The Resolution Blog

Loan Modification Our Services

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:59:26 GMT

Our only goal is to help you avoid foreclosure and find a way to remain it your home at a price you can afford.

What is Loan Modification

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:06:18 GMT

A Loan Modification is a change to your loan agreement outside the original terms of the contract agreed to by the lender and you due to hardship.

Loan Modification Under the HARP Program Part II

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:31:52 GMT

A Loan Modification will help you stop foreclosure

Loan Modification Under the HARP Program, Part I

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:30:16 GMT

In order to qualify for loan modification you must be able to show the following

Loan Modification Under the HAMP Program Part II

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:27:44 GMT

Loan Modification, under HAMP means articipating lenders may not refer a loan for foreclosure sale or proceed with a foreclosure sale on an eligible loan until the homeowner has been evaluated for HAM

Loan Modification Under the HAMP Program Part I

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:26:15 GMT

Loan modification, under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), means getting a new loan to replace your existing loan.

Loan Modification: How It Works

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:24:41 GMT

To Support Your Loan Modification Request: Here are The Four Key Steps We Use

Loan Modification Help Inquiry

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:02:22 GMT

Loan Modification Help Inquiry

Loan Modification News and Views

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:33:05 GMT

On this page you will find all of the major headline news and breaking news about the loan and mortgage modification.

Evaluate Your Debt To Income Ratio

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:09:02 GMT

Debt-to-Income Ratio: Is the ratio of your income versus your debt level. A high percentage of debt versus income will put you in the high-risk borrower category.

State Denies Timber Bridge For Chatham

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:56:08 GMT

After months of speculation, flurries of correspondence, several meetings, countless volunteer hours and, as one selectman put it, a cast worthy of a

Stand Up Paddle Boarding

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:55:32 GMT

With A Low Learning Curve And A High Fun Factor, Stand-up Paddle Boarding Is Quickly Becoming One Of The Most Popular Water Sports - Especially Here in

Benefit Checkup

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:27:44 GMT

There are benefits you or your elder may be missing! BenefitsCheckUp helps you find and enroll in public and private benefits programs. You can also

When Elder-Care Duties Lead to Sibling Rivalry

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:27:06 GMT

An elderly parents health problems can torpedo relationships among brothers and sisters. One of the most common causes of sibling elder-care conflicts

Scammers Prey On Elderly

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:26:27 GMT

Scammers Prey On Elderly More than 7.3 million Americans above age 65 one out of five have been victimized by fraud, according to a June study from

Caregiver Agreements Protect Assets

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:09:01 GMT

Protecting Your Future: Caregiver Agreement Protects Assets Family members overwhelmingly provide the care for elderly and disabled loved ones at home.

Pleasant Bay Wins No-Discharge Designation

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:21:54 GMT

Officials from the U.S. EPA held a news conference at Jackknife Harbor last week to announce their approval of a no-discharge area (NDA) for Pleasant

78 of Americans Oppose Raising Social Security Retirement Age

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:56:36 GMT

78 of Americans Oppose Raising Social Security Retirement Age The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare has released a new poll

45 Years of Helping Seniors Age in Place. What's Next? Economic Security

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:56:14 GMT

A move is underway to make economic security an explicit part of the Older Americans Act. The Elder Economic Security Initiative is an exciting new

Technology for Aging in Place: Caregiving Matters - July 2010 Market Overview Updated

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:55:41 GMT

The market for technology to assist family and professional caregivers help aging adults remain in their homes of choice continues to attract new entrants

Chatham-by-the Sea -- an exquisite place to relax and recharge

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:20:02 GMT

Everything you wanted to know about Chatham and never thought to ask.

Release of Living Longer on Less in Massachusetts: The New Economic (In)Security of Seniors.

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:44:07 GMT

The social contract for seniors in the 20th century was based on the prospect of a secure retirement during the later stages of each Americans life-course.

Independence Day Comes A Day Early In Chatham

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:42:46 GMT

One of the highlights of Chathams summer, the 4th of July parade is being held a day early because July 4 falls on Sunday, and the morning event would

Volunteering At Local Government Mediation Center

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 20:11:19 GMT

I am a graduate of the Southern Methodist University Master of Arts program in Dispute Resolution. I have had to re-think my career path and think of dispute

Academic Conflict Resolution Training

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 20:10:56 GMT

I am based in Italy and currently working in Bradford, UK as a lecturer in conflict resolution. In Italy mediation is a relatively new field, and I helped

Professional Development and Dispute Resolution Coaching and Training

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 20:10:30 GMT

As a professional development business owner, I have used dispute resolution as a skill area in leadership and management coaching and employee training.

Jobs In Conflict Resolution Lessons From the Front Lines

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:56:51 GMT

I am looking for input on satisfying jobs in conflict resolution

The Safety Dance

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:20:43 GMT

Well meaning family members often caution safety first s they try to persuade parents to change their habits, to exercise caution, to move from one setting

Pedicab Service May Be Coming To Chatham

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:03:51 GMT

A college student's, Tanner Pendleton's bid to operate a pedicab in downtown Chatham this summer appears ready to coast through the permitting process.

Elder News and Views

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:31:57 GMT

On this page you will find all of the major headline news and breaking news about the elderly.

What Legal Issues Are Becoming More Prominent As The Population Ages?

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:28:41 GMT

Among the most important legal issues affecting the elderly in America are those that have an effect on a persons independence the right to care for

Chatham-Massachusetts Current News Weather And Activitie

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:43:44 GMT

For those of you who share my love and interest in Chatham, MA, and who want to keep up with everything Chatham, you can now have Chatham, Ma headline news, weather and activities available 24/7

Chatham Implements $200 Million-Plus Sewer Expansion Project

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:06:00 GMT

Critics of the wastewater plan have said that alternative systems could address the nutrient loading problem at a lower cost than an expanded centralized

Conflict Resolution Jobs

Fri, 14 May 2010 18:48:49 GMT

Have you ever considered a career in conflict resolution?

Finish

Fri, 07 May 2010 18:43:39 GMT

Are You Going to
Finish Strong?

No matter what happens to us in life, no matter what is taken from us, there is always one choice that remains open to us. How are we going to react to what has happened? What will our attitude be?

Nick Vujicic has no arms or legs but has come to terms with his lot in life. He delivers an inspirational speech to these school kids that they will probably never forget. And neither will you! You have to check this out.

Sidetaker

Fri, 07 May 2010 18:37:49 GMT

This was just too good to pass up.

Sidetaker.com is a website where you can submit your dispute to anonymous third parties who will then vote on your dispute and will give you feedback to help you see a different perspective.

Air out your differences anonymously while letting the people of the world give you advice and make the decision on who should apologize.

No matter the dispute, Sidetaker.com lets you get a third party perspective and get an indication of whether other people with agree with you or not

Advice

Fri, 07 May 2010 18:37:49 GMT

We Value What We Pay For

From Mediator Steve Mehta of Mediation Matters, A Negotiation and Mediation Blog.

Image thanks to The Hubster Blog

A recent study conducted by Francesca Gino at Carnegie Mellon University demonstrated that the fact that when someone has paid for advice means it is more likely to be heeded. The study found that people are more likely to use advice that has been paid for than advice that's free, even if there's no difference in quality between the two sources.

Throughout the study, the participants took more account of advice they had paid for than advice they were given free, even though it was made clear to them that the advice was of the same quality. A final study by Gino showed that the participants took even more account of advice if it was made more expensive. In other words, the more that the person charged, the better the advice was accepted.

Another Inspirational Video

Fri, 07 May 2010 18:18:01 GMT

Life is Like a Cup of Coffee

Superstar

Fri, 07 May 2010 18:13:09 GMT

The Superstar Effect

From the Wall Street Journal online

Image thanks to FastCharacters.com

Competitors playing a match against Bobby Fischer, perhaps the greatest chess player of all time, often came down with a mysterious affliction known as "Fischer-fear." Even fellow grandmasters were vulnerable to the effect, which could manifest itself as flu-like symptoms, migraines and spiking blood pressure.

Recent research on what is known as the superstar effect demonstrates that such mental collapses aren't limited to chess. While challenging competitions are supposed to bring out our best, these studies demonstrate that when people are forced to compete against a peer who seems far superior, they often don't rise to the challenge. Instead, they give up.

The negative effect of superstars has been most clearly demonstrated in professional golf, which for the last decade has been dominated by Tiger Woods. According to a paper by Jennifer Brown, an applied macroeconomist at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Woods is such a dominating golfer that his presence in a tournament can make everyone else play significantly worse. Because his competitors expect him to win, they end up losing; success becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Brown discovered the superstar effect by analyzing data from every player in every PGA Tour event from 1999 to 2006. She chose golf for several reasons, from the lack of "confounding team dynamics" to the immaculate statistics kept by the PGA. Most important, however, was the presence of Woods, who has dominated his sport in a way few others have.

The numbers back up the legend: When Woods's break from golf began, in November, he had a World Golf Ranking score of 16.169, which was nearly twice the total of the next two players . He has more career major wins than any other active golfer, and has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record 10 times.

Whenever Woods entered a tournament, every other golfer took, on average, 0.8 more strokes. This effect was even observable in the first round, with the presence of Woods leading to an additional 0.3 strokes among all golfers over the initial 18 holes. While this might sound like an insignificant difference, the average margin between first and second place in PGA Tour events is frequently just a single stroke.

Modern management practice assumes that the best way to maximize employee performance is to institute sports-like tournaments, in which people compete directly against each other. There is little doubt that, in many situations, such incentive structures lead to motivated employees, working hard for the top spots. But the presence of a superstar can reverse this dynamic, so that instead of trying our best we accept the inevitability of defeat.

Mediation

Fri, 07 May 2010 18:00:59 GMT

Five Reasons to Consider
Mediation for Conflict Resolution

From WiredPRNews.com

Stress Reduction - Parties who enter mediation typically do so with more of an open mind or tolerance for what the other party has to say. This significantly reduces anger and stress issues when trying to reach an agreement.

Efficiency - With mediation time is saved due to there being a pre-established goal for reaching an agreement, and less time is wasted with emotion-driven battles that delay the process.

Cost and Time Savings - Mediation can save time and money that would ordinarily be spent with lengthy court battles.

Mutual Cooperation - Mutual cooperation between parties helps ensure that both sides are heard and are content with settlement terms

Long-Term Benefits - Anticipated future issues can be included in agreements reached during mediation, which can benefit relationships in the long-term..

Brain Research

Thu, 06 May 2010 19:48:47 GMT

Can Our Brains Help
Us Solve Conflicts?

Image thanks to www.paranormalpeopleonline.com

Is there a link between neuroscience and conflict resolution?

Some neuroscientists are saying that the brain can determine optimal ways to solve disputes. In order to successfully resolve a conflict, Baroness Susan Greenfield, a professor of synaptic pharmacology at Oxford, it is key knowing that a person's brain is shaped by the factors to which they've been exposed.

This is known as the brain's "plasticity", or ability to change. Lady Greenfield says that simply telling children about the brain's plasticity - proving their ability to learn - can drastically improve their educational performance.

"When people are highly aroused, words have little impact," according to Lady Greenfield . "That's the kind of mode you don't want." In order to determine what leads to this state, she examined the brains of children, who tend to be highly emotional and reckless, as well as the brains of gamblers, obese people, and schizophrenics.

All of these people, who "give into the press of the emotion over the cognitive", have something in common - an underactive prefrontal cortex. This segment accounts for one-third of our brains, and if, in extreme cases, it's damaged, we revert to a childlike state. In conflict resolution, the parties should avoid "highly arousing" environments that could lead to irrationality by surpressing the prefrontal cortex and activating other parts of the brain.

The brain's plasticity means that humans are able to form new neurological connections when they bring together ideas. For instance, in an experiment with people who had previously never played the piano, practicing five-finger exercises - or simply thinking about the exercises - led to new connections in their brains.

Lady Greenfield likens the negotiation process to completing a crossword puzzle together - an objective quest with a clear endpoint. In fact, a recent study out of Harvard University recommends using crossword puzzles or Sudoku to activate the prefrontal cortex and limit an emotional response when a couple is quarrelling.

Pairbuilder

Thu, 06 May 2010 19:37:58 GMT

Free Conflict Resolution
Web Site For Couples

A US researcher has created a conflict resolution web site for couples, after he carried out an extensive research on how couples can best resolve relationship conflicts. Baylor University researcher Dr Keith Sanford an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, calls the site the Couple Conflict Consultant. It utilizes a personalized approach, instead of forcing participants into a "one-size-fits-all" application.

Once logged into the Couple Conflict Consultant, participants complete a questionnaire assessment of a current or recent conflict with their partner. The questionnaire was developed and tested over several years in a series of published research studies involving thousands of couples.

The assessment provides scores on 14 important areas of conflict resolution. These scores identify the participants' strengths and weaknesses and provide guidance in developing the participants' own personalized plan to strengthen conflict resolution skills in their relationship.

The scores also help a participant resolve a particular conflict with their partner. Based off the participants' score, the program will provide specific things they are doing to help resolve conflict and things that are likely to make conflict worse. The feedback gives recommendations on areas to address for improved conflict resolution.

Since the web site is part of a research study being conducted by Sanford, the Couple Conflict Consultant is free.

Rejection

Thu, 06 May 2010 19:24:45 GMT

Turn A Rejection
Into A Job Offer

Image thanks to www.cartoonstock.com

"You're good with people, but you don't have the analytic background we need. Not only would you need to steer the sales team, but you'd need to analyze information and data too." This was said to a woman who thought she was in final contention for the job. Shocked, the woman left the meeting realizing the offer she'd thought was in the bag was gone.

After every job interview, according to Robert Hellmann, a career coach at the Five O'Clock Club, a career counseling firm, who also teaches career development at New York University, you should write not a thank-you note but what he calls an "influence letter." In this case, that letter became his client's key to getting back into the running.

If, like Hellmann's client, you've been told there's a specific issue with your candidacy, deal with it head-on. Hellmann's client asked the executive to provide her with a set of data on which she could do the kind of analysis he'd said the job required. At first he didn't respond, but a week later she received a terse two-word e-mail--"OK, here"--with a spreadsheet attached.

She spent the following three-day weekend attacking the spreadsheet, and on Monday night she e-mailed back a thorough analysis, with a request that he save a slot in his calendar for her to come in and discuss what she'd done. The executive called her shortly thereafter and offered her the job.

Rotary

Thu, 06 May 2010 19:14:39 GMT

Rotary Clubs Offer
Peace Fellowships

Image thanks to Nixa Public Schools

Here is another resource.

The fellowships are for study at one of the six Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution to obtain a master's degree in international relations, peace studies, conflict resolution and related areas or a professional development certificate in peace and conflict studies. The Rotary Peace Centers have been established by The Rotary Foundation in partnership with universities throughout the world.

For more information and a fellowship application, contact a local Rotary club. Interested individuals can also consult the Rotary Web site for more information and to download an application.

Programs

Thu, 06 May 2010 18:18:26 GMT

Guide to MA and Ph.D.
Programs in Conflict Resolution
and Related Fields

By far the highest number of emails to the Resolution are questions about careers in conflict resolution. Here is one resource:

Craig Zelizer of the Peace and Collaborative Development Network has published the following:

Download PeaceandconflictPhdPrograms.doc

For MA Programs in Conflict Resolution and Related Fields.

Non Lawyer Mediators

Thu, 06 May 2010 18:06:53 GMT

What Is The Level Of Acceptance Of Non-Lawyer Mediators In The Field Of Mediation
And Dispute Resolution?

I know this is a hot topic for many who follow this blog. A discussion on the professional networking site, LinkedIn that you might want to follow.

Conflict Resolution Mistakes

Thu, 06 May 2010 17:58:19 GMT

10 Conflict Resolution
Mistakes To Avoid

By Wellness Coach Elizabeth Scott

Image thanks to Stus.com Blog

Avoiding Conflict Altogether: Rather than discussing building frustrations in a calm, respectful manner, some people just don't say anything until they're ready to explode, and then blurt it out in an angry, hurtful way. It's much healthier to address and resolve conflict.

Being Defensive: Defensive people steadfastly deny any wrongdoing and work hard to avoid looking at the possibility that they could be contributing to a problem. Denying responsibility may seem to work in the short run, but creates long-term problems when unresolved conflicts and continue to grow.

Overgeneralizing: When something happens that overgeneralizers don't like, they blow it out of proportion by making sweeping generalizations. Avoid starting sentences with, "You always" and "You never", as in, "You always come home late!" or "You never do what I want to do!"

Being Right: It's damaging to decide that there's a 'right' way to look at things and a 'wrong' way to look at things, and that your way of seeing things is right. Look for a compromise or agreeing to disagree, and remember that there's not always a 'right' or a 'wrong', and that two points of view can both be valid.

"Psychoanalyzing" / Mind-Reading: People sometimes decide that they 'know' what the other person is thinking and feeling based only on faulty interpretations of their actions without checking it out with the other person.

Forgetting to Listen: Some people interrupt, roll their eyes, and rehearse what they're going to say next instead of truly listening and attempting to understand. Don't underestimate the importance of really listening and empathizing with the other person!

Playing the Blame Game: Some handle conflict by criticizing and blaming the other person for the situation. They see admitting any weakness on their own part as a weakening of their credibility, and avoid it at all costs, and even try to shame them for being 'at fault'.

Trying to 'Win' The Argument: If you're making a case for how wrong the other person is, discounting their feelings, and staying stuck in your point of view, your focused in the wrong direction!

Making Character Attacks: Sometimes people take any negative action and blow it up into a personality flaw. This creates negative perceptions on both sides. Remember to respect the person, even if you don't like the behavior.

Stonewalling: Refuse to talk or listen when someone wants to discuss troubling issues. Stonewalling solves nothing, but creates hard feelings and damages relationships. It's much better to listen and discuss things in a respectful manner

Aging Brain

Thu, 06 May 2010 17:38:03 GMT

The Aging Brain
Use It or Lose It

What if older people who volunteered to work in elementary schools, in a program that bolstered educational progress for children, could at the same time reduce their own risk of cognitive decline? In an intriguing study recently published in The Journal of Gerontology, a team led by the Johns Hopkins neuropsychologist Michelle Carlson used cognitive tests and brain imaging scans to measure the effects that working in Baltimore public schools had on eight female volunteers.

The women, with an average age of 67, were at risk for cognitive impairment. They had low income and education levels and had scored poorly on the much-used Mini-Mental State Examination. The volunteers completed 32 hours of training in the program, called Experience Corps, then worked 15 hours a week assisting classroom teachers and librarians, reading to students, shelving and recommending books and leading conflict resolution lessons.

After six months in the schools, the women underwent another round of cognitive testing. "Their performance improved by over 40 percent," Dr. Carlson said in an interview. The gains also were seen in M.R.I. scans showing the women's brain activity. "They showed immediate and measurable positive changes," she said.

Images of the brains of volunteers show increased activity in areas marked in blue.

Something about the combination of varied and demanding tasks and social engagement benefited the volunteers, compared with a control group of similar women who did not volunteer. Losing executive function - the ability to focus on tasks and make sound judgments - is one of the major reasons old people find themselves unable to maintain an independent household and are often forced to move in with family or into institutions. The study offers hope for finding ways to preserve executive function.

Elder Mediators

Thu, 06 May 2010 17:27:45 GMT

Mediators Focus on
Elder Issues

Image thanks to Settle It Now, Negotiation Blog.

Is the title of a new article in the Wall Street Journal that found growing acceptance and use of Elder Mediation. "Elder mediation has started to take off over the past couple years," says Dana Curtis, an attorney who mediates disputes and trains elder mediators at Elder Mediation Group in Sausalito, Calif.

According to the article, "mediators can help families resolve a range of issues. Most often it's to resolve a fight over money. But some conflicts concern responsibility for caregiving or for making decisions on behalf of an aging parent. Families who hire an elder mediator often do so to save money.

Mediators also may provide information families can use to make decisions. For instance, when one family hired Ms. Curtis to referee a dispute over a child's request for an early inheritance, she helped them calculate how much they could afford to give the child -- after setting aside enough to cover the parents' needs and inheritances for the rest."

Elder Abuse

Thu, 06 May 2010 17:18:45 GMT

New Focus on
Elder Abuse

Image thanks to Age Concern.

Advocates for programs to prevent and prosecute elder abuse have been begging Congress for more money since 1978 with little success. But, tucked into the huge new health care law is a whopping $777 million, spread over the next four years, for programs to prevent and prosecute elder abuse.

The provisions in the law are all but identical to those in the Elder Justice Act. Under the new plan, state and local adult protective service programs will have the first dedicated financing stream from the federal government. These agencies investigate reports of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of elderly and disabled adults, and then insure the safety of those proven to have been victimized.

The act provides financing for 1,700 new investigators of elder abuse around the country, for state demonstration grants to test various new approaches to adult protective services, to support existing state ombudsmen and to train new ones to investigate complaints related to long-term care facilities, including assisted living facilities and nursing homes.