Every Friday in?Sacred Space, Brad Williams explores the place of popular culture in the local church.
In case you know nothing about Schuller?s teaching, I?ll take a moment to catch you up to speed. Robert Schuller?s teaching is heavily influenced by the idea of improving oneself through self-esteem, which in turn builds one?s ego. This particular part of secular psychology is evident in statements throughout Schuller?s preaching and in his books, especially his?Self-Esteem: The New Reformation. In that book, Schuller makes statements like ?classical theology has erred in its insistence that theology be ?God-centered? and not ?man-centered? ? and that the ?master plan of God is designed around the?deepest needs of human beings?self-dignity,?self-respect,?self-worth,?self-esteem.?
For Schuller, the power of positive thinking was so important, and the self-esteem of the hearer was so crucial, that he would be bold enough to say, ?I don?t think anything has been done in the name of Christ and under the banner of Christianity that has proven more destructive to human personality and hence counterproductive to the evangelism enterprise than the often crude, uncouth, and unchristian strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful condition.? The culture of self-esteem influenced Schuller so greatly that it overcame the teaching of Scripture, and his teaching in turn affected his local church in?disastrous?ways.
In case you have not heard, the Crystal Cathedral is in bankruptcy, and because of this, it has sold its property to the Roman Catholic Church. Adding to the financial woes of the Crystal Cathedral, Robert Schuller claims that the church he led into bankruptcy now owes him around $5.5 million for intellectual property that he should have been paid for. Besides the financial ruin, there are an untold number of people whose hearts are broken, and whose faith is shaken, because of the fall of this ministry.
This leads me to what I believe is the true tragedy of Robert Schuller?s self-esteem kind of gospel, and its close cousin, the prosperity gospel. It is completely unable to prepare people for the reality of suffering. In other words, once prosperity has blown away like so much dust in the wind, one?s faith can easily blow away with it. By prosperity, I do not mean only the loss of personal wealth, but also the loss of health, loved ones, job, or even the loss of ?identity? through injury or illness.
When suffering comes, and it will come to everyone, even those who love Christ, we need an understanding that we serve a God who has suffered with us, for us, and who will deliver us from suffering in the life to come. To look inward to the self at such times of disaster would be devastating. Positive thinking will not bring back one?s wife, one?s job, one?s wayward child, or one?s shattered finances. In times of devastation, we don?t need to think bigger thoughts about ourselves; we need bigger thoughts about our God.
Another way that Schuller?s teaching handicapped the church was his refusal to deal with sin as sin. If one?s faith is tied to positive thinking, then it is easy to see how doubt would be perceived as negative thinking and therefore unfaithful thinking. So when it came time to borrow more and more money, they just thought positive thoughts, not considering how they would pay the bills. They lived beyond their means, and they did it with a positive attitude. Now the Crystal Cathedral is broke, the congregation is reaping a terrible harvest of heartbreak, and Schuller is trying to squeeze blood from a turnip, hoping to wring $5.5 million out of them so his retirement won?t be endangered.
The power of positive thinking has shattered on the altar of Schuller?s church like so much crystal. There is no real excuse for their massive debt; I read that at its peak ?The Hour of Power? broadcast was bringing in $50 million a year. Poor stewardship caused by poor teaching brought about a great fall. And that?s not the worst of it. The worst of it, to me, are those poor people Schuller misled. People who listened to his sermons and thought positive, self-affirming thoughts. Now, those folks are left holding the bag, and the building they worshiped in is gone along with their teacher. I hope that their faith in Christ Jesus is strengthened and not broken, and I hope that a local church that preaches the full counsel of God?s Word can come alongside them and help them sort this mess out.
And what is the cautionary tale for us on the outside looking in? We have to be on our guard not to let the culture creep in on us so much that we deny the fundamentals of the gospel. The church is to build God-esteem, not self-esteem, and the biblical doctrine of sin can build a person up. Because it is the truth. We are sinners in need of a Savior, and what a great Savior that we have! He never fails us, and He never stops loving us, no matter how broken we are.
Ryan budget is dead on arrival in the Senate, but is expected to play strong in 2012 races. Democrats say it wrecks Medicare, Republicans say they are willing to make tough decisions.
House Republicans passed a $3.53 trillion budget for the coming fiscal year on Thursday headlined by GOP priorities such as sharply lower taxes and a greater role for the private sector in Medicare. The measure, which aims to cut $3 trillion more over the next decade than President Obama's budget, advanced 228 to 191, without a single Democratic vote.
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But as the GOP budget exits the House, it's likely hit its zenith as a viable budget plan. Now, it becomes a dead letter on the steps of the Senate and a political sledgehammer for Democrats and Republicans alike.
Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D) of Nevada has said the upper chamber will use the caps imposed by last summer?s debt-ceiling deal as guidelines for its spending this year and therefore doesn?t need a budget. That would make the coming year the third in a row where the Senate has eschewed a formal budget, which Senate leadership believes could set up tough votes for Democrats seeking reelection in 2012.
Politically, both parties are hoping to use the budget as a central part of their campaign messaging in the November elections.
For Republicans, the goal is to contrast the GOP?s leadership and willingness to make tough decisions on the nation?s long-term financial problems with what they allege is the fecklessness of the Democrat-held and budget-less Senate.
?I applaud my colleagues for the tough decisions they?ve made,? said House Speaker John Boehner (R) of Ohio, in a rare appearance on the the House floor Thursday, ?to lay out a real vision of what we were to do if we had more control here in this town.?
That?s something the GOP thinks could help pay dividends beyond the Republican base.
?I think they may be trying to speak beyond Republicans, who are deeply concerned about the deficit and the debt, and say to independents: ?Look, we?ve got such a serious problem moving ahead with whatever we as a government want to do that we have to start addressing this issue now,? ? said Karlyn Bowman, an expert on public opinion at the conservative American Enterprise Institute in Washington.
However, winning on the GOP budget would be contrary to what many observers believe the budget was during several special elections in 2011: a resounding political loser.
?Despite the House Republican enthusiasm last year for the Ryan budget, it didn?t end up so well for them,? says Sarah Binder, a scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington. ?It became politically damaging because it was associated simply with letting Medicare wither on the vine. The political costs from that Ryan budget ? and being so explicitly connected to Ryan itself in some ways ? it is surprising that we?re going to Round 2 with it a year later.?
Democrats, on the other hand, are looking to reprise their largely successful strategy from 2011: painting the Ryan budget as demolishing Medicare and cutting taxes for the wealthy while slashing spending on popular social-welfare programs. Democrats already have their rallying cry nearly down pat.
?Isn?t [the Ryan budget] astounding? Don?t you feel like taking to the streets and saying, ?You?re getting ripped off in [Congress],? ? said minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D) of California at a briefing with reporters on Thursday. ?That should be the focus of our attention.?
And it won?t be just in congressional races where Democrats will be wielding the Ryan budget as a weapon. Mitt Romney?s endorsement of the measure had Democrats across Capitol Hill linking the budget proposal as a ?Romney-Ryan? accord.
The Ryan budget is "terrifying," said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D) of Oregon. "This is their banner. This is what, ostensibly, their presidential candidate is going to run on."
I attended a fascinating seminar yesterday presented by NJAPM on Mediating Elder Law issues.? Much like a divorce where family relationships add a layer of complexity to the legal issues, elder law issues may involve multiple generations and many family members.? Usually, the last thing the ?elder? wants is for his or her family to fight over how to provide care for them.? Yet, the decisionmaking may be complicated by geography, economics, family history?and emotions.
As a family mediator, it was clear to me that using mediation techniques to resolve elder care issues is far more beneficial to the entire family then starting a court case.? The last thing a parent or grandparent wants?is to have their family fight over their care.? Not to mention the fact that court proceedings are costly.
?I learned that a mediator can bring a Geriatric Care Manager to the table to provide options.? Geriatric care managers with a background in nursing or social work?are trained to investigate all the options ? from home care to nursing homes ? interview the elder to determine his or her preferences and?make recommendations?to the entire family.?
The benefits of mediating elder issues include minimizing conflict among?family members;??valuing the concerns of all family members while focusing on the elder?s needs; and preserving assets by lowering the costs of resolution.? In addition, mediation will yield benefits in the future by improving communication among family members.
For more information on mediation, contact Risa A.?Kleiner, Esq. at 609.951.2222 or at risa@rkleinerlaw.com
I am a big fan of Star Trek, Babylon 5, and other shows like them. I have always wanted to generate my own universe like them, but let's face it, it's pretty much impossible to do entirely on your own. I am looking for a group of two-to-four highly literate roleplayers who are interested in working with their GM to create a world that we can all enjoy. I will have some alien species generated, but you will be able to create your own species to be approved by the GM, as well. The story will work much like Star Trek - the crew of a largely human starship from Earth, meeting and dealing with new races and problems. Unless, of course, we would rather do something similar to Babylon 5 - position our characters on a space-station which acts as a meeting place and neutral territory between alien races, and as such, is always in trouble. It is truly up to you. I have many plot ideas, but I would also like to hear what my partners come up with. This will be truly a work of cooperation.
Less than 48 hours after teasing us with promises of upcoming "awesome new features," ASUS is now delivering the refresh to Transformer Primes in the UK. Via its Euro Facebook page, the Taiwanese outfit has announced that all TF201 owners in the United Kingdom can expect to see the OTA update anytime now. With the fresh ICS version, you'll be able to tinker with notifications in the lockscreen, connect to Ethernet via USB (adapter not included) as well as get support for wireless ad hoc mode. Unfortunately, TF101 owners will have to exercise some patience, as ASUS says the update for the elder Transformer is still in the works.
Credit cards have almost become naughty words in our society today. Our dependence on them is not good. Many people don?t feel as though they could live without them. Others know that the credit history that they build is essential, in order to have many of the things we take for granted such as a car or a home. This article will help educate you about their proper usage.
If you can?t pay your credit card balance in full each month, be sure to make at least double the minimum payment until it is paid off. Paying only the minimum will keep you trapped in escalating interest payments for years. Doubling down on the minimum will help to ensure you get out from the debt as soon as possible. Most importantly, stop using your credit cards for anything but emergencies until the existing debt is paid off.
Do not use your credit cards to make emergency purchases. Many people believe that this is the best use of credit cards, but the best use is actually for things that you purchase on a regular basis, like groceries. The key is, to only charge things that you will be able to pay back in a timely manner.
In order to minimize your credit card debt expenditures, review your outstanding credit card balances and establish which should be paid off first. A good way to save more money in the long run is to pay off the balances of cards with the highest interest rates. You?ll save more in the long term because you will not have to pay the higher interest for a longer period of time.
Keep one low-limit card in your wallet for emergency expenses only. All other cards should be kept at home, to avoid impulse buys that you can?t really afford. If you need a card for a large purchase, you will have to knowingly get it from your home and take it with you. This will give you extra time to think about what you are buying.
If you get to a point where you are having a difficult time making the monthly payment on a credit card, then you should destroy the card so that you will not be tempted to use it again. You can still pay it off without having the card in your possession.
Try to refrain from making minimum payments on your credit cards. The minimum payment barely covers the finance charges and at that rate, it can take years to pay off the balance. When making your monthly payment, pay as much as you can so as to lower the principal balance as well.
Stay away from pre-approved offers from credit card companies. Remember, it is not the credit card companies responsibility to find the best card for you, it is their job to sign up as many people as possible. Using whatever marketing techniques they can. The pre-approved offers sound tempting, but they tend to include extremely high interest rates.
Do not go on a spending spree just because you have a new card with a zero balance available to you. This is not free money, it is money that you will eventually have to pay back and going overboard with your purchases will only end up hurting you in the long run.
Having a good understanding of how to properly use credit cards, in order to get ahead in life, rather than to hold yourself back, is crucial. This is something that most people lack. This article has shown you the easy ways that you can get sucked in to overspending. You should now know how to build up your credit by using your credit cards in a responsible way.
To be told about resourceful tutorials about best credit cards online and even on best credit caard for airline miles, visit this website.
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In ?The Next Evolution ? Enhancing and Unifying Project and Change Management,? senior business pro Thomas L. Jarocki offers a unique approach that has companies rethinking how best to make their business, IT and other organizational initiatives more successful.
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) February 16, 2012
For years, business, IT and other project leaders often struggled at trying to ensure that their organizational initiatives were not only deftly planned and executed, but that project outputs were adopted by the organization and utilized to create business value. To achieve this, initiatives were often divided between the technical side (project management) and the more people-focused change management side. Unfortunately, this disjointed and often convoluted approach to achieving complete success only further contributed to disappointing business outcomes.
In The Next Evolution ? Enhancing and Unifying Project and Change Management: The Emergence One Method for Total Project Success, Thomas L. Jarocki has thoroughly explored the relationship between the project management and change management disciplines. He also examines the tension that frequently exists between technically-focused project managers and the more people-focused change management professionals before going on to provide a fully integrated, comprehensive solution for unifying these two critical disciplines.
This 326 page book is divided in two parts. Part One, The Next Evolution, discusses how most project and change management methodologies are hampered by outdated assumptions, legacy inherited deficiencies and narrow perceptions regarding scope. It also details why well-meaning attempts at integrating these two disciplines quickly become disjointed and frustratingly ineffective. It concludes by explaining why a unifying methodology is required if total project success is to be achieved.
In Part Two, The Emergence One Method for Total Project Success, the complete, step-by-step, Emergence One project life cycle methodology is presented. The Emergence One Method merges the most effective tools, techniques and perspectives from both the project management and change management disciplines into one sequential set of activities. With this valuable reference guide, project professionals now have a single, comprehensive approach that applies as much structure and rigor to managing the critical human, political and organizational change factors as it does to traditional project tasks.
About the Book: The Next Evolution ? Enhancing and Unifying Project and Change Management: The Emergence One Method for Total Project Success by Thomas Luke Jarocki, Brown and Williams Publishing, Princeton, NJ, June 2011, hardcover, 326pp, ISBN: 978-0983667803.
About the Author: Thomas Luke Jarocki is an accomplished project manager and change leadership professional who has logged nearly 25,000 hours working major business initiatives in the US, Latin America and Europe. Since 2001, he has been the Managing Director of Emergence One International, a Silicon Valley based consulting and training firm. He has a Master?s degree in Organizational Behavior from Columbia University and is a member of the Project Management Institute.
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For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/2/prweb9202223.htm
Fish are the most low maintenance pets. These beautiful little creatures silently swim and add colour and natural beauty to our home d?cor. But however easy it is to maintain a fish pet, the fish aquarium cleaning is definitely a challenging job. If the fish tank cleaning is not done regularly and in a proper manner, the fish might die or start suffering skin disease.
Fish aquarium needs weekly or bi-weekly cleaning depending on the size and level of bacteria growth. You will come to know that the tank needs cleaning as it starts stinking and you can see dead leaves, growth of algae and unwanted plants. Cleaning a fish tank is the most important step in fish maintenance as feeding the fish is pretty simple and does not require much skill.
Dos and Don?ts of fish aquarium cleaning
Keep tools like algae scrapper, algae magnet, siphon, etc handy when starting to clean the aquarium. Never use any other chemical or home-based cleaning agents for sanitizing the tank. This can threaten the health and life of the fish. Always buy the fish aquarium cleaning tools from a reputed pet shop.
Fish owners are always wondering whether to take out whole water while cleaning the tank or clean by taking out half water only. Fish care experts believe that it is better to do the cleaning by taking out water partially. Use a siphon hose to pull out 15-20 percent of the tank?s water. Remove the unwanted plants, leftover food, and other garbage from the base of the tank. Partial cleaning of the tank ensures that some good bacteria still remains in the water that is important for the survival of the fish. A considerable amount of beneficial bacteria shall remain in the water for biological filtration.
If you feel that the items inside the aquarium are too dirty then take out the decorative materials like stones, artificial plants, etc and clean them separately in mild bleach. This will avoid algae formation that takes place rapidly on these decorative materials. Take care to wash off the bleach properly before putting these inside the tank again. Many people prefer to keep algae eater fish like Pleco fish, Coral fish, etc that are natural algae eaters. However, just by adding algae eater fish into the aquarium does not mean that you never clean the check the algae formation inside the tank and take steps to control it.
Refill the tank with fresh water that is free of chlorine. Take care to add water that is at room temperature rather than hot or too cold water. This can prove to be lethal for the fish.
Cleaning the fish aquarium in a proper manner is important because it ensures that fish live for a long time and stay healthy. Minor mistakes like using hard chemicals, detergent, injuring the fish, or removing all the water from the tank, can prove to be lethal for the fish. So fish owners should take extra care while cleaning the fish aquarium.
Vermont police have found the body of a science teacher who went missing on Sunday. NECN's Jack Thurston reports.
By msnbc.com news services
Vermont police?have arrested a couple in connection with the death of teacher Melissa Jenkins, whose body was found in local woods after she was reported missing.
Allen Prue, 30, and his wife Patricia Prue, 33, were taken into custody late Tuesday night and are being held at the Northeast Region Correctional Facility, The Caledonian-Record News reported.
Allen Prue was a snow plow driver and a sub-contracted newspaper delivery person for The Caledonian-Record since January, the newspaper said.
Police searched their home in Waterford Tuesday night.
The body of Jenkins,?a 33-year-old single mother of a two-year-old boy, was found in the woods in Vermont on Monday by a state trooper. Her car had been found Sunday by a friend with her son inside.
Jenkins,?a single mother, taught science and used to coach basketball at the prestigious?St. Johnsbury Academy in Vermont, which counts former President Calvin Coolidge among its alumni.
"She's got a real gift with students who either haven't liked science before or learning science doesn't come easy to them," headmaster Tom Lovett said. "She's got a real gift with them."
Between 100 and 200 students gathered at the academy Monday night after the news came out that a body had been found, The Associated Press reported. Classes were canceled Tuesday.
Jenkins grew up in Danville, a tight-knit town west of St. Johnsbury where she attended the Danville School, the AP reported.
A family friend said Jenkins left her home that night to meet up and help someone out.
"She would do anything for anybody. She definitely will be greatly missed," Ron Craig, of Peacham, told the AP.
Police believe the crime occurred sometime between 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Sunday night.
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Sharp questioning by the Supreme Court's conservative justices has cast serious doubt on the survival of the individual insurance requirement at the heart of President Barack Obama's historic health care overhaul.
Arguments at the high court Tuesday focused on whether the insurance requirement "is a step beyond what our cases allow," in the words of Justice Anthony Kennedy.
He and Chief Justice John Roberts are emerging as the seemingly pivotal votes.
Kennedy told Solicitor General Donald Verrilli that he faced a heavy burden to justify why it was necessary to require Americans to ?go into commerce? by purchasing health insurance.
Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito appeared likely to join with Justice Clarence Thomas to vote to strike down the key provision. The four Democratic appointees seemed ready to vote to uphold it.
Scalia said the mandate may be necessary, but not proper, because the federal government is supposed to have limited powers.
"If the government can do this, what else can it not do?" he asked.
There was a lot of talk about healthy young people subsidizing the health care costs of others. Justice Elena Kagan suggested they are also beneficiaries.
"The subsidizers eventually become the subsidized," she said.
Actress Tori Spelling and husband Dean McDermott with two of her children -- Stella and Liam -- in Santa Monica, Calif., in March 2010.
And baby makes . . . six! Just five months after giving birth to daughter Hattie Margaret, Tori Spelling is pregnant with her fourth child, she announced on her website Friday.
PHOTOS: Meet Baby Hattie
"Dean, Liam, Stella, Hattie, and I are beyond thrilled to announce that another little McDermott is on the way! We feel truly blessed that another angel has found us. Love, Tori xoxo," read the announcement, which was accompanied by a pic of Spelling's burgeoning bump.
The baby-to-be will join Hattie (who was born in October 2011), brother Liam, 5, and sister Stella, 3, the actress and reality star's children with husband Dean McDermott. Spelling, 38, wed Canadian-born actor McDermott, 45, back in May 2006.
PHOTOS: See Tori's family album
While carrying Hattie last year, the "Beverly Hills, 90210" alum dispelled any notions that pregnancy gets any easier the second or third time around.
PHOTOS: Tori and Dean's romantic vow renewal
"People always think the first one was the hardest. But I'm like, 'No the first one was easy for me because I could lay around all day. I didn't have two little ones to take care of,'" Spelling has said. "This is the hardest one because I'm always going with the kids."
The Pentagon left no room for argument last year when it declared cyberattacks a potential act of war. "If you shut down our power grid, maybe we will put a missile down one of your smokestacks," a military official reportedly remarked. Yikes. Before we start bombing chimneys, however, the Department of Defense plans to draft up some relevant guidelines, noting in a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing that it will be delivering a set of cyberspace-specific rules of engagement in the coming months. "We are working closely with the joint staff on the implementation of a transitional command and control model for cyberspace operations," said Madelyn Creedon, assistant secretary of defense for Global Strategic Affairs. In addition to setting ground rules for cyber-engagements, the DOD also plans to expand efforts to share classified information on possible threats with internet service providers and defense contractors.
Commercial real estate is not always as straight-forward as you may hope. You must put a lot of effort into learning the specifics before you make any big decision. Your investment will be substantial with the eventual goal of financial success. Below you will find some great tips to help guide you.
Familiarize yourself with one type of commercial real estate before branching out into other types. There are many different areas of real estate, and it is recommended that you do not go overboard immediately. If you focus on only one investment at a time, you will better understand the complicated strategies involved in having successful commercial real estate.
Always keep close track of the related paperwork and keep it somewhere organized and accessible. Those interested in the real estate will be taking a chance and investing a considerable sum of money. They will often wish to see the paperwork, tracking all the up-to-date documentation of the property and trade itself.
Be aware that not all commercial brokers are alike. Choose the real estate broker who will best help you meet your needs. Some agents represent tenants only, while brokers work alongside tenants and landlords alike. It might be more beneficial to hire a broker who works only with tenants, as he has more experience working with those searching for a property.
Get to know some other investors so that, if you see a really good investment property that is out of your price range, you will have some prospective partners to turn to. You could get together with another investor or a group of investors and buy a property that you could never consider investing in on your own. Pop to Retire in Central America ? an a-z for superb tips.
Look into and inspect every little bit of information about the commercial real estate building you are looking to invest in. You are looking into this property so you can succeed in you business affairs. Don?t be lackadaisical when dealing with this information. If you are careless, you may end up paying for it in the long run.
Sometimes during your negotiations for a piece of land, things may get heated and there may be arguing and disagreement given the amount of money that may be exchanging hands. During this time, make sure that you keep your cool and handle things in a professional manner, to maximize the chance of landing a good deal.
If you carefully read and apply the tips discussed above, you will be off to a good start in real estate investing. By following the advice in this article, you too can enjoy the rewards which go to those who have learned how to take advantage of the exciting opportunities available in commercial real estate.
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Still living off credit cards? Can?t figure out how much you could or should spend? Need to save for retirement? Deborah McNaughton, a Placentia credit expert, financial coach and author of ?The Essential Credit Repair Handbook,? is here to provide her financial advice:
Q: I have been trying to get a credit card and keep getting turned down. I don?t understand it when 18-year-old kids can. I have been denied credit because I don?t have a credit rating on my credit report. Neither do 18-year-old kids who have never charged anything in their lives.
Is there a credit card company that will give me a credit card despite the fact that I don?t have a credit rating?
A: Interesting enough, no credit on a credit report is just as bad as having bad credit. You have to start somewhere. Debit cards are not reported on credit reports, so those don?t count.
A secured credit card is the best way to get a jump start with your credit history. Many local banks and credit unions offer secured credit cards. See a list of additional banks offering secured credit cards HERE.
When you open an account for a secured credit card you will make a deposit into an account. It can range from $250 ? $500. The bank will then issue you a credit card. It will be either a Visa or Mastercard that is secured by the amount of the deposit. In most cases the bank will issue you a credit limit of the amount of your deposit or a percentage of it.
A secured credit card does not look any different than an unsecured Visa or Mastercard and is used the same.
The idea is for you to use the card. Make only small purchases that you pay off in full each month. Don?t allow your balance to go over 30% of your credit limit. Each month that you make your payments, it will be reported on your credit history.
Some lenders will look for at least 2 pieces of credit on a credit report. The credit scores are derived by the mix of credit, history, length and balances to the credit limits.
Once you establish a credit history on your credit report, you should be able to apply for an unsecured credit card which doesn?t require a deposit for collateral. Give it some time. It may take 6 months to 2 years to be where you want to be. Every lender is different on qualifying.
Remember, the idea is not to have credit card debt, but to use your credit card to build your credit history for emergencies or convenience. But don?t charge more than you can pay back when the bill comes due.
Q. Does not paying a timeshare maintenance fee affect one?s credit? It is owned outright with no mortgage but never used. Can it be quit-claimed back to the association without credit consequences?
A. Maintenance fees for a timeshare are not based on whether it was financed or free and clear. It is based on the contracts that were signed at the time you purchased the timeshare.
The first thing you need to do is read all of the governing documents associated with your timeshare. When you made the initial purchase of your timeshare you were given documents that gave you all the stipulations and conditions of the purchase.
View your timeshare like you would a mortgage that was paid off. Part of the obligation you agreed to when you purchased the timeshare was to pay a ?maintenance fee?. This would be similar to a neighborhood homeowner?s association dues that a community would require.
In the case of a timeshare?s maintenance fee, if you don?t pay, it can be turned over to a collection agency. Not only would you lose your right to use the timeshare, but if it is turned over to a collection agency it will be more than likely be reported on your credit report.
If the maintenance fees are not paid, the association that you belong to with your timeshare can place a lien on the ownership interest you have and foreclose for non-payment.
Read more about the pitfalls of timeshares and how they can affect your credit HERE.
Q. You wrote in your Feb. 6 column about what parents can do after lending their children a down payment for a house that their children may now? allow to be foreclosed. Why doesn?t the father just file a quit claim to protect his credit status?
A: This question was with regards to the father and mother who helped their son and daughter-in-law purchase a home and co-signed for the mortgage. The home was upside down and the son and his wife were on the verge of divorcing. The parents wanted to know what their responsibility was if their son and his wife decided to walk away from it.
In this case, filing a quit claim deed to protect the parents? credit rating won?t work.
A quit claim deed will either add a name or delete a name on the title of a property. In this particular situation, even if a quit claim deed removed the parents? name from the title, they would still be affected by the mortgage history.
When the father and mother co-signed for the loan, they took responsibility for the repayment of the loan. Removing their name from the title does not release them from the loan commitment they signed. They still will be named in a foreclosure or any delinquencies for the loan on the property. Yes, their credit report will be damaged. There is no way around it.
Co-signing is risky. Individuals need to be aware of all the consequences on what can happen if a family member, friend or relative defaults on making payments. It?s not a good outcome!
Do you have questions about credit, dealing with debt or budgeting? Send your questions to moneymatters@ocregister.com with ?credit question? in the subject line. Please include your name and a phone number where you can be contacted. They will not be published.
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Relationships are challenging, whether or not they?re new or whether you?ve been married for years, I?m sure at occasions you?ll have your differences. Some relationships can become stale and reach a point whenever you just do not comprehend one another any longer and can frequently misinterpret what has been stated.
If a relationship is becoming increasingly more challenging then you?ll need to take action to save that relationship prior to it falls apart. Obviously it?s usually better if you can stop the relationship from obtaining towards the stage of falling apart, as they say ?prevention is the greatest medicine?.
Here are the five C?s to keeping your relationship strong:
1. Communication ? a great relationship requirements good communication. A lack of communication is the number 1 reason that relationships fail. This really is how relationships can reach the stage whenever you misinterpret 1 an additional and if you do not communicate you go on believing the misinterpreted statement, when in actual reality it wasn?t as it seemed. Becoming in a position to speak and listen to one another are the very best abilities that you can have inside a relationship. Communication is a skill that will assist you to to accomplish something and be effective in life, at function, together with your kids, and inside your relationship. In the event you and your partner don?t communicate nicely then you need to sit down and talk about it and discover to communicate. If you cannot learn to communicate with 1 an additional, then your relationship may be doomed.
two. Compromise ? even though it is not usually simple on some occasions you?ll need to discover to compromise. Becoming in a position to compromise can solve a lot of problems and plays a big function in getting a successful relationship. Of course this doesn?t mean which you need to give in for your partner each time, you will both need to discover a compromise that functions for each of you. To possess a wholesome relationship you both need to be happy so if there?s something that you are not pleased about then you?ll need to come to some sort of agreement that will satisfy you each. Compromise is the key to a pleased relationship.
three. Commitment ? a successful relationship requirements commitment from each parties. If only one individual is committed towards the relationship and every thing is 1 sided then it won?t last. Relationships are not always easy and to obtain through those difficult times you both have to be committed to 1 an additional. If you are committed you are able to get via anything together.
four. Celebrate ? take time out to celebrate the important moments in your life. Celebrate what you have together and show your partner how much you appreciate them and enjoy your life together. You do not need a special occasion to show your partner that you care you are able to do it anytime. When you show which you care then they will reciprocate and show you just how much they care. This is a much happier cycle to be in than a cycle of not trusting and misinterpreting each other. Whenever you enjoy your partner and show them and remind them which you enjoy them, then they?ll do exactly the same in return. Do not wait for unique occasions; celebrate your love any time.
5. Conclusion ? whenever you have a disagreement do not let it go on for days unresolved. The important to an effective relationship is by no means going to be angry. When you have a disagreement then discuss it and find a conclusion to ensure that you are able to both move on and be pleased. Do not let little arguments turn into week long arguments, discover a conclusion and move on.
If you?re committed to 1 another, enjoy and respect one another then you need to have the ability to possess a pleased, lifelong relationship together. But even those that are head over heels in enjoy will have some challenging occasions, work together and keep communication lines open as well as your relationship will get via those tough times. A good relationship is worth working for.
Had been you aware that 95% of people fall brief from ?Dating? and also Ive discovered a method to solve this kind of difficulty . They have no time prior to been lately openly exposed. To determine how it is go to: how to get your man back get her back forever how to get your ex back fast
Are you currently tired of your present job and want to shift to a new profession? Should you really want a rewarding profession then we recommend that you enter the real estate business. However, learning the real estate industry indicates that you will need to understand it from bottom to top. To fully comprehend the laws and taxes behind the purchasing and selling of a property, you need to enroll your self inside a realtor license classes.
Depending on your preference, you can attend a real estate course in a standard classroom set-up or attend its on the internet classes. Because several people are busy and given that it is not simple to quit one?s job in favor of a different, many people prefer on the internet trainings. Although numerous individuals wish to change careers and start coaching for the real estate market, not all are too happy concerning the time that will be consumed in studying and going back and forth at school. Luckily, simply because of the most current advancements in the Internet technology, realtor license classes can now be taken on the net.
With on-line realtor license classes time will not be an concern given that you can often study at your own preferred time and at your own pace. If taking classic classes cannot fit in your schedule because of your existing work, taking on-line classes will be your best bet. On the internet realtor licenses classes are also incredibly well-liked with existing real estate agents who don?t have the time to attend trainings inside a physical location as a result of frequent client calls and frequent client meetings. Since with on the web real estate courses, one can study at the comforts of his own home, one can easily pickup the telephone with no worrying if the classes or the lecturer will be disrupted. In addition, by deciding on online realtor license classes, real estate agents can also study with no worrying for sudden client meet-ups.
Concerning the competency of the teachers online, there is really no need to be concerned simply because they are as qualified as the ones who?re teaching in normal schools. What you need to worry about are those real estate institutions that are not accredited by your local real estate commissioner. What this indicates is the fact that when you?ve got enrolled yourself in these educational institutions, the hours you will be completing will not be regarded as valid. In order for you to avoid wasting time and funds on institutions or realtor license classes which might be not accredited, the first thing you need to perform before you enroll your self in any on-line classes is ask your local real estate commissioner for a list of real estate schools they?ve accredited. By undertaking so, you be sure that you will be choosing a school according to the standards of your local real estate department.
Though on the web realtor license classes may be the best choice for some, it will not mean that you will already pass the state real estate exam any time you take it. Everything still depends on your understanding of the courses. If you wish to pass the state real estate exam or sustain your license in excellent standing you will, needless to say, study and evaluation all your daily lessons. Keep in mind that discipline will be the crucial and when you have that trait, you will surely go far in the real estate business.
Thinking about getting your license in the real estate field? Get the low down on the best realtor classes now in our guide to realtor license classes online.
It's not often we can manage to get the Chief Media Officer of Mobile Nations, Kevin Michaluk to go all in on some Apple coverage for us. (Being the number one BlackBerry fanboy and all.) But here we are on the eve of the new iPad launch and so Kevin hit up the Lincoln Road Apple store in Miami to see what was going down.
Researchers demonstrate versatility of solid-state protein sensorPublic release date: 15-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Patrick Regan regan@zv.tum.de 49-016-242-79876 Technische Universitaet Muenchen
'Identity check' selectively screens single molecules passing through nanopores
A novel type of sensor, based on nanometer-scale pores in a semiconductor membrane, is a step closer to practical use in applications such as analyzing the protein contents of a single cell. Researchers pioneering single-molecule nanopore sensor technology at the Technische Universitt Mnchen (TUM) have shown its potential through a succession of experiments over the past few years. Now, in collaboration with biochemists at Goethe University Frankfurt, they have been able to advance this effort past what had been a sticking point: enhancing the selectivity of the sensor while maintaining its sensitivity to single molecules. They report the latest results in Nature Nanotechnology.
Research aimed at fabricating and controlling diagnostic devices on the scale of biological molecules has advanced to the point where several different approaches are seen as competitive for practical application in the relatively near future. The quest is not to create a universal, broad-spectrum sensor, but rather a technology for detecting and identifying single molecules of specifically targeted proteins without the need to modify them by adding biochemical "labels." Such technology could be used, for example, to accelerate the translation of insights from genomics into working knowledge of proteomics. This is of vital interest for medical and pharmaceutical research as well as for more fundamental biological studies. Another often-mentioned potential application is detection of biological warfare agents.
One of the most promising approaches is based on engineering a molecular "checkpoint," a monitored passageway between two salt solutions separated by an artificial membrane. This so-called nanopore is sized and shaped so that molecules must pass through one at a time. A molecule's presence in the pathway produces measurable changes in electrical conductivity across the nanopore, and further refinements can fine-tune such a detector to make it a highly specific "identity check" for targeted molecules. What the Munich-Frankfurt collaboration has enabled is a robust and reversible method for doing this fine tuning: equipping an inorganic nanopore sensor with biological functionality by anchoring molecular receptors inside it. The teams were led by Dr. Ulrich Rant, of TUM's Walter Schottky Institute and the TUM Institute for Advanced Study, and Prof. Dr. Robert Tamp of the Institute of Biochemistry at Goethe University Frankfurt and
the Cluster of Excellence Frankfurt (CEF) Macromolecular Complexes.
"What I find amazing about nanopores," Rant says, "is their cost-effectiveness: You can already run single-molecule experiments with equipment worth only a couple thousand euros. If the technology is commercialized further, I am sure that instruments could be sold for the price of a personal computer, potentially allowing people to detect single molecules at home."
Fabrication of these experimental devices began with a substrate of silicon nitride just 50 nanometers thick; thus the membrane was literally a semiconductor chip (though not, of course, an integrated circuit). Standard tools of the microelectronics industry, electron-beam lithography and reactive ion etching, were used to pierce the silicon nitride membrane with nanopores 20 to 50 nm in diameter. Vapor deposition was used to coat the pores with titanium and gold, and the metal in turn received a self-assembled chemical coating one molecular layer thick. The resulting nanopores had a tapered conical shape with a diameter at the narrow end of around 25 nm; anchored in the surface layer were a small number of biochemical receptors designed to capture and immobilize the protein that would give the sensor its biological functionality. For these experiments, the chips were mounted in a measurement chamber with an electrolyte solution on either side; protein molecules added to one side of the chamber were urged through the nanopore by an electric charge. Traces of changes in electric current yielded real-time measurements of single molecules as they passed through the nanopores or lingered while they interacted with the immobilized protein and these data in turn provided positive identification of target molecules.
The researchers were able to detect recombinant histidine-tagged proteins, and also to discriminate between subclasses of natural IgG antibodies (from rats and hamsters). In the past, this level of selectivity could only be achieved at the expense of single-molecule sensitivity. The results reported in Nature
Nanotechnology show that this obstacle can be overcome, and more that the approach is extremely versatile. As Rant explains, "The method we employed to anchor single proteins inside the pore is quite generic and works for many available recombinant proteins. Hence it is easy to endow the solid-state nanopore with the desired biological functionality. Simply select a suitable protein, which specifically recognizes target proteins of interest, and use it to probe proteins as they pass by."
"The future remains exciting," Tamp says, "because nature is way ahead of us in terms of selectivity and specificity. Therefore further improvements are needed in the field of artificial sensory systems at the molecular level. The collaboration between the Munich and Frankfurt teams represents an important step in biosensory and nanodiagnostic technology on the level of single molecules." Rant adds, "Most of the recent nanopore research has been directed toward DNA detection and sequencing. I hope our results show that nanopores have the potential to become important tools for protein research too. And who knows? Maybe we'll soon see the introduction of protein nanopore sensors as diagnostic instruments to detect low-abundance disease markers in patients' samples."
###
Original publication:
Stochastic sensing of proteins with receptor-modified solid-state nanopores
Ruoshan Wei, Volker Gatterdam, Ralph Wieneke, Robert Tamp, and Ulrich Rant
Nature Nanotechnology, March 11, 2012.
DOI: 10.1038/NNANO.2012.24
Contact:
Dr. Ulrich Rant
Walter Schottky Institute
Technische Universitt Mnchen
Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
Tel.: 49-89-289-11578
E-Mail: ulrich.rant@wsi.tum.de
Web: www.wsi.tum.de/Research/AbstreitergroupE24/ResearchAreas/BioNanostructures
Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) is one of Europe's leading universities. It has roughly 460 professors, 9000 academic and non-academic staff, and 31,000 students. It focuses on the engineering sciences, natural sciences, life sciences, medicine, and economic sciences. After winning numerous awards, it was selected as an "Elite University" in 2006 by the Science Council (Wissenschaftsrat) and the German Research Foundation (DFG). The university's global network includes an outpost with a research campus in Singapore. TUM is dedicated to the ideal of a top-level research-based entrepreneurial university. http://www.tum.de
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Researchers demonstrate versatility of solid-state protein sensorPublic release date: 15-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Patrick Regan regan@zv.tum.de 49-016-242-79876 Technische Universitaet Muenchen
'Identity check' selectively screens single molecules passing through nanopores
A novel type of sensor, based on nanometer-scale pores in a semiconductor membrane, is a step closer to practical use in applications such as analyzing the protein contents of a single cell. Researchers pioneering single-molecule nanopore sensor technology at the Technische Universitt Mnchen (TUM) have shown its potential through a succession of experiments over the past few years. Now, in collaboration with biochemists at Goethe University Frankfurt, they have been able to advance this effort past what had been a sticking point: enhancing the selectivity of the sensor while maintaining its sensitivity to single molecules. They report the latest results in Nature Nanotechnology.
Research aimed at fabricating and controlling diagnostic devices on the scale of biological molecules has advanced to the point where several different approaches are seen as competitive for practical application in the relatively near future. The quest is not to create a universal, broad-spectrum sensor, but rather a technology for detecting and identifying single molecules of specifically targeted proteins without the need to modify them by adding biochemical "labels." Such technology could be used, for example, to accelerate the translation of insights from genomics into working knowledge of proteomics. This is of vital interest for medical and pharmaceutical research as well as for more fundamental biological studies. Another often-mentioned potential application is detection of biological warfare agents.
One of the most promising approaches is based on engineering a molecular "checkpoint," a monitored passageway between two salt solutions separated by an artificial membrane. This so-called nanopore is sized and shaped so that molecules must pass through one at a time. A molecule's presence in the pathway produces measurable changes in electrical conductivity across the nanopore, and further refinements can fine-tune such a detector to make it a highly specific "identity check" for targeted molecules. What the Munich-Frankfurt collaboration has enabled is a robust and reversible method for doing this fine tuning: equipping an inorganic nanopore sensor with biological functionality by anchoring molecular receptors inside it. The teams were led by Dr. Ulrich Rant, of TUM's Walter Schottky Institute and the TUM Institute for Advanced Study, and Prof. Dr. Robert Tamp of the Institute of Biochemistry at Goethe University Frankfurt and
the Cluster of Excellence Frankfurt (CEF) Macromolecular Complexes.
"What I find amazing about nanopores," Rant says, "is their cost-effectiveness: You can already run single-molecule experiments with equipment worth only a couple thousand euros. If the technology is commercialized further, I am sure that instruments could be sold for the price of a personal computer, potentially allowing people to detect single molecules at home."
Fabrication of these experimental devices began with a substrate of silicon nitride just 50 nanometers thick; thus the membrane was literally a semiconductor chip (though not, of course, an integrated circuit). Standard tools of the microelectronics industry, electron-beam lithography and reactive ion etching, were used to pierce the silicon nitride membrane with nanopores 20 to 50 nm in diameter. Vapor deposition was used to coat the pores with titanium and gold, and the metal in turn received a self-assembled chemical coating one molecular layer thick. The resulting nanopores had a tapered conical shape with a diameter at the narrow end of around 25 nm; anchored in the surface layer were a small number of biochemical receptors designed to capture and immobilize the protein that would give the sensor its biological functionality. For these experiments, the chips were mounted in a measurement chamber with an electrolyte solution on either side; protein molecules added to one side of the chamber were urged through the nanopore by an electric charge. Traces of changes in electric current yielded real-time measurements of single molecules as they passed through the nanopores or lingered while they interacted with the immobilized protein and these data in turn provided positive identification of target molecules.
The researchers were able to detect recombinant histidine-tagged proteins, and also to discriminate between subclasses of natural IgG antibodies (from rats and hamsters). In the past, this level of selectivity could only be achieved at the expense of single-molecule sensitivity. The results reported in Nature
Nanotechnology show that this obstacle can be overcome, and more that the approach is extremely versatile. As Rant explains, "The method we employed to anchor single proteins inside the pore is quite generic and works for many available recombinant proteins. Hence it is easy to endow the solid-state nanopore with the desired biological functionality. Simply select a suitable protein, which specifically recognizes target proteins of interest, and use it to probe proteins as they pass by."
"The future remains exciting," Tamp says, "because nature is way ahead of us in terms of selectivity and specificity. Therefore further improvements are needed in the field of artificial sensory systems at the molecular level. The collaboration between the Munich and Frankfurt teams represents an important step in biosensory and nanodiagnostic technology on the level of single molecules." Rant adds, "Most of the recent nanopore research has been directed toward DNA detection and sequencing. I hope our results show that nanopores have the potential to become important tools for protein research too. And who knows? Maybe we'll soon see the introduction of protein nanopore sensors as diagnostic instruments to detect low-abundance disease markers in patients' samples."
###
Original publication:
Stochastic sensing of proteins with receptor-modified solid-state nanopores
Ruoshan Wei, Volker Gatterdam, Ralph Wieneke, Robert Tamp, and Ulrich Rant
Nature Nanotechnology, March 11, 2012.
DOI: 10.1038/NNANO.2012.24
Contact:
Dr. Ulrich Rant
Walter Schottky Institute
Technische Universitt Mnchen
Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
Tel.: 49-89-289-11578
E-Mail: ulrich.rant@wsi.tum.de
Web: www.wsi.tum.de/Research/AbstreitergroupE24/ResearchAreas/BioNanostructures
Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) is one of Europe's leading universities. It has roughly 460 professors, 9000 academic and non-academic staff, and 31,000 students. It focuses on the engineering sciences, natural sciences, life sciences, medicine, and economic sciences. After winning numerous awards, it was selected as an "Elite University" in 2006 by the Science Council (Wissenschaftsrat) and the German Research Foundation (DFG). The university's global network includes an outpost with a research campus in Singapore. TUM is dedicated to the ideal of a top-level research-based entrepreneurial university. http://www.tum.de
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
LOS ANGELES, March 14 (TheWrap.com) - CBS has re-upped 18 of its shows for next season, including "2 Broke Girls," "Person of Interest" and "Hawaii 5-0."
The mass renewal includes four comedies, nine dramas, three reality offerings and two newsmagazines. It does not include "Two and a Half Men," as that show's return is still being negotiated.
The comedy pickups include the previously announced, multi-year pickups of "How I Met Your Mother" and "The Big Bang Theory," as well as "2 Broke Girls," which proved to be a hit for the network in its first season, and "Mike & Molly."
But the renewal of "Two and a Half Men" is still up in the air. According to CBS, the network and Warner Bros. Television "are in preliminary discussions regarding future seasons" for the show, which successfully weathered the ousting of star Charlie Sheen last year.
Of the dramas, "NCIS: Los Angeles" has received the green light for another season, along with "Hawaii 5-0," "Criminal Minds," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Person of Interest," "The Mentalist," "Blue Bloods" and "The Good Wife."
On the reality front, "The Amazing Race" and "Undercover Boss" join "Survivor," which had previously been renewed.
The network's long-running newsmagazine "60 Minutes" will also return in the fall, as will "48 Hours Mystery."
Fish are the most low maintenance pets. These beautiful little creatures silently swim and add colour and natural beauty to our home d?cor. But however easy it is to maintain a fish pet, the fish aquarium cleaning is definitely a challenging job. If the fish tank cleaning is not done regularly and in a proper manner, the fish might die or start suffering skin disease.
Still living off credit cards? Can?t figure out how much you could or should spend? Need to save for retirement? Deborah McNaughton, a Placentia credit expert, financial coach and author of ?The Essential Credit Repair Handbook,? is here to provide her financial advice: 
Q. You wrote in your Feb. 6 column about what parents can do after lending their children a down payment for a house that their children may now? allow to be foreclosed. Why doesn?t the father just file a quit claim to protect his credit status?
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Public release date: 15-Mar-2012
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