Counter Assertion

Knowledge of the law gives you the edge to exercise and protect your rights and to restrict yourself from any act or omission prohibited by the laws of the land. Ignorance of the law excuses no one. However, how will you know that you are already abused or defrauded if you do not know the boundaries of your protection?

These days, most of the claimants are unaware of what they should do to pursue a claim. They still entertain a lot of misconception at the back of their minds. Winning a claim does not depend on the age of the claimant. It does not follow that social security claim where the claimants are children are easily approved than those pursued by adults. It does not also mean that if you are not disabled you are not deserving of the claim and it will likely be denied. It does not also follow that if a physician has given his statement in support to your case you can automatically earn merit to your claim.

In order to act accurately on the matter, we should first free our minds from misconceptions because misconceptions make as an easy target of fraud and falsehood.

Frequently, social disability and SSI claimants are simply given the wrong information. If your friend contacted the Social Security before his application for a claim and then he was told he could not file a disability claim because he was working, then, your friend has been misinformed. Individuals are permitted to work provided that their monthly gross earnings are less than the SGA or substantial gainful activity amount which is $830.00 per month.

Giving of wrong information may be made deliberately or otherwise. Why do this mistake and other related mistakes occur? If the misinformation was a deliberate act, then the personnel must be held liable for the deception. If it is on the negative, several reasons may have caused it. In many cases, it is caused by the incompetence of the person answering the phone at the local Social Security field office. Usually, he is referred to as service representative, he is not someone who actually works on cases called claim representatives. He may also lack knowledge about claims. That places you both in equal footing.

Often times also, mistake is due to human error - either on the part of the social security office or claimant. Social security disability and SSI are complex and technically hard division of the law. Its complexity can tend to confuse or mislead especially if the social security disability process was not clearly explained to the applicants.

Regardless of the reason why, information dispensed by the Social Security Office should never be taken totally at face-value, consultation of the same to an experienced lawyer in connection with the matter is highly recommended. Also, if you are in doubt, you must ask questions to another person in authority of your claim. Know your rights. Defend your stand, for you to be able to gain a favorable aftermath.

About the Author

For questions, comments and additional info about the articles visit http://www.socialsecuritylawattorney.com

I recommend the following basic security ‘best practices’…

If you spend any time online, you need a security toolkit consisting of:

. anti-virus software

. anti-spyware AND anti-key-logging software

. spam blocker

. anti-phishing tools

. firewall (preferably a combination of both software and hardware firewall if you’re on a high-speed connection.) Note: some anti-virus software packages include a firewall

Whichever products you use, keep them up to date - not monthly, but at least weekly, and preferably daily.

Use Windows Update to keep your operating system and Internet Explorer patched. On average, six updates to patch security bugs are released for Windows every month.

Keep informed of Security issues - keeping informed dramatically reduces your exposure to risks.

If you receive an email asking you to verify account details, don’t use the link in the email. Visit the site by typing its address in your browser, then check for a link to update your details. If in doubt, contact the site directly by phone.

Avoid dangerous spots: chat rooms, peer-to-peer networks, crackz and warez, porn sites, hacker sites, anything illegal.

Stay alert. Check your browser’s status bar; don’t click on a pop-up window or dialog box without first reading it; watch for unusual browser behaviour, such as a window that quickly opens and closes, or an atypical response when you type a search string in the address box.

Don’t open email from unknown sources. Keep preview panes switched off in your email client. Never click a link in a spam email.

Configure your email server to block or remove email that contains file attachments that are commonly used to spread viruses, such as .vbs, .bat, .exe, .pif and .scr files.

Train employees not to open attachments unless they are expecting them.

Keep your browser’s security settings set to high.

Enforce a password policy. Complex passwords make it difficult to crack password files on compromised computers. Choose an alphanumeric password that is at least seven characters long and uses a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and non-alphanumeric symbols such as (@#$%^&). This will help prevent unauthorized access to your computer.

Encryption should be used to protect sensitive information from “unauthorised eyes”.

Only conduct Internet transactions that have secured processing.

Turn off and remove unneeded services. By default, many operating systems install auxiliary services that are not critical, such as an FTP server, telnet, and a Web server. These services can become avenues of attack. If they are removed, blended threats have less avenues of attack and you have fewer services to maintain through patch updates.

Do not execute software that is downloaded from the Internet unless it has been scanned for viruses. Simply visiting a compromised Website can cause infection if certain browser vulnerabilities are not patched.

If a blended threat exploits one or more network services, disable, or block access to, those services until a patch is applied.

Have your computer system independently reviewed, addressing any security risks.

David Furlong is a qualified and experienced IT specialist and Technical Trainer. His list of credentials includes MCSE, MCSA, Dip IT, and he is one subject away from completing a Masters in Networking and Systems Administration.
http://www.avg-antivirus.com.au

Criminal law involves prosecution by the government of a person for an act that has been classified as a crime. Civil cases, on the other hand, involve individuals and organizations seeking to resolve legal disputes. In a criminal case the state, through a prosecutor, initiates the suit, while in a civil case the victim brings the suit. Persons convicted of a crime may be incarcerated, fined, or both. However, persons found liable in a civil case may only have to give up property or pay money, but are not incarcerated. A “crime” is any act or omission (of an act) in violation of a public law forbidding or commanding it. Though there are some common law crimes, most crimes in the United States are established by local, state, and federal governments. Criminal laws vary significantly from state to state. There is, however, a Model Penal Code (MPC) which serves as a good starting place to gain an understanding of the basic structure of criminal liability.

Crimes include both felonies (more serious offenses — like murder or rape) and misdemeanors (less serious offenses — like petty theft or jaywalking). Felonies are usually crimes punishable by imprisonment of a year or more, while misdemeanors are crimes punishable by less than a year. However, no act is a crime if it has not been previously established as such either by statute or common law. Recently, the list of Federal crimes, dealing with activities extending beyond state boundaries or having special impact on federal operations, has grown. See Title 18.

All statutes describing criminal behavior can be broken down into their various elements. Most crimes (with the exception of strict-liability crimes) consist of two elements: an act, or “actus reus,” and a mental state, or “mens rea.” Prosecutors have to prove each and every element of the crime to yield a conviction. Furthermore, the prosecutor must persuade the jury or judge “beyond a reasonable doubt” of every fact necessary to constitute the crime charged. In civil cases, the plaintiff needs to show a defendant is liable only by a “preponderance of the evidence,” or more than 50%.

About the Author

None

Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the “tent poles” that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of an early-Spielberg movie, Sugarland Express (1974), as I see them.

Sugarland Express (1974)

Starring: Goldie Hawn, Ben Johnson, William Atherton, Michael Sacks, Gregory Walcott
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Hal Barwood (Writer and Conception), Matthew Robbins (Writer and Conception), Steven Spielberg (Story)

ESTABLISHING SHOT: Intersection of lonely Texas highways on a rainy day.

INCITING INCIDENT: Lou Jean Poplin (Goldie Hawn) helps her husband Clovis Michael Poplin (William Atherton) escape a Texas Penitentiary Pre-Release Center in order to kidnap their baby son given to the custody of another family in Sugarland, TX.

PLOT POINT 1: Lou Jean and Clovis take the Texas Patrolman Maxwell Slide (Michael Sacks) hostage and take off in his patrol car towards Sugarland.

MID POINT EVENT: Clumsy patrolman from all jurisdictions chasing the trio create the mother of all collisions when dozens of patrol cars crash into one another (a la Blues Btorhers) and lose track of the fugitives.

PLOT POINT 2: Sharpshooters prepositioned in the baby’s home in Sugarland shoot and wound Clovis.

3rd ACT RESOLUTION: The fugitives are caught when their car gets stuck on a sand dune in the middle of a river at the Mexican border.

Santa would probably love some cupcakes this year instead of cookies! These Christmas cupcakes decoration ideas are so easy and fun to do. They’re great to get the kids involved. These cupcakes ideas will have your cupcakes looking like beautiful Christmas ornaments, reindeer and Christmas trees. Simply bake your favorite cupcake recipe and decorate accordingly:

Steps:

1. Ice cupcakes with red or white frosting. For a stylish look, ice half in red and the other half in white.
2. Place a peanut butter cup candy, upside down, on top of the iced cupcake. Press it into the frosting a bit so that it stays put.
3. For the ornament hook, use pretzels. Break off the rounded part that resembles a “J” shape and insert the pointed side into the candy. You can also use a mini candy cane.

Christmas Tree Cake

Steps:

The loved ones left behind following a tragic accident on the River Clyde took the lives of the crew of a tugboat in heavy fog are considering whether they should take legal action against the owners of the boat.

The company known as Svitzer Marine, which is headquartered in Denmark, was strongly criticised following an investigation into the tragedy by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

According to the MAIB there were severely lax safety requirements on the river itself and on board the tug boat which sailed under the name Flying Phantom. The families believe it proper safety procedures on the river Clyde were not followed and that required fog detection mechanisms were not installed.

The families are also requesting that criminal charges be brought against Svitzer and river operators Clydeport pointing out that there was a similar accident on the river seven years ago.

The accident just before Christmas 2007 happened while the tug was towing a bulk ship named Red Jasmine in a heavy fog after dark in the Rothesay Dock area, Clydebank. According to the official report to tug was unable to quick release the tow rope and was rapidly dragged under the water by the larger vessel it was towing.

This tragic accident is yet another reminder that it is essential to know the rules and regulations regarding health and safety at work. Workplace Law Training run a well respected NEBOSH distance learning course that will help keep you up todate and improve your company’s health and safety culture.

People could have said that casting Laurel and Hardy in the 1934 classic “March Of The Wooden Soldiers”, based on the Victor Herbert operetta “Babes In Toyland”, was simply a PR stunt to get them involved in the movie only to show off their comic talents and nothing more. Certainly how could they add anything to the plot? Well, people who said that couldn’t be more wrong. Laurel and Hardy added more to this movie than most people realize as they were ultimately the ones who saved Toyland. More on how later.

The plot is pretty simple. The evil Silas Barnaby, played magnificently by Henry Brandon, wants the hand of Little Bo Peep. She wants nothing to do with this wretched excuse for a human being. So, to get even with her, he goes to her home and threatens mother Peep, the little old lady who lived in a shoe, with eviction if she didn’t pay the mortgage, which he happened to own. When Hardy finds out about this he offers to pay the mortgage for her but discovers he’s broke. He tells her not to worry, that he would get the money from the toymaker. Well, things don’t go as well as he predicted, having botched the order for toy soldiers and making them too big for kids to play with and he and Laurel get fired.

Well, the wedding has to go on and it does, except with Laurel standing in for Bo Peep. When Barnaby discovers this, of course not until after the mortgage is torn up, he vows to get even. He does. He frames Tom Tom for the kidnapping of one of the three little pigs. Tom Tom is then sentenced to Bogie Land. But Laurel and Hardy soon discover that Barnaby was the one who stole the pig and framed Tom Tom. The chase through Bogeyland now begins.

Eventually, the chase leads back to Toyland where Barnaby makes his final attack along with the Bogeymen. In an effort to defeat them once and for all, Laurel and Hardy activate, you got it, the toy soldiers. The soldiers march out into the town and do battle with Barnaby and the Bogeymen, driving them all back to Bogeyland.

The movie was not only well done but featured some of the most beautiful music and singing. Highlights included “Don’t Cry Bo Peep”, “Toyland” and “Go To Sleep” among others. The acting was superb, especially Brandon who played Barnaby. Brandon was actually a very young man in his 20s when the movie. But great makeup and his magnificent performance had everyone believing that he was much older. Brandon stole the movie from everyone. He was pure genius in a role that most people overlook when discussing the greatest parts of all time.

Every year around Thanksgiving or Christmas this classic film is shown. It has been shown every year for at least 40 years. And through all this time it remains as great as it was the first time anybody saw it as a young child. Truly one of the greatest holiday movies ever made.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Films.

Coming May 12, 2006, to a theatre near you, a new updated retelling of “The Poseidon Adventure” called just, “Poseidon”. The original classic 1972 movie starred Ernest Borgnine and Gene Hackman. The premise focuses on a cruise ship named Poseidon that is flipped upside down by a giant wave. A group of survivors head toward the bottom of the ship, which is really the top, in an effort to survive certain doom.

The movie was actually based on a book by by Paul Gallico. He had based the story on a childhood experience aboard the Queen Mary where a wave had almost capsized the ship. He would later do research with insurance companies concerning overturned ships to get information for his novel.

The original movie was followed by “Beyond the Poseidon Adventure” starring Michael Caine and Telly Savalas Where as the first one centered around escaping an overturned ship, this one focuses on men seeking treasure from the overturned ship. The original movie is currently on DVD format, but “Beyond the Poseidon Adventure” at the time of this writing has not yet been released.

The TV movie version, now on DVD, starring Steve Guttenberg and C. Thomas Howell, of “The Outsiders” fame, was actually pretty good, but I doubt it will compare to the latest movie version in terms of special effects and production value.

The new movie, starring Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, and Josh Lucas, doesn’t appear to be using the same characters as the classic “Poseidon Adventure”. I suppose this is a move to not just repeat the same exact story with higher production values. It promises to be a very exciting movie. If “Titanic” was any indication this one could really make big bucks at the box office. One thing is for sure, this movie release can’t be good for the cruise industry.

http://movie-poster.ws/ movie posters,news, and wallpaper

The film-noir mystery/romance Laura (1944); from the novel by Vera Caspary.

Gene Tierney as Laura Hunt
Dana Andrews as Detective Lieutenant Mark McPherson
Clifton Webb as Waldo Lydecker
Vincent Price as Shelby Carpenter
Judith Anderson as Mrs. Ann Treadwell

The drifting music of Laura melts us into the portrait of a murdered beauty. We are infatuated. Vincent price walks into the scene and all we see is his usual handsome, tall and most charming presence. Judith Anderson claims your attention as she did in another unforgettable movie “Rebecca.” Laura is cool and ravishing. After all though, I was subdued by Clifton Web, as the splendidly audacious Waldo Lydecker. His words are choice and sautéed in lemon juice; a wonderful contrast to Laura. I must agree with him, when gum-chewing Detective Lieutenant Mark McPherson has become infatuated with the portrait of Laura, he sneers “Have you ever dreamed of Laura as your wife, sitting by your side at the policeman’s ball; or in the bleachers… or listening to the heroic story of how you got a silver shinbone from a battle with a gangster? (pauses) …I see you have.” Laura’s image does not transform into a housewife.

As to the symbols of prosperity, I selected these:

Laura sought out the famous columnist Waldo Lydecker:

She inadvertently boosted her young advertising career by seeking Mr Lydecker’s paid endorsement for a classic fountain pen. He responds with “I don’t use a pen. I write with a goose quill dipped in venom.”

Waldo Lydecker’s personal symbols ensure he is remembered:

“She became as well known as Waldo Lydecker’s walking stick and his white carnation.”

Waldo’s apartment:

His priceless glass collection… his marble bath. He smoothly remarks “It’s lavish, but I call it home.”

Rarity:

We scan Waldo’s rich apartment and see a cream grandfather clock. Waldo narrates that there are only two in existence. The other in is Laura’s apartment.

Stingingly romantic music:

The theme song “Laura,” (David Raksin) is haunting, sophisticated; and never leaves you.

A portrait of beauty:

Mark is mesmerized by Laura’s oil portrait (in reality, a photograph painted over for the movie). Enter the room, and you are spellbound. It states who she is.

Furnishings that relate to the person’s standard of living:

Waldo remarks to Mark while viewing Laura’s apartment: “Look around. Is this the home of a dame?” He sizes up the untailored detective and adds: “Ever know a woman who wasn’t a doll or a dame?”

Waldo is a prestigious writer and is seen dining at noted establishments:

“The character of Waldo Lydecker appears to be based on the columnist, broadcaster, and “New Yorker” theater critic Alexander Woollcott, a famous wit who, like Waldo, was fascinated by murder. Woollcott always dined at the Algonquin Hotel, where Laura first approaches Waldo” (quoted from IMDb.com).

Two symbols in the movie than are not of prosperity, but rather a casual mind, are those belonging to Mark; chewing gum and a hand-held baseball game that he says keeps his nerves steady. The movie ends with Laura and Mark in love… but it doesn’t seem like a natural match.

Note: The extended version includes high fashion scenes, glitzy vogue clubs and restaurants plus the making over of Laura into a notable beauty. These were deleted from the original, pronounced as being too glamorous for war-time. (By the end of the war people were craving luxury).

Full graphics version here.

Esmerelda Jones… Writer Of Desires

Author of: The Higher Self expressed in Ancient Wisdom, Beauty, Goddess Sensuality, Golden Wealth, Poems For The Passionate, Ecstatic Romance. Writings of the struggling Lower Self in tales of Victoriana, Victorian Swoon Flash Fiction, Old Curiosities, Bushrangers and Quaint Collections.

Link up the two of men’s favorite leisure actvities and what you’ll get is a rage generally titled a web based sportsbook. What could be more creative. If you picture a band of admirers rooting for any preferred lineup, and incessantly wagers are proclaimed to complement the rumpus. Intent to get a bit of the exhilaration, on-lookers typically seek to anticipate who is most likely to win in the impending struggle. At the end of the day, this eventually turns into a nice little struggle termed web based sportsbook.

Always wanted to try online sport betting ? Click here, now!

Agreed it might easily appear to be addiction prone though in fact sportsbook gambling is really merely diverting and to bond with fellow sports aficionados. Here, you can wager a a petty budget of dinero and yet have an amazing time. Read on many basics to get you started sportsbook gambling.

In order to place that bet, you will probably want to go to a web based sportsbook, which is a place that accepts web based sportsbook. In the USA, you can find four states where people can do sportsbook gambling absolutely legally, but if legality is no concern, you may do it just about anywhere if you discover a bookie AND you are legally an adult. Among the sports events you can choose to bet on are pro and, even better, college football + college level basketball, professional hockey, professional hockey, and, even better, betting on both horse and dog racing. Punters will have a choice of risking some money on the complete combined score of a game, in what round a given contestant will be defeated, and even if a given tossed coin in a game will come down either heads or tails.

The bookies are dependant on their figures be of assistance to you conclude which lineup you deem is most likely to win. To start with, we have the spread, or point advantage allocated to the weaker contestant that is anticipated to be defeated by a defined number points. Of Course, this comprises the sportsbook provider’s technique of offering balanced antes for a sportsbook. To take an example a gambler may choose to risk money on a side that is anticipated to be defeated and and yet make money on that bet if the contestant takes a licking by a defined number of points.

Why not just try it out and amuse yourself as well. Simply take care that you won’t get gripped and fritter your total social security checks on a boutade! Otherwise you’re bound to be caught ruing it till the end of your days!