Gulf Residents, Businesses Entangled In Bitter Legal Battle

Over the course of three months, the BP Macondo well gushed an estimated 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. One year since the explosion, hundreds of Gulf residents and business owners are still embroiled in a complex legal battle with BP and other companies involved. Host Michel Martin discusses the legal aftermath of the oil spill with Steve Korris, a reporter for The Louisiana Record.

Copyright ? 2011 National Public Radio?. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

MICHEL MARTIN, host:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News.

Later, a new biography of Malcolm X has caused sharp divisions amongst the scholars who follow the activist's life and career. Now we hear from one of Malcolm's daughters in a few minutes. It's clearly an emotional subject for her, as well. We'll have that conversation coming up.

But first we want to talk for a few more minutes about some of the complicated legal issues that Sherry Anderson, the widow of one of the oil workers killed in the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig raised, along with her attorney. So we've called Steve Korris. He is a reporter for the Louisiana Record. That is a journal that publishes public notices and covers legal issues in the state and he's with us now from St. Louis. Welcome, Steve, thanks for joining us.

Mr. STEVE KORRIS (Reporter, Louisiana Record): Thank you.

MARTIN: So I want to start with the first thing that Shelly Anderson and her attorney raised, that is probably puzzling to people, which is that she is being sued by Transocean, the company that owned the Deepwater Horizon rig. Is she the only one? And why would that be?

Mr. KORRIS: No, Transocean has to serve this petition on everyone that might have a claim against it. And in the sense of being sued, it doesn't mean Transocean is looking for damages from her. It just means that they had to file a petition to limit their liability. And then let everyone know that they had filed it. And so when Mrs. Anderson got that petition, in a sense, yes, she was being sued. But they still recognized that they have a liability to her.

MARTIN: They're notifying her that they are exercising their rights under the law. If you could explain that.

Mr. KORRIS: But it's a very, very old law from 1851. The Limitation of Liability Act says that a vessel cannot have more liability than the value of the vessel itself and a judge in Texas ruled months ago that the value of the vessel was about $26 million. And if they are successful, then that is the absolute limit on what they will have to pay.

MARTIN: So she still could potentially recover some damages?

Mr. KORRIS: She could. Plus, there are so many other defendants in the case that she could recover from any or all of them.

MARTIN: Do you have an understanding of what it is that Mrs. Anderson is so upset about? As my understanding is, she's upset because she seems to fear that she will not recover anything or will not have enough money to raise her children.

Mr. KORRIS: Well, I heard her lawyer say that Transocean wanted to tie them up forever, to make her give up and go away and yet, actually, this limitation business is the first item on the agenda of Judge Carl Barbier down in New Orleans, who's responsible for all of this litigation. He has to figure out how and whether to apply that old law before he can do anything else. So there will be a trial in February strictly on this question of limitation and this very old law.

MARTIN: What is the scope of litigation going on at this point?

Mr. KORRIS: Judge Barbier has been assigned all the cases involving wrongful death and economic loss. And he has split those up into three or four different kinds of groups that he will manage according to different rules.

MARTIN: So there's a lot of litigation in this?

Mr. KORRIS: An unbelievable amount. There are 2,000 docket entries in 8 months, which means that about 12 times a day someone comes into his court with a stack of papers to file.

MARTIN: What is the relationship between this litigation that's going on and the claims fund that Kenneth Feinberg, the Washington attorney, who played a similar role in the 9/11 claims fund was appointed by the administration to oversee this claims fund that BP has contributed to?

Mr. KORRIS: Right.

MARTIN: How does this litigation relate to that claims fund?

Mr. KORRIS: Well, that's slowly evolving and there is some tension at this moment between Judge Barbier's court and the Gulf Coast claims facility. The Gulf Coast claims facility is strictly BP. They are what is called the responsible party.

So, the Gulf Coast claims facility has made some lawyers and clients very happy. And Mrs. Anderson praised Feinberg. But other lawyers and attorney generals of states are extremely critical of Feinberg and his facility. One of the sad things here, to me, is that this gigantic litigation dwarfs everything within it. And the wrongful death suits are mixed in with hundreds of others now. And in order to have these gigantic multidistrict lawsuits, the judge had to pick a small group of attorneys to run everything.

MARTIN: So the scope of the disaster is such that a lot of individual people's stories are getting lost.

Mr. KORRIS: Absolutely.

MARTIN: Steve Korris is a reporter for the Louisiana Record. That's a journal that covers the legal system and legal issues in Louisiana. He was kind enough to join us on the phone from his home office in St. Louis. Steve Korris, thanks so much for joining us.

Mr. KORRIS: Thank you.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NprTopicsInterviews/~3/zAwO2zTEGYA/gulf-residents-businesses-entangled-in-bitter-legal-battle

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Panabee.com can Help You to Get Cheap and Easy Domains | Views to ...

Panabee.com can Help You to Get Cheap and Easy Domains,?Panabee is a simple, useful tool for finding great domain names. In an increasingly crowded Internet ? and a crowded general marketplace where one?s company name and URL are often one and the same ? this seemingly simple task poses more problems for entrepreneurs and SMBs than one might imagine.

Some registrars such as GoDaddy will suggest new domain names if the one you want isn?t available, but you have to admit, a .biz or .info top-level domain (TLD) isn?t the best choice for any business or personal URL.

Panabee, on the other hand, will show you quite a few interesting variations around your preferred URL or keyword. Better still, it can show you the URLs of your competitors for that keyword.

For example, a Twitter friend recently?said he wanted to ?be the CEO of something about goats.? So we plugged ?goats? into Panabee. Not only did we see that great URLs such as OGoats.com, LeGoats.com, NuGoats.com, and even Goatsly.com and Goats.ly (which are dangerously close to the name of a certain distasteful Internet meme) were available, we also saw that our would-be CEO had some competitors already buying domains such as TheGoats.com, Goatz.com, MyGoats.com, iGoats.com, Goats.io and GetGoats.com.

Leaving aside any questions over why so many goat-themed URLs are taken, Panabee did a great job of quickly and succinctly showing us the Internet landscape of keyword-relevant URLs with both the traditional .com TLD and a wide range of trendy or at least plausible alternate TLDs.

Panabee can also show users related terms, web search results and social media postings containing the given keyword or keywords, just to give you a little extra inspiration.

If you take the more common startup keyword ? ?social,? for example ? you might have a difficult time finding any URLs containing that word. Panabee, however, shows us that Social.us is available. So are Sociality.me and Socialitsu.com, as seen via the related terms.

Once you find the perfect domain name, Panabee can direct you to GoDaddy for a sweet discount ? users pay $7.49 for .com and other domains.

Source: http://viewstonews.com/index.php/panabee-com-can-help-you-to-get-cheap-and-easy-domains/technology

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Exclusive Vera Wang Wedding Dresses - Relationships - Weddings ...

If your taste in wedding dresses is designer then you?ve got to do it the Vera Wang way. For that matter, you could get any designer to tailor your wedding dresses but it can be safely said that, none of that would ever match up to the quality, class and elegance of Vera Wang Wedding Dresses. To say a little bit about her, Vera Wang?s inspiration came from the lack of it. When she got married in 1989, the truly fashion conscious Wang realized, that the fashion drift at that time was shallow and hardly allowed divisions between the traditional and the futuristic style of wedding dresses. The thought crystallized into a business plan, and two years later she launched her line of wedding dresses. Before long, her work was being highly sought after and she had clients from all over the world and from all walks of life. A research on her clientele from Hollywood alone can leave many others designers of her genre, gaping. Her forte is to blend traditional and vintage styles with contemporary art. This paves the way for a smooth transition between yesterday and tomorrow and what we have then, is an impeccably crafted piece of art-A Vera Wang Wedding dress. No matter what the design and the fabric, sensuality is a key feature of her line of wedding dresses. She doesn?t believe in making a bride look like a bloated white something. Comfort, style and lush - all fused into one wedding dress. Now, that is definitely worth an investment.Its typically Vera Wang to work on fabrics such as sheer mesh, silk, satin, chiffon and the likes. All of this lends even more sophistication to the design and the fit. Only recently she has started to include beads and lace but let the usual admirer be rest assured that, irrespective of additions and subtractions, the Vera Wang Wedding Dresses will retain their ageless appeal. Unlike most other designers, the Vera Wang wedding collection is not just exorbitantly expensive and even if it is, it?s absolutely worth it. However, if you are someone who wants to have your cake and eat it too, you can always get a bridesmaid dress or a second hand Vera Wang wedding dress that could fit within a budget of $1000.It?s going to be your wedding day and you have every right to look like that perfect princess for the prince that you?ve found. Remember to let the happiness show through while one of the Vera Wang Wedding dresses does the talking.Simple visit http://www.cogito-equal.org/Wedding-Dresses/Vera-Wang-Wedding-Dresses/ if you want to get more information about Vera Wang Wedding Dresses.

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I Just Wanna Sit Here And Read!: Book Review: Infinite Days by ...

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (August 3, 2010)
Paperback: 310 Pages
Series: Vampire Queen # 1
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rebbeca Maizel's Blog | Website
Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren?t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm?


Review by Jessica
INFINITE DAYS, by Rebecca Maizel is everything a good vampire story should be, with rivalries, adventure, love, danger, and action! In a world where vampires don't burn in the sun, Maizel has brought back the age old traditions of vampires and she did an outstanding job.

I absolutely LOVED the concept of this novel! Lenah wants to be a human again, after centuries of being a vampire queen. She gets her wish soon enough, and she has to adapt to a new century, in a new place. Tragedy slams her as soon as she awakens from her century long slumber, and she has no one to introduce her to this new world. I loved that Lenah's transition was not easy and Maizel really captured Lenah's emotions and reactions to her new world.

I really liked that Lenah wasn't this helpless human girl that falls in love with the vampire guy! That made the story so unique to me with what the vampire world has turned into, frilly vampires and helpless teenage girls. Lenah is strong in every way and on top of it she has a big heart!

When her old vampire coven comes looking for her when they don't find her asleep in her tomb and thats when things REALLY pick up! Vengeful vampires?! Yes! Lenah will do anything to protect her newfound love and best friend, but also worries, she is no longer a vampire and she must find other ways to protect the ones she loves.

I didn't think there was a dull moment in this book. It is absolutely breathtaking and I am counting the days until the next one comes out!

Source: http://www.sithereandread.com/2011/04/book-review-infinite-days-by-rebecca.html

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Paul Allen Dishes the Gossip on Bill Gates (and His Yacht) on 60 Minutes [Microsoft]

Yesterday, a new book on Bill Gates and Microsoft hit store shelves—Idea Man. Only this one has been penned by Microsoft co-creator Paul Allen, who appeared on 60 Minutes to talk about the early days of Microsoft; the computers they were writing software on, and just what went wrong along the way between the two co-creators. More »


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Alzheimer's Disease Gets Redefined, But Changes Mean Little For Patients

A woman with Alzheimer's disease walks in a corridor at a retirement house in Angervilliers, France, last month.
Enlarge Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images

A woman with Alzheimer's disease walks in a corridor at a retirement house in Angervilliers, France, last month.

Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images

A woman with Alzheimer's disease walks in a corridor at a retirement house in Angervilliers, France, last month.

The definition of Alzheimer's disease just got wider and deeper, but the expansion won't change how the vast majority of people are diagnosed. It also doesn't change the very limited treatment choices.

But the new criteria, which were developed by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association, are almost guaranteed to prompt confusion, even in people who are thinking quite clearly.

?

For research, there's a lot of value. For everyday clinical use, very very little.

The guidelines say, for instance, that newly developed "biomarker" tests, such as assays for proteins in spinal fluid, and some specialized brain scans can be used for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's. But, the guidelines say, the tests are to be used only for research, and not for diagnosing Alzheimer's in the general public.

The distinction is nothing to worry about for patients and their families. "You don't need a biomarker test" for everyday clinical practice, says David Knopman, a professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic, who was co-chairman of the group that revised the dementia diagnosis. The existing tests for Alzheimer's are adequate, he says. And those biomarkers? "It's in the fine print, but it definitely says in multiple places that the biomarkers are for research purposes."

Why? Well, the biomarker tests and PET scans aren't yet accurate enough to reliably diagnose Alzheimer's, and haven't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. And it's also because there are no treatments that can prevent, slow, or stop early signs of Alzheimer's.

"For research, there's a lot of value," Knopman says. "For everyday clinical use, very very little."

About 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's. The hallmark signs are problems with thinking, learning, and memory. The current definition, created in 1984, describes Alzheimer's that way. But over the past few years there's been solid evidence that Alzheimer's starts damaging the brain years before a person starts having noticeable problems thinking. Scientists have been putting a lot of effort into trying to identify what starts the disease process, but have so far come up empty.

The new definitions, which were just published online by the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, acknowledge this dimly-understood early phase of Alzheimer's. Now there are two new pre-dementia phases: Mild cognitive impairment, and "preclinical Alzheimer's."

In mild cognitive impairment, a person's changes in thinking are noticeable to himself, friends, or family. They would show up on tests of memory and recall, but don't interfere with everyday activities. Alzheimer's is just one possible cause. Because there are no treatments to prevent or stop Alzheimer's, many people may not consider this diagnosis a blessing.

The second new phase, preclinical Alzheimer's, is much squishier. There's no list of symptoms that a doctor can whip out to say you've got it. Rather, the goal in creating this category is to see if scientists can define when the disease starts, and track it through biomarker tests, brain imaging, or other yet-to-be-invented tests. If that happens, it might someday lead to ways to prevent Alzheimer's. But for now this category is useful only to researchers.

The goal in all this, according to the Alzheimer's Association, is to increase opportunities for earlier diagnosis and treatment. The problem is that there aren't yet any reliable tools for earlier diagnosis and treatment. The new criteria are really a call for more research ? and the money to fund it. That would be good for the Alzheimer's Association and the National Institute on Aging, which sponsored the work on the new criteria.

And it does leave one wondering if a lot more worry will be generated by the notion of "preclinical Alzheimer's," when science and medicine can't offer anything to ease those fears.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/04/19/135547952/alzheimers-disease-gets-redefined-but-changes-mean-little-for-patients?ft=1&f=1001

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Exercises To Do At Home? | Best Weight Loss and Health Fitness ...

Exercises To Do At Home?

I want to lose some weight but it?s really cold and miserable outside so I can?t go for a run or anything and I have no money so I can?t go to the gym. What are some good exercises I can do at home for free?

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You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.fitnessexercisetips.org/fitness-exercise/exercises-to-do-at-home.html

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Dating Site Match.com Will Now Check Users Against Sex Offender Database

The popular dating site Match.com said that in the next three months, it will begin checking users against sex offender databases. The AP reports:

Mandy Ginsberg, president of the popular singles site, told The Associated Press in an email that the company had considered such screenings for years, but "their historical unreliability has always led us to conclude against it."

Ginsberg said after talking to providers and advisers the last few days, company officials decided to make a change.

"We've been advised that a combination of improved technology and an improved database now enables a sufficient degree of accuracy to move forward with this initiative, despite its continued imperfection."

match.com
Enlarge AFP/AFP/Getty Images

match.com

AFP/AFP/Getty Images

match.com

The change comes a week after a California woman filed a lawsuit against the site. The woman claims she was attacked by a man she met on the site. She says the first date went fine and the man seemed charming, but on the second date she alleges the man forced her to have sex with him.

The woman's lawyer told The Los Angeles Times that Match.com's policy change comes as a result of the suit. Mark L. Webb said the man who allegedly attacked his client had been convicted of sexual battery:

Webb, who represents the woman identified in the lawsuit only as "Jane Doe," told The Times last week that he would ask a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge for a temporary injunction barring the site from signing up more members until a screening process was implemented to determine if they were sexual predators.

"They are a very powerful and successful online dating service, and they have the means to do this," Webb said.

A check like the one match.com is implementing, said Webb could have prevented his client's attack.

Ginsberg told the AP that the system match.com plans to put in place is still imperfect.

"We want to stress that while these checks may help in certain instances, they remain highly flawed, and it is critical that this effort does not provide a false sense of security to our members," she said, adding that members should always plan for a first-meeting to be in public and should tell a friend where they'll be.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/04/18/135514625/dating-site-match-com-will-now-check-users-against-sex-offender-database?ft=1&f=1019

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