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Going viral: New law could criminalize your sharing
"Eww! You've got cooties!" Sound familiar? Admit it: You had cooties a few times back in elementary school. Of course, anyone you touched after that pronouncement also had cooties. The affliction was fictional, but the ostracism was real. And cooties were hard to avoid.
Well, brace yourself, because a new species of cootie is about to burst forth from Washington DC, if the SHIELD (Securing Human Intelligence and Enforcing Lawful Dissemination) bill, introduced in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, becomes law. [S315 and HR703]
What SHIELD would do is amend the 1917 Espionage Act in order to prevent the spread of additional classified information from the WikiLeaks folks – or from any untraceable Internet source.
Under it, anyone who passes along any classified information "concerning the human intelligence activities of the United States" – even if it has already been leaked elsewhere – will be a criminal, if the information is "prejudicial to US interests."
Well, now, that's a pretty broad category, don't you think? Mind you, the point of this bill is NOT to punish those who leak classified information. That's already a crime, and covered under the Espionage Act of 1917.
No siree, the people targeted in this bill are those who pass along the information. And who passes along information? Journalists come to mind instantly, but then there are the regular shmoes like you and me who use the Internet.
If this bill had been law back in 2003, and information had been leaked revealing that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and that – hypothetically, of course – the Bush administration knew that there were no such weapons in Iraq (information that would have been "prejudicial to US interests" because it could have spoiled the administration's plans to invade Iraq) then anyone who relayed that information would have been in violation of the law.
Not only would, say, The New York Times or The Hook have been in violation of the law if they'd published this information, but anyone commenting on a blog who had cited the original tidbit could have been prosecuted. Or anyone sending a "hey did you hear about?" email message or posting a link to a relevant article on Facebook. (If we'd had Facebook back then.)
Not for nothing do we say a story has "gone viral." Nowadays, information spreads like a virus. The label you could acquire from spreading classified information (labels like "traitor," "felon," and "terrorist") could rip through our population like an infestation of third-grade cooties. And with this new Washington strain of cooties, ostracism is the least of your worries.
Should this SHIELD bill become law, then you (yes, you – you with your forwarding of email messages and the comments you post that you think are anonymous and your itch to pass along interesting chunks of information by way of tweets and links) could be fined, and imprisoned for up to ten years for disseminating what might well be the truth. (Ten years!)
WikiLeaks may be the source of the cooties, but pretty soon, as the leaked information spreads, NBC and FOX News, Ariana Huffington and AOL have cooties, too. It's only a matter of time before you'll be tagged with cooties – expensive ones, the kind that require legal counsel, the kind that could put you behind bars.
Here's a fun fact: The letters in "SHIELD" stand for ''Securing Human Intelligence and Enforcing Lawful Dissemination." Bear in mind that, traditionally, a "shield" law is a statute that offers protection to journalists so they don't have to reveal their sources in court.
A shield law protects journalists.
And here we have a proposed law that would expose journalists to fines and imprisonment for reporting the news. Could the name of this bill be more cynical? I don't think so.
Of course, in this brave new world of electronic communication, there's a little journalist in all of us.
Wouldn't it be nice if we all – you and me and Katie Couric and Bill O'Reilly and Jon Stewart – if we all had some sort of protection? Some kind of legal document that would guarantee our freedom to disseminate information to one another without fear of fines and imprisonment.
If you can think of a document like that, put a link to it on Facebook, forward it to your friends. Maybe it'll go viral and we'll remember who we are and where we've come from.
Free Union resident Janis Jaquith has been writing and uttering essays for NPR-affilated WVTF radio since 1997.
18 comments
sharing!! as I hope you meant to encourage...
"If you can think of a document like that, put a link to it on Facebook"
You might as well spell it out for the dumbed-down -- that document is called the Constitution of the United States. Any Congressional representative voting in favor of this proposed bill is, according to said document, a traitor. We need to ensure that they are punished as such.
Sorry to inform you, but, sadly, this is already law in California. I know. I have been living it for six years. Did you know that in the State of California if you write the truth of a fraud in health policy that was propagated to the courts and medical teaching universities by the US Chamber of Commerce, the State will deem you a malicious liar with no evidence requried to show that your words are incorrect?
Did you know that in CA if you author this policy for the Chamber - that harms and sometimes even kills US citizens - you are permitted to strategically litigate by criminal means and the CA courts will reward you for using criminal perjury to make your case?
Did you know that the State will then use the courts to try to ILLEGALLY gag one from ever writing of what they did to aid the US Chamber authors with a strategic litigation carried out by criminal means beneficial to the State, the Chamber and the insurance industry - but adverse to the public's interest?
I swear to GOD it is True. In CA, First Amendment Speech Is Already Dead If The State Profits Off Of A Fraud In Health Policy That Kills and Maims Average Citizens On Behalf of the Affiliates of the US Chamber..
I NEED TO GET THIS INFO OUT BEFORE MARCH 25th, when the courts are going to seal the court docs and (try to) gag me from ever writing again of how it became a fraud in US and Calfornia health policy that moldy buildings don't harm people, with the help of the US Chamber of Commerce, in an interstate insurer fraud scheme of EPIC proportion.
Video of me speaking before the CA Insurance Fraud Assessment Commission and CA District Attorneys, Nov 2010:
The insidious tale is here in video links, court docs and billing records of the US Chamber of Commerce/Manhattan Institute think-tank.
Sharon Kramer
For years, I have been advocating for those made ill from mold who have experienced great distain, bias and retribution for stating buildings are making them ill and even killing loved ones. Now, it is time to tell my story. Mine is not really a mold story. It is tale about the loss of Democracy in America when the interests of the US Chamber of Commerce are involved. It is a problem that is growing more perverse by the day.
Sharon Noonan Kramer
2031 Arborwood Place
Escondido, CA92029
Tele 760-746-8026 Fax 760-746-7540 Email firstname.lastname@example.com
February 22, 2011
This letter may be read online at: http://freepdfhosting.com/ac6cc65bbe.pdf
US Attorney General Eric Holder US Attorney Laura Duffy
U.S. Department of Justice Federal Office Building
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 880 Front Street, Room 6293
Washington, DC 20530-0001 San Diego, California 92101-8893
RE: Corruption in the California Legal System Aiding An Interstate Insurer Fraud Scheme Of Epic Proportion On Behalf Of The Affiliates Of The US Chamber Of Commerce; Eggregious Civil and First Amendment Rights Violations To Silence A Whistleblower Of The Fraud And Of The Courts' Aiding And Abetting.
Attorney General Holder and Ms. Duffy,
In the late 70's we changed construction standards in the US to promote energy efficiency. At the same time, we began using manmade materials such as particle board and dry wall that easily wick when water is added. This caused our homes, schools and offices to act as gigantic petri dishes making a perfect environment for microbial contaminants to grow when water is added by leaks or floods. Over the years as water damage occurred in the buildings, citizens and workers began to become ill and even die from the exposures to microbes at a rate never seen before in the history of man.
Instead of doing the right thing and warning the public; in the early 2000's United States decision makers took deceptive measures to limit the financial liability for the causation of illnesses and death. They mass marketed a fraud into health policy that was meant to miseducate physicians and the courts by selling doubt of causation based on phony science being given an air of legitimizing authority.
My name is Sharon Kramer. I am a 34 year resident of San Diego county, wife of 30 years and mother of two grown, college educated daughters. I also hold a degree in marketing and I am a whistle blower of how it became a fraud in US and California health policy that moldy buildings pose no harm to human health. This occurred under the Bush Administration in 2002/2003 and Governor Schwarzenegger in 2005.
Although the phony science has been discredited by a Federal GAO Report in 2008; its impact on policy and private sector medical practices is still maiming and killing people today, six years after I first blew the whistle.
In 2002, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine ("ACOEM") brought in a tobacco scientist, Bruce ("Kelman"); a newly retired high level NIOSH employee, Bryan ("Hardin"); and a physician from UCLA, Andrew ("Saxon"); to author a policy paper on illness caused by mold. Kelman and Hardin are two of the six owners of the corporation, VeriTox, Inc, formerly known as ("GlobalTox"). ACOEM writes the "Workers Comp Reform" guidelines California occupational physicians must follow under Senate Bill 899. Saxon is now retired from UCLA, but still uses its letterhead when testifying as a defense witness, interstate, in mold litigation. The legal counsel of the Regents of the UC have been made aware of this interstate insurer fraud violation that is against the policies for the university and its employees. They do nothing.
None of the three men had any research backgrounds into the health effects of mold. All three of the men have served extensively as expert witnesses for the defense in mold litigation. ACOEM is not a college. It is a trade association made up of occupational physicians who evaluate injured workers on behalf of insurers and employers.
The fraudulent concepts that were established in policy by ACOEM are that i.) it was scientifically proven the toxic components of contaminants found in water damaged buildings ("WDB") could never reach a level to harm humans; and ii.) mold is not a source of fungal infections except for severely immunocompromised people.
There is zero scientific foundation to support these false concepts. It has aided many an insurer to shift their financial responsibility off of themselves and onto the taxpayers via state and federal social disability funds and social service programs.
This has left the sick nowhere to turn for medical help, which has caused illness to become more severe; adding further to the fraud causing exobanent costs for taxpayers. Lives of US citizens, workers and children have been unnecessarily ruined. Shamefully, the courts and medical communities have treated the sick and injured as suspect criminals for stating the buildings are harming workers and families.
What has been allowed to happen to people made ill from the buildings is a national disgrace and a blight on the recent history of the moral character of our country. The adverse implications of this issue for democracy as a whole are collosal.
In 2003, the US Chamber of Commerce and the Manhattan Institute think-tank, paid Kelman and Hardin to author their policy paper on mold induced illnesses. They were given specific direction that something should be written that judges could understand.
On behalf of the affiliates of the US Chamber to mislead and instill hatred against the sick in the courts, the two men wrote: "Thus the notion that toxic mold is an insidious secret killer as so many media and trial lawyers would claim, is Junk Science unsupported by actual scientific study"
The US Chamber paper cites false authorship of also being written by Saxon, the only physician among the three. Saxon has stated under oath that he did not author the US Chamber's mold policy and had not even read it three years after publication. So not only is it a fraud in science and policy adverse to public interest; it is a fraud of authorship by the world's most powerful lobbying organization, the US Chamber of Commerce, for the purpose of misleading the courts. Their paper was only authored by two PhD's who are prolific expert witnesses for the insurance industry in mold litigation and are co-owners of the corporation, VeriTox, Inc., Kelman and Hardin.
Between 2004 and 2008, the US DOJ paid GlobalTox (VeriTox) approximately $800,000 in expert defense witness fees. Some of these monies were to defeat federal liability for claims of illness in sick military families living in moldy military housing. The ACOEM Mold Statement was held out as the authoratative source of science and primary reason to deny liability for these claims, while many mold injured military families lives were ruined.
A video of Kelman discussing his work for the US DOJ in deposition, July 2008, may be viewed at. http://www.blip.tv/file/1179698?utm_source=player_embedded
A video of Kelman discussing the false authorship of the US Chamber paper under oath, may be viewed at: http://www.blip.tv/file/2877610/
A video of Kelman literally laughing at the thought that the US Congress would investigate this, even when asked by thousands to do so may be viewed at:http://www.blip.tv/file/1179464/
In March of 2005, I was the first to publicly write of how the US Chamber was able to get their unclean hands into this issue with the assistance of the Manhattan Institute, GlobalTox and a US congressman from California. I was the first to write of how the fraud was closely connected to that of the policy established by ACOEM.
From my March 2005 writing as posted on PRWeb:
Upon viewing documents presented by the Hayne's attorney of Kelman's prior testimony from a case in Arizona, Dr. Kelman altered his under oath statements on the witness stand. He admitted the Manhattan Institute, a national political think-tank, paid GlobalTox $40,000 to write a position paper regarding the potential health risks of toxic mold exposure. Although much medical research finds otherwise, the controversial piece claims that it is not plausible the types of illnesses experienced by the Haynes family and reported by thousands from across the US, could be caused by "toxic mold" exposure in homes, schools or office buildings. In 2003, with the involvement of the US Chamber of Commerce and ex-developer, US Congressman Gary Miller (R-CA), the GlobalTox paper was disseminated to the real estate, mortgage and building industries' associations. A version of the Manhattan Institute commissioned piece may also be found as a position statement on the website of a United States medical policy-writing body, the AmericanCollege of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
(The next time it was publicly written of, it was on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, Jan. 2007 http://www.drcraner.com/images/suits_over_mold_WSJ.pdf)
In May of 2005, Kelman and GlobalTox sued me, claiming my phrase "altered his under oath statements" was a maliciously false accusationa of perjury. No other words were challenged as being incorrect.
For six years, I have been evidencing for all courts to oversee this litigation that Kelman committed perjury to establish needed reason for my malice, claiming he gave a testimony in my own mold litigation of long ago that caused me to "launch into an obsessive campaign" to destroy his reputation. Never made to corroborate this claim by any court, he never even gave the purportedly malice causing testimony and the courts have been evidenced of this at nausium.
The undisputed evidence may be found extensively in the court record file proving Kelman never even gave the purported malice causing testimony, but this is never mentioned in any opinion or ruling of this case. .The perjury used to establish malice in a libel litigation over public health, was suborned by his legal counsel, Keith ("Scheuer") even as late as September 2009 in his reply brief to the Fourth District Division One Appellate Court.. The court was again for the upteenth time irrefutably evidenced of the criminal perjury by author of policy for the US Chamber of Commerce.. No mention of the undisputed evidence is found in the Opinion. If fact, it was rewarded.
A video of Kelman and myself in depositions discussing the perjury, the damage to me caused by the perjury and how they attempted to use this case to force me to endorse the US Chamber's fraudulent science may be viewed at: http://www.blip.tv/file/2063366/
For six years, I have been evidencing that Hardin (sixth owner of GlobalTox, retired high level NIOSH employee, and author of policy for the US Chamber and ACOEM) is an improperly undisclosed party to this litigation. No mention of this irrefutable evidence is found in the Opinions.
In six years time, the courts cannot even state what is incorrect of my writing. It is irrefutably evidenced that Kelman "altered his under oath statements" and was trying to say the Chamber paper was not connected to ACOEM's, but had to admit they were when a prior testimony of his from another case was permitted into the Oregon trial, the subject litigation of my March 2005 writing. No mention of this undisputed truth being extensively in the court records is found in the Opinions.
The CA legal system has been playing politics. With opinions that could only be described as wickedly deceptive, the San Diego courts have done everything they can to try to discredit and silence me. It has cost my family everything we own for me not to be silenced of this fraud in health policy that has harmed and continues to harm so many Americans; with the Chair of the California Commission on Judicial Performance being the primary judicuary best evidenced to be driving the train.
Now, Kelman is seeking an injunctive relief that I be gagged from ever writing of this shameful period in US and California health policy and the California legal system, ever again.
Although I was only sued for the words "altered his under oath statements"; Kelman is now seeking an injunctive relief that I be gagged from "stating, repeating, publishing or paraphrasing, by any means whatsoever, any statement that was determined to be libelous in the action titled Kelman v Kramer, San Diego Superior Court Case No. Gin 044539" from ever writing again:
"The libelous passage of the press release states: 'Dr. Bruce Kelman of GlobTox, Inc, a Washington based environmental risk management company, testified as an expert witness for the defense, as he does in mold cases through the country. Upon viewing documents presented by the Hayne's [sic] attorney of Kelman's prior testimony from a case in Arizona, Dr. Kelman altered his under oath statements on the witness stand. He admitted the Manhattan Institute, a national political think tank, paid GlobalTox $40,000 to write a position paper regarding the potential health risks of toxic mold exposure."
The California courts and the state of California itself are now the stealth beneficiaries of seeing me illegally gagged; as are the California legal system policing agencies that have turned a blind eye in incestuous Deliberate Indifference while US and CA citizens and workers are dying.
If even ONE person in a decision making capacity in the State of California would acknowledge what the courts have done in this malicious litigation, i.e, reward criminal perjury in a strategic litigation by authors of policy for the US Chamber of Commerce; the fraud of the US Chamber would come to a screeching halt.
Thus far, none have and none will. It is not acceptable in the United States of America to do this to a person who went above and beyond for her fellow man. It is not acceptable to allow this fraud to continue in health policy on behalf of the affiliates of the US Chamber and adverse to public health. It is a dangerous precedence that the First Amendment of the Constitution could be so violated on behalf of the interests of industry and the US Chamber, by the State of California.
Irrefutable evidence of my above statements may be found in the courts records file in San Diego, CA. Many of the relevant documents may be read online in links at:
As such, I am asking the US Attorney General to intercede to stop the rampant corruption in the California legal system and stop the fraud in policy regarding illnesses caused by water damaged buildings. If the State of California can do this to me while using the courts to play politics; they can and most likely will, do it to anyone who challenges the direction of the US Chamber of Commerce in the future. Dangerous precedence is being set of instilling fear of retribution for speaking the truth in America.
Please let me know how the US DOJ will be addressing this gravely serious matter. One only needs to look at the court records file in San Diego county under Kelman v Kramer to verify that I am telling the truth of the courts rewarding criminal perjury by author of fraudulent health policy on behalf of the affiliates of the US Chamber and to silence, demean, discredit and financially cripple a whistleblower of the fraud. Courts cannot simply choose to ignore irrefutable evidence of criminal perjury just because someone authors policy for the US Chamber of Commerce. You do not treat people like this in the democracy. If this is where democracy is headed in the United States of America, then may God help us all.
Mrs. Sharon Noonan Kramer
President of the United States of America, Barak Obama
Governor of California, Jerry Brown
February 10, 2011 Letter to Justices Judith McConnell and Patricia Benke, cc'd to many along with attachments and detailing their willful aiding and abetting insurer fraud by aiding with a strategic litigation carried out by criminal means. .
Billing records for the US Chamber of Commerce paper that was written specifically to influence the courts with phoney science. This shows only Kelman and Hardin, two owners of the litigation defense firm VeriTox with PhD's, authored the fraudulent US Chamber paper that cites false University of California physician authorship. (Not mentioned in the opinion, this is all part of the court record on Appeal in the case of Kelman v. Kramer)
Evidence the California courts turned a blind eye to criminal perjury by an author of policy for the US Chamber, Bruce J. Kelman, in a malicious litigation for SIX YEARS.
Evidence that I was only sued for words "altered his under oath statements."
Evidence that "They" are now seeking I be gagged from ever writing again of how it became a fraud in US public health policy that moldy buildings do not harm; and gagged from writing of the CA legal system shamelessly aiding and abetting it by aiding and abetting a strategic litigation carried out by criminal means by authors of policy for the US Chamber of Commerce.
PLEASE HELP ME GET THIS INFO OUT BEFORE THE COURT RECORDS ARE FOREVER SEALED. Forward this info on to SHIELD my rights to free speech supposedly guaranteed to me and every US citizen under the Constitution of the United States...before they take YOURS, too.
Thank you,
Sharon Kramer
I don't have time to tell my entire story here, but without Sharon Kramer's tireless work in exposing the deceit and conflicts of interest, my story and work would have been swept under the rug and I would have received no vindication whatsoever, merely written off as some "nut". My story includes a heaping cocktail of various banned pesticides, a large chaser of different molds, misdiagnoses, mis-medication, landlord/tenant disputes, legal and medical conflicts of interest coupled with the loss of my health, job, home, possessions, relationships, break-ins, burglaries, phone/mail/car tampering, academic and social standing and my peace of mind.
If my right to share my experiences, discoveries, and research had been curtailed, I would have never had the chance to meet Sharon who was able to carry on with exposing the slimy underbelly of the beast as homelessness, declining health and hopelessness wore me down.
Thank you, again, Sharon, for carrying on the fight that has helped so very, very many. I would expect to see many others expressing similar sentiments if they are still alive and able.
I just want to add to what Sharon has stated just to serve as a warning to those who dare utter the words, 'I am very sick due to mold".
First I want to thank Sharon for all of her very hard work and sacrifice that has served to help many by bringing more awareness and education of this issue to the public.
Now, another way that the corrupt powers that be are attempting to silence anyone affected or speaking about mold is by telling physicians that those who claim to be sick from mold are psychiatric. In fact common sense would make one thing that going to see an infectious disease specialist would be the way to go. Unfortunately on many, many occasions they will shut you down immediately and even write in your file that patients claims mold is making them sick. Psychiatric consultation and treatment is warranted". I have seen and heard this time and time again in some fashion. There have even been occasions that even though you can be in possession of medical reports and blood tests confirming mold as the causation of illness, the so called health professional will not even consider or review these or any other such confirmations. They will automatically dismiss them, and deem you mentally ill. There have even been occasions where the powers that be have forcibly taken mold patients to the hospital to mental wards or children have been removed from parents all due to them saying they were all "sick from mold." I have also witnessed doctors stating that any doctor that states mold can make you sick is a quack. This is what we are up against. So this is just another reason why we must all come together as well are going up against very powerful entities and only with consolidated numbers will we get the truth out to the medical communities and stop the ignoring and at times persecution of those ill due to mold from water damaged buildings.
Sincerely yours,
John McBride
Without the ability to share information freely whistle-blowers with factual evidence revealing fraud, corruption, and wrong doing done in any area of our government will be silenced. Part of what makes our democracy work is the ability of the press and individual citizens to unveil such issues. Without it, corruption in any government grows unchecked. A key right and source of pride of US citizens is our right to free speech. For the US Senate and House to seriously consider a bill which would make it a crime to say, distribute or share anything that is "prejudicial to US interests" is unimaginable and an afront to our right to free speech. Restricting free speech in this way should be a crime NOT a law!
I was also made very ill by exposure in a water damaged home.
it's now been ten years sence that exposure did it's damage that I still live with today.
I tried every possable route to get help back than and really it hasn't changed much today.
I was basicly given ear drops and a asthma inhaler for treatment of what was meningitis and CSF leaks out my nose and ears and brain damage not to mention how this toxic exposure
tore up my mucosal lingings throughout leaveing me with stomach and bowel issues that no one would want to live with,damage in the brain,lung damage,ect. can't say any part of my body was not affected. my eyes were affected badly and besides getting cataracts in them both (and I was in my 30's) I now have optic neuritis and problems with blocked tear ducts,
double vision,and may very well end up blind.
I've been diagnosed with mutiple mold allergies, chronic sinusitis/rhinosinusitis,
toxic encephalopathy, inflammatory issues,PLUS!
what's utterly amaseing to me is that I still cant find a doctor in my town that will work with me.
I lost so much over this, my saveings, my health, my home,
why did I lose my home and my saveings? because my illness from this exposure was ignored. I never recieved one penny from ins.
every avenue of possable help was a brick wall.
I was told I was basicly nut's because mold cant hurt you.
what many dont get is that theres more than just mold involved in these water damaged buildings, it is a toxic soup, bacteria's, mycotoxins,other mold by products, mold VOC's,
and many other chemicals offgassing from man made products in the home that are being released because of damage.
faulty remediation efforts make the situation worse, attemps to cover the problem instead of remediating it properly,
this is a closed in environment, these exposures can cause serious damage.
this is not about breathing a tiny amount of mold or it's by products which everyone is exposed to in a normal day, this is about chronic exposure in a confined indoor environment where these toxins accumalate, this is about breathing these toxins in for hours and hours,
while we sleep, while we clean,while we watch tv,ect.
water damaged schools are hendering our childrens learning and makeing them sick,
thats not what I sent my kids to school for.
these exposures can cause muti-organ and system damage.
now I, in the shape I'm in have managed, in the last several years to learn anatomy and research what has happened to my body.
it's all right there, anyone can do it, despite efforts to cover up and downplay the effects of water damaged building exposures by some, more and more is being reconized.
this little game being played to avoid the exspences needs to end. it well end sooner or later,
no doubt about that. problem is that many suffer and continue to suffer because of the denial
going on surrounding this issue. ALL IN THE NAME OF THE ALMIGHTY BUCK!
I value my life and I think most people do, yet here we are basicly slapped in the face with knowing that we dont matter. OUR LIVES DONT MATTER! MONEY IS MORE IMPORTANT
and now, Sharon Kramer, who has faught to get it reconized that these exposures do harm, even can even kill, is be gagged for trying to get the truth out? FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
if this is what our country has become, may God have mercy on our soles.
never in my life would I have ever dreamed I'd be made ill from a water damaged house,
and never in my life would I have thought that getting help would be imposable because of the sake of a few bucks. I paid my dues, to bad others are not required to do the same.
are we still liveing in the land of the free and the home of the brave? or have we all just become rat's in a cage.
I've known of Sharon's brave efforts for victims of mold illness for about 15 years. She's one of the pioneers of this type of awareness. Most of us have not had the energy to go above and beyond the way that Sharon has. This type of collusion between corporate and government entities has cost us a generation of sick school children who are unable to exercise their full cognitive abilities while sitting in their sick buildings. I've called for a RICO investigation in my state too because the collusion is still in force. While the criminals/murderers go free and get to keep their obscene salaries and profits, the victims are struggling just to live because they are ill and have no jobs.
Squashing freedom of speech benefits no one! Having the threat of being locked up because you shared doucmented and valid concerns with others paleeeeze ! Sharon Kramer continues to work so hard in advocating for transparency. We must not allow this bill to be passed. To do so takes away the frredom of speech.
Having a son who was diagnosed at the age of 4 with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and at the age of 8 relapsed and required a un related bone marrow transplant and who three years after his transplant developed renal cell carcinoma stage 3 and lost his right kidney I know a bit about advocating.
I went from advocating for quality health care to advocating to clean up the mold in my son and daughters high school. Black mold that was growing out of cieling tiles that resembled a mans black beard ! I was continually blocked at every level of government. Once requesting documents through a FOIA I was taken to court by the school union to have ethe doucments sealed !
We need more laws to protect consumers. We need to blow the whistle when we see wrong doings without fear of repercussion, prosecution or imprisonment. I am hopeful this new Sheild bill listed does not pass.
Jennifer A
I too was made ill by working in a moldy classroom. I asked for help from my school, OSHA, EPA, and NIOSH. They colluded and I am now permanently disabled with no regress.
I was sent to UC Irvine by NIOSH and paid allot of money to see their specialist. That specialist did nothing for me, doubted every complaint I had and warned my doctor to :check for somatization" instead of helping me. This same doctor lectures to insurance groups and trains doctors. So if you see a UCI trained doctor for mold illness they will tell you to see a psychiatrist.
OSHA will tell you everything is ok. EPA will tell youthere is no such things as mold illness. NIOSH willsend you to UCI or some other place they will deny your illness. All at your expense.
Other counties re recognizing there is a problem with working in a buiding that has been water damaged. USA? not so much.
There is hope that is already in action.. The 41st Congress set up WASHINGTON DC and the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INC. This coporatiOn has failed the people, putting this country into ever surmounting debt aNd circumvented our unalienable rights under the original organic Contitution for the united states of America, July 4, 1776. There is an answer. We can turn this country back to the Republic promised by the original signers. May I suggest that all of you look into the the Republic for the unites stated of Ameriica web site. It contains the answers we are all seeking. The Republic is now organized and functional in all 50 states:
We became ill from our homes, after living in a water damaged building. Due to the deciet surrounding this sugbject of health and mold I am terminally ill with 3 LUNG DISEASES and have been unable to get medical care. The Dr are ignorant about this as I went to Dr for 2 years and they ALL said mold cannot harm you. My body is a TESTAMENT that is can harm and kill you. Had these Dr not been lied to I would have a life today, he would have a life today. Instead I am termanally ill. The DECIET must end now, many schiools in Florida are sick buildings contaminated with mold and it's by-products and children will become severely ill while the denial contnues. The Broward county courthose is contaminated as is the Tampa courthouse. many children will either die or become disabled, teachers, workers, no one person is immune to the effects of mold and contamination in Water Damaged Buildings . It became a fraud in US Health Policy involving the US Chamber of Commence, that moldy buildings do not harm and what the CA courts have done to aid in this LIE and continues this HARMFUL LIE and DECIET. A paper has been published CIRS-WDB that puts an END to the controversy. Now the have to STOP hiding the CRIMINALS, we need JUSTICE for ALL those whom have died due to the deceit and all those who lives have been seriously affected, ill, without care, homeless, CHILDREN'S lives are at risk. How can they learn when they are in a sick contaminated building for 8 hrs a day, then take the contamination home to continue with the exposure.
I am the owner of http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/sickbuildings/ . The private discussion board is 12 years old and has over 2600 members. Primarily the members have been made severely ill from water damaged buildings or lost loved ones to this environmental illness. The reason for the need for this discussion group is largely because of the misinformation disseminated over this issue by the US Chamber of Commerce and their affiliates for the purpose of limiting liability. Keep the doctors ignornat and people cannot prove buildings caused their illnesses. As a result, people have a hard time finding proper medical treatment because the doctors are being told, the sick, are liars just wanting money from the insurance industry. Sharon Kramer has a degree in marketing. She has done more to expose and stop the deceit that was marketed into policy than anyone in this issue. She has fearlessly spoken out when others remain silent for fear of retribution. To let the CA courts silence her on behalf of the US Chamber would not only be a tragic loss for many sick citizens; it would be a bell weather of the ever progressing loss of Democracy in America.
Kevin Carstens (KC)
Alternative Resource Consultant
thanks republic party for turning your backs on the people. And for tricking people into thinking you are on our side. liars
I have been made ill by being exposed to the interior of water damaged buildings. My story is not unique. I have gone from an educated, successful, employed, insured, taxpaying professional to a struggling, disabled, unemployed liability. With healthy savings and retirement funds, my future was secure. I am no longer able to work. I, like most, spent my savings and many years travelling from California to the east coast in search of medical assistance. I, like others, have been dismissed and demeaned by uneducated and misled physicians. Why are physicians not knowledgeable, ill prepared, and unwilling to address my illness? See Sharon Kramer's post. I, like most, have lost my health, my job, and my home. Were it not for the kindness of friends and family, I would be homeless. Now, like many, I am unable to work and have been unable to get any disability benefits. Why am I unable to get disability benefits? See Sharon Kramer's post. When I initially suspected the water damaged buildings where I worked were making me will, why did OSHA tell me that they would investigate, but that nothing would be done? See Sharon Kramer's post. Sharon has worked tirelessly to discover and unveil the fraud surrounding this issue. She has made great personal sacrifices in an attempt to get the truth out. For her to be silenced is a crime.
I was made chronically ill by a home purchased from a Weyerhauser executive secretary. The Washington State Department of Agriculture in Washington issued a Mold Guidance Policy two months prior to my inspection which stated that mold and mildew need not be reported on home inspections because it has no structural concerns. No one not even the WSDA information officer was informed of this policy. Quadrant Homes (subsidiarity of Weyerhauser) had multiple new homes develop mold at approximately the same time. Unfortunately the "mold" in this home was Chaetomium a soft rot fungus and it had very visible effects on the Oriented Strand Board over 1,000 square feet of it and more mold in the crawlspace not reported by my inspector See is it safe to Buy a Home in Washington- T. McCormick on Google. My case against the sellers was never heard in court because the State official overseeing inspectors said my inspector did a "thorough and accurate inspection" even though he missed 26 different ASHI, WDO, building code and fire code violations. The state official actually admitted what he had done to me in front of a group of home inspectors and admitted the fraud (His report was the chief cause of my case against the sellers being thrown out of court). The State and Federal Government has been informed of this and done nothing. After running up over 50,000 in health care costs and 200,000 in legal fees, the Federal Health Insurance now wants payment from the paltry out of court settlement with the home inspector for an illness the Federal Government has allowed Corporate Stooges to deny for years. This has not changed from the time they used to burn ergot ingesting females in Salem Mass. Our Government is ineffective when it comes to protecting our health and very effective in preserving the bottom line of Corporate America. They should be ashamed. If anything happens to Sharon Kramer for all that she has done to protect us, it will only embolden this grass roots movement that has been smoldering for the past 15 years. The best to You Sharon and May God Protect and Bless You for all that you have done.
Sharon I take my hat off to you because you are trying to help sick people. I have systemic mold 3 different ones the symptons are something else from brain lesions to crying blood from my eyes instead of tears. The person who helped me was not a doctor but a veternarian my cat had it too and has since died. everything in this country is about the all mighty dollar. drug companies some doctors etc. People need to read the Bible God the Lord or what ever people want to call him says that moldy things had to be taken out of the cities and burned. I dont know about all the laws politics etc, but if I were them I would be helping our fellow man going against God well lets just say I dont do it. he has all the power not these politicians or any man on earth.
Sharon please tell people there is help for their sickness no matter how bad they are. I finally found a wonderful doctor in the santa barbara area. I was told I was going to die well after taking two different medicines if you looked at me you would never think I had anything. Your not cured overnight it takes up to five years but i finally have my life back. I have to be careful because i do have MCS and will always have it. Little by little the mold which I have systemically is leaving my body. I pray alot too


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Fremont, Calif. – Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) today announced it has been selected by Avaya, a global provider of business collaboration systems, software and services, for membership in the Avaya DevConnect program. Additionally, several of Logitech's unified communications (UC) peripherals are now compliant with key UC solutions from Avaya.
Logitech's enterprise-class peripherals help businesses take full advantage of the communications platforms and solutions they've deployed by creating the best possible experience for users. In today's new anytime, anywhere office, peripherals play a critical function in equipping the modern workforce with the products they need to be efficient and effective in any environment. Logitech UC peripherals—including the B525, B910 and B990 HD webcams; BSP420-M and BSP420 USB speakerphones (US/Canada only); BH870 wireless Bluetooth headset (US/Canada only), BH970 wireless mono DECT headset (US/Canada only) and B530 USB headset —now are compliance-tested by Avaya for compatibility with Avaya one-X® Communicator.
The Avaya DevConnect program promotes the development, compliance-testing and co-marketing of innovative third-party products that are compatible with standards-based Avaya solutions. Member organizations have expertise in a broad range of technologies – including IP telephony, contact centers and mobility applications – helping companies extend the value of multivendor networks and transform voice into an intelligent business application that delivers true value to the bottom line.
As a Platinum member of the program, Logitech is eligible to submit products for compatibility testing by the Avaya Solution Interoperability and Test Lab. There, a team of Avaya engineers develops a comprehensive test plan for each application to verify whether it is Avaya compliant. Doing so enables businesses to confidently add best-in-class capabilities to their network without having to replace their existing infrastructure—speeding deployment of new applications and reducing both network complexity and implementation costs.
"In conjunction with our LifeSize division, we're proud to have a fully Avaya compliant, end-to-end communications portfolio – supporting our customers from the desktop to the meeting room," said Eric Kintz, vice president and general manager of Logitech for Business. "Broad interoperability with enterprise vendors is a core component of Logitech's strategy – we know our products need to seamlessly work with whatever platforms our business customers have deployed in order to deliver the best possible user experience. By joining Avaya's DevConnect program and testing our UC peripherals, we're enabling our joint customers to maximize the benefits of their communications infrastructure."
The Avaya DevConnect program currently includes thousands of software and hardware developer companies, integrators, service providers and customers. Members have created a broad array of innovative solutions tested for Avaya compliance, including natural language speech recognition applications, wireless services, specialized computer telephony integration and reporting capabilities, and applications tailored for specific vertical industries.
Through the DevConnect program, Avaya provides a number of platforms and interfaces for member companies to develop with and enhance.
"Development partners like Logitech help ensure that our customers have access to leading enterprise peripherals—for both the desktop and meeting room—optimized to bring out the best our UC platform has to offer," said Eric Rossman, vice president, Developer Relations, Avaya. "Together, Logitech and Avaya are equipping the modern workforce with the tools necessary to be successful, and we look forward to continuing to drive interoperability and ease-of-use with our solutions."
As a member of the DevConnect program, companies have access to a wide range of support from Avaya, including technical resources and training. There are three levels of membership – Registered, Gold and Platinum – each entailing progressive levels of marketing and sales involvement. Free Registered membership is available to anyone interested in designing Avaya-compatible solutions. Gold-level members and Platinum members must meet rigorous Avaya criteria for customer satisfaction, product support, business operations, marketing and sales. Logitech is a Platinum member of the Avaya DevConnect program. For more information on Logitech business solutions, please visit our blog or website.
Membership information and a listing of solutions developed and tested under the DevConnect program are available at www.avaya.com/devconnect.
About Avaya
Avaya is a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions, providing unified communications, contact centers, data solutions and related services to companies of all sizes around the world. For more information please visit www.avaya.com. For more information on the Avaya DevConnect program, visit www.avaya.com/devconnect.
About Logitech
Logitech is a world leader in products that connect people to the digital experiences they care about. Spanning multiple computing, communication and entertainment platforms, Logitech's combined hardware and software enable or enhance digital navigation, music and video entertainment, gaming, social networking, audio and video communication over the Internet, video security and home-entertainment control. Founded in 1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI).

subset: commoncrawl


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Canine Enjoy Yums are healthy, fresh-baked treats your dog will love. Made with only 6 ingredients which includes the main ingredient, Rice Bran. Made in the USA. Read More
Canine Enjoy YumsA Healthy, natural, fresh baked satisfying little treat that your dog will love!
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- Country of Origin: USA
- Brand: A Little Pet Vet


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SAN JOSE, Calif. — September 9, 2013 — SEMI, the global trade organization representing the nano- and micro-electronic manufacturing supply chains, today announced that next year's SEMICON Europa will be held in Grenoble, France and alternate with Dresden, Germany in future years to better address pan-European opportunities and challenges in semiconductor design, technology, manufacturing and applications. The new pan-European strategy was developed with input from exhibitors, leading chip manufacturers, representatives from Europe's leading semiconductor clusters, and other government authorities and constituencies in order to leverage Europe's renewed commitment to semiconductor technology and manufacturing leadership. This rotation strategy strongly supports the recently announced European Union's 10/100/20 initiative ( www.semi.org/eu10-100-20), in addition to providing increased business opportunities for both our exhibitors and visitors.
Following SEMICON Europa ( www.semiconeuropa.org) on October 8-10, 2013 in Dresden, Germany, SEMICON 2014 will be held at Alpexpo in Grenoble, France on October 7-9, returning to Dresden in October 2015.
The German industry association Silicon Saxony e.V. supports the new exhibition strategy. "SEMI's decision now is another step to further strengthen the idea of a competitive European semiconductor industry," said Heinz Martin Esser, President of Silicon Saxony e.V. "It was Saxony where the European cluster alliance 'Silicon Europe – The Leaders for Energy Efficient ICT Electronics' was born. We are joining forces in the spirit of a pan-European strengthening. Our connection with Grenoble will also entail further benefits for Dresden."
The City of Dresden also supports SEMI's decision. "We are very proud that — for five times in a row — the industry chose Europe's largest micro- and nanoelectronics site to discuss current topics and trends. Dresden has been the origin of critical input that led to a re-evaluation of the semiconductor industry by the European Commission," said Dirk Hilbert, Deputy Mayor of Dresden: "Coexisting European semiconductor sites more and more become cooperating alliance partners." Hilbert expects Dresden and Grenoble to further work together in interdisciplinary topics such as Industry 4.0 in the future.
"The city of Grenoble is very proud to welcome SEMICON Europa 2014 for the first time and in rotation with the city of Dresden, with which we have a longstanding collaboration. Our region has been deeply involved and active in the microelectronics field since many years with the presence of industrial world leaders as well as world-class research institutes and numerous startups. I am convinced that SEMICON 2014 will definitely confirm our international visibility," said Michel Destot, Mayor of Grenoble and member of the French Parliament.
"This decision is very good news for the microelectronics ecosystem of Grenoble and for the collaboration of European clusters. We wish to contribute to the success of the SEMICON Europa event for the benefits of European SME's, startups, research and large groups enabling networking and collaborations of all stakeholders," said Loic Lietar, President of Minalogic.
"SEMI strongly supports the expanded commitment to the European microelectronics industry and is confident that rotating locations for SEMICON Europa is the best strategy to serve our exhibitors and help accelerate the growth of European industry," said Denny McGuirk, President and CEO of SEMI. "This new plan will engage more sectors, more constituencies and play a vital role in the expansion of Europe's technology industries."
SEMICON Europa ( www.semiconeuropa.org) is the leading exhibition and conference dedicated to the future of micro- and nanoelectronics design and manufacturing in Europe. Leading companies will exhibit and showcase the latest equipment, materials, software and solutions and over 100 speakers will share information on the latest trends, technologies, processes and techniques in electronic applications, design and manufacturing. SEMICON Europa will be held on Oct 8-10, 2013 in conjunction with the Plastics Electronics Conference and Exhibition ( www.plastic-electronics.org) to showcase Europe's most innovative companies, institutions and people.
About SEMI
SEMI is the global industry association serving the nano- and microelectronic manufacturing supply chains. Our 1,900 member companies are the engine of the future, enabling smarter, faster and more economical products that improve our lives. Since 1970, SEMI has been committed to helping members grow more profitably, create new markets and meet common industry challenges. SEMI maintains offices in Bangalore, Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit
Beat Mueller
SEMI Europe (Berlin)
Mobile: +41 79 465 65 88
Email: Email Contact
Deborah Geiger
SEMI Headquarters (San Jose, Calif.)
Phone: +1 408.943.7988
Email: Email Contact


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One thing that often confuses new users to the Unix / Linux shell, is how to do (even very simple) maths. In most languages,
x = x + 1 (or even
x++) does exactly what you would expect. The Unix shell is different, however. It doesn't have any built-in mathematical operators for variables. It can do comparisons, but maths isn't supported, not even simple addition.
Following the Unix tradition ("do one thing, and do it well") to the extreme, because the
expr and
bc utilites can do maths, there is absolutely no need for
sh to re-invent the wheel.
Yes, I agree. This is frustrating. If I've got one gripe against shell programming, then this is it.
Addition and Subtraction
So how do we cope? There are basically two ways, depending on whether we choose
expr or
#!/bin/sh echo "Give me a number: " read x echo "Give me another number: " read y ###### Here's where we have the two options: # The expr method: exprans=`expr $x + $y` # The bc method: bcans=`echo $x + $y | bc` ###### Did you see the difference? echo "According to expr, $x + $y = $exprans" echo "According to bc, $x + $y = $bcans"
As you can see, the language is slightly different for the two commands;
expr parses an expression passed to it as arguments:
expr something function something whereas
bc takes the expression as its input (
echo something function something | bc. Also, for
expr, you must put spaces around the arguments: "
expr 1+2" doesn't work. "
expr 1 + 2" works.
Multiplication is a little awkward, too; the
* asterisk, which traditionally denotes multiplication, is a special character to the shell; it means "every file in the current directory", so we have to delimit it with a backslash. "
*" becomes "
#!/bin/sh echo "Give me a number: " read x echo "Give me another number: " read y ###### Here's where we have the two options: # The expr method: exprans=`expr $x \\* $y` # The bc method: bcans=`echo $x \\* $y | bc` ###### Did you see the difference? echo "According to expr, $x * $y = $exprans" echo "According to bc, $x * $y = $bcans"
The other thing to note here, is the backtick (
`). This grabs the output of the command it surrounds, and passes it back to the caller. So a command like
x=`expr 1 + 2`
means that, while if you type
expr 1 + 2 at the command line, you'd get "
3" back:
steve@nixshell$ expr 1 + 2 3 steve@nixshell$
If you enclose it with backticks, then the variable
$x becomes set to the output of the command. Therefore,
x=`expr 1 + 2`
Is equivalent to (but of course more flexible than):
One last thing about assigning values to variables: Whitespace MATTERS. Don't put spaces around the
= sign. "
x = 3" won't work. "
x=3" works.
Update: 17 Feb 2007 : Division, and Base Conversion
As noted by Constantin, the "scale=x" function can be useful for defining precision (bc sometimes seems to downgrade your precision: "
echo 5121 / 1024 | bc" claims that the answer is "5", which isn't quite true; 5120/1024=5.
echo "scale = 5 ; 5121 / 1024" | bc produces an answer to 5 decimal places (5.00097)).
Another important note I would like to add, is that
bc is great at converting between bases:
Convert Decimal to Hexadecimal
steve@nixshell$ bc obase=16 12345 3039
This tells us that 12345 is represented, in Hex (Base 16) as "0x3039".
Similarly, we can convert back to decimal (well, we can use bc to convert any base to any other base)…
steve@nixshell$ bc ibase=16 3039 12345
Or we can convert from Binary:
steve@nixshell$ bc ibase=2 01010110 86 steve@nixshell$
… which tells us that 01010110 (Binary) is 86 in decimal. We can get that in hex, like this:
steve@nixshell$ bc obase=16 ibase=2 01010110 56 steve@nixshell$
Which tells
bc that the input base is 2 (Binary), and the output base is 16 (Hex). So, 01010110 (base 2) = 56 (hex) = 86 (decimal).
Note that the order does matter a lot; if we'd have said "ibase=2; obase=16", that would be interpreted differently from "obase=16; ibase=2".
I hope that this article will help some people out with some of the more frustrating aspects of shell programming. Please, let me know what you think.


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Police release 911 tapes in child poisoning case
As he drove himself to a hospital, an Ariz. man calmly told dispatchers he was stabbed multiple times by his ex-wife
Associated Press
FLORENCE, Ariz. — As he drove himself to a hospital, an Arizona man calmly told dispatchers he was stabbed multiple times by his ex-wife, who was later arrested on suspicion of killing her daughter and trying to poison her three other children.
The Pinal County Sheriff's Office released some 911 recordings Friday in the case of Connie Villa, who remains jailed without bond and has pleaded not guilty in the case.
She's charged with one count of first-degree murder in the death of her 13-year-old daughter and four counts of attempted murder of her three younger children and her ex-husband.
A call to a public defender who represents Connie Villa wasn't immediately returned Friday. But attorney April Elliott has previously declined comment in her client's case.
Adam Villa of Casa Grande told authorities he was trying to pick up his kids on Christmas Day in accordance with the couple's custody agreement.
"I was just stabbed by my ex-wife. I'm heading to the hospital," he told a 911 dispatcher as he drove himself to an emergency room. "I went into the house and (Connie) got behind me and the next thing, I felt something stab me in the back."
Police have said Connie Villa told investigators she suffocated her oldest daughter when the girl wouldn't take prescription narcotic drugs.
The other children, ages 3, 5 and 8, were treated at a hospital and released. Police say they had trace amounts of opiates in their systems.
According to police, Connie Villa said she didn't want her ex-husband to have custody of the children.
During the 911 call, Adam Villa tells dispatchers he did not see the children at the house before he was stabbed.
"I knocked and asked where the kids are and she said they were getting their shoes on," he said.
Adam Villa suffered non-life-threatening wounds, and his three children are living with him now.
Connie Villa was arrested Dec. 29 after she was released from a Phoenix hospital for treatment of what police believe were self-inflicted stab wounds.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press
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When it comes to lawyer rating systems, resistance is futile. Even four years after its launch, many lawyers still refuse to claim their free profile on Avvo, a lawyer-rating site because they fear negative feedback from clients. Of course, in contrast to four years ago, Avvo isn't the only game in town for ratings; just last month, MyLegal.com threw its hat into the lawyer rating ring. And even without lawyer-specific sites, clients still have the option of posting comments about their lawyers on general review sites like Yelp.
Given that various efforts – from boycotts to lawsuits – haven't shut down ratings sites, lawyers need to focus their efforts on how to deal with them. I've already posted about the value that positive client can add to a ratings site, and how to obtain meaningful testimonials. But what's a lawyer's recourse when he or she receives negative reviews at a client rating site? That's what I'll discuss below.
First, the chances of negative reviews are far less than you might expect, so relax. According to a 2007 survey by BazaarVoice, almost 80 percent of consumers who provide feedback at product sites leave favorable reviews. Others who comment do so with the intent of being constructive, rather than vindictive. Yelp's statistics confirm these results: only 17 percent of Yelp reviews are one or two stars. The bottom line is that lawyers don't need to fear ratings sites.
Still, there will be times when a client may post a negative review, which raises the question of how to respond – if at all. Many retailers grapple with this problem as well. Last week, a New York restaurant owner who'd received a poor review from a customer penned a post for the New York Times small business blog, puzzling over how to address his critic, who posted his complaints on several ratings sites. In response, Yelp's business manager empathized and recommended a three-pronged approach: (1) stay calm and cool off after a negative review is posted to avoid overreacting; (2) make an effort to respond privately to acknowledge the complaints and (3) respond publicly to correct any inaccuracies without being defensive.
But how do these suggestions work for lawyers? Certainly, maintaining a level head makes sense, as does a private contact if you're certain that a particular client wrote the review (e.g., he or she sends you a copy or uses his/her name)
Unfortunately for lawyers, a public response proves sticky because of confidentiality concerns. Although presumably clients will post a reviews anonymously, it's possible that they may include enough identifying information that it's impossible to respond without breaching an attorney-client privilege.Consider, for example, a client who complains that "My lawyer sold me out in a custody case. I was a perfect dad to a 7 and 9 year old and my wife dumped me for a guy in Peru. Open and shut." If you respond that you couldn't raise certain issues in the case because your client told you a few hours before trial that he'd had several affairs before his wife left, you'd be violating attorney client privilege.
As a professional, you also have to consider that the world is watching your response. If your response to a client complaint comes across as arrogant and rude, potential clients who see your response may be turned off. Thus, rather than react to defensively to an accusation that "this lawyer will run up the bill and not do any work or return phone calls," you might respond in a way that educates both the clients – and other site visitors – about your policies:
I don't know who posted this response, but I wish you had mentioned your concerns about the bill while I was handling your case. As we discussed, this type of matter can easily become costly very quickly, and if you had concerns, we could have discussed different options as I have done with several other clients, with great success in the past. In addition, it is my policy to return phone calls within 24 hours of receiving them. However, as you know, I only accept weekend calls if they are an emergency, and when I am in court, I may need 48 hours to return a call. Perhaps you called on a weekend or when I was in court. In any event, without knowing who posted this comment, I cannot provide a more thorough response.
In addition, you might try to deter a client from posting a review by proactively seeking feedback when the matter closes out. Some lawyers survey all clients about their experience. If you sense that a client was, for whatever reason, particularly dissatisfied, you could speak with them personally or discount their bill. These actions may suffice to placate clients so that they won't feel the need to spew on line.
For lawyers with common names, it is possible that a client may mistakenly leave a review for you that was intended for someone else. That is one reason why it is important to claim your site and include a photo – so that the client can properly identify you. However, if you are fairly certain that the review is erroneous – perhaps the client references a case in a New York court and you are licensed only in Connecticut – you should post a response suggesting the potential confusion, and contact the site owner to see if the comment can be removed.
Of course, all of this advice presupposes a reasonable commenter. There will always be disgruntled clients who will post over-the-top, venomous rants. Ultimately, these are best left ignored, because these types of commenters are looking to pick a fight. At the same time, prospective clients are not likely to view these screeds as having much credibility.
Ratings sites are not going away. Even if they did, clients would find a million other ways to criticize their lawyers – from DIY websites to Facebook pages or Twitter. Businesses have found ways to deal with feedback and criticism on line. Lawyers too must find their way.