August 7, 2015 nº 1,656 - Vol. 13
 

"The critic has to educate the public; the artist has to educate the critic."

 Oscar Wilde

In today's Law Firm Marketing, 1 "con" you should use -- and 2 "cons" you should avoid like the plague

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• Top News

Senate approves new bill to extend commercial space laws

The US Senate on Tuesday approved a new bill that provides an extension of American commercial space laws. Sponsored by Texas Senator Ted Cruz and other Senators from both parties, the US Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act was approved to promote competitiveness of the US commercial space sector, and for other purposes. The new legislation amends previous space laws in place by extending safety regulation requirements. The new bill proposes that NASA, the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration all work together in an effort to execute the regulatory process. The bill is planned to be implemented no later than September 30, 2015 with the US House of Representatives bill approved in May.

Why did the US choose Hiroshima?

Seventy years ago, an atomic bomb wiped a city off the map. The committee that picked the target knew the destruction would be awful, but hoped it could end the war and stop future use of such bombs. The name Hiroshima is so tied to the atomic bomb that it's hard to imagine there were other possible targets. But in early 1945, the US was still months away from building its first bomb and certainly didn't know what to hit. "Should it be a city? Should it be a military installation? Should you be just displaying the bomb, without killing anybody?" These are questions that were yet to be decided. In the spring of 1945, the military convened a target committee, a mix of officers and scientists, to decide where the bomb should fall. The minutes of this committee were declassified years ago — and they show it considered some far less deadly targets. The initial list included a remote military installation and Tokyo Bay, where the bomb would have been detonated as a demonstration. But the target committee decided those options wouldn't show the world the power of the new bomb. The committee settled on two "psychological" objectives of the first atomic bombing: to scare the Japanese into unconditional surrender and to impress upon the world the power of the new weapon. That second goal was especially important to the researchers choosing the target. The atomic bomb was still top secret, but the scientists had an even more frightening secret. Within a few years, they expected to have a "super-bomb": the hydrogen (or thermonuclear) bomb. At the time, they believed H-bombs on top of missiles could destroy the world. So, they decided this bomb would not just kill — it would do something biblical: One bomb, from one plane, would wipe a city off the map. It would be horrible. But they wanted it to be horrible, to end the war and to try to stop the future use of nuclear bombs. They chose Hiroshima.

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• MiMIC Journal

Jaywalkers made to wear green 'hats of shame'

Walk of shame: Green is not a colour most Chinese men would choose for their headwear Police in one Chinese city have come up with a novel way of tackling jaywalkers - making them wear green hats while helping to direct traffic. Officers in Shenzhen, in the southern Guangdong province, began the new initiative this month to try to cut the number of pedestrians who dodge traffic on the city's busy roads. But they've been facing some resistance to the colour of headgear, because in Chinese culture the expression "wearing a green hat" signifies that a man's wife or girlfriend has cheated on him. The police say the hats are just meant to protect people from the sun, and match the green vests, which are also being used.

As China probes stock algos, speed traders bet on commodities

China's probe of algorithmic trading in the stock market has done nothing to dissuade high-frequency traders from using the nation's burgeoning commodities exchanges. Virtu Financial Inc., one of the world's biggest high-speed firms, said on Wednesday it has started buying and selling commodities listed in mainland China. Optiver, which entered the nation's commodities markets two years ago, said Tuesday it's growing its business in Greater China. KCG Holdings Inc. said in June it sees opportunities in the region. The expansion plans suggest computer-driven traders are keeping their resolve despite government intervention in Chinese equities, including a freeze on more than 30 accounts suspected of fueling volatility by using automated trading strategies. China, the world's largest consumer of commodities, is seeking to extend its clout over raw-materials prices by opening up its own contracts to a larger pool of investors.

• Law Firm Marketing

1 "con" you should use -- and 2 "cons" you should avoid like the plague
By Trey Ryder

Lawyers often ask me to explain how selling-based marketing differs from education-based marketing. I point out the standard differences about giving prospects what they want, information and advice -- and removing what they don't want, a sales pitch.

But the fine points of education-based marketing go much deeper.

You and I, as consumers, want people to respect the fact that we have a brain -- and that we can make our own decisions without someone else (the salesperson) telling us what to do. This important point clearly defines how the respected authority and consultant (you) differ from the pushy salesperson (nearly everyone else).

The difference is in the three cons: Convince. Conclude. Control.

The salesperson tries to "convince" you that you need what he's selling by controlling your decision. (We refer to this as sales pressure.) On the other hand, the authority offers facts and advice that allow you to "conclude" that you need what he offers -- and that you need it right now He never tries to control your decision.

Here are two typical examples:

#1: Salesperson: "This service will save you time and money. Sign here and I'll finish the paperwork in two minutes." (He tells you what will happen and tells you what to do.)

Authority: "From the facts I have provided, I think you'll agree that you'll save considerable time and money by choosing option A over option B." (The authority respects the person's ability to listen to the information, draw his own conclusions, and make his own decisions.)

#2: Salesperson: "You must sign up for this service now. Otherwise, I can't be held responsible."

Authority: "From the case history I've just presented, I hope you see how important it is that you act now, without delay."

ADVICE: When you talk with prospects, make sure you provide facts, case histories, information and advice that allow prospects to conclude they need what you offer -- and soon. The moment you turn the tables and tell them what they need, they see you as a salesperson. This undermines your credibility and you lose their respect.

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© 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

Demanda

Paraguay enfrenta una demanda en Estados Unidos por casi US$ 80 mlls. promovida por una empresa vinculada al Estado italiano, que compró una antigua deuda contraída por un cónsul honorario. La empresa "Sezione speciale per l'Assicurazione del Credito all'Esportazione", conocida por las siglas SACE y propiedad mayoritaria del Estado italiano, introdujo la demanda ante un tribunal de Washington.

Right to vote imperiled 50 years after landmark law, Obama says

Half a century after the US passed a law intended to give all its citizens equal access to the voting booth, Obama said that protection is at risk. "In practice we've still got problems," he said. "On the ground there are still too many ways in which people are discouraged from voting." The remarks came on the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act in 1965. The law prohibited states from enacting policies aimed at preventing blacks from voting, including poll taxes, literacy tests and civics quizzes. Today, the Obama administration is battling Republican-led states that have passed requirements that voters show identification at polling stations. Obama and some courts have held that the laws disenfranchise poor and minority people who are less likely to have an official ID. Republicans say the requirements protect against voter fraud.

Final Madoff defendant sentenced to six months in prison

A judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on Wednesday sentenced Irwin Lipkin, a former controller of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, to six months in prison for his involvement in Bernard Madoff's multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme. Lipkin contributed to the scheme by falsifying records. While Madoff insisted that he acted alone, US Attorney David Abramowicz stated, "[t]he lesson we've seen in this parade of guilty defendants is: Bernard Madoff didn't do this alone." He clarified that Madoff indeed found the help he needed "in people like Irwin Lipkin." Lipkin is the last of fifteen defendants to be sentenced, marking the end of the criminal case that arose from the Ponzi scheme.

Pakistan Supreme Court allows military trials for terrorism suspects

Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled to allow military trials for cases involving suspects of terrorism. The ruling follows a number of petitions to allow such trials, and is seen as a victory to the government that has been increasing its efforts against terrorism in past years. However, those opposed to the ruling are concerned over the government's potential ability to now hold secret, speedy trials, that could violate due process of law. A Pakistani human rights group believes this ruling specifically may lead to an increased number of executions in Pakistan.

Defiant Donald Trump dominates US Republican TV debate

Donald Trump continued to dominate the Republican race for US president by causing further controversies in the first debate. The tycoon's refusal to rule out a third-party run drew boos from the audience on Thursday night. And he stood by offensive comments he has made in the past about women.

Europe moves to cut risk in $505 trillion derivatives market

Banks and investors in the European Union will have to send trades of some interest-rate swaps to a third party under new rules intended to make financial markets safer. The banks and major investors that hold the derivatives will have to use a third party called a clearinghouse to process their trades. "There's been quite a long delay in getting the European Union to the end point in mandatory clearing," said Emma Dwyer, a partner at law firm Allen & Overy LLP in London. "People should be reasonably content with this. It hasn't changed the scope of contracts that are covered and the compromises that were worked out along the way have been largely observed." The Group of 20 nations in 2009 mandated clearing for many swaps contracts in an attempt to reduce the damage that would be caused by a major financial institution defaulting on its payments. Banks have traditionally traded interest-rate swaps between themselves in over-the-counter, or off-exchange, transactions. By redirecting these transactions to a clearinghouse, the derivatives market should become safer. If a counterparty goes bust, the clearinghouse will spread the losses incurred between all its member firms. Companies have to post collateral with clearinghouses to use them.

Former Argentina President misses trial

Former Argentine President Carlos Menem has missed the opening day of his trial over a huge bomb attack against a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires in 1994. Menem, 85, said he could not attend because of health reasons. He is one of 13 people accused of obstructing the investigations. He has repeatedly rejected the allegations.

Leading US Democrat speaks out against US-Iran deal

Leading US Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer has announced that he is breaking ranks with President Obama by opposing the Iran nuclear deal. He said there was a very real risk that Iran would use the agreement to pursue what he called its nefarious goals rather than moderate its approach. Schumer is the first Democratic Party senator to take such a stand. Correspondents say his move is a serious blow to the president as he urges Congress to back the deal. The nuclear deal calls for Iran to reduce its enrichment in exchange for the releasing of millions of dollars in frozen assets.

Brazil businessmen sentenced to 16 years over Petrobras scandal

Two former executives of Brazilian construction giant OAS have been sentenced to 16 years in jail for corruption. Judge Sergio Moro in Brazil said former OAS president Jose Aldemario Pinheiro and Agenor Medeiros were involved in a major corruption scandal at the state-owned oil company, Petrobras. Three other former OAS employees have been sentenced to shorter jail terms. The scandal broke last year, implicating senior politicians. Investigators say more than a dozen building companies have paid bribes to corrupt officials and politicians in order to secure lucrative contracts with Petrobras. Judge Moro said OAS should have come forward when the first allegations emerged last year to explain its involvement. However, he said, "when corruption is systemic, paying bribes become routine and that is seen as part of the game".

Israel uses 'administrative detention' for first time against citizen

The Israel Defense Ministry on Wednesday jailed an Israeli extremists for sixth months with no charges or formal trial. It is reported that Mordechai Meyer was sent to jail in as an effort by Israel officials to stop militant Jews involvement in future violent attacks against the citizens of the country. Meyer is alleged to be involved in the deadly attacks on multiple churches in Jerusalem and on known Palestinian property. Usually reserved to Palestinians suspected of planning attacks, Meyer is the first Israeli to receive an administrative detentions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a "zero tolerance" policy for Jewish terrorism and will do whatever it takes to prevent more future attacks on the State of Israel.

North Korea's new time zone to break from 'imperialism'

North Korea is to switch to a new time zone to mark its liberation from the Japanese at the end of World War Two. North Korea is currently in the same time zone as South Korea and Japan, which are nine hours ahead of GMT. But Pyongyang Time will see the clocks put back by 30 minutes on 15 August. State news agency KCNA said "wicked Japanese imperialists" had "deprived Korea of even its standard time" by changing the clocks during occupation.

On Yelp, doctors get reviewed like restaurants — and it rankles

Doctors hate online rankings, saying patients don't get the nuances of medicine. But health care reviews on Yelp are more positive overall than they are for restaurants and other services.

Suez canal expansion opened with pomp and ceremony

The $8.5 billion project includes a new 22-mile channel to allow two-way traffic and the deepening and widening of other parts of the canal to accommodate larger vessels.

Pennsylvania's Attorney General charged in grand jury leak case

Prosecutors say Kathleen Kane leaked confidential information from a grand jury to a newspaper in order to embarrass political opponents.

Judge strikes down idaho 'ag-gag' law, raising questions for other states

A judge ruled Monday that an Idaho law criminalizing undercover investigations of farms is unconstitutional. Seven other states have similar laws, but legal experts say they may not stand much longer.

The never-ending lawsuit against 2 former A.I.G. executives

Charles Dickens invented the interminable estate dispute Jarndyce v. Jarndyce for "Bleak House," his 1853 novel. In real life, the Federal Trade Commission once took 16 years to force Carter's Little Liver Pills to drop the word "Liver." And antitrust regulators spent 13 years on a case against IBM before the Reagan administration dropped it abruptly. Now a civil lawsuit is entering the pantheon of long-running court cases, passing 10 years in May with no end, or even a trial, in sight. The suit was brought in 2005 by Eliot L. Spitzer, the New York attorney general at the time, and accused Maurice R. Greenberg, the former chief executive of the American International Group, and another former company executive of accounting fraud. It has been delayed by what the presiding judge, Charles E. Ramos, exasperatedly described in 2014 as "a series of seemingly never-ending motions and appeals." Some legal experts say the case shows that a wealthy defendant with a high-powered legal team, in this case led by the litigator David Boies, can seemingly run circles around both state lawyers and the state court system itself. Slowing things down allows a deep-pocketed defendant to string out the case to their advantage. If a litigant's goal is to delay the case, a series of appeals is an effective way to do it.

Court strikes down law barring false campaign statements

A Massachusetts law that makes it a crime to publish false statements about political candidates is unconstitutional, the state's highest court ruled Thursday. The Supreme Judicial Court's ruling came in a case involving a state lawmaker from Cape Cod who last year sought a criminal complaint against the treasurer of a political action committee. At issue were fliers that Democratic Rep. Brian Mannal said accused him of putting the interests of sex offenders ahead of families. The justices, in a unanimous 31-page decision, said the 1946 law was "inconsistent with the fundamental right of free speech." The law said no person should publish, or cause to be published, a false statement about a political candidate that is designed to affect the outcome of an election, to harm a political candidate or influence the outcome of a ballot question.

Indian Government blocks, then quickly unblocks porn sites

The government move against more than 850 websites, most of them pornographic, sparked a firestorm on social media this week. After just four days, the government on Wednesday reversed course.

• Daily Press Review

The hungry tide: Bay of Bengal's sinking islands
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar

Man indicted after voicing support for Jerusalem gay pride parade attack on Facebook
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel

Defiant Trump dominates US debate
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

GOP presidential debate takeaways
CNN International, London, England

Spice Girls 'to reunite for huge world tour WITHOUT Victoria Beckham'†
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England

Kids Company staff 'knew of sex abuse claims'
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England

French woman held captive in Yemen since February freed
EuroNews, International news, Ecully Cedex, France

French hostage Isabelle Prime freed in Yemen
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France

Turkey's street vendors brought together for exhibition
Hurriyet Daily News, (Liberal, English-language), Istanbul, Turkey

GOP Debate spends only fifty seconds addressing Black Lives Matter movement
Independent The, London, England

Major Ukrainian TV provider drops Russian channels
Moscow News The, Independent, Moscow, Russia

Lonely orphaned kangaroos given teddy bears
Telegraph The, Conservative daily, London, England

Andy Murray and Kim Sears 'expecting first baby'
Telegraph The, Celebrity news, London, England

Malaysia says plane debris is from MH370 wreckage
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan

USFK Must Ensure Greater Transparency in Germ Warfare
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea

MH370: Missing Chinese passengers' kins demand to go to Reunion
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, India

IIIT-A welcomes new students, asks to strengthen brand
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India

Hiroshima marks 70th A-bomb anniversary amid fears of pacifism eroding
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan

Chinese lawyer taken away after supporting other lawyers
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand

Ukraine President cancels trip over protests in eastern Ukraine
Straits Times, Pro-government, Singapore

Beat the post holiday blues
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia

Sanofi links with Evotec to tap stem cells for diabetes care
The Economic Times, Business, Mumbai, India

Chuck Schumer, prominent Senate Democrat, to oppose Iran nuclear deal
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario

China removes cross from church after month-long protest ends
Globe and Mail The, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada

Liberty Reserve Brought Down By 'Joe Bogus': How The Feds Arrested Arthur Budovsky
International Business Times, Business news organization, New York, U.S

Made in North Korea: goods store opens to brisk business in Seoul
Reuters, Business News, New York, U.S

French hostage freed in Yemen - Hollande's office
Reuters, World News, New York, U.S

Stephen Harper targeted in debate over economy, environment
Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario

Uganda bride price refund outlawed
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

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