WHAT: In a joint Senate and House Military Family Caucus event, Blue Star Families will release the results of its 2012 Military Families Lifestyle Survey. The launch will highlight key results of this impactful survey and feature a panel discussion with government, military and civilian leaders and interview opportunities with key attendees and military families.

WHO: Blue Star Families, the Senate and House Military Family Caucuses, military and government leaders and military families, including Mrs. Deanie Dempsey, spouse of Gen. Martin Dempsey; Dr. Meg Harrell from the Center for New American Security; Rich Morin from Pew Research Center; Dr. Mary Keller of the Military Child Education Coalition; and Dr. Vivian Greentree of Blue Star Families. The panel will be preceded by remarks from the Senate and House Military Family Caucus Chairs.

WHERE: Atrium of the United States Capitol Visitor Center Washington, D.C.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 10 am ? 12 pm

RSVP: Stephanie Himel-Nelson, 703-472-6292, Stephanie(at)BlueStarFam(dot)org

Lindy Kyzer, 202-374-4291, lindy.kyzer)at)gmail(dot)com

DETAILS: Sponsored by both the Senate and Congressional Military Family caucuses, the event will feature a panel discussion between military family experts, and focus on key survey results on the issues of top concerns to military families after ten years of war. The full survey report will be available at http://bluestarfam.org/survey on May 9, 2012.

On May 10, 2012, at 3:00 pm, Blue Star Families will also participate in a Facebook Live panel focused on PTS/TBI and other wellness issues faced by military families and veterans, issues of top concern to military families in the 2012 Military Family Lifestyle Survey. For more information, email Stephanie(at)BlueStarFam(dot)org.

Blue Star Families? groundbreaking research on military families, veterans and service members has provided key information to inform meaningful, effective programs for military families. The 2012 Military Families Lifestyle Survey findings point to five top areas of concern for military families ? changes to retirement benefits, pay/benefits; effects of deployment on children; OPTEMPO; spouse employment/education; and PTS/Combat Stress/TBI. The 2012 survey found that military families are engaged in civic and volunteer service at a significantly higher rate than the general population and that most support an all-volunteer force. Additionally, 95% of military families feel the general public does not truly understand or appreciate the sacrifices made by service members and their families.

Previous Military Families Lifestyle Survey findings have helped identify and explore the issues that face those who serve in the military and their families. Every survey provides valuable insight into the challenges of military family life, impacting policy development, and educating military leadership, government decision-makers and the general public on the challenges and stressors impacting today?s military families.

About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families is a national, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including guard and reserve, with a mission to support, connect and empower military families. In addition to morale and empowerment programs, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life and works to make military life more sustainable. Membership includes military spouses, children and parents as well as service members, veterans and civilians.

To learn more about Blue Star Families, visit http://www.bluestarfam.org.

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The Dog and Baby Connection? is the first international baby/toddler program in which dogs are the focus. Answering the call of many parents, this program sets the groundwork for successful dog and baby interactions for families with babies 3 months to 3 years. The goal of The Dog and Baby Connection? is to create a safe, harmonious environment for both toddlers and dogs.

This innovative program increases safety for babies while decreasing stress for parents. It is available through licensed professional presenters who teach both classes and workshops. Licensed Dog and Baby Connection? presenters help address the concerns of parents, decrease the stress associated with living with an active baby or toddler, and increase the safety of all family members, both human and canine.

Should the need arise for more in-depth intervention, The Dog and Baby Connection? presenters are available to provide the necessary support. Because presenters are not only educators, but also qualified professional dog trainers and behavior modification experts, they are able to assess individual situations and design and implement management and training plans tailored to each family.

What topics does The Dog and Baby Connection? program cover?

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San Diego State University (SDSU) is now powering one of its busiest student facilities with solar energy. The Aztec Recreation Center (ARC), a facility managed by the SDSU student government, Associated Students, is the newest addition to student initiated sustainability projects on campus. The facility, which is managed by Associated Students now hosts the second largest solar array on campus.

?This project represents the student led initiative for sustainability on campus,? said Morgan Chan, Sustainability Commissioner of Associated Students, ?Sustainability is important to the students, the size of this project and the great savings we will have because of the new solar array really stands out to people within the Associated Students and the larger University community as well.?

The funding to build the new solar installation came from a student-introduced referendum that was passed by the student body in spring 2008 to provide sustainable upgrades to campus facilities in addition to other programming. The solar project on the ARC will save 11,314,002 pounds of CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere over the next 20 years. Locally headquartered Sullivan Solar Power designed and installed the 250,115-Watt solar photovoltaic installation using American-made Sharp solar panels to support the national economy and stress corporate social responsibility.

?This is the sixth solar project we have done for Associated Students and it is great to see that there is such a strong commitment coming from SDSU?s student leadership,? said Daniel Sullivan, founder and president of Sullivan Solar Power. ?During an era of budget cuts and furlough days in higher education, it is reassuring that the Aztecs are setting a national example and doing their part to save students money.?

The solar power system will lower Associated Students costs, help keep student membership fees low, and assist the organization and the University achieve internal sustainability goals. To put an emphasis on education, all visitors who enter the facility can view the monitoring watch the live production of the solar power system on a screen. Student leaders explain that they are empowering the SDSU community, leaving behind a legacy to benefit future generations of students.

?This project will continue to instill a culture of sustainable responsibility for all students, faculty, and staff,? said student body president Cody Barbo, ?We hope that the visibility of the solar panels at our facilities will encourage prospective students and visitors to ask questions, to learn about the benefits of solar energy, and how it’s reducing our impact on the environment.?

About Sullivan Solar Power

Sullivan Solar Power is a turnkey solar system provider that delivers solar electric projects from concept to completion. The company has installed over 9,000,000 watts of solar power ranging from small-scale residential to large-scale commercial and municipal systems. Sullivan Solar Power is headquartered in San Diego, CA and owned and operated by Daniel Sullivan. The firm has been named one of the fastest growing energy firms in the nation by Inc. Magazine and services all of Southern California. Regardless of project size and scope, Sullivan is committed to delivering the best products and the most qualified professionals to its customers. Visit sullivansolarpower.com for more information.

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Marabella Commercial Finance, Inc. originates permanent financing for two 1031 Net Leased Walgreen Pharmacies in the first and second Quarter of 2012 and receives conditional approval for third Walgreen property. Marabella is also hopeful to receive conditional commitment for a fourth Walgreen refinance in second quarter of 2012.

Marabella Commercial Finance, Inc. refinanced a Walgreen with a loan amount of $ 2,800,000 that had a Tenants In Common Entity. This was a difficult transaction due to the fact that most lenders do not favor TIC Entities at this time in the commercial real estate cycle. Marabella arranged a Quasi Portfolio / Institutional Non-Recourse loan with standard carve-outs, an amortization of 25 years and a fixed rate term of 10 years. The interest rate was locked for 10 years at approximately 6.13%. This transaction funded in January of 2012. The owner of the Walgreen property was located in Beverly Hills, CA and Marabella met the owner at our satellite office in Beverly Hills to assist with the structuring and processing of the loan.

Marabella Commercial Finance, Inc. funded a $ 4,353,000 loan for a Walgreen corporate leased pharmacy. The Buyer for this transaction was involved in a 1031 exchange transaction. The Borrower requested a long fixed rate loan term and amortization. Marabella Commercial Finance, Inc. arranged a CMBS loan with a 30 year amortization and a 10 year fixed rate. The rate was locked at 4.90% for the full 10 years. This loan was Non-Recourse with Standard Carve-Outs. This loan was applied for on around February 27, 2012 and funded on approximately April 16, 2012. Thus from the time the Borrower applied for the loan to the time the loan funded was a total of 48 days. Timing was very important to the Borrower since he was involved in a 1031 Exchange and the seller gave him a very short window for his Due Diligence / Financing Contingency period so exceeding this time frame could have jeopardized the Buyer / Borrower?s Good Faith Deposit that was given to the seller of the store. Marabella assisted in the processing of the loan which enabled the buyer to meet his 1031 exchange requirement and close in a smooth and stress free manner.

Marabella Commercial Finance, Inc. arranged an acquisition permanent loan of $ 4,500,000. This was also a CMBS loan and had similar loan terms to the previously mentioned CMBS Walgreen loan.

Becoming an accountant in this, or any, economy is a very good career option. That?s because no matter what the economic cycle, if you have the credentials required to be a Certified Public Accountant?a passing score on the CPA exam ? you will always have a stable and secure way to earn a living.

That being said, there are four components to the CPA exam. That?s essentially four CPA exams to study for in order to become a Certified Public Accountant. The exams are not easy to pass. In fact, in 2011 the nationwide CPA exam statistics showed that the pass rate was around 44%.

Fast Forward Academy has developed a product to help anyone wishing to become a CPA, pass the CPA exams on the first try.

President of Fast Forward Academy, Matt McBride says, ?There is a tremendous amount of stress surrounding the very difficult CPA exam. With our study guides and practice tests, people are able to learn fast and pass those CPA exams on the first try. This gets more new CPAs out in the workforce and less people giving up on their dreams of working in the accounting field.?

Fast Forward Academy offers a separate bundle for each different CPA exam: Auditing & Attestation (AUD), Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR), Regulation (REG) and Business Environment & Concepts (BEC). Each bundle includes a physical and electronic study book, a 500-question study bank, unlimited practice exams and a multiple testing season guarantee.

Alternatively, the entire 4-part bundle can be purchased together at a discounted price. This ?best-value? package includes an Apple iPad 3, 800 or 2,000 enhanced Q&As, free apps from the App Store and Google Play, a pass guarantee plus a 30-Day Money Back policy.

Click for full details about Fast Forward Academy?s CPA exam preparation materials

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The “Fifty Shades of Grey” phenomena is sweeping the nation, with the newly-released trilogy (the accompanying books Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed) – erotic romance novels written for women, by a woman who claims this type of fiction helped her deal with her own mid-life crisis. The books started out as self-published works by author E.L. James, became a sensation, and hit the New York Times Bestseller list.

Sex and relationship therapist Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil says women are piggybacking positively on the material from the book. “Many women do an additional 30 hours of work in the home, beyond their careers,” she says. Add to this that a quarter of women are the main breadwinner, but men are happier if they are earning more – and you have a recipe for tension and stress in many homes.

Women are frequently burnt out, overworked, and have difficulty sleeping because of the stress. For this reason, they need guilty pleasures to help them stay more balanced. Dr. Bonnie says these books are a great alternative to stress eating or drinking; it’s a way of fantasizing and over-correcting for the additional work they’re doing. It’s helping women who have been supermom to sublimate their feelings of overwork and burn out while catering to their need for sizzle, novelty, excitement, romance which is missing in many relationships. Who has the time? (But they’re making the time to read the book, so why is that?)

To that end, Dr. Bonnie says these books can actually help couples bring back the missing romance and magic. In her books Can we Cure and Forgive Adultery, and Make Up Don’t Break Up, Dr. Bonnie talks about the importance of women’s fantasies and guilty pleasures. “Instead of simply identifying with the woman in the book,” advises Dr. Bonnie, “why not act out some of those fantasies and guilty pleasures – and have an affair! But with your own partner!” The best thing for burn-out and stress-busting is sex!

Because of this, Dr. Bonnie feels this series can actually help prevent adultery. “Have an affair with your own partner!” she encourages. “Some of my patients are even reading excerpts of the book to their husbands so they can act out scenarios.”

To build intimacy Dr. Bonnie suggests starting with a 30 second kiss or 20 second hug as a pre-requisite for foreplay. Stress that women are under causes hormonal changes that require soothing such as a 20 second hug or 30 second kiss – and sex. No matter how the book impacts women, Dr. Bonnie reminds them that it’s important to restore the sizzle and magic of a relationship; having an affair with their own partner can be a great way to do so.

Dr. Bonnie talks more about these techniques in her book, Adultery the Forgivable Sin, which was made into a movie with Kate Jackson. She was also featured in the documentary Unfaithful which aired on Discovery Health and the Oprah Winfrey Network. http://bit.ly/GSP0KB

To learn more about Dr. Bonnie, click here: http://youtu.be/BjrqJoWX3K4; She also discusses infidelity (http://bit.ly/I8N7rX) and stress and sleep: http://youtu.be/A2ZmcpuP1j0

The eminent blog yogaqueens.net has made yet another valuable contribution for people who love yoga. A new article on yoga pants for women has just been added to the blog. Yogaqueens.net is a familiar name for people throughout the world who love yoga. The blog is an endless source of information covering a wide spectrum of topics that include yoga pants, yoga clothing, yoga poses, yoga mats, etc. In addition to the articles, the blog also has an impressive stock of videos covering everything one may need to find out about yoga. To know more about yoga, please visit http://yogaqueens.net/ .

Yoga clothing for women is very important in order to execute the different yoga poses perfectly. Fluid movement of the body is extremely important for yoga, and that is only possible by wearing the right kind of outfit. The article provides useful tips on things to be taken into account while purchasing yoga clothing. Comfort is the first and foremost factor to be considered, according to the article. It also suggests that the perfect yoga clothing must provide support to the entire female body including the breasts. The buyers must also consider their body type before choosing their yoga clothing. Quality yoga clothing is available in the market for a reasonable price, and buyers can also avail discounts by keeping an eye out for that.

The beautifully designed blog belongs to the renowned yoga instructor Ms. Jenni Bingham. Ms. Bingham has had an illustrious career as an instructor for more than a decade. Talking about the blog, Ms. Bingham says, ?Yoga is one of the most popular forms of exercising right now. I decided to create this blog to discuss points that are generally not spoken about?. Apart from yoga pants for women, the blog also has a dedicated section for men?s yoga outfits. Ms. Bingham has mentioned that she also wishes to use her blog to promote yoga as a common remedy for the problems like addiction, stress, hypertension, etc.

OurWeddingUsher.com mobile app for wedding guests provides an easy way to share a wedding schedule, directions to the main venues, important people on couple?s story, and even alerts if a road closes just before the rehearsal dinner.

Wedding guests can create a collective photo album, with pictures taken from the iPhones or Android devices. Candid photos, shared by all wedding guests, are uploaded into one album, enriched with comments and wishes from all.

For Wedding Planners that are trendsetters for the industry, this is an opportunity to provide one more white-glove service for the wedded couple, and ensure a stress free event for all guests. OurWeddingUsher offers a beta program for the Innovators in the wedding industry, and wedding planners and innovators can sign up for The Usher Club.

?The question we get a lot as wedding planners is ?how many ushers??. The general rule is one usher for every 50 guests. Now, we are changing the game. A personal usher for each of your wedding guests, via mobile technology? said Ken Burns, External Relations.

If one of the wedding guests lost the map insert for the reception hall, one tap on the mobile app will show on Google maps what is the shortest route there, and when the reception starts, exactly. Who just toasted the couple – the mobile app section on snapshots of ?important people on the couple life? gives the answer. There is optional social media integration, so a guest can even connect with the groomsman via Twitter, Linked or Facebook.

The wedding vendors can have a dedicated section on the mobile app as well, so if a guest really likes that wedding cake, disk jockey, wedding venue decorator, or wedding invitation calligraphy, just one tap on the iPhone will contact the vendor and ask for more information. Or follow them on Twitter.

Be that an iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire or an Android tablet or phone, the content will be available online or offline for the native apps. A wedding guest will be able to browse the wedding guide even on the plane, with no connectivity, and arrive at the wedding fully up to speed on the details. The app has even a section for the Top 10 things to do in the city during the wedding weekend.

The native app will be released in May on iPhone and iPad, and early June for Android smartphones. A web enabled, accessible from all smartphones or browsers will also be available in May.

OurWeddingUsher.com

OurWeddingUsher.com was founded on a simple, powerful idea: wedding guests should be able to have the information needed for a brilliant wedding at their fingertips. We want to reinvent what wedding planners can do through the OurWeddingUsher.com mobile platform, made for a new kind of wedding experience and a new kind of interactions.

Learn more about OurWeddingUsher.com, how we?re changing the way guests engage with the wedding, interact and communicate and how you can be a part of it.

Both Zwoor Event and Zwoor Survey have free versions available, and will be available for the iPhone, iTouch, iPad and the Android devices. For more information, visit OurWeddingUsher.com.

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On April 29, 2012, Trivedi Master Wellness, LLC will live broadcast a historic event. Mahendra Trivedi and his wife Dahryn will be hosting a special webcast/conference call to celebrate Dahryn?s journey to Mastery. During this event, attendees will be the first ever to receive a remote group Energy Transmission administered by a woman, Dahryn Trivedi.

Trivedi Master Wellness LLC is an Arizona based international company whose mission is to bring a new paradigm to the field of human wellness that is based on one phenomenon: improving an individual?s connection to their own Inner Guidance System and ultimately to the infinite source of Universal Intelligence, transforming the human?s life for a higher purpose.

During this live-streaming, interactive event, Dahryn Trivedi will share her unique insight discussing the root cause of the lack of happiness in a woman?s life and how to end the cycle of anxiety and stress. ?The energy that I transmit through my intentional thought has the potential to make you a magnet that could attract a complimentary person into your life. If this energy can bring a great Master (Mahendra Trivedi) into the life of a very average woman like me why not a Soul mate in your life?? says Dahryn.

There are 99.6 Million* unmarried adults in the United States. In USA, $ 1 Billion Dollars* is spent on Matchmaking and online dating services. There are over 400 dating establishments nationwide, and 40 million Americans that use online dating services mostly say they are looking for their “Soul mate.*”

So, how does someone find their Soul mate? Dahryn Trivedi says, ?Generally, women in America say, ‘I need someone who respects me, whose chemistry matches with mine and who resonates perfectly with me.’ While these are good terms, they are full of confusion. Based on these crucial parameters – chemistry, like-mindedness and respect ? it is almost impossible to find the ?perfect? match.” When asked if this is why a very large percentage of American women remain single, she responded, “Perhaps, because for a successful relationship you must find a person who should be complimentary and highly caring; it is absolutely imperative that this person be willing to love and support you unconditionally. This person will not be ?perfect?, but they will be your soul mate.”

Where will someone find this person & how do they begin searching? Who will bring this type of soul mate into their life? The public can join this live webcast where Dahryn will administer a group energy transmission and speak in length about her spiritual journey and the ways in which someone can attract a Soul mate, rather than just another date.

Date: Sunday, April 29th, 2012

Time: 9pm ET, 6pm PT (estimated 90 minutes)

Register: http://www.TrivediMasterWellness.com/dahryn-02

SOURCES:

1. *99.6 million unmarried adults in the United States. Source: America?s Families and Living Arrangements: 2010 Tables A1 and A2

2

The benefits of probiotics are capturing the attention medical professionals and consumers at large. With this wealth of information now available, questions arise surrounding probiotics. Barbara Griffin, Traditional Naturopath,Certified Nutritional Consultant and Certified Gluten Practitioner who possesses nearly 40 years of experience recently provided some tips aimed at helping the consumer better understand how probiotics can improve their health.

Tip 1: The body needs a balance of good and bad bacteria to function properly, taking probiotics can help achieve this.

Our digestive tract needs a healthy balance between the good and bad bacteria. Poor food choices, emotional stress, lack of sleep, antibiotic overuse, other drugs, and environmental influences can all shift the balance in favor of the bad bacteria. This is where the importance of probiotics comes into play. A healthy digestive tract filters out and eliminates things that can damage it, such as harmful bacteria, toxins, chemicals, and other waste products. On the flip side, it takes in the things that our body needs, such a nutrients, and absorbs and helps deliver them to the cells where they are needed.

Tip #2: Recent studies indicate that probiotics may play a role in treating gastrointestinal illness, boosting immunity, and preventing or slowing the development of certain types of cancer. Since 80% of the immune system is gut associated, it makes sense to consider the benefits of probiotics on your overall health. Taking probiotics on a regular basis can help: