This picture, presumably of a young girl with cancer, was one of the most retweeted photos on Twitter for the week of November 27th, 2011

In a report released at the closing of the year, the Department of Veterans Affairs assesses their progress to end homelessness among veterans by 2015. The big question is, how far have we come?Sadly, there are more homeless veterans today than at any time before, even after every recent conflict. The rise in homelessness is often attributed to the current state of the United State's economy.Not only are civilian Americans struggling to stay employed or find meaningful work, the rate of unemployment and underemployment in the veteran population is nearly 3 times that of average citizens. Furthermore, there are more veterans at or below the poverty level than ever before.However, in the status update, the VA claims success in its five-year project of eradicating homelessness. Today, the VA says that they are well on their way to achieve the insurmountable goal.

All car enthusiasts’, develop a vision that one day he or she will have their dream car in their garage. Each of these different types of rides whether a classic, muscle, tuner, import, exotic, or supercar, each has a specific magnificence to ones eye. Today, automobiles are very important and used frequently each day for transportation. Although, not many people are familiar with the dangerous toxins lurking inside these vehicles.

We are incredibly lucky to have such an active, supportive & selfless social media community dedicated to increasing awareness of cancer and the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance (MCA). The MCA Advocate of the Month Program was created with the intention of rewarding our most active community members with highly publicized recognition (not to mention some great prizes!) and incentivizing those who may be new to our community to become involved & assist in raising cancer awareness! Together, WE REFUSE DEFEAT!

Fashion and beauty magazines paint a more varied picture of beauty than they once did, but that picture is still a tiny one in a rigid frame. Whether you're a blonde, brunette or redhead, you can be one of the beautiful people -- but only if you're tall and willowy. What about women who have lost their hair after cancer treatment? What about those who have lost limbs or other body parts following surgery? What about those whose fight has etched fresh lines on a once-smooth face?

Unlike wars and military conflicts in the past, the end of the Iraq War is marked without any American celebration. Even as recent at the formal end of the first Gulf War, official and unofficial parades, celebrations and ceremonies dotted American cities and towns, where people congratulated the returning troops and veterans.

Each December, many of us spend hours in malls and other retail outlets agonizing over ensuring we’ve got every last person on our holiday gift listcovered. In the world of a cancer patient and caregiver, December is likely a somewhat different experience. Often the holidays serve as a reflectivetime when we choose to cherish our time with family and loved ones and re-kindle our fond holidays memories.

The Following is a guest post from Tricia Cardone detailing some great holiday recipes for those battling a difficult illness like cancer

“Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.” ~ Hippocrates

Struggling to find that perfect gift for that special person battling cancer in your life? We’ve got you covered!

Not only do we have the top holiday gift ideas, but we’ve also provided a thorough list of every other fantastic gift that will surely put a smile on anyone’s face.

According to a story released by CNN on December 13, there are more cases of women diagnosed with and suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) than at any other time of our nation’s military history.

The average age of a person diagnosed with Mesothelioma is estimated at between 78-80 years old. Accordingly, the vast majority of those diagnosed are receiving Medicare medical benefits.

On December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy bombed the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Moreover, as then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt said in the aftermath of the attack, December 7 is “a date which will live in infamy

The following is a guest post from Rob Harris. Rob's wife is a two-time cancer survivor. Rob has been with her to assist in her care throughout her journey with cancer. We'd like to thank Rob for sharing his thoughts on the holiday season with the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance from the unique perspective of a caregiver.

The United States Committee on Veterans Affairs is launching an investigation into the Department of Veterans Affairs in regards to claims of inadequate staffing, long lines for mental health care and whether VA employees work to reach numbers rather than focusing on providing necessary mental health care.

Our baby's first Christmas, 2005- It was supposed to be memorable, and it was, but for all the wrong reasons. We did everything we usually do; Christmas Eve with my husbands family, but despite the festive air of the season, no one could ignore the dark cloud hanging over us. To this day, when I decorate my Christmas tree and I put the "Baby's First Christmas" ornament on the tree, I do so with a bittersweet feeling.

Now’s the time to start planning for sending gifts to your husband, wife, son or daughter that’s serving overseas. With only a handful of days left before the shipping deadline, getting great ideas for gifts may be difficult, especially if you’re like the rest of us, juggling holiday events, wrapping other presents and attending festive functions.

For much of the month of November the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance has been highlighting thoracic oncologists, causes studies, support groups, and other events associated with Lung Cancer Awareness Month . As the month draws to an end, it is our hope that the awareness we’ve been generating and the message of those we’ve spoken will not simply be lost as we turn the month to December. It is only through a continued commitment to lung cancer treatment and research funding, in December and beyond, that we’ll finally be able to reach the long-awaited cure for this difficult disease.

The following is the final installment in my series on the importance of cancer support groups. As we've been highlighting different lung cancer news throughout November, the following is an interview with Amy Copeland,  Director of Community Services for the Lung Cancer Alliance.

Mary Hesdorffer is a nurse practitioner working with The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. She oversees the various support groups that MARF has to offer for those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, their family members, and people who have lost a loved one to this deadly disease. She can be reached at mhesdorffer@curemeso.org.

My entire life I have been accused of being the eternal optimist. It is a trait that has always served me well, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that being an optimist, would play a key part in my very survival.
 When I was diagnosed with on November 21st, 2005, just 3 months after my baby was born, my initial reaction, of course was shock and fear. But once my options were explained to me, my optimistic outlook kicked in full gear. I was given 3 options. I could do nothing, and live maybe 15 months. Undergo chemotherapy and radiation and hope for up to 5 years. Or, I could have a risky surgery called an extrapleural pneumonectomy and increase my chance of survival to 10 years or more. My husband and I immediately opted for the surgery. Dying was not an option.