The President signed the trillion-dollar tax plan into law last week and opinions are still split over whether it will boost the economy or your paycheck. What no one is arguing is that it will be a huge boost to stocks and investors.
Finding the investments that will benefit from the 2018 tax cut means going deeper than simply investing in the broader market.
Most companies will get a profit boost from lower tax rates but some will win big time on multiple components of the bill. Some companies might even see their earnings take a hit.
I've put together a video and list of the top three investment strategies you need to be watching for the Trump tax plan. These three investing themes will help you find the stocks with the most to gain while avoiding those with something to lose.
I'm going to be adding a lot more great investing strategies to the YouTube channel this year including a weekly Q&A video to answer your questions about the stock market and reaching your investing goals.
I'm excited about reaching the community on a whole new level through these videos. Click through to subscribe to the channel so you don't miss a single video.
Whatever you think about tax reform package, whether it will help grow the economy over the long-term or whether it will help individuals much is beside the point from an investing perspective.
The reduction in the corporate tax rate plus some of the other changes will help companies make more money. That may or may not be good for regular people but it is great for investors.
We'll look at the basics in the tax bill first and then cover three things you need to look for when picking stocks of companies that are going to be able to benefit from this change.
The tax reform changes the corporate interest rate from 35% to 21% as well as a gifting corporations with some other changes to boost the bottom-line. Individuals still have seven different rates depending on their income but get to double the standard deduction.
Now the change in the corporate tax rate doesn't mean as much unless you know how much companies were paying in taxes beforehand. Because of deductions and loopholes most companies only pay an average of 25% or 28% anyway, so the biggest benefit will go to those companies that were paying higher taxes.
For example, auto & truck manufacturers were only paying an average effective tax rate of 13% before the tax plan. That's because much of their sales were overseas where they could keep cash and not pay taxes on it. By comparison, companies in the advertising industry were paying a tax rate around 33% because most of their business was in the United States.
So first you want to look at what's called the effective tax rate for a company or you can look at this at the industry level. Professor Damodaran of the NYU Stern School tracks tax rate by industry. You can also find it in a company's annual report, by dividing how much they paid in taxes by their before-tax earnings found on the income statement.
Where you want to start is companies with most of their business in the United States because companies with overseas revenue have been able to pay lower tax rates. This is going to include companies in trucking, retail sales and banking.
You might want to go more diversified by buying an exchange traded fund targeting some of these industries. I like the SPDR Retail Fund (XRT), it's barely moved all year but I think retailers could see a great 2018. Consumers will be spending more and the retailers will see one of the biggest benefits from the tax cut.
Next on your list of things to watch for when picking tax reform stocks is industries with a high level of capital spending, companies that spend billions on infrastructure and equipment.
In the past, companies bought equipment then were able to take a deduction called depreciation on their income over a very long period, like decades. That helped lower their taxes but only incrementally each year.
The new tax bill lets them deduct all the cost of that new equipment or spending immediately. For industries like telecom and airlines, they can almost completely shield their income from taxes with equipment spending.
Combining this idea and the previous one, I like trucking companies and airlines that almost exclusively service the United States. Companies like Schneider National and Spirit Airlines can update their fleet to lower their tax rate besides the lower tax rate just from the new reform.
Another factor to watch for is going to be industries and companies with a lot of cash stashed overseas. Many companies that do business overseas haven't brought that income back to America because of the higher rate. The new tax reform allows them to do it at a tax of just 15.5% so we're going to see a lot of companies bringing cash back and probably paying it out as dividends or share buybacks in 2018.
Understand that when you're looking for specific companies that meet some of these criteria, you need to look to see that they are profitable. A company without any income doesn't pay income taxes anyway so lower rates aren't going to help.
Those are the three things you need to watch for when picking stocks that will benefit from the Trump tax plan. Remember to look for strong, long-term investments rather than just companies that could get a quick boost. The tax reform may not boost the economy enough to keep the stock market going for years but it should be enough to make 2018 a very good year for stocks.


In light of the success of international maritime exercise Formidable Shield 2017, which took place at the QinetiQ managed Outer Hebrides Ranges, we thought we'd look back on another fantastic trial which also took place on one of the Scottish Ranges we manage, MOD West Freugh.
In August 2016, when leading parachute designer and manufacturer Airborne Systems wanted to demonstrate its innovative satellite retrieval system to organisations including Lockheed Martin, NASA and the European Space Agency, aviation services provider PDG Helicopters chose the MOD West Freugh Range that we operate under the Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA).
Facilities operated by QinetiQ for the UK Ministry of Defence under the LTPA are often used to support commercial projects for third party customers. In this case, PDG Helicopters needed professional Range services so its client could demonstrate innovative new technology to invited guests including Lockheed Martin, NASA, the ESA and UK Space Agency.
A world leader in Entry, Descent and Landing Systems, Airborne Systems invented 3rd Generation Mid-Air Retrieval technology, which is now being evaluated for various space and military applications including rocket booster recovery and satellites.
Operated by QinetiQ under the LTPA, MOD West Freugh on Scotland's southwest coast was identified as a suitable option. The Range provides an Air Danger Area of 750km2, a 380km2 Sea Danger Area and 12km2 Land Danger Area, plus deployable instrumentation and tracking, along with secure storage for munitions, explosives and other equipment. "We put a proposal together on how to control the activity, and that was approved," says Gordon Thomson, QinetiQ Project Manager. "But we had short time scales: the demonstration was scheduled for August and the initial enquiry came in June. This activity had been done in the US but, as far as we knew, this was the first time in the UK."With three PDG aircraft and crews involved, one would drop the capsule, the second perform the capture, and the third filming HD video footage.
Another challenge was obtaining and checking individual competencies required for the activity, within QinetiQ for the Range and confirming the competencies of, for example, the helicopter pilots, people rigging the parachutes, and so on.
With the team at West Freugh including a project manager, trials manager and trials safety manager, other QinetiQ personnel with notable expertise were involved in providing advice and securing approval. These included the Deputy Director Aviation, a former test pilot, along with an Air Traffic Management Advisor and the chair of the hazardous activity panel. On the day, all crews and ground personnel were briefed and knew what was expected of them, including an in-depth safety briefing by the capturing helicopter pilot covering procedures that would be followed, published time lines and more.


One-O-Eight Croft, built in 2011, is a small collection of 6 modern town home residences in a central West Hollywood area location. The units feature 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms plus a separate office on the third level. Oak wood floors throughout, Open gourmet kitchens boast Qortstone counters, elegant tiled backsplash, custom glass cabinets and Viking oven/range. Open living spaces with fireplaces and recessed lights throughout. The master suites are spacious and feature high ceilings and custom walk-in closets. The Luxurious master bathrooms offer a separate tub and shower. Private rooftop sundecks complete the perfect place to call home.
Amenities include controlled access & gated parking with guest spaces.


Software Downloads for "Gateway Cam Update Driver"
Gateway Drivers Update Utility updates your system drivers for Gateway Laptops automatically with just several clicks. It will scan your system first then download and install Gateway official drivers to let your Gateway Laptop work properly. The Gateway Driver Update Utility keeps your Gateway laptop Windows system up-to-date. It detects which driver updates are relevant to your computer, and then helps you install them quickly and easily..
Webcam Emotionizer lets you login and change your Status/Emotion quickly and easily. Emotionizer displays your defined emotion or status as well as the time of the last cam update and the current server time. Emotionizer also allows you to set a default refresh rate for your cam page as well as user defined refresh rates (via a form)..
Driver management Tool to update your drivers. It offers you some options to choose then scans and updates the drivers automatically..
DriverEasy is a professional and powerful Windows PC driver tool helping you update drivers in a fast and easy way. Compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1, both the 32-bit and 64-bit version and supported by Huge Driver Database, the totally Free Driver Updater can automatically scan out update and missing drivers, download and install them at a high speed. Driver Easy is very easy to use, with the Highly-intuitive interface. Using Driver Easy Updater to keep all programs running smoothly and let your computer run at a peak performance.
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Advanced Driver Updater is an advanced driver scanning tool which makes it easy to keep a check on driver updates. A driver is a software which helps Windows PC to communicate with computer\'s hardware. It relieves from the stress of checking the manufacturer\'s website to check the update for individual drivers. Also, with updated drivers, your Windows PC will perform better and run faster. All of these tasks are completed in a few clicks without wasting much of a time. Features of Advanced Driver Updater: Advanced Driver Updater lets you exclude the drivers that you don\'t want to scan.
Driver Tonic is the best driver updater programmed to enhance the performance of your system in the most efficient manner. With an impressive 200000+ driver database, improve your gaming experience like never before. Let\'s take a view of its key features: Your System Driver Updater, When a device driver is not installed or is out-of-date, certain problems may arise while working with that device. This smart driver updater feature scans your PC for all the outdated, missing or corrupt drivers. It then lets you install the latest drivers to fix hardware problems & improve PC performance.
PC Updater makes it easy to update all the drivers on your computer. Just a few clicks and you don't need any special skills nor will you need to waste a lot of time. PC Updater will make updating your drivers easy.
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PC Updater is compatible with all Windows versions and will update all drivers found to be out of date.
Update Vista/Win7 drivers for your BenQ notebooks. DriverVista For BenQ can help relieve you of worries about installing out-of-date drivers. It scans your system and install BenQ official drivers to your BenQ notebooks automatically. Whether it's because you're trying to install new hardware, optimize your computer's performance, or troubleshoot a system problem, updating your drivers is something every computer user has to face eventually. Unfortunately, finding the right driver for your hardware can be time-consuming and error-prone.


Pampering developed specifically for the boys to help you relax and unwind in a man-friendly environment. New to this? We'll take care of you.
Relax, enjoy a full body massage to relieve stress, tension, tone muscles, promotes a feeling of well being, Swedish massage technique.
Therapeutic relaxing massage to relive stress, tension, improve circulation. Swedish massage technique.
The world renowned Dr Hauschka products used in Body and Soul's premier (60mins) Facial; to regulate, heal and restore balance, a relaxing and deep cleansing treatment, revitalises your skin leaving it feeling smoother and firmer, actively strenghtens facial muscles to achieve tone and form.
This amazing treatment is like an Acupuncture face lift using a special combination of Indian (Ayurvedic) and Japanese (Anma) massage techniques. The intent of this natural uplifting facial is to prevent and reduce tension, facial wrinkles and age spots, improve the complexion by stimulating the circulation and release toxins from the facial area.
A facial treatment designed to eliminate congestion returning normal moisture to the skin. This treatment restores natural luminosity to the skin.
Slows down the mind – bringing harmony and leaving a feeling of complete bliss.
Drift away into a hypnotic state of relaxation with this combination of deep breathing exercises and slow Tui Na Chinese massage techniques to rebalance and calm the upper body. The treatment includes facial pressure point massage to ease tension and clear the mind. The slow rhythmic massage techniques used on the shoulders, back and head provide complete tranquillity and relaxation, promoting a sense of well-being.
Our body treatments take care of the mind and emotions as well as your body using Spiezia's 100% organic oils, balms and ointments to help alleviate muscle aches and pains while improving skin tone and texture.
The aromatherapy massage works on rebalancing the mind through the sense of smell whilst lymphatic drainage movements gently ease away the stresses of the body to create a deeper sense of relaxation.
Feel invigorated yet relaxed with this all encompassing treatment. Smooth and soothing strokes are carried out to detox and prepare the body for an enlivening head to toe exfoliation. Tensions melt away from over-worked muscles and joints, leaving the body feeling relaxed and polished with pristine skin. The treatment concludes with a mini-facial to cleanse and hydrate, while a head massage clears and calms the mind.
Electrolysis is particularly popular with our male clients to help remove unwanted hair or treat skin tags, broken capillaries and various other conditions. Why not give us a call to find out more, or check out our Electrolysis Clinic.
This 'non surgical facelift' is the future of beauty. It's the most technologically advanced beauty treatment available, and we're proud to offer it at Body & Soul! The CACI procedure gently helps to tighten and tone sagging muscles of the neck, face and body with dramatic lifting results achievable from the very first treatment. The procedure itself is pleasant, relaxing, corrective and effective for men and women of all ages and skin types and is also excellent as a preventative to ageing. During the treatment, tiny electrical impulses are transmitted through unique cotton tipped probes. These low frequency impulses communicate with the muscle fibres using a unique electro magnetic language that effectively re-charges the electrical energy potential of the muscle. 100% organic skin products are used during the session to improve and enhance the skin. This treatment is great as a one-off for a special event, but for best results you'll find that a course of treatments is best. Over several sessions we'll re-educate the muscle tone, redefine lines and soften wrinkles using a 3 stage course of treatments which gradually re-trains your muscles. We recommend maintenance sessions every 4-6 weeks afterwards, essential for maintaining the excellent results.


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YA Dystopian Fiction
Home » YA Dystopian Fiction
Young Adult Novel – The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Ages 12 and up, Ages 12 and up, Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy, YA Fiction, Young Adult Book Review
THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES:
A Hunger Games Novel
Written by Suzanne Collins
(Scholastic; $27.99, Ages 12 and up)
Coriolanus Snow: Anyone who has read or seen The Hunger Games knows this man. Yet, who was he before becoming the evil overload of Panem? In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, we meet Snow at age eighteen. His cousin, Tigris—yes, that Tigris—and his Grandma'am are all he's got. They haven't had enough food in ages and aren't far from losing their once-luxurious housing. Facing an uncertain future upon graduation, Snow must achieve personal recognition at school, in hopes of being awarded funds toward University tuition.
It's reaping day again and this year the kids from Snow's class are assigned tributes to mentor as their final project. His District 12 girl is quite a letdown at first. Yet, once she's in the spotlight, Lucy Gray proves to be a charmer and that may get her through for a while. Snow, at first, sees Gray's performance in the Games merely as an assignment to score highly on but, soon, a complex relationship builds.
Suzanne Collins reveals the surprising origin of the Games. The book, as expected, is fast-paced with many plot twists. Snow and his classmates who are also assigned tributes are drilled by Dr. Gaul, the wonderfully creepy Head Gamemaker (who may just lock you in a cage in her lab for fun). She prods kids with questions such as what the Capitol's strategy should be now that the war is over but may never truly never be won. When questioned whether there is a point to the neon colors of her snakes, she answers, "There is a point to everything or nothing at all, depending on your worldview." These moments with Gaul reveal the book's deeper messages about power, whether wielded with a weapon or a rose.
I'm a fan of the trilogy and very much enjoyed this glimpse into what happened decades before the girl on fire burst onto the scene and the screen. I would be happy to continue along with Snow, filling the gap, until the day he sees Katniss Everdeen become District 12's first volunteer for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. The folk tune, "The Hanging Tree," reaches across the years, uniting the stories.
Young Adult Book Review – How We Became Wicked by Alexander Yates
Ages 14 and up, Ages 14 and up, Children's Book Reviews, Dystopian Fiction, Survival Story, Teen and Young Adult Horror, YA Fiction
HOW WE BECAME WICKED
By Alexander Yates
(Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books; $18.99, Ages 14 and up)
In the dystopian YA novel, How We Became Wicked by Alexander Yates, an insect-borne plague called the Wickedness has swept the planet. The people who remain are either wicked (infected), true (untouched), or vexed (immune). Three sixteen-year-olds survive the devastation.
Astrid and Hank reside in Goldsport, an enclosed community of elderly inhabitants; their world exists within its walls, a sanctuary founded by Astrid's Grandpa Gold (now dead for twenty years). When the lighthouse on Puffin Island inexplicably turns on again, Astrid's unanswered questions push her to find out all she can from the wealthy investors who built this safe place and now spend their days sporting their finery, comfortable with their stockpiled supplies.
On Puffin Island, Natalie's life seems as barren and rocky as the island itself. Her mischievous and malicious grandfather remains locked away for safety's sake. When Natalie and her pregnant mother have to deal with his shenanigans, their days ahead take an alarming turn.
I liked How We Became Wicked's dual-perspective story from the insinuating title to the thoughtful story line. The wicked are an interesting lot, seemingly normal and almost childlike until their murderous intentions arise, reminding me a bit of zombies (when zombies are depicted with comical elements yet remaining relentlessly lethal). This book kept me hooked through its fast-paced chapters. My favorite part was the clever conclusion.
•Reviewed by Christine Van Zandt (www.ChristineVanZandt.com), Write for Success (www.Write-for-Success.com), @ChristineVZ and @WFSediting, Christine@Write-for-Success.com
A Riveting YA Read by Rebecca Hanover – The Similars
Ages 14 and up, Ages 14 and up, Dating and Sex, Death & Dying, Literature & Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Social & Family Issues, Suspense, Thrillers & Suspense, Thrillers & Suspense, YA Fiction
THE SIMILARS
Written by Rebecca Hanover
(Sourcebooks Fire; $17.99, Ages 14+)
In Rebecca Hanover's suspenseful young adult novel, The Similars, readers go inside Darkwood Academy, a forward-thinking, elite boarding school. It's there that Headmaster Ransom gives six clones (teens called the Similars) a chance to attend alongside the student body. This is the first time the Similars will leave their amazing, isolated man-made island where they grew up strictly controlled by their guardian. The Similars are clones of current Darkwood students who had their DNA stolen and only recently met their doppelgängers. The controversial decision to allow the Similars to transfer in ignites the campus as a new school year begins. Only Emmaline "Emma" Chance, a junior, isn't very interested; she's still suffering from her best friend Oliver's recent death. When the Similars are introduced, Emma's shocked to learn Oliver has a clone named Levi.
The clones are the focus of DAAM (the Darkwood Academy Anti-Cloning Movement) headed by campus celebrity, Madison Huxley. Much to Madison and her family's dismay, Madison's been cloned and has to live with that fact daily at school. Though Emma continues to support clone rights, relating with Levi is difficult and confusing as she tries to figure out how he compares with Oliver. When Emma's roommate and close friend, Pru, is attacked on campus, Emma breaks rules to get behind what's really going on.
Set in the near-future, The Similars has cool tech toys, such as the plum devices that kids wear on their wrists; Emma's is named Dash and interacts with her on a human level. The fast-moving story line leaves you guessing. It also connects on an emotional level, inviting thought about clone rights, and sharing the turmoil of dealing with the death of someone close.
Reviewed by Christine Van Zandt (www.ChristineVanZandt.com), Write for Success (www.Write-for-Success.com)
@ChristineVZ and @WFSediting, Christine@Write-for-Success.com
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Action & Adventure, Ages 14 and up, Fantasy, love & loyalty, Romance, Royalty, YA Fiction
written by Victoria Aveyard
(HarperTeen; $17.99, Ages 14 and up)
In yet another riveting tale that falls somewhere in-between the Dystopian and Fantasy genres, we see The Hunger Games, The Selection, and Divergent collectively mirrored in Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen, particularly in the unbalanced caste system, a displaced protagonist, an alluring romance, widespread uprising, and unbridled betrayal.
Mare Barrow is a young girl working to survive in a society with two castes, the silver-blooded elite and the red bloods who serve them. The Silvers are the upper echelons of society with superhuman powers, but perhaps the most important ability they have is to keep the Reds in their place. Mare gets mistakenly drawn into the walls of palace life where she discovers that she, too, has powers of her own. What she really wants, however, is the power to take down the Royals who keep her family and the rest of the Reds nearly starving and struggling to survive. While one of the most difficult things to endure is leaving her family and worrying about their safety, Mare finds that what's even harder is discovering who she is and whom she can trust.
While some parts were a bit predictable, others had surprising little twists that kept me quickly turning pages to see what would happen next. I found myself rooting for Mare Barrow and the Reds, and I'm looking forward to Aveyard's next installment of this colorful saga.
– Reviewed by Krista Jefferies
A Girl Called Fearless by Catherine Linka – Review & Interview
Action & Adventure, Dystopian Fiction, Justice & Equality, Romance, YA Fiction
A Girl Called Fearless
by Catherine Linka
(St. Martin's Griffin, $18.99, Ages 12 and up)
Review and Interview by Ronna Mandel
Avie Reveare is an average teen in a not so average world. Like most teens, she loves music, hanging out with her friends, and is especially close with her best friend Dayla, and a childhood pal, Yates, whom she may or may not be falling for (also typical of a teen).
The time is now and Avie is living a well-off life in Pasadena, California. However, this being dystopian fiction, author Linka has had to create a believable America unlike our present one. This one is still reeling from the aftermath of Scarpanol, a synthetic hormone that was used in beef and ended up killing fifty million women ten years earlier. The end result – young girls are a protected commodity, contracted for marriage often by the highest bidder.
Females have been losing their rights since the Scarpanol tragedy and the Paternalist movement, which threatens to control them entirely, is causing many teenaged girls to flee to Canada. When Avie's father accepts a marriage contract offer for his daughter from Jes Hawkins, a massively rich Paternalist running for governor and one of the sleaziest characters I've seen in print recently, she realizes she too must make a run for the border. Readers soon learn that escaping the clutches of a wealthy, well-connected wannabe politician, is a lot easier in theory than in reality. Avie, with the help of Yates, is forced to go underground, but in doing will she rise to the occasion, get involved in a cause she's tried to avoid or succumb to the emotional and physical consequences of escaping her forthcoming marriage?
With A Girl Called Fearless, Linka's created a page turner for teens that will pull them into her world immediately and keep them reading because they'll care about Avie and what happens to her; the urgency of her situation tenable. Teen vernacular is captured perfectly, and Linka's use of song lyrics and the anger behind them is also employed successfully in the storyline.
"Better Learn My Name"
By Survival Instincts
I've got a hundred names,
But it all comes out the same
I'm someone's prize possession
Not a person. An obsession
Is it the end of the world as Avie knows it or can something good come from all the malice boiling just below the surface of everyday dystopian life? I recommend getting this YA novel as a gift this holiday season for that teen who might otherwise be attached to a cell phone for the next two weeks.
Q & A With Catherine Linka:
What is your book about?
A Girl Called Fearless and its sequel, A Girl Undone, are about Avie, a junior at a girl's school in Pasadena who comes home from school one day and finds that her dad has "Contracted" her to marry a man twice her age who she's never met. The book is set in Los Angeles today, but assumes that ten years ago, synthetic hormones in beef killed most adult women in the US, so teenage girls have become the most valuable and protected commodity in the country. Avie must choose whether to get married or run for freedom in Canada.
We've seen a lot of strong girl characters like Katniss from Hunger Games and Tris from Divergent. How does Avie compare?
I wanted to write about a girl who's not a superhero style character. Avie's a typical teenage girl suddenly thrust into a situation that tests her to the max. She doesn't think of herself as "Fearless" even though her friend Yates likes to call her that. I felt it was important to show young readers that many of us don't know what we're capable of until we are pushed to our absolute limits. At the end of book one, Avie says, "I am fearless," because she has survived.
Authors tend to put themselves into their characters. How are you and Avie related?
Well, I'm obviously not a sixteen-year-old girl, but Avie and I share a strong sense of what is fair and just. Avie's been insulated from what is happening in the world around her, until she is Contracted to marry a man who is running for Governor of California. As she starts to see how the Paternalist politicians are manipulating men's and women's lives, she feels she has to act somehow. She can't sit back and do nothing. I couldn't sit back and do nothing, either.
What has surprised you about the reaction to A Girl Called Fearless?
One thing I never anticipated was getting emails from readers as young as eleven and as old as eighty-five. Younger readers seem to enjoy the story's action and adventure, while older readers see the historic and political parallels between Avie's America and the real world. And I never expected guys to read the book or enjoy it. Never! I've also been surprised that both grandmas and teens have thanked me for showing Avie choosing to wait instead of having sex.
We heard there's a possible TV series?
Yes, the books have been optioned and a series is in development. It's fascinating–and a tiny bit scary– to see how a book is taken from the page to the screen, because the author has very little control. But the lead screenwriters are geniuses, so my fingers are crossed things will come out well.
What was your biggest challenge when writing the first novel- was it creating a believable epidemic, believable characters or something else altogether?
The biggest challenge was initially the book felt like two books–before Avie leaves Los Angeles and after. I united the halves by making the businessman that Avie is Contracted to marry into a candidate for Governor of California from the Paternalist Party. This strengthened the political theme and heightened the stakes.
You sure seemed to have had fun writing the role of Avie's skeevy intended, Jes Hawkins – was he one of the easiest to write?
I adore writing villains. They can have big, bold personalities, and it's much easier to create a villain who possesses positive character traits than it is to write a hero and give him enough flaws to make him believable.
In addition to Avie and Yates, there are so many interesting characters in your novel – her teacher, Ms. A, a priest, Father Gabe, her gynecologist, Mrs. Prandip and her underground connection Maggie. For me though, my particular favorites were those living in the rebel enclave of Salvation. Were you inspired by anyone or anything in real life when you conceived of this community?
When I wrote Salvation, I wanted to give voice to a part of America that values self-sufficiency, personal responsibility, religion, and freedom from government control. I was inspired by stories of frontier settlers, but I also read books and blogs written by survivalists who wanted to be off the grid.
Without a plot spoiler, can you give us a tease about what we can expect in the sequel, A Girl Undone?
Avie faces some tough decisions. At the end of A Girl Called Fearless, she makes a promise, but keeping that promise puts her life at risk. The first book was about Avie discovering her inner strength. A Girl Undone is about choosing between what is best for her and what's best for the country.
Despite the publishing industry saying that they've moved on to other genres, dystopian themed stories remain extremely popular with teens. To what to you attribute this? What's the appeal?
I think the publishing industry gets bored with genres faster than readers do, but that said, I believe "dystopian" stories are popular because they are high stakes action/adventure stories. In many ways, they are monster stories where the monster is government or technology out of control.
How do you differentiate sci-fi, fantasy and dystopian fiction for parents who want to know what types of books their kids are reading?
When people think of fantasy, they often think of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings where magic inhabits an Earth-like world. The conflict is often between those who practice good magic and those who use magic for evil.
Sci-fi differentiates itself from fantasy by offering a world transformed by advanced scientific technology, and the action often takes place away from planet Earth. Dystopian is usually set on Earth in the future, and involves a catastrophic event or technology fail that dramatically changed the society or government. The themes of both usually involve survival, or freedom from totalitarian control.
What is your current WIP?
Right now I'm reviewing the typeset pages of A Girl Undone that are due next week. I am also working with my publisher on how to make available a novella I wrote about Sparrow, a character from A Girl Called Fearless. We are considering putting it on Wattpad where readers could try it out for free.
Disclosure: I happen to know Catherine Linka who has reviewed many books for GRWR, however this did not influence my opinion about her novel.
Catherine Linka, author of A Girl Called Fearless, St. Martin's Griffin, Photo ©2014 Brad Buckman Photography
Meet Catherine Linka on her Thank You Sciba Book Tour.
In appreciation for the support of indie booksellers this year,
she can be found signing her debut novel, A Girl Called Fearless,
and hand selling children's and YA books at the following stores.
She's the best at helping you find the perfect gift!
Be sure to pick up several copies of her book.
12/18 Once Upon a Time, Montrose, CA
12/19 Flintridge Bookstore & Coffeehouse, La Canada, CA
A GIRL UNDONE, St. Martin's Press, 2015
ABA Kids Indie Next Pick
Winner SCIBA Book Award for YA Fiction, 2014
Nominated to ALA Amelia Bloomer Project, 2014
Website: www.catherinelinka.com
Twitter: @cblinka
Facebook: CatherineLinkaAuthor
The Meme Plague (Memento Nora Series #3) by Angie Smibert
Ages 13 and up, YA Fiction
The Meme Plague, (Skyscape/Amazon Children's Publishing, $16.99, Ages 13 and up) the third book in the Memento Nora series, by Angie Smibert, is reviewed by Ronna Mandel.
The Meme Plague (The Memento Nora Series Book #3) by Angie Smibert, Skyscape/Amazon Children's Book Publishing, 2013.
Here's what the jacket flap says: In THE MEME PLAGUE, the final book of the Memento Nora series, Micah and his friends have each lost something—a parent, a relationship, a home, maybe even their own identities as they remembered them to be. But together, they can make sure some things are never forgotten. Election Day is coming, and Mayor Mignon is certain to be elected to Congress. It's time to build a new electronic frontier (MemeNet), one that's not controlled by the mayor and his cronies. It's time to get out the vote and shake up the system. Will they succeed before it's too late?
I decided to take my first dive into a dystopian world, one I usually don't visit, and found it easy to lose myself in the futuristic east coast town of Hamilton where the main characters Nora, Micah, Winter, Velvet and Aiden live. Considering the controversy surrounding the NSA's invasion of privacy, Smibert's trilogy including her most recent, The Meme Plague, could not be more relevant.
It's important to note that, to get my head around the dystopian society where most of the action occurs, I needed to read books one and two before I could attempt to follow book three. Smibert's created a detailed world with wonderfully realized characters and a complex back story that would make it difficult for most readers to just pick up The Meme Plague without first finishing the others. Memento Nora (Book One) and The Forgetting Curve (Book Two) introduced and developed a time period not so far in the future in which government and business conspire to suppress free thought in individuals through mind controlling chips implanted in them. TFCs (Therapeutic Forgetting Clinics) are cropping up everywhere and savvy teens Nora and Micah, along with their friends, figure out that not only are their actual memories being whitewashed, but new, more government and corporation serving ones are replacing them! This concept intrigued me and hooked me in, especially the idea of technology's role in implementing such an oppressive plan and how hacking can have its pros and its cons.
A MemeCast, a pirate broadcast to citizens who have avoided getting chipped or have been chipped but refuse to submit, serves to disperse details about where legitimate information can be found. This underground movement has grown by the time The Meme Plague take place, and efforts to brainwash Micah about his father's past (did he really betray his country as everyone's been led to believe) only make Micah and his friends more determined than ever to fight back and expose the wrongdoing.

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Responding to the J Street Challenge
JNS/The Algemeiner
http://bencohen.pundicity.com/14435/responding-to-the-j-street-challenge
Ever since its founding in 2008, J Street, the liberal Jewish advocacy group, has expended a great deal of time and energy trying to convince American Jews that it is a credible and more ethical alternative to traditional pro-Israel organizations like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
J Street believes, not unreasonably, that there is a constituency for its work among those American Jews who are generally supportive of Israel but queasy over certain of its policies, most obviously creating and sustaining Jewish communities in the West Bank. Nor is this an unprecedented insight: from the 1970s onwards, there were organizations like Breira ("Alternative") and New Jewish Agenda which aimed to give voice to the same disquiet.
J Street, however, is much savvier than either of those earlier incarnations. Unlike its ideological predecessors, there are no rumors circulating of its imminent demise. For the foreseeable future, then, J Street will remain a part of American Jewry's political landscape.
This reality is implicitly acknowledged in "The J Street Challenge," a critical documentary film about the organization that has just been released by Americans for Peace and Tolerance, a Boston-based group run by the well-known anti-slavery activist Charles Jacobs. And it is a reality that, Jacobs and his co-producers insist, needs to be grappled with through honest debate and discussion.
The key question raised by the film is what it means to be "pro-Israel" not on a personal level, but within the context of the political lobbying and advocacy that swirls around American policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (or, as Harvard Professor Ruth Wisse more accurately terms it in her interview in the film, "the Arab conflict with Israel"). And when you examine J Street's record, it becomes very hard to dispute Professor Alan Dershowitz's assertion that the organization—despite its much-vaunted tagline—is "neither pro-Israel nor pro-peace."
To begin with, there are J Street's funders. As the film documents, ferocious critics of Israel like the hedge-fund billionaire George Soros and Genevieve Lynch, a board member of the pro-Iranian regime National Iranian-American Council, have donated significant sums to the organization. And although it says it is opposed to the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel, J Street maintains close ties with those who advocate collaboration with the BDS movement in targeting West Bank settlements, like the writer Peter Beinart and the corporate lawyer Kathleen Peratis. This milieu is hardly conducive to J Street's "pro-Israel" self-image.
Then there are J Street's statements. As Dershowitz points out, you "rarely" hear J Street praising Israel. A far more familiar refrain consists of slamming Benjamin Netanyahu's government as an obstacle to peace, or opposing tougher sanctions on the Iranian regime—positions that don't raise an eyebrow when articulated by anti-Israel groups, but which sound rather discordant coming from a group that claims to support Israel.
In that regard, much of the J Street documentary studies why the organization's analysis of Israel's situation is wrong. Its emphasis on Israel's land policies in the West Bank, its tin ear when it comes to Palestinian and Arab incitement, its embrace of a strategy that would result in the U.S. pushing Israel to make decisions contrary to its basic security interests—these moral and strategic errors are all familiar to anyone who has followed the debate about J Street's contribution.
More enlightening is the film's examination of why J Street exercises such an attraction to a particular kind of American Jew. Many of the interviewees argue persuasively that affiliation with J Street is more of a lifestyle choice than a political statement, in that it allows liberal Jews to equate their identity with their fealty to the "progressive" values they see Israel as betraying.
But is that how the J Streeters themselves view it? Since no J Street representative appears in the film, it's hard to say for sure. According to the end credits, Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street's executive director, "declined" to be interviewed, which left the producers with no option but to use existing footage of Ben-Ami speaking to other audiences. J Street told me that Ben-Ami was not interviewed because he was not available at the time the producers suggested. Either way, the absence of a direct interview with Ben-Ami, in which he answers the points raised by J Street's critics, slightly blunts the film's impact.
The most heartening aspect of the film consists of young, pro-Israel activists eloquently expressing why they distrust J Street. Through their words, the viewer gets an insight into the courage and intelligence required to defend Israel on campus these days. Indeed, one of them, Samantha Mandeles, who currently works as campus coordinator for media watchdog Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), is so impressive that I found myself wondering whether she'll apply for the post-Abe Foxman national director's job at the Anti-Defamation League—she certainly deserves serious consideration. In any case, seeing and hearing the next generation of genuinely pro-Israel Jewish leaders is reason enough to give "The J Street Challenge" an hour of your time.
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Confronting the Politicization of the Holocaust
Season 3 of 'Trump': Reasons to be Nervous
Antisemitism and Insurgency Politics
Anti-Semitism, George Orwell, and the U.K.'s Labour Party
Lies, damn lies, and faculty lies
American Jews Must Wake Up to Anti-Semitism of Hungary's Jobbik Party
Joining the Start-Up Nation Just Got a Lot Easier
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title:  Amosi
date:  29/07/2019
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### Tunafanya kazi kwenye somo hili.
Tafadhali   rudi baadaye.

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Justia Lawyer Directory Consumer Law Florida Homosassa Attorneys
Homosassa, Florida Consumer Lawyers
Dale E Workman
The Villages, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 21 years experience
(202) 455-5052	17503 SE 82nd Pecan Terrace
Free ConsultationConsumer, Collections, Criminal and Domestic Violence
Dale E. Workman earned his Juris Doctor (JD) degree in 1997 from Stetson University College of Law, which has consistently and repeatedly been recognized as the best law school in the nation for producing superior trial attorneys.
Prior to that, he earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Political Science in 1993 from the University of South Florida. While there, he served as Articles Editor and Feature Writer for the school's Undergraduate Law Review, for which he wrote "Casualty of War," an in-depth analysis of the erosion of the right to privacy that has inevitably resulted from the nation's War...
Mrs. Danialle Riggins
OCALA, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 14 years experience
(352) 433-2400	211 NW Third Street
Consumer, Business, Employment and Landlord Tenant
Florida A&M University, College of Law
Danialle Riggins is the owner/attorney of Riggins Law Firm, PA, an employment and business law firm that founded in 2008. Danialle handles litigation in both state and federal employment, family, landlord-tenant, foreclosures, family law and contract law cases to successful conclusions.Ms. Riggins has experience representing parties in civil litigation in state and federal courts and in administrative claims. Danialle provides both pre-suit services and collections actions all types of cases such as small/summary claims through major litigation.
Claimed Lawyer ProfileQ&ABlawgsearchSocial Media
Howard Iken
New Port Richey, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 14 years experience
(800) 469-3486	4807 US 19
Free ConsultationConsumer, Arbitration & Mediation, Bankruptcy and Criminal
Attorney Howard Iken is the founder and managing partner of Ayo and Iken PLC, a law firm helping clients with divorce, custody, bankruptcy, criminal defense, and debtor defense. We have offices throughout Tampa Bay and Central Florida.
We have the following locations available:
Summergate Professional Center
Seven Oaks - near Wiregrass Mall - off Hwy 56
27642 Cashford Circle
New Port Richey - Pasco ...
John S. Koda
(813) 816-1816	3413 W Fletcher Ave
Tampa, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 31 years experience
Consumer, Business and Real Estate
University of Florida College of Law
Kevin G. Brick Esq.
10.0 (3 Peer Reviews)
Free ConsultationTampa, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 14 years experience
Consumer, Antitrust, Business and Collections
Florida State University College of Law and Florida State University College of Law
I am the managing attorney of Brick Business Law, P.A. My firm focuses primarily on litigating and resolving business disputes in and around the Tampa Bay Area. Our clients include business organizations of various sizes and in various industries such as manufacturing, services, technology, medical, food, real estate and others. I am an AV-rated attorney with significant trial and courtroom experience (over 100 trials). I have been named as a "Rising Star" by SuperLawyers, to the "Florida Legal Elite" and among Tampa's Top Attorneys. I am rated "Superb" and received the Client Choice Award from...
Ralph Fisher
(813) 949-2749	18125 N. US Hwy 41
Free ConsultationLutz, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 36 years experience
Consumer, Collections, Criminal and Divorce
I am an attorney and a former C.P.A. born and raised in Florida. I have been fortunate enough to practice law in Lutz since 1983.
My philosophy is to explain things in a language clients can understand, and I am committed to helping clients achieve their legal goals.
Please call today for a consultation.
Heather A. Harwell
Wesley Chapel, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 30 years experience
Free ConsultationConsumer, Appeals and Bankruptcy
Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law
Attorney Heather Harwell has been practicing law for 27 years, gaining extensive experience in litigation and consumer debt issues. Her practice is focused in Bankruptcy, Consumer Credit Card Defense, Debt Defense, Fair Debt Collection Practice Violation Actions and Consumer Credit Reporting Issues.
Jay Weller
PORT RICHEY, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 26 years experience
PORT RICHEY, FL 33805
Consumer, Bankruptcy and Foreclosure Defense
University of Akron School of Law and State University of New York - Buffalo
Weller Legal Group PA has been on of the premier Bankruptcy Law Firms, in the greater Tampa Bay region, since 1993. Weller Legal Group PA has offices in Tampa, Lakeland, Clearwater, and Port Richey, Florida.
We primarily represent debtors in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. We also provide aid and representation in matters of Foreclosure and Lawsuit Defense, Settlements, Mortgage Modification, Credit Counseling and Credit Repair. Since 1993, Weller Legal Group PA and Jay Weller have represented many thousands of clients in such matters, relating to debt.
Mahmud A. Yennes
Tampa, FL Consumer Law Lawyer
(813) 461-4473	8875 Hidden River Pkwy Ste 300
Free ConsultationConsumer, Business, Cannabis Law and Personal Injury
Robert David Eckard
Palm Harbor, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 21 years experience
(727) 772-1941	3110 Alternate US 19 N
Consumer, Bankruptcy, Business and Criminal
Robert C Burnette
Zephyrhills, FL Consumer Law Attorney
(813) 788-6800	5710 Gall Boulevard
Ste C
Zephyrhills, FL 33542
Consumer, Bankruptcy and Medical Malpractice
John R. Alfino
Howey in the Hills, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 17 years experience
(352) 324-3010	101 N Lakeshore Blvd
Howey in the Hills, FL 34737
Free ConsultationConsumer, Bankruptcy, Business and Criminal
Kimberly Schulte
Leesburg, FL Consumer Law Attorney
(352) 787-7799	127 N 7th St
Consumer, Divorce, Estate Planning and Family
David Joseph Murphy
Dade City, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 37 years experience
(352) 567-0411	14217 3rd St
Dade City, FL 33523
Mark Anthony Brionez
Leesburg, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 9 years experience
(352) 787-1241	1000 W Main St
Consumer, Bankruptcy, Business and Construction
John David Hatch
Tarpon Springs, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 49 years experience
(352) 690-6270	1267 Berkshire Ln
Consumer and Business
Bruce Thomas Lucas
(727) 362-7202	1151 Skye Lane
Consumer, Bankruptcy and Business
K. Hunter Goff
Minneola, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 19 years experience
(352) 432-7003	600 N Hwy 27, Suite 6
Minneola, FL 34715
Free ConsultationConsumer and Bankruptcy
The Florida State University College of Law
I limit my practice to representing people through the bankruptcy process and have been practicing bankruptcy law in the Middle District of Florida since 2000.
I live in South Lake County with my Wife, 2 kids, 3 dogs, and 1 cat.
I would be honored to help you through a difficult time. Give me a call and let's get started.
L. William Porter III
Orlando, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 22 years experience
(407) 603-5769	2014 Edgewater Dr. #119
L. William Porter III, or "Bill" as he is better known, is an attorney in Central Florida. His areas of expertise are Bankruptcy, Commercial Litigation and Civil Litigation. Bill Porter received his undergraduate degree and his law degree from Florida State University, receiving his B.S. with honors and his J.D. with high honors. He served as a Trial Attorney for three years for the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the U.S. Trustee in Orlando, Florida. Since 2011, Bill Porter has taught Introduction to Bankruptcy and Creditor Rights at Valencia College as an adjunct professor.
Eric Steven Ruff
Gainesville, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 40 years experience
(352) 364-8688	4010 West Newberry Road
Rated "AV" Peer Review 5.0 out of 5.0 and Client Review 5.0 out of 5.0 by Martindale-Hubble . Rated Superb Attorney 10.0 out of 10.0 by Avvo.com and 5.0 out of 5.0 by Google Places reviews. Eric S. Ruff has filed over 2,900 bankruptcy cases and has over 30 years experience. He attended law school at the University of Florida where he was also a member of the Law Review. Mr. Ruff graduated from law school with honors in 1979 and soon afterwards was an attorney with the firm of Trinkle & Redman in Plant City,...
Alex McClure
Lake Mary, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 12 years experience
(407) 984-5270	255 Primera Boulevard
Free ConsultationConsumer, Bankruptcy, Collections and Foreclosure Defense
I exclusively practice consumer credit/collections and consumer protection law which includes bankruptcy, wage and bank garnishment, consumer protection law and debt defense litigation. I keep the focus of my firm narrow to ensure the highest level of representation and advocacy for my clients by not trying to be a jack of all trades. I spent nearly 10 years litigating for some of the largest creditors and debt buyers in the country and I now bring all of that experience to your side of the table to provide you with a unique perspective on your problems.
Rulon Munns
The Villages, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 45 years experience
(855) 473-1818	8564 E. County Road 466, Suite 102
Consumer, Business, Insurance Claims and Real Estate
Rulon D. Munns is a Managing Partner and founding member of the Central Florida law firm Bogin, Munns & Munns along with Ranier F. Munns and Bruce Bogin (retired). His areas of practice include Business Law & Commercial Litigation, Commercial Real Estate, Real Estate Development, Finance & Loan Closings, and Leasing. He received his B.A. from Brigham Young University (1972) and his J.D. from Brigham Young University Law School (1975). He sits on the Board of Directors of CenterState Bank of Florida, N.A.
Adam Harold Sudbury
Orlando, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 15 years experience
(407) 395-4111	204 Park Lake St
Consumer, Appeals, Business and Family
For the past twelve years Adam has represented hundreds of clients in court proceedings across the State of Florida. These include cases such as civil disputes, divorce, Fair Labor Standards Act, foreclosure defense, real estate litigation, warranty and lemon law claims, paternity, child support, child custody, enforcement proceedings, dependency matters, termination of parental rights, and appeals of final and interlocutory orders. Adam also has experience in transactional representation including nuptial agreement formation (pre-nuptial, post-nuptial, and written separation agreements), corporations, limited liability company, and partnership formations, as well as contract review and negotiation. Finally, Adam has extensive experience...
Taras Stefan Rudnitsky
Longwood, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 21 years experience
(407) 333-0001	3383 Oakmont Terrace
Longwood, FL 32779
Free ConsultationConsumer and Products Liability
Taras Rudnitsky has dedicated his entire legal career to representing consumers seeking justice under the law. His background as a consumer protection attorney, automotive engineer and expert witness has provided invaluable insight for consumers in cases throughout Florida and the United States. Taras has been a featured speaker before consumer justice attorneys, governmental investigators, and corporate executives. He has also been interviewed by several television station and newspaper reporters regarding consumer justice issues. This commitment to consumer justice started even before Taras graduated in the top 10% of his class at the University of Michigan Law School. Taras's...
Mr. Carmen Dellutri
(813) 670-7588	4830 West Kennedy Boulevard
Consumer, Bankruptcy, Foreclosure Defense and Personal Injury
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and Tulane University School of Law
Carmen Dellutri is the Founder and President of the Dellutri Law Group, P.A. He is certified by the American Board of Certification Consumer in bankruptcy law. He is also a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court and Family Law Mediator and a Qualified Arbitrator.
Carmen has qualifications that we could list for days but it's his personal stories that drive him to be the best. Carmen is not just an Attorney, he is a family man. His wife and children are his daily "why".
He is especially passionate about seeking justice for victims of Drunk Driving. Carmen was not only...
Cynthia Ariel Conlin
(407) 965-5519	1643 Hillcrest Street
Consumer, Appeals, Communications and IP
Florida A&M University College of Law
In 2010, after litigating at a downtown Orlando firm, Cynthia Conlin founded her own law firm with a desire to serve clients on a more personal and direct level. One of the things that drew Cynthia to practicing law was the desire to serve people. The practice of law, stripped to its core, means helping people. In practice, Cynthia spends her days helping clients. Before law school, Cynthia wore several hats, including journalist, graphic designer, publisher, and entrepreneur. From her diverse creative and business background, she was quickly drawn to areas of copyright law, defamation, Internet law, and business...
Spencer R. Munns
Consumer, Business, Environmental and Real Estate
Spencer Munns is a partner/shareholder with the Central Florida law firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns. He specializes in Commercial Real Estate Transactions and Leasing. While attending Brigham Young University, he traveled to Poland to serve a two-year mission for his church. Spencer Munns has studied in various countries, including Egypt, Israel, and Jordan. He worked as a financial consultant for Merrill Lynch before pursuing his law degree, also at Brigham Young University. While in law school, he acted as a clerk for Filice, Brown, Eassa & McLeod, and for The Fremont Group in San...
Charles Reiger Gallagher III
St Petersburg, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 18 years experience
(727) 344-5297	5720 Central Ave
Free ConsultationConsumer, Business, Foreclosure Defense and Real Estate
Mr. Gallagher graduated from Stetson University College of Law. After graduation he began practice with a large Tampa firm focusing on insurance litigation. Additionally, Mr. Gallagher served as a Federal Judicial Intern for Chief Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich of the U.S. Middle District of Florida. Mr. Gallagher has experience in both litigation and transactional matters. His current practice focuses on insurance litigation, foreclosure defense, real estate litigation, business law and consumer law.
While at Stetson, Mr. Gallagher was the Director of the Legal Writing Clinic, President of the Christian Legal Society, a Teaching Fellow for Legal Research and Writing classes, a...
David W Fineman
(407) 720-9200	37 North Orange Avenue
Free ConsultationConsumer, Bankruptcy and Foreclosure Defense
Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law
Mr. Fineman was born and raised in Southwest Florida and is a graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University (B.S. Legal Studies and Criminal Justice). In 2007, Mr. Fineman obtained his Juris Doctorate from Barry University School of Law. While in law school, Mr. Fineman served as a Certified Legal Intern for the State Attorney's Office of the Ninth Judicial Circuit which allowed him to prosecute several criminal cases for the State of Florida. Mr. Fineman was a Senior Note and Comment Editor on Barry University's Law Review and graduated second in his class. Mr. Fineman was invited to be...
Donald Petersen
(407) 648-9050	231 East Colonial Drive; Suite 201
Free ConsultationOrlando, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 31 years experience
I SUE debt collectors. I represent people in individual and class actions because they received : (1) robo calls from debt collectors, creditors and telemarketers who violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act ("TCPA"); and (2) debt collectors who violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA") when they attempt to collect a consumer debt.
Clients often hire me to represent them against debt collectors for many different violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and other laws which govern debt collectors' conduct. My clients' problems have included :(1) collection letters which violate the FDCPA;...
Lauren Roderick Brusca
Orlando, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 9 years experience
(407) 501-6564	221 NE Ivanhoe Blvd., Suite 200
Free ConsultationConsumer, Divorce and Family
Attorney Lauren Roderick Brusca is the founder of Brusca Law, a firm located in Orlando, and handles a variety of Family Law and Consumer Law cases with an emphasis on creative problem solving and preventative legal strategies. In pursuing her passion to help others, Ms. Brusca understands the struggles of families and consumers and takes pride in working diligently to obtain the best results.
Ms. Brusca is a native Floridian and is a long standing resident of Orlando. After attending the University of Central Florida and earning her bachelor's degree, she obtained a Master's Degree in Conflict Resolution and...
Lisa M. Super
Clermont, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 7 years experience
(855) 473-1818	1390 Hancock Road
Consumer, Business, Probate and Real Estate
Ave Maria School of Law
Lisa M. Super is a real estate attorney with the Central Florida full service law firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns. Ms. Super has worked for title companies and legal practices since 2014, starting in Naples and then relocating to Orlando. Her practice areas include Residential Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate, Contract Law, Civil Litigation, Business Law, and Probate. She received her J.D. from the Ave Maria School of Law and her B.A. from Eastern Michigan University. She spent time as a student in Germany and is fluent in both English and German.
Sarah Elizabeth Wade
Clermont, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 12 years experience
Consumer, Construction, Employment and Personal Injury
I am a personal injury attorney with the Central Florida law firm Bogin, Munns & Munns. Throughout my ten years of experience, I have practiced in the areas of premises liability ("slip & falls"), product liability, civil litigation, hospitality law, and construction defect law. My experience has allowed me to gain a well-rounded perspective on different areas of law, and I have represented individuals, businesses, and corporations in their legal matters.
Ama Appiah
St. Petersburg, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 15 years experience
(727) 471-3538	721 1st Ave. North, Ste. 202
Free ConsultationConsumer, Appeals, Entertainment & Sports and Immigration
The Law Office of Ama N. Appiah currently represents those seeking assistance in general civil matters, immigration, appeals, and entertainment & arts law.
Ms. Appiah earned her Bachelor of Science degree at the State University of New York College at Buffalo, cum laude. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Appiah worked as a legal assistant and paralegal for the U.S. Small Business Administration - Disaster Assistance Office in Niagara Falls, NY. The Disaster Assistance Office provided federal loans and grants to those who suffered physical damage to their homes and physical and/or economic injury to their businesses...
Pinellas Park, FL Consumer Law Lawyer with 39 years experience
Consumer, Asbestos, Insurance Claims and Maritime
Nancy E. Brandt
Consumer, Bankruptcy, Business and Collections
Nancy Brandt is a partner with the Central Florida law firm Bogin, Munns & Munns. She specializes in Civil Litigation and Business Law, including Real Property Development, Commercial Contract Disputes, Commercial Litigation, Real Property Disputes, and Insurance Defense. She received her B.A. in 1992 and her J.D. in 1995 from the University of Florida. Ms. Brandt teaches Civil Litigation I as an adjunct professor at Valencia College.
Jared M Lee
(407) 477-4401	1985 Longwood Lake Mary Rd
Free ConsultationConsumer
Thomas Lowe Young
(813) 251-9706	209 South Howard Avenue
Free ConsultationConsumer, Energy and Environmental
The Law Office of Thomas L. Young, P.A. focuses exclusively on representing business owners and individuals under the BP Deepwater Horizon Economic Settlement Program. The firm has brought together a team of attorneys, financial analysts and certified public accountants whose sole mission is to assist our clients in maximizing their claims under the Settlement Agreement.
Roland D. Boyd III
Clearwater, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 1 year experience
(727) 538-7741	13575 58th St. N.
Attorney Roland D. Boyd III went through his own divorce while in law school. This drove Roland to focus his study on family law and divorce. In 2019 Attorney Boyd began his own practice, Pinellas Family Lawyer, PLLC.
Ronnie Bitman
Maitland, FL Consumer Law Attorney with 15 years experience
(407) 647-0090	1770 Fennell Street
Free ConsultationConsumer, Appeals, Business and Employment
Ronnie Bitman continues to demonstrate why he is one of Orlando's most promising young lawyers. Having been named to Florida Trend's 2010 "Up & Comers" and Super Lawyers' "Rising Stars" 2012, Ronnie litigates a range of complex and novel matters. Ronnie is well-versed in complex litigation, including class actions, consumer protection matters, contract and employment disputes, trade secret, unfair and deceptive practices, personal injury, and various other consumer and commercial-related matters. Some of his recent important cases include the settlement of Virgilio v. Ryland Group, Inc. and the prosecution of eight related class action law suits stemming from a homebuilder's...
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Inverness, FL
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Prince died from an overdose of a drug that many people keep in unlocked medicine cabinets along with other easily accessible and equally dangerous painkillers. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine but up to 100 times more potent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
What happened to Prince is not unique to rock stars — drug overdose is a national epidemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, which in late 2015 reported that the rate of deaths since 2000 from drug overdoses increased 137%, including a 200% increase in the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids (opioid pain relievers and heroin).
To learn about fentanyl and its risks, Daily North Shore interviewed Dr. Laura Parise, medical director of The Doreen E. Chapman Center of NorthShore University HealthSystem, which treats individuals struggling with substance use disorders. An addiction psychiatrist, Dr. Parise works with patients who range in age from 18 to 85.
Daily North Shore asked Parise to talk about fentanyl and addiction, and what people can do to protect their families. One important word of advice: seek treatment for mental health issues. "Addiction more often than not co-occurs with mental health issues, and if either go untreated the prognosis is poor," she said.
Q: How do people gain access to fentanyl?
A: You need only look as close as the medicine cabinet at home. Our population is aging. Elderly people with chronic pain, cancer patients, and even caregivers have access to fentanyl. The take home message is the access that children and teenagers have to medicine cabinets — whether it's Oxycotin, Vicodin, Percoset, Norco, or fentanyl, which are all types of opiates (narcotics). It's also available online and on the street.
Q: What happens to the body when someone is using fentanyl?
A: With high potency opiates comes a high risk for overdose due to respiratory depression. Opiates cause slowed breathing and an overdose can actually stop breathing. It works in the area of the brain where the breathing center is located. This causes a very high potential for death when overused.
Q: How long has fentanyl been around?
A: In the late '70s fatalities were occurring that looked like heroin, but the toxicology reports were negative for heroin. Soon it was discovered that synthetic opiates, i.e. fentanyl, better known as China White, were the cause. Only taking a small quantity could result in an overdose. It's a very potent drug that is hundreds of times more potent than morphine, which is still true today.
Q: Who is likely to abuse fentanyl?
A: It starts out with patients and gets into the wrong hands of teenagers and others.
Q: What is the legitimate use for fentanyl?
A: When used appropriately, it's used to treat pain especially in cancer patients.
Q: How is it consumed?
A: Fentanyl is available in a skin patch also known as a Duragesic patch; a tablet that dissolves under your tongue; injections; and it even comes in a lollipop form.
Q: Although fentanyl is considered to be more powerful than heroin, how does it compare in price?
A: Street value of fentanyl is 50 cents to a dollar per microgram. A patch comes in 25 or 50 micrograms. Patches would range from $12.50 per 25 microgram patch up to $50 for a 50 microgram patch, while heroin is very inexpensive at five to ten dollars a bag. The street value varies on purity. A bag you use for a high, and a patch stays on your skin for days. Heroin is extremely inexpensive.
Q: How would a parent know if their teenager is using fentanyl or other opiates?
A: Some of the warning signs of drug use include: a change in peer group, isolation, moodiness, change in behavior, decline in grades, and becoming more unkempt.
Q: How are people with an overdose treated?
A: There is an antidote to opiates called Naloxone. In Lake County, there have been more than 100 overdose reversals from Naloxone by law enforcement since December of 2014. In addition, an advisory panel to the FDA endorsed mandatory training for doctors who prescribe opiate pain killers.
Q: What is the best course of treatment for opiate fentanyl addiction?
A: Addiction is a chronic disease. It affects both brain function and behavior. Most people who have a substance use disorder use multiple substances. No single treatment is right for everyone, but people have to have quick access to appropriate treatment. If we cannot diminish the stigma of addiction, we're not going to help.
A helpful local resource is LEAD's (Linking Efforts Against Drugs) Text-A-Tip program; a 24/7 anonymous crisis hotline for middle school and high school students. The program operates text lines available to North Shore teens in Highland Park/Deerfield, Lake Forest/Lake Bluff and the newly added New Trier Township. Upon texting students will anonymously be connected to a mental health professional. For more information call (847) 373-9700.


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El país de Jauja es una pintura de Pieter Brueghel el Viejo, actualmente en la Alte Pinakothek de Múnich, Alemania. Se trata de un óleo sobre madera con unas dimensiones de 52 centímetros de alto y 78 de ancho. Fue ejecutada en el año 1567, según puede verse en la parte inferior izquierda MDLXVII BRUEGEL. También puede verse traducido el título como El país de la Cucaña.

Se trata en este cuadro de pequeño formato el tema de El país de Jauja, descrito en el libro de Hans Sachs Schlaraffenland (1530). Schlaraffenland (o Luilekkerland, que en holandés es «tierra de la glotonería»), tierra de riquezas que aparece como destino de La nave de los necios, obra de Brant que ya había inspirado a El Bosco para su Nave de los locos.

Es uno de los temas preferidos de Brueghel, que en esto sigue a El Bosco: la representación de la locura de los hombres, como ya hizo en sus Proverbios flamencos.

Se representa a tres hombres vencidos por la bebida, obesos, posiblemente dormidos, cada uno de ellos vestido de manera diferente, para representar tres clases sociales: un caballero, un campesino y un hombre de letras, estudiante o clérigo, este último tumbado sobre un abrigo de pieles y con un libro a un lado. De esta manera se transmite la idea de que las debilidades y los vicios no entienden de clases.

Su postura radial dota a la pintura de una impresión de rotación. De la boca del caballero gotea la malvasía. El extraño huevo pasado por agua con patas se ha interpretado como una referencia a Satanás, mientras que el cuchillo que tiene dentro sería el sexo masculino. Otro cuchillo o puñal aparece clavado en un cerdo en la parte superior derecha del cuadro, imagen que también aparece en el precedente literario de esta obra y que alude a la gula.

Referencias

Alegorías en el arte
Colecciones de la Pinacoteca Antigua de Múnich
Pintura flamenca
Cuadros de 1567

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Locally produced Bajari chocolate arrives at Walgreens
April 26, 201711035
"Bajari" comes from the dialect of Puerto Rico's Taíno Indians and means "high distinction, respect and honor."
"Bajari" comes from the dialect of Puerto Rico's Taíno Indians and means "high distinction, respect and honor."
Bajari — a new brand of locally produced, gourmet chocolate bars — have been added to the inventory at Walgreens, which will double the maker's monthly production and may open doors for exporting to the U.S. mainland, company officials announced Tuesday.
Bajari Handcrafted Chocolates was founded in 2010 by young entrepreneur Paul Curran and is dedicated to handcrafting of chocolate bars using local cocoa and a combination of sweeteners, nuts, fruits and coffee of the highest quality. In addition, it has truffles stuffed with a variety of Caribbean flavors and liqueurs.
"Our island has many charms but none defines us as more people than our agriculture. For generations we have preserved the land, its fruits and the recipes that define us," said Curran.
"Being able to integrate chocolate into the long list of products produced by Puerto Rican hands and make them accessible in a world-class store like Walgreens, helps grow our local economy," said Curran.
The products have been available at Walgreens since early April, in three dark-chocolate varieties.
"Having the opportunity to compete head-on with globally recognized brands makes us validate the effort, sacrifice and quality of manufacturing our chocolates and to highlight the gastronomy of our island," said Curran, winner of the first edition of the Hit 3001 program.
mkantrow@newsismybusiness.com
Michelle Kantrow-Vázquez
Business reporter with 25 years of experience writing for weekly and daily newspapers, as well as trade publications in Puerto Rico. My list of former employers includes Caribbean Business, The San Juan Star, and the Puerto Rico Daily Sun, among others. My areas of expertise include telecommunications, technology, retail, agriculture, tourism, banking and most other areas of the economy.
Related tags : BajarichocolatePuerto RicoWalgreens
Liberty investing in network infrastructure, jobs
Oversight Board to hold 7th open meeting in NY Friday
Ivan Ortiz
Excellent! !!!
Let's continue the innovation and determination to move our farming to new levels! !
It can be done….there is no simple road. ..but we are capable of moving mountains. .IOrtiz
Hey Buddy!, I found this information for you: "Locally produced Bajari chocolate arrives at Walgreens". Here is the website link: https://newsismybusiness.com/produced-chocolate-walgreens/. Thank you.


Radicle Consulting was established in 2010 by Paul Plant.
Paul is a vastly experienced, digitally literate Strategic Marketeer, Commercial Leader, Change Agent and Entrepreneur, with an enviable record of growing businesses through a combination of strategic insights, leadership coaching, partner sourcing, and building results-oriented high performing teams.
Paul's entire career has been in the telecoms, media & technology sectors. His passion for media and communications began while working in regional press before joining British Telecom, where he spent more than two decades in the executive team at Yell Group, working in both the UK and US.
Paul has always worked at the forefront of transformational business change. He was part of the team that launched yell.com in 1996, and he went on to head up Yell's New Media Sales & Operations teams. He spearheaded BTYP's international growth strategy that began with the $665m acquisition of Yellowbook USA in 1999. His vast operational experience includes Strategy Development, Sales & Marketing Leadership, Product Management, Digital Innovation, and M&A.
Paul has a reputation for being creative, inspiring, thought-provoking, passionate and fun to work with, yet he retains a customer-focused, output-orientated and above all, highly realistic approach to all his work. These attributes have enabled him to build an impressive international client and associate portfolio that today extends to five continents.
Paul is co-Founder of PostTag, a brilliantly simple solution that promises to disrupt the SatNav and online mapping sectors. PostTag gets people to the right front door, first time, every time, with more accuracy than any navigation system currently available. It works by simply "tagging" three digits to the end of a postcode, providing a front-door accuracy never seen before. Drivers are guided to the precise front door by an easy-to-use smartphone App.
Web.com was one of the first companies to emerge following the launch of the World Wide Web, with the primary purpose to enable small businesses to benefit from The Internet. Formed in 1997 and based in Jacksonville, Florida, today Web hosts more than 11 million domain names, and is one of the world's largest providers of low-cost high-value digital marketing solutions for SME's.
The Local Search Association (LSA) www.thelsa.org is a not-for-profit industry association of media companies, agencies and technology providers who help businesses market to local consumers. The LSA has about 300 members in more than twenty countries and the Association helps these members realise the power of local marketing and commerce through conferences, consulting, proprietary research, insights, advocacy and more. Radicle Consulting is a member of LSA, and Paul is an advisor to the LSA's executive board, as well as being a regular contributor to its conferences and events.
The first start-up that Paul invested in was www.mexgrocer.co.uk. Turning over barely £100 a week when it launched, and based in the owner's kitchen, the company is today firmly established as one of Europe's leading importers of authentic Mexican food and groceries, with franchises in Germany, Portugal and Sweden all being served from its Luton-based headquarters. Named by The Times and The Independent newspapers as one of the Top 50 Food Websites in the UK, the company serves both the retail and wholesale markets, as well as being the preferred supplier of Mexican groceries to Amazon.co.uk. Paul continues to advise the company on its marketing and growth strategies.
LaingRose Ltd www.laingrose.com is a UK-based company specialising in bespoke trust management and trust administration. Its highly experienced team of advisors supports corporate client's administration needs by providing outsourced solutions to meet the trustee requirements in the preparation of required trustee paperwork. A key feature of the LaingRose service offering is to treat the needs and objectives of each individual client on their own merit, enabling the client to make life-enhancing decisions of real and significant value. What's more, the company ensures that all your financial arrangements are fully approved in the eyes of the law. Paul has been non-exec Chairman of LaingRose since 2013.


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Albertans' concerns about Rural Crime
Listening to Albertans' concerns about rural crime
July 19, 2021 Media inquiries
Justice Minister and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu is meeting with Albertans this summer to hear their perspectives on rural crime.
Since the beginning of July, Minister Madu has been meeting with municipal councils, Indigenous leaders and other stakeholders throughout the province.
Starting July 20, the first in a series of town hall meetings scheduled across Alberta will give the public an opportunity to voice their concerns about crime in their communities.
"We know crime remains a serious concern for people who live in rural Alberta. That's why we're reaching out to rural Albertans to talk about how we can shape the future of policing in our province to build safer communities for everyone, no matter where they live."
Kaycee Madu, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General
Longstanding concerns about how long it can take police to arrive at the scene of an emergency prompted the government to launch the Rural Alberta Provincial Integrated Defence (RAPID) Response initiative earlier this year. Under RAPID Response, provincial peace officers in the Alberta Sheriffs were given expanded authorities to help the RCMP on urgent calls and to investigate a wider range of traffic offences.
The town hall sessions will also be an opportunity to discuss ongoing work to modernize the Police Act, as well as update the public on the progress of the government's study on the feasibility of establishing a provincial police service to replace the RCMP in Alberta.
Minister Madu's tour builds on outreach and town halls hosted in rural Alberta communities in 2019.
The first set of public town halls will be held mainly in southern Alberta, followed by events in the northwest part of the province. More locations will be announced in the coming days and added to the itinerary. Dates and locations are subject to change.
Town hall schedule
Tuesday, July 20: MD of Foothills
6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Millarville Racing and Agricultural Society, 306097 – 192 Street W
Wednesday, July 21: Claresholm
6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Town of Claresholm office, 111 – 55 Avenue W
Thursday, July 22: Cardston
9 a.m. – 11 a.m., Tanner Centennial Seniors Centre, 260 – 1 Street W
Thursday, July 22: Redcliff
7 p.m. – 9 p.m., Town of Redcliff office, 1 – 3 Street NE
Friday, July 23: Drumheller area
4 p.m. – 6 p.m., Munson Community Hall, 201 Main Street, Munson
Tuesday, July 27: High Level
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Best Western Mirage, 9616 – Highway 58
Thursday, July 29: Grande Prairie
6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m., Holiday Inn & Suites, Salon A & B, 9816 – 107 Street
Rural crime town hall meetings
RAPID (Rural Alberta Provincial Integrated Defence) Response
Police Act review
Provincial police force study moves ahead (Oct. 7, 2020)
Alex Puddifant
Press Secretary, Justice and Solicitor General
County Reeve - Cindy Trautman
CAO - Paul King
Camrose, AB T4V 3S8
Email: county@county.camrose.ab.ca
Administration Quick Links


text:
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class RosNode : public Node
{
protected:
    RosNode();

    bool canProcess() const override;
    void process() override;
    void setup(NodeModifier& node_modifier) override;

    virtual void setupROS() = 0;
    virtual void processROS() = 0;

    void getProperties(std::vector<std::string>& properties) const override;

    bool canRunInSeparateProcess() const override;

    ROSHandler& getRosHandler() const;

protected:
    bool isConnected() const;
};

}  // namespace csapex

#endif  // ROS_NODE_H


← I'm finally making cob! Part X.
For the 4th time, we're running our vegan chef challenge, this time with 15 restaurants participating (and 10 volunteers managing!). For a full list of restaurants, including photos of competing dishes & chefs, visit us at trianglemm.com/planetprotein. So many good dishes.
The only thing missing? Songs.
Part of what we love about the Chef Challenge is that it makes more room at the table for everyone while supporting local businesses. It's two wins. So we made a "how-to" for you — and other cities considering this fun way to increase vegan options while working with and supporting your community.
Sure, we've got some top notch restaurants lined up with deliciously creative dishes. Your eyes are happy, your hands busy with the fork, and your mouth is flapping, but what about your ears? You need a soundtrack to this Challenge.
What do all 15 restaurants have in common? That's right. H2O.
Because birds are off the plates, and in this song instead.
Featuring downtown Durham, several years back.
This IS how we do the Challenge where we're from. Which reminds me, we need to create a dance.
Because you're gonna need to regulate yourself with 15 restaurants.
Markos worked as a butcher; in a documentary, he talks about how he felt saddened by the animals being killed. If I didn't love ol' Markos already, that sealed the deal.
Half of their members, dead and alive, were/are veg. Plus, you'll want to pop this song in when you hit Challenge restaurants on Saturday. Be dry! Be high!
You'll surely be drinking at most of these restaurants.
Because bathrooms have been an obsession lately (see my good friend's article about that here) and the only regulation of their contents need be making sure the toilet paper rolls are full.
Hopefully you'll be fed too.
What about you? Do you have a song to pair with one of the restaurants or dishes? Comment below.


2016 GW Fashion Girl Dress (Part 32) - Ready Stock !
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2016 GW Sleepwear/Homewear FOR LITTLE BOYS &LITTLE GIRLS set (PART 25)-Very Good Quality!
2016 GW SLEEPWEAR SET (PART 24)- NEW ARRIVAL - READY STOCK!!!
2016 GW SLEEPWEAR FOR LITTLE BOYS &LITTLE GIRLS (PART 24)-Very Good Quality!


text:
Forget About 2020, Sports Fans
TORONTO (Mar. 31) — A doctor/friend of mine near Philadelphia who works with infectious diseases and is "busier than a seven–peckered monkey in heat" told me yesterday that he has no confidence professional sport will return in this calendar year.… Read More
That Ethereal Night on Carlton St.
TORONTO (Mar. 28) — Given the multitudes under house arrest during the COVID–19 pandemic, I posted a question on Facebook and Twitter last week asking social media friends to name the most–memorable sports event they have attended. It generated nearly… Read More
NHL's Integrity At Stake
TORONTO (Mar. 18) — As I see it from this part of the world, there are two primary issues in the midst of the COVID–19 pandemic: a) everything — sports included — pales in comparison to the global crisis. And,… Read More
How to Televise No Sports
TORONTO (Mar. 15) — Here in Canada, the peripheral effect of the COVID–19 pandemic will weigh enormously on the 24–hour sports–television networks: TSN and Sportsnet. With live programming essential, Sportsnet, in particular, becomes vulnerable to the shut–down of all professional… Read More
When The World Was Normal
TORONTO (Mar. 14) — In the days before otherwise–rational human beings were scared to leave their homes for food — yet had toilet paper piled to the ceiling — there was hockey. Stanley Cup hockey, to be precise. The variety… Read More
Let Us Be Thankful
TORONTO (Mar. 12) — As professional sports and college tournaments tumbled like dominoes earlier today, there was one unequivocal consolation: none of these events will be played in empty arenas. Of all the contingency plans for COVID–19, nothing rang with… Read More
Don't Expect A Stanley Cup Winner
BREAKING (10:35 p.m. Mar. 11): Hearing the NHL will follow NBA and suspend play "by noon on Thursday." BREAKING (9:30 p.m. Mar 11) : The National Basketball Association, tonight, suspended play indefinitely after a member of the Utah Jazz tested… Read More
Making The Playoffs Essential
TORONTO (Mar. 10) — In a telephone conversation, Monday night, with a rabid follower of the Toronto Maple Leafs, I was told, "the best thing for this team is to miss the playoffs. It would be the kick in the… Read More
Imagine Burkie and Heals
TORONTO (Mar. 3) — So, what to do with Brian Burke? Given that just about everything the former National Hockey League executive says is provocative and interesting — and that Rogers is evidently going to "centralize" his role on Hockey … Read More


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Home / Blog / Appeals / The presumption of entitlement in workers' compensation
The presumption of entitlement in workers' compensation
A recent blog post by lawyer Antony Singleton questions the way a recent decision by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT) has handled the legal presumption of entitlement in the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act.
The presumption of entitlement for injuries at work has existed since the first draft workers compensation legislation proposed by Sir William Meredith in his 1913 Report. Basically, the presumption says that if an injury happens while the person is working it is presumed to be work related unless it is proven to be unrelated to work.
Why this fundamental legal principle was introduced
The idea was first discussed at the hearings of the Meredith Royal Commission in an exchange with Andrew Miller, Business Agent for the Brotherhood of Carpenters, and Fred Bancroft, Vice President of the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada:
The Commissioner: "Now, one of these things that has created trouble under the British Act is where there is nothing to show how it did happen, and therefore it is left in doubt as to whether it happens in the course of a man's employment. Now, it seemed to me that possibly it might be proper to provide that where the accident happened that there should be a presumption that it arose out of the employment unless the contrary be shown by the employer. Under the present law a good deal of hardship is created. A man is killed, nobody being present, and the death may have happened in two or three different ways, and sometimes a man's representatives have failed because there was nothing from which a court or jury could draw properly the inference that he was killed owing to something that he was not himself responsible for. Do you follow what I mean?"
Mr. Miller: "A man being killed, without witnesses."
The Commissioner: "Without witnesses. Ought it not fairly to be presumed that that accident arose out of his employment unless the employer shows the contrary."
Mr. Bancroft: "Certainly. I would say the inference is if he was killed he was following his employment."
[Ontario. Workmen's Compensation Commission. Interim Report On Laws Relating to the Liability of Employers To Make Compensation to their Employees for Injuries received in the course of their employment which are in force in other countries. Toronto: King's Printer, 1912. pp: 207-208. ]
How the Appeals Tribunal has applied it
This very type of accident was considered by the Workers' Compensation Appeals Tribunal (now WSIAT) in a leading case decision in 1989 (Decision 42/89 ). The worker's widow was appealing a decision by the Workers Compensation Board (now Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, WSIB) denying compensation for the death of her husband. The case arose out of the death by heart attack of the worker while working alone at a remote logging road work site. Nothing was known about the actual circumstances surrounding the worker's death other than that he was found dead in the cab of his truck on the work site some six hours after he had last been seen by a co-worker.
The Tribunal found that the presumption had not been rebutted in this case because it was clearly possible that in the period prior to his heart attack the worker could have been involved in some especially stressful physical activity. And there was also a significant possibility that, had the heart attack not occurred while the worker was alone at a remote work site, he would have received CPR treatment that might have saved his life. In these circumstances it could not be shown that the employment was not a significant causative factor in the worker's death. The appeal was allowed and the widow was entitled to survivors benefits.
The Tribunal's decision built on a 1986 leading case on the definition of "accident" in workers' compensation law (Decision No. 72). A sewing machine operator with pre-existing degenerative disc disease suffered a sudden unexpected escalation of pain symptoms while bending over to reach a piece of cloth on the floor. Since the injury occurred while she was working, her injury arose in the course of employment. This finding triggered the presumption that the injury arose out of her employment unless the contrary was shown.
The Tribunal said where there was a sudden unexpected injury in the course of employment, thus triggering the presumption, the question to be answered is:
Has it been shown that the employment made no significant contribution to the occurrence of the injury?
In that case the question was difficult because there was a pre-existing degenerative disc disease and no obvious external employment-related cause. But the Tribunal considered the evidence and concluded that the evidence did not show that the employment made no significant contribution to the occurrence of the injury.
A need to uphold the purpose and legislative intent
However, in the recent WSIAT decision noted by Antony Singleton, the Panel did not take such careful consideration of the definition of "accident" and the presumption. The case involved a worker who suffered a serious knee strain while descending a set of stairs at her workplace (Decision No. 2986/17). She heard a loud popping sound while she walked down the stairs and her leg gave out, but nothing else was unusual about her descent—she didn't slip, twist or fall.
The WSIAT panel denied workers' compensation for the injury – they said there was no evidence the injury "arose out of her employment." They did not ask the question described by the earlier Appeals Tribunal panel in Decision 72: has it been shown that the work made no significant contribution to the injury?
They asked the opposite question: is there evidence of an identifiable event that constituted a "work injuring process." Although we have a presumption in the law for cases where there is no evidence either way, the panel is requiring evidence. Although they referred to the presumption, their interpretation effectively ignores it. The panel decided the accident did not arise from the worker's employment.
As Singleton notes:
The absence of the purposive approach in the Stairs decision(No. 2986/17), and the Tribunal's caselaw more generally, is a problem for workers. The WSIA (Workplace Safety and Insurance Act) and WSIB policy are complex. If important statutory provisions are unmoored from the "scheme" and "object" of the WSIA, it's all too easy for appeals to become exercises in technical legal arcana that forget the fundamental principles of workers' compensation that protect workers. We lose sight of the forest for the trees. That can only be to workers' disadvantage."
Change is Possible at WSIAT
The WSIAT made a similar decision in 2015. The worker was a caretaker at an office building. He was found dead from a heart attack in the washroom of the building at 8:43 am. There were no witnesses to when the worker arrived at work but he usually arrived around 7 am. It had snowed, it was minus 15 degrees Celsius. There were no witnesses to the worker's activities that morning but the Panel found that he shoveled snow that morning but did not know how much.
In the first Decision 667/13 the Panel felt the worker was not engaged in unusual physical exertion at the time of his death and that his employment duties did not contribute significantly to his sudden cardiac death. The WSIAT denied compensation.
The worker's estate requested the WSIAT to reconsider the decision. In Decision 667/13R WSIAT Chair D. Corbett noted that the first decision focused its analysis on the balance of probabilities, and only referred to the Statutory Presumption in passing. He felt that the worker's unwitnessed death during working hours in the workplace is the type of situation which the Statutory Presumption was intended to address and this was an error of law which calls for a reconsideration. The Chair went back to Meredith's interim report as quoted above and reviewed the case law and concluded that the worker's death was compensable.
Let's hope the WSIAT takes another look at the "stairs" Decision 2986/17.
Filed Under: Appeals, Claims