Friday, November 30, 2007

Will Cancer Cause Us to Alter Workplace Hours?

Studies are showing that sleep provides the body with strength to fight cancer. And conversely then, disruptions in our sleep and with our internal clocks weaken our resistance to cancer.

Will OSHA ban night shifts? What about police, overnight transport, nighttime security services, will these all be required to alter procedures to lessen the carcinogenic consequences of night shifts?

Will our "Open 24 Hours" country have to start setting curfews?

These studies are still in their early years, but significant between sleep and many health issues are being found. Things such as breast cancer research involving light.

Studies are also involving the gene that regulates the internal clock, and what affects it.

Other studies explore how high fat diets disrupt the clock, and how sleep disorders have serious consequences to one's health.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Eminent Domain Challenge in Wilmington

A recent Chancery Court action was filed seeking to stop the City of Wilmington from seizing private property under the Slum Clearance Redevelopment Act (31 Del.C. 4501, et seq). It is alleged that the politicians of Wilmington are being used as pawns by the developer, with the promise of creating a higher tax basis. It is also reportedly alleged that the area sought to be condemned and seized is not an urban blight area, using the developer's own headquarters as an example, as it is inside the proposed seizure area.

The expansive use of eminent domain puts us on a slippery slope. At the bottom of the heap, along with the ethics of many politicians, are our liberty and property rights, along with the failed experiments with communism.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Register Of Wills Increases Fees

While a 40% rate hike (from 1.25% to 1.75%) might at first glance seem extreme, the recent Register of Wills closing cost increase is in most cases modest, and in any case, long over due.

The New Castle County Register of Wills is the most user friendly government office that I have dealt with. I applaud them. The rate hike is effective for estates where the date of death is on or after July 1, 2007.

Please consult an attorney to get an accurate explanation of how this might effect any given particular estate, or estate plan.

Watch Out for Skimmers

Some local ATM's have been fitted with Skimmers to steal your bank account information when you access the ATM. Be cautious when using an ATM. If the swiping mechanism looks larger than normal, or otherwise different, go somewhere else. The News Journal reported these problems in Bear.