Give a kid a chance? foster a child | Momaha Blogs

Cathy Keck Adcock is one of four top blogger candidates?hoping to join the momaha team. We?ll have blog posts from each of the finalists this week. Tell us what you think of Cathy?s post by leaving a comment at the end of this column or emailing jloza@owh.com

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When fall arrives I think of family.?This time of year has so many great memories ? from pumpkin carving, Husker game watching, caramel apple making to costume building ? for me and I always look forward to creating new ones with my husband and our three kids (photographed above).

But what if you are a kid without a family?

What if ? instead of being excited and secure in your anticipation of fall traditions ? you are hoping for a parent, a sibling, or a family?

Right now, more than 1,000 Nebraska children in the foster care system have those concerns. They are waiting for that family and those traditions.

The Omaha Great Pumpkin Tree family festival shines awareness on those children. On Oct. 27, people will gather at Village Pointe Shopping Center for a family festival with activities such as pumpkin carving. At 7 p.m., all of those carved pumpkins will be on display at a tree lighting ceremony that?ll represent the 1,033 Nebraska children waiting for a family.

When I tell folks that my husband and I are taking classes to become eligible to adopt from foster care, the reactions are varied. Some people are very excited, some are vaguely congratulatory, and some are just plain skeptical. Why wouldn?t they be skeptical? Nebraska has one of the largest percentages in the nation of children entering foster care each year. I would bet that we have a very small percentage of people who have real knowledge of the children or the process. I certainly didn?t.

In our journey, we were glad to learn that we would be partnering with knowledgeable people to become experts on how to integrate a child experiencing grief and loss into our family. We are working with our caseworker as a team to discover what type of child would be a great match for our family based on our strengths and the child?s needs. The goal is always to do what is in the best interest of the child.

Adoption is a fantastic way to make a difference and is probably one of the best gifts you could ever give a child or yourself ? but it?s not the only way.

Fostering children, providing a break for full-time foster parents by becoming a respite foster parent, educating yourself and sharing with others are all paths that lead to impacting the lives of Nebraska?s children in foster care. And just in case you think you need to be the perfect parents to help foster children, let me assure you, none of us are perfect, and that is perfectly okay.

Think about the children in your life. They are funny, messy, goofy, smart, frustrating, loud, shy, surprising, exasperating, adorable, loving and beautiful. They are unique. The children in foster care are just as amazingly diverse. And they need us.

To learn more about becoming involved in the foster program, visit some of the Nebraska agencies below:

Nebraska Children?s Home, nchs.org

Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, lfsneb.org

BoysTown, boystown.org

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Cathy Keck Adcock works full time and is married with three kids ? ages 9 to 14 ? and hope to add a fourth through adoption. She authors the blog??Real Life With Kids.?

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?We?ll have blog posts from each of the finalists this week.?Make sure to read blog posts from our other candidates, including Chris Donnelly?s ?Stop judging how large of family I have??and Tunette Powell?s ?Romney, PBS: The price of a boy?s smile?.

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As temperatures fall, heating costs rise

Jeffrey Hamilton / Getty Images

With winter coming on and temperatures dropping, U.S. homeowners will see their heating bills rise in the coming months.

By Jonathan Fahey , Associated Press

Americans will pay more to heat their homes this winter as they feel something they didn't feel much of last year: cold.

Fuel prices will be relatively stable, but customers will have to use more energy to keep warm than they did a year ago, according to the annual Winter Fuels Outlook from the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Last winter was the warmest on record. Temperatures this year are expected to be close to normal.

Heating bills will rise 20 percent for heating oil customers, 15 percent for natural gas customers, 13 percent for propane customers and 5 percent for electricity customers, the Energy Information Administration announced today.

Heating oil customers are expected to pay the highest heating oil prices ever. That will result in record heating bills, with an average of $2,494. That's nearly $200 more than the previous high, set in the winter of 2010?2011.

Customers who use natural gas, electricity or propane will see lower bills than they have in previous typical winters ? even with the increase over last year ? because prices are relatively low.

"It's two different worlds. For most families this is still going to be an affordable year, except for those who use oil heat," said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Director's Association. "For them, it's going to be very difficult."

Just 6 percent of the nation's households use heating oil, but they tend to be in some of the coldest parts of the country where heating needs are high. That's mainly in the Northeast. About half the homes in the region use natural gas for heat and 38 percent use electricity. Five percent of households use propane and 2 percent use wood.

Natural gas prices will average $10.32 per thousand cubic feet. That's 0.8 percent higher than last year but 13 percent lower than the five-year average. Electricity prices will fall 2.3 percent to 11.4 cents per kilowatt hour. Propane prices will fall 8 percent in the Midwest to $2.02 per gallon and 13 percent in the Northeast to $2.95 per gallon.

Natural gas, propane and electricity prices are relatively low because of a dramatic increase in domestic natural gas production over the last five years. Natural gas is used to generate about one-third of the nation's electricity and it is instrumental in setting the price of electricity. Recently, drillers have been increasing production of so-called natural gas liquids, including propane.

Heating oil will average a record high of $3.80 per gallon because it is made from crude oil. Crude is priced globally, and has stayed high because of increasing world demand, worries about supply disruptions in the Middle East and stimulus programs from central banks around the world that encourage investment in oil and other commodities.

But most of this year's increase is because forecasters expect a more typical winter. East of the Rockies, weather is expected to be about 2 percent warmer than normal but 20 percent to 27 percent colder than last year. In the West, temperatures were closer to normal last year, so the expected increase for this winter is just 1 percent.

Source: http://economywatch.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/10/14347675-with-temperatures-falling-home-energy-costs-rising?lite

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German economic growth seen halved due to crisis

BERLIN (AP) ? Germany's leading economic research institutes have halved their prediction for the country's growth next year, saying the financial woes of other European nations continue to weigh heavily on the bloc's largest economy.

In a joint report for the Economy Ministry released Thursday, the institutes said they now expect gross domestic to increase by only 1 percent in 2013. Fears of more trouble and turmoil from indebted countries are weighing on business spending on new equipment and production facilities, a key component of growth.

They warned that even that modest amount of growth they are predicting depends on political leaders now taking more decisive action to further stabilize the 17-country eurozone. If the debt crisis should worsen and borrowing costs for troubled countries spike, they said, "there is a great danger Germany will fall into recession."

The German economy is expected to keep growing mainly because exports are holding up well, the economists said, and recent steps by the European Central Bank have helped calm financial markets. The ECB has said it could buy government bonds issued by indebted governments such as Italy and Spain, if they promised to take steps to reduce debt. Such purchases would lower the high borrowing costs that threaten to push them to financial ruin.

"Over the course of the year ahead economic activity in Germany is expected to improve, since the situation in the eurozone should gradually ease and the rest of the world economy should gain greater momentum," they said in their twice-yearly report.

Yet they warned that the ECB's chances of lowering borrowing costs for governments and companies in the crisis countries will largely depend on whether politicians' "economic policy can restore the confidence of financial investors, companies and households."

Budget cuts by governments trying to reduce debt would dampen growth, they said, but help reduce uncertainty that is plaguing the eurozone.

So far, they cautioned, there are "no signs of a long-term economic policy solution to the crisis" and "risks to stability remain high."

Voters in more financially solid countries were getting restless about being put on the hook for bailout loans like the ones that rescued Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Domestic debates in Germany and Finland, where voter skepticism about bailouts runs high, "have shown that the readiness to increase assistance loans or make transfers is evaporating." That increases the importance of reforming economies to increase growth and reduce deficits.

The report ? prepared by Germany's top six economic research institutes together with one in Austria and another in Switzerland ? also cut the forecast for 2012 economic growth from 0.9 percent to 0.8 percent. The institutes said there are "a large number of signs that overall economic expansion will weaken toward the end of the year."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/german-economic-growth-seen-halved-due-crisis-090356188--finance.html

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Advice For Self Improvement That Will Enrich Your Life

TIP! When considering your own personal development, focus on leadership. Most people believe that leadership and influence are synonymous.

Start by taking an honest inventory of things you?d like to change about yourself through self improvement. We are each unique. One technique may work for another person, but not for you, and vice-versa. That said, keep an eye out for new advice that may help you and use these tips to apply to your own self improvement.

TIP! Good leaders possess strength and power, but are also compassionate. In order to be a leader, you must be firm but gentle, and you must also know how it feels to serve.

Set personal development goals that are clearly defined and can be realistically measured. Defining your goals and researching what you can do to get there is the key to success. This assists you in overcoming difficult tasks and enjoying quicker success.

TIP! Therapy might be beneficial if your problems are severe. Books that teach self help are helpful, but do not contain the one-on-one personal touch you can get from a therapist.

Look for the things you admire or appreciate about others and give them compliments. If you treat other people with kindness, you will be more likely to treat yourself with kindness too.

TIP! Don?t push your body too hard when you are striving towards a goal. Trying your hardest and doing your best are important, but not important enough to ignore the warning signs of an impending limit.

Remember to treat people with respect regardless of how much power they have, or what they can do for you. How they are treated speaks more of you than them.

TIP! Read on to find out what other people do to gain success. You can avoid a lot of trial and error by learning what other successful people have done in your situation.

Get as much work done as you can during the day. The best way to do that is to take breaks more often. This might seem counterintuitive at first, but taking more breaks actually gives your mind a chance to recover, which improves concentration when you return to work.

TIP! It is vital to watch your health when developing yourself to your full potential. Eating right and working out are part of the equation, but motivation is the real key.

To grow over the years, you have to have a great attitude. Living life under the burden of bad or negative attitudes will continue to hold you back, and in fact, will undo all your personal improvement efforts. Instead, stay positive and tell yourself that having a good attitude will help you achieve your goals.

TIP! Take the time to change the focus of your conversation from your own accomplishments and awards to the achievements of those around you. Respectful listening to the successes of others can help you to gain insight into your own inner life as well as allowing you to connect with others in a meaningful way.

An extremely important key to personal development is knowing what you want to do with your life. Knowing your destination can have an effect on how you view the journey.

TIP! Being dramatic or overreacting will only cause more stress. Learn how to cope with stress, and be sure to analyze the situation carefully.

When working on your self improvement, you need to value yourself and what is best for your life. Therefore, see to it that you value the best things in all aspects of your life.

TIP! Become aware of the distance you need to travel to achieve your personal development goals. Self realization is the key to beginning this kind of journey.

Because each individual is unique, it is important that you see which of these tips will work for you, and discard the rest. However, you will not be successful unless you dedicate yourself to using the information that you learned. If you know of anyone who could also pick up useful advice from this piece, pass it along and help them begin the journey to becoming a more well-rounded individual

Source: http://2createyourlife.com/advice-for-self-improvement-that-will-enrich-your-life/

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CURIUM SOLUTIONS APPOINTS TWO NEW RECRUITS ...

Curium Solutions, the specialist change management consultancy based in the Midlands, has made two new appointments. Vicky Goldby has joined the company as Principle Consultant and Odette Ghent as Office Manager.

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Vicky?s role with Curium Solutions will be offering project and programme support to clients. Vicky has over ten years? experience of designing, mobilising and delivering complex change programmes for corporates, and as such will build on her previous experience with the world?s leading support services organisation.

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Odette Ghent joins the company to provide both financial administration support and general PA support to the business.?With a wealth of experience, Odette has worked in accounts for more than ten years, both in the private and public sector covering manufacturing, distribution, travel, legal and property management. ?Prior to that, Odette ran her own accounts and book keeping business for 6 years.

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Andy Dawson, Managing Director of Curium Solutions, comments: ?Having recently celebrated the company?s fourth anniversary, we are pleased to be continuing to expand and grow. Having worked with Vicky at E.ON over the past few months, we are thrilled that she has chosen to join our team. We would also like to welcome Odette, who brings the much needed back office support for our growing business.?

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Curium Solutions is headquartered in Birmingham, with satellite offices in Chester and London.? Curium Solutions operates across a broad range of business sectors, with a particular focus on the financial services, retail and utility industries.? ?Curium Solutions has collectively managed more than 1000 projects for some of the biggest names in UK business from Eon, Lloyds Banking Group, Legal & General, through to Marks & Spencer, Whitbread and Crawford & Co.

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For further information:

Louis Hill / Siseley Coates-Harman, The Source Partnership

Louis@thesourcepartnership.com ????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Tel: 01829 720 789

Source: http://www.curiumsolutions.com/blog/2012/10/curium-solutions-appoints-two-new-recruits/

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Religious leaders and Russians favored for Nobel Peace Prize

OSLO (Reuters) - Russian dissidents and religious leaders working for Muslim-Christian reconciliation are among the favorites to win the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize when the result is announced on Friday.

The year has brought few notable peace breakthroughs, leaving an unusually large selection of names in circulation and perhaps increasing the chance of a surprise winner.

"I'm pretty sure the committee would like to honor the monumental events in the Middle East," said Jan Egeland, the Director of Human Rights Watch Europe.

"But as the Arab Spring turns to 'autumn', this is becoming very difficult, so an approach may be to look at those who work for dialogue among religions," said Egeland, a former United Nations under-secretary-general.

The betting agency Unibet favors Maggie Gobran, a Coptic Christian nun who runs a children's mission in Cairo, giving her a 13 percent chance of winning.

Others mentioned include Pakistani philanthropist and welfare worker Abdul Sattar Edhi and Nigerian religious leaders John Onaiyekan and Mohamed Sa'ad Abubakar, who have helped to calm their country's Christian-Muslim violence this year.

A direct recognition of the Arab Spring is unlikely, however, as the committee gave part of its 2011 award to the journalist Tawakkol Karman to recognize her work in Yemen's transformation, and it rarely visits an issue two years running.

RUSSIAN RIGHTS

The committee could recognize the struggle to prevent an erosion of human rights in Russia. Such a choice would probably touch off a diplomatic row, especially as committee chair Thorbjoern Jagland is also the secretary-general of the Council of Europe, which promotes human rights, democracy and the rule of law in its 47 member countries, including Russia.

"Jagland is always criticized on the grounds that there's a conflict of interest here and that he wouldn't dare to anger the Russians," said Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo. "So perhaps he's inclined to prove his critics wrong."

Although the Norwegian Nobel Committee is independent of the government, its members are picked by parliament and Jagland is a former prime minister, so foreign governments often see it as an affiliate of the Norwegian state.

China froze diplomatic ties with Norway in 2010 when Jagland's committee gave the prize to dissident Liu Xiaobo, accusing Norway of interfering in its internal affairs.

"Russian names are always on the list but if they wanted to give democracy-oriented movements in Russia a push, this would be the year for that," Egeland said.

Criticism of Russia's human rights record grew louder this year as the government cracked down on free speech ahead of presidential elections, and members of the punk band Pussy Riot were jailed for a protest in Moscow's main cathedral against Vladimir Putin, Russia's dominant leader for almost 13 years.

The list of potential Russian laureates includes Svetlana Gannushkina and the civil rights society Memorial that she helps to lead, and the radio station Ekho Moskvy and its editor Alexei Venediktov.

NOT PUSSY RIOT

Pussy Riot itself is unlikely even to be considered as nominations for the prize closed on February 1, before the band gained international attention.

The committee received 231 nominations this year, including 43 organizations. It usually narrows the list to between 25 and 35 names at its first meeting, said Geir Lundestad, the committee's executive secretary.

By April, the list is narrowed again, usually to between five and seven names. A decision is made about two weeks before the announcement.

The winner will receive 8 million Swedish crowns ($1.21 million), 2 million less than last year, as the economic downturn has taken a toll on Alfred Nobel's estate.

Other names in vogue include Gene Sharp, a retired American professor of political science known for his work on non-violent struggle, and the Afghan doctor and politician Sima Samar, an advocate of women's rights in the Muslim world.

The Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has Sharp as its favorite, followed by Samar.

The year's most notable advance towards peace has been Myanmar's gradual democratization but the committee has already honored opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and the government is unlikely to be recognized merely for being less totalitarian, experts said.

"If they wanted to do something really different, they would look at South Sudan and a fairly exemplary peace process there," said Iver Neumann, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics.

"But the Nobel Peace Prize Committee is never adventurous, I think they'll find somebody like themselves, a mainstream politician who clinched some type of deal." ($1 = 6.5846 Swedish crowns)

(Additional reporting by Alister Doyle; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/religious-leaders-russians-favored-nobel-peace-prize-104217857.html

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