Who You Gonna Call? Ghostbusters! - The Massachusetts Real ...

My kids (ages 9 and 6) are really into Halloween this year, convincing me into spending over $100 on laughing tombstones, zombies and other decorations at iParty over the weekend. I love Halloween, and enjoy when people go all out on decorating their homes.

But what if your house is truly haunted? Or you are a broker trying to sell a home which may have a paranormal past, like the scene of a murder of suicide? How can you protect yourself from buying a haunted house?

In Massachusetts there?s a law for that! Seriously?.

Under Massachusetts law, real estate brokers and sellers are under no legal obligation to disclose that a property was the site of a felony, suicide or homicide, or has been the site of an alleged ?parapsychological or supernatural phenomenon,? i.e., a haunted house.

Here is the law, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93, section 114:

The fact or suspicion that real property may be or is psychologically impacted shall not be deemed to be a material fact required to be disclosed in a real estate transaction. ?Psychologically impacted? shall mean an impact being the result of facts or suspicions including, but not limited to, the following:

(b) that the real property was the site of a felony, suicide or homicide; and

(c) that the real property has been the site of an alleged parapsychological or supernatural phenomenon.

No cause of action shall arise or be maintained against a seller or lessor of real property or a real estate broker or salesman, by statute or at common law, for failure to disclose to a buyer or tenant that the real property is or was psychologically impacted.


Thus, real estate agents have no legal duty to inform buyers that a house has a paranormal past. (I?m sure some agents would so inform their buyers, but legally buyers are on their own to discover these types of stigmas).

Of course in this digital era, an easy way to determine whether a house is truly ?haunted? is to Google the property address and the last few prior owners and see what comes up. If there was a murder or suicide?or even ghosts? it should reveal itself. Of course you can always hire Ghostbusters.

___________________________________________________

Richard D. Vetstein, Esq. is a Massachusetts real estate attorney. He is debating between dressing up as Darth Vader or the Pirate Jack Sparrow this Halloween.

Related Posts:

Source: http://www.massrealestatelawblog.com/2012/10/15/who-you-gonna-call-ghostbusters-selling-a-haunted-house-and-other-tales-of-the-paranormal/

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GOP, Democrats spar on Warren law license

Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Warren's Office Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren's Office

A former Republican U.S. attorney for Massachusetts who also ran for head of the state GOP is calling for an investigation into Democrat Elizabeth Warren's law license, echoing a charge also raised by Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown.

Warren, a Harvard Law School professor, said McNamara is "just wrong." Democrats accuse Brown of mudslinging.

Warren and Brown are locked in a tight U.S. Senate race.

Francis McNamara, who resigned in 1989 after federal investigators concluded he'd falsely accused former GOP Gov. William Weld of smoking marijuana, said the Massachusetts Bar of Board Overseers should investigate whether Warren "engaged in the unauthorized practice of law."

McNamara argues that because Warren was never admitted to the Massachusetts bar, some of her work may have violated the state's rules of professional conduct for attorneys.

Warren said she's always followed the rules.

"I'm a member of the bar of Texas. I was a member of the bar of New Jersey. I'm a member of the United States Supreme Court bar, I'm a member of several federal bars," Warren said Monday.

"I have always complied with the rules of court whenever I have appeared. Always," she added.

Michael Mone, a lawyer and former president of the Massachusetts Bar Association and former member of the Board of Bar Overseers, said McNamara has it wrong and that Warren broke no rules.

"She is so clearly covered by the applicable rules. To argue to the contrary is silly," said Mone, who is also a Democrat.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Thebostonchannel/local/~3/9e3pV9DcqCw/index.html

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Flood: NAIC begins assessment of claims by farmers

The Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) said on Monday that it had commenced the assessment claims by farmers whose investments were affected by the recent flood disaster in the country.

Mr. Bashir Martins, the Assistant General Manager, Marketing, in the corporation, gave this indication in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

Martins said that farmers who insured their farms with NAIC had started filing their claims.

?Every insured farmer is entitled to indemnity by NAIC. We will compensate genuine farm losses from any insured perils which include flooding.

?Our field men have been alerted to assess the extent of damage on insured farm projects. Some of the affected farmers have reported their losses and we enjoin others to report to the nearest NAIC office.

?It must however, be stressed that only insured farmers will benefit from the Insurance compensation.?

According to him, the company provides insurance cover to individuals and groups of farmers from agricultural risks.

?On the average, we issue 45,000 agricultural policies in a year. We issue one policy to a group of farmers which might contain about 10 to 100 farmers.

Martins explained that apart from paying claims for farm losses, the corporation also provides free extension service to both insured and yet to be insured farmer groups.

?Our key idea is to sensitise farmers on modern farm techniques and risk management practices.? (NAN)

Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/10/flood-naic-begins-assessment-of-claims-by-farmers/

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Hurricane Rafael near Bermuda; Paul threatens Mexico

By The Associated Press

MIAMI ? Forecasters say Hurricane Rafael has formed in the Atlantic Ocean south of Bermuda, hours after Paul rapidly grew into a major Category 3 hurricane in the Pacific off western Mexico.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said in a 6:45 p.m. EDT update Monday that Rafael's top sustained winds had risen to near 75 mph (120 kph), making it the ninth hurricane of the Atlantic season.

Rafael is centered about 560 miles (905 kilometers) south of Bermuda. It is moving north at 10 mph (17 kph) and forecast to pass near or to the east of Bermuda by late Tuesday.

Earlier, forecasters said Paul strengthened to maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 kph) and was 415 miles (670 kilometers) southwest of the tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tbo/news/~3/8xlL6VyIL5k/

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Shot Pakistani girl can recover, UK doctors say

BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) - A Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban has every chance of making a "good recovery", British doctors said on Monday as 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai arrived at a hospital in central England for treatment of her severe wounds.

Yousufzai, 14, shot in the head and neck for advocating education for girls, was flown from Pakistan to receive specialist treatment at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital at a unit expert in dealing with complex trauma cases that has treated hundreds of soldiers wounded in Afghanistan.

"Doctors ... believe she has a chance of making a good recovery on every level," said Dr Dave Rosser, the hospital's medical director, adding her treatment and rehabilitation could take months.

He told reporters she had not yet been assessed by British medics but said she would not have been brought to Britain at all if the chances of her recovering were not good.

Pakistani surgeons removed a bullet from near her spinal cord during a three-hour operation the day after the attack last week, but she now needs intensive specialist follow-up care.

Rosser said they could not provide any further details of her injuries without her agreement. Yousufzai did not come from Pakistan with any of her relatives but the Pakistani Consulate are proving support and her family may join her at a later date.

Yousufzai, a cheerful schoolgirl who had wanted to become a doctor before agreeing to her father's wishes that she strive to be a politician, has become a potent symbol of resistance against the Taliban's efforts to deprive girls of an education.

Pakistanis have held some protests and candlelight vigils but most government officials have refrained from publicly criticising the Taliban by name over the attack, in what critics say is a lack of resolve against extremism.

(Reporting by Alessandra Prentice; Writing by Michael Holden; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shot-pakistani-girl-recover-uk-doctors-170841801.html

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Scientists provide window on space radiation hazards

ScienceDaily (Oct. 15, 2012) ? Astrophysicists from the University of New Hampshire's Space Science Center (SSC) have created the first online system for predicting and forecasting the radiation environment in near-Earth, lunar, and Martian space environments. The near real-time tool will provide critical information as preparations are made for potential future manned missions to the moon and Mars.

"If we send human beings back to the moon, and especially if we're able to go to Mars, it will be critical to have a system like this in place to protect astronauts from radiation hazards," says associate professor of physics Nathan Schwadron of the UNH Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space (EOS), which houses the SSC.

Schwadron is the lead developer of the new web-based tool known as PREDICCS, which for the first time integrates numerical models of space radiation, a host of real-time measurements being made by satellites currently in space, and "propagation codes" that can accurately project radiation levels out as far as Mars. The tool was made possible through NASA's Living With A Star (LWS) Targeted Research and Technology program.

The website provides updates of the radiation environment on an hourly basis and archives the data weekly, monthly, and yearly. This historical record provides a clear picture of when a safe radiation dose limit is reached for skin or blood-forming organs, for example.

Says Schwadron, "What we really need to know is how hazardous this cycle of radiation is. How often do we see large events that have significant risk associated with them? Those questions can only be answered if you're continually building up the database of events and the risk associated with them."

He notes further that the space science community has traditionally viewed radiation hazards in space as a "showstopper" and that until PREDICCS there has never been an extremely accurate, nearly real-time means of challenging that.

"There hasn't been enough work done to ask, 'Is it really a showstopper and, if so, why, and what are the problems we need to solve so that it isn't a showstopper?'"

That work has now been done, and the proof is in PREDICCS.

Among other satellite measurements used by PREDICCS are solar energetic particle data from the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) instrument on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. CRaTER, whose principal investigator is Harlan Spence, director of EOS and a co-developer of PREDICCS, has made the most accurate and comprehensive measurements of radiation at the moon since the dawn of the space age.

During several recent large solar events in which the sun, waking from an unusually long quiet period, sent billions of tons of high-energy particles rippling through space, the radiation levels measured by CRaTER as it orbited the moon were matched almost perfectly by PREDICCS.

"For the whopping solar events of January 23 and March 27 of this year, our predictions seem to be within 20 to 30 percent of what was observed, which is incredible. These types of highly accurate comparisons have never been made before," Schwadron says.

CRaTER, which gauges radiation doses using a high-tech material called "tissue-equivalent plastic" that mimics human muscle, has thus not only provided the validation that PREDICCS models are accurate, but has done so in the context of how the radiation data would impact human beings on the moon or on a mission to Mars.

"We needed to accurately assess what the biological impacts are to make the best quantitative comparisons between models and observations," says Schwadron, "and having a system like this in place now is sort of like flying a trial balloon in preparation for a return to the moon and a trip to Mars."

To make its radiation assessments, PREDICCS integrates two radiation environment models, including the Earth-Moon-Mars Radiation Environment Module (EMMREM) developed at UNH.

"Complex applications like EMMREM are able to leverage observations from all relevant space missions," notes NASA's Madhulika Guhathakurta, LWS program scientist.

A blog has been developed for PREDICCS that allows people to understand how the tool works and how to interpret the various graphs of radiation dosage.

Note's Schwadron, "For the first time people are able to see the affects of space radiation playing out in near real-time, and this opens a new window to an otherwise invisible world."

To view the PREDICCS website, visit http://prediccs.sr.unh.edu/.

The goal of the LWS is to develop the scientific understanding needed for the U.S. to effectively address those aspects of the connected sun-Earth system that may affect life and society. The program's Targeted Research and Technology objectives can be achieved by data analysis, theory and modeling, and the development of tools and methods.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

Read more: http://www.unh.edu/news/releases/2012/oct/bp15radiation.cfm#ixzz29OLyEbI7

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/shY_6zxLzb4/121015131811.htm

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DRIVEN: Toyota Camry 2.5V Test Drive Report

The Toyota Camry is a car ?enthusiasts? love to hate. It?s an uncle car, big and boring, overpriced and underspecced, they say. Rubbish, some might add. For an online reviewer to say that it?s decent would be akin to running across a firing line. Online? Without the scrutiny of active feedback from you, dear readers, papers and car mags can get away with almost anything.

Anyway, we believe there?s a car for everyone, and one that?s not to your personal taste doesn?t make it a bad car. After drving this XV50 Camry 2.5V for few days, not only am I quite fond of it, I now fully understand why the Camry is such a popular car, the default big sedan that racks up sales Koreans dream about in our part of the world.

First, let?s get some niggles out of the way. There?s no Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) available, even on our range topping RM180,900 2.5V. This is either very stingy or a big oversight on Toyota?s part, especially when the previous Camry had it. Needs to be rectified for the facelift, if not sooner.

Looks wise, I prefer the quiet elegance of the previous model (pre-facelift was even smoother) than the sharper ?more dynamic? lines of this Camry. Could be just me, but it looks a little forced. Perhaps they wanted to incorporate ?more Lexus? into the image, but those who prioritise eye-catching design won?t be looking this way, not with the Sonata and Optima in town.

The chiselled new face, dominated by that huge chromed grille, is bolder but a bit fussy, and those LED strips below the fog lamps can?t be anything but an afterthought. There?s more adventure then you?d expect from Toyota?s designers though ? there?s an arc that rises from the headlamps, diving down to meet the rising belt line for a signature character stroke.

Another unique cue is the way the car?s sides don?t meld into the front and rear surfaces, and are instead ?cut off? quite severely. Toyota calls this ?aero corner design? and it helps simplify air flow, aiding aerodynamics along with the discreet ?aero stabilising fin? behind the wing mirrors and under-floor covers.

Moving inside, I like the simplicity of this new dashboard. Same amount of functions, via less buttons ? a completely opposite approach from the Honda Accord.

Another plus point for me is the rich meter panel, now incorporating a fuel-consumption section (needle for average FC, light bar for instantaneous) and a two-tier trip meter. When the latter shows average FC and range, I rarely need to jog it via the steering buttons. And like most new cars, an ECO light is included to coach your right foot.

It has to be said though that the more spartan feel (?feel? because there are no less functions than before) and plain black plastic on the centre stack do little to add to the impression of luxury, something that the previous car did better. Points are clawed back with the stitched dashboard, stereo knobs with fine cut surfacing and a richly-lined handphone slot below the AC panel.

If wood is a must, then they?ve done all they can to make the cabin look ?younger? compared to the previous Camry and the Nissan Teana. The black-beige colour combo is right for me, especially in a car like this. The lighter hue provides an expansive feel, while the contrasting black (dashboard, steering, door caps) adds dynamism. Better than the Teana?s different shades of beige theme, I think.

Let?s not forget the Camry specials. Things like a powered rear blind, manual rear window blinds and shoulder switches give the Camry a touch of limo appeal. The latter is located on the side of the front passenger seat, allowing the driver to adjust that seat electrically without bending over and stretching. Ferrying the family over the weekend, I used it often.

Speaking of limo appeal, rear occupants can really sit back and relax, like a boss. Besides the features above, the Camry?s front passenger headrest can be folded down for a better view.

The rear bench seating position is good (base not too low, seat back angle not too reclined) and there?s plenty of knee and legroom, more than before thanks to reshaped front seat backs and centre console, which houses air vents. The Camry?s exterior dimensions, 2,775 mm wheelbase included, are unchanged, but packaging has been improved to realise better cabin space.

Kit wise, our 2.5V came with niceties like HID projectors (across the range), eight-way powered seats with electric lumbar for the driver, touch-screen DVD-AVN system with USB, AUX, Bluetooth and reverse camera, front and side airbags, plus keyless entry with push start button.

Good stuff, but for the money, I would have liked an anti-glare rear view mirror (current one is a thin, cheap looking unit) and wing mirrors that auto fold along with the keyless entry. There?s also no auto headlamps and wipers.

Much has been said about the rise of the Koreans, who are doing a great job, but this new Camry is proof (or rather reminder) that Toyota really knows how to make a big sedan work. No edgy design or fancy glass roof here, just a very comfortable and effortless cruiser.

The 2AR-FE 2.5-litre engine (Dual VVTi, 181 PS, 231 Nm) is very well insulated and smooth revving, and the way it picks up speed with that strong mid range is impressive.

Same goes for the silky six-speed auto gearbox, which is a good balance between smoothness and speed ? changing gears is not so sharp till you feel it, but it does not overlap and slur its way around either. Judgement and perception is very good, which is why I never felt the need to use manual mode.

There?s a slickness and effortlessness to this drivetrain that?s missing in say, a Hyundai Sonata, which is more rough around the edges, and the hushed way the Camry goes about its business should appeal to more in this segment than charismatic nemesis Honda Accord.

The Camry is a smooth operator, which is why I was surprised at the higher than expected vibration at idle, which isn?t in character. Could be an isolated case, but even if not, I reckon that it?s not something that many would notice, only because we?re serial testers.

Some might say that the Camry has always been smooth. True, but it has never been this competent when hustled. The big Toyota is still not a driver?s car, or even as nice to drive hard down a B-road than an Accord, but it doesn?t feel as uncomfortable as before should you insist.

The steering has surprising weight to it, too. Not much feel, but its precision and weight alone makes the Camry a sharper tool than before. Trunk road driving is not a nightmare as many keen drivers would expect ? tyres squeal very early on, and there?s quite a bit of roll, but body control is decent.

Ride comfort is good, and the primary high-speed ride isn?t disconcertingly floaty. Road and wind noise are very well insulated, adding to the XV50?s mile munching cruiser appeal. The Camry has always been a smooth operator, but this time around, the dynamics have caught up a little.

Living with it for a few days, I can understand why the Camry is so popular with the conservative buyer. It?s not the most exciting player around (far from it), there are spec (too low) and price (too high) issues, and there?s that image problem with younger folks; but Toyota understands what the bulk of D-segment buyers want, and executes the plan well, on the 2.5V at least.

Of course, there?s also the strong resale value and service network the brand commands, things that are high up the priority list of many car buyers. I?m pleasantly surprised. It won?t appeal to the enthusiast but for it?s target market, the uncle never had it this good.

The Camry does well in matters that the target buyer wants and can perceive. But everyone thinks bad things only happen to the next guy, and the lack of demand of stability control even in this RM150k-RM200k segment (and hence the removal of this feature in all variants of the Camry for whatever reasons) shows how alarmingly uneducated Malaysian buyers are about safety features. Toyota seriously needs to add VSC stability control back into this car with the facelift.

?

Source: http://paultan.org/2012/10/15/driven-toyota-camry-2-5v-test-drive-report/

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Ravens fear Webb has torn ACL? |? Lewis also hurt

Robert Griffin IIIAP

The Vikings proved they were mortal, Robert Griffin III proved he had no complications from last week?s concussion, and the Redskins proved they could win at home.

An early interception was nearly the only mistake Griffin made, leading the Redskins to a 38-26 win over the Vikings, snapping an eight-game home losing streak that dated back to September 2011 and pushing them to 3-3.

Griffin finished the game in style, turning a four-minute offense scramble into a 76-yard touchdown, capping a brilliant final three quarters.

He finished the game with 13 carries for 138 yards and two touchdowns, with another 182 passing yards and a score.

For the Vikings (4-2), the problem was clear. Their first four trips to the red zone yielded four Blair Walsh field goals, and their defense had no answers for Griffin once the first quarter ended.

There was a moment when Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder looked nothing like the efficient guy who didn?t throw a single pick in the first four games. He now has four in the last two games, including one Sunday returned for a touchdown by Madieu Williams, and one in the last minute which didn?t matter all that much.

But after the pick-six, he responded with a pair of touchdown drives, giving the Vikings a shot after they trailed by 19.

Percy Harvin was brilliant (11 catches for 133 yards) and Adrian Peterson was good (17 carries for 79 yards).

But in the end, Griffin was back, and he was the difference.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/14/ravens-fear-lardarius-webb-has-torn-acl-mri-monday/related/

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Home Care Bridgewater, NJ: Health Screenings You Need as a Senior

The month of October welcomes the seasonal changes of fall, Halloween and most importantly, Breast Cancer Awareness month. States across the nation host breast cancer walks and other fundraisers that not only serve to increase awareness but also to encourage donations towards the prevention of breast cancer. Thanks to these efforts, breast cancer awareness has increased over the years. Many lives have been saved because women of all ages are learning the importance of receiving regular mammograms to detect the disease early on.

As men and women alike grow older, there are other health screenings that become important for seniors to have. Some of these tests are well known but some may not be. This is a compiled list of screenings as well as immunizations that seniors need in order to maintain good health with age based on recommendations from the National Institute of Aging and the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force.

Health screenings for both men and women age 50 and older:

Blood pressure and cholesterol levels should be tested regularly.
Diabetes tests should be administered for those who have high blood pressure.
Colorectal cancer screenings are important, especially if cancer runs in the family.
Vision tests help detect diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts.
Hearing screenings can be important to determine whether seniors need aids.
Depression evaluations are also important as seniors experience important life changes that come with age, such as the loss of a spouse.
Vaccinations such as the flu shot can be life saving for older adults. Other vaccinations to discuss with health care providers include pneumonia, tetanus, shingles and whooping cough.

Health screenings for senior women according to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center:

Mammograms should be ordered for women 50 and older every 1-3 years.
Cervical cancer testing should be administered every 3 years in women between the ages of 50-65.
Osteoporosis screenings for women 65 and over are important to detect bone strength. If osteoporosis runs in the family, these tests should begin at age 60.

Health screenings for senior men:

Abdominal aortic aneurism testing should be administered to men between 65-75 years old who smoke. This includes smokers who have quit by this age. This is a one-time test that can be a lifesaver for those who are positively diagnosed with this condition.

Regular visits to health care providers is key in determining how often the above screenings should be administered. While most average about once a year, some screenings are required more often and maybe less often depending on individual stages of health.
References:
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (2010). Screening tests: which one do i need? Retrieved on September 20, 2012 from http://www.bidmc.org/YourHealth/
HealthNotes/ScreeningTestsYouNeed/ForSeniors/ScreeningTestsWhichOnesDoINeed.aspx.Porter, Donica M.D. (2010). Your hearing is your lifeline to the world. Retrieved on September 20, 2012 from
http://www.bidmc.org/YourHealth/HealthNotes/
ScreeningTestsYouNeed/ForSeniors/YourHearingIsYourLifelinetotheWorld.aspx.Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (2010). Over 65? get your vision checked. Retrieved on September 20, 2012 from
http://www.bidmc.org/YourHealth/
HealthNotes/ScreeningTestsYouNeed/ForSeniors/Over65GetYourVisionChecked.aspx.

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Home Care?counselors at?Comfort Keepers?are available to talk with you about your Home Care?needs including how to reduce?caregiver?stress while providing better, affordable Home Care. We are an?elder care?agency providing Home Care in Bridgewater NJ, and the surrounding areas.

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Source: http://www.seniorhomecarenj.com/home-care-bridgewater-nj-health-screenings-you-need-as-a-senior/

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