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By Andrea Cannavina Whether documents reside as paper in a clients redwell or as electronic files in a computer, the process of their creation has changed little over time - someone types them. In fact, along with dictation, typing has been a business process mainstay of not just the legal industry, but corporate America, for decades. Up until the 1970s, the dictation to transcription process generally meant a secretary sitting in the same room with her boss, physically writing down every word uttered into a notebook using shorthand. After this time consuming task, she would then travel to her desk and typewriter and transcribe her notes as a first draft. The attorney would make revisions by hand and the document would be retyped from scratch on a new sheet of paper until final when it was typed one last time from scratch onto letterhead, usually with several carbon copies. Im sure anyone who was raised in the PC era cant even imagine typing the same base document over and over but that was how it was done! In the late 1970s, the introduction of two pieces of office automation dramatically improved on the document generation process: the cassette recorder and the electric word processor. Instead of tying up a secretary for hours, a cassette recorder allowed attorneys to dictate to a tape which was then handed to their secretary for transcription throughout her day or, for larger documents, to the firms word processing department. With the introduction of recorded dictation, law firm productivity soared! Secretarys could answer phones and handle administrative tasks as they transcribed and attorneys enjoyed the new freedom of being able to work independent of their secretary and even office — so long they had their portable recorder, batteries and fresh tapes they could produce and get the work done. The next improvement to the process, or electric word processors, removed the double entry work of documents created on typewriters and law firms adopted this new fangled technology with arms wide open. Leading the way was Corels WordPerfect which was created specifically for law firms and DOS, long before Windows and the far inferior (IMHO) Microsoft Word were even a thought. To this day, WordPerfects Fkey functions remain etched in my memory and its Reveal Codes feature make it an intuitive application for most beginners. The next improvement to the document generation process will undoubtedly be recognized as the jump from analog to digital dictation and the options that then become available. Hard to imagine, but this one relatively minor change in how dictators produce the work, can provide heaps of benefits for everyone from the ability for dictators to work from any internet connection or telephone; to the ability of HR personnel to track and monitor the actual work in progress at a firm; to the flexibility to send files in house or to lower costs, to a transcription provider or Virtual Assistant. While it is true that in todays world many attorneys draft their work while sitting behind their keyboards, if an attorney is fairly computer literate and can type at a decent rate using all fingers (ok, 8 is ok too!), then through cutting and pasting of previously created documents and other software enhancements, this method of document creation can be an efficient use of time. However, since all attorney time is usually billable, the argument could be made that less than proficient attorneys should not draft documents through keyboarding, otherwise clients end up paying for administrative tasks at attorneys rates. Also, one needs to pay careful attention to meta data (the hidden information in documents) when cutting and pasting. Just as music and video have moved away from tapes, so too will dictation. The dictation/transcription process remains the best method to get the work done and upgrading to digital is actually inevitable. Word on the street (aka LegalTech NY) is that analog transcription machines will shortly become scarce then the little tapes will start going up in price. If you see that, you know the time draws near to investigate digital equipment. Also, if your current equipment breaks, really consider upgrading to digital. Everyone in your firm will be happy youve made the switch including you. My recommendation are products by Olympus ordered through Bret Williams of www.novuscript.com. Bret is an Authorized Olympus Dealer who is happy to provide preferential pricing and free shipping on orders over $200 just for mentioning LegalTypist. While I try to follow the motto my dear ol’ mom instilled in me as I was growing up: If you dont have something nice to say dont say anything at all, I do feel constrained to caution would be upgraders away from Sony products. I have had nothing but trouble with their proprietary file types and dictators report their buttons and functions are almost impossible to understand. In comparison, the same associate handed an Olympus DS3000 was able to create and process digital dictation files with very minor effort. For the hard core partners who really resist change, I recommend the Olympus DS4000 as it is the only digital recorder on the market with a slide switch — so it feels just like a tape unit but without the tape! Andrea Cannavina, CEO of LegalTypist, Inc., http://www.legaltypist.com, provides custom digital dictation and initial drafts transcription solutions to attorneys, law firms and those who work with the legal industry. Andrea is an EthicsChecked Master Virtual Assistant with over 15 years legal administrative experience. LegalTypist opened its virtual doors in April 2001 and since has assisted dozens of firms and businesses with the implementation and configuration of customized digital workflow. For a free copy of Andreas 20 minute podcast Digital Dictation 101, send an e-mail podcast@legaltypist.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrea_Cannavina http://EzineArticles.com/?This-History-of-Transcription-and-Law-Firm-Productivity&id=378357 payday providers that actually give loans difference between short form loan policy hialeah online car loan application personal student loans for bad credit

By Stephen Bucaro Bad things happen to good people. Have you lost your job or are facing bankruptcy? Has a cherished relationship ended or you have gone through a divorce? Maybe you received diagnosis of a serious health problem. Or maybe you are mourning the loss of a loved one. Unfortunately, these painful events are part of life. If you have to endure such a tragedy, maybe you can find solace in your friends and in your faith. There is no way to completely avoid the pain of a tragic event, but I offer you a way to work through the pain. If a friend or loved one is grieving, you can pass this message on to them. Your should deal with the grief in three phases. You should carry on each phase for exactly 21 days before moving on to the next phase. Why 21 days? Because studies have shown that if an individual does the same thing for 21 consecutive days, it becomes a habit. That is the amount of time required to make a permanent life change. Phase 1: Don’t think about the event that is causing your grief. You may be forced to think about it in some way in order to take care of business related to the event. But otherwise don’t think about it for the first 21 days. If the event comes to mind, think to yourself “I don’t want to think about this right now”, and dismiss the thought from your mind. Every time the tragic event enters your mind, think “I don’t want to think about this right now”, and force yourself to think about something else. Usually friends and family will not be a problem because they will avoid bringing up the subject. For the first 21 days, keep pushing thoughts of the event out of your mind. Eventually you will need to mourn, it’s unavoidable. In Phase 2, you should think of nothing but the tragic event. How can this help? Even though you forcefully prevented the event from entering your conscious thoughts for the first 21 days, your subconscious mind was grieving. Now you need to deal with it on a conscious level. You will be able to grieve with less pain now because your subconscious mind has already dealt with it. You can’t put the tragedy behind you unless you deal with it on a conscious level. For the next 21 days, force yourself to focus on the tragic event. If the tragedy is a broken relationship, think about the life you could have had if things worked out the way you dreamed. If the tragedy is the death of a loved one, think about the moments of your lives together. Focus entirely on how much that individual meant to you. Phase 3: It’s time to move forward. For the next 21 days, think only of your future life and changes you will need to make. Plan your new life. What changes do you need to make to carry on under your new circumstances? Unfortunately, painful events are part of life. Bad things happen, but life moves on. My plan doesn’t let you totally avoid the grief of a tragedy, and not letting yourself grieve would not be healthy anyway. I promise you, no matter what the loss, in the end, the human spirit will always survive. Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is included. * Because of some comments in response to this article, I attach this addendum. My little brother and I were very close. Our life as children was not easy because of anabusive mother. We slept on a bunk bead in the same room. We spent our days making paperarmy tanks and paper airplanes and playing army on the floor in that bedroom. When I was in my 20’s, my little brother was hit by a car while riding his motor cycle.He was placed on a life-support machine and they put his limbs back together with metalrods. He had very little brain activity. My father asked me “when we should take himoff the life-support machine?” My little brother and I were very close. After his death, I asked myself, why am I stillalive? I should be dead too. I felt like my right arm had been ripped off. Over the nextyear I experienced every kind of physical malady you can think of, from hemorrhoids tosevere back pain. I was a physical and mental wreck. One sunny summer day while I was sitting by the lake behind my house, I felt a warm breezeon my face and I felt sad because my little brother could no longer experience a warm summerbreeze. Then my little brother spoke to me. Not out loud, but through thought. He told me that he did still exist, like a spirit, and that he would be watching over me.He told me that I should not be sitting there morning his death, because he would livethrough me. My little brother never graduated high school. He told me to go to college,be successful, and experience life for both of us. I did go to college, earned a bachelors degree in computer science, and became the managerof an engineering department. I like to hike in the mountain park behind my house andin beautiful natural places like the Grand Canyon. While hiking and enjoying the beautyof earth, I sense my little brother looking out through my eyes, and feeling the warmsummer breeze through my skin. Think about the loved one you lost. Would they want you to spend your life morning theirdeath, or would they tell you to enjoy life while you still have it? Its okay to rememberthem, but when you do, ask yourself what would they want you to be doing. Would they wantyou to spend your days in sadness, or they would want you to move on and enjoy life? Whoknows, maybe they still exist and are still enjoying life - through you. About The Author Copyright(C)2002 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit http://bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter Send a blank email to subscribe@bucarotechelp.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Bucaro http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Grieve-a-Tragedy&id=16839 reviews of bad credit auto lenders the smarter payday loan texas bad credit used car loan reasons for personal loans

By Gail Leino Winnie the Pooh and Donald Duck are all recognizable animated characters with their own star on the Hollywood Walk of fame, but Mickey Mouse is the only one to represent the symbol for The Walt Disney Company. A goal many children have is to meet the gloved mouse at a Disney theme park. You dont have to travel to allow your children to experience the magic associated with Mickey Mouse. You can create magic at your own home for your childs next birthday party. An outdoor celebration on a beautiful sunny day is just right for a Mickey Mouse party. However, if the weather does not permit an outdoor celebration, this birthday party can still be a great success indoors. Decorations for a Mickey Mouse theme party should consist of lots of colorful balloons: red, yellow, and black are the colors that are associated with Mickey Mouse. Decorative plates, napkins, and cups are also recommended to adorn the festive occasion. Every child who arrives at the party should have their own set of Mickey Mouse ears to wear during the celebration and to keep as a memento. Entertainment is a must at a Mickey Mouse birthday party. A good idea is to have several events going on simultaneously to give the children a choice. A rented bounce house (about $100 $150) with a Mickey Mouse them can provide hours of bouncy fun whether the party is held inside or outside. A den or living room can easily turn into a mini movie theatre to show Mickey Mouse short films. Mickeys first motion picture debut was as a sorcerer in the movie, Fantasia. A magic show is an event that children will also enjoy. At a designated time, all children should meet to sing Happy Birthday to the birthday boy or girl and to eat cake with Mickey Mouse decorations. A surprise visit from Mickey Mouse to hand out presents to everyone would top off the party just fine. Mrs. Party… Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for birthday party supplies and fun free educational party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free coloring sheets, printable games, and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Party Themes to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or “just because” parties is at the Party Theme Shop. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Leino http://EzineArticles.com/?Mickey-Mouse-and-You:-Creating-the-Perfect-Birthday-Wonderland&id=437854 no fax loans free paycheck tax calculator personal loans for people with poor creidt california bad credit mortgage loan

By Betty LaMarr As we go through todays business cycles of ups and downs, it will not be uncommon for us to experience a layoff or job loss for one reason or another. When a job is loss, it is much like any other loss we experience in our life, (1) an ending, followed by (2) a period of confusion and distress, leading to (3) a new beginning. We feel this sense of loss because overtime we begin to identify ourselves with the circumstances of our lives. Who we think we are is partly defined by the roles and relationships that we have. When you lose a job there are a few things to keep in mind in moving through it: Remember it is not about you. Most businesses lay off based on certain financial targets and commitments they have made to the shareholders, bankers, and/or Board of Directors that may be at risk. Often it is about the survival of the company and they have to make some hard decisions about who to let go. Just remember it is business, not personal. Dont judge yourself as unworthy or a victim because you were selected. This may be the chance you have been waiting for to do what you always wanted to do. Allow yourself to take this time to create the vision you want for your work. Think about ways you can apply your acquired skills in another environment. Revisit how your skills were under utilized in your old position. Be sure to define your skills broadly, i.e. a systems engineer with a specific specialty area. Think about skills like project coordination and team leadership that were part of your responsibilities, but not part of your title. Focus on the road ahead. This transition might just be offering you one of lifes natural and periodic times of a needed readjustment and renewed commitment. Personal development is the key that provides you choices in life and career. Continue to explore and reinvent yourself to fit the needs of a changing job market. Keep your eyes on the possibilities, there are many! See the job transition as a new beginning!! Betty LaMarr is the CEO of EmpowHer Institute, a career and professional empowerment coaching company that has been helping ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results in their career and life choices. For more information please email EmpowHer Institute at empowher@verizon.net. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Betty_LaMarr http://EzineArticles.com/?When-Losing-Your-Job….How-to-Stay-Positive&id=226585 payday lending gainesville ga johnny paycheck aka donnie young business cash advance is project payday a scam

By James Allen If you use sunless tanning products it’s probably because your skin’s health is very important to you - yet you still love the tan look. The following tips will help you make the most as you protect your skin and stay bronze at the same time. Exfoliate is great! Scrub nice and hard in the shower a few hours before application. Getting rid of the dead skin will help your canned-tan to stick a little longer. Shaving is great a few hours before applying lotions, but.. avoid shaving right before applying sunless tanning products. Chemicals in the lotion can cause irritation if you don’t give your skin time to recover from the shock of the blade. Stay dry after you apply. Don’t get wet and don’t sweat for at least a few hours after applying sunless tanning lotions. This will help prevent irregular streaking in your fake-bake. Gloves, gloves, gloves. Unless you want your hands to be neon orange, wear cheap latex gloves when you apply your bronzers. If you notice some areas of your body, like your elbows, get too dark after applying sunless tanning lotions, apply baby oil or gel to these areas before hand. This will help balance out your bronze. Try these self-tanning tips this summer, and enjoy looking golden without sacrificing your skin to the sun! James Allen is the webmaster of Best Sunless Tans. Come learn everything you need to know to save your skin and still look golden all year long. http://www.BestSunlessTans.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Allen http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Sunless-Tanning-Lotion-Tips-For-Summer&id=38903 direct lender payday cash advance places around belleveiwfl no teletrack short term loans help paying money loans

By Michael Guth People who were once Catholic, or now consider themselves lapsed Catholics, those Catholics who are struggling with their faith, and others who have an interest in Catholicism from their childhood days but have explored a different journey of faith, now have a new forum to discuss their spiritual growth. Some people feel they are not fed by a Church that emphasizes conforming to rules and regulations, rather teaching than love. These people are not being fed spiritually by the church. Others find the stories in the Bible do not offer solutions to problems they encounter in daily life. For others, the pronouncements of bishops or the pope may turn them off and away from the institutional church, but at heart they remain Catholic in their outlook. EXAMPLE OF POSTING: In his book, MERE CHRISTIANITY, C. S. Lewis writes that sins of the flesh are among the least serious and least worrisome sins of man. Instead, C. S. Lewis states, and philosopher/theologian Thomas Merton might agree –I vaguely recall a quote from Merton on topic but can’t identify it at the moment — that PRIDE is the worst sin of all. Pride gets us into wars. Pride leads to putting down others, financially, politically, religiously, etc. The hierarchy, starting with Pope Benedict and following all bishops who try to move in lockstep with him as if there is some charm in that, has gone back to Thomas Aquinas’s 13th-century view of morality: homosexual conduct is a top 3 sin for Aquinas. Imagine that! Do Catholics in 2007 want to partake in a Church that, by its preaching and attitude casts all gays into Hell, but murderers might make it into Heaven if they express sorrow? I have often thought as a professor who teaches courses online at the university level that I should assign a weekly grade to our local bishop and to the pope. A few weeks they might earn As, but for the majority of weeks they would receive a grade of F. Our local bishop aligned himself with religious fundamentalist bigots and proudly took some credit for our state’s passage of a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriages. I would have thought he would look left and right and see the type of people with whom he was aligned politically on that issue and have pause. Yesterday, the bishops came out with a message that said orientation is no sin but acting on it is a sin. That is going to antagonize more people towards the Church, and it creates a false dilemma for priests and other religious who risk ridicule just for acknowledging their orientation. I have serious doubts about whether I can stay in a church that persecutes or scorns one (powerless) class of humans. ___________________________ Today’s Bishop’s Decisions: news story The doctrine committee presented a document addressing ministering to homosexuals. While maintaining the church’s traditional teaching thathomosexual acts are “morally disordered” and “contrary to the natural law,” the new document softens the church’s attitude toward homosexuals who remain chaste. “While the Church teaches that homosexual acts are immoral, she does distinguish between engaging in homosexual acts and having a homosexual inclination,” the document reads. “While the former is always sinful, the latter is not. … simply having the tendency is not a sin.” The document also takes up the issue of baptizing the adopted children of gay couples, saying that while the matter “presents a pastoral concern the Church does not refuse the Sacrament of Baptism to these children” if there’s reason to believe the children will be brought up Catholic. The bishops’ pro-life committee presented a new document about birth control aimed at engaged and married Catholic couples. It reaffirms the Church’s much-ignored teaching that contraception is immoral. A 2003 ABC News poll reported that 94 percent of Catholics found “using the birth control pill or condoms” morally acceptable. A 2005 Harris poll reported that birth control is supported by 90 percent of American Catholics. The bishops’ own numbers aren’t much better, saying only 4 percent “of Catholic married couples of childbearing age use Natural Family Planning,” according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website. The doctrine committee also proposed a question-and-answer pamphlet that seeks to catechize, or teach, Catholics the basics about Holy Communion and who may and may not receive it. Some bishops would like to deny communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights. St. Louiss archbishop even went so far as to say Catholics who voted for politicians who support abortion rights would be committing a mortal sin and would have to confess before receiving Holy Communion. He later clarified his statement saying Catholic voters would have to be voting for a candidate specifically because the candidate supported abortion rights for the Church to consider it a sin. _________________________________________ COMMENT 1: I never thought of truth as being determined by a democracy. Rather Truth exists whether or not we accept it. As Catholics we believe that the Holy Spirit guides the Church into all truth. We are all influenced by our culture. But our culture does not set out to always seek truth. Is Christ’s opinion of contraception, sex, homosexuality, etc. not worthy of consideration? Or do we think that we are so clever as to determine truth for ourselves? COMMENT 2: You ask: “Is Christ’s opinion of contraception, sex,homosexuality, etc. not worthy of consideration?” Christ said not one word about contraception or homosexuality and little about sex. He mentioned marriage and adultery, probably fornication (I’ll have to look that up to be sure), but he was not at all focused on these subjects. He focused on love, he focused on forgiveness, he focused on taking care of “the least of my brethren”. The Church sometimes seems to focus on nothing but sex. Everything else is secondary. Most Church teaching in these areas comes from people like Augustine and the Desert Fathers, who prized virginity above all things. Sex and marriage were tolerated simply as necessary for the continuation of the human race. Augustine even said it was a sin to enjoy sex while engaging in it for procreation purposes! I’m not sure how you do that, but… Anyone interested in discussing issues such as these can simply send an email message to OnceCatholicNotFedSpiritually-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Dr. Michael A. S. Guth is a spiritual Catholic who operates a discussion board presenting a Liberal Catholic’s perspective on matters of theology, religion, and current events. See http://michaelguth.com/wordpress and http://michaelguth.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Guth http://EzineArticles.com/?Once-Catholic,-Lapsed-Catholics,-Fallen-Away-Catholics,-and-Others-Not-Fed-Spiritually&id=381696 credit ratings - poor average good excellent how can i get a free credit report if i dont have a credit card bad credit debt get loan credit score 450 mortgage refinance