The internet’s having a bit of a problem today. It would seem that TeliaSonera’s translatlantic network is having an issue which is slowing – or straight up stopping – information flow between Europe and the United States. TeliaSonera’s translatlantic network assists in connecting the USA to larger Europe with a series of cables that run through tubes under the ocean. … Continue reading
This fun travel mug is the perfect gift for photography fanatics. Not only does it look exactly like a camera lens, it can stir your drinks for you.
The 11 ounce mug has a secure lid on top for travel and sipping on the go, and a stainless steel lining to help maintain temperature and no worries about plastic seeping into your drink.
It’s just $12.99(USD) over in the Technabob Shop – a 35% savings off the regular price.
The Food and Drug Administration approved an experimental Zika vaccine called GLS-5700 for a clinical trial in humans earlier today, the first such treatment to get an official nod from the agency. Initial trials will start with 40 healthy subjects g…
Apple might not have to bend over backwards to open stores in India: the country has loosened its rules on locally-sourced products in a way that gives foreign companies a shot. First-party retailers (that is, those that mostly sell their own produc…
You’re angry as hell at the spouse you thought you knew. You want to hire the meanest, toughest SOB divorce lawyer you can find and exact the retribution you deserve by going to court.
How could a judge not agree that your spouse is a complete (insert description here) and side with you on all issues? After all, you’re the one who’s being fair and reasonable, and you only want what’s in the children’s best interest, right?
In my law and mediation practice, I hear these things every day. People who once said “I do” are now saying “Screw you!” They may demonize their spouse and the mother or father of their children. They want justice in their divorce, and they think court is the way to get it. I’m here to say it’s not.
It might be shocking for a lawyer to tell you to avoid court. But there are ways to end a marriage that don’t involve a lawsuit. Instruct your lawyer to use negotiation, mediation and collaborative law instead to get divorced, arrange child custody, and resolve your issues. Here’s why.
Control – Think you’re going to win in court? Think again. The reality in divorce court is no one wins. Judges hear polar opposite perspectives and “facts” from parties and often decide somewhere between those positions. Very often both parties are equally frustrated with the judge’s decision. By walking into court, you give up any ability to control the outcome.
Cost – TV isn’t real life. The real-life court system is over-burdened and inefficient and absolutely NOTHING happens quickly. There are thousands of pending cases before yours. Count on it taking months, if not years, from start to finish and much more in attorney fees than you ever thought remotely possible.
Closure – Life is too short to spend so much time with lawyers and devote time, energy and money on the never-ending negativity you’ll experience in court. Your spouse will never agree with you on what caused your marriage to end. Instead of continuing to insist you’re right, insist on problem solving and moving on.
Children – Surely the most important reason. If you want to nearly guarantee that your children will suffer, then file that lawsuit.
By going to court, you ask a third party to decide what’s in the best interests of your kids. Judges don’t know your kids and they surely don’t love your kids. Why are you letting lawyers or judges decide on what’s in the best interests of your children?
Once the judge makes a decision, either you or your ex feel screwed or worse. Your feelings of animosity against your ex grow. Your children see, hear and feel everything that is said and just as importantly what is not, both before and after court. They may even be called upon to act as witnesses about you and your ex.
In the months and years afterwards, they’re scared to talk about the other parent for fear of disappointing you. They worry what one parent will think at the soccer field if they approach or say anything to the other parent.
These feelings carry on well into adulthood as you and your ex despise each other for years to come. Your children, even as adults, still worry about you at their graduations, their weddings, and the births of your grandkids!
Would it then surprise you to watch them repeat your behavior in their own relationships or marriage? It shouldn’t. Kids model their behavior after yours, now and later.
That’s why I urge you to find a way, through negotiation, mediation, or collaborative law, to compromise with your soon-to-be-ex and develop a solution that works for you and your kids.
Negotiation is just what it sounds like – the parties and their lawyers attempt to settle issues out of court by negotiating and problem solving. In mediation, the parties do this with the help of their lawyers and a third-party neutral person. Collaborative law is a model designed to streamline negotiation and problem-solving.
Twenty years from now, your family’s destiny may be different because you followed this advice today.
Attorney Rob Blair is a board-certified specialist in family law, and practices with Essex Richards, P.A. in Charlotte, North Carolina. After beating his head against the litigation wall for years, he focuses his practice on alternative dispute resolution, including negotiation, mediation and collaborative law. Business North Carolina magazine named him the top family law attorney in North Carolina on its 2016 list of “Legal Elite.”
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Those responsible for setting corporation tax rates at both the Federal and State level must surely be aware of the words of France’s Jean-Baptiste Colbert, (1619 to 1683) Louis XIV’s finance minister, who said “The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest possible amount of feathers with the smallest possible amount of hissing.”
Many people in the US are now complaining loudly that US corporation taxes are too high and that they are suffering as a consequence. Corporation tax in the US is currently standing close to 40%, once state and federal taxes are taken into account. It is argued that this hurts rather than helps businesses, and means that the US has some of the highest corporate income tax rates in the world.
Why high corporation taxes are a problem
High corporation taxes are a problem. They favor spending rather than saving. Political lobbying in tax policy making is greater because the stakes are higher. High taxes damage the competitiveness of US businesses, they encourage corporations to locate in other countries and the current tax code has unacceptable levels of double taxation.
High tax rates are not essential for a country’s continued prosperity. For example, the British Conservative Government’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osbourne, offered some good news for UK small businesses in their latest Budget when it was announced that UK Corporation Tax would fall from twenty percent to nineteen percent by 2017. Further reductions are expected, bringing the rate down to as low as 17% by April 2020.
What problems are caused by high corporation taxes?
The problems caused by high corporate taxes are now beginning to be widely recognized in the US, although we are a long way from resolving them. The most urgent issues that need to be addressed are:
US corporate tax codes
US corporate tax code has been set up so that is it favors spending rather than saving. Corporations that spend their revenues in the current tax year on business related expenses can effectively write many of them off. However, for many companies it may be in their interests to put profits aside, for a period of time, and would do so if the tax codes made this viable.
Political lobbying
Corporations now spend vast sums on lobbying politicians to change the taxation system in ways that benefit them. However, this makes public policy making more difficult than ever before and raises fears that special interest groups can only join the debate if they find large corporations who share their aims.
Limits on competitiveness
Higher rates of corporate income tax are a burden that damages U.S. competitiveness in world markets. Importantly, it diminishes businesses ability to compete with companies located in territories with more business friendly tax structures and so benefits overseas competitors.
Globalization
Inevitably, with the growing benefits of globalization some US Corporations have responded by relocating parts of their business to countries where the corporation tax rates are lower and we find that entrepreneurs are choosing their homes on the basis of a country’s tax regime. This takes both jobs and tax revenues away from the US, often permanently.
Double taxation
US corporations effectively pay a double tax on profits earned in other countries. The impact of double-taxation of corporate profits can be significant.
Four of the most important effects of double taxation, are:
1. A reduction in the amount of revenue available to finance jobs growth;
2. The amount available to US corporations to reinvest is lower;
3. Double taxation encourages corporations to borrow money to finance investment;
4. Encourages corporation structuring as ‘pass-through businesses’;
US corporations have one of the highest corporate tax rates in the industrialized world. The problems caused by high taxation are well known and include, favoring corporations that spend rather than save, encouraging political lobbying in tax policy making, limiting competitiveness, encouraging the migration of US corporations to lower tax countries and double taxation. It is now time we addressed these problems. Doing so successfully would improve US competitiveness, encourage investment, revitalize the jobs market and perhaps, best of all, provide a much needed impetus to US economic growth.
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
On behalf of mankind, I shoved off the sofa and headed to town in need of a story.
I met my quest on the threshold of my forage when I was intercepted by a dude, thirty-something and although drunk, not slurring.
I’m Alexander the Great. What’s your name?
Cleopatra. I think we are going to get along.
Don’t call yourself Cleopatra, you sound like one of the strippers.
Well, Alexander the Great, I’m looking for a story.
I’ll get you a story. Follow me.
Despite his condition he was a handsome young man and I had a feeling he might be worth observing for a bit. When I realized we were headed for the strip club, I balked.
There’ll be no cover charge, I know everybody there. Any case I have to go back to pay my tab. I was in earlier.
Alexander was greeted like a returning hero. Indeed, he knew everyone by first name, even if those names were suspiciously inventive.
We lolled at the bar and chatted with the dancers who were playful with Alexander, despite knowing full well he would not be handing out dollar bills. They didn’t seem to care. It was obvious they liked him.
We assessed asses as if we were shopping for ripe produce at the market. Alexander pointed out the best body belonged to the bartender, a blonde twenty-something who never takes her clothes off yet flashes more than a hint of fulsome breasts.
The nearly naked ladies were mesmerizing with sculptures for bodies. Confidence goes well with high heels and glitter.
So here’s this fellow, this Alexander the Great, a mechanic of a sort, he moved to Key West from some place cold. He came here, as he says, to make money and live a good life. He is three-quarters covered with tattoos that suggest an elaborate and convoluted past. The real story, which I’ll never get. All I mined was he owns his business and is a master of his time. Smart guy. I’m surprised to discover I agree, Alexander is great!
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services in the world, and its user base continues to grow despite an onslaught competition from the likes of Apple Music. Spotify today announced that it has reached a total of 100 million users, up from 75 million a few months ago. The music streaming service now also has the biggest paid subscriber base in the entire industry.
The service has announced that it has more than 30 million users who are paying for its premium service. The vast majority of users – 70 million to be precise – still tune into free but that’s beside the point.
The road ahead is not clear for Spotify as Apple Music remains a looming threat. Apple’s music streaming service was launched last year and it already has more than 13 million paid subscribers. Even Google has become a competitor with Google Play Music and YouTube.
Even Amazon is expected to throw its hat in the ring. Rumor has it that the online retail giant is working on a standalone music streaming service that could be launched later this year. It would arrive in an already crowded market with many services jostling for position.
Despite going live back in 2006 and growing continuously for a decade, Spotify is yet to turn a profit. It pays almost 80 percent of its revenues to record labels and artists who make their music available on Spotify.
Spotify Reaches 100 Million Users , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
From the fictional Lex Luthor to the very real Donald Trump, real estate has often been considered a ripe investment opportunity for successful entrepreneurs. But what differentiates a smart real estate investment from one that’s going to turn into a disaster? What tells the best real estate moguls when to buy and when to sell?
Real estate is a long term investment
If you’re planning on investing in real estate because you think you’ll get rich quick, you need to think again. There have been boom times in real estate history, but the current economy is not one of them. In the 1990s, it was fairly easy to buy a property, make very quick improvements, and then flip the property, making a quick and substantial profit. After the housing bubble burst and the recession of the early part of the decade left the economy running sluggishly, real estate has been one of the last areas to rebound. If you’re looking to invest in real estate, doing your research and moving slowly will be to your benefit.
Learn about past successful investments in your area
Many entrepreneurs find real estate investment success by buying a property, developing it or improving it in ways that add value, and then reselling it. But what improvements are going to add the most value in your area, and which are basically a waste of money that you won’t recoup?
One way to understand the valuation of real estate in your area is to look at local case studies. For example, in Portland, SKB found that they could add value to a building by adding bike lockers and a fitness area in a mixed use building. In New England, however, a very different set of features might be desired. Knowing what business tenants or homeowners want in your area is the first step towards successful investment.
Find a balance between choosing the first property you see and waiting for a unicorn
When you decide to invest in real estate, it can be tempting to snatch up the first property you see. Alternatively, you could draw up a list of the features you need to see before you’re willing to invest, and wait for the rest of your life before finding a building that meets your needs. Neither of these approaches will help you get what you need.
When you start considering investing in real estate, you should draw up a list of the features that you’re looking for, and what your highest priorities are. But understand what is absolutely necessary, and what will be fixable down the road, and what is nice to have, but absolutely unnecessary.
Location is one element of a building you can’t reasonably change
How do we find market problems worth solving? The conception is that business development and product management go hand in hand. An old adage about real estate is to always look for the worst building on the best street to understand the area in which you may be buying. When you are able to buy that building, you get the best chance to build equity, as you’re most likely to be able to improve on your buying price when you go to sell.
If you’re buying the best building on the street, however, you’re going to have a harder time finding ways to improve and build value.
Understand the tax implications
Just like operating any other sort of business, investing in real estate is a business operation. That means that a wide variety of deductions open up to you, possibly including mortgage interest, depreciation, improvements, and operating costs.
If you’ve done your taxes on your own so far, either be prepared to learn the ins and outs of a whole new section of tax regulations as they relate to real estate and business, or considering finding an accountant who is familiar with the real estate business.
Always have a plan
Whenever you look at a building, you should have a plan on how to use it to turn a profit. Whether that involves turning it into housing, or making improvements that allow you to increase tenancy, or understand what is keeping the lot from moving, and knowing what you can develop in order to move forward. Having a clear understanding of the costs associated with development will help you ensure a clear plan without any surprises.
If you’re not sure where to start with valuing real estate and moving forward, talk to your local Chamber of Commerce and look for a mentor in your area.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the world of real estate investment?
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Huawei is bringing its Microsoft Surface competitor to the United States next month. The company has confirmed the release date for its MateBook, it was first unveiled earlier this year at the Mobile World Congress. The 12 inch laptop and tablet hybrid device is claimed by the company to be the lightest 12 inch tablet on the market. Even though it’s a tablet, it can be considered the first laptop that Huawei has ever come out with.
The Huawei MateBook has a 12 inch 2,160 by 1,440 pixel resolution display, it can be configured with core M3, M5, and M7 processors with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of SSD storage. A fingerprint sensor compatible with Windows Hello is onboard as well. The MateBook has an aluminum unibody design.
Customers can also purchase the MateBook’s keyboard for an additional $129. The Stylus costs $59 while the MateDock, with its two USB 3.0 ports, VGA, and HDMI ports costs $89. The notebook ships with Windows 10 Signature Edition in the United States.
Huawei MateBook is available for pre-order starting today. It’s going to be available from other retailers starting July 11th. The base model with a Core M3 processor, 4GB RAM, and 128GB SSD starts at $699. Prices can go over $1,000 for more powerful configurations.
Huawei MateBook U.S. Release Date Confirmed , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
