Brazilian Law-Bunko! No Ethics Here

Brazilian Law-Bunko! No Ethics Here


Author: EFFIONG EKPO


A young man in Siemens of Brazil got a transfer to Siemens in Virginia in December of 2005. I was talking to him and he was filled with hope. He should be. There is plenty of opportunity and getting a home loan in the US has a very low, low rate.

In Brazil, there is a stark difference. Home loans are a whopping annual 120%! Take that rate and apply it to the US economy and guess what will happen. (Besides the screaming of Usary! Usary!) The economy slows down. That's what. The US economy would come to a screaching crawl.

On top of that, Brazilian law doesn't protect dwellers. Take my case for example. I signed a 3 year lease with an owner of a small apartment building in 2003. Shortly after I signed the contract, he sold the building to another man.

I asked the man, "Did you see our contract?" "No", he responded. "What happened to it?", I asked. "Sumiu", was his response. Meaning that he didn't know of its whereabouts. Somebody was lying. But who?

You can imagine the confusion and feelings of being violated that I had. Not good. We were in serious trouble. He was remodeling the entire building and he didn't want us in the apartment. In spite of all this, we continued to pay and he gladly accepted the money. That was our contract, then. Right? Not so in this country. Your word means nothing here.

Then in December of 2005 we received an eviction notice for 'nonpayment'. The new owner lied to a judge who signed the notice. According to the notice, we had 30 days to leave. And we could not defend ourselves because the lie for 'non payment' is considered a 'material error' by Brazilian law. In other words, that's just a euphanism for saying "We know we'er lying, but we can't exactly frame it properly or that way so we'll call it a material error." We have no recourse but to leave. Go figure. We're returning to the US, that's for sure.

No more Brazilian law!

Brazil wants to be a world leader championing human rights and political neutrality? I say, and I'm sure that many Brazilians would agree with me, clean up yor own house first, Brazil. You ain't even close to being ready to take center stage on the world scene yet. You probably never will be.




People may not realize it, but there have been many key inventions that have come about since the start of the new millennium. In a world where we think we may have invented everything, new inventions, technologies and devices come about more often than we may notice. Would you like to come up with an idea for a new invention? Here is some basic advice.

Think about what would make your daily life easier or more interesting. Do you need a better way to organize something? Do you have an idea for a novelty item? Brainstorm a list of possible items that can simplify your life.

Next, pick some ideas that seem the best. Check to make sure the idea isnt already taken. Contact the United States Patent and Trademark Office for more information. They should be able to tell you if your idea for a new invention is taken or not.

Once you have an idea, youll need to consider your resources. If one of your great ideas is to develop an artificial brain, for example, you will need to consider if you have the resources to develop something of that scale. If you think you can get funding and support for your idea, then it is still worth considering. Sometimes, people that develop new inventions need to take risks.

Finally, you will need to develop your new invention idea. Consider if you will need a team to assist you. Make sure you keep thorough records. Once youve developed and tested your idea to your liking, the only step left is to file the patent and pay the fee. At this point, you may want to hire a patent lawyer. They specialize in the process of filing patents.

So, even if you think there is nothing new to discover, new inventions are being developed all the time. Perhaps you can be the next great inventor!



At every few corners in major urban areas, you used to see phone booths.

Before cell phones, they served a significant purpose, of course, providing telephone access to the multitudes.

But now that theyve been disappearing, theyve taken more than dedicated phone lines with them.

Theyve removed a significant semi-private space, as well.

The old phone booth, while seldom perfectly quiet, facilitated several significant things:

(1) It was quiet enough so we could compose ourselves before conversations, thinking through what we were going to say.

(2) It did muffle some outside noises, making it easier for us to monitor our own voices, and hear ourselves think.

(3) It made it easier for listeners to concentrate on our messages.

(4) And perhaps most important, it kept our conversations confidential.

Ive never been comfortable talking business, surrounded by fellow passengers in an airport lounge, or when Im sitting in a restaurant. I dont want them to snoop, and I dont want to intrude into their acoustical space.

What we need to do, as I see it, is build cell phone booths.

They wont have a telephoneyoull bring yours. But there will be a platform for placing documents, and for four quarters, youll be able to buy five minutes of peace, at a shot.

My conversations are worth it.

Are yours?