#The earthquake showed up to remind the hurricane who's house this is.

[fvrxdrm]

City of the Living Dead

Chapter 6

"September 28, 2:30 am... It's down to just me and 3 others. No weapons...no ammo...and too many skirmishes have drained us mentally and physically. We're not gonna make it... Officer Phillips once suggested we escape through the sewers. Apparently, there's a secret tunnel under this place left over from its museum days. I brushed her idea off before, but now, it's not sounding all that bad. Yeah, there's no proof there's even a tunnel or that the sewers aren't infested with zombies, but I don't wanna sit here and wait to die, either. It's a long shot, but I'm gonna try to find out what I can about that tunnel... Elliot Edward," you read, "Shit. Rest in peace, buddy." You placed the transcript back to where you found it and proceeded in scanning the room you and Leon were in.

It was an office of some sort with mahogany desks occupying the center, swivel chairs pointing towards every direction, some paperworks piled in a stack and some (or rather most) cluttered all over the tables and floor. It looked like a hurricane together with an earthquake and a tsunami clashed and crashed in the area.

"Leon, w-" your head twisted and turned as you looked for best friend and even called out to him when you found him just staring at something on the ceiling, his trembling lips pinned in between pearly-white teeth, eyebrows furrowed upwards, and eyes looking like a dam was about to breakdown because of too much pressure. You went towards where he was standing and followed his gaze. You gasped. He was looking at stringed triangle banners with letters printed out on each of them

WEL COME LEON

Your face began to mirror Leon's but a pained smile differentiated yours from his as a sudden rush of memory enlightened your brain. "Hey, look, the design's the same as the banner I surprised you with when we were 15," you said, raising an arm to point at the triangular flags.

Leon chuckled softly at what you said and nodded while a sneaky tear flowed down his cheek in a tiny stream. "Yeah."

"Come on, Leon! I worked hard for this." You hauled on your friend's wrist and led him towards his room with a strain as Leon's languor held him back.

"This better be good, Y/N. You fucking woke me up and I'm really close to fucking strangling you." His voice was a little hoarse from having just woken up right before you pulled him off of the couch and he was still lowkey tired because of the three-hour rest he had last night, but as much as he wanted to throw you out of his house and fall into a well-deserved slumber again, he was into surprises and was curious as to what you had in store. So, he went along with it even though he was pretty much a sloth still.

"I promise you'll love it." You chortled.

Leon sighed in defeat before loosening up and letting you pull him towards where you wanted to take him for this so-called surprise with a rub of his crusty eyes.

When a familiar door came into view in front of you, you covered Leon's eyes with one of your hands and twisted the door knob, revealing a bedroom with a banner hovering over Leon's messy bed, before lightly pushing him inside.

"All right, here we are," you spoke as you removed your hand from your face, moving right beside him to watch Leon's face as it shifted from being enraptured to crestfallen real quick. You guffawed in a boisterous way at his reaction and plummeted down to the ground whilst clutching your stomach in a joyful pain.

YOU SUCK LEON

"Really, Y/N? This-this is what you wanted to show me?"

"It's true though, you actually suck!"

"Come on, you know you only won in Street Fighter because I let you," he whined. You stood up from being laid on the floor before clutching onto Leon's shoulder for dear life.

"For 20 times? Really?" You laughed again, "nah, you just suck, bro."

Leon narrowed his eyes at you with lips pressing tightly in a thin line and turned towards you, his feet moving slowly in tandem as he approach you with a spurious anger, his hands closing into fists.

"What?" You asked with a nervous chuckle and feet backing up in rhythm with his laggard advances.

"You think I suck?" His voice imitated a dark tone. Had you not been slightly scared - which you hated to admit - you would've busted a gut at how ridiculous it sounded.

"I mean, yeah, it's already said in the banner, dimwitt."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Well, let's see who sucks now!"

Welp, that's my cue!

You dodged Leon's attack by the skin of your teeth, stumbling on a stupid pencil for a bit, before proceeding to run around the house to avoid Leon's "spider fingers" as you call it and making a tiny bit of a mess. However, your luck has gone away and he eventually caught you when you accidentally tripped over the leg of a chair, throwing you into his bed and tickling each spot that would make you squirm and and laugh.

"I still suck, huh?"

"N-no, fine...y-you don't...s-suck," you cried in between heavy breaths and hysterics. Satisfied with your remark, Leon stopped his fingers from moving and plopped down beside you, taking a moment to catch his breath before he pulled you closer to his body and spooned you. "You still couldn't win yesterday though."

"Yeah, well, I know a million ways to win your heart though."

"Fuck off, Le-le." Leon tsked at the nickname.

"Y/N, that sounds awful as fuck."

"Whatever." You felt his lashes kiss the nape of your neck as he closed his eyes to give them another four hours of rest, your own following afterwards when you heard Leon's muffled voice vibrate against your shirt.

"Hey, you wanna be my date for homecoming?"

"I thought you already asked Lexee to be your date."

"Dante already asked her out, so..."

"Okay, fine, I'll be your date." You squeezed his hand before intertwining your fingers with his and smiling when you felt him kiss your hair.

"Thanks, Y/N. Good night."

"It's 10 in the morning, dumba-"

"Shh... Rock-a-bye baby..."

"You do suck though." You light-heartedly nudged Leon's side and wrinkled your eyes in a grin, chuckling when he returned the gesture with a titter.

"I really don't," he retorted back.

"Sure." You took his hand in yours and gently squeezed it in a comforting way to ease the two of you before placing a feather's kiss on the back of it. "Come on, we still have a job to do."

*****

Leon S. Kennedy, we're putting you on a very special case for your first assignment. Your mission is...to unlock your desk! The key to your success is in the initials of our first names. Input the letters in order of our desks. There are 2 locks- 1 on each side of your desk. Make sure you get them both. Basically, your first task is to remember your fellow officers' names, but you figured that much out, right? Good luck, Leon. By the way, it might take a little work to get Scott to give you a straight answer.

Lieutenant Branagh

Scrawled in a corner between drops of blood on the paper was an additional note the lieutenant had written while he and his fellow officers were isolated and trapped, and it read:

Be glad you're not here, rookie.

"Remember your fellow officers' names..."

"I think that means the initials of my supposedly co-workers' names should be the password to open these locks on my desk." Leon stood up from where he was knelt down on the floor and casted around from desk to desk, unlocking the padlocks on his table and claiming the prize after accomplishing his "first assignment" - a magazine for his beloved Matilda.

You smiled when Leon pulled out the gun he's had since the beginning of his adult years, another retention reminding you of the peaceful days you once had before you started walking right into confusion.

Matilda was a gift Leon's father had given him on his 18th birthday, a few months before he died of cancer. He was happy about it, and knowing how his family had supported his decision on him becoming a cop, his heart fluttered inside and he couldn't be more grateful about it. Leon held onto it everyday, even becoming a bit hesitant about leaving it behind whenever he went to school. And when his father passed away because of said illness, he grasped onto the weapon the same way he did when his dad was still alive, if not more.

"Happy birthday, Leon. Happy birthday, Leon. Happy birthday, happy birthday... Happy birthday, Leon... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEON!"

Leon's cheeks stretched in an almost painful way as everyone erupted into cheers and confetti fell from the ceiling. Each person was wearing cone-shaped hats and the living room was decorated with different ornaments colored in his favorite hues. His family was there and so were his friends, and oh, how could he almost forget...

It was his 18th birthday!

"So, what do you think?" You spoke from behind him. He turned around to see you smiling like an idiot and tugging on the string of a party you picked up from the floor.

"This," he began. "This is amazing! Wh-"

"Well, son, the candle's almost melting. Wanna make a wish?" Leon's dad emerged from behind the small crowd with a three-layered cake balanced on top of his palms. The icing of the pastry was blue, edible police-related finishing touches garnished it with such perfection he almost didn't want to eat it for the sake of admiring and staring at the cake, and a single candle formed into the number 18 as an emphasis to his recent age was placed on top with a tiny flame dancing around in the air. Leon closed his eyes and wished for the best before blowing the candle, watching as the fire disappeared into a swirling smoke. Everyone rejoiced once again.

When voices had began dying down one by one, Leon's father called his name and picked up a box from underneath the table after placing the cake down where it wouldn't fall down.

"Leon, you're going to be attending the police academy soon and in the next few years you'll be the cop you always wanted. So, as a gift, I give you this gun." He opened the rectangular cardboard box where a gun laid and presented it to his child, Leon's eyes sparkling in delight at his very own weapon. "I know you'll be taking good care of Matilda."

"Matilda?" Leon asked in confusion.

"You know, like, Mathilda from Leon: The Professional," his dad replied. Leon chuckled in response before he carefully took the gun out of its container, still a bit iffy about touching it.

"I'll be taking good care of this, dad."

"I know you will."

"You still have that gun?" You spoke as you gestured towards his firearm.

"Yep, she still looks good as new. I didn't want to break my promise," Leon responded. He turned his gun around to show you just how much he kept it safe like a mother would to a child. Your E/C orbs twinkled in admiration, a feeling in your heart you had kept for a very long time flittering in a joyous manner for the first time since you last saw him.

"Nothing's really changed, huh?"

"I don't want to change anything for now...especially now that you're back here with me."

*****

So, I found this image on google and an idea suddenly popped into my head lmao.

Anyway, WE'RE BACK! I was busy in school blah blah blah. I think yall know that already.

[dolfinsatdawn]

While I wait patiently for hurricane Irma to barge in on FL next week, I might as well do this question-y thing that my fellow Turn fan tagged me in! Might be stuff you were always curious about OR alternatively stuff you couldn't care less about, but hey. Here it is.

Thanks for the fun @greenofallshades​

  I think there's supposed to be 100 questions. I started numbering them, but because I'm spacy I totally forgot to do the rest. So, here you go.

I'm tagging: @lou-who, @dying-suffering-french-stalkers, and anyone else who wants to do this (because my computer is glitching when I try to tag).

1. The meaning behind my url:  dolfinsatdawn. This was me trying to upgrade to something more artsy sounding but still had something from my childhood obsession with dolphins it.

2. A picture of me: EHHHHHH. I'm kinda squeamish about this. If ya'll really REALY want to see a picture maybe I will.

3. How many tattoos i have and what they are:  Lol I don't do the whole "permanent on your skin" stuff. I do love henna tattoos though. Anything semi-permanent is super fun.

4. Last time i cried and why: I cried when I found out my grandpa was in the hospital last week. He's okay though. I'm going to visit him soon.

5, Favorite band:  THE BEATLES. Hands down. I also like a lot of classical and film scores so, the only real band I love 100% is the Beatles.

6. Biggest turn offs:  Not respecting my personal space. It takes me a REALLY long time to get used to people (especially boys), so touching without my permission is really upsetting and people who do are immediately on my NOPE list. Also, men who constantly talk about money. I REALLY hate that. I don't care how much you make compared to everyone else.

7. Top 5 (insert subject): Top five places I want to travel to next!  1. Tokyo!  2. Washington State  3. Germany!!! 4. China!  5. Nepal!

8. Favorite place to be alone? I love doing everything alone. I'm so happy to go out and just chill without the stress of other people. I love going on walks alone especially in really pretty places like beaches.

9. Biggest turn ons: umm....I dunno sense of humor? Kind eyes....Classy clothes are a MUST.

 10. Age: old enough to drink even though I don't

11. Ideas of a perfect date: One where my date doesn't "forget his wallet in his car" and make me pay for dinner before driving me home without paying me back for his half. (I'm not bitter about this dude AT ALL.)

12. Life goal: Publish my book series so there's something for people to remember me by.

13. Piercings i want: None really. I throw around getting my ears done, but I'm not really into punching holes in my skin.

14. Relationship status: SUPER SINGLE and livin it up.

15. Favorite movie: . UGH dude this is so hard. There's three main ones I watch whenever and I always love them: Pride and Prejudice 2005, Howl's Moving Castle, and Austenland!

 16. A fact about my life:  I've spent 13 years in the same house and I'm totally okay with that. (Yes I commuted to college from home and no I didn't regret it AT ALL.)

17. Phobia:  Spiders. Terrible fear of spiders. I'm also afraid of the dark a little bit and tornados.

.18. Height: 5'2"

19. Are you a virgin?  Heck yea! And proud of it! 

20. What is your shoe size?  4-5 depending on who makes them.

21. What’s your sexual orientation?  straight

22. Do you smoke, drink, or take any drugs?   Nope. I don't like alcohol and I'd prefer not to kill my brain cells I'll need those for grad school.

23. Someone you miss: My grandma. She was the most fun person and I could call her any time and we'd talk for hours. She died in February and I miss her all the time.

24. What’s one thing you regret?  I regret how judgemental I was in high-school. It caused a lot of problems with my best friend. We're okay now, and I've apologized, but it caused a lot of wasted stress and fights we didn't need to have.

25. First celebrity you think of when someone says attractive:  J.J. Field

26. Favorite ice cream?  CAKE BATTER!

27. One insecurity: Body image. I used to be very athletic and I miss that a lot. I feel really gross and lazy. I also stress eat a LOT.

28. What my last text message says:  To me - I finally found a Publix that has water.  From me - How am I like your dad?!

29. What's the most creative thing you've done recently: I decorated the house for fall!

30. What's the last song you listened to? Six Weeks by Of Monsters And Men

31. What do your favorite Pj's look like? I have a shirt that says "my cat doesn't like you" that I wear whenever we have guests over.

Have you ever stole money from a friend?  no.

Have you ever gotten in a car with people you just met?  Lol nope!

Have you ever been in a fist fight?  I punched my brother a few times, but like...we weren't fighting.

Have you ever had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back?  Yeah he had a girlfriend.

Have you ever been arrested?  No

Have you ever made out with a stranger?  Ew no

Have you ever laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by?  Yes I loved doing this at my grandma's house.

Have you ever been lonely?  HA. Who hasn't...?

Have you ever been to a club?  I went to a boat party once (I hated it) and they played that weird club music so that's the closest I've ever been to a club. I go to sports bars all the time for wings though.

 Have you ever felt an earthquake?  Nope you don't get those down here in FL really.

Have you ever touched a snake?  I LOVE SNAKES. They feel so fun. Snakes need love all the time.

Have you ever ran a red light?  Yes. It was 2 am. I was coming home from a theater show I was in. (They kept me late painting sets) and I turned left on red without stopping because I didn't even register that the light was red until I had already done it.

Have you ever been in a car accident?   Yes. They totaled my car. Scariest thing ever.

 Have you ever cried yourself to sleep?  Yah

Have you ever sang karaoke?  I think I did, but not in front of people. My grandparents had a Karaoke machine that my cousins and I all played with.

Have you ever done something you told yourself you wouldn’t?   Yah like continuing to eat Mcdonalds at 2am when my brother comes home lol.

Have you ever laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose?  No! XD I've seen someone else do it though.

Have you ever slept with someone at least 5 years older or younger?  nope.

Have you ever dream that you married someone? Nope. I don't usually have love-related dreams.

Have you ever got your tongue stuck to a flag pole?  No, but I got it stuck to an icicle that I licked once.

Have you ever ever gone to school partially naked?  I was homeschooled so I worked in my PJ's a lot.

Have you ever brushed your teeth?   ???? do people NOT brush their teeth????

Have you ever ever too scared to watch scary movies alone?  yeah I couldn't watch Black Mirror alone. Otherwise I don't watch scary movies.

Have you ever been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on?  Naw. I might be tiny, but I fight hard. People know better.

Have you ever been told you’re hot by a complete stranger?  nope

Have you ever broken a bone?  I smashed my finger playing softball once.

Have you ever been easily amused?  I mean yeh. I watched youtube videos of people organizing stuff once for HOURS. D:

Have you ever laughed so hard you cried?  Alll the time

Have you ever mooned/flashed someone? no.

Have you ever forgotten someone’s name?   Literally all the time. I suck at names.

Have you ever give us one thing about you that no one knows? Uh...no? Idk I think at least someone knows everything about me.

What was your last dream?   I had pants that changed colors but never matched the outfit I had on. (It was the first dream in a week that wasn't an awful nightmare so I was thrilled!)

Would you be up for interplanetary travel if it was a thing?  YES YES YES. SEND ME TO SPACE! Its like being in the age of sail all over! Adventure! new planets! LET ME GO!

If you could travel back in time, where would you go?  18th century or Victorian era.

Do you prefer tech or real books for reading?   Books!!!

Do you dread doctor visits or do they not bother you?   I think they're a waste of time, but I'm not afraid of doctors.

Favorite fashion decade of the twentieth century? 1910's or 1920's. Edwardian (Titanic clothes) or Flapper (Gatsby).

Are you wearing nail polish and if so, what color?   YES I'm wearing the Northern Lights OPI color from the new Iclandic line. I LOVE nail polish.

 Are you into working out or no?  Yes, but it has to be fun. I hate machines and gyms. Dance is much more my style.

Do you have a temper?   Doesn't everyone? Mine's really buried though so you really gotta mess up and push me to get it to come out. I don't have the energy to be angry about a lot of stuff.

Do you have one item you treat yosef with, and if so, what is it?   SUGAR SCRUBS

Do you eat meat?  YEA I basically live at Chickfila.

If yes, how do you like it cooked?  Depends on the meat. Steak Med-Rare and chicken usually grilled well (no thank you to salmonella).

Ever had a boss or a teacher you absolutely hated?  HA basically every professor at my school who gets political. I'm sorry I took a literature class not a political science. You can critique the world later. Please teach what I paid for.

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?  Tea!

Do you wear makeup?  Yes, especially when I go to work.

If you wear perfume, what’s your scent type/favorite fragrance?  I wear the cashmere perfume from bath and body works. I don't really like high end perfumes they make my throat hurt.

Do you have a girl crush?  nah

Candles, wax melts, or incense?  Candles. I love their little flames. It reminds me of fall/Christmas.

Favorite season of the year?  FALLLLLLLLLLL

Fanfic—do you prefer smut or fluff?   Fluff. Not into smut really at all.

Do you like taking selfies?  Why or why not?   I hate taking selfies. However, when you travel alone and you want photos of yourself you gotta suck it up.

Do you want children?   Eventually, but that means wanting a husband and meh - i'll wait.

Do you prefer lots of friends or just a few good friends?  Definitely just a few. People stress me out.

Introvert or extrovert, or mixture of both?  Raging introvert.

Ocean/beach or mountains?  BOTH?!!?! Beach because it doesn't give me altitude sickness, but I love the mountains anyway.

Morning person or night person?  Night owl 10/10.

Do you initiate conversations with strangers?  not if I can help it.

Milk or dark chocolate?  Dark

What do you post on your blog?   Star wars...historical romance gifs...artwork sometimes...random other aesthetic stuff and cute things!

Is it hard for you to apologize when you’re in the wrong?   Yah I kinda have a pride thing that is hard to get past. I do apologize though. The person won't know you're sorry unless you say it.

Love at first sight?  nope.

Best/funniest Halloween memory?  This one year my best friend and I went as spies and everyone thought we were the blues brothers. It was hilarious because my friend had no idea who the blues brothers were and it got to the point where we both just said YES when people asked because it was too exhausting to say otherwise.  

Did your first crush work out or was it unrequited?  Unrequited

Do you like old movies—and by old, I mean OLD old?  I watched a silent version of Phantom of the Opera that was cool once, but usually those movies are a bit slow for me.

Do you tan or burn?  Both, but right now I'm tanning.

Do you think people deserve second chances?  Depends on what they did. Cheating? Not a chance.

What animal would be cutest if scaled down to the size of a cat?  ELEPHANT!!! Imainge the tiny round feets and the little trunk!!!!!!

Do you have any weird food likes/dislikes?  I hate lots of foods. and I hate any food if there's too much of it.

.What’s the funniest real person’s name you’ve ever heard?   (I don't want to use his real real name, but the last name is real)  Harry Dingledien.

[harvestheart]

Quilting for their Lives: Pakistani Women at Santa Fe International Folk Art Market

In a remote village in the Thar desert of Pakistan, the women are primarily Hindu in a Muslim country. Not only that, but they are from the bottom of the untouchable caste system. They have very few options in life for what they can do to earn a living. Most of the women are illiterate and are forbidden to travel without their husbands or a male relative. The men dye cotton and the women take that cotton and stitch together brightly patterned Ralli quilts. They embroider, appliqué, and adorn their creations with bits of mirror, sequins, shells and beads. The patterns are based on ancient textile traditions dating back thousands of years.

“Portuguese traders in the 1500s brought back boatloads of quilts to Europe. Those quilts were described as being brightly colored with lots of bordering,” Patricia Stoddard said via telephone from her home in Utah. She is the author of the book Ralli Quilts: Traditional Textiles from Pakistan and India – and has been the agent of the Ralli quiltmakers, Lila Handicrafts, whose quilts she first took  to the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market in 2004 to give international exposure to the women working in stark poverty to create these beautiful objects. They’ve participated in the Market, occurring July 8-10 this year at Museum Hill in Santa Fe, every year since.

Stoddard serendipitously came upon Ralli quilts while living in Pakistan. Her husband was a Defense Department attaché in Islamabad. They were provided a big, empty house and she was looking for items to decorate the enormous white walls, something colorful. She spent hours in handicraft shops looking through stacks of textiles, embroidery, weaving; at the very bottom of the stack she found a quilt. Having lived on the East Coast, Stoddard thought the quilt reminded her of Amish quilts, but made with very intense color. The shopkeeper told her it was a quilt made in the villages, but that nobody was interested in buying them, so he didn’t carry many in his shop. In a different store she found another quilt  appliquéd with sequins. Then she found some in the museum, and was told , “they make them in the villages.” Stoddard estimates that 25 million people sleep under these quilts every night. They are made for home use, given as gifts on the occasion of marriages and births. The more quilts a family owns, the wealthier they are considered. Often the quilts are made and exchanged as currency for a buffalo, cow or goat to provide a permanent milk source for a family.

I am totally in awe of the women that make these quilts. It teaches me that if women of the West, we have certain skill sets, we learn certain things. They have memory for pattern and I have never seen a written description. Somebody had one on a camel that went by. They grew up in a village and this was the pattern. Most of the intricate patchwork patterns have no mistakes. There’s an integrity to them. They have no cutting boards, no tables, no quilt frames, no rotary cutters. It’s a needle and thread and fabric that they make these out of. It’s just amazing,” Stoddard said.

Stoddard helped launch Lila Handicrafts when she was contacted by a son whose mother made quilts and was looking for a way to sell them. He managed to get a digital camera and send her images. She sent money to them via a Western Union account and they shipped her the quilts. Their appearance at Santa Fe International Folk Art Market in 2004 was a boon for the quilters. The sale of the quilts has provided money for the cooperative to develop local schools, including the new Santa Fe Desert School, named in honor of the relationship the women have with the Folk Art Market.

“It gives me such a feeling of connection with these women because the things that they think are beautiful I think are beautiful. I can appreciate the hours of work it takes, in some quilts the stitches are completely hidden and the appliqué looks like it is magically adhered to the background. There is a connection. A great similarity to what we perceive as beautiful and fine work.” Stoddard said.

This year, the Lila Handicrafts Ralli quilters will also be featured in an exhibit called “The Arts of Survival: Folk Expression in the Face of Natural Disaster” opening July 3 at the Museum of International Folk Art, curated by Suzanne Seriff, a folklorist from the University of Texas, Austin.

The exhibit is about natural disaster and “the way folk artists garner every means available to them to survive and help other people in their community survive,” Seriff said. She had the genesis of an idea and about the same time last summer that the Clinton Global Initiative was meeting in Santa Fe to discuss Haitian disaster relief following the earthquake, there was also this huge flood in Pakistan. So Seriff narrowed down her exhibition to the four elements: earth, wind, water, fire and selected one disaster from the 21st Century for each of those primal elements gone awry: The earthquake in Haiti, hurricane Katrina, the flooding in Pakistan, and the volcanic eruption near Java, Indonesia.

In Pakistan, the region most hard hit was the Sindh province, where Ralli quilts are prominent. “I started looking at the pictures on the news services and they showed people with bundles on their heads of these colorful quilts. They were ubiquitous,” Seriff said.  “I heard reports of women in the relief camps who had been there for months and were running out of food and supplies, no money, no identification, using any scraps of materials they could find, materials cut from clothing and blankets sent from around the world, to create the quilt tops. They were selling them to relief agents and neighboring markets to survive. Many of the women had brought with them, their dowry pieces, quilts that had been made for them or that they had made for their daughters. They were willing to sell them to get money to go home.” The exhibit will feature two dowry quilts made by different women.

And, for the first time ever, Surendar Valasai, husband of a quilter, will travel to Santa Fe for the International Folk Art Market and Art of Survival exhibition t MOIFA. Because he agreed to come, his wife, quilter Naina Valasai will also travel from Pakistan to the United States. Surendar travels back and forth to Karachi to mail quilts. He speaks English – and Seriff has asked him to share his experience of working with the quilters in the refugee camps. It will be the first time he or his wife have ever left their homeland.

“I am totally in awe of the women that make these quilts. It teaches me that if women of the West, we have certain skill sets, we learn certain things. They have memory for pattern and I have never seen a written description. Somebody had one on a camel that went by. They grew up in a village and this was the pattern. Most of the intricate patchwork patterns have no mistakes. There’s an integrity to them.

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Museum of International Folk Art

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Leanne Goebel

[jollylollylily]

Like...why?

I can get if Beyoncé is not your “ thing” but the reasons some of y ‘all list for not liking her are just… just say you have no reason for not liking her and go. From saying she can’t sing, she doesn’t do “enough” for her people (or any people) to calling her overrated is so…show me on the doll where Beyoncé hurt you, boo. 

Fine. If your personal opinion is that she can’t sing then you can have that. To everyone else, she surely can and shows it off the more she grows as an artist. Like…clear examples exist of her singing be more than just one dimensional. For example:

Or This! ( Also note the BLACK members of her ALL FEMALE BAND. Also note that she is doing charity work by performing for sick children at a children’s hospital. I will get to the criticism that she does not do any in a minute.)

I could list many more but acapella singing kinda shows that she can sing but go on ahead and keep up the narrative that she “can’t sing.”

Next up is the idea that she does not do “enough” for her people. Oh boy…am I gonna have fun debunking this one! First off, a lot of what she does do is not publicized as with many celebrities. She only came out and listed some of her charitable contributions after Harry Belafonte accused her of not “doing enough” in an interview he did back in 2012. So…on to the contributions (which she released to a little underground and fledgling newspaper called “The Wall Street Journal.”) !!!

“An abbreviated list of the unselfish work Beyoncé has done and continues to do.” The list included co-founding The Survivor Foundation “a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston”; donating “100K in 2008 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund to aid Texas victims of Hurricane Ike”; performing in “MTV’s Hope For Haiti Now! Benefit in addition to making a generous monetary donation,” among many other charitable activities.”

If you pay close attention to the locations she donated too, you may notice a high case of melanin. Why? Because she donated to black people. Gave back to black people. Way before BLM was even a thought, she was doing her part to help her people. For example, The Survivor House, started in TWO THOUSAND AND FIVE, was made for the sole purpose of helping survivors of Hurricane Katrina in Houston,Texas region. The foundation also built a set of apartments for Hurricane Katrina survivors in Houston. 

“ The project is a 43 unit, single room occupancy supportive housing facility for at-risk populations designed to provide permanent living accommodations for women and men who are taking significant steps in improving their lives after the traumatic effects of personal and natural disasters. The apartments will provide “a safe place to live” for all residents.”

Per the latest article I could find, which is from 2014 (updated in 2016), she has donated SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS OF HER OWN MONEY TO THE APARTMENT COMPLEX.

Oh, we are not done yet!!! Essence Magazine did an article on other charitable contributions she has made. (Jay-Z is included as well but I will highlight Beyoncé’s work) 

Beyonce’s Trip to Haiti (it happened in 2015)

“Last week, Beyonce ventured to the poverty-stricken nation of Haiti, where she surveyed the damage and destruction that still plagues the country five years after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit. Bey alongside Valeria Amos, the United Nations’ humanitarian affairs chairwoman, met residents who were still recovering and was able to see firsthand all of the work that still needs to be done.” 

Beyonce’s BeyGood Foundation

“Touching everything from the unemployed to the sick, Bey’s BeyGood foundation aims to make the world a more beautiful place. Her new initiative is currently raising money for the thousands in Nepal who were affected by the recent 7.8 magnitude earthquake. The superstar raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight for gender equality worldwide, given school supplies to students across the nation and hosted food drives in Houston (and she shows no sign of stopping!).”

Beyonce’s Partnership with Goodwill

“In 2013, Beyonce partnered with Goodwill to tackle the unemployment crisis. “Goodwill helps people get back to work by providing education, job training and placement,” Beyonce said in a statement. “I wanted to team up with an organization that puts people first and works every day to help them improve and re-establish their lives,” Beyonce said. She encouraged her devoted Beyhive to donate clothes and electronics that would help disadvantaged people search for jobs.”

Beyonce’s Phoenix House

“While prepping for her role in Cadillac Records, the 2009 biopic detailing Etta James’ tumultuous life, Beyonce was introduced to Phoenix House, a rehabilitation center for recovering drug addicts. Bey became so enthralled with the organization that she donated her $4 million salary from the film to foundation, and went on to open an affiliated cosmetology school, which offers Phoenix House residents a seven-month training program to learn real-world skills.” 

Oh yeah...almost forgot about the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center she opened up, in partnership with her mother, Tina Knowles, in Brooklyn, NY that helps recovering drug addicts get back on their feet. 

STILL NOT DONE!!!

 “CHIME FOR CHANGE, founded by Gucci, is a global campaign to convene, unite and strengthen the voices speaking out for girls and women around the world, with a focus on using innovative approaches to raise funds and awareness for Education, Health and Justice projects. Through the power of crowdfunding, CHIME FOR CHANGE has funded more than 400 projects in 86 countries through 144 non-profit partners reaching hundreds of thousands of girls and women around the world. CHIME FOR CHANGE co-Founders Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Salma Hayek Pinault continue to lead the campaign with its coalition of partner organizations.” ( I am aware Selma is hella annoying after her “all lives” mattering Jessica Williams a couple weeks back but again, this is about Bey.)

She also raised money ($82,000) for The Flint Water Crisis

And this whole ass list of organizations as well.

Last, and certainly no least, is the $1.5 million dollars Tidal will be donating to Black Lives Matter and other social justice groups. 

So like…Beyonce clearly cares…a lot. She also gives…a lot. She shows up and out and she does not have to. She could just perform and collect her check like some other artists do but she realizes that she can do more. And she does. Often.

But back to this idea that does not do enough for her people. Her mere existence as a black successful woman does enough for her people. Yes, I am aware that colorism plays a role in her success but she has never touted her skin color as something “special.”  She just exists as a proud black woman. She fully embraced and yelled that from the rooftops with the majestic and glorious gem that is “Lemonade.” That album celebrated black women, black love, black struggle, black strife, black life.(Lest we neglect to remember her having the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Mike Brown and Eric Garner not only in her video but bringing them to the VMA’s with her in 2016.)   She absolutely did not have to do that album. She could have given us another “Beyoncé”(which was a celebration of her embracing feminism) album and her fans would have been just as satisfied but no…she gifted us with “Lemonade.” I know other artist have done unapologetically black albums and I’m sure those were great albums. But, we are on Beyoncé and her album right now. It means something to have a global artist such as herself remind people that she is, in fact, black as fuck. Southern black. Black with a side of mo’ black. A black woman living a black life with her black husband and black baby(soon to be babies!!!)  Also…lil’ side note: (the, now deleted, tweets from dreamhampton that talks about both Jay-Z and Beyonce donating money to help bail out Ferguson protesters.)

Now, oh now…on to the very idea that Beyoncé is “overrated.” 

“overrated

adjective US

/ˌoʊ·vərˈreɪ·t̬ɪd/

(of something) considered to be better than it really is:

After seeing the award-winning movie, we decided it was overrated.”

 How? HOW??? So help me God…I will never get this one. She gives consistent albums every time she comes out. She tours. She sings. She sings and dances at the same time. Like…I don’t even know how to properly address this baseless lie with sounding like I have a “BEY STAN 4 LIFE” tattooed on my forehead. But like…her albums go gold or better. Her albums always seem to be relevant to the times and also seek to do more than simply “provide music.” Her music provides a soundtrack to life. To her life mostly but we can glean life lessons from it. From the the grossness of male entitlement to a woman’s body with “Yes” (go listen to it again, my fellow Bey lovers and bask in the early peaking of her feminism.) She gives us visuals along with her music!! Like, visuals that propel the already great music to another level. Over the top or subtle and subdued theatrics. All while look gorgeous as hell ( Side note: I saw a man say she look “regular.” I took one look at his picture and knew Jesus still had work to do on me because the words “shit explosion of a face” crossed my mind.”)  What is overrated about any of that???

Listen. Beyoncé is not above reproach. No one is but…the reasons people list for disliking her are so common when you have literally no reason to dislike a person. She can sing. She contributes her time and money to charitable endeavors. She is not overrated because…she just isn’t. She gives us a complete show. A complete package. Michael Jackson did the same thing and no one calls him “overrated.” Prince did too. Yet…somehow we are here…with me writing this dissertation because this wave of dislike keeps trying to wash ashore and no…just no. 

P.S. Let us remember that just yesterday,a white artist, Adele, stood herself on stage and praised Beyoncé for being. Simply being who she is. Acknowledging Beyoncé as an artist she loves, respects and realizes that Bey deserved to win album of the year. 

Then… she continued to praise Beyoncé even after the show…

It’s twelve minutes and she mentions Bey any chance she gets and I love it.

[thetruthseekerway]

Hurricane Sandy from an Islamic Perspective

New Post has been published on http://www.truth-seeker.info/does-god-exist/hurricane-sandy-from-an-islamic-perspective/

Hurricane Sandy from an Islamic Perspective

By Truth Seeker Staff

In the past few days, before and during hurricane Sandy, people were so scared and panicking of the consequent damages. People were prisoners in their homes with fear, anxiety, and suspense. They were following the news minute by minute to make sure that they are safe and that the hurricane is not coming their direction. Some people even left the whole city and drove or flew for many hours to escape this natural disaster and what it might bring with it.

Forces of nature?

For some people, such hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc. are merely forces of nature that have nothing to do with faith. They come and go, just like any other natural phenomenon. No spiritual impact or lessons can be drawn from these occurrences.

Other people do believe that God has created the universe, yet they maintain that He is in isolation of whatever goes on in it. According to them, God has created the universe and then left it to work on its own, to manage itself. It is just like the watch in your hand; its manufacturer in Japan or China had made it and now it is with you; whether it works or not, the maker of it does not know anything about it anymore.

But that is totally against the Islamic belief. The whole universe is in the grip of its Creator subhanahu wa ta`ala; He is the ONE who manages it and knows every minute detail of it:

He knows what is in the land and the sea, and there falls not a leaf but He knows it, nor a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor anything green nor dry but (it is all) in a clear book. (Al-An`am 6:59)

This universe does not go on its own, it is Allah who lets it go the way it does and it is Allah who decides whatever happens in it. Allah says:

Verily, all things have We created in proportion and measure. (Al-Qamar 54:49)

In another place, Allah says:

He who has created all things and ordained them in due proportions. (Al-Furqan 25:2)

Everything that takes place in the upper world of heavens or the lower world of the earth, everything that moves in the heavens or on earth, every plant that grows up, every star that shines, every atom in the universe, all run by the will and the order and decree of Allah. This whole universe from the tiny atom to the giant galaxy is in the hands of Him, and natural phenomena are no exception.

What about laws of causality?

However, that does not go against the laws of causality for the simple reason that these laws are placed in the universe with specific measurements and mechanism according to the universal plan of Allah for the entire universe. These laws of nature work within the framework of Allah’s will and they do not deviate from His set up measurements and decrees. Once again, Allah the Almighty said in the Qur’an:

Verily, all things have We (Allah) created in proportion and measure. (Al-Qamar 54:49)

In other words, it is all according to specific set-up laws and regulations that govern the whole universe.

The positive side of the disaster

What is most important here is that the believers should contemplate on these occurrences and take lessons from them. A believer finds in each and every incident a reminder and a message that draws him closer to Allah and gets him back on the track. Some of the lessons to learn from Sandy hurricane are:

1. The limitless power of Allah

This formidable hurricane attracts our attention to the unlimited extent of the divine power and the exceptional execution of this power. When Allah wills something to happen, He just commands “Be”, and it will be right away. The earth will quake, the wind will storm, and the rivers and seas will flood; everything that Allah wants to move will move and everything that Allah wants to stay still will stay still.

On the other hand, it opens the eyes of humans to their limits and weaknesses. Humans are becoming so haughty and arrogant about their power and the little knowledge they possess. True, they were able to do many things in the universe: They were able to land on the moon and are trying to reach other planets; they made amazing scientific discoveries and technological advances; yet, they stand helpless in front of these natural disasters. Although the path of the hurricane was known in advance, nothing could be done to divert it, let alone stop it. Allah reminds us:

And of knowledge, you (mankind) have not been given but a little. (Al-Israa’ 17:85)

Westerners and secular scientist used to say that with science, man was able to defeat, suppress and subjugate the nature and the whole universe, but this is not true. Man was able to subjugate parts of this nature and universe according to the laws of subjugation that Allah has placed in the universe. But the fact remains that this nature and universe are stronger than man who stands helpless and powerless in front of it.

`Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say:

“How helpless is the son of Adam. A small bug would hurt him, and he could die if he chokes and his body would smell bad if he sweats.”

A small bug can make man restless because of its pain and nowadays we know that a very tiny microbe or virus that cannot even be seen by the naked eye except after magnified millions of times can kill man. This is how week man is, As Allah said:

And man was created weak. (An-Nisaa’  4:28)

So, through these disasters, Allah wanted humans to realize their real size and their real power in the universe and also realize that all power is from Allah, all knowledge rests with Allah and all wisdom is possessed by Allah Alone.

2. The value of this life

These disasters also show us the real value of this dunya (this worldly life). This dunya that people fight over; the dunya that people cling to so strongly and are willing to be enemies of one another for its sake has no value whatsoever. A man can be safe in his house and all of a sudden he is taken by one of these disasters. All of a sudden he is dead. In seconds, life is taken from him.

That is the value of this dunya. People think that death is far from them; however, it is very close to them, even closer to them than the garments that they wear. Allah says:

And the matter of the Hour (Day of Judgment) is not but as a twinkling of the eye or even nearer. Truly Allah is able to do all things. (An-Nahl 16:77)

3. Another chance

Finally, these disasters provide us an opportunity to wake up and get back to our Lord. Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala specifically mentioned that in the Qur’an:

Corruption (natural disasters, diseases, drought etc.) has appeared both on land and sea because of what the hands of humans have committed, that He (Allah) may make them taste part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah). (Ar-Rum 30:41)

So, these disasters might bring some benefits with them if they are really contemplated and reflected upon. It happens a lot of times that people come back to the way of Allah through hardships and calamities better than through ease and luxury.

  —���—————————–

Taken with slight editorial modifications from onislam.net.

[theconservativebrief]

Speaking to reporters briefly at the White House, Donald Trump repeated the most consequential of the many lies of his presidency — that the federal government did a “fantastic job” in its response to last year’s Hurricane Maria catastrophe that killed nearly 3,000 people in Puerto Rico.

Trump defends the government response in Puerto Rico the day after Puerto Rico raised its death toll from Hurricane Maria to 2,975.

“I think we did a fantastic job in Puerto Rico … I think most of the people in Puerto Rico really appreciate what we’ve done.” (via ABC) pic.twitter.com/r3K2ylTB9w

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 29, 2018

That’s a line that Trump has maintained ever since he made a belated visit to the island after two straight weekends golfing, followed by the observation that “it’s been incredible the results that we’ve had with respect to loss of life.”

In fact, the results they had with respect to the loss of life were awful. Awful in terms of the sheer number of dead, but also awful in terms of the reluctance from the very beginning to deliver an accurate death count. That the disaster turned out to be deadlier even than Hurricane Katrina is shocking, and the fact that it took the government until this week to finally acknowledge that fact is an entirely separate shock.

And it’s a reminder that while Trump’s time in office has shown that the macroeconomy can remain remarkably robust in the face of a president who has no idea what he’s doing, there are other aspects of national affairs where this is not the case.

Trump is a president who can’t even properly execute a relatively simple presidential task like leading the national mourning for the late Sen. John McCain in an appropriate way. Faced with something genuinely difficult like a strong hurricane hitting an island whose electrical infrastructure was already in rocky shape, he just totally failed with catastrophic consequences.

Trump’s instinct from Day 1 has been to simply turn the island’s devastation into another front in culture-war politics, a strategy that has helped keep his political career alive despite his lack of substantive command of the job.

The rest of us just have to pray for good luck.

That Trump spends an almost inhuman amount of time watching cable television is something we now all take for granted as part of the background noise of our lives. What’s often forgotten is the role that Trump’s preference for television over proper briefings played in creating the crisis.

But back in 2017, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma were massive cable television events that dominated coverage on all the networks. Hurricane Maria, by contrast, was relatively invisible on cable, according to reporting from Dhrumil Mehta at FiveThirtyEight.

“People on TV news shows spoke significantly fewer sentences about Hurricane Maria than about Hurricanes Harvey and Irma,” he writes, and “the spike in conversation about Puerto Rico right as the hurricane hit was also much smaller than the spike in mentions of Texas and Florida.”

Cable producers surely had their reasons for this. But something anyone in the media could tell you is that cable producers’ news judgment is not an infallible guide to the substantive importance of various stories. In particular, a broad range of issues — potentially including natural disasters in outlying US territories — have an asymmetrical quality to them. If handled appropriately, most people won’t care that much; but if botched, it eventually becomes a big deal.

This is why presidents have traditionally relied upon staff and the massive information-gathering capabilities of the American government for information rather than letting television set the agenda. Trump has a different philosophy, however, and spent the post-storm Saturday glued to his television and letting the hosts of Fox & Friends drag him into an ill-advised Twitter spat with NBA star Steph Curry and various NFL players.

Because Trump wasn’t paying attention, the situation evolved into a catastrophe. And because the situation evolved into a catastrophe, it eventually ended up on television.

The Washington Post reports that by Monday, Trump “was becoming frustrated by the coverage he was seeing on TV.”

By the time Trump’s sluggish response became a national issue, the White House was full of excuses.

Trump emphasized in public remarks last fall that Puerto Rico is “an island surrounded by water,” which makes relief difficult.

An anonymous administration official told the Washington Post that “the Department of Defense, FEMA and the federal government are having to step in to fulfill state and municipal functions that we normally just support.”

Officials have also cited the Posse Comitatus Act as a complicating factor that helps explain why Trump was so much slower to dispatch assistance to Puerto Rico than the Obama administration was to send help to Haiti after it was devastated by an earthquake in 2010.

Last but by no means least, the reality is that this was a really big disaster. The storm was huge and powerful, and it knocked out electricity and communications — that’s hard to deal with.

This is all true, and it goes to show that being president of the United States is a difficult job. But all of the issues that the federal response is wrestling with were known in advance. The world had days of warning that a hurricane was heading toward Puerto Rico. The perilous state of the island’s electrical grid has been apparent for years — as has the weak financial health of its electrical utility and municipal governments.

A president who was focused on his job could have asked in advance what the plan was for a hurricane strike on Puerto Rico. He would have discovered that since Puerto Rico is part of the United States, FEMA is the default lead agency, but it’s the US military that has the ships and helicopters that would be needed to get supplies into the interior of a wrecked island. And he could have worked something out.

Instead, he didn’t get worked up about Puerto Rico until more than a week after the storm hit, when he saw the mayor of San Juan lambasting him on television. He lashed out with his usual playbook — one that will only make things worse.

The substantive problem that Trump — and America — is now facing is that you can’t go back in time and do the preparatory work that should have been done. You can’t pre-position satellite phones, schedule timely visits from top administration officials, or quickly dispatch ships and helicopters once you’re starting with an eight-day lag. The best you can do is admit you were too slow and throw everything you’ve got at it.

But admitting wrongdoing isn’t part of Trump’s playbook.

Defensiveness and counterpunching are. So instead of fixing things, Trump got into a fight with the mayor of San Juan and inflected his attacks on her with some ugly racial implications.

…Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help. They….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017

…want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017

The Puerto Rico debate then got embroiled in America’s ongoing debate over whether the real problem is the president being racist, or liberals being too eager to accuse white people of racism. Since most Americans are white — and since white people are overrepresented among voters, and white voters are further overrepresented in the congressional map — this political argument over racism arguably helps Trump politically, and thus solved the political downside to having botched the response to a huge disaster.

Now, nearly a year later, Trump just insists that everything is fine, as if the sheer force of denial can make problems go away.

In the intervening months, we’ve seen the botched implementation of the cruel family separation policy, a tariff war with China that has no clear goals, a weird international crisis related to Montenegro’s NATO membership, an inability to get the White House flags flown at half-staff to recognize the death of a war hero senator, and dozens of other examples of an administration that simply isn’t up to doing the job it was hired to do.

To a perhaps surprising extent, it turns out that the basic machinery of the American government continues to more or less function under these circumstances, and with some reasonable people tapped to run the Federal Reserve, the national economy manages to keep chugging along nicely as well.

But things happen in life — sometimes very bad things — that test a president’s mettle, and we saw in Puerto Rico that Trump isn’t up to the test. Bismarck supposedly said that God has a special providence for fools, drunks, and the United States of America. If we’re lucky, he’ll be proven right, and nothing much else bad will happen for the next three years. If not, buckle your seat belts.

Original Source -> Trump’s continued indolent response to Hurricane Maria is our worst fears about him come true

via The Conservative Brief

[newmanhomes-blog]

Real Estate Tips For The Attentive Buyer

There are many reasons why people are afraid to purchase real estate today. From the legal issues and tougher financial requirements, to market dynamics, there are so many things to be worried about when purchasing real estate. Becoming much more informed may help you, and this information can help you do that.

Be moderate in your real estate property.Many individuals want to try an extremely aggressive approach, and they wind up shooting themselves in the foot. Be firm in what you want, however, since they have experience with those types of negotiations.

Real estate agents would do well to reach out to former clients over the holiday season or the anniversary of a purchase date. Hearing from you again will trigger positive memories of the real estate transaction that occurred. At the end of your greeting, remind them that you work on a referral basis and would consider it a compliment if they would recommend you to their friends.

Properties that require updates and many improvements are usually sold at a lower price. This saves you money on your purchase, and use it to improve the house in your own time. A little fix up work can transform that diamond in the rough into your dreams.

Even if you don't currently have any children, if you are planning to have kids in the future, you should consider researching schools in the neighborhood to see if they will be satisfactory should you have any children down the road.

When you're looking to buy real estate, consider repairing and remodeling. You'll earn an instant return on it as you see your property value. Sometimes it will go up more than you have invested.

It is vital that you know about the common terms when buying a home.

If you work together with the seller, you can probably come to a selling price that makes you both happy.

Adding financial incentives to your offer will make sellers less willing to negotiate selling price.

http://www.candshomes.com/

Sex offenders must be registered, but there is no guarantee that the seller nor their agent is going to feel an obligation to tell a potential home buyer of any offenders in the area.

Once you found a house you want to buy, you must locate a real estate agent who is qualified.You clearly need one you can trust. An experienced agent with a great track record can show you properly.

Always do your homework before buying a property. If you jump the gun, you may lose money on unsuccessful endeavors. Therefore, prior to purchasing any specific property, you must find out important information like the neighborhood, crime rate, the property's age, and more.

If you are going to be starting a new business, before you purchase your building, be sure to do your own due-diligence check on the neighborhood to assure its stability. Starting a new business in an area of high crime and dilapidated buildings will likely lead to obtaining less customers. Ask your real estate agent where you should open up shop.

When picking an agent for your home search, find out how long he has lived in the immediate region. If they have only been around for a short while, roads, community environments and neighborhoods.

Take your time to carefully measure a home you thinking about buying. The difference between these two figures should be no more than 100 square feet; if it is more than that, either reconsider buying the property, or figure out what is going on.

Look for the house of getting. Investors are divided on whether or not now is a good time to sell your house and upgrade to a larger one, although some do favor such plans. Buying your dream house now could a good thing now, as home prices are more than likely going to rise.

Prioritize what you really want when hammering out a deal in real estate. Make sure you know all of your issues, including whatever expectations you hold for each. Your convictions and expectations will be useful for a given issue.

If you delay your insurance purchase, you may not be covered if an unfortunate event occurs, especially if you live in a hurricane or earthquake zone.

When you are looking at purchasing a property, it is vital to hire a reputable real estate agent. You can find a lot of helpful information online and from the Better Business Bureau. Ask reliable friends and family to recommend you an agent they have done business with.

The first step to shopping for real estate is getting organized. Have a folder on your computer or tablet dedicated to all the information about each property.

Figure out your home buying price range with a house by utilizing an online calculator.

You must have a good down payment for your mortgage company. If you do not, you will likely have to pay private mortgage insurance, or Private Mortgage Insurance.

If you wait to get an approval, it will increase the length of time it takes to actually purchase the house, and could prove to be more expensive.

Do not buy a home located right next to a busy road if you can avoid it. These properties are typically cheaper than homes in the middle, but once you listen for a bit, they are less expensive for a reason. Although you may not have a problem with the added noise, it will be harder to sell the home.

[newstfionline]

‘A New Reality’: Students And Teachers From Puerto Rico Start Over In Florida

Claudio Sanchez, NPR, November 9, 2017

It’s 5:30 a.m. and dark in the fifth-floor hotel room, just a few minutes drive from the Orlando airport. There are still 20 minutes before the entire family needs to be downstairs to enjoy the free breakfast in the hotel lobby, then they’ll be driving the 15 minutes north to school--first period starts at the “very early” time of 7:20.

This has been the daily routine for nearly two months since Yerianne Roldán, 17 and her sister Darianne, 16, arrived in Orlando from western Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

They’re staying in this hotel room with their mom, Yesenia González, and their stepdad, Eliud Peña. Their bright hotel room is clean and pretty standard, albeit for the food stashed under the bedside table, and the piles of suitcases and random belonging stacked in the corner.

“This is a new experience and if you don’t have experiences you don’t have a life,” Peña says. He brought the family to Orlando because he has family in the area. “It’s a story for the girls to remember forever, they can tell their children one day.”

It’s a story the girls would definitely rather tell than live through. Yerianne, the older, more reserved sister says they’re still coming to terms with their new reality.

“We only had an hour to say goodbye to our families,” she says, “I’m just really worried ... most of my family are elderly.”

Yerianne’s younger sister Darianne says the first days here were the hardest. “In my mind, I was like, ‘Ok this is only temporary. I’m only going to stay here for a month and then I’m going back.’” But that’s not what happened. This is my life now, she tells me, showing me pictures of her new school friends on her smartphone. Darianne celebrated her 16th birthday in the hotel--the cleaning staff made a three-tiered cake out of towels and room service left a slice of chocolate cake.

Their family is not alone: Schools in Orlando have enrolled nearly 2,000 Puerto Rican students who’ve fled the storm-ravished island. Most don’t know when or if they’ll ever go back. Their stories are heartbreaking. Their future in limbo.

The district in Orlando has tried to make the process as smooth as possible, waiving documents necessary for enrollment and assigning kids to schools. And still, Orange County public schools superintendent, Barbara Jenkins, says she’s gotten angry calls about taking in Puerto Rican kids.

“They thought we were talking about immigrants,” she explains, “but these are citizens of the United States and they are welcome here and we will take every last one of them into our classrooms immediately. They are our children. We will never run short on compassion.”

That compassion runs deep at Colonial High School, where Principal Jose Martinez has already enrolled nearly 100 students from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. That’s where the Roldán sisters are enrolled. More than half of the 240 faculty and staff members there have family ties to Puerto Rico--including Principal Martinez.

That’s why every chance he gets, he reminds the students: “My family was you, my grandparents were you, my cousins were you. And though you may be leaving some of your family behind, you’re carrying them with you in your hearts.”

And it’s a welcome reminder--because the students who recently arrived in Florida are still pretty shaken up.

But the feeling of being overwhelmed is slowly subsiding, the students say. At Colonial, there’s a spirit week that culminates in Homecoming, events that slowly make the students feel connected to the school community. On Halloween, Darianne, who is sharing the hotel room with her family, even dresses up in costume--posting photos with her new friends on Snapchat.

“If you’re living somewhere and there’s an earthquake, hurricane, tornado or some kind of disaster, you might think you’re in despair,” explains Rebekah Felix Lambert, who came from Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. “But there will always be help there. Something good is going to come out of the bad.”

In order for the district to support the influx of new students, they need more staff. It’s a natural progression then, that as many adults leave their homes on the island and come to Florida, the school district has been at the airport--literally--hiring them as they arrive. So far, Orlando has hired 51 people, including classroom teachers, paraprofessionals and bus drivers--all from Puerto Rico.

Because so much of the island is still in the dark--less than half of the island now has power--many recent arrivals still can’t retrieve copies of their teaching credentials, proof of employment or transcripts from where they earned their teaching degree.

“We’ll be creative in hiring them,” says Jenkins, the district’s superintendent. “That might mean they could start as a substitute teacher until we find those credentials or gather what the state requires for their license.”

Like many teachers who left Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, Yara Ramos applied for a job at the airport, next to empty ticket counters in a once-vacant terminal. She’s a veteran teacher from Camuy, Puerto Rico who arrived in Orlando with her four children, still ambivalent about her career.

“I miss my people,” she says, crying. “They’ve been my co-workers for over 10 years. It’s family too ... my classroom, it’s probably there the way I left it, with everything packed in bags--all my computers were sealed.”

She pauses for a moment, “I’m not coming back,” she says, trailing off.

She’s waiting for her relatives back home in Camuy to send her the documents she’ll need to be hired as a licensed classroom teacher.

In the meantime, she’s starting over again as a paraprofessional at a middle school just west of downtown Orlando.

That’s despite her 10 years of teaching experience. And yet, it’s a full-time job, which means she can move out of her brother’s house--where she’s been living for more than a month--and start putting her life back together again.

[nedsecondline]

Tuesday Open Thread | Puerto Rico Has Been Sent Back to the 19th Century. WHERE IS THIS COUNTRY’S RESPONSE?

We have 3.5 MILLION AMERICAN CITIZENS who have been sent back into the 19th Century, because of the results of Hurricane Maria. Puerto Rico has SEVEN TIMES the population of New Orleans.. And the response from this White House has been absolutely ridiculous.

They’re going to bring up an aid bill for Puerto Rico SOMETIME IN OCTOBER?

DA PHUQ?

These citizens are going through hell NOW.

And we have the Incompetent, Unqualified Orange Individual on Twitter attacking professional athletes, but NOTHING about Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico has 7x the population of New Orleans spread out over 10x the area. This disaster is on a scale unknown in modern U.S. history.

— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) September 25, 2017

Amount FEMA has disbursed so far in PuertoRico: $2.1 million Amount EACH of Trump’s visits to Mar-a-lago costs: $3 million

When Japan was hit by terrible quake & tsunami in 2011, DoD deployed 24K personnel, 189 aircraft & 24 USN ships for HA/DR. Why less for PR?

— John Schindler (@20committee) September 25, 2017

There is no infrastructure on the island.

  Battered Puerto Rico hospitals on life support after Hurricane Maria

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (Reuters) – Puerto Rico’s medical services are in critical condition in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

The strongest storm to hit the island in decades has left hospitals flooded, strewn with rubble and dependent on diesel generators to keep the neediest patients alive.

The precarious shape of the island’s medical facilities is adding to the misery and devastation of this U.S. territory, whose 3.4 million residents are American citizens. For some, the only option is to evacuate to the United States for treatment.

…………………. For hospitals across this region, the challenges are mounting. After the power went out, back-up generators at some hospitals failed quickly. Other hospitals are running critically low on diesel. Fuel is so precious that deliveries are made by armed guards to prevent looting, according to Dr. Ivan Gonzalez Cancel, a cardiovascular surgeon and director of the heart transplant program at Centro Cardiovascular.

“Another hospital wants to transfer two critical patients here because they don’t have electricity,” Gonzalez Cancel said. “We can’t take them. We have the same problem.”

Medical staffers are also running low on gasoline for their daily commutes to work. Puerto Ricans are queuing as long as seven hours at the island’s few functioning filling stations. Marilyn Rivera Morales, a nurse at the center, said she had enough petrol to drive to the hospital for two more days.

“How will they keep coming here if they don’t have gas?” Gonzalez Cancel wondered.

RETWEET to remind @realdonaldtrump that he has the USNS COMFORT at his disposal & Puerto Rico is part of the United States

Time to send it http://pic.twitter.com/4HkEbqDYPs

— Red T Raccoon (@RedTRaccoon) September 24, 2017

President Trump, Sec. Mattis, and DOD should send the Navy, including the USNS Comfort, to Puerto Rico now. These are American citizens. https://t.co/J2FVg4II0n

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 24, 2017

Puerto Rico officials describe “apocalyptic" conditions after hurricane. No power; no phones; vast destruction. https://t.co/OFt3y9hO7A

— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) September 24, 2017

They are playing with lives. Someone in the Department of Defense gave bullshyt reasons why COMFORT couldn’t go to Puerto Rico.

Someone refutes the government’s reasons why COMFORT can’t go.

I spent 6 months on that ship, went to 14 countries and not once did "we can't fit" stop us from getting the job done. http://pic.twitter.com/MGLoCZN7Rm

— Charlotte's Weave (@CharlottesWeave) September 25, 2017

Ponce designed as port of the Americas handles the largest ships that pass through Panama Canal. Mayaguez handles massive cargo. END/

— Steve Kistulentz (@kistulentz) September 25, 2017

WHY is COMFORT important?

An answer from the foreign policy writer at BJ:

Adam L Silverman says: September 25, 2017 at 10:14 pm

@Baud: This is one of two hospital, humanitarian response, disaster management, and/or emergency response ships in the fleet. The other is the USNS Mercy. They are designed for this type of thing. Also, in comparison, when the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan we sent over 120 ships as soon as we could put them afloat. Plus significant ground, amphibious, and air assets. Right now we’ve got a US Navy float of four amphibious ships with their Marine Expeditionary Unit, an Army medical company, an Army civil information support unit, some Coast Guard assets, some FEMA assets, etc. Over 3 million Americans are at risk and we’ve sent less than 10% of what we sent to aid Japan.

Ways to donate:

The Hispanic Federation’s “Unidos”: A Hurricane Relief Fund for Hurricane Maria Victims in Puerto Rico

First Lady of Puerto Rico Beatriz Rosselló’s United for Puerto Rico

And GoFundMe’s Hurricane Maria Relief Page, which includes fund drives dedicated to Dominica as well.

‘If anyone can hear us … help.’ Puerto Rico’s mayors describe widespread devastation from Hurricane Maria https://t.co/w2QkdPOS9e

— MaryAnneMohanraj (@mamohanraj) September 26, 2017

Here’s How You Can Help People In Puerto Rico 3.5 million Americans are enduring “apocalyptic” conditions right now because of Hurricane Maria. By Jennifer Bendery

WASHINGTON ― At least 13 people are dead. Most people don’t have water or power. There’s no cell service. Roads have been totally washed away or blocked by debris. This is life right now in Puerto Rico, where 3.5 million Americans are struggling to recover from the devastation of last week’s Hurricane Maria.

Local officials described the scene as “apocalyptic” on Sunday. And just two weeks earlier, Hurricane Irma blew through and caused as much as $1 billion in damages to the island.

A lot of mainland Americans don’t realize that Puerto Ricans are Americans. FEMA has been providing lifesaving resources to the island, but people there could use any help they can get to try to rebuild their destroyed lives. While President Donald Trump may be spending his weekend trashing football players on Twitter, if you want to lend a hand to a fellow American in need, there are easy ways to kick in a few bucks.

More about the situation in Puerto Rico:

Puerto Rico’s Agriculture and Farmers Decimated by Maria

By FRANCES ROBLES and LUIS FERRÉ-SADURNÍ SEPT. 24, 2017

YABUCOA, P.R. — José A. Rivera, a farmer on the southeast coast of Puerto Rico, stood in the middle of his flattened plantain farm on Sunday and tried to tally how much Hurricane Maria had cost him.

“How do you calculate everything?” Mr. Rivera said.

For as far as he could see, every one of his 14,000 trees was down. Same for the yam and sweet pepper crops. His neighbor, Luis A. Pinto Cruz, known to everyone here as “Piña,” figures he is out about $300,000 worth of crops. The foreman down the street, Félix Ortiz Delgado, spent the afternoon scrounging up the scraps that were left of the farm he manages. He found about a dozen dried ears of corn that he could feed the chickens. The wind had claimed the rest.

“There will be no food in Puerto Rico,” Mr. Rivera predicted. “There is no more agriculture in Puerto Rico. And there won’t be any for a year or longer.”

…………………

Hurricane Maria made landfall here Wednesday as a Category 4 storm. Its force and fury stripped every tree of not just the leaves, but also the bark, leaving a rich agricultural region looking like the result of a postapocalyptic drought. Rows and rows of fields were denuded. Plants simply blew away.

In a matter of hours, Hurricane Maria wiped out about 80 percent of the crop value in Puerto Rico — making it one of the costliest storms to hit the island’s agriculture industry, said Carlos Flores Ortega, Puerto Rico’s secretary of the Department of Agriculture.

"It's inhumane" what's happening at the airport in San Juan, a nurse from Little Rock, Arkansas told me – they need food, water and fans. http://pic.twitter.com/Fcm3QBiMVB

— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) September 25, 2017

We stand with our fellow citizens in #PuertoRico – Congress should send aid today. Please share contact info below. http://pic.twitter.com/EtDuX7WkAL

— Rep. Joe Kennedy III (@RepJoeKennedy) September 25, 2017

Satellite images taken at night show Puerto Rico in July vs. yesterday; Hurricane #Maria knocked out much of the power and it remains down. http://pic.twitter.com/9PDBYMdvdY

— ABC News (@ABC) September 25, 2017

Please call your Congressman and Senators and ask them why there’s no bill for Puerto Rico NOW!!!

Here is Dolt45’s tweets about Puerto Rico.

Look at this foolishness!!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/912478274508423168

…It's old electrical grid, which was in terrible shape, was devastated. Much of the Island was destroyed, with billions of dollars….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/912481556127780865

If you have any organization that you know is doing good work in Puerto Rico, please leave it in the replies. Our fellow citizens need all the help they can get.

[ronaldmrashid]

Insurance For Natural Disasters: Floods, Fires, Hurricanes, Earthquakes Oh My

Before I sold my house in the Marina district of San Francisco, I always had a slight worry whether it would survive the next big earthquake. The Marina district, although a highly desirable neighborhood in the north end of San Francisco, is mostly liquefaction – a mixture of sand and dirt that was reclaimed from the ocean.

The last big earthquake was the Loma Prieta earthquake on October 17, 1989 which killed 63 people, collapsed a section of the Bay Bridge, and caused several buildings to burn down in the Marina due to ruptured gas pipelines.

Each time I got the mandatory earthquake insurance offer in the mail, I passed because the deductible (10% – 15% of value of home) was so high and the premium ($5,000+/year) so expensive. I’d ignore the risk I was taking until I’d get the same offer in the mail the next year. I figured worst case, if it burned to the ground, I’d have to spend $650,000 rebuilding a 2,300 sqft structure.

Now that I don’t own a home surrounded by liquefaction, I do feel a sense of relief that I “escaped” almost 13 years of ownership without experiencing a natural disaster. So many people who didn’t live in San Francisco constantly reminded me about the risks of earthquakes before I bought. Then after I bought, so many more people from San Francisco who didn’t/couldn’t buy a home tried to instill fear in me.

What gives folks? Can’t you just be happy for someone’s largest purchase?

As a result of all this feedback, one of my biggest worries was having an earthquake hit while I was in the processing of selling my home. Selling a home is much more stressful than buying a home. If you don’t buy a home, there is no loss except for dashed dreams. If your home falls out of contract when selling, vultures will start circling.

With new devastations seeming to happen around the country every year, I’ve begun to wonder whether it would be wise to look into flood and earthquake insurance again to cover my remaining properties. My homeowner insurance policy cover fire damage, and so should yours.

Natural Disasters Don’t Just Affect Homes

What I didn’t realize was how much damage storms such as Hurricane Harvey can do to cars. It’s estimated that Harvey ruined 500,000 cars by flooding their engines. Similarly, Hurricane Sandy destroyed about 250,000 vehicles and Hurricane Katrina claimed about 200,000 according to Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive.

Therefore, it behooves everyone to ping their auto insurance companies today and ask what type of coverage they are getting for their premiums. I bet most people have no idea exactly what they are getting for the insurance they are paying. I called my auto insurance company and was reminded I have comprehensive insurance on my new family car with a $500 deductible. I thought I was paying for a $1,000 deductible.

Comprehensive insurance should cover your car from flood damage, hail, a tree falling on your hood, and everything else you can think of. You’ll usually be reimbursed for your ride’s actual cash value (ACV) after you pay your comprehensive deductible.

What’s shocking is that only about 20% of the 1.6 million homes in Harris County, where Houston is located, had flood insurance, according to emailed data from the Insurance Information Institute. For those homes in “high-risk” areas, only 28% of the homes had flood insurance.

Please think about this scenario for a moment. If you have a mortgage to pay, a car to replace, and a home to rebuild out of pocket, there could be no way out of this type of financial disaster except for bankruptcy. 

Besides private insurance companies, the federal government offers flood insurance coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program at an average cost of about $700 per year. Of course, the premiums vary depending on your property’s flood risk and value of the house.

For low-risk homes with the maximum coverage of $250,000 for the dwelling and $100,000 for possessions, the premiums are $405 per year, or $452 if you have a basement. For those who have homes of higher value, it looks like private insurance companies are your only option.

Here’s a video that really shows how Hurricane Harvey affected one person’s home and cars. The fella successfully saved three BMWs, but could not protect his home from damage. I’m pretty sure after seeing this video, if you live in a high risk area, you’ll be motivated to call your insurance company!

Deciding On Whether To Get Natural Disaster Insurance

Insurance companies stay in business because they collect more in premiums than they pay out in claims. It’s actually a great business if you look at the profit figures of all the major insurance companies. Therefore, as a consumer, you probably don’t want to get more insurance than is required by law because you know it’ll likely never be used. That said, here’s a checklist that may help you determine whether getting flood or earthquake insurance is a good move.

* Do you live in a high-risk area? If you live in a coastal state, Texas, Louisiana, or Hawaii, you are subject to hurricanes. If you live west of the Rockies, in Alaska, New England, or along the Mississippi River, you are subject to earthquakes. If you live right on the coast, in low lying areas, you are subject to floods. Basically, disaster can strike anywhere at anytime.

Graphic showing the top 5 costliest and deadliest U.S. hurricanes. [Photo via Newscom]

I’m not sure anybody can ever believe the weather person again when s/he says this is a “100 year storm.” I could have sworn they said that about Katrina, Sandy, and Harvey, and they all happened within 13 years of each other.

* When was the last time you invested in disaster mitigation? After the 1989 earthquake, homeowners in danger zones were mandated to “earthquake proof” their homes with stronger foundations. All new construction after 1989 also required stricter foundation construction. As a result, buildings are now safer than ever before. Obviously we won’t know how strong our homes are until angry nature comes, but we should believe the more we invest in disaster mitigation, the better we will come out at the other end.

Although my new primary residence is not on liquefaction, I did spend some money reinforcing the structure and applying new bolts to the frame. Our condo association is spending about $100,000 – $130,000 retrofitting our building by 2018 due to a SF law.

* Have you talked to your long time neighbors? One of the first things I did before and after I bought my house was ask my neighbors how the 1989 Loma Prieta 6.9 earthquake affected our block. One 69 year old neighbor who has owned his building since 1975 told me not a lot happened at all. Some dishes fell off the shelves, but that was about it. However, five blocks west of us several houses had to redo their facades due to cracks. The houses that sustained structural damage were situated 15 blocks away as they were built on top of sand.

Roughly 8 blocks away from my old house in the Marina

* What is the estimate of potential damages? After speaking with my neighbors and doing more research about the 1989 earthquake online, I made a realistic $100,000 damage estimate if a similar 7.0 magnitude earthquake hits. I compared the $100,000 to my earthquake insurance deductible of $150,000 + $5,000 in annual premiums and decided it wasn’t worth it. It’s important each of us assess realistic estimates of what a disaster might cost us out of pocket.

* How big is your emergency savings? The less emergency savings you have, the more you may need insurance. If disaster strikes, you could borrow from your 401K, draw money from a HELOC, or go directly to friends and family.

* How dependent is your retirement on your home? Given our homes are often our largest asset, there’s no doubt many people count on their homes to provide rent-free security once the mortgage is paid off, or rental income if they are a landlord in retirement. Some may even depend on their homes to do a reverse mortgage for income. Whatever the case may be, the higher your home is as a percentage of your net worth, the more you need to consider getting disaster insurance.

* How much equity do you have in your home? This is probably the only situation where having little to no equity is a good thing if disaster strikes. Potential disasters are one of the biggest reasons why people should not pay down their mortgage. If you had the ideal mortgage amount of $1 million, your bank ends up eating the cost if you run away.

If The Natural Disaster Gets Really Bad

The only positive out of a really bad situation is that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) might step in to provide grants for emergency repairs and temporary housing. Meanwhile, the Small Business Administration (SBA) may offer up to $200,000 in a low-interest loan for rebuilding.

Rebuilding costs soar during times of emergency, largely due to an upward shift in the demand curve. There will also inevitably be price increases by suppliers of material and services to help mitigate such a surge in demand. Lines for gas at the pump last for hours, while electricity might not come back on for weeks, if not months.

The worst feeling in the world is losing everything and not knowing whether you will ever recover if you don’t have insurance. The second worst feeling during a disaster situation is having insurance, and not knowing whether you will ever collect.

Here’s a video highlighting what type of damage Category 1 – 5 hurricanes can do. Let’s pray Hurricane Irma doesn’t stay a Category 5 when it hits land. For those who are investing in heartland real estate, it’s best to bake in potential natural disaster damages into your returns.

Build Goodwill With Your Insurance Provider

It’s unfortunate to hear so many frustrating stories about insurance companies not paying out a claim when something bad happens. The only thing I can recommend is to go with an insurance carrier that’s been around a long time, has a healthy balance sheet, and use them for multiple financial products to build good will so they decrease the chance of screwing you.

For example, you may want to bundle your auto, property, umbrella policy, and flood insurance together. Your agent will love you, and you will be tiered as a more valuable customer given you’ll be paying higher monthly premiums. As a higher valued customer, they will give you less grief during filing, and will also give you the best rates.

When I filed a $7,500 claim for a lost watch, I spoke to the personal property insurance agent for about 10 minutes, answered seven questions, and got a check for $7,500 three weeks later. They didn’t give me a hard time because they’ve been making lots of money off me for the past 20 years.

More Assets, More To Worry About

With San Francisco temperatures reaching a record breaking 106 degrees, a massive fire spreading in Burbank, California, and Hurricane Harvey slamming Texas, Hurricane Irma on its way, there’s something to be said about having only one car and one house. The ongoing maintenance and insurance costs really start putting a damper on your sense of freedom.

If you’re in an area prone to disaster, at least call up your insurance company and look into the costs and coverage. Compare the insurance premiums to the cost of a total rebuild and make a calculated guess decision. There is no such thing as retroactive insurance.

Each year that goes by without paying insurance premiums is a win. But after many years of winning, you might want to use your winnings to sleep well for the rest of your life.

Related:

How Does An Umbrella Policy Work?

A Preliminary Guide To Auto Insurance

The Ideal Amount Of Homeowners Insurance To Protect Your Family

Readers, do you have flood or earthquake insurance? If so, what is your coverage and monthly premiums? Has your home or car ever gone through a natural disaster? What was the cost to rebuild/replace? 

The post Insurance For Natural Disasters: Floods, Fires, Hurricanes, Earthquakes Oh My appeared first on Financial Samurai.

from https://www.financialsamurai.com/insurance-natural-disasters-floods-fires-hurricanes-earthquakes/

[bestnewsmag-blog]

New Post has been published on Bestnewsmag

New Post has been published on https://bestnewsmag.com/acts-of-god-in-property-insurance/

Acts of God in property insurance

In property coverage, you continuously come upon the term ‘acts of god’ which are covered beneath the coverage. The term simply means natural screw ups or calamities which might insurance be passed human manipulate and which can’t be resulting from humans God 

The term also implies that those events can’t be avoided by use of caution or by way of taking preventive measures. So what occasions are considered as ‘acts of god’ and what activities aren’t taken into consideration as such? Let us discover.

The time period ‘acts of god’ normally refers to herbal failures along with earthquakes, floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes and hail. A fireplace due to lightning is considered an act of god and is included with the aid of the insurance policy, however if the hearth within the house is prompted because of negligence on the part of the insured or his circle of relatives, the insurance organization cannot be expected to provide insurance cowl to such an eventuality as this type of fire can be averted with the aid of the insured.

Also, arson and rioting aren’t taken into consideration as ‘acts of god’ and consequently damages induced because of those events aren’t blanketed by means of the insurance policy.

The harm due to different herbal failures such as earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, and so forth, are typically included by way of home or assets insurance policies. But if the policy does no longer cover any individual of those, the policyholder has to shop for an upload on policy to are trying to find protection in opposition to such an eventuality.

Hence, it’s miles imperative for the policyholder to examine the policy record cautiously to recognize which of the ‘acts of god’ are covered and which ones aren’t.

How Can You Know If You Are Pleasing God (John 8:21-30)?

  “I’m cleaning up my room,” says Joseph, 5. “People need room to walk so they don’t trip. I’m not hurting anyone and that makes God happy!”

Whether you’re 5 years old or 50, cleaning your room is always a challenge. It reminds me of what Phyllis Diller said, “Housework can’t kill you, but why take a chance?”

“You need to be kind to your neighbors who are anyone you see, or also your enemies,” says Sammy, 8.

Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God, but the second greatest (love your neighbor as yourself) is like the first (Mark 12:29-31). Did you ever wonder how loving your neighbor is like loving God? Also, does this include the neighbor who plays his stereo too loud or revs his motorcycle at 1:00 a.m?

Loving your neighbor and liking your neighbor are two different things. God never commands us to like our neighbor. I don’t have to like my neighbor, his loud music or inconsiderate behavior to love him. All I have to know is that God loves my neighbor.

I know from the Bible that my neighbors are created in God’s image even though that image is tarnished because of sin. Nevertheless, Christ suffered and died for all my neighbors, even the ones who openly rebel and shake their fists in his face.

Do I in myself have the capacity to love my neighbor as myself? I do not.

As a Christian, there is someone living in me who knows exactly how to love my neighbors. The Apostle Paul referred to this heavenly inhabitant as “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Not only is the indwelling Christ the hope of future glory for every Christian, he’s also that hope of sanity in this present life.

Let’s face it. There are some people who don’t like you, and there’s not a lot you can do to change their opinion. In some situations, loving your neighbor might mean you refrain from retaliating against a neighbor’s intentional behavior to get under your skin.

It pleases God when you allow him to love people through you that you don’t even like. It’s easy to love people you like. It’s the stickers that will push you to rely on God’s power and resources.

Only God can love stickers. After all, he loves you and me. Before God, we’re all stinkers. Our area of stink may differ, but that doesn’t make the stink any less offensive to a holy God.

“I know I am pleasing God when I set the table for dinner, when I help my mom with her shopping and when I do my chores,” says Avery, 7.

Yes, even the mundane become opportunities to please God when you’re living the life empowered by the Lord. Here’s how the Apostle Paul described living under an open heaven: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,” (Colossians 3:23).

Think about this: Sometimes people think of pleasing God only as something huge like hearing God’s call to serve him on a distant mission field. Most of the time, pleasing God comes in the form of the ordinary. If you live life before an open heaven, the ordinary is transformed into the extraordinary. You’re living to please God, not trying to just get through the day.

Memorize this truth: Colossians 3:23 previously quoted.

Ask this question: As a Christian, have you allowed Christ’s indwelling presence to transform your ordinary world into a wonderland full of opportunities to please God?

Bible quotations in this Bible lesson are from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Types of Insurance Fraud

  insurance fraud is when deception is involved in the process of insurance. It could be a case when someone makes a fake claim from an insurance firm. It could also be when the insurer refuses to pay the claimant. Statistics have shown that the number of insurance frauds committed globally is rising.

The motive behind insurance frauds is greed. People are always looking to make a financial gain through insurance fraud. There are cases where people over-insure their property. Then they destroy it intentionally to claim insurance.

Types of insurance frauds:

Life Insurance:

Individuals take policies to insure their lives. When there is a reasonable amount due, they fake death and their beneficiaries claim the amount. They may appear after a few years and claim that they are suffering from memory loss.

Health Insurance:

This is when the claimant furnishes false information to the insurance company so as to avail benefits of them. Insured people commit this type of fraud in a number of ways. Some common ways are:

• Allowing the use of their policy information by someone else.

• There are cases where people claim the amount incurred for paying for prescriptions which are not prescribed by their doctor.

Medical providers commit this type of fraud as well. They may bill for services they have not provided supplies they may not have used or even altering existing claims.

This type of fraud is committed by health insurance companies also. They may delete the claims from their records, they may not pay the claimants or even deny the coverage for genuine parties.

Automobile Insurance:

In order to claim insurance, people stage accidents and collisions. It is also claimed when people report thefts of cars. It could also be claimed for a damage that existed before the policy was taken. Sometimes people claim coverage for an accident that may have occurred prior to taking the policy.

Property Insurance:

In this case, people damage their properties to make a claim. Sometimes they destroy goods which are not very valuable and make a claim for a higher amount. Individuals even fake theft in order to make a claim. Sometimes people claim the second insurance after having been covered for their losses by one insurance Company.

Insurance frauds affect the society as a whole. Fraudulent claims make insurance companies incur heavy losses. In order to make up for these losses, these companies raise the premiums of the honest policyholders. Hence, honest citizens pay a

10 Acts of Body Language to Avoid

    For a trained eye, the body language speaks volumes about the mental transactions happening in a person. All the physical gestures we make during our interactions with others are subconsciously interpreted by the people. This can become boon or bane depending upon the kind of gestures we make during our interactions with others. For instance, defensive postures during an interview may show our under-confidence to the interviewing panel. Some other gestures exude the confidence we feel at the time of interaction. In this article, we would be listing out 10 body languages that we should avoid to impress upon the people we meet or come across in our lives.

Body Languages

In reality, most people do not know anything about their own body language. They just take things for granted and come to their own conclusions about things that happen around them. Hence, the task of disciplining their body to make right gestures is the quite daunting task for them. Most of the body languages that we make are reflexive. The truth of the matter is that they automatically say what our minds are thinking of any given movement. However, with some effort, we can condition our reflexes in such a way that we can sound confident before others even if we are little under confident. Of course, we should know the right kind of practices so that we can avoid making negative body languages before others. Making such avoidable negative body languages will make the people look down upon us. In this article, we would be looking at the negative gestures that we should learn to avoid making while interacting with others.

[newstfionline]

Floods and fires make Americans rethink their love affair with stuff

By Lisa Bonos and Jura Koncius, Washington Post, October 25, 2017

As Hurricane Irma barreled toward Florida last month, Stephanie Kurleman and her family packed up three cars and evacuated to a friend’s home. “I thought I wouldn’t come back to anything,” Kurleman said, recalling the moment her family drove away from Clearwater Beach. In addition to the basics, she said they gathered documents, photos, her Bible, jewelry, plus the kids’ kiteboards.

When the storm passed, they drove back and found only minor damage. But the experience left Kurleman with an urge to purge. “I was weighed down by too much stuff,” Kurleman, 50, said. “I was prepared to start over with what I had with me,” she said, adding: “I could live simpler.”

In the past two months, thousands of homes in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, Mexico and California have flooded, flattened or caught fire. In a matter of hours or days, homes that took lifetimes to fill with furniture, clothing, technology, sports equipment, photo albums and family videos were reduced to waterlogged or charred debris.

The media spotlight on people who’ve lost large chunks of their lives may be stirring up aftershocks. Americans, even those outside the disaster zones, are starting conversations about how much stuff they have--and what they really need.

Organizing and decluttering are national obsessions. But rather than taking the time to wade through their things, many get more joy out of watching cable shows on closet cleaning, buying plastic tubs at the Container Store and reading Marie Kondo’s books. They contemplate reevaluating the mountains of stuff in their garages, attics and basements. But many don’t even have enough room in their homes for everything they want to keep: Almost 10 percent of American households have a storage unit, according to the Self Storage Association.

Cris Sgrott-Wheedleton, a professional organizer in Tysons Corner, Va., has noticed a higher call volume at her office since the spate of natural disasters. “I think the coverage has affected people. People are ready to begin the process. It reminds them to think, ‘What do I have in my house and how would I gather those things and put them in my car and leave?,’” she says.

Watching people who have lost everything can prompt a spiritual change or a value shift, according to Marjorie Kukor, an Ohio psychologist who has been a mental-health volunteer for local and national disasters. “They might realize that it’s not the material things that are important to them,” Kukor says.

Still, Sgrott-Wheedleton calls the relationship of people with their stuff “complex.” “I work with people who say they wish they could throw a match at their piles of stuff and let it all burn down and start fresh somewhere else. But do they really mean that?” she says. Making time-consuming decisions about what to keep and what to let go is a difficult and emotional process.

“We hold on to stuff because of what we believe it says about us,” says Regina Lark, a professional organizer in Los Angeles. A Gen-Xer might keep her grandparents’ china even though she never uses it, but it keeps her connected to her family story. A baby boomer might still have T-shirts from every 1970s concert he attended, proving he’s not just a boring office drone, but an office drone who’s lived. On top of the memories of the past are uncertainties about the future. What might be useful someday? That question can keep a scholar from tossing decades-old notes; they might be the basis for a great book.

Often people fail to focus on what’s really important to them until it’s too late. A few days before Irma hit, Jodeen Krumenauer and husband John Sweet packed a few suitcases and computer bags and evacuated from their one-story house in a flood zone in Bonita Springs, Fla.

When they returned 12 days later, fish were swimming in the four inches of water that filled every room of their house.

They hadn’t anticipated this level of damage. “We just packed as though we were leaving for a trip. I brought a box of insurance papers and birth certificates. And some electronics,” says Krumenauer, 50. Fortunately, at the last minute, she also threw in some old photos and a bit of jewelry that had belonged to her grandmother who had died earlier this year.

When they returned, the water and mildew had ruined most of their furniture and other possessions.

The whole process of rebuilding is messy and long. They are reevaluating everything. “We will think more about what it is we are buying. Do we really need this? But I can also see going the opposite way and thinking you want more things to make up for what you lost. But I don’t want to do that. I would like to live a life with less stuff,” Krumenauer said.

Amy Nitza, director of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz, says losing everything in a disaster usually becomes a defining bench mark in someone’s life. “It can cause a reappraisal of what life is about,” she says.

The recent spate of hurricanes, earthquakes and fires means that “people, for good or bad, are having vicarious reactions to what they are seeing,” Nitza says. She cited a 2015 survey that found that only 22.9 percent of Americans indicated they had an emergency preparedness plan. Nitza says that even those who haven’t been directly affected by a hurricane or wildfire might be inspired “to be prepared in a way they might not have been before having this vicarious reaction.”

Geoffrey and Sarah Cocks, both 68, fall into that category. A year ago, the couple downsized from a 2,500-square-foot home in Michigan to a smaller place in Carmel, Calif. Geoffrey, a retired history professor, thought it would be hard to give up his books but realized the tomes would be of greater benefit to a library. The couple said their pre-move decluttering was cathartic.

Now they are focused on a different kind of packing. This month, their daughter, her husband and their two cats had to quickly leave their Napa, Calif., house before it was consumed by fire. Their daughter’s sudden loss moved the Cockses to pack go-bags, complete with flashlights, batteries, cash, sturdy shoes, water, granola bars and rain jackets so they could be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

This tragedy “made us realize that whatever stuff we had can eventually be replaced,” Sarah Cocks says. “Getting out with your life and your animal companions is more important.”