home-based work benefits employees and employers

A lot of people have to work for income, even if it means being subjected to a program of authoritarian propaganda punctuated by many different moments of frantic efficiency. Entrepreneurship addresses some of the issue, but it demands burning the midnight oil. Working from home is another choice. Hammering out the daily telecommute can benefit both the employer and the employee.

Some businesses are against working at home

The chance of there being a distraction is why businesses are against working remotely sometimes. If there’s a couch and television available, employees aren’t typically productive. It is possible to argue that it is more distracting to work in an office with people talking, supervisors watching, meetings all over the place and uncomfortable surroundings.

The best parts of telecommuting

• Increased production -Large blocks of uninterrupted time are necessary for a worker, especially if that worker is in a creative field. This is possible with dedicated workspace at home. Meet at a bar after you are done for socializing if you need it. Drinking together makes for a stronger group. Sometimes there are advantages to it.
• Increased documentation – To be able to stay above board, telecommuters have to document their work since they are not in the office. With the work you are doing, it can be a good idea to keep track of it anyway. It will keep your boss interested in you as an employee.
• Efficient use of tools – It should be enough to instant message one another during work hours and for work-related topics. If security is an issue, set up a VPN or similar network.
• Trust – When businesses trust that employees can produce without constant supervision, it raises employee morale.
• Living a normal life – A person’s physical and emotional health is at stake when putting them through the unnatural 40 hour workweek from 9 to 5. Most executives find ways to leave the office at almost any time of the day if they have errands to run. This isn’t the case for most workers. They have a strict schedule. These rights should be given to all the workers. They should simply have jobs that have to be completed.

Companies can benefit from it also

A ton of money is put into offices by businesses. This can include rent and furniture. This 20th century relic is far from cost efficient. When trusted employees get the job done remotely, the corporate office doesn’t have to suffer from corporate bloat.

Articles cited

Christian Heilmann’s Blog

wait-till-i.com/2011/05/25/on-working-remotely-and-efficiency/

Read Write Enterprise

readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2011/05/lessons-learned-in-remote-work.php

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network

How to make work: Leave the office

youtube.com/watch?v=5XD2kNopsUs

Loughner considered incompetent to stand trial

Jared Lee Loughner, the male accused of a Jan 8 shooting spree in Tucson, Ariz., has been ruled incompetent to stand trial. U.S. Marshals dragged Loughner out of the courtroom Wednesday following an angry outburst.

Tucson shooting killed six wounded 13

Gabrielle Giffords is a U.S. Representative who was having a community meeting outside a supermarket where the shooting spree occurred on January 8. A 9 year old girl and U.S. District Judge John Roll were both killed by Loughner as he opened fire. A total of six individuals were killed. There were thirteen individuals total which were injured also. This contains Rep. Giffords (D) who was shot in the head and is still in recovery. A not guilty plea was entered in by Loughner. Because of the January 8 shootings, he was charged with 49 federal charges.

What he mumbled

Although mumbled and unclear, during a pretrial hearing the 22-year-old defendant seemed to say, “Thank you for the freak show. She died in front of me.” It was not clear to whom he referred.

Loughner was asked by U.S. District Judge Larry Burns is he wanted to behave in the court room or watch the court from another room on a TV screen to which Loughner said, “I want to watch the TV screen.”

Needing survivors to view what occurred

At least two survivors of the attack were in the courtroom and heard the episode. Present was Pam Simon, Gifford’s aide, who was shot in the chest and right wrist. Army Col. Bill Badger was also there. He was hit in the back of the head by a bullet. Badger is one of the individuals who helped subdue Loughner after the attack.

Defendant deemed not competent

Today’s hearing was a result of prosecutors asking Judge Burns in March to order an examination to determine whether Loughner was competent enough to endure trial. Burns made his decision after Loughner was examined by a psychologist from the Jail Bureau, as well as a court-appointed expert. Loughner was considered incompetent by both. ”The defendant was not able to comprehend the charges,” according to Burns.

Federal facility to hold Loughner

Loughner will be sent to a federal facility for four months or until doctors are convinced of his competency. September 21 will be when his next hearing happens. He will be able to stay even longer after the four months are up. This is assuming he is considered incompetent still. It doesn’t matter how long he stays there. His stay could be extended several, several times.

How the defense will use this

An insanity defense may very well be used by Loughner’s lawyers. They have described him as a “gravely mentally ill man” and say that the condition will make a difference to the trial in the courtroom filings though.

Articles cited

Huffington Post

huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/25/jared-loughner-tucson-shooting_n_866723.html

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-25/giffords-shooting-suspect-loughner-taken-out-of-courtroom-after-outburst.html

CNN

cnn.com/2011/CRIME/05/25/arizona.loughner.competency/?hpt=T1

Personal loans to attend for-profit schools could be risky

Selecting a college is a complex matter, and scholars should be cautious of private, for-profit colleges. The federal government, along with state governments, is often at loggerheads with for-profit institutions, and students that attend them have the highest default rates on student loans. Some schools are great institutions and well worth thinking about. However, prospective scholars should check any out thoroughly before matriculating.

Trump facing possible Indictment

Five companies that work for, for-profit universities will be investigated. The New York Attorney General will be doing the investigation, CNN states. One school that is part of this investigation is the former Trump University. Donald Trump started the for-profit university a few years back. The organization had to rename itself the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative after the New York Department of Education said it could not call itself a school. The New York Times reports that Corinthian Colleges, Bridgepoint Education, Lincoln Educational Services and the Career Education Corporation are the other schools involved. Charges have not yet been filed. They are all being investigated still.

School and state fight

Previous scholars are not very happy that state and federal governments have been coming down on for-profit universities. Right now, Donald Trump is being sued by some scholars in California. They say they were misled by what is now Trump Entrepreneur Initiative. Corinthian’s colleges are also under investigation in Massachusetts, California, Florida and Georgia, according to Reuters. The Apollo Group is also being investigated as it runs the University of Phoenix and Kaplan Career Institute, which the Washington Post Company runs currently. This is the plan for the Massachusetts Attorney General, reports the Boston Globe. Smaller private colleges could be less stable than their megacorporate counterparts, as well. Alpine College in Spokane, Washington shut down unexpectedly. Scholars were left without a degree and thousands in personal loans.

Payments extremely hard to afford

Cost is something individuals must consider when choosing which university to go to. Most for-profit universities are costly. They can cost more than they are worth. Reuters states that 15.2 percent of students who went to a for-profit university defaulted on student loans within a year in 2009, which is twice the 7.3 percent of students who defaulted after going to a public college. The rate was much lower for private, not-for-profit schools. That rate was only at 4.3 percent. About half of total loan defaults come from for-profit university scholars as well. Several individuals have accused for-profit universities of fraudulent advertising and of not preparing students well enough for the job market, thus making it harder for them to meet their loan obligations. The Department of Education is currently attempting to institute a rule that would deny federal loans to students attending a school with a 35 percent default rate or higher.

Citations

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/05/20/news/companies/trump_university/index.htm

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/05/20/nyregion/trumps-for-profit-school-said-to-be-under-investigation.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=education

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/05/20/education-forprofit-idUSN2028820820110520

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/05/20/us-education-idUSTRE74J55O20110520

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/43130397″>MSNBC

Boston Globe

http://articles.boston.com/2011-05-17/business/29552871_1_college-access-success-college-students-schools”

U.S. Marshals auction Unabomber possessions

The U.S. Marshals Service has decided to auction off some of the personal things of Theodore John “Ted” Kaczynski. Kaczynski is better known as ‘the Unabomber’. The auction will be conducted online and will continue until June 2. The proceeds will go to some of the victims of Kaczynski’s almost 20 yearlong mail bombing spree.

Personal things auctioned

The auction will sell about 60 lots of things found when Kaczynski was captured on April 3, 1996 in his cabin. The hooded sweatshirt and dark glasses he is known for could be found in these items. His driver’s licenses, deeds, checks, transcripts, letters and birth certificate will all be sold. All of his personal documents found will sell. Several photos were found and will sell. Kaczynski’s clothing, books, bows, tools and watches will even all be sold. You can also buy a typewriter he used to write the Unabomber Manifesto, which is what people call it. The real name of it is The Industrial Society and Its Future. There will also be 20,000 pages of the document sold, including hand-written and typed versions.

The catalog, photos and information of all the auction items are available at the GSA auction website.

Who he even was

Kaczynski was a mathematical prodigy after bring born in 1942 in Chicago, Ill. He was accepted to Harvard at age 16, and he received an undergraduate degree. Later he earned a PhD in mathematics from the University of Michigan. It made Kaczynski frustrated when technology became essential to society. It started to rely on technology. In 1971, Kaczynski moved to a remote one-room cabin in the Montana wilderness in a try to become self-sufficient. He got the name Unabomber, because of University and Airline bomber put together, due to his sixteen years old homemade mail bombs he sent to several airlines, universities and other targets between 1978 and 1995. His bombs were responsible for killing three individuals and injuring 23 others. Kaczynski was turned in in 1996 by his brother and sister-in-law after a huge FBI manhunt. Kaczynski is now serving in the “supermax” prison for life without the chance of parole at age 69. This prison can be found in Flore! nce, Colorado.

Using what he hates most

U.S. Marshal Albert Najera spoke with the press. “We will use the technology that Kaczynski railed against in his various manifestos to sell artifacts of his life,” was what he said.

Value uncertain

Nobody knows how much value is really in these items. The Marshals have a spokeswoman names Lynzey Donohue. “This is an unusual type of case,” she said. “It’s really difficult to put a value on these items because of the intrinsic value they have based on his notoriety.”

Information from

NY Daily News

nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/05/18/2011-05-18_unabomber_ted_kaczynskis_belongings_hit_auction_block_sweatshirt_glasses_typewri.html

CNN

articles.cnn.com/2011-05-12/justice/us.unabomber.auction_1_auction-plan-unabomber-ted-kaczynski-auction-website?_s=PM:CRIME

The Sacramento Bee

sacbee.com/2011/05/13/3623703/unabomber-kaczynskis-personal.html

GSA Auctions

gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/gsaauctions/

Energy tax credits in 2011 can be claimed effortlessly

In 2009 and 2010, taxpayers could get up to $1,500 for making home updates. The 2011 energy tax credits are still available. The cap on rewards, however, is set at the lower $500 level. Credits are accessible for up to $500. It takes just a few basic energy-efficient updates to your home to get this $500 credit. That credit can help get your personal loans in order.

Tax credit information

There have been many forms of the Energy Tax Credits system for a few years now. It has been around for a long time though. During 2009 and 2010, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act increased the maximum tax credit from $500 to $1,500. The new credits are capped at $500 for upgrades after that increase expired on Dec. 31. How can you get your worth out of the $500 now?

New air conditioning

• Total Available Credit: $300
• Average Estimated Cost: $10,000 for a complete system and installation, based on home size.

You can improve your home value a lot with a high-efficiency central air conditioning system. Paired with a programmable thermostat, central AC can also save you between $10 and $2,000 a year in energy costs, dependent upon how often you use the AC.

More power efficient heat

• Total Accessible Credit: Electric heat pumps qualify for $300. Furnaces and boilers qualify for $150. Main circulating supporters qualify for $50.
• Average Estimated Cost: Between $150 and $10,000.

It can be a good idea to get a high efficiency heating system. It could conserve you $4,000 a year. There are several cold areas of the country where central heating systems are necessary. It is the only way to get your home sold. Government tax credits on these systems are depending on the efficiency rating and cost of the system installed. Natural gas and propane furnaces offer the highest value-to-efficiency ratio.

Burning in a biomass stove

• Total Available Credit: $300 through 2011
• Average Estimated Cost: $2,000 to $5,000

Wood, plants, fibers and any natural, renewable and flammable resource could be burned in biomass stoves. This is how you get heat. Research carbon emissions to them to see how it impacts the air quality as part of your home also as make sure you’ve an efficiency rating of over 75 percent if you want the government credit.

Better insulation should work

• Total Accessible Credit: $500 through 2011
• Average Estimated Cost: $500 to $5,000

Fixing insulation will help out your home a lot. The systems will be more efficient because of it. One of the highest improvements for low cost with your home is insulation for energy savings.

The roof can be fixed

• Total Accessible Credit: $500 through 2011
• Average Estimated Cost: $2,500 to $6,000

Heating and air conditioning costs will be decreased by changing the rooftops on your home to reflect solar energy. The tax credit can only be applied to materials, not installation.

The way you warm your water

• Total Accessible Credit: $300 through 2011
• Average Estimated Cost: $600 to $6,000

Most tank water heaters won’t qualify for this tax credit, but gas, oil and propane-fueled, tank less water heaters will qualify.

Windows

• Total Accessible Credit: $500 for doors or skylights, $200 for windows
• Average Estimated Cost: $500 to $5,000

You can save a lot in energy costs by replacing windows, doors with glass that is Energy Star rated. The equipment, not installation, can be used for the credit.

Tax credits to consider

There are other opportunities besides these for tax credits. Whenever you change other things, you are able to get state tax credits as well. A full list of rebates could be found at Energy Savers.

Information from

All around the House

allaroundthehouse.com/lib.repr.htm

Energy Savers

energysavers.gov/financial/70010.html#products_2011

Cost Helper

costhelper.com/cost/home-garden/insulation.html

Talking cars could reduce accidents

It may soon be possible for cars to talk to each other and warn drivers of potential hazards. Several United States auto makers are creating prototype automobiles, and the United States Department of Transportation is actively pursuing this technology. The technology has the potential to greatly reduce traffic injuries and fatalities.

More accuracy in system

This new technology, which is reportedly more dependable than radar, uses specialized Global Positioning System and WiFi technologies. Every 10 seconds, a signal is emitted by the system 360 degrees around it. It goes for 900 feet to communicate with autos. The technology senses and identifies potential hazards and alerts the driver through flashing red lights and beeps.

Good idea for automakers to look at future

Ford has been working on the technology for more than a decade. Sue Cischke said, “Ford believes intelligent automobiles that talk to each other through advanced WiFi are the next frontier of collision avoidance innovations that could revolutionize the driving experience,” as Ford’s group vice president of environment, safety engineering and sustainability.

Test of ‘Road Trains’

Recently, Volvo was in a “road train” test. It was successful for the first time. Road trains, formed through a process known as “platooning,” involve automobiles that are electronically tethered so that they can mimic the action of one another. The flow of traffic is safer and more efficient with it.

“Platooning offers the prospect of improved road safety, better road space utilization, improved driver comfort on long journeys and reduced fuel consumption and hence CO2 emissions,” said Tom Robinson, spokesperson for the project.

Accidents greatly reduced

Peter Appel said “This technology has the potential to save a lot of lives.” Appel is at the Department of Transportation as the administrator of Research and Innovative Technology Administration. According to the DOT, the system might reduce traffic accidents considerably. Without narcotics and alcohol involvement, injuries could go down as much as 80 percent.

Cost is not bad

Adding the technology to the car doesn’t cost much at all. It could be as little as $100 per car to add. The low cost means all autos, whether they are luxury or economy, could have the system.

Technology could be mandatory by 2013

The United States DOT will be conducting Driver Acceptance Clinics to introduce the technology in six cities across the United States starting in August. After the clinics are completed, the DOT hopes to put thousands of equipped vehicles on the nation’s highways. The technology could become mandatory as early as 2013, when federal officials are scheduled to make their decision.

Information from

MSNBC

editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1184897

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/25/AR2011012506232.html

Wired

wired.com/autopia/2011/01/talking-cars-are-coming-soon-to-keep-us-safe/

Strauss-Kahn denied bail in IMF sex scandal case

The head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has been denied bail when arraigned on sexual assault charges. He allegedly tried to rape a maid in his hotel room, and was detained and booked before he left on a flight to France. He is being held at Riker’s Island for the moment.

International financier sitting in Riker’s Island

The International Monetary Fund head was brought into a New York City courtroom on Monday, May 16 and arraigned on charges of sexual attack and false imprisonment, states the Guardian. This will be one of the highest profile sex scandals in years to come out. Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested on Saturday for sexual attack and false imprisonment after he was accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid at Sofitel, the Times Square hotel he had been staying at. Officers detained him as he was boarding a plane for France, according to Reuters, and he appeared before a judge on Monday. The attorneys that were prosecuting said he would be a flight risk. They said that if he had gone to France, the country would not have extradited him. He is at the Riker’s Island Correctional Facility right now after being denied bail.

Jail won’t stop International Monetary Fund from operating

The imprisonment of the IMF hasn’t changed it much. The Los Angeles Times reports that it is still running. A meeting in Brussels was occurring while Kahn was in arraignment to discuss the IMF and European Union working together to do a joint bailout package for the Portugal debt crisis. The Greece debt crisis is still ongoing, and more aid to the struggling country was also slated to be topic for discussion. The headline “the chambermaid blocks Greece!” was shown in an Athens newspaper while the austerity measures in the country that were forced already have been bad for Strauss-Kahn. During all of this, Strauss-Kahn is stuck in The Tombs holding cells waiting for his next hearing. He is near the Riker’s Island Courthouse.

Response to scandal

Dominique Strauss-Kahn is a prominent figure in the Socialist party in his native France and had been anticipated to challenge current president Nikolas Sarkozy in the coming elections. It is possible that Francois Hollande or Marine Aubry will replace him. His job at the International Monetary Fund is up for grabs, according to the Telegraph, and there are numerous people waiting in the wings to replace him. The previous English pm Gordon Brown is said to covet the job, but it is said that current P.M. David Cameron will not endorse him. Axel Weber as a former finance minister of Germany is a possibility for the job. Christine Lagarde is also in the running as the current France finance minister.

Information from

The Telegraph

telegraph.co.uk/finance/dominique-strauss-kahn/8517119/Christine-Lagarde-and-Axel-Weber-front-runners-for-Dominique-Strauss-Kahns-IMF-role.html

Los Angeles Times

latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/05/ron-paul-imf-dominique-strauss-kahn.html

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/05/16/us-strausskahn-arrest-idUSTRE74D29F20110516

Los Angeles Times

latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-euro-talks-20110517,0,2339845.story

The Guardian

guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/17/dominique-strauss-kahn-court-appearance

The Guardian

guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/15/strauss-kahn-arrest-hits-french-elections

Control of CFPB may be cut before it launches

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is set to launch in the next few months. Despite strong consumer support, three new House bills are attempting to weaken the CFPB. The House Financial Services Committee has approved these bills, but they have not yet become law.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau status

The Dodd-Frank Act started the CFPB to “promote fairness and transparency for mortgages, charge cards and other consumer financial products and services.” July, 2011 is when the bureau will start. Even with the deadline, there still isn’t a director. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau may have to wait a while for one. Until a director is nominated and confirmed, the Secretary of the Treasury is responsible for running the CFPB.

Possibilities of changing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

There have been three bills introduced in the United States House of Representatives that would make the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau weak. HR 1121, called the Responsible Consumer Financial Protection Regulations Act of 2011, would replace the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with a five-member commission. Any rules made by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could be overturned by the Department of Treasury’s Financial Stability Oversight Council with HR 1315. It is also called the Customer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Act. The last bill is HR 1667, or the Bureau of Customer Financial Protection Transfer Clarification Act. It would make it impossible for the agency to start without a director. The House must now debate all these bills. They have already gotten the Financial Services Committee approval.

What the CFPB will do

There can be changes to what the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has to do. Still, the Bureau has many responsibilities. The CFPB will be in charge of customer protection. They will monitor financial products with this in mind. Second, existing federal financial laws would be enforced with the assistance of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Customers will be able to get information from the Bureau too.

Citations

Treasury.gov

treasury.gov/initiatives/Pages/FSOC-index.aspx

WalletPop

walletpop.com/2011/05/12/5-things-the-consumer-financial-protection-bureau-will-do-for-yo/

House.gov

house.gov/