#accurate estimating service

[asestimationsconsultants]

AS Estimation & Consultants | Delivering Precision and Reliability in Estimating Service

Accurate cost estimation is the foundation of any successful construction project. Without precise estimates, projects can face budget overruns, delays, and financial losses. At AS Estimation & Consultants, we specialize in providing detailed, accurate, and reliable estimating service to ensure your projects stay on track.

Our team of experts uses the latest software and industry best practices to deliver comprehensive estimates for residential, commercial, and industrial projects. Whether you’re a contractor, builder, or developer, our estimating service helps you make informed decisions, control costs, and improve profitability.

What sets us apart is our commitment to precision and transparency. We analyze every aspect of a project, from materials and labor costs to overhead and contingencies, ensuring no detail is overlooked. Our estimating service is tailored to meet your specific needs, providing you with a competitive edge in the construction industry.

Partnering with AS Estimation & Consultants means you get more than just numbers – you get trust, expertise, and reliability. Let us help you streamline your estimating process and take your projects to the next level.

Contact us today to experience the best in estimating service!

AS Estimation and Consultants

6/32 LAW VIC 3020, AUS

(61) 488874145

https://asestimation.com/

[pejasurveying1]

Bill of Quantities Services | Accurate Cost Estimates & Tendering for Construction Projects

Discover expert Bill of Quantities services by PEJA Surveying. We provide precise cost estimates, tender documentation, and structured BoQ solutions for accurate budgeting and fair bidding in construction projects. Ensure transparency, cost control, and project efficiency with our experienced Quantity Surveyors.

[constructem]

Direct vs Indirect Commercial Estimating Costs in Construction.

Our commercial estimating services provide construction stakeholders with accurate project cost estimates. A building project’s direct and indirect costs must be taken into consideration while estimating expenditures.

For More: https://constructem.com/direct-vs-indirect-commercial-estimating-costs-in-construction/

Call us For Estimation: (718) 719-2009

Email: info@constructem.com

Tags: commercial estimating services, estimating services, accurate cost estimation services

[lunaamorris]

Quarterly Estimated Taxes: Tips For Accurate Calculations With A CPA

When it comes to paying quarterly estimated taxes, accuracy is essential to avoid penalties and interest charges. Professionals offering CPA tax preparation services play a crucial role in helping individuals and businesses accurately calculate their estimated tax payments. These experts ensure that taxpayers stay on track with their tax obligations throughout the year, preventing any surprises come tax season. 

Here's how working with a CPA can help you make precise quarterly estimated tax calculations.

Understanding the Quarterly Estimated Tax System

Quarterly estimated taxes are payments made to the IRS or state tax authorities to cover income that isn't subject to withholding, such as earnings from self-employment, interest, dividends, and rental income. These payments are made four times a year—typically in April, June, September, and January.

Many individuals and businesses struggle with estimating their quarterly payments because they don't have a consistent withholding system like traditional employees. A CPA helps clarify how much to pay by calculating the proper estimate based on current income and tax rates. By reviewing your income history and making projections, a CPA ensures that your quarterly payments are neither too low (which could result in penalties) nor unnecessarily high (which could tie up funds that could be used for other purposes).

Accurate Income Projections

Accurately projecting income for each quarter is one of the most challenging aspects of calculating estimated taxes. Self-employed individuals, freelancers, and business owners often experience fluctuations in income throughout the year, making it difficult to predict exactly how much to pay. CPAs are skilled in reviewing past income trends and can forecast future earnings based on factors such as business cycles, market conditions, or anticipated contracts.

With this insight, a CPA can provide a more precise estimate of your quarterly tax liability, ensuring that you're paying enough to cover your tax obligations but not overpaying.

Tax Deductions and Credits

CPAs help identify all eligible deductions and credits that can reduce your tax liability. These could include business expenses, retirement plan contributions, and itemized deductions such as medical expenses or mortgage interest. By factoring in these deductions when calculating your quarterly estimated taxes, a CPA ensures that you're paying only the taxes you owe and taking full advantage of tax-saving opportunities.

For business owners, ensuring that all deductible expenses are accounted for can significantly reduce the amount of tax to be paid. CPAs are also familiar with credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Child Tax Credit (CTC) that can further reduce tax liability, helping you save money.

Avoiding Underpayment Penalties

The IRS imposes penalties for underpayment of estimated taxes if you fail to pay enough during the year. The penalty is usually calculated based on how much you underpaid, the length of time you underpaid, and the interest rate set by the IRS. A CPA can help ensure that your quarterly payments are accurate, minimizing the risk of underpayment penalties.

A CPA can also advise you on safe harbor rules, which allow you to avoid penalties if your payments are at least 90% of your current year's tax liability or 100% of your previous year's tax liability (depending on your income). Understanding these rules can help you avoid costly penalties.

Adjusting Payments as Needed

Throughout the year, your financial situation may change—whether due to increased income, a large one-time windfall, or a shift in business expenses. In these cases, it may be necessary to adjust your estimated tax payments. A CPA can review your financial situation at regular intervals and adjust your estimates accordingly, ensuring that your payments remain accurate and aligned with your tax liability.

By monitoring your income and expenses, a CPA can also advise you on potential tax planning strategies to reduce your quarterly payments, such as contributing to tax-deferred retirement accounts or structuring your business income in a tax-efficient manner.

Filing and Record-Keeping

Finally, CPAs assist with filing quarterly estimated tax payments and keeping detailed records. While the IRS does not require taxpayers to submit forms with their estimated payments, it’s essential to track these payments and file them correctly to avoid mistakes. CPAs ensure that the right forms are filed, and they maintain accurate records of your payments for future reference, making it easier for you to stay organized.

Conclusion

Quarterly estimated taxes can be complex, but working with professionals offering CPA tax preparation services ensures that you get it right. With the help of a CPA, you can accurately estimate your quarterly payments, take advantage of available deductions and credits, and avoid costly penalties. CPAs provide the expertise to navigate this often confusing process, keeping you on track with your tax obligations while helping you save money.

[construction-estimates-service]

Construction Estimating Services

Our Construction Estimating Services are designed to provide you with accurate and comprehensive estimates for your construction projects. Whether you're involved in residential, commercial, or industrial construction, our team of experienced estimators is here to assist you. We offer a range of services, including cost estimating, material takeoff, and consulting. Our estimators utilize industry-standard methods and cutting-edge software to ensure the highest level of accuracy.

[fa1rytunes]

⚠️ A Warning About AmaZine ⚠️

If you mod, participate in or buy fanzines, please read the following document. Myself and a lot of people who participate in the zine community think that what AmaZine is doing is exploitative and predatory. We think you deserve to know why.

If you're a contributor, please also make sure to check the document's second tab! You're not alone, and you deserve better.

Regardless of politics and personal opinions on what fanzines are and what they represent for the community, we think zine participants and supporters are entitled to full transparency regarding AmaZine's services, how their money will be used, and what their services mean for contributors.

We also have a lot of doubts about AmaZine's numbers, something is not adding up. Either their claims about being able to source better and cheaper manufacturers are untrue, or they claim money that should belong to contributors in one way or another. Several experienced finance mods have gone over the calculations in this document and confirmed that the estimated production prices I have provided are accurate. If the production prices AmaZine claims are significantly higher, you should demand receipts and supplier quotes.

If you're a moderator who is currently considering using AmaZine for your fanzine, please pay attention to the last segment of the document. Not every zine needs to be a physical zine, and there are ways to use zines for charity without even touching the money. Please consider those avenues!

Thank you for paying attention. Please research fanzine moderators and stay vigilant. Your talents are too precious to be exploited in this way.

[afeelgoodblog]

Best News of Last Week - December 11

1. Biden administration to forgive $4.8 billion in student loan debt for 80,300 borrowers

The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it would forgive an additional $4.8 billion in student loan debt, for 80,300 borrowers.

The relief is a result of the U.S. Department of Education’s fixes to its income-driven repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

2. Detroit on pace to have lowest homicide rate in 60 years this year

A partnership to reduce Detroit crime is being praised with the City on pace for the fewest homicides in 60 years.

"This is the day we’ve been waiting for, for a long time," said Mayor Mike Duggan. The coalition which includes city and county leaders that Detroit Police Chief James White formed in late 2021 to return the criminal justice system in Detroit and Wayne County to pre-Covid operations.

3. Dog that killed 8 coyotes to protect sheep running for Farm Dog of the Year

Over a year ago, Casper was stacked up against a pack of 11 coyotes, and he overcame them all to protect the livestock at his Decatur home. Now he needs your help.

Casper, the Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dog, needs the public to vote for him to become the American Farm Bureau's "Farm Dog of the Year: People's Choice Pup" contest.

4. Shimmering golden mole thought extinct photographed and filmed over 80 years after last sighting

De Winton's golden mole, last sighted in 1937, has been found alive swimming through sand dunes in South Africa after an extensive search for the elusive species.

5. About 40% of the world's power generation is now renewable

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have released their first joint report to strengthen understanding of renewable energy resources and their intricate relationship with climate variability and change.

In 2022 alone, 83% of new capacity was renewable, with solar and wind accounting for most additions. Today, some 40% of power generation globally is renewable, due to rapid deployment in the past decade, according to the report.

6. Jonathan the Tortoise: World’s oldest living land animal celebrates 191st birthday

The world’s oldest living land animal - a Seychelles giant tortoise named Jonathan - has just celebrated his 191st birthday. Jonathan’s estimated 1832 birth year predates the invention of the postal stamp, the telephone, and the photograph.

The iconic creature lived through the US civil war, most of the reign of Queen Victoria, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, and two world wars.

7. New enzyme allows CRISPR technologies to accurately target almost all human genes

A team of engineers at Duke University have developed a method to broaden the reach of CRISPR technologies. While the original CRISPR system could only target 12.5% of the human genome, the new method expands access to nearly every gene to potentially target and treat a broader range of diseases through genome engineering.

---

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation here:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog this post with your friends.

[hisnumber1]

Devil's Embrace

Paring: Lucifer Morningstar x reader

Summery: (Y/n) had found herself at the hazbin hotel. She never thought of redemption but she got a free room while she does her work. (Y/n) made outfits and tailored for people if they pay enough. She loves trying to make unique dresses for balls or for higher class. Keeping her name in the high class of hell, she tailored for the king of hell himself. Finding herself tailoring for him in the hotel of his daughter is an interesting situation.

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel

Genre: fluff, slowburn, close proximity.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

I find myself leaning back in my seat, sighing. Watching AngleDust flirt with Husker and he growls in response. Charlie is putting more stuff on her board as she tries to figure out how to make the hotel work. I jump back on feet, strolling down the hallway ways to get to my room. I walk into my room filled with drawing and projects I've worked on. I fall flat on my face into my bed, I turn my head, looking at my recent project of a dress.

The dress was a long ballroom dress, with a long v going down the chest. The sleeves were mesh, and at the top it came off the shoulder. The skirt came out and poofed out, with the back covered in a long black mesh. The dress was white, with highlights of red, all of the mesh was black, giving it a dark energy.

Something just seems off, I don't know what it is but it just does. I hear a ping come from across the room. Lifting up my head and seeing my phone light up, I groan as I pull myself up. Walking to my table, I grab my phone and sit on the table. I read the notification, it was an email. I tapped on it, scanning over the text.

"Dear Ms. (L/n),

I hope this email finds you well. I recently purchased a suit, while I am pleased with the quality and style, I find that it is slightly larger than my measurements. Therefore, I am writing to inquire about the possibility of having it tailored to a smaller size.

The suit in question is a white Shawl Lapel with red highlights, the fabrics are jacquard and velvet, and I purchased it about a week ago. I have attached a copy of the receipt for your reference.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide me with information on the process and cost involved in resizing the suit. Additionally, if you require any further measurements or details, please do not hesitate to let me know.

I am eager to have the suit adjusted so that it fits perfectly, and I trust your expertise in handling this matter. I am available to schedule an appointment at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your attention to this request. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Warm regards,

Lucifer Morningstar"

I sigh as I look at the photos he sent. It is a beautiful suit, but if I did it, the style would be better, but it is not mine. Thinking of what the price is, I need to get his exact measurements to tailor it correctly. Pressing the reply button, I started typing out my reply.

'Dear Mr. Morningstar,

Thank you for reaching out and for providing the details regarding your suit purchase. I appreciate your trust in our tailoring services.

I will be more than happy to assist you with resizing your suit to ensure a perfect fit. Before proceeding, could you please bring the suit to my studio for a fitting session? This will allow me to accurately assess the alterations needed and provide you with a precise cost estimate.

Once I have examined the suit, we will discuss the adjustments required and provide you with a timeline for completion.

Please let us know a convenient time for you to visit our store, and we will schedule an appointment accordingly. Feel free to contact us if you have any further questions or concerns.

Looking forward to seeing you soon and assisting you with your tailoring needs.

Best regards,

(Y/n) (L/n)'

I read over the email before hitting send. 'Wait, isn't Charlie his daughter?' I thought as I look back over his name. I press another reply button and put the the address, letting him know where he could meet me. Tossing my phone onto my bed, I walk out into the lobby again, sitting on the bar stool. "A shot of anything strong." I grumbled at Husk, he was cleaning a glass when he heard me. "What's the occasion?" He asked grabbing a shot glass before pouring some. "Work." I groan with my head on the bar, keeping my eyes shut, my headache gets worse with light.

"Ever thought of getting anything for those migraines?" Husk asked when he placed down the shot, I look up, grabbing the shot and downing it. "Another please. I've looked into it, but I don't need to, I'll just deal with it." Sighing as I push the shot towards Husk. He shakes his head as he pours another one, pushing it towards me. Taking the glass and downing it again.

I hear Charlie in the lobby talking to Vaggie about something, I turn to her. "Hey Charlie. Your dad is gonna come in a few days." I slur out, catching her attention she turned me wide eyed. "What?" She asked as she walked closer. "I'm tailoring a suit of his, I told him I need to take measurements cause he could have grown in the last year." I replied to her. "So he's coming to the hotel?" "Yeah, I think so." Replying to her she chuckled a but before pacing back and forth. "He's only gonna be in my room, just to get measured. He's one my highest paying customers." I chuckle, feeling the alcohol get to my system.

"He emailed me a few minutes ago about getting a suit tailored. I told him that I needed for take his measurements and then I would come up with the price." I explain to her. Charlie's pacing got faster, but she's stops when Vaggie puts her hand on her shoulder. "When would he be here?" Vaggie asked me and I shrugged.

"I can go see if he answered if you would like?" I got up from my seat, walking to my room. Opening my door, I walk to my bed, grabbing my phone. I look at the notifications, seeing a email. I walk out to the lobby, opening the email.

"Dear Ms. (L/n),

Thank you for your prompt response and for offering to assist with resizing my suit. I appreciate your attention to detail and professionalism in addressing my tailoring needs.

I will certainly bring the suit to your studio for a fitting session. I propose scheduling the appointment for this Friday afternoon around 2:00 PM. Please let me know if this time works for you, or if an alternative time would be more convenient.

I look forward to meeting with you and discussing the necessary alterations. Thank you once again for your assistance, and I am confident in your expertise to ensure a perfect fit for my suit.

Best regards,

Mr. Morningstar"

I read out loud. Charlie pauses and starts pacing again. "He can't come. We don't even know if this works. If he comes he'll know I failed." Charlie said lowly, Vaggie hugs her and kisses her cheek. "It'll be fine love." She said as she pulled away from the hug. Vaggie looked over at me and sighed. "He'll be here in two days, just make sure he is only here for that a not going anywhere else. Charlie isn't ready to face him at the moment." She said as she looked up at the clock to check the time.

I nod, I grab the shot glass and down the last one before walking to my room. Falling onto my bed, a breath left my lungs as I hit the bed. I turn over and pick up my phone, unlocking it and looking at the photo of the suit. Thinking for a second, it looks a lot like the dress. Looking between my phone and the dress on the lay figure, they would look together.

Standing up from my bed, I tiptoe to the sewing mannequin. I run my finger across it, looking back at the photo and then back at the dress. A light bulb lit up and I ran to my desk, grabbing safety pins. Taking out my sewing needles, turning on my machine, grabbing buttons. I pull the mannequin next to the desk, sketching out the idea in my head.

A bang woke me from my slumber, I jerk up and look around. Standing in my door way is AngleDust, he looks out of breath. "(Y/n)! My shirt is ruined!" He said as he walked closer with his torn shirt. I groan and put my head back on the desk. "You alright toots?" He asks as he puts his arm on my shoulder. "I'm fine, I finally figured out what was wrong with the dress, and I fixed it. There is a problem though, Lucifer is gonna be here tomorrow and he's kinda matching with his suit." A groan left my mouth, Angle walks over to dress. "It's gorgeous. I mean it's always been." He said as he looked over it.

Sighing as I felt my eyes closing. I stayed up all night working on it, adding new fabrics, adding the details. I felt myself falling asleep again as Angle looked over the dress.

My eyes slowly open, I groan as I sit up. "My back hurts like hell." Groaning as I stood up. It looked dark out, I must have slept all day. Walking out of my room into the lobby, the lights were still on so someone was awake. Yawning as I walk to the bar, my eyes saw Alastor, he was sitting on the couch as he read a newspaper. "Morning Al." I yawn as I pour myself something to drink.

His head perked up at my voice. "Morning, you know it's in the late afternoon right?" He asked as he placed his newspaper down.

"Yeah, I didn't sleep last night. So I slept all day." Yawning as I walk over to the couch, sitting next to Alastor. "Why didn't you sleep?" He asked as he sipped his drink. "Working on that dress." I groan. He hummed in response. I downed the rest of my drink before standing up. "Well Lucifer is coming over tomorrow, so I need to sleep. Night Al." "Oh goodnight (Y/n)." He grinned.

I step into my room, closing the door behind me. Sighing as I walk over to my bed, sitting on the edge before falling backwards. Grunting at the sudden stop, I throw my arm over my eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.

Waking up to my alarm, I groan. I slowly sit up and turn off my phone. I whimper as the sun hits my eyes, I have to get ready and clean up for the appointment. I pick up my phone reading the time, but I saw that I had a email.

'Dear Ms. (Y/n),

Hello, I hope this email finds you in good health. I wanted to make an appointment to have a meeting. I want some new clothes by your hand. If you have the time for a meeting please contact me.

Love,

Valentino <3'

I read over the email before putting my phone down. I really don't want to deal with him right now, I sighed as I went to my drawers. Pulling out some presentable clothes, then walking to my restroom to take a shower. I turn the knob letting the water start, after I pull my clothes off of me, letting it hit the floor. Pulling my undergarments off before sliding into the shower. The hot water hitting my skin and wetting every inch of my body.

I put shampoo in my hair and scrub it in, soap going down my body as I rinse my hair out. Grabbing the bottle for conditioner, letting my hair run under water. Pouring some into my hand before scrubbing it into my scalp. I let the conditioner soak, I wash my body before rinsing off everything. Turning off the water, I grab a towel and put it around my body.

Walking into my room, striding to my bed, where I put my clothes. Taking the towel and drying off my hair before dressing myself. After wards I look at the time, it read 12:47 pm. I sigh, I still have almost two hours before he gets here. I look around the room, seeing my room is a mess, knowing us have to clean it sooner or later.

Cleaning up my room, putting everything in place before he gets here and picking up trash and dirty laundry. I organized everything and I looked at the time, it was 1:36 pm. My eyes widen as I look at the time. "Shit he'll be here soon!" I yelled at myself and I got a new mannequin out for the suit, making sure I knew where everything I needs was. Keeping track of time, I brushed my hair and put on light makeup, so I didn't look like I was dying.

Getting myself mentally prepared to see the sin of pride. He was cocky everytime you saw him, not a bad cocky but like 'he knows he's hot and he's not afraid to show it off' cocky. The man was hot, I can't denie that.

I walk to the lobby waiting for the knock, not a second later I hear it. Walking to the door, slowly opening it to reveal Lucifer. "(Y/n), it's been to long." He grinned as walked in to the hotel, his eyes shifted all over the lobby. "We will be working in a room back here, just follow me." I say as I lead the way to my room. He gladly follows along behind me, still looking everywhere. We make it to my room and I close the door after he walks in.

"Now if you would please stand here." I ask him to stand on a X mark on the floor. He looked down and nods with a smile. "So how have you been (Y/n)? I haven't seen you in about a year." He asked as he gave me the suit. "Eh, tired. I have been working on a new dress over that year, I finally finished it the day before yesterday." I reply, setting the suit on the mannequin.

"Yeah? May I see it?" He asked as he looked around my room. I nodded and I walked into my other room, I have to rooms attached to each other for my bed room and my studio. Rolling the mannequin out, the jewels sparkled in the sun light.

"That is gorgeous." Lucifer said as he walked over, feeling the fabric. "It looks a little familiar." He said as he put his hand on his chin. His eyes caught on the suit and he gasped. "It's like a set! The dress and my suit." Lucifer stated as his eyes light up. I chuckled and nodded. "I noticed that when you sent me the photos."

"I would love to buy it." He said as he looked at it. I stopped in my tracks. "What?" I asked with a chuckle. "How much, I could gift it to my daughter." He stated as he started pulling out his wallet. "I'm not selling it right now. I actually made it for myself, kinda a dream dress." I chuckled nervously.

You could practly hear his face light up. "I've never seen you wear a dress." He said surprised. "Well yeah, I don't like wearing them." "You should put it on." He said. "No." I said flatly.

"Oh come on (Y/n). You even match with the king if hell, why not put it on?" He asked. "Lucifer, I need to start measurements, please stand where you were." I said with no tone. He was a persistent man. "Come on, I would love to see you in it." He purred out. "Lucifer arms up." I said with a measuring tape in my hands. "Come on." He whined out.

As he is begging me to put on the dress, I just ignore him and measure his body. As I measuring his bust to his groan there was blast and the hotel shaked. Causing Lucifer to tumble over and fall on me.

I closed my eyes at feeling of the rumbling, so I didn't know how close he was to me. "Well hello gorgeous." I hear Lucifer say, I open my eyes to see his face a few inches away from mine. "Oh you're wearing makeup, it looks good on you." He complemented me. "Lucifer get up." I say as I start pushing him. "I am darling." He chuckled. Standing up, he offered me a hand, which I gladly took.

"Well that didn't sound good." He stated as he dusted himself off, I nodded in agreement. "I actually finished measuring you, I would probably charge you about $230." I said as I looked over my notebook, adding the measurements. "Always straight to business. That's what I liked about you." He chuckled. Taking money from his wallet, handing it over to me, before I pull away he takes my hand, bringing it to his lips. Kissing my knuckles for a moment before pulling away. "Well I'll see myself out, and you should probably check what that sound was." Lucifer said as he started walking out of my room.

Watching him walk off, I felt the heat leave my face. When did that happen? When did my face get so hot? I asked myself, but just blew it off as me just getting hot. Placing down my money on the table, and I hear another bang. Groaning as more rubble falls down in my room. "Ughhh! What is that!?" I yelled out.

A/n: My first story on here and I plan to write more. Sorry if I update slow but I'll get around to doing it!

[wildhannimal]

Before you pay that not-covered hospital bill:

I want to take a min to spread awareness for the No Surprises Act after noticing a reddit post earlier.

This protection for patients just popped up in the past couple years, and the one major downside is that it's up to the patients to speak up to make use of it, but not everyone knows what it is.

"If you have private health insurance, these new protections ban the most common types of surprise bills. If you’re uninsured or you decide not to use your health insurance for a service, under these protections, you can often get a good faith estimate of the cost of your care up front, before your visit."

Consumer fact sheet

Typically, health insurance companies will help pay for bills from "in-network" providers, AKA their VIP inner circle gang turf. They won't help pay if you get medical care from another gang's henchmen (out of network).

This means that sometimes, a person would go to the hospital, which they knew had been covered by their insurance before, so they expect it's going to be relatively affordable. But they didn't know that multiple medical "gangs" were working in the same hospital. Their anesthesiologist, for example, was from a different gang. That specialist was out of network even though the surgeon and nurses were all in network.

Boom. Big bill for thousands of dollars and their insurance refuses to help pay it.

But now we have this law! The No Surprises Act means that insurance companies need to cover "surprise" expenses (under certain conditions).

If you don't have health insurance, hospitals and clinics need to give you an accurate quote before you get services, then foot the bill if they were too far off the mark.

The Fact Sheet section (UPDATE: this consumer toolkit link is better) of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services have some wonderful user-friendly resources for you about health insurance and how this act works.

Keep in mind that Medicare and government-run programs always have weird rules for everything, so you might have different (yet similar) protections through those programs.

If you have a medical bill that wasn't covered by insurance and you think it might count as a surprise bill, please check out your rights and consider fighting it instead of letting it become a stressful expense or debt you can't repay.

Go here to start figuring things out for your situation:

Health insurance companies have way, waaaaay too much power over our lives. We need every drop of protection we can get - but it only counts as much as we can understand and use those protections!

[fuck-customers]

This whole situation just does not sit right with me.

I witnessed the situation and this is what I saw from my perspective:

The register line was a bit long and a young black girl (I think this is relevant in relation to the way the other woman reacted, as I will explain in a sec) seemingly decided that whatever she was waiting in line for was not worth the wait and since she was 2nd in line, just moved towards the front to the register to reach the exit doors, saying "excuse me/excuse me, can I get through?" multiple times to the older white woman in front of her, who did not move. (This I did hear and even spoke up to ask the older white woman to let her through)

The older white woman (I'd estimate she was in her 50s or 60s) either didn't hear her or purposely refused to move over, so the younger girl had to awkwardly squeeze by her doing that side-shuffle thing.

Then the older woman starts screaming at the young woman (who was probably 18-25) and calling her a thief and claiming that the girl's hand was in her purse and that she was trying to steal.

Just throwing out my personal biased opinion, I think the older woman was completely full of shit and was either racist, a Karen wanting attention, or both. Either way, I had to do my customer service shtick and humor her.

So I asked the older lady to please take a moment to look through her bag and confirm whether or not anything was missing, while I called for my manager.

These next 2 things are what really did not sit well with me. The manager comes up, I briefly explain the situation, she also asks the woman to confirm her belongings, during which the woman herself confirmed that there was nothing missing from her bag, but still insisted on pressing charges. (How? We don't know who the girl was and I don't think she could be accurately identified from the security cameras. Also, somehow in the confusion someone said she was an employee at my store? She was not.) The woman confirming that nothing was missing, but still wanted to press charges seemed sus to me, but I could write that off as a Karen Karenning.

The part that really left a bad taste and made me lose a lot of respect for her, was after the whole situation was settled and my manager got the Karen's contact info and assured her that she'd get the security footage and yadda, yadda, yadda, and the woman left the store. My manager asked me to recall the situation as I saw it, which I retold the story and emphasized that I did not actually witness the girl stealing or even having her hand in the woman's purse. My manager starts parroting the woman's story to me as if she witnessed it, saying "no her hand was IN HER BAG" How do you know? You were on the far opposite side of the store. You didn't witness shit. We're alone now, you don't have to keep playing customer service, so that means you actually believe a crime that you did not witness?

I didn't have a lot of respect for my manager before this, but this just squashed the last drop of respect I did have for her.

My personal belief is that the younger black girl simply wanted to get out of line and unfortunately chose to squeeze by the wrong white woman and I think the white woman saw an opportunity to play the victim and was possibly a racist herself and get attention like a Karen and seized the opportunity. I do not believe anything was stolen (as the white woman herself confirmed) and the older white woman simply wanted to make a scene to get attention because she was bored or hard up for attention.

Posted by admin Rodney

[asestimationsconsultants]

The Role of Construction Estimating Services in Enhancing Client Relationships

Introduction

In the construction industry, strong client relationships are essential for business growth and success. A key factor in building and maintaining these relationships is the ability to provide accurate and transparent cost estimates, stay within budget, and ensure high-quality work. A construction estimating service plays a vital role in this process by helping contractors present detailed, clear, and reliable estimates that foster trust and satisfaction among clients.

This article explores how construction estimating services contribute to strengthening client relationships by improving communication, managing expectations, and ensuring financial transparency throughout the project.

Building Trust with Accurate Estimates

One of the most critical aspects of client relationships in construction is trust. Clients want to know that the contractor can deliver the project on time, within scope, and most importantly, within budget. Providing accurate and reliable estimates is essential for earning and maintaining this trust.

A construction estimating service helps build client confidence by:

Providing Detailed Estimates: Offers clear and thorough breakdowns of costs, including materials, labor, and overhead, helping clients understand exactly what they are paying for.

Ensuring Transparency: Clients can see where every dollar is being spent, which reduces concerns about hidden costs or overcharging.

Real-Time Updates: With real-time data, clients can be kept informed of any changes in pricing, material availability, or labor costs, fostering trust throughout the project lifecycle.

Accurate estimates lead to a stronger sense of trust, as clients are reassured that they are not facing hidden or unexpected costs down the line.

Managing Client Expectations Effectively

Managing client expectations is one of the most challenging aspects of construction project management. Without clear communication and realistic cost projections, misunderstandings and disputes can arise.

A construction estimating service helps contractors manage client expectations by:

Setting Realistic Budgets: By providing accurate cost estimates from the outset, clients are better prepared for the financial commitments involved in the project.

Providing Detailed Timeframes: Many estimating services also offer project scheduling tools, which help provide clients with clear timelines, reducing the risk of missed deadlines.

Identifying Potential Risks: Estimating services can flag potential issues that could arise during construction, allowing contractors to discuss them with clients in advance and prepare contingency plans.

By presenting realistic expectations and proactively addressing potential challenges, contractors can avoid surprises and build stronger relationships with clients.

Enhancing Communication Through Clear Reporting

Effective communication is a cornerstone of any successful client relationship. A construction estimating service facilitates communication between contractors and clients by providing clear, concise, and up-to-date reports that outline project costs and progress.

Some key ways estimating services enhance communication include:

Real-Time Reporting: Clients can access live, up-to-date reports that show the status of their project, including expenditures, completed work, and remaining costs.

Visual Cost Breakdown: Detailed reports that break down costs by category (materials, labor, equipment, etc.) allow clients to clearly understand how their money is being spent.

Customizable Reports: Estimating services often allow contractors to create reports tailored to the client’s specific needs, whether they require high-level summaries or detailed cost breakdowns.

With easy-to-understand reports, clients feel more involved in the process and are better informed about their project’s financial and operational status.

Reducing Disputes and Misunderstandings

Disputes can arise when clients feel they were misled about costs, project scope, or timelines. A construction estimating service minimizes these risks by providing precise estimates and clear communication from the beginning of the project.

By using estimating software, contractors can:

Avoid Scope Creep: A detailed and accurate estimate helps define the scope of work and prevents additional costs from accumulating without client approval.

Address Change Orders: Estimating services allow contractors to easily incorporate change orders into the original estimates, ensuring that clients understand the financial impact of any project modifications.

Track Adjustments and Updates: Changes in project requirements or costs can be quickly reflected in the estimate, keeping clients up-to-date and reducing confusion.

Accurate estimates and transparency throughout the process help reduce the chances of disputes and ensure that clients feel their interests are being protected.

Improving Client Satisfaction Through On-Time, On-Budget Completion

One of the ultimate ways to build a strong relationship with clients is to complete the project on time and within budget. A construction estimating service plays a major role in making this possible by offering accurate estimates that help contractors stay on track throughout the entire project.

The benefits of accurate cost estimation and forecasting include:

On-Time Completion: With accurate project timelines and realistic labor/material forecasts, contractors can stay on schedule and avoid delays that might frustrate clients.

Within Budget: Accurate cost projections ensure that all project expenses are accounted for, helping contractors stay within budget and avoid cost overruns.

Quality Assurance: Estimating services ensure that quality materials and skilled labor are included in the budget, resulting in a project that meets or exceeds client expectations.

Delivering projects on time, within budget, and to the desired quality will leave clients satisfied and more likely to recommend your services in the future.

Building Long-Term Client Relationships

The goal of any construction company should be to build long-term, repeat client relationships. Satisfied clients are more likely to return for future projects and refer your services to others. A construction estimating service can help cultivate long-term relationships by:

Delivering Consistent Results: With accurate estimates and well-managed projects, contractors can demonstrate reliability and expertise, making clients more likely to work with them again.

Promoting Client Trust: Transparency and effective communication foster trust, which is the foundation of any long-term client relationship.

Creating Opportunities for Future Business: By consistently delivering accurate estimates and high-quality work, contractors can position themselves as trusted partners for future projects.

Long-term client relationships are built on trust, transparency, and reliability—three areas that construction estimating services help improve.

Conclusion

A construction estimating service is not just a tool for calculating costs; it is a powerful asset that can strengthen client relationships. By providing accurate, transparent estimates, improving communication, managing expectations, and reducing disputes, estimating services help build trust and client satisfaction throughout the construction process.

In the competitive world of construction, clients value contractors who can deliver on their promises. With the support of a professional estimating service, construction companies can ensure that projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the highest standards, leading to stronger relationships and repeat business.

[pejasurveying1]

Reliable Quantity Surveying Services in London & Home Counties | PEJA Surveying Ltd

PEJA Surveying Ltd, based in Wimbledon, provides expert quantity surveying services across London and the Home Counties. With 40+ years of combined experience, our small dedicated team ensures accurate estimates, cost-effective solutions, and personalised service for developers, architects, and homeowners.

[collapsedsquid]

97% of firms in India, 96% of firms in Indonesia, and 91% of firms in Mexico have fewer than 10 employees. Of these, most are just a single owner-operator, or perhaps a household enterprise. 55% of employment in developing countries is self-employment, rising to a staggering 77% in sub-Saharan Africa. These individuals operate firms, producing goods or providing services. Indeed they operate most firms. If we want to enable firms to grow, how should we think about these self-employed people? One possibility is that self-employed people are “micro-entrepreneurs.” They would like to grow their enterprises, but don’t have the resources to do so. This is the premise of microfinance, the most popular development intervention of the 2000s. Microfinance is the practice of giving households small loans that they can use to set up or grow a home business. If self-employed people are really microentrepreneurs, then the key to firm growth is giving them more access to capital. However, many different lines of evidence suggest that this view of self-employed people is inaccurate, and that it is more accurate to think of them as workers looking for wage employment than as entrepreneurs.  In developing countries, self-employed people transition to wage employment at similar rates as unemployed people — and earn similar wages when they do. This isn’t what we would expect to see if self-employed people intended to grow their businesses as “microentrepreneurs.” In that case, they would be reluctant to quit their enterprise and take a wage job. This is exactly the behavior we see in rich countries, where self-employed people transition to wage employment much less frequently than unemployed people, and do it for higher wages.  Microfinance studies also reveal that microloans have very little average impact on household or business outcomes. Most businesses run by an individual or a household are just not designed to scale. All of these facts point to self-employed people behaving more like unemployed workers than like entrepreneurs — which is to say, looking for jobs rather than aiming to create them. If self-employed people act more like unemployed workers than business owners, that implies that we should not design policy to bolster the growth of microenterprises. These microenterprises are desperate measures in the absence of wage employment, and will melt away if and when formal-sector firm growth creates more jobs. Formal-sector firm growth is key to making developing countries grow. Another urgent implication of this fact is that there is an unemployment crisis in developing countries that isn’t captured by official statistics. The typical approach to measuring unemployment is to ask whether people want to work but are unable to find any opportunities to do so — including self-employment. By this measure, the official unemployment rate in developing countries is 5% and 6% — around the same as in developed countries. However, if self-employed people are unemployed “in disguise,” this number could be much higher. One study estimated that at least 24% of self-employment during India’s agricultural lean season occurs solely because workers cannot find jobs. If we (loosely!) extrapolate this to a sub-Saharan African country with 77% of workers being self-employed, then the true unemployment rate jumps from 6% to 25%! Even if only 50% of workers are self-employed, then the true unemployment rate is still 18%. That level of unemployment is a catastrophic failure, and a crisis that cuts against both poverty alleviation for individuals and aggregate growth. 

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive (Daily updates!)

By Adam Piore

A new study from researchers at Mass General Brigham suggests racial disparities and the difficulty in diagnosing the condition may be leading to a massive undercount.

Almost one in four Americans may be suffering from long COVID, a rate more than three times higher than the most common number cited by federal officials, a team led by Boston area researchers suggests in a new scientific paper.

The peer-reviewed study, led by scientists and clinicians from Mass General Brigham, drew immediate skepticism from some long COVID researchers, who suggested their numbers were “unrealistically high.” But the study authors noted that the condition is notoriously difficult to diagnose and official counts also likely exclude populations who were hit hardest by the pandemic but face barriers in accessing healthcare.

“Long COVID is destined to be underrepresented, and patients are overlooked because it sits exactly under the health system’s blind spot,” said Hossein Estiri, head of AI Research at the Center for AI and Biomedical Informatics at Mass General Brigham and the paper’s senior author.

Though the pandemic hit hardest in communities of color where residents had high rates of preexisting conditions and many held service industry jobs that placed them at high risk of contracting the virus, the vast majority of those diagnosed with long COVID are white, non-Hispanic females who live in affluent communities and have greater access to healthcare, he said.

Moreover, many of the patients who receive a long COVID diagnosis concluded on their own that they have the condition and then persuaded their doctors to look into it, he said. As a result, the available statistics we have both underestimate the true number of patients suffering from the condition and skew it to a specific demographic.

“Not all people even know that their condition might be caused or exacerbated by COVID,” Estiri said. “So those who go and get a diagnosis represent a small proportion of the population.”

Diagnosis is complicated by the fact that long COVID can cause hundreds of different symptoms, many of which are difficult to describe or are easily dismissed, such as sleep problems, headaches or generalized pain, Estiri said. According to its formal definition, long COVID occurs after a COVID-19 infection, lasts for at least three months, affects one or more organ systems, and includes a broad range of symptoms such as crushing fatigue, pain, and a racing heart rate.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that in 2022 roughly 6.9 percent of Americans had long COVID. But the algorithm developed by Estiri’s team estimated that 22.8 percent of those who’d tested positive for COVID-19 met the diagnostic criteria for long COVID in the 12 months that followed, even though the vast majority had not received an official diagnosis.

To calculate their number, Estiri’s team built a custom artificial intelligence tool to analyze data from the electronic health records of more than 295,000 patients served at four hospitals and 20 community health centers in Massachusetts. The AI program pulled out 85,000 people who had been diagnosed with COVID through June 2022, and then applied a pattern recognition algorithm to identify those that matched the criteria for long COVID in the 12 months that followed.

Some researchers questioned the paper’s conclusions. Dr. Eric Topol, author of the 2019 book “Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again,” said the medical field is still divided over precisely what constitutes long COVID, and that complicates efforts to program an accurate AI algorithm.

“Since we have difficulties with defining long Covid, using AI on electronic health records may not be a way to make the diagnosis accurately,” said Topol, who is executive vice president of Scripps Research in San Diego. “I’m uncertain about this report.”

Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research and development at the VA St. Louis Health Care System, and an expert on long COVID, called the 22.8 percent figure unrealistically high and said the paper “grossly inflates” its prevalence.

“Their approach does not account for the fact that things happen without COVID (not everything that happens after COVID is attributable to COVID)— resulting in significant over-inflation of prevalence estimate,” he wrote via email.

Estiri said the research team took several measures to validate its AI algorithm, retroactively applying it to the charts of 800 people who had received a confirmed long COVID diagnosis from their doctor to see if it could predict the condition. The algorithm accurately diagnosed them more than three quarters of the time.

The algorithm scanned the records for patients who had a COVID diagnosis prior to July 2022, then looked for a constellation of symptoms that could not be explained by other conditions and lasted longer than two months. To refine the program, they conferred with clinicians and assigned different weights to different symptoms and conditions based on how often they are associated with long COVID, which made them more likely to be identified as potential sufferers.

Now that the initial paper has been published, the team is building a new algorithm that can be trained to detect the presence of long COVID in the medical records of patients without a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis so the condition can be confirmed by clinicians and they can get the care they need, Estiri said.

But the most exciting part of the new research, Estiri said, is its potential to facilitate follow-up research and help refine and individualize treatment plans. In the months ahead, Estiri and his co-principal investigator Shawn Murphy, chief research information officer at Mass General Brigham, plan to ask a wide variety of questions by querying the medical records in their sample. Does vaccination make a patient more or less likely to develop the condition? How about treatment with Paxlovid? Do the symptoms patients develop differ based on those factors? What are the genomic characteristics of patients who are suffering from cardiovascular symptoms as opposed to those whose symptoms are associated with lung function or those who crash after exercising? Can they identify biomarkers in the bloodstream that could be used for diagnosis?

They have already prepared studies on vaccine efficacy, the effect of age as a risk factor, and whether the risk of long COVID increases with the fourth and fifth infection, Estiri said. “We were waiting for this paper to come out,” he said. “So now we can actually go ahead with the follow-up studies. With this cohort we can do things that no other study has been able to do, and I’m hoping it can really help people.”

Study link: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666634024004070

[precambrian-sea-pancake]

Gonna infodump about my D&D character

(Sadly forced to keep things confidential because my party members follow me on tumblr…you know who you are 👁️👁️)

I’ve only had Gawain for a short time but OH MY GOODNESS I FUCKING ADORE THIS SILLY GUY!!

Also kinda shocked that the moodboard I made for him got that many notes. That’s a first…

Also please enjoy the drawing @hootbon made for me. I will never shut up about their art.

So…for what CAN post publicly…

Gawain is your token Lawful Good Paladin TM. Bonus points for being a protector aasimar I guess. (Though I might multiclass into a bard depending on how things go. It would fit him well. They’re my favorite spell caster.)

His personality is gonna be SO fun to play. Before I explain that, I should mention that he’s actually the youngest of the group at 24. The second youngest is the Kobold (Maran) who’s 37. So he’s a lot more naive and still understanding himself and the world around him. People often dismiss him due to that unfortunately. But, you know, imagine a dumb collage age boy and you get somewhat of an idea.

He’s a very sweet and compassionate guy, extremely extroverted and fun loving…maybe a bit flirty at times. Definitely cracks witty comments and one liners in battles ranging from something clever to “suck my dick” or something dumb like that. That doesn’t mean he can’t be serious, he absolutely knows when he should. Ironically he’s the most “normal” of the group, often being the straight man. Overall heart of gold and just wants to help people.

He has a bit of a rebellious and impulsiveness to him. As clever as he is, he’s mostly driven by his emotions. It’s always a “do what feels right in the moment” rather than logic. In general he’s just very emotional and struggles with hyper empathy. This also causes him to question a lot of the authority around him.

I’d also say he has that Disney Princess syndrome. Gawain is convinced that he has some grand destiny and is meant for more. He’s always wanted to explore and learn more about the world, meet new people and cultures, live a life of glory and adventure. Maybe he’s in over his head or maybe he’s not…we’ll see.

However, another big reason for doing all this is that he wants to understand who he is…more accurately WHAT he is. He was born to humans, raised by humans, and grew up in a mostly all human kingdom. So he grew up thinking he was one despite some strong differences between him and the others. Aasimar are VERY rare, and more like myths to most people, and others don’t even know they exist. So people either assumed he was blessed or cursed, some treated him like the messiah, and others thought he was a freak and dangerous. So yeah, he never felt like he belonged and wants to learn about himself.

Somewhere in his life he ended up becoming a squire and completed his training just before the start of the campaign…

And that’s all the backstory information I can post because my friends will see this.

I guess I can do a bit of trivia:

It’s still D&D lore, but the world itself is homebrew. Humans are actually not the majority race, far from it. Most humans live in a large archipelago with various human nations. I remember the DM said the estimated population of humans was 20,000 to 30,000. The two mainland continents are one dominated by dwarves and the other by elves, along with other races being far more common on the mainland. Not really about my character but I LOVE that detail. It’s somewhat relevant I guess since I said Gawain grew up in a human society.

The god he venerates most is Ilmatar.

His eyes reflect his emotions and power. When using any of his abilities or when under intense emotions (both positive and negative), his eyes will turn a solid gold color.

Prior to his training, he was a courier. His parents ran his town’s postal service and that’s one of the things that got him into the idea of adventuring.

He’s more of a cat person than a dog person. He likes both, but I feel like he’d go for the cat.

The first weapon he ever used was a bow rather than a sword. The specific sword he uses is an arming sword.

He is a wonderful singer, his voice is almost ethereal in when he sings (little aasimar headcanon of mine).

His favorite study is anthropology, but also really likes history and geography. He’s always collecting little souvenirs and trinkets from everywhere he visits.

He keeps a diary and loves to write stories and sketch things. A lot of story inspiration comes from his dreams, which are often very vivid…and he remembers them super well.

Neither of his parents have blonde hair, nor is it a recessive trait they had. It’s actually part of his aasimar traits.

He talks in his sleep because I think it’s funny.

If this wasn’t a medieval fantasy world, he’d definitely use Gen Z slang. Maybe even tell someone “L + Ratio” or “Skill issue” after besting them in battle. In that same hypothetical reality, his favorite band would be Starset and The Score.

He takes good care of his appearance and health, so he does enjoy certain beauty products. A spa day is his ideal day off.

He hates salmon. He thinks it tastes bad and prefers catfish. I don’t know why I even thought of that fact but it’s there.