Kirk Douglas and his wife, Anne, are pledging $50 million to five nonprofits this week, including a $5 million chunk to St. Lawrence University, from where Douglas graduated in 1939.
WWNY TV 7 reports that the donations will come through the Douglas Foundation and, in the case of St. Lawrence University, will be the largest endowed scholarship ever made. The money will go towards a scholarship started by the film legend at the University in 1999.
The Kirk Douglas Scholarship was set up to support students who represent diversity, have financial need and demonstrate excellence in academics and leadership. Previously only available to juniors and seniors, the premier scholarship will now be available to all four classes.
Kirk and Anne Douglas have lent extensive financial support to the actor?s old school; their latest donation takes their total contributions to St. Lawrence to almost $7.5 million. Back in 2008, the film icon said:
?I?m giving something back to the school, because I think every person should try to make the world better any way that they can.?
In a statement thanking the couple for their contribution, College President William L. Fox gushed:
?We deeply appreciate their dedication and generosity to the University and the opportunity their scholarship is providing for so many students.?
Kirk Douglas was named one of the 50 greatest screen legends of all time by the American Film Institute, and has appeared in more than 85 films down the decades, making his debut in 1946?s The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. He appeared in classics such as Spartacus, Gunfight at the OK Corral, Lust for Life and Lonely Are the Brave. In recognition of his glittering career, Douglas received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981 and an honorary Academy Award in 1995.
Together with Anne Douglas, he founded the LA-based Douglas Foundation in 1964. The organisation primarily focuses on health and educational programs.
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VIEW price of Franklin Sports Recreational 4 Player Badminton Set
Picture of Franklin Sports Recreational 4 Player Badminton Set
Product Description
The Franklin Sports Recreation Badminton set includes 4 tempered steel "Tightstring" racquets, 61" assembled height poles with net, 2 shuttlecocks and a carry bag. This set is perfect for beginner players. Great backyard fun!
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #28835 in Sports & Outdoors
Brand: Franklin
Model: 3341S1/03
Released on: 2011-01-31
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: 27.00" h x 9.00" w x 2.50" l,
Features
Includes 4 tempered steel "Tightstring" rackets strung with Hy-sheep racquet string, includes 2 yellow shuttlecocks
Net is 20' X 1.5' X 1.5", also includes 4 net-saver net clips
Poles are .75" diameter octagon, virgin PVC with 61" assembled height
Also includes 6 yellow styrene ground stakes, 2 top and 2 middle guy ropes and 3 sided tape construction
Includes carry bag
*Why don?t we show the price of Franklin Sports Recreational 4 Player Badminton Set? Because our price may lower than the manufacturer?s suggested retail price, the manufacturer does not allow us to show you our price until you click to see price...
Capital One settlement means bank will pay service members at least $125,000 for unlawful foreclosures, $10,000 for repossessed cars. Those denied credit card benefits will also be reimbursed in Capital One settlement.
By Pete Yost,?Associated Press / July 28, 2012
In this May file photo, a Capital One Bank office is shown in New York. A new Capital One settlement with the Justice Department will reimburse members of the military who had their homes or cars wrongfully seized.
Mark Lennihan/AP/File
Enlarge
The Justice Department says?Capital?One?has agreed to pay $12 million to resolve allegations the bank violated special protections in federal law for members of the military.
Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition
The government says?Capital?One?wrongfully foreclosed?on?some homes and improperly repossessed some cars. In addition, the government says the bank obtained wrongful court judgments against some service members and improperly denied interest rate relief?on?some credit card and car loans.
In a settlement under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act,?Capital?One?will pay at least $125,000 to each service member whose home was unlawfully foreclosed upon and at least $10,000 to each service member whose vehicle was unlawfully repossessed.
Capital?One?will provide $5 million to service members denied appropriate benefits?on?credit card accounts, auto and consumer loans.
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Advancements in science and technology have created a whole new world for job seekers. With new inventions, more and more skilled people are required to operate the systems created. It?s important for job seekers and students to identify special skills that are constantly in demand by businesses.
The most available jobs for 2012 in various sectors include the following:
1) System Analyst Salary range: $48,360-$119,070
The minimum qualification is a bachelor?s degree in any computer related field. To improve or update skills, the person must invest valuable time in learning business systems analysis. With developments in the IT Sector, more and more offices are now seeking to use networking systems. Whether it?s a large corporation or a small business, business solutions and other software have proved to be more effective . Network system analysts are in demand to install and maintain networking systems.
Although you can find a job with just a two year degree, it?s better to take the four years to earn a Bachelor?s degree in computer software engineering. With the growth of the IT sector, the demand for software engineers has also increased. Software engineers analyze user demands and create software designs to meet those demands. There?s a lot of scope for innovations in developing and designing software programs to suit various professions.
Make sure you obtain the required education and knowledge at the right time to make the most out of your skills
The minimum educational requirement is a bachelor?s degree in computer science or management systems. MBAs and certificates from database platforms, allow one to transfer skills from one company to another, which can be a valuable asset on your resume. Most offices need easy access to relevant data. Database administrators use special software to store, update and retrieve data as needed and when required. They need to be knowledgeable about the available software for specific tasks. They also need to be familiar with features of the database system that the office uses. A database administrator could even work online or as a virtual assistant.
To begin practice, an occupational therapist needs a master?s degree from an accredited university. Occupational therapists are trained to help others with a mental, physical, developmental and/or psychological condition(s). They?re able to help patients with specific problem areas by encouraging a positive attitude, identifying their potential skills and re developing self confidence so that they can continue life to the fullest. Occupational therapists are needed in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools and even by patients individually for career advice.
5) Dentist Average Salary: $142,090
A degree in Dentistry and license to practice needed. Oral health and hygiene is an issue that most people are concerned with nowadays. the demand for dentists or dental hygienists is increasing. Dentists could make a good earning by setting up their own clinics or associating with other health care centres as the number of people visiting dentists is considerable.
6) Medical assistants Salary range: ?$20,810-$40,190
They need vocational training from colleges or high schools. With growth in the healthcare sector, medical practitioners will be needing qualified persons to assist in clinical and administrative tasks. Ophthalmologists, physicians, chiropractors and other medical practitioners typically appoint medical assistants to manage their practice routines.
It requires a minimum master?s degree to begin practice as a physical therapist. Athletes, sports persons, amputees or stroke victims may find themselves in adverse physical conditions. Physical therapists are skilled in helping such persons to improve motion, muscular strength and coordination to regain their mobility. this profession is already in demand in the healthcare sector and is likely to remain so in the coming years.
Salary range details have been taken from money.usnews.com. There are many other avenues that can be explored for a career. Today, the combination of healthier, longer lives, and the global market growth increasing competition, allows careers ranging from health care professionals to strategy makers are available for those who want to enjoy their work and make a great living. Make sure you obtain the required education and knowledge at the right time to make the most out of your skills in order to beat the recession.
Shelly Verma is an avid business writer touching on topics from higher education, career improvement, self-help and home improvement.
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Here is what I'm doing tonight for the first time since 1996, taking a fencing lesson! My husband is actually coming home from work early so that can drive to another town to start fencing. I can't think of a more romantic gesture for a Mom in the middle of a colic battle with our youngest child. He is amazing!
The budget is tight in the Benjamin household and I am an extreme couch potato. Sports has never really been my "thing." However, fencing is not a post-baby gym workout for me. Fencing is one of the coolest activities ever invented.
Here's what I learning this month--Recreation is vital to a spiritual warrior. My bff St. Teresa of Avila made it mandatory for her Carmelite convents--and remember these are the girls who wore horse blankets for habits! Fluff wasn't exactly on their daily schedule.
Here's what I've finally started to discover in my fifth year of nursing colicky babies. Recreation is not "blowing off steam" after a hard day of mothering. Recreation isn't date night. Recreation isn't "Me Time". Recreation isn't selfish.
Not really sure what a holy "recreation time" looks like, other than a small but important part of my week where I get to shrug off the demands of my vocation and do something that I enjoyed purely for fun as a young girl. My husband has found fishing recently. ?He comes back from his fishing trips with an extra sparkle in his eye. I hope I get the same lift from my Fencing Class tonight! But I know if it isn't Fencing, my recreation time will be something else.
God doesn't want me to have fun in every moment (gotta to get those spiritual muscles in shape somehow) but He does want me to have a reliable bit of spiritually healthy fun in some moments.
Genomic study of Africa's hunter-gatherers elucidates human variation and ancient interbreeding
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Human diversity in Africa is greater than any place else on Earth. Differing food sources, geographies, diseases and climates offered many targets for natural selection to exert powerful forces on Africans to change and adapt to their local environments. The individuals who adapted best were the most likely to reproduce and pass on their genomes to the generations who followed.
That history of inheritance is written in the DNA of modern Africans, but it takes some investigative work to interpret. In a report to be featured on the cover of the Aug. 3 issue of the journalCell, University of Pennsylvania geneticists and their colleagues analyze the fully sequenced genomes of 15 Africans belonging to three different hunter-gatherer groups and decipher some of what these genetic codes have to say about human diversity and evolution.
The study, led by Sarah Tishkoff, a Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor with appointments in the School of Arts and Sciences' biology department and the Perelman School of Medicine's genetics department, tells several stories.
It identifies several million previously unknown genetic mutations in humans. It finds evidence that the direct ancestors of modern humans may have interbred with members of an unknown ancestral group of hominins. It suggests that different groups evolved distinctly in order to reap nutrition from local foods and defend against infectious disease. And it identifies new candidate genes that likely play a major role in making Pygmies short in stature.
"Our analysis sheds light on human evolution, because the individuals we sampled are descended from groups that may have been ancestral to all other modern humans," Tishkoff said. "A message we're seeing is that even though all the individuals we sampled are hunter-gatherers, natural selection has acted differently in these different groups."
Joining Tishkoff in the work from Penn was first author Joseph Lachance as well as Clara Elbers, Bart Ferwerda and Timothy Rebbeck. Their collaborators include Benjamin Vernot, Wenqing Fu and Joshua Akey of the University of Washington; Alain Froment of France's Mus?e de L'Homme; Jean-Marie Bodo of Cameroon's Minist?re de la Recherche Scientifique et de l'Innovation; Godfrey Lema and Thomas B. Nyambo of Tanzania's Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences; and Kun Zhang of the University of California at San Diego.
The researchers sequenced the genomes of five men from each of three hunter-gatherer groups: the Hadza and the Sandawe of Tanzania and the Western Pygmies of Cameroon. The three differ greatly from one another in appearance, in language, in the environments they occupy and in cultural practices, though the Hadza and the Sandawe live just 200 kilometers apart.
"We purposefully picked three of the most diverse hunter-gatherer groups," Tishkoff said, "because they have not been very well represented in other genome sequencing projects, which tend to focus on majority populations in Africa. This is a unique and important dataset."
The researchers used a method that involves sequencing each strand of DNA more than 60 times on average. This redundancy makes the sequencing highly accurate, giving the geneticists confidence that any mutations they identify are real and not errors. Scanning these sequences, the researchers found 13.4 million genetic variants, or locations in the genome where a single nucleotide differed from other human sequences; at the time they were discovered, 5 million were new to science.
"It was awe-inspiring," Lachance, a postdoctoral researcher, said, "to find millions of new variants that we never knew existed in our species. It's humbling but invigorating to think about how to make sense of all this diversity."
Only about 72,000 of these variants were in regions of the DNA that code for genes. The rest were in non-coding regions, which may influence how and whether genes are expressed.
"Our study underscores the importance of noncoding regions of the genome, particularly for regulating gene expression," Tishkoff said. "That has important implications for anyone doing biomedical research because, if they're only looking at the coding regions, they're missing information that may be critically important for normal human variation as well as disease susceptibility."
The researchers also used the genomes to investigate ancient human interbreeding.
Using a statistical method, the team detected partial sequences in all three populations that appear to have derived from a hominin different from Homo sapiens. Much as recent studies have found evidence that modern humans interbred with Neanderthals, these new findings suggest that the ancestors of modern humans in Africa mated with individuals from another hominin lineage. This archaic lineage appears to have diverged from the modern human lineage several hundred thousand years ago, around the same time that Neanderthals diverged from Homo sapiens.
"Fossils degrade fast in Africa so we don't have a reference genome for this ancestral lineage," Akey said, "but one of the things we're thinking is it could have been a sibling species to Neanderthals."
Evidence of interbreeding with an archaic lineage, known as introgression, was found in all three groups tested.
"Given that introgression is present in these very diverse groups," Vernot said, "I think we can now say that this seems to be a pretty universal aspect of human history."
In an additional analysis, the researchers looked for major differences among the genomes of the three groups, signs that the populations evolved differently to adapt to their specific environments. Among the variations that stood out were genes related to immune-system function, smell and taste. These findings suggest that adaptations to local diseases and local foods were important in how the groups evolved.
Finally, building on previous research from Tishkoff and colleagues that sought an explanation for why Pygmies are all short ? men standing only 4'11" on average ? the researchers looked for variants that were common in the Pygmies of Cameroon but rare or absent in the other groups. They found several genes located near these mutations that act on the pituitary gland, a "master regulator" responsible for metabolism, growth, sexual development and immunity.
"We would have never found these strong candidate genes for short stature," Lachance said, "if we hadn't looked at multiple genomic sequences from these isolated populations. It hints at the power of what you can do when you sample multiple genomes and compare them at a population scale."
Tishkoff's group plans to sequence the genomes from more Africans ? a task that new technology has made faster and cheaper than ever before ? to increase their sample size. With more genomic data, scientists will better their understanding of how evolution acted on humans throughout the last several hundred thousand years and even how certain mutations may predispose certain people to disease.
"Our study emphasizes the critically important role of next-generation genome sequencing for elucidating the genetic basis of both normal variable traits in humans as well as identifying the genetic basis of human disease risk," Tishkoff said.
###
University of Pennsylvania: http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews
Thanks to University of Pennsylvania for this article.
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BERLIN (Reuters) - Two German entrepreneurs have devised a way for passive-aggressive citizens to blow off some steam - dial a telephone number and give the person on the other end a verbal lashing.
The swearing hotline, know as "Schimpf-los" ("swear away") in German, has operators standing by seven days a week for frustrated individuals to jeer at and taunt using the most unsavoury language they can muster.
"We don't judge people who are angry," said Ralf Schulte, who set up the hotline with his fellow media services provider Alexander Brandenburger.
"It happens. It's natural. With us you can blow off steam no strings attached," 41-year-old Schulte told Reuters.
The creators of the service found inspiration in their own stressful daily routines. The way Schulte sees it, he is doing people a favour by providing a release for pent-up aggravation and helping to avoid altercations in the workplace or at home.
"If you're stressed out at work, you go home and your partner gets an earful," he said. "Even though it's not her fault."
When callers are not creative in their cursing, or find themselves tongue-tied, operators on the hotline prod them with cheeky provocations like: "That's the third time I've heard that today - is that all you've got?"
The service costs 1.49 euros per minute - a figure Schulte feels is completely justified. "For getting everything off your chest, it's a bargain."
(Reporting by Chris Cottrell; Editing by Stephen Brown)
* Bad news for megabanks:?Ex-Citi chief, creator of financial supermarket Sandy Weill wants to break up big banks.?"What we should probably do is go and split up investment banking from banking, have banks be deposit takers, have banks make commercial loans and real estate loans, have banks do something that's not going to risk the taxpayer dollars, that's not too big to fail."?And why the glory days of big banks are probably over.
* LIBOR update:?British bank Lloyd's gets a subpoena.?Europe wants to criminalize rate manipulation?
* Geithner plays defense on LIBOR.?Congressman Scott Garrett:?"You have been before this committee countless numbers of times since 2008 and if this is the crime of the century, as so many people are reporting today, never once did you ever once come and mention it as being a problem."
* Insider trading fallout:?Kinnucan pleads guilty.?Nomura Bank head Watanabe steps down.?
* Central bank watch:?Policy makers seek new ways to combat the global economic slowdown.
* Bo Xilai developments:?Bo's wife Gu Kailai prosecuted for murder.
* Barry Diller to stop the presses:?Mogul sees Newsweek becoming an online-only publication.
* How does Brown feel about soda?:?NYC Mayor Bloomberg holds fundraiser for Scott Brown.
* The Return of Rove:?From political strategist powerhouse to media wise man and back again.
* Russian spies:?They were grooming children.
* Super yachts come to the Olympics.?"If you have a medal you can come on board."
* Divorce, now with federal investigators.?Woman files RICO charges against hedge funder ex-husband.
If you?re one of the huge numbers of people of any age, from young adults to elderly people, that suffer Air Jordan from asthma attack, don?t get worried. There are numerous quick and easy approaches explained in the following paragraphs that can help you conquer your signs or symptoms, get a lean body, and prevent it from taking over your daily life.
If you suffer from asthma, you might like to check when you have any allergies to specific food products or even your environment. There are many stuff that could contribute including household pets, cleaning up items, feather pillows or bed, even particular perfumes. Dairy products in addition to highly processed foods like white-colored flour and sugar probable triggers.
Carry your air for three to five moments if you use an inhaler. Typically, asthma victims will not take advantage of the full result of the inhalers mainly because they Air Jordan snap them to their oral cavity and respiratory system like some sort of breathing freshener. As an alternative to carrying this out, bring the medicine into your respiratory system and maintain it till your breathing passages set out to available.
When your physician prescribes you with a preventive inhaler, apply it! Take into account your preventative inhaler to be a part of your day-to-day pharmaceutical regimen, as with every other treatment. Should you don?t make use of the inhaler, the prescription medication it contains can?t help you. As well as, in case your physician can?t rely on you to definitely get your prescription drugs, they can?t efficiently deal with your asthma attack.
Start and stick with an ordinary exercise routine Air Jordan that will help you overcome your asthma attack. Be aware of how your symptoms of asthma impacts your actual capabilities, but keep productive. This assists your stamina and lung potential and also functions as a stress comfort. As being an aspect gain, regular exercise increases your overall health, making it easier to manage a long-term issue like asthma.
Don?t hesitate to try substitute methods for controlling your asthma attack. Workout routines like relaxation and yoga exercise not only supply health and fitness benefits, nonetheless they will help you to concentrate your inhaling and exhaling and chill out your system. Yoga has been found being just about the most powerful methods for conditioning your respiratory system.
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The Singapore office of Watson, Farley & Williams LLP announced that it has advised Brunei Gas Carriers Sdn Bhd on the raising of US$170 million to fund the acquisition of one 155,000m3 newbuild LNG vessel.
The vessel will be chartered under a long term charter to Brunei LNG Sdn Bhd. WFW also advised BGC on the shipbuilding contract, shipping services agreements and charter documents for the newbuild LNG vessel.
BGC, incorporated in Brunei Darussalam and a well-established LNG vessel owner, has arranged a long-term Islamic financing facility of up to US$170 million with a syndicate of financiers consisting of Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Berhad, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (Malaysia) Berhad, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Europe Limited. The facility is centered around an Istisna ? Ijara structure.
The transaction was led by partner Chris Lowe who was assisted by associates Shawn Er and Dan Saunders and trainee solicitor Su Lin Khor.
Partner Chris Lowe said: ?This transaction marks our continued involvement in the financing of BGC?s existing fleet. We were delighted to work with BGC again.?
You may be protected from the sun, but is your furniture?
If I?m going to a Rockies game or taking a hike in the mountains, there?s usually a small arsenal of sunscreen coming with me.
I don?t want to wind up looking like a tomato, so I reapply throughout the day and protect my face with a hat and sunglasses.
The threat of a nasty sunburn helps us remember to protect our skin, but what about our houses? They might not turn red and start asking for aloe, but our houses and furniture are both susceptible to sun damage, just like we are.
While you don?t want to start mixing SPF 30 into your carpet, there are a few simple ways to protect different parts of your house from the sun.
Here?s How:
1. Outdoor patio. This area generally gets a lot of sunshine, so your patio furniture can fade, bleach, crack and dull over time. To prevent damage, consider investing in weather covers to protect your patio furniture when it?s not in use. You can also purchase an outdoor furniture protector spray for about $10 at your local hardware store. If you have aluminum patio furniture, try using car wax as a protector.
2. Living room furniture. If your living room receives a lot of light, the fabric of your furniture can become brittle, and it will break more easily. This is especially true for smoother fabrics like silk. To protect your furniture, pull the blinds during the brightest part of the day. Or, try covering the areas that receive the most sun with a decorative blanket.
3. Rugs. The colors of your rug will fade over time if the rug is placed in a very sunny area. If only part of the rug is getting rays, this will wind up looking a little odd. Rotate your rug end-to-end once a year to balance out any possible color changes.
4. Artwork. Paintings that are displayed in direct sunlight will fade and lose color. Check the location of your paintings to see if they?re getting sun and, if necessary, move them to an area that does not receive direct sunlight. If possible, consider framing your artwork under glass with UV protection.
Chick here to read about additional household smarts during summertime.
Allen Shulman is a veteran homebuilder, proud dad, and floor hockey enthusiast. He co-founded BrightNest, a Denver-based business that gives people the online tools, tips and motivation to keep their homes in great shape.
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Audie Cornish and Robert Siegel note that the first satellite to bounce TV pictures from Europe to the U.S. and back was inaugurated 50 years ago on Monday. Telstar allowed live images to be seen instantly on both sides of the Atlantic.
Copyright ? 2012 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
Fifty years ago on this date, space became TV-friendly. It was one small moment for an orbiting satellite called Telstar 1, one big leap for couch potatoes everywhere.
WALTER CRONKITE: This is North American continent live via AT&T Telstar, July 23, 1962, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time in the East. The New York skyline on the Atlantic Ocean. On the West, 3,000 miles away, San Francisco. Between these two oceans, 180 million Americans have begun another week.
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
That was the late CBS TV news anchor Walter Cronkite, proclaiming a major media moment. The world had already put satellites in Earth orbit, flung chimpanzees and astronauts around the globe, but Telstar was a milestone. It allowed live TV pictures to bounce back and forth between America and Europe.
CRONKITE: Eurovision. Eurovision, we are now putting up our Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor on the left side of our monitor. If you'll please put up your Eiffel Tower in Paris next to it, we're going to wait for your signal that's been completed. We'll go on that signal.
RICHARD DIMBLEBY: Hello, Walter Cronkite. Hello, United States. On my television screen here in Brussels, I have on the left-hand side the Statue of Liberty. On the right-hand side, the Eiffel Tower. They are both together. It's clear. So go, America, go. Go, America, go.
SIEGEL: That was the BBC's Richard Dimbleby, who was on the other end of the line in Europe.
CORNISH: Telstar was the first step to our modern world and, within a month of its debut, the UK band The Tornadoes would score a hit with a song inspired by the communications satellite. Telstar became the first U.S. number one hit by a British group.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TELSTAR")
SIEGEL: This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
Copyright ? 2012 National Public Radio. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to National Public Radio. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.
While the economic conditions of our country seem less than favorable it?s at times like these that opportunity abounds.? Opportunities are available for those positioned to take advantage of them when they arise.? Correct positioning requires that the most important aspect of our life, our thinking, be aligned and on point.? The right mentality makes all the difference in the world in seizing opportunity.
Over the next several weeks I will be addressing the abundant mentality and environmental characteristics of a ?scarcity? mentality that keep us from taking advantage of opportunities that come our way.
In order to set the stage for changing the environmental characteristic and the mentality difference, I must start with our relationship with us. Truthfully, it doesn?t matter what concept we learn, financial strategy we employ, business idea we master if we don?t first understand that we are living a life of purpose and can embrace that purpose with passion.
Without trying to go down the road of preaching, there is a scripture that I think is fitting for this topic.? Jeremiah 29:11 says ?I know what I?m doing. I have it all planned out ? plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hoped for.?
In this passage God is speaking to the Israelites and telling them ?Look I created you with a purpose and my plan for your life is that you fulfill that purpose.
To obtain an abundant mindset we must start with the mindset that we have been created with and are here with a purpose.? Literally, we have been created with great purpose, great creativity and great opportunity in us that is waiting to be explored and developed.? Like a crouching tiger waiting to launch on unsuspecting prey, your purpose in life is waiting to be released.? If we can gain that understanding, it puts abundance in a completely different realm of understanding.? The fact that you have purpose and with that purpose have an obligation, a duty, a responsibility to succeed and be prosperous is life changing.? This world needs what you have to offer.? The products or services or technology that you bring will radically change society and make an impact on all of us. Your life has been created with purpose and when that purpose is fulfilled the beauty of life is truly revealed.? Lives are transformed by you operating in the area you have been designed for.
To create an abundant mentality and to take advantage of all this life has to offer ? you must be able to create a self image of abundance.? Conquering success and gaining financial security demands that something in your thinking change.
The Key to Abundance is in the Mind!
?The biggest obstacle standing in your way is the 6 inches between your ears ? your mind.? Something has to change in your thinking that will allow you to enter the abundant mentality.
As a coach for families and individuals that struggling to make relationships work I have had the fortunate opportunity to work with countless individuals hoping to have a successful relationship.? In these session discussing the dating and marriage relationship, a character quality was revealed that opened my eyes to the key to changing their life and offering them the hope of a successful relationship.? ?Their thinking needed to change!?? I would meet women that met the love of their life, fell in love, got married only to have the marriage end in divorce, then the second relationship would come along, they would fall in love, get married only to have that relationship meet the same fate.? This would happen multiple times before they would reach out for help to try and understand what was going wrong.? The issue was that she was choosing a different man with the same problems.? It wasn?t until something changed in her that she began to look for different things in the men she was dating. ?Once she made that shift in her thinking translated into what she was looking for in him the successful relationship happened.
Having the proper relationship with money does not entail doing the same things you have always done hoping for something different.? Let?s face it you will get the same results.? Failed attempts at success, living in poverty or scarcity, trying to get by wondering what is wrong.
The cycle of relationships doesn?t change until something changes in us, the cycle of money doesn?t change until something changes in us.
There are countless opportunities facing you today.? Whether in business, real estate, new job opportunities, business acquisitions or start ups, none of them are going to be successful if we continue to bring our old thinking and our poor self image ridden with a lack of purpose with us.
It is time to change our relationship with money by understanding the environment we live in and the mentalities we are holding on too that keep us from reaching the success we want.
In the next post I will be dealing with the first of the poor environmental qualities that keep us locked in scarcity ?Background Noise?.? This one area, when improved, can open up the door to endless possibilities.
Just wanted to give you guys the heads up that from now on Totsy is offering FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS OVER $75! That's not a temporary thing - this is from.now.on. Woot! If you don't already shop at Totsy, this is the perfect time to try them out!?Happy Shopping, ladies!
For more information or to sign up for your FREE Totsy account, visit?Totsy.com.I am a compensated member of the Totsy Mom Committee. Affiliate links are used in the above post. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Please refer to this site's?Terms of Use?for more information.
Christine Barton kisses her son Stephen Barton, Sunday, July 22, 2012, at the Medical Center of Aurora, in Aurora, Colo. Stephen Barton, of Southbury, Conn., was wounded Friday when a gunman opened fire at a midnight showing of the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises," in Aurora, where 12 people were killed and dozens more injured. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)
Christine Barton kisses her son Stephen Barton, Sunday, July 22, 2012, at the Medical Center of Aurora, in Aurora, Colo. Stephen Barton, of Southbury, Conn., was wounded Friday when a gunman opened fire at a midnight showing of the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises," in Aurora, where 12 people were killed and dozens more injured. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)
Stephen Barton, of Southbury, Conn., recovers Sunday, July 22, 2012, at the Medical Center of Aurora, in Aurora, Colo. Barton was wounded Friday when a gunman opened fire at a midnight showing of the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises," in Aurora, where 12 people were killed and dozens more injured. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)
Stephen Barton, of Southbury, Conn., talks about his injuries Sunday, July 22, 2012, at the Medical Center of Aurora, in Aurora, Colo. Barton was wounded Friday when a gunman opened fire at a midnight showing of the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises," in Aurora, where 12 people were killed and dozens more injured. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)
Larry Lowak, left, and Sue Greene, parents of Brent Lowak, speaks at the Children's Hospital Colorado, in Aurora, Colo., where their son is recovering from bullet wounds, Sunday, July 22, 2012 in Aurora, Colo. Brent Lowak, 27, is one of six victims of the shootings at the Century Aurora 16 Cineplex being treated at the Children's Hospital Colorado. 12 people were killed and 58 were wounded early Friday morning while attending the opening of "The Dark Knight Rises." The suspected gunman was arrested at the scene shortly after the shootings. Brent was attending the film with close friend Jessica Ghawi, who was killed in the attack. (AP Photo/The Denver Post, Zach Ornitz) TV, INTERNET AND MAGAZINES CALL FOR RATES AND TERMS
Sue Greene, mother of Brent Lowak, 27, shows a picture of her son, at right, with close friend Jessica Ghawi, at the Children's Hospital Colorado, in Aurora, Colo., where her son is recovering from bullet wounds, Sunday, July 22, 2012 in Aurora, Colo. Brent Lowak, is one of six victims being treated at the Children's Hospital Colorado, from the shootings at the Century Aurora 16 Cineplex. 12 people were killed and 58 were wounded early Friday morning while attending the opening of "The Dark Knight Rises." The suspected gunman was arrested at the scene shortly after the shootings. Brent, who is expected to make a full recovery, was attending the film with Ghawi, who was killed in the attack. (AP Photo/The Denver Post, Zach Ornitz) TV, INTERNET AND MAGAZINES CALL FOR RATES AND TERMS
AURORA, Colo. (AP) ? One man remembers the moment he knew his friend's life was ebbing away as she lay bleeding on the floor beside him. Another remembers the shock reflected on people's faces as they watched him stagger past, trying to stanch a bullet wound in his neck.
Some of the 58 injured survivors of a massacre inside a suburban Denver movie theater are recounting the hellish chaos that erupted as a black-clad shooter unleashed two canisters of gas and opened fire during the Friday midnight premiere of "Dark Knight Rises." Twelve people died.
Brent Lowak of Bulverde, Texas, went to the movie with his friend Jessica Ghawi, an aspiring sports journalist who recently moved from Texas to Colorado. Lowak, 27, and Ghawi, 24, were sitting in the sixth or seventh row when Lowak heard the hiss of gas from the canisters, his mother, Sue Greene, said Sunday.
Lowak and Ghawi ducked when they heard the sound, and Ghawi screamed as a bullet pierced her leg, Greene said.
Lowak ? who has been studying to become an EMT ? applied pressure to her wound as she screamed. Then she stopped and Lowak realized she had been shot again, and she was soon dead.
"Only then did he leave her," Greene said in an interview at Children's Hospital Colorado, where her son is listed in serious condition. "They were best friends," she said.
Lowak realized he too had been shot and couldn't walk. He crawled away and managed to find his way to a van taking victims to the hospital.
He took a few steps on Sunday, his first since the shooting, but Greene said she doesn't think he will be well enough to attend a memorial for Ghawi.
"He wants so badly to be well enough to be at her memorial service," Greene said.
Stephen Barton said he didn't realize how badly he was hurt by the gunfire until he saw the look on others' faces.
"I remember people looking at me and their eyes just widening because I was covered in blood," said Barton, 22, who is in serious condition at the Medical Center of Aurora. "Then I realized how bad I must have looked and how serious it was."
Barton and a friend, Ethan Rodriguez-Torrent, both from Southbury, Conn., were six weeks into a cross-country bicycling trip when they pulled into Aurora on Thursday afternoon. They arranged to spend the night at the home of another of Rodriguez-Torrent's friends, and they all went to the movie.
"I never even saw the shooter. He was in black, his gun flashing in front of him," Barton said. "To me, he was and is an inhuman object that I don't associate with as a human being."
Barton tumbled to the floor, hit in the neck and left forearm. He later learned he had other wounds in his arms, face and chest.
Eventually the methodical gunfire stopped and the victims' screams filled the air. "I just thought this was the end for me, this will be the end of my life," Barton said.
He saw people bolting for a door, and he ran with them, out of the theater, through the lobby and into the parking lot, where he was rushed to the hospital.
Rodriguez-Torrent escaped unhurt. Their friend has a brain injury from a gunshot in her face, but doctors are optimistic about her recovery, Barton said. They declined to identify her by name.
Barton and Rodriguez-Torrent might finish their ride to San Francisco next year, leaving from the Aurora movie theater and using the ride to raise money for other victims and their families.
Barton said he will gladly carry the scars from his wounds as a reminder of how precious life is.
"You always think that these tragedies can't happen to you, until you find yourself laying on a movie theater floor covered in blood," he said.
Back in March, "Thor" director Kenneth Branagh entered talks to head to the mother Russia to helm the latest movie featuring Tom Clancy's hero Jack Ryan. With Chris Pine already locked in the starring role, it seemed that the troubled production, which had just lost Jack Bender as director, would finally see the green light. [...]
Sally Ride -- the first American woman to enter space -- died today in California after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
Sally's company, Sally Ride Science, made the announcement. Sally was 61.
Ride joined NASA in 1978, and in 1983 became the first American woman to enter space. At the time, she was also the youngest American to enter space at age 32.
In 1987, Sally left NASA to work at Stanford's Center for International Security and Arms Control.
ICAP study finds concerningly high HIV infection rates for young black gay and bisexual men in USPublic release date: 23-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Stephanie Berger sb2247@columbia.edu 212-305-4372 Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Researchers at ICAP's Harlem Prevention Center (HPC) joined the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) today to announce study results that showed disturbing rates of new HIV infections occurring among black gay and bisexual men in the U.S. (also known as men who have sex with men, or MSM), particularly young black MSM.
The HPTN 061 study showed that the overall rate of new HIV infection among black MSM in this study was 2.8% per year, a rate that is nearly 50% higher than in white MSM in the U.S. Even more alarming, HPTN 061 found that young black MSMthose 30 years of age and youngeracquired HIV infection at a rate of 5.9% per year, three times the rate among U.S. white MSM. The overall infection rate among black MSM in this U.S study is comparable to the rate seen in the general populations of countries in sub-Saharan Africa hardest hit by the HIV epidemic. HPTN 061 was a large multi-site study of HIV and black MSM conducted in six U.S. cities, and the first to determine the rate of new HIV infection among such a large prospective cohort of U.S. black MSM (referred to as HIV incidence).
"The HPTN 061 study findings are a sobering wake-up call," said Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH Co-Principal Investigator for the HPTN and director of ICAP at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. "These results, and others to be garnered from further analysis of the study, highlight the enormity of the challenges ahead and offer important insights into how to design research studies and programs for prevention of HIV among black MSM."
HPTN 061 Study enrolled a total of 1,553 men in six US cities: Atlanta, GA, Boston, MA, New York, NY, Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, and Washington, D.C. The Harlem Prevention Center, ICAP at Columbia University's clinical research site, dedicated to addressing the impact of HIV in New York City's medically underserved communities, was one of two New York City sites conducting the study. The Harlem Prevention Center enrolled 154 participants with excellent follow-up of participants for the 12 month duration of the study.
The HIV incidence results from HPTN 061, presented today at the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. are among the first findings to come out of the study. Other early analyses show that HIV infection in this study population was associated with very high rates of untreated sexually transmitted infections and with poverty. Of the men who indicated that they were HIV-negative or were unaware of their HIV status at the time of enrollment in the study and who agreed to have an HIV test at time of enrollment, 12% were HIV-positive. This finding suggests that not enough men in this population are receiving HIV testing. All HIV-infected study participants were referred for HIV care and treatment services. During the study, all participants were offered the chance to work with "peer health navigators" to provide support and to assist them with access to needed services. In addition, they were provided with condoms, testing and referral treatment of sexually transmitted infections, risk reduction counseling and other standard HIV prevention services.
The success of the HPTN 061 in recruiting and retaining black MSM in a year-long study, including 97% uptake of HIV testing, answered a primary objective of the study, and paves the way for the conduct of future HIV prevention research.
Sharon Mannheimer, MD, who directed the study at the Harlem Prevention Center, said, "These results are an opportunity to understand how to address critical issues in this community. It is especially important that we consider social factors that contribute to HIV risk, such as poverty and unemployment, moving forward."
While further analysis of data from the study is ongoing to assess how HIV risk among black MSM might be affected by factors such as childhood experiences, social and sexual networks, discrimination, and barriers to health care, these findings can be used to help inform decisions by local policy and public health officials when HIV prevention resources are allocated in major US cities. This study also provides support for future programs to be developed that address multi-level factors including individual, community, and structural influences that have an impact on among black MSM.
The HPTN 061 study was conducted between 2009-2011 and is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
The HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) is a worldwide collaborative clinical trials network that develops and tests the safety and efficacy of primarily non-vaccine interventions designed to prevent the acquisition and transmission of HIV. The HPTN research agenda is focused primarily on reduction of HIV transmission and acquisition through the use of ART for HIV-infected persons and ARVs as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV-negative persons for HIV prevention, reducing the impact of behavioral and biologic co-factors that increase risk of infection, treatment of substance use (particularly injection drug use), behavioral risk reduction interventions, and structural interventions. The highest priority of the HPTN is to develop and implement combination prevention strategies that demonstrate a significant and measurable reduction in HIV incidence in a variety of populations and epidemic settings.
###
About ICAP
ICAP at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health is a global leader in public health, with a broad portfolio of research, training, health system strengthening, and service delivery programs in the United States and around the world. Founded in 2004, ICAP is committed to addressing critical health issues and to bettering lives by improving access to high-quality, equitable, and affordable health services. Working hand-in-hand with in-country partners, ICAP has supported more than 2,000 health facilities across 21 countries. More than one million people have received HIV services through ICAP-supported programs. For more information about ICAP, visit http://www.columbia-icap.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
ICAP study finds concerningly high HIV infection rates for young black gay and bisexual men in USPublic release date: 23-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Stephanie Berger sb2247@columbia.edu 212-305-4372 Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Researchers at ICAP's Harlem Prevention Center (HPC) joined the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) today to announce study results that showed disturbing rates of new HIV infections occurring among black gay and bisexual men in the U.S. (also known as men who have sex with men, or MSM), particularly young black MSM.
The HPTN 061 study showed that the overall rate of new HIV infection among black MSM in this study was 2.8% per year, a rate that is nearly 50% higher than in white MSM in the U.S. Even more alarming, HPTN 061 found that young black MSMthose 30 years of age and youngeracquired HIV infection at a rate of 5.9% per year, three times the rate among U.S. white MSM. The overall infection rate among black MSM in this U.S study is comparable to the rate seen in the general populations of countries in sub-Saharan Africa hardest hit by the HIV epidemic. HPTN 061 was a large multi-site study of HIV and black MSM conducted in six U.S. cities, and the first to determine the rate of new HIV infection among such a large prospective cohort of U.S. black MSM (referred to as HIV incidence).
"The HPTN 061 study findings are a sobering wake-up call," said Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH Co-Principal Investigator for the HPTN and director of ICAP at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. "These results, and others to be garnered from further analysis of the study, highlight the enormity of the challenges ahead and offer important insights into how to design research studies and programs for prevention of HIV among black MSM."
HPTN 061 Study enrolled a total of 1,553 men in six US cities: Atlanta, GA, Boston, MA, New York, NY, Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, and Washington, D.C. The Harlem Prevention Center, ICAP at Columbia University's clinical research site, dedicated to addressing the impact of HIV in New York City's medically underserved communities, was one of two New York City sites conducting the study. The Harlem Prevention Center enrolled 154 participants with excellent follow-up of participants for the 12 month duration of the study.
The HIV incidence results from HPTN 061, presented today at the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. are among the first findings to come out of the study. Other early analyses show that HIV infection in this study population was associated with very high rates of untreated sexually transmitted infections and with poverty. Of the men who indicated that they were HIV-negative or were unaware of their HIV status at the time of enrollment in the study and who agreed to have an HIV test at time of enrollment, 12% were HIV-positive. This finding suggests that not enough men in this population are receiving HIV testing. All HIV-infected study participants were referred for HIV care and treatment services. During the study, all participants were offered the chance to work with "peer health navigators" to provide support and to assist them with access to needed services. In addition, they were provided with condoms, testing and referral treatment of sexually transmitted infections, risk reduction counseling and other standard HIV prevention services.
The success of the HPTN 061 in recruiting and retaining black MSM in a year-long study, including 97% uptake of HIV testing, answered a primary objective of the study, and paves the way for the conduct of future HIV prevention research.
Sharon Mannheimer, MD, who directed the study at the Harlem Prevention Center, said, "These results are an opportunity to understand how to address critical issues in this community. It is especially important that we consider social factors that contribute to HIV risk, such as poverty and unemployment, moving forward."
While further analysis of data from the study is ongoing to assess how HIV risk among black MSM might be affected by factors such as childhood experiences, social and sexual networks, discrimination, and barriers to health care, these findings can be used to help inform decisions by local policy and public health officials when HIV prevention resources are allocated in major US cities. This study also provides support for future programs to be developed that address multi-level factors including individual, community, and structural influences that have an impact on among black MSM.
The HPTN 061 study was conducted between 2009-2011 and is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
The HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) is a worldwide collaborative clinical trials network that develops and tests the safety and efficacy of primarily non-vaccine interventions designed to prevent the acquisition and transmission of HIV. The HPTN research agenda is focused primarily on reduction of HIV transmission and acquisition through the use of ART for HIV-infected persons and ARVs as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV-negative persons for HIV prevention, reducing the impact of behavioral and biologic co-factors that increase risk of infection, treatment of substance use (particularly injection drug use), behavioral risk reduction interventions, and structural interventions. The highest priority of the HPTN is to develop and implement combination prevention strategies that demonstrate a significant and measurable reduction in HIV incidence in a variety of populations and epidemic settings.
###
About ICAP
ICAP at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health is a global leader in public health, with a broad portfolio of research, training, health system strengthening, and service delivery programs in the United States and around the world. Founded in 2004, ICAP is committed to addressing critical health issues and to bettering lives by improving access to high-quality, equitable, and affordable health services. Working hand-in-hand with in-country partners, ICAP has supported more than 2,000 health facilities across 21 countries. More than one million people have received HIV services through ICAP-supported programs. For more information about ICAP, visit http://www.columbia-icap.org.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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