Paul Kostro's Blog

Donate Your PC's Power To Science

2006-08-02T12:19:00.000-04:00

On August 02, 2006, Angela Stewart of the Star-Ledger staff reports that "cancer fighters hope to tap into your PC's power". To participate in this effort, check out the World Community Grid.If you want to send me an email about this post, please do.<< Home

Positive Psychology

2006-07-07T09:39:00.000-04:00

Positive Psychology is a branch of psychology which focuses on the empirical study of such things as positive emotions, strengths-based character, and healthy institutions. More information is available HERE.Reportedly, you can develop insights into yourself and the world around you through scientifically tested questionnaires, surveys, and scales. To try, go to the Questionnaires Center.If you

Some Thought Provoking Articles

2006-06-25T13:46:00.000-04:00

What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage, By AMY SUTHERLAND, Published in The New York Times on June 25, 2006.Finding New Passion After the Pain of Infidelity, By KEITH ABLOW, M.D., Published in The New York Times on June 20, 2006.Your son or daughter decides to remarry someone with kids -- how are you supposed to act?Adult children have just as many problems when their parents remarry as do

Supervised Visits Between Parents And Kids

2006-06-14T10:35:00.003-04:00

The Star-Ledger reports that Church opens its doors to supervised visits between parents and kids.For additional information, contact:Safe Harbor Child Access Transfer CenterNew Jersey Council for Children's Rights Essex County. St. James Church, 588 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102. Contact: LaVerne Duncan (973) 624-4007. Middlesex County. United Methodist Church at New

The "Global Nightmare" Continues

2006-06-09T18:11:00.000-04:00

As a follow up to our October 6, 2005 and February 15, 2006 Blog Entries concerning the "Global Nightmare" of a mother and her child, Bob Braun reports in the May 22, 2006 edition of The Star-Ledger that the legal term patria potestas, as applied in the case of In Re The Application of Roberto Giampaolo v. Evelina Erneta, 390 F. Supp.2d. 1269 (N.D. Ga. 2004) may be dispositive -- HOWEVER, see the

Avoid Family Conflict Through Early Mediation

2006-06-09T17:27:00.000-04:00

Senior citizens can be the victims of their family (see e.g. Women held in fatal abuse of grandma, as reported in The Star-Ledger).If family conflicts need to be resolved, Mediation may be the best first step towards the solution.If you want to send me an email about this post, please do.<< Home

A TimeShare For Your Next Vacation

2006-06-09T16:42:00.000-04:00

If you are considering a TimeShare for your next vacation, you may want to take advantage of the following websites:The Timeshare User's Group -- an organization composed of timeshare owners and other interested parties.TimeSharing Today MagazineeBayIf you want to send me an email about this post, please do.<< Home

Teen's Pamphlet On Divorce Gets Judicial Notice

2006-06-06T12:33:00.000-04:00

As reported in the June 5, 2006 edition of The Star-Ledger, Jacob M. Solomon's pamphlet for children of divorce, "Empower Yourself: A Teenager's Guide to Coping with Your Parents' Divorce (Or the ten most important things to know when your parents separate)" can be ordered by calling (908)578-4813.If you want to send me an email about this post, please do.<< Home

Websites For Real Estate Sellers And Buyers

2006-05-25T17:54:00.000-04:00

PropertyShark.com enables real estate professionals and investors with data and tools on all aspects of real property, including comparable sales, property details, ownership info, maps, photographs, listings, foreclosures, pre-foreclosures, mailing lists and more.Zillow.com is an online real estate service dedicated to helping you get an edge in real estate by providing you with valuable tools

Prayer For Those In Conflict

2006-05-24T16:04:00.000-04:00

Prayer for those seeking to resolve conflict through Litigation or Mediation:Keep us, Oh God, from pettiness; let us be large in thought, in word, in deed.Let us be done with fault-finding and leave off self-seeking.May we put away all pretense and meet each other, face to face, without self-pity and without prejudice.May we never be hasty in judgement and always generous.Let us take time for all

Video About Mediation

2006-04-24T12:44:00.000-04:00

Sherman Lee Criner, Esq., who is a Dispute Resolution Certified Mediator, with offices in Wilmington, North Carolina, narrates a VIDEO about Mediation -- some of the information provided on this video is applicable to New Jersey mediation practice -- for more information about our Confidential Mediation services, please visit our Website.If you want to send me an email about this post, please do.

Judges, Lawyers and Courtrooms Are NOT Needed To Resolve Disputes

2006-04-14T11:52:00.000-04:00

"The notion that most people want black-robed judges, well-dressed lawyers, and fine paneled courtrooms as the setting to resolve their dispute is not correct. People with problems, like people with pains, want relief, and they want it as quickly and inexpensively as possible."-- Warren E. Burger, former Chief Justice United States Supreme Court, Our Vicious Spiral, published in Judges' Journal

If You Payoff Your Credit Card, You May Be Reported To Homeland Security

2006-03-08T11:15:00.000-05:00

BOB KERR of The Providence Journal reported that paying a credit-card bill in an amount which is much larger than that payer's normal monthly payment may cause Homeland Security to be notified, and the payment will be held in abeyance pending clearance from Homeland Security. Read the full story HERE.If you want to send me an email about this post, please do.<< Home

Book Review: Chasing Daylight

2006-02-27T08:46:00.000-05:00

Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life By Eugene D. O'Kelly (available at Amazon; Barnes & Noble; and many other places) has been reviewed favorably in:The New York Times;Business Week; andThe Economist.If you want to send me an email about this post, please do.<< Home

Tango is HOT in NJ

2006-02-25T11:17:00.000-05:00

The February 24, 2006 edition of The Star-Ledger featured three stories about Tango dancing in N.J.: (1) Dancing fever: The tango is hotter than ever at milongas -- parties -- around N.J.; (2) A chance to learn the dance of romance; and (3) Tango blends elements from Europe and Africa.More information is available at: NJ Tango Extravaganza in Basking RidgeAsada Milonga in BrooksideFirehouse Tango

The Scars That Children Suffer When Their Parents Battle

2006-02-21T14:49:00.000-05:00

There are many articles about the scars that children suffer when their parents battle -- e.g.:Battling parents leave scars on kids, by Peggy O'Crowley, Star-Ledger Staff.Children often trapped, scarred in parental battles, by Kirk Mitchell, Denver Post Staff.Virginia Custody Disputes, by Williams MullenBitter divorce battles can leave scars on tug-of-love childrenParents can usually do much to

Mother And Her Child Are In A Global Nightmare -- Part 2

2006-02-15T14:31:00.000-05:00

As a follow up to our October 6, 2005 Blog Entry that a Mother And Her Child Are In A Global Nightmare, the February 15, 2006 edition of The Star-Ledger reports that a federal appeals court threw out a deportation order aimed at sending a 5-year-old Elizabeth girl to Argentina for a custody hearing. The appeals panel returned the case to a trial court to determine whether the father has custody

Prents Of Unwanted Babies Have A Safe Haven For Their Babies

2006-01-18T09:20:00.000-05:00

January 17, 2006, hoping to spread the word and save a child, Ana M. Alaya, Staff Reporter for the Star-Ledger, writes about the 'safe-haven' law for unwanted babies [N.J.S.A. 30:4C-15.5, et seq. -- the New Jersey Safe Haven Infant Protection Act].If you want to send me an email about this post, please do.<< Home

In Oregon, A Doctor May Help You Commit Suicide.

2006-01-17T14:28:00.000-05:00

In Gonzales v. Oregon, __ U.S. __ (Decided January 17, 2006), the U.S. Supreme Court held that the federal Controlled Substances Act does not allow the U.S. Attorney General to prohibit doctors from prescribing regulated drugs for use in physician-assisted suicide under the Oregon Death With Dignity Act (which state Act permits the procedure) [368 F.3d 1118, affirmed].If you want to send me an

It Is Illegal To Smoke In Public

2006-01-15T18:43:00.000-05:00

Gov. Richard J. Codey made it illegal, effectice April 15, 2006, to light up in New Jersey bars, restaurants and most other public places with the exception of casino floors.If you want to send me an email about this post, please do.<< Home

An Employer Is Responsible For Employee's Pornography

2006-01-03T16:06:00.000-05:00

In Doe v. XYC Corp., __ N.J. Super. __ (App. Div. 2005) [decided December 27, 2005], the Court noted that it is a crime, both state and federal, to possess or view child pornography, N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(5)(b); 18 U.S.C.A. § 2252, § 2256(8)(B); and held that given the public policy against child pornography, as reflected in these statutes, and the fact that "public policy favors the exposure of

A "Living Will" May Be The Source Of Family Peace

2005-12-27T08:15:00.000-05:00

Siblings battle in court over $27 million mom, published December 26, 2005, by Kate Coscarelli, Star-Ledger Staff.If you want to send me an email about this post, please do.<< Home

New U.S. Passport and Travel Documents Requirements

2005-12-17T07:54:00.000-05:00

New U.S. Passport and Travel Documents Requirements:December 31, 2005 – Passport or other accepted document required for all travel (air/sea) to or from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America.December 31, 2006 – Passport or other accepted document required for all air and sea travel to or from Mexico and Canada.December 31, 2007 – Passport or other accepted document required for all

Collaborative Law

2005-12-10T13:52:00.000-05:00

Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics -- Opinion 699 -- Collaborative Law:Subject to two very important qualifications, collaborative law practice is not inconsistent with the Rules of Professional Conduct:(1) A lawyer should not agree to undertake a representation pursuant to the collaborative law process if the lawyer, based on the lawyer's knowledge and experience, and after being fully

Pets May Be Entitled To A "Unique Value"

2005-11-29T11:38:00.000-05:00

The 11/29/2005 DAILY BRIEFING service of the NEW JERSEY LAWYER reports that:DISPUTE FOCUSES ON WHETHER MAN'S BEST FRIEND IS ONLY PROPERTYSome pet owners' emotional attachment to their canine (and feline) companions is so strong, they consider them a member of the family. In Ohio, the law considers animals their owner's property. Not so, Tammie Vasek of Macedonia contends, arguing her dog Tasha's