Michael's attorneys probably should have specifically included language stating that rights to spin-offs are included but sequels are not included.  This open loop allows Diandra to get her foot in the door and proceed with legal argument.  This could be an extremely expensive error for Michael if he indeed did not intend to grant the rights to sequels in the judgment of divorce.

The second issue is that this case has a byline, Michael and Diandra have a son that is now in his twenties.  He is allegedly a drug dealer and has been convicted of drug related offenses.  During the hearings seeking leniency for his son in recent months, Michael could not help himself, he took the opportunity to besmearch his ex-wife, blame her for their son's problems and denigrate her parenting skills in open court.  This is obviously inappropriate testimony at his son's sentencing, however, Diandra made outrageous claims against Michael during the original divorce case which made him out to look like a sexual deviant.  In addition, it appears that she has used the divorce court system in an attempt to punish, humiliate and extort Michael.

The point is that both of these parties started out on the wrong note and carried forward this cacophony together.  They brought their anger and sense of need for vindication into court and used the courts to attempt to punish the other party and release their anger against the other party, which creates a vicious cycle indeed.  Frankly, in most cases most judge (in Oakland County divorce cases at least) do not put much weight on the many wrongs that parties have committed against one another, therefore, all this serves to do is fan the flames of litigation, which in turn prolongs the proceedings and has horribly negative effects on the parties' health, finances, welfare and most importantly, their children.

Perhaps this ten year saga of misery could have been avoided.  Is she had not started out trying to create scandal and misfortune or to punish him in court, or if he had decided not to hold onto his anger as shown by his recent statements at the leniency hearing, maybe they would not be in court in New York now interpreting the technical meaning of terms their attorneys put together for them in California a decade ago.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/law-articles/michael-diandra-douglas-why-greed-anger-and-revenge-have-no-place-in-oakland-county-divorce-courts-3136955.html

About the Author

Cameron Goulding is a North Oakland County Michigan Divorce Lawyer and has been providing the highest level of service to clients in Rochester, Rochester Hills, Bloomfield, Troy, Lake Orion, Oxford, Waterford and the surrounding communities in Genesee and Macomb Counties for over 14 years.  Mr. Goulding graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Economics and Wayne State University Law School with a J.D.  He was one of the first attorneys awarded the Family Law Certificate by the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education.  For more information visit http://www.camerongoulding.com

Changing Child Visitation (Parenting Time Modification) in Michigan Just Became Easier

Author: Cameron Goulding

Increasing, decreasing or otherwise altering child visitation time (technically parenting time modification) just became easier in Michigan.  Until December 3, 2010, most judges and friend of the court referees believed that in order for a person to obtain more parenting time with their child or to limit the parenting time of the other party, one had to provide proof equal to that which would be required to change custody.  I have long argued that this did not make sense because parenting time and custody are two very different things.  The Michigan Court of Appeals appears to agree and the law is now changed, or at least more clear, in that regard.

A brief explanation of the proof needed to change custody is required.  In order to change custody in Michigan, one must prove by clear and convincing evidence, which is a very high level of proof, that there has been a change of circumstances or proper cause that has occurred since the most recent order regarding custody before the court will even consider a change of custody.

Further, the types of change in circumstances or proper cause cannot be such things that would be considered a normal life change.  Normal life changes are such things as the child growing older and wanting to participate in more activities due to a changing social, sport or activity schedule, remarriage of one spouse, move to a better home with better amenities, changes in the employment status of a parent, very young children starting to attend school or other types of changes that occur when a child develops and grows.

These types of changes are generally not allowed as proof that a change of custody should even be considered.  The courts and friend of the court referees also (in many counties) would not even consider a modification of the parenting time schedule, either to allow more child visitation or less, without this same type of evidence.  Therefore, unless a parent could show as a threshold issue that there existed some serious issue with the children or the custodial parent, then their arguments for a parenting time modification would not even be considered.

There was really no published Michigan Court of Appeals case or Michigan Supreme Court case that dealt directly with this.  There have been unpublished opinions from the Court of Appeals, however, unless a case is published it is not precedent.  What this means is that the trial courts and friend of the court referees do not have to follow what the Court of Appeals has said in a case regarding any given issue unless it is a published case.  To make things more confusing, the unpublished cases decided by the Court of Appeals regarding this issue conflict with one another.  Some indicate that one did have to prove the same type of threshold issues in order to obtain more child visitation or limit the child's time with the other parent as one would with custody and other opinions stated that one did not have to prove this threshold issue or that the burden of proof was lower.

The Michigan Court of Appeals issued a new published decision on December 3, 2010, Shade v Wright, Mich. App Docket No. 296318 (2010)which held that it should be, and now is due to this case, easier to change the parenting time schedule than it is to alter custody.  This case stated that in order to decrease or increase child visitation with a parent there is a more relaxed burden of proof regarding a change of circumstances or proper cause as a threshold issue than there is with custody.  The court went further and stated that normal life changes such as those described above are properly considered when deciding this issue.

In the Wright v Shade case cited above, the change that allowed the mother to change the child's visitation with the father was that their daughter had started high school and her schedule of activities changed.  This is exactly the type of change that trial courts specifically can not consider in order to change custody.  Many trial courts and friend of the court referees also believed, before this opinion, that this was exactly the type of change of circumstances that they could not consider in order to allow a change to either increase or limit child visitation.  Those courts and referees that believed this were wrong and hopefully they will now follow this case when considering these issues because Wright v Shade is binding precedent.

This makes sense mainly for the following reasons.  The primary concern with child custody determinations is the stability of the child's environment and avoidance of unwarranted and disruptive custody changes, while in contrast the purpose of parenting time is to foster a strong relationship between the child and the child's parents.  The parenting time statute states that it is presumed to be in the best interests of a child for the child to have a strong relationship with both parents and that parenting time shall be granted in a frequency, duration and type reasonably calculated to promote a strong relationship between the child and the parent granted parenting time.

One must also consider that as children grow, they are involved in different activities.  As their developmental needs change, both parents must be flexible with their parenting time schedule as much as it may pain the parent.  Early in a child's development, a child requires more frequent contact with each parent, but the duration may be shorter.  As child becomes older the contact may be less frequent but of greater duration.  When a child reaches school age, school and associated activities must be considered.  The practical implication of a child growing older is that the child's schedule and their need for parenting time will change and therefore, the parenting time schedule must be modified to meet the child's development.

Parenting time is for the child, not the parent as much as the parent may enjoy the time with the child.  Children do grow older and as they grow older their relationship with each parent will most likely change as they hopefully grow more independent.  As much as it may pain a parent, their own child visitation may have to change to allow the child to find his or her own path which may have the child spend more or less time with either parent despite what the court has previously decided or the parent's previously agreed.

DISCLAIMER:  This information is provided for general educational purposes only including answers posted to questions at Ask Cameron.  It is not intended to be relied on as legal advice.  This information may not have been updated to reflect subsequent changes in the law, if any.  Your particular facts and circumstances, and any changes in the law, must be considered to determine appropriate legal advice.  Always consult with a competent attorney, licensed in your state, to discuss your particular situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship between you and Byers & Goulding, PLC and/or Cameron C. Goulding.  Please do not send information to us that you consider confidential without first obtaining:

  1. A written statement from us that we represent you (a "retention letter") and
  2. Permission from Byers & Goulding, PLC or Cameron C. Goulding to provide

Confidential information to us relating to a particular matter.

This information is not guaranteed to be correct, complete or up-to-date.  It should not be relied upon or construed as legal advice.  You should not act or elect not to act based upon this information without seeking professional counsel.  Byers & Goulding, PLC has its office located in Auburn Hills, Michigan.  We do not wish to represent anyone in any state in which this information may not comply with all applicable laws and ethical rules, or to represent anyone with respect to legal matters related to the laws of any state or country in which our lawyers are not admitted to practice law.

 

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/divorce-articles/changing-child-visitation-parenting-time-modification-in-michigan-just-became-easier-3817318.html

About the Author

Cameron Goulding is a North Oakland County Michigan Divorce Lawyer and has been providing the highest level of service to clients in Rochester, Rochester Hills, Bloomfield, Troy, Lake Orion, Oxford, Waterford and the surrounding communities in Genesee and Macomb Counties for over 14 years.  Mr. Goulding graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Economics and Wayne State University Law School with a J.D.  He was one of the first attorneys awarded the Family Law Certificate by the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education.  Visit http://www.camerongoulding.com for more information.

Police Misconduct Settlement $3,550,000

Author: Mitch Jackson
PRESS RELEASE

Update: July 17, 2010: Orange County, California

POLICE MISCONDUCT EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE CASE SETTLES FOR $3,550,000

Six Years ago a Moreno Valley family called 911 to get help with transporting their ill son to the hospital for medical care. After a two week trial, 12 Riverside County jurors found that rather than helping, sheriff deputies instead used excessive force against the victim directly leading to his death about 15 minutes later.

After a two week jury trial ending last April, 2009, a jury of 4 women and 8 men rendered a gross verdict in favor of the decedent's family totaling $5.5M. The verdict was slightly reduced to reflect a 20% comparative finding of fault by the decedent.

The County of Riverside appealed the jury verdict. This afternoon and after months of settlement negotiations and legal analysis, the parties have mutually agreed to settle this matter in exchange for payment of $3,550.000.

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Original press release, details and quotes…

Riverside, CA, April 29, 2009:

Late Tuesday afternoon, a Riverside Superior Court jury found that Sheriff Deputies employed by the County of Riverside used excessive force against a Moreno Valley family resulting in the death of an adult son. After a two week trial and several days of deliberations, a jury of 4 women and 8 men rendered a gross verdict in favor of the decedent's two young children and family totaling $5.5M.

It was alleged at time of trial that on October 30, 2003, while lawfully visiting the home of his parents, Arthur Lee Lewis, Jr. sustained fatal injuries as a direct result of the wrongful conduct of Moreno Valley Police Officers who are contracted and employed by the County of Riverside. At the time of his death, Arthur, Jr., was 33 years old and survived by his parents, Arthur Lewis, Sr. and Jesse Lewis and minor children, Arthur Lewis, III and Nathaniel Cameron Lewis.

"This was a tragic, unnecessary and completely avoidable death. It should have never happened" according to Jon Mitchell Jackson of Jackson & Wilson, Inc., the Lewis family trial attorney. "This family reached out and called for help. Instead of getting the help they needed, their son was assaulted by a group of deputies. In our opinion, the jury didn't believe much of the officers' conflicting testimony and the jury made the right decision in this case."

Arthur, Jr., was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and worked in the pharmaceutical industry and employed by Unilab for 4 years as a phlebotomist prior to death. He attended Moreno Valley High school, was a loving son and father, and was an active member of the Loveland Church.

Because of a pre-existing medical condition, several times each year Mr. Lewis would experience various issues resulting in him not eating, communicating or otherwise functioning properly. His parents, Arthur and Jesse Lewis picked Arthur Jr. up at his house and brought him back to their home to take care of him and get him back on his feet. After several days Arthur Jr. was not getting better and at about 9:15 p.m. that evening, the Lewis' called 911 to request assistance to help get her son to the hospital for medical care.

In response to the call for help, several Moreno Valley Police Officers arrive at the Lewis home. According to the Lewis family, rather than helping get their son to the hospital, the officers instead used pepper spray on their son and without provocation, unnecessarily attacked their son and attempted to physically restrain him.

According to trial testimony, one officer attempted a carotid restraint (blood choke) on Arthur, Jr., lasting between 20-30 seconds. Arthur was then slammed face down on to the floor, handcuffed and restrained. Despite Mrs. Lewis begging the officers to get off of her son, the deputies placed their knees on the back of his neck and lower back. According to the Lewis' trial testimony, the deputies told them that, "we know what we're doing, we do this all the time." At this time, the Lewis' testified that they heard their son make a gurgle type of noise and then go limp.

During this time, another deputy unnecessarily came in to the house with his police dog and pulled it up on its leash and hind legs and forced Mr. Lewis down hall and Mrs. Lewis into the kitchen of their own home. The remaining officers then picked up Arthur, Jr., and carried him outside onto the front lawn of the Lewis home where immediately thereafter, the deputies discovered that Arthur, Jr., was dead.

According to Mr. Jackson, "while the amount of money awarded will never come close to compensating this family for their loss, it will help provide the children with funds for their college educations and lifelong needs. Hopefully it will also serve notice to local officials and police agencies that they must follow the rules and treat our citizens with respect. Arthur was a wonderful person and will be missed by everyone…especially his loving family".

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Contact Mr. Jackson…

Please feel free to contact Mr. Jackson with any questions or comments with this, or any future projects. Let's make it easy and communicate by email, phone, fax, video conference, office..

Special Note- After Hours and Weekends- Contact my service at 800-661-7044 or 949-855-8751 and let them know you need to speak with me. If I'm available, I'll take your call!

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Professional Bio- Jon Mitchell "Mitch" Jackson

Jon Mitchell Jackson was recently named Orange County Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association.

Mitch is the founding partner and Senior Litigation Partner of Jackson and Wilson, Inc., a top AV rated firm by Martindale-Hubbell. The firm is also listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, an exclusive listing reserved for the best law firms in the United States.

Mitch has repeatedly been named a Southern California Super Lawyer by Law and Politics Magazine and, has also been awarding a rating of 10.0 or Superb by the national AVVO lawyer rating system.

For the past 15 years or so, Mitch served as a Judge Pro Tem, arbitrator, and mediator, with the Orange County Superior Court. During the past 24 years, he has obtained numerous multimillion dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients and is a multiple time member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum (membership limited to those attorneys having obtained million dollar plus verdicts and settlements).

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Contact Info:

Jon Mitchell "Mitch" Jackson
Jackson & Wilson, Inc. (Since 1986)
23161 Mill Creek Drive, Ste 150
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Tel No. 949.855.8751
Toll Free No. 800.661.7044
Fax No. 949.315.3687
Email: mjackson@jacksonwilson.com
Website: www.jacksonwilson.com
Trial Tips Blog: www.triallawyertips.com
Firm Blog: www.jwlawblog.com

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Update: Senior Partner, Jon Mitchell Jackson, has been named one of Orange County's 2009 "TOP GUN" Trial Lawyers of the Year for his exceptional trial skills, legal ethics and significant accomplishments in the courtroom (wrongful death). Watch Mitch's Trial Lawyer of the Year Video Presentation: http://bit.ly/trial-lawyer-of-the-year

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AV rated and listed in Martindale-Hubbell's Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers- ** Personal Injury ** Wrongful Death ** Most Major Litigation Matters

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LEGAL CONSULTING- Helping Lawyers with Case Selection, Settlement, Litigation and Trial. Visit www.TopSecretPartner.com

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VIDEOS for Consumers at www.jacksonwilson.com

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Join Mitch on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/mitchjackson or Facebook at www.Facebook.com/jon.mitchell.jackson


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/law-articles/police-misconduct-settlement-3550000-2874583.html

About the Author
Jon Mitchell Jackson was recently named Orange County Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association.

Mitch is the founding partner and Senior Litigation Partner of Jackson and Wilson, Inc., a top AV rated firm by Martindale-Hubbell. The firm is also listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, an exclusive listing reserved for the best law firms in the United States.

Mitch has repeatedly been named a Southern California Super Lawyer by Law and Politics Magazine and, has also been awarding a rating of 10.0 or Superb by the national AVVO lawyer rating system.

For the past 15 years or so, Mitch served as a Judge Pro Tem, arbitrator, and mediator, with the Orange County Superior Court. During the past 24 years, he has obtained numerous multimillion dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients and is a multiple time member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum (membership limited to those attorneys having obtained million dollar plus verdicts and settlements).

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

Author: conanedo

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

A tail-wagging three hanky boo-hooer, this delightful fiction debut by newspaper columnist Cameron (8 Simple Rules for Marrying My Daughter) proposes that a dog's purpose might entail being reborn several times. Told in a touching, doggy first-person, this unabashedly sentimental tale introduces Toby, who's rescued by a woman without a license for her rescue operation, so, sadly, Toby ends up euthanized. He's reborn in a puppy mill and after almost dying while left in a hot car, he's saved again by a woman, and he becomes Bailey, a beloved golden retriever, who finds happiness and many adventures.

His next intense incarnation is as Ellie, a female German shepherd, a heroic search and rescue dog. But the true purpose of this dog's life doesn't become totally clear until his reincarnation as Buddy, a black Lab. A book for all age groups who admire canine courage, Cameron also successfully captures the essence of a dog's amazing capacity to love and protect. And happily, unlike Marley, this dog stays around for the long haul.

Like cats, dogs have multiple lives. At least, Bailey, the canine narrator of this first novel, has more than one. Bailey's first life is spent as a feral puppy who learns to trust humans after living with a loving but slightly dotty woman who owns too many dogs to suit the county. Bailey is removed by animal control, and his next life brings him to young Ethan, the human Bailey will love and search for through all his subsequent lives, first as part of K-9 Search and Rescue and then as a dumped and mistreated mutt.

Through all these lives, Bailey contemplates his purpose in a voice full of curiosity and humor. He ruminates on the usefulness of cats ("none") and the strange natures of humans ("Am I a good dog or a bad dog? They can't decide"). This quickly paced, touching novel will charm all animal fans, especially those who loved Garth Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain (2009) and Vicki Myron's Dewey (2008), the best-selling saga of a library cat.

>> Download A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron free download - click here

Reviews about A Dog's Purpose

"I received a publisher's advance copy of W. Bruce Cameron's first novel, "A Dog's Purpose". In a word? Magnificent. OK, two words. Brilliant. Actually three. Soul. 
Bruce Cameron has brought forth a magnificent, touching piece of a soul's journey through life in search of purpose and meaning. At times hilarious and yet other times heart breaking, Bruce brilliantly weaves a story of a dog and its quest that is told with such heart and humanity that anyone who has ever had a dog (or any pet , for that matter) feels that this truly is how they see us and the world in which they live.

The humor is real and effortless. You will find yourself laughing out loud. You will also cry. Real tears born out of your life's memories of pets past and the essential intertwining of souls that exists in no other relationship.

That bond (from the dog's perspective) is what brings the true love in this novel to life. 
Though many dream of writing that one great novel, the difference here is that Bruce Cameron has done it right out of the gate and I have a feeling that there is plenty more where that came from. An essential, five star must read."

"Dog lovers will absolutely love this book. The author masterfully captures what many of us would imagine to be the thought processes of our dogs, and makes the reader think about the role we play in our pets' lives, for good and for bad. While the book has its uplifting moments, make sure to have some tissues nearby as there are many, many tearful moments in the story of this dog's numerous lives. Lest anyone think that this is yet another book in the growing dog channeling genre, rest assured that this book is much more than that. This is a book that will make you think not only about the purpose of a dog's life, but the purpose of life in general."

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/book-reviews-articles/a-dogs-purpose-by-w-bruce-cameron-4482995.html

About the Author

see also other ebooks at http://the-paradigmshift.blogspot.com/
or about wedding ebooks at http://livingweddingtales.blogspot.com/

Divorce and the Marital Residence in This Rotten Michigan Real Estate Market - Four Solutions

Author: Cameron Goulding

The marital home or residence was once the greatest asset of the marital estate. In many cases, it has now become an albatross. Clients and potential clients are very concerned today, among other financial/economic issues, about the value of their homes in relation to the market and their mortgages.  This is particularly true in areas such as Rochester and Rochester Hills where Chrysler purchased a large number of homes for executives and other employees whom are no longer living in the area and these very nice homes are sitting vacant on the market.

Many people considering divorce are concerned that, after they are divorced, they may not be able to sell the residence or, perhaps worse, may have to reside together after the divorce if they cannot sell the home. This is of a particular concern when the house is "underwater", where the appraised value of the home is less than the balance of the mortgage (or mortgage and equity loan or second mortgage.) This is known as a deficiency; the difference between the value of the home and the balance of the mortgage and often the costs associated with attempting to collect the balance.

There are at least four basic solutions to this problem.

First, the parties can attempt to work together to solve these issues. Often one party is willing to stay in the home and "ride the market out." This may require some concessions from the party that does not retain the marital home, however, if the parties can agree, this can save them from facing a certain instant deficiency where they will have to come up with money at closing from other sources of savings.  In addition, characterization of payments between the parties as spousal or family support may allow the parties to take advantage of income tax differentials and overall save the parties some money in the form of taxes.

Second, the parties can sell the home at the best possible price and take money out of retirement funds to cover any deficiency. While this is not an optimal solution, it is often effective. The money can be drawn without penalty at the time of the divorce and brought to the table. This allows the parties to move on without one party bearing more risk and maintaining the mortgage payment alone.

Third, the parties may attempt to broker a short-sale of the property.  In a short-sale the parties, the realtor and the bank representative work together to sell the property at the best possible price and obtain a release from the mortgage.  This appears to be a good solution, however, I have heard that the length of time that it takes to complete these transactions can be significant and they appear to have a problem with falling through at the final moment. 

Fourth, some clients allow the home to go into foreclosure.  Unfortunately, some couples faced with divorce have homes where they cannot afford the monthly mortgage payment alone and the deficiency is so large that it does not make sense for either party to keep the home.  In this situation, some clients have allowed the home to go into foreclosure.  During the foreclosure period, the client usually is allowed to stay in the home even though she is not paying the mortgage.  In this case, the client can save the money that would be used to pay the mortgage to apply to a new residence.  Unfortunately, this leaves the couple both open to liability for the deficiency and the bank may sue either party in an attempt to recover the deficiency.

These are only four potential solutions. There are many possible ways of dealing with this issue and the divorce process can be very flexible if the parties are able to "get along" in order to move on with their lives. A solution can be fitted to every situation.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/law-articles/divorce-and-the-marital-residence-in-this-rotten-michigan-real-estate-market-four-solutions-3136999.html

About the Author

Cameron Goulding is a North Oakland County Michigan Divorce Lawyer and has been providing the highest level of service to clients in Rochester, Rochester Hills, Bloomfield, Troy, Lake Orion, Oxford, Waterford and the surrounding communities in Genesee and Macomb Counties for over 14 years.  Mr. Goulding graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Economics and Wayne State University Law School with a J.D.  He was one of the first attorneys awarded the Family Law Certificate by the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education.  More information at http://www.camerongoulding.com

Abandonment & Divorce - Legally Speaking

Author: Cameron Goulding

I have been a divorce lawyer in Oakland County Michigan for many years and over the years I have often been asked at the initial meeting "Will I face abandonment issues in my divorce because I moved out of the home or if I move out of the home?"

Fortunately, unlike many issues in divorce, there is a simple answer to this Question.  No, you will not.  This is true in Michigan and it should be true in any "No-fault" divorce state if you do not live in Michigan.

 The explanation is a little more complicated and involves a little history in Michigan Family or Divorce Law.  Until the 1970's, Michigan law required a person that had to get divorced to state a specific reason for the divorce, such as abuse or abandonment on the record.  If the person did not state a sufficient reason, the judge could deny the person a divorce.  This caused unnecessary embarrassment, humiliation and other more serious issues to innocent people that needed to get divorced. 

Abandonment or desertion, as it was technically called in Michigan, was repealed as a basis for divorce when Michigan instated the "No-Fault" rules for Divorce.  The statute repealing Abandonment or Desertion as a grounds for divorce in Michigan is MCL §552.9d, you may review this statute at http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-552-9d. 

Michigan no longer requires a person to state specific grounds for divorce.  Typically a person recites the phrase "there has been a breakdown of the marital relationship to the extent that the bonds of matrimony have been destroyed" and this is sufficient.  Desertion of a minor child is still a felony in Michigan however this really has no relation to the question as posed in relation to a divorce, where one party has moved or plans to move out of the house.  The felony non-support statute in Michigan is MCL §750.164, you may review this statute at http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-750-161.    

I do offer the following advice as an experienced litigator, attorney, divorce lawyer and compassionate human being to those who ask me the Abandonment question.

You should continue to pay the bills and support your children as you did during the marriage after you or your spouse move out of the home.  For example, if you each paid certain bills, you should continue to pay the bills for which you have been responsible.  Let your spouse know that you are paying those bills and you anticipate that they will continue to pay the other bills they have paid.  If each of you puts money into an account and the bills are paid out of that account, you should continue to do that absent another agreement however if you are not the party that has been in "control of the checkbook" then I highly suggest that you speak to your spouse about dividing up the bills and opening separate accounts, to allow yourself the ability to open your own bank account and have some control over your own finances.  There are many reasons that you should follow this strategy before you or spouse file for divorce if you can.

If you cannot pay your bills, that is an issue that you should discuss with a financial advisor, credit advisor or bankruptcy attorney, depending on the extent of the issue.  Who knows, getting your financial issues in order may help your marital issues and should certainly reduce the horrible stress and anxiety that you must be facing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/law-articles/abandonment-divorce-legally-speaking-3287726.html

About the Author

Cameron Goulding is a North Oakland County Michigan Divorce Lawyer and has been providing the highest level of service to clients in Rochester, Rochester Hills, Bloomfield, Troy, Lake Orion, Oxford, Waterford and the surrounding communities in Genesee and Macomb Counties for over 14 years.  Mr. Goulding graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Economics and Wayne State University Law School with a J.D.  He was one of the first attorneys awarded the Family Law Certificate by the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education.  Visit http://www.camerongoulding.com for more information.

Los Angeles County Jail: Bail Me Out Scotty It's Too Dangerous in Here

Author: Robert Miller

With approximately 20,000 detainees, the Los Angeles County jail system is collectively the largest jail in the world and the most expensive in the United States costing nearly $1 billion a year to operate. Men's Central Jail is nearly 50 years old and currently houses an average of 5,000 detainees. Men's Central Jail is located just north of downtown Los Angeles at 441 Bauchet Street between the 101, 110 and 5 freeways. Its primary purpose is to provide security for sentenced and high security, pre-trial inmates. Together with the Transportation Bureau (TST), the Inmate Reception Center (IRC), the Twin Towers Correctional (TTCF), and the Central Jail Arraignment Courts (CJAC), all located on Bauchet St. make up the Central Regional Justice Center.

Originally constructed in 1963 at a cost of $16.3 million, Men's Central Jail was designed to house 3,323 inmates and contains 585,150 square feet of floor space. In 1976, an addition was completed at a cost of $35 million, adding 350,000 square feet of floor space and raising the inmate rated capacity to 5,276. Currently, the inmate capacity of Men's Central Jail is approximately 6,750. As of August 2004, the average cost to house an inmate at MCJ is approximately $61.21 per day.

People are transferred here all hours of the day and night from all over Los Angeles. This is the busiest jail in all of the United States. The jail houses inmates awaiting trial, as well as inmates who have been convicted and are serving local county time. The Men's Central Jail (MCJ) has a fully equipped hospital where doctors and nurses can treat inmates with almost any medical condition, including mental health issues.

The Los Angeles County jails, especially the Men's Central Jail and the Twin Towers Jail in downtown Los Angeles, are not pleasant places to be incarcerated. Many would describe the Los Angeles County Jail System as scary, dangerous and understaffed. Cells in the Men's Central Jail are literally filled to double the capacity intended. There are 200 three-man cells each holding six men.

A report released recently, May 2010, by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California shows that overcrowding and unsanitary conditions that have plagued Los Angeles County's Men's Central Jail for more than 30 years still persist, along with an apparent culture of violence and fear, including prisoner-on-prisoner assaults and the use of excessive force by deputies. As the Los Angeles Times reported: "Since 2000,15 people have been slain in Los Angeles County jails, including several low-risk inmates killed by gang members or other dangerous convicts."

Considering the fact that more than half of the inmates at Men's Central Jail are awaiting trial together with the high cost to operate MCJ and house detainees, many argue that society would be better served by greater use of the bail bonds system to alleviate the overcrowding and reduce the potential harm to those charged with non-violent crimes.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/criminal-articles/los-angeles-county-jail-bail-me-out-scotty-its-too-dangerous-in-here-3856886.html

About the Author

Los Angeles County Bail Bonds with locations in Los Angeles and Orange County California is a family owned and operated Los Angeles County bail bonds service and has been serving the bail bonds needs of Californians and across the United States since 1963.

Holliston ma

Author: Cameron whitee

Holliston is a township inMassachusetts which is situated in the Boston Region of New England province of United States and which is the portion of county which comes under the region called Metro west.Holliston MA includes the area of 48.5 square kilometer of land and 0.9 square kilometer of Water that is 1.73 percentage of total region is covered by the water. Charles River is the nearby river which passes through the southern region of Holliston MA.According to censes taken in the year 2010, the population of the town is around 13, 500 that is the population density of the region is 738 people per one square mile.

The per capita income of the town is around 32,116 Dollars according to censes taken in the year 2000. There is no public transport system used by the local people to get to work. Government of Holliston MA is a form of Open town meeting which remains in its original form from its ancient period.Many cities have leapt into their reality due to some situations and the success of the Holliston is purely due to people's genius, which makes the visitors to feel heaven and proud and increases their excited desire to share their good times.For education the town has one public school which works for the students of KG to the twelfth standard.

Holliston MA was once the country's largest producer of Shoes but due to some problems although many shoe factories were lost and still an only one company remains which is named as Goodwill Shoe Company. And the places must be watched in the town is Casey's Crossing, Fatima Shrine, Lake Winthrop, Fiske's General store, Upper Charles River Trail, Apollo 14 Moon Tree and the Arch Bridge.

Memorial Day parade, The Holiday Stroll, summer concerts are some of the annual events of the Holliston County besides these there is one another important place that is Holliston's Balancing Rock, it is the important historic place of the town, that is George Washington once travelled across the balancing rocks he tried to push that rock to the ground but he didn't, which is said by himself in his book. When we see the history of the town, Holliston was first established in the year 1659 by Massachusetts Bay Puritans and later the town was integrated on 3rd December of 1734 with the asset of western part of Sherborn as a town for which they obtained the approval by the General Court Petition which requests the same.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/holliston-ma-4740216.html

About the Author

Author Cameron has written many article like.This Holliston MA is one of the best one.

Psychometric tests could tell us more about Clegg, Cameron and Brown than TV debates

Author: John Holmes

For the first time in a UK Election, technology has been embraced with TV debates, Twitter etc occupying significant resources. This said maybe the technology the politicians really fear is yet to be considered.

A series of psychometric or personality tests could tell voters far more about the UK's main party leaders than the recent live television debates, it has been claimed.


John Holmes of the Psychometric Advantage website says that the recent televised debates in the run up to the general election may make for enthralling TV, but they do not give a true insight into the personalities of the men fighting to be the next Prime Minister.

Holmes admits that it is difficult to face 90 minutes of stiff questioning in front of millions of viewers, but the answers they gave were clearly scripted and rarely deviated from their respective party line.

If conducted properly, well-prepared psychometric tests are almost impossible to cheat and the results would give voters a deeper understanding of the motivation, principles and honesty of those standing for the highest office in the land.

He went on to argue that many of the world's most successful companies insist that candidates for senior positions sit for a psychometric test, so why should politicians such as Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg be any different?

As part of a thorough recruitment process, blue chip companies have found that an interview alone, or even a series of interviews, is often not enough to determine the best candidate for the job. When psychometric tests are also used as part of this processes personality traits can be uncovered that are not immediately obvious.

 

 

 

 

 

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/career-management-articles/psychometric-tests-could-tell-us-more-about-clegg-cameron-and-brown-than-tv-debates-2316492.html

About the Author

 

 

John Holmes has been involved, at senior levels, in the HR Services, career management, psychometric testing and business productivity industries for over 10 years.