Tag Archive | "just because"

Casino winnings frozen


Seizing the proceeds of crime is one thing, but police in Canada cannot seize legitimately earned money just because they think someone is a “bad guy,” says the lawyer representing Sophon Sek.

Sek, who has been arrested on manslaughter charges, won $364,000 Sunday in a poker tournament at the River Rock Casino in Richmond Sunday.

But the Cloverdale man was unable to collect it Monday because he had been arrested and charged in connection with the notorious Surrey six gangland slaying in 2007.

Sek is facing charges of manslaughter and breaking and entering in connection with the attack, in which six people were killed, including two innocent bystanders.

River Rock spokesman Howard Blank said Sek received a delayed jackpot slip Sunday night, and had planned to redeem it Monday.

“He was arrested before he came back, so it’s sort of a moot point right now because he has not actually come to try and collect the funds yet,” Blank said. “We’ve been asked by the BC Lottery Corporation, through the RCMP, to withhold the funds at this time.”

Given that Sek has not yet been convicted of anything, and given that he earned the money legitimately in a poker tournament, his lawyer, Alan Ip, questions the authority of police to freeze his client’s winnings.

“We do have due process in this country and police can’t just go about seizing money because they say you are a bad guy,” Ip said.

“There’s no hint that the tournament is anything but above-board. and there’s no allegation he cheated or anything. It’s legitimately earned, legitimately gained money and these (charges) are allegations.”

In B.C., police can request the freezing of assets through the civil forfeiture office in an ongoing investigation, according to the B.C. Solicitor General’s Office.

So far, though, Ip said no one has provided any legal rationale for freezing Sek’s poker winnings.

“I expect them to serve me with some kind of documentation or whatever, and if they don’t then we’ll be going after the release of the money,” Ip said.

Asked what authority the police have to freeze or seize a suspect’s assets prior to a conviction, IHIT Cpl. Dale Carr of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) said he would not discuss the matter, as Sek is the subject of an ongoing investigation.

“Our position is that we have an active and ongoing investigation and we’re not going to discuss our evidence gathering,” Carr said.

“If it’s still under investigation, we’re not going to talk about the evidence we have on our suspects.”

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High heels afflict Victoria Beckham with painful bunions.


Victoria Beckham has previously called her feet “the bane of my life” – and not just because of her obsessive compulsion to toss away millions on shoes, shoes, and more shoes. According to U.K. paper the Daily Mail – and more than a few icky close-up photos of Beckham’s dogs – the world’s most fabulous footballer’s wife has a raging case of bunions.

“She is suffering from shooting pain from the bunions,” a snitch told the paper. “Normally, she kicks off her shoes in the house, but she has been out so much recently in high heels that she is really feeling it.” (We don’t totally buy that last statement. Posh wears five-inch Louboutins when playing with her kids in the sandbox; if Isotoner makes a stiletto, she’s wearing that around the house.)

According to reports, Beckham’s been advised to get surgery on her feet, but is ignoring the advice, instead doing therapeutic exercises, trying out insoles and dousing her skin-wheels in ice to stave off the inevitable. (Because an eternity of fabulous pain is so much better than wearing flat shoes for a two- to six-month recovery period? Maybe someone should tell her Jimmy Choo makes a fine flat.) Heck, she should just use the few thousand she’d likely blow on a fresh pair of heel-less boots and hire some guys from Mariah Carey’s entourage to carry her from the soccer field to Suri Cruise’s unicorn-riding lessons – or wherever Victoria Beckham hangs out these days.

“She puts up with the pain, but the doctor has told her she seriously needs to consider a bunionectomy or ditch the heels for a few months to let the inflammation calm down,” says the Mail’s source. “She has not got that long to decide what to do.”

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Gethin Jenkins takes over as Wales captain from injured Ryan Jones


Gethin Jenkins will lead Wales against Australia after Ryan Jones failed to overcome a back strain suffered during weight training. Photograph: John Gichigi/Getty Images

Gethin Jenkins will tomorrow become Wales’s fourth captain this year after Ryan Jones pulled out of the side with a back strain sustained while weight training this week. The last time the Lions prop led his country was the match before Warren Gatland took over as head coach at the end of 2007 and he was overlooked when Jones missed two Six Nations matches this year; the armband went first to Martyn Williams and then to Alun Wyn Jones.

Jenkins’s elevation is an indication of the importance that Wales, for all the talk of running rugby and providing a spectacle for spectators at the end of the international year, are placing on the scrum. As captain, he will be in regular contact with the referee, Wayne Barnes, and the set piece has become the second most contentious issue in the game after the ruck.

No one feared Australia’s scrum a couple of years ago, but Wales, who have got away with playing Paul James out of position at tighthead this month, now rank it as the best in the world and an obstacle to a fourth win over Australia in the last five meetings in Cardiff. The Wallabies have become streetwise in the tight, as they showed at Twickenham when the prop Benn Robinson collapsed a scrum near England’s line but won the penalty to give his side a lead they were not to lose, but they have fallen off in other areas and defeat tomorrow would be their eighth of the year, equalling the worst international campaigns, 1958 and 2005, in their 110-year history.

It is a day when the top six of the world rankings are in action against each other. Australia start the afternoon in third, but they will drop out of the top five for the first time if they lose to Wales by more than 15 points and results in Marseille and Dublin go the way of the Six Nations sides.

Robbie Deans, the Australia coach, has come under pressure after his side, which finished at the bottom of the Tri-Nations, lost to Scotland last week despite dominating possession. their running instincts may run counter to the prevailing trend of kicking and chasing, but the average age of today’s side is 24 and if the International Rugby Board finds some way of restoring the balance between attack and defence at the breakdown, the Wallabies will be well placed next year when the countdown to the 2011 World Cup will start ticking loudly.

Wales are upwardly mobile having recovered from the ignominy of failing to make the quarter-finals of the 2007 World Cup, but it will be a defining evening for them. since winning the grand slam, they have lost to South Africa three times, new Zealand twice and France and Ireland once. their only major victims in 2009 are England, hardly the scalp it used to be.

Robert Howley, the Wales attack coach, conceded that the ugliest of victories would do, never mind the concerns that professional rugby union is becoming unwatchable. so for all the mutual backslapping in the build-up that the two sides are the most creative and adventurous in their respective tournaments, the need for victory may curb any desire to finish the year on an aesthetic high.

Wales will miss Ryan Jones, who has rediscovered his best form this season. Andy Powell moves to No8, with Dan Lydiate, who is 22 next month, coming off the bench to take over at blindside flanker after winning his first cap as a replacement against Argentina last week. Two years ago this month, Lydiate feared he would never walk again after breaking his neck playing for Newport Gwent Dragons in Perpignan.

“Pulling on the Wales jersey is like putting on armour for battle,” he said. “You almost feel like Superman.” he will be up against the Australia captain, Rocky Elsom, regarded as a superhero by Leinster supporters last season and if Wales have the more prolific finishers, the Wallabies have the edge up front and in the back row. Wales talk about owning the sky and kicking is likely to prevail, but the day will surely come again when players are encouraged to reach for the sky, not just because that is where the ball will be coming from.

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Martin Johnson attacks 'hysteria' over calls for England coaches to be sacked


by Mick Cleary
Published: 6:29PM GMT 26 Nov 2009

The England manager hit out, though, at the degree of criticism that has been levelled at his coaching team, calling it “hysterical”.

“It’s not nice to sack people but if I thought it were in the best interests of the team, then that’s the decision I’d take,” said Johnson, sitting alongside his immediate boss, Rob Andrew, who reiterated that the former World Cup-winning captain has his full backing to take England through to the 2011 tournament.

Despite the laborious nature of the autumn campaign, Johnson was strident in his defence of the England set-up. England are not for turning just because of what Andrew termed ”a few bumps in the road”.

“It would be easy to blame someone else, to say that a, B or C should be sacked,” said Johnson. “Easy to do, but not right. It’s become the thing to speculate when frankly these people don’t know what’s going on. It’s so wide of the mark, almost hysterical, and it becomes ridiculous.

“We’re not patting ourselves on the back and saying we’ve done well, because we’re not satisfied either with the way we’ve played. we accept criticism but the stuff about [forwards coach] John Wells is so far off the mark. The stats show that our set-piece has improved since last autumn. as for his record of not achieving anything, I seem to remember him winning two European Cups and getting to the 2007 Rugby World Cup final.”

Andrew revealed that Josh Lewsey, who lambasted England’s coaching team last week, had written to apologise to the three with whom he took particular issue: Wells, defence coach Mike Ford and attack coach Brian Smith.

The routine autumnal review is under way at Twickenham. Johnson played down its significance in that he is in constant touch with Andrew. He rejected the notion that the relationship was too cosy and uncritical.

“We don’t need to be shouted at,” said Johnson. “What good does that do? we don’t think everything’s great and we’re aware of the issues long before they’re being written about. Our composure in attack, for example, is a big area in which we need to improve, that ability to turn chances into five or seven points rather than going for dropped goals or penalties.”

England have not been the only side struggling to score tries. The malaise is widespread. The RFU is to take up the cudgels at the annual gathering of the International Rugby Board in Dublin on Tuesday. not only does Andrew have misgivings about the type of rugby being generated, he also has grave concerns that the pile-up at the breakdown is causing more injuries.

“The injury rate in the senior England squads has risen from 20-25 per cent to 40 per cent and that’s unsustainable for the game,” said Andrew. “We haven’t got the scientific stats yet but anecdotally players and coaches in the Premiership feel that the increased collision at the breakdown as teams try to clear out the defender is contributing to the rising rate of injury.”

The fact that the try count in the autumn series has dropped from an average of seven tries per match in 2007 to 2.86 this season, and in domestic competition from 4.12 last season to 2.63 this season, has alarmed many observers.

“We are going to lobby the IRB very strongly,” said Andrew. “We want them to review the interpretation of law at the breakdown. this is an issue for the game, not just for England. The pendulum has swung too far back in favour of the defence.”

And if anyone thought things might improve, Andrew had this warning. “Players will get better skills, defensively. unless something is done, things are going to get worse, not better.”

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Judge says Chris Brown has received 'extremely favorable' probation report in …


November 19th, 2009

Chris Brown receives ‘extremely favorable’ report

LOS ANGELES — A judge says Chris Brown has received an “extremely favorable” report from probation officials overseeing his felony assault case.

Brown appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom Thursday afternoon to offer a judge his first progress report since being sentenced for beating ex-girlfriend Rihanna earlier this year.

The R&B singer is serving five years of probation and must attend domestic violence counseling and perform six months of community labor in Virginia, which he has already begun.

Brown’s attorney, Mark Geragos, says Brown has already done 100 hours of community service in Richmond, Va.

Both Brown and Rihanna are trying to put the beating behind them by focusing on their careers. Rihanna has a popular new single titled “Russian Roulette.” Brown is due to release his third album on Dec. 8.

Filed under News | Tags: Assault and Battery, California, Celebrity, Celebrity Legal Affairs, Los Angeles, Music, North America, United States | Comment Below

Brown denies leaking Rihanna’s photos

May 11th, 2009 LONDON – Singer Chris Brown has denied rumours suggesting that he leaked ex-girlfriend Rihanna’s nude photos on the Internet, insisting he had nothing to do with the scandal. A set of photographs apparently featuring Rihanna in various states of undress surfaced online Friday.

Chris Brown has low-key 20th birthday

May 6th, 2009 LONDON – Singer Chris Brown reportedly had a low key birthday celebration with family and friends in Virginia. Still facing two charges – felony battery and making criminal threats – for beating ex-girlfriend Rihanna in February this year, Brown quietly brought in his 20th birthday Tuesday, reported aceshowbiz.com.

Rihanna back in studio as Chris Brown struggles to cope

April 15th, 2009 LONDON – Singer Chris Brown, who was in the news recently for allegedly beating his then girlfriend singer Rihanna, is still depressed, but Rihanna is working on a new album. Rihanna is in the studio in Santa Monica working on her new album.

I did not assault Rihanna, says singer Chris Brown

April 7th, 2009 LONDON – Singer Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to two felony charges after his alleged fight with ex-girlfriend Rihanna in February. The R&B star showed up at Los Angeles County Court on April 6 with his lawyer Mark Geragos.

Music star Chris Brown allegedly involved in assault case

February 8th, 2009 LONDON – RnB star Chris Brown, who was supposed to perform at the 51st Grammy Awards, is now being investigated by police in an alleged assault on an unidentified woman. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) questioned Brown Sunday night, but are refusing to reveal the woman’s identity.

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London stalling for Andy as he serves up a stinker


By Hugh MacDonald at the O2 Arena

IT’S squeaky bottom time for Andy Murray. And not just because the 22-year-old admits he is “serving pants”.

The world No.4 was downcast about his game after he was beaten in three sets by Roger Federer at the Barclays ATP World Tour finals in London last night.

The defeat means Murray faces a tension-filled match with Fernando Verdasco tomorrow. Federer leads group with two matches won but Juan Martin del Potro, who plays the world No.1 tomorrow, has drawn level with the Scot after he beat Verdasco yesterday.

This means that Murray almost certainly has to beat the Spaniard in the afternoon session to ensure progress to the semi-finals.

Murray said: “If I win in straight sets, then there is a great chance I go through.”

He tried to shrug off the crushing disappointment of crumbling to Federer aftertaking the first set. The Swiss player took the match 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 after Murray’s service game deserted him.

“I didn’t serve well,” said the Scot. “In the first set, at least, when I was behind in games I was coming up with big serves. I was able to dictate the points. but after that I served pants.”

He was brutally honest about his failings. “I didn’t play well and I made mistakes. If you miss so many first serves, then you put yourself under a lot of pressure,” he said.

“Anyone would have looked good against me because you get a chance pretty much every single point.”

He admitted he was flat after the first set. “There’s not quite the same spark in the legsthat there was at the start of the year.

“When I was getting ahead at the start of the year, I was not giving guys chances to come back into tournaments.”

But he gave Federer the opportunities last night. And the best player in the world snapped them up.

Now Murray faces a showdown with Verdasco, who beat him in Australian Open at the start of the year. Can the player who gave Murray such a disappointing start to the season end it in a similar fashion?

Murray said: “I have a good record against Verdasco. If I play well, there is a good chance I will win.”

Federer can already count his week at the O2 a success. His victory over Murray means he is odds-on to make the semi-finals of the tournament. It also confirmed he had taken the world No.1 spot at the end of 2009. Rafa Nadal, who finished last year on top, now cannot catch the Swiss player.

“That was one of my biggest goals for this season,” said the 28-year-old Wimbledon champion.

“After having a rough 2008, it’s a wonderful achievement to be able to come back anddominate when the depth in tennis is so great.”

He felt the match withMurray – who now has awinning record of 6-4 against the Swiss – was a bit scrappy. but added: “We have a playing style that involves making the other player not play the best tennis. I’ve walked away from matches with him many times feeling I could have done so much better. Today’s it’s his turn.”

Federer faces Del Potro in the last Group A clash tomorrow in a rematch of this year’s US Open final, where the Argentinian twice fought back from a set down to stun the five-time defending champion.

The 21-year-old put in a disjointed display in the 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 win over Verdasco, dominating large sections of the match but missing the chance to serve it out in the decider.

Del Potro, who has won only three matches since that September triumph, said of his reunion with Federer:”We’re playing a differentsurface, different moment.

“We are fighting for two semi (spots). I have to play better than the US Open if I want to win.”

Verdasco was left wondering what might have been as he reflected on another close match after forcing Federer to come from a set down to triumph.

“It’s not enough to play good tennis to beat these guys,” he said.

“You need to play good tennis and also play very good in the very important moments and don’t make mistakes.”

lElena Baltacha beat Japan’s Misaki Doi 7-6, 3-6, 6-1 to reach the second round of the Challenger event in Tokyo and keep alive her hopes of finishing the year as the British No.1.

Currently No.89 in the WTA Tour entry rankings, she trails Katie O’Brien by two places, but a run to the later stages should take her above her rival.

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BYU football: Healthy Pitta savoring another shot at Utes


Provo » Saturday’s BYU-Utah football game is obviously important to both programs, and not just because both teams are nationally ranked, have identical 9-2 records and need the win to keep their momentum going into a bowl game.

But the importance doesn’t come close to what was on the line last year, when undefeated Utah met one-loss BYU at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

still, this year’s game carries a lot of meaning for BYU’s All-American tight end Dennis Pitta, partly because of what happened last year. Pitta suffered an MCL sprain in his knee in the 38-24 win over Air Force the week before the so-called “game of the decade” against Utah and was not at full strength against the

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      Utes.

      he still caught two passes for 33 yards, but those numbers were well below his season averages.

      “I wasn’t able to contribute much in last year’s game, and that is always hard,” Pitta said. “I am grateful to be healthy this late in the season this year, though, and I am excited for the challenge to be able to go against those guys again, and end my career the way I wanted to.”

      BYU quarterback Max Hall says Pitta is that rare player who can inspire confidence in those around him. he remembers the big tight end not being able to get open last year as much as he could in previous games.

      Hall’s other top target, Austin Collie, still had 104 receiving yards. But without the threat of Pitta, Utah was able

      to focus on Collie, who has since departed for the NFL, and that’s part of the reason Hall was intercepted five times.

      “We are a confident football team. and I think we were last year, too. we just didn’t play as well as we would have liked. and, obviously we had some injuries, and I wasn’t able to play as much as I would have liked,” Pitta said. “But we’ve got guys healthy this year, and with Max as our quarterback, we have the utmost confidence in him and his abilities, his leadership. so we are excited to be able to pay this Saturday.”

      one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award, this is Pitta’s last chance to boost his prospects before the winner is announced on Dec. 10 at a college football awards show.

      he has 54 receptions for 735 yards and seven TDs, while Florida’s Aaron Hernandez has 46 catches for 571 yards and two TDs and Pittsburgh’s Dorin Dickerson has 43 catches for 496 yards and 10 TDs.

      Pitta has 214 career catches, and needs just two more to pass Collie as the leading pass-catcher in BYU history.

      Thanksgiving plans

      the Cougars will practice Thursday morning, but will finish around noon so the players and coaches can celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday in the afternoon and evening before returning to practice on Friday afternoon.

      Briefly

      the Cougars still lead the country in third-down conversion percentage (58.39 percent), having converted 80 of 137 opportunities. They are five percentage points better than no. 2 Nevada (71-for-133) … Then are no. 9 in passing offense (303 ypg.) and no. 2 in pass efficiency (167.69).

      » no. 22 Utah at no. 18 BYU, 3 p.m.

      » TV: the Mtn., CBS C

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    Direct mail marketing 'is not dead'


    Marketers must not abandon tried and tested methods of getting their message across just because new channels are emerging, it has been claimed.

    According to Steven Dodds, senior planner with marketing firm DMS, direct mail still has a lot to offer despite the advent of the internet and social media.

    Although budgets are tighter and this has led to some firms looking for “shorter payback periods” when it comes to marketing, Mr Dodds believes that direct mail is far from dead.

    He urged marketers to respond to the shift by working smarter.

    Mr Dodd said: “We are recommending increased focus on mail targeting, through improved modelling and other methods to ensure returns through the channel hold up.”

    Many people respond to mail shots via the internet and this is something else marketers should bear in mind, he added.

    Yesterday, Sandra Zoratti, vice-president of global solutions marketing at InfoPrint, urged professionals to ensure their marketing messages are relevant to the consumers they are sent to no matter what format is used.

    People who receive uninteresting messages are likely to end a relationship with the brand behind them, she stated.

    Posted by John Lynes.

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    Home is where no heart is


    IT should have been three home games to remember.

    Instead, it became ten goals to forget.

    A Champions League group which was there for the taking.

    Then, all of a sudden, it turned into one lost to regret.

    Rangers started this Euro campaign with hope in their hearts when the draw took place in Monte Carlo three months ago.

    But one horrible and hopeless Ibrox defeat after another saw their ambitions become like the thousands of seats long before time-up last night.

    EMPTY.

    The most embarrassing and pathetic thing of all?

    It was left to a 17-year-old kid to stand tall when others sunk to their knees.

    Danny Wilson was the lad Walter Smith thought long and hard about picking for this one.

    As against Unirea in Romania, the teenager did himself proud.

    Some Rangers supporters think that boss Smith needs to get with the programme.

    That being the case the Ibrox gaffer should have picked Madjid Bougherra. all over it he was.

    Front splash of the glossy match day magazine with a four page feature inside.

    Couple of thousand words highlighting the career of the big Algerian. And yet for some people one would have done.

    OVER.

    That was the chat on the radio phone-ins on the way to the game. One caller after the other urging Smith to punt the 27-year-old for good.

    Going AWOL during Rangers’ time of need once was bad enough. Twice was pushing his luck. but three times? C’mon big man, who are you kidding?

    Rangers have no room for strutting players who think they’re better than they are certainly not on massive nights like these.

    This was a tie to get the sleeves rolled up, and not just because it was teeming down with rain and freezing cold.

    The home fans hoped the spirit of Stuttgart would return.

    But that night big Bougy was utterly magnificent. last night he was missing.

    Three subs used to try and plug the gaps and not once did the Rangers boss turn to his bench and call upon Bougherra.

    Even DaMarcus Beasley got the shout first.

    But even had he played this result was always on the cards. Rangers got what they deserved.

    The Germans lie 16th in the Bundesliga but forget that stat. they can play all right.

    They turned up at Ibrox with huge backing – around 2,000 squeezed into the corner of the stadium – and every one of them expecting an away win.

    And what an atmosphere they created on the night.

    From one section of the away end singing to the other, and then back again, to a German rendition of the ‘bouncy bouncy’, they made themselves heard all right.

    When they scored, bedlam.

    Firecrackers and flares went off with the local plod called upon to sort the problems off the pitch.

    All the while Rangers needed some help on it.

    Stuttgart’s opener came in 16 minutes but Steven Whittaker got mugged so often in the first quarter of an hour it could have come at any time.

    Whitt a roasting the boy got in that spell, and it didn’t get any easier. he wasn’t the only one.

    Steven Davis must be one of the most solid and reliable players at Ibrox but for every pass which found its target there were another six which ballooned well astray.

    Kyle Lafferty? almost every second touch was a tackle.

    For all Rangers’ slide challenges and strong arm tactics they just couldn’t get near the German side – but in the early part they still rode their luck.

    Zdravko Kuzmanovic had the ball in the net two minutes after Stuttgart scored but the standside linesman did Rangers a massive favour by lifting his flag.

    Had that one stood this was another Sevilla or Unirea in the making right there.

    Of course the Kris Boyd chance summed up the big man’s luck in the Champions League, there’s no denying the effect it had.

    It was a great ball into the box from Kenny Miller after he broke down a Stuttgart breakaway.

    Boyd had the goal at his mercy eight yards out – and skied it.

    Had it been the red shirts of Aberdeen in a routine SPL match the Ibrox No9 wouldn’t have thought twice about it.

    But Stuttgart in Europe instead? Chance gone.

    It was that split second moment in top level football which makes all the difference and it was on the hour mark when the message was hit home.

    Kuzmanovic’s header beat Allan McGregor with the keeper standing no chance, Whittaker again failing to tuck in and cover across as the Stuttgart stand-out put this tie to bed.

    With half an hour to go Rangers fans were left muttering to themselves as the game trundled to a finish.

    Stuttgart looked a threat every time they went forward but if anything they ended up trying to walk the ball into the back of the net at times.

    Young Wilson’s one slip up 13 minutes from time almost handed the Germans a third goal but thankfully for the kid Pavel Pogrebnyak’s effort smacked the outside of the post.

    The boy wasn’t responsible for any of this.

    Keeper McGregor came into that category too.

    Shots peppered his goal in those dying minutes but the goalie simply refused to throw in the towel on a lost cause.

    He stopped a mauling as he proved his worth yet again.

    Pity too many around him couldn’t do the same.

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    IBM staffer posts pics on Facebook, loses benefits


    Insurance companies want us to be healthy. really, they do. they have our interests at heart, and they defend those interests with an unusual zeal. this is why I am wondering which details might be missing from the tale of Natalie Blanchard.

    According to the Associated Press, Blanchard, a 29-year-old IBM employee from Bromont, Quebec, was suffering from depression and took time away from work, relying on sick-leave benefits from her insurer, Manulife Financial.

    The monthly payments were suddenly halted. When she called Manulife to ask why, she says she was told that it had espied photos on her Facebook page that showed her cheerful. Ergo, the argument allegedly went, she was able to work. which led to the second ergo: no more payments.

    The pictures, about which I am sure you are already wondering, were of her at a show featuring those tensing torsos, the Chippendales, as well as at a birthday party and on a beach holiday.

    Depression is a nasty business. Cures are not exactly logical. and Blanchard says she went on three trips, each of a four-day duration, after consulting with her psychiatrist.

    Manulife, while confirming (footage from Sky News embedded here) that it does use social-networking sites to, well, check up on its customers, also said, “We would not deny or terminate a valid claim solely based on information published on Web sites such as Facebook.”

    Perhaps you, too, have some questions. what sort of a life is it when you spend your days trawling social-networking sites to sniff around your customers’ personal existence? How is it that Manulife observed Blanchard’s photos? Did she leave her Facebook page entirely open, or could it be that she had her insurance agent as one of her Facebook friends? was she, indeed, already under suspicion before the Facebook trawling began?

    December 8, this case will be heard in the Quebec Superior Court. Surely, we will learn a little more about Natalie Blanchard and a little more about Manulife. perhaps Facebook could provide a live feed from the proceedings?

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