Saturday, November 24, 2012

New Bankruptcy Opinion: IN RE PJ FINANCING ... - Chapter 11 Cases

In re: PJ Financing Company, LLC, et al., Chapter 11, Debtors.

Case No. 11-10688 (BLS), (Jointly Administered), Related to Dkt. Nos. 1121, 1153 & 1175.

United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware.

November 20, 2012.

COUSINS CHIPMAN & BROWN, LLP, Scott D. Cousins, Ann M. Kashishian, Wilmington, Delaware, Counsel for the Reorganized Debtor.

AASHBY & GEDDES, P.A., Gregory A. Taylor, Wilmington, Delaware, and JONES DAY, Pedro A. Jimenez, Laird E. Nelson, New York, NY, Counsel for CBRE Capital Advisors, Inc.

OPINION [1]

BRENDAN LINEHAN SHANNON, Bankruptcy Judge.

Before the Court is the Final Fee Application of CBRE Capital Advisors, Inc. (?CBRE?), [2] as financial advisor and investment banker to PJ Financing Company, LLC (the ?Reorganized Debtor? and, for events prior to confirmation of the Plan, the ?Debtor?). The Reorganized Debtor has filed a Limited Objection to CBRE?s Final Fee Application (the ?Limited Objection?) [3] contending that CBRE miscalculated its fees. First, the Reorganized Debtor argues that CBRE uses an incorrect amount of debt ?re-tranched? in calculating the Restructuring Fee. [4] Next, it contends that CBRE miscalculated and overstated its New Equity Fee. Finally, the Reorganized Debtor challenges CBRE?s requested expense reimbursement as unreasonable. CBRE responds that the fees requested are not miscalculated and that its expenses are justified. For the reasons that follow, the Court will overrule the objection and approve CBRE?s fees and expenses in the amounts requested.

I. BACKGROUND

The Debtor filed a voluntary bankruptcy petition on March 7, 2011 in order to develop and implement a financial restructuring. To that end, it moved to retain CBRE by application dated March 22, 2011. [5] The Debtor attached, as an exhibit to the retention application, the letter agreement with CBRE (the ?Engagement Letter?). [6] The United States Trustee objected [7] to the proposed retention of CBRE as did Torchlight Loan Services, LLC, which is the special servicer for the Debtor?s secured lenders (?Torchlight?). [8] Hard-fought negotiations to resolve both objections led to substantial modifications to the terms of the Engagement Letter. By CBRE?s estimation, these modifications operated to reduce its fees by $497,147.80. [9] The first material modification reduced CBRE?s monthly fees from $125,000 to $100,000 and CBRE agreed to forfeit its monthly fee for July 2011. Second, the Engagement Letter?s language was modified to reflect that CBRE be retained to act solely as a financial advisor to the Debtor. Third, CBRE waived any right to receive a Sale Transaction Fee if Torchlight obtained ownership of the Reorganized Debtor?s property through a credit bid at the sale. On August 16, 2011, the Court authorized the Debtor to retain CBRE on the foregoing revised terms (the ?Retention Order?), subject to review of CBRE?s Final Fee Application under ? 330 of the Bankruptcy Code. [10]

The Debtor filed a plan of reorganization on September 19, 2011, [11] but that plan fell apart after disagreement arose between the creditors and the Debtor. With the help of a mediation process successfully conducted by the Honorable Raymond T. Lyons, Jr., [12] the parties agreed to extended deadlines and procedures relating to an auction process. [13] After a lengthy and robust auction, the Debtor filed the First Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of the Debtors and the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors Under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code (the ?Plan?) on January 25, 2012. [14] The Plan identified ?PJ Finance Company Manager, LLC and WestCorp PJ Portfolio, LLC, or their designees, as funded by Gaia Real Estate Investments LLC? as the Plan Sponsors. The Court confirmed the Plan by Order dated May 8, 2012. [15] The financial restructuring effected through the Plan provided full recovery to all unsecured creditors.

On June 25, 2012, CBRE timely filed its Eleventh Monthly and Final Fee Applications requesting a final allowance of fees and expenses in the amount of $1,886,190 in fees and $138,541.45 in expenses. The requested fees include $1,316,129 of monthly advisory fees, and a transaction fee of $570,060 after applying the monthly fee credit. [16] The Reorganized Debtor objected to the Fee Application, contending that CBRE has improperly calculated the transaction fee and that, after applying appropriate offsets and contractual reductions, no transaction fee is due. It also objects to the amount of expenses, particularly CBRE?s legal fees, as not being actual and necessary expenses pursuant to ? 330(a)(1)(B).

On September 27, 2012, the Court conducted a hearing and heard the testimony of Glenn Carlin, a Senior Manager Director of CBRE. [17] The Court held a subsequent telephonic hearing for closing arguments on October 9, 2012. [18] The matter has been fully briefed and argued, and is ripe for decision.

II. JURISDICTION & VENUE

This Court has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. ?? 157(a), (b)(1), and 1334. Venue is proper pursuant to ?? 28 U.S.C. 1408 and 1409. Consideration of this matter constitutes a ?core proceeding? under 28 U.S.C. ? 157(b)(2)(A), (B), and (O).

III. PARTIES? POSITIONS

There is no dispute among the parties as to the monthly advisory fee of $1,316,129. [19] Further, the parties agree that the monthly fee credit is $658,065. [20] The parties disagree on the correct amount of the Restructuring Fee, New Equity Fee, and the requested expenses of $138,541.45, which include attorneys? fees in the amount of $114,879.44.

A. The Restructuring Fee

CBRE requests a Restructuring Fee of $575,000. [21] It calculates the Restructuring Fee by using $80 million as the amount of debt ?re-tranched.? The $80 million is calculated by adding the amount of debt in the B Note and C Note together. Although CBRE believes that the entire amount of debt, $503 million representing the A, B, and C Notes, was ?re-tranched,? CBRE determined that the resulting Restructuring Fee would be unreasonable and therefore, its calculation excludes the A Note. [22]

The Reorganized Debtor disagrees with the amount of debt ?re-tranched? and believes that only $52 million was re-tranched. It bases its analysis on the difference between the total prepetition debt of $475 million and the A Note debt of $423 million. Using $52 million as the amount of debt re-tranched, the Restructuring Fee is $330,000. [23] The Reorganized Debtor argues that the objective of the Engagement Letter was to incentivize CBRE to negotiate a decrease in the debt and, in this case, the total debt actually increased by $28 million. [24] In response, CBRE argues that if the Court accepts the Reorganized Debtor?s interpretation of the Engagement Letter, the Restructuring Fee would be relegated to fees for debt forgiven, which, CBRE contends, is an improper reading of the agreement.

B. The New Equity Fee

CBRE requests a New Equity Fee in the amount of $653,125. The fee is based on $27.5 million of new equity raised. Although only $22.5 million in new equity was ultimately needed by the Reorganized Debtor, Mr. Carlin testified that CBRE used $27.5 million in its calculation because that is the amount of ?new equity raised rather than funded or issued and that the term `raised? as used in the investment banking industry refers to the amount of capital committed by a party.? [25] CBRE also argues that it is irrelevant whether the additional $5 million was actually used by the Reorganized Debtor because the term ?raised? refers to the amount of capital committed, not used. [26] The New Equity Fee also takes into account the joint venture agreement between Gaia Real Estate Investments LLC (?Gaia?) and ?an affiliate of Starwood? (?Starwood?) whereby Gaia invested 10% and Starwood invested 90% of the total new equity invested. CBRE is paid a New Equity Fee of 1.25% on Gaia?s new equity invested and 2.50% on any other new equity invested. [27] Therefore, CBRE allocated 90% of the total equity invested, representing Starwood?s investment, toward the higher rate and the remaining 10%, representing Gaia?s investment, toward the lower rate, as described in the Engagement Letter.

The Reorganized Debtor objects to CBRE?s calculation for two reasons. First, it argues that the amount of new equity raised is $22.5 million, not $27.5 million. It argues that only $22.5 million was needed and the extra $5 million was not ?issued, sold or placed? as equity; therefore, only $22.5 million should be used when calculating the New Equity Fee. [28] Second, the Reorganized Debtor believes that Gaia is the sole new equity investor. It argues that the new equity investor should be determined by the identity of the auction winner, and not by a joint venture created after the auction took place. [29] As such, the Reorganized Debtor believes that the new equity invested should be attributed to Gaia in full. Therefore, CBRE?s New Equity Fee should utilize only the lower rate of 1.25% for a total New Equity Fee of $281,250. [30]

The Reorganized Debtor argues that if the Court accepts its calculations, no transaction fee is due to CBRE because the total Restructuring Fee and New Equity Fee combined are less than the monthly fee credit of $658,065. [31] By way of contrast, if the Court accepts CBRE?s calculations, the total transaction fee due is $570,060. [32]

C. Attorneys Fees Issue

CBRE seeks reimbursement for actual, necessary expenses in the amount of $138,541.45, which includes $114,879.44 in legal expenses. CBRE stated that taking into consideration its contested retention and preparation of all monthly, interim, and final fee applications, the legal expenses are reasonable.

The Reorganized Debtor objects to the legal fees as unreasonable. Specifically, it argues that CBRE caused its attorneys to expend $23,925 in legal fees solely to research and calculate comparable transactions. The Reorganized Debtor asks the Court to make a reasonableness determination of the actual, necessary expenses under ? 330(a)(1)(B).

IV. LEGAL ANALYSIS

Bankruptcy courts have an independent duty to review fee requests of all professionals in Chapter 11 cases to assure that the fees are necessary and reasonable. See, e.g., In re Busy Beaver Bldg. Ctrs., Inc., 19 F.3d 833, 841 (3d Cir. 1994) . As the Retention Order expressly provided, the Court shall review all compensation and expenses paid to CBRE, not under ? 328(a), but under the standards set forth in ? 330 of the Code. [33]

Section 330(a)(1) provides for ?reasonable compensation for actual, necessary services rendered by? [a] professional person?and (B) reimbursement for actual, necessary expenses.? 11 U.S.C. ? 330(a)(1)(A), (B). The Court may, sua sponte or by motion of any party in interest, ?award compensation that is less than the amount of compensation that is requested.? 11 U.S.C. ? 330(a)(2). In determining the amount of reasonable compensation for professionals, the Court ?shall consider the nature, the extent, and the value of such services?..? 11 U.S.C. ? 330(a)(3). When evaluating reasonable compensation, the Court shall consider many factors including, but not limited to:

(A) the time spent on such services;

(B) the rates charged for such services;

(C) whether the services were necessary to the administration of, or beneficial at the time at which the service was rendered toward the completion of, a case under this title;

(D) whether the services were performed within a reasonable amount of time commensurate with the complexity, importance, and nature of the problem, issue, or task addressed;

(E) with respect to a professional person, whether the person is board certified or otherwise has demonstrated skill and experience in the bankruptcy field; and

(F) whether the compensation is reasonable based on the customary compensation charged by comparably skilled practitioners in cases other than cases under this title. [34]

Id. ?Section 330(a) provides a two-tiered test for determining whether and in what amount to compensate bankruptcy professionals.? In re Uni-Marts, 2010 WL 1347640, at *2 (citation omitted). First, the Court must determine that the services provided were actual and necessary services. Second, the Court must assess the professionals? fee request for reasonableness. Id. Although the Debtor bears the initial burden when applying for compensation and reimbursement of expenses, the opposing party ?must carry the burden of explaining what therein is unreasonable or, at least, what would be reasonable under the circumstances.? In re Blackwood Assocs., 165 B.R. 108, 112 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. 1994) .

A. The Restructuring Fee

The Engagement Letter provides that the Restructuring Fee is based on the ?amount of indebtedness forgiven or re-tranched.? [35] The term ?re-tranche? is not defined in the Engagement Letter, but Black?s Law Dictionary defines ?tranche? as a ?bond issue derived from a pooling of similar debt obligations? and ?usually differs from other issues by maturity date or rate of return.? Black?s Law Dictionary 1635 (9th ed. 2009). Mr. Carlin, a Senior Managing Director of CBRE with over twenty years of investment banking experience, proffered a similar definition of the word ?tranche? and stated that his understanding of the definition of the word ?re-tranche? is ?any change to that debt, whether it?s a modification to rates, term, [or] anything of substance.? [36]

Taking this definition, CBRE argues that $503 million of debt is re-tranched because the total prepetition obligation ?was exchange[d] for three new debt instruments with revised interest rates, maturity and other material terms.? [37] As noted above, CBRE seeks a Restructuring Fee on $80 million of debt, which represents only the B and C Notes and it treated the A Note as not having been re-tranched with respect to its calculation. [38] The Reorganized Debtor does not offer its own definition of the word ?re-tranche? and does not disagree with CBRE?s definition. Rather, it argues that only $52 million of debt was re-tranched because that amount represents the difference of the total prepetition debt of $475 million to the A Note debt of $423 million. The Reorganized Debtor ignores the B and C Notes in its calculation of the total amount of debt re-tranched.

Based on the record before the Court and an analysis of the Engagement Letter, the Court finds that CBRE?s definition of ?re-tranche? is consistent with the terms of the agreement. Furthermore, the Reorganized Debtor?s calculation has little basis in either the Engagement Letter or the definition of ?re-tranche.? As a result, the Court agrees that $80 million of debt was re-tranched.

B. The New Equity Fee

The Engagement Letter provides CBRE with a New Equity Fee equal to 1.25% of new equity raised by Gaia and 2.50% of new equity raised by ?any other new equity investor.? [39] Carlin testified that ?the new equity fee is based on equity raised? and ?the term `raised? as used in the investment banking industry refers to the amount of capital committed by a party.? [40] CBRE argues that ?raised? means the amount of capital committed by the parties regardless of whether the funds are used whereas, the Reorganized Debtor contends that the amount of equity ?raised? should be limited to the amount of money actually used. It argues that because the additional $5 million of funding was ?at the option of the Plan Sponsor,? the New Equity Fee should be based on only the $22.5 million of new equity used. [41]

Based on the record before the Court and an analysis of the Engagement Letter, the Court finds that ?raised? as used in the Engagement Letter refers to the amount of money committed by a party, and not necessarily the amount used or drawn. Although ?raised? is not defined in the Engagement Letter, the Court agrees with CBRE?s definition because the additional $5 million was capital that the investors were contractually obligated to provide if it was determined to be necessary. The bid sheet contemplated both the $22.5 million of capital funded upon the Reorganized Debtor?s emergence and the additional $5 million that was ultimately not funded. Carlin testified that the additional $5 million was a binding commitment of the bidder. [42] Carlin further testified that CBRE asked all bidders for ?some wiggle room? in the form of the additional $5 million of funding [43] and ?[w]ithout it, [CBRE] would not have considered [the winning bid] a higher or otherwise better bid.? [44] It is evident from the Engagement Letter and the testimony that $27.5 million of new equity was raised. For all these reasons, the amount of debt ?raised? pursuant to the Engagement Letter, and for the purposes of the New Equity Fee, was $27.5 million.

The Reorganized Debtor also objects to the composition of the investors as it pertains to the computation of the New Equity Fee. It argues that Gaia, as the auction winner, should be considered the sole investor for the purposes of the New Equity Fee. [45] To support its proposition, the Reorganized Debtor argues that the Plan Sponsor, and winner of the auction, was an entity ?as funded by Gaia Real Estate Investments LLC.? [46] Regardless of where Gaia obtains its funding, it argues, Gaia is the sole new equity investor. As the only new equity investor, the New Equity Fee calculation should utilize the lower percentage of 1.25% attributable to Gaia pursuant to the Engagement Letter. Finally, the Reorganized Debtor argues that it should not have to pay a larger New Equity Fee because of a joint venture that Gaia entered into after the auction concluded.

However, CBRE argues that the Engagement Letter is unambiguous. The Engagement Letter states that ?in the event that Gaia?is the new equity investor? apply a 1.25% fee, and ?for any other new equity investor? apply a 2.50% fee of the new equity raised. [47] Pursuant to the plain language of the Engagement Letter, CBRE argues that Star-wood, who provided 90% of the new equity invested, should be considered ?any other new equity investor.? As such, CBRE argues that it is entitled to a 2.50% New Equity Fee for the 90% of equity invested by Starwood and a 1.25% fee for the 10% of equity invested by Gaia.

When analyzing the operative language of the Engagement Letter, the Court agrees with CBRE that Starwood is an ?other new equity investor.? The Engagement Letter, in fact, does not speak in terms of auction winner but rather in terms of new equity investor. This should end the inquiry. Starwood is not ?Gaia Real Estate Investments LLC (and/or its affiliates or subsidiaries, collectively `Gaia?)? as the Engagement Letter provides. [48] Because Starwood cannot be characterized as an affiliate or subsidiary of Gaia, its equity investment falls into the second category of ?any other equity investor.? It is irrelevant that the Plan Sponsor was ?an entity as funded by Gaia? because the plain language of the Engagement Letter, which was objected to and modified in the Retention Order, reads ?any other new equity investor.? Further, the Reorganized Debtor does not disagree that Starwood, pursuant to a joint venture agreement, provided 90% of the new equity raised. Therefore, the Court finds that Starwood is ?any other new equity investor? for 90% of the new equity raised and Gaia is the new equity investor for the remaining 10%.

C. Reasonableness

Now, the Court turns to the reasonableness of the requested fees and expenses under ? 330. At the outset, the Court notes that this case was highly successful. With the help of Judge Lyons, who mediated this case, the Debtor and its creditors agreed to a plan of reorganization and sale procedures as opposed to dismissing the case or converting to liquidation. [49] This led to a long, but successful, auction with numerous bumps along the way, including closing the auction and reopening it. However, this unusual sale process led to a 100% recovery for all unsecured creditors.

Under these circumstances, and in the context of a successful reorganization that CBRE was instrumental in achieving, the Court finds that the requested compensation is reasonable under ? 330(a)(1)(A). In determining reasonable compensation, the Court takes into consideration all relevant factors including those listed under ? 330(a)(3). In light of CBRE?s contested retention and the long auction process, the Court finds that the total time spent on the case by CBRE is reasonable. [50] Additionally, no one has challenged the necessary and beneficial work that CBRE provided to this case. As previously discussed, CBRE was instrumental in this successful reorganization. The Court takes further comfort in the substantial negotiations and material improvements, from the Reorganized Debtor?s perspective, to the terms of CBRE?s retention that were built into the engagement prior to Court approval. Finally, CBRE has provided the Court with examples of comparable transactions with approved fees in a similar range to the amounts requested in this application. In light of these factors, CBRE?s requested fees of $1,886,190 will be approved as reasonable under ? 330.

Similarly, the Court finds that CBRE?s actual, necessary expenses are reasonable under ?? 330(a)(1)(B) and 330(a)(3). Of the requested $138,541.45 in expenses, $114,879.44 is attributable to legal expenses. Taking into consideration the circumstances of this case, which included a lengthy and contentious retention battle, an extended auction process and numerous monthly fee applications, the Court finds that the requested expenses are actual, necessary, and reasonable. The Reorganized Debtor specifically objects to $23,925 in legal fees that were incurred in calculating comparable transactions. However, it was important for CBRE to look into comparable transactions when calculating and applying for its fees. As discussed above, CBRE first calculated the Restructuring Fee to be over $4 million. [51] In attempting to avoid this exact dispute, it re-evaluated its calculations and revisited the definition of the word ?re-tranche? in the Engagement Letter. Therefore, the Court finds that the time spent evaluating comparable transactions was necessary in calculating its Restructuring Fee in an effort to apply for reasonable fees and to avoid further litigation. For these reasons, the Court finds that CBRE?s expenses of $138,541.45 are reasonable and will be approved as requested.

V. CONCLUSION

For the foregoing reasons, the Court will enter an order approving CBRE?s Eleventh Monthly and Final Fee Applications as requested and overrule the Reorganized Debtor?s Limited Objection. The Final Fee Application is therefore GRANTED. An appropriate Order follows.

[1] This Opinion constitutes the Court?s findings of fact and conclusions of law, as required by the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure. See Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7052, 9014(c).

[2] Dkt. No. 1121.

[3] Dkt. No. 1153.

[4] Capitalized terms not defined herein are defined in the Engagement Letter. See Dkt. No. 65 Ex. C.

[5] Dkt. No. 65.

[6] Dkt. No. 65 Ex. C.

[7] Dkt. No. 86.

[8] Dkt. No. 213.

[9] See CBRE?s Reply Br. ? 3 [Dkt. No. 1175].

[10] Dkt. No. 379.

[11] Dkt. No. 447.

[12] The Court expresses its appreciation to Judge Lyons for his valuable assistance in these proceedings.

[13] See Dkt. No. 549.

[14] Dkt. No. 735.

[15] Dkt. No. 1029.

[16] For CBRE?s transaction fee calculation, see infra Part III.A., B.

[17] Dkt. No. 1197.

[18] Dkt. No. 1208.

[19] See Limited Objection ? 19 [Dkt. No. 1153].

[20] See Engagement Letter ? 3(a) (providing that ?fifty percent (50%) of the aggregate amount of Monthly Fees paid by the [Debtor] shall be credited against the aggregate amount of any Restructuring Fee?[or] New Equity Fee?); Limited Objection ? 19.

[21] See Engagement Letter ? 3(b). The amount of the Restructuring Fee is calculated based on the amount of debt ?re-tranched.? The Engagement Letter provides ?0.625% of the aggregate amount of indebtedness forgiven or re-tranched, up to $50,000,000 and (ii) 0.875% of the aggregate amount of indebtedness forgiven or re-tranched in excess of $50,000,000.? Id. Based on $80 million of debt re-tranched, CBRE?s calculation is: ($50,000,000 ? 0.625%) + ($30,000,000 ? 0.875%) = $575,000.

[22] See CBRE?s Reply Br. ? 8-9 [Dkt. No. 1175].

[23] See Limited Objection Ex. A. Based on $50 million of debt re-tranched, the Reorganized Debtor?s calculation is: ($50,000,000 ? 0.625%) + ($2,000,000 ? 0.875%) = $330,000.

[24] See id. ? 8.

[25] Hr?g Tr. 17, Sept. 27, 2012 [Dkt. No. 1197].

[26] Id.

[27] See Engagement Letter ? 3(d) [Dkt. No. 65 Ex. C]. The Engagement Letter provides CBRE a New Equity Fee ?(i) in the event that Gaia?is the new equity investor, (W) 1.25% of the aggregate gross proceeds in New Equity raised, up to the first $30,000,000?and (ii) for any other new equity investor, (W) 2.50% of the aggregate gross proceeds in New Equity raised, up to the first $30,000,000?.? Id. Based on $27.5 million of new equity raised, CBRE?s calculation is: ($27,500,000 ? 10% ? 1.25%) + ($27,500,000 ? 90% ? 2.5%) = $653,125.

[28] See Limited Objection ? 14 [Dkt. No. 1153].

[29] See id. ? 18.

[30] Based on $22.5 million of new equity and Gaia as the sole investor, the Reorganized Debtor?s calculation is: ($22,500,000 ? 1.25%) = $281,250.

[31] See Limited Objection Ex. A. The Reorganized Debtor?s calculation is: $330,000 + $281,250-$658,065 = ($46,815).

[32] CBRE?s transaction fee calculation is: $575,000 + $653,125-$658,065 = $570,060

[33] Dkt. No. 379.

[34] These six factors usually apply to professionals paid on an hourly basis. See In re Uni-Marts, LLC, No. 08-11037-MFW, 2010 WL 1347640, at *2 (Bankr. D. Del. March 31, 2010). However, the Retention Order expressly provides that the Court reviews CBRE?s fees and expenses under ? 330.

[35] Engagement Letter ? 3(b).

[36] Hr?g Tr. 27.

[37] Hr?g Tr. 14-15. Based on $503 million of debt re-tranched, CBRE stated that the Restructuring Fee would be $4,276,250. Hr?g Tr. 15

[38] See id.

[39] Engagement Letter ? 3(d) [Dkt. No. 65 Ex. C].

[40] Hr?g Tr. 17.

[41] See CBRE?s Reply Br. ? 13-14 [Dkt. No. 1175].

[42] See Hr?g Tr. 35. Carlin also referred to it as a ?critical ingredient to the of fer.? Hr?g Tr. 62.

[43] Hr?g Tr. 61-62.

[44] Hr?g Tr. 62.

[45] See Hr?g Tr. 35.

[46] ?Plan Sponsor? is defined in the Plan. See Art. I(A)(79) [Dkt. No. 735].

[47] Engagement Letter ? 3(d) [Dkt. No. 65 Ex. C].

[48] Id.

[49] See Dkt. No. 549.

[50] CBRE spent a total of 1941 hours working on this case. See CBRE?s Eleventh Monthly and Final Fee Application at 4 [Dkt. No. 1121]. This work consisted of, but was not limited to, valuation analysis, capital structure review, preparation for depositions and court filings, marketing the company for potential investors, and working with other professionals and parties-in-interest. Id.

[51] See supra note 38 and accompanying text.

Source: http://chapter11cases.com/new-bankruptcy-opinion-in-re-pj-financing-company-llc-bankr-court-d-delaware-2012/

new years wake forest wake forest old dominion insync the duchess the duchess

Friday, November 23, 2012

Firefox 64-bit development for Windows gets 'turned off' by Mozilla

Firefox 64bit development for Windows gets 'turned off' by Mozilla

Looking to browse with the full weight of your 64-bit hardware? Well, if you're a Firefox and Windows user, you're going to have to look elsewhere, as Mozilla has announced it's closing the development of Firefox for the bigger computer architecture. Mozilla manager, Benjamin Smedberg outlined several reasons for the decision, including limited access to 64-bit plugins, a higher propensity for the browser to hang when using available plug-ins and difficulty distinguishing between 32- and 64-bit versions when dealing with stability complaints. After posting the announcement at Bugzilla, it riled plenty of nightly testers, with one Mozilla dev suggesting that around half of them were currently using the now defunct 64-bit version -- presumably due to the fact that an official release never made it out of the gates. What are the options then, if you need your browsing 64-bit? You could return to Internet Explorer or give Opera a try -- both offer a higher bit version, or make a switch to either OS X or Linux, both of which have fully-fleshed versions of the 64-bit web browser. Check out some of the (surprisingly vigorous) debate at the source below.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: TNW

Source: Bugzilla (Mozilla)


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/hq5ILzsO-vM/

natalie wood van halen annalynne mccord billy the kid neville neville george lucas

"Rise of the Guardians" Barrier-Breaker: The First African-American to Direct a CG Animation Film

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Peter Ramsey didn't just have the pressure of making his feature directing debut on an $145 million tentpole film, he also had to deal with the expectations that came with being a barrier-breaker.

By sliding behind the camera on DreamWorks Animation's "Rise of the Guardians" Ramsey made history as the first African-American to helm a major CG animated film.

"Rise of the Guardians," a sort of "Avengers" for the fairy-tale set, opened Wednesday. It tells the story of a group of mythological heroes like Santa Claus (voiced by Alec Baldwin), Jack Frost (Chris Pine) and the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) who team up to prevent the Nightmare King (Jude Law) from plunging children around the world into a state of despair and hopelessness. The film is an adaptation of a popular series of children's books by William Joyce.

Ramsey talked with TheWrap about the responsibility of being a role model, the need to inject a little darkness into children's entertainment and the possibility of a "Guardians" sequel.

What does it mean to be the first African American to direct a CG movie on this scale?

I really wasn't thinking, "Oh, I'm a pioneer" when I first got the project. It wasn't until my mom and dad saw an article that mentioned that fact - and I saw that my dad had tears in his eyes - that it really snapped back to me and I realized this is kind of a big deal. That's the way it is any time some hurdle falls away.

I grew up in South-Central L.A. at a time before there was Spike Lee or John Singleton, so there was really no conception that I could make films. It's super fulfilling that kids growing up like I did can now have it permanently in mind that it's a possibility for them.

What films inspired your approach to the film?

I always knew that I wanted to make a fun, action-packed, big, epic fantasy movie rather than a quaint little fairy tale. So I thought of "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter," where there were big ensemble casts. But stylistically I also thought of Michael Powell's "Black Narcissus." I really wanted Santa's world to have the same dreamlike feel with bold, striking visuals.

There are some really dark elements in the film. Were you worried about it becoming too scary?

It's important that we acknowledge the existence of some darkness in the world. Part of the point of the film is to say that these characters are real because kids believe in them, that kids know fear, too. We didn't want to present a world that was free of the shadow that the Guardians fight, because they are using imagination to combat fear and hopelessness.

What drew you to the material?

For me, it was just hearing about Bill Joyce's notion that all these characters are real and knew each other and had a common purpose.

It seemed like it had this epic fantasy, "Lord of the Rings" potential.

And when I started looking at what Bill had done, I was blown away. The mythologies are so wild and ornate. It's an entirely new universe, and our movie just scratches the surface. We just started to go down the rabbit hole.

I'm beginning to smell "franchise." Would you want to direct the sequels?

Yeah, I would love to. I've fallen in love with the characters. I feel like there's plenty of fertile ground for more good stories. There's more opportunities to push it further. I almost wish I could do the first feature again, to do it more justice.

You are self-taught, no? You came into this industry not as a director, but as a storyboard artist, is that correct?

Yeah, I am. It's the old thing about how do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. I've been drawing ever since I was 3. But I wanted to be a comic-book artist, and it was not until quite a bit later that I realized I could work in the movie business.

I stumbled into story boarding through a lucky confluence of things. I realized the work I was doing for comics was similar to helping directors visualize a story. I took maybe a couple of film history classes in college, but I couldn't afford to make films in film school. I needed to get in on the fringes of the industry to get the on the job training I needed to become a director.

Did you have a favorite Guardian?

If I had to say one, it would be North. It was great to give him a real presence, and casting Alec did a lot to help that. It was slightly unexpected, but it feels so right. I would just love to hang out with that guy and it helps that he reminds me of Guillermo del Toro.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rise-guardians-barrier-breaker-first-african-american-direct-230640436.html

davy jones love actually miesha tate vs ronda rousey idiocracy deep impact usssa baseball alex o loughlin

Video: Best holiday gift? Think inside the box



>>> for all of the excitement, the frenzy over black friday, all the spending and all those presents, especially for kids we veteran parents know a lot of kids look forward to and end up playing with something other than the intended gift. our report tonight from nbc's katy tur.

>> reporter: don't be fooled by the brown boxy exterior, this is actually a pirate ship , no wait, a hotel, no wait, aigloo, this man decide to do throw out all the brand name toys and leave the rest to the kids' imagination. not one. on this black friday as parents by the thousands storm the times square toys "r" us, shelling out some major cash for some major play things, we asked the question, do you kind of want to play with the boxes now? did i just save you a ton of money?

>> yes, you did.

>> reporter: more evidence came from our nightly news viewers when we put out the call from facebook and twitter, for pictures of their kids and the boxes they love. there is no age limit. it can be the much-needed space in the middle of times square . a dining room table.

>> cheers.

>> reporter: or a news desk. in fact, cardboard boxes were put in the national toy hall of fame in 2005 . you can get them for free and run wild, or buy them with step by step instructions, from tanks to magical castles, each for about 30 bucks. though your cat will take whatever is lying around, this cat loves boxes both big and small. back at the preschool, the teachers say the experiment worked, they came out of their shells, and everybody learned how to negotiation. which begs the question, on this black friday is it smart to dig deep in your pocket or could this be more rewarding? then again you could use it as an excuse to buy yourself that new tv. those boxes are pretty big. katy tur, nbc new york .

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/49943843/

quadrantid meteor shower osu football osu football oklahoma state santonio holmes raheem morris winter classic

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Call that a ball? Dogs learn to associate words with objects differently than humans do

ScienceDaily (Nov. 21, 2012) ? Dogs learning to associate words with objects form these associations in different ways than humans do, according to research published November 21 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Emile van der Zee and colleagues from the University of Lincoln, UK.

Previous studies have shown that humans between the ages of two to three typically learn to associate words with the shapes of objects, rather than their size or texture. For example, toddlers who learn what a 'ball' is and are then presented other objects with similar shapes, sizes or textures will identify a similarly-shaped object as 'ball', rather than one of the same size or texture.

Earlier research with dogs has shown that they can learn to associate words with categories of objects (such as 'toy'), but whether their learning process was the same as that of humans was unknown.

In this new study, the scientists presented Gable, a five year old Border Collie, with similar choices to see if this 'shape bias' exists in dogs. They found that after a brief training period, Gable learned to associate the name of an object with its size, identifying other objects of similar size by the same name. After a longer period of exposure to both a name and an object, the dog learned to associate a word to other objects of similar textures, but not to objects of similar shape.

According to the authors, these results suggest that dogs (or at least Gable) process and associate words with objects in qualitatively different ways than humans do. They add that this may be due to differences in how evolutionary history has shaped human and dog senses of perceiving shape, texture or size.

The bottom line: Though your dog understands the command "Fetch the ball," but he may think of the object in a very different way than you do when he hears it. As the authors explain, "Where shape matters for us, size or texture matters more for your dog. This study shows for the first time that there is a qualitative difference in word comprehension in the dog compared to word comprehension in humans."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. van der Zee E, Zulch H, Mills D. Word Generalization by a Dog (Canis familiaris): Is Shape Important? PLoS ONE, 7(11): e49382 DOI: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0049382

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/HMuJ1Bls-qQ/121121210253.htm

morosini death jacoby ellsbury jacoby ellsbury lionel richie kenny rogers avatar the last airbender david wright

Engineered bacteria can make the ultimate sacrifice

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Scientists have engineered bacteria that are capable of sacrificing themselves for the good of the bacterial population. These altruistically inclined bacteria, which are described online in the journal Molecular Systems Biology, can be used to demonstrate the conditions where programmed cell death becomes a distinct advantage for the survival of the bacterial population.

"We have used a synthetic biology approach to explicitly measure and test the adaptive advantage of programmed bacterial cell death in Escherichia coli," said Lingchong You, senior author of the study and an associate professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, and the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy. "The system is tunable which means that the extent of altruistic death in the bacterial population can be increased. We are therefore able to control the extent of programmed cell death as well as test the benefits of altruistic death under different conditions." The lead author of the study is Yu Tanouchi, a graduate student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Anand Pai and Nicolas Buchler also contributed to the work.

Scientists have known for some time that programmed cell death can be linked to the response of bacteria to stressful conditions, for example starvation of amino acids or the presence of competitor molecules. However, it is not clear why cells should choose to die under such conditions since it gives them no immediate advantages. Some researchers have suggested that programmed cell death allows cells to provide benefits to their survivors but until now it has been difficult to test this directly in experiments.

The researchers used synthetic biology procedures to engineer Escherichia coli in such a way that the bacterial cells are capable of suicidal behavior and promoting the good of the bacterial population. To do so they introduced a gene circuit, which consists of two modules, into the bacteria. If the "suicide module" is active it leads to the rupture and death of some bacterial cells when they are challenged with the antibiotic 6-aminopenicillanic acid. If the "public good" module is expressed, a modified form of the enzyme beta-lactamase is produced, which protects surviving cells from rupture or lysis by breaking down the antibiotic. This protection only occurs when the enzyme is released from inside the bacterial cells that make the ultimate sacrifice and die after rupture.

"Our results clearly demonstrate that it is possible to have conditions where the death of some bacteria confers an advantage for the overall population of bacteria," remarked You. "The optimal death rate for the bacterial population emerges after sufficient time has passed and is clearly visible in our system."

The scientists were also able to provide a possible explanation for the "Eagle effect", an unexpected phenomenon where bacteria appear to grow better when treated with higher antibiotic concentrations. "Overall our results fill in a conceptual gap in understanding the evolutionary dynamics of programmed bacterial death during stress and have implications for designing intervention strategies for effective treatment of bacterial infections with antibiotics," concluded You.

###

European Molecular Biology Organization: http://www.embo.org

Thanks to European Molecular Biology Organization for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 33 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125400/Engineered_bacteria_can_make_the_ultimate_sacrifice_

orange juice photos doomsday clock nate robinson sharia law sharia law new hampshire primary results

4 teams advance as Chelsea nears elimination in CL

By JEROME PUGMIRE

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 12:36 a.m. ET Nov. 21, 2012

PARIS (AP) -Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Shakhtar Donetsk and Valencia reached the knockout stage of the Champions League on Tuesday, while Chelsea is on the verge of becoming the first titleholder to fail to make it out of the group stage.

Already under pressure in the Premier League after a four-game winless run, Chelsea lost 3-0 at Juventus to drop to third in Group E behind Shakhtar and Juve and place manager Roberto di Matteo under increasing pressure.

"At the moment I'm still here and I think I will be in the future. We'll have to see what happens," said said Di Matteo, who spent more than an hour with his players in the dressing room. "I'm responsible for the result, I'm responsible for the performance and tonight was negative. If anyone has to take the blame it's me. I select the team."

Fabio Quagliarella and Arturo Vidal - both on target for Juventus in the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge - again scored against a Chelsea team without the dropped Fernando Torres and injured John Terry. Substitute Sebastian Giovinco capped the victory with a goal in the final minute.

"It's a big disappointment," Di Matteo said. "It's been a difficult evening for us, for the team, for the club. So there was a lot of reflection."

Shakhtar showed it is a force to be reckoned with after a crushing 5-2 win over FC Nordsjaelland, with Luiz Adriano scoring a hat trick and Willian grabbing two goals.

Chelsea has to beat Nordsjaelland and hope for Shakhtar to defeat Juventus to go through at Juve's expense.

"It's mathematically still possible. And you always try while there's still hope," Di Matteo said. "Who says Juve are not going to lose against Shakhtar?"

Juventus assistant coach Angelo Alessio insists the players will not settle for a draw in Ukraine because "we're not used to playing for a point, we want to win."

In Copenhagen, Nordsjaelland took the lead but Shakhtar equalized two minutes later in a contentious moment that enraged the crowd.

Willian kicked downfield after an uncontested drop ball toward the opposing box because of an injury to a Nordsjaelland player. The hosts' defenders walked slowly to the ball, only to watch in amazement as Adriano raced through to score.

Barcelona advanced for the ninth straight season after defeating Spartak Moscow 3-0 in Group G with Lionel Messi scoring another two goals to close to within five of Gerd Mueller's single-year record of 85.

"Messi is a perfect player, maybe the best player in the world right now," Spartak coach Unai Emery said.

Daniel Alves put Barca ahead and Messi pounced twice before halftime to continue a remarkable season that includes 17 league goals and another five in the European Cup. He has 56 Champions League goals in his career, tying Ruud Van Nisterooy for second place and trailing only Raul Gonzalez's tally of 71.

Two weeks after beating Barcelona at home in one of its best ever European performances, Celtic lost 2-1 at Benfica to remain level on seven points with its Portuguese opponent.

At first glance, Celtic would seem to have the odds slightly in its favor when it hosts Spartak and Benfica travels to Barcelona on Dec. 5. But if both matches end in a draw then the Portuguese club will advance.

Argentine defender Ezequiel Garay volleyed home in the 71st to give Benfica the win it needed to stay in the tournament following a 32nd-minute equalizer from Greek forward Giorgos Samaras. Dutch striker Ola John gave Benfica an early lead with his first goal for the club.

Bayern, last year's finalist, and Valencia both advanced from Group F after drawing 1-1 in Spain, extinguishing Belarusian side BATE Borisov's slim chances of qualifying.

Valencia went down to 10 men in the 33rd minute after right back Antonio Barragan was sent off but went ahead thanks to midfielder Sofiane Feghouli's goal in the 77th. Thomas Mueller equalized five minutes later with a shot that grazed Feghouli.

"We put in a huge effort and did the best we could because they are a great team, so we are really very happy," said Feghouli.

Lille salvaged some pride from a miserable campaign by winning 2-0 at BATE, its first win of the competition. But the French club failed to score enough goals to stand a chance of qualifying ahead of BATE for the Europa League.

Already-qualified Manchester United lacked firepower in losing 1-0 at Galatasaray after fielding an under-strength team.

United, which left key players at home after losing 1-0 at Norwich in the Premier League at the weekend, was unable to respond to Burak Yilmaz's header at the start of the second half. Yilmaz has scored all five goals for Galatasaray in Group H.

"Parts of the game were good but the area in which we were worried about - set-pieces - we suffered," United coach Alex Ferguson said. "That was always going to be a worry for us."

The Turkish side remains in second place ahead of CFR Cluj on head-to-head record. Both sides have seven points with one game remaining. Cluj remains in the hunt for a knockout berth after beating Braga 3-1 following a hat trick from Rui Pedro.

In the last round of matches in two weeks, Cluj visits United while Galatasaray travels to eliminated Braga.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


advertisement

More newsGetty Images
What's next in Beckham story?

PST: David Beckham splitting amicably with the Galaxy after six strong seasons is hardly the checkered flag at the finish line. There are tons of tentacles branching out on this one.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44508831/ns/sports-soccer/

squirrel appreciation day billy beane kathy griffin road conditions newt gingrich wives weather gina carano

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

U.S. soldier accused of Iraq shooting "psychotic": doctor

TACOMA (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier accused of killing five fellow servicemen at a military combat stress center in Baghdad in 2009 was psychotic and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder during the shooting frenzy, a top U.S. forensic psychiatrist testified on Tuesday.

Sergeant John Russell, 48, is accused of going on a shooting spree at Camp Liberty, near the Baghdad airport, in an assault the military said at the time could have been triggered by combat stress.

Russell, of the 54th Engineer Battalion based in Bamberg, Germany, faces five charges of premeditated murder, one charge of aggravated assault and one charge of attempted murder in connection with the May 2009 shootings.

Six months ago, he was ordered to stand trial in a military court that has the power to sentence him to death, if he is convicted.

Russell's civilian attorney, James Culp, entered no plea at an arraignment on Monday at a military base in Washington state. Russell's court martial is tentatively set for mid-March and could last four to five weeks, attorneys told Reuters on Tuesday.

In a second day of hearings to discuss Russell's state of mind at the time of the shooting and establish what evidence or testimony to admit at the court martial, Robert Sadoff, a University of Pennsylvania forensic psychiatry expert, gave the opinion that Russell was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Russell has "dissociative disorder," or a lack of memory about the shootings, said Sadoff, who examined Russell for a total of 20 hours after the shootings. "He cannot remember. It's a legitimate disorder. He also has post-traumatic stress disorder."

Sadoff, a veteran of 10,000 criminal cases added: "It's a matter of what's going on in this man's mind. He was psychotic. He was not dealing with reality. That's what psychosis is."

If the defense can persuade a jury that Russell was not in control of his actions, it may be able to argue that he is not legally responsible and could spare him from the death penalty, if convicted.

During Tuesday's hearing, Culp sought authority from Judge Colonel David Conn to hire a forensic hypnotist to unlock Russell's buried memories and conduct a specialized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test to measure Russell's "mild diffused brain atrophy", which Culp argues played a part in his behavior.

This would help diagnose "the extent of brain damage as it relates to criminal responsibility," Culp said.

Army prosecutors urged the judge to decline. Major Dan Mazzone, one of four Army attorneys prosecuting the case, told the judge that an Army medical review already indicated that Russell's brain atrophy was typical of a man his age and further testing is an unnecessary expense to the Army.

"The bottom line, this is just not necessary. It's something the government should not be entitled to fund," Mazzone said.

The judge is set to rule on the matter over the next few days.

The proceedings, held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington, come at a sensitive time for the Army, which is in the process of deciding how to prosecute Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, a soldier accused of killing Afghan villagers in cold blood earlier this year.

A two-week hearing at Lewis-McChord to establish if there is sufficient evidence to send Bales to a court martial wrapped up last week after harrowing testimony from Afghan adults and children wounded in the attack.

Bales' civilian defense lawyers have also suggested he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

On Monday, Russell's attorney outlined a defense based on his declining mental state.

Russell suffered from depression, thoughts of suicide, anxiety and stress from multiple deployments, and suffered "at least one traumatic experience involving civilian casualties" and "mass grave sites" while serving in Bosnia and Kosovo during 1998 and 1999, Culp said in presenting arguments to the judge after the arraignment.

(Reporting by Bill Rigby; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-soldier-accused-iraq-shooting-psychotic-doctor-025930964.html

bats hunger games review jeff saturday jason smith jon corzine austin rivers austin rivers

Estate Planning: Three Considerations You Can't Afford to Ignore

Estate planning is a critical aspect of personal finance that gets name-checked a lot but rarely explored. The legislation governing estate planning varies from province to province (and territory) in Canada, which makes it difficult to exhaustively outline all the relevant issues and considerations for an individual. This post is not intended to achieve the impossible, but merely to canvass some of the important aspects of a comprehensive estate plan.?For actual advice on your particular situation, always consult a professional. Do not rely on the contents of this article.

Generally,?there are three components to an estate plan: a will, a power of attorney for financial matters, and a power of attorney for health and other personal matters?(in some provinces called a personal directive). Strictly speaking, if you are only concerned about dealing with the consequences of your death, then a will is all you need. Do not, however, discount the possibility that a health crisis (or the consequences of aging ? it happens to all of us) may leave you incapable of looking after yourself, and thereby place additional burdens on your family. Much like a will in the event of death, a power of attorney makes it easier for your loved (and trusted) ones to ensure that your intentions ? with respect to both your financial assets and your own person ? are carried out.

Estate Planning Component #1: The Will

Having a will in place is particularly important for people who have kids, and those who feel strongly about the distribution of their estate after their death. I put the kids first because people tend to forget that?one of the most important things a will can do is address the guardianship of any minor children. If you have strong opinions about whom you trust (and, potentially more importantly, don?t trust) with your kids? upbringing, you can stipulate one or more guardians (and alternate guardians) for them, should you and your spouse die before the kids reach the age of majority. Your kids will not end up in some Dickensian orphanage if you don?t, but the court process for appointing a guardian is likely a needless complication and expense. Don?t saddle your family with it. Plus, there is no certainty that the person you would have picked would be the same person appointed by the court.

The same goes for your financial assets. In most provinces, legislation dictates what happens to your estate if you die without a will (intestate). If you trust provincial legislation as little as Joe seems to then?don?t risk dying intestate. Your assets may not be divided in the manner you might otherwise choose, and non-family members (including any charities you might wish to support), will be left out. There are also additional expenses, not least of them being another court process for appointing an executor for your estate. (A will also provides a handy map to your assets for your executor, which makes his or her job a lot easier.)

Additionally, if you?re a curmudgeonly sort at odds with your nearest and dearest, and strongly inclined to cut off your spouse, kid(s), or other dependents from your estate, it is very important to ensure that you have a will and that it?s drafted by a professional. In some jurisdictions, legislation allows for people who meet certain criteria for dependency to make claims against your estate despite any existing will.?It is important that you discuss your intentions with a lawyer to ensure that your will is going to have the legal effect you desire in general?and especially if you want to protect your estate as much as possible from these types of claims.

A couple of things you will want to keep in mind, particularly if you are tempted to foolishly forego legal advice and draft your own will. (Editor Joe?s Note: as Abraham Lincoln said, a person who represents himself has a fool for a client.)

  • Find out the impact of any changes in marital status on your will. In some (but not all) jurisdictions, marriage operates to revoke any prior will you might have made. Separation, on the other hand, may not have any effect on an existing will, depending again on the jurisdiction; this could result in a windfall for your estranged spouse, if you happen to die before a divorce decree is issued. Lastly, divorce will also likely have an impact on your will; in most provinces, your ex-spouse will be deemed to have predeceased you, for purposes of the division of assets under the will, even if they actually out-live you. They may also be disqualified from acting as an executor. Depending on how your will is drafted, this could create needless complications. It?s best to always review your will following any change in status.
  • Make sure that your beneficiary designations are consistent with your will, and vice versa. A lot of financial assets, including insurance policies, RRSPs, and other investment vehicles, will have beneficiary designations which, if you?re like most people, were filled out once, long ago, and then forgotten. Again depending on your jurisdiction, those designations may overrule any provisions regarding the distribution of those assets in your will.

Estate Planning Component #2: Financial Power of Attorney

A power of attorney for property and financial matters allows you to appoint a person who will make financial decisions on your behalf once you have been medically deemed incompetent to make them on your own. Additionally, it allows you to impose certain parameters on your attorney?s exercise of powers.The usefulness of having a power of attorney in place long before it becomes a necessity is two-fold:

  • You avoid potential squabbles amongst your relatives about who will control the dough, and the expense of having to go to court to get an attorney appointed.
  • You void complications relating to your ability to grant a power of attorney. Specifically, if you execute the power of attorney while you?re (relatively) young and healthy, there will likely be no question as to your mental capacity to sign it. If you wait until it looks like you?ll imminently need the power of attorney, due to a drastic decline in health, etc., then you may have to go an extra mile or two to properly establish that you still have the capacity to execute it.

As with a will, it is important to review any existing powers of attorney following any marital changes, to ensure that attorney designations are up-to-date. This also applies with equal force to?

Estate Planning Component #3: Personal Power of Attorney

A power of attorney for personal matters (also known as a personal directive) is similar in nature to a power of attorney for financial matters, save that it deals with (what else?) personal matters such as your care and medical decision-making.?A key perk of having these matters dealt with separately from your finances is that it allows you to have different people deal with each aspect of your life. Thus, if you trust your spouse to not pull the plug on life-support wily-nilly, but not to deal responsibly with your finances, then you can appoint him/her as your attorney for personal matters only, and leave the finances to someone else. (Editor Joe?s Note: I can imagine situations where the inverse would be desirable, too!)

As I alluded, this power of attorney allows you to direct your representative to make medical decisions on your behalf, for concerns as small as day-to-day care or as huge as life-support. It is important to pick someone who will be capable of following your stated wishes, rather than their own emotional impulses in a moment of crisis, because?there is generally no way to legally enforce the directions stated in a document such as a living will ? they merely serve as guidelines to your attorney, to ensure that they are aware of your preferences.

And there you have it, folks. Three easy steps to everlasting control over your money. Just kidding. You?ll have to settle for a solid financial plan.?Memento mori!

Related posts:

  1. Risk-Averse Financial Planning: The Meek Shall Inherit Stability

Source: http://www.timelessfinance.com/2012/11/21/estate-planning-components/

free agents nfl 2012 milwaukee bucks bear grylls us news law school rankings gael glen rice jr bars

Planet 'devoured in secret' by its own sun

ScienceDaily (Nov. 20, 2012) ? A planet roughly 1.4 times the size of Jupiter is being consumed by its own star behind a shroud thanks to a magnesium veil absorbing all of certain light wavelengths, according to new observations by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).

WASP-12 b, originally spotted in 2008, is a gas giant planet orbiting extremely close to its parent star. The distance between the star and planet is so small that the planet completes an orbit of its star in just over one Earth day. This proximity has "boiled off" a superheated gas cloud roughly three times the radius of Jupiter which feeds the star. However, some of this gas is moving out towards interstellar space, creating a shroud around the star.

The gas shroud is thin, and barely noticeable in optical light, but the new observations were made with HST using near-UV light. The team discovered that one element in the cloud is magnesium, which is extremely efficient at absorbing near-UV light. These wavelengths are extremely sensitive to the presence of tenuous gas, and in them the star can appear completely invisible.

The study was made by researchers from the UK's Wide Angle Search for Planets (WASP) consortium, who originally found the planet in 2008, as well experts on the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph aboard the HST, stellar activity, and interstellar absorption from the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy at the University of Colorado.

Senior Lecturer in Astronomy at The Open University Dr Carole Haswell, who led the study, said that a structure like this had never before been observed around a star, adding: "It's as though a veil has been drawn over the planet's demise."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Open University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Haswell et al. Near-UV Absorption, Chromospheric Activity, and Star-Planet Interactions in the WASP-12 system. The Astrophysical Journal, 2012

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/MJHEiIQaA3M/121119213147.htm

the alamo anencephaly tesla model x lou gehrig toby mac blue ivy carter photos purple squirrel

The RSC should not have pulled the Copyright paper | RedState

The Republican Study Committee backed off on copyright reform after publishing what was an important paper on the topic. The excuse is that the paper needed further review, but what I fear is that the paper actually went further than rent-seeking allies of squishy centrist Republicans are willing to go. I have no evidence to sustain this. It?s just my gut feeling. The paper went out, industry groups had to have seen it, given all the attention it got. Over the weekend they complained, and down the paper went on Monday.

I have a copy of the paper, and if we go point by point, it?s hard to find a real reason to oppose it though. So if there is another reason, I?d love to hear it.

Here are the points attacked in the paper

The purpose of copyright is to compensate the creator of the content. This is easy to attack, as all the paper has to do is go to the Constitution, which says ?The Congress shall have Power? To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.? Therefore, Constitutionally we must craft copyright for the purpose of encouraging content creation.

Copyright is free market capitalism at work. This is clearly false. It is, by definition, a government-created monopoly. We find it valuable to create such monopolies, when they encourage the creation of works. With no copyright, the incentive would be diminished to create many works now enjoying copyright protection. However it is a government-backed monopoly. It?s a Constitutional subsidy. I don?t see how this can be disputed.

The current copyright legal regime leads to the greatest innovation and productivity. This is a key point. The paper says this is not the case, and finds five ways that we currently give so much copyright protection that we actually hinder the creation of works.

Likewise, the proposed new policies make sense:

Statutory Damages Reform. The numbers rack up ridiculously fast. The paper suggests the intent is to scare people into settling, which wouldn?t surprise me a bit.

Expand Fair Use. The paper points out that the law has diverged from social norms. Much like when speed limits were too low and so made the law seem ridiculous in the eyes of the public, fair use is currently too narrow.

Punish false copyright claims. This is the DMCA reform that is probably the clearest and most obvious to make. Copyright holders are capable of systematizing many, many takedown notices, and can attack in a way that the average person cannot defend against. False claims, which have gotten so extreme that there have been cases of NASA having takedown notices filed against it for its own broadcasts from Mars. There must be balance. DMCA?s greatest virtue was its attempt at balance. Let?s fix it.

Again, it all goes back to Article I, Section 8. When we let existing copyright holders bully smaller, newer content creators out of the market, we are defying the Constitutional mandate to let copyright encourage content creation.

Heavily limit the terms for copyright, and create disincentives for renewal. This made Disney flip out to read from Republicans, I?m sure. But the framers clearly did not envision copyright that lasts a century. Keep in mind that the first Copyright Act 1790, which gives us a clear window into the minds of the framers and the ratifiers of the Constitution, gave copyright for up to 28 years. That?s all. Contrast with the Sonny Bono Copyright era, which extends copyright for over 100 years.

And let?s be clear about this: if they could have gotten away with it, they?d have made copyright perpetual. Said the now-outgoing Representative Mary Bono Mack, back in 1998: ?As you know, there is also Jack Valenti?s proposal for term to last forever less one day. Perhaps the Committee may look at that next Congress.? This is the mindset that the paper is challenging, and it?s right to do so.

I can understand that the paper shocked people. The Republican establishment has traditionally gone along with whatever big business asked for on copyright. But I think we?ve begun to remember that what?s good for big business, isn?t necessarily what?s good for America as a whole. So I regret that the RSC has backed down from sound policy, and started to shift from conservative trailblazer, to mild establishment printing press.

Source: http://www.redstate.com/2012/11/20/the-rsc-should-not-have-pulled-the-copyright-paper/

seal team 6 touch nitrous oxide rihanna thug life tattoo arizona governor patrick witt leprosy

What's This? Oh, it's Just Another Award. | Read Tom Lucas

Hey there ? Tina?s Mommy Time was kind enough to think of me and threw me a Liebster award! Thanks Tina!

The award is for blogs with less than 200 followers, and although I have more than that, the tight group of bloggers that has had my back this past year falls under the limit, so I am going to go ahead and accept this sucker. Ha!

There?s four steps to this monster:
1. List 11 things about yourself.
2. Answer the nominator?s 11 questions.
3. Choose up to 11 nominees with less than 200 followers and ask them your own questions.
4. Inform them of the awesomeness.

Ok, here?s 11 things about me.
1. Becoming a teacher was the best choice I have ever made. I have had the privilege of getting to know so many great kids and have had the opportunity to share what I have learned about life so far. For those of who have known me a long time, we could say if that I had been famous, this would be the last 20 minutes of my True Hollywood Story.
2. I have a book about to come out: Leather to the Corinthians. Of course, if you are reading this blog, you already know that. It?s all I have been talking about. Moving on.
3. I have a great cat who I secretly think only loves me for the tuna cans she gets to lick clean whenever I make my lunch.
4. Sometimes I firmly believe that the forces of the universe conspire to annoy me.
5. I have been on the local news twice. The first time I pretended to be a professional video game player that had won over $50k in tournaments. The reporter never fact-checked a single thing that I said and it ran the very same night. The second time I was on, I was interviewed buying pazckis in Detroit the day before Fat Tuesday. It must have been a slow news day.
6. During tough times I have turned to various cooking jobs to pay the bills. It turns out that I am a lighting-fast breakfast cook. I seriously rock the house. Problem is that I absolutely hate line cooking. Yet another aspect of my life that could be considered ironic.
7. I fell off a roof once. It was about a 60? drop. I fractured my hip in three places. I laid there for a day and a half until someone found me. When I die, God is going to rewind that part of the tape several times ? just for giggles.
8. For some strange reason, during key points in my life, I have heard Bon Jovi songs playing on the radio. Of all the musicians I thought might provide the soundtrack to my life, Bon Jovi ain?t one of ?em.
9. Sometimes, I am too easily impressed by people.
10. I don?t use a stunt double. So far, I have almost drowned twice, flipped over in a car accident, had a gun go off in my face, was bitten by a poisonous spider, fell of a roof, and survived a tornado. That?s 7 out of 9 lives.
11.The first record I ever bought (it was a 45) with my own money was The Clash?s ?Rock the Casbah.? The second 45 was Toto?s ?Rosanna.? For a second there I sounded really cool, right? Then it all fell apart.

Now the nominator?s questions:

Baseball or Football?

Hockey. Crap, that?s not an option. I will cast an honorary vote for Baseball, as it was my father?s passion. You can actually read about that here: Lessons From my Father.

When you?re writing, do you prefer to sit down with a drink or food?

Coffee. Always and forever. Nature?s energy drink. Food is a rare visitor when I am writing. I tend to forget to eat when I am really into it.

Do you write out your blog post before typing it up?

Sometimes, depends on how much work needs to be put into it. Interestingly enough, the less work I put into it, the more people seem to like it. What a pisser.

How old is your oldest living relative?

87. That?s all you get.

Last show you watched on TV?

Sons of Anarchy. One of those shows I have meant to get to, finally did. Been watching the episodes in bunches. Great show.

Favorite cologne or perfume?

Whatever the wife is wearing, naturally.

What was the make/model of your first car?

78 Ford LTD. Two door DETROIT beast.? Bought it for $370. True story.

Alan Tudyk as Tom Lucas. But would he truly commit to the role?

Who does your family say you most look like?

I dunno about family but I have been hearing? Alan Tudyk a lot lately. I think I will cast him in the movie of my life, but he will have to shave the dome.

Favorite website (not a blog)?

Io9 ? best damn Sci-fi geekdomery available.

What?s the best part of the holidays?

The food. I like to eat. Some days, it?s all I?ve got.

What made you start blogging?

I just wanted to put it out there. My blog is not nearly as focused as many. I?ve tried many different types of posts. It?s interesting which ones people like, and even more so, which ones they don?t. Most of the blogs who follow me have way more traffic and a lot more followers. There are days where I would like a lot more followers, but I don?t have any plans to start writing posts just to generate traffic.

If there is one thing I can promise, is that I will stay true. With my book coming out, I have been blogging mostly about that. I am pretty much ready to get back to poetry, rants, and short fiction posts to be honest.

Here?s my nominees!

I have no clue if they have less than 200 followers. My guess is that they all have many more than that because they all rock. I?m going to pick some amazing blogs, mainly because I like them and I want to see their responses :P .

Here we go:

Only Fragments
EternalDomnation
SciFi Jubilee
An Empty Space
Life Revelation
Wonderings
Jensinewall

and?Poetry Weekly

Ok now here?s my 11 ?questions?:

1. If you were a cereal box mascot, which one would you be?
2. What?s the worst thing you did when you were a kid?
3. You have 24 hours to live. Now what?
4. Your house is haunted by the ghost of a dead celebrity. Tell us about it.
5. Tell me a fantastic lie.
6. You?re a cannibal (just go with it). What?s your favorite recipe?
7. I just pushed you to the ground and took your lunch money. What are you going to do about it?
8. Have you ever spent the night in jail? Any regrets?
9. You can tune a piano, but you can?t tune a fish. Discuss.
10. What?s the oldest can or package in your pantry? Why haven?t you eaten it already?
11. Racecars and old magazines. Chewing gum and a ball of twine. Bananas and Heavy metal. Which do you choose and why?

Ok, that?s enough ? visit all of these blogs and stay awhile.

Source: http://readtomlucas.com/2012/11/20/whats-this-oh-its-just-another-award/

matilda cab calloway melissa gilbert deadliest catch dwts sean hannity bobby petrino fired

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Lance Armstrong cuts formal ties to Livestrong

FILE - This Aug. 22, 2010 file photo shows Lance Armstrong, center, greeting fellow riders prior to the start of his Livestrong Challenge 10K ride for cancer in Blue Bell, Pa. Armstrong has cut formal ties with his cancer-fighting charity to avoid further damage brought by doping charges and being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. (AP Photo/Bradley C. Bower, File)

FILE - This Aug. 22, 2010 file photo shows Lance Armstrong, center, greeting fellow riders prior to the start of his Livestrong Challenge 10K ride for cancer in Blue Bell, Pa. Armstrong has cut formal ties with his cancer-fighting charity to avoid further damage brought by doping charges and being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. (AP Photo/Bradley C. Bower, File)

FILE - In a Sept. 30, 2000 file photo, U.S. cyclist Lance Armstrong waves after receiving the bronze medal in the men's individual time trials at the 2000 Summer Olympics cycling road course in Sydney, Australia. The IOC formally opened an investigation Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012, that could result in Lance Armstrong being stripped of his Olympic bronze medal for doping. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan, File)

Artist Frank Shepherd poses with his creation of U.S. cyclist Lance Armstrong who has been unveiled as this year's Edenbridge Bonfire Society celebrity guy, during an unveiling for the media in Edenbridge, England, Wednesday Oct. 31, 2012. The Edenbridge Bonfire Society has a long tradition of building symbolic effigies of famous people to burn during their Guy Fawkes bonfire night, and this year it will be disgraced Tour de France cyclist Lance Armstrong who gets torched for his villainy in sport. (AP Photo / Gareth Fuller, PA) UNITED KINGDOM OUT - NO SALES - NO ARCHIVES

(AP) ? Lance Armstrong has cut formal ties with his cancer-fighting charity to avoid further damage brought by doping charges and being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.

Armstrong resigned from the board of directors for Livestrong on Nov. 4. He had resigned Oct. 17 as chairman from the charity he founded but had kept a seat on the board.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency ordered Armstrong banned from the sport for life and stripped of his titles. The International Cycling Union, which had originally supported Armstrong's fight, later agreed to wipe out Armstrong's record seven victories.

Livestrong spokeswoman Katherine McLane said Monday that Armstrong "remains the inspiration" and is still its largest donor with nearly $7 million over the years.

In a statement, new board chairman Jeff Garvey said Armstrong resigned from the board to spare the organization any negative effects resulting from the controversy surrounding his cycling career.

"Lance Armstrong was instrumental in changing the way the world views people affected by cancer. His devotion to serving survivors is unparalleled and for 15 years, he committed himself to that cause with all his heart," Garvey said.

Armstrong has not commented publicly on the USADA report and recently returned to Austin from Hawaii. Over the weekend, he posted a photograph on Twitter in which he is lying on a couch at his home with seven yellow Tour de France jerseys mounted on the wall.

Armstrong also has lost his personal sponsors, including Nike and brewing giant Anheuser-Busch, who dropped their contracts with him or said they would not renew when current deals expire.

Garvey said the foundation would continue to expand free services to cancer survivors and advocate on their behalf.

"Because of Lance, there is today more focus on the individuals whom this disease strikes, and on healing the person, not just killing the disease," Garvey said.

USADA's report accused Armstrong of helping run "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen" within his U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams.

The USADA report said Armstrong and his teams used steroids, the blood booster EPO and blood transfusions. The report included statements from 11 former teammates who testified against Armstrong.

Armstrong denies doping, pointing to hundreds of passed drug tests. But he chose not to fight USADA in one of the agency's arbitration hearings, saying the process was biased against him. Former Armstrong team director Johan Bruyneel is also facing doping charges, but he is challenging the USADA case in arbitration.

___

Online:

http://www.livestrong.org/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-11-12-Armstrong-Livestrong/id-c332af4542e34854bb57d1939f592671

earl csco big bend national park leon russell meredith vieira prop 8 larry bird