Tag: news

When Photoshop becomes the new norm but admitting to it becomes taboo

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wire-telegram-photoshop-edit

I saw a post last night and thought it looked a bit off.

The OP claims it was captured through focus stacking and denies he added the lightning through photoshop. On Instagram, he actually claimed it was a single exposure.

After noticing a very similar shot on his [Instagram] I realized the lower-left corner of the photo was near identical but with no lightning. I stuck them side by side here. It’s clear to see that the lighting of the sky/clouds is near identical in these two separate shots, which is evidence that no lightning struck in the first one.

I’m sick and tired of this kind of behavior in photography. The same bullshit Peter Lik pulls.

Using photoshop to add elements to your shots to make them more interesting is fine, but I think there should always be honest about it. Lying about your work only takes away from the photographers who don’t do it the lazy way, but instead using painstaking, time-consuming methods to capture the real moment.

In all honesty, the general public doesn’t give a shit if it’s photoshop or not, so you will still get all the shares, likes, attention, etc you desire, but you’re not being dishonest and faking the skills that someone else has worked hard to achieve.

Inside Tesla’s Cybertruck that will enter production in late 2022 (VIDEO)

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Now entering a new class of strength, speed, and versatility—only possible with an all-electric design. The powerful drivetrain and low center of gravity provide extraordinary traction control and torque—enabling acceleration from 0-60 mph in as little as 2.9 seconds and up to 500 miles of range. With the ability to pull near-infinite mass and a towing capability of over 14,000 pounds, Cybertruck can perform in almost any extreme situation with ease.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-CWAZ9T30w

From rugged to refined, Cybertruck is completely adaptable for your needs. Prepare for every experience with a versatile utilitarian design — including onboard power and compressed air.

 

PHOTOGRAPHY: Is Canon’s 32.5 megapixels 90D DSLR camera the best DSLR of 2019?

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EOS 90D

Fast. Versatile. Impressive. Whether capturing high-speed sporting events or simple, everyday moments, the EOS 90D camera is engineered to deliver impressive results. Equipped with an enhanced 32.5 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor, powerful DIGIC 8 image processor and an ISO range of 100-25000 (expandable to 51200), you’ll achieve sharp, detailed images, even in low-light settings.

Perfect for fast-moving subjects, the EOS 90D camera features a 45-point cross-type AF system* and EOS iTR AF (face detection) — plus high-speed continuous shooting of up to 10 fps — raising the game for wildlife and motorsports photography enthusiasts. And with stunning uncropped 4K 30p video capability, the EOS 90D documents your travels, events and other milestones in full, wide-angle view. No matter where your photography ventures take you, the EOS 90D proves to be the versatile, all-around SLR camera you didn’t know you were missing.

Your brain hallucinates your conscious reality by Anil Seth

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Right now, billions of neurons in your brain are working together to generate a conscious experience — and not just any conscious experience, your experience of the world around you and of yourself within it. How does this happen?

According to neuroscientist Anil Seth, we’re all hallucinating all the time; when we agree about our hallucinations, we call it “reality.” Join Seth for a delightfully disorienting talk that may leave you questioning the very nature of your existence.

 

 

New Hogs Push for Minutes

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Tailback Chase Hayden, receiver Koilan Jackson, and defensive backs Chevin Calloway and Kamren Curl have emerged as freshman sensations of the Arkansas Razorbacks training camp and appear headed for quality playing time this fall, Coach Bret Bielema said.

That quartet — along with graduate transfer running back David Williams and three highly regarded transfers in tight end Jeremy Patton, and receivers Jonathan Nance and Brandon Martin — highlight the newcomers expected to make an impact for the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville this season.

Bielema said of the top freshmen after Saturday’s scrimmage: “I’m not going to sit them.” He reiterated Wednesday new players can work their way up the depth chart.

He also mentioned linebacker Hayden Henry and offensive tackle Ty Clary as other freshmen who could contribute, as well as junior college transfer linebacker Gabe Richardson.

Hayden has had two strong scrimmage performances, running mostly with the second offense, and continued his good work in practice.

Bielema said sophomore Devwah Whaley, the senior Williams and Hayden are essentially running neck and neck on the depth chart.

The Lowest Point of My Life

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There are few things that can qualify for this, but I am going to talk about the time with my friend Anshu Gupta, in the first year of our college life.

This is not a eulogy, don’t consider it to be one, because I am sure he won’t like it.

Let me begin from the start, I knew Anshu from standard 10th and we became good friends in class 11. He was a brilliant, cheerful, and most of all humble guy with the worst handwriting in the world. I have had people tell me that my writing is illegible, but he was certainly much worse than me, which made me feel slightly better. He was a skilled right winger, and a good batsman/bowler. There was nobody that I knew till then who was as good at mathematics as he was. We would ask him, “Hey, Anshu what is the 24th root of 196 to two decimal places”, and he would work it out in less than a minute. Correctly. He was full of optimism. We were all prepping for JEE and I asked him, once when we were studying together, what would happen if we didn’t get selected? He replied, “We’ll try next year”. I asked what if we didnt get selected the next year too. And he laughed at me and said, ” C’mon! ANYONE can get selected in 2 years, don’t underestimate yourself.” That was the kind of person that he was.

I clearly remember the first time he fainted on the football field. Hauntingly so, it was I who tackled him. I also, being the idiot that I was (and am), boasted of the fact that I had caused him to lose consciousness. I didn’t know then that those words would come back to torture me someday.

I remember the time we all went to Campion school for our Brilliant Tests and the desperately fought football matches during the lunch time between tests. I remember the fights and the discussions regarding football and practically everything that exists on this planet. I remember his most oft-repeated lines, the tunes of “Roobaroo” the Rang-Dey-Basanti song(his favorite) and his unrhythmic rendition of it that we all used to make fun of, I remember the celebration when we all found out we were all going to be in IIT Kharagpur. I keep remembering and the memories keep coming… they are rich in detail and almost make me forget the loss.

Anshu was at NSS camp where he played cricket on a hot summer day.
He collapsed as he had done so many times before as well. There was no emergency services for miles.  I remember the day as never before now. The frantic phone calls from friends , the running to B.C.Roy Hospital  and trying to get things organised ,watching him being carried inside, trying to scream some life into him, trying to talk to his father while everybody else around me was hysterical. He survived long enough to be taken to the hospital at IIT Kharagpur and we watched from the window to the OR as the doctors tried to revive him, in vain.

Have you ever have had a cracker explode too near your ear? The whole inside of your brain goes numb and there is a strange solemn silence among the chaos.  Like a spear that has been thrust so fast and true, that the pain is still to come. Like ice and fire.

I know my pain is nothing as compared to what his family and relatives may have felt. Maybe I had not even felt a fraction of there suffering. I know this, that was the day I lost a very good friend. A friend I would have had for life. A friend I would have gladly been there for.

Often, in times of despair, the thought occurs, could I have done something to save him, I ask and I ask and I keep asking; but there is no answer. Could he have done something to save himself, again there is that numbing silence.

That was one of the lowest points of my life.

May the Almighty give peace to his soul.
May the Almighty give peace and solace to his family.
Amen

Transgender Service Members Sue Over Trump Ban

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Five active duty transgender service members filed the first lawsuit Wednesday against President Donald Trump’s directive — expressed on Twitter — to prohibit transgender individuals from serving in the armed forces.

 

The service members, who are not named, all say they have relied on the Defense Department’s current policy permitting open service by transgender service members and argue Trump’s ban, which may result in early termination or failure to renew their contracts, is unconstitutional.
The President’s three-tweet plan to stop transgender individuals from serving in the military has yet to be formally implemented, but attorneys for the service members have asked a federal court in Washington to block it immediately.
Trump’s directive has “already resulted in immediate, concrete injury to Plaintiffs by unsettling and destabilizing plaintiffs’ reasonable expectation of continued service,
” they argue in a court filing, adding that the White House has turned Trump’s tweets into “official guidance, approved by the White House counsel’s office, to be communicated to the Department of Defense.”
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

5 Yearly Check-Ups All Women Should Have

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A woman’s health depends on a lot of factors. Every woman should make time for healthy habits — regular exercise, stress management, choosing the right foods — and she should also be scheduling routine health screenings so potential problems can be spotted early. In fact, health screenings can make keeping tabs on your health simple.

So what screenings should you be getting? These 5 are a good start.

1. Blood pressure screening. Starting at age 18, every woman needs to have her blood pressure checked at least every two years. This health screening involves wrapping a cuff around the arm and pumping it up tightly. Ideal blood pressure for women is less than 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). If your insurance doesn’t cover a blood pressure screening (though most insurance companies do), check into free screenings in your community.

2. Cholesterol check. Women should have their cholesterol checked at least every five years starting at about age 20. This screening is important for decreasing your risk of heart disease, and can be done at your doctor’s office or at a lab with a doctor’s order, as the test only involves drawing a blood sample. Some community health fairs offer quick cholesterol screenings, involving nothing but a finger-prick. If you get a high reading on this screening test, you will be referred to your doctor for more complete testing. The ideal level is below 200 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) for total cholesterol.

3. Pap smears and pelvic exams. Beginning at age 21, or earlier if you are sexually active, women need to have a pelvic exam and Pap smear every two years to check for any abnormalities in the reproductive system. Guidelines for this cervical cancer screening recently changed from once a year, as studies found no benefit to such frequent screenings. Barring any problems, women age 30 and older only need a Pap smear every three years if they have had three normal tests in a row. To take the Pap smear, a speculum is placed inside the vagina to widen the vaginal canal, and your doctor uses a small tool to take cells from the cervix to detect any cell changes that can lead to cervical cancer. Your doctor can also screen for sexually transmitted diseases.

4. Mammograms and breast exams. Starting around age 20, women should have a clinical breast exam at least every three years until age 40, when this should be done annually, according to most experts. This is a manual exam — your doctor uses her fingers to examine the breasts for any lumps or abnormalities. A mammogram is a screening test for breast cancer and involves applying moderate compression to the breasts so that X-ray images can be captured. Mammograms are done every one or two years beginning at age 40. (The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends mammograms beginning at age 50, but the American Cancer Society still recommends earlier screening.)

5. Bone density screen. Women should start getting screened for osteoporosis with a bone density test at age 65. Women with risk factors for osteoporosis, such as having a slender frame or a fractured bone, should be screened earlier. For this test, you lie on the table while a scanning machine takes X-ray images of certain bones in your body. Healthy bones show a T-score (the measurement used to describe your bone density) of -1 or higher. The frequency of this health screening varies from woman to woman based on bone density and risk factors.

Easiest Way to Burn Money in Real Estate – Local Records Office

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LOS ANGELES – One of the large mentorship programs – and star of a reality TV house flipping show – preaches debt stacking your real estate deals to reduce or eliminate your out of pocket requirements. Potential real estate flippers are sold on this because they hear that they will get infinite returns with little or no risk. On paper this sounds great but there are several fundamental problems with this, especially in the markets in which Pine Financial does business.

 

Paying for Bad Information That Doesn’t Help or It’s Outdated for 2016 Standards

 

The sad thing about this is that people pay $44,000 or more to learn this information. What’s worse is that people buy in to this so much that they try to teach people how to do it or brag about how they do it on social networking sites like Facebook and at offline networking meetings. The purpose of this article is simply to share my experience with this way of operating and to try to protect you from falling into this trap.

 

We are in the middle of a foreclosure with one of our clients in Los Angeles, CA. We are probably about half way through the process but our client has the house under contract to sell. The problem is that there is not going to be enough money to pay us back and pay back all her “gap” funders. I would define a gap funder as a private lender willing to lend on a piece of real estate in a junior position to cover the gap between what the primary lender is willing to lend and what the borrower wants or needs to get the deal done. The numbers on this deal look like this:

 

  • Purchase – $115,000

 

  • Repairs – $73,000

 

  • Our appraised value – $280,000

 

  • Our Loan – $196,000 (notice this is enough to buy and fix the house)

 

  • Gap funder Loans – $80,000 (3 different individuals)

 

  • Contract price – $225,000 (they will need to subtract costs to sell to get a net figure of available cash for all the lenders)

 

We were off on our value because the client made some fatal mistakes: she originally listed in the mid-$300s and it was not complete (that was way too high to list this house); there were very few price adjustments; the work that was done did not properly adjust the floor plan; and it just recently received an appliance package. How can you expect to get top dollar when the house is not staged and it does not have appliances? It was on the market for over a year. The biggest problem was the floor plan but the fact that it sat on the market so long really hurt its true market value. Properties get a stigma if they have too much MLS exposure. Buyers automatically think there is either something wrong with it or think they can get a bargain because the seller should be motivated. Had the house been listed closer to the true value of $270-$280k and listed after it was complete and staged, I am confident it would have sold for much closer to our original estimate of its value.

 

Borrowing Much Money for Rates That are Too High

 

The reason she had to borrow $80,000 above our loan was mostly because of holding costs, so a lot of that would have been eliminated had the property sold. I am not sure where the rest of the money went but it makes you wonder.

 

I have had conversations with two of the three gap funders and they all paid $44,000 to learn how to lose $80,000. They all have their sad story and to be honest it breaks my heart. One of the three spent all of their savings on this deal and will likely get none of it back. I am not sure what our client told these people to get them to invest with her but if any of it was misleading, there could be a fraud case here as well.   You might have noticed that the total loan to value based on our original value is 100%, which means that these lenders would likely take a loss even if the house sold for its full value.

 

With as bad as this deal turned out, we are still going to get our money back. This is why hard moneylenders loan at 70% of the value. That leaves room for mistakes. In California and Nevada, there are hard moneylenders that loan up to 70%. If the deal is too much higher than that, the flipper probably should look at doing a different deal or consider cheaper funding source like cash or a bank. The worst things flippers can do are borrowed hard money and then use gap funders, thus increasing costs and risk in the deal. It is my strong opinion that if a flipper needs gap funders they should not be doing the deal.

 

Gap Funding to Fund Portion of Profits

 

I have also heard of real estate investors who use gap funding to fund a portion of the profits up front. (Is this what happened in my example?) I guess this is to help them with their lack of cash flow. Why in the world would they borrow their profit and pay interest and possibly fees on that money unless they really could not wait until they got the deal done? If the client is not liquid enough to wait for their money, my guess is they are not liquid enough to handle a problem with their deal if there is one – unless, of course, they are borrowing more money. That is exactly what happened to our client in the above example.

 

I can go on and on but as sad is my story is, I have heard even worse. We get calls a few times a month from “gap” funders that need to foreclose but do not have the money to buy out the senior debtors. They are asking us for money to either buy out the senior lenders or redeem from their junior position. If you don’t have the funds available to protect your loan you are really making an unsecured loan and could possibly be making the loan to an investor that does not have the ability or wherewithal to pay it back.

 

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