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In July of 2008 we purchased vinyl fencing and gates to surround and protect our in ground swimming pool. The gates failed within a few months (broke apart) and the installer returned and glued them back together. (See the video on youtube.com of the gates breaking.) Shortly thereafter the gates broke apart again. We contacted the local Lowe's (Latham, New York) in the spring of 2009 and they said the installer would return to repair the gates. After repeated telephone calls and trips to the Lowe's store the installer was schedule to repair the gates on July 9, 2009. He was a no show.
At the end of July of 2009 my wife was again in the local Lowe's and was approached by an installation person. "Are the repairs done" she asked. "No" replied my wife "the installer did not show." My wife than informed her that it did not matter now as it was too late to open the pool for this year and to just get the installer there when they could. The installer showed up in late September of 2009 to make the gate repairs. The backyard and swimming pool remained closed for the entire season of 2009 because of the broken gates.
The gates failed again shortly after the repair and in the spring of 2010 we again approached Lowe's requesting they fixed the faulty safety gates. They acted surprised that the gates were again broken. I informed them that I had checked the internet and others were having the same problems with the vinyl gates. They assured me that the problem would be taken care of immediately! A little upset I contacted the local building department and requested they look at the installation and the product they were selling to protect an in ground swimming pool.
The building inspector examined the product and installation and informed me to keep the backyard and pool covered and closed as the gates and fencing were: of questionable quality to be used as safety gates; gates opened in the wrong direction; the gates were not self-closing; latches did not meet code; and the fence was installed too high from the ground, all in direct violation of New York State Building Code and illegal!
Armed with this new information I confronted Lowe's installation staff when they again came to my home. The following question and answer transpired between LOWE'S employee **, the Installation Supervisor, and **. MR. **: "I'm going to ask you a question – how would you like having your kids living on this street with ** gates like this with an in ground pool? You would be scared ** wouldn't you." **: "Yep". MR. **: "I've been living like this for almost two years…" (Transcribed from tape recording of this conversation.)
They agreed to have the installer remove the defective product and reinstall the product correctly to meet building codes. This was finally accomplished in late May of 2010. I then requested that Lowe's reimburse us for the loss of our backyard and swimming pool for the year of 2009. Lowe's informed me that my wife told them in 2009 that she was not going to open the pool anyway (they had two witnesses to this statement) and I suffered no loss. They offered $500 dollars because I was a good customer after dictating to me the fine points of "contract law."
Note: They also informed me that I could not use the audiotapes of their admission of liability and shabby workmanship because they "did not give me permission to tape them." The tape recordings contain admissions that the product used was questionable, installed improperly, and in violation of State law. They also include the installer stating the gates were junk and breaking at most installations he had done and he was tired of fixing them. I can understand why they would not like to have anyone hear the tapes!
As an aside, my wife had paid a local pool company a $50.00 deposit to open the pool and clean the decking in May of 2009, a deposit we lost because the pool could not be opened. I refused the $500.00 and left the local Lowe's as I do not intend to allow a company to hide behind "contract law" after the "circus" that occurred at my home. I intend to seek legal relief and expose the "Lowe's Shuffle" for what it really is to would be customers.
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA -- About a month ago we decided to go with Lowe's to buy and install new carpet for our bedrooms since they advertise a 72 hour turn around. Well, don't be mistaken, the 72 hours only kicks in AFTER they come out to measure your rooms and turn all their paperwork in, and then you get back in to the store to actually "order" the carpet that is already in stock. Anyhow, everything was going as planned with that small bump in the road. We chose an in stock carpet since we wanted it installed ASAP.
I specifically asked the girl who was handling our order if there was enough to do our 3 rooms and she looked at me like I was crazy and said, "yes, it's an in stock carpet." So, I felt a bit dumb for asking that silly question. We requested to have the furniture moved (before and after), old carpet haul away, and clean up afterward (all for an additional fee, of course). We paid and left with the promise we'd be getting a phone call the next morning to set up an installation time. According to our calendar, we would have new carpet before that Saturday, so that made us happy.
The next day, a Wednesday, I finally got a call mid-afternoon. The installer informed me that the ONLY time he had to do this job was the next day at 7am. We agreed to this time, and I began moving the small things out into our living room. The next morning at 7:05am I received a phone call from the installation manager informing me of a "minor" issue regarding my installation... there wasn't enough carpet for all 3 rooms, only 2 of them.
Remember my silly question about "is the carpet in stock"? Yea, I reminded him of that. He said that he could still send the installer out to do those two rooms then come back later with the rest to finish the job OR I could reschedule (for after the 72 hour promised time). I told him to go with option A and I would just deal with it. He said OK and that they would be right out. About an hour passes when the manager called me back to say that apparently the installer decided to go ahead with job B first and then will get to job A (my job) when he's done. I told him I was truly unhappy with the service yet so far - and he agreed that he wouldn't be happy either.
When I asked when that would be I got the run in circles talk. By this time I'll admit, I was pissed. I told him I wanted a TIME that he would be AT my house ready to do what I've paid them to do... he said 11am. At 10:45am a Lowe's truck pulled into my driveway. Wonderful. Just like he said. To my surprise, it was just a delivery man that was told to bring and drop off a roll of carpet. When I started asking questions (such as where will we put it - keeping in mind most of the stuff from the bedrooms was now in my living room blocking many walk ways), the delivery man called the manager.
He explained that I was "not happy" and then handed the phone to me. The manager asked me what it was that I wasn't happy about... nice. I reviewed the morning with him (even though he already knew) and asked him what exactly I had to be happy over. He told me that I needed to calm down because the installers still had a few minutes to show up, as promised. Like that was my only concern at that time. He said he'd even be so kind as to call them and find out how far away they are from my house and then let me know.
He called me back a few minutes later and said that it was taking them a bit longer than expected at job B, so it wouldn't be until later that afternoon before they could be there. Then he added they still had to stop back by his store to pick up my order (minus the carpet roll that was now blocking access to my front door). Allow me to point out that he KNEW this before he hung up with me the first time, but tried to assure me they'd be at my house in 5 minutes - without my materials.
Fully beyond disgust at this point I just sat, watched TV, counted my day as totally wasted, and tried to calm down. The installers finally showed at about 2:30pm. During the initial greetings and showing what rooms, etc I was informed that I was going to have to move certain furniture items if they were over xx weight, all they move are light dressers and beds. I didn't even say a word, I guess the look on my face said it all... they moved my furniture out of the bedrooms.
Now, I understand a certain amount of disruption to the norm when a big job is being done, but when you open someone's windows in the middle of a Florida summer with the A/C running full blast LET THEM KNOW! Instead of using the vacuum they brought with them to suck up the dirt that carpet leaves behind, they decided to sweep it all around sending that fine dust plume all over (so I had to literally wash my walls when they left). After they were done with the installation, they were so hurried with trying to "finish the job" that they almost took out my TV with my dresser.
I made a comment about how they must be in a hurry and one of them said yes that they were normally home well before now - like it was my fault they were running behind. Since my son's room was done first, I was helping him put his stuff back in order while the two men were supposed to be cleaning up and moving the rest of my furniture back. That was yet another mistake I made (leaving them to do what they were supposed to do without me telling them to do it). They stepped into the hall way to have me sign that they were done, I did, and they left.
When I went back into my living room there was still 4 pieces of furniture and all of the scrap carpet (new not the old stuff). There was the rolled up plastic wrap trash left in my bedroom AND the trash bag they put the dirt from the old carpet in along with more delivery plastic was at my front door (outside). The plastic was hanging on my plant hanger!! The amazing part is this. A totally different manager called me to check on the satisfaction of the service since I "wasn't having a very good day."
When I told him about what all took place he had the nerve to tell me that "maybe in a utopian world things would have gone like I wanted them, but this isn't a perfect world." I explained to him that I didn't expect Utopia, I only expected what I paid for and what they put in writing as a promise to me.
I read him the riot act, told him it'd be a cold day in hell before I stepped foot back in their store.. not because things were a little messed up, or because the installers left a mess, or because they took our money for services they didn't provide.. no, it was because they treated me, and talked down to me, as a little housewife that really doesn't know any better BUT to be screwed around by working men who will tell HER what is going to be done, and how, and she'll just have to deal with it.
I told him that the "I understand" and "I'd be mad too" comments did not smooth it over and make me feel better, and what really angered me is they (all the people I dealt with that day) never once asked how they could make it better. Instead all I ever heard was how they messed up, so what, and how the end result was reached so it was really no big deal. So, all in all, Lowe's customer service really bit the big one this time with us.. we won't ever use them for anything again - period! I just wanted to get that out since I haven't heard from the General Manager, as promised I would.
MOORESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA -- After dealing with you for months now over multiple issues regarding a remodel project of a small beach condo I have never experienced such sad and sorry customer service. We waited 15 days for flooring to be installed from June 15th - July 1st thinking we would be able to occupy the unit after the flooring was in. Having the installer come on July 1st and refuse to install the floor. We then had to go back a different flooring product and install it ourselves having to wait until July 4th before we could occupy the condo.
So roughly 17 days numerous hotel charges paid out of pocket because this is a 2nd home away from our main house and we were having to pay to stay in hotels waiting on the project to be done. Had we know on June 15th you would not install the floor we would have then done the project ourselves (as we ended up doing) saving ourselves much out of pocket expense and stress.
After buying a complete kitchen with Lowe's Shenandoah Cabinets $9,244.54, Luna Eco By Cosentino Countertops $3,588.88, Bruce Hardwood Flooring $1,409.68, Stain Master Carpet $2,486.69, Whirlpool Dishwasher, microwave and Freg @ $1,747.17, Whirlpool washer and dryer $1,438.44, bathroom shower door @ $329, bathroom shower pan at $550, numerous boxes of bathroom and kitchen tile at more than a $1,000 and numerous trip to the Lowe's store to buy small items to get all this construction done and you offer me a $300 gift card for the stress and time the store at Hwy 17 bypass in Myrtle Beach has caused my family this summer.
Waiting days for no floor, weeks with no microwave, watching the delivery men drop a washing machine off the truck into the yard and they still want to bring it in the house with dents and scratches and you think $300 is a fair compensation. Multiple phone calls to ** and ** at the Lowe's Home Install Sales office in Mooresville, waiting days and weeks for them to return a phone call which they never do you have to call them and demand a conservation and now dealing with the Regional Production Manager ** who offers me a $300 gift card which I refuse.
If nothing else I hope my rants cause Lowe's to suffer $300 in lost sales from any of my family or friends who may be considering a trip to Lowe's or either a new home project. I for one will not shop with Lowe's again unit I am compensated $1,160.92 the cost of the wood floor which we laid. Does this sound like a lot of money after the dollars I have spent at your store in the past months not to mention all the projects we have done with Lowe's at our real house.
For the pain and stress it has caused my family this summer, the time and effort I have spent chasing people down (all Lowe's) to get the jobs done and the out of pocket expense for hotels waiting on work to be done that was never done. Before you start a home project with Lowe's please read this and think is this the kind of customer service I want or the type of stress you need in your life. Ask me would I do it again? No, not at Lowe's.
WEST SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA -- I paid the 45.00 for a Lowe's carpet person to come to the home to do a measurement of the rooms for which I needed done. Even though the sales lady did a wonderful job with just about everything she helped me with, once it went to the third party contractor everything went to hell. A person that I could hardly understand set an appointment for the measurements to be taken and of course he was late. He then advised the paperwork would be faxed to Lowe's that day (of course that did not happen).
When after speaking with the contractor three times and waited for the faxed to be sent to Lowe's (while I was waiting at Lowe's) it turned out that the contractor failed to do a measurement for both 12 and 15 foot rolls. My sales person called the contractor and within a few moments a new fax came in. I then chose to purchase the much higher custom order carpet that would take about ten days to be delivered to the contractor. I did receive a call from the contractor and an install date was made for yesterday 05-28-09 8-10AM, this was not the first date they had but the first date that I wanted.
On 05-27-09 around 6PM while getting the house ready for the install the following day I received a call asking if it would be OK if the time was changed to Noon-1, that the previous job was unable to be completed and the installer needed to return to complete that job before he could work on mine. I agreed. On 05-28-09 at 1:05PM with no call, no email, no text I called the contractor and asked why was the installer not here, he then replied, "the installer did not call you? He was to have called you 40 minutes ago" (well if he did I would not be calling to ask why the installer was not there).
9 minutes later I receive a call back and was told that the installer was out of town and could not be reach (cell phone issues in the area) but he would be there sometime now today for sure. I informed him that sometime today was not OK with me; I was then questioned as to why? If I needed to go some place or had something else to do. I informed the contractor that I did not have anything else to do except get the carpet installed in the house and then of course put the house back together (replacing all of the furniture etc) the contractor told me that they would help.
I then called and spoke to Lowe's who actually seemed to be upset right along with me and told me that this was unacceptable, that they would call me right after they called the contractor. For which they did and of course Lowe's said that the installer would be there in one hour, so I started my stop watch. I decided to leave and get lunch when less than two blocks from my house and less than one block from Lowe's I receive another call from the contractor giving me a time of 3:30PM and of course that would be more like two hours not one. I told the contractor that was not OK and that I would handle it now on.
I drove the few hundred feet to Lowe' and spoke to the same person who was dealing with me before (this site does not want me to use there actual names bet that I have everyone's name and dates and times I spoke with then written down) she too was even more upset and basically went off or at least as much as she could do officially.
Now the new deal was 3PM with one truck to deliver the carpet and then the installers would be there at 3PM. Any guesses on what happened at 3PM? That is correct nothing, except me waiting for a install crew, when I receive a call from Lowe's around 3:10PM asking if the crew was there that she just spoke to them and they gave a 5 minute eta. I then look outside to see a person setting in a car parked across the street and could tell that he had something to do with this.
Then a pick up truck with a trailer drove by and parked down the street after a few minutes parked in front of our location and then another truck came all totaled I do believe there were four people there. (For a few minutes) The installers quickly came up to the door and introduce them selfs and explained that they were called off from another job to complete mine and they had no idea what happen. I of course did not really care at this point but it was the most professional thing that has happened.
They started right away removing the carpet from the porch (where I put the carpet) and then went inside to see what they had to do since they did not know anything about my job. Once things started things moved fast they did a once over on the job to get an idea and to make a plan, they put the glue, padding and tape down fast and did a good job of it. Then all hell came down when the installers (at this point seem to be the only ones on point and doing a good job) "ran the numbers" measured the carpet and found out that they did not have enough to complete the front room correctly (with only one seam) let a lone complete the rest of the job.
That's when they stopped (as they would not get paid to install the carpet it the job was not complete and sense this was a custom order) the new carpet would have to be ripped up and replace do to the difference in the dye from one run to another at the factory. Mind you it was about 100 degrees I moved everything out of the house, cleaned, vacuumed and swept the house for them, so I can make sure the job was cleaned to my standards. And I had been waiting all day and been on the phone with the (what was now the) sub-contractor and Lowe's. So I just wanted the front room to be done so I can move the furniture back in.
When I called Lowe's the amount that they cared about was much less and let's just say I could tell they did not want to deal with this matter anymore. Several calls more and just asking the installers to get the job done that I would pay them myself. They immediately said no that they would do the front room that they understood and they did the front room. I called Lowe's one last time and spoke with the same female as always and she told me she should have been off an hour ago and would not be in tomorrow (Friday) and that someone else would call the mill to get another complete roll.
I then asked her who I could yell at Lowe's when the job is done, she told me the manager on duty I informed her to make sure to tell them about me as I plan on yelling at someone just to make me feel better (let's face it at 6 something at night not much can be done but to reduce my stress by yelling at Lowe's for hiring contractors that just hire another sub contractor that hires guys to do the work for Lowe's) she told me she would.
Later that night after I put the house back together, I went to Lowe's and of course found three workers standing and talking together when one of them did the second worse thing one could have done. One of them asked me how I was doing? So I told them. I told them I would be doing a lot ** better if Lowe's would hire someone to install my carpet right the first time and not hire someone who hires someone else who then hires someone else. I even asked if the lady that was talking to me was the manager on duty she said yes, I told her my name and asked if she knew of me. She did not, that is when everything went once again to hell.
It seems as though she feels that customers who have been screwed with the whole day should be nice and sweet and take the time to tell the story twice all while she did that head neck thing that I wanted just to pimp slap her. (But that would be illegal) She then told me that "you can leave the store" while pointing I told her she calls the cops that's when the male worker said to call 911. I told the manager to make sure to tell them my name, so they know it's me. She then made another comment and by then I had 5 workers all up in my business more concerned over the fact that I stood up to the manager than anything else.
The manager even refused to give me the district manager's name she told me that was confidential information so while I was waiting for her to call the police (I guess dialing 911 is harder for her to do then most) I called the Lowe's toll free number and after asking twice for the same information I was given the name but no number that all they could do is forward a message. As I walk ever so slowly out the door I called another store and asked them how to reach the district manager and they gave me the name and number of the store that he works out of.
So while waiting for the police to arrive I was in my car with the a/c on calling the Lowe's store that the GM worked out of and leaving a message for him. As of now what 2:10 AM Friday 03-29-09 I emailed Lowe's via their website, and look on the internet to find if anyone else had issues with Lowe's and that's how I found this site.
FYI: Based upon the information that I have Lowe's hired general contractor "A", who then hired sub-contractor "B", who hired two guys as independent contractors working through the sub-contractors license but not as employees. The kicker is in California as you may know we have rules for rules upon rule for things like this. An independent contractor (a guy with not state license) can not be hired to work for a sub-contractor as a I/C and use the sub-contractor's license. There needs to be an employer/employee relationship between the two with the proper insurance and tax liability being address.
So now my next step is to: contact the State Contractors License Board, contact the State Labor Commissioner, contact the State Workers Compensation Board, and contact my credit card company and dispute the thousands of dollars as product never received, damaged product. Maybe by then someone from Lowe's corp would have contacted me.
LAUREL, MARYLAND -- In 2008 I had Lowe's install a Larson storm door. Two years later, it's hanging only by the 2 bent hydrolic pieces. Slowly, the screws holding the door to the door jamb have worked loose. Now all of them are out and you can see that they were screwed too close to the outside of the wood. Obviously, the door was too heavy for it to be screwed in less than 1 inch from the edge of a strip of wood. I DIDN'T let the door swing in the wind and took very good care of it. I called Lowe's to come put it back on and that's when I found out they only guarantee the work for a year. Oh well!
NEW HAMPSHIRE -- I work as an Installed Sales Coordinator for Lowe's. We do our absolute best to get you what you expect within the time frame that is in writing. Regarding the 72 hour installed carpet install: YES of course, the clock on that starts ticking ONLY AFTER YOU PAY. How else would we know you are serious? What are we supposed to do, pick out your carpet for you, bring it to your house and THEN you pay for it? Please be logical. Also, we can only do what makes sense. Some customers expect miracles. Lowe's is NOT allowed to rip up vinyl floor.
There are reasons for this. One reason being asbestos. Do you really expect that these guys want to risk their health because you have old floor that you want ripped up? If you want it ripped up, you will have to do it yourself. Please, no is no. If the installer tells you it is not practical to put carpet on your 3 season porch because it wouldn't last through the warranty, he isn't saying no just to aggravate you. Also, these guys are not miracle workers, if your subfloor is crap, you MUST expect that there will be a cost to making it solid.
I am on a rant because I have seen all of this customer behavior first hand. Do you think you are the installers ONLY job that week? If you pay for storm door install on a Monday night, do you really expect the install to be complete by the end of that same week? Our installers work out of SEVERAL stores. They are not waiting by the fax machine for your order. They are at someone's house banging nails and getting dirty while you stew in the fact that it might have been a whole 6 hours since you left Lowe's.
We have no control over what the labor costs. It's your house, you know how rotted your window sills are. Would YOU call it a basic install if YOU were the installer? BASIC means just that BASIC. No one pays basic. That is base price. You know there will be extra charges, you live there, you, better than anyone else knows the variables of your own home. You know you have heavy furniture in the way, do you think it's easy to move it? It should be free? No, you wouldn't do it for free would you now?
We do our very best to make sure you get all the calls you want and need but you also have to understand that there is only one of me and there are 20 of you every week that generate 20 jobs that go through my office. I have to look at every square foot of carpet, every door jamb depth, every color of carpet, every type of padding, every color door knob, every style of window, every color of grout, every dump fee charge, every single detail of every install the happens in my store. This means checking, checking, double checking.
If this requires a call to the installer to check a dimension, I won't necessarily get him on the phone that day. He is already at someone's house, maybe yours. Do you want to see your installer stopping your job to take a phone call? No, you want your job done quickly. We do the best we can. We do what we can to limit costs but you get what you pay for. If you choose to get cheap and pass on stuff you need, it is ultimately you that has to live with your choices.
HAMILTON, OHIO -- I ordered kitchen cabinets in June 2013. Installers showed up to put cabinets in and what a mess. Beta Construction measured before install but forgot to account for a three in filler piece before installing first cabinet next to back door leading to garage. So when you open cabinet draw it hits back door handle. After running the whole bottom row sink side. They had to tear all out and start over. After finally installing bottom row they start on top cabinet.
At the end of that row they realize the bottom is three inches longer than top row. Duh, so now I need a 27 in cabinet on to to cover the final 3 inches. It took from July 18 until Nov 7 to get cabinet installed. Crown molding on top of cabinets was cut wrong. Construction crew forgot the thickness of their blade and cut it short. No extra crown on site to cut another piece so that also not fixed till Nov 7. I paid 14000.00 for cabinets, granite counter tops, install price and tax. I placed 4000.00 appliance order for four pieces of all LG products. Order placed in June 2013.
LG couldn't get me the stove I wanted so instead of calling the store or me to get another model. They just cancel the order without telling Lowe's. After reordering two weeks later I was told appliance would be here August 28 2013. My wife said no way. I pulled the order from Lowe's. Called HH Gregg from Lowe's counter and they had everything in stock and could deliver tomorrow. Amazing. Not including 151 pieces of tile I bought there Grote backer board under tile 14 sheets of drywall and electric wire to rewire kitchen. I probably spent 16000.00 total. Never again will I go through that. I have no reason to tell someone to shop for kitchen at Lowe's.
Oh forgot one thing. I have 6 miscut cabinet doors still not fixed as of 10/7/13. Kraftmaid Cabinet Rep is coming to view doors on 10/17/13 who know how long after that it will take to get replacement doors let alone install them. Please save yourself the trouble. Go somewhere else. And if you do use them. Make them X out in their contract you have to use arbitrator to settle your dispute. And write in contract any damage to your clean painted walls they fix not you. I got stuck with that also.
NORTH EAST, MARYLAND -- I built a brand new duplex. My tenant purchased a washer and dryer from Lowe's with delivery and installation. They told them it was a brand new place and told them to include whatever it needed. They sold them a aluminum foil dryer, dryer vent hose and a 4 wire plug cord. The tenant called me and told me the installers did not have the pipe to go to the vent, nor did they have the clamps. I picked up a 4" aluminum pipe and clamps. I had to unhook the washer, pull both appliances back out to hook up the dryer.
Also I noticed that the installers ran the dryer wire into the dryer without a romex clamp. It would only be a matter of time that the vibration of the dryer would cut into the wire and cause a dead short or possibly a fire. I went to the Lowe's store and was told the installers don't have the clamps for the dryer vent, pipe, nor wire clamps on their truck. I would like to know how this is called installation. Delivery yes - install, I don't think so. I had to unhook the wires, put in the romex clamp, hook the wires back up and put both appliances back in place. Don't pay Lowe's (or any other company for that matter) for installation if this is what they are going to do.
Installation means ready to use. Dryer vent pipe, clamps and wire clamps (romex connectors) doesn't take much room on a truck, and I am sure the customer would not hesitate to pay the little added cost if required. I am sure the installers make a pretty good living and should not take dangerous shortcuts.
CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE -- We contracted with Lowe's to install our wooden fence. The install went OK, until they got to the back of our yard where it was supposed to be a welded wire fence to leave us a view of the woods. The installer put one of his men on it, he did a pitiful job and I called to let then know it had to be fixed. He sent out another crewman who later told me he had never installed this type of fence. The job he did proved him correct. This time I called the install manager of the store, Lowe's Home Improvement on Gunbarrel Rd in Chattanooga. He came out and immediately recognized that the salesman had sold us the wrong type of fence for the job.
To his credit, he had the installer remove the wrong wire fence and replace it with the correct one. Fast forward just about a year. I find that the stringers where my gates are attached are disconnected from the posts. Apparently, the installer had only put one nail in each stringer and the boards were popping off. I called the install manager again. He agreed to send out the installer. It took several weeks and a couple phone calls, but finally the installer called to say he would be out to fix it. He never showed up. Make no mistake, I said NEVER. I called the install manager again, at least twice. He told me he would make it happen. It never did. Did I say never again? Yep, NEVER.
Not only did the install manager at Lowe's fail to follow through on making his subcontractor return to fix the error, he NEVER called me back nor did he call another subcontractor to fix the work. I finally decided to fix it myself. Oh yeah, and to NEVER buy from Lowe's again.
PEORIA, ILLINOIS -- First, I want to start this by giving you a bit of information (which, in the long, has no bearing on whether carpet seams should be visible or not, but it will further explain my situation). In 2004, I was thrilled to be able to purchase my own home. It was a bank repo and needed many repairs so I got it relatively cheaper than market value, which is the only way I was able to purchase a home in a nice area. (I am a single parent who receives no child support, is not on welfare, and works very hard to support my family.) It took me three months to fix the house up enough so that we could actually move in, and it was a wonderful feeling.
The people who had moved out tried to fix the place up and actually laid carpet before they left. However, they just threw it down. It was not stretched or tacked, and the seams were held together with duct tape. I ripped most of it out, but because, at that point, I was even lower on funds than normal, I had to leave the piece in the living room and part of the hallway (I laid vinyl tile in the other areas). The carpet in the hallway looked horrible, but since I live from paycheck to paycheck, it would have to do until I could come up with the money somehow.
Back in March 2007, my great-aunt, who was like a mother to me, passed away, and in September, I received a small inheritance. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get carpet. At the beginning of October, I went to Lowe's. I paid the $25 or $30 to have their installers come out to measure. They were late in calling me to set up the appointment, and I had to call Lowe's to make them aware that no one had called me yet. When the installer called, we set up the appointment for a Wednesday because I get off early that day to take my son to therapy. However, they called to postpone the installation until the following Saturday at 10 am.
However, at 10:30 am, the installers called me to let me know they were running late and would be at my house soon; it was almost noon before they showed up to measure. A friend of mine was going to lay laminate in the dining room (which meets the living room) for me so the laminate was lying on the floor for the recommended amount of hours. The installer commented on the laminate, and I told him it was to be laid in the dining room (so the carpet would meet the laminate). I also told him I wanted the carpet to go over the laminate for one foot. He measured, then left.
After a few more days of waiting for a call, I called Lowe's to get a price on the carpet I had picked out. No one was able to help me because the installer hadn't submitted the information yet. A couple days later, I went to the store, and one of the guys in the flooring department worked up the estimate for me while I waited. I went back the next day to pay and sign papers. I was told the carpet would take two weeks to be delivered to the store, and I was surprised when Lowe's called within a few days to say the carpet was there already. (Looking back I have a feeling they give a longer ETA for the carpet in an attempt to make themselves look better when it arrives early.)
At the time, I was excited that the carpet would be installed a bit earlier than anticipated. However, when the installers called to schedule the appointment, I realized I would have to wait over two weeks - November 5. I moved everything out of the living room myself, and when the installer got here the morning of the 5th, he said he didn't realize that was what I was laying in the dining room and that the carpet couldn't go over the laminate like I wanted (even though it was right in front of his face when he originally came to measure).
He also said that he did not have the transition piece he needed to join the carpet and laminate so, even though I should have been heading to work, I ran over to Lowe's and bought 3 four piece transitions that cost about $28 a piece and ran them back to the house for him. He said he would have to take them home and cut them because he did not have the tools with him to do it there (then why did I have to run over to Lowe's to get them right then?). He said he would finish the carpet and come back later that night or the next morning. He didn't do either.
On the night of the 6th, I called the installer and his wife (I'm guessing) said he was busy because someone didn't show up (too busy for customer that he left hanging?). He came back over a couple days later to lay the transition piece. However, he only used two of the three transition pieces that I bought and didn't leave the other one so I could return to Lowe's. After the installation, I noticed four very visible seams in the new carpet. I thought that maybe after a few weeks they would blend in and be less visible. I was wrong.
On November 29th, I called Lowe's and told them about the seams. I was told that the manager of installation would contact me, but on December 4th, I had to call the store back to find out what was going on. I talked to the store manager, and she had the manager of installation call me back. We set up a time for him and the installer to look at the carpet. They were supposed to be at my house at 6pm, but at 6:30 pm, the installer's wife called to say that because there was potential snow in the forecast, and because he was a few miles away at another job (when he was supposed to be at my house), they were going to have to reschedule for a couple days later.
When the installer and the installation manager finally made it to my house on December 13th, I also informed the installation manager that there were nails sticking out of the transition piece, and we catch our heels on them when walking to and from the dining room, and that the installer measured a foot into the dining room, but he didn't leave me the carpet he didn't use. (The installer claimed that he almost didn't have enough carpet for the job, and that's why there were no straps left. However, when he originally submitted the paperwork, I thought he inflated the sq. footage and ordered too much.)
The installation manager, first, tried to convince me that seams being visible were not uncommon depending on the type of carpet, especially Berber. I told him I understood that, but this carpet is not Berber; it is plush. The seams actually didn't look as bad as they normally did because it was dark outside, and they look worse in natural light. (I can stand in the living room and look down the hallway and plainly see three seams. It is horrible.)
And, nothing was even said about the nails sticking out of the transition piece. They both acted like it wasn't a big deal, and I got the feeling that they were acting like I was making a big deal out of nothing merely because I am a silly ole girl and didn't know any better. They said that I have a year's warranty on the carpet and if the seams start to peel away (which is my fear because that's what my old carpet did) they would come back out (they would come back out, they didn't say they would fix it). The installer did something, I don't even know that, to the carpet seams and left after he told me he would find out what happened to the other transition piece.
It is now December 26th, and I still have not heard anything from the installer on where my other transition piece is, and I still have four, very visible seams in my carpet. I am sick to my stomach every time I think of all that money I spent on this carpet, and how I was treated like a stupid woman. (Maybe I'm wrong, maybe they just treat everyone like they are stupid.) I called back over to Lowe's today and spoke with the store manager. All he did was transfer back to the installation manager who said he would contact the installer and schedule a time to come out and look at the carpet again. Why do they need to look at it again? It hasn't changed.
I've had carpet installed in two other houses years ago, and I have NEVER seen the seams, and one of those times, Lowe's installed it. I am SO frustrated and furious that I spent money at Lowe's for carpet, and it looks absolutely awful. I should have just left the old carpet there and spent the money on something else because this carpet makes me sick to my stomach.


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Welcome to Clampay
Welcome to Clampay.com, a certified Internet Payment Service provider Headquartered in Sliema, Malta, one of Europe's leading business and finance centres. We support you and pave your way to the world of eBusiness. Set-up and supervision of accounts for diverse business areas and online payment systems in the e-commerce.
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The monetary aspect of e-commerce for online sponsored/client accounts is our core business - a service area that requires a maximum of mutual trust. We achieve this relationship by means of clearly structured agreements, transparent workflows, consistent risk management, fair and open cooperation and competitive conditions. In this way, we enable our customers to concentrate on their actual business goal.
We focus on long-term collaboration that is fruitful for all involved and the continuous expansion of our sponsored/client account and partner network. Our course is determined by the needs and requirements of our customers and acquiring partners. Our individual solution concepts include the results of meticulous, self-critical analyses and positive as well as negative experiences.


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This online software package for diabetes educators allows you to collect and track your patients' behavior change goals, clinical indicators, and medications; administer online patient self-assessments and follow-ups; track information about the educational services you provide; generate reports on individual patient progress and your facility's progress; and more.
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Exelon Generation Company and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) today announced a partnership for the potential to produce molybdenum-99, which is used to produce technetium-99m, the most widely used medical radioisotope in the world.
Clinton, IL– Exelon Generation Company and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) today announced a partnership for the potential to produce molybdenum-99, which is used to produce technetium-99m, the most widely used medical radioisotope in the world. Exelon's Clinton Power Station in Clinton, Ill. will serve as the host facility for the project.These isotopes are critical for imaging that's used for medical and research purposes, including evaluating the medical condition of the heart, kidneys, lungs, liver, spleen and bone, among others, and also for blood flow studies. "We're proud to be a involved with the production of a domestic source of this critical and widely used radioisotope that will help tens of thousands of people daily across the U.S., said Exelon Nuclear Senior Vice President Midwest Operations Bryan Hanson.Presently, the U.S. imports molybdenum-99 from six main suppliers in Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, France and Australia. Some of those supply sources are inconsistent."Only a little over a year ago we had a severe Molybdenum-99 shortage, which led to the disruption or delay of nuclear medicine procedures for an estimated 50,000 patients each day," said George Segall, MD, president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine. "Creating a domestic supply of Molybdenum-99 is a very positive step in the right direction, and we hope that efforts will continue to build a sustainable source of this radioisotope.""We are excited about the possibility of working with Exelon and the U.S. government to help fill a void that has a direct impact on our population's health," said Kevin Walsh, senior vice president, nuclear fuel cycle for GEH. "GEH's new isotope production technology could potentially meet approximately 50 percent of the United States' projected supply needs of this critical isotope, ensuring consistent patient access to vital medical diagnostic procedures."The project will require two license amendment requests to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), first for testing and then for design and implementation of the commercial system, which must be approved before the station participates in the project.
While Clinton Power Station serves as the host for this important project, this will be transparent to the surrounding community and to plant operations. Residents could see additional trucking from the plant of highly secure shipments that is regulated by the NRC and the Department of Homeland Security.Molybdenum-99 production will not affect the plant's ability to safely produce electricity. "The safe and reliable production of electricity is always our first priority," Hanson said. After NRC approval and successful testing, this project would involve the weekly insertion of molybdenum-98 targets that, upon absorbing a neutron, become molybdenum-99. The transformed targets are then collected and shipped to offsite facilities for further processing. This is all done through an existing plant system modified to support the new process. Pending all approvals, production of molybdenum-99 would begin in 2014.Molybdenum-99 would be the second medical radioisotope produced at Exelon's Clinton Station. Exelon and GEH announced a partnership in January 2010 for the production of Cobalt-60, a radioisotope that is used in the treatment of certain cancers and in medical device and food sterilization. The first supply of Cobalt-60 for commercial use will be available in 2014.
Exelon Corporation is one of the nation's largest electric utilities with more than $18 billion in annual revenues. The company has one of the industry's largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately 5.4 million customers in northern Illinois and southeastern Pennsylvania and natural gas to approximately 490,000 customers in the Philadelphia area. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker EXC.


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First published 2007 by the CPA Press, BCM Box 1815, London WC1N 3XX, United Kingdom, www.cpalondon.com. Copyright ©2007 by Clare Martin.
Lesson One: An Introduction to the Houses
It is good to see everyone again for the next stage of our astrological adventure. This term things get really interesting because we are going to add two major new levels to our astrology, both of which explain how the birth chart actually manifests in real life.
Just to recap: last term we explored the meaning of the planets - the characters in the play of our lives - and by putting them in the astrological signs, we explored how each planet seeks to express itself, its motivation, values, desires and goals. We looked at the way the zodiac signs are constructed, by polarity (positive or negative), modality (cardinal, fixed or mutable), and by element (earth, air, fire or water). This term we are going to bring our astrology down to earth - literally. We are going to see how the planets and signs function in the world. It is not until the moment of our birth that the astrological houses and angles are created, and it is at that moment that the universal pattern becomes personalised, setting the scene for the unfolding drama of our lives. In addition to the two axes created by the angles, we will add a third major axis to our charts, that of the Moon's Nodes. With the angles functioning as our personal doorways into the world, we will see how the nodal axis functions as a doorway into other dimensions that appear to hold our pattern and remember our soul's purpose.
When we have identified the houses and the three axes in the chart, we will go on to explore the aspects, the relationships between the planets, and consider whether they support or do battle with each other. The aspects describe the dynamic tension, struggle, talent and potential in every chart. They tell stories that are both intensely personal and yet reflect universal themes which, to a greater or lesser extent, we all recognise. Finally, with all the components in place - planets, signs, house, angles and aspects - we will spend the last evening of this term on the general interpretation of a birth chart, integrating everything we have learned so far.
Audience: There just seem to be so many layers to all this. I think I am beginning to lose my confidence. I used to think I knew a great deal of astrology, and now I increasingly feel as if I know nothing.
Clare: Well, you can now join the club, because you are not alone. When we first come across astrology, we tend to approach it just as we would with any other kind of learning - we seek to master it. We feel that once we have learned the grammar, we should be able to speak the language fluently. But ultimately, astrology is a living and constantly evolving tradition that cannot be mastered in this way; we can only hope to participate in its wonders and mysteries. Astrology teaches us to question, to open our minds to multiple and subtle layers of meaning. It is one of the ancient mystery traditions which leads us into a dialogue with living forces which are sometimes opaque or hidden from us, sometimes capricious, often humorous, and occasionally overwhelmingly astonishing and meaningful. Our best approach is one of enquiry and humility - we can ask astrology questions and wait patiently for the answers. If we attempt to impose our own preconceived notions upon it, then we will not hear it speak to us. So don't despair - I think this is an excellent sign.
Incarnation and the angles
We are going to add a new dimension to our astrology tonight. Up until the moment of our birth, the planets and signs are disembodied - they are of universal, collective significance only. They exist as principles, unable to take any particular, specific shape or form. However, at the exact time and place of our birth, the forever-changing pattern of the heavens becomes fixed, in what is the most powerful, seismic moment of our lives. At the moment of birth our undifferentiated wholeness comes to an end, and we find ourselves quartered, nailed, as it were, to the cross of matter, to the two major axes which are the angles of the chart. From that moment on we are concretised, caught in the drama of opposites, which is also the drama of life itself.
Every birth chart is a reflection of the symbol for the earth, the
cross within the circle, describing the precise nature of the specific
material, solid, concrete world into which we have been born and through
which each of us must manifest ourselves. It is the angles which make
time and space comprehensible, which give us our orientation, our east,
west, north and south. The horizon, or east-west axis at that moment,
forms the Ascendant-Descendant of the chart, and the meridian, or south-north
axis, forms the MC (Medium Coeli) and IC (Imum Coeli). Simultaneously,
the twelve astrological houses come into being, taking their starting
point from the Ascendant. The houses describe every area of life and
all the relationships that we will encounter - they describe 'where'
or 'in what area of life' we will meet, experience and express the
planetary principles. It is the angles and the houses that turn the
universal picture into a highly particular and specific map of the
individual psyche and into an entirely personal life story.
Whether or not we believe, as the ancients did, that our souls choose the specific time and place of our birth, nevertheless from the moment of birth our lives are circumscribed and defined within the limits of our birth chart. We cannot trade in or exchange any of the positions of the planets, or decide to have another birth sign or a different house placement of Pluto, for example. We are literally stuck with our birth charts, which means that nothing can come to pass which is not already present as potential in our birth charts. In this sense, our birth charts are indeed our fate. But they are also a tiny and unique piece of the great project, the magnum opus of collective human evolution. What is of interest from this point of view is not the birth chart itself, but how each of us engages and actively participates with the unique part of the whole which has been allotted to us, knowing that the way we live our own lives will add to the sum total of all human experience and existence.
The astrological birth chart remains exactly the same for our entire lives. There is no guarantee that we will be any more integrated, evolved or conscious at the end of our lives than we were at the beginning. The question is whether our lives are going to make a difference, 'for nature's continued existence depends ultimately on the kind of consciousness we bring to bear on it'. [1]Ultimately, it is up to each one of us to decide what to do with our birth chart and how to live it.
Once a vision of life as an organic whole is accepted in principle, humanity becomes in one sense a co-creator with nature, in so far as it can foster, ignore or destroy its identity with nature. [2]
If we are working alchemically, then there is work to be done. Our job is to work against the blindness of our natural state in the service of increased consciousness:
Things are created and given into our hands, but not in the ultimate form that is proper to them ... For alchemy means: to carry to its end something that has not yet been completed; to obtain the lead from the ore and to transform it into what it is made for. [3]
Let's see how a horoscope is created at a particular time and in a particular place. I thought it would be interesting to use today's astrology as an example of how this works. Have a look at the positions of the planets in this chart. On this day, no matter where in the world we happen to be, the Moon, Sun, Neptune, Uranus and Mercury are all in Aquarius. Mars is in Scorpio, Pluto and Chiron are in Sagittarius, Venus is in Pisces, Saturn is in Taurus, and Jupiter is in Gemini.
24 January 2001, 6.00 am GMT, London
Equal House system
From what we learned last term, we can already get a good sense of the astrological themes described by the planets in these signs, and the many millions of people born today will carry these themes with them throughout their lives and live them out in a variety of specific, individual ways. However, the houses, or areas of life in which these themes will be expressed, depend upon the exact time and place of each person's birth. I have fixed this horoscope in time and space by setting it for 6.00 am this morning, in London.
The east-west horizon: Ascendant/Descendant axis
Imagine that you are standing right in the centre of this
horoscope. The Ascendant is on your left, which tells us that at 6.00
this morning, 0° 24' of the sign of Capricorn was rising over the eastern
horizon. The Descendant is on your right, and you can see that 0° 24'
of the sign of Cancer was setting over the western horizon. The Sun
ascends over the eastern horizon every day at dawn and descends over
the western horizon every day at sunset. You can see from this horoscope
that it is still dark because the Sun is under the horizon, which is
something we know anyway, because the Sun does not rise in London in
January until just before 8.00 am.
From our position at the centre of the chart, the entire zodiac and all the planets and stars appear to rotate around us in a clockwise direction every twenty-four hours at an average rate of approximately 1° every four minutes. The Ascendant is also the starting point of the twelve houses, with the first house beginning at the Ascendant, and all the houses follow anti-clockwise around the chart, until you can see that the 12th house ends at the same point that the 1st house begins: at the Ascendant. Houses 1 to 6 are below the horizon, hidden from view under the earth, and houses 7 to 12 are visible above the horizon.
The south-north meridian: MC/IC axis
The other major axis of orientation is the point where the Sun's path crosses the north-south meridian, the points due north and due south at the moment of birth, known as the MC/IC axis. Once again, if you are standing in the centre of the chart, with the east on your left and the west on your right, then you will be facing south, and the Midheaven or MC (an abbreviation of Medium Coeli, the Latin for 'middle of the heavens') will be directly ahead and above you. The IC (an abbreviation of Imum Coeli, the Latin for 'lowest part of the heavens') will be directly behind you and under the earth. At 6.00 am this morning in London, the MC was 5° 46' Scorpio, which means that the IC was exactly opposite, at 5° 46' Taurus.
Audience: I am having difficulty with this, because in normal maps the west is on the left and the east is on the right, with the north above and the south below. How does a natal chart fit in with the normal way we look at a map?
Clare: That is a good point. Imagine that you are looking at an atlas. Where are you actually looking from?
Audience: Well, I suppose you are looking down at the earth from some place in space?
Clare: Exactly. You are disembodied - looking down at the earth from somewhere outside the earth, and indeed from somewhere outside your body. Astrology is geocentric, so we are looking out at the heavens from our place on the earth and in our bodies. Now, imagine that you are standing in a wide-open place, somewhere like Salisbury Plain. Facing due south, the MC will be directly ahead of you and the IC, or north point, will be directly behind you, invisible, under the earth. All the constellations and planets will appear to rise over the eastern horizon to your left; they will gradually rise higher in the sky until they cross the MC, and then their height will gradually diminish until they set somewhere over the western horizon. Imagine that the entire zodiac is moving around you in a clockwise direction. At 6.00 am this morning, the five planets in Aquarius were all in the 2nd house, and Chiron had just risen over the Ascendant and entered the 12th house. You can also see very graphically that there is about to be a new Moon, because the Moon is just over 3° behind the Sun and, since it moves very rapidly through the signs, at approximately 1° every two hours, we can immediately see that there was a new Moon today, at about 12.00 noon.
24 January 2001, 2.00 pm GMT, London
Equal House system
We are now going to look at the situation eight hours later, at 2.00 pm this afternoon. All the planets in Aquarius have moved from the 2nd house through the 1st, 12th, 11th, 10th and 9th houses, and across the MC. The Sun and Moon are now in the 7th house, with Neptune, Uranus, and Mercury still in the 8th house. The new Moon has already occurred, and the Moon is now ahead of the Sun and quickly approaching Neptune. Incidentally, it is most auspicious to begin a new term in a new year at the new Moon. So this is a perfect time for our new beginning.
24 January 2001, 7.00 pm GMT, London
Equal House system
By 7.00 pm, which is the moment when our class and the second term of this course began, the picture has changed again. You can see that all the planets in Aquarius have crossed the Descendant and entered the 6th house, which means that it is now dark, as you can see by looking out of the window. Saturn is just about to cross the MC, to be followed by Jupiter. The Moon has already crossed over Neptune and is now more than a degree away, moving rapidly towards Uranus and then Mercury. In actual fact, of course, the signs and planets are not revolving in a clockwise direction around us every twenty-four hours - they just appear to do so from our position in the centre of the chart. Rather, it is the earth itself that is turning on its axis every twenty-four hours. So another way of seeing the same thing is to focus on the fact that the east-west and north-south points are moving anti-clockwise at a rate of approximately 1° every four minutes against the backdrop of the planets and signs. This means that the Ascendant gradually moves anti-clockwise from Sagittarius to Capricorn to Aquarius to Pisces, and so on right around the zodiac, until it returns to the same point in Capricorn once again, roughly twenty-four hours later.
Understanding how all this works in practice is very helpful, because then we can visualise for ourselves exactly what a birth chart is from an astronomical point of view. It is worth visiting the Greenwich Observatory or the London Planetarium, just to experience for yourself how this mechanism actually works. It can be confusing until you understand that the east-west and north-south axes are moving in an anti-clockwise direction around the chart, whereas all the planets and signs appear to be moving in a clockwise direction from your place of observation.
Audience: Looking at a chart in this way helps to see the whole thing visually. Does this mean that people born at night, with the Sun under the horizon, are more comfortable in the dark?
Clare: Well, it is certainly true that people with the majority of
their planets under the horizon tend to be more private and to draw
their strength and their meaning from within themselves. This is a
good example of the way that our astrological interpretations are put
into context if we understand the astronomical structure of a birth
Audience: Can you say something about the different house systems? I find this particularly confusing and don't really know where to start.
About house systems
Clare: This is turning into a rather technical lesson but, as you can see from our own chart this evening, that is not really surprising. Saturn is the most elevated planet in the chart at the moment, and it is strongly emphasised because it is on the MC. And since Saturn is in the fixed earth sign of Taurus, we are working to bring the chart down to earth, to understand the structure. Jupiter in Gemini indicates that we all want to learn, and with all the Aquarian planets in the 6th house of work, this also tells us that we are interested in bringing the heavens down to earth and making them work for us.
There are many different house systems in astrology, and no doubt you have already come across this and wondered which is the 'correct' house system to use. However, house systems, like everything else in astrology, are subject to fashion and to personal preference. The only contribution I can make here is to suggest that a horoscope is like a hologram - no matter how it is divided, the overall pattern and structure remain identical, since the meaning of the whole is reflected in each of its parts. Perhaps the major house systems used today are the Placidus, Koch and Equal House systems. Placidus and Koch are quadrant systems, which means that the meridian, or MC-IC axis, is always found on the 10th and 4th house cusps, with three complete houses in each quadrant of the chart.
For the purposes of this course, I am using the Equal House system, in which the zodiac is divided into twelve equal sections of 30°, beginning at the Ascendant. This means, as you can see from the three charts we have already looked at tonight, that the meridian is not anchored to the cusps of the 10th and 4th houses, but 'floats', being found anywhere from the 11th-5th houses to the 10th-4th houses, the 9th-3rd houses, and the 8th-2nd houses. The reason for this is that the angle between the horizon (Ascendant-Descendant axis) and the meridian (MC-IC axis) is constantly changing, depending on the time of day, the time of year, and the latitude for which the horoscope is set.
Have another look at the series of charts above. At 6.00 am this morning,
the meridian was in the 11th and 5th houses, because the angle between
the meridian and the east point of the horizon was less than 60°. By
2.00 pm this afternoon, the meridian was in the 8th and 2nd houses,
because the angle between the meridian and the east point of the horizon
was just over 120°. By the beginning of our class at 7.00 pm, the angle
had altered again to just over 90°, and it will continue to decrease
until 6.00 am tomorrow morning, when it will be around 60° once again.
We will look at the interpretation of the MC-IC axis over the next
few weeks, but for the time being it is just worth noting that, no
matter which house system we use, the meaning of this axis is not identical
to the meaning of the 10th-4th house cusps. This is clear when we use
the Equal House system, but not necessarily so clear when we use a
quadrant system of house division.
Let's have a look at some of the similarities and differences between the Placidus and Equal House systems of house division. Here is the chart for 6.00 am this morning in both house systems. You will see that the positions of planets, the angles of the chart, and the relationship between the planets remains identical. However, some of the planets have changed houses. You can see, for example, that in the Equal House system, the five Aquarian planets are in the 2nd house, with Venus in the 3rd, Saturn in the 4th, Jupiter in the 6th and Mars in the 11th. In the Placidus house system, however, the Moon, Sun and Neptune are in the 1st house, with Uranus, Mercury and Venus in the 2nd, Saturn in the 4th, Jupiter in the 5th, and Mars in the 10th.
Audience: Now I am really confused. Surely these two charts are now completely different and their interpretation will be totally different?
Clare: I am afraid that the answer to this is both yes and no, because as astrologers we are going to find ourselves inevitably confronted with the whole issue of the nature of objective truth, and of the meaning we impose upon the objective world. Astrology does not respond well to any ideas we might have about there being only one truth. At the end of the day, the art of interpretation will always depend upon each astrologer's individual perceptions and preconceptions, and on the particular nature of each astrologer's relationship to factual, symbolic and mythic thinking. Perhaps the best thing you can do is to experiment with several house systems, and no doubt you will gradually find the one you prefer - the one that works for you. It is not uncommon for astrologers to use different house systems for different astrological techniques. So try and hang on in there and see what emerges for you over time.
Let's look at some of the other differences between these two house systems. With the Placidus chart, the houses can be very different sizes, and this difference in size tends gets more and more extreme as the latitude of the place of birth increases. In fact, the Placidus system breaks down altogether at high latitudes, which was never a problem traditionally, since astrological lore was developed around the temperate zones of the Mediterranean. Large houses can contain whole signs, which are referred to as intercepted signs. These signs are considered to be 'buried' in the particular houses they fall into, and the planetary ruler/s of that sign are generally considered to have more difficulty functioning 'in the world' because they are not anchored to a house cusp and do not rule any of the houses. You will see from the Placidus chart that the signs of Pisces and Virgo are intercepted, being 'buried' in the 2nd and 8th houses respectively. When signs are fully contained within a house, the planetary rulers of those signs may not be anchored in time or space - may not have a home, which means that they may not be able to function particularly strongly in the world.
Audience: Can you confirm what you mean by planets ruling houses?
Clare: Each house has a 'cusp' which marks the place where the house begins. In this chart, the 1st house cusp is 0° 24' Capricorn, so Saturn, which rules Capricorn, will rule the 1st house. The 2nd house cusp is 17° 15' Aquarius, so Saturn is the personal ruler of the 2nd house and Uranus is the collective, transpersonal ruler. This is important because we will all have 'empty' or 'untenanted' houses with no planets in them, but this does not mean that nothing is happening there. It simply means that we will look to the ruler of the house for information about the way that house is functioning.
Audience: Can you say how this might actually work out in this chart?
Clare: Let's go back to the first chart I showed you tonight, and imagine that we are studying the chart of somebody born in London at 6.00 am this morning. The signs of Pisces and Virgo are intercepted, and the rulers of these two signs are Jupiter (traditional ruler of Pisces), Neptune (transpersonal ruler of Pisces), and Mercury (ruler of Virgo). As the co-ruler of Aquarius, Saturn rules the 2nd house, so it is grounded in the chart. Taking the intercepted signs of Pisces and Virgo, the rulers are Jupiter, Neptune and Mercury. Jupiter and Mercury are grounded in the chart because they also rule Sagittarius and Gemini, the signs on the 12th and 6th house cusps. But Neptune has no home. And it may be difficult for Venus to find tangible expression, since it is in the intercepted sign of Pisces. So it looks as if this person may be rather disembodied and diffuse and imaginative. This is supported by the fact that there is very little earth in the chart apart from the Capricorn Ascendant - only Saturn in Taurus.
On the other hand, whenever there are intercepted signs in the large houses in the Placidus system, it will also be the case that the same pair of planets will rule two of the smaller houses, and those planets function strongly in the world because they are anchored to more than one house cusp. For example, you will see that Mars and Pluto rule both the 10th and 11th houses, because the cusp of both houses is Scorpio, and Venus rules both the 4th and 5th houses, because the cusp of both houses is Taurus. This information tells us about the relative strength of the planets and where to put the emphasis in our interpretation. Mars, Pluto, and Venus will be strongly emphasised in the chart. But as we have already seen, Venus is in the intercepted sign of Pisces, so we can assume that the person born at 6.00 this morning will be particularly imaginative and sensitive but may have difficulty finding an outlet for this.
Finally, because the Placidus system is a quadrant house system, three complete houses are found in each of the four quadrants. Starting from the angles, these are known as angular, succedent and cadent houses, and the meaning of these terms is not dissimilar to the meaning of the cardinal, fixed and mutable modes. In an Equal House chart, on the other hand, each planet has equal weight 'in the world' because each sign (and therefore the planetary ruler of each sign) is 'anchored' to a house cusp.
- Baring, Anne and Jules Cashford, The Myth of the Goddess (London: Penguin/Arkana, 1991) [hereafter Baring and Cashford), p. 681.
- Baring and Cashford, p. 681.
- Paracelsus, Selected Writings, ed. Jolande Jacobi, trans. Norbert Guterman, Bollingen Series XXVIII (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1951).
- Idemon, Richard, 'Part One: The Basics of Relating', in Through the Looking Glass: A Search for Self in the Mirror of Relationships (York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1992).
- Dethlefsen, Thorwald, The Challenge of Fate (London: Coventure Ltd., 1984).
- Sasportas, Howard, The Twelve Houses: An Introduction to the Houses in Astrological Interpretation (Wellingborough: Aquarian Press, 1985), 'Chapter 15: Grouping the Houses'.
- Von Schlieffen, Alexander, When Chimpanzees Dream Astrology: An Introduction to the Quadrants of the Horoscope (London: CPA Press, 2004).
"Mapping the Psyche, Volume 2"First published 2007 by the CPA Press, BCM Box 1815, London WC1N 3XX, Copyright © 2007 by Clare Martin.
More Information about the Book.


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Stock Market Closes Week After 5 Year High For S&P
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on January... News PhotoBusiness,Corporate Business,Finance,Horizontal,International Landmark,New York City,New York Stock Exchange,Stock Market and Exchange,Trader,Trading,USA,WorkingPhotographer Spencer PlattCollection: Getty Images News 2013 Getty ImagesNEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 18: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on January 18, 2013 in New York City. A day after the Standard & Poor's 500-index rose to its highest level in five years, The Dow Jones industrial average was fluctuating between small losses and gains in morning trading. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)


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PhD Run Light Mini Sock (Women's) (out-of-stock)
Out of Stock Product Number: 31670
An ideal height for trail running, this light cushioned sock is the perfect running sock for mild to warmer weather. Thanks to Realiwool Technology in high density impact zones, these socks are sure to outrun your running shoes.
* This product does not qualify for shipping to all countries.
- Patented Reliawool Technology in high wear areas for maximum durability
- Mesh ventilation offers increased breathability
- Padded Achilles tab for protection and secure fit
- Strategic mesh zones for maximum ventilation
- Flat knit durable toe seam for high burst strength
- Double layer 1x1 ribbed welt
- 3.75" overall height
- Light Half Cushion
- 4 Degree Elite Fit System offers great stretch and recovery for a better fit
Gender: Women's
Material: 70% Merino Wool, 28% Nylon, 2% Elastane
Fit: Mini height
Season: S13
Vendor ProductId: SW070
Review ProductId: 31670
Reviewed by 1 customer
- Comfortable
- Durable
- Warm
Best Uses
- Athletics
- Daily Use
- Travel
Comments about SmartWool PhD Run Light Mini Sock (Women's):
Wear these socks for numerous running events and travel too. I could even wear them a few times without holding any smell. I traveled with these recently and they kept my feet warm for sure.
- Sizing:
- Feels true to size
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes


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$139.95 to $199.95
PetSafe® In-Ground Fence is ideal for hearing-impaired or senior pets. Covers up to 1/3 acre. Harmless electrical simulations are great for training. Read More
For dogs 8 lb and up, or neck sizes 6-28".
- Covers up to 1/3 acre with included wire
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- 4 adjustable levels of static correction
- Tone with vibration option alerts your pet
- Waterproof receiver collar
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- Works with multiple dogs
System Includes:
- Transmitter with power adapter
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- 500 feet of wire with wire nuts
* PetSafe® In-Ground Fences are a part of a training regimen and work best when used as directed.
- Type: Containment
- Brand: PetSafe
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Burying the wireis a hastle, but over all no problems and its very helpful
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text:
Samsung Beats Apple in a Lesser Patent Skirmish
The fierce legal battle between Samsung and Apple over their respective patent rights continues to wind its way through the U.S. court system. It was Samsung's turn to claim an appellate court victory this week, but it's perhaps a pyrrhic one, given that the device in question, the Galaxy Nexus, is a dated product. Also, because the injunction against it had been stayed, sales were unaffected.
Oct 12, 2012 11:39 AM PT
This week the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit overturned a preliminary injunction granted to Apple this summer in district court by Judge Lucy Koh. Apple had shown it would see a significant loss of sales and smartphone marketshare if a preliminary injunction were not granted, she found.
However, the appeals court stayed the injunction until it could formally rule.
Insufficient Cause
The injunction stemmed from a suit filed earlier this year, in which Apple alleged that Samsung's Galaxy Nexus smartphone infringed eight of its patents. This appeal, however, just focused on one of the patents -- an apparatus for "unified search" that uses heuristic modules to search multiple data storage locations.
The appeals court cited the legal precedent that a plaintiff seeking a preliminary injunction must establish the likelihood of success on the merits, the probability of suffering irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary relief, that the balance of equities tips in the plaintiff's favor, and that an injunction would be in the public interest.
Samsung challenged the district court's decision, arguing that it was abuse of discretion for the district court to find that Apple would be irreparably harmed in the absence of an injunction. Samsung also argued that Apple did not sufficiently establish a link between the harm it allegedly suffered and the infringing conduct. The appeals court said the district court erred when it determined that Apple established a sufficient causal nexus.
The appeals court sent the case back to Koh for reconsideration.
A Court-by-Court Battle
The patent under scrutiny in this appeal was not included in the trial in which Apple won a sweeping victory against Samsung and was awarded US$1.05 billion in damages. Samsung has vowed to appeal that case -- adding to the numerous cases pending in both the U.S. and foreign legal systems.
It is difficult to keep track of the many cases that are pending throughout the world between the two companies -- and perhaps even more difficult to determine if there is a larger strategy behind each individual action.
"My guess is yes, someone is coordinating these cases, deciding which patent to file suit about in which court," Christopher M. Collins, a partner with Vanderpool, Frostick & Nishanian, told the E-Commerce Times.
Some of the cases are no doubt brought forward for jurisdictional purposes, he noted, while some might be key to the pursuit of an overall legal strategy.
"In some of these cases," said Collins, "they are definitely choosing courts for specific reasons."


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Moulding & Millwork
Poplar Craft S4S 1/4x6x4 Feet
Model: LP1/4X6-4 | Store SKU: 1000408506
Classic stainable or paintable styling to suit your decorating needs. Machines easily and can be painted or stained for the desired finished.
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Warranty Information
For more information please contact 1-800-628-0525.
|Assembled Depth (In Inches)
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|1.1 Lbs.
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Noir Jewelry
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Brand: Noir Jewelry
Origin: Imported


text:
An interest in campus recreation led an alumnus to be named an All-American Basketball Official.
Max Bush credits Grand Valley's role in helping to develop his most recently published play.
Perseverance and dedication led a student who immigrated to the U.S. to earn a master's degree.
A graduate combines her education and passion for teaching in an after-school literacy program.
A student creates a social network site for others with disabilities who want to study abroad.
A graduate put his liberal education degree skills to work at some of Silicon Valley's top companies.
After raising money to produce a film, a graduate used the talent of students to help complete it.
Three years ago, Scott Lacey lost his vision. That didn't stop, or slow, his plans.
Ryan Thum, an AWRI researcher, has been awarded Scientist of the Year honors.
A graduate uses his unusual combination of talents and interests to find a job in Palestine.


text:
18 U.S. Code § 3164 - Persons detained or designated as being of high risk
(a) The trial or other disposition of cases involving—
(2) a released person who is awaiting trial and has been designated by the attorney for the Government as being of high risk,
shall be accorded priority.
(b) The trial of any person described in subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section shall commence not later than ninety days following the beginning of such continuous detention or designation of high risk by the attorney for the Government. The periods of delay enumerated in section 3161 (h) are excluded in computing the time limitation specified in this section.
(c) Failure to commence trial of a detainee as specified in subsection (b), through no fault of the accused or his counsel, or failure to commence trial of a designated releasee as specified in subsection (b), through no fault of the attorney for the Government, shall result in the automatic review by the court of the conditions of release. No detainee, as defined in subsection (a), shall be held in custody pending trial after the expiration of such ninety-day period required for the commencement of his trial. A designated releasee, as defined in subsection (a), who is found by the court to have intentionally delayed the trial of his case shall be subject to an order of the court modifying his nonfinancial conditions of release under this title to insure that he shall appear at trial as required.
Source(Added Pub. L. 93–619, title I, § 101,Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 2081; amended Pub. L. 96–43, § 7,Aug. 2, 1979, 93 Stat. 329.)
1979—Pub. L. 96–43, § 7(1), substituted "Persons detained or designated as being of high risk" for "Interim limits" in section catchline.
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96–43, § 7(2), struck out provisions limiting the trial priority to be accorded persons specified in cls. (1) and (2) of this subsection to the interim period commencing ninety days following July 1, 1975 and ending on the date immediately preceding the date on which the time limits provided for under section 3161 (b) and (c) of this title become effective.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96–43, § 7(3), struck out provisions making trial priority provisions of this subsection applicable during an interim period only and requiring the trial of any person detained or designated by the government as being of high risk on or before the first day of such interim period to commence no later than ninety days following the first day of the period and inserted provision excluding the periods of delay specified in section 3161 (h) of this title in computing the time limitation of this section.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Kindle eBook readers
Amazon Kindle was one of the first eBook readers to be launched and is still one of the most popular devices. The information below outlines the main differences within the Kindle range for reading eBooks, newspapers and magazines.
Kindle Fire HD and HDX
The Kindle Fire HD was released in 2012. A new version, and the Kindle Fire HDX, both with improved accessibility features, were released in October 2013.
Kindle Fire HDs all have full colour screens and are capable of playing films, TV shows and games, as well as having a Store from which further apps can be downloaded. They can also be used as eBook readers!
- Kindle Fire HD has a 7" HD touchscreen with a resolution of 216ppi, weighs 345g and has Wi-Fi. There are 8GB and 16GB models.
- Kindle Fire HDX has a 7" HD touchscreen with a resolution of 323ppi, and is available with Wi-Fi only, weighing 303g, or Wi-Fi and 4G/3G, weighing 311g. There are various storage options between 16GB and 64GB.
- Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" has a larger screen with a resolution of 339ppi. Otherwise it has the same options as the HDX. The Wi-Fi only version weighs 374g while the Wi-Fi + 4G/3G version weighs 384g.
There is no on-going charge for the 4G/3G capability. All three have very clear colour touch screens, and good contrast between the white or orange text on a black background for the Home screen and menus. When reading a book, you can change size of text and choose between white text on black, black text on white and black text on sepia.
The Kindle Fires have a text-to-speech function, called "Screen Reader", and another accessibility feature called "Explore by touch". On the 2013 models, these can be turned on independently during initial set up of the device. Once they are on, you can use standard Android gestures to open the Books app, browse the list of books, open one and read it without being able to see the screen. You can also check the spelling of words, look them up in the dictionary, or select text to highlight or annotate.
Braille support is available for a few recently released Bluetooth displays via the BrailleBack app which has to be downloaded and installed separately.
As well as font options for book content, there is a Large Font Size setting to make menus and on-screen controls easier to see, and a
Screen Magnifier for greater enlargement of all screen content except for the on-screen keyboard.
Watch our videos
Accessibility on the 2013 Kindle Fire HD
- Watch the Accessibility on the 2013 Kindle Fire HD video with subtitles
- Read the transcript from the Accessibility on the 2013 Kindle Fire HD video (Word, 168KB)
Mayday - Amazon Assist
One of the features on the Kindle Fire HDX, is Mayday, which puts you in direct contact with an Amazon tech advisor who can help you with problems. What happens if a low vision reader tries to use the feature?
- Watch the Amazon Assist video with subtitles on YouTube
- Read the transcript from the Amazon Assist video (Word, 150KB)
2013 Kindle Fire HD with low vision
- Watch the 2013 Kindle Fire HD with low vision video with subtitles
- Read the transcript from the 2013 Kindle Fire HD with low vision video (Word, 159KB)
2013 Kindle Fire HD with speech
- Watch the 2013 Kindle Fire HD with speech video with subtitles
- Read the transcript from the 2013 Kindle Fire HD speech video (Word, 160KB)
Kindle Paperwhite
Kindle Paperwhite is an eInk touchscreen device based on the new "Carta" display technology, giving a resolution of 212 ppi. It has a built-in front light of variable brightness, and a range of font sizes and shapes.
It is available as Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + 3G - there is no on-going charge for the 3G capability. The Wi-Fi only model weighs 206g, with the Wi-Fi + 3G version weighing 213g.
It has internal storage for over 1000 books and, although it has no SD card slot, it does offer free cloud storage.
The battery should last for up to 28 hours with the light on full brightness.
Watch our Kindle Paperwhite video demonstrating its low vision facilities.
- Watch the Kindle Paperwhite video with subtitles on YouTube
- Read the transcript from the Kindle Paperwhite for low vision video (Word, 159KB)
Kindle reader
Kindle Reader is a basic eInk reader with a choice of font sizes for book content.
It weighs 170g and can store 1,400 books. The battery gives up to 15 hours of reading time, and takes three hours to recharge. It has a Wi-Fi connection.
There is a choice of font and font size for book content, but not for menus or other facilities such as the dictionary or the purchase of eBooks from the device. You can use your computer or phone to buy books from the Amazon website and have them sent wirelessly to your Kindle.
Kindle DX
The Kindle DX is very similar to the Kindle Keyboard, except that it has a much larger screen - 24.25cm diagonal - and a slightly different keyboard layout. It also has no VoiceGuide speech for menus or the book list, which means it's very difficult for someone with no sight to use.
The Kindle DX has never been available from Amazon in the UK, but can be purchased from Amazon's US site and shipped abroad.
Note that it comes with a USB cable for charging from a computer, but a plug has to be bought separately. It may also be possible to buy a second hand unit within the UK.
Reading choices from RNIB
We make it possible for you to get access to books, newspapers and magazines in the format you prefer, whether that's braille, audio, large print or digital. You can borrow from our library service – the largest of its kind in the UK – or buy from our online shop.RNIB reading choices
RNIB online shop
Shop online for a wide range of products that you need to remain independent. From talking scales to tactile labels, mobile phones to magnifiers, we can help you keep doing the things you love.Online shop


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Created by Jen Rossi, buyer for the popular Southern California boutique Planet Blue, Jens Pirate Booty embraces the free-spirited, west-coast gypsy vibe of Jens home town of Malibu, California. Jen began her fashion career at Planet Blue, eventually making her way to buyer and store manager. She loved to travel the world in search of unique garments that was unlike anything designers were putting out and bring it back to Planet Blue where hey would sell out immediately. In April 2006, Jen was approached by a Japanese company looking to bring her expertise overseas and she agreed to launch Jens Closet as part of a vellective of 29 stores which sold her own designs as well as treasures collected on her travels around the world. Finding huge success in Japan, Jen began to have an idea of a new gypsy-inspired line, all she needed was a name. On a trip to Mexico, Jen found a bunch of clothes or loot and brought them back for her friends. Since pirate booty means the pirates loot of goodies that they find, Jen decided to call her line Jens Pirate Booty. Jen continues to travel the world, finding inspiration in other cultures so that she can create a line that is part gypsy, part bohemian, and part pirate. The washing instructions for these garments?: hand wash in the ocean. hang from a palm tree or lay to dry in the sand. peace, love, and happiness. Every detail embodies the gypsy lifestyle that Jen loves so much.
Adored by many celebrities including Vanessa Hudgens, Cami Richardson, Ashley Tisdale, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Naomi Campbell, Jens Pirate Booty is a brand to look out for! Made of gauzy cotton fabrics, each piece has a feminine silhouette thats full of breezy movement. Jens Pirate Booty dresses make for the perfect fun beach cover-up or paired with some ankle booties, the perfect flirty Coachella outfit. Great for every girls wardrobe, look for a sale today and check out our entire collection of dresses and tops to find more beach-chic looks for you!