by Gail S. Bernstein, Ph.D.
When Diana sat down with her friends at their college reunion, she heard all about their careers. One was a lawyer, one owned a business, one was a computer systems analyst. Diana left feeling frustrated and disillusioned. She chose to be a probation officer so she could help people. However, the problems she faces are overwhelming, and the rewards are few and far between.
If you work in one of the human services, you probably want to help people. That's a good reason for choosing the work you do, but it's not very specific. It's important to know what makes you want to come to work every day, especially for people in human services. We often get mixed messages from the world at large about the worth of what we do. Most of us have been told, "That must be so rewarding," or "you must have so much patience." Those comments usually mean "I don't understand why you want to work so hard for so little money," or "It must be so awful to spend your days with people who are down and out."
People who work as helpers need to be able to identify the nonmonetary rewards they get from their work. That's important because monetary rewards will always be in short supply. However, sometimes people in human services feel guilty about wanting to get self-satisfaction from their work.
Those guilty feelings are unfortunate because there's nothing wrong with wanting to like the work you do. There are many different ways to help, and some people are not equally well-suited for all of them. It makes sense to look for work that is both satisfying personally and helpful to others.
Every career has both advantages and disadvantages. Some of what you do will be rewarding, and some will be unpleasant. Each of us is unique in terms of what we find rewarding and how much reinforcement we need to feel self-satisfaction from our work. That's why it's important to know yourself well enough to pick a job that is a good fit.
One useful exercise is to make a two-column list. On one side, list all the rewards you get from your current work. On the other side, list all the disadvantages and drawbacks. Then ask yourself whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. When you do this, remember to be honest with yourself.
Remember it's okay to have selfish motives as well as unselfish ones, and it's okay to have fun while you work. It is also okay to have unselfish motives such as making people's lives a little easier. On the other hand, it is not okay to do human services because you think you should find it rewarding, or because you believe people will think you are a good person. Whatever you do, do it because you want to, not because someone else wants you to.
Remember, people who genuinely like their work and find it rewarding usually do a better job than people who do not like what they do.
Showing posts with label lawyer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lawyer. Show all posts
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Saturday, 26 July 2008
Spears/Federline custody battle over
Britney Spears' custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline is officially over.
A settlement was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday.
In the documents, obtained by TMZ.com, Spears has five days to pay Federline's lawyer Mark Kaplan GBP125,000 in fees, and she'll hand over GBP10,000-a-month in child support.
There's no mention of an increase in visitation for the pop star - she currently enjoys three days and one night a week with her young sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James.
Federline has sole custody of the boys.
A settlement was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday.
In the documents, obtained by TMZ.com, Spears has five days to pay Federline's lawyer Mark Kaplan GBP125,000 in fees, and she'll hand over GBP10,000-a-month in child support.
There's no mention of an increase in visitation for the pop star - she currently enjoys three days and one night a week with her young sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James.
Federline has sole custody of the boys.
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Karadzic to defend himself in war crimes court
BELGRADE, Serbia (CNN) -- Former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, who has been indicted on war crimes charges, plans to defend himself in front of a U.N. tribunal, his lawyer said.
The lawyer, Sveta Vujacic, also said he will appeal the ruling allowing Karadzic's transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague.
But Vujacic told CNN Tuesday that Karadzic, 63, will defend himself at the war crimes court.
Karadzic -- one of Europe's most wanted men -- had been sought for more than 12 years before his arrest.
Authorities have said Karadzic was stopped Monday afternoon while he was traveling through the northern part of Belgrade. Vujacic disputed the account, saying the former fugitive was arrested last week and held in secret for three days.
Karadzic was charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the law of war -- charges related to the 1992-1995 civil war that followed Bosnia-Herzegovina's secession from Yugoslavia.
After Karadzic was taken into custody, an investigating judge approved his transfer to The Hague.
Serbian officials told CNN they are trying to make the extradition happen as soon as possible, but Vujacic said he is hoping to slow it down. Vujacic, who has three days in which to file the appeal, told CNN he will mail it from a location outside Belgrade so he can put off extradition for as long as he can.
One of the reasons for delaying the appeal is to give Karadzic's wife and family in Bosnia a chance to visit him in Belgrade, Vujacic said.
In January, the high representative in Bosnia seized the travel documents of Karadzic's wife, son, daughter, and son-in-law, saying they threatened the peace process in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Vujacic said he hopes the high representative will return their documents so they can travel to Serbia and visit his client. Consultations on the matter are ongoing, said Ljiljana Radetic, spokeswoman for the Office of the High Representative of the European Union.
More details emerged Wednesday about the remarkable life Karadzic managed to lead while a fugitive -- a life that allowed him to hide in plain sight. Watch what's next for Kardzic »
Karadzic changed his appearance, growing a long, white beard and a bushy mustache, and wearing glasses. Authorities said he practiced alternative medicine at a Belgrade clinic, and he even attended public forums on alternative medicine under his alias, Dragan Dabic.
He lived in an apartment in the densely populated area of the capital known as New Belgrade. Neighbors said they noticed him because he was always dressed in black.
"I remember we were sitting there and wondering and talking about his appearance," said Rusica, a neighbor. "He was strange because of his white beard and long hair."
Not even his landlords knew who Karadzic was, Serb officials said.
Authorities said they found Karadzic while following people believed to be part of a network that protected him.
His lawyer said Wednesday that Karadzic had asked for a barber to come to the detention center where he is now being held to remove his beard and trim his hair, AP reported.
Karadzic liked to frequent a cafe down the street from his apartment called the Crazy House, where the owner said Karadzic often drank his favorite red wine and listened to Serb national songs. Follow a timeline on Karadzic »
Pictures of Karadzic as he used to look -- clean-shaven, with thick salt-and-pepper hair -- and his wartime commander, Ratko Mladic, are on prominent display at the cafe.
Owner Tomas Kovijanic admits not knowing the actual Karadzic was sitting in the same cafe -- but he admits he would have protected the former Bosnian Serb leader had he known.
"I would have protected him by all means," Kovijanic said. "He was a hero who protected Serbs."
The editor of a health magazine who organized the forums that Karadzic attended said he met the man, alias Dabic, last October. He said he thought the fugitive's medical credentials were strange, showing that he was educated in Russia with brief travels to Asia, but he found Karadzic convincing.
"His body language was calm," said Goran Kojic, editor of Healthy Living magazine. "Then he would get theatrical and moved his hands a lot. He was very good with the crowds. He knew how to engage people, how to keep their attention.
"I can say without any doubt he was one the best speakers I ever hired for our lectures," Kojic said.
Karadzic's arrest leaves Mladic, the Bosnian Serb military commander, as the top-ranking war crimes suspect still at large.
Karadzic, a one-time psychiatrist and self-styled poet, declared himself president of a Bosnian Serb republic when Bosnia-Herzegovina seceded from Yugoslavia in 1992.
The Bosnian Serbs, backed by the Serb-dominated Yugoslav military and paramilitary forces, quickly seized control of most of the country and laid siege to Sarajevo, the capital.
During the conflict that followed, the Serb forces launched what they called the "ethnic cleansing" of the territories under their control -- the forced displacement and killings of Muslims and Croats.
He was removed from power in 1995, when the Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnian war barred anyone accused of war crimes from holding office
The lawyer, Sveta Vujacic, also said he will appeal the ruling allowing Karadzic's transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague.
But Vujacic told CNN Tuesday that Karadzic, 63, will defend himself at the war crimes court.
Karadzic -- one of Europe's most wanted men -- had been sought for more than 12 years before his arrest.
Authorities have said Karadzic was stopped Monday afternoon while he was traveling through the northern part of Belgrade. Vujacic disputed the account, saying the former fugitive was arrested last week and held in secret for three days.
Karadzic was charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the law of war -- charges related to the 1992-1995 civil war that followed Bosnia-Herzegovina's secession from Yugoslavia.
After Karadzic was taken into custody, an investigating judge approved his transfer to The Hague.
Serbian officials told CNN they are trying to make the extradition happen as soon as possible, but Vujacic said he is hoping to slow it down. Vujacic, who has three days in which to file the appeal, told CNN he will mail it from a location outside Belgrade so he can put off extradition for as long as he can.
One of the reasons for delaying the appeal is to give Karadzic's wife and family in Bosnia a chance to visit him in Belgrade, Vujacic said.
In January, the high representative in Bosnia seized the travel documents of Karadzic's wife, son, daughter, and son-in-law, saying they threatened the peace process in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Vujacic said he hopes the high representative will return their documents so they can travel to Serbia and visit his client. Consultations on the matter are ongoing, said Ljiljana Radetic, spokeswoman for the Office of the High Representative of the European Union.
More details emerged Wednesday about the remarkable life Karadzic managed to lead while a fugitive -- a life that allowed him to hide in plain sight. Watch what's next for Kardzic »
Karadzic changed his appearance, growing a long, white beard and a bushy mustache, and wearing glasses. Authorities said he practiced alternative medicine at a Belgrade clinic, and he even attended public forums on alternative medicine under his alias, Dragan Dabic.
He lived in an apartment in the densely populated area of the capital known as New Belgrade. Neighbors said they noticed him because he was always dressed in black.
"I remember we were sitting there and wondering and talking about his appearance," said Rusica, a neighbor. "He was strange because of his white beard and long hair."
Not even his landlords knew who Karadzic was, Serb officials said.
Authorities said they found Karadzic while following people believed to be part of a network that protected him.
His lawyer said Wednesday that Karadzic had asked for a barber to come to the detention center where he is now being held to remove his beard and trim his hair, AP reported.
Karadzic liked to frequent a cafe down the street from his apartment called the Crazy House, where the owner said Karadzic often drank his favorite red wine and listened to Serb national songs. Follow a timeline on Karadzic »
Pictures of Karadzic as he used to look -- clean-shaven, with thick salt-and-pepper hair -- and his wartime commander, Ratko Mladic, are on prominent display at the cafe.
Owner Tomas Kovijanic admits not knowing the actual Karadzic was sitting in the same cafe -- but he admits he would have protected the former Bosnian Serb leader had he known.
"I would have protected him by all means," Kovijanic said. "He was a hero who protected Serbs."
The editor of a health magazine who organized the forums that Karadzic attended said he met the man, alias Dabic, last October. He said he thought the fugitive's medical credentials were strange, showing that he was educated in Russia with brief travels to Asia, but he found Karadzic convincing.
"His body language was calm," said Goran Kojic, editor of Healthy Living magazine. "Then he would get theatrical and moved his hands a lot. He was very good with the crowds. He knew how to engage people, how to keep their attention.
"I can say without any doubt he was one the best speakers I ever hired for our lectures," Kojic said.
Karadzic's arrest leaves Mladic, the Bosnian Serb military commander, as the top-ranking war crimes suspect still at large.
Karadzic, a one-time psychiatrist and self-styled poet, declared himself president of a Bosnian Serb republic when Bosnia-Herzegovina seceded from Yugoslavia in 1992.
The Bosnian Serbs, backed by the Serb-dominated Yugoslav military and paramilitary forces, quickly seized control of most of the country and laid siege to Sarajevo, the capital.
During the conflict that followed, the Serb forces launched what they called the "ethnic cleansing" of the territories under their control -- the forced displacement and killings of Muslims and Croats.
He was removed from power in 1995, when the Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnian war barred anyone accused of war crimes from holding office
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Drunk Driving - Drunk Driving facts: by andy taylor
"The facts about driving drunk include consideration of consequences: Punishment for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or driving drunk, will vary, based on geographic locale and law in that state or county as well as which country you find yourself in. The potential consequences will depend upon whether or not it is the first offense, and whether various punishment enhancements may apply.
Generally, for a first offense DUI or DWI, penalties will include a fine, possible jail time or community service, a driver's license restriction, and mandatory attendance at an alcohol and drug education program.
Why Drunk Drivers Are Dangerous: Imaging studies of the brain when it is under the influence of alcohol reveal that different areas of the brain are impaired under high and low levels of alcohol, according to a Yale study published in Neuropsychopharmacology.
""What we found is that when people were really intoxicated, they drove like they were really intoxicated and in a real vehicle,"" Pearlson said. ""They speeded up, especially on corners, where most people slow down, and crashed more often into other vehicles."" When mildly intoxicated, but below the legal alcohol limit, he said, the drivers seemed aware of the fact that they were impaired and corrected for the deficit. The researchers also found that alcohol had a profound effect on some, but not all, brain circuits activated in sober driving.
The highest blood alcohol level was 0.1 and the lowest was 0.05. Drivers are considered legally drunk when their blood alcohol level is 0.08.
Here are some helpful drunk driving facts:
* One person is killed every half-hour due to drunk driving * Each year approximately 16,000 are killed in alcohol related crashes * Alcohol is a factor in almost half of all traffic fatalities * Every other minute a person is seriously injured in an alcohol related crash
What Are Some Examples of DUI Penalties? DUI punishment varies from state to state, so you'll need to check with your lawyer to see what may apply in your particular state. Using California DUI penalties as an example, first offenders who are denied probation can expect the following:
1. 48 hours of jail time minimum. 2. 6 months driver's license suspension 3. $340 fine
As you can see, DUI penalties are fairly harsh, even for a first offense. There are things that can factor in to a first time offense, depending on your state. Driver's license suspension may be part of the package, but if you get probation, your state may allow you to keep your license provided you meet certain conditions set by the court. These can include rehab counseling, safe driver classes, and community service. Your lawyer will have more information, but make sure you understand what you are committing yourself to under a probation agreement. Violation of probation is taken quite seriously and can result in automatic driver license suspension and jail time. "
Generally, for a first offense DUI or DWI, penalties will include a fine, possible jail time or community service, a driver's license restriction, and mandatory attendance at an alcohol and drug education program.
Why Drunk Drivers Are Dangerous: Imaging studies of the brain when it is under the influence of alcohol reveal that different areas of the brain are impaired under high and low levels of alcohol, according to a Yale study published in Neuropsychopharmacology.
""What we found is that when people were really intoxicated, they drove like they were really intoxicated and in a real vehicle,"" Pearlson said. ""They speeded up, especially on corners, where most people slow down, and crashed more often into other vehicles."" When mildly intoxicated, but below the legal alcohol limit, he said, the drivers seemed aware of the fact that they were impaired and corrected for the deficit. The researchers also found that alcohol had a profound effect on some, but not all, brain circuits activated in sober driving.
The highest blood alcohol level was 0.1 and the lowest was 0.05. Drivers are considered legally drunk when their blood alcohol level is 0.08.
Here are some helpful drunk driving facts:
* One person is killed every half-hour due to drunk driving * Each year approximately 16,000 are killed in alcohol related crashes * Alcohol is a factor in almost half of all traffic fatalities * Every other minute a person is seriously injured in an alcohol related crash
What Are Some Examples of DUI Penalties? DUI punishment varies from state to state, so you'll need to check with your lawyer to see what may apply in your particular state. Using California DUI penalties as an example, first offenders who are denied probation can expect the following:
1. 48 hours of jail time minimum. 2. 6 months driver's license suspension 3. $340 fine
As you can see, DUI penalties are fairly harsh, even for a first offense. There are things that can factor in to a first time offense, depending on your state. Driver's license suspension may be part of the package, but if you get probation, your state may allow you to keep your license provided you meet certain conditions set by the court. These can include rehab counseling, safe driver classes, and community service. Your lawyer will have more information, but make sure you understand what you are committing yourself to under a probation agreement. Violation of probation is taken quite seriously and can result in automatic driver license suspension and jail time. "
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
I know this Lawyer
A small town prosecuting attorney called his first witness to the stand in a trial-a grandmotherly, elderly woman. He approached her and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know me?"
She responded, "Yes, I do know you Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a young boy. And frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs.
You think you're a rising big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."
The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs. Williams, do you know the defense attorney?"
She again replied, "Why, yes I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. I used to baby-sit him for his parents. And he, too, has been a real disappointment to me. He's lazy, bigoted, he has a drinking problem. The man can't build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the shoddiest in the entire state. Yes, I know him."
At this point, the judge rapped the courtroom to silence and called both counselors to the bench. In a very quiet voice, he said with menace, "If either of you asks her if she knows me, you'll be in jail within 3 minutes!"
She responded, "Yes, I do know you Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a young boy. And frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs.
You think you're a rising big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."
The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs. Williams, do you know the defense attorney?"
She again replied, "Why, yes I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. I used to baby-sit him for his parents. And he, too, has been a real disappointment to me. He's lazy, bigoted, he has a drinking problem. The man can't build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the shoddiest in the entire state. Yes, I know him."
At this point, the judge rapped the courtroom to silence and called both counselors to the bench. In a very quiet voice, he said with menace, "If either of you asks her if she knows me, you'll be in jail within 3 minutes!"
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