3 Tips for good communication between a foreign fiance and U.S. ...

Good communication is important for any relationship. It?s especially important in a budding dating relationship as it often sets the foundation for how the couple continues to communicate and relate to one another. And it?s critical in a cross-cultural relationship because there are so many opportunities for misunderstanding and for one side to take offense.

Here are three tips to enhance communication with your loved one.

1. Listen. Ok, this is a tough one for me personally. But I put it first because I think it?s the most important. By listening and not interrupting the other person, it allows them to freely articulate?her?thoughts. It also shows respect for the other which is an important component of a health relationship, Of course, actively listening is easier said than done especially if one is more talkative than the other.

2. Don?t Interrupt. Yikes, also another tough one for me. Refraining from interrupting allows the person to complete his/her thoughts and also keeps us from jumping the gun. Don?t make assumptions about what the person is going to say. Let the person complete her thoughts. Understand what the point is, and then you can address it. It?s more efficient, decreases the chances of miscommunication and getting offended.

3. Use tools: this is especially important if his or her English language skills are limited. Email, chat or text to communicate as most people have better reading comprehension than listening comprehension. Reading what is written gives the recipient a chance to go over what discussed several times before responding which promotes better communication. It is also helpful to show proof of a bona fide relationship between the US citizen and the foreign fianc?e before the USCIS adjudicator.

If you?re not sure how to put together a K1 fiance visa application or simply don?t have the time or want to bother with the technicalities, contact me. I?ve experience dating back to 1997 and would be happy to help reunite you and your loved one.

Tags: relationship

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 22nd, 2012 at 12:03 am and is filed under relationships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.gofianceevisa.com/2012/07/22/3-tips-for-good-communication/

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Carcinogen in Mojave groundwater could require costly treatment

The Mojave Desert groundwater thatCadiz Inc.wants to sell to Southland suburbs contains hexavalent chromium, a carcinogen, in amounts that are hundreds of times greater than the state's public health goal for drinking water.

The presence of the toxic heavy metal, which occurs naturally in the aquifer Cadiz proposes to tap, could force the company to undertake expensive treatment, driving up the cost of the project and ultimately the price of its water.

The chromium contamination is one of several concerns raised by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which owns and operates the 242-mile-long Colorado River Aqueduct that Cadiz would use to transport its supplies to customers.

Metropolitan has also informed Cadiz that the aqueduct space the company is counting on may not always be available, especially during dry years when demand for the Cadiz water would likely be the greatest.

The issues, described in environmental documents released last week, add to the hurdles Cadiz faces as it pursues a project that would push the boundaries of California's nascent private water market.

They also underscore that though the company is promoting its water as an alternative to imported supplies threatened by drought and environmental restrictions, its groundwater would also be imported 200 miles from the eastern Mojave to coastal customers and could be subject to delivery limits.

"Our aqueduct is probably the most valuable possession we have. So we're going to be extremely careful," said Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of Metropolitan, which built the aqueduct and has for decades used it to convey Colorado River supplies to millions of Southern Californians.

Metropolitan and Cadiz have a complicated history. More than a decade ago they planned a major water storage and pumping project in the Mojave that the Metropolitan board voted down in 2002, killing the proposal. Cadiz subsequently sued the agency, waging a costly legal battle that ended when it dropped the lawsuit shortly before a scheduled trial.

Now Cadiz needs Metropolitan's approval for use of the aqueduct, which is key to its latest proposal to withdraw and sell enough groundwater from beneath its Mojave holdings near Amboy to supply 100,000 homes each year. The sales could reap $1 billion to $2 billion in revenue for Cadiz over the life of the project.

The proposal has drawn opposition from U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), a powerful Mojave advocate, conservation groups and desert residents who fear the pumping will harm the environment of surrounding public lands, including the Mojave National Preserve.

An international company that operates industrial salt works at neighboring dry lakes has filed two lawsuits to block the project and environmental groups are expected to file more legal challenges.

There are currently no federal or state standards for hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium 6, in drinking water. But the state, citing international research that drinking water exposure has been linked to an increase in stomach tumors and liver cancer deaths, last year set a public health goal that will be used in the development of a regulatory standard.

At 14 parts per billion to 16 parts per billion, the chromium 6 levels in the Cadiz water far exceed the public health goal of .02 parts per billion. The ultimate state standard, expected in two to three years, will undoubtedly be higher than the health goal. But even if Cadiz supplies meet the new standard, Metropolitan could still require treatment before the groundwater is pumped into the aqueduct.

"Just having some [chromium 6] in our water could be a detriment to some of our folks," Kightlinger said, noting that some Southland cities blend Metropolitan supplies with their own chromium-tainted groundwater to reduce pollution levels. "We would have to do more analysis and see what the final standard is and do some modeling" before deciding whether treatment by Cadiz would be required, he added.

Scott Slater, president and general counsel of Cadiz, said chromium treatment could cost as much as $400 an acre-foot. "The worst case would be that we had to treat at every individual well," he said, adding that the company hopes some form of limited treatment combined with blending the groundwater with river water in the aqueduct would suffice, bringing costs to below $150 an acre-foot. (Cadiz proposes to pump an annual average of 50,000 acre-feet.)

Whatever the costs, they would be covered by contract provisions, Slater said. "The price of the water could go up or the profits of the company could go down."

He dismissed Metropolitan's suggestion that there might not be enough room in the aqueduct to accommodate Cadiz shipments, noting that long-term drought in the Colorado River basin has reduced the agency's deliveries.

"The Colorado River Aqueduct has not been full since 2003," he said. "I don't think that you can?project forward and come to the reasonable conclusion that the aqueduct's not going to be able to take 50,000 acre-feet of water."

But Kightlinger said Metropolitan has spent the past decade developing supplementary programs, such as acquiring irrigation water and holding supplies in Lake Mead, that could fill the aqueduct in dry years.

"We would pull [the Mead water] and say there is no wheeling capacity available. We've filled up our aqueduct," Kightlinger said. "That's just something they need to understand."

bettina.boxall@latimes.com

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/O4anRjWeYNY/la-me-cadiz-chromium-20120721,0,7972470.story

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How to talk to your child or teen about Colorado's shooting

So many moms and dads around the country had the same reaction today ? that dread in the pit of the stomach upon hearing of the mass shooting in Colorado. The fact the tragedy happened at the showing of a blockbuster movie on a summer night ? a popular venue for so many young people ? made the horrific incident feel even closer to home for so many parents. So as we discuss this terrible tragedy in our homes today, what should we tell the kids?

?Be truthful, but take into account the age of your child,? says Cynthia de las Fuentes, PhD, a psychologist in Austin, Texas who sees a lot of ?mamis? in her practice. Dr. de las Fuentes explains there is a big difference between talking about this with a young child and a teen. If a young child overhears the news on the radio or on television, a parent can confirm the incident without going into a lot of details.

?Don?t say ?nothing happened? or try to distract the child, since that lack of validation between what a child has just heard and what the parent answers makes the child question his or her judgment ? or question the parent?s judgment,? explains de las Fuentes. ?You do not have to be overly elaborative if your child is young.?

One good way of talking about this is sharing one?s feelings with the child. A parent can say they get scared too when they hear about these things, but they can then shift the conversation to coping strategies. For example, a mother can say ?When I get scared, I count to ten to calm myself down? or ?I check my surroundings to make myself feel better,? says Dr. de las Fuentes. Showing more physical affection, especially at nighttime, is a good way to reassure children.

Teens, especially boys, might be trying to be ?stoic? and will not necessarily express their fear. Parents should look out for behavioral changes and check in with their adolescents, perhaps opening the conversation by saying they admire how ?calm? the teen seems, and giving them a chance to talk.

It is also important to stress these incidents are rare. ?Parents can stress there are so many good people in the world, but every once in a while someone is ?sick? or does ?something mean? and bad things can happen,? says de las Fuentes. ?We can also focus on how we cope; if we are people of faith, we can pray, or stress how we are part of a loving community and we are involved.?

Parents might want to use these incidents to talk about what to do in these situations. Dr. de las Fuentes says moms and dads can take the opportunity to calmly impart useful information without alarming their children and teens.

?Parents should stress that children should first protect themselves, by ducking for cover first, and by calling 911 first, not family or friends, if they have the opportunity to use a phone,? she says. The child or teen should stay on the phone with the dispatcher until told to hang up.

This might also be a good opportunity to check with local police departments or community organizations for classes on safety or prevention. Most importantly, though, is to reassure children and teens that they are not alone in their feelings.

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Source: http://nbclatino.com/2012/07/20/how-to-talk-to-your-child-or-teen-about-colorados-shooting/

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Home Improvement team | WCID CIC

Door installation Irving The handyman is a term used to define people who are involved in different types of repairs. Handyman are specialized contractors. Some handyman are experts in certain kinds of repairs and home improvement. Often the best handyman service is provided within a specific area. Referrals are the best way to find a handyman. Before selecting any handyman, you should set up a formal interview session with him. You need to consider the authorized license of the service provider. Ask his past experience in similar work. Do not hesitate to ask for license number, contact information, names of employers, insurance coverage and references. An expert handyman is always ready to provide these details. Fix it

Source: http://www.wcid-cic.org/?p=7722

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Assessing Damage of Private Loans | CAPPS Online

Inside Higher Ed ? July 20, 2012 ? by Libby A. Nelson

In a sweeping?study?of the private student lending market released today, a new federal consumer protection agency compares private loans to subprime mortgages and urges Congress to consider letting borrowers discharge such loans in bankruptcy.

The study, months in the making, touched a nerve as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau began gathering information about private loans and concern grew about student debt. Almost 2,000 people ? borrowers and their family members, as well as representatives of banks, research groups and higher education organizations ??wrote?in to describe their experiences with student loans and to urge the bureau to act.

The result was a report examining the varied private student loan market, which makes up less than 15 percent of all outstanding student debt but is often criticized because its loans offer fewer protections than their federal counterparts. The consumer protection bureau found that loans made just before the financial crisis were among the riskiest, made to students with low credit scores and often without co-signers or involvement from their colleges? financial aid offices. A majority of those students had not exhausted their federal borrowing options beforehand.

?Our findings reveal that students were yet another group of consumers that were hurt by the boom and bust of the financial crisis,? Richard Cordray, the bureau?s director, said in a conference call with reporters Thursday afternoon. ?Too many student loan borrowers were given loans they could not afford and sometimes for more money than they needed. They are now overwhelmed by debt and regret the decisions they made.?

In response, the bureau recommends requiring colleges to become more involved when students take out private loans. The report also urges regulators to look into providing additional protections to private loan borrowers that mimic some features of federal loans, such as forbearance, deferment or income-based repayments. And while stopping short of calling on Congress to once again allow borrowers to discharge private student loans in bankruptcy ? which was outlawed in 2005 ? the report?s authors indicated they found few reasons not to do so.

But the agency also found that some of what it considered the worst practices of the private lending industry have ceased. Between 2005 and 2008, private student lending boomed, increasing from about $7 billion to over $20 billion in 2008. At its peak, private lenders made loans to students with low credit scores and no co-signers, often allowing borrowers to take out loans that far exceeded the cost of attendance at their colleges.

But since 2008, driven in part by new regulations and in part by the recession-driven tightening of the financial markets,?there has been a ?flight to quality,? the agency found: more loans began requiring co-signers, and nearly all loans in 2009 required colleges to certify that students needed to borrow.

?While these are more prudent trends, borrowers who took out loans at the height of the boom are still suffering from those excesses,? Cordray said.

In response to that concern, the report delves into the arguments against allowing student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy: that it would reduce access to the loans or make them prohibitively expensive. The report?s authors argue that student loans have little in common with other forms of debt that can?t be discharged, such as child support or tax liens. Even federal student loans, also not dischargeable in bankruptcy, are not comparable,?they said, because those represent a debt to the federal government and, by extension, to taxpayers.

Eliminating bankruptcy protections did not directly lead to lower interest rates or wider access to credit, the report?s authors argued. Changes to bankruptcy law would also make it more difficult for borrowers to abuse the privilege by declaring bankruptcy to avoid repayment ? although the report also said there was little evidence of such abuse before the change. Congress need not entirely restore bankruptcy protection, the report went on to say, but should consider adding more flexibility for borrowers suffering from economic hardship.

An increasing number of borrowers have opted to file for bankruptcy even though their loans cannot be discharged, perhaps to reduce their payments, although bankruptcy proceedings do so only temporarily. (The entire balance of the loan must eventually be repaid.)

?If Congress concludes that the 2005 changes did not meet their overall policy goals, it would be prudent to consider modifying the code in light of the impact on young borrowers in challenging labor market conditions,? the report?s authors wrote.

Simply by laying out more information about private loans ? including borrowers? characteristics and the loans? typical interest rates ? the report is important, said Deanne Loonin, an attorney with the National Consumer Law Center and director of its Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project. Loonin said she appreciated the focus not only on bankruptcy protection but on other steps that regulators could take, perhaps without Congress, to ease the burden of loans for borrowers in default.

?They?re not focusing on bankruptcy as the only way to provide relief,? Loonin said. ?There are other possibilities that are more within the CFPB?s jurisdiction to get regulators to pressure the lenders to provide modifications or that sort of thing.?

The agency also recommends mandating college certification of private loans, which requires a financial aid office to get involved before a student signs a promissory note. Certification makes it more difficult for students to borrow far in excess of the cost of attendance, and also gives colleges an opportunity to discuss federal alternatives to private loans. About 90 percent of loans currently are certified by colleges, but there is no federal requirement in place ? although it?was considered?when the law that created the financial protection bureau was enacted.

?There?s a window of opportunity to put protections in place before we enter another cycle,? said Lauren Asher, president of the Institute for College Access and Success, arguing that the market for private student loans is likely to rebound eventually. ?The strong case for improved bankruptcy protections and school certifications really is important.?

Reactions to the report varied among lenders. The Consumer Bankers? Association criticized the financial protection bureau for avoiding the ?elephant in the room? by focusing only on private lending, a narrow slice of the overall student loan market. ?Today, private loans are carefully underwritten and borrower disclosures are much more comprehensive than those given with federal student loans,? the group said in a statement.

State lending agencies and nonprofit lenders came in for less criticism in the report; the consumer protection bureau praised such lenders for having lower interest rates and more flexible loan terms over all. The Education Finance Council, a group of such lenders, praised the report for differentiating between various types of lenders. ?This report proves that not all private student loans are bad,? the group said in a statement.

The report now goes to Congress and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. But regardless of the outcome, many who work with indebted students argue that the report?s work to increase available information about private loans and student borrowing is a step forward.

?It does shed important light on a market that has really operated in the shadows,? Asher said.

Source: http://www.cappsonline.org/7862/assessing-damage-of-private-loans/

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Obama For America Outraises Romney Campaign In June

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Video: Nurse says Colo. shooting injuries are ?horrific?

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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/48259494#48259494

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