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24-hour service.
Adhering to the "professional, responsible clean and efficient boiler system integration supplier"
Firmly "products for the road, management for the surgery, Taoism and repair, can be a long time"
Protect the core values of "focus, professionalism, persistence, and value creation";
Adhere to the cooperative concept of "altruism, true truth, and excellence in words";
China Boiler Co., Ltd. was established on January 8, 1998 with a registered capital of more than 100 million yuan. It is a high-tech enterprise integrating R&D, manufacturing and sales of clean fuel boilers and clean combustion technology boilers. It is a national A-class boiler manufacturer. The headquarters base has a single-family research and development center, a single-family experimental center and two manufacturing plants with a production area of 120,000 square meters.
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Rated Evaporation: 1-20t/h Rated thermal efficiency: 100-104% Application: Food & beverage, pharmacy, textile plant, heating supply, hotel, garment manufacturing, etc.Learn More Chat Online
Rated thermal power: 0.7-14MW Rated thermal efficiency: 96-98% Application: Hot water and heating supply for hotel, school, swimming pool, enterprises and institutionsLearn More Chat Online
Rated thermal power: 10.5-80MW Rated thermal efficiency: 95-98% Application: Heating supply for Real Estate Company, Thermal Group, Heating Station, School, etc.Learn More Chat Online


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Welcome to Collision Specialist of Fairfax!
At Collision Specialist of Fairfax, our goal is absolute perfection. We perform quality auto body and paint repairs on your vehicle and offer an outstanding customer experience. We take pride in our work and back it up with a lifetime warranty.
Experience the Collision Specialist difference: Streamlined, easy and hassle free. We take care of everything from working with your insurance company to arranging a rental car.
Our associates are committed to making your collision repair experience as positive as possible. While it's not easy to turn an auto accident into a memorable service experience, our professional collision repair representatives are trained to do just that. You will find that our associates are knowledgeable, friendly and professional.
We employ only highly qualified collision repair technicians to perform the complex structural, mechanical, body and refinish work required to meet industry repair quality standards.
We invest heavily in the ongoing training and development of our collision repair technicians.
Bring your Car, Truck, SUV or Van to Collision Specialist of Fairfax for quality dent repair, auto body repair, and painting.
Our Services Include:
- Free Estimates and Reasonable Prices
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Your vehicle is in good hands with Collision Specialist of Fairfax!
Knowing these 5 basic facts can save you time, money and your car:
Fairfax, Oakton, Annandale, Centreville, Burke, Sterling, Herndon, Vienna, Alexandria, Springfield, Tysons Corner, Chantilly and all surrounding areas.

subset: commoncrawl


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A Life Of Faith
April 19, 2013
"He must increase, but I must decrease."
John 3:30
God delights to increase the faith of His children. We begin by faith, we live by faith, and we grow by faith. Instead of wanting no trials before victory, we must be willing to take from God's hand the trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeats that come into our lives. These are the very things that God uses to increase our faith.
When things are going well, we tend to rely less on God and more on ourself. When we are weak, we are God dependent instead of self-dependent and our faith is going to grow and we will find ourselves growing spiritually.
If you want to be a man or a woman of great faith begin to practice self-denial. Cease depending on self and begin to depend on God. Your new growth inside will push off the old. Listen to the Spirit, step out in faith, and you will find that as you decrease He will increase.
For more resources from Above & Beyond Fellowship, visit www.above.org.


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MapReduce framework is widely used to parallelize batch jobs since it exploits a high degree of multi-tasking to process them. However, it has been observed that when the number of servers increases, the map phase can take much longer than expected. This thesis analytically shows that the stochastic behavior of the servers has a negative effect on the completion time of a MapReduce job, and continuously increasing the number of servers without accurate scheduling can degrade the overall performance. We analytically model the map phase in terms of hardware, system, and application parameters to capture the effects of stragglers on the performance. Mean sojourn time (MST), the time needed to sync the completed tasks at a reducer, is introduced as a performance metric and mathematically formulated. Following that, we stochastically investigate the optimal task scheduling which leads to an equilibrium property in a datacenter with different types of servers. Our experimental results show the performance of the different types of schedulers targeting MapReduce applications. We also show that, in the case of mixed deterministic and stochastic schedulers, there is an optimal scheduler that can always achieve the lowest MST.
• Farshid Farhat, Diman Zad Tootaghaj, Anand Sivasubramaniam, Mahmut Kandemir, and Chita R. Das are with the school of electrical engineering and computer science, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. Email: {fuf111,dxz149,anand,kandemir,firstname.lastname@example.com.
• Yuxiong He is with the Cloud Computing Futures group, the Microsoft Research, Redmond, WA 98052 USA. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com.
• The work was done during my visit from MSR in June 2016 in Redmond WA.


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Flames Audio:
2013 Lady Flames
With the Liberty women's soccer season coming to an end, Liberty Flames Sports Network's Alan York caught up with head coach Jessica Hain and senior captain Casey Norris. During the pair of interviews, Hain and Norris look back on Liberty's championship and record-breaking season. The player and coach also reflect on the experience of squaring off with defending national champion North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Notes and Highlights Liberty ended its season with a 16-6-1 mark, setting a new single-season program record for most wins. Defensively, the Lady Flames' program-best 14 shutouts also tied a Big South team record. Prior to facing the Tar Heels, Liberty captured the Big South Championship on Nov. 10, defeating Radford, 5-0. After breaking the Liberty single-season shutout record on Oct. 16, goalkeeper Holly Van Noord concluded the season with a school and conference-best 14 clean sheets. Midfielder Brittany Aanderud also cemented her name in the program record books, this season, closing the year with a single-season school record 10 assists. The sophomore ended 2013 at No. 3 all-time in program history with 15 helpers. Senior defender Casey Norris' collegiate career comes to an end after playing in a program record 84 contests, surpassing the previous record holder, Liberty Athletics Hall of Famer Nancy Davis (1998-2001, 78 contests) earlier this season.


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Women's Health USA 2011 Home
This Web site has been produced as an online version of the data book, Women's Health USA 2011, published by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in October 2011.
Women's Health USA is an easy-to-use collection of current and historical data on some of the most pressing health challenges facing women, their families, and their communities.
Data in Women's Health USA
- Reflects the everchanging, increasingly diverse population and its characteristics
- Highlights emerging issues and trends in women's health
- Profiles women's health from a variety of data sources
- Serves as a concise reference for policymakers and program managers
Browse by Section
- Population Characteristics
- Health Status
- Health Services Utilization
Women's Health USA 2011 is not copyrighted. Readers are free to duplicate and use any of the information contained in this publication, although permission should be obtained before using copyrighted photographs. Please provide feedback on this publication to the HRSA Information Center.


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Why Do People Keep Insisting That Google Has A Better Idea What's Infringing Than Viacom?
from the bizarre-reasoning deptWhen a piece on copyright law is written by a "former commissioner and vice chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission" and the "dean emeritus of Boston University School of Law and chairman of the Center for the Rule of Law," I would expect that the reasoning would make a lot of sense, but I find myself quite troubled by what Ronald Cass claims in a recent Forbes article about the Google/Viacom battle concerning YouTube. Basically, Cass seems to repeat all of Viacom's talking points and not consider the actual facts of the situation. It's very strange. Perhaps he is only taking a superficial look at the facts. Let's help him out.
Disclosures of internal e-mails portray YouTube as a business designed, operated, and marketed to make money from users unlawfully posting copyrighted material (pirated clips from Saturday Night Live and The Colbert Report, for instance). YouTube founders knew their site was carrying "truckloads" of pirated material. Steve Chen chastised fellow cofounder Jawed Karim for putting up "stolen videos" himself, adding, "We're going to have a tough time defending the fact that we're not liable for the copyrighted material on the site . . . when one of the cofounders is blatantly stealing content from other sites and trying to get everyone to see it."This is the money quote that Viacom and its defenders keep repeating. But it was taken totally out of context. The discussion, when put back into context, shows clearly that Chen and Karim were not arguing about copyrighted material like "pirated clips from Saturday Night Live and The Colbert Report," as Cass claims, but about viral videos from other online video sites that were like YouTube.
Google spotted the piracy problem early on. Its executives contrasted YouTube's encouragement of copyright violations with Google Video's screening to find and remove the most likely violations. But piracy proved the more successful business model, and Google ultimately swallowed both its scruples and YouTube, buying the site for $1.65 billion.Indeed. And no one denies that there is a ton of content on YouTube that violates copyrights and is being used in an unauthorized manner. What no one has been able to explain -- certainly not Viacom nor Cass -- are how anyone other than the copyright holder could possibly know which content is authorized and which is not. Even Viacom's own partner, BayTSP, compared Viacom's rule book -- which changed every few days -- of what was authorized and what should be taken down to Crime and Punishment. And yet Cass and Viacom think that Google should "just know" what's infringing?
Viacom's claims are rooted in mainstream property rules and liability rules. Property rules give people rights in things they've created or bought, including the right to keep anyone else from using it without their consent. You can't take a bite of someone else's burger or swipe one of their fries as you walk through a restaurant just because you think it looks really tasty; you don't have a right to grab what isn't yours. Liability rules make it illegal to act in ways that put other people at risk when there are reasonable ways to protect them, like construction companies warning folks nearby when they're going to be blasting.This is really incredibly wrong, and surprising from a supposed expert in "intellectual property" law. Copyright law, specifically, developed independently from property and liability rules, because it has an entirely different purpose. Property laws are about figuring out who possesses ownership of a scarce item. Liability laws are about who is responsible for putting others at risk. Copyright is about promoting the progress of science and the useful arts. Saying that it comes from the same place is just blatantly wrong. Copyright is not about liability or property -- it's a monopoly privilege granted to certain people for the sake of increasing the incentive to create.
Ideas and creative work, the subjects of intellectual property (IP) law, aren't exactly like other things. Ideas can be used without being used up, but innovative and creative work often are tremendously expensive to create and hard to protect, which is why IP law resembles ordinary property and liability law.He's right on the first part, but wrong on the latter. IP laws resemble property and liability laws only due to the work of lobbyists who have worked quite hard to change the very nature of copyright law far, far away from its intended purpose.
Supreme Court decisions in the 1984 Sony case and the 2005 Grokster case frame the rule on IP liability. Sony wasn't liable for copyright infringements by people using its Betamax video recorders because most Betamax use didn't infringe copyright and Sony had no relatively easy way to police infringement. Grokster, however, was liable for infringements by users of its peer-to-peer file sharing software because it promoted infringement as the use most likely to be made of its product.This is such an extreme misreading of both Supreme Court rulings that it again seems to come straight from the Viacom talking points. The basis of the Sony Betamax decision was the "substantial non-infringing uses" of the technology -- something that is also true of YouTube. I'll note that Cass totally ignores that after Viacom took down 100,000 videos which it claimed were infringing (some, it later admits, it was mistaken about), Viacom expected traffic to YouTube to drop, since it believed that it was its content that kept YouTube going. But traffic grew. Oops. It is true that part of the Grokster decision was because it had some ability to police infringement, but the key to the Grokster ruling was the direct inducement by Grokster in suggesting users infringe.
The question of ability to police was not central to either ruling -- but is central to this case. And, again, Cass totally ignores that whole Crime and Punishment list of rules that Viacom had, and the fact that Viacom worked very hard to put up content on the site that looked like it was infringing when it was really authorized. Why would he ignore that and misrepresent those two other cases?
Information disclosed so far puts YouTube-Google in jeopardy on both property and liability claims. YouTube facilitated massive copyright violations and knew it, made a lot of money from traffic built on copyright violations and had relatively easy, cost-efficient ways of monitoring them. In fact, YouTube did monitor but stopped when it became clear just how much of its traffic and revenue were tied to piracy. Google stepped into YouTube's shoes when it bought the company and turned a blind eye to what was going on.Again, Cass completely overlooks the facts of the case and misleadingly goes back to "property and liability claims" rather than what copyright law actually says. Why would he do that? The problem, again, is that despite his claims, YouTube-Google did not know what content was infringing and what was authorized. Cass says they could monitor it, but gives no explanation whatsoever how it could possibly know that the videos uploaded by MMysticalGirl8 from the local Kinkos were actually authorized by Viacom.
That's where the argument for a different Internet law comes in. YouTube-Google and sympathizers like EFF say that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (the 1998 law Congress put in place to address a set of technology-related IP issues) insulates YouTube-Google.No, Cass is wrong again. The argument for the DMCA coming it comes at the beginning of this case. Not well into it. Why? Because this is not a property or liability case. It's a copyright case.
But DMCA isn't a radical departure from the Sony-Grokster framework, just a specific application to players in the Internet world, spelling out copyright infringing acts and "safe harbors." Notably, Section 512 prevents liability for a service provider storing infringing material if the provider doesn't know about it, have information that makes the infringing activity apparent or profit from it, and takes infringing material down promptly when aware of it. The e-mails and other material show that YouTube-Google misses the safe harbor on almost all counts (more like crashing into the dock than sailing into the harbor).Once again, Cass misses the most basic facts of this case in a troubling way. Google did, in fact, take down material promptly "when aware of it." The key question -- which you'll note Cass conveniently skips over is what constitutes "when aware of it." That is the key point that will determine this case, and you would think someone of Cass's background would know to highlight it. Instead, he hides it.
Google argues that it was not aware of specific infringement, in part because it has no way of knowing whether or not the content is infringing or authorized -- especially when Viacom is going through all that trouble to make authorized content look infringing, while also authorizing all sorts of content with a huge and ever-changing rulebook. Viacom, on the other hand, claims that "when aware of it" just means aware in general that there is infringing content on the site.
But such an interpretation of the DMCA would render those safe harbors effectively meaningless. It would effectively say that if there's any infringing content on your user-generated site, you no longer qualify -- even if you can't figure out which content is specifically infringing and which is not. That makes no sense.
EFF wants to expand the harbor for providers by requiring direct notice of each individual posting of copyrighted work (followed by a decision not to act), reasoning that "take down" incentives under DMCA are enough. This rewrites the law, which recognizes that providers often are in much better position than copyright owners to find violations.This is wrong on so many levels. The law does not and never has recognized that providers are in a better position to find violations. In fact, the law says the exact opposite. The whole point of the safe harbors is because the service providers can't really know for sure what's infringing until they receive notice -- exactly as the EFF notes. They aren't trying to "expand" the safe harbors. They're just saying what the purpose of those safe harbors has always been.
There's too much material for an individual right holder to screen, too many "private" sections of sites that copyright holders can't see (though providers can) and more efficient alternatives for reducing the amount of pirated material on sites that reward piracy.And he closes with the "but it's just too difficult" for copyright holders argument. But he doesn't note that it's even more difficult for the service providers who aren't the copyright holders and have no idea if the content has been put up there in an authorized manner or not.
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Filed Under: copyright, dmca, liability, property law, ronald cass, safe harbors
Companies: google, viacom, youtube


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Residence | This attractive 5***** chalet, provides you with high quality, comfortable and spacious, fully equipped apartments which can hold between 4 and 14 people.
Located in the quiet place of "Les Balcons" in Val Thorens, this 5 stars residence proposes 20 spacious apartments (completely renovated in 2018) which can accommodate from 4 to 14 persons. From the balcony you have an outstanding view of the resort and the slopes. You can enjoy spending the evenings together in the warm living room with its own real fireplace or make the most of the wellness centre with its indoor heated swimming pool and sauna.
- From the slopes: 150 m / return by ski (intermediate level required)
- From the first ski lifts: 300 m
- From the centre of the resort: 5-10 minutes walk.
Opening hours of the reception, check-in/check-out procedure:
- The reception is in Chalet Val 2400
- From Sunday to Friday: from 8am till 12pm / from 4pm till 7pm
- On Saturday: from 8am till 8pm
- Arrival: check-in on Saturday from 5pm
- Departure: check-out on Saturday, inventory of fixtures before 10am
- In case of late arrival please call the reception at +33(0)4 79 00 85 37 before 6pm and you will make an arrangement to pick up the keys.
Equipment in the residence:
- Wellness centre open every day from 10am till 8pm: heated indoor swimming pool and sauna (not supervised)
- Wireless access in each apartment
- Sport 2000 ski rental shop.
Deposit: 500€ per apartment to be paid on arrival (cash or credit card except American Express).
Local tax: 3.30€ per night per person since 01/05/2019.
Services included:
- Access to the wellness centre every day from 10am till 8pm
- Beds will be made upon your arrival (except for beds in the living-room)
- For beds in the living room (only for the 12/14 persons apartment): bed linen, one blanket and pillow are provided
- 1 large towel and 1 small towel per person
- Change of towels on half stay (EXCEPT FOR SHORT STAYS AND RESORT EVENTS)
- Welcome cleaning kit (1 dishcloth, 2 tabs for dishwasher, 1 sponge, 1 100ml-bottle of wash liquid and 1 100ml-bottle of cleaning product)(EXCEPT FOR SHORT STAYS AND RESORT EVENTS)
- End of stay cleaning (except for the kitchen/dishes, balcony and bins)(EXCEPT FOR SHORT STAYS AND RESORT EVENTS)
- Digital TV on flat screen
- Wireless access in the apartment
- Ski lockers with heated boot dryer
- 1 bag of logs for the chimney (EXCEPT FOR SHORT STAYS AND RESORT EVENTS)
- Luggage room
- Loan of baby equipment (on request according to availabilities): baby chair, child's booster seat, baby bed (bed mattress and linen not provided), baby bath and bottle warmer
- Loan of raclette and fondue sets (on request according to availability).
Charged services:
- Covered car park: 75€ /car /week (max height: 2,10m)
- Pets accepted: 75€ /pet /week
- Delivery of bread and pastries on request at the reception
- Additional bag of logs: 7€
- Loan of bathrobe: 6€ per week.
When you arrive in the ski resort of Val Thorens, follow the signs indicating the "Grand rue" and the "Tourist Office". From here keep following the signs to the "Rue de Balcons" where you will find the residence on you right hand side.


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MLB Post-Season: Reynolds on Who's Hot
Baseball's 2013 playoffs officially start tonight with three games in three days to determine who will take the National and American League wildcard spots. MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds joins MoneyBeat to break down the post-season landscape. (Photo: Getty)
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... mm mm ... baseball's twenty thirteen playoff officially start tonight ... with the real games in three days to determine who will take the National and American League wild card spots ... to break down the excitement we are joined today by Harold Reynolds who in the MLB Network analyst ... former all story and fee not MLB tonight ... and throughout the postseason ... thanks ... to Onofre was a thank you so it's the sort of interesting post season right I mean the perennial sort of you know ... aam ... you ... will modify the Yankees not even in the playoffs ... seem like Pittsburgh Pirates is not still the postseason and decades ... the air in the playoffs ... doctors look like a beam of also ... Corty like the playoffs why I think the one thing for small is that the system is terrific you haven't well current right so smitten really exciting and yes the Yankees in that manner ... but there are some great clubs plan moved so meanwhile I at the end of daylight that God is in the Tigers' ... of those limits and I ... just love is really unique in that we've got a tie to play into the wild card and yet Texas going tonight against Tampa ... so you have that game is still a hundred sixty third consist of the ... forty man rosters and why we may see twenty pitches tonight yet but it's an exciting time for baseball look like I'm it's a little too late to ninety eight or in your area to playing games ... you know you you more teams involved were more excitement about it ... our love of Pittsburgh Pirates ... I'd I'd like the fact that its refinery to perk up with decades in the wilderness ... they've got a team than in the playoff you know what you think we can someone a one years I love the word wilderness to the right spent twenty one years the same in the postseason ... play a wild card game the good sense but Cincinnati Reds and in the division but I think the one thing the commission had in mind we said Whatever while cover ... been brought even more parity to the game ... no only have a couple teens repeat the last twenty years the more parity in the of this form ... with the Pirates to guide young pitching ... they've got ... a nice club and put together the great double bill meant to the draft and then ... trade deadline this to them it's a big move so and also pledged to catcher Russell Martin isn't and to a J Burnett has been ... the most Jake Tesla he can mean he's been terrific as well yet ah let's talk about what the Dodgers took a ... very interesting team ... a little banged up but in the inquiry regular season would he make the dogs well it's about pitching you're you're looking to get Clayton Kershaw said Sonny are a record ... of ... green tea ... and then re do Nielsen got those three of the three headed monster so to speak ... of Tamilnadu and take them one of you wanna do with with them when the way ... but they've got a great club MetroStars last year ... with the big trip in May when Boston Maura night for gauging in zealous called Cropper ... and ... in those guys came over from Boston they've been the foundation of the office of the tax ... then yes you know we ... can do the trick out of nowhere from Cuba ... rise plays well it's twenty years old has been a lightning rod ... so they've got a nice club put together and then BAM Manly's managing all saw Donnie baseball Donnie


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A client with offices in several countries was assisted by the GALEXY firms in those countries in planning and implementing a restructuring of its workforce across all offices.
A client with offices in several countries was assisted by the GALEXY firms in those countries in planning and implementing a restructuring of its workforce across all offices.
By: Carl-Christian Thier, Esquire
According to the National Association of Realtors, international home buyers purchased $104 billion in United States real estate for the period of April 2014 to March 2016. This number is up from the previous year's $92 billion, and $68 billion from the year before, reflecting an ever-expanding world market. The top five countries investing in United States real estate are Canada, China, Mexico, India, and the United Kingdom. These countries accounted for over one half of the properties purchased in 2014 to 2015 by foreign investors, and most foreign investors are purchasing property in Florida, California, Texas and Arizona. Steadily increasing property values, favorable exchange rates, and demand for rental properties make United States property investment tempting for foreign investors.
Foreign Nationals are allowed to purchase and own real estate in the United States. As can LLCs, corporations, and partnerships. When purchasing real estate in the United States, there are very few differences between a foreign buyer and a buyer who is a United States citizen.
Real estate purchases in the United States vary by location, since each state in the United States has its own set of rules regarding the purchase of real estate. Some of these rules and regulations affect items such as the type of contract used, the method of closing the sale, and the duties and titles of individuals involved in the sale process. In the United States, real estate listing information is shared by agents to promote transparency, unlike the process in many other countries where realtors or agents may have exclusive information regarding properties for sale. In the United States, sales commissions are paid by the seller, rather than the buyer. Further, United States Real Estate Agents must be licensed.
The purchasing process itself in the United States is fairly straightforward but can vary depending on unique factors of each sale. Generally, the buyer will make an offer, and write up a contract, called a "purchase offer." Writing up a legally binding real estate contract early in the process proves to the Seller that the Buyer is committed to moving forward. Next, there is a disclosure review, including preliminary title report, city reports, and local documents. Then, an appraisal on the property is conducted, along with any necessary or elected inspections. The loan approval or commitment is generally secured thereafter, and once these elements have each been satisfied, the real estate closing is conducted to conclude the deal.
Closing costs can be negotiated in almost every real estate transaction in the United States. Often, there are guidelines as to which fees and costs each party pays, but a motivated seller may occasionally offer to pay more fees to find a buyer more quickly. For example, in Florida, the Buyer typically pays for: (1) taxes and recording fees on notes and mortgages; (2) recording fees for deed and financing statement; (3) survey; (4) lender's title policy and endorsements; (5) HOA or Condominium Association application and transfer fees; (6) loan expenses; (7) appraisal fees; (8) Buyer's inspections; (9) Buyer's attorneys' fees; and (10) all property-related insurance. Similarly, in Florida, a Seller typically pays for: (1) documentary stamp taxes and surtaxes; (2) owner's policy and changes; (3) title search charges; (4) municipal lien search; (5) HOA or Condominium Association estoppel fees; (6) recording and other fees needed to cure title; (7) Seller's attorneys' fees; and (8) sales commissions. These closing costs and fees can be negotiated and the parties can agree as to which party will pay what fees and costs in the initial contract.
Beyond the basics of property acquisition in the United States, there are special considerations that foreign investors should be aware of prior to purchasing real estate. Many foreign investors question whether they need to be in the United States to close on a real estate transaction. Fortunately, at the "closing" of the real estate transaction, when the property's title is transferred to the new owner, the new owner does not need to be present in the United States. Foreign Nationals investing in United States real estate can appoint a representative and sign a Power of Attorney, so that the representative will have the right to close the deal on behalf of the new owner. This is a convenient way for foreign investors to purchase real estate in the United States without having to travel to the location of the property for closing. Another option is a "mail away closing" which involves the closing documents being mailed for signature in front of a notary public. However, a foreign investor may need to sign papers at a U.S. Consulate or a U.S. Embassy in order to obtain a U.S. Notary Public stamp.
Although a vast majority of sales of United States property to foreign investors is completed in cash without financing, banks are willing to mortgage United States property to foreign investors. Many qualified foreign investors can obtain financing with a thirty percent down payment.
Another consideration for foreign investors involves the likelihood of not needing to pay income taxes on any net rental income for the first ten to fifteen years of property ownership. Mortgage interest, common charges, property taxes, depreciation, insurance, and amortization of closing costs are all deductions against income in these first years of property ownership. When the real estate becomes profitable, some income may be offset by the prior year's negative income. This offset, called "tax loss carry forward," results in no income taxes needing to be paid for several years. Any foreign investor should consult with a tax specialist for their home country when considering a purchase of United States real estate. Overall tax liability varies from country to country, and a foreign investor's tax liability may be different than that of a United States citizen depending on a variety of factors. A local tax attorney who is familiar with a foreign investor's home country's tax treaty with the United States, if one exists, would be able to guide a foreign investor through the tax implications of purchasing United States real estate.
Foreign investors may also consider deferment of United States capital gains taxes. Capital gains result when the selling price of real property is higher than the purchase price. Capital gains are generally subject to a 15% tax for individuals and a 35% tax for corporations. Under Section 1031 of the IRS code, foreign investors can defer capital gains taxes. Section 1031 lays out a set of complex and demanding rules which must be followed exactly, otherwise the transaction will be disqualified for deferral. If successful, however, the foreign investor may sell property without incurring any immediate tax liability. An attorney familiar with Section 1031 may help guide this process.
KEYWORDS: realtor, realtors, real estate, foreign national, purchase, home, sell, invest, investor, tax, tax liability, taxes, own real estate, foreigner, foreign investor, tax treaty, deferment, capital gains taxes, IRS, internal revenue service, foreign taxes, buy real estate, attorney, attorneys, international attorneys, international real estate, closing on property, closing on house, financing, mortgage, lender, closing costs, property investment, foreign property, foreign property investment, international property, international investment
Courtesy of Urban Thier & Federer, P.A., International Law Firm
Unlike criminal lawsuits, where the government seeks to impose penalties on individuals for violating laws, a civil lawsuit acts to resolve matters between two individual parties. Individuals and corporations alike can participate in civil lawsuits, and may sue or be sued when another party has wronged or "injured" them. In civil cases, an injury can range from property damage to monetary loss to a breach of contract or covenant and more. When a party believes that it has been injured it may bring a lawsuit as a plaintiff, against the party who they believe caused the injury, the defendant.
The procedure for bringing a civil action, regardless of where it commences, follows the same basic procedure, which is outlined in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. State Rules of Civil Procedure for each individual state control when a lawsuit is brought in state court rather than federal court, but state rules often follow federal rules closely with a few minor exceptions.
Complaint and Answer: Initial Pleadings
A lawsuit begins when a document called a complaint is filed with the clerk of the court by the plaintiff. A complaint states the cause of action, or why the lawsuit is being brought, and asks for damages or other relief from a defendant who the plaintiff believes caused the injury. The complaint states the facts and legal arguments supporting the plaintiff's claim that an injury occurred and that the defendant is liable. Once the complaint is filed, the clerk of the court issues a summons. This summons provides the defendant with notice of the lawsuit and a copy of the complaint. For some cases, the plaintiff must serve the defendant using a process server or other uninterested third party to ensure that the defendant has knowledge of the lawsuit.
Once a defendant has been served with the complaint, he or she has 21 days to respond. This response is in the form of an answer, which admits or denies the allegations in the plaintiff's complaint and lets the court know what facts the defendant agrees with and those with which he or she does not agree. Once both of these documents have been filed, the attorneys for each side will consider the appropriate next steps based on the contents of both the complaint and the answer.
Early Motions
Often, attorneys for the plaintiff and defendant will consider using appropriate motions in order to move forward with a civil action. A motion is a pleading filed in a case which requests an action or order by the court. If, for example, the complaint does not state an injury, or does not provide facts which lead a reasonable person to believe that the defendant is responsible, the defendant may file a motion to dismiss the action. The defendant may file a motion to dismiss the case even before answering a complaint.
If the defendant does not file an answer, or if the answer does not contest the claims of the plaintiff that the defendant is liable for the injuries alleged, the plaintiff may file a motion for summary judgment, where the court decides the case without it ever going to trial. If these early motions are denied by the court or if the attorneys for either side decide not to file such motions, the lawsuit will proceed.
Discovery and Pre-Trial
In order to obtain a complete picture of each party's case before trial, the parties will complete discovery. During discovery, documents and information are exchanged which relate to the claims brought forth in the complaint, or which could reasonably lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. The most common forms of discovery are: (1) Depositions; (2) Interrogatories; (3) Requests for Production; and (4) Requests for Admission.
Depositions are sworn, out-of-court statements by a party or witness which may be used as testimony. These usually take place with attorneys for each side asking questions of the deponent, while a court reporter transcribes the event. Depositions may be used at trial if the deponent is unavailable, or they may be used to impeach a party when their in-court answer is not consistent with the prior testimony.
Interrogatories are similar to depositions in that they follow a question-and-answer format which are served on one party by another. The number of interrogatories are set by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure at 25 written interrogatories, including discrete subparts. This is to ensure that parties do not overly burden each other with extensive discovery, and acts to keep interrogatories relevant and focused on the claims brought forth in the initial complaint.
Requests for Production to a party allow the opposing party to inspect, copy, test or sample items which are in the responding party's possession, custody or control. Designated documents, electronically stored information, or tangible items that are relevant to the instant action are all eligible for these discovery requests. These requests must describe with reasonable particularity each item or category of items to be inspected, and must specify a reasonable time and place for inspection, if applicable. With most files now being electronically stored, requests for production are generally much more manageable than they were several years ago. Requests for Production allow each party to have a complete picture of all relevant information regarding the civil lawsuit.
Requests for Admissions allow a party to request that another party "admit for the purposes of the pending action … the truth of any matters within the scope" of discovery. When drafted with particularity and timed well, requests for admissions are an effective way to expedite the legal process by establishing strengths and weaknesses in each party's case. These admissions may be used to establish a basis for summary judgment, or may be used in settlement negotiations or referenced in cross-examination at trial.
As the process of discovery proceeds and the case moves closer to trial, the parties will have pre-trial conferences with the judge. These conferences allow the parties to inform the judge as to how discovery is proceeding, and to narrow the issues for trial if discovery provides a basis to resolve certain issues before trial. During the pre-trial phase, attorneys for either side may request that the judge exclude specific witnesses, evidence, or legal arguments if they are not proper. These requests are granted or denied by the court to continue to narrow the scope of what is argued at trial. Sometimes, these pre-trial rulings will prompt a party to try to settle rather than take the case to trial.
Trial and Judgment
Once at trial, the plaintiff presents evidence first to a finder of fact. In jury cases, the finders of fact are the jury, and in non-jury cases, the finders of fact are comprised of one or more judges. After the plaintiff presents evidence, the defense has a chance to present their case. The plaintiff has the burden of proving his case and each element therein, generally by a "preponderance of the evidence" standard. This requires that it is more likely than not that the claims of the plaintiff are true. This is a lower standard than the burden of proof at a criminal trial, of "beyond a reasonable doubt." If either party has an issue with how the trial is conducted, they may object in writing to preserve an objection for appeal.
After both sides present their cases, the finder(s) of fact decide as to the issue of liability. If the finder(s) of fact find for the defendant, then the case is over, and the defendant is released from liability. The judge will then enter an order which releases defendant from liability for the plaintiff's claims. If the finder(s) of fact find for the plaintiff, judgment is entered in favor of the plaintiff. The court then awards either a legal or equitable remedy, or both, as the court deems just and proper. A legal remedy comes in the form of monetary damages which the defendant must pay to the plaintiff. Equitable remedies include positive or negative injunctions, which require or prohibit the defendant from doing or refraining from doing some act.
Appeals and Enforcement of a Judgment
If one or both parties are dissatisfied with the outcome of a trial and believe that the outcome was not legally appropriate, they may file an appeal. An appellate court will review the appeal and may dismiss it, hear and affirm the judgment, hear and reverse the judgment, or send it back to the trial court with additional instructions to correct errors that the appellate court has found. In larger or more complicated lawsuits, a case may go between a court of appeals and a trial court multiple times before a final resolution is reached.
Enforcement of a judgment can be difficult in and of itself, but prevailing parties have several options available to them in order to collect on a judgment entered in their favor. The failure of a defendant to obey the final judgment is cause to find the defendant in contempt of court, and additional suits and penalties may be warranted for such contempt. A plaintiff may also obtain a court order to take property belonging to a defendant in order to satisfy the judgment, or may place a lien on the defendant's property. Even if a defendant moves to a different state, a judgment may be enforceable against the defendant.
Knowledgeable Attorneys
While the foregoing provides a basic overview of a civil lawsuit, there are always individual factors which come into consideration depending on which motions are filed, what discovery is propounded, and the individual decisions of the attorneys and parties themselves. Controlling deadlines and extensions at each step in the process are outlined by the Federal or State Rules of Procedure, and meeting each deadline ensures that a case will proceed. Even if a plaintiff or defendant has a legitimate and compelling case, by failing to follow the correct procedure a case can be lost on procedural grounds alone. Similarly, each area of law such as contracts, torts, family law, or malpractice claims has its own facets, and a practicing attorney participating in any civil suit should have a working knowledge of civil procedure as well as of the specific area of law.
Whether you have been served with a civil lawsuit or believe you may have a civil cause of action, it is highly recommended that you seek competent counsel. The attorneys at Urban Thier & Federer, P.A. have extensive trial and litigation experience to serve clients throughout the United States and abroad. Call today for a personalized consultation to discuss your situation from one of our experienced civil litigation attorneys.
KEYWORDS: lawsuit, suit, civil case, civil suit, civil lawsuit, civil attorney, civil attorneys, procedure, civil procedure, complaint, answer, motion, pleading, summary judgment, motion to dismiss, enforcement, attorney, attorneys, discovery, requests for production, request to produce, interrogatory, interrogatories, request for admission, requests for admission, deposition, depositions, deponent, evidence, trial, jury, finder of fact, fact finder, judge, order, judgment, final judgment.
Litigation in the United States of America: Dispelling the Myths
By: Ernest H. (Skip) Kohlmyer, III, Esq., LL.M.
Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants, also known as the "McDonald's coffee case" and "the hot coffee lawsuit," was a 1994 product liability lawsuit that became a flashpoint in the debate in the United States over tort reform. A New Mexico civil jury awarded $2.86 million to plaintiff Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old woman who suffered from third-degree burns in her pelvic region when she accidentally spilled hot coffee in her lap after purchasing it from a McDonald's restaurant. Liebeck was hospitalized for eight days while she underwent skin grafting, followed by two years of medical treatment. Liebeck's attorneys argued that at 180-190 °F (82-88 °C), McDonald's coffee was defective, and claimed that it was too hot and more likely to cause serious injury than coffee served at any other establishment. McDonald's had refused several prior opportunities to settle for less than what the jury ultimately awarded: $160,000 to cover Liebeck's medical expenses and compensatory damages, and $2.7 million in punitive damages. The trial judge reduced the final verdict to $640,000, and the parties settled for a confidential amount before an appeal was decided. The case was said by some to be an example of frivolous litigation; ABC News called the case "the poster child of excessive lawsuits," while the legal scholar Jonathan Turley argued that the claim was "a meaningful and worthy lawsuit."
The burn incident itself was outlined as follows: On February 27, 1992, Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old woman for Albuquerque, New Mexico, ordered a 49-cent cup of coffee from the drive-through window of a local McDonald's restaurant. Liebeck was in the passenger's seat of a 1989 Ford Probe owned by her grandson Chris, who did not have cup holders, and Chris parked the car so that Liebeck could add cream and sugar to her coffee. Liebeck placed the coffee cup between her knees and pulled the far side of the lid toward her to remove it. In the process, she spilled the entire cup of coffee on her lap. Liebeck was wearing cotton sweatpants, which absorbed the coffee and held it against her skin, scalding her thighs, buttocks, and groin. Liebeck was taken to the hospital, where it was determined that she had suffered third-degree burns on six percent of her skin, and lesser burns over sixteen percent. She remained in the hospital for eight days while she underwent skin grafting. During this period, Liebeck lost 20 pounds (9kg, nearly twenty percent of her bodyweight), reducing her bodyweight to 83 pounds (38kg). After the hospital stay, Liebeck needed care for three weeks, provided by her daughter. Liebeck suffered permanent disfigurement after the incident and was partially disabled for two years.
There were several pre-trial issues which came into play: Liebeck sought to settle with McDonald's for $20,000 to cover her actual and anticipated expenses. Her past medical expenses were $10,500; her anticipated future medical expenses were approximately $2,500; and her daughter's loss of income was approximately $5,000 for a total of approximately $18,000. Instead, the company offered only $800. When McDonald's refused to raise its offer, Liebeck retained Texas attorney Reed Morgan. Attorney Morgan filed suit in New Mexico District Court accusing McDonald's of "gross negligence" for selling coffee that was "unreasonably dangerous" and "defectively manufactured." McDonald's refused Attorney Morgan's offer to settle for $90,000. Attorney Morgan offered to settle for $300,000, and a mediator suggested $225,000 just before trial, but McDonald's refused these final pre-trial attempts to settle.
The trial took place from August 8 to August 17, 1994, before New Mexico District Court Judge Robert H. Scott. During this case, Liebeck's attorneys discovered that McDonald's required franchisees to hold their coffee at 180-190 °F (82-88 °C). At 190 °F (88 °C), the coffee would cause a third-degree burn in two to seven seconds. Liebeck's attorney argued that coffee should never be served hotter than 140 °F (60 °C), and that a number of other establishments served coffee at a substantially lower temperature than McDonald's. Liebeck's lawyers presented the jury with evidence that 180 °F (82 °C) coffee like that which McDonald's served may produce third-degree burns (where skin grafting is necessary) in about 12 to 15 seconds. Lowering the temperature to 160 °F (71 °C) would increase the time for the coffee to produce such a burn to 20 seconds. Liebeck's attorneys argued that these extra seconds could provide adequate time to remove the coffee from exposed skin, thereby preventing many burns. McDonald's claimed that the reason for serving such hot coffee in its drive-through windows was that those who purchased the coffee typically were commuters who wanted to drive a distance with the coffee, and that the high initial temperature would keep the coffee hot during the trip. However, the company's own research showed that some customers intend to consume the coffee immediately, while driving.
Other documents obtained from McDonald's showed that from 1982 to 1992 the company had received more than 700 reports of people burned by McDonald's coffee to varying degrees of severity, and had settled claims arising from scalding injuries for more than $500,000. McDonald's quality control manager, Christopher Appleton, testified that this number of injuries was insufficient to cause the company to evaluate its practices. He argued that all foods hotter than 130 °F (54 °C) constituted a burn hazard, and that restaurants had more pressing dangers to warn about. The plaintiffs argued that Appleton conceded that McDonald's coffee would burn the mouth and throat if consumed when served.
On August 18, 1994, a twelve-person jury reached its verdict. Applying the principles of comparative negligence, the jury found that McDonald's was 80% responsible for the incident and that Liebeck was 20% at fault. Though there was a warning on the coffee cup, the jury decided that the warning was neither large enough nor sufficient. They awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages, which was then reduced by 20% to $160,000. In addition, they awarded her $2.7 million in punitive damages. The jurors apparently arrived at this figure from Morgan's suggestion to penalize McDonald's for one or two days' worth of coffee revenues, which were about $1.35 million per day. The judge reduced punitive damages to $480,000, three times the compensatory amount, for a total of $640,000. The decision was appealed by both McDonald's and Liebeck in December 1994, but the parties settled out of court for an undisclosed amount less than $600,000.
The procedure for litigation in the United States is complex, but with a skilled attorney the process can be navigated seamlessly on behalf of clients. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure control most larger personal injury lawsuits in the United States, and at its forefront is Rule 8, which outlines what must be included in a pleading that states a claim for relief, as well as defenses, admissions and denials when responding to an initial pleading. Rule 12 delves into how to present defenses, and outlines several defenses which a party may assert by motion, rather than responsive pleadings. If a court does not have jurisdiction, venue is improper, a defendant was not properly served, or the party filing the claim does not state a claim upon which relief can be granted, among other things, the defendant may assert an appropriate defense to avoid or correct further litigation.
Once an action proceeds past the initial pleadings, the court will have a pretrial conference to expedite disposition of an action as well as establishing early and continuing control for case management, discouraging wasteful pretrial activities, improving the quality of the trial and facilitating settlement. The pretrial conference procedures fall under Rule 16 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Often, when an action moves closer to trial, each party will take depositions of parties and witnesses in order to secure testimony in the event of an inconsistency or an individual's unavailability at trial. A deposition being held in the United States must be taken before an officer authorized to administer oaths or a person appointed by the court, and depositions taken in a foreign country may be taken under an applicable treaty or convention, letter of request, on notice, or before a person commissioned by the court to administer any necessary oath and take testimony. Deposition procedures are outlined in Rule 28 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Similar to depositions, interrogatories are a set of written questions that require answers, and are used as sworn testimony. Under Federal Rule 33 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a party may serve up to 25 written interrogatories including sub-parts, and the interrogatories may relate to any matter that may be inquired into by the Rules. Often served with interrogatories, requests for production of documents similarly ask a party to produce documents which may be relevant to the action at bar and are governed by Rule 34 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Rule 56 outlines the procedures for a motion for summary judgment, which occurs when a party moves the court and shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. A party may move for summary judgment on each claim or defense, or a part of a claim or defense. A party may file a motion for summary judgment at any time until 30 days after the close of all discovery.
One discovery has been completed and a date has been set for trial, a jury must be selected in the event of a jury trial, which procedures are outlined in Rule 47 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. A court may permit the parties or their attorneys to examine prospective jurors and may do so itself, to ensure an impartial jury. The court may also allow preemptory challenges, where a party or its attorney can strike a potential juror without cause. Additional jurors may be stricken for cause in the event that they show bias or other unsuitability for a jury trial. Even during trial or deliberation, the court may excuse a juror for good cause.
Rule 48 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure outlines the number of jurors allowed, as well as verdict and polling regulations. A jury must begin with at least 6 and no more than 12 members, and each juror must participate in the verdict unless they are excused. Unless the parties stipulate otherwise, the verdict must be unanimous and must be returned by a jury of at least 6 members. After a verdict is returned by the jurors but before the jury is discharged, the court must, on a party's request or on its own, poll the jurors individually. If such a poll reveals a lack of unanimity or lack of assent by the number of jurors that the parties stipulated to, the court may direct the jury to deliberate further or may order a new trial. The procedures for granting a new trial are outlined in Rule 59 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. A motion for a new trial must be filed no later than 28 days after the entry of judgment.
In American courts, the presiding judge in a civil jury trial may also overrule the decision of a jury and reverse or amend their verdict. This practice is called a judgment notwithstanding the verdict, also called judgment non obstante veredicto.
Further, if a judge rules that the damages granted by a jury in a civil case is excessive, they may lower or reduce the amount of damages awarded. Usually this occurs when the amount awarded exceeds the amount demanded or is otherwise deemed to be excessive.
If after trial it is discovered that there was a mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect, or if newly discovered evidence exists that, with reasonable diligence, could not have been discovered in time to move for a new trial under Rule 59, or if there is fraud, the judgment is void or has been satisfied, released or discharged; or if there is any other reason to justify relief, a court may relieve a party or its legal representative from a final judgment, order or proceeding under Rule 60 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
There are many myths regarding litigation in the United States that arise around large verdicts such as the one in Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants. It is often believed that a small injury such as a simple spilled coffee can lead to riches for those injured, and the scope of injury or realities of the litigation process are often overlooked. Civil litigation in the United States is very heavily based on procedural rules and standards, and verdicts are decided by an impartial jury which reflect the extent of a plaintiff's damages and other factors, such as pain and suffering as well as medical bills, which may total hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even when such a large verdict is returned and advertised by media, judges have the ability to and often exercise the practice of "remittur" to reduce damages awarded by a jury. In this way, verdicts recovered by injured plaintiffs in the United States are often for much less than initially awarded, and justly compensate those who are severely injured by the actions of another.


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A cameo of such large size was probably intended to adorn a priestly diadem or the banner of a legion. The subject is one of the most striking examples of the expression of the dynastic theme in glyptic art. The deified Augustus and Livia linking hands in harmony symbolize the solidarity of the rulers. At the same time, the couple seem to be presenting to the viewer the young heir, depicted above them, as a guarantee of the continuation of traditions, of long years of prosperity and tranquillity. Agrippina, the wife of Emperor Claudius, who commissioned this work was using it to illustrate her son's right to the throne, demonstrating his blood relationship to the founder of the dynasty. The successful compositional treatment combined with the significance of the message the cameo conveyed determined its subsequent fate: in the centuries that followed the features of the personages were reworked more than once to meet the needs of a new dynastic situation.
Cameo: Augustus, Livia and Young Nero
Place of creation:
D-8,3 cm
Acquisition date:
Originally in the Princes Yusupov collection
Inventory Number:


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Microwave imaging spectroscopy
Microwave imaging spectroscopy (also commonly referred to as microwave computed tomography) presents the challenge of measuring the signal data necessary to produce meaningful images. Development of site-specific antenna arrays along with improved electronic signal detection technology is rapidly making this measurement feasible for breast cancer detection. A second-generation tomographic breast imaging system has been completed and the data are being used to recover permittivity and conductivity maps of the breast for evaluation by a clinician.
Faculty contact: Paul M. Meaney, Keith D. Paulsen


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Invasion Of The Sperm Snatchers
Several online articles have appeared recently regarding "sperm snatching," including this one on Big Think. It cites a column in the Daily Mail by Liz Jones as well as another post on Big Think about sperm for sale. The author tackles the concept of Dynamic (or Time) Inconsistency as it relates to rising number on deceptive pregnancies: it is the economic concept that preferences can change over time. What may seem like the optimal choice in period one (not wanting the father's money or support during pregnancy, for example) is not necessarily the optimal choice in period two (after the baby is born).
According to the Daily Mail article, a 2001 survey showed that 42% of women would lie about their contraceptive use if they wanted to get pregnant and their partner did not. Author Jones describes how, over the course of two relationships, she snuck into the bathroom in the middle of the night in order to inseminate herself using sperm rescued from condoms, despite the fact that both men had made their unwillingness to become fathers very, very clear to her. She tried to sperm snatch, but was unsuccessful.
In Big Think's related article E-Sperm For Sale: Man Not Included, writer Pamela Haag discusses the sperm trade, and how children are "the new spouses," the emotional and romantic anchors of many a modern family, NOT men. She ultimately advocates for effective male contraception since sperm snatching is becoming more rampant.
I'm disgusted by this concept of sperm snatching, but hey, I'm not a woman trying to get pregnant. Would love to hear your reactions below.


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Financial advisers were shellshocked in the months and perhaps years following the 2008 financial crisis. Many couldn't sleep, they suffered bouts of anxiety and depression and self-doubt. In fact, according to just-published academic research: some 93% of advisers and planners surveyed wrestled with post-traumatic stress disorder. And many are still reeling from the effects.
Nearly every single financial professional interviewed as part of the research reported medium to high levels of post-traumatic stress, according to the study published in the Journal of Financial Therapy. The survey — "Financial Trauma: Why the Abandonment of Buy-and-Hold in Favor of Tactical Asset Management May be a Symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress" — found that another 40% of planners reported severe symptoms. The respondents managed assets with an average value of between $20 million and $40 million.
"A lot of these financial planners I worked with couldn't sleep at night," says Brad Klontz, an associate professor at Kansas State University and co-author of the study. "They shoulder a great deal of the financial and emotional responsibility when they manage client assets." Indeed, a separate 2008 survey by financial planner Katherine Vessenes also found that 90% of financial planners reported that the fall in the market had increased their stress levels, and 30% said their work lives negatively affected their sleep.
To meet the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of post-traumatic stress, people must exhibit disturbances like the inability to sleep or concentrate at work for more than a month. "People with post-traumatic stress disorder experience intense negative emotions, particularly anxiety and fear," says E. David Klonsky, associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia. "Risky behaviors like substance use, aggression and thrill-seeking can sometimes provide temporary relief."
During the height of the crisis, may financial planners did increase their risk-taking, the research found. Almost half of those financial planners followed by Klontz reported that the financial crisis caused them to dramatically rethink their strategies. Over the past five years, Klontz tracked the changing investment of financial planners. "There's an entire industry that's moving to tactical planning or market-timing," he says.
A slew of recent studies of investment strategies have also confirmed as much. Some 83% of financial planners are moving away from buy-and-sell and toward market-timing, according to a 2011 survey carried out by newsletter and website publisher Bob Veres, a financial planner based in San Diego, Calif. Another survey by account provider Curian Capital similarly concluded that 63% of over 1,000 independent financial advisers also began switching to more tactical asset-allocation strategies.
"These findings provide an academic view of what I've seen," says Tom McGuigan, principal with Exencial Wealth Advisors in Old Lyme, Conn. But, he says, the change in strategies due to stress or anxiety does not yield the best results. "I've come across odd things in prospective clients' portfolios," he says. They include "tons of cash" in money markets and certificates of deposits, he says, and portfolios worth their weight in gold and crude oil. "Those folks have certainly lost out," McGuigan says.
With the Dow now crossing the 15,000 mark, some advisers could be forgiven for having flashbacks, experts say. "Most CFPs who bought the optimal asset-allocation dogma lock, stock and barrel, without questioning some of the fundamental assumptions, are having a crisis of confidence," says Eric Schaefer, chief investment products officer at American Independence Financial Services in New York. In 2008, many advisers cut their losses. "This is one of the reasons for the proliferation of tactical strategies and explosion in ETFs," he says.
And others don't want to be caught out when the market does turn — and say they've merely become more engaged with their clients. Finding new strategies are crucial, particularly as the market is "manipulated" by Federal Reserve bond purchases, says Doug Lockwood, branch president of Hefty Wealth Partners in Auburn, Ind. Over the last five years, his firm has increased market commentaries and has a tighter monitoring of planning tools. "Every strategy works some of the time, but no strategy works all of the time," he says.


text: Initial Outlook Sync of Topics loses Category, Why? Why does the topic category get lost when one initially syncs a topic to Outlook? Once you have "Sent to Outlook" and then reset the Topi... EdB, 8 years ago Last reply: Alex Gooding, 8 years ago 2 2 me toos 3 3 replies Question Answered


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Couscous is one of my favorite quick cooking grains. Its the perfect food to cook when you have had a long hard day and all you want to do is curl up in front of the television eating a big bowl of fresh homemade food but don't want to spend more than 10-15mins in the kitchen. Cooking couscous couldn't be easier. You boil one portion liquid (stock or water); turn the heat off; add equal portion couscous; stir; cover and let sit for 5minutes. After 5minutes, remove the cover, fluff up the couscous and that's it, its ready! How easy is that!
Couscous is a grain made out of semolina, rolled into really tiny small rounds. There is a whole-wheat variety of couscous that Trade Joe's carries which I particularly like. Like any pasta, couscous lends really well to many sauces, dressings and sides. I sometimes chop up whatever veggies are sitting in the fridge and then make an olive oil-lemon juice dressing for a quick couscous salad. On other days when I am craving something warm and comforty, I cook couscous like I would cook Bhagar (a Marathi fasting dish made from a grain called bhagar which is amazingly similar to couscous. The dish is made out of roasting and then quick cooking bhagar with roasted peanuts and a tadka of oil-cumin seeds eaten with some fresh yogurt. Cooking couscous like bhagar is in-fact one of my husnband's kitchen specialilties!).
Today I made a simple Moroccan couscous salad with some garbanzo beans, sun-dried tomatoes and raisins. Olives and preserved lemons would also be a great addition to this salad!


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Thank you for all the help on this one! I've learned quite a lot about the b101, pi and Linux throughout this project.6by9 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 27, 2019 6:47 amexport LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib/cyphercolt wrote: ↑Wed Mar 27, 2019 3:01 am
I gave it a reboot and lost all my plugins... Whyyyyyyyyyyyy do you do this to me pi... (I obviously missed an important step) - Any ideas there?
For some reason the script is set to put the libraries in a place that isn't on the normal search path - one of the main reasons not to blindly follow scripts.


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With the help of the platform, it is already possible to start advertising in 3,400 locations in Russia and the CIS at transparent rates. And since April - and advertising in Nigeria (South Africa). Negotiations with Nigerian partners began in the fall of 2018
Dmitry Gupalo created an IT project from scratch, which is now estimated at 200 million rubles. He is confident that he can benefit in his niche not only in Russia, but also abroad. NB Life businessman told that he would change in the state approach to business development, why he likes "crazy" people, and how to keep himself in a state of controlled stress.
The company is developing a single platform for sellers and buyers of advertising services. The project has been working for 1.5 years, the author of the idea and the CEO of the company is Dmitry Gupalo. Prior to that, he headed the marketing department of a large holding "Sibinformbureau", where he came up with the idea of creating an aggregator for advertising a wide range, so you could sell the area not only on radio or TV
The first company, which was lucky enough to use the new form of support for the technopark - renting an office at a cost of 1 ruble per 1 square meter, - the project Chipmedia ru. As stated in the description, this is a smart advertising hypermarket. The founder of the company Dmitry Gupalo explains that with the help of his platform it is possible to easily launch advertising on various resources: on the Internet, on radio, television, print media, external media anywhere in the country.
We advertised for the discount discounts on advertising and for him collected all the resources in one place, "- said the head of the company Dmitry Gupalo. In the coming years, Chipmedia is going to cover 2 percent of the Russian advertising market and reach the near abroad.
In RuNet, there are several services that allow you to manage online advertising in different advertising networks from one cabinet. But the startup Cheapmedia went even further and combined in one office both online and offline advertising
Tyumen producers and suppliers are increasingly interested in exporting their goods and services and are trying to develop this line of business. The government of the region supports the interest of entrepreneurs and creates all conditions for their successful entry into the foreign market.
... The company "Chipmedia.ru" rents an office in Tyumen Technopark. Cheapmedia is a platform on which sellers of advertising display promotional products, and advertisers buy. "We provide convenient tools for finding advertising and communication between the seller and the buyer...
... Residents of the business incubator also presented their projects. The head of the company "Chipmedia.ru" Dmitry Gupalo presented a service for the search and sale of advertising ....
... The head of the company "Chipmedia" Dmitry Gupalo presented a service for the search and sale of advertising. "The service already operates in 48 locations in Russia, plans to develop new markets, we are looking forward to finding partners who will be interested in developing the service Cheapmedia.ru and will help us to enter the Japanese market," said Dmitry Gupalo...
Co-founder of the Tyumen IT startup cheapmedia Dmitry Gupalo talks about how to create a global project.
- Does the title of the project sound like a cheap media? - Google translates as ...
The company is developing a single platform for sellers and buyers of advertising services, providing convenient tools for finding advertising options in regions with the option of automatic purchase.
Startups come to the FRI not only for investment, but also for expertise, business development experience and the new growth leap that they need. Tyumen company cheapmedia even at the launch stage began to build a business with experts and mentors of the FREI. Dmitry Gupalo, the founder of cheapmedia, says that the team has opened for itself during the time of participation in the Fund's educational programs in the process of selection into the full-time Accelerator.
Tyumen, June 16 - Aif-Tyumen, Valery Pashchenko.
In one hypermarket of advertising, the Tyumen group of innovators, led by Dmitry Gupalo, decided to combine all advertising offers.
A group of innovators, led by Dmitry Gupalo in Tyumen, combine the advertising offers in one hypermarket for advertising.
A group of innovators, led by Dmitry Gupalo in Tyumen, combine the advertising offers in one hypermarket for advertising.
A group of Tyumen innovators, led by Dmitry Gupalo, developed a service that will simplify the exchange of offers between advertisers and publishers, Tyumen Line writes.
The project "Smart Advertising Hypermarket" was selected by an expert council. According to the technopark, the service is a platform that allows entrepreneurs, with a minimum set of initial information, to select the most effective channels for product promotion.
... In total, at the expert council of the business incubator that was held on May 12, five projects were considered, including the Sfera-1 unmanned aerial vehicle and the Cheapmedia advertising hypermarket ...
The project, which helps to develop the advertising market, as well as the state of affairs in the economic direction of this sphere, is told by the founder of cheapmedia.ru Dmitry Gupalo
- Dmitry, you launched cheapmedia. Tell us briefly about the project and how to use it (you can give an example).
In November 2016, Dmitry Gupalo became a co-founder of cheapmedia. In February, an IT-startup was invited to the Tyumen Technopark.
1tmn: Dmitry, tell us what it's like to open an advertising business in a crisis?
On December 13, in the territory of the Tyumen Technopark, the Startup Marathon of the FRII was held, where IT-based start-ups presented their projects and received an assessment of the business model and the development vector.
On December 13, the Startup Marathon was held in the Tyumen Technopark, the venture fund Frii and Investment Company Kapinvest 21 acted as co-organizers of the event.
In Tyumen, they created a smart advertising hypermarket that combines advertising products from various media.
In Tyumen appeared an interesting start-up in the field of marketing and advertising - Cheapmedia. It combines advertising products of various media, has a clever algorithm for their selection. According to the ideas of the creators of the service it will solve many problems of advertisers and sellers of advertising.
How to promote your product, enterprise, yourself? Everyone knows these questions. But not everyone can independently understand the proposals of the advertising market.
Would you like to create an effective advertising campaign with the help of one button?
Marketing service CheapMedia from Tyumen attracted seed investments from the company "Kapinvest 21". This Firrma was told in CheapMedia. It is known that the deal took place in early October. The amount of investments and other details were not disclosed. Financing will be aimed at finalizing the first version of the product and bringing it to the market.


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Caring for our environment
As we pursue our vision to be one of the top five airlines in the world, WestJet is committed to growing responsibly and ensuring that we are an environmentally sustainable airline. We recognize that as our operations grow, inevitably, so does our environmental footprint. For a complete overview of our commitment to people and the environment, please read our latest Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report.
Our commitment to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions
Burning aviation fuel to operate our aircraft and using non-renewable energy sources to heat and power our buildings and operational equipment releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The most direct and tangible control that we can implement to mitigate our carbon footprint is to operate our fleet and ground infrastructure as efficiently and safely as possible.
Our fleet
We currently have one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in North America. According to Boeing data, fuel efficiency and emissions from our Next-Generation 737 aircraft (600, 700 and 800 series) are approximately 15 to 30 per cent lower on a per seat basis than the fleet of 737-200 series aircraft we replaced between 2000 and 2003.
WestJet's significant investments in fleet and technology have greatly improved our aircraft fuel efficiency and our ability to operate more cost effectively. Between 2000 and 2014, we reduced our fuel consumption in litres per revenue tonne kilometre (RTK) by 45.6 per cent. The resulting fuel savings are equivalent to the amount of fuel that would have been used to fly a Boeing Next-Generation 737 from Calgary to Toronto and back approximately 47,883 times (based on our 2014 fuel usage).
The dark blue line represents the emissions that would have been generated if WestJet had continued to operate at its year 2000 efficiency level over the period from 2000 to 2012. The difference between the dark blue and teal lines displays the amount of reduced emissions as a result of efficiency improvements over the same period.
Our winglets
We are a North American leader in the use of blended winglet technology. In 2003, we began installing winglets – wing-tip extensions that reduce fuel consumption by up to 2.7 per cent per flight on our 737 700 and 800-series aircraft. In 2004, we completed retrofitting all 700 series aircraft. Since then, all of our new 700 and 800 series aircraft arrive preconfigured with winglets.
Our tech-insertion engines
Since 2007, WestJet has only purchased aircraft equipped with CFM56-7B turbofan engines. The advanced configuration and improved technologies of the tech-insertion features in these engines provide up to one per cent better fuel consumption over the engine's lifecycle.
Our buildings
At a cost of approximately $100 million, the WestJet head office building in Calgary that opened in 2009 was constructed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards and subsequently awarded a gold LEED certification in 2011. The innovations in our six-storey home base offer numerous efficiencies including maximized natural light, rainwater reclamation tanks, geothermal heating and efficient fixtures.
Our ground-support equipment
WestJet uses numerous types of ground equipment to support our operations and maintenance, ranging from aircraft tugs to catering trucks and vehicles used to transport our crew from the airport to our campus facility. Fuel consumption of this equipment is highly dependent on activity and weather conditions.
A new edition to WestJet's ground fleet is the rechargeable lithium polymer battery-powered baggage tug. The tug, which began operating at the Calgary International Airport on October 2011, successfully performed throughout the winter in frigid temperatures without any significant incidents. Baggage was transported to and from the aircraft on approximately 11 flights per day on a single battery charge. At the end of 2014, WestJet had 14 battery-operated vehicles at our operation in Calgary and Whitehorse, with more planned for 2015. Some of these vehicles are positioned in airports to comply with their directive to only operate non-petroleum based fuel-powered tugs in the airport's newly constructed ground-level baggage areas.
Carbon offset
Carbonzero and WestJet have teamed up to provide guests the ability to help reduce the effects of climate change by purchasing carbon-offset credits when they travel. Guests wishing to purchase credits can calculate the impact of their flight before pledging. Visit Carbonzero for more information.


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A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
Le droit des gens, ou Principes de la loi naturelle, appliqués à la conduite et aux affaires des Nations et des Souverains (Londres, 1758). 2 vols. https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1858,
A 2 volume work in which Vattel explores the application of natural law to the conduct of states and sovereigns. He discusses the rights of obligation of the state itself, those of the sovereign power, the nature of good government, the right of the people to secession or rebellion, and the proper relations between sovereign states. The latter includes international commerce, international legal agreements, and treaties.
The text is in the public domain.
This material is put online to further the educational goals of Liberty Fund, Inc. Unless otherwise stated in the Copyright Information section above, this material may be used freely for educational and academic purposes. It may not be used in any way for profit.


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President Obama On Russian Separatists: 'What Exactly Are They Trying To Hide'
"We have to make sure… accountability exists," the president said.
-- The behavior of Russian-backed separatists controlling the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crash site in Ukraine "begs the question, what exactly are they trying to hide?" Obama said today.
The president said that the separatists and their "Russian sponsors" must allow investigators "immediate, full, and unimpeded access" to the wreckage of the downed plane.
"We have to make sure that the truth is out and that accountability exists," he added. "Our immediate focus is on recovering those who were lost, investigating exactly what happened, and putting forward the facts."
Separatists Have 'Full Control' Over MH 17 Crash Site, Says Malaysian Minister
'Enormous Array of Facts' That Russia Supported Rebels Accused of Shooting Down Plane, Says John Kerry
Australian Newlyweds Escape MH17 Tragedy
Investigative teams are standing by, ready to scour the crash site, Obama said, but pro-Russian separatists are preventing the investigators from entering the crash zone, allegedly tampering with evidence and even removing bodies without proper care.
Separatists' refusal to allow workers to recover the victims' remains "is an insult to those who've lost loved ones ... the kind of behavior that has no place in the community of nations," Obama said.
Obama, who last week pledged the support of the NTSB and FBI, called on Russia to urge separatists to back off.
"Russia has extraordinary influence over these separatists. No one denies that," said Obama. "Russia has urged them on. Russia has trained them. We know that Russia has armed them with military equipment and weapons, including anti-aircraft weapons ...Given its direct influence over the separatists, Russia, and President Putin in particular, has direct responsibility to compel them to cooperate with the investigation."
"If Russia continues to violate Ukraine's sovereignty and to back these separatists ... then Russia will only further isolate itself from the international community and the costs for Russia's behavior will only continue to increase," he said. "Now is the time for President Putin and Russia to pivot away from the strategy that they've been taking and get serious about trying to resolve hostilities within Ukraine."
U.S. intelligence suggests Russia may have armed and trained the separatists accused of shooting down the jet, officials say.
"There are an enormous array of facts that point at Russia's support for and involvement in this effort," Secretary of State John Kerry told ABC News' George Stephonopolous on "This Week" Sunday.
Given the separatists' irreverent treatment of the crash site, Russia must "step up and be part of the solution, not part of the problem," Kerry said.
"President Putin should publicly call on the separatists. He should engage in a public support for the cease-fire," he added.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., was less circumspect, calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to "man up" on CNN Sunday.
"I would say, Putin, you have to man up. You should talk to the world. You should say this was a mistake, if it was a mistake," she said.


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In Durham, Barbee went to work in the Liggett & Myers tobacco factories. The overall environment of the tobacco factories harmed the women's health, but Barbee explains how segregation and racism worsened conditions even further. She lists the reasons she did not strongly support the unions and then reflects on the many differences race made in her life, even affecting the color of uniform she wore. Using an illustration from her own work experience, Barbee insists that African American women must learn to stand for themselves, refusing to give up their rights even when the white men in authority demand it.
Because her father feared that she would be sexually assaulted on the walk to and from school, he forced Barbee to quit school before she wanted to do so. She describes how she tried to continue her own education even after she stopped attending classes. She reflects on the opportunities African American children had to further their education and the pressure they felt to succeed.
Barbee did not marry until she was in her early forties; she bore a daughter, Louise, a short time later. She describes how being an older mother made her a different parent and explains her basic parenting philosophies.
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(written from a Production point of view)
Peter W. Moyer is a visual effects artist who worked as visual effects editor and compositor for The Post Group on Star Trek: The Next Generation. His work on Star Trek earned him two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects in 1989 for the episode "Q Who", shared with Dan Curry, Ronald B. Moore, and Steve Price, and in 1990 for the episode "Deja Q", shared with Dan Curry, Ronald B. Moore, Steve Price, and Don Lee. Moyer spoke about his creations for Star Trek in the article "The Special Effects", published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine issue 12, pp. 19-22. Moyer worked as visual effects editor on two episodes of the first season and started to work in rotation beginning with the second season. [1]
In 1989 Moyer won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Videotape Editing for his work on the Pee-wee's Playhouse episode "To Tell The Tooth". Between 1990 and 1991 he worked as visual effects editor on the television series The Flash which featured Biff Manard and Mike Genovese. Moyer was then the digital visual effects supervisor on the horror film Warlock: The Armageddon (1993) and the family comedy Prehysteria! (1993).
Also in 1993 he started to work for the company Digital FilmWorks, first as digital compositor then as visual effects supervisor. His work for this company includes the action film The Fugitive (1993), the science fiction film Galaxis (1995), the science fiction film Judge Dredd (1995), the thriller Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997), the science fiction film DNA (1997), the family adventure Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997), the science fiction adventure Star Kid (1997), the mystery film The X-Files (1998), the romance A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), the fantasy film The Crow: Salvation (2000, starring Kirsten Dunst), the comedy Big Momma's House (2000), the science fiction remake Planet of the Apes (2001), the science fiction thriller The One (2001), the action thriller Collateral Damage (2002), the thriller Unfaithful (2002), and the action thriller The Italian Job (2003).


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Attention:For textbook, access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Like the acclaimed Apologetics Study Bible that has sold 115,000+ copies, the Apologetics Study Bible for Students will anchor younger Christians in the truths of Scripture by equipping them with thoughtful and practical responses for whenever the core issues of their faith and life are challenged.
Multiple research studies have shown that spiritual focus often weakens among teenagers as they head into the attention-dividing realm of young adulthood. Up to 66% of them leave church altogether. The Apologetics Study Bible for Students works against that trend by helping this audience begin to better articulate its beliefs. In addition to the complete HCSB text and dozens of articles collected from todays most popular youth leaders, including general editor Sean McDowell, this new study Bible also includes:
Two-color design-intensive layout on every page for the visual generation
Sixty Twisted Scriptures explanations
Fifty Bones & Dirt entries (archaeology meets apologetics)
Fifty Notable Quotes
Twenty-five Tactics against common anti-Christian arguments
Twenty Personal Stories of how God has worked in real lives
Twenty Top Five lists to help remember key apologetics topics


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DescriptionUpgrade your mobile workstation with this refurbished Apple MacBook Air laptop. Intel HD graphics and a glossy 13.3-inch screen combine to deliver crisp, clear images for streaming video or gaming, while the Intel Core i5 processor provides responsive operation. Boasting a long-lasting battery, this refurbished Apple MacBook Air laptop offers up to 30 hours of standby time and up to 12 hours of internet browsing or video viewing.
Refurbished RatingThis item has been tested to work and function properly but will come with an "Acceptable" grade in regards to cosmetic condition, meaning it will show signs of use.
What Does "Refurbished" Mean?The refurbished device you order is guaranteed to meet your satisfaction. Reset to the original factory settings, and tested to ensure 100% functionality, each purchase comes with a free 90-day warranty covering the parts and labor should there be any mechanical issues. It will arrive at your door repackaged in a certified box and with the appropriate charger.