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Woman’s Body Found Stuck In Chimney

SOURCE:  Los Angeles Times

A woman’s decomposing body was found wedged inside the chimney of the house where her boyfriend lives Bakersfield, California and authorities say she died trying to gain access after being locked out.

The body of Jacquelyn Kotarac, 49, a doctor who had an “on-again, off-again” relationship with the man, was stuck in the chimney for three days before being discovered by woman who was house-sitting, the Bakersfield Police Department said. Authorities said Kotarac died of asphyxiation.

It isn’t clear what kind of doctor Kotarac was, however, she likely was not an Oakland CA breast augmentation surgeon.  Had she worked as an Oakland CA liposuction surgeon, it isn’t for certain.

The woman “smelled an odor and realized it was coming from the fireplace,” Sgt. Mary DeGeare said.

Kotarac had come to the home Wednesday night but the boyfriend wouldn’t let her in.  “To avoid a confrontation,” DeGeare said, “he wouldn’t let her in.”

So Kotarac used a shovel and tried unsuccessfully to force her way in through a back door, police said. She then climbed the roof and slid down the chimney. But her boyfriend had already left the house, police said.

Kotarac was found stuck about 2 feet above the interior fireplace opening. In concluding that she died of asphyxiation, the Bakersfield coroner’s office deemed the death an accident.

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MY TAKE: This is the kind of story that grabs the attention of everyone from Phoenix Arizona realtors to the guys running the Texas car accident law firm.  Nothing is more shocking than the image of a person stuck in a chimney, dead, for days on end.  It’s sad to think she wasn’t heard in time and could have been saved.  Phoenix AZ real estate folks might never look at a chimney the same way after reading this story.  Ditto for the Texas personal injury attorney and of course the liposuction surgeon.  It’s not a pretty sight, but it’s also not all that uncommon for people to get stuck in chimney’s.  Burglers are the usual suspects found wedged in the brick and mortar, not women, but this was obviously an unusual case of domestic/romantic drama.

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.OTHER RESOURCES

Flexible Accounting Solutions

One of the reasons why it’s so important to make sure that a company is able to be flexible in its space is because of how tightly controlled a business must be to ensure profits in a new and difficult economy. This means that engaging a professional grade of auditing software is often essential to making sure that a company is able to compete on the highest level possible in their industry. A lot of chances have to be taken in modern business to make a success of a new idea and this definitely requires updated software installations.

Deciding Upon Theme

There are many ways that a woman can choose to design her boudoir photography session and to make sure that the resulting pictures are as beautiful as possible, it’s often a good idea to take advice from a San Francisco boudoir photographer. An experienced photographer will always be able to offer a variety of suggestions regarding theme or topic and one of the great things about such a photography session is that it’s only limited by the imagination of the photographer and the subject and this means that there are literally an endless number of different themes that can be chosen.

Yachts Getting Larger

A yacht is certainly a luxurious way to see the oceans and for years the wealthy and privileged have boarded their luxury ships and have sailed the oceans in pure style and luxury. And these days a person doesn’t even have to own a yacht as there are some options for taking New York private cruises with a company providing such services. And the type of vessel that is offered by such a company is generally considered to be amazingly luxurious and is something that anyone would consider to be one of the most amazing experiences on the water simply because the boats now are so large.

Heavy Fines and Drug Convictions

One of the most surprising things about being charged with possession of illegal drugs or with the intent to distribute is the fact that jail sentences aren’t the only thing that can be levied against a person who is found guilty of such charges. A Brooklyn NY criminal lawyer will also need to work with reducing the potential fees that might be involved with such charges as it can be very expensive for the individual who has been charged with the crime to be found guilty. Not only may jail time be required but a hefty fine might be imposed by the judge as well.

Utilizing a Knowledgeable Seller

One of the most important elements of getting a great firearm is dealing with someone who sells such items who has a lot of knowledge about the firearms industry and can offer good suggestions on specific firearms or accessories. A good gun dealer will always be able to offer advice on the right sort of ammunition to buy, which Patternmaster chokes to use and any other types of accessories that might be preferable to purchase alongside a specific firearm. Even gun enthusiasts who are experts in firearms in their own right can benefit from a knowledgeable firearms dealer.

Reducing Clutter in the Office

One of the issues that some companies come upon after a few years of spending time in a particular office is the fact that files and things tend to pile up which can make the office space cluttered. But such clutter isn’t necessarily a sign that a larger office is needed. Sometimes just a visit from a janitorial services Ft Lauderdale company plus some proactive shredding or remote storage of documents and old files is the way to go. An open, clean office space is always going to be more pleasant to work in for any employee.

Premium Discounts on Insurance

When shopping for a new insurance premium, one of the issues that sometimes come up is the fact that inexpensive vehicle insurance is often something that is only available to people who have perfect driving records. But for cheap car insurance in California, one of the best ways to find a less expensive rate is to simply compare all of the available rates out there for different companies. After a person looks at just one or two insurance companies, they might get discouraged, but it’s best to keep searching as a lower rate could be just around the corner.

Protecting Various Industries

One of the important things to consider regarding surveillance is the fact that it’s not just something that needs to be placed outside of a convenience store or at the entryway to a high priced electronics store. A Southern California digital video surveillance system would be a good idea for many different industries including many government institutions along with places like schools or even parks. A surveillance system isn’t always something that is only installed in a dangerous area. They are useful in many areas where people must stay safe and are made safer by the addition of a surveillance system.

Good Location for Exterior Cameras

One of the issues that have long plagued cameras that have been used by people outside the home is the idea that the average thief or burglar would easily notice where the surveillance cameras were located and could probably figure out a way to find the blind spots of the cameras which would render them useless. This is why it can be a good idea to look into using a spy camera that would actually be hidden from view so a thief wouldn’t notice it and would get caught a lot easier when trying to break into the home.

Changing Political Views

There has been a lot of talk regarding the different political views held by various politicians and how they have changed in the past few years and often when a politician gets closer to a major election, his political positions will seem to change or even disappear at points because the person running for office wants to obtain the favor of as many voters as possible. This often means that if a politician has a certain viewpoint which clashes with something that his opponent believes, he’ll back off on some speeches to make people concentrate on other political viewpoints.

Legal News for Californians

Redwood City criminal defense lawyer options don’t have to be expensive.  San Mateo County criminal attorneys for example will work with you if you are on a fixed or limited income.  Also, Californian’s should always apply for legal aid through the State Bar Association and you can check here for a list of resources for pro-bono lawyers.

Investors Brace For September Swoon

SOURCE:  Associated Press

The economy is slowing, again, home sales appear to be dipping and stocks are on a long slide, and  now we are in what is traditionally the worst month in the market: September.

Could stocks be headed for another September swoon?

“If history is any guide, for it’s never gospel, we may be in for another rough ride,” says Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at Standard & Poor’s.

Mutual fund managers tend to clean house after Labor Day, taking profits on winning stocks and weeding out portfolios before putting out the rosiest possible end-of-quarter reports for their clients.

September swoon

No month has brought worse results in the stock market than September. Here is the average monthly price change, from 1950 through July 2010, for the S&P 500 index. Months are listed from best performance to worst:

• December: 1.6% gain
• November: 1.6% gain
• April: 1.5% gain
• March: 1.2% gain
• January: 1% gain
• July: 1% gain
• October: 0.6% gain
• May: 0.3% gain
• August: 0.1% gain
• June: 0.04% loss
• February: 0.2% loss
• September: 0.6% loss

Source: Stock Trader’s Almanac

Workers coming back from summer breaks are also inclined to sell stocks as they get their financial affairs in order. This includes everyone from the San Diego contracts attorney to the commercial mortgage brokers. Any festering issues with the economy or stocks during the summer, when trading volume is light, tend to get put off until fall.

The result: September is usually a dog of a month for the market. It typically starts with solid market increases, then tails off, says Jeffrey Hirsch, editor-in-chief of the Stock Trader’s Almanac.

“There’s just a general selling bias in the month of September,” he says.

Four times in the past decade alone, the S&P 500 shed at least 5% in September. The average September decline since 1950 is 0.6%, according to the Stock Trader’s Almanac. February is the next worst, with an average 0.2% loss, and December and November are the best, averaging 1.6 percent gains.

Of course, investors haven’t forgotten that the financial world collapsed in September just two years ago. And the Sept. 11 attacks, which delivered a devastating blow to the stock market, remain a painful memory.

This year, there’s a lot to frown about. The S&P 500 index is down 14% from its high in April, and was down 5% for the month of August.

Stocks have fallen because the economic recovery is faltering. The economy has slowed to anemic growth, home sales the last three months are the worst on record, consumer spending is lackluster and unemployment is stuck near 10%.

The slew of weak economic data sapped the market of what little midsummer momentum it had and further shook the confidence of already wary investors.

“I don’t think it would take a whole lot to get investors to start selling and consumers to start pulling back again,” says Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com. “The collective psyche is on edge.”

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said last week that the central bank is ready to take additional steps to boost the economy, including buying more debt or mortgage securities in order to keep interest rates low.

But with the benchmark interest rate already near zero, any Fed action is unlikely to provide the oomph of past measures. Congress doesn’t appear to have an appetite for another stimulus package.

Also hanging over the market is an air of heightened uncertainty because the November elections will determine which party controls Congress for the next two years. The S&P 500 has declined an average 1.7 percent in the September before midterm elections since 1930.

Not that September isn’t bad enough already without all of this year’s baggage. It’s one of only three months, along with February and June, when stock prices typically decline.

The uncertainty is a serious consideration for financial advisers such as Dominick Vetrano of Fountainhead Financial in Chicago. He holds off putting more money into stocks beginning in August, even though he thinks the September market dips are usually psychological.

“There is little to gain by investing right before September and a lot to lose, so why risk it?” he says. “The September effect is well-documented.”

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MY TAKE: Although news reports show a rise in both residential and commercial mortgage loans applications, there are still no real clear signs of a solid recovery for the housing market, yet.  I’d be willing to bet that every small business, too, from the small Blackberry repair service provider to the New York tax preparation firm will be cutting more corners, possibly not laying off workers, but definitely not hiring any more of them, and looking for ways to boost business without making any expenditures.  If I were a small iPod repair company or a tax preparation firm I imagine I’d be thinking about ways to streamline too, as it looks like we are in for a protracted recession.
Are you being pounded day and night by debt collectors?  You may want to contact a firm of collection harassment lawyers.  FCRA lawyers are trained to legally help you fight back against unlawful harassment by debt collection companies who step over the bounds in an effort to get you to pay a bill.

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Other Resources

Importance of Teamwork

It can’t be stressed enough how important it is for kids to understand that they’ll be much more successful if they are taught that working as a team will always get them further in life than trying to go it alone. One great way to get kids involved in teaching kids how fun it can be to work with others is to allow them to join a junior sports team where they will get custom T shirts and will be able to work with one another on winning games such as in soccer or baseball or another team sport that’s great for kids.

Construction Receivables Factoring and Transactions

Once you’ve been approved for construction receivables factoring, which should allow you to close out accounts and get your company in order, there are a great many types of transactions that you can complete, using your advanced capital. Subcontractors such as ceiling and drywall experts, tile contractors, carpenters, roofing contractors, and plumbing contractors all require payment upon completion of a job, but if that money is held up with a sixty or ninety day invoice, you can use borrowed capital to finalize all your outstanding bills. The money can even be used for bills brought by such entities as security firms, home inspectors, and architects.

Offshore Bank Account and Banking Services

Deciding to employ an offshore bank account carries advantages beyond strong and valuable asset protection. An offshore bank will generally offer all types of financial services that a domestic banking source would such as lines of credit, monetary exchanges, and electronic funds transfers. Offshore banks can also assist with things like investment management or fund management and can play the role of trustee or help with the corporate administration of your offshore incorporation. Although not every offshore bank will provide every type of banking service, there are many offshore banks available offering different levels of asset management.