Friday, March 30, 2007

Thinking of getting divorced are we?










Simon Taub poses for a photo at his home in the Brooklyn borough of New York in this January 16, 2007 picture. Feuding spouses Simon and his wife Chauna built a wall through their three-story row house because neither would give it up.
Jurors on March 28, 2007 shot down the "cruel and inhuman treatment"Ms Taub cited as grounds for divorcing her husband after more than 20 years of marriage and four children. The case has been dubbed Brooklyn's "War of the Roses," after the 1989 movie starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.









Chana looks at a drywall partition she and her ex built through the middle of their home.
KEEP FIGHTING - YOU CAN'T SPLIT
Wall Built To Separate N.Y. Couple Because Of Dated Divorce Law
By Nahal Toosi

NEW YOK - Chana and Simon Taub can't stand each other.

He claims she is a gold-digging liar. She claims he abused her. Things got so nasty during their divorce case that a court-ordered wall was put up in the feuding spouses' Brooklyn house to keep them apart.

It would seem like an open-and-shut divorce case, with no shortage of reasons to justify ending the marriage once and for all. But it is never that easy in New York, where you can get just about anything except a fast, blameless divorce.

New York is the only state that won't allow the speedy dissolution of a marriage without proof that one spouse is somehow at fault, experts say. Adultery is sufficient grounds, but irreconcilable differences are not. "He beats me" (with proof) works, but "We grew apart" doesn't cut it.

The system has been ridiculed as hopelessly outdated, and sometimes results in endless litigation and spouses leaving the state to evade the law. This week, in what some see as more proof of the law's absurdity, a jury denied the Taubs a divorce.

Under New York divorce law, couples can split up without either spouse being assigned blame, but only if they first sign a division-of-property agreement and live apart for a year. Couples who want to end a marriage more quickly than that have been known to lie, move or tarnish their own reputations.
If the desire for a divorce is mutual, but neither side wants to wait a year, one common ruse is to have one take the blame. A popular ground is "constructive abandonment," in which one spouse alleges the other won't have sex. The other spouse agrees not to contest the allegation.
Another approach is what divorce lawyer Bernard Clair calls "watered-down cruel and inhuman treatment."
The plaintiff, (the wife, let's say) can claim, "He told me he didn't love me anymore, that he wanted his freedom, that he had made a mistake from the beginning." The husband neither admits nor denies the charge.
The moving option often comes into play when the desire to divorce is not mutual. But it doesn't always work.
During his nearly decade-long attempt to get a divorce, Charles Rudick moved to Vermont for 18 months. But his divorce there was denied after the state determined he wasn't really committed to living in Vermont.
Rudick, now 64, said he wanted out of his marriage because he and his wife had grown apart and he was in love with another woman. Eventually, the two came to terms. The divorce was granted on the grounds that he abandoned her.
"It's just ridiculous that we're so backward and antiquated in this state," said Rudick.
No-fault divorce laws became popular beginning in the 1960s, but efforts to introduce such a system in New York have long failed. The main reason, observers say, is the lobbying strength of the Roman Catholic Church and the state chapter of the National Organization for Women.
To Catholic leaders, marriage is a sacred contract that should not be ended on a whim. The women's organization views a no-fault system as biased against women.
"The moneyed spouse, with no-fault, can literally hide the assets, take off, get married before the wife even knows what hit her," said Marcia Pappas, head of the state chapter of NOW.
A fault system gives the woman a bargaining chip, Pappas said. For example, she can deny her husband a divorce until she is happy with her share of the property.
Irwin Rosenthal, lawyer for Chana Taub who was denied a divorce Wednesday, said the current system wastes a lot of judicial time.
"If two people don't want to be married, why try the case?"
The New York City bar supports a no-fault divorce law, as does the state's chief judge, and the state Women's Bar Association backed the idea in 2004 after long opposing it. But there is no sign the law is about to be changed.
- Associated Press

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Guilty - Not Guilty? Deal - No Deal?















He's going to get you Conrad!







Lead Prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald
Tansi/Good Day Folks:

We're running an unscientific, informal completely unbiased poll. Today's question:

Conrad Black:

Guilty as hell?

or

Not Guilty pure as the freshly driven snow!

Send your vote and any comments you may have to pieuk@shaw.ca. We'll keep you updated.

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk

Saturday, March 17, 2007

The price of gas!

Tansi/Good Day Folks:

Sorry for the long delay in postings but have been pre-occupied with a couple large, fascinating, leading edge studies the results of which will eventually be rolled out (2008) for Manitobans to read.

Have received an identical e-mail presentation (both containing multiple distribution lists) from two different sources. Many of the names shown appear to be Metis although we have no way of knowing if the concept originated in Manitoba or elsewhere. It calls upon consumers to protest high profits being realized by the oil industry citing in particular Imperial Oil and Shell. By way of background:

ESSO Reported Record Profit As Gasoline Hit $1 A Litre

"Imperial Oil also announced record high profits for all of 2005 - $2.6 billion or $7.59 per share easily surpassing the previous record in 2004 of $2.1 billion or $5.74 a share."

Excerpt from:
www.cbc.ca (February 2, 2006)

Note: Imperial Oil is Canada's largest oil company. It's majority shareholder is the Exxon Mobile Corporation which has a 69.8% ownership position.








Shell Reports Record UK Profits

"Soaring oil prices in 2005 have helped Royal Dutch Shell report a record annual profit for a UK listed company. The Anglo-Dutch energy giant generated profits of $22.94 billion (13.12 billion British pounds) - up nearly a third on last year when it set a UK record with profits of $17.59 billion."

Excerpt from:
www.news.bbc.com.uk (February 2, 2006)









Perhaps someone can answer this. When our conventional reserves are added to Alberta's oil sands recoverable potential the numbers measure in the trillions of barrels second only to Saudi Arabia. So why do we pay such high gasoline prices in Canada?

According to www.wikipedia.org ESSO stands for SO or Standard Oil from which Imperial Oil originated. It's currently trading at about $40 a share on the TSX (Toronto Stock Exchange) while Shell is around $45.

Here it is.

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
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The Price Of Gas - 99.9 cents per litre!

Hello everyone,

We hear the price of gas will climb to approximately $1.42 per litre by this summer. Do you want the cost to go down? IT IS POSSIBLE!

However, we must act NOW and wisely! Last year, a few suggestions were made for instance, "Do not buy gas on certain days!" The companies had a good laugh as they knew if it were not purchased on Monday it would be bought on Tuesday. At best it was an inconvenience for them but not a problem. Someone thought of a plan that can work IF WE REALLY WANT IT! Read the following, join us and help implement the strategy!

Gas now sells for 99.9 cents per litre for unleaded as an average for Canada. In some areas the price is even higher. We all know we're "being taken for a ride" by the companies. Remember when they raised the cost to over $1.00 arguing product would be in short supply. There is more now then 35 years ago when it was 29 cents. They want us to believe it's cheap at 89 or 99 cents. THINK ABOUT IT!

If the major oil companies do not sell enough gas they will inevitably begin to lower their prices and this will trigger a PRICE WAR! To have the desired impact we must reach millions of ESSO and SHELL consumers. THIS IS HOW WE PROCEED!


I am sending the e-mail to approximately 30 people. If everyone sends it to 10 others we will have already contacted 300 individuals. Assuming they, in turn, do the same potentially MILLIONS will have read it in no time and WE CAN START A WAR - A PRICE WAR! Do you really believe ESSO and SHELL will have any other option but to reduce costs. It is absolutely NECESSARY to continue purchasing our gasoline ELSEWHERE and do so until we reach the objective.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO YOUR NETWORK OF FRIENDS. CAN WE COUNT ON YOU?

Monday, March 05, 2007

Metis National Council?

Tansi/Good Day Folks:

Anyone know:

(1) When the MNC last met?

(2) Are their meeting minutes made available to the MMF?

(3) Does the Federation leadership, in turn, share them with its membership?

We're doing some research - going to write a tell all book!

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk

Friday, March 02, 2007

For the record!


Manitoba Government
NEWS RELEASE
_______________________________________________________
Information Services 29 Legislative Building Winnipeg R3C 0V8
Telephone: (204) 945-3746
Fax: (204) 945-3988

November 07, 2001

BOSTROM APPOINTED ACTING DEPUTY MINISTER OF ABORIGINAL AND NORTHERN AFFAIRS

Premier Gary Doer announced today that long-time civil servant Harvey Bostrom has been appointed Acting Deputy Minister of Aboriginal And Northern Affairs. The appointment is effective immediately.

Bostrom replaces Oliver Boulette who has chosen to pursue opportunities outside the provincial government.

"I would like to thank Mr. Boulette for his record of service to the province and the people of Manitoba and wish him the best in his future pursuits," said Doer.

Bostrom has led the Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat (formerly the Native Affairs Secretariat) as its Director since 1990 and was the former MLA for Rupertsland and a former Minister of Renewable Resources and Minister of Co-operative Development.
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P.S. Unfortunately, we were unable to find Mr. Boulette's picture on the internet. If anyone would like to send us a recent photograph we'll post it.
Oliver, do the right thing please immediately call Derryl at 283-4575 to tell him everything you know - not to worry, your anonymity will be guaranteed!