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jobsearchtips02 · 5 years ago

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Live Stock Exchange Tracker During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Today

Hundreds of Wendy’s restaurants have actually lacked hamburgers.

Break outs at meatpacking plants start to strain the nationwide supply.

Numerous Wendy’s dining establishments have run out of hamburgers. Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the United States, is limiting the quantity of ground beef and pork that clients can buy at some shops. And Costco, where shoppers typically purchase wholesale, has actually placed a three-product cap on purchases of beef, poultry and pork.

Over the last month, dozens of meatpacking plants across the nation have actually closed down because of coronavirus break outs, raising concerns about the nation’s meat supply. Now, the effect of those disruptions is reaching consumers at supermarket and junk food drive-throughs, where particular types of meat, like hamburgers, are more difficult to discover.

On Monday, almost one in five Wendy’s restaurants– an overall of 1,043 places– were sold out of beef products, consisting of hamburgers, according to analysis by the financial firm Stephens, which took a look at the online menu at every Wendy’s in the United States.

Parking lots have actually become a digital lifeline to those without web access.

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Beth Revis, an author, utilizing the complimentary Wi-Fi outside Mount Vernon-Ruth Elementary School in Rutherfordton, N.C. Credit … Jacob Biba for The New York Times

Parking lots have actually been a digital lifeline throughout the pandemic, a patch for one of the most persistent issues in technology– and one the coronavirus has intensified. Rather of costs hours in dining establishments, libraries and cafes, people without quick web access in the house are sitting in lots near schools, libraries and shops that have actually kept their signals on.

School leaders in Philadelphia and Sacramento have motivated households to use totally free locations in library and school parking lots. More than 100 individuals went to the Wi-Fi of one of Omaha’s libraries over three days just recently. Near Topeka, Kan., a steady circulation of automobiles now arrive outside the general public library, while other cars cluster near linked bookmobiles parked in lots near a females’s reformatory and a mobile home park.

” I hope that there is a lesson learned from this,” said Gina Millsap, the chief executive of the Topeka & Shawnee County Town Library. “Broadband is like water and electricity now, and yet it’s still being treated like a high-end.”

One in four Americans has no high-speed internet access in your home, according to the Bench Research Center, either due to the fact that it’s too expensive or due to the fact that the home remains in a backwoods with restricted service.

Wall Street’s rally continues for a 2nd day as oil rates increase.

Stocks in the United States followed global markets and oil prices higher.

The S&P 500 climbed up almost 2 percent, extending a rally that began late on Monday as shares of big technology companies rose.

Though unstable at times, stocks have been climbing up lately as financiers see healing efforts in the United States, along with indications from Europe and China that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic may be over in some of the hardest-hit places.

Highlighting the optimism, oil costs surged in early Tuesday trading, though they stayed near to traditionally low levels. The cost of benchmark crude in the United States was up nearly 20 percent. Brent crude, the worldwide benchmark, was up more than 10 percent.

The stock exchange gains– the S&P 500 is up almost 30 percent over the past 6 weeks– have come even as business report discouraging financial outcomes and caution of the financial damage being brought on by the pandemic.

On Tuesday, a step of need and work in the services market revealed a sharp downturn in April, to the most affordable level because March 2009, as stores and restaurants were shuttered and consumers stayed at home. A comparable step of production activity, launched by the Institute for Supply Management last week, had actually also revealed a collapse.

Financiers have managed to get rid of such grim data, which signifies that the United States economy remains in an unmatched decline, due to the fact that it shows what has currently taken place instead of what may come as stay-at-home orders are lifted and guvs gradually relocate to resume their economies.

Facebook removes accounts spreading coronavirus disinformation.

Facebook said on Tuesday that it had removed eight global networks of accounts from the social media network, including numerous that pushed incorrect info about the coronavirus. The company stated the disinformation it took down had been published across more than 30 nations in April. In the United States, especially, the social media’s purge for the very first time consisted of pages from QAnon, the fringe conspiracy group.

All of the networks were developed prior to the pandemic began, however “we’ve seen individuals behind these campaigns opportunistically use coronavirus-related posts among lots of other subjects to build an audience.” Facebook said in its report.

Facebook stated it concentrated on the collaborated behavior of the operations it took down, not hazardous virus-related disinformation pressed by the accounts. Coronavirus disinformation was still a significant part of numerous of the operations in the takedown. In the United States, Facebook stated it removed a QAnon operation spanning 5 Facebook pages, six groups and 20 Facebook accounts that, apart from frequently posting about the upcoming presidential election and the Trump administration, pressed anti-Asian conspiracies and disinformation about the infection.

Some of the accounts developed fictitious personalities and offered merchandise, Facebook stated. More than 133,000 accounts on Facebook followed pages in the QAnon operation and 30,000 accounts signed up with one or more of the groups.

Besides the QAnon network, Facebook stated it removed dozens of pages and accounts in the United States linked to VDARE and The Unz Evaluation, 2 websites known to spread anti-immigration belief, along with 6 other networks of accounts pressing political disinformation in Iran, Georgia, Myanmar and Russia,.

President Trump’s pick for stimulus fund guard dog pledges to be objective.

The special inspector general that President Trump chose to supervise the Treasury Department’s $500 billion pandemic recovery fund promised on Tuesday to be reasonable and impartial in his efforts to fight misuse of the bailout money.

In ready statement ahead of his verification hearing, Brian D. Miller, attempted to pacify fears that he is not independent enough for the prominent guard dog role amid issues that his present position as a White Home attorney suggests he would be putting Mr. Trump’s interests ahead of those of American taxpayers.

Lawmakers developed the inspector basic function to supervise dispensation of funds that are part of the $2 trillion economic relief package that Congress passed in March.

The nomination, which needs Senate confirmation, has actually not been received well by Democrats, who demanded stringent oversight as a condition of passing the rescue plan that Mr. Trump signed into law.

Mr. Miller is anticipated to deal with concerns about an uncommon signing declaration from Mr. Trump that suggested the president had the power to decide what details the inspector general could show Congress.

” If validated, I will carry out every audit and investigation with fairness and impartiality,” Mr. Miller prepared to tell members of the Senate Banking Committee. “I promise to seek the fact in all matters that come prior to me and to use my authority and resources to reveal scams, waste, and abuse.”

Hertz gets a reprieve from its lending institutions as it faces a possible insolvency.

Hertz, the century-old cars and truck rental company, narrowly avoided an upcoming crisis Monday after effectively negotiating with its lending institutions over a missed payment on the lease for its rental fleet, according to a securities filing. The business now has less than three weeks– till May 22– to come up with a plan to pay them back and continue to satisfy its ongoing financial commitments.

The company cautioned last week that it had missed out on the payment, however had a one-week grace duration ending on Monday to pay or negotiate new terms with the loan providers. According to the filing on Tuesday early morning, the lending institutions concurred not to force a sale of the cars in the Hertz fleet– in the meantime.

Hertz had been preparing to declare bankruptcy as quickly as Tuesday if it could not reach an arrangement with the lenders, according to Bloomberg. It had even worked with a personal bankruptcy adviser to assist it prepare, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The pandemic has actually had “a fast, sudden and remarkable negative effect” on the company’s business, it said in the Tuesday filing. Hertz had actually started offering a few of the automobiles in its fleet as early as March as federal government constraints and fear of the outbreak rapidly eroded its business. Last month, it laid off 10,000 workers.

Norwegian Cruise Line acknowledges ‘substantial doubt’ about its survival.

Norwegian Cruise Line, one of the world’s largest cruise business, stated on Tuesday that there was “considerable doubt” about its ability to endure the coronavirus pandemic.

Norwegian acknowledged the alarming circumstance in a securities filing revealing that it was looking for $650 million in brand-new funding. The international shutdown of the cruise industry has actually strained the finances of all 3 significant cruise companies– Norwegian and its two primary rivals, Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean— requiring them to obtain cash at high interest rates.

As the coronavirus continues to spread out, Norwegian stated in the filing, it is “anticipated to continue to adversely impact our outcomes, operations, outlook, strategies, objectives, growth, track record, cash flows, liquidity, need for trips and share price.”

Carnival said on Monday that it prepared to start cruising again on a few of its ships as early as August. A spokesperson for Norwegian said the company intended to start cruising in July.

A Fed study warns that a pandemic can drive extremism.

A dive in flu deaths early in the 20 th century may have assisted to drive the increase of the Nazi Celebration in Germany, research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New york city showed, in a stark caution about how pandemics can drive social modification.

” Influenza deaths of 1918 are associated with a boost in the share of votes won by right-wing extremists,” Kristian S. Blickle, a Fed economic expert, wrote in the report.

The study has constraints: Data on the duration is rather sporadic, so the conclusions are based upon a little sample, and disentangling disease consequences and the side effect of World War I are hard.

But the finding holds even counting for a city’s ethnic and religious makeup, regional unemployment, previous conservative ballot, and other local qualities.

” The correlation in between influenza death and the vote share won by right-wing extremists is more powerful in areas that had traditionally blamed minorities, especially Jews, for medieval plagues,” Mr. Blickle wrote. He includes that “the illness may have fostered a hatred of ‘others’, as it was viewed to come from abroad.”

Public companies return millions in loans reserved for small businesses.

At least 313 public companies got loans worth a minimum of $ 1.18 billion Of that, $378 million has or will be returned, including almost all of the largest known loans.

Braemar Hotels and Resorts

Energy Solutions of America

Ashford Hospitality and Braemar Hotels and Resorts are controlled by Ashford Inc., and jointly got $688 million in small business loans. Not all public business that have gotten loans might be shown. · Source: Company reports, securities filings and Sentieo

Openly traded business have actually returned more than $375 million in federal stimulus loans implied to assist small companies stay afloat, according to a New york city Times analysis of securities filings and public announcements. Much of the business began returning the loans after their disclosures raised an outcry that the stimulus program was guiding money to major corporations rather of smaller sized operations like independent retailers and restaurants.

Nine of the 10 biggest recognized loans released to public companies have or will be returned, the Times analysis programs. The outlier, a loan to BBQ Holdings, which owns numerous hospitality brands including Famous Dave’s BARBEQUE, was initially divulged on Friday.

Ashford Inc., which oversees a network of hotels and resorts including Ritz Carltons and one of the greatest recipients of the program, said on Saturday that it and its subsidiaries would return $688 million in loans after installing criticism from policymakers and members of the general public. So far, a minimum of 35 public and private companies have returned their loans.

The European cars and truck industry is promoting handouts.

Lobby groups for the European auto industry stated Tuesday that governments need to provide cash-for-clunkers programs and other monetary incentives to reboot cars and truck sales, which have actually plunged since of lockdowns.

The appeal by associations representing carmakers, dealers, parts providers and tire makers came as chief executives of German auto producers held a conference call with Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss how to assist the nation’s crucial industry.

Lots of economic experts argue that the reward programs, which usually use a benefit to individuals who trade in an older design, merely postpone a day of reckoning for the industry and help mostly upscale individuals who have money for brand-new vehicles.

Environmental groups are pushing for any incentives to use only to electrical automobiles, but the industry groups stated that gas and diesel cars– which normally create more earnings– must likewise be eligible.

Catch up: Here’s what else is occurring.

NBCUniversal will cut wages for higher-paid employees, its chief executive, Jeff Shell, announced in a companywide email Tuesday. The media giant will roll back recent salary increases for staff members who make more than $100,000, beginning in June, and the management team, that includes Mr. Shell and Cesar Conde, the newly selected head of news, will take a 20 percent pay cut. Workers at the company’s theme parks department have actually currently seen pay cuts.

The British airline Virgin Atlantic on Tuesday became the current provider to reveal expense cuts, stating it would lay off more than 3,000 employees, retire older jumbo jets and no longer fly from London’s Gatwick Airport. Virgin stated in a statement that it could take 3 years for the airline industry to return to where it was prior to the pandemic began.

Fiat Chrysler reported an adjusted net loss of 471 million euros ($510 million) for the very first quarter, compared to a revenue of 570 million euros a year earlier, as it was forced to shut down production to curb the spread of coronavirus. The company said its plants in China and Italy had actually resumed, which a lot of plants in North America would be rebooted the week of Might 18.

Reporting was contributed by Davy Alba, Edmund Lee, David Yaffe-Bellany, Niraj Chokshi, Michael Corkery, Alan Rappeport, Jack Ewing, Jeanna Smialek, Ben Dooley, Knvul Sheikh, Mohammed Hadi, Sapna Maheshwari, Ivan Penn, Matt Richtel, Carlos Tejada, Daniel Victor, Katie Robertson and Kevin Granville.

Updated April 11, 2020

What should I do if I feel sick?

If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or believe you have, and have a fever or signs like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a physician. They need to give you guidance on whether you should be checked, how to get checked, and how to look for medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.

When will this end?

This is a difficult question, since a lot depends upon how well the infection is contained A much better concern might be: “How will we know when to reopen the nation?” In an American Business Institute report, Scott Gottlieb, Caitlin Rivers, Mark B. McClellan, Lauren Silvis and Crystal Watson staked out four goal posts for recovery: Health centers in the state should be able to safely deal with all patients needing hospitalization, without resorting to crisis standards of care; the state requires to be able to at least test everyone who has signs; the state has the ability to conduct monitoring of verified cases and contacts; and there should be a sustained reduction in cases for a minimum of 14 days.

How can I assist?

The Times Neediest Cases Fund has started an unique project to assist those who have been affected, which accepts donations here Charity Navigator, which assesses charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits operating in communities affected by the break out. You can provide blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Cooking Area has actioned in to disperse meals in major cities. More than 30,000 coronavirus-related GoFundMe fund-raisers have actually started in the past few weeks. (The large number of fund-raisers implies more of them are most likely to fail to fulfill their objective, however.)

Should I wear a mask?

The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans use fabric masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance showing new issues that the coronavirus is being spread out by infected people who have no symptoms Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that normal individuals do not need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they remain in constantly brief supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.

How do I get checked?

If you’re ill and you believe you have actually been exposed to the brand-new coronavirus, the C.D.C. advises that you call your doctor and discuss your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be evaluated. Bear in mind that there’s an opportunity– since of an absence of screening packages or due to the fact that you’re asymptomatic, for example– you will not be able to get tested.

How does coronavirus spread?

It appears to spread out extremely easily from individual to person, particularly in houses, hospitals and other confined areas. The pathogen can be carried on small breathing droplets that fall as they are coughed or sneezed out. It may likewise be sent when we touch an infected surface area and after that touch our face.

Is there a vaccine?

No.

What makes this outbreak so various?

Unlike the flu, there is no known treatment or vaccine, and little is known about this particular virus so far.

What if someone in my household gets ill?

If the family member does not need hospitalization and can be cared for at home, you should help him or her with standard needs and keep an eye on the signs, while likewise keeping as much distance as possible, according to guidelines provided by the C.D.C. If there’s space, the ill household member need to stay in a separate space and use a different restroom.

Should I stock up on groceries?

Plan 2 weeks of meals if possible. However individuals should not hoard food or products. In spite of the empty racks, the supply chain stays strong. And keep in mind to clean the deal with of the grocery cart with a disinfecting wipe and wash your hands as quickly as you get home.

Can I go to the park?

Yes, however make certain you keep six feet of range in between you and individuals who don’t live in your house. Even if you just hang out in a park, instead of choose a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and ideally sunshine, is a great idea.

Should I pull my cash from the marketplaces?

That’s not an excellent concept. Even if you’re retired, having a well balanced portfolio of stocks and bonds so that your money keeps up with inflation, or even grows, makes good sense. Retirees may want to believe about having enough money set aside for a year’s worth of living expenses and huge payments needed over the next 5 years.

What should I finish with my 401( k)?

Enjoying your balance fluctuate can be scary. You may be wondering if you should decrease your contributions– do not! If your company matches any part of your contributions, make sure you’re at least saving as much as you can to get that “complimentary cash.”

from Job Search Tips https://jobsearchtips.net/live-stock-exchange-tracker-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

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milfordnhfdaz921-blog · 5 years ago

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The Milford Nh Town Meeting Awards: The Best, Worst, And Weirdest Things We've Seen

Stick to our Wintertime driving recommendations can help you get ready for and generate to your conditions when driving on icy, wet or snowbound roads.

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If throughout the shift you dropped these documents, I will settle for a fax or e-mail in the veterinarians' office on to my office; fax is 603-899-2108, electronic mail: [email protected]. However cats should have a present-day rabies shot, we do not license them. Also the leash regulation is in have an impact on (RSA 466:thirteen-a); no Pet shall be permitted to roam freely from their garden, each time Doggy is identified roaming the Pet dog officer may perhaps demand $twenty five.00 for every incident per Doggy. Yearly the Puppy license should be renewed by APRIL thirtieth. You should Examine your rabies expiration in March to be sure it can be present-day, I cannot renew the license if shot has expired.

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Even though we just take all safeguards to make certain that the information on This website is right and up-to-date, we can not be held answerable for the precision of your tax knowledge we present.

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advancetaxreliefexperts · 5 years ago

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CAN’T PAY YOUR YOUR 2020 TAX BILL?

While many Americans get a tax refund from the IRS each year, some taxpayers owe. Sometimes the bill can be too large for some individuals to pay at once, so the IRS has several flexible options.

HOW DO I PAY WHEN I FILE?

Your payment options depend on if you file online or through the mail.

Electronic Withdrawal: Provide your bank’s routing number and your account number to have the amount withdrawn on a date of your choosing any time before Tax Day (typically April 15).

Credit Card: If you would rather pay with your credit card, there are several third-party payment companies who can process your payment. You can learn more about paying your taxes with a credit card here.

If you owe state taxes, some states allow you to pay directly on their website using debit, credit, or electronic funds transfer.

If you need to mail in your payment, you can pay using check or money order.

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If you can’t pay your taxes when you file, you have several options. You can schedule an automatic payment from your bank, like many people do with regular bills. Make sure you schedule the payment before Tax Day!

If you can’t pay in full by Tax Day, the IRS offers several payment plans. You can apply for a payment plan with the IRS here.

Short-term payment plan:

If you can pay your bill in full in less than 120 days, apply for this plan to pay monthly automatic payments.

Long-term payment plan (installment agreement) option 1:

If you need more than 120 days to pay, use this plan to pay through direct debit (automatic monthly payments from your checking account).

Long-term payment plan (installment agreement) option 2:

This plan is very similar to the plan above, but includes multiple payment options, including:

Monthly payment directly from a checking or savings account (Direct Pay)

Monthly payment electronically online or by phone using Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)

Monthly payment by check, money order, or debit/credit card (Fees apply when paying by card)

Change an existing payment plan:

If your current plan is not working for you or you owe more money, you can revise it online, by phone, mail, or in person.

Reinstate a payment plan:

If you previously had a payment plan and need to reinstate it for the current tax year, you can apply to use your same plan again.

Offer in Compromise:

If you meet strict IRS requirements, you might be able to settle your tax bill for less than the full amount you owe.

First Time Penalty Abatement:

If you meet certain guidelines, you might be able to waive failure-to-file and failure-to-pay penalties.

What if I don’t pay my taxes?

If you fail to pay your tax bill by Tax Day, you will begin to incur penalties and fees beginning the day after you fail to pay.

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thechasefiles · 6 years ago

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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 5/2/2019

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Thursday 2nd May 2019. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

GOVERNMENT WORKING IN UNISON WITH WORKERS, ASSURES PM MOTTLEY – In her first May Day speech as Prime Minister, Mia Mottley has given the assurance that Government is working in unison with workers. Speaking to the scores of people gathered at the Barbados Workers’ Union Solidarity House headquarters this afternoon, Mottley said her Government had been actively engaging with the Social Partnership on all critical matters. “I have made a commitment and it is one from which my Government will never resile, that the basis of the best governance that we can bring to our people is to work together and to work collectively,” she said to loud applause. “And it is against that background that I ask you to judge my Government not by our words alone, but by our actions, because on the very first morning after swearing in a Government and a Cabinet at Bay Street, the very first meeting of this Government was with the Social Partnership of Barbados because we recognise that labour and capital and the Government and the Executive must work collectively to take us out of the bowels from which we were languishing in. “Every major decision whether it is in the context of national security, whether it is in the context of growth and development opportunities for this country that I will share with the country by the end of the month in greater detail, whether it is in the context of the difficult moments and decisions . . . it has been a joint decision,” the Prime Minister maintained. Mottley pointed out that there was still a long way for Barbados to go. However, she promised that Government would continue to be on the frontline of workers’ rights. (BT)

MP IAN GOODING-EDGHILL IS NEW TRANSPORT BOARD CHAIRMAN – Mere hours after accepting the resignation of former chairman of the Transport Board Gregory Nicholls, Prime Minister Mia Mottley has named his replacement. Ian Gooding-Edghill, the Member of Parliament for St Michael West Central is the new chairman. Mottley broke the news while delivering the feature address at the Barbados Workers’ Union May Day celebrations at its Solidarity House headquarters this afternoon. “Yesterday, the chairman resigned and I accepted it through my Minister. I have asked Ian Gooding-Edghill, who is a former chairman of the Transport Board and who is more than capable of meeting the obligations and the task of chairman to do and to accept that position and he has agreed. “I expect therefore that he will work with the board with immediate haste to help correct this unfortunate situation,” Mottley said. Gooding-Edghill is also the chairman of the National Insurance Board. (BT)

NICHOLLS I WAS NOT FIRED �� ATTORNEY GREGORY NICHOLLS took to Facebook yesterday to defend his name, stating he was not fired as chairman of the board of directors of the Transport Board, neither was he accused of any infelicities. “I have resigned as chairman of the board of directors of the Transport Board today. I was not fired nor was I accused of any infelicities during my tenure. “All of the instances of [problems] . . . concerning the Transport Board occurred before my tenure and are well documented in the provisional report of the Auditor General who has just completed a special audit of the board. When this report is published, you will all get to see how difficult it was to turn around the Transport Board given the poor shape in which I inherited it,” Nicholls stated in the post. (DN)

MORE BUS PROBLEMS FOR COMMUTERS – A visit to the Fairchild Street and Princess Alice Bus Terminals yesterday, May Day, painted a picture similar to National Heroes Day on Monday where commuters were waiting hours in the two terminals. Most commuters declined to comment, however; at the Fairchild Street terminal around 2 p.m., one woman said she was waiting three-and-a-half hours for a Martin’s Bay bus. Although she was going straight to St John, there were others around who were not going the full route but were likewise stranded. The Transport Board had announced on its Facebook page over the weekend: “Our services will be operating on what would be the usual Sunday bus schedule on April 28 and May 1, 2019. (DN)

FOURTH PRESCHOOL GOING UP – Lawmakers today cleared the path for a charity to build its next nursery school with the Ministry of Education even as construction work has already started. In a parliamentary resolution, Government has vested 5,000 square metres of land in Government Hill, St Michael to the Maria Holder Memorial Trust under a lease arrangement for the construction of the fourth in a series of state-of-the-art preschools. The building on land adjacent to the Charles F Broome Memorial Primary School is to be leased to the Trust for 30 years at $1,500 annually, according to Minister of Housing, Lands and Rural Development Charles Griffith. He said the Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training will be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the school, which will be insured for about $2 million. Griffith praised the philanthropic foundation for its work, saying it should serve as an example for other local charities. During his presentation, which was dotted with the history of the Trust, Griffith said the charity was keen on promoting and supporting health care initiatives designed to improve the quality of life for children, the elderly and the vulnerable and assist with the education and training of youth in disadvantage and vulnerable situations. “They are making meaningful contribution in almost every single area. And I hope that at some point in time the constituency of St John can also benefit from the initiatives of this organization,” said the St John MP. Under a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education signed with the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration, the charity opened the first school at Sharon, St Thomas, the second one at Gall Hill in Christ Church, and one in Oldbury in St Philip. A total of seven nursery schools were earmarked for construction, the other locations being Holders Hill, St James; Sayers Court, Christ Church and Deacons, St Michael. In his contribution, St Michael East MP Trevor Prescod, in whose constituency the new Government Hill nursery is to be built, said he was pleased with the work of the charity over the years. Highlighting the Trust’s other work, Prescod, the Minister of Environment and National Beautification, said he would be calling on the Trust for assistance in developing Government’s planned botanical gardens at Codrington, St Michael. “I would really like at some point to request them to contribute to the botanical gardens so they can come up and help us achieve the development of the botanical gardens which is so badly in need of funding,” said Prescod, adding that he was aware that the tu“a social conscience”. It was during the opening of the Welchman Hall, St Thomas play park under the Maria Holder Memorial Trust’s Eleven Play Parks project late last year that Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that the promised National Botanical Garden would finally become a reality. At the time, chairman and co-founder of the trust Christopher Holder said he was willing to assist with the development of the botanical garden. A price tag has not yet been announced for the project. (BT)

PAY FOR FUN AND MAKE INVESTMENTS – If you have an extra $50 to spend, then you can take someone to the cinema to experience three hours of the Avengers: EndGame. If you had an extra $500 to spend, then you could have taken someone to experience about three hours of the Buju concert. Either way, you know that you are paying for fun. If you had the extra money, then you would not likely be disappointed that you spent it, regardless of how hard you worked for it. You had it, you spent it, and you enjoyed yourself. If you had not spent it on fun, then you would probably have spent it on something else, or given it to someone in need. Since you will have extra money sometimes, why not use some of it to get more money? With the additional money, you can: pay off your debts, help more people in need, and pay for a lot more fun. So, what can you legally do with an extra $50 or $500 to get more money? You can play the lottery. However, you will probably lose all of your money quickly. You can invest it in someone else’s business. However, if they desperately needed your investment to keep going, then there may be structural problems with that business, and you may lose that investment. You can invest it in your own business, but if your business is not yet profitable enough to pay your monthly expenses, then a return should not be expected. There are steps that you can take to make it probable that any extra money you invest will make more money. Before investing in any product, ask yourself these two questions. 1) Are similar products selling well now? 2) Is it likely that your product will sell when you are ready to bring it to the market? Once the answer to both of those questions is ‘yes’, then ask yourself one more question. 3) What is likely to cause you to lose all of your money? Let us test a few money-making ideas. What about planting, cultivating and selling beans? Are beans selling now? Yes. Will beans likely sell in two months when they are reaped? Yes. What will probably cause you to lose all of your money invested in this venture? Crop thefts by monkeys and humans is very likely, and you can do little about it at this time. So let us think of another product. What about investing in building a house to sell? Are houses selling well now? No, the housing market is depressed. Will the house likely sell in one year after it is constructed? No. The market is likely to continue to be depressed while BERT/IMF is managing the economy. If the housing market were not depressed, you could have grown your $50 or $500 investment – we will address that in the next article. What about an example that will work? That is the challenge. Before I tested the ideas, I thought that both of them were worthy investments. The test showed that while both ideas are good, they are just not wise investments at this time. Every product has customers. One challenge is to identify those who are willing to purchase your product before you invest in it. The euphoria of coming up with a good idea leads many to make an emotional decision. They then prematurely invest their money and lose it. Testing the idea with the questions reduces the risk that you will make an emotional decision. You can reduce the risk of failure by selecting a product from what you normally purchase in one week and making a business out of it. For example, you may eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Since everyone needs to eat to survive, food will sell today and tomorrow. How can you lose your money with food? Preparing food that most people will not like, or cannot afford, or is inconvenient to purchase will likely do it. Since these risks are generally within your control, the next step is to design a business that avoids these risks. Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer and President of Solutions Barbados. He can be reached at [email protected] (BT)

DISTRICT 'D' MAGISTRATES’ COURT RELOCATING – Members of the public are asked to note that the District “D” Magistrates’ Court will remain closed until Friday, May 10. During this time, the payment and collection of maintenance money for that court will take place at the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court, Coleridge Street, St Michael. The District ‘D’ Magistrates’ Court will reopen on Monday, May 13, from the Cane Garden, St Thomas complex. The court was closed last week after staff reported smelling a strong odour in the administrative office, which permeated other areas of the building. As a result, only urgent matters were heard at the court following its closure on Wednesday, April 24. Registrar of the Supreme Court, Barbara Cooke-Alleyne, requested that a private environmental company investigate the source of the odour on Thursday, April 25, and it was confirmed that the odour was coming from a decaying mammal, which is believed to be a rodent. In a statement issued on Friday, Mrs Cooke-Alleyne said the company also identified a number of other environmental issues which could have a negative impact on the indoor air quality at the District ‘D’ Magistrates’ Court and its associated offices. This prompted the decision by the Registrar and Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Attorney General, Yvette Goddard, to close the court, and have it relocated to the Cane Garden, St Thomas complex. (BT)

ATTORNEY TO CROWN: ‘BRING THE EVIDENCE’ – Veteran attorney Angella Mitchell-Gittens today demanded that the Crown “bring the evidence and let us do something” in the murder case against her client, as the police prosecutor sought yet more time from the magistrate. She made the declaration this afternoon in response to the prosecutor’s request for another adjournment in the case against Adrian Obrian Williams, of Henley Land, St John who is charged in connection with the March 28, 2018 death of Jakeil Small. Mitchell-Gittens told Magistrate Douglas Frederick: “If this is a serious charge then the input or impetus must be on getting the files ready, so that we can get it out of the Magistrates’ Courts within two years and it cannot be good enough, Sir, that Mr Williams has been coming here from March of 2018 and the best you can hear from [the prosecution] is another 28 days. “If the matter is serious, Sir, everybody must treat it serious, especially the people who are bringing the charges. It cannot be because you charge him with murder… let him spend two years or three years because it is murder. If it is so serious, bring the evidence, let us commit to getting it to the High Court. “Unless their feet are held to the fire they do nothing and before we know it is five years… that is not good enough…. We must have standards. It can’t be good that they put a charge sheet say you are charged for murder [and] stop it there, what happens if he is acquitted? Who can give him back from March last year to [the time] he has spent in prison?” Mitchell-Gittens also stated that there must be standards as well as consequences in cases where accused persons cannot get bail in the Magistrates’ Court. She continued: “There must be a file, there must be something… or there must be consequences. I am asking that their feet are held to the fire especially in respect of matters where persons are not automatically granted bail… bring the evidence and let us do something…. Let it not be business as usual…. I would like something other than we are not yet ready…. That can’t be good enough after a man spend a year in prison [and you] aint’ ready yet.” In response, Station Sergeant Carrison Henry said he had heard the arguments of the defence lawyer and would address his seniors on the issue. “We are working on the file…. I am pleading with the officers to get these matters expedited,” the prosecutor assured the court just before the matter was adjourned until May 27. (BT)

HANDS OFF – “Do not put your hand on that lady again! Fellas who are conscious don’t beat on women especially pregnant woman,” Magistrate Douglas Frederick declared as he chastised an 18-year-old male who pleaded guilty to assault. Magistrate Frederick also told Clevere Joshua Javon Maycock, of Hinkson Gap, Baxters Road, St Michael that he needed “to be re-educated because when you get frustrated you can’t lash out like that”. Maycock had moments before pleaded guilty to unlawfully assaulting Kayla Hinds and damaging her cellular phone on April 27. Station Sergeant Carrison Henry told the magistrate that the accused and Hinds had been in a relationship for the past five years. But that relationship was filled with verbal and abusive situations with Maycock accusing Hinds of being involved with another man. As Hinds sat in the verandah with her phone, Maycock accosted her, accusing her of infidelity. Hinds responded with a similar counter-charge, to which he “cuffed” Hinds’ hands, causing her to drop the phone damaging it. “The lady is pregnant for me. We have been in a relationship for five years but broke up in March…. I was vex at the moment…. I did not directly hit she, I didn’t hit she to hurt she, I knocked the phone out of her hand,” Maycock explained even as he revealed that the complainant was 17 years old. The explanation did not suffice with the magistrate who asked Maycock: “How does that sound to you; she is pregnant with your child, your child and you hit her. Fellas who are conscious don’t beat women especially those pregnant with [their] child.” The magistrate then ordered a report into his life in preparation for sentencing. He was granted $2,500 bail, which he secured with one surety with a warning to keep his hands to himself. Maycock returns before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on July 19. (BT)

UNPAID FINES LAND JONES ON REMAND – His decision to use marijuana after his doctor allegedly told him that he could not drink and smoke at the same time, has landed a 30-year-old man in trouble with the law. But that was just the beginning of Kemar Tito Jones’ legal troubles when he appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court today. It was revealed that the Bridge Gap, St Michael resident had $3,500 in unpaid fines after he pleaded guilty to having $170 of the illegal substance in his possession on April 28. Police were on duty on that day at Brownes Beach near Pirates Cove when they saw Jones standing behind a building. They approached and a search, which Jones consented to, was conducted. Thirty-four small bags containing the vegetable matter were found in a larger bag. He was arrested and charged. “The doctor tell me don’t drink and smoke together to do one, so I decided to smoke,” said Jones in his defence. But with the unpaid fines and a warrant of arrest out for his arrest as well as his inability to pay the outstanding monies landed him on remand until May 10. (BT)

LOWE FACING GUN CHARGE – An allegation that he had an illegal firearm resulted in a 21-year-old man’s automatic remand at prison. Tre Decoursey Lowe, of Allamby Gap, Spooners Hill, St Michael is charged with having an unlicensed firearm in his possession on April 27. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge when he appeared before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court this afternoon. But the first-time offender pleaded guilty to riding a bicycle on Spooners Hill on the same day without a helmet, a lamp, a bell and number plate. Sergeant St Clair Phillips said police were in the area around 11:10 p.m. when officers in an unmarked vehicle spotted Lowe riding. They signaled to him to stop but he evaded them at first by riding through a side road and was subsequently caught. He was ordered to pay costs on $25 for the bell and $25 for the helmet or spend seven days in prison. He was reprimanded and discharged on the other traffic charges. Sergeant Phillips also told Magistrate Douglas Frederick that a search warrant was carried out at Lowe’s residence the following day – April 28 – where 132 grammes of cannabis seeds worth $600 were found in his bedroom in a container. Lowe wasted no time and pleaded guilty to the charges of possession, possession with intent to supply and possession of a traffickable quantity of cannabis. “It was just seeds not vegetable matter. It was just seeds that I just gathered. I does smoke and just every time that I realise that the weed have in seeds I just put it aside,” said Lowe who explained that the drug was his way of relaxing as he was not working and trying to find a job. “I don’t lime on a block or nothing so,” he added. He was ordered to pay $800 or spend three months in prison. Lowe, who was remanded to Dodds, is to reappear before Magistrate Frederick on May 28 on the gun charge. (BT)

WPCS TO STUDENTS: WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS – Women police officers from the Northern Division today relayed a friendly message to schoolchildren as they embarked on the latest of three initiatives to foster stronger relationships with them. “We are your friends,” some 15 officers declared as an initiative dubbed Touchdownlaunched at Lester Vaughn, Frederick Smith, Darryl Jordan and Grantley Adams Memorial schools. Inspector Janice Ifill told Barbados TODAY: “We are just focusing on the students and having formal conversations about actions and consequences, peer pressure, positive influences and generally doing the right thing starting from now, because as we have been telling them, there are 18-year-olds and 19-year-olds, which is only three or four years older than them committing a number of horrendous crimes. “So we’re trying to nip it in the bud at this stage to let them know that is not the road and to let them know the police officers are their friends and if they know of anything they can speak to us, communicate with us one on one if they see something that is not right. “We are coming to them today to let them know we welcome them and we have open arms and they can come to us because we really need to take back our society in a good way and in quick time.” A similar project – Soft Touch – had also been carried out by women police constables in the Crab Hill, St Lucy area, which she described as a “soft approach” to policing. Inspector Ifill said there were also plans to go into primary schools under a third outreach operation, to be called Tender Touch. “We intend to go into the primary schools, but we haven’t gone there yet, but so far we have been greeted with good responses from both the schools and the public at large so we think we are getting somewhere,” Inspector Ifill said. (BT)

NEW OWNERS FOR TRIDENTS – Embattled Indian business tycoon Vijay Mallya will not have ownership of Barbados Tridents for the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season, organisers said here on Tuesday. Speaking at a media conference, CPL chief executive Damien O’Donohoe said the league was in the process of wrapping up discussions with the relevant parties and new owners should be in place before the players draft scheduled for May 22 in London. Mallya is currently fighting extradition from the United Kingdom to his native India, where he is wanted by authorities to face alleged bank fraud and money laundering charges amounting to nearly US$1 billion. His mounting legal and financial woes have also impacted the franchise, with players yet to be paid in full for the 2018 season, which wrapped up last September. (DN)

BASA EYEING YOUTH – The Barbados Aquatic Sports Association (BASA) is turning their attention to young athletes. That is the assurance of president Tony Selby following the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships, which concluded with the open water competition at Carlisle Bay last Wednesday. “We definitely need to work a little more with the younger athletes. What I am observing is that a lot of the younger athletes in particular are not coming to training as often as the coaches would like and with all the other electronic and other activities taking place that’s becoming an even greater challenge,” Selby told MIDWEEK SPORT. (DN)

BURKE STANDS ALONE – Three-time national champion Mario Burke was simply super last weekend in the United States with a historic milestone at the prestigious Penn Relays in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. The 22-year-old former Harrison College student became the first athlete to win four gold medals in the same weekend in the 125-year history of the Relays, which have been staged since 1895. Burke won the men’s 100 metres for college athletes and was also a member of his University of Houston’s quartets that became only the sixth college to make a clean sweep of the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 sprint relays. (DN)

BARBADOS-BORN JOFRA ARCHER IN AN ENGLAND KIT – It is an image which seems to have taken forever to appear, probably for Jofra Archer, and most certainly for England cricket fans. And even though the sight of the country’s newest match-winning prospect in full England kit has arrived quicker than some expected, not least the man himself, images of him posing for official squad photos ahead of Friday’s ODI against Ireland show a man who looks ready for business. Barbados-born Archer, who recently became eligible to represent England after the ECB’s qualification period was reduced from seven years to three, is poised to make his debut after being included in the squads for the one-off ODI against Ireland on Friday, a T20I against Pakistan on Sunday and five ODIs against Pakistan. He was left out of England’s preliminary World Cup squad but the upcoming matches present an opportunity to press his case for inclusion in the final squad, which needs to be finalised by May 23. Archer’s supporters speak of his incredible talent, most recently showcased in his exploits for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. For his part, Archer described the speed of his elevation to the England squad as overwhelming. “I’ve worked pretty much all my life for this moment and I just want to tackle it and put my best foot forward,” he said upon his selection. “Hopefully I get a chance to play and do myself justice.” But he also stated he did not “want to step on anyone’s toes”. Archer’s potential call-up for the World Cup has sparked debate among the squad’s incumbent fast bowlers. Some with reservations have argued that bringing a new player into a well-established set-up could destabilise the side, or be harsh on any player who misses out, having helped England become the top one-day side in the world. However, Alex Hales’ expulsion from all England squads – including for the World Cup – in the wake of his ban for using recreational drugs has dominated the agenda in the build-up to Archer’s debut, and has also led to three more players – Ben Duckett, Dawid Malan and James Vince – being included in the squads for the Ireland and Pakistan series. While Hales’ 21-day ban will have been served well before the World Cup, the ECB this week decided to withdraw him from their squads, citing a need for “creating the right environment within the team and ensuring that there are no unnecessary distractions”. Hales has not been a first-choice player in England’s white-ball squad for some time, but was seen as someone who could enhance the depth of the squad, particularly amid injuries to key and fringe players alike. His omission has opened the door for another face to appear in the England line-up, meaning that Archer won’t be alone in pressing his claims for a World Cup berth. (BT)

TOURISM ICON PASSES AWAY –Tourism pioneer Pat Nehaul died this morning at the age of 86. Nehaul, a former director of the Barbados Tourist Board, started her legendary career in the sector in the 1950’s as a receptionist at the airport for the Publicity Committee, which was later restructured as the Barbados Tourism Authority. Nehaul was noted for her service to the sector at various levels including accounts, marketing and public relations. She was also a director of the Barbados Gallery of Art Trust and the Art Collectors Club. Nehaul was the mother of three children, Partrick, Saki and Andrew. (BT)

For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 243 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles# dailynewscapsbythechasefiles

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concussed-to-pieces · 8 years ago

Text

Deadline

Fandom: WWE

Pairing: Irwin R. Schyster/Unnamed OFC

Rating: Holy shit M.

AN: Thirst Party Saturday ahoy! In honor of April fifteenth (the usual filing deadline for U.S. federal income tax returns), I give you an incredibly indulgent installment. Because I am a terrible person and I make no excuses for myself. Tagging the usual suspects @tox-moxley, @oraclegazes and of course the incredibly courageous @hardcorewwetrash (who will probably keelhaul me for this installment...I may in fact deserve it but after all this Wattpad malarkey I figured some levity would not be amiss).

Enjoy!

Irwin R. Schyster was a simple, orderly man. He liked his receipts signed, his socks matched, and his tie tied just right. He came to work every day, ready to get down to business. Tax fraud and evasion was at an all time high and he was more than happy to lay the smackdown on the miscreants who tried to falsify important documents or claim more than two percent of their gross income as deductible.

It wasn’t often that clients came knocking on his door this late, though.

It was timid, almost didn’t catch his attention. He glanced at the clock. After nine already? Probably the janitor. “Sorry Gene, I’ll head out.” he called, starting to shuffle the papers on his desk back into their folders.

“Excuse me, uh, Mr. Schyster?”

That was not Clean Gene’s voice. Irwin looked up, startled. Standing in front of his desk was a young woman in a denim jacket. Attractive enough, but it was very late. “Miss, my consulting hours were up at four.” He said bluntly, unable to keep the irritation out of his voice. “You’re going to have to come back in the morning.”

“I’m sorry. I saw the light on and figured I’d give it a shot. I promise I’ll be quick.” She seemed nervous, wringing her hands. “I just needed help and a few of my friends recommended you specifically.”

Irwin felt a rush of pride at that, pushing his glasses up his nose. “You have five minutes. I’m listening.” He propped his hip up against the side of his desk, crossing his arms over his burly chest. This was highly unorthodox but he was intrigued to say the least. Never mind the fact that his own methods were incredibly unorthodox in and of themselves. Effective, but unorthodox.

“I have…numbers don’t cooperate with me.” She began. “I’m afraid that between this year and last year my finances have gotten a little tangled, so I need a professional’s help.”

“What do you mean ‘numbers don’t cooperate’?” Irwin asked, thoroughly confused. “Numbers don’t change. They’re the only constant on this planet.” He tapped the toe of his shoe on the ground, a little annoyed with this woman. She was starting to sound like one of those cheats when they tried to weasel their way out of an audit.

She winced. “Numbers have always been a difficult area for me. You should see me trying to figure out change. It’s a mess.”

“So you need a tax preparation? A consultation?”

“Yes, as soon as possible. I know you must be very busy with your current clients. I promise I’m not trying to cut the line. I also know this isn’t exactly a service you advertise specifically, so I wasn’t sure if you were even able to help. I didn’t see a number to call though…” She trailed off.

Irwin blinked. I never actually put my number or specifications up, did I? Just my general ‘financial services’ sign. “Well Miss, I’m in by eight and I close up shop at four. I break for lunch at noon. Exactly noon.” There was nothing worse than having his routine interrupted. “If you arrive during the half hour between twelve and twelve-thirty, there are seats in the hallway. I have an open schedule tomorrow, so whenever you have the time you’re free to stop in.”

“Really? That’s wonderful! Thank you!” she said excitedly, bouncing in place and then hugging him tightly like she was a child.

Irwin stiffened in surprise and pushed his glasses back up on his nose after she released him, clearing his throat awkwardly.

…

At twelve o' clock on the dot the next day, Irwin flipped the sign to his office around to the 'out to lunch!' side and locked the door behind him. He strolled off down the hallway and out of the building, whistling a tune. The sun was shining brightly; it was another beautiful day in early spring and Irwin felt remarkably good about the work he’d gotten done so far.

He settled down on his usual bench in the park, unwrapped his usual peanut butter sandwich (no jelly, it always dripped onto his shirt so he chose to forgo it), and took a bite.

A body landed solidly beside him on his bench and he almost jumped out of his skin. No one ever sat next to him. That was how he liked it. Irwin sighed, shoving his glasses back up on his nose and taking another bite out of his sandwich.

Abruptly a hot cup of coffee was waved in his face. “Figured I’d come pester you on your lunch break, seeing as how you’ll be helping me out.”

Oh. “Miss, this is technically harassment.” Irwin said sternly, trying to ignore how delicious the coffee smelled. He was failing. Coffee was one of his few vices, but he usually only indulged in a single cup every morning. Being overly caffeinated led to shaky hands, and in his line of work that meant mistakes.

Her laugh almost got him to smile. Clearly she was dangerous. “Yeah yeah, isn’t that supposed to be my line? I brought my lunch too. There’s no law saying I can’t sit next to you on a park bench and offer you one of my two suspicious coffees.”

“You don’t even know me, Miss. What if I don’t drink coffee?”

“I saw the way you ogled the cup. Nice try, Mr. Schyster.” She tugged on his hand and put the second coffee in it gently. “Here. You’re doing the world a service by keeping me from drinking two cups in a row.”

Irwin momentarily debated dropping the coffee and running for his life. This was quickly turning into a social situation, and he knew full well that he was outmatched. “Thank you.” He finally replied.

“He’s got manners! Your mom must be so proud.” She teased, tucking in to her own sandwich. It looked like a somewhat revolting mixture of cheap white bread, marshmallow Fluff and...were those cornflakes? Schyster only barely managed to contain his gag, hurrying to finish his sandwich before his stomach lost its nerve.

“How long have you been doing this, Mr. Schyster? What got you into it?” She asked after slogging through a few bites of her thick, sticky mess of a sandwich. “The tax stuff, not eating your lunch alone.”

“I…” Irwin paused, his brow furrowing. He had found himself opening his mouth to answer without a second thought, which was rather startling. He had never been much for conversation. “My father would sit at the kitchen table late into the night, doing all the taxes out. He was abysmal at them but having someone else do it was too expensive for him to justify.”

She nodded. “Understandable. You guys probably got audited a lot, huh?”

Irwin shook his head. “Only two or three times. But it was legitimately terrifying for my parents when it did happen. I decided…I mean when I was relatively young, I realized that this wasn’t a good solution. I’ve always been a number-minded individual, so I went to the library and got out everything that I could on the I.R.S., on tax systems and financing...how it all works. I was a child. I wanted to know everything. I dedicated time after school, studied through the summers. It really is a fascinating subject, so many things constantly in flux while others never change. I went to college for it and I guess the rest, as they say, is history.”

“So you were the family hero, huh?”

Irwin frowned. He’d never really thought of it that way. It made sense though. “I prefer the term ‘savior’. Paints me in a better light.” He replied dryly.

She almost spat out her coffee, giving him a sideways glare. “Was that a joke?” She coughed. “Warn me, I could have died!”

Irwin couldn’t help his smile then, successfully camouflaging it by taking another sip of coffee.

“What would you have done, if you didn’t succeed at being the family savior?” She asked when a minute or two of quiet had passed.

“I’m not sure.” Schyster mused, crossing his arms over his chest. “Maybe take up sailing. The idea has always appealed to me. I think I’d like to be the captain of a schooner.”

“The captain, huh?”

“Naturally! I would be the most knowledgeable. Obviously the captain.” Irwin glanced at his watch and got to his feet, dusting the crumbs from his sandwich off of his trousers. “Lunch time is over. Shall we get started, Miss?”

She quickly crammed the remainder of her sandwich into her mouth and practically jumped up off the bench. “Fin’ly!” She mumbled, grinning.

…

He had originally thought that perhaps she was just lazy when it came to numbers and that this would be a quick fix. Not that it mattered, that was how he made a living, after all. But her taxes from last year had been improperly filed. To the point where Irwin would suspect it had been deliberate. There were the marks of a professional all over her forms but they had been botched so royally it was incredible.

There was an ex-husband involved, maybe just an ex-fiancé or ex-boyfriend, one that made her an absolute mess when she realized that his name was still on some of the paperwork. They didn’t share a last name, but apparently they had shared a life. Irwin had never heard somebody apologize so many times in his life, continuing to silently fill out his forms while she interacted with this…cretin over the phone.

“I...I understand. I’m sorry I bothered you.” She sounded close to tears. Irwin glanced up, instantly made uncomfortable by her facial expression. She placed the phone gently down on the receiver and then dropped her head into her hands. “Mr. Schyster, I’m so sorry, he won’t-“

“Then we make a new account at a different bank under your name.” Irwin said curtly. “Standard procedure.” Which wasn’t technically true. In his experience though, if people thought it was anything but the standard they tended to ask for more. And nothing irritated Irwin quite like blatantly greedy people.

She looked up at him with her face all tear-streaked and Irwin was struck by how young she seemed. “You can do that?” She asked.

“What kind of question is that?” Irwin pushed his glasses up on his nose.

It was entering his busy season and the clients started piling up, but Irwin always found himself making time for her. One day he even took his lunch ten minutes late, which was unheard of for him. She’d promised she would be there with coffee so he waited though, and sure enough she showed up. Schyster wondered in the back of his mind when she would stop this…whatever the hell it was. Were they friends?

Not that it mattered, he was a grown man after all.

…Acquaintances maybe. Associates.

The day finally came to put the finishing touches on her forms. Irwin knew he should be relieved, it meant he could bid her farewell and not have to worry about her damn screwed-up, numbers crossed-through and crossed-through again, ‘initial here here and here’ paperwork. At least until next April. But all he felt was melancholy, straightening his suspenders with a quiet snap and rising from his desk to stare out the window to the street. It was raining. Irwin wasn’t a man prone to poetry or moping, so the effect the dreary weather was having on him was immensely worrisome.

It’s not the weather and you know it, Schyster.

Irwin shook his head, busying himself with watching the morning traffic go by. He couldn’t really afford this little break. He had so much catching up to do but his body seemed unwilling to move, keeping him rooted by the window.

He was just returning to his desk as she erupted through the door, making him almost miss his chair when he went to sit. “Raining cats and dogs out there, Mr. Schyster!” Her grasp of the obvious was absolutely impeccable.

Irwin did his best to look severe, peering over his glasses at her. He had been told many times that he had a glare that would stop misbehaving children in their tracks, perhaps it would work on a confusing (yet damnable attractive) woman as well.

“Geez, what’s with the look? Is it because I’m dripping on your rug? Are you okay? You sick?” She sloughed off her sopping jacket and then leaned over his desk to press a hand to his forehead. Irwin flinched away, making her pause. “…Mr. Schyster?” Her voice had gone soft. She looked worried, of all things.

Irwin cleared his throat. “Just tired. It’s been busy lately.” He started shuffling the papers on his desk aimlessly, trying to look occupied so he wouldn’t have to maintain eye contact. “We need to get your papers signed. Hopefully if you return next year this won’t be such a damnable fiasco.”

“Oh I’m definitely coming back if you'll have me. You’re an absolute genius when it comes to this. You even explain stuff sometimes and I can understand it. You’ve totally earned that ‘savior’ moniker.”

Her praise made him flush. Irwin tugged nervously at one of his suspenders, feeling a little overwhelmed. Usually he got a handshake, a promise to come back the next year. This was…unexpected. “Miss, we need…I have a lot of other clients and you’ve taken up an exorbitant amount of my time as is. So please.” His pen clicked loudly in the silence of his pause. “Sign your papers so you can be free of this.”

So we can be free of this.

She took an eternity to sign everything, reading and rereading and asking questions. But then again, not double checking her papers last time had gotten her into this mess to begin with, so Irwin could understand her care.

“What are you going to do now?” Irwin didn’t know why he asked. It was pointless, a few more minutes and she would be gone.

She looked up, pausing to smile brightly at him. “Get my own apartment, of course! Get an apartment, get a better job…having someone hold financial sway over you is an absolutely terrifying experience. I want to be secure so that it never happens again, Mr. Schyster.”

“Why did you…” Irwin trailed off, flushing again. It was hardly his business, what did he care? Just finish signing the papers, woman!

“Because I thought he was someone else.” Her smile had gone wistful. “I believed what he said. I let myself get caught up and…well, full of silly ideas and then before I knew it I was stuck in a nightmare.”

Schyster snorted, pushing his glasses back up on his nose. “You sound like an adolescent.” Christ, he hadn’t meant to vocalize himself in such a cruel way. But...the idea of getting all tangled in emotions, to the point where you would believe anything the other person said? It just seemed so childish.

“I was, actually. Only fifteen.”

Irwin wasn’t sure what hyperventilating felt like, but it had to be close to this. Her birth-date was all over her papers, hers and that man’s. There was a twenty-two year difference between them. He hadn’t really ruminated on it but now it made sense. She had been too young to know better, probably surviving on pretty words and promises of affection alone. Maybe her home life was troubled, maybe she’d had nowhere else to go and had clung to an older man who made her feel special or safe and then…

“Christ.” He muttered. He felt nauseous.

“Oh God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you upset, Mr. Schyster. That’s just…” She shrugged. “I mean, that’s how it was. I have to figure out how to live on my own now. I was allowed to have a job, of course, but it's not one that will support me. Just give me a little spending money or something. I’ve applied at a couple of places, although without a home address it’s been-”

“You don’t have a place to live?!”

“I do! I definitely do. I…I stay at the women’s shelter.” She sounded defiant, almost like she was daring him to judge her. Schyster had more pressing matters to worry about, though.

“Christ.” Irwin put his head in his hands. “Where the hell are they supposed to mail this? You don’t even have a P.O. box, do you?”

“...I hadn't thought of that.” She admitted weakly after a moment or two of silence. “I guess it'll go to him, won't it? To my old address. God, God I'm so stupid.”

Schyster could tell before he even moved for the first drawer that this was a terrible idea. Rifling through it, he selected a different pen with great care. The second drawer was the one that held all his forms. Hopefully this would go much quicker when he was just copying down the information instead of deciphering it from the previous year's forms.

“What are you doing?” She asked warily, getting to her feet and leaning over his desk so she could see the papers better. “Oh no, you're-”

“I have to do this all over again. Correction fluid isn't allowed on documents like these.” Irwin was proud of himself for keeping his voice steady when what he really wanted to do was lose his goddamn mind for a few minutes. Then, have a cup of coffee and get on with it.

Christ. All that time, wasted. She at least looked properly chastised. Well...she looked like she was going to burst into tears, really. “Don't cry.” He said sternly when he heard a threatening sniffle.

“S-Sorry.”

“You don't need to apologize, but you don't need to cry either. It'll be alright.” When the hell had he turned into someone who gave reassurances? Irwin was appalled at himself. “Crying solves nothing.”

“You've just been so patient with me for this and I don't...I can't even help with any of it.” She mumbled, wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her threadbare denim jacket. “If I hadn’t been so stupid--”

“Now you know better, though.” Irwin pointed out. “’Fool me once, shame on you’ and all that. God willing, for both of our sakes, something like this never happens again.”

“Yeah.” Her voice was forlorn as she curled up in the chair. Having her knees up with her arms wrapped around them appeared to be her favorite position, regardless of how uncomfortable it seemed. If it had been anyone else Irwin would have been furious about having those mud-caked sneakers on the seat, but for some reason when it came to her he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

The slow drip, drip, drip of her jacket on the edge of hardwood floor beside his door practically echoed in the silence. Schyster was more than thankful that this was essentially brainless work, otherwise that might have been incredibly distracting. He had a ‘flip’ clock for a reason; he couldn’t stand the monotonous ticking of an analog clock in the relative stillness of his office.

He could have told her to come back later, once he was finished with everything. Where the hell is she supposed to go, Schyster? It’s pouring out. You love your solitude that much, that you’d send this poor woman off into the rain for an hour or two? Schyster winced inwardly, a little ashamed of himself.

She had fallen asleep by the time he was done, her cheek resting on her knees while she dozed. Something, Irwin wasn’t sure what, tugged at his chest, and he found himself stapling her papers together and carefully putting them off to the side before opening up his next file. Her being here wasn’t hurting his progress at all, what was the harm in letting her sleep a little longer?

She woke herself up almost four hours later when one of her feet slipped off the chair. The disgruntled look on her face almost made Irwin laugh.

Almost.

She signed the amended forms without studying them at all this time. Irwin wanted to scold her for it, but she was obviously saddled with more pressing matters. Plus, if he was being honest, it was a bit of an ego boost to know that she trusted him to the point where she didn’t think she needed to look everything over. “I need to--“ She yawned widely, stretching her arms after she dropped the pen. “'Scuse me, sorry. Need to get back to check in for the night.”

“You…do you want me to call you a cab? Is it a far walk?” The half-incredulous, half-grateful look she gave him almost made up for the extra paperwork he’d dealt with. Irwin cleared his throat, looking back down at his desk. “A-After all, it’s still raining you know.”

“I should be okay. It's not too far.” She started putting on her coat, yawning again.

Irwin still felt like he ought to do something, logic and common decency practically demanded it. He stood from his desk and walked over to open the door for her. “Use this.” His umbrella hardly saw the light of day, usually just sitting forgotten behind the door to his office. “It's pouring out, and you catching cold isn't going to help you find a better job. No potential employer will look at you twice when you have to use a Kleenex every minute.” His smile was brief but warm as he pressed the curved handle of the umbrella into her palm; hopefully it was enough to soften the blow of his less-than-charitable words.

She stared up at him for a minute, full-blown stared, her mouth slightly agape. Irwin didn't know why he finally reached out but he did, gently closing her mouth with his index finger on the underside of her chin.

“You…I-I’ve never seen you smile before. It’s…you have a nice smile.” She stammered.

Everything seemed to grind to a halt as Irwin processed this information. A nice smile wasn’t exactly something you could take to the bank, and yet it was apparently important enough that she felt the need to mention it. As if it was a good quality, or one worth commenting on at least.

He raised an eyebrow and she flushed bright red, then headed off down the hallway without another word.

Clean Gene was thoroughly unamused by the puddle of water that seeped out from beneath Irwin’s door into the hallway.

...

Irwin scolded himself for days, weeks afterwards. What the hell had he been thinking? Touching a client, and in such an inappropriate manner! The audacity of his actions knew no bounds. He’d probably terrified her. He didn’t know why that concerned him so much but it did, it did.

Hasn’t she been through enough, Schyster?

Irwin knew he was…odd was probably a kind word. Obsessed with his work, paranoid about money to a fault. Growing up with so little had forced him into a vicious cycle of prioritizing needs almost exclusively, while wants were left in the dust. Any and all luxuries were agonized over, budgeted for. Hell, he’d waited for almost six months to buy a new pair of suspenders because he knew there would be a spring sale and he just…the old ones still worked alright, the teeth were a little worn and the elastic was starting to sag but they worked.

He was odd. Private and severe, dressed in a manner that fit more in the ‘Big Band’ forties than it did the early nineties, egghead to a fault, he knew he was odd. But it had never bothered him before.

She liked my smile.

Why the hell was that a sticking point? Never mind that no adult had ever commented on any part of his physical appearance, just on his incredible mind for numbers and his dedication. Never mind that her words had made him feel warm inside in a way that Mr. DiBiase had never managed with his long-winded motivational speeches.

Never mind that the way she had looked up at him, mouth slightly open and eyes wide, had made him want to…hell, it made him want to kiss her. Which was ludicrous, she was a client and no compliments or kind words on her part would change that.

When her refund check arrived in his mailbox, he brought it to his office and sat, staring at the phone for over an hour while clenching and unclenching his fists at random. He loathed talking on the phone with a passion.

Suspender up on one shoulder, down on the other, switch sides indefinitely. If he kept fidgeting maybe he would run out of time in the day to make the call.

I stay at the women’s shelter.

Irwin grimaced. It wasn’t exactly fair of him to withhold her only method of attaining security just because phones made him nervous. The number of her workplace was scribbled in the margins of his notes, he could at least leave a message.

Of course, someone picked up.

“Diesel's Pizza, what can I get for ya?”

Without intending to Irwin rolled right into the usual spiel he left on his clients’ answering machines. “Hello, my name is Irwin Schyster. I’m calling because-”

“Wait, didja’ say Schyster? Hang on a sec.” There was a loud scuffing noise, like the man had covered the receiver with his palm. His words still came through though. “'Ey yo! Kid! It’s for you!”

“What do you mean ‘it’s for me’? I don’t get-”

“I mean, it’s for you. It’s that guy, the one you ain’t shut up about.”

“Ramon! Give me--he can probably hear you!” She sounded panicked.

Irwin pushed his glasses up on his nose. ‘The one you ain’t shut up about.’ Him? She was talking about him? At her workplace? But why?

“H-Hi, Mr. Schyster. Is something wrong again?” Irwin distinctly heard some strange smacking noises in the background. “Knock it off, Razor!”

“Not at all, I just have your check here. When can you pick it up?” Irwin tugged at one of his suspenders. “Would it be easier for me to bring it to you directly?”

“Oh no, I don’t want to bug you with that! I’m sure you’re busy, I can come over on my lunch--”

“She’s just leavin' now, aren't you sweetie?” Another deep voice butted in, softer than that Ramon character.

“B-but Kevin, I’m-”

“-Just leavin' now, yeah, I know. Get a move on!” The phone clicked and Irwin was left with the dial tone beeping in his ear.

She seemed exhausted when she made an appearance. Irwin noticed that she still had a dishrag sticking out of the back pocket of her jeans. “I…oh my God, thank you.” She looked at him like he was the best thing she’d ever seen. It made him feel immensely uncomfortable but also a little...a little good. “You won’t get in trouble for having them mail it to your apartment, will you?” She asked tentatively, making no move to take the check from his desk.

Irwin shook his head, clearing his throat and rustling some papers around. “No, I believe the check going into your account will be proof enough that I’m no cheat.”

“I…this is so much money.” She sounded lost, the tip of one Band-Aid-wrapped finger smoothing over the check. Like she was afraid to touch it.

“Do you have a budget planned out? Investing ideas are a little bold at this stage, but have you thought about them, about the future at all?” Irwin frowned when she shook her head. “You may want to look into your options. I know…” He hesitated, not wanting to sound inadvertently cruel again. “I know that seems like a lot of money, but before you know it, it’ll be gone again and you’ll be left with nothing but an empty stomach and an apartment you can no longer afford.”

“You’re right, of course.” She said softly after a minute, sitting heavily in the seat across from him. “I’ve got no real plans, I haven't had hardly a free minute to think. Kinda’ been winging it. It’s worked out alright so far, Kevin's given me a lot more hours and stuff. I haven't learned how to throw a pizza right yet though.”

Irwin could feel a headache coming on. He leaned forward, lacing his fingers together on the surface of his desk as he fixed her with a stern look. She briefly held his gaze, before ducking her head and starting to pick at the already-frayed hole in the knee of her jeans. He wasn't expecting the quiet, “I'm sorry,” nor was he expecting the feeling he got in his chest at the words. “It's alright. Being on your own teaches you a variety of fast, hard lessons. You've made it this far.” He cleared his throat. “When is your shift over? I'll see if I can make a rough budget draft up for you to pick up on your way home.”

“You...really? You'd do that for me?”

“It will be very rough.” Irwin warned her, trying to stall whatever outburst of gratitude would come next. “Bare bones, I'm busy today and I-”

She got up from her chair and essentially threw herself across his desk to hug him fiercely. She nearly broke his glasses when her shoulder bumped his nose. “You're the best.” She said, her voice sounding a little quavery. “I know you don't want anyone else to know that, but you really are. I should be out around te-”

The customary knock on Irwin's door was the only warning they got before Mr. DiBiase was opening it and stepping in. “Whoa! Am I interrupting something?” The self-proclaimed 'Million-Dollar-Man' held up his hands, chuckling incredulously. “Schyster you sly dog, didn't think you had it in you!”

“I believe it's time for you to leave, Miss.” Irwin couldn't tell whether he was embarrassed or infuriated, but either way, enough was enough. She went absolutely scarlet, obviously just as flustered as he was and stammering out an apology before making her retreat.

Ted swatted Irwin on the shoulder after she was gone, propping his hip up on the desk. “Whoops, looks like she left something--”

Schyster quickly snatched the check away from Ted's questing fingers, whipped open a drawer at random and dropped the check into it. “Can I assist you in any way, Mr. DiBiase?” He asked through gritted teeth.

“Aw come on Irwin, don't be like that! You know all you'd have to do is mention that you had uh...company, and I'd leave you alone.”

“Charming policy.” Irwin replied dryly. “You tell all of your employees that rendezvous in their offices are allowed with proper notification, Mr. DiBiase?”

Ted laughed again, a good roaring one this time. “You're a card, Schyster! Nope, I'd only make that kind of exception for you. No offense, but you seem like you could use it!”

“I'm honored sir, truly, but I don't fraternize with clients on the clock.” Irwin straightened his glasses. He didn't know why he bothered with Mr. DiBiase, sarcasm always seemed to fly over his head. “She's just...odd in the way that she expresses her thanks. Juvenile.”

“I think I could live with a little more oddness in my life, if that's the case!” Ted grinned, giving Irwin a wink. Irwin sighed heavily and DiBiase relented, starting to rattle on about how he was trying to buy more property upstate, “They keep saying they won't sell, but everybody's got a price, Schyster!”

…

Irwin ended up working long past four. Ted had a way of demanding all his attention, regardless of whether he could afford to spare it or not. So here he sat at quarter to ten, several sheets of graph paper spread out around him as he made the finishing touches on the budget that might never see the light of day. Factoring in food and miscellaneous expenses was always the hardest part for him when it came to his own budget, he could only imagine how much worse it may be for her.

His irritation had cooled a little. More than a little, if he was being honest. He was too tired to be annoyed with her behavior, childish and compromising though it had been.

Irwin tucked everything into a file that said 'Budget' on the tab in small, red letters and put her check in the pocket of his shirt for safekeeping, then pulled on his long overcoat and turned off the desk lamp. I have to be back here in less than twelve hours. Ridiculous.

Diesel's Pizza was relatively close by, a short walk up the street and into the plaza it resided in. Schyster felt like his legs were betraying him, as he was there long before he was ready. The neon Open sign flickered in the front window of the establishment, a few patrons still lingering inside with their preferred slices.

He was startled by the ringing of the bell attached to the door as he pushed it open, wincing at the noise and the way it instantly drew attention to him. But he wasn't nearly as awkward in person as he was on the phone, only just resisting the urge to glare over his glasses at the large man in the violently pink shirt behind the counter.

“Christ, you're a cheery-lookin' guy ain't ya'? 'Ey chica, he's here!” Irwin recognized Ramon's voice from the phone call earlier. But how on earth could the man know who he was?

“Who's...oh.” She looked like she wanted to vanish through the linoleum flooring, twisting the dishrag between her hands as she stood on the threshold of what Irwin could only assume was the kitchen.

“Everything okay? You need me to toss him out?” Another man even taller than Ramon stepped out from the kitchen, resting a hand on her shoulder. He narrowed his eyes at Irwin, who stopped resisting the urge to glare.

“No no, it's okay Kevin. I um...I had something to take care of still.” She said, trying to wiggle out from beneath Kevin's hand. “Tax stuff, y'know.”

“Oh, more of that fuckin' Greek.” Ramon groaned, “Let her talk with the poindexter, Nash. Keep all that mumbo-jumbo outta' your 'stablishment.”

“If you need us...” Nash trailed off, his lip curling.

“I assure you gentlemen that there is nothing shady going on with our interactions.” Irwin went full stiff-business, figuring a little formality couldn't hurt in this place. Judging from the two men behind the counter, it wasn't exactly their bread and butter. “I am merely here because she forgot her paperwork earlier. I also included a few beginner investment ideas, something I'm sure neither of you are interested in.”

“Whoa there chico, hold up, you callin' us dumb or somethin'? Nash, I think-”

“Razor, please.” Kevin interrupted the other man, tilting his head to the side as he studied Irwin. “You aren't here to fuck with the kid?”

“Hardly.” Irwin wasn't sure what the hell possessed him to raise an eyebrow. “She's my client.”

“Alright then. Go ahead, sweetie.” Kevin gave her a gentle push forwards, making her stumble. “Talk to your nerd man.”

“Kevin!” She hissed, obviously mortified.

Nerd man? Really? Maybe it's the suspenders. Irwin opened the file up on the counter, helping himself to the space there. If they wanted to alpha-male posture by all means he would posture. “So here's the rough budget draft, it doesn't factor in all the details but I left portions blank for you to fill in on your own.” He tapped a finger down on one such blank area. “I tried to do as much with as little as possible. I'm not sure what you're doing in terms of a living situation, electricity may be more than I factored but it's also a necessity so you'll have to adjust. I...” Irwin slowed to a stop as he realized that he'd garnered an audience. She looked overwhelmed, biting her lip while she just...stared at him again. Razor and Nash hung over her shoulders, Razor chewing on a toothpick avidly.

“You catch any of that, big guy?” He asked after a second or two, shooting Nash an incredulous look.

Surprisingly, the other man nodded. “It's good, Ramon. He's takin' care of her. C'mon, we've got the uh. Oven. Need to clean the...the brisket. Chef stuff, he wouldn't understand.” Kevin winked at Irwin, catching one of Ramon's lapels and hauling him back into the kitchen.

Irwin sighed. “Look, if this isn't making sense or if it's too much right now I can give you this and be--”

“No no, it is! I'm just...I'm...you didn't get in trouble earlier, did you? That guy was your boss, right?” She asked timidly. “Would it be a good idea for me to maybe come in and try to explain myself, or will that just make things worse?”

“Mr. DiBiase has been my employer for a few years now. I detailed the situation to the fullest extent of my abilities, and I believe he understands.” Irwin ‘harrumph’ed. “You coming in after the fact would probably be more detrimental than anything else, considering the fact that DiBiase was incredibly willing to encourage illicit behavior in my office.”

“He…what?” She sputtered.

“Well, perhaps I worded that poorly. He seems to believe that I need to ‘relax’, to put it in layman’s terms. Regardless of the method.” Irwin was startled when a hysterical little giggle exploded out of her. “Miss?”

“Well shit, anybody could see that you need to relax Mr. Schyster!” She snickered. “Just by the way you freeze up when I hug you, never mind anything else.”

Irwin tugged at the collar of his shirt self-consciously. “I had no idea there were so many people concerned about my...well-being.” He remarked dryly after a minute, making her snort.

“Once I’m settled in and stable, you can bet your ass that I’m buying you dinner.”

“Miss, that’s technically--“

“Yeah yeah, bribery, harassment, whatever Mr. Schyster. I already know I’m a bad person, I just want to say thank you. And give you the opportunity to loosen up a little.” She lightly punched his shoulder. “So it’s a date. I’ll keep you posted. You can’t refuse. It’s bad manners.”

“I--”

“She’s stubborn man, give up!” Kevin called from the kitchen.

“…We will be splitting the bill. I’m not allowing you to pay for everything. That’s rude.” Schyster said finally, trying to sound more annoyed than he was. He definitely wasn’t pleased by the way she smiled at him.

Definitely. Wasn’t.

…

He hadn’t meant to forget. He’d actually been looking forward to their little outing, planned for a Friday evening at a hole-in-the-wall style Italian place. But one thing led to another. DiBiase had finally gotten what he wanted when it came to the land he’d been trying to purchase and Irwin was kept so busy drafting the papers for the agreement that he lost track of time.

The thunderous knock on his door made him jump, and his brow furrowed when he looked at the clock. That couldn’t be the time, four fifty-six? It was dark out!

“Irwin I know you’re in there, I saw your light from the street!” She sounded furious.

“It’s not locked! What time is it?” He asked when she had opened the door. Judging from the expression on her face, it was…late.

“What is all this?” She gestured at the uncharacteristically cluttered surface of his desk with quick, jerky motions.

“A personal project from Mr. DiBiase. You didn’t answer my question.”

“It’s…well we were supposed to meet at seven, Mr. Schyster.” She had her hands on her hips and she looked about ready to tear him a new one. She’d dressed rather nice, much nicer than usual. A black skirt which bordered on being too short, but her nylons kept it decent. A button-down shirt, top two buttons undone. Just enough. She had obviously put some thought into this. She huffed out a breath and tilted her head up to stare at the ceiling.

Irwin was awestruck and a little terrified, taking a second to collect himself before stating, “That would imply that it is later than seven.”

“Irwin, you...I mean, if you didn't want to go out with me all you had to do was say so. I looked so dumb, sitting there all alone. And I felt dumb, too!” She covered her face with her hands. “The waiter kept on coming over and asking me what I wanted and it was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life!” Her anger seemed to have gone more the teary route. He knew he would have to work quickly to nip that in the bud, she would only feel worse if she started crying. Christ, did he feel like an asshole!

“It was not my intent to stand you up.” Irwin said firmly, getting to his feet and turning the clock on his desk around so that it faced her. “I've actually been looking forward to this all week, if I'm going to be honest. You look absolutely lovely.” She snorted, probably in disbelief. Irwin carried on. “Mr. DiBiase is finalizing a sale and paperwork tends to occupy most of my attention in this field. Also it seems that my clock is broken. Not an excuse, mind you, an explanation. I...I offer my most sincere apologies, and I ask for another chance.”

Footsteps approaching in the hallway interrupted what promised to be a great answer. The expression on her face changed rapidly from irritated to worried. “Oh shit, is that-?”

“If it’s late, he’s the only one in the building norma--what on earth are you...?” Irwin sputtered as she shoved him out of the way and ducked beneath his desk.

“Shh!” She hissed, pressing a finger to her lips. “I don’t want to get you in trouble!”

“You didn’t the last time! Will you-”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t dressed like this last time now was I, smartypants? Just shush!”

Before Irwin could respond the knock on his door came and then Ted poked his head in. “Schyster! I didn’t think you were still here. How’s it coming?”

“As well as can be expected, sir.” Irwin stood awkwardly beside his desk, barely daring to lean against it for fear that he might draw attention to the woman beneath it. Thank God the front of it was solid! Her ducking under there had escalated this whole situation, if only she’d stayed put! If she was found now--

Well, it wouldn’t look good, that’s for sure.

Ted planted himself in the chair in front of the desk, waving his hand. “Sit down, Schyster, I need to talk with you about a few things.”

Christ.

Irwin chanced a glance down at her and she offered an incredibly helpful shrug in reply. He gingerly sat in his chair and scooted it in as far as he dared. He couldn’t help his flinch when her hands gripped the underside of the cushion, urging him closer. What the hell was she doing?!

Irwin coughed, opening the top drawer on the left and flipping through his files until he came to the one labeled ‘DiBiase Land Venture’.

“Ah, that’s what I like to see Schyster!” DiBiase said approvingly, craning his neck to study the documents. “Impeccable, but then I’d expect nothing less from you.”

Irwin felt her cheek rest against his thigh and had to grapple with the armrests of his chair momentarily. Having her that close…he could feel the heat of her skin even through his pants. He swallowed hard. One of her fingers started tracing slow, torturous circles on the inside of his left thigh.

“You know Schyster, I’ve been thinking. Maybe, if you retooled the writing here, and here, we could get a few more acres out of these tight-fisted idiots.” Ted tapped the paper in two different spots, oblivious to the fact that Irwin was having a bear of a time trying to pay attention to him.

Her nose was abruptly nuzzling at his groin. Irwin sucked in a startled breath and Ted looked up at him for his input. “I uh…yes, absolutely sir. I can get it done.” Schyster fumbled, attempting to remember what the hell he’d even been rambling about.

“Good man!” Ted grinned and then returned his gaze to the papers in front of him.

Irwin risked dropping a hand underneath the desk. He wasn’t really sure why, maybe to push her back. Maybe to pull her in. He brushed against her hair and then, in a fit of desperation, he cupped her cheek blindly. She suckled his index finger into her mouth, teasing the pad of it with her tongue.

“Schyster, are you even listening to me?” Ted asked, raising an eyebrow. Irwin flushed, nodding, and it seemed to satisfy Mr. DiBiase as he started talking about having potential investors look over the documents. “Warrior and Steiner will probably lose their minds once they find out that I finally bagged this.” Ted said gleefully. “I told them time and time again, Schyster, everybody's got a price. They never listen!”

Irwin chewed on his lower lip as he felt the button and zipper of his slacks come apart. She was...strangely gentle, stroking his cock through the slit in his boxers. He was embarrassingly hard already, the nearness of her combined with the thrill of getting caught no doubt to blame. When she took him into her mouth though, was when things got a little...intense. He couldn't stifle the groan he let out, attempting to camouflage it into a yawn after Ted gave him another look.

“Sorry Schyster, I promise I'll let you go home. I just need to confirm the wording on the last portion...here! We need to change that to something a little less vague, don't you think? The last thing I want is them trying to weasel their way around a negotiation.” DiBiase pointed out, tapping the sheet beside him.

Irwin, in one last bid to pretend that he was paying attention, tried to lean forward over the desk . All he succeeded in doing, however, was thrusting his cock further into the warm, velvety embrace of her mouth. He fought for control, his hips shuddering as he wrestled not only with himself but also her, because she seemed more than content to swallow him down as far as he decided to go. “O-Of course, Mr. DiBiase.” He cursed inwardly, that hitch in his breath nearly did him in. She'd started worked the base of his shaft with her hand and it caught him off guard, having a mouth and hand moving in unison on his cock. Was this his punishment for getting caught up in his work? Because if so, he might lose track of time more often.

Finally, finally, Ted stood up, straightening his tie. “Well Schyster I think I've taken up enough of your night. You know what you're doing! I'll be in bright and early tomorrow morning to give everything another once-over, and hopefully we'll be done by lunch.” He held out his hand and Irwin almost bit a hole in his lip in an effort to keep silent while he shook his employer's hand. “Get some rest soon, Schyster. You deserve it!” Ted said warmly before closing the door behind him.

“Christ.” Irwin snarled once he was sure DiBiase was far enough down the hall that he wouldn't hear him, pushing his chair back just a fraction so he could see her, so he could card his fingers through her hair.

“Hi.” She seemed almost shy, which was absolutely moronic to think when her tongue had been on his cock mere seconds ago. “Sorry.”

“You are not, so don't lie. I can't stand liars.” Irwin replied shakily, making her giggle. “I'm the one who's sorry. I honestly didn't mean to abandon you to dinner alone. There's no need to torture me.”

“Mm, maybe I'll take a rain check.” She teased, thumb swiping back and forth directly beneath his cock head. “If you make it worth my while.”

“How can I convince you?” This game definitely had merit, if it was going in the direction Irwin thought.

She bit her lip, looking up at him through her lashes. “On your desk?”

Schyster swallowed hard. “My--”

“Yes.”

Irwin shoved his chair back even further and stood, then caught her around the waist. She practically melted against him as with one quick motion he pushed hours of his hard work off the desk and onto the floor. “Are you sure about this?” Irwin asked, tilting her chin up. “You're not obligated just because you've 'gotten me started', so to speak. I'll probably miss more things, you know. Anniversaries.” He warned. “I've...I've never had to worry about anyone else before. This isn't exactly something I do lightly.”

“I don't either.” She breathed, taking his glasses off for him and slipping them into the front pocket of his shirt. “Please.”

“We'll have a real date next time.” Irwin promised quietly, fingers slowly and carefully rolling her nylons down her thighs. She whimpered at his words, grabbing his shoulders when he crouched and lifted her up to lay on the desk. He quickly shrugged his suspenders off over his shoulders so he could pull down his slacks and boxers, hissing out a breath at the feeling of the cloth on his aching cock. “Christ, you're so beautiful.” Endearments were normally difficult for him, but when it was the truth it made it easier. “May I kiss you?”

“Irwin.” Her exasperation was oddly heartwarming. Her fingers dug into the skin on the back of his neck as she pulled him down to her mouth. “All the time. Whenever you want.” She murmured between kisses.

Irwin wasn't sure if it was appropriate to laugh in relief so he stifled it, focusing on tugging her panties down and dropping them on the floor with her shoes and nylons. “I look forward to it.”

“Good.” She reached down and gave his cock a few lazy strokes, her boldness probably the most attractive thing he had ever encountered in his life.

He couldn't help the way he surged forward hungrily, all but pinning her hips to the desk while she guided his cock into her cunt. She was wet, tight enough that he lost his breath for a second as he wondered at that, at the fact that she wanted him like this.

He knew for a fact that even without the oral warm-up he probably wasn't going to last very long. He debated warning her but then she arched up against him, moaning and raking her fingers down his back as her walls gripped his cock rhythmically. “Christ, Christ, I--” Irwin shook his head and hooked one smooth leg over his shoulder, pressing kisses to her thigh as he pushed her skirt up a little higher. His fingers sought out her clit with relatively minimal fumbling and she bit her lip, her eyes rolling back.

Her hands fluttered restlessly over his shoulders, her voice whimpering his name and please the sweetest thing he'd ever heard. Irwin was legitimately lost, just moving with her body and feeling everything, every breath she took and every sound she made singing across his nerves. This was juvenile, it was frenzied and it shouldn't have been this good but it was, it was and it was so confusing, so beautifully overwhelming that he hardly knew what to do with himself.

“Thank you.” He finally panted, his fingers working in small circles over her clit and making her squirm. “Thank you so much.”

“Yes-!” She gasped, her body shaking underneath him as she came. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged him in for a kiss, using his mouth to muffle those wonderful moans she kept making. Hopefully in the near future he would be able to focus on coaxing more of them out of her. “Please come, please, I need you to, I need you to, please.” The way she begged him, egging him on with trembling fingers kneading at the fabric of his shirt was too much for him to resist. She wanted him.

The realization hit Irwin like a punch to the gut, leaving him all breathless and light-headed as he spilled into her. She buried her face in his neck, crooning soft nonsense words to him while he groaned and rolled his hips and just was, for a moment.

“Oh my God.” He managed to say when he could speak again, tenderly brushing the hair back from her face like he'd wanted to so many times before. “You're amazing.” She went bright red and he couldn't help his smile, his laugh. “Especially when you look like that. Amazing.”

“Shh, what if your boss hears?” She whacked his shoulder, unable to hide her own smile.

“I don't care.” Irwin replied, kissing her fiercely. “You're amazing. I'm just sorry it took this long for me to realize.”

“So...you want to come back to my place? I promise you can continue to be as amazed as you want.” She teased, wrapping her legs around his hips and pulling him in closer. “And I'll have you up in time to get back here for eight. Sound good to you?”

“Mm, the idea has merit.” Irwin bumped their foreheads together, giving her a serious look. “Thank you.”

Her eyes softened and she rumpled his hair, taking his glasses back out of his pocket and settling them onto his face. “Any time, all the time.”

#irwin r. schyster #thirst party saturday #i make no apologies for this #mostly feels #also taxes #wwe #wrestlers without the wrestling #irwin r. schyster x OFC #irwin r. schyster smut #this was way too much fun to write #i.r.s. (wrestler)

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asfeedin · 5 years ago

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Anthropologie Sale April 2020: 13 Pieces to Snag at an Extra 50% Off

For as long as I can remember, Anthropologie has been one of my absolute favorite places to hand over my entire paycheck in exchange for clothes that are both timeless and trendy at the same damn time. When it comes to stocking up our summer wardrobes, though, many of us (myself included) are likely on a budget right now. If you’re looking for ways to fill your closet while also saving some serious dough, Anthropologie’s April 2020 sale is not one to be missed—considering the fact that their sale section is an extra 50 percent off. Yes, pieces that are already marked down are an additional half-off, so get ready to fill your virtual carts with some seriously chic goodies.

Here’s the deal with Anthropologie: In most cases, their clothes last forever. At least one-third of my closet is Anthropologie pieces from several years ago—even some items from high school. If you can’t snag clothing and other cute decor, accessories and beauty items on sale, the investment tends to be well worth it regardless. So when Anthropologie has a majorly jaw-dropping sale like this one, you know you’re getting incredible pieces at a ridiculously good price—and they’ll likely take you from one season into the next with ease. Most of the clothing Anthropologie carries is trendy enough to stand out in the current season, but classic enough to be worn for years. I don’t know how they do it, but the retailer manages to house pieces that never go out of style (yet are never boring!!!).

The mysteries of Anthropologie’s incredible fashion insight aside, there are so many cool girl styles on sale right now. We rounded up 13 of our must-have pieces below—all of which are an addition 50 percent off for a limited time. Sizes are going fast, so snag yours before it’s too late. You’re likely to wear these pieces year after year—and then some.

1. Oceane Tie-Dye Button Down

Neeri Kumar.

The tie-dye trend for 2020 is huge, people, and this adorable short-sleeve button down (on sale!) is the perfect excuse to try it this summer. Pair this top with white cut-offs or tucked into a mini skirt.

2. Hildi Pleated Midi Skirt

Maeve.

The pleated midi skirt is as versatile as it is trendy. Seen all over the 2020 runways, pleats are here to amp up your spring and summer wardrobes—and what better way to test out the trend than by snagging a cute skirt on sale?

3. The Bo Boyfriend Button Down

Pilcro & the Letterpress.

No lie—I own this oversized button down in two different colors. It’s the perfect combination of slouchy and chic, and you’re going to want to wear it every single day. Pro tip: It runs large, so size down.

4. Crisanta Poplin Button Down

Anthropologie.

If you’re looking for the perfect statement blouse for this summer, here it is. This floral poplin top is bound to be the perfect addition to your warm weather wardrobe.

5. Desta Utility Jumpsuit

Current Air.

The utility jumpsuit trend continues to dominate. This cool girl gray iteration of the trend will serve you well through summer and all the way into fall.

6. Artemis Shell Drop Earrings

Serefina.

What’s a summer wardrobe without some chic shell earrings? Shell jewelry has been on-trend since 2019, and it continues to reign even now.

7. The Sasha Smocked Boyfriend Button Down

Pilcro & the Letterpress.

Floral-lovers, rejoice. This smocked boyfriend button down is the perfect way to look like a walking garden this summer. Plus, you can dress it up with a blazer for the office or wear it with light wash denim on the weekends.

8. Camila Low Back One-Piece Swimsuit

Anthropologie.

This pink low back swimsuit is ready for all your summer poolside hangs. Just thrown on an oversized button down on top, and you’ve got a major warm-weather lewk.

9. Zinnia Flare Trousers

Anthropologie.

A flare trouser reminiscent of the 1970s but updated for 2020 is exactly what your wardrobe needs. Pair these pants with just about any shirt in your closet for an instantly cool look.

10. Dalia Faux Fur Pillow

Anthropologie.

If your couch needs a little upgrade, go ahead and snag this cute faux fur pillow. The subtle animal pattern gives a nod to current trends, but it’s chic enough to last for seasons.

11. Virginia Wrap Maxi Dress

Porridge.

If you paid close attention to the runways in the last couple years, you’ll know that patchwork is having a moment. Show off your style knowledge with this seriously cool patchwork wrap maxi dress this summer.

12. Linette Cropped Knit Pants

Anthropologie.

These cropped knit pants are versatile enough to wear this summer with a graphic tee and into the fall with a cute pullover sweater. The possibilities are truly endless—and the color is honestly just gorgeous.

13. Starry Night Plus Wrap Maxi Dress

Hutch.

If you have a formal event coming up this summer—or even fall—this maxi dress isn’t your ordinary black frock. Covered in silver stars, you’re sure to stand out in this dress.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Tags: 13, 2020, 50, Anthropologie, April, extra, Pieces, sale, Snag

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rafi1228 · 5 years ago

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Automate Network Tasks Fast and Easy Using The Information, Tools, Libraries and Python Scripts Included In This Course!

What you’ll learn

Use various Python tools/modules to handle network devices more easily and without writing a lot of Python code

Use various Python tools/modules to handle network devices from several networking vendors: Cisco (IOS, IOS XE, IOS XR), Juniper, Arista, HP, Avaya and Netscreen.

Parse router/switch configuration files, extract needed information and use it for auditing the network

Easily manage access lists (ACLs) using Python tools, then convert the access lists between various vendor formats

Execute CLI commands on several network devices simultaneously, even on multiple devices from various vendors

Automatically execute CLI commands on network devices upon login

Easily perform SNMP GET/SET/WALK/GETNEXT/GETBULK and SET MULTIPLE OIDs operations on various networking vendors

Backup network configuration files and configure an email notification system to receive alerts when configuration changes occur

Use various other CLI tools and utilities to perform small network tasks

Emulate several network operating systems in a virtualized environment

Study the CLI and configuration commands on routers/switches from various network vendors

Discover some very useful Python network tools every network programmer should use on a daily basis to automate or simplify some network tasks

Download and use the pre-configured Ubuntu 15.10 VM however you like

Download and use any materials and code samples however you like

Requirements

You should already be familiar with Python 2 syntax: functions, if, for, while, string and file operations etc.

You should already be familiar with networking concepts like: SSH, Telnet, ACLs (Access Control Lists), VMs (Virtual Machines)

You should have a great desire to learn network programming and do it in a hands-on fashion, without having to watch countless lectures filled with slides and theory

I will provide a fully configured virtual machine (Ubuntu 15.10, improved version of the VM in Part 1 of the course) with all the necessary software (Python Modules, Network Tools, dependencies etc.). This way you can save time and start programming network devices as soon as possible

For teaching network programming concepts and tools on vendors like Cisco (IOS), Juniper (JunOS and ScreenOS), HP (ProCurve OS) and Avaya (ERS OS), I will use the Ubuntu 15.10 VM and physical devices in my lab, since these vendors do not provide virtualized environments for emulating their router/switch operating systems

For teaching network programming concepts and tools on other vendors, like Cisco (IOS XE and IOS XR) and Arista (vEOS), I will use virtual machines that they provide on their official websites and I will guide you through properly downloading, installing and setting them up on your own computer, into VirtualBox

For running the Ubuntu 15.10 Virtual Machine I provide, dedicating 2 GB of RAM will be more than enough. For running the Arista vEOS VM, you should allocate another 1 GB of RAM, throughout the Arista section of the course. For emulating Cisco IOS XE and IOS XR, you will need 2+ GB additional RAM memory.

I am going to use only free software throughout the course: VirtualBox, Linux, free VMs etc.

Description

✔ Course Went Live: April 2016. Last Update: November 2017

✔ Full Apps, Quizzes, Cheat Sheets and Final Project are included

✔ Udemy Bestselling Instructor with Over 1500 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reviews

✔ Over 50.000 Satisfied Students Across Several E-learning Platforms

✔ What others have to say about my courses?

“What an incredible value and learning experience!” by Sean A.

“Excellent material. Kudos to a great instructor with a vast level of creativity.” by Anthony W.

“I can say this man is going on smoothly and perfectly, explaining in the most empirical/foundational way.” by Kolapo A.

✔ Why would you take this course?

Are you a network professional who wants to start automating network tasks and manage network devices from various vendors?

Are you looking to become a better network engineer and start learning network programming?

Or maybe you’re seeking a raise or even a career change?

Join thousands of successful students who have decided to upgrade their networking skills and boost their careers using my Python Network Programming courses!

✔ Some stats about my courses

Over 50.000 satisfied students are enrolled in my Python Network Programming Courses across the Web:

Last week over 300 students have joined my courses.

The average course rating is above 4.5 / 5 stars, from thousands of reviews.

Update Nov 2, 2017: Added: (Customized) English captions/subtitles.

“Highly Recommended!” by Noor

✔ What networking vendors does this course cover?

This course covers many networking vendors and network operating systems:

Cisco IOS

Cisco IOS XE

Cisco IOS XR

Juniper JunOS

Juniper (Netscreen) ScreenOS

Arista EOS

HP ProCurve OS

Avaya ERS OS

✔ What’s so special about this course?

Save Time and Money by Writing Your Own Python Programs to Automate Daily Network Tasks. Grow Your Networking Career With Network Programming Skills!

Bonus, You Might Even Get a Raise or a Better Job with These New Skills!

This Python Network Programming course is aimed at network professionals having little or no experience in network automation and a great desire to use Python and a lot of very smart Python modules to program their network devices and tasks. This hands-on Python Network Programming training walks you through lots of scenarios, networking vendors and useful tools to help you become the network engineer of 2017.

Well, let me tell you what’s this course all about:

Learning to use amazing Python libraries and tools to manage network devices easily and without writing too much code.

Connecting remotely to network devices and read/extract/display/store command output, using interactive Python scripts, on: Cisco IOS, Cisco IOS XE, Cisco IOS XR, Juniper JunOS, Juniper (Netscreen) ScreenOS, Arista EOS, HP ProCurve OS and Avaya ERS OS.

Configuring (one or more) network devices remotely, using interactive Python scripts, either by specifying the commands at the prompt OR asking the script to read them from one or more text files, on: Cisco IOS, Cisco IOS XE, Cisco IOS XR, Juniper JunOS, Juniper (Netscreen) ScreenOS, Arista EOS, HP ProCurve OS and Avaya ERS OS.

Executing configuration commands on multiple network devices from multiple vendors simultaneously.

Working with a device inventory in XML/JSON/CSV format and network metadata, while easily counting your registered network devices, getting device information by IP address, searching and listing device information, checking IP reachability and SSH availability and much more, using a simple but efficient tool in the Python interpreter or Linux shell.

Managing network device credentials in a centralized, encrypted file.

Managing access lists and converting access lists from one format to another using a very efficient tool (Example: Converting a Cisco IOS ACL to a Juniper JunOS ACL with a single command).

Automatically executing commands upon device login, right from the Linux shell.

Getting device interface information fast, right from the Linux shell and saving the information to local storage.

Working with Python and SNMP and easily performing SNMP GET, SET, SET multiple OIDs, WALK, GET-NEXT, GET-BULK operations on Cisco, Juniper, Arista and HP network devices, using only a few lines of code.

Parsing locally stored Cisco, Juniper, Arista and HP configuration files and extracting various pieces of information, using a very straightforward Python module.

Managing device configuration changes using a script that regularly saves the configuration files from your network devices to the local system, compares them with previous file versions, builds a report with all the differences and either stores the report locally or emails the report to the network administrator’s email address(es).

Performing various small network tests and operations using the Python interpreter.

✔ Still not enough for you?

Let me describe a few more features of this course:

More than 15 scripts for you to download and use right away, for free. The scripts are customized for each vendor in the course.

An amazing optimized Linux Ubuntu VM, with all the tools, modules and dependencies already installed and all the scripts ready to be executed on the devices in your network.

Command cheat sheets with all the essential commands and lines of code in each section.

Quizzes and a final network programming project for you to build and implement in your test lab/network. Also, the solution for the project is explained and tested.

1080p, Full HD videos. Improved audio quality.

185+ lectures and counting. 10+ hours of content.

Concise and focused lectures. Straightforward configuration of devices. Less software and operating system complications. Less code to write and troubleshoot. All the scripts I provide are fully interactive.

Bonus: a Python module created by me personally for handling Avaya ERS switches, which you can download, use and modify without any restrictions, for free.

Equipped with full working scripts (in .py and .txt formats), amazing virtual machines and command references, you will be able to work alongside me on each lecture and each application. I will provide an optimized Ubuntu virtual machine with all the Python modules already installed and also the full code for each application, so you can save time and start coding and testing on the spot.

⚠ Important information before you enroll!

Important prerequisites:

You should already be familiar with networking concepts like: SSH, Telnet, ACLs (Access Control Lists), SNMP, VMs (Virtual Machines).

You should already be familiar with Python syntax: functions, if, for, while, string and file operations etc. If you have no experience whatsoever in Python, then I encourage you to also check out my “Python Network Programming – Part 1: Build 7 Python Apps” course, which teaches Python from scratch and then dives into using it on network devices, by building some great network apps.

You won’t have to buy anything else. I am going to use only free software throughout the course: VirtualBox, Linux, free VMs etc.

⚠ Other important information

In case you find the course useless for your career, don’t forget you are covered by a 30 day money back guarantee, full refund, no questions asked!

Once enrolled, you have unlimited, lifetime access to the course!

You will have instant and free access to any updates I’ll add to the course.

Check out the curriculum and FREE PREVIEW lectures for a quick insight.

“[…] It sounds from the introductory like it would be a great skills to have to learn all these tools and be able to automate network tasks not only on Cisco Devices but other vendors. If I feel this way till the end of the course, I would feel that I have a UNIVERSAL skills to be able to work and automate tasks with multiple vendors.,Thanks for the good work. I hope and I know I will.”by Nasser Abdelghani

So, what are you waiting for? Do you want to be a better network engineer and also become a network programmer? Do you still want to catch the network programming and automation career train? Now is your chance!

✔ Enroll in ‘Python 2 Network Programming – Build 12 Multi-Vendor Tools’ now and see the benefits for your career, as thousands of other students already did!

✔ See you inside!

Who this course is for:

Network Administrators, Network (Systems) Engineers, Network (Service) Technicians, Network Analysts, Network Managers

Students of my “Python Tutorial: Python Network Programming – Build 7 Apps” course, who wish to learn how to manage network devices from various vendors, using Python

Students of my “Python Tutorial: Python Network Programming – Build 7 Apps” course, who wish to learn more advanced tools and operations to use in their networks

Junior Programmers, Test Engineers, Test Automation Engineers, QA Engineers and Analysts

Python Developers who want to apply their knowledge in the networking field

Any kind of IT geeks who wish to learn both Python network programming and network automation

Created by Mihai Catalin Teodosiu, Python Developer, PythonTutorial IO Last updated 7/2019 English English

Size: 2.44 GB

Download Now

https://ift.tt/2GD3Gno.

The post Python 2 Network Programming – Build 12 Multi-Vendor Tools appeared first on Free Course Lab.

#IFTTT #Blogger

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growlegalweed-blog · 6 years ago

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Legal Weed Resources

Check out... https://legalweed.gq/420/article-wendel-rosen-key-due-diligence-issues-for-cannabis-investors/

Article: Wendel Rosen: Key Due Diligence Issues for Cannabis Investors

Authored By: Karen Balderama

More than a year after legalization of recreational cannabis in California, the maturing California cannabis industry has seen an exponential increase in capital raising and M&A activity. Sophisticated investors and established companies are jumping in and making deals happen, infusing operators with capital and betting on even more growth if and when federal legalization occurs. Investors from Canada, where recreational marijuana is legal, are particularly interested in the California market. California cannabis companies are a popular target because they represent a foothold in the largest legal cannabis market in the world.

Before jumping in, however, investors should conduct thorough due diligence to uncover any potential landmines. The cannabis industry is unique in that many companies are emerging out of the illegal “black” or semi-legal “gray” market and may be operated by individuals who are not familiar with conventional business practices. Investors should be aware of the unique issues they will encounter when reviewing companies newly subject to complex and quickly evolving rules and regulations. In this environment, the potentially high upside is tempered by significant risk.

Investors who are new to the cannabis industry should be aware of the key areas that may require increased focus during the due diligence process. Along with my colleague, Rob Selna, I will be discussing these key due diligence issues and how investors can address them at the O’Cannabiz Conference in Toronto on April 27, with real-life examples from recent financing and M&A transactions.

1. Local and State Licensing

Without a local permit and state license to operate, a company cannot do business in the legitimate California cannabis market. While this sounds like a no-brainer, investors must ensure that any company they review has all the proper required state and local permits it needs to operate. Given the new and untested California licensing process, an investor must ask some basic questions, such as: If the company does not have a permanent license, is it in the process of obtaining one? Is there any risk that it can be denied a local permit or a permanent license?

2. Capitalization and Corporate Records

One particular problem for cannabis companies, is that they may have been started and operated without legal help. While some disorganization can be accommodated, a company ready for investment or acquisition should have some level of basic corporate housekeeping. Due diligence questions may include: Have corporate actions been properly documented and approved? Is the company in compliance with its own articles of incorporation and bylaws? Are there risks of other “founders” coming out of the woodwork to claim ownership in the company?

3. Tax and Financials

It’s common knowledge that cannabis companies are taxed heavily. Some companies may have come up with creative solutions to try to get around this, or they may have handled tax issues themselves without getting sound advice from accounting professionals. Questions to ask include:

What banking arrangements, if any, does the company have in place?

Has the company filed accurate tax returns?

Has it paid all of its local, state and federal taxes?

Is it at risk for an IRS audit?

Could there be a large tax liability?

Like corporate records, companies also may have neglected to keep complete and proper financial records. Investors should engage accountants well-versed in the cannabis industry to review a target company’s tax returns and financial information so they understand the risks involved.

4. Intellectual Property

After it obtains a license to operate, a company’s intellectual property (trademarks, trade secrets, patents, etc.) may be some of the most valuable assets that a cannabis company has. An investor should examine how well the company’s IP is protected, understanding that federal registration of certain intangible assets may not be available for an “illegal” business activity. It is also critical for investors to know whether any other parties (such as employees or partners) have a valid claim of ownership on the IP, or whether the company’s IP infringes on another party’s intellectual property.

5. Business Operations and Agreements

Investors should carefully examine how the business has been operated to assess other possible risks. This bucket includes employment issues (such as proper classification of employees, wage and hour issues, etc.); lease agreements and other real estate matters; contracts with customers and suppliers; adequate levels of insurance coverage; adoption of and compliance with internal controls, policies and procedures; compliance with environmental laws; and compliance with other rules and regulations that may apply. Noncompliance in each of these areas could present a risk of liability to investors. Ideally, once due diligence on a cannabis company is completed, there are no significant issues that present a heightened risk of liability. If there are issues, it is best to uncover these issues and address them early in the process. If the company presents too high a risk of liability, investors can negotiate better terms and demand certain protections, or they might decide to pass on a particular opportunity altogether.

Author Bio:

Karen represents corporate and individual clients in complex corporate transactions, as well as general business and securities matters. Her practice involves mergers and acquisitions, representing both buyers and sellers, and venture capital transactions, representing both investors and portfolio companies. Karen’s practice also involves private equity investments, private placements, and corporate restructurings. She regularly advises clients on issues involving entity selection and formation, corporate structuring, corporate governance, shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements, employment and non-competition/non-solicitation agreements, intellectual property, and business contracts. She works with clients ranging from family-owned businesses and professional offices to start-up and other small or mid-sized privately held companies in a wide variety of industries, including food and beverage, cannabis, manufacturing, technology, real estate, construction, and professional services.

More Info: https://www.wendel.com/attorneys-staff/attorneys/balderama-karen-j

#Article #Cannabis #Diligence #Investors #Issues #Rosen #Wendel

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ncmagroup · 6 years ago

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By Melinda Emerson

December is here! Before you get all soft and gooey about the holidays, it is important to take time to set things up right so you can achieve your business goals for 2019! You must plan your success for next year. Here are 10 things to do to get your business ready for 2019

Clean up your accounting records

Hopefully, you use accounting software to keep track of your revenues and expenses, but if you haven’t been keeping everything up-to-date, it’s time to buckle down. If your receipts haven’t been entered into your system, it’s a good idea to make that happen asap. IRS typically does not need receipts for items under $75 that relate to transportation or meals. But, if you get audited, you may be questioned. You need to get your paperwork together and call the bookkeeper or accountant before tax time when everyone gets slammed. Remember, business taxes are due March 15th, not in April like personal taxes.

Update Vendor 1099’s and W2’s

IRS 1099- MISC is a year-end form you send to all non-employees such as consultants and contractors. Anyone who you’ve paid more than $600 during the year should receive one, as well as any partnerships, LLCs or companies you may have contracted during the year. The IRS requires 1099’s out the door before Jan 31, 2019. If you have employees, you need to issue their W2’s by January 31, 2019. If you use a payroll service, they should provide W2’s for you and your employees.

Get your 2019 W9 filled out and signed and scanned

Take care of this small task this way, you’ll have this handy when someone asks for it. Some vendors or corporate clients will ask for this form before paying any invoice. If your business is a sole proprietor, LLC or an S-Corporation, you will need to provide a W9 to get paid.

Set up your files for 2019

If you are like me, you create files for next year at the end of every year. My filing system is by year, then category then month. How do you store your contracts, special projects, PPT slides, admin files, etc.? Develop a system and use it consistently.

2019 – Category – Month

You may prefer 2019 – Month – Category

Is Your Desk or Email Cluttered?

If you have 5,000 to 10,000 unopened emails, make it a goal to get back to no new emails before the end of the year. And is your desk cluttered? A cluttered desk is a cluttered mind. Deal with those stacks of unopened mail; who knows there could be a check in one of them. If your work space or computer is cluttered, spend a few hours and set up a system. Shred things you don’t need, and organize your computer files. It will save you hours later.

Check all your monthly subscriptions

There is nothing worse that paying for something you don’t use. With all the apps and subscription services out there, you could be paying for things you no longer need, or paying for apps that do that same thing. Productivity apps, media subscriptions, and music are great place to start. Do you need Spotify and Amazon music? What about your CRM software? Does your email program have the same functionality? Look at social media scheduling tools too. Save money where you can.

Budget for next year

If you don’t have a budget for next year, now is a great time to create one. You need updated financials so that you can see what you spent this year. It’s always best to base a budget based on the previous year. If you had proper accounting, you can use that as a starting point for creating a budget for the next year.

Build a promotions calendar

Sit down with a calendar and start looking at all the holidays or events you want to build content or promotions around. This will give you ample time to plan your social media updates, blog posts, graphics, and advertising campaigns, etc.

Always be reading and learning

Some people read a book a week! This is pretty challenging when you running your own business and putting out fires constantly. But readers are leaders, so you need to make sure you are growing your skills as a business leader. Here’s the latest book I am reading: Building Your Story Brand, by Donald Miller

Start a Gratitude Journal

It is easy to boil things down to wins and losses, but it’s better to be grateful for everything and everyone that is in your life. Some events, people, things may seem bad – I suggest you look into them to see what they showed up, and write down what you learned. Reflecting on what you learned from the person, event or thing that happened is a great way to make sure you don’t repeat your mistakes. Then take 3 deep breaths!

Wishing you the best for 2019!

Go to our website: www.ncmalliance.com

10 Things To Do To Get Your Business Ready for 2019 By Melinda Emerson December is here! Before you get all soft and gooey about the holidays, it is important to take time to set things up right so you can achieve your business goals for 2019!

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advancetaxreliefexperts · 5 years ago

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YOU CAN AMEND A TAX RETURN? HOW TO FIX AN ERROR

Filing your taxes is one of those projects that may feel overwhelming. It can be almost intimidating when you get to the end and have to press that final button to file your return. Here is some information to help put you at ease if you make a mistake.

For almost any kind of error, know this: it is fixable. You can file an amended tax return to correct errors and still go back three years to claim an additional refund if you missed a credit or deduction.

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What is an amended tax form?

Most individual tax returns can be amended by mailing in a Form 1040X. This form amends a previously filed Form 1040, Form 1040A, or 1040EZ Forms.

You can use this Form 1040X if there are changes in your filing status, income, credits or deductions. (Read more about common mistakes taxpayers make, and how to avoid them.) The IRS does recommend that you wait until you get your original refund before you submit an amendment. Don’t worry – the amended return deadline is generous, so you should have plenty of time to wait on your refund and still file your amendment. Usually, you have three years to file an amended return.

How and when can I amend my tax return?

You’ll need to send an amended return by mail. You can access the Form 1040X on the IRS website. Check the Form 1040X Instructions to find your state’s IRS Service Center address. Or, of course, Advance Tax Relief can help you file an amended return.

As for when to amend your tax return, that part is easy. If you’ve already filed your 2018 return, you’ll be able to file an amended return. If you filed your original return before the normal tax deadline (usually April 15) and find an error that would make you owe more money, you might want to hurry. If you file your amendment before the normal tax due date, you can avoid penalties and interest.

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thechasefiles · 5 years ago

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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 28/1/2020

Good Morning #realdreamchasers ! Here is your daily news cap for Tuesday January 28th, 2020. There is a lot to read and digest so take your time. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS), Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

VERLA: COME ON BOARD – PRESIDENT OF the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), Verla De Peiza, is telling all who want to be part of her leadership to take on the ruling Barbados Labour Party Government to get with the programme. She was speaking Sunday evening at a DLP Christ Church zonal meeting entitled A Cry Of The People: A Thorough Analysis Of Our National Situation, part of the Errol Walton Barrow centennial celebrations. The meeting was held at Deighton Griffith School, Kingsland, Christ Church. De Peiza told members of the party: “Get on board; get with the programme. What I am looking at from up here has made the grey hairs of the last 18 months worth it. “I make no pretence and you will certainly agree that it is when you are down and you are being kicked that your true mettle and personality comes to the fore. “Some run for cover but others come out fighting. You tonight represent the fighters,” she said to loud cheers from the audience. “What we are witnessing in the last 18 months has been a slaughter of the people on the altar of economic expedience, to the point where the cries of the people are rising up on a daily basis. (DN)

PLANS IN PLACE FOR CARONAVIRUS – With the death toll from the coronavirus rising to 81 worldwide, health officials are assuring Barbadians that they have the equipment and expertise to keep them safe. Head of the Infection Prevention and Control/Infectious Diseases Programme at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Dr Corey Forde, said Barbados was ahead of the curve when it came to preparations. “Barbadians can be reassured the Ministry of Health and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital are prepared for any eventuality. We are watching the international [news], we are having briefings and discussions and I think it is important to keep up this interaction with the public,” he said after a tour of the Infectious Disease Facility in Enmore Complex, Martindale’s Road, St Michael, yesterday afternoon. “I know often when things are new, and with social media, that people become afraid. It’s okay to be afraid but better to be prepared.” Forde said they were not only ready but had been all set even before the worldwide alarm was given. (DN)

LETTERS OF CONCERN – The Financial Controller of the cash-strapped Transport Board yesterday admitted she was forced to write the general manager about a number of financial anomalies and irregularities that had been noticed between April 2015 and June 2018. Felicia Sue, who also acted as general manager for a short period from July 2018 to 2019 after completion of a special audit, made the revelation during a brief 48-minute testimony before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the Senate Chamber. Accompanied by her attorney Chester Sue, the accountant was questioned about the accounting practices at the state agency and what would have led to an inability to maintain a proper fleet. The questions were posed by PAC chairman Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley, Members of Parliament Colin Jordan and Sandra Husbands, and Senators Lindell Nurse and Lucille Moe. Sue’s testimony surrounded what would have led to a number of memos being written to management. (DN)

LOOK AFTER YOUR FOLKS AT WORK – Organisations have been urged to pay attention to the health, safety, wellness and general welfare of their workers, Minister of Labour Colin Jordan appealed today. He spoke at the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between his ministry and Pharma Wellness International Inc., at the Warren’s Office Complex. Jordan encouraged owners, operators and leaders in both the private and public sectors to pay workers the same attention that they pay to their equipment. He said: “If we are going to be that careful about equipment, inanimate objects, then we have to be many times more careful and concerned about the human beings who work in an organization. “And so, we are calling on organizations to pay attention to the wellness, health, safety and general welfare of their workers. “First, because they are human beings, and they deserve that respect and that attention, and secondly, they are the key ingredient in productivity. “And so, if people are to be productive for your organizations, then you have to take care of the people in your organizations.” Pointing out that his ministry was seeking to have a combined but balanced approach to the workplace, he said the formalizing of the relationship with Lennox Prescod, Chief Executive Officer of Pharma Wellness International Inc., was part of Government’s decision to focus on these areas. “We have decided that we would partner or work closely with organisations whose mandate is the promotion of wellness and health and safety of workers across the board. “Government recognizes that it has an enormous responsibility, a responsibility to all of the many thousands of workers across the country,” Jordan said. “It also recognizes that it cannot fulfil every aspect of its responsibility on its own, and so it has to partner with organizations of like mind, organizations who see as… their reason for existence the carrying out of some of the various mandates that rest with Government.” Prescod, in thanking the ministry, said Pharma Wellness, which was started five years ago, was a concept he had while working at the Barbados Drug Service as its director. “I used to make the point that just giving people medication was not the answer to dealing with chronic non-communicable diseases,” he said. Noting that Pharma Wellness goes out to companies to conduct the programme so people do not have to come to them, Prescod added: “We go to companies; set up a little clinic with nurses and we do all these basic tests, baseline tests. “You get your blood pressure, blood sugar, HBA1CU, which is critical because it tells you if you have diabetes, pre-diabetes or no diabetes.” While revealing that in 2019 some five to 600 persons in the private sector were looked at and their progress in the programme analysed, he stressed a message being pushed in the programme was that “diabetes can be reversed”. (BT)

LT GAY SPLITS INTO FOUR – Pupils of the Lawrence T Gay Memorial Primary School, currently closed because of air quality issues, reported for classes at four temporary locations today. Class 4 students started classes at the neighbouring Grace Hill Moravian church last Monday. But Class 3 students went to the Jackson Seventh Day Adventist Church, Jackson; Classes 1 and 2 reported to the Christ The King Anglican Church, Rock Dundo; and the reception and Infant’s As and Bs are at the Ebenezer Seventh Day Adventist Church, Eden Lodge, St Michael. When Barbados TODAY visited Christ The King this morning, parents said they were not only satisfied with the location, but also with the fact that their children were back in classrooms. “I am comfortable with the location because I know the place and my daughter seem to be comfortable. I drive so getting her here would not be an inconvenience for me,” Yonette Moore said. Students of Lawrence T Gay Memorial Primary and their parents outside the Church of Christ The King, one of four locations where the students have been relocated. Meanwhile, another parent who only gave her name as Lisa said she was happy to see her son being taught again considering that classes were last held at the Spooner’s Hill school on January 14. Lisa said:” Yes, as parents, when you go to work you would tell the children to read a book or go over something they already did in school, and sometimes they do it, sometimes they don’t. “But I am telling you; they do not do it the same way as if they are in the classroom with the teacher. So I am glad that the Ministry found these places to put the children. “I am hoping that the environmental issues are rectified because the reality stands that some parents have two or more children at the school and running around to these different locations is going to be challenging for some of us.” Grandmother Marceline Cyrus also agreed that it was about time the students return to the school. But Cyrus said she was aware that a number of parents were initially concerned about how their wards would get to the respective locations. “If you have your own vehicle it ain’t a problem bringing your child. But I am hearing they have transportation and it is $1 down and $1 back up. “So I am confident that they would settle in, and I pray that they would find the environmental problem at the school where the children can be back at school and they will continue with their education,” Cyrus said. Rector Reverend Suzanne Ellis said Christ The King was happy to host the students and teachers of Lawrence T Gay in the church hall. She said agreeing to accommodate the students was a part of the church’s God-ordained mandate to be its brother’s keeper. Ellis said: “So we welcome the parents and the teachers and the children of the Lawrence T Gay School and we trust that this will be a rewarding and productive time for them and of course it will be a happy one as well.” Barbados TODAY has learned that parents who have students being accommodated at the Ebenezer Seventh-day Adventist Church raised views about the safety of their children in what some of them has described as a community known for violence. (BT)

NEW IDB LOANS COMING – Barbados could benefit from a major special policy-based loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as the country embarks on its environmental sustainability programmes. IDB Country Representative to Barbados Juan Carlos de la Hoz Viñas put forward the suggestion on Monday as he addressed the opening of a panel discussion at the Courtyard by Marriott on the theme Assessing and Addressing the Impact of Natural Disasters. He said the financial institution was in the process of developing the loan, which officials would be presenting to the board for approval in a matter of weeks. “I think this is a flagship for the bank and for Barbados – a new policy-based loan based on sustainability which is going to be the first in the history of the bank and we are very proud of that,” said de la Hoz Viñas. “There has been a lot of efforts and a lot of discussions and we are hoping to bring this project to the board in a few weeks and it is going to be a very interesting discussion at the board because we are going to emphasise that is a part of what we can do with a government that is pretty much committed,” he said. Stating that the IDB has been providing assistance to government in the area of climate resilience over the years, he said the bank would also be presenting a “new type of insurance” product that it has developed to its board. “So it is going to be a very interesting year in terms of operations and we hope in terms of bringing in expertise and [holding] discussions for policy matters in Barbados,” said de la Hoz Viñas. Meanwhile, Minister of Economic Affairs and Investment Marsha Caddle said Government has been in discussions with the development financing institution in relation to parametric triggers. “One of the things we have been very excited to engage with IDB on is the issue of parametric triggers – what is it that triggers disbursements under certain kinds of contingency facilities and instruments that you have done such an amazing job of being able to create for countries like us in the region,” said Caddle. “What we looked at is that perhaps one of those parametric triggers should be slow onset events like erosion of our beaches,” said Caddle. Pointing out that the country depended heavily on tourism, the minister said it was critical that the island’s coasts were protected. “So it means that any event that compromises the integrity of the coast or the integrity of the reefs we have to mitigate against,” she said. “Not only do we need immediate liquidity after a severe weather event, but we also need to be able to build resilience before events happen,” she added. In that regard, Caddle said Government would also continue to “identify the kinds of instruments” needed and continue to work closely with the private sector. (BT)

VERDUN HOUSE NEEDS $5MILLION – The country’s famed residential drug treatment centre, Verdun House, is looking to expand its programme – with $5 million dollars to help, chairman of the Substance Abuse Foundation (SAF) Peter Boos has told a fundraiser. He told an audience at the Frank Collymore Hall last Saturday that the foundation, like any other charity, needs sustainable long-term revenues to support the work being done. “We are this year about to expand that programme considerably on four acres of land at Verdun House; we must raise $5 million to do so. And we will, because we must,” Boos told patrons at Renew – A Charity Fundraising Concert. The function was held as part of Verdun House’s 20th-anniversary celebrations, honoured founding visionaries Desmond Nicholls, Harold Hoyte and Mousa Moses. Present were 21 clients who had successfully undergone the treatment programme over the years. The SAF treatment centres – Verdun House for men and Marina House for women – offer a 90-day abstinence-based, 12 Step-oriented residential treatment programme. The chairman said the millions the charity is seeking to raise will also help continue their renewable energy initiative. Boos explained: “Two years ago, we embarked on an unprecedented enterprise to create a source of sustainable revenue, where at a cost of $550,000 we equipped all our buildings at Verdun House with solar panels to generate income to contribute to funding costs of out recovery programmes. “We also trained 24 clients, women and men, to work in this field of solar panel installation and maintenance.” He added: “Our future funding model for SAF is innovative and sustainable. “It includes major contributions from philanthropists, Government, renewable energy investments, our own entrepreneurial social enterprises in partnership with local visionary business leaders and volunteers. “We all have a stake in SAF’s future and opportunities to be supportive. “We are grateful for your giving whether small or large.” (BT)

UPDATE: MAN INJURED IN SHOOTING AT GAS STATION – A 23-year-old St Michael man received a gunshot injury to his left leg after a man opened fire in the Sol Gas Station at Charles Rowe Bridge, St George, around 12:15 a.m. Sunday. Shaquille Callender of Odessa McClean Avenue, My Lords Hill, St Michael, was transported to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by private vehicle. According to police, the victim was inside the gas station when he and the shooter began to argue. He went outside to a car and attempted to re-enter the building, but the other man, who now had a firearm, exited the building. Callender tried to run away but was struck in the leg by one of several shots fired in his direction. The shooter than ran off in the direction of Chefette Restaurants. Security footage of the incident later made the rounds on social media. Anyone who can provide any information that can assist with this investigation is asked to contact District B Police Station at 437-4311, Police Emergency 211, Crime Stoppers at 1-800 (TIPS) 8477 or any police station. (DN)

PSV DRIVER ON DANGEROUS DRIVING CHARGE – The minibus driver who was allegedly behind the wheel of the bus that nearly swiped a pedestrian off the side walk when it overtook another vehicle on the wrong side has been remanded to Dodds pending trial after the traffic prosecutor argued that a strong message must be sent to persons who “show blatant disregard” for other road users. Dacian Griffith, of Church Gap, Hillaby, St Andrew will return before the District ‘A’ Traffic Court on Thursday, January 30 when evidence will be given on four traffic offences stemming from the January 11 incident which was caught on camera and circulated on social media. The trial date was set by Magistrate Graveney Bannister after the driver, who has been operating public service vehicles for six years, entered not guilty pleas to the charges that about 3:50 p.m. that Saturday being the driver of minibus B89 on Black Rock Main Road did drive and overtake other vehicles other than on the right side or off side of the road. Griffith who has “over 90 traffic convictions” also denied driving the motor vehicle on a foot path; in a manner dangerous to the public; without due care and attention; and without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road. Urging the accused’s remand, Sergeant Kevin Forde pointed to the nature and seriousness of the charges saying that the alleged offence “attracted public outcry” and Griffith’s antecedents should be taken into consideration under the circumstances. “The evidence will show that someone could have been seriously injured . . . overtaking on the wrong side of the road. It will show the blatant disregard for persons using the roads both motorists and pedestrians. From what I gather the pedestrian had to take rapid, evasive measures to prevent serious bodily harm,” prosecutor Forde submitted. “A strong message should be sent to persons who show blatant disregard for other persons on the road,” the sergeant said. He told the court that while Griffith was not arrested at the scene, nor did he stop, police relied on video footage to verify the driver’s identity. But arguing that her client was a candidate for bail, attorney-at-law Shadia Simpson questioned whether the submissions made by the prosecution were “opening remarks” to the case. “The message which needs to be sent or not sent should come at the stage of sentencing,” the lawyer said as she went on to inform the court that Griffith was summoned to come before the court and had “presented himself… he is not likely to abscond as he has been here on a number of previous matters when required to do so.” Addressing his numerous convictions, Simpson submitted “none are of a similar nature”. Her client, she also explained, was a single father of two children – a seven and one year old – for whom she said he had sole responsibly. “I am asking that his personal circumstances be taken into consideration. He is also not working pending the outcome of this matter. I appeal and urge the court to grant him his pretrial liberty,” Simpson added. “What I can say at this time is the incident did not occur the way it may have appeared to have happened.” However, Magistrate Bannister said the allegation was a serious matter which carried serious penalties on conviction. He also pointed to Griffith’s antecedents before remanding him until January 30. The trial of the PSV driver is expected to begin at 9 a.m. As the magistrate ruled on the remand a family member who was present in court stood up and immediately collapsed and was assisted by police officers. However, she was quickly back on her feet and walked out of the court unaided, moments after Griffith was escorted out in handcuffs by a police officer. (BT)

MOOORE PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO THEFT – Accused Andrew Sylvester Moore, of no fixed place of abode, will have a roof over his head for the next 28 days at least. That’s because Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant today remanded the 45-year-old to prison in connection with three criminal offences. It is alleged that Moore stole a $50 shirt and an $85 pair of pants belonging to Simply Genuine Boutique on January 22. He pleaded not guilty to the charges as well as that of loitering on the premises of the boutique on January 25 with cause to believe that he was about to commit theft. Moore will reappear in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on February 24. (BT)

BREADFRUIT THIEF AT DODDS – A self-employed man accused of praedial larceny will make his next appearance before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on February 24. In the meantime, Troy Jamar Hurdle, of 3rd Avenue Skeete’s Road, St Michael will be on remand at Her Majesty’s Prison Dodds. Hurdle is accused of stealing ten breadfruits belonging to Jonathan Lashley on January 25. He pleaded guilty to the offence before Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant today, where it was also revealed that Hurdle had been missing court hearings in relation to a pending matter against him. It is expected that he will be sentenced on his next appearance after the facts in the case against him are revealed. (BT)

I NEVER SHOT A GUN – The man accused of shooting at a police officer nine years ago has vehemently denied using a firearm. “I never had a gun. I never shot a gun. I never told the police that I had a gun. I never told police I shot a gun,” Tevin Ramon Skeete, of Crab Hill, St Lucy said this morning in the No. 3 Supreme Court as he gave an unsworn statement from the dock. Skeete is facing nine jurors for unlawfully and maliciously engaging in conduct when he allegedly shot at officer Ewin Norville on January 14, 2011, placing him in danger of death or serious bodily harm. He is also accused of using a firearm on that same date. Before he gave his evidence the prosecutor Senior Crown Counsel Olivia Davis called two final witnesses before closing the Crown’s case against the accused who is being represented by attorneys-at-law Arthur Holder, Shadia Simpson, Mariah Arthur and Davidson Porter. Tomorrow, the defence will continue its case in the court presided over by Justice Carlisle Greaves. (BT)

There are 338 days left in the year Shalom! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps #bajannewscaps #newsinanutshell

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