Help for land-mine victims in Kabul

After three decades of war, Afghanistan is littered with land mines. A nonprofit employs disabled land-mine victims to make demining equipment, and funds rehabilitation clinics.

By Olivia Katrandjian,?Contributor, Arthur Nazaryan,?Contributor / March 30, 2012

? A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.

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?Haroon Hamdard edged toward a suspected explosive device lying in a field in western Afghanistan. His job as a demining worker was to identify such devices and figure out how to render them harmless. But the young worker stumbled. His foot hit a rock that tumbled forward and detonated a small bomb. Mr. Hamdard was left in critical condition, and lost his right arm. He was fitted with a barely functioning prosthetic arm. The married father of one was unemployed for the next six years. Hamdard finally got a job at Spark, a workshop in Kabul funded by a US nonprofit where people who have been disabled by land mines make demining equipment. Sale of the equipment funds rehabilitation clinics, one of which will finally outfit Hamdard with a better prosthetic arm.

After three decades of war, Afghanistan is littered with land mines. Insurgents have been increasingly conflating foreign aid with foreign occupation and demining organizations feel the brunt of this. The majority of nongovernmental workers detained by armed groups in 2011 were deminers ? the Taliban tend not to appreciate those who try to remove their bombs. Many Afghans continue to be injured by land mines, but the level of care Hamdard received is rarely available outside Kabul.

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Easy Methods To Present Imaginative Business Presentation ...

When you provide a presentation you plainly want to make sure that it?s going to be very innovative, and you obviously also want to make sure that individuals are going to find it relatively interesting. So you?re going to need to find out ways to get your message across in an intriguing and innovative way so that your audience responds correctly and that you really get your message across by keeping the individuals involved fascinated. Let?s take a quick look at several strategies you might want to use while giving presentations of this nature.

One of the main things that you must master in order to completely get across creative presentation ideas is your nerves. You cannot spend some time giving a presentation while you?re completely nervous and also shaking in front of your target audience. They won?t be focused on your presentation whatsoever simply because they will see your nervousness and they will manage to focus on that alone. So you need to master your anxieties about providing a presentation if you?re going to have your audience engaged and listening to you.

One more thing you want to make sure you pull off when showing creative presentation ideas is visualization of some type. You want to be able to make your business presentation so clear that the visualizations that you present really show your audience precisely what you are attempting to let them know. And if you do not have any props then you have to get innovative enough so that your audience will be able to visualize what you are getting across in their mind. Simply because when they can?t see it then they won?t be able to comprehend it and you will not have done your job effectively.

The final thing you should be aware of when presenting creative presentation ideas is your timing. Oftentimes timing is very important for dramatic effect, so you want to make certain that you supply your business presentation in a way that it builds up expectation and then you utilize great timing to produce a strong punch that will literally knock your target audience off their chairs. Timing is important when it comes to presentations so make sure you get this down pat.

Please employ all these techniques when supplying creative presentation ideas.

They will genuinely help you in your presentation and make you look like much more of a public speaker then you could even actually be. Creative Presentation Ideas

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Diagnosis of dementia calls for financial plan

by Russ Wiles - Apr. 6, 2012 02:09 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com

A lot of people tend to put off big financial and estate-planning decisions -- roughly half of Americans don't have a will, for example.

But when a diagnosis for dementia enters the picture, it tends to add urgency.

Alzheimer's and other age-related diseases that affect mental health not only complicate daily life but can strain family relationships and drain your finances. It's wise to research options as early as possible and to put plans in place while you're still capable.

Those were among the challenges for David Scott and his wife Debbie Perry when she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease three years ago.

"If the disease wasn't in our lives, we wouldn't have thought of some of those things yet," said David, an electrical contractor who lives with Debbie in Phoenix.

In addition to learning about day care, transportation assistance and other ways to cope on a daily basis, the couple also got their wills in order and drafted power of attorney documents to designate someone to make financial or medical decisions on their behalf if they can no longer do so. These are directives most people should have anyway, but they can be critical for people with mental-capacity problems.

Another helpful document is a living will, which allows a person to specify their wishes regarding whether to stay on artificial life support if the situation arises. Many people also have attorneys draft a living trust, which provides further instructions and powers, such as the ability to delay inheritance payments to beneficiaries. Trusts typically are combined with powers of attorney, wills and living wills into a complete estate-planning package.

It's also a time to update beneficiary designations on insurance policies and retirement accounts and to make sure trusted relatives can locate your documents.

"There are ways for (patients) to stay in control when they're not in control anymore," said Mary Lou Hernandez, a social worker at the Banner Alzheimer's Institute who teaches a two-hour seminar for the benefit of dementia patients, their caregivers and family members.

"What we talk about in the classes is that there are options," she said.

David and Debbie attended the class and have received help from the Banner Alzheimer's Institute in other ways. They say the connection has given them practical tips and hope.

"A place like this makes you feel you belong," said Debbie, a 61-year-old retired nurse case manager who seeks to raise awareness for others.

The next seminar is Monday, with five other classes scheduled for later dates throughout the year.

"When people are diagnosed early, they still have the capacity to direct their affairs," said Jan Dougherty, director of family and community services at the institute. "And the earlier we can include other family members, the better."

The period following a dementia diagnosis also can be a good time to start looking into 24-hour care facilities should the need arise. Group homes, typically based in single-family residences, offer the most basic care, followed by assisted-living facilities on up to skilled-nursing centers.

Costs rise at each stage, as does regulatory oversight, said H. Micheal Wright, a nursing-care law attorney in Mesa.

He suggests doing research, looking for signs such as complaints filed against facilities you might be considering and finding out how various centers have been rated or inspected. For example, Medicare.gov offers an option to search for nursing homes and home health-care providers and compare them on several criteria.

It also can help to visit a facility at different times of day, Wright said, suggesting that you look for signs of neglect, such as patients with unexplained bruises, weight loss, pressure ulcers or who are lethargic or have fallen recently. "Poorly managed or understaffed facilities are usually where injuries occur," he said.

A long-term-care insurance policy can pay for the assistance required for a person with dementia. But by the time a disease is diagnosed, it's too late to qualify for the purchase of a policy. Still, many patients bought coverage in earlier years, so it's important for them to gain familiarity with what they have, Hernandez said. A diagnosis also can be a good time for other family members, especially younger ones, to consider buying a policy.

And there are federal and state programs with which to gain familiarity, such as the Arizona Long-Term Care System. or ALTCS, which provides long-term assistance for eligible patients, based partly on financial need.

Singles generally must spend down their assets, keeping no more than $2,000 plus certain assets that don't count toward the dollar limits. These include a personal residence, a vehicle, personal belongings, burial plots and $1,500 designated for burial expenses.

The spouse of a patient is allowed to retain a higher amount of assets. The formula is a bit complex, but, in short, the healthy spouse may keep half of the couple's shared assets up to $113,640.

Part of the Banner seminar covers financial and other issues from the perspective of the healthy spouse. For example, Hernandez said she knows of a man who didn't plan well and wound up depleting his 401(k) retirement account on his wife's care.

"It could have been protected," she said. "This is a disease that can bankrupt families."

Alzheimer-preparation seminars

Banner Alzheimer's Institute offers periodic two-hour seminars to explain some of the financial and other issues facing dementia patients, including a program on Monday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the institute, 901 E. Willetta St, near downtown Phoenix. The program is free but requires registration (call 602-839-6850).

The institute also is planning seminars on May 7, June 11, Aug. 13, Oct. 8 and Dec. 10. Visit www.banneralz.org for information.

How to avoid scams

Chicago attorney Andrew Stoltmann suggests seniors take these steps to avoid financial scams:

Put assets in a trust and hire a bank-trust department to manage them. While bank-trust departments can have high fees, they are usually conservative in managing client funds and will help protect the account.

Make sure a trusted family member sees bank or other financial statements on a regular basis, possibly by having the financial institutions send out duplicate copies. Fraud losses often aren't noticed for months after the fact.

Make an inventory of jewelry and other valuables. Jewelry is the top item stolen from the homes of seniors. Take photos and document valuables.

Get caller ID. Financial scammers love to work by telephone. Stoltmann considers the minimal cost of this protection to be worthwhile.

Protect your identity and mail. Take steps such as securing mailboxes and checking credit reports for unauthorized transactions. You can do so for free through annualcreditreport.com. Also, invest in a shredder.

Consider working with a fee-based certified financial planner. Have the adviser review your portfolio once a year. Fee-based planners can give an unbiased overview, he said.

-- Russ Wiles

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Unexpected Moments Captured By Wedding ... - AskMTG.com

Most folks who have been with a wedding have heard a wide variety of wedding speeches, some good and lots of they?ve forgotten. Have you thought to yourself, ?I wouldn?t say that,? or, ?I may have done a stronger job than that,? or ?I could not give that kind of speech in a wedding?In this day of technology, we?ve all the gadgets to hearken to music, make videos, and perform thousand other amazing things, but we?ve not found a strategy to get out of the responsibility (and work) of giving a delivery, live plus person, for bride and groom and their friends. If you?ve got been asked to give a speech for a future wedding and you?ve got agreed to this, then including these 5 important items will enable you to create an unforgettable speech that might be happily remembered. The Introduction This is the component of the speech the make the audience comfy. You can open using a toast for their bride-to-be and groom, or maybe a short humorous story about how you are connected on the couple. Including congratulations to the bride and groom will assist you to transition from introduction to the main part of one?s speech.

Many folks have a small attention span and don?t wish to hear your story for far more than a couple minutes. You wouldn?t have to be a comedian or maybe attempt to allow it to be more amusing than it might be, yet make it therefore you hold your attendees attention. Although you may well know the immediate friends and relations well, do not forget that there will wind up being young children along with older folks there which will certainly be genuinely offended with off-color stories. Respect your beloved partner and groom ? first and foremost, keep in mind that the aim of every aide wedding speech is pay tribute to your beloved partner and groom on the large day. You actually honor them just by carrying out all the things discussed above nicely as offering them a genuine congratulations in your speech. As you sit right down to compose your very best self man speech (which I really suggest), or if you read a few sample wedding speeches for the most effective man, try to make sure to put these 3 elements within the toast and you usually can?t get it wrong.

Before The Main Events ? Wedding photographers should be included ahead of the oncoming of the day?s events. This should include bride and groom preparing for that event and spending a couple of moments of quiet time using best friends. This might be something as simple youngster distant look out a window or adjusting a tie while shooting sensible crack at a buddy. It isn?t these images show a significant event, however rather the emotion and thoughts expressed through the day. This big day not only involves the 2 people engaged and getting married, but many important members, including and also friends that produce these moments truly special. A quiet moment between the mother and father of your daughter?s groom, emotions of your nervous ring bearer, or maybe a sleeping niece of your beloved partner are just a few of these precious chapters to the story which might be often lost.

No one must carry anything home, just send against each other as a pdf after wedding ceremony. . Wine Are you wine enthusiasts People could provide you with a bottle of the favorite wine using a story about the most effective time they?d it. Advice Here?s a whole community of individuals, lots of whom are managing marriages, all who are managing lives. What?s their utmost advice to you as you sit here getting ready to marriage You can place it in categories if you want. .

MV,

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Do It Yourself With These Home Improvement Tips - Energy Efficiency

When you are fixing up a house that is to be sold, keep in mind that the appearance of the exterior is of primary importance, and should be addressed prior to dealing with items on the interior of the home. People can?t see the inner items, but the outside of the house is easy to see, so an ugly looking exterior will turn people off.

When you are going to do home improvements think about where you live. If you live in a warmer area, installing air conditioning would take priority over a fireplace. Swimming pools have value in northern states as well, but not as much as in a place with a hot climate.

For complicated home improvement repairs, it may be wise to hire a professional. Designers, contractors and architects have their title and their job for a specific reason. Their job is a challenge, but they have the tools and training for it. Hiring professionals gives you some confidence that your end result will be just what you wanted.

A lot of older homes have wall-to-wall carpet in every room, but it looks faded and nasty due to wear and tear. Wooden floors are classic and will last considerably longer than even the most plush carpet.

You should always wear the proper safety gear to prevent injury. Use a back harness if you are lifting heavy items, and wear a helmet if something could fall on your head.

Safety is key when starting a new home project. Following these precautions ensures that you and your property are protected at all times. Make sure that you have read all instructions and tutorials before you start any renovation project.

One improvement that can make your life easier is replacing ordinary paneling in areas with many pipes with waterproof paneling. Water resistance is important to prevent dangerous molds from thriving within moist walls. ?Green board? is a product that is water resistant, and can prevent mold growth so is ideal for this purpose.

Have you found that the number of bathrooms is a prime consideration in a home? Bathrooms are one of the key features in determining property value. You can increase the worth of your home by adding one or more bathrooms.

Are you thinking about starting a home improvement project? Consider using artistic decor already in your home for inspiration when it is time to redecorate. Purchase unique frames that go along with your decor.

If you feel you need to spruce up your living room, add a bold print to give it some style and personality. Look for accessories or furniture with zebra or leopard prints to create an interesting motive.

Consider your current water usage in your home improvement plans. You can decrease the amount of water used by installing low-flow shower heads, water heaters and commodes. These add value to your home, plus reducing your water bill.

It is important to make sure that you check for signs of damage on your roof every spring. Check shingles for curling or blistering and replace any that show damage. Taking care of minor damage to your roof when you see it will prevent you from having to take care of major and expensive issues later.

If you want to do a project on your home you should start getting things together now. Start planning ahead of time to compare as many different ideas as possible. You want to get the right color to your project early on, and avoid rushing at the last minute of your renovation which will slow down the process.

A great way to lower the cost of your electric bill is to use a motion sensor light instead of a regular porch light. You can still turn it on manually if need be, and you can also adjust sensitivity on some models.

You?ve read the tips in this article, so now you should be prepared to get started on that list of home improvements you?ve been dreaming about. Use these tips to avoid potential disasters in your home improvement projects.

Richie Vee, the site?s editor, is the Chief Engineer of one of the largest Platinum LEED buildings in NYC. His extensive engineering experience helps guide consumers through home improvement projects for the average homeowner. Using home solar energy and roofing repair ideas to save them money.

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In-school tests suggest overweight boys and girls benefit from being fit

Released: 4/4/2012 9:00 AM EDT
Source: Tufts University

Newswise ? BOSTON (April 4, 2012) ? Improving or maintaining physical fitness appears to help obese and overweight children reach a healthy weight, reports a new study from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Researchers analyzed four years of data from in-school fitness tests and body mass index (BMI) measurements of students in grades 1?7 in the city of Cambridge, Mass.

In the study published online March 15 by the journal Obesity, Sacheck and colleagues examined the association between weight status and fitness levels by assessing student performance on five fitness tests. Regardless of their weight, students were classified as ?fit? if they passed all five tests and ?underfit? if they failed one or more tests.

The assessments taken between 2004 and 2007 coincided with a city-wide weight and fitness intervention that prompted improvements to gymnasiums, promotion of physical activities outside of school, professional development for physical education teachers and issuing ?Health and Fitness report cards? to parents. The 2,793 students in the study participated in bi-weekly school gym classes plus a daily recess, and annual assessments of their BMI and physical fitness.

?Of the 1,069 students who were initially obese or overweight, 17% achieved a healthy weight within the one to four year study period compared with 6.3% of students who began the study at a healthy weight and became obese or overweight.? said Jennifer M. Sacheck, Ph.D., senior author and an assistant professor at the Friedman School. ?It is encouraging to see any kind of reversal in unhealthy weight patterns, considering Centers for Disease Control statistics indicate child and adolescent obesity rates rose approximately 13% between 1980 and 2008.?

Within the four-year study period, 27% of the 1,882 students who were underfit at baseline became fit.

?Obese and overweight girls who achieved fitness were almost five times as likely, and obese and overweight boys were two and a half times as likely, to reach a healthy weight than those who stayed underfit,? said first author Adela Hruby, a Ph.D. candidate at the Friedman School. ?It turns out that maintaining fitness is beneficial, too. We observed that obese and overweight girls and boys who both started and ended the study being fit were more likely to have a healthy weight by the end of the study.?

Staying fit also benefitted healthy weight boys and girls; they were more likely to maintain their weight than those students who declined from fit to underfit over the course of the study.

Maintaining or achieving a healthy weight appeared to be most closely associated with cardiorespiratory fitness, which was assessed by the students? performance in a 20-yard shuttle run (a 6-minute, back-and-forth run between two markers). Incremental improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with achieving a healthy weight in children who were obese or overweight at baseline and with weight maintenance in healthy weight students who were fit at baseline.

Sacheck noted additional research is needed to explain the current results. ?Because ours is an observational study using just annual measures, it is unclear whether students who became fit did so before they lost weight or whether they lost weight before they became fit,? she said. ?Long-term intervention trials that assess both fitness and nutrition could provide more data to determine the role of improved fitness in weight loss.?

A range of options exist for increasing child fitness. ?Federal guidelines call for at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day and most of that should fall into the category of cardiorespiratory fitness that builds the capacity of the heart and lungs, such as soccer or dancing,? Sacheck said. ?In addition to organized sports, school recesses or walking to school counts toward that one-hour goal. Parents can help by being active with their kids and limiting time spent watching TV or playing video games.?

The authors propose schools as leading advocates for physical activity programming and policies, such as in-school fitness testing. ?Although data on childhood fitness and health outcomes is still evolving, there is a body of research showing relationships between the two in adults, such as reduced risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. If studies continue to show the same for children, there is an even stronger case for fitness testing in schools where large groups of children can have access to such an evaluation.?if they failed one or more tests.The assessments taken between 2004 and 2007 coincided with a city-wide weight and fitness intervention that prompted improvements to gymnasiums, promotion of physical activities outside of school, professional development for physical education teachers and issuing ?Health and Fitness report cards? to parents. The 2,793 students in the study participated in bi-weekly school gym classes plus a daily recess, and annual assessments of their BMI and physical fitness.?Of the 1,069 students who were initially obese or overweight, 17% achieved a healthy weight within the one to four year study period compared with 6.3% of students who began the study at a healthy weight and became obese or overweight.? said Jennifer M. Sacheck, Ph.D., senior author and an assistant professor at the Friedman School. ?It is encouraging to see any kind of reversal in unhealthy weight patterns, considering Centers for Disease Control statistics indicate child and adolescent obesity rates rose approximately 13% between 1980 and 2008.?Within the four-year study period, 27% of the 1,882 students who were underfit at baseline became fit.?Obese and overweight girls who achieved fitness were almost five times as likely, and obese and overweight boys were two and a half times as likely, to reach a healthy weight than those who stayed underfit,? said first author Adela Hruby, a Ph.D. candidate at the Friedman School. ?It turns out that maintaining fitness is beneficial, too. We observed that obese and overweight girls and boys who both started and ended the study being fit were more likely to have a healthy weight by the end of the study.??Staying fit also benefitted healthy weight boys and girls; they were more likely to maintain their weight than those students who declined from fit to underfit over the course of the study.Maintaining or achieving a healthy weight appeared to be most closely associated with cardiorespiratory fitness, which was assessed by the students? performance in a 20-yard shuttle run (a 6-minute, back-and-forth run between two markers). Incremental improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with achieving a healthy weight in children who were obese or overweight at baseline and with weight maintenance in healthy weight students who were fit at baseline.Sacheck noted additional research is needed to explain the current results. ?Because ours is an observational study using just annual measures, it is unclear whether students who became fit did so before they lost weight or whether they lost weight before they became fit,? she said. ?Long-term intervention trials that assess both fitness and nutrition could provide more data to determine the role of improved fitness in weight loss.?A range of options exist for increasing child fitness. ?Federal guidelines call for at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day and most of that should fall into the category of cardiorespiratory fitness that builds the capacity of the heart and lungs, such as soccer or dancing,? Sacheck said. ?In addition to organized sports, school recesses or walking to school counts toward that one-hour goal. Parents can help by being active with their kids and limiting time spent watching TV or playing video games.?The authors propose schools as leading advocates for physical activity programming and policies, such as in-school fitness testing. ?Although data on childhood fitness and health outcomes is still evolving, there is a body of research showing relationships between the two in adults, such as reduced risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. If studies continue to show the same for children, there is an even stronger case for fitness testing in schools where large groups of children can have access to such an evaluation.?

This study was funded by grants from the American Heart Association. Student data collection was funded by a United States Department of Education Physical Education Program (PEP) grant to the Cambridge Public Schools.Hruby A, Chomitz VR, Arsenault LN, Must A, Economos CD, McGowan RA, and Sacheck JS. Predicting Maintenance or Achievement of Healthy Weight in Children: The Impact of Changes in Physical Fitness. Obesity, March 15, 2012;

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Miami Foreclosures ? Foreclosure Listings | Real Estate Investing ...

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Article by vikram kuamr

One place where you can find plenty of foreclosure listings that are priced just right is in Miami. If you are looking for property in or around the Miami area, you should take a look at the Miami foreclosures that are on the market. You can find quite a bit about Miami foreclosures if you go online so that you can see just how far your dollar can stretch when it comes to buying a home in this southern part of Florida.

It is easy for anyone to take a look at foreclosure listings today, thanks to the internet. There are many foreclosures in the state of Florida and many in the Miami area. Before you decide on purchasing one of the Miami foreclosures, you should check out the area itself to make sure that you are buying in a prime location. You are always better off to look for location rather than just the home when you are buying real estate. This is because proprieties that are in foreclosure in blighted areas do not increase in value in general. You want to get the best location that you can afford, even if it means getting a smaller home. There are many Miami foreclosures that are in good locations in and around the city as well as many that are in blighted areas. You should look for the best location that you can afford.

Another thing that you have to do before you can think about buying one of the Miami foreclosures is to make sure that you have the money to buy. If you are going to get a mortgage in order to pay for the property, you need to be approved for the mortgage first before you set out and take a look at the foreclosure listings. It is a good idea to talk to a mortgage lender before you decide on buying any home, but especially foreclosures. While you can get away with putting a financing contingency on a contract when you are purchasing property the conventional way, when you are dealing with foreclosure listings, you need to have no contingencies and be ready to close on the property. That means a pre-approval and a green light to go ahead and buy.

You should also make sure that you do proper diligence regarding title and survey when you are buying Miami foreclosures or any other type of foreclosed property. In many cases, back taxes are due as well as liens that have been placed on the home. If you are getting a mortgage, the mortgage company will order a title commitment to check out the property and also demand a survey. However, if you are paying cash, you need to take this step yourself. You want to also make sure that you get a title policy from a reliable title insurance company when you buy Miami foreclosures that the property is free and clear from any liens. You can use a real estate attorney to help you when you are buying foreclosure listings who will be able to make sure that proper due diligence is done.

If you are thinking of buying property in Miami, you can find many Miami foreclosures for sale. You can take a look at these and other foreclosures when you look at foreclosure listings on the internet.

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