Contact us today for a free, no obligation consultation about your personal injury legal needs. Call us at (800) 690-0235 or fill out this quick form and we will contact you within 24 hours!
President Obama ends the war in Iraq and plans on bringing soldiers home before the New Year. Hampton Roads will have the honor of having many servicemen home.
Doctors have injected millions of human embryonic stem cells into a patient partially paralyzed by a spinal cord injury, marking the beginning of the first carefully designed attempt to test the promising but controversial therapy, officials announced Monday.
The patient was treated Friday at the Shepherd Center, a 132-bed hospital in Atlanta that specializes in spinal cord and brain injuries, according to an announcement by the hospital and Geron Corporation of Menlo Park, California, which is sponsoring the research.
The hospital is one of seven sites participating in the study. Doctors also will conduct tests to see whether the treatment restores sensation or enables the patient to regain movement. No personal information about the first patient was released.
The milestone was welcomed by scientists eager to finally move the research from the laboratory to the clinic, as well as by advocates for patients and by patients hoping for cures. Although the cells have been tested in animals, and some clinics around the world claim to offer therapies using human embryonic stem cells, the trial is the first to have been vetted by a government entity and aimed at carefully evaluating the strategy. After repeated delays, the Food and Drug Administration gave the go-ahead in July.
But the move was criticized by those with moral objections to any research using cells from human embryos, and it is raising concern even among many proponents. Some argue that the experiments are premature, others question whether they are ethical, and many fear that the trials risk disaster for the field if anything goes awry.
Supporters of the privately funded research are confident that it has been exhaustively vetted. The FDA has demanded extensive experiments in the laboratory and on animals to provide evidence that the cells hold promise and are safe enough to test in people.
This is December 19, 2009. We are all getting ready for Christmas. As I was getting ready and doing some shopping, suddenly I started thinking in global terms. It struck me how China saved and is saving our way of life in the USA and even our nationhood. You say “what?” Yes I think it is true. As we all know, China sells a lot of stuff here. It keeps their people working and brings them many US dollars. They use this money to buy things and to buy our debt products. Although they hold a lot of our debt, they don't seem to be worried about it. Maybe they realize that there is no where else to go. Can't go to gold (not enough of it); they can't go to the Euro (many European countries are in deep financial trouble, Germany has to bail out Greece and maybe Italy). So they stick to the dollar. This means propping the USA up even as our leaders try to weaken the US economy. Recently, at the UN Climate Summit in Denmark, our leaders tried to commit the US to pay poor countries some 50 Billion per year in order to fight Global Warming. How does that work? I don't know, but in any case, that was the plan. Save the Polar Bears, give Somalia some US billions. The Chinese, not wanting to see their best customer destroy its economy, just said "NO". China will not be a part of this give away. So the whole thing just kind of ended with everyone making statements of their good intentions. Thank you China, saved us again.
On October 24, 2009, I was dismayed to read in the paper that the International Paper plant was closing. The plant is locared in the town of Franklin, Virginia about 40 miles west of Norfolk. The facility employs about 1,100 workers and has been operating there for mamy years. The closure, loss of jobs and revenue will be greatly hurt the local economy. Franklin is a model small town in Virginia with good old fashion values.. a good place to live and raise a family. Well, our leaders see this as a chance to show how necessary they are to the well being of the peasants. On October 26, 2009, U.S. Senator Mark Warner swung into action. He will ask the Company to reconsider, he will seek programd to retrain workers and will seek to extend jobless benefits. On October 30, 2009, our governor, Tim Kaine, joined in. Kaine asks "what can we do with (to) International Paper. My thought is- Where were these guys years ago when the whole thing started. Warner used to be the governor of Virginia. What did he ever do to show his concern about International Papers viability or its ability to turn a good profit and keep people employeed? The answer is nothing. Same for Kaine. Evidently he was surprised. He should not have been. The closing will cost the state $19,200,00 a year in tax revenue, and the county $13,500, 00 in tax revenue. I think that officials could have seen this coming and made some concessions. Not with these two guys. They always need more resources, uh contributions, fairness. They throw more weeks of unemployment payments and free classes at TCC on computers at the 1,100 and then start taking bows for their concern.
Well, you know, I think about the old USSR now days. Sometimes my thoughts run to Leonid Brezhnev. You remember this guy. He was a former Chairman of the Communist Party USSR. As I recall he died in the early 1980s. We here in the USA thought that he was a tough guy, hard as nails, unyielding. But I recall a story about him. Supposedly about 1979, he was meeting with his advisors. The subject was the poor harvest in the USSR, and how there would not be enough wheat or food to eat. He listened to the statistics being read and reported to him. At the time Leonid was close to 80 years old. Finally after hearing how communism had damaged the economy, he said "stop, enough!' He turned and walked away, saying "the less you know, the better you sleep." In this day and age these are words to live by.
You wouldn't think that these two subjects are related but they are. I read in the Wall Street Journal that GM is going to reopen its assembly plant in Orion, Michigan. They are going to build the new "Green Cars" there. You know, the small "knees to the chest" 4 passenger, 4 cylinder coupes that they drive in Europe. These cars get 35 mpg. The people in Eastern Europe drove these around. You may say that Americans won't buy these. Maybe, but as I have said here before, the government "has ways of making you buy them." I am sure that they will, through a combination of $6.00 gas prices, gas guzzler taxes on larger cars, and incentives to buy these. However, our leaders need something better. You won't see them near one unless it's for a photo op. I also read in the journal (July 18, 2009 edition) that our leaders, and their staffs (they are around their staff every day, and they don't want to hear grief from them) will not be required to sign on to Obama Care but can keep their present insurance. They don't want to jump into the pool with you, the peasants, on this one. This reminds me of the old USSR. Their leaders rode around in luxury Zil vehicles (actually Mercedes knockoffs). They also had their own doctors and clinics. Sounds like where we are headed.
Well, I hear that Cap and Trade has passed. Whatever that is. The reason that it has a vague name is because our leaders in D.C. don't want the peasants to know that it is really a big tax increase. Our utility bills will go up a lot. Maybe $200 a month. The leaders figure that since the bill comes from the utility company that the dumb peasants will blame "big electricity" or "big natural gas" or "big telephone." They will hold hearings to try to find out what is going on. They think you will be fooled again. Me, I've been fooled 1,000 times by these guys. Our president said "no new taxes", actually 90% will get a tax cut. I'm still waiting for Bill Clinton's middle class tax cut. As I said I've been fooled 1,000 times. But not going for 1,001.
I note that our leaders in Washington are about the give free health care to all who are in the United States. (Note that this means citizens, non-citizens, Gitmo releasees, passers through, legal aliens, illegal aliens, or even space aliens). Well, you may say it’s long overdue and badly needed. I guess so; I have no answers to the problem. As a great doctor once said, "First, do no harm.” I think that we will get an idea about what is happening with this by watching a couple of things. What will be the status of our congressmen, senators, white house workers, and their families? If they get any kind of special "opt out", you know we, the peasants, are in for a hosing. Just like with social security retirement, those folks got out of the system. The second are union members from unions that supported Obama. I hear that the administration’s bill gives them an “opt out.” Very suspicious, if it was that great, they’d want in. We await events, will see what happens.
Well, our new president is in office. According to popularity polls he's doing alright. He's doing a good job fighting to get our economy back on track. But disquieting feelings come over me about gas prices, the GM situation, and gas milage requirements. As I have said, our leaders want higher gas prices, but they are afraid of being blamed for it. John Kerry favored a $5.00 gas tax to raise the price to European levels thereby forcing you guys (the peasants) to ride buses or trains, or ride bicycles. Of course the time of our leaders is too important and for security reasons, they would travel around in large roomy SUVs. GM will be manufacturing these small cheap cars that get 40 mpg. I know that you don't want to buy these as your family vehicles. But as the GESTAPO used to say "we have ways of making you" buy these. I seem to see a coming together of these factors. The Greens want you to use public transportation or high milage vehicles, so raise the gas prices. The UAW wants you to stop buying foreign manufactured motor veichles, and buy GM vehicles. Gas prices creep up, no one cares but the peasants. Secretly, the Greens, UAW and government elites applaud. Rich people can afford it. I say watch out, watch them like a hawk. They mean to change your life style
To be frank, I'm not so sure of what "cap and trade" is. I suspect that it is a secret tax on utilities. The idea is to collect a tax on electricity use from the power company. They pass it on to the consumer, you, and your power bill goes up. Voila! More revenue is raised, the peasants blame the greedy power company (they are too stupid to realize the real culprits) and they fight global warming by using less power (they can't afford not to). This seems to be a win/win situation. More money for programs. No leaders to blame for higher taxes. Plus we all are saving the polar bears by sweating a little in the summer. A/C is really not necessary. In the south and west, those people don't vote for the Dems anyway, so let them sweat. This program seems to be losing steam in Congress so we will wait and see.
THIS IS JANUARY 16, 2009 AND GASOLINE PRICES HAVE DROPPED FROM THE SUMMERTIME HIGHS. THIS A.M. THE PRICE OF A BARREL OF OIL IS ABOUT $36.00. THIS IS CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN THE $145 HIGH THIS SUMMER, HOWEVER, GAS AT THE PUMP IS ABOUT $1.59 A GALLON. IT SHOULD ACTUALLY BE LOWER, ABOUT $1.39 OR SO, BUT THERE IS NO ONE TO COMPLAIN; THE OIL COMPANIES MAKE MORE MONEY, THE CONSUMERS (PEASANTS) ARE THANKFUL THAT IT'S NOT $4.00 A GALLON ANYMORE. OUR LEADERS ARE HAPPY THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A PEASANT REVOLT; ONLY ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARE UNHAPPY. YOU GUYS WILL DRIVE AROUND TOO MUCH, MAYBE EVEN BUY THOSE DISGUSTING SUVS, AND NOT BUY A HYBRID. HEY, I KNOW WHERE YOU CAN BUY A TRABANT CHEAP. THESE CARS WERE MANUFACTURED IN COMMUNIST EAST GERMANY BEFORE THE WALL CAME DOWN. I THINK THAT OUR LEADERS WISH THEY COULD SOMEHOW MAKE YOU DRIVE THOSE AROUND; YOU KNOW, FOUR CYLINDERS, TOP SPEED 55 MPH, A PIECE OF JUNK. WATCH OUT, THESE GUYS ARE STILL AROUND. THEY WANT YOU TO RIDE A BUS, AND IF NOT THAT, DRIVE SOME TRABANT-LIKE VEHICLE (SAME PRICE AS AN SUV), THE DIFFERENCE TO GO INTO GOVERNMENT COFFERS. BUT NO NICE CARS FOR THE LIKES OF YOU, THE NICE CARS AND SUV’S ARE FOR OUR LEADERSHIP CLASS. THINK IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN? IN THE OLD USSR, THE FOLKS DROVE AROUND TRABANTS AND THE "LEADERS" ROAD IN RUSSIAN LUXURY ZILS. HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MONEY, RATHER YOUR POLITICAL POSITION. WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. A NEW PRESIDENT IS GOING TO COME INTO OFFICE. HOPEFULLY, HE WILL CONTINUE TO CONSIDER THAT FREEDOM IS A MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF AMERICAN LIFE. SEE THE USA IN A CHEVROLET!
This is May 10, 2008, and gas prices around here are about $3.50 a gallon. My partner, Mike, and I drive around southeast Virginia representing clients in Court. We try very hard to keep our legal fees low so that our services are affordable, but the cost of getting to Court is starting to mount. Frankly, it's starting to hurt. We watch the price of a barrel of oil; Friday it was $126, up from $113 just ten days ago. In January, oil prices rose above $100 a barrel for the first time. I read in the Wall Street Journal just yesterday that $150 or $200 a barrel is foreseeable this year. Are we talking $4.50 or $6.00 a gallon of gas here? I thought this Iraq war was a war for oil; if so, let’s get some concrete results. How about $2.00 a gallon if our guys are there fighting for us? I don't hear much squawking yet from the folks. There’s an old Russian saying: "As awesome as the starry sky at night is the patience of the ordinary man." Mine is gone.
As I have said in the past, we will continue to monitor the price of gas in southeast Virginia. Today, the price of a barrel of oil reached $130, an all time high. With local stations charging $3.69 to $3.79 a gallon, I see the price of gas going to $3.80 or so in the area. No end is in sight. I saw a big oil guy interviewed yesterday who opined that the current rise in the price of oil is no bubble; we can expect the price of gas to stay high. As I said in my earlier blog, there is no outcry from the folks. Sen. John Kerry wanted to raise the federal gas tax to the point where $4.00 to $5.00 would be the norm for a gallon of gas. So high gas prices are acceptable or even desirable to our leaders in Washington. No help can be expected from politicians unless we get after them. We have the wherewithal to get a lot of energy in this country, going nuclear, shale oil, off-shore drilling, and Alaska oil fields. All of this is not going to be used in the present political climate. In an old movie titled "Three Days of the Condor", it was predicted that nothing would happen until people were running out, getting cold, and going hungry. Ah such dark thoughts on such a beautiful spring day. Enjoy it while you can; winter awaits.
I expect some improvement on gas prices. Already the rise has stopped; the price of a barrel of oil has dropped from a staggering $136 to $125. No real drop in pump prices, but maybe soon folks. However, we lawyers must continue to charge a transportation add-on for cases which require extra driving. I hope that we can drop this in the near future. Not much is being done in Washington for the long run problem: no new drilling in the USA, no new refineries, no nuclear plats, no shale oil projects. They’re just preaching about how we need to ride buses and we're eating too much meat.
Well, here we are again, paying $4.00 for a gallon of gas. As I have said, our leaders don't care. They're fine with it. The peasants, you out there have been driving around too much anyway; driving SUVs, eating meat, not exercising, and not paying enough taxes. The party is over. I don't like to get like this, but it is so true. John McCain and his wife earn about $6,000, 000 a year. Barrack Obama and his wife earn about $500,000 a year. John Kerry and his wife earn about $10,000, 000 a year. They could pay $30 a gallon. I read where Sen. Obama says that this "adjustment" came too abruptly, a more gradual rise would be better. If we don't get after them, they won't do anything. In the days of Robin Hood, the English peasants starved but couldn't hunt for food in the King's Preserve. And so it goes…
The price of a barrel of oil has dropped from $145 to $126 within the past few days. Our leaders in Washington predicted that this would not happen. Our President, "W", signs an executive order that rescinds an order banning off-shore drilling and the prices drops for 10 days. A bill was also introduced in Congress to the same effect. We were told that we would get no relief from drilling for 10 years. A propaganda barrage told the peasants that we cannot drill our way out of the problem. Only you, by eating beans, riding a bus, doing without a/c or heat can do it, we were told.
Gas prices are dropping. I saw $3.88 this morning. We have them scared, keep up the complaints.
I promised you guys, and myself, that I would stop commenting on this topic for three months so I could cool off. But the latest going on is so bad, so outrageous, that I must comment on the present state of affairs involving energy.
The propaganda barrage is in full swing. We are again told that the problem is you, the peasants. Remember, in the days of Robin Hood there was no hunting in the king’s forest for the peasants. Hungry? Eat a little less.
We have them scared. They try to blame everything on something: evil oil speculators, evil oil companies, fat rich people, not enough taxes collected. Their allies pound this drum. They are scared that we will find out the problem is that we can't hunt in the king’s forest, we have 30 old gasoline refineries, and no nuclear plants can be built.
Meanwhile, the people we represent are hurting. I can only tell them “be patient, this can't go on. As sure as the turning of the earth, it will be right.”
In the most recent edition of Forbes magazine, they list the top 100 entertainment celebrities in the U.S. People like Madonna, Steven Speilberg, 50 Cent (hip-hop impresario), and Brad Pitt. Their income for last year was listed. For the 100 entertainers and athletes the total years take was 4,037,000,000. Yes, that's right, over 4 BILLION dollars in 2007, about ONE BILLION dollars a quarter. I see why they don't care about $4.00 a gallon gasoline, and oppose drilling in the king’s forest; they average 40 million a year. Maybe they should pay a windfall profits tax so the proceeds can be sent to those struggling to buy gas.
We just found out that the Norfolk Circuit Court is going to get the three judges it needs to get back to its normal nine.Norfolk has been struggling with six, three short, since early spring.The reason for the holdup is a political fight over a judgeship in Virginia Beach; the two senators have agreed, and we will get our three this month!All three are experienced trial judges and lawyers.They will hit the ground running as soon as they take office, possibly in ten days.The three judges are Jack Doyle, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, a veteran trial lawyer as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney; Jerrauld Jones, a judge of the Norfolk Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, former general practice lawyer, and long time member of the Virginia House of Delegates; and Lewis Sherman, judge of the Norfolk General District Court, former general practice lawyer and former head of Tidewater Legal Aid.All three are experienced candidates who well deserve this honor and responsibility.Congratulations to the members of the Norfolk legislative delegation who made these appointments.They showed good judgment and a bi-partisan care for the citizens of Norfolk.This was worth the wait.
Winter is on its way. Each morning I can feel the frost. Football is in full swing and Halloween is getting close. Gasoline prices have dropped dramatically since the summer, so things have eased up a bit. Our country's economic problems are on the front page. We have a pesidential election coming soon. Gasoline prices are waiting in the wings to bite us all. Only those with plenty of money won't mind. See which of our leaders care about you or environmental groups more. No need to ask who gets an appointment in Washington first. By this time next year maybe $5.00 a gallon is not unreasonable. But I am sure our leaders will give us all a $300 energy supplement courtesy of ourselves, the taxpayers.
Labels:
Michael S. Weisberg, P.C. 112 College Place Norfolk, VA 23510 Phone: (757) 622-7740 Fax: (757) 533-9223 Toll Free: (800) 690-0235 Email:info@weislaw.com www.weislaw.com
Personal Injury and Automobile Accidents
Nursing Home Abuse
DUI, Traffic and Criminal Law Defense
Divorce/ Custody/ Family Law
Medical Malpractice
Business Litigation
