I am 12 weeks pregnant and thinking of buying an established used bookstore. Am I crazy?
I have a good job, and will go on maternity leave in August, I have ALWAYS wanted my own bookstore, the opportunity has come up for me to buy one, does anyone know if there are regulations in Canada on having your own business while on maternity leave? Plus, has anyone else out there done something similar? Is it crazy for me to take this on when pregnant? The decision is driving me mad, I think this may be my only chance to do it due to insane increases in real estate in the BC town where I live. Any info gratefully recieved.
Why not. You take some time off work for the baby and while you do that have someone look after the store. You will not be bed ridden or anything and should still be able to have an active role in the store. The manager just gives you a break at times of need for the baby and yourself. My answer is go for it and reach for your dream.
Top 5 Celebrities Exposed For Having Fake Qualifications
There’s a reason that inventing fake qualifications is advised against. Aside from the obvious ethical issues, if you’re caught, you’re in real trouble and could face sacking and a reputation of lying that will never pass. My experience of this is all from senior travel recruitment though, and it would be far worse if you were in the public eye. All the following have faced the accusation of lying on a CV to reach their celebrity position…
5. Paul McKenna – Celebrity Hypnotist
Paul McKenna, the former radio DJ and TV hypnotist now runs a self help empire with an estimated £10,000,000 is somewhat unique in this list as he was completely unaware of the fake qualification he held. He took legal action against the Mirror for their comments that the entry requirement for his doctorate at La Selle University, Louisiana, was answering the question “Do you have $2,615, sir?” and won, with the judge accepting that McKenna was unaware that the degree was a scam, and had not tried to deceive the public with his fake qualifications.
The worth of the case is questionable though, with McKenna racking up £1,500,000 legal fees for a settlement believed to be between £20,000 and £50,000 – as well as highlighting his qualifications as bogus. McKenna has since earned what he calls a “proper” doctorate from a UK business school, which will pass the scrutiny of any qualification checks.
4. Marilee Jones – Author and Former Dean of Admissions at MIT
Marilee Jones was the dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and co-wrote ‘Less Stress, More Success: A New Approach to Guiding Your Teen Through College Admissions and Beyond’ before it emerged that she herself had cheated the admission process in getting a job at MIT in the first place. In 2007, it became public knowledge that she had lied on her CV with fake qualifications when she first joined MIT in 1979 as an entry-level admissions officer.
When she resigned her position with a statement on the college’s website, she wrote: “I misrepresented my academic degrees when I first applied to MIT 28 years ago, and did not have the courage to correct my resume when I applied for my current job or at any time since.” It just goes to show that lying on your CV can catch you up at any time – in this case, nearly 3 decades later.
3. Robert Irvine – Celebrity Chef
It’s surprising that this British chef was better known in America than the UK, but perhaps his lies would have been easily picked up over here. After working on the hugely popular ‘Dinner Impossible’ programme on America’s Food Network, the St. Petersburg Times exposed a series of tall tales he had spread both anecdotally and by lying on his CV. Amongst the most damning was the claim he had a degree in food and nutrition from the University of Leeds, refuted by the academic establishment after a qualifications check. He also claimed he worked on the wedding cake for Princess Diana and Prince Charles – which turned out to be a massive exaggeration: “They made the cake at the school where I was.” Irvine’s involvement? “Picking fruit and things like that.”
All this came to light in late 2007, and by New Year, the Food Network had announced that they would not be renewing the contract of the chef, but would continue to show re-runs and the new series which had already been filmed.
2. Gillian McKeith – Celebrity Dietician
Gillian McKeith had a wildly popular television show in which she forced overweight people to reassess their lifestyles and diet. She also has a multi-million pound selection of health products and books, but after an expose by various websites, and a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority, she is no longer allowed to call herself “Doctor” on any of her promotional materials, thanks to obtaining the doctorate via a correspondence course from a non-accredited American college, according to The Guardian’s Bad Science section.
1. Claire Verity – Celebrity Nanny
The celebrity nanny on ‘Bringing up Baby’ – Channel 4’s childcare programme was found to have methods 100 years out of date, no children of her own and a series of fake qualifications, following an investigation by The Times. Her controversial childcare tips included leaving babies to cry, limiting cuddling time to 10 minutes a day, and leaving babies outside to air – advice the NSPCC have stated is “outdated and potentially harmful.” Her advice that babies sleep alone in separate rooms is also said to contradict guidance on preventing cot death.
With this advice dismissed as damaging from so many sources, it’s no surprise to learn that the professional bodies she claimed to have obtained qualifications from were keen to wash their hands of her. ASET, where she claimed to have diplomas in child daycare and preschool practice said there was no trace of her in their database, Goal who supposedly provided her diploma in childcare denied any knowledge of her and her agent admitted she had not taken the postnatal depression or care of multiple baby qualifications that Channel 4 had said she had. Maternity Nurse Training – where she claimed to have certificates in maternity practice, sleep training and paediatrics stated she was never enrolled with them, and went as far as to comment that they “do not in any way endorse the methods employed by Ms Verity in her work.”
After asking her to prove her qualifications, and none forthcoming 12 weeks after the claims were made, Channel 4 announced it assumed Verity had lied on her CV and would no longer be working with her, but claimed that only one series of the show was ever planned anyway.
So for God’s sake if you insist on using fake qualifications, just make sure you don’t get famous! Lying on your CV will always catch up with you, even if the initial qualification checks are lax, whether you’re looking for travel recruitment or if you’re a world famous TV personality…
About the Author
Gail Kenny is the managing director of Gail Kenny Executive Search, a headhunting recruitment agency specialising in senior travel recruitment
. The site caters exclusively to talented individuals with skills and experience to succeed in the travel management, and businesses looking for such candidates.
In New Jersey, under certain circumstances, many people who have a criminal record may be able to have that record “expunged.”Visit herehttp://houstoncriminal-lawyer.blogspot.com
Expungement is a procedure created by statute, to allow certain one-time offenders to effectively erase their criminal records. Expungement of a record means that an interrogation, detention, arrest, acquittal or conviction may be “deemed not to have occurred, and the [person] may answer any questions relating to their occurrence accordingly.”( NJS 2C:52-27).
The law makes clear that its primary objective is “providing relief to the one-time offender who has led a life of rectitude and disassociated himself from unlawful activity,,,” (NJS 2C:52-32). Repeat offenders need not apply. An exception may be made for up to two disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons offenses arising subsequent to the record to be expunged. These cases will usually require an appearance before a judge.
Records that may be expunged include complaints, warrants, arrests, commitments, processing records, fingerprints, photographs, index cards, “rap sheets” and judicial docket records. The court’s Order of Expungement applies to every court, detention or correctional facility, law enforcement or criminal justice agency within NJ’s criminal justice system. (NJS 2C:52-1). Expungements do not apply to arrests or convictions for motor vehicle offenses, including DWI, since they arise under the Motor Vehicle Code, not the Criminal Code. (NJS 2C:52-58)
There are many reasons to expunge a criminal record. The most common are employment-related. More and more employers are ordering criminal background checks on new, and existing, employees. Immigration and travel concerns prompt other people to seek expungement. They are concerned that their criminal records, however old or insignificant, may be a problem at some point during immigration or during international travel. Some people seek an expungement just for closure of an embarrassing event.
Although an attorney is not required to petition for an expungement, the process requires strict adherence to hearing dates, service of process requirements and mailing list completeness, and it may be helpful to have counsel. Nevertheless, the law and procedure of expungement are spelled out in the statute.
The availability of expungement in a particular case turns largely on the nature and date if the offense. In New Jersey, offenses are classified as indictable offenses (which can carry a sentence of a year or more in prison), disorderly persons offenses (DPOs), petty disorderly persons offenses (PDPOs) and municipal ordinance violations.
DPOs, PDPOs and municipal ordinances may all be expunged (subject to certain limited statutory exceptions), but many indictable offenses cannot be expunged. NJS 2C:52-2 lists the crimes that cannot be expunged – homicide, kidnapping, most sex offenses, robbery, kidnap, anarchy, manslaughter, sodomy, criminal restraint, endangering the welfare of a child and perjury, and conspiracies to commit these crimes are among these. A conviction for any crime (or conspiracy or attempt to commit such crime) by a public office holder or public employee similarly cannot be expunged if the crime “involved or touched such office, position or employment.” (NJS 2C:52-2b). A juvenile record of delinquency may be expunged, if the equivalent adult crime could be expunged.
A record of possession of a small quantity of drugs (CDS) may be expunged, but the sale or distribution of drugs is not. Neither is possession with the intent to sell. Exceptions are made for small quantities of hashish (5 grams) and Marijuana (25 grams) that were sold or possessed with the intent to sell. (NJS 2C:52-2c).
Once it is determined that the offense or event is one that may be expunged, it is essential to consider whether enough time has elapsed, since there is a substantial waiting period for expungements. The time period begins to run, not from the date of conviction alone, but from the date of conviction, payment of fine (in full), satisfactory completion of probation or parole, or release from custody, whichever is latest.
The period for indictable offenses is ten years; for disorderly persons offenses, petty disorderly persons offenses, and certain adjudications of juvenile delinquency, the period is five years. For municipal court violations, the period is two years. There is no waiting period for an arrest not resulting in conviction (NJS 2C:52-6), although a six-month period is imposed where a program or supervisory treatment had been required for the dismissal (NJS 2C:52-6(b)).
If the event is one that may be expunged, and the requisite time has lapsed, make sure that the petitioner is not the subject of any pending charges (NJS 2C:52-13), and that the petition will not be barred by one of the “grounds for denial of relief” listed in NJS 2C:52-14. If the petitioner still might qualify, the petition should be filed.
The process begins with the filing of a petition for expungement. The petition should be accompanied by a check in the amount of thirty dollars payable to the State Treasurer. The petition must be verified and must include the petitioner’s date of birth, date of arrest (if any). It must also include the statutes for which petitioner was arrested and/or convicted, the original indictment, summons or complaint number, the date of conviction or final disposition, and the disposition and punishment, if any. (NJS 2C:52-7).
The petitioner must attach to the petition a sworn statement that there are no criminal charges, DPOs or PDPOs pending against the petitioner at the time of application. Where petitioner seeks to expunge the record of a conviction, s/he must provide a statement that s/he has never had a previous expungement. Where a criminal case has been downgraded because of petitioner’s acceptance into supervisory treatment or a diversion program, the petitioner must provide a statement setting forth specific information concerning the original charge. (NJS 2C:52-9).
Once a petition has been properly filed, the court will grant an Order fixing a date for a hearing on the matter. The hearing will be scheduled not less than 35 days nor more than 60 days following filing. (NJS 2C:52-9). Within five days of the date of the signing of the order setting a hearing date, a copy of each petition, together with a copy of all supporting documents shall served, pursuant to the Rules of Court upon the following people or agencies:
a. the Superintendant of State Police,
b. the Attorney General of New Jersey,
c. the county prosecutor of the county wherein the court is located,
d. the Chief of Police…of the municipality wherein the offense was committed,
e. the chief law enforcement officer of any other law enforcement agency which participated in the arrest,
f. the superintendent or warden of any institution in which petitioner was confined; and
g. if the disposition was made by a municipal court, upon the magistrate of that court.
(NJS 2C:52-10)
These parties are given an opportunity to voice an objection to the expungement. If, prior to the hearing, no one objects to the expungement, and there is no contrary reason listed in NJS 2C:52-14, the court may grant the order without the necessity of a hearing. (NJS 2C:52-11). Once the Order has been granted, the clerk of the court notifies the appropriate law enforcement and criminal justice agencies to expunge all relevant records.
The expungement procedure is uncomplicated, but exacting. It is a beneficent law. For an appropriate petitioner, expungement may reopen doors of opportunity that had been shut, bring peace of mind over some old loose ends, restore confidence in a discouraged job applicant and otherwise serve the stated purpose of aiding the one-time offender.Visit herehttp://houstoncriminal-lawyer.blogspot.com