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On being an architectural photographer 1
On being: an Architectural Photographer – 1
Keith Cooper looks at what it takes and why
Part 1 – the business side
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For several years now, Keith Cooper has provided architectural photography services via Northlight Images.
How did he get into this area of photography and why?
How does it work from a business and photographic point of view?
Is this an area where having the right specialist kit and knowing how to use it matters?
This first part of the article looks more at the business side of things. Photographing the built world may be interesting, but how do you make a profit from it? Part 2 looks a bit more at equipment and what you do with it
Architecture and the business of photography
Here at Northlight, I do our architectural, construction and interiors photography. You’ll note that I’ve lumped these together since they cover our business from photographing sites for planning purposes, though construction and on to projects actually being used. I also (in normal times) offer bespoke training/seminars covering architectural photography and equipment. This is aimed mainly at architects and property professional, but includes photographers and talks at shows and the like.
In this article I’ll concentrate more on the architecture/construction side. Interior photography can quite a specialised field when you get to custom lighting setups, so I’ll stick to the sorts more likely to be associated with photographing development projects. This part of the article leans more to the business aspects, whilst the second part more to the photography and equipment.
A background – why architecture?
I’ve been interested in the built environment for many years. This fitted in with my love of landscape photography and one of my previous careers as a geologist. Growing up in Suffolk has left me with a love of deserted beaches, huge skies and vast medieval churches, reflecting the past wealth of the region. These often look massively out of place for the small villages and towns they now inhabit.
If there was an image that I could give as an inspiration, it would be the 1903 Frederick H. Evans print ‘A Sea of Steps’. Taken at Wells cathedral in 1903 [Link to image – I don’t have rights to reproduce the original].
My own view, taken in 2011, uses a similarly vertically shifted lens, albeit of somewhat wider field of view.
In skills I’ve acquired over the years, that are useful for architectural work, I’d list:
- An ability to visualise 3 dimensional structures, including the hidden parts
- A engineering/scientific background understanding construction and why structures stay up
- An appreciation of landscape and its history in art and geology
- Treating light and shadow as structural elements of any image you create
- Seeing architecture relating to the scale of people using it, and how they use it
I’d not say that these are ‘essentials’ in any way, they just matter for me.
Here at Northlight, we only do commercial photography, so no weddings/pets/babies and the like. That doesn’t mean I don’t photograph people – far from it, just that the ones I do tend to be at work. My previous work in engineering means that I’m comfortable (and safe) in factories and construction sites.
The majority of our earlier work was more on the industrial/construction side, with architectural work gradually contributing more to the business in the last 10-15 years. If you’re looking for info about getting started, then some of my more general photo business articles are likely to be of relevance, such as:
A key element of the business, which comes from my academic background, are the articles on this site and our commercial photography training. I’m happy to teach people how to use tilt/shift lenses for example, to the extent that I’ve written a book on the subject [publication now moved back to late 2020, given the current situation].
One aspect of the business that has helped is having enough time to experiment and learn the technical skills required. I’ve long believed in mastering the technical side of photography well enough to be able to ignore it until it’s needed.
Who wants this type of photography
When I was first looking to take up photography professionally I had a chat with a well known professional landscape photographer. Why? Well, I really liked landscape photography, that was a start wasn’t it?
I wasn’t entirely unprepared for the answers, since I’d many previous years of business management and consultancy work. However I’d fallen into the classic trap of not thinking:
Make what you can sell, not try to sell sell what you make
This was exacerbated by failing to properly think of my photography as a product.
For the architectural side of things, the natural thought is that architects want shots of their buildings.
That’s fine but architects often don’t have the money for much photography. I’m a member of RIBA and know a lot of architects.
I also know where the money flows and collects in the development and construction process. You need to identify both the people who can afford photography, and critically what they need the photos for.
Remember that your photos have a job (or jobs) to do. That job is different if your images are aimed at property investors or on an architect’s web site or a brochure for a specialist building product supplier. One of my other specialisms is macro/close-up photography. Whilst this is mainly for engineering clients, the skills and equipment are relevant for photographing architectural models and photos for construction material boards.
So, for our business, we need to know who uses architectural photos, why they use them and do they have the budget for taking them? Remember that very few of your images are likely to be of winners of prestigious architectural prizes.
The kinds of work
Architectural photography covers a wide range of situations and scales. You’re much less likely to be paid to photograph large award winning buildings than smaller office and residential developments.
I get to photograph a lot of deeply uninspiring structures. From my POV, the real skill comes in being able to take a good shot of a bland looking shed, not a RIBA Stirling prize winner.
What’s a good shot? – one the client really likes
Be prepared to put aside some of your artistic sensibilities and be prepared to learn from all the skilled people you will meet.
This building was on a newly developed industrial estate. The client in this case was the developer, who wanted images that could be used in their marketing.
Who’s it for again?
The architects involved with the project subsequently saw the photos and wanted this image. That’s great, but our licensing was for our client, so we came to an arrangement allowing them to use the photo [note the copyright watermark].
If I’ve the opportunity I’ll often shoot a few extra views since even with a good brief, you can’t be sure of just what someone in the client’s office is going to like/dislike. Detailed written briefs for work are essential, but back in the real world…
Always think carefully about how you are licensing the images you provide. Take care that people don’t pass them on to all and sundry. A large project may have many specialist suppliers and subcontractors – are you happy for them all to get free photos for promoting their business?
At a location such as the business park it’s important to remember that all those businesses you’re photographing for the developer are potential clients. You’ve probably had to chat with them to arrange permissions to take some photos – make sure they know what you do. This photo is from another visit to the same industrial park
The style of photos you provide is always a mix of your skill and expertise matched with what the client wants.
‘We do architecture too’
Sometimes I’m asked to quote for work in locations we can’t easily cover. By the time we’ve added in travel and expenses costs, it’s simply too much for a small job. I’m always happy to recommend other more local photographers and if I don’t know of any I’ll pass on details of our ‘Guide to finding the right professional photographer‘. There is one other key observation I generally offer:
Architectural photographers do not have brides on the front page of their web site
Of course that’s not to say wedding photographers won’t be able to photograph buildings. Just that they are less likely to have the specialist lenses and equipment that can be so useful. Conversely, getting me to photograph a wedding would really not be a sensible move…
The leaning towers
There’s a more subtle difference that’s perhaps best illustrated by two extreme views of the same building.
Both are very wide angle views, one with a normal ultra-wide lens and one with a tilt-shift lens.
As an architectural photographer I can take both, but only one would generally be of interest to an architectural practice. As one architect said of the next image:
“Great, but don’t do that to one of my buildings”.
People who do like the dramatic angles include graphic designers and the marketing/sales sides of larger client businesses.
If you see a web site of a pro photographer claiming to be an architectural photographer, then look at vertical lines in their images.
The odd few photos at strong angles are fine – that shows an understanding and appreciation of client needs. Everything leaning all over the place is a sure fire sign of someone trying a bit too hard to be ‘creative’.
The next two are both from a collection of images for a commercial property brochure – very different looks.
Use the light
Whilst it’s true of any naturally lit photo, learning to see how changes in light and weather affect the feel of a location is something that needs plenty of practice. It also helps for when photos ‘absolutely must’ be taken on a particular day. Just make sure the client appreciates that Photoshop does not equate with control over the weather.
Take time to experiment with shots taken at dusk, where just a few minutes can make all the difference.
Timing is essential when you want to show people in a scene, although I’ve clients who asked for multiple shots, so that they could be composited together to make somewhere look busier…
Compare the entrance above with this daylight view.
Take care when combining very different light sources. You camera’s choices in white balance setting can easily look wrong. The answer for myself is to shoot in RAW format and balance lighting tone and colour in RAW processing.
I’ve examples of the changes of light in a relatively short time in an article:
You (or your client) may or may not want people in a scene. I’ve mentioned compositing to make somewhere busy, but the same technique can be used to remove people.
Lower light levels allow for longer exposures and a blurring of figures which can help in creating a sense of flow or movement, or simply render people not individually identifiable.
Do watch for the ‘Lost Foot’ problem where a moving person is blurred, apart from the foot they had on the ground during exposure.
A strong ND filter can help in daylight, but watch for potential colour shifts.
Won’t someone please ask for black and white?
Back when I first asked about the business aspects of landscape photography, I also asked about black and white. The answer was that ‘people always said they liked B&W but very few would actually buy it’.
In the years since, my black and white work has sold a steady stream of landscape prints, but no more than for me to say it’s a hobby bolted on to the main photography business. Talking to other photographers with galleries (i.e. real physical ones) confirmed my belief that ‘Local Sells’, and I don’t live in a location with great photo sales possibilities.
Of course it may be different where you are, but if you believe it is, then make sure you’ve some solid reliable evidence.
So, some of my favourite images may be black and white, but the usual way they tend to end up on client’s walls is after I’ve worked for them. Often when they’re having an office upgrade/move and want some ‘art’.
It’s great to be asked for B&W prints of my work, but if you want to make more of this then some specific market research will be needed. Social media likes pay very few bills.
Black and white emphasises the light and works well with modern buildings too.
There is a problem in this particular image that you need to be aware of when asked to go and photograph newly completed projects.
Is it finished yet?
Definitions of just when a project is ‘finished’ depend on who you ask. The wire fences in the photo above could be removed in Photoshop, but it’s not a 5 minute job. Ensuring that everyone is expecting you on site and that no finishing off or ‘snagging’ work is going on is an important part of my pre-site checklist.
Site security people need to know you’re on site and who you’re working for. I’ve worked at a shopping centre where a BBC news crew wasn’t allowed on site until a copy of their liability insurance cover notice was emailed over. Don’t assume that just because a tenant at a site hires you to photograph their offices that the site owner will not be awkward. Watch out too that your work isn’t offered as a gift to the site owner for their own use.
Real architectural work
Over the years I’ve come across some serious misconceptions about what being an architectural photographer entails. In the same way many people’s view of fashion photography doesn’t cover the long hours, utter tedium and low pay of most people in that area.
Now if it were tedious, I wouldn’t be doing it, but architectural work (for most photographers doing it) does not consist of visiting stunning buildings and getting to explore the inner concepts of their design. Photography has a job to do for someone. That doesn’t mean you can’t explore more complex and deeper themes, but if you’re photographing a basic home extension it may be best to keep such musings to yourself.
A view through to a roof terrace in a new development. What’s the key element for the client?
It’s the floor, they are specialist flooring and tiling suppliers.
However, for a more general shot introducing the case study, this wider view was preferred.
This is one reason we often supply some wider angle views than just the requested images in our submissions. It’s much easier for a client’s design team to crop out what they want from a very high res image than add stuff in.
In the second part of the article I’ll look at the more technical side of architectural photography work. What do you need, and what’s nice to have. Also why your choices help from a business point of view.
Also… There’s a video interview that BenQ filmed of me discussing photography that includes photography business info related to this article – the second half is about monitors, but if you’re into video it may be of interest (I’m not, it’s not a service we offer here).
May 2020 – unusual times…
The current pandemic has severely impacted my work, mainly in that there are few people at our clients to actually speak to. They’re also not really thinking that much about photography.
As things do return to some normality, we’ll be engaging more in our business marketing and reminding people that we can go and photograph buildings with no need to interact with people. Interiors will be more problematic and it looks as if I’ll be working on my own rather more often. I’d like to thank all the readers who’ve wished us well. If nothing else it’s given me more time to write for the site.
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Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele on Tuesday urged financing institutions to work out financing structures that allow using local currency denominated funding for infrastructure as foreign funding continuously becomes more expensive.
Emefiele make the call in Abuja during the opening session of the 2017 Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) conference tagged AFC LIVE 2017 and titled, ‘The Infrastructure Revolution-Connect, Engage, Innovate.’- the second in the series on the institution’s annual summit.
“At a time when we have faced commodity price shocks, you will find that taking foreign currency facility to fund obligation domestically created some form of credit risks, you find situations where the obligor is unable to really the facility,” the governor stated.
“That means that in a changing world like we have right now, there is a need for our institutions to think about how to structure domestically denominated facilities where currency shocks do not impact on the repayment and performance of that facility.”
Emefiele also announced that the AFC invested $4bn in various development projects in Africa over the past ten years it was set up,
Those investments centred around 26 projects across 30 African countries in five main sectors , including power, transportation infrastructure, telecommunications, natural resources (oil, gas and mining) and heavy industry.
AFC was founded in 2007 mainly by the Nigerian government as a public-private partnership with a vision to be the leading Africa organisation focused on financing infrastructure development on the continent.
At that time, Africa saw consistent growth rates in excess of 5 per cent annually and investor interest in the continent was strong.
But global economic conditions since 2015, when oil prices began to fall have exposed the vulnerabilities of many African economies, especially those heavily reliant on commodity export for revenues, like Nigeria.
Emefiele said among many other lessons, the commodity crisis of 2015/2016 has thought that dollar denominated financing in emerging markets create risks that make investors very nervous and acts as a major obstacle to financing projects
He said much more needs to be done to develop local currency financing solutions and the conversation resonated that the AFC summit where issues were raised on longer term, cheaper capital.
“We have seen situations where institutions like the IFC have come up to say they want to raise naira bonds of facilities and deploy them into facilities. That should be encouraged.”
He said there is need to continue to encourage such ideas and that the CBN will give every support to ensure that such processes are successful.
Joseph Nnanna, CBN Deputy governor, Financial Sector Stability regretted that most African currencies are not tradable except the South African rand, saying that it now behoves on the continent to develop policies that encourage foreignPortfolio and Foreign Direct Investments.
“The shortage of tradable currencies to finance infrastructure is a challenge,”
He however assuredNigeria is tackling the problems squarely especially through CBN’s recent foreign exchange policy.
But he said what Africa needs most is peace and stability.
Andrew Alli, Chief Executive Officer and President of AFC noted at the event that one of the huge challenges facing the continent was lack of infrastructure.
“There was a clear recognition that if Africa did not adress this infrastructure deficit, then growth would not be optimal, and in some cases, would not be sustainable,” Alli told the audience.
Onyinye Nwachukwu, Abuja

domain: news


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Bobcats hoping to repeat championship season
Last updated 8/8/2023 at 11:11am
The Orangefield Bobcats are three weeks away from kicking off a new football season and are hoping for a repeat of last year for themselves. The Bobcats were district champions for the first time in over three decades and won a playoff game.
Head Coach Josh Smalley was obviously pleased with his 9-3 Bobcats in 2022. "It was a good season for us. We had a running back that set the single season rushing record with 2400 yards, we had a lot of positives, and we had a couple kids go play college football," Smalley recalled.
"The community was excited about it, the coaches were excited, the kids were proud of it, but last year was last year and this year doesn't care about last year so that's the kind of message we started preaching in the off season. As much success as we had and as fun as it was that really doesn't have anything to do with this year. We've tried to put that to bed and move on to this year as fast as we could," Smalley added.
Orangefield lost a pretty good group of seniors to graduation last year, but there are some quality Bobcats back this year. The Bobcats need to replace two tight ends and their entire backfield from last year, but the good news is most of the offensive line does come back this season.
Returning linemen on offense begin with starters Brayden McGee at center and Ethan Blackburn at guard. Ethan Brown and Blake McRight also started in the line. Smalley analyzed, "We've got a good quality group of interior guys that have Friday night experience and are coming back."
Even though the entire starting backfield is gone there are some young Bobcats that did play varsity football last season and will carry the ball this year. These players will have to step up to fill the void caused by graduation.
Determining who will be the primary quarterback for Orangefield is a top priority for Coach Smalley and his assistants concerning the offense. The two Bobcats battling to be the starter are Kane Smith and Caleb Fregia both seniors.
Smith and Fregia saw a lot of playing time last year on defense, so now they will be expected to lead Orangefield on offense. The two are good athletes but come with different skills.
Smalley evaluated, "Kane's a little bit faster, but doesn't throw the ball as well. Caleb throws the ball a little bit better, but is not as fast as Kane. We're going to rely on our scrimmages against LCM and Silsbee to determine who's going to start at that position in Week 1."
A running back with some experience is sophomore Mason Manning who played in twelve games mostly on defense. "He'll be the go daddy this year, and hopefully will adequately replace what Cameron Dischler contributed last year," Smalley replied.
Other running backs who were on the varsity will see more playing time this season. Mason Houghton will run at tailback, Kyle Michael will carry the football at fullback, and Lane Gipson at halfback should get more carries.
Smalley summarized, "The big question mark on offense will be the quarterback position. That will be a competition heading into Week 1. After the two-a-days and our scrimmages then we'll make that decision which is a big one. We lost a pretty good bit offensively last year, but we feel confident with the guys we've got coming back it's just a matter of getting them experience and work to have them fill those shoes."
In Class 3A a lot of the Bobcats play on both sides of the football, offense and defense. As a result many of the names on defense are the same as on the Orangefield offense.
Mason Manning as mentioned previously played defense and was a starter at cornerback for the Bobcats. He could be the leader of the Orangefield secondary on defense.
Kane Smith and Caleb Fregia who both played in the secondary last year are back. Inside linebackers Lane Gipson and Kyle Michael are seniors so should be big pluses for the Bobcats.
Noseguard Diego Garcia will add strength inside for the Orangefield defense. "The interior of our defense should be pretty good because they all have Friday night experience," Smalley pointed out.
There are some young Bobcats that Coach Smalley expects will make their presence felt when the season starts. Smalley identified, "We've got two sophomores that will get a look on defense at outside linebacker. Kaleb Menard at 6-1, 190, is a big good looking athletic kid, Carson Worthy will get a look, and junior Logan Trahan will also get a shot to start. "Outside linebacker is a position where we did lose players to graduation and we're going to have to have some guys step up and play, but we feel like we have capable hands there," Smalley stipulated.
Both defensive ends need to be replaced because of graduation. Juniors Kaden Knott and Ethan Brown along with senior Blake McRight are Bobcats that do not have varsity experience but the coaches believe they are capable of filling those holes for Orangefield by getting them repetitions and Friday night snaps.
New faces will make the Bobcat varsity this fall. Zach Morrow is a junior moving up from the junior varsity who will play in the secondary on the varsity this year. Junior Steyle Spurlock also played on the junior varsity and is expected to step up to help Orangefield in the secondary and special teams. Sophomore running back Kyler Green will fill in at tailback as will Rylan McAlpin who is dealing with a little bit of an injury for about another month.
"We've got guys that have played a lot, just not a lot on Fridays. We're counting on senior Logan Cheek who has not played in a couple of years, but I think he's really going to step in defensively and help us in some areas where we need help," Smalley responded.
The next three weeks will be spent shoring up any holes and working to get a starting eleven on both offense and defense for Orangefield. Offensively Smalley's attention will be focused on establishing the two tight end spots.
"We've got guys in position that are capable of filling the shoes of Morgan Sampson and Koen Maddox. Jacob Worthy is a senior who played a little bit for us last year at split end. Kaden Knott, Kaleb Menard, and newcomer Akilles Garcia a powerlifter is working at tight end. Tight end offensively is a spot for me that is a key one early on," Smalley emphasized.
On defense the outside linebacker and defensive end positions are two spots garnering the defensive coaches' attention. Smalley reminded, "We've got guys that have played those positions on Thursday but the tempo really picks up at the varsity level, and there's a difference between Thursday night speed and Friday night speed. Getting those guys a good look and experience will be big for me in the two scrimmages."
Coach Smalley hopes after the success of last season he and the coaches have established a standard at Orangefield where the Bobcats are able to compete for a district championship every year. The strategy is to use the scrimmages with Little Cypress Mauriceville and Silsbee, the non-district schedule against quality opponents like Bridge City, Woodville, and Shepherd to get the Bobcats ready for the district. Another district championship is the goal for this season.
The Bobcats have been told by the coaches during the off season, during the summer, and now in the preseason workouts what the goal is and what it will take to achieve it. "Getting to the top of the mountain is extremely difficult. Staying on top of the mountain is even harder. We're now the team in our district that other teams are going to want to knock off and we're going to get everybody's best shot every time we step out there on Friday night. We haven't been the hunted very often, we've always been the hunters, and now we're that team and that program that's being hunted every Friday night. It's a different mentality that our kids have got to understand. It doesn't matter who we're playing we're going to get everybody's very best effort that night so we've got to give our best effort," Smalley concluded.


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A complete guide to living healthy, happy, and pain free after a Gastrectomy. Stomach Cancer is one of the worst experiences a person can endure. But now you have made it through. And having a Gastrectomy has given you the chance for a new life. Unfortunately, many doctors only give you a short pamphlet on gastrectomy diet and how to live after the procedure. It may only tell you how much to eat and a short list of the foods you should stay away from. The pamphlet your doctor gave you does not have enough information to live by. That’s why Dr. Peter Thatcher, A professional Physician and Gastroenterologist at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, has written a full guide for you on the special diet you need to not only live, but thrive after your surgery. His extensive knowledge and years of experience guarantee that this is the most effective guide available today. Here is what is included in Dr. Thatchers book: -Which foods to eat and which to avoid -How often and how much you should eat -Recipes: breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, and more -List of gastrectomy complications and how to handle them -A template for recording your meals – Guide on developing your own diet plan -How to approach social gatherings after your surgery -Learn the importance of eating and gaining weight -Even more tips to eat well and stay healthy There is no doubt your life will be different after a gastrectomy. Luckily this book is a one stop reference for all of your questions and concerns. It is important to be prepared and informed in order to avoid any complications. Be prepared and you can move forward without letting any pain hold you back. Decide that the years after your surgery, are going to be the best of your life and have this complete guide on your doorstep in days or download the ebook today.
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domain: medical


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Cheng's method, a new surgical method for penile reconstruction in which the original glans or the residual penile stump is transferred to the anterior portion of the newly reconstructed penile body with microsurgical techniques, was first introduced in 1997. The purpose of this article was to show the recovery of sensation of the reconstructed penis.
A long-term follow-up of 27 patients undergoing penile reconstruction using Cheng's method was performed. Nerve repair between the dorsal nerve of the penis, the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve, and the dorsal nerve of the penis was performed for innervation. Four measurements for tactile sensation assessment were performed.
The mean follow-up was 10.3 years and the mean age of the patients was 25.7 years. The sensation of the distal part of the reconstructed penis (glans or the residual penile stump) was similar to the preoperative one (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in sensation between the unoperated forearm and the postoperative flap (proximal part of the neophallus), except in two-point discrimination, in which the neophallus was better (p < 0.01). In the reconstructed penis, the distal part had better two-point discrimination than the proximal part (p < 0.01). Compared with our other group of penises reconstructed by free radial forearm flaps, the distal part with Cheng's method had superior pain perception (p < 0.01), vibratory threshold (p < 0.05), and two-point discrimination (p < 0.01).
Cheng's method of penile reconstruction provides good sensation to the reconstructed penis, especially in the neoglans, in transferring either the original glans or the residual penile stump.
Shanghai, People's Republic of China
From the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine.
Received for publication July 13, 2010; accepted October 11, 2010.
Disclosure:The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article.
Kaixiang Cheng, M.D., Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, No. 639, Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai 200011, People's Republic of China, firstname.lastname@example.org

domain: literature


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Required filing checks is a procedure undertaking by the IRS during an audit to give consideration to whether all tax aspects involving the taxpayer’s sphere of influence and responsibility. This includes the inspection of prior year & subsequent tax returns, information returns, and the determination as to whether the taxpayer maintained adequate records.
Tax Return Audit Required Filing Checks
The following are generally what the IRS will wish to inspect:
1. Prior and subsequent tax returns are inspected for audit potential. All returns that are reviewed and have the same issues as in the years examined will be pursued when appropriate.
2. Related returns are inspected for audit potential. It is important to review the returns yourself prior to the audit to find deductions that may appear to be duplicative.
3. Other filing requirements including employment tax, excise tax, and information returns and whether they are in compliance with the IRS requirements for those returns. Employment tax, engineering, computer audit, and other applicable issues are considered and appropriate referrals are made.
Within the examination standards of the IRS provides a roadmap that an agent will follow when handling these required checks. This will help the taxpayer conduct a thorough review of the return under examination to uncover likely issues and help provide support and explanation at the first meeting. This can help satisfy the examiner and avoid a more in depth look at the issues of the examination.
Required Filing Check Questions
While preparing for the audit, the taxpayer should consider such questions as:
1. Whether the responses given in regard to unusual items should be prepared before the audit begins in anticipation of the issue being raised by the examiner.
2. Whether any issues that were not listed by the examiner in the initial document request should be reviewed.
3. Whether there are any indications of unreported income.
4. Whether prior year and subsequent tax returns should be reviewed and to what extent.
5. Whether the taxpayer should go alone to the examination or have their legal representative attend.
6. The likelihood that the examiner will raise the issue in regard to whether the reported income can support the taxpayer’s apparent standard of living.
These questions and procedures should be examined thoroughly prior to meeting with an IRS examiner for the first time. It is best practice to seek the best legal consul that you can afford before taking on the IRS.
For additional information about required filing checks, visit:

domain: finance


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Welcome to Eppel's Restaurant!
Eppel's Restaurant is a family owned restaurant that's been serving excellent food to Chicago for over 70 years. Our goal is to serve the best quality food for our customers while providing a family-friendly environment and great service.
Come in for breakfast that is served all day! Or stop by after 10:30am for our lunch menu.
Looking to place a carry out order?
Please call us at 312.922.2206.

domain: food


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Jail docket: Man arrested for 3 counts of aggravated assault
Published 8:35 am Thursday, May 12, 2022
Lincoln County Jail docket, Wednesday
- Travion Thomas, 05/23/2003, 524 Laird Circle — arrested for aggravated assault with extreme indifference to life x3, no driver license, no/expired tag, by Brookhaven Police Department.
- Cicely Manciel, 03/29/1997, 810 N Jackson St. — arrested for probation violation, Circuit Court warrant, by Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
Note: An arrest does not constitute guilt for the accused. All individuals are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.


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By Pauline Searle
Oman is without doubt one of the most pretty and well known international locations within the heart East, but many years in the past it was once one of many world’s backwaters the place viewers have been discouraged. The turning aspect got here with the takeover of strength through Sultan Qaboos bin acknowledged in 1970. This booklet, first released in 1979, takes the reader round the kingdom, from the rugged Musandam peninsula within the north to the southern province of Dhofar. It builds a bridge among ancient and sleek Oman, describes the folks and their landscapes, and the country’s indigenous arts and crafts.
Read or Download Dawn Over Oman: Volume 7 (Routledge Library Editions: Society of the Middle East) PDF
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Made from a few seminal articles which are translated for the 1st time in English, this prestigious booklet from Gregor Schoeler provides a reasoned, proficient and finished overflow of the way the written and the spoken interacted, diverged and bought cultural articulation one of the Muslim societies of the 1st centuries of the Hijra.
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Additional info for Dawn Over Oman: Volume 7 (Routledge Library Editions: Society of the Middle East)

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Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative nosocomial bacteria at Al Zahra hospital, Isfahan, Iran
Background and Objectives: Bacterial antibiotic resistance is one of the most important threats for public health around the world. Carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria have resistance to most antibiotics including carbapenems complicating the treatment of infections. The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of carbapenemase-producing nosocomial Gram-negative pathogens at a referral teaching hospital to reveal the best options for treatment of related infections.
Materials and Methods: Gram-negative bacteria, isolated from hospitalized patients with nosocomial infections, underwent meropenem susceptibility test by disk diffusion method. Meropenem-resistant strains were evaluated for the presence of carbapenemase using Modified Hodge test (MHT). Finally, the antibiotic susceptibility test was performed to determine the sensitivity of each carbapenemase-positive strain against various antimicrobial agents according to the guidelines of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI).
Results: Over the study period, 155 carbapenemase-positive isolates were detected. Pneumonia was the most frequent related nosocomial infection (67.1%) followed by UTI (23.2%). Acinetobacter baumannii (53.5%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (40%) were the most frequently isolated pathogens. The pathogens had high rate of resistance to all antibiotics. Colistin had the most in vitro effect against all pathogens. Also, K. pneumoniae had a co-trimoxazole sensitivity rate equal to colistin (30.6%).
Conclusion: Carbapenemase-positive Gram-negative bacteria causing nosocomial infections are common in our hospital and have high rate of resistance to most antibiotics. Improvement in the pattern of antibiotic use and infection control measures are necessary to overcome this resistance.
2. Rajabi M, Abdar ME, Rafiei H, Aflatoonia MR, Abdar ZE. Nosocomial infections and epidemiology of antibiotic resistance in teaching hospitals in south east of Iran. Glob J Health Sci 2016; 8: 190-197.
3. Klevens RM, Edwards JR, Richards CL, Horan TC, Gaynes RP, Pollock DA, et al. Estimating health care-associated infections and deaths in U.S. hospitals, 2002. Public Health Rep 2007; 122: 160-166.
4. Haque M, Sartelli M, McKimm J, Abu Bakar M. Health care-associated infections – an overview. Infect Drug Resist 2018; 11: 2321-2333.
5. Heydarpour F, Rahmani Y, Heydarpour B, Asadmobini A. Nosocomial infections and antibiotic resistance pattern in open-heart surgery patients at Imam Ali Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran. GMS Hyg Infect Control 2017; 12:Doc07.
6. Van Duin D, Doi Y. The global epidemiology of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Virulence 2017; 8: 460-469.
7. Nordmann P, Dortet L, Poirel L. Carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriaceae: here is the storm! Trends Mol Med 2012; 18: 263-272.
8. Castanheira M, Gales AC, Mendes RE, Jones R, Sader HS. Antimicrobial susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Latin America: results from five years of the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program. Clin Microbiol Infect 2004; 10: 645-651.
9. Kazmierczak KM, Biedenbach DJ, Hackel M, Rabine S, de Jonge BL, Bouchillon SK, et al. Global dissemination of blaKPC into bacterial species beyond Klebsiella pneumoniae and in vitro susceptibility to ceftazidime-avibactam and aztreonam-avibactam. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 60: 4490-4500.
10. Lee C-R, Lee JH, Park KS, Kim YB, Jeong BC, Lee SH. Global dissemination of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae: epidemiology, genetic context, treatment options, and detection methods. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:895.
11. Spyropoulou A, Papadimitriou-Olivgeris M, Bartzavali C, Vamvakopoulou S, Marangos M, Spiliopoulou I, et al. A ten-year surveillance study of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in a tertiary care Greek university hospital: predominance of KPC-over VIM-or NDM-producing isolates. J Med Microbiol 2016; 65: 240-246.
12. Albiger B, Glasner C, Struelens MJ, Grundmann H, Monnet DL, European Survey of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (EuSCAPE) working group. Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Europe: assessment by national experts from 38 countries, May 2015. Euro Surveill 2015; 20:30062.
13. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) performance standards for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. M100-S28, 2018, Wayne, PA.
14. Amjad A, Mirza IA, Abbasi S, Farwa U, Malik N, Zia F. Modified Hodge test: A simple and effective test for detection of carbapenemase production. Iran J Microbiol 2011; 3: 189-193.
15. Galani I, Kontopidou F, Souli M, Rekatsina PD, Koratzanis E, Deliolanis J, et al. Colistin susceptibility testing by Etest and disk diffusion methods. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2008; 31: 434-439.
16. Zhang Y, Wang Q, Yin Y, Chen H, Jin L, Gu B, et al. Epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae infections: report from the China CRE Network. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62(2):e01882-17.
17. Okoche D, Asiimwe BB, Katabazi FA, Kato L, Najjuka CF. Prevalence and characterization of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolated from Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda. PLoS One 2015; 10(8):e0135745.
18. Singh-Moodley A, Perovic O. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing in predicting the presence of carbapenemase genes in Enterobacteriaceae in South Africa. BMC Infect Dis 2016; 16: 536.
19. Alexander BT, Marschall J, Tibbetts RJ, Neuner EA, Dunne Jr WM, Ritchie DJ. Treatment and clinical outcomes of urinary tract infections caused by KPC-producing Enterobacteriaceae in a retrospective cohort. Clin Ther 2012; 34: 1314-1323.
20. Gheitani L, Fazeli H. Prevalence of bla VIM, bla IMP, and bla KPC genes among carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) isolated from Kurdistan and Isfahan hospitals, Iran. Res Mol Med (RMM) 2018; 6: 12-20.
21. Gaynes R, Edwards JR, National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System. Overview of nosocomial infections caused by Gram-negative bacilli. Clin Infect Dis 2005; 41: 848-854.
22. Tatman-Otkun M, Gürcan S, Ozer B, Shokrylanbaran N. Annual trends in antibiotic resistance of nosocomial Acinetobacter baumannii strains and the effect of synergistic antibiotic combinations. New Microbiol 2004; 27: 21-28.
23. Munoz-Price LS, Weinstein RA. Acinetobacter infection. N Engl J Med 2008; 358: 1271-1281.
24. Wolff MA, Young CL, Ramphal R. Antibiotic therapy for enterobacter meningitis: a retrospective review of 13 episodes and review of the literature. Clin Infect Dis 1993; 16: 772-777.
25. Kurtaran B, Kuscu F, Ulu A, Inal AS, Komur S, Kibar F, et al. The causes of postoperative meningitis: the comparison of Gram-negative and gram-positive pathogens. Turk Neurosurg 2018; 28: 589-596.
26. Lesho E, Yoon EJ, McGann P, Snesrud E, Kwak Y, Milillo M, et al. Emergence of colistin-resistance in extremely drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii containing a novel pmrCAB operon during colistin therapy of wound infections. J Infect Dis 2013; 208: 1142-1151.
27. Lopez-Rojas R, McConnell MJ, Jimenez-Mejias ME, DominguezHerrera J, Fernandez-Cuenca F, Pachon J. Colistin resistance in a clinical Acinetobacter baumannii strain appearing after colistin treatment: effect on virulence and bacterial fitness. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2013; 57: 4587-4589.
28. Pelletier MR, Casella LG, Jones JW, Adams MD, Zurawski DV, Hazlett KR, et al. Unique structural modifications are present in the lipopolysaccharide from colistin-resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2013; 57: 4831-4840.
29. Azimi L, Talebi M, Pourshafie M-R, Owlia P, Lari AR. Characterization of carbapenemases in extensively drug resistance Acinetobacter baumannii in a burn care center in Iran. Int J Mol Cell Med 2015; 4: 46-53.
30. Paranandi A, Maloney M, Grogan E, Macierowski B, Noel D, Razeq J, et al. 548. Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii antibiotic susceptibility testing and antibiogram formation, connecticut 2017–2019. Open Forum Infect Dis 2019; 6(Suppl 2): S261.
31. Nepka M, Perivolioti E, Kraniotaki E, Politi L, Tsakris A, Pournaras S. In vitro bactericidal activity of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole alone and in combination with colistin against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 60: 6903-6906.
32. Falagas ME, Vardakas KZ, Roussos NS. Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for Acinetobacter spp: a review of current microbiological and clinical evidence. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2015; 46: 231-241.
33. Campos AC, Albiero J, Ecker AB, Kuroda CM, Meirelles LE, Polato A, et al. Outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae: A systematic review. Am J Infect Control 2016; 44: 1374-1380.
34. Battikh H, Harchay C, Dekhili A, Khazar K, Kechrid F, Zribi M, et al. Clonal spread of colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae coproducing KPC and VIM carbapenemases in neonates at a Tunisian university hospital. Microb Drug Resist 2017; 23: 468-472.
35. Woodford N, Zhang J, Warner M, Kaufmann ME, Matos J, Macdonald A, et al. Arrival of Klebsiella pneumoniae producing KPC carbapenemase in the United Kingdom. J Antimicrob Chemother 2008; 62: 1261-1264.
36. Doi Y. Treatment options for carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. Clin Infect Dis 2019; 69(Suppl 7):S565-S575.
|Issue||Vol 13 No 1 (2021)|
|Nosocomial infections; Carbapenemase; Antibiotic; Susceptibility|
|Rights and permissions|
|This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.|

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Figueira da Foz, Portugal (PortSEurope) April 22, 2017 – Figueira da Foz port management has approved the balance sheet for 2016 and the budget plan for this year.
The cargo traffic of the port went up in 2016 and a similar trend is expected for 2017, the president of the harbour, Joao Ataide, said.
Last year, the cargo traffic of Figueira da Foz port rose by 3.7% to 2.076 million tonnes in 2016.
Figueira da Foz port attracted investment that improved the functionality of the infrastructure. A total of €314,000 ($336,782) was invested, excluding dredging projects. For the year 2017, the objective is to maintain the same trend.
Source: Cargo Edições
Copyright (c) PortSEurope. All Rights Reserved. 2017.


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The red grape variety comes from Tajikistan. Synonyms are Angur Sio, Chashma Gou, Kara Maska, Kara Tag Uzyum, Sharsauz, Tagovbe and Tsaras. The parentage (parenthood) is unknown. It is an all-female grape variety. It is used as a winepress and table grape. In 2016 no stocks were reported (statistics Kym Anderson).
Pictures: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)

domain: agronomy


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Longtime Turdites know that I very rarely write about politics. Frankly, the farce of the American, one-party system bores me. However, sometimes the audacity of the lies is so breathtaking that it stops me in my tracks. Today is such a day.
For those global Turdites who don't know American Civics, we have three branches of federal government. One branch is the Legislative branch and it is divided into the House of Representatives and The Senate. I'll spare you the gory details but the Senate handles a lot of serious stuff besides simple legislation. They approve things like treaties as well as judicial, bureaucratic and cabinet nominees. Because of these important, contemplative roles, the Founding Fathers of the U.S. made it clear that items passing The Senate must do so with more than a simple majority. There are 100 senators, two from each state, and to pass a measure you need 60 votes, not 51.
Today, in breaking 225 years of adherence to these principles, The Senate passed a change to the rules. This "nuclear option" change allows the Senate to now approve items such as legislation, treaties and appointments with as few as 51 votes. Read more here:
Look, the American system of government has already been damaged beyond repair by decades of corrupt politicians and a dumbed-down populace that couldn't care less. What kills me is the hypocrisy. I can't stand it. It makes my skin crawl and I feel I must do my part to expose it.
So, here you are. First up is Senator Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of The Senate. In this clip from 2008, Senator Reid is visiting with former Senator Tom Daschle and the "nuclear option" comes up:
And this post wouldn't be complete without the disingenuous lies of Woody and Plugs. Recall that before being "elevated" to the Executive Branch, both were U.S. Senators.
So there you have it. Feel free to vent and pontificate on the ongoing destruction of The American Experiment. It was the closest man ever came to liberty and self-government and events like today's just throw another pile of dirt on the grave.

domain: politics


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The city of Winston-Salem NC is in the lower right corner of this map which shows the northern North Carolina mountains including Boone and Blowing Rock and extends into VA.
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Will NBC accede to Sean P Diddy Combs? He’s demanding that rapper Travis Scott appear on the Billboard Awards this Sunday on NBC.
Will NBC go along with it? The Astroworld tragedy resulted in 12 deaths and dozens of injuries. Today a woman who was pregnant and lost her baby in the melee sued Scott, Live Nation, and others. The woman is Shanazia Williamson and she won’t be watching NBC on Sunday night, that’s for sure. She blames Scott for her miscarriage.
On Monday Diddy posted: “I made a request. I made a demand. I said, ‘My brother Travis Scott has to perform,’” the 52-year-old revealed. “I’m executive producing, he has to perform,’ and NBC said ‘yes.’ It’s going down Sunday, Travis Scott will be performing … now that’s love.”
Then yesterday came this video. Look at the rage in his eyes. This is the Sean Combs we don’t see all the time, the one who beat Steve Stoute over the head with a Champagne bottle, who got into a fracas in a NYC nightclub and escaped with Jennifer Lopez.
Combs says in this video: “I’mma do whatever the f-ck I want to do, whenever however the f-ck I want to do it,” he said. “You know why? Cause I’m the freeiest n-gga in the world, end of discussion. Meet me at the Billboard Music Awards, OK. May 15, Live from Las Vegas.”
If NBC and Dick Clark Productions put Travis Scott on that awards show, they are finished. Combs is also intent on having country star Morgan Wallen perform, which makes no sense since Wallen was “cancelled” for using the “N” word in a home video.
I guess we’re really looking forward to Diddy’s return to the music business this summer.

domain: celebrity


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Cherie and Charley get down and dirty, licking each other into orgasmic bliss.
Cherie happily submits to Mandingo entreats, dropping to her knees to perform a blowjob.
Any guesses whether she succeeded? DeVille is represented by for all dance and hosting engagements and can be booked by contacting Dave at.
She is stopped by security, but she figures removing her clothing and seducing the guard will get her in.

domain: entertainment


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No Man’s Sky Superfan Paid $1,300 For Leaked Copy, Brags With Uploaded Gameplay Videos
Is it possible to love a game too much? One reddit user may be testing the fanboy limits. Redditor daymeeuhn reportedly paid $1,300 for a leaked copy of No Man’s Sky and then bragged about it with videos of gameplay.
Daymeeuhn claims he bought the game from a seller on eBay and had it shipped via FedEx. He proved that he did so through a video on DailyMotion of him opening and installing the game. Sean Murray of Hello Games warned viewers on the No Man’s Sky Twitter account that they would see a bunch of spoilers if they chose to watch Daymeeuhn’s video.
So why would someone pay $1,300 for a game that will be released in a few short days? Daymeeuhn remarked, “I'm a lucky guy. I've done well for myself. I have disposable income and I'm happy in life. I'm in a state of being where I don't look at a purchase and determine the overall value by the price tag, but rather by how much happiness it will bring myself or the people I care about.”
We’ve spent years filling No Man’s Sky with surprises. You've spent years waiting. Please don't spoil it for yourself :(— Sean Murray (@NoMansSky) July 29, 2016
No Man’s Sky is an action-adventure survival video game. Players will get to explore a procedurally generated deterministic open universe, which supposedly includes over 18 quintillion planets. The game will be available on PS4 in North America on August 9th and in Europe on August 10th. A Window’s PC version will be available worldwide on August 12th.

domain: hobby


Position switches are extremely difficult in the NFL, especially one as drastic as going from quarterback to safety. Showers certainly has the athleticism to play on special teams, which is what caught the coaches' eyes last summer. Whether he owns the instincts to hang around on defense remains to be seen.
Good for Showers to realize his path to playing quarterback was blocked -- and likely would stay that way. There are worse jobs in the world than getting paid a solid sum to run down a kick returner.


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03 Aug The inferences and conclusions that are drawn from such quantitative techniques have provided for empirically-based public po
Quantitative methods have been the traditional hallmarks of scientific inquiry. From an early age, we are all aware of the mathematical rigors involved in quantitative analyses. In the discipline of criminal justice, researchers utilize a variety of statistical tools with which to analyze empirical data. The inferences and conclusions that are drawn from such quantitative techniques have provided for empirically-based public policy, increased professionalism in law enforcement, and the development of more effective rehabilitative tools within corrections. Were it not for quantitative methods, much of what we current know about the world of criminal justice would not exist.
After reading the Worrall article and Chapter 8 of Creswell’s Research Design, identify and discuss the key tenets of quantitative research methods used in research in criminal justice:
- What do you see as the most critical aspects of quantitative research methods?
- How do these key tenets of quantitative research assist us when evaluating criminal justice data?
- How do these key tenets contribute to successfully interpreting published research findings?
- How would you apply these tenets to answer a criminal justice research question?
Your initial post should be at least 400 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.
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domain: law


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With college tuition continually on the rise and many degrees failing to guarantee employment, many wonder if college is worth the time, effort, and resources. Liberals are eager to convince us that without a college degree our future is bleak. They tell us to expect very few job opportunities, poor health, and even a shorter life expectancy. While studies have shown that college graduates tend to be “healthy, wealthy, and wise”, this is not the full picture. In this post, I will explore the Liberal’s arguments. In my next post, I will discuss why college might not be the right option for you after all.
Despite the costs of time, effort, and money, gaining a college education does have significant and noteworthy benefits. On average, college graduates have more and better employment opportunities, make more money, and tend to lead happier, healthier and more productive lives. The phrase, “healthy, wealthy, and wise” may be cliché, but in this case, it does apply to most college graduates when compared to their less-educated peers.
Perhaps the most obvious benefit of being a college graduate is that you tend to make more money. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics at the U.S. Department of Labor, “…students who receive a Bachelor’s degree or a more advanced degree have, on average, more than twice the income of high school drop-outs and students with just a high school diploma…Bachelor’s degree recipients have estimated life-time earnings that are more than a $1 million greater than the lifetime earnings of people with just a high school diploma.” 1* If being financially self-reliant is important to you, then graduating college should be on your bucket list.
While the financial benefit of going to college is often overstated, it is important to know that the, “cost of not going to college has risen.” According to a Pew Research study, “Millennials with just a high school diploma are faring worse today than their counterparts in earlier generations by almost every economic measure examined.” 2* Keep this and the graph below in mind the next time you are about to dismiss the financial benefits of going to college.
College graduates also have more and better employment opportunities than those without a college degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those who obtain a bachelor’s degree or higher have “…half the unemployment rate of people with just a high school diploma.” 1* The truth of the matter is, more and more jobs are requiring college degrees. In fact, “only 34% of American jobs require a high school diploma or less in 2017, compared to 72% in the 1970s…. According to a June 2016 study, 99% of job growth (or 11.5 million of 11.6 million jobs) between 2010 and 2016 went to workers with associate’s degrees, bachelor’s, or graduate degrees.” 3* More and better employment opportunities also means going to college helps to reduce poverty and the burden on tax payers. College graduates are also more likely to have health insurance and retirement plans. In 2008, 70% of college graduates had access to employer-provided health insurance compared to 50% of high school graduates. 3* This means most college graduates tend to be more economically valuable and less burdensome to society.
Henry Bienan, PhD, President of Northwestern University, argues that a college education results in “greater productivity, lower crime, better health, [and] better citizenship for more educated people.” 2* Studies have even found that college graduates are more likely to do volunteer work (43% compared to 19% of high school graduates) and donate blood (9% compared to 4% of high school graduates and 2% of high school drop-outs). 3* A Pew Research Study found that, “…college-educated Millennials also have lower unemployment and poverty rates than their less-educated peers. They’re also more likely to be married and less likely to be living in their parent’s home.”
SEE GRAPH BELOW
Psychologist Laura Carstensen, director of the Stanford Center on Longevity stated, “I think most social scientists would put their money on education as the most important factor in ensuring longer lives,” Scientists and other experts also claimed in a paper published earlier this year by the National Bureau of Economic Research, “Education not only predicts mortality in the U.S., it is also a large predictor of health in most countries, regardless of their level of development.” Experts have found that there is as much as a seven-year gap in life expectancy between high school and college graduates. 4*
While college may be expensive and a major sacrifice of time and effort, experts and college graduates alike claim it is a worth-while investment. In fact, “…about nine-in-ten college grads in every generation say college has been, or will be, worth the investment. Despite a steep rise in college tuitions, Millennials agree.” 2* It is true that going to college is not the right option for everyone. But for many people, going to college is a tradition they intend to pass on to future generations.


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To install and play the WSOP - Texas Holdem Poker Game on your PC or Mac, we have painstakingly written these instructions to get the game running on your computer. Now follow the 4 simple steps below:
The Official World Series of Poker App Take on the poker pros in the official WSOP app, and play in free poker’s world-renowned tournament! Compete in real Texas Hold’em tournaments, win free poker hands, and bonuses galore! • Collect bracelets - who said you couldn't compete in WSOP? Win a Texas Hold’em or Omaha tournament bracelet to prove your awesome poker hands! • Rise through the ranks: play poker 24/7! Play your best poker hands for a chance to win against the poker pros! These aren't poker tables for small fry! • See where your luck takes you: you'll need more than just a solid poker game or full house - spin the bonus wheel, and see what poker card bonuses you win! • Win those tournaments! Want to be considered a true poker pro? Here’s your chance to compete in the WSOP leagues - you're at the big poker table now!. Play poker 24/7 - Win Free Poker Bracelets and More How’re your poker cards looking? Get all the poker goodies you’ve ever dreamed of: WSOP-official bracelets and other poker card bonuses when you play real WSOP poker games in Texas Hold’em and Omaha poker tournaments! Play your best poker hands...ever! • Free poker chips every 3 hours ...as well as other bonuses, just waiting for you! • Circuit Poker Tournaments: Compete in Texas Hold’em poker tournaments, with fast gameplay and magnificent prizes! You can win it all! • Free Poker Missions: Stay on top of your poker game with daily and weekly missions! • Exclusive WSOP events: Check in to the World Series of Poker every day for more awesome poker tables, poker hands, poker game modes, poker card bonuses, free chip events and more, for FREE! • Free poker Facebook connect bonus: Get 250,000 free poker chips just for connecting your Facebook account! Love Playing Poker? Check Out These Free Poker Extras! Texas Hold’em or Omaha? A full house, or a solid poker hand? Which will it be? Play awesome free poker games: your poker cards, your way! • Exclusive WSOP players clubs: think you have Texas Hold’em Poker skills? Prove it. Earn your place in exclusive players clubs for elite benefits. • Poker Recall: Put your Texas Holdem Poker skills to the test in this mini-game, and win huge jackpots! • Texas Hold’em or Omaha: Your choice! Crush the tables and become the free poker card king of Texas Holdem & Omaha poker! • Play live with your friends: Invite your friends to play Texas Holdem and make it a poker card night anytime, anywhere. • Seamless, cross-device play: Play free poker Texas Holdem or Omaha Poker on your phone or tablet and continue on PlayWSOP.com or Facebook with the same poker bankroll. • Guest mode: Rock the tables and play Texas Hold’em or Omaha anonymously. Don’t be afraid to bluff! That's what free poker is all about! • Slots mini-game: Spin and win poker chips in between poker hands with our casino slot machine. WE’D LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK! Connect with us on Facebook (http://bit.ly/WSOP_Fanpage) and on Twitter (http://bit.ly/TwitterWSOP). Call information is required to provide you with the ultimate customer support! This product is intended for use by those 21 or older for amusement purposes only. Practice or success at social casino and poker gaming does not imply future success at real money gambling. This product does not offer real money gambling or poker or an opportunity to win real money or prizes.
Like the game
I wonder what else is? After two years of spinning you will never hit a golden wedge. First time you will hit after that forget about it. I am sure if you buy an extra spin for $6 you would win.
Seems it’s not random
Great game but lots of pop ups to buy things every time you sign in. Also when you win the Poker Recall it comes on the left of the screen and covers the players hand. That should be delayed until the hand is shown or shown in a different way.
Love the game great time killer ! Great Fun
Was doing so well got to 550m off piggy bank, went to big down to 130m just won chip up to 150m hope to go up more great game ! Da best I love poker !!! 👍👌
It is amazing how just the right card shows up on the river. I play a LOT of live poker and the action card NEVER gets there that often.
I gave it two stars on my first review because there were too many ads but the good people at WSOP made me realize that these were not ads but terrefic specials so you can spend money on a fake game.... And why can’t we watch the rest of a tournament when we get eliminated like we used to?!?
Just not for me
I like poker but I hate being forced to delete 5 and 6 ads in a row before I can play
It does nothing but take your money


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Soroti Uganda – In the vibrant city of Soroti, located in the Eastern region of Uganda, a wave of anticipation and excitement builds up each year as the commemoration of the Namugongo pilgrimage approaches. This sacred event holds significant religious and historical value, drawing countless Christians from various regions to pay homage to the 45 martyrs who bravely sacrificed their lives for their faith. However, this year’s pilgrimage faces unique challenges due to the prevailing economic hardships and the reopening of schools.
In this article, we delve into the potential impact of these factors on the registration and participation of Soroti pilgrims in the Namugongo pilgrimage.
The Struggle for Resources
The economic hardships faced by many individuals and families in Soroti have been a constant battle, impacting various aspects of daily life. With limited financial means, prioritizing essential needs often takes precedence over non-essential activities. As the Namugongo pilgrimage involves expenses such as transportation, accommodation, and meals, the economic strain may deter some individuals from registering and participating in the event. The financial burden weighs heavily on those who wish to partake but struggle to afford the associated costs.
Diminished Disposable Income
Moreover, the economic hardships have resulted in diminished disposable income for the residents of Soroti. With limited financial resources, individuals and families find themselves with reduced spending capacity, making it challenging to allocate funds for non-essential activities, including religious pilgrimages. The choice between meeting basic needs and participating in the Namugongo pilgrimage becomes a difficult decision for many.
School Re-opening and Its Implications
Priority on Education
The anticipated reopening of schools on June 5th, 2023, adds an additional layer of complexity to the situation. Education plays a vital role in society, and parents and guardians prioritize their children’s academic pursuits. As the academic calendar resumes, families focus on preparing their children for the return to school. The associated costs, such as school fees, uniforms, textbooks, and other educational materials, demand financial attention, potentially diverting resources from participating in the Namugongo pilgrimage.
Furthermore, the reopening of schools introduces time constraints for families and individuals. The preparation required for the new academic term consumes significant time and energy, leaving limited opportunities for individuals to engage in activities outside their immediate responsibilities. The planning and logistics involved in participating in the pilgrimage, coupled with the necessary arrangements for school re-entry, create a demanding schedule for Soroti residents. Consequently, time constraints may hinder the number of individuals who can commit to registering and attending the Namugongo pilgrimage.
The Committee’s Perspective
Optimism Amid Challenges
Canon Vincent Okello, the Chairperson of the committee for Namugongo celebrations under the Church of Uganda Soroti, acknowledges the challenges faced by potential pilgrims. However, he remains optimistic and expects an increase in Christian registrations in the upcoming weeks leading to the martyrs’ day celebrations on June 3rd, 2023. Canon Okello encourages Christians in Soroti to embrace this significant day of commemoration for the 45 martyrs, irrespective of the difficulties faced by the community.
Eastern Region Takes the Lead
This year, the Eastern region, encompassing Busoga, Bugisu, Bukedi, Sebei, Karamoja, and Teso, assumes the responsibility of championing the celebration of the martyrs’ day. With the collaborative efforts of these regions, the Namugongo pilgrimage aims to unite Christians across Uganda and beyond, fostering a sense of unity and spiritual strength.

domain: sociology


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Thanks to its auto-play technology, Viewed can boost CTR (click through rate) by up to 173% and ROI (return on investment) by up to 50% over traditional video e-mail marketing. How? Read on.
According to businessman John Wanamaker, companies lose 50% of their advertising budget, although he is not certain of what part of this strategic plan this percentage belongs to.
However, neurosciences provide email marketing with a clear solution to this dilemma, contributing knowledge and tools to maximize the results of advertising campaigns more objectively and authentically.
Neuromarketing has revealed that human behavior is 93% unconscious and 7% conscious. This is determined by the operation and structure of our own brain, which boasts a number of neural networks that are shaped and modified during the course of our life as a result of inputs from the world around us.
The senses play an important role in this restructuring as it is through these that information reaches our brains. We are capable of remembering 95% of what we see, 20% of what we read, 15% of what we taste and 10% of what we hear. So an event will cause greater impact if it is perceived by more than one sense.
How does our brain work when making a purchase decision?
According to Paul MacLean’s triune brain theory, due to the evolutionary process our brain is formed by three superimposed brains, each fulfilling certain functions.
- The emergence of the first reptiles gave rise to what we call the “primitive” brain, which is instinctive, fast and automatic, serving as our “fight or flee” mechanism for coping with danger. Since it is connected to the optic nerve, it is image-driven and it helps us make quick decisions based on the information it deems simple, specific and known.
- The limbic system — related to the emergence of the first mammals — is a bomb of emotions waiting to be detonated. When it links a stimulus to another similar memory, it results in an emotional impression that is then remembered.
- Then the neocortex formed, the most recent part of the brain, capable of processing the most complex information and enabling skills such as language, reasoning and logical thought. It houses mirror neurons, a group of cells discovered by Italian neurologist Giacomo Rizzolatti in 1996. These cells are capable of reproducing inside the body what is perceived from the e-mail marketing with embedded video.
However, despite this perfect brain composition, decision making is a process that mostly involves the primitive brain and limbic system, designated by Nobel prize winning economist Daniel Kahneman as system 1, which dominates the actions of the neocortex.
Why is video e-mail an excellent choice?
Video used in e-mail marketing is a very powerful medium because of its perfect combination of visual and sound elements that envelop the viewer into a story that can target the primitive brain, which guides people’s decision making.
If these elements are successfully exploited, the video awakens in the minds of consumers the feel of wind on the skin, the aroma of good coffee in the morning or the sweet taste of a fruit — thanks to the visual impact on the primitive area of the brain, creating a joint reaction with the limbic system. This in turn triggers familiar memories that cause the necessary burst of emotions so that mirror neurons identify with the story and adopt it as part of the viewer’s life.
Find out which content has the most power of persuasion to engage your users. We don't say so, science says so.
In turn, the primitive brain works in identifying elements that provide a clear and quick solution to your needs with the least possible loss, generating a sense of desire through the limbic system.
It is very common for people to be bombarded with advertising videos as they relax, watching TV. However, the amount of ads in a single block causes users to sidetrack their attention or just switch the channel. The same thing happens when we surf on channels such as YouTube, which are saturated with ads.
In contrast, when we are checking important information in our email, we enter a state of high concentration which improves the surprise factor of a video e-mail marketing thanks to its auto-play functionality, boosting impulse buying by blocking rationality and generating positive emotions.
Now that you know how the mind reacts when a video is displayed via email, it is time to design your next email marketing campaign with neuroscientific impact, and to optimize the results of your email campaign, we recommend you to read: "Email Marketing Best Practices: 32 Questions Answered By The Experts", where you will find answers to all your doubts about email marketing.

domain: psychology


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Photo via iStock/ Wavebreakmedia
Support for cannabis has been gradually building up steam over the 21st century, and recent polls now report that 64% of Americans support legal weed. Even among the country's senior citizens — a demographic that used to strongly oppose pot — admitted use of the drug has skyrocketed. New research studies have found that while adult use of cannabis has been increasing at a modest rate since the 1980s, the prevalence of pot use among seniors has grown substantially. One of the main factors supporting this increase may be the wider availability of medical marijuana, which has proven to be an effective replacement for addictive opioid medications.
In a study recently published in the medical journal Addiction, investigators from the Alcohol Research Group examined data from seven National Alcohol Surveys conducted between 1984 to 2015, which questioned subjects about their marijuana and alcohol use. The study found that self-reported cannabis use rose from 6.7% in 2005 to 12.9% in 2015, but also noted that this increase was not specifically associated with states that had legalized pot.
When breaking down the results of the study by age groups, the research team made the surprising discovery that subjects over age 50 were 20 times more likely to admit using pot in 2015 than their counterparts in 1984. “We found that rates of use among older groups increased quite significantly since the 1980s, especially for men in their fifties and sixties,” lead investigator William C. Kerr said in a statement. “People born before 1945 had very low lifetime rates of marijuana use. With baby-boomers aging and participating in the general increasing trend, rates of use have risen steeply.”
Data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms this report, finding that cannabis use among those 65 and older has increased by a whopping 300% between 2002 and 2014. In Colorado, demographic data shows that the number of seniors applying for medical marijuana cards has been rising sharply since 2014. In fact, increased availability of medical cannabis may be a reason behind seniors' new love of pot.
Another recent study by the American Geriatrics Society reports that two-thirds of seniors who have begun using medical cannabis have been able to reduce their use of prescription painkillers. Researchers surveyed over 100 older medical cannabis patients and asked whether they were able to reduce their use of opioids. Twenty-seven percent said they were able to “completely” stop taking opioids, 20 percent were able to “extremely” curtail their use of opioids, and 18% were able to “moderately” reduce their painkiller use.
The patients also reported that their daily activities were less impacted by the side effects of medications after beginning medical cannabis treatments and decreasing their opioid intake. "My quality of life has increased considerably since starting medical marijuana," one patient said, according to EurekAlert!. "I was on opiates for 15 years, and 6 months on marijuana, and off both completely." A growing number of studies now confirm the effectiveness of medical cannabis as a substitute for addictive opioids throughout every age group.


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I was frustrated by the unrealized potential of the first Assassin’s Creed, but the improvements Ubisoft made in the sequels have made it one my favorite series in recent years. The latest installment, Assassin’s Creed Revelations closes the chapter on Ezio and Altair and offers a more refined version of the gameplay I’ve come to love. Unfortunately, it also tips the scales in terms of distracting mini-games, an overabundance of gadgets, and an abandonment of one of the series’ main characters. Still, as long as I can jump from roof to roof and stab people in the neck, I’m generally happy.
Ezio’s exploration of the towering architecture and fractious politics of 16th Century Constantinople allows for some amazing gameplay. At any moment you’ll be slipping in and out of the crowds as you use a poison dart to take out a corrupt city official walking down the street, or scrambling along the city’s rooftops to avoid patrols of heavily armored Janissaries, or delving deep into cavernous tombs to recover a mystical and ancient treasure. It’s endlessly fascinating, both in terms of the unique gameplay it offers and the rich historical context it presents for it all, which is as authentic as anything we usually see in today videogames.
With a few notable exceptions, the movement controls are even more intuitive this time around. Yes, I still bounce back from walls from time to time and, yes, I still get frustrated every time I can’t climb up on a structure because I happen to be one inch off to the right or left, but, in general, moving around the city is fantastic. The addition of a secondary combat weapon also adds variety to combat without ever making Revelations feel like a fighting game. Instead, having that second weapon is more about the tactical choices you make before you go into battle than about your reflexes during the actual fight. Do you equip a gun or throwing knife to take down enemies at range? Or do you bring along an extra dagger in case you find yourself pressing the flesh?
For all that it does so right, Revelations also serves up some puzzling elements, some of which are downright frustrating. The hookblade is the first new toy you’ll get. It basically extends your reach a few extra inches, which makes scaling towers a bit easier and allows you to spin past civilians blocking your way. The trouble is that you have to trigger it, which adds one more worry to navigating the city. I mean, do you ever want to fall to your death, or bump into a shopkeeper while running away from angry guards? That this isn’t an automatic part of high profile movement means you sometimes end up thinking more about the controls than about where you want to go.
The same problem exists with the bombs. While it’s nice to have bombs as a way of managing encounters, having to craft different kinds of bombs and then switch among them in the midst of the action means you spend more time managing the interface than managing the actual fight. And invariably, I’ll have made the wrong type for whatever situation I find myself in at a given moment. About halfway through the game, I discovered I could be much more effective if I just stopped worrying about the bombs altogether. In fact, the looting of bomb components is even more ridiculous than the looting game from the previous Assassin’s Creed. This time around you’re finding lamb’s blood in rooftop chests and scrounging pocketfuls of coal from Janissaries. Even if it makes sense from a gameplay perspective, which it doesn’t, it still breaks the reality of the game to have most of the citizens of Constantinople walking around with bomb components in their pockets.
The distractions continue in a pair of intertwined mini-games. While I generally like the concept of sending your assassins out in missions across Europe, doing so felt more like managing a sports team than leading a league of trained killers-for-hire. It’s great to have competent allies spring forth when you’re suddenly up against it in the city, but having to spend so much time moving them around from Athens to Madrid just felt tedious. On top of that, there’s not much challenge in these modes. With just a couple of hours to spare, I managed to take over every single city in Europe without ever losing a single mission. The trouble is that you have to participate in this mini-game if you want to avoid the second, more tedious tower defense mode the game throws at you.
I admit that I liked the tower defense component when I first played it. I even kind of enjoyed it the second time. But by the third time around, I was over it. Despite the new toys you unlock – flame throwing barricades? Yes, please – it’s very much a rinse, lather, repeat affair. Once you attract enough attention from the local Templars, they’ll come knocking at the door of one of your dens. If you don’t want to lose it, and the income it and the surrounding neighborhood generates, you need to hightail it back home and start orchestrating the defense. I applaud Ubi’s efforts to give us something new but between this, the assassins’ mini-game, the bombs, the hookblade, the ridiculous cart-driving and mine-shaft sliding levels, and the handful of other extras thrown in to the mix, I’m finding myself spending more time doing things that aren’t what drew me to the series in the first place.
Of course, I wouldn’t want Ubi to swear off of innovation forever. After all, that’s what brought us the highly enjoyable and addictive multiplayer assassination games. They’re still here in Revelations and they’re just as compelling as they were in Brotherhood. What makes them so compelling is that they’re not like every other competitive multiplayer game out there where it’s just your skill at killing that determines how well you do. In Assassin’s Creed half of the game is knowing how to blend in with the dozens of NPCs who happen to surround you while you track down your targets. Naturally, they’re trying to blend in as well, so you spend most of the game trying to tell which people are actual players you need to kill and which people are just NPCs going about their AI business. It’s such a refreshing alternative to the usual FPS deathmatch. I mean, where else can simply sitting on a bench and watching people walk by get your heart racing?
From a standpoint of pure historical simulation, I’m sure the version of Constantinople in Revelations is probably just as accurate as Rome was in Brotherhood, but the city in an Assassin’s Creed should feel like one of the characters and this one just doesn’t. It’s monochromatic, indistinct, and homogenous. Maybe it doesn’t have the variety or the familiar landmarks of a city like Rome or Venice, but it just lacks the life that makes the cities from the other games feel like real places inhabited by real people. Mechanically, it’s still sound, with loads of crowded markets, towering spires and backyard gardens that make assassination such a fun game. It just doesn’t feel like it has any soul.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot because there are some jaw-dropping moments that are well worth experiencing unspoiled, but I will say that the story itself seems to come to a satisfying conclusion, at least as far as Atlair and Ezio are concerned. The loose ends of both men’s lives are effectively tied up in a neat little bow in Revelations (and the accompanying Embers movie), so all that’s left is to speculate about what happens with Desmond in the inevitable sequel. The trouble is that there’s basically nothing going on with Desmond in this game. His sequences are so marginal that they might as well not exist, and the game really doesn’t even bother making a big deal of Desmond’s presence outside of some cinematic bookends. After having dreaded Desmond’s lack of character and real gameplay, I’m curious to see where Ubisoft wants to take this series next. Are we going to get a full Desmond game or are we just going to see a new surrogate and a new setting?
Bottom Line: The thrilling gameplay that attracts fans is still here, although it’s a bit obscured by too many mini-games that are less fun than or relevant to the core experience. The story is finally ended but we’re still left wondering what’s next for Desmond. Multiplayer is, as expected, awesome.
Recommendation: It’s a must-buy for fans of the series’ gameplay and narrative and inventive take on multiplayer. If you aren’t already in that group, get in on the ground floor by reading up on the story from the first game and then playing Assassin’s Creed II.[rating=3.5]
Steve Butts is scared he’ll have to play a whole game as Desmond.
This review is based on the 360 version of the game.
Game: Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Genre: Action Adventure
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
Available from: Amazon(US), GameStop(US), Amazon(UK), Play.com(UK)


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This company has recently robbed my grandmothers bank account for a grand total of 700 some dollars. She authorized a ONE TIME use for 20.00 they then proceeded to take out the authorized 20.00 and then turned around and took out an unauthorized 100.00 We got her bank statement and faxed them over and they were suppose to put the money back in her bank account.
That never happened. I have been calling and the have given me multiple excuses for what the extra hundred was taken out for. I told them we would not pay our bill until they returned the money. They then sent us a box to return our recievers and sent us another bill for 230.00 My grandma went to the bank today and they took out another 600 some dollars UNAUTHORIZED so I called and they told me to fax her account over again.
I told them to put me on with the CEO of the company or we are going to the news.
They refused to do so. So I hope they know just what they are in for!!
Review about: Directv Account.
Monetary Loss: $700.