Inside Breezy Point: An inferno in a flood

REPORTERS' NOTEBOOK

By Keturah Gray and Jim Dubreuil

When we were sent out on Monday afternoon to report on the "holdouts" of Hurricane Sandy - those who refused to leave their homes despite New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's mandatory evacuation orders - we expected winds and rain, but thought it was nothing that we couldn't handle.

We had our bottled water, our rain gear, our chips and were ready to tough out the storm with the citizens of Breezy Point, a beach town in Queens on the far end of New York City, and a place where Jim has family.

We were two of the last to arrive over the Marine Parkway Bridge before it closed to the public at 2 p.m. ET, and we joined up pretty quickly with 30-year-old Mary Lepera. She gave us a tour of the neighborhood and explained why she, like so many others, planned to stick out Hurricane Sandy at home: She'd spent her whole life there and wasn't about to abandon her home.

"We're sticking it out," she said. "Even if we have to go up on our roof, we'll do it."

A lot of people kind of felt that they had jumped through hoops for Irene, and this time, they weren't going to do it. And there was just this feeling that the storm was going to be like any other storm that hits the East Coast. It wasn't going to be the Super Storm that had been portrayed - but that's not what happened.

Over the course of the next few hours, though, Breezy Point became a literal lightning rod in the storm, battered by winds, rain and fire. At least 80 homes were destroyed in the beachfront neighborhood and we got caught in the chaos.

The last thing anyone imagines is a fire breaking out. But that's exactly what happened.

Jim DuBreuil: I remember looking out the window around 8:30 at night, and all of a sudden, we just saw this ? it seemed like we were in a national forest where you see all those fires with timbers flying around. It was off in the distance and at 8:20 at night, I wasn't thinking this is going to affect us. But as each hour progressed, the storm, the fire was just coming closer and closer and God, you [Keturah Gray] looked at me and said, "We're getting the hell out of here," and I was like, "Yeah, let's go." I got a trash can and we threw in garbage bags and all of our camera equipment in it. The family we were with did the same and we were out the door.

Keturah Gray: I just remember when I first saw that fire thinking we have water on one side of the house, we have a TON of water on the back side of the house, and we have a fire that is inevitably going to get closer because of all of the winds. I was just like, "What do we do? Where do we even begin? Do we take this route or this route?" I was so worried about the people that I knew, because we had been down that beach earlier that afternoon. There were a lot of people in that line of fire, and I just didn't know how they were going to get out.

Jim DuBreuil: I kind of think where we got lucky was the tide started going down. The water was much higher at 8 o'clock and then by 9 o'clock and 10 o'clock it was just easier to get around. Where the water would've been up to our chins, the water was finally at our waist. We put on our backpacks and got our trashcan and headed out of there.

Keturah Gray: I think I was the first one that was like, we need an escape plan, but I also didn't know if I was going to be strong enough to walk through the water.

Jim DuBreuil: Timbers are flying and there's 80 mph winds coming at you as you're going through the waves. You're trying to get through the flood and the fire's behind you and I just remember looking at you and going "don't look back, don't look back."

Keturah Gray: The water was receding, but the fire was becoming stronger. We were walking against the current, which was really hard, and we're carrying a trash can and a lot of other people had babies they were carrying and bags.

Jim DuBreuil: I think it could've been absolutely chaotic and hell on earth at one point, but everyone got together. People were helping each other and going "OK, we're going to get you out." We were moving from one spot to the next. When we got to our first evacuation spot, which was maybe 100 meters away from the first house we were at, I could smell kerosene. They told us there's a gas pump nearby. At that point, the fire has moved and the embers are now coming in to the fire and Keturah looked at me again and was like, "Let's get the out of here." It just seemed the fire was following us. We finally got to a Roman Catholic Church and, for me, that was the moment when I was like, "We're going to be all right. These people are going to be all right and we're going to get out of here."

Keturah Gray: That's when they said nobody can stay. You are leaving this time. And everybody that we were with, for the most part, were happy to hear those words.

Jim DuBreuil: I think it's easy to look at people like this and say, "Gosh, why didn't they heed the warning," but I think these people just love their community so much and they take care of each other, that they just didn't want to leave and they didn't think it was going to be bad and I think they realized that they made a mistake. But again, they could've never predicted a huge fire. The people of Breezy Point will come back and rebuild.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/inside-breezy-point-inferno-flood-002046120--abc-news-topstories.html

rawhide bigfoot sandra dee twilight zone december 21 2012 mayan calendar nfl playoff picture

Overweight Pets A Growing Epidemic

A few rolls on a dog or some extra pounds on a cat may make the animal appear cuter to some, but the growing epidemic of pet obesity is concerning to veterinarians.

Senior veterinary surgeon Sean Wensley told CBSNews.com that it's never too late for owners to help their pets lose weight.

Wensley works with PDSA, a U.K. veterinary charity that provides free veterinary care to the sick and injured pets of people in need and promotes responsible pet ownership. In the U.K., they have a network of 50 PetAid associated hospitals and nearly 380 PetAid associated practices, and provided more than 2.4 million PDSA-funded treatments and more than 420,000 preventive treatments in 2011.

Recently PDSA sponsored the Pet Fit Club, a six-month competition to help overweight and obese pets shed pounds and improve their fitness and diet.

An estimated 54 percent of cats and dogs -- about 93 million animals -- in the U.S. are overweight or obese, according to the Association for Pet Obesity and Prevention. Twenty percent of all dogs and 22 percent of all cats in the U.S. are obese. On Oct. 10, the association conducts its National Pet Obesity Awareness Day to let owners know extra pounds can harm a pet's health.

In the U.K., Wensley estimates that one in three dogs and one in four cats have problems with the pounds.

To put it in human terms, a 10-pound Chihuahua is the equivalent a 5'4" woman weighing 242 pounds or a 5'9" man weighing 282 pounds, according to the APOP. A 15-pound domestic short-haired cat would be a 5'4" woman who weighs 218 pounds or a 5'9" man who weighs 254 pounds.

Wensley said many of these animals develop weight-related medical conditions like heart disease, certain types of cancer and osteoporosis. But, the biggest concern is the impact on their general quality of life because this problem is entirely preventable.

"For cats, you'll see they're reluctant to play and they are unable to enjoy life," he explained.

If you don't know what your pet should weigh, you can use a system used by vets called body condition scoring, which relies on the proper healthy shape for a healthy pet. Wensley said that if you look down from above your pet, you should see where the waist naturally tucks in below the rib cage near the pelvis. You should never be able to see the dog or cat's ribs, but you should be able to feel them.

Some problem areas for pets include abdominal fat for cats and fat near the base of the tail for dogs. Typically if these areas get pudgy, it correlates with a large amount of internal fat around the key organs.

The veterinarian believes that many animals are overweight these days because dog and cat food is often formulated to provide a balanced diet in the right amounts, and then owners give treats on top of the daily serving without lessening the food portion.

"We've had good advancements in health because of advancements in nutrition, but we still have a tendency to give treats, human scraps, store-bought treats," he said. "The feeding of treats creates a problem when different family members giving a little bit here and there."

Instead of always rewarding your dog or cat with a snack, try showing him more affection. Most pets respond to contact, so they don't necessarily need food to keep them happy. If you are trying to train a pet, make sure to cut back on their main food portion or feed them healthier treats.

"A little piece of cheese for a cat is like giving a human a hamburger," he said.

He also suggested always follow the packet feeding guidelines; don't rely on filling the bowl. Get a cheap electronic scale to help get the amounts exactly right.

Finally, don't forget to let your animals out and play with them. One misconception that people have is that cats don't play past the kitten stage. Cats especially love toys that mimic prey and move rapidly, so Wensley suggests rod-type toys to get the feline moving.

Source: http://www.wibw.com/home/nationalnews/headlines/Overweight-Pets-A-Growing-Epidemic-176168571.html

joe paterno died 49ers game ravens steven tyler national anthem paterno newt gingrich joe pa

Officials say 3 killed in airstrike in north Yemen

SANAA, Yemen (AP) ? Yemeni officials and local tribesmen say an airstrike has targeted al-Qaida militants in a house in northern Yemen, killing three people, two of them said to be Saudis.

It was the first reported airstrike in Saada province, which borders Saudi Arabia. The officials and tribesmen said the Sunday airstrike was carried out by a U.S. drone. The U.S. considers al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, based in Yemen, to be the world's most active and has often used drones to target its members. Saudis are leading al-Qaida members.

The officials said those killed were in the courtyard of a house owned by a wanted al-Qaida militant from another Yemeni province. The governor of Saada, Fares Manaa, told a Defense Ministry website that two of the dead are believed to be Saudis.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/officials-3-killed-airstrike-north-yemen-135830536.html

bill nye Snooki Baby terrell owens terrell owens neil armstrong chris christie little league world series

Loneliness Ups Health Risks for Seniors | Psych Central News

By Janice Wood Associate News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 27, 2012

Adopting a positive attitude later in life offers a prescription for staying healthy during one?s golden years, according to a new study.

New research from Carsten Wrosch, Ph.D., a professor in Concordia University?s Department of Psychology, shows that older adults who approach life with a positive outlook can reverse the negative health issues associated with a lonely life.

?Our aim was to see whether using self-protective strategies ? such as thinking positively and avoiding self-blame in the context of common age-related threats ? could prevent lonely older adults from exhibiting increases in stress hormones and inflammatory biomarkers,? said Wrosch.

To test this, the research team followed 122 senior citizens over a six-year period. They measured self-protective strategies with a questionnaire where participants were asked to rate statements such as, ?Even if my health is in very difficult condition, I can find something positive in life,? or ?When I find it impossible to overcome a health problem, I try not to blame myself.?

The research team also asked the participants to what extent they felt lonely or isolated during a typical day.

The researchers also used saliva and blood samples to measure how much cortisol and C-reactive protein (CRP) the participants produced.

These two biological markers were chosen because cortisol is responsible for stress-related changes in the body. People with elevated CRP, on the other hand, are at increased risk of inflammatory illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Their findings showed that positive thinking helped protect against an increase in cortisol secretion. Four years down the road, additional tests showed the participants? CRP levels had improved.

The researchers report that for those older adults who did not report feelings of loneliness, this type of thinking had no effect, supposedly because their social networks may help them deal with age-related problems.

Overall, these findings could contribute to successful aging, according to Wrosch.

?It?s my hope that our research may improve clinical treatment of lonely older adults,? he said.

?Older adults can be taught through counseling or therapy to engage in self-protective thoughts like staying positive when it comes to their own health. That means a better quality of life, both physically and mentally ? something we all want at any age.?

The study is set to be published in Psychosomatic Medicine.

Source: Concordia University

Happy elderly woman photo by shutterstock.

APA Reference
Wood, J. (2012). Loneliness Ups Health Risks for Seniors. Psych Central. Retrieved on October 28, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/10/27/loneliness-ups-health-risks-for-seniors/46703.html

?

Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/10/27/loneliness-ups-health-risks-for-seniors/46703.html

9-11 Chris Brown Tattoo Innocence of Muslims Clara Schumann Jael Strauss Alison Pill gizmodo

Spare Me (talking-points-memo)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/258633670?client_source=feed&format=rss

benjarvus green ellis shaka smart hungergames bagpipes aspirin aspirin 21 jump street

Easy Tactics to Help You Promote Your Internet site : atcultura.com

Web promoting is a type of double-edged swords that could end up slicing you huge open should you?re not extremely careful. From the one hand, most of the tactics you will run throughout for marketing your internet small business are very simple to implement. On the opposite hand, you are going to discover that most of the techniques you learn about are solely going to provide you some temporary success at best. Find out about some great techniques for continued success from the internet business below.

One of the first issues you must handle through an on the internet business is how exactly your customers are going to purchase stuff in you. For example, if in case you have a visitor to your company internet site, they?re in search of strong data plus stuff that may help enhance their lives. And in the event you could convince them that you have what they want, then the subsequent step for your clients is finding a very simple path to buy your stuff. This means you additionally need simple navigation options plus multiple cost techniques.

There?s actually only a lot you?re going to get across through textual content from the at the present time plus age. It?s best to verify Profit Hacks. It is probably not that text is useless. It could nonetheless be incredibly useful for you. However in this attempting economic system, folks choose to see the goods from the action. This implies creating videos plus posting them on standard sharing sites. When you show what your stuff could do on real time, you?re giving your customers the arrogance they should buy on you.

If a buyer has a selection between you plus a competitor, who are they going to want? To determine this out, you must take a look at what your competitors are literally offering your customers. This means going to their websites, viewing their product evaluations and touchdown pages, plus seeing the way you may separate your self from the the competition. You don?t want to face out a lot that you just go away the niche utterly, however you do like to create some separation.

No, your clients are not coming online strictly to buy from the you. If you suppose this is all they?re doing, you?re on for a really impolite awakening. Your prospects are spending the vast majority of their on the internet break day of your site, so you could figure out where it is they?re going. With understanding their searching habits, you may set up to visitors to them from all their favorite spots. It will preserve you from their thoughts extra and in the end assist to earn more gross sales for you.

Are you using the correct promoting approach on your area of interest? Niches change in business; that?s simply the tactic it is. So if you?re promotion to your audience, you definitely have to stay able to change. If there are new search terms popping up, or in case your area of interest begins to frequent social websites extra, it is advisable to pounce from this plus stay a step forward of the action. Promoting your small business online could be very lucrative for you, however it?s a must to do things the proper technique. Follow the recommendation laid out for you above and you could succeed in small business.

Comments are closed.

Source: http://www.atcultura.com/easy-tactics-to-help-you-promote-your-internet-site/

robert hegyes mary louise parker mary louise parker cher morgellons nhl all star draft touch

Taiwan's HTC reports 79 percent drop in 3Q profit

{ttle}

{cptn}","template_name":"ss_thmb_play_ttle","i18n":{"end_of_gallery_header":"End of Gallery","end_of_gallery_next":"View Again"},"metadata":{"pagination":"{firstVisible} - {lastVisible} of {numItems}","ult":{"spaceid":"7665149","sec":""}}},{"id": "hcm-carousel-867382493", "dataManager": C.dmgr, "mediator": C.mdtr, "group_name":"hcm-carousel-867382493", "track_item_selected":1,"tracking":{ "spaceid" : "7665149", "events" : { "click" : { "any" : { "yui-carousel-prev" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"prev","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } }, "yui-carousel-next" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"next","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // no more pages, don't beacon again // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } } } } } } })); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {(function() { try{ if (Math.floor(Math.random()*10) == 1) { var loc = window.location, decoded = decodeURI(loc.pathname), encoded = encodeURI(decoded), uri = loc.protocol + "//" + loc.host + encoded + ((loc.search.length > 0) ? loc.search + '&' : '?') + "_cacheable=1", xmlhttp; if (window.XMLHttpRequest) xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest(); else xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); xmlhttp.open("GET",uri,true); xmlhttp.send(); } }catch(e){} })(); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings = '"projectId": "10001256862979", "documentName": "", "documentGroup": "", "ywaColo" : "vscale3", "spaceId" : "7665149" ,"customFields" : { "12" : "classic", "13" : "story" }'; Y.Media.YWA.init(Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {if(document.onclick===YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.newClick){document.onclick=YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.oldClick;} }); }); });

Internet Marketing Strategies That Can Help You Out! | Eric Chua ...

Affiliate marketing is a major strategy that can build you a big customer base if done properly. You can attract new customers and interact with them in ways that were never possible before. Although Internet marketing may seem complicated, you can take advantage of your personal abilities to become a success.

Set up your Website marketing strategies so that they will generate future business. You want to make a cycle for yourself that can help you in the long run, you want a cycle that goes something like where people search, then fir your business, then buy your products that results in the cycle repeating.

You may even bundle the excess inventory with another similar product and sell the two for a discount. In your advertisements, make sure to thoroughly explain the details of your offer.

TIP! After customers have made a purchase, supply them with a catalog or product information that contains links to related items in which they might be interested. As an example, if a customer bought your ebook on how to knit, send them a link to the more advanced products you offer on knitting.

You should always remember that headlines sell when writing, so always use them in your promotional materials. These headlines should grab readers attention and showcase products sold at your site. You could even forgo the headline and add a graphic of what you?re trying to sell. The use of graphics can be seen as more professional as well.

Be aware of all of your competition. Check out the websites of competitors to look at their offers. You might also be able to find out what their traffic is like and that will show you how well your own site is doing.

To bolster the credibility of your web business, you should try to land interviews with authorities within your niche who are well respected. You either provide the interviews in audio or video format. You will gain better feedback if you do some interview with well known people in your industry.

TIP! HTML tags are crucial for highlighting content on your website. Writing these tags to emphasize certain content by using bold type or other eye-catching techniques can make your site more effective.

Add content in the form of a blog or forum to prevent your website from becoming boring or irrelevant. Making sure your site has updated content is a good way to move up in rankings. Also, you can incorporate new ideas to your customers through a blog.

Generic 500

Avoid generic 500 error pages in favor of a personalized page. This type of error page will be seen by customers if something goes wrong with your website. The generic 500 page doesn?t tell visitors anything except that they can?t reach the page they wanted. Instead, inform your visitors that you are working on a fix to their problem using a more creative webpage message that fits the format of your site.

TIP! You can use tools to see how many people are visiting your site versus how many people are ordering from your site. Analyze the information, and you can get quick feedback on whether your online marketing is effective or not.

?Limited? is a strong keyword to include. When people shop online, it is because they are sisck of the brick and mortar stores. They want something unique and different. When the item is limited, people want to get it before it finishes.

Whatever you put in your ads, be sure you can back it up. A lot of people simply don?t believe what they read. Testimonials, results of studies, along with great references and guarantees help to ensure a sense of credibility. If you can?t prove why what you say is worthwhile, customers will go to someone else who can.

Deal with complaints personally. Outsourcing your customer service might seem to be a good solution, but the resolutions offered by these companies can often seem impersonal and may infuriate an already angry customer even more. Give personalized service to your customers. If they email you a complaint, answer it yourself, and say you will resolve the problem.

TIP! Consider including a forum on your website or setting up a page on a social networking site for your customers to gather and socialize. You can have more site traffic if people are communicating with others! This will also keep people interested in your site.

Note the vocabulary that people use when discussing your brand online, and utilize that vocabulary in your future online marketing campaigns. People will feel more comfortable with you and your product, because you will be using terms they know and understand. By using vernacular that your customers are already using in regards to your brand, you become more related to.

If you really want to give your customers something fun and interactive, try adding a forum or chat room to your site. This helps it to feel more like a group where people belong and share a common bond, instead of just some place where they shop. People love to be involved with groups of other like-minded individuals. Try to encourage them to get involved with your company as a group and they will want to be with you longer.

Internet Marketing

TIP! Consider offering a discount or special promotion to first time customers. You can easily do this by putting a price which has been discounted alongside the regular price of any particular item.

You?ve already seen the great number of people that Internet marketing has been able to reach. But you can also utilize it too, for ongoing conversations with your customers. It makes it possible to interact with customers in new ways. The strategies listed here will help you become a leader in Internet marketing.

Join me on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/maynaseric

Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/internet-marketing-strategies-that-can-help-you-out

boxing news Coptic Christian saturday night live julio cesar chavez jr Topless Kate university of texas UT Austin

A visual feast of art | This is Exeter

WHEN it comes to showcasing diverse artwork, not many exhibitions display such a wide variety as what is about to go on show at Exeter's Real Food Store Cafe.

A dozen artists from the charity Exeter Visual Art (EVA), have collaborated to put on a show called A Transition of Seasons, made up of two to three pieces of work from established artists and recent graduates, and ranging from photography to printmaking, ceramics to painting, figurative to abstract.

The exhibition, running at the cafe in Paris Street from Tuesday, October 30, until Saturday, November 24, aims to be as diverse as EVA studios which is celebrating nearly three years of being based in Marsh Barton.

Among those exhibiting several pieces of work is ceramicist and graphic artist Ulrika-Igraine, from Exeter.

She explained: "All work focuses on the transition between fall and winter. Some of the artists have worked primarily with one season, and some have taken a very tangible and direct approach to the theme, while others have used abstract or very subtle notes in their creative process."

EVA studios, formerly known as Exeter Artspaces, is a provider of studios for artists and makers in Exeter and the South West. One of its aims is to provide affordable working studios for artists and makers.

The studios are currently the working space for nearly 40 artists.

Of those, a wide a range of disciplines can be found including jewellery, painting and sculpture, ceramics, installation art, photography, and textiles.

EVA studios also has a Project Space, which is available for use both by studio holders and for external rent.

Ulrika started helping as a volunteer at EVA in 2009, and is now on the board of trustees.

She recalled: "When I finished my degree EVA made it possible for me to have a studio I could work in, which really enabled me to continue making work and become full-time self-employed in my field."

Other artists featured in the exhibition include painter Jane Cope, printmaker Jeremy Speck, ceramic artist and maker Sylvia Llecha, painter and illustrator Kenson Low, and artist photographer Diana Wackerbarth.

An opening evening, with the chance to meet the artists involved, is being held on Thursday, November 8, from 6pm to 8pm. Everyone is welcome with refreshments available at the cafe bar.

EVA is also looking forward to a relaunch evening at its studios on Friday, November 30, to celebrate its three years in Marsh Barton.

The Real Food Store Cafe is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm.

Source: http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/visual-feast-art/story-17186612-detail/story.html

gluten free diet barry zito mac virus santorum drops out bby zimmerman website miami marlins

New Tool Searches Nursing Home Deficiencies | HealthWorks ...

About the panel

Barbara Ficarra Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA is an award-winning journalist, media broadcaster, health educator, speaker and consultant More??

David Harlow David Harlow is Prinicipal of the Harlow Group LLC, a healthcare law and consulting firm based in Boston, MA. More??

Stephen Schimpff Stephen C. Schimpff, MD is the retired CEO of the Univ. of MD Med. Center and the COO of the Univ of MD Medical System. More??

Andrew Schorr Andrew, a leukemia survivor and respected medical journalist is the founder of PatientPower, an excellent web resource. More??

John Sharp John Sharp has interests in social media in healthcare and clinical research informatics including secondary use of EMR More??

Christina Thielst Christina Thielst is a hospital administrator, consultant, educator and author with 30 years of healthcare experience. More??

Source: http://healthworkscollective.com/anthony-cirillo/59496/new-tool-searches-nursing-home-deficiencies

snow white and the huntsman rupaul drag race walking dead comic kratom broncos broncos lehigh

Low Rates, Tight Lending Spur Huge Year for VA Loans | Zillow Blog

Need another sign that conventional lending is still tight?

Riding a surge of refinance loans, VA loan volume year-over-year jumped 51 percent in fiscal year 2012, according to recently released data from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Loan volume has soared 305 percent since FY07.

Military borrowers continue to flock to the program?s flexible underwriting requirements and financial benefits, which include no down payment, higher allowable debt-to-income ratios, no private mortgage insurance and in some cases refinance loans without appraisals.

Right now VA lenders are generally looking for a credit score of at least 620. In contrast, a recent National Association of Realtors survey found that the average FICO score on an FHA denial in May was 669, and borrowers with scores at or above 740 comprised 53 percent of loans in August.

Consistent growth

To get a sense of the recent rise, take a look at total VA loans since FY07:

• FY12: 539,884
• FY11: 357,592
• FY10: 314,011
• FY09: 325,690
• FY08: 179,670
• FY07: 133,313

This year?s total is the highest since 1994. Loan volume increased at least 25 percent in all 50 states, including significant year-over-year gains in Utah (98 percent), Hawaii (89 percent), Virginia (69 percent), Nebraska (67 percent) and California and Massachusetts (65 percent).

The recent growth of the program comes in the wake of the subprime mortgage meltdown and the lending restrictions that followed. Military borrowers have found it increasingly difficult to secure conventional financing, and even the minimum 3.5 percent down payment on an FHA loan can prove too much for military families.

That?s why this nearly 70-year-old no down payment loan program continues to make a tremendous difference for veterans and active military.

Refinance boom

Historically low interest rates also continue to drive the VA boom. The agency guaranteed nearly 340,000 refinance loans in FY12, almost double last year?s total. Purchase loans increased about 8 percent.

The VA?s Streamline refinance program allows qualified borrowers to take advantage of low rates with little hassle. Some lenders can offer this VA-to-VA option without an appraisal to underwater homeowners.

Related:

Chris Birk is a former journalist and author of ?The Book on VA Loans: An Essential Guide to Maximizing Your Home Loan Benefits.? He is also content development director for Veterans United Home Loans. Follow him on Google+.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow.

Source: http://www.zillow.com/blog/2012-10-25/low-rates-tight-lending-spur-huge-year-for-va-loans/

a star is born oscar nominees oscar nominations 2012 kombucha tea separation of church and state dale earnhardt oscar predictions

Neo Geo X hands-on

When the Neo Geo AES hit the scene 20 years ago, it was one of the largest, most powerful and most expensive game consoles the market had to offer, ringing in at a steep $650. Used AES machines aren't much cheaper, and modernized slim variations don't cost a penny less than the original hardware, either. A full home console might be a bit outside of the average gamer's budget, but SNK's 20th anniversary Neo Geo X hits a little closer to home: $200 for a portable handheld, 20 pre-loaded games, a faithful recreation of the original console arcade stick and an AES-shaped charging / controller dock that pipes video and audio out to a proper television. The end result? A handheld dressed up in a home console's skin. This is something we needed to see -- we spent some time with the setup to give it a once over.

Gallery: Neo Geo X hands-on

Continue reading Neo Geo X hands-on

Filed under: Gaming

Neo Geo X hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/6v7y0tf1yss/

supreme court health care joe oliver joba chamberlain new york mega millions jetblue jetblue michelle malkin

Is De Rosario close to a return?

News that Dwayne De Rosario is ahead of schedule and could return to practice for D.C. United as early as next week adds even more importance to the team?s drive for a result Saturday in Chicago.

If D.C. loses to the Fire in both teams? regular season finale at Toyota Park, there is a reasonable chance the bunch from RFK Stadium could fall from second place all the way to fourth.

United has done quite well without De Rosario, finishing the season strong and clinching its first playoff berth since 2007 without the services of its top attacker. Still, everyone around RFK Stadium would surely love to have their Canadian international back for the post-season.

So here?s the thing: by falling from second to fourth, the post-season would become significantly more complicated and perilous. It would add one addition match, which means one more opportunity to be eliminated.

And since De Rosario says he might return to practice next week, but probably wouldn?t be able to play in a mid-week contest, any contest United plays before next weekend would almost surely be without its top playmaker.

If they can push back their playoff until next weekend, chances seem to be growing that De Rosario might be involved.

Here?s what De Rosario told the Washington Post?s Steven Goff about his ongoing recovery:

It is coming along. It feels good today. I am doing a lot of work on it to get the strength back. It?s starting to get there. I am able to run, bike work, cardio work. I have been doing some lateral movement. So far it feels good. It?s still a little ways to go. I got back outside toward the end of last week to do sprints, controlled lateral movement, some ball work.?

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/25/is-dwayne-de-rosario-close-to-a-return-for-d-c-united-lets-talk-about-what-that-means/related

Mens Gymnastics Allison Schmitt Olympic Schedule Kyla Ross Ryan Lochte Montenegro Olympic Games

Police: 2 children stabbed to death, nanny arrested

By Shimon Prokupecz and Gus Rosendale, NBCNewYork.com

An Upper West Side nanny stabbed a 2-year-old boy and 6-year-old girl to death inside their apartment Thursday afternoon before cutting her own throat, police said.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the mother of the children returned to her West 75th Street home after a swimming lesson with a third child, a 3-year-old girl.

The apartment was dark when the mother and daughter entered, and the mother went to look for her two other children, said Kelly.

"She goes downstairs to the lobby, assuming the nanny may have gone out with the children," Kelly told reporters in a briefing Thursday night. "She asks the doorman if in fact they have gone out, and he says 'No.' She goes back up, the apartment is dark, and she goes into the bathroom."

View complete coverage from NBCNewYork.com

That's where she discovered her two children stabbed in the bathtub, Kelly said.

The nanny was on the floor of the bathroom with self-inflicted stab wounds to her throat. A kitchen knife was nearby.

Neighbors said they heard the mother's screams from her apartment as she called 911. After police arrived, a neighbor said the mother remained in the building's lobby, screaming hysterically and clutching her surviving child.

The 50-year-old nanny is in custody. She's hospitalized in critical condition.

Traffic around Columbus Avenue and 75th Street was heavily backed up as police and EMS responded to the initial call at about 5:30 p.m.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/25/14702684-police-nanny-stabs-2-children-in-manhattan-home?lite

benson henderson 2012 dunk contest edgar vs henderson berkshire hathaway ufc 144 james jones james jones

The Best Sound Bar for Less Than $300

Few things are more complicated and expensive than home theater audio components. Picking the right pieces is hard enough as it is, but figuring out how to properly setup those speakers can be downright hellacious. Plus your bank account hates it. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Q1JCfaIFupY/the-best-sound-bar-for-less-than-300

raheem morris winter classic mt rainier caucus stanford vs oklahoma state occupy rose parade vesta williams

Grant funds new fitness equipment for Baton Rouge schools ? Our ...

By Tina Dirmann
staff writer for BCBS Louisiana Foundation

Physical education teacher Bonnie Richardson doesn?t just care about her students health.

The topic moves her to tears.

On a sunny fall day, as she gathered with her students on the Baton Rouge FLAIM school playground to break-in newly installed fitness equipment, she spoke of how the playground additions will impact kids.

??This will open up an opportunity for our students to be stronger,? said the teacher, carefully watching students struggle up a pole and wrestle with their first pull-ups.

Understanding that school PE activities are often the only time her kids get real exercise, the impassioned teacher tears-up. She knows her students are already battling issues formerly seen in only older adults, including high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity.

?But those problems have not only permeated her campus.

They are a growing epidemic on elementary school campuses serving lower-income neighborhoods. And it?s the reason the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation of Louisiana (through their Challenge for a Healthier Louisiana grant program) partnered with the Mayor?s Healthy City Initiative in Baton Rouge to create Fresh Beginnings, a $2.2 million project aimed at improving health and fitness needs in the community.

?And a top priority for Fresh Beginnings is to target physical education programs in North Baton Rouge schools, offering new equipment, training programs and nutritional education.
Fresh Beginnings also partnered with Project Fit America to implement the new physical fitness programs. Although Fit America is a national charity, this is the first time the group will be in Louisiana, teaching Baton Rouge school children fun, innovative fitness games and programs. Even the teachers must undergo training, said Steve Cox, national in-service director for Project Fit America, who was in town with Project Fit Trainer Kim Berg on Oct. 15-16. The pair spent time with students and teachers at four schools (BRFLAIM, Buchanan Elementary, Winbourne Elementary and Ryan Elementary).

?We are just starting to understand that kids who grow up unfit, stay unfit,? Cox said. ?Today, obese kids are developing diseases folks used to die of in their 60?s and 70?s. But the pendulum is swinging, as a society. We see this now and we?ve got to work to change it. Our kids deserve better.?

At Buchanan Elementary, Berg brought new three pound weighted hoola hoops and basketballs and ordered kids to run from workout station to workout station using the equipment to earn pieces of a skeleton puzzle. they couldn?t stop running, shooting, hoola-hooping until the puzzle was complete. And in the process, she threw out a few fitness terms, like, ?Hey, who knows what your core is??

?This is not just about exercise, but what each exercise addresses,? she said, emphasizing that their program isn?t just P.E. ? it is Physical Eduation, in the truest sense of the term.
The school visits and equipment donations are just the beginning of a three year program that will eventually go beyond school campuses and into the surrounding community. Look for Mobile Markets to crop up soon ? rotating grocery stores aimed at providing access to fresh fruits and vegetables in neighborhoods void of farmer?s markets or full service grocery stores.
Learning more about the Fresh Beginnings initiative, BR FLAIM school principal Cheryl Miller nodded in approval.

?These are all ground up initiatives, and we are the ground,? she said, nodding toward her school. ?Louisiana has been at the bottom of the obesity scale for too long. But if our kids see we think it?s important to be healthy, that we are serious about this, then it will stick. We will teach them life long skills.?

Source: http://ourhomelouisiana.org/2012/10/24/grant-funds-new-fitness-equipment-for-baton-rouge-schools/

whitney houston funeral live pat buchanan slither slither naacp glen campbell jerusalem artichoke

Are Longer Office Hours Cost Effective? - NYTimes.com

When a colleague of mine announced her retirement recently, she said she was going to miss her patients ? but not the pressures of running a practice, nor the plethora of new insurance regulations and initiatives to improve the way doctors run their offices.

Unlike her colleagues still practicing, she would no longer have to heed measures like Medicare?s ?meaningful use? regulation, which pushes doctors to use electronic health records with a financial incentive at first, then a penalty later if they do not. She could ignore the new pay-for-performance plans that linked reimbursement to quality measures with little proven effect on patient outcomes. And she could choose to overlook the hullabaloo surrounding the so-called medical home, a strategy to reorganize doctors? offices so that patients have access not just to their familiar doctor but also to a team of nurses, physician assistants and other medical assistants, with minimal delays, and on weekends and evenings if needed.

?Where?s the proof?? she asked tensely, forgetting for a moment that she was retiring. ?Why is it that I can?t prescribe a medication without studies to back me up, but we doctors must overhaul our practices without data to show that the changes will actually make a difference??

She is not the only doctor asking that question.

In blogs, discussion forums and private conversations, a growing number of doctors are voicing serious doubts about the new schemes to improve medical practice. All agree that change of some kind is necessary, but many doctors feel trapped by a reform process that links ?voluntary? changes to reimbursement. Others are overwhelmed by the amount of effort and financial investment required. Still others worry that patient care will end up suffering.

All of these doctors share a common concern: that the changes won?t work because the assumptions underlying them are, well, just assumptions.

Now a study in The Annals of Family Medicine confirms that these doubting doctors may be right.

The study analyzed a central assumption of one proposed change to medical practice: that patients who enjoy regular access to their primary doctors cost less, since they are less likely to go to an emergency room or to require hospitalization than patients who are unable to see a doctor regularly. Continuity of care is a central goal of primary care improvement efforts, because it is assumed that physicians? offices operating as medical homes, with office hours during weekends and evenings, will yield better health outcomes, improve patient satisfaction and save money.

To test this assumption, researchers from the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine in Sacramento analyzed the records of more than 30,000 patients, only some of them enrolled in a medical home. As expected, patients whose doctors offered extended office hours had total health care costs that were at least 10 percent less than patients who could see their doctors only during standard business hours. There were no significant differences in mortality rates.

But when the results were analyzed more closely, it turned out that the savings was not a result of fewer emergency room visits or hospital stays. Rather, costs were lower because doctors offering extended hours tended to prescribe fewer expensive drugs, blood tests, X-rays and other procedures commonly associated with normal office visits.

In other words, the doctors who offered extended hours were, over all, just more cost-conscious than those who did not.

?Offering extended office hours could be a marker for doctors who tend to adopt cost-savings measures in general,? said Dr. Anthony Jerant, the study?s lead author and a professor in the U.C. Davis department of family and community medicine.

The study also raises the broader issue of whether certain proposed policies have the potential to offer more bang for the buck than others. Mandating extended office hours, for example, might be a less effective way of holding down expenditures than creating new ways of rewarding doctors for being cost-conscious in the exam room.

?It might be that what we need to do is teach and reward cost-effective decision-making,? Dr. Jerant said. ?But that?s going to be a hard sell as long as doctors are incentivized to do more. They get paid to do and order more.?

Currently, studies that analyze and test the assumptions underlying proposed initiatives to improve care, particularly those involving primary care, are rare. But Dr. Jerant and his fellow investigators believe that such research could have important implications, particularly as politicians and policy makers attempt to institute changes. Such studies could not only assess the strength of proposed policies, but also provide the evidence that practicing physicians need to get on board with changes.

?We have a golden opportunity right now,? Dr. Jerant said. ?We?re scrutinizing health care and practices as never before.

?Why not choose to do what make the biggest difference for practices and their patients??

Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/how-extended-office-hours-save-money/

broncos lehigh walking dead season finale matt flynn denver news frozen planet creighton

Apple announces new version of iBooks

Apple has announced a new version of iBooks which will be available later today. New features include better integration with iCloud, enhanced sharing options, and continuous scrolling when reading. All of the books that you own will appear on your bookshelf, even if they are not on your device, just like the current iOS music app for iTunes Match users. Additionally, the new version supports over 40 languages, including Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. The update will be available in the App Store soon.

Be sure to keep an eye on our live commentary of the Apple event as it happens for more news!

Ibooks

ipad mini event

News

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/t0UJyLYSUUo/story01.htm

geraldo obama trayvon martin pietrus cheney tori spelling marion barber marion barber

sales teleselling: The Difference Between Telemarketing and ...

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

What's the difference between B2B telemarketing and telesales?

These two terms are often misunderstood and are always interchanged. But bear in mind that the intention and plan of B2B telemarketing is really different from telesales. The unfavorable impression related to telemarketing is oftentimes due to its misunderstanding with telesales. The latter, as a matter of fact, is a form of telemarketing.

B2B telemarketing is very dissimilar in the sense that its purpose is to generate interest, foster additional contact, so that in the process, it can establish strong connections and calls are usually made directly to the decision makers within the likely or the present client's organization. Telesales call is normally utilized in the world of business to sell a product or service-or basically, to close a sale. Telesales will not be successful if the sale is not materialized and accomplished during the call.

Depending on the preferred results of your B2B telemarketing campaign, outbound phone marketing callers can try to attract the call recipients into wanting to hear and know more about the products and/or services they offer to the public. Or, these telemarketers also try to schedule a follow up visit with a firm representative in order to talk about the needs of the prospects, as they relate to the business, but in more details.

B2B telemarketing agents typically call and communicate in order to collect data from their clients or prospective clients to perk up their own processes and systems. These kinds of calls are regarded to as telemarketing surveys. The outcome of these telemarketing surveys are influential when it comes to developing strategic decisions, company procedures and policies.

And if you are seriously taking into consideration using a B2B telemarketing company, then, why not? There are plenty of services given by B2B telemarketing service providers to facilitate you if your company is not doing very well in the market these days. They can aid you in identifying business opportunities, build favorable leads, raise revenues, and more.

Building favorable business-to-business leads is by far one of the greatest advantages of a B2B telemarketing service provider. They could assist you on how to identify your audience and how to efficiently target them so that you would accumulate more sales and probably long-term clients. When you make use of a B2B telemarketing agency, it can help you in identifying opportunities that you may have possibly overlooked before. The significance of being always on the lookout for each opportunity as you possibly can cannot be overemphasized. They could aid you in identifying every opportunity and to go after it properly.

The, B2B telemarketing firms can help you in filling your pipeline right away so that you could speed up your sales cycle. The end goal would have to be improving your business by way of maximizing profit. There are actually several reasons as to why you should consider getting the services of the business to business telemarketing service providers. They serve to help you when it comes to your issues concerning with sales, identifying opportunities and the problems which may cause your business to fail.

Jayden Chu helps companies in Singapore and in other Asia Pacific countries increase their business revenue through lead generation and appointment setting services. He is a professional consultant for telemarketing services. To find out how you can increase your business revenue, go to http://www.callbox.com.sg/

Source: http://bestsalesteleselling.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-difference-between-telemarketing.html

abc paris jackson paris jackson Katherine Jackson Olympics Opening Ceremony Time aapl US weekly

Daytrading, Stock Trading, Investing and Forex Trading ? Explaining ...

They don't blame any person or anything for what's happened to their money. What do successful traders share in common? Do they cry and whinge about losing millions of bucks in the market when that occurs? No, they take responsibility of their actions when trading in the stockmarket. They wish they had made better choices. Most noobs would regret what occurred during the past. Picking the ?gainers? and avoiding the ?losers? is the name of the game. For instance, ?I should have purchased this other stock instead? or ?I shouldn't have listened to that stockbroker.? Each successful investor has a tactic that he sticks to. Warren Buffett knows this idea well, and that made him the second-richest man in the world today. What if you had a technique to tell which stocks are intending to make a murdering in the market? Spot the ?gainers? earlier without depending on brokers or sly insider data. If you should happen to feel assured you can manage your portfolio without trained advice, which can prove pricey I would add, most online agents offer free tools to help you with consumer analysis like historic charts, realtime stock quotes and tutorial videos.

Now would not that give you the benefit easily? What if androids can do all of that for you? These are what automated stock dealing robotic systems do best. If nonetheless, you propose to keep the stock for a longer period like five years or longer, you are going to need to check the performance of the stock monthly to make sure that the company has not sustained substantial losses that would affect the value of your investment. Tracking a firm's performance is vital if you're trading short term by checking charts and graphs. Taking the Supposition out of Trading On The Web brokers could have many convenient tools and services available to their clients, but recall that they're actually only out to earn income from your account with them. There are a large amount of programs available to help map out Fibonacci waves.

I invest fairly conservatively, but my largest gain so far ( on one currency cross ) was over $5000. You can download SpiralTrader for nothing there?s also VTTrader, which my neighbour uses and endorses. Both do miracles, all you've got to do is input 1 or 2 numbers and drag your waves over market graphs, and it shows you the key p.c. levels at which to trade successfully with that fund. It is not complicated, and it isn't wizardry ? it is simply a method to see patterns and identify when they'll repeat. That way it is possible for you to always be assured you are working with the most current materials. Take a little time to appraise what it is that you truly want to gain from such materials.

You need the facility to customise the layouts of charts and graphs too. This will have a huge effect on your profits from trading efforts. That enables you to read it in a format that's satisfactory for you.

Source: http://traders101.com/2012/10/24/explaining-stock-investing/

pineapple upside down cake free ecards flying car masters golf tournament the replacements how to hard boil eggs new nfl uniforms

It's Time to Prioritise the Global Sharing Economy - Transcend

ECONOMICS

by Rajesh Makwana and Adam Parsons ? TRANSCEND Media Service

There is much talk about the need for greater sharing in our societies today, in everything from household goods and peer-to-peer services to cooperative enterprises and the ?commons?. But we often fail to acknowledge one of the most important examples of sharing in the modern world: systems of universal welfare provision.

Systems of welfare are essentially complex ?sharing economies? that exist in a variety of forms in different countries. The principle of sharing underpins how they work by ensuring that members of society take collective responsibility for securing the basic human needs and rights of all citizens. Through the process of progressive taxation and redistribution, we share a portion of the nation?s financial resources (personal income and assets, as well as company profits) for the benefit of society as a whole.

Social welfare systems in both rich and poor countries are often far from perfect and not always efficiently administered, but they remain a vital expression of social justice, solidarity and equitable wealth distribution that can reduce inequalities and strengthen social cohesion. They are also staunchly supported by many millions of people who have long recognised the role that an effective sharing economy can play in creating a fairer, more just and healthy society.

However, the process of establishing and strengthening the sharing economy is still in its infancy in some parts of the world. Many low-income countries do not have the resources they need to build effective systems for redistributing wealth and income through taxation and the provision of public services. Furthermore, a lack of generosity and the self-interest of donor countries has severely compromised existing systems of overseas aid ? currently one of the only mechanisms used by rich industrialised nations to finance the ?global sharing economy?. These realities point to the urgent need for scaling up sharing between countries as well as within them.

Rather than strengthening and scaling up the sharing economy on a national and global basis, for decades governments have pursued polices that undermine systems of social welfare and exacerbate poverty and inequality. Since the 1980s, governments have increasingly rolled back those policies that share the proceeds of growth more fairly across society, in favour of promoting unregulated wealth creation by the few. Today, the very basis of the sharing economy is being eroded in countries where austerity measures are dramatically reducing public spending on social welfare and essential services.

Global emergency

In a world that is already highly unequal, neglecting polices that redistribute income and wealth has resulted in what can only be described as a global emergency. For example, poverty rates across OECD countries have been rising for a decade and took a sharp turn for the worse after the global financial crisis of 2008. In poorer countries, just under a billion people are officially classified as hungry while almost half of the developing world population is trying to survive on less than $2 a day. At the same time, 300 million people are currently affected by global warming and 300,000 people lose their lives every year as a result. Altogether, around 15 million people die every year largely due to a lack of access to nutritious food, basic healthcare services, or clean water for drinking and sanitation ? equivalent to more than 40,000 preventable deaths every single day.

The underlying causes of the many urgent problems facing humanity are complex and addressing them will necessitate extensive reforms to the institutions and policies that underpin the global economy. In this process of world rehabilitation, almost every aspect of society will need to be restructured ? from the way we extract, produce, distribute and consume resources, to the influence that multinational corporations wield over society and policymaking. But we cannot wait for these transformative changes to take place while millions of people are facing a condition of life-threatening poverty. We urgently need to take a bold step towards saving lives and ending extreme deprivation today ? and despite what politicians keep on telling us, doing so is eminently affordable.

According to research in a new report by Share The World?s Resources (STWR), governments could harness more than enough money to reverse policies of economic austerity, prevent life-threatening deprivation and mitigate the human impacts of climate change. By utilising the policy options summarised below, we could mobilise over $2.8 trillion every year to bolster the sharing economy both within and between nations. These figures are only broad estimates, but they demonstrate the potential for governments to collect and redistribute huge quantities of additional public finance for critical human needs ? often money that they have led the public to believe does not exist or cannot be found.

• Tax financial speculation:?????????????????????????????? $650bn
• End fossil fuel and biofuel subsidies: ???????? $531bn
• Divert military spending: ?????????????????????????????? $434.5bn
• Stop tax avoidance:??????????????????????????? ?????????????? $349bn
• Increase international aid: ????????????????? ????????? $297.5bn
• End support for agribusiness:???????????? ?????????? $187bn
• Redistribute IMF resources:?????????????? ?????????? $115.5bn
• Tax carbon emissions:???????????????????????? ???????????? $108bn
• Cancel unjust debt:???????????????????????????? ??????????????? $81bn
• Protect import tariffs: ??????????????????????? ????????????? $63.4bn

Total: ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? $2,816.9bn

The structures, mechanisms and expertise needed to utilise this additional finance have long been in place. For example, there are numerous international agencies working ceaselessly to provide disaster relief and prevent poverty-related deaths throughout the world. The international community has already established an array of funds and other programs to facilitate climate change adaptation and mitigation programs in developing countries. And in terms of social protection, many low-income countries already have various systems of welfare in place to provide essential public services to their citizens. According to calculations by the United Nations, it could be possible to ensure that a basic level of social protection is available to the world?s poor for as little as 2% of global GDP.

The economic benefits of sharing

Making better use of existing institutions and available finance also makes sound economic sense at a time when economies across the world are contracting and unemployment is rising. Reinforcing the global sharing economy could save countless lives and enable millions of people in the Global South to contribute to the social, economic, political and cultural life of their nation. Reversing austerity measures would also have a significant impact on economies by increasing the health, wellbeing and disposable income of citizens in these economically advanced regions. In an interdependent world where trade and financial relationships span the globe, this massive investment in human lives could stimulate demand, create employment opportunities and substantially increase government revenues.

Many European governments understood the need to scale up the sharing economy after the Second World War when they brought in a comprehensive package of social welfare policies despite levels of national debt that surpassed those of today. President Roosevelt introduced similar commitments in the US during the country?s most severe economic depression as part of the New Deal series of economic programs between 1933 and 1936. In 1948, the US went on to kick-start a massive transfer of financial resources to a number of European countries as part of the Marshall Plan, designed to aid reconstruction and economic recovery in those nations devastated by war. Instead of further eroding these landmark commitments to share financial resources in ways that benefit the wider community at home and abroad, it is high time we scaled up the sharing economy at every level of society.

Implementing the measures highlighted above could yield major gains for humanity and mark a tremendous leap forward for the international community, paving the way for more substantial reforms that must urgently follow. Many of these policy measures would also be hugely beneficial in their own right by helping to establish a world with less military spending, less national debt, less corporate welfare, less inequality, as well as a fairer international trade regime and a greener economy. Achieving these long-standing and widely championed goals would be an enormous step in the right direction for the world as a whole, signalling a triumph for millions of people working towards progressive change.

Overcoming the barriers to progress

So if we have the money, the institutions and technical knowledge needed to ameliorate the worst effects of the global humanitarian emergency ? and it makes sound economic sense to do so ? why do we continue to neglect and undermine the sharing economy on both the national and international levels?

This question is rarely put to policymakers, and there is a stark lack of public debate about the extent of the global emergency and how easily basic needs could be secured for all people ? if only we prioritised doing so. When pressed on these issues, elected officials often claim that their governments have simply run out of money to safeguard their own citizens, let alone help those living abroad. This lack of ambition and political inertia has many complex causes, including the dominance of a purely market-based approach to addressing the world?s problems among policymakers, economists and business leaders. For too long, governments have pursued an economic model that overemphasises the private sector and free markets, thereby undermining the sharing economy by placing profit and growth before the welfare of all people and the environment.

In light of this political reality, implementing even modest proposals such as closing tax havens, diverting perverse subsidies or reducing military spending will require massive public support. The hope for a better world rests with the participation of the global public in a call for reform that extends beyond national borders. As the widespread mobilisation of people power in 2011 demonstrated, only a united people?s voice is stronger than the private interests that obstruct progressive change from taking place. The responsibility for change rests with us ? ordinary, engaged citizens ? to forge a worldwide popular movement that upholds and strengthens the sharing economy in all its forms.

____________________

Rajesh Makwana is the director of Share The World?s Resources and can be contacted at rajesh(at)stwr.org.

Adam Parsons is the editor at Share The World?s Resources and can be contacted at adam(at)stwr.org.

This article was based on the report ?Financing the global sharing economy?. For references, further resources and to read the full report, visit: http://www.stwr.org/financing-the-global-sharing-economy.

Click to share this article: facebook | twitter | email.

Click here to download this article as a PDF file or print it.

This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 United States License.

Source: http://www.transcend.org/tms/2012/10/its-time-to-prioritise-the-global-sharing-economy/

britney spears engaged craig smith craig smith eat to live eat to live ron paul money bomb ron paul money bomb