May 08, 2013
Linda's Home Team
Linda February 2013
As many of you know, on June 29, 2011, my then 13 year old daughter, Linda, received a Kidney transplant from a child donor who died in a tragic accident. We are forever greatful to that wonderful family.
My older daughter, Mollie as well as our entire family is very active in raising money for The New Jersey Sharing Network. The New Jersey Sharing Network facilitates organ donation and transplant and is the organization responsible for helping Linda obtain her new Kidney.
On June 9, 2013, The New Jersey Sharing Network is sponsoring a 3 mile run and walk to help raise money for this critically important cause. The event will take place in Providence New Jersey and starts at 9 am. Information about the run/walk can be found here.
I hope that you will consider joining us on June 9th. If you cannot make it, contributions are welcome. 100% of the donations go to the N.J. Sharing Network.
If you want to sign up to run/walk, click here. You should click on join team in the upper right hand corner. If you cannot make it and would just like to contribute, you can make a donation on by clicking on my name and then clicking on contribute in the right hand corner.
This is the least that we can do. And please consider indicating on your drivers license that you are willing to be an organ donor. Additional information about Linda's Home Team as well as a picture of some of the members from last year can be found on Linda's Home Team Facebook page developed by Mollie, here.
Thank you,
Mitch Rubinstein
May 8, 2013 in Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 27, 2013
Workers Memorial Day 2013
Matt Pelletier writes to tell us about Workers Memorial Day which is on April 28, 2013. He published a tribute page which is full of interesting information about OSHA. I did not know anything about Workers Memorial Day. He describes it as follows:
Workers memorial day is a commemoration day that is celebrated in the U.S and abroad each year on April 28th. It is meant to remember those who have been killed or left disabled as a result of an injury suffered at work. It’s an opportunity to recognize the preventable nature of most workplace accidents and bring greater awareness to safety campaigns and legislation.
His web page is certainly worth reading.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
April 27, 2013 in Misc., Non-Legal, Unions | Permalink | Comments (1)
November 04, 2012
What is a State of Emergency?
Now that Sandy has technically passed us, I thought it might be useful to discuss what a State of Emergency is. We hear about Governors declaring them and often see the National Guard, but little else is explained. My understanding is that a State of Emergency gives the Governor additional powers. In NJ, the Governor order that gas only be available every other day in certain counties. In New York, the Governor suspended suspended certain statute of limitations. A copy of Governor Cuomo's Executive Order (No. 52) in this regard is available here, Download Suspension_of_Time_Limitations_10-26-12
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
November 4, 2012 in Current Affairs, Current Events, Misc., Legal, Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 16, 2012
NY Times on Flextime
When Work-Life Scales Are Uneven is an interesting Sept. 1, 2012 article from the New York Times. It is about the pros and cons to flexible work arrangements. As the article points out, it can be of critical value to employees with young children, but it may also result in a significant amount of workplace disruption.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
October 16, 2012 in Employment Law, Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (1)
September 16, 2012
Employee Wellness Programs
More and more employers are adopting Employee Wellness Programs. In my book, that is a win win for all. An interesting wellness infographic that was we just published, is titled 'The State of Corporate Wellness Programs in America" and is full of interesting statistics that researchers may find helpful. It is available here.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
September 16, 2012 in Current Events, Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 23, 2012
Bring Your Dog To Work
CNN ran an interesting story on July 23, 2012 about some employers who allow employees to bring their dogs to work, here. It discusses a survey by a managemet professor that concluded as follows:
A sample of 76 employees were studied -- some brought their dogs to work, some didn't, and some didn't own dogs. The study found that while everyone started the day with low baseline levels of the stress hormone cortisol, those who didn't bring their dogs to work reported drastically higher levels of stress by the end of the working day.
Those who had their dogs with them had low levels of stress throughout the day, and about half of that group felt that dogs were important to their productivity. Of the two groups without dogs, 80% felt that the dogs in the workplace had no negative effect on productivity.
As a dog lover, I think this is wonderful. When I was in college, students often brought their dogs to class and their were no major problems. Of course if someone has an allergy or if the dog bites someone, a problems can develop.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
July 23, 2012 in Misc., Legal, Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (0)
February 23, 2012
Ever Wonder How Many People Have Undergrad and Grad Degrees?
U.S. Bachelor Degree Rate Passes Milestone is an interesting Feb. 23, 2012 New York Times article. It reports on statistics complied by the U.S. Census which shows the following:
As of last March, 30.4 percent of people over age 25 in the United States held at least a bachelor’s degree, and 10.9 percent held a graduate degree, up from 26.2 percent and 8.7 percent 10 years earlier.
For many years, colleges have enrolled and graduated more women than men, and a historic male advantage in higher education has nearly been erased. In 2001, men held a 3.9 percentage-point lead in bachelor’s degrees and 2.6 percentage points in graduate degrees; by last year, both gaps were down to 0.7 percent.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
February 23, 2012 in Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (0)
February 14, 2012
Survey finds American workers spend an average of $3000 a year on coffee and lunch at work
The recent survey found that 50 percent of the American workforce spends approximately $1000 a year on coffee, or a weekly coffee habit of more than $20. Interestingly, 66 percent of workers buy their lunch instead of packing it, costing them an average of $37 per week. New York City, which is where I hail from is considerably more expensive.
Source CCH Work Day
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
February 14, 2012 in Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (1)
February 13, 2012
Bored Court Clerk Watched Porn During Rape Trial
This is another one of those stories which you simply cannot make up. A Court Clerk watched porn during a court trial-a rape trial no less! This happened in London and the Clerk was charged with criminal law violations.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
February 13, 2012 in Misc., Legal, Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (0)
November 16, 2011
So You Need A Job. NASA Is Advertising For Astronauts
No, I am not joking. NASA is advertising for Astronauts, here. Ever wonder what an Astronaut makes? Well its $64,724.00 to $141,715.00 / Per Year. The job description states that frequent travel may be required. That is an understatement if I ever heard one. There are between 9 and 12 positions.
An ABC News story about this is available here.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
November 16, 2011 in Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (1)
August 16, 2011
Movie Review-The Help
A friend of this blog, Jim Castagnera who is a professor at Rider University and Associate Provost, and who edits Castagnera's Law, Education and Employment Watch blog, just wrote an interesting movie review of "The Help," available here. If any of you are thinking of seeing this movie about Jim Crow laws in the 1960's you will find Jim's review of interest. Jim is also the author of several books, including Al-Quaeda Goes To College, which I previously reviewed here.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
August 16, 2011 in Film, Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (0)
May 22, 2011
My 13 Year Old Daughter Needs A Kidney. Can you help?
My 13 year old daughter (seen here in the blue with her sister Mollie (in pink) with my wife Lisa) has a genetic Kidney disease and now needs a Kidney transplant.
In the process of being evaluated to be a donor, it was discovered that I have Kidney disease (polycystic Kidneys) and cannot donate. My wife's blood type does not match. Our other daughter is too young to donate.
Linda's blood type is "O." We are looking for a doner with "O" blood type. If your type "O," other blood tests need to be performed to see if your a match.
If you think you can help out, please contact me at professorrubinstein@gmail.com.
If your unable to be a donor, but know someone that might be, I would appreciate if you could pass this information along.
Linda's sister Mollie created a Facebook page entitled My Little Sister Needs A Kidney which provides additional information about Linda. Mollie also created a You Tube Video which is wonderful.
Thank you very much for caring.
Mitchell Rubinstein
May 22, 2011 in Information, Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 29, 2010
Gmail Tune-Up (Free)
Our sister blog, Legal Skills Prof Blog, suggests that you give your computer a free Gmail tune up by going to Gmail Security Checklist
As Professor Jim Levy notes, most of the suggestions offerred are common sense and do not only apply to gmail.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
December 29, 2010 in Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 27, 2010
Top 20 Web Sites in US According To Alexa.com
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Yahoo!
yahoo.comPersonalized content and search options. Chatrooms, free e-mail, clubs, and pager. -
4
YouTube - Broadcast yourself
youtube.comYouTube is a way to get your videos to the people who matter to you. Upload, tag and share your... More -
5
Amazon.com
amazon.comAmazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and disc...More -
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7
eBay
ebay.comInternational person to person auction site, with products sorted into categories. -
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Twitter
twitter.comSocial networking and microblogging service utilising instant messaging, SMS or a web interface. -
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Blogger.com
blogspot.comFree, automated weblog publishing tool that sends updates to a site via FTP. -
10
Craigslist.org
craigslist.org -
11
Windows Live
live.comSearch engine from Microsoft. -
12
MSN
msn.comPortal for shopping, news and money, e-mail, search, and chat. -
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14
Bing
bing.comSearch engine developed by Microsoft. Features web, image, video, local, news, and product search. -
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AOL
aol.comAOL - Testing for DMOZ 2.0 -
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CNN Interactive
cnn.comNews, weather, sports, and services including e-mail news alerts and downloadable audio/video r... More -
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Netflix
netflix.comFlat monthly fee by mail service.
December 27, 2010 in Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 21, 2010
4G Now Live In NYC and NJ
In case you have been living under a bus and have not noticed, most professionals utilize smart phones. These phones allow owners to browse the web, type memo's, send email, text and yes, make telephone calls.
I am no techie, but my understanding is that most smart phones today are utilizing 3G speeds. The speed is decent for phone use and internet use on the phone. However, it is really inadequate for internet use on a laptop. 3G speed is about the same speed as the old 56K dial up modem before the days of broadband.
I just noticed that 4G is now live in NYC and it is also available in northern and central NJ. It has been available in Philly and in southern NJ for some time. 4 G is about 6 times faster and you see the difference-a significant difference when browsing the web from a laptop.
So, how do you browse the web from your laptop? You have basically four options; insert or purchase a broadband card for the laptop, purchase a mifi type device which allows you to browse the web, tether your phone via a cable or bluetooth via some free or low cost software services or use the WiFi service from your phone.
I have a Sprint Evo 4G and the last options really shines on this phone. I have tried to connect to the web with all the other types of connections and the phone WiFi option is the fastest.
So, why doesn't everyone have a 4G phone? Because it is first rolling out. Sprint is the leader here with WiMax. Currently there are only two WiMax phones to choose, the Evo 4G and the Samsung Epic 4G. The phones are very similar. The Evo has more features, but the Epic has a keyboard.
Verizon and AT&T promise to launch their own 4G services shortly. Until then, if your in the market for a smart phone, in my view the only provider that should be considered is Sprint and right now you should only consider the above phones.
No, I do not own stock in Sprint and I hated to give up my Blackberry on AT&T which I loved. However, I cannot see using yesterday's technology in today's world.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
September 21, 2010 in Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (0)
August 05, 2010
Will Blackberry's Be Going Bye-Bye One Day??
CNN ran an interesting story about Blackberry's which readers may find of interest. Blackberry is the leader in the smart phone industry, but recent polls of users indicate that 58% of BB users will buy another phone when it is time to upgrade.
So, why is this? I can tell you that I am one of those users. I loved the BB keyboard, but the phone was simply slow. The browser was so slow that it was un-useable at times. Yes, it is a wonderful business tool, but other phones today can perform all of the same functions that BB does.
To me, the most important function is the availability of 4G. I cannot see purchasing a new BB or any smart phone that is not 4 G ready. Currently, that leaves users with only one option-the Sprint Evo 4G which I just love.
If you use gmail, you also cannot beat the ability to have your calender and email sync in real time with your desktop. BB enterprise users (business phones) had that capability for years, but now anyone with an Android phone can have this tool for free-at least for gmail.
BB are you listening??
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
August 5, 2010 in Misc., Non-Legal, News | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 25, 2010
Free Office Products (Fax and Conference Calls)
There are now several products on the web which allow you to send and receive a fax for free as an email and to make free conference calls via a regular telephone. There are limitations to all of these services, but the are free and I thought I would share them with readers. My favorites are as follows:
-Send Fax Via Email (www.K7.net)
-Receive Fax Via Email (www.freefaxbutton.com)
-Free Telephone Conference Calls (www.FreeConferenceCallHD.com)
I will be adding these links to the left side of my blog for future reference. If anyone has other suggestions that are totally free (not low cost), please comment below.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
July 25, 2010 in Misc., Legal, Misc., Non-Legal, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 21, 2010
Most Woman State That They Have a Proper Balance Between Their Work and Personal Life
A recent survey by Kenexa Research Institute indicates that 61% of woman believe that they are able to achieve a proper balance between their work and personal life, more here. The report is based on the analysis of data drawn from a representative sample of 10,000 U.S. workers who were surveyed through WorkTrends™, KRI’s annual survey of worker opinions.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
July 21, 2010 in Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 11, 2010
Review of Sprint HTC EVO™ 4G
I just purchased the Sprint HTC EVO™ 4G smartphone two days ago and I thought it would be helpful to tell my readers why I think they should seriously consider purchasing one.
This is actually my fourth smart phone (Handspring Communicator, Treo 700, Blackberry Bold 9000) and it is by far the best. I actually loved my BB. So why do I recommend switching? First, the phone is 4G. Even if 4G is not in your area, it probably will be coming soon and even if it is not, the phone is still a compelling choice because: second, it can be used as a WiFi Hot Spot for up to 8 devices. Yeah, I know about PDA Net and Tether for Blackberry, but this is much faster because WiFi is faster than Bluetooth which is the only way either PDA Net or Tether work if you want to go wireless. The Sprint Wi Fi (and I only have 3G in my area) is also faster than the wired PDA Net or Tether (I used both). Third, the Android operating system intergrates into Google. Thus, all of your Contacts in Gmail and all of your Calendar remain in sync at all times. You do not have to do anything. Thus, you can view your calendar on your desk top and you also have an automatic back up of your important data. Don't worry you can also use this phone with just about any other email application and I also check my yahoo mail account with it. Fourth, you can download the fastest browser (skyfire) which is unavailable on BB. There is no comparison with the speed of the Evo to the BB. It has to be about triple (and that's without 4g). Fifth, there is an 8 mega pix camera and a second, 1.3 front facing camera. camera. Sixth, there are 35, 000 Android apps you can download and thousands are for free. Sixth, and this is big, you can edit google docs in your web browser in real time and save it to the SD card. Seventh, it comes with Sprint Navigation and Sprint TV for free. Sprint Navigation operates like a Garmin with turn by turn directions. Eight, the screen is unbelievable. Finally, Sprint's monthly charges are less than both Verizon and AT & T. This phone is only available with Sprint as the carrier.
The touch screen takes a bit getting use to. Frankly, I much prefer the BB keyboard, but the other advantages outweigh the lack of a keyboard. If you like the Apple i-phone, you will love this phone. No Android phones come with a Word Processor. This phone comes with Quick Office which allows you to view MS Word documents, but not edit them. To edit documents you have to purchase the full version for $15. Documents to Go does the same thing, but I think that costs about $30.
I would recommend purchasing it from either Best Buy or Radio Shack for $199. Sprint Stores sell the phone for $299 with a $100 mail in rebate. The phone is very popular at this price point. It is selling so well (the stores regularly sell out and I had to wait 2 weeks for mine), that I would buy it now before the price is raised.
If any are you in the market for a Smartphone, in my book there is no other choice.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
July 11, 2010 in Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 01, 2010
100 Informative & Inspiring YouTube Videos for Educators
Some readers may find this list of 100 Informative You Tube Videos for Educations helpful. It appears to be geared to both K-12 teachers and college professors.
Mitchell H. Rubinstein
Hat Tip: Emma Taylor
July 1, 2010 in Education Law, Misc., Non-Legal | Permalink | Comments (1)
