We have tried since January 12, 2000 to get someone to hear us, but our words have only fallen on the deaf ears of the newspapers, the TV station, Senator Patty Murray, and the President of the United States. A mother will go public with the truth about her son that was killed while in the 82nd airborne at FT Bragg, NC.
John grew up in Issaquah, Washington and joined the Army to protect his county. He was killed in a car accident just outside Fort Bragg, NC. Once the Army notified us of John's death, we signed a legal document asking them to dress and prepare him for viewing. The Army had a contract with the Lafayette Funeral Home owned by Phyllis & Bobby Garvin in NC. They or someone else picked up our son but did not even care for him:, they were not even kind enough to clean and prepare his body. They had the Army Casualty Office, John Colton, and Sgt. Bob Hennis make up a special story that they had seen John and that he was so badly disfigured that a positive identification of our son could not be made. Later, we found out they did not do their job.
They put him into a body bag marked "unviewable" and sent him home to his mother.
The funeral home collected the money but did not do as they were asked by his parents (and their contractee, the Army). Bobby Garvin replied to my husband on a telephone call and said, "The Army gives me only so many hours to prepare him and we could not put him back together." However, John was intact and could have been cared for. They saw John as a dark-skinned person and because of his ethnic background (Pacific Islander) said "no one will ever know if we keep the same story." Well they do not know this mother.
We have clear pictures of this accident and it looks like he is just sleeping and his body was intact. These people are inhumane because they did not do their job nor could they speak the truth even under oath. They said our son had flaming tattoos when he did not. Did we receive our son or someone else?
This mother will never know, and she continues searching for her son everyday. I wear a heart medal around my neck and wonder if the ashes in it are of John's.
John was later sent to a funeral home which we hired, Purdy & Waters in Lynnwood, Washington. We requested more then twenty times to see our son and the answer was always a "NO". The bottom line was that it was their job to grant our request, but that request never followed through. Not being able to say "goodbye" to my child has caused me to never STOP searching.
After a five-year lawsuit with Purdy & Walters' insurance company, "Uniservice Corporation," we won the case and moved forward to educate the public with what has happened to us. We hope that this will never happen to another mother or loved one. However, it has not stopped the government and local mortuaries from doing their job incorrectly. When you ask the Army or any branch of service to dress your son, it should be done. If our son was handled this way, then how many of our men and women, whom happen to be our loved ones, have come home this way? How many haven't even received the remains of their loved ones?
My letters to President Clinton, President Bush, Senator John Kerry, Dave Reichert, John Edwards, David Irons, (whom I'm certain remembers me) have met with no result. Senator Patty Murray and her assistant Muriel Gibson two years of us working with her only to spend our tax money and be told go away. If the case involved their child it would be on TV, and the coverage would not stop. When you ask the Army for answers, all they say is "CASE CLOSED." What they have done is wrong.
I will never stop crusading to find the whole truth of what really happened to my son, nor will I stop until I receive justice for how my son was treated. Fort Bragg took all his personal things, cleaned out his room, and sent a few items home that needed a cleaning. They even took John's clothes. We did not receive his watch, wallet, computer, games, jump medal, St. Christopher medal, or dog tags; the list goes on. They gave me someone else's boots and uniform which did not even fit our son.
To the wonderful man that held our son's hand until he died, you will be my angel forever.
As we move forward, I hope we are able to write a book of the truth, and what really goes on in a loved one's heart. It affects a parent to lose their child without being able to say goodbye. Your heart will search for them until you die. If you are a mother, your children are your life. When you have them for twenty-one years and one day receive a picture of them dead, or when someone tells you that they are gone, you have to touch them or see them to know that it had really happened.
If this ever happened to your loved one, you should not have to ask twice: You are the boss and if you say "I want to see my child," they have to let you say goodbye. Ask your loved ones to take pictures of their items, like our son did, and ask them to send them to you. This way, you will know just what they have and if those items are not returned, you will be able to ask for them.
We do not even know if we have received our son, and no one can answer that question. Please, help us get some type of closure. We ask anyone wishing to help us to contact Lt. Col. Anita Chapman at 703-325-5437 and ask her, on our behalf, to act on this matter. Any and all help would be appreciated.
All we want to do is lay our son to rest, and find peace. Someone out there knows something and we need your help.
We ask anyone who can help to please contact us.
This week, the Australian network SBS brings its focus to the death of Pfc. LaVena Johnson and the issue of sexual assault in the US military in a Dateline story by journalist Ginny Stein. The feature, "Dark Secrets," is scheduled to air on May 29, but the video is available now to watch online.
[Sexual assault] is a pervasive problem, with Veterans Affairs statistics showing nearly one in three female soldiers are sexually harassed while serving their country, and for some the consequences are devastating.
Private LaVena Lyn Johnson was just five weeks into her tour of Iraq when she was found dead in a contractor's tent. The US Army concluded the 19-year-old committed suicide after firing her M16 rifle into her mouth.
However, her father, who worked in the military as a civilian specialist in psychology, refuses to believe his daughter committed suicide.
For the past three years, Dr John Johnson has studied almost every aspect of his daughter's death. He now believes LaVena was raped and murdered by someone in her camp, and accuses the army of covering up a soldier on soldier slaying.
Dr Johnson says he will keep fighting for justice until the army changes "their attitude about how they treat women in the military".
Stein is an award-winning journalist who previously spent four years in Southeast Asia reporting for the ABC. Her stories for SBS have taken her from Indonesia to Zimbabwe, from Rwanda to the United States.
Reporting from Florissant, Mo. — Inside the tidy suburban St. Louis home of John and Linda Johnson, no photos of their eldest daughter grace the walls. Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson was just 19 when she died in Iraq in 2005; to this day her parents cannot bear to display reminders of her life.
There was no suicide note, no recovered bullet and no significant gunshot residue on her hands. But the Army cited fellow soldiers' reports that she was depressed and had spoken of killing herself.
Johnson maintains that his daughter was raped and killed, and that her death scene was staged to make it appear as if she shot herself. He accuses the Army of covering up for a killer or killers to conceal a soldier-on-soldier slaying, explaining that military personnel would have had unrestricted access to the area where his daughter died and therefore would not have attracted undue attention.
If LaVena's death were investigated as a homicide, Johnson added, it would raise questions about base security and discourage women from enlisting.
Like the Johnsons, other families have questioned the military's suicide findings in the deaths of their daughters in Iraq or Afghanistan. They too accuse the military of jumping to conclusions and ignoring evidence of murder.
But these grieving families have discovered that there are no clear answers and few conclusive facts, only murky evidence that can be interpreted more than one way. The result is a climate of mistrust and suspicion that leaves the military on the defensive and the families feeling deceived.
The families have had an determined advocate in retired Army Colonel Ann Wright, who has been quoted many times in this website.
Wright accuses the military of withholding evidence pointing to sexual assaults and other attacks on female service members.
She contends that the military has been too quick to close the cases of some women's deaths as suicides without conducting thorough homicide investigations. She accuses the military of stonewalling families who question its findings.
Zucchino's story is well-written, and highly recommended for anyone unfamiliar with LaVena Johnson.
PFC LaVena Johnson lost her life in Iraq on July 19, 2005. Although the U.S. Army has ruled her death a suicide, the evidence would suggest that this was not the case. The family of PFC LaVena Johnson has worked tirelessly to have the case re-opened and properly investigated.
LaVena's father, Dr. John H. Johnson will join Black Talk Radio on Jan 19, 2009 at 8pm ET, 7pm CT and 6pm PT. He will update us on the efforts to reveal the the truth about how his daughter was brutally raped, assaulted and murdered and have the case re-opened.
Note: Listeners are invited to call in with questions and comments; the call-in number is (347) 826-9112.
The program can be accessed at the appropriate time via the audio player below, which can be easily embedded on your own website and shared in formats such as Facebook.
Interviewer Scotty Reid is the president of the Black Talk Media Project, a non-profit education and media company incorporated in North Carolina. Reid is a father, veteran and has hosted an Internet radio show for almost two years. The project's mission is the promotion of media relevant to the Black community, and value-based programming that is ethical and family-friendly. The Black Talk Radio Network was created in July of 2008 and has steadily grown since its conception; the Black Talk Media Project was incorporated in December of 2008.
Thinking about soldiers makes my heart hurt, a little.
For the past three years, anything and everything having to do with the American military – especially the US Army – has been influenced by my understanding of the events surrounding the death in Iraq of Pfc. LaVena Johnson of Florissant, Missouri. The ruling of suicide as the cause of her death, as determined by military investigators; the anguish and anger of her father and mother as their pleas to renew the investigation of the case have met with stony silence and resistance from authorities. Interest from legislators ebbs and flows – mostly ebbs – and progress has come slowly indeed. Three years is a long time in which to see little change, and so LaVena's fate has come to color everything – for me – when it comes to military service.
There is more involved, however.
My father served in the Air Force for twenty years. His duty carried him to far countries, and we – my mother, my brother, and myself – saw little of him for long periods of time. We finally came together as a family for the last two years of his stint, when we moved from South Carolina to live together at Whiteman Air Force Base, then home of the Minuteman missile. Dad ended his service as a technical sergeant. After that, we moved back to South Carolina.
My father died of cancer a few years afterwards.
I never felt that I knew him – he had been gone so often, and for so long – and I think it is fair to say that he did not know me. Military service came to mean absence. It was just a consequence of wearing the uniform. I was always proud of my father's uniform. Never knew the man, not really, but I was proud that he had served.
The tension between absence and pride is not meant to be reconciled, and yet everyone with a loved one in uniform must find a way to balance the two. The necessity of doing so is why we always make the distinction, whether or not we realize it or admit it, between citizens and soldiers. On a basic level, though, the distinction does not exist: the sacrifice made by the soldier in answering a call to arms is mirrored by the sacrifice made by those who have to let them go.
So when the death of a soldier goes unanswered by those in charge, it is an insult to the soldier's sacrifice, and to ours.
This is a day for veterans, a day in which to give them the honor they deserve for having subordinated themselves to something greater than the individual. That does not obviate the injustice of the unanswered death of soldiers such as LaVena Johnson; rather, it underscores the necessity of doing justice by her, and by her family, in the name of their sacrifice.
Though I did not know my father well, I believe that he would agree.
The October 14, 2008 editorial in the Fayetteville, NC Observer "Our View: Military Domestic Violence Needs More Aggressive Prevention," focused on the murder of four military women in North Carolina and contained a startling comment: "In a way, it's surprising that there aren't more bodies piling up at military bases all over this nation." The Observer is the newspaper that serves Fort Bragg, one of the military's largest bases.
The editorial was in response to the vigil held on October 8 at the gates of Fort Bragg to commemorate the murder of four US military women in North Carolina in the past nine months, and to call for action to prevent more murders by members of the US military.
In a nine-month period from December 2007 to September 2008, four US military women were killed by military men near the Army's Fort Bragg and the Marine Corps's Camp Lejeune, two military mega-bases in North Carolina.
It's an old argument. We train men, and now women, to wage war, then we are baffled when they do that to each other. It is driven in times of war by a national culture that can extol violence, conflating it with patriotism. And don't overlook the general population raised on a steady diet of malevolence disguised as entertainment. In a way, it's surprising that there aren't more bodies piling up at military bases all over this nation. We are certain, nevertheless, that the demonstrators (at the gates of Fort Bragg) were on to something that we as a community need to address. This may become an epidemic that threatens us all. It is a problem we, as a community, military and civilian, can't ignore. It is also a problem that we have not, so far, effectively solved.
An bold editorial from a military-town newspaper, and well worth reading. Thanks to Col. Wright, and to Deborah Newell Tornello of litbrit for the heads-up on the Truthout article.
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South Africa faces significant challenges and needs decisive action to revive growth, the IMF said in its latest annual assessment of the country's economy.
South Africa has made considerable economic and social progress since its first democratic election in 1994, but many citizens have not sufficiently benefited from the improvements. The report shows income inequality and unemployment remain among the highest in the world, and growth has waned in recent years.
In 2015, South Africa was hit by a number of economic shocks. China's slowdown and rebalancing, weak commodity prices, and U.S. monetary policy normalization all weighed on growth (Chart 1). On the domestic front, leadership changes at the National Treasury last December and other political developments shook confidence, heightened governance concerns, and increased policy uncertainty. A severe drought in the region also significantly reduced agricultural output.
And while electricity supply has improved, growth continues to be held back by deep-rooted structural problems such as poor education outcomes, and product and labor markets that are out of reach for too many people.
The report shows growth slowed to 1.3 percent in 2015, the lowest since the global financial crisis and below most emerging market economies and commodity producers. The IMF projects 2016 growth at 0.1 percent, which would mean a second year of falling per capita incomes. A muted recovery is expected from 2017, approaching 2-2½ percent in the outer years as shocks dissipate and more power plants are completed; with these projections, unemployment will likely rise over the medium term.
Downside risks dominate and stem mainly from China, heightened global financial volatility, and domestic politics and policies that may reduce confidence (Chart 2).
Shocks could be amplified by linkages between capital flows, the sovereign, and the financial sector, especially if combined with sovereign credit rating downgrades to speculative grade. The United Kingdom's recent decision to leave the European Union (EU) has further increased risks, as there are extensive financial linkages between the United Kingdom and South Africa and sizable trade linkages with the EU as a whole.
The report notes, however, that the authorities are making progress in the recent dialogue between government, businesses, and labor, which could catalyze reform implementation and invigorate growth.
Besides addressing infrastructure bottlenecks, the report said structural reforms should be a priority in order to boost growth and jobs. Greater competition, labor market policies and industrial relations that work for a greater portion of the population, better quality of government services—especially in education—and improved governance and efficiency in state-owned enterprises would all help increase growth.
Job creation, especially in small- and medium-sized enterprises that are more labor-intensive and hire a relatively high share of low-skilled workers, is the best way to ensure a sustainable reduction in unemployment and inequality. Advancing these reforms will require building trust among stakeholders, ideally via a social bargain.
To generate reform momentum, the report suggests government should implement a focused set of tangible measures with a priority on boosting private sector employment. Clarifying the regulatory environment in the mining sector and reforming state-owned enterprises, for example, would reduce policy uncertainty and increase confidence and trust even in the short term.
Sources of resilience include strong institutions and policy frameworks, the flexible exchange rate regime, strong private corporate balance sheets, a high share of rand-denominated external debt, well-capitalized banks, and the large domestic institutional investor base.
Nevertheless, vulnerabilities remain elevated. The current account deficit, though it has started adjusting, remains among the highest in emerging markets. Rising government debt, due to a large extent to low growth, and financially-weak state-owned enterprises have increased fiscal vulnerabilities, and sovereign downgrades could trigger capital outflows (Chart 3).
The 2016 budget envisaged significant deficit reduction this year and next to stabilize debt. However, the budget targets could be challenging to achieve if IMF staff's less-optimistic growth projections materialize. The report suggests that any additional fiscal consolidation needs to be carefully designed to minimize the negative growth impact and protect the poor. State-owned enterprise reforms are also essential to limit fiscal risks, as well as to support growth. Greater private participation and effective regulators could help improve state-owned enterprise performance and free up resources for investment.
Making a strong push on structural reforms is the absolute, urgent priority to put the South African economy on a path to improving living standards and create jobs, the report said.


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Metro Atlanta Mortgage rates fell last week after market turmoil sent the yield on a 10-year Treasury briefly below 2 percent.
Freddie Mac says a 30-year fixed-rate Metro Atlanta mortgage averaged 3.84 percent tin the week ending August 27, down from 3.93 percent the previous week, and the lowest since May. A year ago, 30-year rates averaged 4.1 percent.
Freddie Mac expects 30-year Metro Atlanta mortgage rates to remain subdued in the short-to-medium term.
The changes to the process of getting a Metro Atlanta mortgage are significant, especially for those real estate professionals who have been working in the residential side of the business for quite some time.
This will be the final issue of our "Metro Atlanta Real Estate Newsletter." We keep this website completely updated every couple of days throughout each and every month, and therefore, retiring what is categorized as a "Newsletter" doesn't really mean much, other than the fact that we'll continue to bring you the most up to date news we possibly can, only itemized more in our other categories to your right.
We made the decision to dissolve the "Metro Atlanta Real Estate Newsletters" category in lieu of making the information we include in the newsletters easier for you to find in the specific categories for which they have covered in the past.
For example, instead of being buried in a library of past newsletters, articles we included in this issue will now be expanded on further and listed in the category for which it most applies. This month, the two articles above would fall under the Metro Atlanta Mortgage Info and Metro Atlanta Real Estate categories to your right, so it will make our news easier for you to find and look back on.
Metro Atlanta home ownership rates are the lowest they've been in 48 years, and there are several factors involved, including a strong rental market and a lack of traditional household formation. But let's look at why millennials are NOT to blame for the lower rate in Metro Atlanta home ownership.
According to a study of generational trends (namely, Millennial home buyers) by the National Association of Realtors, 65% are married couples, 14% are unmarried couples, 12% are single females, 8% are single males and other combinations create the last 1%. So, being unmarried isn't keeping Millennials from joining the ranks of Metro Atlanta home ownership.
Millennials are definitely joining the ranks of Metro Atlanta home ownership, but let's look deeper into the trends of this age group to see why more are not buying a home.
The Metro Atlanta housing market may be seeing a drop in overall numbers of those owning homes now versus past years because of the disinterest in traditional single-family homes by these Millennials prefering to walk rather than commute to and from work and recreation.
Many Millennials feel there is no hurry to own their own Metro Atlanta home, because of how the economy has changed. Our current economy has shifted to a knowledge-based or connection-based economy, and we are seeing people now work well into their 70s, 80s and beyond. So many Millennials feel they have plenty of time to become home owners.
This trend could be one reason why the economy, and namely, the Metro Atlanta housing industry, isn't growing stronger than it is.
The growing young adult population has not fueled demand for Metro Atlanta housing units and the furnishings, telecom and cable installations, and other ancillary purchases that accompany newly formed households according to the Pew Research Center.
Trends have changed. Potential Metro Atlanta homebuyer desires have changed. Has the real estate market failed to change with the demand? Something to think about!
Owning a home is no longer the American dream it once was. The lingering effects of the Great Recession and housing bust have altered Metro Atlanta homeownership – a change likely to ripple through the Metro Atlanta housing market for years to come, according to a recent study conducted by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.
The flip side of falling Metro Atlanta homeownership rates has been exceptionally strong demand for rental housing, with the 2010s on pace to be the strongest decade for renter growth in history. With no signs of a slowdown in renter household growth, rental markets are likely to remain tight in the near term.
It's important to build a good credit score in case you want to buy a Metro Atlanta home someday. The easiest way to do that is to pay rent on time each and every month, and if you do miss a payment or have to pay late, include a formal letter of apology to your landlord with your rent for his or her records.
This year's stronger sales — coming with similarly tight housing supplies from a year ago — have caused Metro Atlanta home prices to rise to an unhealthy and unsustainable pace.
Housing affordability remains a pressing issue with home-price growth increasing around four times the pace of wages. Without meaningful gains in new and existing supply, there's no question the goal post will move further away for many renters wanting to become Metro Atlanta homeowners.
Buyer's views toward Metro Atlanta housing have not varied much over the past year, and they are still positive on homeownership as a good financial investment.
Here in Metro Atlanta, owners seem to have become more bullish since last year's survey. The proportion of owners who think that Metro Atlanta housing is a good investment increased from 58.5% in the 2014 survey to 63.2%, while the proportion thinking that Metro Atlanta housing is a bad investment declined from 11.9% to 9.8%.
Many analysts are saying the Metro Atlanta housing market has normalized amid the pickup in activity since the recession doldrums. But all is not well for people trying to buy–especially if they're first-time buyers or on the lower end of the price spectrum. Here's what you need to know to compete as 2015's spring Metro Atlanta home buying season swings into the home stretch.
Inventory constraints coupled with demand for real estate are pushing prices up. In many locations around the Metro Atlanta area, homes are selling at or above their list price. Don't expect the price gains to go away. Freddie Mac predicts an average home price gain of 4.5% in 2015 (on a national basis), while the National Association of Realtors is now forecasting that homes will rise by 6.7% this year.
For buyers the good news is, in 2015 there's less competition shaping up from investors in general. In the depths of the housing crisis, institutional investors were the big winners, snapping up single-family homes by the thousands. But they're less of a force today. In the first quarter of 2015, a total of 14,621 single-family homes were sold to institutional investors nationwide (defined as entities that purchase at least 10 properties per year), according to RealtyTrac. That's about 3.4% of all sales, down from 6.2% a year ago, and the lowest share for institutional investors in four years. All-cash deals are also down: of non-owner-occupied buyers, 44.7% were all-cash, compared to 61% a year ago and also the lowest level in four years.
Markets are moving slightly faster than they were last year, so it's going to be a little more difficult overall for homebuyers to find a home they want in a reasonable time frame. Homes priced at the lower end of the market are moving quickest: only 50% of homes priced in the lower one-third were still on the market after two months, compared with 65% of higher-priced homes.
With summer now in full swing (even though the calendar hasn't officially welcomed it yet), more potential home buyers are looking around. There is good news as Metro Atlanta mortgage rates remain at near historic lows, although they are rising, according to Freddie Mac.
The average 30-year fixed mortgage sits at 3.87 percent this week, an increase from 3.84 percent the previous week. The recent boost has brought Metro Atlanta mortgage rates to their highest levels of 2015.
1-year Treasury-indexed ARM's averaged 2.50 percent this week with an average 0.3 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.51 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.41 percent.
However, a year ago, 30-year rates averaged 4.21 percent. The rise in Metro Atlanta mortgage rates was due to positive housing data as U.S. home sales climbed 7 percent in April. Overall lower mortgage rates are playing a role in bringing out local home buyers. The historic low for 30-year rates was 3.31 percent in November 2012.
Pending Metro Atlanta home sales were up in March, even though the low supply of available homes for sale is still a concern.
Pending Metro Atlanta home sales are a barometer of future purchases. A one- to two-month lag usually exists between a contract and a completed sale, meaning that the gains should appear in April and May sales numbers.
With pending Metro Atlanta home sales up, greater buying activity has yet to bring more sellers into the market, with a mere 4.6 month supply of homes on the market. Economists consider a standard market to have at least a 6 month supply of homes for sale.
One factor pushing up prices is a steady decline in so-called "distressed" sales, which include foreclosures and short sales. Short sales occur when the seller owes more on a home mortgage than the house is worth. Both usually sell at steep discounts to traditional Metro Atlanta home sales.
While Metro Atlanta home sales continue to rise, the home ownership rate in the U.S. has fallen below 64 percent for the first time in over 20 years.
With pending Metro Atlanta home sales up and not a lot of new inventory coming on the market to help slow that down, and the home ownership rate now at it's lowest level in over 20 years, could there be trouble brewing in the housing industry?
The future of the Metro Atlanta housing market depends on jobs, and people earning enough to buy houses. But experts at a recent forum are predicting problems due to income levels. Until incomes improve across the board and hurdles to credit access are eased, it is expected that the Metro Atlanta housing market will continue to perform below capacity.
Economists at the forum said today's Metro Atlanta housing market represents just a partial recovery from the severe downturn that hit the country about seven years ago, but they differed on how much of a role overly tight credit is playing in the slow return to a full recovery.
The problem today doesn't seem to be a credit issue. It's more of a demand issue. Borrowers have less money now after millions went into foreclosure. We're facing a whole new ball game in the Metro Atlanta housing market, and it's anyone's guess if the lower income problem will be overcome soon enough to save the industry.
Renters are being squeezed in the Metro Atlanta housing market by a disproportionate growth in rental costs on one side and stagnant income on the other.
New research finds that rent growth is far exceeding wages, according to the National Association of Realtors.
The NAR reviewed data on income growth, housing costs and changes in the share of renter and owner-occupied households over the past five years across the country. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says the disparity between rent and income growth has widened to unhealthy levels and is making it harder for renters to become homeowners.
In the past five years, typical rent rose 15 percent while the income of renters grew by only 11 percent. The gap has worsened in many areas as rents continue to climb and the accelerated pace of hiring has yet to give workers a meaningful bump in pay.
The share of renter households has been increasing and homeownership in the Metro Atlanta housing market is falling. Those financially able to buy a home in recent years were insulated from rising Metro Atlanta housing costs since most take out 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with established monthly payments.
Moreover, a typical homeowners' net worth climbs because of upticks in home values and declining mortgage balances. The result has been an unequal distribution of wealth as renters continue to feel the pinch of increasing Metro Atlanta housing costs every year.
Meanwhile, current renters seeking relief and looking to buy are facing the same dilemma: home prices are rising much faster than their incomes. With rents taking up a larger chunk of household incomes, it's difficult for first-time buyers – especially in high-cost areas – to save for an adequate downpayment.
NAR's research analyzed changes in the share of renters and homeowners, mortgage payments, median home prices, median household income for renters and the rental costs in 70 metro areas. Even with the tax benefits of owning versus renting, affordability is still the major stumbling block for many who would like to enter the Metro Atlanta housing market as an owner rather than a renter.
Here we are, time to do taxes, and this is no April fools joke.
With just two weeks left of tax-season 2015, here are a few actions worth taking to save you money on your 2014 taxes, jumpstart savings for you or a relative, or possibly get a tax break on health coverage for 2015.
Contribute to an IRA. You have until April 15th to contribute to a 2014 traditional IRA, potentially reducing your taxable income. The maximum deductible contribution is $5,500 for those under age 50 and $6,500 for those age 50 and older. Your deduction will be limited based on income and whether you or your spouse has a retirement plan at work. Do you own a small business? Then you might be eligible for higher income and contributions limits through a simplified employee pension (SEP) IRA. Go to irs.gov and search for IRS Publication 590, "Individual Retirement Arrangements," for details on contributions and income limits.
Contribute to the IRA of a young relative or someone else starting out. Lower-income workers of all ages will benefit in three ways: more savings, less taxable income, and, if they're not medically insured through your plan or one at work, a larger insurance premium tax credit.
Apply for health-insurance coverage. Taxpayers in states with state-run health-insurance Marketplaces who didn't realize they would owe a penalty for lack of coverage in 2014 can take advantage of extended sign-up periods for 2015 coverage, through April 17th or even later. They may find themselves eligible for income-based tax credits to use toward premiums.
While we're on the subject of taxes, let's look at a growing problem and hopefully help you avoid calamity.
Tax-related identity theft can turn your life upside down and take years to resolve. You may know of someone who has had this happen to them. Someone submits an electronic tax return containing personal information about the person along with a bogus return address. The mess takes piles of paperwork, a tax advocate, and can take years to resolve.
Ignore e-mails and social media purportedly from the IRS. The IRS will NEVER contact taxpayers by e-mail, text message, Facebook, Twitter, or other social media. Nor does it send e-mails stating that you're being audited or getting a refund. That's a "phishing" scam, which you should report at phishing@irs.gov.
Confirm the authenticity of letters from the IRS. Check the agency's official contact page.
Check the URL of "IRS" tax information pages. The agency's website begins with www.irs.gov. Others are fakes.
Assigning victims a unique personal identification number. It must be included on their tax returns. This has given a lot of people peace of mind. It means faster processing and a speedier refund.
Speeding up victim case resolution. Because resolving I.D. theft cases can take up to six months, the IRS has assigned more employees to sort through the details and streamline the process.
Lending an ear. The IRS now has a dedicated section on its website devoted to the problem. In addition, it has implemented a special phone number for victims. The IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit is available at 1-800-908-4490.
If you haven't already filed your taxes, good luck over the next two weeks. And remember, filing an extension for your taxes doesn't mean an extension to pay. You still must submit what you think you'll owe whenever you get around to filing or face penalites and interest from April 15th to the day you finally pay up.
Home prices across most of the country were down for December, but still faired better than they were a year ago.
Black Knight Financial Services released its latest Home Price Index Report this past week, which showed that home prices nationwide were down an almost-flat 0.1 percent in December. At the same time, 2014 ended with home prices doing 4.5 percent better than a year prior.
According to the report, the average home prices in the U.S. in December were around $241,000, up from $230,000 a year before and inching closer to the June 2006 peak of $268,000.
The Northeast and Midwest showed the most notable price drops in December, while a few metro areas actually showed rising home prices for the month.
Data suggests that Metro Atlanta home prices are about to accelerate.
Earlier this week, the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, on a month-over-month nonseasonally adjusted basis, posted an increase for the first time since August. Winter's chill is beginning to thaw, even though old man winter is still clinging on in many areas. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the index posted its best price gain since 2014. Prices, however, are still more than 16 percent below their prerecession peaks.
A few things have been holding back Metro Atlanta home prices lately. For one, inventories have dried up a little, limiting choices. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) notes that families are staying in their homes longer, an average of 10 years vs. the long-term norm of seven years. Wage gains have also been lukewarm so far in the recovery, which is hampering first-time buyers. And evidence shows that student loan debt is limiting the ability of many Millennials to get a mortgage.
Yet positives are showing up.
New first-time homebuyer affordability, according to the NAR, has returned to early 2014 levels. And thanks to deleveraging efforts — defaults, short sales and the like — household mortgage debt has returned to 2001 levels, according to data from the Federal Reserve.
While some hurdles still remain, including relatively tight mortgage credit conditions, Metro Atlanta home prices look ready to accelerate as winter — which has been brutal in much of the country — gives way to the summertime peak in housing activity. Plus, this year's prices could get a boost because relatively fewer homes are available. As Metro Atlanta home prices rise, new construction activity will follow, providing a lift to U.S. economic growth later this year.
Metro Atlanta mortgage rates are still well below year-ago levels, but rates rose for the third consecutive week this past week.
Freddie Mac says the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.80 percent in the week ending Feb. 26, up from 3.76 percent last week. A year ago, 30-year rates averaged 4.37 percent.
A 15-year fix averaged 3.07 percent this week, up from 3.05 percent. A one-year adjustable-rate mortgage averaged 2.44 percent, down from 2.45 percent.
Freddie Mac says rates rose this week, in part, on strong housing data. New home sales topped expectations in January, hovering near a six year high. The monthly S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index showed prices in December in the 20 largest cities were up an average of 4.6 percent from a year earlier.
Stay plugged in with us right here, and we'll keep you up to date on Metro Atlanta mortgage rates, as well as news affecting interest rates overall.
Getting a Metro Atlanta mortgage does not just entail applying for the loan and getting an approval letter. There are still things that can go wrong, and you need to be aware of these so you don't find yourself out all the cash to get the loan, and still not get the funds you thought you were approved for.
You've gotten the call that your Metro Atlanta mortgage was approved, and your lender coordinates a closing date with you. You get the movers all lined up, you notify the utility companies to switch the untilites over to your name effective on your closing date, and you send out the change of address notices. Everything's all set to move in, until you get another call from your lender that says, your loan has fallen through.
One you will never recover from is if you submit fraudulent income statements. When getting a Metro Atlanta mortgage, there are no undocumented income statements. The lender will validate your income statement with the IRS or other taxing authority. What you submit to the lender must be exactly what you submitted to the IRS. Often the original loan approval is based on a contingency that your income be validated by the IRS.
Between the time you are initially approved for your Metro Atlanta mortgage and when the deal closes, try to keep everything the same regarding your financial situation.
Metro Atlanta mortgage rates ticked up this week for the first time in 2015 following positive home sales reports.
Freddie Mac says a 30-year fixed-rate Metro Atlanta mortgage averaged 3.66 percent this week, up from 3.63 percent last week. A year ago, 30-year rates averaged 4.31 percent. The all-time low of 3.31 percent was set in November 2012.
We'll continue to keep you updated here on any news that might affect Metro Atlanta mortgage rates, either up or down.
As we turn the calendar to 2015, it seems only fitting that we explore Metro Atlanta housing and some of the things to watch for in the new year.
Let's start our look at Metro Atlanta housing with Prices, and what's expected to happen in 2015.
When all the figures are in, it appears Metro Atlanta housing prices – as measured by the national repeat sales index (Case-Shiller, CoreLogic) – will be up about 5% or so in 2014 (after increasing about 12% in 2013).
The Metro Atlanta housing market is slowly moving back to normal, and real estate is very local, as we all know. But our best guess at this point is, available inventory will increase further in 2015. If this holds true, it will keep home price increases from going to high too fast, which is never a good thing for the Metro Atlanta housing market.
When it comes to the Metro Atlanta housing market, 2015 may be the year first-time home buyers make a comeback. With rents rising faster than incomes, many Millennials are expected to start looking to buy homes of their own.
Here are two more Metro Atlanta housing market trends economists and other industry experts expect to see in the year ahead, in additon to the price expectations and inventory projects we just covered.
First time home buyers are important to the overall Metro Atlanta housing market because a spike in the number of first time home buyers should spark a chain reaction by enabling existing homeowners to sell their homes and buy more expensive ones.
As the economy improves and salaries rise, Millennials are expected to become a bigger force in the Metro Atlanta housing market in the new year. Households headed by Millennials are expected to see significant growth in 2015, particularly as the economy continues to make gains.
Millennials are expected to drive two-thirds of household formations over the next five years, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. The forecasted addition of 2.5 million jobs next year, as well as an increase in household formation, are the two factors that realtor.com® points to in driving more first time home buyers to the Metro Atlanta housing market.
As always, we'll continue to track all of these Metro Atlanta housing trends for you throughout the new year and keep you updated right here.
In a Metro Atlanta lease purchase, in most cases, you will rent at a higher cost than the going market rate. Prior to moving in, you agree on a potential purchase date and purchase price for the home. You may buy the property at any point during the rental period up until the lease option expires, providing the allowance to do is spelled out clearly in your agreement. The lease option period can be any length of time that you and the seller agree to, ranging from several months to several years.
A Metro Atlanta lease purchase favors the seller if he or she is having a hard time selling their property. The rent-to-own option provides the seller with an alternative to lowering the price, taking the home off the market, or renting the home long-term. In the meantime, the Metro Atlanta lease purchase helps the seller pay the mortgage, property taxes and insurance. Unlike a traditional rental, tenants are more likely to take special care of the property because they hope to own it at the end of the lease purchase time period.
The biggest advantage a buyer would have with a Metro Atlanta lease purchase is financial, of course. If buyers don't have the down payment saved or adequate monthly income to qualify for a mortgage but believe they will within the next couple of years, a Metro Atlanta lease option allows them to accelerate the path to homeownership. By signing a contract now, the buyer locks in a purchase price, which means no worrying about rising home prices.
Understand that the seller could lose the property during the rental period. – This could occur for any number of reasons such as if he or she is unable to make the mortgage payments, a tax judgment is placed on the property, he or she goes through a divorce, is being sued, etc. If the seller loses the property, the potential buyer loses the possibility of buying the property, forfeits the extra rent paid and will have to find a new place to live. There is one possible exception: if the home becomes bank-owned through foreclosure, the bank might consider selling the home as soon as possible to the Metro Atlanta lease purchase buyer in order to avoid the hassle of maintaining and marketing the property to a different buyer. In this case, the rent-to-own buyer would have to decide whether the purchase is feasible at the new date, and possible new terms of purchase.
Ensure that the Metro Atlanta lease purchase option clearly states who is responsible for maintenance or repairs. – This agreement should also specify the types of changes or improvements (if any) the potential buyer is allowed to make to the property during the lease term.
Be sure to enter a "lease-option agreement" rather than a "Metro Atlanta lease purchase agreement". – The former grants the option to buy at any time during the rental period, while the latter requires purchase by the end of the lease period and has legal ramifications for backing out.
Talk to a mortgage broker and ensure that you're in a position to buy the property. – Even if the lessee decides to buy the house, it is possible that he or she will not qualify for the mortgage loan required to make the purchase. Finding this out before entering a Metro Atlanta lease purchase agreement, therefore, can save a lot of grief down the line.
While Metro Atlanta lease purchase arrangements can have many potential pitfalls, they can be a win-win situation between a trustworthy seller and a prudent, financially responsible buyer. If you can find an arrangement that you can agree on and a house that you'd like to own one day, this could be the perfect way for you to step out of your apartment and put down some roots.
It is also strongly advisable to find yourself a buyer's agent or broker to help you with this whole Metro Atlanta lease purchase agreement. They will have experience dealing with the pro's and con's, and can point out things you may never think of on your own.


Just when we thought tablets couldn't get any cheaper than the $99 HP TouchPad, it looks like we're proven wrong. Today, the Indian government has started offering slightly subsidized Android tablets for $35 apiece. Designed to bring students and the general public up to date with technology, especially the internet, the Aakash tablet (which means Sky) took over four years to develop. The creators of the tablet, DataWind and IIT Rajasthan, must have taken their time scouting out the best ways to cut costs because the tablets will be sold to students at $35. Yes, you read that right.
The government purchased the tablets at $50 apiece and will be selling them to students subsidized. To the general public, the tablets will be marked up to $70 – which is still pretty cheap. The Aakash tablet will feature a 366MHz + HD video co-processor, 256MB of RAM, and up to 32GB of internal storage, a 7″ resistive (800 x 480) display and it runs on Android 2.2 Froyo.
While it's not a great tablet in terms of specs, I assume it would be enough for non-taxing tasks such as web browsing (of lightweight websites) and document editing. The Aakash tablet isn't likely to be shipping out of India, but it does make on wonder whether other companies will consider releasing such cheap tablets in the future.
Filed in Tablets. Read more about Android, India, Sky and Tablet.


A boiler can be defined as a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated under pressure. This fluid is then circulated out of the boiler for use in various processes or power generation. In the case of power generation steam is taken out of the steam boiler at very high pressure and temperature.
In 200 B.C. a Greek named Hero designed a very simple machine which used the steam, generated in a vessel heated from below, to rotate a wheel as the steam escaped through two small pipes kept diametrically opposite, he called it as Aelopile.
From 200 B.C. to date, many developments have taken place that today allow us to classify steam boilers in different ways. Hence steam generating boilers can be classified under various categories. The main purpose of steam boilers is to generate steam, and so the way in which the steam is generated and consumed forms the major category. The major two groups of boiler application are Industrial steam generators and power generation boilers. Boilers are also classified as fire tube and water tube boilers.
Locomotive boilers, which ruled rail transportation before diesel and electric engine came.
The higher capacity boilers are mainly circulating fluidized bed boilers due inherent limitations in bubbling bed boilers.
Boilers therefore can be classified based on firing type, fuel used, construction type, circulation type, firing system design nature, and nature of steam application. Today's steam generating systems owe their dependability and safety to more than 125 years of experience in the design, fabrication, and operation of water tube boilers.


Showing results for tags 'slideshow'.
Hi, I need to have the stlye1 from layout setting of the BT Slideshow Pro, but it doesn't work properly. The text disappears and the image is almost fully black. When set to default layout the text appears but the font is looking weird. Where can I influence and correct this? Thank you for your support.
Is it possible to have the background slideshow Title and Description text resize for mobile or hide this text/module for mobile display?
Hi, I found the code for the text that flies out on the front page slide show but where can I find how this stuff is automated and what all comands do. Can it come out from the left and display on the the right side of the screen?
How can I make the all other page slideshow also show on the home page? I don't want the home page slideshow that large. How does the home page know to show the big slideshow in the template? The smaller slideshow is on ALL pages but does not show on home page. So, is top-content1 not defined on the home page? It is using the default template layout. Thanks.
I noticed that only the first dot has a preview. Rebuilding the images did not have effect on the other images Could someone at BowThemes have a look at it? (temp site) http://www.sbwd.nl/9thfloor/portfolio/annual-reports/abn-amro Thanks in advance.
Hi, I set up a BT Portfolio, which works fine on Firefox, Opera and Safari. but not on the Internet Explorer. I searched for help in the Forum, but couldn't fix the problem... Here's the site: http://klimaweg.com/...hte-broschueren The slideshow doesn't work. Thanks for your help!
[Solved] Slideshow isn't displaying pictures.


OUT! India have lost five wickets in the last session. What a fantastic session for Afghanistan. Dinesh taps this toward off side and sets off immediately for a single. But Pandya was not interested and sent him back. Nasir Jamal, the fielder, hurled the ball to Zazai, the keeper, who whipped the bails off quickly. Karthik's bat was in the air and he will have to depart.
OUT! Mujeeb Ur Rahman strikes and what a great first Test wicket to have. Pujara has been dismissed. Bowls a carrom ball that holds its line and it takes the inside shoulder of the bat and Nabi takes a sharp catch at leg slip.
DROPPED! Rashid is not happy and why should he be? He bowled the leg break and extracted extra bounce. Pujara was caught off guard and he edged it to Nabi at first slip, who failed to pouch it. Huge moment in the match. To make matters worse, the ball raced away to the third man fence.
OUT! First Test wicket for Rashid Khan and it has come after a hard day. Bowls the fast leg break. Rahane goes on his back foot to defend and gets rapped on the pad. Afghanistan appeal but the umpire says no. Stanikzai has a word with this players and opts for the review.
Three reds and Rahane will have to walk.
OUT! Two wickets in three balls for Afghanistan. Ahmadzai bowls this on a length and around off, Rahul goes to cut it but was cramped for room and inside edges it onto his stumps.
OUT! Wafadar has his first Test wicket. He angles it on a length and the ball jags back in as Vijay decides to leave it alone. He gets rapped on the pads and the finger goes up. Vijay reviews almost immediately. The impact is outside off but that doesn't matter as he didn't offer a shot. And it is just clipping the off stump bail.
Century! Murali Vijay brings up his 12th ton with a boundary over point. Celebrates with a dab with Rahul.
Tea has been taken. It was between 1.55 and 2.15.
The 50-run stand is up between Murali Vijay and KL Rahul.
FIFTY! 16th half century for Murali Vijay. Didn't get off to a confident start but he stuck around and has compiled a fine fifty. The key though is to continue the good work.
OUT! First Test wicket for Afghanistan and it is Yamin Ahmadzai who provides the breakthrough. Full and outside off, Dhawan looks to punch it through but it takes the outside edge. Rahmat Shah, the second slip fielder, goes for the catch but fails to grab it but he parries it towards Nabi at first slip, who pouches Afghanistan's first Test catch. Dhawan's destructive innings has come to an end.
There it is! A century before Lunch for Shikhar Dhawan. He gets to his 7th ton with a boundary through cover.
The 100-run stand is up between Dhawan and Vijay after Dhawan hammers one into the long off stand for a six.
FIFTY! A bad start to Rashid Khan's Test career. Rashid bowls another full toss and Dhawan smacks it to the deep midwicket fence to bring up his 6th half century.
The 50-run stand is up between Vijay and Dhawan. Dhawan has scored the bulk of runs.
Remember the names of these 11 players!
Rahul to bat at No 4. Kuldeep Yadav and Karun Nair miss out.
The coin falls in India's favour in the historic Test and Ajinkya Rahane opts to bat.
Pitch report: There is a lot of grass and it is also damp. It will wake up a lot of batsmen. Lots of lateral movement can be expected. This seems like a bowl-first pitch because of the overhead conditions and the pitch, say Simon Doull and Sunil Gavaskar at the inspection.
What a day of Test cricket this has been. Almost all cricket fans felt for the Afghanistan cricket team when Shikhar Dhawan was smashing them all over the park. The southpaw also got his ton before lunch. Then Murali Vijay too got to the milestone. It felt as if it will be a long and forgettable day for the visitors. But one wicket led to another and the Afghan spinners cashed in on the strong position. They conceded 99 runs in the final session and took five wickets. Outstanding comeback.
Even though India are slightly ahead at the moment because of the dominant first two sessions, skittling out the hosts early could bring Afghanistan back into the game. An exciting day of Test cricket awaits us.
Do join us tomorrow at 9 am. For now though, it's time to say goodbye.
Our correspondent Shubham Pandey reviews the day one proceedings of the historic Test from the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Wafadar is back into the attack and concedes a boundary off the first ball. He also induces an outside edge on the fifth ball but it falls short of the slip fielder.
That will be stumps on Day 1!
All the instances are of the first day.
Not bad, Afghanistan. Did not begin well, but have ended the day on a high. Five wickets in the last session thanks to good bowling and some lacklustre batting by the Indian middle order. India would not mind 347/6, but only because this was against Afghanistan. I would say the hosts are still ahead in the game despite losing wickets in the last session. Kudos to Afghans for coming back strongly and setting an exciting day 2.
FOUR! Begins with a overpitched delivery, outside off and Ashwin drives it on the up through cover.
Rashid to bowl his 26th over. Two came off the over and Ashwin almost lost his off stump in the over. He left a delivery thinking it was a leg break but it was a googly and marginally missed the off stump.
Mujeeb has often bowled a bad ball in an over today and the second ball was that delivery in this over. It was dispatched for a boundary. Six came off the over.
FOUR! Mujeeb strays it down the leg side and Pandya glances it behind square.
The pressure is getting to India. The run out was a result of that pressure. India are six down. Who would've expected this after the start they got?
Mujeeb's wait for a maiden is over. He has finally bowled one after 13 overs.
Rashid Khan to bowl another over. He would bowl till 10 in the night if given the opportunity. Seems to be in the zone after snaring his first wicket. Allows only one single off his 24th over.
Karthik and Pandya are batting for survival. Another wicket here could be trouble for India. Three runs off the over.
DK survives only by just!
Dinesh Karthik lucky to survive that review, but clearly umpire Paul Reiffell is unable to read Rashid Khan's spin, tweaks and turns!
Afghanistan review an LBW call. They think they have got their man. Karthik has been pinged on the pad but the umpire's call saves him this time. A maiden for Rashid.
What a brilliant phase of cricket this has been for Afghanistan. Mujeeb picks up his first Test wicket. India are five down and this match has become interesting all of a sudden.
He is now a much better batsman than these numbers.
So Nabi drops one catch and then takes a stunning one in the next over. Day over for Pujara who was struggling to pick Mujeeb. Exciting few moments left in the game with Pandya in now and he does not like to stay quite to the spinners.
Rashid has found his rhythm even if 20 overs late. He has started to look threatening and could've had his second wicket had Nabi taken Pujara's catch at first slip.
Ajinkya Rahane's departure brings Dinesh Karthik to the centre. It is his comeback match and he will want to be among the runs.
And before the end of play Afghanistan sees the back of Rahane. Wicket finally for Rashid after a though day in the office. Karthik walks in amidst great cheer. This moment happening to him after 8 long years.
Five runs come off the first two balls of the over and then Mujeeb bowls four straight dots.
FOUR! A googly gone wrong. Short and around leg and Pujara slaps it through fine leg.
Rashid continues. Pujara plays out the first three balls and then takes a single and Rahane defends the final two balls.
Four dots. One single and boundary in Mujeeb's 8th over, who has already leaked 51 runs. It was supposed to be a spinners' day. It has been anything but that.
Play can go on till 17:29 i.e. 20 minutes from now. Rahane, Pujara look to play it out safely.
FOUR! Mujeeb bowls it short. Rahane goes back and punches it through cover.
The run rate has fallen in after Vijay and Rahul's departure. This might be a conscious effort from Rahane and Pujara given that India had lost two wickets in quick succession but the hosts have to now ensure that they don't lose another wicket till stumps now.
Sixth maiden for Ahmadzai. His spell post the rain break has been spectacular. India are giving him respect and he is cashing in on that.
Rashid Khan returns and bowls his first Test maiden. Rahane is refusing to take any risks. Think he has made his mind to play a long innings today.
An expensive over from the Afghanistan captain. This duo was struggling to score runs and this over will release some pressure off them.
FOUR! Short delivery on the off stump and Pujara pulls it away to the midwicket fence.
India in complete control of the things in the middle. Pujara playing an innings unlike his playing style. It would be interesting to see how he plays Rashid because he has not played him before.
FOUR! Short delivery and outside off. Pujara waits and cuts it and beats gully to his left.
FOUR! Stanikzai bowls it wide and Pujara cuts it wide of the first slip.
Ahmadzai bowls one more maiden - his fifth of the innings. In fact Rahane was given out on the fourth ball but he reviewed and the decision was overturned as he hadn't gloved it.
Stanikzai has introduced himself into the attack. Pujara takes a single off his first ball to cover and Rahane retains the strike with a single off the final ball.
One more maiden for Ahmadzai. What a lovely passage of play this has been for Afghanistan.
Another maiden over. For the first time in today's play have Afghanistan bowled so many dot balls in a passage of play. This is what picking a couple of wickets early does.
Rahane respects Ahmadzai for five balls and then cashes in on a poor last delivery and slaps it to the point fence for a boundary.
FOUR! Short and wide. Rahane cuts it in front of point.
Pujara has just played out six balls in the calmest way one possibly can. Well, that's what happens when a a batsman trusts his defence. Lovely to watch.
India vs Afghanistan, LIVE cricket score, Only Test at Bengaluru, Latest updates: Wafadar is back into the attack and concedes a boundary off the first ball. He also induces an outside edge on the fifth ball but it falls short of the slip fielder.
Preview: Statistically, it's a classic David vs Goliath showdown but contextually, it's the beginning of a historic new chapter in international cricket as World No 1 India take on a war-ravaged-but-resilient Afghanistan in their first ever Test match on Thursday.
While majority of the sports fans, in soul and spirit, will be in Russia enjoying the surreal skills of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the eternal cricket romantic will try to derive his little pleasures of life watching Rashid Khan trying to hurry Shikhar Dhawan with a flipper or bowl a googly to Ajinkya Rahane.
There is always a nervous anticipation associated with the performance of a new team but the politico-social narrative associated with Afghanistan gives the game a different context.
On the surface, it is just another Test match but it is much beyond that.
The Rashids, Mujeeb Zadrans and Mohammed Shahzads would like to put their best foot forward in trying to at least provide their countrymen a refuge in sporting success.
India have been Afghanistan's close allies and the BCCI has shown magnanimity in opening their stadiums so that the national team can practice.
But come Thursday, Ajinkya Rahane's India will not spare an inch as they are expected to put up a ruthless show.
No wonder the iconic CLR James line is still so relevant "What do they know of Cricket who only Cricket Know."
India, sans their regular skipper Virat Kohli along with two frontline bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, will look to record a comprehensive win before embarking on their long and gruelling tour of England.
For Afghanistan, it will be a battle of attrition that they have never ever faced before. Test cricket is a different beast and Rashid's real battle starts now.
That he is a brilliant four-over bowler, is a known and acknowledged fact.
However, the acid Test will start when he bowls that fifth over. The intelligence will be tested during the 15th over, patience during the 23rd over and endurance during the 40th over.
More importantly, will Rashid be able to maintain his quick arm speed over after over.
As Afghanistan coach Phil Simmons said, his men won't understand what is Test cricket until they get onto the field.
With no pressure of asking rate, a Murali Vijay or a Cheteshwar Pujara, if set, will play at their own pace. The Indian batsmen in their own backyard are not known to pull back punches.
Can a 17-year-old Mujeeb, who hasn't played a single four-day game in his career, trouble a KL Rahul with whom he shared the IPL dressing room at the Kings XI Punjab?
This time he won't have Ravichandran Ashwin's guidance. Instead, Ashwin might pass on a few valuable inputs to his batsmen on how to tackle Mujeeb.
Will Shahzad be able to curb his natural attacking instinct as the five-day format demands different attritional skills?
That Afghanistan have no idea how difficult it can get could be gauged from their skipper Asghar Stanikzai's pompous claims that his spinners are better than the home team.
When Dinesh Karthik was asked, his singular statement made it clear what the team thought about it.
"Our Kuldeep Yadav (2 Tests) has played more first-class games than all their spinners put together. I know from where its coming but I wouldn't to harp too much on that," Karthik said.
However, the Indians having watched and played against Rashid will be wary of what he can do.
That's the reason the Indian team management might just prefer a hard bouncy track knowing full well that a rank turner could boomerang on them.
The problem with Afghanistan will not be their spinners but their batsmen.
How well Shahzad, Mohammed Nabi negotiate Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will have a direct impact on the kind of fight Afghanistan will be able to put on.
And even before that, they will have to counter the disconcerting bounce generated by Ishant Sharma and the pace worked up by Umesh Yadav.
As Kevin Pietersen said during his MAK Pataudi Lecture, a lot will depend on their "ability to take lessons from the nets into the heat of battle".
Ireland had put up a respectable fight against Pakistan on their Test debut but again it was Kevin O'Brien who was the silver lining in the batting department.
But whatever be the outcome, "a beautiful journey" has already begun for Afghanistan.
India: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Ravichandran Ashwin. Ravindra Jadeja. Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav.
Afghanistan: Ashgar Stanikzai, Mohammed Shahzad, Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Ihsanullah Janat, Nasir Jamal, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afsar Zazai, Mohammed Nabi, Rashid Khan, Zahir Khan, Amir Hamza Hotak, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Yamin Ahmadzai Wafadar, Mujeeb ur Rahman.


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Laurel Sharmer is one tough woman. At age 63 she began construction on her retirement dream home—while living in the unfinished house. Three years later she's done, and it's beautiful!
SERENDIPITY HAS A LOT TO DO with this story. If Laurel Sharmer hadn't moved to Potsdam, New York to take up a new public-health teaching job at SUNY, if she hadn't, consequently, purchased that wreck of a 1927 Cape Cod and spent 12 years fixing it up; if her daughter-in-law had never driven her, on a whim, to view lots in Monmouth, Oregon; and if she had never said, "This is where I want to spend the rest of my life," I would never have met this gutsy, multi-talented woman.
When Laurel moved in next door she brought with her a set of quality power tools, blueprints for a 1,600 square-foot Craftsman-style cottage, the deed to a nearby corner lot, and $94,000—money from the sale of that now-renovated Cape Cod. The money would pay for four things: (1) a $12,000 building permit, (2) the foundation "dig out," (3) a contractor to frame and complete the exterior of the house; and (4) another to bring in the electrical service.
Everything else she would do herself, relying on sweat equity and imagination to stretch her Social Security and "tiny" pension checks while living in the unfinished shell. It would take as long as it took, but she would have no mortgage.
When Laurel told me this, I was stunned.
I liked Laurel and we soon became friends. But I kept wondering: How could this slim, 63-year old grandmother manage to do, alone, all that building a house required? My daily walk took me past her lot and curiosity drove me to stop often and view her progress. I was impressed when she installed the wiring and plumbing, and more impressed when I learned she was using copper tubing instead of the flexible plastic commonly used. Copper because this house would not only be fully green (her years in public health insisted on that), but built to last. It would be her legacy to her granddaughters. And always in her mind was the idea that it would stand at least a hundred years.
But every planner, no matter how diligent, encounters pitfalls, and like many builders and remodelers before her, Laurel discovered her pitfall was an imperfect contractor.
"I think the guy who did my framing was an honest man, but he ended up letting his son use my house as a learning laboratory, where 'close' was good enough."
The failings of "close" were soon evident. Not only was the work done far more slowly than promised, it wasn't always done right. She soon discovered that one of the two side-by-side bedroom windows was three-eights of an inch too low. Since a level headboard sat below them the discrepancy was obvious.
"It required a lot of finagling" to get the apron below the windows to match. And unfortunately, it wasn't a unique problem.
"The rough framing has driven me crazy. There's little he did that's square or plumb," she said. "It can take a whole day to complete the finish framing for one window, because the rough is bad. Dealing with that has been my hardest task."
First she completed her bedroom (which served, officially, as her general-contractor office), then the bath, kitchen, living area, and finally the hall and stairwell. For months her only water source, outside a toilet and shower, was a temporary utility sink in the hall. She had a stove, but no counters or cupboards. Visitors were treated to views of two-by-fours and plywood floors, but Laurel seemed unfazed. Yes, she admits, she was sometimes discouraged, but she told herself that "everything I do is putting me one step closer to being finished."
She struggled with doors ("door mortices for hinges have to be exact to 32nd of an inch"), and the stair well ("I wish I'd paid more attention to parallelograms in high school), but the task most revealing of her frugality and determination was the porch ceilings. She bought cedar fencing, planed off the roughness, ripped each board to 2.5 inches, routed it with tongue and groove, and nailed it up—using about 5,000 nails. After letting it rest for six months she climbed back on the ladder and applied three coats of Spar varnish. Total cost: $160.
The easiest task—installing the flooring throughout the downstairs—was a pleasant surprise. To save money she bought flat Douglas Fir seconds at 20 cents a foot and did the routing herself. Because they were seconds she examined them carefully and used the rejects as face frames for cabinets.
"It was pretty easy to hammer them into place and put down five coats of water-based floor finish. I did the entire great room for about $150, and the finish cost half as much as the floor."
Though an architect designed the house, the interior is all Laurel's. Often when I stopped by I would find her studying books of Craftsman and Shaker design—her two guiding principles. In designing and building her bath and kitchen cupboards she did what makes perfect sense but never seems to happen.
"I measured my stuff. How high are my shampoo bottles, how high my cereal boxes, books in the bookcase, photo albums, everything." Every cupboard in the house is built for specific items or purpose, including a "dining cabinet" in the kitchen island for her cat Spike, and a cupboard under the stairs for his "powder room." The small utility closet that holds her ironing board and cleaning supplies is so well thought out that every item can be reached without moving anything else. I envy it greatly.
The project she's most proud of is an alder trestle table, stained chestnut brown to match her granddaughter's hair. When she's alone, the feet slide into slots under a window seat, keeping the table out of the way. But when the family comes, "I pull the table out and use the window seat. Measuring stuff meant measuring the family too."
She did need help hoisting a few cupboards and hanging the large carriage-house doors, but without doubt she's managed to do all but the heaviest tasks on her own.
Now, finally, she's completing the second floor, a single large room divided into activity areas: sewing/crafts, reading, TV viewing, etc. And with the downstairs completed she's able to take her time and buy better quality lumber.
Laurel's energy, creative solutions, and smart planning kept costs low and her vision intact. Despite her limited income, despite having to sometimes delay progress until the next check arrived, she never nourished her doubts or compromised on her priorities: solid construction, green components, energy efficiency, and building to last. The result of her hard work is a lovely, mortgage-free home that is everything she dreamed of, and a small but bountiful garden (as a vegan she grows most of her food) that is the envy of her neighbors.
But she's not resting. Besides spending more time with friends and family, besides the year-round garden—and the preserving that goes with it—she's learning to square dance and play the piano, and soon she'll have a new Airedale puppy to train. And he'll have his own dog-washing station beside the back steps.
The house shortly after completion. Trees, berry bushes, roses and flowers of all kinds now surround the cottage.


As well as the talks, lectures and coaching visits listed here, the Chaplain, the Headmaster and several other members of staff are very happy to preach in schools. Uppingham Housemasters and Housemistresses are also happy to visit to talk about the transition to senior schools. To enquire about this or about any of the talks, lectures and coaching visits listed below, please contact Sam Dewhurst (sgd@uppingham.co.uk or 01572 820921), who would also be delighted to co-ordinate a visit to Uppingham for members of your staff.
A taste of German Elizabeth Semper Our Head of German would be happy to run a taster session to introduce pupils to this wonderful language and culture.
The Classical World Alex Broadbent and Sam Dewhurst Alex would be happy to come and talk about the Ancient Olympics and also (accompanied by Sam) 'A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome'.
University Challenge at your school David Kirk Staff v Pupils, boys v girls, parents v staff, inter-school challenges...we have all the gear (electronic scoreboards, buzzers, etc.), all the questions, and will come to your school to run your contest.
A time traveller's guide to Medieval Britain James Birch A lighthearted look at some serious Medieval English History from James, historian and Housemaster of Farleigh.
20th Century History Jim Reddy An interactive historical experience in a 20th Century topic of your choice (by discussion) from Jim, Housemaster of Fircroft.
Ice Age Tom Davies What would it be like if the world was plunged into an ice age again? Find out with Tom's exciting insight into climatic changes of the past and future.
Learn & Live the Ancient World Alex Broadbent Alex will talk about aspects of the ancient world ranging from mythology and drama to festivals, food and parties, and will run workshops creating masks, edible houses, Icarus' wings and much more.
The 20th Century in a nutshell Jules Leang Jules is a member of the History Department and will take your pupils through the 20th Century in an hour, with lots of pictures and activities.
Why Politics is not boring! Toby Makhzangi For many children and adults alike politics appears to be a complex, remote and dull subject. Toby, Housemaster of West Deyne and a politics teacher, will demonstrate that the subject is relevant to our every day lives no matter of age.
Can Miracles Happen Today? Richard Hegarty A fresh look at miracles from a modern perspective from our Head of Religious Studies.
Judging Music Competitions Stephen Williams/Jane Stevens Stephen is Director of Music and Jane is Assistant Director of Music.
Open Your Ears Stephen Williams A talk suitable for an assembly from the Director of Music.
Flute-tastic Jane Stevens Coaching for flute ensembles of all levels from the Assistant Director of Music.
String Strategies: Initial Inspiration, Continuation & Progress Alex Laing Alex, our Head of Strings, will be happy to work with your Music Department to enthuse and inspire young strings players.
Imagination in Singing Catherine Griffiths Performance and communication based workshops for individuals, choirs and vocal ensembles from our Head of Singing.
Jazz Improvisation for All Gareth Lumbers A practical workshop from a top saxophone teacher and jazz aficionado.
Big Band Recital Andy Webster Just try to sit still whilst you hear the Senior Big Band play from its stirring repertoire.
Endangered Instruments Various Talks and demonstrations from our visiting specialists to encourage budding French Horn, Trombone, Bassoon and Viola players.
Accompanying for Beginners Simon Smith Our Accompanist in Residence offers coaching for those taking their first steps in piano accompanying.
Advanced Piano Skills Alexis Ffrench Specialist coaching from Grade 5 upwards from our Head of Keyboard and Music Technology.
Step up to the Organ Peter Clements A practical introduction to the organ for pianists of Grade 5 and upwards from our School Organist.
Clarinet Craze Andy Webster One of the UK's leading clarinettists and Uppingham's Head of Wind, Brass and Percussion leads an entertaining session on making the most of your clarinet.
Shake-Up Shakespeare Clare Rayner Our Director of Drama, Clare, will lead this fun and exciting workshop, adapting well known Shakespeare plays through a variety of rehearsal methods, exploring different theatrical styles. The workshop looks at Shakespeare from a different perspective, resulting in a creative, original and exciting performance in a real theatre.
Physical Theatre Alex Boyd-Williams A fun, creative and energetic workshop, building acting and presentational skills for performance from Alex, Housemaster of The Lodge.
Ceramics, Sculpture, or what you will The Leonardo Crew Practical creativity with the Leonardo Centre team.
Paintings that tell a story David Kirk David is Head of History of Art. A professional Artist and Art Historian, he introduces pictures that have a story to tell. He would also be happy to give a talk on Van Gogh, The Pre-Raphaelites or Monet.
Beekeeping Carl Silvester The chance to examine some real live bees in the School's observation hive, taste some Uppingham School honey and learn all about the challenges and rewards of modern beekeeping.
Fabulous Fiction/Google-it is - an incurable disease? Sue Wray Our Head Librarian will entertain your pupils with an interactive iPad based session creating book trailers, or tackle the pitfalls of internet research (iPads not provided).
A taste of Antarctica or Polar bears and the Arctic Richard Boston Tales from recent trips from one of Uppingham's most intrepid travellers.
Thring Scholarship & Leadership Tasks Alex Cook & Andy Huxter The organisers of the Thring Scholarship and some current scholars explain what it's about and set some practical leadership tasks for pupils to try.
Fly Fishing & Fly Tying Clive Simmons Clive is a passionate fisherman and will hold workshops on fishing and fly-tying at your school or here at Uppingham.
Rugby Coaching Nick De Luca Nick, our new Director of Rugby, is a former Scotland international rugby union centre. Having played the greater part of his rugby career at Edinburgh, before a spell at Biarritz and Wasps Nick now inspires Uppinghamians to achieve their best.
PE & Games Lessons Keven Johnstone Keven is Director of Activities at Uppingham. Let him take the strain and enthuse your pupils in a wide range of sports and games.
Trevor Ward Former England international wicket keeper Chris Read is Uppingham's new Director of Cricket. The former Notts CCC Captain brings a wealth of experience to the playing fields of Uppingham.
Trevor has been Uppingham's Cricket Professional since his first class career with Kent and Leicestershire.
Coaching and Umpiring Sarah Singlehurst Sarah is Head of PE, and a hockey, netball and athletics coach. She is happy to coach and umpire hockey, netball and athletics, or to coach gymnastics or swimming.
Netball and Hockey coaching and umpiring Keely Smith Keely is Head of Girls' Sport and a Level 2 Hockey Coach. She is happy to do netball and hockey coaching and umpiring.
Advanced Hockey coaching - learn a new trick or skill! James Baker James is i/c of Boys' Hockey and a Level 2 coach for Leicestershire and Rutland.
Lacrosse Chris Webborn Chris Webborn (Welsh U19 coach) is happy to run Lacrosse taster days or coaching sessions.
Tennis Coaching Maria Barefoot Maria, who is i/c of Girls' Tennis, would be pleased to arrange coaching for boys and girls.


The Elephant in the Room – What's Your Case Really Worth?
First things first, the internet is lying to you. Inevitably, if you have been injured, this blog is not the first place on the internet you've visited to find the answer one of your most important questions – what's my case really worth? More likely, you started with asking the search-engine lawyer and sifted through mounds of results. Here's the thing – while you can find enough reading material to read for days, the results are probably pretty unreliable. Many times, injured people come into our office and have a valuation of their case that far exceeds reasonable expectations for a settlement or verdict.
However, it's not their fault. The internet returns results from outlier cases with million-dollar verdicts. Or, more troubling, it returns web pages from legitimate lawyers and law firms with published settlements. Some law firms advertise case settlements and judgments. Now, the Florida Bar allows this as long as they are verifiable, so, fair enough. However, what is left out from many of these advertisements are the details of the case. High verdicts come with one common thread – high damages. And, to get to high damages, it means someone was hurt badly and permanently, someone died, and/or the person or entity responsible did so with such a high degree of culpability that the court allowed, and the injured was awarded, punitive damages.
So, what the point? The point of this article isn't to tell you can't trust anything you read about settlements and judgments. Instead, it is to point out the issues and give you some guidance on how a lawyer evaluates your case. Essentially, it is part mathematical formula, part experience, and part research. When your lawyer first meets with you, he or she is evaluating not only the extent of the injuries and the facts that prove up the case, but he or she is also trying to gauge potential issues with the case – maybe even intangible issues. To simplify things, we've broken basic valuation into eight categories.
How much money have you spent out of pocket?
Pretty much the easiest category. If you've spent money due to the injury, track it and keep evidence of it. Generally, this is going to be things like medical co-pays, insurance deductibles, and property damage. Depending on the type of case, there could be other items, but the idea is to keep receipts or other proof of payment and let the lawyer decide what's in and what's out.
Again, nothing hidden here – if someone else has spent money on you as a result of the injury, record it and keep evidence of it. Now, that's pretty easy when we're talking health insurance or something like Medicare/Medicaid. Your lawyer will request the billing records and get the amounts. It is important to understand that while these numbers are important in giving a valuation to your case, it doesn't mean you get money back for what someone else spent on you. It's a bit of a complicated procedural matter, but make sure your lawyer explains subrogation rights – essentially, what part of recovery must go back to your health insurer or to Medicare/Medicaid.
You may think, why even use these numbers if you can't get money from it. Well, the total of your medical bills is often used by insurance adjusters (and juries) to put a number on "pain and suffering." While that's by no means a scientific methodology, it's the truth, and you need to be aware of it.
How hurt are you – from your doctors' perspectives?
This is an important one – what do your medical records say? Your lawyer is looking for notes and diagnoses from your doctor(s) that describe severity, permanency, treatment, and, if possible, causation. As I mentioned, in order to get a higher value, it means severe or permanent injury.
How hurt are you – from your perspective?
We're looking for the intangible here. How's the pain – on a scale of 1-10? What were you able to do pre-injury and how are you limited now? This is the place where you put into your terms what the doctor put in medical terms. Your lawyer needs to know how your injuries are affecting you and your life. He or she needs to know how you describe the pain, the limitations, the effects on you.
Missed work? Can you work?
Here's where we start putting numbers on missed days of work and limitations on work. Your lawyer will review pay stubs and tax returns and will want to know if your doctor has placed any limitations on your work. Are you on paid leave? Do you have unpaid leave? Do you qualify for disability? This is an area that is a little more complicated than it may seem on its face. Your lawyer will be able to explain the ins and outs, but it comes down to the limitations and using your documentation to apply the numbers.
How are your relationships with friends and family since the injury?
This is more of a special damage, but the law, in certain circumstances, allows for what's called "loss of consortium." Essentially, these damages are fact-sensitive, but it comes down to what the injury has done to your closest relationships – namely your husband or wife. It is a very sensitive and personal subject but can be easily overlooked in valuing your case.
Do we have punitive damages?
Many times, when the internet tells you a number with many zeros, it is because the person or entity that caused the injury did it not with negligent actions, but with something more reckless and intentional. The Court has to allow these based on the facts, but if they do, the jury can grant them. To be VERY clear, these types of damages are extremely rare – most likely, these will not be applicable in your case, but make sure to address them with your attorney.
How will a jury perceive your case?
Most likely, your case, if it goes all the way to trial, will be decided by six strangers. From your first consultation, your attorney is evaluating the facts of your case combined with his or her experience. Perception is reality and though the verdict in your case is clear to you, everyone brings their own biases and experiences into their assessment, so they may not come to the same conclusion you would. The importance of this evaluation is for your benefit. Trial is stressful – you'll be put on the stand, put in the spotlight. Your medical history, any criminal history, everything about you may be on display, and the final outcome is ultimately left up to six strangers. Nevertheless, it is important to have an ongoing discussion with your attorney as to his or her assessment of how strangers are likely to perceive your case.
In short, putting a number on your case is difficult, but this is what attorneys are there to do. Do not rely on search engine results or even the results published on a lawyer or law firm's web page. While those are verifiable, they are the settlements and judgments on a totally different case than yours – different injuries, different circumstances, different jury. Have a frank conversation with your attorney and understand the categories upon which they value your case. You may be disappointed to learn that the internet put a big value on what you perceive as a similar case and your lawyer offers a more realistic valuation, but keep in mind that a proper valuation leads to the best possible outcome for you.


text:
JD-com Inks Pact to Deliver Unilever Products Across China
Unilever – whose product line-up include brands such as Lipton tea, Vaseline, Clear, Lux soap and OMO – will use JD.com's logistics network to move goods between warehouses, and also distribute
them to the outlets of its retail partners.
JD.com said in a statement that Unilever, which previously worked exclusively with logistics firms such as Deutsche Post's DHL for its China distribution, will use its network to shift goods
destined for stores between warehouses. Unilever signed a strategic partnership with Alibaba in 2015, including using data from its online marketing unit and its cloud business, to improve its
digital advertising strategy and expand its distribution channels for rural consumers.
Significant move
Apart from the strategic aspects for Unilever, the move is also significant for JD.com because it marks a big expansion for its Retail as a Service (RaaS) offering – through which the e-commerce
player is offering its technology and infrastructure to other companies and organisations outside of its own e-commerce platforms.
In a statement, Rohit Jawa, executive vice president of Unilever North Asia, said: "After working closely with JD as a retail partner, it's clear that its logistics network and technology are
unmatched. By opening that infrastructure to businesses outside of its own platform, JD will now help us bring our most popular products to the most hard-to-reach communities in China, securely
and quickly."
Retailer and logistics provider all in one
According to JD.com, the company is "the first large scale e-commerce company in the world to build out and operate a nationwide logistics network." That network currently comprises more than 500
warehouses and 7,000 delivery stations.
The Chinese e-tailer last year signed a similar deal with France's Danone, in a move to play the dual roles of retailer and logistics provider. A major differentiator for the 14-year-old company
is providing all of its own logistics, but as e-commerce competitors saturate China's denser urban markets, they too are looking to logistics as a source of growth.
Earlier this year, JD-com invested US$2.5 billion in its logistics subsidiary JD Logistics to ramp up its supply chain and e-commerce presence in China and differentiate itself from bigger rival
Alibaba. The company claims it can deliver over 90 percent of orders on the same or next day. In June the Chinese etailer, which is partially owned by Walmart, raised US$500 million in investment
from Google in what is shaping up to be a logistics arms race between China's e-commerce players.
Nol van Fenema

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We hope you enjoy feeling the beat of the Earth in Muroto UNESCO Global Geopark, where the ocean and the land meet – the forefront for the birth of new land.
Muroto UNESCO Global Geopark encompasses the entire administrative district of Muroto City, Kochi prefecture, Japan. Muroto was approved as a Global Geoparks Network (GGN) member on September 18, 2011.
A Geopark is a unified area where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.
A Geopark uses that heritage, in connection with all other aspects of that area's natural and cultural heritage, to enhance awareness and understanding of key issues facing society in the context of the dynamic planet we all live on. In a Geopark, you can come in touch with nature, history and culture and discover the link between people and the earth.
I will clean the Sakihama River.