Doing Well by Doing Good: Law Firm Social Responsibility

Corporations increasingly subscribe to the principle of corporate social responsibility. CSR is based on the belief that a demonstration of concern for the environment, human rights, community development and the welfare of their employees can make a corporation more profitable. And if not more profitable, at least a better place to work – Healthcare System Law Firm.

Law firms can learn from corporate experience to create their own social responsibility programs. Such programs can help law firms to do well by doing good. They can strengthen the firm’s reputation and market position. They can help the firm identify with the culture and CSR activities of clients and potential clients. They can help lawyers and staff find more meaning in their work and improve as human beings.

In the words of the social responsibility Karma Committee at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck: Be kind. Be generous. Be concerned. Donate time. Donate effort. Donate money. Just find a cause and give. You’ll quickly discover giving is also receiving.

A panel discussion about how law firms can learn about CSR and introduce some of its elements into their own models was sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association. The program was held May 8 at Maggiano’s Little Italy in downtown Denver.

Panelists included Sarah Hogan, vice president of Barefoot PR; Bruce DeBoskey, lawyer and founder of The DeBoskey Group, which focuses on philanthropic advising; Joyce Witte, Community Investment Advisor and director of the Encana Cares Foundation, Encana Oil & Gas (USA); and Amy Venturi, director of community relations & karma at Brownstein. Moderator was Cori Plotkin, president of Barefoot PR.

At law firms, the product is the people – the lawyers and support staff who provide high quality legal services. It is an easy fit. There are many ways that this ‘product’ can contribute time, talent and treasure to socially responsible activities.

House Cleaning Tips – Mopping Floors – Should You Use a Steam Mop?

Mopping floors is such a chore. The heavy mop bucket, the wringing out the mop, the streaks, the needing to go over the floor multiple times is all such a pain. It really is a huge hassle to have to mop your floors the old fashioned way.

My cousin suggested the idea of a steam mop to me about two months ago and I said absolutely not. I love my sponge mop and my blue two gallon mop bucket. I realize now that is was just my fear of the unknown talking. But I am surely glad I made the change.

I own a cleaning service here in Oklahoma City and mopping is one of the things I do to every home. And when you have a lot of bare floor mopping can become very difficult and time consuming, that is until I found the steam mop. I would go over a floor over and over again trying to make sure it is clean. At least twice with the cleaning solution and another with clean hot water to clean up any residue left behind and to make sure there was not any streaks left. Needless to say how time consuming and back breaking that was. What changed my mind about purchasing a steam mop was the fact that I had to do a 4200 square foot house completely floored in marble. There was very little carpet. That is a ton of  floor to mop. And with a mop and bucket I would have been there all day wringing and rewetting my trusty sponge mop. As the evening went on and this started to settle into my mind I said I have to think of something fast. I ran to Wal-Mart as fast as I could and bought a Shark Steam Mop – maid service florida.

I got back home excited about the claims on the box. I ripped the box open and quickly read the instruction book. This sounds very promising I said to myself. I attached one of the two microfiber cleaning pads that came with it. I went the the kitchen and used the measuring cup they provided with the steam mop and filled up the mops tank. Plugged it in and waited the 30 seconds for the heater on the steam mop to heat up. I was so impressed with how fast it heated up. The steam started to come out the bottom and I started to mop.

The floor was so clean. That steam broke up the dirt so well. I mopped my whole kitchen floor that night and was amazed at how well the Shark Steam Mop worked. I was also shocked at how dirty my floor was when I had just mopped it 2 days earlier. The microfiber cleaning pads that came with it worked very well. They pick up the dirt and lock it into the pad. And the steam the mop emits sanitized the floor. My floor felt incredibly clean under my feet.

That steam mop made that 4200 square foot house a breeze to clean. There was no going back and forth to the mop water, carrying the heavy bucket or that back breaking back and forth motion that is involved when you mop with a mop and bucket. And no fumes or residue from any cleaners.

I will never go back to the mop and bucket except on special occasions. I love my Shark Steam Mop and give it an A+. This made house cleaning a thousand times easier.

Messe Berlin fairgrounds were built in 1936 located in Berlin- Westend fronting Haus des Rudfunks. It has decades of experience in organizing international trade fairs and conventions. In fact, Messe Berlin GmbH specializes in the organization of trade shows, congresses and exhibitions ranging from regional to international scales. It has an annual program composed of nearly 80 international trade events that take place at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, ranking it as one of the world’s top ten exhibition companies to date.

The Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA), the world’s foremost sales platform and leading CE and technology showcase and the Linux Tag which is the world’s leading exhibition in operating systems platforms, both hold their annual trade fairs at Messe Berlin. It offers its expertise and vast network of global contacts to ensure that each event is a success. It is represented in 100 countries all over the world to also accommodate its trade fairs that travel the globe to provide partners with convenience and opportunities to tap new markets.

The Messe Service Exhibition Grounds has a total display area of 160,000 square meters. It has an interlinked network of 26 fair halls where several simultaneous events can take place. The ICC Berlin, which is Europe’s largest congress center, is directly linked to the Messe Berlin Exhibition Grounds via a building to be able to provide a venue for a trade fair and congress all in one area. The ICC Berlin boasts of 80 rooms that can seat 20 to 9,100 people. It features a state of the art technical system, broadband fiber optics, CCTV’s and LCD projectors to provide the best services and facilities. In addition to this, it boasts of its 760 square meter stage, which is also one of the largest theater stages in Germany and all of Europe.

All the services, amenities and facilities needed at the exhibition grounds are made accessible. Even arriving at the grounds is made very convenient and stress free. An urban motorway that is located close to the exhibition grounds allows accessibility to Berlin’s international airports, aside from taxis, light rail and underground stations and bus stops near the fairground’s entrances. Messe Berlin has a total of 12,000 parking slots available as well. In coordination with hotels and tour operators, Messe Berlin also organizes guest arrival and accommodation in Berlin, extending complete travel packages or personalized arrangements for attendees.

Lodge Protocols and Safety

First let me say, this is intended to only be a very basic general knowledge and certainly is not all inclusive and does not apply to every tribal tradition and way of practicing the sweat lodge ceremony. It is only a brief description of protocols that from my personal experience seem to be good rules of thumb when attending any Native American ceremony. When attending a ceremony with a particular ceremonial leader of a particular tribe or group, you should consult someone who knows that leader and ceremony for information on what is expected of those attending – yalelodge.

Sweat Lodge is a ceremony that has been used by many Native American Tribes and other indigenous people for centuries. Contrary to some people’s beliefs, the sweat lodge is not just a sauna. It is a very sacred ceremony of spiritual and physical purification. The main focus is prayer. The sweat lodge is also used for many specific purposes. There are doctoring lodges, lodges to prepare people for other ceremonies and many other purposes. The sweat lodge most people are familiar with is commonly called prayer and purification sweat.

The first thing that is important to know is that every stage of the sweat lodge is part of the ceremony. The ceremony actually begins when it is determined that the ceremony will take place. Building the sacred fire, covering the lodge, and creating the altar are all part of the ceremony. Be respectful in behavior and speech during all stages of the ceremony.

Don’t attend a sweat lodge if you are under the influence of any substance. The repercussions of this are too many, too varied and sometimes too severe to discuss here. You should simply do not do it. A general rule of thumb for substance users is; have at least 4 days clean/sober and have deep sincere intention of staying clean/sober prior to attending.

What I have been taught by the Elders is that one should never take without giving something back, whether you are taking from nature, receiving the gift of other’s work, or asking from the spirits, therefore it is customary to gift a pouch of tobacco to the leader and the fire tenders. It is also good to gift them after the ceremony with goods, or a monetary donation. Value and cost are not important. If you are struggling financially and have no gifts to offer, that is okay too, but any small token of gratitude is good. It is important to know ahead of time whether a lodge leader is offended by a gift of money. By all means ask someone who knows the leader! I know of no traditional leader that will evercharge for a ceremony, however, many appreciate a gift of money while others feel that is too closely related to charging for the ceremony.

Finding Trusted Medical Marijuana Doctors

A lot of people have a problem finding a qualified and compassionate marijuana doctor. Nowadays, because of the increasing success of medical marijuana within the USA, a lot of marijuana card registration services have been opened. They claim to have all the licenses, which make their card valid in any medical marijuana dispensary of a specific state. But how do you check such statements? This is the exact issue, which keeps marijuana patients awake at night.

Nevertheless, there are modes to verify if a marijuana card enterprise is truly licensed. It could take certain efforts and time, and perhaps a slight study from the side of the patient, but in case everything is processed properly, the result will be precise. Of course, patients won’t think much about the study and stuff, probably. They would just want to obtain their medical marijuana card from a group or doctor that is properly licensed. Nobody wants to go through troubles. In such a case, the relatives of the patient can do all the things. There are lots of matters, which should be considered, and this article won’t mention all of them. However, a marijuana card is a significant document, which permits patients using marijuana legally for their medical conditions, not being prosecuted. Hence, if it is issued at a marijuana dispensary or company that lacks the license, you spent your time and money in vain –  picco sales buds reviews.

The simplest and fastest way is to ask neighbors, colleagues, relatives, and friends about marijuana card services that possess marijuana licenses, whether a medical marijuana dispensary, clinic, doctor, etc. If any of them have ever referred to marijuana services and were happy with them, the solution is evident. But what if they never referred to marijuana card facilities and have never visited a marijuana dispensary? Now, this is where all the dirty work begins.

The primary thing you should do is to contact the chosen service. Perhaps, the very first thing people are interested in is if the service supplies marijuana card recommendations over the phone. If they tell you “Yes, we actually do,” just cross it out of your list, because licensed marijuana card service would never offer over-the-phone recommendation. If you hear “no” on the other end, your research goes on.

The second matter you should inquire is the company’s license number. If it’s “no,” start researching another service. However, if you get the number, don’t forget to check it with the state registry. Now, speaking of the doctors working for a marijuana dispensary, company, etc. – their names and degrees would be perfect, because this data is enough to check that they are those, who they say they are.

Perhaps, the last of the main issue, which should be considered, is inquiring the company if it could recommend more marijuana than permitted by the regulations of your state. If you get a positive answer, just hang up, or leave the company’s facility if you visited it. If the first company you research doesn’t pass your “test,” you should repeat all the process with other researched marijuana card services.

There are lots of cheaters out in the industry and everyone wants to bite their piece. However, there are still lawful specialists in the area of marijuana card facilities. There are trusted marijuana doctors and you shouldn’t lose heart, since the better you search the faster you find one. Thus, even if you’ve experienced several failures while looking for a good specialist, you shouldn’t stop looking for one.

The Secret to Feeling Successful As a Working Mom

One of the hottest topics of the working world in our current times is the plight of the working mom. That often seemingly illusive quest to “have it all.”

Some believe it is possible, others see it simply as a pipe dream.

We watch with interest and scrutinize every comment and decision Marissa Mayer the new mom CEO of Yahoo makes. She has unwillingly become the face of the modern working mom.

Many of us hoped she would use her newfound status to become a role model in shifting how we do business. To show a model that better supports working moms to find that true life balance and feeling of success we desperately crave.

Many have been left feeling disappointed.

So we wonder. How can we possibly ever feel the success we desire when a working mom as prominent as Mayer is not leading the charge towards the working mom’s revolution in the workplace as we had hoped?

The truth is that we can.

No matter what any other working mom is doing, regardless of her position, we ourselves are the only ones who have the control over whether we feel successful as both a mom and in our work.

The biggest secret to feeling successful as a working mom no matter what your job, your business, your position, or beliefs may be about what Marissa Mayer should or should not be doing, is defining your own personal success code – Kids safe at home.

How to Define Your Own Success Code

The single most important thing we can do to feel successful is to become clear on what success means to us personally. Everyone has a different idea of what feeling successful involves.

We will never feel successful if we base our criteria for success on what others tell us it should be.

It is already clear that as a mom success can have very different meanings.

For some it is being there at all times for their kids. So they choose to become a stay-at-home mom. For others it might be the need or desire to provide income for their family. It could be the need to express themselves or be of service to others through their career while balancing taking care of their family. They become the working moms.

Other examples of how we might view success could be having family dinners, picking our children up from school, travel, security in our finances, doing work we love, owning our own business, a flexible schedule. Each of our lists will be unique.

Whatever our lifestyle choice as moms we are all faced with the challenge of how do we feel successful.

As moms whether we work or not there is pressure that can come from many different sources on what we “should” do or be like to be successful.

Our friends, our family, our workplace, society in general and even our children will have their own opinion on what success is.

We must make sure through all the opinions and noise coming at us that we become clear on our own unique success code.

Here are 3 tips on how to get to the heart of and develop your own success code and start to feel great about your life.

Quitting Marijuana And Why Weed Is Not So Innocent

Marijuana use has traditionally been considered to be a gateway drug. It has also been viewed as less harmful and more innocent than other illicit drugs such as heroin or cocaine. As of late, there has been a lot of publicity about marijuana becoming legalized, which makes it seem even safer. The truth is that marijuana is a mind altering drug on the very simplest level.

THC potency has been increasing in marijuana for a few decades now. Along with a higher potency come greater risks. Today, marijuana contains more THC than ever before. Consider this and then factor in that marijuana also contains more than 400 additional chemicals. THC is absorbed into the fatty tissues of the body and can be detected long after it is used depending on how often it is used. Knowing all of this, how can marijuana be labeled as safe?

The short term effects of using marijuana will compromise the memory, the ability to learn, and lessen problem-solving skills. Smoking marijuana increases the heart rate, it increases the appetite, it causes dry mouth, it can cause paranoia and anxiety, and it causes respiratory problems, weakens the immune system, and can cause cancer.

Once marijuana is smoked it goes directly to the lungs and then to the bloodstream, then to the brain and other organs. THC distorts the brain’s receptors, particularly the cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are responsible for a person’s concentration, pleasure, memory, coordination, and perception of time. This means that people who partake in marijuana use often are likely not functioning at their highest intelligence because it does affect brain function.

Marijuana does have the potential to be addictive and people continue to abuse marijuana even though they know it is harmful. Research states that the younger the marijuana user the more likely they are to develop an addiction; in fact the number is double. Also, the longer a person abuses marijuana and the more they use will determine the withdrawal they will endure upon quitting – online dispensary shipping usa.

When marijuana users try to quit it is very likely that they will suffer from a loss of appetite, insomnia, irritability, and anxiety. There is also an imminent need for more of the drug which is the cause of many unsuccessful attempts at quitting. These symptoms of withdrawal usually appear on day one of abstaining. They can last up to two weeks.

Marijuana also rears its head when linked to studies about mental health. These studies indicate that marijuana can be associated with depression, anxiety and even schizophrenia. Further, it is also suggested that the association is even greater when coupled with certain genetic or environmental factors.

Because marijuana accelerates the heart rate it is also possible that the chances of having a heart attack are much higher with individuals that have irregular heartbeats, arrhythmias, or palpitations. These studies do not stop with the damage that smoking marijuana can do to the heart. The lungs are vulnerable too. Marijuana smoke contains carcinogens that can be very harmful to the lungs. Truthfully, marijuana smoke has about 70% more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than cigarettes do.

Marijuana Use Ups the Risk of Abusing More Potent Drugs

For Michael Murtaugh, who spent his adolescence consuming drugs, running has provided a new lease of life. According to him, “running is still legal in all the 50 states of America,” which is not the case as far as smoking pot is concerned. In fact, the latter has the nation divided.

Furthermore, the pursuance of a “runner’s high” hardly costs anything, while indulgence in substance abuse could invariably lead to job loss, incarceration, ill health, or in some cases even death. There is no such risk involved when one gets a natural “endorphin rush” from a run.

Michael’s story is no different from the countless other victims of “pot” and “alcohol.” Many like him experiment with drugs and other substances to mask the pain of a childhood abuse. Some may inadvertently get into drug abuse due to the early exposure to drugs by family members, friends, etc.

With the legalization of recreational pot use, serious concerns have been raised over the impact of such a significant change over adolescents. The change will not only lower the perception of risk of marijuana among youngsters, but also encourage them to indulge in marijuana abuse. In the light of such a landmark shift in the domain of substance abuse, it is time to reflect upon the repercussions on adolescents.

Adolescence and substance abuse

Adolescence and substance abuse are often closely linked, which increases the likelihood of developing lasting changes in the neural pathways of the brain. That could exacerbate the habit, leading to a deadly addiction. Considering such a close relationship, any kind of leeway has the potential to increase the rate of substance abuse and developing mental disorders – thc vape juice for sale.

As marijuana is a gateway drug, the probability that its prolonged use leading to experimenting with hard stuff, such as heroin and meth, is quite high. This has been corroborated by the ordeal of Michael, who started smoking pot at a relatively young age of 11 and eventually took to drinking alcohol and doing harder stuff, such as cocaine and meth. At 45, a drug weary Michael realized that he needed a new lease of life, one that would not make him a prisoner of drugs. Thereafter, it has been a long and arduous journey toward reform and sobriety.

With increasing public support for marijuana laws more than before, it has become essential to discuss the social and health-related consequences. The increased social acceptance can become a driving force behind the rise in substance abuse and drug-impaired driving. Of all, the tendency to experiment with harder drugs can pose a major problem for youngsters.

Teens don’t consider pot risky

With the use of recreational marijuana or pot becoming legal in eight states in the U.S. and in the District of Columbia, the possibility of teens advertently or inadvertently using the drug is quite high. Michael’s case is not an isolated incident, there are many children in America who are increasingly getting hooked on the drug because they see many adults around them smoking “pot.” What is even more alarming is the fact that many adolescents do not consider the practice of smoking marijuana or pot to be harmful for their health.

As per the recently released statistics, there was a decrease in the number of 12- to 17-year-olds who believed that smoking marijuana once a month or one to two times constituted a “great risk.” One of the greatest dangers of marijuana use comes from the psychoactive agent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is present in higher concentrations than in the past.

Pot use is associated with abnormal brain development and is believed to impair memory, concentration and executive functioning skills. The prolonged use can spiral into a full-fledged addiction in future. Therefore, new recommendations advocating the screening of adolescents and preteens for marijuana use plays a crucial role in determining whether those kids would benefit from interventions or not. It is also imperative that parents set standards (by avoiding smoking or vaping marijuana or doing any sort of drugs in the child’s presence).

Why Invest in Silver Rather Than Gold?

The main difference between gold and silver is that gold is held by almost any country as a stabilization device for their currency. Therefore, gold has a special status; governments tend to keep the gold price stable or influence it by holding or selling deposits. Furthermore, gold is treated differently for taxation, being tax free in many countries. In the case of silver in some places the buyer has to pay taxes when purchasing silver – an amount that will be lost when selling. This has to be considered in profit calculations.

As gold is a good and reliable form of investment, and there is still a huge price difference between gold and silver, it could be questionable if silver really could become an efficient investment to return profit. Only one kilo of gold today is worth as much as about 50 kilos of silver.

The key is in how much silver and gold will be available in the future, and therefore if increasing silver and gold prices could retain the same relationship as today – silver stack up.

The main difference compared to gold is that silver is used every day in many areas, from batteries to space shuttles, from pharmaceutics and medicine to solar panels and simple electrical switches, a huge number of products in our every day’s life need and use silver. Also, there is a very little silver left in deposits and natural sources.

In contrast, gold is hardly used for industrial purposes. National banks still hold large amounts of gold in order to control worldwide gold trade and gold pricing. In the case of silver, western governments have reduced their deposits so far, they won’t be able to have a major influence on price stability or development. During coming years, silver prices will mainly depend on the market laws of supply and demand. As we have seen, demand is increasing with the growing need of high-end electronics and industrial products which contain silver and supply is reducing.

Since the year 2004, worldwide silver demand is increasing, re-flected in increasing silver prices. Silver charts of the last 10 years are showing a price progression from less than $6 to about $17, with peaks at about $21 in February 2008.

What factors determine the value of any good? Mainly, value is given by supply – the availability of a good – and demand. The more industrial branches need a raw material, the more precious it becomes as the amount of the available commodity gets smaller.

Gold is used in very few industrial products. The largest amount of gold is deposited in banks or bought as luxury items. Silver, on the other hand, is needed to guarantee our life standard and will become even more important in the near future. Silver mines will probably be exhausted within the next 15 to 20 years, so no new silver will be brought into circulation. For the first time in history, silver production in mines is decreasing – in a time of highest economic demand.

So why is gold still 50 times more expensive than silver? The real ratio of available gold to silver is about 1:3 or even 1:5 – so actually, silver price should be 3 to 5 times higher than gold prices.
It isn’t… right now.

Is Legal Marijuana Bigger Than The Internet of Things?

The greatest innovation in history –

Nothing on Earth today (and I mean nothing at all), not smartphones, automotives, aerospace, real estate, gold, oil, software, biotechnology, nothing… is growing as much or as fast as the market for legal marijuana – pound of kush.

Consider this: By 2020, the market for legal marijuana will top $22.8 billion (not million, but billion with a B).The legal market for cannabis “could be bigger than the National Football League, which saw $12 billion of revenue in 2015. Between 2016 and 2029, the projected growth of marijuana is expected to reach $100 billion – 1,308% growth.

Estimates place the number of some time marijuana users in the neighborhood of 50 million people. As many as 7.6 million indulge on a daily basis. Out of the 83.3 million milllennials, fully 68%of them want cannabis to be legal and available. Once legalization takes hold everywhere, dozens of already established firms – in the tobacco industry… in agriculture and irrigation… in pharmacueticals – are going to want to jump in without hesitation. And if you want more proof that marijuana is going mainstream, consider this…

On Nov 8th, tens of millions of Americans in nine states headed to the polls and voted on the future of marijuana. California, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. And voters in Arkansas, Florida, North Dakota and Montana passed ballot initiatives legalizing medical marijuana. Only Arizona, where recreational cannabis was up for a vote, decided against legalization. Together, these states (excluding Arizona) represent a total population of 75 million people. That means one in five Americans – 20% of us – woke up on Aug 9th finding themselves in a state where medical and/or recreational marijuana is legal for adults 21 and over.

Even Hollywood celebrities are getting into the act. Many folks already know about the weed-related business activities of Snoop Dog, country music legend Willie Nelson and actor and comedian Tommy Chong. Fewer know that Grammy Award winning singer Melissa Etheridge is developing her own line of cannabis-infused wine and TV talk show host Whoopi Goldberg is launching a line of medical marijuana products aimed at women. And people listen to Hollywood icons. Nothing is more mainstream than the TV sitcom.

On July 13th in 2016, Variety revealed that Netflix is planning to air a sitcom set inside a legal pot dispensary. Called DisJointed, the show is the brainchild of TV genius Chuck Lorre, creator of such mainstream blockbusters as The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men. A recent poll by Quinnipiac University found that 89 percent of voters in the United States believe that adults should be allowed legal access to medical marijuana when a doctor prescribes it. And the U.S.A. is not the only country poised to loosen the reins on marijuana. Israel, Canada, Spain, Mexico, Australia, Uruguay, Jamaica, Germany and Columbia have either legalized or decriminalized possession.

Since 1972, marijuana has been classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. Schedule 1 drugs are those considered to lack medical use and present a high potential for abuse. As a Schedule 1 drug, marijuana gets grouped alongside heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. But in the face of mounting pressure from the doctors, medical researchers, state governments and Congress, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) have come under pressure to downgrade marijuana to a Schedule II drug, or maybe even a Schedule III.

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started