Sunday, July 29, 2012

How to Finance Your Home Renovations ? Whether to Dip Into ...

The issues for undertaking home refurbishments are varied. Many homeowners desire to modernize or even update the appearance of their homes for their own comfort and enjoyment. Some, deservingly, view their home as an expenditure and want to improve the resale value of their home should they decide to market. In today?s environmentally-conscious periods, many homeowners are actually undertaking home renovations to raise the energy effectiveness of a property. Their investment in home refurbishments converts into a smaller ?carbon-footprint? and also long-term savings inside energy consumption and costs.

Largest, homeowners preparing home refurbishments should consider each their costs and their capital options before beginning their task.

Options for Capital Home Renovations

As with any expenditure, the capital option you decide on depends on the dimensions of the task and your existing financial situation. Capital options may range from soaking into your pants pocket or cost savings and paying cash regarding smaller assignments such as portray and wallpapering, to tapping into a line of credit, applying for a personal credit line or even mortgage refinancing a mortgage regarding larger refurbishments that can range from bathroom do-overs to adding inclusions in existing houses.

Here are some in the more common selections for financing home renovations, each large and small:

Capital Minor House Renovations

Self-Financing : This option is sensible for smaller projects. It is also a doable option for do-it-yourselfers on a pay-as-you-go (or pay-as-you-build) plan.

Credit Cards : Charging significant expenses to some credit card can be an option, although not necessarily a good one. With their larger interest rates, credit cards have limited worth in home reconstruction projects, which enable it to be damaging to your fiscal health in case there are unpredicted cost overruns. (A new do-it-yourself installation of a tub encircle in your toilet can turn high-priced if your plumbing related skills usually are not as perfected as you would?ve liked them to be so you notice normal water dripping using your living room limit!)

Loans and also Lines of Credit : These are well-known options that supply interest rates drastically lower than these charged regarding credit cards, but often greater than those of hel-home equity loans. One downside of personal loans is the fact that once they are usually repaid you should reapply to obtain additional funding. Credit lines are ongoing, up to the credit limit, thus there is no need to reapply if you need more money. (A personal credit line with area on it beyond the cost or renovation comes in handy on a plumbing task gone bad ? notice above.)

Capital Major House Renovations

Home Equity Loans ? These plans allow you to influence the value in your home. They can be used to account major refurbishments because they provide the needed cash at a lower interest rate when compared with credit cards or another types of financial products. Typically a house equity bank loan, which can be structured as a personal credit line secured towards your home?s existing value, is limited to 80% of your home?s value, but a mortgage dealer can often meet your needs to risk-free loans as high as 95% of your home?s value. Along with home equity loans, there might be some startup costs, but like a line of credit, there is area to allow for cost overruns and unpredicted expenses.

Home mortgage refinancing ? If you?re planning major refurbishments, like incorporating an supplement or in-law selection, it may spend to refinancing your mortgage. With this option you can propagate the payments out over a longer timeframe and enjoy increasing that are usually much lower than those of bank cards, lines of credit or even personal loans. Much like home equity loans, there might be some initial fees to refinance.

Brand new Purchases : If you are purchasing a new home which has already been developed or is a resale, and also know that you want to make improvements it will most likely make sense to add anticipated reconstruction costs in your mortgage. Home financing broker may help you shop around which are more favorable price. If you are having your home developed a mortgage dealer can work with you to find a construction loan which fits your predicted building schedule. You don?t want to become borrowing and also paying awareness on the complete project beforehand. A construction loan that lets you draw on the cash that?s need for every phase of the home?s construction as it is essential will have substantial cost savings in the time it takes to build your dream home

Other Tips for Financing House Renovations

Sadly, cost overruns are common with home renovations. While budgeting for your home renovation, be sure to leave a contingency account for overruns or another unforeseen bills. And as the task proceeds, you may discover that you want to include new circumstances to the reconstruction, so having a little extra money on hand may be beneficial.

Consult the Experts When Capital Home Renovations

Always plan in advance and try to become accurate regarding the costs of your home renovations. Should you be making key changes, a home loan broker may help you decide on which usually home value options are most effective for you.

Makayla D?az has been a masterful analyst for 12 yrs and have been creating perfect improvements in renovations calgary as part with her involvement from New Industries Group ,a new creative team for innovating individuals. Read more about her website to learn All about her basement renovations studies over the years.

Source: http://www.dehumidifierreview.org/how-to-finance-your-home-renovations-whether-to-dip-into-savings-or-protected-a-home-value-loan

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Saturday, July 28, 2012

Waiting on Marriage | Custom Essay Writing Service

Traditionally, marriage played a very significant role in the life of people. However, in recent years, under the impact of profound socio-economic and cultural changes marriage has started to lose its significance. As a result, nowadays people do not really wait for marriage and start their relationship without any legal or religious ceremony that would legalized their actions in view of society or God. In actuality, such a situation is quite dangerous because it undermines the institution of the family and makes relationship between people more routine. In such a situation, the growing number of divorces and families that fall apart is quite natural since people that cannot wait for marriage turn to be unable to appreciated the family life and create really solid families.? This is why waiting on marriage could improve the situation and increase the significance of traditional family values.

First of all, it should be said that people should wait for marriage because it is a very important tradition, which actually contributes to the recognition of relationship between two persons. What is meant here is the fact that marriage is the act that signifies the maturity of spouses and their readiness to the family life. Without marriage their relationships are rather based on provisional emotions, than on a strong and real feeling. In fact, marriage could be viewed as a spiritual union of people and the wedding is actually a symbolic step which means the readiness of the couple to take responsibilities of the family life and it is also a symbol of their true feelings that will not disappear in a day.

In such a way, marriage may be viewed on two levels: social and individual. On the social level, people wait for marriage and their wedding proves their readiness for family life in view of their social environment, while their relationship before marriage are, as a rule, not recognized by society and, therefore, are not supported by society. On the individual level, it is very important that they were able to wait for marriage because the period they wait for marriage may be viewed as a kind of a test period. In other words, while waiting on marriage people can find out the extent to which they really love each other and whether they are a perfect match for each other or probably, in contrast, they are absolutely different and will be unable to afford living together. Moreover, during this period they can simply find new partners and start new relationships, which would definitely destroy their familial life. This is why they need some time to wait before their marriage.

Finally, it is necessary to underline that often people are simply not ready for the family life when they start their relationships before marriage that may be viewed as a mark of their immaturity. In such a situation it is obvious that such people should wait for marriage in order to avoid undesirable mistakes they can commit in the result of their immaturity.

Thus, people apparently should wait for marriage in order to create a sold family, test their feelings to each other, and legalize their relationship in view of the public.

Source: http://www.proessay.com/blog/waiting-on-marriage/

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Friday, July 27, 2012

Optimize Your Home-based Business Achievement Using This Type ...

There are many different home businesses which can pick, and lots of different motivations individuals elect to begin an organization in your own home. No matter which home business you select you will require some tips to help you function as the best small business owner you will be. Pursuing these pointers you will observe your small business grow by jumps and bounds.

Get outfitted daily that you?re caring for your home-based business. You don?t have to use a fit, but business everyday will work. That includes shoes or boots! You?ll learn that being dressed properly and seeking excellent can help you feel better about your self, and you?ll provide a far more specialist perspective away from inside your emails and on the telephone.

Upon having a proven domain, you are going to will need to create an e-mail accounts or two that for that domain name. It can help you promote your company and have a much more skilled physical appearance in the industry. It will likewise present you with yet another device to utilize when arranging your business.

Figure out where you will be operating. You know you will certainly be working at home, however it is important too to be certain your home has enough space for you to execute your obligations. You should be practical about the space that you?ll require or you?ll end up frustrated. For instance, in case you are a residence baker, make sure your home is big sufficient! Should you business office work, you want a quiet, nicely-lit up and comfy place, with room for a big desk and processing cabinets.

Open a whole new company bank checking account for your home business venture. Ensure that every single buck of business revenue and expenditure works via this accounts. Sign up for a credit card that you simply will make use of only for business purposes, like supplies and shipping. Always keep in depth notes regarding big expenses as well as any expenses that must be paid with private resources.

When determining between home-based business possibilities, lean in the direction of tips that you will be enthusiastic about. Following the money could be appealing, but those who achieve this frequently get used up out mainly because they have no desire for the job. Select your home business with enthusiasm in your mind. The funds follows.

Shell out calculated fees. For a home based business proprietor, it can be much better to pay your income taxes four times per year. Except when you desire a jolt when it?s tax time, contact the IRS and set up up a transaction method. Not merely have you been accountable for regular income tax, you should pay out self-work taxes.

Ensure you display buyers going to your website where by they are able to purchase your merchandise. If their purchased in shops, make sure you establish what retailers your product or service can be bought in. This will create respect and have confidence in inside the customers eye for both you and your company.

As you may have just study, you may be effective at the online business. By following the guidelines above, you will be able to have a very successful home business. There are numerous things you can do that will help your company be considerably much more successful and operate softer.

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Source: http://artyapt.com/blog/optimize-your-home-based-business-achievement-using-this-type-of-fantastic-guidance/

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Thursday, July 26, 2012

EPDM Give Outstanding Surface Wetting Properties

EPDM sheeting is often used as a liner for back yard water ponds and other man-made water features.

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Tweet This Roofs are possibly the most important part of a home and often the most ignored one. In addition, the most important job that it plays is of providing protection to the building and its residents. But at the same time it is the most neglected area of the house because as heard often "out of sight-out of mind", the roof is also generally out of sight. One would not want to go over the roof and examine it for no reason. That's why, until and unless it starts leaking, no one pays any attention to the roof or its maintenance.

EPDM rubber is a very flexible and long-lasting material that has a huge range of different purposes and applications. EPDM stands for Ethylene Propylene Diene M, in which the M refers to a class of rubbers that contain a saturated chain of the polymethylene type. What that means in simple terms is that EPDM rubber has fantastic heat, ozone, and weather resistance. It is also a great electrical insulator.

EPDM sheeting is often used as a liner for back yard water ponds and other man-made water features. The rubber does not leach chemicals, and so would not harm any fish living in these ponds. EPDM roofing material is one of the most common applications of this rubber product, although it can be used in garden hoses, washers, belts, electrical insulation, seals and speaker cone surrounds.

EPDM rubber is also often the main substance used in the weather seals of vehicles, such as door seals, window seals, and hood seals. This is due to the great weatherproof properties of this type of rubber.

Roof is the greatest source of protection from any type of whether condition for the world. But they have to spend more for its repairing and remodeling almost every year especially after rainy and summer season. Roof Leaks are mainly the cause of improper installation and ineffective flashing of roofs at the time of its construction. Roof Leak may occur about any place of the roof buy they found more near the chimney, step, apron, pipes, and points at which two roofs meets. Roof leaks may also occur when your roof shingles installed improperly. If you ignore it for a long time, then they may become a cause of major damage for of the roof.

It is important to ensure that your roof is equipped with building materials that are appropriate to the weather conditions of the area that you live in. Choosing cheap, low-quality materials that do not handle well in certain weather conditions can prove to be a very expensive mistake. This type of mistake especially at the time of construction leads to bear heavy cost of repairing near about each year or in every season. You can minimize the problem by selecting the material that is more suitable and having great resistance for all type of weather condition like EPDM and liquid rubber designed especially for it. Elastomeric roof coatings and liquid rubber are also designed for roof leak due to draining water in rain; provide great resistance for water in rainy season. Similarly epdm is the best product for summer sun that can easily control the temperature by providing complete protection to the roof from sunlight.

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EPDM Coatings LLC. Deals in Roof Repairing Products including EPDM, Elastomeric Coatings, Rubber Coatings, Liquid Roof Coatings. They have the expertise in Roofing Industry. webmaster@epdmcoatings.com

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EPDM Give Outstanding Surface Wetting Properties

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Tips And Tricks On Starting A Fitness Plan For You And Your Spouse

The word ?fitness? covers a lot of terrain. It can mean everything from gym routines and dieting to home workouts and nutrition plans. Lots of different workouts are out there that can improve your health and appearance. The following paragraphs have a number of ideas that you can use to manifest the workout routines and schedule that fits your lifestyle.

Before you start any fitness routine, it is important to go see your doctor and get a physical. This will ensure that you are ready to achieve your fitness goals in a healthy way. You should definitely see a doctor if you have a history of health problems or are a smoker.

Be sure you have a great pair of workout shoes before you start your exercises. Doing many kinds of exercises with inappropriate footwear can put you at risk for a lot of different injuries, some of them quite serious. You could hurt your feet if they are not comfortable while you workout.

Mix up your workout routine with a variety of exercises. This prevents your workout routine from becoming boring, which is one of leading causes of falling off the workout wagon. When your muscles are used to doing one thing, they will not change as much.

If you can?t join a gym, you can still work out. Just get a pair of tennis shoes. Visit a local park, and workout by going for a jog, doing step ups using a bench or doing push ups using a post. You can even pack some resistance bands or some weights to add a bit more to your routine.

To maintain a good fitness level, flexibility is important. Make sure you?re including plenty of stretching in your workout routine so that your muscles can become looser and more limber. Also, you can reduce injuries, which can negatively impact your workout routine.

Looking for a way to get washboard abs? You won?t get them by doing only crunches. You aren?t going to lose tummy fat with abdominal exercise, but you can make your muscles stronger. You have to workout every area of your body and go on a strict diet in order to get washboard abs.

Think heart smart. Excess weight can put your heart in a very unhealthy position when working out. Exercise and fitness can improve your heart health as well as help you lose weight. Don?t forget that your diet needs to become healthy, too. Consume vegetables and fruits while trying to reduce the carbs and fats in your diet.

When lifting weights, doing many reps of lighter weights is far more effective at increasing muscle mass than doing only a few reps with heavier weights. Bigger muscles do not always come from the person who lifts the most weights. The largest body builders in the world do this.

Don?t put all of your efforts into doing only crunches when working out abdominal muscles. A prominent university found that only one pound of fat gets burned even after 250,000 crunches. Simply doing only crunches means that you aren?t getting as much of a workout as you need. Add other moves to your abdominal routine, as well.

As you can see, many factors make up fitness. While there is generally a right and wrong way to do things, you can customize some things as well. Hopefully, this article provided some guidance so you can become fitter.

Source: http://911builder.com/weight-loss/tips-and-tricks-on-starting-a-fitness-plan-for-you-and-your-spouse/

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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Diamond market demand prospects ? tools, diamond, metal tools ...

Diamond market demand prospects ? tools, diamond, metal tools ? metal industry

According to industry association statistics, in 2001 -2,009 domestic diamond production and sales growth from the 1.6 billion kt to 5.4 billion kt, average annual compound growth of around 16.4%. The next few years the market demand for our diamond can still be maintained at an average annual compound growth of more than 15% of domestic market demand in 2012 is expected to reach 6 billion kt. With the domestic diamond industry, technological progress and product improvement of the quality of synthetic diamond products in China have been gradually recognized international customers, according to industry association statistics, 2001 -2 007 years, the number of China?s man-made diamond exports increased from the 153 million kt to 927 million Carat, the average annual compound growth rate of 35%.

?As China continues to expand the scale of investment and infrastructure, the traditional process in the field of technology upgrade, the world?s manufacturing center, and new industries to the domestic transfer of factors driving the rapid development of China?s man-made diamond market with greater demand, showing a sustained and rapid growth the situation.

? March 16, China Crystal Diamond, chairman of the Greek left, said Guo. ?Yellow Tornado and listed companies than the company?s product gross margins to nearly 10 percentage points higher than the company?s products also reflect the relatively high-end, technology is relatively ahead.? Zhengzhou, China for the upcoming Crystal Diamond, Lin Sheng Shun securities analysts think so. 2007, 2008, 2009, the company?s main business gross profit margin were as follows: 40.72%, 44.83% and 45.10%. Synthetic diamond products company in recent years, gross margin and net profit margin is high and the overall upward trend, showing that the profitability of the company stronger.

Merchants Securities, said Lin Yang Wu sponsor, has mastered the use of synthetic diamond raw materials, equipment, large-scale synthesis, advanced synthesis of the three major aspects of the core technology is the industry?s most complete technology and research and development capabilities of synthetic diamond production business, technical advantages are obvious.

As the company?s core technology patents are registered by a legal protection, so generally not been cloned. It is also because the company a strong core technology, enabling companies of the reporting period to obtain a good operating performance, gross margin was significantly higher than the same industry. This project is finished, normal years can be realized Sell Revenue 14,699.74 million (including tax), net profit of 4,830.61 million, the project pre-tax financial internal rate of return 27.54%, financial net present value of 15,578.36 million pre-tax items, the investment payback period of 6.24 years (before tax), project finance tax 23.30% internal rate of return, project after-tax net present value of 11,058.66 million in financial, investment payback period of 7.39 years (after tax).

Guo left the Greek description, even though our country closer to or reached the international advanced level, the proportion of synthetic diamond products continue to improve, but every year some of our country still needs to import high-end products to meet domestic market demand. China?s current imports of diamond export unit price unit price is 2.4-7.2 times, the Japanese market, the United States, Ireland, Korea, the average unit price is three products in China 3-10 times the U.S. market, Ireland, Korea, the average unit price the two products is China?s 3.5- 4.4-fold.

Guo stay Shetan commitment, the product unit price difference between on the one hand because of the huge diamond products in China and overseas famous enterprises are still gaps, more importantly, brand differences, it also shows China?s diamond industry technical standards and product quality are further room for improvement. Diamond industry, currently there are some technical level within the lower, small-scale production of synthetic diamond business, some companies will cut prices simply as ways and means of market competition, market competition order is yet to be standardized. In high-grade, coarse, high toughness of diamond output ratio, China is still and there is a big gap between the international advanced level. Current international and domestic markets high-end products are still mainly occupied by developed countries, the proportion of low-grade products in China, famous less difficult to meet the needs of domestic and foreign markets.

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Source: http://www.financecritics.com/diamond-market-demand-prospects-tools-diamond-metal-tools-metal-industry/

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Messi to miss Barca's friendly against Hamburg

Associated Press Sports

updated 2:31 p.m. ET July 24, 2012

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -Barcelona says Lionel Messi has a leg injury that will keep him from playing in the preseason friendly against Hamburg on Tuesday.

The Spanish club says the Argentina forward hurt his right leg in practice on Monday and will sit out the game at the German team's stadium. Barcelona says Messi's response to treatment will determine how long he is sidelined.

Barcelona's next preseason match is at Moroccan club Raja on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Messi has largely avoided injuries during the past four seasons, winning three Ballon d'Ors and helping the Catalan club to 14 trophies in that period.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45354014/ns/sports-soccer/

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NASCAR suspends Allmendinger indefinitely

FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2011, file photo, NASCAR chairman Brian France announces changes to the points system in NASCAR's top series for the 2011 season, during a news conference in Charlotte, N.C. France said Tuesday, July 24, 2012, he is confident in the series' drug testing program that is under scrutiny again after driver A.J. Allmendinger's failed test. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2011, file photo, NASCAR chairman Brian France announces changes to the points system in NASCAR's top series for the 2011 season, during a news conference in Charlotte, N.C. France said Tuesday, July 24, 2012, he is confident in the series' drug testing program that is under scrutiny again after driver A.J. Allmendinger's failed test. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn, File)

(AP) ? NASCAR indefinitely suspended driver A.J. Allmendinger on Tuesday after confirming he violated its substance-abuse policy, putting his career and future with Penske Racing in jeopardy.

The suspension came after a test of his backup urine sample confirmed the original positive result.

Allmendinger originally was suspended July 7 after failing a random drug test taken in late June. His backup "B'' urine sample was tested Tuesday by Aegis Analytical Laboratories in Nashville, Tenn.

NASCAR officials announced the result and subsequent suspension Tuesday night.

"While not a pleasant experience by any stretch of the imagination, we feel like we have one of the best drug testing programs in sports," NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said.

Officials did not announce what substance Allmendinger tested positive for. Allmendinger previously said he tested positive for a stimulant, but did not give specifics. He has denied knowingly taking a banned substance.

"This was not the news we wanted to hear and we will work to get to the source of what may have caused this," said Tara Ragan, Allmendinger's business manager, in a statement. "To that end, we have secured the services of an independent lab to conduct thorough testing on every product within AJ's home and motor coach to find what might collaborate with his test, which created results that were within nanograms of accepted standards. We are working closely with NASCAR and Penske Racing to identify the next action steps in this process."

NASCAR officials did not say how far Allmendinger's positive test went beyond a predetermined range of acceptable levels ? and as is the case in other sports drug testing programs, officials wouldn't consider it a valid defense if a competitor just barely exceeded acceptable levels of a banned substance.

"We choose not to disclose the level," Higdon said. "To us, a violation is a violation, and that's what happened here."

Given the indefinite nature of his suspension, Allmendinger's only avenue to return to NASCAR is to complete a "road to recovery" program. He will be issued a letter outlining a process for reinstatement, and must agree to the letter to participate in the program.

In a statement, Allmendinger's Penske Racing team acknowledged it had been notified of the test results.

"Penske Racing is very disappointed with the result of the B sample test and will evaluate its course of action as it pertains to AJ over the coming week," the team said.

The team said Sam Hornish Jr. will drive the No. 22 car this weekend at Indianapolis and next weekend at Pocono. Hornish has filled in for Allmendinger in the past two Sprint Cup Series races.

Allmendinger's primary sponsors, Shell and Pennzoil, called NASCAR's process and procedures "appropriate" in a statement.

"We share Penske Racing's disappointment with the result of AJ's B sample test and will work closely with them to determine plans moving forward," the sponsors said. "We hope for the best for AJ during this difficult time."

NASCAR's recovery program includes evaluation by a substance abuse professional to create a "road map" leading to a return to competition. The plan can include anything from counseling to in-house treatment and rehabilitation. Additional testing is also required at the program administrator's discretion. Once the suspended competitor successfully completes the plan, the program administrator will send a letter to NASCAR recommending reinstatement.

Speaking to The Associated Press earlier Tuesday, before Allmendinger's B sample results were announced, NASCAR CEO Brian France he is confident in the series' drug testing program that once again came under scrutiny after Allmendinger's original failed test.

"We believe it's a strong testing system that works," France told The Associated Press in London, where the NASCAR executive will speak Wednesday at the Beyond Sports Summit. "We've got the best guy (David Black, Aegis' CEO) running the program, and it's a solid system that we believe does the job intended."

Because Allmendinger has said he tested positive for a stimulant, there has been speculation that it came from a supplement or energy drink consumed by the first-year Penske Racing driver. Allmendinger works out regularly and is known to be health conscious.

He is the second Sprint Cup Series driver suspended under the tightened policy implemented in 2009. Jeremy Mayfield was the first driver, and he unsuccessfully sued to have the results overturned.

NASCAR does not reveal the substance found in a positive test, but court documents showed it was methamphetamine that Mayfield had in his system.

France indicated Tuesday that NASCAR is unlikely to reconsider its policy of not revealing the substance.

Ragan thanked fans for supporting Allmendinger.

"We continue to be extremely grateful by the breadth and scope of support for AJ from his fans and partners," Ragan said. "We would like to again thank NASCAR, Penske Racing and all our sponsor partners for the open communication, and for helping us at every step in this process. We expect to have further updates in the upcoming days."

___

AP Sports Writer Chris Jenkins contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-07-24-NASCAR-Allmendinger/id-0569885346454fd8ad9b004a52d313d9

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What's driving China's real estate rally? | | MacroBusiness

Courtesy of Patrick Chovanec.

The buzz is that China real estate is back.? After nearly a year of steep discounting, with both land and housing sales in April?looking like they were falling of a cliff, the market was electrified in late May by stories of would-be home-buyers lining up around the block and entire luxury developments selling out on the days sales opened.? China Securities Journal reported that Beijing housing sales were up 46.5% YoY in May,?Xinhua reported?they were up 50.6% YoY in June, and property agency Centaline says they?ve continue to surge at 37% YoY in the first half of July. Over Dragon Boat Festival weekend, in late June, China?s Housing Ministry said sales volume for Beijing residential property soared 289% YoY (nearly 4x), and Centaline said six other cities saw sales growth greater than 100% YoY that same weekend. In Shanghai, housing sales?surge 65% WoW?in late June and, according to China Business News, primary market sales that month rebounded close to their five-year average.? Securities Times reported that, even in 2nd-tier Wuhan, primary market sales were up 18.7% YoY in June.

Word is that property developers, encouraged by the turn-around in sales, have begun ditching discounts and raising their prices again.? Official statistics for June?showed property prices rising?in more cities (25) than falling (21) for the first time since last September, with?Dow Jones calculating?average nationwide prices increasing by a modest 0.02% after eight straight months of decline. ?Online property site Soufun said?nationwide home prices rose?0.1% MoM in May, the first gain in 10 months, while the China Real Estate Index System (CREIS)?showed the national average?rising 0.05% MoM in June (with Beijing prices bounding ahead by 2.3% MoM in June).? Just this week, Tiahe Group put a new batch of luxury villas on the eastern outskirts of Beijing onto the market for the eye-popping price of US$47.5 million each, which works out to RMB 200,000/sq. meter or $2,925/sq. ft. (for reference, the average price on Manhattan?s pricey Upper East Side is $1,426/sq. ft.).? Perhaps encouraged by such trends, Longfor Properties, Agile Property Holdings and Evergrande Real Estate Group?all made big land purchases?in recent months, with?Evergrande paying a record-setting?RMB 33,000/sq. meter for plot in Guangzhou.? This month, developer?SinoBo easily topped them?by paying more than RMB 41,000/sq. meters in a Beijing land auction.

However, other numbers tell a very different story.? According to data from China?s National Bureau of Statistics, total floor space sold was down -9.3% YoY in May, and -3.3% YoY in June.?? Total sales in June rebounded to +6.9% YoY, the first gain this year, but hardly makes a dent compared to the 33% YoY increase in units for sale.? Meanwhile, land sales resumed their downward slide to -22.4% YoY in June, and new starts were down -16.3% YoY that month, the worst this year.? As a result, growth in total floor space under construction has steadily declined, from 35.5% YoY at the beginning of the year to 17.2% YoY in June.? I?ve been hearing more and more stories about that construction being put on hold, a storyline that appears to be validated by the fact that completions, which were up 45.2% YoY in January, have fallen to 0.3% YoY in June ? basically flat compared to last year, and heading into decline.? No surprise, then, that growth in real estate investment has fallen from 27.9% YoY for 2011 to 16.6% for 1H12 and 11.8% YoY in June ? numbers that will feed directly into lower GDP growth.

In the meantime, China?s property developers are?facing intense financial pressure just to stay afloat.? As the?Wall Street Journal?reports:

Standard & Poor?s Ratings Services says China?s more than 80,000 developers could face a battle for survival as a wave of short-term property loans fall due this year. The risk is that these businesses could become so desperate they will either default, leaving behind half-finished projects at a time economic growth already is slowing, or start offering steep discounts, triggering a price war.

It?s not just the small-fry who are sweating it, either.??China Daily?reports that, among A-share listed developers?(some of China?s largest) 17 expect losses for 1H12, 22 forecast profit growth, while 13 expect lower profits than in the first half of 2011.? Developers tell the paper that losses are mainly due to the rising burden of carrying huge unsold inventories, and that many continue to feel pressure to offer big discounts to raise cash.? The?Wall Street Journal?notes that much of this pressure comes from a tidal wave of trust loans coming due:

Securities brokerage China International Capital Corp. estimates that about 223 billion yuan ($35 billion) of trust loans are due to mature this year, almost half of which reach maturity between July and September, with a further 282 billion yuan due next year. Combined, that represents almost 75% of all outstanding trust financing to the property sector at the end of 2011.

With developers under this much pressure, it?s hard to imagine the market suddenly turning into a seller?s paradise.

So what?s really going on with China?s property market?? Is the rebound in sales real, and if so, can it last?? Is the market bottoming out, surging back, or seeing one of those false rallies that precedes an ever steeper decline?? Since the decline in China?s property market since the end of last summer has been something of a leading indicator of the nation?s broader economic slowdown, and since the assumption of ever-rising property prices underwrites a large part of China?s lending, it?s important to get to the bottom of this question.? If China?s property market is on truly on the mend, it bodes well for a much-anticipated recovery in the 2nd half of this year.? If it?s still broken, things may get worse before they get better.

I?ve spoken to as many people as possible over the past two months ? buyers and sellers, bankers and developers, economists and officials, bulls and bears ? and I?ve heard?five basic theories?to account for the latest bump in China property sales numbers:

  1. Lower Prices are Bringing Buyers Back
  2. Looser Restrictions are Unleashing Pent-Up Demand
  3. Optimistic Buyers are Misreading the Market
  4. Government Intervention is Boosting the Numbers
  5. Developers are Fudging Numbers to Stay Afloat

I?m going to walk through each of these theories in turn, and try to determine which of them ? if any ? offers the most credible explanation for what?s happening in the market.

1. Lower prices are bringing buyers back.??For a while now, one of the main concerns about China?s property market is that prices have spiraled so high that most potential homebuyers find them unaffordable.? But with prices dropping, and wages rapidly rising, maybe that equation is changing, with more buyers willing to snap up what are starting to look like good deals.? The chart below depicts how an economist would see the process: the supply curve shifts outward as overzealous developers build more than they can sell at prevailing high prices, leading them to cut prices and moving the market equilibrium point down and right?along?the existing demand curve.? The behavior of buyers hasn?t changed, but offering them lower prices translates into greater quantity sold.

Based on anecdotal evidence, this certainly does appear to be the rationale many would-be homebuyers are giving for re-entering the market.? As one 29 year-old buyer?recently told the?Financial Times, ?Everyone has been paying attention to this development, because it is a big one. I saw the prices go down and I thought they were now reasonable. I can?t see them falling by much more.?? In early June, a senior official with Beijing?s real estate industry association told Jinghua Times that the reason for strong May sales was aggressive price-cutting, and that when a few projects tried to raise prices, they saw sales fall off immediately.

The problem with this explanation is that ? according to official statistics at least ? prices haven?t fallen all that much and are starting to rise again.??Dow Jones calculates?that prices in June were a modest 1.3% lower than a year before, while?Reuters estimates?1.5% ? not much to get excited about, if you?re a stretched Chinese homebuyer.? And if higher demand is the?effect?of lower prices, there?s absolutely nothing in that dynamic that would cause prices to go back up ? which is what we?re told is now happening.

There are two possible answers to this objection.? The first would be to not put too much credence in the official price statistics.? When prices were rising, over the last few years, there was a noticeable disconnect between the rapid price increases people were seeing the ground ? prices doubling in 2-3 years ? and the modest rises reported in the official statistics.? Over the past year, there has been a similar disconnect between the 20-30% discounts regularly offered at point-of-sale and the 0.1-0.2% MoM price declines in the official and ?independent? (CREIS, Soufun) indices that still get much of that get much of their data from the same industry and local government sources.? There?s plenty of reason to believe that actual prices rose a lot more ? and have fallen a lot more ? than the official data suggests.

Second, if rising incomes are indeed part of homebuyers? calculations, then we need to understand the ?Price? axis on the supply-demand chart as indicating?real?rather than nominal price.?? If other prices, including wages, are rising due to inflation, then home prices actually don?t need to fall much (or at all) in nominal terms to become more affordable in real terms.? The Shanghai E-House real estate research institute, for instance,?calculates that China?s price-to-income ratio?for houses peaked at 8.1 in 2009, fell to 7.4 in 2011, and will decline further this year ? in part due to rising wages, in part to falling (nominal) home prices.? What E-House?s affordability ratio doesn?t explain very well, however, is why the latest sales boom appears to be centered on cities that still have extremely high price-to-income ratios, like 12.4 in Shanghai, 11.6 in Beijing and 15.6 in Shenzhen.

If the recovery in sales volumes really is being driven by lower prices (either nominal or real) that?s hardly good news for developers.? It means that for the market to clear ? for them to sell down the large inventories that are weighing so heavily on their finances ? prices will have to drop even further, or at least not rise for some time.? That means a continued squeeze on their profits, which some may not be able to sustain.? That?s why most developers prefer an alternative explanation of what is happening, one based on a burst of pent-up buyer demand.

Source: http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2012/07/whats-driving-chinas-real-estate-rally/

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Pear Bluetooth Receiver for Docking Speakers

Have you invested in expensive docking speakers for your iPhone or iPod, and now the talk of Apple changing their connectors has you concerned that your investment is down the drain?? If so, you might want to check into the Pear Bluetooth receiver that’s soliciting funding now on Kickstarter.? You’ll simply plug the Pear onto [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/07/23/pear-bluetooth-receiver-for-docking-speakers/

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N. Korea media praises Kim for saving flood victims

Sixty flood victims have been rescued in North Korea thanks to a helicopter urgently sent by leader Kim Jong-Un, state media said Wednesday.

The victims, including children and women, were trapped Monday on a hillock at Jwa-ri in the northwestern province of Pyongan after a river flooded due to heavy rain, the official news agency said.

"Isolated incommunicado, they did not find a way out, in panic at rising water. At that time a helicopter appeared," it said.

"After receiving an urgent report, the dear respected Kim Jong-Un issued an emergency sortie order to a unit of the Air Force of the Korean People's Army."

Service personnel rushed to the scene aboard the helicopter and used a rope ladder to rescue those trapped after several shuttle flights, the report said.

The Kim dynasty which has ruled the country since its founding in 1948 is frequently given credit by official media for such acts of benevolence.

The North, beset by persistent severe food shortages, has reported weeks of drought followed by recent torrential rain in some areas which washed away sections of a railway line.

With rugged terrain and outmoded agricultural practices, the country faces serious difficulties in feeding its 24 million people. Hundreds of thousands died during a famine in the mid to late-1990s.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/n-korea-media-praises-kim-saving-flood-victims-011702573.html

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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

First results of community health campaign in Uganda for HIV and other diseases

First results of community health campaign in Uganda for HIV and other diseases [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 23-Jul-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Jason Socrates Bardi
jason.bardi@ucsf.edu
415-502-6397
University of California - San Francisco

A clinical study in a remote region of southwest Uganda has demonstrated the feasibility of using a health campaign to rapidly test a community for HIV and simultaneously offer prevention and diagnosis for a variety of other diseases in rural and resource-poor settings of sub-Saharan Africa.

At the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C., the first results of this study, called the "Sustainable East Africa Research in Community Health (SEARCH) Collaboration," will be described by doctors at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (SFGH) and Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. The talk is scheduled for Monday, July 23, 2012.

The motivation for this work was the success of a comprehensive approach to addressing HIV/AIDS that was pioneered in San Francisco beginning in 2010. The strategy, known as "test and treat," involves universal testing, linkage to care and early treatment. Mounting evidence shows that this approach keeps people healthier longer and reduces the spread of HIV within the community.

The SEARCH study seeks to build on this approach and use "test and treat" as a platform for broader community health intervention in sub-Saharan Africa.

In the study, some 4,343 people were offered HIV testing, and 189 of them tested positive. Nearly half were new diagnoses -- meaning that the other half were tested even though they knew they had the disease --and their CD4+ cell counts, on average, were in the mid-400s--indicating they were in the early stages of disease, before a decline towards AIDS. Often regional health centers in Uganda don't identify new cases until a much more advanced stage of the disease.

The team also tested people for malaria, tuberculosis, diabetes and hypertension and offered counseling, treatment and prevention methods to address those conditions.

"Seventy-four percent of the adults in the community were tested for HIV, and we found a high burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases," said Gabriel Chamie, MD, MPH, an assistant professor in the UCSF School of Medicine who will be presenting this work in Washington, D.C. "This is a proof of principle that you can test people in high volume, link them to care and address other diseases as well."

How the Campaign Worked

Addressing several diseases at once was a strategy meant to both maximize public health spending and to also address some of the stigma surrounding HIV testing by contextualizing it among other common diseases.

"We're really focusing on community healthnot just HIV," said Diane Havlir, MD chief of the UCSF Division of HIV/AIDS at SFGH and co-director of the SEARCH Collaboration. "If we are going to bring everyone together and test for HIV, why wouldn't we test for hypertension, diabetes, TB, malaria and address those diseases, as well."

In the campaign, the SEARCH team first met with community leaders and discussed the needs of the local populations. They visited three sites over the course of five days and each day screened close to 1,000 people who moved through different stations where they were given counseling, testing, and treatment where appropriate.

People who tested positive for HIV had the opportunity to meet the providers from the regional clinic who would care for them moving forward, and they were given an appointment for follow-up care within 3 months of testing. A sub-group with far advanced HIV was also offered immediate therapy.

If people tested positive for TB, malaria, diabetes or hypertension, they were likewise given counseling, linked to care, and offered the appropriate treatment. Children were treated for worms, a common problem in the region, and given vitamin A tablets (vitamin A deficiency is a common problem in parts of Africa that leads to blindness). The medical team also handed out insecticide-treated bed nets, which are known to dramatically reduce the spread of malaria.

Overcoming Challenges

The challenge SEARCH was designed to test was whether this could all be done in a safe, efficient, low-cost way that minimizes disruptions to people's lives. It was designed in part to make things easier for people in rural sub-Saharan Africa who may live far from centralized clinics.

People in such settings often forego testing and are not diagnosed until their disease is much more advanced, making them sicker and harder to treat and contributing to the spread of HIV in the months and years before they are diagnosed. The same problem is true with other diseases. People in rural Africa with hypertension often go years without having any symptoms, for instance, and in general, for many chronic diseases it is cheaper and easier to treat someone who is diagnosed early.

Rather than asking people to come to the clinic, the SEARCH study brought the clinic to them.

###

The talk, "Integrated Community HIV Testing Campaigns: Leveraging HIV infrastructure for non-communicable diseases" by G. Chamie, D. Kwarisiima, T. Clark, J. Kabami, V. Jain, E. Geng, M. Petersen, H. Thirumurthy, M. Kamya, D. Havlir, E. Charlebois and the SEARCH Consortium will be presented at 11:00 a.m. ET on Monday, July 23, 2012 in Session Room 7.

ABSTRACT: http://pag.aids2012.org/abstracts.aspx?aid=10753

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


First results of community health campaign in Uganda for HIV and other diseases [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 23-Jul-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Jason Socrates Bardi
jason.bardi@ucsf.edu
415-502-6397
University of California - San Francisco

A clinical study in a remote region of southwest Uganda has demonstrated the feasibility of using a health campaign to rapidly test a community for HIV and simultaneously offer prevention and diagnosis for a variety of other diseases in rural and resource-poor settings of sub-Saharan Africa.

At the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C., the first results of this study, called the "Sustainable East Africa Research in Community Health (SEARCH) Collaboration," will be described by doctors at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (SFGH) and Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. The talk is scheduled for Monday, July 23, 2012.

The motivation for this work was the success of a comprehensive approach to addressing HIV/AIDS that was pioneered in San Francisco beginning in 2010. The strategy, known as "test and treat," involves universal testing, linkage to care and early treatment. Mounting evidence shows that this approach keeps people healthier longer and reduces the spread of HIV within the community.

The SEARCH study seeks to build on this approach and use "test and treat" as a platform for broader community health intervention in sub-Saharan Africa.

In the study, some 4,343 people were offered HIV testing, and 189 of them tested positive. Nearly half were new diagnoses -- meaning that the other half were tested even though they knew they had the disease --and their CD4+ cell counts, on average, were in the mid-400s--indicating they were in the early stages of disease, before a decline towards AIDS. Often regional health centers in Uganda don't identify new cases until a much more advanced stage of the disease.

The team also tested people for malaria, tuberculosis, diabetes and hypertension and offered counseling, treatment and prevention methods to address those conditions.

"Seventy-four percent of the adults in the community were tested for HIV, and we found a high burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases," said Gabriel Chamie, MD, MPH, an assistant professor in the UCSF School of Medicine who will be presenting this work in Washington, D.C. "This is a proof of principle that you can test people in high volume, link them to care and address other diseases as well."

How the Campaign Worked

Addressing several diseases at once was a strategy meant to both maximize public health spending and to also address some of the stigma surrounding HIV testing by contextualizing it among other common diseases.

"We're really focusing on community healthnot just HIV," said Diane Havlir, MD chief of the UCSF Division of HIV/AIDS at SFGH and co-director of the SEARCH Collaboration. "If we are going to bring everyone together and test for HIV, why wouldn't we test for hypertension, diabetes, TB, malaria and address those diseases, as well."

In the campaign, the SEARCH team first met with community leaders and discussed the needs of the local populations. They visited three sites over the course of five days and each day screened close to 1,000 people who moved through different stations where they were given counseling, testing, and treatment where appropriate.

People who tested positive for HIV had the opportunity to meet the providers from the regional clinic who would care for them moving forward, and they were given an appointment for follow-up care within 3 months of testing. A sub-group with far advanced HIV was also offered immediate therapy.

If people tested positive for TB, malaria, diabetes or hypertension, they were likewise given counseling, linked to care, and offered the appropriate treatment. Children were treated for worms, a common problem in the region, and given vitamin A tablets (vitamin A deficiency is a common problem in parts of Africa that leads to blindness). The medical team also handed out insecticide-treated bed nets, which are known to dramatically reduce the spread of malaria.

Overcoming Challenges

The challenge SEARCH was designed to test was whether this could all be done in a safe, efficient, low-cost way that minimizes disruptions to people's lives. It was designed in part to make things easier for people in rural sub-Saharan Africa who may live far from centralized clinics.

People in such settings often forego testing and are not diagnosed until their disease is much more advanced, making them sicker and harder to treat and contributing to the spread of HIV in the months and years before they are diagnosed. The same problem is true with other diseases. People in rural Africa with hypertension often go years without having any symptoms, for instance, and in general, for many chronic diseases it is cheaper and easier to treat someone who is diagnosed early.

Rather than asking people to come to the clinic, the SEARCH study brought the clinic to them.

###

The talk, "Integrated Community HIV Testing Campaigns: Leveraging HIV infrastructure for non-communicable diseases" by G. Chamie, D. Kwarisiima, T. Clark, J. Kabami, V. Jain, E. Geng, M. Petersen, H. Thirumurthy, M. Kamya, D. Havlir, E. Charlebois and the SEARCH Consortium will be presented at 11:00 a.m. ET on Monday, July 23, 2012 in Session Room 7.

ABSTRACT: http://pag.aids2012.org/abstracts.aspx?aid=10753

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/uoc--fro071712.php

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Monday, July 23, 2012

Video: Yoko Ono: 'I envisioned the whole world smiling together'



>>> after the awful news of the last few days we close with a story tonight that just might give you a reason to smile. the power of a smile is the basis of a new art project on exhibit here in london. it is the work of a woman you likely know well who after suddenly losing her husband found the answer to healing her pain was written across her face.

>> reporter: there is more than just the olympics and a break from the rain that has londoners smiling these days. the whole world is smiling this light hearted project on display at the serpentine gallery , the hope of artist yoko ono when she mused on the idea.

>> i envisioned the whole world smiling together.

>> reporter: the idea that a smile had the power to heal really took hold forono in the days and months after the murder of her husband back when it seemed there could never be anything to smile about.

>> every day in the morning when i see the mirror i try to smile. it is very hard. in the beginning it was so phony phony. but then i started to really smile.

>> reporter: she calls the project hash tag smiles film. there was no public internet or twitter back when she started thinking about it. technology has caught up askand ono is asking people to snap a picture and smile.

>> if we all start to smile in the world something will happen. i think that it will be better for the world maybe.

>> reporter: featured in the gallery exhibit a slow motion film of lenin breaking into a smile. over the years ono has dedicated herself to peace, a message she shared with her husband. the two famously staged a vetting for peace in 1969 . in 2011 she created the imagine peace tower in iceland. she said she likes to think john is smiling about smiles but it is not hard to.

>> you think john is smiling with us now?

>> he would love it. it is the kind of thing he liked.

>> reporter: ready?

>> okay. i like this.

>> reporter: maybe it is true. when you smile the whole world really does smile with you.

>>> we have put more information on the smiles film project on our website, nbcnightlynews.com. we

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/48278496/

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Masters misery to help Scott at Open

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/masters-misery-help-scott-open-194105917.html

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Prostate Cancer Surgery Fails to Cut Death Rate in Study | Cancer ...

Surgery for prostate cancer was no
better in saving lives than observation over a 10-year period,
according to one of the first rigorous studies to compare the
two approaches in American men with early-stage disease.

The U.S.-funded study assigned 731 men across the country
with early prostate cancer to have the gland surgically removed
or be observed without any attempt at curative treatment. Ten
years later, 47 percent of men in the surgery group had died,
mostly from other diseases, versus 49.9 percent who were just
watched, results published in the New England Journal of
Medicine found. The difference wasn?t statistically meaningful.

The study is certain to fuel the debate over whether
doctors are aggressively treating prostate cancer in men who
aren?t likely to die from it, causing side effects such as
incontinence and impotence.

?There is no question in my mind that what we have been
doing in the United States for the last 20 years has hurt a lot
of men needlessly,? said Otis Brawley, chief medical officer
for the American Cancer Society. ?We need to be telling men
that there is tremendous evidence that a large number of men
with prostate cancer could be watched and don?t need to be
treated.?

The study, while too small to rule out a modest life-saving
benefit from surgery, is relevant to the debate over excess
prostate cancer screening and treatment because it included
patients whose cancer was detected through PSA testing. In May,
the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against
using the prostate-specific antigen blood test to spot the
disease, saying the screening leads to overtreatment and
unnecessary side effects.

241,000 Diagnosed

More than 241,000 American men are diagnosed with prostate
cancer each year, and more than 28,000 die from it, making it
the second-leading cause of cancer death in men, according to
data from the American Cancer Society. The vast majority of
cases are discovered in the local and regional stages, where the
survival over five years is almost 100 percent.

Currently, only 10 percent of American men with prostate
cancer who are eligible for observation choose observation,
according to a National Institutes of Health report last year.
The vast majority elect surgery or various forms of radiation in
an attempt to cure their cancer. Both forms of treatment have
side effects, including impotence.

?When men hear cancer they want something done,? said
Durado Brooks, director of prostate and colorectal cancers for
the cancer society. The idea that some prostate cancers aren?t
life-threatening is ?very difficult for people to accept
because they are accustomed to thinking of cancer as this
ravaging, always-lethal condition.?

Difficult Enrollment

While the study originally intended to include 2,000
patients, the size was reduced to 731 men because of the
difficulty in getting men to enroll, researchers said. This
limited the study?s ability to parse out small differences in
death rates, said Brawley of the cancer society. Nonetheless,
the result indicates that prostate surgery for localized cancer
detected through PSA tests saves very few lives, he said.

After a median of 10 years, 171 of 364 men assigned surgery
had died, while 183 of 367 assigned to observation died. In the
surgery group, 5.8 percent of the men died from prostate cancer
compared with 8.4 percent of the men in the observation group.
Neither difference was statistically significant.

Surgery Complications

More than 1 in 5 patients in the surgery group had
complications within 30 days of the operation. Urinary
incontinence and erectile dysfunction were much more common in
men who got the surgery, while men who got observation had a
higher rate of developing bone metastases.

?The results are consistent with emerging science
suggesting that for the vast majority of men observation can be
a wise and preferred treatment choice? if they have localized
prostate cancer, said Timothy Wilt, a researcher at the Center
for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research at the Minneapolis
Veterans Affairs Health Care System, and the study?s lead
author.

The results supporting observation were most robust in men
with whose PSA levels were 10 nanograms per milliliter or less
when cancer was detected, Wilt said. This was about two-thirds
of the patients in the study.

Doctors used to consider a PSA above 4 as high and a cutoff
for further evaluation.

Death Rate

The death rate from prostate cancer among the patients with
lower PSA levels was the same regardless of whether patients got
surgery or observation, the study found. In patients with higher
PSA levels, surgery significantly reduced all deaths and
prostate cancer deaths, the study found.

The new results contrast with a Scandanavian study of
surgery versus observation. After 12.8 years, the trial of 695
men from Sweden, Finland and Iceland, found that surgery
prevented 1 prostate cancer death for every 15 patients who got
surgery, according to the most recent research update published
in 2011. The benefit from the surgery was confined to men
younger than age 65.

While the reason for the divergent results are unclear, one
difference between the studies is that the Scandanavian study
was conducted before PSA testing became common, and thus
included more people with larger tumors that were only detected
on a digital rectal exam, Wilt said.

The study led by Wilt was sponsored by the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs, the National Cancer Institute, and the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Robert Langreth in New York at
rlangreth@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Reg Gale at
rgale5@bloomberg.net

Article source: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-07-18/prostate-cancer-surgery-fails-to-cut-death-rate-in-study

Source: http://cancerkick.com/2012/07/21/prostate-cancer-surgery-fails-to-cut-death-rate-in-study/

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Sunday, July 22, 2012

Home Place: Paella with Roger and Family

Today was Paella Day with Roger and Carol! ?


Several times a year, usually when when he has family visiting, my friend Roger makes Paella. ?If you're not?familiar?with this delicious offering, it is a hearty Spanish dish consisting primarily of rice, vegetables, and protein. ?There are many variations of paella, most are regional in nature, ?but the three most widely prepared are?Valencian paella (Spanish: paella valenciana), seafood paella (Spanish: paella de marisco) and mixed paella (Spanish: paella mixta).?

Roger traditionally prepares "mixed" paella and over the years he has adapted the recipe first taught to him by his grandfather and step-grandfather. ? He has other family members that make paella ?and each adjusts the "family" recipe to their own personal likes and dislikes. ?In fact, Roger's cousin who was also there, explained that his son is now the next generation to prepare their family's paella recipe. ?Folks, this is a dish that is 'made with love' for 'those you love'. I was honored to be invited to Roger and Carol's and partake in this family style dish with along with other friends, family, and loved ones. ?Roger was also kind enough to let me document the preparation of the dish.

Roger has a beautiful paella pan and a Garcima gas burner with stand to prepare the paella outdoors.?



?He starts by oiling the paella pan with virgin olive oil checking that the stand sits level. ?He begins to heat the pan and then adds his first few pieces of chicken legs and thighs to begin seasoning the pan and preparing it for the rest of the ingredients to come.

As soon as the chicken pieces brown he adds cubed pieces of chicken and pork.

After the chicken and pork brown, add chunks of fresh tomato and coarsely chopped garlic, and continuously de-glaze the pan.

Roger then adds some of his secret brew, which consists of chicken and pork?bullion, saffron, pepper and other spices, boiled with water well ahead of time. ?He cautions against using salt, as the?bullion?has a high sodium content.

Now we start building some vegetables and rice. ?Roger adds the green beans.

then the rice. (Roger uses white and says the Spanish style rice can get too starchy.

Then he adds lima beans, peas and flat green beans.

A little more secret brew.

Add some roasted artichokes

and some mini meatballs

Now it's time to build more flavor with the seafood additions:?

clams, mussels, and shrimp.

Finally, the last ingredient, some sweet red peppers.

Cover with foil and let steam for the final few minutes.

Oh...the wait...?

...and the aroma was heavenly!

Voila! ?The finished dish - a beautiful paella!

Roger served Sangria along with some salad,?

and peasant bread with sweet creamy butter with our meal.

My plate runneth over!

Afterwards we all toasted Roger for a delicious meal with some?

Carlos I Solera Gran Reserva Brandy

And then we stuffed ourselves senseless with some decadent desserts!

?Say hi to Roger's mom Fran,?

enjoying some delicious fresh strawberries and pound cake.

We had such a nice afternoon spent with good friends and great company. ?

Thank you Roger and Carol!

If you are interested in making paella there are lots of recipes on the internet,?

use Google searchword "Paella Recipe"?

And the secret to a good paella is a good paella pan. ?

You can find pans on the 'net as well for as little as $35.00 and as much as $300.00 depending on the size, weight, and materials. ?

Here's a sample of a mid-range pan by Wayfair?

but if you look at their website you can find more ?in many styles and price ranges.

Do you have any family dishes that have been passed down "generation to generation"?

Don't you just love family traditions?

I know I do!
Here's a a little sunflower from Carol's garden to leave with you.
And some more pictures of the day with Roger and Carol:
click here: Link to Pictures

If you found this blog helpful please share it with others using one of the resources below:

Source: http://homeplaceblogger.blogspot.com/2012/07/paella-with-roger-and-family.html

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