DELEITURAS

Paypal gained the most ground as Apple Pay lost the most market share among e-payment solutions, according to findings from the sixth annual 2018 Mobile Payments & Fraud Survey (MPFS), which measures the state of mobile payments and mobile channel fraud from each prior survey year. In surveying nearly 600 merchants, the report found that several major mobile wallets have lost traction, with the percentage of respondents accepting Apple Pay in 2018 down from 48 to 35 percent, the most drastic decline of all mobile wallets, and Google Pay down from 38 to 25 percent.

Since the inaugural MPFS was conducted in 2013, merchants have steadily reported an increased awareness of mobile fraud risks, however, about 35 percent of merchants still do not track mobile fraud or do not know whether mobile fraud attempts increased or decreased from last year. The share of merchants who say that the mobile channel requires specialized tools for risk management is at the lowest recorded level in all six years of this study. Only half of surveyed merchants believe the mobile channel requires additional or specialized tools, compared to between two-thirds and three-quarters of merchants in each of the past studies.

“For the third consecutive year, merchants are showing signs of complacency and even regression in terms of managing mobile fraud risk,” said Don Bush, Vice President of Marketing at Kount. “Despite the increase in mobile fraud and the evolution of tactics carried out by criminals to commit fraud in this channel, the number of merchants implementing specialized tools has decreased, demonstrating that merchants struggle to properly address fraud in the mobile channel, including both apps and mobile browsers.”

Additional survey findings include:

More Money, More…Payment Options
Support is up across the board for Near-Field Communication (up from 29% to 37%) and other mobile payments at the physical point-of-sale, while 26 percent of merchants plan to increase or add support for social commerce (purchases made directly through social media channels such as Instagram, Twitter etc.) this year, and merchants’ support for mobile wallets climbed from 22 to 29 percent. However, this increase in choice and support comes at the detriment to specific mobile wallets:

• Most notably, online merchant support for Apple Pay has gone down from 48% to 35%
• Google Pay (previously Android Pay), is down from 38% to 25%
• Support for PayPal increased (from 48% to 64%) while 10% accept AliPay and 10% accept other e-wallets
• The share of merchants who accept Samsung Pay, Visa Checkout, MasterPass, and Chase Pay all stayed constant from last year, while AMEX Express Checkout enjoyed the biggest gain in support, growing acceptance from 9% to 16% of merchants

Mobile Pains and Gains
As is typical for any emerging technology, commerce in the mobile channel has faced its fair share of growing pains, from issues with ease of use to payment processor compatibility in mobile apps.

• The most commonly cited challenges by mobile channel merchants today include:
  • Maintaining ease of use for the consumer (60%)
  • The ability to detect fraudulent order attempts (52%)
• Nearly one-third of merchants surveyed believe the mobile channel will represent at least half of their total revenue by 2020
• Of the merchants who track abandonment rates:
  • About 42% of merchants report a mobile checkout abandonment rate of less than 20%
  • 25% say their abandonment rate is more than 40%
  • 11% say their abandonment rate is at least 60%

Channel Risk: Varies by Vertical
About half of merchants (49%) stated that traditional eCommerce, consumers shopping from desktop browsers, is still their highest risk channel. Mobile web browser transactions are the next most likely to be considered the highest fraud risk, as indicated by about 21 percent of merchants, followed by 18 percent of merchants who say mobile app payments are the highest risk. However, this varies by vertical:

• More than 75% of financial institutions and lenders, as well as food and beverage merchants, say that mobile fraud attempts increased last year
  • More than two-thirds of digital streaming/download, health/beauty merchants, and dating social sites say the same
• More than 38% of merchants overall consider the mobile channel higher risk than desktop eCommerce, or 43% of merchants when excluding those who don’t support the mobile channel today. This is up from just over 25% of merchants last year, and back in-line with what merchants reported in 2015 and 2016
  • Money movement or remittance organizations are the most likely to report the mobile channel as being highest risk, as half of these merchants list either mobile app or mobile web browser transactions as the highest fraud risk
  • Dating and social sites (80%) and health/beauty merchants (73%) are the most likely to say desktop web browser transactions are the highest fraud risk
  • Just 17% of merchants definitively state they have separate risk management strategies for mobile versus desktop eCommerce channels
  • More than 35% of each digital download or streaming, hardware/home improvement, and jewelry merchants indicated that mobile app or mobile web browser transactions are their highest risk channels

Mobile App-titude
Among the industries that prioritize mobile, merchants selling jewelry (71%), electronics and computers (63%), health/beauty products (63%), and apparel or accessories (56%) are the most likely to consider the mobile channel very important to their overall strategy. The mobile sales channel increased as a source of total revenue once again after remaining stagnant last year, while mobile sales as a portion of total revenue have grown significantly since 2013.

• The percentage of merchants who earn the majority of their revenue via mobile channels grew five-fold between 2015 and 2018:
  • Just 2-3% of merchants earned more than half of their total revenue in the mobile channel between 2013 and 2015, compared to 17% of merchants earning that much of their revenue in the mobile channel today
• Nearly one-third of merchants surveyed believe the mobile channel will represent at least half of their total revenue by 2020, while 60% of merchants say the mobile channel will represent at least 30% of their total revenue by then

Few Merchants in Fraud-Fighting Shape
The majority of merchants surveyed (52%) indicated using third party tools or service providers to manage risk and detect fraud in the mobile channel, while one-third do not use third party services, either managing mobile channel fraud entirely in-house or not managing it at all. And 15 percent of respondents were uncertain, suggesting little or no fraud prevention strategy. The most-utilized risk management tools for detecting fraud in the mobile channel include:

• CVV or card verification value check (62%)
• Fraud scoring (43%)
• Address Verification Services (AVS) (39%)

Although steadily increasing over the years, less than 20 percent of merchants are making strides by adopting one of the most effective fraud fighting tools available to merchants. AI/machine learning was utilized by just five percent of merchants for mobile channel transactions in 2015, compared to over 18 percent of merchants today.

True Detectives
The ability to detect transactions coming from mobile devices has grown considerably since the inaugural Mobile Payments and Fraud Survey, from just 16 percent of merchants who could detect and differentiate between types of mobile device in 2013 to 46 percent of merchants with this capability today.

• While the share of merchants unable to detect when a transaction is coming from a mobile device increased to 27% from 14% last year, this is still significantly lower than the 55% of merchants overall who were unable to differentiate desktop eCommerce from mobile eCommerce in 2013
• Just over half of merchants (52%) can tell which mobile operating system is in use (iOS, Android, Windows, etc.), while 46% can differentiate the specific type of mobile device, for example whether the consumer is using a smartphone or tablet

Tech, Tools, and Techniques
More than 83 percent of merchants are using two or more fraud prevention tools or techniques in the mobile channel, while two-thirds are employing three or more, and 25 percent are utilizing seven or more tools or services.

• One-in-three merchants use identity authentication in the mobile channel, while about one-in-four are currently using velocity checks, device identification, and a rules engine
• Mobile geolocation and 3D secure consumer authentication programs like Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode are each used in the mobile channel by about one-in-five merchants

“It’s been remarkably insightful to compare data across the six years of this study, enabling us to monitor trends around support for mobile commerce and risk management, as well as areas of weakness and concern expressed by merchants over this time,” said Justin McDonald, Senior Risk Management Consultant at The Fraud Practice. “While merchants are more likely to distinguish between a mobile and desktop transaction today than they were two years ago, fewer are taking the next step to secure the mobile channel with a dedicated fraud strategy. Although mobile fraud attempts increased for 60 percent of merchants last year, just 17 percent employ a separate risk management strategy for the mobile channel.”

A vantage point for inquiring minds and those who’ve lived faith shy of geographical or historical context. Biblical maps are enlightening for tethering us to what was and what is and understanding how small our world has become, bringing Israel and the Middle East today into sharper focus.

The rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire caused people to start questioning what they thought they knew. By 392 A.D. it was the official religion of the region. As it spread across the Mediterranaen, Christianity connected with larger themes in Roman history.

Reading Historical Dates

Without going into all of the science, emporer and political changes to calendars over time – and there were a lot of them – this keeps understanding date abbreviations simple. For more information see the “More Reading” resources below:

There is no Year 0.

There is no difference between “A.D.” & “CE.” They are the same.

There is no difference between “B.C.” & “BCE.” They are the same.

B.C. – means ‘Before Christ’ and starts with Year 1

A.D.– means ‘Anno Domini’ or ‘Year of our Lord.’ This is the year of Christ’s birth and also starts with Year 1. (Commonly referred to as ‘After Death,’ obviously not correct.)

CE – a more recent term meaning ‘Common Era,’ used in place of A.D.

BCE – a more recent term meaning ‘Before Common Era,’ used in place of B.C.

Jesus in Judae (Israel) & the Roman Empire

It’s widely accepted that Jesus Christ was born 4-6 B.C., two years before the death of the Roman Empire’s Herod the Great. Scientific calculations suggest Christ was born in the month of September or October.

Christianity began in Judea about 2,000 years ago with the birth and teachings of Jesus and the disciples who followed Him. Judea was a cultural hub of cities and farms. Click the map to view the area in what we now know as current day Israel.

When Jesus taught the “new covenant” (New Testament) in Judea, Rome was under its first emperor rule. Jesus is known by Christians as the Son of God and of Man, conceived by God by immaculate conception with the virgin Mary, who married Joseph.

The Jews hated Roman rule because it was a pagan reminder of their historical oppression and it violated their faith under the Torah* (Old Testament). The Romans worshiped a number of gods and superficial idols they‘d built to those gods. That was in direct conflict with the Jewish faith, which recognized the one and only God of the Bible.

*”Torah” refers to the Five [Biblical] Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. But the word “torah” can also be used to refer to the entire Jewish bible (the body of scripture known to non-Jews as the Old Testament and to Jews as the Tanakh or Written Torah), or in its broadest sense, to the whole body of Jewish law and teachings.

The start of Christianity is recorded in accounts of the New Testament but its history began with Old Testament prophecy. There are over 300 predictions of the coming of a Jewish Messiah that are recorded in the Old Testament, spanning more than 1000 years.

Click this map to see the Jews’ exodus from Egypt through the Wilderness and into Cannan (current day Israel), their Promised Land.

Some Jews saw conforming to the Roman Empire as their only hope. Others became religious zealots developing warlike guerilla resistances against Rome. Still others withdrew into the Judean wilderness to study Jewish law and wait for the coming of their Messiah, or savior, as promised in the Old Testament.

Isa 7:14 [OT] Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Immanuel means “God with us”. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, had come to dwell with, or tabernacle on earth with, His people.

John 1:14 [NT] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.

Jesus was a Jew. He observed Jewish faith and was well studied in its law. Said to be a carpenter by trade (though that is questioned today), by His early thirties Jesus traveled between villages teaching in synagogues, healing people and performing miracles. His news traveled swiftly. From a young age He challenged religious leaders to repent from their self-righteous and hypocritical ways and to realize that the Kingdom of God is rooted in service and love.

Jesus taught during the Roman rule of Augustus, their first emperor from 27 B.C. through 14 A.D. He urged purification of the Jewish religion with a moral code of love, charity and humility. Christ’s teachings stirred the hearts of people and His healings grew in influence and ever-increasingly high demand as word of His message and acts spread.

These things and Jesus’ growing popularity because of them created an instability that Jewish authorities feared. The disciples were faithful men who followed Him and Jesus taught them about the “new covenant” that God was bringing to humanity, because men had fallen into so much sin they’d lost the personal relationship with God that they had in Old Testament days.

Jesus was crucified on a cross about 30 A.D., believed to be in Golgotha or “The place of a skull” just outside of Jerusalem. His followers believe he rose three days later, proving that He was the Son of God. The Christian faith, unlike any other religion, hinges on historical events. An example can be seen in the eye-witness accounts evidenced by Paul in I Corinthians 15:3-6.

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”

Manuscript studies point to this scripture being written within a few years after Christ’s death. Paul, born Greek, ends this passage with “most of whom are still living,” inviting people to confirm the facts for themselves. He wouldn’t have if he was trying to perpetrate a myth or fraud. It is the historical validity that gives Christians their belief and a genuine and eternal hope.

Roman Mythology & Christianity

Before the coming of Christ and Christianity the Roman Empire was “embroiled in myth,” having archeological traces of early settlements dating back to 750 B.C. The myths were based on both fiction and history in stories passed down through the ages.

Roman mythology was an emphatic state religion consisting of rituals and ceremonies. Their myths were more practical than the Greek’s but they adopted most of the Greek deities.

Every Roman god served a purpose and had an office to fill. There were “divisions of labor” between them, some presiding over births; some over bakers and some over the bakers’ ovens. Every vocation and household function had presiding gods and goddesses. This picture depicts a god tending to the wound of a solider with a Greek goddess looking on.

The rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire caused people to start questioning what they thought they knew. By 392 A.D., Christianity was the official religion. As Chrsitianity spread it connected with larger themes in Roman history.

Christianity comforted social grievances in an empire marked by inequality and among the poor. Slaves, dispossessed farmers and impoverished city dwellers found hope in a religion that encouraged a goodness of morals and after-life rewards for living morally.

The Christian faith also answered cultural needs that Roman values, which stressed political goals and ethics about living in the world, did not. It brought political benefits to the Romans as their empire grew and consolidated, as well. The new faith was seen as universal, open to all, whether people followed the Jewish faith or not.

Click to enlarge this map showing the growth of the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean area; and Israel’s place within it (boxed).

Belief in Jesus spread among Jewish communities in the Middle East, the Roman Empire and beyond. When His disciples realized that Jesus was not returning to earth to set up the Kingdom of God, they fanned out to spread the news, particularly around the eastern Mediterranean area.

The predominant language of the day was Greek. Paul’s Greco-Roman culture helped to explain Christian beliefs in Greece and in Italy as well as in the Middle East. Paul essentially created Christian theology as a set of intellectual principles; and some speculate that he emphasized women’s more subordinate role to men and the dangers of sexuality in the books of the New Testament.

By the 4th Century A.D. Christian writings were the only creative cultural expression of the Roman Empire. Theologians sought to explain issues brought up by the new religion; and to relate it to ethics and Greek philosophy. Just as the Roman Empire was in decline Christianity produced complex thought and elegant language, redirecting its culture and preserving its earlier literary and philosophical achievements.

Christianity goes well beyond Rome and had more to do with opening a new era of history of the Mediterranean region than in shaping the Roman Empire.

Today’s Conflicts between the Middle East and Israel & The West

In the Bible’s Old Testament book of Genesis, chapter 17, God promised Abraham that he would become “the father of many nations.” Many today aren’t familiar with the divisions hinged on that promise.

Abraham’s wife, Sarah, could not bear children so she gave to her husband her Egyptian maiden, Hagar. Hagar birthed Abraham’s son, Ishmael. Many years later Sarah gave Abraham a son named Isaac (described in the scripture below).

When dissention in the houshold grew, Hagar returned with her son to her homeland of Egpyt. By then Abraham and Sarah had located to Cannan (Israel), where they remained. Today Sarah’s descendants are Christian and Hagar’s are Muslim. Indeed Abraham was “the father of many nations.”

Genesis 17 (OT, KJV excerpted): And when Abram was ninety years old and nine the LORD appeared and said, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect and I will make my covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee and I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house [and] which is not of thy seed. And God said unto Abraham, as for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. And he left off talking with him.

Coming: What was Constantine the Great’s role in Christianity?

“From the time of Constantine onward, the worship of the Roman Catholic Church, in its forms and ceremonies, has been more clearly identified with the paganism of Ancient Rome, than with the religion of the New Testament. The customs of pagan religion were only baptized with Christian names.”

-Paganism Surviving in Christianity By Abram Herbert Lewis “The Control of Christianity by the State Under Constantine and his Successors,” Chapter X; pg. 210

 

More Reading:

Wise Geek, Bible Time, Got Questions, History of Religion, Judaism 101:Torah, BibleLight, Greek & Roman Religion, History of Christianity, Romans Empire, Cynric

Media Matters President Angelo Carusone said on Wednesday that his old blog containing offensive posts was a “parody of a right-wing blowhard,” but additional statements on his site suggest otherwise.

Carusone’s left-wing activist group is leading a boycott campaign against Fox News host Tucker Carlson, a co-founder of The Daily Caller News Foundation, over statements Carlson made on a radio shock jock show between 2006 and 2011.

In light of the boycott campaign, TheDCNF on Tuesday reported several of Carusone’s past statements, which included degrading references to “japs,” “jewry” and “trannies.”

Carusone declined to comment on the posts until Wednesday evening, when he told Stelter that “the entire context and tone” of the blog “was intended to be a giant, obnoxious right-wing caricature, a parody of a right-wing blowhard living my life.”

Archives of the blog seem to contradict that explanation.

The archives show that, through his blog, Carusone espoused left-wing political positions, promoted former Vice President Al Gore as a presidential candidate and attacked Republicans around the same time he authored the inflammatory posts.

Stelter published Carusone’s inaccurate statement in his widely read media newsletter Wednesday night without a fact-check.

Stelter, who hosts the CNN show “Reliable Sources,” spread misinformation in his newsletter as well.

The CNN host called Carusone’s comments “offensive,” but falsely claimed that TheDCNF’s article did not include new reporting.

But only two of the five blog posts referenced had previously received attention. The other three posts — two of which contained ethnic slurs — were reported for the first time in TheDCNF’s article on Tuesday.

Screenshot/Reliable Sources Newsletter

Stelter, who did not reach out to TheDCNF before writing his inaccurate newsletter, did not return an email informing him of his error.

Medics on the battlefield have a crucial job: to care for the wounded despite the chaos around them. Army Pfc. Bryant Womack understood that job so well that he refused to quit helping others in Korea, even after he’d lost a limb. That selflessness led to his death, but it also earned him the Medal of Honor and a place in Army history.

Womack was born in Mill Springs, North Carolina, in May 1931. His family said he was a quiet young man who loved playing practical jokes on them. He also loved his dogs, hunting, fishing and riding bikes.

Womack joined the Army shortly after high school and became a medic with the 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. Soon thereafter, he was sent to Korea.

On March 12, 1952, Womack was part of a night combat patrol that was overwhelmed by a huge enemy force near Sokso-ri, an area that belonged to the north during the war. He was the only medic attached to the unit.

A lot of the unit’s men were getting hit, so Womack went to their aid despite having to run out in the thick of the fight. He was seriously injured in the process, but he refused medical aid for himself, instead continuing to help others who were hurt.

While helping one man, Womack was hit by a mortar and lost his right arm. He knew if he didn’t get help immediately, he would die, but he still refused aid, insisting that the other wounded were helped first. While Womack was too injured to physically help at this point, he stayed at the scene and directed other soldiers on how to perform first aid for him.

Womack was the last man to get out of the line of fire, waiting for all of the injured to make it to safety until he tried to leave. He walked until he collapsed from the blood loss. He died a few minutes later in the arms of his comrades, who carried him away. He was 20 years old.

Womack’s outstanding courage and intense devotion to duty earned him the Medal of Honor, which was given to his family on Jan. 12, 1953.

In recognition of his extraordinary heroism, the Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was dedicated in his name in 1958. The facility moved locations in 2000, but the name has stayed the same.

Womack’s sister, Rachel Elliott, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2000 and said her brother would be proud that his name is still associated with the medical profession.

“He enjoyed being a medic and saving people’s lives, helping the wounded and the sick,” Elliott said at the time.

We’re sure the many men he helped save are thankful for that.

This article is part of a weekly series called “Medal of Honor Monday,” in which we highlight one of the more than 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients who have earned the U.S. military’s highest medal for valor.

Unusually high illegal immigration in January and February at the U.S.-Mexico border has put fiscal year 2019 on pace to experience the highest levels of unauthorized migration in a decade.

Roughly 58,000 migrants were detained at the U.S. southern border in January. Preliminary figures show the rate is only climbing, with over 70,000 recorded migrant apprehensions in February. In fact, one day in February made history as being the largest number of “family unit apprehensions” ever recorded on a single day. The Department of Homeland Security is expecting even larger numbers for March and April, putting 2019 in position to witness record levels of illegal immigration.

“The numbers are staggering, and we’re incredibly worried that we will see another huge increase in March,” a Homeland Security Official said to The Washington Post.

Critics of President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration for the southern border point out that these numbers, while they are rising, are still historically lower than the levels of illegal immigration seen in the early 1990s and 2000s. However, it’s the type of illegal immigration, border patrol officials say, that is causing the crisis.

The extremely high number of Central American migrants reaching the southern border are not from Mexico or Canada, which means they cannot be quickly deported due to trafficking laws. Many of them are family units, not individuals. Also, instead of trying to evade border enforcement officials, they are actively seeking them out and simply pleading for asylum.

Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost says the combination has stretched her agency to the breaking point.

“Each day, nearly 25 percent of my agents are diverted away from our border security mission to care for, transport and process family members and unaccompanied children,” Provost said while testifying in front of a House Judiciary committee. “We know that when agents are occupied, narcotics smugglers, criminal aliens, gang members and others use the opportunity to violate our borders and our laws.”

Along with declaring a national emergency at the border, giving him $8 billion to fund a border wall, the president has implemented other strategies to curb illegal immigration into the country.

The president’s “remain in Mexico” policy seeks to keep asylum-seeking Central Americans in Mexico as they wait for the claims to be processed through the U.S. immigration courts, preventing many illegals from claiming asylum and simply disappearing within the interior of the U.S. However, this policy has been confined to San Ysidro port of entry in California.

The president’s travel ban on several, mostly Muslim, countries has led to nearly 40,000 visa applications getting denied in 2018.

If you are short on cash, you may find it is nearly impossible to meet your commitments. However, there are options out there. Knowing what your options are can help relieve some of the stress you are under and ensure you get the funds that are needed, when they are needed. Whether you are looking for a loan or credit cards for bad credit, you can find a variety of options online. Failing to do your research before pursuing a form of credit or a lending option can lead to you biting off more than you can chew financially. Some of the most common options for getting funds when you are low on cash are found here.

1. Ask about a Payment Plan

There are many businesses and individuals who will work with people who are short on cash. This means the person does not have to worry about all the money that is needed to pay the bill right away, but instead they can make the payment in intervals. This is beneficial because it means you won’t have to default on the payment and you will be able to pay the bill slowly.

2. Banks, Credit Unions or Finance Companies

There are some people who would prefer to get their loan from a traditional bank, credit union or another type of finance company. This is an agreement between you and the lender. You should also shop around for this loan since they will all have different terms. In many cases, you can get pre-approved by a lender, which will let you know exactly what you are qualified for. However, keep in mind, most traditional lenders don’t have many options for people who have bad credit.

Before you decide on which financial institution to use, you will need to take some time to do your homework. Looking around online will allow you to find out what type of reputation a lender has. If all you can find out about a particular lender is bad, then you probably need to extend your search.

3. Online Lenders

An option that is becoming more popular is to use an online lender. These lenders will provide you with everything you need to get the financing online. In fact, payday loans are a popular option for anyone who needs funds and has bad credit. Many people prefer this option due to how easy it is to get the financing they need. Be sure to research the lender carefully prior to accepting the loan. Always read the fine print to make sure there are no terms you don’t understand prior to accepting anything.

You will also need to call in and speak with a representative for an online lender to find out whether or not the terms of the loan can be tweaked. In some cases, a company will be able to customize a loan to better fit your needs

4. Peer to Peer Lending

One of the most popular lending options out there is known as peer to peer. These types of loans are paid for bypeople instead of banks. This means that the interest rate on these loans are generally a bit cheaper. Before choosing a peer to peer loan, you need to study the terms thoroughly. You need to also find out how long you have to pay back the loan. In some instances, a peer to peer loan will have higher monthly payments. This is due to the fact that the people who fund these loans will want to get their money back in a hurry. The time you spend finding the right lending options will pay off.

Being informed and knowing all the options can help you make an informed decision regarding the loan that you ultimately take. Don’t accept just any offer since this may cause you to get in over your head on the payments.

Ariana Grande is holding a benefit concert in Manchester, England as a tribute to the victims of the terrorist bombing at her previous concert in the same city. Grande’s song “One Last Time” has been re-released as a benefit single with all proceeds going to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.

Artists expected to perform are:

• Marcus Mumford: ‘Timshel’
• Take That: ‘Shine’, ‘Giants’, ‘Rule the World’
• Robbie Williams: ‘Strong’, ‘Angels’
• Pharrell Williams: ‘Get Lucky’,
• Pharrell Williams & Miley Cyrus: ‘Happy’
• Miley Cyrus: ‘Inspired’
• Niall Horan: ‘Slow Hands’, ‘This Town’
• Ariana Grande: ‘Be Alright’, ‘Break Free’
• Stevie Wonder: ‘Love’s in Need of Love Today’ (brief appearance via video-link)
• Little Mix: ‘Wings’
• Victoria Monet & Ariana Grande: ‘Better Days’
• Black Eyed Peas & Ariana Grande: ‘Where is the Love?’
• Justin Bieber
• Usher
• Katy Perry
• Coldplay

A Muslim cleric introduced Egypt’s new President, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi by saying: Our Capital ‘shall be Jerusalem, Allah willing’.  For his part, Morsi pronounced: Abroad women are ‘free,’ but not here.

These types of proclamations do not bode well for Egyptian minorities, which includes members of the Coptic Church community, who make up about 10 per cent of Egypt’s population. Despite Morsi campaign spokesman Gehad el-Haddad’s assurances that Morsi would work to be “president for all Egyptians”, Coptics worry how Morsi’s election might result in a restriction of their personal freedoms.

Regardless of joyous proclamations by Mosi supporters, the newly elected president did not receive enough support to consider his election a mandate.  Ahmed Shafik, former prime minister under Hosni Mubarak, received 12.3 million. Morsi picked up 13.2 million votes, giving him about 51 per cent of the vote.  A vote as close as this portrays the presence of a divided electorate.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/06/201262412445190400.html

New Democracy (ND) the conservative party edged out the leftist Syriza party, achieving victory in Greece’s parliamentary elections. The winning margin for ND was less than 3 points. In Greece, as in Egypt, the vote was so close it indicates the presence of a divided people.

Greece’s Election Results: Déjà Vu All Over Again?

In France, Socialists won the National Assembly.  Final results showed the Socialist Party won 280 seats.  Two closely allied parties gained 34 seats, giving the Socialist bloc 314 seats.  The leftist Green Party won 17 seats and the far-left Left Front collected 10.  The Socialist Party now enjoys a lock on French politics.

Newly elected President Hollande’s domestic mandate will allow him push back on budget cuts being demanded by Germany.  Greece and other indebted countries say budget cuts are deepening the Eurozone’s recession by suffocating growth.  Clearly, there is division within the European Union.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/jun/24/eu-france-elections/

Meanwhile in the United States, largely ignoring the historical lessons of American economic success, obama continues to call for bottom up economics.  This not so newly minted campaign tact is but one element of his overall class warfare election strategy.

Desperate for cash to combat GOP candidate Mitt Romney’s growing money juggernaut, obama’s campaign is asking his supporters to tell wedding guests to donate to his campaign rather than give gifts to the newlyweds.  The campaign is also turning to overseas American ex-patriots, seeking cash.

There is a new strategy to inflate the economy on obama’s behalf by Ben Bernanke at the Federal Reserve Bank.  obama and other Democrats are coordinating attacks on Romney with the American media, which completely flies in the face of a free press dutifully reporting facts to the electorate so as to facilitate voters being equipped with the knowledge necessary to make informed political decisions.

Bill Maher, $1 million obama campaign donor and known airwaves extremist, continued to spew hollow, hateful, leftist fringe rhetoric by spouting: Conservatism is not an ideology, ‘It’s just about being a dick’.   Joy Behar, one of Maher’s many fellow “progressive” extremists who populate Hollywood, felt compelled to chime in with “Gay Conservatives only think with their penises”.

Whatever happened to the angst, dismay and regret over harsh partisan rhetoric, so in vogue among “progressives” in the aftermath of the Gabby Gifford shooting?

In light of the Tea Party led midterm election landslide in 2010 and the Tea Party fed Scott Walker victory in Wisconsin’s recall election, it is quite appropriate to observe that, like much of the world, the population of United States is divided.

The division in America is distinctly between those who wish to “fundamentally transform the United States of America” and those who wish to restore the country to its Constitutional roots.

The Constitution established a small government featuring division of powers, protection of individual liberties and fostering a free market economic system uninhibited by the shackles of an overbearing central government.  Since the early 20th Century “progressive” politicians have incrementally increased prohibitive regulatory controls while intruding upon individual liberties by imposing “progressive” taxation used to fuel the growth of big government ”entitlement” programs and bloated federal bureaucracies that far exceed the powers delineated to the federal government by the United States Constitution.

As they participate in Chapter 2012 of the age old power struggle between tyranny and freedom, the choice is clear for American voters.  To further enable unconstitutional usurpation of powers by disciples of Marx and Alinsky wishing to dismantle and eliminate the fundamental political, and socioeconomic structure of the United States, or to elect representatives who will insist upon restoring the Constitutional Republic envisioned by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin and America’s founding patriots.

The Age Old Power Struggle: Chapter 2012

The World Gold Council today launched a one-off essay collection, Gold 2048, bringing together industry-leading experts from across the globe to analyse how the gold market is set to evolve in the next 30 years.

Key conclusions emerging from authors such as George Magnus, senior economist; Rick Lacaille, Global Chief Investment Officer of State Street Global Advisors; and Michelle Ash, Chief Innovation Officer at Barrick Gold include:

• The expanding middle class in China and India, combined with broader economic growth, will have a significant impact on gold demand.
• Use of gold across energy, healthcare and technology is changing rapidly. Gold’s position as a material of choice is expected to continue and evolve over the coming decades.
• Mobile apps for gold investment, which allow individuals to buy, sell, invest and gift gold will develop rapidly in India and China.
• Environmental, social and governance issues will play an increasing role in re- shaping mining production methods.
• The gold mining industry will have to grapple with the challenge of producing similar levels of gold over the next 30 years to match the volume it has historically delivered.

Aram Shishmanian, CEO of the World Gold Council commented: “Since its creation in 1987, the World Gold Council has worked with policymakers, regulators and industry participants to drive understanding of and, ultimately, demand for gold.

“The next 30 years will no doubt bring significant changes – some we anticipate, some that none of us predict. I am delighted that in Gold 2048 we have brought together a stellar set of contributors – economists, investment managers, leaders in the mining industry, as well as our own specialists – to consider the global trends and dynamics that will drive this fascinating market forward.”

National Wreaths Across America Day has become such a big tradition that it’s hard to believe it began from just one personal tribute and a photo that went viral.

So how did it happen? Here’s the scoop:

The Worcester family of Harrington, Maine, owns their own tree farm. In 1992, they had a surplus of wreaths during the holiday season, so the family patriarch, Morrill – who had long felt indebted to our fallen veterans – got help from a Maine politician to have those spare wreaths placed beside graves in Arlington National Cemetery in areas that received fewer visitors each year.

Several volunteers stepped up to help, including veterans from American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts and a truck company owner who transported the wreaths to Arlington, Virginia, where a small ceremony was held at the cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This remained a small yearly tradition for nearly 15 years until a photo taken at the 2005 ceremony went viral. Almost immediately, thousands of people wanted to know how to help or how they could begin a similar tradition in their states.

By the next year – with the help of some civic organizations and volunteers, including in the trucking industry – there were 150 simultaneous ceremonies held across the country. By 2008, the movement to remember, honor and teach had grown so much that Congress had declared the third Saturday in September National Wreaths Across America Day.

By 2014, the now-nonprofit Wreaths Across America had reached its goal of placing a wreath at all 226,525 graves in the cemetery.

The event continues to grow. This year, the organization shipped a staggering 1.75 MILLION wreaths to 1,640 locations that will hold ceremonies across the U.S. A few dozen locations overseas will participate. The organization said this was the first year they were granted permission to place wreaths at Normandy to honor those who died during World War II’s D-Day invasion.

Veterans and Gold Star families are many of the roughly 2 million volunteers who prepare the wreaths, ship them across the country and put them on the graves.

Pretty cool, right?

To all of those who have volunteered time, efforts and money to the cause, cheers to you!