Wednesday, November 30, 2005

AskPoodle.com calls itself a "search engine", but is really a Pay-Per-Call and Pay-Per-Chat Site

 
Social Activism Meets the Bottom Line: Innovative Search Engine, AskPoodle.com, Hopes to Show Why Local Human Sales Agents Plus Paid Search Advertising Now Equals Unbeatable ROI

Search engine innovator, AskPoodle.com, is sending advertisers and investors a wake-up call. AskPoodle.com makes a ripple in search engine advertising ROI and an outsourcing-aware public by introducing a locally—focused set of services for online advertisers, such as PayPerCall and “PayPerChat.” The positive impact on local economies coupled with higher ROI could start a trend for the grass roots and Wall Street investors alike.

Newark, NJ (PRWEB) November 30, 2005 -- Search engine innovator, AskPoodle.com, is sending advertisers and investors a wake-up call. AskPoodle.com makes a ripple in search engine advertising ROI and an outsourcing-aware public by introducing a locally—focused set of services for online advertisers, such as PayPerCall and “PayPerChat.” The positive impact on local economies coupled with higher ROI could start a trend.

Ubiquitous outcries from CNN’s Lou Dobbs and others have frequently resounded that local economies suffer dramatically in the short term when sales jobs are shipped overseas to countries like India. Security issues have also long been cited by many experts as another key problem. Journals such as the Business Week, August 16, 2004 article titled “Outsourcing: Fortress  india” (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_33/b3896073.htm) have related concerns from experts that sensitive corporate, government and personal information often enters a regulation-free zone when it is outsourced to most overseas companies operating in countries without even the currently lax level of US standards on privacy in place.

AskPoodle.com’s founder, Luis Pereira, is asserting a revolutionary holistic solution that could feasibly become a new trend in search engine advertising. This new model would create a balancing act by encouraging more US companies to hire locally for their PayPerCall sales leads, and by encouraging more consumers to buy locally in both PayPerCall and PayPerChat sales. “The nature of PayPerCall is to support local sales agents and local sales, a win-win for employment and municipal tax bases,” says Pereira. Another boon to local-based PayPerCall sales is that regional flavor, dialect, and conventional ways of communicating are easier for a native to understand and appreciate than for a non-native. Still another key issue is also the need to demonstrate the fact that cheap labor needn’t so consistently come from overseas to service a community in Appalachia or small town America, when there are many willing to take sales agent jobs right in our own backyards. Much of the time these sales jobs can supplement a household income that is at or below the national poverty line.

On the brass tax end, many may ask “what makes a poodle an expert on car engines?” A locally focused, human-administered search feature called “PayPerChat”, quite possibly. What’s more, the Poodle (www.AskPoodle.com) is in your general neighborhood, is familiar with your regional dialect and may even have been to the very antique shop or auto garage you are looking for. AskPoodle.com’s most intriguing innovation, “PayPerChat,” will allow PC-wizards to wield their powers as usual, but with virtual, instantaneous, real-time answers. When the call is successful in landing a sale, the sale is recorded along with any that weren’t successful. That spells the return of authentic ROI measurement, and it has many online advertisers whetting their appetite again for online advertising, and looking askance at PayPerClick.

Innovation has been often cited by economists as the ultimate antidote to outsourcing woes in the US, even as local economies do a nosedive. Luis Pereira, Search Engine Advertising innovator AskPoodle.com’s wizard behind the red curtain, says that PayPerCall has already begun to show that a call is worth a thousand text ads. “How much more likely is the user to initiate a chat session than a phone call?” says Pereira, “…Probably a lot more likely.” Many who use computers prefer virtual interactions to “live” ones with voice due to the informal nature of internet use, yet also prefer human-tailored service. AskPoodle.com’s new concept, PayPerChat, allows a feeling of security while pajama-wearing homebodies or busy non-committal executives inquire on services, materials, investments or products. The range of possible uses is as endless as the current sea of chat rooms, only in these chat rooms people have a motivation to come and spend money.

“Take the PayPerChat model and multiply it by thousands, hundreds of thousands of customers engaged in local chat sessions with buyers in their own backyard, and you have the other half of what is potentially a revolutionary new way of doing business online. It is the human and local elements behind the two main vehicles of AskPoodle.com that stand to revolutionize the way we use the internet, by making the local shopping experience the first option again. If the labor is at least coming from our own local communities must of the time (as in PayPerCall, for instance), it is going to change the face of America, not just the face of how we advertise goods and services online,” says Pereira. “We need to solve two problems, in reality, to even solve one of them. This is how we envision the start of a more balanced trend that benefits everyone in the US, not just corporations.” This is good for everyone. I think if we succeed, America will benefit also.

AskPoodle.com appears to be the first search engine, and arguably the first for-profit company, to formulate this as an issue of their own foremost concern. '“Made in America” may not always be possible, but “Sold by America” may just be.

Pereira says that Ask Poodle, Inc. is currently inviting queries from the media, investors and motivated activist groups.

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Press Contact: Luis Pereira
Company Name: Ask Poodle, Inc.
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 201-312-1115
Website: http://www.AskPoodle.com


[Editor's comments: Insaine idea or "next big thing"? I admit I have no idea. But I think it's a mistake to call it a "search engine"... (hris ]

 

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Major Malpractice Class Action Lawsuit Looms for Doctors Who Ignore Heart Scan Tests

 
Major Malpractice Class Action Lawsuit Looms for Doctors Who Ignore Heart Scan Tests

It has been several years since new medical discoveries have debunked old theories regarding heart disease and heart attack and have verified the efficacy of CT heart scans for detecting both early and advanced heart disease. Doctors who fail to keep apprised of these finding or refuse to change their practice for financial reasons put themselves at risk for becoming defendants in a major malpractice class action lawsuit. The plaintiffs will be a growing class of persons who were debilitated by avoidable heart attacks and heart procedures and the heirs and estates of those who have died.

Milwaukee, WI (PRWEB) November 29, 2005 -- This press release outlines a template for a potential class action lawsuit that may be on the horizon for the medical industry. The class of plaintiffs for this theoretical action remains latent but is growing on a daily basis. However, it requires only one such plaintiff to find an attorney who recognizes the scale and magnitude of the potential damages and move forward on a contingency basis. In real terms, this class could include 80% of those who had a heart attack, underwent a heart procedure, or subsequently died. According to the latest American Heart Association statistics, this number is estimated to be a least 865,000 persons and the entire class could easily be 10 times that number. Using a conservative estimate of $500,000 in damages per class member, the total damages could exceed $400 billion.

The plaintiffs, defendants, third parties, and facts surrounding the following moot complaint represent an actual incident. The names, specific health information, and dates have been changed to protect potential litigants.

Plaintiff, through his attorneys, brings this action on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, and on personal knowledge as to himself and his activities, and on information and belief as to all other matters, based on investigation conducted by counsel, hereby alleges as follows:

NATURE OF THE ACTION

1.Plaintiff brings this class action on behalf of himself and all other persons who suffered physical damages or mental distress as a result of receiving a medical diagnosis indicating they had no identifiable heart disease, elevated risk for heat attack, or who were prescribed medications not suited to treat their heart disease once detected.

2.Substantial and irrefutable medical evidence has established that cardiac stress testing is an ineffective method for detecting heart disease of the type that is the root cause in over 90% of all heart attacks and other complications of heart disease that result in death or debilitating injury. A readily available and well-publicized test known as “CT heart scanning” is capable of detecting virtually all heart disease of this nature. It has also been established that simple cholesterol testing often fails to detect persons like likely to develop serious heart disease and prevents them from receiving common treatments capable of reducing or eliminating the source of their undetected heart disease. Readily available blood testing techniques exist that are capable of detecting non-cholesterol related sources of heart disease.

3.The medical community has made significant investments in outdated methods of detecting and treating heart disease. They rely on the revenue streams generated by providing these treatments to persons whose heart disease has progressed to the stage that intervention is required to prevent death or debilitation. Any change in diagnostic or treatment methods resulting in the prevention of heart disease would require substantial investments in new technologies and would severely reduce the market for current treatments. Plaintiffs believe this is a motivating factor in the neglect and willful suppression of readily available technology capable of detecting and preventing heart disease and represents gross medical malpractice.

SUBSTANTIVE ALLEGATIONS

On January 23, 1999, Plaintiff underwent a CT Heart Scan which was interpreted by a cardiologist at the ABC Scan Center. Plaintiff received a report from the Scan Center cardiologist indicating that his “calcium score” placed him in the top 1% for heart attack risk among men in his age group. The report also included the comment “Patient has a high risk of having at least one major stenosis (50% or greater blockage) in his Left Anterior Descending (LAD) artery and is urged to consult with a physician regarding this finding.”

On March 3, 1999 Plaintiff presented Defendant with the results of the January 23, 1999 CT Heart Scan. Defendant told Plaintiff to disregard the CT Heart Scan Results and ordered a physical including a stress test and cholesterol blood test.

On April 1, 2005, Plaintiff had a heart attack and a subsequent coronary angiography that confirmed multiple obstructive coronary plaques in his LAD. Plaintiff received an emergency balloon angioplasty to relieve his acute condition. Substantial damage to plaintiff's heart was incurred before emergency angioplasty could be instituted.

On April 3, 2005, per Defendant’s recommendation, Plaintiff underwent open heart surgery to insert three bypasses in his LAD to resolve substantial obstructive heart disease, the same artery identified as having likely obstructive heart disease over 5 years earlier via CT heart scan.

On July 7, 2005, Plaintiff independently obtained additional blood testing not ordered by Plaintiff and was found to have several additional blood abnormalities not discovered by Defendant that are known to contribute to the development of heart disease and were readily treatable using lifestyle changes, nutritional supplements, and prescription drugs.

As early as September, 1996, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued a “Scientific Statement” to health professionals acknowledging the strong link between heart attacks and high calcium scores in asymptomatic patients. Extensive studies and references have confirmed the ineffectiveness of stress testing to reveal early heart disease in asymptomatic patients.

Plaintiff alleges that Defendant failed to utilize readily available medical tests and protocols to identify, aggressively treat, and potentially delay, halt, or reverse advanced heart disease that later resulted in extensive physical and emotional trauma to the Defendant.

PRAYER FOR RELIEF

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff herein demands judgment:

A. Declaring this action to be a proper class action maintainable pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and declaring Plaintiff to be a proper Class representative;

B. Awarding damages against each defendant, joint and severally, and in favor of Plaintiff and all other members of the Class, in an amount determined to have been sustained by them, awarding money damages as appropriate, plus pre-judgment interest;

C. Awarding Plaintiff and the Class the costs and other disbursements of this suit, including without limitation, reasonable fees for attorneys, accountants, experts; and

JURY DEMAND

Plaintiff hereby demands a trial by jury.

# # #

Press Contact: Chris Kliesmet
Company Name:
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 414-429-9501
Website: http://www.trackyourplaque.com

Scott+Scott, LLC Filed Initial Complaint Against Great Wolf Resorts Inc. - T. Rowe Price Analyst Speaks Out

 
Scott+Scott, LLC Filed Initial Complaint Against Great Wolf Resorts Inc. – T. Rowe Price Analyst Speaks Out

"The allegations against them are extremely serious," said Sheboygan Mayor Juan Perez.

COLCHESTER, Conn., (PRWEB) November 29, 2005 -- Scott+Scott, LLC (http://www.scott-scott.com), the first law firm to file a securities fraud action against Great Wolf Resorts Inc. ("Great Wolf" or the "Company") on November 21, 2005, had its allegations supported by an analyst from the well known Baltimore-based investment management firm T. Rowe Price. Further, the Mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, found the allegations to be “serious.”

Presently, the class is defined as those who purchased or acquired Great Wolf securities between December 14, 2004, and July 28, 2005, inclusive (the "Class Period"), but any purchaser or acquirer of Great Wolf securities may contact the firm as class periods can change as information is revealed. Great Wolf owns, operates, and develops drive-to family resorts featuring indoor water parks and other family-oriented entertainment activities. The Company is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin and the complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin (Case No. 05-C-0687-C).

The November 23, 2005 Sheboygan Press article, titled "Blue Harbor Owner Sued for Fraud" and authored by Eric LaRose, quotes Joseph Fath, a T. Rowe Price analyst. "It was pretty bad, given what happened," Fath said. "They admitted that there were internal control problems at the company. They really have no idea where their business is going and where it stands." After claiming that Great Wolf became public too early, Fath continued, "it's a good thing for consumers, but longer term as an investment, in my opinion it's a little more suspect in terms of the ultimate success of it."

If you purchased or acquired Great Wolf securities and wish to discuss this action or have questions concerning this notice or your rights as a class member, please contact Scott+Scott for more information. Scott+Scott will provide class members with case materials, answer all questions regarding participation and rights and assist with other services the firm provides. There is no cost or fee to you. Contact Scott+Scott partner Neil Rothstein (800/332-2259, ext. 22, or cell 619/251-0887). Institutional Investors may also contact the firm.

"The allegations against [Great Wolf are extremely serious," said Sheboygan Mayor Juan Perez in the Sheboygan Press article. The allegations set forth in the Scott+Scott complaint claim that defendants' registration statements issued in connection with the Company's 2004 Initial Public Offering ("IPO") contained untrue statements of material fact in violation of federal securities laws. According to the complaint, at the root of these issues was the fact that the Company provided misleading, unreliable and unpredictable quarterly and annualized guidance. Since defendants' guidance was allegedly unreliable, both the Company's business prospects and in fact the value of the underlying business was in doubt to the extent this defective measure was used for valuation purposes to convince investors to buy the Company's stock during the IPO.

About Scott + Scott
The plaintiff is represented by Scott+Scott, LLC, which has significant experience in prosecuting investor class actions, including other Initial Public Offering cases like the current Refco case (see http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051111/nef006.html?.v=33). The firm dedicates itself to client communication and satisfaction and currently is litigating major securities, antitrust and employee retirement plan actions throughout the United States. The firm represents pension funds, charities, foundations, individuals and other entities worldwide. Cases currently being litigated and/or investigated by Scott+Scott, LLC include: Refco, Inc.; Guidant Corp.; Abbott Laboratories; Halliburton; TRM Corp.; and Tempur-Pedic Int'l, among others. Its success has brought shareholders hundreds of millions of dollars in cases against Mattel, Royal Dutch/Shell, Sprint, ImClone, and others.

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Press Contact: Neil Rothstein
Company Name: Scott + Scott, LLC
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 619-251-0887
Website: http://www.scott-scott.com

 

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Chicago Train Accident Attorneys Question Design of Crossing at Site of Chicago Metra Car Train Accident

 
Leading Chicago Train Accident Attorneys Question Design of Crossing at Site of Chicago Metra Car Train Accident

Power, Rogers, and Smith, Chicago, Illinois car train accident specialists, recently appointed co-lead counsel on the steering committee for those injured in the Sept. 2005 Metra train derailment call for action in light of the Elmwood Park train accident.

Chicago, Il, November 26, 2005 -- Power, Rogers, and Smith (http://www.prslaw.com), respected Chicago Train Accident Attorneys spoke out about the design of the railway crossing, site of the Thanksgiving eve car train accident that injured 16 people. There were over fifteen cars involved in the Metra car train accident.

"It is too easy for cars to get trapped in the crossing," said Todd A. Smith, Partner in the Chicago law firm of Power, Rogers, and Smith. "I have been to the site, and there is an unusually long area behind the stop line, and it is easy for cars to get stopped inside the crossing gates," Smith said.

Mr. Smith also noted that Mark Rosenker acting chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was quoted in the Chicago Tribune (Nov. 25) as saying that the crossing design was unique and that since 1976, there have been 26 wrecks at the crossing, including two fatalities in 1983 and 1997.

"Clearly this is a very unusual circumstance for motorists to find themselves in," he said.

"We are advocates for the injured and we specialize in incidents like this car train accident. For example, we were recently appointed to the steering committee and we are the co-lead counsel for those injured in the 2005 Metra train accident," said Joseph A. Power Jr., founding partner of Power, Rogers, and Smith.

"For decades citizen groups have sought to eliminate grade crossings," explained Smith. "Because of the frequent conflict between cars and trains the risk is too great. Our governmental agencies have to take action to address these dangerous situations."

About Power, Rogers, and Smith http://www.prslaw.com

For nearly twenty five years, Power Rogers, and Smith, and its founding partners, have been dedicated solely to the representation of the seriously injured and of family members who have lost loved ones due to wrongful death. Power, Rogers, and Smith has obtained over 200 personal injury and wrongful death settlements in excess of $1 million dollars for serious injury and wrongful death cases.

In addition to demanding personal injury case loads, Joseph A. Power, Jr., Larry R. Rogers and Todd A. Smith are active in the community and have been recognized by numerous organizations for their contributions, including Joe Power's 2003 Citizen of the Year Award by the City Club of Chicago.

Power Rogers, and Smith represents Chicago personal injury victims in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death claims arising out of automobile accidents, car train accidents, construction accidents, brain injuries, birth injuries, cerebral palsy, and many other forms of medical malpractice.

If you have suffered permanent injuries and significant economic damages within the last two years, or represent a family member who has been seriously impacted by someone's negligence, including wrongful death, please contact Chicago personal injury lawyers, specialists in Chicago, Illinois train accidents, Power Rogers, and Smith by phone at 312-236-9381 or contact Mr. Todd Smith directly at 312-827-6108.

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Press Contact: Jay Berkowitz
Company Name: Power, Rogers, and Smith
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 561-716-1334
Website: www.prslaw.com

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

More Bloggers are Quitting Their Jobs and Blogging Full-Time

 
More Bloggers are Quitting Their Jobs and Blogging Full-Time

In the past year bloggers have been quitting their jobs to blog full-time. Eric Reynolds from Springfield Missouri is one such blogger. Creator of Subnixus.com, he documents his journey from a nine to five job to blogging full-time.

Springfield, Mo. (PRWEB) November 22, 2005 – Over the past year, 26 year old Eric Reynolds has become a full-time blogger. He now makes enough money blogging that he is considering quitting his job with Expedia Inc. and living off of only his blog profits.

“A few months ago I realized that I was almost making as much money from my blog as I was from my real job. That's when I decided to start www.subnixus.com and document the journey from my nine to five job to living off of only my blog.” he said.

Since starting his site two months ago, it has quickly become one of the premiere on-line stops for bloggers wanting to learn how to make money from their own blogs. By sharing the tips he has learned over the past few years, he has been able to help hundreds of bloggers get started along the same path. However, he is quick to point out that a full-time blogger needs more than just a blog.

“Some people think that having a blog is all you need, but that couldn't be further from the truth. You have to provide something that readers can't find anywhere else. In essence you are quite literally selling yourself. Good writing skills and unique content are essential things to have in a successful blog.” he said.

For more information on blogging, or how bloggers are making money online, visit his site at www.subnixus.com

Contact:

Eric Reynolds
Subnixus.com
417-425-5736

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Press Contact: Eric Reynolds
Company Name:
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 417-425-5736
Website: http://www.subnixus.com

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Check Your Phone Bill for Fake Charges from OAN and Nationwide Connections

Check Your Phone Bill for Fake Charges from OAN and Nationwide Connections, Inc.
 
OAN, Billview.com, Billingconcepts.com, Nationwide Connections, inc., oanweb.com, Qwest are all involved, but make it very hard to trace back to the source of the bogus phone bill charges
 
In looking over my phone bill this month I discover a charge for $6.25. Now, you would think I would remember a collect a call from Spearfish, SD from last month, right? Well it's a bogus charge and I also discovered we had one on our bill from last February that was supposed to have been made in December 2004. That one was from Michigan and also for $6.25.
 
The numbers they provide in the bills will take you to Nationwide Connections whose supposedly bill on behalf of OAN, whatever those letters mean. All the numbers they give you at Nationwide Connections for OAN just take you back to Nationwide Connections. OAN really does not want to be contacted by you...!
 
The good thing is that Nationwide Connections readily gives you credit or in the case of my old charge says they will send a voucher that can be used against our phone bill for credit. We'll see if we really get one.
 
The message here is to check your phone bill every month and question any funny-looking charges.
 
Do some searches in Google for oan scam and billview scan and you will find it ain't just me.
 
Here's one blog entry that I found that confirms what I've seen:
 
(hris

Friday, November 11, 2005

Legal Services Alabama Selects Legal Files to Help with Hurricane Katrina Efforts

 
Legal Services Alabama Selects Legal Files to Help with Hurricane Katrina Efforts

Springfield, Ill. (PRWEB) November 11, 2005 -- Legal Files Software Inc. announced today that Legal Services Alabama has purchased its popular case management software for its Hurricane Katrina Disaster Legal Assistance Hotline Network. Legal Services Alabama is a statewide non-profit organization providing free civil legal assistance to low-income and elderly Alabamians, and victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Legal Files Software Inc. developed the software program that offers both comprehensive case management and eligibility/intake features with input from national legal services experts. The software is designed to replace existing intake processes and help Legal Files customers serve more clients, more efficiently.

LSA Executive Director Melissa Pershing noted, “We’ll convert all of LSA’s field offices to Legal Files as soon as possible in 2006; we just knew that we needed to get our disaster hotline network up and running fast. Our four integrated call centers will be fully operational in two weeks and staffed with LSA attorneys and volunteer lawyers, paralegals and law students--ready to assist the thousands of Katrina evacuees in Alabama rebuild their lives, their homes and their communities. We’re grateful to Legal Files not only for having a great product, but for being so responsive to our needs at such a critical time.”

Legal Files software is used by a number of legal services/legal aid organizations, including Legal Aid Ontario Criminal/Family Law Offices, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Legal Services Corporation of Delaware, Legal Services of Connecticut, Michigan Migrant Legal Assistance Project, North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services, Ohio Justice and Policy Center and the Salt River Prima-Maricopa Indian Community. Legal Files is also used by leading law firms, corporate legal departments, insurance companies and government agencies to store case information and track office workflow.

About Legal Files Software Inc.
Founded in 1990, Legal Files Software Inc., with corporate headquarters in Springfield, Ill., develops case and office management software products for practice management, litigation support, document assembly and integrated groupware. Thousands of users in leading law firms, corporate legal departments, legal services clinics, insurance companies and universities throughout the world use Legal Files software to store case information and track office workflow.

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Press Contact: Jean Richards
Company Name: LEGAL FILES SOFTWARE INC.
Email: jean@legalfiles.com
Phone: 217-523-7480
Website: www.LegalFiles.com

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Attorneys Lisa Blue and Charla Aldous From Baron & Budd, P.C. to Speak at Dallas Trial Lawyers Association 2005 Annual Meeting

 
Baron & Budd, P.C. Attorneys Lisa Blue and Charla Aldous to Speak at Dallas Trial Lawyers Association 2005 Annual Meeting

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) November 10, 2005 -- Lisa A. Blue and Charla G. Aldous will speak at the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association 2005 annual meeting on Thursday, November 10. The event is a CLE presentation to be held at The Melrose Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

Ms. Blue and Ms. Aldous will be speaking on the topic of “trial techniques.” Both prominent veteran trial lawyers, Blue and Aldous have achieved prominence through their work with plaintiffs in personal injury and toxic tort litigation.

Blue, in addition to being an accomplished trial attorney, is also a licensed psychologist, published author and speaker. The National Law Journal has profiled Blue and Aldous for their significant trial victories and litigation track record. Both are attorneys with Baron & Budd, PC.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.:
Since 1977, the law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C. has championed the rights of people and communities harmed by corporate misconduct. With over 80 attorneys and offices in Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Louisiana and New York, Baron & Budd enjoys a national reputation as a leader of the plaintiffs’ bar. The firm represents individuals with mesothelioma and other diseases caused by asbestos; leukemia and lymphoma caused by benzene; and injuries caused by other toxic substances and pharmaceuticals. The firm also represents water authorities seeking clean-up costs for drinking water contamination; securities investors defrauded by corporate wrongdoing; and consumers. For more information about Baron & Budd, call 1-800-222-2766 or visit www.baronandbudd.com.

# # #

Press Contact: Laurie Meggesin
Company Name: Baron & Budd, P.C.
Email: LMeggesin@baronbudd.com
Phone: 214-521-3605
Website: http://www.baronandbudd.com

Don't Cash Checks From Guidant Corporation!

 
Martinez, Rosenbaum & Faria LLP Warns Victims of Defective Heart Devices Not to Cash Checks From Guidant Corporation

(PRWEB) November 10, 2005 - People who had Guidant heart devices implanted began receiving random checks this week from the company while it is simultaneously denying liability in lawsuits around the country.

Said Attorney Cory Rosenbaum of Guidant’s latest tactics, “We strongly urge anyone who receives a check from Guidant not to cash it. Anyone who receives one of these checks should phone a lawyer right away. People need to know whether or not the checks will affect their ability to sue.”

Rosenbaum, a partner at Martinez, Rosenbaum & Faria, LLP, a bilingual firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles, has been at the forefront of the fight to protect the rights of the victims of Guidant and Medtronic’s faulty heart devices. The firm is a founding member of a nationwide group that is taking on the companies to get surgical cost reimbursement and damages for the victims of the flawed defibrillators.
In September 2005, Guidant Corporation announced the recall of more pacemaker models, including the Insignia and Nexus devices.

This announcement continues a long line of recalls for the heart device manufacturer. Since June 2005, the company has recalled approximately 88,000 heart defibrillators and issued warnings on 28,000 pacemakers, including Pulsar Max II, Pulsar, Discovery, Meridian, Pulsar Max II, Discovery II, Virtus Plus II, Intelis II, and Contak TR. Guidant also notified doctors on September 22nd that the failure rate of the Contak Renewal and Contak Renewal 2 was nearly triple its early estimates.

Attorney Rosenbaum advises, “If you are unsure of the type of device you or your loved one are using, phone your physician immediately. If the device is on the recall list, we encourage you to contact our office to discuss what steps can be taken to have Guidant Corporation pay for your device replacement, lost wages, and other costs. But, whatever you do, do not cash a check from Guidant without first speaking with a lawyer.”

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Press Contact: Cherie Yannone
Company Name: MADJACK PUBLIC RELATIONS
Email: cherieyannone@aol.com
Phone: 602-569-9632
Website: http://www.coryrosenbaum.com

Martinez, Rosenbaum & Faria LLP Supports NY Attorney General's Lawsuit Against Guidant for Flawed Heart Devices

 
Martinez, Rosenbaum & Faria LLP Supports NY Attorney General's Lawsuit Against Guidant for Flawed Heart Devices

(PRWEB) November 10, 2005 -- New York Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer, filed suit against Guidant Corporation in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan. The suit claims Guidant failed to disclose faults that caused its implantable heart defibrillators to short out.

Martinez, Rosenbaum & Faria, LLP, a bilingual law firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles, has set up an information outlet on their website about the faulty defibrillators. The firm is a founding member of a nationwide group that is taking on Guidant and Medtronic to force the companies to cover replacement and surgical costs and damages for those people hurt or killed by the bad devices. The firm has pledged its support for the NY Attorney General’s pursuit of both Guidant and Medtronic.

In September 2005, Guidant Corporation announced the recall of more pacemaker models, including the Insignia and Nexus devices. This announcement continued a long line of recalls for the heart device manufacturer.

Medtronic, another manufacturer of heart devices, is also the subject of massive litigation because its devices have bad batteries and other flaws.

Both companies have refused to acknowledge liability.

“We are accepting clients who were victimized by both companies. People relied on these devices to keep them alive and prevent heart attacks. The devices are bad and the companies are clearly responsible.” said Cory Rosenbaum. “We’ll provide the New York Attorney General with all information at our disposal to assist in their lawsuit.”

Attorney Rosenbaum advises, “If you are unsure of the type of device you or your loved one are using, phone your physician immediately. Then, contact us to discuss your legal claims.”

Supreme Court of New York for NY County
People of State of NY vs Guidant Corporation
Index No. 403656/05

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Press Contact: Cherie Yannone
Company Name: MADJACK PUBLIC RELATIONS
Email: cherieyannone@aol.com
Phone: 602-569-9632
Website: http://www.coryrosenbaum.com

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Court Denies Motion to Violate First Amendment

 
Court Denies Motion to Violate First Amendment

(PRWEB) November 6, 2005 -- Anthony Pirrotti, Jr., an attorney representing several pediatricians in a lawsuit filed by Cory Rosenbaum, Esquire, on behalf of a dead infant’s parents, demanded the Supreme Court of New York for Rockland County force attorney Rosenbaum to remove information from his website which the pediatricians feared was damaging their reputations.

The original case, Rivas vs Paul Bloom, M.D., Shoeb Amin, M.D., and Dipak Banker, M.D., Index No. 1254/98, arose when, in the care of these pediatricians, six-month old Christopher Rivas died as a result of a common infection—pseudomonas aeruginosa (swimmer’s ear). Young Christopher saw the pediatricians ten times over a six-week period. The doctors never ordered crucial blood tests and failed to correctly diagnose his condition. Christopher died in the hospital after his fevered body, wracked with pain, hemorrhaged from every orifice.

Pirrotti demanded the Court force Attorney Rosenbaum to remove several press releases from his website, including “What Is a Baby’s Life Worth,” an article that focused on an insulting $15,000 offer made by the pediatricians to the dead baby’s parents.

After reviewing all of the documentation, the Court refused to suppress the information. “It isn’t enough that these doctors were negligent and caused the death of baby Christopher. The Rivas family had to bury their son, and now these doctors wanted the Court to bury their mistakes,” said Mr. Rosenbaum outside the Court.

The previous press releases concerning the low-ball offers, Rosenbaum’s quest for additional victims of these pediatricians, and topical information about the impending trial remain on the website and on the Internet. Said Mr. Rosenbaum of the Court’s decision, “It’s only fair that parents have access to all information where it concerns the health of their children. It is attorneys like Pirrotti who, by demanding nothing ever be said about their doctor clients, perpetuate tragedies like this.”

Supreme Ct of NY for Rockland County, Index 1254/98, Rivas v Bloom et al

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Press Contact: Cherie Yannone
Company Name: MADJACK PUBLIC RELATIONS
Email: cherieyannone@aol.com
Phone: 602-569-9632
Website: http://www.coryrosenbaum.com

 

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Online Dating Service TRUE(R) Sues Convicted Sex Offender

Online Dating Service TRUE(R) Sues Convicted Sex Offender; Convicted Felon Caught Misrepresenting Self to Online Daters

DALLAS, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier today, the leading online relationship service TRUE(R) filed a lawsuit in United States District Court against convicted sex offender Dr. Robert Wells of Walnut Creek, California. Dr. Wells was convicted in 2001 of attempted lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years, a felony Contemporaneous press reports indicate that Dr. Wells allegedly planned to "abduct and rape" his underage victim.

Upon becoming a member of TRUE, Dr. Wells claimed he was not a felon. TRUE believes this false representation violated both federal and state law. Upon discovering Dr. Wells' felony history, TRUE took immediate action to increase the safety of its membership base, reporting Dr. Wells to appropriate authorities and taking the unprecedented step of filing suit against Dr. Wells. TRUE is seeking a permanent injunction preventing Dr. Wells from accessing the TRUE.com website and contacting its members. In addition, TRUE believes that Dr. Wells violated federal wire fraud laws when he falsely represented himself to TRUE and its members as a non-felon. This charge could subject Dr. Wells to additional fines, penalties and jail time.

"When I founded this company, I made a commitment to our members that we would do our best to create a wholesome environment for courtship -- one that includes a safer dating experience," said Herb Vest, founder and CEO of TRUE. "As part of that commitment, we continue to lead the industry by implementing criminal background and marital screening to help weed out potentially dangerous individuals. According to the Department of Justice's Criminal Offender Statistics, approximately 67.5 percent of convicted criminals released from prison are rearrested for a felony or serious crime making criminal background screening a must for the online dating industry. Our criminal background screening covers approximately 94% of all U.S. felonies and over 170 million criminal records, but it cannot catch every criminal. This is why background screening is simply the first step toward increasing the safety of our members. Our member safety program also relies heavily on feedback from our members, who we encourage to directly report suspicious persons or activity on our website."

Some United States jurisdictions restrict access to criminal conviction data, which prevents many companies from locating complete criminal history information when they choose to run a background screening. For example, the California statewide sex offender registry is not available to businesses such as True.com. This lack of access to complete records made it more difficult to discover that Dr. Wells was a felony sex offender, since his crime occurred in a jurisdiction that does not allow companies to access his conviction information.

"It is sad the State of California maintains laws that actually protect the privacy of criminals," Vest said. "I would like to see convicted felony records opened to the public in all jurisdictions to better protect our consumers and our children."

TRUE became aware of Dr. Wells' sex offender status when a TRUE.com member directly contacted the company. "When I saw Dr. Wells on TRUE.com, I contacted the company immediately. TRUE's employees took my concern seriously, promptly investigated my claim and quickly removed Dr. Wells' profile from the website," said TRUE.com member Brooke Benson*. "Even more disturbing, I previously found Dr. Wells on several other major online dating sites, including eHarmony. In fact, I contacted eHarmony and their reaction was so non-aggressive that I continue to fear for the safety of eHarmony's members. I believe Dr. Wells' profile is still available on these other dating websites, allowing him to potentially prey on their members. I applaud TRUE for taking my complaint seriously and working to better protect the safety of its members," added Ms. Benson.

"We prominently warn consumers that if they misrepresent their criminal history or marital status for the purpose of gaining access to communication privileges with our subscribers, they could be subject to civil and criminal penalties under federal and state law," said Vest. "There is a new sheriff in town, and we mean what we say in our warnings. I challenge the rest of the online relationship and dating industry to follow our lead and show a similar concern for their members' safety."

TRUE, which since its inception has been a strong advocate of safer online dating, is a member of the Safer Online Dating Alliance (SODA) and continues to lead the industry in pursuing issues to further increase online dating safety. TRUE works with legislators, victim advocacy groups, law enforcement officials and other parties concerned about safety issues to raise awareness of the need for greater consumer protection and public safety in the world of online dating.

About TRUE(R)

TRUE is the safer, savvy and only scientifically based online relationship service whose mission is to help singles find long-lasting and fulfilling relationships. Founded on an advanced, scientific compatibility test uniquely endorsed by Psychology Today and independently certified by one of the leading experts in tests and measurements -- Integrated Knowledge Systems, Inc. -- to meet the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, TRUE is the only online relationship service that actively seeks to further protect the safety of its communicating members by conducting extensive criminal background screenings. Moreover, TRUE is the only site to conduct single verification screening. With the help of proprietary research TRUE's team of psychologists in conjunction with international advisors in the fields of relationship and psychology, TRUE also guides its members step-by-step through all stages of the relationship-building process. To find out more about how TRUE helps people around the world Live, Love and Learn(R), please visit http://www.true.com/ .

* For increased protection, the TRUE.com member quoted in this press release requested her real name not be disclosed. The name Brooke Benson is a pseudonym.

   Press Contact:    Amanda Shawaluk    Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide    312.397.6073    Amanda.Shawaluk@ogilvypr.com     Milly Navarro    Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide    214.704.7504    Milly.Navarro@ogilvypr.com  

Source: TRUE

CONTACT: Amanda Shawaluk, +1-312-397-6073, or
Amanda.Shawaluk@ogilvypr.com , or Milly Navarro, +1-214-704-7504, or
Milly.Navarro@ogilvypr.com , both of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, for
TRUE

Web site: http://www.true.com/


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Thursday, November 03, 2005

US Patent Office Publishes the First Patent Application to Claim a Fictional Storyline

 
U.S. Patent Office Publishes the First Patent Application to Claim a Fictional Storyline
 
 Inventor Asserts Provisional Rights Against Hollywood

Falls Church, Virginia (PRWEB) November 3, 2005 -- Further to a policy of publishing patent applications eighteen months after filing, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is scheduled to publish history’s first “storyline patent” application today. The publication will be based on a utility patent application filed by Andrew Knight in November, 2003, the first such application to claim a fictional storyline.

Knight, a rocket engine inventor, registered patent agent, and graduate of MIT and Georgetown Law, will assert publication-based provisional patent rights against anyone whose activities may fall within the scope of his published claims, including all major motion picture manufacturers and distributors, book publishers and distributors, television studios and broadcasters, and movie theaters. According to the official Patent Office website, provisional rights “provide a patentee with the opportunity to obtain a reasonable royalty from a third party that infringes a published application claim provided actual notice is given to the third party by [the] applicant, and a patent issues from the application with a substantially identical claim.”

Before a patent will issue, however, the application must overcome the hurdles of utility, novelty, and nonobviousness found in U.S. patent laws. According to Knight, the utility requirement addresses whether an invention falls within statutory subject matter, while novelty and nonobviousness address whether the invention is identical to or impermissibly similar to previous inventions. That fictional storylines may be patentable was first suggested in a November, 2004 article in the Journal of the Patent and Trademark Office Society, “A Potentially New IP: Storyline Patents.” The article argues that binding case law strongly suggests that methods of performing and displaying fictional plots, whether found in motion pictures, novels, television shows, or commercials, are statutory subject matter, like computer software and business methods.

Regarding the utility requirement, “The case law of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has established that virtually any subject matter is potentially patentable,” explained Jay Thomas, Professor of Law at Georgetown University. Further, “Due to the broad scope of patentable subject matter, novel storylines may fall within the [utility requirement],” said Charles Berman, Co-Chair of the Patent Prosecution Practice at Greenberg Traurig LLP.

The real issue? According to Berman, “Non-obviousness probably presents the biggest challenge to patentability” because minor variations on a central theme may generate so many different storylines. Nevertheless, Knight asserts that his claimed storyline meets all statutory requirements, including nonobviousness.

The fictitious story, which Knight dubs “The Zombie Stare,” tells of an ambitious high school senior, consumed by anticipation of college admission, who prays one night to remain unconscious until receiving his MIT admissions letter. He consciously awakes 30 years later when he finally receives the letter, lost in the mail for so many years, and discovers that, to all external observers, he has lived an apparently normal life. He desperately seeks to regain 30 years’ worth of memories lost as an unconscious philosophical zombie.

Will Knight’s claimed storyline pass the rigors of nonobviousness and issue as a U.S. Patent? If so, the stakes are high. According to Thomas, “Given the robust scope of patent protection provided by the Patent Act… storyline patents potentially provide their owners with a significant proprietary interest.”

The U.S. Patent Office will publish subsequent storyline patent applications, also invented by Knight, on November 17 and December 8 and 22.

For an information packet, including a copy of the JPTOS article, contact Andrew Knight or visit www.PlotPatents.com.

###

Press Contact: Andrew Knight
Company Name: KNIGHT AND ASSOCIATES
Email: afknight71477@yahoo.com
Phone: 703-795-7375
Website: www.plotpatents.com


 [Editor's comment: I guess copyright laws are not enough for some people. The sad thing, in my opinion, is that the storyline mentioned seems to have it's own protection built right in, and no further safe guard should be required... :-)    - (hris ]

 

Free PIPEDA Privacy Law Compliance Quiz from PrivaTech Consulting

 
Free PIPEDA Privacy Law Compliance Quiz from PrivaTech Consulting

(PRWEB) October 31, 2005 -- PrivaTech’s PIPEDA Compliance Quiz is a free tool offered at http://www.privatech.ca/privacy-resources/take-the-pipeda-quiz/?WT.mc_id=pr20051031. The web-based quiz offers detailed explanations that give businesses a solid understanding of their Canadian privacy law compliance responsibilities. The quiz is useful for training privacy officers, those responsible for implementing a privacy compliance project, or employees who handle personal information.

“PrivaTech’s PIPEDA Compliance Quiz is an invaluable hands-on teaching tool for businesses that need an in-depth understanding of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, Canada’s private sector privacy law, and how it affects them,” says the Privacy Officer at a leading Canadian organization. “The questions and answers are well thought out and are based on PrivaTech’s extensive experience with Canadian privacy law compliance issues.”

“We created the on-line PIPEDA Quiz to help companies self-evaluate their knowledge of Canada’s privacy laws. By making the Quiz a free tool, businesses, large and small, can assess their current compliance with PIPEDA, and identify areas they need to improve upon, all with an investment of less then 15 minutes,” says Fazila Nurani, founder of PrivaTech Consulting.

Take the PIPEDA Compliance Quiz to find out if your business is privacy-ready.

PrivaTech Consulting, based in Toronto, Ontario, specializes in advising organizations on compliance with Canadian privacy laws. PrivaTech also publishes PrivaTalk, a leading monthly privacy newsletter. PrivaTech’s consultants and lawyers work with the public and private sectors to proactively manage and mitigate privacy risks.

Contact for PrivaTech Consulting:

Fazila Nurani
President
PrivaTech Consulting
905-886-0751
http://www.privatech.ca?WT.mc_id=pr20051031

PrivaTech, the PrivaTech logo and PrivaTalk are trademarks or registered trademarks of PrivaTech Consulting.

###

Press Contact: Fazila Nurani
Company Name: PrivaTech Consulting
Email: fnurani@privatech.ca
Phone: 905-886-0751
Website: www.privatech.ca?WT.mc_id=pr20051031

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Authors Guild Sues Google, Citing "Massive Copyright Infringement"

 Authors Guild Sues Google, Citing “Massive Copyright Infringement”

September 20, 2005 Press Release

Contact: Paul Aiken
staff@authorsguild.org

NEW YORK — The Authors Guild and a Lincoln biographer, a children's book author, and a former Poet Laureate of the United States filed a class action suit today in federal court in Manhattan against Google over its unauthorized scanning and copying of books through its Google Library program. The suit alleges that the $90 billion search engine and advertising juggernaut is engaging in massive copyright infringement at the expense of the rights of individual writers.

Through its Library program, Google is reproducing works still under the protection of copyright as well as public domain works from the collection of the University of Michigan's library.

“This is a plain and brazen violation of copyright law,” said Authors Guild president Nick Taylor. “It's not up to Google or anyone other than the authors, the rightful owners of these copyrights, to decide whether and how their works will be copied.”

The individual plaintiffs are Herbert Mitgang, a former New York Times editorial writer and the author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including “The Fiery Trial: A Life of Lincoln,” published by Viking Press; Betty Miles, the award-winning author of many works for children and young adults, and the co-author of “Just Think,” published by Alfred A. Knopf; and Daniel Hoffman, the author and editor of many volumes of poetry, translation, and literary criticism, including “Barbarous Knowledge: Myth in the Poetry of Yeats, Graves and Muir” and “Striking the Stones,” both published by Oxford University Press. Mr. Hoffman was the 1973-74 Poet Laureate of the United States.

Google has agreements with four academic libraries — those of Stanford, Harvard, Oxford and the University of Michigan — and with the New York Public Library to create digital copies of substantial parts of their collections and to make those collections available for searching online. Google has not sought the approval of the authors of these works for this program.

The complaint seeks damages and an injunction to halt further infringements.

The Authors Guild (www.authorsguild.org), the largest society of published writers in the United States, represents more than 8,000 authors.

The Authors Guild is the nation's largest and oldest society of published authors and the leading writers' advocate for fair compensation, effective copyright protection, and free expression.


[Editor Comments: Another dinosaur roars in the valley of the vested industries. Let's see.... Open source software, Music file sharing (Ever make an 8-track or cassette copy for a friend? Of course not, you only know about exchanging files and burning CD's. You think you invented a way to make the cost of commercial music more reasonable, but you're late to the party even if the tools you use are light-years beyond what went before.), an now full-text search of books online. Can Open Publishing be far behind? Maybe.
 
None of these have killed the industries they appeared to be undermining, and the same is true for the printed word. Even if they full-text of the books was made available on-line, who the hell curls up with a good CRT? Oooops! sorry, I meant LCD! Print the book on your printer? Maybe if it's really small or you have a duplex laser printer. Your safe from theft from those with Inkjets for sure.
 
Man, don't sue, give it a chance with a sample of titles. Once you see how cool this is going to be, and provide additional revenue options for you, yer gonna wonder what you all upset about in the first place...!  -(hris ]
 
 
 

Publishers Sue Google Over Plans To Digitize Books

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 19, 2005

Contact: Pat Schroeder
Ph: 202-220-4543
Email: pschroeder@publishers.org


Publishers Sue Google Over Plans To Digitize Books
Google Print Library Violates Publishers’ and Authors’ Rights

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) today announced the filing of a lawsuit against Google over its plans to digitally copy and distribute copyrighted works without permission of the copyright owners.  The lawsuit was filed only after lengthy discussions broke down between AAP and Google’s top management regarding the copyright infringement implications of the Google Print Library Project.

 

The suit, which seeks a declaration by the court that Google commits infringement when it scans entire books covered by copyright and a court order preventing it from doing so without permission of the copyright owner, was filed on behalf of five major publisher members of AAP: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Pearson Education, Penguin Group (USA), Simon & Schuster and John Wiley & Sons.

 

The suit, which is being coordinated and funded by AAP, has the strong backing of the publishing industry and was filed following an overwhelming vote of support by the 20-member AAP Board which is elected by, and represents, the Association’s more than 300 member publishing houses.

 

“The publishing industry is united behind this lawsuit against Google and united in the fight to defend their rights,” said AAP President and former Colorado Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder. “While authors and publishers know how useful Google's search engine can be and think the Print Library could be an excellent resource, the bottom line is that under its current plan Google is seeking to make millions of dollars by freeloading on the talent and property of authors and publishers."

 

Announced late last year, the Google Print Library Project involves the scanning and digitization of millions of published books from the collections of three major academic libraries-- Stanford University, Harvard University and the University of Michigan—from which Google plans to create an online, searchable database. Oxford University and the New York Public Library are also participating in the Library Project, but are only making available works in the public domain. 

 

Over the objections voiced by the publishers and in the face of a lawsuit filed earlier by the Authors Guild on behalf of its 8,000 members, Google has indicated its intention to go forward with the unauthorized copying of copyrighted works beginning on  November 1.   

 

As a way of accomplishing the legal use of copyrighted works in the Print Library Project, AAP proposed to Google that they utilize the well-known ISBN numbering system to identify works under copyright and secure permission from publishers and authors to scan these works. Since the inception of the ISBN system in 1967, a unique ISBN number has been placed on every book, identifying each book and linking it to a specific publisher.   Google flatly rejected this reasonable proposal.

 

Noting the existence of new online search initiatives that respect the rights of creators,  such as the “Open Content Alliance” involving Yahoo, Hewlett-Packard, Adobe and the Internet Archive,  Mrs. Schroeder said: “If Google can scan every book in the English language, surely they can utilize ISBNs. By rejecting the reasonable ISBN solution, Google left our members no choice but to file this suit.”   As a twelve-term Member of Congress, Mrs. Schroeder served as the Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property.

 

Mrs. Schroeder noted that while “Google Print Library could help many authors get more exposure and maybe even sell more books,  authors and publishers should not be asked to waive their long-held rights so that Google can profit from this venture.”

 

The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP’s approximately 300  members include most of the major commercial book publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies. The protection of intellectual property rights in all media, the defense of intellectual freedom,  and the promotion of reading and literacy are among the Association’s  primary concerns.

 

Editors note: A list of the members of the AAP Board of Directors  can be found at: http://www.publishers.org/about/boardmembers.cfm 

A list of AAP member companies can be found at:

 http://www.publishers.org/member/members.cfm.


Full text of McGraw-Hill vs. Google - Original PDF is here. What follows is text captured from the original PDF. Since the OCR process may introduct errors, users are advised to refer to the original PDF and not this extracted version.
 

FILED ELECTRONICALLY

Bruce P. Keller (BK 9300)

Jeffrey P. Cunard

James J. Pastor:, Jr. (JP 3 176)

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

919 Third Avenue

New York, New York 10022

(212) 909-6000

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

cv

THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC., :

PEARSON EDUCATION, INC., PENGUIN

GROUP (USA) INC., SIMON & SCHUSTER,

INC., and JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.

Plaintiffs,

05 Civ. ( )

COMPLAINT

ECF Case

v

GOOGLE INC.,

Defendant.

x

Plaintiff publishers The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ("McGraw-Hill"), Pearson

Education, Inc. ("Pearson Education"), Penguin Group (USA) Inc. ("Penguin"), Simon &

Schuster, Inc. ("Simon & Schuster"), and John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ("John Wiley")

(collectively, the "Publishers") for their complaint against defendant Google Inc.

("Google"), allege as follows:.NATURE OF THE ACTION

1 . This is an action for declaratory and preliminary and permanent injunctive

relief, arising under the U.S. Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. $5 101 et seq. (hereinafter referred

to as the "Copyright Act").

2 . Publishers bring this action to prevent the continuing, irreparable and

imminent harm that Publishers are suffering, will continue to suffer and expect to suffer

due to Google’s willful infringement, to further its own commercial purposes, of the

exclttsive rights of copyright that Publishers enjoy in various books housed in, among

others, the collection of the University Library of the University of Michigan in Ann

Arbor, Michigan ("Michigan").

3 . Using the rubric of a "Google Library Project," Google has announced

that it has begun and will continue a commercial program under which it will digitally

scan, or copy, the entirety of each of the books supplied to it by Michigan, without regard

to whether (a) any or all of those books are protected by copyright and (b) any of the

Publishers (or any other publisher or owner of copyright, for that matter) consents to

having its copyrighted books included in the project.

4 . In consideration for receiving books from Michigan for scanning, Google

proposes to make a digital copy of each book that it scans and then provide that copy to

Michigan for Michigan’s own use. Google also proposes to (a) store, in perpetuity, one

or more of the resulting digital copies on Google’s computer servers, (b) offer to the

public the ability to search, and have access to, the copies of the books stored on

Google’s servers and to retrieve excerpts of those books and (c) publicly display the

2.excerpts of the books to any person in the world whose search, through Google, has

retrieved that book. All of these steps are taken by Google for the purpose of increasing

the number of visitors to the google.com website and, in turn, Google’s already

substantial advertising revenue.

5 . The Publishers support making books available in digital form so that

those books can be, among other things, researched through electronic means, To that

end, they have separately developed and are continuing to develop various means of

making electronic copies of their own works available consistent with their exclusive

rights under copyright. One such means involves the recently announced Open Content

Alliance ("OCA") involving a cooperative effort among publishers, libraries and Yahoo!

Unlike the Google Library Project, OCA will make books accessible to any search engine

(including Google’s). Also, unlike the Google Library Project, entire works will be made

available with the permission of copyright holders in ways that protect their rights.

6 . The Google Library Project, however, completely ignores those rights in

favor of Google’s own economic self-interest. Notwithstanding the participation of

Michigan and other academic and non-profit libraries, there should be no mistaking that

Google’s involvement in the Google Library Project is a wholly commercial undertaking,

In exchange for the libraries providing Google with books for purposes of digital

scanning, Google "pays" by reproducing and delivering digital copies of those books to

the libraries. When Google makes still other digital copies available to the public for

what it touts as research purposes, it does so in order to increase user traffic to its site,

which then enables it to increase the price it charges its advertisers.

3

-._- ..,.___. . .-...--.7. Because Google’s entirely commercial endeavor requires, among other

things, massive, wholesale and systematic copying of entire books still protected by

copyright for public distribution and public display, it infringes one or more of each

Publisher’s exclusive rights under the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. 3 106. Neither (a) the

fair use provisions of 17 U.S.C. 9 107 nor(b) the narrow provisions of 17 U.S.C. 5 108,

which in very different circumstances would allow a library but, in no event, Google, to

make digital copies of these works in a library’s collection, excuse Google’s wholesale

unauthorized copying.

8 . Google is aware that each of the Publishers does not want its copyrighted

books to be included in the Google Library Project without Google first having obtained

permission from the Publisher. Google, claiming fair use, has declared that it is not

required to obtain such permission. As a result, Publishers have been forced to

commence this action to protect and prevent ongoing and imminent harm to the

copyrights in their books.

JURISDICTION AND VENUE

9 . This Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this action pursuant

to 17 U.S.C. 3501, and 28 U.S.C. $3 1331,1332,1338 and 2201(a).

1 0 . Personal jurisdiction is proper under CPLR 302 because Google regularly

transacts or solicits business in this District; persistently provides services to Internet

users, consumers and advertisers in this District; and derives substantial revenue from

services, including advertising services, rendered in this District.

4.11. Personal jurisdiction is proper under the U.S. Constitution because

Coogle’s business in the District qualifies as sufficient minimum contacts between

Google and the District such that exercise of personal jurisdiction would not offend due

12. Venue is proper in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. $5 1391(b) and

1400(a) because (i) Google conducts business in this District and (ii) Google’s actions

have injured Publishers, who conduct substantial business in this District.

FACTS COMMON TO ALL CLAIMS

Plaintiffs

13. McGraw-Hill is a New York corporation with its principal place of

business in New York, New York. Through its Education segment, McGraw-Hill is a

leading publisher of educational materials, information and solutions for the Pre-K

through 12th grade, Assessment & Instruction, Higher Education and Professional

markets. McGraw-Hill is the owner or exclusive licensee of, among others, copyrights in

the works listed at Exhibit A.

14. Pearson Education, formerly named Prentice-Hall, Inc., is a Delaware

corporation that is a subsidiary of Pearson plc and has its principal place of business in

Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Together with its corporate affiliates, Pearson

Education is one of the leading educational publishers in the world, educating more than

100 million people worldwide. Its college and professional imprints include Prentice-Hall,

Addison-Wesley, Allyn & Bacon, Benjamin Cummings, Longman, Que, Sams and

5 I.New Riders, Pearson Education is the owner or exclusive licensee of, among others,

copyrights in the works listed at Exhibit A. ~

1 5 . Penguin is a Delaware corporation that is the United States affiliate of the

Penguin Group and is a subsidiary of Pearson plc. It has its principal place of business in I

New York, New York. In addition to its Penguin imprint, Penguin publishes under

famous imprints and trademarks, such as Viking, Penguin Classics, Penguin Press, G. P.

Putnam & Sons (founded 1 X36), Dutton, and Riverhead. Penguin is the owner or

exclusive licensee of, among others, copyrights in the works listed at Exhibit A.

1 6 . Simon & Schuster, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc., is a New York

corporation with its principal place of business in New York, New York. Founded in

1924, Simon & Schuster’s prominent imprints include Simon & Schuster, Scribner and

Free Press. Simon & Schuster is the owner or exclusive licensee of, among others,

copyrights in the works listed at Exhibit A.

11. Wiley is a New York corporation with its principal place of business in

Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1807, Wiley is a leading publisher for the higher

education, professional, trade, scientific, technical, and medical communities worldwide.

It is, along with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, the owner or exclusive licensee of, among

others, copyrights in the works listed at Exhibit A.

1 8 . Publishers invest a great deal of time and money to acquire rights to and

publish their books, which reflect not only the creative efforts of individual authors, but

also the substantive and creative review, input and organization of editors employed by

Publishers, as well as significant expenditures on the printing, marketing and distribution

6.of those works. Publishers have vigorously sought to protect, defend and enforce their

exclusive rights in and to their copyrighted books, including those listed at Exhibit A.

1 9 . In order to profitably publish their books and continue in business,

Publishers depend on initial and backlist sales of copies of book~s and the licensing

revenue from these works. Particularly with respect to books that are not intended for the

mass market, the sale of every additional copy - in whatever medium - is significant, as

is each source of ancillary revenue, such as licensing fees received for granting

permission to make copies of and prepare and use excerpts of such works in hard copy

and in electronic form.

20. It has long been the case that, due to the exclusive rights enjoyed by

Publishers under the Copyright Act, both for-profit and non-profit entities provide

royalties or other consideration to Publishers in exchange for permission to copy, even in

part, Publishers’ copyrighted books.

21. Collectively, the Publishers have registered many more copyrights than

those set forth in Exhibit A and, collectively, many more of Publishers’ works than those

set forth in Exhibit A are among the books Michigan plans to provide to Google for

digital scanning and display as part of the Google Library Project.

Defendant

22. Google is one of the world’s largest media companies. Although it is best

known for operating one of the world’s most popular Internet search engines, it generates

revenues in a very traditional manner: by "delivering relevant, cost-effective. .

advertising." See http://investor.google.com..23. To attract more users to its site ~ thus allowing it to sell "cost-effective,

online advertising" to its customers - Google offers separate search engines for the web,

images, news groups, shopping sites, and many other special interest categories. It also

has begun to offer other content, just like its competitors Yahoo!, MSN, AOL and others.

24. Google’s business model has been very successful. Based in large part on

its Internet advertising revenue streams, including its AdWords and AdSense programs,

which generate ads that target the specific keywords searched for by its users, it now

enjoys a market capitalization of approximately $85 billion.

The Goode Library Project

25. In December 2004, as part of its continuing effort to increase the

advertising value of its site, Google announced the Google Library Project, under which

it claims it will make books in several of the world’s leading libraries available for

searching online, including books currently protected by copyright. In order to do so,

Google will first obtain print copies of books from a participating library, such as

Michigan. It will then scan those books, making a digital copy of the print edition. It

will then return to the participating library the original print edition. In addition, Google

will give the library at least one copy of each book in digital form.

26. Google does not add any new expression or meaning to the books it scans

for inclusion in the Google Library Project. When portions of those books are displayed

to users, Google simply includes much (but not all) of the bibliographic information with

which the book is originally published.

8

!

----‘--7.‘----- --_______,_.. -_-.-,------- ---- ----.27. Five libraries originally agreed to participate in the Google Library

Project: The Harvard University Library ("Harvard"), the Stanford University Libraries

("Stanford"), the Bodleian Library of the University of Oxford ("Oxford"), the New York

Public Library ("NYPL") and Michigan. On information and belief, Oxford and NYPL

will limit their participation to works that are no longer protected by copyright, but are in

the public domain. Harvard and Stanford have been somewhat less clear about which

books they will make available to Google.

28. Google and Michigan, however, have stated clearly that Michigan will

make available to Google, for Google’s reproduction and display, the books in

Michigan’s collection, even if those books still are protected by copyright. Among the

books in that collection in which Publishers hold copyrights are the works set forth in

Exhibit A, each of which has been duly registered with the Copyright Office and each of

which is at imminent risk of being copied in its entirety and made available for search,

retrieval and display, without permission, unless this Court enjoins Google’s plan to

make the Michigan "collection[ 1" available online. See http://print.google.com/googleprint/

publisher~library.html.

2 9 . Google purports to justify its systematic copying of entire books on the

ground that it is a necessary step to making them available for searching through

www.google.com, where excerpts from the books retrieved through the search will be

presented to the user. Exhibit B. Google analogizes the Google Library Project’s

scanning of entire books to its reproduction of the content of websites for search

~ purposes, This comparison fails. On the Internet, website owners have allowed their

I

9 I.sites to be searchable via a Google (or other) search engine by not adopting one or more

technological measures. That is not true of printed books found in library shelves.

Moreover, books in libraries can be researched in a variety of ways without unauthorized

copying. There is, therefore, no "need," as Google would have it, to scan copyrighted

books.

30. In fact, the position that Google has taken regarding the Google Library

Project ~ that it can include books protected by copyright without permission from the

copyright owner - is inconsistent with another, very similar project, which Google calls

the Google Print Program for Publishers. There, Google has recognized that it needs the

permission of copyright owners if it is to engage in the widespread copying, distribution

and display of copyrighted works that characterizes both programs. As part of the

Google Print Program for Publishers, Google obtained the express permission to engage

in such acts from publishers, including Plaintiffs.

31. There is no principled distinction between the Google Print Program for

Publishers and the Google Library Project, with respect to the types of works that are

copied, the digital technology used to copy and store the books, the amount of a book that

is copied by Google and the public accessibility and display of the copied works. The

only distinction is Google’s decision not to seek permission for books included in the

Google Library Project because those books happen to be in the collection of a given

library. Accordingly, although Publishers support and have given Google permission to

include many of their works in the Google Print Program for Publishers, they have.objected to and continue to object to Google’s inclusion of their copyrighted works in the

Google Library Project.

32. In response to the objections of Publishers and others, Google has

announced that publishers have until November 2005 to provide Google with a list of

every one of their books still protected by copyright that they do not wish to have Google

copy as part of the Google Library Project. Should a Publisher fail to provide such a

detailed list to Google, with the information that Google has announced is required, all of

that Publisher’s books found in Michigan will be at imminent risk of unauthorized

copying (if Google has not already made unauthorized copies), distribution and public

display.

33. Both the Google Library Project and Google’s pronouncement that

publishers must provide to Google detailed lists of books that they wish to be excluded

are contrary to the black letter requirements of the Copyright Act. The exclusive rights

enjoyed by copyright owners to reproduce, publicly distribute and publicly display their

works, and to authorize others to engage in such acts, 17 U.S.C. 3 106, squarely put the

burden on Google either to obtain the permission from copyright owners to copy and

make use of copyrighted books or exclude them from the Google Library Project. Each

Publisher has already made quite clear to Google that none of its works should be

included in the Google Library Project without permission, the Publishers are under no

obligation to provide Google with any further information and the information Google

professes to need in order to easily exclude copyrighted books in print from the Google

Library Project is readily available to it from a variety of sources including, but not

1 1 !.hmited to, the Copyright Office and Michigan’s on-line catalog. See http://lib.umich.edu/

mirlyn/mirlynpage.html.

34. Apart from the November 2005 deadline set by Google, Google and

Michigan have been unclear (at best) with respect to when any given book in Michigan’s

collection has been or will be included in the Google Library Project, as well as when

Google actually has copied or will copy a given book, make it available for search,

retrieval and public display and convey the digital copy to Michigan. There is, however,

no dispute about Google’s intent: come November, it plans to continue with the Google

Library Project, which it has described as taking "the collection[ I" of Michigan and

"making its content searchable" at www.google.com. Accordingly, a concrete, justifiable

case or controversy exists with respect to Publishers’ works in the Michigan collection

because Google intends to engage in the unauthorized reproduction, public distribution

and public display of, inter alia, the works identified in Exhibit A, and of others.

35. Google’s continuing and future infringements are likely to usurp

Publishers’ present and future business relationships and opportunities for the digital

copying, archiving, searching and public display of their works. The Google Library

Project, and similar unrestricted and wide-spread conduct of the sort engaged in by

Google, whether by Google or others, will result in a substantially adverse impact on the

potential market for Publishers’ books.

COUNT I

36.

(Copyright Infringement)

Publishers incorporate the prior paragraphs by reference.

1 2

I

-------- --_-..- _..., -- _...-, - __---_~ -_-___- ~____ __._ _...,, --.--.37. Publishers’ books, a representative sample of which is set forth in Exhibit

A, are original copyrightable works. Publishers have complied in all respects with 17

U.S.C. $5 101, et seq., have secured the exclusive rights in the works and have registered

copyrights in the works with the Copyright Office in accordance with its rules and

regulations.

38. Google will infringe the copyrights of Publishers’ books by unlawfully

reproducing and publicly distributing and displaying copies of such works in violation of

the Copyright Act.

39. Google’s infringements are and will be willful, executed with full

knowledge of Publishers’ copyrights and in conscious disregard for Publishers’ exclusive

rights in the protected works.

40. Google’s deliberate infringement ofpublishers’ copyrights has greatly and

irreparably damaged Publishers and will continue to damage Publishers greatly and

irreparably unless enjoined by this Court. In the absence of injunctive relief, Publishers

will have no adequate remedy at law. Accordingly, Publishers are entitled to a

preliminary and final injunction in accordance with 17 U.S.C. § 502.

4 1 . Publishers are entitled to recover costs and attorneys’ fees in accordance

with 17 USC. 5 505.

PRAYER FOR RELIEF

Wherefore, for the reasons set forth above, Publishers respectfully pray for

judgment in their favor and against Defendant as follows:

1 . A declaration in favor of Publishers against Google on Count I.

1 3.2 . A Final Order that permanently enjoins Google from, in any manner,

reproducing, publicly distributing and/or publicly displaying all or any part of any

Publisher’s copyrighted works as part of the Google Library Project, or otherwise, except

upon the express prior authorization of the Publisher owning or controlling the copyrights

in such works.

3 . An Order that requires Google to delete or otherwise destroy all

unauthorized copies made by Google through the Google Library Project of any

copyrighted works, whether in whole or in part, owned by Publishers (a) from any

computers or web servers owned by Google or that are under its control, or (b) that are

otherwise in the possession of Google.

4 . An Order that declares that Google’s past, present and future conduct and

practices constitute infringement of Publishers’ exclusive rights of copyright in and to

their works, including the works set out in Exhibit A.

5 . An Order requiring Google to tile with this court within 30 days after the

entry of final judgment a written statement, under oath, setting forth in detail the manner

in which it has complied with the Order.

6 . An Order that Google pay Publishers for the costs of this action and their

reasonable attorneys’ fees.

1 4.7. An Order granting Publishers such other and further relief as this Court

may deem equitable and proper.

Dated: October 19,2005

Respectfully submitted,

By: /3x/-LI- A?.&\

Bruce P. Keller (BK 9300)

Jeftiey P. Cunard

James J. Pastore, Jr. (JP 3176)

DEBEVOISE & PLIMPTON LLP

9 19 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10022

(212) 909-6000 (phone)

(212) 909-6836 (fax)

bpkeller@debevoise.com

jpcunard@debevoise.com

jpastore@debevoise.com

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.,

Pearson Education, Inc.,

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

Simon & Schuster, Inc., and

John Wiley & Sons, Inc..EXHIBIT A

MCGRAW-HILL

TX-5-771-910

mmon Technology,

16.MCGRAW-HILL

Author Name Book Title

I- I Kasper, et al (found) 1 Harrison’s Principles Of Internal Medicine,

( 16eVol 1

1 Harrison’s Principles Of Internal Medicine,

1 16eVol2

1 SOL SERVER 2000 FOR EXPERIENCED

GAS

Ethernet Passive Optical Networks

1 p,,ennmmn

Handbook Of Transportation Engineering

What Is Sarbanes Oxlev

Human Genetics, 5e

Great Ideas In Physics, 2e

Air And Gas Drilling Manual: Engineering

Applications For Wzer Wells, Monitoring

Wells, Mining Boreholes, Geotechnical

Boreholes, And Oil And Gas Recovery Wells,

Second Edition

Biology, 7e

What Investors Need To Know

Nobel Laureates

Mcgraw-Hill Encyclopedia Of Science And

1 Technology, 9e - -1

Handbook Of Petrochemicals Production

Process

Digital Signal Processing

Clinical Anesthesiology, Third Edition

Building Securitv: Handbook For

Architectural Pl&ning And Design

Microbiology: A Human Perspective, 4e

Moving The Earth, 5e

Introduction To Matlab 7 For Engineers

Psychology: Frontiers And Applications

.Net & J2ee Interoperability

Molecular Thermodynamics And Transport

,,"IIn"IIU

Html & Xhtml: The Complete Reference

Javascript: The Complete Reference

Microbiology, 5e

Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s

Approach, 6e

Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s

, ,

t

Mader

Madura, Jeff

McCarty

McGraw-Hill

Mitra

Morgan, G. Edward, Jr.

Nadel. Barbara

Nester, et al

Nichols, H. and Day, D.

Palm

Passer and Smith

Peltzer

Peters

Powell

Powell

Prescott, et al

Pressman

Pressman

1 7

Copyright Reg. No

TX-5-019-108

TX-5-019-109

TX-5-744-574

TX-6-1 60-569

TX-5-956-592

TX-6-029-914

TX-5-606-569

TX-4-471-448

TX-5-314-536

TX-6-072-266

TX-4-601 -3 11

TX-5-510-005

TX-6-016-928

TX-5-816-727

TX-6-029-865

TX-5-490-795

TX-6-017-697

TX-5-234-942.Author Name

Price

Proakis

Rangwala, A.S.

Raven

Raven, et al

Reddy

Rizzoni

Rosen

Rudolph, et al

S&P (Jiler)

Sal&man,

Santrock

Scardina

Schildt

Schildt

Sedev et nl Seeley, et al

Sheimc, _.__ Sheimo, Michael D.

Sheimo. Michael D. Sheimo, Michael D.

Sheimo. Michael D. Sheimo, Michael D.

Sk Shier, et al

5Shier, et al

Siedentop, Daryl Sieaenrop, Uaryl

Simchi-Levi,

EditWSimchi-Levi,

DavidKaminsky, Philip

Slater

Smith

-Smithson

Sobel

Taylor

Thompson and Bordwell

Trzukep, Richard

MCGRAW-HILL

Book Title Cowright Rep. No

Approach, Se

ORACLE DATABASE 1 Og SQL

Digital Communications, Fourth Edition

Turbo-Machinery Dynamics: Design And

Operation

Biology, 6e

Biology, 7e

An Introduction To The Finite Element

TX-5-956-560

TX-5-266-506

TX-6-168-841

TX-5-393-646

TX-5-953-607

TX-3-470-227

Method, 2e

Principles And Applications Of Electrical

Engineering, 4e

Discrete Mathematics And Its Applications,

5 e

RUDOLPH’S PEDIATRICS, 21/E

How Charts Can Help You In The Stock

Market

Dvd Confidential 2

Life-Span Development, 9e

ORACLE DATABASE log: XML & SQL

The Art Of C++

C: THE COMPLETE REFERENCE, 4/E

Anatomy & Physiology, 4e

Stock Market Rules, 3e

Bond Market Rules

Mutual Fund Rules

Hole’s Human Anatomy & Physiology, 10e

Hole’s Human Anatomy & Physiology, 8e

Introduction To Physical Education, Fitness,

And Sport, 5e

Managing The Supply Chain

TX-5-624-601

TX-5-643-474

TX-5-676-657

TX-6-148-120

TX-5-817-379

TX-5 676-264

TX-6-029-920

TX-6-017-649

TX-5-177-618

TX-4-660-286

TX-6-090-290

TX-5-197-528

TX-5-084-388

TX-6-071-274

TX-4-866-953

TX-5-880-128

TX-6-01 8-621

Saving Big Blue

Photoshop Cs And Dreamweaver Mx

Integration

Managing Financial Risk, 3e

The Pursuit Of Wealth

Health Psychology, 5e

Film History: An Introduction. 2e

Air Quality Compliance And Permitting

TX-5-03 l-397

TX-6-105-096

TX-4-864-532

TX-5-127-143

TX-5-608-847

TX-5-643-392

TX-5-673-737

1 8.MCGRAW-HILL

Author Name Book Title Copyright Rep. No

Manual

How To Do Everything With Microso:R TX-5-828-798

Office 2003

and Kestelman Adhesion Of Polymers TX-5-490-784

Perspectives In Nutrition, 6e TX-5-815-386

Standard Handbook Of Broadcast TX-6-103-945

Engineering.PEARSON EDUCATION

Author Name

Airasian & Gay

Andres & Smith

Book Title CowriphtRep. No

Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis TX-5366678

.and Applications

Principles and Practices of Commercial TX-3-543-007

TX-l-481879

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5-446-636

TX-4-397-3t $7

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Anthony & Breitner

Arens & Beasley

Arnold & Chapman

Aronson & Wilson

Bear & Invemizzi

Bergeron & Bizjak

Berk

Berk

Construction

Essentials of Accounting and Post Test Booklet

Auditing and Assurance Service

Introduction to Materials Manaeement

Socii 11 Psychology

Wore Is Their Way

First Responder

Development Through the Lifespan

Infants and Children: Prenatal Through Middle

I Childhood

1 Introductory Algebra/ Raic Almhra - ---o----

1 Chemistry: The Central Science

I I

I AMX915 ---"-_--

1 TX-1-4X6-181 I --- ^ ‘-- l_l

Basic Trauma Life Support for Advanced 1TX-5-854-4:

Bittinger

Brown & Lemay

1 Campbell

Ember & Ember

Friend & Bursuck

APEX-4-828-771

I Anthropology 1 TX-l-486-267

I Including Students with Soecial Needs: A Practical 1TX-5-447-750

I - Gnide for Classroom Teacher

Gerrig & Zimbardo

Giancoli

Giamretti

Gomez-Mejia & Balkin

Hambley

Herrell& Jordan

--.-Psychology

& Life

Physics: Principles with Application (Vol. 1)

Understanding Movies

Managing IIuman Resources TX-4-638-391

1 Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications TX-5-484-641

Fifty Strategies for Teaching English Language TX-5-068-972

TX-258-61 1

TX-4-627-153

TX-A-197-X57

Heward

1Learners.

I Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special 1TX-5-010-622

Hewitt

Education

Conceptual Physics ( TX-5-437-895

2 0.PEARSON EDUCATION

I Author Name Book Title 1 CoDyright Rep. No 1

Hill & Kolb Chemistry For Changing Times

Hoffer & Prescott Modem Database Management

Kenrick & Neuberg Social Psychology: Unraveling the Mystery

Keown & Petty Financial Management: Principles and

1 Applications

TX-5-257-130

TX-5-462-935

TX-5-609-922

TX-5-453-833

I Lannon

] Marketing Management

If Marketing

Mgmt & Stdnt CD Pkg

1 Technical Communication and Technical

TX-5-563-569

TX-3-045-005

TX-2-754-208

TX-5-982-429

TX-6-010-930

Communicatinn R~SOUTCPS

_.. _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _._ _ _ _

I I

Practical Research: Planning and Design

Java Software Solutions: Foundations of Program

Design

Emergency Care

TX-5-249-244

TX-4-667-266

TX-5-926-757

- I I

ciples of Risk Management and Insurance

,ganizational Behavior

Fundamentals of Management

The Cnltnral T.andscape: An Introduction to

TX-5-260-01 1

TX-5-668-575

TX-4-614-271

TX-199-328

2 1.PEARSON EDUCATION

Author Name Book Title Cowright Rep. No

1 Huma

1 is for combined‘

Stokstad Art History Revised Vol. 1

V.1&2)

TX-5-973-192 (Reg.

is for combined

Stokstad

Strunk & White

Tannenbaum

Tompkins

Tompkins

Tortora & Funke

Troyka

Vacca & Vacca

Microbiology: An Introduction

Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers

Content Area Reading : Literacy and Learning

Art History Revised Combined Vols. 1 & 2

The Elements of Style

Excursions in Modem Mathematics

Literacy of 21 St Century

Language Arts: Patterns of Practice

V.1&2)

TX-5-973-192

TX-5-032-332

TX-3-997-590

TX-4-490-923

TX-3-355-807

PA-1-207-875

TX-5-457-897

TX-5-461-357

Vacca & Vacca

Wade & Tavris

Wade & Tavris

Walraven

Washington

Watson & Baker

Wells & Burnett

Wheelen & Hunger

Young & Freedman

1 Reading and Leamine to Read

1 Invitation to Psychology

] Psychology, Me:dia and Research Update

ias

Mathematics with Calculus

Basic Arrhythm

Basic Technical

Molecular Biology of the Gene

Advertising: Principles and Practice

Strategic Management and Business Policy

Sears and Zemansky’s University Physics with

Modem Physics

TX-5-035-232

1 TX-5-350-016

TX-5-146-774

TX-l-887-194

TX-1-552-914

PA-1-207-086

TX-5-645-219

TX-2-473-639

TX-5-109-733

I

I

I

Across the Curriculum -22.PENGUIN

Author Name Book Title Copyright Rep. No

hrmstrong,

Auletta, Ken

I

1 Buddha

( Backstory

.ife Of Frederick Douglass

i’ Guide To Hunting And Fishing

enance

Lain And Stars

m Unlimited

Cat Who Brought Down The House

hers And Sisters

And Selected Poems 1974-2004

Speckled Monster

Alexander Hamilton

The Lady And The Unicorn

The Virgin Blue

Ghost Wars

jre

e Story - New and Selected Poems 1974.2004

Liar’s Game

Between Lovers

The Danish Girl

Rose City Stories

e Third Reich

Chevalier, Tray

Chevalier, Tracy

Coll, Steve

Cook, Robin I Seize

Comog, Evan 1 The Power And Th

Dennis, Carl

Dickey, Eric Jerome

Dickey, Eric Jerome

Ebershoff, David

Ebershoff, David The 1

Evans, Richard The Coming Of Th

F i e l d i n g , H e l e n Olivia Joules And The Overactive Imagination

Foerst. Anne God In The Machine

Fuller, Alexander 1 Scribbling The Cat

Gehlek, Nawang Good Life, Good Death

Rimpoche

Gonzalez, Juan Harvest Of Empire : A History Of Latinos In

ATTWriC~

TX-5-370-936

TX-5-916-540

TX-1-017-253

TX-5-01 l-857

TX-5-401-060

TX-6-062-5 18

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TX-5-715-304

TX-3-999-145

TX-s-950-870

TX-5-773-247

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TX-S-999-642 i TX-5-950-870

TX-5-250-241

TX-5-425-013

TX-5-l 52-056

TX-5-382-364

TX-5-92 l-759

- - ^ - - _ - -1

TX-5-977-380

_-. _____-1

The Race Myth

I

1 TX-5-987-595

1 Under Fire

1 Second Opinions

I American Writing

1 Let’s Not Beat Around The Bush pp I Roughing It

A Peo le’s Historv Of The Suoreme Court

1 The Peloponnesian War

1 Cherry

TX-5-484-254

TX-5-207-484

TX-3-782-386

TX-6-01 l-395

TX-831-813

I TX-5-035-460

1 TX-5-737-255

1 TX-5-303-706

2 3.PENGUIN

Author Name Book Title Cowright Reg. No

tiGiG.Nora Okia

I

( Fox Girl TX-5-536-724 m. -. 1g Corsage TX-4-41 O-824

I An underwood TX-5-107-081

Llsrening To Prozac TX-3-613-520 Kunzru, Hari Transmission TX-5-982-888 Lama, Dalai and Cutler, The Art Of Happiness TX-5-820-059 Howard

Lamott, Anne

LeDuff, Charles

Lee, Cl

Lowenstein, Roger

Marcom, Micheline

Marshall, Joseph M. III

Martin, Russell

McMillan, Terry

Melissa Bank

Mortimer, John’

Nelson, Craig

Noonan, ,Peggy

O’Dell, Tawni

O’Faolain, Nuala

Ozeki, Ruth

PLAN B: Further Thoughts On Faith

WORK AND OTHER SINS: Life In New

1 Citv And Thereahmts

Picas

A Day Late

Girls’ Guide To Hunting

Whel ~-The

1 __ _.

York

lang-rae

.~~, .-..- -..-.- -__-_-Aloft

Origins Of The Crash

Daydreaming Boy

The Journey Of Crazy Horse

:so’s War

And A Dollar Short

Fishing

1 Parrish, Thomas

?hilbrick, Nathaniel II

re There’s A Will

!irst Heroes

When Character Was King

Back Roads

Almost There

All Over Creation

The Submarine

Sea Of Glory

The Sex Lives Of Teenagers

8: The Top Ten Reasons Why *I BUSHMUSTGO

I

TX-5-947-97 9

TX-5-912-61 51

TX-5-955-l 1 4

TX-6-075-4: 2 3

TX-5-653-594

TX-5-354-016 - TX-S-01 l-857

TX-6-016-l: 5 9

TX-5-660-4: 50

2

TX-5-461-9: 3 3

TX-5-987-5! 24

TX-5-690-7: 34

TX-5-743-991

TX-5-978-871

TX-5-886-417

TX-5-281-408

TX-5-989-3: 34

Pmviw Rnhwt R -_ -....-, _ ._I_ _ .-..

Reid, T.R.

Robinson, Randall

Robinson, Randall

Rybczynski, Witold

Sandford, John

Sandford, John

Saunders, George

Segal, Nancy L.

Seife, Charles

Shell, G. Richard

) George Bush Doesn’t Deserve A Second Term

1 T .nllohter . 4 Scientific Investigation --- _..-_ .

The United States Of Europe

The Reckoning: What Blacks Owe Each Other

The T-kht

1 TX-5-303-9Po 2,

TX-6-083-654

TX-5-487-830

Txm5-ld5-7SO ___----. _1_ " _ ." I.

Looking Around :A Journey Through Architecture TX-3-481-776

The Hanged Man’s Song TX-5-856-7:

Mortal Prey TX-5-542-747

Pastoralia TX-5-218-7!

Entwined Lives TX-4-977-367

Alpha And Omega TX-5-810-357

Bargaining For Advantage Negotiation Strategies TX-5-010-144

1 For Reasonable People

2 4.PENGUIN

Author Name Book Title Copyright Rep. No

Shteyngart, Gary

Singer, Peter

Smith, Dennis

Spence, Jonathan

Stone, Douglas; Patton,

The Russian Debutante’s Handbook TX-5-555-696

The President Of Good And Evil TX-s-947-516

Report From Ground Zero TX-5-504-501

Treason By The Book TX-5-347-737

Difficult Conversations : How To Discuss What TX-5-162-226

Matters Most

Joy Luck Club TX-2-548-841

A Bit On The Side TX-5-991-195

WORKING FIRE: The Making Of An Accidental TX-5-941-490

Vreeland, Susan

Waters, Sarah

Wills, Garry

Wolfe, Alan

Woods, Stuart

Wooten, Jim

Zafon, Carlos

Fireman

The Passion Of Artemesia

Tipping The Velvet

Saint Augustine’s Conversion

One Nation After All

The Prince Of Beverly Hills

We Are All The Same

The Shadow Of The Wind

TX-5-484-281

TX-5-008-545

TX-6-082-724

TX-4-752-109

TX-6-080-062

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2 5.SIMON 8c SCHUSTER

TX-3-315-330; TX-5-

335-375; TX-5-

._-^

. . . . ^.SIMON & SCHUSTER

Author Name Book Title Copvripht Rec. No

Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Personal TX-2-680-685

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Deaver, Jeffery The Blue Nowhere TX-5-383-787

Deaver, Jeffery The Empty Chair TX-5-229-997

DeBaggio, Thomas Losing My Mind TX-5-520-314

Doerr, Anthony The Shell Collector TX-5-462-085

Durant, Will Heroes of History TX-5-487-584

Eisenhower, John General Ike TX-5-716-334

Emerson, Steven American Jihad TX-5-606-583

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Wal-Mart's Prescription for Employee Health Care is Bad Medicine

 
Wal-Mart's Prescription for Employee Health Care is Bad Medicine - An American Association for Employees and Self-Employed Persons Employee Alert -

(PRWEB) October 27, 2005 -- The American Association of Employees and Self-Employed Persons (“AAESEP”) issued an “Employee Alert” today in response to a proposed plan by Wal-Mart to offer high-deductible insurance plans to its’ employees. Wal-Mart announced Monday that it is making an attempt to offer affordable health care options to their employees by offering a new insurance plan called the Wal-Mart “Value Plan.”(1) While AAESEP applauds the recognition by Wal-Mart that the retailer must take steps to offer health insurance to the nearly 50% of Wal-Mart employees who currently have no coverage, the specifics of this offering doom the plan to fail and risk the physical and financial well being of hard working American employees.

The “Value Plan” involves considerable employee cost-sharing since employees will be enrolling in a high-deductible health insurance policy. The lower premiums that are typically found in such policies will appeal to many Wal-Mart employees and, in theory, get many employees “off the books” as uninsured. However, Wal-Mart employees are required to pay a $1,000 deductible for individuals and $3,000 for a family before insurance coverage begins.(2) The benefit of a high-deductible plan is that because of the lower risk to the insurer (since a large percent of the claims filed for employees fall beneath this deductible rate) monthly premiums can be lowered dramatically. Here Wal-Mart’s monthly insurance premiums will average $25 for an individual, $37 for a single parent and $65 for a family. To put those numbers in perspective, the average individual policy in New York City today is nearly $500 per month!

While lower monthly premiums do go a long way to reducing the barriers to entry into the health insurance market, their initial benefit masks a potentially catastrophic danger. It is important to note that high-deductible policies provide several benefits on top of lowering monthly premiums. First, when pared with a Health Savings Account (“HSA”) they have an element of tax savings that makes them beneficial for certain individuals. Further, AAESEP agrees that in the post-managed care world, in order to reign in health care costs, patients themselves need to become educated consumers and make decisions that are not only healthy but financially responsible. AAESEP believes that placing some of the initial financial burden on the consumer may help facilitate this needed change. However, while AAESEP believes that HSAs used in conjunction with high-deductible policies may be the best health insurance solution for certain individuals there is, ironically, one group of employees that this type of insurance scheme specifically will not help – Wal-Mart employees.

According to Wal-Mart, the firm’s full-time U.S. employees earn on average $9.68 per hour, putting the pre-tax annual salary of a full-time employee at $20,134.40.(3) For an individual (much less a family) at this income level a high-deductible health insurance policy risks access to needed care and risks the financial stability of such individuals due to increased medical debt. High-deductible plans are particularly risky for American employees with incomes below $35,000. A 2005 publication by The Commonwealth Fund predicted that “44 percent of people with incomes below $35,000 and with a deductible of $500 or more would experience cost-related access problems.”(4) The study also specifically stated that, “(M)edical bill problems and medical debt are greater among lower-income adults with higher deductibles”. The least suited individuals for high-deductible policies are those Wal-Mart intends to cover with such policies.

The problem inherent in the high-deductible approach to offering health insurance to low-income individuals is that it places too great of importance on reducing the premium payment and too little on the most important measure of health insurance affordability: total out of pocket expenses. According to The Commonwealth Fund, for low-income individuals and families “the ceiling on out-of-pocket expenses (in a typical high-deductible policy) constitutes 26 percent of income for single individuals and families at twice the federal poverty level.” AAESEP believes this is an unacceptable solution for the problem of insurance access for low-income individuals. The further risk is that the Wal-Mart plan, being trumpeted as a success, will be followed by other large employers of low-income Americans. While these employers will be quick to tout statistics showing that high numbers of their employees have health insurance, those employees will be covered by policies that risk their physical and financial health.

The Wal-Mart plan will not work for the average Wal-Mart employee as it stands. AAESEP calls upon Wal-Mart to address the weaknesses found in the insurance offering and contends that the retailer, like all employers, will benefit from having healthy and financially stable employees. Specifically AAESEP asks that the following changes be made to the proposed policy:

-    Wal-Mart should give each employee with an annual salary of less than $35,000 a year a one-time payment of $500 to seed their Health Savings Account.

-    Wal-Mart should exempt all primary care and preventive services from the deductible requirement.

-    Wal-Mart should work with State and Federal officials to explore whether individual Wal-Mart employees may qualify and benefit from subsidized comprehensive health plans. (In New York for example individuals may be better served by a policy under the State’s “Healthy New York” plan.)

Further, it should be noted that AAESEP recommends vast changes to Wal-Mart’s health insurance eligibility requirements which currently require six months of service before benefits begin. Recognizing the need to press ahead and develop programs that will assist employees if the Wal-Mart Value Plan goes ahead as planned on January 1, 2006, AAESEP has already begun the process of submitting applications for private and Government assistance to offer “HSA Jump Start” funds for Wal-Mart employees meeting certain criteria including having a high-deductible policy. At AAESEP we are committed to helping all American employees make smart health insurance decisions. AAESEP is also committed to reducing financial barriers to quality care and protecting employees against financial hardship related to health insurance bills and costs.

AAESEP endeavors to deliver information to the public on issues related to work and employment in America; support high-quality research into areas of interest to working and self-employed persons, provide referrals to a variety of services including legal services, retirement planning, health insurance, education and job skills training; become the premier source of information to policy makers, the business community, political leaders, and academic researchers on issues related to employment and link a wide variety of professional associations and related groups dedicated to meeting the changing needs of today’s workforce. For more information about AAESEP, please visit our website at www.aaesep.org

Sources:

1. Michael Barbaro, Wal-Mart to Expand Health Plan for Workers, N.Y. Times, October 24, 2005, at http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/business/24mart.html

2. Victoria Colliver, Health insurance for $25 Wal-Mart offers various lower-cost coverage plans for workers, S.F. Gate, October 25, 2005, at http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/10/25/BUGV7FDB421.DTL

3. The Institute for Policy Studies, Wal-Mart’s Pay Gap CEO Compensation 871 times as high as U.S. Wal-Mart Worker Pay; 50,000 times Chinese Worker Pay, April 15, 2005, at http://www.laborrights.org/projects/corporate/walmart/Wal-mart_pay_gap041505.pdf

4. How High Is Too High? Implications of High-Deductible Health Plans, Karen Davis, Ph.D., Michelle M. Doty, Ph.D., and Alice Ho, The Commonwealth Fund, April 2005, at http://www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=274007

###

Press Contact: Tyler Malin
Company Name: AAESEP
Email: tyler.malin@aaesep.org
Phone: 212-759-9740
Website: http://www.aaesep.org

Grossman Law Offices Settles Dram Shop/Motor Vehicle Accident for $135,000.00 injuryrelief.com

 
Grossman Law Offices Settles Dram Shop/Motor Vehicle Accident for $135,000.00 injuryrelief.com

(PRWEB) October 27, 2005 -- On or about February 12, 2001, Listen Literature, Inc. d/b/a Hawley's Billiards served and sold alcoholic beverages to Gerald Hamic. After leaving Literature, Inc. d/b/a Hawley's Billiards, Gerald Hamic attempted to drive himself and Gillian Rowland home.

Gerald Hamic was traveling eastbound on Spring Valley Road in Dallas, Texas. Gerald Hamic attempted to turn left onto Hillcrest Road when he collided with another vehicle. Mr. Hamic was arrested for a DWI 2nd. (Cause #MA-01-50121)

On May 9, 2001, Mr. Hamic plead guilty to a DWI 2nd and was sentenced to 90 days in jail. (Cause #MA-01-50121) Due to the DWI 2nd charge, Mr. Hamic's probation from the DWI 1st was revoked. At the time of the February 12, 2002 accident, it was determined that Mr. Hamic's blood alcohol level was well above the legal limit.

Thus, the Defendant served alcohol to Mr. Hamic when he was obviously intoxicated. Based on the above information, it was apparent to Literature, Inc. d/b/a Hawley's Billiards that Mr. Hamic was obviously intoxicated to the extent that he presented a clear and present danger to himself and other persons. Mr. Hamic had a long history of drinking problems and was frequent patron of Literature, Inc. d/b/a Hawley's Billiards. As a result, the employees at Literature, Inc. d/b/a Hawley's Billiards knew of Mr. Hamic propensity to drink excessively.

The conduct of Literature, Inc. d/b/a Hawley's Billiards and its employees contributed to Mr. Hamic's state of intoxication and thus was a proximate cause of the injuries to the plaintiff, Gillian Rowland. Based on the egregious conduct and numerous Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission violations, Literature, Inc. d/b/a Hawley's Billiards liquor license was revoked in November 2002.

As a direct and proximate result of her injuries, Ms. Rowland incurred reasonable and necessary medical expenses. Ms. Rowland had surgery at Parkland Hospital to repair a fractured ankle.

Unfortunately, Ms. Rowland passed away while the case was still pending. http://www.injuryrelief.com.

###

Press Contact: Michael Grossman
Company Name: LAW OFFICES OF E. MICHAEL GROSSMAN
Email: marketing@injuryrelief.com
Phone: 214.220.9191
Website: http://www.injuryrelief.com

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

An Administration of Rats In Tenebris Is Not The American Way

Day of the Dead

For Art, today is a day of remembrance; a day in which to remember the dead. Tonight, after dinner, a few of us will join Art and Terry at our only cemetary to remember the dead, both those related to us and of equal importance, to remember all the troops who have died because of an administration that operates in darkness, in tenebris.

 

Administration Only Knows How to Operate Covertly

We apologized to all the neighbors as they arrived because we’re playing Mozart’s Requiem and our thoughts are both on our dead and on the darkness and immoral subterfuge under which this administration operates. As Schuyler fixed our drink for tonight, called a Horse’s Neck and made with an affordable brandy, he mentioned that it came off as funny to him that this White House, which only operates under cover of darkness, always afraid of playing in the light of day, would get so teed off at Harry Reid for calling a secret Democratic Senate meeting on the investigation into the validity of the administration’s claims that war on Iraq was called for. Schuyler thought Senator Bill Frist had come off as awfully snippy and snide, kind of like everybody else in this administration.  Mr. Reid is only interested in getting the admistration to be truthful with the country, something the administration, and especially the president and the vice-president are unwilling to do.

 

What is Dick Cheney Hiding From The People?

Never before has a vice-president held so much power, and never before have we had a vice-president who tried so hard to skuttle our democracy. His chief-of-staff has just been indicted for lying to a grand jury, perjury, and obstructing justice, and now, rather than cleaning house, Cheney has appointed two of his devils to take Scooter Libby’s place. One of them, John Hannah, is the official to whom the Iraqi National Congress fed information on Iraq that turned out to be erroneous. The second devil Cheney selected to replace Libby is David S. Addington, whom Human Rights Watch in Washington has accused as being one of Cheney’s architects for the policy that led to the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, according to the Inter Press Service News Agency, he “regards international law with undisguised contempt.” Nice fellows, no?

 

Now, Liz commented, if Scooter Libby was Cheney’s right-hand man, and he’s been indicted, did Cheney order Libby to go after Ambassador Joseph Wilson and out his wife, Valerie Plame? Did Libby leak information about Ms. Plame under orders of Dick Cheney? Why, Liz wanted to know, has the vice-president been so reluctant to go before the people and clear things up? Did Libby commit perjury to protect the real miscreant, Cheney?

 

Dick Cheney, Slimier Than Nixon and Agnew

Alex interjected that two other officials who ran afoul of the law at least had the cojones to go before the public and explain their actions.  When Nixon, as vice-president, was covered in scandal, he gave his famous Checkers speech and tried to clear his name. Even Spiro Agnew, when he was embroiled in a criminal investigation tried to explain his actions in the open. Gee, Alex exclaimed, things have gotten pretty cheesy when you’re compared to those two, and you lose. Cheesy, slimy, a government of rats Alex said, is not what the United States wants or needs. He remembered that in a commencement address at Harvard in 1977, Barbara Jordan had said: “What the people want is very simple. They want an America as good as its promise.” And, Alex concluded, we’re getting shafted, we’re not getting, from these rats, as good as our country’s promise.

 

Dinner On All Soul’s Day

The teenagers were ravenous, but aren’t they always? One of them banged on the dinner gong a bit ahead of time, so we finished our drinks and went to our places at the dinner table, hoping we hadn’t made tonight’s cooking couples rush to get us started. But, no need to worry, Charlotte was, as usual, cool as a cucumber and had her part of dinner quite ready. She served us some delicious shrimp tamales she had learned how to make quite recently. They can be a lot of trouble to make, but that’s just the kind of dish Charlotte enjoys preparing. As a starter course to whet our appetite, the tamales were perfect. Charlotte served them with a dry, light white wine, a MacMurray Pinot Gris from California’s Russian River Valley.

 

Max and Charlotte, with several of their large Le Creuset stock pots, which hold heat beautifully and allow the soup to remain warm without scorching, prepared Fresh Mushroom and Tarragon soup. The medley of mushrooms of course came from Art and Terry’s organic produce greenhouses, as did the fresh tarragon sprigs. The Le Creuset pots are perfect for making soup, but because they are heavy, Charlotte really puts her immersion blender wand to good use. Hers is a 500 Watt hand blender from Braun. Instead of having to empty the pots into a blender, the immersion blender allows her to take the blender to the pot, so to speak. Paired with another dry, light wine, a Murphy-Goode Fumé Blanc from Sonoma County, our dinner continued to be, simply put, splendid. I know that sometimes my English tends to be a bit archaic, and I can’t help it of course, since it’s in my blood, but I would describe dinneres prepared by Charlotte and Max as vastly good.

 

Max, who delights in grilling, tonight grilled swordfish on skewers, with cucumbers and zucchini, and served the fish with a sauce he made with basil, chives and olive oil. He served the fish on a bed of delicious and fluffy white rice he and Charlotte always prepare with de-fatted free-range chicken consommé. They paired the fish with another Pinot Gris, this time a Montevina Pinot Grigio from California.

 

We almost always have a bit of fruit sorbet between the fish and the meat courses, and tonight we were served small dollops of blueberry sorbet, preparing us for Max’s meat course, a Roasted Leg of Lamb with Pancetta. On the plates, he served only one side dish, a perfect salad of Wilted Spinach and Mustard. The Napa Valley Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon they paired with the lamb was such a good choice.

 

For Some of Us, The End of a Perfect, Thought-Provoking Evening

We went back to the great room in order to be able to have our dessert and after-dinner coffee with the younger set, some of whom help us in the kitchen and in serving, in exchange for spending money. Shelley had fixed individual Vanilla Apple Tartlets, served them warm, with some homemade vanilla ice cream. Just as we were saying our goodnights, Alex reminded us that we couldn’t be having these free discussions and good dinners if some United States citizens weren’t willing to speak out about the evil that today is permeating the government, and promoting regime change so that we can once again become the kind of government Barbara Jordan extolled.

 

Summary:

Operating in the dark like bubonic plague-spreading rats, the government officials of morally bankrupt George Bush filthily slink along the gutters they’ve gnawed throughout the halls of every institution in Washington. Never, never, has this country dragged itself in rat manure the way its doing today. Somebody, all of us, have to work to clean those gutters, impeach all who gnawed them, beginning with the Capo, Bush, and going down to the lowliest but still unbearably slimy official. We have to take our country back. Right now, we’re not a shining city on a hill. How bereft these filthy rats are of any valuable values.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

 

 

Key words:

Day of the Dead, Harry Reid, Senator Bill Frist, Dick Cheney, Scooter Libby, John Hannah, David S. Addington, Human Rights Watch, Ambassador Joseph Wilson, Valerie Plame, Nixon, Spiro Agnew, Barbara Jordan, MacMurray Pinot Gris, California Russian River Valley, Le Creuset, Braun immersion blender, Murphy-Goode Fumé Blanc, Montevina Pinot Grigio, Napa Valley Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon

Leading Law Firm Chooses FileTrail for Legal Records Management

 
Leading Law Firm Chooses FileTrail for Legal Records Management

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) October 24, 2005 -- FileTrail, Inc., the leader in Web-based records management software, today announced that Sacker & Partners LLP selected FileTrail software for Legal Records Management.

Sacker & Partners is the leading Pension law firm in the UK. The firm was selected as the "Niche Firm of the Year" at the 2005 Annual Lawyers Awards, and were the UK's "Pension Lawyers of the Year" in 2004. The firm has been practicing since 1966 in the City of London, and has 22 partners, 8 associates and 15 solicitors who are all pensions law specialists.

Sacker & Partners will operate FileTrail on an internal server, using an MS SQL Server database. The relationship with Sacker & Partners represents FileTrail's continued focus on providing legal records management solutions that are affordable to the small- and medium-sized firm.

About FileTrail

FileTrail is the leading provider of Web-based records management solutions and file tracking. Law Firms trust FileTrail to streamline processes with the latest technology and most configurable software. Headquartered in San Jose, CA, FileTrail has been providing solutions to law firms since 2001.

See FileTrail at http://www.filetrail.com

# # #

Press Contact: Tom Pemberton
Company Name: FILETRAIL, INC.
Email: tpemberton@filetrail.com
Phone: 301 515-1102
Website: http://www.filetrail.com


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