June 1, 2007  No. 497  -  Vol. 5

"Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon their knees."

William Cowper(1731-1800)

In today's Law Firm Marketing: How to use your photo in written materials!

Also check our news sections: Crumbs! It does not get smaller than this!

• Top News

Mercosur, "an illusion of integration"; Brazil no longer leads

Latinamerica has never been so divided, Mercosur is but an illusion of integration and Brazil has lost its leadership and convergence capacity according to former Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso. In an interview with the newsletter from his political party PSDB (Brazilian Social Democracy), Cardoso is asked about the new "self denominated left wing leaderships" of Latinamerica such as Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Evo Morales in Bolivia, Rafael Correa in Ecuador and Argentina's Nestor Kirchner. "Latinamerica has never been so divided as currently. It has fragmented. Brazil lost its leadership. This was what happened in Bolivia (which nationalized all the assets of Brazil's government owned oil corporation Petrobras and hiked the price of natural gas), and now with Paraguay which is claiming higher prices for the electricity it sells to Brazil", pointed out the former president. "We've lost spaces; Brazil has lost the capacity to search for convergence in Latinamerica", he added. "Brazilian foreign policy is mistaken or non existent", underlined Cardoso. "We've allowed Latinamerica to disintegrate. Mercosur (originally made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, and lately Venezuela) is today but an illusion, a caricature of integration. I think as Brazilians we've been quite mistaken", stressed Cardoso, who is now a visiting lecturer of several United States and French universities.

New EU chemical law takes effect

Legislation requiring the safety testing of tens of thousands of chemicals - many in everyday use - has come into effect across the EU. For the first time, it will be up to industry, rather than the regulatory authorities, to prove that chemicals are safe. But environmental and consumer groups say the new rules do not go far enough. About 30,000 chemicals are covered by the new rules - from paints to flame retardants to fragrances in shampoos. Safety data will be required for all of them. The most hazardous - chemicals which can cause cancer or changes in genetic material - will have to undergo further testing. If there is a safer alternative, producers will have to substitute it, unless there is a strong case for continuing to use the existing chemical. But environmental campaigners say the new rules, known as REACH, leave too many loopholes.

Hot air?

Bush has seized the initiative on climate change in a move that pleased some fellow world leaders but infuriated his environmental critics. In a striking change of tone, he says he wants America to be part of a global climate deal when the first period of the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012. And he has offered to lead a new process under which the world's leading 15 emitters of greenhouse gases - including China and India - will be invited to Washington to discuss what they can do to cut emissions.

Russia blames US in missile row

Putin said it was a "response to maintain the strategic balance in the world", in what he called a "new round of the arms race". But US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was perplexed by the row. Russia seemed to think and act as if it were in "another era", she said, seemingly referring to the Cold War. In a speech in the eastern German town of Potsdam, Rice added that the US wanted to see a powerful and also democratic Russia. 

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• Crumbs!

1 - Motorola says it will eliminate 4,000 more jobs.  (Click here)

2 - Judge orders detainee's release. (Click here)

3 - Brazilian, Britain companies to build world's longest ore pipeline. (Click here)

4 - Coca-Cola and PepsiCo agree to curb animal tests. (Click here)

5 - EMI strikes a deal with YouTube. (Click here)

6 - Spain files claim over treasure ship (Click here)

7 - Wal-Mart to face New Jersey class-action pay suit (Click here)

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• MiMIC Journal

Open a Bank Account and Test Drive a Ferrari

In the U.S., some people who open new bank accounts get toasters. In China, the reward can be far richer, with foreign banks offering such things as a test drives in a Ferrari and wine tastings to beef up business. Since April, some foreign banks in China have been allowed for the first time to do business in local currency with individual customers -- removing an important hurdle for lenders in the world's fourth-biggest economy. The change, part of China's commitments when it joined the World Trade Organization more than five years ago, has prompted a scramble by big banks such as Citigroup, HSBC Holdings, Standard Chartered and Bank of East Asia. But foreign banks claim only a tiny share of total deposits, and don't have the scale to compete on basic retail services with the stodgy state-owned banks that have tens of thousands of branches across the country. Instead, they're hoping to tap demand for more lucrative services from the swelling ranks of China's well-off, like investment advice and special accounts for education.

China government planning new anti-terrorism law 

Zhao Bingzhi, president of the criminal law research committee of the China Law Society  told China Daily Thursday that China is preparing to enact anti-terrorism legislation , which Zhao described as a "separate law" designed to provide a legal framework to better "fight terrorism." The Daily reported that legislation will be considered by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC)  for introduction within China's next five-year plan, which is slated to begin in 2008.

• Law Firm Marketing

How to use your photo in written materials

1.  Largest possible face size.  The size of the overall photo doesn't matter.  What draws people to your photo is the size of your eyes.  Your eyes convey warmth, friendship and trust.  You want your face to appear as large as possible within the space allowed.  Crop the photo closely around your face.  Don't waste space showing anything below the collar on your shirt or blouse.  You want the largest possible face size with the strongest possible eye contact.

2.  Don't enlarge the photo.  You want the finished size of your cropped photo to be smaller than the same image in the photograph itself.  When you enlarge the image, your face gets grainy and you lose definition.  The image you use from the actual photograph should start out bigger than the resulting image you print in your materials.  In most cases, a 5" x 7" photograph is all you need.  But if you want a larger image than you get from a 5" x 7", start with an 8" x 10" photograph and then reduce it down to the finished size you want.

3.  Print at the finest screen possible.  Before they can be printed, photographs must be converted to screens, which means the entire photograph is converted to a pattern of tiny dots.  If you look closely at a newspaper photograph (with the naked eye or under a scope), you can see that the photograph is actually a dot pattern.

Newspapers often print photos with an 85- or 100-line screen.  This means the photo's resolution is 85 (lines of) dots per inch, in the same way that a laser printer might print at 600 or 1200 dots per inch.  When you look at an 85- or 100-line screen in the newspaper, you can see the dots that make up the photo.

When you go to a commercial printer to print your brochure or educational materials, you can get him to print your photo at 133- or 150-line screen.  These screens result in clean, crisp photographs.  Always ask for the highest screen the printer can print because the higher the number, the sharper your photo's resolution.

4.  Put a border around your photo.  Because your photograph has been screened, all four edges of your printed photo will be made from the ends of the rows of dots.  If you look closely, this often results in your photo having uneven, choppy edges.  To avoid this uneven result, put a line border around your photo.  Then the dots will merge into the border, resulting in a crisp, clean appearance.

5.  Keep copies of your photo on file and on computer.  If you conduct a publicity campaign, some media may want an actual photo for their files.  Others may prefer you send your photo by e-mail.  Make sure you have both available so you can respond promptly when someone requests your photograph.

CONCLUSION:  Few elements in your marketing are as important as your photo.  Make sure you get a good marketing photograph with strong eye contact and a warm, engaging smile.  This creates a sense of relationship with your prospects.  Often, that sense of relationship -- the feeling that prospects already know you and trust you -- causes prospects to choose you over all other lawyers.

© Trey Ryder

FREE LAWYER MARKETING ALERT:  If you'd like to receive Trey Ryder's weekly Lawyer Marketing Alert, send an e-mail to [email protected]. Write "Subscribe LMA" in the subject line and write your name and e-mail address in the body of the message.

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• Historia Verdadera

• Brief News

Dell to cut 7.000 jobs

At least 7,000 jobs are set to be lost at computer firm Dell after it said it would cut its global workforce by 10%. The PC maker has struggled with falling PC costs and tough competition from the likes of a resurgent Hewlett Packard. In response, it has overhauled its management team and focused on improving technical support for customers and moving into fast-growing markets like China and Brazil. It recently started selling PCs through Wal-Mart stores in the US.

TB lawyer faces months in care

A US personal injury lawyer was placed under federal quarantine at an Atlanta hospital, after being found to have a rare strain of tuberculosis, the first such order since 1963. He could be treated for months, restricted to a room with special ventilation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified the TB as "extensively drug-resistant". US authorities have launched a worldwide search for people who may have come into contact with him during two trans-Atlantic flights. European officials are also trying to trace passengers who sat near him.

Cold forces Argentine energy cuts

Argentina has been rationing gas supplies as cold weather blamed for some 17 deaths continues to strain the country's energy system. Officials ordered that homes and small businesses be given priority for natural gas, with large industrial users told to cut back.

Internet 'spam king' arrested

A Robert Soloway, 27, nicknamed the "spam king" for allegedly sending out millions of junk e-mails has been arrested in the US., being indicted on charges of mail fraud, identity theft and money laundering. Soloway has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Prosecutors say he became one of the world's biggest spammers, using computers secretly infected with orders to send out millions of his e-mails. Such computers are known as "zombies" because their owners often have no idea they have been hijacked for another purpose.

Bolivian leader kicks off protest

Bolivia's President Evo Morales has joined a street football match to protest against Fifa's ban on international games at high altitude. Morales said that if he and his ministers could play at more than 2,500m (8,200ft) above sea level, so too could the world's elite players. Fifa says high altitudes may harm player health and distort competition.

Dispute over Europe TV drug plan

Four of the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies - Pfizer, Novartis, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble - are considering launching an interactive TV channel in Europe. The prospect has caused outrage among some consumer groups, because advertising prescription drugs directly to patients in the European Union is illegal. They warn that the pharmaceutical giants will find it impossible to give unbiased advice about their own products. Let alone that pharmaceutical firms are inventing diseases to sell more drugs, researchers have warned.

Lawyer Files Gender Bias Suit Against GE

A high-ranking lawyer fighting her demotion has sued General Electric, accusing the company of gender discrimination. The lawsuit alleges that GE pays female lawyers and women in entry-level executive jobs less than it does men in similar positions.

G4 meeting in June 'decisive' for stalled WTO talks: Brazil

A meeting next month of four major WTO players -- the United States, European Union, Brazil and India -- will be "decisive" for stalled WTO world trade talks. The upcoming G4 meeting will be focused on agriculture, a key sticking point in the round of WTO trade negotiations begun in the Qatari capital in 2001. Developing countries are seeking reductions in farm subsidies by the rich countries, which in turn want greater market access for their industrial products and services.

Brazil does it better

Brazil's energy matrix is 45% renewable, against a worldwide average of 14%. We are dramatically reducing the pace of deforestation - there has been a 52% decrease since 2003.

However, Brazil is determined to be even more ambitious. We have been reducing our greenhouse gases emissions for over 30 years by substituting fossil fuels with sugarcane-based ethanol. This has led to a dramatic fall in domestic petroleum consumption and pollution. Vehicles currently topping sales in Brazil are "flex-fuel", which means that they can run on petrol, ethanol or any combination of the two.

Certain myths about biofuels must be put to rest. Ethanol use does not threaten the environment. Neither does sugarcane cause damage to rainforests, for it grows poorly in Amazonian soil. Sugarcane does, however, help to recover degraded pasture lands elsewhere in the country, which can then be brought back into agricultural use.

Brazil has 320 million hectares of arable land, of which only a fifth is under plough. Out of this fraction, less than 4% are used for sugarcane-derived ethanol production. Decades of research have made Brazilian sugarcane the most efficient raw material for producing ethanol; it is five times more productive than sugar beet and maize, its main European and American competitors. As a result, ethanol production is expected to increase from the current 18 billion litres per year to 26 billion by 2010, with only a modest increase in land usage.

Nobody need go hungry for lack of food in the world. Global supplies are more than sufficient to feed us all. It is rather the lack of income that prevents a billion men and women from having adequate access to three square meals a day. Unfortunately this is one fundamental human right still not observed universally.

Identifying renewable energy sources is only half of the global challenge. We need to generate employment opportunities and income for small farmers instead of pushing them into urban ghettos. It is worthwhile noting that the sugarcane business in Brazil earns US$ 8 billion a year and generates a million direct jobs.

Brazil's bio-diesel programme, based on oil seeds such as castor and sunflower, is equally impressive. These crops produce clean energy, absorb carbon monoxide and are highly labour intensive: for each mill worker, another thousand are required for harvesting.

The setting up of rigorous national biofuel certification systems, possibly within the framework of multilateral agreements, will ensure the necessary oversight to enforce adequate environmental and labour standards in the biofuels industry. A balance between small family farms and large-scale plantations is also within reach, as provided for by Brazilian legislation.

Brazil is open to requests for technical cooperation in biofuels production and marketing. Mozambique is launching an ethanol programme thanks to the alliance of Brazilian expertise and British funding. We can easily replicate this initiative in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa.

With a view to making biofuels a truly global energy alternative, we are bringing together major biofuel producers and consumers to set joint production goals and agree on common technical standards. Biofuels can help deal with global environmental threats as well as rising fuel prices. Above all, they offer to poor countries the hope of steady economic growth, without putting in jeopardy poverty alleviation and environmental protection policies. The global community would also stand to benefit from the ensuing reduction in political instability, social unrest and unmanageable migration in many poorer countries.

However, this revolution will only come about if ethanol and biodiesel are freely traded internationally as energy commodities. In order to make Brazil's biofuels model widely available, rich countries must open up their markets to developing countries by eliminating agricultural subsidies and other protectionist barriers to biofuels imports.

As Brazil's experience shows, biofuels offer an exciting possibility of combining energy security with social and environmental benefits. The proposal that we are putting forward offers an excellent example of how to apply fairly and effectively the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities to sustainable development. 

(source: guardian.co.uk)

WVU law students in  Brazil !!! - LOL

Crocodiles, piranhas and pink dolphins. Not your typical classroom setting. But for 25 West Virginia University College of Law students currently participating in the Legal Study in Brazil Program, it has become a way of life as they cruise down the Amazon River while studying international and comparative law in Brazil. Students who participate in the trip have reading assignments in the fall and spring semesters and the opportunity to take Portuguese classes at the law school to prepare for the experience although all of the classes on the trip are given in English. Prof. Kevin Outterson, who originated the idea for the program, states in the video, "One thing I really like about Brazil is…it's different enough from the United States that when people go there they know they're not at home. And I like that, as an academic environment…. They don't know what to expect. They know that the rules are different. They're not sure how the law works. They don't know how the culture works. We make all sorts of mistakes and have all sorts of fun, but in doing so, it helps us to question some of the foundations of our own culture or our own background." Outterson adds that he wants students to see the incredible wealth and poverty that coexist in Brazil and begin questioning the same things about America.

Brazil's women at risk from unsafe abortions

Some 1.2 million Brazilian women have been hospitalized in the last five years with infections, vaginal bleeding and other complications resulting from illegal abortions. Women in Brazil's relatively poor northeast seek unsafe illegal abortions at twice the rate of women in the wealthier south. 

Milberg Weiss Held Talks On Settling Criminal Case

Law firm Milberg Weiss & Bershad LLP held talks this week with federal prosecutors about settling a criminal case that alleges the firm made improper kickbacks to class-action clients, according to two people familiar with the case. The development comes as prosecutors are in plea negotiations with Milberg partner David Bershad. Prosecutors have also engaged in recent settlement talks with William Lerach, a former Milberg partner who has been scrutinized by the government but hasn't been charged with wrongdoing, says a person familiar with the case. It wasn't clear how recent the talks were. This person said a "global" settlement was possible that would include additional defendants.

Spain PM backs Sarkozy call for limited EU constitutional treaty 

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero  and new French President Nicolas Sarkozy  announced Wednesday that they both back proposals for a limited constitutional treaty  that would amend the organization and powers of the European Union (EU). German Chancellor Angel Merkel , whose government currently holds the six-month EU rotating presidency , has pressed for adoption of a broader European constitution  ahead of an EU summit scheduled for June 21-22. Under the "simplified" treaty backed by Spain and France, a president and foreign minister would oversee the 27-country organization. In addition, veto rights in some areas, including immigration policies, would be eliminated.

• Daily Press Review

Africa

Forget looted money, declares Ringera
East African Standard, Liberal daily of Nairobi, Kenya

Another rogue for Selebi's gallery
Mail and Guardian, Liberal daily of Johannesburg, South Africa

Americas

Stay alert this hurricane season
Barbados Advocate, Independent daily of St Michael, Barbados

K gives Filmus final boost
Buenos Aires Herald, Liberal daily of Buenos Aires, Argentina

How do you spell runner-up? A-l-b-e-r-t-a
The Globe And Mail, Centrist daily of Toronto, Canada

'Clear the air' - JHTA not satisfied with secret Air Jamaica/Virgin Atlantic deal
Jamaica Gleaner, Centrist daily of Kingston, Jamaica

Canada and Mexico move together on investigations
The Guadalajara Colony Reporter, Independent weekly of Guadalajara, Mexico

Asia Pacific

New Environment Strategies / Attention turns to post-Kyoto pact
Daily Yomiuri, Conservative daily of Tokyo, Japan

China launches 'SinoSat-3' communications satellite
People's Daily Online, Pro-government daily of Beijing, China

Glitch leaves thousands cashless
The Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily of Sydney, Australia

US Asst Secy Lowenkron Meets PM Koirala
The Himalayan Times, Independent daily of Kathmandu, Nepal

Economy in record 1st-quarter surge
The Manila Times, Pro-government daily of Manila, Philippines

PAS conservatives out to make comeback
The Sun, Independent daily of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Europe

Germany to Hike Development Aid Ahead of G8 Summit
Deutsche Welle, International broadcaster of Cologne, Germany

Cigarettes to be stubbed out in Finnish bars and restaurants tonight
Helsingin Sanomat, Centrist daily of Helsinki, Finland

Russia unhappy with new version of Kosovo resolution - ministry (Part 2)
Interfax, Government-owned news agency, Moscow, Russia

Hospital site move 'worst possible idea imaginable'
Irish Examiner, Centrist daily of Cork, Ireland

Lugovoi Points Finger at Berezovsky
The Moscow Times, Independent, English-language daily of Moscow, Russia

Freed Xiang Xiang dies after fight
The Scotsman, Centrist daily of Edinburgh, Scotland

'High priests of globalization' in Istanbul
Turkish Daily News, Independent daily of Istanbul, Turkey

Middle East

Blame game
Al-Ahram Weekly, Semi-official, English-language weekly of Cairo, Egypt

Jeddah Festival to Attract Three Million Tourists
Arab News, Pro-government, English-language daily of Jidda, Saudi Arabia

Rival camps spar over next step after UN vote on Hariri tribunal
The Daily Star, Independent, English-language daily of Beirut, Lebanon

Fighting resumes in camp
Gulf News, Independent daily of Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Israel awaiting revised prisoner list in Shalit swap
Ha'aretz, Liberal daily of Tel Aviv, Israel

Solana calls Iran to show more flexibility on nuclear stand-off
Islamic Republic News Agency, Government-owned news agency of Tehran, Iran

IDF reserve armored division commander resigns
The Jerusalem Post, Conservative daily of Jerusalem, Israel

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The messages that appear in this newsletter are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to be and should not be considered legal advice nor substitute for obtaining legal advice from competent, independent, legal counsel in the relevant jurisdiction.

Transmission of this information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. The information contained on this list may or may not reflect the most current legal developments.