I had a conversation with a brilliant Brazilian attorney in Porto Alegre, Brazil about the failure of giving a choice to a passenger about boarding a plane that has 1/3 of its braking system disabled.

In the Tam crash of July 2007, all parties agree that the right thrust reverser was disabled. They defend that position by stating that the documentation for an Airbus A320 allows the plane to fly for up to 10 days with a disabled thruster(s).

So let's say that Tam had let everyone that was boarding that plane know about the thrust reverser. Let's say they had even played down the importance of having it operational. Had the passengers known about the disabled thruster, and had they known that it compliments the braking system, what would they have done?

It is possible that not all the passengers would have boarded. Some probably would have transferred to another flight, or would have gone home and waited for another day. But no one was given that notice.

Think about it: the wheel brakes, the wing flaps and the thrust reverser are the breaking system for an airbus a320. I'm not certain that even a seasoned flyer as I am that I would have gone on board knowing that part of the breaking system was not functional.

Mandatory warnings should be required when a plane with broken, flawed, or partially disabled systems is used as if functioning at 100%. Speaking personally on my own behalf, I believe this warning issue–or failure to warn issue–should be legally addressed.

If only one person had not boarded that plane, that would have been one less fatality.

TAM is a huge airline with all the resources necessary to have assigned human beings to notify families of their dead.

Such a notification would be painful, indeed, more than words can describe.

But even worse, imagine going on the internet, reviewing the manifest that was made available to the public within hours and finding your mom’s name or your mom and dad’s name or your wife, or your husband.

Imagine that for a moment.

Imagine that days go by and no one from TAM makes any personal notifications to families. No one calls, no one connects on a one on one basis.

What were they thinking when they released the manifest to the public prior to any attempt of locating the next of kin?

TAM, fire the person or persons who made the decision to release the manifest.

Get your act together.

Have a plan in place.

Have people who can be on call immediately to handle these matters.

No matter what you end up paying the family for their losses, they will never forget how they learned about the death of their loved ones.

Shame on you, TAM

I have just returned from Brazil, after paying a visit there in my capacity as a strategic corporate advisor. The case we are currently looking at is the Tam Air Crash at the Sao Paolo airport, probably the worst disaster in Brazil's history.

Tatiana is a reporter who interviewed me; when that interview is published, we will either publish it here or provide links to it.

I am not there as a lawyer nor as an expert, but I have partners who fill those shoes.

I am a computer programmer who pioneered in the development of prototypical management software for lawyers and doctors. My inaugural enterprise, CompuTrak, was a one-man operation, with me in the driver's seat wearing multiple hats, being both the salesperson and programmer of first-of-their-kind applications, some of which are still in use today.

In 1992, my first novel was published initially by Pretty Face Books then Ashley Books. Reflecting twenty early years of my life I would like to forget, One Wilshire has eased out of print but unfortunately not out of my consciousness. I have two more manuscripts in the works, Pretty Face and Arabe, biding time for the perfect time to debut. Nearing completion is a fourth novel-in-the-works tentatively titled—oops, I can't reveal that yet. However, I promise that the story is different from any subject in print or on the screen.

Currently, I am Corporate Advisor of the Law Offices of Masry & Vititoe. If that sounds familiar, it is because this is the same law firm depicted in the film Erin Brockovich. I am also Chief Advisor to Joel De La Hoya, Sr. Joel De La Hoya, Sr. is the manager of professional boxer Oscar De La Hoya.

Although I am neither a lawyer, financial advisor, financial planner nor money manager, I have access to the world's top experts and deliver them to my clients. If you're my client, I will find you the top expert, the best possible deal to buy or lease, the perfect real property you've been dreaming of. I represent my clients, do my own due diligence along with trusted experts. I do what needs to be done to close the deal. For many of my clients, I am the "go to" guy, the one who gets things done and closes the deal, whether it involves a Bentley, a Lamborghini, or real property in Bel Air.

Everything that I do, I do well (or I don't do it at all.)

I'm a man who wears a lot of hats: advisor, businessman, entrepreneur, strategist.